ment of God in his word. For if S. Paule writyng to the Corinthians sayeth: we know Christ now no more after the flesh: how much lesse then is Christ to be knowen of vs in blynd stockes and Images set vp in our Temples, seruyng for none other purpose but for the infidels to laugh both vs and our God to scorne, and to prouoke Gods vengeaunce? which by the like example (I feare) may also fall vpon other Cities, where such Images and Idolatrous superstition is mainteyned:MarginaliaVienna admonished. wherof God graunt Vienna to take heede betyme, whiche hath bene so long, and yet is in such great daunger of the Turke and polluted with so many Images and playne Idolatry.

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MarginaliaThe cruell murther by the turkes in the citie of Constantinople. In summa to make the story short, such was the crueltie of these Turkes in wynnyng the Citie, that whē Mahumete had geuen licence to the sonldiours three dayes together, to spoyle, to kill and to do whatsoeuer they listed, there was no corner in all Cõstantinople, which did not either flow with Christian bloud, or els was polluted with abhominable abusing of maydes, wyues & matrones, without al reuerence of nature. Of the which Citizēs, some they murthered: some they rosted vpon spittes: of some they fleyed of their skinne, hãgyng them vp to consume with famine: of other some they put salt into their woõdes, the more terribly to torment them: In somuch that one of them contended with an other, who could deuise most straunge kyndes of new tormentes and punishmentes, exercising such cruelty vpon them,MarginaliaA lamentable destruction of the Citie of Constantinople. that the place where the City was before, semed now to be no Citie, but a slaughter house or shameles of Christian mens bodyes. Among the dead bodyes, the body also of Constantine the Emperour was founde: whose head beyng brought to Mahumete, he commaunded to be caryed vpon a speare through the whole Citie for a publike spectacle & derision to all the Turkish armye.MarginaliaThe bloudy crueltie of the turke against the Christian captiues. And because he would diminish the number of the captiues, which seemed to hym to be very great, he neuer rose from his table, but he put euery day some of the nobles to death, no lesse to fill his cruell mynde with bloud, then his body was filled with wyne: which he vsed so long to do as any of the nobles of that Citie was left alyue: And of the other sort also, as the storyes do credibly report, there passed no day, in the which he dyd not orderly slay more then three hundreth persons: the residue he gaue to his rascall souldiours to kill and do with them what they would. Where is to be noted, that as Constantinus the sonne of Helena, was the first Emperour of Constantinople: so Constantinus the sonne also of Helena, was the last Emperour therof  

.

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MarginaliaThe citie of Pera yeldeth it selfe for feare to the turke. Not farre from the sayd Citie of Constantinople there was an other litle Citie called Pera and once called Gallatia, situated by the Sea side: who hearyng of the miserable destruction of Constantinople and seyng the Citie flamyng with fire, sent certaine of their chief mē with speede to Mahumete, declaryng vnto hym that they neither had sent any helpe to the Citie of Constantinople, neither yet wrought any detriment to any of his army: wherfore they desired and prayed him that as they would gladly yeld vnto hym, so he would be fauourable vnto them and spare them, and not to punish the giltles with the gilty. Mahumete, although he was not ignoraunt that for feare, rather then of any good will, they submitted themselues, and that they would rather resist him if they had bene hable, yet he receiued for that tyme, the submission of the messengers: but sendyng with them his Embassadours into the Citie, he commaunded also his army to follow withall, and to enter with hym into the Citie. Which although it was greatly suspected & misliked of the Citizēs, yet they durst no otherwise do, but suffer them to enter: whiche beyng done, the Embassadour gaue a signe to the souldiours, euery man to do what soeuer he was bydden.MarginaliaThe citie of Pera spoyled. Of whom some ranne to the walles: some to the temples and Churches: some to the streetes & houses of the Citie, pluckyng all thynges downe to the ground sackyng and raungyng with no lesse fury and abominable filthynes, then they had done at Constantinople before, sauyng onely that they abstayned frõ murther:MarginaliaDroncken Mahumete false of promise. but the same day letters came from Mahumete to the Embassadour that he should spare none but destroy & murther all that euer were in the Citie. Which message, because it seemed to the Embassadour to be to cruel, for somuch as they had yelded them selues, he stayed his hand a litle vntill night came. In the meane tyme drunken Mahumete commyng somethyng to himselfe (whom drunkennes had before ouercome) sent his second letters to reuoke the first.MarginaliaThe mercifull prouidence of God in sauing his people. Where agayne  

is to be noted the mercyfull prouidence of God towardes his people in their deserued plagues, by staying the handes and bridlyng the fury many tymes of their enemyes, when otherwise the case seemeth to be past all remedy.

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Mahumete thus  

beyng in himselfe not a litle aduaunced and eleuated by the wynnyng of Constantinople, where he had now made the Imperiall seat of the Turkish dominion, MarginaliaConstãtinople made the imperiall seate of the turke.the third yeare next folowyng, to aduenture more mastries,MarginaliaThe siege of Belgradum in Hungary. he set out to the siege of Belgradum a Citie of Hungary, lying neare to the bankes of Danubius, thinkyng to haue the like successe there, as he had in the wynnyng of Constantinople: albeit through the Lordes disposing, it fell out much otherwise.MarginaliaIoan. Huniades. Within the Citie of Belgradum the same tyme of the siege thereof, was Ioannes Huniades the valiaunt Captaine, of whom in diuers places mention hath bene made before, who with a sufficient strength of pyked souldiours, albeit in number nothing equall to the Turkes army, valiauntly defended the City with great courage and no lesse successe. In the which siege great diligence was bestowed, and many of the Turkes slayne. Among whom also Mahumete himselfe, beyng stroken with a pellet vnder the left arme, was fayne to be caried out of the field for halfe dead, & the rest so put to flight,Marginalia4000. turkes slayne at the siege of Belgradum. that of the Turkes the same tyme were destroyed to the number, or not much vnder the number of. 40. thousand, besides the losse of all their ordinaunce, which the Turkes in hast of their flight, were forced to leaue behynd them.

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Hieronymus Zieglerus  

writyng of the siege of this Belgradum, addeth moreouer,MarginaliaEx Hier. Zieglero. in lib. de illustrib. viris Gernia. c. 98. that whē Mahumete was at the siege therof, seyng the towne to be so smal and weake of it selfe, that it could not be won with all his great multitude, he staryng and faring like a mad man, commaunded all his brasen peeces to be layde, to battare downe the walles and Towers of the Towne: So that the Christians within the walles were vehemently distressed, for the siege continued both night and day without intermission.MarginaliaThe noble acte of a Bohemian in defence of his coūtrey. Amõg the rest of the Christians which defended the towne, Hieronymus Zieglerus maketh mention of a certaine Bohemian, much worthy of his condigne commendation: Who beyng vpon the walles, and seyng a Turke with a banner or ensigne of the Turkes to be gotten vp, by the sight wherof the whole Towne was in neare daunger to be conquered and taken, rūneth vnto the Turke, and claspyng him about the midle, speakyng to Iohn Capistranus standyng by low, askyng hym whether it were any daunger of dãnation to hym, if he of his voluntary mynde, dyd cast himselfe with that dogge (so he termed hym) downe headlong from the wall, to be slayne with him: what should become of his soule, and whether he might be saued or not. To whom whē the other had aunswered that he should be saued without doubt, he eftsoones tombleth himselfe with the Turke, downe of the wall, where by his death he saued the same tyme, the lyfe of all the Citie. Mahumete being so wounded and in dispayre of wynnyng the Citie, was caryed (as ye heard) out of the field. Who at length comming agayne to himselfe, partly for feare and partly for shame, was rrady to kill himselfe.MarginaliaThe towne of Belgradū valiauntly defended frõ the turke. And   thus was the Towne of Belgradum at that tyme rescued thorough Gods prouidence, by the meanes of Ioannes Huniades and this good Bohemian.

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This siege of Belgradū began in the yeare of the Lord. 1456. and endured. 46. dayes.Marginalia200. thousand turkes at the siege of Belgradum. At the which siege were nūbered of the Turkes. 200. thousãd. Of whom more then. 40. thousand (as is aforesayd) were slayne: where the victory fell to the Christians through the prosperous successe geuē of God to Ioannes Huniades, & Capistranus.MarginaliaThe deceasse of Ioannes Huniades. Whiche Huniades not lõg after the sayd victory, through the importune labour and trauaile in defendyng the sayd Towne, was taken with a sore sickenes, and therof departed, to whose valiaunt prowes and singular courage, stories do geue great laude and commendation.

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MarginaliaThe turkes warre agaynst Vsumcaßanes. Mahumetes the Turke after this done in Europe, returned into Asia to warre with Vsumcassanes a Persian, one of the Turkes stocke, with whõ he had three battailes. The first was about the Riuer Euphrates, where the Turke lost 10. thousãd men, and was put to the worse. In the second field likewise he was discomfited. The third battaile was at Arsenga, where through the terrible noyse of the brasen peeces, the Persian horses disturbed the campe, and so was Vsumcassanes ouercome.

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MarginaliaThe turke agayne returneth against the Christians. From thence the Turke reduced agayne his power agaynst the Christians,MarginaliaSynope, Paphlagonia, Trapezūtus gotten of the turkes. and first subdued vnto him Synope and all Paphlagonia: Also the kyngdome of Trapezunce, which he besiegyng both by land and water, wanne frõ the Christians,MarginaliaDauid Emperour of Trapezūtus with his ij. sonnes and vncle cruelly killed of the turke. and sent Dauid the kyng of the same with his two sonnes & Calus his vncle, vnto Constantinople, where they were miserably & cruelly put to death, and all the stocke of the Conneni, whiche were of the kynges stocke, by the Turke were destroyed. Which was about the yeare of our Lord. 1459. at which tyme this mischieuous Mahumete was first saluted Emperour.

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Not long after, he got from the Grecians Corinthus & Mitylene, not without great slaughter of Christen men: