Emperour Frederick y e thyrde gaue greate gyftes and substaunce in Austria Mehemet hauyng taken Constantinople as I haue saide he tourned hym to the realme of Hungarye and besieged Belgrado from whēce he was dryuen by Ihon Huniad whiche was within thesame with the Cardinal of saynt Ange called Ihon and a graye freer named also Iohn and surnamed Capistram From thys siege Mehemet fled shamfully for he was hurte lost his artillarye and other bagages without hope of the recouerye of Hungarye So that he was cōstreined to passe vnto Moree whiche the Venecyans had taken from hym and newlye repeyred the Examilo whiche is a walle conteignynge vi myles or two legues longe frō the goulfe of Patràs called y e baye of Corinthiacus vnto that of Legine whiche was called the baye of Megaricus where sometyme was the toune of Corinthe whiche nowe is brought vnto a lytle village called Corintho the whiche Examilo Amurath his father had beatē downe that he myght entre the easelyer into the Moree Mehemet commynge the Venecyens thought to wythstande hym but they were vaynquyshed and lost that battayll in the whyche was slayne a greate nombre of good capteynes of the Italyans after whose takynge the veraye same tyme was taken also the Isle of Negrepont called Eubeia ioynyng to the sayde land enclosed wyth a brydge And afterwarde the ysles of Stalimene or Stalmini in the olde tyme called Lennos and Methelim called Lesboos the whiche perteigned to Nycholas Cataluz geneuoye afterwarde also saynt Maurye called Nerytus and by some Leucas and Leucadia Imate in the olde tyme name zacynthus and Cephalenie called Chifalonye And recouered agayn Croya after the death of Schanderbeg he tooke the toune of Scutari or Scodra from the lorde Arinth Comino or Connenus surnamed Gollent that is to saye Cheuelu father of the lorde Constantyne that gouerned the Marques of Mountfarrat after the death of the Duchesse hys nyece thesame tyme that kynge Charles the eyght came from Naples Afterwarde he entred into Bosue and tooke the lorde or deputye named Stephyn Hierchec and of some historiphiers the duke of Latic whose heade he commaunded to bee stryken of and caused hys sonne to denye hys faythe and to bee circumcized and surnamed Achinath He tooke from the Geneuoys the toune of Capha whyche is called Theodosia sette in Precopie whiche is Taurica Chersonessus whyche in maner is as longe as the Moree and on the one syde thereof is the goulfe of Nigropila called the baye of Carcinites and on the other syde the blacke seea called Bicis Palus and nere vnto it is Meotides Paludes whyche at thys daye is called the goulfe of Tanais Beeynge thus combred and troubled wyth all these cares and prouyuysyons of warre and trauaylynge and labourynge in all these countryes lyeng so farre one from another he was assayled in Natolie by Piramet Caraman whyche constreigned him to leaue his entreprises and yet notwithstādyng before that he parted he tooke the stronge castell of Mancup situate vpon the streight whiche by land encloseth Precopie that in the olde tyme was called Taphie Thys thynge done he passed into Natolia dryuynge backe Caraman and entred into his countreye a greate parte wherof he wanne brought vnder his subieccion In his commyng backe he toke Sinope y e head of Paphlago sytuate vpon the great sea and Trapezus called Trebisonde whiche is an Empire and he caused to be slayne the Emperour Dauid Conyno or Commenus whiche was a Christian of the lynage of the valyaunt Isaac Conyno the whyche from a capteyne became Emperour of Constantinople next after the Emperour Mychael And all these thynges aforesayde came to passe in the tyme that the Hungaryans theim of Austriche made warre agaynste the Emperour Frederycke because they woulde haue had Lancelot the soonne of Albert theyr lorde and kynge whiche was in the kepyng of the Emperour and he woulde not delyuer hym to theim because he was not of leful age And streyte vpon these victoryes aroase a newe enemye of thesayde Mehemet whiche was the kynge of Persie called Vsuncassan or Assembeg whiche was accompaigned wyth a greate armye of the Persians whome the Turckes call Keselbach that is to saye redde heddes because thei vse to were redde cappes or hattes he entred into Capadoce and Trebisonde and in the fyrste battayle Mehemet was dyscomfyted in the seconde Assamheg had the woorsse and loste a greate parte of his countreye The whyche Assembeg was of the lignage of Dauid Conyno the Emperoure of Trebisonde lyke as before I haue made mencyon and he reigned in the yeare of oure Lorde M cccc and .lxxii. Mehemet beyng delyuered of this trouble retorned into Caramanie after the death of Piramet Caraman and constreigned Abraham hys sonne to seke ayde and succour of the Christians and of Pius the seconde byshop of Rome whiche byshop myndyng to go in his owne persone agaynste hym caused hymselfe to be caryed to Ancone where he prepared a greate armye by the seea and there dyed whyle he taryed the commynge of the Venecyans whyche should haue accompaignyed hym in this voyage Thē it came to passe he be ynge dead that the armye skattered and so departed wythoute takyng any effect the Almeignes beynge then in warre wyth the Hungaryans they founde Caraman alone without helpe or ayde whō the saide Mehemet caused to bee slayne And by thys meane the stocke of Caraman was destroyed and theyr contreye remeyned to Othmans Mehemet beynge sure of this quarter he sente to Marbeye Samgiac of Bosue whyche was the soonne of a Geneuoye to spoyle the countreye of Istrie called Liburnie of Craine or Carnie called Corinthe of Stirie whiche they cal Steirmarck in y t old tyme called Valeria whiche all are comprysed within Illirium and so passed forthe to Friol which was called the merket of Iulii trauersynge betwixte Gue and Nou the greate ryuers dyscōfyted the Venecyans which he found before hym wher wer slayn and taken prysoners al the rest of the good capteynes of Italye On the other syde Mehemet sent Achmath Bacha surnamed Ghendich that is to saye to the greate toothe the sonne of Stephyn late deputee of Bosne of whome I haue spoken before w t a great armye by seea into Italye he toke the toune of Otranto called Hydruntus and in old tyme Iapiginum in the countree of Pouille or Apulia Before this also Mesithba Paleologue whiche was of the lignage of the Emperoures of Constantynople had assieged the toune of y e Rhodes and coulde not get it And not content with these thre armyes Mehemet wente hymselfe against y e Soudiane of Egipt but beyng arriued very nye to Nicomedie whiche some at this day call Comedy he dyed in the yere of our lord M cccc lxxxii beyng aboute thage of liiii yeres and the .xxxi. yere of his reigne He was called by the Turkes Mehemet Boiuc that is the great And he lefte behinde hym .ij. soonnes named Pazait
be wel and rytchelye apparelyd and among other thynges to haue theyr sweordes and weapons garnished with golde and syluer They are of nature heauy grosse slouggish recheles and vyle people and commenly glottons For they wyll syt three dayes more at the table w tout rysynge excepte it be to make water And yf slepe come vpon thē they couch thē selues in y t same places Howebeit they make no very good chere except they haue wyne though it be forbyddē thē wherof they haue ynough For the Iewes and the chrystyans sell it thē As much as I haue seen and knowen they be lyke the Almaynes in bewty of personage pronouncynge of theyr language and for y e pryde that they haue in theyr warres sauinge y t they haue no lernynge ne bookes but onely of theyre lawe Neuertheles the greate Turcke hath some bookes of Arystotles phylosophye translated into the Aribique tongue whych he redeth some tymes and so dyd hys predecessours They beare in warre greate roules of paper written and in the wrytynge there are figuers of sweordes holbards bowes arrowes daggers and they haue a phansye that those thinges shall kepe them frome beinge wounded All maner of ryotte is permytted vnto theym where vnto they are greatelye inclyned And they goo not to warre but by force and beatynges chyeflye yf they perceaue daunger to be in it And they are the most coueteouse men of all other nacyons Theyr houses are smal lowe wel trīmed with housholde stuffe hauinge the floreths couered wyth carpettes as I haue sayd before Wherefore they goe not in wyth theyr shoes but leaue theym at the dores for they are easye to put of on lyke as our slippers are they cal thē Pasmach but those shoes y t they go in whē they iourneye are lyke vnto ours and theym they call Papouch They lye vpon greate quyltes made of fyne woll couered wyth veluet other cloth of sylke accordyng to theyr habilite for they vse no fethers Theyr sheetes are of course lynnen clothe wroughte ouer wyth sylcke of nedle worcke so y t ye cānot se the lynnen Which is a goodly thynge to looke vpon for they are all of crymosyne coulour at the least I haue seen none other And there were many foūde in the cytye Modon whan our gallyes tooke it They eate in vessels of tinned copper large and depe They haue no greate regarde of buyldynge or purchasynge landes specyally they that are in seruyce wyth the greate Turcke because whā they dye the sayd great Turcke taketh the thyrde parte of all theyr goodes and often tymes altogether as whē they are made greate officers namelye Baches or Beglerbees and to theyr chyldren he geueth wages of the pencyon Tymar The Turckes haue other customes and maners of lyuynge whych nowe shall not be nedefull to reherse for as muche as daylye ye shal here more wherefore after that I haue spoken a fewe wordes of the sayde greate Turcke I wyl make an ende of my lettre THE greate Turcke whyche nowe raygneth is called Sultam Soleyman that is tooe saye kynge Soleiman For Sultam or Soldan in Moresque sygnyfyethe a Kynge or Prynce So the Turkes call him whan they speake of hym famyly arly but when they speake of him reuerentlye they cal him Vnghyar whyche is to saye the kynges maiestye Some tyme they call hym Sultam Soleyman Cham whyche they pronounce Tchaam whyche sygnyfyeth Lorde But it is the Tartarysche lāguage and not the Turckysche I haue hearde hym named amonge the Turckes Badicaa The sayde kyng Soliman at thys presente is aboute the age of .l. yeares and he hath along body litle bones he is leane and euel proporcioned his vysage is browne and wrythen hys heade is shauen sauynge a tufte in the toppe as all the Turckes haue y t their Tolopā may syt the better that is an ornament of lynnen whyche they were on theyr heades he hath an hygh forhed and a large great yies and blacke he is hauke nosed he hath a long neck smal and stoopynge hys bearde is clypped and not shauen he is dumpyshe and speakethe and laugheth seldome but he is verye cholerycke and is an euel fauored man and euel proporcyoned and taketh no pleasure in any exercyse Further he is reputed amonge theim verteous and a good keper of his lawe moderate louinge peace reste more then anye of hys predecessoures haue done whyche the Turckes impute to hym for cowardnesse faute of courage He is estemed of theim gentle and courteouse neuerthelesse he pardoneth not offenders lightely His pastime is to reade bookes of philosophye and of his owne law In whiche he is so instructed that his Moftie or byshoppe canne teach hym nothyng at all He is not coūted verye lyberal but rather more sparynge then his predecessours He suffereth hym selfe to be ruled of them whome he loueth and in whome he trusteth thoughe he be somtymes obstinate and opinatyue thryse a weke he hath redde before him the historyes of his predecessours In which he suffereth no lye to be wryten nor flateries but only the bare actes And he is satisfyed wyth no treatyses or enterpryses but wyth those whyche were done amonge theyre neyghboures and other nacions aboute them faythfully and truely declared concernynge the conduycte of theyr affayres he hath a sonne called Mustapha about .xxviii. or .xxx. yeres olde and he is gouerner of Iconie and of all the sea costes of Magnesia ouer agaynste y t Isles of Chio and Methelin towardes the Rhodes where he kepeth his contynuall resydence To cōclude bicause many haue meruayle that the greate Turcke wynneth dayly leseth nothynge I wyll shewe you what order he setteth in the countrees whiche he conquerethe and in what state he leaueth theym The order of the countreys WHen y e great Turcke hath wonne a countree fyrste he beateth downe all y e fortresses whiche seme not vnto him of importaunce and profyte and the walles of all the townes there about And yf there ben anie ryche or stronge houses in the sayde countrees the inhabytauntes whereof haue allyaunce wyth some greate lordes beynge straungiers he taketh those men awaie and sendeth them to dwell in some other place of his other countrees beynge already stablished in obedience But he suffereth euerie man to lyue accordyng to his owne lawe belefe constrayning no man to denie his faythe whiche thynge he doeth bycause he wyll not destroye theym nether brynge them to desperacyon besydes y t by theyr lawe suche constrayntes ben defended After this he sendeth his Sangiacs and Spachis and chargeth the people with so greate taxes and imposycions that it is impossyble for theym at anye tyme to rebell Also he leaueth theim no harnesse nor weapons of warre nor suffereth theim to gooe oute of the countree nether to serue anye but him selfe yee he constreineth them to abyde in their houses that they maye be euer founde
betwene vs from oure chyldhode well deserueth that I shulde accomplyshe youre pleasure and satysfye youre request not onelye in this thiÌ„g but also iÌ„ al other which shal lye in my power to dooe Wherefore ye shal fyrste vnderstand that the greate Turcke kepeth hys ordynarie resydence in Constantynople whyche the Turkes cal Stamboll And he hathe hys house called Saray sytuated vppon the See coast of Asya ouer a gaynste the castelles called Scutary Where in tymes paste stoode the cytye of CalcedoÌ„ And there is but a lytle passage by the see from the one to the other whyche strayghte of auncyente tyme was called Bosphorus of Thrace nowe named the strayghte of Constantynople In the foresayde Saray whych is the palayce royal of great cyrcuite and compasse ther are many chambers rychely appareled and pryncypally that whych is apoynted for the greate Turckes owne persoÌ„ne In which he is serued w t vi yonge spryngaldes Of whych two of theym kepe the watche all the nyght one at the beddes head another at the feete eache of them holdynge .ii. torches burnynge in theyr handes These spriÌ„galdes euery mornyng make hiÌ„ redy put in the pockets of his roobe called Castan in y e one .xx. ducates of golde in y t other a M. aspres whyche be lytle poynted peaces of syluer moore square than rounde of whyche .l. make a ducate And they haue nothynge grauen in theim but onely letters neyther yet theyr ducates whyche they call Altum Altumler For they vse no armes nor crounes though oure peynters attrybute to theym tharmes of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople Which are a crosse of golde in a red felde of gueulles w t .iiii. yrons such as we stryke fyre wythall out of a tinder boxe but they are not yrones but foure greke B. that sygnyfye Basileus Basileon Basileuon Basileeis that is to saye kynge of kynges raygnynge ouer kynges The forsayd monye is to be employed on small tryfelynge pleasures of the sayde greate Turcke And yf it chaunce that he speÌ„deth them not that day they remayne to them whiche dyd put them in y e pockettes For they that aparrel hym put in other the nexte day These .vi. spryngaldes wayte vpon hym whether soeuer he goeth but he chaungeth theym as ofte as hym lysteth and going forth wyth hym euerye one hathe hys offyce One is Odabassi that is chefe master of the chamber The seconde Cheocadar bearer of the robe The .iii. Silichter bearer of hys bowe and arowes The .iiii. Sarapter bearer of the potte or vessell to dryncke water in for y e sayd great Turcke drinketh no wine The. v Chinctar which caryeth hys shooes because the custome of y e Turckes is to put of theyr shoes whan they go into theyr houses Which houses for the same purpose haue the flowerths couered wyth throÌ„med carpettes as it were matted and some bemade w t payinted rysshes or bentes accordynge to the haby lytye of euery housholder The offyce of the .vi. called Chemligi and he beareth stoles or chayers for y e sayde greate Turke to sytte in In the sayde Saray y e Turke holdeth his court which they cal Capy y t is to say y e port or gate in whych be the offycers herafter folowinge And for the better vnderstaÌ„diÌ„g howe they be entretained payed you shal knowe y t in the state of y e great Turke ther ar .ii. maners of paymeÌ„ts or wages One is called Olopha which are sure redy paimeÌ„tes after our maner of paiyng by y e haÌ„des of treasurers The other is called Timar which is as it were an assignacioÌ„ of landes heritages possessioÌ„s or reuenues dismes ê“ fettes in forme of peÌ„sioÌ„ And they which enioy these kynd of peÌ„sions are called Timariotes y e other Olophagi And ther are many offycers which haue both paimeÌ„tes as I wil shew herafter by name I wil begin at the entraunce of the courte Fyrst in y e gate of y e sayde Saray there are .iii. Capigibassi y t is to saye captaynes of y e porters Of whych one hath an C. aspres a daye And there are vnder theÌ„ .ii. C .l. Capigis or porters which haue vii or .viii. aspres a day Of the captaynes one is alwaye at the gate with lx porters they chauÌ„ge froÌ„ day to day Moreouer there is a captaine of the gate called Capagas whyche is a geided man and he hath euerye daye thre score aspres One called Saraydarbassi a gelded man also which is the captaine of the Palayce in the absence of the great Turcke hath .l. aspres a daye These .ii. haue .xii. gelded men vnder theim Of whome y e one part hathe ten and the other fyftene aspres a daye In thys place of Saray there are brought vp about .v. hundred young spryngaldes from .viii. yeres of age to twentye whyche the great Turcke causeth to be enstructed as wel in learnyng as in feates of armes Chiefely he procureth theim to be taught to wryte reade and to knowe theyr lawe to ryde to shoote and to learne other exercyses of warre and of scyencis according as they ben founde apt mete They which are apoiÌ„ted to teache theym ben olde doctours in theyr law called Talismans And the foresayd springaldes ben newe apparelled twyse a yere at theyr two solempne feastes or Easters whiche they cal Bayram halfe of sylke and halfe of wollen cloth And they go not oute of the Saray vntyll the great Turke seeth that they be in age to do seruice and to haue offyces Then he maketh theÌ„ hys Spagoglans or Selichtars or setteth them in some other state or degree accordyng as he fyndeth theÌ„ suffycieÌ„t or as he fauoureth them They are deuyded in the sayde Saray by ten and ten and ouer euery ten a gelded man is capitayne They lye all in one hall seperated one frome an other and be wrapped euery one in a Sclauine whyche is a throÌ„med carpet and dare not come one to a nother In the myddes of the sayde halle lye the gelded men in whych halle there are great lampes burning all y e night In the sayde Saray is a fayre large garden kepte and trymmed by .xl. or .l. gardeners called Bastangis they haue a capitayne Bostangibasi which hath .l. Aspres a daye The Bostangiz or gardeners haue some .iii. some foure or fyue Aspres according to theyr qualityes And they haue a lyuerey ones a yere of blewe clothe or watchettes They are Iannisserotz whiche is a diminutife of Iannissaire For when they go oute of the garden they are made Iannissaires In y e sayde garden they ben deuided by ten and ten and ouer euery ten there is an hedde called Adabassi Moreouer there is a lyeuetenaunt of Bostangibassi that they cal Protogero which is a greke name and in theyr language Checaâ—a