A brave Encounter of the Turks Army with the Christians; Duke Merceur overthroweth Assan Bashaw; He divides the Christian Army; His Nobleness and Death.
Mahomet the Great Turk, during the Siege, had raised an Army of Sixty thousand Men to have relieved it; but hearing it was lost, he sent Assan Bashaw, General of his Army, the Bashaw of Buda, Bashaw Amaroz, to see if it were possible to regain it; The Duke understanding there could be no great experience in such a new levied Army as Assan had, having put a strong Garrison into it, and with the brave Colonel Rosworme, Culnits, Meldritch, the Rhine Grave, Vahan, and many others, with Twenty thousand good Soldiers, set forward to meet the Turk, in the Plains of Girk. {MN-1} Those two Armies encountred as they marched, where began a hot and bloody Skirmish betwixt them, Regiment against Regiment, as they came in order, till the night parted them: Here Earl Meldritch was so invironed among those half circular Regiments of Turks, they supposed him their Prisoner, and his Regiment lost; but his two most couragious Friends, Vahan and Culnits, made such a Passage amongst them, that it was a terror to see how Horse and Man lay sprawling and tumbling, some one way, some another on the Ground. The Earl there at that time made his valour shine more bright than his Armour, which seemed then painted with Turkish Blood; he slew the brave Zanzack Bugola, and made his Passage to his Friends, but near half his Regiment was slain. Captain Smith had his Horse slain under him, and himself sore wounded; but he was not long unmounted, for there was choice enough of Horses, that wanted Masters. The Turk, thinking the Victory sure against the Duke, whose Army, by the Siege and the Garrison, he had left behind him, was much weakened, would not be content with one, but he would have all; and lest the Duke should return to Alba Regalis, he sent that Night Twenty thousand to besiege the City, assuring them, he would keep the Duke or any other from relieving them. Two or three days they lay each by other, entrenching themselves; the Turks daring the Duke daily to a sett Battle, {MN-2} who at length drew out his Army, led by the Rhine-Grave, Culnits, and Meldritch who upon their first Encounter, charged with that resolute and valiant courage, as disordered not only the foremost Squadrons of the Turks, but enforced all the whole Army to retire to the Camp, with the loss of five or six thousand, with the Bashaw of Buda, and four or five Zanzacks, with divers other great Commanders, Two hundred Prisoners, and nine pieces of Ordnance. At that instant appeared, as it were, another Army coming out of a Valley over a plain Hill, that caused the Duke at that time to be contented, and to retire to his Trenches; which gave time to Assan, to reorder his disordered Squadrons: Here they lay nine or ten days, and more Supplies repaired to them, expecting to try the event in a sett Battle; but the Soldiers on both Parties, by reason of their great Wants, and approach of Winter, grew so discontented, that they were ready of themselves to break up the Leager; the Bashaw retiring himself to Buda, had some of the Rear Troops cut off. Amaroz Bashaw hearing of this, found such bad welcome at Alba Regalis, and the Town so strongly repaired with so brave a Garrison, raised his Siege, and retired to Zigetum.
{MN-1} A brave encounter of the Turks Army with the Christians.
{MN-2} Duke Merceur overthroweth Assan Bassa.
The Duke understanding, that the Archduke Ferdinando, had so resolutely besieged Caniza as what by the loss of Alba Regalis, and the Turks retreat to Buda, being void of hope of any relief, doubted not, but it would become again the Christians. {MN-1}To the furtherance whereof, the Duke divided his Army into three parts. The Earl of Rosworme went with Seven thousand to Caniza, the Earl of Meldritch with Six thousand he sent to assist Georgio Busca against the Transilvanians, the rest went with himself to the Garrisons of Strigonium and Komara; having thus worthily behaved himself, he arrived at Vienne, where the Arch-dukes and the Nobility with as much honour received him, as if he had conquered all Hungaria; his very Picture they esteemed would make them fortunate, which thousands kept as curiously as a precious relique. To requite this honour, preparing himself to return into France, to raise new Forces against the next year, with the two Arch-dukes, Matthias and Maximilian, and divers others of the Nobility, was with great Magnificence conducted to Nurenburg, there by them royally feasted, (how it chanced is not known;) {MN-2} but the next Morning he was found dead, and his Brother in Law died two days after; whose hearts, after this great Triumph, with much sorrow were carried into France.
{MN-1} Duke Merceur divideth his army.
{MN-2} Duke Merceur and his brother in law die suddenly.