Text, scholarly version, translated from the 1579 Latin (B), 1580/1589 German, 1584 Latin, 1588 Spanish, 1592 Latin, 1595 Latin, 1601 Latin, 1602 German, 1602 Spanish, 1603 Latin, 1606 English, 1608/1612 Italian, 1609/1612 Latin and 1609/1612/1641/1641 Spanish editions:
169.1. {1579L(B){The empire of the TURKS. {1580/1589G & 1602G instead{Turkey.}1580/1589G & 1602G instead}.
169.2. About the origins and beginnings of the Turkish empire, its increase and growth until it gradually reached that greatness {1580/1589G & 1602G only{and violence}1580/1589G & 1602G only} which it now has, whereby they threaten us, we have gathered these few lines from the best historiographers of our time. In the year of Christ 1300 one OTTOMANNUS, a Turk, son of Zichi, a man of simple parentage and name, began, because of his inventive mind and great experience in feats of arms to grow famous and renowned among the Turks. After this man the group of the Turkish emperors first took their name and origin, and he was the first ordained king over the Turks. He reigned for twenty-seven years during which time he conquered all of Bithynia and Cappadocia, and subdued many strongholds near to the Mar Maiore {1606E only{or the great sea, which is what the Italians now call that sea which the old writers called Mare Ponticum and Sinus Euxinus. The Greek now [call it] Maurothalassa and the Turks Caradenis, that is, the Black Sea}1606E only}.
169.3. He was succeeded by his son ORCHANES who won the great and strong city of Prusia {1606E only{or Prusa (now called, as Bellonius writes, Bourse, formerly called Zellia and Theopolitana)}1606E only} {1608/1612I only{now called Bursia}1608/1612I only} by violence, which he made the capital of his kingdom {1606E only{and place of residence for his court}1606E only}. He was slain in an unfortunate battle which he fought against the Tartars in the 22nd {1608/1612I instead{2nd}1608/1612I instead} year of his reign, and he left AMURATHES his son to rule the kingdom after him. This one sailed as the first with a huge army out of Asia and into Europe, the Greek princes being at variance with each other and calling him in. In a short time he subdued Callipolis, Chersonesus & Abydus, Phillipolis & Hadrianopolis {1606E has instead{almost all of Greece and Phocis}1606E}, [and] a part of {not in 1606E{Serbia}not in 1606E} and Bulgaria was taken from us, but he himself finally being overcome by a thrust of a dagger {not in 1606E{after having entered Moesia in the 23rd year of his reign}not in 1606E}. His son BAIAZETUS, after first having killed his brother, occupied a large part of Thracia, subdued almost all of Greece and a part of Bulgaria called Phocis}not in 1606E} and taken by Tamberlanes, died and ended his days most dishonourably. His father being taken prisoner, his son CALEPINUS assumed the throne and took possession of the kingdom.
169.4. But having in battle utterly defeated Sigismund and his forces, and having begun to waste and spoil the borders and territories of Constantinople, he died in the flourishing of his age, when he had reigned for only six years. {not in 1606E, in the right margin; as a footnote at the end of the text in 1580/1589G & 1602G; as regular text in 1608/1612I{Note here, by the way, that Adolphus Venerius does not reckon this Calepinus among the Turkish emperors. For immediately after Baiazeth, Mahomet should be placed. And that I may give every man his due, the singularly learned man, my good friend Georg Braun of Cologne has informed me that the very Turks themselves do not consider him to be an emperor}not in 1606E; in the right margin, as regular text in 1608/1612I; as footnote text in 1580/1589G & 1602G}.
169.5. After him, MAHOMET took the crown of the empire. He made fierce war with the Walachians, subdued a great part of Slavonia, was the first to cross the Danube with an army, conquered Macedonia and pierced through the country even as far as the Ionian sea. He moved his court from {1606E only{Prusias in}1606E only} Bithynia to Hadrianopolis {1606E has instead {in Greece}1606E}, where he died in the fourteenth year of his reign.
169.6. After him, AMURATH the second succeeded in the kingdom. This man conquered Epirus, Ætholia, {not in 1606E{Achaia}not in 1606E} Bœotia, Attica and the city of Thessalonica {1606E only{(now Salonichi)}1606E only}, a city belonging to the state of Venice. After him, MAHOMET the second succeeded him. He overthrew Athens, {1606E only{with the most renowned university of the world}1606E only}. He won by assault the great city of Constantinople on the 29th day of May in the year 1452 {1606E only{after the birth of Christ}1606E only}. He subdued the kingdom of Trapezonda under his command. He took Corinth. He forced the islands of Lemnos {1606E only{(Stalimene they now call it)}1606E only}, Eubœa {1606E & 1608/1612I only{(Negreponte)}1606E & 1608/1612I only} and Mytilene to yield to his obedience. He got Capha, a city belonging to the signiory of Genua, {1606E only{and Geivisen, a city in Bithynia}1606E only}. He was killed in the 32nd year of his reign.
169.7. BAIAZETH the second {1606E only{after his death possessed the crown. He}1606E only} made war with the Venetians, and won from them Naupactus {1588S, 1602S, 1606E, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612/1641S have instead{(Lepanto}1588S, 1602S, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612/1641S instead} {1606E only{or as the Turks call it Einebachti)}1606E only}, Methona {1588S, 1602S, 1606E, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612/1641S have instead{(Modon}1588S, 1602S, 1606E, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612/1641S instead} {1606E only{or Mutune, a city on the Peloponesus)}1606E only}, and Dyrrachium {1588S, 1602S, 1606E, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612/1641S have instead{(Durazzo)}1588S, 1602S, 1606E, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612/1641S instead} and depopulated all of Dalmatia. He was poisoned {1606E only{by a Jew, his physician}1606E only}. After him, his son ZELYMUS succeeded [him] on the imperial throne. He won Kairo, the strongest city of Ægypt and killing the sultan subdued Alexandria and all of Ægypt under his obedience. He also took Damascus {1606E & 1608/1612I only{in Syria}1606E & 1608/1612I only}. SOLYMANNUS, the only son of Zelimus, taking possession of his fathers empire, won Beograd, took the prince's seat Buda and spoiled Strigonium and almost all of Hungary. He got the isle of Rhodes through cunning, and utterly destroyed Quinquecclesias {1606E only{in Hungary (the Turks call it Petscheu, the Dutch Fünfkirchen)}1606E only}. {not in 1606E{He conquered the city of Iula}not in 1606E}. Then he besieged Szeged, during which his life ended.
169.8. ZELIMUS, his second son continued the attack, won it, and razed [the city] to the ground in the year {1606E only{of Christ}1606E only} 1566. Thus, under 11 {1580/1589G & 1602G have instead{13}1580/1589G & 1602G instead}{1608/1612I has instead{12}1608/1612I instead} emperors, in 260 {1580/1589G & 1602G have instead{266}1580/1589G & 1602G instead} years, a great part of Africa, a greater [part] of Europe and most of Asia was by Turkish tyranny brought under their yoke. But whoever wants a more firm knowledge of the histories of the Turks, let him read Paulus Iovius, Christopher Richer {not in 1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S{of Siena}not in 1588S, 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S}, Cuspinianus, Baptista Egnatius, Gilbertus Nozoremus, Andreas Lacuna, Pius the second in the fourth chapter of his Europa, and others that have written about the Turkish affairs. {1608/1612I only{And also the letters and orations of cardinal Bessarione, summarised by Filippo Pigafetta, where he discusses the origins of the Turks, their army, and their rapid conquest of Europe}1608/1612I only}. {1606E only{But no man has published these histories with greater diligence or more amply than Mr. Richard Knolles, our learned countryman [and] singularly good friend}1606E only}.
169.9. {in small font in 1602G & 1608/1612I{Laonicus Chalcondylas has inquisitively described the pedigree of the Ottomans together with the origins of the Turks.}1579L(B), 1580/1589G, 1584L & 1602G end here}. {1592L, in later Latin editions as the last sentence{Iohn Leunclavius has very recently published the Annals of the Ottoman sultans}1602S, 1608/1612 & 1609/1612/1641S end here}, written by the Turks in their own language, and translated by him into the Latin tongue}1592L which ends here; in later Latin editions as the last sentence: 1595L, 1601L, 1603L & 1609/1612L end here}. {1595L{About their ancient manners of life, behaviour and customs you may read in the 18th chapter of Leo the emperor, about Warlike preparation[s]}1595L} {1608/1612I only{presented in Greek and Italian, with comments by Filippo Pigafetta just mentioned}1608/1612I only}, {1606E only{and also in Bartholomew Georgieuiz, who has written an elaborate treatise on that subject, and the history of the Musulmans, both written by the singularly learned John Leonclaw, shall fully satisfy you}1606E only which ends here}.
Text, vernacular version, translated from the 1581 French, 1587 French, 1598 French and 1598/1610/1613 Dutch editions:
169.10. {1581F{Turkey.
About the origins and beginnings of the Turkish empire, its increase and growth until it gradually reached that terrible greatness which it now has, whereby they threaten to attack us, we have gathered these lines from the historiographers of our time. In the year of Christ 1300 one OTTOMANNUS, a Turk, son of Zichi, a man of simple parentage and name began, because of his inventive mind and great experience in feats of arms began to grow famous and renowned among the Turks. He was the first king of the Turks and all his successors have been called Ottomans after him. He reigned for twenty-eight years during which time he conquered all of Bithynia and Cappadocia, and subdued many strongholds near to the Mar Maiore [Black Sea].
169.11. He was succeeded by his son ORCHANES who won the great city of Prusia which he made the capital of his kingdom. He was slain in an unfortunate battle which he fought against the Tartars in the 22nd year of his reign, and he left AMURATHES his son to rule the kingdom after him. This one sailed with a huge army out of Asia and into Europe, (the Greek Princes being at variance [with each other] and calling him in). First he subdued Callipolis, Chersonesus & Abydus, and brought under his obedience the cities of Phillipolis & Hadrianopolis [and] Serbia and Bulgaria, but after having entered upper Moesia he was killed in the 20th year of his reign. His son BAIAZETVS, after first having killed his brother occupied a large part of Thracia, subdued almost all of Greece and Phocis. He was defeated by Tamberlanes, emperor of the Parths and taken prisoner, who used him as a stool when climbing his horse and died most dishonourably. His father being taken prisoner, his son CALEPINUS assumed the throne and took possession of the kingdom.
169.12. And having in battle utterly defeated Sigismund and his forces, and having begun to waste and spoil the borders of the city of Constantinople, he died in the flourishing of his age, when he had reigned for only six years.
169.13. After him, MAHOMET took over the empire. He made fierce war with the Walachians and subdued a great part of Slavonia. He was the first to cross the Danube with an army, augmented his empire with the land of Macedonia and pierced through the country as far as the Ionian sea. He moved his court from Prusias in Bithynia to Hadrianopolis in Thracia over the sea, where he died in the fourteenth year of his reign.
169.14. After him, AMURATH the second succeeded. This man conquered Epirus, Ætholia, Achaia, Bœotia, Attica and the city of Thessalonica, which belonged to the state of Venice. After him, MAHOMET the second reigned. He destroyed the famous city of Athens. Then he won by assault the city of Constantinople, the second ornament of Europe, on the 29th day of May in the year 1452. He subdued the empire of Trapezonda under his command. He took Corinth and the islands of Lemnos, Eubœa and Mytilene to yield to his obedience, and the merchant city of Capha, a city belonging to Genua. He was killed in the 32nd year of his tyrannous reign.
169.15. BAIAZETH the second made cruel war with the Venetians, and won from them Naupactus, Methone, and Dyrrachium and spoiled all of Dalmatia. He was poisoned. His son ZELYMUS succeeded him in government. He won after various assaults Kairo, the strongest and largest city of Ægypt and killing the sultan {1598/1610/1613D only{and his soldiers}1598/1610/1613D only}.He became the master of all of Ægypt and also took {1598/1610/1613D has instead{swallowed into his eager stomach}1598/1610/1613D instead} the cities of Alexandria and Damascus. SOLYMANNUS, his only son and heir ornated his empire with the city of Greek Weissenburg, took the prince's seat Buda and spoiled Gran. And having killed and burned almost all of Hungary like a mad dog, he got the isle of Rhodes through cunning, and utterly destroyed Quinquecclesias. He conquered the city of Iula. Then he besieged Szeged, where his life ended and where he spat out his soul.
169.16. ZELIMUS, his son, won it, and razed [the city] to the ground in the year 1566. Thus, under 11 emperors, in 270 years, a great part of our Europe, a greater [part] of Africa and most of Asia was by their raging avarice and our lamentable discord taken by Turkish tyranny. Let God amend this situation. The Turks call themselves in their language Muselmanni (as Hugo Favolius writes in his Journey to Constantinople). They call us, who adhere to the Roman-Christian {1598/1610/1613D instead{Roman Catholic}1598/1610/1613D instead} faith Francki, and those who adhere to the Greek faith Romei, as Peter Bellon writes}1581F, 1587F, 1598F & 1598/1610/1613D end here}.