induced by bribes to give information, but even the Emperor’s mother herself made known to my lord the resident, through a Jewess, what she had heard from the Emperor with regard to Hungary. The Jewess was well rewarded by my lord, and brought this treasonable intelligence not to our house, but secretly to another place. The chief Turkish officials, also, informed my lord that Hassan Pasha was to march to Siseck, and take it by force. In fact, he did march to Siseck with a great number of people, and did a great deal of damage; but by the help of a merciful God, who was pleased to succour our Christians, of whom there was but a small handful, Hassan himself, his best soldiers, and a great number of chosen Turks, were slain by our men. When this news arrived at Constantinople all the city was turned to grief, and as they had before cried joyfully:—“Asserim Hassan Bassa!” i. e. “God help Hassan Pasha!” so now they lamented mournfully:—“Hai, hai, Hassan Bassa, junacher sei!” that is to say, “Hey, hey. Hassan Pasha, ’tis a pity that thou art slain!”
Understanding, therefore, and seeing that there would not be much jesting, I wished to go with Armenian merchants by land through Persia to Egypt, and afterwards to Jerusalem, from Jerusalem to sail to Venice by sea, and thence to travel home. I also gradually provided myself with all necessaries for the journey, and was only waiting for a safe opportunity. My lord was willing to advance me money, and I wrote home to my friends to send me some; for my greatest wish was, if it had pleased the Lord God, to perform such a journey and expedition into those unknown lands. But such was
