moche. Noo, yf that, that indyfferentely is wrytten of vs, maye please indyfferente reders, our desyre is accomplysshed. Then false and mystakyng of thynges, by men parcyall, shall moue vs nothynge, or elles very lytel. Yf we haue sayd aughte agaynste the deceytes of the bysshop of Rome, that maye seme spoken to sharpely, we praye you, impute it to the hatredde we bare vnto vyces, and not to any euylle wyll that we bare hym. Noo, that he, and all his, maye perceyue, that we are rather at stryfe with his vyces, than with hym and his oure prayer is, bothe that it maye please God at the laste to open theyr eyes, to make softe theyr harde hartes, and that they ones maye with vs, theyr owne glorye set aparte, study to set forthe the euerlastynge glorie of the cuerlastynge God.

Thus, myghtye Emperoure, fare ye mooste hartely well, and ye Christen princes, the pylors and stay of Christendome, fare ye hartely well: Also all ye, what people so euer ye are, whiche doo desyre, that the gospel and glory of Christ maye florysshe, fare ye hartely well. Gyuen at London oute of oure palace at Westmynster,

the eyghte of Apryll, the nyne and twentye yere of

our reygne.

A LAMENTABLE AND PITEOUS

TREATISE*.

Verye necessarye for exerie Christen Manne to reade, wherin is contayned, not onely the high Entreprise and Valeuuntnes of

THEMPEROUR CHARLES THE V. AND HIS ARMY,

(In his Voyage made to the Towne of Argier in Affrique, agaynst the Turekes, the Enemyes of the Christen Fayth, Thinhabitoures of the same)

BUT ALSO THE

MYSERABLE CHAUNCES OF WYNDE AND WETHER,

WITH DYUERSE OTHER ADUERSITES,

Hable to moue euen a stonye Hearte to bewayle the same, and to pray to God for his Ayde and Succoure.

Which was written and sent vnto the Lorde of Langest. Truly and dylygently translated out of Latyn into Frenche, and out of Frenche into English. 1542. Ricardus Grafton excudebat, cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum solum. Octavo, containing twenty-seven Pages.

To the ryght hygh and myghtye Lorde, Syr Wyllyam of Bellay, Vyceroy of Pyment, and Knyght of the Ordre of the Mooste Christen Kynge. Syr Nycolas Uyllagon, Gretynge.

I haue geuen you to wytte (ryght honorable Lorde) by my laste letters, that, in makyng hast towarde you, I was retarded and constrayned to tarye at Rome, because of the renewyng and grefe of the woundes, that I was hurt of; the

• This is the 71st number in the Catalogue of Pamphlets in the Harleian Library.

which, by the dyffyculte and length of the way, recreased and waxed worsse dayly. For the truthe is, that the daylye procedynge of my sorenesse hath holly taken from me hope to depart from hens, and from my departyng bath hyndred me much more then I wold. Howbeit, beyng contynually incyted by great desyre to se you agayne, and seyng the let of my departyng out of this towne, as yet varedy, I baue aduysed me to put in wryting the ordre and estate of my voyage, and send it to you, because that, in suche wyse, ye should the sooner knowe it; which I my selfe wold sooner haue done, yf my dysease would haue suffred it. And, by the same meanes, the delay of my commyng towarde you to be excused. Your good frende Franceys Guyche, a worthy man and lyberall, by greate amyte hath receyued me into his house, and kyndly entreated me. And hath doone so muche by his great dylygence, that, by the helpe of medycyns, I hope ryght soone to come into the way of amendement, wherby I am greatly beholden to hym. It hath been he, that, whan I would haue enforced me to haue gone on my waye, hath letted me tyll I were somewhat more at ease, and stronger to endure the trauayle of the waye, and the disposyciou of wynter; which yf he had not done, I was in daunger to have fallen in another greuous malady, for with the payne and smert of my woundes, all my body was swollen, so that almoste I was fallen into an hydropsy. Howbeit, as nowe I purpose, as sone as my dysease is paste, to put me in waye with all dylygence to se you ryght soone. At Thuryn.

And fare ye well.

S, in the sommer paste, my pryuate, necessary, and domestiqual busynes moued me to retourne into Fraunce, I was aduertised by my frendes of Themperours iorney into Italy, and of the purposed passage of his army into Affrique: Who, knowynge the councell and purpose of Themperour, dyd moue and persuade me to thire good and honeste entreprise. Then I, vnderstandyng well my fayth and duetye accordyng to my profession, knewe that I was bound, with all my powre, to employe my selfe to fight against thenemys of the faith; and lykewyse fearynge greately, that my body, longe accustomed with the peynes of warre, shuld by the meanes of muche ease become to tendre for lacke of vse and exercise, if I shuld haue taryed longe lyngerynge with my frendes; wherfore, I purposed with my selfe, to deferre and set asyde my former busynes tyll another tyme, rather then to leaue suche a present and oportune occasyon of honour in so necessary a matter. Nowe then, the mynd and purpose of Themperour (as I perceaued by my frendes letters) was thus, as folocth.

Themperour beyng in Allmeigney, to thentent to appease and set a staye in the controuersyes and dyssencyons, whiche are amonge the Allmeignes in matters of religion, dyd there fynde Ferdinand his brother, and the sonne of the same Ihon, which last of all obteyned the realme of Hungarye, and had knowledge that they wer inflamed with great and pernycious dyscordes, and in mynde to fyght together violentlye for the right of the saide realme. The whiche sonne of Ihon, for the feare that he had of the powre of Ferdinand, called and sought ayde of the Turckes; whiche when Ferdinand sawe commyng, in preuentynge theim, with all his powre, beseged the towne of Buda, enforcynge him selfe moost dylygently to haue taken the saide towne before the Turckes cam. The which, when Themperour knew, and consyderynge howe necessary it was to stoppe the Turckes from entryng within our lymites and boundes, dyd dyspatche a porcion of his armye to go and ayde his brother, to

thentent that the soner and the easyer he myght attayne to thend of his entreprise, and to take the saide towne of Buda; notwithstandyng he beeynge allwayes troubled with the feare of their purposed commynge, aswell of the strength of the place, as also of the dylygence of the enemyes which resisted and withstode him, was constreigned to tarye the commynge of the saide Turckes. And therfore Themperour, leauynge his former entrepryse of the controuersyes of the faithe, thought yt muche better to set a staye and ordre in this aforesaide warre. And for that he knewe wel, that it was a verey daungerous and icoperdous thinge, so sone and vnaduysedly to goo against the might and force of the Turckes beinge so freshly arryued, inlesse they had been, in some parte, weryed by longe soiournynge and taryenge after theyr commyng: Wherfore he was mynded to set forwarde his hoost into another place, more farther back from the partes of Christendome, and therfore, leauynge with his brother Ferdinand, for his ayde and helpe, the hoost before sent, supposyng theim ynough, because the tyme was not conuenient for warre, seinge that wyntre was at hande; and the saide Ferdinand receauyng the whole charge and guydynge of the said hoost to the parties aforesaide, Themperour, with great trauayle and dylygence retorned to Italye, at which place beinge arryued, he caused with al spede newe menne of warre to be taken vp, and in a lytle tyme had readye a perfite hoost of men; and lykewyse ther was made aswell at Gene, as also at Naples, diuerse shippes and galyes imediatlye, to conducte and brynge the saide armye into Affrique. For it was now more necessarye for hym to assayle Affrique, then enye other contrey of Turcky, for feare that, if he had made his armye into Turcky, he had leaft his enemyes in Affrique without warre, whiche shuld haue turned to the great feare of the Spanyardes, whom he purposely kept, to be ayded by theim, bothe of money and menne, at his inuadynge of Turcky

In the meane ceason, that all thynges were makynge readye, and that the gallyes were furnysshed with vytayles and artillarye, receauyng the menne of warre, Themperour had communicacion with the B. of Rome, in the towne of Luke, to thentent to aduertise him of his entreprise, counsell and purpose of the saide warre. The B. of Rome, because Affrique hathe fewe good hauens to lande in, aduysed him not to take the sea, neither to abyde thereon, and toke muche pein to persuade Themperour from hys purpose. Howbeyt, that the reason of the sayde bisshop was alwayes very good, yet notwythstandyng, for other greater consideracions, Themperour dyd remayn in his fyrst purpose; for he knewe how great a nombre of people wer oppressed in Hongrie, and how nedeful it was, that the warre in that place shuld not be long continued ; and therfore chaunged his purpose, to arryue in another place, to thentent, that our enemyes shuld be compelled to kepe warre, wythin theyr owne countre; he sawe well that it was a woorke that requyred greate dylygence, and so much the rather, because he had conceaued wyth him selfe, that the Turckyshe warre requyred a greater prouision. In such sorte, that, before the sommer next foloynge, he coulde not prepare so great an army; wherfore in the meane tyme, he thought it more conuenient to make warre in Affrique, to thentent to deliuer the Spaniardes from the feare of the Affricans, and that afterwarde he myghtc the more

easely preserue the sayd Spaniardes for his Turckyshe warres: For the Spaniardes are accustomed, when Themperour doth aske eny moneye of theim, to excuse theim sclues by the neyghboured of the saide Affricanes their enemyes. So that, by this meanes, and suche lyke reasons, the B. of Rome was persuaded, and allowed the wyl and mynde of Themperour, and, praysynge his wisdome, did departe.

All these thinges then beyng readye, as is aforesayde, Themperour commaunded that the gallyes, whiche were laden with vytayles and instrumentes of warre, shulde departe from Naples and Gene, and go to the ysles of Baleares, the whiche nowe is called the Ysle of Maiorque and Minorque, and that there they shulde tary; and he him selfe within short tyme after departed from the hauen of Ueneri, beynge accompaignyed with xxxvi. great shippes, takynge his course to the Ysle of Corphou; and after he had sayled a lytle while, without any trouble, there dyd sodaynlye aryse a meruclous greate tempeste, whiche deuyded the whole nauye, in suche wise, that with great pein and strength of owers, the barque, that Themperour was in, with vii. other shippes onlye, myght skace recouer the land of the sayd Ysle of Corphou; so that all the other were dryued by the great violence and vehemency of the tempeste vnto dyuerse places ferre asonder, in suche wise, that they arryued not with the other vii. shippes, before two dayes were expired, duryng whiche tyme Themperour was constreigned to remayne at the foresayde hauen to abide the sayde shippes, And, after the arryuynge of the sayde shippes, he passed with all his nauye vntyl he came to a towne of Boniface, the which towne is so situate vpon a rocke, that iii. quarters therof no man maye come nygh, hauynge but onelye one place to entre at, which is thorough the caue and holowe parte of the foote of a mountayne standyng in the stead of a dytche, for the same towne, so that the sayde towne is not praysed for eny other thynge, but for the hauen beyng so verye nere vnto it; in the whiche towne, after Themperour had a lytle tyme rested him selfe, and seyng the wether well dysposed, he departed from thence, with all his armye, and without any trouble he arryued in the Ysle of Sardague nere to the see of Affrique, and in the same place he refresshed hym selfe in the towne of Lahorgera; in whiche place, the same daye that they arryued, there chaunced a woondrefull, straunge, and meruclous thynge, for, in the nyght folowyng, ther was a kowe that calfed a calfe with two heades, the which was brought to Themperour to behold. Two days after, Themperour parted from that place, and, for the space of two dayes folowyng, had a meiuclous good wynde, and approched nere the Baleare of Minorque, into the whiche, thynkynge to entre, they were dryuen backe with a wondrefull, sodayne, and sore tempest, so sharpely, that skase, with verye greate pein, was it possible for them euer to haue recouered the hauen; which neuerthelesse came to passe, and that throughe force and strengthe of oers in spight of bothe wynde and wether; and the tempest was so great, that for the space of vii. dayes contynuallye, dooyng our vttermoost, we had not ben hable to haue made iiii. legges, So that for the contynuance of the great storme and wynde we were dryuen to abyde at ancres, without the hauen, the reste of the nyghte, and the morowe after; seinge the porte of Mahon to be harde by vs, we arriued into the

same, not without greate and excedynge peine and labour. This hauen (of al that I haue seen) is the fayrest and best, were it not that it is very harde entreinge into the same, whiche commeth of the nature of the place; for al the border of this ysle is compassed about, with veraye high mountaignes and hilles; and the place, by which they enter into the same porte, is so streyght and narrowe, that it is vereye ieoperdious and daungerous to auenture to entre into the same, without a smal and softe wynde; but to the rest, it is veray propre and handsome to herbour and kepe safe a great nombre of shyppes, aswell for the length, whiche is ii. legges, as also for the corners, wholes, and turnyng places, whiche let that no tempeste of the see maye once vexe, greue, or trouble enye ship that is therin. And harde by are manye mountaignes, couered with forestes and great woodes, whiche is a necessarye thinge, and profitable for theim, that shall arryue there. And, at the ende of the saide hauen, is situate and buylded a veraye fayre towne, vppon the toppe of the mountaignes; the whiche, if yt were buylded and furnysshed with menne, as it is stronge by nature of the place, it shulde be more hard for the barbarousse to wynne and take, then to assayle it, as he hathe done.

Nowe then Themperour rested in this place the space of two dayes, so longe as the storme and rage of the tempest of the sea continued, the whiche as sone as it was alayed, we departed thence, and we bordred upon Maiorque; and, when Themperour was come, he founde ther arryued Ferrande Gonzaga, viceroy of Naples, and an hundred and fyftie shyppes of the Italyans, and with theim beynge accompanyed with seuen galleyes stronge and well trymmed: which, with them that Themperour brought, made the nombre of fyftye galleyes, ouer and aboue all the nombre of the forsayde shyppes; and yet Themperour loked for fyftene great shyppes to be sent hym out of Spayne, with a great nombre of other shyppes, all laden, which then were arryued ypon the border of Affrique, and shortly after was shewed ynto Themperour; who, hearynge the sayde newes, commaunded euery man to go aborde, and to hoyse up the sayles, and to take theyr course vntȧ Affrique; and so we lefte behynde us the ysle of Maiorque, the whiche to descrybe vnto you, the nature and kynde therof is farre otherwysé then of Minorque; for the sce costes of the same be flat and lowe, without any fruytfull mountaignes, or haboundynge with any good thyng; but the myddle therof is hyllye and stony grounde, vnfruytefull and baren, and that, because it lyeth more nere to the south, then doth Spayne, by reason wherof the wyntre is more temperate, without any sharpe colde, beyng plentyfull of all suche fruyte, as customably doth growe in Affrique. The inhabitauntes therof dooe vse the lawes, customes, and language of the Traconytes, greatly resemblynge them in all thynges. They use, in the makynge of theyr morter to buylde with all, to put softe earthe, grauel, small stones, and sande, which is the substance and princypall thynge, wherwith the walles of theyr chefe towne is buylded.

Nowe to retourne to Themperour: when all the gallyes and shyppes were departed from the foresayde ysle of Maiorque in good ordre, he toke hys waye vnto Affrique, towarde the towne of Argiere, and