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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 112

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10(î EXCERPTA CYPRIA. Wherefore worthily outdoing themselves ami the opinion whieh was held of their force*; they repuls'd the Turks that day every where, and slew very many of them. Whereat Mustafa being much ineens'd and beginning almost to despair of getting the City, as he thought he might easily have done, he ceased not continually to solicite the sonldiers, that they would once more be brought to give another assault; sometimes reproaching them of cowardiso, sometimes promising largely to reward their valour. " And what is it, said he, " that can infuse coin-age into you, if that now that yon do so far exceed the enemy, both for " number aud military discipline, who are but a few, aud those fresh sonldiers, and un-experienced in arms, you cannot so much as abide their looks, whom yon have suffered to " baffle you so ignominiously, being Strücken rather with a panick fear, then with any danger? "If the hopes of prey provided for you, by the plunder of so opulent a City, if the desire of " glory, in having by your valour won so noble a kingdom to the OTTAMAX Empire, be not "able to excite in you that fortitude and generosity which is alwaies wont to accompany those "who tight under the prosperous ensigns of the OTT AM AX Empire; yon must never think "hereafter of any military action : for no commander will dare to confide the honour of the "Grand, and alwaies invincible Signor, under his guidance, that grand Signor, whose "perpetual! felicity, ordain'd to him by heaven, you seem not to know, by believing that any "nation is able long to resist his forces. Be sure, unloose you will resist your selves, the "enemy must soon yield unto your Prowess, and to your Prince's fortune, who having a just " regard to gallant actions, doth largely impart rewards unto his sonldiers, so as there is no "degree of honour, to which each of yon may not by his own worth be brought; to whom "alone all the wealth and honour of the ΟτΊΆΜΛΝ Empire is reserved; which are disposed "of in other dominions more according to favour, oft-times purchast without any merit, or " according to the vain name of nobility, than by true and peculiar worth : whereas there is " not any one of you, who may not hope for the highest honours of the militia, to which the " way lies open, and whereunto you are particularly by this occasion invited." Which words the Bashaw being willing to confirm by more expresse promises, he made it to be proclaimed throughout the whole army, that the first three who should mount the walls of the City, should be made Sanjaqs; and in ease any Bashaw should dye, he who should first enter the City should succeed to that dignitie. The sonldiers being thus encouraged, order was given for an assault the next morning, wherein the Turks, before sunrising, approached quietly to those very bui works which they had before attempted, hoping the more unexpectedly they should fall upon the enemy, the more easily they shonld get the victory; and so it fell out. For finding those who were upon the guard of the bid work Costanzo, fast asleep, they overcame the gi-eatest difficulties without any dispute, and getting upon the parapets, did not afford them time to defend themselves; nay being amazed between sleep and fear, they could not get, time enough, into their inward works. The opinion of the coming of the expected succour had wrought so much with our men, as they thought the noise whieh was made the preceding night by the Turks, standing to their arms, was an assured token of the raising of the siege ; so as in that respect, and because they were almost quite spent with watching and labour, they had the more securely betaken themselves to their rest. The Turks entring promiscuously in this confusion with our men into the inner-most works, it caused such noise and terrour, as many began to run away. Count Rocas was lodged a little way distant from the bid work, who learning what had happened, more by the noise and tumult, than by any certain information, pnt on his arms wherein he spent some time; and coming to the place of conflict, found all things in such disorder, as, though he kept his own men from running, yet could he not bring safety to what was already almost in dispair, for

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