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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 149 View PDF version of this page great towers, or at least die ammunition, and with all possible speed to send a enrtload of powder to the Caraffa bion. It was for the general good, and though I was stained with my own blood, and tha' onr Christian brethren, I went with dne haste. On the rond near the houses uf GianuchMuscomo we saw twenty-five janissaries, and the Viee-Captain of the gunnel's and 1 ca* to some Italians and Greeks who would not come with us. The enemy crowded in, ani noli blood was spilt in that quarter. The powder was sent, but did not come in time. G) Filippo da Milano went on horseback (for he was gouty) to the Podochato'ro bastion raconrage the soldiers: he was struck by a innsket ball and killed. Fighting still contini1™ this bastion, and the others were still defended. All our brave fellows died. Onr i? lot horse, if it had been ready at the moment, might certainly have charged and brokeiF enemy, but from the first they were dismounted and set on guard duty in the bastion>"y 'his one can understand how sensible was the advice of Sosomenino and others, who w"d to keep these Stradiots, and the five hundred horsemen of the pensioners and fei*ories, who were not trained 8s infantry, mounted and rendj-, so that when the enemy f 1 'heir way in, this cavalry should drive them out. They might have been drawn up iir? road between the city wall and the houses, for this was wide enough perhaps for twei^roopers abreast. But Colouel Palazzo did not approve of this, and it vvcw, rione.
No other hçlp ebne, we conld do nothing more, and to onr sorrow the Turks were able to force their way in. On one side they rushed wildly into the city, on another they went to attack the men who were defending the Constunzo bastion, which they entered from the to\tn : our soldiers were snrronnded and cnt in pieces. Many of the citizens defended them-selves bravely: many of the Ceritide, and most of the other villager*, seeing tho multitude of the enemy and the number of the dead, in cowardly wise ran away: no prayers of ours, no orders froni their commanders had power to make thein stop and face the foe. What seemed so strange to me was that numbers of these rascals climbed down through the em-brasures to get out of the city, and in their haste to escape fell into the snare. There was fighting in the streets and the sqnares, bnt with no kind of order. A stout defence was made in the quarter of SS. Peter and Paul, in front of the Cathedral Church of the Greeks, and in the two narrow streets near the Greek bishop's house; and here were killed very many Greek monks and priests, and also, it is said, two bishops. We went to find Signor Tutio Constanzo to act as our leader and guide, and being now assembled in some number we moved towards the square : here we met a crowd of villagers running away, who disheartened our escort. The Reverend Provincial of the Carmini and 1 took a great cross and exhorted them as earnestly as possible, now addressing the infantry, now* the horsemen. Bnt though we spent two whole hours in haranguing them, and putting before them all the troubles which followed, we did little good ; and this for two reasons, one because the Pasha, seeing the tremendous slaughter, bid them surrender and thus save their lives : many fools among us belie\-ed him, and threw down their arms, stripping themselves even of what they wanted for their defence. The second, because some fiend or other put it into the hearts of the Italians and Greeks to burst open the Bemba gate, and fly towards the mountains and Cerines. As soon as it was open many rushed out, but many were killed by the Turkish cavalry, others were made prisoners, and few escaped. Gioan Fillipo Lnsignano fled to the hills, with M. Flatro dì Flatri, Zanetto de Nores, Hector his son, and Alfonso Bragadino. Meanwhile a few brave men with great swords defended the Pisani sqnare and that of the Palace. I think the fight must have lasted some seven or eight hours. Before tins Andrea Pesaro, a Patrician of Venice, sought out the Lientenant, and finding hiin in front of the
18—2
CALKPIO.
139
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