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.
[Back to Top]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.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe mercifull protection of God ouer Christendome. Thus through the mercifull protection
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.
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.
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.
[Back to Top]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
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.
[Back to Top]Melchior Soiterus in hys second booke
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).
[Back to Top]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).
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
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.
MarginaliaThe turke warreth agaynst the king of Tunece. Not long after
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).