The voyages and adventures of Fernand Mendez Pinto, a Portugal, during his travels for the space of one and twenty years in the Kingdoms of Ethiopia, China, Tartaria, Cauchinchina, Calaminham, Siam, Pegu, Japan, and a great part of the East-Indiaes with a relation and description of most of the places thereof, their religion, laws, riches, customs, and government in time of peace and war : where he five times suffered shipwrack, was sixteen times sold, and thirteen times made a slave / written originally by himself in the Portugal tongue and dedicated to the Majesty of Philip King of Spain ; done into English by H.C. Gent.

CHAP. LIII. That which passed between the Queen of Prom, and the King of Bramaa, together with the first Assault that was given to the City and the Success thereof. (Book 53)

THe King of Bramaa had been now five days before the City of Prom,* 1.1 when as the Queen that governed the State in the place of her Husband, seeing her self thus besieged, sent to visit this her enemy with a rich jewel of precious stones, which was presented unto him by a Talagrepo, or religious man, of above an hundred years old, who was held amongst them for a Saint, together with a Letter, wherein this was written; Great and mighty Lord, more favoured in the House of fortune then all the Kings of the earth, the force of an ex∣tream power, an increasing of the Salt-seas, whereinto all lesser rivers do render themselvos a Shield full of very fair devices, Processor of the greatest States, upon the Throne whereof thy feet do repose with a marvellous Majesty: I Nhay Nivolau, a poor woman, Governess, and Tutress of my Son, an Orphan, do prostrate my self before thee with tears in mine eyes, and with the respect which ought to be rendred unto thee; I beseech thee not to draw thy Sword against my weakness, for thou knowest that I am but a silly woman, which can but only cry unto God for the wrong that it done me, whose property also it is to succour with mer∣cy, and to chastice with justice the States of the world be they never so great, trampling them under his feet with so redoubted a power, that the very Inhabitants of the profound house of smoak do fear and tremble before this Almighty Lord: I pray and conjure thee not to take from me that which is mine, seeing it is so small a thing, as thou shalt not be the great∣er for it when thou hast it, nor yet the less if thou hast it not; whereas contrarily, if thou, my Lord, wilt shew thy self pitiful to me, that act of clemency will bring thee such reputati∣on, as the very Infants themselves will cease from sucking the white breasts of their Mo∣thers for to praise thee with the pure lips of their innocency, and likewise all they of my Coun∣try, and Strangers will ever remember such thy charity towards me, and I my self will cause it to be graven on the Tombs of the dead, that both they and the living may give thee thanks for a thing, which I do beg of thee with so much instance from the bottom of my heart. This holy man, Avenlachim, from whom thou shalt receive this Letter, written with mine own hand, hath Power and Authority to treat with thee in the Name of my Fatherless Son, concern∣ing all that shall be judged reasonable touching the tribute and homage which thou shalt think fit to have rendred unto thee, upon condition that thou wilt be pleased to let us enjoy our hou∣ses, so that under a true assurance thereof we may bring up our children, and gather the fruit of our labours for the nourishment of the poor Inhabitants of this paltry Town, who will all serve thee, and I to with a most humble respect in all things, wherein thou shalt think good to imploy us at thy pleasure.

The Bramaa received this Letter and Ambassage with a great deal of authority, and enter∣tained the Religious man, that delivered it to him, with much honour, as well in reguard of his age, as for that he was held as a Saint amongst th••m; with all he granted him certain things which were at first demanded, as a Cessation of Arms till such time as Articles should be a∣greed on, as also a permission for the Besieged to converse with the Besiegers, and other such things of little consequence; In the mean time judging with himself that all those offers, which this poor Queen made him, and the humble submissions of her Letter proceeded from weakness and fear, he would never answer the Ambassadour clearly, or to purpose: Contra∣rily he caused all the places there abouts that were weak▪ and unarmed, to be secretly ransaked, and the poor Inhabitants thereof to be unmercifully butchered by their barbarous enemies, whose cruelty was so g••eat, that in five dayes, according to report, they killed fourteen thou∣sand persons, the most part whereof, were women, children, and old men, that were not able to bear Arms. Hereupon the Rolim, who brought this Letter, relying no longer on the false promises of this Tyrant, and discontented with the little respect he used towards him, de∣manded leave of him to return to the City, which the B••amaa gave him, together with this answer; That if the Queen would deliver up her self, her Treasure, her Kingdom, and her Vassals to him, he would recompence her another way for the loss of her State: but withall that she was to return him a peremptory answer to this proposition of his the very same day,

which was all the time I could give her, that so he might upon the knowledge of her resolu∣tion determine upon what he had to do. The Rolim went herewith back to the City, where he gave the Queen an account of all things, saying, That this Tyrant was a man without faith, and replete with damnable intentions, for proof whereof he represented unto her the Siege of Martabano, the usage of the Chaubainhaa after he rendred himself unto him upon his word, and how he had put him, his wife, his children, and the chiefest Nobility of his Kingdom to a most shamefull death. These things considered it was instantly concluded, as well by the Queen, as by all those of her Councel, that she should defend the City, till such time as succour came from her Father, which would be within fifteen days at the furthest: This resolution taken, she being of a great courage without further delay took order for all things, that were thought necessary for the defence of the City, animating to that end her people with great prudence, and a man-like Spirit, though she was but a woman; Moreover, as she liberally imparted to them of her Treasure, so she promised every one throughly to acknowledg their services with all manner of recompences and honours, whereby they were mightily encouraged to fight: In the mean space the King of Bramaa, seeing that the Rolim returned him no answer within the time prefixt, began the next day to fortifie all the Quarters of his Camp with double rows of Cannon, for to batter the City on every side; and for assaulting of the walls he caused a great number of Ladders to be made, publishing withall throughout his whole Army, that all Souldiers upon pain of death should be ready within three days to go to the Assault; The time then being come, which was the third of May, 1545. About an hour before day the King went out of his Quarter, where he was at anchor upon the river with two thousand vessels of choice men, and giving the Signal to the Commanders which were on Land, to prepare themselves, they altogether in one Body assailed the walls, with so great a cry, as if Heaven and earth would have come together, so that both sides falling to encounter pell-mell with one another, there was such a conflict betwixt them, as within a little while the air was seen all on fire, and the earth all bloody, whereunto being added the clashing of weapons, and noise of guns, it was a spectacle so dreadful, that we few Portugals, who beheld these things, re∣mained astonished, and almost besides our selves: This fight indured full five hours, at the end whereof the Tyrant of Bramaa seeing those within defend themselves so valiantly, and the most part of his Forces to grow faint, he went to land with ten or eleven thousand of his best men, and with all diligence re-inforcing the Companies, that were fighting, the Bickering re∣newing in such sort, as one would have said it did but then begin, so great was the fury of it. The second trial continued till night, yet would not th•• K••ng desist from the fight, what coun∣sel soever was given him to retire, but contrarily he swore not to give over the Enterprise begun, and that he would lie that night within the inclosure of the City walls, or cut off the heads of all those Commanders that were not wounded at their coming off; In the mean time this obstinacy was very pejudicial to him, for continuing the Assault till the Moon was gone down, which was two hours past midnight, he was then forced to sound a Retreat, after he had lost in this Assault, as was the next day found upon a Muster, fourscore thousand of his men, besides those which were hurt, which were thirty thousand at the least, whereof many died for want of dressing, whence issued such a plague in the Camp, as well through the cor∣ruption of the air, as the water of the river, that was all tainted with blood and dead bodies, that thereby about fourscore thousand more perished, amongst whom were five hundred Por∣tugals, having no other buriall then the bellies of Vultures, Crows, and such like birds of prey, which devoured them all along the Coast where they lay.

The King of Bramaa, having considered that this first Assault having cost him so dear, would no more haza••d his men in that manner,* 1.2 but he caused a great Terrace to be made with Bavins, and above ten thousand Date-trees, which he commanded to be cut down, and on that he raised up a platform so high, as it over-topped the walls of the City two fathom, and more, where he placed fourscore pieces of Ordnance, and with them continually battering the City for the space of nine dayes together, it was for the most part demolished with the death of fourteen thousand persons, which quite abated the poor Queens courage, especially when she came to un∣derstand that she had but six thousand fighting men left, all the rest, which consisted of women, chidren, & old men, being unfit and unable to bear Arms. The miserable besieged seeing themselves reduced to such extreamity, assembled together in Councel, and there by the advice of the chief∣est of them, it was concluded, That all in general should anoint themselves with the Oile of the Lamps of the Chappel of Quiay Nivandel, God of Battail of the field Vitan, and so

offering themselves up in sacrifice to him, set upon the platform, with a determination either to dye, or to vanquish, in vowing themselves all for the defence of their young King, to whom they had so lately done homage, and sworn to be true and faithful Subjects. This resolution taken, which the Queen and all her Nobility approved of for the best and most assured, in a time wherein all things were wanting to them for the longer defending themselves, they promised to accomplish it in the manner aforesaid by a solemn O••th, which they all took; Now there being no further question but to see how they should carry themselves in this affair, they first of all made an Uncle of the Queens the Captains of this resolute Band, who assembling these six thousand together, the same night, about the first quarter of the watch, made a sally out of the two gates that were neerest to the Terrace and platform, and so taking courage from their despair, and resolution to dye, they fought so valiantly, that in less then half an hour the whole Camp was put in disorder, the Ter∣race gained, the fourscore pieces of Cannon taken, the King himself hurt, the Pallisado burnt, the Trenches broken, and the Xenimbrum, General of the Army, slain, with above fifteen thousand ••en more, amongst the which were five hundred Turks; there we••e moreover forty Elephants taken, besides those that were killed, and eight hundred Bramaas made prisoners, so that these six thousand resolute men did that, which an hundred thou∣sand, though valiant enough, could hardly have effected. After this they retreated an hour before day, and upon a review they found, that of six thousand which they were, there was but seven hundred slain. This bad success so grieved and incensed the King of Bra∣maa, as attributing the cause thereof to the negligence of some of his Cap••ains in the ••ll guarding of the Terrace, that the day following he caused two thousand Pegu's to be b••∣h••aded, which had stood sentinel that night. This adventure rendred things quiet for the space of twelve days, during which the besieged stirred not; in the mean time one of the four principal Captain of the City, named Xemim Meleytay, fearing that which all others in general misdoubted, namely, that they could not escape from falling into the hands of so cruel an Enemy, treated secretly with the Tyrant, and upon condition that he would continue him in his charge, not meddle with any of the houses of his friends, and make him Xemin of Ansedaa in the Kingdom of Pegu, with all the Revenue which the Bainhaa of Malacou had there, being thirty thousand Duckats a year, he would deliver him up the City by giving him entrance into it through the gate which he commanded: The King of Bramaa accepted hereof, and for a gage of performance on his part, he sent him a rich Ring from off his finger. This Treason so concluded, was effected on the three and twen∣tieth of August, in the year 1545. wherein this Tyrant of Bramaa carryed himself with all the barbarousness and cruelty that he used to practise in the like cases. And for as much as I conceive that I should never have done, if I should recount here at large how this af∣fair past, I will say no more, but that the gate was opened, the City delivered up, the Inhabitants all cut in pieces, without so much as sparing one; the King and Queen made prisoners, their Treasurers taken, the Buildings and Temples demolished, and many other inhumanities exercised with such outragiousness, the belief whereof is beyond the imagi∣nation and thought of man, and truly I never represent unto my self in what manner it was done, as having seen it with mine own eyes, but that I remain as it were astonished and besides my self at it. For as this Tyrant was touched to the quick with the affront he had lately received, so he executed all the cruelties he could imagine against thos•• miser∣able Inhabitants, for to be revenged of the ill success he had had in the siege, which could not proceed from any other but a base mind and vile extraction, for it ordinarily falls out, that barbarousness finds place in such kind of people, rather then in generous and valiant hearts; Whereunto may be added, that he was a man without faith, and of an eff••minate disposition, though he was nevertheless an Enemy to women, albeit there were in that King∣dom, and in all the others whereof he was Lord, those that were very white and fair. After the bloody ruine of that wretched City, the Tyrant entred into it in great pomp, and and as it were in triumph, through a breach that was made of purpose in the wall, and by his express commandment. When he was arrived at the young Kings pallace, he caused himself to be crowned King of Prom, and during the Ceremony of this Coronation, he made that poor Prince, whom he had deprived of his Kingdom, to continue kneeling be∣fore him, with his hands held up, as if he adored some God, and ever and anon they con∣strained him to stoup down and kiss the Tyrants feet, who in the mean time made shew as

if he were not pleased therewith. This done, he went into a Balcone, which looked on a great Market place, whither he commanded all the dead children, that lay up and down the streets, to be brought, and then causing them to be hacked very small, he gave them, mingled with Bran, Rice, and Herbs, to his Elephants to eat. Afterward, with a strange kind of ceremony, at the sound of Trumpets, Drums, and other such like Instruments, there was above an hundred Horses led in, loaden with the quarters of men and women, which also he commanded to be cut small, and then cast into a great fire, kindled expresly for it. These things so done, the Queen was brought before him, that was wife to the poor little King, who, as I said before, was but thirteen years of age, and she thirty and six, a woman ve∣ry white, and well-favored, Aunt to her own Husband, Sister to his Mother, and Daugh∣ter to the King of Avaa, which is the Country from whence the Rubies, Saphirs, and Emeralds do come to Pegu; and it was the same Lady, whom this Bramaa had sent to demand in marriage of her Father, as it was then spoken, but that he refused him, saying to his Embassador for an answer, That the thoughts of his Daughter soared a pitch higher then to be the wife of the Xemim of Tanguu, which was the family whence this Tyrant was issued: But now that she was fallen into his hands as his slave, whether he used her so, either out of a revenge of that affront, or out of scorn and contempt, so it was that he made her to be publiquely stript stark naked, and to be torn and mangled with whipping, and then in that manner to be led up and down all the City, where amidst the cries and hooting of the people, he exposed her to other cruel torments, wherewith she was tor∣tured till she gave up the ghost; When she was dead, he made her to be bound to the little King her Husband, who was yet living, and having commanded a great stone to be tyed about their necks, they were cast into the River, which was a kind of cruelty very dread∣ful to all that beheld it. To these barbarous parts he added many others so inhumane, as it is not likely that any other but he could imagine the like; And for a conclusion of his cru∣elties, the next day he caused all the Gentlemen that were taken alive, being some three hundred, to be impaled, and so spitted like rosted Pigs, to be also thrown into the River, whereby may be seen how great and unheard of the injustice of this Tyrant was, which he exercised on these miserable wretches.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 1.
• * 1.2

  §. 2.