lusty They were 12. Brigades of Foote besides commanded Muskettiers but of the Horse I have no certaintie The Imperialists hauing here broken downe the bridge the King causeth it to be repaired over which August the 20. in the euening the Army marched entrenching the same night before Bruck Now were 3. Regiments sent over to take up the passage at Furt which were the English the Blue and the Greene Regiments who there entrenching themselues Major-Generall Kniphausen came to commaund over them A solemne day of praier being had in the Swedish Leaguer for the happy ioyning and good successe of the Armies the King quitting his Trenches about Norimberg came the 21. Altogether ioyning with the King before Walensteins Trenches of August to meete the Chancellors Army they likewise advancing to meete him ioyned both Armies together about 12. or one a clocke the selfe same Tuesday All then being drawne up into Battaglia before the enemies Trenches stood there all that day to make a Brave upon him And thus haue I concluded this long digression for bringing up of all the Kings forces to him which if the Readers censure for too long an interuption from the Kings Storie I must in stead of answering craue a faire pardon of them And yet to say something towards a Reason Besides that it had beene pitty to have lost all their Stories I knew not on the sudden how to drop all these Armies out of the cloudes into the Kings Leaguer nor how bluntly and all at once to shoote them in an Engine as farre as Norimberg and therefore have I brought them faire and softly upon their feete all the way out of their severall Stations Now was the King resolued to bring the whole cause to a day of hearing and that as loud as the Cannons could roare it He was now full 36000. men in field though not all then in Battaglia The King of Bohemia by this time well recovered of his Leaguer-sicknesse was in the field with him The fight described August 21. both the Kings being desirous to tempt the enemy out of his Campe into faire Campagnia fully purposed if that offer were refused to set upon him in his Trenches And so might they if they pleased Walenstein would not budge a foote out of his Quarters On the Norimberg side of his Trenches therefore the King casts up three great Batteries and from thence plaid incessantly into Walensteins Quarters he thundering as furiously upon them againe The Swedish Muskettiers going neerer the Trenches were with small shot answered from them againe but neither small nor great shot did much harme upon one another sauing onely that Generall Banier going too neere to view a worke received a Musket bullet in the left arme above the elbow where it was left sticking The next day the King caused some greater peeces of Ordnance to be mounted upon his Batteries some of which shot 21. August 22. pound ball and some 42. Walenstein answering with some that shot 48. These roared upon one another for a great time together but the Kings plainely did little spoile upon the enemies The Walsteiners wisely withdrew themselues out the beate and raking of the Swedish Ordnance which were after the making of 700. shot perceived to doe more execution on the earth and trees then upon the enemies Now was it with perspective glasses to be discerned from off the Kings Batteries that there was scarce a Walsteiner to be seene stirring For this reason the King causeth his Ordnance to be dismounted not willing to smoake away so much powder in squibs nor to doe no more then plowe vp the ground with the grazing of so many bullets of that weight and height meerely shot off at an empty randome Yet one shot let me not omit because the King made it The King as t is written spying in the morning with his perspectiue from one of his Batteries a gallant Cavalier mounted and prancing before his Companies that surely saith the King should be either Walenstein or Altringer and have at him Causing therefore a peece to be traversed and bent full upon him the King tooke his levell and bade giue fire to it Vp into the aire flew the Cavalier horse and man but it proved to be but a Colonell The King having dismounted his owne Cannon and given order to haue the Norimbergers drawne out into the Trenches about the Towne he that day and the next passes the most part of his Army over the river Rednitz a little aboue Furt before named His purpose in it was to possesse himselfe of a certaine hill thereby by advantage whereof hee hoped assuredly either to batter out or beate out the enemy from his Quarters This done the 24. of our August being Saint Bartholomewes day was resolued upon for the generall onset The same 23. of August fell there out a skirmish on the further side of the Rednitz betwixt the Crabats and the Kings people at which whilest amongst other Gentlemen Master William Harvey before named was desirous to be present he was most unfortunately drowned in passing ouer the river A Gentleman he was who might one day haue merited a place in our owne Chronicles for few young Sparkes were there among the Nobility of any Nation either finelier made up more gentilely bred or more completely improued Nor is this more then a moderate Laudative of him for so say they that could iudge him very great therefore is the losse of such a Sonne to his honourable Parents but greater will be the want of such as he to his Native Countrey Walenstein perceiuing the Kings intention he the better to assure his Cannon and Ammunition retired himselfe into the Forest called Altemberg which belongeth unto the Marquesse of Onspach Here could he make use likewise of a certaine old Fortresse which had beene a Lodge or some such like thing in the younger dayes of it Here likewise did he very strongly entrench himselfe and barricadoed up all the wayes by cutting downe the trees round about him The hill was high and very steepe craggie withall and bushie so that it was an impossible thing almost to be taken from an enemy that had any courage to dispute it The Duke of Bavariaes Quarters as it hapned were at that time neerest to the King and the danger and among his men the Canon bullets mostly lighted The great fight August 24. Bartholmew day being comne the worke was begun with Prayers for the happy successe of it So the King of Sweden still used nor thought he himselfe either arm'd or valiant till he had prayed That morning about nine a clocke was there a certaine Footman or Lackey of Altringers brought prisoner to the King who as by pregnant circumstances was afterwards collected had beene purposely exposed by the enemy to be taken prisoner by us This slye fellow very confidently informed the King How that the most part of Walensteins Horse had already forsaken their Quarters and were about to runne
Swabach They rambled up and downe as farre as Vffenhaim also eight miles more to the Westward Kitzingen and Swinfort both were in some dread of them but that the river Mayn was a good Barricadoe betwixt them and the present danger All that countrey likewise which you see bounded with that mightie compasse of the river Mayne to the Northward even from Bamberg unto this Kitzingen was daily ouer-run and brought under contribution by their Horse-Partees On the Northern side of the Mayne also those Crabats that had their Quarters in and about Bamberg did at pleasure roave up and downe the countrey euen unto the very walles of Wurtsburg Due South of Norimberg moreover even as farre as the Bishopricke of Aichstet for above 30 English miles together was all at their devotion and did daily furnish the Imperiall Leaguer with provisions The Crabats who are the ranke-ryders and common harryers of the Imperiall Army had by this time plundered Hippolstein a pretty Towne betwixt Norimberg and Aichstet Having lodged there a-while they set it on fire at parting barbarously enough laughing at the poore mens miseries That they never used to pay their Hosts in other money The Townes of Carelsberg and Rostall on the West of Norimberg were also so served None faring so well as those that worst used them and that had the courage to let flye their Ordnance amongst them And thus farre was our Generalissimo absolute Master of the Field excepting those good Townes onely which had Swedish garrisons in them All this was done by the middle of Iuly 1632. and now turne wee backe againe unto Norimberg We told you before of the good order taken by Walenstein for the victualing of his Army which for all his care must be contented with the entertainment of the Warres and with many an Italian dinner The Generalissimo's ordinary dyet was sixe dishes a meale and two bottles of wine to it as long as it lasted The Kings table perchance was nothing better serv'd as relying wholly upon the Magazine of Norimberg Hence as I find it from severall hands assured was his Campe furnished with 8000 pound of bread 80000 some name daily The Norimbergers wanted Milles rather then come which the enemy had burnt downe Both parties were faine to Steward their provisions as thriftily as they could Walenstein that he might haue enough to starve the King withall and the King to be able to hold out till his sureties those other Armies which he had now sent for should be comne up to baile him That which most necessitated both the Armies was want of straw and Horse-meate for which whiles both sides sent out a foraging there fell out many a shrewd bickering betweene them one side carrying away oftentimes what the others had before mowed Walenstein kept his Army all this while under very good discipline nor durst he leave them any more at large unto the libertie of that former licentiousnesse which in other Warres they had beene let loose unto He very well knew how neere he now was unto a King of Sweden who still as any of the Imperialists durst venture abroad a Boot-haling had ever some Partee or other upon the the powles of them And in the same manner were the Swedes also served both sides taking their turnes according to advantage The first Warre that Walenstein now made with the King was a contention of courtesie for the man certainly is a gallant spirited personage and full of noblenesse Hee first of all and without ransome sent him home his well esteemed Colonell Dubatell whom as in the latter end of our Second Part we told you he had lately taken prisoner about Newmarckt With him sent he the King this complement That he had no other ambition Walenstein courts the King of Sweden then once to see his Majesty in good termes with the Emperour his Master and himselfe to have the honour to be the Instrument of it About a three weekes after the same courtesie did he againe unto Ritmaister Reyschel whom as he was seeking his adventure abroad the Crabats had taken prisoner His ransome did Walenstein first pay unto the takers and then entertaining him in faire manner at his owne Table franke and free sent him home after dinner with this message onely unto the King his Master That he esteemed his Majesty for the best Captaine of the World and that he would abundantly rest himselfe contented if he could not by force vanquish him yet that he might be the meanes to bring him to a good Treaty with the Emperour This being told the King as he after sate at table Hee smiling said That hee was ready to doe Walstein reason at all times The Kings answer and for that he show'd himselfe so honest a man He had no cause to wish his Person any ill the thing that he above all desired being that they two might have a crash together upon a faire campagnia Walenstein sends succour into Bavaria The Imperiall Generalissimo purposing to contract himselfe into his great Leaguer sends out first of all some of his Forces into other Countryes Some Bavarians and I have heard that there were 1â—000 of them though I beleeue not so many were sent backe into their owne Dukedome and Holck into Misnia About the 20th of Iuly was Holck Generall-Major of the Horse sent with 6000 Horse and 4000 Muskettiers towards the Duke of Saxonyes countrey His sending out of these Forces was first to giue the rest more roome at home who else should have layne more pent and pestered in their Quarters Secondly to ease himselfe of the charges of pay and victuals they abroad and why being to live as they could upon the Countrey His sending out of the Bavarians was to hinder Baniers ioyning with the King Cratz with them first way-laying him about Weissenburg and then afterwards with the helpe of Leopolds forces recovering Landsperg Schonga Fuessen and Munchen in Bavaria As for Holck he also was sent to hinder the ioyning of Duke William of Saxon-Weymar with the King and if he should come too late for that purpose then was he to fall into the Duke of Saxons Voitland and Misnia where after Duke Williams comming away he should find the lesse resistance Said it is Bavaria moues Walenstein to beate the Kings Quarter that the Duke of Bavaria should now be earnest with the Generalissimo to give on upon the King in his trenches and to venture the beating of him out before his reliefes should be comne up to him To this motion the same Relation makes Walenstein returne this answer That his Army was new as yet and if they should be beaten then were all Germany and Italy were endangered Walensteins answer but if Bavaria please to fall on first he would second him with all his forces About the end of Iuly did the Duke of Bavaria send an Expresse vnto the Count of Pappenheim to invite him rather to come with his forces from
shall thereby be kept inviolable And by these presents we doe promise and doe freely consent and grant with and upon mature deliberation that in case the neede and necessity of the Kingdome shall so require whether it be by reason of the enmity that we are already fallen into or in respect of some new enemies which haply may make opposition and enmity against our most gracious young Queene and the State of this Kingdome in one manner or other then we with life and goods are ready and willing to maintaine our right and liberties and to stand with all our might and ability in opposition against all such as shall dare to confront and withstand our proceedings 7th Article 7. Seventhly We know well enough that no Kingdome can possibly subsist without means neither can any Warre be rightly managed without great charges And therefore we have likewise thought fit and good that the Lille and Quarne Toll or Custome shall be continued for the good and profit of the Kingdome according to the order and manner as the same is now raised and received As also that the Messengerships granted the last yeere shall for this time goe forward and take place Moreover if so be that the Warre in Germany should yet longer continue or if it should happen that our Kingdome and Countrey should fasten upon some other warre and trouble We doe likewise promise and oblige our selves That when thereupon we shall be required by the Peeres States and Lords of the Realme Wee will with all our meanes power and abilities stand and fight for our Religion Queene Kingdomes and liberties Whensoever necessity shall thereunto invite us For we have ever hitherto esteemed the welfarre of our Kingdome and State to be our chiefest happinesse and therefore haue couragiously adventured both our goods and lives upon it To this wee oblige our selves by these Presents That We in all these particulars above written are resolved and have unanimously generally and particularly in our owne and in the behalfe of our brethren present and absent as well unborne as borne freely and willingly consented agreed approoved and concluded and therein sufficiently accorded and doe promise as faithfull religious and true sincere meaning Subiects to performe the same Wee the Councell State c. of Sweden have Vnderwritten and Sealed Actum At Stockholm the 14. of March 1633. The Diet of Heilbrun ANd that the Reader for a Farewell may perceiue the present constitution of the affaires in the Empire and in what good correspondency the Protestant Princes are at this present one with another and how well disposed to the continuance of the warres for so good a Cause I will conclude my Booke with that new League of these 4. Principall Circles of the Empire that is to say The Franconian Suevian the Vpper and Lower Circles of the Rhine made in the Diet of Heilbrun in the Dukedome of Wirtemberg 18. English miles from Heidleberg in the moneths of March and April last past that so my Story may end as it begun with a Diet. What Princes were present There were personally present at this meeting the Duke of Wirtemberg and the Administrator the Marquesse of Baden the Count of Hanaw with the most of the 17. Earles of Wetteraw For the Prince Elector Palatine and the Administrator Lodowicke Broâ—her to the King of Bohemia were there 4. Commissioners whereof Colonell Peblitz being the chiefe he sate above all the Princes at the upper end of the Table all the Propositions were directed towards him and he had the opening of all letters in place of the Elector Palatine There were present besides the Ambassadors of other Princes and the Deputies of the Imp. Cities in these 4. Circles The Lord Chancellor Oxenstiern by whose procurement this Diet had beene convoked had his lodging in the towne and came not at all into the State-house among the Princes but sent them in this discourse and these Propositions following which were the grounds and materialls for the Diet to worke upon His stile in the present Diet was Councellor Chancellor and Extraordinary Ambassador for the most Illustrious and High-borne the Hereditary Heyer and Princesse of the Crowne of Sweden And with this Declaration he began his Propositions Illustrious and Right Honourable Princes and States Evangeliacall here assembled I will not too much trespasse upon your patience Oxenstierns Propositions with an over tedious recitall of the Causes upon which the High and mighty Prince of ever-glorious memory Gustavus Adolphus King of Sweden c. was enforced to take Armes and openly to make opposition against the Roman Emperour Ferdinand the Second of that name and his confederates the Catholike Leaguers more and more at that time every day prevailing in their oppressions of the Evangeliacall Electors Princes and States and of their Honours priviledges and immunities all the Romane Empire over yea and most iniuriously beginning to encroach upon the next neighbour Princes and their Provinces forasmuch as these things be notorious unto the world and that the Iustice of the Kings Armes be by no man doubted of And yet some briefe recapitulation doe I thinke convenient to make of them Most apparent it is that his said sacred Maiesty now at rest in the Lord was without any formall denuntiation of warre infested by the Emperor His Ambassadors comming with the offer and meanes of a peaceable compounding of depending Controversies most disgracefull entreated yea and contrary to all lawes of nations and civility not without scornefull affronts offered turned home againe and the whole Treaty by that vsage abruptly broken off with him That his subiects of Sweden even contrary to long usage amity and Covenants heretofore in generall contracted with the Romane Empire and in particular with certaine neighbour Princes and Free-States have beene disturbed in their Commerces Embargo's laid upon their Ships and fetters upon their saylers That the Catholike Leaguers likewise notwithstanding that among other Electors of the Empire they had beene requested that they would be pleased to forbeare the making themselues parties in these differences but rather to seeke how to find redresse for them and notwithstanding that at the request of the French King confederated with his sacred Maiesty there had beene Neutrality granted unto the said Leaguers if so be they thought good to accept of it yet did they not onely refuse that Neutrality but entred also into a stricter confederation of warres against his said Maiesty and conioyning their forces under their Generall Tilly with those of his Imperiall Maiesty they forbare not to doe their uttermost against the said King whom out of pure necessity they by this meanes enforced in hostile manner to oppose himselfe against all of them And notwithstanding that these and the like motives which for brevities sake be here omitted doe sufficiently iustifie his said Maiesties Armes-taking being he was enforced to them yet this is the thing above all the rest to be considered the devises namely
his owne and their safeties as also to make vp one common tye and obligation betweene them Vntill the happinesse of which opportunity hee thought to uphold and continue on the businesse by the love of their common safeties and by the counsels and assistance of the Crowne of Sweden which for the time being might countervaile a more formall Confederacie But for as much as by reason of the continuall expeditions and Marchings from place to place that he was still put unto he could never haue so much good leasure as to begin those faire Courses nor to settle a better order for the observing of Military Discipline it is thereby come to passe that not onely whole Provinces as in such deadly warres it ever falleth out and especially where the Field of Warre is so universall have beene wasted and much spoyled but the licentiousnesse of the souldiery growne to that head as that without a speedy remedy the whole action must of necessity come to nothing Verily his Maiesty of ever glorious memory had thought of nothing more seriously and out of the fatherlynesse of his care to the common Cause had endeavoured nothing more diligently then to have made his personall residence amongst the Princes in these Vpper Parts of the Empire and with his owne neighbourhood not onely the more to have assured the Protection of those Vpper Circles according as hee had begun already but how also he might have beene personally present in a Diet of these foure Circles for the concluding of some settled good orders how the something decayed Military Discipline might have beene repaired And notwithstanding that my selfe for mine owne part was so stonyed with the dolefull and most lamentable death of my said deare Lord and Master as that I seemed to have cause enough to give over any more dealing in these businesses and to leave the managing unto their handlings whom so deeply it concerned yet upon maturer consideration how easily in the middest of these fiercenesses of the enemy there might betide some notable confusion either amongst the Armies or the Princes and that the whole Cause might of its owne weightinesse fall to so low a Condition as were not easie afterwards to bee repaired and that by this meanes all the Counsels proceedings designes and victories of my said sacred Lord the King would come to no other end nor purpose but to the giving occasion to the finall and totall ruine of all his Confederates and Part-takers I had rather lay aside mine owne private respects to mine selfe then so abruptly to desert the employment For this onely reason therefore This clause alone does cleerly enough confute that scandall of the dead King How that under a publike pretension he sought meerely his owne private interest which was the Empire This if so why should the Swedish kingdome now continue on the warres Seeing their King is dead and their young Queene not capable of being Emperour have I so earnestly hitherto endeauoured to uphold the businesse and couragiously according to my power so to dispose of all oportunities as might suite to the best advantage of the publike Yea and not onely so but I have beene an earnest suiter withall unto the Crowne of Sweden that the State would bee pleased still to continue on the warre that that most commendable and praise worthy intention of His Sacred MAIESTIE might obtaine the desired and intended issue In this my suite I have so farre prevailed that I have already from thence received a full Commission to treate and conclude with the Electors States and Princes of the Empire upon that matter and if I find the Confederates and Partakers so inclined I have power from the Royall Heyer and Crowne of Sweden in their names to continue on the worke to a perfection For mine owne part therefore I would see nothing with more gladnesse then a Generall Diet of all the Evangeliacall Electors Princes and States of the whole sacred Romane Empire together But forasmuch as Summer is now neere at hand and that the enemy is notably by this time upon the growing hand and earnest in his preparations for some new expedition and for that these 4. Vpper Circles are not onely round encompassed by the common enemies but have them already within their very bowels therefore there being danger in delaies and for that a Generall Diet could not be convoked without much time spending and its peculiar solemnities by which meanes the whole businesse would be in danger in the meane time to be rather ruined then remedied so long it would be before a publike and ioynt determination could be agreed upon therefore have I thought it more necessary which also was sollicited and desired by divers States both of this Vpper Part of the Empire and the Vpper Saxony that upon the death of my said Soveraigne Lord the King to deferre the procuring of a Generall Diet and so to hasten on the Diet of Vlm as out of hand to bring it to conclusion This my purpose so soone as it was made knowne unto divers of the most Illustrious and Right Honourable Princes and States there was occasion given and meanes projected for another new meeting for the causes before rehearsed And here I render all due and humble thankes both to the Princes and States personally here assembled and to the Ambassadors of the absent severally and altogether for that upon the earnest invitation of my good intention they disdained not to give this meeting And now most earnestly doe I beseech you all that you would take to heart and with maturity consider upon the common estate of the Cause Evangeliacall and with your prudentest and providentest consultations and readiest of your assistance promote and set forward the common businesse of the Empire the safety of your native Country and your owne proper welfares And most heartily doe I desire of God that you may haue profitable designes happy expeditions and all prosperous and desired successes And for mine owne part thus much I make free tender of that I will at no time in any thing be wanting in what I shall either iudge to bee beneficiall to the Cause or wherein I may any way bee serviceable And this I promise both for my selfe and in the name of the Hereditary Princesse and Crowne of Sweden To the end therefore that the points necessary may the better and more orderly be deliberated upon and the Conclusion the better speeded I have thought it necessary that the chiefe heades of the Deliberation which are in these Convocatory letters comprehended and exhibited should be distinguished into Articles most obsequiously and in the humblest manner entreating of your Highnesses that you would bee pleased to make construction of them to the fairest sence and so to accommodate and hasten forward your owne resolutions as may be most advantageous for the present state of the businesse and the eminentnesse of the danger 1. That all the Evangeliacall Electors Princes The Chancellors Propositions
the masters of the field must now and then take their turnes and be beaten out of it The Swedish part of the Armie which returned from the fight to Altzeim went presently with the Chancellor back againe to Mentz and the other part that moved towards Creutznach went forward with the Rhinegrave after a while into the Huntsruck There hee reprised though with some little adoe at first the townes of Kirchberg Simmern and others wherein the Spaniards had left some weake garrisons Nor had the Swedish after this much adoe about the Palatinate till that in July after they were sent for by the King to Norimberg The state in which the Spaniards left the Palatinate shall wee now tell you of The state in which the Spanish now left the Palatinate and the Bishoprick of Spiers Having made themselves masters of Spiers they forced some garrisons upon the next neighbor walled townes that had beene voluntarily quitted by such Swedish as were there enquartered even as the selfe-same townes had beene before quitted by the Spanish as Pag. 59 of our Second Part wee have before told you These townes were Aenwyler Cron-Wessenburg Landau and some others and out of these as being nothing fencible they now at parting withdraw their new-put-in garrisons At Germersheim onely did they now leave some companies This being a pretty tight place of it selfe would be a good safegard besides unto the strong towne of Vdenheim or Philipsburg which lyes but one Dutch league to the East of it the Rhine running just betweene them The garrison of this towne which had beene put in partly by the Bishop of Spires and partly by the Chapter and which by often going out upon Boote-haling Partees with the Spanish garrisons of Heidleberg and Franckendale especially before the Spanish and the Bishop had any difference had beene three quarters Spaniolized they now left in very good termes with themselves and upon termes with their Lord the Bishop now enemie to the Spaniards The Chapter or Dom-Herren of the Cathedrall Church of Spiers was their friend and their owne Bishops adversarie and for their sakes did the Spanish now forbeare the other lands of the Bishoprick The quarrell was this The Bishop Philip Christofer of Spiers was now Elector of Triers also whither in the yeare 1623 he had beene chosen This Prince had not onely concluded his Neutralitie with the King of Sweden See Page 69 and 72 of our Second Part. but put himselfe under the French Kings protection and by a Proclamation commanded all the Spaniards out of his countrey His Fort and Electorall castle of Hermanstein had he now also actually consigned over unto the French and had likewise sent unto Vdenheim the towne of his Residence for his Bishopricke of Spiers to have that delivered over to them This so enraged both his Chapters of Triers and of Spiers who were wholly Austrianized that they forthwith proceeded to a formall and legall Admonition of him which amounts to little lesse then a Deprivation Differences betwixt the Bishop of Spiers and his Chapter concerning Vdenheim The Bishop sending his Trumpet unto the garrison of Vdenheim to deliver up the place unto the French his desire was countermanded by the Chapter of Spiers so that the Governour answered peremptorily That he held for the Emperor Thus were the French Generalls frustrated of this hope Having here made mention of the Elector of Triers and his French dependancie Swedish Neutralitie and enmity with the Spaniards it shall not be amisse to repeate something here though from an ancienter originall which may conduce to the understanding of his State and our Storie This Philip Christofer then Bishop of Spiers onely had his ordinarie Residence at this Vdenheim and some old discontents betwixt the Palsgrave and the Bishop about it concerning which there had formerly fallen out a controversie betwixt the last Prince Palatine him and upon this occasion In the yeare 1618. the Bishop had a mind to fortifie this Vdenheim against which the Palsgrave thus argued That the place had beene viewed and the modell projected by Spinola That it thereby being made suspitious would become also dangerous to his Estate if either his enemies should get in thither and the causes or the Bishops in time to come prove enemies to the Palatinate He urged also that this fortification would hinder his right of sending convoyes or Safe-Conducts by or through the towne That it was contrary to the priviledges of the citie of Spiers which was to have no new Fort erected within 3 leagues of it The Bishop not desisting for all these reasons the Elector Palatine procures a meeting of some Princes at Heilbrun upon it There did the Duke of Wirtemberg the Marquesse of Durlach and the Earles of the Wetteraw assist the Palsgrave with 4000 armed men to slight and dismantle the whole Fortification Hereupon was it thus agreed betwixt the Palsgrave and the Bishop with consent of the Dom-Herren or Prebends of Spiers that the part betwixt the Fore-towne and the Castle should bee left unfortified and never to be made up but by consent of the Palatines That the Bishop should never put above 30 men into it for Day-Warders and that in time of warres the place should be a refuge for the Paligraves subjects But this agreement was in time of these late warres then broken by the Bishop when the Palsgrave had no power left to exact the performance of it But thus much hath the Bishop now gained by it that this towne of Vdenheim which hee built against the will of his friends he hath now fortified for his enemies The Captaine that now commanded in this Philipsburg having made this denyall to the Bishops Trumpet to shew him withall how much good earnest he meant in it set fire presently upon some of the new buildings next the castle to prevent the lodging of any enemies in it and prepares himselfe throughly for resistance This was the state of Udenheim when the Spaniards forsooke the Palatinate The constitution of all the countrey together was this In Franckendale the Spaniards left or were to leave 1200. In Heidleberg 2000. In Spiers 1000 and in Germersheim about halfe so many In Neustat likewise Bretten Sintzheim Pfeddersheim Germersheim and Fidelsheim they left some smaller garrisons Some writing tells mee that Don Philip de Sylva did not send in those 1000 foot and 5 Cornets of horse into Franckendale as he had promised I perceive that the chiefe command over the Militia in the Palatinate was entrusted principally in the hands of Colonel Metternich Governour of Heidleberg All the Countrey of Alsatia was left to the Marquesse William of Baden But he staid not long in that his regencie For hearing how ill the Spanish had sped in their retreate that the Swedish armie was returned to Mentz that Gustavus Horne was comne downe to be Generall about the Rhine and Mosel and that the passages betwixt Heidleberg and Franckendale were likely to
Armies and that against all reason without any cause and besides all colour of right and justice wee are yet sensible of And which is worse then all this wee yet feele that when wee and our poore Subjects did at any time complaine or sue for justice or redresse wee were but scorned and rejected for our labours contrary to all lawes and rights of nations in generall and unto the Imperial Capitulations in particular as also against the peace of Religion and of Policie all Constitutions and Articles of the Empire and of the Circles thereof Wee have endured the most barbarous usage that might be in our said dominions Enquarterings namely Taxations Burnings Robberies Sackings of our townes and villages yea also and of putting to the sword innumerable innocent subjects of ours of all sorts The miserable estate of the Protestant Princes before the Kings comming into Germany for even thus were all of them served But wee haue since understood what their intent and drift then was in so doing by all force and violence namely to render us every where odious and to make a most miserable beggar of us withall by at once depriving us of our Countrey goods and subjects During all which proceedings of theirs and most lamentable sufferings of ours the worst of all yet was that upon those infinite complaints prayers cryes and lamentations which both by word of mouth letters and Ambassages we made unto his Imperiall Majesty your selfe and other Princes our Cosins c. wee were never able to obtaine so much as that any one of all these would once vouchsafe to take the lest pitty of our cases or shew any Christian compassion towards us as if wee had utterly beene uncapable yea unworthy altogether of any law Justice kindnesse favour or benefit By this meanes God is our witnesse wee being become a Prince rejected altogether by such as beare sway in the Empire found our selves and that upon just grievances not to bee longer endured enforced to take upon us such a resolution as is indeed lesse desperate and more salutarie then if wee had longer suffered and wincked at the said horrible and most enormous proceedings For this reason therefore have wee made allyance with those that by the most especiall providence of God and to their owne great hazzard dangers and expences are comne armed into Germany to the comfort of the Evangelicall Professors and consequent'y of our owne selves whom fighting for the just cause God hath already blessed with such notable victories as wee already most heartily thanke him for them Thus being obliged to seeke by Gods helpe together with our said Allyes and our sword which our enemies have by force put into our hands such a Peace and quietnesse as wee have not beene able heretofore to obtaine by any prayers or any even almost unworthy and unprincely and therefore unexcusable patience complaints or petitions Being now by these reasons obliged to take the same courses as your said league hath given us examples to doe and being now utterly robbed and despoiled of what was our owne to seeke what heretofore was not our owne Wherefore wee kindly pray you as being a most excellent and high member of the said Catholike league not to take it in ill part if wee now follow the Rule which is so solidly grounded upon Reason and Iustice Quod quis iuris statuerit in alium eo ipso ipse utatur That every man would be content to have the same sentence passe upon himselfe which he hath pronounced upon another And thus since there cannot at this present any end of these Germane miseries be expected without such conditions be first assented unto whereby those insupportable grievances of the Protestants may before-hand be removed and without the consent of such Princes not of us alone as the Catholicke League hath by force as it were drawne into this warre and in whose hands the right of peace-making yet remaineth And forasmuch as the Generall Director of the Protestant warre his royall Majesty of Sweden The King of Swedens Title given him by the Protestants by name our most deare and honoured Lord and Cosin hath appointed us what to doe untill either by the sharpnesse of our swords or rather by some faire meanes if it were possible such a true peace might once againe be setled whereby both our selves and posterities might become sufficiently assured of our safeties and that hereafter wee might no more stand in awe of the like miseries and abuses Meane while that such a peace is expected his said most Excellent Majestie hath promised us his royall Protection intending to bring all to consent unto such conditions and to give such assecurations as shall be sufficient to hinder all further bloodshed and destruction We therfore for our own parts now doe and ever hereafter shall according to our peaceable and Christian inclination so soone as ever wee shall understand the said Lord Generall Director and other interessed Princes to be satisfied in themselves and be pleased to signifie unto us the meanes whereby this warre which hath beene enforced upon them and us may have a happy conclusion offer our selves with all readinesse to performe whatsoever may become a Prince that keepes a good Christian Conscience within him and is not desirous of any troubles even as we have not been the causers of these miseries Thus Wee remaine Yours c. With this breaking in of the Landgraves into Westphalia and upon such a quarrell too was Francis William Bishop of Osnabrug though something out of the way so much affrighted that he fled speedily unto Cullen And there he thought himselfe yet at home seeing when hee was but Count of Wartenberg he had beene Major Dome Hoffmeister or Lord Steward unto that Elector till the yeare 1625 that he was chosen Bishop of Osnabrug But the Landgrave meant him not he was yet busie in Paderborn and Westphalia About the middle of October he first summons the Temporall Lords and Gentlemen of the Bishoprick to appeare before him to take the Oath of fidelitie to the King of Sweden and the Protestant Partie The Landgrave summons the Gentry of Paderborn to agree among themselves concerning the levying of the Contributions and to consult upon the enquartering of his soldiers Here did he give out Commissions also for some new levyes Thus doth he likewise in the jurisdiction of the Abbot of Corbey In the conquered places of Westphalia hee had at his first entrance published his Proclamation which was for the calling home of all such Westphalian soldiers as were in service either with the Emperor or Catholike leaguers giving them 6 weekes time to come in after which hee would sease upon what ever they had in the countrey Those of Westphalia send to agree with him The Catholickes of this Duchie of Westphalia being startled by the neernesse of the danger send their Deputies unto the Landgrave desirous to purchase their peace at the best hand of him
it to countenance the cause yet were no publike levyes set on foot to defend it That which broke the plot for the time was the Count of Tillies letters to them not so much for the Reason or Rhetorick in them but for the authoritie of the writer of them an Army is a shrewd Topick-place for to draw arguments from it perswades terribly The Germanes were very well able to distinguish of the obedience unto Caesar which Tilly advised them to have regard unto The thing they were willing withall it was their duty but the degree of obeying was that which most troubled them What Tilly called obedience they feared might prove slaverie they found a contestation in themselves betwixt the keeping of their obedience and the preservation of their liberties and how these two might possibly hold long together was a difference which they had not yet reconciled Thus hath it oftentimes fallen out in the Empire divers Common wealths there having great priviledges they will league one with another and struggle hard to preserve them so that when ever Caesar hath projected great desires then beganne the conflict Better therefore even for both parties is a Monarchie then such an Empire This was the purpose of the Generall letters unto their assemblie MY LORDS c. Tillies Letter I Have to my great wonderment received newes of late of that generall meeting of certaine Protestant Electors Princes and States at the towne of Leipsich and how they have with one consent there agreed to raise a common and a mighty army among them all that they have already gotten together a great power and have more forces daylie in levying Now that these preparations of those princes could not but with great danger be promoted and must of necessitie be the causes of a great distraction they all knew seeing that all private armings which were undertaken without the consent of the Emperor did not only occasion many a sinister suspition among the people but were flatly likewise forbidden to be made by the fundamentall constitutions of the Empire Having assurance therefore of their present consultation at Hamborow for the best way of subscribing unto the said Diet of Leipsich he could not but advise them friendly that in their said consultation they would make this the chiefest of their thoughts how they might preserve their Faith and obedience unto Caesar His advise unto them therefore was that they should be chary of withdrawing themselves from the Emperors service who was their Soveraigne Magistrate but that as faithfull and good subjects they should persevere rather in their due obedience not suffering themselves to be drawne aside unto any contrary undertakings He wisht them seriously to consider withall how that as all their safeties and well-beings did solely and wholly depend upon their Lord the Emperor so on the contrary was there nothing to be expected from other princes and from forrainers especially who meerly intended their owne private but the losing of their priviledges and Commerce the ruine of their States and the necessary drawing on of a publick servitude How frequently hath experience taught us what miserable events hath unevitably befallen those people that have leagued against his Imperiall Majestie and had embroyld themselves in a warre against him For these reasons he nothing hereafter doubted but they would so well consider upon what might follow that these his admonitions which in the sincerity of his soule hee propounded unto them should finde some place among their consultations and that they should not hereafter need any other Monitor to remember them of persevering in their due loyaltie and obedience This if they did it would be a most strong recommendation of them unto Caesar both to continue his grace and favour royall unto them to enfranchise them with more ample priviledges and to doe any thing for the promoting preserving and inlarging of their present conditions and commerces For the doing of all which their continuing in obedience must needs give his Imperiall Majestie a most large occasion May 19. 1631. Your very loving Friend John Count of Tilly. Who can blame an adversarie for using the best Colours and flourishes he can finde to carry his owne cause withall And let this be the glosse to the Generall Tillies reasons that they were pressed by an enemie However their owne feares prevailed with them and what they did next they did more privately Their wills were still good unto the Cause and they underhand promoted the Decrees of Leipsich Thus as the King of Sweden grew stronger they grew more courageous and when the Protestant Princes struck in also with them then was there another assemblie a little more boldly talkt upon Greene wood laid neere the fire naturally shrincks up it selfe contracts its owne pores and opennesse by which the flame might enter it that by a neerer uniting of its parts it might prepare it selfe for resistance The same operation had the burning of Magdenburg now newly this moneth done upon these its neighbour and confederate Cities it did as much arme as terrifie them The King of Sweden also dayly more and more prevailing some of the Princes of this Circle beganne to take Commissions from him to levy and arme for him he became the Protector of their publicke libertie and under him they singly promoted their personall pretences The Duke of Lunenburg as next heire to the Dukedome of Brunswick the present ruling Duke Vlrick having no likelyhood of issue he armes to put in for that which Tilly had almost devoured The Archbishop of Bremen had lost his towne of Stoade and almost all his whole Countrey was now possessed by Imperiall garrisons which Tillie had left there Other Princes yea all of them had the same grievances and all now resolved to recover their Countries The Generall Tilly being throughly now defeated as if the weight of his former reasons had growne lighter with the decay of his power the whole Circle in November following appoint a more generall meeting at the same Hamborow whither all the Bishops Princes and States either came or sent their Ambassadors Here they resolutely conclude for the levying of 3 new Regiments upon the common charges of the Circle the purpose being to cleere the countrey of the new encroached Imperialists The first Regiment was undertaken for by the Archbishop of Bremen the Duchy of Lunenburg and Zella-Brunswick with the Bishopricks of Lubeck Brunswick and Hildesheim This was to consist of 1950 Foot and 127 Horsemen The second Regiment was to be raised by the Dukedom of Mecklenburg the countrey of the Lower Saxonie the Bishoprick of Ratzenburg and the citie of Lubeck which was to bee 1675 Foot and 366 Horse strong The third which was to be of 1448 Foot onely was to be raised and paid by the Dukes of Holstein and the Bishoprick of Schwerin All these were to be joyned to Duke George of Lunenburgs owne Armie he being to be Generall over them The Hamburgers excused themselves from bearing