the fermers and inhabitauntes about the Citie, to saue them selues, and to bryng in their goodes within the walles. MarginaliaPreparatiōs within the Citie of Vienna, agaynste the Turke.Such places as were weake within the walles, they made strong. About the towers and munitions of the walles, they prouided rampyres and bulwarkes distaunt. 80. foote one from an other, to kepe of the shotte: and euery man had his place and standyng awarded to him vpō the walle, and his office appointed what to do: but especially that side of the Citie, whiche lyeth to the riuer of Danubius, they fortified after the best wise: for that way onely now remained for vitaile to be transported from the Bohemians vnto them. Wherfore viij. ensignes were assigned to the kepyng of the bridge, and in the plaine, which was like an Iland inclosed within the ryuer, a sufficient garrison of horsemen were placed, lyeng within the gunshotte of the Citie, to the entent that if any graine or vitaile were sent from the Bohemians, they might prouide the same safly to be brought into the Citie.

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These thinges thus beyng disposed and set in order, Lord VVilliam Rogendorff, to assay the strength of the Turkes, made diuers rodes out with his horsemē, albeit much agaynst the mindes of the Austrians: who knowyng the maner of the Turkes, thought it better to suffer thē, while either with tyme they might be ouerweryed, or for lacke of victuales consumed. Among many and sundry skyrmishes whiche the Christians had with the Turkes, one especially was to our men vnprosperous: MarginaliaRashe hardines of our Christians in skyrmishing with the Turke.in whiche certeine of the horsemen espeyng a small troupe of the Turkes scatteryng abroad from their companie, made out after them, who sodenly and guylfully were inclosed and circūuēted by the Turkes, before they could recouer the gates of the Citie, and so were all taken alyue: Of whom iij. were sent from the Turkes into the Citie, to declare to þ^e Viennians what strength they had sene in the campe of their aduersaries, and to sollicite them to yelde their Citie for feare of punishmēt whiche would folow: MarginaliaThe wretched cruelty of the Turkes against the Christian captiues.The residue they reserued to tormentes & punishment, whom in the sight of þ^e whole armye, & of þ^e Christians (whiche should tell the same to þ^e Citizens) they caused euery man to be drawen with iiij. horses a peece, and so to be dismembred and pluckt a sonder. After this done, the barbarous Turke immediatly sēt his Heroald to talke with the captaines of the Citie, whether they would yelde the Citie vpō honest conditiōs, or els would abyde þ^e arbitremēt of warre. MarginaliaThe message of the Turke to the Viennians.If they would gently submit them selues, they should haue all gentlenes to them shewed: If they would be stubburne, & stand to their defense, he would also stand to his siege begōne, so that he neither would spare man, woman, nor childe. To this þ^e Captaines aunswered againe, that they were contented Solyman to stand to his siege begōne, and to do his vttermost, what he would, or what he could. MarginaliaThe aunswere of the Viennians to the Turke.As for them, they were at a poynte to defende them selues and their Citie so long as they might: the euente and fal of victorie to be doubtfull, & many tymes so to happen, that they whiche begyn the warre, are weryed sooner then they whiche be prouoked: neither agayne that they were so vnmyndfull either of them selues, or of theyr countrey, but that they did remember well what they are, and what they be called, named to be Germaines: who vse alwayes first to assay the aduersarie, what he is hable to do, and not rashelye to committe them selues into their enemyes handes.

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MarginaliaSolymannus approcheth Vienna with thre great armyes.Solymannus not a litle disdaynyng at this answere, first burnyng and consumyng all the villages, houses, and places round aboute the Citie, infectyng also the sprynges & fountaines whiche gaue water into the Citie, and so stoppyng all passages, that no reliefe should haue way vnto thē, beganne with angry moode to approche more nere to the Citie, with three great campes, sendyng them word in scorne and contumelie, by one ofhis captiues, that if they stoode in nede of helpe of souldiours, he would send vnto them the. 300. Bohemians (mentioned a litle before) to ayde them in their defense. To whom the Palatine directed aunswere agayne, that they had moe souldiours in the Citie, thē they neded: As for the Bohemians whiche had yelded them selues, hee might do with thē, what he would, for Vienna stood in no great nede of them. In þ^e meane time a messenger cōmyng frō Ferdinandus was priuely let in by night into the Citie, MarginaliaA messages sent from Feredinandus to Vienna.whiche brought worde that they should play the men in kepyng out the enemye a while: for it would not be long but both Ferdinandus, and Carolus hys brother, with the strength of all Germany, would be ready to rescue them. At whiche message the hartes of the souldiours beganne somewhat to be chered, and to contemne the huge multitude of the aduersaryes, beyng so great as they neuer did beholde, nor did euer almost, heare of before. The largenes of whose armye, extended to no lesse in compasse (as is aboue sayd) then of vij. myles round about the Citie walles.

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MarginaliaThe siege of Vienna begynneth.Long it were  

to recite the whole order of this terrible siege, with all the partes and circumstaūces therof. Briefly to touche so much as shall suffice for this historie, with fewer woordes then were strypes geuen at the siege therof: this is to be iudged and confessed; who soeuer beholdeth the number and fiercenes of the Turkes, the absence of the king Ferdinandus, the lacke of prouision and vitaile within the Citie, the noyse of the gunnes, the violence of the shot, the terrour of the sight, and yet no succour sent vnto them: MarginaliaThe Lordes power and prouidence in kepyng the Citie of Vienna.that the custodye of that Citie, was no mans doyng, but the arme onely of the Lord God of hoastes, accordyng to þ^e true saying of the Psalme:   Vnlesse þ^e Lord do kepe þ^e Citie, the watchmen watch in vayne, which watch to saue it: Vnles the Lord do builde the house, the builder striueth in vayne, which taketh vpon him to builde it. Experience wherof in kepyng this Citie may well appeare. First Solymannus bendyng   his shotte and ordinaunce agaynst the Citie, beate downe to the groūd the vamures, with all the vttermost suburbes of the Citie, & that in such a short moment of tyme, that the hartes of the Viennians, a litle before refreshed, were now as much appauled agayne with feare, misdoubting with them selues, least þ^e Turke with the same celeritie and violence would haue preuailed agaynst the inwarde walles, as hee did in beatyng downe þ^e outward vamures. And no doubt þ^e same time the Turke had put þ^e citie in great hassard, had not night commyng on, broken of the siege for that daye. In the meane tyme the Citizens labored all night in reparyng and refreshyng the walles, to make all thynges sure agaynst the next assault. MarginaliaThe slaughter of the Turkes about the walles of Vienna.The next day early in the mornyng, the Turkes approchyng the Citie agayne with a new assault, thinkyng to scale the walles, were so repulsed and māfully resisted by the Germaines, that vnneth any ditches about the walles could be sene for the bodyes of the dead Turkes, wherewith they were replenished: so that the Turkes were fayne to fight stādyng vpō the bodyes of them whiche were slayne. By the whiche calamitie the force of the enemy was not a litle abated.

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MarginaliaThe manlynes of captaine Rogēdorffus agaynst the Turkes.It happened the same tyme, that a company of the Turkes beyng spyed out of the Citie wanderyng out of order, the Captaine Rogendorffius with two legions of horsemen issuyng out of the Citie gate called Salmaria, and so passyng closely vnder the hilles side, did so set vpō thē that they slue a great nūber of them: the rest beyng driuē to take the ryuer, whō with stones and shot lykewise they destroyed, & so retired backe into the Citie agayne. By this victorie the Captaine Rogendorffius beganne to be terrible to the Turkes: For in the same skyrmish (as after was knowen) was slayne of them so many that of 5000. and 300. horsemen and footemē, scarse 140 escaped alyue.

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