certain of his chief Counsellors and they altogether favouring the Roman Catholicks would give them of the Religion no certain Answer whereon to rest they therewith much discontented as our of hope to be by them relieved and in gâ—â—aâ— fear to be by their Adversaries as Enemies â—nto â—he State oppressed layd their heads together and after good Deliberation taken what were best for them to do both for the safety of themselves their Wives Children and Religion they by a general consent of themselves appointed the fourth of May to hold a general meeting of them of the Religion in the new Court at Prague there to consult of all matters concerning the bâ—siness of Religion And yet in the mean time openly in Parliament protesting by the Mouth of Wentceslaus Bodouiisius a Baron of Bohemia Them to have appointed this Assembly for the Emperors good and for the common quiet of the whole Realm as also for the better informing of the Emperour of all Matters and to provide that the Emperour and the Kingdom might not through the means and perswasions of those his evil Counsellors be brought into extream Peril and Danger Immediately after the States of the Religion with all speed dispatched their Ambassadors unto King Matthias the Elector Palatine the Duke of Saxony and the Duke of Brunswick to request them by their intercession to become Mediators for them unto the Emperour for the obtaining of the free Exercise of their Religion which in all points agreed with the Confession of Augusta and which long before was exhibited unto Maximilian the Emperour and by him allowed Now in the mean time these the States of the Religion were by some for these their proceedings commended but by other some not only blamed but also accused of Rebellion against the Emperour and the State. But the matter being declared unto the Emperor he complaining unto himself of the inconsiderateness of his Counsellors to maintain his Authority caused the Parliament then in hand to be prorogued and to seem of himself to grant that which he could not well withstand commanded by a Decree that same very day to be appointed for the concluding of that Article of Religion on which the States themselves had before appointed for their Assembly to be holden in the new Court at Prague Notwithstanding which Decree many troublesome Spirits publickly set forth other their Conceits in Writing to far other purpose grievously therein reprehending the States of the Religion for that of themselves they had appointed a day for their Assembly into the new Court at Prague Which as they said was nothing else but in a rebellious manner to rise against the Laws of the Kingdom and the Authority of their lawful Prince and therefore advised them to forbear from making any such Assembly as was by them appointed Hereof arose great troubles even under the Emperours nose in Prague the chief City of Bohemia they of the Religion not daring to trust the Roman Catholicks neither they them being still ready upon every false report or vain â—urmise to go together by the ears until that the Emperour for the staying of these Troubles and the avoiding of farther danger was glad to cause it to be openly proclaimed in the new Court at Prague That his Imperial Majesty having received and understood the Apology of the States now did abrogate that his Edict published against them but a few days before and now by this his new Edict did account all the States of the Religion for his faithful and well beloved Subjects and as of them unto whom the right of the Kingdom and the King's Oath belonged as well as to all other States of the Kingdom And that he also had those the same States excused in that they for the good of his Majesty and of the whole Kingdom had appointed their Assembly in the new Court at Prague and that therefore he denounced them in so doing not in any thing to have done any thing contrary unto his Majesty And that he appointed the five and twentieth day of May for the general Assembly of Parliament to be holden in the Castle of Prague for the ending of the Article concerning Religion and the reforming of other the publick Grievances of the Common-weal yet with this proviso That the said States should safely and quietly come unto the said Parliament without entertaining of any foreign Souldiers as that his Majesty should also not by himself nor any other for pay entertain any or suffer any foreign Souldiers to come into the Kingdom Which the Emperours Edict being proclaimed the States of the Religion having made their publick Prayers and sung certain Hymns and Psalms unto the Glory of God for the good success of their business left the new Court at Prague and returned every man home to their own Houses to make themselves ready to come unto the Parliament to be holden at the appointed day But the day appointed for the Parliament being come and the Emperour still delaying the matter the States of the Religion weary of such long delays and in doubt to be therewith deluded as having not received from the Emperour any such answer as whereon to rest the third of Iune offered unto the Emperour a short writing concerning their Grief and farther purpose to this effect They had as they said expected and well hoped that regard being had not only of so many requests of so great and most noble Princes made in their behalf but even of the Emperour's promise also made unto them both in the general Assembly of the States the last year and in the late Precept of the Emperour 's also they should at length have received such answer unto their Petition concerning the free Exercise of their Religion as whereon they might have safely rested Which for that it had not been yet done they referred the doing thereof unto God and future time imputing the blame thereof not unto his Imperial Majesty but unto the unquiet and troublesome Natures of some as well the Ecclesiastical as Temporal Magistrates and Persons But forasmuch as they meant not longer to be deluded by their Enemies and much less to be defrauded of his Majesties Royal Promise which was now unto the World known they had thought good to offer and present unto his Majesty a Writing conceived in the Bohemian Tongue according unto which they desired to be secured concerning the free Exercise of their Religion most humbly requesting his Majesty to accept of the same and at length to satisfie their requests Which if it might not be granted the Emperour's Majesty having more respect unto the troublesome Clergy-men and some other his evil affected Counsellors than to the faithful States and Subjects of his Kingdom that then they would rest themselves upon the Decree made in the Assembly holden in the year 1608 and upon the last Edict of his Majesty yet with this solemn Protestation That seeing they had by certain Information understood much Warlike Preparation
but especially in Bavaria to be made and divers Consultations in many Places to be holden against the States of the Religion his Imperial Majesty and the other his faithful Counsellors thereof not knowing which might tend unto the Ruine and Destruction both of his Majesty and of the whole Kingdom they themselves would take upon them the defence thereof and do their endeavour that furnished with Men and Arms they might to the uttermost of their power defend him their Sovereign together with themselves and the whole Kingdom against the Force and Invasion of their foreign Enemies In the mean time while these things were thus in doing an Ambassador came from the Duke of Saxony to Prague to intreat the Emperour for the States and for the granting of them the free Exercise of their Religion the Ambassadors of the States of Silesia forthwith following of them also who in like manner requesting also of the Emperour to have the liberty for the free Exercise of their Religion by him confirmed unto them promised their most ready help and aid unto the States of Bohemia if need should so require But the States of Bohemia having from day to day in vain expected answer from the Emperour turning themselves unto their former Resolution for the defence of themselves and of their Religion forthwith raised a great number both of Horse and Foot whom with their well-known Captains and Commanders they brought even unto the City of Prague Howbeit at length viz. the eleventh of Iuly the Saxon Ambassador earnestly solliciting their Cause and urging their request they according to their desire received answer from the Emperour by Letters from his Majesty written to this effect He gave all Men as he said to understand and by these his Letter witnessed to eternal Memory That after that all the free States of his Kingdom of Bohemia which in the receiving of the Lord Supper participate the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under both kinds his faithful Subjects had in the Assembly holden in the Castle at Prague in the year 1608 in all humility requested That it might be lawful for them to hold and freely to Exercise their Religion according to the Confession of Augusta as some call it exhibited unto his Father Maximilian the Emperour of most happy Memory and by him unto the said States allowed and that he then and at that time by reason of other most weighty business for which that Assembly was then called and such as could suffer no Procrastination or delay had thought it good to deferr the allowing and ratifying of this their Petition unto this present Assembly of Parliament and that the same States now again assembled incessantly renewing this their former Petition and having thereunto joyned also the request and Intercession of certain Noble Personages had requested to be therein satisfied and that he with his Counsellors would consult how Provision might be made for his Subjects in the Kingdom of Bohemia as well Commucating under both kinds as under one now at length to have effected the same Wherefore seeing that his Will and Desire was that both in these and future times Peace and Quietness might for the increasing of the Kingdom be preserved and kept amongst his Subjects of all the three Estates of the Kingdom of Bohemia communicating as well under the one as under both kinds that both parties might freely and without any impediment or let have the free Exercise of their Religion whereby they were both in hope to obtain everlasting Salvation And to the intent that Accomplishment and Satisfaction might in all points be made as well according unto the breaking up of the Assembly of Parliament in the year 1608 as to the performance of his own Precept of late published whereby he hath acknowledged and even yet acknowledgeth those same Estates communicating under both kinds and subscribing to this Confession for his faithful and loyal Subjects unto whom the Rights and Immunities of the Kingdom of Bohemia belonged He by the common consent of the Counsellors and other Magistrates of the Kingdom did determine That his Subjects communicating both under one and both kinds should friendly and peaceably live together without wronging or reviling of one another and that upon the Pain and Penalty in the Law set down to be inflicted upon them that should otherwise do And moreover seeing that they which communicated but under one kind enjoyed the free Exercise of their Religion in all points throughout the Kingdom of Bohemia that he gave leave and commanded that they also which communicated under both kinds viz. all the States of the Religion with all such as embraced the Confession of Bohemia sometime exhibited to Maximilian the Emperour his Father in the Parliament holden in the year 1575 and now again to himself presented should every where and in all places of the Kingdom have the free Exercise of their Religion without the let or interruption of any to retain the same until a general Union of Religion and an ending of all Dissention and Controversies might be made Moreover That He did grant unto the States of the Religion this Favour That they should have the lower Consistory at Prague with Power to conform the same according to their own Confession That they might lawfully make their Priests as well in the Bohemian as German Tongue and set them over their Churches without any let of the Arch-bishop of Prague That he did also restore unto them the University of Prague which for many years ago belonged unto the States of the Religion under both kinds giving them Power again to open the same to furnish it with grave and learned Men of their own Confession to beautifie it with good Laws and to appoint certain of their own Company and Profession for Governours and Defenders as well of the Consistory as of the University whom so by the States appointed and chosen he without any stay or delay or other instruction or information than they should from the States receive would confirm in that their Office and pronounce them for the lawful Defenders yet so as that if he being letted by other greater business cannot perform the same within the space of fourteen days they shall nevertheless continue Defenders and as well enjoy the charge of the Office committed unto them as if they had been therein by him confirmed and that one or other of their number being dead it shall be lawful for the States to chuse others in their Places And if that beside the Churches which they now hold they would build other more or erect more Schools for the instructing of the Youth it shall be lawful for them freely and without any let so to do as well in the Cities as in the Country Towns and Villages And forasmuch as in some of the Cities of the Kingdom of Bohemia Men of both Religions dwelt together he therefore did will and command That for the preservation of Peace and Quietness
the Siege of Newhausel as the only choice left him This Resolution being taken he sent some Foot towards Gran and armed Boats down the River as designing to burn the Bridge to gain a belief of his intent to besiege that City but wheeling about with his Horse he marched all that Night and invested Newhausel the Day following The Turks seeing this set the Suburbs on fire to prevent the Christians approach who notwithstanding planted their battery and were advanced within an hundred paces of the body of the Place with little loss save that of Count Taxis and might probably have given a good account of the Siege if the Court which disapproved the Enterprise had not sent orders for them to retire This command was immediately obeyed and not without some Precipitation the Army returning to their old Camp betwixt Raab and Comorra The sudden raising of the Siege seemed strange to some being the Turkish Army was not yet ready to appear and that the Christians were so forward in their approaches But the more discerning thought otherwise because this Town being strong and well furnished with all things the obstinacy of the Besieged might have wearied the Imperial Troops and have reduced them to an Inability of being able to oppose the Ottoman Army when they came into Hungary and that therefore it was better chusing the certain than the hazard of that which was not so as was the taking of Newhausel and to keep upon the Defensive the rather being the Polish Army was not ready nor yet raised and therefore the Imperial Army upon whose Valour depended the Preservation or Hungary and Austria was in no wise to be weakned or baffled The Duke of Lorrain having refreshed his Army for some time advanced with all his Forces on the side of Raab having given orders to hasten the Works at Leopolstat and repair the Fortifications of Raab and Comorra In the mean time the Turkish Army composed of all the Nations under their Obedience consisting of 200000 Men advanced into Hungary on the side of Alba-Regalis sending 4000 Pioneers before them to dig Pits and Wells in their passage to furnish all the Army with Water and the Grand Visier himself having passed the Bridge of Essek with the body of his Army moved towards the Christian Camp by Raab with a Resolution to attack it instantly and oblige them to a general Battel his Army was so numerous that they covered the whole Country from Alba even to the Mountains of Raab and being come within a League of the Imperialists he detached a great number of Tartars to spoil and ravage the Country out of which the Christians could receive any Subsistence or Forage which extremely augmented their wants which were already but too great The Grand Seignior arriving at Belgrade the Third of Iune the Sultan Queen would not stay behind but accompanied his Highness in his Voyage of Hungary At Belgrade he received an Express from the Caimacan of a great fire at Constantinople which had intirely consumed one of the quarters of the City and that the Grand Visier's Seraglio had been quite burnt if the neighbouring Houses had not been pulled down to save that sumptuous Building Tekely having taken his measures from the Grand Visier upon whom he had waited and concerted with him concerning the following Campania being returned to Cassovia published a Manifest in the Grand Seignior's and his own Name that all the Hungarians that would embrace his Party should be maintained in their Priviledges Liberties Goods Laws and Religion but that such who refused to submit should have no quarter This Manifest had the desired effect for the Cities of Papa Tot and Vesprin the most remote immediately opened their Gates to the Tekelists The Emperour fearing that Neutra would follow the Example of these three Places commanded Count Schults the Governour to draw forth the great Guns the Arms and Stores and to quit the Place The same Orders were given to the Hilly Cities and to the Officers of the Silver Mines who all obeyed a Conduct so extraordinary alarmed all Hungary The Cities and Counties declared to the Emperours Commissioners that they would open their Gates to Count Tekely to prevent Fire and Pillage being there was no hopes of Succours To all this the Hungarians under their Palatine Esterhasi's Command who guarded the Passages of the River Waagh about 15000 in number deserted likewise putting themselves under the Protection of Tekeley and the Turks so that this Palatine with scarce a competent Guard was forced to retire to Vienna because he would not violate his Faith sworn to the Emperour Whilst the two Armies did nothing material but observe each other a great Body of Tartars under the Conduct of their Cham who was there in Person animated with the hopes of Pillage having examined the Avenues and Fords of the River Raab by following it towards its source passed over by swimming their Horses and guided by some Hungarians they came to Kerment and St. Godthard a place famous for the memorable Victory which the Christians gained from the Turks nineteen years past far from finding any Obstacles to hinder them every thing seem'd to favour their Passage Count Badiani abandoned his post upon the River joyning with Tekely those Hungarians he commanded so that the Enemy entered the Country like a torrent putting all to Fire and Sword and passing the Rabwitz continued their Devastations The Duke of Lorrain finding the Enemy on both sides and fearing lest they might cut off his way to Vienna and the Hereditary Countries having reinforced the Garisons of Raab and Comorra resolved to retire with the rest not exceeding 24000. And to the end the march of the Horse might not be retarded by the Foot and Artillery they were separated the Infantry and Canon marching along the Isle of Schut the way on the left side of the Danube being exposed to little Danger from thence they came safe to Presburg and Thebes and passing the River Mark arrived happily at Vienna The Duke having passed the Bridge of Raab with the Cavalry marched to Altembourg where he rested some time exposing this little Town to the Pillage of his Souldiers as being loth to let their Cattel and Provisions fall into the Enemies Hands which would infallibly happen The Inhabitants however seemed very dissatisfied to be so used by their Friends though the Cruelty of the Enemy who ravaged all with Fire and Sword effaced the other ill as wholly disproportionable from thence having passed the Streight there they marched towards the Plains of Kitz or Kitzer where two Months before the general review of the Army was made Cara Mustapha the Great Visier attributing this retreat of the Christians to their fear called a Council where it was deliberated whether he should pursue thâ—m or undertake the Siege of Raab But judging according to the appearances that their retreat was no bâ—ttâ—r than a runing away it was resolved to pursue them whereupon he
in their Sin. This sort of People become really Turks and some through Custom and their own Lusts are really perswaded of the truth of this Profession and have proved more inveterate and fatal Enemies to Christianity than the natural Turks which will appear if we consider that all the Successes they have had and Exploits they have done at Sea have been performed by such who have denied the Christian Faith as namely Chigal Ogli and others It was the custom formerly amongst the Turks every five Years to take away the Christians Children and Educate them in the Mahometan Superstition by which means they encreased their own People and diminished and enfeebled the Force of the Christians but now that custom in a great part is grown out of use through the abundance of Greeks Armenians Iews and all Nations where the Iron Rod of the Turks Tyranny extends who flock in to enjoy the imaginary Honour and Priviledge of a Turk And indeed it is no wonder to humane Reason that considers the Oppression and Contempt that poor Christians are exposed to and the Ignorance in their Churches occasioned through Poverty in the Clergy that many should be found who retreat from the Faith but it is rather a Miracle and a true verification of those words of Christ That the Gates of Hell shall not be able to prevail against his Church that there is conserved still amidst so much Opposition and in despight of all Tyranny and Arts contrived against it an open and publick Profession of the Christian Faith which next to God's Providence considering the stupid Ignorance of the Greek and Armenan Churches their conservation of their Faith is not to be attributed to any instance more than to the strict observation of the Feasts and Fasts of their Churches for having rarely the helps of Catechisms or Sermons they learn yet from these outward Ceremonies some confused Notions and Precepts of Religion and exercise with severity and rigour this sort of Devotion when through Custom Confusion and scarcity of knowing Guides all other service is become obsolete and forgotten amongst them The Turks have another extraordinary supply of People from the Black Sea sent them in by the Tartars who with their light Bodies of Horse make incursions into the Territories of the neighbouring Christians and carry with them a Booty of whole Cities and Countries of People most of which they send to Constantinople to be sold and is the chief Trade and Commodity of their Country as we have already discoursed It is sad to see what numbers of Saykes or Turkish Vessels come sailing through the Bosphorus fraighted with poor Christian Captives of both Sexes and all Ages carrying on the Main-top a Flag either as a Note of Triumph or else as a Mark of the Ware and Merchandise they carry The number of the Slaves brought yearly to Constantinople is uncertain for sometimes it is more and sometimes less according to the Wars and Successes of the Tartars but as it is apparent in the Registers of the Customs at Constantinople only one Year with another at the least 20000 are yearly imported amongst which the greatest part being Women and Children with easie Persuasions and fair Promises become Turks the Men being ignorant and generally of the Russian or Moscovite Nation who are reported not to be over-devout or of famed constancy and perseverance in Religion partly by Menaces and Fear partly by good words and allurements of Reward despairing of Liberty and return to their own Country renounce all Interest in the Christian Faith. Of this sort of Metal most of the Turks are in these days composed and by the â—ecundity of this Generation the Dominions of this Empire flow for the Turks of themselves though they have the liberty of Polygamy and freer use of divers Women allowed them by their Law than the severity of Christian Religion doth permit are yet observed to be less fruitful in Children than those who confine themselves to the chast embraces of one Wife It is true we have heard how in former Times there have been particular Men amongst the Turks that have severally been Fathers to an hundred Sons but now through that abominable Vice of Sodomy which the Turks pretend to have learned from the Italians and is now the common and professed shame of that People few fecundioâ—s Families are found amongst them especially amongst the Persons of the greater Quality who have Means and Time to act and contrive their filthiness with the most deformity And in this manner the natural use of the Women being neglected amongst them as St. Paul saith Men burning in lust one towards another so little is Mankind propagated that many think were it not for the abundant supplies of Slaves which daily come from the Black Sea as before we have declared considering the Summer-slaughters of the Plague and destructions of War the Turk would have little cause to boast of the vast Numbers of his People and that a principal Means to begin the ruine of this Empire were to prevent the taking of so many Captives or intercept those numbers of Slaves which are daily transported to nourish and feed the Body of this great Babylon by which means in time they would not only find a want of Servants but a decay and scarcity of Masters since as it is before-mentioned these Slaves becoming Turkâ— are capable of all Priviledges and being commonly Manumised by their Patrons through the help of Fortune arrive equally to Preferments with those who are of the ancient Mahometan Race This is the true Reason the Turk can spend so many People in his Wars and values not the lives of Ten thousand Men to win him but a span of Ground and yet almost without any sensible diminution of his People and on the contrary the invention of an Inquisition and the distinction between Christianos vieios and Nuevos in Spain and Portugal have caused that decay and scarcity of People in those Countries as hath laid the best part of those fruitful Soils desolate and forced them both to a necessity of entetaining a mercenary Soldiery It is no small inducement to the vulgar People who is most commonly won with outward Allurements to become Turks that when they are so by a white Turbant or such a particular Note of Honour they shall be distinguished from other-like Sects all People amongst the Turks being known by their Heads of what Religion or Quality they are and so may the better be directed where they may have a priviledge to domineer and injure with the most impunity If we consider how delightful the Mode is in England and France especially to those who are of a vain and gay Humour and that nothing seems handsome or comely but what is dressed in the Fashion and Air of the Times we shall not wonder if the ignorant and vain amongst Christians born and educated in those Countries should be catched and entrapt with the fancy and enticement of the Turkish Mode
Blood and Treasure as all Germany as well as Hungary has felt the fatal effects of it So that Men are apt to look back with Indignation on the Authors of these Troubles and to think them worthy of the extreamest Punishments that have brought their Country to such Ruin and Desolation The greatest part of which Censures will without doubt fall upon the Protestants whose Arms have wanted even Success that popular justification and whose Cause labours under two such fearful appearances as a defection from their Prince and the joyning with the Common Enemy of Christendom tho' perhaps a considering Man will be apt to reâ—lect on that Cruel severity which forc'd them to take shelter in the Arms of an Infidel at least he will see a fatal instance of the unhappy Conâ—equences of driving Men to Despair by subverting their Laws Liberties and Religion I shall therefore give an impartial Account of the Causes that exasperated the Protestants of Hungary to this degree and leave them to the Readers judgment either to be condemn'd or acquitted And therefore let us hear what Account the Protestant Writers give of this matter when the Protestant Religion began first to insinuate it self into Hungary under the Reign of King Lewis it met there with the same fate it did in other Countrys viz. Opposition and Persecution But this King unhappily engaging himself in a War against the Turks fell in Battle and leaving no Heir Male the Hungarian Nobility were divided in the choice of a Successor one part Electing Iohn Zapolya Vaivode of Transilvania and the other Ferdinand the first But Iohn dying soon after his Election Ferdinand remain'd in sole possession of that Kingdom who the better to gain the affection of his Subjects granted free exercise of Religion to Cassovia Bartphia Eperias Leuchenia and Libinia the five free Towns of upper Hungary and afterwards to several of the Towns of lower Hungary besides the same Priveleges which he gave to divers of the Nobility Notwithstanding which there being several Commotions and Disturbances on account of Religion still remaining in the year 1606. at the Pacification of Vienna made between Rodolph Emperor and King of Hungary and Stephen Botscai-Kis-Maria in the first Article it was said That as to the business of Religion that notwithstanding the first Constitutions and the last Article of the year 1604. according the Resolution taken by his Imperial Majesty All the Inhabitants and Persons of what Order or Condition soever within that Kingdom as well the great Lords as the Cities and Privileg'd Towns immediately belonging to the Crown or upon the borders of that Kingdom as likewise all the Soldiers of Hungary shall have free and entire Liberty of Conscience without being troubled or molested Nevertheless without prejudice to the Roman Catholick Religion so that that Clergy the Churches and the Temples of the Catholicks may remain in the State wherein they are without Violation or Molestation And that those which had been taken by one side or other should be restor'd to their lawful owners Afterwards the Emperor Matthias himself explain'd that Clause nevertheless without prejudice to the Rom. Cath. Religion by assuring them That it was put in upon a good design and that it only meant that neither Party should be disturbed in the exercise of their Religion This liberty was afterwards often confirm'd as you may see in the Grievances presented to the Emperor which are affix'd to the end of this History The now Reigning Emperor Leopold solemnly confirm'd this Article at his Coronation Vide the sixth Condition in the Imperial Patent running thus Ordered That the exercise of Religion granted to the States of Hungary according to the Constitution of Vienna and those Articles establisht before our Coronation shall remain entirely free as well for the Barons Lords Gentlemen as free Cities and all Orders and States of the Kingdom of Hungary as likewise for the Towns Villages and Hamlets that will accept of it so that no Person of what Condition soever shall be hinder'd in the exercise of his Religion in what manner or under what pretence soever Given in the Royal Citadel of Posonium Iune the 25 th 1655. In despight of all these Edicts made in favour of the Protestants the Clergy especially the Jesuits had so much interest in the Court of Vienna as to get a Manifest publish'd there and Entitled Truth declared to all the World or a Treatise wherein is proved by three Argument that his Caesarean Majesty is not obliged to tolerate the Lutheran or Calvinist Religion in the Kingdom of Hungary Writ by George Barzon titular Bishop of Waradin Priest of the Society and Councellor to his Sacred Majesty The first Argument was drawn from three Conditions under which the liberty of Religion was granted at the Pacification of Vienna The first That it should be without prejudice to the Protestant Religion which Condition being impossible ought to pass for nothing The second That the Clergy and the Catholick Churches should remain in their former Condition without being toucht which was violated by Bethlem and Ragotski The third That what was taken either by one side or the other should be restor'd which the Protestants had not perform'd To this was answered That it did by no means follow that if one Condition or Clause was lookt upon as impossible and so null that the whole Treaty should be so also and besides that the Emperor Matthias himself had explain'd the Condition by declaring that it was not to be made use of for the ruining of that liberty which was granted That whatsoever Bethlem or Ragotski had done this Liberty was notwithstanding confirm'd by the Edicts and Ordinances of the Emperor That if it had been so that Protestants who being daily provok'd by the Papists had gone a little too far yet the innocent ought not to suffer That the Destruction of Temples which were made use of during the Troubles only regarded those that Botskai had taken in the War and not such as had been for a long time in their Hands The second Argument is That this liberty was not establisht by the unanimous consent of the States of the Kingdom to whom it belongs to make Laws with the Consent and Approbation of his Majesty and consequently that those Articles ought to be abolisht But it was urg'd that this was extreamly injurious to those Kings who had confirm'd and ratify'd them and who no question were not so ignorant of the rights of the Kingdom of Hungary That when this Affair was manag'd at Lintz 1645. Tho' the Arch-Bishop of Strigonium George Lippai and some seculars opposed it yet Count Palfy President of the Chamber and divers Catholick Lords consented notwithstanding that opposition so that the Affair being extreamly hindred by that Arch-Bishop and his adherents the Protestants were upon the point of complaining to his Majesty had they not been stopt by the Declaration that was made that they voluntarily subscribed to the Articles of
over-run and harass'd with German and Foreign Souldiers wherefore in a sense thereof they sent their Deputies to the Emperor representing their Fidelity and constant Allegiance to his Majesty from which they had never suffer'd themselves to be sedâ—c'd and therefore they humbly pray'd that they might not be number'd with the guilty nor their Towns and Lands made a prey to the Liberty and Licentiousness of Soldiers In case any of their Country-Men had offended they ought to be legally Cited before the Tribunals of Justice but to make his Loyal Subjects equally noxious with the Disobedient was a Severity unagreeable to the known Clemency of his Imperial Majesty But all the moving Language which the Deputies could use in behalf of their Principals avail'd little for General Sporke being recruited with a considerable Army which General Heister had brought out of Bohemia was Commanded with all expedition to march into Hungary the appearance of which not only troubled the Hungarians but alarm'd the Turks who assembling in great numbers about the Quarters of Kanisia dispatch'd several Messengers one after the other to Vienna to know and to be satisfy'd of the Reasons and Causes which mov'd the Emperor in a time of Peace to send so considerable an Army to lodge and encamp on the Frontiers of the Grand Seignior's Country In like manner the Pasha's of Newhawsel and Agria being alarm'd with the near approach of this Christian Army prepar'd for a Defence and withal sent a Chiaus to General Sporke to assure him that the Grand Seignior had resolved not to assist or afford Aid unto the Malecontents nor to enter on the Emperor's Lands or to do any thing to the infringment or violation of the Truce some few years before concluded And on the other side the Chiaus told General Sporke that the Grand Seignior did conjure him to let him know the Causes and design which moved the Emperor to appear with a Force so considerable and in the times of Peace so unusual on the Frontiers To which the General returned answer That the Emperor his Master had no design or intention to pass the Limits of his Dominions or to act any thing towards a Rupture or to the Infringement of the Peace between him and the Grand Seignior and that the Commission he had received from the Emperor was only to suppress the Rebellion of his own Subjects who had taken up Arms against him And thus much he supposed to be lawful without any concernment of the Grand Seignior therein With these assurances the Chiaus departed and Suspicions and Jealousies seem'd to clear up on the side of the Turks And herewith did the Clouds in all quarters seem to disperse for a while For Ragotski who was chief of the League being brought into favour by the intercession of his Mother and all things accommodated by a Treaty which he held wâ—â—h the Prince of Holstein and General Heister a Passport or Writing of Safe Conduct was sent him by the Emperor and all the Offences and Crimes which were past were pardoned and forgiven to him And Ragotski on the other side that he might make a Return agreeable to so much Goodness and Clemency of the Emperor published his Edicts in all parts of his own Dominions forbidding his Subjects to Rise in Arms or to favour the Cause of the Malecontents either directly or indirectly upon pain of losing their Noses or Ears or being more severely proceeded against by Punishment of Death year 1670. Ragotski had thus wisely made his peace with his Sword in his Hand whil'st poor Serini and Frangipani had partly by their own Fears ill Conduct and Treachery of others fallen into the power of their Enemies With whom at first they received a kind Treatment and hopes of being set at Liberty with restitution to their Estates Dignities and Privileges But afterwards time discovering many private Practices which at first were unknown and lay concealed the Chief Ministers of State for the Reasons before mentioned and to make some Examples of the Emperor's Indignation for the late Revolt perswaded his Caesarean Majesty to proceed against them by Impeachment of High Treason which when Serini perceived he wrote an Expostulatory Letter to the Emperor to this purpose That tho' the Hungarians had much to say for themselves in regard to their Laws and their Country which Nature and Religion obliged them to dâ—fend And tho' the Provocation was high when the House of Austria labour'd to make that Kingdom Hereditary which was originally Elective and to subvert the Laws and Liberties of the People who were by their Constitutions free as any Nation of the World and to introduce upon them Tyranny and Oppression with the loss of their Privileges and Religion yet he would not justifie himself upon any of those Topicks but rather insist on his Innocence and Avow that he did never Enter into any League with the Turk nor take up Arms against his Sovereign against whom neither by himself or his Subjects he had committed any act of Hostility but to the contrary had blindly obey'd the Commands of his Imperial Majesty the which appear'd by the Negotiation of Father Forstal in his behalf by whom he sent his only Son for a Hostage and with him a blank Paper that the Emperor might inscribe therein what Articles and Conditions he judged fit moreover that he had enjoyned his Son-in-Law Prince Ragotski to submit unto the Emperor at a time when he was at the Head of an Army and possessed the Narrow passes leading to the Mountains and other advantageous places of great importance He deny'd all Intercourse and Correspondence with the Turks unless it were with intention to betray them and that when they tempted his Faith and Fidelity to the Emperor with large offers of reward he discover'd all to the Count of Rothal to whom he Read the very Letters which were sent to him and held no Treaty with any but what he had made known to his Imperial Majesty He highly insisted on the promises made him by the Baron Oker Lord Chancellour who assured him that the Disgrace into which he was fallen should serve to raise him to higher Dignities and that Prince Lubkovitz had in the presence of Baron Oker promised him great rewards in case he could take off Prince Ragotski his Son-in-Law from the disaffected Party Which he had accordingly done and so well succeeded therein that immediately upon the Receipt of his Letter Ragotski had set Count Staremberg at Liberty and entirely submitted himself with all his Forces to the Will and Devotion of his Majesty After all which and much more that he could alledge in justification of himself he might reasonably hope that his Majesty who was a Prince of unparallell'd Clemency would deal with him after the generous Example of Julius Caesar who burnt the Letters of Pompey and Scipio without Reading tho' thereby he might have discover'd the Names and Plots of all the Conspirators against
Religion is granted also to all the Ministers and School-masters that are either Banish'd or Kept out of their Employments by reason of certain Deeds of Reversion the same Deeds being hereby made void and of no effect From thence it follows evidently that the Ministers and Schoolmasters are to be restor'd from their Exile to their respective Professions and may live freely in any City Town or Village of the Kingdom performing the Duties of their Religion and Profession and that no more Deeds of Reversion can be requir'd from them since such Deeds are condemned in the Article III. And no Hungarian Subject shall be disturbed any way hereafter in the free Exercise of his Religion These words no Hungarian Subject exclude undoubtedly any Exception the meaning plainly is that no Ecclesiastical or Civil Person no Nobleman no Citizen nor Peasant ought to be disturbed in the free exercise of Religion and no Body will deny but that an exercise of Religion can in no sense be term'd free unless there be Ministers that officiate in it IV. None of the Helvetian Confession and of that of Ausburg shall be compelled to any ceremony contrary to his Religion The generality of these words confirms the foregoing i.e. that no Nobleman nor Gentleman no Citizen nor Peasant ought to be compelled The XXVI ARTICLE V. MOreover the Churches that have been Built by those of the Helvetian Confession and of that of Ausbourg and whose Members are not yet reconciled to the Catholick Church shall be assign'd to them by certain Commissioners Hereupon we require that those Chappels and Churches be deliver'd and assign'd to us whose Members are not yet reconciled to the Catholick Church of which sort many would be found in the Counties of Lypcze of Owar c. VI. It is order'd also according to his Majesty's Gracious Resolution that in other places the same Commissioners assign places to build Churches and Schools and erect Parishes for the conveniency of those of the Helvetian Confession and of that of Ausbourg Hereupon we require that instead of the inconvenient and undecent places which are assigned out of Cassovia and Esperies in Upper Hungary others be appointed within the Walls as also in all the Free and Royal Cities where there is convenient and large espaces since thus much is signifi'd by the words which will be set down lower Fig. 9. VII But in other Counties as in those of Salawar of Vesprim of Saraz of Moramoruss of Abavivar of Sellia of Semlyn of Ugoza of Bodrogh of Tornaw of Komorra of Barzod of Sachsag of Novigrad of Zolnock of Hewecz of Pesth Pelicz and Soldth united of Unghwar of Chege and of Zatmar since the Evangelicks are actually in possession of almost all the Churches there the same Churches are left for the use of the actual possessors of them Hereupon we require that the Evangelicks may recover and undisturbedly possess all the Churches which were possessed by them in the aforesaid Counties when the Article was made and which for the most part are now taken from them against the said Article VIII The same is granted in the Frontier Towns of the Kingdom viz. to those of Zentgrod in the division near Canisa of Tyhany Vasony Papa Vesprim Raab and Comorra in the division of Raab of Leva Carpen and Tuletin in the division before the Mountains and of Putnock Onod Zendro Tokai Calo and Zatmar in the division of Upper Hungary By vertue of this Grant the Evangelicks that live in Maromaruss Carpen Tokai and in any other abovemention'd Frontier Town ought to enjoy the same free exercise of Religion and use the same Churches as they did in those Towns when the Article was made IX Furthermore in all the free and Mountain Towns as in Trenschinmodra Cremnicz Novizolium and in all the Cities of Upper Hungary places shall be assign'd likewise for Churches Schools and Parishes What more direct and clear can be concluded from these words but that in the free Cities such as are Cassovia Epperies Leuschovia Bartpha Cibinium Kesmurkim Nagybania Presburg Tyrnaw Zakoliza Bazinium Modra St. George Kussegh Rust and in the Mountain Towns such as are Novizolium Veterozolium Carpen Schemninizium Cremniczium Libeten Breznow Baka Bela Vibania c. for the modifying of which two of each sort viz. of the free Cities and of the Mountain Towns are brought as instances with a certain distinction or specification used before convenient places for Churches Parishes and Schools must be assigned not out of the Walls which were to restrain the Article but in the very middle of the Cities and Towns according to the genuine and literal meaning of the words of the aforesaid Article X. Finally the Churches which are actually possessed by those of the Helvetian Confession and of that of Ausburg shall be still for their use as before together with the Parishes and Schools and their Revenues that they may live in peace and quiet but the same free use of Bells and Burials is left to the Catholicks in those parts as to them This confirms evidently the above written seventh Point and signifieth that the Churches which the Evangelicks were actually possessed of should remain for their use together with the Revenues Parishes and Schools the Bells and Burials remaining common for the use of both Parties XI Nevertheless the Catholicks shall not be obliged to pay any thing to the Ministers of the Evangelicks nor the Evangelicks to the Curates of the Catholicks according to the meaning of the 11 th Article Ann. 1647. This cannot be clearer nor better Commented upon than by the confirmed 11 th Article which runs thus The Evangelicks shall not be obliged to pay any thing to the Catholick Curates nor the Catholicks to the Evangelick Ministers And by the following 12 th Article yet more plainly in these words But where the Evangelicks have no Parishes let them pay the Ministers that they employ as the Catholicks are to pay their Catholick Curates and where hitherto the Evangelicks did pay nothing to the Catholick Curates they shall not be obliged hereafter to pay under any pretence whatsoever Nor the Catholicks to the Evangelick Ministers Add to this the words of the aforesaid 12 th Article in the year 1647 concerning the Revenues and Pensions of the Schools But in any place whatsoever the Catholick Curates and the Evangelick Ministers shall receive the Revenues of Schools and Pensions from their respective followers by which most evident constitution of the Articles the Evangelicks are freed and discharged from paying any thing to the Catholick Curates and to this positive Law we desire to adhere XII All the Peers and Noblemen that live in the Kingdom have Liberty to Build and Endow Oratories and Chappels according to their respective profession of Religion in their usual places of Residence Hereupon we require that Noblemen may have Oratories and Chappels according to their respective professions of Religion in their usual dwelling places as the same was practised in many Counties after
1080 Halil Pasha of Sivas 530 Ahmet Pasha of Maras 710 Husaein Pasha of Aleppo 950 Osman Pasha a Sangiac under him 510 Husaein Pasha of Damascus 2300 Hassan Pasha of Armit 500 Bei of Gran Cairo 3000 Basha of Tokai on the Borders of Persia 340 Bekir Pasha 500 27750 This Computation may very well agree with the Forces of the first Year's Expedition out of Asia to which being adjoyned the several Chambers of Janisaries with all the European Forces both Horse and Foot as also the Tartars Transilvanians Moldavians and Valachians with the Hungarian Rebels we may without Romance account the Ottoman Force to consist of a Hundred eighty Thousand effective fighting Men besides Miners Pioniers Sutlers Gunners Attendants on the Train of Artillery Attendants and Servants belonging to the Tents with a vast number of Rascals and Rabble following the Camp which may very well be Calculated to amount unto at least 40 000 more For the Turks above any Nation in the World have their Camp pestered with the Incumbrances of Baggage so that if we consider this vast number of 220.000 Men it will not seem incredible what we find reported that they spread the Country eight Leagues in length The Report of this formidable and as to human Appearance invincible Army caused the Duke of Loraine to hasten with all speed possible the Fortifications of Raab which he designed to enlarge on some rising Grounds near to the Town and to defend them with the whole Body of the Army or at least by the Infantry which having a Communication with the Garrison might be able to oppose that great force of the Enemy and weary them out by a lingring Siege in a Country which was already become desolate and without Forage for above twenty Miles round But the Duke of Loraine having received Intelligence that the Grand Vizier on the 1st of Iuly was entred into Alba Regalis and certainly resolved to Besiege Vienna and to stop at no other place on their March thither He then changed his Measures and having reinforced Raab with the three Regiments of Baden Grana and Souches and given the command of the Place to Colonel Wallis and having also reinforced Comorra and other Places with strong Garrisons his whole Field-Army became reduced unto 24.000 Men only And fearing lest with so small a number he should be surrounded by the multitudes of the Enemy he once resolved to encamp himself under the Cannon of Vienna In the mean time Tekeli having made a Visit to the Grand Vizier in his Camp at Alba Regalis perswaded him to publish a Manifest signifying unto the People That the Grand Seignior did take under his Protection all the Hungarians who should joyn themselves to the Male-contented Party and that he would maintain them in their Priviledges Liberties Estates Laws and Religion And that such who refused to accept this gracious Offer were to expect no Quarter but to be punished with Fire and Sword. This Manifest being divulged by Tekeli at his return from the Vizier to Cassovia so operated on many of the Hungarians that the Towns of Papa Tot and Vesprin accepted of the same and opened their Gate to Tekeli and his Party And such was the Consternation of all Hungary that many other Counties and Towns declared to the Emperor's Commissioners that they would open their Gates to Tekeli at the first Summons rather than expose themselves to Fire and Sword where was no hopes or expectations of Relief This Declaration of the People giving the Emperor just cause to fear lest Neutra and the Mountain Towns should follow the same Example Orders were given to Count Schultz Governour of Neutra to demolish that Fortress and bring the gross Cannon with all the Ammunition from thence and the like Command was given to the Officers of the Mountain Towns where the Mines of Silver were it being impossible to relieve them because Tekeli was Master of all the Passes which led thither which Orders were readily obeyed by the Officers Priests and Religious Men who fled to the Camp of General Schultz on the Banks of the River Waagh Where Schultz having joyned with the six Thousand Polish Horse under the Command of Prince Lubomiski he had the fortune to meet a Party of the Malecontents joyned with some Tartars and to give them a total Defeat killing and taking two Thousand of them with several Colours and all their Baggage In the mean time whilest the Duke of Loraine was in this dubious Condition not knowing what course was best to be taken he resolved once to retire under the Cannon of Vienna and there to govern himself according to the Motion of the Enemy but the Turks came on so fast their Van appearing on the Banks of the River Raab followed by the whole Body of their Army Marching in Batalia that there was no time for any thing but a Precipitous Flight nothing was now to be put to a hazard for the least Defeat might cause the absolute loss of Vienna and open the Enemies way into the Hereditary Countries In this exigency all the Foot was Transported over into the Island of Schultz under the Command of the Count de Zely and all the Horse being about Nine thousand five hundred in number Marched away about Midnight and pitched their Camp near to Altembourg The Infantry being in the Isle of Schultz Marched without danger of the Enemy and were in the way either to Communicate with Raab or to give Succour to Vienna according as they saw the Enemy bend their Course for they were in a Condition to move faster than the multitudes and gross Bodies of the Turks In a few Days it appear'd that the Turks aimed at the Capital City of Vienna and to leave all the other Fortresses behind them as being places which would fall of themselves and follow the Fate of the Imperial Court. The News of all which being carried from the Duke of Loraine by Count Caprara to the Emperor and also that the Baggage of the Duke of Saxelawenburg of Prince Lewis de Baden and of the Counts Caprara and Montecuculi were all taken by the Turks and their Convoy defeated and that the Horse in great disorder had abandoned the Infantry and left them to shift for themselves in the Isle of Schultz and were Marching with great Disorder to Vienna No sooner was this Intelligence arrived than the Tartars appear'd at the same time within two Leagues of the City and set Fire to all the Villages round about the Smoak of which ascending upwards gave visible demonstrations of the truth of these Reports and put all the Court and City into a distracted Consternation The Emperor after the coming of this News made no delay to depart away with the Empress the Arch-Duchess and all the Court for Lintz There was now no time to spare and Fear added Wings as well to the Poor as to the Rich the great Personages whose Offices obliged them to an
to them in the World since that their Country lying open and without defence would thereby be exposed to all the Hostilities which the most barbarous and cruel Enemy in the World could execute The Duke of Loraine finding that the Commission of these Deputies extended no farther than what they had declared returned them back again with Count Scherffemberg and Baron Falkenhem who were orordered to let Prince Apafi know that since he had refused to assign him Winter-quarters on fair Terms he himself should be constrained to point them out unto his Troops and continue his March into the Bowels of his Country The States of the Principality perceiving the Duke of Loraine to be in earnest and resolved to obtain his Demands were contented to grant him Quarters for a certain number but that not suffising he continued his March towards Clausembourg or Claudiopolis the chief City of that Country and the place where the States of Transilvania did usually Assemble It is situate in a very fuitful Plain upon the little River of Samos it is encompassed with very thick Walls and the Houses are very well Built it is defended by an ancient Fortress the Suburbs are so large and well peopled that it seems to be another Town the Inhabitants are both Hungarians and Saxons who live in so good unity and correspondence together that both are equally capable of Offices and Places of Trust in the Government The Duke of Loraine so soon as he appeared before the Place sent to the Governour to provide Quarters in the Town for some of his Troops but he excusing it and saying that he could not do it without Orders from Prince Apafi immediately Count Caprara was sent to let him know that his Answer was not satisfactory and that Orders were given to the Infantry to prepare all things necessary for making an Attack on the Town Whereupon the Governour considering better of the matter enter'd into a Treaty with the Duke of Loraine who condescended to grant unto the Inhabitants these following Conditions That the Inhabitants should enjoy a free Exercise of their Religion That the Magistrates and Citizens should be maintained in their Liberties and Priviledges and not be forced to pay any extraordinary Contributions That every Officer or Magistrate of the City should be exempt from giving Quarters to any Soldier in his own House That what Forage and Subsistence should be necessary for the Soldiery should be furnished in Specie and no Money exacted in lieu of the same And that the Soldiers be forbidden under severe Penalties to commit any Disorders or Abuse the People That those Citizens who were unwilling to continue their Aboad in the City but were desirous to depart might have Liberty so to do and carry with them all their Goods and Moveables According to these Conditions the Garrison of Apafi marched out at one Gate whilst Three thousand of the Imperialists enter'd in at the other with Drums beating and Colours flying and the Command of the Town was given to Count Guy de Staremberg whith a strict Charge to punish most severely all Insolences of the Soldiers the which was carefully observed not only in that City but also in all parts of Transilvania since their entrance into it The Duke of Loraine having for one day refreshed the rest of his Army in places without the Town marched towards Turtembourg which is another important Pass in that Country in which having left a Garrison he proceeded to Weissembourg otherwise called Alba Iulia so named from the Empress Iulia Mother of Marcus Aurelius and entred into it without any resistance The place is situate on the side of a Hill from whence a vast Plain discovers it self it is reported to have been the ultimate Limit of the Roman Conquests on that side Prince Ragotzki erected an University there which was very flourishing and famous considering the Country Hermanstadt alias Zeben followed the Example of the aforesaid places It is the Metropolis of the whole Province of Savons situate in a Plain full of Boggs and Marshes and no Hills near to command it the Walls are very thick and flanked with very great Bastions Bestrissa and all the other considerable Towns opened in like manner their Gates so that now the whole Army being conveniently Quartered the Duke of Loraine entred into a Treaty with Prince Apafi and the States of Transilvania and concluded on these following Articles I. That the Prince of Transilvania his Children and all persons of his Houshold as also all the Nobles and in General all the People of Transilvania may have liberty according to their Will and Pleasure to go out of Hermanstadt or any other City or Town and return again as shall be most agreeable and expedient to or for their Affairs II. That the Prince and Michael Apafi his Eldest Son who is declared Successor to his Father shall both retain the same Power and Dignity with which the Sultan had invested them and that the Principality should be governed by them and the Estates according to the known Laws and Customs of that Country III. That the Four Religions allowed in Transilvania that is to say the Roman Catholicks the Lutherans the Calvinists and the Unitarians or Socinians shall be permitted to exercise the Rites of their respective Religions and to have Liberty of Conscience equally indulged to them IV. That it shall not be permitted on any pretence whatsoever to molest the Priests or the Ministers of any of the aforesaid Religions in the due exercise of their respective Rites and Ceremonies nor disturb their Schools or Colleges the which with all freedom and liberty shall be allowed and permitted and defended by the Authority and Power of the Emperor V. That the Transilvanians shall be supported and maintained in their Civil Privileges and Franchises VI. In case any Foreign Power shall invade and attack the Country of Transilvania the Imperialists shall use all their power to drive them thence and defend the Country And the Transilvanians shall to that end enter into a defensive alliance with them the which shall by both Parties be confirmed upon Oath VII The Imperial Troops which have their Winter-Quarters in Cities Towns or Villages shall remain no longer therein than until the Spring when they shall be obliged to draw out of those Quarters into the Field that so they may be no longer a charge unto the several Cities and Countries VIII That in case the Weather and Season should be such or some other cause intervene that the Imperialists cannot conveniently draw out into the Field at the beginning of the Spring there shall be an Article expresly formed for this case that so an amicable understanding may be continued between the Emperor and Prince Apafi IX That a General Act of Amnesty or Oblivion shall pass of all Outrages and Hostilities which have been committed on one side or the other wherein all Strangers and Deserters shall be included X.
while these things were in doing but being requested to restore those Cities so wrongfully taken from the Christians he utterly refused so to do saying That it was against the Law of his great Prophet Mahomet to deliver again to the Christians any Town or City wherein the Mahometan Religion had been once openly taught Whereupon Wars began again to arise on fresh betwixt the Christians and him wherein sometime the one prevailed and sometime the other in such sort as those Wars at length became unto them both very tedious Wherefore Amurath made peace again with the Christians of Hadrianople Selybria and Constantinople yet desiring nothing more in heart than to take the City of Hadrianople which the better to bring to pass he caused Chasis-Ilbeg as a discontented Captain to fly to Hadrianople pretending himself to have been hardly used by the Tyrant his Master where having in his Company other such dissembling Fugitives as was himself he oftentimes issued out of the City and valiantly skirmished with the Turks which so greatly pleased the Governor of Hadrianople that he thereby grew into his great favour Many other Turks also under pretence of like discontentment resorted unto Chasis wherewith finding himself well strengthned he writ Letters secretly unto Amurath That he would deliver one of the Gates of Hadrianople unto him at a certain appointed time if he would against the same time be ready to send him present Succors All things being agreed upon Chasis at the appointed time came in the dawning of the day to one of the Gates of the City accompanied but with ten of his Followers as if he would have gone forth to hunt as he had before accustomed But so soon as the Gates were opened he with the other ten well appointed for the purpose furiously set upon the Warders whom they slew and being aided by the rest of the Fugitive Turks which with all speed by appointment before made resorted unto them they possessed the Gate until a great power of the Turks whom Amurath the night before had placed in ambush near unto the City having knowledge what was done and hearing the alarm speedily came on and by that Gate entred the City where was fought a cruel fight all that day even from morning until night But in the end the Turks prevailing took the City which they have ever since possessed unto this day These great Cities of Thracia thus taken or otherwise as aforesaid for that I leave for the Reader to think of as he pleaseth Amurath appointed the Seat of his Royal Court at Hadrianople as a place of all others most fit for the further invasion of the Christians and inlarging of his Kingdom in Europe from whence such a world of Mischiefs and Woe hath since that time overflowed a great part of Christendom and drowned so many goodly Kingdoms in Europe as that both they and most part of the rest that yet remain daily in dread of like destruction might justly accurse and deâ—est the woful carelesness and degenerate cowardise of the Greeks were not they themselves together with the glory of their Church and Empire swallowed up in the same gulf of Calamity and Woe and so become of all others most miserable but what avail vain Complaints but to increase old griefs wherefore again to that we have in hand The proud Sultan Amurath having to his great content thus seated himself at Hadrianople in the midst of Thracia presently sent out his Tutor Lala Schahin with a great Power to invade the Country about Philippopolis with the Country of Zagora which lieth towards the great Mountain Hoemus where the best Turkish Scimitars were made giving like charge unto Eurenoses for the subduing of the Territory of Ipsala who both notably performed what he had commanded and in short time brought all those Countries under his Subjection wherein he shortly after placed divers Sanzacks or Governors for the better assurance thereof being so lately gained About this time by the suggestion of Cara Rustemes a Doctor of the Mahometan Law Zinderlu Chelil then Cadelesher or chief Justice among the Turks but afterwards better known by the name of Catradin Bassa by the Commandment of Amurath took order that every fifth Captive of the Christians being above fifteen years old should be taken up for the King as by Law due unto him and if the number were under five then to pay to the King for every Head 25 Aspers by way of Tribute appointing Officers for collecting both of such Captives and Tribute money of whom the aforesaid Cara Rustemes himself was chief as first deviser of the matter By which means great numbers of Christian Youths were brought to the Court as the Kings Captives which by the counsel of the same Zinderlu Chelil were distributed among the Turkish Husbandmen in Asia there to learn the Turkish Language Religion and Manners where after they had been brought up in all painful labour and travel by the space of two or three years they were called unto the Court and choice made of the better sort of them to attend upon the Person of the Prince or to serve him in his Wars where they daily practising all feats of activity are called by the name of Ianizars that is to say new Souldiers This was the first beginning of the Ianizars under this Sultan Amurath the First but had great increase under Amurath the Second insomuch that Iovius with some other Historiographers attribute the beginning of this Order to him which nevertheless as appeareth by the Turks own Histories had the beginning as is aforesaid and hath ever since been continued by the Turkish Kings and Emperors by the same and some other greater means so that in process or time they be grown to that greatness as that they are oftentimes right dreadful to the great Turk himself after whose death they have sometimes preferred to the Empire such of the Emperors Sons as they best liked without respect of prerogative or age contrary to the will of the great Sultan himself and are at this day the greatest strength of the Turkish Empire and not unlike in time to be the greatest cause of the ruine thereof the finger of the Highest oftentimes as we have before said turning even those helps which were by mans wisdom provided for the establishing of Kingdoms unto their more speedy destruction and especially these continual Garrisons of martial men no less to be feared than trusted as in the course of this History may appear When Amurath had thus a great while continued at Hadrianople determining now to return unto Asia he made Schahin his Tutor Beg-Lerbeg or Vice-Roy of Romania and Eurenoses Lord Governor of the Marches Zinderlu Chelil he made Vezir Azemes or Lord President of his Counsel and changing his name called him Cairadin Bassa that is to say The Bassa that had well deserved his name witnessing his good desert After this he returned into Asia where he spent that Winter at Prusa
a strong Army to return into Europe but before his departure he committed the Government of his Kingdom in Asia which the Turks call Anatolia unto his Son Bajazet joyning with him Temurtases a valiant man of great experience and having set all things in order in Asia passed over Hellespontus to Calipolis from whence he marched towards Hadrianople and because he would take something in his way he besieged Magalgara which he in short time won where Lala Schahin and Eurenoses with all their Forces came to him which two Captains he sent to besiege the City Pheroe which was by them after a few days siege taken But he himself to be revenged upon Lazarus the Despot led his Army into Servia where after he had without resistance forraged the Country fourteen days understanding by his Captains That the strong City of Nissa being the Metropolitical City of Servia was as it were the Key of that Kingdom he presently marched thither and laid siege to the same and by the advice of Iaxis-Beg the Son of Temurtases in short time won it Which thing so daunted Lazarus Despot or Lord of Servia that he despairing in his own Forces having so soon lost one of his strongest Cities forthwith sent Embassadors to Amurath to intreat a Peace offering to pay him a yearly Tribute of fifty thousand pounds and to aid him with a thousand men in his Wars whensoever he should require upon which conditions Amurath granted him Peace and so departed out of Servia In this Expedition he also with much ado won the great City of Appolonia near unto the Mount Athos and gave leave unto most of the Christians with their Wives and Children to depart and such part of their goods as was not in the taking thereof spoiled by the Souldiers This done he returned back to Hadrianople leaving Eurenoses upon the Marches who shortly after took Berrhea with divers other Towns. At which time also Lala Schahin won Zichne and Seres in the Confines of Macedonia with many other strong Towns upon the Frontiers of Thessalia and Thrace In the City Seres Eurenoses made his abode as in a chief Frontier Town and because the Christians for fear of the Turks were all fled out of the Country about Seres great numbers of people were sent for out of Asia to inhabit that Country by the Christians forsaken in the Confines of Macedonia Amurath had not long continued at Hadrianople but that he was advertised out of Asia That Aladin his Son in law King of Caramania did with Fire and Sword invade his Dominions in Asia with which News he was exceedingly troubled And for that cause sending for his Counsellors and Nobility to the Court told them how that Aladin forgetting all the bonds of Religion Faith Peace and Alliance with all Hostility invaded his Provinces in Asia whilst he with great danger of his Person and greater terror of his Enemies sought with honour to increase the Mahometan sincere Religion as he termed it in Europe from which godly War said he I am against my will enforced to turn my Sword in just defence of my self against men joyned with us both in Religion and Alliance And having thus declared his mind he appointed Chairadin Bassa his Lieutenant-General in Europe and also made his Son Alis Bassa one of his Council although he were by some thought too young for so great a place And so having set all things in order according to his mind in Europe took passage from Callipolis into Asia and so to his Court at Prusa where he spent that Winter In which time Embassadors came unto him from the Sultan of Egypt for the renewing of their former Amity and Friendship which Amurath took very thankfully and sent them back again loaden with kind Letters and princely Rewards When the Spring was come in the year 1387. he levied a mighty Army to make War upon the Caramanian King his Son in Law. Whereof Aladin certainly informed prepared no less Power to meet him associating unto him all the less Mahometan Princes of Asia which were not under Amuraths Obeysance to whom the Othoman Kings were now grown terrible which Princes brought with them great Supplies to joyn with Aladin Aladin thus aided by his Friends thinking himself now strong enough for Amurath his Father in law sent an Embassador unto him certifying him That he was nothing in Power inferior to him and therefore nothing feared him yet if it pleased him to have Peace that he could for his part be content to hearken unto the same upon reasonable conditions but if he had rather have War he should find him ready to dare him battel in the Field whensoever he should come For answer of which Embassage Amurath willed the Embassador to tell the perjured King his Master That he had of late contrary to his Faith before given in most cruel manner invaded his Dominions whilst he was busied in most godly Wars as he termed it against the misbelieving Christians from prosecuting whereof he was by his violence as he said withdrawn contrary to the Law of their great Prophet for which Outrages and Wrongs he would shortly come and take of him sharp Revenge and that therefore he was to expect nothing at his hands but War for which he willed him so to provide as that at his coming he might not find him wanting to himself Aladin by his Embassor having received this answer from Amurath assembled all the Confederate Princes his Allies with great Perswasions and greater Promises encouraging them to this War and they again kissing the ground at his Feet as the manner of that Nation is before great Princes promised with solemn Oaths never to forsake him but to do all things which Princes desirous of Honour or Fame ought by their Oath to do for their Soveraign to whom they ought Homage and Duty In this great preparation for Wars in Asia Chairadin Bassa general Governor in Europe died which Amurath understanding appointed Alis Bassa his Son to go into Europe there to be Governor in his Fathers stead But he was stayed in his Journey by urgent occasions which Amurath understanding sent for him back again in post Aladin forecasting the great dangers like to ensue of this War sent another Embassador to Amurath with reasonable conditions of Peace to whom Amurath answered That if Aladin had made that Offer one month before he would perhaps have accepted thereof but for so much as he had done him great wrong and that he had now to his infinite Charge drawn him into the field so far from home he would not make any other end than such as the chance of War should appoint And whereas he in disgrace had called me a Herdsman or Shepherd said he if he be not such an one himself as he saith me to be let him meet me in the field and there try his valor Hereunto the Embassador replied saying That the King his Master made this Offer of Peace
me leave But so far was he from that to suffer me there to rest as that I was by him most cruelly assailed as an open Enemy and had I not by speedy flight withdrawn my self from the imminent danger and departed quite out of my Fathers Kingdom I must have yielded my self my blood and life as a Sacrifice into his cruel hands Neither is he to me so mortal an Enemy or thirsteth after my life so much for fear as for very hatred and malice for what is there in me to fear Verily nothing Constantinople is his the favour of the great Chieftains and Men of War is his the Treasure and Regal Riches are all his wherefore he hateth his Brother but feareth him not He will sway all things alone he will have all that belongeth to the Othoman Family alone and he yea none but he must live alone Xerxes was a mighty King and yet in that great and large Kingdom he not only preserved his Brethren in safety but had them also in great Honour and Estimation What did Alexander the Great Who not only took pleasure in his Brother but had him also as a Companion of his most glorious Expedition and many other famous Kings of foreign Nations and of our own Family have ruled both more safely and better strengthned with the counsel and aid of their most loving Brethren rather than with others But Bajazet is of a far other mind reputing violence and haughtiness of heart to be his greatest and surest defence herein his fierce Nature delighteth more than in the lawful course of Nature Iustice and Equity he had rather have his Brother his Enemy than his Friend and to drive him into exile than to make him partaker of his counsels But I beseech thee most puissant Monarch the faithful Keeper and Maintainer of our Law and Religion by the sacred Reliques of our great Prophet Mahomet which thou hast at Jerusalem and Mecha suffer me not a Kings Son to live in banishment and exile poor and miserable a scorn of his Brothers cruelty far from home far from his Country and Kingdom but regarding the Law of the great Prophet lift up the afflicted and oppressed and by the great Authority which you have bridle Domestical wrongs or if that will not take place revenge it with thy Sword and suffer not our Empire with so great travel founded by the cruelty or folly of one wilful man to be overthrown which should be no more grievous and lamentable to us than dangerous to your most high Estate and all other Kings and Princes of our Religion For you of your self understand right well what deadly Enemies the Christian Princes are unto the Turks and do you think that if any great War which I wish not should arise of this our Discord that they would long rest in quiet and as idle Beholders stand looking on until it were of it self appeased Or rather having such an opportunity presented would not with might and main suddenly invade our Kingdom before shaken with Civil Wars and seek the utter ruine and destruction of the same Which their desire if tâ—at hateful people could bring to pass which tâ—ing Mahomet turn upon themselve my mind abhorreth to think how far that mischief would run For the Othoman Family once rooted out there is none of â—ur Religion your Majesty only excepted which is able to withstand their Power wherefore you must then stand for your felf and all the rest you alone must withstand the force of the Christians you must maintain that War with much lâ—ss and greater charge and most uncertain success Wherefore invincible Monarch I most humbly beseech thee that pittying our Estate whiles the matter is yet whole and remedy is yet to be had to deal with Bajazet by your Embassadors That though he will not receive me his Brother as Partner of the Empire yet at least to admit me into some small part of my Fathers Kingdom Let him Reign and Rule let all things be at his Command let it be lawful for me pâ—or man but to live in rest and quiet somewhere possessing but so much as may suffice me honestly to lead a private life Which thing if he shall refuse to grant althâ—ugh he nâ—ither fear the Laws of God or man yet as I have at Jerusalem so will I also shortly at Mecha if by your leave I may complain unto the great Prophet of the Injuries done unto me by my cruel and unnatural Brother and afterwards make proof of your compassion towards me all which I hope shall much avail But if which I would not I shall prove all thâ—se things in vain sith desperation enforceth men to all Extremities I will go with Fire Sword and Slaughtâ—r by secret and open force by right and wrong and hated will vex my hateful Brother by all manner of Mischief by all manner of Revenge Neithâ—r will I make an end of confounding of all until I be eithâ—r received into part of the Empire or else together wiâ—h my life leave those desperate and lost things for him alone to enjoy For I deem it much better quickly to die than with disgrace and infamy to protract a lingring loathed life The great Sultan in courteous manner comforted the distressed Prince willing him to be of good chear and patiently to bear his presâ—nt hap forasmuch as it became a man born in so high Fortune not to be discouraged with any mischance or dismaid if things fell out otherwise than he looked for commending him withall for that he saw in him no less courage than might well have becomed his better Estate and willing him to live still in hope promised to do what in him lay to reconcile him to his Brother and to perswade him that he might be received into some part of the Kingdom and to that purpose shortly after dispatched away an honourable Embassage to Bajazet Zemes in the mean while by the same Sultans leave upon a superstitious devotion travelled into Arabia to visit the Temple of Mahomet at Mecha and his Sepulchre at Medina Upon his return to Caâ—re the Embassadors before sent returned also but not having obtained any thing they desiâ—ed for Bajazet would not give ear to any Agreement but seemed altogether to contemn and despise his Brother Wherefore Zemes more upon stomach and desire of Revenge than for any hope he had of the Empire determined with himself to make open War upon him reposing some good hope in his secret Friends and in the revolt of some of the great Captains who discontented with the Government of Bajazet secretly wished for his return Whilst he was thus plotting these weighty Matters year 1483. a Messenger with Letters came fitly from the King of Caramania offering with all the Power he could make to joyn with him if he would take up Arms against his Brother This poor titular King then lived in Armenia and being able by his Friends to make some good force was in hope
of fence and such other Teachers who carefully instructed them being shut up in their Schools in all manner of feats of Activity where after they were become able to bend a strong Bow and taught cunningly to Shoot Leap Run Vault Ride and skilfully to use all manner of Weapons they were then taken into pay and received into the number of the Kings Horsemen or Mamalukes and such of them as proved cowardly or unapt were made slaves unto the rest So that they seeing all honour credit and preferment laied up in martial prowess did with all diligence and courage imploy themselves to military Affairs and therein so well profited that oftentimes they which at the first were but bare and base slaves of the meanest of the Mamalukes by many degrees of service rise at length to the highest degrees of Honour All these Mamalukes were the Children of Christian Parents from the time of their Captivity instructed in the Mahometan Superstition for no Man born of a Mahometan Father or of a Jew could be admitted into the number of the Mamaluke Horsemen which was so straitly observed that the honour of a Mamaluke Horseman never descended unto the Sons of the Mamalukes yet might they by Law inherit their Fathers Lands Possessions and Goods by which reason the Sons of the Sultans themselves never succeeded their Fathers in the Kingdom Hereby also it came to pass that many Christians of loose life or condemned for their notorious offences flying thither and abjuring the Christian Religion and suffering themselves to be Circumcised being Men meet for the Wars grew by degrees to great Honour as did Tangarihardinus the Son of a Spanish Mariner who by his forwardness and industry grew into such credit and authority with Campson the great Sultan that almost all things were done by his advice and counsel and was divers times by him imployed in most honourable service being sent Embassador both to Bajazet the Turkish Emperor and to the State of Venice about matters of great importance Yet his impiety escaped not the hand of God for at length by the envy of the Court he was brought into disgrace thrust out of his place and cast into prison where he loaded with cold Iron most miserably died Neither was it to be marvelled if the Mamalukes were grown to that excess of wealth forasmuch as the Egyptians and Syrians being miserably by them oppressed were not suffered to have the use either of Horse or Armor neither admitted to any matters of counsel but being impoverished and brought low with heavy impositions and daily injuries of the Mamalukes gave themselves wholly to the Trade of Merchandise Husbandry and other mechanical Occupations over whom the Mamalukes had power and command as imperious Masters over their Servants and would with greater insolency than is to be believed abuse the poor Country People beating and spoiling them at their pleasure and not so contented Ravishing their Wives and Daughters without redress The Egyptians a People in ancient time much renowned for their valour and prowess were by their masterful slaves kept in this miserable thraldom and slavery about the space of three hundred years For after the declination of the Roman Empire that rich Country falling into the Government of the Constantinopolitan Emperors the Egyptians soon weary of the proud and avaritious Sovereignty of the Greeks called in the Sarasins by whose help they expulsed the Greeks and after chose the General of the Sarasins for their King after whose name the Egyptian Kings were of long time called Caliphs as they had of ancient time been called by the names of Pharo and Ptolomey The last of these Caliphs Reigned at such time as the Christians under the leading of Godfrey and Bohemund passing as Conquerors through Asia and Syria erected the Kingdom of Ierusalem He being invaded by Almericus sixth King of Ierusalem and finding himself too weak praied aid of the Sultan of Syria who sent him Sarraco a valiant Captain with a strong power to aid him but Sarraco no less unfaithful than couragious treacherously slew the Caliph in whose aid he came and took upon himself the Kingdom After Sarraco succeeded Saladine his his Brothers Son who utterly extinguished the name and authority of the Caliphs in Egypt whom Sarraco had yet left as high Priests This Saladine oftentimes vanquished the Christian Armies in Syria and Iudea and at length quite overthrew the Kingdom of Ierusalem as it is in the former part of this History to be seen Saladine dying left the Kingdom of Egypt to his Brother whose posterity successively reigned of long time there until the time of Melechsala This Melechsala last of the freeborn Kings and of the posterity of Saladine had great and mortal Wars with the Christians wherein having lost most of his best Souldiers and reposing no great confidence in the Egyptians thought good to strengthen himself with a new kind of Souldiers meer slaves bought for Mony. For at that time the Tartars breaking into Armenia and Cappadocia and overrunning the People called Comani joyning upon Cappadocia made general spoil of that People as of Prisoners taken by Law of Arms. Of this base People Melechsala for a little Mony bought a great multitude which he transported into Egypt and furnished them with Arms by whose prowess he not only defended the Frontiers of his Kingdom but also besieged Lewis the French King in his Trenches not far from Damiata called in ancient time Heliopolis or Pelustum and shortly after in plain Battel took him Prisoner as is long before declared But in the pride of this Victory Melechsala was by the conspiracy of these his new Souldiers slain in whose place they set up one Turqueminius a desperate Fellow of their own Company honouring him with the Title of the great Sultan of Egypt Turqueminius of â— base Slave now become a great Monarch after the manner of Men forgetting his old Companions which had so highly promoted him and having them in great disdain was by one of them called Clotho suddenly slain for which Fact he was by those base Souldiers his Companions chosen Sultan in his place who for the short time of his Reign did much for the confirming of that servile Monarchy yet was he at length slain also by Bandocader sometimes one of his fellow Servants who also succeeded him in the Kingdom After him in long order succeeded many valiant Men of the same servile state and condition whom for brevity I wittingly pass over Amongst the rest Caitheius of whom we have before spoken in the life of Bajazet was for wealth and martital prowess most Famous who according to the manner of his Predecessors did with greater bounty and care maintain that servile Government than any of them who had before him Reigned in Egypt and was for his notable Government and noble Acts justly accounted amongst the greatest Princes of that Age. After whose death great troubles arose in that servile Monarchy about the Succession
much frequented with Merchants from the furthest parts of the World. It is scarce five days journey from Tripolis and Berytus the great Ports of Syria and is also near unto the Turks and Persians so that the Riches of the East are thither commodiously conveied out of Turky over the Mountain Amanus which parteth Cilicia from Syria and so likewise out of Persia and Mesopotamia over the River Euphrates where the City Byrtha of late time bounded the Kingdom of the Egyptian Sultans from the Persian Selymus understanding by his Embassadors who had diligently noted all things in the Sultans Camp both of the coming and of the number of his Enemies and also enformed of the Sultans proud Answer who had so peremptorily prescribed to him such unreasonable conditions as pleased himself thought good to alter his purpose and now to convert his Forces another way than he had before determined For that to enter farther into Armenia leaving so puissant an Enemy as Campson at his back seemed a thing too full of danger and to give over the enterprise he had with so great care and charge undertaken at the appointment and pleasure of another Man stood neither with his honour or state Wherefore in a matter so doubtful he resolved upon a notable and necessary point well fitting the greatness of his mind He made shew as if he would have gone directly against the Persian as he had before determined and that the more certain report of this his purpose might be carried to Campson he sent before part of his Army with his Carriages to the City Suassia in old time called Sebasta it standeth in the Frontiers of the Persian Kingdom where the great River Euphrates pent up with the Rocks of the Mountain Taurus breaketh again violently forth into Mesopotamia but turning himself upon the right Hand purposed to pass the Mountain Taurus and breaking suddenly into Comagena to come upon the Sultan before he were well aware of his coming Wherefore calling unto him his trusty Janizaries with the other Souldiers of the Court he openly with cheerful countenance declared unto them what he had resolved to do with the reasons of the alteration of his former determination perswading them that the Victory would easily be atchieved if they as couragious Souldiers would with all celerity before the Mamalukes could perceive they were returned get to the top of the Mountains and recover those difficult passages not fearing the vain Names and Titles of the Mamalukes For why said he the strength of those Horsemen is long since decayed and gone the old Mamalukes who in the time of Caitbeius were of some fame and reputation are all dead You shall in Battel meet but with a sort of gallant Horsebreakers rather than Souldiers which can cunningly mannage their Horses in sport to the pleasure of the Beholders but know not how to encounter the Enemy or to indure to be wounded who as Carpet-Knights effeminate with long peace and corrupted with excess and delicacy of their great Cities never saw their Foes intrenched or armed Enemies neither have heard the sound of a Trumpet but at Plays or Shews Wherefore you are to make but small account of them being furnished with no store of Ordnance or strength of Footmen But as the reverend Interpreters of our sacred Laws and Religion having orderly performed all their observances do divine unto us all happiness so you as Men full of hope set forward cheerfully unto most assured Victory over your proud Enemies For God no doubt favoureth the quarrel of Men justly provoked and offereth means of Victory to such as take up just and necessary Arms. Yet to overcome the Enemy and to enjoy Victory indeed wholly consisteth in the courage and valour of them which deem nothing better or more honourable than to spend their lives for the honour of their Prince and Country Here the Janizaries shaking their Weapons forthwith cried out with cheerful voice That he should lead and conduct them whithersoever he would saying That they were ready as couragious Men to overcome all the difficulties of those hard passages and patiently to endure all the labours and dangers incident to that War. Selymus by the mountain People having found out the easiest passages resolved to pass over the Mountain with his Army in three places and so appointing three great Companies of the common Souldiers and Country People for the opening of the strait passages he commanded the rough and uneven Ways to be made plain and smooth for the transporting of his Ordnance and the broken passages to be cast even that so his Baggage and Carriages might the better pass and the more to encourage his Souldiers to take pains he promised present reward to all such as in transporting of his Ordnance should take any extraordinary pain Whereby it came to pass that the same being of the smaller sort bearing Bullet of no great weight was in short time by the cheerful labour of his Souldiers drawn over those great Hills and Dales so that in five days all his Army with his Baggage and Carriages were got over the Mountain Taurus and come into the Plains of Comagena For that Mountain where it taketh the name of Amanus which is almost in the middle where the River Euphrates parteth the Mountain Taurus and the Bay â—ssicus is neither exceeding high or yet impassable for as it cometh nearer the Sea it is not so rough as elsewhere but is in many places inhabited and tilled by the Mountain Cilicians a fierce kind of People accustomed to labour and toil who are now called Caramanians which is to say the Inhabitants of the black Mountains for that the burnt Rocks of the Mountain seemed afar off to be black Alis-Beg which betraied Aladeules whom Selymus had a little before sent for as soon as the Army was come down into the Frontiers of the Enemies Country with a strong power of his light Horsemen speedily overran all that Country which is at the foot of Amanus and Taurus thereby to understand of the Country People and such as they could take Prisoners where Campson lay with his Army and also by keeping the passages to do what might possibly be done that Selymus his coming might not be known to the Enemy But Campson who with no less vanity than pride had fondly flattered himself only by the authority and greatness of his name to have terrified Selymus and overruled him at his pleasure could not be perswaded that he was come over the Mountain Amanus until certain news was brought him that he was encamped with a most puissant Army within two days march of him With which unexpected news being sore troubled and in the midst of that danger to seek Counsel as one which began rightly to consider of his own strength and the strength of his Enemy began then to doubt what were best for him to do and in great perplexity sometime hoped well and by and by was as a Man half discouraged
that he to please himself in revenging of his own private injury regarded not what in that dangerous time might ensue thereof to the common State. A little before the coming over of the Turks into Italy Andreas Auria the Emperors Admiral lying at Messina in Sicilia understanding that Solyman was come with his Army to Aulona and that his Fleet was arrived there also put to Sea directing his course towards the Islands of Cephalenia and Zacynthus hoping indeed as it fell out to meet with the tail of the Turks Fleet for there according to his expectation he chanced upon divers of the Turks Victuallers whom he easily took The Mariners he chained in his own Gallies for Slaves and furnishing his Fleet with the Victual which was not for him provided fired the Ships Whilst Auria was thus beating too and fro in the Ionian Sea it fortuned that Solyman sent Iunusbeius his chief Interpreter a Man whom he made no small account of with two Gallies on a Message to Lutzis his Admiral This proud Turk coming near unto Corcyra where the Venetian Admiral lay with his Fleet offered scornfully to pass without vailing which his pride tending to the disgrace of the Venetians certain of the Venetian Captains not enduring set upon him with such fury that the Turks were enforced to run both their Gallies on shore upon the Coast of Epirus near unto the Mountains called Acroceraunij where having escaped the danger at Sea they fell almost all into the hands of the cruel Mountain pleople living for the most part by Theft and waiting for Wrecks as Hawks for their prey by these shavers the Turks were stript of all they had and Iunusbeius with much ado redeeming himself out of their hands returned to Solyman Auria sailing alongst the Sea Coast chanced upon these Gallies and finding them sore brused set fire on them For these unkind parts the Turks were wonderfully offended with the Venetians and grievously complained of them to Solyman although the Venetian Admiral laboured by all means he could to appease Iunusbeius and to excuse the matter as a thing done by great oversight on both sides Upon these small occasions the Turks sought to break off the League with the Venetians which fell out so much the sooner for that about the same time Auria sailing up and down the Ionian Sea and diligently looking into every Habour to intercept such as stragled from the Turks Fleet hapned by night to light upon twelve of Solymans great Gallies near unto Corcyra all filled with his Janizaries and choice Horsemen of the Court the best Souldiers of the Turks who had by Land sent their Horses to the Camp by their Lackies and were coming themselves with the Janizaries by Sea. Auria falling upon these Gallies had with them a cruel and deadly Fight for they as resolute Men wishing rather to die than to yield to their Enemies with invincible courage maintained a most bloody Fight against Auria with his thirty Gallies excellently appointed until such time as most part of them were slain and the rest sore wounded who seeing no remedy but that they must needs come into the hands of their Enemies threw their Scimiters overboord because those choice Weapons should not come into the hands of the Christians In this conflict Auria lost also many of his best Souldiers yet having got the Victory and possessed of the Gallies he anchored near unto Corcyra there to take view of his own harms and the Enemies but whilst he rid there at Anchor he was advertised that Barbarussa was coming against him with eighty Gallies Wherefore knowing himself too weak to encounter so strong an Enemy he departed thence and returned again to Messina to repair his Fleet. Solyman thorowly chafed with the loss of his Gallies and best Souldiers and with the double injury done unto him by the Venetians fell into such a rage that he cursed Barbarussa as one who in these Wars had done him no good service and thundred out grievous threats against the Venetians saying He was under the colour of an ancient League by them deceived and greatly abused and that they were secretly confederated with Charles his Enemy and had for that cause as they had always holpen Auria with intelligence and all things necessary receiving him into their Harbours and by their Espials giving him knowledge of the order of his Fleet that so he might at his own advantage surprise his Gallies as he had already done Unto which fire Iunusbeius his Interpreter Barbarussa and Aiax laid new Coals more and more incensing the Tyrant who was of himself sufficiently inflamed perswading him by all means they could to break the League with the Venetians Wherein Iunusbeius sought to revenge his own private injuries and the other two after their great profit and credit gaping after the Spoil of the Islands near hand especially of Corcyra now called Corfu Zacynthus and Cephalenia all subject to the Venetian Seigniory finding the Wars in Italy more dangerous and difficult than they had before imagined For the French King came not then into Italy as was by them expected and it was commonly reported That Petrus Toletanus Viceroy of Naples having put strong Garrisons into the Towns all alongst the Sea Coast was coming himself with a great Army beside that the Horsemen sent over from Aulona ranging about in the Country of Salentum for Spoil were many times cut off by Scipio Sommeius a noble Gentleman there Governour for the Emperor Wherefore Solyman changing his purpose for the invasion of Italy in his mad mood proclaimed War against the Venetians and rising with his Army from Aulona and marching alongst the Sea Coast until he came over against Corcyra he encamped near unto the Mountains called Acroceraunij where the fierce and wild People inhabiting the high and rough Mountain of Chimera a part of the Acrâ—ceraunian Mountains by the instigation of one Damianus a notable Theef and very perfect in the blind and difficult passages amongst the Rocks and Woods in those desolate Mountains conspired to attempt a most strange and desperate Exploit which was by night to spoil Solyman in his own Pavilion These beggarly wild Rogues living for most part by Murther and Robbery altogether without Law or any manner of Religion in hope of so great a prey and to become famous in killing one of the greatest Monarchs of the World in the midst of his strength garded with so many thousands of his Soulders were not afraid of any danger how great soever hoping in the dead time of the night to steal into the Camp undiscovered and there so to oppress Solyman sleeping in his Tent. Which as was by many afterwards supposed they were like enough to have performed to the astonishment of the World had it not been by chance discovered for when they had put all things in readiness for that purpose Damianus ringleader of these desperate savage People by secret ways stealing down the
too wise men is pretended to your haughty mind ever desirous of Honour and Fame But I as a blunt man understand not this high point of Wisdom abounding with Glory which in the very course thereof cutteth in sunder the sinews of Victory and is never by politique Generals admitted into their Camps In which doing as I wish you more fortunate than your Ancestors who have united eighteen Kingdoms to this your Empire so would I not have you more wise than they for what can be a more unwise part than always to play the unwise man that is to say always to be careful of other mens Affairs and in mâ—an time oftentimes to endanger his own Estate his Health his Wealth his Honour You have satisfied and that in my opinion plentifully the duty both of Charity Fidelity and if it must needs be so of Honour and Glory also if it be to be gotten rather by Courtesie Clemency and Lenity than by the invincible strength of wise Policy and the constant resolution of a Martial Mind for by those instruments and none other have worthy Vertues always promoted and supported the Othoman Kings Wherefore let those vain shews as seemeth unto me of counterfeit honour delight the minds of idle and sloathful Kings assuredly they never pleased your armed Ancestors but after the Enemy was quite overthrown the Triumph made and the Trophies of Victory erected But let this be as best pleaseth your high Wisdom and Iudgment whereunto the greatest Wits gave place Truly I if I well foresee the chances of War and the assured events of things will not follow that manner of Counsel which the pleasure of my mind perswadeth me unto when as necessity which ruleth all things presently forceth me and sheweth me a far better Course The Hungarians above all other things notably warn us not to trust them who infamous for their unconstancy after Revolt and Treachery are still at variance amongst themselves and their banished men are continually setting on the Germans to invade the Country and the weak power of the Queen and the Child is not such as may withstand so near and so mighty an Enemy so that another mans Kingdom must of necessity be defended by our help which may not be less than a strong Army without our great peril To be brief every year to take in hand so long an expedition of so great labour and travel with an Army furnished with Horsemen Footmen Artillery and a Fleet of Ships for defence of another man as commonly we do seemeth to me meer madness neither do I think it to stand with the Majesty of the Othoman Emperors thus to be moved every year at the request of a puling Woman crying for help except you think it more profitable and honourable to maintain a defensive than invasive War Wherefore in my opinion it is best to turn this Kingdom so often conquered and defended by Law of Arms after the manner of your Ancestors into the form of a Province the Queen I would have sent to her Father and the Boy her Son brought up in your Court at Constantinople and there instructed in our Religion the Nobility of the Country I wish to be slain and their Castles rased and the notable Families which bare the bravest minds to be carried away out of all parts of the Country into Asia as for the base multitude I would have kept under with good Garrisons to till the ground and inhabit the Cities By this only means mighty Solyman shall both the Hungarians perceive themselves conquered and the Germans glad to forbear coming into Hungary unless they will rashly and unfortunately hazard both Styria and Austria But Solyman thinking it good to do sacrifice before he would resolutely determine of so great a matter entred into Buda with his two Sons Selymus and Bajazet the thirtieth of August in the year 1541. and there in the Cathedral Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary being before by his Priests Purified after the manner of their Superstition sacrificed the first Mahometan Sacrifice in Buda Shortly after he as it were moderating the opinions of his great Counsellors provided out of them all both for his own security and honour and published a Decree the fatal Doom of that flourishing Kingdom whereunder it yet groaneth at this day That Buda should from that day be kept with a Garrison of Turks and the Kingdom converted into a Province of the Turkish Empire and the Queen with her young Son should presently depart the City and live in Lippa in a fertile and quiet Country beyond the River of Tibiscus which something to comfort her was near unto the Borders of her Father Sigismund his Kingdom to be safely conducted thither with all her Wealth and Jewels by his Janizaries Wherefore the Queen and her Son according to this Decree with Tears and Mourning detesting in her heart the Tyrants perfideous dealing which necessity inforced her then to dissemble departed from Buda constrained by the Turks to leave behind her all the Ordnance in the Castle and City with all other the Warlike Provision and Store of Victual The Noblemen went with her also who although they went sorrowful for this woful and unexpected change of things yet were they very glad of their Liberty and Safety whereof they had for the space of three days despaired Only Valentinus was kept in safe custody in the Camp because he was a Martial Man of greatest power amongst the Hungarians and besides that much hated of the Turks for the hard pursuit of Cason and his Horsemen slain at Storamberg in Austria Thus the Royal City of Buda fell into the hands of the Turks whereupon not long after ensued the final ruin of that Kingdom sometime the strong Bulwark of Christendom but lost to the great weakning of the Christian Commonweal which may justly be imputed to the Pride Ambition and Dissention of the Hungarians amongst themselves and the calling in of the common Enemy the due consideration of whose only coming might well have sufficed to have made them agreed Whilst these things were doing at Buda King Ferdinand expecting the event of this War at Vienna and hearing of the shameful loss of his Army and that the General deadly wounded was fled to Comara and that Solyman Fame encreasing the evil News was coming towards Vienna sent Leonardus Velsius who never liked of the Siege of Buda to Comara to stay the further Flight of the Souldiers and to gather together so well as he could the dispersed Reliques of the scattered Army and to comfort again the discouraged men with the hope of new Supplies and of Pay. And somewhat to stay Solyman who as it was thought would suddainly come to Vienna he sent Count Salma and Sigismund Lithestain a noble and grave Counsellor his Embassadors with Presents and new Conditions of Peace to Solyman The Presents were a high standing Cup of Gold after the German fashion curiously set with Stones and a
Souldiers either slain or hurt moreover they brake one of their best Pieces and dismounted four others which for that day made them to leave the Battery The next night the Turks approached yet nearer unto the Castle upon whom the Christians in the break of the day sallied out even unto their very Trenches and afterwards retired With the rising of the Sun which the Turks have in great reverence they renued their Battery with greater force than before yet with such evil success that the Bassa was almost mad for anger for about the evening the Fire by mischance got into their Powder wherewith thirty of the Turks were burnt many hurt and one Piece broken At length the Turks were come so near that they had planted their Battery within a hundred and fifty Paces of the Wall which they continued with such fury that they had made a fair Breach even with the Ditch but what was beaten down in the day time the Defendants repaired again by night in such sort as that it was not to be assaulted Yet in conclusion a traiterous Souldier of Provence before corrupted by the Turks found means to flie out of the Castle into the Camp where he declared unto the Bassa the weakest places of the Castle by which it might be most conveniently battered and soonest taken and especially one place above the rest which was against the Governours Lodgings which standing towards the Ditch and having underneath it Cellars to retire the munition into could not if it were once battered well be repaired again or fortified Which the Bassa understanding caused the Battery there to be planted laying the Pieces so low that they did easily beat the Cellars and Vaults in such sort that in short time the Walls were so shaken that the Rampiers above through the continual battery began greatly to sink which so amazed the Souldiers seeing no convenient means to repair the same that setting all honour aside they requested the Governour That sithence the matter began now to grow desperate and that the place was not longer to be holden he would in time take some good order with the Enemy for their safety before the Walls were further endamaged With which motion Vallier the Governour an ancient Knight of Daulphiny and one of the Order was exceedingly troubled which Peisieu another of the Knights perceiving he as a Man of great courage and of all others there present most ancient in the name of the other Knights declared unto them That the Breach was neither so great nor so profitable for the Enemy but that it was defensible enough if they would as Men of courage repair the same saying That it was more honourable for worthy Knights and lusty Souldiers to die valiantly with their weapons in their hands fighting against the Infidels for the maintenance of their Law and Christian Religion than so cowardly to yield themselves to the mercy of those at whose hands nothing was to be looked for but most miserable servitude with all kind of cruelty and therefore perswaded the Governour to hold it out to the last For all that he overcome with the importunity of such as would needs yield who with all vehemency urged the imminent danger wherewith they were all like to be overwhelmed and finding himself bereâ—â— both of Heart and Fortune and forsaken of his Souldiers without farther consideration consented that a white Ensign should be displayed on the Walls in token that they desired parley When a Turk presenting himself they requested him to understand of the Bassa if he could be contented that some of them might come to intreat with him of some good order to be taken for the yielding up of the Castle Whereunto the Bassa willingly consenting two of the Knights were forthwith sent out to offer unto him the Castle with the Artillery and Munition so as he would furnish them with Ships to bring them with Bag and Baggage safely to Malta Whereunto the Bassa briefly answered That forasmuch as they had as yet deserved no grace presuming to keep so small a place against the Army of the greatest Prince on Earth if they would pay the whole charges of the Army he would condescend to their request or if they would not thereunto consent that for recompence all they within the Castle should continue his Slaves and Prisoners notwithstanding if they incontinently and without delay did surrender the place he would exempt out of them two hundred Whereupon the Messengers returning in despair were staid by Dragut and Salla Rais with flattering words and fair promises that they would so much as lay in them perswade the Bassa to condescend to a more gracious composition fearing indeed that the besieged through despair would resolve as their extream refuge to defend the place even to the very last Man. Wherefore they went presently to the Bassa to declare unto him his oversight in refusing them who voluntarily would have put themselves into his hands whom reason would he should with all courtesie have received for that after he had the Castle and the Men in his power he might dispose of them as he should think good The Bassa liking well of his counsel caused the Messengers to be called again and with fained and dissembling words told them That at the instance of Dragut and Salla Rais there present he did discharge them of all the costs and charges of the Army swearing unto them the better to deceive them by the Head of his Lord and his own inviolably to observe all that he had promised unto them which they too easily believed and forthwith went to declare the same to the Governour and others within the Castle The Bassa the better to come to the effect of his desire after these Messengers sent a crafty Turk whom he charged expresly to perswade the Governour to come with him into the Camp for the full conclusion of the giving up of the Castle and for the appointing of such Vessels as should be needful for their safe conduct to Malta and that if he made any doubt to come he should make shew as if he would there remain in Hostage for him but above all things to consider of the strength and assurance of the besieged and of the disposition of all things there Which the subtil Turk so finely handled that the Governour by the counsel of those who had perswaded him to yield notwithstanding the reasons of Wars and Duty of his Office forbad him in such manner to abandon the place of his charge resolved upon so small an assurance of the Bassa and gave ear to the miserable end of his Fortune So taking with him a Knight of his Houshold to send back unto those of the Castle to declare unto them how he sped in the Camp under the conduct of the Turk that was come to fetch him he went straight to the Tent of the Bassa who by the Turk that went first in was advertised of the small courage of the Defendants
changed and the Venetians glad to endure the proud looks of the Turks their disdainful ears their despightful speeches their long and insolent attendance with many other shameful indignities Yea the Bassa was so shameless as proudly to ask them How they durst be so bold as to impugn the great Emperor Selymus his Fleet at Sea. Whereunto the Embassador answered That the Venetians had always honoured the Majesty of the Turkish Emperors neither had at any time taken up Arms against him but in their own reasonable defence when force was by force to be repulsed a thing lawful even for the wild Beast in the wild Wilderness to do At the first entreaty of the Peace the Bassa seemed to put the Venetian Embassador in good hope that the Venetians according to his request should enjoy their Territories in Dalmatia in as ample manner as in former times and bounded with the same bounds whereof they had in these Wars lost some part about Iadena But when the matter should have come to the shutting up the Turk began to shrink from that he had before promised refusing not only the restitution of the Territory they had indeed by Treason got but by cautelous expositions of his meaning framing the conclusion of the present Peace unto the form of their former Leagues required That as the Turks had now yielded unto them Malvasia and Nauplus so now they should redeliver unto them two other places of like worth and importance As for not restoring the Territory they had taken about Iadera to colour their deceit they pretended that they might not by their Law restore unto the Christians any Town or place wherein were any Church or Temple dedicated or converted unto the Mahometan Religion as was there and further That the same Territory was already given by Selymus in reward unto his Souldiers Men of desert from whom without great injury it might not be again taken Hereupon the French Embassador complained That promises were not performed and the Venetians so fretted that they were even about to have returned as Men shamefully deluded without concluding of any thing Yet when no better could be obtained the Turks still standing upon such hard terms the Embassadors by the appointment of the Senate concluded a Peace with the Turk whereof these were the chief Capitulations first That the Venetians should give unto Selâ—mus three hundred thousand Ducats one hundred to be presently payed and the other two hundred by equal portions in two years next following then That the Merchants Goods should be indifferently on both sides restored and lastly That such places of the Venetians as the Turk was already possessed of should still remain unto the Turks but that such Towns or places as the Venetians had taken in the Turks Dominion should be again forthwith restored For the first payment of the Mony the Turk was earnest thereby as by a fine for an offence committed to make this League unto him more honourable This Peace at Constantinople concluded the eleventh day of February in the year 1574 year 1574. was by the Decree of the Senate confirmed and afterwards the 13 of April following solemnly proclaimed in Venice to the great wonder of the other Confederates For the better satisfying of whom the Popes Nuntio with the Embassador of Spain were sent for into the Senate House And although there were many things that grieved the Venetians yet did they forbear all hard speeches and of that their moderation received so much the more honour as it is more difficult for an angry Man to overcome himself than others The Duke with calm and temperate Speech framed to the purpose declared unto them That Anger and Hope two evil Counsellors being set apart he had concluded a Peace with the Turk not for that he was desirous of the Turks friendship which what account it was to be made of he right well knew but for the love he bare to the State which was not only with loss but even with death it self to be maintained How he had been spoiled of the Kingdom of Cyprus he further declared and that the Venetian State grew every day weaker and weaker by the continual War and that therefore before it were by loss upon loss come to the uttermost of extremity they not able to maintain so heavy a War were to take some better course for the preservation of that which wasyet left of their Seigniory for that the safety of the Venetian State should at all times be a sure fortress and defence of the Christian Common-weal against all the furious attempts of the Enemy and uncertain events of time The Fame of this suddain and unexpected Peace was for the just and common hatred of the Christians against the Turks generally evil taken and the Venetians for the concluding thereof hardly spoken of as if they had betrayed the whole Christian Common-weal or at leastwise their Confederates For Men were for the most part of opinion that the Turks Peace would be but feigned and deceitful and that having gained time to set things in order according to his desire he would for the natural grudge he bare unto the Christians come to his old course and as he had always done break the League and take up Arms. Some said That the Venetians forsaken of their Friends and Confederates would in their own devices perish yet so as that their destruction would turn to the general harm of all Christendom and these Men were of opinion That in that case and against that Enemy a dangerous War was to be preferred before an uncertain and dishonourable Peace Nevertheless the Venetians besides that they for the present eased themselves of many an heavy burthen so have they thereby enjoyed the fruits of a long and happy Peace and found the same unto their State both wholsome and profitable until this day It was thought by the sequel of matters That Selymus was the more willing to have Peace with the Venetians that he might the better recover the Kingdom of Tunes and the strong Castle of Guletta from the Spaniards who with the Knights of Malta now gaped more after Tripolis and the other Port-towns holden by the Turks upon the Coast of Barbary than how to defend the Venetians their Confederates Thus with the loss of Cyprus and some part of the Venetian Territory in Dalmatia ended the mortal and bloody War betwixt Selymus and the Venetians In the Course whereof is well to be seen what great matters the united Forces of the Christian Princes were able to do against this most mighty Enemy if all discord and contention set apart they would in the quarrel of the Christian Religion joyn with heart and hand against him and fight the Battel of Christ Jesus Selymus now at Peace with them who before most troubled him to keep his Men of War busied shortly after converted his Forces against Iohn Vayvod of Valachia and so at length joyned all that Province to his Empire This
that would serve him four Crowns a Month pay with all the booty that they could get Whereupon six thousand Haiducks which then served under Belioiosa forthwith revolted unto Botscay their number increasing daily But after that unto this extraordinary pay Pallas Lippa his Lieutenant had also joyned the Protection of the reformed Religion it is wonderful to say how the Haiducks by heaps resorted unto him and how the People in all parts of Hungary generally favoured him and his Quarrel being in all places whereas he came ready to joyn hands with him against the Imperials The Turks and Tartars also both with Men and Money furthering him in all his doings whose help he refused not Whereof proceeded all the aforesaid Miseries both in Hungary and Transilvania with many other worse than they which together with the beginning of this year took their beginning and encrease also Unto which so great Troubles still more and more encreasing Basta not able by force to give remedy sought by Lenity and fair Perswasions to have eased the same by Letters oftentimes advising even Botscay the chief Rebel himself to change his Mind to lay down Arms to disband his Forces and to perswade with the rest of his seditious followers to submit themselves unto the Emperour and to return again unto their wonted Obedience Whereunto he at length answered That if the Government of all Transilvania might be left unto himself alone if a natural Hungarian born might be still chosen Lieutenant General in Hungary if none but such as were Hungarians born should have the government and command of all the Garrisons in Hungary if the Wallon and French Souldiers might be shut out of Hungary if the natural Hungarians born might from thenceforth be regarded and provided of their pay if it might be lawful for every man to have the free Exercise of his Religion if the Authours of these Troubles might be delivered unto the Hungarians to be punished if the Emperour himself in Person should come and be present at the Parliament at Presburg if the German Garrison Souldiers should still keep themselves within the Places whereunto they were appointed without making of any Excursions into the Towns or Villages near unto them or hurting of the poor Country-men he could then be content to come to such a good Agreement for Peace With which offer he sent two of the Rebels his Followers unto Bassa who not liking thereof returned them back again without concluding of any thing But while things were thus in talk some of the Haiducks in the mean time with a number of Tartars joyned unto them in seeking after Booty surprised Gokara a Town over against Strigonium where having slain certain Germans which had the keeping of the Place and rifled the Town as they were about to set it on fire by the coming over of the Governour of Strigonium with his Garrison they were inforced to forsake the place and again to retire This loss received at Gokara was again by our men requited by the taking of Palantwar a good Fortress of the Turks after a long and cruel fight taken by Captain Bathian Commander of the Imperial Troops on this side of the River of Danubius whereinto a number of the Turks being retired were there together with the Garrison Souldiers all slain and amongst them divers men of great account who but some few days before were come thither Which Fortress the Captain caused to be forthwith razed because it should no more stand the Turks in stead for the annoying of the Christians The Turks about this time had a purpose to besiege Vacia a City not far from Vicegrade on the other side of Danubius a Place which still did them great harm and stood the Christians in great stead The Garrison of which Place was part Germans and part Hungarians as the rest of all the Garrisons in the Imperial Towns of Hungary were Of which the Turks purpose for the siege the treacherous Haiducks there in Garrison having got understanding conspired to deliver unto them the Place and yet not so contented to joyn thereunto a Treason more bloody and treacherous than was the betraying of the Town for finding themselves by farr too strong for the Germans in Garrison in the Town with them they fell upon them fearing no such matter and slew most part of them the rest saving themselves by speedy flight to Strigonium and so afterward according to their former pretended Treason delivered the Town unto the Turks joyning with them and the Tartars and directing them for the more easie spoiling of the Christians and the Country thereabout The taking of this City of Vacia had in short time called together great numbers of the Turks and Tartars out of all Places of the Realm who together with the Haiducks made a great and puissant Army to the Terrour of the Christians not then able to hold the field against them and the incouraging of the Turks thus holpen even by the Christians themselves to the destroying of one another With this Army they turned from Vacia to Gokara with a purpose from thence to have passed over the Danubius upon the Ice and to have surprised Strigonium Which Exploit they had once before attempted against the base Town being then by the Christians repulsed and beaten back with their great and small shot out of the Town as now they were again Howbeit that seeing the number of their Enemies daily more and more to increase they in Strigonium stood more in doubt of a second siege than they had done of the first whereof we have before spoken The Report of these so great Troubles and of the general revolt of the discontented Haiducks in Hungary much troubled and grieved the Christian Emperour who both in respect of his Honour and of the safety of his Estate raised what Power he might out of his Provinces thereabout and levied great sums of Money from his Subjects taking a Ducket upon every House in Austria being then in great fear of these Miseries and Mischiefs so fast spreading and still more and more increasing and approaching that way Unto whose Forces already on foot had the Aid promised from the King of Spain the Pope the Princes of Italy and Germany with six thousand Footmen and two thousand Horse out of Bohemia been in time joyned they might have made a sufficient Army under the Conduct of Basta the Emperours Lieutenant to have repressed both the attempts of the Enemy and the Insolency of the rebellious Haiducks All or most part of which Aid this year failing and Basta with his small Forces much weakened with Wants and the Extremity of Winter and not able to keep the Field the Enemies still increasing both in number and strength and without fear of any to encounter them at their Pleasure roaming up and down began now to draw near unto Vicegrade a good and strong Town of Hungary standing upon the side of Danubius about the mid way betwixt
either part freely exercising their Religion and obeying their Priests should by no means either hurt or trouble them on the other part and much less to hinder them to bury their dead in their Churches or Church-yards with the ringing or tolling of the Bells or go about to turn any Man from his Religion of what state or condition soever he be whether he dwell in the City or in the Country Town or Village or by force to draw them to their Opinion or to take their part For that he only respected that Peace and Quietness might be kept and that mutual Love might still grow amongst all the three States Unto which end and purpose that He for himself and his Heirs and the Kings of Bohemia his Successors in the Faith and Word of a King did grant and promise unto the States of the Religion unto whom this common Peace of Religion as they call it belongeth as to a principal member of the Empire all these things to be for ever inviolably kept the Ecclesiastical and Temporal Persons whosoever in vain resisting so that no contrary Precept or Edict should either by himself or any other his Heirs or Successors be published against the States of the Religion or being published by any should be accounted effectual and strong especially seeing that he by these his Letters pronounceth all the Edicts hitherto published against these the States of the Religion to be void frustrate and of none effect Neither would that any thing of those which were done by the States of the Religion whilst they sought for the Confirmation of this Article concerning Religion should for ever be layd to their charge or by any man by way of reproach objected unto them And that therefore he straightly charged and commanded all Magistrates and such as bare rule in Bohemia to the uttermost of their Power to protect and defend all the three States together with them of the Religion and neither themselves to trouble them nor suffer them to be by any others for the Exercise of their Religion molested or troubled For that he and other the Kings of Bohemia his Successors would most severely chastise all such as should offend against these his Majesties Letters which to be for ever remembred he would cause the same to be enrolled in the publick Records of Parliament whether such Offenders were Ecclesiastical or Temporal Men to be sharply punished as the Troublers of the Common Peace This was the sum of his Majesties Letters which he caused to be publickly set up in the Castle of Prague the thirteenth of Iuly that it might be to all men known this Article of Religion which was the first of the Articles in this Parliament propounded to be concluded and agreed upon according to the Mind of the States of the Religion and so their Requests to be in all points satisfied Who forthwith thereupon the fifteenth day of Iuly caused the first publick Sermon according to the Confession of Augusta to be preached in the German Tongue in a Church of them of the Religion which had for a long time before been shut up At which time they also sent unto the Elector of Saxony to send unto them certain learned men for the setting up of the University and the governing of the Consistory at Prague And yet for all this the Ambassadors for the States of Silesia still earnestly labouring with the Emperour for the Liberty of Religion to be granted to the said States and the rest of the Inhabitants of the Province the States of Bohemia refused in any wise to dismiss their Souldiers whom they had mustered near unto Roggenson until the Silesians were of their request in that point satisfied offering also unto the Emperour a large Libel of the Griefs of them the said States Now it may be that some having read so much as is before written concerning these late Troubles about the free Exercise of the Refoâ—med Religion but especially in Bohemia Austria Moravia and Silesia may deem the same both tedious and beside our purpose unto whom indeed it is not written but rather unto such as who together with my self the Wars betwixt the Christians and the Turks ended and the Peace concluded as is aforesaid desire yet to know in what state those frontier Countries stand which being the greatest Bulwarks on that side of Christendom and the chief Territories of the House of Austria are the peace being either expired or otherwise broken off most subject unto the Fury of the puissant Enemy as nearest unto him and so like soonest to feel of his great Force and Power prefixing unto it self neither bounds nor measure so long as there is any thing farther Against whom the Christian Emperour had no other Forces of his own to oppose more than such as he could raise out of the Reliques of Hungary and the aforesaid Frontier Countries All together but weak helps against so puissant an Enemy as never cometh into the field but with a world of Men following of him but yet much weaker being as now of late they were every one of them apart divided in themselves about matters of Religion the incurable malady of the Christian Estates and Common-weals the heavy and lamentable effect whereof too much of late appeared in the loss of Strigonium won by the Turks with a far less Army than ever the Grand Seigniors Lieutenant General was wont to come into Hungary withal and yet the Christian Emperour by reason of the revolt of the Hungarians upon a discontentment about the Exercise of their Religion not able of himself to relieve the distressed City of Strigonium or yet to put an Army of any strength into the Field for the defence of the rest of his Cities or Territories So weak are even the greatest Princes their Subjects being among themselves in Minds divided But not to stray farther the Turks Ambassador in the mean time with a notable train of an hundred and fifty Turks coming from Vienna the one and twentieth of September and there having saluted and with great Gifts presented the King set forward toward Prague where he was by the Citizens and certain Noblemen of the Emperours Council the twelfth of October honourably received and the nineteenth of the same Month admitted unto the Emperours Presence first presented unto him from the Great Sultan his Master a rich Tent of divers colours most curiously wrought with fair Orient Pearl of great value and then four couragious Horses all furnished with most rich and sumptuous furniture He presented unto him also certain Turkish Weapons set and garnished with pretious Stones and a Princely Turks robe such as they use at their Marriages glistering with Gold and precious Stones with divers other rare things of less value together with which he delivered unto him the Great Sultans Letters and withal desired the Confirmation of the Peace before made for twenty years to be now again renewed Unto which Ambassadour Letters were afterward delivered from the
and Sovereign nor pay the yearly Tribute which was 40000 Chequines he sent Fousseyen Aga with 20000 Turks and Tartarians to settle Stephen or Tomsho in Moldavia and to expel Prince Constantine Which Army marched so secretly as they had in a manner surprised him yet drawing together a head of 10000 Men he resolved to attend the event The Aga sent to acquaint him with his Commission and among other things threatned him that if he would not suffer him to proclaim Stephen Vayvod of Moldavia and yield him the City of Yas free he would cut him in pieces Whereunto Constantine made answer by the advice of the Prince Potosky his Brother-in-Law That the Grand Seignior had been abused for if he had understood that his Predecessor had granted unto the deceased Prince Ieremy his Father and to Prince Simeon his Uncle That he should succeed his said Father in the Government it was not credible that he would seek to dispossess him by force without hearing and install in his place an unknown Person who had falsely supposed himself to be the Son of a Prince of Moldavia neither should they find that he had refused to acknowledge the Sultan for his Sovereign Prince or denied to continue the same Tribute which his Father and Uncle had paid but if the Aga would proceed without any respect of his Offers he did hope that the true God of Battel would maintain him in his just defence and would not suffer an Usurper to prevail over a lawful Prince Fousseyen Aga who had no will to capitulate with Prince Constantine being corrupted by Stephen with Presents and Promises advanced with his Army so as the next day they joyned battel but the Moldavians opprest with Multitudes of Turks Tartarians and Valachians could not make it good Wherefore Potosky entreated Prince Constantine to save himself and to suffer him to finish the Battel but he could by no means perswade him still resolving to attend the event Whereupon they went both again to the charge with such Troops as they had left and defeated many of the Turks Forces but being oppressed with a new supply of 2000 Horse which the Aga sent by Stephen they were constrained to yield themselves to the Mercy of their Enemies Prince Constantine fell to the Tartarians share either for that he had been taken Prisoner by some of them or else was given them by Fousseyen Aga to draw a ransom from him and be instead of their Pay. But they made no great use of him for as they led him away passing the River of Niestre he leapt into it thinking either to save himself by swimming or unwilling to survive his Disgrace And as for Prince Potosky he was carried to Constantinople and was put into the black Tower which is a Prison appointed for Men of Quality where he continued until the year 1616. The loss of this Battel by Constantine gave an easie entrance to Stephen into Moldavia no Man daring oppose himself against the Turks Forces so as Fousseyen Aga caused Stephen to be proclaimed Prince of Moldavia in the City of Yas and then dismissed his Army and returned to Constantinople Such was the Fortune of the Prince of Moldavia ruined by the Turks and such was the Disorder and Confusion of his miserable Country This Summer Constantinople and the Country round about was annoyed with abundance of Grashoppers as it had been in the former year but to free themselves from this devouring Vermin about the midst of Iuly the Patriarch of Constantinople and Alexandria with divers other Bishops and Calloires attired in their Copes and other Ornaments went forth in solemn manner at the Gate of Adrianople being the North Gate of the City Whereupon said the Greeks they all perished and indeed about this time infinite heaps of them were found dead but not by reason of their Curse for most were dead before they cursed them and were to be seen dead upon every bush and twig of a Tree before their curse and many lived after their Curse and continued until the next Summer The cold dews which fell this Summer being extraordinary were thought to be the natural cause thereof God causing those dews to fall to free the Country from these devouring Creatures Let us now describe the Miseries of the Transilvanian and of his Province a Table so often represented in this History Gabriel Battori who governed Transilvania as lawfully descended from the Sovereign Princes thereof having made himself a Tributary unto the Turk and by his impious Actions mingled Mahomets Impiety with the Christian Religion and moreover exceeding in his Cruelty became a memorable Example to all Posterity that Princes which carry the glorious Name of Christians when they have once laid aside all fear of the Sovereign of Princes cannot attend but a miserable end in their Reign conformable to the course of their Enormities So Gabriel Battori holding it a Law of State to settle his Affairs with the ruin of Religion allies himself with the Turk and with him afflicts the Christian Provinces But seeing many Factions made against him as well by the descendents of Botscay as by Giezi Bethlem Gabor and some other he supports himself with the Forces of Andrew Nage the head of the Rebels in High Hungary who came unto him to the siege before Cromstad to assist him in his Affairs Battori entertained him with all shews of Courtesie invited him to dinner in his Tent and for a greater Demonstration of Friendship after Dinner they two went to take the Air on Horseback Nage had drunk after the Hungarian manner Battori entreated him to run his Horse a carreer and he refused it the which Battori taking for an Offence spake many words of contempt unto him and he answered him in the same manner being more inflamed with Wine than governed by Reason Battori being wonderfully offended that a Man of no sort being but a poor Souldier of Fortune crept up to some Authority among the Souldiers but by Degrees of Rebellion should give him such words of Indignity gave him three blows on the Head with a Battle-axe which he held in his Hand and slew him Thus Nage swims justly in his own Blood having wickedly and to the ruine of his Country floted in the ways of Inconstancy and popular Tumults and so he died as he had lived But Battori found himself daily opprest with many Affairs which drave him insensibly to his Ruin. Peter Decaci Kinsman to the deceased Botscay annoyed him on the one side with Troops of Souldiers Andrew Giezi who had betrayed him in his Embassay to Constantinople levied Forces to prosecute him and Bethlem Gabor a Nobleman of Transilvania and assisted by the Turk took many Places from him after that Giezi had forced him to raise his siege at Cromstad and generally all Transilvania revolted against this Prince To see more plainly in the Obscurity of these confused Disorders you must understand that this
divided the Spoil betwixt them finally That in what sort soever the matter past they held them insupportable to all men but especially to themselves The Turks threatned to take their just Revenge the which being impossible to effect in the Country of the Vscoques for that by the Letters of the Commonwealth of Venice their Passage was stopped they resolved to be revenged upon their Subjects and recover a part of their Goods which they had lost Finally they prepared to come into the Gulph of Venice with a mighty Army the which without doubt had brought that State into great Extremities and been very prejudicial to many Provinces of Christendome But for that the Insolencies and Thefts of the Vscoques had like to have ingaged the Venetians in a dangerous War against the Turk with whom they were in League it shall neither be unpleasant not unprofitable to make a little Digression and shew what these Vscoques were About the Year 1550 there assembled together in certain places near the Sea belonging to the Princes of the House of Austria People who were cruel violent and infamous from divers parts of the Country of Chimâ—ra Dalmatia and the other Confines of Hungary and such as had been banished from the State of Venice whose delight was only to live upon Spoil and Blood. All these Thieves being thus gathered together whom they called by a general Name Vscoques as enemies to all Art and Industry to live honestly by their Labours retired themselves into a desaâ—t Country receiving no Pay from the Princes of Austria who command there Being thus by their natural Inclination given to Spoil adding thereunto the spur of Poverty nothing moved them to stay in those places but all liberty was left them to rob and spoil whereupon they applied all their Minds and Forces so as having made certain light Foists they began to make Courses at Sea with the most barbarous and impious Cruelty that ever was practised amongst the Scythians Tartarians or any other inhumane Nation whatsoever And for that it is an ordinary course for any one that will commit a great Villany to seek out some goodly Pretext to cover it so they concluded among themselves to shadow their Insolencies and Thefts with a colour to go against the Infidels wherefore in the beginning there were no Merchants were they Turks Jews or Subjects to the Turk although they were Christians but if they entred into the Gulf either to traffick or to furnish Venice with Provision and Merchandise they were taken by them their Goods divided amongst them and they forced to pay a great Ransome or to dye miserably All the Ports of the State of Venice both of Istria Dalmatia and the Islands from whence they received their Victuals and Provision were soon after shut up by these Pyrates who not content to spoil the Turks which trafficked no more by reason of their great Dangers and Loss allured by the rich Spoils which they took and the desire they had to encounter them they began to set upon the Venetian Ships forcing the Merchants whom they took to confess by Torments that the Goods belonged to Turks although in effect their chief Booty came from Christians Having drawn many unto them of their own Humours and thinking their Spoils at Sea not sufficient to satisfie their covetous Desires nor the Presents which they were to give to others to be favoured and supported in the Courts of Princes they stayed not long before they entered with all violence into the Turks Country through the Venetian Territory to whom they were as hurtful as to the Turks from whence they carried away rich Spoils and many Prisoners There was nothing that was precious rich or good but was subject to the insatiable greediness of those pittiless Thieves and Pirates if passing by Sea they came near unto the Maritine Coasts Whereupon grew the great Complaint you have heard made by the Turks threatning to be revenged upon the Estate of Venice for the insolency of the Vscoques which afterward bred a cruel War betwixt that State and the Arch-duke Ferdinand of Grets now Emperour who seemed to support them thereby to ingage the State in a War with the Turk But for that the Success thereof doth not belong to our History we will leave it to them that have written it at large On the fifteenth of November this year Sultan Achmat Chan having lived thirty years and governed that great Empire of Turkey fifteen died When he came to the Empire he was but fifteen years old He was of a good Constitution well complexioned and somewhat inclined to be fat strong and active which appeared by his Exercise in casting of a Horse-mans Mace of nine or ten pounds weight wherein he exceeded any one of his Court in memory whereof there are two Pillars set up in one of the Courts of the Seraglio at Constantinople with an Inscription as marks of his Dexterity He was by nature ambitious and proud which some hold qualities befitting his great Estate He was not so cruel as many of his Predecessors but he was much given to Sensuality and Pleasure for the which he entertained three thousand Concubines and Virgins in a Seraglio being the fairest Daughters of the Christians His Mother was a Christian of Bosna or of Cyprus and therefore it is thought he was somewhat favourable to Christians He was much delighted in Hawking and Hunting and namely for Hawking he kept in Grecia and Natolia 40000 Faulkoners who attended his coming and kept his Hawks in their several places of Charge and had good yearly Pensions Neither were his Huntsmen much fewer in number or of less Charge As the Turkish Emperours are bound by the Law of their Religion once every day to practise some manual Trade so Mahomet his Father gave himself to the making of Arrows and Achmat to the fashioning horn Rings such as the Turks wear when they draw their Bows This they do in the morning after they are ready and have said their Prayers then they call for their Exercise but it is only for form for they scarce make an Arrow or a Ring in a whole year Christian Princes at the same time with Achmat. Emperours of Germany Rodolph the Second 1577. 35. Matthias 1612. Kings Of Great Britain King James Of England 1602. Of Scotland 1567. Of France Henry the Fourth 1589. Lewis the Thirteenth 1610. Bishop of Rome Paul the V. 1605. Nought but affliction thundring out of Heaven Makes men on earth to any goodness given Nor longer than she thunders any fear That any heav'n holds any Thunderer So Mustapha while heaven restrain'd his state And held him fetter'd in his brothers hate To vertuous actions did his studies drive Was curteous pious and contemplative But when his brother could no longer live And liberty did to him power give Then pride and tyrannie his horses were And drive him alwaies past heav'ns love or fear Greatness on Goodness
concluded betwixt them and afterwards concluded at Prague where among other Articles it was concluded that forasmuch as Necessity did chiefly require that a Peace should be concluded and inviolably kept with the Turk therefore a new Ambassie should be sent to the Grand Seignior from all the confederate Kingdoms and Provinces and that Bethlem Gabor should take upon him the chief care of that business but yet in such sort as the Bohemians and incorporated Provinces should send their Ambassadors with the Hungarians and bear their shares of all that should be disbursed as well for the Presents as for the Ambassadors Charges In Iune following Bethlem Gabor went to an Assembly of the Estates of Hungary at Neuhusal where he propounded divers heads unto the States That he desired nothing more than to restore the Kingdom of Hungary so miserably afflicted to Liberty and that they might enjoy their Religion and Priviledges That he had spared no cost for the lawful defence of the Country and for a Testimony that he desired Peace he had refused the Crown which the Estates offered him at Presburg That the ground of Peace was to maintain the League which they had begun with the Bohemians That he had always desired Peace with the help of other Princes so as it were sincere and without Fraud or Deceit for the obtaining whereof he had assisted his Confederates miserably afflicted That he knew for certain the Emperour desired not Peace but War having suffered the Cossacks to enter into Hungary and to spoil many Places with Fire and Sword and denied passage for the Ambassadors of Bohemia and Austria for this cause they were not now to treat of Peace but of War and to consult how it might be begun and maintained for the levying of Money which is the sinews of War for the furnishing of their Forts upon the Frontiers and for the speedy sending of Ambassadors to the Turkish Emperour lest being engaged in an intestine War there might be some attempts made upon those bordering Forts Having delivered his Mind unto the Estates there came divers Ambassadors thither from Bohemia Austria Silesia and Lusatia Venice Poland and Turky The Venetian Ambassador was content their Common-wealth should enter into the League and the Turk made offer to conclude a perpetual League with them On the five and twentieth day of August Bethlem Gabor Prince of Transilvania was proclaimed King of Hungary by the Palatine at the instance of the Turkish Ambassador and with the consent and applause of most part of the Estates of the Country After which he levied a great Army of thirty some say fifty thousand Horse and Foot and made many Ensigns with divers Emblems and Devices which being known the Protestants of Vienna with the Consent of the Emperour wrote unto him humbly entreating him to spare the City and Country for their innocent Wives and Childrens sakes but in the mean time all the Citizens were commanded to make Provision of Victuals for six Months There came News to Constantinople of a strange Apparition or Vision which was seen at Medina Talnabi in Arabia whereas Mahomet their great Prophet was buried to visit whose Tomb the Turks use to go in Pilgrimage but they must first go to Mecha which is some few days Journey off and there they take a Ticket from the Grand Seigniors Beglerbeg else they are not allowed to go to Medina This Vision continued three Weeks together which terrified the whole Country for that no Man could discover the truth thereof About the twentieth of September there fell so great a Tempest and so fearful a Thunder about Midnight as the Heavens were darkned and those that were awake almost distracted but the Vapours being dispersed and the Element clear the People might read in Arabian Characters these words in the Firmament O why will you believe in Lies Between two and three in the Morning there was seen a Woman in white compassed about with the Sun having a cheerful Countenance and holding in her Hand a Book coming from the North-west opposite against her were Armies of Turks Persians Arabians and other Mahometans ranged in order of Battel and ready to charge her but she kept her standing and only opened the Book at the sight whereof these Armies fled and presently all the Lamps about Mahomets Tomb went out for as soon as ever the Vision vanished which was commonly an hour before Sun rising a murmuring Wind was heard whereunto they imputed the extinguishing of the Lamps The antient Pilgrims of Mahomets Race who after they have visited this Place never use to cut their Hair were much amazed for that they could not conceive the meaning of this Vision only one of the Deruices which is a strict religious order amongst the Turks like unto the Capuchins among the Papists and live in contemplation stepped up very boldly and made a Speech unto the Company which incensed them much against him so as this poor Priest for his plain dealing lost his Life as you shall hear The sum of his Speech was this That the World had never but three true Religions every one of which had a Prophet first God chose the Jews and did Wonders for them in Aegypt and brought them forth by their Prophet Moses who prescribed them a Law wherein he would have maintained them if they had not been obstinate and rebellious and fallen to Idolatry whereupon he gave them over and scattered them upon the face of the Earth Then presently after he raised a new Prophet who taught the Christian Religion This good man the Jews condemned and crucified for a seducer of the People not moved with the Piety of his Life his great Miracles not his Doctrine Yet after his Death the preaching of a few Fishermen did so move the Hearts of Men as the greatest Monarchs of the World bowed to his very Title and yielded to the command of his Ministers But it seems they grew as corrupt as the Iews their Church being dismembred with the distinction of the East and West committing Idolatry again by setting up of Images with many other idle Ceremonies beside the corruption of their Lives so as God was weary of them too and not only sent divisions among them but forsook them dispossessing them of their chiefest Cities Hierusalem and Constantinople yet God is still the Governour of the World and provides himself of another Prophet and People raising our great Mahomet and giving way to our Nation so as no doubt we shall be happy for ever if we can serve this God aright and take Example by the fall of others But alas I tremble to speak it we have erred in every point and wilfully broken our first Institutions so as God hath manifested his Wrath by many evident signs and tokens keeping our Prophet from us who prefixed a time to return with all happiness to his People so as there are now forty years past by our account Wherefore this strange and fearful Vision
is a Prediction of some great Troubles and Alterations For either the opening of this Book in the Womans hand doth foretel our falling away from the first intent of our Law whereat these armed Men departed as confounded with the guilt of their own Consciences or else it signifies some other Book in which we have not yet read and against which no power shall prevail so as I fear our Religion will be proved corrupt and our Prophet an Impostor and then this Christ whom they talk of shall shine like the Sun and set up his Name everlastingly Hitherto the Company was silent but hearing him speak so boldly they charged him with Blasphemy and knowing their Law which makes all Blasphemy capital they presently condemned him and having the Beglerbegs consent and Warrant they put him to death As their Rage against him was violent so their Execution was extraordinary for they neither cut off his Head nor strangled him as they usually do to Malefactors but they tortured him by degrees for stripping him first naked they gave him an hundred blows on the soles of his Feet with a flat Cudgel until the Blood issued forth the poor Priest crying continually on the Woman that opened the Book After which they took a Bull 's Pizzle and beat all his body until the Sinews crack'd and in the end they laid him upon a Wheel and with an Indian Sword made of Sinews they brake his Bones to pieces the poor Man crying to the last gasp O thou Woman with the Book save me and so he dyed At which time there was a fearful Tempest The Beglerbeg sent certain Spahies to the Port of Sidon to imbark for Constantinople to the end they might advertise the Emperour of these Tidings Sultan Osman from the first entrance into his Reign was freed from all Cares of foreign War or intestine Combustions for he had that happiness being himself very young and not able to Govern so potent an Estate as by the Counsel and Assistance of Halil Bassa his Grand Visier he had forced the King of Persia to demand a Peace and to pay the Tribute which had been formerly promised His Rebels in Asia were all pacified and the Truce with the Emperour which had been somewhat interrupted by misinterpretation or the practise of bad Ministers was newly confirmed a little before his coming to the Crown onely Moldavia had been the Theatre of War for some years where his Father had exercised his Arms and imployed his Forces to advance whom he pleased to be Vayvod of that Countrey against another party that was supported by the Polonians as you have formerly heard Michna Prince of Valachia being made Vayvod of Moldavia by Achmat and the Polonian party wholly overthrown in the Year 1616 he enjoyed it not long but whether he dyed of a natural Death or fell into disgrace with the Grand Seignior I do not read yet I find that after him there was another Vayvod or Prince of Moldavia who is yet living but in disgrace with the Sultan his Name is Casparo Gratsiani and to the end you may understand that the Turks never respect the Birth and Quality of any Man in their Advancements I will relate what this Man was from the mouth of him that knew him very well This Casparo was born at Gretz a Town of great strength belonging unto the Arch-dukes of Austria by the which a Branch of that House is distinguished from the rest and whereof the Emperour now reigning is the head but being a Man of small Fortune and little expectance in his own Countrey he went to Constantinople and put himself in Service with Sir Thomas Glover before that he was Ambassador for his Majesty to the Grand Siegnior under whom he learned both to write and read the Turkish Tongue After which he came with him into England and there by his recommendation was imployed to Constantinople for the redeeming of young Sir Thomas Sherley who was then a Prisoner among the Turks Having performed his Charge orderly and being come to Venice with the young Knight hearing that Sir Thomas Glover was sent Ambassador to the Grand Seignior he left Sir Thomas Sherley and went to Constantinople to his old Master where he was imployed yearly to buy or exchange Christians for Turks carrying the Christians into Italy and so returning Turks for them About the end of Achmat's Reign arriving at Constantinople with a Ship full of Turks which he had exchanged he acquainted the Bassa Visier with the good Service he had done unto the Grand Seignior who demanding of what Countrey he was and his Breeding asked him if he would undertake a Service which should be for his Advancement which was to go unto the Emperour to reconcile all Difficulties concerning the Peace wherein he carried himself so discreetly as Commissioners were appointed who concluded all Difficulties as you have heard But before his return home the Grand Seignior was dead yet he pressed the Bassa for the performance of his Promise desiring him that he might be made Vayvod of Moldavia which the Bassa effected but the Presents he gave advanced him more than his Merits Since he grew into some disgrace so as the Grand Seignior making choice of another Vayvod gave Charge to certain Capigies to go into Moldavia to strangle Casparo and that they should take four hundred Turks upon the Frontiers to assist them But Casparo having good Spies at Constantinople who advertised him of their Design resolved to prevent them wherefore taking some Troops with him he met them upon the way and cut them all in pieces then returning to Yas he slew one thousand Turks After which he fled into Poland with two thousand Horse from whence they write that he hath made divers Incursions into Moldavia and committed great Spoils upon the Turks being assisted by the Cossacks and keeps possession of the Countrey although there be another Vayvod made by the Turk Sultan Osman seems to be much incensed against the Polonians as well for this support as for former quarrels making it his colour for the levying of the greatest Army that hath been seen since that Solyman went unto the Siege of Agria consisting as it is said of three hundred thousand Men having drawn down all his Forces out of Asia God knows where he will imploy it but it is much to be feared that he will make use of this division betwixt Christian Princes who should unite their Wills and Forces to oppose them against the common Enemy of Christendom who watcheth only to get an Advantage little regarding his Word and Promise The Turk having no imployment for his Forces by Land sent threescore Gallies to Sea to make some Enterprise upon the Christians They came into the Mediterranean Sea and having coasted the Island of Sicily they sent twenty Gallies to land in the Kingdom of Naples where they surprised the Town of Manfredonia and spoiled it carrying away fourteen or fifteen
for his ordinary Revenue for which they give divers reasons first That the Turks have no care buâ— of Arms the which do rather ruine than inrich a Country secondly They consume so many men in their Enterprises as they scarce leave sufficient to manure their Land so as the Subjects despairing to enjoy their Wealth and necessary Commodities which they might get by their Labour and Industry imploy not themselves to work nor traffick no more than necessity shall constrain them for to what purpose is it say they to sow that another man must reap or to reap that which another will consume And for this reason you shall see in the Turks Estate whole Countries lie waste and many times great Dearth which grows by the want of Men to manure their Land for that the Country-men for the most part either die in the Voyages which they make or in carrying of Victuals and other necessary things for their Armies for of ten thousand which they draw from their Houses to row in their Gallies scarce the fourth part returns to their Houses by reason of the great Toyles they indure Another reason why the Sultan's Revenues be no greater is for that when he conquers any Country he assigns the Lands to his Timarri who are bound to maintain so many Men and so many Horses according to the proportion of Land which he gives them reserving no Rent But although his ordinary Revenues be no greater than we have spoken yet he draws great profit by his Extraordinaries especially by Confiscations and Presents for being all his Slaves no man enjoyeth any thing longer than it pleaseth him yea the Bassaes and greatest Officers of that Crown which oppress his Subjects and gather together inestimable Wealth in the end for the most part it comes into the Turks Casna or Treasury It is not strange there to send for any Subjects Head upon any suggestion whatsoever which no man dare contradict after which Execution his Slaves and Goods are sold in the Market at Constantinople and the Money applyed to the Prince's Coffers His Presents also amount to great sums for no Ambassadour may come before him without a Present neither may any man expect any Office or Dignity without Money no Governour being returned from his Province dares present himself to the Sultan empty handed neither are their Presents of small price The Sultan's Exchequer is governed by two Treasurers called Deftardari who are more rightly governours of the Revenues for that they keep an account of the Prince's Casna or Treasure the one hath charge of the Revenues which are raised in Natolia the other in Europe Also they draw great profit from their tributary Provinces especially from Valachia Moldavia and Transilvania where the Princes maintain themselves by Presents and Gifts so as they change daily for that they that offer most are advanced whereby they are forced to ruine the Country to perform what they have promised But having spoken of the Turks Forces and Revenues whereby they maintain their Armies to invade their Neighbours we must now speak something of their Laws whereby the Subjects are governed which are Institutions and Answers of Wise men the which they hold as an Interpretation of their Alcaron which is the ground of their Law. These Institutions are contained in twelve Volumes treating of all things belonging to civil Conversation Some Provinces of Turkey are governed by Customs and enjoy their Priviledges and their Wise Judges supply many things which are not written The Sultan makes choice of the wisest and worthiest Person that can be found of a sincere Life according to their Law and he is called Mufti that is Interpreter of their Alcaron he is as it were their High-priest attending only matters of Religion and Faith he is Head of the Church among the Turks and decideth all questions of their Law. He is of such eminency as all the Bassaes are subject to his direction he abaseth not himself so much as to sit in the Divano only passeth through it when he is sent for by the Sultan who so soon as he seeth him riseth from his seat as it were to honour him and then they both sit down face to face and so conferr together They make trial of the sufficientest of their Judges before they chuse any for which there are two Cadilesquiri Talismani that is Doctors of the Law and Examiners at Constantinople or wheresoever the Prince remains These examine the Judges or Cadies of divers Provinces The one hath his charge over Europe and is called Cadilesquirie Romly before whom after good information of his Life and sufficiency he swears that he will do Justice to all men and yield an account of his Charge when he shall be called The other Cadilesquirie is for Natolia they are sovereign Judges in all Causes and as it were Patriarchs They are of great Authority and have place in the Divano with the Bassaes to consult of weighty matters There is a Third degree of their Church-men belonging to their Law called Mulli which are Bishops and chief Governours under the Mufti and their Office is to place and displace Church-men at their discretion Next are the Nuderisi who are Suffragans to the Bishops and their Charge is to see the Cadies do their duties Next come the Cadies who are Judges to punish Offenders of which there is one in every City under the Seignior's command Under these are another kind of young Doctors of the Law called Naipi who are not so well read as to be absolute Judges but yet supply their places in their absence After these are the Hogi who write their Books for that they allow no printing and inferior unto them are the Calfi who read unto them that write And the youngest of all are called Sosti who are young Students or Novices in their Law. These are their several degrees of Lawyers or Church-men for the Turks are governed by a kind of Ecclesiastical Law according to their Alcaron They have Colledges called Medressae at Constantinople and in other places where they live and study their Law and Divinity and so they ascend by degrees to the highest Dignity of their Profession As for their Religion it began in the time of the Emperour Heraclius whenas the Empire was much dismembred by the Heresies of Arrius and Nestorius Mahomet born in Arabia embraced this opportunity seeking to overthrow the Divinity of Iesus Christ which was opposed by the Iews and Arabians he was assisted by two Hereticks the one was Iohn a Nestorian and the other Sergius an Arrian After which being assisted by many slaves to whom he allowed all that was pleasing to the sence and flesh if they should receive this Law he obtained many Victories By Mahomet's Law they make a Distinction of clean and unclean Meats to content the Iews and also it maintains Circumcision but not at the eighth day of their Birth as the Iews use it but after the eighth
deliver this poor Carcass of mine from under the covering of this accursed Roof For Answer whereunto I did not stand to expostulate the Reasons with him well knowing the cause of his discontent but that I would communicate his desires to my Lord Ambassador and speedily return with my Answer to him Accordingly I departed from him and quickly brought from my Lord a Promise to endeavour his utmost to comply with his request at which he seemed to be much satisfied and commanded his Servants then present especially one called Sig. Tomaso Gobbato his great confident to be Witnesses thereof The next day he expired his last Breath and the day following his Body being embalmed his bowels were buried and the Funeral Rites performed with such order and decency as was seemly in a Country where he lived rather like a Prisoner than an Ambassador All things being thus prepared the Earl of Winchelsea according to the Will of the Deceased sent for his Body already embalmed which was immediately without opposition or scruple sent to his house where it remained for some months in expectation of a conveyance for Venice At length a Dutch ship being bound from Constantinople thither it was designed that the Body should be thereon imbarked but I know not for what reason the Customer refused to suffer it to pass though it may well and rationally be conjectured That Ballarino who was sensibly touched to have the care of the Body of his Master his Countryman and Colleague taken from him did with Presents prevail with the Customer to put difficulties in the way which he supposed might vex those who were thought worthy of this employment This opposition being made and not to be overcome without much Money it was contrived that the Ship departing should attend the Corps at Tenedos which was without the command of the Castles and the Body being divided from the Legs was packed up in a But ofCavear and so sent down by a boat with Licence of the Customer as a parcel of Goods and Merchandice and so safely arriving aboard the Corps were separated from their adjuncts and being laid decently in a Coffin covered with a Pall of black Velvet with Scutcheons and other ornaments appertaining to the Funerals of such great Personages it arrived safely at Venice where it was interred with the usual ceremonies in the Tomb of the Ancestors of that Ancient Family But the heads and thoughts of these Governours were not so employed in their preparations of War but that the Vizier could lend an ear to the suggestions of some malicious Pharisees who under pretence of Religion informed him That the Christian Churches burnt down in Constantinople and Galata by those dreadful Fires in the year 1660 were again re-edified against his command and the Law of the Turks which allows the reparation of Churches and continuance of such which were found standing when Mohometanism was introduced but not to erect new or rebuild what are either by time fire or other accidents fallen to ruine And being farther informed that though those Churches were restored under the notion of Dwellings or Ware-houses yet secretly served for Celebration of Divine Service and thereby his Decrees and Edicts were frustrated and disappointed Wherefore furiously transported with a Mahometan Zeal commanded immediately that the Authors of those Buildings should be imprisoned the Churches themselves levelled to the Foundation and the ground whereon they stood confiscated to the Grand Signior This action though naturally agreeable to the disposition of the Vizier who was a perfect Turk zealous in execution of all points of the Mahometan Law being educated after the severest sort of Professors and one of those whom they called Soâ—taes yet he was chiefly prompted unto this and to a greater abhorrency of Christianity by one Vanni Effendi a Shegh or Preacher one who was as inveterate and malicious to the Christian Religion as any Enthusiast or Fanatick is to the Rites of our Church and Religion And thus we may see how troublesom Hypocrisie and Puritanism are in all places where they gain a Superiority for this Preacher not contented only to ruine the Christian Churches but perswaded the Vizier that the terrible Fires in Constantinople and Galata in the year 1660 and the last years unparallel'd Pestilence and the inconsiderable advance of the Turks on the Christians for some years were so many parts of Divine Judgments thrown on the Mussulmen or Believers in vengeance of their too much Licence given to the Christian Religion permitting Wine to be sold within the Walls of Constantinople which polluted the Imperial City ensnared the faithful by temptation to what was unlawful Wherefore a command was issued That no Wine should be henceforth sold within the Walls of the City And it was farther intended that Greeks Armenians all other Christians who had Dwellings or Possessions within the Walls of the City should within Forty days sell those habitations and depart which otherwise should be confiscated to the Grand Signior but God who supports the Faithful in â—ryals of Persecution moderated this Decree and reserved still â—his Church in the midst of Infidels not suffering this City to lose the Name nor Religion of that holy Emperor who both erected and christned it as also to preserve most of the Churches which though again uncovered yet were redeemed for Money from the possession of the Turks Nor was the Mohometan Zeal satisfied in Demolishment of the Churches themselves unless it vented part of its fury against the poor Workmen which for their hire and days Wages erected them such as Greek Labourers Masons and Carpenters who were all beaten and imprisoned But it happening at that time that the Queen Mother building a sumptuous Mosch and having occasion of many Labourers and Artists to forward so vast a Work sent to the Maimarbashee who is the Master work-man or Cape over all such who are employed in Building to supply such a number of Carpenters Masons and others as were convenient to carry on that Fabrick with expedition who readily replyed That he would provide all that was possible but could not promise a sufficient number unless those Greeks were set at liberty who were imprisoned by the Grand Vizier for building the Christian Churches which answer being reported again to the Queen Mother she interceded with the Vizier in their behalf who being glad of any occasion to gratifie so great a Lady immediately released them without any fine or reward which he designed to obtain for their liberty Howsoever the Vizier not well brooking such an indignity as he supposed put upon him by so mean a Slave as the Maimarbashee dealt with some of the imprisoned Labourers to accuse him as the Author and Licenser of building the Christian Churches The Greeks easily enough perswaded to please so great a Personage accused him accordingly whose Evidence though nor passable against a Turk by the Mahometan Law yet served the Viziers revenge for the present who
the Peace which concerned most the Interest of the Empire and not hazard it for such like Concernments of Transilvania for though it seemed strange to the World to see a Peace hastily clapt up with disadvantageous Terms on the Emperors side whilst he was victorious and fortunate in several Enterprizes yet they that penetrated farther into the State and Condition of the Empire report That there was a necessiâ—y of making a moderate use of these successes by a fair accommodation rather than to tempt Providence by a too eager and continued prosecution of the War. For it was observed that the Designs of making the Duke of Anguien Son to the Prince of Conde King of Poland proceeded forward and that there was a Combination of a dangerous League amongst thePrinces of the Rhine The Divisions between the Germans and the Hungarians encreased the latter of which are known to be an obstinate sort of People The Army also of the French was feared in the Bowels of the Empire under the Command of Monsieur la Feuvillade who under pretence of applying themselves to the assistance of Christendom were suspected to come with intentions to advance the interest of their King and force the next Diet to elect him King of the Romans in order whereunto and in consideration of farther assistance they demanded several Towns in Hungary to be delivered into their hands and made extravagant Propositions for Winter Quarters all which considered made the German Ambassadour more tender how he entred into Disputes with the Turk which might prejudice the essential points of the Peace or occasion a new War more destructive to Germany through the dangers before intimated than by the Arms and Hostility of the common Enemy These Considerations made the Ambassador less zealous in the matter of Transilvania and in all others which were not really conducing to his Masters immediate service so that having no other difficulty remaining than the liberty of the Captives on the day of his last Audience with the Vizier being the 8 th of November he urged with more earnestness their Release which was in part granted those of the Gallies were delivered from their Chains and Oars but such as were of greater Quality in the seven Towers were detained until the Emperor had on his part released the Turks of Quality in like manner and though it was agreed in the Article That Captives should on both sides be released yet the Vizier interpreted it to be in respect to Number and Quality of which I remember to have heard often Complaints and especially of those poor Gentlemen then under Irons and restraint who though afterwards received their freedom yet for the present endured more torment in their minds than if they had never been put in expectation to enjoy their hopes At the end of the Audience the Ambassadour proposed something in behalf of the Religious of Ierusalem That certain places of Devotion might be restored them which were injuriously taken from them by the Greeks and also that License might be granted for re-edification of some Churches and Monasteries destroyed in Galata by the late Fire To the first of which the Vizier answered That the Franks with the Greeks of Ierusalem should have a fair and equal Tryal at Law about the possession of those places in difference and Justice and Right should be done unto the injured but the latter Proposition he positively denied for being a matter contrary to their Law and Religion was not dispensable by his Power nor ought he to expect a Complement from him or Gratuity of that nature which was inconsistent with the honour and conscience of the Donor but that in any thing else he was ready to yield to his Desires whereby he might understand the value he put upon his Person using this Expression That he was more satisfied that the Emperor had designed so illustrious and worthy a person to this Embassy than if he had sent him a Hundred thousand Dollars more of Present and at the Conclusion of the Audience vested both the Ambassadour and Resident with Sables which ended with all imaginable satisfaction and mutual contentment On the 21 th of the Month of November arrived at Constantinople Monsieur De Ventelay Ambassadour from the French King to the Grand Signior who was Son to the Sieur De la Haye the former Ambassadour a Person much talked of before he arrived a generous and an accomplished Gentleman and one well practised in the Affairs of that Countrey To understand which story the better we must look back to the former Year at the beginning of which during the German War and that the Vizier remained in his Winter-quarters at Belgrade a Courier with Letters from his most Christian Majesty to the First Vizier arrived who concealed not the occasion of his coming nor the contents of his Letters with that secrecy but that those who were imployed in the Translation of the Papers into Turkish made it publickly known to be no other than a recital of the many provocations his most Christian Majesty had received from the Pirates of Barbary containing a List of the Ships Men and Goods they had from time to time seized and made Prize in vindication of which indignities to his Honour and in protection of his People he could not do less than make a War upon those Pirates for as yet the advice was not come that the French had deserted Gigeri in which for the foregoing reasons the Grand Signior ought not to judge himself concerned And for the Succour given the Emperor it was not afforded as King of France but as one of the Princes of the Empire in which capacity by virtue of his Tenure he was obliged to contribute such Forces on the like emergencies and distresses of the Empire And if the foregoing reasons were available with the Sultan to induce him as in reason he ought to believe he continued in perfect friendship with him without breach of Articles he was then ready to send his Ambassadour to reside at the Port provided it might be Monsieur De Ventelay Son to Monsieur De la Haye late Ambassadour there who was the Person that had some time since received indignities from the Vizier Kuperlee that so his Majesty might receive satisfaction by having the very Person of Monsieur De Ventelay honoured by extraordinary demonstrations of respect in reparation of the former affronts This Messenger having translated his Papers obtained license to ride Post to the Vizier and in the frosts and extremities of the weather in Ianuary set forward on his Journey but in his passage through Adrianople visiting the Chimacam and desiring his license in like manner to ride Post to the Vizier on publick affairs received such a lesson of scorn and disdain vented with the extremity of choler against the French Nation in publick Divan with terms undecent to be repeated And that in farther resentment if he were First Vizier he would refuse to accept
inform him that they had a Letter to him from the Brotherhood of Italy and Commission to confer with him concerning the ground and foundation of his Prophecies But Nathan refused to take the Letter ordering Kaim Abolafio a Cocham of the City of Smyrna to receive it so that the Legats returned little contented but yet with hopes at Nathans arrival at Smyrna to receive better satisfaction But whilst Nathan intended to enter into Smyrna the Cochams of Constantinople being before advised of his resolution to take a Journey into their parts not knowing by which way he might come sent their Letters and orders to Smyrna Prussia and every way round to hinder his passage and interrupt his Journey fearing that things beginning now to compose the Turks appeased for the former disorders and the minds of the Iews in some manner setled might be moved and combustions burst out afresh by the appearance of this new Impostor and therefore dispatched this Letter as followeth TO you who are the Shepherds of Israel and Rulers who reside for the Great God of the whole World in the City of Smyrna which is a Mother in Israel to her Princes her Priests her Iudges and especially to the perfect wise men and of greatest experience may the Lord God cause you to live before him and delight in the multitude of Peace Amen So be the will of the Lord. These our Letters are dispatched unto you to let you understand that in the place of your Holiness we have heard that the learned man which was in Gaza called Nathan Benjamin hath published vain Doctrines and made the World tremble at his words and inventions At this time we have received advice that this man some days since departed from Gaza and took his Iourney by the way of Scanderone intending there to Embark for Smyrna and thâ—nce to go to Constantinople or Adrianople And though it seems a strange thing unto us that any man should have a desire to throw himself into a place of flames and fire and into the sparks of Hell Notwithstanding we ought to fear and suspect it for the feet of man always guide him to the worst Wherefore we underwritten do advertise you that this Man coming within the Compass of your Iurisdiction you give a stop to his Iourney and not suffer him to proceed farther but presently to return back For we would have you know That at his Coming he will begin again to move those tumults which have been caused through Dreams of a new Kingdom And thaâ— miracles are not wrought every day God forbid that by his Coming the Peâ—ple of God should be destroyed in all places where they are of which he will be the â—irst whose blood be upon his â—wn head for in this Conjuncture every little errour or fault is made Capital you may remember the danger of the first Combustion and it is very probable that he will be an occasion of greater which the Tongue is not able to express with words And therefore by virtue of ours and your own Authority you are to hinder him from proceeding farther in his journey upon pain of all those Excommunications which our Law can impose and to force him to return back again both he and his Company But if he shall in any manner oppose you and rebel against your word your Endeavours and Law are sufficient to hinder him for it will be well for him and for all Israel For the love of God let these words enter into your ears since they are not vain things for the lives of all the Jews and his also consist therein And the Lord God behold from Heaven and have pity upon his People Israel Amen So be his holy will written by those who seek your Peace Joam Tob Son of Chanania Jacar Moise Benveniste Isaac Alnacagua Joseph Kizbi Samuel Acazsina Kaleb Son of Cocham Samuel deceased Moise Barudo Elihezer Aluf. Jehousual Raphael Benveniste By these means Nathan being disappointed of his wandring progress and partly ashamed of the Events contrary to his Prophecies was resolved without entring Smyrna to depart thence howsoever he obtained leave to visit the Sepulchre of his Mother and there to receive â—ardon of his sins according to the institution of Sabatai before mentioned but first washed himself in the Sea in manner of purification and said his Tevila or Prayers at the Fountain called by us the Fountain of Santa Veneâ—anda which is near the Coemetery of the Iews and then departed for Xio with two Companions a Servant and three Turks to conduct him without admitting the Legates to audience or answering the Letter which was sent him from all the Communities of the Iews in Italy And thus the Embassie of these Legates was concluded and they returned from the place to whence they came and the Iews again to their Wits following their Trade and Profession of Brokage as formerly with more quiet and advantage than the means of regaining their possessions in the Land of Promise And thus ended this mad phrensie amongst the Iews which might have cost them dear had not Sabatai renounced his Messiahship at the Feet of Mahomet These matters were transacted in the Years 1665 and 1666 since which Sabatai hath passed his time devoutly in the Ottomon Court educated at the Feet of the learned Gamaliel of the Turkish Law viz Vanni Effendi Preacher to the Seraglio or as we may so term him Chaplain to the Sultan one so literate as to be esteemed the Grand Oracle of their Religion so precise and conceited of his own Sanctity as a Pharisee and so superstitious that nothing seemed more to unhallow his Worship than the touch or approach of a Christian. To this Master Sabatai was a most docil Scholar and profited as we may imagine beyond measure in the Turkish Doctrine so that in exchange of such impressions Vanni thought it no disparagement from so great a Rabbin as his new Disciple to learn something of the Iewish Rites and rectifie those crude Notions he had conceived of the Mâ—saical Law. In this manner Sabatai passed his days in the Turkish Court as some time Moses did in that of the Egyptians and perhaps in imitation of him cast his eyes often on the Afflictions of his Brethren of whom durinâ— his life he continued to profess himself a Deliverer but with that care and caution of giving scandal to the Turks that he declared Unless their Nation became like him that is renounce the Shadows and imperfect Elements of the Mosaical Law which will be compleated by adherence to the Mâ—hometan and such other Additions as his inspired Wisdom should suggest he should never be able to prevail with God for them or conduct them to the Holy Land of their Forefathers Hereupon many Iews flocked in some as far as from Babylon Ierusalem and other remote places and casting their Caps on the ground in presence of the Grand Signior voluntarily professed themselves Mâ—hâ—mâ—tans Sabatai himself by these Proselytes
Mustapha to whom be Honour Glory and Benediction hath render'd himself by the multitude of his Miracles the greatest of all the Sovereigns of the one and th' other World and most August of Emperours who having caused our innumerable Armies protected always by Divine Providence to come hither We are resolved to take Vienna and establish there the Cult of our Divine Religion 't is therefore that before we draw our fatal Cymetars as our chief End is the Propagation of the Musselman Faith and that is expresly commanded us by the Laws of our Holy Prophet first and before all things to exhort you to embrace our Holy Religion we do hereby advertise you that if you will cause your selves to be instructed in our Mysteries you will find the Salvation of your Souls therein If you will deliver up your City without fighting whether you are young or more advanced in years Rich or Poor we assure you that you may all live there peaceably If any desire to quit the place and go live elsewhere no harm shall be done him in his Person or Goods and he shall be conducted with his Family and Children whither he pleases For such as will rather stay they shall live in the City as they did before But if you suffer us by your Obstinacy to take the City by force we shall then spare no Body and we swear by the Creator of Heaven and Earth who neither hath nor never will have his equal that we shall put all to the Sword as is ordained by our Law. Your Goods will be pillaged and your Wives and Children will be carried away Slaves We shall pardon only such who shall obey the Divine Orders Given at the Emperours Camp before Vienna the 8th of the Moon Regeb in the year of the transmigration of the Prophet 1094. The Turks continued to deepen their Trenches to four foot and shot many Bombs but without any considerable effect most of them bursting in the Air except some few which falling near the Walls burnt an old Play-house which being of Wood it was feared lest the Flames should reach the Convent and Church of the Augustines which occasion'd its sudden demolishing There happened also another Accident but more dangerous The Fire having seized upon the Scots Church consumed that stately Building as also the House of Frendorf lately perfectioned by the Bishop of Heliopolis Suffragan to the Arch-bishop of Vienna The flame proceeded to the Arsenal full of Powder and Munitions of War which would have proved fatally ruinous if Conte Serin had not caused the Gate which they had in vain attempted to unlock to be broken open and immediately removed the Powder which a few moments delay would have rendred impossible But on the other side they could not hinder the Fire to consume the Palaces of Aversberg Traun and Palfi which were reduced to Ashes A Boy of sixteen years old habited like a Girl was accused as guilty of this burning being found thereabouts who was by the enraged People immediately pull'd in pieces so that the truth by this precipitated death could not be made known This Fire continued three days which if it had seised the Powder in the Arsenal as in the year 1629 the Turks might easily have entred that way into the City Since this Accident the Infidels shot that way that they saw the flame appear and endeavoured to ruine the Court and the Lyon Bastions with the Ravelin betwixt both but the Besieged bravely opposed them with their Sallies and Countermines They wanted good Engineers in the City insomuch that Hasner a Captain of the Garrison who from a private Souldier was by his Virtue come to that degree being observed to note all the faults the Miners committed in their Works the conduct of them was committed to him wherein he acquitted himself with good Success Count Starenberg who was Governour General was all this while busie in repairing the Walls deepning and palizadoing the Ditches and in raising the Earth which was drawn out of the Ramparts and Retreats to cover themselves when the first Posts and Parapets were thrown down which afterwards contributed much to the defence of the Place The Turks advanced their Works on the Court and Lebel Bastions side carrying them on within thirty paces of the Counterscharp notwithstanding the continued fire of the Besieged They also discharged their Cannon and Mortars without ceasing and intirely ruined the Emperour's Palace the Houses and neighbouring Churches Count Starenberg who neglecting the danger visited every moment the Posts to see if his orders were faithfully executed upon his going out of the Court-Bulwark was hurt in the Head with a Brick-bat which a Cannon bullet had forced He was immediately carried to his Lodging and so happily cured that in three days he found himself able to quit his Bed and his Chamber during his hurt the Count of Daun was also incapable of acting being dangerously sick of a violent Fever which reduced him to extremity so that he was not out of danger before the fourteenth Day of his Malady But the Counts Serin Souches and Schaffenberg Brigadiers of the Garrison applied themselves with so much care for the defence of the Place that the Enemy drew no advantage from this misfortune In the mean time the Duke of Lorrain finding himself obliged to remove farther from the City his first care was to molest the Enemy Count Dunewald Lieut. Marshal of the Field was sent to Krembs with his Regiment the two Rements of Lodron and Keri Cravats Kemgsegs Regiment of Polish Dragoons were likewise dispatched thither not only to keep the Bridge which was of great Importance but to hinder the Enemies Forragers and oppose the Parties of Tartars which ravaged about And here we may wonder at the Politicks of these Miscreants who burn and ruine all the Forrages and all the Victuals which should make them subsist and which would have very much accommoded their Army in the distresses they afterwards found themselves Lorrain likewise sent Orders to Count Hermestein who was in Styria to advance to the Frontiers on the side of the Mountains to attempt the Enemies He gave also the same Orders to the Garrisons of Raab and Comorra and to Castel's Dragoons who were at Newstat He sent likewise to survey Closterneubourg which is an Abbey upon the Danube The Turkish Camp was but two Leagues off and according to the report made to him of the Place he judged it necessary to conserve this Post which â—e did by putting Foot into it the which might descend the Danube upon occasion if the Enemy came to attack them with Cannon He dispatch'd an Officer to Raab for the Regiments of Grana and Baden which the Duke of Croy brought him with so much diligence that parting from Raab at Mid-night they came in 24 hours to Presburg and the next day to the Camp. Count Lesley was sent to Krembs to conduct the Artillery thither and to expect the Bavarians Auxiliaries those of Saxony
single Page came to a Town where wanting Bread and forced for the Paiment of it to exchange Gold fell into a suspicion of being one of those Rebels lately escaped from Constantinople which news being brought to a Captain of Horse that Commanded the place he came immediately with some Men to take him but Kulkahya resolving not to fall into their hands alive resisted them until he was killed by a Musket-shot and so his Head being severed from his Body was sent to the Grand Signior Kara Chiaus in this interim being with two hundred Men retired into his Garden was assaulted by an Aga of the Spahees called Parmaksis with 500 Men but that this Enterprise might be acquired with a little Blood a Person was sent secretly to advise that Party that if they opposed the Royal Command they should every one be put to death at which the People fled and dispersed themselves At that instant came in this Aga and took him and yet comforted him with the Clemency and Mercy of the Grand Signior promising also himself to intercede for him And so bringing him to the Seraglio by the Garden Gate his Majesty had notice of it and looking out of the Window and seeing him upon his Knees begging pardon the Grand Signior gave a Sign to the Executioner to strangle him which was accordingly performed The new Ianisar Aga who knew all the Officers formerly affected to the rebellious Party for several Nights caused some or other of them to be strangled to the number of thirty eight Persons which struck such a terrour into the Janisaries that for a long time after they kept themselves within the bounds of Humility and Obedience And thus concluded this Tragedy remarkable as well for the Dispatch as for the Action it self being but the work of fourteen Hours And in this manner it is apparent how the lessons of Obedience which are so carefully taught and instilled into the Minds of those who serve and depend upon the Grand Signior are corrupted and by the Pride Discord and Faction of the Governours seduced from their natural Principles By the Premisses we may consider more generally that it hath always been the misfortune of unlimited Powers to be subject to Dangers and Violence arising from the Discontents and Unconstancy of the Souldiery for they coming to be sensible of their own Strength and knowing that the Power of the Emperor is but fortified with their Hands and Heart like unruly Beasts throw their Riders and shew that the Principles of Obedience taught them are easily corrupted and defaced by evil Perswasions or Sedition in a Commander or common Souldier Thus we see in the time of the latter Roman Emperors who usurped Power unknown in the days of the pure and happy Constitution of that Common-Wealth and governed all by the Sword and their own Lusts few of them ended their days fortunately or died in their Beds in Peace without becoming a Sacrifice to the same Power that first proclaimed them Emperors And though the Mutinies and Rebellions in the Turkish Militia can hardly operate any durable alteration in the State as we shall more at large hereafter discourse yet doubtless the Tyranny in the Ottoman Emperors had provoked the People long since to have proved the benefit of another Race but that there is a strange kind of Devotion and Religion in their Minds as to the Ottoman Blood which having been the Original of their Empire and Greatness will ever be maintained in high Reverence and Honour Nor is it likely that the fair Speeches and Allurements of a rebellious Slave will ever prevail to perswade this People from their Religion to this Prince or that their Arms can ever be prosperous under the Ensign and Conduct of an Usurper And may all Christians learn this Lesson from the Turks and add this Principle to the Fundamentals of their Religion as well as to their Laws None can more experimentally preach this Doctrine to the World than England who no sooner threw off her Obedience and Religion to her Prince but as if that Vertue had been the only bar to all other Enormities and Sins she was deprived of all other Ecclesiastical and Civil Rights and in all her Capacities and Relations deflowred and prophaned by impious and unhallowed Hands And thus having given a Relation of the Turks Religion and first Principles in order to their Obedience to their Prince let us proceed a little into the penetralia of the Seraglio and there see what farther care is taken of the Youth in all Points of their Education to fit and prepare them for the management and performance of the highest and weightiest Offices of State which I judg to be one of the chiefest of the Turkish Polities and is certainly an extraordinary Support and Security of the Empire CHAP. V. The Education of young Men in the Seraglio out of which those who are to discharge the great Offices of the Empire are elected It being a Maxim of the Turkish Polity to have the Prince served by such whom he can raise without Envy and destroy without Danger IT is a special point of Wisdom in Princes to provide and prefer Men of deserving Parts and Abilities to the discharge of the great and important Offices of State not such whom Chance and Fortune casually throws on them because they will not take the pains of a narrow and severe Scrutiny to seek Men able and fit for Trust nor such whom Flattery Riches Gifts or Nobility promote but those whom the Prince by his own experience of their Wisdom Vertues and Diligence or the Testimony of his Councellors and other Confidents judges capable to improve their Advancement to the Honour of the King and the Blessing of their Country and not like vast Mountains which hide their Heads in the Clouds and yet remain without Fruit or Herbage whose barrenness makes their height accursed Some wise Princes and great Ministers of our Modern Times have kept Rolls and Registers of the most eminent Men famed for their Vertue and Knowledg in any parts with an account of their Family Lineage and Condition out of which if in their own jurisdiction they culled and elected such proper for their Occasions and vacant Offices The Turk is no less careful in the choice of his Officers and loves to be served by his own such as to whom he hath given Breeding and Education and are obliged to employ those Parts in his Service which he hath bestowed whose Minds he hath cultivated with Wisdom and Vertue as well as nourished their Bodies with Food until they arrive to a mature Age that renders the profit of his Care and Expence such as these he is served by whom he can raise without Envy and destroy without Danger The Youths then that are designed for the great Offices of the Empire called by the Turks Ichoglans must be such as are of Christian Parents taken in War or presented from remote parts as I have observed that
Dignities within the Power and Gift of the Grand Signior intending to make a distinct Chapter of the several Offices Governments Dignities and Places from whence the Grand Signior's Profits arise that so we may the better describe the Wealth of this Empire and the Importance of those Offices for discharge of which young Men are educated with the care beforementioned But before the conclusion of this Chapter it will be necessary to add that none unless by special Grace are advanced from the Seraglio until the Age of about forty Years by which time they are ripe and mature for Government and the wantonness and heat of Youth allayed Before their departure to their places of Trust they are courted and honoured by all with Presents the Queen-Mother the Sultanaes the rich Eunuchs the Great Vizier and Officers Abroad concur all to adorn them with Gifts and Riches at their Advancements as undoubted Consequents of the Grand Signior's Favour And at the farewel with much submission they visit the Capa Aga or chief of the Eunuchs and other principal Officers of the Seraglio recommending themselves in the time of their absence to their good Grace and Favour desiring to live in their good Opinion and Friendship and this is done with as much Ceremony and Complement as is exercised in the most civil Parts of Christendom For though the Turks out of Pride and Scorn comport themselves to Christians with a strange kind of barbarous haughtiness and neglect they are yet among themselves as courtly and precise in their own Rules of Complement and Civility as they are at Rome or any other parts of the civilized World. CHAP. VI. Of the Method of the Turkish Studies and Learning in the Seraglio WE have rather shewed in the foregoing Chapter the Education of young Scholars in reference to exercise of Body and dexterity in Arms than the method of their Studies and Speculations according to the manner of our Seminaries and Colledges which more respect the cultivation of the Mind with the Principles of Vertue and Morality and the Notions of sublime Reason than the Improvements of the Body by assiduity of Exercise which makes them become active and begets an agility in the management of Arms. And though the latter is a Business most attended to by sprightly and ingenious Spirits who know Preferments in the Ottoman Court have always depended and still do on the virtue of the Sword yet Speculation and Knowledg in Sciences are not wholly estranged from their Schools which we shall in brief touch upon to satisfy the curiosity of our Academies who I know would gladly be resolved what sort of Physical or Moral Philosophy what Tongues and Sciences fall within the contemplation of that barbarous Ignorance of the Turks To dilucide which the most clearly as I can according to the best information of the Learned Turks it is reported by the Kalfaes or Pedagogues of the Seraglio that their chief Design is to instruct their Scholars in reading and writing so as they may have some inspection into the Books of their Law and Religion especially the Alchoran whereby may be produced in their Minds a greater reverence to them For being once passed from the first form of their A B C and joyning Syllables they are then instructed in the Arabian Tongue wherein all the Secrets and Treasure of their Religion and Laws are contained and is a necessary accomplishment of a Pasha or any great Minister in relation to the better discharge of his Office being thereby enabled to have an inspection into the Writings and Sentences of the Kadees or other Officers of the Law within his Jurisdiction as well as furnished with Knowledg and Matter of Discourse concerning Religion And to adorn these young Candidates of the Grand Signior's Favour with more Polity and ingenious Endowments the next Lesson is the Persian Tongue which fits them with quaint Words and Eloquence becoming the Court of their Prince and corrects the grossness and enriches the barrenness of the Turkish Tongue which in it self is void both of Expression and sweetness of Accent It teaches them also a handsome and gentle deportment instructs them in Romances raises their thoughts to aspire to the generous and vertuous Actions they read of in the Persian Novellaries and endues them with a kind of Platonick Love each to other which is accompanied with a true Friendship amongst some few and with as much gallantry as is exercised in any part of the World. But for their Amours to Women the restraint and strictness of Discipline makes them altogether strangers to that Sex for want of Conversation with them they burn in Lust one towards another and the amorous disposition of Youth wanting more natural Objcts of Affection is transported to a most passionate admiration of Beauty wheresoever it finds it which because it is much talked of by the Turks we will make it a distinct Discourse by it self The Books they read commonly in the Persian Language are Danisten Schaihdi Pend-aâ—tar Giulistin Bostan Hafiz and the Turkish Books called Mulemma or a mixture of the Arabian and Persian words both in Prose and Verse facetious and full of quick and lively Expressions Of these sorts of Books those most commonly read are called Kirkwizir Humaiunname or delile we Kemine El fulcâ—ase Seidbatal and various other Romances these are usually the study of the most aiery and ingenious Spirits amongst them Those others who are of a Complexion more melancholick and inclinable to contemplation proceed with more patience of Method and are more exact in their Studies intending to become Masters of their Pen and by that means to arrive to Honour and Office either of Rest Efendi or Secretary of State Lord Treasurer or Secretary of the Treasury or Dispensatory c. or else to be Emaums or Parish Priests of some principal Moschs of Royal Foundation in which they pass an easy quiet and secure Life with a considerable competency of livelihood Others aim in their Studies to become Hazifizi which signifies a Conserver of the Alchoran who get the whole Alchoran by Heart and for that reason are held in great esteem and their Persons as sacred as the place which is the Repository of the Law. Those who are observed to be more addicted to their Books than others are named by them Talibulilmi or lovers of Philosophy tho very few amongst them arrive to any Learning really so called yet they attain to the degree of Giuzchon or Readers of the Alchoran for Benefit and Relief of the Souls of those departed who for that end have bequeathed them Legacies At certain Houses they read Books that treat of the Matters of their Faith and render them out of Arabick into Turkish and these Books are Schurâ—t Salut Mukad Multcka Hidaie c. which they discant upon in an Expository manner instructing the more ignorant and of lower form by way of Catechism They have also some Books of Poetry written both in Persian and Arabick
Ambassador and other Personages amongst the Turks of chief Note and Quality the Dishes are served in by one at a time which as soon as touched or tasted are taken off to make room for another and thus there is a succession of threescore or forescore Services all the Dishes being of China worth about an hundred and fifty Dollars a piece which are reported to have a virtue contrary to Poison and to break with the least infusion thereof and for that reason esteemed more useful for the Service of the Grand Signior Nam nulla aconita bibuntur Fictilibâ—s c. Juvenal The Banquet being ended the Chaousbashee or chief of the Pursivants conducts the Ambassador with some of his Retinue to a place apart where several gay Vests or long Garments made of Silk with divers Figures are presented them as a sign of the Grand Signior's Favour which the Ambassador first putting on and then the others to the number of eighteen or nineteen attended with two Capugibashees or chief of the Porters Persons of good esteem in that Court with Silver Staves in their Hands he is conducted nearer towards the Grand Signior's Presence then follow the Presents brought by the Ambassador which are carried to the best advantage for appearance and are delivered to Officers appointed to receive them The Courts without are filled with Janisaries amongst whom is observed so profound a silence that there is not the least noise or whisper understood and the Salutation they give their principal Officers as they pass bowing altogether at the same time is warlike and yet courtly and savours of good Discipline and Obedience The Ambassador is then brought to a great Gate near the Audience the Porch of which is filled with white Eunuchs clothed in Silks and Cloth of Gold farther than this none is suffered to proceed besides the Secretary Interpreter and some other Persons of best Quality at the door of the Chamber of Audience is a deep silence and the murmuring of a Fountain near by adds to the melancholy and no other Guard is there but a white Eunuch and here a pause is made and they tread softly in token of fear and reverence so as not to disturb with the least noise the Majesty of the Sultan for access to the Eastern Princes was always difficult and not permitted with the same familiarity as hath been practised amongst the Romans and at present with us where the sight of the King is his own Glory and the Satisfaction of his Subjects For it is with the Turks as it was with the Parthians when they received Vonones their King educated in the Roman Court who conforming to those manners saith Tacitus Irridebantur Graeci Comites prompti aditus obvia comitas ignota Parthis virtutes the affability and easiness of address to their Prince was a scandal to the Nation At the entrance of the Chamber of Audience hangs a Ball of Gold studded with pretious Stones and about it great Chains of rich Pearl the Floor is covered with Carpets of Crimson-velvet embroidered with Gold-Wire in many places beset with Seed-pearl The Throne where the Grand Sigâ—ior sits is raised a small height from the ground supported with four Pillars plated with Gold the Roof is richly gilded from which hang Balls that seem to be of Gold the Cushions he leaned upon as also those which lay by were richly embroidered with Gold and Jewels In this Chamber with this occasion remains no other Attendance besides the first Vizier who stands at the right Hand of the Grand Signior with modesty and reverence When the Ambassador comes to appear before the Grand Signior he is led in and supported under the Arms by the two Capugibashees before-mentioned who bringing him to a convenient distance laying their hands upon his Neck make him bow until his Forehead almost touches the Ground and then raising him again retire backwards to the farther parts of the Room The like Ceremony is used with all the others who attend the Ambassador only that they make them bow somewhat lower than him The Reason of this Custom as Busbequius saith was because that a Croat being admitted near to Amurath to communicate something to him made use of that opportunity to kill him in revenge of the Death of his Master Marcus but the Turkish History saith That this was done by one Miles Corbelitz who after the defeat given Lazarus the Despot of Servia rising from amongst the Dead had near access to the presence of Amurath The Ambassador at this Audience hath no Chair set him but standing informs the Grand Signior by his Interpreter the several Demands of his Master and the Business he comes upon which is all penned first in Writing which when read is with the Letter of Credence consigned into the Hands of the Great Vizier from whom the Answer and farther Treaty is to be received This was the manner of the Audience given to the Earl of Winchelsea when Ambassador there for his Majesty and is as is there said the Form used to others who come from a Prince equally honoured and respected But though the Turks make these outward Demonstrations of all due Reverence and Religious Care to preserve the Persons of Ambassadors Sacred and free from Violence yet it is apparent by their Treatment and Usage towards them in all Emergencies and Differences between the Prince they come from and themselves that they have no esteem of the Law of Nations or place any Religion in the maintenance of their Faith. For when a War is proclaimed the Ambassador immediately is either committed to close Imprisonment or at least to the custody of a careful Guard confined within the Limits of his own House In this manner the Representative of Venice called there the Bailo by name Sorâ—nzo in a strait Chamber of a Castle situated on the Bosphorus endured a severe Imprisonment having his Interpreter strangled for no other cause than performing his Office in the true Interpretation of his Master's Sense Afterwards this Bailo for so they call there the Ambassors from Venice was removed to another Prison at Adrianople where he continued some Years and in fine by force of Presents mollifying the Turks with Mony with which their Nature is easily made gentle and pliable he obtained liberty to remain in the House appropriated to the Representatives of Venice but under a Guard whose Office was to secure him from escape and observe his Actionâ—â— and yet with Liberality and Presents whiâ—h overcome the Turks more than any Consideration in the World he enjoyed as he pleased licence for his Health to take the fresh Air and use what freedom was reasonable Nor less injurious to the Law of Nations have been the Examples of Violence and Rage acted on the Persons of the French Ambassadors first on the Sieur Sensi accused upon suspicion of having contrived the escape of Konispolski General of the Polish Army taken Captive in a Fight and sent Prisoner to the above-said
having again recruited his Forces easily surprized and took the City whilst that People relying on the late Agreement suspected nothing less than the Prophet's Treachery And that such prefidiousness as this might not be Chronicled in future Ages in disparagement of his Sanctity he made it lawful for his Believers in Cases of like Nature when the Matter concerned those who are Infidels and of a different Perswasion neither to regard Promises Leagues or other Engagements and this is read in the Book of the Institutions of the Mahometan Law called Kitab Hadaia It is the usual Form and Custom when a noble Advantage is espied on any Country with which they have not sufficient ground of Quarrel to demand the Opinion of the Muftee for the lawfulness of War who without consulting other Consideration and Judgment of the reasonable Occasions than the utility of the Empire in conformity to the foregoing President of his Prophet passes his Fetfa or Sentence by which the War becomes warrantable and the Cause justified and allowed It is not to be denied but even amongst Christian Princes and other the most gallant People of the World Advantages have been taken contrary to Leagues and Faith and Wars commenced upon frivolous and slight Pretences and the States have never wanted Reasons for the breach of Leagues though confirmed by Oaths and all the Rites of Religious Vows We know it is controverted in the Schools whether Faith is to be maintained with Infidels with Hereticks and wicked Men which in my Opinion were more honourable to be out of Question But we never read that Perfidiousness by Act and Proclamation was allowable or that it was wholly to be Faithless until the Doctors of the Mahometan Law by the Example of their Prophet recorded and commanded this Lesson as a beneficial and useful Axiom to their Disciples And here I cannot but wonder at what I have heard and read in some Books of the Honesty and Justice of the Turks extolling and applauding them as Men accomplished with all the Vertues of a Moral Life thence seeming to infer that Christianity it self imposes none of those Engagements of Goodness on Mens Natures as the Professors of it do imagine But such Men I believe have neither read the Histories nor consulted the Rules of their Religion nor practised their Conversation and in all Points being ignorant of the truth of the Turks dealing it is not strange if through a charitable Opinion of what they know not they err in the Apprehension and Character they pass upon them OF THE Turkish Religion BOOK II. CHAP. I. Of the Religion of the Turks in General THE Civil Laws appertaining to Religion amongst the Turks are so confounded into one Body that we can scarce treat of one without the other for they conceive that the Civil Law came as much from God being delivered by their Prophet as that which immediately respects their Religion and came with the same Obligations and Injunctions to obedience And though this Polity was a Fiction of some who first founded certain Governments as Numa Pompilius Solon and the like to put the greater Engagements and ties on Men as well of Conscience as through fear of Punishment yet in the general that Proposition is true That all Laws which respect Right and Justice and are tending to a Foundation of Good and Honest Government are of God For there is no Power but of God and the Powers that be are ordained of God. And then if God owns the Creation and Constitution of all Princes and Rulers as well the Pagans as Christians the Tyrants as the Indulgent Fathers of their People and Country no less doth he disallow the Rules and Laws fitted to the Constitution and Government of a People giving no Dispensation to their Obedience because their Prince is a Tyrant or their Laws not founded according to true Reason but to the humour of their corrupted Judgments or Interest It is vulgarly known to all that their Law was compiled by Mahomet with the help of Sergius the Monk and thence this Superstition is named Mahometanism whose infamous Life is recorded so particularly in many other Books that it were too obvious to be repeated here and therefore we shall insist and take a view of the Rites Doctrines and Laws of the Turkish Religion which is founded in three Books which may not improperly be called the Codes and Pandects of the Mahometan Constitutions The first is the Alchoran the second the Consent or Testimony of Wisemen called the Assonah or the Traditions of the Prophets and the third the Inferences or Deductions of one thing from another Mahomet wrote the Alchoran and prescribed some Laws for the Civil Government the other Additions or Superstructures were composed by their Doctors that succeeded which were Ebbubecher Omer Ozman and Haly the Califfs of Babylon and Egypt were other Doctors and Expositors of their Law whose Sentences and Positions were of Divine Authority amongst them but their esteem of being Oraculous failing with their Temporal Power that Dignity and Authority of Infallible Determinations was by force of the Sword transferred to the Turkish Mufti And though there is great diversity amongst the Doctors as touching the explication of their Law yet he is esteemed a true Believer who observes these five Articles or Fundamentals of the Law to which every Turk is obliged The first is Cleanness in the Outward Parts of their Body and Garments Secondly To make Prayers five times a day Thirdly To observe the Ramazan or Monthly Fast. Fourthly To perform faithfully the Zekat or giving of Alms according to the proportion prescribed in a certain Book wrote by the four Doctors of theirs called Asan Embela c. Fifthly To make their Pilgrimage to Mecha if they have means and possibility to perform it But the Article of Faith required to be belived is but one viz. That that there is but one God and Mahomet his Prophet Other Rites as Circumcision Observation of a Friday for a Day of Devotion Abstinence from Swines-flesh and from Blood as they say amongst the five pincipal Points because they are enjoined as Trials and Proofs of Man's Obedience to the more necessary Law. CHAP. II. The Toleration that Mahometanism in its infancy promised to other Religions and in what manner that Agreement was afterwards observed WHEN Mahometanism was first weak and therefore put on a modest Countenance and plausible Aspect to deceive Mankind it found a great part of the World illuminated with Christianity enduâ—d with active Graces Zâ—al and Devotion and established within it self with purity of Doctrine Union and firm profession of the Faith though greatly shaken by the Heresies of Arius and Nestorius yet it began to be guâ—rdâ—d not only with its Patience Long-suffering and Hope but also with the Foâ—tifications Arms and Protection of Emperors and Kings so that Mahometanism coming then on the disadvantage and having a hard Game to play either by the lustre of Graces and Good Exaâ—ples of
a strict Life to out-shine Christianity or by a loosness and indulgence to corrupt Manners to pervert Men dedicated to God's Service or by Cruelty or Menaces to gain those who accounted Martyrdom their greatest Glory and were now also defended by the Power of their own Princes judges it beâ—t policy to make profâ—ers of Truce and Peace between the Christiâ—n and its own Profession and therefore in all places where its Arms were prevalent and prosperous proclaimed a free Toleration to all Religions but especially in outward appearance courted and favoured the Christiaâ— drawing its Tenents and Doctrines in some conformity to that Rule confessing Christ to be a Prophet and greater than Moses that he was born of a Virgin that Mary conceived by the smell of a Rose that the blessed Virgin was free from Original Sin and the Temptations of the Devil that Christ was the Word of God and is so styled in the Alchoran and cured Diseases raised the Dead and worked many Miracles and by his Power his Disciples did the like and I have heard some speak of him with much reverence and with heat to deny Christ's Pashion saying it were an impiety to believe that God who loved and had conferred so much Power and so many Grace on Christ should so far dishonour him as to deliver him into the Hands of the Iews who were the worst and most scorned of Men or to the Death of the Cross which was the most infamous and vile of all Punishments In this manner they seemed to make a League with Christianity to be Charitable Modest and well-wiâ—hers to its Professours and Mahomet himself says in his Alchoran thus O Infidels I do not adore what you adore and you adore not what I worship observe you your Law and I will observe mine And for a farther assurance of his Toleration of Christianity and evidence to the World that his Intention was neither to persecute nor extirpate their Religion he made this following Compact the Original of which was found in the Monastery of Fryars on Mount Carmel and as it is said was transported to the King's Library in France which because it is Ancient and of Curiosity it will not be impertinent to be inserted here Mahomet sent from God to teach Mankind and declare the Divine Commission in Truth wrote these things That the Cause of Christian Religion determined by God might remain in all parts of the East and of the West as well amongst the Inhabitants as Strangers near and remote known and unknown to all these People I leave this present Writing as an inviolable League as a decision of all farther Controversies and a Law whereby Justice is declared and strict observance enjoined Therefore whosoever of the Mosselman's Faith shall neglect to perform these Things and violate this League and after the manner of Infidels break it and transgress what I command herein he breaks the Compact of God resists his Agreement and contemns his Testament whether he be a King or any other of the Faithful By this Agreement whereby I have obliged my self and which the Christians have required of me and in my Name and in the Name of all my Disciples to enter into a Covenant of God with them and League and Testament of the Prophets Apostles Elect and Faithful Saints and blessed of Times past and to come By this Covenant I say and Testament of mine which I will have maintained with as much Religion as a Prophet Missionary or as an Angel next to the Divine Majesty is strict in his Obedience towards God and in observance to his Law and Covenant I promise to defend their Judges in my Provinces with my Horse and Foot Auxiliaries and other my faithful Followers and to preserve them from their Enemies whether remote or near and secure them both in Peace and War and to protect their Churches Temples Oratories Monasteries and Places of Pilgrimage wheresoever situated whether Mountain or Valley Cavern or House a Plain or upon the Sand or in what sort of Edifice soever also to preserve their Religion and their Goods in what part soever they are whether at Land or Sea East or West even as I keep my self and my Sceptre and the faithful Believers of my own People Likewise to receive them into my Protection from all Harm Vexation Offence and Hurt Moreover to repel those Enemies which are offensive to them and me and stoutly to oppose them both in my own Person by my Servants and all others of my People and Nation For since I am set over them I ought to preserve and defend them from all Adversity and that no Evil touch them before it first afflict mine who labour in the same Work. I promise farther to free them from those Burthens which Confederates suffer either by Lones of Mony or Impositions so that they shall be obliged to pay nothing but what they please and no molestation or injury shall be offered them herein A Bishop shall not be removed from his Diocess or a Christian compelled to renounce his Faith or a Monk his Profession or a Pilgrim disturbed in his Pilgrimage or a Religious Man in his Cell Nor shall their Churches be destroyed or converted into Mosques for whosoever doth so break this Covenant of God opposes the Messenger of God and frustrates the Divine Testament No Impositions shall be laid upon Fryars or Bishops nor any of them who are not liable to Taxes unless it be with their own consent And the Tax which shall be required from Rich Merchants and from Fisher-men of their Pearl from Miners of their Pretious Stones Gold and Silver and all other rich and opulent Christians shall not exceed above twelve shillings yearly and it shall also be from them who are constant Inhabitants of the place and not from Travellers and Men of an uncertain Abode for they shall not be subject to Impositions or Contributions unless they are Possessours of Inheritance of Land or Estate for he which is lawfully subject to pay Mony to the Emperor shall pay as much as another and not more nor more required from him above his faculty and strength In like manner he that is taxed for his Land Houses or Revenue shall not be burthened immoderately nor oppressed with greater Taxes than any others that pay Contribution Nor shall the Confederates be obliged to go to the War with the Mosselmans against their Enemies either to fight or discover their Armies because it is not of duty to a Confederate to be employed in Military Affairs but rather this compact is made with them that they may be the less oppressed but rather the Mosselmans shall Watch and Ward and defend them And therefore that they be not compelled to go forth to fight or encounter the Enemy or find Horse or Arms unless they voluntarily furnish them and he who shall thus willingly contribute shall be recompensed and rewarded No Mosselman shall infest the Christians noâ— contend with them in any thing
any grant of savour or dispensation The Mahometan Religion tolerates Christian Churches and Houses of Devotion in places where they have been anciently founded but admits not of holy Buiâ—dings on new foundations they may repair the old Coverings and Roofs but cannot lay a Stone in a new place Consecrated to Divine Service nor if Fire or any accident destroy the Superstructure may a new strength be added to the foundation wherewith to underprop for another Building so that at last the Christian Churches in those Dominions must necessarily come to ruin as many already have submitted to the common fate of time And as it happened in the great and notable Fires of Galata first and then of Constantinople in the year 1660 that many of the Christian Churches and Chapels were brought to Ashes and afterwards by the Piety and Zeal of Christians scarce re-edified before by publick order they were thrown down again into their former heaps being judged contrary to the Turkish Law to permit Churches again to be restored of which no more remained than the meer foundation CHAP. III. The Arts wherewith the Turkish Religion is propagated THE Turks though they offer the specious outside of the foregoing toleration yet by their Law are authorized to enforce Mens Consciences to the profession of their Faith and that is done by various arts and niceties of Religion For if a man turn Turk his Children under the age of 14 years though educated with other Principles must be forced to the same persuasion Men that speak against the Mahometan Law that have rashly promised at a time of distraction or drunkenness to become Turks or have had a carnal knowledge of a Turkish Woman must either become Martyrs or Apostates besides many other subtilties they have to entrap the Souls of Christians within the entanglements of their Law. It is another Policy wherewith the Mahometan Sect hath been encreased the accounting it a Principle of Religion not to deliver a City or Fortress by consent or voluntary surrender where Mosques have been once built and Mahometanism professed And therefore the Turk no sooner enters a Town by Conquest but immediately lays foundation for his Temples thereby imposing an obligation of an obstinate and constant resolution on the conscience of the defendants which many times hath been found to have been more forcible and prevalent on the spirits of men than all the terrours and miseries of Famine Sword or other calamities It is well enough known upon what different interests Christianity and Mahometanism were introduced into the World the first had no other enforcements than the persuasions and Sermons of a few poor Fishermen verified with Miracles Signs and Inspiration of the Holy Ghost carrying before it the promises of another life and considerations of a glorified spirituality in a state of separation but the way to it was obstructed with the opposition of Emperours and Kings with scorn and contempt with persecution and death and this was all the encouragement proposed to Mankind to embrace this Faith but Mahometanism made its way with the Sword what knots of Argument he could not untie he cut and made his spiritual power as large as his temporal made his precepts easie and pleasant and acceptable to the fancy and appetite as well as to the capacity of the vulgar representing Heaven to them not in a spiritual manner or with delights unexpressible and ravishments known onely in part of illuminated Souls but with gross conceptions of the beauty of Women with great Eyes of the duration of one act of Carnal copulation for the space of sixty years and of the beastly satisfaction of a gluttonous Palate things absurd and ridiculous to wise and knowing Men but yet capable to draw multudes of its professours and carnal defenders of its verity And this Doctrine being irrational to the better sort of judgments causes the Lawyers who are men of the subtilest capacities amongst the Turks to mistrust much of the truth of the Doctrine of Mahomet especially the assertions relating to the condition of the other life For the representation of the delights of the next World in a corporeal and sensual manner being inconsistent with their reason leads them to doubt the truth of that point and so wavering with one scruple proceed to a mistrust of the whole System of the Mahometan Faith. One would think that in such men a way were prepared for the entertainment of a Religion erected on more solid principles and foundations and that the Jews might gain such Proselytes to their Law from which a great part of the Mahometan superstition was borrowed or that the Christians might take advantage in so well disposed subjects to produce something of the Mystery of Godliness But the first are a people so obnoxious to scorn and contempt esteemed by the Turks to be the scum of the World and the worst of men that it is not probable their Doctrine can gain a reputation with those to whom their very persons and bloud are vile and detestable nor is it likely the Christians will ever be received by them with greater Authority and more favourable inclination untill they acquit themselves of the scandal of Idolatry which the Images and Pictures in their Churches seem to accuse them of in the eyes and judgment of the Turks who are not versed in the subtile distinctions of Schoolmen in the limitations and restrictions of that Worship and the evasions of their Doctours matters not onely sufficient to puzzle and distract the gross heads of Turks but to strain the wits of learned Christians to clear them from that imputation But to return to our purpose The propagation of the Mahometan Faith having been promoted wholly by the Sword that persuasion and principle in their Catechism that the Souls of those who die in the Wars against the Christians without the help of previous acts of performance of their Law or other Works are immediately transported to Paradise must necessarily whet the Swords and raise the Spirits of the Soldiers which is the reason that such Multitudes of them as we read in History run evidently to their own Slaughter esteeming their Lives and Bodies at no greater price than the value of Stones and Rubbish to fill Rivulets and Ditches that they may but erect a Bridge or Passage for their fellows to assault their Enemieâ— The success of the Mahometan Arms produced another argument for the confirmation of their Faith and made it a Principle That whatsoever prospers hath God for the Authour and by how much more successfull have been their Wars by so much the more hath God been an owner of their Cause and Religion And the same argument if I am not mistaken in the times of the late Rebellion in England was made use of by many to intitle God to their Cause and make him the Authour of their thriving Sin because their wickedness prospered and could trample on all holy and humane Rights with impunity And I have known that
the Romanists have judged the Afflictions and almost Subversion of the Church of England to be a token of God's desertion and disclaim of her Profession forgetting the Persecutions and Martyrdoms of the Primitive Saints and that the Church of God is built in Sorrow and established with patience and passive Graces but these men rather than want an argument their malice will use the weapons of Infidels to oppugn the truth And on this ground the Turks so horribly detest and abhor the Iews calling them the forsaken of God because they are Vagabonds over all the World and have no Temporal Authority to protect them And though according to the best enquiry I could make that report is not true That they permit not a Iew to become a Turk but by turning a Christian first as a nearer step and previous disposition to the Musselman's Faith yet it is certain they will not receive the Corps of a Renegado Iew into their Cemeteries or place of Burial and the Iews on the other side disowning any share or part in him his loathed Carkass is thrown into some Grave distant from other Sepulchres as unworthy the Society of all Mankind CHAP. IV. The Power and Office of the Mufti 's and of their Government in Religious Matters THE Mufti is the principal head of the Mahometan Religion or Oracle of all doubtfull questions in the Law and is a person of great esteem and reverence amongst the Turks his Election is solely in the Grand Signior who chuses a man to that office always famous for his Learning in the Law and eminent for his vertues and strictness of Life his Authority is so great amongst them that when he passes Judgment or Determination in any point the Grand Signior himself will in no wise contradict or oppose it The Title which the Grand Signior gives unto the Mufâ—i when he writes to him is To the Esad who art the Wisest of the Wise instructed in all Knowledge the most Excelent of Excellent abstaining from things Vnlawfull the Spring of Vertue and True Scilence Heir of the Prophetick and Apostolical Doctrines Resâ—lver of the Problems of Faith Revealer of the Orthodox Articles Key of the Treasures of Truth the Light to Doubtfull Allegories strengthened with the grace of the Supreme Assistour and Legislatour of Mankind May the most High God perpetuate thy Vertues His power is not compulsory but onely resolving and persuasive in matters both Civil and â—riminal and of State his manner of resolves is by writing the question being first stated in Paper briefly and succinctly he underneath subscribes his sentence by Yes or No or in some other short Determination called a Fetfa with the addition of these words God knows better by which it is apparent that the Determinations of the Mufti are not esteemed infallible This being brought to the Cadee or Judge his Judgment is certainly regulated according thereunto and Law Suits of the greatest moment concluded in an hour without Arrests of Judgment Appeals or other dilatory Arts of the Law. In matters of State the Sultan demands his opinion whether it be in Condemnation of any great man to Death or in making War or Peace or other important Affairs of the Empire either to appear the more just and religious or to incline the People more willingly to Obedience And this practice is used in business of greatest moment scarce a Visier is proscribed or a Pashaw for pretence of crime displaced or any matter of great alteration or change designed but the Grand Signior arms himself with the Mufti 's Sentence for the nature of man reposes more security in innocence and actions of Justice than in the absolute and uncontrollable power of the Sword. And the Grand Signior though he himself is above the Law and is the Oracle and Fountain of Justice yet it is seldom that he proceeds so irregularly to contemn that Authority wherein their Religion hath placed an ultimate power of Decision in all their Controversies But sometimes perhaps Queries are sent from the Grand Signior to the Mufti which he cannot resolve with satisfaction of his own â—onscience and the ends of the Sultan by which means affairs important to the well being of the State meet delays and impediment In this case the Mufti is fairly dismissed from his infallible office and another Oracle introduced who may resolve the difficult demands with a more favourable Sentence if not he is degraded like the former and so the next untill one is found apt to Prophesie according to what may best agree with the interest of his Master This Office was in past times esteemed more sacred by the Ottoman Princes than at present for no War was undertaken or great Enterprize set on foot but first like the Oracle or Augur his Determination with great Reverence was required as that without which no blessing or success could be expected but in these days they are more remiss in this manner of Consultation sometimes it is done for formality but most commonly the Prime Visier conceited of his own Judgment and Authority assumes the Power to himself and perhaps first does the thing and afterwards demands the Approbation of it by the sense of the Law. And herein the Mufti hath a spacious Field for his Interpretation for it is agreed that their Law is temporary and admits of Expositions according to times and state of things And though they Preach to the People the perfection of their Alchoran yet the wiser men hold that the Mufti hath an expository power of the Law to â—â—â—rove and better it according to the state of things times and conveniences of the Empire for that their Law was never designed to be a clog or confinement to the propagation of Faith but an advancement thereof and therefore to be interpreted in the largest and farthest fetched sense when the strict words will not reach the design intended So it was once propounded to the Mufti what rule should be observed in the devotion of a Turk carried Slave into the Northern parts of the World where in Winter is but one hour of day how he might possibly comply with his obligation of making prayers five times within the twenty four hours viz. Morning Noon Afternoon Sunset and at an hour and half in the Night when the whole day being but of one hour admitted of none of these distinctions for resolution of which the Mufti answered that God commanded not things difficult as it is in the Alchoran and that matters ought to be ordered in conformity to time and place and making short Prayers once before day then twice in the hour of light and twice after it is dark the duty is complied with Another question of the same nature was proposed to the Mufti concerning the Kiblah or holy place of Mecha to which they are obliged to turn their faces in their Prayers how at Sea where they had no mark especially bad Geographers as commonly the Turks are it is possible to comply
of old Bizantium and the Mother-Church belonging to the Patriarchal See of Greece is still conserved sacred and separated for use of Divine Service of the Revenue of which Mahometan Barbarism and Superstition hath made no Sacrilegious Robbery but maintained and improved and added to it in that manner that the Income may equal any Religious foundation â—f Christendom for when I had the Curiosity of procuring from the Registers of that Church distinctly all the particular Gifts Benefices Lands Monies at Interest and other Endowments belonging thereunto and offered according to my ability something considerable to have a true Copy of the Riches and annual Rent of the place the Keepers of those Lists would persuade me whether out of ostentation or scruple of sin to make one of my Faith acquainted with the particulars of their Religious offerings that the Wealth Rent and Account of all those Royal Endowments are so many that as they are distinctly set down fill a Volume and the knowledge of them is the study alone of those who are designed to this service but in general I am given to understand by those who magnifie not matters beyond their due computation That the Revenue amounts to about One hundred thousand Zechins a year which proceeds not from any Lands or Duties raised without the Walls of the City but all from within the Sultan himself being a Tenant to that place paying or acknowledging a Rent of One thousand and one Asper a day for the ground which the Seraglio stands on being in times of the Christian Emperours some part of the Sanctuary or Gardens dedicated to the use of that stately Temple which the Turks esteemed Sacrilegious to separate intirely from the holy service to which it was assigned though the admirable situation thereof rendreth it unfit for other habitation than the enjoyment of the Sultan and did therefore think fit to oblige the Land to a Rent adding the odd Asper as a signification that the thousand Aspers were not a sufficient consideration for the use of the Church Lands and might therefore be augmented as the piety and devotion of succeeding Emperours should move them It is reported by the Turks that Constantinople was taken upon Wednesday and that on the Friday following which is their Sunday or Sabbath as we call it the victorious Sultan then first entitled Emperour went with all Magnifieent pomp and solemnity to pay his thanksgiving and devotions at the Church of Sancta Sophia the Magnificence so pleased him that he immediately added a yearly Rent of 10000 Zechins to the former Endowments for the maintenance of Imaums or Priests Doctours of their Law Talismans and others who contâ—nually attend there for the education of youth teaching them to read and write instructing them also in the principles of their Law and Religion Other Emperours have since that time erected near unto it their Turbem or Chapels of Burial in one of which lies Sultan Selim sirnamed Sarbose or the Drunken with his one hundred Children and therewith have conferred a maintenance of Oil for Lamps and Candles which burn day and night and a provision for those who attend there in prayer for their Souls departed to which opinion the Turks as I have said already are generally inclinable though not preached or enforced on any man's belief as an Article of Faith. Over and above this expence there is daily provision made for relief of a multitude of poor who at certain hours appear at the Gates of the Temple and receive their daily sustenance whatsoever advances as yearly great Sums are laid up in the Treasury is numbred with the Riches of the Mosch and remains for the service of that place as for the reparation or building thereof in case of fire or other accidents Besides the sumptuous Edifices of the body of the Royal Moschs there are annexed unto them certain Colleges for Students in the Law called Tehmele out-houses or Kitchens where the poors Meat is dressed Hospitals called Timarhanelar Hans or Houses of Lodgings for Strangers or Travellers publick Fountains Shops for Artizans and whole Streets of low Cottages for habitation of the poor whose stock reaches not to a higher Rent All these Appendages bring some Revenue to the Mosch which is constantly paid in to the Rector or President thereof called Mutevelli but because this is not a sufficient maintenance there are divers Lands Villages Mountains Woods and whole Countries assigned to this use called Wakfi which are hired out at certain Rents for the behoof and benefit of the Moschs some Rents being paid in Corn others in Oil and all sorts of Provisions and out of every new Conquered Countrey some part thereof is assigned to the use of Moschs of modern Fabrick as now from the Countrey gained lately about Newhausell which as I am informed from those who gave in the account to the Grand Signior there are 2000 Villages which pay Contribution to the Turk are assigned certain Lands for encrease of the Rent of the Moschs built at Constantinople by this present Queen-Mother which Rents are sometimes raised by the way of Tenths or Tithes not that the Turk makes Tithes a duty or Rule for the maintenance of persons places and things consecrated to Divine Service but as they find it a convenient and equal expedient in some Countries for leviation of their Rents Such Countries and Villages as these which are called Wakfi are greatly blessed and happy above others in regard that the Inhabitants enjoy not onely particular privileges and immunities from thence but freedom likewise from oppression of Pashaws and the Turkish Souldiery in their march or of great Persons in their journey or passage from one Countrey to another who out of reverence to that lot to which they are separated abstain from all kind of disturbance and abuse towards that people Other Moschs of inferiour quality founded by private persons and the consents of Dervises and other Orders which cannot have their Revenues in Land like the Moschs of Royal Foundation have their Estates in Money bequeathed by Testament or by Gift of the Living which being lent out at eighteen in the hundred per annum produces a constant Rent and though Interest for the most part is â—orbidden by the Mahomitan Law yet for the uses of Moschs and support of Orphans it is allowed in all other cases is Haram and abominable And because the taking up of Money upon Loan is in some manner necessary and conducing to the better subsistence and being of Trade and that men will not lend without a consideration or benefit the usual manner is to borrow Money for a certain time and in the Writing or Obligation to acknowledge the receipt of as much as the Principal and Interest may amount unto and oftentimes double of the Capital summ which being delivered before witness in a Bag or in Gross the Creditor declaring the summ to be so much therein contained and the Debtor acknowledging it the Testimony is valid when
generally addict themselves to the study of their Civil Law in which they use constant exercises in arguing opposing and answering whereby to leave no point undiscovered or not discussed In short they are highly Pharisaical in all their comportment great admirers of themselves and scorners of others that conform not to their Tenents scarce affording them a salutation or common communication they refuse to marry their Sons with those of a different Rite but amongst themselves they observe a certain Policy they admonish and correct the disorderly and such who are not bettered by their persuasions they reject and excommunicate from their Society These are for the most part Tradesmen whose sedentary life affords opportunity and nutriment to a melancholy and distempered fancy But those of this Sect who strangely mix Christianity and Mahometanism together are many of the Souldiers that live on the confines of Hungary and Bosna reading the Gospel in the Sclavonian Tongue with which they are supplied out of Ragusa besides which they are curious to learn the Mysteries of the Alchoran and the Law of the Arabick Tongue and not to be accounted rude and illiterate they affect the Courtly Persian They drink Wine in the month of Fast calâ—â—d the Ramazan but to take off the scandal they refuse Cinamon or other Spices in it and then call it Hardali and passes current for lawfull Liquor They have a Charity and Affection for Christians and are ready to protect them from injuries and violences of the Turks They believe yet that Mahomet was the Holy Ghost promised by Christ and that the descending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was a Figure and Type of Mahomet interpreting in all places the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie their Prophet in whose Ear the white Dove revealed the Infallible directions to happiness The Potures of Bosna are of this Sect but pay Taxes as Christians do they abhor Images and the Sign of the Cross they circumcise bringing the Authority of Christ's example for it which also the Copticks a Sect of the Greek Church imitated but have now as I am informed lately disused that custome Another subtle point about the Divine Attributes hath begot a Sect amongst the Ianizaries called Bektaschi from one Bektash which seems an improper subject so deep in the Metaphysical speculation to trouble such gross heads as theirs they began as it is said in the time of Solyman the Magnificent and are called by some Zerati that is those who have Copulation with their own Kindred and by the vulgar Mumsconduren or extinguishers of the Candle This Sect observe the Law of Mahomet in Divine Worship with a strictness and superstition above any of the Precisians of that Religion but hold it unlawfull to adjoyn any Attributes to God by saying that God is great or God is mercifull by reason that the nature of God being infinite and incomprehensible cannot fall under the weak and imperfect conceptions of man's understanding which can imagine nothing applicable to his Nature Of this Sect there was a famous Poet amongst the Turks called Nemisi that was flead alive for saying when the Emaum called the People to prayers at the ordinary hours from the Steeple with the usual word Allah Ekber God is one That he lied upon the supposition that no Epithete can be predicated of the Divine Essence Amongst the Ianizaries are at present many principal Commanders of this Sect but formerly were more in the time of Becktosh Aga Kul Kabya Mahomet Aga and others who for their Rebellion in Constantinople as we related before were put to death under the Historical Pillar in the time of this present Emperours minority These people against the instinct of nature use Carnal Copulation promiscuously with their own Kindred the Fathers mixing with their Sons and Daughters without respect to proximity of bloud or nearness in the degrees of relation suffering themselves to be transported contrary to the abhorrency of Nature by a weak and illogical comparison of the lawfulness and reason that he who engrafted the Tree and planted the Vine should rather taste of the Fruit than resign the benefit of his labours to the enjoyment of others and in this Argument act against the inclination of innate modesty according to that of Seneca Ferae quoque ipsae Veneris evitant nefas Generisque leges inscius servat pudor These people are easily induced to give false witness or testimony in the favour of their Sect without consideration of Equity or reasonableness of their cause by which means invading the right of others they became rich and powerfull untill they were debased by the deprivation of Becktashes Authority and Power of other potent favourers of their Sect and though afterwards upheld by Sudgi Beker a Standard-Bearer of the Ianizaries a rich and learned man they received a second blow by his death he executed by a Visier Kupriuli Mahomet for his diversity in Religion and Wealth together but farther animosity against this Sect was dissembled at that time by reason of the multitude of those professours in Constantinople and because reason of State saw it at that time necessary to draw bloud in many parts of the Empire for other causes than for errours in Religion The Sect called Sabin though Mahometans in profession seem yet to run contrary to the stream and general consent of all its professours who give themselves commonly the Title of Enemies and Confounders of Idolatry and yet these notwithstanding seem from the influence the Sun and Moon have on sublunary bodies of all living sensitive Creatures to conclude a certain Divinity in those common Lights of the World. In Constantinople there are some few Astrologers and Physicians of this Sect but in Parthia and Media they are numerous the Men commonly worshipping the Sun and the Women the Moon and others the Artick Pole they are not strict in a severity of life or in the conformity to the prescriptions of their Law but govern themselves with morality and prudence They are not apt to believe the immortality of the Soul nor the reward of Vertue or punishment of Vice in the next World nor prone to vindicate themselves from injuries reproachfull language or other evil actions of men but regarding them as the natural effects of the Celestial influences are no more provoked by them than we are with a shower of Rain for wetting us or the intense heat of the Sun in the Summer Solstice Munasihi is a Sect purely Pythagorical which believes the Metempsychosis or Transmigration of Souls of which there are some in Constantinople one Albertus Bobovius a Polonian by Nation but educated in the Seraglio and instructed in all the Learning of the Turkish Literature from whom I freely confess to have received many of my observations related to me a pleasant discourse that passed between him and a Dorgist at Constantinople touching this subject This Dorgist being Learned was the occasion that Albertus frequented his Shop
by a Vow to give such a quantity of bread a day to the Dogs of such a Street others bequeath it by Testament for they maintain their quarters from other wandring Curs and join together in a strange manner to preserve certain limits free from others that are not whelped and bred amongst them The Camel is another sort of Beast to which the Turks bear not onely a love but a religious reverence accounting it a greater sin to over burthen and tire them with too much labour than the Horse because it is the Beast most common to the holy parts of Arabia and carries the Alchoran in Pilgrimage that I have observed those who have the government of the Camels when they have given water to them in a Bason to take off the foam or froth that comes from the Mouth of the Beast and with that as if it were some rare Balsame with a singular devotion to anoint their Beards and thereat with a Religious sigh groan out Hadgi Baba Hadgi Baba which is as much as Oh Father Pilgrim O Father Pilgrim And thus having run through the most observable points of the Turkish Religion it will be now time to take a view of their Host and Militia being that by which their Empire is more supported than either by their Policy in Civil Government or Profession in Religion THE THIRD BOOK Wherein is Treated of The Turkish Militia CHAP. I. Of the present state of the Military Discipline in general amongst the Turks WHoever is acquainted with the state of the Turkish Empire and hath duly considered the premisses of this foregoing Treatise will easily judge that the main Sinews of the Ottomâ—n Kingdom consist in the force of the Spahees Ianizaries and the other Auxiliaries and that this Government being wholly founded upon Martial Discipline and the Law of Arms is most obliged to the Constitutions and supported on the Props related in this following Discourse for this People having neither entred into the Possession of this Empire as into an uninhabited and desart Land as Colonies of other Nations have done into Countries new found or discovered nor got admittance precariously from the Graecian Princes for the benefit of their Neighbourhood and Commerce but have opened their way to Possession and Government by meer force and power of the Sword whereby their Constitutions Laws Customs and Manners of living are wholly agreeable to the warlike Discipline of a Camp and to the quickness and ready execution of Martial Law. And if it be true in Morality as it is in Nature that things are conserved by the same cause by which they are produced it will necessarily follow that this Ottoman Empire which was begot by Arms and had Mars its onely Father will never be nourished by softness and the arts and blandishments of Peace But he that takes a view of the Ottoman Armies as described in various Histories renowned for their Chivalry and Discipline in the times of Sultan Selim or Solyman the Magnificent and designs thence to extract a draught or Copy for his present speculation will find himself much at a loss in framing true conjectures of the puissance of the Turks or the Rules of their Government by comparison of former times with this present age For that ancient sublimity and comely Majesty in the Empire is much abated the Forces by Land decayed and the Maritime power by ill success and unskillfull and slothfull Seamen reduced to an inconsiderable condition the Countries are dispeopled and the Royal Revenue abated nothing remains of those plenteous stores and provisions of War nor that Regiment and Discipline continued in peace none of that ancient observation of their Laws and Religion nor that love and respect to the Militia which is now become degenerate soft and effeminate nor is the Ottoman Court so prone to remunerate the services and exalt the interest of the Cavalry or maintain the reputation of the Ianizaries In brief there are no Reliques of ancient Justice or Generosity of discreet Government or Obedience to it of Courtesie or Concord of Valour or Counsel nor yet of Confidence Friendship or generous Fidelity But though this Empire hath many of these distempers and begins to grow factious and yet slothfull and desirous to avoid the occasions of War as all Governments have been which in their youth and first beginnings were eager active and provoked through Poverty in their riper years grown Rich and Luxurious with Plenty have declined afterwards as from the Meridian of their Greatness and Power yet the Turks maintain still the extent of their Dominions and if they have lost ground in one place like the Sea they have recovered it in another if in Asia the Persians have taken from them Rivan Schirvan Tibris Lyris and Ghenge it is but a recovery of their own Dominions if they are dispossessed in Ethiopia of Eden and other parts of Arabia Felix they have recompenced themselves in Europe by their footing in Candia and in Hungary by the late Conquest of Newheusel and Novigrade and in Transilvania by the additions of Ianova and Waradin But this Empire as vast and large as it is is yet dispeopled the Villages abandoned and whole provinces as pleasant and fruitfull as Tempe or Thessaly uncultivate and turned into a Desart or Wilderness all which desolation and ruine proceeds from the Tyranny and Rapine of the Beglerbegs and Pashaws who either in their Journies to the possession of their Government or return from thence expose the poor Inhabitants to violence and injury of their Attendants as if they had entred the Confines of an Enemy or the Dominions of a Conquered People In like manner the insolence of the Horse and Foot is unsupportable for in their marches from one Countrey to another Parties of 20 or 30 are permitted to make excursions into divers parts of their own Dominions where they not onely live upon free quarter but extort Money and Cloaths from the poor Vassals â—aking their Children to sell for Slaves especially the Bulgarians and Serviâ—ns and the people of Bosna and Albania which being ignorant of the Turkish Tongue and sold for Russians Hungarians or Moscovites so that rather than be exposed to much misery and licence of the Soldiery the poor people choose to abandon their dwellings and wander into other Cities or seek for refuge in the Mountains of Wâ—ods of the Countrey In fine though generally the Military Offices are in the same form and the Soldiery disposed according to the ancient Rule and Canon yet licentiousness and negligence have so prevailed in the Officers as to introduce that corruption which renders them wholly altered and estranged from their first Discipline For the Commanders upon every light occasion are contented to make Otoracks or Stipendiaries such as enjoy the pay and privileges of a Soldier and yet are excused from the Wars which they easily purchase with a small Sum of Money for a scratch or a flesh-wound gained in the Wars wholly against the
he himself did think fit to nominate and appoint over which the Vice-King was as Chief Commissioner to preside And thus the Parties of both Religions being disgusted and animated to Fight pro Aris Focis for their Laws their Country and Religion Fury and Despair served them in the place of Counsel Money and other Nerves and Sinews of War So that when one party was cut off another arose in greater numbers and like Hydra's increased the more by being destroyed Amongst which appear'd a bold Fellow nam'd Striâ—iniski who pretended to be sent by the Governors fo the Mountain Towns calling himself Duke Iohn and with his own name signed and issued out Commissions and dispersed them every where as if he had been the Sole and Sovereign Prince of that Country Many persons adher'd to him and followed his Standard looking on him as a bold and a daring Fellow who seldom gave quarter to any much less to Jesuits and Priests to whom he never showed mercy whensoever any of that character fell within his Power The which was again revenged by Count Strazoldo in such cruel manner without distinction of persons either of guilty or innocent that the Imperial Council taking notice thereof sent their Orders to him to uâ—e better moderation in his future actings and to treat the Hungarians with more gentleness which tho' he observed in respect to the Sword of his own Souldiers who were forbidden to Massacre or shed their Blood yet being directed to take and bring them before the Courts of Justice by which a speedy Sentence was passed and some were condemned to be hanged some be quarter'd others to be empaled this way of process seemed much more cruel and sâ—vere than a speedy Execution by the Sword of the Soldiery ANNO 1674. Tho' the Grand Seignior had not as yet publickly own'd the cause of the Malecontents howsoever the Pasha's and Officers had receiv'd private Instructions to countenance and favour their Causâ— without open â—eâ—unciations of a War and many Turks in hopes of Plunder and Booty habited themselves in the Hungarian fashion and joyn'd with their Troops and several parties of Turks in great numbers pretending that the Christians in a Hostile manner had made Incursions within their Territories came openly to revenge them and march'd as far as Schentha from whence they carried away an Hungarian Gentleman with 7 Soldiers Upon this Advice Lieutâ—nant Colonel de Soyer with his Dragoons and Hussars Sallied out of the Town to the rescuâ— of the Prisoners but being surpriz'd by 5 Companies of Turkish Foot who issued out of an Ambuscade where they had conceal'd themselves Soyer himself was kill'd with 2 Liâ—utenants 1 Ensign 4 Sâ—rjeants and 80 common Soldiâ—rs The Garrison of Newhawsel encourag'd with this Success continu'd their Incursions along the River of Waagh and made some dâ—predations but being pursu'd by the Hussars and Heydukes of Comorra they were forc'd to surrender 200 Head of Cattle together with all the Booty and Plunder they had taken Thus whilst Matters succeeded with various Successes but most commonly in favour of the Emperor both Parties acted their Cruelties upon each other the Malecontents as often as the Priests fell into their hands they us'd them but very scurvily they buried one of them alive of others they cut off their Noses and Ears and hanged or strangled others In punishment of which the Emperor Order'd the Vice-King to drive the Protestant Ministers out of his Dominions and to seize upon all their Churches to the use of the Catholicks and not to suffer them to meet or exercise their Religious Worship therein In pursuance of these Orders the Bishops of Colonitz and Iavarow seiz'd upon all the Churches Schools Livings and Benefices whatsoever belonging to the Protestant Clergy within their Diocesses And the Archbishop of Strigonium Primate of that Kingdom cited all the Protestant Ministers to appear before him and put many of them to the Question forcing them to confess who those were who for the two last years were the chief Incendiaries of Seditions and Authors of the Rebellion Nor were the smaller sort of the Malecontents only persecuted but some of the great Men and chief Ministers in the Emperor's Court were suspected and accused of correspondence and intelligence with the Rebels The Prince Lubkovitz President of the Council was suspected and accus'd but whether that jealousie arose from the near alliance in Blood he had with the Family of Serini or from malicious Informations is uncertain howsoever his Secretary by Order of the Emperor was put to the Torture and tho' therein he confess'd nothing which could accuse or reflect on his Master yet he was treated as a guilty person and all his Estate real and personal in Austria and Bohemia were seiz'd and confiscated to the use and benefit of the Emperor Count Souches had the like misfortune to have his Fidelity and Loyalty suspected but in regard nothing could be prov'd against him he was commanded to leave the Court and retire to his Government of Waradine or some other part of his Estate The Son also in resentment of this hard usage of his Father abandon'd the Court and all the Offices he enjoy'd therein ANNO 1675. At the beginning of this year the Turks began more openly to assert the Cause of the Malecontents making their Incursions as far as Freystadt within the Neighbourhood of Presburg forcing the People to do Homage and pay Contributions to the Grand Seignior and for default thereof they burnt many Villages and committed other acts of Hostility The Malecontents at the same time defeated a great part of a Croatian Regiment under the Command of Colalto By which and the Advices that the Turks were assembled in a Body of 14000 Men within the Neighbourhood of Newhawsel the Emperor fearing lest they should joyn with the Malecontents convened the chief Lords and Gentlemen of Hungary at Presburg to which place he sent Count Siaki to tender them Conditions of an accommodation of which Prince Apafi frankly offer'd himself to be the Mediator At this Assembly some of the more moderate Men who were desirous to bring Matters to a good understanding represented unto their Companions the ruine and destruction which must necessarily ensue from a Civil War and tho' the exercise of their Religion ought to be dearer to them than their Lives and to be preferr'd before all earthly benefits yet the same Religion taught them not to rebel against their Prince or make Wars for the sake thereof whose foundation and design was peace much less could they justifie the engaging the Turk therein unless whilst they profess'd themselves Protestants they acted like Mahometans But these and many other things were spoken in vain to Men who were possess'd with a Zeal for their Religion year 1675. and with an Opinion that they were Martyrs who died in defence thereof And in regard those of them who were in Hungary were not able
he had pushed forward his Men to the utmost of their Mettle so that here we may observe that his accursed Avarice which had been the Ruine of so many Persons was now the Cause of his own Destruction The Vizier began to open his Trenches about fifty Paces distant from the Counterscarp in the Suburbs of St. Ulric or the Garden of Madam Spina where the rising of the Walks by the obscurity of the Night gave them an advantagious ground for raising some Batteries and in the Morning two Spahees were commanded to throw a Writing in a Linnen Bag into the Counterscarp which they performed running full speed with their Horses The substance of which was this These Presents are to make known unto you the Generals Governour Soldiers and Noble Citizens of the City of Vienna That according to the Orders we have received from the most Happy most Powerful most Invincible and most Mighty Emperor of the Universe our Master who is the true Image of God living on the Earth and who by the Grace and Favour of the Almighty following the Example of our Prophet Mahomet Mustapha to whom be Glory and Honour and Blessing is by a Multitude of Miracles become the Greatest Sovereign both of one and the other World and the Supreme Emperor of all Kings and Princes hath sent hither his Armies which are without number to the intent that they shall take Vienna and there Establish the Worship of our True Religion And whereas it is a Principle of our Religion above all things to Propagate the Musselmin Faith as is expesly Commanded by the Law of our Holy Prophet We do instantly exhort you before we Unsheath our Terrible Cymiters to Embrace our Holy Religion and to suffer your selves to be instructed in the Mysteries thereof by which you will find Salvation to your Souls And in case you will Surrender up the City whether you be Young or Old Rich or Poor We assure you that you shall with all security Live therein And in case any of you shall desire to go forth and Live in any other place he shall have Permission and License so to do and shall be convoy'd forth with his Goods and Substance with his Wife and Children And as to those who shall desire to remain behind they may Live in the Town in such manner as they did before But in case you are obstinate and constrain us to take your City by Force then will we spare no Person whatsoever And we Swear by the Creatour of Heaven and Earth who never had nor never shall have an Equal that we will put all to the Sword as is Commanded by our Holy Law and will take your Goods and Estates and carry away your Wives and Children into Captivity Pardon is only for them who obey the Divine Ordinances Given at the Emperor's Camp before Vienna the 8 th of the Moon Regeb and in the Year of the Prophet's Transmigration 1094. To these Summons no other Answer was Return'd than by Cannon and a Vigorous Defence and by a Bloody Conflict in the Suburbs in which the Turks were greatly worsted The Courage of the Besieged which was evidenced during all the time of the Siege was most eminently Signaliz'd at the beginning thereof when the Scotch Convent of Benedictin Fryers which was a very stately Edifice took Fire and endangered the Arsenal which was near adjoyning thereunto and where Two thousand Barrels of Powder were lodged but by the diligence of Young Staremberg and the Officers of the Artillery the Powder was all carried to some Remoter place And it pleasing God by his Gracious Providence to causethe Wind to blow the Flames to other Quarters the Arsenal was preserved and all the Ammunition therein tho' several great Edifices and Palaces thereunto adjoyning were consumed before the Fire was extinguished The Original of this Fire was attributed to the Treachery of a Youth of 16 Years of Age habited in Girls Cloathing whom the People in their Fury tearing to pieces prevented the Discovery of this Treacherous and Horrid Plot. The Turks all this while with much Joy beheld the Flames ascending from the City and ply'd their Cannon and Bombs towards that part which at first broke in the Air without other Execution and the better to prevent the accident by Fire Count Staremberg order'd the Roofs off all those Houses to be taken off which were cover'd with Shingles and apt to take Fire with the least Spark This was a terrible beginning of a Siege and such as was sufficient totally to dismay the Spirits of the Defendants but that they were supported with more than ordinary Courage inspired into them by the Providence of Heaven All this while the Cavalry maintained their Stations at the Foot of the Bridges to keep a Communication so long as was possible with the Town and hinder the Passage of the Turks into the Isles of Leopolstadt the which Action the Duke of Loraine committed to the Care and Conduct of General Schultz and Prince Lubomiski whilest he with the greater part of the Army retir'd to Langenzendorf But the Turks and Tartars with a very great number coming to force the Pass carrying the Foot on their Horses behind them and Wading over the Water which was Foardable on all sides were received with such a Welcome as cost the Lives of most of those who were the most forward to gain the Pass but the numbers of the Enemy encreasing the Christians found themselves not able to sustain the shock and therefore having burnt and destroyed all the Houses thereabouts they orderly retired to the Army having broken the Bridges to prevent the more hasty pursuit after them The Turks having by this time encompassed the whole City with their numerous Camp and Tents of diverse colours advanced their Trenches within thirty Paces of the Counterscarp on the side of the Bastions of the Court and the Lobel and continually so plyed that Quarter with their Cannons and Morters that they entirely ruined the Emperor's Palace with the Houses and Churches thereunto adjoyning Whilst Count Staremberg was busied in all places to give necessary Orders and provide against every Misfortune which might happen he was unluckily wounded by the Blow of a Brick upon his Head which had been carried by the stroak of a Cannon-shot which confined him to his Chamber for three Days and the Count Daun one of the Deputy Governours was sick at the same time of a Fever However the care of the Counts Serini Souches and Scaffenberg was such that the Enemy gained no advantage by the absence of those Governours Whilst Matters were thus acting in the City Count Leslie was sent to Krembs to convoy the Train of Artillery thither and attend the coming of the Auxiliary Troops of Bavaria Saxony and Franconia and the Regiments which were marching from several other Places of the Empire and also to restrain the Incursions of the Tartars into Austria who with much Violence and
thousand of Stephano's Horse defeated Prince Visnouisky incourageth his Souldidiers The disposition of the two Armies The Battel betwixt Prince Alexander and the Vayvod Stephano Stephano's Army defeated The flight of Stephano Alexander proclaimed Prince of Moldavia Ambassadors sent by Prince Alexander to the Grand Seignior Prince Alexander's Ambassadors put to Death by Stephano Stephano returns into Moldavia The Inhabitants of Horreova defeated with the Tartarians Stephano defeated the second time A false Alarm given to Alexander An Ambassador from Prince Alexander to Prince Michna Alexander's Ambassador put in Prison by the Bassa Prince Alexander sends an Ambassador to Bethlem Gabor Prince Visâ—â—uisky poisoned by a Priest. Skinder Bassa comes with an Army against Prince Alexander Stephano's men defeated by the Cossacks A Defeat of Turks at Vassâ—lloy The Bassa's Kinsman taken Eight hundred of Prince Alexander's men slain by their Hosts for their Insolencies Prince Alexander retires to Cochina Succours come to Prince Alexander Some of them defeated Jesuits at Constantinople accused They are imprisoned The Turk commands all the Christians to be slain A Tumulâ— at Pera. The Jesuits set at Liberty Michna fears to fight with the Polonians The Bassa and Stephano defeated at Cochina Flight of the Bassa and Stephano Prince Coresky marries with the Princess Alexandrina A Defeat of 400 of Michna's men Prince Michna and Stephano fly from Bonza Prince Alexander refuseth the Estate of Valachia Michna sends an Ambassador to Prince Alexander Fifteen hundred Tartarians defeated by Troianoâ—key The Inhabitants of Horreova revolt the second time Hebraim Bassa writes to Prince Alexander Stephano in disgrace with the Sultan Stephano carried to Constantinople and turns Turk Michna proclaimed Prince of Moldavia The Treachery of the General of Polonia The Cossacks mutiny and leave Prince Alexander Bicho General of Prince Alexander's Army forsakes him treacherously Prince Alexander's Answer to Prince Michna A Challenge sent to Prince Coresky from the Turks General A Combat betwixt Tischeuich and the General of the Turks Army The Princes of Polonia environed by their Enemies The Princes Army summoned to yield A brave retreat made by Tischevich The Princes taken Prisoners and carried to Constantinople Prince Coreskie being disguised is discovered The courses of the Florentine Gallies The Turkish Gallies taken by the Florentines Deputies meet at Vienna to confirm the Peace betwixt the Emperour and the Turk Articles touching the differences of the Peace Prince Coreskie's Wife carried into Tartaria Iaques seeks out Coreskie He returns into Tartary Prince Coreskie's Wife redeemed from the Tartarians A Chiaus sent from Constantinople to Paris The cause of the Voyage The Estate of the Turks Empire this Year He entertains four Armies The Turks complain to the Venetians of the Vscoques Spoils The beginning of the Vscoques Enemies to all Art and Industry They rob the Turks and Jews trafficking to Venice They spoil the Turks Country and the Venetians Death of Achmat. The Disposition of Sultan Achmat. Mustapha advanced to the Empire Deposed again The generous Resolution of Prince Coreskie A Device to free Prince Coreskie from Prison Prince Coreskie escapes out of Prison The French Ambassador's men tortured by the Turks The French Ambassador imprisoned by the Turks The Ambassador set at liberty Prince Coreskie escapes from Constantinople The French King sends to Constantinople The Turk sends an Ambassador into France His Letter to the French King. A Battel betwixt the Turks and the Persians A Peace concluded betwixt them A Comet seen over Constantinople * Hutbeh is a Prayer only for the Prosperity of the King. Bethlem Gaboâ— undertakes to succour the Bohemians with the Turks consent Bethlem Gabor takes many Towns in Hungary Propositions made by the Transilvanians and Hungarians to the Bohemians A League betwixt the Prince of Transilvania Bohemians and Hungarians An Assembly of the Estates of Hungary at Neuheusal Bethlem Gabor proclaimed King of Hungary A Vision seen at Medina Talnabi A Deruice Speech unto the Turks The Dervice put to death for his Speech Casparo made Vayvod of Moldavia He is in disgrace and flies into Polonia The Turks preparation to Arms. Manfredonia taken by the Turks Iuisa taken by the Turks The greatness of the Turks Empire A Turkish Prophecy The Exposition of their Prophecy Description of Constantinople Attendants upon the Grand Seignior The chief Officers of his House The Sultan's dumb Men. A Seraglio of young Men. They that carry his Lance. The Sultan's Eunuchs The Sultan's Seraglio of Women The estate of his Concubines His Guard Foot-men and Porters The Turks Government The Turks Iustice. The Grand Visier The Beglerbergs and Sanzacks The Great Turks Forces The Timariots The Spahi The Caripices and Spachoglans The Salichtari The Olofagi The Ianizaries and their Breeding The Aiamoglani The Ich-Oglâ—ni The Ianizaries Acovizes Azapi Topagi and Iebegi The Chiaus The Turks Discipline in their Armies The Turks Revenues The Laws whereby the Turks are governed The Mufâ—i The Cadilesquiri The Mulli Nuderisi and Cadi The Naipi The Hogi Calfi and Sosti The Turks Religion The disposition of the Turks The cause of the War between the King of Poland and the Grand Seignior The preparation of the Grand Seignior for the War with the King of Poland The beginning of the War with the King of Poland The losses in the Turkish and Polish Armies The Grand Seignior inraged that the Emperour had sent Aids to the Pole. The Grand Seignior changeth his Mind of making War against the Emperour The Grand Seignior married Secret order to make War upon the Emperour His Majesty of Great Britains Ambassador arrived at the Port. His Majesties Letter to the Grand Seignior The Grand Seigniors Answer The Polish Ambassador expected at the Port. The Grand Seigniors Letter to his Majesty of great Britain (a) Viceroys (b) Presidents (c) Judges The Grand Seignior desirous of Peace with the Polack The Janizaries mutiny against the Grand Seignior The great Visier slain by the Janizaries The Janizaries demand Mustapha Daout Bassa strangleth Sultan Osman in Prison * Morat The Grand Seignior's Design to conquer Europe â—â—sâ—rvatiâ—â—â— upon 〈◊〉 an â—sman The English Ambassadors Advice to Delauir Bassa The Bassa's Reply A practise to murther the Brethren of Sultan Osman The Polish Ambassador approcheth upon the Confines and writeth to the dead Visier The Prince Coreskie strangled in Prison The Visier attempteth to set up Morat the Brother of Osman and to depose Mustapha The Prince of Transilvania's Ambassador arrived at the Port. The Poland Ambassador arriveth at the Port. The Janizaries assault the Houses of the Christian Consuls at Smirna The Grand Seigniors Treasure exhausted An Ambassador from the Great Duke of Muscovy arrived at the Port. The Great Visier practiseth to put Daout Bassa to Death 1623 Some of the Capitulations of Peace altered by the Turks The Souldiers still continue in their Fury The Ambassadors of the Prince of Transilvania departed from the Port. The Bassa of Arzirum in Rebellion Constantinople the Seat of the