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.

These drew vnto him so great an increase of im|perie, such amplification of tribute and reuenue, and remoouing the impediments of so mightie enimies, and of so great reputation, that with great reason hée was to be feared of the christians. A feare which tooke his degrees of increasing by this consideration, that to so great a power and valour was ioined a settled impression of ambition to beare rule, & by manie vic|tories, to make glorious his name to all posterities: wherein reading oftentimes the legends and actions of the great Alexander, and Iulius Cesar,The Turks ambition hath no bounds o [...] circumscrip|tion. he séemed to suffer griefe and perplexitie of mind, that his ac|tions & exploits of warre could in no wise hold com|parison with so manie great triumphs and victories. In which humour, refurnishing continuallie his ar|mies, and building of new a great number of ships, and leuieng all prouisions necessarie for the warre, it was fered when his preparations were accompli|shed, that he would inuade Rhodes, the bulworke of the christians in the east parts, or else the kingdome of Hungaria, made fearefull by the valour of the in|habitants to the nation of the Turks, which at that time was in diuision amongst themselues, and made weake by the minoritie of their king, who was go|uerned by the priests and barons of the realme.