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.

A COMMENTARIE OF THE WARRES OF THE TVRCKES MADE against George Scanderbeg prince of Epirro and of the victories obtained by the sayde George, as well against the Emperoures of Turchie, as other princes, and of his rare force and vertue worthy of memorie.

SCanderbeg prince of Epirto was sonne to the lord Iohn Castrioth, y^e which possessid y^• part of Albania, that was called Emathia, and Tumenestia: and the mother of Scander beg was named Volsaua, she was daugh¦ter to the prince of Pollogo, whiche is a part of Macedonia, and also of Burgaria, this Iohn was a worthy man, and of great Iugement & experience in the warres, and hauinge warres with Amorathe Ottomanno prince of the Turckes, and seing him to be wexed very stonge in Gretia, and Albania, in such sorte as in the ende he was not able to encountre him, wher∣fore he made peace with him, and for hostages deliuered him his sonnes, which were Repossio, Stanissa, Con∣stantino and this Scanderbeg whiche was then named George, but when this tiran Amorathe caused him in his chyldhod to be circumcised, he gaue him the name of Scanderbeg, which in our speche is, lord Alerandre, and after that, the Turcke caused him to be instructed acor∣ding to the rite and custume of the Mahometane secte Amorathe truely semed to be exceding glad when Scan¦derbeg (being a childe but of eyghte yeres of age) was broughte to his presence, and seinge him beautifull and to haue a maiestie in his countenance, he iugged in hym selfe that yf he shoulde lyue longe, he wolde proue a wor¦thye man, wherfore he determyned neuer to suffer him to retorne home againe, but to kepe him in his courte, to the ende that when he was comme to y^• state of a mā he shoulde serue him, and therfore appointed him wor∣thy masters to instructe him, and to be carefull for him and to se him broughte vp in lerning, and ciuilitie he a∣lowed bothe for his table and apparell euen as yf he had ben his owne sonne. After this when Scanderbeg was somethinge growen he delighted to ryde, and to ronne,

and also with his cōmpaniones to vse the launce, and y^• rabattued sworde, and he dyd excede them all bothe on horsebacke, and on forte, and chiefely yf it were in y^• pre∣sence of Amorathe, who had greate felicitie of se litle boyes in suche exercises, and dyd maruelously reioyse to se suche force & towardnes in Scanderbeg who alwaies remayned victoriouse. After this whē the Turcke made warres against anye prince, he commaunded to bringe Scanderbeg alwaies with him whythersoeuer he went and when so euer he soughte with his enemys Scander beg behaued him selfe so well that all the Turckes mar¦uellyd at his doinges and wolde saye amonge them sel∣ues, that yf he mought lyue tyll he came to perfecte age no man shoulde be able to continue against hem. When Scanderbeg was come to y^• age of .xix. yeres. y^• Turcke made him a Sangiacco, which is as muche to saye as a conductour of sondrie, bandes, and gaue him y^e leadinge of fyue thousand horses, and some tyme the title of geue¦rall of an armye which in the Turckishe speche is called Bassa, sending him against his enemyes, accompanied with mani other Sangiachi which were appointed to be directed by him, and to be at his commaundement, and beinge in that parte of the lesser Asia that is called Na¦tolia, and hauing many rencountres with his enemyes he alwayes made great slaughter of them and departed from them with the victorie, by meanes wherof? he toke manye townes and Cities of that countre and brought them vnder the obedience of the Turcks, who from that tyme forth, wolde alwayes saye that Scanderbeg was his righte arme, his harte, and his eye, and his moste assured defendour, and augmentour of his dominions, whervpon all the reste of the Turckes dyd marueloslye loue him, and had him in great estimation. After this Scanderbeg beinge of the age of .xxv. yeres and atten∣ding vpon his lorde in Andrinople, beinge in the com∣panie of many noble men,* 1.1 there came thither a Tartare of a great stature, and an exceding force, and chalenged to fyghte with anye man in all the Turckes courte to y^e vtterance and there was no man that durste to aun∣swer his chaleng, for that the brute was that he neuer

foughte with anye but that he ouercame him, and had staine manye men in the lyke combattes when Scander beg sawe this, he went to the prince and declared vnto him and to all the noble men there, that he wolde encoū¦tre him, and fyghte with him to the death, but his lord with all the reste of the noble men, wolde in no wyse a∣gree vnto it, but were all very sorye to see him so dispo∣sed, yet for all that, he made so ernest requeste and conty¦nued it with suche Instancie, that in the end with great difficultie he obtained his requeste, and then made him redie and went in the presence of them all with great as to encountre this Tartarre, who disdained him euen as Goliathe dyd Dauid, and sayd that it greued him much to fyght with so yonge a man, wherfore Scan¦derbeg was excedingely wrothe with him, and strake at him and so behaued him selfe in the combatte that in the ende he obtained y^• victorie & slewe the Tartarre. Short∣ly after Amorathe went to Bursia: a Citie of Bithinia where two souldiours of Persia one named Iaia and y^• other Zāpsa which made a like chalenge to that that y^• Tartarre made sauinge that they wolde fyghte on hors∣backes with launce, sworde, and Targe, whervpon as sone as the chalenge was made, Scanderbeg made redie and encoūtred with Iaia and as they were ernestly figh¦tinge, this cruell Zampsa assayled him in treason, but Scanderbeg discoraged not at all for that but assured him selfe in god, and put on a noble mynde and within shorte tyme he slewe them bothe, for the which notable acto he was muche praysed of all those that were there present, after this y^• Hungarians came to make warres vpon the Turckes and to enuade their countrey wher∣fore Scāderbeg was sent Captaine generall, with a gre¦ate armye against them, & in that enterprise he behaued him selfe so discretely and circumspectly that the Hun∣garians retorned againe withoute battaile. He alwaies had that attended vpon him Christianes of his fathers subiectes, who alwayes in structed him in the Christian faythe which he had receaued at his Baptesme, wher∣fore he founde the meanes that the Hungarianes retor∣ned withoute battayle and be also retorned with his ar∣mie

safe to Andrinople, where he was excedingly embra¦ced of the Turcke and honored with great presentes, & he sayd to his most famylier fryndes, that the Hungari¦anes feared the vertue and worthynes of Scanderbeg and therfore retorned and wolde not gyue battayle, he desyred Scanderbeg to require some great gyfte of him but Scanderbeg aunsweringe very modestly sayd that he required nothinge but to dwell in his good grace, and fauour, wherwith he shoulde holde him very well satis¦fyed, whē they had ended these discourses,* 1.2 newes came that the lord Iohn father to Scanderbeg was deceassyd whervpon Amorathe in all haste dispatched a Captaine of his named Sehalia `with an armie into Albania who as sone as he came thyther toke y^• Citie of Croia with the whole state of the lorde Iohn, to the behofe and vse, of the hostages, gyuing the people to vnderstande, that the greate Turcke wolde immediatly delyuer it to one of the sōnes of the prince Iohn deceased, but after that, the Turcke performed noe one thinge y^• the Bassa had promised in his name to the people,* 1.3 but kepte all y^• con∣tre to his owne vse, and caused three of the bretheren of Scanderbeg secretly to be poysoned, and fedde him with goodly wordes, keping him alwayes in good hope de∣syring him to haue pacience for a litle tyme and that as sone as he had dispatched certaine affares, he wolde re∣store him to all that which was his righte to haue, and he shoulde be alwaies assured of his good wyl and frynd shyppe, but Scanderbeg lyke a wyse man, and one that well knewe his determynation to be full of crueltie and wickednes, declared him selfe to be w••ll contented with whatsoeuer shoulde be his good wyll and pleasure, not¦withstanding, in wardly he was full of sorowe and heuy¦nes, and he thoughte on nothinge daye nor nighte, but howe to fynde some meanes, by the which he moughte bring to passe to enioye that patrimonie which was his fathers, and to lyue in libertie of consciens as a Chri∣stian oughte to doe, and the rather for that he was oute of hope to be delyuered by the Turcke, and to be restored to his righte. After these thinges, when the yere was en¦ded, the Hungarianes at the requeste of the pope Euge¦nio,

assembled a mightye armye and went against the Turcke in the behalfe of the dispotto of of Seruia, which when the Turcke vnderstode, he gathered togyther his armye, and sent the Bassa of Romania Captaine gene∣rall of the same, beinge acompanied with Scanderbeg, to the ende that by his helpe, he moughte the more as∣suredly obtane victorie, & contrarily, Scanderbeg praied to god that it wolde please him to gyue y^• Hungarianes the victorie. And in the ende the two armyes metinge neare the Ryuer called Moraua, ioyned in battayle. And the discipline & vertue of Iohn Hūniade, Captaine gene¦rall of the Hungarianes was suche, by the helpe of god that the Turckes after a longe fyghte were disordered, and put to flyghte, with excedinge great flaughter and spoyle of them, Scanderbeg dyd maruelously reioyse for this victorie, and yet he fled amonge the Turckes, tyll he came to a secrete place, where he was safe frō peryll, and afterwarde when it was nighte, the Turckes chiefe secretarie came vnto him and said. O Scanderbeg what doeste thou here, thou whiche neuer was seen to flee or this tyme? Scanderbeg descretly aunswering sayd, that the power of man, moughte not resyste the wyll of god, wherfore there was no remedie but patience, and when he had thus sayd, he commaunded to laye handes on the Secretarie, and to set yronnes vpon his legges, where with be beinge excedingely amased sayd, that it semyd straunge vnto him, consydering his faithfull seruice al∣waies, and that he had neuer offendyd his lord y^• Turcke ne yet Scanderbeg, then Scanderbeg smyling aūswered that he helde him so for no cause, but onely for that he shoulde not stele awaye,* 1.4 and for that he shoulde make him a letter, in y^• name of the Turcke to the gouernour of Croia, that forthwith vpon syghte therof: he shoulde delyuer the Citie to Scanderbeg, as gouernour in the name of the Turcke, and he wolde also that the Secre∣tarie shoulde goe with him, and he wolde gyue him grea¦ter place then that which he had with the Turcke, and wolde euer esteme him for his deare frynd, and brother.

The Secretarie aunswered with a troubled counte∣nance, that he wolde not make suche a letter for anye

thinge in the worlde, whervpon Scanderbeg drewe his sworde and threatned to kyll hym yf that forthe with he made not the letter, whervpon he beinge excedingly af∣fraied toke pen, yncke, and paper, and wrote the letter accordingly as Scanderbeg gaue him instruction in the Turckishe language, he coulde not deceaue him therin for Scanderbeg vnderstode well the Turckishe tonge, the Arabian, the Greeke, and the Schiauon, when this was done,* 1.5 Scanderbeg wylled the Secretarie to goe w^t him, but he refused vtterly so to doe whervpon he caused him soddenly to be slayne to that ende, that he shoulde not goe and declare the matter to the great Turcke, and in this sorte he was preuented.

Then Scanderbeg with three hundred Albaneses, va¦liante and faithefull men, who had alwaies serued him and were well trayned and experimented in the warres toke his waye, and rode very secretly, and spedyly, and in shorte tyme aryued in Albania, where he founde cer∣taine of the Turckes souldiours, whom he caused very cortesly to souppe with him, and after sondrie pleasante discourses, asked them if that they had herde any thinge of the cause of his comming thyther, who aunswered him no, then he declared vnto them that for sondrie re∣spectes, the Turcke had sent him to chaunge the gouer∣nour of Croia & to supplie that place for a season, wher∣vpon they aūswered al at once franckly, that they were assured that he was sent for some greatter purpose then that, consydering, that they were well assured that the Turcke loued him as his brother, and one of them, of∣fered to goe before w^t the messager that he sent, to certy¦fye the gouernour of Croia hereof, wherewith Scander¦beg was well contentyd, and sent them before to Croia with spede. As sone as the gouernour vnderstode the Tenour of the letter, he made redie to doe, all that was commaunded him in that letter. Afterward when Scan¦derbeg came into Croia, becaused to take downe the Turckes enseigne and to set vp his w^t the splayed Egle of sable in a feelde of gules,* 1.6 and they cried in euery place longe maye Scanderbeg lyue, and then he caused to sley all the Turckes that wolde not be baptised, & in foure

dayes he recouered all his fathers countre, and by that twenty daies were ended, he had possessyd al that which the Turcke had woonne in Albania, and cut in peces as as many Turckes as he found there, in sorte, y^• in an in stāte he became prince of Albania, where he had of yerly rent two hundred thousande ducates, accomptinge hys salte pittes which he hade neare to Saincte Nicolo dela Pietra, where Cesare the Dictator, foughte that terri∣ble battayle w^t Pompeio, his father in lawe, Captaine generall of the Romane armye.

When the Albaneses were thus delyuered from the Tiran, and from his wicked and cruell gouernement, & from the intollerable yoke of the infydelles, they thanc∣ked god in euery place, & they cried thorowe oute, longe maye oure prince Scanderbeg lyue, and in fewe dayes Scanderbeg had an armye of .xv. M. Albaneses wel trai¦ned in the warres, some on horsebacke, and some on fote then ho apointed officers of se Iustice duely executed,* 1.7 & apointed Captaines to his townes and fortes in y^• yere of oure lorde. M.CCCC.xliii. and in the yere from his byrthe xxxiii.

When the Turcke dyd vnderstande this fynosse of Scanderbeg, and the victorie of the Hungarianes, he had so greate sorowe, as in all his lyfe he had not had y^• lyke wherfore he determyned to be reuenged and to employe all his force against Scanderbeg, but Scanderbeg being very wise and one that knowe what he had to doe, being aduertized of the Turckes determination and purpose, went to Alessio, a Citie in Albania, then vnder the go∣uernement of the Venetianes, where at his requeste all the princes helde a councell, with the reste of the nobi∣litie of Albania: of whom these that folowe were y^• chiefe Aramthe Conino which was afterwarde father in lawe to Scanderbeg, Andrea Thopia, Paulo Ducagino, Ni∣colo, Pietro, Spano, Lech Dusmano Leche Zacharia, & the honorable lieutenantes of the Senate of Venise, to whom Scanderbeg spake in this forme.* 1.8

Very honorable fathers and magnificent princes. I doubte not, but that it is well knowen to vs with howe great inimitie, and dispite, the Turckes doe persecute∣our

moste Christian faithe, and howe greatly they are enemyes to all vertue, and especially: they neuer kepe anye promese that they make, and yf their powre were agreable to there wyll, they wolde make all Christian princes to passe by the edge of the sworde, as by experi∣ence it hathe ben seen here to fore, when god for our of∣fences hathe permitted it, yet I by the mightye arme of god haue chased the vsurpers of my fathers state, oute of it, and haue cut all the Turckes in peces that made anye resystance against me, and besydes that, I haue wonne all that which y^e Turcke dyd possesse in Albania as it is manifeste to all men, wherfore your excellenties maye be well assured, that that cruell dogge, wyll em∣ploye all his force possyble against me, and that w^t spede and yf that by chaunce (which god forbydde) he shoulde ouercomme me, he wolde immediatly make warres vp∣on you, wherfore I doe erhorte, and erneslly desyre your highnesses, that for the loue you heare towarde god & our moste holly faythe, and also for charitie, that it will please you to vouchesafe to vnite your forces w^t myne, and yf it seme not good vnto you so to doe, for so muche as you are at peace with the Turcke, yet I shall ernestly desyre you, to stande by, and nether to ayde the Turcke nor trouble me, and hereof I do attende your gentle aū¦swere, for that that I hope with the mightie right hand of god, to defend my selfe against y^• great Tyran. Then all the princes and noble men of Albania, withdrewe them selues with the lieutenantes of the Senate of Ve¦nise, and went to talke in secrete, and when they had consydered, and debatted the importancie of the matter, they made aunswere to Scanderbeg in this sorte, moste excellent prince George, oure deare sonne and brother, as touchinge your age, but in respecte of your vertue & worthynesse, oure honorable father, we haue very well consydered, and weyed thy iuste, and moste necessarie demaunde, full of wysedome, and worthye in euery re∣specte to be herde, wherfore we gyue you to vnderstand by commō consent, that we are determined to vnite our powers with the for euer and to esteme thy state as our owne, and oure state as thyne, and wyll contynue thys

league according to oure promesse in welth and misery, which of them that god shall send, moreouer we make y^• oure Captaine generall, to defend our libertie, hoping in the mightye god that there is no power, that shalbe a¦ble to resyste oure most holly vnion, wherfore be of good comforte, and make prouision of suche thinges as shalbe necessarie, and commaunde, for you shall not wante, and also we wyll alowe you a yerely stypende towarde your owne maintenance, and you shal not lacke that that we shalbe able to doe in any respecte, when this moste holly league was concluded, the aforesayde princes of Albania went and dyned with Scanderbeg their newe lord, and thancked god of this concord, and then some of them toke leaue and retorned to their prouinces, and others accom∣pained Scanderbeg to the citie of Croia.

A briefe declaration of the chiefe princes of Albania included in the aforesayde league

GEorge Castrioth, els named Scāderbeg, appointed Captaine generall by their common consent, deser∣nethe to be fyrst named, after him his father in lawe Aranith Conino, then the sonnes of Musachio Thopia, called of many Carlnich which in the Schianuon tonge betokennethe gloriouse, and they are called the sonnes of Charles, for so muche as they are discended from the house of Fraunce, then were the lordes of the house of Ducagini, and the noble men of the hous of Spain, the lordes Cernouichi, and Dusmani, but the Venetianes wolde not enter into this league for the good wyll they bare to the house of Angelo, whiche is discended from the Imperiall house of Constantinople on the one syde and on the other: from that of the dispotto of Scruia, & of y^• noble princesse Margaerite of Monferato, duchesse of Mantoa, who besyde her other patrimonie, had dy∣uerse parcells in Albania, & chiefely Driuasto, Antiuari and Croia: and possessethe at thys present Antiuari and Dolcigno, with other places that haue not howed

the knee before the Idol Baale, which is Mahomethe, and it maye please god to gyue them the grace to con∣uerte the Turckes and other infidelles to oure most hol¦ly faithe, or els to ouerthro we their greate powers as dyuerse tymes Scanderbeg hath done.

Somme man mought aske me here, from whence Al∣bania had his name? Whefore you shall vnderstande that Plinio in his Booke intitled de Hominibus Illusiris in the thyrde Chapiter,* 1.9 dothe declare, howe y^• Tullio hostilio the thyrde kynge of the Romanes, when he had destroied the Citie of Alba, which was not farre distante from Rome, and had ben often tymes enemye vnto it, commaūded that the Albaneses shoulde come and dwell at Rome, but a great number of them (acordinge to the opinion of dyuerse writers) went into Asia and dwelled amonge the people therof which possessed the countre y^• lieth betwene the mountaines called hiberi and Caucast y^• Albaneses increased, & multiplied from tyme to tyme so that at the laste, their countre was called Albania Iberia, which this same Plinio describeth in y^• vi booke of his naturall historie, and in the thyrde chapiter, from whence one parte of the Albaneses departed, and came downe into Europe, of whom the one parte dwelled in Epirro, others in Macedonia, somme, in one parte of Li¦burnia which at this present is called Esemptia y^e loer neare vnto Macedonia and Epirro, some dwelled in a certaine parte of Dalmatia: and Illiria which is called y^e hie Esemptia neare vnto that parte of Liburnia wher of we spake before, when the Albaneses had longe con¦tynued in the aforesayde countres, they were so encrea∣sed and multiplied that of all those prouinces was made one Region and gouernement, and was called Albania for that it was inhabited by y^• Albaneses who so named it, other some saye that the Albaneses are descended frō Fraunce, peraduenture for that they see a natural frind¦shippe betwene the noble men of both the coūtres, which thinge is perfectly knowen by certaine of their princes as by the lordes of Durazzo, surnamed Thopia whiche are discended from Charles the greate, some other frō Meschino, and somme from others, and for a token of

good wyll, Charles is made in the Citie of Croia of an excellent stone, engrauen with great skyll and, arte and set in the chiefe place of the Citie, others saye they are discended frō Griffon de Altafoglia as the house of Du∣cagine and the house of Spagni as y^e noble men of both houses them selues saye.

Let all men knowe that this newe Albania which is this discribed, liethe in Europa, it is very fertile & plen¦tyfull of al thinges nedfull to y^• maintenance of mānes lyfe as is possyble, it bringeth forthe men naturally so stronge, valiaunte, of noble myndes, and apte to anye thinge that they take in hande, chiefely, for the warres as is possyble, they are constant and faythfull to their na¦turall lordes, and wyll rather committe them selues, to all kynde of daunger and peryll, then to haue their dis∣pleasure, the fardest part of this Albania is neare to the seas Adriatico, and Ienio, and liethe ouer against Pug¦lia, froō Durazzo to Brindizio, is an hundred myles and from Valoua ouer to Ottranto thre score myles by sea. Nowe to oure purpose.

After all these thinges there came aspiall from Andri¦nople to Scanderbeg, & declared vnto him y^• Alibege, one of the Turckes Bassas came against him with .xl. M horsemen, then Scanderbeg withoute delaye rode to his confynes with .xv. M. Albaneses, and when y^• Turckes were comme within two myles of him,* 1.10 he made an ora∣tion to his armie wherby he dyd so encorage his souldi∣ours, that they desyred nothinge so muche as to encoū∣tre with the enemye, in this meane tyme the Turckes came on with suche a noise, that it semed that the hea∣uens shoulde fal, but Scanderbeg with his worthy soul¦diours refused not to encountre them, but made y^e signe of the crosse vpon hym, and then he cried folowe me, & thruste towarde them and was the fyrste that strake, & charged them with sucke force and vertue, that in shorte tyme he disordered them, and when the battayle was en¦ded, there were founde deade on the place .xxii.* 1.11 M. Turc¦kes, and there were taken a thousand, of the Christians manye were hurte and one hundred stayne vpon y^e place all the spoyle of the Turckes as money, Iuelles, horses

and suche lyke, was presented to Scanderbeg, who can∣sed it wholly to be disstributed to his souldiours, whiche were all very ioyfull. The nexte daye Scanderbeg com∣maunded to sounde to horse and rode into the Turckes countre a great dayes iorney, and cut in peces as many Turckes as he mette or coulde fynde, and raysed fire in all places where he wente. In this meane while Alibeg Bassa retorned to Andrinople, and was greatly blamed by the Turcke for his euell gouernement.

Laodislao king of Hungarie, who then made prepara¦tiō to goe against Amorathe w^t an armie, sent to Scan∣derbeg (vnderstādīg of y^• great victorie y^• he had obtained against him) to desyre him that he wolde goe in his com¦panie, w^t such bandes of souldiours as he should thincke good, wherfore when Scanderbeg had redde his letter, he called vnto him his Captaines showing them the let¦ter and asking their aduise in y^• behalfe, who aunswered by one consent that he mought in no wyse refuse y^e king in so reasonable a demaunde, for y^• it was for the distruc¦tion of the common enemye of our faithe, then Scander¦beg wrote vnto the kinge Laodislao that he moughte as¦sure him of all the ayde that he shoulde be able to gyue him, and then Scanderbeg by y^e helpe of Paulo Ducagi∣no and other princes of his nation had leuied other xv. M men, besides those that he had alredie vnder his conducte with whom he defeicted the aforesayde Alibeg, which a∣mounted in the whole to the number of xxx. M. and then he began to marche, but George Vucouich dispotto of Seruia a man valiante ynoughe, but of a traitorouse mynde, and regarded not anye religion, neither Christi¦an nor Mahometane, for that he had gyuen Amorathe to wife, his daughter named Hierenia, and of some Catagu¦sina, which was syster to the wyfe of Alessio Spano cal∣led Isabetta, and of some others Milizza, which was sis¦ter to Lazaro, Stephane, and Georgio, Nephewes to Andrea Augelo by there mother side, for certaine hatred that the Dispotto bare to the Hungarianes, and chiefe∣ly to Iohn of Transyluania, who had ben the cause that certaine castles and townes of his were holden frō him whervpon the Dispotto fortyfied all the passages of his

countre, wherby he troubled Scanderbeg in suche sorte that he coulde not passe withoute great losse of his peo∣ple into Hungarie.

In this meane tyme Iohn with the Hungarians, and Polonianes, beinge ayded also by Iuliano Cesarino Cardinall S. Angelo, made redie his armie to marche towarde Varna, where they muste nedes fyghte: and Amorathe loked for ayde oute of Asia to comme to hym and therfore auoyded by al meanes possyble the battaile and prolonged the warres as much in him was,* 1.12 & wolde not comme to the battayle, whiche when the worthye Vayuoda vnderstode, he procured him to the scaramoche in so skylfull sorte, that in the ende he enforced hym to come to the battayle, and in the ende after longe fyghte the vertue of the Hungarianes was suche, that y^e Turc∣kes were disordered and put to flyghte,* 1.13 when Laodislao vnderstode this, he became excedingly wrothe, by mea∣nes of the talke of certaine folyshe and ambitious yong•• men, who sayde, that Iohn Vaiuoda soughte to haue al the glorie of the victorie to him selfe, which was y^• cause that he appointed the kinge, alwaye to tarie within his squadrone,* 1.14 the kinge beinge moued with these wordes marched forwarde with his troupe of ten thousand Hun¦garianes, which was very stronge, and fronted y^• Turc¦kes great squadrone, where after longe and cruel fighte Laodislao, was stayne, by meanes wherof, the Hungari¦anes which were euen redie to folowe the victorie, were constrained to torue backe againe and to loose al-in such sorte that Iohn Vaiuoda their Captaine generall was enforced to flee to the house of the aforesayde Dispotto of Seruia as to a place of securitie, but he being the one¦ly cause of thys ouerthrowe (for so muche as he suffred not Scanderbeg to passe thorowe his countre) caused Vaiuoda to be kepte vnder good garde forthe with, vn∣tyll suche tyme as he restored him to al his townes, Scā¦derbeg soughte contynually to passe throughe the coun¦tre of the Dispotto, and hearing of this miseral le chaūse was in such a rage that he brunte and sacaged all y^• coun¦tre of the Dispotto, and retorned into his owne countre and as he went homewarde he met with dyuerse Hun∣garianes

that were at the battaile of Varna he declared that he was erceding sory for it and howe he was com∣ming to ayde them, and gaue money to euery of them to helpe them with.

After all these thinges Amorathe the greate Turcke sent an ambassadour to Scāderbeg with a letter of this tenour,* 1.15 Scanderbeg by this my letter.

I Amorathe Emperour of all the easte part of y^e worlde maye not salute the more nor lesse for that thou arte be∣come my greatest enemye, and haste vsed me with suche ingratitude considering that I brought the vp and nor∣rished the euen as thou haddest ben my naturall sonne, and alway sought to doe the honor and thou hast nowe rebelled against me, and hast done me great displeasures as thou righte well knowest, and all men maie witnesse therof, and I knowe not from whence it dothe procede, onlesse thou waste angrie with me bycause I dyd not so sone restore the to the dominions of thy father or els for that thou hast alwayes ben mynded to refuse the faithe of the perfete Mahomethe and to retorne, as thou haste nowe done, to the Christian faythe to the losse of thyne owne soule, truelye yf I had vnderstode this desyre of thyne I wolde haue done, what thou woldeste haue re∣quired me, & that thou knowest well (as I haue alwaies declared vnto the) that I wolde pleasure the in anye re∣quest that thou woldest make to me, for I was so boūde (consydering they rare vertues) to fauour the aboue all others, and thou knowest that I promysed the within shorte space to restore the to all thy fathers dominion, and for that thou hast done contrarie to thy duetie, thou arte certaynely worthye of greate blame and of my dis∣pleasure, yet not withstandinge when I doe consyder the vertuouse actes which in tyme passed thou haste done in my seruice and conseruation of my state, I am enforced to qualifye myne ire towardes the: and am contented y^• thou possesse the inheritance of thy father, vpon conditi¦on, that thou restore vnto me y^• parte of Albania, which I haue goten from others and not frō thy father, which thou against all righte hast spoyled me of, and holdeste it withoute my good wyll, wherfore se that thou doe re∣store

it vnto me, orels I swere vnto the by god, and by his prophete Mahomethe, by the soule of my father, and by my sworde, that I wyll employe all my force against the, and wyll chase the oute of that countre in dispite of the, and yf that peraduenture thou escape with lyfe, y^u shal be enforced to begge thy breade. Thou knowest wel that besyde all myne other forces. I can put to the feelde moe then a hundred and fyfty thousand fightinge men, and thou hauinge but a handful of souldiours arte not able to resyfte me. I saie these thinges vnto the, bycause I wold not hurte thee, I haue set before thee, the good, & the euell, it is nowe in thy chose to take whether of them thou wylte, and thou maiste credite my seruant and am bassadour Airadin and whatsoeuer he shall promyse by mouthe I wyll fulfyll, from Andrinople the. 16. of Iune. 1444.

When Scanderbeg had redde the letter, and hearde the ambassadour, he made him to be entertayned very ho¦norably, and after fyue dayes he dispatched the ambassa¦dour, and delyuered him a letter of aunswere, of thys tenour folowinge.

George Castrioth some tyme named Scanderbeg,* 1.16 prince of the Albaneses, sendethe salutaciones infinite to the lorde Amorathe prince of the Turckes, by Aira∣din thy seruante and ambassadour, I haue receaued a let¦ter, in the which for good begynning thou sayest y^u canst not salute me more nor lesse, wherevnto I aunswere, y^• yf it seme to the by that which I haue alredye done, that I am becomme thyne enemye: yet yf all thinges be indif¦ferenly weied it shalbe rather iudged that I am thy frind and for a profe therof I saye that their is nothinge in y^• worlde to be done to doe the pleasure: that I wolde not for thy sake doe, so that it be not, against the wyl of god, and of this thou maiest assure thy selfe, for I determine to be thy frynde, but yf I haue recouered my libertie, w^t my fathers countrey, I thincke not therein to haue done the any wronge, for that it apertayned to me, and not to the besyde that, yf the Turckes thy souldiours which laie in those partes of Albania that thou possessedst, con¦fyninge with my countre came against me with armed

bandes to assayle me, and yf that I, acordinge to their desertes haue ouercomme them and chastized them, re∣coueringe also that countre, y^• defaute is not myne, but thers, or his who sent them against me, moreouer yf I haue defeicted thyne armye which thou dydste sende w^t thy Bassa Alibeg against me. I thincke I haue done but as I oughte to doe, to defende me and myne, against such as wolde offende me, and to conclude, yf I haue refused the most damnable and detestable secte of Mahomethe, & am retorned to that moste true and lyuely faythe of Ie∣sus Christ, I am well assured that I haue chosen the bet¦ter part, for in keping his most holly commaundements I am suer that my soule shalbe saued and not (as thou sayest) damned, wherfore I beseche the, that for y^• helthe of thy soule thou wylte receaue one good councell at my hand, whiche is, that thou wylte vouchesafe to rede the Alchorane, which is a briefe collection of the commaūde¦mentes of god, and there thou mayeste easyly consyder which of vs is in the wronge, and my hope is, that yf y^• wylte indifferently consyder, beinge vanquished by the trouthe, thou wylte receaue and embrace the Christian faythe, by y^• which oneli, all men y^• seke to be saued ar sa∣ued & withoute it all men are damned, God graunte, y^• thou mayest suffer thy selfe to be Illumined w^t his hol∣ly. Spirite, and to receaue his most holly Baptesme, & to begyn to leade a Christian lyfe, and then I wolde de∣syre to see y^• the greatest prince of y^• worlde, and I wolde be vnto thee (euē as I haue ben here to fore) a very frind and a faythefull seruante, which thou mayest easyly vn¦derstād by these my exhortacions. And I doe assure thee (that althoughe I haue defendid me against y^•) I am thy frynde, and I promesse thee that yf thou doe this, where vnto I doe exhorte thee, which is to becomme Christian that I wyll not onely restore vnto the that parte which thou requirest at my hand, but also all myne owne that I doe possesse in the worlde, and wylbe duringe lyfe thy trustie seruante: otherwyse, I doe assure thee that I may not doe it for anye perswasion that thou mayest vse, and chiefely for that the Turckes be alwayes enemyes to y^• Christianes, and euel neighbours also, wherfore I wyl

not put that in hazarde which god hath gyuen me, and maruell not at it, for it is my ryghte, and not thyne, to possesse that which dothe appertaine to the Christians, althoughe it dyd not apertaine to my father, it is myne for that I am a Christian and haue lawfully recouered it w^t my sworde in my hand. This also shoulde prouoke thee to becomme Christian, for that the possession of the townes, and the gouernement dothe apertaine (to the Christianes, and not to the infydelles) wherfore againe I beseche thee, that thou wylte becomme Christian, for otherwyse I wyll contynually moleste and annoye the in all that I maye, and I hope rather to take from the y^e which thou vsurpest of the Christianes, then to yelde in to thy handes one handful of grounde. And as touching thyne othe that thou haste made 〈…〉〈…〉 me oute of my countre, and that yf I be not slayne, I shall at the leaste be enforced to serue other men, vnto this I aunswere, y^• yf I were not a Christian, I durste not encountre thee: but cōmitting my selfe into y^e tuytion of God, in whose handes are states, and kingdomes, I saye vnto thee, y^• I haue an assured hope to defende me agaynste thy greate power, where with thou hast threatned me, and y^u maiest well thincke, that victorie consystethe not in number of men, but in hauing god, and righte of his syde, and then in the vertue of the souldiours and disipline & iudgemēt of the leaders,* 1.17 and yf hit hervnto we haue possessyd all these thinges aforesayd, as I doe belyue thyne owne peo¦ple haue or nowe witnessyd, wherfore to conclude I say that nother thy sugred perswasiones, ne yet thy cruell threatings maye alter what I haue sayde, but yf that y^u wylte becomme a Christian, I shall then be enforced to al that thou hast required of me, further more I promise vnto thy highnes, that I wyll not enuade anye parte of thy dominions, onles that thy people doe firste begyn. And thus I commende me vnto thee, in suche sorte as shal please thee, frō oure campe, the xiiii. of Iuly. 1444.

When y^• ambassadour was departed with this letter, Scanderbeg called vnto him all his Captaines, and de∣clared vnto them in order what the Turcke had wry∣ten vnto him, and in what sorte, he had aunswered hym

wherof they were all very glad, and hoped, that their af¦fares shoulde haue good yssue, vnto whom Scanderbeg spake afterwarde in this sorte.

My deare companiones in armes, I doe beleue that as sone as the Turcke shall haue consydered my letter,* 1.18 and herde his ambassadour, he wyl immediatly determine to emploie against me al his force possyble, and therfore it is necessarie, that we be prouided, to the ende that we maye defende oure selues,* 1.19 and also that we be vigillante and attentiue, obseruing suche order as I shall appointe vnto you, which is, that we contynue together alwaye in armes, and contynually whiles we eate, or sleape, our horses to stande brydled, and sadled, and that euery man with his horse also kepe that place of y^e squadrone, wher¦in he shall fyghte. ••nd when the ordinarie tyme shall comme to gyue them prouender, to gyue it then in litle sackettes and then to hange their brydles vpon the po∣melles of there sadles whiles they eate, to the ende that yf the enemyes shoulde comme vpon y^• soodden to assaile vs, we mought be sone in order redie to aūswere them and besydes that, I wyl alwayes haue w^toute my campe a good garde, for that they shal not surprins vs, wher∣fore I wolde that you sholde wel obserue this order but forsomuche as I am certaine, that as yet no enemie wil offend vs, I wyll that euery man departe to his dwel∣linge place, and prouide him selfe of necessaries: and re∣pose him selfe, for I wil forthew^t, with myne ordinarie bands goe to y^e confines of my coūtrey: and wil there lye nowe in one place, and then in an other, and wyl holde the enemies in doubte, & when it shalbe nedful to fighte I wyl send you worde, and when so euer we shal encoū∣tre with the enemie, let this commaundement remaine alwaies with you, that no man paine of lyfe take anye spoyle, so longe as one enemie shal make hedde against vs, vntyl the battayle be ended for I saye vnto you that a man that is loded with bagage can neuer fighte wor∣thilie. And therfore I gyue you to vnderstande, that I wilbe obeid, and what so euer he be that like the not this let him remaine here, and not goe with me, and when that god at anie time shal giue vs victorie I promise you

as a faitheful souldiour, that al the spoile shalbe yours. Then with greate reuerence, and humanitie, the Cap∣taines and chiefe souldiours aunswered, that what so e∣uer he wolde commaunde shoulde be done, and then e∣uery man toke leaue and retorned to his dwelling place and Scanderbeg with his two thousand chosen horsemē and one thousand fotemen, passed on to his confines and there continued, Scanderbeg continued in this sorte vp on his confines in maner withoute ani lodgings sauing certaine tentes that he had to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him from the heate he had by his good prouiden•••• exceding good prouisyon for al his horses, he kepte ta•••• for al his Captaines & principal souldiours, his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to eate once a daie, and acording to that ord•••• his tables were most plentu¦ously furnished, notwithstandinge, whosoeuer dyd wel consider his stature, and complexiō, and the exercise that he did daily vse, and also his diete, mought wel perceaue that he delighted not greatlye to eate but onelye to sus∣taine nature and maintaine force,* 1.20 Scanderbeg was of a goodly stature, and fayre, wel fewtrid of al his membres and of an excellent good complexion, wel able to endure hete, colde, and al kinde of trauaile, as touchinge y^e ver∣tues of his minde, he was wise, circumspect, and mag∣nanime, ful of liberalitie, and cortesie, and iuste both in dede and worde as moughte be possyble, valiante & mer¦ciful, apte to forgeue wronges if it were required of him he was an enemie of al vice, and especially of that of the Citie of Gomorra, he wolde neuer suffer his souldiours to sley women nor childrē of his enemies, nor that anye woman shoulde be enforced, in prosperitie he was ne∣uer proude, nor in aduersitie neuer discoraged, & besides these his rare vertues, his experience was suche in the warres, that his people neuer receaued ouerthrowe if y^• he were with them, and being in the feelde he neuer laie oute of his armour, nor was withoute his weaponnes aboute him, but slepte on the grounde vpon a carpett, fyue houres slepe suffised him. In the beginninge of any battayle, he neuer sayde to his souldiours, on good felo∣wes, but folowe me, he was alwaies the firste in giuing the charge, and the laste that retorned from it, his soul∣diours

were richely apparelled, in sylke and golde, but he wore alwaies course clothe, onles it were vpon solē∣pne feastes then he wolde shewe him selfe very riche∣ly apparelled.

Whylest Scanderbeg was in this sorte vpon his con¦fines, there came a spyale vnto him, declaringe that the Turcke (vnderstanding that he had disolued his armie & licensed them to repose them at their houses, & howe y^• he with a fewe souldiours with him laie vpon the confines of his countre) had cōmaunded Ferisbeg one of his Cap¦taines to take with him .ix. M. Turckes, horsemen, and to departe with al spede towarde the frontiers to take Scanderbeg vnprouided, and the spial was of opinion y^e they wolde be with him that daie, when Scanderbeg vn¦derstode of this, he sent for no aide, but made him redie with al spede possible with his two thousande horsemen and one thousand fotemen embattailed, and then taried his enemies,* 1.21 and as sone as they came, he signed him selfe with the signe of the crosse, and charged them with suche furie, that althoughe the Turckes resisted for a time, yet in the ende they were disordered & put to flight Ferisbeg Bassa aforesaide, gallopped vp and downe the feelde, and with manie iniuriouse wordes chanlenged to fighte with Scanderbeg, he of the other parte com∣maunded to folowe the chase, and to execute by al mea∣nes possible, and went forthewith and encountre with Ferisbeg, and slewe him at the first stroke that he gaue, with the which, the feare of the Turckes so encreased, y^• happie was the formost man, when this was done, Scā¦derbeg retorned with the victorie to his confines,* 1.22 and the nexte daie folowing he entred the Turckes coūtrey and brought an exceding great proie from thence.

When the Turcke vnderstode these doleful newes, he appointed forthewith and other Sangiacho named Mustaffa, and made him his Captaine general of .x. M, Turckishe horsemen, with commission not to encountre Scanderbeg, but to enter his countrey by an other waie and to spoile, and proie the same, but Scanderbeg hauīg intelligence hereof, and of the place: where the Turcks determyned to enter, he forthe with made him redie and

sent for two thousand horsemen moe,* 1.23 which made in nū∣ber. 4. thousand horsemē, and one thousand foremen, & with these he went as secretly as possyble, to imbosque him selfe neare to that place where the Turckes deter∣mined to begyn their forcy, and as sone as they were comme thyther, they began to scatter ouer al the coun∣trey, and Scanderbeg toke his tyme and charged them, and there began a cruel fighte on both sydes, but in the ende Scanderbeg with his souldiours, so behaued him selfe,* 1.24 that the Turcks were disordered and put to flight the greatest number of them were slayne vpon the place and Mustaffa their Captaine with certaine of his princi¦pal souldiours fled, there were slaine of Scanderbeg soul¦diours. xx. vpon the place, in the ende of this rencountre al the spoile was presented to Scanderbeg, who distri∣buted al to his souldiours, and then licensed y^e two thou∣sand horsemen that came last, and with the rest he retor¦ned againe to his accustumed confines.

The Turcke for all this lefte not, but sent Mustaffa afore said with a greater companie then before, to y^e con¦fines of his countre, with commission not to sturre from thence withoute a special commaundement from him, but that he shoulde stande wel vpon his garde and loke diligently that Scanderbeg dyd not endomage his peo∣ple, and spoile his countrey, which when Scanderbeg vn¦derstode he determined also not to moue, onles that the Turckes dyd firste begyn, but stode alwaies vpon his garde acordinge to his order, in this meane tyme there came newes to Scanderbeg that leche Ducagino fonne to the lorde Paulo had slaine Leche Zacharia lorde of y^e Citie called the Dagnio whiche standethe in Albania neare vnto the Ryner call Drino, for whose death Scan¦derbeg was very sory, for y^• there had ben alwaye gréate fryndshippe betwene them, and for that he dyed with∣oute children Scanderbeg determyned to succede hym in his state after y^e decease of the ladie Bossa his mother by vertue of certaine couenantes y^e were betwene them notwithstanding the Ladie Bossa by meane of the lieu∣tenante of Scutari agreed with the Senate of Venise, vpō certaine conditions, and delyuered them y^e Dagnio

with the rest of her state, for the which Scanderbeg was greatly offendyd and assembled al hys power and went in person and beseged Dagnio, and lefte (not withstan∣ding) vpō his confines his trustie frind the countye Vu¦rana one of his Captaines for the garde therof, w^t thre thousand souldiours, when the lieutenante of Scutarie vnderstoode this, he aduertized the Senate therof, and receaued commission from them to leuie an armie, wher vpon he toke oute of Scutarie many bandes of Italians and leuied a great number of Albaneses and made gene¦ral of the armie: the worthie Damel Sebenico, & as sone as he had al thinges redie he marched towarde Scander¦beg, who as sone as he herde hereof, passed the ryuer Drino with al his armie, to goe towarde the Venetian armie and to encoūtre them, and then spake to his soul∣diours in this maner that foloweth.* 1.25

My compainons in armes, if it be so that a man maye lawfully demaunde his righte withoute doing wronge to anye man, truely in that, that I haue demaunded my righte, and beseged Dagnio, and taken the straicte or valley therof, I doe beliue, I haue done no iniurie at al to the Senate of Venise, but am rather wronged, notw^tstanding I haue them partely excused, consideringe the false information that hath ben made vnto them in the absence of the contrarie partie, and truely I can not per¦swade my selfe, but that they being iust, and most Chri∣stian, and knowing the great affection and good wyl y^e I haue alwaye borne them, wolde neuer haue concluded in my preiudice: yf they had first vnderstode my right, notwithstanding, for that they haue nowe addressyd their armie against me, we must nedes this daye fighte against the Christians, which in dede is greatly against my wyl, wherfore nowe I say vnto you that it behoueth you to fighte more circumspectly and valiantly then you haue done at anye tyme els, consydering that you haue to doe with men that doe farre excede the Turcks in va¦lewe, but yet I hope in God that the victorie shalbe ours wherfore I doe commaūde you, that when we shal haue broken them, that no man after that, sley anye of them, but to take them prisoners and to folowe the chase euen

to the gates of Scutari, and when he had thus sayd, he spake on highe,* 1.26 sainge, folowe me, and then marched on with his armie in battayle and ioyned with the Veneti¦anes, the fighte betwene them was contynued w^t great obstinatie, but in the ende Scanderbeg disordered them and put them to flighte, folowing the chase euen to the gates of Scutari, and dyd sley none of them in the chase but toke a great number prisoners, and especially men of acompte, which were al presented to Scāderbeg, who lyke a noble prince caused them al to be wel entertained & sent them home wit houte any ransom, & of al those prisoners be caused to detēyne two men of acompte, the one was Simone Vulcatal, of the countrey of •• cutari and the other was Andre Humoi brother to y^e Captaine of Croia, which he sent into his owne countrey, & kepte them prisoners in a forte of his y^e was of great strength called Pietra Bianca, where they were by his cōmaun∣ded very wel vsed and had great prouision appointed vn¦to them, after this Scanderbeg passed with his armye throughe al the countre which appertained to the Vene¦tianes, thinckinge to haue taken it, but he coulde not, whervpō he fortified a rased Citie, name Balezzo, which had ben distroied by Attilla Flagello di Dio, he fortified it with walles, trenches, and bastiōnes, he furnished it with al kinde of menition, and valiante men, and he ap¦pointed to be their Captaine one of hys Captaynes na∣med Marino Spā, a man of muche worthynes, to y^e ende that he shoulde with contynual courses spoyle,* 1.27 and im∣pouerishe the countre, & kepe them in continual doubte. And when he had established this order he retorned to y^e seege of Dagnio. After this they of Scutari, vnderstan∣ding y^e Marino Span was gone forthe of Balezzo, they went thyther with al spede, and spoyled the Citie to the very foundation wherwith Scanderbeg beinge greatly offendyd destroied al the countrey of Scutari.

When the Turcke venderstode that Scanderbeg had warres with the Venetianes, and consydering that that countre laie betwene two mighty enemies, he was exce¦dinly glad thinckinge for that the Venetianes were of great force, that they wolde sone chase Scanderbeg oute

of his countrey, wherefore he sent commaundement to Mustaffa, which laye vpon his cōfines, with xv. M horse¦men to goe, and spoyle al Scāderbegs countre, yet for al that, Mustaffa cansydering the bandes that Scāderbeg had lying vpon his frontiers in redynes, wolde goe no furder then that place, which is called Dronich where he set vp his tentes, and lying with his armie encamped there, he helde the countrey in contynual feare, wherof as sone as Scanderbeg had aduertizement, he departed from Dagnio with two thousand souldiours, and went to his other thre thousand souldiours, that laye vpō his confines: and whē he had exhorted them to behaue them¦selues valiantly, he put them in order & assailed y^e Turc¦kes with suche furie, that within a shorte tyme he put them to flighte,* 1.28 and slewe .x. M. of them, and toke Mus∣taffa with .xii. others, men of great acompte, whom he caused forthewith to be sent, where Andre and Simon was, and then made a greate course into the Turckes countre, & broughte with him a maruelouse riche proie, and distributed al to his souldiours, and gaue amonge them afterwarde .xxv. M. ducates whiche he had for the ransome of Mustaffa and y^e other xii. When Scander∣beg had done this, he retorned to Dagnio, & helde that countre in suche trauaile, that he broughte it al vnder his obedience, yet notwithstanding the Cities defended them selues, and chiefely Driuazzo, whyles Amesabeg Nephewe to Scanderbeg, spoiled the countre about Dri¦nazzo, the worthy Andre surnamed Angelo, descended of the Romanes, whiche in tyme passed possessed the Empire of Constantinople, beinge Captaine of Driuas tynes, ysued oute of the towne with suche furie, and as∣sayled the armie of Scanderbeg so worthily, that he put them to flyghte with great spoyle of them, so that after that, it was alwaies said that Scāderbeg was alwaies victoriouse, onles it were before Driuasto, but his ex∣cuse was, for that he was not present at that rencoūtre.

In the ende Scanderbeg made peace with the Vene∣tianes, vpō condition that he shoulde restore vnto them al those places that he had taken from them, and in re∣compence therof, he shoulde haue one part of the valey

or strascte of Scutari, begynninge at the bancke of the ryuer Drino towarde Scutari, and so stretching oute to a certaine place called Busgiarpeni, which portions in dede were much more cōmodiouse for Scanderbeg, then the towne of Dagnio.

When this agrement was made, Scanderbeg spake to the ambassadour of Venise in sorte as foloweth, right honorable my lorde ambassadours, it is the opinion of suche as are wyse where a man louethe once in dede, he must nedes loue alwaie, and peraduenture the prouerbe hathe herof his begynninge, whiche saythe that the dis∣corde of frinds: engendreth an increase of good wil, wher¦fore I gyue your honours to vnderstande, that notwith¦standing oure difference I haue ben alwaie wel affected towarde my lordes of Venise, for so muche as their state is most Christian, and that they are fryndes of al kynde of vertue, wherefore I wolde not suffer at the battaile of Scutari (the victorie once beinge myne) to sley anye moe of their souldiours, and to the ende that it shall be well seen that I am their frinde in dede, I shal holde me wel contentyd and satiffyed with anye thinge that maye be commodiouse to their state, and for that they shall well vnderstande that I make lesse acompte of mine owne cō¦modities, then of thers, I doe make them a presēt of al y^e which is mine for the which we haue had this difference and doe holde my selfe as wel cōtented, as if I had them contynually in my possession, and furder, I wyl them not to feare the Turcke, for I truste in God to defende bothe their state, and myne owne also, and thus I com∣mende me to your honours. When Scāderbeg had this sayd, he embraced the ambassadours & retorned into hys countrey, when he came thither, he caused to take oute of prison, Simon and Andre aforesayd, and when he had delyuered them, he did them great honor and gaue them great presentes, in token of the goodwyl that he bare to the Senate of Venise.

At that same tyme Scanderbeg made a great course into the Turckes countrey, and burned and spoyled al y^e countre as he passed thorowe, and brought a great proie from thence: whervpon the Turcke called vnto him, all

his consellours called in the Turckishe tonge, Vestri, & also his Bassas, Sangiachi, Captaines, and others of his principall order of souldiours, and spake vnto them in this sorte.

I am maruelously troubled and amased, with the ma¦nifolde dāmages, and dishonours that I haue receaued at the hande of Scanderbeg, my mortal enemie, wher∣fore I doe nowe determyne to be reuenged & to employe al my force possyble against him, and so muche the more for that I coulde neuer gyue him ouerthrowe, but he hathe alwayes triumphed ouer my people, and ouer the Venetianes also in one instante, and nowe (for that he is a Christian) he hathe made peace with them, and con¦tynually maketh warres against me, and maketh none acompte of me at al, in so muche that he dothe not one∣ly, not determine to deliuer vnto me that which he hath taken from me, but contynually threatnethe to spoyle me (as he hathe al redie certyfyed me by his letters) of y^e reste. Wherfore I doe determyne to make prouisiō, and to vse my whole force against him, wherfore I giue you to vnderstande that I wyl goe thyther in person, & firste I wyl besege the Citie of Croia and take it, and then al the reste of his state, wherfore make you redie, for woe shal he be, that is not redie at my mustres, Scanderbeg was spedyly aduised of this great preparatiō, and with al spede furnished the Citie with al kynde of necessaries and good souldiours, Albaneses of great experience and faith, he gaue them for their general Vurana aforesaid and he in person stode wel vpon his gard, in this meane tyme there came a great number of Turckes into Scan¦derbegs coūtre, and encampdd before Sfetigarde, a citie that standeth from Croia. 58. myles, when Scanderbeg vnderstode of this, he went forthewith as secretly as he coulde and encamped within .vii. myles of y^e Turckishe armie, w^t. 4. thousand horsemen, & one thousand fote∣men and being thus encamped wolde not suffer day nor nighte any fire to be made within his campe by meanes wherof the enemye vnderstode nothinge of his beinge there,* 1.29 in this meane tyme Scanderbeg determyned to put in vse a Strategeme, whervpon he wylled the vali∣ante

Moises,* 1.30 and his Nephewe Musachie de la Angelina to take with them .xxx. horsemen, and to disguise them¦selues and the nexte morninge to attempte as thoughe they wolde goe into Sfetigard leadinge with them cer∣taine Asses loded with corne, & it was so done acording to his commaundement, and in the morninge as sone as the garde of the Turcks campe sawe them (thincking y^• they had ben victuallers) they hasted to encountre them and when Moises with his companiones had fled a litle waye, he torned and charged the Turckes and forthew^t slewe .viii. of them, and hurte manye: whervpon the rest suddenly fled and hasted them to the campe to declare the newes, but the Bassa beinge very circumspecte mis∣trusting (as it was in dede) that they were no rascalles, consyderinge the woundes, and great blowes that they had gyuen, commaunded. 4. thousand horsemen to fo∣lowe them, and to take them lyuinge, Moises which al∣waies had regarde to his, seinge them comme began to flee, and to hide him in a certaine depe valey, & the Turc¦ks folowed their tracte with great furie.* 1.31 In this meane whyle, Scanderbeg who dyd attende suche an occasion, furnished the entres of the valey and then with certaine bandes with him, entred the valley and charged them, & flewe the greatest number of them, and the reste fled in maruelouse disorder, and had it not ben that the Bassa loked for Amorathe in person, he had then retorned a∣gaine with al his armie into the Turckes countrey.

After this the. 14 of Maye. 1449. this Tiran came to his campe in Albania with. 160.* 1.32 thousande Turckes, with manie great bombardes, and a great quantie of o∣ther artillerie, & beseged Sfetigarde very straitly, where Pietro Parlato was Captaine, who with his souldiours that he had oute of highe Dibra and the reste that were with him in that seege, behaued them selues so valiant∣ly, that althoughe they were contynually occupied in y^e defence of their towne, and in scaramoche, yet they al∣wayes lefte with the best,* 1.33 but in the ende a certaine trai¦tour, dyd caste a ded dogge into their chiefe cisterne of y^e towne, by meanes wherof the people were greatly con∣sumed, and the Tiran Amorathe toke the towne, and in

the begynninge he dyd entertaine this traitour very ho¦norably, and gaue him greate presentes, but after cer∣taine daies he was no more seen of anye, for in dede prin¦ces doe oftē times loue the treason, but not the traitour nor neuer truste them after, and therfore it is not to be maruelled at, that the Turcke seinge suche horible vil∣lanie in a man, wolde neuer trust him after, consydering that for his priuate lucre, he coulde be content to shed not onely the bloude of his countremen, but also to de∣stroie his religion, and betraie his countre. After thys Amorathe went and beseged Croia rounde, and planted his batteries and battered for the space of. 4. montthes, notwithstandinge he did them of the towne smale hurte for that the Citie was very stronge on euery syde, and y^t they had within the towne a plentuouse fountaine of goodly water, and an other very faire fountaine behind the Castle, which the enemyes coulde neuer possesse. In the meane tyme that the Turcke beseged Croia in thys sorte, the noble prince Scanderbeg, nowe in one place & then in an other, assayled the Turckes campe, and spoy¦led contynually al such victuallers as came to his campe notwithstandinge for that his number was very smale he coulde not enforce them to rayse their sege. In y^e ende of y^e fourthe monethe aforesayde Amorathe commaun∣ded to gyue a general assaulte to y^e towne and to assayle it rounde in the whiche he preuayled not, but retorned from the assaulte with great spoyle and losse of his peo∣ple,* 1.34 for the whiche he toke so greate an inwarde grefe y^t forthewith he died. Then the soroweful, amased disho∣nored, and confounded Turckishe armie, abandoned y^e sege, and retorned home in great disorder, and were fo∣lowed and spoyled in manye places as they passed, and were very euel handled, in such sort, as they came home greatlye diminished, and Scanderbeg remained in hys countre with great triumphe and victorie, contynully praisinge the Almightye God.

When Amorathe prince of the Turckes was deade Mahomethe his sonne succeded him in his kingdome, he that was sōne to Hierenia, or Catagusma, daughter to George the Dispotto of Seruia, and for that he was not

yet suerly established in his seate, he coulde doe no great hurte, wherfore Scanderbeg (beinge desyrous to leaue somme heire of his boddie after him) toke to wyfe that excellent faire, & vertuouse ladie named Doneca, daugh¦ter to Aranithe Conino, but as sone as Mahomethe the newe Turckyshe prince was established in the seate of his father, he began immediatly to threaten Scāderbeg and coulde not endure that he shoulde possesse Croia, & Epirro, then Scanderbeg with his. 2. thousand horse∣men, and a thousand fotemen, which were his ordinarie garde, went to his confines, determyning not to enuade at all, onles that Mahomethe fyrste began, and being in this sorte vpon his cōfines he vnderstode that y^e Turcke had no armie in redynes to send against him, and consy∣dering that it was nedeful to visyte his countre, he toke with him his aforesaide wife, and made a visitaciō in his countre, mynistring Iustice in suche sorte, with mercy, that he was bothe honored, loued, and feared, of both•• more and lesse, a man mought safely haue gone through all that countrey with horses loded with golde & no mā wolde haue touched it. After this Scanderbeg sent for a great number of masonnes and laborers, and went to a certaine highe mountaine ouer the which there liethe awaye that leadethe from Turchie downe into the coū∣tre of Scanderbeg, and vpon the heighte of the same mountaine he buylded a forte of an excedinge force, and named it Medrissa, and then furnished it with all kynde of necessaries and a good garde of fotemen, which sholde at all tymes when they sawe the power of the Turcke comme, shote of certaine peces of Artillerie to aduertize the countre of their comminge, to the ende that they moughte be redye to defend them selues, when Scander¦beg had in this sorte fynished, and furnished his forte, he passed on with his armie to his wonted confynes, but fyrst he entred the Turckes countre and sackaged it put¦ting al to fire and sworde withoute compassion.

Then the aforesayde Mahomethe prince of y^e Turc∣kes, desyring greatly the vtter ruyne and spoyle of all y^e countre of Scanderbeg, sent against him a worthy Cap¦taine of his named Amesabeg, with .xii. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 chosen

Turckes on horsebacke and as sone as this most vigil∣lante Scanderbeg harde the sounde of the cannon, he lept forthewith on horse, with his ordinarie thre thou∣sand souldiours and passed on towarde the Turckes, & as sone as he was comme neare vnto them, he sygned him with his wonted signe of the crosse, and with great furie charged them,* 1.35 and after that he had foughte with them a certaine tyme, he enforced them to disorder and to flee, folowinge the chase with al spede possyble, executinge the enemyes, with great terrour and force. In the ende Amesabeg was taken with dyuerse other Turcks of great acompte, and were presented to Scan¦derbeg. Thē Amesabeg with teares spake to him in this sorte, Ah thou worthye Scanderbeg, thy highnes dothe knowe righte well, that we doe eate the breade of oure maister and lorde, wherfore wee can not but serue him, wherfore we beseche thyne honor to vse, some kynde of mercye & cortesy towardes vs, for the loue of God which thou doest worshyppe, & for al the vertues of y^e same.

Then Scanderbeg as a magnanime prince aūswered in suche sorte, as he caused not onely the prisoners, but also al those that were presēt with them to shede teares, after that in token that he pardoned them of their lyues he caused them all to eate at his owne table, and Ame∣sabeg to eate at his owne messe and in one dyshe w^t him and when he had in this sorte comforted them he caused them to be safely kepte, and appointed vnto them honor¦able prouision. In the ende acording to the couenantes betwene them, there were paied for Amesabeg x. M. du∣cates, and for the rest .iii. M. and in this sorte they were delyuered. Then Scanderbeg called his souldiours vn∣to him and acordinge to his custume distributed these sommes of money vnto them, notwithstanding certaine of his chiefe souldiours who for their obedience towar∣•••• him dyd not refuse to receaue it, yet in his presence spake franckly and vnder correction, saying, that not to seme to directe him, but to declare their opinion vnto his highnes, maruellinge muche that he folowed not the councell of the olde prouerbe, which sayeth, deade men doe make no warres, but that he did alwaies suffer his

enemyes so to depart with their liues, by meanes wher∣of they mought retorne an other time and annoie them. But Scāderbeg aunswered them in suche sorte, that he satisfyed them all very wel, but his conclusion was that yf they came againe an other tyme, he wolde also take them, and distribute their ransome to his souldiours, & also he partly excused them, for that they lyued by their lorde, he sayde it was reason that they serued him, when these wordes of Scanderbeg came to the Turckes cares and also his cortesye towarde all suche as were taken prisonners, and howe that he toke ransome of suche as were riche, and gaue money to those that were pore and sent them home freely to their countre, their common voice was in all places that there was but one Scander¦beg in the worlde, and after him their shoulde not cōme suche an other, and in this sorte it dyd growe into pro∣uerbe amongest them and contynuethe to this daye.

When Mahomethe had receaued this difeicte, he sent forthewith an other Sangiacho named Debreambeg for his generall, with .xiiii. M. Turckes, and as sone as Scanderbeg vnderstode that they began to approche to his confynes, he toke his horse with his souldiours, and rode in the nighte thorowe a great valey, and at the last came vp the hill where the Turckes laie, withoute any suspection, and charged them vpon the sudden, & whiles his souldiours were fyghtinge with the Turckes he in person went directly to the tente of the Captaine Debre¦ambeg and founde hym in order redie to comme forthe whervpon he assayled him,* 1.36 and with his launce strake him clene throughe the belly, and then he retorned to him, and with his sworde strake of his hed, & as sone as the Turckes vnderstode of this, immediatly they disor∣dered them selues & fledde, notwithstandinge it proffy∣ted them smally for the greatest nūber of them folowed their Captaine Debream. Whē this was done Scāder beg distributed the spoyle to his souldiours, and retor∣ned safely into his countre with all his souldiours, with victorie and triumphe.

After this Scanderbeg beinge muche offended with Mahomethe prince of the Turcks: went and encamped

before a Citie of his called Belgrado (not that of Hun∣garie) with .xiiii. M. souldiours on horse and fote, & lefte for the garde of his confynes a famous and worthy Cap¦taine, named Moises whiche was of highe Dibra, with 2. thousand souldiours fotemen and horsemen, and whē he had of a longe tyme continued his seege and batteries Scanderbeg lefte his cosyn the lorde Musachio Topia, which was sōne to the aforesayd Andre: Captaine gene¦rall of all his armie, before that towne, and appointed a garde alwaie to be forth of his campe, to that ende that the Turckes shoulde not take them vnprouided, & then he departed from thence, and toke with him. 3. thousand horsemen, and a thousand fotemen, and went to visete certaine places of his. In this meane tyme a Bassa of y^e Turckes called Sebalia came with .xl. thousand Turc∣kes to raise the seege, and hauinge by meanes of corrup¦tion had intelligence, with those traitours of the garde that was withoute the campe, vnto whom he gaue an exceding great summe of money, by meanes wherof the garde suffred them to passe withoute gyuing any aduer¦tisement to them of the campe therof, whervpon imme∣diatly they slewe the generall of the armie, Musachio & put all the campe to flyghte in maruelouse disoder, and folowed them doinge great execution vpon them with great noyses and cries. And by the prouidence of God Scanderbeg was alredie on horsebacke, comming to vi∣syte his campe, with his. three thousand horsemen, and one thousand fotemen, & as sone as he herde this greate noyse, he suspected the treason of the garde. Then he put spurres to his horse and with all spede came into hys campe, where he sawe the Turckes making great spoile of his people, he charged them with suche force that in maner in one instante, in dispite of them, he made them to leue of, sauinge that one part of them contynued styl the chase: which so kyndled Scanderbeg, and his wor∣thye souldiours, that the force of the Turckes coulde by no meanes stand against them,* 1.37 but as they were wonte torned their backes & fledde, towarde the Citie to their greate shame. Then Scanderbeg lyke a worthye Cap∣taine thoughte it good no furder to folowe them, iudge¦inge

it to be a great grace of God, y^• he had so at an in∣stante delyuered his people from deathe, and therfore sounded the retreicte and passed into his countre safe, w^t honor, and whē he made a reuewe of his armie, he foūde that there were flayne of his souldiours. 2. thousande horsemen, and. 3. thousande fotemen, whiche for the more parte, were comme oute of Apuglia with the afore¦sayde Musachio his cosyn and Captaine generall, and there were of them taken foure score, which dyd muche offende the mynde of Scanderbeg, within fewe dayes after he supplied his armie, and went againe to y^e seege of Belgrado, but the Citizens and Turckes that were within sent an ambassadour to Scanderbeg, who beha∣ued him selfe so wysely, that he contented Scanderbeg in suche sorte, that he retorned suddenly backe againe, & dissolued his armie.

After this Scanderbeg with his. 3. thousand horse men, & one thousāde fotemen, retorned to his confynes to his acustumed places, and when he came there, he li∣censed the. 2. thousand souldiours which there were, vn¦der y^e conducte of y^e aforesaid Moyses.

This Moises for his vertues, and worthynes, was so muche embraced and fauored of Scanderbeg, as anye man that was with him: in token wherof Scanderbeg had gyuen him many townes, and great possessyones, armours, weapones, horse, aparell, Iuelles, clothe of golde, and sylke, with great summes of money, notwith¦standinge after this ouerthrowe of Scanderbegs people this Moyses was oute of hope that euer Scanderbeg shoulde be able to defende his countre, whervpon he be¦gan to contemne him, and lefte his seruice and went to the Turcke aforesayde,* 1.38 and offered him to chase Scan∣derbeg oute of his countre, so that he wolde delyuer him xv. thousand chosen Turckes: with this condition, that when he had banished Scāderbeg, that then he mought remaine lord of the contre, painge yerely to the Turcke such tribute as he shoulde thincke good to appointe him to paie. This offer pleased the tiran maruelously and he gaue vnto him very attentiue eare: and aunswered Moi¦ses, that yf he coulde bringe that to passe, he wolde fur∣nishe

him in euery respecte, and graunte him all his de∣maundes, and for that that Moyses sayde that he wolde fley Scanderbeg, and wolde challenge him openly to fyghte with him vpon the feelde in synguler battayle, y^e Turcke promised him to gyue vnto him a hundred thou¦sande ducates so that he broughte vnto him the head of Scanderbeg, and also he wolde haue no tribute at all of him for Scāderbegs countre: but it shoulde suffise him to haue him obedient, faythefull, and his good frynde, & for the greater assurance he commaunded to put al these conditiones in writinge.

Then Moyses toke his iorney & passed on w^t his xv. thousand chosen Turckes well monted, & came against Scanderbeg thorowe Thracia, and Macedonia. As sone as Scanderbeg vnderstode of this practise, he did vnite his armie to the number of r. thousande men, on horse, and fote, and went to tarie the comminge of Moyses in the plaines of the base Dibra. When Moises was cōme into those playnes and sawe the armie of Scanderbeg in so good order, he became euen amased, & went forthe from his people, and with lowde voice challenged Scan¦derbeg to fyghte with him in syngular battayle, vsynge against him manye villanouse wordes, but Scanderbeg with more sharpe voice aūswered, saying, o thou rebelle mete for the gallowes, tarie, and I wyll sone make the to repent thee of that, wherof thou thinckest not to re∣pent the at all, then manye of Scanderbeges souldiours were muche offended with him and wolde haue gone forthe oute of their squadrone to fyghte with him man, to man, but Scanderbeg with incredible furie spurred his horse towarde him, so that they were bothe oute frō their people, and as sone as Moises behelde the troubled there, and furiouse countenance, of his lorde, he began forthewith to flee, and retorned into his squadrone, and Scanderbg folowed with great furie, but he coulde not ouer get him wherfore he retorned to his people.

Then when all thinges were in that order that he wolde, he commaunded them with a lowde voice to fo∣lowe him, and they all being alredie excedingly wrothe folowed him, but he being in a greate furie was y^e fyrste

that strake vpon them, and the Turckes were exceding∣ly amased to see that most shamefull flyghte of Moyses their Captaine,* 1.39 and almost with the fyrst charge, were put to flight, so that a fewe of them euer retorned home, Moyses went againe to the Turcke, but he was not on∣ly, suffred to comme to his presence, but also was great¦ly laughte at: and skorned, and estemed to be a vile mā∣and of no worthynes. Then Moyses became almost des∣perate, and began to discourse in him selfe what he were best to doe, he could finde no meanes wherby he mought remedie his euell, in suche sorte as he mought with his honor shewe him selfe in anye place of the worlde, con∣syderinge that he had in this sorte purchased the name of a traitour, in the ende beinge moued in conscience he called to god for mercy: and then he was fully perswa∣ded to put his truste in God, and in Scanderbeg, who had dyuerse and sondrie tymes pardoned penitent offen¦dours. Then he disguysed him selfe, and came into Al∣bania secretly, with a corde aboute his necke, casting him selfe downe at the feete of Scanderbeg with trem∣blinge, and teares demaunded mercy. Then Scāderbeg forthe with put forthe his hande, and toke him vp, and began to discourse with him, euen as thoughe there had ben neuer anye offence made against him discoursing of the practizes that the Turcke had framed against hym. Then Scāderbeg commaunded to apparell him honora¦bly, and when they had supped he restored him to all his liuinges & goodes that before were confiscate, in token that he had franckly pardoned him.

After this when Scanderbeg sawe Moyses faithfull and diligent in all his affares he receaued him into hys faueur, as before, and accepted him better.

When the Turcke vnderstode the contynuall vic∣torie of Scanderbeg against him, and against his father in his lyfe tyme, he gathered a great armie and sent Isaahe, Bassa of Romania, Captaine generall wyth xl. thousand men against Scanderbeg, & as sone as they were comme into his countre, Scanderbeg semed to be in great feare and fiedde into Alessio a Citie of the Vene tianes. Then the Turckes were oute of doute of Scan∣derbeg,

and so ran ouer his countre at their pleasure, e¦uen to the very sea, but they coulde rayse no proie great nor lesser, for that he commaunded them before hand to flee with their goods and cattell into places of force and securitie, so that the Turckes founde them selues great¦ly deceaued and abused, the same nighte they lodged vpō the syde of the ryuer called Mathia, and rested them as thoughe they had ben at home in their countrey, but Scanderbeg enemye of all sluggishenes, the daye folow¦inge aboute nonne came with his. 7. thousand horsemē to a mountaine whiche ioyned to the plaine where they encamped, & then with certaine of his Captaines went vp to the toppe of the hill, to consyder, and beholde in what strengthe his enemyes dyd lye, and whether he moughte haue anye occasyon to assayle them vpon the sudden. When Scanderbeg was vpon the heighte of the mountaine, he sawe the Turckes lying withoute garde vnder the trees in shodowe, and in their tentes, for it was in the hotest tyme of the sommer, and in the myd∣dest of the daye: wherfore he departed from the moun¦taine and went to horse with all his souldiours and be∣gan to ryde in greate hast towarde the Turckes, & met with their scoute, and slewe them immediatly al sauing one, who with the spede of his horse escaped to y^e campe crying in this sorte Scanderbeg is bere, Scanderbeg is here. But Scāderbeg in person folowed him, and coulde not ouergett him for that he had so muche groūde before him at the first. Then Scāderbeg cōmaunded to sownde the alarme with all suche instrumentes as they had and then gaue in vpon them with suche force (vnprouided as they were) that in the fyrst charge he put them in suche disorder, and flyghte as was meruelouse to se, so that he slewe of them there. 30. thousād vpon the place, and all y^e euer y^e Sangiacho Amesabeg (neuewe to Scanderbeg & rebelle against him) coulde doe or saye coulde not staye them from ronning awaye,* 1.40 wherfore in the ende thys same Amesabeg, with Mesithebeg, bothe Sangiachi, w^t 500. Turckes moe were taken prisoners, and Isaach the Bassa,* 1.41 with suche scatered Turckes as were lyuing fled and was folowed for a certaine tyme and great exe∣cution

done vpon his people. After this Scanderbeh de∣uided the spoyle to his souldiours, acording to his acus∣tumed order, there were slayne of his souidiours. 60.

This done he retorned to his confynes, and made a∣course into the countre of his enemies and sacaged it, & burned a greate parte therof, and retorned into his coun¦tre with an exceding great boutie safely, & gaue thancks to God for his great victorie.

The Turcke rested not for this but sent newe bands to garde his confynes with two other Captaines, y^e one of them was named Hannebeg, and the other Sinanbeg with expressed commaundement not to deale with Scan∣derbeg, nor to enter his countre, onles they receaued frō him other commissyon, and this he dyd for that he sawe he coulde not ouercome Scanderbeg, and therfore he de¦termyned to proue yf he moughte preuayle against some other princes, wherfore he toke in hand fyrst the enter∣prise against the Imperiall Citie of Constantinople, & in shorte tyme toke it, flewe the Emperour therof with an infinite number of Citizens and other Christians, & then conquered al his state, in the yere. 1453. After this he went against the afore named Dispotto of Seruia, a prince of great welthe possessinge a maruelous masse of golde and siluer by meane of certaine mines that he had not withstandinge, he chased him oute of his countre, in the yere. 1459.* 1.42 After this he went against the kinge of Bossina, and toke him & caused him to be sawed a sonder in the middest, and toke his state.

Then Scanderbeg beholdinge the great prosperitie of his enemye (in the preiudice and subuersion of the Ca¦tholique faithe, threating also to take the countres of dy¦uerse Christian princes) determined to goe and encoūtre with the two Captaines aforesayd.

In this meane tyme the ambassadours of the pope Pio the.* 1.43 2. and of the kinge Ferrante kinge of Puglia, and of Scicile, passed the Fero and went to Scanderbeg saying, moste noble prince, we gyue thyne excellentie to vnderstande in the behalfe of oure lordes, and Masters, that the Duke Iohn, sōne to the king Renato of Fraūce is comme with a great power of Frenshe men, into the

kingdome of Sicille against your deare frinde the king Ferrante, and there are reuolted against the kinge (ta∣kinge parte with the aforesayde Duke) the princes of Taranto, and Bossano, with the greatest part of the no¦bilitie of that kingdome, and he hathe entertained in his paie y^e Coūtie Iames Piocinino with all his regiment so that his armie is very great and stronge, and he hath alredie conquered the whole kingdome, sauinge onelye Napls, Capua, Auersa, Gaieta, Troia, and Barletta, where the king is nowe straitely beseeged, and in daun¦ger to be taken, and the power of the pope and y^e kinge can not passe ouer to succour him, wherfore the popes hollynes, and oure kinge also, desyre your highnes in most ernest wise, that it maie please you to comme into Puglia in his fauour, and when the ambassadours had this sayde they presented vnto him the popes bulles w^t the kinges letters, wherin there was conteyned y^e lyke of that, which they had declared by mouthe.

Then Scanderbeg beinge greatly affected towardes the popes hollynes, and the holly catholique churche of Rome, and for that also he was entred into great frynd∣shippe with the kinge Alfonso, father to Ferrante, fer∣mer, and tributarie to the aforesayde Byshoppe, he de∣termyned to ayde him with all his power possyble, and so after great entertainemēt made to the ambassadours he licensed them in very cortese sorte, and forthe w^t sent one of his chiefe Captaines his Nephewe, named Cairo Stroisio, a man of great vnderstandinge, and worthines with. 500. chosen horsemen, who passed the sea, and lan∣ded in that parte of the countre that yet helde for the kinge Ferrante, where he dyd great good by meanes of his worthines.

In the meane ty••e Scanderbeg made a treues for∣one yere with the T••••cke, by meanes wherof he had as good oportunitie as he coulde haue wyshed for so muche as shortely before the ariuale of the ambassadours afore¦sayd, there came a messager from y^e Turcke, to demaūde peace of Scanderbeg, but he was departed w^toute graūt therof, for he was fully determyned to deale with the Turckes Captaines that laie vpon the confynes, but

as sone as he vnderstode of this, he sent his curreuers af¦ter the ambassadour and caused him to retorne, and then concluded the aforesaid trewse.

After this he committed his state into the handes of his welbeloued wife, and others, his most faithful frinds and appointed to defend them a worthie Captaie with sufficient number of souldiours, and when he had hired a greate number of shyppes, and galleys and other ves∣selles for y^e sea, he caused his armie to embarcke in them beinge well furnished of horses and coursers of greate price, and with aboundance of virtuall, and then he cau∣sed them to set saile: and in shorte space he arriued at Ra¦gusio, and he with certaine with him landed there, and was by the chiefe of that place honorably receaued. And when they had a longe tyme talked together, he wente to the churche to heare seruice, and then toke his leaue and went aborde and set sayle, & hauinge a prosperouse wynde, in shorte tyme approched neare to Barletta, & when the Duke Iohn, and the countie Iames and the rest of the nobilitie, sawe so manye sayles, they Iudged Scanderbeg to be there, for it was bruted that Scander¦beg wolde comme and ayde the kinge, whervpon they raysed their campe and went to encampe at a certaine place from thence, farre of. In this meane tyme Scan∣derbeg landed, and the kinge forthewith went oute of Barletta and came and embraced Scanderbeg, weping for ioye, gyuinge thanckes to God, and then to him, for so great cortesie, and grace, after this Scanderbeg cau∣sed to vnshippe his furniture, to comforte the king, and all the rest of his people: and the nexte morowe he rode into the countre whiche had rebelled against the kinge aforesayde, and broughte from thence and exceding great proie of cattell of all sortes and draue it to Barletta, and for the space of all that daye, there was made great ioye in hope of victorie, and the morninge folowing he made an oration to his souldiours, in forme as foloweth.

My deare frinds,* 1.44 the cause of oure being here as nowe is to ayde and succour the kinge Ferrante oure frynde, whom in one momente by godes helpe, we haue dely∣uered from a perillous sege, hithervnto: w^toute drawing

oure swordes wherfore to make an ende of this enter∣prise, it is nedefull to vse oure weapones very skylfully, and to kepe very good order, in suche sorte, as the kinge maye recouer the countre that he hathe loste: whiche thinge can not be done withoute gyuing battayle, fygh¦tinge the same with great assurance, and in maruelouse perfecte and stronge order, but I thincke not that you wyll doe otherwise here in Italie, then you haue done in Albania against the Turcks, and other oure enemies notwithstandinge, this maye not be vnaduisedly taken in hande forsomuche as these the kinges enemyes, are Italianes, and Frenshe men and are armed suerly euen from the hed to the fote, hauinge launces of great force and stockes bothe stronge, and wel piercinge, wherfore yf we shoulde stande fyrmly and receaue their charge, they wolde handle vs very rudely, and we shoulde be a∣ble smally to anoie them, for that oure armour is slen∣der in comparyson of thers, we were Iackes of mayle, Targes, longe and slender launces, and althoughe that oure swordes and Scymytaries be heuy, and that some of them wyll cut anye kynde of yron, yet all thys is in maner nothinge, consyderinge that their number dothe farre excede ours, and they be men of greater vertue and force then are the Turckes, wherfore with suche ene∣mies it behoueth vs to deale discretly and valiantly, put¦tinge oure truste in God to obtaine victorie, acording as we are acustmed to doe, wherfore it behoueth you to ob¦serue this order thorowly that I shall nowe gyue you, we wyll goe and seke these the kinges enemyes, and when we shall fynde them, we wyll withoute delaye of∣fer to charge them, & yf they wyll offer to countrecharge vs, we wyll then seme to rone awaye, and after y^e wyll torne suddenly vpon them, for when they haue folowed vs a lytle tyme, they wylbe sone wery for they can en∣dure no great trauayle, for they are loded with heuy ar∣mour, and their horses are great, and heuye, and wylbe sone wery: but we are able to endure to the ende of anye trauayle, and then wyll we with oure swordes, Scymy¦tars, and Mases, so beate them aboute the heddes that we wyll enforce them to fall from their horses halfe dod

and vsing the matter in this sorte there is no doubte but that we shall obtaine the victorie, truethe it is for that they are baptized, it greueth me muche, but there is no remedie,* 1.45 for euery man is bounde to defende him selfe, & we haue the ryghte on oure syde, and the popes blessing and grace, who is lord of the whole worlde, both in spiri¦tuall, and temporall matters, for that he is Christes lieutenante, wherfore I praie you and also commaunde you, that euery man enforce him selfe (more nowe then euer he dyd) to doe well, for that we are in a strange coū trey, and are enforced to obtaine this victorie for the glo¦rye of God, and the welthe and cōmoditie of oure frindes and for oure owne honor, and to the losse and dishonor of oure enemies.

The nexte morning folowinge Scanderbeg w^t hys souldiours, went with great assurance to se the kynges enemies, and he attempted a scaramothe to se the maner of his enemyes, and in what order they fought, but they behaued them selues valiantly for a longe tyme,* 1.46 and in the ende they wered werye, and there were xxx. of them ftayne, and xx. taken prisoners, and of those of Scander∣beg there were only iiii. hurte, & in this sorte Scāderbeg retorned victoriously to Barletta.

The nexte daye folowing in the morning, Scander∣beg retorned againe to the enemyes determyninge to fyghte with them all that day, and the nighte folowing he deuided his armie into thre squadrones,* 1.47 y^e one of them he wolde leave in person, the other he comitted to y^e con¦ducte of Moises a notable Captaine of his, and the other he gaue in charge to the countie Gintrizza his most va∣liante. Nephewe, and he presented these thre squadrones and assayled the enemye in thre sondrye places at once, and the battayle continued all that daye and in the ende the enemyes wered wery, wherfore, that most subtile countie Iames determyned to fynde a remedie, for that most eminent peryll wherin he was, and therfore wente forthe of his squadrone, and with a lowde voyce called sayinge, most noble prince Scanderbeg, maye it please the that I maye safely, comme to speake with thyne ex∣cellentie of matters that shall in no wyse displease the,

Scanderbeg aunswered that he shoulde goe, and comme safe vpon his faythe, then the countie replyed requiring him that it moughte please him, to comme forthe of his squadrone, and he wolde doe the lyke to the ende y^• they mighte talke together from their companies, whervpō Scanderbeg withoute anye difficultie went forthe from his squadrone acompanied with a fewe souldiours, and when he came neare where the countie was, he caused his souldiours to staie a parte from him, then Iames sayde my lorde oure talke wyll require some tyme wher¦fore maye it please your highnes that for this daye the battayle cease, and that commaundement be so gyuen to bothe the armies, Scanderbeg was well contentyd, then the countie was very glade and began to talke of peace, and amitie, bothe to the honor of the kinge Fer∣rante and also to the honor of Scanderbeg. And as they were thus talkinge, Moyses and Gintrizza, two of hys Captaines broughte in foure squadrones of souldiours which they had taken prisoners,* 1.48 and presented them to Scanderbeg. Then the countie began to be affraied & suddenly fayned a Iollitie, and sayde he doubted not at all, but trusted wholly in the prome•• of Scāderbeg, who aunswered, beholde I gyue them all to you, notwithstan¦dinge that they were all taken before the commaunde∣ment was giuen to the armies, and then he caused them to be set at libertie, in the ende. When Scanderbeg had vnderstode the opinion of the coūtie in certaine pointes he aunswered that it was nedefull to take good aduise, vpon these matters, and to vnderstande the kynges plea¦sure in that behalfe, and to giue aunswere the nexte day folowinge, when he had thus sayde, they toke leue the one of the other, for that it was very late. In y^e meane tyme as Scanderbeg made hym redye to goe towarde Barletta, a souldiour of the counties came to Scander¦beg, and showed him that all the parliament that the countye helde with him, was but very disceite, onely to to delyuer his armye which was so wery, that of neces∣sitie they must haue ben ouerthrowen, and also for that he had practized with some of his souldiours, to se yf y^• they coulde betraye Scanderbeg, and take him lyuinge

and this was the onelye cause why he came forth in per¦son oute of his squadrone, for yf Scanderbeg had not gy¦uen eare to him but contynued styll the battayle, there is no doubte but that he had ouerthrowen all the armie for they were all redie so wery, that they were determy∣ned to yelde them selues. Then Scanderbeg more furi∣ous then anye Lion, cried oute with a terrible voice say¦inge, O y^• moste wicked murderer & thou countie Iames thou traitour Ganio, was it not snfficient for the with crafte and subtilitie in this sorte to auoide the distructi¦on of thy flugguyshe and vnproffitable armie, but that thou muste vnder pretence of so poysoned a frindshippe, seke to betraie me whiche am innocent. Wherfore loke well to thy selfe for to morowe thou shalte be recompen¦sed for thy well doinges, when he had thus sayde he de∣parted with his people, and went to Barletta, and when he had supped he commaunded to gyue his horses pro∣uender, and rewarded the souldiour that reueled this matter, and departed in the night by the mone lighte w^t all his souldiours with him towardes the enemye, and whē he came to the place where they encamped y^e night before, he founde all the armie gone, for Zachuria Grop¦pa, one of the countes souldiours declared vnto y^e coūtie euen as it came to passe, wherfore the counte with hys armye departed with spede, and went to enrampe, to a place that was farre of. Then Scāderbeg retorned, and the nexte morninge he toke the kinge in companie with him, and myngled their souldiours, to auoyde strife, and then went on folowinge the tracte of the enemie, and in shorte tyme they discouered them, & he caused to marche on the one syde Frederick Duke of Vrbine lieutenante of the popes armie, and Alexandre Sforza lieutenante & brother, to the Duke of Milane, who desyred ernestly y^• they mought so passe ouer, then whē they had al things in order, they marched on to a Citie called Troia. The Duke Iohn with the countie Iames and all his armye were in a Citie called Nucera from Troia viii. myles, a¦cordinge to the mesure of Apulia, betwene whiche two Cities their was a moūtaine called Segiano, frō Troia two myles, and from Nucera viii. myles, Scanderbeg

therfore, knowinge that y^e armies must fighte, betwene those two Cities, rose vp in the nighte, and w^t his soul∣diours went and toke that hill, and furnished it w^t men sufficient to defende it, to the ende that yf peraduenture the kings power shoulde be ouerthrowen, they mought take that hill and defend them selues, the coūtie Iames who in dede was skylfull, and of greate experience in warres, ment also to take the same hyll, and therfore he departed also in the morninge betyme to take the hill, & when he founde that Scanderbeg had alredye taken it where with he was very sorie, and sayde to certaine of his most trustie frinds: that he was then oute of al hope of victorie, notwithstandinge he lefte not of for that, but dyd in euery respecte the office and duetie of a good Cap¦taine, exhortinge and encoraginge his souldiours, put∣tinge them also in order acordinge to the tyme, & place. The nexte morning they determyned to gyue battayle and made them redie on bothe sydes, enbattayled their people,* 1.49 and encountred, the fyghte was betwene them most terrible, and contynued tyll the euening in y^e ende the Dukes armie was so ouerthrowen, and spoiled, that he was glad that he moughte retorne into Fraunce w^t shame, and dishonor, and with the losse in maner of all his Frenshe bandes, in lykewyse the countie Iames, w^t all the infortunate noble men of Apuglia, fled thorowe most difficulte passages euery man his waye, and it was the greate grace of god y^• they escaped with their lyues. Then the kynge was deliuered from his enemies with great glorie, and triumphe, throughe the worthynes of the magnanime, puissante, and victoriouse prince Scan¦derbeg. After this the aforesayde king Ferrante, rode w^t Scanderbeg to see yf that he coulde recouer his Cities, and townes, which he had loste, he entred into Naples in great triumphe, and afterwarde wente on their ior∣ney notwithstanding, manye Cities, and townes con∣tinued in their former purpose, and wolde in no wise o∣bey the king Ferrante, but sayde that they wolde rather dye with their weapones in their handes, then to yelde them into his wycked handes, for they were wel assured that he wolde be reuenged on them, and wolde obserue

no promise with them, but they were contented to yelde them to Scanderbeg vpon his faithefull promes, in the ende when the kyng, and Scanderbeg had talked togy∣ther, it was agreed that the kyng shoulde swere to per∣forme all promes that shoulde be made in his name, and that Scanderbeg shoulde promes his subiectes and as∣sure them therof: otherwyse they wolde not yelde but wolde fyghte it oute to the vttermost, for it semed vnto him a thinge most vnsemely for a Christian prince, to breake his faythe, which is the seale of his saluation, & euery Christian is bounde to obserue it, euen to his ene∣myes. Then the kyng swore openly that he wolde per∣forme in euery respecte what so euer hys good father Scan.* 1.50 shoulde promise, when this was done, Scander∣beg wente and assured them all that the kyng shoulde performe his promes in euery respecte, and shoulde vse them all as his very fryndes, and louinge subiectes by meanes wherof al places whersoeuer he came yelded vn¦to him, but as sone as Scanderbeg entred into any place he caused to set vp the enseignes of the kinge Ferrante and made them swere fidelitie, and obedience to y^e king. In this meane tyme Fusano a Sicillian, a man of great prowes, a rebell, and a mortall enemye to the kynge a∣foresayde was then in the Citie of Trani, in the forte therof, and with the souldiours that he had, he made cō¦tynuall warres against the kyng Ferrante & dyd great∣ly annoie him, wherfore Scanderbeg beinge muche mo∣ned therwith, rote to Trani and toke it and Fusano al∣so, who for that he wolde be set at libertie and mought haue meanes to escape, commaunded his Nephewe to yelde the forte into the handes of Scanderbeg. When this was done, Scanderbeg set Fusano at libertie and suffred him to ronne his waye. When Scanderbeg had recouered againe all the kynges Cities, townes, and fortes, which were wonte to obey him, he went straight to the kynge and restored him to them al, praying with great instancie, and modestie his highnes, to performe and kepe all his promises which he had made to his sub¦iectes: which thinge the kynge promised, and fulfylled for the great good wyll that he bare vnto Scanderbeg.

Then y^e kyng caused to make soleme triumphes. Iustes torneies, and huntings, with other sumptuouse showes. After this he gaue to all Scanderbegs Captaines, and chiefe souldiours, great presentes and giftes, & to Scan¦derbeg he gaue certaine faire Castells in Apuglia, and then after great thanckes, & cortese offres of both partes Scanderbeg retorned into Albania safely, whē the Alba¦neses vnderstode of the comminge of their lorde, with so great triumphe and victorie, the chiefe of them went to doe reuerence vnto him, and to visyte his highnes, with great presentes & giftes of victual, as fatt Calues yonge Oxen, Kiddes, Lames, Wethers, Feisants, Partridges Quailes, Tortelles, Thrusshes, Woodcokes, Snypes, Pluuers, Henes, Pigiones, Capones, Hares, Connies¦red Deare, Valoe, Deare, Boares, Gyse, and other beastes, and foules, bothe greate, and smale, wylde and tame with all kynde of other victualles, and with fyshe notwithstandinge, his courte was alwaye very well fur¦nished of victualles (besydes these presentes) for he had in his courte that lyued by his meate, and drincke. 5300. persones, and his custume was to gyue meate & drincke to all his subiectes, that came aboute anye sutes thither he entertayned very honorably all suche as came to vi∣syte him, his chiefe coūcellers sate alwaies at his owne table: euery man in his degree, often tymes he wolde cause them to drincke oute of his owne cuppe: a thynge in that countre of great estimation, as when a souldiour hath put him selfe in greate peryll for the safetie of hys prince in token of the great fauour that he bare him: he wolde some tyme drincke to him, & cause him to drincke oute of his owne cuppe.

After this Scanderbeg went to his confynes to vi∣site his Captaine that he had lefte there? Whē he went into Apuglia, and there he made great banckettes to his Captaine and all his souldiours and gaue to diuerse of his fryndes, and thiefe souldiours great gyftes, to some he gaue apparell of clothe of golde, to others sylke to some scarlate & other colours, to some he gaue horses to others money, to some one thinge, and to others an other, acordinge to euery mannes deseruinges, so that

euery man was very well pleased, besyde this he neuer denyed almes, to anye pore man that asked him for Chri¦stes sake, and in those dayes he gaue great almes, and chiefely to the sonnes of those noble men that had byn chased oute of their countres by the Turckes, and to dy¦uerse noble straungers that came to him from farre, to whom he gaue not onely money and apparell, but also possessiones to maintaine them honestly, to lyue lyke Christianes in the feare of god. When the Turcke vn∣derstode that Scāderbeg was retorned safely with such triumphe, and honor it greuyd him muche as it is well knowen, for Mahomethe dyd neuer vnderstande that Scanderbeg had ben in Apuglia in person, but thought that he had sent onely that Captaine Coico with. 500. horses to the kynge aforesayde for yf the Turcke had vnderstode that Scanderbeg had gone in person, he had (notwithstandinge the trewse) emploied all his force to destroie, spoyle, and conquere all his countre.

When the trewse was ended the Turcke gaue com¦maundemēt to his Captaine that he shoulde in no wise enuade Scanderbeg, onles that he began with him, and in this meane tyme he went with his armie against the Dispoto of Morea, a man of great estimation, he chased hym oute of hys countre,* 1.51 and conquered it, in the yere. 1460.

After this he went against the Emperour of Trebi∣sonda, he toke and conquered all his state. After this he went against the Isle of Meteline and immediatly toke it, after this he marched against the Duke Stephano Hierceco, and toke from him all his countrey, sauing y^e Castell of Noui, which standeth vpon the mouthe of Ca¦taro, and at this present is possessid by the Turcks. The same Tiran toke also manye other places that dyd ap∣pertaine to the Christians, by meanes wherof he was becomme muche more puissante then before, when the Turcke sawe him selfe in this sorte victoriouse, and tri¦umphante, by meanes of the greate enlarginge of hys state, he determyned to make warres vpon Scanderbeg wherfore he appointed to Sinan his Bassa aforesayde 23. thousande Turckes horsemen, gyuinge him cōmaun¦dement

to goe vpon the sudden and to assayle Scander∣beg, wherof as sone as Scanderbeg was aduertised,* 1.52 he sent for fyue thousand souldiours moe, horsemen & fote∣men, to the. 3. thousand which he had alredie with him, & then departed, with great sylence in the nighte, & laide his people vpon the waye that the Turcke must passe, & toke an hill which is not farre from a place celled Mocre ouer the which hill, the Turckes must in any wise passe when the Turcks were come to the fote of that hil, they began to goe vp towarde the heighte therof, not thinc¦kinge anye thing at all of Scanderbeg, and immediatly he caused to sounde the a larme, & with suche force char¦ged those scatered Turckes (in suche sorte) that he put them to flyghte in suche disorder, that none of them tur¦ned for his felowe. But Scanderbeg continued stil the chase, vntyll y^• he had flayne the greatest partie of them besyde those that he toke prisoners. After this he distri∣buted al the proie to his souldiours, who throughe their contynuall exercise in battayle,* 1.53 were becomme inuinci∣ble so that they were of exceding noble myndes, al feare was banished oute of their heddes, they coulde endure al kynde of trauayle and miserie, this was the onely cause whye Scanderbeg obtained so many victories, I saye y^e seconde cause, for the fyrst was the grace of god. The nexte day folowing Scanderbeg made a great course in to the Turckes countre, and toke an excedinge greate proye, and retorned into hys countre safely with al his.

After this the Turcke sent an other Captaine of his called Assābeg, with an excedinge great armie into Al∣bania, and soughte a battayle with Scanderbeg, & with in shorte space all the chiefe conductours of hys armye were slayne,* 1.54 whervpon the Turckes fled and the grea∣test number of them were slayne, & the Bassa was hurte in the righte arme with an arowe, and for that it was late he with drewe him selfe with certaine with him, in to a secrete place. But Scanderbeg being aduertised her of, went the nexte morning to the place where he was, and then Assambeg came forthe to him withoute anye weapon, and vsed so good wordes towarde him that he merited pardon.

After this the Bassa Iussubeg toke in hand to encoū∣tre Scanderbeg, with an armie of .18. thousand Turc∣kes, and came neare a place called Scopia: notwithstan¦ding, he had not so euel happe as the infortunate Assam¦beg had,* 1.55 for Scanderbeg passed on and mette him vpon the waye as he was comminge, and charged him vpon y^• sudden and put him, and his people to flyghte. Yet not∣withstandinge, the vaine desyre of fame and glorye, stir¦red vp the olde Carazabeg which had ben a companion with Scanderbeg, in the warres of Natolia, and other places, who had done the Turcke great seruice, wher∣fore he went to the Turcke, and so perswaded with him that in the ende he obtained license to chose as manye souldiours as he wolde, to take with him, whervpon he chose. 30. thousand horsemen, and made him redie, to goe to seeke Scanderbeg, and to assayle him vpon the suddē but Scanderbeg beinge aduertised hereof, went against him passinge thorowe the two countres of Dibra vntyl he came to the confynes of Triballe, where it was cer∣tified vnto him,* 1.56 that Carazabeg must passe, as sone as he came there he was ware of. 4. thousande Turckes, which Carazabeg had sent before to discouer his passage but comminge into the bosome of Scanderbegs armie, the greatest number of them were immediatly slayne which when the Bassa vnderstode, he was excedingely sory, and chiefely for that he was so discouered: more then for the deathe of his souldiours.

Then this subtill olde Ruter sent to Scanderbeg a messager, requiring him to fyght with him like a prince in appointed battayle, and not vpon suddennes in suche sorte lyke a stradarolle and thefe, seking alwaye to take the enemye vnprouided. But Scanderbeg beinge as cir∣cumspecte as he, and knowing well the decepte of y^e olde man, who wolde seme to blame that in an other man, y^t he him selfe wolde faynest haue broughte to passe, yf y^t by anye meanes he moughte, Scanderbeg sent him aun¦swere, saying,* 1.57 I wyll aunswere the olde folishe followe well ynoughe. Then whiles Carazabeg dyd consulte of the matter acording to the maner of olde men, Scander¦beg with his armie in very good order, came and assailed

the armie of Carazabeg with suche force, and noyse, y^• it was not possyble for one of them to heare an other, & by meanes of the great rayne, and winde that then was Scanderbeg coulde not folowe the chase acordingely as he was wonte to doe, althoughe he handelled them ve∣ry rudely. But Carazabeg beinge greatly ashamed and confounded, toke the shortest waye to Constantinople, where he was not a litle rebuked of the great Turcke, and also mocked, after that by meanes of his fryndes, he was well commended of that Tiran, for that he had passed the iorney wyth lesse charges, and spoyle of hys people, then anye of the reste of his Bascias had done, & brought away his people with lesse slaughter.

When Mahomethe sawe that he coulde by no mea∣nes obtaine his purpose against Scanderbeg, he then de¦termyned to proue whether he mighte deceaue him or no, wherfore he determyned to sende to him for peace, to the ende that he might procede against other princes in the meane tyme withoute lett of Scanderbeg, wher∣fore he sent an ambassadour to him, with a letter, and great presentes,* 1.58 besyde the clothe of golde, and sylke, y^• he sent him, who receaued the ambassadour with his let¦ter in very cortese sorte. The tenour of his letter was. The lorde Mahomethe the mightie kinge, and Empe∣rour, of all partes of the worlde, from the Easte to the west, to the noble prince Scanderbeg greating: we gyue thy worthynes to vnderstande, that notwithstandinge the great offences that thou hast cōmitted against oure house and state, yet when I call to mynde, and consider the great trauayles and paynes and the worthy and ex∣cellente actes, that thou hast so faithfully wroughte, for the conseruation, encrease, and honor, of oure state, whē thou were oftage with oure father Amorathe and didest eate his breade in Andrinople, and were more fauored, and honored in his courte, then any other Sangiacho, Bassa (or good seruante) that he had. I can not but for∣get all the aforesayde offences, wherfore I gyue the to vnderstande that I haue determyned to pardon the all offences, and to becomme thy frynde, and to make a per¦fecte peace with the, vpon this condition, that y^• wylte

suffer, that my people may passe safely thorowe thy coū¦tre, to make warres vpon the Venetianes, my enemies and in consideration herof. I wyll franckly gyue the all that that thou possessyst in Albania, which of righte did appertaine to my father, and from henceforthe I wyll call the prince of the Epirotes, and wyll doe the all the pleasure and honor possyble, I wyll also that for perfor∣mance of this peace, thou send me Iohn thy sonne, whō I wyll vse as thoughe he were myne owne sonne, and moreouer, for that that I doe desyre to se the personally for the great fryndshyppe that hath ben of a longe tyme betwene vs, maye it please the to comme and visyte me that we maye reioyse togyther, and god doth wel know the great entertainement that I wyll make y^•, I wolde also that thou woldest graunte that the marchauntes of myne Empire moughte safely passe thorowe thy coū¦tre, and I wyll graunte the lyke to the marchauntes of thy countre, and thou mayest credite my seruante, & am¦bassadour Mustaffa the bringer herof, and whatsoeuer he shall saye vnto thee, I wyll performe, from Constan¦tinople the second of May. 1461.

When Scanderbeg had redde this letter he smyled, and then talked a great tyme with the ambassadour, & by him wrote aunswere to the Turckes letter, in this sorte. The souldiour of Iesus Christ, George Castrioth sometime named Scanderbeg,* 1.59 prince of the Albaneses, & Epirotts, to the moste excellent prince of the Turckes Mahomethe sendeth greating. By thyne ambassadour, and letter. I haue vnderstode the mynde of thyne excel∣lentie in certaine pointes, whervnto I aunswere, firste that the Venetianes, besyde all other fryndshippes that are betwene them and me, by the which we doe estime here oure states as one, are so honest good Christianes, and doe so well obserue their promises, that althoughe there were none other hande of oure Catholique faithe, vnder paine of greatter excomminycation, that Chri∣stianes shoulde not wyllingly permitte the hethenes to anoye Christianes, I for the aforesayde vertues, & good¦nes that is in them, maye neuer condiscend to this firste demaunde, for so muche as I am not retorned to y^e Chri¦stian

faithe to stande a cursed, nor hurte such as be faith¦full. As touching that, that thy highnes saieth y^u wylte from henceforth call me prince of the Epirotts, that shal not offend me at all for thou shalte doe but right to giue me that tytle, which God of his goodnes hathe gyuen me, for his owne honor. And where thy highnes requi∣reth my onely sonne Iohn, which is the solase of his mo¦ther, this thinge also I maye not graunte: hauinge no¦yssue but onelye him, for I am carefull of him, and can not otherwise aūswere thee, and as to that thy maiesrie saieth thou desyrest to seme personally, for y^e great frind¦shippe that hath ben betwyne vs of longe tyme, I say al¦so that yf it were a thinge that moughte be done wyth∣oute peryll I wolde sone doe it, but nowe for so much as God hath appointed me to be absent from thee in thys sorte, I doe thincke, that as it doth suffise me, so it shulde suffice thee to se and beholde me with the eyes of thy mynde. And to thys laste where thou sayest that thou woldest that the marchauntes of oure countres shoulde safely traffique the one, into the others coūtre thorowe oute in all places, I am contented to make peace w^t thee with this laste condition, and offer my selfe (in all iuste and reasonable cause) to be at thy commaundement, and thus fare well. And what I wante in writing thy am∣bassadour shall certifie the by mouthe, from oure campe the. 30. of Maye. 1461.

When Scanderbeg had endyd his letter, the ambas¦sadour departed, and caried the letter to the Turcke, & after that by commaundement of the Turcke wythin 40. dayes, he retorned to Scanderbeg with an other let¦ter: of this tenour.* 1.60 The lorde Mahomethe, the mightye prince, and Emperour of all parts of the worlde, from y^e East, to the west, to the magnificent prince Scanderbeg prince of the Epirotts, sendeth greting. By Mustaffa my seruante & ambassadour, & by thy letter responsyue I doe vnderstand in what sorte thou arte cōtent to make peace with me, and also howe thou doest excuse thy selfe as touchinge certaine of my demaundes, wherefore to showe howe muche I doe fauour the, and howe greatly I doe tender thy state, I am content to make a perfecte

peace with the, acording to thyne owne wyll, and as I haue alredie of myne owne goodwyll called the prince of Epirro, so wyll I alwaye from henceforthe call thee, & of my liberalitie I doe franckly gyue the, all the state y^• thou at this daye doest possesse, as well that whiche ap∣pertaineth to me in the righte of my father, as the reste. And credite Mustaffa my seruante and ambassadour, for whatsoeuer he shall promise in my behalfe, I wyll per∣forme, and agreing with him, thou shalte confyrme the peace, which thou shalte signe with thyne owne hand, & seale with thy seale, and send me, farewell, from Con∣stantinople the. 22. of Iune. 1461.

When the peace was in this sorte concluded, and pub¦lished in all places, betwyne Scanderbeg and y^e Turcke the Senate of Venise, by common consent of the Sena∣taurs in the tyme of Christofero Mauro, beinge then their Duke, sent into Albania a newe lieutenante, a mā of great vnderstanding, named Gabriel Deuisano, to y^e ende that he shoulde be muche in the companie of Scan∣derbeg, and to proue with his perswasiones, yf that he coulde cause him to breake the peace that he had made w^t the Turcke, who made cruell warres vpon the Veneti∣anes, notwithstanding Scanderbeg remained constant and firme, for sondrie respectes, and chiefely for that he sawe his people glad, and desyrous of peace, considering the longe warres that they had endured.

When a certayne tyme wss passed, the aforesayde lieutenante of the Venetianes, went to the Arche Bys∣shope of Durazzo, which was in great estimation not on¦lye in all that prouince, but also in Rome, and dyuerse other partes of Italie, and dyd righte well deserue it, for he was of a very good nature, lerned in the Greke, and latyne, eloquent, well seen both in Diuinitie and huma¦nitie, beloued of al men, and honored chiefely of the prin¦ces of Albania, and especially of Scanderbeg, who repo∣sed him wholly vpon him, his name was Paulo Angelo, he was sonne to the aforesayde Andre, Captaine of Dri∣uaste, of the excellencie of whose house I meane not to speake any furdre, for that it is manifestly knowē. This lieutenante declared the mynde of the Senate to the a∣foresayde

most reuerende Arche Byshope, whose house beinge of auncient frindshippe with the state of Venise, and besides that for other sondrie good respectes (as sone as he vnderstode of this) he went forthe with to Scan∣derbeg, where thorowe the credite, auctoritie, and affi∣ance that Scanderbeg had in him, he so perswaded, that calling together dyuerse other noble me, and souldiours of great vnderstanding, they concluded with the Arche Byshope, who aleged the infidelitie of the Turckes, and howe that they neuer kepte their promise, but to serue them selues with all, and with such like arguments, he broughte to passe, that he ioyned Scanderbeg, and y^e Ve¦netianes in suche an amitie and fryndshyppe, as euer af¦ter contynued betwyne them. And for thys there was made great ioye in euery place.

After this the Turcke promised to gyue an hundred thousande ducates to who so euer coulde fley the Arche Byshoppe, and. 2. hūdred thousand to whosoeuer wolde present him vnto him lyuing. Then Scanderbeg vpon the sudden gathered togyther his armie, and made a rode into y^e Turcks coūtrey and raysed a proie of. S. hundred thousande shepe. 60. thousande hed of Kyen, Oxen, and Bullockes, and. 3. thousande Mares, wyth their coltes, whiche were of the Tnrckes owne race,* 1.61 he toke besyde this great riches, and burned a great pece of y^e countre, and retorned home safe, and dispersed all the proie to his souldiours.

When the great Turcke vnderstande of these great spoyles that Scanderbeg had made, and howe he had broken the peace with him, he was excedingly wrothe, and daye, nor nighte thoughte of anye thinge but howe to be reuenged of Scanderbeg, and of the Arche Byshope yet for that he vnderstode that the pope Pio the. 2. wolde in anye wyse make a greate Croysade, and goe against him in person, he determyned to attempte yf he coulde by anye meanes pacifye Scanderbeg, and to confyrme y^e peace that was alredie made, for he doubted that yf that Scanderbeg shoulde comme with the Croisade, that he shoulde then be vtteriy ouerthorowen: as the Turckes them selues declared in all places. This kynde of Croi∣sade

was determyned in the concistorie at Rome, by the aforesayde pope, beinge moued throughe the suggestion of dyuerse prelates, and Cardinalles, men of great wor¦thynes, and chiefely by the fryndes of the afore named Arche Byshope Pauolo, so that this most worthy pope Pio the second, had determyned to goe in person and to see this iorney: and when he shoulde haue ben in the Ci∣tie of Durazzo, to haue celebrate in the Cathedrale chur¦che therof a most solempne messe, and to haue gyuen to this most worthye Arche Byshoppe the hatte of a Car∣dinale, for that he was alredie pronounced in the conci∣storie at Rome, in the moneth before, and also to gyue y^e Regale corone to Scanderbeg, and to make hym kynge of Epirro, and of all the whole Albania, and when he had so coronned him, to gyue him trōchion, appointing him general of the Croisade, and in that sorte to procede to the vtter distruction of the Mahometane secte.

When the Turcke therfore vnderstode this, he sent the afore named Mustaffa his ambassadour to Scander∣beg with a letter of this effecte. The great and mightie prince Mahomethe, Emperour of all partes of y^e worlde from the East,* 1.62 to the West, to thee magnificent Scan∣derbeg, prince of the Epirotts, I haue none occasion to sende thee greting, nor to wyshe the helthe as well for that thou hast broken the peace made betwyne vs, as al¦so in that thou hast not holden thy promised faythe, but hast done me so manye manifest wronges: notwithstan¦ding, for so muche as I vnderstande that the Venetians myne enemyes haue deceaued thee, and caused the so to doe, for this I wyll haue somme respecte towarde the, & haue y^e partly for excused, & so to pardone the these offen¦ces, so that thou wylte be cōtentyd nowe, to make peace with me, which is to confyrme the tenour, and condi∣tiones of the last peace made betwyne vs, and that thou shalte swere this seconde peace so confyrmed vpon the faythe which thou owest to thy God,* 1.63 for so muche as I am thorowly perswaded, that yf thou haddest sworne y^• fyrste, that the Venetianes, nor any others coulde haue caused thee to breake it: wherfore I beseche thee, if that my request maye haue anye place with the: that thou

wylte make this second peace with an othe, and I swere vnto thee vpon my fayth, that I wyll obserue my pro∣mes in euery condition, and neuer to molest thee, but to be alwaies profytable, and frindely to thee, and redie to honor the, and otherwise I doe assure thee, that I wyll leue all other enterprise, and wyll contynually folowe, and plague thee in suche sorte, that yf thou escape with thy lyfe, I wyl banishe the thy countrey, and then it shal be seen whyther the Venetianes be able to maintaine y^e against me or no, thou beinge a symple, & meane prince of that parte of Albania whiche thou nowe posessist, and I am Emperour, kynge, and prince, of so manye powers and countreys, that thou shalte neuer be able to w^tstand my furye wherfore haue regarde to thy selfe, and make this peace with good will, to the ende that thou mayest dye lorde of thy countrey, and leaue that honor to thy pos¦teritie: otherwyse, it shalbe to thy hindrance: thou maist gyue credite to my seruante and abassadour Mustaffa, in all thinges that he shall saye vnto thee, from Constanti¦nople the. 7. of Maye. 1463.

After that Scanderbeg had herde the ambassadour, and red the letter which the Turcke had sent him, he wrote him aunswere in this sorte. The souldiour of Ie∣sus Christ,* 1.64 George Castrioth some tyme named Scāder¦beg prince of the Albaneses, to the excellent Mahometh prince of the Turckes, gretinge, forsomuche as I vnder stande by thyne ambassadour Mustaffa, and by thy letter also, the great complaintes and iniuries, wherwith thou chargest me, I am enforced to aunswere: and to saye vn¦to the, that I doe not repent me at al in that that I haue in this sorte brokē the peace with thee, for it is not law∣full for the great prince to make his wyll a lawe, and to disdaigne the lesser, as thou hast done me, in that, that on a tyme a peace beinge made betwyne vs, thou imme¦diatly brakest it, with thy faythe also, and that this is true, God is my witnesse, and the worlde also knoweth it, that whylest I dwelled in peace assuring my selfe vp¦on thy promes, thy souldiours dyd greatly endomage me whervpon I sent my messager to thee, to whome thou gauest aunswere, that thou woldest chastize them that

had so offended, notwithstanding thy promptnesse was torned into aire, and I remayned frustrate, and the offen¦ders withoute pūnishment, which doth playnly declare it to be done by thy consent, wherfore knowe thou, that I had great reason to redresse my wronges: and not to make scrupule in breaking of peace with him, which es∣tymeth not peace, but dothe immagine howe to abuse y^e worlde, and then wyll saye that the Venetianes haue deceaued me, who alwayes obserue their promes, not as thou doest. And therfore I gyue the fully to vnderstande that in no case I wyll make peace with thee, thoughe I be as symple a prince as pleasythe God, & thou so migh∣ty and puissante an Emperour as thou sayest, euen from the Orient, to the y^e Occident, which no man saieth but onely thou, which throughe thyne audatitie, pride, and presumption, doest arogantly take vpon the to vsurpe suche an Imperiall name, which onely appertaineth to the Emperour of Rome, which is coroned by the pope of Rome, beinge goddes vicar on earthe and thou by the permission of God arte becomme a mightie tyran to pu¦nishe the wickednesse of the Christianes, for the whiche thou thinckest it lawfull to vsurpe so excellent a name, wherby thou makest them laughe y^• rede it, forsomuche as the worlde is deuided into thre principal partes, that is Asia, Affrica, and Europa, the fyrste is in maner as great as bothe the other, and is deuided into Asia y^e grea¦ter and the lesser, in the lesser whiche is called Natolia, are many kingdomes, wherof thou possessest onely that parte, whiche I by myne industrie haue broughte into subiection of thy house, which is a smale portion in com¦parison of the rest. In the greater, there are very manie kingdomes in the which thou hast nothinge to doe. In Affrica there are excedinge manye kyngdomes, and pro¦uinces, wherof thou possessyst no iote, but in Europe which is almost the greatest inhabitation of the worlde there are manye kingdomes, and prouinces, of whiche y^e possessest onely, Tracia, Gretia, Seruia, Bossina, More a, Bulgaria, Achaia, Magnesia, Mitelline, and certaine others which were, and shalbe of the possessiones of the Christianes, wherefore I doe not a litle maruell that y^•

whiche canst gyue me good councell, canst so suffer thy selfe to be blynded with ambition, that thou doeste not consyder what thou sayest: and althoughe that for oure scourge thou arte becomme a great tyran, possessing in Asia, & Europa, moe then thyrtie prouinces: yet I gyue the to vnderstande that I esteme the not for all that, but doe truste in my lorde Iesus Christ that he wyll cause a thousand hethennes to fall downe before the face of ten Christianes: so that I am not to be diswaded nether for flatterie, nor threatning, onles that thou wyll openly embrace the Christian faith wherin of a childe thou ha•• ben instructed, and also that thou wylte cause al thy sub¦iectes to be baptized, and doinge acording to that parte of the Alchorane which saieth that the Gospell is good, and is the best thing that is vpon the earth, and in this sorte thou maiest haue of me what thou wylte. Other∣wise, vnderstande that I wyll defende my selfe, and that not withoute thy hurte and shame, for I fyghte for the honor of him, that wyll helpe me, from oure campe the xxv. of Iune. 1463.

As sone as Scanderbeg had sealed this letter,* 1.65 he went to horse with al his armie, and caried with him the afore¦sayde ambassadour, and went into the Turckes coūtrey and raised a great proie, and assayled Sfetigarde which of righte shoulde haue ben his, and toke the towne and set fire on it: notwithstandinge the citadell which stode on the heighte of the hyl was in expungnable, wherfore be retorned, and toke his leaue of the ambassadour very cortezely, declaring to him by mouthe besyde his letter, wylling him to saye vnto the Turcke from him, that at the comming of the great preest of Rome, with the Croi¦sade, he wolde comme to satiffie his desyre, that he had so greatly to see him: and when the ambassadour had ta¦ken his leue, he rode on of his iorney. Then Scanderbeg retorned with his armie into his countrey, and distribu¦ted the proie vnto them, and then gathered them toge∣ther and sayde. My felowes in armes, I beseche you be of good chere, for yf the Croisade be but as many in nū∣ber as the iiii. parte of the Turckes power, we w^t theyr helpe wyll chase him vndoubtedly oute of his domyny∣ons

notwithstanding I hope that the Croisade wylbe of farre greater power then his armie shall be, and so much the sonner, for that that God is with vs, and the souldi∣ours are Italianes, Frenshemen, Spaniardes, English¦men, Almaignes. Hūgarianes, Pollonianes, Vallaques Schiauoneses, Greekes, Albaneses, besydes oure people and others, by whose meanes, and by the grace of God. I hope that the Turcke shalbe vtterly ruynate, and chased oute of his dominiones, and his tyranny cleane plucked vp by the rotes, and the churche of God to be at rest, yf it be the pleasure of God.

In this meane time y^e ambassadour Mustaffa brought Scanderbegs letter to the great Turcke, who when he vnderstode the tenour therof was fylled with great fu∣rie, not withoute excedinge great feare whervpō he sent forthewith to all his townes of force and fortes,* 1.66 that he thoughte were of most importance, and fortifyed then by all meanes possyble: & then called to him Seremeth beg his Bassa, and sent him with xiiii. thousande Turc∣kes against Scanderbeg, to lye vpon the confines of his countrey for the garde therof and of his Citie that he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 muche estymed, called Orchride, or els Aeleria, which is not farre from Scanderbegs countrey, and is neare vn∣to a certaine lake oute of the which y^e ryuer Drino doth ryse, in y^• which lake their is great abondance of carpes Trowtes, & other delicate & noble fyshes. When Scan∣derbeg vnderstode of the comming of those Turckes, he determyned to seke them althoughe it were a harde mat¦ter to deale with them, for so much as the one parte of them were lodged within the Citie, and the rest w^toute not farre from it, in this meane tyme their came newes vnto them howe that the pope Pio y^e seconde was cōme in person with the Croisade to the Citie of Ancona, mea¦ning as sone as the Duke of Venise shoulde comme thy ther, to take shyppe, and to sayle towardes the Turcks notwithstandinge he fell syke there, and in shorte space dyed,* 1.67 beinge poysoned acordinge to the opinion of many by certaine hipocrites and false Christianes throughe y^• which, the noble Duke of Venise which was then there not onely with his owne armata, but also with the aide

of dyuerse Christian princes was excedingly amased, & retorned to Venise much discomforted: and in this sorte was the great Croisade frustrate.

When Scanderbeg contrarie to his expectation vn∣derstode of this, he was stricken with very great sorowe forsomuche as in that was his onely hope. Then wyth teares he lifted vp his eyes to the heauens, sayinge O most mercifull lorde Iesu Christe very God, I doe see y^e thyne omnipotent,* 1.68 and diuine maiestie (fountaine and springe of all goodnes) wyll not send forthe this Croi∣sade, to the distruction of bothe thine, and oure enemies. And I feare it is for oure offences which are Christians for that we haue greatly prouoked thee to wrathe, wher¦fore I humbly beseche the for thy mercyes sake, by the which thou pardonedst the these hanging on the Crosse thou which arte onely comme to call synners to repen∣tance, that it maye please thee to defende vs thy seruan¦tes, which doe fyghte daye and nighte, in the defence of oure moste Catholique faythe: to the ende that the ene∣myes saye not, where is the God of Chrystyanes be∣comme, notwythstandynge thy wyll be done, and not oures.

When Scanderbeg had thus ended his praier, he t••∣ned him to his souldiours who w^t teares also had praied with him, and to comforte them he said. My deare frinds feare nothinge, but be of good chere, for God doth neuer leaue those that put their whole truste in him, and doth all thinges for the commoditie of both bodie and soule of his faithfull, wherfore we humbly render thanckes vnto his diuine maistie, and to morowe we wyll goe to seke the Turckes oure enemyes, with whome we wyll fyghte, and deale with them acordinge to oure wonte. Thre houres before the breake of day, Scanderbeg rode with xii. thousande horse men and fote men, and came neare vnto the Citie of Orchrida aforesayde, and spake to his souldiours in this sorte. This daye is the vigile of the assumption of the virgine Marie Quene of heuen,* 1.69 in honor of whom and for the obedience of the commaunde¦ment of holly churche, euery faythfull Chrystian dothe fast, or at the leaste doth eate fyshe, but I doe vse alway

to fast, and for that confidence, and faithe, that I haue in her. I wyll assuredly promise you, that at dyner tyme you shall haue to dyne with, as great abondance of good fyshe, as euer you sawe, wherfore consider, that the cu∣stumer of this towne is a man of greate welthe, stronge lustie, and valiante, and he wylbe the fyrste that shall comme against vs: wherfore see that you giue him place and in no wyse stryke him, nor doe him anye hurte, but take him, for after oure victorie (the which I hope we shall obtaine, throughe the grace of Marie the Quene of heuen) we shall haue plentie of ducates of the same cu∣stumer, and also as muche fishe, as shall suffise you wher¦fore be of good chere.

When he had thus sayde he called vnto him Peiche Emanuell and Pietro Agenlo brother to the Arche-Bushope Paulo, and appointed to their conducte v. hun∣dred chosen horsemen, and gaue them commission to goe neare the towne of Aeleria to prouoke the Turckes to comme for the, and as sone as they shoulde come neare vnto them, he willed them to flee and to seme to be great¦ly affraied, & to drawe them on to the place where Scan¦derbeg moughte cut betwene them and the towne, and so to assayle them in two sondrie places at once, wherby he moughte easyly defeicte them, as it came to passe, for that the aforesaide Captaines were men of great Iudg¦ment,* 1.70 and trayned the enemyes spedyly paste the place where Scanderbeglaye in ambushe, and as sone as they torned vpon them and charged, they toke this custumer and immediatly vpō their charge, Scāderbeg discouered him selfe, and charged them on their backes and slewe x. thousande of them, and toke the sonne of Seremeth∣beg with xii. Turckes moe of acompte, which were pre¦sented vnto him fearing leste they shoulde be all flayne:* 1.71 but Scanderbeg, beinge curtesie it selfe, caused them to be gentylly entreated, and of his great curtesie, layd the greatest charge vpō y^e custumer, who althoughe he were very soroweful, yet with a pleasant contenaunce he sent for so muche fyshe, bothe freshe, and salte, as dyd fully satiffye the whole armie, wherfore they sayde thorowe oute the armie, that Scanderbeg was an Apostle of him

that fedde the multitude of y^• Iewes with v. barley loues and two fyshes. After this for the ransomes of the cus∣tumer, the sonne of the Bascia, and the other xii. Ture∣kes, there was presented vnto Scanderbeg, the sūme of xl. thousande ducates, in Golde, and money of the Ture¦kyshe Coyne, then Scanderbeg caused it all to be layde downe vpon carpettes and distributed al with his owne handes to his souldiours, gyuinge euery man his offe∣ring, but not as the preste dothe vpon the solempne fea∣stes. After this he suffered the prisoners to departe in∣to the towne, and he retorned into his countrey safe and with great ioye.

When the Turcke vnderstode this he dispatched an other fearce Captaine of his called Balaban Badera: called Aga, with xv. thousande Turckes on horse, and three thousande fotemen, the which Balaban came to y^• Citie of Ocrida, or Aelcria, and sent secretly to Scander¦beg dyuerse great presentes, to purchase frindshyppe w^t him, to the ende that paraduenture he beinge taken pri¦soner at anye tyme, moughte be assured of his lyfe, as it was declared to Scanderbeg by the secret arie of Bala¦ban, which was taken by Scanderbegs souldiours in a rencountre betwyne the Turckes and him, this Bala∣ban was an Albanese borne, and a coūtre man, subiecte to the father of Scanderbeg, and was taken in his child hed by the Turckes, with dyuerse other children, as they were keping of Cattell, notwithstandinge, hys happe was to serue men of acompte, and so became a valiante man, and for that he was the fyrst that entred into Con¦stantinople, when the Turckes gaue the assaulte vnto it, the great Turcke exalted him to y^• degree. When he was in this sorte appointed against Scanderbeg, he se∣myd outewardely to be muche his frynde, althoughe in¦wardly he was the greatest enemye that he had in all y^• worlde, as by the profe it was seen, for he was euer at∣tentyue to take in hand all suche enterprises as mought tende to the distruction of Scanderbeg, vnder the pre∣tence of dissemblyd fryndshippe, to the ende he moughte doe the more hurte. And when Balaban vnderstode, that Scanderbeg with his souldiours was in the valley cal∣led

Valcal, he made him redie with xv. thous̄d horsemē and three thousande fotemen, to goe in the nighte to as∣sayle Scanderbeg: but he beynge aduertysed hereof by his spiall, went to encountre him, wherof Balaban be∣inge certyfyed and beinge a shamed for sondrie respects (and chiefely for that his treason was so discouered, and also his fained frindshyppe) he retorned with spede. Thē Scanderbeg came ouer the valley aforesayde, and en∣camped vpon the heighte of the same with all his people which were in number 4. thousande horsemen wel moū¦ted, and v. hundred fotemen, to whom he spake in thys sorte. My companions, I doubte not but to morowe: or the nexte daye at the fardest,* 1.72 this moste wicked trai∣tour Balaban wyll comme to seeke vs with all his power, wherfore I thincke it good that we tarie him, and when we se him comminge that we departe from hence, and goe to that litle hill that is behinde vs, to the ende that they maye thincke that we flee from them, consydering oure number is smalle in the respecte of them, and ther∣fore maie the more boldly and assuredly chase vs, and then, when I shal gyue you a token, euery man to make hedde, and to charge them beinge so scatered, by meanes wherof, we maye easyly ouerthrowe them, whiche yf it so happen (as my truste is in God that it shall) I com∣maunde you all vpon payne of my displeasure,* 1.73 that you folowe the chase euen to the mounte, or hill of Valcal and no furder, for I am assured that they wyll leue some troupe in that valley, to the ende that yf they shoulde be broken, and we shoulde folowe them paste that place, they moughte charge vs behinde, and they whome we shoulde folowe shoulde charge vs in the face, and all in an instante, and by that meanes ouerthrowe vs at their pleasure, for the place is very apte for an ambushe.

The seconde daye after that Scanderbeg had thus exhorted his souldiours, Balaban with all his power came to fynde Scanderbeg, who acordinge to his, deter∣mynation went with his souldiours towarde the afore∣sayde hill: then the Turckes with greate furie assayled Scanderbeg, and he fled for a certaine space, and then in an instante torned and charged them (he beinge in

very good order) with suche force that after longe, and terrible fyghte, he enforced them to torne their backs, & to flee in great disorder, in suche sorte that in the ende y^• greatest number of them were founde ded vpon y^• feelde and the victorie was folowed to the aforesayde appoin∣ted place.* 1.74 But the aforesayde Moyses, Gintrizza, Musa∣chio Dela Angelina, Gino Musachio, Giouaniperlato, Nicolo Berisio, Georgio Cucca, and Gino Manesio, e∣uery one of these were able to gyue order to an armie, & had often tymes gouerned righte great charge. These men being very ernest in executinge the enemie, by mea¦nes of the great hatred they had towarde Balaban and his Turckes,* 1.75 dyd not remembre, or els in their furie e∣stemed not the commaundement of Scanderbeg, wher∣fore they passed the appointed place folowing y^• victorie fleynge, and cuttinge in peces, their fleing enemyes, vn¦tyll that they came to the myddest of the valley of Val∣cal. Then the squadrone of the enemyes (acording to the saying of Scanderbeg) that there was layde, charged wholly vpon these eighte Captaines, which after longe and cruell fyght in the defence of them selues wyth the great slaughter of those amased Turckes, passed of force thorowe the myddeste of that valley, and clymed vp an hill vpon the heighte wherof were the Turckishe fote∣men, vnknowen to them, wherby they were deceaued, thinckinge that they had ben of their owne men, they were taken by these fotemen, and delyuered to Balaban who forthewith sent them to y^• great Turcke, who then was at Constantinople. When Scanderbeg vnderstode this piteouse case, he sent immediatly and ambassadour to the great Turcke, to desyre him that he wolde be con¦tentyd to restore to him those prisoners safe, and in ex∣chaunge of them he shoulde haue others, or els, as much money as they dyd weighe, but he beinge full of furie, & crueltie, and being aduertysed by Balaban of their wor¦thynes, wolde in no wyse gratifye Scanderbeg, but in greater dispite caused them to be flayed by lytle,* 1.76 and li∣tle, for the space of xv. daies contynually, and in thys sorte they dyed.

After this the Turcke supplied his armie, and com∣maunded

Balaban in any wise to contynue the warres against Scanderbeg, notwithstanding Balaban durste not to make anye attempte against him, but soughte to qualifie the matter, and to be at peace with Scanderbeg who neuer put any truste in him, nor yet graunted him peace for anye gyfte that he coulde send, but contynual¦ly made his courses into the Turcks countre, & brought from thence great proyes, and spoyles, and euer retor∣ned to his confynes, when Balaban sawe that he coulde by no secrete practise pacyfy Scanderbeg, he determy∣ned to proue yf that he moughte by treason surprise him and so vpon the sudden to defeicte him for he was oute of all hope to ouerthrowe him in battayle, wherfore he dis¦coursed in him selfe by what meanes (in executinge hys intent) he mought defeicte Scanderbeg, with his armie also and in the ende he founde meanes by gyuing an ex∣ceding great sūme of money to corrupte his garde that he helde contynually withoute his campe, to gyue aduer¦tizement from tyme, to tyme of the comming of the ene∣mye. In this companie were certaine Albaneses hys kynsmen, in whom Scanderbeg had great affiance, not thincking it a possibilitie, for anye suche treason to haue had place in them, Balaban toke his iorney in the night with xv. thousande horsemen, and .3. thousand fotemen to assayle Scanderbeg, and marched vntyll it was with in an houre of daye, and then approchinge neare to the campe, Scanderbeg by meanes of the greate noyses of their horses suspected the treason of the aforesayd garde and made him redie most spedyly, with his iiii. thousand horsemen and one thousand fiue hundred fotemen, euen as thoughe he had ben aduertized of the whole practize, so that his enemyes thincking to take him vtterly vnpro¦uided, founde him in very perfyte, and good order, at the which the enemies were excedingely astonied notwith∣standing, throughe the great encoragementes of Bala∣ban, they encounteryd with Scanderbeg, and charged him in terrible sorte with greate furie, but in the ende throughe the prouidence,* 1.77 and conducte of Scanderbeg, they were all disordered, and put to flyghte, in such sorte that fewe of them caried anye newes home but of the ar¦mie

of Scanderbeg there were onely ten flayne.

When the great Turcke had aduertysement of this he determyned in anye wise to procede against Scan∣derbeg, and knowing Balaban to be of no lesse valian∣tize, and experience in warres, then the best of the reste of his Captaines: and also y^• he was an Albanese borne and a great enemye to Scanderbeg, he sent him agayne with xviii. thousande horsemen, and iii. thousande fote∣men, with whō he arriued at the Citie of Aelcria, where he contynued for a longe tyme withoute gyuing any at tempte against Scāderbeg, and dyd contynue his secrete sendinge of presentes vnto hym, and declared vnto hym that he was his very frynde, and seruante at commaun¦dement. But Scanderbeg who dyd well knowe him to be a great murtherer, and Traytour, and that it was his onely sute to be sent againe with charge against him dyd not onely, not truste him, but also to declare, that he made none acompte of him, and besyde that, that he had receaued his presentes, sent him in change somptuose presents growing aboute the villages wherein Bala∣ban was borne, which was sacks of a litle yelowe graine and also of cocle, and such like of vile price, w^t a ploughe harrowe, pycke axe, spade, van, and flayle, with such like instrumentes,

Then Balaban well vnderstanding his meaning by this, was marueloufly offendyd: and knowing that Scā¦derbeg laye contynually vpon his confynes with viii. thousande horsemen, and ii. thousand fyue hundred fote¦men, he marched with his whole armie against Scan∣derbeg, and when he sawe Balaban comming he made him redie, put his people in order and marched towarde him and ioyned with him in battayle, the fyghte beyng terryble, Scanderbeg with his owne hand slewe y^• daye many of his enemies, and as he was in the prease fygh∣ting with his enemies (throughe ille fortune) his horse was slayne vnder him, and fell downe to the grounde w^t him, and in the fall Scanderbeg lighted vpon y^• troūcke of a tree that was cut downe, and by meanes of y^• great fall, he was greatly brused, and chiefly in his right arme in suche sorte that he coulde not in maner stirre it at al.

Then the Turckes thincking that he had ben ded, cau∣sed certaine to discend from their horses to stryke of hys head, whervpon he called vnto him his wonted magna∣nimitie and notwithstanding his exceding great bruse he lepte vp and stode vpon his fete, and with his sworde flewe all the Turckes that were so lyghted from theyr horses, and as many moe of others that enuironed him to y^• intent to haue slayne him, his actes that he then did were maruelouse. At the laste, one of his souldiours brought vnto him one of his best coursers and whē Scā¦derbeg was mounted on horse, he gaue in amonge the Turckes in such furie, as in his lyfe he had not done the lyke, and alwaye one stroke was the price of one enemy with him, and he assayled the enemies with so great as∣surance, and force, that he constrained them to disorder, to torne their backes,* 1.78 and to flee, & in the chase he flewe them in maner all, but the sayde Balaban with a very smale nūber with him, dyd flee into y^• Citie of Orchrida aforesayde.

After this, Scā. disposed y^• whole spoile to his souldi¦ours very liberally, according to his custume but after y^• victorie, he endured such paine in his arme, y^• he was iii monethes & coulde not ones lifte it, to take of his cappe to gratifie suche as dyd salute him,* 1.79 ne yet to reuerence y^• Image of oure Sauiour, nor of the virgyne Marye, ne yet of the saincts. And also when he herde masse he was serued as is the highe Byshoppe when he dothe assyst in solempne feastes, for he coulde not helpe him selfe at all with one of his hands.

In this meane whyle Balaban beinge very sorow∣full and asshamed, retorned with fewe with him to Con¦stantinople, and was greatly blamed reuyled, and con∣dempned, by the great Turcke, but he lyke an olde Ape and subtyll foxe, endured all thinge patiently, and whē the furie was past he founde suche meanes that he so ex¦cused him selfe, attributing his ouerthrowe to the proui¦dence of God, that the Turcke was well satisfyed w^t his excuses and cōmitted the whole charge of these warres to his discresion: wherevpon forthewyth he toke in hys companye the Captaine Iaguppe Arnanthe a man of

great value, Iagup Arnanthe signifieth in oure speche Iamez the Albaneses. When he was marching, he de∣uided his armie, and wylled Iames with one parte ther¦of to passe throughe Tracia, and Macedonia into Epirro and in anye wyse to kepe him secrete, and not to enuade vntyll he had aduertisement that Balaban was arriued in Albania, and he that fyrst approched the confynes to tarie his companion, to the ende that they moughte vp∣on the sudden assayle Scanderbeg.

Balaban on the other side toke with him xx. M Turc¦kishe horsemen, and iiii. thousande fotemen, and came first into Epirro, and encamped in the afore named place of Valcal, which when Scanderbeg vnderstode being al¦wayes prouided, and in redines, sent iii. spiones into the enemies campe to consider the order of the same but one of these spiones was a kinsman of Balaban, and was y^• cause that the other two retorned not at the houre ap∣pointed, whervpon Scanderbeg being a souldiour most vigillant, toke with him fyue souldiours and went to discouer the campe of the enemies, but that subtyl Ba∣laban who had good experience of the vsage of Scander∣beg, appointed to that place which was moste apte for suche purpose, certaine souldiours on horse, and beynge there, encountred with Scanderbeg, and were at the blowe of the sworde for a tyme. But in the ende Scan∣derbeg was enforced to flee and take the nearest way to his campe and passyng thorowe a straite founde by mis∣happe, a tree lying ouerthwarte his waye, notwithstan¦dinge, he put spurres to his horse and lepte ouer it and so dyd one of his souldiours: but the other foure coulde not by anye meanes, whervpon they turned to y^• Turc∣kes, and charged them, and slewe certaine of them, but in the ende they were all foure slayne. In this meane tyme Scanderbeg beinge moued with pitie torned hym and espyeing a Turcke that had lopte the tree after him folowing him, he encountred him with suche furie that at the firste stroke he slewe hym, and then he fled vntyll he came to Pietra Biancha, which was viii. myles from him: where be founde his viii. thousand horsemen, and iiii. thousand fotemen tarying for him.

Then he chaunged his horse, and in fewe wordes en¦coraged his souldiours to fyghte stoutly, and when he had thus done, he marched on towarde the enemie, and or that he wolde encountre him, he toke a certaine hyll not farre from them, and then ordeyned all thinges for the battayle, & presented his people in foure squadrones the one he committed to the conducte of Thamssio Tho¦pia, lorde of the countre neare vnto Durazzo and cosyn to the Arche Byshoppe Paulo Angelo aforesayde, the se¦conde he committed to the leading of Zacharia Groppa the thirde to Peiche Emanuell and the fourthe he lad in person and this was his order, but Balaban who taried for his companion wolde in no wise accepte the battaile wherof when Scanderbeg vnderstode, he disbanded cer∣taine men and entred the scaramoche with the Turcks augmenting it from tyme to tyme,* 1.80 in such sorte, that he in the ende enforced them to comme to the battayle, and then presented all his squadrones in fronte sauing one¦ly one which he helde hidden behinde the reste, the bat∣tayles beinge ioyned the fyghte was terrible, in this meane tyme the fourthe squadrone came in vpon their flancke vnsoked for, and charged them with such corage that the Turckes not beinge able to endure the force of the Albaneses, acording to their olde custume disordered them selues and fledde, so that they were hurte, & flayne in maner all,* 1.81 notwythstandinge Balaban wyth fewe wyth him conueyd him selfe in to a place of securitie.

This victorie beinge newely obtained, their came a messager in great hast to Scanderbeg from his syster y^e ladie Mānizza, declaring vnto him y^t Iagup was comme into Albania by the waye of Belgrado, and had proied, spoyled, and burned a greate pece of his countrey, when Scanderbeg vnderstode of this, he immagined forthew^t the determynation of the two Captaines to haue ben to¦gather him in the myddest betwyne them bothe, he in∣structed his armie, and encoraged them greatly, not to doute xvi. thousand Turcks, consydering that they had in shorte space before, ouerthrowen xxiiii. M. whervpon he marched towarde the lesser Tirana where Iagup w^t his armye laye, Scanderbeg as sone as he drewe some∣thing

neare his enemye staied and chose fyue hundred horsemen to goe and prouoke the enemye to the feelde. As sone as Iagup sawe this, he ranged his armie in thre¦squadrones, and with certaine disbanded horsemen char¦ged them, and put them to flyghte folowing the chase w^t those disbanded horsemen, marchinge after them with his whole power, and when they came where Scander∣beg was he cried vnto them to turne, whervpon immedi¦atly they charged the Turckes, & Scanderbeg with his armie in order came on and ioyned with them,* 1.82 and in shorte tyme put them to flyghte, by meanes that he sawe where Iagup was in person, whervpon he chose vnto him certaine assured souldiours & seuered them selues and charged the squadrone wherin Iagup was,* 1.83 and so of force entred it and with his launce smote him vnder the chyn thorowe the throte and flewe him, wherewith the Turckes being amased and discoraged stode lyke vn¦to shepe withoute a shepherde: and were flayne misera∣bly, and mayne of them were taken prisoners, so, that acomptinge fyrste those of Balaban, and secondaryly these of the Bassa Iagup, there were xxiiii. M. slayne, be¦sydes vi. thousande that they herde no newes of at all. After this Scanderbeg caused to gather togyther al the golde, syluer, and other riches, which the Turckes had gotten in his countrey and caried al into Croia in great triumphe making greate feastes to the contentacion of al that there were, and he sent messagers to sondrie prin¦ces and others his fryndes that dwelled neare aboute him, with the newes of this great victorie, & sent them also presentes of the Turckyshe spoyle, as horses, cour∣siers, slaues, Armour furniture of horses, riche garmēts of men, and suche lyke.

When the greate Turcke vnderstode the dolorouse defeicte of these two armies, he determyned to goe in person with all his power against Scanderbeg but he hauing intelligence hereof, made prouision for y^• defence of his countre, and especially furnished Croia with men and all kynde of necessaries, his souldiours on fote were of the garnisons of the Senate of Venise, their gouer∣nour was a worthy man named Baldisera Perduci. In

those daies there was in that part of Albania which was subiecte to the Seigniorie of Venise, their Proueditour a Venetian borne, named Iosaphat Barbaro, a man of great worthynes, who by commaundement of the Se∣nate, dyd often tymes attende vpon Scanderbeg, and the Arche Byshope Paulo, who for the great zeale that he had towarde the Christian religiō, was in those daies contynually with Scanderbeg, onles that he were sent in his name or in the name of the Seigniorie of Venise in ambassade to anye Potentate for the preseruation of there countres, as ofte times he went to Rome, Milane Naples, Venis, and other places.

In this meane tyme there came from Constantino∣ple to Scanderbeg two Turckes, saying that they were comme thyther to becomme Christianes, and to serue him faithefully, and also to saue their soules, being as∣sured that the faithe in Iesus Christ, was the onely true and holsom faithe, and in the contrarie, the faithe Maho¦metane to be false, vniuste, and dampnable, as was eui∣dently seen, by the great thinges that god dyd dayely worcke by one onely man, which in comparaison of the Turcke was a very lambe, and yet dyd contynually tri∣umphe ouer a most fearce and cruell Lyon. Then Scan∣derbeg receaued them courtesly and gaue them large pro¦uision for their maintenance, causing them to be instruc¦ted in the Christian religion, euen as they had ben of his owne nation: notwithstanding, this comming of thers was to a deuelishe ende, which by y^• goodnes of god was discouered, who neuer faileth such as vnfaynedly truste in him, for on a tyme these two Turckes fell at wordes and in fine strake together with their fistes in sorte that they loste muche bloude from oute of their noses, and the one saying to the other in great furie, y^u traitour dogge sent by the great Turcke to sley the most gentle & good prince Scanderbeg, when the Captaines of Scander∣beg vnderstode this, they toke these two forthwith, and presented them to Scanderbeg, who caused them imme∣diatly to be tormented and then they cōfessed the whole matter in euery pointe, and shewed the dagguers which they caried secretly aboute them for y^• purpose, declaring

also howe that y^• Turcke had promised them an infinite summe of money, and also to make them great lordes, yf that they coulde sley Scan. he then beinge a prince of great magnanimitie and one that dyd honor y^• Turcke wolde not for his sake vse them acording to their deser∣tes, but caused them to be broughte oute of his Padigli∣on, & so apparelled as they were, caused them to be han¦ged vpon the heighte of two greate trees, where they moughte be well discerned from all partes of the feeldes aboute it, when he had thus done he toke his horse, and with all those souldiours that then were with him and in all the countrey neare vnto him, entred into y^• parte of the Turckes countrey where he neuer was before, & when he had spoyled all the countre, he then raysed fire and burned all the countre where he passed thorowe, and retorned home safe wyth all hys people in to hys countrey.

After this the aforenamed Mahomethe, came into Albania with two hundred thousande men on horse and fote, and encamped before the Citie of Croia, promising them of the towne great gyftes, yf that they wolde ren∣der the towne vnto him vpō composition, and otherwise he threatned to put them all to the sworde, but their aū¦swere was, with the faire Cāuonade, harquebuzade, and suche lyke, in sorte, that they slewe many of the Turc∣kes, and contynued the same daily, vntyll the Turckes dislodged from thence and abandoned the seege. Whiles the Turcks laie before Croia, Scāderbeg was alwaies attendante vpon their campe, nowe in one quarter, and then in an other, destressing their foragers, & also their victuallers comming to their campe, and often times in the nighte assayled their campe, nowe in one quarter, & then in an other so, y^• he made great slaughter of them. Then at the laste the Turcke seinge Croia to be in ex∣pungnable, and hauing receaued there bothe great losse of his people, and also great dishonor, he determyned to leue before it a campe volant, and so in y^• ende by famine to take it, whervpon he lefte the aforesayde Balaban to execute that enterprise with xviii.M. chosen horsemen and fyue thousand fotemen of the best in all the armye,

with viii. Sangiacchi, men of great experience, & Iudge¦ment in warres, to the ende the better to aduise. This done, the great Tiran departed from thence, retorning towarde Constantinople, and in his iorney be toke cer∣taine fortes of Scanderbeg, and put his garnisons into them, with officers to kepe them in his obedience, beside this, by meanes of a wicked Traitour he toke a place cal¦led Chidua, wherin were viii. M. of Scanderbeg soul∣diours, besyde women and children, and others y^• were not able to vse armes, to whom by meanes of this trai∣tour he made great promises, but beinge once within, he brake his faithe, and caused them all to be cut in peces, which was greatly to the hindrance of Scanderbeg, not withstanding, within shorte time he recouered al againe and cut in peces as many Turcks as he founde in those places, which the Turcke had thus taken from him, the Turcke retorned to Constantinople very sorowfully & Melancholyque for the great spoyle, and losse of his soul¦diours, which he had sustained in that iorney.

Scanderbeg, consydering the Turckes that besegid Croia were valiante and of great experience, and had so fortyfied them selues that it was an impossybilitie to as¦saulte them, for that they had alredie taken y^• hil Crniuo by meanes wherof, it was expedient to haue a great ar¦mie to take in hand that enterprise to rayse them from that place, Scanderbeg hauing loste the aforesayd eight thousand men in Chidua, was enforced to demaūde aide of other Christian princes, whervpon he went to Rome in person and declared his cause before the pope Pio the seconde and his Cardinales and other prelates in their Concistorie and was gently herde and great promi∣ses were made vnto him, notwithstanding (at his depar¦ture) by meanes of euyll tonges, he receaued smale suc∣cour at the popes hande who was a Venetian borne, but not ouer full of deuotion, and for that that Scanderbeg was greatly estemed of sondrie of them, it is no maruell yf others dyd enuie him, by meanes wherof he obtained no more for his trauayle then. 3000. Ducates onely, the which Iunetrio beinge one of the chiefe Citizens of Dri¦uasto, cosyn to the Arche Byshope Paulo Angelo, and

Steward to Scanderbeg receaued, Scanderbeg was ex∣cedingly troubled with this, notwithstandinge he gaue thanckes to God and retorned safely into his countrey. Then he went first to Scutari where he founde Iosafat Barbaro aforesayde, lieutenante to the Venetianes, who leuied bandes of those that were subiectes to the Seigneours of Venise and ioyned them with his souldi¦ours, and prouided them of al kynde of necessaries, there went with him also to ayde him, Leche Ducagino, with his brother Nicholas, with foure hundred horsemen and as many fotemen, chosen souldiours and of great expe∣rience in warres, with an hundred men at armes also well armed and mounted, he had also fyue hundred fote¦men of Italie, Venetianes borne of the garnison of Scu¦tarie with a thousand Launces and .3. thousand fotemē of the countres aboute Scutari, Driuasto, Antiuaro, A∣lessia, and Dirachio, which made an armie of .13. thou∣sand and .4. hundred chosen men, with whom Scander∣beg marched toward Croia, and when he came neare y^• towne, he spake in this sorte. My lordes, and you my good souldiours: althoughe oftē times good wordes doe comforte weried and troubled myndes, yet I wyl at this present as well encorage you by my dedes as by my wor¦des, for that I doe knowe you to be of noble myndes, & desyrous to put oure enemie to the flighte, wherfore my truste is in god, that yf the Turckes whiche doe besege my Citie, were as manye moe in number as they are, we shall vndoutedly ouerthrowe them and put them to the sworde.

When he had thus sayde, he deuided his armie into two partes,* 1.84 committing the one to Nicolo Moneta Vai¦uoda of Scutari, and sent him ouer thorowe a playne & certaine woodes to a certaine stronge place called Gio∣nenemi, not far from that place where the Turckes laie in campe before Croia: he commaunded the aforesayde Nicolo not to departe from thence in anie wyse vntyll that he herde him shote of certaine Cannones, which he dyd acording to his promes. In this meane tyme Scan∣derbeg went with the reste of his armye and vpon the sudden toke the heighte of the moūte Canino in dispite

of the enemies, and determyned to councell with the a∣foresayde Nicolo, of what sorte to procede, Balaban ha∣uing intelligence of the comming of Scanderbeg, went forthwith to Croia, requiringe them to yelde the towne vpon Conditiones, making them of the towne greate promesses in the behalfe of his Maister, perswading him selfe, that hy these meanes he shoulde obtaine victorie, acording to the intelligence that was gyuen him, wher∣vpon he had exhorted his armie to be of good chere, de∣claring to them that yf they moughte haue the towne delyuered vnto them, that then he wolde with his armie lodge in the towne, and wolde not care for the comming of Scanderbeg yf that he shoulde happen to comme, but yf that it so chansed y^• they dyd not obtaine it, he wolde leuye his campe and departe thence, whyles Balaban loked for aunswere there sorted forthe of the towne cer∣taine souldiours to scarmoche with his people. Then he beinge exceding wrothe, and oute of al hope of recouerie of the towne, with his souldiours that were then with him, gallopped towarde them to gyue a charge on them but the Christianes perceauing it, drewe neare y^• towne vnder the defence of the shotte,* 1.85 whervpon George Alesy an Albanese, discharged his harquebuze, and strake Ba¦laban vnder the chin into the throte, and gaue him hys deathes woonde, not withstanding this great blowe Ba¦laban fel not but put spurres to his horse and gallopte to his tente when the Turckes vnderstode of this, and also that the mounte Crina was alredie taken, they a∣bandoned the seege, and beinge greatly affraied conueid them selues spedylye in to the feelde named Tiranna.

Then Scanderbeg fynding no man to resyste hym went downe into Croia, and caused to bringe into the towne all the meale, barly, and other victuales that were lefte in the Turckes campe, whiche were sufficient to sustaine them of the Towne for one whole yere, when he had this done, he lodged in the Citie and sent certaine bandes to take the passages and straites, thorowe the which the Turckes must passe, for he determyned to seke them and to gyue them battayle. That same very euening came two Turckes of acompte to Scanderbeg

desyring him, in the name of their whole armie to gyue them their lyues, and that they wolde with one consent gyue him willingly all that they had and excused them saying, that they were enforced to comme to that seege by the commaundement of their prince, whose breade they dyd eate, so that with great humiletie they desyred Scanderbeg to graunt them that, which he neuer denied to their fathers, when Scanderbeg had herde y^• requeste of the Turckes, he commaunded them with a fryndly contenaunce to be well lodged in a faire pauillion, and to be honorably entertayned. After this, the aforesayde Scanderbeg called to him the aforesayde lieutenante w^t the noble lordes Ducagini, and other lieutenantes, mē of great vertue, vnto whom he declared the request of y^• Turckyshh armie, requiring their aduise and aunswere Iosaphat Barbaro (which the Venetianes had sent into Albania to be contynually in company with Scander∣beg) spake fyrste and sayde that he wolde doe nothinge but what shoulde please Scanderbeg to commaūde him wherfore he wolde doe as it shoulde seme good to Scan¦derbeg in this matter. After this spake Leche Ducagino very franckly saying, Embetha, which in oure tonge sig¦nifieth, vpon them, for that he thoughte it not requisite to vse mercy towardes infydels, but to cut them in peces of the same opinion were dyuerse other noble men, and Captaines of great value. Then Scanderbrg spake vn∣to them saying, you noble men, and you worthye Cap∣taines, I truste in the lorde, and am well assured, that yf we shall happen to encountie the Turckes, we shall sone defeicte them. Notwithstanding, for that they are y^e choyse of all the Turckyshe armie, and nowe becomme desperate, and determined in dede to emploie their hands and for that also that the ende of warres is doubtefull, and that god for oure offences shoulde permitte them to haue the victorie, as it maye well comme to passe. It shoulde be the ruyne of vs all.* 1.86 Wherfore to plaie suer it semeth to me reasonable that we respecte the attempte vntyll suche tyme as Croia be supplied with victualles and other necessaries for manye yeres: and then to goe on to encountre them with assurance of mynde, and to

ouerthrowe them for so muche as they can escape in no wyse for that the passages are alredie taken. The opini∣on of Scanderbeg was wel lyked of many, and of others not lyked at all, and chiefely of suche as were subiectes to the Venetianes, who desyred ernestly to be reuenged of the Turckes, and of some others which had not expe∣rimented the force of y^• Turckes very often. Then Scan¦derbeg called for the two Turckes aforesayde, and wyl∣led them to declare vnto the whole armie, that as they came not with his license to besege his Citie, no more shulde they departe oute of his countre with his license. In this meane tyme be sent his armie to y^• Ryuer Isimi where he had a great number of shippes loded w^t corne meale, biskete and other victuales, and caused all to be vnloded with spede, so that in thre dayes he furnished Croia for syre yeres. And then went with all spede to en¦countre the Turcks, but he had taryed a longe, for they in these thre dayes seinge them selues so assayled wyth famyne, went to the passages, and passed of force, not w^t oute greate slaughter and spoyle of their mē, and in this sorte fled. Then euery man in maner was sory, and mur¦mored against Scanderbeg, and layd the whole faute of their escape vpon him, but he with his great cortesye, & gentle wordes pacifyed and contentyd them all, lainge for his excuse the olde prouerbe, that to the enemy that fleeth a man must make a brydge of golde, and then gaue to euery man presents and gyftes, acording to his place. In this meane tyme many Albaneses of the Venetians countre, and of the countres of other princes came & pre¦sented to Scanderbeg a great number of the heddes of Turckes, with horses, armour, and other spoyle, in the ende Scanderbeg very honorably, licensed his armie. Sa¦uing onely his two thousande horsemen, and one thou∣sande fotemen wyth whome he went forthewyth to his confynes.

When Mahomethe the Turckyshe prince, vnder∣stode that Scanderbeg had raysed the seege of Croia, w^t so muche honor, to his great shame, and losse of his peo∣ple, he was muche gryued there with, wherevpon the yere folowing he retorned into Albania w^t two hundred

thousande Turckes, and went to besege Durazzo,* 1.87 a no∣ble City and of great antiquitie, which had ben a garni¦son towne of the renomed Romaines, he did greatly mo¦lest it notwithstandinge he departed from thence with∣oute it, with spoyle of his people and great dishonor, frō thence he went with spede to Cro••a, & beseged it roūde, and sent his messager to signifie to them of the towne, y^• yf they wolde delyuer him the Citie, he wolde aduaunce them, and deale liberally with them all, and otherwyse it shoulde be to their paine, for he was determyned not to departe thence withoute it, and wolde be reuenged vp on them to the vttermost. The aunswere of the beseged was not farre to seeke, but was gyuen by the mouthe of the Cannon, Colueryne, harquebuze, and suche like in¦strumentes. Scanderbeg, on the other syde dyd often tymes assayle the Turckyshe armie, nowe in one quar∣ter and, then in an other, makinge great spoyle of them, holding them in continuall feare and doubte, whē the Turcke sawe that he coulde by no meanes obtaine the towne, he departed with all his armie thence, and marched to a place called capodelli Rodane, neare vnto the Admatique sea where Scanderbeg had buylded a Ci¦tie named Chinril, which was not fully fynyshed nor replenished with inhabitanes, he toke it and raised it to the very foundation, after this he passed thorowe the countre of Scanderbeg, thincking to take it from him but he coulde not take the symplest forte that he had, he went also into certaine mountaines of Albania, where there were multitudes of Albaneses, with their whole familes and substances, and assayled them, but he was repulsed with great dishonor, spoile, and slaughter of his people: but Scanderbeg who was euer vigillante, and folowed the Turckyshe armie daye and nighte, making great spoyle of them, in such sorte that Mahomethe be∣ing in maner oute of al hope was constrained to retorne to Constantinople by the shortest waye.

When the Turcke was comme to Constantinople be apointed Alibeg and Alesbeg his Captaines to haue the conducte of xxviii. thousande men, and sent them to his confynes with expressyd commaundement that in

no wyse they shoulde goe to fyght with Scanderbeg, nor to enter his countrey vnles that he firste began, but one¦ly to garde well his confynes. These Captaines came to the frontiers and obeyd the commaundement of their lorde, and secretly soughte to haue fryndshippe w^t Scan¦derbeg, and sent vnto him presentes of greate price and value, he also vsed them very cortesly and fryndly, not in that that he feared them, but bycause he wolde not be counted ingrate: for he neuer trusted them, but stode al∣waye vpon his garde. In the ende Scanderbeg vnder∣standing certaynely, that these Captaines had expressed commaundement from their lorde not to make anye at∣tempte against him, but onely to garde his confynes, & also howe that they were desyrous to be in peace with him, he lefte the one parte of his souldiours vpon hys confynes, and toke the rest with him and went to visyte his countre, and to administer Iustice and reason to such as had nede therof, and to se that none were oppressed. After this, Scanderbeg came to Alessio aboute certaine affares that touched bothe his state, and the state of the Senate of Venise, and chiefely for order howe to take a certaine newe Citie called Valma, whiche the Turcke had builded and there fel sicke of a feruant feuer, in such sorte, as he was enforced to lye longe in that place, and seing his deathe at hand, he called vnto him all his Cap¦taines, and had a longe discourse with them, who shed not a fewe teares to see him in that case, and in the ende he called vnto him Iohn his onely sonne, and in the pre∣sence of his mother the lady Doneca and of y^• rest, spake vnto him in this sorte.

My good sonne knowe thou, that I fynde my selfe so euyll disposed in my body, that I am assured y^• the tyme of my departure oute of this worlde is at hande, whiche thinge seing it is by the prouidence of God, his wyll be done: but for that thou arte very yonge, and not able to defende oure state: for that oure enemye is of excedinge great power, I haue determined to leue it in the protecti¦on of the Senate of Venise, as my deare brother, & good father, Paulo Angelo the Arche Byshope, oure hope (whom I leaue in my stede of the gouernaunce therof)

hath often tymes perswaded me. And further I doe com¦maunde the my sonne, that thou be alwaye aduised by him, for in so doing thou shalte not doe a mysse, consy∣dering his great wisedome and experience to be suche, as I can not but hope well of the, and of the reste of my subiecttes, yf that you be gouerned by him, for I am as∣sured that for my sake he wylbe as carefull for the and thyne, as yf thou were his owne sonne, wherfore when thou hast shutte vp these myne eyes and buryed me, goe thou then into Apuglia to oure Castles and townes y^• we haue there, and contynue there vntyll thou comme to age able to gouerne, and then goe to Venise, and be alwayes aduised by the Senate therof, who wyll gladly see the, and set the safely into thy state and dominion, I commend vnto the all my subiectes, whō I haue alwaye founde faithefull and obedient, vse them so, that they maye rather loue the, then feare the, which thou maiest easyly doe, if thou se iustice truely admynistred.

Scanderbeg had scarcely gyuen ful order for his tes∣tament, when a messager from the gouernour of Scu∣tari came, with a letter signifiyng vnto him, howe that Hamathbeg one of the Turckes Basas, was comme frō Seruia with x. M. horsemen, and v. M. fote••en, and had passed a very sharpe and difficulte mountaine named Illugi, which dyd appertaine to the Venetianes, & was comme downe into their countre, and had made greate spoyle there. Then that noble and magnanime prince Scanderbeg, beinge greatly moued with these newes caused to make him redie, and appointe his souldiours to make them redie to ryde: in this meane tyme his de∣sease dyd so encrease vpon hym, that it troubled him in suche sorte, that he was enforced to send his souldiours awaye to Scutari and to tarie that daye in his lodging, commaunding them to doe whatsoeuer the lieutenante shoulde commaunde them, and that he wolde the nexte daye be with them to deale with Hamathbeg and hys power, when his souldiours vnderstode this they rode on their iorney sheding of teares and came to Scutari, and forthewith by commaundement of the lieutenante afore sayde passed on ouer the plaines vntyll they came to the

ryuer named Cli••o. Then a certaine of the Turckes which were on the other syde of the riuer making garde (as sone as they sawe them) knewe them to be of Scan∣derbegs souldiours, and maruelling at their sudden ary¦uale, called vnto them asking where Scanderbeg was, it was aunswered that he was in Alessio, and that the morning folowing he wolde loke vpon them, where vp∣on the Turckes repared to their Captaine Hamathbeg who laye in campe vpon the territorie of Driuasto, and declared vnto him the newes that they had herde. Whē Hamathbeg vnderstode these newes, he was excedingly affraied, so that he was enforced to stande al that night in battayle, and in the morning very tymely to marche awaie, and to passe ouer Mountaignes by very difficulte passages and wayes, so y^• it was the iorney of all y^• daye to attayne to the highte of that hill, and that same night folowing there fell so muche snowe, dryuen with a vehe¦ment wynde beinge in the monethe of Ianuarie, that y^• greatest number of those poore, and fearefull Turckes died in that night, and they which were lefte on liue the daye foloing, marched awaye in exceding great feare, & loked often tymes behinde them yf that they mought se Scanderbeg to folowe them, and had determined, yf they had seen him comme, to fall vpon their knees, & to yelde vnto him, as it was declared to the Driuastianes by son¦drie Turckes which they toke, and in euery place where these poore Turckes passed, they were cut in peces, and spoyled, & miserably handled, in sorte, y^• fewe of them e∣uer retorned to their dwelling place.

This same very daye that the Turckes thus fledde not beinge folowed by anye enemie,* 1.88 this most Christian prince Scanderbeg, lefte this earthly lyfe, yeldinge hys soule to God in the yere of oure helthe. 1467. and in the yere from his birthe. 63. he was buried in the Cathedral Churche of Saincte Nicholas, in Alessio, with greate solempnitie, and honor, for whose death the bewaylinge was so vniuersale, as the lyke was neuer seen in those partes of Epirro, for in all places a man shoulde haue harde them wepe betterly, of all estates, and chiefely the nobilitis, and Captaines, cryed oute in most piteouse

wyse, saying, O Scanderbeg oure good kinge, oure de∣fendour, oure onely comforte, oure father, and brother, why hast y^u thus lefte vs Orphanes as shepe withoute a pastor, howe maye we nowe anye lengar escape the handes of those most cruell, and wycked Turckes, oure enemyes, woe shalbe vnto oure pore people, woe to both great and smale, woe to Albania, and to all the prouin∣ces therof, and to all the prouinces neare aboute it, In lyke sorte dyd the princes, and people of other countres neare aboute it, morne, and lament, for Scāderbeg was their eye, and watche man, the defendour of the states of all faitheful Christianes, and of his owne, he was en¦tirely beloued of all Christianes onles it were of y^• false Christianes disciples of Iudas. Also the vnreasonable creatures lamented his deathe, for one of his best horses vpon whō he had done great actes, and ben also in perill∣ause battayles, which was a very well doing horse, and of great trauayle, in battayle lyke a Lyon, of such fearce¦nes as it was marueled at of all the noble men and Cap¦taines, that had seen the doinges of the horse, and oute of battayle he was as gentle as a lambe, this horse as fone as his Maister was dead, began forthewith to braie terribly, and to bete him selfe from the one syde, to the other, w^toute taking anye rest daye nor nighte, he wolde neuer after that daye suffer bridle, nor sadle to be put on him, nor wolde neuer taste anye kynde of hey prouender or other sustenance, but contynually braying & beating him selfe daye and nyghte tyll at the last throughe very fayntnes, he fell downe to the earthe, and neuer rose a∣gayne vpon his fete but dyed, the signification hereof I committe to the secrete purpose of God, who knowethe all things, notwithstanding I wyshe all Christians not to cease, but contynually to gyue thanckes vnto his di∣uine Maiestie for his great benefites bestowed vpon vs, and to praye him to delyuer vs from the cruell and wic∣ked handes of the Turckes, and to gyue vs victorie a∣gainst them, and all other infydels, as he alwayes dyd to his faithefull souldiour Scanderbeg, which was not vnlyke in victorie to Iudas Machabeus, Scanderbeg was muche lyke to the Emperour Eracleo, which by the

helpe of God dyd ouerthrowe the proude hethen prynce Cosdroe, Scanderbeg in all the afore named battayles, and others wherof there is no mencion made in this trea¦tyse, was neuer ••hurte nor maymed at anye tyme, ex∣cepte once that he was hurte in the righte legge with an arowe, but the poore souldiour which shotte it, was forthe with espied of him and flayne at one onely stroke, and cut in two peces, his armes were alwayes, couered with armour, he was not enchaunted, as the folyshe ig∣norante people dyd affirme, for yf he had ben echaun¦ted, he coulde not haue ben hurte by the arrowe, and it is writen y^• he neuer fought but his arme was well armed his vse was euer to throwe of his braciall,* 1.89 as sone as he had put his enemyes to flyghte, to the ende, y^• he mighte the more franckly stryke, for he bestowed neuer more then one blowe, vpon one enemye in chase, at all other tymes he was very well armed, and dyd ioyne with his rare force, wisedome and experience, and wolde neuer at tempte God.

After that he was ded, the worthy Captaines peiche Emanuell, Zacharia Groppa, Leche Cucca, Paolo Ma¦nesi, with dyuerse other worthy men, and worthy of cre∣dite, who had ben with him in maner in all his doinges dyd affyrme howe that Scanderbeg in those battayles wherein they had accompanyed him, had slayne with his owne hande moe then. 3. thousand mē, his order was suche that his enemye dyd neuer longe stande against hym but spedyly he put them to flighte, and as touching his naturall force, it was not muche vnlyke to y^• moste rare force of Orlando, and Rynaldo, with other famous Knyghtes of the myghtye kinge Charles, he gaue ones a great blowe in the presence of all his armie, beinge in a greate furie for otherwyse I belyue he shoulde hardly haue done it, there were taken in battayle ii. souldiours of Balabanes kynsemen, which were rebelles vnto Scā¦derbeg, these were presented vnto him, and had done him muche hurte, and displeasure, he wolde not suffer y^• anye other shoulde sley them, but drewe his sworde, and with one onely blowe he cut them both in peces, in such sorte that they fell downe ded to the earthe, not withoute mar¦uell

& trembling, of all those y^• behelde it. The Turcke on a time vnderstanding by reporte that Scāderbeg had a sworde: wherewith he wolde stryke of some tyme a mannes arme beinge well armed, and wolde cut in pe∣ces a helmette or anye other kynde of armour made of yron, sent vnto him desyring him to gyue him y^• sworde Scanderbeg had moe then thre of that temper and good∣nes, & sent the Turcke franckly one of them, the Turcke was very glade of suche a present and caused the sworde to be proued by certaine of his most valiante men, to se yf that they coulde cut yron w^t it, but they dyd not much hurte the yron with it, no more dyd their strokes the sworde. Then the Turcke sent to Scanderbeg that his sworde was no suche sworde as it was named to be, but Scanderbeg aunswered that the sworde was sufficient∣ly good to doe more then had ben reported of him, so that it were gouerned by his arme, whiche he kepte to hys owne vse. And for testimonie of his force I thincke it not inconuenient to recite certayne strokes that he gaue for pleasure, to the ende, that suche as be of Iudgment may thincke what he moughte doe, beinge well armed and kyndled against his enemye, Scanderbeg hath ben seen to chase the Beare, the wylde Goate, the Wolfe, the Harte, the Bore, and suche lyke beastes of great spede: ouer the playnes on horsebacke, and with one onelye blowe to haue stryken anye of the afore named beastes ridinge, to the grounde ded.

And on a tyme it happened the kynge Ferrante to hunte in Apuglia, beinge acompained with manye no∣ble men acording to the vse of that countre, and when anye beaste came forthe of the woodes to the playne, the kinge vsed to apointe some noble man to sley it with his sharpe Gianetton, and it happened that a greate Bore came forthe to the playne, the kinge smyling sayed that that chase belonged to his deare father Scāderbeg, who then withoute saying anye more, or taking anye Giane¦ton with him (which is a weapon appointed for that pur¦pose) put spurres to his horse and galloped after y^• boare in the syghte of them all, hauinge no armour vpon him and ouergate the boare, & drewe his sworde and running

with one stroke cut him a sonder in the myddest & put vp his sworde, and retorned agayne to his companye, where at the kinge, and Quene, with all the nobylitye maruelied muche, to see a man of a goodly stature, vpon an highe Courser runing, to doe suche a myracle. An o¦ther tyme in a woode of the ladie Mamizza, his syster, in albania their was a wylde Bufallo a bull very great of bodye, and he was much feared, he had done much hurte to dyuerse valiant men, hunters, and others that passed that waye, and chiefely to suche as dyd were redde gar∣mentes, Scanderbeg dyd alwaye vse to were on his hed a scarlatte cappe, after the maner of Carmannola, and on a tyme beinge in this woode at the chase, and seynge this Bufallo comminge oute of the woode all they that were wyth hym began to flee, where at he smyled and thruste his horse towarde the Bufallo, and dealte with him with such agilitie that at one stroke he smote of hys hed, wherat all men maruelled, and especially his vali∣ante Captaines, which before fledde from the beaste, but in the ende, they dyd greately reioyse at that straunge blowe, the sworde that Scanderbeg strake the beste with was a Scimitar bending lyke vnto a falchion he was a righte damaskyne, he vsed sometyme to weare two in one scaberde, and sometyme to breake them both in one battayle, or els so to spoyle them, y^• he mought no more with his honor were th••m. At the laste there came an ex¦cellent Maister oute of Italie, who made him thre Sci∣mitaries, not onely good, but excellent, wher of he gaue one to the Turcke, they wolde cut all kynde of yron and neuer hurte the edges of them, Scanderbeg dyd w^t these swordes great actes against y^• enemies of the catholique faythe, in the honor and seruice of the almightie God, it was neuer seen that Scanderbeg fled from any man, on les it were once from a souldiour of his owne on whom he had compassyon. This souldiour on a tyme (as Scan¦derbeg was debating with his Captaines of certaine ser¦uices of importance) aunswered so vnaduisedly, & with suche insolencie, that he moued him in such sorte that he laide hand on his swerde and ran at him, but the souldi¦our torned his horse redyly and fled. Scāderbeg folowed

him vntyl that he came to a ryuer: then the souldiour tor¦ned him and drewe his sworde and spake vnto him very aduysedly, saying, that he coulde flee no further for the ryuer.* 1.90 wherfore he was enforced to defend his lyfe, whē Scanderbeg vnderstode this who wolde not haue loste such a man for his weighte of syluer, he considered both howe reuerently and manfully he behaued him selfe to∣warde him, he was moued with compassyon, and sayde vnto him, be of good corage, doubte not, comme on with me. I wyll not hurte the, and in this sorte repressed his furie, and retorned to the companie gyuing greate com∣mendations to this worthye man and plased hym in the number of those that he most fauored.

When the Turcke vnderstode the newes of y^e death of Scanderbeg, he wolde in no wyse belyue it but sayde to his visiri and chiefe Captaynes, that it was a fynesse of his enemie, to fayne him to be ded, meaning therby to doe some straunge facte, wherfore he was in great feare and stode more vpon hys garde then before, and wolde not attempte any thinge at all against Scanderbeg nor against any other neighbour of his vntil one whole yere was paste, but as sone as that most cruell enemie of the Christianes was assured of the deathe of Scanderbeg, he was more glad then euer he was before at anye tyme & immediatly assembled his armie and sent them not one¦ly into the countre of Scanderbegs, and of the Veneti∣anes, but also into the countres of all y^• reste of y^• princes of Albania, not once, but often tymes, as to the siege of Croia, Scutari, Driuasto, and sondry other places, ma∣king warres vpon them for the space of .xi. yeres with∣oute cease, notwithstanding throughe the helpe of God, that countre dyd alwaye defend it selfe, not w^toute great spoyle, and slaughter of the Turckes aforesayde. In the ende this mightye Tyran came into Albania in person with all his power, and all the princes therof that fled not, were other slayne, or lad awaye in miserable capti∣uitie, he toke in maner the whole countre of Albania in a very shorte tyme, but the victorius Citie of Scutari (not fearing his longe seege) dyd alwaye defend it selfe not w^toute the slaughter and spoyle of an infinite nūber

of Turckes. In the ende y^• Senate of Venise to conclude a peace with the Turcke, were content to giue him that Citie, sauing the lyues and goodes of the Citizens acor∣ding to the conditions of the peace that was made with Tauth Bassa of Romania by meanes of y^• magnificient Pietro Angelo, who was sent with commissyon honora¦ble in ambassade, from the mightye Antonio Loredano, generall of y^• Venetian Armata, to the aforesaid Tauth with whom Ducagino was prisoner, by whose meanes he obtayned a safe conducte, for the Senate to send an ambassadour (for the conclusion of the aforesayde peace) to Constantinople. Then the Venetianes sent their se∣cretarie Iohn Dario, ambassadour to y^• great Turcke, & concluded that peace.

In this meane tyme all the inhabitantes of Scu∣tarie came to Venise, and were receaued by the Sena∣tors, and rewarded largely for their faithefull and true seruice. After this the Turckes toke the Citie of Alessio where with all deligence they soughte for the bodye of Scanderbeg, & as sone as they had founde it, althoughe in his lyfe tyme they feared it, and also hated his name, yet being ded they worshypped it: as we vse to worshipe Canonizad sainctes, and in the ende happie was he that coulde gete some pece of his bones, esteming it for a hol¦ly relique, and set it in golde or syluer, and hanged it a∣boute their neckes as thinges of great hollinesse, saying that therby thei hoped to haue alwai victorie, whiche is a paganishe superstition. Althoughe that for the offen∣ces of vs Christians, which are so deuided amonge oure selues by meanes of oure Ambition, and gredines, god hath gyuen the Turckes manye greate victories a, gainst vs, euen to this present daye acording to oure moste iuste desertes and merites.

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A Tar∣tare cha∣lengethe.
• * 1.2

  The fa∣ther of Scander¦beg de∣ceassed.
• * 1.3

  Thre of the brether¦en of Scā¦derbeg poy¦soned.
• * 1.4

  A policie of Scā.
• * 1.5

  The secre¦tarie of the turcke slayne.
• * 1.6

  The entre of Scan∣derbeg in∣to Croia.
• * 1.7

  Note his age.
• * 1.8

  The ora∣tion of Scan.
• * 1.9

  The ori∣ginall of the Alba∣neses.
• * 1.10

  A perfecte Captaine must be able wel to speake his mynde.
• * 1.11

  22. thousād Turckes slayne.
• * 1.12

  Science of Iohn Vaiuoda of Tran∣syluania.
• * 1.13

  The bat∣tayle be∣twene Laodislao and Amo∣rathe
• * 1.14

  Ambition of rayshe yonge mē distroiethe all.
• * 1.15

  Amorathe writethe to Scan.
• * 1.16

  An aun∣swere to the turcks letter.
• * 1.17

  Note here thinges of great im∣portance.
• * 1.18

  Scan speaketh to his soul¦diours.
• * 1.19

  The order which Scander∣beg giueth to his soul¦diours.
• * 1.20

  The dis∣cription of Scan.
• * 1.21

  Battayle betwene Ferisbeg and Scā.
• * 1.22

  A custume of a good Captaine
• * 1.23

  Good fore¦syghte of Scā.
• * 1.24

  Mustaffa de••e••cted.
• * 1.25

  Scan. to his soul∣diours.
• * 1.26

  The bet∣tayle be∣twene Scan & the Vene∣tianes.
• * 1.27

  Iudgemēt of Scan∣derbeg.
• * 1.28

  Mustaffa defeicted.
• * 1.29

  Note.
• * 1.30

  A Strate∣geme.
• * 1.31

  Good pro¦uidence of Scan.
• * 1.32

  Sfetigard beseged by Amorathe
• * 1.33

  Cysteren a place wher in is recea¦ued the rayne water.
• * 1.34

  the death of Amo∣rathe.
• * 1.35

  The bat∣tayle be∣twene Scā. and Amesabeg
• * 1.36

  Debream∣beg slayne.
• * 1.37

  Sebalia, defeicted.
• * 1.38

  Moyses reuoltethe.
• * 1.39

  Moyses defeicted.
• * 1.40

  Amesabeg Mesithbeg taken.
• * 1.41

  Isaacke Bassa put to flighte.
• * 1.42

  The king of Bossina put to deathe in miserable sorte.
• * 1.43

  Faro the straite at Misena betwene Scicill & the maine land of Italie.
• * 1.44

  Scan. to his soul∣dours.
• * 1.45

  Great blasphemy
• * 1.46

  Iudgemēt of Scā.
• * 1.47

  The order of Scan.
• * 1.48

  Squadre of totemē 20. of men at armes 25.
• * 1.49

  The bat∣betwene the Duke Iohn and Scan.
• * 1.50

  The othe of kinge Ferrante.
• * 1.51

  Morea ta∣ken by the Turcke.
• * 1.52

  Synan Bassa sent agaīst Scan. and defiected.
• * 1.53

  Note what ex∣ercise doth
• * 1.54

  Assambeg defeicted.
• * 1.55

  Iussubeg defeicted.
• * 1.56

  Carazabeg experimen¦ted in warres.
• * 1.57

  Celeritie doth much preuayle in warres.
• * 1.58

  A letter frō the Turke to Scan.
• * 1.59

  Aunswere to the Turckes letter.
• * 1.60

  An other letter to Scan. from the Turcke.
• * 1.61

  Scan. ta∣keth an ex¦ceding great proie oute of the Turckes domyni∣ons.
• * 1.62

  A letter from the Turcke to Scā.
• * 1.63

  The esti∣mation of an othe, with the Turcke.
• * 1.64

  Aunswere to the Turckes letter.
• * 1.65

  Note this ••cte.
• * 1.66

  great iud••¦ment of Maho¦••••the.
• * 1.67

  The pope poisoned.
• * 1.68

  A prayer made by Scan.
• * 1.69

  Great blindnes.
• * 1.70

  Great iudgment of Scan.
• * 1.71

  The de∣feicte be∣fore A••laia.
• * 1.72

  Scan. to his souldi¦ours.
• * 1.73

  Note the Iudgmēt of Scan.
• * 1.74

  Balaban defeicted the fyrst tyme.
• * 1.75

  Nota.
• * 1.76

  Barbari∣que cruel∣tie.
• * 1.77

  Balaban defeicted the seco••¦tyme.
• * 1.78

  Balaban defeicted the thirde tyme,
• * 1.79

  Great absurditie
• * 1.80

  Note this order.
• * 1.81

  Balaban defeicted the fourth tyme.
• * 1.82

  Nota.
• * 1.83

  Iaguppe slayne & his armie defeicted.
• * 1.84

  Vaiuoda lyeu: enant to a prince in felde or towne.
• * 1.85

  Balaban slaine be∣fore Croia with the shote of a Harque∣buze.
• * 1.86

  Ripe iudg¦ment.
• * 1.87

  Maho∣methe a∣gayne in Albania
• * 1.88

  The death of the Christian prince Scan.
• * 1.89

  Vsage of Scan.
• * 1.90

  Great magnani∣mitie of Scan.