The order of the greate Turckes courte, of hys menne of warre, and of all hys conquestes, with the summe of Mahumetes doctryne. Translated out of Frenche. 1524 [sic]. — Estat de la courte du grant Turc. English

The order of the greate Turckes courte, of hys menne of warre, and of all hys conquestes, with the summe of Mahumetes doctryne. Translated out of Frenche. 1524 [sic]. — Estat de la courte du grant Turc. English

Table of contents

Title page

To the reader.

Title page

The estate of the courte

☞ The tresurers and theyr offycyes.

Nowe, there resteth to speake of the nature of the Turckes in general, of theyr maners and condicyone, of theyr beliefe, and liuynge. Whyche thynge I wyll dooe as briefely as I canne, and after I wyll speake som what of the compleccyon of theyre Kynge, whiche nowe reygneth.

The maner of feadyng and lyuynge of the Turckes.

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The order of the countreys.

The cōquestes or victories of ye Turckes.

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¶ The order of the greate Turckes courte, of hys menne of warre, and of all hys conquestes, with the summe of Mahumetes doctryne.

¶ Translated oute of Frenche.

1524.

Ricardus Grafton excudebat.

Gum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.

To the reader.

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IF that good prophete Ieremye so bewailed ye beatyng downe of the walles of Ierusalem and woofull captiuitee of the people therof, yt he was cōstreigned to cō fesse that he wanted water to powre out of his yies for the iuste lamentacion of that woofull case, what streames of teares maye seme sufficiente vnto vs, to testifie the inwarde griefe that we oughte to haue, when we consyder howe farre and howe wyde Antichrist hath dilated his kyngdome by other his instrumentes, and namelye by Mahumet that pestiferous false prophet? For not onely castelles, tounes and citees haue been blasted with the deadly breath of this poysoned serpente, but also whole and soundrye prouinces, realmes and nacions, haue so dronken in his cākerde venome, that it hath been harde for the verye chosen to escape his terrible stynges. And where as other adders dooe onlye corrupte the bodies, this hell viper with his forked fierye tongue hathe perced euen the verye soules of menne.

[Page] Reade Mahumettes actes who so luste, and he shall fynde suche pryde and arrogācie suche ambicion, such bloudynesse and crueltie, suche hypocrisye and supersticion, briefely suche a mynde to deface, abholyshe and destroye the kyngdome of the sonne of the lyuyng God (I meane Iesus our sauyoure) as in the chiefest membre of Antichrist, he calleth hym selfe the moost excellent Prophete and counceler of God: he denyeth that Christ dyed (in whose onlye deathe standeth oure whole hope of remission of synnes) he taught his disciples to faste all daye, and at night to geue theimselues tooe immoderate eatynge and drynckynge: he was not ashamed to saye, that God spake to hym from heauen and gaue hym lycence to abuse as many wemenne as coulde phantasie hym: he counted his wicked lawes so good that no Christian manne myghte open hys mouthe agaynst theim without shedynge of bloude: he was a treytoure and made insurreccion agaynst his prynce. There are manye other false, deuelishe and abhomynable doctrynes whyche this monster taught and meynteyned: but it is more necessarie for vs to lamente the miserable case of Christes people and to flye to goddes mercye for ayde [Page] then to reherce his deceytes, gyles, delusions treasons and conspiracies agaynst the true and euerlastynge Messias and his chosen beleuers. For we ought to knowe that for our synfull lyuynge and open contempte of Goddes holy woorde, this cruell woolfe hath been suffered so piteouslye to haue stained his mouthe with Christian blood. Neuerthelesse, yf we which professe the name of Christe (the promysed seede of Dauid) earnestly consyderynge these myseryes, woulde retourne to our mercyfull father wyth vnfayned purpose to chaunge our lyues and to embrace with all reuerēce his blissed worde, he woulde shake of from our brethrens neckes these intollerable yokes. Let vs remembre that he hath not onely promysed delyueraunce to theim that caste awaye theyr vnfaythfulnesse and earnestlye crye vpon hym for helpe, but also hath perfourmed it in dede heretofore that we shulde in no wise doubte of his prompt and readie goodnesse.

When the Israelites were cruellye and miserably oppressed of the Egyptians, and cryed faythfully to God for succoure, he stirred vp Moses and Aaron to bee theyr captaynes, and to leade theim oute of that fyrye furnace. Lykewise, when the Emperour Iuliane [Page] tormented the good Christians, at the contynual prayer of his repentaunt seruaū tes: God without any delaye plucked from theim that terrible tormentoure: For at what tyme Iuliane tooke hys iorneye into Persia threatenynge the Christians, that at hys retourne he woulde sacryfice theyr bloude to his false goddes: by the prouisyon of the true God, he was ledde asyde by a manne of Persia, into a wyldernesse where he receaued hys deathes wounde, and was constreigned to confesse wyth hys blasphemous mouthe, that it was the manyfeste plage of God. For he tooke clottes of bloude and threwe theim vp to the skyewarde, saiynge: thou hast ouercommed O Galilean, thou haste ouercommed, callynge Christe a Galilean, because he was broughte vp in Galile.

There is also another later example, which semeth more notable than that I can ouerpasse it. Whē the Saracens with theyr captayne zulimus, greuouslye assaulted Cō stantinople in the tyme of the Emperoure Leo, a greate pestilence also piteouslye waistynge the toune in extreme desperacion of mannes helpe, they wholye fled to the mercyfull [Page] goodnesse of God, leauynge theyr supersticious religions, and buyrying all their abused ymages of the toune, and apointyng all the rest in theyr kyngdome to the fyre. Then oure mercyfull God seynge theyr repentaunt heartes, deferred no lenger from theym hys presente helpe. For all these thynges foorthwyth came together vpon the Saracenes, colde, hunger, pestilence, sedicions amonge theimselues, the death of theyr captayne, theyr shyppes partelye brente vp with fyre from heauen, partely bonged and drouned with an horrible tempest.

These examples oughte to moue vs, bothe to abhorre and deteste oure wyckednesse and supersticion, and also to conceaue a sure truste, that God wyll shyne vpon vs wyth hys fauourable countenaunce and delyuer vs from our moost cruell enemyes, yf we begynne a newe lyfe and turne vnfeynedlye vnto hym. And yf there bee anye manne that earnestlye doothe not consyder the miseryes and calamiteis of Christian people, let theim reade this lytle treatyse, wherin they shall perceaue, howe myghtye Mahumettes supersticious impietee hathe preueyled: how ample regions the Cristians [Page] haue loste, in what bondage they lyue, and whereunto that base and vyle nacyon the Turckes haue increased, through oure synnes. Vpon the consyderacion wherof they and all other maye be sturred to call vpon our heauenlye father, that he wyll sende hys lyuynge spirite amonge vs, to woorke true faythe and repentaunce in al mennes heartes to rayse vp true preachers of ye kyngdome of Christ, to confounde Antichrist with all his heretiquall and damnable sectes, and to delyuer his people from miserable bondage.

Amen.

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The estate of the courte of ye great Turcke. The ordre of hys armye, & of his yerely reuenues.

Item a breife rehersal of al conquestes and vyctories that the Turckes haue had, from the first of that stocke, to this Solyman ye great Turcke that now reigneth.

Translated out of French into Englyshe.

1542.

Ricardus Grafton excudebat.

☞ Cum priuiilegio, ad imprimendum solum.

The estate of the courte

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YOu haue often requysred, & yet requyre that I wolde wryte to you ye estate of the court of the greate Turke, whych thynge you knowe as well or better than I: For I am certayne, that you haue sene and red all that both the auncient authours and also menne of our tyme haue wryten therof, whyche haue so largely entreated of this matter, that it maye seme arrogauncie and presumpcion for me, once to open my mouth after theym. Neuertheles, the frendshyp whyche hath beene What thyng moueth the authoure hereof to wryte thys treatyse. betwene vs from oure chyldhode well deserueth, that I shulde accomplyshe youre pleasure, and satysfye youre request, not onelye in this thīg, but also ī al other, which [Page] shal lye in my power to dooe.

Wherefore, ye shal fyrste vnderstand, Where the Turkekepeth hys resydence that the greate Turcke kepeth hys ordynarie resydence in Constantynople, whyche the Turkes cal Stamboll. And he hathe hys house called Saray, sytuated vppon the See coast of Asya, ouer a The name & sytuacyon of ye Turkes palayce. gaynste the castelles called Scutary Where in tymes paste stoode the cytye of Calcedō. And there is but a lytle passage by the see, from the one to the other, whyche strayghte of auncyente tyme was called Bosphorus Bosphorus, a streyghte of Thrace. of Thrace, nowe named the strayghte of Constantynople.

In the foresayde Saray, (whych The descripcy on of Saraye ye palayce royall. is the palayce royal, of great cyrcuite and compasse) ther are many chambers rychely appareled, and pryncypally that whych is apoynted By whom the Turke is serued in his chā ber. for the greate Turckes owne persōne. In which he is serued wt [Page] vi. yonge spryngaldes. Of whych two of theym kepe the watche all Howe .ii. yōge mē watch the Turke nyght lye. the nyght, one at the beddes head another at the feete, eache of them holdynge .ii. torches burnynge in theyr handes.

These sprīgaldes euery mornyng make hī redy, & put in the pockets The monye yt is put daylye in the Turkes pockettes. of his roobe, called Castan, in ye one .xx. ducates of golde, in yt other a M. aspres, whyche be lytle poynted peaces of syluer moore square Fyfty Aspres make a ducate And a ducate is worth .v. s. sterlynge so yt euery. x Aspres maketh .xii. d. sterlynge. than rounde: of whyche .l. make a ducate. And they haue nothynge grauen in theim but onely letters neyther yet theyr ducates whyche they call Altum & Altumler. For they vse no armes nor crounes, though oure peynters attrybute to theym tharmes of Cōstātinople. Which are a crosse of golde in a red felde of gueulles, wt .iiii. yrons such as we stryke fyre wythall out of a tinder [Page] boxe, but they are not yrones, but foure greke, B. that sygnyfye Basileus Basileon, Basileuon Basileeis, that The sygnyfycacyon of the superserypeyon of the Turkes coyne. is to saye: kynge of kynges, raygnynge ouer kynges. The forsayd monye is to be employed on small tryfelynge pleasures of the sayde greate Turcke. And yf it chaunce Howe euerye daye ye Turke hath so much monye newly put into hys pocket or pursse, and to whō the monye remaineth yf he spende it not. that he spēdeth them not that day they remayne to them, whiche dyd put them in ye pockettes. For they that aparrel hym, put in other the nexte day. These .vi. spryngaldes wayte vpon hym, whether soeuer he goeth, but he chaungeth theym as ofte as hym lysteth: and going forth wyth hym, euerye one hathe hys offyce. One is Odabassi, that is The offyce of yt .vi. spryngaldes. chefe master of the chamber. The seconde Cheocadar, bearer of the robe. The .iii. Silichter, bearer of hys bowe and arowes. The .iiii. Sarapter, bearer of the potte or vessell to [Page] dryncke water in, for ye sayd great Turcke drinketh no wine. The. v Chinctar, which caryeth hys shooes because the custome of ye Turckes The Turcke alwayes drincketh water is to put of theyr shoes whan they go into theyr houses. Which houses for the same purpose haue the The custome of the Turkes is to putte of theyre shooes when they go into theyr houses. flowerths couered wyth thrōmed carpettes, as it were matted: and some bemade wt payinted rysshes or bentes, accordynge to the haby lytye of euery housholder. The offyce of the .vi. called Chemligi, and The trimmīg of theyr flourthes. he beareth stoles or chayers for ye sayde greate Turke to sytte in.

In the sayde Saray, ye Turke holdeth his court, which they cal Capy yt is to say: ye port or gate in whych be the offycers herafter folowinge

And for the better vnderstādīg howe they be entretained, & payed The Tureke vseth two maner of paymē tes. you shal knowe, yt in the state of ye great Turke ther ar .ii. maners of [Page] paymēts or wages. One is called Olopha which are sure & redy paimē tes, after our maner of paiyng by ye hādes of treasurers The other is The fyrst payment. called Timar which is as it were an The seconde payment. assignaciō of landes, heritages, & possessiōs or reuenues, dismes, & ꝓ fettes in forme of pēsiō. And they which enioy these kynd of pēsions are called Timariotes ye other Olophagi And ther are many offycers which haue both paimētes, as I wil shew herafter by name, & I wil begin at Thre captaynes of the porters that hath eche of theym x. s. sterlynge a daye. the entraunce of the courte

Fyrst in ye gate of ye sayde Saray, there are .iii. Capigibassi, yt is to saye captaynes of ye porters. Of whych one hath an. C. aspres, a daye. And there are vnder thē .ii. C & .l. Capigis Two hundred and fyftye vnderporters yt haue euerye one of theym viii. pēce or .ix. pence a daye. st or porters, which haue vii. or .viii. aspres a day. Of the captaynes, one is alwaye at the gate, with lx. porters, & they chaūge frō day to day

[Page] Moreouer, there is a captaine of the gate called Capagas, whyche An other captayne of the gate yt hath. vi s. sterlynge a daye. is a geided man, and he hath euerye daye thre score aspres.

One called Saraydarbassi a gelded man also, which is the captaine of the Palayce in the absence of the great Turcke, hath .l. aspres a daye The capteine of the palayce hath .v. s. the daye sterlyng. These .ii. haue .xii. gelded men vnder theim. Of whome, ye one part hathe ten, and the other fyftene aspres a daye.

In thys place of Saray, there are brought vp about .v. hundred young spryngaldes, from .viii. yeres of age to twentye, whyche the Howe the Turcke in hys palayce bryngeth vp. fyue, L▪ yong mēne in learnynge great Turcke causeth to be enstructed as wel in learnyng as in feates of armes. Chiefely, he procureth theim to be taught to wryte & reade, and to knowe theyr lawe, to ryde, to shoote, and to learne other exercyses of warre, and of scyencis, The teachers of yt yong mē [Page] according as they ben founde apt & mete. They which are apoī ted The teachers of the yonge menne. to teache theym, ben olde doctours in theyr law called Talismans. And the foresayd springaldes ben newe apparelled twyse a yere, at theyr two solempne feastes or Easters, How these yonge menne haue .ii. lyuereys a yere. whiche they cal Bayram, halfe of sylke, and halfe of wollen cloth. And they go not oute of the Saray, vntyll the great Turke seeth that What time ye yonge men go forth of the Saray. they be in age to do seruice, and to haue offyces. Then he maketh thē hys Spagoglans or Selichtars, or setteth them in some other state or degree, accordyng as he fyndeth thē suffyciēt, or as he fauoureth them. They are deuyded in the sayde Saray by ten and ten, and ouer euery The deuision and captayns of the yonge menne. ten a gelded man is capitayne.

They lye all in one hall seperated one frome an other, and be wrapped The lodgyng of the yonge menne. euery one in a Sclauine, whyche [Page] is a thrōmed carpet, and dare not come one to a nother. In the myddes The lodgyng of the gelded menne. of the sayde halle lye the gelded men, in whych halle there are great lampes burning all ye night

In the sayde Saray is a fayre & large garden, kepte and trymmed The garden perteyning to Saray. by .xl. or .l. gardeners called Bastangis, & they haue a capitayne Bostangibasi, which hath .l. Aspres a daye. The capteine of the gardeners.

The Bostangiz or gardeners haue some .iii. some foure or fyue Aspres according to theyr qualityes. And they haue a lyuerey ones a yere of The gardyners lyucrey. blewe clothe or watchettes. They are Iannisserotz whiche is a diminutife of Iannissaire: For when they go oute of the garden, they are made Iannissairers ben suche pages as appeteth hereafter in this boke. Iannissaires. In ye sayde garden they ben deuided by ten and ten, and ouer euery ten there is an hedde called The deuisyō of the gardyners & theyr capteynes. Adabassi. Moreouer, there is a lyeuetenaunt of Bostangibassi, that [Page] they cal Protogero, which is a greke name, and in theyr language Checa [...]a, The Liuetenaunt hath .ii. s. sterlynge a daye. and he hath .xx. aspres a daye.

Nere to the saide garden vpon the see, are two foystes or barges, in whiche the gardeners carye the The barges that attende vpon ye great Turke. greate Turcke for his pastyme at his pleasure into Asia, vnto the castelles, Scutari, or whether it shall please hym.

Further, there are in the sayde Saray an. C. Iannisserotes, appoynted There is an hundred Iannisserotes appoynted to catye woode. to beare fyre wode, whiche they carye in charettes, and theyr wages is .iii. or .iiii. aspres a daye.

There are also .x. Iannisserotes or There ar ten Iannisserotes that cary water. base Iannissaires called Sacca, whiche bring water vpō horses in goates skinnes, lyke as they cary wine in the moūtaynes of Auuergne or Limo sin, or as ye bouge men dooe in Lō don, The maner of theyr caryeng of water. & they haue semblable wages.

In the kytchyn of ye Saray, there [Page] is one called asbassi head of the coo [...]es, whyche hath .xl. aspres a daye, The Mayster cooke. [...]nd vnder hym there are .l. cookes whych haue euery one .vi. or .viii. [...]spres a daye.

There is also a clercke of ye ke [...]hyne The Clerke of ye kytchyn. named Mutpachemin, whyche hathe .xl. aspres a daye, and vnder hym a clercke, that hathe .xx. aspres a daye. The vnder clerke.

The Sewer called Casnegir [...]assi, whiche hath the charge of the The Sewer. meates, and serueth dyshes before the great Turke hath .lxxx. aspres a The offyce of the Sewar. day, and vnder hym are an. C. called Casneger, which serue in semblable offyce, and haue some fortye, & The Sewer hathe vnder hym an hundred. some .lx. aspres a daye.

Moreouer, there belongeth to the sayd Saray a stable with .ii. hundred The stable with the nomber of horse menne. horses, & an hundreth men to kepe them, whiche haue some syxe some .vii. aspres a daye.

[Page] There are other small offycers Note that euery officer is not recyted nor yet all the chyefe & princyyall that is in ye Turcke his courte. perteining to the Turckes courte but it shalbe suffycient to haue named parte of the princypall. And nowe I wyl speake of them which be without the sayde house, & first of his garde.

In the garde of the great Turcke there are .xii. M, Ianissaires, whyche The Turckes garde. they call Iannissarlar (& Iannissar one Iannissayre) all slaues of the greate Turcke, & christen mens chyldren These Iannissaerlars are chrysten mennes chyldrenne. as I wyll shewe hereafter. I haue lerned of some of them yt we & they write this word Iamogla false, and yt it cōmeth of Cham, which they pronoūce Tcham, & signifieth a lord or The interpretacyon of Cham and yeser. Prynce, & yester signifyeth a slaue, not suche slaues as they bye & sell for they are called Coul, and Coullar but such as are apoynted to waite vpon ye kyng. The sayde Iannissaire gooe a fote, vnder a capitayne called [Page] Iannissaraga or simply aga, which The Iannissaires wayte vpon the Turcke a foote. The captei ne of these men. signifieth a staffe, Which captain hath a. M. aspres a daie. & .vi. M ducates yerely of Timar yt is of pensiō by reuenues. And he is of so great autorite, yt oft he marieth ye doughters or sisters of the great Turke. The autoryte of this capteyne. The greate capteyne hath vnder him an other. The clerke of the Iannissaries. Wages of ye Iannissaries. Vnder him there is a Checaya or Protogero, which hath .ii. C. aspres a daie and a clerke called Iānissariazigi ye is to saie clerke of the Iannissayres.

The saide Iannissaires haue some eyghte Aspres a daye more or lesse, and they bene deuyded by ten and ten. Ouer euerye ten there is an heade called Odabassi, that is to saie chamberlayne, or heade of the lodginges. The deuision and capteines of the Iannissaries.

And ouer euery. C. a Centeiner or capitayne of an hundred, whyche they call Boluchassi that sygnifyeth head of a bande of men. The capitayne The capteine ouer ten. ouer ten hathe .xl. aspres, and [Page] the captayne ouer an. C. hath .lx. a day. These captaines doo always ryde. And the sayde Iannissaires are The lyueries of the Iannissaryes. apparelled twyse a yere with a lyuerye of course blewe cloth. They whiche be maryed, contynue wyth theyre wyues: they are lodged in Note yt these men are not alwayes resydent in the Turcke hys courte. certayne houses appoynted vnto them, in the countrees and quarters of Constantynople, and lyue viii .x. xii. or more of them together They whiche are of lower estate & The liuynge of ye Iannyssayres. haue lesse wages, serue the other yt haue larger stypendes for the recō pense of that, that they be not abl [...] to beare the expenses and charges by equall porcyons with ye other.

When the sayde Iannissaires ar [...] become olde, and be no lenger fy [...] to serue in ye garde of the Turcke How the Ian nissarys are vsed whē they be aged. they are sent as men nigh deathes doore, in to certayne places and castels: and they ben called assarer.

[Page] And the capitaines ouer tens and ouer hundredes beinge aged: are How the capteynes are vsed. made kepars and capitaines of ye sayde places, hauing of the pensyon Timar, as much as theyr wages came to, that they had before.

Amonge ye saide Iannissaires a. C. & Howe an hundred .l. of the sayde Iannissaryes gooe a fote aboute ye personne of ye sayde Turke l. ben chosē named Solachlar, whych the Grekes cal Solachi, & they lykewyse gooe a fote about ye personne of the great Turcke, and some of thē haue .xv. some .xx. aspres a daye. The Solachtars. And theyr .ii. captaines named Solachbassi haue eche .xxx. aspres a daye and they obey to the Aga capitaine The. ii captaynes of the Solachtars. of the Iannissaires. Solach sygnifyeth lyftehanded, and it is sayde yt they beare theyr weapons in theyr lyfthandes.

In the garde of the saide great Turcke are thre, M. menne called The signifycacyon of Solache. Spachoglan whych haue a capitayne called Aga of great estimacyō and [Page] autorytie, and vnder hym a lieuetenaūt called Checaia with a clerke. In the Turckes garde is iii. M. Spachoglās, ouer whome is a greate capiteine called Aga, that ride on the ryght hande of the great Turcke The capitaine hath fyue hundred aspres, the lieuetenauntan hundred the clerke. xxx, and the sayde Spachoglans thyrtye or fortye a daye, and they serue wyth foure or fyue horses, ridinge on the ryght hande of the greate Turcke.

Other thre thousande Selichtars with theyr capitayne Aga lieue tenaunte, and clerke, haue as manye horses, and asmuch wages as A nother compaignie which ryde on yt left hande of the Turcke. the Solaches, and they ryde on the lyfte hande of the Turcke.

All the whyche Spachoglans, and Selichtars, had theyr fyndynge and brynging vp in the palayce of the Greate Turcke, as I haue sayde before.

Furthermore, there are .lxxx. Mutaseracha, whyche beare speares before the greate Turcke. Amonge [Page] whome: he that hathe moste wages hath fourescore aspres a daye, The speare menne that wayte on the Turcke. the other lesse, and they also were broughte vp in the Saraye, as is aboue sayde.

This is the moste certeine and The nōbre of the Turcke his garde is .xxxviii. M. footemen and horsemen. surest strengthe that the Turcke hathe, whyche are twelue thousande footemen, and aboute fyue and twentye thousande horsemenne.

There is also a capteine of hunters, and fauconers, named Sechmenbassi, whyche is as it were the The capteine of hunters & fauconers. chyefe hunter, and he hath an hundred aspres a daye, and vnder hym there is a greate nomber of Iannissaires.

There is further a Sagarzibassi, The Maister▪ of the houndes. that is a mayster of the houndes, whyche hathe fyftye aspres a daye, and vnder hym there bene manye Iannissaires.

[Page] Also .ii. chiefe faulconers called zaniligibassi, whych haue eche an. C. Two hedde faulkeners. aspres a daye. And they haue .xxv. lieuetenauntes with two hundred faulconers called zaniligilars, of the whiche a hundred haue ten aspres a daye, the other haue pensyon of Timar, and they ben exempted frome subsydyes.

Further, ye Turcke hath about The Turcke hath forty lackeys. xl. lacqueyes, and runners a fote, called Peyche, and they ben euer aboute hym to dooe hys messages: bothe in peace & warre, besyde the postes, whiche they haue appoynted in certayne places as we haue whome they calle Vlach.

He hath also an interpreter called Dragoman, to speake to straungers, The Turkes interpreter. which hath so much autorytie and credyte, as he hath wytte, and knoweth howe to behaue him selfe beste for hys owne aduauntage. [Page] And he hath .v. hundred ducates a yere, and asmuche more of The exspences of the interpreter. the pensiō Timar besydes his auayles, and gyftes of embassadoures and straungers.

The aforenamed offycers are all of hys courte, but in warre he hath other, whyche in lyke maner are ordinarye, (as the chyefe chrysten prynces haue). Namely Asapagar capitaynes of Asapis, which are The offycers of the Turcke that are extraordynarie. extraordynarie fotemen.

Two capytaynes of Caripoglan which are extraordinaire horsemē and the sayde Capitaynes haue .lxxx. aspres a daye, theyre lyeuetenauntes thyrty, theyr clerkes twē tye, The offycers ordinarie and extraordinarye. and the sayde Caripoglans haue some twelue, some syxtene aspres a daye.

One called Olophagabassi, capytayne of the Olophages hath .ii. hundred and twentye aspres a daye, his [Page] tenauntes, clerke, and Olaphages, lyke estate as the afore sayde, and they ben ordynarie horsemen.

He hath a capitayne of artillary The interpretacyō of Topgibassi. called Topgibassi. For Top signifyeth in theyr language a gōne, and Tophec an hachushe. And the sayde Topgibassi hathe thre score Aspres a daye, wyth the lieuetenaunte, and clerke whyche haue eche fyue and twenty aspres a daye, and there ben two thousand Gonners called Toagilars, The Turcke hath ii. M. gonners. whyche haue some seuen, some eyght aspres a daye, and gooe a foote.

The Arabagibassi, that is a capitayne of the charettes (for Araba The capteine of the charettes. sygnifyeth a charette,) hathe fortye Aspres a daye. The Checaia, or lieuetenaunt, and the clerke haue twentye Aspres a daye, and the thre thousande charrette menne haue euerye one, foure or syxe Aspres [Page] a daye.

There are two masters of the horse called Bracarbassi, a great and Two masters of the horse. a lesse, the greate hathe fyue hundred aspres a daye, and ye lesse hath two hundred: with lieutenauntes and clerkes.

And these haue rule ouer the horse kepers, mule kepers, sadellers, spurryars, and ouer theym which conducte the camelles, and horses, and they haue vnder theyr charge foure thousand chosen horses that alwayes are in readines.

There is a Chambassi (capitaine of Chiaus,) which are as it were hui shers) & the saide Chambassi, is as it were master of ye houshold. Which The authoryte of the master of the Turckes housholde. hath so great autorite, yt yf he goo to any of ye great Turckes subiectes, of what estate, qualytie, or condicyon so euer he be (hygh or lowe, great or small) and whersoeuer he [Page] be, thoughe it were to one Bacha, or to one Beglerbey, and he saye that he is sent to haue his heade to carye it to the greate Turcke, he is obeied though it were in ye playne felde without shewynge anye further commissyon or commaundemente.

There is a Mechterbassi, whyche hath charge of tentes, pauylyons, hangynges, & of the greate Turckes The keper of the Turkes palayce and the officers to hym belongynge. lodgynge. Whyche he setteth vp, trymmeth, and prepareth whē he is abroade. And he hath .xl. aspres a daye, and hys lieuetenaunt fyue and twenty. And .lx. Mechters, which ben vnder hym, haue euerye one fyue aspres a daye.

There is an other Mechterbassi, capitayne of the trompettes, cornettes The captaine of the trompettes. and waytes, tabrettes, and other instrumētes of warre, which hath .xxx. aspres a daye.

[Page] And hys leuetenaunte and clarke haue .xii. a day. And vndre hym be aboute .xii. hundred Meghters, partly on horse, & partly a foote, which haue lyke wages as the aforsayd

There is an Imralem Aga, whiche beareth the greate Turckes banner, where there hangeth an horse The bearer of the Turckes baner. tayle, for the remembraunce af Alexander ye great, as I haue harde of theym, whyche dyd beare it vppon his helmet, and in hys cresset. And so haue also the auncient captaynes doone as Vergile sayth of Geneas Christa (que) insignis equina, that is to saye: notable wyth a creste of horse heare. And the sayde Imralem, The stypende of the stādard bearer hath .ii. hundred aspres a daye, and is captayne of all the Mechters.

There is an Arpaemyn, whyche hath charge of haye, chaffe, barly, otes, poulse and other prouysions The forenger for horses, both in peace and warre [Page] And he hathe .lx. aspres a daye, hys lyuetenaunte .xxx. and hys clarke xx. vnder the same there bē .xx. mē whych haue .viii. or .x. aspres a daye One called Saremyn deputed to prepare & make clene the wayes both A skauenger, wyth hys company vnder hī in peace & in warre, hath .l. Aspres a day. And vnder hī there are .iiii. C menne which haue .iiii. or .v. Aspres a daye.

☞ The tresurers and theyr offycyes.

NOwe it shalbe conuenyent to speke of the Treasurers & theyr offyces. And after yt we will speake of hys counsellers, and of the gouernaunce and conueyghaunce of hys affayres.

Fyrste you must vnderstande, that the Turcke calleth hys treasure The names of the Turckes treasure Casnas, and hys imposytions, subsydies, toulles, tributes, and other reuenues Caraz.

[Page] The fyrste offycer of his courte ouer the sayde treasures is Casnadarbassi The treasoret of the palayce of Saray. treasurer of the mony lying in the palayce of Sarai, being as treasurer ordained of the spare mony. And he is a gelded man, & here mayneth in the sayd Saray hauyng for hys wages .lx. aspres by daye.

Ther are .ii. Defierder, that is ge The treasoret of yt profytes of the coūtrye a longeste the ryuer. general receauers. One of theym hauynge the charge of the monye that commeth of the countryes aboute the ryuer Dunce, or Danube, as Seruie, Bulgarie, Bosne, VValachie, and other, wyth the countryes of Asya, Syria, and Aegypte. And he hath of the pēsyon Tymar, x. M. ducates a yere, besydes hys aduauntages & profytes whych are verye great

The seconde receaueth the treasures The treasorer of Grece of all Grece, whych whā the Turke goeth to warre, abideth in Constantinople as hys leuetenaū [Page] Thys manne hathe .v. thousande ducates of the pensyon Tymar, and other greate profites. The authoryte of the treasorers and stypende of their clarkes,

Theyre offycees are of greate authoryte. And they haue vnder theym .l. clarkes to wryte, and to kepe acompte of the sayde treasures, which haue eche of theym. xxx or .xl. Aspres a daye. Two ouer seers of the clarkes.

Two Rosumanegis, that is chiefe heades ofye sayde clarkes haue .xl. Aspres a day. And there are manye other receauers and collectors for the receyte of the sayde treasures.

There are .ii. Vesnadars whych be Two wayers of mony. appoynted to waye ducattes and Aspres, & haue eche .xx. Aspres a day.

Syxe Serassiers as it were bāquyers are ordayned to iudge and deserne Syxe tryers of mony golde, syluer, and other moneye, whyche haue semblable wages and state, as the aforesayde.

Two forayn Casnadarbassi where [Page] of one is of Grecia, another of Asia, whyche are the bryngers in of the mony, & eche of them hath .l. Aspres, The colecters and bryngers in of ye mony. a daye. And vnder euerye of them ther are .x. Casnadars, that haue eche of theym .x. Aspres a daye.

Two Desteremyn, one of Grekeland, another of Asya: haue the offyce Collecters of the pencyon of gatherynge the pensyon Timar, and geue accompte of the Tymariotes, eche hath .l. Aspres a daye, and .x. clarkes haue .xv. a daye

They haue shewed vnto me that the ordynarye reuenues of the Turcke doth amount to the some of .xv. Millions of ducates, which The yearly reuenues of the Turcke doth a mounte to xxxvii. C. thousād, and .l. M pound ster. maketh .xxxvii. hnndred .l. thousād pounde, sterlynge.

Nowe herafter, we wyl speake of hys counsayle and gouernaūce of the countryes, whyche are subiecte vnto hym, & of the ordre that he kepeth.

[Page] The great Turcke hath none other counsaylers but ye .iiii. Bacha whyche they call Visirbacha, that is to saye: a counsayloure Bacha, and Bach in theyr language, sygnyfyeth captayne or head, by the which they maye be interpreted captaynes or rulers. Manye times there are of theym but three, as it chaū ced latelye. That was Aias Bacha, borne in Cimera, aboute the ysle of Corphou, in the olde tyme called Corcyra, Cassin, Bacha▪ of Croace: and Ibraim The chiefe rulers vnder the Turcke Bacha, of Parga Albanois, which the Turcke put to death, all these .iii. beeinge the sonnes of Chrystyen menne.

And thys aforesayde Ibraym, because he was brought vp in ye Saray wyth the great Turcke, came to sooe greate creadence and authoryte, that he commaunded and ordered al thynges absolutely, the [Page] great Turcke medlynge nothing therewyth. And hys father was a christian in Constantinople, an vnprofytabe felow, a tauerne haunter, a druncarde, and one that wolde lye by the streates lyke a best. Frome which naughtye lyfe Ibraim coulde neuer reuoke hym: nyether cause hym to put on any honest apparel notwythstandynge that he laboured therein dylygently.

Of late the great Turcke hath made another Bacha, whych is called Ayredenbey whom we cal Barbarousse And I haue heard but a lytle whyle sēce, yt the Turke hath made hym another counseller named Mehemeth Bacha, of these .iii. or .iiii. Baches The pencyon of the rulers some haue .xxiiii. thousand ducates a yere out of ye pension Timar (as Ibraim Bacha had) & other xvi. or xviii. M, besyd other dayly profytes & aduauntages which amoūt [Page] to twyse as much as theyr former pensiō, & there are of thē that hath vi. thousande ordinarie men foūd of theyr wages. And all they kepe housholdes with theyr wiues and seruaūtes like as ye great Turcke doth.

Wherefore in tyme paste there Other counceloures yt hath bene in Turckye were other counsellers, as Perybacha, whyche gouerned the greate Turcke in hys youthe, Farethbacha, whyche was the lyuetenaunte of The gouernoure of the Turcke in his youthe. Surye or Syrie: and Achimath Bacha, gouernoure of Cayre and of Aegypte, whych wyllyng to make hymselfe a souldayne was slayne by the Turckes that were wyth hym.

These Bachaz go into the chamber of the sayde greate Turcke, & The chiefe counselers of ye great Turcke consulte and dyspose all thynges concernynge the estate and gouernaunce of hys affayres

[Page] Nexte vnto these is the Mosey whych is as it were theyr byshop, declarer & expouner of theyr lawe & medleth wyth none other thyng

Two Cadiz Leskier Talismās are two doctours in theyr law, to se iustyce executed, and they are as it were presydentes, one of Grece, and the other of Asya. These men ordynarelye folowe the Turckes courte: and for honoure go before the Viserbaches, thoughe they haue not so greate authorytye.

They bothe institute and putte downe (yf it seme good,) and yf Two presydē tes. the case so requyre the Cadiz, which are the iudges of the prouynces. And eche of the sayde Cadiz leskier, hath .vii. thousand ducates a yere of the pensyon Timar, & ii. or .iii. hundred seruauntes, & .x. clarkes payed by the sayde Turcke.

Moreouer, there is a Massangibassi [Page] as it were chaūceloure, which sygnyfyeth the letters wyth the The chaunceloure. greate Turkes seale, whose office also, is of great authoryte and rereputacyon, hys place is nexte the Beglerbey, and he hathe .viii. thousande ducates of the pensyon Tymar a yeare, and more other proffettes, and he is accompanyed wt a great number of horses and seruauntes.

The Baretemyn, whych destrybuteh letters and commaundementes The clarke of the hamper hathe .xl. Aspres a daye, and he hath vnder hym .x. clarkes, & two Protogeros.

But for asmuch, as I haue spoken before of the Iannissaires affyrmyng them to be the chefe strēgth of the Turcke, ere I go anye further I wyll shewe you what people they be, and from whence they come.

[Page] In Constantynople there is a captayne of Ianoglans or Azamoglans in which are the chyldren of trybute. And somesaye that Iamoglans sygnyfye innocente, symple, and ignoraunte folkes or learners. But other say that it shulde be pronounced Chamoglan that is the kynges pages. And they maye be in nomber .v. or .vi. thousand. Theyr captayne hath. lx Aspres, a daye.

And it is to be noted, that euery fourthe yeare the greate Turcke sendeth into the countryes of Grece, and of Anatolie: (that is the Easte Asya the lesse) tooe take vp Chrystyanne mennes male chyldren, whyche are subiecte to thys kynde of debte and daunger, how be it, all are notte in suche bondage.

But often tymes, yt he may receaue of thē more largely, he chargeth [Page] the sayde Chrystyans wyth suche greate and importable subsydyes that they whyche be not subiecte to thys trybute of chyldren, because The Turcke hathe somtyme .x. thousād chrystyan mē nes chyldren. they be not able to paie the sayd subsydyes: are cōstreyned to geue theyre chyldren. Sooe that some tyme he hathe .x. thousande chyldren and more.

Of whiche he choseth the good lyest to be in his Saray, The rem naunte he causeth to be dystrybuted to labourers and shepherdes about Burcia and Taramania, wher The Turcke putteth chrysten mens childrē to plough they are taught to tyll the ground and to keepe cattell, or to do some other husbandry or seruyce to accustome and harden theym to paynes, and to learne the Turckyshe language.

And after foure yeare, whan he hathe sente to take vp other, these are commaunded to come to Constantynople, [Page] and to be delyuered to the captayne of the Chamoglan, where they are broughte vp and haue two lyueryes a yeare, and been enstructed in sondrye occupacions.

So afterwarde they are deuyded to the Iannissayres to serue them and in processe of tyme they become Iannissayres theym selues, and frome Iannissaires to Salachlars, Silechters, and other offycyes.

And as longe as they abyde in the sayd countryes of Bursia and Carmania, they spende nothynge of the greate Turckes, because they to whome they dooe seruyce dooeth fynd them meate, dryncke and raymente.

I sayde before, that in the Saraye, or where the Turcke kepeth hys resydence, there be a boute .v. The wiues of the great Turcke. hundred yonge spryngaldes.

[Page] But there is also another Saray where hys wyues and hys chyldren be.

Hys wyues are called Sultanes that is queenes. And they are The wyues chyldren of ye greate Turke deuyded one frome another wyth theyr children. In theyr garde and seruyce there are a greate meanye of gelded menne, and aboute threhundred yonge maydens, gouerned by the elders, whyche teache theym too esowe, and worke wyth the nedle.

The sayde maydens haue some twelue, some fyftene Aspres a daye. And they are apparelled twyse ayeare, at theyre two solempne feastes all wyth sylcke.

And yf it chaunce that anye of theym please the greate Turcke, he vseth that woman as hys wyfe and geueth her at euerye tyme .x. thousande Aspres: and seperateth [Page] her frome the other, augmentyng her wages and estate.

Whan the maydes be come to the age of fyue and twentye, and that it please not the greate Turto retayne theym anye longer for hys seruyce, he maryeth theym to the Spachoglans, and other of hys seruauntes and pages of honour accordyng to theyr qualytyes and condycyons.

And in theyre places newe are sent into the Saray, In whych ther are captaynes, Capygiz, & all other offycers lyke as is in the place where he kepeth hys resydence

Aboute the towne of Pera, whyche is by Constantynople, hauynge onelye an hauen betwene theym. For Pera is as muche to saye, as beyond. There is another Saray, where there are foure hū dred Another place where are foū de .iiii. C. chyldren. yonge chyldren wyth all offycers [Page] as the aforsayde haue.

At Andrinopoli, or Adrinopoli there are two places, the olde and the newe.

In the olde, there are brought vp thre hundred yonge chyldren. In the newe whych is vppon the Another place where the children are broughte vp. ryuer Marissa called some tyme He brus, are thre hundred Iannisserotz, and all offycers lyke as in the other.

Oute of these two Sarayes, and oute of that whych is at Pera some are euer chosen to be put into the great Saray, as they lacke, or sēd awaye the elder.

On the coaste of the sayde Pera The place where the Turke hathe hys shyppes made. vpon the see bancke, there is aplace called Tersenal, wher they make galeys, and shyppes.

In whyche ordynarelye two hundred Maysters worcke and Shypwryghtes haue euery one .x. Aspres a day.

[Page] And there bene fyftye ouerseers, which haue when they worke xii. aspres a daye, and when they soiorne, they haue but syxe. Also the chyefe clerke, whyche hathe ten other clerkes vnder hym, hath .xxv. aspres a daye, and the other ten.

And to the seruyce of the sayde Tersenal, there belongeth a great nombre of handye worckemen, whiche haue .iiii. aspres a daye.

They haue asmuche woode to make shyppes as they desyre, and The Turckes haue no cunnynge in making shippes. that very good, but they haue not the connyng to make theim to the purpose, specyally gallyes. For they make them nothyng so good nor so lyghte, as the chrysten men dooe, but boisterouse, heuy and euil The christian men helpe the Turckes to make theyr shpppes. to gouerne. Notwithstanding that they haue some christian masters, and geue them asmuch wages, as they wyll requyre.

[Page] Ouer the sayde Tersenal, and al the offyces thereof, there is a generall capiteyne called the Beglerbey The admyral of the see. whiche hath also charge of the armie on the see at theyr going forth. And the custome was, that euer ye capiteyne of Callipole what so euer he were, shulde be the generall capitayne or admiral.

But a lytell tyme sythens the Turcke cōmitteth the charge ther of to Barbarouse. Whyche hath The Barbarouse is the Turckes admyrall. for this offyce, out of the pensyon Timar. xiiii. M. ducates a yere, assygned out of the Isles of Mechelni Rhodes, and Nigrepont, whereoute he gayneth and exacteth thre tymes asmuche.

Before that the Barbarouse toke vpon hym this charge, the Turckes knewe lytle or nothynge touchyng the scyence and knowledge of the see, excepte a fewe out runners. [Page] And yet to thys daye, when they wyll addresse an armye of the see, they goo into the mountaynes of Crece, & Natolie, to take vp herdmen whyche they put in gallies to rowe or to serue in other vesselles, to whiche purpose they ben so vnapte, that they can scarcely stande on their fete, so farre of it is yt they can rowe or dooe seruyce. Whiche causeth that the Turckes neuer dyd enie notable acte vpon the see Neuerthelesse, the saide Barbarousse hath somwhat amended them.

I haue spoken sufficyently of Constantinople, and of the courte of the greate Turcke, & yf I haue not shewed euery thing accordingly, it is no meruayle. For it requyreth a better witte then mine is, to searche out so greate a matter.

Hereafter I wyl declare how ye greate Turcke doth gouerne his [Page] and the order appoynted vnto his souldyars, asmuche as I my selfe coulde enquyre, and knowe.

In euery prouince, there is a gouerner yt they call Beglerbey, that is Beglerbey what it is. to saye a lorde of lordes.

The fyrste is, the Beglerbey of Grece, vnder whome ben all the countrees, whych ye great Turcke hath in Europa. And he is aboue all other, and hath .xvi. thousande ducates a yere of the pensyon Timar, but he exacteth thryse asmuche.

Vnder hym there is a Defterderler, that is to saye, a treasurer. Which hath .iii. thousand ducates for his yerlye wages, to whome there ben subiect an hundred clerkes which The stipende or pencyon of the Beglerbey of Grece. kepe the comptes and registers of the pensyon Tymar, and of the Tymariotes. Vnder the charge of the saide Beglerbey, there are .xxx. Sangia clars, capitaynes of the souldyars, [Page] whiche are deuyded by bannyers, called in theyr tongue Sangiac.

Which Sangiacs haue .viii. ten, and some .xii. thousand ducates of the The pensyon of the Sangyacs. pensyon Timar a yere, and they are lodged in the princypal townes of the prouince, to kepe thē in peace, and obedyence.

Vnder them are .iiii. hundred Sobassis or more, whyche are as it were lyeuetenauntes, abidyng in Sobassis, what they are. smal townes for the same purpose and they haue euerye one a thousande ducates a yere, with manye Flambolers, which also sygnifye heades and capitaynes, of .ii. iii .iiii. or fyue hundred horses, which are sent by the Beglerbeys or Sangiacs, in to sondry places as the case requyreth, to make spedy expedicyon of theyr affayres.

Vnder the sayde Sangiacs, there are .xxx. thousande Spachis, whyche [Page] serue with .iii. or .iiii. horses a pece and they haue .ii. hundred ducates a yere, and they ben all Azamoglan, that is to say, the pages of ye great Turcke.

Moreouer, in the sayde countre of Grece, there ben .xx. thousād Tymariots or horsemen, which haue but .xl. ducates a yere, and ben subiecte to the sayde Sangiacz.

Besides these, there are .lx. thousande Akengis, as it were aduenturers, which are horsemen without enye wages or payment, but therfore they onely be free and exempted from all subsidies. And yt townes ben boūd to susteine their charges, vpon theyre waye, when they goo in the seruyce of theyr prynce.

In the countrees of Asia, there ben .vi. Bsglerbeyes. The firste is ye Beglerbey of Natolie, whiche hathe The fyrste. charge of the countrees of Pontus, [Page]Bithynia, Lidia, Phragia, Mernia, Caria, beynge all comprehended vnder this name of Natolie. And he hath xiiii. thousande ducates a yere out of the pensyon Timar. Vnder hym ben .xii. Sāgiacz, of which some haue iiii. some .vi. thousande ducates a yere with Sobassis, and Flambolers, & xii. thousande Spachis.

The seconde is the Beglerbey of The seconde. Caramanie, which comprehēdeth Cilicia, Licia, Lycaonia, and Pamphilia. Whyche capiteyne hath .vi. thousande ducates oute of the pensyon Tymar. And vnder hym ben seuen Sangiacz, and seuen thousande Spachis, hauynge suche wages as the former.

The third is the Beglerbey of Amasia, and Toccat, whyche comprehendeth The thyrde. Cappadocia, Galatia, Paphlagonia, He hathe eyghte thousande ducates a yere, of the pensyon [Page] Tymar. iiii .c. Sangiacs, and .iiii. M. Spachis, with the wages aforesayde And the Cytie Trebisonde is vnder hym.

The .iiii. is the Beglerbey of Anā dule or Aladule, whyche are mountaynes The .iiii. of Armenie, called in olde tyme mount Taurus, and nowe Cocas, on the syde of the mountaynes called Caucassus. The Beglerbey hath of the pension Tymar, x. thousande ducates a yere, and vnder hym seuen Sangiacs, and .vii. M. Spachis, hauyng wages lyke ye aforenamed.

Further, there are ordeyned in the sayde countrees .xxx. thousand horsemen seruynge withoute wages, free from subsydyes, as are ye Akangis of Grece.

The .v. Beglerbey, is of Mesopotamia, wherof the pryncypall cytie is The. fyfte. Edissa, called in the holy scrypture: Rages, and of the frenchmen Rohaiz.

[Page] Vnder this gouernaūce parte of the great Armenye is comprehended. For the reste is possessed of the Sophie, and by ye Cordins and Beduins, whiche are warrelyke people, dwellynge in mountaynes called Tarquinians, and in olde tyme Medes, ioyninge vpon Bandras, a towne of Assiria, which some suppose to be Babilon, and other Niniue, the heade cytie of Assiria.

Thys Beglerbey hathe (as the fame is) .xxx. thousande ducates of the pensyon Timar, twelue Sangiacs, and .xxv. thousande Spachis, whiche haue more wages and prouisyon then the other, bicause they lie vpon the costes and borders of the sayde Sophie.

The .vi. is the Beglerbey of Damasco, Syria, and Iurye, whiche The syxte. hathe .xxiiii. thousande ducates a yere out of the pensyon Timar. xii. [Page] Sangiacs, and twentye thousande Spachis, payde as the forenamed.

The Beglerbey of Carie, or of Aegypte: The capteine of Carie. hathe thyrtye thousande ducates of the pensyon Tymar, syxetene The wages of the Sangiacz. Sangiacz, and twenty thousand Spachis, the sayde Sangiacz haue euerye one eyghte thousande ducates The wages of the Spachis. a yere, and the Spachis two hundred.

This gouernaunce extendeth vnto the redde sea, and vnto Mecha, where Mahumettes bodye lyeth. The place where Mahumet his bodie lyeth. It conteyneth parte of Arabie the deserte, and parte of Arabye the ryche. Howebeit, they are not holye subiected to the Turcke. Arabie is not wholye subiecte to the Turcke.

For there are manie lordes, of whiche: some take parte wyth the Sophy, and some with ye Turcke, and there are some againe, whiche acknowledge neyther of theym bothe.

[Page] The other syde ioyning to the countree of Assiria, called nowe Azemye is vnder the Sophy, and is extended a longe by Mesopotamia vnto Liuerous, The seconde strength of ye Turcke standeth in Spachys. some tyme called Hileri. The seconde strengthe of the greate Turcke is founded in these Spachis, whiche force shoulde be greate, yf ye sayde Spachis were all good. And as touchynge footemen besyde the Iannissaires, the Turcke hath none, anye thyng worthe. For they knowe not howe to kepe anye order and it is agaynste their nature to learne.

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Nowe, there resteth to speake of the nature of the Turckes in general, of theyr maners and condicyone, of theyr beliefe, and liuynge. Whyche thynge I wyll dooe as Wherof the Autour wyll intreate. briefely as I canne, and after I wyll speake som what of the compleccyon of theyre Kynge, whiche nowe reygneth.

THe Turckes worshyp one onely god, whych made heuen and erth, The belefe or fayth of the Turckes. and sente theim theyr lawe by the Prophete Mahumet wrytten in a booke, called Alcoram, that is to saye, the true lawe. The sayde Mahumet was in the yere of our lorde syxe hundred and. xx, in the tyme of Heraclius the The tyme yt Mahumet was in. Emperour, which succeded Phocas Daugobert reygninge in Fraunce, & the Lomberdes in Italye. And as we are called Christyanes, so they ben called Musulmans, that is to saye saued. And they cal vs in their langage [Page] Caours, specyally ye Grecians whiche they regarde not: because they were so easely subdued, fayntly defendynge them selues by reason of theyr secrete hatreddes, diuisyons, and discordes. But they haue the Italyans in good estimacyon, & count them valyaunt men of warre, calling them french men The Turckes haue the Italyans in good estimacyon. For a greate tyme they knewe no dyfference of those nacyons and tonges.

The foundacyon of their lawe standeth vpon these wordes Lahila ha, Hilaalla, Mahumet, Resulalla, Tangri, Bir, Beremberac, that is to saye, God The foundacyon of the Turckes lawe. is God, was, and shalbe God, and Mahumet is ye messenger or counseller of God, there is one God onely and one true prophete. Whyche woordes yf a christyane pronoūce vnawares, or otherwyse in theyre countre, yf it be hearde, he shall be [Page] constrayned to receaue theyr lawe or to die without fayle. In yt stead How by speakynge of certayne wordes a christen man sha [...]be compelled to receyue their fayth or elles to dye. Howe the Turckes are circumcized. of Baptisme they ben circumcised as the Iewes are, howebeit, they passe not greatly of it.

For theyre chyldren are often syxe or seuen yeres of age or more, before they bene circumcysed, and manie dye without circumcisyon, at the whyche they make a greate feaste and an assemble. Theyr prestes ben called Mesen, & theyr churches The cause of theyr goynge to church and what they dooe there. Meschet, in to the whyche they neuer entre, onles it be to praie vnto God, and to make theyr inclinacyons or bouinges, whiche thyng they do fyue tymes a daye.

The fyrste in the mornyng, ye se The times of theyr goinge to churche. conde at none, the thyrde aboute thre of the clocke, the fourth about syxe, the fyfte, when they gooe to bedde. And they are not bounde to gooe to churche to make theyr inclinacyons, [Page] but if them lyst. Only they spred vpon ye grounde where they are, an hādkercher or a white lynen cloth, and bowe them selues fyue tymes, theyr faces vpwarde, hauinge theyr handes vpon theyr brestes. The sayde houres ben shewed to thē by theyr Talismans, which gooe vp vpon the toures of theyr How they are called to churche. churches, and crye out a loude the wordes before written, stoppynge theyr eares with theyr fyngers.

The women gooe not in to the churches wyth the menne, bicause The wemen gooe not to churche with the men. they ben not circumcised. Wherfore they ben counted vncleane. For whyche cause they saye also, that they shall not entre into Paradyse, The foolyshe opinyon of ye Turckes. but shall tarye at the gate with the Christyanes, which haue well kepte theyr lawe.

It is a great despyte amonge them when they call one Sunet▪ that [Page] is vncircumcised. They haue our lorde Iesus chryste in great reuerence, The opinion and reuerence that the Turckes haue Iesus christe in. and they holde that he was borne of the virgyn Mary, whom they call Murgen Ana, Mary the mother, and Iesus chryste yesse Berember, that is Iesus the prophete conceyued Howe they name Christe and our lady. by the spiryte, & breathing of God. If any man hath blasphemed Christ, be he Turcke, Iew or Christyane, he shalbe punished in lyke maner as yf he had blasphemed The Turkes wil not suffer Christe to be blasphemed. Mahumat. The punyshement is fortye strypes with a staffe, and a mercement of money.

They beleue not that he dyed The punyshment due for blasphemye. thorough the handes of ye Iewes, but yt it was another whyche they tooke in his steade. For they saye yt he was to good a man, & to greate The Turkes beleue, yt christ was not crucifyed of the Iewes. a prophete, to suffer suche outrage of the myscheueous Iewes, which they count to be ye vylest nacion of [Page] the world. They so despise them, & hate them yt in no case they wil not How ye Turckes abhorre ye nacyon of the Iewes eate in their cōpany, nether mary a Iewesse: howbeit, they mary often tymes chrystien womē, which they suffer to lyue accordynge to theyr owne law, and they haue pleasure to eate wyth the chrystyans. And moreouer, if a Iewe wyll deny his lawe, & become a Turcke, he shall neuer be receaued, oneles that he were fyrste baptysed, and made a chrystyā. Among theyr scryptures they haue oure Gospelles whyche they call Ingel: but they take away the passyon, sayinge: that the Iewes Howe ye Turkes haue yt bokes of the Euangelystes. The Turckes haue noone ymages. added it to mocke the chrystyans. They haue neyther pyctures ymages nor anye carued or grauen thynge, whyche they defende out of the lawe of Moses.

And they saye the Pater noster as we, translated into the Arabique [Page] tongue almoost worde for worde. They call the deuell Seythan, and The Turckes saye the Pater noster as we dooe. drede and abhorre him as we doe. Before theyr prayers, and inclinacyons, they washe theyr fete, handes, The Turckes abhorre the deuell. and faces and all theyr bodye whan they be in secrete places, as ofte as they may. Also they washe The ceremoniall or superstycyous custom of the Turckes theym selues after euery purgacy on of nature, in which poynt both the menne and the women kepe so great honestye, yt they haue greate shame to be seene or found in that acte. And they reproue the christyans The clenlines of ye Turckes for theyr neglygence therein callynge them Chunup Caour, that is fylthye chrystyans.

They haue two lentes euery yere The Turckes hath two lentes. The maner of theyr fastinge and they fast euery time a moneth Al the daye, they eate nothyng, al the nighte they make good cheare At theyr Easters they sende salutacyōs one to another, and geue gyftes [Page] wyshynge one another a good The Turckes geue giftes at theyr Easters as we dooe at New-yers tyme. yeare, as we do the daye of the cyrcumcysyō of Chryst, or neweyeres day as we call it. And the sayd easter feaste is not euer at one tyme, but once in the somer, & another tyme in winter, or in the spring time & in haruest, which thing chaūseth because they count not the yere after The Ester of the Turckes hath no tyme. the course of ye sonne, but after ye mone, which they cal Hay, & haue her in great reuerēce. They salute and grete her assone as they se her The Turcke a worshype the moone. fyrst, specyally in warre wt greate cryes & gonne shottes & sounde of trompettes. And the wemē, & children beare the fygure of the mone hangyng about theyr neckes, callyng Wemen cary aboute theyre neckes the fygure of the moone. it Nalcha, because it resēbleth an horshooe. Besides their prestes Mesen & Calismans they haue Deruiz Sophiz, Dēcher Serifz, & other maners of What sectes are amonge ye Turckes religion, differinge in appparel & [Page] ceremonyes, as our Monkes and Freers dydde

And ye Turckes are naturally superstycyous beleuers of dremes, The Turckes are superstycyous. prophecyes, & Diuinaciōs, whych I haue seen them vse wyth waxe meltted, and caste into water, and beanes wyth marckes vpon, and they haue manye other superstycyous maners

And they holde predestynaciō for a sure thynge, & that the houre The Turckes opynyō in predestynacyon, of their deaths is wrytten in theyr foreheades, whych they recken to be impossyble to auoyd. Wherfor they entre beastlye into perelles, at the least the baser people, for ye great men haue not that opinyon And they haue Sayntes, whyche The Turckes call vpon sayintes. they cal vpon partyculerly in certayne necessaries, and syckenesses

Of our saynctes they acknowledge none but Sayncte George [Page] which they call Dereletz Bozatle, that The Turckes knowledge noone of cure sayntes but [...]s George. is a knyghte vpō a whyte or gray horse.

And I thinke they esteme him for none other cause, but that he is painted as a man of warre, whom they haue in greate honoure and reuerence. If there be anye goodnes amonge theym, it is in thys poynte onelye, that they are pytye The Turckes are pytyful to the poore full to the poore, and great founders of hospytalles.

The maner of feadyng and lyuynge of the Turckes.

AS touchynge theyr lyuynge, The grosse [...] rudenes of the Turkes & eatynge they are rude and vncleanlye. They sytte on the grounde, theyr legges The syttinge of the Turckes. layed a crosse aboue a lytle round table verye lowe, couered wyth le therlyke spanysh skynnes.

In ritch mennes houses, they [Page] are gylted wroughte & wyth lytle The maner of theyr tables. floures, as we trimme our bookes in the out syde. And i other menes houses they are all playne, whych table hath hangyng about it, a linnen cloth long & narrow which serueth in the steade of napkyns to wype theyr handes. Theyr deynty meates are pasties & hacked flesh with many onyons & spyces, and euery day they eate ryce and hony for potage. They are forbyddē by theyre lawe to dryncke wyne, but The potage of ye Turckes they make theyr drikee of prunes hony and raysons, whych they vse The Turckes maye dryncke no wyne by theyre lawe, but yet oftē tymes they dooe and are drunken that are of ryches and substaunce yee, and they drike wine tooe, whā they may get it, and become very dronckē namely the souldyers, nether counte they it any reproch to thē, but rather do it of set purpose Agaynste the Turckes shal fyghte, they dryncke drūcken chiefelye whan they shall fyghte, or make an assaute: than yf they [Page] fid no wyne they eate an herbe called Of an herbe that the Turckes eate. Afyon, of the apothecaries Opiū whych maketh thē lese al thought remēbraunce & feare. They haue one custome or vse wt them, yt they wyl neuer put any paper (yf it haue any thyng wrytē therin) to any The Turckes wyll put wrytynges to no fylthy vse. filthye vse or purpose no not sooe much as to wrappe gold in it, fore feare, least ye name of God be wryten therin wherfor: also they feare to treade vpon wrytten paper. The Turckes sonday is our fryday.

Our fryday is theyr sonday, whych they cal Iumar howebeit, they ceasse The Turckes work on theie Sabboth day not to worke, at yt lest, in ye after none. And oursōday is theyr market day. As pertaynīg to theyr houses The Turckes maye kepe as many wemē as they wyll, but they may haue but one wyfe. & families, it is permited vnto thē to haue as many wemē as they are able to kepe, neuertheles they haue but one whom they take for theyr wyfe, whyche bryngethe her husband no doury, but cōtrary wyse ye [Page] husbande geueth mony to the father, and the mother to apparell theyr daughter, and they make a greate feast and assemble at theyr maryages. Howebeit they haue lybertye afterwarde to be deuorsed The Turckes maye be deuorsed from theyr wiues yf they cannot agree wyth theym. the man to leaue the woman, and the woman to forsake the man yf they cannot agre together, and to mary other.

The women neuer gooe abrod The wemen when they go abroade haue theyr faces couered, theyr faces vncouered. And after that they be maryed, they kepe no more company wyth theyr fathers brethren, or kynnesmen, but they maye vyset theyr mothers, systers & kynswomen. They dye or stayne The wemen dye theyr heares, handes & feete. theyr heare and ye outsyde of theyr handes & feete wyth an herbe called Cna, resemblyng the leaues of a Myrre tree, and they temper it wyth the iuyce of orenges, or Limmons, Howe the women dye themselues. where of theyr heare, hādes [Page] and feete become very redde, cheifly theyr nayles, whyche thynge I haue seen them dooe often tymes. Howe the wemen dye themselfes And that coloure dureth but .xv. dayes, or .iii. weekes, but yt it must be renewed agayne, and they coūt this a great bewty. Theyr roobes and all theyr garmentes are open before vnto the foot, excepte theyr smockes: whych may be seen whā they gooe, and are commenlye of The apareyl of the wemen some couloured Taffeta, and welted aboute wyth parsemente, and wroughte wyth golden thredes aboute the coler. The poore wemen doe were them of checkerd or playne lynnen cloth, hauynge a border about the necke of some rybban. And they are gyrded about wyth a brode gyrdle, as it were an horse gyrth, whych goeth twyse aboute their bodyes. Theyr sayde roobes dyffer nothynge from the mennes [Page] garmentes, sauynge that they be a lytle more pynched, and haue as The aparel of yt menne. it were litle playtes vpon the brest and they haue lykewyse longe sleues, strayte and hangynge.

The menne counte nothyng so straunge in oure garmentes as ye codpeces of hosen whyche semeth The Turckes abhorre the fasyon of oure codpeeces. to theim very dishonest. Likewise ye Grecians were them not. And if they fynde any chrystian man in any place wher they may ouercome him, they cut of hys codpece, specyallye the menne of warre.

Furthermor, they are very gelouspersōs, presumptuous, & great bosters and generally al so proud The pryde of the Turckes. that they thyncke no nacion in the worlde to be lyke theym: yee, that they are able to subdue the whole worlde to theym selues.

They loue men of warre chieflye nobylyte. For yf a chrystyan receaue [Page] theyr lawe and make theym beleue ye he came of a noble stocke they dooe hym honoure, and call hym Cheliby, that is a gentle man. They haue pleasure to be wel and rytchelye apparelyd, and among other thynges to haue theyr sweordes Wherein the Turckes delyte. and weapons garnished with golde and syluer. They are of nature heauy, grosse, slouggish, recheles, and vyle people, and commenly glottons. For they wyll syt three dayes & more at the table wt out The nature of the Turckes. rysynge excepte it be to make water. And yf slepe come vpon thē they couch thē selues in yt same places. Howebeit, they make no very good chere, except they haue wyne though it be forbyddē thē, wherof they haue ynough.

For the Iewes and the chrystyans sell it thē. As much as I haue seen and knowen they be lyke the [Page] Almaynes in bewty of personage The Turckes resemble the Almaynes in some thynges pronouncynge of theyr language and for ye pryde that they haue in theyr warres, sauinge yt they haue no lernynge, ne bookes, but onely of theyre lawe. Neuertheles, the greate Turcke hath some bookes of Arystotles phylosophye translated into the Aribique tongue whych he redeth some tymes, and so dyd The Turckes for the mooste parte are vnlearned. hys predecessours. They beare in warre greate roules of paper written, and in the wrytynge there are figuers of sweordes, holbards, bowes, arrowes, daggers, and they haue a phansye that those thinges The superstycyous mynde of the Turckes. shall kepe them frome beinge wounded.

All maner of ryotte is permytted vnto theym, where vnto they are greatelye inclyned. And they goo not to warre but by force, and beatynges, chyeflye yf they perceaue [Page] daunger to be in it. And they are the most coueteouse men of all The false hartes and cowardnes of the Turckes other nacyons. Theyr houses are smal & lowe, wel trīmed with housholde stuffe, hauinge the floreths couered wyth carpettes as I haue sayd before. Wherefore, they goe not in wyth theyr shoes, but leaue The descrypcyon of theyre houses. theym at the dores, for they are easye to put of & on, lyke as our slippers are, & they cal thē Pasmach but those shoes yt they go in whē they iourneye are lyke vnto ours, and theym they call Papouch.

They lye vpon greate quyltes The maner of the Turckes lodgynge. made of fyne woll, couered wyth veluet, & other cloth of sylke accordyng to theyr habilite, for they vse The Turckes vse not to lye on fethers no fethers. Theyr sheetes are of course lynnen clothe, wroughte ouer wyth sylcke of nedle worcke, so yt ye cānot se the lynnen. Which The shetes of the Turckes, whereof they are made is a goodly thynge to looke vpon [Page] for they are all of crymosyne coulour, at the least, I haue seen none other. And there were many foūde in the cytye Modon, whan our gallyes tooke it. They eate in vessels of tinned copper large and depe

They haue no greate regarde of buyldynge or purchasynge landes, specyally they that are in seruyce wyth the greate Turcke, because whā they dye, the sayd great Turcke taketh the thyrde parte of all theyr goodes, and often tymes altogether, as whē they are made greate officers, namelye Baches, or Beglerbees, and to theyr chyldren he geueth wages of the pencyon Tymar.

The Turckes haue other customes, and maners of lyuynge, whych nowe shall not be nedefull to reherse, for as muche as daylye ye shal here more, wherefore, after [Page] that I haue spoken a fewe wordes of the sayde greate Turcke I wyl make an ende of my lettre.

§

THE greate Turcke The name of ye great Turcke. whyche nowe raygneth is called Sultam Soleyman, that is tooe saye: kynge Soleiman. For Sultam or Soldan in Moresque sygnyfyethe a Kynge or Prynce. So the Turkes call him whan they speake of hym famyly Howe ye Turke is called of hys subiectes arly, but when they speake of him reuerentlye, they cal him Vnghyar, whyche is to saye, the kynges maiestye.

Some tyme they call hym Sultam Soleyman Cham, whyche they pronounce Tchaam whyche sygnyfyeth Lorde.

But it is the Tartarysche lāguage [Page] and not the Turckysche. I haue hearde hym named amonge the Turckes Badicaa. The sayde kyng The age of ye Turcke. Soliman at thys presente is aboute the age of .l. yeares, and he hath along body, litle bones, he is leane, and euel proporcioned, his vysage is browne and wrythen, hys heade is shauen, sauynge a tufte in the toppe, as all the Turckes haue, yt their Tolopā may syt the better, that The descrypcyō of ye great Turke. is an ornament of lynnen whyche they were on theyr heades, he hath an hygh forhed and a large, great yies and blacke, he is hauke nosed he hath a long neck, smal and stoopynge, hys bearde is clypped and not shauen, he is dumpyshe, and speakethe and laugheth seldome but he is verye cholerycke and is an euel fauored man and euel proporcyoned, and taketh no pleasure in any exercyse. Further he is [Page] reputed amonge theim verteous, and a good keper of his lawe, moderate, louinge peace & reste, more then anye of hys predecessoures haue done, whyche the Turckes impute to hym for cowardnesse, & faute of courage.

He is estemed of theim gentle and courteouse, neuerthelesse he pardoneth not offenders lightely. His pastime is to reade bookes of philosophye, and of his owne law In whiche he is so instructed that his Moftie or byshoppe canne teach hym nothyng at all. He is not coū ted verye lyberal, but rather more sparynge then his predecessours.

He suffereth hym selfe to be ruled of them whome he loueth, and in whome he trusteth, thoughe he be somtymes obstinate, and opinatyue: thryse a weke he hath redde before him the historyes of his predecessours. [Page] In which he suffereth no lye to be wryten, nor flateries, but only the bare actes. And he is satisfyed wyth no treatyses or enterpryses, but wyth those whyche were done amonge theyre neyghboures and other nacions aboute them, faythfully and truely declared, concernynge the conduycte of theyr affayres, he hath a sonne called The greate Turcke hath a sonne of the age of .xxviii. yeres. Mustapha, about .xxviii. or .xxx. yeres olde, and he is gouerner of Iconie, and of all the sea costes of Magnesia, ouer agaynste yt Isles of Chio and Methelin, towardes the Rhodes, where he kepeth his contynuall resydence.

To cōclude, bicause many haue meruayle that the greate Turcke wynneth dayly, & leseth nothynge I wyll shewe you what order he setteth in the countrees whiche he conquerethe, and in what state he [Page] leaueth theym.

The order of the countreys.

WHen ye great Turcke hath wonne a countree, fyrste he beateth downe all ye fortresses, whiche seme not vnto him of importaunce and profyte, and the walles of all the townes there about.

And yf there ben anie ryche or stronge houses in the sayde countrees, the inhabytauntes whereof haue allyaunce wyth some greate lordes beynge straungiers, he taketh those men awaie, and sendeth them to dwell in some other place of his other countrees, beynge already stablished in obedience. But he suffereth euerie man to lyue accordyng to his owne lawe & belefe [Page] constrayning no man to denie his faythe, whiche thynge he doeth, bycause he wyll not destroye theym, nether brynge them to desperacyon, besydes yt, by theyr lawe suche constrayntes ben defended. After this he sendeth his Sangiacs and Spachis, Howe the Turcke ladeth his people with taxes and imposityons. and chargeth the people with so greate taxes and imposycions, that it is impossyble for theym at anye tyme to rebell.

Also he leaueth theim no harnesse nor weapons of warre, nor suffereth theim to gooe oute of the countree, nether to serue anye but him selfe, yee he constreineth them to abyde in their houses, that they maye be euer founde redye, when he hath nede of theim. And he vseth theim in hys armyes for dychers, handecraftesmen, fyndinge them only meate and dryncke.

Iustyce is there rigorously administred [Page] as in his other coūtrees by ye Cadiz and Sobassiz. But weigh The ministr [...] cyon of Iuslyce. tye and great matters are handeled by hym selfe and the Baches, for the great Turcke speketh seldom to his other subiectes.

He heareth gladly messengers and embassadoures straungers, chyefely yf they brynge hym presentes. But he practyseth nothing with them, but only heareth them declare the cause of theyr cōming. To whiche he answereth nothyng or yf he answere, he sayth onely, I haue hearde the, resorte to the Baches, and they shall despatche the, after this they se hym no more.

His custome is not to send embassadoures fyrste. But yf anye hathe begonne to sende vnto hym he is content to entreteyne theim, and to sende his owne agayne.

By these thynges afore rehersed, [Page] you maye perceaue that the Turcke hathe no good footemen.

That in his campe there are a A somme or briefe rehersal of that which is before spoken. greate nombre of Christyanes. That hys armyes on the sea bene euyll furnysshed bothe of menne and good shyppes, that he is not accompanied but with pages and slaues, that hys princypall countreyes are inhabyted of Christyanes, of whome he maketh his warryers, and yt in the countrees there are no fortressed places.

Wherfore, it is to be thoughte that hys strengthe is permytted of God, whyche for oure synnes sufferethe thys estate so farre swaruynge frome all good pollycie: so to preuayle and not that it is maynteyned by their wisdom, strength, or vertue.

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The cōquestes or victories of ye Turckes.

I Thought verely yt I had The preface of the wryter into the conquestes. ben dyscharged, & that I had satisfied you, at yt least so farre as my knowlege & powre wolde stretch, concernyng the matters of ye great Turcke. Neuertheles, nowe you demaūd of me their petigrees particulerly, howe I say they haue proceded to ye conqueste of so many countrees, whych they nowe possesse. But you consyder not the affayres, yt I haue in thys palace, whyche as you knowe ben of suche qualite and importaunce that it is right harde for me to emploie my shorte memorye to anie other thinge then my present busynes doth require. Wherfore, yf I shal not saie so much as you desire holde me excused, for there is no remedye but I must accōplysh your wyl, be it neuer so rudely done.

[Page] IN the yere of our lord The yere of our Lorde. M iii. C. a thousande and thre hūdred, when ye emperour Henry the seuēth purposed to sowe in Italye parcialytyes and dyuisyons betwene the Guelfes, and the Gibelins, and Phylippe the fayre reigned in Fraunce, there were found in Natolie or Asia the lesse certayne capitaynes of the turckyshe nacyon. For there they dwelte after the iourney of Godfrede of Bologne Duke of Boullen, and were there The fyrste gatherynge of ye Turckes agaynste the christyanes. before, but then they came foorth, and gathered them selues against the Chrystyan armyes before the towne of Nice, called in olde tyme Antigonia, vnder a Capytayne named Soliman.

After this, there passed an hundred yeres and more, and no mencyon was made of theim, vnto the [Page] tyme aforesayde, when there were sondrie captaines in Natolie, and a monge other Othman, Caraman, and Assan, surnamed Begy, or Bey, which signifyeth lorde or master. Howebeit, they take awaie the letter. y. & saye Othmanbeg. &c.

Othmanheg whiche was a greate Othmanbeg entred allyaunce with. ii Grecyans & a Turcke. aduenturer, entred alliaunce with two Grecians, that hadde denyed theyr faythe, and wyth a naturall Turcke. Of the sayde Grecians, the one was named Michali, the other The names of the Grecyans. Marcke. And of the sayde Michali came the Michalogliz, of whiche stocke: there remayne some vnto this present daye, and lykewyse of Marcke came the Marcozogliz. The name of the Turcke.

The Turcke was called Auramy, of whiche lynage none remayneth that anye man can tell of. Theyr successours are counted of the bloude royall, and the empyre [Page] of the Turckes pertayneth vnto them, yf the sayde lynage shoulde fayle. By the ayde of these .iii. the The fyrst victoryyes of Othmanbeg. saide Othmanbeg came in credit and puissance, and conquered certaine townes bordering vpon the great sea costes called Pontus Euxinus, and amonge other the towne Siuas, called Sebaste, & Augusta. Caraman wente towarde Cilice, to whiche countree he gaue his name. And Assam went into Persia & Assiria. These .ii. & their successours haue euer ben pursued by ye saide Othman, and his successours, Of this Othman descendeth all the greate Turckes. so that they haue discōfited Caraman, & taken his countree. But Assambeg which is the Sophi holdeth his owne yet, & liueth in perpetual warre & hatred wt the Othmans. The The Sophi kepeth his kyngdome to hym selfe, & is not subiecte to ye Turcke. saide Othman reigned .xxviii. yeres, vntil ye reigne of Philip of Valoies & he was so surnamed of a towne or castel called Othmenach, which is betwene [Page] Sinope and Trebisond, he lefte a sonne called Orcan: which succeded hym.

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Orcan ye sonne of Othman maried Orcan the sonne of Othman. ye doughter of Caramā beg. But afterwarde, he made warre wt him & put Caramanbeges eldest sōne to deth, his wyues brother, whome he toke in bataile. He cōquered ye citie Bursia, or Prusias. In which tyme it chaūsed yt Andronicke Paleologo, emperour of Cōstantinople at ye houre of his deathe made tutour of his childrē Caloianne, & Andronique, one of his familiar seruaū tes named Iohan Cantacusane, whiche man though he behaued hym selfe wel & wisely in ye saide tuitiō, neuertheles he was put out of his office thorough ye enuie of ye patriarch of Constantinople & an other personage of base cōdiciō, but of great credit about ye yong emperour Caloianne.

[Page] Howebeit, he founde the meanes afterward to retourne, and to becōme the myghtyest in Constantinople. And for the assuraunce of his estate, he procured that his doughter shoulde be maryed to the sayde Emperour Caloianne.

Notwithstandinge, they coulde not lyue in peace, and therfore the Emperoure wythdrewe hym selfe secretly into ye ysle of Tenedo. Whether the armye of ye Geneuoyes came to seke hym with .iii. score gallies, and broughte hym agayne to Constantinople, and chased awaye Cantacusane, whiche ranne for succour to the venetians, with whose aide he came to assaute ye Geneuoyes, beyng in the Canal of Constantinople, called somtyme Propontis.

Neuerthelesse, ye Geneuoyes had the victorye, and the towne remayned to Caloianne, which gaue to the [Page] capitayne of the Geneuoyes, Frauncies Cataluz, the Isle of Methelni, or Lesbos Which they dyd holde to ye reigne of Mahumet, the seconde, which toke it from Nicholas Cataluz ye laste duke therof. This lytle diuisyon caused The cause of the warre betwene the Geneuoyes and the Venetiās great warres betwene ye Geneuoyes and the Venetians. Which broughte the Veuetians to an extremyte, in somuche that they wolde haue yelded them selues to the Geneuoyes.

But afterwarde, the Geneuoyes contrariwyse, were brought to vtter distruccyon & bondage, wherein they continue vnto this daye.

For they were cōstreigned to geue them selues to the archebyshop of Millean, then gouerner of the sayde towne. And after yt to sel theyr landes & lordshyppes to the comunaltie of S. George, which is in their towne. And then they ran for succour to ye king of Fraunce, whiche [Page] gaue to them duke Iohan of Calabrie, sonne of kynge Rene.

Againe, they retourned to Philyppe duke of Millan, & afterwarde lefte hym, so yt they knewe not, to what saint they shulde vowe them selues. But the moste mischyefe was, that the sayde warres were an occasyon of the losse of Sirya, & of the realme of Ierusalem, and that they opened a gate vnto the Turckes in to Grecelande, and Europe, as I wyll declare hereafter. And it was about that tyme, when Loys of Rauiere, & Federike of Austrige were at varyance for the empyre of Almanie.

The sayde Orcan reygned .xxii. The reygne of Orcan. yeres, to the beginninge of kynge Iohn of Fraunce, whych was the yere of our lorde a. M .iii. hundred and fyftye. And he lefte his sonne Amurath to be hys successoure.

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AMurath, which ye Hungariens call Ammerat, and the Turckes Moratheg or Morathey, and Norathegby, which signifieth Morath, ye lorde, he succeded Orcan, whē Cantacusan pursued the Emperoure Caloianne hys sōne in lawe, wt the ayde of Marcke Carlouich, lorde of Bulgarie.

He was fauoured also of certayne Barons and lordes of Grece enemies of the emperour Caloianne Whyche forbecause he perceaued hym selfe to weake, he was constreygned to aske helpe of ye sayde Amurath, & he dyd sende to hym .xii. M. horsemen, with ye which he pacified all his maters, & afterward gaue them licence to departe. But they hauing sene and tasted of the goodnes & pleasauntnes of ye countree Amurath his iourney into Grece. of Grece (perswaded as it was easy to do) ye sayde Amurath to gooe [Page] into Grece, lyke as he dyd in dede, accompaigned with .lx. thousande men, wt whome, by the aide & meanes of two marchauntes shyppes of the Geneuoyes, whiche had of him lx. thousande ducates, he passed ouer the strayct, in olde tyme called Hellespontus, and nowe called Callipolly or the castel, by reason of two castelles being there at this houre where somtyme were wonte to be .ii. townes Sestus & Abidus. And they The two castelles Sestus and Abidus. toke the towne of Calipoli, beynge nere to ye saide streyght. And afterwarde Adrianopoli nowe callled Andrinopoli, and Philippoli, somtyme called Olimpias. They also ouerran all ye countre of Thrace, called of some Howe Amurath ouerran all Thrace. Romanie, euen to ye mounteyn of Rhodope, called by ye Grekes Basilissa, ytis the quene of mounteynes. Othersome doth cal it yt mounteyn of syluer, by reasō of diuers mines of siluer [Page] yt there are. They discōfyted in bataile ye said Marcke Carlouich, & toke The dyscōfyture of Mark Corlouich. prysoner the Erle Lazare of Seruir, whyche is Misia the lesse (called of Frossarde the erledome of Lazaran) and caused him to be behedded, in the meane time ye Emperour Charlys the fourth beynge greatly hindered and damaged wyth the resystaunce of the chyldren of Loys of Bauiar, some tyme Emperour, and in defendynge hym selfe from Ferray or Federic Marques of Mysue, & frō the Erle of VVirtenberge his pursuers, he was constrayned to leaue the Empyre after him to hys sōne Lancelot, and to sell the townes and lordeshyppes of Italye as Myllan to vicountes and dyuerse other.

Finally, the sayde Amurath was slayne by a seruaunte of the sayde The death of Amurath. Erle of Lazare in reuengyng of his masters death. In the yere of our [Page] Lorde athousande, three hundred three score and thyrtene, after that he had reygned thre and twentye yeares, euen nere tooe the begynnynge of the reygne of Charlis the fyfte kynge of Fraunce, leuynge two sonnes behynde hym, the one named Pazait and the other Seleyman

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PAzait, or Bazait, after ye Turkes which neuer pronoūce the letter. P was called of Froyssart king Basant ye sōne of Lamorabaquin & some tyme Amorabaquin after hys fathers name Engner: & master Nycole Gilles, whych gathered and compyled the Cronycles of Fraunce, dothe calle hym kynge Basaac.

Thys manne was hardye, The hardines of Bazait. dylygente and a great enterpryser he slewe in one battayle Marcke Carlouich, in the whyche also were slayne [Page] al the nobles of Seruie and Bulgarie, and thereafter ouer ranne all the country of Thessalie, & Macedonie, nowe called Thumenesie, and Albainie

He destroyed all Grece, euen tooe Athenes called of some Cuthine he spoyled Bosue whych is ye vpper Misia, Croace, and Sclauonie, whyche are Dalmacia and Liburnia. The Emperoure The deposing of ye Emperoure Lancelot. Lancelot, sonne of Charlys the fourth, then liuyng, was sooe peasyable and quyet, that often tymes he was imprysoned by hys owne subiectes, and was deposed of hys Empyre, by the Almaynes Howe the Almaynes chose ii. Emperoures. whyche dyd elect two others, that is to wytte Ioce, hys neueiue, and Roberte of Bauyere called Rueprech whyche sygnyfyeth in theyr language Trouble peace.

For tooe returne agayne tooe Bazait, he entred into Hungarie and dyscomfyted kynge Sigismound [Page] whych afterward was made Emperour called by Engnarran, Sagemont in the famouse battayle of Nicopoli The battayle of Nycopoly. whych was lost, because the Frēch men wolde not beleue the sayde Sigismonde nor tarye vpon the approchinge of his battayles nor of the Almaynes, which was rekened to theyr greate pryde and arogancye as sayeth Frossarde.

In the whyche battayle were taken the Erle of Neuers, Ihon afterward duke of Burgoynie the sōne The noble mē taken by Bazait, in ye king dome of Hungarye. Philippe the fyrst duke. Philippe of Arthois Erle Deu, constable of Fraunce. Ihon the Maingre called Boucincalte, and dyuerse others, to the nomber of .vii. or .viii. which were sent to Bursir, al the rest were slaine to the nomber of a thousande speres. The whych battayle was on the vygyll of Saynte Myghell in ye The tyme of the battayle yere of oure Lorde .xiii. C. lxxxxvi

[Page] The sayd prysoners were after ward redemed (not without great raunsons) by the dylygence of one called Iames of Hely gentelman The raunsomynge of the prysoners. of Pycardie, whych was taken with theym, and who also before, was well beknowen and trusted in the courte of the sayde Amorabaquin.

After thys battayle Bazait assyeged Bazait beseeged Constantynople. the towne of Constantinople, and had taken the same, had not been, that a great prynce of Tartarye dyd enter in the Lanatolie, whyche was called Tamerlā or Tamburlam, by the Turckes called Demirlenge, and by some hystoryans of Fraunce named Tacon of Tartarie, but he was called of hys owne Temircuthlu, that is to saye: fortunate or happie swearde, or happie yron. And was the sonne of Cham of Tartarie called zaym Cham of the Horde, or multytude of zanoltha, and Czahaday, beynge be [Page] twene ye riuers of Rha & Volha, which entre in the see of Abacuth, whych ye Latinistes call Mare Caspiū or Hircanū.

And thys zaym, was the verye same, whome they of Pole called in theyr hystories Bathy the fyrst Mahumetyst, Bathy ye first Mahumetiste of Tartary of al the Tartaryans. Tamerlan soone after, was lord of al Tartarie Precopie called by theym Prezelzoth, which signifieth diches or trēches lyinge betwixt the ryuers of Tana, called Tanais, and called of the Bory sehenes Nepar, and by the Turckes Decoz, the whyche countrye in olde time was Scithia ye lesse, beingnowe in the possessyon of the Turcke.

And the sayde Tamerlā helde his seege in the great towne of Samarcande vpō the sayd see of Abacuth & The surname of Tamerlan made him self to be surnamed the yre or wrath of God, but his title & stile was Vluchā, yt is to say, ye great lord. To Bazait now, was cōueniēt [Page] to leaue ye seeging of Constantinople, for to come vnto ye sayd innumerable armye. So yt both the armyes dyd mete toward the towne of Angory, in olde time called Ancira, nere to the moūtayne called Stella, & by Enguarran of Mōstrelet called Appady, wher some time Pōpee ye great, discō fited king Mithridates. And the sayd Bazait, was vainquished, & takē in battayl by the sayd Tamerlan, which The takynge of Bazait. made him to be bound & fettred wt cheynes of gold, & kepte hym in a caige, lyke as he were a Lion, & so caused hīto be caried aboute with Howe Bazait was bounde wyth fetters of gold & kept in a cage him, throughout al the coūtrye of Asia, so longe as he lyued, whyche was .ii. yeres or therabout, so yt he died in ye yere of our lord. M. iiii C after yt he had reigned .xxvii. yeres The death of Bazait. vnto the .xxvii. yere of ye reygne of kīge Charles ye .vi. This very same Tamerlā made him to be called Yldrē The surname of Tamerlam [Page] that is to saye: thonder out of this battayle and prease. Certayne sonnes of the sayde Bazait dyd escape, who thynkinge to passe into Europe Howe the sonnes of Bazait fled. fell into the handes of the Emperoure of Constantinople, whych made the passage of the sea to be straytly kepte. By chaunce, one of the said brethren called Cyris, whom some dyd call Calepin or Calapin, passed throughe and came to Andrinopoli. And as I do iudge, the erroure of The errour of hys surname. that surname is come of thys that some called him Cyris Chelebi, which is a tytle of honoure and nobylyte geuē and attributed to the children and sonnes of ye great Turckes, as Achmat Chelebi, that is to say gentylman, lyke as the Spaignardes sayth Don Alonso or Don Rodrigo, and as the Frenchmenne sayth Charles Mounsire that is is my lord Charlys, or Loys my Lorde, whych be tytles [Page] of ye bloude royall. This Cyris did reigne .vi. yeres, or therabout, and lefte a soonne called Orcan, & thre of his brethrē, the cyldren of Pazait Moyse, whom thei called Musach Mehemet, and Muscapha, whiche wente forth of Cōstantinople while the Emperour came to seke aid and helpe of the saied kyng Charles the .vi. against the saied Cyris. Musach killed Orcan his nephue, & in recompence One murtherar destroieth another. therof, he hymselfe was sleyne by Mehemet his brother. Then begāne a custome & vse emong theim one to sleye another, whiche sens that time thei haue metly wel obserued.

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MEhemet the first of his name hauing slaine Mehemet ye first of that name. Musach hys brother possessed the empire and recouered al the countrie of Natolie, which Tamerlan had taken with Bazait, [Page] and remoued his see from Bursye transportyng the same to Andrinopoli. He warred vpon the coūtree of Valachie, called by some Frenche historians Valaigne, and of others Blaquie, whiche in the olde time wer called Busse and Triballi. He vainquisshed the Emperour Sigismonde How Mehemet vaynquisshed Sigismunde. in the plaine feldes of Silinubes, and was the first of his nacion, yt euer did passe ouer the greate ryuer of Danowe who also toke Bosue & made Mehemet was the firste of the Turckes that came ouer Danow warre agaynst Caraman, and dyed in the yere of God. M .cccc. xviij. & in the .xxxviij. of the saied kynge Charles the .vj. after that he had The death of Mehemet. reigned .xviij. yeres, comprehendyng therwith ye tyme of Cyris, whiche some others dooe not recken. And he lefte a soonne called Amurath.

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AMurath the seconde of Amurath the sonne of Mehemet. that name, called also Moratbeg, was i Natolie when his father deceased: who assone as he was aduertised therof, went into Europe, notwithstandynge that the Emperour of Constantinople dyd that was in hym to stoppe him of the same, sending agaynst hym Muscapha his vncle, ye sonne of Bazait whom as yet he did reteyne with him after the takyng of his father (as I haue declared before.) But the saied Muscapha not beyng strong to resyste his power was disconfited and slayne in battayle by the saied Amurath, who ardently intendyng to reuenge hym The purpose of Amurath. of thē Emperour of Constantinople spoyled, and brent all the countree of Thrace, and of Grece called Romanie & tooke from the Venitians the good [Page] towne of Tessalonyc called Salomachi whiche Andronye Paleologo sould vn to theim for very spyte of the Emperour Constantyne his brother. After the saied Amurath entreed into Serine, or Rascie where he cōstreined George Vucouich deputie or lorde of ye saied countree, to geue hym in mariage his doughter called Iriny, yt is to say, Peace, surnamed Cathacusine. And yet neuertheles after that he came againste hym, so yt he fled into Hungary toward yt Emperour Albert the sonne in lawe of the laste Emperour Sigismond, leuyng hys soonne George to kepe his countree whiche afterwarde was taken by yt saied Amurath, whose yies he caused The cruelnes of Amurath against his brother inlawe. to be thruste out, notwithstandynge, that he was his brother in lawe. After the death of the saied Albert, Lancelote brother to the kyng of Pole was chosen by the Hungariās [Page] to be their king. Howbeit the saied Albert lefte Elizabeth his wyfe great with chylde whiche after his disceasse was delyuered of a soonne called Lancelot being brought vp & nouryshed in the custodie of ye Emperour Frederic the thirde, whiche was the occasion and cause why yt the saied Lancelot of Pole durste not take in hande to medle with the Turckes, ner ones to assaille thē fearyng that if ye saied Emperour perceiuyng hym eny other where troubled or occupied shulde in the meane tyme restore the saied Lancelote the iuste and righteous kynge of Hungary to his owne realme. In this meane whyle Amurath whiche could not abyde at the siege of Belgrado which thei cal Mandoralba, and Alba Greca, called by the Hungariens Chrieschisch, in olde tyme called Taurunum, liynge betwixte the two ryuers [Page] of Danowe and Saua towarde yt parte, wheras both the said ryuers dooe mete together. The whiche towne the saied George Vucouich had chaūged for other, with the saied emperour Sigismonde, because it is ye keye and chief entrey of Hungary. A lytle after, at yt request of the saied deputie George Vucouich the forsaied Howe Lancelot prepared an hoost and preuailed. Lancelot prepared a great armie, by the whiche he recouered the countree of Seruie and Rascie, and restored theim agayne to ye saied George Vucouich. By reason of the whiche Amurath sente agaynst hym Carabey, (that is to saye, ye blacke lord) with a greate armye and power, so that both the armyes did mete nere vnto the mountayne of Costegnaz, in olde tyme called Hemus where the saied Carabey was discoumfited & taken prisoner, the whiche two victories The takynge of Carabey. with many other, both afore [Page] & after did come to passe throughe the vailliantenes & noble feactes of Iohn of Huniad called by Enguerran of Monstrelut and Philip of Comynes ye whyte knyght of Valaigne, and by ye Hungariens Lanco Ban, or Vaiuod, that is to say, gouernour of Trāssiluana nowe called Moldauia, and by yt Hungariens Sibenburge, that is to say Septem Castra, or the seuē Castelles, called in olde tyme Dacia. The which Iohn Huniad was father of Mathias kyng of Hungarye that did reigne in our tyme.

After this battaile was a truce A truce cōcluded betwene the Turckes and the Hungaryens. taken for .x. yeares betwene the Turckes and the Hungaryans, by reason wherof Carabey was delyuered, paiynge for his raūsone fyftye thousande Ducates. The The breaking of the truce. whiche truce was sone after broken, by the saied kyng Lancelot, (at the instaunce and persuasion of ye [Page] Bishop of Rome, Eugene ye fourth) which chaunsed to his great mischief, for he was slayne in battaile nere to the toune of Verne, which is The death of Lācelot kyng of Hungarye called Dionysiopolis, on saynt Martyns daye the .xi. daye of Nouember in the yeare of our Lorde. M .cccc. and .xliiij. Out of which battayl Ihon Huniad did escape. Of this victorie Amurath did nothynge reioyse, for asmuche as he bought thesame veray dere, he tooke also the Sophie capitalle of Bulgarie, Scopie, and Nouomont. He ranne thorowe the countree of Acarmania nowe called Ducat or Duche, and the countree of ye Cymera or Eperotee called Epirus Epirus. from ye ryuer of Achelons, called at this daye Pachicolam, nere vnto the moūtaynes, nowe called the moū taynes of the Demble, in olde tyme called Acrocerannii which are a part of the mountayne called Pindus, he [Page] tooke the porte of the Velon, sometyme called Aulon, and passed ouer the goulfe of Larta, called the Ambracius Beye and went to the toune of Oricus, nowe called Rigo and frō thence towarde Cataro called Risonicus Beye or goulfe, which is about xxv. myles of lengthe from Ragusa, which was called Epidaurus. He cō streined Iohn Castrioch deputee & gouernour of Cymeria to rēdre to him the strong toune of Croya, and to giue his three soonnes in pleage whom he made to bee come Turckes, the youngest of theim named George, was but .ix. yeres olde or ther aboute, and was surnamed Schanderbegge, yt is to saie the Lorde Alexander, whiche did beecome a right valiaunt capitain and worthy to be cōpared vnto Pyrrhus & to others his predecessours: for vnder Amurath he conquered Saruie, & [Page] toke a greate parte of ye coūtree of Caramanie, retournyng afterwarde to the Christen fayth, he caused to be taken frō the saide Bazait, first ye countree of Seruie then Croya. And all the countrees, tounes and castelles, which apperteined to ye late Ihon Castrioth hys father, besydes twenty or thyrty battailles which he had agaynst the Turcke, in the whiche he at all tymes had the victorie, in so muche that Amurath the greate Turcke coulde neuer laye any thynge to hys reproche, saue onely the good chere, yt he made to hym the tyme he was vnder his power, callyng him his vnthankfull sonne and chylde, by dyuerse his writynges sent to hym, full of many amyable & fauorable good wordes. The saide Schanderbeg feared hym so lytle, that he left his owne countreye, to gooe and helpe [Page] Ferdinand kynge of Naples, agaynste Howe Schā derbeg lefte his owne coū tree to gooe & healpe Ferdinand kyng of Naples. Iohn duke of Calabre. The which Ferdinand he dyd set into his realme and thrust out thesayde duke whō he conquered. For thewhiche pleasure thesaide Ferdinand called his sonnes beeynge spoyled of theyr goodes by Mehemet the seconde, after the death of their father, and gaue vnto theim greate substaūce and ryches, somuche yt they were made Marquesses of saynte Ange. Of this stocke was Ferdinand Castrioth Marques of saynte Ange, whiche dyed in the battayle of Pauye. Amurath afterwarde occupyed ye countreye of the Moree, thewhyche in the olde tyme was called Peloponesus, by the varyaūce and discorde of two brethren Thomas and Dimitre or Demetrius deputyes of thesayde countreye and brethrē of Constantyne Peleologo the last Emperour of [Page] Constantinople, for because that the Albanoys made warre vpon theim, and therfore they ranne for succoure to thesaide Amurath, and he made theim his trybutoryes. And forasmuche afterward as they rerefused to paye that whiche they had ꝓinysed him, he chased theim. Dimitre he retourned agayne towarde hym, and Thomas wente to Rome to the bishop therof, where he dyed and left behinde hym two sonnes and two doughters. Amurath beynge come to extreme age, Howe Amurath woulde haue bene areligeous mā and geuēouer his rule and dominion. wery of the worlde and of his victoryes, wythdrewe hymselfe wyth certen heremytes and religious personnes of theyr lawe, to thentent to lyue from that tyme foorth in solytarynes and rest. Hauynge set in his place his sonne Mehemet whiche was verey young, & therfore he commytted the rule & gouernaunce [Page] of hym to Haly Bacha, whyche sometyme is called Caly Bacha. But when afreshe, Ihon of Huniad and the Hungarians had sente a greate army to assayle theim, he was constreygned at the desyre of his sayde sonne and of thesayde Haly Bacha to take agayne his admynistracion (because they coulde not be obeyed) & to set an ordre in these affaires▪ goyng agaynst the Howe Amurath tooke vpon him again, the rule and dominiō of Turckey: Hungarians, whom he vaynquyshed and droue backe. And afterwarde he went and asseged Croye against Schanderheg, but he coulde not gette it. And then in his retournyng by the mounteignes, he was robbed and spoyled of the Paysans, whyche Howe Amurath was robbed and spoyled. slue many of his people. So that what with the greate grefe & dyspleasure that he then tooke, and also for age, he dyed the. M .cccc. & The death of Amurath. li. yeare of oure Lorde, beeyng of [Page] the age of .lxxv. yeres, & the .xxxii. yeare of his reigne, and the .xxvi. of the reigne of Gharles the .vij. kyng of Fraunce. And he was the first that ordeyned the Iannyssaryes.

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MEhemet the seconde of Mehemet the secōde of that name. that name (called by Enguerrand and other historigraphiers) Fraū ces Morbesan, and I am in doubte whether they would say Morbesalem, whiche is asmuche to saye in the Syryan & Moresque speche as these woordes of the Gospell (Vade in pace) in englyshe, goo in peace: ye sōne of Amurath & of Iriny Vucouich the daughter of George deputye of Seruie, beganne to reygne the .xxi. yeare of his age, and with in two yeares after, he wanne the The wynning of Constantinople. siege of the toune of Constantinople whiche was in the. M .cccc. & .liij. [Page] yere of our Lord, where was slayn the Emperour Constantyne. And it The first and laste Emperours of Constantynople was named Constantyne came so to passe, that lyke as one Constantyne the sonne of Helene was the first Emperour of Cōstantinople so another Constantyne beynge the sonne of another Helene was ye last Emperour therof. This Mehemet was nether Christian, nor Musulmā or Mahometist, for in his youthe he was instructed in the Christyan fayth by his mother, and after he learned this doctryne of Mahomet: so that when he came to age and dyscrecion, he nether kepte the one nor the other. In the begynnynge Turckyshe tyrannye. of his reigne, he caused to be slain two younge brethren that he had, the one of ye age of .xviij. monethes and the other of .vi. Notwithstandyng some say, that in the place of the elder was put another chylde, and he that was his brother was [Page] sent to Constantinople, and frō thence to Venyce and so to Rome to Calyxte then byshoppe of yt see, which caused him to be baptyzed and named Howe ye brother of Mehemet was Christened. Calixte Othman, to whome the Emperour Frederick ye thyrde gaue greate gyftes and substaunce in Austria. Mehemet hauyng taken Constantinople, as I haue saide, he tourned hym to the realme of Hungarye and besieged Belgrado, from whēce he was dryuen by Ihon Huniad, whiche was within thesame with the Cardinal of saynt Ange called Ihon, and a graye freer named also Iohn, and surnamed Capistram.

From thys siege, Mehemet fled shamfully, for he was hurte, & lost his artillarye and other bagages without hope of the recouerye of Hungarye. So that he was cōstreined to passe vnto Moree whiche the Venecyans had taken from hym [Page] and newlye repeyred the Examilo, whiche is a walle conteignynge vi. myles, or two legues longe, frō the goulfe of Patràs, called ye baye of Corinthiacus, vnto that of Legine, whiche was called the baye of Megaricus, where sometyme was the toune of Corinthe, whiche nowe is brought vnto a lytle village called Corintho, the whiche Examilo, Amurath his father had beatē downe that he myght entre the easelyer into the Moree. Mehemet commynge the Venecyens thought to wythstande Mehemet discomfyted the Venecyans. hym, but they were vaynquyshed, and lost that battayll, in the whyche was slayne a greate nombre of good capteynes of the Italyans, after whose takynge & the veraye same tyme, was taken also the Isle of Negrepont called Eubeia, ioynyng to the sayde land, enclosed wyth a brydge. And afterwarde [Page] the ysles of Stalimene or Stalmini, in the olde tyme called Lennos, and Methelim, called Lesboos, the whiche perteigned to Nycholas Cataluz geneuoye: afterwarde also saynt Maurye, called Nerytus, and by some Leucas and Leucadia, Imate in the olde tyme name zacynthus and Cephalenie called Chifalonye. And recouered agayn Croya, after the death of Schanderbeg, he tooke the toune of Scutari or Scodra from the lorde Arinth Comino or Connenus, surnamed Gollent, that is to saye Cheuelu, father of the lorde Constantyne, that gouerned the Marques of Mountfarrat after the death of the Duchesse hys nyece, thesame tyme that kynge Charles the eyght came from Naples. Afterwarde he entred into Bosue and tooke the lorde or deputye named Stephyn Hierchec [Page] (and of some historiphiers the duke of Latic) whose heade he commaunded to bee stryken of, and caused hys sonne to denye hys faythe and to bee circumcized and surnamed Achinath. He tooke from the Geneuoys the toune of Capha, whyche is called Theodosia, sette in Precopie, whiche is Taurica Chersonessus, whyche in maner is as longe as the Moree, and on the one syde thereof is the goulfe of Nigropila called the baye of Carcinites, and on the other syde the blacke seea called Bicis Palus, and nere vnto it, is Meotides Paludes whyche at thys daye is called the goulfe of Tanais. Beeynge thus combred and troubled wyth all these cares and prouyuysyons of warre, and trauaylynge and labourynge in all [Page] these countryes lyeng so farre one from another, he was assayled in Natolie by Piramet Caraman, whyche constreigned him to leaue his entreprises, How Mehemet was assailed by Piramet Caraman. and yet notwithstādyng before that he parted, he tooke the stronge castell of Mancup, situate vpon the streight, whiche by land encloseth Precopie, that in the olde tyme was called Taphie. Thys thynge done he passed into Natolia dryuynge backe Caraman, and entred into his countreye, a greate parte wherof he wanne & brought vnder his subieccion. In his commyng backe, he toke Sinope ye head of Paphlago sytuate vpon the great sea, and Trapezus called Trebisonde whiche is an Empire: and he caused to be slayne the Emperour Dauid Conyno or Commenus whiche was a Christian, of the lynage of the valyaunt Isaac Conyno, the whyche [Page] from a capteyne, became Emperour of Constantinople, next after the Emperour Mychael. And all these thynges aforesayde came to passe Note, that ye dyscorde betwene Christian princes prouoketh ye Turcke to warre. in the tyme that the Hungaryans & theim of Austriche made warre agaynste the Emperour Frederycke, because they woulde haue had Lancelot the soonne of Albert theyr lorde and kynge whiche was in the kepyng of the Emperour, and he woulde not delyuer hym to theim, because he was not of leful age. And streyte vpon these victoryes aroase a newe enemye of thesayde Mehemet, whiche was the How ye kyng of Persye assayled Mehemet. kynge of Persie, called Vsuncassan or Assembeg, whiche was accompaigned wyth a greate armye of the Persians (whome the Turckes call Keselbach, that is to saye redde heddes, because thei vse to were redde cappes or hattes) he entred into [Page] Capadoce and Trebisonde, and in the fyrste battayle Mehemet was dyscomfyted, in the seconde Assamheg had the woorsse and loste a greate parte of his countreye. The whyche Assembeg was of the lignage of Dauid Conyno the Emperoure of Trebisonde, lyke as before I haue made mencyon, and he reigned in the yeare of oure Lorde. M .cccc. and .lxxii. Mehemet beyng delyuered of this trouble, retorned into Caramanie, after the death of Piramet Caraman, and constreigned Abraham hys sonne to seke ayde and succour of the Christians and of Pius the seconde byshop of Rome whiche byshop myndyng to go in his owne persone agaynste hym caused hymselfe to be caryed to Ancone, where he prepared a greate armye by the seea, and there dyed, [Page] whyle he taryed the commynge of the Venecyans whyche should haue accompaignyed hym in this voyage. Thē it came to passe he be ynge dead, that the armye skattered and so departed wythoute takyng any effect, the Almeignes beynge then in warre wyth the Hungaryans, they founde Caraman alone without helpe or ayde, whō the saide Mehemet caused to bee slayne. And by thys meane, the stocke of Caraman was destroyed The dyscomfyture & death of Caraman. and theyr contreye remeyned to Othmans. Mehemet beynge sure of this quarter he sente to Marbeye, Samgiac of Bosue, whyche was the soonne of a Geneuoye, to spoyle the countreye of Istrie, called Liburnie, of Craine or Carnie, called Corinthe, & of Stirie, whiche they cal Steirmarck, & in yt old tyme called [Page] Valeria, whiche all are comprysed within Illirium, and so passed forthe to Friol, which was called the merket of Iulii, & trauersynge betwixte The great ryuers Gue and Nou. Gue and Nou the greate ryuers, dyscōfyted the Venecyans which he found before hym, wher wer slayn and taken prysoners, al the rest of the good capteynes of Italye. On the other syde, Mehemet sent Achmath Bacha surnamed Ghendich, (that is to saye: to the greate toothe, the sonne of Stephyn late deputee of Bosne of whome I haue spoken before) wt a great armye by seea into Italye, & he toke the toune of Otranto called Hydruntus, and in old tyme Iapiginum, in the countree of Pouille or Apulia. Before this also Mesithba Paleologue (whiche was of the lignage of the Emperoures of Constantynople) had assieged the toune of ye Rhodes, and coulde not get it. [Page] And not content with these thre armyes, Mehemet wente hymselfe against ye Soudiane of Egipt, but beyng arriued very nye to Nicomedie, (whiche some at this day call Comedy,) he dyed in the yere of our lord. M .cccc. lxxxii, beyng aboute thage of The death of Mehemet. liiii. yeres and the .xxxi. yere of his reigne. He was called by the Turkes Mehemet Boiuc, that is, the great. And he lefte behinde hym .ij. soonnes named, Pazait and zizimi, which dooth signifie loue, for Muscapha Laisne gouernour of Icony, called Iconium dyed sone after ye seconde battayle of Ambassag, in the whiche he bare hymselfe wel and valyaūtly.

§

PAzait, or Bazait, the seconde Pazait or Bazait the secōde of that name. of that name, & the youngest of yt thre brethren, (by the ayde and helpe of the Iannissaryes, specially of Laga, that is to [Page] say a capitayne, whiche was nigh kynne to hym) he ceased or possessed the Empire. And zizimi his brother had possessed hymselfe of a Pazait the turckysh tyranne assaileth his brother. toune called Bursye, wherwith he was well satisfyed and contented, yet notwithstandynge Pazait with the armye that hys father had prepared to haue gone agaynste the Souldyan, he assauted hys brother. To the whiche Souldyā the forsaied zizimi fled, and was by hym ayded bothe of money and menne: but he loste two battayles and was dyscomfyted by Achmath Ghēdich Bacha. Wherfore, not thynkynge enye more to recouer, he withdrewe Howe zizimi the sonne of mehemet fled to ye Rhodes for succoure. hymselfe to the Rhodes for to haue succoure of the Christians, and zizimi was of the age of .xxviij. yeres Pazait being aduertized hereof sent greate presentes vnto the chiefe maister and counceler of the Rhodes [Page] desyryng him to kepe and cherysh well his brother, for the expences and good entreaty of whome he would pay vnto hym yerely fourty thousande ducates, that so long as he was gentely enterteyned of theim, he woolde make none enter prise or war wt the christians. The which thynges he kepte and obserued wt theim. And ye saied z zimi for the more suretie, & for that he was alwayes kepte in fear & subieccyō of the saied Pazait he was sent into Fraunce, where he lyued a greate while in one of yt houses perteining to ye Rhodians called Bourgānēsis: afterward he was geuē to Innocēt bishop of Rome ye .viij. of yt name & sent to Howe zizimi was vnder the keping of the B. Rome. Rome wher he was yt time yt kyng Charlies ye .viij. went to Naples, which desired to haue him, hoping by his Howe the emperour desyred to haue zizimi. ayde to haue recouered the Empire of Costantinople, but Alexander [Page] the. vi, bysshop of Rome, deliuered hym to ye Emperour empoysened, (as some saie) in suche sorte that he liued not past. iii, daies after, and How the bysshop of Rome poysoned zizimi. dyed at Tarracina. Pazait dyspatched of his brother, went aboute to conquiere yt Transiluana, afterwarde, he tooke Moncastro, and Lithostomo the one vpon the ryuer of Neper or Boristhenes, Howe pazait beyng despatched of his brother, beginneth a newe to warre vpō christendome. that is to saie Moncastro, and Lithostomo vpon the mouthe of the Danowe. Afterwarde, he caused to bee put to deathe his good capitaine Achmath Ghendich Bacha, whiche he myght haue saied had been equall with enie excellēt manne of warre, and he was the soonne of his nere kinnesman Stephin depute of Bosne as I haue saied before,

This beyng done, Pazait to go forwarde with the enterpryse of his father, and to auenge hymself of the Soudian which had fauoured [Page] & meynteyned zizimi his brother agaynst hym, he sente a greate armye How Pazait prepareth again the Soudian. into Surie, of the whiche the Mameluchs beyng aduertised, did assemble theimselfes at Antioche and came towarde the Turckes to the mount Amanus, called at this present mounte Negro, or the blacke mountayne, where they encoūtred and defyed the saied Turckes, betwene ye saied moūte and yt goulfe Laiaffe, whiche was called the baye of Issicus, where sometyme Alexander the greate disconfited kyng Darius and there was taken Chirseogli beyng ye soonne in lawe of Pazait, and was brought before yt Soudian in ye toune of Kair, which the Turckes calle Misir. But forasmuche as I am fallen from my matter by the reason the Māmaluchs, it shall not be farre out of the waye to tell you what is meant by a Māmeluch. Mammeluch [Page] in the Sirians tounge, whiche also is Affricane, by vs called Moresque: but for the better vnderstandyng, it signifyeth in our vulgare tounge, a seruaunte or souldyour. And ye muste vnderstande that the Souldyan and the Mammeluchs are one maner of relygyon, and they professe chastite. Vpon theyr other apparel they were a roobe of white Māmeluchs are much like the knyghtes of ye Rhodes. Buckeram bryght and shynynge. And lykewyse as ye greate Turcke hathe weytynge vpon hym foure Visir Baga, so the Souldyā hathe foure Emyr Quiber, that is to saye cheife or hed admyralles. Besyde thys, he hathe a greate or chiefe Conestable, whiche they they calle Derdart Quiber. The sayde Souldyan is made and chosen by the forsayde Howe ye souldian is elected and chosen. Mammeluchs amonge theimselfes as the knyghtes of the Rhodes those amonge theim selfes theyr greate [Page] mayster and mooste commonly is one of the Emyrs or hed admiralles and he that is chosen, dooth geue vnto euery of the sayde Mammeluchs for his welcome an hundred ducates for a presente. The whiche Mā meluchs were all Chrysten menne or The Mammeluchs wer christen mēne Christen mennes chyldren, that de nyed theyr faythe and professyon, lyke as are the Iannyssaries, for by no meanes they wyll receyue into theyr compaignye, eyther Turcke More or Iewe. The whiche Māmeluchs the Tartres tooke & solde theim by heapes to the fore sayd Emyrs, whiche when they had bought theim brought them vp and made them Mammeluchs and they wer made the moost vyllaynes and slaues of all other menne, and greately geuen to ye feactes of armes, specially on horsebacke, kepynge the lawe of Mehemet. [Page] This religion begāne in the tyme Whē the mā meluchs beganne. that kyng Lewis was taken at Damiate, which some call Heliopolis, and the first Soudian was named Melech The fyrste Soudan. Sala, whome the Mammeluchs slewe, whiche caused that the saied Lewis was ye soner & easelyer delyuered.

But for to come againe to Pazait, this dyscomfyture that the Turckes had at Laiasse by ye Mammeluchs, was the greatest that euer he had. And therfore the saied Pazait seyng How Pazait retourned into Sclauony that his busynes framed not in yt quartre, retourned into Sclauonie, & tooke the toune of Duraz, of olde tyme called Dyrrachium and Epidamnus, whiche was ye Carleuichs, whom they saye came out of the house of Fraunce, & of Charles of Duraz surnamed of the peace, the soonne of Peter duke of Grauine, the soonne of Charles the seconde kyng of Naples, brother to the forsaied Lewis.

[Page] In the yeare of oure Lorde a thousande foure hundred .xciii. Pazait sent eyght thousande horssemenne, conducted by Cadum Bacha to ronne betwene Hungarye and Sclauonye: agaynste whome came certen lordes of ye sayde coūtrey of Hungarye, of Croace, and of Sclauonye, & they met together vpon the ryuer The discomfyture of the Christians. of Moraua, of olde tyme called Moschus, where the Christians were scatered and dyscomfyted. Fyue yeares after, Haly Bacha Albanoys Monouc sente a greate armye by seea vnto Iara or Iadera, beynge vpon the goulfe of Venyce, called Mare Adriaticum, on the coaste of Sclauonye. And then for asmuche as the armye of the Venecyans, whyche was veraye greate folowed theym, they durste not assayle it, wherfore Haly Bacha then knowynge that the Venecyans [Page] wer afrayed, toke, spyght of theyr beardes the toune of Lepantho, called in olde tyme Naupactum.

In the .xv. C. yeare, Pazait came hym selfe to Modon, which was called Methone, beeynge in the Morce, and tooke it. After that, kynge Lewys the twelfth, and the Venecyans were of allyaunce, agaynste Ludouic Sforce, surnamed the Mor [...], callynge hymselfe the duke of Millan, Pazait at the request and desyre of the saide Ludouic caste of .x. M. horssemen of the Turckes wythin Fryol, thewhyche came vnto Triuiz and wythin the sight of Venyce, wherfore the Venecyans prepared & set foorth by seea a greate and myghty armye. With whome the gallyes of Fraunce dyd mete, beynge vnder the charge and gouernaunce of the Lorde of Rauestaing and Gonsalo Fernando, surnamed [Page] the greate capteyne, wyth the gallyes of kynge Ferdinand Daragon, called of the Frenchemenne Iohn Gippon. The whyche armye tooke agayne the ysles of Chifalonie and of saynte Maure, whiche afterwarde was geuen agayne to the Turcke by the sayde Venecyans vpon the conclusyon of peace made betwene theim, by the intreatye of Maistre Androwe Gritti afterwarde duke of Venyce. The gallyes of Fraunce went foorthe to the ysle of Methelin, where they coulde dooe no good. Aboute this tyme beganne the renounie and fame of Siach Ismail kynge of Persye named Sophi, as was hys father, and he was the sonne of one of the daughters of Vsuncassan, and of one named Seichayder, that is to saye: the good Seich. For he was counted for an holy manne, [Page] and as a prophete. And he was called Sophi of that secte, or as I The Sophi. should saye, that religion, whiche they call Sophi or Sophilar, of ye which I haue spoken before, but some saye that it is because the countreye which they possesse is so called, but neyther the Turckes ner yet the Persyans knowe what Sophene is.

The forsayde Seich after the death of thesayde Vsuncassan was sleyne by Iacobbeg hys brother in lawe, for enuye of thys, that the people of Persie were more enclyned and affeccionate to hym, fearyng least they would haue made hym kynge.

Siach Ismael beynge then of ye age of eyght yeares, fled and remayned a longe tyme in the toune of [Page] Leziam, vpon the seea of Dabbaccuth vntyll he came to mannes state. Afterwarde he retourned into Persie, and founde the meanes to get vnto hym thrye hundred menne, wyth whome he toke the toune of Sumach, beynge then the chiefe or hedde toune of Mesopotamie: afterwarde, the nombre of hys people encreasynge, he tooke Taurus, and and then Syras, the chief cytie of Armenie: he vaynquesshed and caused to bee putte to deathe Aluant whyche was made kynge of Persie, and he slewe Iacobegge the sonne of Vsuncassan and vncle of the foresayde Siach, whyche made allyaunce with Aladule or Alnaudule and the Soudian of Egypte, by whome he was sturred and persuaded to make warre vpon Pazait, agaynste whome also he hadde many tymes preuayled. And aboute thys [Page] tyme Selym the youngest chylde of the sayd Pazait departed from Trebisonde, of the whyche he was gouernoure, and without the knowlege of his father, he maryed the daughter of Chan of Tartaire Precopie, wyth the fauoure of whome, and wyth the healpe of a greate nombre of horsses whiche his brother in lawe (whome the Turckes call Chamogli or Canogli) had sente to accompaignye hym, and hauynge also on his syde the Iannyssaryes: he compelled his father to geue ouer his realme vnto hym, the whyche whyle they caryed him The death of Pazait whiche was poysoned by his sonne Selym who also destroyed hys owne brethrē [...] is ye father of Solymā ye great Turcke that nowe raygneth. backe ouer the greate sea to haue lyued there the rest of his dayes, he dyed by the waye, poysoned by his sayd sōne Selym, as some iudge because they dranke together at theyr departynge. Pazait reigned xxx. yeares, and he lyued .lx. yeres [Page] and he dyed the. M. D. & .xij. yere, and the .xiiij. from ye reigne of Lois the twelfth. And he lefte behynde hym .iij. sonnes, Selym, Achmat and Corcuth.

§

SElym beyng come to Selym the sonne of Pazait. the realme by ye meanes aforesayd entē ded before all other thinges to dyspatch his brethren, and first of all he caused How Selym sought ye destrucciō of his brethren. to be sleyne Corcuth, which was fled alonge the seea coaste, nere to the Rhodes, where he hyd hymselfe, waytyng for a shyp, to haue gone to the greate maister of the Rhodes, but he was betreyed by one of his The death of Corruth brother of Selym. owne folkes and was taken and strangeled with a bowe strenge. Achmet dyed the lyke death, but he was takē in battaile (accōpaignyed with a great armye, whiche he [Page] had made oute, by the ayde of Siach, Ismail, Sophie and of Campson Ciauri Soudan) forasmuche as he was so fatte and grosse, that he neyther The death of Achmath the other brother of Selym. coulde saue hymselfe by flyenge, ner endure to ryde.

Selym beeynge thus delyuered & dispatched of his father and brethren, purposed to make warre agaynst the Sophie, aswell for ye olde enemyte whyche was beetwene theim, as also for the dyspleasoure that he dyd in aydyng his brother to make warre agaynst hym. And the more easely to brynge to passe this hys purpose and entencyon, he found the meane to haue peace with Lancelot kyng of Hungary and to refreshe and renue agayne (for The cōmyng of the Sophy agaynst Selym. his more suretie) ye allyaūce which he had wyth ye Venecyans: & then he toke the waye of Perse. And as ye forsaid Sophy was come vnto him [Page] with a great noūbre of horsses armed and barbed euen vnto Assyrie, he was scatered and dyscomfyted with the artillary of the Turkes, with which the horses of yt Persians had not bene accustomed. And the battayle was made in the playne of Calderam betwene Tauris and Coye, wher, as I haue sayde is the toune called Artaxata, and this battayle is peynted or portured in the hall of the councell of Venice, where I haue sene it, and some saye that the sayde Selym sente it to theim. After this battayle the sayd toune of Tauris came into the handes of ye Turckes with a great parte of the realme of Persye: but it remayned not longe, for Siach sone after recouered it agayne and it is kepte at thys daye by Taanas hys soonne. Selym goynge backe agayne from Persye, dyd wyntre in Trebisonde, [Page] and the somer nexte folowyng, he assayled the lorde Amandule, whiche bordreth vpon yt Soudan toward the towne of Aleph called of the Frēchmenne Halappe, of the Turckes Aldephe, Aleph is the fyrst lettre in the Hebrue alphabete, and therof was ye toune named the fyrst in Surye. and in the olde time Epiphania. And it is called Aleph, forasmuche as it is the fyrst toune of Sury. On the other syde towarde Amasie is ioyned to ye Turcke Cony otherwayes called Icony, and to the Persians by the lytle Armenie. All the countree of the saied Amandule was taken, and he hymselfe also, whose hedde Selim caused to be smyttē of Then remayned there none, but the Souldan, whiche came wt a great strength agaynst Caythbey Emyr of Alep, that dyd rebelle and disobey hym, beyng accompaignied with xxviij. thousand horsemen whiche were for the most parte Mammeluchs that nothyng regarded nor feared [Page] ye Turckes because thei had many tymes before beatē and vaynquisshed theim, as is aforsaied. Selym feyned hym to goo agaynst the Sophy makyng the bruyte to goo so a broade. And as he dyd come vnto ye toune of Aman in olde time called Apamea, beyng sumwhat betwexte Ale and Damas, he was prayed and desyred by ye saied Caythbey of ayde & succour agaynst the Soudan, wher unto most wyllyngly he dyd agree seyng it was the thyng yt he moste earnestly desyred, and the meane & occasion also that he greatly loked for, howbeit, he durst not open, nor declare his mynde therupon, seing these two armyes in the feldes, for feare least they shuld haue agreed to haue fallē vpon hym, watching and sekyng a meane howe he hymselfe myght bryng theim bothe to destruccyon, wherfore he dyd incō tinently [Page] ioyne and associat himself with the sayde Emyr Caythbey, and they defyed the Soudan Campson Ciaury, which died in the batayle like as dyd Cathbey, then Selim remained lorde of Surie, of Damas of Hierusalem and of Iudee. The Mammeluchs which coulde escape & returne into Egipte, with theim also that remayned at home chase another Soudan, named Tomombey Emir of Alexandrie. Selim followyng hotely this fortune & victory, entreed into Egipte, and vaynquished Tomombey in another battayle, and tooke the toune of Caire, which of some is called the wrong full Carra, and by some others by more apparaūt reasōs Mēphis. And as ye sayde Tomombey saued himself by passyng ouer the ryuer of Nyle, he was pursued by Canogle, who folowyng him, passed ouer the sayde ryuer to Nou with .x. thousand horses [Page] of Tartarie, because he foūde the brydge yt was made of botes brokē and destroyed by the Iannissares: so that the saied Tomombey was taken and brought backe againe to Selim whiche caused hym to be hanged, wherby the said Selim dyd remayne kyng of Egipte which was in ye yere of our lord a. M. D. and eyghtene.

Selim beyng retourned agayne to Constantinople & wyllyng to go to Andripoli, died, by the way at ye village of Ciorlich, wher as I haue said he had assailled his father with ye Tartarians. And he dyed in the yere of our Lorde a thousande fyue hundreth and twenty, beynge fourty & syxe yeare of age, and the eyght yeare of the reygne of Francoyes the French kyng that nowe presently doth reygne, after that he had put to deathe these thre Baccha Chenden [Page]Baccha, because that he would haue made busynes with the Iannissaries mouyng theim to ryot at his entryng in Perse. Boscangi, or Constantin Baccha his sōne inlawe, for dyuer [...] robberyes and enormitees, which he had cōmytted, and Ianus Baccha none can tel why or wherfore, saue onely but that he thought hym to proude or arrogante. This Selym lefte one sōne onely called Soliman & by ye Turckes Seleyman, leuing him in the custody of Peribaccha whiche did gouerne him in his yoūg age.

§

THe tyrant Seleiman the which nowe hath the dominion and rule of the Turckes at thys present time lord and gouernour ouer the Turckes beganne his reygne the xxviij. yere of his age who in the yere nexte following by counsel of [Page] Peribaccha beseiged Belgrado & wāne and tooke the same from Lois kyng of Hungarie, the soonne of Lancelot of Hūgarie, which thē was very yoūge the princes and lordes of the hole countree beyng at greate debate & varyaunce for the gouernemente both of the kyng and his realme, wherby it so chaunsed that they tooke no heede to prouide for any ayde or succour of the saied place. And the nexte yere after he wente agaynste the Rhodes, lystenyng and watchyng at all tymes accordyng to ye custome of his predicessours wher he myght heare or perceiue any diuision or dissencion yt shuld chaunse to be among the christian princes, the whiche enterpryse he dyd take on hand without ye counsell and aduise of the saied Peri Baccha, whiche did recken the same to be very doubtesome and to greate [Page] an auenture. Neuertheles it came to passe accordyng to his owne desyre and that in yt yere of our lorde a. M D .xxvij. when Italie was in warres and troubles Seleiman entered into Hungarie with fauour as he saieth of Iohn of ziphs Vaiuod of Sibens This child is it (the sōne of Ihon) who hath now occasyoned the warre in Hū garye, and by whome the Turcke maketh clayme therunto. borge, whiche pretended the sayed royalme to apperteyne vnto hym. So that it came to passe that the younge kynge Lois was slayne as he came to the battayle, and therafter deceased the sayde Iohn, leuyng a very yonge chylde behynde hym which not long ago together with his mother were taken by ye sayed Seleiman & sente vnto Costantinople as it is reported. As concernyng such thynges as are chaunsed of these laste yeares, it is not necessary to wryte to you of ye same, seyng that the same is manifestely knowen howe he hath recouered Coron, Patras,[Page]Castelno & other places, whiche the Emperours armye and nauie by the sea had taken from hym. The greate enterprise of the Barberousse, whiche by greate craft and subtiltie tooke the towne of Tunys in Affrique, that we call Barbarie the whiche is euē at our dores, or nere vnto vs, & there is not (if a manne maie saie it) but one ryuer to passe, betwene vs and the realme of Tunys. The whiche realme of Tunys at this present tyme is in holde of ye Emperours maiestie, who did moost victoriously cōquest ye same in the yere of God. M. D. xxvi, chacynge Barbarousse from the saied realme, ye whiche he did before moost wrongfullie holde, possesse & occupie, to the great hurt and damage of all Christians.

How ye great Turcke not long agoe hath discōfited in battail the [Page] armie of Ferdinand kyng of hungarie, not by no valiaūt feact, but thorow chaūse of variaunce & debate betwixte the almaignes & hū garians whō he founde fightyng the one againste the other in their owne campes. Like as the veniciens were constraigned to rendre to hym, the strenght and fortresse of Naples, of Romanie, yt was called Nauplias. And it is to bee thought that he shall not kepe theim, forasmuche as he beleueth theim and letteth theim dooe what thei wil.

Ye haue caused me to enter in this mater whiche requireth to be set foorth more largely, and by one of a greater witte and knowelege then I am of. And also I haue lightly and briefly ouer passed the same. And it shall be expedient too knowe, that not onlie a kyng, as is this kynge of hungarye, but a [Page] smalle lorde, and in maner asimple gentleman, had had strength and power ynough not onlye to resiste and withstande the assautes and entreprises of this nacion, but to haue dryuen theim awaye, in destroyenge and takynge theim, and that in ye chefest of all their strēgth and courage. Wherfore it is not vnpossyble but that we maie euen nowe in this tyme dooe as muche and more, when it shall please God to encourage vs therunto

§

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THe lawes of Mahumet cōteine some thinges verie madd and disagreyng frō all reasō and some woorthie to bee abhorred and detested of all menne, some folishe and like olde wifes tales &c. Some haue suche colour of honeste & wisdome that a manne would thincke theim right holily made. Some bee so like Moses lawe and the euangelicall doctrine, yt you would iudge theim to haue been deriued out of the spryng of ye heauenly oracles. For Mahumet crieth out against the vnfaithfulnesse of the Iewes, he affirmeth cōstantly that Christ was conceaued of the holy goost and borne of a pure virgin, he calleth Christa great prophete of God, the woord, ye soule & the spirite of God whiche shall iudge all the worlde [Page] Nether woulde Mahumet seme to be yt enemie of Christ, or to abholishe his doctrine, but only to correcte those thinges whiche were corrupted, and priuely putte in by other menne. Mahumet also fighteth strōgly against certain doctrines dāned by God his woord, as of the Anthiopomorphites, whiche fasion the God head with a manes bodie & forme.

Item, he abrasethe the supersticion of the heathen and deniethe ye pluralite of Goddes, and saieth that images be not to bee worshipped. Briefely this is the sūme, and chief head of Mahumettes religion yt there is one God, whiche made, preserueth & gouerneth all thynges, and that Mahumet was his principall ambassadour, and one of his priuie coūsel, and that he brought forthe nothyng to bee obserued & beleued, whiche he drewe not out [Page] of the mouthe and harte of ye true God. So that to beleue the maister of truthe is to beleue God, whiche vsed Mahumet familiarlye, and to despyse hym, is to despyse God which sent so heauenly a doctour. And that the folowers of Mahumetes learnyng, be the lawfull sonnes of faythful Ahraham, heyres of goddes promyses. And that in the earth they shall haue the fruicion of all good thynges and in ye worlde to come they shalbe the indwellers of Paradise, & that theyr they shall haue swete waters, pleasaunt frutes and faire womenne. And whosoeuer despyseth the lawes publyshed in the Alcorā, as vngodlye personnes, shal not only bee punished here temporallye, but also in the worlde to comme euerlastyngly, whan in the resurreccion the soules shalbe called agayne [Page] to their bodyes, he denyeth that Christ was put to death of ye Iewes, & farther he sayth playnly that Christ dyed not. Mahumetes do ctryne hathe no holde of the head Christe, it is a plantacion which ye heauenly father hath not planted and therfore shall Christ pul it vp by the rootes. The foundacion of euerlastyng truth is buylded vpō Iesus of Nazareth, whyche was crucifyed, and dyed vnder Ponce Pilate, the saueour of the worlde, chiefly of the faythfull.

Nowe seynge yt the Turkyshe profession denieth this thyng, and fighteth agaynste it. The euerlastynge truthe constraigneth vs to graunt yt this infinite multitude, (whiche is an horrible thynge to thyncke) of Mahumetanes, Turkes, Saracenes & other, stādeth in daūger of most greuous dānaciō. [Page] To whiche secte thei that cleaue frely & vnconstr eynedly, thei entre not in to the waie of true saluaciō, but throwe theimselfes headlynge in to extreme darknes, in to the compaignie of the deuil, in to eternal death, in to ye helpitte of horrible calamite, here thou hast what to bee thought & iudged of the Mahumetanes.

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Information about this book

Title statement

The order of the greate Turckes courte, of hys menne of warre, and of all hys conquestes, with the summe of Mahumetes doctryne. Translated out of Frenche. 1524 [sic].Estat de la courte du grant Turc. English

Geuffroy, Antoine.

Edition statement

1542

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A14027

ID [STC]

STC 24334

ID [STC]

ESTC S104956

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99840686

ID [PROQUEST]

99840686

ID [VID]

5213

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A14027)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 5213)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 155:10)

Source

— The order of the greate Turckes courte, of hys menne of warre, and of all hys conquestes, with the summe of Mahumetes doctryne. Translated out of Frenche. 1524 [sic]., Estat de la courte du grant Turc. English, Geuffroy, Antoine..

Extent

[8], Cl [i.e. Cxlix], [3] p.

Ricardus Grafton excudebat,. [London] :: 1524[i.e.1542]. (A translation, from the French, of part of: Geuffroy, A. Estat de la courte du grant Turc.) (The "1524" on the title page is a misprint for 1542.) (Actual publication date from additional title page, leaf A1.) (At foot of title page: Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum.) (Page Cxlix misnumbered Cl.) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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