CHAPTER XXVII
About two a clock in the night the Turk approached with all his whole army unto the walls of the City, causing particular bands and Pioneers to dig through the countermure, the Sentinels which were on the walls, privily espying by reason the Moon gave some slender light, though she was but three days old, gave warning without any alarm to the chief commanders: so that the whole power of the City almost was gathered into Arms, without any stroke of the Drum. The place wherein the Turk was entering, was right against a street’s end of above two yards over and not above thirty yards from the breach, they had digged a deep trench and placed on the scarf nine double cannons thoroughly round and charged with chain and murdering shot, and on each side of the cross street they had erected forts of gravel, etc., like our Barricadoes now, in each of which they placed above fifteen Culverin and Cannon. Now the breach being sufficient, the Turk having entered above 2,000 men, gave ye onset, and sounded the bloody alarm, when suddenly the Flankers discharged and the bulwarks shot freely together, and utterly cut off all them that entered beyond the ditch, and betwixt those three mentioned Forts with their terrible shot, they swept them all out of the place, then began the Turk to thrust his men forward upon the breach (having lost in this assault above 2,100) and ever as they came up to the breach, the Cannon heaved them off, and the small shot from the loops so galled them that they durst not approach. But the Turk cared not, for the murthering of his men might weary the Cannons’ insatiate cruelty at length. Then was the alarm given through the City, and everyone fell to their Arms, getting to the walls, and the rest to the assembling places, whilst the Turk freshly filled the breaches with murthered men, he enforcing himself to his power to enter, and they to keep him out. When he saw that how he had stopped the breaches so with dead bodies, which almost made a new red sea with their blood, in a great rage transporting above 30,000 men over the Danuby, furnished them with scaling ladders, whilst he with great store of cannon beat his own slain men off the fore-named breaches, for he was a merciless tyrant, and caused them to assault the wall itself, which they did. Now began the morning to appear, and ye Christian came just upon the backs of the assailants, with the greatest part of the whole power of the city, and put them all to the sword, save those that escaped from them by water, but killed of their own fellows. Then the Christian marched upon the Turk, who seeing his power greatly weakened, having lost at his unlucky assault above 23,000 men, cursing and banning his disastrous fortune, and his Gods the givers of it, retired in a flying pace to his camp, whilst the plenteous spoil made rich the Christian, for upon the dead carcases were found store of jewels and gold in great plenty.