vnto the Admirall of the Turkes gallies lying below in the riuer That he should at an appointed time come vp the riuer with his gallies as high as the fort and on that side at leastwise to make shew as if he would assault it at which time they of the towne would be likewise readie to sallie out and to assaile it indeed on the other side by land The Admirall accordingly came vp the riuer with his gallies and by discharging of certaine great pieces made shew as if he would on that side haue battered the fort but was so welcommed thereout of that he was glad with his rent gallies quickly to fall downe the riuer againe further off out of danger But whiles the thundering shot was thus flying too and fro towards the riuer they of the towne sallying out assaulted the fort on the other side toward the land and that with such desperat resolution that some of them were got vp to the top of the rampiers and there for the space of two houres maintained a most cruell fight wherein many of them were slaine and wounded and the rest enforced with shame to retire The Christians thus still lying at the siege and intentiue to all occasions partly by their espials and partly by such as they had taken prisoners vnderstood that a new supplie both of men and victuals was shortly to be put into STRIGONIVM and therefore sent out certaine companies of souldiors who lying in two conuenient places the one vpon the riuer the other by land might intercept the said supply Both which places were before by the prouident enemie possessed who suddenly assayling the Christians comming thither and fearing no such matter slew some of them and put the rest to flight who neuerthelesse in their retreat brake the bridge which the Turkes had made of boats vnder the castle of STRIGONIVM ouer Danubius Of which boats some were carried away with the violence of the streame and of the rest thirtie fell into the hands of the Christians without losse of any man more than fiue who making too much hast out of a little boat fell into the riuer so perished In this time Fame the forerunner of all great attempts had brought newes into the Christian campe That Sinan Bassa the Turks great Generall was comming to the reliefe of STRIGONIVM of whose power diuers diuersly reported But the greater part doubting the worst and wearie of the long siege and of the calamities incident thereunto added still something to the last report to make the danger of longer stay to seeme the greater certaine it is that the newes of the comming of so great and puissant an enemie raised many a troubled thought in the minds of so great a multitude Now were the besieged Turks in great wants in STRIGONIVM as appeared by letters intercepted from the Sanzacke to the Bassa of BVDA declaring vnto him the hard estate of the besieged and humbly crauing his promised helpe without which the citie could not for want of victuals possibly be defended by the fainting souldiors aboue three dayes Which letters being read in the campe caused great preparation to be made for the continuing of the siege and the withstanding of the enemie whose comming was euery houre expected All this while the great ordinance neuer ceased on either side wherby many were slaine as well of the Christians as of the Turks and amongst others many of the cannoniers But for as much as the rife fame of Sinan Bassaes comming encreased dayly and the Christian campe possessed with a generall feare gaue vnto the wise just suspition of some great mischiefe likely to ensue Matthias the Generall entered into counsell with countie Ferdinand Hardeck the lord Palfi the lord Vngenade president of the counsell for the warres and Erasmus Eraun gouernor of COMORA What were best to be done in so dangerous a time who with generall consent agreed betimes before the comming of Sinan to raise the siege and to remoue with the armie into some place of more safetie Which their determinat resolution the day following being the six and twentith of Iune they made knowne to the other princes and great commanders in the armie who wonderfully discontented therewith especially the Germans both openly by word and solemnely by writing protested against the same as most dishonourable and altogether made without their knowledge or good liking To whom the president of the counsell for their further satisfaction declared That the enemie was comming with a very great armie and euen now at hand whose strength encreased dayly and with what power hee had purposed to assaile them in their tents was vncertaine besides that it was manifestly knowne vnto the world how that in the former assaults they had lost many of their best souldiors beside others that died in the campe and that the place wherein they lay encamped was subject to many dangers For which so vrgent causes the Generall had resolued to raise his siege and before the comming of so strong an enemie to remoue his armie into a place of more safetie Which reasons for all that did not so well satisfie the Germane princes and commaunders but that they still vrged their former protestation requesting his excellencie to haue them excused before God and the world if they yeelding to his commaund as to their Generall did that which they thought not altogether best and which they would not haue otherwise done For the more euidence whereof the said Germane princes and great commaunders caused their said protestation to be solemnely conceiued in writing which they firmed with their seales and subscribed with their owne hands in order as followeth Francis duke of SAXONIE Augustus duke of BRVNSWICK Sebastian Schlick countie Wigand Maltzan Ernestus of ALSTAN Henry Phlugk Iohn Nicholas Ruswormb Henry Curwigger Heerrath Iohn of OBERHAVSEN Henry Rottcirch Melchior of NOTHVVITH But the Archduke with the rest constant in their former resolution first sent away the great ordinance and raising the siege the eight and twentith of Iune followed after with the whole armie passing ouer Danubius not farre from KOKARA doubtfully expecting what course Sinan the great Bassa who was then reported to be euen at hand would take Yet before their departure they set the old towne on fire and rased the fort S. Nicholas before taken from the enemie which they had once purposed to haue kept This vnexpected departure of the Christians much gladded the besieged Turkes who for want of victuals had not beene able long to haue holden out Yet lay the lord Teuffenbach still at the siege of HATVVAN labouring by all meanes to take from the besieged Turkes their water and with earth and faggots to fill vp their ditches which worke he had now happily brought to some good perfection Whereof they in the towne by letters aduertised the Bassa of BVDA and that except they were within the space of three daies relieued they should be enforced to yeeld the towne Which their distresse the
1015. lodeth six waggons with the heads of the slaine Christians 1016 g. spoyleth Turopolis l. deceiued by the Abbot of Siseg 1021 c. his threatening letters vnto the Abbot d. besiegeth Siseg 1022 g. in a great battell ouerthrowne 1023 a. drowned b. Hatwan besieged by the Christians 1093 d. taken by assault 1094 g. againe forsaken by the Christians i. Henry brother to Baldwin chosen second Emperour of the Latines in Constantinople 85 f Henry duke of Saxonie with a great armie sent into the Holy land by Henry the sixt Emperour of Germanie goeth accompanied with many great princes 73â— falling sicke of a feuer dieth 74 h Henry the French king by his embassadour solliciteth Solyman to inuade the king of Spaine his territories 767 c Heraclius the Greeke Emperour by the helpe of the Arabians recouereth Siria and the holy citie from Chosroe the Persian king 22 g Hoccata the Tartar by his captaines subdueth Armenia the greater Cholchis and Iberia 76 i. succeeding his father Zingis inuadeth the East and West part of Aâ—ia subdueth the East Indies and buildeth Cambalu 75â— driueth the Turks out of Persia and subdueth many countries 76 g Horruccius and Hariadenus how they of base pyrats aspired to the kingdome of Algiers 635 c. Horruccius his successe f. slaine and his head in triumph carried about in Spaine 636 h Hungarie deuided into two factions vpon the choice of Vladislaus king of Polonia 163 a. againe deuided vpon the dissention betwixt king Ferdinand and king Iohn 605 c. becommeth a prey vnto Solyman and by him conuerted into the forme of a prouince of the Turkish Empire 713 a Huniades by king Vladislaus made Vayuod of Transyluania 266 l. in a great battell ouerthroweth Isa Beg Amurath his lieutenant in Seruia 267 d. ouerthroweth Mesites Bassa and killeth him with twentie thousand Turks moe 269 e. of the spoile of the Turks sendeth a present vnto king Vladislaus and the Despot of Seruia 270 g. his most Christian speech to encourage his souldiours against the Turks 271 d. in a great and mortall battell ouerthroweth Abedin Bassa with his armie at Vascape 274 l. with ten thousand horsemen ouerthroweth a great armie of the Turks by night 277 f. eight times repulseth the Turks pursuing him in his retreat downe the mountaine Hemus 279 d. with a great slaughter discomfiteth Carambey the Bassa of Romania and taketh him prisoner 280 k. flying out of the battell of Varna taken prisoner by Dracula Vayuod of Valachia 298 i. by generall consent chosen Gouernour of Hungarie in the minoritie of king Ladislaus 304 l. goeth against the Turke 305 b. with a notable speech encourageth his souldiours against the Turkes 306 i. fighteth three daies together with Amurath in the plaines of Cossoua 307 d. ouercome flieth 309 b. falleth into the hands of two notable theeues e. in doubt of a shepheard is by him relieued 310 g. taken prisoner by the false Despot g. set at libertie reuengeth himselfe vpon him i. requested giueth him and against the Turks 311 a. his most Christianlike death 358 l. Hysmaell after the death of his father Haider flieth to his fathers friend Pyrchales 465 b. his behauiour in the time of his exile 466 g. recouereth his inheritance k. taketh Sumachia l. obtaineth Tauris 467 b. ouercommeth Eluan the Persian king and killeth him 468 g. peaceably receiued into Sâ—yras h. preacheth his fathers doctrine i. putteth Moratchamus to â—light and obtaineth the kingdome of Persia. 469 b. the inscription of his coyne d. commeth to his army at Coy 508 m. sendeth an herauld vnto Selymus 509 b. with thirtie thousand Persians giueth battell to Selymus with three hundred thousand Turks 510 i. wounded retireth 512 g. the cause why he came with so small an armie against Selymus 517 d. his large territories 518 h. the reason why he inuaded not Selymus wholly busied in the Aegiptian wars 560 h. I IAcup Arnaut slaine and his army discomfited by Scanderbeg 399 d the Ianizaries first instituted by Amurath the first 191 e. stand vpon their guard and reuiling Baiazet their Emperour refuse to receiue him amongst them 445 f. in mutinie against Selymus 512 m. vp in armes against Solyman for the vnworthie death of the noble Mustapha 764 i. vnwilling to goe in the quarrell of Selymus against his brother Baiazet 773 f. their insolent and threatening speech vnto Ferat Bassa their Generall 970 l. in a tumult at Constantinople 1005 d. in an vprore with the Spahi 1104 b. threaten the deposing of their Emperor 1115 c. in mutinie at Constantinople 1142 k Iathatines Sultan of Iconium succeedeth his father Aladin 86 i. besieging Antiochia is slaine by Theodorus Lascaris the Greeke Emperour 87 c Iathatines the second of that name Sultan of Iconium maketh great preparations against the Tartars 109 b. ouerthrowne flieth to the Greeke Emperour Theodorus for aid e. maketh peace with the Tartars and yeeldeth them a yearely tribute 109 f. againe by them oppressed flieth to Palaeologus the Emperour at Nice 114 l. dieth in exile 117 c Ibrahim Bassa by Amurath made Gouernour of Caire 980 l. oppresseth the people and enricheth himselfe 981 e. goeth against the Drusians 982 g. spoileth the country of Man-Ogli the Drusian lord 986 h. with fire and sword destroyeth the countrey of Seraphadin 987 a. createth Aly Ebnecarfus Bassa of the Drusians b. the rich presents by him giuen to Amurath and the ladies of the Court. 988 h. in danger to haue been taken 1095 d. flieth out of the battell of Agria 1097â— sent againe Generall into Hungarie 1104 l. commeth to Buda 1112 h. purposing war entreateth of peace i. with a great armie besiegeth Canisia 1131 b. hath the towne yeelded vnto him 1132 b. his letters vnto Countie Serinus 1133 b. returneth with his army to Belgrade c dieth 1134 l Imailer what men they be among the Turks 477 b Imirza stirreth vp Solyman against his brother Tamas the Persian king 751 d betrayed to his brother Tamas and by him murthered in prison 752 g Innocencie of great force 782 i Iohn Batazes made Emperour of the Greeks in Asia 97 d. taketh in many islands of the Aegeum and forâ—ageth the countrey of Thracia euen to the gates of Constantinople being very aged dieth 108 g Iohn Countie de Brenne by Innocentius the Pope appointed king of Ierusalem 87â— in derision called Roy â—ans ville 88 g. Iohn Castriot prince of Epirus for feare giueth his foure sonnes in hostage vnto Amurath 260 l Iohn Sepusius Vayuod of Transyluania chosen and crowned king of Hungarie 605 a. after the battell of Toccay flieth into Polonia 606 i. by Lascus his embassadour craueth aid of Solyman 607â— commeth to Solyman at Belgrade 609 b. by him restored to the kingdome of Hungarie 614 l. in his old yeares marrieth Isabella the daughter of king Sigismund 695 d. dieth 696 k Don Iohn of Austria Generall of the conâ—ederat princes forces 860 k. in a terrible fight encountreth with Haly Bassa in the battell of Lepanto 881
inuaded the countrey of CoeLESYRIA where spoiling all before them as they went they came and encamped vpon the sea coast neere vnto TYBERIAS Against whom Baldwin gathered the whole strength of his kingdome with whom also Tancred who now raigned in ANTIOCH the yoong Bohemund being dead with the countie of TRIPOLI and the rest of the Christian princes joyned their forces who altogether marching forward came and encamped not far from the enemie being in number far moe than they Mendus generall of the Turks armie for so I find him called vnderstanding of their approch sent out certaine companies of his men to skirmish with them against whom the Christians also sent out others who encountring them easily put them to flight being before commanded so to do of purpose to draw the Christians into the danger of a greater strength lying in ambush to intrap them which according to the Turks desire fell out For the Christians fiercely pursuing the flying enemie fell into the ambush and so before they were well aware were beset on euerie side with their enemies vnto the rescue of whom other companies of the Christians comming in and others likewise from the Turks both the great armies were at length drawn into the field where betwixt them was joyned a most fierce and terrible battell with great slaughter on both sides But at length the multitude of the Turks preuailing the Christians were put to the woorse and so glad to flie after whom the fierce enemy hardly followed not without great slaughter In which flight the king himselfe hardly escaped with Arnolphus the Patriarch Whilest Baldwin was thus busied abroad the Turks Sarasins from ASCALON came besieged IERVSALEM being then but weakly manned but hearing of the kings comming that the armie of the Christians dayly increased with new supplies out of the West by sea they retired home againe hauing burnt certaine storehouses full of corne and spoiled such things as was subject to their furie Long it were to recount all the hard conflicts and combats this king had with the Sarasins and Turks which for breuitie I passe ouer contented to haue briefly touched the greatest In the last yeere of his raigne hauing for certaine yeeres before liued in some reasonable peace he made an expedition into AEGYPT where he with much difficultie woon PHARAMIA a strong citie vpon the sea coast which he joyned vnto his owne kingdome After that he went to the mouth of the riuer NILVS and with great admiration learned the nature of that strange riuer And hauing therein taken abundance of fish returned into the citie and there with the same feasted himselfe with his friends But after dinner he began to feele the griefe of his old wound and growing thereof sicker and sicker returned with his armie toward IERVSALEM where by the way neere vnto a citie called LARIS he died to the great griefe of all the Christians in the yeere 1118. His dead bodie being brought backe vnto IERVSALEM was there roially buried neere vnto his brother Godfrey after he had raigned eighteene yeeres whose sepulchre is yet there also to be seene fast by the sepulchre of his brother The late king thus dead and buried the Christians with one consent made choise of his cousin Baldwin surnamed Brugensis gouernour of EDESSA who by the name of Baldwin the second was the second of Aprill in the yeere 1118 solemnly crowned king of IERVSALEM He was of stature tall and well proportioned of countenance comely and gratious hauing his haire thinne and yellow his beard mingled with some gray haires hanging downe to his breast his colour fresh and liuely for one of his yeeres He was a man of great courage and therefore no lesse redoubted of his enemies than beloued of his subjects who had in him reposed great hope both for the defence and enlarging of that new gained kingdome Against him the same Sommer the Caliph of AEGYPT aided by the king of DAMASCO and the Turks in reuenge of the losse he had in the expedition the yeere before receiued raised a great power to inuade him both by sea and land Against whom Baldwin also opposed himselfe with his whole strength and so came and encamped within the sight of his enemies In which sort when both armies had lyen the one facing the other by the space of three months they both rise the Christians fearing the multitude of the Turks and the Turks the valour of the Christians and so retired without any notably thing doing This yeere died Alexius the Greeke emperour who euen from the beginning of this sacred war secretly repined at the good successe of the Christians in SIRIA although his empire were thereby greatly enlarged after whome succeeded Calo Ioannes his sonne who all the time of his raigne right woorthily defended his territories in the lesser ASIA against the inuasion of the Turks Not long after Gazi one of the greatest princes of the Turks in the lesser ASIA with the king of DAMASCO and Debeis king of ARABIA joyning their forces together with a great armie inuading the countrey about ANTIOCH came and encamped not far from ALEPPO against whom Roger prince of ANTIOCH not expecting the comming of Baldwin and the other Christian princes his confederats but presuming of his owne strength went foorth with greater courage than discretion whereunto his successe was answerable for encountring with them at too much ods he was by them in a great battell ouerthrown wherein he himselfe was slaine with most part of his armie Of which so great a slaughter the place wherein this battell was fought was afterward called The field of Blood But whilst the Turks after so great a victorie carelesly and at pleasure roame vp and downe the countrey Baldwin setting vpon them ouerthrew them with a great slaughter and so put them to flight After this victorie gained by the Christians the fourteenth of August in the yeere 1120 king Baldwin in great triumph entred into ANTIOCH and so joyned that principalitie vnto his owne kingdome The yeer following the Turks with another armie inuaded the same country again for repressing of whom whilst Baldwin with the other Christian princes were making their preparations it fortuned that Gazi their great commander suddenly died of an Apoplexie vpon whose death they retired without further harme doing Neuerthelesse the next Spring the king of DAMASCO aided by the Arabians entred againe with a great power into the countrey about ANTIOCH and there did some harme for the Antiochians now destitute of their owne prince and Baldwin who had taken vpon him their protection being far off and otherwise busied at IERVSALEM were much more subject vnto the inrodes of their enemies still at hand than before when they had a prince of their owne still present amongst them But Baldwin aduertised thereof was making towards them with a puissant armie sooner than they had thought it could haue beene possible Of whose approch the Turks vnderstanding retired
inuaded by Almericus they praid aid of Noradin the Turke Sultan of DAMASCO who vnto their reliefe sending Saracon with an armie repulsed indeed the Christians but oppressing their libertie tooke vnto himselfe the kingdome which he left vnto his nephew Saladine in whose posteritie it remained vntill it was from them againe taken by the Circassian slaues the Mamalukes vnder whose seruile gouernment it was holden of long time vntill that by the great emperor of the Turkes Selymus the first it was againe conquered and the Mamalukes vtterly destroied In the gouernment of whose posteritie the mightie emperors of the Turks it hath euer since remained as part of their empire vntill this day as in the processe of this historie God willing shall appeare Saladin thus possessed of the great kingdome of AEGYPT and all things set in such order as he thought best for the newnesse of his state with a great armie entred into the land of PALESTINE in the yeare 1170 and there besieged DARON which towne he woon and ouerthrew such as were sent by king Almericus to haue relieued the same with which small victorie contenting himselfe as with the good beginning of his rising fortune he returned backe againe into his kingdome Yet was his armie so great and populous as that the like armie of the Turkes had neuer before beene seene in the Holy land Wherefore Almericus considering in what great danger he stood his kingdome now being on both sides beset by the Turks sent out his embassadours vnto the Christian princes of the West to craue their aid for the defence of that kingdome which their fathers had woon And for the same purpose went himselfe in person vnto the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE of whom he was royally entertained and afterwards sent backe loaded with the promises of great matters as were also his embassadours from the princes of the West All which for all that sorted vnto nothing but vanished into smoake The yeare following viz. 1171 Saladin besieged PETREA the metropoliticall citie of ARABIA but hearing that Almericus with a great power was comming to the reliefe thereof hee raised his siege and retired As he did also the next yeare after hauing in vaine attempted the strong castle of MONT-ROYALL on the further side of IORDAN In like manner also the third yeare he came againe into the Holy land and spoiled the countrey beyond IORDAN but hearing of the kings comming against him he foorthwith returned againe into AEGYPT All these light expeditions this politike prince made not so much for hope of victorie or to prooue his enemies strength as to traine his souldiers especially the effeminat Aegyptians and to make them sitter to serue him in his greater designes Shortly after died Noradin Sultan of DAMASCO and in his time a most notable champion of the Turks after he had raigned nine and twentie yeares Vpon whose death Almericus foorthwith besieged the citie of PANEADE in hope to haue againe recouered the same but he was by the widow of the late dead Sultan for a great summe of money and the deliuerie of certaine noble prisoners intreated to raise his siege and depart So hauing sent away his armie and trauelling with his ordinarie retinue to TIBERIAS where hee had the summer before beene sicke of the flix feeling himselfe not well he returned on horsebacke by NAZARETH and NEAPOLIS to HIERUSALEM where his old disease increasing vpon him he was also taken with a feuer wherewith after he had beene some few daies grieuously tormented hee requested his physitians with some gentle potion to loose his belly which was now somewhat staied which they refusing to do he commaunded the potion to be giuen him vpon his owne perill hap thereon what hap should which being giuen him and his belly againe loosed he seemed therewith to haue been at the first well eased but his woonted feauer with great vehemencie returning before his weake spent bodie could be with conuenient meats refreshed he suddenly died the tenth of Iuly in the yeare 1173 when he had raigned about ten yeares His dead bodie was with the great lamentation of all his subjects solemnly buried by his brothers Hee was a most wise prince and withall right valiant amongst many most fit for the gouernment and defence of that troublesome kingdome so hardly beset with the infidels if it had pleased God to haue giuen him longer life Foure daies after the death of Almericus was Baldwin his sonne then a youth about thirteene yeares old by the generall consent of the nobilitie chosen king and by Almericus the Patriarch in the temple with great solemnitie crowned in the yeare 1173 vnto whom as not yet by reason of his tender age fit himselfe to mannage the waightie affaires of the kingdome Raymund countie of TRIPOLIS was by the whole consent of the nobilitie appointed tutor to supply what was wanting in the yoong king Noradin Sultan of DAMASCO dead as is aforesaid left behind him Melechsala his sonne yet but a youth to succeed him in his kingdome Whose gouernment the nobilitie disdaining sent secretly for Saladin Sultan of Aegypt vnto whom at his comming they betrayed the citie of DAMASCO the regall seat of the Turkes in SYRIA Whereof Saladin possessed and entring into CELESIRIA without resistance tooke HELIOPOLIS EMISSA with the great citie of CESAREA and in fine all the whole kingdome of DAMASCO the citie of ARâ—THUSA onely excepted But thus to suffer Melechsala the young prince to be wronged and the kingdome of DAMASCO to be joyned vnto the kingdome of Aegypt was of the wiser sort thought not to stand with the safetie of the kingdome of HIERUSALEM lying in the middle betwixt them both Wherefore the countie of TRIPOLIS gouernour of that kingdome made out certaine forces to haue hindred his proceeding At which time also Cotobed prince of PARTHIA and Melechsalas vncle sent certaine troupes of Parthian horsemen to haue aided his distressed nephew who were by Saladin ouerthrowne and almost all slaine neere vnto ALEPPO where Melechsala lay As for the countie of TRIPOLIS and the other Christian princes with whom Saladin in the newnesse of his kingdome had no desire to fall out he appeased them with faire intreatie and rewards vnto the countie hee sent freely the hostages which yet lay for his ransome at EMISSA vnto the other princes he sent rich presents and therewith so contented them all that they returned without any thing doing against him After which time three or foure yeareâ— passed in great quietnesse to the great strengthening of him in those his new gotten kingdomes At length vpon the comming ouer of Philip earle of FLANDERS the Christian princes in SYRIA encouraged consulted of an expedition to be made into AEGIPT whereof Saladin hauing intelligence drew downe into that countrey the greatest part of his strength But Philip disliking of that expedition and the rather for that he saw no great cheerefulnesse in the countie of TRIPOLIS and the rest thereunto they
LYDIA euen from the windings of the famous riuer MaeANDER Southward vnto the EUXINE sea Northward he with the generall good liking of the people tooke vpon him the state of an emperour and so in the renowmed citie of NICE made the seat of his empire At the same time also Dauid and Alexius Comneni the nephews of the tyrant Andronicus sometime emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE by his sonne Manuel possessing the more Eastern countries of PONTVS GALATIA and CAPADOCIA erected vnto themselues another empire in TRAPEZOND where their posteritie of the honourable house of the Comneni raigned in great glorie many yeares after vntill their empire together with the empire of CONSTANTINOPLE was by the great emperour of the Turks Mahomet the second subuerted and brought to naught as shall bee afterward in due time and place declared Thus the Greeke empire exposed as it were to the generall spoile was no longer one but many empires Baldwin raigning in CONSTANTINOPLE the marques of MONT-FERRAT in THESSALIE Theodorus Lascaris at NICE Alexius Comnâ—nus in TRAPEZOND the Venetians in the islands all in royall dignitie Besides whom were many other â—eller princes which had here and there according to their abilitie seized vpon some one or other part of the empire and there erected their Toparâ—hies raigning therein as pettie kings as did Aldebrandinus in ATTALIA Michael Angelus in EPIRVS with diuers others too long to rehearse Baldwin as is aforesaid created emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE by the helpe of the Venetian Admirall Dandulus and other great commanders of the armie in short time brought vnder his obeisance all the cities of THRACIA excepting the citie of ADRIANOPLE whereunto the better sort of the discontented Greekes together with Theodorus Lascaris disdaining the gouernment of the Latines were fled as vnto a most safe sanctuarie which Baldwin knowing and withall desiring whilest yet he had his friends about him to set his new empire in some good stay without farther delay came and laid hard siege to the same Now the Greeks generally euill entreated by the Latines grieued to be gouerned by them were some of them fled into other their neighbours princes countries but especially into BVLGARIA otherwise called MISIA a large kingdome lying betwixt the great mountaine AEMVS and DANVEIVS by whose persuasion Iohn king of that countrey aided by the Scythians a fierce Northren people but lately come into those quarters and by the fugitiue Greekes themselues tooke vpon him to relieue the besieged citie and so with a great armie approching the same sent before certaine troupes of the Scythian archers on horsebacke to fetch in such booties of horses or cattle as they should find neere vnto the emperours campe and withall commaunded them that being charged by the imperials they should foorthwith retire so to draw them out of their trenches into the place where the king with the greatest part of his armie lay couertly to entrap them Which the Scythians well acquainted with such seruice so well performed vnder the leading of one Cozas their generall that hauing once or twice drawn their enemies vnto some light skirmishes and so retyring and ere long againe with a greater number returning they at length cunningly drew the emperour with all his armie in hope to doe some great matter vpon them euen as they wished into the place whereas the king with his armie lay in wait among the woods and mountaines for them where they wearied and out of breath in the former pursuit and now on euery side beset with fresh enemies were ouerthrowne with a great slaughter In which conflict to increase the losse Baldwin the emperour himselfe was taken and sent prisoner in bonds to TERNOVA where afterwards by the commandement of the Barbarous king he was most cruelly put to death hauing his hands and feet cut off and so dismembred was cast out into a deepe valley where he yet lay miserably breathing three daies after and so died leauing his bodie as fortunes scorne for a prey vnto the wild beasts and birds of the aire no man vouchsafing to burie it Thus perished this woorthie prince for his vertues commended euen of the Greeks themselues being about the age of three and thirtie yeeres and not hauing raigned yet a full yeare in the yeare of our Lord 1206. The victorie thus gained the citie relieued the barbarous king with his sauage souldiors hauing tasted the wealth of the Latins ouerthrowne in the late battell and the pleasures of THRACIA now subject to their lust greedily pursued their good fortune without respect of all humanitie the open countrey they ouerran spoiling whatsoeuer came to hand the rich and famous cities they rifled and afterward rased them downe to the ground namely SERRae PHILIPPOPOLIS APRI RHEDESTUM PERINTHUS DAONIUM ARCADIOPOLIS MESENA ZURULUS and ATHYRA the citizens and countrey people fled into the cities for refuge they put all to the sword without respect of age sex or condition except some few whom they carried away with them prisoners so that of all the prouinces of that rent and ruinated empire the countrey of THRACE was most miserable as first spoiled by the Latines and now laid desolat by the Bulgarians and Scythians Onely some few of the strongest cities as DIDYMOTICHUM and ADRIANOPLE valiantly defended by the Greekes and Latines escaped this furie of the Barbarians all the rest that fell into their hands being laid wast and desolat In this so troubled a State of the new erected Empire of the Latines in CONSTANTINOPLE the Latines made choise of Henrie the late Emperour Baldwins brother as of all others the fittest to succeed him in the empire who aided by the marquesse now king of THESSALIE and the other Latine princes notably repulsed the Barbarians and left them not vntill that at length he had recouered from them all such townes and cities as they had before taken and driuen them quite out of the countrey and so well established himselfe in his new empire But to leaue this dismembred empire now in the hands of many and to come neerer vnto our purpose Alexius Angelus the vsurper driuen out of the imperiall citie by the Latins to saue himselfe fled into THESSALIE and from thence vnto Leo Scurus then a man of great fame among the Greekes who tyrannising at NAUPLUS as had his father before him was in these troublesome times growne greater by surprising of the two famous cities of ARGOS and CORINTH by whose meanes he cunningly entrapped Alexius Ducas surnamed Murzufle the traitor and for a secret grudge not commonly knowne put out his eyes himselfe an exiled man being a most heauie enemie vnto the other also exiled and himselfe thrust out of the empire a deadly foe vnto the other oppressed with the like calamitie Shortly after which losse of his sight he was by chaunce taken by the Latines and so brought backe to CONSTANTINOPLE where he was for murdering the young emperour Alexius worthily condemned vnto a strange and horrible
repaire vnto CYPRUS as Robert duke of BURGUNDIE who hauing wintred in ACHAIA came now in the beginning of the Spring vnto the king with a number of good horsemen and with him William prince of ACHAIA with a great fleet out of PELOPONESUS which countrey with most part of GRECIA was then vnder the commaund of the Latines amongst others came also William surnamed Long-espie earle of SARISEURIE with a band of lustie tall souldiors So the armie being met together and all things againe in a readinesse king Lewes departing from CYPRUS and tossed at sea with cōtrary winds about fiue daies after fell with the coast of AEGIPT there with all his fleet came before the strong towne of DAMIATA being as we haue said the key of that kingdome The Sultan long before vnderstanding of the French kings purpose for the inuasion of his countrey had strongly fortified his frontier townes and put into them strong garrisons beside the great power he kept with himselfe in readinesse at all assaies as occasion should require Vpon the approch of the Christians the gouernour of DAMIATA was ready vpon the shore with a number of braue souldiers to keepe them from landing who neuerthelesse resolutely before set downe for the performing of that they came for manning foorth their long boats with their archers and crossebowes to beat the enemie from the shore ran a ground with their other small boats made of purpose for the landing of men and so without longer stay came to handie blowes where for a while was fought a most sharpe and cruell battell the Christians striuing to land and the Turkes to keepe them off many falling on both sides But what should an handfull doe against so many The Turkes oppressed with the multitude still landing more and more and hauing done what was possible for them to doe fled into the towne leauing behind them their gouernour with fiue hundred of their best souldiors dead vpon the shore This citie of DAMIATA was exceeding rich and populous and had in the former warres not been taken but by more than a yeares siege as is before declared and that not so much by the valour of the Christians as by the extremitie of the plague and famine since which time it had been strongly fortefied by the Turks with deepe ditches high wals and strong bulwarkes and was at that time well stored with victuals also and all things else for the enduring of a long siege Neuerthelesse the souldiors that were left and the citizens discouraged with the losse of their gouernour and remembrance of the miseries before endured in the former siege and seeing the Christians now readie againe to besiege the same the night following a little before the breake of day set fire euery man vpon his owne house and so by a bridge which they had made of boats fled ouer the great riuer breaking the bridge when they were ouer for feare their enemies should thereby haue followed after them The Christians perceiuing their flight without resistance entred the citie and being strangers did what they could to quench the fire and to saue that which the inhabitants themselues would faine haue with fire destroyed and so afterwards found great abundance of riches with plentifull store of all manner of victuals wherewith the souldiors both enriched and refreshed themselues This so happie vnexpected a victorie happened vnto the Christians about the beginning of October in the yeare 1249. Sultan Meledin himselfe discouraged with the losse of so strong a citie offered vnto the French king for the redeeming thereof and to haue peace at his hands more territorie in SIRIA and the land of PALESTINE than the Christians had of long time before which large offer was by the French especially by the earle of ARTHOI◠the kings brother proudly rejected and ALEXANDRIA the most famous port and metropoliticall citie of AEGIPT further demaunded to the great discontentment of the Turkes and Sarasins In these troubles died Meledin the old Sultan a man not much beloued of his people in whose stead Melechsala or Melexala as some call him a valiant and couragious prince well beloued of his subjects and but euen then returned out of SIRIA and ARABIA where he had been to craue aid of the other Mahometane princes was chosen Sultan Which princes especially the Sultan of DAMASCO although they had not of long been at any good accord among themselues or with the Aegyptian yet in this common danger of their superstition which by the losse of AEGIPT was like to be greatly weakned they joyned hands together and so sent him great aid The new Sultan thus strengthened drew neerer vnto the Christians which then lay encamped not farre from DAMIATA and had with them a hot skirmish wherein hee was put to the worse and so with some losse glad to retire But the Christians the next day in hope of like successe sallying out againe were ouerthrowne with ten times more losse than was he the day before and so faine to flie vnto the campe By which victorie the Sultan encouraged began now to conceiue better hope of the successe of his wars and by stopping the passages both by water and land to prouide that no victuals could without great perill bee brought either vnto the citie or the campe insomuch that at length victuals began to grow scarce in both whereof the Sultan was not ignorant as being thereof throughly informed by such fugitiues as for want or other causes oftentimes fled out of the French campe into his Winter thus passing and wants still increasing it fortuned that the gouernour of the great citie of CAIRE vpon the fortune whereof depended the state of the whole kingdome a man not euill affected vnto the Christian religion and in his heart highly offended with the Sultan for the death of his brother by him wrongfully executed by secret messengers persuaded the French king to come on with his armie to the citie the regall seat of the Sultan promising him to deliuer it into his power with full instructions what he had in all points to do for the gaining thereof Whereupon the king who had before of himselfe purposed the same exploit but now filled with a greater hope assembled together the greatest forces he was able to make At which time also he sent for the earle of SALISBURIE with the rest of the English men who for many proud indignities offered them by the French especially by the earle of ARTOIS the kings brother whereof they could haue no redresse were gone to PTOLEMAIS without purpose to haue any more serued in those warres But now being sent for by the king with promise of better vsage and honourable recompence for the wrongs past returned againe into AEGIPT there to doe their last endeuour With whose comming the king strengthened but more by the new supplies brought vnto him by his brother Alphonsus out of FRANCE leauing the duke of BURGUNDIE with a conuenient garison with the queene his
yet held it out by the space of six moneths After which time wants dayly more and more increasing among the besieged embassadours were sent out to the king to entreat with him of peace But whilest these embassadours go too and fro and reason vpon the capitulations of the desired peace behold a great and furious plague arose in the French campe which began to cut them downe by heapes there died Iohn Tristan countie of NEVERS the kings yoongest sonne borne in the first expedition that the said king his father made into the Holy land euen at such time as hee was taken prisoner which Tristan died the fiue and twentith day of August in the yeare of our Lord 1270. The good king hauing yet scarcely performed the obsequies of his sonne fell sicke of the bloodie flix wherof he there shortly after died also About which time arriued there Charles king of SICILIE the French kings brother with a great number of fresh souldiours whose comming lightned somewhat the Frenchmens hearts heauie for the death of their king and daunted the Moores before brag of the same Shortly after whom arriued there also prince Edward king Henrie the third his eldest sonne who trauelling through FRANCE and taking shipping at AQVESMORT not far from MARSEILLES was now in ten daies with a braue companie of Englishmen come to TVNES and there of the other Christian princes namely of Philip the French king his father Lewis being now dead of Charles king of SICILIE and of the two kings of NAVAR and ARAGON joyfully receiued But these princes had a little before his arriuall concluded a peace with the Moores king and the infidels vpon condition that he should pay a yearely tribute of fortie thousand crownes vnto the king of SICILIA and to suffer the Christian religion to be freely preached in his dominions by such deuout persons as should be there left for that purpose and that vnto such persons as should by their preaching bee conuerted vnto the faith in Christ Iesus it should be lawfull for them to be baptized and to professe the Christian religion Of which peace prince Edward vnderstanding did what hee might to haue dissuaded them from the same saying That the war was by them all taken in hand against the infidels as enemies vnto the crosse of Christ with whom they were not to haue peace and for the recouerie of the Holy citie But say what he would and what he could the peace to his great discontentment was now concluded which they might not as they said againe breake and thereuppon with the first faire wind hoissed saile and returned towards SICILIA with purpose the next Spring to haue gone into SYRIA which their determination was shortly after by the hand of God disappointed For being come vpon the cost of the island not far from DREPANVM most of the great princes and other nobilitie in their long boats went on land the rest of the fleet lying at anker about a league off for that being for the most part ships of great burthen they were not able to put into the harbour But as they so lay by force of a sudden and violent tempest then arising some were eaten vp with the wrought sea some falling foule one of another there perished together others driuen vpon the maine were there beaten in peeces so that of that great fleet before the storme ceassed perished about an hundred and twentie saile with all the people aâ— well marriners as souldiours left in them and great store both of armour and munition In 〈◊〉 sort that most of the common souldiours and marriners which had escaped the plague 〈◊〉 TVNES there vpon the coast of SICILIA perished by shipwracke Onely prince Edwards fleet being in number but thirteene ships escaped free without losse either of ship or man Neither were they that were got to land at DREPANVM in much better case the plague still following them whereof died Theobald king of NAVAR and Isabell his wife king Lewis his daughter Elizabeth the French queene with a woonderfull number of noble gentlemen and other common souldiours in such sort that Philip the French king discouraged with the greatnesse of the mortalitie and the miserable losse at sea resolued there to make an end of the intended warre and so returned into FRANCE as did the rest that were left euery man into his owne countrey Onely prince Edward hauing passed that Winter in SICILIA with the first of the next Spring set forward againe on his voyage and in fifteene dayes after arriued with his fleet at PTOLEMAIS where after he had by the space of a moneth rested himselfe and his souldiors after their long trauell and fully inquired of the state of the country hee with six or seuen thousand souldiors marching from PTOLEMAIS about twentie miles into the land tooke NAZARETH and put to sword all them he found therein and so againe returned After whom the enemies following in hope to haue taken him at some aduantage he vnderstanding thereof turned backe vpon them and killing a great number of them put the rest to â—light And after that about Midsummer vnderstanding that the Sarasins were againe making head at a place called CAKHOW about fortie miles off he set forwards towards them and comming vpon them early in the morning before they were aware slew aboue a thousand of them and dispersed the rest Aided also by the nobilitie of CYPRUS he with like successe as before made a third expedition against the Infidels insomuch that his fame began to grow great amongst them and they to stand of him in no little dread But whilest he thus preuailed he was by foule trecherie almost taken out of the way The Admirall of IOPPA faigning himselfe desirous to become a Christian and willing to further the princes proceedings had by a secret messenger and letters sundrie times intelligence with him as well concerning his owne good intertainement as the effecting of that which he had promised This messenger by the Admirall thus imployed was though to the prince vnknowne one of the Assasines a companie of most desperat and dangerous men among the Mahometanes who strongly deluded with the blind zeale of their superstition and accounting it meritorious by any meanes to kill any great enemie of their religion for the performance thereof as men prodigall of their liues desperately aduenture themselues vnto all kind of dangers So now this messenger before resolued to die comming the fift time vnto the prince and being searched for hauing any weapon about him as the manner was had accesse vnto him then lying in his chamber vpon his bed in his jerkin bare headed because of the heat of the weather where after due reuerence done hee pulled out certaine letters from his lord vnto the prince which he read with great delight as penned of purpose for to please But as hee was farther questioning with him of many matters and all the companie voided the desperat messenger making as though he
would haue pulled out some other secret letters suddainly pluckt out an enuenomed knife which he had secretly hidden about him thinking to haue strucke him into the bellie as he lay For the auoiding of which stroke the prince lifting vp his arme was therein greeuously wounded But as the villaine was about to haue doubled the stroke the prince with his foot gaue him such a blow that he felled him to the ground and with that starting vp caught him by the hand where in strugling with him for the knife in wresting it out of his hand hee hurt himselfe therewith in the forehead but getting it from him presently thrust it into the murtherers bellie and so slew him The princes seruants being not farre off and hearing the busteling came running in where finding the messenger dead on the floore one of them with a stoole beat out his braines whereat the prince tooke some displeasure for so striking a dead man This danger of the princes much troubled and grieued all the Christians in SYRIA and the more for that the wound in his arme after it had beene certaine dayes well dressed by the skilfull surgeons and physicians began to mortefie and grow blacke insomuch that they and others about him began to mutter among themselues and to looke heauily vpon the matter as not without danger Which he perceiuing said vnto them Why whisper you thus among your selues what see you in me can I not be healed tell me the truth and feare not whereunto one of them answered And like your highnesse we doubt not of your healing but that it will be painefull for you to suffer If suffering said he may againe restore my health I commit my selfe vnto you worke on me your skill and spare not So the next day they cut out all the dead and poysoned flesh ouâ— of his arme and in fifteene dayes after perfectly cured his wound to the great rejoycing of all his people The great Sultan to cleere himselfe of this so dishonourable a trecherie sent three of his noblemen vnto the prince calling to witnesse his false prophet that the same was done neyther by him noâ— his consent Which embassadours the prince honourably vsed but suffered them not to come nigh him So hauing taried eighteene moneths at PTOLEMAIS and no aid comming from the other Christian princes as was expected he tooke shipping and returning homeward landed first in SICILIA and from thence crossing ouer into APULIA and so trauelling to ROME was there honourably entertained by Gregorie the tenth then Pope and from thence by the way of FRANCE arriued in ENGLAND where he was shortly after crowned king in the yeare 1272 his father the old king Henrie the third being a little before his returne dead The yeare following Gregorie the tenth not ignorant of the hard estate of the Christians in SYRIA as hauing there ben of late himselfe with prince Edward at which time he was in his absence elected pope and now desirous to procure them some reliefe ratified the election of Rodolphus of HAPSPURGE vnto the empire vpon condition That he should promise to take vpon himselfe the crosse and to giue them reliefe for the performance whereof he offered vnto the emperour two hundred thousand crownes with the tenths both of the cleargie and temporaltie for sixe yeares and many goodly blessings were in his name also by the preachers of that time promised vnto all such as should with him take vpon them that sacred warre Whereupon the emperour with all his familie tooke vpon them the crosse the signe of the sacred expedition intended as did also the duke of LORRAINE shortly after with some others Neuerthelesse the emperour otherwaies busied in warres against the Bohemians and Bauarians and delaying still the time as not greatly willing to take vpon him so long and dangerous a journey and the Pope still threatening his high sentence of excommunication the time passed the Pope died and nothing was as yet done Vntill that at length the emperour hauing happily finished his warres in BOHEMIA and finding himselfe at some good leisure in some part to discharge his vow and to satisfie the expectation the world had of long conceiued of him sent Henrie prince of MEGAPOLIS or as the Germanes call it MECKELBURG with a strong power into SYRIA to performe what himselfe had promised Who comming to PTOLEMAIS made many notable incursions into the countrey about DAMASCO with fire and sword destroying all before him as he went and carrying thence many great and rich bootics vntill that at length he was by the Mamalukes circumuented and taken prisoner and so carried vnto the Sultan at CAIRE where he remained in strait prison sixe and twentie yeares after vntill that by chance one of the Mamalukes a renegate Germane being chosen Sultan caused him to be brought before him and at his comming demaunded of him If it would not doe him good to celebrate the remembrance of the natiuitie of his Christ with his friends in GERMANIE for now that time of the yeare was at hand And I know said the Sultan that thou art so addicted vnto thy superstition that thou respectest the same more than thy libertie Truth said Henrie mightie prince for libertie would auaile me nothing if Christ by his most milde incarnation had not taken away our captiuitie and therefore how much all men owe vnto the reuerend remembrance thereof I would to God thou O king diddest also vnderstand which as I most heartely wish so I would I could thereof persuade thee God forbid said the Sultan for I remember that at such time as I was cheefe enginer vnto thy father at KNESE-FENICKE in LIVONIA and there did him good seruice I was altogether of the Christian persuasion but now hauing left that common error haue therewith also changed my priuat fortune But as for thy religion I haue nothing to say my talke is only concerning thy libertie Wouldest thou therefore gladly be free and so returne home to thy friends That nature craueth said Henrie although my fortune gainesaieth which yet dependeth of your pleasure I desire indeed to returne home which if you shall denie me I must as I haue done take it in good part assuring my selfe that my wife Anastasia with my beloued sonnes Henrie Leo and Iohn haue long since celebrated my funerals and ended their mourning Thou art deceiued said the Sultan for I am sure that they know that thou yet liuest and pray most heartely for thy returne Truly I owe much vnto the remembrance of thy father and therefore this day giue thee thy libertie And hauing so said furnished him with all things necessarie and gaue him leaue to depart with one Martin his seruant who taken with him had borne him companie all the long time of his captiuitie So taking his leaue of the Sultan he came to PTOLEMAIS but shipping himselfe for CYPRUS he was by the way by certaine pyrats taken at sea and as a fugitiue captiue
brought backe againe vnto the Sultan Who pittying his hard fortune set him againe at libertie and by a ship set out for that purpose transported him into CYPRUS where he was by the queene of that Island his aunt as some say honorably entertained and so furnished of all things fit for his estate Departing thence he came to MARSIELLES where after he had some few daies refreshed himselfe he from thence trauelled by land home into his owne country where at the first he was not knowne of his own children and friends as being growne old in prison and by them long before accounted among the dead but now at last found againe and by them knowne he was of his children joyfully receiued as their father and of his subjects as their prince Howbeit he shortly after died and was honourably buried in the monasterie of DOBRAN Thus in the whole course of this historie it appeareth by that which is alreadie written what notable expeditions euen the greatest Christian princes of the West to their immortall glorie from time to time vndertooke against the enemies of Christ and his most sacred word and for the reliefe of the poore distressed Christians in SYRIA and in the land of PALESTINE wherof as diuers of them had right glorious successe vnto the great profit of the Christian common weale so some of them answered not with like euent as vndertaken with too small strength or otherwise ouerthrowne by the discord or mallice of the Christians themselues rather than by the enemies force Which neuerthelesse how vnfortunatly soeuer they fell out in the hands of such woorthie men as vndertooke them yet haue they this glorie commendation and comfort That they were taken in hand for the honor of the sonne of God Christ Iesus and the defence of his veritie against the false Prophet Mahomet and his most blasphemous doctrine so honourable and just a quarrell as might well beseeme the greatnesse of the greatest prince yea of all the princes of Christendome Yet could not the woorthinesse thereof euen in those more zealous times or the dangerous estate of that part of the Christian common-weale euen then like to perish as some others bee now or the lamentable complaints of the poore oppressed Christians crying out vnto their Christian brethren for aid any whit moue the Christian princes of that time with their combined forces to reach vnto them their helping hands or to yeeld vnto them any succour or reliefe for they little feeling those harmes so farre off and more regarding their owne hereditarie quarrels employed those forces one against another vnto the effusion of so much Christian blood as might haue sufficed not for reliefe of the distressed Christians in SYRIA onely but to haue regained whatsoeuer had beene before from them taken by the Turks or Sarasins The Germane princes were still at a jarre about the choice of their emperours the French agreed not with the English or them of the Low countries neither the English with the Scots the Arragonians were at oddes with the French and in Italie were almost as many deadly factions as prouinces Of which discord of the Christians the greatest occasion of their ruine and decay Melechsares the Aegyptian Sultan vnderstanding by his espials raised a great armie of the Mamalukes and others with a full purpose to haue vtterly rooted out all the remainders of the Christians in SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE and so to haue entirely joyned those two great countries vnto his owne kingdome But what he had so mischieuously deuised he liued not to bring to passe being in the middest of those his great designes taken away by suddaine death After whom Alphix or as some call him Elpis succeeding him in the kingdome and with a puissant armie entring into SYRIA laid siege to TRIPOLIS which he at length tooke by vndermining of it and put to sword all the Christians therein except such as by speedie flight had in time got themselues out of the danger and rased the cittie downe to the ground Which calamitie betided vnto the Christians the ninth of Aprill in the yeare 1289. Presently after he had the strong castle of NELESINE yeelded vnto him whereinto hee put a strong garrison to hinder the Christians from building againe the late destroyed citie In like manner also hee tooke the citties of SIDON and BERYTHUS which hee sacked and laied them flat with the ground And after that hee remooued to TYRE which after three moneths straight siege was by the cittizens now out of all hope of releefe yeelded vnto him vpon condition That they might with bag and baggage in safetie depart With like good fortune hee in short time and as it were without resistance tooke all the rest of the strong townes and castles which the Christians yet held in SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE excepting onely the cittie of PTOLEMAIS whereunto all the poore Christians fled as vnto a Sanctuarie to bee there defended by the honourable knights Templars and Hospitalers Nothing now left vnto them more than that strong cittie the Sultan of his owne accord made a peace with them for the space of fiue yeares fearing as was supposed to haue drawne vpon him all the Christian princes of the West if he should at once haue then vtterly rooted out all the Christians in those countries together The Christian affaires thus brought to the last cast in SYRIA and yet faintly as it were breathing by the benefit of the late obtained peace Peter Beluise master of the Templars with the Grand Master of the knights Hospitalers suddenly passed ouer as embassadours from the rest into EUROPE vnto Nicholaus Quartus then Pope crauing his fatherly aid who mooued with so great miseries of the poore afflicted Christians sollicited the other Christian princes to haue sent them reliefe especially Rodolph the Germaine emperour who then busied with the affaires of the empire and his troubles neerer home as were the other Christian princes also gaue good words but no helpe at all Yet some of them vnder the colour thereof got from their subjects great summes of money which they employed to their other worse vses onely the Pope sent fifteene hundred men at armes whom with deuout persuasion and much earnest preaching hee had induced to take vpon them that sacred expedition and entertained them of his owne charge vnto whom also many others out of diuers countries vpon a religious zeale joyned themselues as voluntarie men who meeting together at BRUNDUSIUM and there embarked with the two grand masters of the Templars and Hospitalers in safetie at length arriued at PTOLEMAIS There was then in the citie a great number of people of all sorts of able men there was about fiftie thousand and about fortie thousand of the weaker sort amongst whom diuers murders fellonies rapes and such other shamefull outrages all hasting the dreadfull judgements of God were daily committed and let passe vnregarded more than of them that were so injured For
ANGELO within fiue and thirtie daies after most miserably died in his madnesse as some report renting himselfe with his teeth and deuouring his owne fingers This worthie Tartar prince Cassanes by whom the Christian common weale might haue againe risen in SYRIA and the land of PALESTINE had not the pride of the great bishop and the dissention of the Christian princes hindered the same was as Aitonus writeth who was present in this warre following his vncle the Armenian king a man of a verie short stature and exceeding hard fauour but with valour bountie and other vertues of the mind plentifully recompensing what wanted in the feature of his bodie After whose departure into PERSIA Capcapus gouernour of DAMASCO considering that the power of the Tartars there left was not great and that no aid was to be expected from the other Christian princes of the West to recompense his former treason of reuolting from the Sultan with a new reuolt from the Tartar rise vp into open rebellion drawing after him not onely the citie of DAMASCO but the greatest part of SYRIA also whereof Molais gouernour of HIERUSALEM vnderstanding was about to haue gone against him with his Tartars but aduertised by his espials that Capcapus in this his conspiracie had compacted with the Aegyptian Sultan also perceiuing himselfe too weake to withstand so great a power he retired with his Tartars into MESOPOTAMIA there expecting new supplies both from Cassanes and the king of ARMENIA Of whose departure out of SYRIA the Aegyptian Sultan vnderstanding came directly with his armie to HIERUSALEM which he tooke being forsaken of the inhabitants and profaned the temple sparing onely the sepulchre of our Sauiour at the humble sute of the religious making there a greater shew of deuotion than of crueltie After that he woon all the other lesser townes which the Tartars had either kept for themselues or giuen to the other Christians and vtterly rased all the castles and forts of the Hospitalers and Templars which valiant men without other helpe for the space of almost a yeare held out against the Tyrant in which time most of them were honourably slaine the rest that were left aliue being taken by the enemie had neuerthelesse leaue giuen them with bag and baggage in safetie to depart hauing before by solemne oath for euer abjured the countrey of SYRIA and so these woorthie men the great ornaments of the Christian common weale the Hospitalers and Templars which to the vttermost of their power had by the space of 300 yeares right woorthily defended both the Christians the Christian religion against the infidels in SYRIA the Holy land were now for euer driuen out thence about the yeare of our Lord 1300 to the great dishonour of all Christendom Wherefore with them now taking our leaue of SYRIA and the Holy land leauing the same in the possession of the Aegyptian Sultan and the Mamalukes although it were shortly after like enough to haue beene againe recouered from them by the Tartars had not the death of the great Tartar prince Cassanes and their domesticall troubles letted we will againe returne vnto the troubled affaires of the Turks in the lesser ASIA whither the course of time had somwhat before called vs with the occurrents thereof more proper vnto our purpose and the argument we haue in hand but that all cannot be at once told And for the better vnderstanding of the desirous Reader I thought it not good abruptly to breake off the course of the aforesaid historie drawing so neere vnto an end but to make him partaker of the heauinesse thereof Now had the Turkes no kingdome left in the lesser ASIA and that also at the pleasure of Gazan the great Tartar Chan diuided betwixt Mesoot and Cei-Cubades as his vassals bound vnto him by a yearely tribut as is aforesaid who both kept in awe by the greatnesse of the Tartar did nothing woorth the remembrance but as they liued so also died almost buried in obscuritie Of these two Mesoot died without issue but Cei-Cubades departing left behind him his sonne Aladin who by the name of Aladin the second succeeding in the kingdome vnited againe the same before diuided yet paying still tribut vnto the Tartar his soueraigne as had his father with the other late Sultans of the Turks before him Much it was not that this Aladin did albeit that the power of the Tartars in his time began to decline not to lie so heauie vpon the Turks as before He was a man of a quiet spirit therefore much delighted in peace a great freind vnto Othoman the first founder of the glorious and mightie Othoman empire as in his life shall appeare But this Aladin the last of the Turkes Sultans of the Selzuccian family dying without issue one Sahib his Vesir-Azemes or chiefe counseller and then a man of greatest authoritie aspired vnto the kingdome which he had for most part himselfe swaied all the raigne of the late Sultan his master which vsurped soueraigntie no way vnto him due he could neither himselfe long hold or deliuer to his posteritie for that many others of the nobilitie men of great power and borne of greater families than he enuying at his honour and disdaining to be gouerned by him or any other no greater than themselues laid hold some vpon one countrey or prouince some vpon another where they were able to do most erecting vnto themselues greater or lesser Satrapies according to the measure of their owne strength and power without respect of any superioritie one should haue ouer another but euerie one of them absolutely commaunding ouer so much as he was able by strong hand to hold So that as it had oftentimes before chanced That great Monarchies destitute of their lawfull heires had in part or all become rich preis vnto such as could first lay strong hand vpon them euen so fell it now out in the great kingdom of the Turks euery one of their great princes measuring the greatnesse of his territorie not by the measure of his right but by the strength of his owne power Wherein they shared so well for themselues that Sahib at first in possession of all was in short time thrust quite out of all and so the great kingdome of the Turkes in the lesser ASIA brought vnto a meere Anarchie no king now left among them the whole kingdome being now diuided into diuers Satrapies or other lesser Toparchies The greatest of these princes that thus shared the Turkes kingdome amongst them was one Caraman Alusirius who as strongest tooke vnto himselfe the citie of ICONIUM the regall seat of the Turkish Sultans with all the great countrey of CILICIA and some part of the frontiers of the countries of LYCAONIA PAMPHILIA CARIA and the greater PHRIGIA as far as PHILADELPHIA and the citie of ANTIOCH vpon the riuer MEANDER All which large territorie was of him afterward called CARAMANIA and by the same name is
not regarding greatly whether so it were out of the emperours jurisdiction and something fitting their owne humors neither conforming themselues vnto the religion then commonly by the emperour established neither yet agreeing among themselues but taking vnto them diuers names some as the disciples of Arsenius some of Ioseph and some of others some of them themselues deceiued and deceiuing others also Thus for the auoiding of forraine danger out of the West was the empire at home no little indangered and the state thereof shaken Wherewith the emperour was so encombred as that he had no leisure to prouide for the tempest arising by the Turks out of the East but was inforced wholly to imploy himselfe and all his indeuours vnto the keeping of his people subjects in their due obedience at home All whose deepe deuises first in aspiring vnto the empire no way vnto him due and great trauels afterwards for the assuring of the same vnto himselfe and his posteritie against all right euen with the alteration of the religion of his fathers yeelded him in the winding vp of all not so much as the credit of an honourable sepulture But dying in these troubles not far from LISIMACHIA as he was making preparation against the prince of THESSALIE was there by his sonne Andronicus his commaundement for whose aduancement he had strained both his faith and honour obscurely buried in the field a good way from his campe as vnworthie of a better sepulture for reuolting from the antient religion of his ancestors although his obsequies were for fashion sake afterwards with some solemnitie celebrated This was the end of the great emperour Michaell Paleologus in whose time the Turks the successors of Aladin greatly incroched vpon him in the lesser ASIA as is in part before declared a man greatly adorned with the good gifts both of the bodie and the mind had he not for the aduancement of himselfe and his posteritie stained the same with foule trecherie and apostasie for which as some say he euer after liued in conscience troubled and dying was euen by his owne sonne not thought worthie of an honourable funerall A notable example vnto all such as with greedinesse seeke after vaine glorie and foolishly expose themselues vnto such aduentures as oftentimes ouerwhelme their deepest deuises hauing in themselues no certainetie preferring their inordinat desires either for themselues or their posteritie before that which is good and vertuous Twice wretched in so doing first in their folly and then in their indeuours Who beside that they find God himselfe against their designes and purposes they by and by also euidently meet with other things than what they had forecasted contrarie vnto them and so themselues oftentimes contrarie to their expectation cast headlong into extreame miserie for loe euen he of whom we now speake otherwise a man of great wisdome and happie in his doings ouercome with his affection towards his children in desiring to leaue vnto them the empire when as he ought to haue cast all the care both of himselfe and of them especially vpon the prouidence of God he like a blind man following his own deepe conceits not grounded vpon the fear of God but mans wisdome only cast himselfe before he was aware into miserable troubles and became odious euen vnto his subiects them also for whom he had so forgot himselfe For wheras God had euen from his childhood alotted vnto him the empire as was by many euident signes tokens to haue bin gathered if he could haue moderated his vntimely desires kept his tongue from periurie and his hands from blood and not turned out of the way after strange doctrine he had by many degrees excelled euen the best emperours his predecessors whereas now he lieth obscurely buried shrouded in the sheet of defame the report of his foule faithlesse dealings far exceeding all his other worthy vertues Andronicus Paleologus succeeding his father in the empire and thinking by restoring again the gouernment of the church together with the rites and customes of the Greeks to haue appeased all such troubles as were before by his father raised by bringing in those of the Latines found himselfe therein much deceiued and his troubles no lesse than his fathers they which had before receiued the Latine customes and well liking of them with great obstinacie defending the same and the other of the contrarie faction now countenanced by the emperor without modestie or measure insulting vpon them whereof arose exceeding great stirs and troubles especially in the beginning of his raigne to the great benefit of the encroaching Turks who in the meane time ceased not by all meanes to increase their territories in ASIA and not onely there but in the islands of the Mediterranean sea also For Andronicus by the death of Charles king of SICILIE deliuered of the greatest feare for which both he and his father before him had to their great cost and charge both built and maintained a strong fleet of gallies now persuaded by some whose actions and speeches were after the manner of the court all framed vnto the princes appetite as the readiest way to thâ—iue without respect of the coÌ„mon good to spare that needlesse charge as they tearmed it which yearely cost him more than any other thing else had discharged all his mariners and sea men and commanded all the gallies to be laied vp some in one creeke some in another where neglected not looked vnto they in time for most part rotted and perished As for the mariners they went some one way some another as their fortunes lead them to seeke for their liuings in forreine countries euen with the emperours enemies and some gaue themselues to husbandrie thinking it better by doing something to liue than by sitting still to perish which good husbandrie at the first seemed to be verie profitable vnto the emperour but especially vnto such as being neere vnto him and couetously giuen made small reckoning of all other the most necessarie defences of the empire in comparison of hoording vp of money vntill that it was afterwards too late by experience found hereof to haue sprung many great mischiefes vnto the great weakning of the Greeke empire For besides that the Turkes without lette did great harme on the sea the pirates now out of feare of the emperours gallies at their pleasure tooke the spoile of the rich Islands in the Mediteranian and robbed the townes all along the sea coast to the vnspeakable griefe of the poore countrie people And yet not so contented came with their gallies sometime two sometime three and sometime moe as it were in contempt euen close vnto the imperiall citie Yea the Venetians were so bold as vpon a right small displeasure to rifle and afterward to set fire vpon the suburbes thereof which they would hardly haue aduentured had the emperours fleet bene preserued and maintained in the woonted strength At the same time also Andronicus the emperour to the great hinderance
Orchanes made lord and gouernour of PRUSA after he had remooued his court to NICE And the castle of CHARA-CHIZAR with the seignorie thereto belonging he gaue to his cosin Artemuâ—e the sonne of his vncle Iundus There was at this time in Orchanes court a noble yong gentleman called Turson-beg the son of Charasis king of CHARASIA by whose persuasion Orchanes in person himselfe with a strong armie made an expedition into that countrey for that his fathers subjects after the death of the king his father denied their obedience to his elder brother wishing rather to haue Turson for their soueraigne In whose behalfe Orchanes taking that journey surprised by the way many castles and townes to his owne vse Orchanes was no sooner entred the countrey of CHARASIA but Tursons elder brother fled to PERGAMUM whither the Turks shortly pursued him Where Turson desirous to speake with his brother vnwarily approching the citie was wounded with an arrow shot from the wals and there slaine With whose death Orchanes was so greatly offended that he threatened to destroy the whole countrey with fire and sword if they did not by a day prefixed 〈◊〉 submit themselues to his mercie The people terrefied with this proclamation of so 〈…〉 alreadie in armes yeelded themselues vnto his subjection The kings sonne also 〈…〉 into PERGAMUM vpon reasonable conditions yeelded himselfe vnto Orchanes who 〈◊〉 him to PRUSA where after he had there liued two yeares died of the plague after whose death Orchanes made his son Solyman prince of CARASINA Neither is this taking in of the countrey of CARASINA to be accounted a small conquest one of the greatest houses of the Turks the successors of the Iconian Sultan Aladin now thereby taking end and their dominions which were not small as containing almost all LYDIA with some good parts of MISIA TROAS and the lesser PHRIGIA now vnited vnto the Othoman kingdome Orchanes vpon his returne for the good successe of this journey built a church and monasterie at PRUSA placing therein religious men with all diligence sought for out of all his kingdome of which religious the Turks write many fables better worth the smiling at than the serious reporting Hitherto the kingdome of Othoman and Orchanes his sonne was contained within the bounds of the lesser ASIA which the Turks call ANATOLIA Now it resteth to be shewed vpon what occasion Orchanes or rather his sonne Solyman Bassâ— as it were fatally with a small power first passed ouer HELLESPONTUS into EUROPE where they and their successors haue by little and little so enlarged their dominions that they haue now long ago quite ouerthrowne the Grecian empire with many other great kingdoms are at this present a terrour to all Christian princes bordering vpon them to the perpetuall infamie of the Greeks who for want of courage and busied with ciuile discord neuer sought in time to impeach their greatnesse Orchanes hauing now so augmented his kingdome that he might from many parts therof out of ASIA take view of the pleasant borders of EUROPE from whence he was excluded only by the narrow sea of HELLESPONTUS and continually incited with the vnsatiable and restlesse desire of soueraignetie began to deuise how he might possibly passe that strait sea and set foot into EUROPE another part of the world Which his conceit one day he imparted to his sonne Solyman who presently answered his father That if it would please him to giue him leaue he would not doubt to passe the strait of HELLESPONTUS and in time to plant the Mahometane religion in those countries of EUROPE possessed by the Christians Which answer of Solyman much pleased his father who gaue him leaue to depart into his countrey and in that matter to proceed further as he thought best and as occasion should best serue Solyman taking leaue of his father tooke his journey into CARASINA where riding vp and downe the country as it had bin for his pleasure only he made his way to the place where it is thought the famous citie of TROY sometime stood where yet as the Turks and some others say are to be seene the woonderfull ruines of that vnfortunate citie by the sea side In this place Solyman stood still a great while as it were in a studie forecasting as it seemed some great matter without speking one word to any of his followers When one of his chiefetains called Ezes-beg to put him out of his deep thoughts boldly said vnto him My lord and great soueraigne what strange thing is this that you are so deepely drowned in these your melancholy thoughts vndoubtedly it is some great matter that you are studying vpon Truth it is said Solyman for I was thinking how it were possible to passe ouer this sea of HELLESPONTUS into the borders of EUROPE and to take view of that countrey and so to returne vndiscouered If this bee the matter said Ezes-beg joyning vnto him one Fazil-Beg a man of no lesse valour than himselfe wee two will by the power of God performe â—nto you this enterprise Then was Solyman desirous to know of them about what place they would passe ouer which they well knowing the sea coast shewed him not far off Wherfore Solyman giuing them leaue they departed and shortly after making a little boat or rather as some suppose a raffe passed ouer HELLESPONTUS by night and arriued in EUROPE side neere vnto â— castle of the Turkes called ZEMENIC or ZEMBENIC but of the Greekes Coiridocastron that is to say The hogs castle not farre from SESTUS where going ashore they tooke prisoner a Greeke in a vineyard neere vnto the castle whom they finding to bee a good sensible fellow without delay put him into their boat or raffe and returning backe againe presented him to Solyman This Christian captiue Solyman entertained courteously giuing him great gifts and rich apparrell to discouer vnto him the estate of his countrey and in fine learned of him a meanes â—o take the castle of ZEMBENIC before the Christians should thereof be aware For atchieuement whereof certaine boats were speedily made readie by Solyman commaundement and he with eightie chosen souldiors easily passed ouer in them by night with their Christian guide the Greeke for in that place the strait betwixt ASIA and EUROPE is not past an Italian mile ouer This guide brought Solyman directly to the aforesaid castle where was a great dunghill so high that from the top thereof Solyman with his souldiors easily got into the castle which they woon without any great resistance for it was then haruest time and most part of the people were in the vineyards or treading out of their corne all night as the vse of those countries is Solyman thus possessed of the castle of ZEMBENIC vsed no extremitie against the inhabitants thereof seeking rather by courtesie to gaine their good wils than by extremitie to force them to his yet such gentlemen as he tooke with some others also of the better sort hee sent by shipping
the reuolt of Lazarus Despot of SERVIA was therewith much disquieted Wherefore he commanded Alâ—â—â—Bassa his cheefe counsellour with all speed to send foorth commissions into all parts of his kingdome for the leuying of a royall armie which was done in such post hast that it was thought he would haue taken the field before the beginning of the Spring At which time also the other Mahometane kings and princes of ASIA Caraman Ogli Teke Ogli and the rest bound vnto him by homage with diuers others of smaller power were sent for to aid him in this war who partly for feare and partly mooued with the zeale of their Mahometane superstition brought their forces with great deuotion Vnto this war against the Christians came also great numbers of the Mahometanes from far countries as voluntarie souldiors Baiazet his sonne also then gouernor of CUTAIE with a great part of GALATIA gathering all his forces came to aid his father in this religious war as it was by theÌ„ tearmed The Christian tributarie princes were not then forgotten of whom two came namely Custendyll and Seratzill other two forsaking Amurath came not which was Sasmenos prince of BULGARIA and the prince of VARNA and DOERITZA with whom Amurath was highly offended In the time of this so great a preparation old Lala Schahin Amurath his tutor and faithfull seruitor died being a man of great yeares and Temurtases was appointed gouernour in his place The reuolting of the two Christian princes Sasmenos and the prince of VARNA much grieued Amurath wherefore hee commaunded Alis Bassa with an armie of thirtie thousand to inuade and spoile Sasmenos his countrey now called BULGARIA and in antient time the lower MYSIA Alis Bassa according to that was giuen him in charge calling vnto him Iaxis Beg the sonne of Temurtases Vlu Beg Suratze Bassa with other captaines and commaunders of the Turks prouinces in EUROPE assembled an armie of thirtie thousand for the inuasion of BULGARIA With this armie the Bassa tooke many strong townes and castles in BULGARIA as PIRAVADE VENVZINA MADRA SVNI with others In the meane time whilest Alis Bassa had thus begun the wars against the Christians in BVLGARIA Amurath hauing gathered a great armie in ASIA determined in the beginning of the Spring to passe ouer with the same into EUROPE commending the gouernment of his countries in ASIA to Temurtases Bassa Ferices Beg Temurtaces Subbassa Cutlu Beg and Haza Beg and so all things set in order in ASIA he drew down his Asian forces towards HELLESPONTVS where he was a while staied with coÌ„trary winds but was afterwards transported to CALLIPOLIS by Ienitze Beg Sanzacke there This was the third time that Amurath brought his armie out of ASIA into EUROPE But whilest he staied at CALLIPOLIS Baiazet his sonne with a great power came unto him thither Alis Bassa also vnderstanding of Amurath his arriuall in EUROPE retired out of BVLGARIA and came to him at CALCIDE recounting vnto him the whole successe of his expedition into BVLGARIA Sasmenos prince of BVLGARIA seeing his countrey spoiled his strong cities and castles taken by the Turks and withall hearing of their great preparations for warre by the aduice of his nobilitie thought it best betimes againe to submit himselfe vnto Amurath wherefore tying a winding sheet about his necke in token that he had deserued death after the manner of the Barbarians he came to Amurath at CALCIDE where falling flat vpon the ground at the horses feet whereon Amurath sat he in most humble wise craued pardon offering by a certaine day to deliuer SILISTRIA the chiefe citie of his dominion into Amurath his possession as a pledge of his fidelitie who thereupon graunted him pardon and to assure him of his fauour commaunded a rich garment to be cast vpon him after the manner of the Turks sending Alis Bassa at the time appointed to take possession of SILISTRIA But Sasmenos repenting himselfe of that hee had so largely promised would not deliuer his citie but in strongest manner he could presently fortified the same Wherewith Amurath more offended than before commaunded the Bassa with fire and sword againe to spoile and wast his countrey who according to his commaundement entred againe into BULGARIA and strucke such a terrour of his comming into the hearts of the people that many strong places were voluntarily yeelded into his power namely DIRITZE COSSOVA with the citie TERNOVA the seat of the princes court TZERNEVI NOVAKESTRI ZISTOVA with diuers others and proceeding farther he laid siege to NICOPOLIS the strongest citie of BULGARIA vpon the side of the great riuer DANVBIUS whither Sasmenos was for feare himselfe fled Who finding himselfe vnable to hold out the siege once again with shame ynough tying a winding sheet about his necke as he had done before and taking his sonne with him went out of the citie and in most abject manner falling downe at the Bassa his feet craued pardon which the Bassa mooued with compassion to see the miserie of so great a man and hauing alreadie taken from him the greatest part of his dominion and now out of feare of further resistance easily graunted And hauing thus ended the Bulgarian war returned to Amurath of whom he was right joyfully receiued Amurath had now made great preparation for the inuading of SERVIA for which purpose he had drawne ouer into EUROPE the greatest forces he possibly could out of ASIA sending also for his youngest sonne Iacup gouernour of CARASIA who vnderstanding his fathers pleasure repaired vnto him with all the power hee could make This armie by Amurath thus assembled was the greatest that euer was before that brought by the Turks into EVROPE Lazarus not ignorant of this great preparation made by Amurath had drawn into the societie of this war the king of BOSNA as is aforesaid with Vulcus prince of MACEDONIA his sonne in law who both brought vnto him great aid hee had also by his embassadors procured great supplies from other Christian kings and princes out of VALACHIA HVNGARIA CROATIA SCLAVONIA ALBANIA BVLGARIA and ITALIE besides great numbers of other voluntarie deuout Christians which all assembled and met together did in number far exceed the great armie of the Turks With this armie Lazarus the Despot encamped vpon the side of the riuer Moroua the greater not far from whence stood the strong castle of SARKIVE which Alis Bassa had of late taken from Sasmenos the Bulgarian prince standing as it were betwixt BVLGARIA and SERVIA this castle being now possessed of the Turks was thought by Lazarus dangerous to his countrie who therefore sent one Demetrius a right valiant captaine with certain companies of select men to take in the same The name of this captaine Demetrius was a generall terrour vnto the Turks for the harme he had done them so that they in the castle hearing that he was come without further resistance yeelded the same vnto him Whereof Amurath vnderstanding sent Eine and Sarutze Bassa to recouer the same but
and from thence spoiled the countrey round about he sent Baiazet one of his Bassaes against him who in short time tooke him and brought him bound vnto him by whom he was adjudged to die But seeing in the man an inuincible courage and contempt of death at such time as he should haue been executed mooued therewith he gaue him his pardon for which he euer after continued vnto him faithfull and did him great seruice Mahomet hauing many times thus vanquished the stragling Tartarian princes which had sought the spoile of his countrey became thereby famous amongst the great commaunders of Tamerlane his armie in so much that the bruit of his name came at length to Tamerlanes eare yet lying in the lesser ASIA who as he thought it not worth his greatnesse and labour himselfe in person to goe against so weake an enemie so he thought it not good or conuenient quite to neglect him but by some other meanes if he could to ouertake him For which purpose he began to speake many times verie honourably of him highly commending his great valour and forwardnesse in so tender yeares And calling for Baiazet told him what great commendation he had heard of his sonne Mahomet and that he was therefore verie desirous to see him where if he found that true which was reported of his great vertues he would bestow one of his daughters vpon him in mariage with many other great preferments and therefore willed Baiazet to write vnto him Not to doubt to come vnto him to the great good both of himselfe and his father Which thing Baiazet at the first doubting the worst requested Tamerlane not to beleeue of his sonne being yet verie young and not worthie of so great a fauour Neuerthelesse partly persuaded by Tamerlane his protestations and importuned by him that might now command him hee with an euill will wrote to his sonne Mahomet to such effect as Tamerlane required With which letters and others of like purport from himselfe with many rich presents Tamerlane sent Hozza Mahomet one of his secret councellours embassadour to Mahomet of whom he was right honourably receiued and likewise entertained But hauing read the aforesaid letters and thereby vnderstood the cause of his comming hee entred into counsaile with the great Bassaes about him whether he were best to goe to Tamerlane or not Where his councellours were all cleere of one opinion That it was not good for him to aduenture his person to the danger of such a journey or the mercie of so mightie an enemie of whose faith he had no assurance And if so be said they he therwith offended will by force seek to haue you we at his comming will take the refuge of the woods and mountaines and there shroud ourselues vntill he be departed againe for that he with his huge armie cannot here long stay in this bare countrey for want of necessaries Neuerthelesse Mahomet hoping his journey might be both for the good of his father and his owne aduancement contrarie to the mind of all his councellours resolued to goe and so hauing prepared all things needfull for the honour and safetie of his journey set forforward But as he was vpon the way in the marches of PONTVS Cara Iahia whom he had before ouerthrowne vnderstanding of his comming that way thinking now to bee reuenged and hauing got vnto him some of the prince Isfendiars forces set vpon him by the way but with as euill successe as before most of his men being there by Mahomet slaine and himselfe glad shamefully to flie So trauailing on further hee vnderstood that Alis Beg a great lord in those countreys went about to intercept him also which caused him in such hast to goe on that hee was vpon Alis before he was aware of his comming or well prouided for him so that for feare he was glad to betake himselfe to flight Mahomet considering the danger he had escaped in that journey and that the neerer he came to Tamerlane the more like hee was to fall into greater although happily without Tamerlane his knowledge by the aduice of his graue and faithfull councellours resolued to go no further Wherefore calling vnto him Tamerlanes embassadour hee thus spake vnto him You see the dangers and injuries I endure in this my journey and my mind forbodeth greater to ensue for which causes I may not goe any further but here returne Commend me therefore I pray you vnto the most mightie Tamerlane with my father and tell them what dangers haue happened vnto me vpon the way Which considered I hope they will haue me excused For which purpose I will also send in your companie an embassadour of mine owne Mahomet at that time had with him a graue wise and learned man called Sophis Baiazet sometime his schoolemaister whom he sent embassadour to Tamerlane and his father to haue him vnto them both excused and so departed he homewards leauing the way he came for feare of further danger and they towards Tamerlane who honourably receiued Mahomets embassadours and letters But taking pleasure in the man sent vnto him gaue him honourable entertainment but would neuer after suffer him to returne againe vnto his maister It was not long after but that old Baiazet died of impatiencie as is aforesaid whose dead bodie Tamerlane left at APROPOLIS with the prince Germean to be deliuered vnto his sonne Mahomet with Musa his elder brother who all this while had ben kept prisoner with Tamerlane if Mahomet should require them And so the mightie prince Tamerlane after he had long time wasted PHRIGIA CARIA LYDIA with the most part of the lesser ASIA and conquered all SIRIA IUDEA AEGYPT and PERSIA with many other great countreys and prouinces returned at last into his owne kingdome vnto the great citie of SAMARCAND which hee woonderfully enlarged and beautified with the spoiles of a great part of the world before by him wasted where he afterwards in great peace and glorie raigned no lesse honoured than feared of all the princes of the East To the terrour of whom and for the assuring of his estate he kept alwaies a standing armie of fortie thousand horse and threescore thousand foot readie at all assaies beside other his great garrisons which he kept in SIRIA AEGYPT CHINA and CAMEALV as also against the Muscouit and Turks being commonly in euerie place threescore thousand strong though not still in field but as occasion required Vntill that at length hearing of the rising againe of the Turkish kingdome vnder the Othoman princes the sonnes of Baiazet with whom the oppressed Mamalukes of AEGYPT and the Greeke emperour as doubtfull of his estate had now also for feare of him combined themselues he by the persuasion of Axalla then Generall of his imperiall armie made great preparation for a second expedition to be made for the vtter rooting out of the Othoman familie and the conquest of the Greeke empire But hauing now all things in readinesse and also giuen a good
beginning vnto these his intended conquests one of the Turks great Bassaes being by Axalla his lieutenant in a great battaile ouerthrowne and thirtie thousand of the Turks slaine hee in the middest of these his great hopes as also of his greatest power died of an Ague the 27 daie of Ianuarie in the yeare of our lord 1402. A little before whose death appeared a great and terrible blasing starre porteâ—â—â—ng as it were vnto the world the death of so great a prince Hee was a man of the middle stature somewhat narrow in the shoulders otherwise well limmed and of a great strength In his eies sat such a rare majestie as a man could hardly endure to behold them without closing of his owne and many in talking with him and often beholding of him became dumbe which caused him oftentimes with a comely modestie to abstain from looking too earnestly vpon such as spake vnto him or discoursed with him All the rest of his visage was amiable and well proportioned he had but little haire on his chinne and ware the haire of his head long and curled contrarie to the manner of the Tartars who shaue their heads hauing the same alwaies couered whereas he contrariewise was for the most part bareheaded commanding his sonne also to be so by his tutors brought vp his haire was of a dark colour somewhat drawing toward a violet right beautifull to behold which his mother comming of the race of Sampson as he gaue it out willed him to nourish in token of his discent the cause that made him to be the more respected of his men of war most part of them beleeuing that in those haires was some rare vertue or rather some fatall destinie an old practise of many great commaunders of former ages to fill the heads of their souldiours with some strange opinion conceiued of them to bee the more of them honoured as if in them had ben some one thing or other more than in other men His liuely counterfeit as I find it expressed by them that write the best of him you may here behold with the testimonie of his greatnesse following TAMERLANE Ille nouus Xerxes orientis victor ingens Quacunque permearet horror gentium Compleuit totos Scythico qui milite campos Hoc se ferebat ore trux Tamerlanes Cuius in aduentum tutae altis moenibus vrbes Ipsumque terrae contremiscebat solum Ipsi adeo montes ipsae per deuia valles Vim Barbarorum non ferebant agminum Quare ab caucaseis Asiam conuallibus omnem Ad vsque Nili flumina armis subdidit Eufratem Tigrim rapidum tranauit Orontem Vi vastitate caede cuncta proterens Vtque olim foeda cum tempestate coorta Erumpit atra nube fulmen igneum Obuia quaeque cadens perrumpit alta sonanti Templa atque solidas strage turres disijcit Subsidit vasto Tellus labefacta fragori Humilisque mentes sternit humanas pauor Haud secus ille viam ferro molitus igni Euertit arces opida aequauit solo Regem Asiae horribili captum impete Baiazetem Caueaque clausum ferrea circuntulit Haec agitantem illum spirantem immania iussa Quae cunctus vndique orbis expauesceret Exiguo caecae domitum molimine febris Fatalis vno soluit hora triduo Deque tot insanis opibus de tot modo regnis Reliqua vna paruo gleba texit puluere In English thus Of Tamerlane a Xerxes new which did the East subdew And in all places where he came the nations ouerthrew That fild the fields with Scythian troupes brought from those climates cold This was the feature and the shape which thou doest here behold At whose approch the strongest townes could small resistance make The earth it selfe vnder his feet seeming for feare to quake The mountaines high mating the skie and vncouth valleyes low Vnable were the force to beare where he did come or goe All ASIA from mount CAVCASVS vnto the bankes of NILE With valiant hand he vanquished and made his force to feele EVPHRATES TIGRIS and the swift ORONTES gaue him way With force wast and destruction great on what he list to prey And as in tempests great oft times when all things goe to wracke The fierie lightning flashing forth out of the clouds so blacke Doth breake downe what it lights vpon and with a dreadfull fall Ouerthrowes the temples with their towers and stately buildings all So that the earth dismayd therewith doth lower downe descend And fearefull wights wrapt vp in woe are brought to their wits end In like sort he with fire and sword seeking all to confound The strongest castles towers and townes laid equall with the ground And like an whirlewind taking vp great Baiazet away Coupt vp in cage so carried him for his disport and play But whilest he rageth thus about and plotteth in his head Such hard commaunds and heauie doomes as all the world should dread A little feauer in three sits oppressed him with woe And cloasing vp his vitall spirits did lay his head full low So that for all the world of wealth and kingdomes he possest The small remainder of himselfe in simple graue doth rest His great empire by himselfe deuided betwixt his sonnes was by their discord and the ambition of some of their disloyall subjects in short time after brought to great confusion and his posteritie vtterly rooted out by Vsun-Cassanes the Armenian prince as in the processe of this historie may appeare But to returne againe vnto our purpose Mahomet deliuered of his greatest feare by the departure of Tamerlane out of those countries determined to goe to PRVSA in BYTHINIA where his brother Isa as then raigned But vnderstanding that Isa had before taken the straits whereby he should passe the mount HORMINIVS he tooke another way about came to PALaeO-CASTRON where the valiant captaine Eine-beg Sub-bassa then remained who with all honor and gladnesse receiued him and there for certain daies refreshed both him and his armie Afterwards greater forces still repairing vnto him he marched thence to VLAâ—AD called in anâ—ient time LOPADIVM Of whose comming Isa before vnderstanding and hauing assembled his armie marched thither also and encamped on the other side of the town towards PRVSA readie to giue him battaile But Mahomet seeing his brother so forward consulted with his captaines what were best to bee done where Eine Sub-bassa a man of great experience and of late one of Baiazet his great councellours and captaines told him That it was not for their honours being brethren to pollute their hands one in the others blood but to assaie if the quarrell might by some other good meanes be composed and they made friends For which purpose Mahomet presently sent letters vnto his brother Isa concerning the partition of their fathers kingdome in ASIA betwixt them offering vnto him the prouinces of AIDINIA SARVCHANIA GERMEANIA Câ—ARASIA CHARAMANIA with other countreys to them belonging so that he
the while that the great and mightie Tamerlane with his innumerable forces couered the face of the countries fast by him most part whereof Mahomet hath now since his departure againe recouered Wherefore it were best for you to send for your angrie brother Isa to CONSTANTINOPLE and to make him generall of the armie you intend to send into ASIA against Mahomet In which warres it is not vnlike but that one of your brethren will be lost whereby you shall haue one competitor of your kingdome the lesse So shall you afterwards with lesse trouble subdue him that is left or at leastwise please him with some part of that which they haue so mightely striuen for This counsell was of Soliman and all the rest well liked of and approued So was Isa presently sent for vnto CONSTANTINOPLE and a great armie leuied Who being come to HADRIANOPLE was by Soliman courteously welcommed and made generall of his armie and therewith shipped ouer the strait of HELLESPONTVS into ASIA Where at his first comming hee possessed the whole countrey of CARASIA or LYDIA and passing further in all places where he came was receiued of the people with great reuerence they all promising him their obedience if it were his fortune to preuaile against his younger brother Mahomet wherewith he held himselfe well contented So comming to the cittie of BEG-BAZER otherwise called DESPOâ—â—POLIS he there wintered with his armie In which time hee with many kind and louing letters still directed to Mahomet as his younger brother seemed to be glad that he was so well obeyed and liked of by his subjects and that presuming of his loue and fauour he was as his louing brother and not as an enemie come into ASIA to entreat with him of such matters as much concerned the good of them both Whereunto Mahomet with like dissimulation answered That hee was right glad of his comming for which he needed not as he said to make any excuse for that he was entred into a kingdome in part his owne and the rest open before him in token wherof he commaunded a rich garment to be cast vpon the messenger as a fauor sending also diuers rich presents vnto his brother with great prouision of victuals and other necessaries for his souldiors But Winter past and the Spring come Isa marched with his armie to PRUSA and â—here shewed vnto the cittizens the louing letters he had at sundry times before receiued from Mahomet and telling them that hee was in good hope that they should in short time right well agree requested to haue the castle deliuered vnto him sometime their soueraigne whereinto the better sort of the cittizens had retired themselues and made fast the gates against him but when he saw that he could by no faire words or pollicie gaine the possession of the castle enraged with that repulse he set fire vpon that goodly citie and burnt it downe to the ground Mahomet not ignorant how his brother Isa romed vp and downe his kingdome vsing all kindnesse to such as yeelded vnto him and exercising no lesse crueltie vpon such as refused his obedience and how that hee had rased the royall cittie of PRVSA hauing gathered a strong armie marched in ten daies from AMASIA to PRVSA and by the way meeting with his brother Isa in a great battaile ouerthrew him with all his forces Isa himselfe accompanied with no more but ten persons fled vnto CASTAMONA prince Isfendiar his cittie who hearing of his arriuall there entertained him with all the honour he could in recompence of the great friendship he had before found at his hands at what time he was an humble suter in his father Baiazet his court Mahomet comming to PRUSA greeued exceedingly to see that faire citie so destroied yet to comfort the poore citizens he gaue exceeding summes of money to bee bestowed amongst them and tooke order for the new building of the citie and there continued certaine daies himselfe to see the worke begun Isa in the meane time hauing incited the prince Isfendiar in his quarrell to inuade his brother Mahomet and going thether himselfe in person was by him now the third time ouerthrowne and put to flight Neuerthelesse he with some small forces twice afterwards entred into Mahomets dominion but finding few or none willing to follow his euill fortune was glad at last to flie to the prince of SMIRNA by whom he was both honourably entertained and comforted This prince of SMIRNA mooued with Isa his pitifull complaints in so manifest a wrong did not onely promise him what helpe he could of himselfe but also by his embassadours solicited the princes of AIDINIA SARUCHANIA and MENTESIA to giue him aid in so just a quarrell for the releefe of Isa against his vsurping brother These princes pitying the case of the distressed prince and moued with the request of the prince of SMIRNA and fearing also the ambitious spirit of Mahomet amongst them sent such aid that being all assembled together Isa had now twentie thousand men in armes Mahomet vnderstanding of this great preparation made against him and hauing raised a strong armie thought it not best to expect his brothers comming into his countrey where perhaps many might joyne themselues vnto him being so strong in field but entred the prince of SMIRNA his country with such speed that he was vpon him and the rest of his enemies before he was looked for where after a great bloodie fight he obtained of them a notable victorie Isa hauing lost the battaile and therewith his hope also fled into CARAMANIA and there in such obscuritie ended his daies that no man can tell where nor how he died This was the end of this noble prince alwaies of greater courage than fortune The prince of SMIRNA the chiefe authour of this warre humbling himselfe to Mahomet obtained his fauour The other confederate princes which gaue aid to Isa were shortly after by Mahomet for most part spoiled of their dominions Which done he returned with victorie to the building of PRUSA hoping now to liue at more quiet But whilst Mahomet after this victorie dreading no danger was in the middest of his pleasures at PRUSA he was certainly aduertised That his eldest brother Solyman had raised a great armie in EUROPE to inuade him in ASIA Vpon which aduertisement hee furnished the castle of PRUSA with a strong garrison and all things needfull for the induring of a long siege and placed Iacup-Beg the sonne of Firoses captaine therein and afterwards departed himselfe because that citie lately before burnt by Isa was not as yet to be defended much lesse to be accounted of as a place to retire vnto if need should so require From PRUSA he came to ANCYRA from thence directed commissions for the taking vp of souldiors in all parts of his kingdome At which time hee writ letters also to Doioran a Tartar prince whom hee had many times greatly pleasured for aid who presently came vnto him with certaine troupes
to the three sonnes of the king of CARAMANIA Ibrahim Aladin and Isa other two were bestowed vpon the sonnes of the prince Isfendiar Ibrahim and Casimes the sixt was giuen in mariage to Cozza-Beg viceroy in ANATOLIA and the seuenth to the sonne of Ibrahim Bassa who died at Mâ—CHA whither she went vpon superstitious deuotion on pilgrimage At such time as Amurath was busied in his warres in EUROPE against Mustapha the supposed sonne of Baiazet the younger sonne of Mahomet called also Mustapha being but thirteene years old and Amurath his brother indeed was set vp to raise new troubles by the king of CARAMANIA and other princes as well Mahometans as the Christian princes of GRECIA who thought it good pollicie by that meanes to impeach the greatnesse of Amurath This young prince Mustapha strengthened with the forces of his friends entered into his brothers dominions in ASIA and besieged NICE which was at length yeelded vnto him Amurath aduertised of this new rebellion by great gifts and large promises corrupted Ilias Beg the young princes tutor to betray the prince into his hands Whereupon Amurath with great celeritie set forward with his armie from HADRIANOPLE and in nine daies came to NICE where he entered the cittie with small resistance as was to him before promised where Mustapha was by his false tutor to him presented who because he would not spill one drop of the sacred Othoman blood as the Turks call it commaunded the executioner presently to strangle him with a bow string which was done accordingly and his bodie afterwards buried by his father at PRUSA Amurath hauing suppressed these two rebellions and now out of all feare of any competitor thought his fiue counsellers too many by three and therefore remoued the three Bassaes Omâ—re Vrutzi and Alis the sonnes of Temurtases into honorable places retaining of his counsell onely the two old Bassaes Ibrahim and Eiuases But shortly after Eiuases was secretly accused to Amurath That he sought by his fauorits the souldiors of the court to aspire vnto the kingdome himselfe and to depose the king and that intending some such matter hee did vsually weare a priuie coat This suspicious report troubled the jealous tyrant wherefore on a time as he rid accompanied with Eiuases he cast his arme about him as if it had beene in kindnesse but finding him secretly armed would needs know the cause thereof whereunto Eiuases answered That it was for feare of some enemies hee had in the court but this excuse could by no meanes serue his turne wherefore he was forthwith apprehended by the commaundement of Amurath and both his eyes burnt out with a hot steele glasse Whilest Amurath was thus busied in subduing rebellions at home Muhamethes the Caramanian king besieged ATTALIA a great cittie in PAMPHILIA by the space of six moneths which was valiantly defended by Hamza-beg Amurath his lieutenant there at which siege the vnfortunat king himselfe as he was taking view of the citie was slaine with a great shot out of the citie whereupon Ibrahim which succeeded him in the kingdome brake vp the siege returned home to burie his father At this time also Dracula prince of VALACAIA passing ouer DANUBIUS did the Turks much harme about SILISTRA but was afterwards enforced to submit himselfe to Amurath and become his tributarie About this time also Tzunites the prince of SMYRNA which had before aided the rebell Mustapha did by all meanes he could vex and molest Iaxis-beg Amurath his lieutenant in AIDINIA hauing by chance taken his brother prisoner put him to death This prince of SMYRNA was descended of the antient princes of AIDINIA and therefore pretended an interest in that siegnorie which his claime the people of the countrey secretly fauoured so farre as they durst for feare of the Turks Amurath hearing of the harmes that this prince of SMYRNA did commaunded Hamze-beg viceroy of ANATOLIA with all his power to make warre vpon him The viceroy without delay assembled a great armie and inuaded the princes country and the prince being well prouided for his comming meeting him vpon the way gaue him battaile wherein Hasan the princes sonne leading a great part of his fathers armie had put one part of the Turkes armie to flight and pursuing them with too much furie left his father at the same time so hardly beset by the viceroy that he was glad to flie to his castle of HIPSILY fast by Hasan returning from the chace of the enemie not knowing what had happened to his father was by the Turkes in his returne ouercome and taken prisoner After which victorie the viceroy presently laid siege to the castle wherein the prince was This siege continued a great while at length the prince brought to extremitie was content to yeeld himselfe vnto the viceroy vpon condition he should vse no violence against the person of himselfe or his sonne but to send them prisoners vnto Amurath which thing the viceroy by solemne oath promised whereupon the prince came out of the castle and yeelded himselfe prisoner to the viceroy Iaxis-beg whose brother the prince had before put to death attended the going of Hamze the viceroy to his tent where finding Hasan the princes sonne sitting vpon the ground as the manner of the Turkes is tooke him by the choller with great furie and drawing him along to the feet of the prince his father there most cruelly strucke off his head and in the same rage laying his bloodie hands vpon the aged prince strucke off his head also to the great dishonour of the viceroy who had before giuen his faith for their safetie The heads of the prince and his sonne were set vpon two launces within the sight of the castle which the defendants seeing and now despairing of all rescue yeelded themselues with the castle This infortunat Tzunites was the last prince of SMYRNA after whose death all his territorie was vnited to the Othoman kingdome After all these troubles Amurath with great triumph married the daughter of the prince Isfendiar Amurath hauing laied vp in the depth of his thoughts the remembrance of that the Grecian princes had done in giuing aid to the rebels aforesaid thought it now high time to take reuenge of that wrong and for that purpose gathered a great armie wherewith he ranged at his pleasure through MACEDONIA vntill he came to THESSALONICA surprising by the way diuers cities and castles at that time belonging to the Constantinopolitane empire This famous cittie of THESSALONICA now called SALONICHI for beautie and wealth sometime not inferiour to any of the greatest and most renowned cities of GRECIA is situate vpon the borders of MACEDONIA close vnto a bay of the ARCHIPELAGO or the sea AEGBUM which bay was in auntient time called THERMAICUS-SINUS and now the bay of SALONICHI To the Christian congregation there dwelling S. Paul wrote two Epistles in the latter whereof hee forewarneth them of a great defection to come before the latter day Before
dominions in ASIA for so it was agreed betweene the Christian princes of EUROPE and the Mahometan princes of ASIA to whom the greatnesse of the Othoman kingdome was now become dreadfull That whensoeuer hee inuaded the Christians in EUROPE the Mahometan princes should inuade his countries in ASIA and that whensoeuer hee should turne his forces into ASIA the Christian princes should spoile his countries in EUROPE Against this Caramanian king Amurath transported his armie into ASIA and as he went seazed vpon the countries of SARUCHANIA MENTESIA and other prouinces which were before but tributaries vnto him driuing out the poore princes before him and so entred into CARAMANIA and inforced the king so farre that he was glad to agree to such conditions of peace as it pleased him to propound vnto him and to send his sonne to wait at his court And at the same time picking a quarrell with Isfendiar prince of CASTAMONA caused him to become his tributarie and to send his sonne to his court also By which meanes the name of Amurath became terrible to all the Mahometan princes When Amurath had thus quieted all his troubles in ASIA he returned to HADRIANOPLE and vnderstanding that the Hungarians passing ouer DANUBIUS had in his absence made diuers incursions into his dominions hee was therewith greatly offended and in reuenge thereof first sent Alis Bassa the sonne of Eurenosis with an armie to inuade HUNGARIA which he performed accordingly by the space of a moneth and returned from thence with rich bootie Not long after he himselfe in person made another road into HUNGARIE commanding the prince of SERVIA his father in law to giue his armie free passage through his countrey and charging Dracula prince of VALACHIA to aid him with his forces in that expedition which his commandement both the Christian princes more for feare than of good will diligently performed So Amurath hauing inriched his souldiors with the spoile taken in HUNGARIE returned home and wintered at his court at HADRIANOPLE The secret confederation betweene the Hungarians and the Mahometan king of CARAMANIA was not vnsuspected of Amurath which he was the rather induced to beleeue for that wheÌ„soeuer he inuaded the one he was presently set vpon by the other either in EUROPE or in ASIA of which plot he doubted not but that George prince of SERVIA his father in law was chiefe authour although in shew he was therein the least actor Wherfore Amurath intending to spill the play sent for the prince his father in law to come to the court at HADRIANOPLE but he doubting some Turkish tragedie pretended great occasions that he could not come and fearing that which afterwards fell out fortified and manned all his strong cities and castles by all meanes he could possibly especially his chiefe citie SEMENDRE otherwise called Sâ—ENDEROVIA and left therâ—in his sonne Gregorie or as some call him George as gouernour for his other sonne Stephan was long before in Amurath his court with the queene his sister The prince of SERVIA himselfe went into HUNGARIE to procure from thence some aid hauing there also himselfe certaine territories which he had in exchange of Sigismundus late emperour and king of HUNGARIE for the citie of BELGRADE It was not long after but Amurath forgetting both the affinitie and league hee had with the prince his father in law entered with a great armie into SERVIA destroying all before him and hardly besieged SEMENDRE where after long siege the young gouernour the princes sonne doubting to fall into his enemies hands by suddaine assault yeelded himselfe with the citie Which thing so discouraged the rest of the Seruians that in short time SOPHIA NOVOMONT with all the rest of the cities of SERVIA were yeelded into the power of Amurath After which conquest he returned to HADRIANOPLE and hearing that the prince of SERVIA with the Hungarians were making head against him and that the two yong Seruian princes Gregorie and Stephen his wiues brethren had intelligence with their father he commaunded them both to be cast in prison at DIDYMOTICHVM and their eyes cruelly to be burnt out with a brasen bason made red hot a coÌ„mon vnmercifull practise among the Turks About this time Albertus duke of AVSTRIA hauing before maried Elizabeth the only daughter of Sigismund the emperor and succeeding his father in law both in the empire and kingdome of HVNGARIE vnto which type of highest honour nothing more furthered him than the remembrance of Sigismund in the second yeare of his raigne before hee was well setled in those new aâ—chieued honours died of the flix as he was making great preparation against Amurath the Turkish king who hauing lately driuen George prince of SERVIA and RASCIA out of his dominions had now extended the Turkish kingdome euen vnto the borders of HVNGARIE This Albertus dying left his wife great with child The Hungarians in whose minds the remembrance of Sigismund was yet fresh could haue beene contented to haue liued vnder the gouernment of the queene his daughter the widdow of Albertus then great with child but that the Turkish king was now growne so great and come so nigh that it was thought more than needfull by Iohn Huniades and other of the Hungarian nobilitie for the defence of that kingdome not wholly to rest vpon the deuotion of the people toward the queene and the expectation of her issue wherby they should be nothing strengthened but to make choice of some great prince by whose power they might the better defend themselues and the kingdome against their dangerous enemies Whereupon with consent of the queene it was resolued vpon to make choice of Vladislaus the yong king of POLONIA then a prince of great power but of farre greater fame and expectation and by embassadors to offer vnto him the mariage of the queene with her the kingdome also This embassage being sent vnto Vladislaus the matter was too and fro debated in the Polonian court Whether it were to be accepted of or not Some began to speake of the inequalitie of the match considering that the king was but in the prime of his youth and the queene well stept into yeares vrging farther that nothing was offered in that match but wars and that the Hungarians therein sought for nothing more than by the Polonian forces to defend themselues against the Turks Others of contrarie opinion said That the vniting of those two mightie kingdoms would be to the great good of them both and to the great honour of the king whose very name would thereby become terrible vnto the Turkes and that it were greater pollicie by the forces of both the kingdomes to keepe the Turkish king from entring into HVNGARIE than to leaue that kingdome to him for a prey and afterward be inforced to fight with the same enemie in the heart of POLONIA and as for inequalitie of yeares betwixt the king and the queene it was not so great a matter that in regard thereof so honourable and
beare authoritie and rule and are had in greater honour and reputation than the rest such as are the men of warre and courtlers but he is borne a Christian either of father or at the least of his grandfather auouch those onely to be Turks which liue in NATOLIA al of them either marchants or of base and mechanicall crafts or poore labourers with the spade and pickaxe and such like people vnfit for the warres the rest as I say holding it for a title of honour to be discended of Christian parents Yea the Grand Sign â—or himselfe although by the fathers side he bee come of progenitors such as were naturall Turks borne yet many of them had Christian mothers which they accounted in the greatest part of their nobilitie and honour Thus by the wisedome of Amurath was the order of the Ianizaries and other souldiours of the court greatly aduanced though not by him begun and the politicke state of the Turks kingdome to say the truth quite altered the naturall Turks more than the Sultan himselfe now bearing therein no sway but onely these new souldiours all of them discended from Christian parents and by adoption as it were become the sonnes of the Turkish Sultans and vnder them commanding all by whom they haue euer since managed their estate by their good seruice wonderfully euen to the astonishment of the world encreased and extended their empire But of them more shall be said hereafter This great king was whilest hee liued of his subjects woonderfully beloued and no lesse of them after his death lamented He was more faithfull of his word than any of the Turkish kings either before or after him by nature melancholie and sad and accounted rather politicke than valiant yet was indeed both a great dissembler and painefull in trauaile but wayward and testie aboue measure which many imputed vnto his great age He had issue sixe sonnes Achmetes Aladin Mahomet Hasan otherwise called Chasan Vrchan and Achmetes the younger of some called Calepinus three of whom died before him but the two youngest were by their vnnaturall brother Mahomet who succeeded him in the Turkish kingdome euen in their infancie in the beginning of his raigne most cruelly murthered FINIS Christian princes of the same time with Amurath the second Emperours Of the East Iohn Palaeologus 1421. 24. Constantinus Palaeologus 1444. 8. Of the West Sigismund king of Hungarie 1411. 28. Albert the second king of Hungarie and Bohemia 1438. 2. Frederick the third Archduke of Austria 1440. 54. Kings Of England Henrie the fift 1413. 9. Henrie the sixt 1422. 39. Of Fraunce Charles the sixt 1381. 42. Charles the seuenth 1423. 38. Of Scotland Iames the first 1424. 13. Iames the second 1436. 29. Bishops of Rome Martin the V. 1417. 13. Eugenius the IIII. 1431. 16. Nicholas the V. 1447. 8. MAHOMET II. MAHOMETHES II COG MAGNVS TVRCARVM IMPERATOR PRIMVS FLORVIT AN o 1450 Qui vici innumeros populos tot regna tot vrbes Solus immensi qui timor orbis eram Me rapuit quae cunque rapit mors improba sed sum Virtute excelsa ductus ad astra tamen Maior Alexander non me fuit Annniball non Fuderit Ausonios tot licet ille duces Vici victores Dannos domuique feroces Caoniae populos Sauromatasquè truces Pannonius sensit quantum surgebat in armis Vis mea quae latio cognita nuper erat Arsacidae sensere manus has sensit Arahsquè Et mea sunt Persae cognita tela duci Mens fuerat bellare Rhodum superare superbam Italiam sed non fata dedere modum Hei mihi nam rapuit mors aspera quaequè sub alto Pectore condideram vertit hora breuis Sic hominum fastus pereunt sic stemata sicquè Imperium atquè aurum quicquid orbis habet In English thus I that so many nations townes and kingdomes haue brought low And haue alone dismaied the world and fild the earth with woe Am now by death which all deuoures brought downe from hie degree Yet doth the glorie of my name surmount the starrie skie The great king Alexanders fame the world no better fild Nor worthy Hannibal whose force so many Romans kild I vanquisht the victorious Greeks and tam'd with mightie hand The warlike people of EPIRE and fierce TARTARIA land My force in field HVNGARIA felt my greatnesse is there knowne Which of late time through ITALY to their great ruth is blowne Th'Assyrians felt my heauie hand so did th' Arabians wild The Persian king with all his force I driue out of the field I purposed to win the RHODES and ITALY t' vndoe If that the fatall destinies had granted leaue thereto But wo is me for grisly death hath brought all this to nought And in the twinckling of an eye is perisht all I thought So perisheth the pride of man his honour wealth and power His golde and whatsoeuer else it fadeth as a flower THE LIFE OF MAHOMET SECOND OF THAT NAME SEVENTH KING AND FIRST EMPEROVR OF THE TVRKS FOR HIS MANY VICTORIES SVRNAMED THE GREAT THe report of the death of old Amurath the late king was in short time blowne through most part of Christendome to the great joy of many but especially of the Greekes and other poore Christians which bordered vpon the tyrants kingdome who were now in hope together with the change of the Turkish king to make exchange also of their bad estate and fortune and the rather for that it was thought that his eldest sonne Mahomet after the death of his father would haue embraced the Christian religion being in his childhood instructed therein as was supposed by his mother the daughter of the prince of SERVIA a Christian. But vaine was this hope and the joy thereof but short as afterward by proofe appeared For Mahomet being about the age of one and twentie yeares succeeding his father in the kingdome in the yeare of our Lord 1450 embraced in shew the Mahometane religion abhorring the Christian but indeed making no great reckoning either of the one or of the other but as a meere Atheist deuoid of all religion and worshipping no other god but good fortune derided the simplicitie of all such as thought that God had any care or regard of worldly men or of their actions which gracelesse resolution so wrought in him that he thought all things lawfull that agreed with his lust and making conscience of nothing kept no league promise or oath longer than stood with his profit or pleasure Now in the Court men stood diuersly affected towards the present state the mightie Bassaes and others of great authoritie vnto whom the old kings gouernment was neuer greeuous inwardly lamented his death doubting least the fierce nature of the yong king should turne to the hurt of some of them in particular and the shortening of their authoritie in generall as indeed it shortly after fell out But the lustie gallants of the Court wearie of the
that they oftentimes spurned as now against the gouernment of the Graecian princes In this extremitie the two distressed princes not well knowing which way to turne themselues sought for peace at Mahomets hands offering to become his tributaries Of which their offer he willingly accepted as an induction to the full conquest of that countrey and sent Turachan gouernour of THESSALIA one of his greatest men of warre with an army into PELOPONESVS to aid those princes against the Albanians by whose industrie the masterfull rebels were in short time discomfited and the countrey of PELOPONESVS quieted yet so that it was now become tributarie to the Turkish king These two princes Demetrius and Thomas the last of all the Christian princes that raigned in PELOPONESVS hauing thus lost their libertie liued for a few yeares as the Turkes vassales paying such yearely tribute as they had before promised During which time many displeasures arose betwixt the two brothers being both jealous of their estate and desirous by all plausible meanes to win the hearts of their subjects one from another whereby it came so to passe that whiles they both desired to become popular they weakned their owne credit and had not their subjects at such commaund as best stood with the safetie of their estate Neuerthelesse as soon as they vnderstood that the Christian princes of the West were making great preparation against the Turke and that Calixtus the third of that name then the bishop of ROME had alreadie put a fleet of gallies to sea which did great spoile vpon the borders of the Turkes dominions they vainly persuading themselues that the Turkes would in short time be againe driuen out of GRECIA refused to pay any more tribute vnto the Turkish king or to keepe league any longer with him Vpon which occasion Mahomet with a puissant army came downe and first besieged CORINTH and afterwards entring into PELOPONESVS tooke diuers strong townes and destroied the countrey before him and forced the two princes for safegard of their liues to flie the one to MANTINIA and the other into the strong cittie of EPIDAVRVS now called RAGVSIVM The poore princes destitute of such aid as they expected and altogither vnable to withstand the power of the mightie tyrant began againe to sue for peace which he hauing now spoiled their countrey granted vpon condition That all such places as he had already taken should be still his owne and also that the citie of PATRAS with the countrey adjoyning should be deliuered vnto him and that for the rest the said princes should pay vnto him a yearly tribute which hard conditions the poore princes now in danger to loose all were glad to accept of wherupon a peace was for that time againe concluded In his returne he tooke the citie of ATHENS in his way which he not long before had taken from Francus Acciauoll by composition by meanes of Omares the sonne of Turechan one of his great captains promising to giue him the countrey of BEOTIA with the citie of THEBES in lieu thereof This Francus was nephew to Nerius sometime prince of ATHENS and had of long time been brought vp in the Turks court as one of Mahomet his minions and was of him as was supposed entirely beloued But when he had receiued the dukedome of THEBES in exchange for his princely state of ATHENS he was shortly after as if it had been in great friendship sent by Mahomet to Zoganus his lieutenant in PELOPONESVS by whom he was at first courteously entertained but afterwards being about to depart he was according as Mahomet had before commanded suddenly staied and when he least feared cruelly murdred About three yeares after the peace before concluded betwixt Mahomet and the two brethren Mahomet vnderstanding that the Christian kings and princes had combined themselues against him with a purpose to driue him againe out of GRaeCIA thought it now high time and much for the assurance of his estate to roote vp the small reliques of the Grecian empire which yet remained in PELOPONESVS in the two princes of the imperiall bloud Thomas and Demetrius whereunto he saw a faire occasion presented Forasmuch as those two brethren were at that time at great variance betwixt themselues neither paied him such tribute as they had before promised hereupon he with a great and strong army came to CORINTH where Arsanes a noble man of great authoritie and power in that countrey whose sister Demetrius had married came vnto him from the prince his brother in law attended vpon with many gallant gentlemen his followers of purpose to aid him against the other prince Thomas nothing fearing any harme to haue been by the Turke intended against himselfe or his brother in law Demetrius whom they both reckoned of as of a friend But when Mahomet was entered into PELOPONESVS and come to TEGEA he caused the same Asanes with all his cheefe followers to be laied hold vpon and cast into bonds knowing as it should seeme no man for friend which might any way hinder his ambitious designes Demetrius hearing what was happened vnto Asanes fled to SPARTA now called MIZITHRA whether Mahomet in few dayes after came and laied siege to the citie But the poor prince considering that he must needs at length fall into his hands went out of the cittie and humbly submitted himselfe with all that he had into his power Which so well pleased the Turkish tyrant that hee courteously receiued him comforted him and promised him in stead of SPARTA to giue him other lands and possessions of like value elsewhere Neuerthelesse hee committed him to safe custodie and carried him about with him as his prisoner vntill hee had finished those warres After he had taken SPARTA he besieged CASTRIA where he lost diuers of his Ianizaries for which cause when he had taken the citie he put all the souldiours therein to the sword and cut the captaines ouerthwart in two peeces From thence he marched to LEONTARIVM called in antient time MEGALOPOLIS which he tooke with another cittie called CARDICEA whither they of LEONTARIVM had before conueyed their wiues and children as to a place of more safetie There he cruelly put to death all the inhabitants of those cities men women and children in number about six thousand of whom he left not one aliue and yet not so satisfied commaunded the very beasts and cattell of those places to bee killed Many cities of PELOPONESVS terrified with the dreadfull example of their neighbours forthwith yeelded themselues and amongst others SALVARIVM a great and strong citie of ARCHADIA where hee caused all the inhabitants men women and children to the number of ten thousand to be cast into bonds looking for nothing but present death all which he commaunded afterwards to be sent captiues to CONSTANTINOPLE and with them peopled the suburbes of that citie After that he by the counsell of Demetrius sent one of his captaines called Iosua with certaine companies of Greeke souldiors vnto the
strong citie of EPIDAVRVS to commaund them in the name of the prince to deliuer vnto him the citie with the prince his wife and daughter which lay there But the Gouernour trusting vnto the strength of the citie refused to deliuer the same yet suffred the princesse with her daughter to depart out of the citie being willing to goe to her husband whom the captaine hauing receiued returned and presented them to Mahomet By whose commaundement they were presently sent into BEOTIA there to attend his returne towards CONSTANTINOPLE and an Eunuch appointed to take charge of the young ladie who had so warmed Mahomets affection that he tooke her afterwards to his wife At the same time hee also subdued the most part of ACHAIA and ELIS by Zoganus Bassa his lieutenant whether hee came not long after himselfe and laied siege to the citie of SALMENICA which for lacke of water was at length yeelded vnto him but the castle was by the space of a whole yeare after valiantly defended against the Turks left to besiege it by Thomas the prince of whom Mahomet afterwards gaue this commendation That in the great countrey of PELOPONESVS hee had found many slaues but neuer a man but him This valiant prince seeing the miserable ruine of his countrey and the state thereof vtterly forlorne after he had most notably endured a yeares siege in the castle of SALMENICA got to sea and so arriued in ITALIE where trauelling to ROME hee was honourably receiued by Pius Secundus then bishop there who during his life allowed him a large pension for the maintenance of his state Thus Mahomet hauing thrust both the Grecian princes out of their dominions and subdued all PELOPONESVS excepting such strong townes and castles as bordering vpon the sea coast were yet holden by the Venetians left Zoganus Bassa his lieutenant to gouerne that new conquered prouince and with great triumph returned himselfe towards CONSTANTINOPLE carrying away with him Demetrius the prince with his wife and daughter and many other noble prisoners But after he was come to HADRIANOPLE and placed in his royall seat he remooued the Eunuch from the faire young ladie and tooke charge of her himselfe As for Demetrius her father hee gaue to him the cittie AENVM with the custome arising of the salt there made as a pension for him to liue vpon Thus this most famous and populous countrey of PELOPONESVS fell into the Turkish thraldome about the yeare of our Lord 1460 seuen years after the taking of CONSTANTINOPLE Which I haue here togither set downe as it is reported by them who liued in that time and in the same countries omitting of purpose other great occurrents of the same time which shall also in conuenient place be hereafter declared to the intent that the fall of that great Empire with the common miserie of the delicate Graecians might appeare vnder one view which otherwise being deliuered by peecemeale as it did concurre with other great accidents according to the course of time would but breed confusion and require the Readers greater attention The Christian princes especially such as bordered vpon the dominions of the Turkish tyrant were no lesse terrified than troubled with the subuersion of the Constantinopolitane empire for they saw by the continuall preparation of the Turk that his ambitious desires were rather encreased than in any part satisfied with his so great and late victories Wherefore they with all carefulnesse fortified their frontier towns and prouided all things necessarie for defence of themselues and for the repulsing of so mightie an enemy Amongst the rest George the old Despot or prince of SERVIA whose dominions of all others lay most in danger of that tempest speedily mustred his men of warre fortified his strong citties placed his garrisons and left nothing vndone that he thought needfull for the defence of his countrey for he had many times before to his great losse endured the furie of the Turkish kings although he were joyned vnto them in the bonds of neerest allyance And hauing thus politikely set all things in order at home in person himselfe tooke his journey into HVNGARIE from thence to procure aid against such time as he should haue need But the Hungarians and especially Huniades who at that time bare greatest sway in that kingdome hauing before had sufficient triall of the vncertainty and light faith of that aged prince who had so often fashioned himselfe according to the occurrents of the time that he was accounted neither right Turke nor good Christian refused to promise him any aid but left him to his owne fortunes wherewith he returned discontented and full of indignation But shortly after he was come home he died of an hurt receiued in a skirmish with Michaell Zilugo gouernor of BELGRADE whose brother Ladislaus he had but a little before trecherously murdred as he was trauailing by wagon to BELGRADE with his said brother Michael who at the same time hardly escaped This was the end of George Despot of SERVIA when he had liued nintie yeares in which time of his long life he had plentifully tasted of both fortunes A man assuredly of great courage but of a maruellous vnquiet nature by profession a Christian yet a great friend vnto the Turkes whom he many times stood in great steed a deepe dissembler and double in all his dealings whereby he purchased vnto himselfe that credit that he was not of any his neighbour princes whilest he liued either beloued or trusted and after his death of his subjects so detested that the people of that countrey euen at this day in their countrey songs still tearme him The faithlesse and gracelesse Despot Lazarus his youngest son after his death succeeded in his place hauing depriued both his elder brethren Stephen and George of the gouernment for Amurath the Turkish king had long time before put out their eies of purpose to make them vnfit for the gouernment of so great a countrey yet these blind princes found meanes to flie away from him to Mahomet carrying with them a great masse of money and so incited him against Lazarus their younger brother that to keepe friendship with the tyrant he was glad to promise vnto him a great yearely tribute and so to become his tributarie But within few moneths after Lazarus died the last Christian prince that raigned in SERVIA after whose death great troubles arose in SERVIA for the soueraigntie The blind brethren still crauing aid of Mahomet with whom they then liued and the desolate widow of Lazarus putting her selfe with her three sons Iohn Peter and Martin into the protection of the Hungarians by which means she with much trouble held her state for a season Vntill such time as that the Seruians seeing small assurance in that manner of gouernment and wearie of the harmes they daily receiued of the Turkes yeelded themselues with their countrey vnto the obedience of the Turkish emperour Mahomet who foreuer vnited the same vnto his empire as
as being before vnder the Constantinopolitane empire had vpon the losse of the citie put themselues vnder the protection of the Venetians but especially the isle of MITYLENE called in auntient time LESâ—OS pretending that Nicholaus Catelusius prince therof did harbour the pyrats of ITALY and other places and also bought of them such prisoners and other bootie as they continually tooke from the Turkes at sea or alongst the sea coast out of many places of his dominions pretending also the chastising of the said prince for that he had by treacherie slaine his eldest brother and so vnjustly taken vpon him the gouernment His fleet thus set forward he himselfe with a small army passed ouer into ASIA and came by land to POSSIDIVM a citie of IONIA ouer against MITYLENE From whence he embarked himselfe ouer the narrow straite into the island where after he had once landed his army he in short time ouerran the whole island and miserably spoiled the same leading away all the inhabitants thereof into captiuitie who shortly after were sold at CONSTANTINOPLE like flocks of sheepe and from thence dispersed into all parâ—s of his dominions After he had thus harried the countrey and left nothing therein vnspoiled he besieged the Prince in the citie of MITYLENE whereof the island now taketh name and with his great ordinance continually battered the same by the space of 27 daies In which time many sharpe assaults were also giuen by the Turkes whereby the defendants were greatly diminished and wasted The prince perceiuing himselfe not able long to hold out offered to yeeld vp the citie with all the strong holds in the isle vpon condition that Mahomet should therefore giue vnto him some other prouince of like valew to the island which his offer Mahomet accepted and by solemne oath bound himselfe for performance of that he had promised Whereupon the prince came out of the citie and humbled himselfe before him excusing himselfe for the receiuing of the men of warre wherewith he was charged as done for no other purpose but that they should forbeare to spoile his owne countrey much subject to their furie vtterly denying that he had at any time bought or shared any part of such prizes as had by those pirats by sea or land been taken from the Turkes With which his excuse Mahomet seemed to be reasonably well contented and with good words cheered him vp neuerthelesse as soone as the citie with all the other strong holds in the isle were by the princes meanes deliuered into his hands hee no longer made reckoning of his Turkish faith but cruelly caused many of the chiefe citizens of MITYLENE to be put to death and three hundreth pirats whom he found in the citie to be cut in two peeces in the middle so to die with more paine And when he had placed conuenient garrisons in euerie strong hold in the isle he returned to CONSTANTINOPLE carrying away with him the prince and all the better sort of the inhabitants of MITYLENE that were left aliue togither with all the wealth of that most rich and pleasant island leauing it almost desolat none remaining therein more than his owne garrisons with a few of the poorest and basest people Mahomet after he was arriued at CONSTANTINOPLE cast the prince Nicholaus with Lucius his cosin whose helpe he had before vsed in killing of his elder brother into close prison where they seeing themselues euerie houre in danger of their liues to winne fauour in the tyrants sight wickedly offered to renounce the Christian religion and to turne Turke Which Mahomet vnderstanding caused them both to be richly apparelled and with great triumph to be circumcised and presently set at libertie yet still bearing in minde his olde grudge he shortly after when they least feared any such matter clapt them both fast againe in prison and there caused them to be most cruelly put to death A just reward for the bloodie murtherers and apostacie who to gaine a little longer life were content to forsake God Shortly after it fortuned that Stephen king of BOSNA in antient time called MaeSIA SVPERIOR who supported by the Turkish emperour had wrongfully obtained that kingdom against his owne brethren refused now to pay such yearely tribute as hee had before promised for which cause Mahomet with a strong armie entered into BOSNA and laied siege vnto the cittie of DOROBIZA which when he had with much adoe taken he deuided the people therof into three parts one part whereof he gaue as slaues vnto his men of warre another part he sent vnto CONSTANTINOPLE and the third he left to inhabit the citie From DOROBIZA he marched to IAZIGA now called IAICA the cheefe citie of that kingdome which after four months siege was deliuered vnto him by composition In this citie hee tooke the kings brother and sister prisoners with most of the nobilitie of that kingdome whom he sent as it were in triumph vnto CONSTANTINOPLE The other lesser cities of BOSNA following the example of the greater yeelded themselues also But Mahomet vnderstanding that the king of BOSNA had retired himselfe into the farthest part of his kingdome sent Mahometes his cheefe Bassa with his Europeian souldiors to pursue him wherein the Bassa vsed such diligence that he had on euery side so inclosed him before he was aware that hee could by no meanes escape which was before thought a thing impossible So the king for safegard of his life was faine to take the citie of CLYSSA for his refuge where he was so hardly laied to by the Bassa that seeing no other remedie hee offered to yeeld himselfe vpon the Bassaes faithfull promise by oath confirmed that he should be honourably vsed and not to receiue in his person any harme from the Turkish emperour Wherupon the Bassaes oath to the same purpose was with great solemnitie taken and for the more assurance conceiued in writing firmed by the Bassa and so deliuered to the king which done the king came out of the citie and yeelded himselfe The Bassa hauing thus taken the king prisoner carried him about with him from place to place and from citie to citie vntill he had taken possession of all the kingdome of BOSNA and so returning vnto his master presented vnto him the captiue king who was not a little offended with him for that hee had vnto him so farre engaged his Turkish faith But when the poore king thought to haue departed not greatly fearing further harme he was suddenly sent for by Mahomet at which time he doubting the worst caried with him in his hand the writing wherein the Bassaes oath for his safetie was comprised neuerthelesse the faithlesse tyrant without any regard thereof or of his faith therein giuen caused him presently to be most cruelly put to death or as some write to be flaine quicke Thus was the Christian kingdome of BOSNA subuerted by Mahomet in the yeare 1464 who after he had at his pleasure disposed thereof and reduced it
the rest of the nations in EVROPE but that they will say That we for the greedie desire of trade and filthie gaine haue forsaken and for our parts betrayed whole kingdomes and nations agreeing with vs both in manner and religion and to haue stood still looking on vntill they were subdued and brought in thraldome by the Turkes Wherefore in few words to shut vp the matter if we shall joyne in league with the Hungarians and enter into armes we shall so be able to keepe our owne whereas if we shall vse delayes and hunt after peace we shall in short time see that he will suddainely deuour vs being vnprouided and wrest from vs all our prouinces and territories which border vpon him And therefore it is in my opinion best to send our embassadours into HVNGARIE with a great masse of money to stir vp that warlike nation into the fellowship of this warre And beside the nauie we now haue in readinesse to put to sea as many moe ships and gallies as we are able The great Bishop also is not to be forgotten but by all meanes to be drawne as a cheefe man into this warre Besides all this we must doe what wee can to raise vp rebellion against the Turke in PELOPONESVS which will be no hard matter to bring to passe For if the Peloponesians rise in armes with one of their poore princes which reuolted from the Turkish king and forsaking all that they had aduentured themselues into all manner of perill and danger what thinke you they will doe if they shall see so great forces comming both by sea and land against the Turkish king It were good also that we should send two thousand Italian horsemen into PELOPONESVS to animate the people who when they shall see vs thus to proceed will vndoubtedly presently reuolt from the Turks and yeeld themselues with their countrey vnto vs from whence we may most commodiously vex and molest this tyrant For there is no where better entrance into his kingdome than by the way of PELOPONESVS So that joyning in league with the Hungarians we shall be set him on euery side they all along the riuer of DANVEIVS and we out of PELOPONISVS Let vs not therfore sit still with our hands in our bosomes suffring our countries to be taken from vs our subiects made bondslaues to the Turks but encouraging them by our example animate them to take vp armes and valiantly to resist the cruell and barbarous tyrant The greater part of the Senat mooued with this graue Senatours speech decreed without delay to make warres and to send their embassadours to the Pope the king of HVNGARIE and other the Christian princes their neighbours to pray aid of them in these warres against the Turkes According to this decree the Venetians for defence of their territorie sent one Bertholdus Este a valiant captaine with an armie into PELOPONESVS where at his first comming he in short time recouered the cittie of ARGOS before lost And departing thence maâ—ched through the country with his armie of fifteene thousand men vnto the strait of CORINTH called ISTHMVS At which place Alouisius Lauretanus Admirall for the Venetians by appointment before made met him and there joyning their forces together with great labour in the space of fifteene dayes fortified all that strait from the Ionian vnto the sea Aegeum with a continuall rampier and double ditch in length about fiue miles In which worke they vsed the helpe of thirtie thousand men and in doing thereof were much furthered by the ruines of the old wall before destroyed by Amurath The Venetian commaunders hauing fortified this strait encamped before CORINTH and laied strait siege vnto it where at the second assault Bertholdus the Generall desirous by his owne forwardnesse to encourage his souldiours was in that assault greeuously wounded with a stone cast downe vpon him from the wall of which hurt he shortly after died Neuerthelesse the siege was still contiued by Betinus Calcinatius who succeeded in Bertholdus his place But whilest the Venetians lay thus at the siege of CORINTH suddainely newes was brought vnto the campe that Mahomet was comming with a great armie himselfe in person to raise the siege and to destroy the new fortifications at ISTHMVS Whereupon the Venetians left the siege with purpose to haue defended the late fortified strait But after that it was certainely knowne that Mahomet was euen now at hand with an armie of fourescore thousand Turks Betinus distrusting with his small number to be able to defend the strait against so puissant an armie left the place so lately before fortified and with all his armie retired to NEAPOLIS to keepe the sea coast Shortly after Mahomet without any resistance at all entered with a world of men by the strait into PELOPONESVS and when he had with the great slaughter of the countrey people roamed vp and downe about ARGOS he came to NEAPOLIS and in most terrible manner assaulted the cittie twice both which times hee was notably repulsed by the Venetians and many of his men slaine Departing thence he destroyed and wasted the countrey about METHONE now MODON and CORONE and assaulted the cittie of IVNCVM but with no better successe than he had before NEAPOLIS Wherefore Winter now drawing on hee returned with his armie to CONSTANTINOPLE After his departure the Venetians spoiled all that part of ARCHADIA which was subject to the Turkes requiting him with like injuries as he had done them before Not long after Lauretanus the Venetian Admirall had the Island of LEMNOS deliuered vnto him by one Cominius a famous pyrat who had surprised the same and taken it from the Turkes but distrusting how he should be able to keepe the same deliuered it ouer vnto the Venetians Shortly after Vrsatus Iustinianus a great magnifico amongst the Venetians was sent to succeed Lauretanus their Admirall But whilest he was scouring the Aegeum with a fleet of two and thirtie great gallies Andreas Dandulus Generall of their forces at land inconsiderately encountering with the Turkes horsemen betweene MANTINEA and PITHEME was by them ouerthrowne and slain and with him diuerse other gentlemen of great account In which skirmish fifteene hundred of the Venetians were slaine also with their Generall And as fortune is neuer more constant than in mischeefe so at the same time Vrsatus Generall at sea landing his men in the Island of LESBOS besieged the citie of MITYLENE and gaue thereunto two great assaults wherein he lost fiue thousand men And vnderstanding that the Turkes fleet was comming to releeue the cittie raised his siege and sailed into EVBoeA and from thence passed ouer into PELOPONESVS where hee shortly after died for sorrow and greefe of mind In whose place the Venetians sent another famous captaine called Iacobus Lauretanus The Venetians well considering the great power of the Turkish emperour laboured by their embassadours to draw as many of the Christian princes as they could into the fellowship of this warre
against thy state and will in short time be present to destroy thee thy kingdome Wherfore worthie Mahomet I haue thought it good in regard of our old friendship although the same hath by you been greatly empaired and violated to â—orewarne you of all these things that you might gather your wits together and in time prouide for the safetie of your selfe and of your kingdome You see the force and power of so many great princes from which whether you can escape or no I know not yet you may if you will follow my aduise you may â— say make both your name and empire of great greater of famous most renouned of fortunate most happie and blessed if casting off from you the grosse errours of the Mahometane superstition you will embrace the â—aith and truth of Christ Iesus and at length haue regard of your soules health And you which excell all your predecessours in highnesse of spirit and pregnancie of wit suffer not your selfe and your subiects as it were by inheritance to be longer blinded in your wilfull errours but doe that as a wise prince of your owne accord which otherwise you will shortly of necessitie be constrained to doe To say Had I wist hath euer been accounted a great disgrace from the mouth of an emperor At length amend and measure your selfe Behold Almightie God doth offer you means whereby you may quiet the whole slate of your kingdome and all our kings and princes loue honour and reuerence you Neither let the ambitious desire of soueraignetie or immoderate care of those things you possesse trouble you from so doing For whatsoeuer you haue vniustly and vnlawfully vsurped the Christian princes will grant confirme and establish vnto thee as if they had been your owne by antient inheritance So shall you be a true monarch indeed and rule and raigne lawfully if you shall embrace this faith and worship God aright which so soone as you shall feele the sweetnesse of you will be sorrie that you knew it no sooner you will greeue at the time you haue lost and vtterly detest and abhorre all that filthie superstition which the most filthie false Prophet Mahomet hath left amongst you From our campe the 26 of May 1463. With these letters Scanderbeg dismissed the Turks embassadour About which time he receiued letters from the great bishop That he accompanied with the Christian princes would without delay come ouer into EPIRVS with a strong army of valiant Christians to joine their forces with his against the common enemie of the Christian religion exhorting him in all their names to denounce war against the Turkish king Which thing Scanderbeg most joyfully vndertooke and without delay with all his power brake into the Turkes dominion burning and destroying the country before him as he went from whence he returned laded with the spoile there gotten When Mahomet had perused Scanderbeg his letters and certainely vnderstood of the great preparation made against him in ITALIE as also of the great spoile of late made by Scanderbeg hee became exceeding melancholie as a man much troubled in mind which dayly more and more encreased for that hee saw not the wonted cheerefulnesse in his men of war but all full of heauinesse and dispaire as if they had beene men alreadie vanquished Neuerthelesse he speedily took order for the leuying of a great armie fortifying his cities and strong holds leauing nothing vndone that was possible for the assurance of his state And to represse the furie of Scanderbeg sent Seremet Bassa with fourteene thousand souldiours to lie vpon the borders of EPIRVS with charge onely to attend vpon him Who mindfull of his charge came into MACEDONIA vnto the citie OCRIDA now called ALCURIA in the verie confines of MACEDONIA towards EPIRVS and there lay with his armie some part thereof lodged in the citie and the â—est in places more conuenient neere about the same The comming of the Bassa as also the manner of his lying was not vnknowne to Scanderbeg who desired nothing more than to bee doing with him Wherfore he secretly in the â—ight marched towards OCRIDA with twelue thousand souldiours and being come within three miles of the towne lay close in ambush and vpon the breaking of the day sent out 500 horsemen towards the enemie vnder the conduct of Peicus Emanuel and Petrus Angelus two valiant and expert captaines to draw him if they could into the field But Scanderbeg had before commanded them that if the enemie did come foorth to fight they should make but small resistance but retire backe as if they had fled and so to traine him on to the place where the armie lay Which was so well performed by the two skilfull captaines that the Bassa with all his power was according as they could haue wished drawne into the field and brought to the verie place where Scanderbeg lay Who suddenly rising vp with all his armie assailed the Turkes on euerie side and slew them as deere enclosed in a toile In this battell ten thousand of the Turkes were slaine the treasurer of the armie with twelue other of great marke were taken prisoners and brought bound to Scanderbeg who were presently ransomed for 40 thousand duckats Scanderbeg hauing obtained the victorie returned with triumph into EPIRVS daily expecting the comming of the great armie out of ITALY but fatall destinie the mightie controuler of mens highest designes had not so appointed For when Pius the great bishop had out of all parts of Christendome assembled a great armie wherof the greatest part were voluntarie soldiors and all things were now in such readinesse that he had put himselfe vpon the way and was come to ANCONA a citie vpon the sea side where Christophorus Maurus duke of VENICE came vnto him with ten gallies well appointed to haue accompanied him in those warres and all men were now in expectation of some great matter to haue beene done suddenly he fell sick of a feuer and died in the yeare 1464. Whereupon the armie was forthwith dispersed and all that great preparation frustrated to the exceeding griefe of many Christian princes and no lesse joy of the Turks who now rejoiced to see themselues deliuered of so great a feare About this same time Victor Capella chiefe persuader of this warre betwixt the Venetians and the Turkes was by the Senat sent Generall of their forces at sea in stead of Lauretanus whose yeare was then expired He hauing receiued the charge from Lauretanus and sayling out of EVBoeA in short time tooke from the enemie the citie of AVLIS in PELOPONESVS ouer against CHALCIS and also the cittie of LARSVM in the gulfe of THESSALONICA with the isle of HIMBER Afterwards landing his men by night at PYRaeVS he suddenly surprised the cittie of ATHENS now called SETâ—INae sometime the mother of learning and most noble cittie of GRaeCIA and from thence caried away with him into EVBoeA all the people he there found as his prisoners togither with the rich spoile
kingdome of PONTVS which Vsun-Cassanes of right claimed as his wiues dowrie into the forme of a prouince and so vnited it vnto the Turkish empire Which so manifest a wrong Vsun-Cassanes in the newnesse of his so late atchieued greatnesse durst not aduenture to redresse but after that he was surely seated and had with the course of time ouercome all dangers at home being daily prickt forward with the remembrance of the former injuries still suggested by the importunitie of his wife Despina and the solicitation of the Venetians to whom he had by solemne promise bound himselfe he determined now to take the matter in hand and to trie his forces vpon his proud enemie the Turkish emperour Hereupon he raised a great armie and being well appointed of all things necessarie passing through ARMENIA toward PONTVS neere vnto the riuer EVPHRATES was encountred by Mustapha Mahomet his eldest sonne a young prince of great hope and Amurath the great Bassa of ROMANIA whom Mahomet fearing such a matter had sent before with a strong armie out of EVROPE to joyne with such forces as Mustapha had alreadie raised in ASIA so to withstand the inuasion of the Persian These two great commaunders Mustapha and Amurath joyning battell with Vsun-Cassanes were by him in the plaine field ouerthrowne where Amurath the great Bassa himselfe with thirtie thousand Turkes were slaine Mustapha with the rest of the armie by shamefull flight sauing themselues Now when Mahomet vnderstood that Amurath was slaine and his armie discomfited he was therewith exceedingly troubled But purposing to be thereof reuenged gaue order into all parts of his dominions for the leuying of new forces so that at the time by him appointed was assembled a great and mightie armie of three hundred and twentie thousand men Vsun-Cassanes in like manner was in the field with an armie nothing in number inferiour vnto his enemie These two Mahometane kings drawing after them their hugie armies met togither neere the mountaines of ARMENIA where at the first encounter one of the Turks greatest Bassaes was slaine with fortie thousand Turkes With which hard beginning the prowd tyrant was so daunted that he could hardly be persuaded to proue his fortune anie farther but contenting himselfe with that losse was about to haue retired and had vndoubtedly so done if some of his most expert and valiant captaines which might be bold with him had not sharpely reproued him that hauing so populous an armie as scarcely felt that small losse he should once thinke of returning without victorie With which their comfortable persuasions he was againe encouraged to giue battell Yet for his more safetie he withdrew his armie into a strait betwixt two mountaines and with his cariages fortified the front thereof as with a trench behind which cariages he placed his great ordinance and on either side his archers The Persians as men of great valouâ— and thereto encouraged with their former victories came on as men fearing no perill to haue charged the Turkes euen in their strength presenting their whole armie before they were aware into the mouth of the Turkes artillerie which suddenly discharged amongst the thickest of them brake their rankes and tooke away a number of them Besides that the Persian horses terrified with the vnacquainted and thundring report of the great ordinance were not to be ruled by their riders but starting backe ran some one way some another as if they had felt neither bit nor rider Which their confusion Mahomet perceiuing presently tooke hold of the occasion offered and with his horsemen fiercely charged them being now by themselues entangled and out of order Neuerthelesse the Persians made great resistance and slew manie of the Turkes but still fighting confusedly and out of order they were at the last enforced to flie In which fight a great number of them were slaine and their tents also taken Zeinal Vsun-Cassanes his eldest sonne labouring to stay the flight of the Persians was slaine with a small shot So the honour of the day remained with the Turkes yet had they no great cause to brag of their winnings hauing lost in that battaile fortie thousand souldiours whereas of the Persians fell not aboue ten thousand Mahomet contenting himselfe with this deere bought victorie returned homewards And Vsun-Cassanes leauing another of his sonnes with his armie for the defence of ARMENIA returned likewise to TAVRIS But whilest the Christian princes were in their greatest expectation what might bee the euent of these warres betwixt these two mightie Mahometane kings they vpon the suddaine concluded a peace and confirmed the same with new affinitie excluding the Christians quite out of the same This last battell betwixt Mahomet Vsun-Cassanes was fought in the yeare of our Lord 1474 about foure yeares before the death of Vsun-Cassanes who died the fifth of Ianuarie in the yeare 1478. In the time of these warres died the noble Mustapha Mahomet his eldest sonne at ICONIVM hauing spent himselfe with reuelling amongst his paragons or as some write commanded to die by his father vpon this occasion This youthfull prince vpon a time comming to the court to see his father or as they tearme it to kisse his hand became amorous of the wife of Achmetes Bassa a ladie of incomparable beautie and daughter to Isaack Bassa the cheefe men in the Turkish empire next vnto Mahomet himselfe but finding no meanes how to compasse her in whom his soule liued he awaited a time when as shee after the manner of the Turkes went to bathe her selfe and there as he found her all disroabed shamefully forced her without regard either of his owne honour or of hers Of this so foule an outrage Achmetes her husband with his clothes and hat all rent for madnesse came and greeuously complained to Mahomet crauing vengeance for the same vnto whom Mahomet againe replied Art not thou thy selfe my slaue and if my sonne Mustapha haue knowne thy wife is shee not my bondslaue hee hath had to doe withall cease therefore thus to complaine and hold thy selfe therewith content Neuerthelesse hee in secret sharpely reproued his sonne for so hainous and dishonourable a fact by him committed and commaunded him out of his sight and as hee was of a seuere nature caused him within a few dayes after to be secretly strangled Neuerthelesse the wrong done vnto the Bassa sunke so deep into his haughtie mind as that he would neuer admit excuse therefore but put away his wife the ground of the implacable hatred betwixt him and the great Bassa Isaack his father in law and in fine the very cause of his vtter destruction as is afterward declared in the life of Baiazet Mahomet deliuered of his greatest feare by the peace he had lately concluded with Vsun-Cassanes the Persian king was now at good leisure to employ all his forces against the Christians And bearing a deadly hatred against the princes of EPIRVS and ALBANIA with a wonderfull desire to extend his empire vnto the
to lead a priuat life Which thing if he shall refuse to graunt although he neither feare the lawes of God or man yet as I haue at HIERVSALEM so will I also shortly at MECHA if by your leaue I may complaine vnto the great prophet of the iniuries done vnto me by my cruell and vnnaturall brother and afterwards make proofe of your compassion towards me all which I hope shall much auaile But if which I would not I shall proue all these things in vaine sith desperation enforceth men to all extremities I will goe with fire sword and slaughter by secret and open force by right and wrong and hated will vex my hatefull brother by all manner of mischeefe by all manner of reuenge Neither will I make an end of confounding of all vntill I be either receiued into part of the empire or els together with my life leaue those desperat and lost things for him alone to enioy For I deeme it much better quickly to die than with disgrace and infamie to protract a lingering loathed life The great Sultan in courteous manner comforted the distressed prince willing him to bee of good cheere and patiently to beare his present hap for as much as it became a man borne in so high fortune not to be discouraged with any mischance or dismaied if things fell out otherwise than he looked for commending him withall for that hee saw in him no lesse courage than might well haue becommed his better estate and willing him to liue still in hope promised to doe what in him lay to reconcile him vnto his brother and to persuade him that he might be receiued into some part of the kingdome And to that purpose shortly after dispatched away an honourable embassage to Baiazet Zemes in the meane while by the same Sultans leaue vpon a superstitious deuotion trauelled into ARABIA to visit the temple of Mahomet at MECHA and his sepulchre at MEDINA Vpon his returne to CAIRE the embassadours before sent returned also but not hauing obtained any thing they desired for Baiazet would not giue eare to any agreement but seemed altogether to contemne and despise his brother Wherfore Zemes more vpon stomacke and desire of reuenge than for any hope he had of the empire determined with himselfe to make open warre vpon him reposing some good hope in his secret friends and in the reuolt of some of the great captaines who discontented with the gouernment of Baiazet secretly wished for his returne Whilest hee was thus plotting these waightie matters a messenger with letters came fitly from the king of CARAMANIA offering with all the power he could make to joyne with him if he would take vp armes against his brother This poore titular king then liued in ARMENIA and being able by his friends to make some good force was in hope by joyning with Zemes to recouer some part of the Caramanian kingdome from whence his father was not many yeares before driuen by the force of the late Turkish emperour Mahomet the Great Baiazet his father It is hard to say whether of these distressed and exiled princes gaue the greater encouragement to the other to take this desperat war in hand being both together farre vnable by all the friends they could make to encounter with the great power of Baiazet But what is so dangerous or desperat which aspiring minds will not attempt in hope of a kingdome whose brightnesse so dazeleth their eyes that they can see nothing but it Hereupon Zemes hauing receiued great gifts of the Aegyptian Sultan with promise of aid departed from CAIRE the Sultan earnestly persuading him to the contrarie as it was before appointed met with the Caramannian king vpon the borders of ASIA the lesser where they concluded to joyne together such forces as they had and to inuade Baiazet Which they accordingly did for raising all the power they could they entered into CILICIA now called CARAMANNIA and joyning their armies together encamped betweene ICONIVM and LARENDA Neither did Baiazet in time of so great a danger sit still not so much fearing his brothers power as the reuolting of his captaines and souldiors whom he knew either to loue or at least not to hate the young prince his brother Wherfore he raised a great armie and sent Achmetes the great man of war before with the one part thereof himselfe following after with a far greater strength for at that time he had vnder his ensignes two hundred thousand men As he was marching with this great armie a rumor was raised in the campe That some of his cheefe captaines had conspired to betray him into the hands of his brother and that many of the souldiours secretly fauouring Zemes would vpon the joyning of the battell forsake him and take part with his brother Which report so troubled Baiazet that he stood in doubt what to doe or whom to trust but knowing that nothing winneth the heart of the common souldiour more than the Generals bountie he forthwith caused a wonderfull masse of money to bee deuided amongst the captaines and souldiors loding their minds with ample promises of farre greater rewards for their fidelitie and valour to be shewed in that present seruice Hauing thus assured vnto himselfe the wauering minds of his souldiours he began to draw néere to ICONIVM where his enemies lay encamped and by glosing letters and flattering messengers made shew openly as if he had beene very desirous to come to some good agreement with them but secretly went about to stop all the straits passages in such manner as that it should not be possible for them againe to retire backe into SYRIA for hee doubted nothing more but least they being but few in number so in strength far vnequall vnto him would not vpon so great disaduantage hazard the fortune of a battell but retire themselues into SYRIA and so to his exceeding trouble and infinit charge protract the warre Zemes perceiuing his brothers subtill drift and seeing no such reuolt as he had hoped for and as had before by letters to him beene promised and waighing with reason his owne weake forces retired in good time vnto the straits of the mountaine AMANVS which deuideth CILICIA from SYRIA Here despairing of all good successe in the enterprise he had taken in hand he persuaded the Caramannian king his confederat to giue place vnto the time and to reserue himselfe vnto his better fortune and so breaking vp his armie with a few of his followers came downe to the sea coast of CILICIA where he hired a tall ship to attend in readinesse that if any suddaine danger should arise he might goe aboord and so saue himselfe by sea In the mean time he sent a messenger vnto Damboys Great Master of the RHODES certifying him That for as much as he had no place of safetie left amongst his owne people wherein hee might shrowd himselfe from the furie of his brother still seeking after his life hee would vpon
two wings so that all his spearemen were in the right wing and the archers and carbines in the left in the maine battaile stood the Ianizaries with the rest of the footmen On the otherside Achomates hauing no footmen deuided his horsemen into two wings also Whilest both armies stood thus raunged expecting but the signall of battaile a messenger came from Achomates to Selymus offering in his masters name to trie the equitie of their quarrell in plaine combat hand to hand which if he should refuse he then tooke both God the world to witnesse that Selymus was the onely cause of all the guiltlesse bloud to be shed in the battaile and not he whereunto Selymus answered that he was not to trie his quarrell at the appointment of Achomates and though he could be content so to doe yet would not his soldiors suffer him so to aduenture his person and their owne safetie and so with that answere returned the messenger backe againe to his master giuing him for his reward a thousand aspers Achomates hauing receiued this answere without further delay charged the right wing of his brothers armie who valiantly receiued the first charge but when they were come to the sword and that the matter was to be tried by handie blowes they were not able longer to endure the force of the Persian horsemen who being well armed both horse and man had before requested to be placed in the formost rankes by whose valour the right wing of Selymus his armie was disordered and not without great losse enforced to retire backe vpon their fellows Which thing Selymus beholding did what he might by all meanes to encourage them againe and presently brought on the left wing with their arrowes and pistols in stead of them that were fled and at the same time came on with the Ianizaries also who with their shot enforced Achomates his horsemen to retire Achomates himselfe carefully attending euery danger with greater courage than fortune came in with fresh troupes of horsemen by whose valour the battell before declining was againe renewed and the victorie made doubtfull but in the furie of this battell whilest he was bearing all downe before him and now in great hope of the victorie Canoglis with his Tartarian horsemen rising out of ambush came behind him and with great outcries caused their enemies then in the greatest heat of their fight to turne vpon them at which time also the footmen standing close together assailed them afront and the horsemen whom the Persians had at first put to flight now moued with shame were againe returned into the battaile so that Achomates his small armie was beset and hardly assailed on euery side In fine his ensignes being ouerthrowne and many of his men slaine the rest were faine to betake themselues to flight Where Achomates hauing lost the field and now too late seeking to saue himselfe by flight fell with his horse into a ditch which the raine falling the day before had filled with water and myre and being there knowne and taken by his enemies could not obtaine so much fauour at their hands as to bee presently slaine but was reserued to the farther pleasure of his cruell brother Selymus vnderstanding of his taking sent Kirengen the same squint-eyed captain which had before strangled Corcutus who with a bow string strangled him also His dead bodie was forthwith brought to Selymus and was afterwards by his commaundement in royall manner buried with his ancestours in PRVSA Now Amurat Achomates his sonne vnderstanding vpon the way by the Persian horsemen who serred together had againe made themselues way through the Turkes armie of the losse of the field and the taking of his father returned backe againe to AMASIA and there after good deliberation resolued with his brother to betake themselues both to flight he with the Persian horsemen passing ouer the riuer Euphrates fled vnto Hysmaell the Persian king but Aladin the younger brother passing ouer the mountaine AMANVS in CILICIA fled into SIRIA and so to Campson Gaurus the great Sultan of AEGYPT After this victorie Selymus hauing in short time and with little trouble brought all the lesser ASIA vnder his obeisance and there at his pleasure disposed of all things determined to haue returned to CONSTANTINOPLE but vnderstanding that the plague was hot there hee changed his purpose and passing ouer at CALLIPOLIS and so trauelling through GRECIA came to HADRIANOPLE where hee spent all the rest of that Summer and all the Winter following and afterward when the mortalitie was ceased returned to CONSTANTINOPLE where it was found that an hundred and threescore thousand had there died of the late plague Hysmaell the Persian king whose fame had then filled the world hearing of the arriuall of Amurat sent for him and demaunded of him the cause of his comming The distressed young prince who but of late had lost his father together with the hope of so great an empire now glad for safegard of his life to flie into strange countries oppressed with sorrow by his heauie countenance and abundance of teares more than by words expressed the cause of his comming yet in short strained speech declared vnto him how that his father his vncle with the rest of his cousins all princes of great honour had of late beene cruelly murdered by the vnmercifull tyrant Selymus who with like furie sought also after the life of himselfe and his brother the poore remainders of the Othoman familie who to saue their liues were both glad to flie his brother into AEGYPT and himselfe to the feet of his imperiall majestie Hysmaell moued with compassion and deeming it a thing well beseeming the greatnesse of his fame to take the poore exiled prince into his protection and to giue him releefe willed him to be of good comfort and promised him aid And the more to assure him thereof shortly after gaue him one of his owne daughters in marriage For it was thought that if Selymus for his tyrannie become odious to the world should by any means miscarie as with tyrants it commonly falleth out that then in the Othoman familie sore shaken with his vnnaturall crueltie none was to be preferred before this poore prince Amurat besides that it was supposed that if hee should inuade him with an armie out of PERSIA that vpon the first stirre all the lesser ASIA mourning for the vnworthie death of Achomates would at once reuolt from him who for his crueltie and shamefull murthers had worthely deserued to bee hated together both of God and man Wherefore in the beginning of the Spring Hysmaell furnished Amurat his new sonne in law with ten thousand horsemen willing him to passe ouer the riuer of Euphrates at ARSENGA and to enter into CAPADOCIA as well to make proofe how the people of that countrey were affected towards him as of the strength of the enemie after whom he sent Vsta-Ogli the most famous cheefetaine amongst the Persians with twentie thousand horsemen moe with
pretious furniture many noble ladies and gentlewomen were found which after the manner of the Persians had followed their husbands in those warres whom Selymus caused to be all freely set at libertie vntouched excepting one of the wiues of Hysmaell whom he detained and gaue her in mariage to one of his Bassaes. Some which were present at this battell reported that amongst the heaps of them which were slaine were found the dead bodies of diuers Persian women which being armed and following their husbands died with them in the battell whom Selymus caused to be honestly buried This was that notable battell fought in the CALDERAN fields neere vnto the citie of Cor betwixt these two great princes the seauenth day of August in the yeare of our Lord 1514. In which battell Selymus lost aboue thirtie thousand men amongst whom was Casan Bassa his great lieutenant in EVROPE seauen Sanzackes in which were the two Malcozzian brethren who labouring the one to rescue the other were both togither slaine Beside his common footmen of whom he made least reckoning he lost most part of his Illirian Macedonian Seruian Epirot Thessalian and Thracian horsemen the vndoubted flower and strength of his army which were in that mortall battell almost all slaine or grieuously wounded Selymus for all this great losse by the confession of his enemies hauing gotten the victorie and receiuing embassadours from COY and the cities thereabout and the great citie of TAVRIS promising to relieue him with whatsoeuer he needed and to doe what else he should commaund marched directly to TAVRIS desiring both to see and possesse himselfe of that citie as one of the chiefe pallaces of the Persian kings This citie is two daies journey distant from COY where the battell was fought and is probably supposed to be the famous citie called in auntient time ECBATHANA about an hundred and fiftie miles distant from the Caspian sea The citisens were readie at the comming of the Turkes and brought them great store of victuals out of the gates of the citie where Selymus had lodged his armie in the suburbs thinking it no safetie to lodge within that great and populous citie contenting himselfe to haue the gates thereof deliuered vnto him which he kept with strong guard Some report that Selymus durst not trust the Persians and therefore neuer went into the citie but disguised in the habit of a common souldiour Yet some others say that he did with great magnificence banquet in the stately pallace of the Persian king and there had great discourse with them of TAVRIS concerning his late victorie But whilest he thus staied at TAVRIS and with himselfe purposed to spend that winter in ARMENIA he called togither his great captaines and commaunders of his armie to know how they liked thereof who fearing his displeasure wholy referred themselues to his owne resolution Onely Mustapha his chiefe Bassa chanced to say That it were good that the minds of the Ianizaries and the other souldiours of the court should therein be knowne Which his speech Selymus tooke in such euill part that he presently commanded him out of his sight and depriued him of his greatest honour and the more to disgrace him sent one of his jesters after him who in great scorne and derision comming behind him cut off part of his tulipant that hung downe as the fashion was But the Ianizaries vnderstanding the matter and much offended with the indignitie offered vnto the great Bassa whom they deerely loued rise vp altogither in armes and told Selymus flatly That they would not in any case winter so far from home in the enemies countrey and therefore that it were best for him betime to consider of the matter for that they were resolutely set downe to forsake him if he would needs stay and not with speed returne Selymus much troubled with this insolencie of the Ianizaries and hearing dayly that Hysmaell with new supplies out of IBERIA ALBANIA and PARTHIA was comming vpon him with greater power than before and considering withall with what difficultie and danger hee had escaped in the late battaile preserued rather by his good fortune and force of his great artillerie than the valour and prowesse of his souldiours and withall suspecting the multitude and strength of the Taurisians of whose fidelitie he could make no reckoning he changed his former determination and resolued to returne againe into CAPADOCIA whereupon hauing contrarie to his promise exacted a great masse of money from them of TAVRIS hee departed thence carrying away with him three thousand families the best artificers in that citie especially such as were skillfull in making of armour and weapons and so with speed retired towards the riuer Euphrates a longer way than that whereby he came fearing to returne againe by the head of Araxis and the mountaines PERIADES for meeting the Iberian and Albanian horsemen who were reported to be then comming against him Hysmaell vnderstanding of his departure followed after with as much speed as he could leauing behind him for hast his carriages and such of his souldiours as were not able to endure so long and speedie a march yet for all his hast for so much as Selymus was gone a great way before him he could not ouertake any part of his armie vntill he was come to the great riuer Euphrates where Selymus staying two dayes and hauing made diuers little boats was passing ouer his footmen which because they were not sufficient for the speedie transportation of so great a multitude many for hast swam ouer the riuer vpon bladders and some aduentured to get ouer vpon the broken peeces of their carriages which they had for that purpose burst in sunder Selymus himselfe got ouer to the farther banke in a little boat hauing before caused all his horsemen with their horses at once to take the riuer of purpose to breake the violence of the streame whereby his footmen and cammels with their burdens got ouer with lesse danger and some of his field peeces were also with lesse difficultie transported Yet for all the speed he could make the Georgian horsemen the forerunners of Hysmaell his armie being come within sight before the Turkes were all got ouer raised such a feare and a stirre all alongst that side of the riuer that two thousand of the Turkes were in their hastie passage there drowned diuers field peeces left sticking in the mud and much of their baggage carried away with the force of the riuer The Georgians contenting themselues with such things as were left pursued them no further for the wheeles of the Turkes carriages entangled together with the violence of the streame had staied a great part of the Turkish trash floating in the riuer and much more was in diuers places driuen vpon the shore all which the Georgian horsemen easily drew out Hysmaell in the meane time rejoycing at nothing more than that hauing chased away his enemies hee had also recouered much of the great ordinance whereby he had
of the RHODES the antient bulwarke of Christian religion vnto our mercilesse enemies polluted with the infamous superstition of Mahomet who besides the insatiable thirst they haue of our bloud how faithlesse and mischeeuous they are by nature if we know not we need not make example of our selues but wee may take example by the calamitie of CONSTANTINOPLE the late miserie of EVBoeA and that which later was of METHONE as also by the Mamalukes at CAIRE miserably slaine contrarie to the league contrarie to the faith and promise by the Turkish emperour himselfe before giuen What doe you not remember how the death of the most noble captaines at BELGRADE was of late procured by the falshood craft and deceit of these same faithlesse miscreants Let vs then being men of wit and vnderstanding trust these mad beasts let vs giue our selues into their power which haue no regard of right or reason of religion or any thing els whose couetousnesse and crueltie it is hard to say which is greater which for these many years haue plotted and laboured nothing more than how by policie or force they may vtterly root out the very name of the Rhodians which they so deadly hate They keepe vs shut vp and besieged now the sixt moneth feeling together with vs extreame dangers and endlesse labours slaine by heapes before our wals and fortresses and cannot be remoued hence with thunder lightening stormes tempests and all the calamities of Winter a time which giueth intermission to all warres both by sea and land so desirous they are of reuenge and greedie of our bloud and that not altogether without cause for we haue also shed theirs and gladly would still so doe if it lay in our power But seeing it seemeth good vnto God otherwise and that we are surprised with ineuitable necessitie yet let vs whilest we are at libertie and haue power ouer our selues by honourable death amongst the Christian ensignes eschew the torments and reproches which our cruell enemies hope to inflict vpon vs so shall wee enioy eternall fame and glorie prepared both in heauen and earth for such as honorably die in defence of their prince and countrey Which honour it becommeth not them to enuie vnto thy most noble name and vertue worthie Grand Master which hauing for many yeares enioyed the commoditie and profit of peace and greatly enriched by bountie of this sacred militarie Order refuse now to beare this last burden of war At these words an antient Greeke for his wisedome and discretion of great reputation both with the Greekes and Latines perceiuing his countreymen wrongfully touched and the desperat holding out of the citie vainely persuaded tooke hold and interrupting this yong gallant in answere of that he had said spake as followeth That greefe of mind and desparation can make men rather eloquent than wise as you haue many times heard before this so you might this day perceiue also most valiant gentlemen for aduised modestie neuer falleth into obloquie neither confoundeth falshood with truth it desireth not the slaughter of the citisens it persuadeth not furie nor exhorteth men to madnesse but it is by nature so engrafted in many that when they cannot by their owne wisdome and policie deliuer themselues from their troubles they yet seeke to draw others into the fellowship of the same danger so greedie haue mallice and miserie alwaies been of companie But if you worthie Commaunder will giue me also leaue to speake a man amongst his countreymen not of meanest place or authoritie which thing both the present calamitie and vrgent necessitie might of you easily obtaine I would alledge such reasons and lay down such matter as should not only refell the copious and glorious words of this sharp witted Orator scrapt together of purpose to flourish out the matter but also such as might stir vp your mind to that which is â—onest profitable and necessarie expulsing hatred feare trouble or despaire This gentleman whom we all know not only to be a vehement Orator but somtime a man most terrible wheras for all his great words he is by nature mild and so mild that he neuer had the heart to kill nay not so much as lightly to wound any one of them whom he calleth barbarous mad cruell whose perfidious dealing he detesteth whose cruelty he accuseth whose maner of liuing he exclaimeth against as altogether without law without reason without order without regard and now in time of truce and whilest the showers of arrows yroâ— bullets fire and stones doth cease creeping out of his caue maketh much adoe and keepeth a great stir and not knowing in what danger he is doth now with glorious words call vpon death whereof he hath hetherto shewed himselfe too much afraid and all forsooth as he saith least he should be enforced to endure the mocking and scorning of the enemie But this is meere pride not Christian fortitude or humilitie But our enemie neither threateneth nor purposeth any such matter nothing so perfidious or cruell as he would make him rubbing vp the slaughters at CAIRE EVâ—oeA METHONE and CONSTANTINOPLE cities taken either by force or warlike policie and not yeelded vp by composition vpon faith giuen betwixt the besieger and the besieged who because he would spare vs will not suffer vs to doe that wherby we should vndoubtedly perish But wherof proceedeth this new found clemencie this vnwonted fauor towards the people of the RHODES I am not of the tyrants priuie counsell neither euer curiously sought after the reason of another mans bountie but am glad to receiue it when I need it Yet for all that I will not dissemble what I thinke in a matter so doubtfull He is willing as I suppose in this siege and conquest of the RHODES to shew vnto other nations whom he purposeth to inuade both his power and his patience least alwaies satisfying his cruell nature he should make desolation in places he would raigne ouer and so for euer alienating the minds of men be enforced to fight with all men with fire and sword by which rigour he hath not so much hurt his enemie as himselfe For this cause as I suppose he leaueth vnto vs life goods least whilest he in going about to take them from vs by force we seeking to keep theÌ„ by desperatnes we should both fall into great destruction no lesse lameÌ„table to the conqueror than to the vanquished Besides that if he should kill all here truly he might then enter the breaches of the citie on the bodies of the dead no man now left aliue to resist him But LERVS is shut vp ARANGIA is strongly fortified LINDVS is by situation impregnable here he knoweth are weapons armour and men here he must begin a new war except he will haue the remainder of your war the fatall plague of his empire to prey still vpon his subiects all which strong places he shall haue without slaughter without bloudshed as reason is if he shall let you and vs
the citie went to visit the Great Master also whom he found busie in packing vp his things against his departure Here when the Great master falling downe vpon his knees would haue worshipped him he would in no case suffer him so to doe but with his hand putting aside his vaile of majestie which manner of reuerence the Turkish emperours giue onely to God and their great prophet Mahomet tooke him vp and saluted him by the name of Father To whom the Great master for his wisedome and discretion now to him no lesse admirable than he was before in time of warre for his valour and courage spake in this sort If my fortune and successe had been answerable to my heart and courage I should here be in this citie rather as a victorious conquerour than a man conquered But sithence the fatall destinies would needs ouerthrow the Rhodian estate I am glad that you are the man before all other by fortune assigned of whom I should receiue both force and grace And vnto you amongst many other your rare and worthie praises this shall not be the least That you vanquished the RHODES and shewed mercie By this meanes you haue ioyned vnto your dreadfull power the fame of clemencie and curtesie an honour not of the highest to be despised by which alone we come neerest vnto God Wherefore I doubt not but you will keepe the conuentions of the late peace inuiolate which your owne clemencie persuaded you to grant and necessitie enforced vs to take I shall now be an eternall example of the Turkish emperours clemencie and vertue more than if I had by and by at the first yeelded my selfe my obstinat wilfulnesse hath made thy glorie and mercie now famous thorow the whole world and vnto the worlds end Whereunto Solyman by his interpreter answered It is to me a great pleasure that God at length hath put into thy mind to make choise of peace before warre which I would thou couldest haue liked of from the beginning then truely thou shouldest at this time haue receiued of my great and mightie maiestie more good than thou hast endured harme Which that I haue done vnto thee not for any hatred but onely for desire of soueraigntie thou maiest gather by this That I suffer thee and thine to depart hence at libertie with all your wealth and substance For I make not warre thereby to heape vp wealth and riches but for honour fame immortalitie and enlarging of mine empire For it is the propertie of a king royally descended by strong hand to take from others and to inuade others not vpon a greedie and couetous mind but for the honourable desire of rule and soueraigntie which whilest my neighbour withstandeth I count it enough by force of armes to remoue him But the Tyrant as many supposed spake all this by way of dissimulation hauing as it was commonly bruted giuen order for the rigging vp of a great ship and certaine gallies for the sudden transporting of the Great master and the knights of the Order to CONSTANTINOPLE which report seemeth to haue beene but faigned either of malice or else by such as least knew Solymans mind for if he had so purposed who should haue let him hauing them all in his power Iouius in his little treatise rerum Turcicarum dedicated to Charles the fift reporteth that hee himselfe heard Lilladamus the Great master say That when Solyman entered into the RHODES attended vpon with thirtie thousand men there was not any man heard to speake a word but that the souldiours went as if they had beene obseruant friers and that when he came to aske leaue of Solyman that he might depart he was so courteously vsed of him that turning himselfe to Abraim the Bassa whom he aboue all men loued said Truely I cannot but grieue to see this vnfortunat old man driuen out of his owne dwelling to depart hence so heauily The Great master embarking himselfe with his knights and such other as were willing to depart in vessels and gallies prepared for that purpose departed out of the island on Newyeares day at night and after long and dangerous trauell by sea in that Winter weather landed at last at MESSANA in SICILIA from whence he afterwards sailed into ITALIE and so trauelled to ROME where he was honourably receiued by Adrian the sixt of that name then bishop there a Hollander borne sometime schoolemaster to Charles the fift and his Vicegerent in Spaine who if he had been as forward in the short time of his Papacie to haue relieued the RHODES as he was to maintaine Charles his quarrell against the French king it is not vnlike but that famous citie had beene relieued and the island in possession of the Christians at this day Thus Solyman whilest the Christian princes were at discord amongst themselues to his great glorie and no lesse griefe of all good Christians entred the RHODES the fiue and twentith day of December a day dedicated vnto the natiuitie of our Sauiour Christ in the yeare 1522 after it had beene by the knights of the Order valiantly kept and defended against the infidels by the space of 214 yeares since the time they by force tooke it from the infidels in the yeare 1308 and now being so long holden as was possible against all the power of the Turkes was yeelded vp when it had been six moneths besieged At this siege Solyman lost a great part of his army for besides them that were slaine at the assaults which were many thirtie thousand died of the flix Whilest Solyman thus lay at the siege of the RHODES Ferhates Bassa Gouernour of the Marches of the Turkish empire alongst the riuer of Euphrates by the commaundement of Solyman went with a great armie against Alis-beg whom the Turkes called Schach Suar-ogli that is to say king Suar his sonne which P. Iouius corrupting calleth him by the name of Saxouaroglis This Alis after he had betraied his vncle Aladeules the mountaine king vnto Sinan Bassa was by Selymus left chiefe gouernour of that large and wild countrey alongst the borders of ARMENIA and CAPADOCIA wanting nothing of the honour of a king but the name onely as is before declared in the life of Selymus Solyman jealous of his honor and fearing least he should take vpon him the absolute gouernment of that countrey which indeed of right belonged vnto him the children of Aladeules the late king being now all dead and so to make himselfe king especially if he should joyne in friendship with the Persian king after the manner of ambitious men purposed by any meanes to haue him taken out of the way and had therefore sent Ferhates to ease him of that care The Bassa without making any shew of hostilitie marching with his armie along the confines of his countrey as if it had been but to looke to his charge when he was come as neere as he could to Alis without mistrust thought good to assay if he
and so charging the enemie performed the part not onely of a courageous cheefetaine but of a resolute and valiant souldior also rescuing with his owne hand Andreas Pontius a noble gentleman of GRANADO whom vnhorsed and sore wounded the enemie was readie presently to haue slaine had not the emperour by his comming in saued him deseruing thereby the Oken garland which the Romans by the name of Ciuica Corona gaue as an honour to such as had in battell saued a citisen About the same time it fortuned that thirtie thousand Moores came vpon the suddaine to haue surprised a little tower standing vpon a hill neere vnto the ruines of old CARTHAGE wherein the emperour had placed certaine soldiors for the keeping thereof because it was neere vnto his campe Before these Moores went a Numidian priest who bellowing out certaine superstitious charmes cast diuers scrols of paper on each side the way wherein he cursed and banned the Christians and now they had with fire and smoake brought the Christians in that tower to great extremitie when the emperour himselfe comming to their rescue with certaine companies of horsemen and footmen slew the conjuring priest with others and put the rest to flight The discomfiture of the Spanish horsemen caused many men to thinke that if the emperour should come to a set battell with the enemie he should find his horsemen too weak both for that they were but few in number and not to bee compared with the Numidians For which cause and diuers others certaine of the emperours graue counsellors but none of the best souldiours wished him not to proceed further in that dangerous warre but with speed to returne out of AFFRICKE for as much as he had woon honour enough by the taking of GVLETTA and the surprising of the enemies fleet whereby he had to his immortall praise and the common good of Christendome deliuered all the frontiers of the Christian countries in the Mediterranean from the danger and feare of those most cruell pyrats besides that the flix began to rage in his campe whereof many of his souldiors fell sicke and died dayly whereas on the contrarie part the mightie Numidian princes such as were Muleasses old enemies were reported to come in dayly to the aid of Barbarussa These vnseasonable speeches the emperour thought good to represse betime reasoning against the authors thereof with great grauitie as against men who with more feare doubted of the successe of things and the euent of the victorie than beseemed them whom for their constant resolution and good opinion conceiued of their discretion hee had chosen to be of his most secret counsell Saying that he desired not of them that their needlesse and dishonourable labour wherein they should shew themselues more carefull of his person than of his honour for as much as those things which he now alleadged should haue been said before the warre was taken in hand now by good hap halfe ended before hee euer passed ouer into AFFRICKE For he might as he said haue rested quietly in SPAINE and haue easily neglected and reiected the iniuries done vpon the sea coasts and the complaints of his subiects but he was as they well knew for most vrgent causes come thither whereas hee was resolued to satisfie the expectation of the world with a notable victorie or if God should otherwise appoint there to end his daies with honour Wherefore he willed them to cease farther to flatter him that was no way dismaid or to possesse the minds of his valiant souldiours with a vaine forboding feare and with resolute minds togither with him their chieftaine against the next day to expect what the fortune of the field should appoint for the full accomplishment of that war For he was as he said set downe to giue the enemie battell or if he refused the same to batter the wals of TVNES not doubting but that God would stand on his side in so good and so godly a quarrell The emperour leauing a sufficient garrison in the castle of GVLETTA commanded the breaches to be repaired and the great ordinance there taken to be laid vpon carriages which before after the old rude sea fashion lay bound in great vnweldie pieces of timber with yron rings fastned thereto and could not handsomely be handled or remoued too or fro After that when he had caused the countrey to be well viewed all about which betwixt the Oliue groues and the right side of the lake giueth a direct passage vnto the citie of TVNES he set forward with his armie in so good order that he still marched as readie to fight for feare of the pollicies and sudden assaults of the enemie On the left hand marched the Italians next vnto the lake on the right hand the Spaniards neere vnto the Oliue groues which in the manner of a great wood ran all alongst the countrey from the ruines of CARTHAGE almost to the wals of TVNES in the middest betwixt both marched the Germans next vnto them followed the great ordinance and after it the carriages of all the armie In the vauntgard was Vastius whom the emperour had made Generall of the armie and especially for that day in the rearward was the duke of ALâ—A with certaine troupes of chosen horsemen in the middle of the maine battell was the emperour and by his side Lewes his brother in law the king of PORTINGALES brother The Italians were conducted by the prince of SALERN the Spaniards by Alarco an auntient captaine and the Germans by Maximilian Eberstein But the emperour in his armour ceased not to ride from squadron to squadron with cheerfull countenance and full of hope recounting vnto them the former victories which they had gotten for him and telling them that he did that day expect of them a most honourable daies seruice for as much as they were to fight against the naked enemies of the Christian religion wherefore they should with resolute minds set downe themselues to endure the waight of their armour the painfulnesse of the march the heat of the Sunne and sand and the tediousnesse of the thirst arising therof vntill they might joine battell with their enemies where they should vndoubtedly by the goodnesse of God in whose quarrell they fought obtaine the victorie in the meane time they should with patience ouercome all difficulties comforting themselues with the vndoubted hope of a most rich prey which they were to expect of the spoile of a rich citie Whereunto euerie squadron answered with a great shout that he should not trouble himselfe with those matters which he had before rehearsed but to assure himselfe that they his souldiours would most patiently endure all extremities and not deceiue the expectation he had conceiued of their wonted valour but by valiant fight to make him emperour not of AFFRICKE but of ASIA also Now Vastius had withdrawne two companies of harquebusiers out of the Spanish squadron to skirmish with the Moores who continually followed in the taile
so many nations ouer whom he lorded but that there were many wearie of the present state and so desirous of nouelties vnto whom nothing could chance more fitting than the comming of Baiazet a noble and valiant young gentleman and that more was desperatly set that as yet he himselfe might of right rather seeme in the power of his guest than he in his And that therefore he was to alter the matter and not longer to entertaine him as his guest but to coupe him vp as a most dangerous wild beast Which to doe the easiest way was to disperse his power and so to take him vnawares for that he could not without much bloudshed be openly taken in the middest of his strength especially by the daintie Persian of long time not vsed to warre and as yet not come togither against Baiazets souldiors men of great actiuitie and experience So was the matter cunningly imparted vnto him for the dispersing of his forces and all the commodities to ensue thereof alleadged which Baiazet might not well gainsay although many of his wise followers men of great reach did shrewdly suspect the sequell But what could he refuse vpon whom necessitie lay so heauie where no other hope was left where he liued as it pleased another man and that againe to where once to doubt of the fidelitie of his hoast might be imputed to him for the greatest treacherie So these most valiant souldiors the poore princes faithfull followers neuer againe to see one another are dispersed into diuers countrey villages and bestowed where the Persians thought good Not many daies after at a time pickt out for the purpose they in number few and dispersed in a strange countrey were inclosed by many and slaine their horses armour apparell and whatsoeuer else became a prey vnto the murtherers At the same instant was Baiazet and his sonnes cast in bonds also and that to his greater griefe as many report taken as he was sitting merrily at dinner at the kings table The Persian king seemed to haue foreseene much in this his hard dealing with Baiazet as if that he being a valiant and couragious young prince and much better souldior than his brother should haue succeeded his father in his empire much trouble and perill might haue growen thereby both to himselfe and his kingdome And that it stood farre better with the safetie of his estate that Selymus a man wholy giuen to voluptuousnesse and ease should raigne ouer the Turkes in whose time he might as it were promise vnto himselfe all peace and securitie and therefore it was thought that he would neuer let Baiazet go aliue out of his hand but rather make him away in prison as if he had there died for melancholy and griefe Well he was assured that after he had slaine his followers and imprisoned himselfe and his sonnes hee would neuer be friends with him that had so notably wronged him Baiazet thus shamefully imprisoned messengers ran continually too and fro betwixt the two old princes Solyman and Tamas Amongst the rest the Persian king sent a solemne embassadour vnto the Turke with presents namely curious tents costly carpets an Alcoran containing the mysteries of their superstition and certaine strange beasts The cause of his comming was pretended to be for a reconciliation to be made betweene Solyman and his sonne which embassadour was honourably entertained and feasted by the great Bassaes. Now was poore Baiazet in small hope of life his cruell father still crauing to haue him deliuered into his hands to bee slaine and the Persian yet denying to deliuer him and seeming to defend him but not as was thought altogither faithfully Solyman left no meanes vnattempted to haue wrung him from the Persian sometimes he spake him faire putting him in mind of his league wherein it was agreed That they should both haue the same friends and the same enemies otherwhile he terrified him with great words and denouncing of warre except he would deliuer him his sonne he furnished with strong garrisons all the frontiers of his dominion towards PERSIA he filled all MESOPOTAMIA and the bankes of the riuer Euphrates with souldiors especially with them of his owne guard and such as he had before vsed in the battell against Baiazet ouer whom commaunded Mehemet Bassa the third of the Visier Bassaes and the Beglerbeg of GRECE for Selymus was soone wearie of the field and so betime returned home he also incited the Georgian people to take vp armes against the Persians who wisely answered That they had not such confidence in their owne strength as to prouoke king Tamas but let Solyman himselfe come with his armie and when they saw him present in the field then they knew what they had to doe and that he should then well see that they wanted neither discretion nor valour And because he would leaue nothing vnproued he made shew as if he would in person himselfe haue gone to ALEPPO in SYRIA and so haue on that side inuaded the Persian neither was the Persian king altogither out of feare hauing to his cost many times proued what Solyman was able to doe But the vnwillingnesse of the souldiors and their minds altogither estranged from that warre easily staied the raging Turke they detested that warre and forsboke their ensignes a great number of whom especially horsmen without leaue of their captaines returned to CONSTANTINOPLE and being commanded againe to the campe went indeed but with such countenance and cheere as well declared how they were affected and what they would doe if occasion serued for them to reuolt For which cause after that Solyman perceiued that Baiazet could not aliue be got from the Persian excusing himselfe by feare of reuenge by him whom he had so grieuously offended if he should by any meanes escape he thought it best to follow that which was next and to haue him there slaine which he was in good hope to compasse and the rather for that the Persian had but lately written vnto him That he could not but much maruell to see him deale so slenderly in a matter of so great importance That he on his part had sent him diuers embassadours and that he on the other side had sent him nothing but common messengers with papers which caused him to thinke that he made no great account of the matter wherefore he should doe well to send vnto him men of account and place which whom he might conferre and conclude also according to the waightinesse and exigence of the cause besides that he was as he said not a little in his debt for that Baiazet and his followers had beene vnto him no small charge before hee could get him into his power all which it were good reason that he should haue consideration of Whereby Solyman perceiued that money was the thing the Persian king sought after and therefore rather than he would in an vnfit time of his life entangle himselfe in a dangerous and vnnecessarie waâ—â—e he
determined by the counsell of his Bassaes rather with money than with the sword to fight with the Persian king Hereupon was Hassan Aga one of the chiefe gentlemen of his chamber appointed embassadour into PERSIA with whom was joyned the Bassa of MARAS a man both for his age and place reuerend who departing with a large commission almost in the depth of Winter with great speed and wonderfull toile by those long and difficult waies arriued at last at CASBIN the seat of the Persian king hauing by the way lost diuers of their seruants and followers Being come to the court the first thing they desired was to see Baiazet whom they found shut vp in a close prison pale and wanâ— as a man forlorne with his haire and beard so long and ouergrowne as that he was not to be knowne before he was new trimmed which done then appeared the liuely resemblance of his wonted countenance and fauour so that Hassan verily knew it to be him for he had been brought vp with him of a child in the court and for that cause especially had Solyman sent him thither to be assured that it was he At length after long discourse and conference betweene the king and the embassadours it was agreed vpon that the king should receiue from Solyman full recompence of all the charges he had been at and of the harmes by him sustained since the comming of Baiazet into PERSIA with such farther reward as so great a good turne deserued which things performed that then it should be in Solymans power to haue Baiazet made away With this newes Hassan posteth to his master at CONSTANTINOPLE who forthwith caused the promised reward togither with such charges as the Persian king demaunded to be made readie and with a safe conuoy to be sent vnto the borders of PERSIA where they were of the Persians receiued Presently after returneth Hassan the appointed executioner of the vnfortunat Baiazet for so Solyman had straightly charged him to strangle him with his owne hands Which thing this new made hangman accordingly performed and with a bowstring strangled the vnfortunat prince who is reported to haue requested of the executioner but that he might see his children before he died take of them his last farewell which poore request could not be granted but he forthwith commanded to die This was the wofull end of the vnluckie attempts of Baiazet a prince of far more worth than was Selymus his brother who in seeking to shun the death he feared hasted the same before his time Such as was the fathers end was also the end of his foure sonnes Omer Amurat Selym and Muhamet of whom the three eldest were strangled at CASBIN with their father whose dead bodies togither with his were solemnly brought to SEBASTIA and there buried The youngest but new borne left at AMASIA and sent by his grandfather to PRVSA as is before said to be there nursed was now vpon the death of his father commaunded by his said grandfather to be strangled also The eunuch sent by Solyman to haue done the deed and loth to doe it himselfe tooke with him one of the porters of the court a desperat and otherwise a hard hearted ruffian a man thought fit to haue performed any villanie he comming into the chamber where the child lay and fitting the bowstring to the childs necke to haue strangled it the innocent babe smiled vpon him and lifting it selfe vp as well as it could with open armes offered to haue embraced the villaine about the necke and kissed him Which guiltlesse simplicitie so wounded the stonie hearted man that he was not able to performe the intended butcherie of the poore and simple child but fell downe in a swoâ—ne and there lay for dead The eunuch standing without the doore maruelling at his long stay goes in and finding the ruffian lying along vpon the ground with cruell hand performed that the other could not find in his heart to do and so strangled the guiltlesse child as had been giuen him in charge Whereby it euidently appeared that it was not the mercie or compassion of Solyman that so long caused the guiltlesse infant to be spared but rather the opinion generally receiued amongst the Turks who measuring all things by the good or bad successe referre all things that fall out well vnto God as the authour thereof be they neuer so vngratiously begun and therefore so long as it was yet vncertaine what successe the attempts of Baiazet would haue Solyman spared the infant least vpon his fathers good hap he might seeme to haue striuen against the will of God But now that his father was dead and his quarrell by the euill successe thereof condemned as it were by the sentence of the Almightie he thought it not good longer to suffer him to liue least of an euill bird might come an euill chicke I had sometime saith the reporter of this historie great reasoning with my Chiaus about this matter for falling into talke with him of Baiazet he began bitterly to inuay against him for taking vp armes against his brother Whereunto saith this authour I replied That in mine opinion he was worthie both to be pitied and pardoned forasmuch as he was of necessitie enforced either to take vp armes or else shortly after to yeeld himselfe to the slaughter But he still exclaiming against him I said vnto him You blame poore Baiazet of great wickednesse for bearing armes against his brother but Selymus Solymans father you blame not who vpon like occasion tooke vp armes both against his father and his brethren yet he therein did nothing amisse nor in your judgement blame worthie And rightly saith the Chiaus for the euent of the matter sheweth sufficiently that that which he did was done by the appointment of God and that he was from heauen predestinate thereunto whereas in Baiazet the euent sheweth the cleane contrarie So that which falleth out well be it by neuer so wicked meanes compassed or brought to passe they take it as done according to the will of God but if it fall out otherwise they judge it as a thing condemned by God himselfe depending wholy vpon the good or bad euent of things and thereby judging them to be well done or otherwise This yeare 1558 Charles the fift that noble emperour of whom we haue in the course of this historie so often spoken who wearie of the world had two yeares before deliuered all his hereditarie kingdomes and principalities to his sonne Philip did now the 24 of Februarie on which day he was borne by his embassadours solemnely sent for that purpose resigne the empire with all the honors and titles thereof vnto his brother king Ferdinand requesting the princes electors to confirme the same vnto him which they did the 13 of March next following So liuing as a priuat gentleman in that solitarie life whereunto he had to the wonder of the world certain years before retired himselfe from all
the life to come There was in this expedition a Colonell of the Turks well acquainted with Busbequius the emperours embassadour then lying at CONSTANTINOPLE into whose hands in that discomfiture of the Christians by chance was come the imperiall ensigne of the gallies of NAPLES wherein within the compasse of an Eagle were contained the armes of all the prouinces belonging to the kingdome of SPAINE Which faire ensigne the embassadour vnderstanding him to purpose to giue for a present vnto Solyman thought good to preuent the matter and to get it from him which he easily obtained by sending him two sutes of silke such as the Turkes make reckoning of for it so prouiding that one of the imperiall ensignes of Charles the fift should not to the eternall remembrance of that ouerthrow remaine still with the enemies of the Christian religion This so miserable a calamitie receuied by the Christians at ZERBI made that island before little or nothing spoken of to be euer since famous About this time to end this vnfortunat yeare withall the fiue and twentith day of Nouember died Andreas Auria that second Neptune being ninetie foure yeares old a man in his time of great fame and of the greatest princes of that age had in no small reputation but especially of Charles the fift in whose seruice he did much for the benefit of the Christian common weale being for most part imploied in his greatest warres against the Turks and Moores Yet amongst all the notable things done to his immortall glorie the kindnesse by him shewed vnto his natiue countrey was greatest which oppressed by the French he set at libertie and when he might haue taken vpon him the sole gouernment thereof as had diuers others before him moderating his desires and respecting the onely good thereof appeased the great dissention that had of long raigned therein and established such a forme of gouernment confirmed with so good and wholsome lawes and orders no mans libertie infringed as that it hath euer since to his eternall praise in great wealth state and libertie thereby flourished Vnto whose remembrance for that we haue before of him much spoken in the course of this historie I thought it not amisse to joyne the liuely counterfeit of his reuerend aged countenance by nature framed answerable vnto his noble vertues ANDREAS AVRIA Genua quem genuit genui quam deinde vicissim Auria qui merui Carolo sub Caesare quinto Turcarum terror Piratarumque Subactor Barbara quem sensit tellus capta Thunissa Arx Aphrodisium Moreaeque vrbs celsa Corone Mors rapuit Lustris decies prope quinque peractis As Genua me begat so I preseru'd the same And seruing vnder Charles the fift exalted haue my name A terrour to the Turkes I was I brought the pyrats low And spoiling their Barbarian coast made them by force to know Faire TVNES and strong APHRODISE both by my helpe were woon And CORONE in MOREA by me was ouerrun So hauing spent ninetie foure yeares in treading honours trace Full fraught with honour and with yeares I ended haue my race The Turkes the yeare following with their gallies robbed and spoiled diuers places vpon the coasts of ITALIE SICILIE and MALTA against whom Phillip king of SPAINE sending forth his gallies by force of tempest lost twentie fiue of them the eighteenth day of Nouember togither with Mendoza admirall of that fleet Ferdinand the emperour hauing with long sute and much entreating obtained peace of Solyman and being now well stricken in yeares and carefull both of the state of the empire and of the aduancement of his posteritie began to deale with the princes Electors for a choice to bee made of a king of the Romans who after his death might without the trouble of GERMANIâ— succeed him in the empire commending vnto them his sonne Maximilian a prince of great hope then king of BOHEMIA Whereupon an assemblie of the princes Electours was appoâ—â—â—ted to bee holden at FRANKFORD who there meeting at the appointed time with generall consent the 24 day of Nouember in the yeare 1562 chose Maximilian the emperours some king of the Romans and with all the accustomed solemnities crowned him who also the yeare after was at PRESEVRO the eight of September with much solemnitie crowned king of HVNGARIE Vnto this solemne assemblie of the empire at FRANâ—FORD Solyman the Turkish emperour sent Ibrahim Bassa otherwise called Abraham Strotzza a Polonian borne of whom we haue before spoken his embassadour with presents and letters to Ferdinand the emperour to confirme the peace for eight yeares betwixt them before concluded who the seuenteenth day of Nouember in presence of the emperour the king of the Romans and all the princes Electâ—â—â— had audience where after much glorious speech in setting forth his masters greatnesse with his loue towards the emperour and his sonne the new chosen king as wishing vnto them all happinesse he deliuered his letters of credence vnto the emperor the copie wherof I haue not thought amisse here to set downe for that therein is notably to be seene the most insolent pride of that barbarous prince and miserable estate of the â—ent kingdome of HVNGARIE deuided as it were at his pleasure betwixt him and the emperour I the lord of lords ruler of the East and of the West who am of power to doe and not to doe whatsoeuer pleaseth me lord of all GRaeCIA PERSIA and ARABIA commaunder of all things which can be subiect to king and commaund the great worthie of these times and strong champion of the most wide world lord of all the white and blacke sea and of the holy citie of MECHA shining with the brightnesse of God and of the citie of MEDINA and of the holy and chast citie of IERVSALEM king of the most noble kingdome of AEGIPT lord of IONIA and of the citie of ATHENS SENAV of the sacred temple of God ZABILON and BASSIO RETHSAN and MAâ—ODIM the seat and throne of the great king Nashin Rettam and lord of the island of ALGIERS prince of the kingdomes of TARTARIE MESOPOTAMIA MEDIA of the Georgians MOREA ANATOLIA ASIA ARMENIA WALACHIA MOLDAVIA and of all HVNGARIE and of many other kingdomes and territories whereof I am emperour the most mightie Monarch Sultan Solyman sonne of the great emperour Sultan Selym who haue power from God to rule all people with a bridle and strength to breake open the gates and bars of all cities and strong places into whose mightie hand are deliuered all the ends of the world none excepted I the ruler of the East from the Island of TSEIN vnto the farthest bounds of AFFRICA whom God hath appointed a mightie warriour in the edge of the sword amongst whose most mightie kingdomes the impregnable castle of CESARae is reputed for the least and in whose hereditarie dominions the kingdome or empire of Alexander the Great is accounted as a trifle with me is the strength of the whole world and
1555. 22 daies Paulus the IIII. 1555. 4. Pius the IIII. 1560. 5. Pius the V. 1566. 6. SELYMVS SELYMVS SECVNDVS TVRCARVM IMPERATOR QVINTVS FLORVIT AN o 1566 Dissimilis patri Selymus regalia Sceptra Corripit dira concutit arma manu Foedus cum venetis frangit Quid foedera prosunt Armataque manu Cypria regna rapit Instrauit tumidum numerosis classibus Aequor Vt Naupactiacas nobilitaret aquas Moldauum foeda mulctauit morte Dynasten Et magni fines prorogat imperij Obruit Hispanos multa vi Punica regna Destruit regnis adijcit illa suis. Sed nimis in venerem pronus vinoque sepultus Extremum properat praecipitare diem R. KNOLL Vnlike his father Selymus the royall Scepter takes And shaking armes with cruell hand exceeding stirs he makes With VENICE state his league he breaks with Turks what league can stand And CYPRVS kingdome takes from them by force of mightie hand He couered the swelling seas with hugie fleets to see That vanquished vnto those seas he might an honour be The Vayuod of MOLDAVIA he brought to wofull end The borders of his kingdome great that so he might extend In GVLET he the Spaniards ouerwhelmd with mightie power And thereby TVNES kingdome did the selfesame time deuour But wholy giuen to venerie vnto excesse and play He posteth on before his time to hast his fatall day R. K. THE LIFE OF SELYMVS THE SECOND OF THAT NAME FIFT EMPEROVR OF THE TVRKES SElymus the only sonne of Solyman then left aliue by letters from Muhamet Bassa vnderstanding of the death of his father hasted from CVTAI a citie of GALATIA not farre from ANCYRA towards CONSTANTINOPLE and comming to SCVTARIE was from thence by Bostanges Bassa of the court conducted ouer the strait to CONSTANTINOPLE where by him and Scander Bassa Selymus his sonne in law and then Solymans Vicegerent he was conuaied into the imperiall pallace the three and twentith of September in the yeare 1566 and there possessed of his fathers seat was by the Ianizaries there present saluted emperour He was about the age of fortie two yeares when he began to raigne a man of an vnconstant and hastie disposition wholy giuen to wantonnesse and excesse so that he neuer went to wars himselfe but performed them altogether by his lieutenants contrarie to the charge of Selymus his grandfather giuen by him to his father Solyman whereof he was neuer vnmindfull The next day he came abroad and shewed himselfe in his majestie and in the temple of SOPHIA after the manner of the Turkish superstition caused solemne praiers and sacrifices to be made for his father which done he gaue vnto the Ianizaries a largious of 100000 Sultanines with promise to augment their wages And all things being now in readinesse for his intended journey he with a goodly retinue set forward from CONSTANTINOPLE the seauen and twentith of September and the twentith of October a little from BELGRADE met the armie comming from SIGETH gallantly marching vnder their ensignes with the dead bodie of Solyman whom the souldiors generally supposed to haue been yet liuing but troubled with the gout to haue kept his horse-litter as his manner was to trauell Selymus alighting came in his mourning attire to the horse-litter looked vpon the dead bodie of his father kissed it and wept ouer it as did all the other great Bassaes also And that the death of Solyman might then be made knowne to all men the ensigns were presently let fall and trailed vpon the ground a dead march sounded and heauie silence commaunded to be kept through all the campe Shortly after Selymus was with the great applause of the whole armie proclaimed emperour his ensignes aduaunced and euerie one of the great commaunders of the armie in their degree admitted to kisse his hand So marching forward he returned againe to CONSTANTINOPLE the two and twentith of Nouember but thinking to haue entred his pallace which they commonly call the SERAGLIO he was by the discontented Ianizaries but now come from the wars prohibited so to do they with great insolencie demaunding of him a greater donatiue togither with the confirmation both of their auntient and new priuiledges before they would suffer him to enter Against which their so great presumption the Visier Bassaes togither with the Aga opposing themselues and seeking by all means to appease them were by them fowly intreated and well rapped about the pates with the stocks of their calliuars but especially the two great Bassaes Muhamet and Pertau as the chiefe authors that their lord had dealt no more liberally with them With which so sudden and vnexpected a mutinie of his best souldiors Selymus not a little troubled and calling vnto him the Aga or captaine of the Ianizaries demaunded of him the cause thereof who with teares trickling downe his cheekes for griefe told him That it was for money Which by Selymus now promised vnto them togither with the confirmation of their liberties and the Aga with faire words and heauie countenance most earnestly entreating them not to blemish the antient reputation of their wonted loyaltie with so foule a disorder nor to expose the life of him their louing captaine vnto the heauie displeasure of their angrie Sultan and farther assuring them that he would not faile them in the least of his promises but content them to the full of their desires the mutinie was at length appeased the insolent Ianizaries againe quieted and Selymus into the SERAGLIO receiued Howbeit Muhamet chiefe of the Visier Bassaes for certaine daies after went not out of his pallace neither came as he was woont into the DIVANO but kept himselfe cose for feare of some greater mischiefe from them This tumult thus ouerpassed and all againe well quieted Selymus with all royall solemnitie buried his father in a chappell which he after the manner of the Mahometane kings had in his life time most stately built with a colledge and an hospitall Where fast by his side is to be seene the tombe of Roxolana his best beloued wife and of certaine others his murthered children and by him hangeth his scimitar in token that he died in wars an honour not otherwise granted to the Mahometane princes The reuenues arising of the countrey about SIGETH of late woon from the Christians at the time of his death were giuen to the maintenance of the houses by him built of deuotion which for the magnificence thereof exceed all the rest before built by the Mahometane kings and emperours except those which were the buildings of Mahomet the great and Baiazet the second It was by many thought that Solyman was in good time by death cut off as purposing that yeare to haue wintered in HVNGARIE and the yeare following to haue done great matters against the Christians both by sea and land The great armie of the Turks thus drawne out of HVNGARIE by the death of Solyman in some part assuaged but altogither appeased not the endlesse troubles of
gaue him answere promising him in his returne to passe through his countrey and so dismissed the Christian duke with like honour wherewith he was entertained at his comming Mustapha holding on his journey toward SIRVAN through moorish and troublesome wayes in twelue dayes after he departed from TEFLIS came into the confines of SIRVAN neere to the riuer of Canac and there rested on this side the riuer one day At which time they of the citie of Sâ—CHI bordering vpon the Siruanians and Georgians foure dayes journy from SVMACHIA came to offer themselues to Mustapha as subjects to the Turkes Of whose submission the Generall gratiously accepted promising to them his assured protection The Turkes armie ouerwearied with the continuall trauell of twelue dayes march but yet farre more afflicted with hunger not finding in those parts so much as one wild beast to assuage their greedie desire of meat sought by all meanes euery man for himselfe to get something especially when they vnderstood their Generall would passe the riuer into a countrey vnto them all vnknowne where they were altogether vncertain what to find for their releefe So whilest they were enquiring among themselues who were able to conduct them to some such place as where they might supplie their wants behold certaine Persians were taken who being straightly examined on that point after much resistance at last told them That not far off after they had passed certaine marishes where Canac dischargeth it selfe into Araxis they should find many fields full of Ryse and corne in the blade and a little further certain fat heards of cattell sufficient to relieue the whole armie Of this newes was the Generall certified who although he greatly doubted the subtilties of his enemie yet to gratifie his souldiors and to make them more willing to follow him into SIRVAN he licensed euery man that had a desire thereunto to goe and prouide themselues of victuals and so suffered all that would to goe freely Whereupon there went of themselues and were sent by their captaines about ten thousand seruile persons with cammels horses and mules to fetch away this prouision of corne and cattell but the euent answered not to their desires For Tocomac with the other Persian captaines and the rest of the souldiors that were escaped from the ouerthrow giuen them in the plaines of CHIELDER hauing gathered togither the remainder of the armie and recouered such places as they thought safe and friendly for them carefully attended the marching and passing of the Turkish armie And being certainly enformed by them of REIVAN and GEORGIA what way they kept and that of necessitie they must arriue at the banks of Canac they began to deuise how they might in some measure be reuenged of their former losse and empeach their enemies entrance into SIRVAN But wanting rather strength than courage to assaile the whole armie they thought it best to stay in ambush in some fit place vntill some part of the Turkish armie allured with the prey of the corne and cattell should for the reliefe of their common necessities descend into those fields And the rather to draw them on sent out diuers men who as if they had gone about their owne businesse and by chance at vnawares had lighted vpon the Turkes campe reuealed vnto them as a great secret what a good prey was hard by them And so withdrawing themselues out of sight priuily awaited the comming of the Turks when as within the space of three daies it so fell out that the aforesaid ten thousand forragers arriued at the wished place where they had no sooner begun to charge themselues with the prey but they were surprised by the Persians and all slaine sauing a few who by hastie flight saued themselues The noise of this hoat skirmish being heard into the Turkish hoast caused Mustapha to imagine that the matter was fallen out euen as in deed it was and therefore rising with his whole armie hasted with all possible speed to haue succoured the poore people who were now all slaine And albeit he came not in so good time as to yeeld them reliefe yet came he verie fitly to reuenge their death vpon the Persians staying too long to load themselues with the spoile of their enemies The place from whence the Turks were to haue had the aforesaid bootie was almost in manner of an island enclosed with the riuers of Araxis and Canac whereinto Mustapha entred with his whole power Deruis Bassa leading the one wing as did Beyran Bassa the other and he himselfe comming on in the middle with the maine battell The Persians seeing Mustapha with all his forces hasting towards them and withall remembring the late ouerthrow by them receiued in the plaines of CHIELDER began to bethinke themselues how much better it had beene for them to haue contented themselues with the late slaughter of the forragers and with speed to haue got them away out of that strait than by staying longer to be enclosed with the multitude of their enemies as that they could now no way escape without most manifest perill In this perplexitie discoursing among themselues whether it were better for them to flie or with so great disaduantage to joyne battell and so rather to die with honour than to liue with reproach at last they resolued to reserue themselues to the farther seruice of their prince and countrey deeming it rather a point of wisedome than of dishonour Not to aduenture vnto most desperat and assured death so many worthie men as might in future time stand their countrey in great stead yet did they not see how by flight well to escape for that they were in such sort sâ—rained within the riuers as that there was no ground left for them to escape by than that which contrarie to their expectation was by the Turkes alreadie possessed In these difficulties euerie man began to betake himselfe to his owne priuat conceit and fortune Tocomac with Emir Chan and other the great commaunders of the armie were the first that turned their backes and by the helpe of their couragious horses got ouer the riuer of Canac whose example moued many others to attempt the like though not with like fortune for that their horses being not of such courage and out of breath lay many of them drowned in the riuer Wherwith others being amazed as perceiuing ineuitable death in flying present before their eies and reposing all their hope euen in despaire ran as it were headlong in a rage and furie vpon their enemies and in fighting shewed vnspeakable valour but what was one against an hundred for there they were also all slain though worthie of immortall fame Thus was the Persian armie quite discomfited in this demy island being first stained with the bloud of the enemie and afterward with the slaughter of the neighbour and proper inhabitant and so became the perpetuall sepulcher of a most couragious and warlike people The Turkes in this last conflict lost not aboue three
Caire 589 d. by Solyman sent as Generall of his armie to Malta 794 l. landeth at the port Marza Siroc in the isle of Malta 796 k. besiegeth the castle S. Elmo 797 a. assaulteth the castle e. in vain giueth a second assault 798 g. with losse assaulteth it the third time m. in most furious manner battereth it by the space of eighteene dayes and assaulteth it the fourth time 799 c. with great furie giueth the fift and most terrible assault vnto the castle 801 a. with all his power giueth the sixt and last assault 802 i. winneth the castle 803 a. exerciseth most barbarous crueltie vpon the bodies of the slaine knights b. in vaine assaulteth the castle S. Michael 809 c. at one time assaulteth the new citie and the castle S. Michael 810 i. he by messengers certifieth Solyman of the successe of the siege 811 a. leaueth nothing vnattempted 812 i. at once assaulteth the townes S. Angelo and S. Michael and in both places notably repulsed 813 a. giueth a fresh assault and entâ—reth the new citie 814 g. with a great slaughter driuen out againe i. desperately assaulteth the towne of S. Michaell 815 c. repulsed raiseth his siege 817 a. put to flight by the Christians c. hauing lost about foure and twentie thousand of his Turkes at the siege departeth from Malta d. he with Piall Bassa impugneth the counsell of Muhamet the chiefe of the Visieâ— Bassaes and persuadeth Selymus to inuade Cyprus 839 c. for his hatred against the Christians made Generall of his armie for the inuasion of Cyprus 846 g. his letters vnto the Venetians in the isle of Cyprus i. he landeth his armie in Cyprus m. besiegeth Nicosia 848 c. in vaine persuadeth them of Nicosia to yeeld 850 k. he encourageth his souldiors and giueth a most terrible assault 851 a. winneth the citie e. besiegeth Famagusta 852. raiseth his siege b. returneth againe to the siege 862 m. after many assaults hath the citie by composition yeelded vnto him 866 m. shamefully and contrarie to his faith before giuen murthereth the valiant Gouernor Bragadinus 867 b tyranniseth vpon his dead bodie d. by Amurath made Generall of his army against the Persians 929 d. commeth to Erzirum e. mustereth his armie in number an hundred and ten thousand strong 930 g. relieueth his souldiors distressed by the Persians 931 c. maketh a bulwarke of the heads of the slaine Persians d. he surueyeth his armie at Archichelec and lacketh fortie thousand of his men 932 k. fortiâ—ieth Teflis 933 a. looseth ten thousand of his forragers 934 h. reuengeth their death l. his notable answere vnto his mutinous souldiours 935 b. looseth eight thousand of his men in passing the riuer Cannac c. famine in his hoast e. he fortifieth Ere 's 936 g. sendeth Osman Bassa to take in Sumachia and Derbent h. relieueth his distressed garrison at Teflis m. his armie in great miserie in passing the straits of Georgia 937 c. commeth to Erzirum and dischargeth his armie 938 g. maketh preparation for the next yeares warres 942 k. assembleth his armie at Erzirum 943 d. in three and twentie daies fortifieth Chars f. sendeth succours to Teflis 944 c. returneth to Erzirum there dischargeth his armie 945 d. discharged of his Generallship and called home to Constantinople 946 l. maligned by Sinan 949 a. dealeth warily with the messengers sent of purpose to haue strangled him d. appeaseth the displeasure of Amurath e. dieth suddenly 952 k Mustapha Solyman his eldest sonne in great estimatioÌ„ with the people 757 b sent Gouernour into Caramania d. maligned by Roxolana e. in danger to haue been poysoned 760 k. sent for by his father warned of his present danger e. conferreth with his doctor 762 g. troubled with his melancholie dreame k. commeth to his fathers tent 763 a. in the sight of his father most cruelly strangled c. his son Mahomet strangled also d. a prouerbe taken from his death 765 c Mutius Tortona a Spanish captaine raiseth a mutinie in the Christian fleet at Paxo 873 c. Tortona and his Ancient hanged d. Muzalo by Theodorus the Emperour appointed Gouernour to his young sonne Iohn 100 g. enuied by the nobilitie is traiterously murthered in the Church 111 a N NAupactum otherwise called Lepanto in vaine besieged by the Turks 413 b. yeelded to Baiazet 459 c. Neapolis the first regall citie of the Othoman kings 143 b Negligence seuerely punished 856 g Neocastron built by Mahomet the Great 339 d. Neritos now called S. Maura taken by the Venetians 462 k Nice taken by the Turks 142 k. recouered by the Christians 180 g. againe surprised by the Turks 181 c. by Orchanes made the regall seat of his kingdome 183 e Nicholaus Catalusius prince of Mitylene turneth Turke and is executed 364 k Nicholas Keretschen corrupted betrayeth Giula to the Turks 824 i. the traitor iustly rewarded k. Nicephorus Botoniates displaceth his master the Emperor Michaell Ducas and taketh vpon him the Empire 11 e Nicomedia yeelded vnto the Turks 183 c Nouigrade yeelded vnto the Christians 1030 l. O OThoman of greater courage and spirit than his other brethren the sonnes of old Ertogrul 135 d. amorous of Malhatun a countrey maid f. in danger for his loue 136 k. by generall consent chosen Gouernour of the Oguzian Turks 137 d. surpriseth the castle of Calce 138 h. fighteth a battell with the Christians at Opsicium k. winneth the castle of Cara-Chisar and killeth the captaine m. setteth in order his little commonweale 139 c. killeth the captaine of Cupri-Chisar e. his death contriued by the captaine of Bilezuga 140 i. turneth the trecherie deuised against himselfe vpon the head of the captaine that deuised it whom he killeth and surpriseth his castle 141 e. surpriseth the castle of Iar-Chisar e. taketh the castle of Einegioll and cruelly executeth the captaine 142 g. by the good administration of iustice strengthneth his gouernment h. taketh the citie of Nice k. taketh vpon him the honour of a King or Sultan 143 a. maketh Neapolis his regall seat b. in a great battell ouerthroweth the Christians 143 c. besiegeth Prusa d. whilest the Greekes are at discord among themselues layeth the foundation of the great Othoman empire that now is 162 g. 166 k. dieth and lieth buried at Prusa 177 a. the wealth he left vnto his sons Orchanes and Aladin 179 c Orchanes his father Othoman yet liuing manageth the Turks kingdome 179â— surpriseth the castle of Tzupri-Chisar 180 g. fighteth a doubtfull battell with Andronicus the Greeke Emperour at Philocrene m. surpriseth Nice 181 e. hath Nicomedia yeelded vnto him 183 c. committeth the gouernement thereof vnto his son Solyman c. first of the Turks that built monasteries e. subdueth the countrey of Carasina 184 h. dieth 187 b Orchanes Mahometes two of Baiazet his nephewes ouerthrowne by Chelife and Techellis the rebels 471 c Osman Bassa by Mustapha made Gouernour of Siruan taketh Sumachia 936 h. hath Derbent yeelded vnto him i. by the Persian prince driuen out of Sumachia flieth
〈…〉 citie The 〈…〉 in an vproâ—e Murzuâ—â—e attempteth to burne the Venetian fleet Murzufle encourageth his souldiers Constantinople hardly besieged Constantinople set on fire Nicetas Choniates annalâ—um fol. 180. 1204 The Greeke empire diuided amongst the Latines The beginning of the empire of 〈◊〉 by the Comneni Hadrianople besieged by the Emperour Baldwin 1206 Henry second emperour of the Latines in Constantinopleâ— Antioch besieged by Iathatines Iathatines the Sultan slaine by Theodorus Lascaris the Greeke emperour Iohn Brenne by Innocentius the Pope appointed king of Hierusalem 1209 Corradin and Meledin deuide their fathers kingdome betwixt them The situation of Damiata in Aegypt A desperat act of a Christian. Damiata in vain assaulted A faire offer euill refused Succours sent vnto the besieged Dâ—â—â—ata without resistance 〈◊〉 by the Châ—â—stians Dâ—amaâ—a 〈◊〉 by the 〈◊〉 1221 1222 Pelagius the Legat persuadeth the princeâ— of the Christian armie to proceed for the conquest of Aegypt The miserie of the Christians in the drowned land The death of â—enry emperour â—â— Constantinople Peter emperour Robert emperor of CoÌ„stantinople An horrible â—utrage committed vpon the person of an empresse Baldwin the lasâ— emperour of the Latines in Constantinople Iohn Batazes made empeâ—or of the Greekes in Asia Plentie ensuing of peace An imperiall â—â—owne bought with egge mony 1227 1228 1229 Fredericke the emperor crowned king of Hierusalem 1230 The vnfortunat expedition of the king of Nauarrâ— into the Holy land The Christians by persuasion of the 〈…〉 their leâ—gue with the Turkeâ— 1234 Hierusalem taken and rased by the Turks 1248 King Lewis setteth forward toward the Holy land 1249 The citizens of Damiata set fire vpon the citie and ran away by the light A faire 〈◊〉 sondly refused Earle Robert in flying drowned The earle of Salisburie valiaÌ„tly sighting slaâ—â—â— The gouernor of Caire apprehended The beginning of the Mamalukes and their kingdome The ruine of the Turkâ— kingdome in Aegypt The emperour in 〈◊〉 with Marcesina Marcesina the emperâ—â—r 〈…〉 of the church Thâ—odorus Lasâ—â—â—â— chosen emperoâ—r The death of Theodorus the Greeke emperor Enuie in Couâ—â— Muzalo traitâ—â—rously murdered in the church Michael Paleologus aspireth Michaell Paleologus crowned emperor by Arsenius the Patriarch 1260 Haalon the Tartar sent with a great armie against the Turks Aleppo rased by the Tartars Damasco woon The Aegyptian Sultan inuadeth Siria Antioch taken from the Christians 1261 Paleologus the Gâ—eâ—ke emperor taketh possession oâ— the citie of Constantinopleâ— Paleologus â—ealous of his estate Paleologus causeth the yong emperours eyes to be put out Iathatines dieth in exile 1270 Carthage besieged by K. Lewis Caâ—thage woon The Christian princes returning from Tunes suffer shipwracke vpon the coast of Sicilia 1271 Prince Edward 〈…〉 Prince Edward wounded 1273 Rodolph the emperour taketh vpon him the Crosse. Henry the prince taken prisoner sent to Caire 1289 Tripolis won and rased by Elpis the Aegyptian Sultan Sydon and Berythus rased Tyre yeelded The miserable estate of a citie about to perish 1291 Ptolemais besâ—eged Ptolemais in vaine assaulted by the Sultan Cassanes the Tartar intâ—adeth Syria Hierusalem takeÌ„ and repaired by Cassanes The description of Cassaâ—es The citie of Hierusalem with all Syria againe recouered by the Aegyptian Sultan 1300 The death of Mesoot and Cei-Cubades The Turks kingdome rent in sunder by themselues The Turks Anarchie Caramania Saruchania Carasia Aidinia Bolli Mendesia Othoman 〈…〉 familie Phi. Lonicerus hist. Turc lib. 1. All worldly things subiect to change The greatest kingdomes haue in time taken end and so come to naught Solyman Sultan of Machan forsaketh his kingdome for â—â—are of the Tartars Romania Asiatica The sonnes of Solyman and their first aduentures The Christians of Cara-Chisar fall ouâ— with the Turks Small things in time of trouble yeeld vnto the wise great content Othoman â—â—â—orous of Malhatun a countrey maid A â—olly common vnto â—â—uers No friendship in â—oue Othoman besieged in danger for his loue The Oguzian Turks in doubt of whom to makâ— choice for their Gouernour The castle of Chalâ—e surprised by 〈◊〉 The Christians 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 Othomâ—n consulteth with his brother 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 to take for the oppresing of the Christians 〈◊〉 neighbours Othoman 〈◊〉 in order his 〈◊〉 commonweale Michael Cossi inuiteth Othoman to the maâ—â—age of his daughter The captaine of Belizuga â—â—â—acherously seeking the death of Othoman is by him himselfe slaine Othoman by adminiâ—â—ration of iustice strengtheneth his gouernment The â—ity of Nice besiâ—ged by Othoman 1300 Neapolis the first regall citiâ— of the Othoman kingâ— Prusa besâ—â—geâ— by Othoman Michael Cossi turneth Turke Alteration of Religion in the Greeke Church Persecution in the Greeke Church for matters of Religion Immoderat bountie in great men dangerous Alexiâ—s Philanthropenus aspireth Libadarius opposeth himselfe against the proceâ—â—iâ—gâ— of Philanthropenus Andronicus the Greeke emperor reposing moâ—e â—ust 〈…〉 his owne subiects greatly hurteth his state Ronzerius what he was 〈◊〉 for want oâ— pay spoileth the emperors subiects Ronzerius 〈◊〉 The Turks first called into Europe by the Catalonians The Turcopuli The vnfortunat battell of Michael the emperour against the Catalonians and Turks Cassandâ—â—â— The Catalonians shut out of Macedonia The Turks 〈…〉 two faâ—tâ—â—ns The vnfortuâ—at battell of the emperour Michael Paleologus with the Turks in Chersonesâ—â—s Thracia spoiled by the Turks Philes Paleologus requesteth of the emperour that he might goe against the Turks The battell betwixt Philes and the Turks The Turks ouerthrowne The causes of the decay of the Greeke empire Syrgiannes his craâ—tie sediâ—iouâ— speech vnto yoong Andronicus 〈◊〉 Andronicus commeth secretâ—y armed vnto his grandfatâ—â—r Thracia reuolâ—eth vnto Andronicus Articles of agreemeÌ„t betwixt the old emperour and his nephew The Greeke empire in Europe deuided Whilest the Greekes are at discord among thâ—selues Othoman layeth the foundation of the Turks empire and the other Turks encroch vpon them also The Island of the Rhodes was by the knights Hospitalers recouered from the Turks in the yeare 1308. Andronicus the old emperor seeketh for counsell of the Psalter as of an heauenly Oracle and so seeketh to make peace with his nephew Psal. 68. vers 14. A treacherous meeting The yong emperour sendeth embassadours vnto his grandfather The speech of the yong emperor vnto his grandfathers embassadors The speech of the old emperor â—nto the Patâ—â—arâ—h and the rest of the bishâ—ps 〈…〉 the young emperour his â—ephew The Patriarch with diuers of the bishops conspire against the old emperour Thessalonica yeelded vnto the yong emperour Constantinople betraied vnto the young emperour The pitifull supplication of the old emperour vnto his nephew Niphon incenseth the yoong emperor against his grandfather The old emperor beâ—â—meth blind Andronicus the old emperour against hâ—â— will mâ—de a Monke and called Anthonie The notable answere of the old emperour to the catching question of the proud Patriarch The death of the oâ—d emperour The Turks kingdome founded by Othoman in Asia at such time as the Greeke emperors were as variance betwixt
themselues in Europe Prusa yeelded vnto the Turks The death of Othoman Othoman 〈◊〉 at Prusa The wealth that Othoman left vnto his two sonnes Orchanes and Aladin When that barbarous manner of murthering their brethâ—eâ— first began among the Turkish Sultans The city of Nice with diuers other castles recouered from the Turks after the death of Othoman The emperour wounded The city of Nice surprised by the Turks Abydus besieged by the Turks Nicomedia yeelded vnto Orchanes Orchanes remoueth his court to Nice Orchanes inuadeth the country of Carasiâ—a The countrey of Carasina yeelded vnto Orchanes The castle of Maditus taken by the Turks Calipolis taken by the Turkes The death of Solyman Bassa Orchanes his eldest sonne The death of Orchanes * Lazarum Seruiae principeâ— Lazarâ—â— Despot of 〈◊〉 Amurath succeedeth his father Orchanes in the Turkish kingdome Didymotichum yeelded vnto the Turks Hadrianople yeelded vnto the Turks Rhâ—destum surâ—â—ised by the Turks Hadrianople the royall seaâ— of the Turkish kings in Europe Boga taken by Amurath and recouered again and rased by the Christians Boga new buâ—â—â— by â—he Turks Amurath inâ—â—deth Seruia Nissa taken by the Turks Appolonia woon by the Turks Amurath and Aladin prepare themselues for waâ—â—e The death of Chairadin Bassa The great battaile in the plaines of Caramania betwixt Amurath and Aladin Aladin flyeth to Iconium Iconium besieged by Amurath Lazarus the Despot by his embassadour craueth ayd of the king of Bozna Amurath maried the emperour of Constantinople his daughter The castle of Sarkiuâ— with the citie ioining vnto it taken by the Christians and rased Lazarus slaine Amurath slain Amurath burâ—â—ed at Prusa Phi. Lonicer Hist. Tur. li. 1. Baiazet iâ—â—adeth Seruia Seruia the second time inuaded by Baiazet â—â—â—ladelâ—hia 〈◊〉 by Baiazet Thessaâ—â—a inâ—â—ded by Baiaâ—et Constantinople eight yeares besieged by Baiazeâ— Constantinople the second time besieged by Baiazet Baiazet 〈◊〉 Despina the faire daughter of Lazarus the Despot Temurtaseâ— Baiazet his great 〈◊〉 â—enant in Asia taken prisoner by Alaâ—â—â— the young 〈◊〉 of Caâ—amaniâ— Amasia yeelded vnto Baiazet Sebastia deliuered to Baiazet Baiazet inuadeth Isfendiar prince of Castamona The Mahometan princes of Asia oppressed by Baiazet disguâ—sed flye vnto Tamerlane for aid Tamerlane his opinion concerning the diuersitie of religions The base opinion some haue concerning the birth and rising of Tamerlane Tamerlane honorably dâ—sceÌ„ded The cause why some haue reported him to haue been a shepheard or heardsman Tamerlane marrieth the daughter and heire of the great Chaeâ—â— of Tartariâ— Prince Axalla in great credit with Tamerlane The number of Tamerlane his great armie Sebastia besieged by Tamerlane Sebastia yeelded to Tamerlane A shepheard more happie than Baiazet The prince of Ciarcan dealeth politickly with the forerunners of the Turks armie The great and mortall battaile betwixt Baiazet and Tamerlane The prince of Ciarcan sâ—aâ—ne The Turks ouerthrowne Baiazet and his sonne Musa taken prisoners Baiazet brought before Tamerlane with his pride Baiazet like a beast shut vp in an iron cage Solyman set â—p in his fathers sâ—ead Prusa taken by Axalla Tamerlane goeth to Constantinople Tamerlan much deâ—ighted with the pâ—easures of Constantinople A great battell fought betwixt the Sultan of Aegypt and Tamberlane Damasco woon by Tamerlane Tamerlane commeth to Ierusalem Damiata taken by Axalla Tamerlane marchâ—th towards Caâ—er Caler bâ—sieged by Tamerlane Caier assaulted by Tamerlane The Sultan flieth from Alexandria Tamerlane desirous to returne into his country The misâ—rablâ— death oâ— Baiazet A comparison betwixt Baiazet and Tamerlane Baiazet in his posteâ—â—â—ie more fâ—rtunat than Tamerlane Phil. Lonicer Hist. Turc lib. 1. Diuers opinions concerning the successours of Baiazet The true posterâ—tie of Baiazet Mahomet Gouernor of Amasia Mahomet sendeth spies into Tamerlane his campe Cara Dulet slaine Mahomet his letters to Inall Ogli the Tartar pince Inall Ogli his answere to Mahomet Inall Ogli ouerthrowne by Mahomet Mahomet his speech to Tamerlans embassador The great power Tamerlane continually kept The death of Tamerlane The discription of Tamerlane Paulus Iouius Illust. virorum Elog. lib. 1. pag. 97. Mahomet goeth against his brother Isa. The answâ—re of Isa to Mahomet his oâ—â—ers The bodie of Baiazet honourabâ—y 〈◊〉 at Prusa Good counsell Isa with a great armie sent by his brother Solyman into Asia against Mahomet Prusa burnt by Isa. Isa â—lieth into Caramania and there dieth in obscuritie The castle of â—rusa besieged 〈◊〉 Solyman Musa marieth the prince of Valachia his daughter Musa in the absence of Solyman receiâ—ed at Hadrianople as king Musa goeth against Soâ—yman Solyman flyeth Solyman strangled by his brother Musa This Solyman is that same whom some call Celebinus and other-some Calepinus and reckon him for the fift king of the Turks The battaile betwixt the two brethren Mahomet and Musa Mahomet his letters vnto the prince Dulgader Ogli his father in law The answere of prince Dâ—lgader Ogli to Mahomet Hadrianople besieged by Mahomet Musa his cheefe captaines reuolt to Mahomet Musa taken Musa strangled 1415. Prusa burnt by the Caramanian king 1416 Mahomet inuadeth the Caramanian king 1417 Valachia tributarie to the Turke Burgluzes slain Bedredin hanged Mahomet dieth at Hadrianople The death of Mahomet cunningly concealed from the Ianizaries by the tâ—ree great Bassaes. Phil. Lonicer Hist. Turc lib. 1. Murat is the same that we caâ—â— Desiderius Mustapha the supposed sonne of Baiazet raiseth rebellion against Amurath Mustapha â—lyetâ— Mustapha hâ—â—ged Two Asapi sold by a Ianizarie for a sheepes head Constantinople in vain besieged by Amurath Mustapha betraied strangled Eiuases-Bassa 〈◊〉 put out The king of Caramania slaine Thessalonica besieged Thessalonica takeÌ„ by Amurath Plague among the Turks Hungarie spoiled by Amurath Amurath contrary to his faith inuadeth Seruia and subdueth it Vladislaus accepteth of the kingdome offered Belgrade besieged of the Turkâ— Belgrade in vain assaulted The notable speech of Amurathâ—â—â—ncourage 〈◊〉 souldiors to the assault of Belgrade Belgrade notably defended by the Christians Amurath his answerâ— to the embassadours 1440 Transiluania inuaded and spoiled by Mesites Bassa Huniades flieth Huniades the bishop of Alba-Iula entrapped by the Turks A great battell betwixt Mesites and Huniades Great reioicing for the victorie The speech of an old Turke in deliuering the present vnto the king Valachia grieuouslâ— spoiled by the Turks The most Christian speech of Huniades to encourage his souldiours against the Turks A cruell barrell betwixt Huniades and Abedin Bassa The Turks â—lie The effectuall speech of Iulian the Popes legate in the parlâ—ment to persuade the warre The pitifull comâ—â—â—â—â— of the Desâ—ot of tâ—e crueltiâ— of the Turks persuadâ—â—â— the Hunâ—â—â—ians to take the warre against them in hand Sophia taken Huniades with ten thousand horsemen assaâ—leth the Turks by night The meeting of Vladislaus and Huniades after the victorie The Hungarianâ— inforced with the diffâ—cultie of the passage of the mountaine Hemus retire A great battell betwixt Huniades the Bassa Carambey The Turks ouerthrowne and Carambry taken prisoner Scanderbeg reuâ—lteth from the Turks
in their warres The spare dies of the Ianizaries The precise manner of the Turkes in their fasâ—â— Presents sent froÌ„ the emperor Ferdinand to Solyman Baiazet goeth tâ— Amasia and seeketh for his fathers fauor Solyman dissembleth with Baiazet Baiazet departeth from Amasia with purpose to flie into Persia. Baiazet deceiueth the Bassa of Sebastia The Bassa of Erzirum deceiued by Baiazet Solyman much grieued with the flight of his son The eager pâ—â—suit of the â—assaâ—â— and Sâ—â—zackâ— Baiazet well entertained by thâ— Persian king Tamas the Persian king in feare of Baiazet Baiazet his followers dispersed and slaine Baiazet imprisoned The Persian king sâ—ndeth embassadours with presents to Solyman The cause why the Persian king would by no meanes let Baiazet go out of his hands The miserable estate of Baiazet The agreement betweene the Persian king Solyman for the destruction of Baiazet Baiazet and his foure sonnes strangled The rare force of innocencie 1558 Charles the emperour resigneth the empire to his brother Ferdinand shortly after dieth 1559 The Christian princes set out a fleet for the recouerie of Tripolis in Barbarie 1560 The Christian fleet arriueth at the Island of Zerbi The castle of Zerbi taken by the Christians Piall Bassa Solymanâ— Admirall sent to remoue the Christians out of Zerbi Part of the Christian fleet oppressed at Zerbi by the sudden comming of the Turks The castle of Zerbi besieged by the Turks Don Aluerus with the rest of the cheeâ—e commanders taken prisoners The castle of Zerbi yeelded vnto the Turks The Turks with victorie returne to CoÌ„stantinople Augerius Busbequius legationis Turcicae epist. 4. The miserie of the Christian captiues Piall in disgrace with Solyman shunneth to come to Constantinople One of the imperiall ensignes of Charles the fifâ— redeemed from the Turkâ— The death of the noble Andreas Auria 1561 A great shipwracke 1562 Maximilian chosen king of the Romans and after crowned king of Hungarie Solyman by his embassadour confirmeth a peace with Ferdinand the emperour for eight yeares Solymans proâ—â— letters to the emperor Ferdinand Presentâ— from Solyman to the emperour Ferdinand 1564 The death of the emperour Ferdinand New troubles in Hungarie 1565 The Turks purposing warre craftily sue for peace Solyman maketh preparation against the knights of Malta Solymans Oration to his captains for the inuasion of Malta Valetta the Grand master aduertised of Solymans purpose Valetta his Oration vnto his knights The knights make preparation for the Turks comming Solymans fleet departeth from Constantinople The Turks fleet arriueth at Malta The description of Malta Acts 27 28. Riuerius with other knights taken of the Turks The Turks land They of the castle of S. Michael skirmish with the Turks The Turks besiege the castle of S. Elmo Dragut commeth to aid the Turks The Turks assault the castle S. Elmo S. Elmo againe assaulted New supplie sem into the castle S. Elmo The Great master disappointed of a supplie by the searefulnesse of the shipmaster S. Elmo againe assaulted The Turkes repulsed The Turks make a bridge ouer the castle ditch A terrible batterie Medranus a valiant captaine Eight hundred Turks slain â—ith the fall of the bridge The Turks retire The Great masters letters to Garzias Viceroy of Sicilia Foure gallies sent to the Great master for the reliefe of Malta A most terrible assault Dragut slaine Three knights sent to view the state of the castle S. Elmo The resolute anâ—swere to them in the castle to the knights The three knights of diuers opinions concerning the keeping of the castle S. Elmo The Turks â—uriously assault the citie The castle of S. Elmo taken by the Turks Barbarous crueltie exercised by the Turkes vpon the dead bodies of the knights Valetta encourageth his souldiors after the losse of the castle S. Elmo Valetta his letters to the Gouernour of Mâ—lita Mustapha Bassa sendeth messengers to the Great master The answere of the Great master to the Turkes messengers Philip Lascaris flieth from the Turks to the castle S. Michaell The knights of Malta craue aid of the Viceroy The cold answere of the Viceroy to the knights A traitor taken and executed aâ— Melita The souldiors new come out of Sicilia come to the Great master The praier of Valetta Ochiall Bassa made Gouernour of Tripolis A terrible batterie Three gallies depart from Messana with aid towards Malta The gallies vpon a signe giuen returne backe The king of Algiers commeth 〈◊〉 aid the Turks A desperat fugitiue The king of Algiers notably repulsed both by sea and land A hard shift to carrie newes A bridge made ouer the castle ditch by the Turks The Turks repulsed A mine of the Turks defeated The bridge made by the Turkeâ—â— burnt Aquilates a Spaniard flieth to the Turks The Turkes at one time assault the new citie and the castle S. Michaell The garrison soldiours of Melita salying out cause the Turkes to giue ouer the assault at S. Michaels Mustapha sendeth a messenger to Solyman Salazer a Spanish captaine as a spie entreth the Turkes campe 〈◊〉 Turks mines 〈◊〉 by the â—â—â—â—stians Robles Gouernor of the castle of S. Michael slaine The Turkâ— at once assault the townes S. Angelo and S. Michael and are at both places repulsed Another assault The resolute answere of the great Master The Turkes assault both the townâ— the fourth time The Turks enter the new citie The comfortable speech of the Great master when the Turkes were entred The Turks with great slaughter againe repulsed A mine of the Christians found by the Turks The Turks desperatly assault the towne of S. Michael The Turks enforced to retire The Christian fleet driuen by tempest to the Island Aegusâ— The Christian fleet commeth to Gaulos A fugitiue discouereth the enemies purpose to the Great master The Viceroy arriueth at Malta and landeth his forces The Turks forsake the siege The Turks ouerthrowne by the Christians flie to their gallies The Turks depart from Malta The carefulnesse of the Great Master The letters of the Great master to the graund prior of Almanie concerning the manner of the Turks proceedings in the siege of Malta 1566 The island of Chios taken by the Turks The Turks surprise townes in Hungarie Great troubles in Hungarie The good successe of the emperours captains A great pâ—ey The Turks wiâ—h much labour make a bridge ouer the great riuer of Drauus The Turks encampe before Sigeth Countie Serinus his comfortable and resolute speech to his soldiors Solyman commeth into the campe at Sigeth The defendants burne the new towne The Turks win the old towne Solyman dieth of the bloâ—die flix Muhamet Bassa concealeth the death of Solyman The great bulwarke vndermined set on fire by the Ianizaries The little castle set on fire The last speech of countie Serinus to his souldiors Serinus slaine Serinus his head sent to countie Salma The Bassaâ— quipping little to countie Saâ—â—â— Nicholaus Keretschen corrupted for money beâ—â—ayeth Gyula to the Turks A traiâ—or well rewarded The Gouernor of Alba Regalis
Annal. Turcicorum pag. 95. The land of Iurie much troubled with the Arabian theeues and robbers The Subbasâ—i of Bethlehem flaine quicke The number of Osmans armie The most insolenâ— speech of the souldiors of Constantinople and Greece vnto Osman their Generall Osman wisâ—ly appeaseth his mutinous souldiors The Turkes reâ—oiâ—e vpon the discouerie of Tauris The Persian prince ouerrunneth the vauward of the Turkes armie Osman sendeth two Bassaes with 14000 souldiors to ouertake the Persian prince A great slaughter in the gates of Tauris The description of Tauris The castle of Taâ—â—ris built in 36 daies Eight Iaâ—izaries with certaine Sâ—â—â—glaâ—s â—ound sâ—â—angled in a bath at Tauris The miserie of the Taurisians Eight thousand Turks slaine The Bassa of Caraemit slaine by the Persian prince and his head cut off Giaffer Bassa of Tripolis an Eunuch made Gouernor of Tauris Osmâ—â— thâ— Generall departeth from Taâ—â—is and commeth to Sancazan The battell of Sancazan Twentie thousand Turks slain Osman the Visier and Generall dieth aâ— Sancazan The Turkes armie discharged at Van. The miserie the Turks armie endured at Tauris Ten thousand Turcomans offâ—r their seruice vnto the Persian king The Turcomans forsake the siege and fall into rebellion The Turcomans discomfited and Mahamet Chan and Calife the Sultan beheaded Giâ—ffer Bassa sâ—ndeth to Cicalâ— Bassa for aid The reuenue of Soria six hundred thousand duckats 1586 Ferat departed from Constantinople and commeth to Siuas The glorie of the Persian kingdome ouerthrown by rebellion and discord Aliculi and Emanguli Chan performe nothing against the Turkâ— as was by the prince expected Feraâ— putteth succours into the â—ort aâ— Tauris The Persian prince â—laine by one of his Eunuchs 1587 The castle of Koppan in Hungarie surprised by the Christians Aly Bassa of Buda strangled by the commandement of Amurath Sinan Bassa againe receiued into sauour Sigismund the Polonian king his letter vnto Amurath * The Turks desire to be called Mussuâ—man which in their language signifieth a right beleeuer Amurath his answere vnto the letters of Sigismund 1588 Genge taken by Ferat The Ianizarieâ— in a tumulâ— at Constantinople Great harme done by fire in Constantinople Sinan Bassa of Buda inuadeth the vpper part of Hungarie Sinan ouerthrowne 1589 Nicholaus Reusnerus epist. Turciâ— lib. 12. pag. 42. Amurath his letters vnto the queene of England * September The Polonian Cossackâ— inuade the Tartarians and Turkes 1590 The reasons wherewith the Visiâ—r Bassaâ—s persuade Amurath to make warre The causes why Amurath would not suddenly resâ—â—â—e vpon war Eight seuerall opinion of the Visâ—er Bassaes concerning the warre to be taken in hand The first opinion and reasons of them that would haue the warâ— renewed in Persia. The second opâ—nion for making of war vpon the king of Fez and Morocco the reasons thereof The third opinion concerning the conquest of Malta The fourth opinion for warre to be made against the K. of Spaine and the reasons thereof The fift opinion for the inuasion of the Venetians and the reasons why The sixt opinion for the attempting of Italie and the reasonâ— thereof The seuenth opinion for war â—o bâ— made against the Polonian the reasons thereof The eight opinion for warre to be made against the Emperor and the reasons thereof Amurath reselueth to make wâ—rre vpon the emperour with the reasons 〈◊〉 him thereâ—nto 1591 The Persian hostage dieth in the Turkes Couâ—â— 1592 Wihitz the Metropoliticall citâ—e of Croatia â—eelded to the Turks Certaine â—aine attempts of the Turkes Turopolis spoiled by the Turks The castle Saint George surprised by the Turkes The emperour prayeth aid againe of the Germane princes 1593 Diuers incursionâ— of the Turkes into the frontiers of the Christians in Croatia and Hungarie The Emperours letters vnto Amurath The Emperours letters vnto Sinan Bassa Sinan Bassa his letters to the emperour * Which is the 16 of March in the yeare of Christ. 1593. The threatening letters of Hassan Bassa of Bosna vnto the Abbot of Siseg * The Hungarian Bannes are noble men in power much like vnto the Turkes Bassaes Hassan Bassa inuadeth Croatia Siseg besieged by Hassan Bassa A great battell betwixt the Turkes and the Christians Siseg relieued Eighâ—â—â—ne thoâ—sand Turkes slaine Newes of the ouerthrow of the Turks at Siseg brought to Budâ— The proud and blasphemous denuntiation of warre giuen out by Amurath against Rodolph the Christian â—mperour Siseg taken by the Turkes Sinan Bassa besiegeth Vesprinium Palotta yeelded vnto the Turks Alba Regalis besieged by the Christians Sabatzka taken by the lord Teuffenbach Filek besieged by the Christians Filek taken by the Christians Setschine Blauenstein and Sallek abandoned by the Turkâ— The Turks in bâ—rying their dead slaine by the Christians 1594 A great tempest at Constantinople Amurath dreameth A faire present of the spoile of the Turkes sent vnto the emperour Nouigrad besieged by the Christians Nouigrad yeelded vnto the archduke The Sanzaâ—ke of Nouigrad hanged aâ— Buda Certaine castles of the Turks vpon the borders of Stirâ—a taken by the countie Serinus Haâ—â—an besieged by the Christians The copie of the letterâ— of the lord Teuffenbâ—ch to Matthias the Archduke Generall of the emperours armie against the Turkâ— Sâ—rigonium besieged by the Christians The old citie deliuered by the Rascians vnto the Christians The castle assaulted The Rascianâ— rise vp against the Turks Fiue thousand Christianâ— lost at the siege of Strigonâ—um The Archduke sendâ—th aid to the siege of Hatwan Strigonium assaulted Strigonium sore battered The new built â—ort hardly assauâ—ted by the Turkes The Archduke raiseth his siege and with his armie passeth the riuer Fiue thousand Turks slaine Hatwan in vain assaulted by the Christians Teuffâ—nbach giueth ouer the siege of Hatwan A Dice of the empire holden at Ratisbone for the withstanding of the Turke The emperour grieuously complaineth vnto the Princes Electors and States of the empire of the infidelitie of the Turke and craueth their aid Sinan Bassa with an armie of 250 thousand betwâ—ene Buda and Alba Regalis Dotis and Saint Martins yeelded to the Turkes Rab. The Turks and Tartars passing ouer the riuer ouerthrowne The Tartarians the second time ouerthrowne Rab battered A Bassa slaine A sight in the riuer betwixt the Turkes and the Tartars A great skirmish betwixt the Turkes and the Christians Two thoâ—sand Turks slaine and 17 of their ensignes taken A great spoile taken by the Turks Rhegium rased by the Turks Rab assaulted by the Turks Twelue thousand Turks slaine Countie Hardeck corrupted by the Turke yeeldeth the strong towne of Rab vnto Sinan Bassa Rab repaired by the Turks Komara besieged by Sinan Bassa Sinan Bassa raisâ—th his siege Countie Hardeck condemned and executed for betraying of Rab. Great harme â—rnâ— in Transylâ—ania by the Tartars The conspirators against the prince apprehâ—nded and executed The Ianizaries in a tumult at Constantinople Amurath sicke 1595 The â—â—â—itulations of the league betwixt the emperour and the Transyluanian Prince Valachia oppressed by the Turkâ— * Ion sigâ—ifieth with the Vaâ—achianâ—
Eiuases The other Bassa Ibrahim counsailed Amurath to put to sword all those rebels that had followed Mustapha but by the mediation of Eiuases to whome they had yeelded themselues they were generally pardoned Amurath departing from VLIBAD or LOPADIUM came to BOGA and there hanged vp the captaine that had giuen Mustapha passage From thence he held on his way to LAMPSACUM intending to pursue Mustapha into EUROPE but being come to the sea side hee could find no passage for that Mustapha had caused all the shipping on that side to bee brought ouer into EUROE Yet at last Amurath by good fortune chaunced vpon a great Genoway ship which hee hired for foure thousand duckats to transport his armie and so with much adoe at length landed in EUROPE Mustapha seeing that Amurath was now come ouer fled to HADRIANOPLE where he found such cold welcome that fearing to bee betraied hee was glad to speed himselfe thence thinking all the world to little to hide himselfe in and so came to an obscure place in the countrey of the Turks called KISUL-AGATZ-GENITZE where the souldiours sent to pursue him ouertook him and brought him bound to Amurath then being at HADRIANOPLE by whose commaundement he was shamefully hanged from the battlements of one of the highest towers of the citie and there left to the worlds wonder This Mustapha is of some writers reported to haue been indeed the sonne of the great Sultan Baiazet and that he was kept in prison all that long time and thus at length set vp by the Greeks to trouble the state of the Turkish kingdome but the Turkish histories report as before calling him Dusme or counterfait Mustapha And it is verie likely that if he had been one of the sonnes of Baiazet he would haue found some meanes to haue made some great stirre long before that as all the rest of the vnquiet brood of Baiazet did which neuer rested vntil they had like the earth borne brethren one destroied the other besides that their bloodie natures considered it is verie like that Mahomet his younger brother who raigned in HADRIANOPLE almost eight yeares and was in league all that time with the emperour of CONSTANTINOPLE would for his more safetie haue got him into his owne power if hee had been in prison with the emperour or else haue dispatched him if he had been in prison with himselfe All which I am the rather persuaded to thinke for that Orchanes a child the son of Solyman could find no safe place of abode at CONSTANTINOPLE in the raigne of Mahomet but flying was apprehended and his eies put out as is before declared in the life of Mahomet much lesse is it like that Mustapha being a warlike prince and his elder brother could haue been so long preserued and kept in prison from his furie It fortuned in these late broiles as oftentimes it doth with others in like case diuers of the rebels Asapi or common souldiors whom he for his greater countenance had apparrelled and armed like the Ianizaries to fall into the hands of the true Ianizaries Amurath his faithfull guard whose liues indeed they spared but vsing them with all the despight and indignities possible Amongst the rest one of the Ianizaries being an hungred brought two of these Asapi his prisoners vnto a cookes shop offering to sell them vnto him for a little victuall which the cooke refused to giue him as hauing no vse for such vnnecessarie seruants Wherewith the proud Ianizarie enraged swore many a great oath presently to cut off their heads to giue them him for nought if he would not for a thing of nought redeeme them And like ynough he was to haue so done had not the cooke moued with pitie offered him for them both a sheepes head which the Ianizarie tooke for them swearing That the cooke had giuen for theÌ„ more than indeed they were worth Which disgrace so long since done vnto these Asapi is yet oftentimes by way of reproch in great contempt by the masterfull and insolent Ianizaries objected vnto the whole bodie of the Asapi the greatest part of the Turks huge armies of whom for all that the proud Ianizaries make small reckoning accounting them scarcely for men in their rage oftentimes telling them That two of them are not worth a sodden sheepes head Amurath hauing at length with much adoe thus pacified the dangerous rebellion raised by the counterfeit Mustapha both in EUROPE and ASIA was yet not a little grieued to thinke how the same had to the great hazard of his estate beene first plotted by the Greekes and afterwards countenanced by the Greeke emperour of whom he thought now to be reuenged And therefore sending before him Michael Ogli his lieutenant generall in EUROPE with his Europeian souldiors to inuade the countrey about CONSTANTINOPLE followed himselfe after with the Ianizaries and his Asian forces and encamping before the cittie filled all that necke of land which lieth before it from sea to sea And so encamped began right furiously to batter the wals in hope so to haue made a breach and by the same to haue entered the cittie but finding the wals of greater strength than hee had before supposed and the defendants still repairing whatsoeuer the furie of his artillerie had beaten downe or shaken hee ceased his batterie and comming on with all his forces desperately attempted by assault to haue gained the citie wherein his 〈◊〉 was not answerable to his desire For approching the cittie with arrowes as showers falling 〈◊〉 the defendants and scaling ladders in the mean time clapt vp to the wals and the Ianizaries with others of his best souldiors courageously mounting the same they were by the defendants notably repulsed and beaten downe loosing some their hands some their armes some their heads but most their liues no shot falling in vaine from the wals Which Amurath beholding and grieued to see though vnwilling commaunded a retreat to be sounded and the assault â—â—uen ouer and shortly after seeing no hope to preuaile in great rage raised his siege and departed Vnto whom for all that the Greeke emperour not long after sent his embassadours to entreat with him for peace whereof he would by no meanes heare but proudly threatened to be ere long of all his wrongs reuenged Which caused the Greeke emperour to deuise what he might for the troubling of his estate so to keepe him otherwise busied as he did shortly after with the Caramanian king by countenancing another Mustapha surnamed Cutzug or the little Amurath his younger brother against him to the raising of new stirres and Amurath his no small trouble Mahomet the late king had fiue sonnes and seuen daughters whereof Amurath was the eldest and succeeded in his fathers kingdome Mustapha the second surnamed the little Achmetes the third who died before his father the other two Iosephus Machmutes both died of the plague being but children after the death of their father Three of their sisters were married
this Christian cittie then in the protection of the Venetians Amurath encamped his great armie of misbeleeuing Turkes and laied hard siege to it with most terrible batterie at which time hee by secret meanes corrupted certaine of the wicked cittizens to haue betrayed the cittie by a secret mine and to haue let him in which treason was by the Venetian gouernors perceiued and the plotters therof for safegard of their liues glad to leape ouer the wals and to flie into the Turks campe Amurath hauing greatly battered the wals of the cittie the more to encourage his souldiors promised to giue them all the spoile thereof if they could by force winne it The greedie desire of this rich prey wherein euerie common souldior promised vnto himselfe whatsoeuer his foolish fancie or vnbrideled affection could desire so inflamed the minds of these barbarous souldiors and especially of the Ianizaries that giuing a most terrible assault to the citie they by force entred the same and wan it The Venetian souldiors fled to their gallies lying at anchor in the hauen and so got to sea but the infinite miseries which the poore Christian citizens indured in the furie of that barbarous nation no tongue is able to expresse or pen discribe Death was lesse paine than the ignominious outrages and vnspeakeable villanies which many good Christians there suffered heartily wishing to die and could not and yet the furious enemies sword deuoured all the people without respect of age or sex except such as for stength of bodie or comelinesse of person were reserued for painefull labour or beastly lust which poore soules were afterwards dispersed into most miserable seruitude and slauerie through all parts of the Turkish kingdome The infinite riches of that famous cittie became a spoile vnto the barbarous souldiours the goodly houses were left desolate void of inhabitants Thus the beautifull cittie of THESSALONICA sometime one of the most glorious ornaments of GRaeCIA the late pleasant dwelling place of many rich Christians was by the tyrant giuen for an habitation to such base Turkes as at their pleasure repaired thether to seat themselues and so is by them at this day possessed This calamitie happened to THESALONICA in the yeare of our Lord 1432. THESALONICA being thus taken Amurath returned to HADRIANOPLE himselfe and at the same time sent Caratze with the greatest part of his armie into AETOLIA Charles prince of that countrey dying a little before the comming of Amurath to THESALONICA and hauing no lawfull issue had diuided the countrey of ACHARNANIA amongst his three base sons Memnon Turnus and Hercules leauing all the rest of his dominion to his brothers sonne called also Charles But shortly after such discord fell among these brethren that Amurath sending his Turks to aid one of them against the other as he was by them requested in fine brought all that countrey of AETOLIA into subjection to himselfe leauing nothing for the foolish brethren to striue for more than the bare titles of imaginatiue honour The other Graecian princes of ATHENS PHOCIS BOETIA and all the rest of GRaeCIA vnto the strait of CORINTH terrified by their neighbours harmes were glad to submit themselues to the barbarian yoke and to become tributaries vnto the Turkish tirant vnder which slauerie they of long time most miserably liued if intollerable slauerie joyned with infidelitie may be accounted a life Thus the Grecians lost their libertie which their auncestors had many times before to their immortall praise worthily defended against the greatest monarchs of the world and are now so degenerate by the meanes of the Turkish oppression that in all GRaeCIA is hardly to be found any small remembrance of the ancient glory thereof insomuch that wheras they were wont to account all other nations barbarous in comparison of themselues they are now become no lesse barbarous than those rude nations whom they before scorned Which miserie with a thousand more they may justly impute to their owne ambition and discord At this time amongst the distressed princes of MACEDONIA and GRaeCIA one Iohn Castrioâ— raigned in EPIRUS who seeing how mightily the Turke preuailed against the princes his neighbours and considering that hee was not able by any meanes to withstand so puissant an enemie to obtaine peace he was glad to deliuer into Amurath his possession his foure sonnes Stanisius Reposius Constantine and George for hostages whom Amurath faithfully promised well and honourably to intreat But assoone as he had got them within his reach he falsified his faith and caused them to be circumcised after the Turkish manner and to bee instructed in the Turkish superstition to the great griefe of their Christian parents and afterwards when he vnderstood of the death of Iohn Castriot their father hee poisoned all the three elder brethren And by Sebalie one of his great captaines ceized vpon CROIA his cheefe citie and all the rest of his territories as if they had by good right deuolued vnto him But George the youngest whom the Turks named Scander-beg or lord Alexander for his excellent feature and pregnant wit he alwaies entirely loued and as some thought more passionatly than he should haue loued a boy Him he caused to be diligently instructed in all kind of actiuitie and feats of warre wherin he excelled al other his equals in Amurath his court and rising by many degrees of honor came at last being yet but verie yong to be a great Sanzack or gouernor of a prouince and was many times appointed by Amurath to be generall of his armies in which seruice hee so behaued himselfe that he got the loue of all that knew him and increased his credit with Amurath vntill at last he found oportunitie by great policie and courage to deliuer both himselfe and his natiue countrie from the horrible slauerie of the Turkish tyrannie as shall be afterwards declared Shortly after that Amurath had thus daunted the princes of GRECIA he turned his forces into SERVIA but the prince of SERVIA vnable to withstand so mightie an enemie to procure his fauour sent embassadours offering to pay him a yearely tribute and to doe further what he should reasonably demaund Amurath beside the yearely tribute required to haue Marie this princes faire daughter in mariage and that he should not suffer the Hungarians to passe through his countrey to inuade him and further not at any time to denie passage vnto the Turkish armie when he should send forth the same for the inuasion of the kingdome of BOSNA All which vnreasonable conditions the prince was glad to agree vnto and sent his faire daughter by Saratze who was afterwards maried to Amurath About this time Iosephus and Machmutes Amurath his brethren and Orchanes the sonne of Solyman who had his eies put out by his vncle Mahomet with many other men of great account among the Turks died of the plague at PRUSA Whilest Amurath was thus busied in his wars in EUROPE the king of CARAMANIA his brother in law inuaded his
nouelties should be Whereupon Abas Mirize sent vnto them two of his chiefe counsellors men of great account and reuerence both for their yeares and wisedome with full instructions Who after many speeches in the end swearing according to their custome by the Creator that spread out the ayre that founded the earth vpon the deepes that adorned the heauen with stars that powred abroad the water that made the fire and briefly of nothing brought forth all things swearing by the head of Ali and by the religion of their prophet Mahomet that such peruerse thoughts neuer entred into the head of Abas Mirize they alleadged many testimonies and manifest proofes that most loially in all due time as well when he was aduanced to the kingdome of PERSIA as also in his battels against the Turks his sonne had alwaies caused deuout prayers and supplications to be made to God for his prosperitie neither euer desired to heare any other but happie and fortunat successe of him They brought with them a thousand and a thousand precepts and royall letters which the young man had caused to be written as occasions required to the Gouernours that were his subjects for the gouernment of the State wherein he neuer named himselfe king of PERSIA but onely Your king and Gouernour of HERI They prayed the king also to cause a diligent processe to be framed against his sonne and if there should be found in him any signe or shadow of so wicked a suspition then to take from him his estate and libertie offering themselues to remaine as hostages for him But when all this should be done and Abas found altogither free from these vnjust accusations then falling euen to the earth and kissing it they besought him and as it were conjured him not to leaue the matter thus imperfect to the prejudice of his bloud but returning to his counsellor to take information likewise vpon what mind and consideration he had aduised the king to take vpon him this vnorderly and dangerous voyage where no doubt he should find nothing in him but malignant ambitious and wicked affections and such as euen deserued that with his bloud there should be reuenged all the bloud of those which till that houre had been brought to their vnworthie and vndeserued deaths And for as much as nothing remained whereof the Visier had enformed the king against his sonne but the commaundement that was giuen by Abas Mirize to the Gouernors vnder him That they should not go to the wars against the Turkes they confessed in truth that such an order was taken but not to that wicked and traiterous end and purpose as was reported to the king by his great counsellour but onely in respect of an inuasion justly feared in those quarters by the Tartarian Iesselbas who by diuers inroads had alreadie done great harme in the countrey about HERI and put young Abas and his counsellors in such a feare that they durst not disfurnish their cities of their guards and forces and therfore had commaunded the said Gouernours not to go to warre against the Turkes but to stay and expect further direction And that all this was by writing signified vnto the Visier himselfe which he of a malicious mind had concealed onely to trie if in these common troubles he could bring to passe that Abas Mirize and the king might be taken away and Emir Hamze succeed in his place and so he himselfe remaine the Superintendent of his sonne in law and Moderator of that most famous kingdome Of which so treacherous a purpose they for all that thought Emir Hamze the young prince altogither ignorant knowing his honourable disposition and loue towards his owne kindred but imputed it only to the immoderat and ambitious desire of the wicked traitour Mirize Salmas Of these graue speeches of the embassadours Mahamet the father by nature credulous began to make great construction and deeply to consider of their so earnest and important requests which seemed vnto him so vpright and equall as that he could not chuse but hearken vnto the same And therefore calling vnto him the Gouernours the captaines the judges and treasurers of all the cities that were subject to to HERI he demanded of them how and in what sort they esteemed of Abas Mirize and in what degree of honour he desired to be esteemed of them and of them all receiued one answere That they held him for their lord as lieutenant to the king of CASâ—IN and that he himselfe had alwaies desired to be so taken and thought of for proofe whereof euerie one of them brought in diuers letters precepts and orders wherein hee neuer caused himselfe to be honoured with any other title but onely Your king of HERI He demaunded further whether any such warres were attempted by the Tartarian Iesselbas or no whereof he receiued a large and solemne information that so it was to the great detriment of all those territories And thus the king was throughly persuaded of the innocencie of his sonne who before was noted vnto him by his Visier to be an obstinat rebell Vpon which occasion only although he might justly haue put him to death as author of so great troubles and bloudshed yet because he would be better enformed of the truth of the accusations laid against him by the embassadours he resolued to make a curious and diligent inquisition thereof and therefore first of all in great secresie he examined Emir Hamze his eldest sonne wherefore he had aduised this journey against his brother Abas whom he had found guiltlesse of all those crimes that were objected against him whereunto the prince answered That he had no other certainetie of the pretended euill behauiour of his brother but onely that which proceeded from the great credit that he alwaies gaue to his father in law Mirize Salmas to whom as to a chiefe counsellor his father in law and protector of the kingdome he had alwaies yeelded assured credence and so discharged the whole tempests of all those mischiefes vpon the Visier Touching whom the king made diligent inquisition as well among those of the court as of the armie and thereby found him guiltie of all that the embassadours of HERI had accused him and that being alwaies acquainted with the true occasions which restrained the Gouernours of HERI subject to Abas Mirize from going to the warre against the Turkes he had most maliciously concealed the same of purpose to hatch such a strange and dangerous discontentment as had wrought the vnworthie death of many great men and almost defiled the hands of the father with the innocent bloud of his guiltlesse sonne For which so foule a treason the false Visier was worthely condemned to die and his wily head by the commaundement of the king strucke from his carkasse Iustly rewarded with the same punishment which he vnjustly sought to haue conuerted vpon others and with his owne destruction pacified the dissentions and hatreds that were risen betweene the two
princes And so the two brethren being reconciled togither and the sonne to the father after that Abas had againe promised his wished obedience which he afterwards most dutifully performed king Mahamet returned with the prince towards CASBIN where by reason of new and vnexpected motions of the Turkes he had now beene long looked for and desired Amurath through the rough speeches of Sinan was more and more setled in his purpose for the continuing of the Persian warre accounting it so much the more to his owne glorie as it should in happie successe fall out contrarie to the opinion of many and thereupon began to bethinke himselfe whom he might chuse for his Generall to whom he might commit so great a charge Among the Bassaes of the court there was one Ferat a man of ripe yeares but yet fierce of courage tough in opinion in counsell as hardie as might beseeme his age readie for all sudden and strange aduentures but aboue all a vassall most deuoted to the king Of this man at last he was resolued to make choise to haue the leading of his armie and therfore calling him apart declared vnto him what he had in himselfe purposed encouraging him to take the charge vpon him with a firme resolution to performe all things answerable to so worthie an enterprise with the opinion he had conceiued of his valour Verie willingly did Ferat accept of this new office and thought himselfe as indeed he was highly fauoured by the king and thereupon made him a large promise to employ his strength his wit and vttermost deuoire to put in execution whatsoeuer should be offered vnto him either by occasion or by his royall commandement At first Amurath had no other purpose to imploy him any further but only to assure the passage to TEFLIS and so into all GEORGIA and to haue destroied the country of Mustaffa the Georgian who had so audaciously injured the lieutenant of Amurath and put his whole army in confusion but being certainly aduertised of the troubles in PERSIA betweene the king and his sonne he changed his purpose and commaunded Ferat to employ all his forces to erect a fortresse at REIVAN a place belonging to Tocomac and to assure the passage from CHARS to REIVAN for so they should be reuenged of many harmes they had receiued by him and lay open the way to the citie of TAVRIS to the great glorie of Amurath As for Mustaffa the Georgian although he had well deserued to be chastised for his rash attempt against Mahamet Bassa being then his Generall yet he willed Ferat to dissemble his euill opinion of him and if it were possible so to worke as to vse him as an instrument to conuay treasure and succours to TEFLIS for by this meanes the passage being made safe all GEORGIA would without any mo fortresses be subdued and then the next yeare they might attempt the enterprise for TAVRIS Highly did Ferat commend the deuises of Amurath his lord and shewed himselfe readie for any attempt And so the time being come wherein it behooued them to set on foot their important dessignments in the beginning of the yeare 1583 commandements were sent out to all the cities of the empire which were wont to make their appearance at these warres That vpon fresh summons they should be readie to returne against the Persians and to put in execution that should be enjoyned them by their new Generall The fame whereof flew as farre as SORIA IVRIE PALESTINE MESOPOTAMIA BABYLONIA to BALSARA to SIVAS to MARAS to all BITHYNIA CAPADOCIA CILICIA ARMENIA yea and beyond CONSTANTINOPLE to the borders of HVNGARIE and GRECE and in briefe to all the regions that were wont to come to this warre all which sent their captaines and souldiors accordingly And so at the last Generall Ferat departing from CONSTANTINOPLE and passing ouer to SCVTARI by the way of AMASIA and of SIVAS came to ERZIRVM where he tooke a view of all his armie and prouision and from thence in eight daies arriued at CHARS conducted by the Persian fugitiue Maxut Chan and from CHARS set himselfe on his way towards REIVAN Three daies before he came to REIVAN of certaine ruines of an old castle which the Turkes call AGGIA CHALASI or the Castle of strangers he erected a new fortresse and left in it a garrison of foure hundred souldiors with a Sanzacke and certaine pieces of ordinance and then went to REIVAN This countrey is distant from TAVRIS eight or nine daies journey betweene which two places are situat NASSIVAN CHIVLâ—Aâ— MARANT and SOFIAN all enriched with goodly gardens and pleasant greenes but in the way are many craggie mountaines to be climed and sundrie hard passages either for armie or traueller Here then did Ferat encampe himselfe with his armie and taking aduise of his chiefe captains where he should build the fort they all with one consent aduised him to seaze vpon the houses and gardens of Tocomac and there to fortifie Which he accordingly did enclosing the gardens with strong wals and deepe ditches round about whereinto he conuaied water from a certaine riuer that comming downe from the mountaines ran into Araxis Which worke was performed with such expedition that within the space of fifteene daies the fortresse was finished being in circuit seauen hundred and fiftie yards It grieued Tocomac exceedingly thus to lose his countrey and dwelling and so much the more because it happened so suddenly and as it were vnlooked for He himselfe as soone as he vnderstood that the Turkish armie was comming to that coast hauing withdrawne himselfe and his men of warre out of the citie hee could not keepe sought by all meanes to be reuenged if not altogither yet in some part of this so great an injurie And therefore he wrote vnto the king at CORAZAN to Emir Chan at TAVRIS to Simon in GEORGIA he gathered soldiors out of the villages and vsed all his possible endeuour to enable himselfe to annoy the enemies armie But from none of these places could he receiue any helpe the king being so farre off in wars against his sonne the Georgian being busied by hindering any reliefe to be brought to the besieged in TEFLIS as for Emir Chan who by solemne promise vnto the king before his departure to HERI had vndertaken the defence of that side of the kingdome against the Turkes he either would not or could not stirre neither sent so much as one souldior hauing as some supposed secret intelligence with Generall Ferat not to disturbe him in this his worke So Tocamac destitute of all other helpe and not able of himselfe to doe much against so mightie an enemie yet ceased not to lay such priuie ambushes for the Turkes as hee could killing of them sometimes 100 sometime 150 and sometimes mo as they fell into his danger And to ease his stomacke against Emir Chan who sitting still at TAVRIS as it were to behold his miserie would not so much as