¶The occasyons why the grete turke came to besyege the cyte of Rodes.

THe fyrst and pryncypall cause was for he dyde consydre & sawe by experyēce that there was none other towne nor place in Leuant that warred agaynst hym nor kept him in doubt but this poore roch of Rodes. And herynge y ^e contynuall complayntes of his subgectes aswel of Sury as of Turky for the domages & pryses dayly doone of theyr bodyes and goodes by crysten men of warre receyued in to Rodes. And also of y ^e shyppes & galees of the relygyon / he toke cōclusyon in hymself that yf he might put the sayd towne in his power & subgection y ^t than he sholde be peasyble lorde of al the partyes of Leuant. & that his subgectes sholde complayne noo more to hym. ¶The seconde for he wolde folowe the doynges of his noble predecessours / & to shewe hym selfe veray heyre of the myghty & vyctorious lorde Sultan sallym his fader / wyllynge to put in execucyon the entrepryse by hym left the ye­re .M.CCCCC.xxi. The whiche sallyn grete turke put in all redy­nesse his army to the nombre of CCC. sayles purposinge for to sende them agaynst Rodes / yf mortalyte had not happened in his hoste / & he afterwarde by the wyll of our lorde was surprysed and taken w ^t dethe. wherfore he beynge in the latter ende of his dayes / (as some turkes and fals crysten men that were at this syege shewed me) dy­de charge by his testament / or caused to charge his sone now beyng grete turke y ^t after his deth he sholde make his two fyrst intrepryses [Page] And also gane the sayd grete turke knowlege that all crysten prȳces were besy warrynge eche vpon other / & y ^t he sholde not doubt but yf the rebellyon lasted amonge them the towne sholde be his without fayle / as it is seen by experyēce. And for lacke of socours of euery parte / and specyally of suche as myght easely haue holpē vs beynge our neyghbours: with theyr galees & men of warre. wherfore it is now in the handes of the enmyes of the crysten faythe. The whiche mo­nycions and reasons of the fals traytre vnderstande and pondred by the grete turke and his councell it was consydered of them not to lese so good occasyon and tyme. wherfore he made extreme dylygence to rygge and apparayle many shyppes & vesselles of dyuers sortes / as galeaces / galees / pallandres / fustes / and brygantynes to the nom­bre of .CCC.l. sayles and mo. ¶whan the prysoner that the fayd de Merall dyde sende in to Turky had doone his commyssyon he retor­ned in to Rodes / wherof euery man had meruayle. And many folkes demed yll of his comynge agayne / as of a thinge vnaccustomed / but none durst say ony thynge seynge the sayd de Merral of so grete autoryte and dygnyte. And he cherys [...]hed the sayd prysoner more than he was wont to do. therfore by semynge he had well done his message / and had brought good tydynges to the dampnable & shamefull mynde of the sayd traytre de Merall.

¶How the grete turke caused the passages to be kept that none sholde bere tydynges of his hoost to Rodes.

THe grete turke intendynge with grete dyligence to make redy his hoost bothe by see and by lāde / the better to come to his purpose / & to take y ^e town vnwarely as he was aduertysed / thought to kepe his doynges as secretely as he myght. And defēded that none of his subgectes sholde go to Rodes for ony maner thinge. And in lykewyse he toke al y ^e bark [...]s and brygantynes out of the hauens and portes in those costes bycause they sholde gyue no knowlege of his army. and al [...]o made to kepe the passages by lande that none sholde passe. Howbeit so grete apparayle of an army coude not be longe kept close. for the spyres y ^t the lor­de grete mayster had sent in to Turky brought tydynges to y ^e castell of saynt Peter and to Rodes / of all that was sayd & doone in Turky. Neuerthelesse the sayd lorde gaue noo grete credence to all that was brought and tolde. bicause that many yeres before the predecessours of the grete turke had made grete armyes / & alwaye it was sayd y ^t they went to Rodes. the whiche came to none effect. And it was holden for a mocke & a by worde in many places that the turke wold g [...] [Page] assyege Rodes. And for this reason doubt was had of this last army / & some wende that it sholde haue gone in to Cypres or to Cataro a lō de of the lordshyp of Uenyce. Howbeit the grete mayster not wyllyn to be takē vnwarely / but the meane whyle as carefull & dyligent for y ^e welth of his towne / & his people / vnderstondynge these tydynges of the turkes army / dyde all his dylygence to repayre & strength the towne. Amonge all other thynges to buylde vp / & reyse y ^e bulwarke of Auuergne / & made to clense & make deper the dyches. And y ^e more to cause the werke men to haste them in theyr besynesse the sayd lord ouersawe them twyse or thryse euery day.

¶How the lorde grete mayster counceylled with the lordes for prouysion for the towne.

THan the sayd reuerende lorde thought to furnysshe & store the towne with more vytayles for the sustenaūce therof / & for the same many tymes he spake with the lordes that had the handlynge & rule of the treasour and of the expences therof in his absence / & syth his comynge. That is to wyte the grete commaundour Gabryell de pōmerolles / lyef [...]naunt of the sayd lorde. The turcoplyer syr Iohn̄ Bouthe of the englysshe tōgue. And the chaūceler syr Andrew de Meral / of whome is spoken afore of his vntrouthe agaynst his relygion. The whiche .iii. lordes sayd y ^t he sholde take no thought for it. For the towne was wel stored w ^t vytayles for a grete whyle / & that there was wheet ynough tyll newe came in. Notwithstandynge it were good to haue more or the syege were layde afore the towne. and therfore it were behouefull to sende for wheet & other necessaryes in to Ponnant for socoures of the towne / and at that tyme to puruey for euery thynge.

¶Of the prouysyon for vytayles & ordynaunce of warre.

AS touchynge the store and ordynaunce of warre y ^e sayd lordes affermed that there was ynough for a yere & mo­re wherof y ^e contrary was founde / for it fayled a moneth or y ^e cyte was yelded. It is of trouthe y ^t there was grete store & to haue lasted lōger than it dyde. but it was of for­ce to spende largely at the fyrst comynge of the enmyes to kepe them fro comynge nere / & fro brynginge erthe to the dyches sydes as they dyde. And moreouer it is to consider the grete nōbre of thē / & theyr power y ^t was spredde rounde about y ^e towne / gyuynge vs so many as­sautes & scarmysshes / in so many places as they dyde / & by the space [Page] of .vi. hole monethes day and nyght assaylynge vs that moche ordynaunce and store was wast [...]d to wi [...]hstande [...]hē in all poyntes. And yf it fayle idt was no meruayle. Howbeit the noble lorde grete may­ster purueyed besyly for it / & sent Brygantynes to Lango / to y ^e castel of saynt Peter / & to the castelles of his yle Feraclous and Lyndo for to brynge powdre and saltpeter for to streng [...]h [...]he towne / but it suffised not. ¶And for to speke of y ^e purueyaunce of vytayles / it was ad­uysed by the lorde grete mayster & his .iii. lordes that it was time to sende some shyppes for wheet to places therabout or y ^e turkes hoost were comen thider. And this to do was apoynted a shyppe named y ^e Galyenge / whose capytayne hyght Bramboys / o [...]he [...]wyse wolf / of the Almayns tongue an experte man of the see. the whiche made soo good dylygence y ^t w ^tin a moneth he dyde his vyage / & brought good store of wheet fro Naples & Romany / whiche dyde vs grete cōforte.

¶How a Brygantyne was sent to Cādy for wyne / & of dyuers shyppes that came to helpe the towne.

AFter this was moeued for to make prouysion of wyne for the towne. For y ^e men of Candy durst not sayle for to brynge wy|'to Rodes as they were wont to doo for feere of the turkes hooste. [Page] And also they ofhe towne wolde sende no shyppe in to Candy feryn­ge to be taken and inclosed with the sayd hoost by the way. Howbeit some marchauntes of the towne were wyllynge to haue auentured themselfe in a good shyppe of the relygyon name the Mary / for to haue laden her with wyne in Candy. But they coude not agre with y ^e thre lordes of the treasour / & theyr lette was but for a lytell thynge. And all the cause came of the sayd traytour de Merall / faynynge the welth of the treasour. For he intended an other thynge / & brake this good & profytable intrepryse & wyll of the sayd marchaūtes / seynge y ^t it was noyfull to the turke / whose parte the sayd traytour helde in his deuyllysshe herte. That notw ^tstandynge the reuerent lorde grete mayster y ^t in all thinges fro the begynninge to the ende hath alway shewed his good wyll. And w ^t all dylygēce and ryght y ^t might be re­quysyte to a souerayne capytayne & heed of warre founde other expedyence / and sent a brygantyne in to Candy / in the whiche he sent a brother sergeaunt named Anthony of Bosus a wel spryted man and wyse / y ^t by his wysdome wrought so well y ^t within a small tyme he brought .xv. vesselles called grypes laden w ^t wyne & with them men of warre the whiche came vnder shadowe of those wynes. Bycause the lordshyp of Candy durst lete none of theyr men go to the socour of Rodes for feare of y ^e Turke. And besyde those .xv. grypes came a good shyppe whose capitayne & owner was a ryche yōge g [...]ntylman Uenycian messire Iohn̄ anthonio de Bonaldy / whiche o [...] his good wyl came w ^t his shyppe laden with .vii.C. buttes of wyne to socoure the towne w ^t his persone and folkes. whose good & lowabl [...] wyll I leue to thinke & consyder to the reders of this pres [...]nt boke. For he beynge purposed to haue had his wynes to Cōstantynople or [...] was enfor­m [...]d of the besynesse of Rodes / & was in the porte du Castell in Cādy wolde not bere his vytayles to the enmyes of the faythe / but came out and retorned his way towarde Rodes / forgetinge all partyculer profyte & auauntage. He beynge aryued at Rodes dyspa [...]hed & sold [...] his wyne / whiche was a grete encreas and conforte for [...]e towne. And whan he had so done he presēted his persone / his shy [...]pe / & hi [...] folke to the reuerent grete mayster / the whiche retayned hym / & se [...] him in wages of the relygion. And durynge the syege the sayd [...] tayne behaued hym worthely in his persone. And put hymselfe [...] the places as worthy men ought to be. spendynge his goodes la [...]ly without demaundynge ony payment or recompence for his doy­ge of the relygyon.

¶How the corne was shorne downe halfe rype & brought in to the towne for fere of the turkes hoost.

DUrynge these thynges the reuerende lorde grete mayster sollycityfe and besy to haue euery [...]hinge n [...]cessa [...]y as men and other strengthes / sent vesselles called bry­gantynes for to cause the wa [...]ters of the see to come in to Rodes for the kepynge and fortyfienge of the towne. The whiche at the fyrst sendynge came and presented theyr persones and shyppes to the seruyce of the relygion. ¶After y ^t the sayd lorde caused to shere downe the rye of his yle / & caus [...]d it to be brought in to the towne. whiche was done in Apryll. And tha in Maye in some places he made to shere y ^e wheet halfe rype / howbeit the moost parte was lefte in the feldes / bycause y ^e turkes hoost was comen out of y ^e straytes of Constantynople. And doubtynge that ony nombre of shyppes sholde come before to take the people of y ^e sayd yle vnwares / the sayd lorde made them to leue sherynge of wheet / and caused the people of the ferdest parte of the yle to come in to y ^e towne. ¶whyle y ^t the grete mayster prouyded for al thynges after y ^e cours of tyme & tydynges y ^• he had there aryued a carracke of Gene laden with spycery from Alexandry / the whiche passed before the porte of Rodes the .viii. day of Apryll and surged at ancre at the Fosse .vii. or viii. myle fro the towne / for to knowe & here tydinges of y ^e turkysshe hoost. Than y ^e lorde wyllynge to furnysshe hȳ w ^t people as moost behouefull for the towne sente a knyght of Prouance named syr Ana­stase de sctā Camilla cōmaunder de la Trōquiere to the capytayne of the carracke / prayenge hym to come in to y ^e hauen w ^t his shyp for y ^e defence of y ^e towne / proferynge hym what he wolde / assurynge him his shyppe. The capytayne excused hym saynge y ^t the marchaūdyse was not his owne but belonged to dyuers marchaūtes to whome he must yelde accompte. Howbeit at the last after many wordes and promysses to hym made he aryued in to y ^e hauen. The whiche capytayne was named messire Domingo de Fournati. And he in his persone behaued hym valyauntly in the tyme of the sayd syege.

¶How the grete mayster caused to make general mustres. & sent a vessell to y ^e turkes nauy. of whome he receyued a lettre.

AFter the month of Apryll y ^e lorde mayster seynge y ^t the turkes hoost drewe nere / & that he had the moost parte of the wafters within y ^e towne he caused to make generall mu­stres of men of armes. And began at y ^e knightes / the whiche [Page] vpon holy rode day in May made theyr mustres before the commyssyoners ordeyned by y ^e sayd lorde in places deputed to eche of thē called Aulberge. The whiche cōmyssioners made reporte to the lor­de that they had founde y ^e knightes in good ordre of harneys & other thinges necessary for warre / & theyr aray fayre and propre w ^t crosses on them. whan y ^e mustre of y ^e knyghtes was done the lorde mayster thought to make the mustres of men of y ^e towne & straungers togy­der. but his wysdome perceyued that harme sholde come therby rather than good / doubtinge y ^t the nombre of people sh [...]lde not be so grete as he wolde or neded to haue. wherof the grete turke myght ha­ue knowlege by goers & comers into Rodes. And therfore he caused them of the towne to make theyr mustres seuerall by bendes and cō panyes. And the straungers also by themselfe to thende that the nō ­bre sholde not be knowen. Notwithstādynge y ^t there was good quā tyte of good men & well wyllinge to defende themselfe. And the more to herty and gyue them courage & good wyll some knyghtes of the crosse decked theyr men with colours and deuyses. & toke with them men of the towne & straungers. And with grete noyse of trompettes & tōmerels they made many must [...]es / as enuyēge eche other which sholde kepe best aray & ordre / & haue the fayres [...] company. It was a grete pleasure to se them all so wel alyed & so well wyllynge. ¶The nombre of y ^e men of the towne amoūted & were e [...]temed .iii. or .iiii.M besyde men of the vyllages y ^t myght be .xv.C. or .ii.M. ¶The .viii. daye of the same moneth the turkes herynge of those tydynges ma­de a fyre for a token in a place called le Fiseo in the mayne londe ryght agaynst Rodes. And certayne dayes afore they had made another y ^t is to wyte whan y ^e shyp of a knyght named Menetow went thyder & had with hym th [...] clerke of the galees named Iaquesy trucheman The whiche vnder shadowe to speke w ^t him was with holden of the turkes. For y ^e grete tu [...]ke had cōmaunded to take hym or some other man of the Rodes to haue parfyte knowlege in what estate y ^e towne was than in euery thynge. And they of the towne wenynge that y ^e seconde fyre was for to delyuer Iaquesy / the reuerende lorde grete mayster [...]ent one of his galeaces / whose patron hyght messire Bonyface of Prouance to knowe the cause therof. And whan he aryued at the sayd place of le Fisco he demaunded of the turkes wherfore they had made the token of fyre. And they sayd that it was bycause theyr lorde had sent a lettre to y ^e grete mayster. but as yet it was not [...]ome / & desyred hym to tary tyll it wer [...] brought. The patron as ware & wyse in the besynesse of the see thought in hymselfe that the turkes made suche prolongynge to some euyll intent or to surpryse his vessell beynge alone, wherfore he bade them gyue hym y ^e lettre lyghtly or [Page] elles he wolde go his way / & neyther tary for lettre nor other thȳge & tolde them of the euyll and dyshonest dede y ^t they had doone the da­yes afore to withholde the clerke vnder theyr wordes & sauf [...]ōduyt. And therwith he torned his galeace to haue gone away. The turk [...] seynge that gaue hym the lettre / the whiche he toke. And whan he was aryued at Rodes he presēted it to the lorde grete mayster / whi­che assembled the lordes of his counceyle and made it to be redde. the tenour wherof was suche as foloweth.

¶The copy of the lett [...]e that the grete turke sent to y ^e lorde grete mayster & to the people of Rodes.

SUltan salyman pach / by the grace of god ryght myghty emperour of Constantynople / and of hymselfe holdynge bothe the londes of Perse / Araby / Syrie / Mechei / & Ie­rusalem. Of Asye / Europe / Egypt / & of all the see lorde & possessour. To the reuerende fader lorde Phylyppe grete mayster of Rodes / to his counceylours / and to all the other cytezyns grete and small gretynge. Sendynge conuenable & worthy salutaci­ons to your reuerēces. Letynge you wyte y ^• we haue receyued your lettres sent vnto our imperyall mageste by George your seruaunt / y ^e tenour wherof we haue well vnderstande. And for this occasyon we sende vnto you this out present commaundement to thende that we wyll that ye knowe surely how by our sentence we wyll haue y ^e yle of Rodes for many domages & euyll dedes whiche we haue and here fro day to day of the sayd place done to vs & our subgectes. And ye w ^t your good wyll shall holde it of vs & do vs obeysaunce / & gyue the cyte to myn imperyall mageste. And we swere in god y ^t made he­uen & erthe. & in .xxvi.M. of our prophetes. & by the .iiii. my sa [...] that fell fro the skyes. & by our fyrst prophete Machomet y ^t yf ye do vs ho­mage & yelde you with good wyll vpon these othes / all you y ^t wyll abyde in the sayd place grete & small shall not nede to feere peryll nor domage of myn imperyall mageste / neyther you / your goodes nor your men. And who that wyll goo to ony other place with his goo­des and housholde may so do. And who that wyll dwell and inhabyte in ony other places vnder myn imperyall mageste may remayne where they lyke best without feere of ony persones. And yf there be ony of the pryncypalles and worthy men amonge you that is so dy­sposed we shall gyue him wages and prouysion greter than he hath had. And yf ony of you wyll abyde in the sayd yle may soo doo after your auncyent vsages and customes and moche better. And therfore yf that ye wyll accepte these our othes and intretīges sende vnto vs [Page] a man with your lettres to myn imperyall mageste. or elles knowe ye that we wyll come vpon you with all prouysions of warre / & the­reof shall come as it pleaseth god. And this we do thende y ^t ye knowe and that ye can not saye but we haue gyuen you warnynge. And yf ye do not thus with your good wyll we shall reuawt & vndermyne your foundacyons in suche maner that they shal torne vp so downe / and shall make you sclaues / & cause you to deye / with y ^e grace of god as we haue done many. And herof haue ye no doubt. wryten in our court at Constantynople the fyrst day of the moneth of Iune.

¶How the turkes came to lande in the yle of Lango / & were dryuen to theyr shyppes agayne by y ^e pryour of saynt Gyles.

WHan the lorde grete mayster & his councell had herde y ^e tenour of the lettre they wolde gyue none answere to y ^e grete turke. But that he sholde be receyued with good strokes of artyllery. So y ^t to a folysshe demaunde behoued none answere. And it was to beleue y ^t he wolde no­ne haue. For .vi. dayes after y ^t was the .xiiii. day of the sayd moneth of Iune / the brygantynes that went towarde Syo to knowe of the sayd army came agayne & sayd that of a trouthe the sayd army was comynge. And that nygh to Lango an yle of the relygyon a .C. myle fro [...] Rodes they had seen and tolde .xxx. sayles / that were moost parte gallees & fustes. The whiche vesselles set men on londe in the yle of Lango. Than y ^e pryour of saynt Gyles messire pre Iohn̄ de Bidoux cōmaunder of the sayd place taryed not longe fro horsbacke with his knyghtes and people of the yle. And he mette so wel with the turkes that he droue them to theyr shyppes / and slewe a certayne nombre of thē. & of y ^e syde of pre Iohn̄ some were hurte / & his hors was slay­ne. whan the enmyes were entred in to theyr galees they went to a place called castell Iudeo on mayne londe betwene y ^e sayd yle of Lango and the castell of saynt Peter.

¶How parte of the nauy and army of the grete turke came before the cyte of Rod [...].

THe .xvii. day of the sayd moneth of Iune these .xxx. galees went fro the sayd place / & passed by the cape of Cryon en­trynge the gulfre of Epymes besyde Rodes / & were dyscouered fro the shade of the hyll of Salaco / a castell in the yle of Rodes. On the morowe they came out of the gulfre by playne day. & saylinge alonge by the costes they entred in to a hauen [Page] on mayne loude called Malfata where they abode thre dayes. Than they wēt fro thens & retorned to the goulfre of Epymes / where they abode .ii. dayes & .ii. nyghtes.

¶The .xxiiii. day of the same moneth they yssued out of Epymes / & trauersynge the chanell they came to the yle of Rodes in a place before a castell called Faues / & they went to lande & brent a grete felde of corne the same day / whiche was the feest of saynt Iohn̄ baptyst our patron. The garde of a castell named Absito in the yle of Rodes dyscouered & spyed the grete hoost / & in grete haste brought worde to y ^e lor­de mayster / & sayd y ^t the sayd hoost that was in so grete nōbre of say­les y ^t they myght not be nōbred was entred in to the goulfre of Epy­mes. The .xxx. sayles that lay in the yle arose in the nyght and went to the sayd hoost in the goulfre.

¶The .xxvi. day of Iune y ^e sayd grete hoost arose & went out of Epymes an houre after the son̄e rysynge / & trauersynge the chanell they came to a place called la Fosse .viii. myles fro the towne. And the .xxx fyrst sayles torned backe towarde the cape of saynt Martyn & other places to watche for shyppes of crysten men / yf ony passed by to Ro­des. The grete hoost abode styll tyll noone or one of the clocke & than arose / not all / but about .lxxx. or a .C. shyppes / as gallees / galeaces / and fustes / and passed one after another before the towne & hauen of of Rodes .iii. myles of / & came to a shore in a place nygh to lande cal­led Perambolyn .vi. myle fro the towne. In the whiche place y ^e sayd hoost abode fro y ^t tyme to the ende of that vnhappy syege.

¶The nombre & names of the vesselles y ^t came to besyege Rodes.

THe nombre of the shippes were these .xxx. galleaces / a .C. & .iii Galles / as well bastardes subtyle mahonnets .xv. taffours / xx. fustes .lxiiii. grete shyppes .vi. or .vii. gallyons / & .xxx. galleres / besyde y ^e nauy y ^t wayted for crystē men yf ony came to socour vs. These were the vesselles y ^t came at the fyrst to lay the syege. And syth y ^t the sayd hoost came out of Perambolyn there came fro Syrye .xx. other sayles / as well gallees as fustes. And many other shippes came sith and ioyned with y ^e sayd army in tyme of the sayd syege. And it was sayd that there was .iiii.C. sayles and mo.

THe same day y ^e parte of the hoost came to y ^e sayd place the reuerent lorde grete mayster ordeyned a brygantyne so sende in to Pōnant to certyfy our holy fader y ^e pope & the crysten prynces how y ^e turkes army was afore Rodes. And in y ^e sayd vessell he sent .ii. knightes / one a frenchman named syr Claude dansoyuille called villiers / & & sir Loys dacidoigne a spanyard. & they wēt to y ^e pope & to thēꝑour. [Page] ¶After the comynge of the turkes nauy in to the sayd place / it was xiii. or .xiii. dayes or th [...]y set ony ordynaunce on londe grete or small [...] or descendynge of ony quantyte of men / wherof we marueyled. [...]nd it was tolde vs by some that came out of the campe / & also by [...]py [...]s y ^t the lorde grete mayster had sent abrode arayed as turkes that they abode the cōmaundement of theyr grete lorde / & tyll the hoost by lande were comen in to the campe. Howbeit there came some nombre for to vewe the towne but they went pryuely for the ordynaunce of the towne shot without cease. ¶All this whyle y ^e galees and galeaces went and came to lande bryngynge vytayle and people. At the whiche shyppes passinge nygh the towne was shot many strokes with bombardes whiche made some slaughter of our enmyes. And whan the moost parte of them was past they began to set ordynaunce on y ^e londe with grete dyligence. Than the lorde grete mayster departed fro his palays / & lodged hym nygh a chyrche called La vyctory / by­cause that place was moost to be doubted. and also that at the other sy [...]ge the gretest besynesse and assaut was there.

¶How the lorde grete mayster made his petycyon before the ymage of saynt Iohan / & offred hym y ^e keyes of y ^e towne.

THe day before were made many predycacions & se [...]mons & the last was in y ^e chyrche of saynt Iohn̄ baptyst. whan the se [...]mon was done a ponthyticall masse was cel [...]brate w ^t all solempnytees / & all the resykes tak [...]n downe / and y ^e lorde grete mayster & al [...]i [...] [...]nyghtes w ^t grete d [...]u [...]cion & reuerēce herde it. And whan y ^e masse was ended the lorde grete mayster made a pyteous oration or praye [...] before saynt Iohn̄ baptist his protectour. & aboue all other wordes whiche were to longe to tell he besought hym mekely y ^t it wolde please hym to take y ^e keyes of y ^e myserable cyte. The whiche keyes he presented & layde vpon the auter before the ymage / besechynge saynt Iohn̄ to take the kepynge and proteccion therof / & of all the religion / as by his grace he had gyuen to hym vnworthy y ^e gouernynge vnto y ^e day. And by his holy grace to defende thē fro the grete power of enmyes y ^t had besyeged them.

¶How the women sclaues wolde haue set fyre in the towne.

THe .viii. day of Iuly it was knowen y ^t the turkysshe women beynge sclaues & seruauntes in many houses of y ^e towne had apoynted to set fyre in theyr maysters houses at the fyrst assaut that sholde be made / to th [...]de y ^t the men sholde [...]eue theyr postes & defen­ces to go and saue theyr houses and goodes. And it was founde that [Page] a woman of Marcho pota beynge a sclaue was fyrst moeuer therof / the whiche was taken & put to execucyon. ¶The same day some of our men went out for to scarmysshe with the turkes & many of them were slayne with shot of our artyllery / & of our men but one.

¶How the turkes layd theyr artyllery about the towne & of the maner & quantyte of theyr pyeces and gonshot.

THe .xvii. day of Iuly for the begynnynge & fyrst daye they set vp a mantellet / vnder y ^e which they put .iii. or .iiii. meane pyeces as sacres / wherwith they shot agaynst y ^e poste of Englonde & Prouaunce. But the mantellet was soone broken and cast downe & theyr pyeces dystroyed with the shotte of the wall / and they that shot them were moost parte slayne. As this fyrst mantellet was broken by the grete & innumerable people that they had / they set all theyr ordynaunce on londe / and caryed it to the places where it sholde be bent / or nygh therby.

¶And the .xxix. day of the same moneth they set vp .ii. other mantellettes. One besyde a chyrche of saynt Cosme & damyan / and another towarde Ponnaūt. And fro these mātellettes they shot grete pyeces as serpentynes / double gonnes / & grete bombardes agaynst y ^e wal­les of Englonde & Spayne. To the whiche mantellets the ordynaū ce of the towne gaue many grete strokes / & often brake them. And y ^e more to greue the towne and to feere vs they set vp many other mantellets in dyuers places / almoost roūde about the towne. & they we­re rekened .lxxx. The whiche nōbre was well lessed by the grete quā tyte of strokes of artyllery shot out of the towne fro many places.

¶The artyllery of the turkes was suche as foloweth.

FYrst there was .vi. grete gonnes canonnes perryers of brasse that shot a stone of .iii. fote and a halfe. Also there was .xv. pye­ces of yren that shot stones of .v. or .vi. spannes. Also there was .xiiii. grete bombardes y ^t shot stones of .xi. spannes about. Also there was xii. baselyskes / wherof they shot but with .viii. that is to wyte .iiii. shot agaynst the poste of Englonde and Spayne / and .ii. agaynst the gate of Italy / the other .ii shot sōtyme agaynst saynt Nycolas toure Also there was .xv. double gonnes castynge bowles as baselyskes. The meane shot as sacres / and pasuolans were in grete nōbre. The handgonshot was īnumerable & incredyble. Also there was .xii. pot gon̄es of brasse y ^t shot vpwarde. wherof .viii. were set behīde y ^e chyr­che of saynt Cosme & damyan / & .ii. at saynt Iohn̄ de la fountayne to­warde y ^e porte of Italy. & the other .ii. afore y ^e gate of Auuergne / the which were shot night & day. & there was .iii. sortes of thē. wherof y ^e [Page] gretest were of .vi. or .vii. spannes about. And y ^e sayd st [...]nes were cast in to the towne to make murdre of people. whiche is a thynge ve [...]ay inhumayne & ferefull. whiche maner of shotynge is lytell vsed amō ­ge crysten men. Howbeit by euydent myracle thanked be g [...]d y ^e sayd pyeces dyde no grete harmes / and sl [...]we not past .xxiiii. or .xxv. persones: and the moost parte women & chyldren. And they began to sho­te w ^t the sayd pyeces fro the .xix. day of the same moneth vnto y ^e ende of August. And as it was accompted they shot .ii.M. tymes or fewe mo or lesse. ¶Than y ^e enmyes were warned by the Iewe that wrote lettres to them of all that was done and sayd in the towne / that y ^e sayd potgonnes dyde no harme / wherfore they were angry / for they wende that they had slayne the thyrde parte of our people. and they were counceyled by hym to leue that shotynge / for it was but tyme lost & powdre waste / and than they shotte no more w ^t them. It is of a trouthe that they shot with the sayd potgonnes .xii. or .xv. tymes w ^t bowles of brasse or coper full of wylde fyre / and whā they were in y ^e ayre they flammed / and in fallynge on the grounde they brake / and the fyre came out and dyde some harme. But at the last we knewe y ^e malyce therof / and the people was ware fro comynge nere to them / and therfore they dyde hurte no mo folke.

¶How the capytayne Gabryell martyningo came to the socour of Rodes. And all y ^e s [...]laues in daunger to be slayne.

THe .xxiii. day of the same moneth a brygantyne aryued y ^t was sent afore in to Candy / wherin came a worthy capytayne named Gabryel martyningo with two other capytaynes. And there wēt to receyue him messire prou Iohn̄ pryour of saynt Gyles / and the pryour of Nauarre. Thā after his honourable receyuynge as to hym well aperteyned they brought him before the lorde grete mayster / that louyngly receyued hym / and he was gladly seen and welcomed of the people / as a man y ^t was named veray wyse and ingenyous in feates of warre. Than came a spanyarde renegate fro the hoost / that gaue vs warnynge of all that was doone in the felde / and of the approchynge by the tren­ches that our enmyes made. ¶And in lykewyse there arose a grete noyse in the towne that the sclaues turkes that wrought for vs in y ^e dyches had slayne theyr kepers & wolde haue fledde / whiche was not so. Neuerthelesse the rumour was grete / and they rāge alarme / wherfore the sayd sclaues comynge to pryson as it was ordeyned in all the alarmes were met of y ^e people whiche in grete angre put thē to dethe / so that there was slayne a .C. and mo the same day. And yf [Page] it had not ben that the lorde grete mayster made to cry y ^t none sholde hurte them they had ben all slayne / & there was .xv.C. of them / the whiche sclaues dyde grete seruyce in tyme of the syege. For they la­boured dayly to make our defences [...] & to cast erthe out of the dyches & in all werkes they were necessary at our nedes.

¶How the grete turke aryued in persone before Rodes

THe .xxv. day of y ^e sayd moneth many of our men went out for to scarmysshe in y ^e felde & made grete murdre of turkes & in lykewyse dyde our artyllery. And it is to be noted y ^t the .xxviii. day of the same moneth the grete turke in per­sone passed le Fisco a hauen in the mayne londe with a galey & a fuste [...]and ariued about noone there as his army lay / the whiche day may be called vnhappy for Rodes. For his comynge / his presence and contynuall abydynge in the felde is & hath ben cause of the vyctory that he hath had. whan the galey that he came in was aryued all the other shyppes of the hoost hanged baners a lofte in theyr toppes & on theyr sayle yerdes. ¶Soone after that the turke was aryued he went to lande / & mounted on his hors & rode to his pauylion whiche was in a hygh place called Megalandra .iiii. or .v. myles fro the towne out of the daunger of the gonne shot. And on y ^e morowe as it was reported to vs he came to a chyrche nygh the towne called saynt Steuen for to vewe y ^e towne & fortresses / there as they had set vp mantellettes for to lay theyr ordynaunce.

THe last day of Iuly one of our brygantynes went out with a good cōpany of men arayed as turkes / & s [...]me of them coude speke turkysshe / & went by nyght to lande through the turkes hoost and demaūded yf there were ony that wolde passe ouer in to Turky that they sholde haste them to come. The turkes weninge that they had ben of Turky there entred a .xii. persones / y ^e whiche were ledde to Rodes. by whome we knewe what they dyde in the felde.

¶The fyrst day of august y ^e capytayne Gabryell martynyngo was made knyght of the ordre of the relygion by the lorde grete mayster / & was made the fyrst auncyent of the ytalyen tongue of the fyrst ba­lyage or pryory y ^t sholde be vacaūt. And in the meane season the rely­gyon sholde gyue hym .xii.C. ducates for pencyon euery yere / and y ^e same day he was receyued to the councell in y ^e towne of a baylyfe. ¶The .v day of the sayd moneth our mayster gonner was slayne w ^t a gonne / whiche was grete losse for vs at that tyme.

¶The .xv. day of the sayd moneth was knowen & taken for a tray­tour [Page] messire Iohn̄ baptista the physycyen aforesayd / whiche confes­sed his euyll & deuyllysshe doynges / and had his heed stryken of.

¶Of the meruaylous hylles y ^t the turkes made afore y ^e towne / & how the capytaynes were ordred in y ^e trench [...]s.

AFter comynge of the grete Turke the enmyes began to shote w ^t ordynaunce of another sorte than they dyde before / & specially with ha [...]busshes and handgonnes / & also to make theyr trenches and approches. And also they dyde more dyligence than afore to brynge the er [...]he nygh y ^e towne with spades and pycases. And it is to wyte y ^t they moeued y ^e erthe from half a myle of. And there was shot out of the towne innumerable strokes with ordynaunce agaynst the sayd erthe / & innumerable quantyte of people hyd behynde y ^e sayd erthe were slayne. Ne­uerthelesse they neuer left workynge tyll [...]hey had brought it to the brȳmes of the dyches. And whan it was there [...]hey reysed it hyer & hyer in strengthynge it behynde. And in conclusyon the sayd erthe was hyer than the walles of the towne by .x. or .xii. fote / & it semed a hyll. And it was agaynst the gate of Auuergne & Spayne / & bette our men that were at the gates & bulwerkes in suche wyse that no­ne durst be sene tyll certaynes defences & repayres were made of plā kes & bordes to couer our people and kepe them fro y ^e shotte. And at y ^e gate of Italy was made suche another hepe / & in none other parte. ¶whan the trenches were thus made to the dyches y ^e enmyes made holes in the walles of y ^e dyche outwarde. wherthorowe they shot infynytely with handgonnes to our men as well on y ^e walles as on the bulwarkes & [...]lewe many of them. Than the bachas & capytay­nes entred in to the trenches / eche to his place after theyr ordre & dy­gnyte. That is to wyte Monstofa bacha as chyef capytayne entred the trenche dyrcet to the bulwarke of Englonde w ^t his people and capytaynes vnder hym. Pery bacha went to the trenches agaynst y ^e gate of Italy w ^t his folkes & capytaynes vnder hym. Acmek bacha was in the trenches of Auuergne & Spayne with Lagat des genissayres & le Beglarby of Romany with hym. Le Beglarby de la No­tilia was in the trenches of Prouaunce. Allibey was with his com­pany agaynst the gardyns of saynt Anthony of y ^e bende of transmontayne and dyuers other capytaynes with hym / & set his ordynaun­ce agaynst the wall of the gate of Almayne whiche was but weyke and set vp .vii. mantellets by the mylles towarde Ponnant. And by the space of .viii. or .ix. dayes they bette vpon the same wall / whiche put vs in grete feare yf they had contynued. Howbeit the noble lorde [Page] grete mayster forthw ^t caused to make repayres within & to set plan­kes and tables to fortyfy the sayd weyke walle. And abode there fro the mornynge tyll nyght to cause it to be the more hasted. The artyllery of the gate of Almayne / & le Massyf of the gate of the campe & of the palays bet so sore and so often vpon the sayd mantellette y ^t it we­ryed the enmyes to make and repayre them soo often / & they toke vp the pyeces and bare them away. And also they coude not well beate the sayd walle bycause y ^e brymmes of the dyche w ^tout was almoost as hye as the walle that they bette. But or they bare the artyllery away they bette the steple of saynt Iohn̄s chirche so y ^t the moost parte was broken & cast downe. The forsayd mantellets were poynted to beate saynt Nycolas toure / & by y ^e space of x. or .xii. days they shot sore agaynst it. But they had so sharpe and vygorous answere that there was not one mātellet that abode hole an houre. The capytay­ne of the sayd toure and his folke dyde suche dylygence & besynesse in shotynge of theyr pyeces that the enmyes durst set vp no mo mantellettes by day / nor shote no more but onely by nyght whyle y ^e moone dyde shyne / whiche is a thynge worthy of memory / of meruayle / & of prayse. At the laste whan they had beaten agaynst the sayd [...]oure a certayne tyme seynge that it forthered nothynge / they toke theyr ordynaunce fro thens and bare it where they semed best. ¶Du [...]yu­ [...]he shot in the sayd place the other capytaynes were not ydle nor in a slepe / but without cease nyght & day they bette the wall of Englō ­de and Spayne / & had set .xiiii. mantellets agaynst it shotinge grete bombardes / wherof some of the stones were .v. or .vi. spannes about aud some other of .ix. or .x. And within a moneth & lesse they had caste downe the walle almoost euen smothe w ^t the barbycan. And whan y ^e sayd walle was so beaten they set to beate the bulwarke of Spayne for to reyse the defences. And in theyr trenches they set .iii. grete bombardes whiche shot stones of .xi. spannes of thyckenesse. And with y ^e sayd pyeces they bette the sayd bulwarke and wall in suche wyse y ^t they made grete brackes / and the stones & erthe that fell serued y ^e en­myes for ladders so that they might come vpon the playne grounde In lykewyse they reysed the defences fro the heyght of the bulwar­ke at the poste of Prouaunce. & set .iii. grete pyeces on the brymme of the dyche / whiche shot stones of .xi. spannes agaynst the walle / and within a whyle they made a bracke as at the poste of Spayne. The artyllery of the towne dyde shote without cease agaynst the mantellettes and brake many of them / but they made other as it is sayd in the nyghtes. For they had al thynge that belonged to them & neded. And out of the poste of Englonde was shotte a gon̄e that brake dow­ne one of the sayd mantellettes / and hitte vpon one of the pyeces and [Page] slewe .iiii. or .v. men / and bare a way bothe the legges of the mayster of the ordynaunce / whiche dyed soone after. wherof the grete Turke was very yll content / and sayd that he had leuer to haue loste one of his bachas or capytaynes than the sayd mayster. Also it is to be knowen that there was .iii. or .iiii. mantellets adressed agaynst y ^e playne grounde of Italy / and by contynuall beatynge of shot that they ma­de / there was also a bracke. And by the erth and stones that was fallen they myght come vp to it.

¶Of the polytyke repayres aud defences that the inuen­tyf capytayne Gabryell Martyningo made within the towne agaynst the brackes in the walles.

THe capytayne Gabryell Martyningo prompt / dyligēt / & experte to gyue remedyes to y ^e nedefull places forthwith made to make the trauerses vpon the wall where as the bracke was w ^t good repayres / & gonnes small and grete / whiche were set in the sayd trauerses. The whiche onely shot not at y ^e brackes but to [...]he trenches / & made grete murdre of en­myes as wel at the assautes y ^t they made as euery day. And besyde the trauerses the sayd capytayne made to lay smal artyllery as hacbusshes / & handgonnes vpon certayne houses w ^tin the towne / y ^t sto­de open agaynst the bracke / with good repayres. And fro y ^t place grete slaughter of turkes was made at the assautes. Also it is of trouth that besyde the sayd mantellettes that shot agaynst the walle of Englonde and Spayne with grete bombardes were two mantellets in a hye place to warde the way to the gardyn of Maupas / in y ^e whiche were certayne double gon̄es as baselyskes with holowe stones & wylde fyre in them / whiche shotte agaynst the wall in to y ^e towne at all auentures for to make murdre of people. Howbeit thanked be god it dyde no grete harme but to y ^e houses. ¶After these grete and terryble beatynges / and that the enmyes had way to mounte vpon the towne walles / & come to hande with vs by trauersynge of theyr trenches to the fallen erth within the bracke more surely / & without hurte of our gonshot / shotynge through holes y ^t they made in y ^e wal­les of the dyche without / they kest vp moche stone & erthe bycause it sholde couer them fro the shot of the bulwarke of Auuergne. And also they shot feruently agaynst the bulwarke of Spayne for to reyse y ^e defences / of the whiche at the last they reysed the moost parte / reser­uynge onely a fewe gonners alowe in the myne of the sayd bulwar­ke / whiche lytell or nothynge domaged them. And this is touchyn­ge the gonshot wherof I say not y ^e thyrde parte / bycause it is a thynge [Page] [...]ered ydle to them that hath not seen it. For some dayes they shot with those grete bombardes that were on the brymme of the dyche and fro y ^e mantellettes bent agaynst the walle of Englonde & Spayne .xx. or .xxx. tymes and mo. And I beleue veryly that sych the creacyon of the worlde suche artyllery and so grete quantyte was neuer bent and layde before ony towne as hath ben agaynst Rodes at this syege. wherfore it is no meruayle yf the walles ben and haue ben be [...]ell downe / and yf there be brackes & clyftes in many places.

¶Here foloweth of the mynes that the turkes made. And how they ouerthrewe parte of y ^e bulwarke of Englonde.

ANd bycause as it is sayd afore that the gretest hope that the enmyes had to gete the towne of Rodes was by my­nynge. Therfore now after that I haue spoken of y ^e gon­shot & beatynges I shall shewe of the mynes y ^t the turke made / the whiche were in so grete quantyte & in so many places that I beleue the thyrd parte of the towne was myned. And it is foūde by accompt made that there was about .lx. mynes. How­beit thanked be god many of them came not to effecte [...]by occasyon of the coūtremynes that they w ^tin made / and also trenches y ^t the ryght prudent lorde y ^e grete mayster made to make depe within y ^e dyches. vnto .ii. or .iii. fote of the water. The whiche trenches and certayne pyttes that he had made in the sayd diches to be wrought or y ^e hoost aryued serued ryght well syth. For nyght and daye there was men in them to watche and herken whan the enmyes myned / for to mete them and cut theyr way / as was doone many tymes. ¶And for to speke of the mynes that had effecte and domaged vs / it is to wyte y ^t the fourth daye of Septembre about .iiii. houres after noone the en­myes put fyre in .ii. mynes / one was betwene the poste of Spayne and Auuergne / whiche dyde no hurt but to the barbican. The other was at the bulwarke of Englonde that was so fell and stronge that it caused moost parte of the towne to shake / & kest downe a grete par­te of the sayd bulwarke at the sprynge of the day. And by the erthe & stones that fell in to the dyches the enmyes came vpon the bulwar­ke with theyr baners / & fought sore & myghtyly with our men / not with handes but with shot of handgonnes. The lorde grete mayster that was come .xv. days or more with his socours to y ^e sayd bulwarke / went with his company to helpe them that fought. After y ^t they had foughten the space of .ii. or .iii. houres / the enmyes repulsed and dryuen backe by our men fro the sayd bulwarke / and beaten with ordynaunce on euery syde / withdrewe them w ^t theyr losse / shame / and [Page] domage. And this was the fyrst vyctory that our lorde gaue vs [...]and there abode of our enmyes a .M. and mo. ¶whan this assaut was doone they made another at the bracke in the walle of Spayne / and mounted vpon it. But the ordynaunce of the trauerses of the walles and of the houses made so fayre a ryddaunce y ^t they were ryght fay­ne to withdrawe them for at there [...] & also at they [...] comynge the sayd ordynaunce of the bulwarke dyde them grete domage. albeit y ^t they had made some repayre of erthe. Of our men dyed that day .xxv or therabout / as well knyghtes as other. And the same day in y ^e mornynge departed out of this worlde Gabryell de Pomerolles lyeute­naunt to the lorde mayster whiche on a certayne daye before fell fro the walle as he went to se y ^e trenches in the dyches & hurt his breste & for faute of good attendaunce he fell in a feuer wherof he dyed.

¶How the turkes assayled the bulwarke of Englande and how they were dryuen away.

THe .ix. day of the sayd moneth at .vii. in the mornynge the enmyes put fyre in .ii. mynes. One at y ^e poste of Prouaū ­ce / whiche had none effect. The other was at the bulwarke of Englonde whiche felled an other pyecenygh to that y ^t was casten doune afore. And y ^e sayd myne was as fyers as the other or more for it semed that al the bulwarke went downe. & almoost all they y ^t were [...]n it ran awaye. And whan the standarde of the relygyon came into the sayd bulwarke the enmyes were at y ^e [Page] bracke redy to haue entred. But whan they sawe the sayd standar­de / as people loste & ouercome they went downe agayne. Than y ^e artyllery of the bulwarke of Quosquino / & of other places founde them wel ynough / & slewe many of them. Howbeit theyr capytaynes made them to retorne w ^t grete strokes of swerdes & other wepons / & re­moūted vpon the erthe fallen fro the sayd bulwarke / & pyght .vii. baners nygh to our repayre. Than our men fought w ^t moryskpykes & fyred speres agaynst them the space of .iii. hole houres / tyl at the last they beynge well beaten w ^t grete ordynaūce and small on euery syde withdrewe them. And of theyr baners our men gate one / for it was not possyble to gete ony mo. For as soone as ony of our men went vp on our repayres he was slayne with small gonnes of the trenches / & holes made in the walles of our diches. And there was slayne of our enmyes that day at the assaut .ii. M. of meane men / & .iii. persones of estate whiche lay deed alonge in the dyche with fayre and ryche harneys. And as it was reported to vs from the campe they were .iii. seniae boys / y ^t is to saye grete seneshalles or stuardes. And of crysten men of our parte abode about .xxx. persones. And this was the seconde vyctory gyuen to vs by the grace dyuyne.

¶How syr Iohn̄ bourgh turcoplyer of Englande was slayne at an assaut of the Englysshe bulwarke.

THe .xvii. day of the same moneth about mydday the enmyes came agayne to gyue an other assaute to the sayd bul­warke at the same place aforesayd w ^tout settinge of fyre in mynes / & brought .v. baners with them nygh to y ^e repayres. Than was there stronge fyghtȳge on bothe partes / and there was goten two of theyr baners / of the whiche syr Xp̄ofre Ualdenarc that tyme castelayne of Rodes gate one. The other was in the handes of syr Iohn̄ bourgh turcoplyer of Englonde chyef ca­pytayne of the socours of the sayd poste of Englonde / a valyaūt man and hardy. And in holdynge of it he was slayne with the stroke of a handgonne / whiche was grete domage. The sayd baner was reco­uered by one of our men. And after longe fyghtīge on bothe sydes y ^e enmyes seynge that they gate nothynge but strypes retorned in to theyr trēches. At y ^e sayd fray y ^e lorde pryour of saynt Gyles pre Iohn̄ was hurte thrugh the necke w ^t a handgonne / & was in grete daun­ger of dethe / but he escaped and was made hole. The same day & the same houre of the sayd assaute the enmyes mounted to the bracke in the walle of Spayne / and came to the repayres to the handes of our men and fought a grete whyle. But the grete quantyte of artyllery [Page] that was shot so besyly and so sharpely from our trauerses on eche syde / & out of the bulwarkes of Auuergne & Spayne scarmysshed thē so well that there abode as many at that assaute as at y ^e other of En­glonde well nere to the nombre of .v.M. And they w ^tdrewe theym w ^t theyr grete losse and confusyon / whiche was the thyrde tyme y ^t they were chaced & ouercome thanked be our lorde whiche gaue vs y ^e force & power so to do / for they were by reason a .C. agaynst one.

¶Also the .xxii. daye of the same moneth of Septembre they fyred a myne bytwene Italy and Prouaunce / whiche dyde no harme.

¶Of the terryble myne at the poste of Auuergne.

ANd the .xxiii. day of the same moneth they fyred .ii. mynes one at y ^e poste of Spayne / & the other by the bulwarke of Auuergne. the whiche myne by Auuergne was so terry­ble y ^t it made all the towne to shake / & made the walle to open fro aboue to beneth vnto the playne grounde. How­beit it fell not / for the myne had spyrall or brethe in .ii. places / by one of the countremynes / & by a Rocke vnder the barbycan / the whiche dyde cleue / & by that clyft the furour & myght of the myne had yssue. And yf the sayd .ii. spyralles had not ben y ^e walle had be torned vpso­downe. And for trouth as it was reported to vs out of the campe the enmyes hast grete hope in the sayd myne / wenynge that the walle sholde haue be ouerthrowen / & than they myght haue entred in to y ^e towne at theyr pleasures. But whan they sawe the contrary they were ryght yll pleased. And the capytaynes delybered them to giue assaute at .iiii. places at ones to make vs the more adoo / & to haue in­traūce in to y ^e towne by one of the .iiii. And the sayd day & night they ceased not to shote artyllery. & there came in hope of the myne .lx.M. men and mo in to the trenches.

¶How the bulwarke of Spayne was loste / & wonne agayne.

THe .xxiiii. day of y ^e same moneth a lytell before daye they gaue assaut at the bracke of Spayne / to y ^e bulwarke of Englōde / to y ^e poost of Prouaunce / & at the playne groūde of Italy / all at one houre & one tyme. The fyrst y ^t moūted to the bracke of Spayne was La­gat des genissayres a valyaunt man & of grete courage w ^t his cōpa­ny / & bare .lx. or .lxx. baners & sygnes / & pyght them in y ^e erthe of the bracke / & than saught w ^t our men / & moūted on our repayres makynge other maner of fray & more rygorous than y ^e other that were pas­sed / and y ^e sayd medlynge lasted about .vi. houres. And forthw ^t as the assaut was gyuen a grete sorte of turkes entred in to y ^e bulwarke of [Page] Spayne and set vp .viii. or .ix. sygnes or baners vpon it / & droue our men out [...] I can not tell how / vnwares or otherwyse. And they were lordes of it .iii. houres & more. Howbeit there was of our men beneth in the myne of the sayd bulwarke. the whiche bulwarke so loste ga­ue vs euyll hope. But incontynent the lorde grete mayster beyng at the defence of y ^e poste of Englonde hauinge knowlege of the sayd iosse and that there was grete fyghtinge & resystence on bothe sydes at y ^e bracke of Spayne marched thyder w ^t the baner of the crucyfyx / leuȳ ge the charge of the sayd bulwarke in y ^e handes of y ^e baylyf de la Moree messire Mery cōbant. And y ^e lorde mounted on the wall of spayne where as than began a grete medlinge / & euery man layde his handes to worke / as well to put the enmyes out of the bracke as to recouer the bulwarke that was loste. And the sayd lorde sent a company of men in to the bulwarke by the gate of the myne / or by the barby­can the whiche entred at the sayd gate & went vp where they foun­de but fewe turkes. For the artyllery of the poste of Englonde ryght agaynst y ^e bulwarke of Spayne had so well met & scattered them y ^t within a whyle our men had slayne all them y ^e were lefte. And thus the sayd bulwarke was goten and recouered agayne / and with all dylygence were made newe repayres & strengthes to the sayd place And in lykewise the enmyes were put fro the bracke and fewe o [...] thē scaped / and all theyr baners and sygnes were left with vs. Surely it may be sayd that after the grace of god (the trauerses of Spayne & Auuergne / and the small artyllery set on the houses right agaynst y ^e sayd brackes as it is sayd / with the comynge and presēce of the lorde grete mayster) hath gyuen vs this iourney.

¶To the regarde of the murdre of people done by the artyllery of y ^e bulwarke of Englande and Spayne / the quantite was suche that a man coude not perceyue nor se ony grounde of the dyches. And y ^e s [...]enche of the mastyfes caryons was so greuons that we myght not suffre it .vii. or .viii. dayes after. And at the laste they that myght saue themselfe dyde so / and withdrewe them to the trenches / And the re­uerent lorde grete mayster abode vyctoryous of the sayd place / and in lykewyse of the other thre assautes / y ^e whiche were but lytell le [...]se than that of Spayne / for they fought longe. But in cōclusyon the enmyes beaten on al sydes / and in so many sortes with artyllery were put backe and vaynquysshed that there dyed that day at all the .iiii. places .xv. or .xvi.M. And the slaughter was soo grete at the playne of Italy of the cursed enmyes that y ^e see was made reed with theyr blode. And on our syde also dyed to the nombre of a .C. men or moo. And of men of dygnyte in the towne hauynge charge dyed syr Fraū ceys de Frenolz cōmaundour de la Romaygne / which syr Fraūceys [Page] was chyef capytayne of the grete shyppe of Rodes / and he was slayne at the playne of Italy / wounded with .ii. strokes of hacbusshes / it was grete domage of his dethe for he was a worthy man / parfy­te / and full of vertues. There dyed also messire Nastasy de sancta Camell afore named hauynge a .C. men vnder him of y ^e lorde grete maysters socours. There dyed also dyuers other worthy men that daye / & many were maymed. Amonge all other that lost ony membre mes­syre Iohn̄ de le touz called Pradynes / beynge at the sayd bulwarke with a stroke of artyllery had his a [...]me smyten away in grete daunger to haue lost his lyfe / howbeit by the helpe of god he dyed not. In lykewyse the same day was hurte syr wyllyam weston abouesayd capytayne of the poste of Englonde / & had one of his fyngers stryken away with a hacbusshe. whiche knyght behaued hym ryght wor­thely at all the assautes. Of the turkes parte of grete men were two pryncypall capytaynes slayne vnder Lagat des genissaires / and another capytayne that was come out of Surrey to the campe certayne dayes before with .vi.C. Mamelukes / and .ii. or .iii.M. Moores. And of them that were hurte of grete men le Beglarby de la Notilia had a stroke with an arowe as he was in the trenche of Prouaūce. And many other were wounded whose names be not rehersed here bycause of shortnesse.

¶How the grete turke for angre that he coude not gete the towne wolde haue put his chyef capytayne to dethe / & how they made .xi. mynes vnder the bulwarke of Englonde.

[Page]DUrynge this assaut the grete turke was by his pauyllyon in a place that he had caused to be made / & sawe al the besinesse / & how his people were so sharpely put backe / & the iourney loste on his syde he was very sore dyspleased and halfe in dyspeyre. And sent for Monstofa bacha with whome he was angry / & chydde hym bytterly / saynge that he had caused hym to come thyder / & had made hym to beleue that he shol­take the towne in .xv. dayes or a moneth at the ferdest. & he had ben there all redy .iii. monethes w ^t his army & yet had they done nothynge. And after these wordes he was purposed to cause hym suffre de­the in the campe. But the other bachas shewed hym y ^t he ought not to do Iustyce in the londe of his enmyes / for it sholde consort [...]hem & gyue them courage / wherby he dyde moderate his angre & lett him for y ^t tyme / & thought to sende hym to Cayre lest y ^e people there wol­de rebell / by occasyon of the capytayne of Cayre whiche dyed a fewe dayes before. Howbeit he departed not so sodaynly / & or he went he thought to assay yf he myght do some thynge for to please the turke / as well for his honour as for to saue his persone. & made meruayloꝰ dylygence to make mynes at the bulwarke of Englonde for to ouer­throwe it. And by accōpt was made .xi. mynes as wel to y ^e sayd bulwarke as elles where / besyde them spoken of afore / & that they had fyred But the moost parte of y ^e sayd mynes came to no profe though they put fyre in them / & many were met w ^t countremynes / & broken by our men by the good dylygēce & solycitude of syr Gabryell du chef stuarde of the hous to the lorde grete mayster / whiche had the char­ge of the sayd countremynes at the same bulwarke. In y ^e whiche besynesse he behaued hym well & worthely / and spared not his goodes to cause the people worke & trauayle / but spent therof largely.

¶How the turkes were mynded to haue gone theyr way / & of the traytours w ^tin the towne / & of many grete assantes.

THe turkes seynge y ^t by mynynge they were nothynge for­thered / nor myght not come to theyr intencyons / and ha­uynge but small store of powdres were in delyberacyon & mynde to haue reysed the syege and gone theyr way. And in dede some of them made to bere theyr caryages towar­de the shyppes. and also certayne nombre of people went out of y ^e trē ­ches with theyr standardes streyght to y ^e shyppes. And it was wryten to vs fro the campe how the genyssayres and other of the hooste wolde fyght no more. and that they were almoost all of one opynyon for go awaye / sauf some of the capytaynes of the foresayd Monstofa [Page] bacha or Acmek bacha. And in the meane season the fals traytoures that were in the towne wrote lettres to the campe gyuynge theym knowlege of all that was sayd & done amonge vs. And also an Alba­nyti fledde to the enmyes campe & warned them not to go / for y ^e gon­shot was nygh wasted / & that the moost parte of the knyghtes and people sholde be theyrs shortly. ¶In lykewyse than wrote y ^e abouesayd chaunceler syr Andrew de Merall / whose treason as than was not knowen. But whan it cometh to the effecte of his treason I shal shewe the knowlege that he gaue to the enmyes at dyuers tymes. ¶whan the bachas & capytaynes of the hoost vnderstode the sayd warnynges they all purposed for to tary / & caused those tydynges of the towne to be knowen ouer al the army. And began agayne to shote artyllery faster than euer they dyde / for newe shot was comen in to the campe. Than Monstofa bacha beynge in dyspayre y ^t he coude do no thynge by mynes / by gonshot / nor by assautes he beynge redy to departe for to go in to Surrey by the grete turkes cōmaundemē [...] before his departynge he thought ones agayne to assaye his aduenture / and made .iii. assautes .iii. dayes togyder. The fyrst was on a saterday the .iiii. day of Octobre an houre before night. The other on sonday in the mornynge. & the thyrde on monday after dyner. And y ^e sayd .iii. assautes were made to y ^e bulwerke of Englāde. And it was assayled but w ^t stones and bagges full of artyfyce tyre. And at these iii. assautes many of our men were hurt with the sayd fyre / & with y ^e stones that came as thycke as rayne or hayle. But fynally y ^e enmy­es gate [...]othynge but strokes / & retourned in to theyr trenches euyl cōtented & murmurynge / and sware by theyr Machomet that Mō ­stofa bacha sholde not make them to mount ony more to the sayd bul­warke. And that it was grete foly for them to make them be slayne at y ^e wyll & fantasy of one man. These wordes sayd in greke by some of the enmyes were herde of our men as they went downe fro y ^e bul­warke. And bycause (as it is sayd) that the enmyes at the assautes y ^t were made came vp by y ^e e [...]the and stones y ^t fell fro the brackes / some of our men aduysed to clense the barbycan / & take the erthe out of the dyche / to thende that the enmyes sholde not easely come vpon y ^e wal. And in effect wenynge that it were well & behouefull to be done / by grete dylygence nyght & daye by mynes they voyded y ^e barbycan / & the moost parte of the erthe that lay in the dyche was brought in to the towne the whiche was hurtfull afterwarde & was cause y ^t the enmyes gate the fote of the walle. Notw ^tstandynge they had it but scarcely. But this clensynge forthered the tyme & caused them to ge­te it sooner than they sholde haue done yf the erth had lyen styll. But theyr fynal intent was to reyse the defence of the bulwarkes / & than [Page] passe at theyr pleasure & entre in to the barbycan as they haue done. For y ^e enmyes seynge y ^t the sayd barbycan was clensed they thought to gete in to it by trenches / and so they dyde. Howbeit they were certayne days letted by our hand gonne shot. The enmyes seynge that they might not come nere it they couered theyr trenches w ^t tables to saue themselfe. And than they made a myne wherby they might go to the barbycan. So by these two meanes after y ^t they were repay­red w ^t erthe and with a certayne walle y ^t they made for to eschewe y ^e shotte of the bulwarkes of Auuergne and Spayne. And in y ^e myne they foūde but two gonners / whiche they slewe by force of men. By this maner they beynge couered on all partes / & without ony daun­ger passed thorow & lepte in to the barbycan / and gate the fote of the walle. whiche was the .xvii. day of Octobre / an vnhappy daye for y ^e poore towne / and occasyon of the ruyne therof / & wynnynge y ^t they had. ¶At this poynt they slept not / but lyghtly and w ^t grete dylygē ce they began [...]o pycke & hewe the walle. And we wenynge to make [...]emedy therfore / & to fynde meanes to dryue them fro y ^e sayd barby­ [...]an with gynnes of fyre & barylles of powdre wherw ^t we slewe ma­ny of them / but it auayled nothynge. For the quantyte & multytude of people y ^t trauayled there was so grete that they cared not for losse of them. And yf we had had men ynowe w ^tin the towne there might haue ben remedy to haue reysed them fro thens. But cōsyderynge y ^t our force & total hope was in people / wherby we left to do many thȳ ges y ^t myght haue ben doone & that sholde haue ben good than / and other times also for faute of men of warre. At the last it was pondred by syr Gabryell martiningo that there was no remedy but to hewe the walle for to mete them & beate them with ordynaunce and with gyunes of fyre to brenne & vndo them. Than our men began to hewe y ^e walle / & made some holes to shote at the enmyes that slept not / but dyde as we dyde / to shote at vs / & in dede they slewe and hurt many of our men. Than syr Gabryell martiningo ordeyned to make repayres w ^tin the towne at y ^e frōte where they dyde cut the walle / to then­de that after the walles were cut y ^e enmyes sholde knowe w ^t whome to mete. The trauerses were made on eche side w ^t good artyllery grete and small. And the sayd trauerses & repayres were of the length y ^t the enmyes had cut the walle. & began at the massyf of Spayne made by the reuerent lorde grete mayster Mery damboyse / & ended at y ^e chyrche of saynt Saluador. The whiche trauerses & repayres y ^e vulgar people call la Mandra / that is to say / the felde. ¶The meane ty­me y ^t the repayres and trauerses were made with all dylygence syr Gabryell Martinīgo neuer ceased goynge to euery place to pouruey for all thinges. And he beynge on y ^e bulwarke of Spayne to ordeyne [Page] all thynge that was nedefull there came a stroke of a handgonne fro the trenches y ^t smote out his eye / & put hȳ in daunger of his lyfe / but thanked be god he retorned to helthe within a moneth & a halfe. His hurte came euyll to passe for the nede that we had of hym that tyme in all thynges / & specyally to the repayres of the brackes. Neuertheles the lorde pryour of saynt Gyles (not ignoruant in all suche thyn­ges) with other men experte in warre intended to y ^e sayd repayres & trauerses / there & elles where. The enmyes on the other syde nyght and day without rest (for y ^e grete nombre of labourers that they had hourely and newe redyly) hewed and vndermyned the sayd walle. ¶And the .xx. day of Octobre they put fyre in the vndermynes we­nynge to haue cast downe the walle / but they coude not. Than they wolde haue pulled it downe with grete ropes and ancres. But the artyllery of the bulwarke of Auuergne brake theyr ropes & sent thē away lyghtly. ¶At the last they made a myne vnder the sayd wall and bracke. And the .vi. day of the same moneth they dyde put fyre to the same myne / wenynge to haue ouerthrowen the walle / which it dyde not but reysed it and made it to fall almoost streyght vpryght / which was more dysauauntage to the enmyes than profyte. Than they shot artyllery at it which in fewe dayes was beaten downe / & they had openyuge and way to come in to the towne. Neuerthelesse it was not necessary for them as than to entre. For y ^e artyllery of our repayres bette them in the fore parce / & the artyllery lyenge at the .ii mylles at the poste of Quosquino / and in that of England / where as was a baselyke that bet ryght vpon the bracke w ^t other pieces. And therfore the enmyes sought other meanes / & began to reyse the erth betwene our two walles / drawynge towarde Englonde on the one syde / & towarde Auuergne on the other syde / & wolde haue cutte the walle ferder than our trauerses were for to come in vnbeaten of our artyllery. Than were the repayres enlarged & made more with the walle y ^t was cut / of the heyght of .xii. or .xvi. fote in brede. And so the enmyes myght go no ferder forwarde / but shotte grete artyllery a­gayust our repayres for to breke and cast them downe. And also they made trenches for to come ryght to the bracke / and vnto the repay­res. And certaynly we loked daye by day and houre by houre for to haue some assaute. The reuerent lorde grete mayster the whiche as it is sayd had lefte the bulwarke of Englonde the day that the grete assaute was made / and syth that tyme heimoeued not fro thens as they hewed the walle / and there as the bracke was / bycause y ^t they were the moost daungerous and the moost vnquyete places. And cō tynually the sayd lorde kepte hym behynde the sayd repayres with his knightes and men of socours / intentyfly redy and apparayled to [Page] lyue and dye / & to receyue his enmyes as they ought to be receyued And he abode .iii. or .iiii. dayes at the sayd bracke contynuynge syth it was made vnto the ende / fyghtynge with his enmyes euery day in grete peryll of his body. For oftentymes he put hymselfe ferder in the prease than neded / for the vnquyetnesse of his persone. But he dyde it for to herten and strength the courage of his people / beynge so well wyllynge to defende and dye for the [...]aythe.

¶How the enmyes assayled the postes of Prouaunce & Italy / & how they were dryuen away.

BY the wyll of our lorde the enmyes alway in feare & drede wolde gyue none assaut / but cōtynually shot agaynst our repayres / & made trenches for to passe forwarde in to the towne. By the whiche trenches they shot infynitly with hacbusshes & handgonnes / and slewe many of our folke / & specyally of them y ^t wrought & made the repayres y ^t were broken & [...]rased. And they put vs in suche extremyte that we had almoost noo moo s [...]laues nor other labourynge people for to repayre that / y ^t they brake nyght & day / whiche was a grete hyndraunce for vs & begynnynge of our perdycion. And yf we had moche to do in y ^t place / there was not lesse at the gate of Prouaunce / & at the playne of Italy. For dayly they were doynge eyther w ^t assaut or scarmysshe / & moost at y ^e playne of Italy. Howbeit by the helpe of our lorde w ^t the good condutynge of the capytayne of socours of the same place the pryour of Nauarre y ^t was prompt and intent yf / & coude well encourage his men the enmyes had alway the worst / and were dryuen fro y ^e sayd play­ne / and fro the bracke of Prouaunce.

¶How the treason of syr Andrew de Merall was knowen / & of the meruaylous assautes that the turkes made.

UPon these termes & assautes the treason of the chaunceler syr Andrew de Meral / of whome I spake of afore was apperceyued. For a seruaunt of his named Blasy was foun­de shotynge a quarell of a crosbowe w ^t a lettre / wherof he was accused to y ^e lorde grete mayster / whiche made to ta­ke hym & examyn hym by Iustyce / and he confessed the shot of y ^t let­tre & other afore at the cōmaundement of his mayster. And sayd y ^t he had grete acquayntaūce w ^t the Turkes bachas / & that it was not lō ge syth he had wryten a lettre to them / warnynge them y ^t they shold not go / for gonshot began to fayle & the men were wasted by fleynge [Page] and hurtynge at the assautes in grete quantyte. And yf they abode styll and gaue mo assautes / at the last y ^e towne sholde be theyrs. And dyuers other thynges the seruaunt sayd of his mayster / of y ^e whiche I haue spoken parte afore at the begynnynge / & of the warnynge y ^t he gaue to the grete Turke for to come. ¶But to retorne to the play­ne of Italy. After many batayles & assautes doone in the sayd place by contynuall shot of .xvii. grete gonnes y ^t bet the sayd playne / the repayres & trauerses were almoost broken & lost. And by trenches the enmyes were come ioyninge to y ^e bracke / and neuer ceased to grate y ^e erthe & scrape the erthe to cause the repayres & trauerses to fall / And at y ^e laste the moost parte fell downe / and our men were constrayned to leue the sayd playne / sauf a cantell y ^t was towarde y ^t see / as it we­re the thyrde parte therof. Certayne days afore the enmyes came to the fote of the playne / and dyde cut it / & reysed the erthe / & at the laste they passed thorow vnto the towne walle. & anone began to hewe & cut as they dyde at y ^t of Spayne. The lorde grete mayster seynge y ^t anone made to cast downe a parte of the chyrche of our lady de la Ui­ctory / & of an other chyrche of saynt Panthalion. And w ^tin thē began to make the repayres & trauerses as at the place of Spayne. where­to was made extreme dylygence / but not suche as the lorde wolde / & as was nedefull / bycause there was no labourers for to helpe. After that the enmyes had wonne the moost parte of the bulwarke of En­glonde & the playne of Italy they were purposed to make assaut to y ^e [...]ayd playne & to the bracke of Spayne / & to entre in to our repayres to wynne them for to haue the ende of vs. And for euer to affeble the repayres & for to abasshe vs / the .xxviii. day of Nouembre all alonge the day and nyght they ceased not to shote grete artyllery / bothe fro the brymmes of the dyches with those grete pyeces castynge stones of .ix. and .xi. fote thycke / and fro the mantellettes without. And as it was rekened they shot the same day and nyght a .C. and .l. tymes or more agaynst our repayres and trauerses of the walle. ¶And in the mornynge the .xxix. day of the same moneth the vygyll of saynt An­drewe at the sprynge of the day the enmyes went thorowe y ^e bracke with theyr baners and entred in to the repayres with greter nōbre of people than they dide at the grete batayle in Septembre / hardyly and furyously for to fyght with vs. But at theyr comynge in the ar­tyllery of the trauerses and the handgonnes / and the gonshot of the mylles founde them so wel and so sharpely that he that came in was anone dispatched and ouerthrowen / and there abode aboue .ii.M. of the turkes slayne. The other that came after seynge theyr felawes so euyll welcomed / as people that were astonyed and loste they tourned agayne to theyr trenches. to whome the artyllery of the mylles [Page] shotte vygoryously / and hasted them to go a pace. And by reporte fro the campe ther dyed syxe thousande or mo that day. The whiche day myght be called very happy / and well fortunate for vs thanked be god. For ther was none that thought to escape that day / but to haue dyed all and lost the towne. Howbeit the pleasure of our lorde was by euydent myracle to haue it otherwyse / and the enmyes were chased and ouercome. And it is to be noted that the same day the rayne was so grete and so stronge / that it made the erthe to synke a grete dele y ^t they had caste into the dytches for to couer them fro the shotte of Au­uergne. And the sayd erthe beynge so sonken / the artylery of the sayd bulwarke (vnwares to them) smote them goynge and comynge and made grete murdre of the sayd dogges. The sayd day also the enmy­es came to the playne of Italy for to assaute it / but whā they vnder­stode that theyr felowes had ben put backe so rudely / & with so grete slaughter they were afrayde / and so they returned agayne to theyr trenches.

¶How the Turkes gate the playne grounde of Italy.

ANd that done Acmek Bacha seynge theyr besynes euery day go fro wors to wors / and that at y ^e assautes was but losse of people without doynge of ony good / and that there was no man that wyllyngely wolde go to it ony more / he intended to gyue no mo assautes / but to folowe his tren­ches / & by them entre dyscouertly without losse of a man fro y ^e bracke to the other ende of the towne. Semblably he entended for to wynne the playne erthe besyde Spayne. The whiche to get he came at ple­asure to y ^e fote of y ^e wall / & beganne to bete downe the playne groūde and to gyue many scarmysshes and conflyctes to our folke that kepte it. And there was slayne many good men. And at the last for defaute of more helpe / and of gonshotte it was lefte and gyuē vp of our men / and so loste. That done the enmyes came thyder as in other places. And this is the thyrde place that they came nere to the fote of y ^• wall. And who that well consydered in what estate that the poore towne was in that tyme seynge theyr enmyes haue soo grete auauntage / myght well say and iudge that at lengthe it shulde be takē and a lost towne.

¶How a Geneuey came to the gate of the towne for to speke for a treaty / and delyueraunce of the same. [Page]

AFter y ^t the sayd Iourney was wonne / a fewe dayes after a chrysten man that was in the campe / the whiche by his speche was a Geneueys or Cyotis came to the gate of Au­uergne / and demaunded to speke / and after that he was questyoned what he wolde haue / he sayd that he had meruayle of vs why we wolde not yelde vs / seynge the pyteous degre y ^t the towne was in. And he as a chrysten man coūseyled vs to yelde vs with some agremēt. And that yf we wolde loke therto / y ^y some shulde be foūde expedyent to do somwhat for our saufgarde. And it is to be­leue that he sayd not suche wordes nor spake so ferforthe in the mater without commyssyon of some of the chyef of the campe / or of y ^e grete Turke hymselfe. To y ^e whiche Cyotis was answered that he shulde go away with an euyll happe / & that it neded not to speke of a poynt­ment. And that thoughe the enmyes had grete auauntage / y ^t there was yet ynoughe wherwith to receyue and feest them / yf they made ony assaute. These wordes herd he went away. And two dayes after he came agayne and demaunded to speke with a marchaunt Gene­ueys of the towne named Mathewe de Ura / and he was answered y ^t he whiche he demaunded was seke / and myght not come / but that he shulde delyuer the letter & it shulde be gyuē to hym. The sayd Cy­otis sayd nay / and that he wolde gyue it hymselfe & speke with hym. And sayd y ^t he had also a letter of y ^e grete lorde / for the lorde mayster. Upon this he was boden to go his way / & to further hym to go / they shotte after hȳ a pyece of artylery. The nexte day after Ballātis Al­banyty that was fled through y ^e bracke of Spayne to y ^e campe came fro the sayd Geneueys proposynge suche wordes or lyke as the other [Page] had sayd / sayenge lykewyse that the grete lorde had sent a letter to y ^e lorde mayster. To whome no wordes were spoken nor answere made / for the lorde grete mayster as wyse and prudent consyderynge that a towne that wyll here entreatynges is halfe lost / made to defende vp­on the peyne of dethe syth that Cyotis had spoken those two tymes that none shuld be so hardy to speke nor answere to them of y ^e campe / without his knowlege and commaundement / but seynge they were suche embassadoures / they reported the wordes of the sayde Alba­nyty / or euer y ^e sayd lorde had knowlege of the wordes of Cyotis. The whiche wordes spredde throughe y ^e towne put many folke ī thought / and wolde haue vndone y ^• that Cyotis sayd. The whiche is no mer­uayle there as is moche people / for with good wyll & most often they regarded more soner to saue the lyfe of them & theyr chyldrē thā they do to the honour of the resydue. Howbeit not one durst speke a worde openly of that besynesse / but all secretly. And some came and spake to certayne lordes of y ^e grete crosse for to speke to y ^e lorde grete mayster. And in effecte some lordes spake therof to hym / enhortynge hym that it shulde be good to thynke theron / seynge that y ^e towne went to losse. To whome the sayd lorde shewed many thynges for his honour and the reylgyon. And y ^t no suche thynges ought to be done nor thought / for ony thynge in the worlde / but rather he and they to dye. The lor­des herynge this answere wente theyr wayes / and than retourned agayne to the sayd lorde / aduysynge hym more to thynke well on all thynges & to the saluacyon of his towne & of his relygyon. And they sayd moreouer y ^t they doubted y ^t the people wold rather haue apoyntment than to dye / and theyr wyues and chyldren. The lorde seynge y ^t suche wordes were as thynges enforced (as who shulde say) yf thou do it not / we shall do it as wyse men and prudent / wyllynge to make remedyes of nedefull thynges by coūsell made to cal the lordes of his coūsell for to haue aduyse in these doynges and other. And whā they were assembled / the lorde proposed the wordes that were to hym de­nounced / & sayd. With these termes & wordes came two or thre mar­chauntes & cytezyns of y ^e towne that knocked at the dore of y ^e counsell & presented a supplycacyon to y ^e grete mayster / & lordes of y ^e counsell / wherby they requyred and besought mekely y ^e [...]ayd reuerende lorde haue respyte to them and theyr poore housholdes / and to make some apoyntment with the grete Turke / seynge that the sayd mater was all redy forwarde in purpose that he wolde do it. And that it wolde please hym to consyder the pyteous & sorowfull estate that the towne was in. And that there was no remedy to saue it. And at the lest way yf the lorde wolde not make a poyntmente to gyue them leue (of his goodnes) to haue theyr wyues & theyr chyldrē out of y ^e Rodes to saue [Page] them for they wolde not that they were slayne nor made slaues to the enmyes. And the cōclusyon was that yf the sayd lorde wolde not pur­uey therfore / they wolde puruey for it themselfe. And there was wry­ten in the sayd request the names of eyghte or ten of the rychest of the towne (whiche wordes of the sayd supplycacyon herde) the sayd lorde and his counsell were abasshed and euyll content as reason wolde / se­ynge that it was but a course game / and thought on many thynges to make answere to y ^e sayd cytezyns / for to content and appease them And also to se yf they shulde intende to the apoyntment / as they re­quyred / and after as the Geneuoy hadde reported. And the better to make the sayd answere / and to knowe more playnly in what degre y ^e towne was in all thynges. That is to wyte / fyrst of powders / & than of men of warre / and of the katteryes. Also were interroged and que­styoned the lorde of saynt Gyles Pre Iohan whiche had the charge of the powders / and than the capytayne syr Gabryell Martynyngo for beynge ouer theyr men of warre (as it is sayd) as to hym y ^t knewe the truthe yf the towne myght holde or not / or there were expedyent to saue it. The sayd lorde of saynt Gyles arose sayenge & affyrmynge vpon his honour and his conscyence that almost all the slaues and labourers were deed and hurte. And y ^t scantly there was folke [...]nowe to remoeue a pyece of artilery fro one place to an other / & that it was vnpossyble without folke ony more to make or set vp the repayres the whiche euery day were broken and crusshed by the grete / furyous / and cōtynuall shotte of the enmyes artylery. As for powders y ^e sayde lorde sayde / that all that was for store in the towne was spent longe agone. And of that / that was newly brought was not to serue & fur­nysshe two assautes. And he seynge the grete auauntage of the en­myes beȳge so ferre within the towne without power to put or chase them awaye for defaute of men was of the opynyon that the towne wolde be loste / and that there was no meanes to saue it. The wordes of the sayde lorde fynysshed / the capytayne Gabryell Martynyngo for his dyscharge sayd and declared to the reuerende lorde and them of the counsell / that seynge and consyderynge the grete betynges of shotte that the towne hadde suffered / and after seynge the entrynge that the enmyes had so large / and that they were within the towne by theyr trenches bothe endelonge and ouerthwarte. Seynge alsoo that in two other places they were at the fote of the wall / and that y ^e moste parte of our knyghtes and mē of warre and other were slayne and hurte / and the powders wasted / & that it was vnpossyble for thē to resyste theyr enmyes ony more / that withoute doubte the towne was lost yf there came no socoures for to helpe and resyste the syege. The whiche opynyons and reasones of these two worthy men and [Page] expert in suche feates vnderstanden & pōdred by the lorde grete mayster and the lordes of the councell / they were moost parte aduysed for to accept and take treaty yf it were offred / for the saufgarde of the co­myn people / and of the holy relykes of the chyrche / as parte of y ^e ho­ly crosse / the holy thorne / the hande of saynt Iohan and parte of his heed / and dyuers other holy relykes. Hobeit the lorde grete mayster to whome the besynesse belonged very nere / and that toke it most heuyly [...]and was more sorowful than ony of the other as reason requyred was alway stedfast in his fyrst purpose / rather wyllynge to dye than to consent to suche a thynge / and sayd agayne to the lordes of y ^e councell. Aduyse you and thynke well on euery thinge / and of y ^e ende that may happen / and he preposed to theym .ii. poyntes. That is to wyte. whyder is it better for vs to dye all / or to saue the people & the holy relykes. The whiche .ii. poyntes and doubtes were longe time dysputed / and there was dyuers opynyons. Neuerthelesse at y ^e last they sayd all y ^t howbeit that it were well and saufly done to dye for the faythe and moost of honour for vs. Notwithstandynge seen and consydered y ^t there is no remedy to resyste agaynst our enmyes / nor meanes to saue the towne. And on the other parte that y ^e grete Tur­ke wolde not oppresse vs to forsake our faythe / but onely wolde haue the towne / it were moche better than and soūdynge to greter welth to saue all the iewelles abouesayd that sholde be defoyled and lost yf they came in the handes of the enmyes of the faythe. And also to ke­pe so moche small people as women and chyldren y ^t they wolde tourment and cut some in pyeces / other take and parforced to cause them to forsake theyr faythe / with innumerable vyolences and shamefull synnes that sholde be commytted and doone yf the towne were put to blode as was doone at Modon / and lately at Bellegrado. wherby they dyde conclude that it were better and more agreable to god for to take the treaty yf it were proffered than for to dye as people desperate and without hope.

¶How the grete turke sent two of his men to the towne to haue it by entreatynge. And how the lorde grete may­ster sent two knyghtes to hym to knowe his assuraunce. [Page]

VPon these termynacyons & wordes the dyuynite y ^t saueth them trustynge in hym / and y ^t wolde not that so many euylles & crueltees sholde come to y ^e poore cyte & inhabytauntes of it. And also y ^t the grete turke arise not in ouer grete pryde & vaynglory / put him in wyll to seke to haue y ^e sayd towne by treaty whiche he ought not to haue done for his honour / nor by reason / for y ^e towne in a maner was his. And in lykewyse he ought not to haue leten vs go as he dyde / seynge y ^t we were his mortall enmyes euer / & shall be styll in the tyme comynge / consyderinge the grete slaughter of his people y ^t we haue made in this syege. Howbeit y ^e eternall good­nesse hath blynded hym / & hath pleased that these thynges sholde be thus / for some cause vnknowen of vs. And for conclusyon y ^• grete turke sent to haue a comunycacion & spekynge togyder / in folowynge y ^e wordes of the Geneuey aforesayd. Than was a signe set vpon y ^e chirche des le Monistres w ^tout the towne. to the whiche was made an­swere with another at the mylles of Quosquino. And forthwith ca­me .ii. turkes for to speke w ^t them of the towne. Than the lorde grete mayster sent the pryour of saynt Gyles pre Iohn̄ / and y ^e capytayne Gabryell martiningo to knowe y ^e cause of theyr comynge. And whā they came to them without holdynge of longe purpose the two tur­kes delyuered them a lettre for to bere to the lorde grete mayster fro the grete turke / and than retourned surely in to theyr tentes. whan [Page] the two lordes had receyued it they bare and presented it to the reuerent lorde grete mayster whiche caused it to be redde. By the which the grete turke demauned of the lorde grete mayster to yelde y ^e tow­ne to hym / and in so doynge he was content to lete hym goo & all his knyghtes / & all the other people of what condycyon so euer they were / w ^t all theyr goodes and iewels sauf / without to haue feare of ony harme or dyspleasure of his folkes. And also he sware and promysed on his fayth so to doo. The sayd lettre was sealed with his sygnet y ^t he vseth / that is as it were gylted. And he sayd afterwarde y ^t yf the lorde grete mayster wolde not accepte the sayd treaty / that none of y ^e cyte of what estate so euer he were sholde thynke to escape / but that they all vnto the cattes sholde passe by the edge of the swerde / & that they sholde sēde hym an answere forthwith / eyther ye / or nay. After the syght of the contentes of the sayd lettre of so grete weyght / & the tyme so shorte for to gyue so grete an answere & with demaunde / the sayd lorde grete mayster and al the lordes of the councell were in grete thought. howbeit they were delybered to gyue answere. Seyng the ordynaunce of the towne so yll y ^t it coude be no wors. Herynge y ^• reporte and oppynyons a day or two before of the .ii. lordes ordeyned vpon y ^e effectes of the towne / sayenge y ^t the towne was lost without remedy. Consyderynge also y ^t the pryncypalles of the towne wolde haue appoyntement. And in lykewyse at the other councell all y ^e lor­des had all redy wylled and declared y ^t it were better to saue y ^e tow­for respect of the poore people / than to put it all hole to the furour of y ^e enmyes. where vpon they agreed and concluded to take the foresayd treaty. After the conclusyon taken [...] answere was made redyly for a good respecte. That it to wyte to take the Turke at his worde to the ende y ^t he sholde not repent hym of it nor chaunge his oppynion. For euery houre his people wanne and entred ferder and ferder in to the towne. And for to go vnto the grete Turke was ordeyned these two knyghtes / syr Passyn afore named / and he bare the token of y ^e why­te crosse. And another of the towne named Robert de Perrutis iuge ordynary. ¶whan these two ambassadours had made them redy they went oute at the gate of Quosquino and went to the tent of Ac­mek bacha capytayne generall. And bycause it was late / and y ^t they myght not go that day to the grete Turke / on the next day in y ^e mor­nynge the foresayd capytayne Acmek ledde and conueyed our sayd ambassadours to the grete Turkes pauyllyon / that they myght haue knowlege more playnly / and for to here his wyll as touchynge y ^e wordes the whiche were reported to y ^e reuerent lorde grete mayster and after the cōtentes of his lettre and wrytynges. ¶whan y ^e sayd two ambassadours were departed out of the towne there dide entre [Page] two men of auctoryte of the campe. One was neuew or kynnesman of the sayd Acmek. the other was the grete turkes trucheman / whi­che the lorde mayster caused to be well receyued / & they were lodged nygh the sayd gate of Quosquino. And than trewes was taken for iii. dayes. and the enmyes came to our repayres and spake with our folke and dranke one with another.

¶How the ambassadours of Rodes spake with the grete turke / and what answere they had.

WHan our ambassadours had made reuerence to y ^e grete Turke / they sayd that y ^e lorde grete mayster of Rodes had sent thē to his imperyall mageste to knowe what he maunded / & demaunded as to haue spekynge togy­der / & how the grete mayster had receyued his lettre. The grete Turke made to answere them by his trucheman / y ^t of de­maundynge to speke togyder / nor wrytynge of lettre to y ^e grete mayster he knewe nothynge. Howbeit syth the grete mayster had sent to hym for to knowe his wyll / he bade say to them that the grete may­ster sholde yelde hym y ^e towne. And in so doynge he promysed by his faythe for to lete hym go with all his knyghtes / & all other y ^t wolde go with theyr goodes / without to haue ony dyspleasure of his peo­ple of the campe. And yf he accepted not y ^• sayd treaty to notyfy hym that he wolde neuer departe fro before Rodes tyll he had taken it / & [Page] that all his myght of Turk y ^• sholde dye there but yf he had it / and y ^t there sholde neyther grete nor lytell escape / but vnto the cattes they sholde be all put in pyeces. And sayd y ^t within .iii. dayes they sholde gyue hym an answere. For he wolde not that his people sholde lese tyme. And y ^t durynge the sayd trewes they shold make no repayres nor defences w ^tin the towne. ¶whan the grete lorde had ended his wordes our ambassadours toke theyr leue of hym / and retorned to y ^e towne / & there was gyuen to eche of them a ryche garment of braū ched veluet with clothe of golde of y ^e turkysshe facyon. Than Acmek bacha toke syr Pessyn / & ledde hym to his pauyllyon / and intreatynge hym ryght well caused hym to abyde al y ^t day and nyght. And in eatynge & drynkynge they had many purposes of thynges done at the syege / questyonynge eche other. And amonge all other thynges our ābassadour demaunded of Acmek / & prayed hym to tel for trouth how many men dyed of the cāpe syth y ^e syege was layde. The sayd bacha sware vpon his faythe and certyfyed y ^t there was deed of the campe of vyolent dethe / that is to say of gonshot and other wayes. lxiiii.M. men or mo / besyde them that dyed of sekenesse whiche were about .xl. or .l. thousande.

¶How one of the ambassadours made āswere of his message And how the comyns wolde not agre to yelde the towne.

REtorne we now to our purpose & to the answere y ^t our am­bassadours brought to y ^e lorde grete mayster. The sayd Robert Perruse made the answere & tolde what the grete turke had sayd / certyfyēge y ^t he wolde haue an answere lyghtly eyther ye or nay. The whiche answere after the demaū de of the grete turke hath ben purposed and concluded by y ^e hole councell and his offre & treaty accepted / howbeit the sayd ambassadours had it not to do so soone nor the fyrst tyme that they went for good reasons / but yet they wolde not dyfferre it for feare that he sholde repēt hym. And vpon these termynacyōs y ^t they wolde haue sent the sayd Peruse to bere the answere came some of the comyn people of y ^e tow­ne to the lorde grete mayster y ^t was with the lordes of the councell / and sayd y ^t they were aduertysed of the apoyntemēt that he had made with the grete turke / and y ^t he wolde yelde the towne w ^t couenaū tes by hym taken / whiche they semed ought not to be done w ^out callinge of them. And bycause they were not called to it they sayd y ^t they wolde not agre therto. And y ^t it were better for them to dye / for y ^• grete turke by some way wolde put them all to dethe / as was doone in Bellegrado in Hungry.

¶How the lorde grete mayster sent two ambassadours for the comyns to the grete Turke.

WHan the reuerent lorde grete mayster had herde theyr wordes he sayd gracyously to them y ^t as touchinge to haue accept the grete turkes offre it was of force so to do in the degre y ^t the towne was. and the causes wherfore he had doone it the councell had seen & dyscussed / & y ^t it was a thynge that myght not / nor ought not to be sayd nor pu­blysshed in comyn for reportynge of it to y ^e enmyes by traytours / but be kept styll & secrete. And moreouer y ^t it was concluded to make an answere shortly / for to take the grete turke at his worde lest he repē ­ted him. For yf they had ben called or y ^e answere had be gyuen it had ben ouer longe besynesse / & in the meane tyme the turke myght haue chaunged his mynde / & that y ^e he had doone and concluded with the grete turke the lordes of the councell had wel regarded & consydered in all thynges / & for theyr prouffyte and auauntage as moche or more as for y ^t of the relygion. And y ^t they wolde sende to the grete Turke agayne other ambassadours the better to knowe his wyll and to be surer of his promysse. Than y ^e lorde grete mayster ordeyned .ii. other ambassadours for to go to y ^e grete turke / whiche where .ii. Spanyar­des / y ^e one named syr Raymon market / & the other messire Loup / at whose yssuenge entred syr Passyn y ^e fyrst ambassadour / & the other .ii went to y ^e tent of Acmek bacha for to lede them to y ^e grete turke. And whan they were w ^tin the turkes pauyllyon / & had done hym reuerē ­ce as apperteyned our ambassadours sayd y ^t the grete mayster had herde & seen his demaunde to yelde y ^e towne. And for y ^t it is a thynge of grete weyght and y ^t he had to do & say w ^t many men of dyuers na­cyons / & bycause the tyme of answere was so shorte he myght not do y ^t / y ^t he demaunded so soone. Howbeit he wolde speke w ^t his people / & than he wolde gyue hym an answere.

¶How the turke began the assaut / and how the comyns agreed to yelde the towne.

WHan the grete turke herde the answere of our ambassa­dours / he sayd nothinge but cōmaunded his bachas y ^t they sholde begyn the batayle agayne to the towne / y ^t whiche was doone. And than the trewes was broken and the shot of the enmyes was sharper than it was afore. And on the other syde nothynge or veray lytell for faute of powdre. For that / that there was left / was kept for some grete assaute or [Page] nede. Howbeit the sayd Acmek Bacha kepte one of the embassadours and messyre Loup onely entred. The grete mayster seynge the warre begonne / and the shotte thycker than it was afore / and the enmyes entre hourely by theyr trenches ferder into the towne / made to call them that tofore had sayd to hym that they wolde not y ^e towne sholde be yelded / but had leuer for to deye. And therfore the sayd lorde sayd that he was content for to deye with them / and that they shulde dys­pose them to defende themselfe well / or to do theyr deuour better thā they had done in tyme past. And to the ende y ^t eche one of them shulde haue knowlege of his wyll (for as than he spake but to foure or fyue of them that gaynsayd hym). He made a cry thrughe all the towne y ^t all they that were holden to be at the postes or gates shulde gyue at­tendaunce / and not to come away daye nor nyght on payne of dethe. For afore the Rodyens came but lytell there. And that the othet that were not of y ^e postes / or that were of his socours / shulde go to y ^e bracke of Spayne where the sayd lorde was contynually / & not to go away day nor nyght on the aboue sayd payne. The sayd crye made eche one were obedyente for a daye or twayne / howbeit a yonge Rodyen lefte his poste and wente to his house / whiche on y ^e nexte day was hanged for brekynge of the lordes commaundement. Not withstādynge that by lytell and lytell the people anoyed them and theyr hertes fayled / & lefte the postes and brackes / in suche wyse that the enmyes myght come in without to fynde grete resystence / but of a fewe that y ^e lorde mayster caused to abyde there (y ^t is to wyte) knyghtes of his socours And in the nyght made to serche mo people for to kepe the watche at the sayd bracke / and payed to them asmoche as they wolde. The sayd lorde seynge hym thus abandoned and lefte of his people / he made to aske them agayne wherfore they dyd not theyr deuour / & why they came not to deye / as they sayde before. whiche made answere y ^t they sawe and knewe well that the towne was lost for certayne reasones y ^t was tolde thē / by occasyon wherof they had gaynsayde y ^e ordynaunce of the sayd lorde / & sayd that they had be wronge enformed of dyuers thynges. And on the other syde that they fered that y ^e Turke wolde not holde his worde. But syth they sawe that there was none other remedy but to abyde the aduenture & fortune / they sayde that they put all to the sayd lorde to do that he semed good / and y ^• he wolde se what were best for them. And requyred the lorde to do them somoche grace as to let them chose one or two amonge thē for to go to y ^e grete Turke with his ambassadours for to haue surety of hym. The whiche was graunted / and two ordynary ambassadours were chosen for them / one Nycholas Uergoty / and the other Piero of saynt Cretyce / and y ^e foresayd Passyn shulde returne with them for to make the sayde an­swere. [Page] Than the grete mayster or they departed (prolongynge the tyme as in moche as he myght) aduysed to sende a letter to the grete Turke / the whiche his grauntfader had wryten or caused to be wry­ten. In the whiche letter he gaue his malediction or curse to his chyl­dren & successours / yf they interprysed to besyege Rodes. The sayde Robert Perruce bare the sayde letter. And as he was acustomed / he went to Acmek Bacha for to cause hym to haue audyence / & presente the sayd letter. And Bacha sayd he wolde se y ^e letter. For it is y ^e guyse in the grete Turkes courte that none may speke to hym nor gyue hȳ letter / but he be aduertysed fyrst / what shall be sayd or what shall be wryten. whan y ^e Bachas had sene the wordes wryten in the sayd letter / he brake it and kest it on the grounde / & dyd trede vpon it / saynge many iniuryous and velanous wordes to the sayd Iuge. And badde hym to retourne fast to his grete mayster / and bydde hym to thynke on his besynesse / and to make answere to the grete lorde (as he hadde sent & commaūded) or els it shulde not be longe or he sawe his doloro­us and wofull ende. And that same day were taken two men of oures that bare erthe towarde the bulwarke of Englande. Of whome the sayd Acmek caused an offycer to cutte of theyr noses / fyngers & eeres and gaue them a letter to bere to y ^e lorde grete mayster. wherin was grete wordes and thretenynges. After the sayd Perruce was retur­ned / messyre Passyn was sent agayne to the sayd Bacha / for to wyte of hym yf the grete Turke wolde be content with ony somme of mo­ney for his costes and expences / that he had made for his army. The whiche answered that suche wordes nor offres of syluer was not to be sayd nor presented to the grete lorde / on payne of lyfe / and that he set more by honour than by syluer. And therfore he bade hym returne and say to the grete mayster that he make answere to the grete lorde after his demaunde to yelde or not yelde the towne. The sayd Passyn made relacyon of y ^e wordes of Bacha to y ^e grete mayster. The whiche for the grete sorowe that he had (dyfferred alwayes) sawe hymselfe in suche pyteous estate. Notwithstandynge the sayd lorde puttynge all to the wyll of our lorde / and consyderynge that there was no remedy to do otherwyse / nor to resyst ony more his enmyes / and beyng cō ­strayned on all sydes to make the apoyntment / with grete heuynes / inestymable dolours and bewaylȳges / at the laste gaue his voyce to yelde the towne (with the treatys or offres to hym presented) which was the .xx. day of December / the yere of our lorde a thousande fyue hundreth and two and twenty.

¶An abiection to suche as wyll make questyon for the losse & delyueraūce of the cytee of Rodes.

[Page]ANd yf by ony it were obiect wherfore the sayd lorde grete mayster hathe yelded y ^e towne to the grete Turke / demaū dynge it w ^t treaty & couenaūtes / whiche was a sygne that he feared & wolde no more fyght / but go his way. To this I answere. Notwithstandynge y ^• the grete Turke was aduertysed by some treatours / & by other y ^• fledde to y ^e campe / that y ^• powders almoost fayled / & that there was but fewe mē of warre w ^tin the towne / yet he beleued not nor gaue credence of all y ^t was reported to hym / but thought verely y ^t we had ynough for a grete whyle. And consydered y ^• he must tary tyll they were wasted & spent / wherto be­houed tyme. And seynge all his estate entred in straunge places / and in landes of his enmyes / & had ben there all redy .vi. monethes (& not without grete daunger of his owne persone). Thynkynge on y ^e other syde / y ^t takynge y ^e towne by assaute he shulde lose many of his folke. And yet whan he had ouercome & wonne the towne / they shulde fall eche vpon other in departynge of the buty or pyllage / doubtynge fy­nably the hasarde of warre. For these reasones and other y ^t may be al­leged / the grete Turke had moche leuer to haue y ^e towne by composytion & treaty than otherwyse. And it suffysed hym to dryue his olde enmyes out of y ^e countrees of leuant / & set y ^• subiectes of his coūtrees in rest and surety. And we of the towne y ^t knewe our weykenesse / and that we myght no more / it semed better to saue somoche small people than we and they to fall in the woodnes of our enmyes / for otherwyse coude we not haue done / but tempte god and deyed as in dyspayre.

¶How the cytee of Rodes was yelden to y ^e grete Turke / & of the yll behauyour of certayne Turkes.

BUt to returne to our pryncypall. After that the reuerende grete mayster had gyuen his voyce to the yeldynge of the towne / he sent the sayde Passyn agayne for to bere it to the grete Turke. And with hym went the two men that were chosen of the comyns. And they wente all thre togyder to y ^e tent of Acmek Bacha. To whome the sayde Passyn fyrs [...]e made this pyteous answere and conclusyon to yelde the towne. Notwithstan­dynge he sayd the people had ordeyned two men amonge them for to go to the grete Turke / to speke of theyr partyculer doynges / and to haue some suerty of theyr persones / wyues / and chyldren / to the ende that it were not done to them / as of those of Bellegrado. The sayde Acmek ledde the thre ambassadours towarde the grete Turke. And whan they were entred in the pauylyon / the sayde messyre Passyn made the report of his ambassade to the sayde lorde / & sayde that the [Page] grete mayster yelded hym the towne vnder the promes made of his imperyall mageste with y ^e treaty promysed. Of the whiche promyse he helde hym sure and certayne / and that he wolde not do it at lesse. Howbeit the people had requyred hym to gyue them lycence to go to his maieste / for to aske some request of hym. Than the two cytezyns besought y ^e grete Turke that he wolde for surety remoeue his campe fro the towne / to the ende that they shulde haue no lettynge nor hurte of theyr bodyes nor goodes / and that they that wolde go shulde go / & that they that wolde abyde styll myght be well treated. The grete Turke made it to be to sayd by his truchemā to messyre Passyn that he accepted the towne / and promysed agayne vpon his fayth and on his honour to the lorde grete mayster that he wolde kepe hym that he had promysed / and sent to hym by the same Passyn that he shulde not doubte of the contrary. And yf he had not shyppes ynow for to ca­ry his people & theyr goodes that he wolde let them haue of his / and that he wolde cause to delyuer the artylery that was wont to be in y ^e shyppes of relygyon. And as touchynge to the request of the people / he sayd that he wolde remoeue the campe. And that they that wolde abyde / let them abyde and they shulde be well treated / & shulde paye no try bute in fyue yeres / and theyr chyldren shulde not be touched / & who that wolde go within the sayd space of fyue yeres / let them go in good tyme. These wordes ended our ambassadours toke leue of hym And whan they were yssued / they spake agayne with y ^e sayd Acmek Bacha for to haue a letter of the contentes of the promyse of the sayde lorde. And by his commaundement the sayd letter was made / wherby he promysed to lette go the grete mayster with all his knyghtes / straūgers and men of the towne that wolde go with theyr goodes w ^t ­out to haue dyspleasure of ony of his people of the campe / or by the wayes. whan y ^e letter was made it was delyuered to messyre Pas­syn. And as towchynge to withdrawe the campe the sayd Bacha promysed agayne that he wolde do it / syth the grete lorde wolde so. How­beit he remoeued but fro the trenches / and some of his people wente a lytell way of. And the sayd Bacha demaunded in the Turkes be­halfe that they shulde sende to hym in hostage foure & twenty knyghtes / wherof two shulde be of the grete crosse / and two and twenty cy­tezyns. And the sayd lorde shulde sende onely a cap [...]tayne with thre or foure hundreth Genyssaires for to kepe the towne whan y ^e campe were withdrawen. And so it was doone / and besyde this he gaue a xxi. dayes of respyte to the lorde grete mayster / to prepare hym and departe out of Rodes. And in conclusyon [...] this done / our ambassa­dours returned and made the reporte to the reuerēde grete mayster of all that he had done and practysed with the grete Turke & the sayd [Page] bacha / & gaue hym y ^e lettre for to go surely. Than y ^e grete mayster w ^t his tounceyll ordeyned y ^e .xxiiii. persones / & other of y ^e towne. whan they were redy they went to y ^e campe / where they were wel intrea­ted .iiii. dayes. Durynge this tyme Ferra bacha passed y ^e mayne londe to the campe w ^t .xxiiii. or .xxv.M genyssaires / whiche by y ^e cōmaū dement of y ^e grete Turke was gone vpon y ^e bordres of the coūtrees of Sophy. For the turke seynge y ^e people of y ^e campe dyscourage & wolde no more go to y ^e assautes sent to y ^e sayd bachas to come to Rodes w ^t his people / whiche w ^tstode sore w ^t theyr bodyes as fresshe men. And it was worke of god & euident myracle y ^t they came after y ^t the appoyntement was made. For yf they had comen afore it is to suppose y ^t y ^e dede had gone otherwyse / & there had ben many strokes gyuen / but I beleue y ^t the ende sholde haue ben piteous for vs / but god wold not y ^t the turke shol [...]e haue vyctory vpon vs as he ought to haue had / seynge the grete auaūtage y ^t he had in all thynges / but he blynded hȳ & wolde not y ^t he knewe his myght. And on y ^e other parte it may be sayd & meruayled how it is possyble alway to haue ouercome our enmyes in all assautes & scarmysshes / & at the ende to lese y ^e towne / preferrynge the wyll of god y ^t so hath pleased for some cause to vs vnknowen. It is to beleue y ^e lacke of men & gonshot / & the enmyes soo ferre w ^tin the towne / & redy to entre at other places with y ^e treasons hath caused y ^e towne to be lost. Two or .iii. dayes after the comynge of the sayd bacha his genissayres & other of the campe entred in to y ^• towne whiche was on Crystmas day / w ^tin y ^• tyme gyuen to vs / & than the turkes worde was broken / yf it were his wyll or not I can not tell. Neuerthelesse there was noo swerde drawen / & in y ^t promysse was kept. But they made pyllage / & entred by force in to y ^e houses of y ^e ca­stell / & toke all y ^t they myght and wolde. After y ^t they had ransaked y ^e houses they entred in to the chyrches / & pylled all y ^t they foūde / and brake y ^e ymages. And there was no crucyfyx / nor fygure of our lady nor of other sayntes y ^t abode hole. Than w ^t a grete inhumanyte they went in to y ^e hospytall of poore & seke fo [...]e called y ^e fermory / & toke all the syluer vessel y ^t seke folke were serued w ^t / & reysed them out of theyr beddes & droue them awaye / some w ^t grete strokes of staues / & some were cast doune fro y ^e galeryes. whan these hoūdes had done y ^e acte they went to y ^e chyrche of saynt Iohn̄ & toke doune tōbes of the grete maysters / & sought yf there were ony treasour w ^t them / & they forced certayne women & maydens. And all they y ^t were cristned & had ben turkes afore / were they men / women or chyldren / & chyldren that y ^e sayd men had made crysten they led in to turky / whiche is greter importaūce than ony of the other. The morowe after Crystmas daye y ^e reuerent lorde grete mayster went to the grete turkes pauyllyon for [Page] to vysyte hym / & to be better assured of his promysse. the whiche lor­de he made to be well and gracyously receyued. And caused to say to hym by his trucheman that the case so happened to hȳ was a thyn­ge vsuall and comyn / as to lese townes and lordshippes / and that he sholde not take ouer moche thonght for it. And as for his promysse he bade that he sholde not doubt in ony thynge. And that he sholde not feare ony dyspleasure to his persone / and that he sholde go with his people without feare. With these wordes y ^e sayd lorde thanked hym and toke his leue and departed.