¶
A
true
Reporte
of
the
taking
of
the
Towne
and
Castell
of
Polotzko
,
by
the
King
of
Polonia
,
the
30.
of
August
1579.
THe
last
of
Iune
the
King
of
Polonia
beinge
at
a
Towne
called
Wilde
,
brake
vp
his
Siege
and
came
to
Suerum
,
to
muster
there
:
in
whiche
place
,
his
Maiestie
called
together
his
Lordes
and
Captaines
and
men
of
warre
,
to
know
after
what
order
they
should
prouide
for
the
safegarde
and
defence
of
their
Countrey
,
and
how
for
to
keepe
the
enimie
,
which
was
the
Moscoue
furre
from
them
,
and
there
his
Maiestie
agreed
to
beseege
the
Citie
of
Polotzko
,
because
that
Towne
lyeth
in
the
border
of
the
great
Dukedome
of
Litto
,
and
principallye
of
the
Towne
of
Villo
,
and
there
lyeth
no
Fortresse
betweene
that
and
the
Wilde
,
and
if
he
had
not
taken
the
waye
to
the
same
Citie
,
he
should
haue
geuen
his
enemie
waye
to
haue
entered
into
the
Dukedome
of
Litto
,
and
also
to
the
Wilde
:
and
therfore
his
Maiestie
found
it
needefull
to
looke
to
,
because
he
tooke
this
war
in
hande
,
not
onelye
to
recouer
that
same
Towne
to
the
Crowne
of
Poland
againe
,
as
it
hath
beene
in
times
past
:
but
to
withstand
the
enimiy
,
&
to
keepe
him
back
.
In
his
Country
,
the
winter
is
very
hard
,
with
verye
great
raines
,
snowes
,
fogges
and
continuall
trostes
:
and
therefore
very
perillous
to
make
war
,
in
which
the
king
of
Poland
hath
found
verye
daingerous
in
passing
from
the
Wilde
to
the
saide
Cittie
of
Polotzko
,
by
reason
of
the
clammye
ground
,
with
the
great
thawes
and
caines
,
and
deepe
ryuers
,
with
the
great
trouble
of
his
caryage
,
of
his
great
ordinaunce
,
powder
,
shot
,
munition
,
and
all
other
kinde
of
artillerye
,
with
the
losse
of
his
horses
and
other
beastes
for
want
of
sustenaunce
trauailing
those
barrame
wildernes
and
heigh
mountaines
:
yet
nothing
could
discorage
this
mighty
prince
from
taking
of
this
enterprise
in
hand
,
although
manye
of
his
Noble
men
and
wise
Captaines
did
show
what
perill
it
were
for
him
to
passe
with
so
great
an
Armye
,
and
telling
of
him
the
strength
of
the
Towne
and
the
Castell
with
all
other
inconueniaunces
:
yet
could
hee
not
be
perswaded
from
his
opinion
,
but
rather
the
more
encouraged
,
gathered
his
people
together
:
and
hoping
that
if
hee
could
take
that
Towne
,
it
would
be
a
great
discouragement
to
his
enimies
and
a
great
incouragement
to
his
owne
Soldiors
:
because
this
Citie
is
the
strongest
and
greatest
in
all
his
Dominions
.
And
his
Maiestie
did
send
out
of
Suero
,
the
honorable
Nicolaum
Radzinil
,
chiefe
Gouernour
of
the
Towne
called
the
Wilde
,
with
a
certain
number
of
Horsemen
&
Footemen
with
a
certain
number
of
Hungarians
:
with
the
Honorable
Casper
Bekize
to
the
Citie
of
Polotzko
,
to
stoppe
the
high
wayes
,
that
there
might
com
no
succour
from
the
Prince
of
Muscoue
.
And
for
al
that
he
tooke
great
paines
for
to
be
sodenly
there
:
yet
the
wayes
was
so
fowle
,
and
the
passages
so
crooked
,
that
it
was
long
or
euer
that
they
could
come
there
.
And
because
that
the
King
of
Polon
had
sent
defyaunce
to
the
Muscouo
King
:
hee
doubting
of
the
besiege
of
them
of
Polotzko
,
sent
●…yde
to
them
of
Polotzko
,
which
came
two
daies
before
the
Honorable
Nicolaue
came
there
:
but
hee
comming
thither
did
so
stoppe
the
passages
,
that
he
could
send
no
more
succoures
thether
.
And
immediatlye
after
the
King
of
Polon
with
his
whole
campe
ordinaunce
,
bag
and
baggage
,
with
great
paines
,
hauing
fowle
wayes
,
with
the
continual
raine
that
fell
and
the
fowle
wether
,
was
constrained
to
make
very
small
i●rneyes
:
and
in
the
meane
tyme
his
forewarde
tooke
three
Castels
,
called
,
Cosianua
,
Crasne
and
Situo
,
in
their
iorney
,
which
they
quickly
spoyled
and
burnt
.
And
the
11.
of
August
,
his
Majestie
with
all
his
power
came
neere
to
the
Tower
of
Polozko
,
and
pytched
his
Campe
not
far
from
the
Walles
of
the
Towne
:
and
then
his
Maiestie
caused
his
Campe
in
three
places
to
bee
intrenched
against
the
Towne
.
And
as
the
Towne
being
very
strongly
fenced
with
very
strong
Bulwarks
and
other
Fortresses
,
and
being
very
well
prouided
of
all
manner
powder
shot
and
other
Engines
,
and
putting
great
confidence
in
the
Castell
which
stoode
without
the
Towne
:
issued
out
of
the
Towne
,
and
forced
the
king
of
Po●on
to
withdraw
him selfe
from
that
parte
of
the
Towne
where
the
Subber●●s
were
,
in
which
place
the
Castell
stoode
:
but
in
the
end
the
Polanes
had
the
victorye
,
and
chaeed
the
Moscoes
into
the
Towne
&
the
Castell
,
&
set
the
Subbarbes
a
fyre
.
And
in
shorte
time
wholly
destroyed
it
.
And
after
this
they
did
dayly
vnder
minde
the
ground
,
till
they
came
vnder
the
cheefe
gate
of
the
Castell
:
but
the
almyghtye
God
at
this
time
shewed
his
mightye
power
,
for
manye
dayes
,
without
ceassing
,
we
had
great
raynes
:
so
that
all
laboure
and
diligence
of
the
Soldior
was
hindered
:
yet
for
the
desyre
that
they
had
to
ouercome
their
enimyes
nothing
could
discourage
them
:
but
dayly
they
did
their
endeuor
against
the
towne
and
Castell
.
And
those
within
the
Towne
and
the
Castel
,
although
their
enimy
with
out
was
fearce
and
daily
did
shoot
at
them
with
great
ordinaunce
,
and
neuer
c●ased
daye
nor
night
shooting
and
throwing
of
wilde
fyre
into
the
Towne
,
and
although
their
houses
were
couered
with
strawe
and
reede
,
and
such
thinges
apte
to
take
fyre
:
yet
they
nothing
dismayde
,
did
daylye
defende
them selues
with
making
prouision
with
raw
Hydes
and
other
thinges
fit
for
that
purpose
,
for
to
withstand
the
violence
of
the
fyre
:
and
verye
valiantlye
defended
both
the
Towne
and
Castell
,
and
as
fast
as
anye
was
stroken
downe
,
an
other
would
steppe
ouer
him
,
and
fyght
stoutly
in
his
roome
:
wherby
it
is
seene
that
the
Moscoues
are
verye
valiaunt
in
keeping
of
a
Holde
:
yet
at
the
length
GOD
of
his
mercy
shewed
vs
a
fayre
day
.
For
the
29.
of
August
,
our
people
with
great
diligence
,
and
no
small
perill
,
waded
thorough
the
ryuer
,
carying
wilde
fyre
in
one
hand
,
and
their
weapon
in
the
other
,
and
manfullye
runne
vp
the
Hill
,
and
made
an
assaulte
to
the
breces
of
the
Castell
,
&
set
them
on
fyre
,
and
so
with
the
shooting
of
the
ordinaunce
on
the
one
side
,
&
the
casting
of
the
fyre
on
the
other
,
the
enimie
was
forced
to
forsake
the
Bulwarke
,
and
to
retyre
,
which
gaue
our
Soldiors
such
courage
,
that
they
did
follow
the
enimye
thorowe
the
fyre
,
and
thought
to
winne
the
Castell
:
but
they
did
fayle
of
their
purpose
,
because
the
force
of
the
fyre
was
great
,
and
the
force
of
the
enimy
greater
,
they
were
forced
to
retyre
with
the
losse
of
27.
of
their
menne
,
and
verye
manye
wounded
:
And
of
our
enimyes
were
slaine
200.
The
verye
same
daye
the
enimy
did
make
a
sygne
as
though
hee
would
haue
yeelded
,
but
they
ment
nothing
lesse
:
For
they
had
prouided
new
Bulwarkes
,
and
blinded
our
menne
with
the
flames
of
fyre
:
therefore
the
Kinges
Maiestie
was
fullye
bent
to
show
the
vttermost
that
he
coulde
doe
,
because
the
enimye
shoulde
haue
no
tyme
to
fortifye
him
.
And
therefore
the
next
daye
beinge
the
30.
daye
of
August
,
he
caused
all
his
armye
,
aswell
Horsemen
as
footemen
,
to
make
an
assault
to
the
Town
:
and
caused
certaine
Horsemen
and
Footmen
to
make
an
assaulte
to
an
other
parte
of
the
Towne
,
where
they
had
vndermined
the
Wall
,
and
throw
downe
a
great
peece
of
it
,
and
set
fyre
one
parte
of
the
Castell
:
and
the
place
where
they
were
the
day
before
they
recouered
,
where
they
found
the
Musco
digging
and
defending
of
him selfe
:
but
the
Polon
droue
him
backe
,
and
had
him
wholy
in
his
power
:
and
so
the
king
of
Polon
being
mooued
with
pittye
,
lothing
to
shed
any
christian
blood
did
giue
pardon
to
all
them
that
he
found
in
the
Castell
,
and
them
that
would
serue
,
hee
tooke
into
seruice
,
which
was
a
great
number
,
because
they
would
saue
their
goodes
,
&
they
that
would
,
hee
gaue
them
safe
conduct
to
go
into
Moscoui
,
and
those
that
would
not
yeelde
wer
these
:
the
honorable
Basilius
Iuanowitz
,
Telateuski
Nicolēski
Demetrius
Michalowitz
Schitbathi
,
Oholeuski
,
Matthe
Inanowitz
:
Rzowki
.
Iwan
Hrechoriowitz
,
Susin
,
Petrus
Inanowitz
:
Wolenski
Lutzian
,
Tretiakow
,
Kakouse
:
whiche
were
all
Captaines
and
Officers
in
the
town
and
Castel
,
and
therfore
the
king
tooke
them
forceablye
prisoners
,
and
garded
the
Towne
and
Castell
with
his
owne
Soldiors
.
The
number
of
the
Moscoues
that
defended
the
Castell
,
were
6000.
which
moste
parte
was
slaine
and
found
dead
in
dyches
,
and
of
them
in
the
Towne
,
there
was
no
certaine
number
known
,
because
a
great
number
fled
.
And
also
there
was
found
within
yse
town
and
Castell
such
store
of
ordinaunce
,
with
powder
,
shot
,
and
lead
,
and
all
other
kinde
of
Artillerye
,
that
there
was
thought
there
was
not
the
like
Towne
nor
Castell
in
Christendome
.
And
therfore
his
Maiesty
seeing
that
GOD
hath
geuen
him
such
victory
ouer
his
enimyes
,
more
then
he
deserued
or
looked
for
,
gaue
commaundement
thorough
all
his
Realme
,
to
geue
God
praise
and
thankes
.
FINIS
.