AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1522. 



The occasions why the great Turke came to 

 besiege the Citie of Rhodes. 



THe first and principall cause was that he did con- 

 sider and sawe by experience, that there was none 

 other Towne nor place in Levant that warred against 

 him nor kept him in doubt, but this poore rocke of 

 Rhodes. And hearing the continual! complaintes of his 

 subjectes aswell of Syria, as of Turkie, for the domages 

 and prises dayly done of their bodies and goods by 

 Christian men of warre received into Rhodes : And also 

 of the shippes and gallies of the religion, he tooke con- 

 clusion in himselfe, that if he might put the sayde 

 Towne in his power and subjection, that then he should 

 be peaceable lord of all the parties of Levant, and that 

 his subjects should complaine no more to him. 



The second, that he might followe the doings of his 

 noble predecessours, and shewe himselfe very heire of the 

 mightie and victorious lord Sultan Selim his father, 

 willing to put in execution the enterprise by him left the 

 yeere one thousand five hundred twentie and one. The 

 which Selim the great Turke put in all redinesse his 

 armie to the number of three hundreth sayles purposing 

 for to send them against Rhodes, if mortalitie had not 

 happened in his host, and he afterwarde by the will of our 

 lorde was surprised and taken with death : wherefore 

 he being in the latter ende of his dayes, (as some Turkes 

 and false christian men that were at this siege shewed 

 me) did charge by his testament, or caused to charge his 

 Sonne now being great Turke, that after his death hee 

 should make his two first enterprises, the one against 

 Bellegrado in Hungarie, and the other against Rhodes, 

 [II. i. 73.] for to get him honour, and to set his Countries and 

 subjectes in rest and suretie. The which fatherly motion 

 easilie entered into him and was imprinted in the heart 

 and yoong will of the sayde Solyman, his sonne, the 

 which soone after the death of his father put in effect 

 the first enterprise, and raised an huge hoste both by 



