The begynnynge and foundacyon of the holy hospytall, [and] of the ordre of the knyghtes hospytallers of saynt Johan baptyst of Jerusalem

¶How the ambassadours of Rodes spake with the grete turke / and what answere they had.

[illustration]

WHan our ambassadours had made reuerence to y^e grete Turke / they sayd that y^e lorde grete mayster of Rodes had sent thē to his imperyall mageste to knowe what he maunded / & demaunded as to haue spekynge togy∣der / & how the grete mayster had receyued his lettre. The grete Turke made to answere them by his trucheman / y^t of de∣maundynge to speke togyder / nor wrytynge of lettre to y^e grete may¦ster he knewe nothynge. Howbeit syth the grete mayster had sent to hym for to knowe his wyll / he bade say to them that the grete may∣ster sholde yelde hym y^e towne. And in so doynge he promysed by his faythe for to lete hym go with all his knyghtes / & all other y^t wolde go with theyr goodes / without to haue ony dyspleasure of his peo∣ple of the campe. And yf he accepted not y^• sayd treaty to notyfy hym that he wolde neuer departe fro before Rodes tyll he had taken it / &

that all his myght of Turk y^• sholde dye there but yf he had it / and y^t there sholde neyther grete nor lytell escape / but vnto the cattes they sholde be all put in pyeces. And sayd y^t within .iii. dayes they sholde gyue hym an answere. For he wolde not that his people sholde lese tyme. And y^t durynge the sayd trewes they shold make no repayres nor defences w^tin the towne. ¶whan the grete lorde had ended his wordes our ambassadours toke theyr leue of hym / and retorned to y^e towne / & there was gyuen to eche of them a ryche garment of braū¦ched veluet with clothe of golde of y^e turkysshe facyon. Than Acmek bacha toke syr Pessyn / & ledde hym to his pauyllyon / and intreatyn¦ge hym ryght well caused hym to abyde al y^t day and nyght. And in eatynge & drynkynge they had many purposes of thynges done at the syege / questyonynge eche other. And amonge all other thynges our ābassadour demaunded of Acmek / & prayed hym to tel for trouth how many men dyed of the cāpe syth y^e syege was layde. The sayd bacha sware vpon his faythe and certyfyed y^t there was deed of the campe of vyolent dethe / that is to say of gonshot and other wayes. lxiiii.M. men or mo / besyde them that dyed of sekenesse whiche were about .xl. or .l. thousande.