These people haue two mighty great armies, and infinite store of victualls, by reason of the fruitfulnesse of theyr country, they are also well prouided of all manner of preparation for war, & cunning in the practise of theyr weapons. They say they will come & recouer the land of Promise, towards the which the first army is already very neere, to the great terror and dread of euery man which hath either seene or heard of them. The spyes which haue been sent out by the great turke to discry them, doe affirme, that beside a hundred and two armies, there followe an infinite number of people, as well footmen as horsemen, and theyr first armie is already arriued upon the limmits of Turkie, putting all to fire and sword. Theyr language is bastard Hebrew: & because men speake much of it heere, I will not forget to speake also something thereof woorthy to be noted, and well understoode: The Hebrewes of Constantinople say, that they haue certaine prophesies, among the which one maketh mention, that from the foure parts of the world, shall rise a people, and come into Gog and Magog, and then shall appeare (as they perswade themselues) their _Messias_ in might and power, and then they shall haue dominion and rule in the world, whereof they secretly reioyce, & are wonderous glad. They say moreouer, that there is a prophecie grauen in a piller set at _Podromo_ which saith thus: A mightie Prince shall rise, whose beginning shall be of small reputation, who by his Issue shal war of such force and strength (with the helpe of God) that he shall bring to nothing, the empire and rule of _Ottoman_, and shal be the right possessour and inheritor of the Empire of _Constantinople_, & they beleeue all that it shall be this Emperor and duke of _Muscouia_, which is alreadie in great estimation among the Greeks. The Turks haue a prophecie, which they sing often, and weepe bitterlie the while, for it betokeneth and denounceth unto them, their utter ruine and destruction. And although it seeme strange, to say that the Turkes haue prophecies, it is no meruaile: for _Balam_ was a false Prophet: the _Sybilles_ also prophecied and were Pagans. For all these causes the great Turke hath forbidden wine & will that all men goe fiue times in a day to the _Moschea_, and pray to God for theyr health and saftie. And so hee prepareth three great armies, one against the _Muscouites_ another against the _Soffie_, and the third for to goe against the _Hebrewes_ of the Mountaines of _Caspij_. Within these fewe dayes you shall haue other newes, wherefore thus making an end, I commend me unto your good Lordship: from _Rome_, the first day of June, 1606. Your faithfull and trustie seruant, _Signior Valesco_. _The description of the first Armie, conducted_ by _Zoroam_ a Iew, Captaine generall of the Armies.