Changes

On the sea all around us are appearing pirates, Narantani (modern: Neretvani),<ref> The Narantani, who are referred to today mainly as ''Neretljani'', were a nation of Slav pirates. Firstly known as ''Arentanoi.''</ref>  Herzegovinians and other enemies that surround us. To the East already in bay of Kotor is anchored all of Ottoman Turkish fleet, some 400 galleys. They may be even getting close to '''Ragusa''' (modern: Dubrovnik) or even closer. To the West we hear that around '''Lissa''' (modern: Vis) were spotted 10 galleys, that separated from this fleet. To the North nobody wants to receive us, and even if they take us we will become their servants and slaves. From Apulia which is to the South, we are separated by the wide sea expanse that makes it even worse, we are surrounded by enemies on all sides. Be careful so that you don’t, God forbid, run into a bigger danger by trying to run away. But if you really have made up your mind to leave ,I pray God to protect you; while I, who not any less than you likes his life, I have decided to stay here, as they say, and try my luck.

On the sea all around us are appearing pirates, Narantani (modern: Neretvani),<ref> The Narantani, who are referred to today mainly as ''Neretljani'', were a nation of Slav pirates. Firstly known as ''Arentanoi.''</ref>  Herzegovinians and other enemies that surround us. To the East already in bay of Kotor is anchored all of Ottoman Turkish fleet, some 400 galleys. They may be even getting close to '''Ragusa''' (modern: Dubrovnik) or even closer. To the West we hear that around '''Lissa''' (modern: Vis) were spotted 10 galleys, that separated from this fleet. To the North nobody wants to receive us, and even if they take us we will become their servants and slaves. From Apulia which is to the South, we are separated by the wide sea expanse that makes it even worse, we are surrounded by enemies on all sides. Be careful so that you don’t, God forbid, run into a bigger danger by trying to run away. But if you really have made up your mind to leave ,I pray God to protect you; while I, who not any less than you likes his life, I have decided to stay here, as they say, and try my luck.

== I Believe that Enemy Fleet will not go any more North Past the bay of Kotor or Past Ragusa ==

== I Believe that Enemy Fleet will not go any more North Past the bay of Cattaro or Past Ragusa ==

I believe that enemy fleet will not go any more north past the bay of Kotor or past Ragusa (modern: Dubrovnik), since they left behind them large number of Venetian soldiers with their ships and galleys, larger and smaller, we expect that they will be joined to assist them, by Spanish and Papal fleets. I do have to admit that it can happen, that with the excuse of being our friends we get attacked by naval pirates, Neretljani, Herzegovinians or Karakozije, or even some other bandits and robbers, especially if they find out that we left our city. Because of all of what I said above, I am begging all of you, especially those who haven’t lost their heads, to stay here with me, and defend our place of birth, our parents and the bones of our ancestors, same like defending God’s temples, as long as we can.; so that we don’t let it happen that a handful of bandits clean out our abandoned city, where they could even set it on fire, this would be to our greatest shame. I am a witness that this altar to God and Virgin Mary and to Saint Bartul and Mark the evangelist, was blessed, as our fathers some time ago stood up to Aragonian ships, and inside the city walls, voluntarily closed the walls and repelled enemies attacks. Are we going to abandon that which we have received from our Grandfathers? It is far from us to be given this much of shame. But, from where are we going to find that many ships, so that all of us can be boarded? Let the crazy ones go because they will face greater dangers, than us, who are remaining here. We have nothing to fear but Gods hand from above. Even you, great ladies and mothers, I am asking you not to hold back your husbands, and talk bravely to your children. God the Creator loves you, he loves your children and this love is surpassing your motherly love, Give yourself to the Almighty, and dear God. Pray to the merciful Mother, she will ask her son for mercy, and son will show his wounds to his father, and because of these gifts that they gave, God will hear our prayers and save us from this danger. Fall down on your knees in front of our heavenly protectors Bartul and Marko. With their protection these fortified walls are standing. Humbly pray and you will be heard. Prayer will open up the heaven, is calling God, it is disbanding armies, the mean ones are made smaller, but the modest and good ones are made stronger and more brave. After these words we continued with our services, and we brought it to the ending. The public started to whisper and talk to one another.

I believe that enemy fleet will not go any more north past the bay of Cattaro (modern: Kotor) or past Ragusa (modern: Dubrovnik), since they left behind them large number of Venetian soldiers with their ships and galleys, larger and smaller, we expect that they will be joined to assist them, by Spanish and Papal fleets. I do have to admit that it can happen, that with the excuse of being our friends we get attacked by naval pirates, Neretljani, Herzegovinians or Karakozije, or even some other bandits and robbers, especially if they find out that we left our city. Because of all of what I said above, I am begging all of you, especially those who haven’t lost their heads, to stay here with me, and defend our place of birth, our parents and the bones of our ancestors, same like defending God’s temples, as long as we can.; so that we don’t let it happen that a handful of bandits clean out our abandoned city, where they could even set it on fire, this would be to our greatest shame. I am a witness that this altar to God and Virgin Mary and to Saint Bartul and Mark the evangelist, was blessed, as our fathers some time ago stood up to Aragonian ships, and inside the city walls, voluntarily closed the walls and repelled enemies attacks. Are we going to abandon that which we have received from our Grandfathers? It is far from us to be given this much of shame. But, from where are we going to find that many ships, so that all of us can be boarded? Let the crazy ones go because they will face greater dangers, than us, who are remaining here. We have nothing to fear but Gods hand from above. Even you, great ladies and mothers, I am asking you not to hold back your husbands, and talk bravely to your children. God the Creator loves you, he loves your children and this love is surpassing your motherly love, Give yourself to the Almighty, and dear God. Pray to the merciful Mother, she will ask her son for mercy, and son will show his wounds to his father, and because of these gifts that they gave, God will hear our prayers and save us from this danger. Fall down on your knees in front of our heavenly protectors Bartul and Marko. With their protection these fortified walls are standing. Humbly pray and you will be heard. Prayer will open up the heaven, is calling God, it is disbanding armies, the mean ones are made smaller, but the modest and good ones are made stronger and more brave. After these words we continued with our services, and we brought it to the ending. The public started to whisper and talk to one another.

Among them, some were fond to superstitions, or maybe by nature were hiding the worries of the public, mentioning some yellow birds, the species that was never seen in our parts, (those days in our channel between Sabbioncello (modern: Orebic) and here were seen in numbers, where they at times swim on the sea surface, and other times fly over the island, where they are damaging the vineyards. Someone said that they came from the Black Sea, and that they are proceeding the Turkish fleet, or that they are signalling turks in white turbans that will arrive here to destroy us. Some of the richer people already started carrying their boxes to the boats, as some people coming from Dubrovnik are talking of very bad news, one after another. And so everyone got excited, carrying their belongings to the boats, with such a rush that they were bumping into one another at the city gate. City Rector was a young man, very inexperienced, and had no trust in experienced elders. It has been only two months since he assumed running of the city and in this short period did not gain any liking among citizenry. Anyway, these last few days he showed to be softer and more understanding. Seeing how everything from the city is being carried out, he gave an order to at once securely shut the city gates. Then many stopped lowering their belongings over the city walls, and some of them in front of the city gate started to pile up things, pushing one another. This was a very sad scene. This is how Troy looked when it fell in hands of the enemy. Rector did not take much of his clothing, because he had left his family back in Venice. But anyway, his servant-lady along with most of his other belongings brought down to the quay and placed in the boat. In addition he secured for him a pirate ship from Perast, which was very well maintained. It had six strong rowers, and he rented it out for 120 golden ducats. At dusk we were hearing all kinds of conflicting news reports. Frightened women were running through the city, begging to be let on the ships or to run into the forests. In the evening, Rector agrees to let them go, this he repeated the next day even more, he ordered the city gates to be open, so they can transfer their belongings to the boats that stayed anchored. Finally those who wished to leave, raised their sails and sailed away on 8th of August. We must tell you what has happened when the Franciscan brothers left. Actually both orders, Franciscans and Dominicans, even a few days earlier, before anyone else ran away. They actually, from their monastery at island of Badia, two miles East of the city, earlier moved their miraculous cross and five paintings of Blessed Virgin. They secured these in Church of All Saints, inside the city walls, than later before their leaving, they pulled a precious picture of Our Lady, with all it’s jewellery and decorations and placed it in the boat with which they intended to leave. The miraculous cross, because of the size of the boat they left in the church. Then all of a sudden a big storm started. The waves were coming up from the bottom of the sea toward the sky, with the wind it seemed as all the water mixed with air were going up to the sky. Later, we found out that during this storm at port of Ulcinj seven Turkish galleys were smashed and sunk. Number of others collided with one another. Worried monks, by being scared, thinking that God sent this storm to punish them, immediately returned the picture of Virgin back to the place from where they removed it. After the storm had passed they left the monastery and bells in the bell-tower, and everything else that they possessed, then ran away leaving those sacral objects in the city’s church. That strong wish for survival and life, made them not care for their spiritual promise. They were so united in leaving that even their servants left with them. We have to be fearful of their example, because some of them lost their lives, other had to be rescued with expensive ransoms paid to Neretljani. Next day, after these escapes, two monk impersonators showed up, saying that they came form another Province, and they would like to carry away the paintings of Our Lady. We then chased them away. We told them that they should be ashamed of themselves, if it is possible for them to feel any shame. I am mentioning this along the way, then I am continuing the description of happenings. Our (escapees that were traveling on their own) all of them alive and in good condition arrived at Lesina (town on the next island some 25 miles to the North West, modern: Hvar), day after, they made it to '''Zara''' (modern:Zadar), since they were followed by favourable winds.  

Among them, some were fond to superstitions, or maybe by nature were hiding the worries of the public, mentioning some yellow birds, the species that was never seen in our parts, (those days in our channel between Sabbioncello (modern: Orebic) and here were seen in numbers, where they at times swim on the sea surface, and other times fly over the island, where they are damaging the vineyards. Someone said that they came from the Black Sea, and that they are proceeding the Turkish fleet, or that they are signalling turks in white turbans that will arrive here to destroy us. Some of the richer people already started carrying their boxes to the boats, as some people coming from Dubrovnik are talking of very bad news, one after another. And so everyone got excited, carrying their belongings to the boats, with such a rush that they were bumping into one another at the city gate. City Rector was a young man, very inexperienced, and had no trust in experienced elders. It has been only two months since he assumed running of the city and in this short period did not gain any liking among citizenry. Anyway, these last few days he showed to be softer and more understanding. Seeing how everything from the city is being carried out, he gave an order to at once securely shut the city gates. Then many stopped lowering their belongings over the city walls, and some of them in front of the city gate started to pile up things, pushing one another. This was a very sad scene. This is how Troy looked when it fell in hands of the enemy. Rector did not take much of his clothing, because he had left his family back in Venice. But anyway, his servant-lady along with most of his other belongings brought down to the quay and placed in the boat. In addition he secured for him a pirate ship from Perast, which was very well maintained. It had six strong rowers, and he rented it out for 120 golden ducats. At dusk we were hearing all kinds of conflicting news reports. Frightened women were running through the city, begging to be let on the ships or to run into the forests. In the evening, Rector agrees to let them go, this he repeated the next day even more, he ordered the city gates to be open, so they can transfer their belongings to the boats that stayed anchored. Finally those who wished to leave, raised their sails and sailed away on 8th of August. We must tell you what has happened when the Franciscan brothers left. Actually both orders, Franciscans and Dominicans, even a few days earlier, before anyone else ran away. They actually, from their monastery at island of Badia, two miles East of the city, earlier moved their miraculous cross and five paintings of Blessed Virgin. They secured these in Church of All Saints, inside the city walls, than later before their leaving, they pulled a precious picture of Our Lady, with all it’s jewellery and decorations and placed it in the boat with which they intended to leave. The miraculous cross, because of the size of the boat they left in the church. Then all of a sudden a big storm started. The waves were coming up from the bottom of the sea toward the sky, with the wind it seemed as all the water mixed with air were going up to the sky. Later, we found out that during this storm at port of Ulcinj seven Turkish galleys were smashed and sunk. Number of others collided with one another. Worried monks, by being scared, thinking that God sent this storm to punish them, immediately returned the picture of Virgin back to the place from where they removed it. After the storm had passed they left the monastery and bells in the bell-tower, and everything else that they possessed, then ran away leaving those sacral objects in the city’s church. That strong wish for survival and life, made them not care for their spiritual promise. They were so united in leaving that even their servants left with them. We have to be fearful of their example, because some of them lost their lives, other had to be rescued with expensive ransoms paid to Neretljani. Next day, after these escapes, two monk impersonators showed up, saying that they came form another Province, and they would like to carry away the paintings of Our Lady. We then chased them away. We told them that they should be ashamed of themselves, if it is possible for them to feel any shame. I am mentioning this along the way, then I am continuing the description of happenings. Our (escapees that were traveling on their own) all of them alive and in good condition arrived at Lesina (town on the next island some 25 miles to the North West, modern: Hvar), day after, they made it to '''Zara''' (modern:Zadar), since they were followed by favourable winds.