Book - The Sieges of Nicosia and Famagusta Cyprus - FREE ebook

Available as a FREE Google ebook - "The Sieges of Nicosia and Famagusta Cyprus - with a sketch of the earlier history of Cyprus" - edited from Midgley's translation of Bishop Graziani's History of the War of Cyprus by Claude Delaval Cohham, was published in 1899 by St. Vincent's Press, London.

NOTE (From Preface of Book)

Visitors to the island commonly ask why and how the English came to Cyprus. A few go even further back, and ask how the Turks got here. To the second and easier question this little book supplies an answer. A new one cannot be written yet. There are plans to be drawn, sites o be identified, the archives of Venice to be explored. But from a number of writers who have narrated with more or less of spirit and accuracy the Turkish Conquest of Cyprus, I have selected Bishop Graziani to tell the traveller the tragedy of the sieges of Nicosia and Fama- gusta, of Mustafa's perfidy and the magnificent constancy of Bragadino. Contemporary, but less continuous, accounts of the same events may be found in my Excerpta Cypria.

Antonmaria Graziani, the son of noble Tuscan parents, was born at Borgo S. Sepolcro, October 23, 1537, and died March 16, 1611, in loco. Clement VIII. made him Bishop of Amelia, and sent him as Nuncio to invite the Princes of Italy to join the league against the Turk. In this mission he acquired the knowledge which inspired him to compose his five books De Bello Cyprio. The work, written in elegant Latin, was first printed at Borne in 1624 by his nephew Carlo, was translated into French by M. Lepeletier, 4to. Paris, 1685, and into English (8vo. London, 1687) by Eobert Midgley, whose Epistle Dedicatory celebrated the "Wisdom and Courage," the "Inflexible Loyalty," the " Great and Exemplary Virtues " of George, Lord Jeffreys, Lord High Chancellor of England.

Graziani was reckoned one of the most graceful writers of his age. Midgley may be taken to have made English Lepeletier's French, in which case both translators have departed widely from the Latin original. But Midgley is spirited and quaint, and after comparing it carefully with Graziani's Latin I print his version with such corrections as were really necessary.

The siege of Nicosia fills pp. 62—97 of Graziani, and 73—113 of Midgley. That of Famagusta pp. 173—189 of Graziani, 194—212 of .his translator.

For the life of Graziani see Tiraboschi, Libro iii. cap. 54, vol. vii. p. 935.