Refervation of their Dignity. And for thofe two which did perfonate the Tritons, they were Gentlemen knowne of good Worth and Refpect. The introducing of Pages with Torches, might have added more Splendor, but yet they would have peftred the Roome, which the Seafon would not well permit.

And thus have I delivered the whole Forme of this Shew, and expose it to the Cenfure of those who make it their best Show, to feeme to know: with this Postscript.

Pretulerim fcriptor delirus inerfque videri

Dum mea delectant mala me, vel denique fallant,
Quam fapere & ringi.

S. D.

True Copies of the infolent, cruell, barbarous, and blafphemous Letter, lately written by the Great TURKE, for Denouncing of Warre against the King of POLAND. And of the Magnanimous, and most Christian Answere made by the faid KING thereunto.

With a fhort Preface, declaring the unjuft Cause on which this Turkish Tyrant, and faithleffe Enemy of Chriftendome, now layeth hold to invade it.

Published in Print by Authoritie, the 11. of June. 1621.

The PREFACE.

'BOUT the Yeere, 1608. Jeremy, Prince of Moldavia dying, left 3.

A Bones, toen Heerine, Alexander, and Bougdan, the evde y subich be

ing but 8 Yeeres old, the Government, during his Minority, was by the deceafed Father committed to his Uncle Simeon, who dying within three or four Veeres after, Conftantine the eldest Sonne, according to his Right, and Supported by the Councell of his Mother, undertooke the Government. At which Time there lived at Conftantinople, one Tomiho or Stephen, who fally pretending to bee Sonne unto Aron, who had been Prince of Moldavia before Jee remy, bad by Money and other finifter Practices, framed to his Ends, Mehemet Basha, Lieutenant to the Grand Vifier (which is the bigbeft Officer under the Turk) and by falfly fuggefting that Conftantine refused to pay the yeerely Tribute of forty thousand Chequines to the great Turke, obtained from him an Army of 20000 Men, under the Conduct of a Turkish Generall, to expell Prince Conftantine, and establish himselfe in the Government. And notwithstanding

Conftantine

Conftantine endevored to give all due Satisfaction to this Turkish Generall, and made evident the Fraud and Falfhood of Tomfho, yet hee being also corrupted by Tomtho's Bribes and great Promifes, would admit no Reafon. Whereupon Prince Conftantine making Head to defend himselfe and Country, was in a Battaile overcome, taken Prisoner, and after, seeking to escape, drowned in the River Nieftre. Tomiho, after this Victory, being thrust into the Government, and indevoring to keepe by Tyranny, what he had gotten by Injustice and Ufur pation, the Nobility attempted by Armes to free themselves and their Country from his unfpeakable Cruelties, but with Succeffe unworthy their Vertue; for, by an Overthrow, both his Malice, and the Countries Mifery increased. In which Difafter, the greatest Part of them fly into Poland, the Refuge of the unfortunate Princeffe with her remaining Children, and the Tribunall from which their Country was in Justice to expect a Governour: the Polonians having by ancient Articles, and Capitulations betweene the Turke and them, to the End their Kingdome might not be prejudiced by that neighbour Province, which though Chriftian, was yet tributary to the Turk, referved to themselves the Right and Interest to name a Vaivod, or Prince over that Country. And to this Purpose the King of Poland Jent an Embajador to Conftantinople, whom the Great Turke, contrary to the Law of Nations, Turkifbly answered, by detaining him Prifoner, and ever fince bath threatened that most Noble, and Chriftian Kingdome, with utter Subverfion, having (as it is probably conceived) to that Ende drawne all bis Forces out of Afia, and made a greater Levy in Europe, then hath beene knowne in that Empire, confifting (by Report) of foure hundred thousand Men; an Armie fufficient to fatisfie the most covetous, or religious Chriftian Souldier with Riches, or Glory.

The Great TURKES Letter.

Sultan Achmat

MR

COST puiffant, and higheft Emperour of the Turkes, King above all Kings that dwell upon the Earth, a King that dwelleth on the earthly Paradife, an anointed Prince, and Sonne of Mahomet, Prior of the earthly Paradife, and Keeper of the Grave of thy God, Lord of the Tree of Life, and of the River Flisky, Conquerour of the Macedonians, the Seede of Great Alexander, Prince of the Kingdomes of Tartary, Mefopotamia, Media, and of the Martial Georgians, Anatolia, Bythinia, Afia, Armenia, Servia, Thracia, Morea, Valachia, Moldavia, and of all warlike Hungary, Soveraigne Lord and Commander of all Greece, Perfia, both the Arabia's, the moft Noble Kingdome of Egypt, Tremifen, and African Empire, of Trabezond, and the moft glorious Conftantinople, Lord of all the White and Blacke Sea, and of the holy Cities Mecha, and Medina, fhining with divine Glory, Commander of all Things that are to bee commanded, and the strongest and mightiest Champion of the wide World, a Warriour appointed by Heaven in the Edge of the Sword, a great Perfecuter of his Enemies, and of all their evill Vices,

a most

a moft perfect Jewell of the bleffed Tree, the chiefeft Keeper of the Crucified God, a Prince and Lord in whom the Mahometans truft, and a great Perfecuter of all Chriftians; To Sigifmund King of Poland, if thou doest defire Our Welfare, and art Friend to us and Our Officer Lieutenant Generall of all our Forces which we will fend, Our Greeting. But thou hast long fince broken Our Friendship, and yet art neither ready nor fit to wage Warre, or fight Battell against us. But thou haft fome fecret Advice and Intelligence with other confederate petty Kings, and their Counsellors, to deliver thee out of Our Hands, and our Vicegerents Power, wherein thou haft done unadvisedly, and indifcreetly. If therfore thou thus perfevere to oppose thy felfe against us, then feare, for thy Death, and the Death of all thy People is determined. Wee tell thee, Wee will overcome thee, from the Rifing of the Sun, to the Going downe thereof, and Wee will fhew Our Majefty in our own Perfon and Sight, unto the uttermoft Parts of the Earth; Our very Thoughts fhall be a Terrour unto thee, fhewing that Wee will performe all that which Wee have herein denounced. And Wee will make knowne unto thee the Powerfulneffe of our Dominions. And thou, O King, which puttest thy Trust in ftrong Forts and Caftles, fhalt have Experience of Our refiftleffe Might. I will roote thee out altogether, and thou fhalt behold this with thine owne Eyes. Wherefore expect now no more Friendship at my Hands; put not thy Hope in the Strength of thy Walles, with thy owne Forces and People. I will ruinate thee without any Refiftance, I will destroy thy Cracovia, in Signe of Triumph, I will leave there my bloudy Sword, that every one shall take Notice thereof, and my Beliefe fhall bee fpread throughout all thy Dominions, and I will utterly roote out the very Remembrance of thy Crucified God. Let thy God bee angry, I care not; He may then helpe thee. Thy anointed (the Priests) I will furely put to the Plague; Wolves and wilde Beasts fhall fucke the Brefts of thy Women; thou fhalt leave and forfake thy Religion which thou now haft; that which remaineth of all Things, fhall bee confumed with Fire. Herewith reft thou fatisfied; I do not tell thee now what I will doe, or meane to doe with thee; understand if thou wilt, or canst.

S

Given at Our most High Port of Conftantinople most ftrongly guarded, &c.

The King of POLAND his Anfwere.

IGISMUND the Third, by the Grace of God King of Poland, Great Duke of Lithuania, Russia, Prussia, Mafovia, Samogitia, Livonia, &c. and Hereditarie King of the Suecians, Gothes, and Vandales, one of the moft humble Servants of the True GoD, and of his Sonne JESUS CHRIST Crucified, to Achmat chiefe Prince of Turkes, and Infidels, Soules Health. We have received thy Letter, full fraught with Threats, and fwolne with

Impieties

Impieties against the Majeftie of the most High Go D, whereunto Wee had not vouchfafed Anfwere, but that Wee were perfwaded, our Silence would have been a Meanes of caufing thee to flatter thy felfe fo much the more, elfe had Wee neglected thee like an Arch-enemy of GoD, as thou art. We have therefore thought fit in fome fort to regard the Salvation of thy Soule, giving thee to know, that thou art no other then a meere Man, in thy Perfon more weake then many of thy Followers; which fhould cause thee to remember, that if it had not pleased GoD to ingrave in the Front of such as rule, a kinde of awfull Majestie, whereby their Subjects are kept in Obedience; the good by Reward, the evil and perverfe by rigorous Lawes, and both the one and the other by Authoritie; it were impoffible they should continue eminent above others. Thou then, who in thy felfe art but as other Men, muft know, that there is a Supreme Power of more Might then thine, which doth uphold thy Eftate, caufing thee to bee refpected by thy Followers. This Power proceeds from GoD moft Good, moft Just, most Mighty, who preferveth it fo long as Princes humble themfelves before him; but if they fuffer themfelves to bee tranfported with Prefumption and Pride, he easily abateth, and corrects their Fury. I will offer no other Example to thy Confideration, then that of Bajazet the First, one of thy Predeceffors, who thinking to fcale Heaven with his Armie (which in the Judgement of Man was unrefiftable, but in GODS Sight moft contemptible) lived to fee himselfe vanquished, taken, and imprifoned, coopt up in an Iron Cage, (wherein hee was in Triumph drawne after the victorious Conquerour, ferving him for no better then a Footftoole) and having no other Food, then fuch as was caft him (like a Dogge) from his Table.

Thinke then with thy felfe, that hee that was fo great, fo puiffant, and fo terrible, may haply by right of Succeffion have left unto thee (as beeing defcended from him) the like, or worfe Fortune, if thou shalt dare to continue thy Blafphemies against Go D, and his beloved Sonne JESUS CHRIST Crucified. Thou doeft mistake in thinking to lay an Afperfion upon us, by reproaching unto us the Croffe. For Wee account it Our chiefest Honour, and Glory; by Vertue whereof, as the Emperour Conftantine quelled his Enemies, Wee hope, and affure our felves to bee defended against thy Fury. Thy proud, and thundering Words difmay us not, Our Courage is more Masculine and Generous, then fo to be out-braved. For know, that wee regard not thy Threats, but with juft Scorne tread upon thy Pride, and laugh at thy idle Terrours, and in ftead of thanking thee for advertising us before thy Comming, Wee bid thee come when thou wilt, thou fhalt be received contrary to thy Expectation. Wee have fteepe Mountaines, and impregnable Rockes that fhall barre thee from entering into our Lands. Thou shalt finde our Cities, and Caftles well furnished with Munition, our Canons Mouthes breathing furious Fires, our Courages invincible, our Blades eager and sharpe, our Bodies, as our Mindes, prepared to fuitaine the Violence of all Seafons, our Hearts promifing nothing but Victory. And to dazell thine Eyes, the glorious Standard of the bleffed Croffe fhall goe before us; but above all,

the

the Crucified Son of the moft High GOD fhall caufe his Angels to conduct us, and give us the Victory; He it is fhall bee our Leader, under whofe Protection wee will not feare to brave thee at thy Gates. Thy miscreant Troupes fhall be troden under Foote, and their Bellies trampled on, and by a happy Victory (if thou chance to efcape our conquering Arme) thou fhalt finde thy felfe purfued unto the moft fecret Dens of thy abominable Seralio; thou fhalt fee thy Mofques laid levell with the Ground, thy Muphty, and other the execrable Priefts of thy perfidious Mahomet made Gally-flaves; all those traiterous Run-a-gates whom thou doeft harbor, fhalt thou fee put to exquifite Torments; of all which be moft affured. And then shall bee fet free all those poore and miferable Chriftians, who now lie groning under the Burthen of thy tyrannous Yoake, whofe wofull Cryes being mounted to Heaven, have justly excited the Vengeance of God upon thee, who hath permitted thee to rife to this Height of Pride, that thy Ruine and Destruction may bee the more exemplar unto after-ages. To conclude, thou fhalt fee the Service of God re-established in Greece and Afia, which thou doeft now unjustly ufurpe: But if it happen thee to end thy miferable Life in Battell, (which we hope God will grant) be confident, that all the forefaid Vengeance shall enfue upon thy Death; and whiles thy wretched Soule lies broiling in the quenchleffe Flames of Hell, wee will lift up our cheerefull Voices, and, for the Victory obtained over thee and thine, fing Praises unto our God: to whom be all Glory for ever.

Know then, O Infidell, that wee feare thee not at all, and if thou beest not wilfully bent to runne Headlong unto thy owne Deftruction, be advised; content, and containe thy felfe within thofe Bounds thou doeft at this prefent ufurpe, and if thou haft any Beliefe at al that thy thrice reverenced Prophet Mahomet could tell a Truth, or foretell future Events, then call to Minde, that of thofe thousand Yeeres which hee prefcribed for the continuing of thy Sect, there remaine not above fixe or feven Yeeres. This then is the Time that the yet unfheathed Sword of the Chriftians affords for thy Amendment, that thou mightest come to the Knowledge of the alone true GOD, to worship him in his Sonne JESUS CHRIST, whereunto we once more exhort thee, omitting all other Salutation, and Commendation.

Given at our Castle of Pofnwich, &c.

SIGISMUND.

A

VOL. I.

Gg