Szigetvar - "Modern Part of an Universal History", vol. XII 1759

The Modern Part of an Universal History,

From the earliest account of time

Volume XII, 1759

It is time now to return to the affairs of Hungary. Maximilian, having in the diet called at Frankfort, as before-mentioned, obtained aid from the empire, he drew together a great army out of Germany, Italy, and other countries. These, under the command of Suendi, laid siege to the town of Husth, on the borders of Transylvania; whose Vayvod aspiring to be king of Hungary, upon the same terms as John had been, much inflamed this rupture between the two empires.

At the same time the Pasha of Buda attacked Palotta, about eight miles from Raab, with greater fury than success; having been forced to rise from before it, with the loss of some cannon and baggage, by the count of Hoffenstein, who also took Wrishoun. Soon after count Salm reduced Tatta: and the castles of Gestes, Witha, Ischolika, and Samboc, were abandoned by the enemy. Meantime count Serini, governor of Sigeth, understanding that Soleyman approached, detached fifteen hundred horse and foot, to lie in ambush, for the forlorn of the Turkish army; Who, being met with near Five Churches, were routed, and most of them slain or wounded.

In this place, after a long chasm, the Turkish historians coincide with the Christian writers. According to these latter, the Germans began the war: but the former speak as if Soleyman first entered on it without any provocation, pursuant to a project he had long meditated, of overthrowing the German empire. They tell us, that when he had made vast preparations, as before-mentioned, he assembled his troops from all parts, in order to execute the design, in which only Mohammed Fatih had gone before him, and which he himself had already attempted in vain.

To this end, in the year 1566, he leads a mighty army to Adrianople; from whence, dispatching the prime wazir Pertu Pasha, with some troops, to seize Gyula, he follows more slowly with the rest. Though every thing else was ready, youth was wanting, and old age refused to execute his purposes. Worn out with years, and fatigued with labours, when he came to Sigetvar, he was seized with a slow fever, which, increasing by degrees, turned to a malignant one. Though grievously tortured, and almost past hopes of recovery, yet, invincible in mind, he orders the city to be invested and assaulted. But the governor making a brave defence, it increased his illness; and, while he prayed, the God of all the worlds to grant that his army of the faithful might conquer the place, he expired on the 13^th of Safer.

This ended, in the taking of two towns, all Soleyman’s vast preparations, and vaster design against the German empire, which the Turkish historians boast of. Let us now supply their account of the siege of Segette, or Ziget, from the Christian writers. The Soltan being come to the Drava, ordered a bridge to be made over that river, and the morass beyond it, a mile in length. This proved a work of almost insuperable difficulty; but was at last accomplished, and the army passing, over, sat down before Sigeth.

This city (Szigetvar) is strongly situated in a marsh, about fifteen miles to the north of the Drava, on the frontiers of Slavonia; and was then a bulwark to prevent the Turks entering into Stiria. It had a garrison of two thousand three hundred men, under the command of the valiant count Nicholas Serini. The Turks, having raised a great mount, and planted a battery, August 8^th, fired terribly upon the new town from three several places.

They next, with incredible labour, cast-up a mountain in the midst of the marsh, and from thence so cruelly annoyed the inner castle of the town, that the count thought fit to with draw the garrison, and set it on fire. On the 10^th, they furiously battered the old town in three places, and set all hands at work to make two ways or bridges thither over the marsh; from whence the Janizaries, covered with sacks and the like, mightily annoyed the besieged.

At length, on the 19^th, they entered the town with so and taken much fury and celerity, that many of the garrison were slain before they could recover the castle. Against this, next day they planted four batteries, and having also made two plain ways to it over the marsh, they fiercely assaulted the breaches on the 29^th; but were beaten back, with the loss of many men and one of their pashas. The Turks having by the 5^th of September undermined and blown-up the greatest bulwark of the castle, at length took that also near the gate. This made the brave Serini retire into the inner castle, which on the 7^th was set on fire by them also. So that the distressed general, putting on a new suit of cloaths and encouraging his soldiers to sell their lives as dear as they could, sallied-out at the head of them, with his sword and target in hand, into the midst of his enemy, by whom he and his followers were all slain, excepting a few.

The prime Wazir having sent notice to Selim, then at Magnesia, of his father's death, which he concealed from the soldiers, he, on the 18^th of that month, takes the city by a general assault, assisted by an accidental fire: and at the same time news came of the reduction of Gyula.

But this siege cost the Turks very dear; for, by their own confessions they lost seven thousand Janizaries, and twenty-eight thousand other soldiers, besides volunteers and three great pashas. Serini's head was cut off, and set on a pole for the army to gaze at; after which it was sent by the Wazir as a present to count Salm, then at Raab. Gyula was delivered to the Turks by the governor Kcrctjchen, for a great sum of money; and most of the garrison put to the sword, contrary to articles. But they were not so successful near Alba Regalis, where several of them were slain, and the governor of that place taken by George Thuriger; for which he received knighthood with a gold chain.