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THE Venetian Successes In Their WAR against the TURKS, In the Year 1690.
[year 1690.] WE concluded the Venetian Suc∣cesses of the last Year's Ex∣pedition, with the Trium∣phant, and Glorious Entry of that Illustrious Prince Francisco Morosini Cavali••••, Captain General, and Elected Doge of Venice, to whom his Country te∣stified as much Honour and Glory as could be contrived and expressed; the Particulars of which are long and not necessary to be inserted in this History; only it may not be improper to recount in short some of the Exploits of this Great Man, with that Ap∣plause which is due unto his Memory.
This Francisco Morosini descending from the most Ancient Patrician Family in Ve∣nice, was Born in the Year 1618. He was in his Infancy dedicared by his Parents to the Service of his Country, and educated in all Martial Exercises; and rising by degrees and steps to several Offices, both Military and Civil, he at length arrived at the Su∣pream degree of Government in that Repub∣lick, being elected Doge during the time that he was fighting abroad in defence of his Country, he was at first made a Noble Commander of a Gally, which is the first step and degree which a Noble Venetian takes, then he was made a Vice-Admiral and Governour of a Galleass; next Cap∣tain of the Golf, Proveditor-General of the Arms in Candia, and then Captain General, in which Office he continued a long time until the Year 1661, behaving himself with incomparable Valour; in which Year he fought a Battle with the Gallies of Barbary, under the Fortress of Valona, he took a great Ship called a Sultana, richly laden from Egypt, near the Island of Milo, he defended the Br••••ches of Candia, and took another great Sultana, the Captain of which was called Admiral Nicol•• of Nadalin Fur∣l••no,* 1.1 and made him Prisoner; he laid the Captain Pasha's Gally Aboard, and almost entirely ruined it; [year 1690.] he took the Gally of the Pasha of Cyprus, together with the se∣veral Fortresses of Calamo, Egena, Volo and Megara; and having made himself Master of those Seas, he destroyed 13 Galleots under the Fortress of Prevesa. He made many Sallies from Candia in the Face of the Enemy, destroying many of their Works and Intrenchments; he subdued the For∣tress of Calamata, and made himself Master of two Turkish Gallies commanded by Hali Pasha; he also took the Fortresses of Toron, Chisme, Castel-rugio, and Schia••o, putting them and other Islands under Contribution. He also took the Castle of Capricorno, and destroyed the Forts of Calogero, Sancta Ve∣neranda, and Calami, which commanded the Fortress of Suda. He likewise took two Ships bound from Alexandria, laden with Soldiers and Provisions, with another Con∣voy bound from the same Place for Constan∣tinople, under which were divers Ships and Vessels.
In fine, after all these Successes and Tri∣umphs, being returned to Venice, he was made Proveditor of Friuli to oppose the In∣cursions of the Turks, who at that time threatned those Countries very much; but those Fears being blown over, he was sent back a second time to Command both the Seas, and the City of Candia, then streight∣ly Besieged by the Grand Vizier Kupriogli, with the main force of the Ottoman Empire; the which Siege having continued for the space of almost three Years, the Turks were concluded to have lost 128000 Men before it.* 1.2 During which time this Hero behaved himself with all imaginable Wisdom and Bravery; and tho' at length he was forced after many Conflicts, and various Succes∣ses (which we have distinctly recounted in our History of the Lives of the three last Emperors,) yet the fame of that renowned Defence, accompanied with an ensuing