The principal nauigations, voyages, traffiques and discoueries of the English nation. [vols. 1-3] made by sea or ouer-land, to the remote and farthest distant quarters of the earth, at any time within the compasse of these 1600. yeres: deuided into three seuerall volumes, according to the positions of the regions, whereunto they were directed. The first volume containeth the worthy discoueries, &c. of the English ... The second volume comprehendeth the principall nauigations ... to the south and south-east parts of the world ... By Richard Hakluyt preacher, and sometime student of Christ-Church in Oxford.

A letter written from Manuel the Emperour of Constantinople, vnto Henrie the second King of England, Anno Dom. 1177. wherein mention is made that certaine of king Henries Noble men and subiects were present with the sayd Emperour in a battell of his against the Soldan of Iconium. Recorded by Roger Houeden, in Annalium parte posteriore, in regno Hen. 2. fol. 316, & 317.

EOdem anno Manuel Constantinopolitanus imperator, habito praelio cam∣pestri cum Soltano Iconij & illo devicto, in hac forma scripsit Domino re∣gi Angliae.

Manuel in Christo deo Porphyrogenitus, diuinitùs coronatus, sublimis, potens, excelsus, semper Augustus, & moderator Romanorum, Comnenus, Henrico nobilissimo regi Angliae, charissimo amico suo, salutem & omne bonum. Cum imperium nostrum necessarium reputet notificare tibi, vt dilecto amico suo, de omnibus quae sibi obueniunt; ideò & de his quae nunc acciderunt ei, opportunum iudicauit de∣clatare tuae voluntati. Igitur a principio coronationis nostrae imperium nostrum aduersus dei inimicos Persas nostrum odium in corde nutriuit, dum cernetet illos in Christianos gloria∣ri, eleuarique in nomen dei, & Christianorum dominari regionibus. Quocirca & alio qui∣dem tempore in differentèr inuasit eos, & prout deus ei concessit, sic & fecit. Et quae ab ipso frequenter patrata sunt ad contritionem ipsorum & perditionem, imperium nostrum credit no∣bilitatem tuam non latere. Quoniam autem & nunc maximum exercitum contra eos ducere proposuit, & bellum contra omnem Persidem mouere, quia res cogebat. Et non vt voluit mul∣tum aliquem apparatum fecit, sicut ei visum est. Veruntamen prout tempus dabat & rerum status, potentèr eos inuasit. Collegit ergo circa se imperium nostrum potentias suas: sed quia carpenta ducebat armorum, & machinarum, & aliorum instrumentorum conserentium ciuita∣tum expugnationibus, pondera portantia: idcircò nequa quam cum festinatione iter suum a∣gere poterat. Ampliùs autem dum adhuc propriam regionem peragraret, antequam barba∣rorum aliquis aduersus nos militaret in bellis aduersarius, aegritudo dissicillima fluxus ventris invasit nos, qui diff••sus per agmina imperij nostri pertransibat, depopulando & inte••imendo multos, omni pugnatore grauior. Et hoc malū inuslescens maximè nos contriuit. Ex quo verò fines Turcorum inuasimus, bella quidem primum frequentia concrepabant, & agmina Tur∣corum cum exercitibus imperij nostri vndique dimicabant. Sed Dei gratia ex toto à nostris in fugam vertebantur barbari. Post verò vbi e•• qui illic adjace•• angustiae loci, quae à Persis nominatur Cibrilcimam, propinqu••uimus, tot Persarum turmae peditum & equitum, quorum pleraeque ab interioribus partibus Persidis occurrerant in adiutorium contribu∣lium suorum, exercitui nostro superuenerunt, quot penè nostrorum excederent numerum. Exercitu ita que imperij nostri propter viae omnino angustiam & difficultatem, vs{que} ad decem milliaria extenso; & cum neque qui praeibant possent postremos defendere, neque versa vice rursus postremi possent praeeuntes iuuare, non mediocritèr ab inuicem hos distare accidit. Sa∣nè primae cohortes permultùm ab acie imperij nostri diuide bantur, postremarum oblitae, illas non praestolantes. Quoniam igitur Turcorum agmina ex iam factis praelijs cognouerant, non conferre sibi à fronte nobis repugnare, loci angustiam bonum subuentorem cum inuenissent, posteriora statuerunt inuadere agmina, quod & fecerunt. Arctissimo igitur vbique loco ex∣istente, instabant barbari vndique, à dextris & â sinistris, & aliundè dimicantes, & tela super nos quasi imbres descendentia interimebant viros & equos complures. Ad haec itaque impe∣rium nostrū vbi malum superabundabat, reputans secum oportunū iudicabat retrò expectare, atque illos qui illic erant adiuuare, expectando vtiquè contra infinita illa Persarum agmi∣na bellum sustinuit. Quanta quidem, dum ab his circundaretur, patrauerit, non opus est ad tempus sermonibus pertexere, ab illis autem qui interfuerunt, for••itan discet de his tua nobilitas. Inter haec autem existente imperio nostro, & omne belli grauamen in tan∣tum sustinente, postremae cohortes vniuersae Graecorum & Latinorum, & reliquorum omnium generum conglobatae, quae iaciebantur ab inimicis tela non sustinentes, impa∣ctione vtuntur, & ita violentèr ferebantur, dùm ad adiacentem ibi collem quasi ad propug∣naculum

f••stinarent: ••ed precede••tes impellunt nolentes. Multo autem eleuato puluere, ac perturbante oculos, & neminem permittente videre quae circa pedes erant, in praecipitium quod aderat profundissimae vallis alius super alium homines & equi sic incontinentèr porta••i corruerunt, quòd alij alios conculcantes ab inuicem interemerunt non ex gregarijs tantum, sed ex clarissimis & intimis nostris consanguineis. Quis enim inhibere poterat tantae multitudinis importabilem impulsum? At verò imperium nostrum tot & tantis confertum barbaris sauci∣ans, sauciatúmque, adeò vt non modicamin eos moueret perturbationem, obstupentes perse∣uerantiam ipsius, & non remittebatur, benè iuuante deo, campum obtinuit. Neque locum il∣lum scandere aduersarios permisit, in quo dimicauit cum barbaris. Nec quidem e quum suum illorum timore incitauit, celerius aliquando ponere vestigia. Sed congregando omnia agmina sua, & de morte eripiendo ea, collocauit circa se: & sic primos artigit, & ordinatìm proficis∣cens ad exercitus suos accessit. Ex tunc igitur videns Soltanus, quod post tanta quae accide∣r••nt exercitibus nostris, imperium nostrum, sicut oportunumerat, rem huiusmodi dispen∣sauit, vt ipsum rursùm inuaderet: mittens supplicauit imperio nostro, & deprecatorijs vsus est sermonibus, & requisiuit pacem illius, promittens omnem imperij nostri adimplere volunta∣tem, & seruitium suum contra omnem hominem dare, & omnes qui in regno suo tenebantur captiuos absoluere, & esse ex toto voluntatis nostrae. Ibidem ergo per duos dies integros, in omni potestate morati sumus, & cognito quòd nihil poterat fieri contra ciuitatem Iconij, per∣ditis testudinibus & machinis bellicis, eo quòd boues cecidissent a telis in modo pluuiae iactis, qui eas trahebant: Simul autem eo quòd & vniuersa animalia nostra irruente in illa difficilli∣ma aegritudine laborabant, suscepit Soltani depraecationem & foedera & iuramenta peracta sub vexillis nostris, & pacem suam ei dedit. Inde ingressum imperium nostrum in regionem suam regreditur, tribulationem habens non mediocrem super his quos perdidit consanguineis, maximas tamen Deo gratias agens, qui per suam bonitatem & nunc ipsum honorauit: Gratum autem habuimus, quòd quosdam nobilitatis tuae principes accidit interesse nobiscum, qui nar∣rabūt de omnibus quae acciderant, tuae voluntati seriem. Caeterùm autem, licèt contristati simus propter illos qui ceciderunt: oportunum tamen duximus, de omnibus quae acciderant, decla∣rare tibi, vt dilecto amico nostro, & vt permultùm coniuncto imperio nostro, per puerorum nostrorum intimam consanguinitatem. Vale. Data mense Nouembris, indictione tertia.

The same in English.

IN the yeere 1177, Manuel the emperour of Constantinople hauing fought a field with the Soldan of Iconium, and vanquished him, wrote vnto Henry the second king of England in ma∣ner following.

Manuel Comnenus in Christ the euerliuing God a faithful emperour, descended of the linage of Porphyrie, crowned by Gods grace, high, puissant mighty, alwayes most souereigne, and go∣uernour of the Romans; vnto Henry the most famous king of England, his most deare friend, greeting and all good successe. Whereas our imperiall highnesse thinketh it expedient to aduer∣tise you our welbeloued friend of all our affaires: We thought it not amisse to signifie vnto your royall Maiestie certaine exploits at this present atchieued by vs. From the beginning therefore of our inauguration our imperiall highnes hath mainteined most deadly feod and hostility against Gods enemies the Persians, seeing them so to triumph ouer Christians, to exalt thēselues against the name of God, and to vsurpe ouer Christian kingdomes. For which cause our imperiall high∣nesse hath in some sort encountered them heretofore, and did as it pleased God to giue vs grace. And we suppose that your Maiestie is not ignorant, what our imperiall highnesse hath often per∣formed for their ruine and subuersion. For euen now, being vrged thereunto, we haue determi∣ned to leade a mighty army against them, and to wage warre against all Persia. And albeit our forces be not so great as we could wish they were, yet haue we according to the time, and the pre∣sent state of things, strongly inuaded them. Wherefore our Maiestie imperiall hath gathered our armies together: but because we had in our army sundry carts laden with armour, engines, & other instruments for the assault of cities, to an exceeding weight we could not make any great speed in our iourney. Moreouer, while our imperiall highnesse was yet marching in our owne dominions, before any barbarous enemy had fought against vs: our people were visited with the most grieuous disease of the fluxe, which being dispersed in our troups destroyed and slew great numbers, more then the sword of the enemy would haue done. Which mischiefe so preuailing, did woonderfully abate our forces. But after we had inuaded the Turkish frontiers, we had at the first very often and hot skirmishes, and the Turks came swarming to fight against our impe∣riall troups. Howbeit by Gods assistance those miscreants were altogether scattered and put to flight by our souldiers. But as we approched vnto that straight passage which is called by the

Persians Cibrilcimam, so many bands of Persian footemen and horsemen (most whereof came from the innermost parts of Persia, to succour their Allies) encountred our army, as were almost superiour vnto vs in number. Wherefore the army of our Imperiall highnesse, by reason of the straightnesse and difficultie of the way, being stretched ten miles in length; and the first not being able to helpe the last, nor yet contrarywise the last to rescue the first, it came to passe that they were very farre distant asunder. And in very deed the foremost troupes were much separated from the guard of our imperiall person, who forgetting their fellowes behind, would not stay a∣ny whit for them. Because therefore the Turkish bands knew full well by their former conflicts that it was bootlesse for them to assaile the forefront of our battell, and perceiuing the narow∣nesse of the place to be a great aduantage, they determined to set vpon our rereward, and did so. Wherefore our passage being very straight, and the infidels assayling vs vpon the right hand and vpon the left, and on all sides, and discharging their weapons as thicke as hailestones against vs, slew diuers of our men and horses. Hereupon, the slaughter of our people still encreasing our maiestie imperiall deemed it requisite to stay behind, and to succour our bands in the rereward, and so expecting them we sustained the fierce encounter of many thousand Persians. What ex∣ploits out Imperiall person atchieued in the same skirmish, I hold it needlesse at this time to re∣count: your maiestie may perhaps vnderstand more of this matter by them which were there present. Howbeit our Imperiall highnesse being in the middest of this conflict, and enduring the fight with so great danger, all our hindermost troups, both Greekes, Latines, and other nations, retiring themselues close together, and not being able to suffer the violence of their enemies wea∣pons, pressed on so hard, and were caried with such maine force, that hastening to ascend the next hill for their better safegard, they vrged on them which went before, whether they would or no. Whereupon, much dust being raised, which stopped our eyes and vtterly depriued vs of sight, and our mē and horses pressing so sore one vpon the necke of another, plunged themselues on the sud∣den into such a steepe and dangerous valley, that treading one vpon another, they quelled to death not onely a multitude of the common souldiours, but diuers most honourable personages, & some of our neere kinsmen. For who could restraine the irresistable throng of so huge a multitude? Howbeit our Imperiall highnesse being enuironed with such swarmes of Infidels, and giuing and receiuing wounds (insomuch that the miscreants were greatly dismaied at our constancie) we gaue not ouer, but by Gods assistance wonne the field. Neither did we permit the enemie to ascend vnto that place, from whence we skirmished with him. Neither yet spurred wee on our horse any faster for all their assaults. But marshalling all our troupes together, and deliuering them out of danger, we disposed them about our Imperial person; and so we ouertooke the fore∣most, and marched in good order with our whole army. Nowe the Soldan perceiuing that not∣withstanding the great damages which we had sustained, our Imperial highnes prouided to giue him a fresh encounter, humbly submitting himselfe vnto vs, and vsing submisse speaches, made suite to haue peace at our hands, and promised to fulfill the pleasure of our maiestie Imperiall, to doe vs seruice against all commers, to release all our subiects which were captiues in his realme, and to rest wholy at our commaund. Here therefore we remained two dayes with great authori∣tie; and considering that wee could attempt nought against the citie of Iconium,* 1.1 hauing lost all our warrelike engines both for defence and for batterie, for that the oxen which drew them were slaine with the enemies weapons, falling as thicke as hailestones: and also for because all our beasts in a maner were most grieuously diseased; our maiestie Imperial accepted of the Soldans petition, league, and oath being made and taken vnder our ensignes, and granted our peace vnto him. Then returned we into our owne dominions, being greatly grieued for the losse of our deere kinsmen, and yeelding vnto God most humble thanks, who of his goodnesse had euen now giuen vs the victory.* 1.2 We are right glad likewise that some of your maiesties princes and nobles ac∣companied vs in this action, who are able to report vnto you all things which haue happened. And albeit we were exceedingly grieued for the losse of our people; yet thought it we expedient to sig∣nifie vnto you the successe of our affaires, as vnto our welbeloued friend, & one who is very neerly allied vnto our highnesse Imperial, by reason of the consanguinitie of our children. Farewell. Giuen in the moneth of Nouember, and vpon the tenth Indiction.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The citie of Iconium inten∣ded to haue bene besieged.
• * 1.2

  Certaine no∣ble men of the king of England were with the Emperor in his battell a∣gainst the Sol∣dan of Iconium.