feare of the Turkes hoste.
During these things, the reuerend lord great master carefull and busie to
haue euerything necessary, as men and other strengths, sent vessels called
brigantines, for to cause the wafters of the sea to come vnto Rhodes for
the keeping and fortifying of the towne, the which at the first sending
came and presented their persons and ships to the seruice of the religion.
[Sidenote: Haruest in April and May.] After that the sayd lord caused to
shere downe the Rie of his isle, and caused it to bee brought into the
towne, which was done in Aprill: and then in May in some places, he made to
shere the wheate halfe ripe, howbeit the most part was left in the fields,
because the Turkes hoste was come out of the streights of Constantinople.
And doubting that any number of ships should come before to take the people
of the sayd Isle vnawares, the sayd lord made them to leaue shering of
wheate, and caused the people of the furthest part of the Isle to come into
the towne.
While that the great master prouided for all things after the course of
time and tidings that hee had, there arriued a Carak of Genoa laden with
spicerie from Alexandria, the which passed before the port of Rhodes the
eight day of Aprill, and rid at anker at the Fosse, 7. or 8. miles from the
towne, for to know and heare tidings of the Turkish hoste. Then the lord
willing to furnish him with people as most behoouefull for the towne, sent
a knight of Prouence named sir Anastase de sancta Camilla, commander de la
Tronquiere to the captaine of the Carak, praying him to come into the hauen
with his ship for the defence of the towne, profering him what he would,
assuring him ship. The captaine excused him, saying, that the merchandise
was not his owne, but belonged to diuers merchants to whom he must yeeld
account. Howbeit at the last after many words and promises to him made hee
came into the hauen, the which captaine was named messire Domingo de
Fournati, and hee in his person behaued him valiauntly in the time of the
sayd siege.
How the great master caused generall musters to be made, and sent a vessell
to the Turkes nauie, of whom he receiued a letter.
After the moneth of April the lord master seeing that the Turkes hoste drew
neere, and that he had the most part of the wafters within the towne, he
caused generall musters of men of armes to be made. And began at the
knights, the which vpon holy Rood day in May made their musters, before the
Commissioners ordained by the sayd lord in places deputed to each of them
called Aalberge. The which Commissioners made report to the lordes that
they had found the knights in good order of harnesse and other things
necessary for warre, and their araie faire and proper, with crosses on
them. When the muster of the knights was done, the lord master thought to
make the musters of them of the towne, and strangers together: but his
wisedome perceiued that harme should come thereby, rather then good,
doubting, that the number of people should not bee so great as he would, or
needed to haue, whereof the great Turke might haue knowledge by goers and
commers into Rhodes, and therefore he caused them of the towne to make
their musters seuerall by bandes and companies, and the strangers also by
themselues, to the end that the number should not bee knowen,
notwithstanding that there was good quantitie of good men and well willing
to defend themselues. And the more to hearten and giue them courage and
good will, some knights of the Crosse, decked their men with colours and
deuises, and tooke with them men of the towne and strangers, and with great
noyse of trumpets and timbrels, they made many musters, as enuying each
other which should keepe best aray and order, and haue the fairest company.
It was a great pleasure to see them all so well agree, and so well willing.
The number of the men of the towne amounted and were esteemed, three, or
foure thousand, beside men of the villages that might be 1500. or 2000.
The eight day of the same moneth, the Turkes hearing of those tidings, made
a fire for a token in a place called le Fisco, in the maine land right
against Rhodes. And certaine dayes afore they had made another, that is to
weet, when the ship of a knight named Menetow went thither, and had with
him the clarke of the gallies named Iaques truchman, the which vnder shadow
to speake with him, was withholden of the Turkes. For the great Turke had
commanded to take him or some other man of the Rhodes to haue perfect
knowledge in what estate the towne was then in euery thing. And they of the
towne weening that the second fire was for to deliuer Iaques, the reuerend
lord great master sent one of his galliasses, whose patron was called
messire Boniface of Prouence, to know the cause thereof. And when hee
arriued at the sayd place of le Fisco, he demaunded of the Turkes wherefore
they had made the token of fire. And they said that it was because their
lord had sent a letter to the great master, but as yet it was not come, and
desired him to tary till it were brought. The patron as warie and wise in
the businesse of the sea, thought in himselfe that the Turkes made such
prolonging to some euill intent, or to surprise his vessell being alone,
wherefore hee bade them giue him the letter speedily, or els he would goe
his way, and neither tary for letter nor other thing: and told them of the
euill and dishonest deed that they had done the dayes afore, to withhold
the clarke vnder their words and safeconduct: and therewith he turned his
galliasse to haue gone away. The Turkes seeing that, gaue him the letter,
the which he tooke, and when he was arriued at Rhodes, he presented it to
the lord great master, which assembled the lordes of his counsell, and made
it to be red. The tenor whereof was such as foloweth.
The copie of the letter that the great Turke sent to the Iord great master,
and to the people of the Rhodes.
Sultan Solyman Basha by the grace of God, right mightie emperor of
Constantinople, and of himselfe holding both the lands of Persia, Arabia,
Syria, Mecha, and Ierusalem; of Asia, Europe, Aegypt, and of all the Sea,
lord and possessor: To the reuerend father lord Philip, great master of
Rhodes, to his counsailors, and to all the other citizens great and small,
greeting. Sending conuenient and worthy salutations to your reuerances, wee
giue you to weet, that we haue receiued your letters sent vnto our
imperiall maiestie by George your seruant, the tenor whereof we doe well
vnderstand: and for this occasion we send vnto you this our present
commaundement, to the end that we will that ye know surely how by our
sentence we will haue that Isle of Rhodes for many damages and euill deeds
which we haue, and heare from day to day of the sayd place done to vs and
our subiects, and ye with your good will shall hold it of vs and doe vs
obeisance, and giue the citie to mine imperiall maiestie. And we sweare by
God that made heauen and earth, and by 26000. of our prophets, and by the
4. Misafi that fell from the skies, and by our first prophet Mahomet, that
if ye doe vs homage, and yeeld you with good will vpon these othes, all you
that will abide in the sayd place, great and small, shall not need to feare
perill nor damage of mine imperiall maiestie, neither you, your goods, nor
your men: and who so will goe to any other place with his goods and
houshold, may so doe, and who so will dwell and inhabits in any other
places vnder mine Imperiall maiestie, may remaine where they like best,
without feare of any person. And if there bee any of the principals and
woorthy men among you that is so disposed, wee shall giue him wages and
prouision greater then hee hath had. And if any of you will abide in the
sayd isle, yee may so doe after your auncient vsages and customes, and much
better. And therefore if that Imperiall maiestie, or els know yee that wee
will come vpon you with all prouisions of warre, and thereof shall come as
it pleaseth God. And this wee doe, to the end that ye may know, and that ye
may not say, but we haue giuen you warning. And if ye doe not thus with
your good will, wee shall vault and vndermine your foundations in such
maner, that they shalbe torne vpside downe, and shal make you slaues, and
cause you to die, by the grace of God, as we haue done many, and hereof
haue ye no doubt. Written in our court at Constantinople the first day of
the moneth of Iune.
How the Turkes came to land in the Isle of Lango, and were driuen to their
ships againe by the Prior of S. Giles.
When the lord great master and his counsell had heard the tenor of the
letter, they would giue none answere to the great Turke, but that he should
be receiued with good strokes of artillerie. So that to a foolish demaund
behooued none answere. And it was very like that he would haue nothing. For
sixe dayes after, that was the 14. day of the said moneth of Iune, the
Brigantines that went toward Sio to know of the said armie, came againe and
sayd, that of a trueth the said armie was comming; and that nigh to Lango
an Isle of the religion, and 100. mile from Rhodes, they had seene and told
30. sailes that were most part gallies and fustes: the which vessels set
men on land in the isle of Lango. Then the prior of S. Giles, Messire pre
Iohn de Bidoux commander of the said place, taried not long from horsebacke
with his knights and people of the isle, and he met so well with the
Turkes, that he droue them to their ships, and slew a certaine number of
them: and of the side of Pre Iohn some were hurt, and his horse was slaine.
When the enemies were entered into their gallies, they went to a place
called castle Iudeo on the maine land, betweene the sayd isle of Lango and
the castle of S. Peter.
How part of the nauie and armie of the great Turke came before the citie of
Rhodes.
The 18. day of the said moneth of Iune, these 30. gallies went from the
sayd place, and passed, by the Cape of Crion, entering the gulfe of Epimes
beside Rhodes, and were discouered from the shade of the hill of Salaco, a
castle in the isle of Rhodes. On the morrow they came out of the gulfe by
plaine day, and sailing along by the coasts, they entered into a hauen on
maine land called Malfata, where they abode three dayes. Then they went
from thence, and returned to the gulfe of Epimes, where they abode two
dayes and two nights.
The 24 day of the same moneth they issued out of Epimes, and trauersing the
chanell, they came to the yle of Rhodes in a place before a castle called
Faues, and they went to land, and burnt a great field of corne the same
day, which was the feast of S. Iohn Baptist our patron. The guard of a
castle named Absito in the yle of Rhodes discouered and spied the great
hoste, and in great haste brought word to the lord master, and sayd that
the sayd hoste, that was in so great number of sailes that they might not
be numbred, was entered into the gulfe of Epimes. The 30 sailes that lay in
the yle arose in the night, and went to the sayd hoste in the gulfe.
The 26 day of Iune the sayd great hoste arose and went out of Epimes an
houre after the sun rising, and trauersing the chanell, they came to a
place called the Fosse, eight miles from the towne. And the 30 first sailes
turned backe toward the cape of S. Martin and other places to watch for
ships of Christian men, if any passed by to Rhodes. The great hoste abode
still till noone or one of the clocke, and then arose, not all, but about
80 or 100 ships, as gallies, galliasses, and fusts: and passed one after
another before the towne and hauen of Rhodes three miles off, and came to
shore in a place nigh to land, called Perambolin, sixe miles from the
towne. In the which place the sayd hoste abode from that time to the end of
that vnhappy siege.
The number and names of the vessels that came to besiege Rhodes.
The number of the ships were these: 30 galliasses, 103 gallies, aswell
bastards as subtill mahonnets, 15 taffours, 20 fusts, 64 great ships, sixe
or seuen gallions, and 30 galleres, besides the nauy that waited for
Christain men, if any came to succour vs. These were the vessels that came
at the first to lay the siege. And sith that sayd host came out of
Perambolin, there came from Syria 20 other sailes, aswell gallies as fusts.
And many other ships came sith, and ioyned with the sayd army in the time
of the sayd siege. And it was sayd that there were 400 sailes and moe.
The same day that part of the host came to the sayd place, the reuerend
lord great master ordeined a great brigandine to send into the West, to
certifie our holy father the pope, and the Christian princes how the Turks
army was afore Rhodes. And in the sayd vessel he sent two knights, one a
French man named Sir Claude Dansoyuille called Villiers, and Sir Loys de
Sidonia a Spaniard: and they went to the pope and to the emperour.
After the comming of the Turks nauy into the sayd place, if was 14 or 15
dayes or they set any ordinance on land, great or small, or any quantity of
men came on shore, whereof we marueiled. And it was tolde vs by some that
came out of the campe, and also by the spies that the lord great master had
sent abroad arayed as Turks that they, abode the commandement of their
great lord, vntill the hoste by land were come into the campe. Howbeit
there came some number for to view the towne, but they went priuity, for
the ordinance of the towne shot without cease.
All this while the gallies and galliasses went and came to land, bringing
vitaile and people. At the which ships passing nigh the town, were shot
many strokes with bombards, which made some slaughter of our enemies: and
when the most part of them was past, they began to set ordinance on the
land with great diligence. Then the lord great master departed from his
palace, and lodged him nigh a church called The victory, because that place
was most to be doubted: and also that at the other siege [Footnote: This
refers to the siege of Rhodes in 1480, by Mohammed II., the conqueror of
Constantinople.] the great businesse and assault was there.
How the lord great master made his petition before the image of S. Iohn,
and offered him the keyes of the towne.
The day before were made many predications and sermons, and the last was in
the church of S. Iohn Baptist. When the sermon was done, a pontificall
Masse was celebrate with all solemnities, and all the reliques taken downe,
and the lord great master and all his knights with great deuotions and
reuerence heard it. And when the Masse was ended, the lord great master
made a pitious oration or prayer before Saint Iohn Baptist his protectour:
and aboue all other words, which were too long to tell, he besought him
meekly that it would please him to take the keyes of that miserable city.
The which keyes he presented and layed vpon the altar before the image,
beseeching S. Iohn to take the keeping and protection thereof, and of all
the religion, as by his grace he had giuen to him vnworthy, the gouerning
vnto that day: and by his, holy grace to defend them from the great power
of the enemies that had besieged them.
How the women slaues would haue set fire in the towne.
The eight day of Iuly it was knowen that the Turkish women being slaues and
seruaunts in many houses of the towne, had appointed to set fire in their
masters houses at the first assault that should be made, to the end that
the men should leaue their posterns and defenses to go and saue their
houses and goods. And it was found that a woman of Marchopota being a
slaue, was first moouer thereof, the which was taken and put to execution.
The same day some of our men went out for to skirmish with the Turkes, and
many of them were slaine with shot of our artillerie, and of our men but
one.
How the Turkes layd their artillerie about the towne, and of the maner and
quantitie of their pieces and gunshot.
The 18. day of Iuly, for the beginning and first day they set vp a
mantellet, vnder the which they put three or foure meane pieces, as sacres,
wherewith they shot against the posterns of England and Prouence. But the
mantellet was soone broken and cast downe, and their pieces destroyed with
the shot of the wall, and they that shot them were most part slaine. As
this first mantellet was broken, by the great and innumerable people that
they had they set all their ordinance on land, and caried it to the places
where it should be bent, or nigh thereby.
And the 29. day of the same moneth, they set vp two other mantellets. One
beside a church of saint Cosme and Damian, and another toward the West. And
from these mantellets they shot great pieces, as Culuerings, double gunnes,
and great bombards [Footnote: For particulars of the artillery used from
the 14th to the 16th Centuries, see Vol. iii, page 207. note.] agaynst the
wals of England and Spaine, to the which mantellets the ordinance of the
towne gaue many great strokes, and often brake them. And the more to grieue
the towne and to feare vs, they set vp many other mantellets in diuers
places, almost round about the towne, and they were reckoned foure score:
the which number was well lessened by the great quantitie of strokes of
artillerie shot out of the towne from many places.
The artillerie of the Turkes was such as followeth.
First there were sixe great gunnes, cannons perriers of brasse, that shot a
stone of three foote and a halfe: also there were 15. pieces of iron that
shot stones of fiue or sixe spannes about. Also there were 14. great
bombards that shot stones of eleuen spans about. Also there were twelue
basiliskes, whereof they shot but with 8. that is to weet, foure shot
agaynst the posterns of England and Spaine, and two against the gate of
Italy: the other two shot sometime against Saint Nicholas tower. Also there
were 15. double gunnes casting bullets as basiliskes. The meane shot, as
sacres and pasuolans, were in great number. The handgunshot was innumerable
and incredible. Also there were twelue potgunnes of brasse that shot
vpward, whereof eight were set behind the church of S. Cosme and Damian,
and two at saint Iohn de la Fontaine toward the port of Italy, and the
other two afore the gate of Auuergne, the which were shot night and day:
and there were three sorts of them, whereof the greatest were of sixe or
seuen spannes about. And the sayd stones were cast into the towne to make
murder of people, which is a thing very inhumane and fearefull, which maner
of shooting is little vsed amongst christian men. Howbeit by euident
myracle, thanked be God, the sayd pieces did no great harme, and slew not
past 24. or 25. persons, and the most part women and children, and they
began to shoot with, the said pieces from the 19. day of the same moneth,
vnto the end of August, and it was accounted that they shot 2000. times
more or lesse.
Then the enemies were warned by the Iewe that wrote letters to them of all
that was done and sayd in the towne, that the sayd potgunnes did no harme:
wherefore they were angry, for they thought that they had slaine the third
part of our people: and they were counselled by him to leaue that shooting,
for it was but time lost, and pouder wasted, and then they shot no more
with them. It is of a trueth that they shot with the sayd potgunnes 12. or
15. times with bullets of brasse or copper, full of wild fire, and when
they were in the ayre, they flamed foorth, and in falling on the ground,
they brake, and the fire came out and did some harme: But at the last wee
knew the malice thereof, and the people was warie from comming neere to
them, and therefore they did hurt no more folke.
How the captaine Gabriel Martiningo camee to the succor of Rhodes, and all
the slaues were in danger to be slaine.
The 24. day of the same moneth a brigantine arriued that was sent afore
into Candie, wherein came a worthy captaine named Gabriel Martiningo with
two other captains. And there went to receiue him messieur prou Iohn prior
of S. Giles, and the prior of Nauarre. Then after his honourable receiuing
as to him well apperteined, they brought him before the lord great master
that louingly receiued him, and he was gladly seene and welcommed of the
people, as a man that was named very wise and ingenious in feats of warre.
Then came a Spaniard renegado from the host, that gaue vs warning of all
that was done in the field, and of the approaching by the trenches that our
enemies made.
And in likewise there arose a great noise in the towne, that the slaues
Turks that wrought for vs in the diches had slaine their keepers, and would
haue fled, which was not so. Neuerthelesse, the rumour was great, and they
rang alarme: wherefore the sayd slaues comming to prison, as it was
ordeined in al the alarmes, were met of the people, which in great anger
put them to death: so that there were slaine an hundred and moe the same
day. And if the lord great master had not commanded, that none should hurt
them, they had bene all slaine, and there were fifteene hundredth of them:
which slaues did great seruice in time of the siege: for they laboured
dayly to make our defences, and to cast earth out of the ditches, and in
all works they were necessary at our needs.
How the great Turke arriued in person before Rhodes.
The 25 day of the sayd moneth many of our men went out for to skirmish in
the field and made great murder of Turks, and in likewise did our
artillery. And it is to be noted that the 28 day of the same moneth the
great Turke in person passed le Fisco a hauen in the maine land with a
galley and a fust, and arriued about noone, where his army lay, the which
day may be called unhappie for Rhodes. For his comming, his presence and
continuall abiding in the fielde is and hath beene cause of the victorie
that he hath had. When the gallie that he came in was arriued, all the
other shippes of the hoste hanged banners aloft in their toppes and on
their sayle yerdes.
Soone after that the Turke was arriued, he went to land, and mounted on his
horse, and rode to his pauilion which was in a high place called
Megalandra, foure or fiue miles fro the towne but of the danger of the
gunne shot. And on the morrow, as it was reported to vs, hee came to a
Church nigh the towne called Saint Steuen, for to viewe the Towne and
fortresses, whereas they had set vp mantellets for to lay their ordinance.
The last day of Iuly, one of our briganidines went out with a good company
of men arrayed as Turkes, and some of them could speake Turkish, and went
by night to lande through the Turkes hoste, and demaunded if there were any
that would passe ouer into Turkie, that they should haste them to come. The
Turkes weening that they had beene of Turkie, there entred a 12. persons,
the which were carried to Rhodes, by whom we knew what they did in the
campe.
The first day of August the Captaine Gabriel Martiningo was made knight of
the order of the religion by the lord great Master, and was made the first
auncient of the Italian nation, of the first baliage or priorie that should
be vacant. And in the meane season the religion should giue him twelue
hundred ducates for pension euery yeere, and the same day he was receiued
to the Councell in the roome of a baylife.
The fift day of the sayd moneth our master gunner was slaine with a gunne,
which was great losse for vs at that time.
The 15. day of the sayd moneth was knowen and taken for a traitor, Messire
Iohn Baptista, the physicion aforesayd, which confessed his euill and
diuelish doings, and had his head striken of.
Of the marueiloous mounts that the Turks made afore the towne, and how the
capitaines were ordered in the trenches.