A.D. 



1571, 



In July the 

 heat is so ex- 

 treme in this 

 Hand, that the 

 inhabitants 

 thereof are not 

 woont to 

 travell, but by 

 night onley. 

 A letter or 

 supplication 

 exhibited by 

 the Cypriot- 

 tes unto Sig. 

 Bragadino. 



The answere 

 of the former 

 letter. 



[II. i. 127.] 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



and had made one Commander complete, fenced with 

 shares, like unto plough shares, in proportion and height 

 correspondent to ours. 



Within the Citie were remaining but five hundreth 

 Italian Souldiours, who were not hurt, yet very faint and 

 weary by their long watching and paines in fighting in 

 those fervent and burning heates, which are in those 

 parts. And the greater and better part also of the 

 Grecians were by this time slaine, whenas the chiefe of 

 those Citizens remaining did fully resolve themselves (the 

 which was about the twentieth day of July) to present a 

 supplication in writing to that noble gentleman Bragadino 

 Proveditore, desiring and beseeching him, that seeing 

 their Citie and Fortresse was thus battered and brought 

 to extremitie, without sufficient ayde to defend the same, 

 without substance or sustenance, having no hope of 

 succour, or any newe supply, they having spent and con- 

 sumed not onely their goods, but also their lives for the 

 defence of them, and in testifying of their dutifull service 

 towardes the noble and royall state of the Segniorie of 

 Venice, that it might nowe please him, and the rest of the 

 honourable Governours, that were present, and put in 

 trust, having a carefuU eye unto some honourable con- 

 ditions, to have now at the last a respect to the credit and 

 honour of their long travelled wives, and the safegard of 

 their poore children, which otherwise were shortly very 

 like to be a pray to their bloudthirsting and ravening 

 enemies. To the which letter or supplication speedy 

 answere was made by the forenamed honourable Braga- 

 dino, comforting them, that they should by no meanes 

 abate their courage, and that shortly he looked for 

 succour from the Segniorie, diminishing as much as hee 

 might, the feare which they had conceived in their hearts, 

 dispatching and sending away suddenly from Cyprus into 

 Candia, a Pinnesse to certifie the duke and governours 

 there, in what extremitie they were. The Turkes by this 

 time had ended their mines, and set them on fire, the 29. 

 of July : in the which space our men, according as they 



142 



