He therefore rais’d the Siege, with this Pretence, That he did not come to besiege Vienna, but to meet with Ferdinand King of Hungary, to fight with him for his Dominions.
The following Year he circumcised[(M)] his three Sons, Mustapha, that he had by a Circassian[(N)] Slave, Mahomet and Selimus, by two other Slaves of the Seraglio[(O)].
In the Year 1532 Solyman made another Expedition into Hungary: He invested[(P)] Guntz; but it was so well defended by its Governor, the valiant Nicholas Turischitz, that Solyman abandon’d the Siege.
Solyman by long Marches, sate down before Gratz[(Q)], but hearing of a powerful Army headed by Charles V, and Ferdinand his Brother, he thought fit to march back to Constantinople, after the Loss of a great Number of Troops, commanded by Bassa Fereses, and Cæsan.
In the Year 1514, Solyman sent Barbarossa the Pyrate, then in league with him, to invade Africa, where he did much mischief both in Africa, and the Sea-coasts of Italy, and the Islands of the Mediterranean. He after conquer’d the Kingdom of[(R)] Tunis and by his Arts as well as Arms caus’d himself to be proclaim’d King.
Solyman, by the Persuasion of Ibrahim Bassa, this Year undertook his War against Persia, attended by his Son Mustapha, now about thirteen Years of Age, where he first trod in the Paths of War. The Rendezvous of the Army was at the City of Nice[(S)]
From thence he dispatch’d Ibrahim and Ulemas with a strong Army to ravage Syria, where they took Tauris[(T)] from King Damas But these Generals being advertiz’d of great Preparations against them, inform’d Solyman of it, who came to their Relief with the utmost Expedition.
As Solyman was in his March to meet the Enemy, being encamp’d in a vast Plain, there rose such a violent Storm in the Night of Rain, Hail and Snow, from the adjacent Mountains, that Men and Beasts of Carriage were smother’d, many of the Soldiers perish’d to death in their Tents, even Solyman’s Pavilion was near being wash’d away. The superstitious Soldiers imagin’d it was a Storm rais’d by the Magicians of Persia, and murmur’d at a War as waged against Heaven, expeding in the Dark (for the Storm had extinguish’d all their Fires) the Enemy would come upon them, and destroy them all; but the approaching Day dissipated that Fear with the End of the Storm.