This Ile of Rhodes within the space of 25. yeares was three times mightily indangered by violent and extreame Inundation of waters.impetuosities of raine: in such sort that the last flood did drowne the greatest part of the Inhabitants: which beginning in the Spring-time, did continue to Summer, and in all this time, it broke violently downe their houses, and in the night killed the people lying in their beds; and in the day time such as were sheltered under safegard of their dwellings: which was a miserable destruction, and the like of it scarcely heard of since the universall deludge.
But true it is, as these ominous judgements falling upon particular parts & parcells of people, are justly executed; yet they serve for Caveats for all others in generall, (sinne being the originall of all) to take heed of offending the Creator, in abusing the best use of the Creature.
The Citie of Rhodes hath two strong Fortresses, in one of which these Knights (Lilladamus Villiers being great Master, who were about five hundred onely, and five thousand Rhodians who asisted them) were besieged by an Armie of two hundred thousand Turkes, and three hundred Galleys, for the space of sixe months. The chiefe [V. 179.]obstacle, and impeaching of so great an Army from taking it, was onely the resolute valour of the defendants. But in end multitude overmastring valour, and the Cavalieri di Rhodo, wanting furniture to their munition, and being penurious of victuals, were constrayned to render, upon the conditionall safety of their lives, goods, and transportation; and remained a long time without any habitation, till the King of Spaine gave them the barren Ile of Malta to inhabite: This Ile of Rhodes was lost by the Maltezes, Anno Dom. 1522. Rhodes taken by Solyman.And on Christmas day Solyman entred the Towne as conquerour, though he might justly have said (as Pyrhus once said of his victory over the Romanes) that such another victory would utterly have undone him; he lost so many of his bravest Commanders, and best Souldiers. It is ever since in the fruition of Turkes: The Fortresse of Rhodes, and that Fortresse Famogusta, in Cyprus, are the two strongest holds, in all the Empire of the great Turke.
And by the way here I must record, that if the great Turke, and his great Counsell, were not good pay-masters to their Janizaries, and speedy rewarders of their common Souldiers; it were impossible for him the Emperour, or them the Bassawes to menage so great a state, and to keepe under obedience so head-strong a multitude, & such turbulent forces: for by your leave, Souldiers should be regarded & rewarded.if a Souldiers industry be not quickned and animated with bountifull rewards; he hath lesse will to performe any part of Martiall service; then a dead coarse hath power to arise out of the grave: for what can be more precious to man, then his blood, being the fountaine & nurse of his vitall spirits, & the ground of his bodily substance; which no free or ingenious nature wil hazard to lose for nothing.
[V. 180.]And whosoever shall argument or discourse upon sound reason, and infallible experience, may easily prove and perceive, that these Commanders have ever best prospered, which have most liberally maintayned, and had in singular regard, Military Arts and Souldiers; otherwise the honourable mind, would account it a great deale better to have death without life, then life without reward: yea, and the noble Commander, desiring rather to want, then to suffer worth unrecompensed.
Rhodes joyneth neare to the continent, over against Caria, now called Carmania, under which name the Turkes comprehend Pamphilia, Ionia, and Lycia: Caria by the Sea side, hath Lycia to the South, and Caria to the North: The chiefe Cities are Manissa, and Mindum, which having great gates, being but a small Towne, made Diogenes the Cynick crie out. Yee Citizens of Mindum, take heed, that your City run not out of your gates: The third is Hallicarnasso, where Dionisius was borne, who writ the History of Rome for the first three hundred yeares: Of which Towne also the Province tooke the name; for Artemisia, who ayded Xerxes against the Grecians, was by some Authors named Queene of Hallicarnasso. This was she, Mausolaos Tombe.who in honour of her husband Mausolao, built that curious Sepulcher, accounted for one of the worlds wonders; it being twenty five cubits high, and supported with thirty sixe admirable wrought pillars.
After I had contented the Master for my fraught, and victuals (who as he was an Infidell, used me with great exaction) I found a Barke of the Arches purposed to Cyprus, with the which I imbarked, being foure hundred miles distant.
This Tartareta, or Demi galleyeot, belonged to the Ile of Stagiro, aunciently Thasia, wherein there were [V. 181.]mines of gold, in these times that afforded yearely to Philip King of Macedon, about fourescore talents of gold, but now mightily impoverished and of no consequence: The chiefe Towne whereof is Palmapreto, where diverse Greekes hold the opinion, Homer was interred, having a famous Sea-port, which is a common resting place for all the Orientall Pirats or Cursaroes; which maketh the Ile halfe desolate of people; and these few scarce worthy of their dwellings.
Pamphilia & Lycia.Having past the gulfe of Sattelia, and the Ile Carpathia, whence that part of the Sea taketh his name: we boorded close along the coast of Lycia, and the firme land of fruitfull Pamphilia; the chiefe Citie of Lycia is Patras, watred with the river Zanthus, whence the people were called Zanthi, afterward Lycians of Lycus sonne to Pandion: It lieth twixt Caria and Pamphilia, as Pamphilia lyeth betweene it and Cilicia: The chiefe Towne in Pamphilia is Seleucia, built by Seleucus, one of Alexanders successours: on the East of Lycia within land bordreth Lycaonia, &c. Having left Pamphilia behind us, we fetched up the coast of Cylicia, sustaining many great dangers, both of tempestuous stormes, and invasions of damnable Pirats, who gave us divers assaults to their owne disadvantages; our saylage being swifter, then either their swallowing desires could follow, or our weake and inresolute defence could resist.
Here in this Countrey of Cilicia, was Saint Paul borne in the now decayed Towne of Tharsus, who for antiquity will not succumbe to any City of Natolia, being as yet the Mistresse of that Province, though neither for worth, nor wealth.