The Great Turks terrible Challenge, this year 1640. Pronounced against the Emperor of Germany and the King of Poland by Soloma Hometh who lately deceased, but continued by his brother Ibraim, the first of that name.  
To the tune of My bleeding heart, or Let's to the wars again.  

 
 

YOu that desire strange news to hear,  
Unto my story now give ears,  
Great wars there is pronounced of late,  
By him who doth all Christians hate:  
'Gainst Rome's Imperial Majesty,  
And King of Poland joining nigh,  
By the great Turk who would devour,  
Each Christian kingdom by his power.   

Soloma Hometh called so,  
This Tyrant great and Christian's foe,  
At three and thirty years of age,  
Death finished up his days and rage:  
Yet for all that their Turkish hate,  
'Gainst Christian kings doth naught abate,  

But God deliver Christians all,  
That they by such do never fall.    

Though death did happily prevent,  
The cruel Tyrant's bad intent,  
Yet he which doth him now succeed,  
More terrors to the world doth breed:  
●hose bloody purpose is inclined,  
To prosecute as 'twas designed,  
The Christian kingdoms to devour,  
But God confound the Pegans power.   

With fearful sentence challenging,  
Rome's Emperor, and Poland's king,  
Their Princes, Peers, and Pope also,  
With all that there adjoins unto:  
For by their kingdom's crowns they swear▪  
To come before their Cities there,  

But God deliver Christians all,  
That they by such do never fall.    

And will with thirteen kingdoms rise  
The Christian world for to surprise,  
Full thirten hundred thousand strong  
Of Turkish powers to march along,  
With full intention to subdue,  
The Christian princes with this crew,  

But God deliver Christians all,  
That they by such do never fall.    

Nay more say they, behold at length  
With all our great Imperial strength,  
Such as by you was never seen,  
Nor yet in any kingdom been:  
Wéell come your nations to destroy,  
Which you shall never more enjoy,  

But God, etc.    

With mighty power for to subdue,  
The German Emperor, and pursue  
Him to the end with fire and sword,  
And tyranny to be abhorred:  
Also the Polanders devour,  
With force of arms and Pagans power,  

But God deliver Christians all,  
That they by such do never fall.     

The second Part  
to the same Tune.  
 

THey give them for to understand,  
How they will terrify each land,  
To rob to murder and destroy  
With burning all they do enjoy,  
And put them to the cruelest death,  
That ever was devizd on earth:  

But God deliver Christians all,  
That they by such do never fall.    

Their bloody minds they thus reveal,  
The golden sceptre and the seal,  
Of Rome say they we will suppress,  
And fill your nations with distress,  
And those say they we prisoners take  
More worse than dogs of them we'll make  

But God etc.    

The Turk against the Polands King  
Five hundred thousand strong doth bring  
And of Tartarians by him sent  
To Wallachy Seventy thousand went  
Which puts the country in great fear  
To see their enemies so near:  

But Lord etc.    

The king of Poland for this end  
Lord Palatine to Rome did send  
Ambassadors to certify  
There enemies aproached nigh,  
In the mean time the Polander  
Great preparation makes for war,  

But Lord, etc.    

The Turks of Tunnis and Argier  
To aggravate the people's fear  
With sixty sail of galleys goes  
The Christian kingdoms to oppose,  
Such preparation there is still,  
As may the world with rumours fill.  

But God, etc.    

A greater navy there is more  
Providing near the Turkish shore,  
Of ships and Galleys sixscore sail,  
Lest they should of their purpose fail.  
The Knights of Malta they likewise,  
For to prevent their enemies,  
The landing of the Turk to stop,  
Have strongly blocked their Harbours up.   

Within five leagues the enemies,  
From the Polon●●h frontiers lies,  
Where unawares they chanced to fall,  
On the Polonians General.  
Who with four hundred men and horse,  
Went to descry the Turkish force,  
But most part of his men are slain,  
And he with hurt returned again.   

So that in Poland there is bred,  
By them great terror and much dread,  
For to behold their enemy,  
So strong against their frontiers lie,  
For which they have prolaimed a fast,  
That God in mercy at the last,  

May rid them of these Pagans all,  
That they by them may never fall.     
FINI●   

Printed for Richard Harper at the Bible 〈…〉