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750 [726]

K. Henry. 7. The history and tyranny of the Turkes.

MarginaliaSolyman remoueth & raiseth his siege frõ Vienna. and baggage to remoue hys campe and to retyre: and first sendyng away his carriage before hym, made speede hymselfe with his armye, to folow shortly after.

The Viennians, when they heard of the remouyng away of the turkes, although at the first they scarsely beleued it to be true, beyng afterward certified out of doubte, both of their remouing, and also of the order therof, how it was in maner of a flight or chase, were greatly desirous to make out of the Citie after them. Wherein, albeit the presence of the Palatine with his armye, if he had bene there present, myght haue stand them in streat steede,MarginaliaThe turkes campe pursued in their flight. yet notwtstandyng they tooke the oportunitie of the tyme present, and issuing out of the Citie, in most speedy wise, set after them with their horsemen: & first ouerpassing the tentes (where the turkes had pitched their stations or pauilions) for hast of the way, they made such pursute after them that within litle tyme, they ouertooke the rereward or latter end of the armye, whereof they made such hauocke and destruction, that (as the author reporteth) there was neuer a shot of the pursuers, nor weapon drawen, nor stroke stroocken, which light in vayne. Which was no hard thing for our mē to doe: For as the Turkes in their flight went scattered out of order and aray, neither would they in the fore rancke (beyng so farre of from ieopardy) returne backe to helpe their felowes it was easy for our men, without resistance, to come vpon their backes as they would.

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Yet notwithstanding in long pursute, when our men could not see the caryage of the turkes, which was wont in armyes to come alway behynde after the hoast, and suspecting (as truth was) some ambushe to be lefte in priuie wayte behynde them, to come betwixt them and home: called them selues to retraite, and consulted vpon the matter, thinking good, first to sent out certaine scoutes, to espye & bryng them worde, where the enemies lay, and what was the number of them.MarginaliaThe priuie purpose of the turkes preuented. Whereof when intelligence was geuen them, that the remnaunt of the turkes armye was remayning in the tentes behynde, word was sent to their felowes in Vienna, to issue out, and to ioyne also with them against the tayle of the turkes, which had entrenched themselues wythin the campe. Other were appointed to folow þe chase, least peraduēture the turkes seyng our mē to recule backe might returne agayne vpon them, and helpe their felowes. Which thynges beyng thus ordered and appoynted, in the meane tyme, while part of the Viennians were houeryng after the mayne armye, the rest encountred with them that were left in the campe. Who seeing them selues ouermatched, first defenced their campe with a deepe ditch and bulwarke, to delay the tyme, vntill some helpe myght come to them from the armye. Secondly they directed messengers to the Christians, to entreat for peace. Thirdly they cõueied their priuie letters vnto Solyman for speedy ayde and rescue. But all the wayes and passages beyng stopped by the Christians, their letters were intercepted, and so the miserable Turkes being desititute of all hope and succour, seing no other remedy, made out of their campe, to hassard and proue the vttermost for their defence:MarginaliaThe rest of the turkes slayne in the campe. but in conclusion, in their desperate venture they were inclosed about by our mē on euery side, and there put to the sword and slayne, a fewe onely excepted, who escaping out very hardly by secrete passages, shifted after the rest of their felowes, as well as they could. Their carriage and other furniture left behinde them in their tentes, was destributed amõgst the souldiers, onely such thinges reserued as might serue for the publicke vse and commoditie of the Citie.

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MarginaliaThe mercifull protection of God ouer Christendome. Thus through the mercifull protection  

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The following passages, declaring that the Ottoman failure at Viennawas due to God's favour and protection of the Protestants, are Foxe's interpolations into the text.

and benefit of almighty God, Austria was deliuered from the fierce & barbarous hostilitie of the cruell turkes: notwithstanding that neither Ferdinandus the king, nor the Emperour his brother were there present, but onely þe power of God, through the valiauntnes of the worthy Germaines, defēded that citie: in defence whereof consisted the safetie and deliuerance (no doubt) of all these Weast partes of Christendome. For the which immortal praise and thankes be vnto our immortall God in Christ our Lord, according as he hath of vs most graciously and worthely deserued.MarginaliaGods blessing goeth wyth the mainteyners of his true worship and religion. Wherin by the way take this for a note (gentle reader) how and after what maner Gods blessing goeth with the true reformers of his religion, and so much þe more is it to be noted, for that þe turkes, in so many battailes & sieges heretofore, were neuer so repulsed & foyled, as at this present time in incountryng with the protestants & defenders of sincere religion. This citie of Vienna was besieged & deliuered þe yeare of our lord. 1529. The assaultes of the turke  
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The number of assaults on Vienna and the size of the Ottoman army are taken from Giovann Battisto Ramusio's history as excerpted in LaonicusChalkokondylas, De origine et rebus gestis Turcorum (Basel, 1556), pp. 207-8.

agaynst the Citie, are numbred to be 20. and hys repulses as many. The number of hys armye which he firste brought, was 2500. whereof were reckened to be slayne 80. thousand and aboue. During the tyme of hys siege, he ledde away out of the countrey about, many captiues:  
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This passage, relating purported cruelty of the Turks, was taken from the German historian Wolfgang Dreschler's De Saracenorum et Turcorum orgine etrebus gestis, as excerpted in Laonicus Chalkokondylas, De orgine etr rebus gestisTurcorum (Basel, 1556), p. 233. This is a good example of Foxe seizing uponstories of Turkish atrocities.

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virgines and matrones he quelled and cast them out naked: the children he stucke vpon stakes.

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Solymannus thus put frõ the hope and victory of Vienna, after he had breathed hymselfe a while at home, the second yeare after, which was an. 1531. repayring hys host, returned agayne into Hungary, with no lesse multitude, then before: where first he got the towne called Gunza  

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This brief account of Süleyman's conquest of Guns (Koeszegh), afortress (not a town as Foxe states) comes from Giovann Battisto Ramusio's historyas excerpted in Laonicus Chalkokondylas, De origine et rebus gestis Turcorum(Basel, 1556), pp. 207-8. In fact, as other accounts cited by Foxe indicate, Süleyman had to raise the siege of Guns.

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beyng but slenderly kept with a small garison. By reason whereof the townesmen and souldioures yeldyng themselues vnto the Turke, were constrayned to agree vnto vnreasonable conditions. Ex Ioan. Ramo.

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Melchior Soiterus in hys second booke  

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Foxe draws on Melchior Soiterus's history of Süleyman's wars in Hungary and the Balkans, De bello Pannonico, as excerpted in Laonicus Chalkokondylas, De orgine et rebus gestis Turcorum (Basel, 1556), pp. 519-20,for this account of the siege of Guns. Foxe also consulted Wolfgang Dreschler's history. Dreschler also relates that the Ottoman army numbered 200,000and that they besieged Guns for 30 days (see Laonicus Chalkokondylas, Deorigine et et rebus gestis Turcorum [Basel, 1556], p. 233).

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writyng De Bello Pannonico,MarginaliaEx Melchiore Soitero. lib. 2. de Bello Pannonico. touchyng the foresayd towne of Gunza or Gunzium, differeth herein somethyng from Ramus, declaryng how this Gunza beyng a small towne in Hungary, and hauyng in it but onely 100. souldiours (or as Wolfgangus Drechsterus in hys chronicle  
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Dreschler also relates that the Ottoman army numbered 200,000and that they besieged Guns for 30 days (see Laonicus Chalkokondylas, Deorigine et et rebus gestis Turcorum [Basel, 1556], p. 233).

reporteth at the most, but 200. souldiours)MarginaliaNicolaus Iureschitz a valiaunt captayne. vnder the valiaunt capitaine Nicolaus Iureschitz, defended themselues so manfully and wonderfully, through the notable power of God, agaynst the whole puissance of 200. thousand Turkes, that they beyng notwithstandyng distressed with lacke and penury of puruiãce and sodenly of the Turkes inuaded, yet with pure courage and promptnes of heart, susteined the vttermost force and violence of xiij. assaultes of that great multitude, for the space of xxv. dayes together.

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Although the narration of the author may seeme to some incredible yet thus he writeth that what tyme the great ordinaunce and batteryng pieces of the Turkes were planted vpon two mountes much higher then the towne, whereby they within the towne were oppressed both before and behynde in so much that 8. ensignes of the Turkes were already within the towne:MarginaliaA miraculous example of the Lordes protection and prouidence. yet by the reason of women and children and other impotent persons, who in the middle of the towne were congregate in an house together, suche a noise and clamour went vp to heauen praying and crying to God for helpe, that the Turkes within the walles, supposing a new army of fresh souldiours to be sent into the town for sodayne feare, voyded the towne, and leaped downe from the walles agayne) which before they had go:) whom no man eyther pursued or resisted: for neuer a souldiour almost was left on the walles, which was not eyther slayne, or els wounded with the Turkes ordinance. At what tyme through the Lordes prouidence it so happened, that one Ibrahimus Bassa neare about the Turke, seeyng both the towne to be small, and the great destruction of the Turkes in the siege thereof and that the captayne in no case would yeld, perswaded so the Turke, declaryng how the towne beyng so little was not worth the losse of so many men, in the winnyng wherof there was no glory, and if he were repulsed, great dishonour might followe:MarginaliaThe turke raiseth his siege fom Gunza. wherby the Turke beyng persuaded, dyd follow his counsail, which was this, that Nicolaus the christen captayne beyng called vnto hym vnder pledges and safe conduict, should receyue the towne as of hys hand and gift, with condition, that he should do no violence to his souldioures left behynde wounded, but should procure such meanes as he could, for the recuryng of them: and so he raysing his siege departed. An other cause  

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This account of Süleyman's retreat in 1532 comes from Giovann Battisto Ramusio's history (as excerpted in Laonicus Chalkokondylas, De origineet rebus gestis Turcorum [Basel, 1556], p. 208), except that the mention of theColloquies of Augsburg and Ratisbon are from Foxe.

myght be also, which mooued hym so sodainly to rayse his seige: for that he heard the Palatine not to be farre of in pursuyng after him, and therfore takyng his flight by the mountaynes of the Noricians, he returned with much spoyle of Christian mens goodes into Constantinople. Ex Melchiore Soit. lib. 2. de bello Panno.MarginaliaThe Emperour Charles & Ferdinandus begin at length to sturre agaynst the turke. For so it was prouided the same tyme in Germany, after the counsayl of August and of Ratisbone (at what time the controuersie of religion betwene the Protestantes and the Papistes, was differred and set of, to the next generall Councell) that Charles the v. and Ferdinandus hys brother hauyng vnderstandyng of the Turke thus raungyng in Hungary, should collect of the Germaines, Hungarians, and Spaniardes and others, an able armye of 80. thousande footemem, and 30000. horsemen, to repulse the inuasions of the Turke.MarginaliaThe turke refuseth to tary the Christian armye. But Solymannus hauyng intelligence of this preparation of the Christian power commyng toward hym, whether for feare, or whether to espy further oportunitie of tyme, for hys more aduauntage and our detriment, refused at that time to tary their commyng, and so speding his returne vnto Constãtinople, retired with much spoyle and pray sent before hym, as is aboue premised: Which was in the yere of our Lord. 1532.

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MarginaliaThe turke warreth agaynst the king of Tunece. Not long after  

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The brief account of the Tunisian campaign, the Ottoman invasionof Persia and the assault upon Corfu come from Wolfgang Dreschler's history asexcerpted in Laonicus Chalkokondylas, De origine et rebus gestis Turcorum (Basel, 1556, p. 234).

, beyng the yeare of our saluation, 1534. Solymãnus intending ij. warres at once, first sent Conradinus Barbarossa the admirall of his nauies into Afrike, to warre against the king of Tunece:MarginaliaTunece wonne of the turke. Whõ the Barbarossa also

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dis-