They then left behind them all walled towns, and advanced to the province of Culdée[197], which is near to Constantinople, having gained possession of the greater part of the lands in Greece, and to the westward of it, and also of the cities of Latheris and Glamus[198], with many other castles and towns.
The Turks that had been slain in these different battles were estimated at two hundred thousand, with the loss of eight score cities and walled towns, four hundred castles, great and small. These victories have been thus detailed for insertion in the chronicles of the times, and asserted for truth on the holy evangelists, on the oath of their priesthood, by the following venerable persons, namely, sir John Valate, priest, sir Patrick Tournaille, priest also, and Andrew Valate, a layman,—all three inhabiting the diocese of Umblanum in Dacia.
The chevalier Blanc was grievously wounded by a lance in the last battle, so that he was constrained to retire into the city of Angasta, where he died. God have mercy on his soul! he being well deserving thereof. In like manner was the Turk severely wounded, and forced to withdraw to Constantinople, where he remained for a long time very ill.
These three persons having been interrogated by the chronicler of France on their oaths, how they knew what they had told to be true, deposed, that they had been personally present in arms at all these battles and sieges, and had fought at them, and, in consideration of the very great perils they had escaped from, had vowed to make pilgrimages to the shrine of St Denis, and to other places, which they intended to fulfil before they returned to their own country. They appeared to be well affected to the Christian faith. They said, that the Turk, when recovered, left Constantinople for Asia.
On Saturday, the 4th day of December in this year, and about three hours before day, such an earthquake happened at Naples, in Puglia, and Calabria, as the oldest persons did not remember to have seen, from which great and numberless evils ensued,—a few of which shall be mentioned. In the first place, the small city of Ariano[199], in the kingdom of Naples, was so completely destroyed that eight thousand persons perished. Another city called Padula[200] was destroyed, with its three thousand inhabitants, for not one escaped. Item, another town, called Bouchery[201], was overwhelmed,—and no one who had not seen these places before this unfortunate event would have supposed they could have existed, so thoroughly changed was the whole face of the country.
One half of the town of Troia[202] was thrown down, and many people perished. The greater part of the castle of Canosa[203] fell, with some of the town. The cities of Ascoli[204] and Santa Agatha[205] shared the same fate, as did the castle of Arpi[206] and several others.
In the country of Molise[207], the cities of Campo Basso[208], Laurentino[209], the castle of St Julian[210], Macona[211], the castles of St Lou[212], Castine[213], and La Rippe[214], were swallowed up by the earthquake, and many lands near to Altavilla[215], when upwards of twenty-eight thousand persons perished. The city of Naples suffered some damage, but more in the churches than in the other buildings. The earthquake lasted for three days, and in some places more, namely, from the 4th of the month until the 7th inclusive; when, as reported by men of truth, more than one hundred thousand persons of both sexes were destroyed.
This earthquake ruined in one night the castles of Sanguine[216], Presole[217], and la Roche Capoa[218], where neither walls nor houses were left standing. One half of the city of Sermone[219] and the castle of Oliveto[220] were destroyed: in which last five hundred persons were killed, and in the castle of Pesolo[221] six hundred. In like manner, when the castle of Thoco[222] was overthrown, its lord and all within perished. This accident ruined also part of the port of Ancona, and such damages were done to the buildings of Capua[223], Aversa[224], and Benevento[225], and to the castle of Lusano[226], as would have been incredible but to those who saw it.
The account of this unfortunate disaster was sent in writing to the marquis of Ferrara by his brother Hercules[227], then in the kingdom of Naples with the king of Arragon, and written at Rougia[228], the 7th day of December, in the year 1456.
On the first day of this same year, while the king of France was at St Prier, near to Lyon, Otho Castellan, a Florentine and treasurer of the king's household, was arrested on the bridge at Lyon by the provost of the palace, from informations the king had received that the said Otho had formed certain devices prejudicial to his personal safety. He had made certain images that, by diabolical arts, would assure him the government of the king, and cause him to do whatever the said Otho should please. Guillaume Gouffier was his accomplice, and was long detained in prison to obtain from him the truth of these charges. Otho was carried prisoner before the parliament of Tholouse, where he had long acted as the king's treasurer; and Gouffier was sent to Tours. In the ensuing year, Otho was condemned by the chancellor to banishment and confiscation of his effects; but the king pardoned him, so that he only lost the places he had held, and was banished to twenty leagues distant from wherever the king should be, and was compelled to pay a fine of a thousand crowns for the expenses of his suit. But Otho was then accused of sodomy, and brought back to Tours for trial, and thence sent to Paris, as it was said that he had appealed to the parliament; but I cannot say how this matter ended, for he was transported from one prison to another, so that I am ignorant of the conclusion.