THE LOSS OF RHODES ad. 



1522.; 

 deed that they had done the dayes afore, to withhold the [II. i. 77.] 

 clarke under their words and safeconduct : and therewith 

 he turned his galliasse to have gone away. The Turkes 

 seeing that, gave him the letter, the which he tooke, and 

 when he was arrived at Rhodes, he presented it to the 

 lord great master, which assembled the lordes of his 

 counsell, and made it to be red : The tenor whereof was 

 such as foloweth. 



The copie of the letter that the great Turke sent 

 to the lord great master, and to the people 

 of the Rhodes. 



Sultan Solyman Basha by the grace of God, right 

 mightie emperor of Constantinople, and of himselfe 

 holding both the lands of Persia, Arabia, Syria, Mecha, 

 and Jerusalem ; of Asia, Europe, JEgypt, and of all the 

 Sea, lord and possessor : To the reverend father lord 

 Philip, great master of Rhodes, to his counsailors, and to 

 all the other citizens great and small, greeting. Sending 

 convenient and worthy salutations to your reverences, 

 wee give you to weet, that we have received your letters 

 sent unto our imperiall majestic by George your servant, 

 the tenor whereof we doe well understand ; and for this 

 occasion we send unto you this our present commaunde- 

 ment, to the end that we will that ye know surely how 

 by our sentence we will have that Isle of Rhodes for 

 many damages and evill deeds which we have, and heare 

 from day to day of the sayd place done to us and our 

 subjects, and ye with your good will shall hold it of us 

 & doe us obeisance, and give the citie to mine imperiall 

 majestic. And we sweare by God that made heaven 

 and earth, and by 26000. of our prophets, and by the 

 4. Misafi that fell from the skies, and by our first prophet 

 Mahomet, that if ye doe us homage, and yeeld you with 

 good will upon these othes, all you that will abide in the 

 sayd place, great and small, shall not need to feare perill 

 nor damage of mine imperiall majestie, neither you, your 

 goods, nor your men : and who so will goe to any other 



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