THE LETTERS LAST sent by the great Turke vnto the holy Father the Pope , and to Rodolphus , naming himselfe King of Hungarie , and to all Kings and Princes of Christendome .

FOrasmuch as the great God of heauen , who raiseth & putteth downe Kinges , and causeth Monarchies most gloriously instituted and confirmed to indure at his pleasure , by the intercession and councell of the great Prophet Mahomet hath vouchsafed thorow his grace to exalt vs and our dominion aboue all Princes and principalities of the whole earth . Giuing vnto vs according vnto our valour , & to our most strong and most florishing armie , manifest and triumphant victories against all the enemies of our triumphant monarchie , fauouring vs by all meanes both by Sea and Land that we onely might raigne and gouerne . And farther , seeing that the earth belongeth to him which can conquer it , as the scripture telleth vs. Caelum coeli Domino , terram autem dedit filiis hom num ; And furthermore since the great Mahomet , from whome we and our predicessors are discended , by good and lawful warres with the victories of the great God which wee haue atchiewed , wee haue surpassed , and subiected to our obedience almost all the earth as well continent as the Sea coastes , that is to say in few wordes . The wise Grecia , The warlike Macedonia , The diuine Iudea , rich Egypt , strong Tartaria , The puissant and most redoubted Persia . Three and fiftie principalities with as many most rich and fertill Islandes , and to comprehend thē in general tearmes , first al Asia , then Africa & in a manner al yours , nay ours & not your Europa , weakened with wars & by vs possessed , & now of late the countrie and Cities of Hungarie , piercing into the countrie & bowels of Austria , the patrimony & inheritance of your Emperor : hoping to proceed euen vnto the end of your world towardes the west as well by Sea , as by Land , to the end wee may plant the authoritie of our most sacred and eternall Imperiall Maiestie , and Inuincible Monarchie .

Euen so to thee great Preest of Rome and to the Princes of thy lawe , and to those in league with thee , wee will , wee demaunde and commaund , that you submit your selfe vnto our most sacred & puissant Triumphing Triumphant mightie Monarchie , and the same submission manifest by homages and by reuerent tributes as to your Lord , which you shall accomplish and offer duly and iustly vnto our Imperiall Maiestie , as in reason , ciuilly and lawfully appertaineth .

And forasmuch as great Mahomet in his diuine Alcoran , saith that no Emperor , how mightie soeuer , can tame , nor subdue the courage or conscience of men , although he may subdue and conquer all nations and countries . Therefore it hath pleased vs : and of our perpetuall authoritie and deliberation it is graunted vnto you , to vse your owne faith and lawe , and your accustomed ceremonies , euen as you haue done heertofore , which liberalitie and permission wee haue extended and giuen likewise to all Christians , and also to all others what religion or law soeuer they held liuing and inhabiting vnder our vniuersall Monarchie . For it is all one to vs what lawe or Religion the nations and people of the world vse and exercise , so that they bee obedient and subiect vnto vs. For thus our Prophet in his Alcoran witnesseth and saieth that it is pleasing vnto God , and wilbe singularlie adored and praised in diuers sorts of worldly religions of brute beasts and other creatures , as saith our Prophet , and yours also in his psalme Laudate dominum de coelis & . By meanes of which benefit , and graunt wee haue in short time subiugated , and brought to submission infinite nations and peoples ; and hitherto almost the whole earth , and by the same meanes wee hope to be the onely Monarche of the whole earth before the expiration of two yeares , like as your owne Christians denying your law and imbracing a much better , haue diuined and prophesied to bee at Rome in the Chappell of Saint Basille .

Therefore beeware that you commit not that to your most great destruction , your singular domage and horrible subiection , which you may turne to your conseruation , great profit and acceptable liberty . But open your gates Cities and townes vnto vs and to our deputies , & gouernours that they may take your others ; And if you shall heerein faile : we declare and denounce vnto you mortall warres , destructions , firing of Citties and townes and other places whatsoeuer ; generall occision and death both of olde and young , or else seruitude and slauerie ; In which manner we are accustomed when wee subdue the nations and prouinces of the earth to proceede .

And you shall doe wisely to take ensample of the great Souldan of Babilon , who with his great riches and power was not able to resist vs , but we spoiled him and his house of their royall dignitie and dominion and cast him out of his Countrie , and lastly pursued him euen vnto death ; likewise the great Cham of Tartarie , & al his friends and adherence were by vs subdued and all his subiects and Chaldeans , which now do serue and obey vs with great loyalty and affection .

Moreouer , most renouned and redoubted Rodolphus vnto all christians , which affirme that they are beloued of the high God .

By the declarations and reuelations of my priests and Sacrificers called Bramines in one of my most rich and famous Citties of the Indees , and that after a more strange manner admirable of one of my Gods of Apollo , iealous of the honour of the liuing God , which wee call Deumo whose picture by our permission is in manie houses and places . The Bramines , whose office is to encence and perfume and present our prayers vnto Deumo , report that he hath affirmed that there is but one God , one law , and one King , euen as our forefathers haue foretolde vs. Wherefore we are resolued so to doe and to send vnto you our gouernours , to the end you may receiue our law and Alcoran , and the same shal be effected with one hundreth thousand men which wee haue already sent to Sea to destroy you , and all christians , if so wonderfully you shall not make choise of our true religion ordained by our great Prophet Mahomet , except you yeeeld the tribute due vnto vs , as before we haue declared .

Denouncing vnto thee Rodolphus , which dost occupie my kingdome of Hungary , all euill and mischiefe and the ruin of all thy countries , kingdomes and dominions , because that thou takest vpon thee the name and title of a king . We sweare vnto thee by our crowne , to visit thee sooner then thou thinkest for , & to the end thou maiest the more assuredly knowe it , it shal be with such an armie and force , that neither thou nor any of thy predicessors did euer behold the like . Wee doe already possesse the principal countries and Isles , which by our tyranny we oppresse & the inhabitants thereof , and we shall heerafter see , if the God in whome thou beleeuest can helpe thee , or saue thee ( we meaning to destroy thee and all that shall assist or aide thee ) with our inuincible armie , to the vtter confusion of thee and all thine with the most cruell death and tortures that possible we may

Giuen at Constantinople , from whence wee banished thy first fathers , hauing most cruelly slaine them with their wiues and Children , rauishing the women and widdowes for the accomplishing of our pleasure . The 19. of our Natiuitie and the third of our Raigne .

Wee haue forced Vncassianus Assinbuis otherwise called the great Sophie of Persia and Lord of Armenia to yeelde obedience vnto vs , and to become our vassale and gouernour hauing made an indissoluble oath vnto vs , after he had first sent his two sonnes vnto vs for Ostages . By which agreement , made the last yeare , all the East Countries , and generally all Asia are in our quiet possession .

At which time we receiued courage , and resolued to conquer all Europe , and all the countries of Christendome . Which enterprize the most high and mightie Captaine Holofernus our most decre and welbeloued father minded with a most singular resolution to haue performed , And to this end we haue already transported the halfe of our most valiant forces into Europe , which are in number three hundreth thousand men , not reckening thirtie thousand Lansknights or Ganessars and as many other Christians which attend our artillery ordinance , and others which are the founders of our artillerie , and other Instruments of warre , which are of so great a number as the rest , all Renegados to fight in defence of our lawe , and with vs to conquer your country Of these three hundreth thousand soldiers aforesaide , one hundreth and fifty thousand are already passed the Danubius , marching dayly forward , to inuade and win the Country of Hungarie , and all Germanie ; and finally to pierce and draw vnto vs the noble countrie of France withall the countries adiacent and lying on the Seas . The other hundreth and fiftie thousand soldiours doe besiedge the strong Isle of Rhodes , from whence ( I sweare by my great Patron Mahomet ) they shall neuer departe vntill they haue yeelded the Castels ; ports and fortresses which are in the saide Isle , for I will constraine and force them by famine , and other stratagems to make way vnto me , and to yeelde obeisance vnto me as vnto their true and naturall Lorde . Or it shall cost me fower hundreth thousand men , and the greatest part of all my riches . For the losse and expences are all one to me , be it soldiers , gould , or siluer , so that I may haue my will , and make them my subiects . Eleuen assaultes haue alreadie been giuen and , I beleeue , there wanteth verie little , to make them yeelde and to knowe our force and puissance , and after the Captiuitie thereof the way wil bee made verie easie into Italie and Spaine , that at my will and pleasure I may take possession of those Occidentall Countries and Regions , and to possesse the Castels , & Citties in all places , there to set forth , plant and display the most victorious and triumphant colours of our great Prophet Mahomet : And likewise his most worthie Image on the one side and ours on the other side grauen on all sorts of monies : To the end that out of our superabundance the remotest , and barbarous regions of the Occident may honourably acknowledge the most high Maiestie like as the rest of the other Regions and partes of the world doe . And which I weare in my coate of Armes both beefore and behinde , and in the colours of my most noble Cauallerie , for a speale note , that by the consent of the whole earth , by the will of the high God of heauen and of the great Prophet Mahomet , I am the onely Monarche , and sole Prince vnder heauen in the shape of man , by similitude , and likelihoode according to the celestiall forme and shape .

Wherefore to conclude in few wordes I doe coumsel , aduertise , and commaund thee , great Priest of Rome , that without resisting heauen or earth , thou wilt receiue and obey our requestes and commaund , otherwise wee beeing accompanied with all the Kinges of the earth will come to see and visit thee , and wee will vse thy temples in Rome and other gorgious Churches of Christendome as wee did the Temple of the holie Sophie in Constantinople , and the Temple of Saint Basill neere to the mount Sinay ; as also an infinite number of other Churches which wee haue subiugated to our pleasure .

No more at this present , but onely that wee desire answer , or for want of answer , we will vnderstand refusall , or refusing for vengance and Immortall warre .

Written from our Imperiall Cittie of Constantinople in the beginning of this moneth of March one thousand six hundreth and six , and the thirde yeere of our Ragne . These present letters giuen to our chiefe King at Armes , to carrie them with safe conduct , and to returne vs an Answere . Annet Harioson Great turke Emperour of the earth and ruler of the Sea . FINIS .