Heg. 941, & 942. He takes more by than open The fovereign of Algiers, on his arrival at the J.C. 1535 fortress of Goletta, which defends the narrow entrance to the gulf of Tunis, fent an officer to the governor, to declare to him, that he had brought, Tunis, on board the fleet, his lawful fovereign, affifted cunning by all the forces of the powerful emperor of the force. Turks. This barbarian replied with fincerity, that he was the flave of events, and that he would acknowledge for his lawful fovereign him of the two fons of the laft prince who should prove victorious. As it was impoffible to land at Tunis without paffing galley by galley under the cannon of the Goletta, it was highly requifite to get poffeffion of that fortrefs. Barbaroffa fent word to the governor, that he must take his choice between a fmart attack and a large fum of money. The governor did not hesitate. As the fleet entered the gulf, the Tunifians learned that a numerous army had brought them a new master. These people know no other way of fighting than as corfairs; their town, rich and extenfive, was without fortifications. Muley Hafcen, their king, with whom they were already diffatisfied, hoping to appease the infurrection which was raifing in favor of his brother, came down from the caftle, to speak to the multitude; but the fear of the Turks, their hatred of Muley Hafcen, the love of novelty, and perhaps likewise a spirit of juftice, fpoke for Alrafchid. Barbaroffa, who was preparing for bat tle, 1.C.1535. tle, prefently saw the shore covered with a dif Heg. 941, 942. armed multitude, who held up their hands to 1 him, and filled the air with the name of Alraschid. The Turks debarked, crying, God bless Solyman! God bless Barbaroffa! The general, having entered the town as in triumph, haftened to get poffeffion of the king's castle, around which there were fome fortifications defended by artillery which commanded Tunis. The Tunifians, aftonished at not seeing their new mafter, and at hearing only from the mouth of the Turks the names of Solyman and Barbaroffa, loudly demanded Alrafchid. Barbaroffa, embarraffed, told the chiefs, that he was ill on board his galley, and that his fituation would not permit him to be moved. The latter, beginning to fufpect the truth, earneftly demanded to be fhewn their fovereign; but when they were certain that Alrafchid was not in the fleet, their indignation armed them, and they tumultuoufly cried that they would kill all these traitors. But these traitors were nine thousand warlike foldiers, well difciplined, who fell in good order on a populace without a chief, almoft without arms, and confequently without defence. The cannon of the caftle, which Barbaroffa had taken great care to get poffeffion of, thundered on the town after a flaughter of fome length for the refiftance of the Tunifians did not merit the name of a battle. Thofe, who remained, were happy to repurchase their lives, their fortunes, those of their children, and J.C.1535. -vainly en get Barba from Tu The fovereign of Algiers, believing without Charles V. doubt the fortrefs of Goletta impregnable, neg- deavours to lected to fortify the town. Muley Hafcen, who roffa driven had taken to flight as soon as he saw himself nis. deferted by his fubjects, never loft fight of his vengeance, or of the means of recovering the throne of Tunis. He implored the affistance of Charles V. This prince, jealous of the Ottoman power, was defirous, above every thing, to put a ftop to the piracies which defolated the coafts of Italy and Spain. He fent immediately a Genoefe to Barbaroffa, charged with a double negociation, which, though contradictory, equally fulfilled his object. The envoy of Charles V: had orders to offer the Moor the alliance of the emperor of the Weft, who would acknowledge him for king of Tunis and Algiers, and furnish him even with fuccours to make other, conquefts on the coast of Africa, on the fole condition of his holding his crown of that of Spain. But, whilft this negociator feemed to wish to detach Barbaroffa from the interefts of Solyman, he propofed fecretly to the inhabitants of Tunis to drive out the ufurper, and put the state under Heg. 941, 1.C. 1535. Muley Hascen, the son of their king, who had been &942. king himfelf. The fovereign of Algiers difcover ed this intrigue, and, without respecting the law of nations, which the envoy of Charles V. had violated the first, he had him inftantly ftrangled. The He has re. emperor, difconcerted, fent to the pope, the king courfe to of France, the king of Portugal, and Peter Dupont force. Charles V. takes the the new grand mafter of Malta, who had juft fucceeded the refpectable Villiers L'ifle Adam, to represent to them, that it was their common intereft to drive the Turks, and particularly Barbaroffa, from the coaft of Africa. The knights of St. John, to whom the emperor of the West had ceded the fovereignty of Tripoli at the fame time with that of the ifle of Malta, could not regard Barbaroffa but as a dangerous neighbour. The Order armed five large galleys and eighteen brigantines, which carried two hundred knights. each had two foldiers with him inftead of fervants; the pope furnished twelve galleys, and gave up the tenths of Spain for the expence of the armament. The prince of Portugal embarked himself, at the head of fixty veffels or frigates of war. The rendezvous of all these forces was at CagGoletta. liari, a town in Sardinia, fixty leagues from the coaft of Africa. Charles V. departed from thence at the head of three hundred fail, carrying twenty-five thousand foot and two thoufand horse, without counting a great number of no Heg. 941, & 942. bility and gentry from all the nations of Eu- J.C 1535. rope, who embarked as volunteers. The emperor of the Weft landed in the month of June, after a fortunate paffage, at Porto-Farina, formerly Utica, a town famous by the death of Cato. Meanwhile Barbaroffa fought fuccours in Gerbes, Tremefen, and the other Moorish ftates, which furnished him with ten thousand men. He fent fix thousand of them to defend the Goletta, the real and almost fole defence of Tunis. Charles V. foon invested this place by sea and land, and furiously battered in breach both from his fleet and the battteries that he had raised on shore. After feveral days, when the breaches were thought practicable, the emperor ordered four affaults at the fame time. The knights of St. John, under the banner of their Order, marched in a body at the head of the first. The Spaniards, Italians, and Germans, attacked the three other breaches. The commander of Grolée and the knight Copier d'Hieres, of whom the one commanded the land forces, and the other carried the standard of the Order, gave to all their comrades the example of throwing themselves into the water in order to reach the foot of the tower and there plant ladders. Prodigies of valour were performed at all four attacks; at length, after an obftinate combat of three hours, the fortress of Goletta was taken by the Christians. 3 B 2 The |