out greatly to their purpose, they followed not their prepared assault. Wherefore they beganne to fortifie, and aduance higher their trauerses in the ditches, for their better assurance against they should giue the assault: and they had emptied and carried away all the earth neere vnto the coun∣terskarfe, where they lodged in their pauillions, so that we could not descrie them. They shot se∣uen pieces of artillery vpon the wall of the counterscharfe so couertly, that they were not seene: ••wo from the Brey of the Turrion of Santa Nappa, one from Andruzzi, and two other all a∣long the battery of the Cortaine. And they came with certaine boordes couered with rawe and greene hives, vnder which they brought their men to digge in the vaimures, we being nothing behinde or forgetfull to cast wilde-fire amongst them, and sometime to issue foorth of our sallies called Posternes, to offend their Pioners, although to our great hinderance. And we still re∣paired the vaimures by all meanes possible, with Buffe skinnes, being moist and wet, throw∣ing in also earth, shreads, and cotton with water, being well bound together with cordes: all the women of Famagusta gathering themselues together into companies in euery street (being guided of one of their Monkes called Caloiero) reforted dayly to a certaine place appointed, to labour, gathering and prouiding for the souldiers, stones and water, the which was kept for all assaults in halfe buts to quench the fire, which the Turks threw amongst them.
Hauing had no great successe in taking of the gate, they found out a newe way, neuer heard of before, in gathering together a great quantitie of certaine wood called Teglia, which easily burned, and smelt very euill, the which they throwing before the former gate of the Citie, and fagots fastened to the same, with certaine beames be smeered with Pitch, kindled suddenly so great a fire, as was not possible for vs to quench the same, although we threw vpon it whole Buts of water, which were throwen downe from an high Commander, which Buts presently brake in sunder.
This fire continued foure dayes, wherefore we were inforced by reason of the extreame heat and s••inch, to withdraw our selues further inward, and they descending towardes their lowe•• flanckers, beganne other mines, so that the gate was shut vp, because it could be no longer kept open, and suddenly (a thing maruellous to be spoken) the standing of the Brey being repaired, and made vp againe, they planted one piece ouer against the gate, the which of vs with stones, earth and other things, was suddenly buried vp. By this time we were driuen to an exigent, all our prouision within the Citie stooping very lowe, sauing onely hope, the noble courage of the Gouernours and Captaines, and the stout readinesse of the Souldiours: our wine, and flesh as well powdered as vnpowdered was spent, nor there was any Cheese to be gotten, but vpon an vnreasonable price, our company hauing eaten vp their Horses, Asses, and Cats, for lacke of other victualls: there was nothing left to be eaten, but a small quantitie of Bread, and Beanes, and we dranke water and Uineger together, whereof was not much left. When that we percei∣ued that our enemies had digged and cast vp three mines in the Commander of the gate, they la∣bouring in all places more diligently then euer they did before, bringing into the ditch, ouer a∣gainst the battery of the Cortaine, a hill of earth, as high as the wall: and already they came to the wall aboue the Counterscharfe ouer against the Turrion of the Arsenall, and had made one Commander complete, fenced with shares, like vnto plough shares, in proportion and height cor∣respondent to ours.
Within the Citie were remaining but fiue hundreth Italian Souldiours, who were not hurt, yet very faint and weary by their long watching and paines in fighting in those feruent and burning heates, which are in those parts. And the greater and better part also of the Gre∣cians were by this time slaine, whenas the chiefe of those Citizens remaining did fully re∣solue themselues (the which was about the twentieth day of Iuly) to present a supplication in writing to that noble gentleman Bragadino Proueditore, desiring and beseeching him, that seeing their Citie and Fortresse was thus battered and brought to extremitie, without ••uffici∣ent ayde to defend the same, without substance or sustenance, hauing no hope of succour, or a∣ny newe supply, they hauing spent and consumed not onely their goods, but also their liues for the defence of them, and in testifying of their dutifull seruice towardes the noble and roy∣all state of the Segniorie of Venice, that it might nowe please him, and the rest of the ho∣nourable Gouernours, that were present, and put in trust, hauing a carefull eye vnto some honourable conditions, to haue now at the last a respect to the credit and honour of their long trauelled wiues, and the safegard of their poore children, which otherwise were shortly very like to be a pray to their bloudthirsting and rauening enemies. To the which letter or supplica∣tion speedy answere was made by the forenamed honourable Bragadino, comforting them, that they should by no meanes abate their courage, and that shortly he looked for succour from the Segniorie, diminishing as much as hee might, the feare which they had conceiued in their