such a pestilence through all the Turkes armye and dominions, reachyng from Bithynia, and from Thracia, to Macedonia and also to Hungary, that all the Turkes possessions almost semed nothyng els, but as a heape of dead corses, whereby hys viage for that tyme was stopped, and he almost compelled to seeke a new armye. Beside this plague of the Turkes aforesayd, whiche was worse to them then any warre, other lettes also and domesticall calamities through Gods prouidēce happened vnto Solymannus, the greate rouer and robber of the worlde, whiche stayde hym at home from vexyng the Christians, especially touchyng hys eldest sonne Mustapha. This Mustapha beyng hated  

and partly feared of Rustanus the chief counsailour about the Turke, and of Rosa the Turkes concubine and after his wife, was diuers tymes complained of to his father, accused, and at length so brought into suspition and displeasure of the Turke, by thē aforesayd, that in conclusion his father caused hym to be sent for to hys pauilion, where vi. turkes with visours were appointed to put him to death: MarginaliaSolyman the Turke murdereth Mustapha his own sonne.Who cōmyng vpon hym, put (after their maner) a small corde or bowstryng ful of knottes about his necke, and so throwyng him downe vpon the ground, not suffering him to speake one worde to his father, with the twytche thereof throteled and strangeled him to death, his father stādyng in a secret corner by, & beholdyng the same. Which facte being perpetrate, afterward when þ^e Turke would haue geuen to an other sonne of his and of Rosa called Gianger, þ^e treasures, horse, armour, ornamētes and the prouince of Mustapha his brother: MarginaliaGianger the Turkes sonne kylleth himselfe.Gianger cryeng out for sorow of his brothers death: phy of thee, sayth he to his father, thou impious and wretched dog, traytour, murderer, I can not cal thee father, take the treasures, the horse and armour of Mustapha to thee selfe: and with that takyng out his dagger, thrust it throughe his owne body.   And thus was Solyman murderer and paricide of hys owne sonnes: which was in þ^e yeare of our Lord. 1552.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe louyng prouidence of our lord for his christians.Wherin notwithstandyng is to be noted the singular prouidēce and loue of the Lorde toward his afflicted Christians. For this Mustapha as he was couragious and greatly expert & exercised in all practise of warre: so had he a cruell hart, malitiously set to shed the bloud of Christians: Wherfore great cause haue we to congratulate, and to geue thankes to God, for the happy takyng away of this Mustapha.  

MarginaliaGood hope at Gods hand to be conceaued of Christians.And no lesse hope also and good cōfort we may conceaue of our louyng Lord, hereby ministred vnto vs, to thinke that our mercifull God after these sore afflictions of his Christiās vnder these. xij. Turkes afore recited: now after this Solyman entēdeth some gratious good worke to Christēdome, to reduce and release vs out of this so lōg and miserable Turkishe captiuitie: as may be hoped now by takyng away these yong impes of this impious generation, before they should come to worke their conceaued malice agaynst vs: the Lord therfore bee glorified and praysed. Amen.

[Back to Top]

Moreouer as I was in writyng hereof, oportunely came to my handes a certaine writyng out of Germany,  

certifieng vs of such newes and victory of late achiued agaynst the Turke, as may not a litle encrease our hope & comfort as touchyng the decay and ruine of the Turkes power and tyrāny agaynst vs. Whiche newes are these: MarginaliaGood newes of the Turkes latly repulsed by the Christians.that after   the Turkishe Tyraūt had besieged with an armye of. 30000. men, the famous and stronge town and castle of Iula in Hungarie, lyeng. 40. dutch myles beyōd the ryuer Danubius, which Citie had, by the space of. vi. weekes susteyned many greuous assaultes: god through his great mercy and goodnes so comforted the sayd town of Iula and the poore Christians therein, at their earnest prayers, that þ^e Turke with all his host was driuē backe, by the handes of the generall, called Keretshim Laslaw & his valiaunt company. Who not onely defended the sayd towne, but also cōstrained the Turkes to retyre, to their great shame and confusion, with a great slaughter of the Turkishe rable: For the whiche the euerlyuing God be praysed for euer. The maner of their ouerthrow wasthis. Marginalia8000. Turkes slayn.As the foresaid generall did see his aduauntage with captaine George, and other horsemen of the Sclesians & Hungarians, they set on the rereward of the Turkes and kylled about. 8000. of them, and tooke also some of their artillary and folowed them so fast, that the Turkes were constrayned to flye into a maryshe grounde, and to breake þ^e wheeles of the rest of their artillary, to saue thē selues, & therew^t they got a very riche booty, MarginaliaChristiā captiues rescued and taken from the Turkesrescuing besides & taking from the Turkes a great number of Christiā prisoners. Lyke thankes also are to bee geuē to God, for the prosperous successe geuen to Marginalia800. Turkes slayne.Magotschie the valiant captaine of Erla, who makyng toward the Turkes, and encounteryng with the Tartarians, slue of thē about viij. hundreth.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaA great captaine of the Turkes slayne, and his treasure taken.Not long after this, it happened through the lyke prouidence of our God, a Turkishe captaine called Begen, accōpanyed with a thousand freshe horsemen came newly out of Turkie, to go toward the citie named Quinquecclesiæ, or Finffenkyrchen: with whom the Earle of Serin by the way did encounter, and in the night setting vpon hym, killed the Captayne and tooke viij. Camels, and viij. Moyles laden with treasure, and also got ij. red Guidōs, with a whole great peece of riche cloth of gold, & with an other fayre and straunge Iewel. The horse of this forsayd Turkish captaine, was betrapped and decked most richely. The sadle whereof had the pomell and the backe parte couered ouer with plate of fine Arabicke golde, and the rest of the sadle, beside the sittyng place, was plated with siluer very fayre gilded. The seate of the sadle was couered with purple veluet: the trappers and brydle beset with litle Turkeys, and Rubyes: Whiche horse was sent to Vienna vnto the Emperour Maximilian for a present.

[Back to Top]

Although the Earle would very fayne haue saued the captaine, not knowing what he was, yet the Ianizarites, labouryng to carye away their captaine, so stifly defēded thē selues, that the Earle with his cōpany, was constrayned to kill both them & their Captaine. From whom the sayd Earle of Serin the same tyme, got. xv. thousād Turkishe & Hūgarishe Ducates: whiche money was brought for the payement of the Turkyshe souldiours in the towne aforesayd of Finffekyrchen. &c. All whiche  

bee good begynnynges of greater goodnes to bee hoped for hereafter, throughe the grace of Christ our Lorde, especially if our Christian rulers and potentates, firste the Churchemen and Prelates for their partes: then the ciuile powers and princes for their partes, with holdyng their affections a litle, will turne their brawles and variance, into brotherly concorde and agreement, whiche the Lorde of peace put in their myndes to doo. Amen. Or otherwise if it so please the Lorde, that the Turke come further vpō vs, so as he hath begon, for our punishment and castigation, his grace then geue to the flocke of his poore Christians, constancie of fayth, pacience in sufferyng, & amendemēt of lyfe: MarginaliaThe Turke pearcyng into Italy.For so I vnderstand by publicke fame, although vncertenly rumored by the voyce of some, that þ^e Turkes power of late, this present yeare of our Lord. 1566. hath perced the parties of Apulia w^tin Italy, wastyng and burnyng the space of. an. 100. myles toward Neaples.   Whiche if it be certeine, it is to be feared, that the Turke hauyng thus set in his foote, and feelyng the swetnes of Italy, will not so cease before he get in both head and shoulders also so far into Italy, that hee will display his banners within the walles of Rome, and do with olde Rome the lyke as Mahumete hys greate grandfather did with new Rome, the Citie of Constantinople, and as the Persians did with Babylon.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaCōiectured why it is to be feared that the Turke shal get Rome.The causes why we haue so to iudge, be diuers: first that the sea of Rome hath bene defended hetherto and mainteined with much bloud, and therefore it may seme not vncredible, but that it will not long continue, but be lost with bloud agayne, according to the verdict of þ^e Gospell: He that striketh with the sword, shall perish with the sworde. &c.  

An other cause is, the fulfillyng of the xviij. chapter of the Apocalipse: where is writen, that great Ba

[Back to Top]