into the forme of a prouince to be as it is at this day gouerned by one of his Bassaes in great triumph returned to CONSTANTINOPLE carrying away with him many a wofull Christian captiue and the whole wealth of that kingdome Mahomet following the example of his father Amurath had from the beginning of his raigne by one or other of his great Bassaes or expert captaines still maintained wars against Scanderbeg the most valiant and fortunat king of EPIRVS the greatest part whereof although it did in the course of time concurre with the things before declared and might by peecemeale haue beene amongst the same in their due time and place inserted yet I haue of purpose for diuerse reasons wholly reserued them for this place First for that I would not interrupt the course of the historie before rehearsed with the particular accidents of this warre And then for that the greatest heat of this hereditarie warre deliuered as it were from hand to hand from the father to the son happened not long after this time when as Mahomet hauing conquered the kingdome of BOSNA had surrounded a great part of Scanderbegs dominion Wherein I had respect also vnto the Readers ease who may with greater pleasure and content and lesse paines also view the same together than if it had beene dispersedly scattered and intermedled with the other greater occurrents of the same time In which discourse I will but breefely touch many things well worthie of a larger treatise And if forgetting my selfe I shall in some places happen to stay somthing longer than the Readers hast would require yet I hope that the zeale and loue hee beareth vnto the worthie memorie of most famous Christian princes together with the shortnesse of the historie in comparison of that which is thereof written in just volumes by others shall easily excuse a larger discourse than this But againe to our purpose Mahomet in the beginning of his raigne sent embassadours to Scanderbeg offering him peace so that he would graunt to pay vnto him such yearely tribute as his father Amurath had in his life time demaunded Which embassage the craftie tyrant sâ—nt rather to proue what confidence Scanderbeg had in himselfe than for any hope he had to haue his demaund graunted This dishonourable offered peace Scanderbeg scornefully rejected and so returned the embassadours as they came and presently vpon their departure entered with his horsemen into that part of the Turks dominion which bordereth vpon EPIRVS when he had wasted the countrey returned home laded with the spoile thereof In reuenge of which despight Mahomet shortly after sent Amesa one of his best men of warre with twelue thousand horsemen into EPIRVS to requite Scanderbeg with the like spoile of his people and countrey But Scanderbeg vnderstanding by his espials of the Turks comming lay close in ambush with six thousand souldiours vpon the great mountaine MODRISSA ouer which the Turks must of necessitie take their way and as they were about by night to haue passed ouer that rough and steepe mountaine and were with much difficultie almost got vp to the top thereof they were suddenly charged by Scanderbeg his footmen who hauing the aduantage of the place made great slaughter of the Turks draue them downe the mountaine amaine at which time their horses stood them in no stead at all but were rather vnto them an hinderance in that vneuen and troublesome ground Now when the Turks were come to the foot of the mountaine they were in that great feare and disorder againe fiercely assailed on the one side by Scanderbeg and on the other by his nephew called also Amesa who before the Turkes comming had placed themselues with their horsemen in places of most aduantage so that the Turkes hardly beset and forced on euery side were in short time ouerthrowne and put to flight In this conflict seuen thousand of the Turkes were slaine and Amesa Generall of the Turks armie with diuers other captains taken whom Scanderbeg sent prisoners to CROIA For joy of this victorie at Scanderbeg his returne great triumph feasting was made at CROIA During which time Scanderbeg caused Amesa the Turke with the rest of the Turkish captainâ— to be enlarged to be partakers of that joy whereof they against their wils had giuen the occasion and afterwards vsed them with all kind of courtesie during the time of their abode This Amesa requested of Scanderbeg That he might send a messenger to CONSTANTINOPLE to certifie Mahomet how the case stood with him and the rest whom happily he might thinke to haue beene slaine in the battaile and to procure from him their ransome Which his request Scanderbeg easily graunted and set downe their ransome at thirteene thousand duckats The newes of this ouerthrow sore greeued the Turkish tyrant but afterwards when he saw the remainder of his armie without their generall and leaders hauing for most part lost their ensignes and armor and also the messenger that was sent from Amesa he fell into such a rage that hee denied to giue any thing at all for his ransome imputing all that losse to his trecherie follie or cowardise Howbeit he was afterwards persuaded by his Bassaes and other great courtiers Amesa his friends to thinke better of the Generall of whose faithfulnesse and valour he had of long time had great experience and also to send his ransome by denying whereof hee should as they said discourage his other generals and captaines who by chaunce of warre might hap to fall into the like danger By whose persuasion Mahomet sent an embassadour to Scanderbeg with the ransome demaunded and other great presents also Vpon receit whereof Amesa with the other captaines were set at libertie and sent with safe conuoy out of EPIRVS All the money sent for the Turkes ransome Scanderbeg deuided amongst his captaines and souldiors This late receiued ouerthrow filled the proud tyrant with desire of reuenge so that hee determined foorthwith to send another armie into EPIRVS the leading whereof diuers of his great and most expert captains ambitiously sought for For Mahomet had promised great rewards and most honourable preferments to him whose hap it should bee to vanquish Scanderbeg Amongst the rest one Debreas a man for his forwardnesse and courage in great fauour with his soueraign by great sute obtained to haue that charge promising with exceeding confidencie vnto Mahomet to make a beginning of better successe in his warres of EPIRVS than others thither by him before sent for the accomplishment whereof hee required to haue no greater power than was sent the yeare before But after that Amesa was returned to the court and had with long discourse set forth the vertues and valour of Scanderbeg with the inuincible courage of his souldiors Debreas became more temperate in his speech and was contented to receiue a new supplie so that he had vnder his charge foureteene thousand souldiors with which armie hee marched towards EPIRVS and was come to
entertainement there in the time of the ciuile wars betwixt Caesar and Pompeius This citie Mahomet thought to haue taken vnprouided and so vpon the suddaine to haue carried it but was therein much deceiued finding it strongly fortified and manned both by the Venetians and Scanderbeg Where when he had there spent some time and to his great losse in vaine attempted the cittie hee rise vpon the suddaine and retiring into EPIRVS came and sat downe againe before CROIA of purpose by his suddaine comming to haue terrified the cittizens and vainely persuaded that he had left Scanderbeg in DIRRACHIVM for that in the assailing thereof he had discouered many of Scanderbeg his men and thereby supposed him to haue beene there also the greatest cause why he so suddenly rise and came to CROIA At his first comming he offered great rewards and large priuiledges vnto the cittizens if they would forthwith yeeld vp their citie otherwise he threatened vnto them all the calamities of warre vowing neuer to depart thence before he had it whereunto he receiued no other answere out of the cittie than was sent him by the mouth of the Cannon or brought him by many most braue sallies Scanderbeg in the meane while continually molesting his campe and euery night falling into one quarter or another thereof Mahomet taught by experience to what small purpose it would bee for him to lie there long rise with his armie marched againe to the sea side to a place now called the head of REDON vpon the gulfe of VENICE not farre from DIRRACHIVM where Scanderbeg had begun to build a new cittie called CHIVRILL not yet finished which Mahomet in despight of the man rased downe to the ground After that hearing that many of the Epirots were retired into the mountaines hee went to seeke them out and was with greâ—â— losse by those mountaine people repulsed Scanderbeg still following him at the heeles and awaiting all oportunities daily cut off part of his armie So that at last the tyrant despairing of any good to bee done in that expedition was glad to depart out of EPIRVS hauing atcheeued nothing worth his comming and so full of discontentment and melancholie returned to CONSTANTINOPLE After all these great troubles Scanderbeg rid ouer most part of EPIRVS to view the state of his kingdome and so at last came to LYSSA a citie of the Venetians which he had alwaies specially liked there to conferre with the Venetian legate and other the confederate princes of matters concerning their state in generall as his manner was but more particularly how they might take the citie of VALMES which Mahomet had the last yeare built in the siegnorie of Aryannites Comynat and much troubled that part of EPIRVS But whilest he lay there he fell sicke of a feauer which daily so encreased vpon him that he became sicke euen vnto death and now perceiuing his end to draw nigh sent for his wife and sonne with the princes and lords his confederates and the embassadours of the Venetians into his bed chamber Where after he had at large with greater paine notably discoursed of his troublesome life led amongst them than he had before passed the same and carefully forewarned them of the dangers like to ensue he earnestly exhorted them to continue in vnitie and concord and valiantly to stand in defence of their religion countrey and libertie And afterwards turning his speech to his wife and his sonne commended them both with his kingdome to the tuition of the Venetians who by the articles of the confederation betwixt him and them were in honour bound to protect his sonne and kingdome during the time of his minoritie and afterwards peaceably to place him in the same In fine he willed his wife after his death to passe ouer with her sonne into APVLIA where they might in safetie and quiet liue vpon such possessions as he there held by the gift of king Ferdinand And so after he had with most feruent prayer commended his soule into the hands of Almightie God departed in peace the seuenteenth day of Ianuarie in the yeare of our Lord 1466 when hee had liued about 63 yeares and thereof raigned about 24. His death was worthely lamented of all Christian princes but especially of the Venetians and princes of ALBANIA who had now lost their most carefull watchman and inuincible champion the sorrow of his subjects is not to bee expressed euery man bewayling him as the onely stay of the commonweale and as if with him they had lost all their hope His deadâ—bodie was with the generall lamentation of all men royally buried in the cathedrall church of S. Nicholas at LYSSA where it rested in peace vntill that about nine yeares after the Turkes comming to the siege of SCODRA by the way tooke the citie of LYSSA and there with great deuotion digged vp his bones reckoning it in some part of their happinesse if they might but see or touch the same and such as could get any part thereof were it neuer so little caused the same to be set some in siluer some in gold to hang about their neckes or weare vpon their bodies persuading themselues by the wearing thereof to be partakers of such good fortune and hap as had Scanderbeg himselfe whilest he liued which is not vnaptly by Gabriell Fairnus of CREMONA thus in verse expressed SCANDERBEG In English thus The bloudie bane of faithlesse Turkes and terrour of their name EPIRVS strong defence and guard lay buried there with fame Within that tombe wherein long since Great Castriotus lay But now those limbs and tombe defac'd are carried quite away The remnants of that worthy wight out of his graue were torne And being dead could find no rest but were for jewels worne For after he farre spent with age gaue place to fatall doome And left his fathers kingdome got and kept with great renowme Forthwith the cruell Turkes preuaild and all things there possest Who worshipping his stately tombe and place of quiet rest Dig'd vp his bones and brake the tombe wherein he did remaine And glad was he that could thereof some little part obtaine As if in them some martiall force or vertue great had beene Or fortune rare such as before in him was liuing seene So vertue which to others giues a sepulture and graue Bereft it him yet forst his foe in honour it to haue Most part of the time of these warres betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg the Venetians by sea and the Hungarians by land kept the Turkes throughly busied Mathias Coruinus king of HVNGARIE according to his promise made vnto the Venetians entred into the kingdome of BOSNA where by force he ouerthrew the strong forts which the Turks had built for the defence of their frontiers and manfully draue them out before him vntill he came to IAZIGA of some called IAITZE the chiefe citie of BOSNA which he at length tooke and following the course of his victorie scarcely suffered the
determined by the counsell of his Bassaes rather with money than with the sword to fight with the Persian king Hereupon was Hassan Aga one of the chiefe gentlemen of his chamber appointed embassadour into PERSIA with whom was joyned the Bassa of MARAS a man both for his age and place reuerend who departing with a large commission almost in the depth of Winter with great speed and wonderfull toile by those long and difficult waies arriued at last at CASBIN the seat of the Persian king hauing by the way lost diuers of their seruants and followers Being come to the court the first thing they desired was to see Baiazet whom they found shut vp in a close prison pale and wanâ— as a man forlorne with his haire and beard so long and ouergrowne as that he was not to be knowne before he was new trimmed which done then appeared the liuely resemblance of his wonted countenance and fauour so that Hassan verily knew it to be him for he had been brought vp with him of a child in the court and for that cause especially had Solyman sent him thither to be assured that it was he At length after long discourse and conference betweene the king and the embassadours it was agreed vpon that the king should receiue from Solyman full recompence of all the charges he had been at and of the harmes by him sustained since the comming of Baiazet into PERSIA with such farther reward as so great a good turne deserued which things performed that then it should be in Solymans power to haue Baiazet made away With this newes Hassan posteth to his master at CONSTANTINOPLE who forthwith caused the promised reward togither with such charges as the Persian king demaunded to be made readie and with a safe conuoy to be sent vnto the borders of PERSIA where they were of the Persians receiued Presently after returneth Hassan the appointed executioner of the vnfortunat Baiazet for so Solyman had straightly charged him to strangle him with his owne hands Which thing this new made hangman accordingly performed and with a bowstring strangled the vnfortunat prince who is reported to haue requested of the executioner but that he might see his children before he died take of them his last farewell which poore request could not be granted but he forthwith commanded to die This was the wofull end of the vnluckie attempts of Baiazet a prince of far more worth than was Selymus his brother who in seeking to shun the death he feared hasted the same before his time Such as was the fathers end was also the end of his foure sonnes Omer Amurat Selym and Muhamet of whom the three eldest were strangled at CASBIN with their father whose dead bodies togither with his were solemnly brought to SEBASTIA and there buried The youngest but new borne left at AMASIA and sent by his grandfather to PRVSA as is before said to be there nursed was now vpon the death of his father commaunded by his said grandfather to be strangled also The eunuch sent by Solyman to haue done the deed and loth to doe it himselfe tooke with him one of the porters of the court a desperat and otherwise a hard hearted ruffian a man thought fit to haue performed any villanie he comming into the chamber where the child lay and fitting the bowstring to the childs necke to haue strangled it the innocent babe smiled vpon him and lifting it selfe vp as well as it could with open armes offered to haue embraced the villaine about the necke and kissed him Which guiltlesse simplicitie so wounded the stonie hearted man that he was not able to performe the intended butcherie of the poore and simple child but fell downe in a swoâ—ne and there lay for dead The eunuch standing without the doore maruelling at his long stay goes in and finding the ruffian lying along vpon the ground with cruell hand performed that the other could not find in his heart to do and so strangled the guiltlesse child as had been giuen him in charge Whereby it euidently appeared that it was not the mercie or compassion of Solyman that so long caused the guiltlesse infant to be spared but rather the opinion generally receiued amongst the Turks who measuring all things by the good or bad successe referre all things that fall out well vnto God as the authour thereof be they neuer so vngratiously begun and therefore so long as it was yet vncertaine what successe the attempts of Baiazet would haue Solyman spared the infant least vpon his fathers good hap he might seeme to haue striuen against the will of God But now that his father was dead and his quarrell by the euill successe thereof condemned as it were by the sentence of the Almightie he thought it not good longer to suffer him to liue least of an euill bird might come an euill chicke I had sometime saith the reporter of this historie great reasoning with my Chiaus about this matter for falling into talke with him of Baiazet he began bitterly to inuay against him for taking vp armes against his brother Whereunto saith this authour I replied That in mine opinion he was worthie both to be pitied and pardoned forasmuch as he was of necessitie enforced either to take vp armes or else shortly after to yeeld himselfe to the slaughter But he still exclaiming against him I said vnto him You blame poore Baiazet of great wickednesse for bearing armes against his brother but Selymus Solymans father you blame not who vpon like occasion tooke vp armes both against his father and his brethren yet he therein did nothing amisse nor in your judgement blame worthie And rightly saith the Chiaus for the euent of the matter sheweth sufficiently that that which he did was done by the appointment of God and that he was from heauen predestinate thereunto whereas in Baiazet the euent sheweth the cleane contrarie So that which falleth out well be it by neuer so wicked meanes compassed or brought to passe they take it as done according to the will of God but if it fall out otherwise they judge it as a thing condemned by God himselfe depending wholy vpon the good or bad euent of things and thereby judging them to be well done or otherwise This yeare 1558 Charles the fift that noble emperour of whom we haue in the course of this historie so often spoken who wearie of the world had two yeares before deliuered all his hereditarie kingdomes and principalities to his sonne Philip did now the 24 of Februarie on which day he was borne by his embassadours solemnely sent for that purpose resigne the empire with all the honors and titles thereof vnto his brother king Ferdinand requesting the princes electors to confirme the same vnto him which they did the 13 of March next following So liuing as a priuat gentleman in that solitarie life whereunto he had to the wonder of the world certain years before retired himselfe from all
with continuall snowes leauing on his left hand MEDIA IBERIA and CHOLCHIS and on the right hand the famous riuers of Tanais and Volga euen at his first entrance vnto the shores of the Euxine sea he was by the abouenamed twelue thousand Tartarians being apparrelled like theeues that lie vpon those wayes suddenly assailed and fought withall But like as an huge rocke lying open to tempests and waues standing fast and vnmoueable in it selfe resisteth the thunderings and rushings of the great and fearefull billowes so stood Osman fast and firme and couragiously sustained this trecherous assault turning the bold countenances of his resolute souldiors against the rebellious multitude of those traiterous squadrons who as is their manner in the beginning vsed great force but finding so stout resistance in those few whom they had thought with their onely lookes and shoutings to haue put to flight they began at length to quaile Which Osman quickly perceiuing couragiously forced vpon them and in a very short space and with a very small losse of his owne put those Tartarians to flight killing a number of them and also taking many of them prisoners by whom Osman was afterwards informed as the truth was that their king for feare that he had conceiued least when he came to CONSTANTINOPLE he would procure his destruction from Amurath had sent this armie to seeke his death Of which treason Osman caused a perfect processe to be made together with the depositions of the Tartarian prisoners which he sent the shortest way he could deuise to Amurath at CONSTANTINOPLE with letters declaring all that had passed enflaming him to reuenge so grieuous an injurie and so wicked a practise Amurath receiuing these aduertisements from Osman according to the necessitie of the matter tooke order that Vluzales his Admirall with certaine gallies well appointed should passe ouer to CAFFA to fetch Osman and withall to carrie with him Islan a brother of the Tartar kings commaunding Osman by letters that he should to the terrour of others put to death the treacherous king and place his brother in his roume This Tartar king was one of those mightie princes who basely yeelding to the Othoman power led vnder them a most vile and troublesome life as their tributaries and vassals alwayes at commaund whose yonger brother Islan presuming of the sufficiencie of himselfe and the fauour of the people going to CONSTANTINOPLE became a suter vnto the Turkish emperor to haue his eldest brother thrust out of his kingdome as a man for his euill gouernment hated of his subjects and to be placed himselfe in his roume Which his sute was so crossed by the embassadours of the king his brother who spared for no cost in the behalfe of their master that the ambitious youth was sent from the Turks Court to ICONIVM and there clapt fast vp in prison where apparrelled like an Eremit he led his life altogether conformable to his miserie with such a kind of externall innocencie as if he had beene void of all hope or ambitious desire of a kingdome but rather like a forlorne and vnhappie wretch with vaine affliction and impious deuotion to prepare himselfe to a laudable and honourable death But whilest he thus liued sequestred from all worldly cogitations vpon the discouerie of the king his brothers rebellion he was in more than post hast sent for to CONSTANTINOPLE and put into the gallies bound for CAFFA with letters to Osman of the tenor aforesaid Now in the meane time Osman had by cunning meanes got into his hands this Tartar king being as is reported betrayed by his owne counsellours corrupted with the Turkes gold whom with his two sonnes Osman vpon the receit of the aforesaid letters from Amurath caused to be presently strangled with a bowstring and Islan his younger brother to be saluted king in his place yet as vassale to Amurath This shamefull death the vsuall reward of the Turkish friendship was thought justly to haue happened vnto this Tartar king for that he not long before supported by Amurath had most vnnaturally deposed his aged father from that kingdome just vengeance now prosecuting his so great disloyaltie Osman embarking himselfe in the forenamed gallies at the port of CAFFA passing ouer the Euxine sea and entering into the Thracian Bosphorus arriued at CONSTANTINOPLE where he was receiued with great pompe and singular significations of good loue But with most euident and expresse kinds of joy was he saluted by Amurath himselfe when by his owne speech and presence he declared vnto him euery particularitie of the matters that had happened in his long and important voiage and in liuely manner represented vnto him the perils and trauels that he had passed and the conquests that he had made in SIRVAN After all which discourses Amurath who longed after nothing more than to see the Persian king somewhat brideled and the famous citie of TAVRIS brought vnder his own subjection began to enter into conference with Osman about that enterprise and in the end would needs throughly know of him what issue he could promise him of this his desire and in what sort by his aduice and counsell the forces should be employed and the armies disposed for the subduing of that citie which ouerall the nations of the world was so famous and so great an honour to the Persian kingdome To all which demaunds his answere and resolution was That for so much as the matters of GEORGIA were now well setled the trecherous passages by the new built forts assured and the prouince of SIRVAN vnder his obedience established there was now no cause why he should any longer foreslow so famous an enterprise but by the conquest of TAVRIS erecting of a fort in that proud citie to bring a terrour vpon all PERSIA and to raise a glorious renowne of so mightie a conquest among the nations of EVROPE for the accomplishment whereof he thought that either the same armie or at the most a very little greater would suffice so that it were raised of the best and choisest souldiors By reason of one of the letters which Sciaus Bassa had written to the late Tartar king and by the instigation of the young Sultan Mahomets mother jealous of the neere alliance of the great Bassa with her husband as prejudiciall and dangerous to her sonne Amurath had in the open Diuano depriued the said Sciaus from the office of the cheefe Visier and hardly pardoning him his life at the intercession of his wife being his sister had banished him the Court so that he liued afterwards about CALCEDON vpon the borders of ASIA not far from CONSTANTINOPLE in a close pallace he had there built for his owne pleasure in whose roume he appointed Osman to be cheefe Visier and to honour him the more nominated him the Generall of his armie against the Persians Such power hath vertue that euen from the very scum of the rascall sort and out of the rusticall rout of
In the meane time it was discouered that his steward had long before plotted with the Turke to haue betraied the castle and had for certaine yeares past receiued of him a yearely pension Vpon which occasion the Abbot caused both the messenger and his owne steward to be apprehended and so fast bound hand and foot to be cast out at a window of the castle into the riuer of Saw The Bassa seeing his messenger not to returne sent another to the Abbot grieuously threatning him if he did not send him backe againe his messenger wherunto the Abbot answered That he had dismissed him certaine daies before and therefore maruelled if he were not as yet returned neuerthelesse concerning his demaund that he was resolued to yeeld the monasterie vnto the Bassa against whose forces he saw himselfe vnable to hold it requesting only that it would please him to send some men of account to receiue it at his hand for that it would be no small dishonour vnto him to deliuer it vp vnto common souldiors The Bassa glad of this message sent forthwith certaine principall men of great account hoping now without any losse to haue that strong place yeelded vnto him which had so long time stood in his way Three daies after certaine troupes of horsemen sent from the Bassa came to the monasterie as was appointed and finding the gates open entred first the noblemen and after them fiue hundred others or thereabouts who were no sooner within the gates but that the portculleis was let fall and certaine murthering pieces secretly placed in the court for that purpose discharged with the violence whereof the Turkes that were alreadie entred were most miserably rent in pieces their heads armes and legs flying in the ayre when presently the garrison souldiors starting out of their lurking places made a quicke dispatch of all them that had escaped the furie of the great artillerie The rest of the Turks shut out hearing the noise and crie of them within turning their horses betooke themselues to speedie flight The great Bassa hearing of this slaughter of his men and how he had been deceiued swore in great rage by his Mahomet to rase this monasterie downe to the ground and to plucke the Abbots skin ouer his eares and so by threatning letters gaue him to vnderstand as followeth Hassan Bassa of Bosna vnto the Abbot of Siseg It is not to thee vnknowne how often we haue sent vnto thee our messengers with letters declaring vnto thee our loue and good will requesting thee in friendly â—ort and without farther resistance to yeeld vp vnto vs thy fortresse of SISEG not longer to be by thee holden Vnto which our request thou hast hitherto most wilfully at thy pleasure opposed thy selfe not without the slaughter of our men and in so doing hast giuen cause vnto the great Sultan to ouerthrow and rase that thy fortresse wherof thou for the emperour wilt needs be the chiefe Thinkest thou it will be for thy good or yet well taken that thou hast so shamefully and perfidiously circumuented and slaine our embassadours and seruants sent vnto thee Nay assure thy selfe that if Mahomet grant vs life we will neuer giue ouer the siege of that thy fort wherein thou so much trustest vntill I haue before thy face ouerthrowne it and if thy God shall giue thee aliue into my hands haue pluckt thy skin ouer thine eares to the great reproach and shame of the Christians for I am fully resolued not to depart from this place but to continue the siege thereof vntill I haue it Let a little time yet passe and thou shalt see thy selfe on euerie side besieged thy fort with mo and greater pieces of artillerie than euer battered and our power strong enough to constraine thee Thou hast hitherto put thy greatest hope comfort in the Banne Erodius for whom by the helpe of Mahomet we are much too strong In briefe we are of nothing more carefull than how to get thee into our power which if we doe looke not for any mercie at our hands Neither was the Bassa vnmindfull of his promise or of the losse he had receiued but now in the beginning of Iune with an armie of thirtie thousand horse and foot came and besieged the fortresse of TRENSCHIIN which with continuall batterie and often assaults he at length tooke sacked the towne slew most part of the inhabitants except eight hundred or thereabouts of the younger sort whom he carried away with him into captiuitie And being prowd of this victorie remoued thence by a bridge which he had made passed ouer the riuer and so the twelfth of Iune came and encamped before the monasterie of SISEG and after vaine summons giuen to the same the next day caused his great ordinance to be planted and with great furie thundring against the wals in short time ouerthrew the new tower in the fall whereof two of the Christian canoniers perished This furious batterie he maintained by the space of ten daies without intermission giuing no time of rest vnto the besieged so that it seemed not possible for the monasterie to be any long time defended if it were not with speed relieued The bishop of ZAGRABIA and Rupertus Eggenberg Generall of the emperours forces that then were at ZAGRABIA gaue knowledge thereof to Andrew lord Auersberg Gouernour of CAROLSTAT crauing his aid and counsell who calling togither his owne forces raised a good number both of horse and foot and called also vnto him the bordering horsemen of KARNIA and CRAINIA who the seuenteenth day of Iune met all togither not far from INSTAVVITZ and there taried that night The next day passing ouer the riuer Sauus neere vnto ZAGRABIA they joyned themselues with the emperours forces and marched the nineteenth day in good order to SCELINE where they expected the comming of Countie Serinus The twentith day Peter Herdelius with his Hussars and the lord Stephen Graswein came into the campe with many of those light horsemen whom the Hungaâ—ians call Vscocchi The one and twentith day they lodged at GRADIVM still expecting the comming of the Countie Serinus who otherwise busied could not come The next day after a souldior sent out from the besieged came into the campe who gaue the captaines to vnderstand that except they made hast that day to relieue the distressed monasterie it would vndoubtedly be lost for that the enemie had made it saultable and would that night giue the assault and the defendants doubting how they should be able to maintaine the place began before his departure thence to thinke of composition with the enemie Vpon which newes the captaines forthwith began to consult among themselues what course to take in so doubtfull and dangerous a case where Auersberg was of opinion That it were best to march on to giue the enemie battell with whom also agreed the lord Rederen The rest of the captains being of a contrarie mind for that the strength of the Christians compared to
also Now the rebellion before raised in CARAMANIA by Cussahin Bassa as is aforesaid was not with his death altogether appeased Also ORFA a great citie of that countrey which hauing tasted the sweetnesse of libertie in the time of Cussahin yet still holding out against Mehemet the great Bassa the Sultans lieutenant Generall there At which time also a companion of Cussahin the late rebell called the Scriuano and one of his greatest fauourits seeing how hardly not onely Cussahin himselfe but the rest of his followers had beene handled by the Turkes began to make head and to call vnto him all such as loued their libertie vnto the sweet name whereof so many were in short time come about him as that out of them he formed such an armie as made him now dreadfull vnto the Turkes his enemies Against whom Mehemet Bassa going with all his power to haue oppressed him found him with those his rebellious followers so couragious for the desire they all had to breake out of the Othoman slauerie and to liue in such libertie as was promised them by their captaine and Generall that joyning battell with them he receiued of them a notable ouerthrow insomuch that fearing to haue lost his whole armie he was glad to retire and to send out commissions for the raising of greater forces Sultan Mahomet in the meane time whether it were for feare of this new rebellion or for that he vnderstood of the embassadours sent from the Persian vnto the Christian princes began to suspect least that king should breake the league he had with him and so to his farther trouble take vp armes also against him Wherefore vpon a Turkish pride he sent an embassadour into PERSIA to giue the king to vnderstand That for the more assurance of the league betwixt them he demaunded to haue one of his sonnes sent vnto him in hostage as a pledge of his fathers faith Which so proud a demaund the Persian king tooke in such disdaine that he commaunded in his rage the embassador to be forthwith slaine but that his furie being by his graue counsellours somewhat appeased he remitted the seueritie of that his rigorous commaund and sparing his life was contented that in despight and contempt of him that had sent him he should be put to the Bastonado onely and so grieuously threatened sent backe againe vnto his master Who hauing receiued this shamefull answere and in doubt of some further matter from that angrie king commaunded new and strong garrisons to be put into all his strong holds confining vpon the Persian kingdome This troublesome yeare of Iubilie thus past the emperour much troubled with the losse of CANISIA and in doubt of worse to come albeit that Ibrahim Bassa whom for all that he trusted not did afresh entreat with him concerning peace and seeing also the great need hee had of greater aid to withstand the mightie power of the Turke with great instancie requested aid of the Pope and of the other princes of ITALIE who considering also how much it concerned the rest of the Christian commonweale to haue the frontiers of HVNGARIE defended condiscended vnto the emperours request and so the Pope with the beginning of the Spring sent him eight thousand souldiours in pay vnder the leading of Io. Francesco Aldobrandino his nephew their Generall who with the like charge had now serued euer since the yeare 1599 King Philip also at the instance of the emperour gaue order vnto the Countie Fuentes to send into CROATIA certain bands of Dutches who by direction from him were forthwith conducted to MILLAINE The great duke of FLORENCE also sent vnto him two thousand souldiours vnder the leading of Francesco del Monte with whom also by his appointment went the lord Io. de Medices whom Ferdinand the Archduke forthwith requested for to be master of his campe Thither came also the duke of MANTVA with an honourable companie both of horse and foot being forthwith by the Archduke made his lieutenant generall And so whilest these people assembled together into CROATIA the emperor sent also another good armie into HVNGARIE drawne for most part out of GERMANIE which vnder the leading of the Archduke Matthias his brother and the duke Mercurie his lieutenant generall went into those parts to withstand the Turke A third armie he also made of the Imperials which strengthened with the forces of Don Ferrant Gonzaga Gouernour of the vpper HVNGARIE joyned themselues with Basta for the recouerie of TRANSYLVANIA out of which he had been of late driuen as shall hereafter be declared And so whilest these armies were in preparing many hot skirmishes passed in HVNGARIE betwixt the Christians and the Turks the losse falling sometime to the one side and sometime to the other But the time now come that souldiors might well take the field Ibrahim Bassa being now before dead at BELGRADE whilest he was yet entreating of a dissembled peace and Hassan one of the Visier Bassaes by Mahomet appointed Generall in HVNGARIE in his place yet delaying his comming the parley for peace laied aside as neuer indeed by the Turkes intended but onely by them entertained to dallie off the time to their owne more aduantage duke Mercurie Generall of the emperours forces taking the offer of so fit an opportunitie came with his armie from COMARA where he had lien expecting the euent of the parley and laied siege to ALBA REGALIS one of the chiefe and strongest cities of HVNGARIE which seated in the middest of a marish was thought almost impregnable being hardly to be approached but by the suburbes which strongly fortified and defended by the marish serued the citie in stead of three most sure bulwarkes within which stood also the citie it selfe well defended with a good wall and a ditch This citie the duke for certaine daies continually battered as if he had purposed at length to haue taken it by assault but in the meane time certainely enformed by a fugitiue but lately fled out of the citie that the broad lake on the other side of the citie ouer against the place where he lay was not so deepe but that it was to be passed contrarie to the opinion both of the Turkes captiues and of the naturall inhabitants whom he had vpon that point examined and that the Turkes presuming vpon the strength therof and thinking themselues on that side safe had turned almost all their care and forces vnto that side of the citie which was now by him battered without regard of any great perill to be from the other side feared he appointed the lord Russwurm with his souldiors to make proofe if the SIGETH suburbes for so they were called on the aforesaid side of the citie so little regarded by the Turkes were not to be surprised for that these suburbes being taken the citie could not long hold out For the vndertaking of which enterprise Russwurm was both by the captiue Turkes and countrey people thereby dwelling much discouraged they all
You heard sacred fellowes in armes and valiant citizens of the RHODES these imperious and sorrowfull letters whereunto how we are to answere requireth no great deliberation we must as resolute men either yeeld or die all hope of victorie is gone except forraine aid come Wherefore if yâ—â— will follow my counsell let vs with weapons in our hands vntill the last gaspe and the spending of the last drop of our bloud like valiant men defend our faith and nobilitie receiued from our auncestours and the honour which we haue so long time gotten both at home and abroad and let it neuer be said that our honour died but with our selues This speech of the Great Master seemed vnto many heauier than the imperious commaundement of the Turkish tyrant and a great while men stood silent heauily looking one vpon another many with changing of their countenance and outward gesture more than by words expressing what they thought in heart At length a certaine Greeke priest with great compassion of mind as it seemed and teares trickling downe his cheekes brake forth into these words And I would also hold my peace if I were a priuat man and not first of all in so great and troubled an assemblie broach mine owne opinion But for as much as the regard of our common preseruation can wring a word out of no mans mouth and all men know that now is the time to speake and say what euery man thinketh best which shall neither alwaies nor long be graunted vnto vs I will not let it now ouerpasse and slip away Wherefore let vs suppose that no commaund of a most mightie prince besieging vs were come vnto vs but that I were reasoning as a priuat man with his neighbor or one friend with another by the fire side or in our cups without care without any great affection to either partie as men indifferent not liking or hating as men oftentimes doe of princes affairs which cencerne them nothing and then as I hope my speech shall be vnto you neither vnpleasant nor vnprofitable We Greekes and Latines with ioined armes haue now this six moneths withstood our deadly enemies not onely abroad before our wals but also in the very bowels of our citie without any forraine helpe which as we haue of long time all vainely looked for so are we now euery one of vs out of hope thereof And yet our enemie either moued with the secret goodnesse of God or els ignorant of our strength and forces spent with wounds slaughter sicknesse and perpetuall labour doth voluntarily offer that vnto vs which was of vs to be most of all desired and earnestly sued for Your publicke and priuat treasures the bodies of your selues your wiues and children he keepeth vnuiolated he taketh from vs only the citie which he hath for most part alreadie beaten downe and taken Worthie Great Master and you most valiant Knights I haue knowne your prowesse and valour in many battailes at sea but especially in this siege whereof seeing there is no more vse in this our desperat estate I doe appeale vnto your wisdome and discretion Sithence all is now the conquerors in that he leaueth vnto vs our liues and goods is to be accounted gaines and the yeelding vp of the citie and Island no losse which the victorious enemie alreadie commaundeth which although it be a heauie matter and greâ—uous vnto the nobilitie yet your fortune persuadeth you thereunto Wherefore if you be to be moâ—â—d with any compassion I account it better to yeeld than to be slaine your selues or to see your wiues and children by law of armes to be led away before your faces into miserable captiuitie and seruitude If any Christian compassion remaine in your warlike minds I beseech you seeke not the vtter destruction of this innocent people who I may with modestie say hath not euill deserued of you whom Christ Iesus whom the enemie himselfe would haue preserued That I say this which I speak vnto you for Christian charitie and for no other cause let this be a sufficient testimonie That so long as you were able to resist by your owne power or hoped for aid from forraine princes I neuer spake word or once thought of yeelding but now seeing the fatall ruine of all things about vs our common estate brought vnto the vttermost extremitie our deadly enemie in the heart of our citie no hope and that the warre cannot longer be protracted I wish you to yeeld and for my part had rather make choise of peace thâ—â— warre and to proue the enemies fauour than his furie Most of them there present were of the same mind with the priest But as nothing can be so reasonably spoken as to content all men so this speech was not of them all liked some there were though not many which considering the harmes they had done vnto the Turkes and doubting with what safetie they might yeeld themselues into the power of that faithlesse people had rather to haue fought it out to the last man and so to haue left vnto them a bloudie victorie Amongst these one bold spoken fellow stept forth and in presence of them all dissuaded the yeelding vp of the citie in this sort I haue not been with any thing more vnacquainted than to deliuer my opinion before princes or in such great and publicke assemblies being alwaies more desirous modestly to heare other mens opinions than impudently to thrust forth mine owne But now seeing extreame necessitie will not longer suffer me to keepe my wonted course of silence I will frankely speake my mind and tell you what in my opinion is to be answered vnto the heauie message and imperious commaund of the most perfidious tyrant This cruell enemie hath ouerthrowne our wall and is entred three hundred foot and more within our cittie and as a most troublesome guest liueth and conuerseth with vs as it were vnder the same roofe Such as list not longer to endure such an vnwelcome guest and troublesome neighbour persuade you because he is troublesome to giue him all But worthie and sacred knights I am of far different opinion neither doe I thinke a possession of 214 yeares is so lightly to be deliuered vp and the ground forsaken but rather that this troublesome intruder is in like manner to be himselfe troubled and with deadly skirmishes continually vexed whom after we had by force of armes and vndaunted courage maugre his head held out fiue moneths at length he brake into our citie not by any valour in himselfe but holpen by time which tameth all things and since his first entrance it is now almost fortie daies in which time for all his hast he hath scarcely got forward 130 paces hindered by the blockes we haue laied in his way and will not cease continually to lay if we be wise men and mindfull of our former valour Destroy me you heauenly powers before I see with these eies these sacred knights to yeeld vp this famous citie
preuented by renewing the league with Solyman This matter was with great heat debated in the Senat too and fro either part hauing great faultours so that the Senatours spent almost whole Winter nights in the court in discoursing and consulting what were best to be done But whatsoeuer was there said or decreed was forthwith by one of the factions or other made knowne not onely to the embassadours present in the citie but by letters also discouered into prouinces far off a thing neuer before in that state knowne which had euer vsed as it were with a religious silence to keepe secret whatsoeuer was there decreed Which thing Marcus Foscarus an old Senator and a man of great wisdome perceiuing said openly That the state was betrayed by the multitude and corruption of voices and must needs shortly perish if it were not speedily committed to the graue and faithfull judgement of some few for there was almost two hundred of them which gaue voices reducing that multitude to the number of fiftie who for their experience and loue toward their countrey were holden for men of greatest grauitie and secrecie so was the madnesse of many stayed by the discretion of a few But Foscarus shortly after fell into such hatred of the multitude grieued to be as light headed men without discretion so excluded out of the counsell that he was by the voices of the multitude first thrust out of the counsell himselfe and by them kept a great while after from all the preferments and honours of the citie being indeed one of the grauest Senatours and a man of deepest judgement Which disgrace turned afterward to his great honour and credit as one that had foreseene much after they were once found out and condemned which had traiterously reuealed the secrets of the State But this long consultation concerning the confederation came to this end That the Senatours doubting the vnion of those two great princes and yet willing to expect the euent decreed forthwith to send three embassadours whereof two should be sent to the emperour and the French king to discouer their designes and the third which was Aloysius Badoerius a wise and well spoken man was with all speed dispatched away to Solyman to preuent the fame of the distrust to be conceiued of the agreement of those great Christian princes and if he could by any meanes to spare for no cost to saue vnto the Venetians their cities of NAVPLIVM and EPIDAVRVS which Solyman required of them before he would graunt them peace Which if it could not be obtained of the proud and craftie tyrant than to yeeld vnto necessitie and to conclude a peace with him vpon any conditions which course the Decemviri thought to be most expedient for the State yet concerning the yeelding vp of the cities they gaue him secret instructions and warrant fearing forsooth the force and tumult of the headstrong multitude who if they had knowne any such thing would vndoubtedly thereupon haue taken occasion to haue crossed and ouerthrowne that most wholesome decree for there was no doubt that if they had delayed the matter and sought for peace too late but that Solyman would vpon another mans weakenesse and necessitie haue encreased his insatiable desire and not graunted them peace being brought low forsaken except they would deliuer vnto him the islands of CEPHALENIA ZACINTHVS and CORCYRA a matter no lesse grieuous than the destruction of the very citie of VENICE it selfe So that the great embassadours Vastius and Hanebald who came of purpose to haue hindered the league with the Turke by their great diligence wrought nothing more effectually than that the Venetians the better foreseeing the danger of their estate should as they did make hast to conclude the same for it falleth out in mens purposes and actions That a good and happie successe otherwise well hoped for is oftentimes marred with too much diligence and caâ—e Neither was it any doubt but that Hanebald was sent by the French king but for fashion sake and secretly vnderhand by Pelliterius the old embassadour persuaded the Venetians to hasten the conclusion of peace with Solyman Which as Badoerius their embassadour was carefully solliciting the matter at CONSTANTINOPLE and being loth to yeeld the strong cities which Solyman required offering vnto him in stead of them a great summe of money Solyman tooke him vp with threatening words as a shamelesse dissembler earnestly protesting That he would neuer graunt him peace without the yeelding of those cities rehearsing vnto him the most secretest points of his embassage and how that he was authorised from the Decemviri to yeeld them vnto him which thing the embassadour little thought Solyman had knowne Wherefore Badoerius so shamefully reprooued and standing in doubt of his life seeing the greatest secrets of his embassage reuealed to Solyman and his Bassaes was glad to accept of peace by yeelding vnto him NAVPLIVM and EPIDAVRVS two cities in PELOPONESVS and with them NADINVM and LABRANA two castles of DALMATIA to the great greefe of the whole Senate for gâ—aunting whereof the common people ignorant of the secret decree of the Decemviâ—i and supposing that Badoerius had giuen away that which he had no authoritie to giue were so enraged against him at his returne that it was much adoe to saue the guiltlesse man from exile and his goods from confiscation although the traitors were then knowne which had discouered the secrets of the state vnto the Turkes These were Mapheus Leonius a Senatour and Constantinus Cobatius secretarie to the colledge of the Decemviri and Franciscus Valerius one of the Senators base sonnes the traiterous disperser of the Turks money for the corruption of others who with other his complices were for the same fact hanged in the market place when as Leonius and Cobatius were a little before fled into FRAVNCE About the same time which was in the yeare of our Lord 1540 died Ioannes Sepusius king of HVNGARIE Solymans tributarie after whose death ensued great warres in HVNGARIE and the lamentable subuersion of that flourishing kingdome for the better conceiuing whereof it shall not be amisse with as much breuitie as the plainnesse of the historie will permit to open the causes and grounds of the endlesse calamities which afterwards ensued and neuer tooke end vntill that warlike kingdome was to the great weakning of Christendome vtterly subuerted King Ferdinand and this tributarie king Iohn had with like desire of peace and quietnesse made betweene them a league profitable to them both as their estates then stood rather than honourable yet most welcome to the Hungarians who deuided into factions and hauing followed some the one king and some the other enjoyed neuerthelesse their lands and goods by the benefit of this peace the townes and castles being still kept by them in whose possession they then were at the making of the peace In the capitulations of which peace it was comprised That Ferdinand should from
fleet but to serue Barbarussa his own turne But Solyman hauing diligently heard and deeply considered of that the Bassaes had said rejected their opinions who would not he should haue giuen the French king aid and honorably decreed according to his promise whatsoeuer should ensue thereof to send his fleet vnto the king by Barbarussa Two daies after the French embassadour before in dispaire but now reuiued with that decree was solemnly feasted by Rustan Bassa Solymans sonne in law and by Solyman the eunuch Bassa for so it was their Great masters pleasure both of them joying of him for the friendship confirmed betwixt the two princes by sending this fleet After which diuers gifts were bestowed vpon the embassadour and his chiefe followers and at such time as he was to take his leaue Solyman gaue him great charge of his nauie that it might be safely kept and so after the seruice done againe returned and withall deliuered him letters vnto king Francis wherin after the glorious rehearsall of his proud titles he writ vnto him as followeth We haue vpon a brotherly bountie granted vnto Polinus your embassadour such and so great a fleet as you haue desired thorowly furnished for all assaies whose direction we haue commaunded Hariaden our Admirall to follow and by your appointment to proceed against the enemie But you shall doe well and friendly the wars once happily ended to send backe againe my fleet to CONSTANTINOPLE All things shall vndoubtedly fall out according to your owne desire and mine if you shall carefully take heed that Charles the Spanish king your perpetuall enemie doe not againe deceiue you with the motion of a deceitfull peace For then shall you bring him to a most indifferent peace when you haue before brought vpon his countries all the calamities of warre Polinus taking his leaue of Solyman then lying at HADRIANOPLE returned to CONSTANTINOPLE where he found Barbarussa with an hundred and ten gallies and fortie galliots readie to put to sea which he had with incredible celeritie rigged vp and furnished And so setting forward the eight and twentith of Aprill in the yeare 1543 and passing the straits of HELESPONTVS he arriued first at CARISTIVS in EVâ—oeA and from thence to MALEA where he was by contrarie winds cast into the bay of LACEDEMON and there staied nine daies before he could double the cape of METAPANIVM called in auntient time TENARVS After that he came to METHON and from thence crossing the Ionian came to the strait of MESSANA where the Turkish pirats being come with their galliots within the sight of RHEGIVM began to land their men They of RHEGIVM seeing so great a fleet and the Turkes alreadie landing fled out of the citie for feare but the castle was still kept by Didacus Gaietanus a Spaniard who refused to haue any parley with Polinus the French embassadour and with shot out of the castle slew certaine of the Turks wherewith the rest being enraged brake into the citie and finding it desolat set it on fire sore against the will of Polinus and Barbarussa who sought to haue found out the authors thereof and to haue punished them accordingly After that certaine pieces of great ordinance were landed and planted against the castle which with a few shot so terrified the captaine alreadie troubled with the crying out of his wife that he without any more adoe yeelded himselfe and the castle with all therein into the hands of the enemie vnto whom with his wife and children Barbarussa at the request of the French embassadour granted both life and libertie the rest he shut vp in a church and gaue the spoile of the castle to his souldiors There was in the garrison of the castle about seauentie Spaniards but many mo citisens which were all carried away prisoners One of the captaines daughters a young gentlewoman of exceeding beautie had with her good grace so warmed the withered affection of the old pirat Barbarussa that he now fitter for the graue than for marriage became amorous of her person so that taking her from her father and entring her into the Mahometane superstition he made of her as of his wife Insomuch that certaine moneths after he welcomed and bountifully entertained the captaine as his father in law comming to see his daughter at the port called PORTVS HERCVLIS in TVSCANIE where the Turks fleet then lay Barbarussa sayling alongst the coast of ITALIE came to OSTIA in the mouth of the riuer Tibur and brought such a feare vpon the citie of ROME that the citisens were readie generally to haue forsaken the citie had not Polinus by his letters to Rodolphus the cardinall then the great bishop Paulus his legat in the citie in part staied the sudden tumult The bishop himselfe was then at BVXETVM a towne betwixt CREMONA and PLACENTIA trauelling in shew with the emperour to haue made a peace betwixt him and the French king but labouring in secret to haue bought of him the dukedome of MILLAN for Octauius his kinsman the emperours sonne in law Polinus his letters written to the cardinall at ROME and sent by the Gouernour of TARRACINA were to this effect The fleet which is by Solyman sent for the defence of FRANCE by Barbarussa his Admirall is by his â—ppointment at my commaund so that it is not to hurt any but our enemies Wherefore make it knowne to the Romans and others dwelling alongst the coast of the Popes territorie that they feare of vs no hostilitie For the Turkes will neuer violat the faith of their emperour solemnly giuen vnto me and you know most assuredly that the French king desireth nothing more than that the estate of ROME might not only be kept in safetie but also flourish most gloriously and be therefore preserued from all iniurie Fare you well In like manner he also comforted vp them of NEPTVNIANVM and OSTIA so that they brought vnto the Turks all manner of victuall and sometimes for foure sheepe or a couple of oxen redeemed a good prisoner taken in some place of the kingdome of NAPLES Yet for all this the Romans did not so much credit the embassadours promise in the behalfe of the Turkes good dealing but that many of the weaker sort fled out of the citie into the countrey by night although the chiefe magistrates did what they might to haue staied them When Barbarussa had thus lieâ— three daies in the mouth of the riuer of Tiber and there watered he passed alongst the coast of ETRVRIA and LIGVRIA without doing any harme and so sailed directly to MARâ—â—ILLâ—S Where leauing him with his fleet for a while expecting the French kings farther pleasure we will againe returne vnto Solyman who at the same time that Barbarussa was spoiling the frontiers of the emperours dominions in ITALIE came with a great armie into HVNGARIE for the more assured possession of that kingdome whereafter he saw king Ferdinand so much longed And because he would make all sure before him he
notable men some fighting some flying were there slaine amongst whom was Octauianus Serosactus author of the euill counsell whereof ensued that calamitie Barcotius the Generall flying on horsebacke to the little gate which was not to be passed thorow and crying in vaine to them that fled to haue the great gate opened was by the comming in of Ianizaries slaine whose head and right hand full of rich rings was by the barbarous enemie carried about in derision vpon a launce The rest of the flying multitude finding the little gate shut vp with the bodies of the dead and the bridge maliciously drawne vp desperatly threw themselues into the deepe ditch where some of them labouring to swim out were caught by the legs and armes by other that could not swim and both together drowned Some hardly crauling ouer were shot in the head or backe with the Turkes arrowes othersome sticking fast in the mud were as if it had beene in sport shot to death by the Turkes some few there was which got ouer and were saued There was yet left in the citie the Generall of the German horsemen and Vscasades of CRâ—MONA an Italian captaine these two gathering the remainder of the souldiors which were left placed them vpon the wals but the citisens were strucke with such a feare that they could not tell which way to turne themselues For now Birrous the maior with the aldermen and other chiefe citisens seeing the slaughter of the Italians and Germans were so ouercome with despaire that they thought no hope of their well doing was to be reposed in making of any farther resistance but onely in the mercie of Solyman Wherefore Birrous spake vnto the Turks from the wall That he might safely send embassadours to Solyman to intreat with him vpon reasonable conditions for the yeelding vp of the citie which thing Achomates easily granted With these embassadours for the citisens went also the generals of the German horsemen and Carolus Rufus an Italian captaine who of all others had borne himselfe most valiantly in all the assaults to the great admiration of the Turks to intreat for the safetie and libertie of the souldiors The embassadours being brought before the great Bassaes requested That yeelding the citie the citisens might enjoy their liues and libertie whereunto they were so answered as that it seemed they should not all be pardoned yet was the generall feare well diminished for that the punishment respected but some few Rufus was courteously entertained and easily obtained that the Italians might in safetie depart with bag and baggage to VIENNA the like grace also obtained the Generall of the Germans for his soldiors Solyman the eunuch Bassa offered vnto Rufus honourable entertainment if he would haue serued Solyman which when he refused as bound to king Ferdinand by oath in honour of his valour he gaue him a rich cloake wrought with flowers of gold The embassadours returning into the citie and telling how they had sped deliuered the citisens of a great feare Shortly after the citie being yeelded Achomates by open proclamation in the market place commaunded the Italians and Germans to make themselues readie against the next day to depart and to take good heed that no Hungarian went with them hee also straightly charged the citisens to keepe their houses vntill the strange souldiors were departed At the time appointed the Italians and Germans set forward conducted by Homares with a companie of the Turks horsemen who faithfully defended them against the Tartares running vp and downe the countrey after spoile neither was any thing taken from them but their dags which the German horsemen after a new fashion carried at their saddle bowes these the Turks greatly desired delighted with the noueltie of the inuention to see them shot off with a firelocke without a match But after the departure of Homares they were in their trauell set vpon by the Hungarians with whom they had many hoat skirmishes and had hardly escaped vnspoiled had they not been rescued by the kings souldiors lying in garrison in the castles as they passed alongst the countrey The few which remained after many troubles came at last to VIENNA more like ghoasts than men Solyman entring quietly into the citie first visited the sepulchers of the Hungarian kings and gaue out proclamation That the Hungarians should feare of him no harme for that he was not come to conquer them but to deliuer them from the bondage of the Germans and so to restore againe that entire kingdome vnto Stephen the right heire of king Iohn But within three or foure daies after he called out the chiefe citisens into a field not farre off wherein the bodies of condemned men were woont to be buried as if he would haue there taken an oath of them for their fidelitie whither after they were all assembled in the best manner they could as to some solemn feast the cruell tyrant without regard of his faith or promise caused them all to be slaine Howbeit some report that he caused them onely to be put to death which bare office in the citie at such time as they reuolted from the obedience of the queene and the infant king vnto Ferdinand and had then brought in German souldiors and that he sent the rest into exile to BVDA and BELGRADE So Solyman leauing Baâ—ibeius gouernour of ALBA REGALIS and Mahometes sometime gouernour of BELGRADE his lieutenant generall for the whole gouernment of that kingdome returned againe toward CONSTANTINOPLE Winter now beginning to approach after he had that Sommer woon Sâ—IGONIVM and ALBA REGALIS two of the chiefest cities of HVNGARIE All this while king Ferdinand had raised no power worth the speaking of to withstand so mightie an enemie onely at VIENNA lay seauen thousand Germans and foure thousand Italians at such time as Solyman departed from ALBA REGALIS which were shortly after discharged Whilest Solyman thus lay at the siege of ALBA REGALIS he sent his Tartarian horsemen which serued him to small purpose in the siege to spoile the countrey round about these sauage people doing much harme were in diuers places circumuented by the Hungarians and about three thousand of them slaine one of them being taken prisoner had found in his knapsacke halfe a child of about two yeares old the loathsome remainder of his barbarous feeding Barbarussa all this while lying with his fleet as we haue before said at MARSEILâ—ES fretted exceedingly that he had to his dishonour vndertaken so long a voyage by sea to pleasure him which was not able as he said to direct his owne dessignes to any certaine resolution but shamefully suffered the best time of the yeare for seruice negligently to passe away without any thing doing the blame wherof would as he said be imputed to him at CONSTANTINOPLE and that Solyman who desired to aid the king his friend and confederat and by all â—eanes to annoy his enemies would take in euill part to haue it reported that he had
so many nations ouer whom he lorded but that there were many wearie of the present state and so desirous of nouelties vnto whom nothing could chance more fitting than the comming of Baiazet a noble and valiant young gentleman and that more was desperatly set that as yet he himselfe might of right rather seeme in the power of his guest than he in his And that therefore he was to alter the matter and not longer to entertaine him as his guest but to coupe him vp as a most dangerous wild beast Which to doe the easiest way was to disperse his power and so to take him vnawares for that he could not without much bloudshed be openly taken in the middest of his strength especially by the daintie Persian of long time not vsed to warre and as yet not come togither against Baiazets souldiors men of great actiuitie and experience So was the matter cunningly imparted vnto him for the dispersing of his forces and all the commodities to ensue thereof alleadged which Baiazet might not well gainsay although many of his wise followers men of great reach did shrewdly suspect the sequell But what could he refuse vpon whom necessitie lay so heauie where no other hope was left where he liued as it pleased another man and that againe to where once to doubt of the fidelitie of his hoast might be imputed to him for the greatest treacherie So these most valiant souldiors the poore princes faithfull followers neuer againe to see one another are dispersed into diuers countrey villages and bestowed where the Persians thought good Not many daies after at a time pickt out for the purpose they in number few and dispersed in a strange countrey were inclosed by many and slaine their horses armour apparell and whatsoeuer else became a prey vnto the murtherers At the same instant was Baiazet and his sonnes cast in bonds also and that to his greater griefe as many report taken as he was sitting merrily at dinner at the kings table The Persian king seemed to haue foreseene much in this his hard dealing with Baiazet as if that he being a valiant and couragious young prince and much better souldior than his brother should haue succeeded his father in his empire much trouble and perill might haue growen thereby both to himselfe and his kingdome And that it stood farre better with the safetie of his estate that Selymus a man wholy giuen to voluptuousnesse and ease should raigne ouer the Turkes in whose time he might as it were promise vnto himselfe all peace and securitie and therefore it was thought that he would neuer let Baiazet go aliue out of his hand but rather make him away in prison as if he had there died for melancholy and griefe Well he was assured that after he had slaine his followers and imprisoned himselfe and his sonnes hee would neuer be friends with him that had so notably wronged him Baiazet thus shamefully imprisoned messengers ran continually too and fro betwixt the two old princes Solyman and Tamas Amongst the rest the Persian king sent a solemne embassadour vnto the Turke with presents namely curious tents costly carpets an Alcoran containing the mysteries of their superstition and certaine strange beasts The cause of his comming was pretended to be for a reconciliation to be made betweene Solyman and his sonne which embassadour was honourably entertained and feasted by the great Bassaes. Now was poore Baiazet in small hope of life his cruell father still crauing to haue him deliuered into his hands to bee slaine and the Persian yet denying to deliuer him and seeming to defend him but not as was thought altogither faithfully Solyman left no meanes vnattempted to haue wrung him from the Persian sometimes he spake him faire putting him in mind of his league wherein it was agreed That they should both haue the same friends and the same enemies otherwhile he terrified him with great words and denouncing of warre except he would deliuer him his sonne he furnished with strong garrisons all the frontiers of his dominion towards PERSIA he filled all MESOPOTAMIA and the bankes of the riuer Euphrates with souldiors especially with them of his owne guard and such as he had before vsed in the battell against Baiazet ouer whom commaunded Mehemet Bassa the third of the Visier Bassaes and the Beglerbeg of GRECE for Selymus was soone wearie of the field and so betime returned home he also incited the Georgian people to take vp armes against the Persians who wisely answered That they had not such confidence in their owne strength as to prouoke king Tamas but let Solyman himselfe come with his armie and when they saw him present in the field then they knew what they had to doe and that he should then well see that they wanted neither discretion nor valour And because he would leaue nothing vnproued he made shew as if he would in person himselfe haue gone to ALEPPO in SYRIA and so haue on that side inuaded the Persian neither was the Persian king altogither out of feare hauing to his cost many times proued what Solyman was able to doe But the vnwillingnesse of the souldiors and their minds altogither estranged from that warre easily staied the raging Turke they detested that warre and forsboke their ensignes a great number of whom especially horsmen without leaue of their captaines returned to CONSTANTINOPLE and being commanded againe to the campe went indeed but with such countenance and cheere as well declared how they were affected and what they would doe if occasion serued for them to reuolt For which cause after that Solyman perceiued that Baiazet could not aliue be got from the Persian excusing himselfe by feare of reuenge by him whom he had so grieuously offended if he should by any meanes escape he thought it best to follow that which was next and to haue him there slaine which he was in good hope to compasse and the rather for that the Persian had but lately written vnto him That he could not but much maruell to see him deale so slenderly in a matter of so great importance That he on his part had sent him diuers embassadours and that he on the other side had sent him nothing but common messengers with papers which caused him to thinke that he made no great account of the matter wherefore he should doe well to send vnto him men of account and place which whom he might conferre and conclude also according to the waightinesse and exigence of the cause besides that he was as he said not a little in his debt for that Baiazet and his followers had beene vnto him no small charge before hee could get him into his power all which it were good reason that he should haue consideration of Whereby Solyman perceiued that money was the thing the Persian king sought after and therefore rather than he would in an vnfit time of his life entangle himselfe in a dangerous and vnnecessarie waâ—â—e he
enforced to forsake it and to retire into the citie But shortly after sallying out againe they with such force assailed the Turkes now got within the counterscarfe that hauing slaine most part of them that were entered they forced the other out againe at the brute whereof an alarum being raised throughout the campe infinit numbers of the barbarous enemies came running thither with such beastly furie that without regard of their liues they as desperat men pressing still on fell twice as many as before insomuch that the Christians wearie of that long and bloudie fight and on euery side charged or rather ouerwhelmed with the enemies shot were glad againe but not without great losse to abandon the place With which skirmishes and diuers others that they had the number of the defendants was greatly deminished yet was not the courage of the valiant Gouernour any whit therewith abated but by his letters gaue the Archduke Matthias to vnderstand in what case things stood with them in the citie requesting him with all speed to send them reliefe for that otherwise the citie would be in danger to be lost as well for that many of the garrison souldiors were alreadie slaine in the defence thereof as also that diuers of the Hungarians forsaking the wals daily fled vnto the Turks campe promising yet neuerthelesse himselfe to doe the vttermost of his deuoire Vpon the receit of which letters the Archduke gaue order vnto the lord Russworm master of his campe to goe forthwith to COMARA and there with such forces as were from diuers places come thither to go forth and to proue if by any meanes the weake garrison of ALBA REGALIS might so be relieued by putting in some good supplie of fresh souldiors According vnto which commaund Russworm comming thither without delay tooke the field with twelue thousand men which he found there to see if he might with them put into the citie the desired reliefe But whilest the matter was in the performance thereof too long delaied by discord arising betwixt him and the other colonels about the commaund the Bassa had time to effect his purpose who the eight and twentith of the same moneth of August after a long and terrible batterie caused a generall assault to be giuen vnto the citie which the Turkes from time to time renewing continued all that day and the next night with some part of the day following also without intermission so that the defendants now brought to a small number and they also so wearied or wounded as that they were not well able to make any longer resistance and the Countie himselfe who gaue as it were life vnto them all being now also carried away dangerously hurt in the thigh with a musket shot gaue vnto the enemie a signe of their yeelding Whereupon the furie of the assault being staied whilest they were yet talking with the enemie from the wall about the conditions of their yeelding a renegate Christian which knew the citie well in the meane time conducted a great squadron of the Turkes vnto a place but weakely defended who forcing the wals entered the citie and with a great crie gaue signes of their enterance vnto the rest of the armie on the other side who thereupon breaking off the parley presently renewed the assault and by force gained the wals where the few Christians that were left now both before and behind enclosed with their fierce enemies were there valiantly fighting for the most part slaine the Countie onely with some few others found wounded in their lodgings the furie ouerpast being taken prisoners and spared So the Bassa hauing in eighteene daies taken ALBA REGALIS now being eleuen moneths possessed by the Christians caused the breaches he had made to bee againe repaired and the citie well prouided for both of victuals and munition leauing therein a strong garrison of six thousand good souldiours and with his people hauing ouerrun all the countrey as farre as STRIGONIVM rise with his armie and retired againe to BVDA where as he was making a bridge of boats ouer the Danubius betwixt BVDA and PESTH for the more easie transporting of victuall and better relieuing of the one the other as need should require and hauing brought that worke to passe and was about to haue gone to the siege of STRIGONIVM commaundement came from the great Sultan That he should with all speed returne to CONSTANTINOPLE for that Mahomet accounting of him as of a most valiant man was now minded to employ him in his warres against his rebels in NATOLIA where things now went not well as shall hereafter be declared Vpon which commaundement the Bassa gaue leaue to all such in his armie as had charge of any place forthwith to returne to their seuerall places of gouernment appointing some others with thirtie thousand souldiors in the companie of Zachael Moises but of late prince Sigismund his lieutenant to goe with him into TRANSYLVANIA who after the ouerthrow he had there receiued by Basta was come vnto this great Bassa offering vnto him with such an aid as was now appointed for him and the helpe of such other his friends as he had in TRANSYLVANIA to chase Basta with his Germanes from out thence and to reduce that prouince againe vnto the deuotion of the Othoman emperours as it had in former time beene And so by the way of BELGRADE hasted himselfe with the rest of his armie towards CONSTANTINOPLE which hee was thought the more willingly to doe for that the great Sultan before his setting forth had put him in good hope to marrie one of his aunts a woman of great wealth and honour if by the winning againe of ALBA REGALIS he should make himselfe worthie so honourable a match after which he now longed But long it was not after his departure but that the Imperials now at last assembled together at COMARA to the number of about thirtie thousand men with twelue Nassadies and two gallies some by water some by land marched downe alongst the riuer to STRIGONIVM where were also twentie other ships readie to receiue them and so all embarked were by the lord Russworm and other the imperiall captaines conducted to BVDA there with some notable enterprise to redeeme the disgrace by them before receiued in not relieuing of ALBA REGALIS Whose comming was so sudden and so vnlooked for of the Turkes there as that they had no time to take in any greater helpe or prouision than was alreadie in the citie And for as much as the Christians knew the good successe of this their enterprise taken in hand not so much to depend of their strength as of their politicke proceeding and speedie dispatch of the matter begun they thought it not good to vse any long delay or to spare for any labour but so soone as they might by taking of the Water citie or as some call it the Iewes suburbes so to cut off the passage of them of BVDA to PESTH as also from thence to
the Turkâ— 1464 The great 〈◊〉 betwixt Mâ—homâ—t and Scanderbeg are at large written by Marinus Barletius in 13 books De vita gestis Scanderbegi from whence this Historie is taken and wâ—re done betwixt the yeares 1450 and 1467. Vide Marinum Barâ—etium lib. de vita gestis Scanderbegi Debreas sent with 14000 horsemen tâ— inuade Epirus A skirmish betwixt the Christians and the Turks The battell betwixt Scanderbeg Debreas Debreas slain by Scanderbeg and his armie ouerthrowne A pleasant contention betwixt Musachius and a Turke for his ransome The craftie procâ—eding of the Turâ—â— messenger Moses corrupteâ— Scanderbeg crâ—ueth aid of Alphonsus king of Naples Alphonsus sendeth aid vnto Scanderbeg Scanderbeg besiegeth and â—istresseth Belgrad Musachius slain and the Epirots put to â—â—ight Scanderbeg seeth his men slain and is not able to releeue them Scanderbeg flieth by night into Epirus Mahomet sendeth Moses with fifteene thousand seiâ—ct men to inuade Epirus A combat betwixt a Turke and a Christianâ— The battell betwixt Scanderbeg and Moses Moses contemned of the Turkâ— Moses flieth from Constantinople Amesa his first speech vnto Mahomet Amesa honourablâ— entertained by Mahomet A notable speech of Scanderbeg vnto his captainâ— how the Turks were to be withstood aâ— their comming into Epâ—uâ— The Eâ—iroâ—s remoâ—e all their 〈◊〉 â—ut of the 〈◊〉 into the 〈…〉 Turks Amesa is by the Bassa created king of Epirus The Turks camp 〈…〉 Scanderbeg suddenly assaileth the Turkes A notable victorie of the Christians The sâ—eeâ—h of Amâ—sa to Scanderbeg The answere of Scanderbeg to Amesa The death of Amesa A peace for a yeare concluded betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg The letters of Scanderbeg to Mahomet The answere of Scanderbeg to the former letters of Mahomet The letters of Mahomet to Scanderbeg for the concluding of a perpetuall peace betwixt them A peace câ—â—cludâ—d betwixt Maâ—omet and Scanâ—erbeg The notable speech of Victor Capella to persuade the Venetians to take vp armes against Mahomet The Venetians take vp armes against the Turk The Venetians enter into confederation with other Christian princes against the Turke The letters of Mahomet to Scanderbeg Scanderbeg his answere to the letters of Mahomet Ten thousand Turkes slaiâ—â— The Venetianâ— attempting to win Patras receiue great losse 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 â—hosâ—n king of Hungaâ—â—e Mahomet sendeth Balabanus to inuade Epirus Balabanus goeth against Scanderbeg The battell betâ—ixt Balabanus and Scanderbeg Moses and other 〈◊〉 captaines cruellâ— exâ—cuted by Mahâ—met The battell of Sfetigrade betwixt Balabanus and Scanderbeg Scanderbeg his 〈◊〉 traiâ—â—â—â—â—ly flâ—e to Balabanus Iacup slaine by Scanderbeg and his armie discomfited 1463 Mahomet commeth to the siege of Croia Scanderbeg surpriseth Ionima the brother of Balabanus and Hedar his sonne 1466 Scanâ—erbeg falleth siâ—ke The death of Scanderbeg Scanderbeg buried at Lyssa The bodie of Scanderbeg digged vp by the Turkes and of them greatly honoured Mathias king of 〈…〉 â—ingdome of 〈◊〉 from the Turke 1470 Chalcis the chiâ—fe citie of Euboea besieged by the Turkâ— Treason in the citie Chalcis taken by the Turkes The fruitfull island of Euboea taâ—en by the Turkes 1471 1472 The Venetianâ— aided by king Ferdinand the bishop of Rome and the great master of the Rhodes doe the Turks great harme all alongst the coast of the lesser Asia 1473 Mahomet no 〈◊〉 troublesome vnto the Mahometaâ—e princes than to the Christian Vsun-Cassanes in a great battell ouerthroweth the Persian king 1474 Two huge armies of the Turkâ— and Persians in 〈◊〉 together The death of the noble Mustapha Mahomet his eldest sonnâ— 1475 Solâ—man Bassa besiegeth Scodra with an armie of eightie thousand men Mattâ—ias â—ing of Huâ—gaâ—ie 〈◊〉 the Turks to â—orsake the siâ—ge of Scodra 1476 1477 Croia besieged by the Turke Contarenus the Venetian Generall slaine The Turkâ— shâ—w themselues at the riuer of Sontium The countrey of Friuli spoiled by the Turkes 1478 1479 Vide Marinum Barletium de expug Scodrensi The poore countrey people flie for feare of the Turks Two oâ— the Turkâ— attempting to touch the wals of 〈◊〉 are both slâ—ine and one of their heads set vp vpon the wal Mahomet in person himselfe commeth vnto the siege of Scodra The order of Mahomets campe Mahomet purposing to giue a generall assault encourageth his captaines and soldiors therunto The cittie of Scodra assaulted by the Turks the fourth time A most terrible assault Twelue thousand Turkes slaine in the last assault The Turkâ— superstitiously reuerence the new Moone Scodra againe most furiously assaulted by the Turkes The assault fiercely againe renued by the Turks A wofull sight A doubtfull fight A notable speech of the great Bassa Achmetes Lyssa taken by the Turks and the bones of Scanderbeg dâ—gged vp by them and had in great reuerence A hard choice Scodra yeelded vnto the Turks 1480 Mahomet longeth after the Rhodes A death right worthy such a traitour The oration of the Great Master to the rest of the knights and souldiors to encourage them valiantly to with sâ—and the Turks Eight hundred Turks slaine Treason against the great Master dâ—scâ—â—ered and the traitours executed Two thousand fiue hundred Turks slaine in the assault The resolute answer of the great Master A faire breâ—â—h made by force of the Turkes batterie The Bassa raiseth his siege Achmetes landâ—th his army in Apulia neere to Otranto and spoileth the countrey Otranto taken by the Turkes 1481 Mahomet dieth at Geiuisen in Bythinia not without suspition of poyson He is buried aâ— Constantinople The description of Mahomet The sonnes of Mahomet Mustapha Baiazet and Zemes. Otranto yeelded vp by the Turks vpon composition Phil. Loâ—icer Turc Hist. lib. 1. Dissention amoÌ„g the Turks about the succesâ—ion Baiazet commeth to Constantinople Zemes riseth against his brother Baiazet Bâ—iazet gâ—eth agaâ—â—sâ— Zemes. Achmetes made Generall of Baiazet his armie Zemes flieth into Syria 1482 Zemes his speech vnto Caytbeius Sultan of Aegypt Caytbeius the Aegiptian Sultan sendeth embassadors to Baiazet 1483 The king of Caramania solliciâ—eâ—h Zemes toâ—â— take vp armès against Baiazet Zemes flieth tâ— sea Zemes his letters to his brother Baiazet Zemes flieth to the Rhodes The description of Zemes. 1484 Achmetes his death contriued Achmetes his son stirreth vp the Ianizaries to help his father Baiazet for feare deliuereth Achmeâ—es to the Ianizaâ—ies Achmetes slaine 1485 Baiazet purposeth to destroy the Ianizaries Baiazet inuadeth Moldauia Many great princes sue to the Master of the Rhodes for Zemes. 1486 Baiazet inuadeth Caramania Tarsus in Cilicia yeelded to Baiazet A long and terrible battell betwixt Baiazet and the king of Caramanâ—a 1487 1488 Achmetes Bassa discomâ—iâ—ed and taken prisoner and sent to Caiâ—e 1489 A long and terrible battell betweene tâ—e Turks and the Mamalukes The Turks flie away by nighâ— 1492 A peace concluded betwixt Baiazet and Caitbeius Alphonsus king of Naples and Alexander Bishop of Rome craue aâ—d of Baiazet against Charles the French king Baiazet sendeth Dautius his embassadour to Alexander bishop of Rome Io. Rouereus robbeth the Turkes embassadour 1495 Zemes dieth
for wealth allured the pouertie of the people of ROME to lay hold vpon it so that we haue rather couetously than justly got the rule thereof In the heart of the island standeth NICOSIA sometime the regall and late metropoliticall citie thereof And in the East end thereof FAMAGVSTA sometime called TAMASSVS a famous rich citie the cheefe and onely port of all that most pleasant island Other faire cities there be also as PAPHOS AMATHVS now called LIMISSO and CYRENE This island of it selfe long time maintained the majestie of a kingdome as then when Richard the first king of ENGLAND passing that way with his fleet for the releefe of the Christians then distressed in the Holy land about the yeare 1191 was prohibited there to land and certaine of his people by force of tempest there cast on shore were by the Cypriots either cruelly slaine or taken prisoners which barbarous violence king Richard tooke in so euill part that he there by force landed his armie and rested not vntill he had taken Isaak the king prisoner and subdued the island The king he sent in chaines of siluer to TRIPOLIS there to be kept in close prison the kingdome he kept a while in his owne hand which not long after he gaue or as some say exchanged with Guido the titular king of HIERVSALEM for which cause the kings of ENGLAND for a certaine time afterwards were honoured with the title of the kings of HIERVSALEM This kingdome by many descents came at length to Ianus son of king Peter who in the yeare 1423 was by Melechella Sultan of AEGIPT taken prisoner but afterwards for the ransome of an hundred and fifteene thousand Sultanins was set at libertie and restored to his kingdome paying vnto the Sultan and his successours a yearely tribute of fortie thousand crownes This Ianus left a sonne called Iohn who after the death of his father married the daughter of the Marques of MONT-FERRAT after whose death he married one Helena of the most noble house of the Paleologi in GRaeCIA by whom he had one onely daughter called Carlotte but by another woman a base sonne named Iames. This king Iohn was a man of no courage altogether giuen to pleasure and according to the manner of his effeminate education shewed himselfe in all things more like a woman than a man which Helena his wife a woman of a great spirit quickly perceiuing tooke vpon her the soueraignetie and whole gouernment of the realme gracing and disgracing whom she pleased and promoting to the ecclesiasticall dignities such as she best liked abolishing the Latine ceremonies and bringing in them of the Greeks and tooke such further order as pleased her selfe in matters of state concerning both peace and warre her husband in the meane time regarding nothing but his vaine pleasure whereby it came to passe that all was brought into the power of the Greekes the queenes friends Now the queene her selfe was much ruled by the counsell of her nurse and the nurse by her daughter so that the people commonly said The daughter ruled the nurse the nurse the queene the queene the king The nobilitie ashamed and wearie of this manner of gouernment by generall consent of the people sent for Iohn the king of PORTINGALS cousin Germane whom some call the king of PORTINGALL to whom they gaue Carlotte the kings daughter in marriage with full power to supplie that want of gouernment which was in king Iohn his father in law He taking the authoritie into his hands quickly reformed the disordered kingdome as well in matters concerning religion as ciuile policie The Latine ceremonies were againe restored and the gouernement of the daughter the nurse and the queene brought to an end But the mischieuous daughter doubting the countenance of the new king persuaded her mother as she tendered her owne life to poyson the king Which thing the wretched woman by the consent of the queene mother as was reported in shorttime performed and so brought that noble prince well worthie longer life vnto his vntimely end whereby the gouernment was againe restored to the Greeke queene who in the name of her weake husband commaunded againe at her pleasure But aboue all the nurse and her daughter insulted vpon the young queene Carlotte which shee not well brooking grieuously complained thereof to Iames her base brother requiring his helpe for redresse therof who not long after slew the nurses daughter not so much in reuenge of the wrong by her done vnto his sister as to prepare a way for himselfe for the obtaining of the kingdome grieuing inwardly that shee or her husband whosoeuer should bee preferred before himselfe Which thing Helena the queene quickly perceiuing persuaded the king her husband to cause his base sonne to enter into the orders of priesthood and so to become a church man thereby to cut off all his hope of aspiring vnto the kingdome which the king at her instance did and made him archbishop of NICOSIA In the meane time Carlotte by the persuasion of her mother and the nobilitie of the countrey married Lewes sonne to the duke of SAVOY who being for that purpose sent for came with all speed to CYPRVS After that the queene mother and the old nurse desiâ—ing nothing more than to reuenge the death of the nurses daughter vpon Iames now archbishop deuised first how to thrust him out of all his spirituall promotions which were great and afterward quite banish him the kingdome Hereupon the queene wrote letters against him to the Pope to haue him disgraded for that he being a man base borne with his hands embrued with guiltlesse blood was vnworthie of holy orders Which letters by chance came to Iames his hands who enraged therewith accompanied with a number of his friends and fauorits suddenly entred the Court slew such of his enemies as he found there deuided their goods amongst his followers and as king possessed himselfe of the regall citie In this broile the Greeke queene Helena died and shortly after her husband also All things being thus in a hurle and out of order certaine of the nobilitie for redresse thereof sent for Lewes the husband of Carlotte as for him to whom that kingdome in the right of his wife most justly belonged who vpon his arriuall was of all sorts of men joifully receiued and welcommed as their king Iames the vsurper vnderstanding before of the comming of Lewes and perceiuing the inclination of the people towards him fled with diuers of his friends to ALEXANDRIA to craue aid of the Aegyptian Sultan in whose Court he found such fauour as that he was by the Sultans commaundement royally apparrelled and honoured with the title of the king of CYPRVS which he promised for euer to hold of the Sultans of AEGIPT as their vassale and tributarie At which time the Sultan also by his embassadours commaunded Lewes to depart the isle who by all meanes sought to haue pacified the Sultan declaring vnto him his rightfull title yet
offering to pay vnto him the wonted tribute and to allow vnto Iames a yearely pension of ten thousand duckats during his life But all in vaine for Iames still present in the Sultans court and wisely following his own sute at last concluded with the great Sultan who thought it more honour to make a king than to confirme a king and receiuing of him a great armie returned into CYPRVS where in short time he so distressed Lewes that he was glad to forsake the island with his wife and to returne into his countrey leauing the kingdome of CYPRVS againe to Iames who now by the supportation of the Aegyptian Sultan possessed thereof yet liued not without care of Carlotte and her husband Lewes whom he knew the Cypriots wonderfully affected Wherefore for the more assurance of his estate he thought it best to joyne in league and friendship with the Venetians whom he knew to be of great power at sea and of all other fittest to crosse whatsoeuer Lewes should in the right of his wife attempt against him Which league he afterwards made the better to confirme the same tooke to wife Catherine Cornelia the daughter of Marcus Cornelius a magnifico of VENICE being before adopted by the Senat and euen after their reputed daughter Not long after this mariage Iames died in the yeare 1470 leauing the queene great with child who in due time was deliuered of a faire sonne vnto whom with the mother the Venetian state became tutors as their adoptiue fathers and in their behalfe tooke vpon them the gouernment of the realme This child shortly after died also not without some suspition of poyson after whose death great troubles arose in the kingdome insomuch that Andreas Cornelius the queenes vncle a most graue counsellour and Gouernour of the realme vnder the queene was by the conspiracie of certaine noble men slaine and all the island readie to reuolt from the queene For appeasing of which troubles the Venetians were glad oftentimes to send their Admirals with their gallies into CYPRVS to take order in the matter and to aid the queene who at length persuaded by George Cornelius her brother whilest it was yet in her power as a louing daughter to yeeld vp the kingdome vnto her adoptiue fathers which she destitute both of counsell and power could not long hold so farre from her friends beset on the one side with the great Turke and on the other with the mightie Sultan of AEGIPT She I say thus persuaded by her brother came to VENICE where she was with the greatest honour that could be deuised receiued by the duke and the whole State at sea in their great and goodly ship the Bucentaure and so with all royall triumph brought through the middest of the citie vnto the place most richly for the time appointed for the receiuing of her where shortly after attired in all her royall habiliments she came in great majestie into the Senat house and there before the Tribunall seat of Augustinus Barbadicus then duke of VENICE layed downe her crowne and scepter and as a most louing daughter resigned vp her kingdome to the great honour and profit of her countrey Thus the kingdome of CYPRVS was deliuered into the hands of the Venetians in the yeare 1473 which they peaceably held from that time paying vnto the Sultans of AEGIPT such tribute as they had the late king Iames which yearely tribute they in like manner payed vnto the Turkish emperours after that the kingdome of AEGIPT was by Selymus the first conquered in the yeare 1517 as due vnto them by law of armes with which yearely tribute both Selymus himselfe and Solyman after him held themselues well contented But now this Turkish emperour Selymus the second of whom we speake desirous both of the honour of such a conquest and of so rich a prey made no account of the accustomed tribute but of the fruitfull island it selfe whereof he as is before declared hath by his embassadour made a proud demaund but is thereof denied by the Senat. Selymus throughly furnished with all things necessarie for the inuasion of CYPRVS in the beginning of Februarie sent a great power both of horse and foot into EPIRVS and the frontiers of DALMATIA to forrage the Venetian territorie especially about IADERA of purpose by that warre so neere at home to withdraw them from the defence of CYPRVS so farre off About the middle of Aprill following he sent Piall Bassa with fourescore gallies and thirtie galliots to keepe the Venetians from sending aid into CYPRVS This Piall was an Hungarian borne of base parents but turning Turke and giuing himselfe to armes was first preferred for his valour shewed against the Christians at ZERâ—I and afterward by many degrees rise to the honour of one of the greatest Bassaes. He departing from CONSTANTINOPLE and cutting through PROPONTIS and HELâ—ESPONTVS came to EVâ—oeA and there for certaine dayes lay in such order as if he should haue presently giuen the enemie battell but vnderstanding by his espials that the Venetians greeuously visited with the plague and slowly releeued by their friends were not like in hast to come out he tooke his course to TENOS an island of the Venetians to haue taken it from them This island is one of the Cyclades and was by nature strong but stronger by the industrie of the defendants who lying far from the Christian countries and compassed about with such cruell and warlike enemies as people farre distant stood in dread of could neuer for any fear or danger be remooued from the Christian religion or induced to submit themselues to the Turkes gouernement as most of the other islands had Piall here landing his forces sought both by faire means and foule to haue persuaded the inhabitants to haue yeelded vp their towne but when he could get nothing of them but foule words againe he began by force to assault the same Two daies the towne was valiantly both assaulted and defended but at length the Turkes perceiuing how little they preuailed and that the defendants were resolutely set downe for the defence of themselues and their countrey shamefully gaue ouer the assault and abandoning the island directed their course toward CYPRVS For Mustapha author of that expedition for his auntient hatred against the Christians made Generall by Selymus had before appointed Piall Bassa at a time prefixed to meet him at the RHODES and that he that came first should tarrie for the other that so they might togither saile into CYPRVS Mustapha hauing before sent a great part of his armie by land into PAMPHILIA embarked the rest with Haly Bassa Generall of the forces at sea who yet staied for him with the rest of the fleet at CONSTANTINOPLE This Haly was one of the chiefe Bassaes a man of great account and sometime an especiall and noted follower of Muhamet Bassa but now as it is oftentimes elsewhere seene that men together with the change of fortune change their minds and
poisoned by Alexander bishop of Rome The euill life of Caesar Borgia The death of Caesar Borgia The French king inuadeth Naples Ferdinand departeth from Capâ—a to pacifie an vprore at Naples A most resolute fact of king Ferdinand Charles the French king receiued into Naples A great league made by dâ—uâ—rs Christian princeâ— agaiâ—st the French king Ferdinand recouereth his kingdome of Naples from the French and dieth The death of Charles the French king 1496 1497 The Turkes inuade Podolia Russia and in their returne are for most part lost 1498 1499 Friuly part of the Venetian territorie spoiled by the Turkes Fight at sea betwixt the Turkâ— and the Venetians Lepanto yeelded to the Turks 1500 Methone besieged both by sea and land by Baiazet Methone taken by the Turks Corone Pylus and Crisseum yeelâ—ed to the Turks 1501 Cephalenia taken by the Venetianâ— Pylos taken from the Turks and againe yeelded vnto them Dyrrachium taken by the Turkâ— Mytilâ—ne besiâ—ged The siege of Mytilene broken vp 1502 Nâ—ritos taken by the Venetians 1503 A peace concluded betwixt Baiazet and the Venetians Baiazet in danger to haue beene slaine by a Deruislar or Turkish monke Baiazet by nature peaceable The Turks and Persians differ not about the interpretation of their 〈◊〉 but about the true successor of their great prophet Mahomet Haider marrieth Maâ—tha the daâ—ghter of the great king Vsun-Cassanes Haider Erdebil sâ—cretly murdred The beginning of the Cuselbassas Hysmaell his behauiour in the time of his exile Hysmaell returneth iâ—to Armenia and recouereth his inheritance Sumaâ—hia taken by Hysmaell Hysmaell commeth to Tauris Hysmaell taketh the citie of Tauris and defaceth the tombe of his vncle Iacup Hysmaell goeth against the Persian king Eluan the Persian king slaine Hysmaell goeth against Moratchâ—mus Hysmaell exceedingly beloued and honoured of his subiects 1508 Chasan Chelife and Techellis inuade the Turkeâ— dominions â—â—smaell sendeth â—mbassadors vnto the Venetianâ— to â—oyne in league with them against Baiazet Orchanes and Mahometes two of Baiazet his nephewes ouerthrowne by Techellis The battell betweene Caragoses and Techellâ—s Techellis besiegeth Caragoses the Viceroy in the citie of Cuâ—aie Caragoses the viceroy with his wiues and children taken by Techellis in the citie of Cutaie Baiazet sendeth Alis Bassa against Techellis out of Europe The battell betwixt Alis Bassa and Techellis Chasan Chelife slaine Alis Bassa slain Ionuses Bassa sent by Baiazet Generall of his armie against Techellis Techellis burnt at Tauris 1509 A great earthquake at Constantinople The children of Baiazet Mahometes disguised as a seafaring man commeth to Constantinople and so to the court Mahometes poisoned by Asmehemedi Asmehemedi iuâ—â—ly rewarded for his treacherie 1511 Selymus aided by Mahometes his father in law riseth against his father Baiazet sendeth embassadours to Selymus Presents giuen to Selymus by his fathers embassadours Baiazet would appoint his successour whilest he yet liued Baiazet seeketh to preâ—er Achomates to the â—mpire Selymus marcheth with his armie towards Hadrianople Selymus his dissembling embassage vnto his father Selymuâ— ouertaketh his father The cheefe men about Baiazet secretly fauour Selymus and dissuade him from giuing him battaile Cherseogles Bassa the only great man faithfull to Baiazet persuadeth him to giue battel to Selymus The speech of Baiazet to the Ianizaries and souldiours of the court The common sort of the Ianizaries faithfull to Baiazet desire battell The battell betwixt Baiazet and Selymus Selymus his armie put to flight The estimation Selymus had of his horse wheron he escaped from his father Baiazet willing to preâ—er Achomates to the empire Achomates inciteth his two sons 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 to take part with him against their grandfather 〈◊〉 1512 Baiazet sendeâ—h embassadors to Achomates Achomates kiâ—leth his fathers embassadours Achomates proclaimed traitor The craftie oratiâ—n of the great Bâ—ssa Mustapha to Baiazet for the bringing home of Selymus Corcutus commâ—th to Constantinople Corcutus his Oration vnto his father Baiazet Baiazet comâ—â—â—â—eth Corcutus and promisâ—th to reâ—igne to him the empire afâ—er that Selymus a as passed euer into Asia The craftie speech of Baiazet vnto his sonne Selymus The craftie dissimulation of Selymus The blunt speech of Mustapha to â—aâ—azet persuading â—im to resigne the empire to Selymus The resolute answere of old Baiazet to Mustapha and the other Bâ—ssaes Corcutus 〈◊〉 Selymus practiseth with Hamoâ— a Iew Baiazet his phisition to poyson him Baiazet poysoned by the Iâ—â— The death of Baiazet Selymus causeth 〈◊〉 of his fathers pages to bee put to death for mourning for their master Hamoâ— the Iew â—â—stly rewarded for his trecherie Paulus Iouius Illust virorum Elog. lib. 4. Phil. Loâ—icer Turâ— Hist. lib. 1. 1512 Selymus goeth into Asia against his brother Achomates Selymus mâ—rthereth fiue of his brothers sonis 1513 Selymus seeketh aâ—â—â—r the liues of Amurat and Aladin the sons of Achomates his brother Vfegi Bassa taken prisoner Mustapha Bassa shamefully murthered Vfegi Bassa pâ—â— to death Selymus taketh the spoile of his brother Corcutus taken The lamentable death of 〈◊〉 Treason against Selymus discouered Sinan Bassa dâ—â—comfited by Achomates Selymus with his armie passeth oâ—er the riuer Achomates Evangled Amurat and Aladin the sonâ— of Achomates â—lie the one into Persia anâ— the other into Aegipt 1514 Amurat spoileth Capadocia Selymus resolueth to inuade the Persian Câ—â—â—demus Bassa 〈…〉 from going â—â—ther against the Persians Chendemus Bassa by the commaundement of Selymâ—â— slaine Selymus sendeth out his scouts who returne with bad newes Selymus passeth 〈◊〉 Araxes Hysmael sendeth an herauld to Selymus Selymus his answere vnto Hysmael The order of Selymus his battell Hysmaell with thirtie thousand Persians giueth battell to Selymus with three hundred thousand Turkes The great and mortall battaile between Selymus and Hysmaell Vsta-ogli slainâ— The terrour of the battell betweene Selymus and Hysmaell The Persian tents taken by the Turkes The Ianizaries in mutinie agaâ—â—â—t Selymus Selymus in passing the riuer Euphrates receiueth great losse Selymus câ—â—â—meth to Amâ—sia The former historie as it is reported by Io. Ant. Maenauinus a Genoway present at the doing thereof Selymus and Hysmaell compared togither Hysmaell maiesticall Selymus tyrannicall Hâ—smaell courteouâ— Selymus Chuâ—lish The Persians better horsemen than the Turkâ— The cause why Hysmaell came with so small an armie against Selymus The countries subâ—ect to Hysmaell 1515 Selymus with a new armie enâ—â—eth into Armenia Aladeuleâ— hiâ— kingdome Selymus assaileth Alâ—dâ—ulâ—s Aladâ—ules flieth into the mountaines Aladâ—ules taken and in ougâ—t 〈…〉 tâ— put to death Selymus inuadâ—th Hungarâ—â— 1516 Selymus goeth to Iconium The causes mooâ—ing Campson to fall out with Selymus The Order of the Mamalukes The imperioâ—s gouernment of the Mamalukes in Aegypt Iudea and Syria The beginning of the Gouernment of the Mamalukes in Aegypt The moderat and happie gouernment of Campson Campson his answere to the imbassadours of Selymus Selymus conuerteth his forces from the Persians against Campson Selymus encourageth his souldiours to go against the Mamalukes The wholsome counsell of Gazelles for protracting the warre