Andrews' Hist. of Great Britain.
[173] Totaldi. Q.
[174] John la Rendour. Q. Giacopo Loredan? He sailed from Venice with only five galleys, and was to take up five more in the ports of Dalmatia and Candia.
Storia della Repubblica di Venezia.—Laugier.—Tom. vii. p. 63.
[175] Megara. This must be a mistake: indeed, the whole chapter is exceedingly confused.
[176] Sagripoch. Q.
[177] John Waiwoda. Q.
CHAP. LVII.
THE TURK SENDS LETTERS TO THE POPE, WHO, IN CONSEQUENCE, WISHES TO FORM A CROISADE AGAINST HIM.—LE BLANC[178], KNIGHT-MARSAL OF HUNGARY, DEFEATS THE TURKS NEAR THE PORT OF SAMBRINE[179].
The grand Turk, moved by presumption at his unexpected success and prosperity, and through his great pride, sent two letters to pope Nicholas, of similar contents,—the one in Latin, the other in French. The tenour of the last was as follows: 'Morbesan lord of Achaia, son to Orestes, with his brothers,—to the high priest of Rome, health, according to his deserts. Whereas it has lately come to our ears that, at the request and prayers of the people of Venice, you have publicly preached in your churches, that whoever shall take up arms against us shall receive in this life a remission of his sins, with a promise of life eternal hereafter. This we did not hear of until the arrival of some pilgrims, who have crossed the sea in venetian vessels,—and it has caused in us the utmost astonishment. Although you may perhaps have received powers from the God of thunders to absolve and release souls, so much the more prudently and discreetly should you exercise this power, nor by such means induce the Christians to act hostilely against us, and more especially the Italians; for we have lately had information that our fathers have declared the turkish nation was innocent of the death of your Christ crucified,—and that they neither possess nor have any knowledge of those places which are by you held sacred, and that we have always had the jewish nation in hatred, who, from what we have read in histories and chronicles, did most treacherously betray and deliver up the Christ to the roman judge in Jerusalem, to suffer death on the cross.