A Discourse of the bloody and cruel battle, of late lost by the great turk Sultan Selim.  
And also of the taking of the strong town of Seruan, with the number there slain and taken, and the great store of Artillery& munitions of war lost in the taking of the said town.  
1579.  
Translated out of French into English.  
¶ Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the vintry by Thomas Dawson.   

❧ Of the bloody and cruel battle, newly lost by the great turk Sultan Selim.  
IT is now long time past, that between the lineage of the Ottomans, being the progenitors of the Turkes,& the kings of Persia, called sophy, monarchs parting between them almost all Asia, and much in Africke, the war doth endure, which hath begun from the time of D'Vsuncassan( or as other do call Assembey) successor of Tamerlan, who being base of degree, made him lord of the most part of the Orent, in the year of our lord God, 1400. having overcome Baiazet King of turkey. This Vsuncassan( I say) having succeeded to the said Tamerlan, in the monarchy of the Persians, hath always warred with the Turkes( even as also haue done, the Sophies successors.) He took to wife the daughter of the Emperour of Trapezunt, the which did help him greatly in his warres, but not so happily, but that he lost his Empire.  
The Persians not having at that time the usage of the Cannon, as the Turkes had, although the Persian is more valiant, yet nothing resisteth against such thunder claps. His successors afterward until this day, haue always quarreled with the Trapezuntain, by reason whereof they haue overcome the lands of the great turk in diuers places: And they doing the like unto them, but not so furiously as they haue done, after they did understand of the death of the king of Portugal their confederate, since the time of the foresaid Vsuncassan, who first made league with the Agentes of the said King of Portugall against the turk, and the petty kings of Africke his subiectes: Because that Ismaell( father of him that now is sophy) died about the year 1557. although he hath had notable victories against Sultan Selim, notwithstanding, he lost Mesopotamia and Chaldea with the town of Tauris, a hold of great importance, which caused the same sophy now reigning to make alliance with the king of the Ethiopians, and to renew the same with the king of Portugall, fearing that the turk would hinder him on that side, on the which he is weakest.  
For these reasons, and for to hinder the turk in other places, hath he newly raised an army of Persians and other nations, to the number of one hundred and threescore thousand, chosen men, very expert in arms, and conducted them before the town of Seruan in the borders of Mesopotamia, hard by the river of Tegil, a strong place, and the which made upon him many roads and robberies in his land: whereof the great turk being advertised, dispatched immediately eight Basshaes for to encounter with him, and raise the siege, causing full fourscore thousand men to return, which he dispatched towards Africke, and caused more to be taken up in his land beyond the mount Caspie( borderers or fronterers, of those of the Sophies) so that he caused his army to be assembled, being almost to the number of two hundred thousand men.  
In the mean time the sophy, endeavoured himself furiously to batter this place, and giveth vpon the same many assaults: but those within being advertised of the succour, which was near them, had such good courage, and ordered so their affairs, that altogether they resisted courageously, and as this Hold was a border of the enemy, so was it furnished with good men, having no want of any munitions of war, and specially of powder, Firewoorkes, Cannons and Harquebushers, and being but a while past, since those munitions had been sent thither, to invade the land of the sophy. The army of the turk did arrive there, about the month of December last: The which the sophy understanding, made hast to cause an other assault to be given against those of the town: but in the mean time he was so well provided of wit, that he caused his camp to be set in battle array, fearing least the turk would invade him, for to cause the assault to be interrupted: This being concluded by the enemy, intending to put his purpose in execution, without regarding that the Persians( besides they be such valiant, furious, and vigilant warriors, as any others in Asia, but such, as men may compare them with the best, I dare say, of Europe and Africa) were fresh and lusty: And the Turkes, weery of the long way and great journeys which they had made, for to come in time to succour this place, came and assailed very furiously the Persians, which they thought were all bent to the assault, and their camp, without any order of battle: But they found the contrary of that which they hoped for, not knowing that the sophy was ware of it, attending them with assurance,& were received speedily, and that with such fury, that at the meeting of this first encounter, the horse men of the Persians, which stayed for no other thing, did repulse them a great way of with part of their artillery which had turned against the enemy. In little time they made such slaughter, that the Turkes being constrained to turn their bridle, were almost all in the fliyng away& in this encounter destroyed,& lost more then thirty thousand men, with. xxv. field pieces, and about twelve double Cannons.  
The Turkes seeing themselves to be so beaten back with such a loss, for all that did not let fall their courage, but with the exhortation and good conduct of a Bassha, name Ochali Zaleth; gathered themselves again, and came very fuririously to resist the Persians, the which in this recharge, had not so good a bargain with the enemies the Turkes, as they had before: and if it had not been their artillery, the which played at pleasure, they should haue had a great loss of their men, because that Ochali Zaleth had set against them all the force of the Turkish Harquebushers, the which did great damage in the horsemen of the Persians, until that after having fought long time, did arrive for the succour of the Persians, about forty thousand footmen, who stayed a great while the Turkish Harquebusher, and until that the sophy in proper person with great force of horsemen, arriving to the battle did furiously enter among the Turkes, who with the dexterity, force, and good experience of his horsemen, did break all the said Turkish Harquebushers which were their strength, and then did put all their army to flight: so that almost of two hundreth thousand, of them, without any account of the Baggage, there were saved but about forty thousand with the said Bassha. And if the night had not been, which made an end of the battle, there would scant haue been any, that should haue carried news hereof.  
In the mean time, whilst the battle did endure, the sophy caused always the assault to bee continued, fearing the coming out of those of the town, which on the next day after, knowing the overthrow of their succour, as the assault should haue recommenced early in the morning, they did put a certain sign upon the walls to parley: but for all this the Persians did not leave to march to the assault, where nevertheless they were courageously received,& those of the town did defend themselves more than an hour& a half. And by that time the Persians being refreshed of other bands, entred in, whereas they used great cruelties, and taking none to mercy, they onely preserved him that was governor of the town, whom they keep captive.  
And because the sophy ten months past had lost seven and thirty vessels in the parties of Affrica, he hath caused to be reserved about ten thousand captives, for to serve himself withall in other vessels, which he meaneth readily to arm against the turk.  
There is found more then two hundreth Cannons for battrie, and about five hundreth light pieces, with full eight thousand cadges of powder, so that beside the pillage of the soldiers onely the munitions of war being within this place, are esteemed at more then six millions of ducats, There is also armor well able to arm an▪ hundreth thousand men of war, which the great turk had caused to bee carried thither, for to enter this summer with great power vpon the land of the sophy.  
This great loss being come to his knowledge, he took such grief thereat, that they thought he would haue died of sorrow: and the brute came to Venice that he was dead, nevertheless he is now in health.  
All the chief which returned from the said battle, haue all by his express commandment been beheaded, yea, the self same Ochali Bassha. Of the other seven Basshats, five were killed, and the two others are prisoners, the one whereof is sore hurt.  
The sophy had all the artillery and munitions of war, with al the baggage of the Turkish camp of an inestimable value: and men do beleeue, that since the reign of Sultan Selim, in whatsoever place it was, he never received such a loss  
And of such a victory the Christians ought to render thanks to our good God, the which doth impart and give unto us his graces, according as wee need, weakening and diminishing the means of the enemy of his holy faith& Christian religion, whom with al such like helhounds he could dispatch in less then the twinkling of an eye, if his will were such, but the occasions of this are to us unknown.  
And if such a victory hath not been obtained in Europe, or in afric, nearer unto us, yet the more is God to bee praised for: because any victory cannot be obtained, but there is loss as well on the side of the victorer, as of the same that is vanquished.  
And in the mean while the Turkes, be so much weaker for to assail us on this side( as they had well thought to haue come this Summer again, to the Isle of Malta) having lost so great number▪ of men in this battle, as that of one hundred and threescore thousand remain deade vpon the place, which is no marvel. for such Monarchies may prepare in a little time, an army of an hundred or two hundred thousand men.  
And he that shall see what Diodorus Siculus doth wisely writ, shall find, that when Xerxes came to invade Graecia, when as Leonidas King of Sparta( with few men) resisted him at the straights of Thermopylae, he had more then one Million of armed men.  
In the battle which Ladislaus king of Panonnie had against Amurat Emperour of the Turkes, there were killed of the side of the Turkes( though they did gain the battle) four hundred thousand, whereof Sabellicus is a faithful witness unto vs.  
The great Alexander slue one Million of men, in the bloody battle against Darius.  
Cyrus King of the Persians, lost against the Scythians al his army wherein were two hundreth thousand men,& that which therein is found strange( is this) that there was not one saved for to tel the news.  
Therefore it is not to be wondered at that the Sultan hath lost in one onely encounter so many men: for if in times past when guns were not used, there did perish in one journey so great quantity of men, what will it be now, when with one only stroke of Artillery, men are seue to vanish like snow in the Sun, and that against such a diuilish invention there is nothing able to make resistance?  
The sophy hath onely lost forty thousand men, as well in the battle as in the assaults which he hath given against those of the town, having a great desire to follow his good fortune, the which might let or hinder the pretence of that enemy to christianity. Sultan Selim then first began to raise up an army by Sea for to descend into Africa, but it is believed, that having to deal with such an enemy as the Persians and his confederates, he shall haue enough to do for to reuenge him against their forces, considering that the Persians do use the Cannons as well as the Turkes; adding thereunto that the Persians are more stouter and courageous in war. And it might well be applied which the Hebrewes or Iewes do affirm of the monarchy of Turkes, the which( say they) ought to take end at the fifteenth Lord the which is Selim, reigning at this present.  
A famous Astrologian of Armenica, said unto Soliman, that the reign of the house of the Ottoman should ends in his person, to the which he answered: Not in me, but in my successor, of the which the Turkes are in great doubt, according to a prophesy which they haue saying, Our Empire shall come, a kingdom shall take it, figured by a read apple. And if the sword of the Christians do not rise until the twelfth year he shal possess it, after which time, shal appear the sword of the Christians, which shal put to flight the turk, and yf until the seventh year, the Christians do not recover the read apple figured for Constantinople, the which seven yeeres, are to be accounted for seuentie yeeres, for they mean one year for ten, at the end of twelve yeeres, the sword of the Christians shall chase the Turkes, taking the beginning of the twelfth year, at the taking of Constantinople. Which was in the year. 1453. in the month of May. The end of which twelve yeeres, in which the sword of the Christians ought to chase the turk, shall come justly in the year 1570. taking as is said, seuentie for all the tenth part of seuentie.  
GOD grant that the Christian Princes being well joined together may recover the oriental Empire, and therein plant the holy catholic faith, in the mean time, that this barbarous catife shalbe occupied in other causes. So be it.  
 a man pruning a plant, and a large bird 
T. D