1597, when Sultan Mahomet himselfe went in person into Hungary,
if a man may beleeue reports, he had an army of 600000.

For the city of Constantinople you shall vnderstand that it is matchable
with any city in Europe, as well in bignesse as for the pleasant situation
thereof, and commodious traffike and bringing of all maner of necessary
prouision of victuals, and whatsoeuer els mans life for the sustentation
thereof shall require, being seated vpon a promontory, looking toward
Pontus Euxinus vpon the Northeast, and to Propontis on the Southwest, by
which two seas by shipping is brought great store of all maner of victuals.
The city it selfe in forme representeth a triangular figure, the sea
washing the walles vpon two sides thereof, the other side faceth the
continent of Thracia; the grand Signiors seraglio standeth vpon that point
which looketh into the sea, being cut off from the city by a wall; so that
the wall of his pallace conteineth in circuit about two English miles: the
seuen towers spoken of before stand at another corner, and Constantines
olde pallace to the North at the third corner. The city hath a threefolde
wall about it; the innermost very high, the next lower then that, and the
third a countermure and is in circuit about ten English miles: it hath
foure and twentie gates: and when the empire was remooued out of the West
into the East, it was inriched with many spoiles of olde Rome by Vespasian
and other emperours, hauing many monuments and pillars in it worthy the
obseruation; amongst the rest in the midst of Constantinople standeth one
of white marble called Vespasians pillar, of 38 or 40 yards high, which
hath from the base to the top proportions of men in armour fighting on
horsebacke: it is likewise adorned with diuers goodly buildings and stately
Mesquitas, whereof the biggest is Sultan Solimans a great warriour, which
liued in the time of Charles the fifth; but the fairest is Santa Sophia,
which in the time of the Christian emperours was the chiefe cathedrall
church, and is still in greatest account with the great Turke: it is built
round like other Greekish churches, the pavements and walles be all of
marble, it hath beneath 44 pillars of diuers coloured marble of admirable
height and bignesse, which stand vpon great round feet of brasse, much
greater then the pillars, and of a great height, some ten yards distant
from the wall: from which vnto these pillars is a great gallery built,
which goeth