possest the Kings minde that he could not see nor behold the said Princes merites much lesse acknowledge them so that in the end after hee had many yeares patiently borne and supported all the indignities that Enuy hatred and euill will could or might suggest Falling into despight and Dispaire he ranne headlong into his owne ruyne at the hazard of the affaires of him that was the cause thereof These are examples of times past and now behold one of the present time an Example which serueth for the subiect of this Apologie The most Illustrious Prince Ernestus Earle of Manssield Marquisse of Castell Nouo and Bontighere Baron of Heldrungen and great Marshall of the Army Royall of the Kingdome of Bohemia and the Prouinces incorporated thereunto hauing had that happy successe to make his Valour and Fidelity knowne vnto the Sonne of Mars S. A. S. of Sanoy hauing borne his Armes into Bohemia for the seruice of that Crowne made great offers vnto the same exposed his life and meanes for the good thereof and to conclude hauing done all that which a great and Valiant Knight of his profession could or might doe Behold certaine euill willers transported by the violence of her accursed passions set vpon him and couertly vnder-hand seeke to vndermine the foundations of his Reputation to make his whitenesse seeme blacke and his fidelity suspitious blaming him as if he had had some intelligence with the Enemy that he would take his part and afterward sell the Towne of Pilsen when it was besieged vnto him for money And in a word they charge him with Treason in stead of recompencing him for his Fidelity The rumour whereof spread abroad throughout all the Countrey of Bohemia Germany Italy and France and in all other places Time certainely is the mother of Truth which at the last although it bee hidden and couered by obscurity commeth forth into the light Veritatem tempus in Lucem eruit saith an Ancient wise man But in the meane time he that is bitten and wounded by slaunder cannot chuse but feele the panges thereof yea and in a manner dye with griefe if it be great if no remedy be procured for the same Now as great and valiant Courages are hardned in greatest dangers and apprehend no perill so they passe not greatly neither yet any whit esteeme of her woundes accounting them to be the same which they receiue by the Armes of Mars But seeing that experience and the Examples of times past make vs see and finde the contrary and that it is a dangerous thing to seeke to defend our selues against Slaunder onely with the buckler of patience it is requisite to proceed with Armes and to fight against this fury in the genesis thereof All other Armes the more they are distant from the hand from whence they were sent so much the more violence and force they lose But those of slaunder are cleane contrary for the further they are from the hand so much the more force they haue and feare nothing more then to meete and encounter at handy blowes with the party Then in stead of flying from them we must approach neare vnto them wee must cast off our Dublets and shew them our naked breasts That is the buckler and the Target of steele which wholly and vtterly repulseth them That is it which wee shoote at in this Apologie we seeke to defend the Innocency of the said Prince against the Impostures of this infernall fury and to that end wee will produce him in open Field by the representation of his valorous exploits and by his owne permission wee will open his Dublet and let you see his naked breast a white breast which neuer was made blacke with Infidelity nor stayned with the colour of the Indian Sunne As men know a Tree by the fruit so we know a man by his workes It is his actions that wee meane which we will make to appeare at the least in such wherein he hath had a part during this Warre and will so liuely discribe them one after the other to the end that they may be seene of euery one that in time to come they may be knowne by euery man and in the end be vnto him a fortresse against the slaunderous assaults of his euill willers We will begin with the treaty of Conuention with the States of Bohemia made with him and will set it down in English to serue for a frontispece and a foundation of this worke The tenure whereof is as followeth VVee N. N. N. N. the Directors and Counsellours of the Realme of Bohemia thereunto Deputed with full Authority and power by all the 3. Euangelicall Estates of this Crowne make knowne vnto all men by these presents That forasmuch as the state of the Affaires of this Realme requireth to prouide our selues of a Valiant Generall of the Artillery and a Colonell of a certaine number of Souldiers thereby to strengthen the Armies which wee haue leuyed for the Defence of this Crowne To that end wee haue chosen the most Illustrious Prince Ernestus Earle of Mansfield Baron of Heldrungen Colonell of the Lords the vnited Electors Princes and States of the Romane Empire and Generall of the Germaine Troupes of S. A. S. the Duke of Sauoy and that in regard of the good experience that hee hath had in Marshall affaires as also of other his Noble qualities and according to the Articles made betweene vs haue made and declared him to bee Generall of the Artillery and Colonell of a Regiment of Dutch Soldiers from two to 4000. men to serue vs and the said Lords of the Three Estates as long as this Warre shall continue As by these presents wee declare and establish him so to bee to the end that he may be knowne and holden for the same In regard whereof the said Count Mansfield hath offered to assemble his Troupes with as much speed possible as he may or can and of himselfe to arme them as need requireth And with as many Horsmen as hee can get to come hither into Bohemia to the place appointed which when time serueth shall bee set downe vnto him and at the furthest within Fourteene dayes by that meanes to serue this Crowne and the State thereof wheresoeuer it shall bee needfull and requisite and by Gods helpe to Defend the same against all their Enemies according to the good trust and confidence that wee haue reposed in him Assuring him that wee will satisfie and content him for the said Offices of Generall of the Artilliry and Colonell according to the vse and custome of the Warre and the agreement made with him in such manner that hee shall thinke himselfe to be well pleased and contented And further as well for our selues as for the said Lords the Euangelicall States of this Crowne wee protest and promise to requite the good endeauours of the said Earle in all occasions by all kindes of good Offices In witnesse whereof we haue hereunto put our Seales Giuen in the Castle
Lord began to turne her backe against him and prepared a crosse for him The 10. of Iune anno 1619. shee gaue him the blowe checke and almost a mate VVe will declare the circumstances thereof in some sort for speciall cause He had Commission to leaue certaine men in the Garrisons for the Defence and keeping of them and with the rest to goe and joyne himselfe with the Army that lay before Budweis and in pursuite of that Commission he departed from Pilsen and went to Portewin an houres going from Vodnian where he attended for 500. Horsmen that the Earle was to bring vnto him there he expected them from day to day In the meane time the Generals prest him to goe forward without staying any longer for them so the Tenth of the said month he departed from thence with his Troupes being about 8. Companies of Foote but not compleat because of the Garrisons aforesaid and about 450. Horsmen among the said Garrisons there was one of 30. Souldiers in a Village called Netoliz on the right hand of the way which the Generall held The euening before his departure the Hungarians that serued the Enemy set Fire thereon and constrained the Garrison to withdraw themselues into the Church The Generall being arriued with the Army at Zablatti in Dutch Grossen Lasken a Village distant about a Germane myle and a halfe from the said Netoliz was aduertised by the Earle of Solmes who as then was at Vodnian with charge to prouide for the said Garrisons that the said Souldiers yet made resistance and desired him to ayde them to goe thither with the Army my Lord found it to be a dangerous matter to abandon them he feared a reproach Therefore he resolued vpon another course and commaunded the body of his Army to stay there while he himselfe with 150. Horsemen ranne thither causing part of them to stay by the way to ayde him in his retraict and to the same end commanded 400. Muskatiers to march to lye in Ambuscado and to stay his returne He thereupon put forward with the rest of his Horsemen and met with the Hungarians whom he valiantly charged but the first part of them being seconded by a great number of others and by some Troupes of Cuirasses he was constrained to retire by another way without hauing meanes to preuaile of the aduantage which he prouided for himselfe by the Ambuscado which neuerthelesse hee caused to be aduertised that they should slide along through the Wood and by the water side and so get to the Army which they effected in such manner that they safely arriued there but yet were narrowly pursued by the Enemy In the meane time the Earle of Bucquoy with the maine body of his Army consisting of 5000. Horse and 4000. footmen marched forward following the traces of the said Lord Generall who being come to the Village where the rest of his men stayed for him and thinking to refresh himselfe sodainly all the Earle of Bucquoyes Army shewed it selfe Whereupon the Generall mounted on Horsebacke with all his Souldiers in order of Battaile commanded them to make a Fortification or sconse of Waggons which was presently begun on the left side but by reason that the VVaggoners were put into a great feare by the running away of certaine Caroches it was not made round about as it should haue bin The length of the Village was behinde at the backe of the Generals Army his Horsemen being deuided into 3. Battalions in manner of a Triangle the better to ayde one the other The Foot-men were behinde and the Carriage in the middle being 4. Companies on the left hand and 3. on the right and one before the Carriage all in such manner disposed that the Horsmen had meanes to be defended by the Muskatiers The Enemy being very neere and all the field couered ouer with his horsemen my Lord Generall set vpon those that were formost and scattered certaine Squadrons of Hungarians but the Cuirassiers belonging to the Baron of Walstein comming forward he was repulsed and so whotly charged on all sides that he was put to flight A little before the Enemy began to giue the on-set 50. Souldiers of the Colonels company that were on the right side were commaunded to goe to the Generals lodging to defend it and the little Street betweene both but as they went the rest of the Company followed them by misunderstanding And the two other Companies did the like and were no sooner gone but the Enemies entred into their places who acknowledging and perceiuing their errour turned backe againe to place themselues as they were at the first but then it was too late in such manner that they were constrayned to looke for their owne safety There was a Wood beyond the Village whether they sought to retire but finding themselues to bee out of the Village to crosse ouer a plaine They were presently enuironed on all sides by the Hungarians and so hardly charged that few of them could saue themselues the rest were either slaine or taken prisoners In the meane time the horsemen were broken part of the footmen lost and the fiue Companies remaining in great hazard to be spoyled Carpezo the Serieant Maior the Rhingraue The Captaines Haid Scheammerdorf and N. commaunding them had the great body of the Enemies forces before them the fire at their backes and all the Amunition except some carkes of powder with all the carriage burning whereby they were put to their shifts and if they had any blood at their fingers ends it was then time for them to shew it as it became them Assoone as the horsemen were dispierced the Enemy began to set vpon the fiue Companies on all sides where they could come at them and they defended themselues valiantly as they were in a Garden hauing the aduantage of a hedge which was a good defence and safegard vnto them The Earle of Bucquoy made certaine peeces of Cannon to be shot at them on that side thinking to beat it downe but he could not doe it that day The Sunne shone very hot and the heat that encreased by the fire that burnt in the Village was the cause that the fire which the Enemy put into the hedge easily burnt but the diligence of those that were assayled surmounting all difficulties presently quenched it In the meane time the Generall without any astonishment at that disorder had reassembled and gathered his horsemen againe together and with them forcibly past through the Hungarians squadrons and ranne too and fro in field and returned againe into the Village with an intent to mount vpon a fresh horse and to put on his Cuirasse being then vnarmed But hee found his lodging already taken vp by the Enemy and that side of the Village that was behind at the backe of his Souldiers all set on fire which notwithstanding he sought by all the meanes he could to get among his footmen but the way was stopt on all sides At the last as hee turned and lookt about
heare any newes of them they had quartered themselues in Eutopia therefore it is no more speaking of them Thereupon the Lord Marshall made complaint vnto the land officers who for an excuse made answer that they had receiued a countermaund and were sent to Piseck Vodnian and the places thereabouts to secure them against Don Balthasars forces Whether that were true or no we cannot tell but it is certaine that the enemie soone after wanne all those places as if no forces had beene in them Briefly the Lord Marshall seeing himselfe destitute of succours and that the enemie followed close vpon him fearing lest they should take the way of Pilsen before him resolued to retire and lodge there as indeed he did And thus ended the month of September He being receiued found there such wants and defaults as nothing more the fortifications very little furthered want of labourers of timber for the Pallisadoes and of money to supply all he once againe tooke pen in hand to write to the land officers shewing them of all these wants and the danger they were likely to be in if all were not supplied in time But especially he requested they would send him in some munition that he might be competently prouided to hold out a siege and money to satisfie the officer and souldier for otherwise it might be feared the discontent already they were in might burst out into a mutinie to the great preiudice of the place and cause Of these letters he had a faire answer but to no effect according to their custome In the meane time the Lord Marshall who well foresaw that the enemie who had aduanc't himselfe daily with a puissant Armie forcing all the places where ere he came would not be slacke to come and visit him did not sleepe for his part but made the Boores as many as he could get to worke in the fortifications and caused good store of timber to be brought in for the Pallisadoes and of corne and meale all that he could puruey Briefly he did all that the time and necessitie required to fortifie himselfe against the enemie who was violently comming vpon him Neither was the enemie all this while idle but grew stronger daily by maine force making himselfe master of whatsoeuer might any way oppose him Then also Vodnian Prachaditz Winterberg and Pisek were wonne with great effusion of bloud Schuttenhofen yeelded without stroke striking The like had befallen to Taux and Glatta had not the Lord Marshall strengthned them with new supplies which he had sent in thither to lie in garrison so that the enemie found more to doethere then at the other places Within Taux there were two or three troupes of horse and some few foot all commanded by the Rittmeister Claudius Linstaw He is master of all the Cavaileâ—â—e Don Balthasar came hither to asseige it with a great power of foot and horse and with 7. peeces of Cannon began to batter it first on one side and then on the other they within the Towne in the meane time made it good with all their best endeuours But the Towne being hard laid at on all sides and not well prouided of munition and especially wanting powder after a few dayes resistance by the aduice of the said Lord Marshall gaue it vp vpon composition Into Glatta the Lord Marshall had sent 200 musketiers with certaine companies of landfolke that were there vnder the command of Sir Thomas Ferenz who was charged by the Lord Marshall not to tyre out himselfe in regard the place could not be long kept but to quit it before he was driuen to extremities lest they should lose themselues to no purpose From Taux Don Balthasar went to besiege Glatta batterd it and tooke it in by composition His Highnesse arriued with his Armie at Crassitz fiue leagues from Prague and wrote to the Lord Marshall the 3. of October that he should come from Pilsen with such forces as he could draw out leauing a sufficient garrison in it to ioyne with his Armie The day after he sent him againe the same command The Lord Marshall doubting his Highnesse was not throughly enough informd of the estate of the garrison of Pilsen sent Captaine Roy Quartermaster generall to shew him the necessitie the place had to keepe still all the forces then within it if they meant still to hold it offering notwithstanding vnto his Highnesse that if he would appoint him the expresse number of men and cannon which he would haue sent without leauing it to his discretion he was ready to obey him The 10. of October behold Generall Bucquoy and the Duke of Bauaria with their whole Armie began to shew themselues before Pilsen and very neere the Towne The outworkes were not yet in case to be defended nor were there forces enough to man them besides all other discommodities which vse to fall out where money is wanting So as if at the instant the enemie with those great forces he drew after him had attempted the place he had certainly either carried it or at the least driuen it to strange extremities The Lord Marshall the more leisure he perceiued they let him haue the more diligence he vsed He caused all his souldiers to worke by course day and night in the fortifications he enquired and borrowed money of his Captaines wheresoeuer he could finde it to giue the souldier some content and did so well and fairely that within few dayes the workes were defenseable All things going thus on the King with his Armie was arriued at Rokezan some two leagues from Pilsen in the way towards Prague The Count Bucquoy a wise and old Captaine seeing the resolution of the Lord Marshall and that to force the place would both lose time and many a braue man cast how to get it by policie Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat and plotted how to make way into Pilson by sending in thither K. Philip of Macedons mule he had intelligence from thence of the ill managing of businesse amongst some principall personages of that partie and of the discontent giuen to the Lord Marshall and well knew there is nothing that can put a noble spirit sooner from his posture then enuie Caesar was ambitious but for that he had neuer turned the point of his sword against his natiue country if enuie had not ouercome him And Charles of Burbon had neuer taken a resolution so contrary to his Countries good had he not met with this passion the most violent of all others and which only ouerbeares the greatest courages He studies therefore how to gaine him that was most potent in that place and whosoeuer had voices in this counsell held it so easie to bee brought about that they no way doubted of the issue yea they were so confident that a rumor was spread throughout the Armie as of a thing already done and effected Now notwithstanding that the bare euent might testifie Ger-contrary yet for that it is published throughout all
the many and that there is no biting of calumnie which leaues not behinde it some scarre to the blemish of his honour that hath once beene calld in question if presently it be not washt off with the pure substance of the truth I would not let to set downe for the Reader so much as should be necessarie by the true narration of that which passed about this matter Ioachim de Carpzo Lieutenant Colonell of one of the Regiments of my Lord Marshall was yet prisoner with the enemie euer since the last summer when he was taken at Glax in Austria Him they made choise of to be an instrument of their designe to perswade the Lord Marshall to leaue the place to the Emperor in consideration of the reward promised him which was great as t is commonly in such a case in a word mountaines of gold He desirous to part from them to procure his ransome agreeth the willinger to take such a commission vpon him But as the common prouerbe saith A thin lining agreeth not with a thin outside If the Count Bucquoy be honest the Count Mansfield is iust if the one be quicke of sight the other is swift of foot He was not so foolish nor so ill a merchant to make so bad a bargaine and to sell his honour being inestimable for a thing that perisheth to loose in one houre what he had beene so long in getting with such labours and danger of his life He had too staid a iudgement and a spirit better lodged then to play such a Clerkes tricke The Count Bucquoy thought he had knowne him but knew him not This messenger then being arriued and doing what he had in commission the Lord Marshall sent him presently to his Highnesse the Prince of Anhalt who caused him to be examined by three persons set on to sound the depth of this plot The Lord Marshall for his part made this occasion of worth to doe his Master seruice by whose consent he gaue care to the Count Bucquoy that he might in the while gaine time and to make his out-workes defenceable offers to treat with him but vpon this condition that first of all he should see right done to the Rittmeister Linstau whose troupes being gone from Heiden in fauour of the capitulation of Taux were spoiled by the souldiers of the said Count Bucquoy who now the more to further this treatie endeuoured by all means to giue satisfaction to the said Captaine Linstau Diuers ranne vp and downe about this satisfaction but so much time was imployed about the accessarie that they had no leisure to come to the principall While these things were on foot the Prince of Anholt sent for Colonel Pobliz to come to Pilsen vnder pretext to view the fortifications but his meaning was as a man may easily discerne to get a more exact insight into this negotiation who being returned and hauing made report of his commission to his Maiestie his Highnesse wrote to the Lord Marshall in these termes My Lord the Lord Pobliz hath well satisfied the King who you may assure your selfe reposes great confidence in you and holds you in his good grace c. From Rockelzan the 18. of October 1620. The next day hee wrote to him againe and amongst other passages one clause to this effect Furthermore I am aduertised when the enemie shall vnderstand that the treatie of Pilsen takes no effect he will make his approch to the place and entrench himselfe about it This is to shew that the Lord Marshall did nothing in a thing of such consequence without the aduise and consent of his Maiestie and his Generall The same day of the said month about 9. of the clocke at night he wrote another which I will adioyne to the same end My Lord although I am of the same opinion with you to gaine time yet so it is that his Maiestie after he had deliberately considered that of all that can happen this is the most expedient that you breake off the action and when it be performed that you will be pleased to send it leauing to your discretion and will the disposing of the two Companies whereof you wrote vnto me c. This is for substance the true discourse of this treatie that hath cast such mists ouer the ignorant and giuen such hopes to the enemie In this time were presented some faire occasions to the enemie to doe vs hurt because of our want of horse which were all at Rokelzan in the Campe whither the Lord Marshall was gone to finde the King to kisse his hand and to take leaue of his Maiestie following the Articles of Bechin as it came to passe The Count Bucquoy perceiuing at length that golden nets would not take this Lion and that it was more necessarie to vse his iron and steele resolued to try his force for which purpose he caused great store of faggots to be made entending without question to giue a generall assault But changing his minde he rose with his whole Armie the twentie one of the said month to passe the water aboue Pilsen and draw towards Sozergrais and so towards Prague When he had passed the water his reareward was lodged halfe an houres march from Pilsen The next day the Count Hollach came with all the Kings horse as well Germans as Hungarians and with 3000. musketeers within one houres march of Pilsen where the Lord Marshall meeting with him amongst other discourses propounded to him a meanes how to cut off the Reare of the enemie That is if he would please to aduance his troupes himselfe would ioyne with him with the best that he had in Pilsen and charging thus ioyntly the enemie who had also some disaduantages they should certainly beat the Reareward or at least greatly distresse them But the Count thought it the better way to turne backe and take the passage to cut off the enemies way to Prague His Highnesse being possest for that purpose of Raconiz the two Armies houered some time thereabouts with various successe according to the course of the warres At the last comming so neere that it was thought the Count Bucquoy would hazard a battell his Highnesse aduised the Lord Marshall inuited him to come and attend his pleasure who thanked him heartily and assured him that as this was an occasion he had alwayes sought so would he not now slack to put himselfe forward with all readinesse for that he should now be assured there to be entertained in the qualitie of a Marshall of the field to command according to his charge desiring his Highnesse that hee would send him word with all speed and to rest assured that in such a cause he would faile him in nothing Therefore to lose no more time and withall to know the short and the long presently after this letter he dispatcht Sir Thomas Ferenz with charge to sollicite his Highnesse in his behalfe and to draw him to a speedy resolution The said Lieutenant Ferenz went thence post but because