sixteen Electors whom the Assembly chose out of the whole number of Languages to elect whom they should think most capable of the supreme power gave their suffrages with one consent for Peter D'Aubusson Grand Prior of Auvergne At the name of Aubusson the whole Assembly with redoubl'd shouts and acclamations testify'd their unparallel'd joy He only was sorry when he heard himself nam'd and at first he refus'd a Command of which he did not think himself worthy But I know not by what inward motive which afterward prevail'd he was forc'd to accept it almost against his own will Yet could he not refrain from tears when according to the custom he was carry'd in his Seat to the Great Altar upon the Shoulders of the principal Commanders There it was that confessing his weakness to sustain so great a burthen he receiv'd the submissions of the Knights after he had solemnly sworn upon the Evangelists to observe the Statutes of the Order The news of this Election was no sooner spread over the Island but the people made Bonfires and testify'd all the signs of publick joy This caus'd every body to hope for a happy Government neither was Mahomet so much fear'd when they understood that the Grand Prior of Auvergne had the Authority in his hands THE HISTORY OF Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of RHODES Book Second SO soon as the Grand Master was acknowledg'd in Rhodes his first care was to render to Pope Sixtus the Fourth that Obedience which is due from the Chief of an Order wholly devoted to the Sacred See To that purpose he held a Council the next day after his Election and nominated the Prior of Lombardy together with the Prior of Rome for that Embassy Then he apply'd all his thoughts to the Government of a Dominion of which he had taken possession And not to loose time he began at the very first to act as Grand Master Though the Ottoman Army were as yet far enough from Rhodes nevertheless the Island was not a little infested by the incursions of the Barbarians The Pyrats who landed day and night in several parts pillaged the Cities burnt the Houses massacred and carried away many of the Christians The Grand Master thought it convenient to put a stop to these disorders that so sensibly afflicted him and for that purpose to build upon the Coast at such such distances several Forts and Towers to hinder the landing of the Pyrats But because this design requir'd a great sum of Money and that these Pyracies had very much exhausted the Grand Masters Revenue he ordain'd for the raising those works that all those Knights who obtain'd Commanderies by favour only should pay the value of the first years Revenue to the Order so soon as they receiv'd their Commissions without which payment the Donation should be void The Grand Master also took in hand again and went on with all those works which were discontinu'd by the death of the Grand Master More especially he forwarded the new Wall of the Arsenal and took upon himself the charge of looking after it But in regard it was of high importance to look after the security of the Port he order'd the Grand Prior of St. Gilles to provide a Chain to shut it up He also at the same time gave order to the Chevalier Raymond who commanded in the Castle of St. Peter to widen the Mote so far for the Sea to fill it that the Brigantines of the Castle might ride there secure from Enemies and Tempests The Castle St. Peter which we shall have often an occasion to mention was a strong place scituated in Cana between two Arms of the Sea which form'd a Peninsula built upon the ruines of the ancient City Halicarnassus near the place where was formerly the Sepulcher of Mausolus so famous for the love and grief of Artemisia The Order of St. John is beholding for that Fortress to the prudence and valour of one of the French Grand Masters For Philibert of Nailac Grand Master of Rhodes desirous to make his best advantage of the consternation of the Infidels after the Battel wherein Tamerlain had taken Bajazet Prisoner fitted out the Gallies of the Order and sailed directly for Caria with the choicest Knights of the Order He took a Castle there from the Turks the scituation whereof seem'd to him to be of so much advantage that he built in the same place another almost impregnable which he call'd the Castle of St. Peter This place it was which in the midst of the Turks Dominions serv'd as a Sanctuary for the poor Christian Slaves that can get away from their Masters And here it was if we may believe the Writers of that age that certain Dogs of a particular breed who by a strange instinct of nature watch'd all the night long and would fly upon the Turks and fawn upon the Christians as if they had known the one from the other Among all the Knights which the Grand Master employ'd according to the variety of occurrences and which were always nearest his person there was not one in whom he put more confidence then in Charles de Montholon He was a person of a very good judgment and one that bare the character of being fierce in fight temperate in counsel and one that had a genius capable of every thing This Knight acquitted himself of several Trusts that were put upon him for the defence of the City and he it was that had the charge of fortifying St. Nicholas Fort. While the Grand Master issued out his orders and labour'd himself to have all things in readiness to sustain a Siege Antonio Loredano General of the Venetian Fleet in the Island of Cyprus understanding that Riccio de Marino a Cipriot by birth and a person born for intrigue and one of the most zealous Servitors of Charlote de Lusignan negotiated at Rhodes to the prejudice of Katharine Carnara he sent an Ambassador to complain in the name of the Duke of Venice for that the Knights did entertain those that were Rebels to the Republick It is impossible to understand the grounds of that Embassy nor the answer of the Grand Master without being inform'd beforehand of the Claims of those two Princesses to the Kingdom of Cyprus and wherefore the Republick took Katharine's part and oppos'd Charlota John de Lusignan King of Cyprus one of the weakest and most effeminate Princes that ever sway'd a Scepter had only one natural Son who was nam'd James de Lusignan when he espous'd his Second Wife Helena of the House of the Paleologi and Daughter of the Despote of Moria By this second Wife he had a Daughter nam'd Charlote who was married to John of Portugal Duke of Conimbria This Prince who had both wit and courage being at the Court of Cyprus easily wound himself into the management of affairs and depriv'd the Queen of all that authority which the weakness of the King had permitted her to use The Queens Nurse who govern'd
wisest of the Company had not adviz'd them to have recourse to the Grand Master There upon they earnestly besought him to be their protectour at such a time of calamity wherein only his authority could save them The Grand Master hated too much injustice and violence to suffer the oppression of a poor people that were altogether Innocent and were not in a condition to defend themselves Thereupon he wrote to the Port and did it so effectually that Bajazet cancell'd the Judgment and remitted the Tax which himself had impos'd Cardinal Paul Fregosa Duke of Genoa immediately return'd thanks to the Grand Master in a very civil Letter But the Lords Monesi who were the chief in Scio and happen'd to be at Genoa at the same time deputed Signior Lanfranco Patera a person of quality and merit to carry him a testimony of their Gratitude It was a Bason and Eure of Gold of exquisite workmanship on which these Latine words were graven Dominorum Chii Reverendissimo Petro D'Aubusson MAGNO MAGISTRO RHODI DE SE OPTIME MERITO DONVM Much about the same time the Grand Master receiv'd Intelligence of the death of Charlota de Lusignan Queen of Cyprus and Armenia This unfortunate Princess was constrain'd to quit Rhodes and travel to Rome as I have already said in the beginning of this History Pope Sixus the fourth receiv'd her magnificently and undertook her interest very zealously so that he perswaded the chief of the Island more then once to acknowledg her for their Soveraign Queen The Letters from his Holiness were read publickly at Nicosia before the Church of Santa Sophia and made so deep an Impression upon their spirits that the people took Arms ran in throngs to the Pallace and massacr'd the Uncles of Katherine Cornara who were accused to have poyson'd James of Lusignan her husband But the Venetians by whose authority Katherine raign'd or rather who rul'd under the name of Katherine appeas'd the sedition and quickly master'd it Charlota seeing that all the sollicitations of the Pope produc'd no good for her went to Lewis her husband in Piemont The Lord of Montjeu whom the Duke of Burgundy sent Embassadour to Venice gave a visit to Lewis and Charlota at Montcalier where they liv'd and promis'd them according to the Instructions he had receiv'd from his Master to represent their rights to the Senate But all his Remonstrances proving ineffectual the Princess return'd to Rome and there settl'd herself after the death of Lewis who piously ended his days in a kind of solitude whither he was retir'd She superviv'd him some years and during her widowhood she gave the Kingdom of Cyprus to Charles Duke of Savoy her Nephew to whom it otherwise belong'd by the articles of marriage between Charlota and Lewis This Donation was solemnly made to the procuratours of Charles of the number of which was the Admiral of Rhodes and by vertue of this Act it is that the Dukes of Savoy take upon them the Title of Kings and pretend to the Kingdom of Cyprus The news of her death sensibly greiv'd the Grand Master who had always lookt upon her as one of the most accomplish'd Princesses of the world In the mean time the Emperour of the Turks having rais'd a numerous Army and made himself Master almost without any trouble of those Provinces that were left the Grand Caraman he turn'd his Arms against Syria and Egypt incens'd at the Soldan for that he had with disdain deny'd him the wife and children of Zizim For how false soever he were in other respects he was faithful in that out of I know not what fantastick piece of honesty which shews us that men are sometimes contrary to themselves and that the wicked like mad men have their lucid Intervals Now though the preparations all over Turky seem'd only to bend against the Dominions of Cairbei yet the King of Hungary took the Alarum And as thunder when at first it begins to grumble in the clouds seems to threaten most they that hear it nearest this Prince probably thought the Tempest would fall upon him if he took not care in time to divert it Yet as great a Souldier and as a Potent as Matthias was he thought that the Grand Master would be a necessary assistance to him for which purpose he sent to him Pauli de Rhetas his Secretary and his favourite Rhetas declar'd at the first Audience which he had at Rhodes that the King of Hungary was resolv'd to make War against the Turks and in prosecution thereof neither to spare his treasure nor his life and therefore desir'd to joyn his Arms with those of the Knights of St. John but above all to follow the Counsels of the Grand Master in an enterprize of so much hazard and difficulty The Hungarian Embassadour likewise added that his Master had private correspondence with the Grandees of the Port that several Basha's had resolv'd to forsake Bajazet's Party so soon as Zizim should appear upon the Confines of Hungary and at the head of the Hungarian Troops That the interest of Christendom requir'd that he should send the Ottoman Prince in all haste and that it was a favour which a King illustrious for his piety and his valour requested from the most generous Knights in the world The Proposal of Rhetas seem'd rational to the Grand Master and his Council But there are certain nice conjunctures wherein the wifest of men cannot follow sometimes neither the common Rules of Prudence not their own particular Judgments Though to all outward appearances and upon a serious consideration of the bottom of things it had been but reason to have trusted Zizim with the King of Hungary yet the engagement which oblig'd the Grand Master to keep the Prince by vertue of the Treaty of Peace made with the Port according to the Prince's own desire and the fear of offending his Holiness were the cause that the Hungarian Embassadour could obtain no other answer then a handsom denial However the Grand Master wrote to the King and after he had insisted a while in particular upon the Advantage which Christendom might receive from the person of Zizim in case that Bajazet should make any attempt against the Treaty he told him that it being impossible for any War to be carried on against the Turk without a firm league between the Christian Princes it belonged to the common Pastor of the Church to assemble them together That such sort of enterprises seldom prosper'd unless upheld by the Authority of the Church and lastly that if the Ottoman Prince were to leave France he could be no where better then at Rome where he would be in the view of all Christendom neither too far off nor too near the Estates of the Grand Signior The Conquest which Bajazet had made of Caria and of other Provinces of the Grand Caraman made the Soldan to believe that after he had refus'd to Bajazet the Wife and Children of Zizim that he was certainly to expect
and endow'd by the Grand Master should enjoy the Revenues of his Order within his Dominions He also wrote to the Pope at the same time and very earnestly represented to him That the courses he took steer'd directly to the ruine of the Order wholly devoted to the Holy See That the Zeal of the Knights was not altogether so pure and Angelical but that they had an eye upon Temporal Recompences while they fought against the common Enemy of the Faith and that both their Zeal and Courage too would cool when they beheld the Price of their Labours and their Sweat in the hands of Strangers and unknown Persons So that if his Holiness did not preserve their Priviledges it might be fear'd that the Rampart of Christendom might be expos'd to the fury of the Infidels Alexander submitted to the Reasons or at least to the Authority of the King of Castile He revoked the Collation which he had made in favour of his Nephew and the Grand Master gave the Commenderie of Wovelles with that of Baioles to Don Ferrand of Arragon of the Royal Family and very dear to the King of Castile having before that created him a Knight In the mean time intelligence came that the Turks were building great Ships and every where made great Preparations for War Thereupon the Grand Master sent an Ambassador to Constantinople in shew to Congratulate the Grand Signior upon his recovery from sickness but really to penetrate into the design of those new Preparations Bajazet kept his design very secret but the publick rumor of the Port was that those Preparations were intended against Egypt and was a report probable enough Cairbei had been dead some months before and the youngest of his Sons was advanc'd to the Throne by the subtilty of a Circassian Mamaluke who did what he pleas'd at Caire and pretended to govern during the Minority of the Infant But an absolute Authority in one particular Subject is always suspected and odious The principal Nobility of the Court would not endure the new Government so that instead of doing Homage to the new Sovereign they revolted from him and made Confederacies with the Turks to deprive him of his Crown The Grand Master was inform'd of the rumour of the Court but he believ'd it so much the less the more the Grand Signior's Ministers desir'd it should be believ'd He kept himself upon his Guard and gave order for every thing He engag'd in the Service of the Order all Strangers Ships that us'd the Levant Seas He hir'd Companies of Spanish Infantry out of Sicily from whence he also sent for Corn in abundance The Grand Prior Blanchefort after a dangerous Voyage at length arriving safe had order to go for France to make his Complements and to desire aid of the Successor to Charles the VIII who was dead of an Apoplexy a disease fatal to great men in that Age. Thereupon Lewis the XII who had a great esteem for the Grand Master kindly receiv'd the Grand Prior and order'd two and twenty great Ships to be made ready for the service of the Knights At that time the Grand Master understanding that Henry the VIII King of England laid out for the fairest Turky Carpets that were to be got presented him with some that were very rare Henry became sensible of the Civilities of the Grand Master and in acknowledgment sent him several excellent Pieces of Artillery with some Horses of an extraordinary Mettle and Colour Ladislaus King of Hungary who of all the Princes of Europe was most liable to be a Prey to the Barbarians offered the Knights of St. John two Provinces of his Dominions to engage them all together to his Interests But the Grand Master was not of that humour to despoil a Prince to protect him he refus'd the offers of Ladislaus but promis'd him all manner of assistance Blanchefort was no sooner return'd to Rhodes but the Armada of the Turks pass'd through the Straits of Gallipoly the Course they steer'd at first caus'd a great fear that the Storm threaten'd the Order of St. John but soon after it was seen to fall upon the Republick of Venice The Turks pretended that they had suffered great wrongs in Romania and the Morea Besides that the Proveditor Prioly having met a Turkish Vessel alone near Meteline and perceiving that the Ship in stead of Loring Sail fir'd at them with all her Artillery fought and sunk her Now though the Act of Prioli was regular however it incens'd the Grand Signior who lov'd the Captain of the Ship for which reason he resolv'd a War against them nevertheless he did not at all declare his resentment For Zancari whom the Senate sent to discover the inclinations of the Port received a thousand Caresses from Bajazet Nay the Barbarian desir'd to renew his Alliance with the Republick but he caus'd the Articles of the new Treaty to be written in Latine to the end he might break it when he pleas'd according to the Principles of the Mahumetan Law which suffers them not to have any regard to their words in Contracts that are not written in their own Language At the same time that the Ottoman Fleet sail'd out of the Streight the Grand Signior enter'd into Romania with a powerful Army having imprison'd before all the Venetians that were at Constantinople One part of the Turkish Cavalry was divided from the rest and sent to harass the Countreys of Zara and Dalmatia General Grimani who lay at Modon with the Fleet of the Republick had implor'd the assistance of the Grand Master upon the first noise of the War But he more urgently requested his aid when he saw the Turks double the Point of the Morea Justiniani who commanded in Candy joyned his requests with those of Grimani and both of them sent to Rhodes certain Letters from the Duke Barbarigo The Grand Master look'd on the attempt of the Turks upon the Venetians as a violation of the Treaty of Peace made with the Order by reason they were oblig'd not to molest the Christians so that he made no scruple to succour the Venetians in the present Conjuncture But because he would not make too great a noise he onely sent them the Spanish Infantry that was come from Sicily and some other Foreign Troops The Republick also at the same time sent to the King of France to obtain of his Majesty the Vessels design'd for the assistance of Rhodes Who thereupon being then in League with the Pope and the Venetians against the Duke of Milan gave order to his Admiral to sail away for Greece to observe the countenances of the Turks and in case that Rhodes were in no danger to joyn with the Venetian Fleet. The noise of War inflam'd some of the Knights and amongst others the Grand Prior Blanchefort whom the affairs of the Order detain'd in France during the Siege of Rhodes And therefore to satisfie the extreme desire he had to meet with the Infidels he desir'd leave to go
to Sigismund touching the Valour of the young French Gentleman engag'd that Prince to give him publick marks of his esteem and acknowledgment But Aubusson not only attracted the praises and favours of the Emperour by his first exploits in War for he also gain'd his good will and kindness by his carriage near his person and the care which he took to please him Sigismund was endu'd with all the noble Qualities of a great Prince Besides that he was valiant wise religious he lov'd Learning in particular and had a great value for learned men whom he preferr'd upon all occasions before persons that had nothing to recommend them but their Birth He was himself learned perfectly well read in History He understood and spoke the Latine tongue as he made it appear at the Council of Constance by the testimony of Gerson Chancellour of the University of Paris who was present there and was charm'd with the last speech of that Prince For that reason he could not endure ignorance in his Courtiers and would say sometimes that he was asham'd of the Electors who had not the least tincture of Learning Though Aubusson were endu'd with a Martial soul and that the love of war overswayd his Inclinations yet had he a disposition and a Genious for Learning He had a quick and piercing wit a happy memory and a solid judgment So that it was no difficult thing for him to conform himself to the humour of the Emperor having in a short time fitted himself for all manner of addresses After he had study'd the languages as much as was requisite for a Souldier to know he apply'd himself to the understanding of all the noble sciences He learnt the Mapps the Mathematicks and above all the rest that part with concernes the Art of war But History was his Principal studie He made a kind of business Exercise of it reading more to instruct then divert himself For he was not contented to charge his memory with great names and strange Accidents as many do that read but he still made Judicious reflections upon what he read proposing to himself as examples to follow the actions of men Illustrious Above all things he examin'd the lives of great men and making advantage of their Vices as well as of their Vertues he became a Master to himself for the governing his own Manners Whatever love he had for reading and what ever pleasure he took in it yet he study'd the world more then books and above all the world and all books the Emperor As he had a free access to his person and was with him every day he was able to observe nere at hand his Maximes his words his actions and all his behaviour But among all the Vertues of Sigismund he was taken with none more then his Zeal for the Christian Faith of which he shew'd so many real marks not only in the Councils which he upheld by his authority and presence but also by the wars which he undertook against the Infidels Thus the Court which is usually the corrupter of youth was to Aubusson a school of wisdom and vertue Where besides the love which it taught him to have for learning and to make a sound judgment of things he acquir'd Integrity and became a man of Vertue and Repute With such noble Inclinations as these he might easily pretend to great employments in a Court where Justice was done to merit And certainly he had attain'd thereto as much a stranger as he was had not his Fortunes been overturnd by the Death of the Emperor Albert Duke of Austria who succeeded Sigismund had not for Aubusson those kind thoughts as his predecessors Whether it were that he did not naturally love the French or whether the Favors of the deceas'd Emperour provok'd his hatred of a stranger Aubusson quickly percev'd that the Emperor had got a new Master and that the best course that he could take was to be gone But though that Consideration might not have prevail'd with him to quit Germany yet his duty would have oblig'd to return to France The Treaty at Arras for the accommodation between the two Kings of England and France not taking effect as it was hop'd the War broke out again between the two Kings So that there happ'nd divers sieges and divers fights with more heat and animosity then ever The English made great spoil in the Provinces of which they were not Masters and the French divided among themselves committed as great violences every where so that what between a Forraign and a Civil War joyn'd together the whole Kingdom was full of confusion and horrour This was the stare of the Affairs of France when Sigismund di'd and that Aubusson forsook Germany to come and serve his own Country John D'Aubusson Lord of Born his Cousin-German and Chamberlain to Charles the seventh brought him to Court So soon as he came there his proper person his sparkling countenance his noble Air attracted the eyes of all upon him but his prudent and honest carriage his wit his politeness his pleasant conversation gain'd almost the hearts of every one In regard he was of the County of Marche and younger Son of the Vicounts of that County the Count of Marche Governour of the Dolphin shew'd him great respect and did him the honour to be his Patron This Relation which Aubusson had to the Count gave him opportunity often to wait upon the Dolphin who was almost of Age. He obtain'd his love being so happy as to share in the exercises and divertisements of the Prince He had also the good fortune to please Charles the seventh who saw in him at first sight something that was great and not common But it was not long ere 〈◊〉 shew'd by his actions that what we conceiv'd of him was not without good ground He signaliz'd himself in a high measure at Montereau Faut-yone whither he attended the Dolphin who commanded at the Siege The King who had been himself a witness of the valour of Aubusson when he carry'd the City by Assault making his entry a little while after into Paris commanded his attendance upon him to Court with the chief of his Nobility This Entry was one of the most magnificent that ever was made And it may be truly said to be the first day that Charles began to reascend his Throne Several Cities follow'd the example of the Capital and those that stood out were for the most part reduc'd by force Aubusson every where gave signal marks of his Courage but upon one occasion he made it apparent that a young Warriour might be as well prudent as cunning At what time the power of the English abated in the Kingdom that of the fair Agnes increas'd at Court. As she was wonderfully charming and one that understood better then any woman of her sex how to govern her Lovers she obtain'd in a short while an absolute Dominion over the King But according to the custom of women whose credit arises from their
of Poland and Cardinal Cesarini the Popes Legate had been flead alive by those Barbarians But it was joyful news to him that the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem had obtain'd several advantages against the Saracens and that the Soldan of Aegypt had a little before rais'd his seige from before Rhodes In the midst of these thoughts he took a resolution to fight against the Infidels and to the end he might be indispensably engag'd thereto he fram'd a design at the same time to embrace the military order of St. John of Jerusalem Heaven that inspir'd him with these high thoughts gave him the power to execute them with speed He departed for Rhodes not all the Charms of the Court being able to detain him The multitude of French Gentlemen that daily throng'd to Rhodes to be made Knights had oblig'd the Grand-master to make an Order that none would be receiv'd until the Treasury exhausted by the late Wars were somewhat replenish'd Nevertheless Aubusson was admitted whether it were that they saw in his person somewhat extraordinary that spake in his behalf or that it were a peculiar favour in respect to Lewis D'Aubusson his Uncle one of the most famous Knights of Rhodes and known in History by the name of the Commander of Charroux Or whether it were that the Grand-master were inspir'd to exceed his own Rules in favour of a Person who was afterwards to be the support of the Order Our new Knight had no great difficulty to undergo the usual Examinations though at that time they were much more strict than afterwards For all things that render a Family Illustrious were to be found with advantage in his For as to the antiquity of it the original of the House of Aubusson is unknown and uncertain as of most Families in the world But that which may be certainly averr'd is this that in the time of Charlemaine the Ancestors of Pierre D'Aubusson were very famous in France For the Kings of the second race having settl'd Counts to govern every Province and these Lords alwayes choosing the greatest Lords of their Province for their Lieutenants Jeffrey first Count of Marche chose his Lieutenant out of the House of Aubusson about the year 860. This Lieutenant to the Lord whose name we know not was call'd Vicount D'Aubusson from the name of the principal Place which he possess'd Turpin who was elected Bishop of Limoges in the year 898 and whom Aymar of Chabanois extolls no less for the splendor of his Birth then for the holiness of his Life was the Son of the first Vicount of Aubusson and Brother of Reginald the first who was Vicount under his Father under Sulpicius the second Earl of Marche Son of Jefferey The dignity of Vicount remain'd above four hundred years in that Family of Aubusson successively from Father to Son till that Raymund the first having no Children sold it to Hugues Earl of March to the prejudice of his Brother Ranulphus D'Aubusson who continu'd the Posterity Piety and Liberality which in those times highly distinguish'd the great Lords from those of mean extraction were hereditary vertues in this Family For not to speak any thing of Bishop Turpin so magnificent in all that concern'd the worship of the Altar the Vicounts D'Aubusson were alwaies very Religious and gave considerable Donations to several Churches and Abbeys These Lords and their Descendants signaliz'd themselves upon several Occasions where the interest of France was concern'd Witness Guy D'Aubusson who performed so many noble Acts in the War with the English under Charles the fifth who having receiv'd many wounds in the defence of his Castle of Monteil was tak'n Prisoner with his Wife and Children by the Enemy Witness also John D'Aubusson Lord of Borne Anthony D'Aubusson Lord of Villeneare and Anthony D'Aubusson Lord of Monteil who made their fidelity and their zeal for the service of Charles the seventh appear whose Chamberlaines they were at such a time when all the Kings Officers were Peers of high quality Lastly that which infinitely advances the House of Aubusson and perhaps distinguishes it from all others is this that being so ancient it was never mix'd but has still in the same County preserv'd the same Estate so that Francis D'Aubusson Duke and Peer Marshal of France and Collonel of the French Guards possesses at this day the Signiory of Fueillade which has been time out of mind in the possession of the Vicounts D'Aubusson his Ancestors But to return to our History Aubusson was no sooner arriv'd at Rhodes but he understood that there was a peace going to be made with Amurat and that it was almost concluded by the Soldan of Egypt In regard he had an extream passion to fight with the enemies of Christ this news was not overwelcome to him only he was in hopes that it would soon be brok'n In the mean time he set himself to study the duty of a true Knight Presently he understood that the Knights of Rhodes were to joyn together in Valour and Piety that a cowardly Knight or a Libertine was something monstrous that for them to live according to the intent of their Calling there was a necessity for them exactly to follow the maxims of the Gospel and that they were not to draw their Swords but in the defence of the Church or for the relief of the Faithful that for that reason they wore their Cross upon their Habit and that their Impresse was For the Faith He oft'n revolv'd in his mind the vertues and the exploits of those ancient Knights that first made themselves Masters of Rhodes and afterwards so couragiously withstood Ottoman the first King of the Turks But notwithstanding the peace because it did not hinder the roving of Turkish Pyrates he several times put forth to Sea and so well acquitted himself upon all occasions that presented that he obtain'd the commandery of Salins in the first years of his service John de Lustic who at that time govern'd the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and who was the first to whom the publick vogue gave the title of Grand-master soon conceiv'd a high Opinion of Monsieur D'Aubusson as well as James de Milli who was Grand Prior of Auvergne and who succeeded John de Lustic in the charge of Grand-master The affairs of Rhodes were calm enough when the death of Amurath or rather the ambition of Mahomet his successor rais'd strange troubles over all Christendom Mahomet the second is so often mention'd in the story that I am to write that it will not be amiss to describe him before I go any farther He was one of those extraordinary personages who are not only endow'd with great Vertues and great Vices but one also freight with qualities altogether opposite Never was there a Prince more wise or more led away more valiant nor more effeminate more a Master nor more a Slave to his passions then he Though he had a Countenance somewhat wild and something of terrible in his eyes
all the Estates of the Order The most part of the absent Commanders who lead lives irregular enough and for whom great Revenues were not large enough to maintain their luxury refus'd to pay that which was their due However to excuse themselves in some measure they cry'd out that the Tax was too high that Zacosta sought only to ruine them and enrich himself and that his Government grew every day more and more tyrannical They also did him ill offices to the Princes which they found enclin'd to hear them The Italians and French did all they could to animate against him the Duke of Venice and the King of Naples but the Spaniards render'd him altogether odious to the King of Arragon already provok'd for that the Council of Rhodes had tak'n from an Arragonois the Commandery of Emposta to put Zacosta in his room That Prince who was one of the Greatest of his time and who wanted not for credit at Rome inform'd the Pope of all and advis'd him to send for the Grand Master and to examine how he had carry'd himself The Pope believ'd the King of Arragon but to save in some measure the honour of the party accus'd he order'd the General Chapter which should have been held at Rhodes to be held at Rome where the affairs of the Order might be better consulted then in any other place Zacosta who was ignorant of the evil designs of his enemies blindly obeys the Orders of the Pope and his innocency seem'd to afford him strength to undergo the toil of a Voyage in the extremity of old age In this famous Assembly it was wherein Paul the second presided in Person that the Commander D'Aubusson was highly preferr'd For besides that at the opening of the Chapter he was chosen for one of the Procurators of the Treasury he was one of the sixteen Knights that were afterwards elected and who according to the Statutes of the Order had a joint power to look after the most important affairs But his principal business was to justifie the innocence of the Grand Master Zacosta to which purpose he ply'd Cardinal Vrsini and the Arch-Bishop of Milan who were brought into the Chapter by the Popes order being persons in whom the Pope had a great confidence After he had well inform'd them of the loose life of the Knights who refus'd to pay the Tax he easily made them understand that the Complaints which they made against the Grand Master had no other foundation then the dissoluteness of his Enemies But to remove out of the Popes thoughts all apprehensions of any tyrannical Government exercis'd by the Grand Master he engag'd several of the most sober and prudent Knights to give testimony to the Pope of the conduct and management of Zacosta The Pope was asham'd that he so easily believ'd the accusers of Zacosta and to make him some kind of publick satisfaction he caress'd him and shew'd him more then ordinary favours before all the world But as his Holiness had been inform'd by Cardinal Vrsini and the Arch-Bishop of Milan of the debauchery of the disobedient Knights he consulted with the Grand Master how to reduce them to their duty He also made a speech in Latin to the Knights that were assembled upon the obligation that lay upon them all together to lead a life not only vertuous and regular but holy and irreproachable The zeal of the Pope rais'd up that of the Chapter They seriously fell to consider what way to take to remedy the disorders that were crept into the Order and made Laws for the Reformation of Manners which after they had been examin'd by the sixteen Knights and some of the Cardinals were approv'd and confirm'd by the Pope himself Aubusson was extreamly rejoic'd that he had not labour'd in vain but he had not the satisfaction to see the Grand Master himself put the Laws in execution Zacosta dy'd as soon as the Assembly was broke up The Pope was so much the more aggriev'd at it because he lookt upon himself to be in some sort the cause of his death for it was the general report that this journey to Rome had shorten'd the days of that venerable old man He was buried with a magnificence extraordinary in the Church of St. Peter before the Chappel of St. Gregory The Marble that was laid over him sufficiently testifies him to have been illustrious in piety in charity and in wisdom and his Epitaph might have serv'd him for an Apology had he had any need of it after his death Baptista Vrsini Prior of Rome was elected Grand Master before the Knights were separated He departed for Rhodes presently after his election upon information that his presence was absolutely necessary there When he came there he found the Treasury wasted the Fortifications decay'd good part of the Ammunition spent and all the Inhabitants of the Island alarm'd at Mahomets preparations The Barbarian puft up with his former Conquests advanc'd every day like a surious Torrent that finds no resistance or which becomes more impetuous and rapid by the resistance which it meets with The death of the generous Scanderbeg made him more insolent then ever insomuch that when he heard the news he said that he would now be soon Master of Christendom since she had lost her Sword and Buckler The first step which the Grand Master made to remedy these disorders was to recall all the Knights which the journey to Rome had scatter'd or which the pleasures of Italy or the affairs of the Order hinder'd from returning The Commander Aubusson who was recall'd by name came to Rhodes at the same time that two Gallies were preparing to succour the Island of Negropont into which Mahomet was enter'd by land with an Army of two hundred thousand men by the help of wooden Bridges built upon great Barks in the Streight of Saint Mark while Basha Mahomet his Favourite assail'd it by Sea with a Navy of two hundred Sail. The impatience which Aubusson had to fight the Infidels made him eager for employment upon this occasion The Grand Master had already nam'd the Knight Cardona to command the Gallies so that all he could do for Aubusson was to give him the Command of a Troop of stout men that were order'd to be the Companions of Cardona's Fortune When the Gallies were ready they set sail and join'd with the Venetian Fleet which the Republick sent to the relief of Negropont The Fleet appear'd in view of the Isle when the Barbarians were ready for the assault and Mahomet who saw them coming was not a little troubled But all that preparation came to nothing and the Knights were forc'd to lye still and behold the City taken before their faces through the cowardice or imprudence of the Venetians who having the Wind and Tide favourable instead of making use of the opportunity stopt short and fell to consultation when it was time to act The Grand Signior was so enrag'd at the succour which the Order had given
all things before the marriage of the Princess Charlota and was afterwards in little esteem reveng'd the Queen's and her own disgrace by poysoning the Duke of Conimbria She had a Son whom she passionately lov'd and whom during her grandeur she had made a kind of absolute Minister of State The death of the Prince restor'd to the Mother and the Son the authority which they had lost But as persons of mean Birth usually forget themselves when rais'd above themselves the insolence of the one and the other was so excessive that they us'd the Dutchess most contemptuously Charlota deeply resented both the death of her Husband and the scorns put upon her when she was a Widow She complain'd to her Brother James de Lusignan and her Complaints were not in vain for this natural Son of the King equally cruel and ambitious kill'd with his own hand the Nurses Son not so much to satisfie his Sister as to govern in his room and to open to himself by that means a way to the Throne The Queen who tenderly lov'd her Nurse could not be brought to pardon James whom she mortally hated besides so that to avoid the anger of a Woman a Queen and a Mother-in-Law he was forc'd to conceal himself in the Venetian Consuls House and at length to quit the Kingdom In the mean while the Dutchess of Conimbria who was in the flower of her age and in the full splendor of her beauty was remarried with Lewis Son to the Duke of Savoy Soon after this marriage the King and the Queen dy'd The King by his Will declar'd Charlota his only Heir But the natural Son whom ambition blinded had no regard either to the Laws of Nature or the last words of a dying Prince He made War upon his Sister and his Brother-in-Law by the assistance of the Soldan of Egypt who rather chose to have a Grecian Prince his Tributary then any other Marc Cornaro a Gentleman of Venice who liv'd at Nicossa and was very rich did not a little help the Bastard to make himself Master of the Isle and usurp the Crown The Usurper therefore to acknowledge his services and to fix the Venetians at the same time to his interests espoused Katharine the Daughter of Carnaro after the Commonwealth had adopted her But this new Dominion was too unjust to endure long or happy The Uncles of Katharine who shar'd in the Government poyson'd the King of Cyprus with a design to raign themselves And it was in favour of his Widow that Michael Salamon came to Rhodes on the behalf of General Loredano who was gone to Cyprus to restore Katharine to the possession of her Kingdom The Venetian Ambassadors deliver'd a Letter to the Grand Master from the Duke of Venice full of reproaching and menacing Language Afterwards he himself declar'd with much haughtiness that since the Common-wealth had adopted Katharine Cornara that it was an injury done to the Venetians to favour Rebels that caball'd against a Daughter of St. Mark and their lawful Queen So proud and surly an Embassy no way pleas'd the Grand Master however he thought it not convenient to provoke the Venetians by too severe an answer at a time when the order had their hands full Nor could he stoop to qualify them with an answer too much beneath himself And therefore he answer'd with a Gentility and sowreness mix'd both together that the Knights of St. John neither meddl'd with the differences in the Kingdom of Cyprus nor would they suffer any Traitors in Rhodes but that the Island being a free Island they denied admittance to no Christians who desir'd to live among them like Christians Salamon was not satisfy'd with the Grand Masters answer and Loredano less He thought his own presence would do more then his Embassador for which reason he hastens away to Rhodes When his Gallies enter'd the Port the Master sent four of the Grand Crosses to congratulate his arrival and to present him with all sorts of fresh Victuals but being informed of the occasion of his coming he sent to tell him plainly that he could make him no other answer then what he had already given him That concise Declaration caus'd the General to understand that his Voyage was lost so that without considering any farther with himself or so much as setting foot ashore he return'd with all the choler that could inspire a fierce and daring person for having tak'n so much pains so little to the purpose The haughtiness of the Venetians was not the only cause of the ill success of their Embassie The kindness which the Grand Master had for Charlota de Lusignan had a deep share therein Though the Knights of St. John had never openly declar'd for Katherine Cornara nor were willing to contest with the Venetians about their affair certain it is that in their hearts they were all for Charlota de Lusignan whether it were that they were satisfy'd in the Justice of her cause or that the compassion which they took upon her misfortunes caus'd them to embrace her interests or whether it were that the most of them were taken with the Charms of her beauty They had seen her several times at Rhodes she was as yet young enough for her misfortunes had not defac'd her beauty nor depriv'd her of her natural gayity of humour She spoke very pleasingly and readily according to the natural Genius of the Greeks she drest her self after the French mode and her disposition her air and manners plainly shewed her to be of Royal Extraction The Grand Master had always admir'd in the person of Charlota besides the graces of her body and mind a prudence that exceeded age and a constancy above all her sex But the chiefest motive was that she had put her self under the protection of the Knights and for that she had already receiv'd all the assisting kindnesses that she could in reason expect Her acknowledgment also oblig'd them to shew her new marks of their esteem and affection For she publickly declared that she had been more oblig'd to the Knights of Rhodes then to all her nearest Relations and because the Commonwealth had adopted her Enemy she was wont pleasently to say that if Katharine Cornara were the Daughter of St. Mark of Venice Charlota de Lusignan was the Daughter of St. John of Jerusalem But perhaps the great esteem they had for Lewis of Savoy her husband contributed more then any other reason to make the Grand Master and Knights favourable to her interests They were all perswaded that the order of St. John were beholding for their preservation to the house of Savoy and it was a common opinion among them that Amadeus the fifth surnam'd the Great coming to the relief of Rhodes and having constrain'd Ottoman to raise his Seige took for his impress these four Letters F. E. R. T. that is Fortitudo ejus Rhodum tenuit his Fortitude kept Rhodes And that in his arms he chang'd the Eagle of Savoy into the
Cross of the Order to let all the World know his devotion to the service of the Knights immortalizing the memory of an action that had been so serviceable to them Nevertheless the whole Story is but a Fable without foundation or probability For the devise Lewis of Savoy Baron de Vaud who dy'd in the year 1301 stamp'd it upon his money ten years before the Seige of Rhodes And in the Cathedral Church of Agosta upon the Sepulcher of Thomas de Savoy the second of that name there is still to be seen a Dog lying at his feet with this word engraven upon his collar FERT in Gotthick Letters without any points or separation of Letters As for the Cross the predecessors of Amadeus the fifth carryed it instead of the Eagle either as Earls of Piemont the Arms whereof were the Eagle Or in imitation of Amadeus the third Earl of Savoy who took the Cross upon him in the year 1147 and kept it at his return from Palestine as a testimony of his expedition beyond the Seas Amadeus the great also wore it himself in the year 1304. when he appear'd at the Treaty which he made with Stephen Coligny Lord of Andelot But though the Story of Amadeus be false in all the circumstances it pass'd for Currant at Rhodes as well as in other places And therefore it is no wonder if the Grand Master led by the Popular error respected Amadeus in Lewis Charlota's Husband beyond either Katharina Cornara or the Venetians The Proposal which the sub-Basha of Pizzonne Governour of Lycia made to the Grand Master was heard more favourably then that of the Duke of Venice There were at that time several Knights and many subjects of the order Slaves to the Turks These Barbarians in whom sometimes covetousness serves as a Counterpoise to cruelty had a desire to get Mony and the Sub-Basha sent to Rhodes a Merchant call'd Cachim Brahim to traffick for the delivery of the Slaves The Grand Master who stood in need of Men and sought nothing more then the liberty of so many unfortunate Persons was soon perswaded to treat with the Turkish Merchant and he agreed also according to the Sub-Basha's command that there should be a Truce for a Month between the Order and the Turks that they might treat without interruption During this Negotiation there happen'd one thing very remarkable one of the Turks that belong'd to Cochim Brahim one day offer'd his service to the Grand Master to bring him an accompt from Constantinople of the designs and readiness of the Ottoman Army of which they had no certain news for a good while He promis'd to make all possible hast and after he had confirm'd his words by most terrible Oaths he said that he could not resist that inward Motion that compell'd him to serve the Knights against his Law and his Prince Though the Grand Master did not much rely upon the faith of a person who had all the looks of a Traitor yet he thought it not convenient to refuse an offer which if it fail'd could do no harm So without confiding in the Turk or making any semblance to defy him he gave him a pasport for his return and out of hopes that God would be pleas'd to overthrow the designs of Mahomet by the means of a Mahometan he suffer'd the voluntary spy to go where-ever the Spirit which he spake of conducted him But if Heaven on the one side seem favourable to the Order of St. John on the other side it seem'd no less incens'd against it For a prodigious Tempest arose all of a sudden when the Sky seem'd to be very serene The Rain in an instant made an Inundation over all the Countrey and the wind threw down several houses in the City among the rest the Archbishops Palace That which was most deplorable was that the violence of the Storm shook the old Wall of the City and overturn'd a good part of the new Had the Enemy then come Rhodes had been lost so far had he been from finding resistance there that he had only come to view the Image of a City tak'n and sack'd The publick Consternation made the mischief more lamentable The People that are presently alarum'd by any thing that appears extraordinary took such a horrible Tempest as a certain presage of their ruin and the greatness of the danger had certainly cast them into a general despair had not the constancy of the Grand Master supported them Scarce was the Tempest over when a Contest which the Greeks and Latins had about I cannot tell what point of Doctrine rais'd a Popular Tumult Of a single despute by degrees they made a real quarrel which came to blows And as in quarrels about Religion every one is apt to call his particular transportment a piece of merit their Animosity and fury one against another wax'd so hot that several had been kill'd upon the place had not the Grand Master made use of all his policy and authority to appease the Tumult He did not content himself to make both parties lay down their Arms and to punish the most culpable to keep the rest within the bounds of their duty but he resolv'd to pull up the Root of the Sedition and because the difference was about Religion he engag'd the Arch-Bishop of Rhodes and the Metropolitan of the Greeks to make a Reconciliation A pacification being thus made and the walls of the City being almost repair'd he made a visitation through the Island to view himself and to give order for the Fortification of those places that had need of defence Having spent a whole month in this Visitation at his return he found the Greek Spy who inform'd him that the Infidels made very great preparations that their Fleet was to set sale with the first Wind from the streight of Gallipoll and that it was certainly confirm'd at Constantinople that the great Turk would set upon the Knights of St. John The Grand Master well know that it was one of the maximes of the Turkish policy to give out false reports the better to conceal the true design That it was their custom to keep an Enemy in suspence for several years to the end he might exhaust himself with continual and needless preparations that they came upon their Enemies when they were weary of expecting them and thought no more of them But on the other side he was not ignorant that they did not always observe the same rules nor the same method in War but that it was one of their Stratagems to divulge the expedition which they intended that people should not believe it or that it was design'd at a distance and in the mean time to use all diligence imaginable to prevent the resistance and provision of the Enemy And therefore he thought it the securest way to neglect nothing and to provide against a siege as if the intelligence of the Spy had been unquestionable After he had taken upon him the charge of Captain General
Vessels to annoy either by Land or Sea the Subjects of the Soldan That they should not permit them to joyn or assist with Souldiers Pilots or Guides any forreign Rovers against the Soldan's interest On the other side that the Soldan should attempt nothing to the prejudice of the Knights and that if they were assail'd by their enemies the Soldan should be oblig'd to assist and defend them That the Vessels of the Order sailing through the Soldan's Dominions for the Holy Land should pay no duties and that they should be under his protection as friends Lastly that when the Christian Slaves at Cairo should be freed by their Masters they should have liberty to return home and that for those other Christian Slaves that were not affranchiz'd they should be exchang'd for such other Moors that were Slaves giving a Moor for a Christian In regard the King of Tunis seem'd less enclin'd to an Accommodation then the Soldan either out of his barbarous haughtiness that made him despise the friendship of the Christians or out of just resentment of the injuries which the Moorish Merchants pretended to have received from the Knights the Grand Master did not think it any derogation from his dignity to make the first proposal for the interest of the Faith The Knight Lamant had therefore order to go to Tunis who understood so well how to govern the African Prince that a Peace was concluded in a few days There was a Truce agreed upon for one and thirty years between the Moors and the Knights And the Articles little different from those made with the Soldan were sent to Rhodes for the Grand Master to sign But there was this one Article particular that the Knights when they pleas'd might have liberty to buy within the Territories of the King of Tunis thirty thousand Comb of Wheat without paying duty whatever prohibition to the contrary or whatever scarcity were in the Countrey The Grand Master sent back with the Treaty sign'd Jerom Barbo one of the most prudent men in Rhodes to reside in Tunis as Consul for the Knights or rather to observe the carriage and actions of the Moors under pretence of looking after the trade of the Rhodians The joy which the people had upon these new Alliances was soon disturb'd by a general famine in the City and Island occasion'd by the loss of certain Barques laden with Corn that were bound for Rhodes of which some were cast away others taken by the Pyrats But when their misery was at the height and that they began to despair of any remedy by reason that the Sea rag'd in that manner that no Vessels durst stir out a Caravel was driven into the Port by stress of weather laden with Corn. A relief so unexpected seem'd to be a kind of miracle But because that the Corn which the Caravel brought was not sufficient the Grand Master gave order to the Captain of the Castle of St. Peter to give Passports to all Merchants that would bring Corn to Rhodes So that many Turkish Merchants more regarding their Profit then their Religion laid hold upon the opportunity to dispose of their Grain and brought to Rhodes so great a quantity of Corn that all the Granaries were soon fill'd Thus the Grand Master sav'd the lives of his people by the means of their enemies and that famine which threaten'd the desolation of the whole Island did but only serve to create a greater plenty While these things pass'd at Rhodes reports ran at Constantinople that Mahomet was not seriously bent upon the enterprize against Rhodes whether it were that he was afraid of any ill success and was loth to hazard any thing after so many happy Expeditions or whether he had any other Conquests in his designs But some of his Favourites mortal enemies of the Knights of St. John prest him to lay aside all other designs and to go on with that of the Siege of Rhodes There were about him two famous Renegado's who had rais'd their fortunes by the same ways and resembled one another very much in wickedness though their Character were different the one was called Demetrius a Negropontine though he were one of the most wicked wretches in the world he had all the Air of a vertuous man and never Greek knew how to conceal such a vast store of perfidiousness under the outward appearances of truth and justice He had a subtle wit supple and pliant every way fit for Negotiation and Intreague He was also very skilful in War and resolute upon occasion after the taking of Negropont he went to live at Rhodes and from thence to Constantinople where having taken the Turbant he so insinuated himself into the great ones of the Court and gain'd by degrees the favour of Mahomet by giving him an accompt of the situation and force of the Island The other Renegado was of Rhodes also and was called Meligale This was a man without conscience or honour stout and bold but violent and rash accustom'd from his youth to all sorts of Crimes and boasting in infamous actions Having spent his Estate in debauchery and finding himself deep in debt he could find no other way to recruit himself then by renouncing his Religion and betraying his Countrey Before he went to the Court of Mahomet he had more exactly then Demetrius observ'd all the Fortifications of Rhodes and had made a Plat-form of them with an Inventory of the Artillery and all the Munitions of the place By that means he got access to Basha Misach Paleologue and insinuate himself into the favour of Mahomet These two Villaines who were acquainted an Rhodes enter'd into 〈◊〉 strict Friendship and consulted together the destruction of the order of St. John of Jerusalem The confidence that Mahomet repos'd in then gave them the boldness to declare themselves However they did not do it at first they discours'd him several times with the Island of Rhodes laying before his eyes the beauty of the Countrey the temperature of the Air and the conveniency of the Harbor After which they represented to him sometimes by word of mouth and sometimes by the information which they had given of the Grandees of the Court that the Knights had usurp'd so fair an Island from the Mussel-men that enjoy'd it before when Foulk de Velaret a French man and Master of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem setled himself there that nothing could be more proper for the Ottoman Emperors then a place that might facilitate the Conquest of Aegypt and Syria and lastly that the Enterprize was no less easy then honourable They told him that there was but little provision and but few Souldiers in Rhodes and shewing him the Plat-form of the City they gave him to understand that the Walls of the Castle were old and ruinous that the Jews quarter was the most weak and that when he had won St. Nicholas Tower it would be easy to gain the rest They added also that Rhodes being the
keep him without drawing upon themselves the indignation of the Sultan Zizim who saw that his affairs would spin out too much time unless he determin'd something speedily and well enough understood the danger of delay press'd the Grand Master to give him his liberty to be gone and conjur'd him to permit him that he might go to the King of France as being the person most capable to protect him against the Tyranny of his Brother For besides that he guess'd at the French Humour by the behaviour of the Grand Master he had heard frequent discourses of their generosity nor did he question but that the successors of Clovis and Charlemaigne whose famous deeds he had read would take delight in restoring a Prince to his Throne The Grand Master could not withstand neither the reasons nor the powerful instances of Zizim He approv'd his determination touching his retreat into France But that which made him approve it the more was that he thought that Zizim ran no hazard in a Countrey which produc'd no Monsters and where poison was unknown So that the safety of a poor Prince who had thrown himself into the Arms of the Knights made the Grand Master in some measure forget his own Interests and those of his people for not troubling himself about the ill consequences that so hasty a Retreat might draw after it he gave all orders necessary for the Voyage into France He redoubl'd at the same time his civilties to the Sultan and the eeve before his departure made him a most magnicent Feast Zizim admir'd more then once the variety and dressing of the meat and the order of the service confessing that the magnificence of the Ottoman Emperours had nothing so sumptuous During the feast there was a noble consort of musick and among the rest of the Musicians an English man who sung rarely and plaid upon a certain unusual Instrument compos'd of four Pipes joyn'd together charming all the company except the Prince whose ears were not accustom'd to such sweet musick Whereupon the Grand Master who perceiv'd it and sate alone at the Table with him sent for a Turkish Slave whom he thought would better please him This Slave singing a Turkish Air and playing upon I know not what sort of Instrument making faces and using ridiculous postures delighted Zizim so well that he caus'd him to laugh heartily He eat plentifully and as strict as he was in the observation of his Law he drank wine sometimes mix'd with Aromatick juices and sometimes neat without any composition The Feast was in the Grand Master's Palace where they sate upon two Chairs with a Table before them after the fashion of Europe but that posture was uneasie to the Sultan who was wont to eat cross-legg'd so that he cast his eyes up and down to see if no body observ'd his disturbance But after all these lesser observations Zizim was extraordinarily satisfi'd with the marks of friendship which he receiv'd from the Grand Master during his stay at Rhodes he return'd him thanks several times and as a testimony of his gratitude he caus'd three Authentick Acts to be forthwith made ready which he put into the Grand Master's hands The first was an absolute power for him to conclude a Peace with the Port as he should see good The second was a kind of a Manifesto for the discharge of the Knights by which the Prince declar'd that he had earnestly desir'd to go out of Rhodes and to be conducted into France which is alone enough to justifie the Grand Master whom some ill-meaning or ill-inform'd people have blam'd for letting the Prince go The third Act was a perpetual confederation of the Prince with the Order in case he should ever come to be restor'd to the Dominions and Territories of his Ancestors This last Act is so much for the honour of the Grand Master and so highly manifests the acknowledgment of Zizim that I thought it might not be troublesom to the Reader to see it Let all the world know that King Zizim of the Race of the Ottomans Son of the invincible Mahomet King of Kings and Soveraign Emperour of Greece and Asia is infinitely beholding to the thrice generous and thrice illustrious the Lord Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of Rhodes Let all the world also know that for the kind Offices he hath shewn me in the most perilous adventures of my life and to testifie my acknowledgment as far as the present condition of my fortune will give me leave I promise solemnly to God and our Great Prophet that if I ever recover either absolutely or in part the Imperial Crown of my Father I promise I say and swear to hold a perpetual friendship and inviolable peace with the Grand Master and his successours according to the Articles following In the first place I engage my self my children and the children of my children to have an eternal kindness for the order of St. John of Jerusalem so that neither I nor my children shall do them any injury either by Sea or Land That we will be so far from stopping the Vessels or disturbing the commerce of the Merchants of Rhodes or of any other Ilands appertaining to the Order that our ports shall be free to them in all the Provinces under our obedience as if they themselves were our subjects or rather we will entertain them as our friends permitting them to buy sell or transport what Merchandize they please without paying any custom or duty Besides this I consent that the Grand Master shall every year take out of my Territories three hundred Christians of both sexes and at what age he pleases to put into the Islands of the order or to do with them what he thinkes best And in some measure to make satisfaction for the expences which the Grand Master has bin at and every day so liberally allows for my sake I oblige my self to pay in ready mony a hundred and fifty thousand Crowns in Gold Lastly I promise upon oath to restore him all the Isles all the Lands and all the Fortresses which the Ottoman Emperours have taken from the order And for a testimony that this is my will I have sign'd with my hand and seald with my seal this present Act given at Rhodes in the palace of the French Apartiment the fift of the month Regeb the year of the Hegira 887. The 31. Of August in the Year of grace 1482. The third of September which was the day that the Prince took shipping he was attended to the Sea with the same Pomp and the same ceremonie with which he was receiv'd He took his leave of the principal Knights after a most obliging manner wherin there appear'd nothing of Barbarism He also laid aside all his haughtiness when he gave the Grand Master his last farewel For it is reported that he threw himself at his feet and kiss'd his hand with a profound respect The Grand Master tenderly embrac'd him and wept for some time over him either
understand that there was never a fairer opportunity to ruin the Ottoman Empire or at least to weak'n it very much that Zizim at the head of a croisade world do as much as many Armies together that the death of Achmat had depriv'd the Turkes of the most able Minister and the most valiant Captain that perhaps they ever had That the Grand Caraman and other Princes of Asia expected only when Europe would move to declare themselves and in short that all the present conjunctures renderd that enterprize easie which was so difficult of it self But I know not by what fatality if it were not rather the Incomprehensible disposal of providence the Christian world was not at all enclin'd to take advantage of the opportunity which Heaven it self seem'd to put into their hands All Italy was then divided The King of Naples the Duke of Milan and the Florentines were in arms against the Pope and the common wealth of Venice France was notess in trouble after the death of Lewis the 11th The party of malecontents stirr'd up by the Duke of Orleans who pretended to the regency and by the Count of Angoulism his cousin had excited troubles over all the Kingdom Besides the French desir'd quiet at home only that they might be at leasure for the conquest Naples And young Charles the 8th Who naturally loved honour made that the aim of all his ambition The war of the Moors made work enough in Spain And the bad correspondence which daily encreas'd between the Emperour Frederick and Matthias Corvin King of Hungary prevented them from uniting together against the Turk so that all the designs of the Grand Master vanish'd in smoak and with all his zeal he had only the greife to effect nothing But if the Christian Princes were not in a condition to make use of the person of Zizim for the common good of Christendom they were no less disappointed in making advantage of him for their particular Interests How importunate soever the most part of them were to have him the Grand Master would never give his consent and his orders were so well observ'd in that particular that the order of St. John was always the Mistress of him Zizim being arriv'd in France the King receiv'd him but coldly either because that France would by no means embroil themselves with the Port just before the expedition against Naples or else because they fear'd that an honourable reception was an engagement too high in the entertaining a Turkish Prince so that he stay'd but a very little while at Court the Knights conducting him to the commander of Bourgneus this was a place upon the confines of Poicton and March pleasently situated where the Grand Priers of Auvergne kept their Residence The Knight Blanchefort with whom the Grand Master had particularly entrusted the person of Zizim took care that the Prince should not be presently displeased He gave him all the honour that his birth deserv'd and shew'd him all the sports and pastimes that the Country could afford But notwithstanding all these civilities the Knight Blanchefort omitted not to have an eye upon the Prince and to keep a strong guard about him to hinder those that sought for him from getting him into their hands either by cunning or force But as the love of liberty is more natural to Princes then to other men Zizim soon perceiv'd that he was watch'd too narrowly That reflexion made him suspect the diligences of the Knights and caus'd him to think that he was rather kept as a prisoner then a Prince He testify'd his displeasure at it which caus'd those reports that ran about the world in prejudice of the Grand Master's honour They gave out that it was a violation of the publick faith to retain Zizim in prison against his will That the Knights had sold his liberty to the Ottoman Port for forty thousand Ducats a year and that it was therefore no wonder they had such a strict eye over him That such a prisoner was a treasure for them and that their insatiable avarice made them foget the more holy duties of civil society They that thus discours'd either through jealousy or else judging by outward appearances did not consider that at a time when all Europe was in an uproar there was nothing more to be done for the good of Christendom nor for the safety of Zizim then what the Grand Master did And had they been well inform'd of all the snares that the Grand Signiour laid for Zizim they would then have chang'd their Opinion and found that the Knights that so guarded him were the true defenders of his life and of his liberty Nor had Zizim reason to complain of the conduct of the Grand Master as well in reference to him self as the Ottoman Port for in desiring a safe conduct of him he expressly declar'd that he intended to follow his counsel and orders in every thing so that by the consent of Zizims Imbassadours the safe conduct was dispatched upon that condition as the Grand Master observ'd in a Letter which he wrote to Pope sextus the 4th Besides the Sultan had given the Grand Master a sufficient liberty to treat with the Grand Master as he pleas'd himself and it was by vertue of that liberty that the Grand Master had concern'd Zizim in the treaty of peace As for the thirty thousand Ducats certain it is that the money was spent in maintenance of Zizim By which the Grand Master was so far from getting any profit that he made an addition to it out of his own revenue Which may be easily thought to be true considering with what royal magnificence the Ottoman Prince was always entertain'd not to mention the infinite expences of receiving and sending Embassadours But Zizim's discontent lasted not long For the Knights made him soon to understand that the Guard that was upon him was against his Enemies and not him Thus being quitted of his suspitions and perswaded more then ever of the friendship of the Grand Master he complain'd no more but of his bad fortune that had reduc'd him to a country and solitary life Now the peace between the order and the Fort having open'd a freedom to trade several Turkish Vesselss came to Rhodes And most of the Turks that Landed were so taken with the beauty of the Rhodian women that they spar'd for nothing to satisfy their desires This glister of Gold grew such a temptation that several of the Rhodians without regard to the Christian law or their own yeilded themselves to the Mahometans But the Grand Master abhorring such a shameful prostitution and to stop the torrent of such a scandal condemn'd the Christian women that were convicted of such a crime as lying with a Turk a Moore or a Jew to be burnt alive and he order'd the punishment to extend to the very procurers of that infamous familiarity Some while after the Grand Master made a regulation upon Zizim's accompt For considering how much it
concern'd the honour of the order and the General Interest of Christendom that his person should not be expos'd to the Assassinates of Bajazet he orderd that the Knight de Blanchefort should take as many Knights as he pleased for the Guard of Zizim commanding strictly those that were nam'd to obey him without any more to do declaring withall that such as should be bound to attend upon Zizim should enjoy all the prerogatives of Residence and precedency as if they had stay'd at Rhodes THE HISTORY OF Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of RHODES Book Fifth WHILST Zizim had a private and obscure life in France one Bajazett almost unknown till then appear'd in the world resolv'd to take advantage of the divisions of the two Ottoman Brothers He was their Uncle being the Brother of Mahomet and Son of Amurath After the loss of Constantinople he was taken by the Christians in his Infant years and carry'd to Rome in the Pontificat of Nicholas the fifth who took care himself of his Education The Instructions which he receiv'd were not altogether unpofitable For he renounc'd the law of his fals Prophet and became a Christian He apply'd himself afterwards to the study of humane Learning and as he wanted not wit he perfectly attain'd the Latine Language But Nicholas the Fift being dead he left Italy to travell into Germany There he was well receiv'd and the Germans lookt upon him as a person that might be useful to them in their Wars against the Turks After he had stay'd sometime in the Emperor Fredericks Court he went into Hungary and there settl'd himself not dreaming to raise his fortune any higher for the example of the brave and vertuous Matthias made so little impression upon him that he only minded his repose and pleasure in the Court altogether Warlike and altogether Christian But the Quarrel between Bajazet and Zizim which made such a noise over all Asia and Europe awak'nd him out of that dream wherein he lay and rous'd his ambition by causing him to remember his birth The flight of Zizim begat in him a desire to make war against Bajazet He revolv'd in his mind that having but one enemy to deale with he might without fear dispute for the Empire but at the same time he thought there was no way for him to compass his design but by the assistance of the Knights of Rhodes And he had a belief that infallibly he should attain his ends provided he could engage the Grand Master to his side To this purpose he wrote to him a long Letter in Latin Wherein he first declar'd himself the only heir to the Ottoman Crown as lawful Son of Amurath pretending that Mahomet was but his bastard then he spoke of his great feats of arms like a true Knight errant and because the Christian world might not be so well inform'd he referr'd the Grand Master to the Turks for a clearer understanding of things But the Turks knew him not so well as the Christians for he was carry'd away so young from Constantinople that it was impossible for him to have done any thing remarkable in Turky At last he highly extold the services he could do for Christendom and the information he could give the Grand Master touching several important secrets of affairs advising him not to let slip so fair an opportunity earnestly desiring his speedy answer The letter was written with his own hand but as if he had the management of all the business in the world he concluded that it was writ in haste They were not convinc'd at Rhodes of Bajazett of Hungaries reasons That Braggadochio stile wherewith he thought to win the assistance of the Knights was in part the reason why they refus'd it him On the other side the Grand Master who had a tender love for Zizim and was loath to embroil himself with the Port took no care to listen to the Propositions of an Adventurer of whom he had no knowledge and to who he had no engagement so that this new Actor soon return'd to that obscurity wherein he had alwaies liv'd and which he so much the rather deserv'd because he had sought too late to quit it The Grand Signior took it the most kindly in the world that he had behav'd himself in that manner and as a mark of his acknowledgment he began from that time to pay him the forty thousand Duckets which he had promised him The first payment was made by Vssambei one of the Principal Officers of the Port. He was sent expresly to Rhodes with order nevertheless to go for France under pretence to thank Charles the Eighth for receiving Zizim into his Territories but indeed to learn certain intelligence of his Brother However Bajazett fearing lest Vssambei should find some obstacle in his Embassy conjur'd the Grand Master that he should give him letters of recommendation for France But the Grand Master did not think it enough to write to the King He was resolv'd that the Hospitalier of the Order should accompany the Turkish Embassador to be his Guide and to introduce him into the Court. And indeed Vssambei was better receiv'd than Zizim had been for the complements of Bajazett highly pleas'd the French In the mean time the war of Terrara rais'd many combustions in Italy and was meditating to have brought the Infidels into Italy For Hercules D'Este became so proud through the Alliance of Ferdinand King of Naples who had giv'n him his Daughter Elenor in Marriage that he loftily scorn'd the friendship of the Venetians which the Dukes his predecessors had alwaies highly sought for He came to that degree of contempt that he usurp'd their Lands abus'd their subjects not considering the kindnesses which he had receiv'd from the Republick when after the death of his elder Brother the Son of his other Brother took up Arms to have depriv'd him of his Dominions The Venetians could not brook the loftiness nor ingratitude of the Duke of Terrara They rais'd puissant Armies against him and leagu'd themselves again with the Pope who was displeas'd with the King of Naples both because that Prince had retain'd in his service about four hundred Turks of the Garrison of Otranto and because he took little care in his Kingdom of the duties of the Holy See Ferdinand sent Alphonso Duke of Calabria to the succour of Hercules his Son-in-law of whom the Common wealth had got great advantages Alphonso had already pass'd the Mark of Ancona and was advancing with his forces toward the Terraras's when the Colonna's and Cavelli who were risen up against the Pope invited him to joyn with them in the Compagna of Rome Robert Malateste who commanded the Army of the Republick was soon at his heels gave him battel and absolutely defeated him Which Victory fill'd the Venetians full of hopes and undertakings but while they ransack'd the Ferraresi and were going to make themselves Masters of Ferrara the Pope of a suddain abandons them whether he were gain'd by the
prepar'd himself to assist the Enterprise of the French and who was in hopes to raise his own Fortune by following theirs felt himself struck by the way with an unknown distemper that carri'd him off in a few days His death surpriz'd all men and there was great enquiry made into the cause They that were of the Popes's party reported that he gave himself too much over to his Pleasures the first days of his liberty and that he kill'd himself with excess of Debauchery Others say that the Venetians corrupted with money by the Turks and alarm'd at the French Expedition had secretly given him poison But most accuse the Pope to have deliver'd him poison'd to Charles the 8th to the end that France should get no advantage by him and the report ran that Alexander receiv'd a good sum of money to perform that wicked act Thus ended the life of Zizim an unfortunate Prince and yet more illustrious by his Misfortunes then by his Birth Some think he dy'd a Christian and that he was Baptiz'd at Rome before the death of Innocent the 8th But those Authors who have spoken most of this Prince say nothing of his Conversion which makes me believe that to aggravate his misfortunes he dy'd a Mahumetan THE HISTORY OF Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of RHODES Book Sixth THe Grand Master who took very heavily the news of Zizim's Captivity could not receive the news of his death without indignation and horrour and he found himself laden with all the grief that a man could have for the death of a person so extremely dear to him But when the Interest of Christianity intermix'd with that tenderness all his Fortitude was little enough to support him from being wholly deprest by an accident so Tragical He ador'd the profound wisdom of God that would not suffer the Christians to reap any advantage from the person of the Ottoman Prince and permitted them who had most interest to preserve him to be his destroyers But he admired as well the conduct of Providence that would not give the Infidel liberty to gain any benefit by his death but to unhinge all their designs gave Victory to the Triumphant Arms of France in Italy Ferdinand King of Naples being dead of an Apoplexy after Matthias Corvin King of Hungary and Pope Innocent the Eighth who both died of the same disease Alfonso a wicked Prince hated by the Nobility and People succeeded his Father but terrifi'd by the rapid march of the French and fearing besides the dire effects of publick Rage he left his Crown to his Son Ferdinand and retir'd into Sicily The new King also follow'd the example of Alfonso and after he had awhile disputed with the French the Avenues of the Kingdom abandon'd it quite so that the King of France made himself Master of the Capital Cities without striking one stroke All Turky trembled at the progress of the French Army and the terrour was so great at Constantinople that the Priests of the Mahumetan Religion publickly cri'd out That the Turkish Empire was lost without redemption Now before the Forces appointed for the Expedition of Italy set out of France Charles the 8th had sent to Rhodes the Grand Prior Blanchefort to desire the Grand Master to meet him at Rome He also dispatch'd away to him the Commander of Anger 's with very urgent Letters so soon as he had cross'd the Mountains More then this as he earnestly desir'd this Enterview though whether to be truly instructed as to the design he had upon the Levant or to dazle the World that it should not be known which way he bended is uncertain he desir'd the Pope to write to the Grand Master and wrote to him also with his own hand And indeed his Letter was the most civil and engaging in the world For after that he had declar'd that he could not live without his counsel nor enterprize any thing upon the Levant but under his Conduct he conjur'd him to hasten his Voyage for the reasons which he had declar'd to the Grand Prior Blanchefort his Nephew to whom he had open'd his mind as to a Knight of great prudence and of absolute experience This Letter coming to Rhodes before the Grand Prior whom stress of weather had beaten off from the Island the Grand Master who believ'd such flattering expressions could not be sincere and who saw but small foundations for a design that France made such a stir about return'd for answer to the King That he could not but highly applaud his Majesty's Zeal That it was too much honour for him to fight under his Banners or to contribute any thing to the Glory of his Atchievments But in regard the Grand Prior Blanchefort had order to declare to him the whole secrets of the Affair he daily expected to obey his Majesty's Orders The King out of his impatience to see the Grand Master in Italy wrote him a second Letter so soon as he was enter'd Naples He also desir'd Cardinal Briconnet and Cardinal de Garce who accompani'd him and to whom the Pope had given Caps at his instance to write both of them to the same effect The first only exhorted him in general terms not to deny that which was requested of him with so much ardenoy The second who had more zeal went more home to the business and after he had given him an account of all that had pass'd in the Kingdom of Naples desir'd him that he would condescend to be a Tutor to a young Conquerour who was wholly intent upon the delivery of Greece and whose hopes depended upon the Counsels of a Captain so experienc'd and so formidable to the Enemies of the Faith He added That in that little time that so glorious an Enterprise was delay'd the opportunity was in danger to be lost That it was to be fear'd lest the debaucheries that usually attend upon great Conquests might corrupt the Courages of the French Soldiers That the sins of Victors might draw upon them the malediction of Heaven That the Enemies of France sow'd jealousies in the minds of the Princes of Italy to engage them to cross the designs of Charles and that all preparations were making to form a League against him That several under the pretence of the good of his Kingdom advis'd him to return into France before he enter'd upon the Holy War The Cardinal at last concluded That the sole presence of the Grand Master was enough to stay the King and to ascertain the Expedition into the Levant But the Letters of the Cardinals did not work that effect which they expected The Grand Master was confirm'd by their own reasons that the Expedition which they projected against the Turks was not an Enterprise that had any solid ground he was a little distrustful of the inconstancy of the French and the Youth of the Conqueror Besides he understood that the League against France was almost come to a period and that the Pope the the Venetians the Emperor and
many people Upon which consideration it was resolv'd to send before to Ravestein to desire him to stay at Cape St. Angelo there to attend till the Master came himself to bring them into some good Harbour Ravestein was already entred into the Archepelago and steer'd directly to the Island of Metelin to signalize himself immediately by some notable action But in regard he hated Dependency and was covetous of all the Honour to himself so far was he from following the Orders of the Grand Master that not vouchsafing to follow his Counsel he onely sent to invite him to come and joyn with him However though this seem'd a very disobliging act of Ravestein yet the Grand Master more resented the ill-timing of the Enterprize then the ill-behaviour of Ravestein knowing well it was contrary to the King's Pleasure and that the wills of Princes are usually ill obey'd when those that are employ'd take upon them to follow their own inclinations And indeed this Bad beginning of the League created an ill opinion of the Event Nor did the slowness of the Pope less trouble him then the forwardness of the French The fifteen Galleys that were to appear with the first were not to be heard of neither was there any news of the Bishop of Tivoli who had order to conduct them How zealous soever the Grand Master was to advance the Affairs of the Croisade he could not determine with himself to joyn with the French before the arrival of the Pope's Fleet. He consider'd that having no Instructions from his Holiness touching the Duties of his Office it behov'd him not to begin the Exercise of it He consider'd also that in difficulties which might happen the other Captains would be subject to dispute his power when they found the Galleys of his Holiness absent To avoid all these inconveniences he press'd the Pope to keep his word representing to him with an extraordinary respect and zeal mix'd together that his Holiness being the Chief and Soul of the Enterprise there was nothing to be done without him That the Fleets of the Christian Princes would come in vain into the Levant if he did not appear in the head of them That as for his part he desir'd onely to acquit himself of the Charge wherewith he had been pleas'd to honour him as having all his life-time onely sought a fair opportunity to ruine the Mahumetan Puissance Ravestein who had unadvisedly engag'd himself in the Siege of Metelin and began to see his fault endeavour'd all he could to re-fix himself in the good opinion of the Grand Master and to oblige him to come to his relief He sent to him by the Knight de Gavaston who was come to him on the behalf of the Order that the Venetians having drawn him to Meteline before the arrival of the Knight he could not avoid besieging the City That at first he had rais'd a Battery which had no success as being planted against the strongest part of the Wall but that having chang'd his Battery the Canon wrought wonders but that he could not determine with himself to make a general Onset without him believing withall that the Event of the Storm would not prove successful unless the Knights of Rhodes had their share That the Venetians had thirty Galleys before Meteline not counting his That for the Popes Galleys they were not to be expected nor did he know where his Holiness should have fifteen for that being at Naples he knew he had but two which the Duke of Valentinois made use of against the Prince of Piombino and that he could not learn that he had made any Preparations against the Turk concluding at last that he acknowledg'd the Grand Master for General of the Christian Fleet and that he would not proceed any more without his Orders The Grand Master hearing no news of the Pope's fifteen Galleys and not enduring that any thing should be acted against the Turk wherein he had not his share resolv'd to sacrifice his Resentments to his Honour and the Interests of the Church He thought himself oblig'd also for the Reputation of the Arms of France not to desert Ravestein what ever reason he had to be displeas'd with him Therefore that he might act with Honour besides the four Galleys and four Barks which he was to set forth by the Articles of the League he resolv'd to take along with him the Great Ship belonging to the Order twelve great Galliots several Brigantines several Foists with some Italian and Catalonian Vessels which he had hir'd At his departure he left very good Orders behind him for having declar'd the Grand Commander Cossa his Lieutenant to govern with the Council he prescrib'd him every week to give publick Audience to the People and in case any of the Knights should withstand him to proceed against them according to the Forms and Rigour of the Statutes The management of the Treasure for a time he committed to the care of the Admiral and particularly charg'd the Grand Marshal to be exact in doing Justice to the Knights For the security of Rhodes he gave order that Guards should be kept in all the Posts of the Languages as if the place were Besieg'd and he himself nam'd such and such Knights to ride their Rounds about the Island to hinder the Landing of the Barbarians The Council in requital to shew the particular esteem which they had for the Grand Master order'd That all the Knights that accompani'd him should enjoy the priviledges of Residence as if present at Rhodes That all Elections of Priors and Bailiffs should surcease in his absence that he might deliberate upon such Affairs as should present themselves and that his Decrees should be of the same force and authority as if issu'd out of his Palace and that in regard a great number of Knights were to attend the Grand Master it was ordain'd that after their departure no Knight should stir out of the Island but upon the urgent affairs of the Order Things being thus setled and twelve Vessels of the Fleet being gone before to stay for the Knights at Lango the Grand Master embark'd the 21 of November attended to the Sea by a great throng of People who could not but let fall tears at his departure especially when they saw him threaten'd by a rising Tempest ere he was out of sight His impatience to be at the assault of Meteline caus'd him to make all the haste imaginable Scarcely had he reach'd Lango when the Knight Baldovin whom he had sent before to advertize the French and Venetians of his coming brought him news that the Siege was rais'd at the same time delivering him Letters from Ravestein and Pesaro Ravestein signifi'd to him in a few words That the Siege of Meteline being an Enterprise much more difficult then it had seem'd to be to men of very good judgment he thought fit to leave it off That the Season being far spent his care was how to be gone before it grew worse
to say they should dispatch quickly otherwise he would not tarry Thereupon the Turks threw a Letter ty'd to a stone into the Galley which Letter was deliver'd to the Grand Master and read in Council In this Letter Solyman demanded that Rhodes should be surrender'd up to him promising security and good usage to all in general with liberty to the Inhabitants to enjoy their own Laws and Religion permission to them that would depart freely with their families and estates and great advantages to them that would take up Armes in his service Otherwise he threaten'd utterly to ruin the City walls and Towers and to make the Inhabitants all slaves To this the Council thought it not convenient to return any answer but to stand resolutely upon their guard Thereupon the Grand Master having certain advice that the Fleet was under sail defac'd all the Gardens without the City beginning with his own and caus'd the Earth and rubbish to be carry'd into the Town where it was of great use for the repair of breaches He sent also for the Country people in poyson'd the waters and burnt the Corn and straw that remain'd upon the Ground The Vanguard of the Fleet that first appear'd consisted of 30 Gallys out of which some few of the Turks landed in Lango to burn and pillage according to their custom But the Commander of the Fort mounting all his men charg'd them so vigorously that having slain five or six and taken three prisoners he drove the rest to their Galleys though his own Horse were kill'd under him and some few of his men wounded Thereupon the Turks left Lango and made to the Jews Castle and so entring the Gulf of Essimes about fifteen miles from Rhodes they were first discover'd by the sentinels from Mount Sallac The 24th of June being St. Johns day the Turks came to an anchor on that side of Rhodes where stood the Castle Favit There they landed and burnt the Corn upon the ground the same day the body of the Fleet appear'd in the Gulf of Essimes where the 30 Galleys joyn'd with the main Body And yet the danger being so neer there happen'd almost as dangerous a Contest between the Auvergnian and German Languages while the Germans pretended that one part of the new Bastion next St. Georges Gate belong'd to them and the Auvergnians claim'd it to themselves insomuch that they had like to have come to blows But the Grand Master interposing his Authority the decision of the controversie was referr'd to the next General Chapter In the mean time it was order'd that no other ensigns should be set up there but those of the Grand Master and of the Order The 26 of June the whole Fleet was discover'd making directly from the Gulf of Essimes for Rhodes and coming to that part of the Isle which is call'd the Foss or Hole 8 miles from Rhodes they came to an Anchor which not a little consternated the women and common people of the City But the Grand Master without the least shew of Alteration in his Countenance with his accustom'd constancy and serenity went up and down from place to place providing for every thing and that very day which seem'd to be the most terrible caus'd Service to be said and Processions to be made with the same order and tranquility as if it had bin in a time of undisturb'd peace After that he caus'd the Gates to be shut and issu'd out of his palace arm'd and attended by his guards causing the Drums to beat and the trumpets to sound the Souldiers to take their appointed Posts and set up the standards and ensigns upon the several Towers and Bastions which a far off afforded a noble and magnificent sight reviv'd the courage of the Souldiery and settled the Resolution of the people In the mean time the 30 Galleys made up to Cape St. Martin there to keep Guard and to surprize such Vessels as should come to bring relief to the besieged Late in the evening the whole Fleet consisting of a hundred sail left the Foss or Hole and passing by the Port at three miles distance came and rode in another part of the Island at a place call'd Parambolin six miles from the City because it was a rode secure from the West winds that blow hard in that Channel Some dayes after the rest of the Fleet joyn'd and lay there at an Anchor all the time of the Siege There were in this Fleet a hundred Galleys besides the thirty before mentioned thirty great Galeasses fifteen Mahons twenty Flat-bottom'd Boats sixty Fusts and a great number of Brigantines ten or twelve great Ships as big as Gallions carrying provisions Some few daies after arriv'd more from Syria and other parts so that the whole Fleet consisted of 400 Sail of all sorts and the Army of two hundred thousand men of which sixty thousand were Pioneers The same day that the Fleet arriv'd at Parambolin the Grand Master dispatch'd the Chevalier Bresols to the Pope the Chevalier Andugar to the Emperour and King of Spain and the Chevalier D'Ansonville to the Kings of England and France to give them notice of the Siege and to crave succour Other Knights he dispatch'd away to buy all the Ammunition and war-like Provisions they could and to hasten back with all speed to Rhodes He also sent away summons to the absent Knights to repair forthwith to the defence of their Island The Turks were thirteen daies before they made one shot or any other attempt by reason that the Lycian Army was not come up but no sooner was that Army enter'd the Island but the Turks began to set up their Pavilions and to lodge their Camp in a place out of the reach of the Rhodian Artillery to land their Guns mount and plant them open their Trenches and make their approaches Then it was that the Grand Master left his own Palace and took up his Quarters in St. Marys of the Victorie as being the weakest part of the City and upon which the Turks in ther former Siege had made their chiefest Assaults At the same time also the Turks for a beginning rais'd a little Penthouse of Boards from whence they shot at the Posts of England and Provence But the Artillery from the Town immediately ruin'd it and kill'd the Cannoneers After that they rais'd two other Batteries upon the Hill of Saint Cosmus and St. Damian and shot against the Posts of England and Spain but the shot from the City ruin'd those in the same manner As the Turks were labouring to advance their Trenches to the place where they design'd to plant their Canon the besieg'd were very desirous to make a Salley to which the Grand Master having giv'n his consent St. Athanasius's Gate was open'd and out they fell upon those that were working in the Trenches with whom they made such work that the Turk were all cut to pieces before any relief could come to them But then the besieged observing a great Body
so furiously that they durst not peep above the battlements till they had made themselves new defences of wood and plankes upon which the Besiegers having advanc'd their trenches to the side of the Moat made certain gaps in the wall on their side through which they much annoy'd the defendants with their Musket-shot and kill'd some few of them In the mean while the Captains lodg'd themselves in their Trenches Mustapha the General against the Bul-wark of England Peri against the Italian Post Achmat against that of Spain and Auvergne with the Aga of the Janisaries the Beglerbey of Natolia against that of France the Beglerbey of Romania against the Gardens of St. Antony who began a battery at the beginning of August against the German Post which was weak and without any platform Nevertheless the Grand Master caus'd it to be fortify'd within with intrenchments of Earth great pieces of Timber-planks and Bavines and play'd his Artillery so thick from several places and Posts on that side so that he dismounted the Artillery and overthrew the batteries of the Turks till they were aweary of repairing them and so remov'd them By this time it was that the Rhodians began to find the want of their powder and though the Grand Master continually employ'd fourteen of his own horses to bray saltpeter and other materials proper to make powder in a sure and well-guarded place yet the besieged were forc'd to be very sparing of their powder which gave great advantage to the enemy The Turks seeing no good to be done on that side play'd upon the steeple of St. Johns Church and beat it down upon advice giv'n them by the Jewish Physitian that from thence the Christians discover'd what was done in the Camp The ruin of this steeple being a lovely structure was much lamented by the Inhabitants This done the Besiegers under the command of the Beglerbey of Natolia remov'd their batteries against the Tower of St. Nicholas which they furiously play'd upon for the space of ten days with twelve great pieces of Canon but the Artillery from the Tower broke and ruin'd all their batteries so that the Beglerbey was constrain'd to change the form of his batteries to remove his mantlets which are made of Earth close ramm'd and clos'd with boards fasten'd together with great spars of timber to dismount his Guns and plant them in the night upon great plat forms without gabions or Mantlet with which playing securely all the night when day appear'd they cover'd them again with Earth and grave Thus they made above 500 shot which onely beat down a pane of the wall on the west-side through which appear'd another good wall and so many stout defendants that these difficulties being related to Solyman he caus'd the said Battery to be remov'd whereby the Chevalier Castellaine Captain of St. Nicholas Tower acquir'd great honour At the same time the Turks rais'd 14 Mantelets against the Posts of England and Spain upon which they planted Guns of a prodigious bigness and play'd upon them for a month together so that they ruin'd the new wall of the English Platform while the old wall stood entire beside that they brought through their trenches unto the Moat three huge peices of Canon with which they levell'd the defences of the Bastion of Spain and beat down the wall by the ruins whereof the Turks might easily mount the Bastion The same Battery they rais'd against the Bastion of Provence with three peices of Canon planted upon the side of the Moat and in a small time threw down more then the besiegers in a long time were able to repair Then the Grand Master leaving St. Maries of the Victory came to St. Athanasius Gate and lodg'd himself under the English wall and there he constituted four Captains allotting to each ten Knights besides the Ordinary Guard to succour and preserve the English wall Besides all this the Turks continually play'd with their Sacres and Falcons and other small Artillery and the besieged did the like which stood them in no small stead to ruin their Mantlets and dismount their peices Among the rest a Culverin shot pierced through a Mantlet upon one piece kill'd five men and carry'd away both legs of the Turkish Canoneer of which he dy'd Solyman was much troubl'd for his loss insomuch that he said he had rather have lost one of his Basha's Nor was the Italian Post more mercifully handl'd which was continually batter'd by seventeen pieces of Canon so that it had bin an easy thing to have mounted the wall by the ruins that fell into the Moat Yet though this long battery had made a great breach in the Italian Post yet would not the besiegers venture an assault but onely continu'd to make their approaches and to ruin the entrenchments and defences of the besieged Which the Chevalier Martinengo seeing with the Grand Masters permission made a sally with about an hundred choice men and falling upon the Enemy unawares kill'd put to flight whatever stood in their way and so with one prisoner and the head of another return'd with great applause The Turks that came in heaps to the relief of their own were miserably torn to pieces by the Artillery of the Town having no shelter and lost a greater number in their retreat then Martinengo flew This being the condition of the City the Grand Master who knew it would not be long ere they gave a General Assault dispatch'd away Bosio to the Pope and his Secretary into Provence and to the King of France beseeching them to hasten the succours which he expected from them Being also desirous to know what news was in the Turkish Camp one Carpathio a Rhodian undertook to satisfy him and getting out of the Post in a Brigantine with a crew of good Souldiers clad after the Turkish manner he coasted along the shoar as far as the Foss where he saw several Souldiers that were taking the fresh Air by the Sea-side who immediately discover'd him The Rhodiot put on a bold face and in the Turkish Language call'd to them aloud and told them the Basha had sent for them which they easily believ'd and went aboard the Brigantine One of the Turks finding he was in the wrong drew his Sword and wounded the Rhodiot in the thigh for which the Rhodian repay'd him by cutting off his head the rest being elev'n were easily master'd and brought to the Grand Master Now Martinengo seeing the great ruins which the Enemies Artillery had made rais'd barricadoes and wrought entrenchments upon the walls where he planted a good number of Guns which playing into the Enemies Trenches kill'd a great Number of the Turks he also lodg'd several Souldiers under the shelter of the houses who shot incessantly and made a great slaughter The Batteries of the Turks not succeeding to their wishes they fell to mining and had in several parts of the City made above forty so that of six parts of the City five in a few days were
THE LIFE Of the Renowned Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of RHODES Containing Those Two Remarkable Sieges of Rhodes by Mahomet the Great and Solyman the Magnificent being lately added to compleat the Story adorn'd with the choicest Occurrences in the Turkish Empire at that Time LONDON Printed for Geo. Wells and Sam. Cair Book-sellers in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1679. To the READER MEN of Active Spirits and designing Fame and honour hereafter can no where better benefit themselves then by reading the lives of such Persons as have trod the same steps before them For in the lives of great Personages they find those Examples of Conduct which they are either to follow or avoid Since that by celebrating the deeds of good men they that come after are incited to deserve well of mankind To this purpose the Author of this short story chose to revive the memory of Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of Rhodes a Person for courage and piety not inferiour to any of his time For the truth of what he writes He informes ye where he had it from an ancient Manuscript written by William Caoursin Chancellour of the Order who wrote nothing but what he was an eye-witness off As also from several other original Papers which he found in Malta it self Nor did he refuse the help of Khodgia Afendy a Turk who living at the same time wrote a Relation of the Siege with a great deal of Justice to the high merits of the Grand Master Thus then the vigorous fury of Mahomet the zealous and fortunate resistance of D'Aubusson the misfortunes of Zizim a pleasing yet melancholy variety though inseparable from the story being the Subjects of this Relation 't is something probable that they that seek either for instruction or divertisement cannot fail of their expectation However it is wholly left to them to be either severe or Candid Judges as they find most Reason The loss of Rhodes is added not only to compleat the story but to revive the renown of the Great and Famous Villerius who sustain'd the whole power of the manificent Solyman till his Pride was quite tyr'd out Insomuch that had not Treachery within put a fatal period to the flourishing Estate of Rhodes Solyman might have waited long enough upon Palermos for the conquest of that City In short they that read to the end of these few Pages will find variety sufficient for so small a volume and a recital of such actions as rather deserv'd the Grandeur of a Heroick Poem then the ordinary dress of Prose THE HISTORY OF Peter D'Aubusson Great Master of RHODES PEter D'Aubusson whose History I have undertaken to write was by providence chosen out among the French about two hundred years since to set bounds to the Conquests of the Infidels And He it was that sav'd Rome from the destiny of Constantinople defending Rhodes against all the force of Mahomet the second Emperour of the Turks He was the Son of Reginald D'Aubusson Lord of Monteil-au-Viconte in Marche and Margaret of Comborn both of the most Ancient and Illustrious Houses in the Kingdom He receiv'd from nature together with a Noble Birth a strong and proportionable body fit for great undertakings a quick wit and vertuous inclinations As he was born valiant and that the fiery constitution of his body could not away with an idle life he took upon him the profession of Arms so soon as he was of Age to handle a sword The Truce which had been concluded between France and England by the address of Cardinal Sainte Croix Legate to Pope Eugenius the fourth and the Peace which follow'd oblig'd him to seek for Employment and Honour in Germany The Emperour Sigismund had potent enemies both at home and abroad The Hussites made war against him in Bohemia and though they seem'd inclinable to a submission after the bloody Battel of Pragne where they lost above twenty thousand men yet Rebellion was all they had in their thoughts They were also so much the more to be fear'd by how much they were highly inrag'd at their defeat and that rage redoubl'd in some measure the zeal which serv'd for the pretence of their Revolt But the greatest mischief was in Hungary where the Turks made horrible havocks Sigismund who was at that time tak'n up with the affairs of the Council of Basle not being able to oppose himself against the Torrent which threatned to overflow all Germany sent away with all speed Albert Duke of Austria his Son-in-law to repel the Barbarians Aubusson by chance or rather by a particular Providence of Heaven got a Command in this Army For providence having design'd him to a Profession and a Trust that concern'd the Defence of Christendom so order'd it that he should perform his first feats of Arms against the enemies thereof The Prince march'd with all the hast he could and though far inferiour in number he no sooner discover'd the Ottoman Army but he fell on with out any farther deliberation The beginning of the Combat favor'd the Imperialists They overturn'd at first whatever Resistance oppos'd them and made a very great slaughter Aubusson who felt his courage kindl'd upon sight of the Infidels flew a great many with his own hand and fought alwaies in the formost Ranks But when the Victory seemd to have been assuredly on Alberts side the Turkish Cavalry surrounded that of the Christians and fell upon them so impetuously that they made them give way and broke them upon the first charge The disorder was not long Aubusson rally'd all the Troops about him and renew'd the fight under the conduct of a Hungarian whose name is not recorded in Histories though his valor deserves to live eternally in the memory of men This brave person remarkable for his tall size of body and his undaunted Air together with Aubusson sustain'd almost without other Assistance all the whole power of the Enemy and with his battle-axe in his hand after he had beat down several made his way through the rest Which Action so Resolute as it terrifi'd the Turks so it reincourag'd the Christians All Alberts Troopes follow'd this new Leader who seemd to be sent to them from Heaven and as if they had at the same time been inspir'd with fresh Vigour they charg'd the Barbarians so rudely that eighteen thousand lay dead upon the place the rest thought of nothing but Flight While the Arms of Sigismund had this happy success in Hungary his affairs prosper'd no less in other places The Hussites weak'nd by their Losses and either terrifi'd by the Threats or gain'd by the Promises of Emperor at length return'd to their duty The Treaty of Prague put an end to all the Troubles of Bohemia and upon a sudden the Imperial Authority was re-establish'd All things being thus calm'd and Albert having disbanded his Troops Aubusson attended the Nobility that went to the Emperour's Court. There he was receiv'd as one that contributed highly to the Victory in Hungary and that which was related
after an extraordinary manner either because the Court had a great esteem for him or because they had a design to keep him in delay He saw through the gentleness and caresses which he receiv'd which way the Court stood affected toward the Holy-war The King would not undertake it by any means whether he thought his Kingdom too much exhausted to defray the expence of a war that might prove of a long continuance or whether he minded nothing but his Repose after his past toiles or that the Charms of the fair Agnes had cool'd his zeal which he formerly had for the interest of the Church or whether it were that he would not submit to the inclinations of his Son who was retir'd male-content to Philip Duke of Burgundie the most zealous of all the Christian Princes and one that had declar'd himself so much an enemy of the Turk that he solemnly swore to make war upon them The Cardinal Legate who was a Frenchman and very understanding ing in affairs appli'd himself wholly to effect this Negotiation After many Conferences in vain with the publick Ministers he treated at last in particular with the King not being able to obtain any thing Calistus being advertis'd of the Kings disposition writ to him very sharp Letters threatning him at length with the Thunderbolts of Rome and the Malediction of Heaven if he refus'd the holy League Those Letters wrought no effect if they did not make it worse The King was incens'd at the Popes threats and not perswaded by his reasons In such a ticklish conjuncture there appear'd no probability of hopes for the Commander D'Aubusson However he ceas'd not to act and in regard that besides the character of an Embassador he had other good qualities which made him esteem'd by the King and his Ministers he was heard more favourably then the Legate He represented at first that Christendom was never in more eminent danger and that there was nothing which we had not to fear if the Progress of the Infidels were not quickly stopp'd that Mahomet since the taking of Constantinople aim'd at nothing but Rome that he was fall'n into Hungaria to enter into Germany with a purpose to make his way that way into Italy That it was one of his maxims that as there is but one God in Heaven so there could not be but one Monarch upon Earth That he had been constrain'd to raise his siege before Belgrade because he had not taken the right course and for that he had been wounded himself but that his misfortune had no way disincourag'd him that he was one of those great men that make the best advantage of their errors and misfortunes or rather that he was like the fiercer sort of Beasts who when they have receiv'd a wound and feel their blood begin to flow are never more furious till then That since his ill success in Hungary he had drawn to his side the Soldan of Egypt the Caraman and the Tartar and that he would return with fresh forces to the siege of the Belgrade and that his Generals who had tak'n almost all the Isles in the Archipelago would soon powre their fury upon Rhodes In short that those two Ramparts of Christendom being forc'd not any of the Dominions of the Christian Princes could be safe either by Sea or Land Aubusson afterwards represented to the King that being the eldest Son the Church he could not forsake their interest without dishonour to himself That as for the transportment of the Pope it was but a transportment of zeal and that his good intentions deserv'd the pardon of a few sharp expressions He added at length that because there were in Rhodes more Knights of the French then of any other Nations in the world the Monarch of France could not in justice dispence with succouring the Island at a time when it lay only in his power to do it That Alphonsus King of Aragon so wise and so brave before he came into Italy was not only effeminated by the delights of Naples but embroyl'd with Pope Calixtus who though a native of Arragon had refus'd to give him the investiture of the Kingdom of Sicily and to assure the succession to Ferdinand his natural son That Henry King of Castile as poor spirited and more vitious then his Father had business at home and abroad and that his Rebellious subjects found him as much work as the Moors of Granada his Neighbours and Enemies Thas Henry of England was not Master at home and that the Duke of York who had usurp'd the Government minded nothing but to sustain himself against his Rivals That the Emperor Frederick liv'd an idle life minding neither his own honor nor the safety of Christendom That besides the war grew hot between the Empire and Hungary and that Ladislaus at the same time was to make head against the Emperor and the Turk That civil dissentions turmoyl'd all Italy and that the Kingdoms of Sweedland Danemark were full of troubles Christiern had been set up in the place of Charles whose irregularities and crimes had render'd him unworthy of the Crown That Alphonso King of Portugal quiet enough at home wanted not a good will but that all he could do was but very little if a Prince more potent then himself did not assist him That thus France being the only Kingdom in Europe that enjoy'd a true peace it was only from France that they could expect relief sufficient to ruine the designes of the Port and for that reason parhaps it was that Heaven had freed it from the power of the English All these reasons propounded after a smart and insinuating manner made a deep impression upon Charles's thoughts That Prince who was so averse before to the Holy-war began to desire it and awaking from the profound sleep wherein his pleasures had lull'd him he only follow'd the motions of his Piety and Courage He gave liberty to Cardinal D'Avignon to leavy a tenth upon the Clergy to defray the expence of the war he entred into a League against Mahomet with Hungarie and that there might be no question of his faithful inclinations he confirm'd the League by the marriage of Magdalene of France his Daughter with King ' Ladislaus As for the Knights he promis'd them all assistance and immediately caus'd sixtie thousand Crowns in Gold to be paid to the Embassador of Rhodes Aubusson lay'd out that mony for provisions of war according to the orders he receiv'd and freighted away Ships laden with Canon Armes Powder and Lead Then he departed himself after he had collected most of the money which was due to the Order in several parts of Europe The success of the Embassie and the Letter which he presented to the grand-Grand-Master from the King of France made him to be acceptably receiv'd by the Knights and all the people The Letter was very generous and very obliging For the King after he had only spok'n a word or two touching the gratifying of their desires
passage to Italy he was not to despise the Favours of Fortune that offer'd him the Conquest of Rome as well as of Constantinople besides that it did not become him to suffer a Captain of a Troop of Vagabond Knights to refuse to do him that homage which Kings themselves were forc'd to stoop to Now as Princes have their ears open to Councils that flatter their ambition Mahomet easily harken'd to the instigations of Demetrius and Meligate However being wise and knowing that precipitate rashness is the ruin of many great undertakings he thought it convenient to consult his chief Ministers before he resolv'd upon any thing Who being of a contrary opinion to that of the Renegado's did all they could to divert him from the expedition against Rhodes They represented to him how that the City was newly fortify'd that Souldiers and Ammunition were brought in every day That the Grand Master was an extraordinary person too courageous to yield and too vigilant to be surpriz'd They put Mahomet in mind that though the forces of the Knights were not comparable to his yet he could never take the least Castle from them with all the Armies which he had sent against them and that it behov'd him to consider the future by what had pass'd besides that upon the least Motion which he should make that way all Europe and Asia would take Arms in favour of the Rhodians That the Grand Master had renew'd an alliance with the Soldan of Aegypt and that without any great difficulty he would be able to make the King of Persia his friend That the Pope labour'd to unite the Princes of Christendom against the Ottoman Empire that all these Enemies united in a league together would not fail to assault him in several places together and make such a diversion of his own Forces that in some place or other they would certainly recover to his loss They added moreover that there were other Islands to take before Rhodes They shew'd him besides that the Conquest of Rhodes would be no addition to his renown that he might conquer new Empires but never regain lost honour which he hazarded all at once in a dangerous expedition where he had nothing to win but where he had so much to lose At length they concluded all that the safest way was by negotiation and accommodation to engage the Knights to pay him some yearly tribute and thereupon they advis'd him to send an Embassador to the Grand Master to propose him Peace upon those conditions But that they might not offend the Grand Signior in case of refusal they were of opinion that the Embassy should be sent in the name of Zizim his Son and Selebi his Nephew telling him also that such a way of proceeding could not but take effect or at least that during the negotiation the Knights would not be so strict upon their guards so that under the pretence of treaty he might surprize the Castle of St. Peter and facilitate thereby the enterprize upon Rhodes whenever he should determine to undertake it Whatever inclinations Mahomet might have to follow the counsel of the Renegado's he stuck to the advice of his Ministers and it may be said that at that time he made his ambition give way to his prudence They made choice of Demetrius for the chief in the Embassy That wicked man was easily satisfied that his opinion was not follow'd partly for the confidence which they repos'd in him and partly out of the hopes which he had that his counsel might afterwards be resum'd into consideration if the negotiation which he had taken upon him did not produce any good effect He was entrusted with a Letter to the Grand Master written in Greek and sign'd in Turkish by the two Princes The Contents whereof are as follows conformable to the Original Copy TO THE Thrice Generous and Thrice Famous Prince Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of Rhodes or Thrice Honoured Father and Lord. INtegrity and Valour have so many Charms to allure the love of men of whatsoever Nation or Religion that it is no wonder if the Princes of the Blood Royal of the Ottomans and of the Sect of the Prophet Mahomet have no mean thoughts of friendship for you and your Order We are obliged thereto and in some measure forc'd to it by the Renown which your Heroick Vertues have acquir'd over all the East Yet some there are who have endeavour'd to render you obnoxious to our Thrice Illustrious Emperor And some of his Favourites continually exasperate him to turn his Victorious Arms against you to abolish the Christian Name in your destruction But we far from inspiring him with any such thoughts have us'd all our endeavors to avert his formidable Thunder from your Dominions and we have been so succesful therein that his Highness refuses not to heark'n to Peace willing to receive you into the number of his Allies Of which we were desirous to give you information by Demetrius our Embassador to whom you may give credit If you will but list'n to the Propositions which he shall make you on our behalf as we conjure you to do we are ready to be our selves the Mediators and the chief Promoters of your quiet In expectation of your answer we pray the All-powerful Creator of Heaven and Earth to preserve you in a flourishing condition From the City of Patara the 9th of February in the year of the Birth of your Prophet Jesus 1478. Your Sons and good Friend ZEM SCELBEI Son of the Invincible Emperor Mahomet and Che-Le-Bi Sultan Sangiach of Mandachia Though this Letter were but only a snare which the Sultan laid for the Grand Master it was sincere on the Princes side that were put upon the affair For they had both of them a natural affection for the Knights of Rhodes and something of an inclination to the Christian Religion particularly Zizim who was endu'd with much Generosity and a Regularity in his conditions After Demetrius had presented the Letter to the Grand Master he declar'd to him that he did not demand but only a slight Tribute for the sole conditions of the Peace and then craftily insinuated that the Proposals of the Princes were too civil to be deny'd by the generosity of the Knights That the friendship of the Invincible Mahomet was above the value of a slight homage That it highly concern'd the Christians to act prudently with a Conqueror who made all the Earth to tremble and who vouchsaf'd to be their friend These fair words wrought little effect for besides that the Grand Master was informed by his Spies that they had a mind to surprize them he conjectur'd of himself at the motives of the Embassy by the Person of the Embassador who was not unknown to him The very name of Renegado gave him a suspition He lookt upon Demetrius as a Traitor whom it behov'd him to beware of and not as a person with whom he could negotiate securely So that the affair miscarry'd at first where
Mahomet thought he had done for the best Of so great importance it is for the success of Negotiations and Embassies to employ persons of Integrity and honour or at least such as have the reputation of being so Nevertheless the Grand Master dissembl'd his distrust and judging how advantageous a suspension of Arms would be till such time as all the warlike Provision which he expected every day were arrived together with the Knights which had been summon'd he did not utterly reject Propositions of Demetrius neither did he absolutely accept it and whatever Artifice the cunning Fox could use to draw from him a precise answer all his reply was that the Knights of Rhodes could not treat with Mahomet without the permision of the Pope that questionless his Holiness would not oppose the peace provided that his Master would harken to those Conditions which had formerly been concluded with Amurath that is to say without any mention of Tribute That in expectation of the Popes answer it would do well if so it pleas'd the Ottoman Princes that there should be a Cessation of Arms and liberty of Commerce between the Christians and the Turks The Renegado who well understood how nice the Knights were in point of Tribute and thought of nothing more then a positive refusal at first contented himself that he had set the business a foot And the better to bring it to a happy conclusion promised of his own accord in the names of Zizim and Shelebi what the Grand Master had desir'd and departed very well satisfy'd that he was not flatly deny'd The Grand Master wrote a very civil Letter to the two Princes he thanked them for their kind endeavours and highly applauded their good intentions but he declar'd at the same time without so much as mentioning the Tribute that he could not come to any conclusion till he knew the Popes resolution and how the Christian Princes stood affected to it who made the affairs of Rhodes their own business Demetrius had no sooner given an accompt of his Negotiation but the Princes sent him back with order not to speak a word more of the Tribute and to demand only some small present to cover with a specious Title that submission which Mahomet exacted from the Knights But their answer was still the same that they could make no engagement till they had heard news from Rome All that they could farther say was that those Presents which were exacted yearly did very much resemble presents and that the Knights of Rhodes were not overforward to make any kind of Presents to the Grand Signior Demetrius understood well enough what they meant However he was yet in hopes that the Grand Master might at length be brought to relent and to engage him thereto by his Interest he promis'd him again a suspention of Arms with liberty of Trade Nevertheless the Grand Master did not fail to prepare for War as if their had not been so much as any discourse of peace and that Mahomet should not be inform'd of any thing he order'd that no Vessel should stir out of the Port. He soon perceiv'd that the Infidels were not very curious in observing Truces and the advice which was brought him that the Turkish Brigantines had taken certain Vessels belonging to the Order near the Islands of Calamo and Episcopia confirm'd him more and more in the thoughts which he had that all this Treaty was but an Artifice and he rather believ'd that the Turks were so much the more ready to beseige Rome by how much they seem'd to be farthest from any such design So that he renew'd all the Orders which he had given out for the security of the City he also sent to Naples the Knight D'Albalat of Aragon to buy Corn and besides that as he was resolv'd that the Barbarians should not carry by famine what they could not win by force he sent into Aegypt and Syria for plenty of all sorts of Provisions In the mean time the Knights arriv'd at Rhodes from all parts of Christendom And in regard the assembly which was to be held the first of May was put off by the Popes Bull and deferr'd to the 28th of October by an order of Council they appear'd almost all at a time The Grand Master at the opening the Assembly made a speech that made no small Impression upon their Spirits After the usual ceremonies and Formalities the sixteen who were elected for the Government of all things laid new Taxes upon all the Commanderies and earnestly desir'd the Grand Master to take upon him the administration of the Revenue Though he had other weighty business enough to do and that this alone was sufficient to take up a mans whole time he readily accepted it but the easiness wherewith he acquitted himself of a charge so burthensome oblig'd the Knights to qualify the hardness of the Labour by the entire confidence which they manifestly let him see they had in him They gave him full power to employ to what uses and after what manner he should think good all the money that should be brought into the Treasury They also order'd that all the Ammunition and Warlike provisions should be put into his hands to distribute as he should see cause Moreover that he should have power to create the Receiver General of Avignon and all the other Receivers by one Warrant alone sign'd by his hand that without having regard to the priority of Languages nor the antiquity of the Knights he might make the Castellane of Rhodes the Judges and Baily of Commerce the Captain of the Castle St. Peter and all the Captains of the Galleys That he might also choose the Captains of the three Towers and the Gates of the City that in case the Grand Commandery of Cyprus the Bayliage of Lango and the Office of Procurator General at the Court at Rome came to be vacant during his administration it should be free for him to dispose thereof at his pleasure But to the end he might not be thwarted in the exercise of his charge they forbid the Bayliffs the Priors and all the rest of the Knights to meddle in any manner whatsoever with the treasury They also gave him the liberty to retain next his person or to send to what place he pleas'd seven of the Grand Crosses which they nam'd and to choose others by his own particular authority if any one happen to miscarry Lastly because the revenue of the Grand Master was very much impair'd because of their extraordinary expences for the Fortifications of the Island or for the aid of the Subjects of the Order they permitted him to keep in his hands during his life three of those Commanderies which he had the priviledg to dispose of himself as Grand Master Hardly were the affairs of the Chapter at an end when news was brought that the Infidels had shewn themselves before the Castle of St. Peter under pretence of parlying upon an accommodation but in truth to surprize the
choler and despight He could no longer endure that a small Republick should brave him in the very bosom of his Empire and the haughtiness of the Knights augmented his so far as to make him fall into transports of rage which would not permit him to listen to the reasons of his wisest Ministers He believ'd none but Demetrius and Meligale those two Renegado's obtain'd the sole disposal of his thoughts and according to the custom of interested Courtiers who flatter the passion of the Prince to satisfy their own they so vehemently incens'd him against the Rhodians and the Order of St. John that he resolv'd to lay siege to Rhodes The better to six and settle so important an enterprize he held a secret Council to which he call'd the most expert Engineers of all his Armies but the person he most confided in was George Frapam a German who was profoundly skill'd in the art of War and who after he had liv'd some years in the Island of Scio went to Constantinople where being marri'd he had access to the Grand Signior who lov'd men of Parts He had formerly been at Rhodes and had taken an exact plat-form of the City Upon this plat-form as that which was adjudg'd the most regular of all the rest he began to lay his contrivances for the management of the siege Mahomet who was resolv'd not to go in person whether for fear of hazarding his Renown or else not caring to honour the Knights by fighting against them himself declar'd his Basha Misach Paleologus General of his Army This was his principal Favourite and the most Illustrious Basha of the whole Empire He was a Greek of the Imperial House of the Paleologi born a Christian and bred up in Christianism He forsook his Religion to save his life at the taking of Constantinople when the Conqueror put to death all that fell into his hands of the Family or Blood of the Emperor Constantine Having abjur'd his Faith it was no hard thing for him to obtain the highest Commands in the Ottoman Court His wit his courage and deportment were answerable to his birth He had by degrees habituated himself to the customs of the Turks yet not altogether forgetting the fashions of the Greeks so that in him the rudeness of the one and the politeness of the other seem'd to be both joyn'd together When he had gain'd the favour of the Grand Signior he accompani'd him in all his military Expeditions and always shar'd both in his designs and Conquests So that in time he acquir'd great experience in War and it was the general opinion of Turkey that next to Mahomet there was none more fit to undertake the Conduct of a difficult enterprize then Basha Paleologus In the mean while for fear the Grand Master should have advice of what past at Constantinople Mahomet set guards upon all the Passes and commanded his Governors to stop all Posts and to open all Letters He order'd also a great number of Infantry to fall down through Asia the less But that it should not be thought that he intended a siege while he prepares the great Ships which were to carry the extraordinary pieces of Cannon he sent forth out of the Streight a hunder'd and fifty light Ships with ordinary Artillery giving it our at the same time that the whole design of the Ottoman Court was to pillage the Sea Coasts and Islands of the Christians Basha Paleologus stay'd not till the great Fleet was ready he went abroad the first Vessels that set sail and to conceal his design from the Turks themselves he steer'd a course different from that of Rhodes Mahomet was pleas'd that Demetrius and Meligale should bear the Basha Company together with the German Engineer from whom he promised himself great matters All these precautions of Mahomet and the Basha could not prevent but that the defigns of the Ottoman Court were discover'd at Rhodes the Grand Master being inform'd of every thing by his Spies which he kept in the Ottoman Court. However the News did not come much before the Gallies that set out first began to appear For they shew'd themselves within sight of the Island upon the fourth day of December in the year 1479. and came to an Anchor before the Fort of Fano The General of the Turks who would not be idle in expectation of the rest of his Forces immediately landed the Cavalry which he had brought with him and order'd his Avant Curriers to harrass the Countrey and burn the Villages The Knight Rodolphus of Wertemberg Baily of Brandenburgh whom the Grand Master had assign'd to sustain the first efforts of the Enemy did not suffer the Spahi's punctually to execute the Orders of their General for he charg'd them at the head of the Light Horse which he commanded and after he had slain several of them forc'd the rest to betake them to their Ships This Repulse constrain'd the Basha to retire but it was only to attacque Felo one of the Islands which the Knights possess'd in the Archipelago The Turks batter'd the Fort without ceasing for eight days together and several times they scal'd the Walls but all to no purpose for the Knights the Souldiers and the Country men that defended the place made so stout a resistance that the Enemy rais'd his Siege with no small loss and disgrace Whereupon the Grand Master did not only commend in full council the valour of the Garison but also sent considerable rewards to those that had most couragiously behav'd themselves proportionable to their condition and merit These first Exploits encourag'd the Christians though they did discourage the Infidels Nor did Misach Paleologus lay so much to heart the misfortune of his Arms as the death of Meligale That Renegado whom the Basha reserv'd for great occasions was struck with a prodigious disease upon the Sea which carry'd him off in a few days His body was all over nothing but corruption and besides the insupportable stench of his Corps the Worms which eat him alive render'd him a miserable spectacle to all the world the sight of which was dreadful to behold After he had endur'd the utmost extremities of Torment and in vain implor'd relief from Heaven he dy'd blaspheming God and cursing men almost in view of Rhodes Paying that punishment which his Country exacted from him by a most Tragical end In the mean time the Turkish Fleet pass'd the Streight of Gallipoli and the Forces that came by Land rendevouz'd in Lycia as they were appointed There the report ran that Mahomet was suddenly dead and that the Souldiers which march'd from all parts were only to prevent such Commotions and Insurrections as are wont to happen upon the death of the Emperor A Greek Spy who was discover'd at Rhodes and the Prisoners that were taken and sent thither by the Knights of the Fort of Fano confess'd all they knew By other means also the Grand Master understood that the Enemies Fleet drew nearer and
after the Venetians had rais'd the siege of Rhodes in the year 1464 the Grand Master Zacosta considering of what great advantage a Fort built upon those Rocks would be for the defence of the City began that very year to build the Tower of St. Nicholas and that Philip Duke of Burgundy gave twelve thousand Crowns in Gold to finish it which engag'd the Knights to set the Arms of the Duke of Burgundy and the Provinces under his subjection upon the Tower This was the condition of the City of Rhodes when it was besieg'd by the Army of Mahomet The Fleet came to an Anchor just against St. Steven's Mount and mauger all that the Knights could do to hinder their landing the Turks got footing and lodg'd themselves immediately upon the Mount and in the neighbouring plains At the same time they brought a-shore all their Artillery also and their Engines of War The Basha had in his Army which consisted at least of a hunder'd thousand men all the best Squadrons of Anatolia the choice of the Spahi's and Janizaries above four thousand Voluntiers several Beys of Romania and other Governments and lastly several Companies compos'd of the Veteran Bands that had follow'd Mahomet in all his military Expeditions No sooner were they encamp'd but a Troop of Voluntiers came briskly up to the walls of the City to brave the Rhodians whether the first heat with which they landed were not yet allaid or whether they thought that some bold and irregular action could do no harm at the beginning of the Siege But their precipitation cost them dear for a party of the Knights fallying out upon them charg'd them so vigorously that after they had flain a great number of them they put the rest to flight The Knights were no sooner re-enter'd but the Barbarians return'd in better order and far more numerous to observe the condition of the Town The Renegado Demetrius was in the head of them in whom the Basha most confided since the death of Meligale Thereupon the Knights made a second sally commanded by Antony D'Aubusson Vicount of Monteil the Grand Master's Brother He arriv'd at Rhodes but some days before with an Equipage and a Train answerable to his Quality He came to Rhodes not only with an intention to go to Jerusalem and to visit the holy Sepulcher according to the custom of those times but also to assist the Grand Master his Brother and to serve the Church finding himself in a Siege with which the Knights were menac'd every moment He was a person of great Honour and Generosity very skilful in the art of War and one that profoundly understood the world He was made Captain General of the Rhodians upon his arrival the Heads of the Council who knew his worth making choice of him with one consent He had brought along with him several Gentlemen of Marche that were his Tenants or else his Friends not to speak of other Souldiers that accompani'd him of which the chief were Lewis of Chaon of one of the most noble Houses of Anjou William Gomare of Xaintonge Matthew Brangelier of Perigord Claudian Colombe of Bourdeaux Charles le Roy of Dijon and Lewis Sanguin of Paris The Vicount of Monteil staid not till the enemy came up to him but march'd to them with his Sword in his hand and charg'd them vigorously with his Troop The Turks sustain'd the first charge without stirring and Demetrius encourag'd them so by his words and his example that they at length made the Christians give ground They had perhaps put them to disorder if the Vicount of Montel had not impetuously spurr'd his Horse upon the chief of the Barbarians who seem'd to him to be the most resolv'd and couragious The Knights followed the Vicount and behav'd themselves so valiantly that the enemies were presently cut to pieces mauger all the resistance they made Demetrius defended himself with all the courage that honour and fury could inspire into him But his Horse being kill'd under him he was himself thrown to the ground and trampl'd over by the Horses Insomuch that he who had abjur'd the Faith and conspir'd the destruction of Rhodes advanc'd the design of the Infidels no more than his friend Meligalus over whom he had only this advantage to dye with his Arms in his hands and signalizing his valour a death too noble for a Renegado and a Traytor The Rhodians in this encounter only lost the Knight de Murat of the Auvernian Language and one of the bravest persons of the Order He was encompast by a Body of Spahi's being in the pursuit of some that ran away and run through in a thousand places while he was disarming Demetrius The Turks put his head upon the end of a Lance and to comfort themselves for their misfortune carri'd it into their Camp with most hideous yellings and shouts of derision The body was recover'd out of their hands by Knights and the Grand Master caus'd him to be enterr'd with all the pomp and honour that so renown'd an action deserv'd These first attempts not having succeeded with the Infidels the Dutch Engineer advis'd the battering of St. Nicholas Tower believing that if they could master that the City would soon surrender or at least that they should thereby hinder any Vessel from getting into the Port. The Basha believ'd the Engineer and the Turks carri'd three great pieces of Artillery into the Gardens adjoyning to St. Anthony's Church which commanded the Tower They presently cut down the trees and after they had plac'd their Gabions to secure themselves they shot without ceasing The Grand Master immediately rais'd a Counter Battery with three pieces in the Garden of the Auvernian lodgings Now in regard the noise of the Cannon that never lay still all day long alarm'd the inhabitants he walk'd his rounds about the City accompani'd by the principal Knights confirming the courage of the people by his presence He also visited all the Posts the same night encouraging the Souldiers and exhorting them to fight couragiously for the Faith No sooner the day began to peep but the German Engineer appear'd upon the brink of the City Moat humbly desiring the Guards to open the Gates for him but the Souldiers had certainly shot him had not some of the more prudent Knights prevented them Thereupon by the command of the Grand Master he was set in and conducted to the Castle He was a person of a very good presence and tall in stature he had a crafty wit quite contrary to the character of his Nation bold enough and one that knew how to use his tongue He was known at Rhodes and was accompted one of the most skilful Artists of his time Being examin'd what reason had brought him thither he answer'd that he came to defend Rhodes That he could no longer endure the reproaches of his own conscience for having employ'd his art against the faithful that preferring his Salvation before his Fortune he did absolutely renounce the advancement
which he might expect among the Turks that he should be happy to dye in the defence of the Faith That he desir'd nothing else of God but that he durst not hope for a favour of which he was so unworthy The Grand Master commended his zeal without manifesting the least mistrust and having exhorted him to persist in his good resolutions he examin'd him concerning the Army of the Turks The German the more bold because he thought himself unsuspected spoke with an air and a countenance that shew'd nothing of a Traytor that the Turkish Army was above a hunder'd thousand men effective besides the Forces that were coming to joyn with them that the Turks besides their ordinary Cannon had some prodigious pieces above eighteen foot long that carri'd bullers of three foot in diameter That they were resolv'd to perish all rather then think of raising the Siege which was the only thing that griev'd him He spake with so much confidence that many believ'd what he said to be real The Grand Master that he might venture nothing yet make use of the opportunity which Fortune had put into his hands thought he might make use of the Engineer though he were resolv'd not to trust him To that purpose he commanded the Knights who had the charge of the Artillery to consult him in every thing and not to raise any battery without him And to prevent his return to the Turks Camp or from keeping any correspondence with them he order'd six of the stoutest Souldiers in the City always to attend him to whom he gave private instructions to keep him always in sight and never to leave him alone all at a time Though the Grand Master had sent to Rome the Knight Cardona when the Infidels first appear'd before the Isle however he fail'd not to send again so soon as they were landed He sent also to the King of France and to the other Christian Princes But because the Letter which he had sent to the absent Priors had not taken that full effect which he desir'd he dispatch'd away another wherein after he had given an account of the beginning of the Siege to the Knights that were not yet return'd he declar'd to them also that having put all his trust in God he fear'd neither the force nor cunning of the Barbarians yet that he hop'd that persons of their worth and renown would not fail to come to the relief of the Order at such a time of necessity as this He added also that notwithstanding the Siege the Port should be always open to the Vessels of the Christians In the mean while Misach Paleologus having well consider'd the situation and the outside of the Town and being of Opinion with the Engineer that all would follow the Tower of St. Nicholas he caus'd his biggest Pieces to be planted where they had rais'd the first Battery and in a small time they made above three hundered Shot The Tower was shaken to the very Foundations and batter'd in several places The great Wall upon the West side fell almost all down and falling made a most dreadful noise so that the noise and shouts of joy among the Barbarians caus'd a terrible fear in the City but they were soon encourag'd by the Exhortations of Antony Fradin of the Order of St. Francis a man eloquent and Apostolick who run up and down with a Crucifix in his hand performing the same good Offices at Rhodes which John Capestran did at Belgrade The Tower could not stand considering the condition to which the Canon had reduc'd it and yet there was a necessity of preserving it or hazarding the loss of all Thereupon the Grand Master resolv'd to choose the Flower of the Knights and Souldiers to reinforce the Garrison And having represented to them of what importance it was not to abandon that post he sent them thither under the command of Fabritius Caretta an Italian conjuring them to remember that they had in their hands the Destiny of Rhodes He also went thither in a Barque himself to see what work the Cannons had made and finding that the ruines of the Wall had made a kind of Bastion round about the remaining part so that their Batteries could do no more harm he made an enclosure of great Beams mortais'd one within another and nail'd together to strengthen the compass of the Wall the Dtich it self which was hollow'd out of the Rock and seeing that some part of the Wall was fallen within the Fort he caus'd the Ruins to be carry'd away for the conveniency of the Garrison Then because the little Golph that wash'd the West side of the Mole was sometimes so low that it might be waded he set all hands at work to prevent the Infidels from making their approaches that way To that end they laid Planks at the bottom of the Water all stuck with Iron Spiks and then there was a good strong Guard plac'd upon the out Wall on that side of the City in the Trenches also lay a stout squadron of French and Spanish Knights to relieve the Garison in the Tower upon occasion The Grand Master spent all the night a Horse back and in Arms stirring continually to keep his men in Breath The Knights and Souldiers kept their Posts all night without stirring but still upon the watch and ready to fight the Enemy The Grand Master was also very careful to plant several pieces of Canon all along the Walls of the City that lookked toward the Mole of the Tower to sink the Turkish Gallies that should ride there to favour the assault He also provided several fire Ships to burn the Enemies Gallies while they made the attacque And in regard all was to be hazarded to save a post upon which depended the safety of the City he put himself into the Tower together with his Brother the Viscount of Monteile All these Cautions were but little enough for day no sooner appear'd but the Turkish Gallies weigh'd from before Mount St. Stevens and steer'd directly to the Tower with a fresh gale with a loud noise of Trumpets and Drums No sooner were they come near the Rocks of the Fort but the Barbarians leapt a shoar and while the Gallies play'd from the Sea they ran to the assault with a fury that look'd more like desperateness then courage At the same time they within discharg'd all their Cannon from the Walls upon the Galleys and the Musketeers from the Mole gave the Infidels so smart a Volley that they kill'd most of them upon the place the rest more furious for the slaughter of the others and reinforc'd with fresh supplies in spight of all the shot from the City fell boldly to the Scalado They that defended the Tower encourag'd by the presence of the Grand Master and the necessity of vanquishing or perishing sustain'd the assault with a resolution that astonish'd the Assailants Never was there perhaps an attacque more obstinate nor a more stout defence The Turks that fought almost in
Capitulation yet not willing to hazard the Assault took a strange resolution to put an end to the Seige He consider'd that the person of the Grand Master was the main obstacle that hinder'd his taking the Town and that the Knights would never surrender so long as they had such a valiant and expert Commander so that he thought the best and safest way was to make sure of him This design of his he communicated to two Renegado's who coming to the Turks Camp at the beginning of the Siege had abjur'd the Christian faith and made a shew of much zeal for the Mahumetan Sect. The one was a Dalmatian the other of Albania They had both of them acquaintance in Rhodes and the Albanese who was a crafty and intelligent person was very well known to one of the Secretaries to the Grand Master an Italian whose name was Philelpho The Renegado's themselves immediately offer'd to do the business either by stab or poison Though the Execution were both difficult and dangerous but a wicked man may do any thing when he fears nothing At the time when the two Assassinates were preparing to leave the Camp Aly Basha arriv'd there from Constantinople Mahomet who began to be disturb'd at the Siege had sent him expresly to advertize Paleologus that he would come himself with a reinsorcement of a hundred thousand men and fifteen hundred Cannon of a prodigious bigness Whether the advice were true or false the Infidels receiv'd it as an Oracle which assur'd them of the victory For the very name of Mahomet fill'd the Camp with joy and inspir'd new heat into the Souldiers This produc'd an effect quite contrary in the City The Renegado's who got into the City one after another that they might not seem to have any acquaintance one with another were receiv'd as persons ransom'd out of Captivity having given out that they unfortunately fell into the hands of the Barbarians in the second Sally At their first admittance they reported that Mahomet was coming with a formidable Army and that all was lost if they did not come to a Capitulation before his arrival Some of the Italian Knights who guarded the post on that side and questionless were not the bravest of their Nation were affrighted at the news Some Spanish Knights also who took the Alarum upon the same noise joining with the Italians caball'd together and had private Conferences in the night time the result whereof was that since they could not save Rhodes they should at least save the honour of the Rhodians by making an advantageous Composition The Italians who were the Captains of the Cabal discover'd their design to Philelpho in whom the Grand Master repos'd a great trust and after they had made him of their party they engag'd him to represent to the Grand Master the necessity of yeilding to save the Island from the utmost miseries of War Philelphus was a person of Hononour and Sincerity but one that lov'd his Nation and had too great an esteem for his Countrey-men to think them guilty of any treachery And therefore believing that the Italians meant well and that acting with the Spaniards they could not take any wrong or injurious courses he not only undertook to speak but acquitted himself of his promise So soon as the Grand Master understood by his Secretary what had past he sent for the most factious before him and dissembling at first his indignation he told them in somewhat bitter language that if they so much fear'd Mahomet they should do well to get out of the way that he gave them free liberty to be gone and that they should have Galleys for their convenience But then again changing his tone with a stern countenance But if you will stay with us added he never mention composition and be assur'd that if you continue your Cabals I will hang ye up every Mothers Son These words pronounc'd with so much authority were like a thunder-stroke to the guilty They acknowledg'd their fault and seem'd so asham'd and sorry for it that the Grand Master thought them severely enough punish'd and thus mixing mildness with severity and contented with their submissive penitence he pardon'd them upon the spot But the Knights whom the goodness of the Grand Master had absolutely confounded adjudging themselves unworthy of pardon after so unworthy an action besought him not to pardon their fault till they had wash'd it away with the blood of their enemies and their own All this while the two Traytors laid their plots and sought all means to execute their design the Albanoise who knew that Philelphus who was no more entrusted with the knowledg of affairs since the Cabal of the Italians fail'd not to insinuate to him that he had now nothing more to hope for in Rhodes that credit with great men once lost was seldom regain'd That usually they to whom they had imparted their secrets became hateful when once suspected that the hatred of those who could revenge themselves unpunish'd is always to be fear'd and that the safest way was to suffer himself to be forestall'd There needed no more to a person so quick-witted as Philelpho to divine what was aim'd at He had always look'd upon the Albanese as a fellow of no Religion or conscience and this unexpected return did but augment the bad opinion which he had conceiv'd of him For which reason he made no question but that this wicked wretch had been gain'd by the Infidels and that he was return'd to Rhodes out of a design to do some mischief However the better to inform himself he made semblance of giving ear to his arguments and withal hinted to him that he would be very ready to prevent his enemies provided he might be well seconded The Assassinate catching at this bait frankly disclos'd himself he declar'd the whole business to Philelpho and having shew'd him the Basha's Letter to hasten the execution he promis'd him as much as could tempt the ambition or interest of a man How great a dread soever Philelpho had of so horrible a crime he consented to it in outward appearance But so soon as he had taken his leave of him he went and gave the Grand Master an account of what he had understood Immediately the Albanese was seiz'd upon who was already applauding himself for the success of his enterprise He deny'd all at first with that boldness and confidence which is usual with Criminals But soon after he confest all touch'd either with remorse of conscience or forc'd by the violence of his torments The Dalmatian who was introduc'd into the Grand Master's Palace by another means and who had already corrupted one of the Officers of his Kitchen was at the same time apprehended upon the confession of the Albanese They were both executed at a time and by the people cut in pieces in abomination of the crime Thus the Conspiracy fell upon the head of the Conspirators by a secret conduct of Divine Justice which oftentimes makes
use of the same means to destroy the guilty which they take to ensnare the innocent Philelpho was receiv'd into the favour of the Grand Master and found by experience that Fidelity contributes more then Treason to the advancement of men Paleologus understanding the ill success of his plot laid aside all other thoughts but of carrying by force what he could not win by treachery To that purpose he began to raise a plat-form upon that side where the besieged had made their intrenchments But so soon as the Grand Master discover'd what the Basha intended he commanded fifty men of the French and Italian Languages to fight the Labourers and overturn the work in the night-time The party commanded descended into the Moat through the casemates so privately in the night and gain'd the upper-ground so privately with their ladders that the Turks never perceiv'd them till they were just upon them Which put the Infidels into such disorder that they presently fled the most part saving themselves by flight The mutinous Italians who were of the number of the fifty and sought nothing more then to repair their honour were the most forward to pursue them that fled of which they kill'd ten with their own hands and returning demolish'd the work and nail'd their Cannon The Basha was surpriz'd at so resolute an action and being inform'd that they were the French and Italians who had perform'd it he could not forbear saying that he had to do with people that inherited the courage of Caesar and Charlemain So much does true valour charm ev'n enemies themselves how barbarous soever The Grand Master did not think it enough to applaud the Victors but gave them rewards And to testify to the Italians that he had no more ill thoughts of them he exprest himself publickly that they were persons of Honour and had kept their word The bad success which the Turks had upon this encounter made them give over all thoughts of attacquing the City upon the Italian Post And therefore they resum'd their old design and bent all their force against the Tower of St. Nicholas Not only because that being almost ruin'd they thought it might be the more easily tak'n but because they imagin that there lay the decision of the Victory To that effect the General of the Barbarians undertook to build a Woodd'n-Bridg that would hold six men a brest which should reach from the Church of St. Antony to the foot of the Tower They wrought without ceasing in the presence of the Basha who assisted at the work himself So soon as the Bridg was finish'd a Turk having in the night secretly fasten'd an Anchor to the Rock of the Tower it self with a chain of Iron thrust a Cable through the ring of the Anchor to which the end of the Bridg was link'd so by drawing the Cable by strength of arm the Bridg by degrees might be hal'd to the very point of the Mole of St. Nicholas But the cunning of the Turks could not deceive the vigilance of the Rhodians An English Marener whose name was Roger a bold and daring fellow who discover'd what had past threw himself into the Sea when the Turk was retir'd and when he had cunningly unfasten'd the Anchor he left the chain upon the Rock as if it had still held for which the Grand Master immediately gave him two hunder'd Crowns in Gold When the Turks began to draw the Cable to move the Bridg forward they soon perceiv'd that their stratagem was discover'd and that the Rhodians were more subtil then they though they were not altogether dishearten'd For Paleologus who manag'd the enterprize himself and had a wit fertil for invention sent for a great number of Barques to bear the Bridg upon the water and to transport it insensibly to the Mole as the Barques mov'd forwards In the mean time he order'd as well to attaque the Tower as batter the Vessels that lay in the Port thirty Galleys besides several light Vessels wherein he had put the choicest men in his Army and who were to begin the assault while the Souldiers landed The Grand Master omitted nothing that lay in his power He set a thousand Pioneers at work who labour'd day and night in cutting the Rock to make the Moat wider and deeper After he had reinforc'd the Garrison with such Forces as the Escalle had brought from Verona at the beginning of the Siege he posted at the foot of the Mole a Squadron of Spanish and German Knights to be succour'd from thence as occasion requir'd But as he had reason to suspect lest one part of the enemy should attacque the City while the other assaulted St. Nicholas's Fort and that the Jews Wall would be the place where their Cannon had already made several breaches he sent thither a good number of Souldiers under the Conduct of the Knights de Northolon with order not to sally without express command After that he prescrib'd to every one his particular duty in the Fort yet doing nothing without mature deliberation and counsel For he heard advice with calmness and a quick apprehension being perswaded that the most judicious do not see every thing and that the wisest often mistake when too much wedded to their own judgment That courtesy and affability which he shew'd to all the World allow'd not only to the Knights but also to the meanest Souldiers the liberty of speaking their thoughts upon all occasions that presented themselves He took delight to hear them and sometimes he found in the discourse of a simple Souldier such expedients and stratagems which perhaps he might not have thought of Yet with all this lenity he was severe enough when it behov'd him so to be For two Souldiers of the Garrison of the Fort having resolv'd to run away to the Turks threw a great quantity of Arms and Ammunition into the Sea They were taken in the act and asham'd of themselves when they were discover'd They also crav'd pardon of the Grand Master and threw themselves at his feet very penitent for what they had done But notwithstanding all their prayers and entreaties and all their penitence he caus'd them to be hang'd out at the windows of the Tower and their bodies to be cast into the Sea The enemy was so much perplex'd that he had attacqu'd the Tower in the open day that he resolv'd not to attacque it any more but by night They also made their approaches very silently contrary to their customs But having gain'd the Mole and being landed they presently open'd their throats The choice party of the Turks assail'd the Tower where it was most ruin'd making a most hideous noise which was follow'd with the sound of Trumpets and other Warlike Instruments The Christians who were all upon their Guards and expected their enemies with an undaunted resolution vigorously sustain'd the Shock They fought on both sides with an equal ardor without any other light then that of the Granado's and Fire-pots that flew
first ascended fell upon the Turks with such a fury that they forc'd them to retire But the Turks being presently reinforc'd both parties disputed a long time for the Wall they on both sides with great heat and courage But when the Combat grew hot and that the victory seem'd to encline to the Infidels the Count of Monteil came into the assistance of the Christians but notwithstanding all the effects of their valour they could not drive back their Enemies whom the presence of the Basha made undaunted and not being able to withstand so great a number as fell upon them In the mean time the report which was spread that the Enemy had carry'd the Jews Quarter struck terror and confusion every where But so soon as the Grand Master saw this beginning of a Rout with a half pike in his hand he mounted the Wall having already kill'd some that were got down and considering that the loss of all depended upon this post he resolv'd to hazard all or regain it The old Commanders and young Knights that were near to his person mounted after at what time the Grand Master breaking into a thick Battalion of the Turks with an astonishing fury charg'd them so rudely that they were soon clear'd off No sooner was it known to what danger the Grand Master had expos'd himself but the Burgesses of the Town ran with all speed to disingage him or to dye with him The women also who were for the most part habited in mens apparel appear'd upon the Ramparts to terrify the Assailants follow'd their husbands and pouring down scalding Oil Flints and old Iron upon the Turks while others were so hardy as to throw Wild fire and others to take up the Arms of the Slain and fight in their steads they did very good service On the other side the Archers which the Grand Master had plac'd in such parts of the Wall which the Cannon had a little spar'd shot continually upon those that came with fresh recruits The Barbarians fell in great heaps every where yet dearly selling their lives but more especially making a great slaughter about the Grand Master But the present Image of death redoubl'd his zeal and no way diminish'd his valour Let us dye my dear Brethren said he rather then retire 't is for the faith 't is for heaven that we fight our death shall be honour'd among men and precious in the sight of God His example and his words so encourag'd the Souldiers that mauger the obstinate resistance of the enemy they regain'd the Field and made themselves absolute Masters of it after a dispute of two hours The Knight de Montholon being the first that tore up the Ottoman Banners and flung them to the ground As much affrighted as the Barbarians seem'd and as much wearied as they were indeed shame or honour caus'd them to return to the Charge and the Basha drew out a Body of old Janizaries to second the assault Now in regard the Grand Master was known by his gilded Arms and the throng of remarkable persons that environ'd him the Basha commanded that they should pick him out particularly These fresh men threw themselves like beasts of prey upon the Christians having forc'd their way through the Pikes and Swords were making directly to the Grand Master if the Vicount of Monteil who saw them coming had not put a stop to them who flew upon them with the most valiant of the Auvernian Post In the mean time ten or twelve of the boldest of the Turks joyning with those that were at handy-strokes with the Grand Master they laid at him with several blows so that his arms being broken he receiv'd five wounds however he fought still very valiantly But the Knights perceiving he was wounded fell on so furiously that the enemy first began to give ground and lastly to betake them to their heels As for the Turks who were got upon the Posts of the other Languages where they found equal resistance so soon as they saw the Jews Wall forsaken they quitted their attaques and fled in the greatest disorder in the World except three hunder'd of the stoutest who staid upon the Walls and being no longer able to defend themselves fell half dead into the City where they were massacred by the people At the same time the Rhodians issu'd out after them in throngs and pursu'd them to their very Camp making a most fatal slaughter among them The Turks also kill'd one another to make room for themselves so much they dreaded to fall into the hands of the Christians The Basha did all he could by threats and promises to stay their flight their fear would not let them take notice of either and he was at length constrain'd to fly to the shore that he might be near his Galleys Khodgia Afendy who has wrote in the Turkish Language the Siege of Rhodes attributes the rout of the Infidels to the avarice of their General For he says that the Souldiers more covetous of booty then blood being ready to enter the Town and preparing themselves to plunder where they hop'd to find great riches the Basha to preserve the whole for himself caus'd proclamation to be made that the treasure of Rhodes was the demeans of the Ottoman Court and that the generous Mussulmen were to seek nothing more in fight then the honour of serving the Emperor however he would not sail to recompence those that should do their duty as he would punish those that should take the least rag The Historian adds that this Proclamation so cool'd the courage of the Souldiers that they thought of nothing after that but how to save their lives But we may easily conjecture by the examination of his words that he does not speak truth according to the manner of the Turks who make no scruple of lying when it is either to excuse and cover the cowardice or dishonour of their Nation For it has been the custom of the Ottoman Emperors and their Basha's always to abandon such Towns as were taken by assault to the plunder of the Souldiers So that it is not likely that Paleologus who us'd all the means he could to make himself Master of the place and who was naturally magnificent should of a sudden take to a course so contrary to his design and humour In the mean time the Grand Master who felt himself very much weaken'd by his wounds return'd into the City all bloody after whom follow'd the victorious Knights with the Imperial Standard which they had tak'n from before the Pavilion of the Basha but the condition of their Prince put them into such a consternation that they could not rejoyce for their Victory One of his wounds was accounted mortal and the second day they began to despair of his life So soon as the Basha had recover'd the Sea-shore with the remains of his Army he never stood to consult whether he should raise the Siege or no. Whatever confidence he had had till then in
the fortune of Mahomet and his own he despair'd to take the place after so many vain assults and understanding that he had lost above nine thousand men slain out-right and above fifteen thousand wounded which were not in the fight he took care of nothing more then how to save the rest by retiring While the Turks were embarquing their Engines of War and all their Baggage there appear'd two great Ships which Ferdinand King of Spain had sent to the relief of Rhodes Paleologus who saw them making to the Port with full sail considering what a shame it would be to let them enter the Port shot at them with such pieces of Artillery as were not embarqu'd not being able to assault them with his Galleys because the winds were contrary The shot brought one of the Masts of one of the Ships by the board but did the other no harm But the wind changeing and the Sea growing rough of a sudden they both came to an Anch or just against the Port till the tempest forc'd them to make all the sail they could to get in The Ship whose Mast was broken was the more fortunate and steer'd so well that she got in The other being carri'd off by storm fell back into the road so that she was the next day very near the Infidels Fleet. The Basha unwilling to let go a prize that he thought in his hands sent out twenty Galleys to seize her and commanded the Captain of the Galleys to go himself The Christians prepare themselves for fight The twenty Galleys surround the Vessel and thunder upon her on every side and by an incredible kindness of divine protection did them much more mischief then she receiv'd herself However some that were best mann'd fetch'd her up by the strength of their oars and having grappl'd her a whole throng of Barbarians endeavour'd to enter upon all her quarters But the Spaniards and Italians kept their ground with so much resolution that after a bloody Fight of three hours the Turks were constrain'd to give way and the death of the General of the Galleys so abated their courage that they wholly forsook the Vessel Then it was that Misach Paleologus being out of all hope and fearing all the worst of fortune gave order to weigh Anchor and be gone And that which hasted his departure was that he understood by his Spies that the Christians expected a very considerable relief and that the Vessels of Ferdinand were but the fore-runners of the Christian Prince's Fleet. So that the Ottoman Fleet put out to Sea the 18th of August and steer'd toward the Port of Fisco where having set the Army a shore they continu'd their course toward Constantinople The Victorious Ship enter'd the Port of Rhodes almost at the same that the Ottoman Fleet set sail And now it is no difficult thing to apprehend the joy of the Rhodians to see themselves so well deliver'd after a siege of sixty days The whole Port resounded with shouts of gladness and the noise of the Bells mix'd with that of the Trumpets made a pleasing harmony which proclaim'd the raising of the Siege to all the people of the Island But that which most contributes to the publick rejoycing was that the Grand Master began to recover whether the Chirurgeons were deceiv'd in their judgments or that the wound which they deem'd to be mortal were not so indeed or whether there were something divine and miraculous in the cure However in that languishing estate wherein as yet he continu'd he commanded solemn Processions to be made for three days and that Masses should be said in all the Churches of the City for the souls of the Knights and Souldiers that had been slain during the Siege So soon as he was cur'd of his wounds and that he had strength enough to walk he went himself to return thanks to God at the feet of the Altars And because he was perswaded that the protection of the Virgin had sav'd Rhodes he made a Vow to build a magnificent Church by the name of St. Maries of the Victory neer the Jews Wall where the Turks were put to the rout Nor did he delay the execution of his vows for being somewhat better settl'd in his health he caus'd himself to be carri'd to the place and order'd the foundations to be laid in his presence They labour'd might and main at this great work so soon as the fortifications of the Town were repair'd And because the Victory was won upon the day wherein the Greeks solemnize the Festival of St. Pantaleon the Grand Master built a sumptuous Chappel for the exercise of the Grecian Ceremonies in honour of that holy Martyr to the end that the Latins and the Greeks celebrating at the same time the holy Mysteries they might return thanks both together in both Churches for so renown'd a Victory Nor was his devotion enclos'd within the Walls of Rhodes He founded a perpetual Mass every week at the great Altar of St. John of Jerusalem to preserve until the end of time the memory of so happy a success and in some measure to make an immortal acknowledgment thereof in the same place where the Order of St. John had its first Institution But because that having implor'd the aid of St. John Baptist when he fally'd to the Combat he found in his Souldiers and in himself a new courage which could not spring but from above he resolv'd to build a Church in Italy in Honour of the happy Precursor whose body Julian the Apostate caus'd to be burnt and whose precious ashes lye in the Cathedral Church of St. Lawrence at Genoa This Structure time brought to perfection and it was built neer to the Chappel where those holy Reliques are expos'd to the veneration of the people To which that he might do the greater Honour he also built a Convent neer to the said Chappel for twelve religious persons of the Order to sing Divine Service to say Masses for the propagation of the Faith for the Benefactors of the Order and the Souls of the Grand Masters deceas'd to which end he employ'd the Revenue of several Commanderies and his own according to the power which he had receiv'd from the See of Rome He wrote at the same time to the Princes of Christendom to give them advice of the Victory and to engage them to send him relief in case the Turks should make any new attempts and that the Knights should be constrain'd to hold out another Siege But because that Ferdinand's Ships had brought him a Brief from Sixtus which Brief contain'd such expressions as testifi'd how much the Pope did interest himself in the affairs of Rhodes he sent to Rome the Prior of Capua and the Commander of Aliaga with the Title of Embassadors Extraordinary He charg'd them also in their way to wait upon the King of Naples and to tell him how much the Knights were oblig'd to him for his aid That in his own particular he highly
acknowledg'd his Favour and as long as he liv'd should seek all occasions to testify his gratitude Nor was the Grand Master thus contented to declare his obligations to Ferdinand he also gave substantial marks of it to Lewis Palafox a Gentleman of Aragon and Captain of the Ship which had so valiantly defended the Tower of St. Nicholas and the Jews Wall For besides that he presented him with a Diamond of a very great price and made his natural Son a Knight as being a young Gentleman of great hopes and merit He permitted him to carry in chief above the Arms of his Family the Arms of the Order as an authentick proof of the Services which he and his had done during the Siege He also granted other considerable Favours both to the Knights and Souldiers which had most signaliz'd themselves And because the Countrey was utterly laid wast and for that the miseries of the people were not ended with the War he caus'd Corn to be distributed to the Islanders in great plenty and discharg'd them for several years of all sorts of Taxes THE HISTORY OF Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of RHODES Book Fourth THE Ottoman Fleet carri'd the news of their own misfortune home themselves to Constantinople And Mahomet was as deeply sensible of this misfortune as a wise and ambitious Prince possibly could be who had not prosper'd in an honourable Enterprize which he undertook not but upon great consideration Though he were a great Master of himself and one that could dissemble his particular anguish of mind yet upon the sight of the principal Captains of the Army and in that transportment he was about to have put them all to death The Basha Misach Paleogo his favourite presum'd to tell him with that freedom which his favour allow'd him that they had nothing to accuse him either for his conduct or his courage and that the Mussul-men had done as much as men could do He was glad to tell him withal that the Knights of Rhodes were men of an extraordinary valour and that there appear'd in the Air a bright-shining Troop whose blows neither the Turks could shun nor abide their looks But all these reasons gave the Grand Signior no satisfaction He drove his Favourite out of his sight and was so far from giving him the Vest of Honour which he was wont to bestow upon his Generals and Visiers at their returns from military Expeditions that he commanded him to retire to the Sangiacatship of Gallipoli Nor indeed had Mahomet any other way to cheer up himself for this misfortune but by believing that the conquest of Rhodes was reserv'd to him alone and that it belong'd only to him to tame the Knights and their Grand Master They were soon inform'd at Rhodes of the preparations which were made at Constantinople for a new Expedition nor was the Grand Master idle in preparing to receive them But while the Rhodians were repairing the defences of their City there happen'd extraordinary accidents which chang'd the whole course of their proceedings A little while after the Fleet of the Turks was departed there was heard over the whole Isle a kind of subterraneal noise like to that of thunder that begins to grumble in a cloud This was a prognostication of those Earthquakes with which the Island was terrifi'd for many months The most firm foundations of the City were shak'n by the first shogs and almost over-turn'd by the second shakings which happen'd one after another and which many times did not give over but only to begin again with greater force The half of the Fort of St. Nicholas rumbl'd down one night and the ruines of the Tower overwhelm'd most part of the Souldiers in the Tower As the exhalation that caus'd these motions grew to be more and more enrag'd by the attempts which it made to get loose out of the caverns wherein it was enclos'd the Earth quake encreas'd every day The Earth rear'd it self up and violently bounded forward in some places it cleft and open'd in others Nothing but ruine and abysses appear'd every where nothing was heard but the cries of affrighted people that run up and down to save themselves and yet no where sound security In short it seem'd that the Island of Rhodes which some believ'd was produc'd out of the Sea to make the Earth tremble was now just ready to perish by the same accident for which it was created To add to their affliction these tremblings of the Earth were accompani'd with such prodigious and impetuous showers of rain as if a second deluge had been come to overflow the World Besides all this the Sea swell'd ten foot high and having surpast its bounds over-run the â—â—ty with such an impetuosity and noise as if it came to swallow it up The Rhodians believ'd themselves lost when they beheld how the very Elements conspir'd their ruine at a time as they were threaten'd again with the whole force of the Turks Nay the Grand Master himself would have had much ado perhaps to have sustain'd himself with his natural constancy had not his confidence in God fortifi'd him against so many calamities Upon this Christian confidence it was that he was often heard to say like Moses and David The God of Battel is our fortress when I walk in the midd'st of the shadow of death I will fear none ill because thou Lord art with me He exhorted all the people to take heart but all his exhortations signifi'd little for the people sensible of what they felt abandon'd themselves to those impressions which such sort of calamities produce And that which encreas'd the publick consternation was that about that time Mahomet was set out of Constantinople at the head of three hunder'd thousand men resolv'd to conquer Italy or Egypt so soon as he had conquer'd Rhodes He cross'd the Thracian Bosphorus and took his way for Bithynia with a design to cross all Asia the less and to come to the Port of Lycia before the Knights should know of his march But Heaven is pleas'd sometimes at one blow to bring down the pride of the Grandees of the Earth This proud Prince who thought upon nothing but new conquests was taken away by a violent Cholick in the midd'st of his Army neer to Nicomedia He was three and fifty years old so vigorous that he endur'd all the travels and labours of War without any detriment to his health the anguish that perplex'd him for raising the Seige of Rhodes did not a little contribute to his death He always appear'd melancholly after that misfortune and upon the very naming the word Grand Master he fell into such dull fits as made him insupportable to himself William Caoursin who liv'd at that time and was Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes makes him to dye after a very strange manner For he reports in his memoires that Mahomet passing thorough a Forrest of Bithynia a young Man clad in white of a shape something more then Human presented himself before him with
a visage burning with anger and a flaming Sword in his hand who after he had beheld him with a fiery and menacing eye Most impious among men said he I will run thee thorough with this Sword At which words Mahomet fell trembling from his Horse as if he had been struck with a Thunder-bolt That at the same time he suffer'd most bitter torments which caus'd him to cry out most dreadfully and that soon after he died blaspheming the name of Jesus and cursing the Rhodians Whether the Apparition were true or no certain it is that this Enemy of the Cross dy'd the same day that the Church celebrates the festival of the finding the Holy Cross and that as he was expiring he several times utter'd the word Rhodes and commanded in the extremity of his pangs that this Inscription should be written over his Tomb. My design was to have taken Rhodes and subdued Italy The death of the Ottoman Emperor was the safety of Christendome and particularly of the Rhodian Territories So that when the Grand Master heard the news he gave thanks in publick to Heaven that the Order was deliver'd from so powerful an adversary But that which more encreas'd the joy of the Knights was this that the City of Otrantum was retaken from the Turks in Puglia so soon as the death of Mahomet was known Achmat Basha one of the greatest men of the Empire had made himself Master of this City the year before and had left a strong Garrison therein and settl'd it in a condition not to be assaulted The taking of Otrantum made all Italy shake And the vigorous holding out of the Turks against the Neapolitans that besieg'd it began to make Rome sensible of her danger but when the besieged understood the death of the Grand Signior their courages fail'd them and they surrendred to the Duke of Calabria Son to the King of Naples not staying for the succour of five and twenty thousand men which Achmat was bringing himself These Tydings were acceptable to the Church and then it was that the Rhodians began to take breath after such a series of misfortunes The Earth grew steady and the Sea retir'd so that they had the liberty to repair all the ruins of the City But as the corruption of manners usually proceeds from the disorders of War the Grand Master undertook a reformation of the Knights and people To that end he made severe Laws against those vices that wound Christian Piety and civil society upon which accompt he forbad all manner of unlawful Games These Laws were publickly proclaimed and what was thought almost incredible as readily obey'd but a Soveraign finds no great trouble to make his Subjects obey him when he commands nothing but what he practises himself While all things were calm at Rhodes the two parties that strove to succeed in the Ottoman Empire put all Turky into a confusion Mahomet at his death left two Sons behind him Bajazet and Zi-zim for Mustapha their elder brother was put to death by the command of his Father That young Sultan who who was both stout and valiant and had not long before won a very signal victory from Vssum Cassan King of Persia coming to the Ottoman Court about the particular affairs of his government of Amasia fell so deeply in love with the wife of Achmat that famous Basha that took Otrantum that one day in the hight of his passion he offer'd her violence as she was going into the Bath Achmat complain'd to Mahomet and tore his Turbant and his Vest to express his grief What is that you complain of haughtily answer'd the Grand Signior to the Basha My Son has done nothing but abus'd the Wife of one of my Slaves However to give Achmat satisfaction he gave immediate order that Mustapha should be strangl'd at the same time acting the part of a cruel Father and a just King Thus Bajazet and Zizim remained the only Heirs of the Crown The first govern'd Paphlagonia and resided not far from the Black Sea The Second had the Government of Liconia in Asia the less so that they were both at a great distance from their father when he dy'd They had ever been kept a sunder the one from the other and had never seen one another but once out of a piece of policy of Mahomet for fear least jealousy should divide themselves or a strickt amity unite them both against him They were of a different Character and dispositions resembling in nothing but the passion which they had to raign Bajazet to whom the Turks gave the name of Lightning or Thunder by no means made his Title good as being of a spirit altogether poor and mean and one that minded nothing less then War Zizim whose name signifies love on the contrary had a lively Wit a noble Soul and was most generously enclin'd He was not so handsome as Bajazet but there appear'd in his Person and in his Countenance such a mixture of Grandeur sweetness and haughtiness mix'd together that surpass'd beauty it self He delighted extreamly in hunting and all Military exercises And yet he had no less a love for learning then he had for Arms. He understood Languages among the rest the Greek and Italian he spent some part of his time in reading of Histories and he was then writing the Story of his Fathers Life when the news came to him of his death He was very zealous for the Mahumetan Religion yet not with that head-strong passion but that he had a great kindness for the Knights of Rhodes whom his Father mortally hated Besides all that he had a particular affection for the Grand Master from the very time that the first overtures of peace were made and he had always a design to make as strict a league with him as the law of the Mussel-men would permit And indeed there is such a coherence between the Story of the Grand Master and Zizim that I cannot forbear to relate what happne'd to the two Brothers before the Knights did interest themselves altogether in the quarrel So soon as Bajazet and Zizim understood of the death of the Emperor They both of them minded nothing else but how to get into possession of the Empire But before they took the Field the partakers of each side at Constantinople had taken Arms and declar'd some for the One and some for the Other The heads of each party made out the best they could the right of both Princes They that took Bajazets part cry'd out that nature spake in his behalf for that being the eldest he could not in justice be depriv'd of the Crown The Friends of Zizim pretended that a lazy slothful Prince as Bajazet that gave not his mind to business but led a dissolute life did not deserve to succeed to the great Mahomet They maintain'd that Zizim being endowed from Heaven with all the qualities that made a Prince worthy of an Empire ought to be preferr'd in the succession to his Father And as
Court of the Grand Caraman The Embassadors gave him an accompt of the favourable Inclinations of the Grand Master and the Knight told him that Don Alvare a kinsman of the Kings of Castile Captain General of the Armies of the Order and the Grand Masters Lieutenant was come on purpose to conduct him safely to Rhodes The Prince who found something that was very acceptable in so strange an Adventure and who perhaps out of pride would not at first confess his flight and his fear to an unknown person smartly reply'd that not questioning the generosity of the Grand Master he thought it convenient rather to come and expect him upon the Coast then to put him to the trouble of searching after him After which the Knight returning to the Brigantine and coming up with the Vessels at Sea Don Alvarez made to the Prince himself to salute him in his own Galley He presented him the Grand Masters safe conduct and Letter and then carry'd him into the great Ship with a loud noise of Trumpets and the Thunder of the Canon The Prior of Castile was one of those Spaniards who being rarely bred perfectly understood the world being no less polite then dextrous in his behaviour and therefore he faild not to pay Zizim all those respects and offices which were due to an unfortunate and afflicted Prince For though ill fortune had not abated the courage of the young Sultan it had however somewhat encreas'd his natural melancholy The Procedure of Don Alvare affected Zizim in such a manner that he testified at first how sensible he was of his kind offices and gentle services Generous Knight said he in loosing a Throne I have not lost those thoughts which Nature bequeaths to the most barbarous And if fortune do not altogether destine me to misery you shall find that I was not born ungrateful But I see your generosity is altogether pure and that in treating an Vnfortunate so worthily you only seek the honour of doing good Yet I cannot wonder enough added he that so much civility should be shewn to the Son of the most implacable enemy Your Order ever had and I must confess that therein I admire your ingenuity Great Prince Repli'd the Knight Reason commands that we should give honour to persons of high birth and real merit whatever their condition be and they are but mean souls that rather follow the Fortunes then the persons of Kings You are forc'd to fly ill intreated by your subjects and depriv'd of your Dominious but you are still a King you are still Sultan Zizim We receive you as a Prince whose virtue and misfortune render him worthy the esteem of Christians and not as an enemy Nor are you to wonder that the Grand Master entertains in this manner the Son of an Emperour who mortally hated us Mahomet your Father did all he could to ruine us we have done all we could to withstand his triumphant Arms and by the mercy of God we obtain'd a signal Victory against him the remembrance of which After-Ages will preserve The Knights of Rhodes know how to vanquish those that assail them but they know how to relieve with humanity those that cast themselves into their Protection nor are there any Injuries which they do not forget when their enemies are no longer able to do them harm The Answer of Don Alvares convinc'd Zizim of the generosity of the Knights and entirely gain'd his confidence The Grand Master had commanded that he should be treated like the Son of an Emperour and a King To which purpose the Officers that first serv'd him at his Table made an Essay of the meat according to the custom of the Courts of Europe Zizim seem'd to be surpriz'd because that Ceremony is not in fashion among the Turks but it was told him it was the usual practice at the Tables of the European Princes and that it was an Assurance against poison Oh! said he I am not afraid of being poisoned by such generous Knights as you I have put my life and fortune into your hands and I hold my self secure Besides I had rather you should treat me as a friend then a Prince Concluding those words he took something out of every dish of which no Essay had been made and putting all the meat into one plate he began to eat to let the Knights know how much he confided in them After that he began to be more gay and pleasant while the good entertainment that he receiv'd had almost made him forget his past misfortunes Nevertheless when the Ships were under sail and that the Coasts of Lycia began to disappear he then began to be apprehensive that nothing could be more worthy of composition then a fugitive and wandring King driven to seek an Asylum in the territories of strangers and of enemies So that the sad thoughts which seiz'd him all of a sudden caus'd him to be profoundly sad for some hours so that all his courage was but little enough to bring him to his former humour For the mean while the Ship kept on their course and they had so fortunate a passage that they came in a small time within view of Rhodes Don Alvarez speeded before in a Brigantine to give the Grand Master notice of the Prince's arrival All things were already order'd for his Entry and among the rest of the preparations there was a bridge of wood which reach'd from the gate of the Port above ten paces into the Sea to the very place where the Ship that carri'd Zizim was to lye The most ancient Commanders which the Grand Master sent before to meet the Prince receiv'd him with all the respect which was due to the Son of their Emperour Mahomet So that while the Artillery play'd from all parts he pass'd over the Bridge which was cover'd with cloth of Gold in the midst of the Acclamations of the people whom curiosity had drawn to the shoar From whence after he had mounted a Spanish Courser richly harnessed he rode forward to the Great Piazza with the sound of fifes and Trumpets conducted by Don Alvarez who did him the Office of a Squire The Streets were all strew'd with herbs flowers and an infinite number of people fill'd the plat-forms and windows Zizim entring into the City was smitten with the beauty which appear'd there very rich in habit as well to see as to be seen and with a loud voice he spoke it that it was not for nothing that the Rhodian women were accounted the fairest of all Asia At the same time that the Ship which carry'd Zizim entred the Port the Grand Master march'd out of the Castle with a pompous train and in very good order He was attended by a troop of young Knights very richly habited and mounted upon horses of high price The Officers of the Order follow'd them every one wearing about their necks a Chain of Gold going two and two with countenances wherein there was both haughtiness and modesty mixed together
The Grand Master appear'd at last apparell'd in Tissue of Gold embroider'd with precious stones mounted upon a Neopolitan Steed whose harness was all embroider'd with Gold and Silver The Squires and Pages that follow'd him were no less remarkable for the splendour of their habits and furniture then for their goodly presences and dexterity in the management of their Horses But there appear'd an Air so noble and something so majestick in the person of the Grand Master that he was easily distinguish'd from the rest of the company A great body of Horse clos'd up the Rear of the Retinue The Grand Master stopp'd before the Church of St. Sebastian and put his men in order in the Piaz expecting the approach of the Sultan So soon as Zizim perceiv'd the Grand Master who was shew'd him by Don Alvarez though he were remarkable enough in many other respects he saluted him according to the manner of the Turks by putting his finger three times upon his mouth The Grand Master on his part making a low obeysance advanc'd toward him and making a second bow gave him a very civil complement in Italian which was answer'd by the Prince with a good grace and in expressions full of good sense After that they gave their hands each to other and having repeated some few more words of friendship and kindness they march'd together to the French Lodgings which were prepar'd for the Prince The Grand Master when they began to set forward gave him the upper hand but Zizim making some reflexions upon it would not permit it at first I am your Captive said he and it becomes not a Captive to take the place of honour Sir answer'd the Grand Master Captives of your condition preserve their dignity in all places and I would to God you had as much power in Constantinople as you have in Rhodes As to the rest Zizim appear'd neither merry nor sad during the whole Calvacade He carry'd the look of a person who had the proof both at one time of good and bad fortune or like one that believ'd himself worthy of the honours which were done him He seem'd however to be highly pleas'd with the behaviour of the Knights and when he alighted from his Horse he embrac'd the Grand Master with a very tender affection calling him several times his Protector and Father That day and for some daies following they had several particular discourses upon the present condition of Affairs but all that time abstain'd from particular conferences However there was nothing omitted for the divertisement of the young Sultan so that there was nothing to be seen at Rhodes but Hunting-matches Runing at the Ring Shews and magnificent Feasts But all these divertisements did not compleat the repose of the Prince's mind For though he were not afraid of the Knights he could not think himself in safety in a place full of Greeks and so neer the Turks and what was more the proceedings of the Port daily encreas'd his disquiet and his fears At the beginning of those divisions which turmoil'd the Ottoman Empire after the death of Mahomet Bajazett was afraid that it would not go well with his affairs so long as he was not in friendship with the Grand Master however he could not condescend to demand peace himself There to save his reputation he dealt in private with the Sub-Basha De Pizzona who was come over to his Party and was Governour of Lycia The Sub-Basha sent an Embassador to Rhodes with instructions not to speak of Bajazett but only to manage a truce between the people of Lycia and the Rhodians believing that a Peace would easily follow a Truce But the Embassy not having that success which was expected Bajazett made use of Achmat to carry on his design The Basha as jealous of the honour of the Sultan as the Governour of Lycia wrote as from his Supream a very yielding Letter to engage the Grand Master to an accommodation and entrusted Lasim Brahim for his Agent with the Letter The Grand Master thought himself obliged to hear the Propositions of Achmat as well for the love of his people who stood in need of rest after the toils of so long a war as for the honour of the Order to whom a Treaty could not be but advantageous that mention'd nothing of Tribute The Reception of Zizim made Bajazet impatient of a conclusion of peace Upon which Achmat urg'd it more and more by his Minister Lasim Brahim He offer'd also that the Grand Signior should sign whatever the Knights desir'd and for a pledge of his real intentions he restor'd all the Vessels of the Order which had been taken since the Truce by the Pyrates of Lycia All these condescentions of the Port so different from the Ottoman Haughtiness more then ever alarum'd Prince Zizim He imagin'd with himself that his Brother was not so desirous of peace but only that he might have an occasion to destroy him and that when Trade should be free between the Rhodians Turks he should be in daily fear of either being stabb'd or poison'd and that the runagate Greeks so accustom'd to treachery and murther would omit nothing to serve Bajazett to good purpose In the midst of these thoughts he resolv'd to seek a Sanctuary elsewhere to preserve himself from a violent death to which purpose he open'd his mind to the Grand Master in whom he put an entire confidence The Grand Master found that Zizim offer'd nothing but reason yet because the affair was of great impotance he resolv'd to have the advice of his Council before he gave the Prince a positive answer Among them Opinions were different while some affirm'd that it was for the interest and honour of the Order to keep the Prince that Bajazett durst not refuse the Knights any thing or make any attempt upon them while Zizim remain'd at Rhodes that when he was out of their power they could expect nothing but a cruel war or a very disadvantageous peace That by all the rules of prudence they were to lay hold upon so fair an occasion or at least before the retreat of the Sultan they were to make an honourable agreement with the Port. As for the safety of the Prince they might easily secure it by affording him a sufficient Guard there being very few Assassinates that would atattempt the persons of great men at the hazard of their own lives The more disinterested and the wiser sort were of a contrary judgment that a removal was the only way to preserve Sultan Zizim from the misfortunes that threatned him that war did no way secure him that after a refusal of Peace with the Turks they had no way to secure him from poison or assassination while treason enters every where and the fidelity of servants and guards is not proof against any large sum of money That while Bajazet sought to get him into his power by all the waies imaginable they could neither surrender him without betraying their faith given nor
through compassion or through some secret dictate that he should never see him again The Knight de Blanchefort who was return'd to Rhodes since the raising of the seige the Knight de Rochechenard had order to conduct the Sultan into France not to mention the Knights who were nam'd to accompany him and to serve him as a convoy but they enter'd all together with Zizim into the great ship of the order and set saile the same day with a favourable wind The Grand Master who had already given advice to the Pope of the arrival of the Ottoman Prince gave him also notice of his departure by this opportunity and sent him word in particular that Zizim of his own accord had made choice of France for the security of his life that he had good ground for his fears in regard that for the forty dayes that he had stay'd in Rhodes he was certainly enformd that the Grand signiour had us'd all his endeavours either to take or murder him The departure of the Prince did not work that ill effect which some were afraid of For though Bajazet was soon inform'd of what had pass'd yet he desir'd peace with the same earnestness as before because he always lookt upon the Grand Master as the Arbiter of the Sultan his Brothers fortune So that the Embassadours that departed for Constantinople the next day after Prince Zizim was gon were honourably receiv'd by the Grand Signiour and the peace had bin presently concluded had not the pride of Achmat put a stop to it This Basha equally proud cuning who in his letters had given a blank paper to the Grand Master could not endure that the first proposition which the Embassadours made should be that no mention should be made of Tribute He brake forth upon that subject with a haughtiness which made him almost forget the respect to the sacred Persons of the Ministers of Soveraign Princes The Knight Guy de Mont Amaud who was one of the Embassadours and who in his instructions had express order to bear up briskly against the Basha took him up short and spoke to him with that sharpness that had absolutely broke off the Negotiation if Misach Paleologus who was at the conference had not allay'd their passions After the death of Mahomet he was returned to the port and had gain'd the favour of Bajazet by espousing his Interest He well acquainted with the humour of the Knights and having prov'd to his cost the constancy of the Grand Master knew it was in vain for Achmat to contend so obstinately upon the point of tribute and told him his reasons breifly though in the Turkish language that the Embassadours might not understand him The Knight Leonard Duprat who was the other Embassadour and understood Turkish understanding the Basha's discourse and repeating it in French to the Knight de Mont Amaud was the occasion that both standing stifly to their principles Achmats heat began to cool so that of himself he began to give way to their demands Bajazet promised not only to live in good amity with the Knights of Rhodes but not to trouble the rest of the Christians The Grand Master undertook for his part to keep Zizim always in the power of the Knigths and to endeavour all he could that the Sultan should not fall into the hands of any Prince either Christian or Infidel Upon this the peace was concluded according to the Articles which the Embassadours propos'd and it may be said that never was any Accommodation made with the Port either more honourable or more profitable to Christendom That which was most remarkable and extraordinary was that Bajazet engag'd himself either through weakness or Policie to pay the Grand Master a kind of Tribute To this purpose he sent to Rhodes Cagritaim his principal favourite and the two Knights bestirrd themselves so well that they carry'd him along with them upon their return Cagritaim declar'd in full councel that the Port would pay to the order thirty five thousand Duckets money of Venice for the subsistence of Zizim and besides that the Grand Signiour would pay every year to the Grand Master in particular ten thousand Duckets to make him amends in some measure for the excessive charges he had bin at in the last war Achmat who was the proudest person in the world and one that mortally hated the Christians especially the Grand Master and the Knights could not brook this condesciention in the Grand Signor He accus'd him of lowness of Spirit and cowardice he murmur'd in publick and made sharpe scoffs upon it Bajazet who for some time before began to grow jealous of the Basha as of a person that did not love any thing more then war and was therefore likely to take Zizims part took these murmuors and rebukes for the symptomes of a revolt And believ'd that only the death of such a dangerous enemy could break his designs True it is that he owd to him for the Crown but usually great benefits are look'd upon as crimes weak Princes often find their safety in the destruction of those that rais'd them and are able to pull them down again So soon as the peace was concluded between the Knights and the Turkes the Grand Signiour put to death this famous Basha at a Magnificent feast where were all the grandees of the Port and where Bajazet was present himself The discourse of the table falling upon the Peace and Zizim Bajazet to provoke Achmat and to engage him to speak somthing to be layd hold on publickly declar'd that he would lessen the Souldiers pay and deprive the Grandees of the port of their emploiments that were not loyal to their lawful Prince The Basha who well understood that those words concern'd him presently took fire and went so high in the heat of the debauchery as to tell the Grand Signor that it was but an ill way to establish a throne to provoke the Souldiery and that the Ottom in Monarcks were not assur'd of their Empires so long as they had Brothers alive He had no sooner spoke the words but a mute instructed before gave him six stabs with a poignard Others say that after the feast was over Bajazet who loved wine kept Achmat to drink with him alone under pretence of friendship and that seeing him half drunk he commanded two Eunuches to strangle him However it were Cagritaim succeeded at the Port in his place though he had neither the merit nor experience but he knew perfectly how to humour Bajazet who only minded â—ase In the mean while the Grand Master who made little accompt of the friendship of the Infidels of whose perfidiousness he had a thousand times experienc'd and for that the person of Zizim seem very proper for him to make use of in case of a rupture he apply'd himself wholly to make a league between the Christian Princes against the common enemy He wrought several Letters to them he sent them perticular Agents to let them
Christendom Nevertheless the Christian Princes whose Dominions were neighbouring upon the Turk did not yet think themselves safe fearing that Bajazet would not long keep his word For that reason Matthias King of Hungary Ferdinand King of Castile Arragon and Sicily made it all their most earnest suit to the Grand Master to have Zizim in their power He would by no means grant them their request but he promis'd them that so long as he had the Sultan at his disposition he would keep the Grand Signior from enterprizing any thing upon their Dominions Bajazet lookt upon this Refusal for a signal piece of service and thought himself so oblig'd to the Grand Master that he resolv'd to make him a considerable present as a mark of his Gratitude But not finding any thing of value enough to his mind amidst all the wealth of his Empire he understood by some of his Renegado Confidents that he could not make a more pleasing or acceptable present to the Grand Master then the hand of St. John Baptist which was then in his Father Mahomet's Treasury The Grand Signior overjoy'd at such a discovery caus'd the hand to be immediately sent for together with the shrine wherein it was kept and causing it to be put into a Cypress box lin'd within with Crimson Velvet and set without with an infinite number of precious stones he sent it by one of his favourites call'd Cariaty Bey with a Civil Letter the Inscription whereof was thus Bajazet King of Asia and Emperor of the Turks to the thrice wise and thrice illustrious Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of Rhodes thrice generous Prince and Father of a most glorious Empire This hand was said to be the right hand of John the Baptist which was learnt out upon this occasion if the Vice-Chancellour Caoursin may be believ'd It was an ancient Tradition confirm'd by the Histories of the Greeks that St. Luke the Evangelist having embrac'd the Christian Faith the love which he had conceiv'd for St. John Baptist inspir'd him secretly to take up his body bury'd in the City of Sebastia between Eli and Abdias To this purpose he went thither with some of St. John's Disciples who were then living but considering that they should hardly be able to carry the body away without being known and stopp'd he cut off the hand that baptiz'd Christ as the most noble part of the whole body and carry'd it to Antioch where he kept it all the while he stay'd there But going to preach in Bithinia he left the Relick with some of his most trusty friends still at Antiochia where it was publickly ador'd for the space of three hundred years till Julian the Apostate attempted to abolish the worship and memory of Martyrs burning what remain'd of them Particularly he caus'd this hand to be thrown into the fire but the piety of particular persons sav'd it from the fury of the Pagans at that time In the time of Justinian the Emperor to honour the Consecration of Santa Sophia the head of St. John was by the Emperour's command fetch'd from Edessa and the hand from Antioch though he return'd them again after the Consecration was over But in the time of Constantine Porphyrogenites an Emperour that was mighty devout and had a huge fancy for this Relick one Job a Deacon of Antioch stole this hand to present to the Emperour who put it in the Church of St. John of the Stone where it remain'd till the time of Mahomet the second who remanded it into the Imperial Treasure with other Relicks and rich shrines out of which Bajazet took it to present to the Grand Master who laid it up with great ceremony at Rhodes These Marks of affection which the Ottoman Emperour shew'd to the Grand Master open'd the eyes of the Soldan of Egypt That Barbarian had violated the Peace without any pretence as we have said and his perfidiousness carry'd him so far as to stop the Rhodians who traffick'd under the publick faith at Alexandria and in other places of his Dominions But now he began to alter his behaviour when he saw the good correspondence which was between the Port and the Order of St. John The fear he had lest the Knights should take a fresh revenge made him before hand in appeasing them To that end he sent an Embassadour to Rhodes with rich presents and a very civil Letter wherein he blam'd his past proceedings and accus'd the folly he had committed Duan Aga for that was the Embassadour's name did the best he could to enhance the value of his Master's presents and excuses He promis'd solemnly an inviolable fidelity and offer'd all sorts of Pledges for performance Whatever resentment the Grand Master had of the Injuries of Cairbei he said nothing then for though he made little accompt of his promises and judg'd of the future by what was past he thought it not amiss to make his advantage of the present and that which made him determine it the rather was because he had intelligence that Bajazet notwithstanding all his publick and specious demonstrations of Amity had an inveterate enmity against the Order not only because it protected his Brother Zizim but also because he had oblig'd him to quit his design upon Italy So that the little reliance which the Grand Master had upon the Turkish Faith made him renew a peace with one that was openly perjur'd Now because the advice which they daily receiv'd at Rhodes of the ill intentions of Bajazet were every day confirm'd the Grand Master thought it necessary to precaution himself against whatever might happen He sent Barks into Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples for Corn he also made use of the seeming friendship of the Grand Signior to fetch all sorts of grain out of the most fertile Countries of Turky before the Ottoman Court had laid aside its Vizor and had openly brok'n with the Order he gave command at the same time to lade the great Ship of the Treasury then upon the Coasts of Provence with ammunition and souldiers and that a great Vessel of Ragusa then in the Port of Rhodes should sail to Samos for wood proper to build the Ships and Engines of War As for the fortifications besides that he made all the ditches wider and larger he rais'd new works toward the Sea and among the rest a Ravelin that extended from the Tower of Naylac to the Bulwark of France But while the Knights prepar'd for War in the midst of a profound Peace Sixtus the fourth dy'd in the heat of the troubles of Rome which the Colonna's and Vrsini had divided into two Factions The Cardinal of Santa Cecilia a Genoese and of the house of Cybo but originally of Rhodes as being the place where his Father was born succeeded Sixtus in the Government of the Church by the name of Innocent the Eighth He was no sooner elected but he wrote to the Grand Master in such terms as shew'd a particular esteem for his person Among other things
he exhorted him to maintain generously the interest of the holy See to shew himself an example to Christian Princes and at last assur'd him of his favour The Order said the Pope in his Brief of which you are the Chief is more dear to me then ever and if God favour our designs you shall alwaies find me ready to oblige you in whatever concerns yours or the honour of the Order The Grand Master receiv'd this Letter like a true Son of the Church and presently sent his Embassadors to Rome to tender his obedience to the new Pope Edward de Carmandin Bayly of Lango and Will Caoursin Vice Chancellour of the Order were the chief of the Embassy who made their entry into Rome with an extraordinary Pomp and five days after had audience of the Pope in the presence of all the Princes Embassadours and a great number of prelates Caouersin in that renowned assembly made a speech full of piety and eloquence He first acknowledg'd the authority of the holy See and Innocent for the Vicar of Christ and Peters successour Then in particular he declar'd the Grand Master's joy for the election of his Holiness and the hopes which the Rhodians had to see Christnanism flourish under the pontificat of a Pope so zealous for the Christian faith After that he recounted the victories which the Knights had obtain'd against the infidels particularly in the last siege of Rhodes And lastly he offer'd his Holiness the service of the Knigths assuring him that they should esteem themselves happy to spend their blood to the last drop in the defence of the Holy See The Pope return'd an answer himself to Caoursin's speech Wherein after he had in general terms extold the valour and zeal of the Knights he dilated upon the merits of the Grand Master and confess'd that the Church was infinitely oblig'd to him The next week the Embassadours had a particular conference with the Pope at what time they presented to him a precious stone of an extraordinary figure and colour several exquisite perfumes and a rich Vase full of pure Indian Balsom But the Pope who desir'd nothing more then to restore peace to Italy and who sear'd nothing more then an invasion of the Infidels turn'd his discourse upon Zizim and told the Embassadours that for the good of Christendom it seemd very necessary that he should be brought to Rome or to some other City of the Ecclesiastick estate The Embassadours not having any commission in that particular they could return no answer only that they would signify his Holiness's pleasure to the Grand Master However they receiv'd several favours before their departure had the honour to carry his Canopy upon the purification of the Virgin with the Embassadours of Naples Milan and Florence But as a particular grace to the Order he granted to the Prior of the Church of Rhodes a power to remit all sins which are reserv'd to the Holy See to alter vows to absolve from oaths from Irregularity and Simony He gave them liberty also to have a portative Altar to say Mass either by Sea or Land as also before day and in places forbidden by Ecclesiastical censure In the mean time the King of Naples who after the death of Sixtus was terribly afraid lest the Venetians should molest his dominions and that the Turk should come to revenge their quarrel desir'd more earnestly then ever to have Zizim in his possession To which purpose he wrote new Letters to Rhodes which he deliver'd to the Embassadours who pass'd through Naples in their return home But while Innocent and Ferdinand demanded Zizim from the Grand Master the Soldau of Egypt urg'd the same request Caerbei had in relligence that the Great Turk was about to enter Caramania with a powerful Army to punish Caraman So that he was afraid lest the Turks should soon after carry their arms into Syria and he knew no other expedient to stop Bajazet then to oppose Zizim against him But the arrival of the Baily of Lango and the Vice Chancellour of the order drew him out of that perplexity whereinto the Embassadour from Egypt had plung'd him for when he understood the Popes Intentions as to what concern'd Zizim he gave the Soldan's Embassadour to understand that the Soveraign Priest of Christendom having a designe to send for the Ottoman Prince to Rome the Knights could not dispose of his person not determine any thing without the consent of the Holy See to which the order of St. John was particularly subject In the same manner he excus'd himself to King Ferdinand accompanying his excuse with many civilities not being willing to displease a Prince whom he could not gratisy yet desir'd to serve But in regard he knew the Pope was not able with his forces alone to undertake any considerable enterprize and believing withal that should he send Zizim into the Ecclesiastical state he should put an obstacle to the Holy league through the jealousies which the Christian Princes would be subjest to apprehend he represented to his Holiness withal the earnestness and respect that might be that he could not let go Zizim without exposing Christendom to manifest misfortunes That such a change would give suspition to Bajazet and enforce him perhaps to put to Sea and land in Italy He added also that the Invasion of the Infidels was very much to be fear'd before all Europe was first united against them However that he would submit the affair to his Holiness whose prudence and justice he very well understood It was about this time that the Grand Master did a very eminent piece of service for the Genoeses in protecting for them the Island of Scio which was under their subjection by the gift of Andronicus Paleologus after they had restor'd him to his throne For Francis de Medicis scourd all the Levant Seas with a well arm'd Galliot and had taken considerable prizes from the Turks near the Island of Scio. The parties concern'd complain'd to the Cady of Tire who was a person of great credit in the Ottoman Port and orderd their business so well either by presents or false testimonies that the Mahomet Judge condemn'd the people of the Island to make good all the losses which the Turks had sustain'd as if the Islanders had shar'd with the Galliot because the Captain had taken in fresh provisions in the Island The Grand Signior also confirms the Cadi's sentence But to chastize the Island the more severely which at Constantinople was accompted a Receptacle for Theives and Pirates he laid upon them a most enormous tax and threatn'd the Islanders with ruin if they did not speedily pay it down The inhabitants resolv'd to justify themselves at the Port and to represent humbly to the Grand Signior their inability to pay such great sums But the Barbarian would hearken neither to their reasons not their prayers and commanded his Vassels to go and sack Scio. The Islanders had bin lost without hope if the
the Turkish Army at his own doors And therefore whatever strength the Cairbie had he thought himself but weak without the assistance of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem For that reason to engage them to his Interests he dispatch'd to Rhodes Riccio de Marini a Gentleman of Cyprus and the same person who formerly came to serve Queen Charlotta against the Republick of Venice Marini had Instructions to declare to the Knights that the advantages which they had gain'd in so many encounters against the Turks put the Soldan in hopes of a happy success provided they would embrace his quarrel and that he should think himself invincible if he could but have Prince Zizim at the head of his Troops The Grand Master sensible of the generous proceeding of Cairbei toward Zizim almost forgot the ill usage which the Rhodians had receiv'd at his hands and therefore he very civilly testified to his Embassadour that he was very much troubl'd that the present condition of the Rhodian Affairs would not permit him to assist Egypt That the Knights of Rhodes had made a peace with the Turks and that they alwaies religiously observ'd the faith of Treaties But in regard the Grand Master desir'd nothing more then to see two potent enemies of Christianity destroy one another he added that since the refusal of Zizim's Wife and Children was the only cause of Bajazet's anger it was his advice that the Soldan should go on with the War not doubting but that Heaven would favour so just a Cause as his As for Zizim whom the Soldan requested he told the Emdassadour at length that he could conclude nothing without advice from Rome But that he would write to the Pope and signifie to him that the Soldan had provok'd Bajazet to make War upon him only for detaining and preserving the Wise and Children of Zizim unwilling to sacrifice to his Brothers fury what Zizim had most dear in the world The Grand Master's answer satisfi'd the Egyptians and rais'd their courages which the defeat of the Grand Caraman their neighbour had almost dejected For the Ottoman Army consisting of a hundred thousand men being got by several ways into Caramania and having quarter'd themselves between Pyramus the Sar and Cidnus near the old Castle of Adena and the ruins of the ancient City of Tarsus the Egyptian forces that were not above fifty thousand strong presented themselves in view of the Turks upon the banks of Pyramus after they had cross'd with an extraordinary swiftness the famous streights that separate Syria from Caramania The Souldiers that compos'd the Egyptian Army were call'd Corcassian Mamalucks all Christians that had renounc'd their Religion or else never profess'd any being ravish'd from their Mothers breasts and bred up in war from their Infancy The Eunuch Basha General of the Turkish Army gave them no time to rest but attacqu'd them with fifty thousand Horse before they had time to understand the Ground It was in one of those plaines that extend to the Mountain Aman and where Alexander defeated Darius that the Captain of the Spahi's having pass'd the Pyramus over the Bridg of Adena went on to assail the Mamalukes Wearied as they were they bore with an extraordinary vigour the first brunt and fell on with such fury that the Assailants were forc'd to defend themselves After an obstinate fight which Night parted the Mamalukes remain'd Masters of the Field Above thirty thousand Turks were slain upon the place the rest sav'd themselves in the Mountains or else retir'd to the Castle of Adena which they had fortifi'd a little before though it were taken soon after by the Victors But that which made this victory more compleat was that the same day ten Gallies which Achmat Basha the Grand Signiours Son in Law and Admiral at Sea had sent from the rest of the fleet to wast the Coast of Syria were overtaken by a furious tempest and dash'd against the Rocks This misfortune constrain'd Achmat to return to Constantinople with the rest of the fleet Passing through the Channel of Rhodes in view of the City not content to salute the Knights by discharging all his great Guns he resolv'd to shew their Captain a particular Kindness For having set up a magnificent Pavilion in one of the fairest of his Gallies adorn'd with a great number of rich Pendants and Banners he sent a young Turk his Favourite call'd Osman to visit the Grand Master on his behalf The Gally enter'd the Port with the sound of Trumpets and Drums mix'd with the joyful acclamations of the Turks that attended Osman They were all richly habited nor had they the faces of men that made a shameful retreat When the young Turk came into the Grand Masters presence he saluted him after the Mussulman fashion and presented him a Letter wherein the Basha made him a thousand protestations of friendship and service Afterwards having presented him with several stuffs of great value and several rare pieces of workmanship he told him with a good grace that such a small present was not worth the famous Prince of the Rhodians The Grand Master would not be behind either in civility or liberality toward the Barbarians for besides the Caresses and the entertainment which he gave to Osman he sent one of his most Illustrious Commanders with all sort of refreshments for the fleet and rich presents for himself Scarce was Osman who stai'd not above 3 hour in Rhodes joyn'd with the fleet but the Grand Master had Intelligence of their defeat of which he heard not a word from them the spies which he had in most parts of Caramania and even in the Castle of Adena it self giving him an exact accompt hereof Besides that the Soldan himself well satisfi'd with the advantage he had won with his own forces fail'd not in honour of his dignity to give him a relation himself as the person who had foretold his success But this prospority did not blind Cairbey who knew it was not enough to vanquish unless he made advantage of his victory To this purpose he thought that an Embassie to the Pope might produce good effects and he communicated his thoughts to the Grand Master not daring to enterprise such a thing without his counsel nor hoping to obtain his desires without his intercession In the mean while the Pope who made it his business to unite the Christian Princes against the Turk was every day extraordinarily pressing for the removal of Zizim and he began to talk somewhat like a Commander For how mild and moderate soever Innocent might be in his particular conduct he was jealous of his authority and would make himself to be obeyd when he acted for the publick good The Grand Master who knew what obedience he and the rest of the Knights ow'd to the Pope as head of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem was not desirous to stay for an express command He therefore gave Zizim to understand the intentions of his holiness and finding the
that Ferdinand and Isabel who were then subduing the Moors did not allow a Castilian Pirate to be so vexatious to the Christians he sent against him the Knight Raymond Thivian with his Galley and another Man of War with a Crew of stout Knights who coming up with this Pirate pli'd him so warmly that he was constrained to yield after a vigorous resistance he was brought to Rhodes chain'd hand and foot and afterwards broken alive upon the Wheel his Goods that were Confiscated to the Grand Master were by his order distributed to the Merchants that he rob'd The Island of Lango was about this time afflicted with several calamities together a horrible and sudden Earthquake that lasted for several days threw down most part of the houses in the Countrey of Naranga and what was more lamentable this calamity happen'd in a time that a dreadful Contagion over-spread the Island It is not to be imagin'd how much the Grand Master was afflicted for the miseries of these poor people nor how great his cares were for their relief He sent two great Vessels laden with all necessaries for their support and caused the Lake of Naranga to be speedily cleansed and the Tyde to be let into it to carry away the noisome Vapours that might corrupt the air And so well his pains succeeded that the Contagion ceas'd so soon as the Lake was cleansed But these employments at home did not make the Grand Master forget his affairs abroad He continually sollicited the Pope to pacifie Italy and he besought him still to conclude with all the speed that might be a League between the Christian Princes But all these sollicitations and prayers took no effect Innocent died of a sudden and all those hopes that all good men had conceived died with him The advancement of Roderic Borgia by the name of Alexander the Sixth little avail'd to comfort the Grand Master for the loss which the Church had received The humour of the new Pope promised little good to Christendom for there was little good to be expected from a person who had purchased the Suffrages of the Cardinals to enjoy a place of which he knew himself unworthy He had been Protector of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem while he was Cardinal and by a Brief which he sent to the Grand Master he declar'd That the Knights of Rhodes should still be in his most favourable thoughts But the Effects were no way answerable to his words Alexander first shewed his Pontifical Authority by taking into his own possession the Person of Prince Zizim contrary to the Agreement made between Innocent and the Knights He shut up the Sultan the Castle of St. Angelo and dismissing the Knights who had always been about him put him into the possession of his Nephews of which one was a Knight of Rhodes His pretence was that a life so pretious as that of the Prince would be less exposed to the Ambuscado's of his Enemies in a strong place and that one Knight of Rhodes being near him the rest were needless in a place that did defend it self and these Excuses he sent by an Express to the Grand Master But the true motive that induc'd the Pope to this act was because that understanding the King of France was preparing for an Expedition into Italy he would have wherewithall to cross or promote his designs as he should judge most proper for his Interests For Charles the VIII did not onely intend the Conquest of Naples for Fame every where reported that he was resolved to have carried his Arms into Greece Whether this design were onely in thought or actually intended I will not dispute but certain it is that he communicated it to the Grand Prior Blanchefort whom the Affairs of the Order enforced to travel out of Italy into France and he testifi'd several times the earnest desire he had to see the Grand Master that he might consult with him about a Voyage beyond the Seas Zizim was extremely displeas'd to see himself in the hands of Alexander and under the Guard of his Nephews being always accustom'd to the Knights who had accompani'd him both in France and Italy As they had always great respect for him and in serving him had always sought to make his condition more pleasant he lov'd them tenderly and could not chuse but shed tears when he took his leave of them He did for them all that lay in the power of his Fortune he wrote to the Grand Master in their behalf representing to him the value of their services and assuring him that what ever favours he bestowed upon them he would put upon his own account as done to himself He besought him likewise not to abandon an unfortunate person who ow'd his life to him and from whom he could only hope for a change of his condition In the mean while Charles the 8th pass'd the Mountains at the head of all the Gallantry and Stoutness in his Kingdom and having cross'd like a Victor the half of Italy he march'd on and presented himself before Rome The Pope of whom he only demanded passage through his Countrey was afraid lest under that pretence he should make himself Master of the City but the presence of so great an Army would not permit him to listen to his fear he granted what he could not refuse And though the King by a publick Manifesto declar'd that he only came to Rome to accomplish a Vow that he had made and that he only went to Naples in his way to Constantinople yet he gave no credit to his words For Alexander who had no kindness at all for the French and had disoblig'd them upon several occasions easily imagin'd according to his Principles that they would not lose so fair an opportunity to revenge themselves But as he had a nimble craft he sought always to give them satisfaction and condescended to what-ever they desir'd He gave the young Conquerour the Investiture of both Sicilies and Crown'd him Emperour of Constantinople Besides that he deliver'd into his hands Sultan Zizim whom the King had chiefly requested out of a design to pursue his Conquests into the East after he had master'd Naples The Ottoman Prince was surrender'd to the French by a solemn Act and with a publick Ceremony where Alexander and Charles were present He saluted Charles after such a manner as neither bespake him a Barbarian nor a Prisoner After he had kiss'd his Shoulder and his Hand with a lofty Air he told the King That he hop'd the French would in his person consider the Ottoman Race and added that when they should cross over into Greece he should find a way to acknowledge their Civilities Charles was ravish'd with admiration of the Great Soul which he saw in the Sultan and treated him with so much Courtesie and Generosity that Zizim testifi'd his joy for being fall'n into the hands of so generous a Monarch They departed from Rome for Naples both together but the poor Prince who
and serve the Venetians The Grand Master who before he broke with the Turk was desirous to see the success of the War with Venice hesitated at first upon the proposal of his Nephew but the bus'ness being deliberated in Council it was order'd that the Grand Prior should have his liberty but that he should not take along with him above thirty Knights at most So that Blanchefort came to Modon at the same time that the French Ships arriv'd there As for the Venetian Fleet they had not so many Vessels as the Turks But they had better men and Ships more fit for fight The Turks therefore avoided meeting with the Christians minding onely to husband themselves for some greater Enterprise But the Adventurers of Rhodes desiring nothing more then a Battel press'd Grimani not to lose the opportunity And indeed they might have sought found and vanquish'd the Infidels had not the over-prudence of the Venetians rendred the heat of the French unprofitable But the Ottoman Fleet consisted of 260 Sail a number that astonish'd Grimani so that instead of engaging he did nothing but follow them aloof off Thereupon the Grand Prior and the French Admiral who had a full resolution to have signaliz'd themselves disgusted at the conduct of the General quitted him with a generous disdain The Infidels embolden'd by the Cowardice of the Venetians and by the retreat of the French fiercely skirted along the Coasts of Morca and enter'd into the Gulph of Lepanto whether Bajazet was come with his Army The City was taken almost in sight of Grimani who had not the courage to relieve it This untoward news very much troubl'd the Grand Master but the Pestilence that increas'd in Rhodes much more afflicted him He made excellent Orders to stop the Torrent of the Contagion and to the end the Barbarians might not attempt any thing at a time so seasonable for them he kept in pay four Galleys which his Nephew brought along with him from Provence and having re-inforc'd them with Knights and Souldiers he commanded them to cruise about the Islands wherein he did two good acts at one time for he preserv'd the Islands from Pirats and empti'd the City of a great number of People which might have been swept away by the Pestilence Lewis the XII who made himself Master of the Dutchy of Milan while the Turks took Lepanto and who had a design to re-conquer the Kingdom of Naples out of which the French had been driv'n thought himself oblig'd to assist the Venetians in the low Ebb of their Affairs but he was perswaded he could not do it unless he acted by consent with the Grand Master For that reason he sent to him two Heralds at Arms who carri'd a Letter also to the Port to the end that by his means they might travel safely through Turky and have a favourable Audience So soon as the Heralds came to Rhodes the Grand Master who had made no open Breach with the Turks wrote to Constantinople for Letters of safe Conduct To which Bajazet did not onely freely consent but gave order to the Basha's of Lycia to go and meet the Heralds of France and convoy them to the Port. Esarcho Centurino a man of good judgment and one of the principal Inhabitants of Rhodes departed along with them carrying a Letter of Credence to beseech the Grand Signior not to detain the Heralds long and to make some small Complement to his Highness as to the War which he made against the Venetians Now though the Letters from Lewis were very haughty and threaten'd the Ottoman Empire with the Force of France if he did not cease to molest the Venetians and restore all that had been taken from them Bajazet nevertheless receiv'd them very well nor did he send them back without good Words and magnificent Presents As the King of France had sent two Heralds by the way of Rhodes the Grand Signior by the same way also sent to the King of France two Grandees of the Port of which the one was called Sivanbeii and the other Musibeii to excuse himself likewise to the Grand Master In some sort he endeavour'd in a large Letter to lay the blame upon the Venetians and gave the reasons that mov'd him to declare War against them He pretended that the Venetians had violated the Faith of Treaties and the Right of Nations exercising all manner of violences upon the Turks of which to the end he might be believ'd he gave a long List And the more to defame the Venetians he added that the most Illustrious King of France knew well enough what wrongs they had done the French when being onely Duke of Orleans he accompani'd Charles the 8th to the Conquest of Naples when they proffer'd him ten Duckats for every Souldier to invade Italy alledging that if they did not stop the progress of the French Arms they would at length assail the Ottoman Empire All this the Grand Seignior wrote to justifie himself but mention'd not a word how Lodowic Sforza finding the King of France in League with the Venetians against him had invited the Ottoman Arms against them aggravating to the Port that Lewis the XII would certainly put in execution what Charles the VIII design'd for the Conquest of Milan and Naples In the mean time a Ship of Rhodes being bound from thence to the Coast of Egypt was attack'd by a Turkish Gallion near ro Alexandria The Knights who were in the Ship defended themselves stoutly and had reduc'd the Turk to the last extremity but when the Ship was just upon the point of yielding another Vessel well arm'd came to her relief so that the Knights were forc'd to quit her They made for Alexandria and putting up the Soldan's Colours enter'd the Port. But the Admiral of Alexandria a perfidious Brute without any regard either to the Peace and Laws of Nations made the Knights Pris'ners and sent them to Caire with all the Christians that were in the Ship The Grand Master conjectur'd by the attempt of the Gallion that the Turks had no intentions any longer to keep fair with the Order However he complain'd to the Soldan of the Admirals behaviour and that in high terms too as of a violence insupportable The Soldan understanding that such sharp complaints were as good as threats and that he that made them would be as good as his word disown'd the Admiral and releas'd the Pris'ners But the Grand Signior's proceedings were far different For all his Civilities to the Grand Master and his Embassie to the Court of France did not hinder the Infidels from continuing the War against the Venetians nor from invading Italy Twelve thousand Spahi's entred into Friuli through uncouth and difficult passages and putting all to Fire and Sword carri'd away above 20000 Christians into Slavery The Pope who minded nothing but the advancement of his Family till then had onely been a Spectator of the War but now he began to think himself concern'd when he saw the
which would be in two days at farthest with his good leave The Letter from Pesaro was larger and more rational the effect whereof was That whereas Ravestein had undertaken the Siege without advising with the Venetians he had also rais'd it of his own head That it was no wonder that an Enterprise so ill manag'd should have no better success That the French preparing for home there was no likelihood that the Venetians should stay at Meteline That they were making to Scio and that if it were his pleasure they should joyn with the Knights they were ready to do what he should think best for the good of Christendom Pesaro added that there was no heed to be given to the Popes Promise for that his Fifteen Gallies were onely in Idea That the Spanish Fleet was about Taranto and that the Portugal Fleet having gain'd Corfu was return'd home notwithstanding all the intreaties of the Venetians pretending they could not stay long out in bad weather in those Seas The Grand Master was more perplex'd at the ill success of the Enterprize of Meteline then surpriz'd at it But believing that the return of the French Fleet would do more harm to the Affairs of the League then the raising of the Siege he dispatch'd away a Foist to Naxi by which the French were to pass desiring Ravestein not to return till they had discours'd together He sent another to Scio to desire the Venetians to meet him at Naxi and to let them know that he had made great Preparations for their assistance that he had left Rhodes in a bad Season and almost contrary to the advice of his Council That the misfortune of Meteline was not past recovery and that they might return to the Siege with more success provided the French had not lost their courage He desired Pesaro to stay Ravenstein at what rate soever if they were yet together or earnestly to write to him if they were parted The Rhodian Fleet set sail from Lango presently after the Foists and in spight of contrary Winds arriv'd at length before Naxi But Ravensteins impatience to quit the Levant would not permit him to stay for the Knights He set sail precisely two days after he had wrote to the Grand Master according to the purport of his Letter the Prayers of the Venetians the Honour of France nor his own being able to stop him The Grand Master had not been so well appeas'd at the departure of the French had he not met the Venetians in sight of the Island After mutual Salutes of both Fleets Pesaro came aboard the Grand Master where after some deliberation upon the present state of Affairs they concluded together to write to all the Princes of the Croisade to engage them to let their Fleets be ready against the Spring They also agreed that the true way to ruine the Turk was not to make any attempts upon the Islands of the Archipelago the loss of which would do him but little harm but to force the Dardanels and besiege Gallipoli with a potent Army then to make up directly to Constantinople and fire the Fleet that usually rode in the Sea of Marmora which the Grand Master would undertake to do provided that Ladislaus perform'd his part upon Hungary side This being the condition of Affairs at that time the Grand Master took his leave of Pesaro and set sail for Rhodes three of the Venetian Galleys attending him out of respect The Rhodians who did not expect his Return so soon were pleasingly surpriz'd at it yet easily brookt the misfortune that restor'd them their Grand Master No sooner was he arriv'd but he had intelligence that several Turky Merchants Ships very richly laden were in the Seas of Syria and Egypt homeward bound The Council was of opinion that such a Booty was not to be let slip but that they should take this opportunity absolutely to break with the Port. Thereupon the Grand Master commanded out seven Gallies and some Boats to way-lay them The Knight Diomede de Villaragut Castellan of Emposta was nam'd Admiral of the Squadron He put to Sea and took the Ships so that the Prize almost recompenc'd the Expences which the Knights had been at But for all this small success the Master was not a little troubled at the slowness of the Princes He was sensibly afflicted to see the League half-broken and therefore to renew it again he sent Ambassadors to all the Christian Courts Who were no sooner departed but Ambassadors arriv'd from Ladislaus King of Hungary who after they had congratulated the Grand Master as General of the League assur'd him that the Hungarian Army was in readiness and therefore desir'd him to engage the Grand Caraman the Soldan of Egypt but above all the King of Persia to take up Arms against the Turk The Resolutions of Ladislaus extremely rejoyc'd the Grand Master but the Revolutions then hapning in Persia somewhat qualifi'd his joy Jacup the Son of Vssum Cassan succeeding his Father in the Kingdom of Persia was affraid lest Arduel his Cousin should one day usurp the Crown and his fear was upon good grounds Arduel publickly gave out that Ali was the true Interpreter of the Law and thereby he almost overthrew Mahumetism The People who are always dispos'd to receive Novelties and are easily govern'd by them that know how to tickle their fancies with Religion declar'd themselves for the Doctrine of Arduel Thereupon Jacup thought the favour of the People to be a sufficient crime for which to put him to death and rid himself of him without any noise And a little while after he gave the same order for Ishmael the Son of Arduel That order of the King of Persia was not so secret but Ishmael had notice of it Upon which he fled towards the Caspian Sea to a Prince that was one of his Friends and there immediately made a publick Profession of what his Father had taught him His comely Presence and his Eloquence soon begat him a high esteem among those Barbarous Nations even to be regarded as a kind of Deity for which reason they gave him the name of Sophi or Wise He dextrously kept up so fair a Reputation and believing it lawful for him to do any thing to obtain a Crown he got the King of Persia to be put to death by the very means of the Queen her self who hated her Husband and lov'd Ishmael After the death of Jacup Ishmael return'd into Persia with a great number of his followers who lookt upon him as a Prophet sent by God The most part of the Persians took his part so that having got together a good Army he march'd against Alvant who had tak'n possession of the Throne as being the eldest Son of Jacup The new King was driv'n first from his City then defeated in a great Battel and slain by Ishmael's own hand This fatal news quite dampt the courage of Alvant's Brother whose name was Maracatam and lay at Babylon with a numerous Army
So that in stead of marching against Ishmael he fled to the Mountains and abandon'd the Throne that belong'd to him to save his life Thus the Usurper became the Master and though all the Kingdom had not yet submitted to his Scepter he caus'd himself to be call'd King of Persia These Revolutions appear'd no way favourable to the King of Hungary nor to the intentions of the Grand Master There was no probability that Ishmael Sophi would engage in the Affairs of the League while Persia was not yet at Peace within it self and all those accidents were still to be fear'd that might ruine a new Dominion unjust and unsetl'd besides that the Successes of Ishmael naturally bred suspitions in the King of Caramania's breast Which reasons would not permit him to enterprize against the Turks when he had enough to do to secure himself at home Nor was the Soldan of Egypt in a better condition to favour the Princes of the Croisade for besides that he was embroil'd in the Domestick Dissentions of his own Court he fear'd the victorious Arms of Ishmael who by the advice giv'n him by Attula Turcoman threaten'd to begin his Conquests with those of Syria and Egypt when he had setl'd himself in Persia Nevertheless when the Grand Master better consider'd he bethought himself that the Troubles of Persia would be no way disadvantagious to the Enterprize of the Christians for that the Turk alarm'd with the Success of his Victorious Neighbour and Enemy would be oblig'd to keep very numerous Armies upon the Fronteers of Turky and that being thereby much weaken'd he might be the easier vanquish'd at home The noise of the League no less perplex'd Bajazet then the Revolutions of Persia Understanding therefote that the Grand Master was the Head and Soul of the Enterprize he be thought himself of dealing with him by the means of Sultan Corcut the best belov'd of all his Sons to whom he had giv'n the Government of Anatolia Corcut being well instructed by the Ministers of the Port what part he was to act sent very rich Presents to the Grand Master with a most obliging Letter wherein he requested his friendship and conjur'd him after a thousand offers of his services that they might live together in Amity and good Correspondence and that there might be a freedom of Trade between each others Subjects He added that his Father had given him all power in reference to a peace and that he was ready to do what ever the Knights desir'd But these fair words could not dazle the Grand Master He knew by the Turks themselves who were his Spies that the famous Pirate Camali who had fitted out several Vessels at Gallipoli for the service of Bajazet was just ready to set Sail out of the Straits with above fifty men of War to attack the Isles that belong'd to the Order So that without entring into any further Negotiation he frankly declar'd That being nominated General of the League by the Pope he could not forsake the Common Cause nor could hearken to any Peace which the Grand Seignior would not make with all the Princes of Christendom as well as with the Knights of Rhodes The Grand Master declar'd himself upon this point so much the more boldly because he knew that seven of the Popes Galleys were joyn'd to the Venetian Armado at the Island of Cerigo and that his Holiness was setting out thirteen more the care of which he had given to the Knight Fabricio de Caretta who was then at Genoa This news was brought to Rhodes by an Envoy of the Bishop of Baffo under whose Conduct the Galleys set Sail and who had also in Charge a Brief from the Pope to be deliver'd to the Grand Master This Brief contain'd many Applauses of the Grand Masters Actions and many Excuses of the Popes Neglect That he had the most sincere intentions in the world but that the misfortunes of the times would not suffer him to keep his word that he would repair what was past with advantage and send Twenty Galleys instead of Fifteen But to return to the Sophi He had no sooner establish'd his Throne partly by fair partly by foul means but he resolv'd to extend his Conquests Instead of advancing against Egypt as he intended he fell into Armenia with fourscore thousand fighting men drawn thither by the Neighbourhood and the hatred which he bore the Turks In this Expedition Ishmael soon mastered Armenia after he had cut in pieces above twenty thousand men Bajazet alarm'd by the Success of the Conqueror gather'd all his Forces together to defend himself but he could not believe himself able to resist so potent an Enemy while he was at odds with the Christians For that reason he made Propositions of Peace to the Grand Master and the Republick of Venice The Grand Master who had intelligence of every thing and in particular knew the Consternation of the Grand Signior fail'd not to give notice of it to the Pope that never a fairer opportunity offer'd it self to ruine the Common Enemy That Bajazet was oblig'd to go in Person against the Persian for want of a Basha experienc'd in Military Affairs in whom he could absolutely confide That the Sophi a liberal and affable Prince drew to his Party the Militia of the Grand Signior That there was no likelihood of any accord between Persia and Turky in regard a Conqueror hates nothing more then Peace Therefore he besought his Holiness not to neglect the opportunity that Providence presented But the Commotions in Italy render'd all these Remonstrances void For while the Turks and Persians make War one against another the French and Spaniards break the Peace which they had made They had contracted an Alliance against Frederick of Naples who succeeded Ferdinand his Nephew and had got possession of his Dominions by force of Arms. But Ambition soon divided them which it had united Lewis the XII and Ferdinand King of Castile became jealous each of other neither could endure a Competitor nor a Companion both of them claim the whole Kingdom which they had parted betwixt them And the differences of their Ministers touching the limits of their common Conquests serving for a pretence occasion'd a most bloody War that fill'd all Italy with horrour and confusion The Bishop of Baffo who had joyn'd himself with the Fleet of the Venetians had intelligence of the Rupture between the two Crowns at what time the Naval Army of the Venetians had taken the Island of Santa Maura from the Turk with the assistance of a Squadron of Knights which the Grand Master sent them and some Galleys of a French Captain call'd Pre' Jan de Bidoux a very understanding Seaman and a very stout Souldier Presently the Bishop gave a shrewd guess at the ill success of the League by the state of affairs in Italy and according to his Instructions he gave notice to the Grand Master That new divisions hinder'd his Holiness from being exact to his word
He added That of Twenty Galleys promis'd by the Holy See he had receiv'd but Thirteen That he could not keep them above four months without express command from the Pope which were almost expir'd and most certainly would not be prolong'd That the French Fleet would not come at all That Captain Pré Jan de Bidoux was gone from St. Maura upon the first intelligence of the Broils between France and Spain That the Venetians being resolv'd to fortifie St. Maura could not spare their Fleet any farther so that Winter being at hand he did not believe that the Confederate Princes would undertake any thing against the Turk this year However the eager longing which the Grand Master had to see the League renew'd and his joy for the taking Santa Maura made him believe that the flames of War between the French and Spaniards might be as easily extinguish'd as they were kindled upon this consideration he resolv'd not to give off so So that without taking any notice of the Bishop of Baffo's advice he fell again to writing to the Pope After he had congratulated the Pope for the Success of his Galleys in the taking Santa Manra he besought him to keep them still in readiness and to excite the Venetians to prepare the most powerful Armado they could He besought him to endeavour the reconciliation of the two Kings and to make use of all his Art in that particular He press'd with new vehemency the Emperour and other Kings particularly the King of England who was very powerful at Sea and who was very zealous for the Interests of the Church After which committing the rest into the hands of Providence he set himself to regulate the Customs both of the People and the Knights In the first place understanding that the Jews that dwelt in Rhodes led a very scandalous life and that their bad example was the occasion of many sins committed in the City he took up a resolution to expel them Having assembl'd a Council for this effect he set forth in a long discourse all the evil that the Trade of the Jews might produce among the Faithful and that an Order particularly consecrated to the defence of Christendom ought to abhor a Nation which was so much the Enemy of Christ himself Then he came in particular to the Jews of Rhodes whom the Prodigies of the last Siege and those upon the Wall had harden'd the more The Grand Master's judgment was approv'd in Council and they all decreed with one accord that the Jews should depart the Island and all the Territories of the Order within fifty days They were also forbid to settle in the East lest they should prove spies to the Turks and all that was permitted them was to put off their Goods in fourty days But all sorts of Liberty and priviledges were offer'd on the other side to those that would turn Christians As for their little Children it was decreed that they should be Baptiz'd whether their Parents would or no. And the Decree of Council was drawn in express terms That since it was the opinion of all Divines and Canonists that the Jews were the Slaves of the Christian Princes they had not the Right nor Jurisdiction of Parents over their Children So that the Grand Master might dispose of them for the good of Christendom and the Salvation of their Souls Thereupon according to the power of the Laws the Jews Children were Baptiz'd And lest they should renounce their Christianity when they came to years of discretion the Grand Master kept them at Rhodes and brought them up at the publick Charge in some measure doing the Duty and Office of a Father to them After this the Grand Master appli'd himself to examine the Statutes of the Order which the Vice-Chancellor Caoursin had reduc'd into a Method some years before Some he cancell'd that were grow nout of use the observation whereof did more harm then good serving onely to multiply Quarrels and Suits of Law Others he made new according to the Constitution of the present Time For seeing how far the Impiety and Luxury of the Knights had extended it self who liv'd more like Seculars and Libertines then men in Holy Orders he ordain'd That whosoe'er should swear by or blaspheme the Name of God or speak a word to the dishonour of the Virgin Mary or the Saints for the first fault should undergo the punishment of Lent for the second two months imprisonment in the Castle and for the third be put in the publick Prison during the pleasure of the Grand Master and the Council and that they that were put into these Prisons should lose three years priviledge of Precedency He also forbade that the Knights should habit themselves like other people of the world or wear any thing that had the least semblance of Gallantry or Vanity He order'd particularly that their habits should be plain and of one colour and that if any Knight disobey'd this Order besides the punishment of the Quarantine his Habit should be confiscate to the Publick Treasury But though he lov'd Modesty in Habit he was Magnificent in all things that concern'd the Ornament and Beautifying of the Church as the stately Tapestries Statues of Silver Crosses of Gold Chalices and Image-Chariots of Malta engraven with his Arms for the most part testifie to this day While he employ'd himself in this manner in expectation of his Embassie Letters in reference to the League the Spaniards who had for their Captain in the Kingdom of Naples Alexander Cordova sir-nam'd the Great Captain made most cruel War against the French and both Parties grew so violent one against another that there was no likelihood of Peace The Pope instead of labouring an accommodation and reconcilement between the two Nations as the Grand Master had desir'd him openly favour'd the Spaniards and fed the fire which he ought to have extinguish'd Besides he had no other thoughts in his head but how to Aggrandize Cesar Borgia his Son Duke of Valentinois whom he passionately lov'd so far as to dare any thing and think any thing lawful for his advancement and enrichment But that which directly ruin'd the Croisade was this That the Venetians tir'd with the War made Peace with the Turks after several private Negotiations wherein the Knights of Rhodes were not taken notice of in the least By this Peace the Venetians restord the Island of Santa Maura which Pesara had fortifi'd at great Expences and the Grand Signior engag'd himself to restore what he had taken from the Venetian Merchants from the begining of the War Ladislaus King of Hungary soon follow'd the example of the Republick making an agreement though not very Honourable with Bajazet These sad tidings pierc'd the very heart of the Grand Master and to add to his affliction he understood at the same time that his Holiness had conferr'd Commanderies of the Order upon Secular Persons and that he had promis'd the Priorie of Castile to Don Henry of Toledo
Considering neither the Priviledges of Innocent the VIII the Nature of the Revenues of the Order nor the Dignity of the Generalissimo of the League whom he had elected himself The Grand Master so highly resented such irregular proceedings that he wrote to the Pope and without swerving from that respect which he ow'd to the Chief of the Church and the Vicar of Christ he told Alexander his own as far as a real Zeal could inspire him But Alexander taking little notice of his Complaints continu'd his affronts and injuries to the Order and that with so much the more Liberty believing that now the Venetians had made Peace with the Turks he should have no more need of the Knights The League thus brok'n off and the proceedings of the Pope brought the Grand Master into a deep Melancholy that wasted him by degrees and at length cast him into a mortal distemper He began to fall ill the Eeve of St. John Baptists day But then he would not disclose that he ail'd any thing and was present at the Bonfires and at the publick Annual Ceremonies before the Castle for which there are extraordinary preparations in Honour of the Patron of the Order He also went in state to Church upon the Festival day and concealing his ill disposition of body perform'd all the Duties of a true Christian This striving against his Distemper out of Piety re-doubl'd the force of the disease so that in two days he fell so ill that the Physicians at first despair'd of his life nevertheless they were willing to try what Art could do But the Grand Master who perceiv'd himself near his end slighted his own preservation and told them with a smile That never having taken Physick it was dangerous for him to begin at his years However he submitted to the intreaties of his Nephew and the reasons of the Physicians notwithstanding his own natural reluctancy The Grand Masters sickness put all the City into a Consternation The Inhabitants like people in despair ran to the Castle and from the Castle to the Churches to implore of God the life of their Prince The whole City was fill'd with Vows Prayers and Processions But his sickness encreasing more and more he receiv'd the Sacrament of the Church with a lively Faith and an ardent Devotion which both edifi'd and pierc'd the hearts of all that stood by After that he call'd all the Knights of the Council and recollecting all the strength he had left My dear Brethren said he I have no more then one short moment to live therefore before I leave you take it not amiss that I exhort you to choose a Person more worthy then my self to succeed in my Place and that I conjure ye also to expend all your Honour in a generous defence of the Faith and in the observation of the Rules of the Order This is the favour that I beg of you as a dying man Hardly had he strength enough to pronounce the last words nor did he utter above two or three words more to comfort the Knights that shed tears round about his bed At length he gave them his Benediction as his Children and then lying quietly for some time with his eyes sometimes lifted up to Heaven sometimes fix'd upon the Crucifix he seem'd to be in a kind of discourse with God till he sweetly and mildly yielded up his last breath At the very moment of his expiration the Knights made so loud a noise of lamentation as eas'ly made known his death to the People assembl'd in the Palace Then was their sorrow soon express'd by their tears and wailings and after that by a deep silence as usually happens in extreme afflictions Thus di'd Peter D'Aubusson Grand Master of Rhodes Cardinal of St. Adrian Legate of the Holy See in Asia and nominated Generalissimo of the Holy League He was aged about fourscore years and he had govern'd the Order above twenty seven So soon as grief would permit the Knights to come to themselves they made it their bus'ness to render to the dead their last duties with all the Magnificence imaginable He was expos'd upon a Noble Bed of State Nor did the Ghastliness of death deprive him of that sweet and amiable Majesty that always appear'd in his countenance when alive Three Knights stood at the Beds head in Mourning one holding the Cardinals Cap another the Legats Cross and the third the Standard of Generalissimo Four other Knights held each of them a Banner whereon were embroider'd the Arms of the Order and those of D'Aubusson On each side of him stood two Altars dress'd up with Canopies over each on the one was laid the Dalmatick Gown the Mitre and all the Ornaments proper for a Cardinal Deacon On the other lay the Casque Corslet Half-Pike and Sword which the Grand Master made use of upon the day of the Grand Assault together with his Cloathes all stain'd with his own and the bloud of the Barbarians Two hundred Knights attended besides all in deep mourning The People that crowded to this fatal Spectacle could not forbear weeping bitterly they cri'd out They had lost their Father and then kiss'd his hands to ease their grief and took their last leaves His Obsequies were perform'd the next day following which the publick Grief contributed to render more solemn then all the Funeral Pomp. He was carri'd to the Church upon the shoulders of the principal Grand-Crosses and Interr'd in the Chappel he himself had built The first General Chapter that was held at Rhodes under Emery D'Amboise his Successor decreed That in Honour of the Memory of the Grand Master D'Aubusson the Order should at the Expence of the Publick Treasury erect him a Magnificent Tomb in Brass and that an Epitaph should be Engrav'd upon it reciting the most Illustrious Actions of his Life The Historians of the Order of St. John do not mention this Epigram and with all the diligence I have us'd I could never hear any thing more of it However the Encomiums which Popes Princes and Historians have given the famous Peter D'Aubusson may well supply the place of that Epitaph Sixtus the IV. and Innocent the VIII affirm in their Briefs that the Holy See was infinitely oblig'd to him and that they could not sufficiently acknowledge the Services he had done the Faithful in putting a stop by his cares and with the price of his own blood to the Conquests of Mahomet the Second the most Formidable Enemy of Christendom Alexander the Sixth confess'd That there was in the Grand Master a Sincere Faith an Heroick Valour an Exquisite Prudence and a most perfect Experience in all things that concern'd the War against the Turks The Emperour Maximilian Ferdinand of Castile and Matthias Corvin King of Hungary often call'd him in their Letters The Tamer of the Ottomans and the Support of the Church Caoursin calls him The Father of his Countrey the Protector of the Unfortunate and the Invincible Defender of Rhodes Victorellus in his
Additions to C. Ciaconius says That all was great in him his Wit his Courage and his Piety That being invested with the Sacred Purple he was never the more remiss in Military Duties and that he had perform'd at one time Actions worthy of a Holy Cardinal and a Generous Souldier The same Author adds That the Magnanimous D'Aubusson in all the Conduct of his Life had no other aim then onely the Glory of God and Honour of his Order That he govern'd his Subjects with as much Lenity as Justice and that his Paternal Goodness was principally eminent towards the Poor The Ecclesiastical History speaks of him as of a most admirable Person and one that merited all manner of Applause In short the History of the Knights of St. John extolls him above all the Grand Masters equals him to the Hero's of Antient times and propounds him as a Model to all the Princes of Christendom A CONTINUATION Of the HISTORY OF Rhodes Under the Government of Philip de Villiers Lisle Adam Containing the Siege of Solyman the Magnificent no less famous â—â—â—n that Mahomet the II. UPon the death of Peter D'Aubusson Emery D'Amboise Prior of France then absent was chosen in his place in whose time though Bajazet swore to besiege Rhodes with a puissant Army yet he attempted nothing He was a Prince vertuous valiant charitable and successful in his Enterpizes so that under his Government the Knights perform'd several notable Exploits to the honour of the Order and won among the rest that famous Victory at Sea from the Soldan of Egypt signaliz'd by the death of the Soldan's Nephew who commanded the Fleet. To Emery D'Amboise succeeded by a fair Election Guy de Blancefort Prior of Auvergne In his time Sultan Selim having caus'd his Father Bajazet to be strangl'd and put to death Achmac and Corcutt his two Brothers with their Wives and Children possess'd himself of the Empire wherein he was â—o sooner settl d but he design'd to lay siege to Rhodes The Report whereof alarum'd the Grand Master to make preparations for his defence wherein he proceeded as far as could be expected considering the short time of his Government for in less then a year he dy'd and left his place to be supply'd by the Admiral de Carretta who the first thing he did made a League with Ishmael Sophi the King of Persia against Selim. For understanding that the Turk still continu'd his vast preparations for War he thought it was but a piece of common Providence to provide for himself But the Storm fell upon the Soldan of Egypt who being overthrown in Battel lost all Syria together with his life in the first place and soon after his Successor having twice unfortunately fought Selim himself and being by him at length taken and hang'd upon one of the Gates of Caire lost all Egypt of which Selim made himself absolute Master But whether Selim intended any mischief against Rhodes or no his death hasten'd the fate of Rhodes for upon that the Empire fell to his Son Solymon the Magnificent the shock of whose fury and puissance upon the death of the Admiral Caretta Philip de Villiers Lisle Adam Prior of France was chosen to withstand being elected Grand Master the 22d of January 1521. whose deportment in so Grand a Siege would he too unkindly left out where D' Aubusson's Fame is so honourably expanded it being certain that never two Courages were better mated in story Never was a City more valiantly defended nor more valiantly lost And it is a question undetermin'd whether of the two got most Amurach by rising from it or Solyman by taking it while the one prudently sav'd the other became a meer prodigal of blood Philip de Villiers was absent at the time of his being elected and therefore Gabriel de Pomerols was chosen his Lieutenant till his arrival Which dignity while he executed he thought fit to send to the Pope a Model of the City of Rhodes that he might see how it was fortifi'd But that which might have prov'd of higher concern was the arrival of another Embassador from the Grand Sophi to continue that private correspondence which was begun with Carretta Unluckily he finds Carretta dead so that his Commission being at an end he went to visit Amurath the Son of Sultan Zelim in the behalf of the Sophi That young Prince was entertain'd by the Order at their own Expences in the Castle of Ferracla whither the Knights sent several Presents to the young Sultan that he might be able to gratifie the Embassador who soon after return'd home to his own Prince not so much as mentioning any thing of the business for which he was sent The Grand Master being in France at the time of his Election made all the haste he could to his charge departing from Marseilles in the Carrack of Rhodes together with four other hir'd Vessels But his Voyage seem'd to be somewhat inauspicious For one of the Vessels was split by the way and the great Carrack it self had like to have been burnt being all on fire through the carelesness of the Cook but was happily quench'd again through the industry and authority of the Grand Master More then this having past by Nice and Corsica a flash of lightning shot it self into the main Cabin of the Carrack and melted his Sword without hurting the Scabbard Which little accidents were by some interpreted as ill omens of the success of the Siege of the Rhodes that soon after happen'd Cortogoli also the Grand Turkish Pirate laid way to intercept the Grand Master with a great number of Gallys and Galeots partly out of hopes of booty partly to revenge the death of his Brothers which the Knights of Rhodes had slain and to set the third at liberty being then a slave in Rhodes However the Grand Master contrary to the advice and entreaties of the Knights and great Personages that attended him with full sails made the Cape of St. Angelo and in the might time pass'd the place where the Turks lay in wait for him and arriv'd safe in Rhodes Cortogoli mad that he had so miss'd his prey some time after enters into the Channel of Rhodes hoping by his unlookt for coming to find some opportunity to do mischief But being discover'd the Grand Master sent forth the Rhodian Fleet against him the sight whereof not only put him to flight but made him forsake a Vessel of Candia which he had almost taken While things were thus transacted at Rhodes Solyman being come to the Empire contrary to the Opinion of all men that he would be a peaceable Prince soon after displaying the inordinate Ambition of his Predecessors with a vast power of men besieg'd Belgrade in Hungary and took it This Victory swell'd him up so that burning with a desire to conquer Rhodes yet willing to conceal his design that he might the better make his preparations he sent an Embassador to the Grand Master to whom he deliver'd a
assisted them For the Italian Knights being inform'd that he conferr'd every day Commanderies in Italy to their detriment complain'd to the Council of Rhodes and desir'd leave that they might go altogether to Rome to make their complaints to his Holiness which Liberty considering the State of Affairs was at that time deny'd them Thus was the Pope the Occasion of an unseasonable disorder For upon this the Italians openly complain'd of the Grand Master while the Chancellor Amarall secretly blew the bellows of dissention and carry'd it so far as to deny their service to the Order and to obey the Commands of the Grand Master Thereupon the Grand Master depriv'd of their habit three of the Principal Ring-leaders Gabriel Solier James Palavicino and Lewis Moroso And to justifie himself he referr'd the whole to the consideration and examination of the Council who made their report that the Grand Master had done nothing but what was just prudent and rational However some of the Knights fearing the mischief of Commotion and Alteration at such a conjuncture made it their business to pacifie the Italians laying before them that the world would think and could not judge otherwise but that they sought for a pretence to go to Rome not so much for the sake of their Commanderies as to escape the danger of the approaching Siege Whereby the perswaders wrought so far that the Mutineers laid aside their anger made their excuses and return'd to the Obedience of the Grand Master who as kindly embrac'd and pardon'd them This bustle being over there arriv'd at Rhodes an Agent from Peri Basha who deliver'd a Letter to the Grand Master wherein the Basha invited him to a Treaty of Peace with the Grand Signior assuring him that if he sought it he should be well receiv'd and advising him withall to send for that purpose persons of Quality to the Port. The Embassador also deliver'd other Letters from the Grand Signior himself much to the same effect Most part of the Council considering the Age of Peri who was ancient and his known prudence and moderation had a good opinion of the Truth of the Embassie insomuch that they resolv'd to send to Constantinople the Chevalier Marquet Cataline and with him a Rhodian named Castrophylaca a person of great judgment and well skill'd in the Turkish Language to conclude a Peace in the same manner as it had been concluded in the time of D'Aubusson But when they were consulting about their Instructions some better considering of the business began to be of opinion that Peri was only a dissembler and observ'd that Solymans Letter gave no credence to that of Peri and that it was not practicable to send an Embassadour without a safe conduct in ample manner from the Grand Signiour While they were in these doubts the Grand Master was advertiz'd that Peri's Embassadour wandred about the City and with a diligent eye observ'd the Fortifications and made enquiries after the Quantity of Provisions the number of Souldiers and what relief was expected This open'd the eyes of the Council and gave them to understand that they were abus'd and that the Embassadour was only come as a spie Thereupon they presently sent him away ordering a Greek of mean Quality to go along with him to whom they gave two Letters one to Solyman the other to the Basha where in a few words the Grand Master declar'd that he had intelligence of every thing and that he had neither any thought or fear of the Grand Signiour or of his forces Nevertheless he desir'd a safe conduct for an Embassadour and offer'd to restrain the Incursions of those of the Order The Embassadour being arriv'd at Port Fisco found Horses there ready for him and went Post to Constantinople leaving the Greek behind who being unwilling to travel alone through an Enemies Country so far a journey return'd to Rhodes in the same Vessel that carry'd him By which miscarriage every one was then ascertain'd that the Embassie was but only a deceit and that the Town would suddainly be besiedg'd The City was well provided of Flesh pulse and wheat of which there was enough all the time of the siege as for warlike munitions it was thought there had bin enough though the Siege had lasted a whole year But they found it otherwise for they spent a great quantity to hinder the approaches of the Enemies Trenches besides the continual wast of powder and shot day night against so many thousands of busy Enemies Thereupon the Chevalier Antonie Bosio a person of a quick Capacity and one who did many services for the Order while he liv'd was sent into Candy for wine and to make a Levy of Archers but the Candiots afraid of the Turk forbid him to raise any men However under pretence of a convoy for his freight he brought away four hundred Archers which did eminent service all the time of the Siege The same Bosio met also upon the Sea with a Venetian whose name was Anthony Bonaldi coming from Alexandria in a great Vessel laden with Wine and bound for Constantinople But Bosio perswaded him to alter his Course and bring his Cargo to Rhodes where after he had sold his Wine he put himself and his men into the service of the Order and behav'd himself during the siege like a person of great valor And now intelligence came from all parts especially from the Duke of Nixia that the Galleys were lanching and that the whole fleet would depart at the Latter end of May. Thereupon the Grand Master caus'd a General Muster to be made as well of the Knights as of the other Souldiers As to those of the Habit there appear'd one and fifty of the Language of Province 26 of that of Auvergne Sixty two of France Forty seven of Italy Fifty one of Arragon Catalogne and Navar Eleven of England Six of Germany Fifty seven of Castile besides 13 others more that kept guard in the Castle of St. Nicholas The whole Garrison consisted of about 5000 men After the muster was thus made the Grand Master appointed to every Commander his particular duty what Posts what Bastions to keep or relieve as necessity requir'd and what Knights to be continually about his own person Particularly William Watson commanded the English Post Nicholas Hussey the English Bastion and Thomas Sheffeild was Captain of St. Anthonies Gate The City was in this posture when there was a signal made by fire from Fisco that there were some persons there which desir'd to parley Thereupon the Grand Master sent the Knigh Boniface D' Alluys a Provençal thither with his Gally When he came neer the place where the fire was certain horsemen that stood upon the shore gave the Knight to understand that they had a Letter to deliver from the Grand Signiour and invited him a shoar But the Knight too well understanding the humour of the Turks told them he had but a short time to stay and therefore if they had any thing
particularly they made a violent onset upon the Spanish Barbacan from which though they were at first repuls'd yet returning with such vast numbers the Rhodians were overwhilm'd and oppress'd by multitude and forc'd to retire into the City The Turks having gain'd the Barbacan presently came to the foot of the English wall and by the Ruins of the Barbacan got to the top of it and there planted several of their Colours The Citizens beholding the Extream danger they were in confess'd their folly and besought the Grand Master as the common Father to provide for their safety who gave them liberty to constitute Deputies of their own to attend Solyman and to procure particular security from him for themselves and order'd them to go along with the Chevalier Grollee The Grand Master however having some hopes of relief to the end he might temporize for a while sent Perucci first to shew to Solyman a Letter of Bajazet his Grandfather wherein he bequeath'd his malediction to those of his successours that should make war against Rhodes Perucci address'd himself to Achmat who desirous to see the Letter took it and having torn it to pieces threw it under his feet in great disdain Having so done he sent Perucci back to the Grand Master to tell him that if he did not suddenly return Solyman an answer he must expect to be miserable However the Grand Master had one more delay which was to offer to Solyman by the proposal of the Chevalier de Grollee otherwise call'd Passim the expences and charges of the whole siege if he would rise from before it But Achmat would not suffer any such word to be deliver'd to Solyman saying that Solyman had more regard to his honour and his Reputation then to all the Riches in the World At length the Grand Master finding no way to avoyd an agreement and that delay would be the Loss of all vanquish'd his own courage and overwhelm'd with grief and vexation gave his word to surrender the Town upon the conditions propos'd To which purpose he sent away the Chevalier Passim the Deputies of the Town who were presented to his Majesty to whom the Knights declar'd that the Grand Master was now resolv'd to surrender the City upon the conditions propos'd to him upon a full assurance in the faith and promises of his Majesty and humbly entreated him to favour the Inhabitants in the petition which they had to present to him for their peace and safety The Inhabitants besought him to remove his Army a little farther off that they might not receive any Injury either in their persons or goods and that those that would be gone might depart in safety Solyman accepted the offer of the Grand Master and promis'd to observe inviolably every article of the Capitulation That the Churches should not be profan'd that none of the Children should be carry'd away as Tribute Children to make Janissaries That the Christians should have the free exercise of their Religion That the Inhabitants should be exempt from all duties for five years That they that would might depart in three years with their Estates unmolested That Solyman should furnish the Order with Ships sufficient to carry them and their Subjects to Candy That they should carry off as many of their great Guns as they could Load That the Castles of St. Peter Lango and the other Islands and Fortresses belonging to the Order shall be surrender'd to Solyman After that Achmat sent into the City 400 Janisaries with an Aga to take possession and the Grand Master sent into the Camp for Hostages 25 Knights and as many Citizens who were by Achmat curteously entertain'd In the mean time Achmat came to visit the Grand Master in the Moat of the Spanish Post where after some discourse between them he gave the Grand Master Notice that Solyman was desirous to see him and therefore adviz'd him as his best course to go and wait upon him The Grand Master unwilling to provoke Solyman and to give him any occasion to break his word by being severe either to the Knights or the Rhodians resolv'd to follow Achmats advice The next morning therefore he went in a plain habit accompani'd with several of the Knights and after he had attended for some time before Solymans Tent he was presented with a noble Vest that Solyman gave him which so soon as he had put on he was introduc'd into the Grand Signiours Pavilion and kiss'd his hand Solyman receiv'd him curteously chear'd him up and told him by his interpreter that it was a common thing to loose or gain Cities and Signiories through the Instability of Fortune exhorted him to take his loss patiently and assur'd him of a most punctual performance of all his promises Then turning to his own people I cannot but pity said he this brave Man whom in his Old Age Necessity thus compels to abandon the Seat of his own Dominion The Grand Master return'd him thanks besought him to remember what he had promis'd and so taking his leave retir'd Solyman caus'd him to be guarded into the City and gave habits of honour to all the Knights that attended him Three days after Solyman himself rode to view the Trenches the Batteries the Breaches and the Tower of St. Nicholas Upon his return he enter'd the Palace attended only by Achmat and Ibrahim then a Page but highly belov'd by him and ask'd for the Grand Master When he saw him he made a kind of offer to raise his Turbant from his head with his hand out of respect not permitting the Grand Master to make any obeysance to him below his dignity Bidding him fear nothing and telling him withall if he had not time enough he would allow him more The Grand Master return'd him thanks but desir'd nothing more of him then to be mindful of his promise Thereupon Solyman remounted and having view'd the Church of St. John return'd to his Pavilion Upon New-years day the Grand Master having taken his leave of Solyman and embark'd as many of the choicest great Guns as the time would permit attended by all the Knights and as many of the best of the Citizens who rather chose to follow his fortunes then submit to the Tyranny of the Turks went aboard the Galleys appointed to carry the disconsolate Traine and the best of their goods and steer'd away for Candy Thus did The Order of St. John loose Rhodes after they had held and maintain'd it with so much constancy so much Expence of treasure and loss of blood against the whole power of the Barbarous Mahometans for the space of two hun-and thirty years FINIS Reynald Annal Ecclesiae An. 1495. * Fast fourty days and be whipt twice a week before the High Altar Anno 1503. Sept. 11. 1421.
the air tumbl'd every foot from the top of the Rocks either dead or wounded but their rooms were soon fill'd up so that it seem'd as if they had been still the same people that their blows took no effect Alexis of Tarsus one of the most valiant of the Turks was careful to supply the assault with fresh men He commanded that day in the place of the Basha who was detain'd sick in the Camp and his undauntedness gave so much courage to the Turks that they fought all wounded and bloody as they had been savage-beasts enrag'd at the sight of their blood and no way concern'd at the fear of death The Butcheries of the Barbarians rather redoubl'd then abated the courage of the Knights who fought like men that had nothing to be good husbands of but rather sought to kill then to defend themselves The Grand Master who perform'd all the offices of a good Captain and a private Souldier had his head-piece struck'n from his head with a stone But in regard he was neither wounded nor stunn'd with the blow he took a Hat instead of a Helmet and continu'd in the heat of the fight with his wonted tranquility however he was hit by several Arrows that pierc'd his Armour in several places These accidents caus'd the Knights to be very solicitous for their Captain And the Commander Carretta seeing many people fall about the Grand Master besought him earnestly to retire To whom the Grand Master smiling reply'd You have more to hope for then I to fear You will one day reap the fruit of my pains added he by a kind of Prophetical Spirit as it were foretelling the Commander that Heaven had desir'd him to be one day Grand Master of Rhodes The Vicount of Monteil shar'd with his Brother in the travel and the danger The artificial Fires and Cannon-shot that flew continually from the Town and the perpetual showers of Musquet-bullets Arrows and Stones wrought a most wonderful effect On the other side the Fire-ships set fire to several Galleys and the Arillery of the Garrison so ill entreated the Galleys that defended themselves from the Fire-ships that the enemies after they had in a short time lost above seven hunder'd of theirs were constrain'd to give way Now as it is usual to run from one extremity to another and that nothing is weaker then a Plunatick when the fitt is over these men valiant even to sury and who boasted to out brave death betook themselves to their heels with so much haste that the most part were drown'd flying So soon as the Turkish Galleys were rejoyn'd to the rest of the Fleet that lay before St. Steven's Mount and that the Tower of St. Nicholas was in no more danger the Grand Master enter'd the City together with Knights who had assisted him to drive out the enemy All the people receiv'd him as their Preserver with a thousand acclamations and throng'd after him to the Church of St. John Baptist whither he went to return thanks to God for the Victory he had gain'd not questioning but that so much happy success was an effect of divine protection The vexation of the Basha for the ill success of his first enterprise did not take from him the hope of succeeding in a second He was perswaded that by attacquing the City in the weakest part he should easily repair the loss which he had sustain'd To which purpose he caus'd eight great pieces of Cannon to be planted against the Jews Wall and threw up several Brest-works for the security of the Infidels He also lodg'd certain pieces of Cannon upon the point of land that enclos'd one of the little Golphs raising that battery to destroy the Mills that were built all along the Mole and thunder down the Tower of the Port directly opposite to that point of land The Grand Master slept not at all He knew that the Jews Wall could not long resist the Turks Cannons how thick or strong soever it were and that the only way to save the place was to entrench himself behind the Wall For which reason he caus'd several houses to be pull'd down and a deep Moat to be made large enough to put a stop to the Infidels in case they should come to assault the Breaches they should make He also built up behind the Moat a thick brick-wall with a good Terrass of Earth to sustain it They labour'd night and day to perfect these works and the Grand Master himself at the head of the Labourers was as active as any of the rest to carry Stones and Lime to advance the work by his presence Rich and Poor Men Women Maids and Religious people forgetting condition or sex wrought as common Labourers the very Children did what lay in their power doing more then the weakness of their age seem'd to permit apparently incited by something supernatural to the defence of Religion and their Countrey These new Fortifications were hardly finish'd when the Turks began their new Batteries The Bullets that flew continually and were of an extraordinary bigness astonished the Engineers of the City insomuch that the German Engineer confess'd that he never saw any thing like them before The Sea shoar resounded with most dreadful roarings of the Cannon the noise whereof was heard above forty Leagues from the Island But the effect was more terrible then the noise for besides that those Guns caus'd a kind of Earthquake when they went off the Batteries beat down all the Wall and made most dreadful breaches Besides the Mortar pieces which the Enemy had planted round the City threw up into the Air Stones of a vast bigness which falling upon the Tiles of the Houses made their entrance in and kill'd all that stood in their way and the horrible Ruin which they made caus'd a sad confusion in the City The Inhabitants who could be no where safe neither in their Houses nor in the Streets bogan to cry out and mutter of surrendring at what time the Grand Master bethought himself of an expedient which stifl'd the sedition in its infancy and sav'd the lives of an infinite company of people He order'd that the Women Children and persons that were of no use should all retire into the space which was between the Houses and the Ramparts upon the West side all which spase he cover'd with a most substantial roof compos'd of good Rafters joyn'd together and able to resist the weight of much bigger Stones The Turks who knew not that the Citizens had quitted their houses directed their Engines against those places which they thought most inhabited so that at last those murdrous showres took little effect The Souldiers and the Knights receiv'd but little harm whose Posts were like Bulworks no more then from the Artillery which the Turks plaid from a rising ground that did but little command the City The Basha who thought to have reduc'd the City by the discharge of his great pieces finding that the besieged spoke not a word of