Tvvo very notable commentaries the one of the originall of the Turcks and Empire of the house of Ottomanno, written by Andrewe Cambine, and thother of the warres of the Turcke against George Scanderbeg, prince of Epiro, and of the great victories obteyned by the sayd George, aswell against the Emperour of Turkie, as other princes, and of his other rare force and vertues, worthye of memorye, translated oute of Italian into Englishe by Iohn Shute.

The seconde boke of Andre CAMBINE FLORENTINE, OF THE ORIGI∣nall of the Turckes and Empire of the house of Ottomanno. (Book 2)

AS SONE AS AMORATHE WAS DED, Mahometh hys sonne caste from hym all kinde of subiection: and toke vpon him ab¦solutely to gouerne the kingdome, and de¦termining to reforme thinges that were oute of order, he made newe lawes, he al∣•••• corrected suche of their ancient constitutions as were ••edeful to be corrected: with great diligence, he dyd mar¦••elouslye enriche his treasurie by augementing his re∣••enue with newe gabells & impositiones,* 1.1 he did great∣••y increase the numbre of his Gianizzaries, and horse∣••en, he caused the acompte of his Bascias, and such like ••s gouerned in his fathers time, to be perused, wherup¦••n he put certaine of them to death, and from manye of he reste he toke their goodes and liuinges, and hauing ••n ambitiouse hed, coulde not be contented with that ••mple dominion y^• his father lefte vnto him, but sought ••o take in hand somme glorious enterprise, wherby he nought be thought, not onely to be equall with his an ••estors: but farre to excede them, wherupon he fully de∣••ermined to take Constantinople by force,* 1.2 and to make ••im selfe lorde therof, perswading him selfe y^• he coulde not lawfully be called Emperour of Gretia, vnto y^• time ••hat he possessed that Citie, beinge the cheyfe citie and ••eate of the same Empire, and more ouer by thesi me••∣••es, he thought to make his fame gloriouse with ther ••ations, yf that he, scarcely creapte ouer of his c••yld•• ••ede moughte ioyne to his Empire so mightye and fa∣mous a citie, and so much the rather, for that it had ben ••ttempted by certaine of his ancestours to their greate ••harge: whoe neuer coulde obtaine it but departed euer withoute it, and thus he determined the enterprise ma∣king fewe priuie vnto it but dissembled the matter, and wyth all spede possyble caused to buylde a Castle vpon the mouth of the striate of the great sea, v. miles aboue constantinople and fynyshed it with great expedityon

and being finished, he appointed a captaine to it and f•••• nished it with men and all kinde of munition, when h•• had thus done: without any other denoūcing of warre contrarye to the othe and effecte of the confederacye, h•••• presented his armie as an enemie, to Constantinople and when he had ouer ronne and proied the whole con•• trey rounde aboute it, he encamped neare to the citi•• and enuironed it with his armie, both by sea and land The Emperour and the princes of Gretia, had a suspi¦tion of Mahometh,* 1.3 and being affraied, considering tha•• their force was not sufficient to encoūtre him, sent thei•• ambassadours and Oratours to all the princes of Eu•• rope, to the Emperour, and to the Bushope of Rome vsing with them al arte possible to induce them to giu•• them aide, declaring to them the manifest peryll wher in they were, which was like to be the ruyne and loss•• of that ancient and noble Empire, and laste of all, open¦ned vnto them the miserye that they were lyke to en curre if they shoulde lighte in the handes of that most•• cruell, Barharouse and bloude thirstye nation of the Turckes, which more thirste for Christian bloude the•• for anye drincke that is in the worlde, thus were they inforced with plentiful streames of teres, to moue them to compassyon and to craue ayde at their hande but all their trauayle was in vaine, for they founde (that whic•• I doe abhore to speake of) the eares of the christian prin¦ces so stopped and their eyes so blynded, yea they found•• them not onely blynde and deafe, but they were rather to be Iudged out of their wittes, if y^• they coulde not dis•• cerne, and consyder that yf the Turckes once moughte possesse the whole empire of Grecia, the ruyne of al Eu∣rope in tyme, were lyke to folowe, with y^• vtter extirpa¦tion of the Christian religion, but I belyue that they were occupied rather in reuenging of particulare causes and about their priuate commodities by meanes where of they contempned their vniuersale welth and commo∣ditie.

But nowe, to retorne to the declaration of our his∣torye, In this meane tyme, Mahometh caused to leui•• out of all partes of his dominions, an infinite number

〈◊〉〈◊〉 men,* 1.4 & toke with him to his campe an exceding great ••rniture of artillierie and munition, and when he had ••us beseged the citie of Constātinople rounde, he plan ••d his batteries and emploied his wholeforce to take it ••nd to the ende he woulde be suer of it, he commaunded ••o make certaine mines, directly vnder certaine of the ••ul warcks of y^• to ende, y^• his peoplemoughte ••ghte the more aduantagiously: and the more easyly w^t ••heir ladders surmounte the height of the walles, he cau¦••ed to make a very depe trenche roūde abaute y^• Towne ••eare to the walles, with the earthe wherof, he made great bancke at the fote of the walle, vpon the height wherof they moughte easyly set their ladders and so en¦••er the Towne,* 1.5 and on that syde towarde pera where ••he sea beatethe vpon the Towne, he made a bridge by ••reate arte, of twoe myles of lengthe, where vpon he ••uylded certaine towres, whiche in heighte dyd farre ex¦••ede the walles of the citie, and placed on euery one of these, a number of men, to bete alonge the walles that no man mighte stand to the defence thereof, with these ••errible and greate preparations, Mahomethe dyd for ••a longe tyme batter and annoie them of the Towne, bothe daye and nighte with oute cease, yet for all that, they of y^• towne determyned rather to dye, then to yelde the towne to his mercy, whereupon they defended their citie with greate assurance, Mahometh then: consider∣••nge the great breache that he had made, and also the slaughter of the Citizens, was in good hope to wyn it by force, wherupon he commaunded a proclamation to be made by sounde of trompet throughoute all hys campe, that euery man the next day folowing (whiche was the fyue and twentyth of Aprill, in the yere of our helthe. 1452.) shoulde be in order redye to gyue the as∣saulte, and the Towne beinge once taken, he gane francklye to his souldiours, all suche good des as they shoulde fynde wyth in it and be able to carye oute of it in thre dayes,* 1.6 whiche procla∣mation once published, so pleased euery man, that happie was he, y^• coulde be in the beste order furnished, there was not one of them but that he fasted all the

whole day tyll night that they sawe the starres appeare in the heauenes, then euery man prepared hym to eate, and drinke, calling their frynds and kinsmen to them, and made great chere togither, and when the had thus in banquetting consumed a good pece of the night, they toke thir leue the one of the other, with embracing and kissing one an other, as thoughe thei shulde neuer haue seene againe. On the other syde, when they of the Citie vnderstode the proclamatiō that this mighty prnice had made and the great preparation also, y^• prests and other religiouse toke in hand the Images of the Crucifixe and our Ladye, and also the reliques of Saincts and went in solempne procession with all the inhabitants of the Ci∣tie singing of himnes and songs with sheding of teares calling to god for aide, in this sort dyd they consume all that daye in fasting, praier, and visiting the holly places of the Citie vntyl night came, and then they made good chere, and that done, euery man wente to the place that he had in charge to defend, the walles of the Citie were in heighte and thicknes, comparable to the walls of any Citie, that then was in the worlde, but throughe their long contynuance,* 1.7 and neglygence of the Greekes for wante of reparation: their vauntemures were vtterlye decaied in many places, but the walle was very stronge and of sufficient force to be defended, wherupon the Gre¦kes hauyng good hope in the force of theyr walles ap∣pointed their people in companies for y^• defence of thē. Constantinople is in forme almoste treangle, wherof, the two partes that the sea beateth on, are guirded a∣boute with walles sufficiently stronge to defend y^• force of the Armata, the reste of the Citie, toward the firme land, besyde his walle wherof we haue alredye spoken, is enuironned with a dyke, deye and large, when the thirde watch of the night was passed, the Turckes be∣inge very gredye vpon the spoyle of the Citie, made them redye to the assaulte and woulde not tarye for the daye lighte but presented them selues to the walles of the towne and began to assayle it,* 1.8 from whence che ar∣roes and stones flewe as thycke as hayle from the hei∣ghte of the walles, the Turckes were muche anoyed by

meanes of the darkenes for that they could not see how to defende them selues from the arrowes and stones, where with manye of them were slaine and hurt, when it was perfit day, Mahometh approched neare y^e towne with al his power,* 1.9 & commaunded when he should geue a signe, the towne to be assayled rounde, to the end that they of the towns should not be able to defende euerye where his force, he appointed to euerye colonell wyth his regiment a certaine space of the wall to assayle, for that they shuld fight apart, to the end the vertue of the assaylants, and their worthy actes mought be sene, & that thereby they moughte be the more enflamed tho∣rough desyre of honour to committe them selues to all kinde of peryll. In like sorte was their order geuen to them of the Armata, with commaundement that in one instant euery man should assayle that place wherevnto he was appoynted, there were broughte also nere to the walles certaine towres of woode, which were set vpon high groundes of aduauntage, vpon the which he pla∣ced many souldiours, to the end thei mought with their shot, bete a longe all the circuite of the walles, he had also with his artillery, taken away all the defenses, so that when they should come to defende the breache and walles, they must stande all open against his shotte. When Mahometh had done all these thynges, the to∣ken of the assault was geuen, with the sound of trum∣pettes, bornes, bagpipes, and drummes, that the ayre resounded of it, immediatly herevpon the assault began the Turkes couered thir heades with roundels & tar∣ges, in such sort that it was like the rofe of an house o∣uer their heads, & in this sort came to y^• walles, & set vp theyr ladders,* 1.10 enforsyng themselues with great corage to clyme to the height of the walles, on the other syde, they of the towne endeuoured them selues to defende it and threwe downe vpon them greate stones, myghtye pieces of tymber, and annoyed them merueylouslye wyth the shotte of their Crosse bowes, Dartes, and suche lyke, throwen by the arme, they aboue vsed theyr Mykes so well, that they threwe the Turkes contynu∣allye from theyr ladders downe, slewe and hurte a

greate number of them, and handled them so hardlye that they enforsed them to scatter, and made them glad to abandone the assaute, wherevpon Mahometh drewe neare with his company, and encouraged them, calling by name nowe one and then another, especyally those that were moste valiaunte and worthye, comfortynge them to reuiue the assaute,* 1.11 and in y^• end some he threa∣tened wyth cruell wordes, and to other some he made great and large promises, and in this sorte wroughte with them, that he caused them to put on noble mindes and to begynne agayne the assaulte, with farre grea∣ter furye then before, and euerye man soughte to gette vp the wall, one clymynge on the others shoulder and vp by theyr Pykes lyke Cattes, some other wont close together, couerynge theyr heades with theyr targes and roundels and they that were on the lowe steppes of the ladders, vare before them euen of force, those that were on the hyghest of the ladders, and manye layde holde of the Pikes and punchinge staues of theyr enemies as they thrust at them, and so with greate cou∣rage gate vp walles, and when they were at the highest were stricken downe headlonge into the botome of the dyke, by them of the towne, and also they made suche spoyle of the enemies by throwynge downe vpon them, huge stones, artificiall fyres, burnynge Piche, with Dartes and Pikes of fire workes, that it was ve∣ry strange to behold, yet not withstāding the emperour maynteyned theassaut with great discretion, and in the place of the weried and spoyled, he sente alwayes newe and freshe bandes, in suche sorte, that he gaue them of the citie no iote of tyme to repose, but styll augmented the fighte with newe men, so that they of the towne were merneylouslye consumed in a shorte space, but that,* 1.12 that moste discouraged, was: that one Iohn Giustiniano, a Genouese borne, a Noble manne in hys countrey, who at the tyme of the seyge happened to bee in Constantinople, and behaued hymselfe so worthelye in the defence thereof, that they imputed the greatest parte of theyr defence to consist in hym, vn∣tyll that at the laste, as he was valiauntlye fightinge

vpon the walles with the enemies, through disgrace he was sore wounded, and as it is sayde seing him selfe to lose much bloude, woulde not discourage the multitude with callinge for a Surgion, but secrently w^t drewe him frō the assaute, of whose departure, when Cōstantine y^e Emperour vnderstode, he feared it wouldbe the losse of the citie, whervpon he went in person to him, & desired him not to leue y^• assaute, but Giustiniano would by no meanes graūt therunto, but required to haue a gate opē to y^e end he mought go to be dressed & then to returne a∣gain to y^• citie, al y^e gates of y^• braies were shut betwene them and the towne, to the end that they which fought vpon the vttermost walles, shoulde determine there to obtayne the victorie, or elles to die in the place, for so muche as they beinge once abandoned, the losse of the towne muste nedes folowe, when the gate was opened Giustiniano went oute, through whose absence they of the towne were merueylously discouraged,* 1.13 and began verye coldlye to defende the assaulte, whiche when the Turkes Bascias and Colonels perceyued, they mar∣ched on wyth theyr bandes and regimentes serred, and with greater furye then before: assayled the towne, and beganne to climbe the breche, whiche they had made with their batterie, some by their ladders, and some be∣syde their ladders, by the spoyle of the walles, and be∣ganne to waxe maisters of the vtter walles, and rep••••∣sed the Grekishe souldiours, enforsynge them to flye in great disorder, and euerye man by fotemanshyppe soughte to saue one, and to get into the citie throughe the same gate, that was opened to Giustiniano.

When the Emperour sawe the shamefull flighte and great disorder of his people, he also fled after them, not regardyng his imperial maiestie,* 1.14 nor sekynge as it be∣came so mightie a prince, rather honourably to die with his sworde in his hand, then to shew such want of mag¦nanimitie. He cam on toward this same gate also, wher with the force & thrustinge of those which repaired thi∣ther to get in, he was throwen downe to the earth, and in the preasse troden to deathe. And amonge so greate a number of Souldiours as then were within the Citie,

there were found only twayn y^• vtterly despised seruile life,* 1.15 and lyke worthye men honorablye died with their swordes in their handes fyghtynge to the vttermoste, y^e one of thē was Theophilo Paleologo, a Greke borne the other Iohn Stiauo, a Dalmatian, which men este med it to vile: in such sort to flie, and for a long time de∣fended them selues and the citie from the hands of their most cruel enmies, sleīg a great number of them, tyl at the last beinge ouerlayed with the encrease of the num∣ber, not discoraged, but weryed with ouercommyng of others, fel downe and gaue vp the ghost, among a num¦ber of bodies of dead infidelles, whiche they had slayne w^t their owne handes. And Giustiniano beyng gone to Pera, and from thence by sea to Scio, fell sicke eyther of his hurte, or els with thought, and in fewe dayes af∣ter died, not enioying that great honour, whiche he had wonne,* 1.16 and truely he had bene happye yf he had died vp on the walles of Constantinople. In the entre of the Turckes at the aforesayde gate, they cut in pieces .viii. or .ix. hundred souldiours Grekes, and Italians, when the Turckes were once maisters of the towne walles, they chased awaye the citezins that were come to the gate to defende the entrie, and with theyr arrowes and great stones from aboue, they made waye for their com¦panions to enter. And when the Turckes were in thys sort entred the gate, and become lordes of the citie, and had slaine as many as thei found with weapon in theyr handes, then they employed themselues to spoyle and sacke the towne,* 1.17 the number of the triumphantes was in maner infinite, thei had no desyrt but to robbe, spoile and to accomplishe and fulfyll theyr beastly and fyltye fleshely desyres, beyng much geuen to carnall voluptu∣dusnes, they pardoned neyther kinde nor age, mixynge murder with theyr adulteries and fornications, they made the olde men slaues, and other men and women of more lustie yeres, and of base condition: they chay∣ned together with great derison and scorne, and so draue them on, lyke flockes of shepe before them, & if it happe∣ned that any faire maiden or faire yonge man came in their waye, by and by numbers of them woulde striue

who shoulde first laye handes on them, and often times woulde grow into question for them, and the like wold they do when they happened vpon any bootie of greate value, as well sacred as prophane, for euery man would ••aye handes on it, in so much that often times thei wold ••one cut another in pieces for it. And this armie being of diuers nations and countreys, and also of sundrie natu¦••es and speches, did kepe such a sturre in Constantino∣ple by the space of thre dayes (which was theyr time of ••poile) that there was nothinge vnlawefull for them to do, although it were most detestable and wicked.

When they had spoyled the temple of S. Sophia, whi∣ch was buylded by Iustinian the Emperour of Consti∣••ople, in the which they had a merueylous masse or trea¦••ure, both of siluer and golde, and precious vessel, & such like oruamentes, they filled it with all kind of fylthy∣••es, makynge it an habitation of whores, a stable for their horses, a place wherein no filthie exercise was left vnexercised, to the like vse they conuerted all the rest of the churches and sacred places of the citie, oute of the which they toke the bones and reliques of holye men & women, the which when thei had disgarnished of y^• gold siluer & stone, y^• was about thē, they threw into y^• strete and canell to be troden on, not onely of men, but also of dogges, swine, and other beasts, the crosses and Ima∣ges of saincts were broken wyth greate hammers and such like instrumentes of yron, & thrownen into the dirt, and when they had with sundrie tormentes compelled the seuauntes of the citizens to reueale vnto them the hidden treasure of their maisters, it is sayde, that they gate, hidden vnder the grounde, a great summe both of golde and siluer and precious Iewels, whiche were by the vnwyse citezins hydden in the begynnynge of the warres, the whiche if they coulde haue bene contented to haue employed in the defence of the citie, peraduen∣ture they had saued them selues bothe goodes and life,* 1.18 and also to their countrey libertie and honour. But the olde Prouerbe was veryfyed in them, which saieth that couetous men haue no power ouer their golde, but are subiect to it, when the citie was thus spoyled of al that

euer was in it: The thirde day they departed out of it, & brought all their prisoners into their campe. And Ma¦hometh accordynge to the custome of the Turkes, dyd celebrate to his Bascias and Captaines, a very sumptu¦ous feaste, and when they had eaten and dronken more then sufficient, he thoughte it good to honour his ban∣ket with the sheding of Christian bloude, and commaun¦ded to bryng before him all the chiefe and most noble pri¦soners of the citie that were on lyue,* 1.19 and caused them al with vnspeakeable crueltie, to be cutte a sunder in the middest in his presence, amonge the which there was one that came before him called Rireluca, the chiefe go∣uernour of the citie next to the Emperour, whose el∣dest sonne he caused to be slaine, in the presence of hys father, and immediatly after hanged the father, whose other sonne, because he was yonge and fayre, he reser∣ued to his noble and vertuous vsage. They had also ta∣ken diuers marchauntes of Italie, Venetians, Geno∣neses, and others, whome he put also to death, excepte they were able presently to raunsome themselues, and Isodoro the cardinal Rueteno,* 1.20 who was sent thither a∣long time before, Legate frō y^• pope Nicholas, disguised himselfe in simple habite, and when the Turkes entred the towne, for fewe thousandes of Aspres, raunsomed himselfe. They that dwelled in Pera a garrison towne of the Genoueses, hearynge that Constantinople was loste, layed downe their weapons, and taried not the summonynge, but sent to Mahometh, and offered hym the towne, who receyued them, and shortlye after ra∣sed the walles thereof, and where he had promised them sauegarde of their personnes lyues, and goodes, with all other their commodities, contrary to his promes, he toke out of the towne for his owne vertuous and cleane¦ly vsage, a number of the women and boyes that there were, and also taxed the towne in a great summe of mo¦ney the which he enforsed them presently to paye, not∣withstanding the menaging of these weyghtie affaires he kept secret w^t in his breast the hatred that he had con∣ceyued against Calibasso Bascia, for that he was y^e chief occasion that Amorath was called out of Asia to take in

and the wars against the Hungarians & finally called ••im to him, & caused to lay hands on him, and examined ••im sundrie daies,* 1.21 by sundrie & cruell torments, layinge ••o his charge that he had reueled y^e secrets of those wars ••o the emperour of Constantinople, and vpon this toke from him all that he had, which was treasure in maner ••nfinite, & caused him most miserablie to be put to death. When that the losse of Constantinople, & the death of y^e ••mperour was knowē in Morea, y^e Albaneses that dwel¦••ed in Peloponesso, rebelled against Thomas & Dime∣••rio, brethren to the late emperour of Constantinople, ••hei wer a great number, & determined to chose to their prince, a noble man a Greke borne, who pretennted title ••o it, & did so attempt it, that they entred into warres a∣••aut it, wherupon on both sides, thei addressed thēselues or aide to Mahometh, who when he harde the matter ••horowly debated, Iudged y^e two brethren to haue the ••ight, wherevpon he graunted them his frendshipas to ••hose that had the right on their side, & sent in their aide ••ertain bands of men, by whose good helpe, thei sone re¦••ressed the force of the Albaneses,* 1.22 & enforsed thē to dwel ••nder y^e rule & goueruance, of Thomas Paleologo there Dispotto, who agreed w^t Mahometh to paye him yerely ••euentine M. ducates, & in this sort commended himself ••nd his state to his protection, & for asmuche as y^e ryght was descended vnto him by the death of his brother the ••mperour, he mought lawfully haue called himself em∣••erour of Gretia, in the which his aūcestors had cōmaū∣••ed many yeres, but fearing to offend Mahometh he ab∣••tained from that title, & contented himselfe w^t the only ••itle of the Dispotto of Morea. But shortly after when ••e vnderstode that Calixto the thyrde, a Spaniarde, ••ucceded Nycholas the fyfte, in the Romyshe seate, who forthe wyth sente hys Legates and Cardynalles, ••o all the Prynces of Christendome, to perswade ••heym to make warres agaynste the Turckes, for ••he recouerye of Gretia. And also vnderstan∣••ynge, the greate preparatyon that was made in ••talie for the Sea,* 1.23 and the leauiynge of the armye in Hungarye, denyed flattelye to paye anye Trybute vn∣to

Mahometh, and also ouer rashly refused his frendship and protection, being deceyued in his imagination, per∣swadiuge himselfe that forthwith the Turkes shoulde haue bene chased out of Gretia, but after, when he sawe the bishoppes preparation toke none effect: he was en∣forsed with great gyftes and paiment of the tribute for two yeres before hande at one paiment, to reconcile him selfe to Mahometh, and to renewe the league betwene them, wherevpon Mahometh dessemblynge for a tyme the iniurie that he had receyued at his hande, receyued him agayne into his fauour and protection, but within fewe yeres after, when he perceyued himselfe to be assu¦red in his seate in Gretia, he called to mynde the fore∣saide rebellion, and sente his armie into Peloponesso, and toke the walle of Esmilia, that was buylded vpon the straite called Isthmos, which shutteth vp that strait of lande, beynge fyue myles in breadeth stretchynge from the sea Ionio to the sea Egeo,* 1.24 of the which seas, all the rest of Morea which aunciently was called Pel•• ponesso is enuironed. And when the Turks had wonne the walle, they entred into Morea, and toke the citie of Corintho, and made bothe the Dispotts his vassalles, the one being deuided from the other, and toke frō them their state and patrimonie. The prouince of Pelopones∣so is the chiefe parte of Gretia for the commodiousnes thereof, and also for the great wealth and power of the nobilitie and commons that in the olde worlds inhabi∣ted the same, that piece of grounde well considered, will declare it selfe to be the foundation of the Greke Em∣pyre, for as muche as in it there are manye godlye goolfes, many large and great caues, and promontori∣es, manye manifique and sumptuos cities, and they saye that the forme of the platte therof: is like vnto that of the leafe of a platane,* 1.25 the length and breadeth ther∣of are almost equall, and from the one ende to the other it conteyneth a hundred, seuentie and fyue miles, and in circuite (accordyng to the opinion of Pollible) it con∣teyneth fyue hundred myles, and Anthemidoro addeth vnto it fyftye miles, and and we haue declared it is enui∣roned with two seas, sauynge that piece of lande called

Isthmos, which confyneth vpon the seas afore sayd and containeth in lengthe v. miles, nere where vnto, is the noble and famous citie Corintho, and their is contay∣ned in y^• same Peloponesso,* 1.26 nowe called Morea, Achaia, Messenia, Licaonia nowe called Lacedemonia, Largoli¦ca, and Arcadia, which lieth in the middeste of them, but nowe retorning to the declaration of our historie begin¦ning where we lefte, when Mahometh was becomme lorde of Constantinople, and beinge determined, there to appoint the seate of his Empire, the firste thing that he toke in hand, was to amend and repare the walles of the citie, and to make them defensyble, & also to repare the spoyled buyldings of the towne, and also to furnishe it with inhabitants for that it wanted a great number by meanes of y^• great slaughter that there had ben wher vpon he caused inhabitants to come oute of all partes, and gaue to them greate priuileges and liberties to vse what traffique, and also what religiō they wolde wher vpon within shorte space there came thither an infinite numbre of inhabitants, namely of Hebrues or Iues which were chased oute of Spaine, besyde thys he vsed the custume that the princes of the easte partes of the worlde doe vse, which is that when soeuer he toke anye Citie or Towne after that tyme, he woulde take oute of them the chise and most, noble housholdes and fami¦lies, with al their treasure and substance, and send them to Constantinople, to inhabite there, he vsed the matter so that at y^e tyme of his death, he lefte it a Citie of great traffique: and also maruelously replenished with inhabi¦tants as sone as he was become Emperour of Con∣stantinople he determyned in him selfe, the warres a∣gainst the hungarianes Iudging it a great assurance to his state of Europe, yf that he mought bring to passe, to subdue Hungarie and make it subiecte to him, which he greatly defired consideringe the propinquitie thereof, & also the valiantize of y^• people, he determined to prouide him of & aptaines of great Iudgement and of good soul diours and to assure him in his seate of Gretia, whervp on he deferred the enterprise for thre yeres, and began to make warres vpon the citie of Athenes which onelye

rested oute of his handes, of all the prouince of Attica, which Citie althoughe it were then of no great cir∣cuite, ne yet anye thing in comparysson so Populouse or riche, as it had ben in tyme before, yet notwithstan∣ding, thei had builded a forte vpon the walles that were lefte of the ancient Temple of Minerua,* 1.27 whiche was thoughte inprennable, bnt the lorde therof which was a florentine borne, and of the noble house of Acciauolli, seing no waye howe to defende it,* 1.28 for so much as he had attempted the princes of Italie in sondrie sorte for aide, but all was in vaine, wherupon he fel to composition w^t him and agreed to delyuer him the Towne, in exchaūg of certaine houses and yerly rentes that y^e Turcke had* 1.29 promised him for the maintenance of him felfe and his familie, and herupon yelded the Towne to the Turcke when the Turke had recompensed him, he toke frō him two of his sonnes and brought them vp in his Seraglio to serue him, of the which two, one proffited so well in the exercise of armes, and also in gouernance, that the Turcke had him in great estimation. And in Albania, the whiche is that part of Macedonia that lieth toward the weste, and stretche the oute frō Durazzo, to the anci∣ent Citie Appolonia, the langage of the Albaneses is propre to them selues, and dothe differ from the speche of all those people that dwell aboute them, for neither the Greeke, ne yet the Schiauonese vnderstandeth it, and we are not certaine in what sorte, nor by what meanes, they fyrste arriued in those partes, ne yet of their ancient originall, althoghe it be sayde that this nation, with diuerse others, came oute of Scithia Asiatica, from that ancient Citie Albania not farre from Colchide,* 1.30 and so went on wandring to seeke newe habitacions and seates, and fynally occupied that parte of Macedonia whiche beareth their name, a∣boute the tyme of the losse of Constantinople the prince of their contrey happened to dye, whose name was Camusa,* 1.31 whoe beinge discended of christian parents: became so beastly, that of his owne acorde he lefte the christian faythe and embraced the folisheand beastly religion of Mahometh, but hauinge

smalle affiance in it, euen as he had raishely forsaken Christe, so vnaduisedly refused he Mahomet he and re∣torned to the religion of his ancestours, willing (al∣thoughe he had no great affiance nether in the one nor other) rather to dye beringe the name of a Christian, then of a Mahometiste, vnto whome, George Scan∣derbag succided in gouernaunce as lawfull heire, whoe was discended of a noble parentage in his contrey, and when he had haunted the warres along time he became an excellent and famous Captaine, and spent the reste of his lyfe in the defence of the Christian religion, when Mahomethe vnderstode the deathe of Camusa, he sent one of his Bascias with an armie to Valona, whiche standeth vpon the sea bancke, and althoughe it be but a litle Towne, it hathe a suer and a goodly hauen, from whence in to Italie the passage is but shorte and with∣oute daunger, and manye yeres before that tyme, it was possessed and holden by Baiazithe, and when he died they threwe from them the Turquishe yoke, but Amorathe within shorte space after toke it againe, and from thence for the was it contynually holden by the in fydels, to the greate reproche and dishonour of the Chri¦stian princes, and to the greate terrour of all Italie, it is possessyd euen at this daye by the infidels, when this Bascia had broughte his people to valona, he as∣sayled Scanderbeg, whoe althoughe he dyd alwaies worthilye defende him selfe and his people, and di∣uers tymes with his power had encountred the Turc∣kes, and departed from them alwayes with the vic∣torie, yet notwithstandinge he sent for ayde to the kinge Alphonso of Aragone,* 1.32 then kinge of Naples, and obtained of him dyuers bande of men at armes, well furnished in euery respecte, whiche passed in to Albania by the waye of Durazzo, not farre from the Cytye of Croia, and with the helpe of George Scanderbeg they defendyd that contre for alonge tyme from the Tyrannie of the infydels, when Calixto the Romishe, Byshoppe vnderstode the

danger that Scanderbeg was in,* 1.33 Scanderbeg was in, weinge his power w^t the vnspekeable power of his enemye, he wolde not se him wāte but supplied him with a great some of money to entertaine his souldiours and with these aydes he de fendyd y^• contrey of Albania, very skylfully and valiant¦ly. In this meane time their was a practize discouerid,* 1.34 y^e whiche a Nephewe of his, his brothers sonne, whoe ha∣uing intelligence with Mahometh, agreed with him vp oncertaine condityones, to sleye his vncle by treason, or els if he coulde by any meanes bring it to passe, to de∣lyuer him on lyue in to Mahomethes handes, when this practeze was discouered by one of the menagers of this same, he laid handes on him, and so caused him to be ex∣amined, in the which he confessyd the whole, wherup∣on he thought it not conueniēt to shed his owne bloude, but banished him, sending hym with his processe to the king Alphonso, whoe commaunded to put him into the Donge on called Miglio, there to continewe during his naturall lyfe. And whileste Scanderbeg lyued, he defended Albania from the tirany of the infydels, fygh∣ting onely for the zeale, he bare to the Christian religiō & caused his subiectes to perseuere in the faith of christe and his worde, notwithstanding the contynuall inuasi∣ous, and courses that his enemies made vpon his cotre impouerishing his subiectes vtterly spoiling y^• laborers of the earthe, lainge waste a greate pece of his contrey, bringing it into vnspekeable miserie and calamitie, whē Mahometh vnderstode the death of Scanderbeg he sent forth with his armie in to Albania, and toke the citie of Croia with all the reste of the contrey except those pla∣ces that the venetianes held, aboute that tyme after the taking of Constantinople, he dyd maruelously vexe the religion of Rhodes both by sea and land, but the greate master of the Hospitall of Iherusalm vnto whome the Isle dyd appertaine, with his souldiours, defended it cō∣tynnally euen to these our dayes, and whan Calixto the gre at Byshope was called vnto for ayde he put his Na∣uie of Shippes & Galleys to y^• sea, & sent them to Rho∣des, vnderthe conducte of y^• patriarcke of Aquileia, who being in those seas, had often to doe with the Turckes

toke and drowned manye of their Galleys and fustes, drowned and slewe their people, and departed alwaye from them with the victorie, & when he had taken from the Turkes y^• Isle of Salaminā whiche in ancient tyme was called Lēno, and also that, that is called Tasso, w^t the Isle of Nēbro and certaine other litle Isles, nere vn to them, he went and spoyled all alonge the sea coastes from helesponto euen to the confynes of Egipte, to the great impouerissing of the inhabitants there of, holding them in contynuall doute and feare and it semed that if he mought haue contynued, he wolde with time haue greatly preuailed, but as sone as Calixto was deade he departed from thence with his Nauie, in to Italie, lea∣uing Rhodes with all others places that y^• Christianes possessid in those partes, in great peryl. And in Acarnia which lieth in the myddeste betwene Epiro, and Boetia and is called at this daye the Duchie, and the Dispotto which then raigned in Acarnama and Epiro, whiche at this daye is called Arta, which begynning towarde the weste at the permontories of Acrocera, doe stretch oute toward the easte to the baie Ambrachio, whiche at thys daye is called y^• golfe of Arta, this Dispotto being mar∣uelously vexed with Mahomethes souldiours, and being desyrous to purchase some forien amitie, by meanes of the king Alphonso he toke to wyfe a daughter of y^e lord Iohn Vnitimiglia, a Captaine of great fame that came into Italie with the king Alphonso of Aragone, to the winning of the kingdome of Naples, who passed the sea into Arta, hauing with him certaine bands of Italianes men at armes, and hauing often tymes to doe with the Turckes, gaue them many defeictes, and set his sonne in lawe free from the inuasiō and aunoiance of the Tur¦kes enforcing them to retorne 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Romania, & to holde them with in the confynes therof, but thys noble Cap∣taine was not so sone departed oute of Acarnamia and* 1.35 gone home, but within shorte space after, the Dispotto was betraied by some of his owne people, and deliuered on lyue, in to the handes of Mahometh, with his contre also when George the Dispotto of Seruia harde of the great preparatiō that the Turkes made for the warres

being in doute of his state, fled into Hungarie, and left•• his cities and Townes well garded and furmished with souldiours and all kinde of munition, and when he was ther arriued to demaunde ayde: the king was not there whereupon he went to him where he was in Vienna in Austrice, where he founde also freer Iohn Caprestano of the order of Sainet frauncis, whoe being a man of good life, and an excellent preacher dyd at that time w^t great fruite preach the gospel to the Hungarianes, and being destrous to talke with the Dispotto, sent to him desirīg him that if it were not a trouble vnto him, that he wold vouchesafe to speake with him, wherunto the Dispotto agreed, and vpon a daye they mette, and by there Turc•• men had great discourse of the Christian faithe and Ca∣prestand dyd approue by great reason, the auctoritie of the Romishe churche, and the opinion of y^e same as tou∣ching the Christian faith, in such sorte, that he constrai∣ned the Dispotto (not hauing reason to answere for him selfe in that behalfe) to yelde, and woulde haue had him to refuse y^e errour, in the which he and his people were, and to haue embraced the religion and faith of the Ro∣mishe church, vnto whome George, laying all reason a part answerid, I haue lyued these foure score & ten yeres in this faithe which was taught me by my forefathers,* 1.36 & imprinted in mine vnderstanding frō michildhed. And amonge my subiectes (althoughe I haue ben an in for∣tunate man) I haue ben holden for a reasonable man, & woldest thou haue me nowe such a one, as they seing me chaunged mought thincke, that myne age hathe de∣caied myne vnderstanding, in such sorte that I mought goe soocke againe, acording to the prouerbe wherfore I wyll loose my lyfe, rather then leue the faithe, wherin both I & my predecessours haue ben norished & brought vp, with which wordes he departed from Caprestano. And for that he coulde obtaine no aide at y^e kings hande whoe was much offended with him for his vntrouth, he toke his leue, (not satisfied acording to his expectacion) and retorned into Seruia, a manifest document to admo¦nyshe men to take hed, howe thei vse double dealinge when George was comme home, he vnderstode that Mi¦chell

Zilugo, (whose systre Vaiuoda had to wife) sholde ••e gouernour of the Towne of Alba, which at this day ••s called Belgrado, and was alredye with his brother Laodislao gone into his wagen to passe on his iourney, and as they passed on by the confynes of his centrey he ••ent towarde them certaine bandes of armed men with commissyon to bringe them eyther on lyue, or ded, as ••one as Michell sawe him selfe like to be assayled by the Seruianes, he lefte his wagen and toke his horse which was at hande lepte vpon him, and with his sworde in ••is hand dyd cut his waie throughe the middest of them and so with flighte saued his lyfe, the Seruianes finding ••aodislao in the wagen, slewe him,* 1.37 Michel determining to reuenge y^e iniurie that was done him and the death of his brother also, appointed certaine to goe, and to vnderstande in what strength the Dispotto vsed to ryde when he passed from place to place with in his contrey, from whom he receaued aduertizement that George with in fewe dayes after wolde passe on vppon the syde of Danubio to visyte certaine fortes, and Townes of of force that he had standing vpō the same ryuer, wher∣upon Michell, with certaine bandes of souldiours pas∣sed on and marched in the nighte and ambusshed them selues vpon the waye that George muste passe, and as ••one, as George came to the place where they laye in ••mbushe, they shewed them selues, and with great fu∣••ie assayled him, and in the fighte he loste two of his fin¦geres, and Michell toke him prisouer vnto whome he paied a great summe of money for his rausome, and so retorned home to his house, and when he came there, he coulde by no meanes staunch the bledīg of his wounds which bled continually in such sorte that in short tyme∣••e died. And this was the ende of George the Dispotto of Seruia, a man exciding troublouse and full of trea∣••on, in whose place Lazaro his yongest sonne succided him, and depriued his elder brother, whose eyes were plucked oute by the commaundemente of Amo∣cathe, as before is mencyoned, wyth in fewe monethes after, Lazaro died, vpon whose death theyr arose greate contencyon, whoe shoulde

succid him in state,* 1.38 Georg he desired aide of Mahometh, the wife of Lazaro being wydow demaūded aide and ob¦tained of the king of Hungarie, certaine bandes of both horse men and fote men to maintaine her in her state,* 1.39 by the which meanes she contynued in it, at that tyme was Carafagio, the Cardinall Sainct Angelo, in Al∣mayne, sent bi Calix to the Bishop of Rome to require them to aide the Hungarianes in that they had begone in the behalfe of the Dowgier, Carafagio at the request of the Hungarianes entred with his armie into Seruia and fynding the Turckes alredie possessyd of it, by mea∣nes of the Seruians which of their owne acorde had yel ded them, vnto them wherupō he retorned backe againe and escaped hardly, notwithstanding with great difficul¦tie he came safe to Buda, when all these thinges were done, it semid to Mahometh that he had well established his affares of Gretia, whereupon he prepared his armie and all kinde of munition thereunto belonging, deter∣mining no lenger to defer the enterprise against y^• Hun¦garianes, for somuch as this occasion was, offerred him to be called in to Seruia by the Seruianes them selues wherupon he assembled his armie, in the whiche he had acording to the opinion of some wryters, a hundred and fyftie thousand able souldiours, but their are other that write (of whose opinion rather we are) that they were a hundred thousande furnished souldiours, and were fully perswaded to were the palme of that iorney, wherevp∣on, he conueid his armie ouer the mountaines of Tra∣cia, and so marched on, tyll he came to the ryuer Sauo, whervpon Iohn Carafagio Cardinall Sainct Angelo, gatherid togyther all the power that he coulde, promi∣sing to as manye as wolde folowe him in that iorney, full remission of their synnes,* 1.40 and by the Apostelique autoritie that he had he gaue to as many as shoulde be staine in that iorney eternall lyfe, and by these meanes and with the helpe of y^e preachinge of freere Caprestano he had assembled an armie offortie thousande men, of Almaynes, Bohemes and Hungarianes, all crossed mē not of the welthiest sorte or men of estate, but pore men of the common sorte, y^• which for the zeale of y^• christian

faithe, were contented to offer them selues to the daun∣ger of the deathe for the name of Christ Iesus, hopinge in this worlde to obtaine forgyuernes of their synnes, & in the worlde to comme, foye euerlasting, which matter is harde for preachers to perswade princes, and great rulers of the worlde vnto, for so much, as many of them (setting their hole felicitie vpon these transitorie vani∣ties) haue no care for the lyfe to comme, which Christe hath promised to as manie as walke in his ordynances, for the great ones of the worlde for the moste parte will not hazard them selues to loose this life for that they cā not assure them selues of the lyfe to come, wherfore they doe, not only, not frame them selues to heare the worde of god, but forasmuch as in them is, they flee from it as from a thing mostedispleasante,* 1.41 and contrarye to their natures: like wise Iohn Vaiuoda had assembled an ar∣mie of valiāte men, oute of Hungarie & Bohemia, both of horse men and fotemen, Mahometh was in such a tri∣umphe by meanes of the good successe that he had had, that he thoughte there was no power in Europe: able to encountre him. And beinge puffed vp in this sorte with pride, with great furie presented his campe to the citie of Alba, which standeth vpon the mouthe of the ry∣uer Sauo,* 1.42 not farre from the Danubio, and at this daye is called Belgrado and at the lodging of his campe he gaue a great brauado and a notable charge vpon them of the towne, and when he sawe the towne well furni∣shed with defendantes and his assaultes receaued with great assurance and that the Hungarianes durste, not only to defend their towne, but also to holde the feelde contynually in armes within the shotte of the Cannon whervpon he thought good to assure him selfe frō oute∣ward insultes and to plante his batteries, wherefore he gaue order w^t all spede to fortifie his campe with greate dykes and stronge rampares, & also they of the towne applied them daye and nighte in reparing them selues, that in shorte space they were so fortifiede that notwith standing the greatest part of the walle, was by y^t Turc∣kes batterie laid flatte on the earth, yet stode they vpon their newe fortificationes and ripares y^• they had made

within the towne in farre greater assurance for the de∣fence of the towne, then if the walles of the towne ha•• contynued in their former state, and the Turckes being at handes with them contynually, both daye and night were entred the breaches and then the towne, & fought with them of the towne vpon grounde of equall aduan∣tage with their newe fortificationes, and defenses, and coulde not enforce them to gyue vnto them one fote of y^• grounde which they had determined to defend such was their valewe in armes.* 1.43 When the Turckes had in this sorte batterid the towne for a longe tyme in vaine, Ma∣hometh being kendled with great furie, and rage deter∣mined to holde them occupied daye and night continual¦ly, and so to werye them. And when he had embattayled all his people, & deuided them into regementes or squa∣drones, apointīg to euery squadrone for conducte therof a man of great Iudgement in marcyal affares, to the ende that they shoulde, one succide an other in y^• assaute with their battailones and so to kepe occupied continu∣ally them of the towne, to the ende that they shoulde haue no tyme to fortifie them selues against them, and then they began on euery syde to assayle the Christians whoe also put them selues in battayle and appointed al¦so certaine extraordinarie bandes to be emploied where necessitie shoulde require, and thus came on nobly and encountred their enemies, there was betwene them a longe fyghte, the assaulte was full of bloodshedde and crueltie, and also doubtefull, for some tyme the Turcks preuailed: as thoughe they wolde forthewith becomme lords of the towne, on the other syde the Christians sup¦pliing the fyght often tymes with newe bandes and cal¦ling to mynde their wonted valiantize dyd so repulse y^• enemies that some time they enforced them clerely to abandone the walles, so that the victorie semed aparent¦ly to be theirs and in this sorte the battayle contynued so doubtefully y^• it was harde to saye where y^e victorye shoulde lighte, and by meanes of the great obstinatie on both partes the matter was lyke to continewe doubt full tyll the darcke nighte wherupon Mahometh deter∣mined to proue whether his presēce mought anyething

preuaile to encorage his souldiours or no, & imediatly came among them, thincking by his presence so to en∣corage his souldiours that forthwith they shoulde in∣force the Christians to abandone the walles, whervpon he came to that place where his garde of Gianizzaries dyd assayle, and as he approched some thinge neare was strycken with an aroe vnder the right pappe, whervpon he was taken and caried to this lodging, which so disco∣raged his people,* 1.44 that immediately they lefte y^• assaulte vpon the soodden, & abandoned their artillerie to their enemies in proie, and with spede conueid them selues to their lodginges, and the nigth folowing they leuied their campe with greate sylence and marched on with great spede tyl they came into Seruia, and from thence into Romania, when the Christians sawe the seege rai¦sed, and the enemie gone, they gaue god great thankes and were ioyfull and meruelouse glad. Then they en∣deuored to cure their hurte men and to distribute the proye to euery man acording to his place, this great & rare victorie was attributed to there men in especiale, which is to Iohn Carafagio Legate Apostolique, in whose name the iorney was taken in hand. To Iohn Vaiuoda, and to freer Caprestano, which two were pre¦sent in all these affares althoughe that Vaiuoda in all his letters that he wrote to the Emperour and to other princes and frendes of his, neuer made anie mencion of Caprestano, nor Caperestano in his letters which he wrote to the Byshoppe of Rome and also to the Gene∣rall of his order and other prelates, made anye mencion of Vaiuoda, notwithstanding, either of them affyrmed in his letters that god throughe him, had gyuen to the Christianes that glorious victorie, wherin it was ap∣parantly seene, that the nature of man being most gre∣die and desirous of honor, wyll more easyly depart with kingdomes, contreys, riches and such like & to approue this, it was euidently seen in Caprostano, whoe in time before, coulde easyly contempne and dispize all wordly riches, set at naught all erthely pleasures vanquishe & ouercome the desires and motiones of the fleshe and yet coulde not depresse that desire of glorie which then was

in him. Althoughe some man moughte saye vnto me, y^• Caprestano cared not for his owne glorie but for the glo¦rye of god declaringe his incomprehensyble power by aiding the Christians and gyuing them victorie by the aduise and industrie of a symple, poore, and vn armed freer, to the whiche obiection I am content at this pre∣sent to gyue place, when Mahomethe had receuid this great bastonade and was retorned home, it is said that he became more temperate, and modeste, and began to consider mannes astate, and to depresse his arrogance, and pride, and he neuer happened afterwarde to heare anye talke of the iorney of Belgrado, but it wolde put him in Cholere, and make him to shake y^• hed, notwith¦standing that he coulde wel dissemble his cause. When Calixto was ded, there succided him in his seate Enea Picolhuomini a Sienese borne, whoe being desyrous to prouide for the defence of Christendome, wente in per∣son to Mantoa, a citie in Lombardie, where he had ap∣pointed a generall councell, and at the daye appointed their came manye princes, and the ambassadours of all the Christian potentates, and the matter being there ex¦amined and debated for the space of eighte monethes in what sort they should make warres for the recouerie of Gretta, and chasing of the enemies oute of Europe, and hauing there a great nūbre of Christian princes, which were verie colde in that behalfe, and dyd slenderly satis∣fie the expectation of the pope, whervpon when it was decreed that y^e warres shoulde be taken in hand against the Turcke, he licensed the Councell, and departed to∣warde Rome, determining to goe this iorney in person with his Nauie by the sea, on thother syde Mahomethe hauinge intelligence of the greate preparation that the Byshope of Rome made, determining to cut of all occa∣syones that mought trouble his state in Gretia, and cal¦hys enemyes thyther,* 1.45 whervpon he sent hys armye a∣gaine into Morea, & aboute the yere of our saluation a thousand foure hundred and thre score, and in a shorte space became lorde of the greatest parte of that contrey, and hauing alredie takē the Dispotto therof (dimetrio) and sent him prisoner to Constantinople, Thomas his

elder brother being then prince of Acaia, was maruel∣ously in doubte of him selfe, whervpon he toke with him oute of Acaia the hed of Saincte Andre the apostle and fled oute of his contrey into Italie with the afore sayde hed and manye other reliques of Sainctes, & came and presented bothe the reliques, and him selfe to the pope. Whoe receued the reliques, and caused them to be pla∣ced with great solenpnitie, in the churche of Sainte Pe¦ter prince of the Apostles, in a certaine Chapell whiche he had buylded with great sumptuositie, & to Thomas prince of Achaia, he appointed such promisiō as mought honorably maintaine his state duringe his lyfe, in that same yere Mahometh went with his armie against the Emperour of Trebisonda and entred into Ponto with an exceding, great Nauie and beseged Trebisonda,* 1.46 both by sea and land, and the Emperour making no great de¦fence nether of him selfe, ne yet of his citie, was taken, and brought on lyue to Mahometh, whoe sent him pri∣soner to Constantinople, and became, not onely lord of Trebisonda but also of Sinopi & the reste of the townes and cities, that the Christians possessyd with in the con¦trey of Pontho, whē he had thus done, he returned with his Nauie into Gretia, the yere folowing, he put his Na¦uie againe to the sea, and sent it to assaile the Isle of Mi¦telleme in the olde worlde called Lesbo, which was pos∣sessyd at that tyme by the lorde frauneys Gattalusio a Genouese borne. When he had brought his Nauie thi∣ther, and landed his people in shorte tyme he toke al the fortes, and townes of the Isle, and then he brought his armie y^e to Citie of Mitilleme, wherin was the lorde of the Isle with all his power,* 1.47 the Turckes beseged the towne bothe by sea and land, in suche sorte, that they of the towne coulde nether receaue into the towne, men ne yet victuales, then planted they theyr batteries, and in shorte space made an exceding greate breache, and yet they contynued it daye and night without gyuing anye tyme at all to the defendantes to repose them, and after manye assaultes gyuen, the defendantes were marue∣lously consumed by death, and hurtes: whervpon they assayled it rounde with al their force, and in the ende en¦tred

(after longe fighte) the repares that the defendants had made, and first became masters of the walles, and then of the citie, they put al the men of the towne to the sworde excepte the lorde of the Isle whom they toke pri¦soner, they deflored all the Virgines of the towne, and forced all the women of the same, thei spoiled the towne of all y^e riches that therein was, and they lefte nothing nether sacred ne yet profane vndefiled and in this sorte they obtained an exceding riche spoyle, both of treasure and prisoners of all kindes, and ages, which they lad with Gatalusio their lorde, to Constantinople and solde them in their marcketes (by companies lyke herdes of swyne (for slaues, a piteouse spectacle to beholde, a cer∣taine people of the Isle of Scio called Manoesy (vnto whome the Isle of Scio dyd apartaine)* 1.48 in y^e right of their auncestours, whoe at their owne charges wanne it not∣withstanding they dyd owe sertaine homage to the citie of Genoa of the which, they were citizenes, when they vnderstode of the losse of Mitilene fearing leste the vic¦toriouse Nauie should be emploied against thē, thought it good to make the matter suer, whervpon, they sent an ambassade to Mahometh, and agreed to gyue him yerely ten thousand ducates in the name of tribute, and thus comitted them selues to his protection. When the Venetianes vnderstode of y^e taking of Morea, the losse of Mitilene and Trebisonda,* 1.49 they began to be in doubte of their Isles and townes that they possessyd in Gretia, and sawe then their owne folie in that,* 1.50 that thei had not in the begynninge aided those princes and people, but suffred them to be denoured, one after an other, & Ma∣hometh to possesse their states and contreis, whervpon, they thought it better to assaile, then to be assailed, and therfore preuented the enemye, being in good hope that the popes enterprise shoulde goe forewarde, and take good effect, by meanes wherof, Mahometh shoulde haue ynought to doe, to defende his owne dominions, and contreys,* 1.51 whervpon they put to the sea a greate Nauie of Galleys of diuers ordres of ores, and manye greate shippes in whom they bestowed agreate numbre, both of fotemen and horsemen Italians, and so sayled on to∣warde

the Archipelago or myddle sea, & when they had landed their people in Morea, the fyrst thinge that they toke in hande, was to make againe the walle of Esmi∣lia and to make it as stronge as they coulde, after that they marched on with their armie to y^• citie of Corintho and besegid it bothe by sea and land, when Mahomethe was aduertized of the arriualle of the venetianes, and of the great daunger that Corintho was in, he put his Na¦uie to the sea and embarqued his armie, gyuinge them commission to haste with all celeritie toward Corintho as sone as the infidele armie was landed in Morea, they assailed forth with the walle of Esmilia,* 1.52 and laide their batteries to it, whervpon the Christianes not beinge a∣ble to stande to the defence therof, gaue it ouer to the enemies and retired to their campe the which as sone as the Turckes Captaines espied, they forthe with cut throughe the walle, and entred, marching on with their armie towarde the enemie, who refused not y^e battayle but marched also towarde them and withoute delaie ioi¦ned with them in battaile,* 1.53 which contynuinge for the space of certaine houres, was bothe terrible, & bloddie and in the ende the Christianes being werie, and not a∣ble to endure the force of the Turckes (whoe contynual¦ly supplied y^• fighte with freshe and reposed squadrones in the place of the weried, and spoyled) began to retire toward the sea, thincking to saue them selues by fleing to their Nauie, and brake their order, and being folowed by the Turckes horsemen, were slaine, and taken in great numbre, and loste also their artillerie, munition and cariadge, and in this sort, was the sege of Corintho raised, and then with great triumphe retorned the in∣fidels to Constantinople, leading with them the Chri∣stian prisoners enchayned, & as sone as they were there arriued, they caused a great number of them with great crueltie to be cut in peces in the market place, the reste they lad with them, lyke flockes of shepe throughe the Townes of Asia, & solde them for slaues in euery place y^• they passed by. The Venetianes beinge greatly disco∣raged throughe this defeicte and fearing that they had procured to them the Turcks indignation by y^• meanes

of the soodden warres which they had made vpon him wherupon they addressed them forth with to the pope, •• sent their Oratours to Rome, to desire and solicite th•• pope with greate instance, to make warres vpon th•• Turcke, and to haste the iorney into Asia, declaring v•• to him that if he deferred the tyme, Mahometh shoulde haue good commoditie to take all the townes in Greti•• that were in the possession of the Christians, and cheife¦ly those that were vpon the sea coaste by meanes wher of they shoulde not be able to maintaine any Nauie vp on that coaste, hauinge no hauens nor goolfes at their commaundemente, the Byshoppe althoughe he knewe that to be true which they said being very sorie to con∣sider the peryl wherin they were, dyd put them in good hope that he wolde acomplishe their request, althoughe in dede, he sawe no meanes howe to doe it, for that he coulde get no aide from beyonde the mountaines, for as much, as the case eas such, that after that the councell of Mantoa was licensyd, all Europe was fylled with di¦uision, and priuate innimities, and regarded not at al, the good determination of y^e generall enterprise against the infidels agreed vpō at Mantoa, for in Almanie there was warres betwene the Duke of Bauera,* 1.54 and the Saxons, and ether parte employed their frindes, and by that meane drewe to them the greatest parte of Al∣manie. The Emperour pretending to succide in the roi∣all seate of Hungarie, his Nephewe Laodislao kinge therof, wolde not endure that the king Mathias should possesse it, wherfore he emploied all his force against y^• Hungarianes. The Frenshe kinge beinge much offen∣dyd with the pope for that he crowned, and admitted to the seate Royall of Pulia the kinge Ferdinando a bas∣tarde sonne of the king Alsonso, not regrading at al the righte that the kinge Renato of Angio his cosen had to the afore saide kingdome, dyd not onelye refuse to send aide to this generall enterprise: but threatned the pope continually to send his armie into Pulia. The Inglishe men, whiche were neuer wonte to fayle in anye enter∣prise agaist the enemies of the Christian faithe, being sore vexed with Ciuile warres, hauinge two kinges li∣uing

at once which soughte no meanes, but onely howe the one mought chase the other oute of the realme, the people beinge deuided, y^e one parte fauoring henry their auncient kinge, the whiche by Edward, Duke of yorke was chased oute of the Realme, the other sorte soughte ••o maintaine the partie of kinge Edwarde vnto whom y^e Duke of Burgonie gaue aide, and Loise the Frenshe kinge aided the kinge henry, whose sonne with y^• counte of warwicke entred England, & gaue battaile to kinge Edward. In Spaine the citie of Burcelona in the con∣••rey of Catalonia reuolted against their prince, the king Iohn of Arragone kinge of Nauarre, and were ayded & maintained against him by the kinge of Castilia, on the other syde the Frenshe kinge gaue ayde to the kinge Iohn of Nauarre to recouer againe his righte who was encamped before the citie with his power, and for y^• that god wolde not that anye parte of Europe shoulde be at quiete, he sturred vp in Fraunce the Duke Iohn, sonne to the king Renato of Angio, who passed into y^• kinge∣••ome of Naples with a greate Nauie of Galleys & ship∣pes, and while he was there, he so practized, that he diui¦••ed the whole force of Italie the one parte therof fauo∣••ing the house of Angio and the other parte the house of Aragone, so, that in those warres: all the nobilitie of y^• kingdome, as men oute of their wittes deuided them sel¦ues into sondrie factiones, not onely they of the king¦dome, but of all the states of Itali••. The Venetianes, & Genoueses, with diuerse other princes fauored the par∣••ie of the Duke Iohn. The pope and the Duke of Myl∣••ane, discouered them selues in the fauour of y^• king Fer¦••ante, and sent him diuers bandes bothe of horsemen, & ••otemē. The florentines, althoughe generally they were ••nclyned to fauour the Frenshe partie by meanes of •• league made betwene the house of Angio and them, and were bounde to the kinge Renato, yet notwithstan¦ding being gouerned by the appetite of their rules, they were perswaded that it was not good for them to take parte in so gerat warres, and to enter into newe char∣ges, but to stande as newtres, but in dede, they showed ••hem selues fryndes to the house of Aragone, whervp∣on

forthwith: they cassed many of their bandes, with the lorde Simonetto, one of their chiefe conductours, and permitted them to serue the kinge ferrante, & thus secretly they ayded the partie of Arragone, wherupon, the pope beinge empeched by meanes of these emotions determined to defer the purposed enterprise against the Turcke vntyll suche tyme as the deuisiones and tumul¦tes of Europe and chiefly those of Italie were appeased wherupon he departed from Siena & rteorned to Rome purposing to acquiet and redresse the temporall state of his church, which was maruelously disordered & shaken by meanes of the aforesaid diuisiō, he began at Viterbo which was then holden by one of the factions, & by his auctoritie called home againe those that for feare were fled, & reconciled them w^t their aduersaries & in this sort lefte them al in good peace vnder his protection & gouer¦nance after this he sent his legates into y^e duchie & into the contrey of Marca and finding these prouinces infec∣ted w^t the afore saide Maladye, one citie being in armes againste the other and diuerse citie beinge deuided in them selues, the one part of the Citie against the other some were of the Colonese factino & other of the Orsius and nowe had the one the better and then the other, tyl at the laste by the great prouidence and industrie of the legates, they were all pacified and lefte vnder the regi∣ment and gouernaunce of the popes officers in perfecte tranquiletie and quietnes: after this when the pope be∣helde y^• miserable state of his contrey & the great spoyle therof that had ben made throughe the Ciuile disorder and warres y^• had ben amonge them, by meanes wher∣of they had consumed a great numbre of their people, & also were brought into extreme pouerty, it was a great griefe vnto him, and then gaue he order that they which gouerned shoulde by common consent restore againe to their firste degres and honours the orders of gentlemen and the twelue, and shoulde cal from exile certaine wor¦thie citizens, and in this sorte he enlarged his regiment and state, and lefte it quiet and in peace tyll at the laste in the contre of Marca, their arose the lord Sigismonde Malisti, and gatherid an army and encountred with the

popes Legate and gaue him a great ouerthroe by mea∣nes wherof all the Contre of Marca was in armes and folowed this Sigismonde, wherupon the pope sent thi∣ther his legate the Cardinall of Tiano apistolese borne with the Duke of Vrbine and the lorde Napoleone Or¦sino, which gaue to Sigismondo such an ouerthroe not farre from Sinigaglia, that they enforced him to leue y^• feelde and so repressed his furie y^• in a shorte tyme they toke from him Sinigaglia, Fano, and a good pece of the countie of Arrimino, and after diuerse encoūtres in the kingdome of Naples, the kings Ferrante remained vic∣toriouse, and the Duke Iohn with his Angionme fac∣tion was retorned into Fraunce, & when Ferrante was well established in his kingdome, and that the pope sawe him selfe deliuered of two great warres, and had established the temporal state of his church and brought it to perfecte quietnes, he then called againe to minde y^• enterprise of Asia, against the Turckes and being con∣federate with the kinge of Hungarie, the Duke of Bor¦gonie and with the state of Venise, they then consulted and determined in what sorte they woulde make these warres, the pope sent forthe his letters with his mes∣sagers to al the princes of Christendome, exhorting and requiring thē to cōme & ayde him in this iorney against th•• infidels, and appointed the tyme, that in the yere of our helthe a thousand foure hundred threscore and foure the xv. daye of Iune, all the armie shoulde be redie in y^• contre of Marca, not farre from Ancona, where they shoulde fynde the Nauie reddie to receaue, both y^• popes hollynes and them also who wolde in person goe, to so glorious an enterprise, and when the pope had thus de∣termined, he passed on for the recouerie of his helthe to Siena, meaning the nexte spring folowing according to his custume to goe to the baines at Petriuolo: and whē he was there arriued, newes came to him that Philippe Duke of Borgonie (seing the great tumultes and emo∣tiones that were in Fraunce betwene the king and the nobilitie) wolde prouide for y^• securitie of his state wher¦fore he wolde not deale at all in the enterprise againste the Turckes but emploied all his force vnder the con∣ducte

of his sonne Charles against Loys king of Fraūce whereupon he changed his purposed iorney to y^e baines, and retorned to Rome where he was maruelously trou∣bled with the goute and also with the feuer wherupon he was enforced to contynewe there a longe tyme con∣trarie to his determination which was the cause that he coulde not be at his daye appointed at Ancona: accor∣ding to his proclamation that he had made of the iorney in the meane tyme their came to Rome seuerally ambas¦sadours, both from Loys the frenshe king and also from Philippe Duke of Borgonie, excusing ether of them for so muche as beinge troubled with domesticale warres they coulde not at that tyme gyue anye aide toward the iorney, when the pope was some thing recouerid of his disease, he called the Cardinales to the Consystorie, & there discoursed of the heresies that then were in y^e king¦dome of Bohemia, wherupon he graunted forthe his ci∣tationes, and then with his Cardinales and other Cor¦tigianes he departed from Rome and passed throughe y^• contre of Sabina into the Duchie, and from thence into the contre of Marca and beinge caried in a horse lytter (in consyderation of his weakenes) passed so on to An∣cona and as he passed on y^• waye he mette with a great numbre of men ••••ich came oute of Almanie, Fraunce, and Spaine, of t••••ir owne good willes, to goe that iour¦ney against the infidels, of the whiche numbre the grea∣test parte, and chiefely those that came oute of Almanie brought with them no prouision wherwith to susteine them in that iorney,* 1.55 wherupon, he gaue them his bene diction, and absolued them clearely from al the offences that euer they committed, vntyll that present, and in this sorte licensid them to retorne into their coūtreys a∣gaine, and being in Ancona he loked for y^e Nauie which was made redie in diuers places of Italie, and shoulde repare thither to vnite them selues and also he loked for the Duke of Venise with his armata to arriue there in this meane time the feuer dyd so growe and encreas vp on him, that the same daye that the Duke of venise lan¦ded in y^e hauen of Ancona accompanied with xii. galleys and a great numbre of gentlemen he yelded vp his soul••

to god, which was the yere of our helth.* 1.56 1464. and the ••iiii of August, immediatly vpō his death y^• Cardinales retorned to Rome to electe a newe Byshoppe, and the Duke of Venise retorned againe to Venise with his ar∣mata and in this sorte the Nauie was deuided and all the preparation that was made for the iorney into Asia, was but in vaine, and when the Duke was come home to Venise, the Seniours thoughte it not good to losse al that which they had bestoed in furnishing their Nauie and their armie where upon they made Nicholas de Ca¦nale, general of their Nauie and sent him with their Na¦uie to the sea, who sayled alonge the coaste of Gretia, & landed in Romania and sacqued the Citie of Euia and toke oute of it a great spoile and after that,* 1.57 he entred in∣to the golfe of Patrasso whiche is in Morea, and there landed, and beinge encountred with the Turckes that were there lefte for the garde of the conutrey, he flewe two thousande vpon the place, and gaue them a greate ouerthowe he toke the Castle of Vesticio fortified it and lefte in it a garnison of his people, there succided pio y^• se¦conde, Paulo the seconde, a venetian borne, who semed not to abandone the enterprise that his predecessor had determined against the infidels, wherupon he ioyned in league with the Venetianes against y^• Turckes which had made there courses into Almaignie and had taken a waye a great proye both of men and cattell, Mahometh determining alwayes to banishe the Christians oute of Gretia,* 1.58 aboute the yere of our helthe. 1470. dyd put to the sea a Nauie of. 400. sayle where of they saye there were. 200. gaylles and fustes, and when he had embarc¦ked a great number of horse men and fote men, he sent them vnder the gouernance and cōducte of Mahometh, Bassa to the seege of the citie of Calcide which standeth in the Isle that was anciently called Euboica and nowe is called Negroponte,* 1.59 as sone as the Bassa was arriued at the Isle, he landed his people and beseged the towne and planted his batteries, and when the had contynued it for a longe space, they had done in maner nothing, for they of the towne be haued them so well that whatso∣euer breache was made in the day, they made it vp in y^•

nighte, and rampared it in as great strengte as before, wherfore it semed to Mahomethe that his enterprise toke no greate effecte, and that his batteries dyd not greatly preuaile, he sent for a newe supplie of men and went thyther in person and when he behelde the greate breaches that his men had made he thoughte that they mought easily enter y^e towne: wherupō he embattailed all his armie, and appointed certaine Colonelles with their regimentes to the assaulte and appointed to euery of them the place that he with his regyment shoulde as∣sayle, when he had thus done, he called al the captaines of his armie vnto him perswadinge them with goodly wordes to shewe them selues worthie of that good opi∣nion that he had of them, and that they wolde approche the towne with purpose that dai to be victoriouse or els there to ende their liues, and also he gaue vnto them the whole spoyle of the towne, more ouer he promised to suche as shoulde firste enter the towne great rewardes, with these exhortaciones and promises, he dyd greatlye incorage his souldiours, wherupō he continued his bat∣teries with great furie, for a space, with the noise wher of and with that of drommes, trompettes, and cornetts the aire, the earth, and the sea, dyd tremble, Mahometh gaue order that when the Colonelles of y^e first assauite had continued it for a certaine time,* 1.60 that then other C••¦lonelles with their regymentes shoulde take their place and so contynewe the assaulte, by the whiche meanes, he had alwayes freshe assaylantes, and thus contynued he the assaulte withoute intermission two dayes & two nightes, and suffred not them of the towne in any wise to repose, and althoughe that the Christians who were appointed to y^e garde of the towne defended it with rare vertue, and noble myndes, and vsed their fiers artificial shotte, great stones, and casting speares, wherwith they had flayne a great numbre of the infydels, and when the infydels had twyse chased them from the breache & had entred the towne, the Christians serred them selues and charged them and for with chased them fort he of the towne making great slaughter of the aforesaid enemies but in the ende, for asmuche as the greatest parte of the

defendantes were staine and the reste being but fewe in numbre and greatly weried with the longe fyghte that they had endured, and being consumed in this sorte not being a sufficient number to defende the whole circuite of the towne,* 1.61 certaine of them repared into the market place determininge there to dye honorably with theyr swordes in their hand, and such as were not of so noble a minde as they were, for soke the towne, among the whiche numbre, was the gouernour of the Citie with manye of the cheife officers and gentle men Venetians which fled into the forte or Citadell, wherupon y^e Turc¦kes entred the Citie, and after a longe fyghte became lordes of the market place, and them of the Citie, and with inspeakable crueltie they put to death all the Ita∣lianes* 1.62 that they coulde laie handes on, inpalinge them vpon longe stakes, of others they plucked the skyn ouer their eares, and some others thei cut a sonder in the mid¦dest in such sorte: that all y^e stretes of Negroponte were fylled with dede boddies and washed w^t christian bloude and after that they toke all the inhabitants of y^e towne as wel men as wemen that then were liuing, and made them slaues and when they had thus done, they began to sacke the towne both houses and Churches, in suche sorte as they lefte nothing in the towne, suche as were fled into the sorte made an appointement with him, it was agreed that they shoulde departe safely with their lyues and goodes whervpon they delyuered the Castle before that anye one pece was planted against it, in dede the Turcke helde not his promes with them, for in dede be put them all to y^e sworde. And in this sorte y^e famous Isle of Eboica aboute the middest of y^e monethe of Iune was takē by Mahometh and when Nicholas de Canale was retorned to Venise the Senate laid to his charge y^e* 1.63 he had not done his duetie in that that he had not suc∣coured Negroponte, whiche he moughte haue done if he had durs••••, as they sayde, wherupon they layde him in chaines and then condempned him to perpetuall exile, & created in his place their general Petro Moranigo, who departed oute of the golfe with a Nauie of lx. galleys & xx. greate shippes and sailed on towarde y^e Isle & spoiled

and destroied all the sea coast of Gretia, and Asia. In those dayes the Genoueses fearinge leaste the Turcke shoulde bringe his armie to the Citie of Capha, whiche standeth beyonde the straite of Bosporo vpon the sea cal¦led Eusino which at this daye is called the greater sea,* 1.64 and seing no waie howe they mighte sende any succours thyther, for somuch as the Turcke had his Castles very well furnished which he had buylded vpon both the strai¦tes, and they thoughte it a matter impossyble to sende anye bandes thyther by lande, considering that the ior∣ney was great and the passage perillous, throughe the contreys of so many barbarous nations, and beinge in this greate extremitie, there was a Constable which of∣ferid for a certaine sume of money to goe into Caffa w^t his bande which was of the numebr of. 150. souldiours or there aboute, vnto whome they gaue such some as he demaunded, wherupon he toke his iourney and passed throughe y^e contrey of Friule in Italie, & after through the contrey of Hungarie, then throughe Polonia, from thence throughe Scithia, whiche at this daye is called Tartarie, and in this sorte conueid him selfe into Caffa while these thinges were doinge, Mahomethe had put * 1.65 a great Nauie to the sea to passe into Candie where mē supposed he had alredie framed certaine practizes with the Candiottes that he should be receyued by them whē¦soeuer that he came, and vnderstandinge the Venetian armata to be alredie ariued there and that the chiefe con¦spiratours were taken and put to death, immediatly he chaunged purpose and directed his Nauie into the grea¦ter sea, and commaūded a great number of horsemen to passe into Valachia and to spoyle & destroye there what they coulde, as they were doinge of this, he beseged the Citie of Caffa both by sea and lande,* 1.66 he planted his bat∣teries, and began to tormente them ercidingly with his shotte, the Genoueses which there were, whoe were ma¦ny in number & possessid great riches, bothe of marchan∣dize and treasour, whoe being amased by this sodden as¦saulte, and seing them selues oute of al hope of succour, after that they had defendyd it nobly by the space of cer∣taine dayes, thoughte it not good there to loose bothe

lyfe and goodes, wherupon they practized an appointe∣ment. And agreing vpon the same delyuered the towne vpon condition,* 1.67 to enioye al their goodes, which promis was but euell obserued, for somuche as they toke from thence manye of the principall families with that they had and sent them to Constantinople, and constrained them there to dwell and made the Citizens of Caffa his tributaries and forbadde them vpon paines of lyfe to de¦parte from thence, or to send away from thence any of their substance or riches. And in this sorte the Citie of Caffa (standing vpō the sea called Eusino) which had ben of a longe tyme possessyd by the Genoueses, became subiecte to the tiranouse gouernance of the Turckes, when Mahomethe acordinge to his determination had clearely banished y^e Christians oute of Gretia, he leuied an armie of a hundred thousand men, and sent them in∣to Albania to beseege the towne of Scutarie,* 1.68 which stan¦deth neare the riuer called Buiana (not farre from the ancient Citie Appollonia) which then was possessyd by the Venetianes and furnished with dyuers Constables and bandes of Italianes bothe fotemen and horsemen, when the infydels were comne before Scutarie, they enuironned the towne with their campe, and planted their batteries contynewing them daye and night with oute cease with maruelouse furie, and they of the towne dyd w^t no lesse corage defend them selues. And throughe the noble myndes and discipline, of the Christian Cap∣taines, all the Turckes preparationes and attemptes were renderid vaine and of none effecte, they were en∣forced to consume all that sommer in vaine before that towne, and when the Autoume drewe on, the Turckes throughe the sharpnes of the aire, and y^e pestilent winds which bette vpō them contynually throughe the mouth of the ryuer fell into diseases in such sorte, as they were enforced to abandone the seege and to with drawe them¦selues into those mountaines of Macedonia that were nearest to Scutarie, in intention to retorne thyther a∣gaine as sone as the infection of the aire shoulde cease, and whileste they wintred there the lieutenante of the armie toke with him certaine of his chosen bandes and

made warres vpon Iohn Gernoi* 1.69 (whiche possessyd dy¦uerse townes in the mountaines of Albania) he toke frō him the towne of Sabiaco, and when he had by force ta∣ken the Citie of Diuastro and Lisso, he put to death all the men that were within them with sondrie torments and tiranouse deathes, he made the wemen and chyl∣dren slaues which he there founde, and went in y^e spring folowing, againe to the sege of Scutarie, althoughe he were oute of hope to take it by force, yet he thoughte in time throughe famine to possesse it, whervpon he cn∣nironned the towne with his campe in such sorte, y^e they coulde nether send forth to their fryndes anye aduertise ment, nor receaue from them anye in telligence or relife on the other side the Venetianes coulde neuer perswade the pope to abstaine from the warres which he had be∣gone in Tuscane againste the Florentynes, & to vnite hys force with them and so to enuade the infidels, for so muche as they alone withoute the ayde of any other,* 1.70 had borne the whole charge of the warres in Gretia by the space of. 25. yeres, being w^t the intollerable charges therof weried, for that they were enforced to holde con∣tynually a greate Nauie vpon the Coaste of Gretia, for the defence of suche fortes and townes as they possessed there, and beside that they dyd contribute very largely to y^e pope for y^• manitenance of his warres in Tuscane against the Florentines, whervpon lyke wise men they Iudges, that yf the Florentine shoulde happen to be subdued, the enemie moughte also easyly take frō them all suche places as they possessyd in the maine lande of Italie, wherfore they thought it good to disbordē them selues of so greate a charge, and by meanes of certaine Greekes, practized an appointemente with Mahometh, and concluded a peace with him for manye yeres, vpon conditione that for his honours sake,* 1.71 they shoulde be con¦tented to delyuer into his hands the towne of Scutarie and besydes that, that they shoulde paie vnto him in con¦sideration of the charges that he had ben at acording to the entreatie had bytwene his and their commissioners two hundred thousand ducates within the space of two yeres then nexte ensuing, and in consideration of this,

he gaue vnto them she libertie to haue in Constantino ple a Bailo,* 1.72 to determine the differences that shoulde happen betwene y^• Venetianes there, when Mahometh had in this sorte concluded peace with the Venetianes: he deuided his armie, sending the one parte therof into Hungarie, which made a great course there, and the o∣ther whiche was his Nauie he sent to lande in Pulia, where they raised a great proie both of men and catell, after that he made warres againste them of the Isle of Rhodes, & sent thyther one of his Basrias with a great power and when he had landed his people (which was y^e xxi. of Maie, in the yere of our helthe M.CCCC.lxxiiii) he proied and spoyled all the circuite of the Isle, whiche is a hundred and twentie myles,* 1.73 and when he had thus done, he presented his campe to the Citie of Rhodes, & assayled it bothe by sea and lande, planted his batteries and ceased them nether daye ne nighte, the great master of y^e order, wyth his kinghtes and souldiours and other Christianes that there were, defended the towne so nobly & repaired it with such industrie as it was a mar∣uel, they salied forth daiely and scaramoshed with them the enemies vsed all spede possyble with their batterie contynning it withoute cease bothe daye and nighte, gy¦uinge them of the towne no tyme at all to repose, but helde them contynually occupied bothe daye and nighte with scaramoshes, alarmes, and false assaultes, notwith standing that, they of the towne repulsed them w^t great assurance, and slewe manye of them, and also they loste of thers some tyme, notwithstandinge their smale losse was more preiudiciall vnto them (forthat they had not meanes to be supplied with newe men) then the great numbre of the partie of the assailants which were slaine was to them of y^e campe, the numbre of them of y^• of towne consumed and decaied daylye, when the Mahometistes had in this sorte contynued their seege by the space of two monethes, it semed to the Captaines & Bascias y^• thei had made sufficient breache whervpon. thei thought them selues suer of the towne whenseuer they shoulde assayle it, and vpon this they made redie for the assulte all kinde of necessaries & determined to gyue y^• assaulte

whervpon they deuided their people, and gaue order to their Coloneles, who shoulde begyn the assaulte, and whiche they were that shoulde from tyme to tyme sup∣plie it, when this was done they put their peopel in or∣der and approched the towne the.* 1.74 xx. daye of Iulye in y^• breake of the day with greate noyses and cries and they emploied their greatest force vpon that syde of y^e towne where the towre stode that was called Giudeca, whiche was so flatte betyn to the grounde that the spoyle and roobishe therof so fylled the dyke that men moughte ea syly clyme vp to y^e heighte of the breache, as sone as this was knowē, they that were withoute began y^e assaulte placed their shotte to beate their defenses and breaches to the ende they shoulde not be able to stande to the de∣fence of their breaches, and immediatly entred the dike and as they were comming vp the breaches, they were encountred by them of the towne with great Valiantize whoe appeared in all places where nede was throwing oute vpon their enemies continually great stones peces of tymber castinge speres and with their shotte they dyd maruelously anoie them, they th rewe them downe contynually from the walles makinge excidinge greate flaughter of them notwithstandinge the Turckes con∣tynued styll the assaulte and renewed it with freshe ban¦des from tyme to tyme, in suche sorte as the fighte con∣tynued still withoute cease and was maintyned a great pece of y^e day with great assurance on bothe sides, but in the end y^e Turckes through their great number, and al¦so throughe their meanes which they vsed, to supplie y^e fighte with freshe regimentes and bandes, preuayled murche and in the ende certaine thousandes of y^e Turcks serred them selues and charged with their hole force, vp on the Christians, which not beinge able to endure the force of their enemies, were constreyned to abandone the breaches, whervpon by lytle and lytle they retired them selues towarde the market, and the enemies en∣tred the towne and folowed them on wel towarde that place Giudeca, and soddenly they stated (not beinge char¦ged at all by the enemies) and shewed suche a token of fearefulnes that it semed they trembled with feare, the

cause therof was not certainly knowen althoughe there were some founde, and chiefely certaine sonnes of one Gētile. de Bardi a Florentine, which affirmed that they sawe steppe forthe before them,* 1.75 a man on horsebacke armed at all peces with an vpper garment of whyte vpon his armour, whiche when the enemies sawe, they were abashed and durste not deale with him, the Chri∣stians perceuing the cowardize of the enemies, called a∣gaine to them noble myndes, and put them selues again in order and then charged the enemies, which fled from the Christians, abandoned the towne, leuing y^e victorie at that time to their enemies, and therfore that day they of the towne were preserued (contrarie to their owne expectation) beinge clerely oute of hope of their helthe & thervpon comforted them selues and all they that were in the towne bothe men wemen & children laide to their handes for the reparing of the breaches for the space of certaine dayes, tyll that they had made it somewhat de∣fensyble the enemies on thother syde endeuoured them selues by all meanes possyble to supplie their bandes & to furnishe them with all kinde of necessaries for to as∣sayle the towne againe. In this meane tyme the kinge Ferrante* 1.76 dispaiched from Naples two great shippes w^t commision to sayle towarde the coaste of Gretia and to succour the towne of Rhodes, which shippes being wel furnished with men, set sayle and sayled toward y^e coaste of Gretia, and the .xxx. of Iulye they arriued within the sighte of Rhodes, and holdinge on their course towarde the hauen mouthe the lesser of the two passed with fylled sayles, throughe y^e middest of y^e turckishe Nanie, which came and assayled him thincking to denie him y^e passage as he passed throughe their Nauie he slewe manie of the infideles and so arriued safely with his shyppe and peo∣ple in the hauen of Rhodes, where he was receiued by thē of the towne with incredible ioye, Franzino pastore that commaunded the other shyppe seing the peryll that the other shyppe (that was arriued at y^e towne) had ben in, was discoraged & durste not folowe but made aboute from the Nauie of the enemies to the sea againe toward the middest of the chanel, the nexte morning being en∣forced

by his souldiours & mariners, he set sayle agayne hauing a prosperous wynde and made towarde the ha∣uen, & soddenly the wynde fayled him, by meanes wher of he coulde make no sayle but laie styll in greate daun∣ger of the enemie, who seinge the ship encaulmed, weid their ancres and made toward her with al their Nauie, determinig to burne her and loded a ••alandre w^t pytche and towe meaning that whilest certaine of their galleis dyd assayle her, others shoulde set her on fire, whervpon they tawed the palandre after them at y^e sterme of some of their galleys, in their meane tyme the wynde arose & began to blowe a handsome gale, not withoute a mani∣fest token of the fauour of God whervpon the Captaine commaunded to packe on all the sayles and directed his course full vpon the Nauie of the infidels and sayled on with greate furie passing throughe the middest of them arriued safely in the hauen, to the great content as wel of those of his shyppe, as of them of the towne, for the which good happe they of the•• towne triumphed for the space of two dayes shewinge signes of great ioye in rin∣ginge of belles making of bonefires shoring of artillerie and suche lyke, whervpon y^e Turckes began to dispaire of the takinge of the towne thincking that the two ship¦pes had broughte farre greater number of men and mo∣nition then in dede they dyd. Then began they to at∣tempte the towne but slenderly and deuised rather howe to abandone the seege then otherwise, and finally con∣ueyd their artillerie and monitions aborde their Nauie and abandoned there seege the xvii. of Auguste, & sayled towarde the straite of Gallipoli,* 1.77 and in this sorte was Rhodes delpuered frō the seege of the Turckes. In this mean time Mahometh sent Acomath one of his Bascias with a Nauie of an hundred sayles (beinge furnished w^t xv. thousand souldiours) towardes the Golfe and vpon the sodden he assayled the Isle called Saincte Maura, an¦ciently called Eucadia, and toke it, and from thence he passed on towarde Cephalonia, and Hiacinto, •• in shorte space became lorde of them bothe, and he determined to sayle backe againe by the Golfe and from thence into Pulia, in intention as diuers men thoughte but to land

and spoyle the contrey, consideringe the greate riches y^• ••here was bothe of men, treasure, and catell, and cheife ••y for that he had intelligence that y^e contrey was lefte withoute garde of men of warre, and also that the king was where he coulde not annoie him, when the Nauie of the infideles was come within fighte of that pointe of ••ande that the Italianes call Cauo de Ottranto,* 1.78 they made towarde the lande and came into the hauen of Ot ••ranto, and seinge them of the towne to make no resys∣••ance, but beinge afearde: showed moste shamefull Co∣wardize, and shutte the gates of the Citie holding them ••clues within the walles therof and durste not once to ••okevpon him in the feelde, whervpō he landed his men ••andhorses, and firste he proied all the contre aboute Ot ••tranto and then spoyled it and broughte to his shyppes ••an excyding great proie,* 1.79 without any resystance at all, wherevpon he was the more bolde (presuminge vpon the Cowardize of them of the towne) and thoughte to attempte to take it, whervpon he fortified his campe to defend him from outwarde inuasion and enuironed the towne in suche sorte, that they of the towne coulde ne∣ther receaue in, nor sende forthe anye thinge oute of it, whē this was done he planted his batteries and began to batter the walles and tormented them with his bat∣teries daye and nighte, he arriued at Ottranto xxviii. of Iulye, in the yere of our helth M.CCCC.lxxix, and the xi. daye of Auguste nexte folowing he gaue an assanlte to the towne, and chased them of the towne from the breaches and toke the towne by force, & master frauncis Zurlo who was there, for the kinge being fled with the Arche byshoppe of the Citie into the Cathedrale church where vnto all the the chiefe of the citie were fled also for succour, was with the reste cut in peces. and all the reste of the people, with the wemen and children were sent into Gretia to be sold as slaues, when the king Fer rante vnderstode that the Turckes were arriued at Ot¦tranto, he caused to arme all the shyppes and gallyes of the realme, with maruelouse celeritie, and sent also for his sonne the Duke of Calabria, into Toscane, who at that tyme had made peace with the Florentynes & was

in Siena making great preparation for solemne Iustes and triumphes, to celebrate the feaste of our ladie not withoute greate suspition y^e he was procured by diuerse noughtie Citizenes of his faction, that daye to take the citie and to vsurpe it, when the Duke had receauid this commaundement from his father; he departed forthe w^t oute of Tuscane with all his armie, and marching on w^t great spede broughte them into Pulia and entertained also, as manye fotemen as he coulde gette and appoin∣ted them to Captaines, he gathered togyther also, all the men at armes and horsemen of all sortes that were in the kingdome, and then marched on with his armie & encamped not farre frō Ottranto, the Nauie was made redie with maruelouse expedition by the great industris of the countie of Sarni, and was alredie departed from Naples towarde Pulta,* 1.80 the Duke of Calabria fortified his campe with stronge rampares & depe dikes, douting the furie of the enemie, and durste not to approche the towne so neare, as he moughte laie batterie vnto it, but laie some things farder of and presented him selfe dayly to the towne and they of the towne sorted forthe con∣tynually and scaramoshed with him and often tymes re¦pulsed them and made great slaughter of them. And one daie they attached a scaramoshe, and it was maintained in suche order from tyme to tyme with freshe bandes y^• the whole power of the campe was at it, and it grewe to a battaile & cōtinued by the space of certaine houres there was great slaughter, and it was foughte w^t great assurance on bothe sydes, in that battayle was slayne the countie Iulio de Aquaiua, one of the kinges chiefe conductours of his men at armes, the fotemen being dis¦coraged fled, Loys de Capua beinge generall of them, with certaine of his companie (thincking to saue him selfe) fled to a certaine towre whiche was of some force not farre from Ottranto, the Turquyshe horsemen fo∣lowed him, and when they came to the towre they deter myned to assayle it, and prepared pitche and towe and other necessaries to let fire vnto it, the afore saide Loys being destrous to lyue, yeldyd him with all his com∣panie to the Turckes, and was caried prisoner into Ot¦tranto,

& after this there was daily scaramoch betwene them of y^e campe & y^e towne, but they of y^e campe had al∣waies y^e worse, there was slaine before Ottranto Mat∣theo de Capua, y^e counte Iulio de Pisa and diuers other Captaines & officers of y^e Italian armie, y^e king bycause he wolde make the iorney the more famous went w^t his courte to Barletta, he sent for aide to al y^e Christiā prin¦ces y^e king of Hungarie Mathia, sent him a Colonell w^t a regimēt of eight hūdred Hūgarian horsemē, y^e king of Portugale sent him manie Carauelles, well armed and furnished, there came also oute of Spaine, Arragone and Catalona, many gentlemen of their owne charges and good wil, to aide the kinge, & notw̄standing these aides y^e Turckes dismaied not at all, but assured them selues & fortisied their towne, & did not only defend it but went forth of y^e towne dayly & scaramoched w^t y^e Christians & slewe many of them & also brought of them to y^e towne, prisoners. And when they had thus in vaine consumed both y^e sōmer & y^e Autome winter approched & constrai∣ned them to abandone their seege & to laye them selues in garnisonnes, in y^• townes nearest about eit, and in y^• same winter y^e Nauie of y^e Turcks spoiled al y^e coaste of Pulia euē to y^e veri moūte of S. Agnolo,* 1.81 & for that y^• Aco¦mathe Bassa desired to speake w^t his lord Mahometh, be¦fore y^• cōming of y^• springe of y^• yere, he lefte in Ottran to for y^e defence therof eight thousand chosē souldiours, & furnished thē w^t al kinde of monitiō sufficiently for y^e space of xviii. monethes, & then passed on w^t his armata to Valona, & frō thence he passed by lande to Constanti¦nople to y^• courte, & whē he had thorowlye discoursed w^t his lord, Mahometh determined to goe in persō into Na¦tolia to ayde his sōne Batazith, against Caromano who had alredi giuē Baiazith a great ouerthrowe, & destroed the greatest part of his armie, his pleasure was that Aco¦mathe shoulde goe w^t him y^• iorney entendinge to make quicke Dispatche of y^e same, & thē to retorne into Gretia & to haue good time to goe into Italie against the kinge Ferrante whē Mahometh had passed his armie īto Asia & was come nere to Scutaio he fel sike of a feruent feuer & w^tin fewdais died, & it was suspected y^• he was poisōed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The num¦bre of Gi∣anizaries augmēted by Maho∣meth.
• * 1.2

  Discourse of Maha∣meth.
• * 1.3

  Ambassa∣dours sent by the princes of Gretia to the pope & other prin¦ces of Eu¦rope.
• * 1.4

  The mar∣uelouse segeand ex¦pugnation of Constā∣tinople.
• * 1.5

  A brydge∣of a mer∣uelous length.
• * 1.6

  Fasting of the Turc∣kes.
• * 1.7

  Great neg¦ligence of the Greks
• * 1.8

  The firste assaulte.
• * 1.9

  Great iud∣gement of mahometh
• * 1.10

  The secōd assaulte.
• * 1.11

  The third assaulte.
• * 1.12

  Iohn Iu∣stinia••.
• * 1.13

  the assault reuiued.
• * 1.14

  The death of Cōstan¦tine the emperour▪
• * 1.15

  Two no∣ble souldi∣ers.
• * 1.16

  The death of Giusti∣nian.
• * 1.17

  Vnspeake¦able wic∣kednes.
• * 1.18

  Wante of prouidēce the ruine of all coun¦treis and states.
• * 1.19

  Vnspeake¦able cruel∣tie of Ma∣hometh.
• * 1.20

  Aspres sil∣uer money of the tur∣kes. 50. a∣mount to the value of a ducat.
• * 1.21

  Calibasso put to deth by the com¦maunde∣ment of mahometh
• * 1.22

  Thomas paleologo tributarie to the Turcke.
• * 1.23

  Thomas paleologo reuolteth.
• * 1.24

  Esmilia.
• * 1.25

  Pelopones¦so in lēgth 175. miles in circuite, it is 5505. myles.
• * 1.26

  Pelopone∣so nowe called Morea.
• * 1.27

  Temple of Mynexua.
• * 1.28

  the lord of. Athenes a florentyne borne.
• * 1.29

  Athenes renderid to Maho∣meth.
• * 1.30

  Albaneses discendyd from the Scythi∣anes
• * 1.31

  Camusa.
• * 1.32

  Scander∣beg to king Al∣phonso of Naples.
• * 1.33

  Callirio the Bys∣hope of Rome.
• * 1.34

  A practiz•• discouerid
• * 1.35

  Dispott•• of Acarna¦mia be∣traied.
• * 1.36

  Answere of the Dis¦potto of Seruia.
• * 1.37

  Laodisla•• Zilugo slayne.
• * 1.38

  Of ciuill warres in Seruis.
• * 1.39

  Carafagio in Al∣maigne.
• * 1.40

  Blasphe¦my of an empudent papiste.
• * 1.41

  Iohn Va¦iuoda.
• * 1.42

  Mah••∣meth be∣fore Bel∣grado, in campe.
• * 1.43

  Order of Maho∣meth.
• * 1.44

  Great co••¦fusien a∣monge the Turckes.
• * 1.45

  Another armie in Morea.
• * 1.46

  The see••e of Trebi∣sonda.
• * 1.47

  Mitilen•• besegyd & taken by Maho∣meth.
• * 1.48

  Manoesy Tributa. ries to the Turcke.
• * 1.49

  Late wyse
• * 1.50

  Nota.
• * 1.51

  Warres betwene the veneti∣anes & the Turckes.
• * 1.52

  Esmylya.
• * 1.53

  Battayle betwene the veneti∣anes & the Turcke.
• * 1.54

  Europe fylled with warres.
• * 1.55

  The popes liberalitie.
• * 1.56

  Pio the se¦cond pope of that name died.
• * 1.57

  Enia takē by the vene¦tians.
• * 1.58

  Great pre∣paration of Maho∣meth.
• * 1.59

  Euboica anciently called Ne∣groponte beseged by the Turc∣k••s.
• * 1.60

  Maho∣meth a no¦ble Cap∣taine.
• * 1.61

  Souldi∣ours of a∣noble minde.
• * 1.62

  Vnspeak∣able cruel∣tie.
• * 1.63

  Negr••∣ponte ta∣kē by Ma¦hometh.
• * 1.64

  Pon••o Eusino.
• * 1.65

  Practize of Maho∣meth.
• * 1.66

  Caffa be∣seged.
• * 1.67

  Caffa yel∣ded to Ma¦hometh.
• * 1.68

  Scutar•• besegyd by Maho∣meth.
• * 1.69

  Iohn Ger¦noi.
• * 1.70

  Greate charges of the Vene∣tianes.
• * 1.71

  Scutari gyuen to Maho∣meth.
• * 1.72

  Bailo an ambas∣sadour lid¦ger that hathe po∣wer of lyfe.
• * 1.73

  Rodes by Maho∣hometh be segid.
• * 1.74

  Rodes as∣saulted the xx. of Iuly
• * 1.75

  Strange ad••enture
• * 1.76

  The chri∣stian zeale of the king Ferrante.
• * 1.77

  Rhodes de lyuered from the seege of the ene∣mies.
• * 1.78

  The head of Ottran¦to.
• * 1.79

  Ottranto beseegyd.
• * 1.80

  The duke of Cala∣bria before Ottranto
• * 1.81

  Mounte. S. Agnolo