Compare 1577 edition: 1 This yeare was the citie and the whole Ile of the Rhodes conquered by the Turke, and all the christi|ans displaced: whereof Guicciardin hath discour|sed as followeth. Abr. Fl. ex Guic. pag i. [...] Rhodes tak [...] by Soliman Ottoman. ¶ The end of this yeare (saith he) was made no lesse wretched and vnhappie, than slan|derous to all christian princes for the losse of the Ile of Rhodes: which Soliman Ottoman tooke by vio|lence, notwithstanding it was defended by the knights of Rhodes, called in other times more anci|ent the knights of saint Iohn of Ierusalem. And abiding in that place since they were chased out of Ierusalem, notwithstanding they laie betweene two so mightie princes as the Turke & the Soloan; yet their valour had preserued it of long time, and to the right woorthie glorie of the [...] [...]der, they had remai|ned as an assured rampie [...] christian religion in those seas: & yet they were not without their impu|tations & notes of infamie, for that hauing a continu|all custome for the better defending of [...] shoares, to spoile the vessels of the infidels, the [...] [...]ere thought sometimes to make pillage of christia [...] ships.

The Turke sent into the Iland a woonderfull great armie, which remaining there manie moneths with no lesse horrour to good men for their cruelties, than terrour to all men for their huge numbers, at last he came thither in person. And drawing to his de|sire of conquest and glorie, the respect of profit and riches which the victorie would yéeld, he lost not one minute of time to vex them.The Turke [...] great indu|strie equiua|lent to his valour. Wherein his industrie was nothing inferiour to his valour, for sometimes he cast monstrous mines and trenches, sometimes he raised platformes of earth and wood, whose height ouertopped the wals of the towne, and sometimes he afflicted them with most furious and bloudie assaults insomuch that as these works and engines were not performed without a woonderfull butcherie & slaugh|ter of his souldiors; so also the defense of them was so dangerous to the liues of them within, that manie numbers were diminished, manie bodies maimed and made vnseruiceable, & the residue sore terrified by the calamitie of their companions and fréends, to whome they could giue no other propertie of com|passion, than to mourne with them in their common miserie.

Their aduersitie was so much the more intollera|ble, by how much their trauels were without fruit, their words without comfort, and their valour dis|fauoured of fortune, & lastlie their store of gunpow|der was consumed, which is not the least necessitie for the defense of a place. They saw before their eies huge breaches made into their walles with the ar|tilleries of their enimies,The [...] calamities & ruines infor|ced by this warre. they discerned seuerall mines wrought into manie parts of the towne, and they found by lamentable experience, that the lesse good they did, the more painfullie they laboured, for that their fortune had reduced them to these termes of extremitie, that in abandoning one place to re|lieue another, they put both in danger, not hauing numbers sufficient to furnish the seruice, and lesse EEBO page image 877 expectation of rescue amid perils so raging and des|perate: so that, what for that their necessities were greater than their hopes, & their defense lesse able by the continuall diminution of their numbers, & last|lie holding it no breach of honour to preserue by wis|dome and composition, that they could no longer de|fend by their valour and prowes, they gaue place to their destinie, and capitulated with the Turke as followeth. That the great maister of their order should leaue the towne to him: that as well he as all his knights should depart in safetie, with libertie to earie with them as much of their goods as they could. And for assurance of this capitulation, the Turke should withdraw out of those seas, his fléet or nauie, and retire his armie by land fiue miles from Rhodes. By vertue of which capitulation Rhodes remained to the Turkes, and the christians passed into Sicilie, and so into Italie, [...] ren|dered by to [...] Turke. kéeping their faith and profession vnuiolated. They found in Sicilie an armie by sea compounded of a certeine number of vessels, with great releafe of vittels and munitions, and readie to hoise saile at the next wind to reuittle Rhodes. The slownesse of this reseue was laid to the popes fault.