Georgio Busca _an_ Albane, _his ingratitude to Prince_ Sigismundus;
_Prince_ Moyses _his Lieutenant, is overthrown by_ Busca, _General for
the Emperour_ Rodulphus; Sigismundus _yieldeth his Country to_
Rodulphus; Busca _assisteth Prince_ Rodol _in_ Wallachia.
This good success gave such great encouragement to the whole Army, that
with a Guard of six thousand, three spare Horses, before each a _Turks_
Head upon a Lance, he was conducted to the Generals Pavilion with his
Presents. Moyses received both him and them, with as much respect as the
occasion deserved, embracing him in his Arms, gave him a fair Horse,
richly furnished, a Scimitar and Belt worth Three hundred Ducats; and
_Meldritch_ made him Sergeant Major of his Regiment. But now to the Siege,
having mounted six and twenty pieces of Ordnance, fifty or sixty Foot
above the Plain, made them so plainly tell his meaning, that within
fifteen days two Breaches were made, which the _Turks_ as valiantly
defended as Men could; that day was made a darksome Night, but by the
light that proceeded from the murdering Muskets, and peace-making Canon,
whilst their slothful Governour lay in a Castle on the top of a high
Mountain, and like a Valiant Prince asketh what's the matter, when horror
and death flood amazed each at other, to see who should prevail to make
him victorious: {MN} _Moyses_ commanding a general assault upon the
sloping front of the high Promontory, where the Barons of _Budendorfe_ and
_Oberwin,_ lost near half their Regiments, by Logs, Bags of Powder,
and such like, tumbling down the Hill, they were to mount ere they could
come to the breach; notwithstanding with an incredible courage, they
advanced to the push of the Pike with the Defendants, that with the like
courage repulsed, till the Earl _Meldritch, Becklefield_ and _Zarvana,_
with their fresh Regiments seconded them with that fury, that the _Turks_
retired and fled into the Castle, from whence by a Flag of truce they
desired composition. The Earl remembring his Fathers Death, battered it
with all the Ordnance in the Town, and the next day took it: all he found
could bear Arms, he put to the Sword, and set their Heads upon Stakes
round about the Walls, in the same manner they had used the _Christians,_
when they took it. _Moyses_ having repaired the Rampires, and thrown down
the Work in his Camp, he put in it a strong Garrison, though the pillage
he had gotten in the Town was much, having been for a long time an
impregnable den of Thieves; yet the loss of the Army so intermingled the
sowre with the sweet, as forced _Moyses_ to seek a farther revenge, that
he sacked _Veratio, Solmos,_ and _Kupronka,_ and with two thousand
Prisoners, most Women and Children, came to _Esenberg,_ not far from the
Princes Palace, where he there Encamped.
* * * * *
{MN} Regal _assaulted and taken._
_Sigismundus_ coming to view his Army, was presented with the Prisoners,
and six and thirty Ensigns; where celebrating thanks to Almighty God in
triumph of those Victories, he was made acquainted with the service
_Smith_ had done at _Olumpagh, Stoll-Weissenburgh_ and _Regal;_ for which,
with great honour, he gave him three _Turks_ Heads in a Shield for his
Arms, by Patent, under his Hand and Seal, with an Oath ever to wear them
in his Colours, his Picture in Gold, and three hundred Ducats yearly for a
Pension.
* * * * *
[Illustration: Smith's Coat of Arms]
Sigismundus Bathori, _Dei Gratia, Dux_ Transilvaniae, Wallachiae, &
Vandalorum; _Comes_ Anchard, Salford, Growenda; _Cunctis his literis
significamus qui cas lecturi aut audituri sunt, concessam licentiam aut
facultatem_ Johanni Smith, _natione_ Anglo _Generoso,_ 250. _militum
Capitaneo sub Illustrissani & Gravissani_ Henrici Volda, _Comitis de_
Meldri, Salmariae, & Peldoix _primario, ex_ 1000 _equitibus_ & 1500.
peditibus bello_ Ungarico _conductione in Provincias supra scriptas sub
Authoritate nostra: cui servituti omni laude, perpetuaq; memoria dignum
praebuit sese erga nos, ut virum strenuum pugnantem pro aris & focis
decet. Quare e favore nostro militario ipsum ordine condonavimus, & in
Sigillum illius tria_ Turcica _Capita defignare & deprimere concessimus,
que ipso gladio suo ad Urbem_ Regalem _in singulari praelio vicit,
mactavit, atq; decollavit in_ Transilvaniae _Provincia: Sed fortuna cum
variabilis ancepsq; sit idem forte fortuito in_ Wallachiae _Provincia,
Anno Domini_ 1602. _die Mensis Novemberis_ 18. _cum multis aliis etiam
Nubilibus & aliis quibusdam militibus captus est a Domino_ Bascha _electo
ex_ Cambia _regionis_ Tartariae, _onjus severitate adductus salutum quantem
potuit quaesivit, tantumque effecit, Deo omnipotente adjuvante, ut
deliberavit se, & ad suos Commilitones revertit; ex quibus ipsum
liberavimus, & haec nobis restimonia habuit ut majori licentia frucretur
qua dignus esset, jam tendet in patriam suam dulcissonam: Rogamus ergo
omnes nostros charissunos, confinititmos, Duces, Principes, Comites,
Barones, Gubernatores Urbium & Navium in cadem Regione & caeterarum
Provinciarum in quibus ille refidere conatus fuerit ut idem permittatur
Capitaneus libere sine obstaculo omni versari. Haec facientes pergratum
nobis feceritis. Signatum_ Lesprizia _in_ Misnia _die Mensis_ Decembris_
9. _Anno Domini_ 1603.
_Cum Privilegio propriae, Majestatis._ Sigismundus Bathori.
[Illustration: Seal of Sigismundus.]
Universis, & singulis, cujuscunq; loci, status, gradut, ordinis, ac
conditighis ad quos hos praesens scriptum pervenerit,_ Gulielmus Segar,
Eques auratus alias dictus Garterus Principalis Rex Armorum_ Anglicorum,
Salutum._ Sciatis, _quod Ego praedictus Garterus, notum, testatumque facio,
quod Patentitem suprascriptum, cum manu propria praedicti Ducis_
Transilvaniae _Subsignatum, & Sigillo suo affixum, Vidi: & Copiam
veram ejusdem (in perpetuam rei memoriam) transcripsi, & recordavi in
Archivis, & Registris Officii Armorum. Datum_ Londini 19. _die Augusti,
Anno Domini_ 1625. _Annoque Regni Domini nostri_ CAROLI _Dei gratia Magnae_
Britanniae, Franciae, & Hibernix _Regis, Fidei Defendoris, &c. Prime.
Gulielmus Segar, Garterus.
{MN} Sigismundus Bathori, by the Grace of God, Duke of _Transilvania,_
_Wallachia,_ and _Moldavia,_ Earl of _Anchard, Salford_ and
_Growenda;_ to whom this Writing may come or appear. Know that We have
given Leave and Licence to _John Smith_ an _English Gentleman,_ Captain of
250 Soldiers, under the most Generous and Honourable _Henry Volda,_ Earl of
_Meldritch, Salmaria,_ and _Peldoia,_ Colonel of a thousand Horse, and
fifteen hundred Foot, in the Wars of _Hungary,_ and in the Provinces
aforesaid under our Authority; whose Service doth deserve all praise, and
perpetual Memory towards us, as a Man that did for God and his Country
overcome his Enemies; Wherefore out of our Love and Favour, according to
the Law of Arms, We have ordained, and given him in his Shield of Arms,
the Figure and Description of three Turks Heads, which with his Sword
before the Town of _Regal,_ in single Combat he did overcome, kill, and
cut off, in the Province of _Transilvania._ But Fortune, as she is very
variable, so it chanced and happened to him in the Province of
_Wallatchia,_ in the year of Our Lord 1602. the 18th day of _November,_
with many others, as well Noble Men as also divers other Soldiers, were
taken Prisoners by the Lord _Bashaw_ of _Cambia,_ a Country of _Tartaria;_
whose cruelty brought him such good Fortune, by the Help and Power of
Almighty God, that he delivered himself, and returned again to his Company
and fellow Soldiers, of whom We do discharge him, and this he hath in
Witness thereof, being much more worthy of a better Reward; and now
intends to return to his own sweet Country. We desire therefore all Our
loving and kind Kinsmen, Dukes, Princes, Earls, Barons, Governours of
Towns, Cities or Ships, in this Kingdom, or any other Provinces he shall
come in, that you freely let pass this the aforesaid Captain, without any
hindrance or molestation, and this doing, with all kindness, we are always
ready to do the like for you. Sealed at _Lipswick_ in _Misenland,_ the
ninth of _December,_ in the year of our Lord, 1603.
* * * * *
{MN} _The same in_ English.
_With the proper privilege of his Majesty._ SIGISMUNDUS BATHORI
To all and singular, in what Place, State, Degree, Order, or Condition
whatsoever, to whom this present Writing shall come: I _William Segar,_
Knight, otherwise Garter, and principal King of Arms of _England,_ wish
health. Know, that I the aforesaid Garter, do witness and approve, that
this aforesaid Patent, I have seen, Signed, and Sealed, under the proper
Hand and Seal Manuel of the said Duke of _Transilvania,_ and a true Copy
of the same, as a thing for perpetual memory, I have Subscribed and
Recorded in the Register, and Office of the Heralds of Arms. Dated at
_London,_ the nineteenth day of _August,_ in the year of Our Lord, 1625,
and in the first year of our Sovereign Lord _Charles,_ by the Grace of
God, King of great _Britain, France,_ and _Ireland,_ Defender of the
Faith, &c.