the which soone after the death of his father put in effect the first
enterprise, and raised an huge hoste both by water and by land, and went
himselfe in person against Bellegrado, a right strong place in Hungarie.
[Sidenote: The taking of Belgrade.] And after that hee had besieged it the
space of two moneths or thereabout, for fault of ordinance and vitailes, it
was yeelded to him by composition the eight day of September, in the yeere
of our lord, one thousand fiue hundred twentie and one. The sayd Solyman
hauing this victory, being swollen and raised in pride and vaineglory,
turned his heart agaynst Rhodes. Neuertheless, he not ignorant of the
strength of it, and considering the qualities of the people that were
within it, of whom he should be well receiued as his predecessours had bene
aforetimes, doubted much, and knew not how to furnish his enterprise. For
his capitaines and Bashas turned him from it as much as they might by many
reasons, they knowing the force of it, saue onely Mustofa Basha his brother
in lawe, the which councelled and put him in minde to goe thither. Finally,
hee purposed entirely to haue it by treason or by force. [Sidenote: Forren
physicians become spies oftentimes.] And also, for the same cause and
purpose, his father in his dayes had sent a Iewe physician into Rhode as a
spie, to haue the better knowledge of it: the sayd Solyman was informed
that he was there yet, wherefore he sent him worde that he should abide
there still for the same cause. And gaue in charge to one of the chiefe men
in Sio, to send vnto the sayd Iewe all things needefull to maintaine him.
And the same Iewe wrote to him of Sio, vnder priuie wordes, all that was
done in Rhodes to giue knowledge thereof to the great Turke: and the better
to hide his treason, the sayde Iewe made himselfe to bee baptised. And to
bee the more named to be expert in Physike, he did some faire cures to such
such as were diseased, whereby he began to bee well trusted, and came in
fauour with many substantiall folkes of the towne. Among all other things
whereof hee aduertised the great Turke, one was of a wall that was taken
downe for to be new builded at the bulwarke of Auuergne, certifying him