wanted neither able Soldiers, nor expert Commanders to chastise their Insolency.
Yet the Turks of those Borders did not carry it with any great Modesty; for, while Haly was yet encamped at Sigeth, our Men had scaled the Walls of Gran, and taken the City, having a Castle near it of the same Name, where they got a great deal of Booty, and carried away the Inhabitants, being mostly Women and Children.
A Messenger was sent immediately to Haly, to acquaint him of the Loss; who coming into his Presence, by the very Consternation of his Countenance portended some great Mischief to have happened to them. The Bassa presently asked him, how Things went? and what was the Cause of his great Fear? Sir, says he, the Enemy hath taken and plundered Gran; which great Blow occasions my Grief. A Blow, Fool, says the Bassa! tell me of a Blow when I have lost my Genitals (to which he pointed with his Hand) that shew me to be a Man. Thus did he scoff at the Consternation of the Messenger, not without the Laughter of the By-standers, and undervalued the Loss of Gran, which was easily recoverable.
Moreover, in Croatia and the adjoyning Countries, several Inroads were made by both Parties, and each side did alternately suffer for their over-boldness and supine Security. Let me give you an Instance, which, as it gave me joy, will not, I dare say, be unpleasant, to you to hear of. It happened, indeed, some what before the Passage at Sigeth lately mentioned; but in Writing an Epistle, I do not strictly observe the Order of Time.
News was brought to Rustan, from those Parts, that a certain Confident of his, whom he highly esteemed, and called Cousin, had fallen upon a Party of Christians, as they were celebrating a Wedding, and being at a sufficient Distance, as they thought, from the Turks, counted themselves se-
