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mended myself to my Christian fellow-captives, to encourage them to endure firm and brave in the faith. Then they took to binding certain Italians, and EKI went on fastening all the men in a line, and made ns sit down. The day after the capture of tho city was held a general bazar or auction of the spoil. First were sold the good looking youths and pretty girls, the buyers taking no thought or tonnt of their noble birth, but only of the beauty of their faces. The rest of the men were sold at extremely low prices, though something moro was paid for those who were fit for woi'k in the galleys. Tn the same day they made a division of the spoil, and I wondered much to see them sell some most precious gem for a very small sum. A thing worth a hundred sequins they gave for four: they kuew as little abont pearls and precious atones as pigs do : anyone who had some little knowledge bought valuable objects for next to nothing, nnd made a fortune. Then they began to outrage children and women, and such as were firm in their resistance they tortured and killed. When Nicosia was invested the inhabitants were registered, and their number found to be six thousand five hundred souls: of these few were of any use as combatants. Once there were thirteen hundred Italians, but at a pinch these were only four hundred, for very many died before the siege, and the rest iu the attacks. Cypriot nobles and burghers with their servants numbered fifteen hundred, foot soldiers raised in the city two thousand six hundred, those of Giacomo Zaeehaiia and Muscorao, who were villagers, seven hundred nnd fifty. There were the Stradiots, and the other cavalry uf the feudatories and pensioners, and five hundred mure régulai* cavalry, hut they were nut used. Though the city had had ammunition and victuals for a two years' siege it was badly administered, and the disorders, and the obstinacy of its commander reduced it to so disgraceful an end. The enemy on the other hand was working with η hundred thousand men, including the ten thousand cavalry, but not the twenty-five thousand men who were brought up from the galleys for the last attack. Some however said there were only four thousand horses, with many mares, and a great number of mules, saddled and equipped as horses, which served in action as well as the best horses; these they brought across on horseboats, lighters and pttlamlre, two to each galley, the rest on ships mid larger vessels. It was said too that the janissaries were only six thousand, and the sipahis only four thousand. If this cruel disparity of numbers, the fewness of our trained soldiers and our bad leadership should account for our easy defeat, let any soldier of skill and experience decide; and let such consider too how those who retired to Famagosta, where they had most prudent leaders and the best handling, in the company of the brnve Italian soldiers behaved (as everyone says, and especially Count Nestor Martinengo in his report made to the Signuiy of Venice) like brave warriors, often risking their lives not only iu sorties and sallies, but also in attack. 1 know veiy well that for the shortcomings and sins uf the people God sends such scourges, as snith the prophet Amos (ch. ix. 8), " Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth." I know also how the sins of Princes are a cause of the rnin of kingdoms; us saith Isaiah (ch. xxiv. 1, 5), " Behold, the Luid maketli the earth empty and makcth it waste . . . because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." And Eeclesiasticus (ch. χ. 8), "Because of unrighteous dealings, injuries and riches got by deceit, the kingdom is translated from one people to another." But as all the world can see the justice, piety, and zeal in defending unr holy faith of my august masters, the care with which they strive to make their dependencies obedient to Holy Church, the affection and courtesy they show to their vassals and subjects, their war 142 EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

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