_A brave Encounter of the_ Turks _Army with the_ Christians; _Duke_
Merceur _overthroweth_ Assan Bashaw; _He divides the_ Christian _Army;
His Nobleness and Death._
_Mahomet_ the Great _Turk_, during the Siege, had raised an Army of Sixty
thousand Men to have relieved it; but hearing it was lost, he sent _Assan
Bashaw,_ General of his Army, the _Bashaw_ of _Buda, Bashaw Amaroz,_ to
see if it were possible to regain it; The Duke understanding there could
be no great experience in such a new levied Army as _Assan_ had, having
put a strong Garrison into it, and with the brave Colonel _Rosworme,
Culnits, Meldritch,_ the _Rhine Grave, Vahan,_ and many others, with
Twenty thousand good Soldiers, set forward to meet the _Turk,_ in the
Plains of _Girk._ {MN-1} Those two Armies encountred as they marched,
where began a hot and bloody Skirmish betwixt them, Regiment against
Regiment, as they came in order, till the night parted them: Here Earl
_Meldritch_ was so invironed among those half circular Regiments of
_Turks,_ they supposed him their Prisoner, and his Regiment lost; but his
two most couragious Friends, _Vahan_ and _Culnits,_ made such a Passage
amongst them, that it was a terror to see how Horse and Man lay sprawling
and tumbling, some one way, some another on the Ground. The Earl there at
that time made his valour shine more bright than his Armour, which seemed
then painted with _Turkish_ Blood; he slew the brave _Zanzack Bugola,_ and
made his Passage to his Friends, but near half his Regiment was slain.
Captain _Smith_ had his Horse slain under him, and himself sore wounded;
but he was not long unmounted, for there was choice enough of Horses, that
wanted Masters. The _Turk,_ thinking the Victory sure against the Duke,
whose Army, by the Siege and the Garrison, he had left behind him, was
much weakened, would not be content with one, but he would have all; and
lest the Duke should return to _Alba Regalis,_ he sent that Night Twenty
thousand to besiege the City, assuring them, he would keep the Duke or any
other from relieving them. Two or three days they lay each by other,
entrenching themselves; the _Turks_ daring the Duke daily to a sett
Battle, {MN-2} who at length drew out his Army, led by the _Rhine-Grave,
Culnits,_ and _Meldritch_ who upon their first Encounter, charged with
that resolute and valiant courage, as disordered not only the foremost
Squadrons of the _Turks,_ but enforced all the whole Army to retire to the
Camp, with the loss of five or six thousand, with the _Bashaw_ of _Buda,_
and four or five _Zanzacks,_ with divers other great Commanders, Two
hundred Prisoners, and nine pieces of Ordnance. At that instant appeared,
as it were, another Army coming out of a Valley over a plain Hill, that
caused the Duke at that time to be contented, and to retire to his
Trenches; which gave time to _Assan,_ to reorder his disordered Squadrons:
Here they lay nine or ten days, and more Supplies repaired to them,
expecting to try the event in a sett Battle; but the Soldiers on both
Parties, by reason of their great Wants, and approach of Winter, grew so
discontented, that they were ready of themselves to break up the Leager;
the _Bashaw_ retiring himself to _Buda,_ had some of the Rear Troops cut
off. _Amaroz Bashaw_ hearing of this, found such bad welcome at _Alba
Regalis,_ and the Town so strongly repaired with so brave a Garrison,
raised his Siege, and retired to _Zigetum._
* * * * *
{MN-1} _A brave encounter of the_ Turks _Army with the_ Christians.
{MN-2} _Duke_ Merceur _overthroweth_ Assan Bassa.
The Duke understanding, that the Archduke _Ferdinando,_ had so resolutely
besieged _Caniza_ as what by the loss of _Alba Regalis,_ and the _Turks_
retreat to _Buda,_ being void of hope of any relief, doubted not, but it
would become again the _Christians._ {MN-1}To the furtherance whereof, the
Duke divided his Army into three parts. The Earl of _Rosworme_ went with
Seven thousand to _Caniza,_ the Earl of _Meldritch_ with Six thousand he
sent to assist _Georgio Busca_ against the _Transilvanians,_ the rest went
with himself to the Garrisons of _Strigonium_ and _Komara;_ having thus
worthily behaved himself, he arrived at _Vienne,_ where the Arch-dukes and
the Nobility with as much honour received him, as if he had conquered all
Hungaria; his very Picture they esteemed would make them fortunate, which
thousands kept as curiously as a precious relique. To requite this honour,
preparing himself to return into _France,_ to raise new Forces against the
next year, with the two Arch-dukes, _Matthias_ and _Maximilian,_ and
divers others of the Nobility, was with great Magnificence conducted to
_Nurenburg,_ there by them royally feasted, (how it chanced is not known;)
{MN-2} but the next Morning he was found dead, and his Brother in Law died
two days after; whose hearts, after this great Triumph, with much sorrow
were carried into _France._
* * * * *
{MN-1} _Duke_ Merceur _divideth his army._
{MN-2} _Duke_ Merceur _and his brother in law die suddenly._
* * * * *