The state of society--Greater and lesser boyards--Taxation and oppression of the peasantry--Immorality of the boyards--The priesthood--Officers of State--Classes of peasantry--Rise of the towns--The soldiery--Aggressions of Turks and Tartars--Michael the Brave--His rise to power--Accession to the throne (1594)--Remonstrances with the Porte--Alliance with Hungary and Poland--Massacre of the Turks--Anecdote--Conspiracy against Michael quelled--The Turks attacked and routed on the Danube--Invasion of Wallachia by Achmed Pasha--His defeat--Michael swears fealty to Sigismund of Transylvania--Second Turkish invasion by Sinan Pasha--Determined stand of Michael at Giurgevo--Retreat of Michael and battle of Kalugereni--Defeat of Sinan--Retreat of Michael--Occupation of Wallachia by Sinan--Michael and his allies take the offensive--Flight of Sinan and slaughter of the Turks at Giurgevo--The Turks expelled--Peace in Wallachia--Intrigues of Michael--Accession of Andreas Bathori--Invasion and conquest of Transylvania by Michael--His triumph--Michael, Prince of Transylvania--Further intrigues--Invasion and conquest of Moldavia--Michael in the zenith of his power--Feud with the nobles--Michael encounters them at Miriszlo--Their Austrian ally, General Basta--Defeat and flight of Michael--Anecdote--Continued misfortunes of Michael--Petitions the Emperor--Is permitted to visit him--Recall of Sigismund Bathori--Michael reinstated by the Emperor--Invades Transylvania in alliance with Basta--Defeat of the nobles at Gorozlo--Quarrels of the victorious generals--Basta determines to remove Michael--Employs a Walloon officer to assassinate him--Michael murdered in his tent (1601)--Flight of his boyards--The German Court refuses to reward Basta's treachery. I.