held himselfe obliged to speake for a Prince who had beene a long time the common But of all afflictions and infultations That which hath made him the more bold and earnest in his defence is the neare alliance of this Prince to mighty Monarchs I shut up all concerning this point in this Assertion that all Princes haue a common interest in the honour of their equals and should all joyne to place their Crownes and purple aboue the reach of Envie The death of these two Kings was sufficient to make the Germans approue of the calculation and prognosticks of their great Astrologer Herlicius who had noted this Moneth of November as fatall to great Princes and Commanders and foretold by the Aspects and fiery constellations the tragicall encounters of these two great Armies and the death of such eminent persons as may well compose the greatest part of the History of our time The Swedes were even wedded to sorrow for the death of their King vowing they would more willingly haue suffered the losse of many battailes then that of him if it had lyen in their power to dispose of the Arrests of Heaven and the satall lawes of the eternall Providence which with a Diamantine poynt markes all things and giues them a Character which never can bee changed or defaced Indeed all the dayes of this Moneth of November were at strife for Superioritie in evill but the sixteenth overcame to which all stories shall giue a brand in that it gaue so strange an alteration to the face of Christendome The battaile sought on that day is enobled by many memorable accidents which exalts it aboue those of former Ages Amongst others are remarkeable the small number of the victors and the multitude of the vanquist the violent and surious charges the durance of the fight the doubtfull event of the combat when victory as if the had beene the daughter of Ianus had two faces and looked two waies the piles of the dead the losse of eminent Commanders and the different effect which one and the same cause wrought in both parties the Kings death kindling indignation and desire of revenge in the bosome of the Swede and the death of Pappenheins and other great Commanders begetting an astonishment in the hearts and lookes of the Imperialists And wee may well affirme that amongst all the Accidents of that saddest of daies this particular hath bin most remarkable that the Swedes having lost their King in the first shocke this unparaleld mischance served rather to confirme then shake their courage and was one of the most apparant causes of the victory This also raised as high as Heaven the Kings renowne that in his fall hee crusht in pieces so vast a body and the hearts of his men were so inflamed with this his disaster that after his death they made the palme and the Lawrell to spring out of his blood Nor was the life of this Prince lesse famous then his death His youth was exercised in great affaires which hardened his body to endure travell and armed his mind against all finister accidents and infus'd into him a courage which might easily bee provoked never subdued The entrie of his Raigne which was the Eleventh of this age and the Seventeenth of his was thorny and sallebrous At one and the same time hee was confronted by the Danes the Polonians and the Muscovites who on all sides assaulted him And though their motives to warre were diverse yet all their intentions like so many lines met in this Center to ruine the Swede Sometimes hee shewed himselfe on the Frontiers of Denmarke sometimes on those of Muscovia somtimes againe on those of Livonia and all with that promptnesse and celerity that his Enemies believed his body to bee ubiquitary And his troubles were increased by corruption of many of his Subjects to a base revolt But his valour his dexterity and the continuall travaile of his body and mind were such that hee passed through these and greater impediments without stop or diminution of his Fame His composition with the Danes and Muscovites was honourable and to his advantage The quarrell betweene him and the Polonian was not about any small petty Territorie but the Crowne and Scepter it selfe and therefore hardly to be decided The Prowesse and agility of this King were such that the Polonians saw him in all parts like another Hanniball before their gates and after many great losses received in Livonia and Prussia they tooke counsell of the Pillow and to preserve the remainder of those Countries unviolated concluded to come to a treatry on which attended a Truce which from their soules they wish'd had beene a Peace whereby their repose might bee eternized Our youthfull Mars had not a soule so narrow as to bee contented to weare onely the Lawrell of the North. More wreathes were prepared for him and a Theater more spacious and glorious Posterity will hardly beleeve that what this Prince hath done was by a man fesible That the conquest of so many vast Provinces and the ruine of so many Armies was the worke onely of two yeares and a few moneths That a puissant Empire formidable in her greatnesse in her supports in her extension in her Armies in her conquests and successe fortifyed with so many Garrisons who hath for her bounds the Ocean and the Alps should in so short a time be forc'd to put on the yoak A man would think infinite Forces were required to manage well an Enterprise of this nature and greatnesse The personall qualities of this Prince were admirable His externall bravery consisted in a sweet yet majesticall aspect in a comely stature in a piercing eye in a commanding voyce in an agility and universall application to all such as might hinder or further him But the great guests that lodg'd within were farre more illustrious a quicke spirit a sollid judgement an incomparable wisedome an inexprimable courage an indefatigable nature and an admirable conduct which were the happy instruments of all his victories and the embellishment of this rare piece I may justly adde his Encampments his Discipline his foresight his direction and unequall'd Industrie Nor was his readinesse lesse in the disposition of his affaires in the governement of his men and his complying with their severall humours which made him as well Lord of hearts as Provinces and Cities But above all the rest his devotion was conspicuous and his frequent pious exercises which received no interruption by his most serious imployments And which draweth neere to a miracle hee himselfe projected and executed all things It suffised not him to bee onely a Generall but hee would also bee a Captaine and Engenier a Serjeant a Cannonier a common Souldier or of any Militarie calling The most dangerous occurrences dazled not his judgement but then was he most venturous when his valour was most required Hee never formed a military project in the execution whereof hee would not himselfe make one And which bred in all an amazement
began to flie and the Swedes pressed and pursude them far within night which favour'd the retreat of the fugitiues and hinder'd the Swedes from ranging further in the chase Indeede they were so tyred that they had neither breath nor force furtherto follow them The Imperiallists giving fire to their campe and part of their baggage tooke some the way of Leipzig others that of Leutmeritz towards the Frontiers of Bohemia whither it was thought Walstein was gone having heard of the losse of the Battell to find a safe place of retreat and to gather together his dispersed Troupes The Swedes remained in possession of the Enemies campe and most of his Baggage of one and twentie exquifite Cannon besides inseriour ones and a multitude of Standards and Corners Vpon the mustering of their Armie they found wanting over and aboue the incomparable and irreparable losse of their King the Major Generall Isslet and other Coronells and Officers A Prince of Anhalt a Count of Nilis the Coronels Brandestein Wildenstein Relinguen and Winchell received that day deepe and honourable wounds The Duke Bernhard of Weymar also was hurt to whose valour and conduct the Swedian partie after God owes the glorie of that day more bloudy by far then that which was sought the yeare past in the neighbouring fields of Leipzig The Duke Ernest of Weymar also infinuated himselfe into the hearts of all men by his courage and leading that day The Regiments of these two Princes and those of the Prince of Anhalt of the Count of Lewestein of Coronell Brandestein and the two Swedish Coronells surnamed The Blew and the Yellow bore the brunt of that day The Swedes lost betweene fiue and sixe thousand men and the enemie betweene ten and twelue thousand remaining on the place and two thirds of their Armie ruin'd and dispersed besides the death or mortall wounds of divers of their remarkable Commaunders as Calas Merode Holok Piccolomini ' Isolani and divers others Pappenheim aboue all the rest was bewayled by his partie and not without just cause his courage his Conduct his Vigilancie and Experience having conspired to ranke him in the Souldiers esteeme amongst the bravest Generalls of these times But this glorious Victory of the Swedian Armie suffered an Ecclipse by the death of that truely great King who was the soule of his Friends and the terrour and scourge of his Enemies His bodie could not bee found till the next day when after a curious search it was discover'd amidst the dead heapes rifled and halfe naked and so disfigur'd with bloud and durt that hee could hardly bee knowne This at once so dolefull and glorious a spectacle of the end of so great a Monarch work'd so strongly and effectually on the hearts of his Souldiers that with teares and lamentations for a losse so irreparable they made an unanimous Vow upon the place to revenge his death and make him reviue in the rigorous pursuite of his Designes which hee had so often conjur'd them to continue especially a little before this Battell when hee seem'd to presage his ende touching which hee discoursed often and seriously with many of his familiars Amongst other passages the King marking the multitude of people that flock'd about him at his entry into Naumbourg three dayes before the Battell and hearing their shouts of Ioy and this generall acclamation Long liue the King as if now they had nothing to feare since hee was present hee made to the standers by this short but memorable speech Our Affaires answere our desires but I doubt God will punish mee for the folly of the people who attribute too much to mee and esteeme mee as it were their God and therefore hee will make them shortly see I am but a man Hee bee my witnesse it is a thing distastfull to mee What ever befall mee I shall receiue it as proceeding from his divine will In this onely I rest fully satisfied that hee will not leaue this great Enterprise of mine imperfect The seventeenth of November immediately following the day of Battaile and the Kings death Duke Bernard of Weymar retir'd to Weissenfels to take a generall review of his Army and to give rest and breath to his over wearyed Troopes By the review of his Regiments it appeared that his Army was be tweene fifteene and sixteene thousand strong The Duke imparted his present estate and all other necessary particulars to the Court of Saxon and urg'd the Electour to an uniting of their Forces to the end they might follow close their designe and pursue Walstein to the remotest parts of Austria After this all the Army as well Swedish as Germane agreed in the election of Duke Bernard for their Generall and tooke a new Oath faithfully to serve him who had deserved so well of the Swedian party by so many benefits by his vigilancy his conduct and the greatnesse of his same in Warre but above all by his resolution and incomparable valour of which he made so oportune and cleare a demonstration on that bloudy day of Battaile The Chancellour Oxesterne who lay when about Frankfort was sent for in all hast to manage the affaires of the Chancery Royall removed to Erfurt but chiefely to serve and counsell the desolate and disconsolate Queen environ'd wih griefes and crosses inexprimable yet but equall to the greatnesse of her losse The said Chancellour and the Chevalier Rache served happily to rectify sundry disorders and to raise the spirits of such as were dejected but principally to stop the floud of teares flowing from the eyes of this most vertuous Princesse and to replant in her mind generous and masculine resolutions De la Gorde was sent for in post hast who was imbarked in Swedeland with certaine Regiments of Swedes and Finlanders to bring a supply to the Campe Royall and reinforce it the dead King beeing anchor'd in this maxime to make continuall levies notwithstanding the number of his Armies that so hee might have men at will to fill up those empty Companies which the Sword mortallity and many other militarie miseries might unhappily depopulate But notwithstanding the death of this mighty Prince the astonishment and fright of the Enemy was such that hee basely forsooke diverse strong and impregnable places in the Electorate of Saxony Amongst others the City of Leipzig was forsaken and the Castle rased to the ground Chemnits was taken Zwickaw invested and forced the Duke Bernard following close his good fortune and making good use of the Enemies amazement To this hee was animated the more by the fixt decree of the consederate Princes to make all fast and more and more to knit a firme Vnion with the Swedes that so joyntly that so both of them joyntly might execute and fulfill the intentions and exhortations of the deceased King Walstein having notice betimes of his mens infortunity and the advantage of the Swedes recovered Leipsig that night and before day tooke the way of Leutmeritz where hee recollected is disbanded men and added to them
devotions and in making the Round of his Army to marke the disposition and countenance of his souldiers and encourage them to fight manfully Comming to the Quarter of the Swedes and Finlanders he put them in Battaile Ray and with a voice and countenance alike chee efull he thus bespake them Camerades is in English Chamber-fellowes My friends and Camerades this is the day that invites you to demonstrate what you are shew your selves men of valour keepe your rankes and fight couragiausly for your selves and your King If this day the bravery of your spirits shine forth you shall find the heavenly Benediction perched on the poynts of your swords Honour and a recompence of your valour On the contrary if you turne backe and basely and foolishly commit the armed hand to the protection of the unarmed foot you shall find Infamy my disgrace and your owne ruine and I protest to you on the word of a King that not the least piece of you or of your bones shall returne againe into Swedeland This Exhortation delivered in a high and piercing tone wonne from the Swedes and Finlanders onely these generall acclamations That they would approve themselves men of Honor that they had lives only for him which they were ambitious to preserve in the obteining of victory and his good graces The Swedes being placed in Rank and File the King embattailes the Alman Regiments and thus in few wordes exhorts them My friends Officers and Souldiers I conjure you by your love to heaven and me this day to manisest whose you are You shall fight not only under me but with me my bloud and life shall marke you out the way to Honour Breake not your rankes but second me with courage If you performe this Victory is ours with all her glories you and your posterity shall enjoy it if you give backe your lives and liberties have one period This Speech was answered with an universall shout and vowes reciprocall That they would make it appeare they knew the way to Victory or to death that the King should receive all satisfaction in their service and the Enemy should acknowledge hee had to doe with men of Honour Walstein and his principall Officers discovered quickely by his Scouts the resolution of the King and the countenance of his and thereupon grounded this resolution that they must needs come to blowes Walstein was infinitely desirous to avoyd the Combate but hee was wisely admonished by some about him that every step his men made in a retreat would take from their courage and give it to the Enemy and bring upon his Army a Panicke feare and an utter confusion Hee spent that whole night in digging and intrenching in embattailing his Army and planting his Artillery in diverse places advantagious the better to sustaine the shocke of the Enemy Pappenheim was sent for backe in post hast who was gone to Hall being very desirous to invest it not believing that the King would give or accept of battaile before the Forces of Saxon were arrived In the meane time the utmost endeavours of Walstein were not wanting to hearten his men and layd before them Honour Reward their advantages their Forces the justice of their cause which God the Catholike Church the Emperour and the whole Empire justifyed against the violence and usurpation of a stranger and all this and more he uttered in his Litter which his Gowt would not permit him to forsake This was subject to diverse interpretations Some believing that indeed he felt some symptomes of that sickenesse very familiar to him others maintayned this posture to have no good grace on a day of Battaile and judg'd that Walstein was very willing to preserve himselfe safe and sound that hee might hereafter serve his Master and his party others averred he was much indebted to his Gowt which did warrant his retreat without his reproach necessity commanding the stoutest courage to yield to such an Enemy On the other side the King being ready at all poynts and his Army embattail'd hee would take no refection because he would be an example to his men and lose no time Being placed in the head of Steinbocks Regiment hee thus spake with avoyce audible Now now is the time Camerades wee must goe on undaunted let us charge let us charge in the name of God Iesus Iesus Iesus aide me in fighting this day and favour my right These words were no sooner pronounced but he gave spurres to his horse and with his head inclined gave a charge to a Battalion of foure and twentie Companies of Cuirassiers which were esteemd the flower of the Imperiall Army Two Swedish Regiments had order to second him The Artillery of the King was advanced and five Cannon shot discharged upon the Enemy who answered them with two hundred which went off with a horrid noyse and lightning but with small losse to the Swedes the Cannoniers of Walstein not having well taken their aime But the first shocke was fatall to the King and all the Army For though the Squadrons led by so brave a Chiefe with an unheard of resolution gave on like Thunder on the Enemy and made him recoyle yet one shot from a Pistoll gave him new courage which pierced the Kings arme and broke the bone When those next the King saw him bleed they were amaz'd and cryed out The King is wounded Which wordes the King heard with much distast and repining fearing it would abate the valour of his men wherefore dissembling his griefe with a joyfull and undaunted looke hee sought to quallify the feare of his Souldiers with these masculine words The hurt is slight Camerades take courage let us make use of our oddes and returne to the Charge The Commanders that were about him with hands lifted up earnestly besought him to retire but the apprehension of frighting his men and his ambition to overcome prevailed The Assault being rebegunne with vigour and fervour and the King fighting againe in the head of his Troopes once more to breake those Rankes that were againe made up the losse of bloud and the griefe which hee felt in the agitation of his body enfeebled much his spirits and voyce which caused him to whisper these wordes in the eare of the Duke of Saxon of Lavenburg Convey me hence for I am dangerously wounded Hee had scarcely ended his speech and turned head to retire when a Cuirassier marking this retreat advanced upon the gallop from the Battalion of the Enemy and discharged his Carabin full in the shoulder of the King with this insulting speech And art thou there then long it is that I have sought thee Some imagined that it was Pappenheim that gave the blow by reason hee had often vaunted that an auncient prediction was found amongst the Records of his Family That a Stranger King should dye by the hand of a Pappenheim with diverse scarres in his body and mounted on a white Horse And for this cause having many scarres in his face and
diverse other parts of his body stitcht up hee reflected on himselfe and beleeved the Prophecy should bee accomplished by his hand But this needes no other confutation then the absence of Pappenheim and the time when the King received his hurt which was in the very beginning of the Assault before Pappenheim could make one of the adverse party I may add that the discretion of this worthy Count would not have sufferd him to runne into an errour so uncivill as to speake so undecently to a Prince of that eminency When the King had received this mortall wound which pierced him through and through he fell from his Horse and gave up the Ghost with nothing but my God in his mouth He that made this accursed shot was beaten downe with a storme of Harquebusados and sacrifised to the indignation of the Swedes But while the Groome of the Kings Chamber and diverse others lighted to raise the body the charge beganne againe more furiously then ever the Enemy having taken notice of this blow and concluding that all was now finisht and that hee should have Swedes good cheape This hindered the Kings servants from bearing of his body and summond every man to regaine the stirrupe and withstand the foe so that the King could not bee defended from receiving another pistoll shot in the head and being twice runne through with a sword The Imperiallists fearing him even after death and cowardly suspecting his speedy resurrection The poore Groome of his Chamber never forsooke him but breath'd his last upon his Masters carcasse after the receipt of an infinity of wounds But neither the Kings death nor the great oddes that the enemie had being strongly entrenched in divers places could let the Swedes madded with their inestimable losse from assaulting the Imperiallists with an unspeakable furie insomuch that they compelled the Battalion of Cuirassiers which made the left Wing to retire into their Trenches whom they dislodged about noone and gayned seven of their Cannon together with many Colours and Cornets Lieutenant Coronell Relinguen received commaund to advaunce and with three hundred Horse to charge foure Regiments of Crabbats commaunded by Isolani which made the right wing of the Enemy which hee performed with so much braverie and courage that hee twice pearc'd through them and brought backe three Standards leaving behinde one of his owne All his Officers were wounded and hee himselfe in the second onset had his arme shot through with a Pistoll bullet which forced him to retyre Isolani Generall of the Crabbats lost his life with a great number of his men Eighteene of his Companies charged some Germane Regiments that guarded the Baggage but they were stoutly opposed the Combate fierce the Assaults reiterated the earth dyed crimson and burdened with carkasses the Crabbats driven backe though not without some disorder of the Germane Horse recoyled amongst the Carts but this disadvantage the Enemy could not espie by reason of a thicke cloud which then arose and gaue the Germanes opportunitie to ranke themselues The Imperiall Commaunders Galas Merode and Holok longing to recover their Seat and Cannon loâ—â— tooke selected Bands fired the foure Corners of Lurzen to blinde the Swedes and keepe them from piercing that side to the succour of their friends This Essay was followed by successe the Trench force by the Imperiallists the seven pieces of Cannon lost regained and some Swedish Regiments disordered The Duke Bernard of Saxon Weymar seeing the confesion of his men and beeing advertiz'd by Kinphausen of the Kings death was extreamely incensed and protesting hee had not so base a wish as to surviue him hee ranne with his head couched on the enemy seconded by the Regiments of the Prince of Auhalt and Count Lowenslein Then the fight became obstinate on both sides the Charges redoubled the Carkases piled up the Pikes broken and the difference come to bee decided by dint of Sword The eye of man nor that greater of the World ever beheld a Ioust more furious The Imperialistes stroue to hold their advantage recover'd and the Swedes to dispossesse them of it The Duke Bernard did wonders that day Thrice like Lightning shot hee through the Forces of the Enemie nor could a wound received on the left Arme cause him to leaue the field before hee had constrained the Enemie to abandon the Cannon and his Post The winning of this opened him the way to the conquest of another For this valiant Prince pressed the Imperialist so hard that hee againe disrank'd them and compelled them to quit another Post guarded with thirteene Cannon His dexteritie in the drilling of his men in the opening and shutting of his rankes was such that they received little or no hurt from the Enemies Cannon The Duke undaunted pierc'd through the clouds of smoke displac'd the enemie and made himselfe Master likewise of this place and of the Cannon and droue the enemie to a confused Retreat The slaughter was great and the Swedes well blouded made good life of their advantage and the disorder of their foes passing over their bellies killing all that came in their way and stopping their eares against all motiues for quarter The Duke possessed of this place and Master of the Field betweene two and three in the afternoone thinking there was but one Post to force seared by a Windmill and guarded by three Imperiall Regiments endeavoured to remooue them sending in the meane time sundry Squadrons to chase the fugitiues But then the fight grew more cruell then ever For Pappenheim was returned from Hall and came upon the gallop with certaine fresh Regiments His Reputation and his concouragement gaue new spirits to the Runawayes and call'd them to the combate The Duke having notice of this quits this place new ranks and encourages his men and giues Pappenheim a meeting in the mid-way All the Charges past were nothing in respect of these latter Pappenheim imployed his utmost cunning and diligence and shewed himselfe in all places in the Head of his Troupes to embolden them On the other side the Duke Bernard fixt a resolution either to die or overcome and the Swedes and Finlanders enrag'd for the death of their King fought like Lions and desperately ranne upon the enemy The Artillery advanced and began to thunder and to enter divers Battalions and to make legges and Armes to flie from one place to another The smaller shot was also se violent that the Squadrons encountred in the palpable darknesse caused by the smoake without knowledge of their parties This furious shocke continned two houres with equall losse to both Victorie opening her armes to imbrace now one side then another Galas Merode and Holok were wounded to death and a Cannon shot cut off Pappenheim by the middle His death and the losse of divers other Commanders stagger'd the Imperialistes as much as that of the kings incensed the Swedes Then the enemy upon the receite of a newe salute from foure and twenty Cannon which pierc'd their thickest Troupes