Footnotes
[104] Ready for every event.
[105] Encounter.
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.
CHAPTER XXVIII
This new victory gladded the Christians exceedingly, as much as it grieved the Turk. The breaches now were freshly repaired with all expedition. The Christian princes seeing the inconvenience that followed their keeping within the City, and how great shame it were for them to abstain from the enemy, considering their power to be not much inferior to that of the Turks in number, much more in brave soldiery, wherefore they made a general muster, and determined to offer the battle to them in the plain field, which if they refused, they would give them in their camps, concluding all under one day’s valiance, then marched forth the English archers, of whom Wagner desired he might be with his fellows, which when they had taken their stand, they brought store of fletchery[106] to them in carts, which were there disburdened, so every archer being five double furnished, the number of them now was nine thousand, the pike being converted into them, being thereto desirous, and having therefore made great suit, for the Emperor was very loth to forget their first good service: Faustus counselled the Captain to choose a plot of above one hundred acres square, where it was open to each horseman, which they marvelled at greatly, but yet they easily granted to stand anywhere: they were so well placed, that they stood as well to defend the friend, as to offend the foe. Then in due order marched out the whole armies of the Christian, and so settled themselves, whilst the Turk brought forward his thick swarms. Now it had been a brave sight, to see the greatest princes of the whole world East and West, attended on by their whole forces set in array, their gorgeous and bright armours and weapons casting up long trammels of golden shine to the heavens, the noise of clarions, trumpets, etc., encouraging the fainting soldier, and increasing the boldness of the resolute. There was at once in this Field all the terror of the world, accompanied with all the beauty. In the City you might have seen the remainders at the churches at prayer, solemn procession round about the town with great devotion, etc. Well, the time was come that the horsemen began to assault the pike, and attempting the ruptures of their array, and the forlorn hopes fiercely skirmishing, whilst with loud outcries the whole use of hearing was taken away: above you nothing but smoke, round about you the thundering cannon, and sharp horrors of sundry weapons, and at your feet death. There might you see the great use of the eughen[107] bow, for the horse no whit fearing the musket, or culiver,[108] as used to it, nor yet respects the piercing of a bullet, by the thick tempest of arrows, hiding their eyes, and hurting their bodies, overthrew the horsemaster to the ground, on that side could not one horseman appear, but straight they fetched him down, so that of thirty thousand horsemen of one assault, there was not one that came within five spears’ length of the battle on foot. The great Turk cursing heaven and earth, and all trees that bore such murthering fruit as bows and arrows, caused a troop of five hundred barbed horses, with twenty thousand more to run upon the archers altogether, which they did, but when they came just upon a little ridge, not one horse but suddenly stopped, and the riders which now had rested their staves, lying close upon the saddle pommels, were thrown quite out of the saddle, and either their backs broken, or quite slain. All the whole archery with the camp wondering hereat, as ignorant of the matter, everyone suspending his several judgment, but Faustus laughed heartily, who knew the matter plain, for there had they buried in sand all the way wolves’ guts, which by natural magic, as authors affirm, suffers not the horse to come over it in any case, nor any force can carry him over with a rider on him. For the Archers drew just upon, and so universally shot together, that all the troops were put to flight, and above half spoiled and murthered. To be brief, so much the Christian prevailed upon the Turk in three hours and a half fight, that all them were turned and fled, each one advancing forward in his flight, there were slain in this battle and flight above seven score thousand Turks, the great Turk himself fighting manfully on his Elephant, was by the Emperor’s own hands slain, all his chief Bassas and men of honour, to the number of three hundred died manfully about him: now the retreat was sounded, and they marched home in most glorious pomp and rejoicing, where the soldiers made rich with the great spoil of the camp, were dismissed, and the princes returned home, and due order taken for the safety of the City. So the Duke of Austria rid of his enemies, gave himself to his forepassed life, and the other princes with great joy caused general feasts and triumphs to be performed in all their kingdoms, provinces, and territories whatsoever.
Footnotes
[106] Goods made, or sold, by a fletcher (a maker or seller of bows and arrows).
[107] Yew.
[108] Caliver, a light musket or arquebus.
Finis