that is to saye chiefe Princes and Capitaines in battaile The Sarracens haue made irruptions into Italy Spaine France spoiling all y euer they could wasting burning bearing away innumerable spoiles But how miserably y Church of christ was torne in péeces how much christian blood shed in so many prouinces duringe the space of so many yéeres it is impossible to set foorth in woordes For at length y Sarracens were driuen out of Spayne by Ferdinande y great the yere of Christ 1487 out of Affrica they were expulsed the yéere of Christe 1517. but the Turkes succéeded in their place for Selimus emperour of y turks slew and draue y Sara out of Affri Hervnto also apperteineth that miserable slaughter wherin there was an vnspeakable déele of blood sheden which is commonly called the Holly warre wherin the Christians went about to recouer Ierusalem and the holly sepulcher of the Lorde out of the Sarracens and Machometans handes whereby they brought none other thinge to pas but béeinge not able to obtaine the sepulcher they hastned thēselues to their owne graues and destructiō through their vnfortunate warre brought the miserable Christians of the East into hatred great daunger and persecution so y welnigh they lost all y was remaininge But to the intent that this great gréeuous longe and cruell persecution which the Sarracens haue exercised against the Christians may bée the better knowen I mean to declare y who le discourse of the warre In the yéere of Christe 1. 84. there came out of the East a certen Anchor whom historiographers do call Peter the Heremite The same filled the eares of princes and men of all other sortes declaring vnto them the miserable state of the Christians in the East whom y Machometan Sarracens oppressed with wofull tyranie and verie mutch molested wherfore that it was right néedfull for the Christians in the west to haue some care ouer them and gatheringe an armie both to ouercome the Sarracens and release the Christians Shortly after vrban y ii being Pope and schollar to Gregory the seuenth called togither a counsel at Claromōt in France wherin it was decréed that the christians with all their power should make warre vppon the Sarracens take Ierusalem and the holy Sepulcher and so delyuer the Christians from their tyrrannye This counsell was pernicyous and hurtfull to the Christian commonwealth and had the very same end with the counsel which is described in the firste booke of Kinges the last Chapter For al things were vnfortunate and the Christians were not only not released from the tirannie but most part of them slayne afterward oppressed and afflicted more gréeuously then before And albeit many holy and good men vpon a vertuous zeale yéelded themselues and consented to the warre yet lacked it the foundation of Gods worde whiche shoulde haue commaunded them to take Ierusalem and the holy Sepulcher from the Sarracens and to take in hande so great and dangerous a warre For although they atchiued sundri noble aduentures and possessed manye places yet was there no constant Fortune as to holde that which they had takē or to establish peace for the oppressed christians The byshops also in their counsells touching this warre gaue but euell counsell vnto Princes and many other godly christians as they haue done also in manye other matters Other deceits and troubles which wer annexed hereto for breuytie sake I omit at this present The Claromont counsell was holden the yéere of Christ 1095. After the Claromont counsel immediatly began Peter y heremits war who ledyng foorth with hym certen thousandes which voluntarely offred themselues in this expedition marched through Hūgary into Asia but atchiued ther no noble exploit worthy of memorye And this was the first vnluckie iourney Shortly after two rashe and troublesome priestes whom Historicians call Volcomar and Goddeschar hauynge gathered an vnfit multitude of the common people began the second expeditiō into Asia But when they were come into Hungarie spoylyng althynge rebyng and vsing themselues disordinatly so y the Hungariās iudged them worse then they vnbeléeuyng Sarracens they gathered an army and slew those lewde pilfring varlets In the yere of Christ 1096. Godfree and Baldwine of the famile of Bullein Dukes of Lorraine tooke in hande the. 3. expeditiō into Asia These gathering an army of a hundred thousande horsemen three hundred thousand footemen tooke many cities of Asia and Ierusalem also Vrspurgenfies reporteth that ther was so much blood shed there that in the very temple the bloude was aboue the hooues of the Horses The yéere of Christ 1119. the citie of Ierusalem was taken by the Christians and made head of the newe kingdome of Christians in the Easte wherof duke Godfree was created king The same reigned one yéere after whō succéeded seauen Kinges in order which reigned in all about one hundred yéere in the yéere of Christe 1189. all things were lost agayne which they had taken After that tidings were come out of the East how Ierusalem was taken and a new kingdome established many were pricked forward to take their iourneie thyther hoping for ritches kingdomes Wherfore in the yéere of Christe 1101. William duke of Poicters w t. 100000. men tooke in hand the holy warfare And this was the 4. expedition which was not also very prosperous for there returned home again not many mo then a M. mē Although Ierusalē was thus taken by the christians notwithstanding the Sarracens ceased not from war but vrged them so sharply the they wer enforced to su foraid whē as S. Bernhard abbot of Clarauallis ioyned himself in this vnlucky war and taking diuers iournies in hand exhorted the christian princes to take this war vpon them and at length brought to pas the Conrade the 3. being emperour Ludouick kinge of France Friderick duke of Sueuia VVelphus duke of Bauaria with many other princes moe with great power béegan this expedition but these also profited nothinge for their armie dyinge in sundrie places in forrein countreys the princes scarsly returned in safety This great expedition was made in the yéere of our Lorde 1147. Afterward Ierusalē was taken as we haue said béefore by a very great power of Sarracens with an vnspeakable losse and spillyng of Christian bloud Which heauie tidinges béeinge arriued in the west forthwith there béetooke them vnto armour Friderick Barbarossa the emperour Philippe kinge of France Rychard kinge of England and with them many princes moe These tooke in hand the. 6. expedition into the east the yéere of Christe 1189. With an excéedinge great power who notwithstandinge brought nothing to passe but this only that the noble prince Friderik the emperour fell into a riuer and was drowned the armie for the most part died with sicknes the residew whereof the numbre was not great returned home miserably After this ther apoynted again a new and which was the. 7. expedition two most
puisaunt princes the kinges of Fraunce and England in the yéere of Christe 1191. and came into Asia wher léesinge a great multitude of men they were constrayned to leaue Ierusalem to the Sarracens In the yéere of Christe 1198. Henrie sunne to Friderick Barbarossa béegan the viii expedition into Syria but at the first receauinge a foile hée returned againe without doinge any thinge After all these expeditions Pope Innocentius the 3. a craftie presumptious man went about afresh to beegin this warre caulinge at Rome a great counsell such as hath not bin séene thée like in the yéere of Christ 1215. but hée died in the midst of this busines after whom succéeded Honorius the 3. who with no lesse diligence applied the same matter feigninge like a false prophet that hée had seene a vision and that it was said vnto him by Saint Peter that in the time of his reigne Ierusalem should bée recouered Wherfore the ninth expedition was taken in hand towardes Ancon whiche once was Ptolomais Then was taken Damniata yet with more losse then profit vnto our men which was taken the yéere of Christe 1222. and lost the next yéere followinge To be short there was almost nothinge gotten by the warre for euery thinge had but litle good successe In the yéere of Christe 1228. Fridericke the seconde Emperour of y name a wise noble and victorious prince vndertooke the tenth expedition into Syria where vanquishynge his enemies hee tooke certayne principall Citties among which also hée wanne Ierusalem But whilst this good prince maketh warre agaynst the Infidels Pope Gregorie the .ix. inuaded Apulia and tooke his natiue kyngdome and countrey and therefore contrary to his intent and purpose hée was enforced to take peace with the Soldane and so departe Which déede of the Pope Abbas Vrspurgensis in his chronicles doth woorthely blame moste sharply Afterward in y yéere of Christ 124◠Ludouick king of Fraūce with his brothers Robert and Charles lead foorth an armie passing wel appointed into Syria where hée founde no better fortune then others before him had done For Robert was slayn Charles taken by the Soldan the army discomfited and the kynge Ludouicke hardly escaped with a few And this was the .xi. vnhappie expedition In the yéere of Christe 1270. Kynge Ludouicke lead foorth an armie againe into Affrica against the Sarracens which maketh the xij expedition but there a sicknesse inuadyng the army the kynge himself with one of his sunnes died for hée caried thrée foorth with him into battel a few of the people returned home salfe Although in this warre which was first kindled by Peter the Heremite afterwarde proclaimed by the Claromont counsell and successiuely mantayned by meanes and prouocation of Popes there was no constant successe so that it was manifest vnto all men that God would blesse it with no prosperous preueile and séeinge that Ierusalem was lost agayne and the state of Christians in the East was béecome most miserable from whom by reason of the warres persecutions were not taken away but rather augmented notwithstandinge these vnfortunate Bysshoppes with this vnspeakable effusion of Christian bloode were not satisfied neyther coulde bée broughte to yéelde or relent at these perpetuall and great discouragementes For Gregorie the x. callinge a great counsell at Lions in the yéeare of our lorde 1272. went about to renewe the warre but all in vaine for so mutch as therby manie had sustained sutch and so manie miseries and calamities both of body and goodes And Matthaeus Palmerius in his Cronacles writeth How that many thousandes of Christians being slayn in Syria by the Sarracens the residew for feare departed the cuntrey whiche was doone the yéere of Christe 1291. about whiche yéere Paulus Aemilius and the French Chronacles do report that this holy or rather vnhappye warre was ended which continued in all 196. yéeres whereof the like is not heard of in any history And this warre vnto the great damage and oppression of the Christians was first kindled by Peter an vnknowne heremit of whom many boast verye mutch others not without cause haue doubted whether he were a man or any thinge else I know not what many haue said that he was a dissemblinge hypocrite holpen by the Counsell and prelates and this mutch is sufficent to haue spoken of the Sarracen persecution Wherfore let vs now come to the Turkishe The persecution of Turkes wherewith they haue molested the Christians is in some respect ioyned and coupled with the Sarracen makinge it more gréeuous and cruell And the Turkes are a people of Tartaria whiche in the yeere of Christe 764. brake forth of their owne confines through the gates Caspiae planted themselues in Asia who first seruinge vnder the Sarracens for wagies afterward increasinge their power by good successe in warres about the yéere of Christe 1051. they created them princes amonge themselues who perpetually haue afflicted and persecuted the poore Christians for they also had then receaued the Machometan religion It is not to bée doubted but that God hath sent this cruell and superstitious nation of Turkes for a scourge vnto the Christians For like as in the tyme of Salomon when as he fell from the lawe of God and suffred his wiues to build temples vnto Idoles there sprange vp and increased enemies against him and all the kingdome so likewise amonge the Christians when Pope Boniface the. 8. committed many thinges repugnant to the Christian religion bringing in the Iubilee of the Iewes which was abolished by christ wherby the redemption through Christe was no litel déele diminished at the same time in the yéere of our lord 1300. sprang foorth that sharp rodde namely othomannus prince of the Turkes who at the béeginninge was but a shéepheard From this sprange out all the princes and emperours of the Turkes which hetherto haue obtayned the empire persecuting the Christians with vnspeakable harmes wasting and destroying whatsoeuer the Sarracens had left and haue established sutch a kingdome as hath desended and enlarged it self alas therwhile with impregnable force against all power Othomannus hath amplyfied his kingdome large and wyde wounderfully indamaginge vanquishynge and murtheringe the Christian Gréekes which were vnder the empire of Constantinople After the death of Othomannus there succéeded him in the Turkish Empire his sunne Orchannes in the yéere of our Lorde 1328. The same ensued his fathers steppes gréeuously afflictynge the Christians hée béesiedged the Cittie Nicea whiche when the Emperour of Constātinople would haue deliuered from siedge the armie of the Christians was miserably slayne the Cittie yéelded and the Christians most truelly dealt with all In the yéere of our Lorde a thousand thrée hundred and fiftie Amurates the first of that name thirde prince of the Turkes succéeded his father Orchannes Who sendyng an armie ouer the Sea tooke the cities Hadrianopolis Seruia and Bulgaria whom when the Christian princes assaide to driue away were
Catholicke bishops were by him sent into banishment and many of theÌ„ tormented and finally slayne Since therfore at that time there reigned such tirranny in euery place and the ministers of the churches other faithfull men were nowher in salftye but were commonly reprochefully intreted spoyled plucked out of their houses and stayne at length the Church decréed to send some notable embassedge vnto the Emperour complaynyng of their iniuries and requiryng his maiesties clemency helpe and protection To which purpose were sent 80. of the chiefest the their countinaunce and credit might be the greater Who when they were com to Nicomedia to the Emperour had exhibited their supplication the Emperour was greuously mooued against theÌ„ yet dissemblyng his anger charged priuely Modestus one of his seruants that he should destroy al those byshops But because hée doubted lest if they shoulde be openly executed the people might chance to raise a tumult they were all imbarked in a Ship as yf they shoulde be sent into banishment And when the Ship was come into the midest of the déepe sea the mariners setting it on fler theÌ„selues escaped away in boates thus in one Ship were 80. holy seruants of God consumed with fire Which most cruell tragedie and impious fact stroak the Church of God into most greuous sorowe and heauinesse But who so is delighted to vnderstand the most firce Barbarousnes and most outragious tragedies heinous murthers which haue bin coÌ„mitted against the holy faithfull of Christ let him read the. 7 booke of the Tripartite historye and the fourth of Socrates and Theodoretus where these thinges are setfoorth at large I omitte in this place to set out the persecution of Athanaricus King of the Gothes whome others call Athalaricus Hée persecuted the Christians about the yéere of Christe 373. whereof some he flewe some hée banished But because some reporte that they whiche suffred these thinges were Arrians therefore I thought it not conuenient to recken this among the persecutions of the holye Catholick Churche Howbeit after that the Vandales had possessed Affrica driuyng the Romans thence about the yéere of Christ 443. being then peace throughout all the empyre Genserick King of Vandales and Lord of Affrica being infected with the Arrian heresie as were Constantinus and Valens the Emperours intended to enforce the christians to the Arrian heresie whervpon there began a bloudy and butcherly slaughter For he shut vp the Churches of the faithful and spoiled the Ministers whereof many hée killed with hunger and to be short he left nothing vndone whatsoeuer before him Dioclecian and Maximian the most cruell tyrants had practized against the faithfull Whom notwithstanding hée could not enforce to reuoult for all their most greuous and cruell punishments After Genserick there succéeded him both in his kingdome and tyrrannie his sunne Honorius in the yéere of Christe 476. who persecuted also the Christians most cruelly for the profession of the trew faith The whole storie of this persecution is described by Victor bysshop of vtica which liued in those bloody times After Honoricus there succcded in the kingdome Gundamundus in the yéere of Christe 484. who likewise as his predicessours did persecuted the Christians The like afterward also did Trasimundus the yéere of Christe 503. by whom were at one time 220. bysshoppes banished into Sardinia but Hildericus sunne to Trasimundus recallinge them home again out of exile restored them to their churches in the yeere of Christe 523. This Hildericus was a good prince sound in the Christian religion but in the yéere of Christe 530. he was by Gilimer takeÌ„ by a trayn and cast into prison and reprochefully vsed Howbeit Gilimer enioyed the crowne not longe but was by Bellisarius as Procopius reporteth about the yéere of Christe 535. vanquished and stain with whom the kingdome of Vandales also toke his ende This persecution vnder the Vandales continued in Affrica about fouerscore yéeres Of the 19. Tragical acte or persecution which was the longest and most greeuous of all other vnder Machomet which the Sarracens and Turkes haue mantayned agaynst the Churche of Christe Chapter xi BY meanes of these persecutions which wée haue heatherto declared which are to bée accoumpted as certen Chastisement and corrections of God few in the Church were brought to any repentance or amendment but many became rather the worse for sundry heresies and schismes as namely of the Macedonians Nestorians Pelagians with diuerse other arose increasinge more and more the recitall whereof were now to tedious by occasion wherof gréeuous contentions troubles and disagréement fell out not only amongst the learned but also amongst the common people and the vnlearned sort giuinge occasion of great and outragious diuisions in religion ouer all the East Béesides in the west the bysshop of Rome wickedly aduaunced himself and his Church aboue al Churches and ministers of Churches throughout all Christianitie and that expresly against the holy doctrine of the Gospell and the writinges of Gregory the pope Wherfore while matters continued in this state God suffred his Churche to bee touched with most sharpe troubles and oppressed with greeuous persecutions For in the yéere of Christe 613. was first knowne and béecame famous in Arabia the wicked hypocrite and most craftie verlet Machomet whom some terme Muhammat the same from his youth vpward was a merchant but afterward hée boasted that he was a prophet sent from god There had ioyned themselues vnto him certen wicked and stubberne Iewes and also one Sergius a munke an apostata and an heretick â—i whose aduice and ayd he deuised a new lawe which hée called Alcoranus for this woord Alcoran signifieth a mingle-mangle of lawes In whiche hee erred directly from the scriptures of both testamentes wherin are set downe the true lawes prescribed by God béeside whom wée haue no néede of anye other booke of lawes howbeit Machomet hath set foorth a new and peculiar lawe to his Sarracens Turkes and all that shall hereafter béeléeue in him which law of his is in very déede a miserable feined deuise impure false and full of filthy fables that it was great meruell how wise men could giue credite to such absurde and doubtfull trifles Howbeit therin appeareth the dreadfull wrath of God against al such as ar not contented with the doctrine of Christ the holy scriptures for it followeth deseruedly that al the are not contented w the truth to beléeue it afterward they giue credit vnto lies ar shamefully deceued seduced In this his law Machomet the diuellish and false prophet hath instituted and diuised a new religion altogither repugnant to the faith of Christ He acknowledgeth the ther is one God maker of heauen and earth whom onlie we must adore and call vpon and that wée must not worship or honour any other Gods Idols or Images whiche the Sarracens and Turkes doo hate excéedingly But hée doth not acknowledge according to the effect of the holly
scriptures the diffrence of the persons in one and indiuisible substance of Godhoode the Father the Sunne and the Hollye ghost but hée impugneth and raileth at the blessed Trinitie Likewise hée confesseth that Christ was a great prophet borne of the holy and vndefiled virgin who was taken also vp into heauen but as for that poynct which is peculiar to the true and liuelye faith hee doth not confesse that Iesus Christe is the euerlastinge sunne of God very God and man the only mediatour of God and men who being crucified slayne for our sake arose again from y dead sitteth on y right hand of god being of one power w the father in heauen These things he blasphemeth and impugneth deneing y christ was crucified wherefore he teacheth also erroniously touching remission of sins which onli we obtaine by faith in christ which was crucified ye he is altogether ignoraÌ„t of faith iustification by faith in Christ deuising sundrie woorshippinges and meanes to attayne saluation namely by fastinge praying giuinge of almes sustaininge many great labours suffring mutch trouble valientlye fightinge for the Machometan religion and dyinge in batteill Hée is also of opinion that a man may fulfill the law and demerite saluation by his owne woorkes hée hath his Moonkes Priestes in whose merites hée reposeth the hope of his saluation Hée confesseth the resurrection of the bodie but hée speaketh altogether carnally and impurely of felicitie as though in Paradise wée shoulde enioye bodely pleasures meat drincke beutie of the body as if it were in the blessed Ilands called Beatorum insulae or else in a certein Vtopia Hée despiseth the Euangelicall and apostolicall doctrine as hée doth also our holly assembles and congregations coÌ„maundynge all that béeléeue in him to bee circumcised after the Iewish maner nothyng regarding our Baptisme hée raueth and rayleth at the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and al the fourme and ordre of the Lordes supper which was instituted and appointed by Christe hée contemneth all christian vsedges and hath instituted peculiar congregations temples rightes and ceremonies hée commandeth the sixt day of the wéeke which we cal Friday to bée kept holiday he apointed fasting daies purging with water hée commaunded them to pray fiue times in a day he forbid to pray vnto saincts creatures but vnto God only which is trueth in déed but hée teacheth to pray vnto others beside Christe Sutch praiers are not acceptable vnto God bicause they are not made through Christe through whom wée pray vnto God our father in heauen wherat hée mocketh But S. Iohn saith Who so hath not the Sun hath not the Father Hée altogether prophaneth holly matrimonie for vnto men hée giueth licence to marie as many wiues as they liste and that which is iniurious and dishonest to forsake them without cause at their pleasure and discretioÌ„ Hée forbiddeth them after the Iewish maner to eate swynes fleash hée debarreth them also from wine howbeit the ritcher sort haue deuised certen costlye kinds of drinks wherby they becoÌ„e nolesse drunk then with wine And this is the doctrine of the diuell wherof Paul intreateth in the first of Timothy the. 4. chapter And whatsoeuer I haue sayd of the Machometan faith the same ar al to be vnderstood of the Turkishe religion or supersticion which at this day is vsuall among the Turkes And as for these thinges I haue reported them verye bréeflye that those that knowe not the Turkish religion may haue a brief extract not of the whole relygion but of the chiefest poynts and opinions therof Now through indifferent view of these things which we haue recited who doth not vnderstande that through the moste gréeuous yet most iuste wrath of God the world is by him most sharply punished since y he hath suffred so absurde filthy wicked relygion to take place and here withall let vs also beholde and weigh what a cruell and continuall persecution which indureth also to this day this impiouâ— â–ª and Machometan faith hath raised againste the holly Church of Christe and the true faith Machomet that false prophet and murdrous seductour of the worlde had persuaded his Sarracens that they are the true children heiers of sarra wife to Abraham and that in respect therof béelonged vnto them all the promises made vnto Abraham namely that his séede should rule all the world and therfore hée exhorted the Sarracens that takyng weapon in hand they should valyently assay to possesse al the kingdoms of the world as their owne inheritaunce The Sarracens were a barbarus and rough people of Arabia whiche before that time were called Agareni the same receauinge stipende of the Romanes fought vnder them in the warre against the Persians But when hée which bare the name of generall had the charge of the army in geuing them their pay had reprochefully called them dogs saying who shal giue mony enough to this coÌ„pany of dogs thei reuoulted froÌ„ y RomaÌ„s and beinge perswaded by Homer their cheifteine they chose Machomet to be their prince speciallye since he had perswaded them that they shoulde not bée called Agareni of Agar the handmaide but rather Sarraceni of Sarra the lawful wyfe by reason whereof as it is sayde they were the Lordes and heirs of all kingdomes These things were done in the yéere of Christe 623. But this seditious murderous and wicked villaine Machomet so soone as hée had obtayned the Empire began to enlarge and set foorth his abhominable religion with the sword and to enforce men to receaue it persecutyng also and opprâ—ssing the true Christian faith And for the better ratefiyng hereof hée continued in this trauaile the space of 9. yéeres vnto the yéere of our Lorde 632. Vnto al that would follow his relygion he promised felycitie glory Empire victori ritches and after this life the pleasure of Paradice And by this menes he gat vnto him great multitudes of men specially when at the beginning things prospered so wel with him for why the common people followeth good fortune victory and ritchesse hatinge as mutch the crosse and persecutions Hée willed them moreouer to persecute all sutch as spake agaynst and reprehended the Alcoran Wherfore many reuoulted from the Christian faith and all vertuous and true Christians were oppressed with gréeuous persecutions this was the begiÌ„ning of the Sarracens kingdome After the death of Machomet the Sarracens called their chief princes Amiras which as some saye signifieth as mutch as the name of Emperour Whose names and most famous conquestes are described in histories vnto the yéere of Christe 870. They made many great warres and fought sundry battailes and obtayned conquestes against y Emperours of ConstaÌ„tinople and other kinges and princes They subdued Persia Babilon Syria the citie of Ierusalem and gat sundry great victoryes in Asia and Affrica in whiche places they terme their Princes Souldans or Sultans and Caliphas
also with their armies slaine by the Turkes Baiazetus the first fourth Prince of the Turkes béegan to reygne in the yéere of our Lorde 1373. The same hath vnspeakabli in damaged the Christians and among other things he besieged Constantinople very hardly the space of eight yeres And when the Emperour of Constantinople had desiered help of other christiās Charles the 6. king of France Sigismund of Hungary Iohn Duke of Burgundy Rupert Duke of Bauaria with other princes sent him aid gathering an army of 80000. mē But all these vpon Michaelmas day were by the Turkes slayne at Nicopolis in the yéere of Christ 1395. Machomet the fift prince of Turks in the yéeare of our Lorde 1399. came vnto the Empire He vanquished Sigismund Kyng of Hungarie in a battle at Columbeciū very mucth indamaged the Christians in the yéere of Christe 1409. Afterward in the yéere of Christ 1416 Amurates the. 2. was created the sixte Prince of the Turkes The same made war with Laudislaus king of Hungarie and Polande when Laudislaus through the help of God vanquishing Amurates enforced him vnto conditions of peace verye necessarye and profitable for the Christians This peace was confirmed by an oth at whiche time the state of Christians was in good case ouer the Turkes had not Pope Eugenius the 4. vnluckely troubled all Who sending Iulianus Caesarinus in embasiedge into Hungarie perswaded Ladislaus the King that hée was not bound by the othe whiche hée made to kéepe peace with the Turke for that no man ought to make peace with Infidels or heretickes and the othes and promises made vnto them are not to be perfourmed There were also diuers other which prouoked the king Ladislaus that he shoulde vse and employe this happye successe whiche God had geuen him against the Turkes vnto the commodytie of the Christian common-wealth that the Turke was nowe in great feare and troubled at that present with warre by the Carmani wherefore that it were an easie matter to vanquish him With these perswasions this yong Prince this vertuous and well meannyng King breakinge the peace violatynge his othe made warre vppon the Turkes and pitched his tentes betwen Danubius and Adrianopolis neare to the Citie Varna Against whome came foorth Amurates accōpanied with fourscore thousande men greatly blaming the periurie of the Christians and their breakyng of the peace where hée slewe the young king which had bin deceiued by other with many moe princes and noble men and as Platina witnesseth in the life of Eugenius the. 4. in that battle were slayne 3. C. thousand Christians The battle was fought vpon S. Martins éeuen in the yéeare of Christe 1444. Who so desireth to reade a larger description of that wofull calamitie let him peruse the Hungarian historie of Antonius Bonfinius the 6. booke of the 3. Decade But Amurates not being satisfied with this victory immediatly cōuaighing his army into Greece slew the Emperour of Constantinoples brother with all his power and wasted Peloponesus with fire and pilledge and sutch Christians as were reserued from the slaughter he lead away into most miserable slauery And this was the great good prouision and commoditie whiche the counsell of the bloody and periured Pope Eugenius purchased to the Christians After these calamities and gréeuous persecutions yet were there greater mischeiues which by the iust iudgment of God oppressed the Christians For in the yéere of Christe 1450. Machomet the seconde Sunne to Amurates was made the seauenth Prince of the Turkes The same for the valientnesse of his déedes was surnamed the great and called the first Caesar or Emperour of the Turkes because hée tooke awaye valiently by force that Empire whiche from the time of Constantinus the great the space of 1121. yéeres had continued vnder the dominion of the Christians and brought it in subiection vnto the Turkes For in the yéere of our Lord. 1453. he besiedged costātinople the head of the empire w a great power And whē he had besiedged it the space of 50 continual dais assaulted it w munition at lēgth the 29 day of May he increased the assault w al his force frō the morning vntill most part of the dai were spent at the length took it Héere nowe it cannot bée recited with what sauadge crueltie wantonesse pride and disdayne the barbarous Turkes vsed the miserable Christians without al mercy Constantinus the Emperour who was pressed and troden to death by the multitude of men béeing sought out and haled from the residew of the dead carcases had his head strocken off which béeyng set vppon the point of a speare was carried about in despight derision of y christiās Some report also y ther were 40000. Christians slayne CLM. carryed away into captiuytie and sould The exact discription of this most miserable calamiti and vnspeakable persecution is to be found in Nauclerus histori Also Ioannes Auentinus a writer of histories reporteth that this wicked Machomet surnamed the great besides the two Empires of Trapezunce and Constantinople tooke away moreouer from the Christians xii famous Kingdomes and 200 famous Cities Also in the yéere of Christe 1469. hée made an irruption into Styria and béesiedged the citie Graecium whereby such feare inuaded y christians y from Saltzbrough which some suppose of olde to bee called Iuuania vnto Monachum in Bauaria they fled in such hast that they regarded not their Children whiche fell out of the wagons and Chariots by the waye The same at that time they called the Turkish flight In the yéere of our Lord God. 1481 Baiazetes was created seconde Emperour of the Turkes and the eight prince from Othomānus Thesame persecuted also the christians cruelly and brake into Wallachia Hungarie where néere to the riuer Morana vanquishyng the Christians in reproch and dispight cut of the noses of all the prisoners which he had taken He made warre also against the Venetians sendynge foorth againste them Scender a Bassa into Frioll who sacking and spoylyng farre aboute carried away many Christians captiue of whome thrée hundred thousande were most pitifully slayne at the shoare of the riuer Tiliauentum Many thinges also moe haue bin commited cruelly against the Christians by this most barbarous and Turkishe Tyraunt Baiazete In the yéere of our Lorde 1512. the. 9 prince of the Othomanni and the third in order of the Turkish emperours Selimus began to reigne The same quite destroid the Sarracens Mammaluces cōmaundyng that their last Sultan Tomombeius most ignominiously shoulde bée hanged which was done the. 13. day of Aprill in the yéere of our Lorde 1517. when hee had taken Alcharyus or Memphis the greatest and most famous Citie of Egipt And by this meanes the Turkish Princes obtayned thrée excéedyng great Empires to wit of Trapezunce Constantinople and Egypt and so continuallye the Rodde or Sworde which God hath prepared againste the Christians is fortified and increased Solimannus succéeded his Father Selimus in the Empire