Macariæ Excidium;

OR, THE

DESTRUCTION OF CYPRUS;

Containing

The last Warr and Conquest of that Kingdom. Written originally in Syriac by PHILOTAS PHYLOCYPRES. Translated into Latin by GRATIANUS RAGALLUS, P. R.

And now Made into English

By

Colonel CHARLES O KELLY.

Anno Domini

1692.

GRATIANUS RAGALLUS, P. R.

Health to the Reader.

N my youthfull Travailes in Asia, I mett an Europe. old Manuscript in the Syrian Language, containing a brief History of the last War and Conquest of Cyprus, which I brought along Ireland. with me, and laid it up among my Books, without takeing further Notice of it at that Time; untill now of late I begann to consider that some of our present Transactions here in Europe seem to carry noe

PREFATIO.

NUM Asiam olim adolescens peragrarem, more humani ingenii novi

CM.4 sim ol en adventi cupiditate incensus vetusta rerum monu

menta locosque famâ celebratos cognoscendi, in antiquum forte manuscriptum incidi vulgari Syrorum linguâ exaratum, in quo brevis sed accurata narratio continebatur supremi illius ac funesti belli, quo universa Cyprus eversa atque in hostium potestatem redacta est; eumque mecum nec mole gravem nec lectu injucundum in Patriam denuo revertens attuli, atque in Musæo, reliquos inter libros, absque ulteriori sub id tempus curâ, indiligenter reposui. At nunc demum seriò mecum revolventi, et crebris cogitationibus subinde retractanti, quantâ affinitate nuperæ in

Colonel Charles
O'Kelly.

Irish.
English.

Ireland.

small Resemblance with severall Passages in that History, which gave me the Curiosity to translate it out of Syriac into the Latin Tongue, and perhaps I had the Vanity to believe that my Labour would not be ungratefull to others, and especially to you, courteous Reader, to whom I now present it.

2. The Author was Phylotas, for the singular Love he bore his Country comonly called Philo-Cypres. His Extraction by the Father of an antient Cyprian Family, and by the Mother of an old Cilician Race, made him equally concerned for both; and his being an Eyewitness of the most memorable Actions happening in the Island of Cyprus in his own Time, renders the Authority of his Writeing unquestionable. He compiled this short Treatis soon after the Conquest of his Country and in his old Age, least the Fates by cutting of the Thread of his Life might disable him to leave the more copious Relation to Posterity, as he designed.

Europa res nonnullos historiæ illius casus exitusque contingerent, ingens cupido incessit eam e Syriaco Latinum in sermonem vertendi, eoque seu veræ seu vanæ spei processi, ut suscepto hoc labore, facturum me aliis operæ pretium arbitrarer, nec tibi, Amice Lector, rem ingratam, cujus tum judicio tum favori hoc qualecumque munus offertur.

2. Authorem habuit Philotam, ob magnam suam in Patriam charitatem Philo-Cypren vulgo nominatum: paternum genus e vetustissimo [Milesianorum.] Galamidarum sanguine, maternum a Cilicibus exortum, æquo propinqui

tatis jure utrorumque rebus devinxit: cumque ipse casus omnes memoratu maxime dignos quibus Cyprus ea tempestate nobilitata est, oculis usurpaverit, eorumque eventuum, qui aut gloriam apud posteros, aut infamiam mererentur, præsens testis fuerit, scriptis eum suis, indubitatæ veritatis authoritatem acquisivisse par est. Hanc Epitomen vergentibus jam in senium annis, et sub luctuosum illud Patriæ excidium composuit, ne inclementi fatorum lege præreptus majùs et uberius opus, quod animo meditabatur, posteritatis memoriæ commendare non posset.