Of these beginnings bréeding one warre vpon another, after he had subdued the Aduliti, a people of the mountaines, he passed ouer into Persia against the Sophi, to whome he gaue battell and ouerthrew him, and in that felicitie of warre he tooke the citie of Tauris the souereigne seat of that estate,Selim ouer|throweth the Sophi of Persia. togither with the greatest part of Persia which he was con|streined to abandon, not through the valour of his enimies, who for their disabilitie to support their army were retired into the mounteins and places desert, but for the vniuersall dearth and barrennesse of that yeare, he fell into an extreme want of vittels: he re|turned soone after this expedition to Constantinople, where after he had doone execution vpon certeine souldiers seditious, and for certeine moneths had re|freshed his armie, he gaue out that he would eftsoons returne to make warre vpon Persia. But indeed he turned his forces against the Soldan king of So|ria and Aegypt, a prince not onelie of most ancient reuerence and dignitie for that religion; but most mightie for the amplitude of dominion, most rich in tributes,The state of the Soldan king of Soria and Aegypt. and verie glorious by the discipline of the Mammelukes, of whose armes and forces that state was possessed with great reputation thrée hundred yeares.

For that empire, being ruled of the Soldans, they not by succession but by election ascended to it, and to the supreme seat of gouernement were not preferred but men of manifest vertue, and confir|med by all the degrees of warre, in the administra|tion of prouinces and armies, and also the sinewes and strengthes of their forces stood not vpon souldi|ors mercenarie and forreine, but of men elected, who taken of children in the prouinces adioining, and trained vp by succession of yeares in hardnesse of fare, in suffering of labour and toile, and in the exer|cise of armes and all customes apperteining to the discipline and law of warre, they ascribed and inrol|led them in the order of the Mammelukes. There suc|céeded from hand to hand in this order, not the sons of the Mammelukes that were dead, but others, who being taken of children for slaues, had their rising by the same discipline, and by the same industrie and artes, by the which their predecessours had passed from hand to hand.

These not being in number aboue seuenteene or eighteene thousand,By whole e|lection the Soldans were chosen. held subiected vnder a most hea|uie yoke, all the people of Aegypt and Soria, whom they spoiled of the vse of all armes, and practise to manage horsses: yea such was their fiercenesse and valour, that oftentimes they made warre of them|selues, for that of their numbers and by their electi|on were chosen the Soldans, and in their power re|sted all authoritie to distribute the honours, offices, and profits of that most rich empire. By the opor|tunitie of which, hauing subdued manie nations ad|ioining, and reduced to obedience the Arabians, and mainteined manie warres with the Turkes, they were manie times victorious, but verie seldome or neuer vanquished of others. Against these people did Selim conuert his forces, whome he ouerthrew in manie battels fought in plaine field, wherein was slaine the Soldan,The Turks slaieth the [...] Soldans and subdueth all Soria and Aegypt. and afterwards in an other bat|tell was taken prisoner the other Soldan his succes|sor, whome he caused to be publikelie murthered with an vnworthie kind of torment. Thus hauing sa|tisfied his bloudie humour with such great slaugh|ters, and also wasted the name of the Mammelukes, he procéeded to the inuasion of Cairo a most popu|lous citie, wherein w [...]re resident the Soldans, and in short time subdued vnder his iurisdiction all So|ria and Aegypt.