Egenbergs they all returned answere magnificent enough for words but emptie for realitie highly thanking the Emperour for his Care of the Common-wealth but that the Lawes of the Empire forbad them to condescend at this time vnto his desires Non nisi causa cognita seeing that by that Law the Electors without particular knowledge of the Cause could not appoint a Dyet for the Creating of the King of the Romanes and that the full knowledge of the Cause conteined many particulars which require both time and serious consultation Then that Franckford was by the same Law the place appointed for the Election That it were wisely done to take away all matter of rumors that people might haue no cause to say how all things in that Dyet were in the middle now of Caesars Armies frighting them on every side not passed by the free voyces of the Electors but by force and feare rather Thus by a wise dilatory answere were those requests turn'd off which in right-downe termes the Electors would not willingly haue denied But whither it were their Care of the publick good and to keepe their owne liberties or that the ambitious counsell of the Duke of Bavaria stept in betweene I know not but very certaine it is that great offence was taken at it that King Ferdinand in his Caroach in all meetings and wheresoever still ambitiously affected the vpper hand which was denied to belong vnto him whilest his Father was living And the report was that the Bishop Elector of Mentz gaue Stralendorff Vice-chancellor of the Empire a privie Item to that purpose The Law of Soveraigntie eagerly raged in the meane time and diverse of the Gentry of Franckenlandt Schwabenland and the Palatinate were there accused to haue borne Armes vnder Mansfeild * The Marquesse of Baden Lieutenant of the Army of the Princes of the Vnion for the keeping of the Palatinate and the Protestant Countryes After the dissolving of the Vnion in the yeare 1621. he the next yeare fought with his owne forces about Sinsin betwixt the Palatinate and Wirtemberg where the good old man was defeated by Tilly and Don Cordova Durlack and Brunswick against the Emperour Some affirmed them to be guiltie themselues sayd they onely found themselues guiltie by suffering their punishment The execution of this businesse did the Emperour now commit vnto Wolfgang Rudolph Ossa a man accounted rather great then good taken to'ther day out of the service of the Counts of Hanaw into the number of the Court Flyes or Instruments Commanding the goods of the condemned persons to be confiscated into his owne Exchequer the Electors and other Princes earnestly protesting against the proceedings claiming those Gentlemen to be within their Dominions and that these Fees which Caesar now Confiscated into his owne Coffers the Gentlemen did hold of them and of their Ancestors and that all such Forfeitures and Atteinders were by the favour of former Emperours and long Custome due vnto them Caesar continued resolute notwithstanding and dispatcht away Ossa with a most ample Commission then which action of Caesars none was generally taken in worse part Because even bad Princes though sometimes they punished such as were actually proov'd traytors yet they alwayes too narrowly searcht not into every man that was to himselfe guiltie that they husht vp many a fowle thing by a wise dissimulation rather then by bringing it to open punishments That he that takes away one enemy makes way for many That he especially who hath any thoughts of Peace-making in him is not to take notice of every thing for feare lest the whirlewindes after much adoe being now scarce layd should bluster out againe into a vehementer tempest That bodies weakned by a sicknesse are not presently againe to be tampered withall by Physicke but to be recovered with quiet That scarcely can the actions of the best Princes be defended much lesse theirs which are alwayes suspected of avarice That vpon these grounds Cosimo de Medicis a most wise * Duke of Floâ—â—nce in Italy Prince alwayes left the Estates of such as were attaynted vnto their Children and next kindred Finally the businesse which of its owne nature was grievous enough would be made much heavier by the sharking of the Officers But these Court-Harpyes forsooth now after that vnder the pretence of treasons against the Emperour and exercise of forbidden Religions they had with their vncleanely talons foully gryped Bohemia Moravia and both the Austria's and wrung the Nobilitie and Gentry whose case was rather to be pittied out of their inheritances their insatiable mawes being not yet full cramb'd they now whetted their Clawes and infamous beakes againe to devoure the wealth of the Empire That their yawning gullets were yet set wider vpon the tenterhookes by the easinesse of the Emperour in whose service he being a Prince too much governed by his Officers men might offend with lesse feare and greater reward One thing there was that added more matter to these speeches a word namely that scaping from Werdenberg was presently taken vp by the people how that the goods of the Gentry of Franckenlandt were already granted away vnto the Lords of the Emperours privy Councell both for the payment of their Pensions now many yeares behinde and also for the reward of their paines and faithfulnesse yet for all this the names of the * I beleeue that these 3. having thus gotten estates had also new titles given them by the Emperour for the first of which they were hated and for the last scorned by the Germane Nation that stand much vpon their ancient Nobilitie This Abbot of Cremsmunster was preferred to the Bishopricke of Vienna in August following Counts of Meggau and Trautmanstorff and of the Abbot of Cremsmunster which three personages by what title I know not had out of the Exchequer received some of the escheated goods they much scorned and despised as new and strange preferments for a disposition there is bred in the bone of vs mortalls with ill eyes to looke asquint at other mens newly acquired happinesse and with an equall repining to measure other mens good and our owne injuries But Caesar shall I say or these that beare all the sway at Court remained resolute and peremptory in the matter all loath to loose so plentifull a Fishing You haue long expected my noble Friend to heare what hath beene moved argued and decreed in this Dyet concerning the restitution of the Church goods That shall I briefly tell you of It stood not with the Emperours honor againe to submit a case already decided by himselfe and wherein he had by his Proclamation declared his pleasure vnto the Censure of others Nor any whit of favour was there all this while shewed vnto the Duke of Wirtemberg the Marquesse of Brandenburg the Counts of Hohenloe and Waldeck the Cities of Strasburg and Norimberg who by sentences every day passed against them were commanded to quit the goods of the Church And thus may it hereby
some 18. Regiments of Foote and 86. Cornets of Horse and now by mid Ianuary was Generall Tilly come vp to Franckford Tillyes comming there to succour and take on those troupes which the King had before scattered which as we sayd began now to gather head againe about this Franckford Of his comming the King now hearing sends Gustavus Horne with a reasonable Army towards the Frontiers of Silesia to staue off Tilly from comming downe that way vnto any of the new conquered places himselfe instantly marching into the Land of Mecklenburg The whole story of which and his Majesties proceedings in that Country we will now present you with altogether beginning with his former expedition thither This Country of Mecklenburg lyes Westward of Pomerland along the coast betwixt Brandenburg and the Sea Two Dukedomes it hath Schwerin and Gustrow lately possessed by two brothers Iohn Albert the elder brother and Adolph Frederike the younger both the right heires and both stiled Dukes of Mecklenburg These Princes had the Emperour of late very injuriously devested of their Estates and given them vnto Walensteyn his great Generall with the Title of Duke of Mecklenburg The disseized Dukes complaine vnto thâ—ir Cosin the King of Sweden their reliefe was another mayne cause of his comming in Germany His Majestie therefore having made so victorious an entrance into Pomeren and cleered all those parts vpon the confines of Pomerland except Gripswald next vnto Mecklenburg resolues vpon an expedition thither in person About August 6. 1630. he prepares his owne way by taking the passage of Stolp neere Ancklam some fiue leagues below Stetin towards the Sea whereby he hath a full passage into Mecklenburg The Kings first expedition into Mecklenburg Towards the end of September his Majesty makes stay of all great boats and ships vpon the Oder and the mouth of it wherein having shipt some 12000 men and their Ammunition he sayles by Wolgast taken some moneth before and Stralesundt He takes Bart Damgarden Rubenitz passing vnto Bart a Towne in Mecklenburg standing vpon an arme of the Sea a little within the shoare That takes he in first Then hasts he to Damgarden the next Towne on the East side of that arme of the Sea which Towne the Sconce to it he presently takes in by assault many of the Souldiers being flung out at the windowes and some others by mischance burnt Three dayes after this to Rubenitz he comes a Towne in the very bottome of that Indraught or arme of the Sea and that he by force takes also Mescord the Governour is taken prisoner and his Lieutenant Iers slaine with a Musket shot Here pitches he his Camp giving order for the fortifying of this and Damgarden and Trubbesees another late taken passage towards Pomeren Being here setled He summons the Country he first of all by a Proclamation dated from Rubenitz Sept. 28. summons the Gentry and people of the Country to remember their oath once taken to their naturall Princes to forsake Walensteyns title and service to come armed into his Camp or other his troupes to prosecute and kill all the Walsteyners and to fight with him for the libertie of their Countrey Those which doe not he threatens to pursue as traytors and enemies those which did to affoord his royall protection vnto A second mandate he then sends to the Towne of Rostock of which more when we come to speake of that City Sir Iohn Bannier his Majesties Lieutenant for those parts being about that time also vpon the frontiers of Mecklenburg towards Pomeren directs his Letters vnto these borderers to this purpose That seeing the Imperialists thereabouts did nothing but pillage and plunder them of their Cattell and goods and that the King his Maisters intention was onely to defend them therefore they should send their Corne and Cattle towards Rubenitz or Stralesundt Which if they refused the King would thinke those pillages wilfully endured by them to relieue his enemies and that they meant to fall away from their owne Princes and must therefore take their goods where ever he found them persecuting them as traytors and enemies Whilest here at Rubenitz the King lyes encamped and his forces in the meane time busie about the Country there arriues an Imperiall Curryer in his Camp The Emperours Letters vnto him His Letters contained an admiration of the Emperours why the King should come armed into the Empire offering him a treatie of peace if so be he would first lay downe Armes These seeme written from Ratisbone The Kings answere To this he answers That his Imperiall Majestie would cease to wonder if he pleased to remember the two Armies sent against him into Prussia the wronging of his Friends and the endangering of his owne Sweden As for the offer of peace he desires pardon if he thinkes it not sincerely meant seeing it had beene before scorned and that now the Emperour while he spake of peace did still continue his Levies As for laying downe of Armes he vtterly refuses that or to trust any more vnto verball promises and for treatie of peace he would be most glad to entertaine it which vpon these termes he will agree vnto namely That all Germany be so setled and re-estated as it was before the beginning of these warres This was written after the Kings returne to Stralesundt the same moneth of October in which it was received The Emperour perceiving that words and papers would not beate Swedens sword out of his hand at the breaking vp of the Dyet of Ratisbone in the beginning of November sets out his Imperiall mandate for the continuing of the warres and against the King of Sweden by name procuring the Electors also to decree the same and to agree to ayde him in it And by this time was the King come from Stralesundt againe vnto his Army at Rubenitz where he for a while held the head quarter of his Camp the rest of the Army being partly neerer advanc't vnto Rostock and part employed with Bannier in other places And now it seemes some of his * These I suppose were some of those forces which the King had sent towardes Magdenburg which had landed at Dassow within a leaâ—ue or two of Lubeck about Sept. 25. having beene as farre as Lubeck one of the Hanse Townes vpon the Frontiers of Mecklenburg and Holsatia and there imprisoned and vncourteously vsed the King writes his Letters vnto the Towne to this purpose That seeing such discourtesie had beene offered he could not but admonish them to forbeare as they would looke for the like vsage where he had to doe And now had not the King an Army alone hereabouts but a navy too vpon those coasts to confront the Imperiall Navy gathered amongst the Hanse Townes thereabouts For in the beginning of December I finde a Sea-fight betwixt Gabriel de Roy the Emperous Admirall with 15. shippes and 9. Swedish men of warre neere vnto Wismar another Hanse Towne betwixt Rostâ—ck and
without ever asking leaue of the Princes or Countries That people haue beene tortured for their money had their Cattell driven away their houses fired and all Commerce driven out of their Country That the Souldiers neither observed martiall discipline nor morall honestie neither keeping the Lawes nor fearing God That virgins and women haue beene ravished vpon the high Altars That if the weekely Contributions were not payd at the Commissaries absolute pleasure the souldiers then spoyled the Country The Marquesse of Brandenburg complaines that notwithstanding the King of Sweden had two parts of his Country the old and the new Mark yet was he forced to pay a full Contribution for the whole Marquisate That himselfe by the Souldiers so long lying in his Country was left so poore that he was not able to entertaine a Garrison for the defence of his owne Palace and was faine to abridge even the necessary provisions of his owne Table and family That the Souldiers enterteyn'd by the Protestants for their owne defence haue beene turn'd against them to take away the Church Lands That treble more Contributions haue beene raysed against no enemy then ever were when the Turke was in Germany That when the Princes of the house of Saxony as namely Altemberg Weymar and Colburg had excused themselues of disabilitie to pay each of them 1454. Dollars a moneth which the Commissary Ossa had required of them then Tilly threatned to fetch 10000. Dollars a moneth out of them That considering all this they could perceiue nothing else but that the Emperour had intended their vtter ruine whereas he had dealt more gently with those of his owne hereditary Dominions That all this is most contrary vnto the Oath of the Emperour and vnto the Lawes of the Empire and for such hath beene complained vpon by the severall Electors and Princes and by them protested against in the late Dyet of Ratisbone Wherefore they now humbly petition to be relieved protesting otherwise that they are no longer able to endure it but shall be enforced to defend their persons their Consciences their Estates and Subjects Resolving notwithstanding to continue their due loyaltie and obedience vnto the Emperour humbly now desiring a faire and a gracious Answere from him Lypsich March 18. 1631. Their Conclusions published Their Conclusions were answerable vnto their Propositions 1. That considering it was their sinnes which deserved these punishments they command publike prayers to be made vnto Almightie God for the averting of these miseries 2. That meanes might be thought vpon and a friendly Treatie appointed with the Catholike Princes for removing of all jealousies and restoring of good termes and concord betwixt them as for seaventie yeares before it had beene 3. That when the time and place for this Treatie were once appointed the Protestants should there appeare a little before to prepare themselues what to say in it 4. And the fayrelier to dispose both Caesar and the Catholikes vnto their intentions that their grievances should in humble manner be before-hand by Letter presented both vnto the Emperour and the three Catholike Electors 5. That these grievances should in those Letters be pressed to be contrary vnto the Emperors Oath the Imperiall Lawes the priviledges of the Princes the honour and safetie of the Empire That the warres would vndoe all the insolencies of Commissaries and Souldiers were so insufferable as that it stood neither with their Consciences their safeties nor their honours to suffer themselues and Subjects to be any longer thus abused and that they would herevpon desire the benefit of the Emperours so often promised protection 6. That seeing these greater and fuller Assemblies were both chargeable and tedious they agreed that certaine Deputies should as necessitie required be in the names of all the rest appointed both to treate and determine of what should seeme convenient for the Common cause 7. They decree of levies of Souldiers both of horse and foote to be made in their severall Dominions and Divisions without crossing the Constitutions of the Empire or offence of any and onely in their owne defence 8. That whereas in a Dyet of the Empire held 1555. it had beene Decreed how that neighbouring Princes should liue neighbourly and if any oppressed others the rest should relieue them this reliefe they now promise one another desiring that if in these troublesome times the levies and other carriages could not possibly be every way agreeable to the Constitutions of the Empire that it might not be interpreted to be done of purpose 9. They decree the continuance of their loyaltie and obedience vnto his Imperiall Majestie 10. They agree also vpon the proportion of the Levies Thus the Elector of Saxony engages himselfe to rayse six Regiments Brandenburg three The severall Circles of Swaben the Rhine and Franckenlandt three Regiments a peece and the Circle of the Lower Saxony agreed to furnish moneyes for the raysing and paying of one Regiment Each Regiment of foote was to be 3000. strong and of horse 1000. And thus the Dyet being ended vpon Palme Sunday with a Sermon Saxony displayes his Defensiue Banner beates vp his Drummes begins his Levies and so at their comming home doe the rest of the Princes These Conclusions and Resolutions of the Protestants were not a little boggled at at Court did not slightly displease the Emperour and startle the Catholike Leaguers with their Adherents The Protestants heare of it on both eares For this are they both by words and writings both threatned and reviled yea their new League and strength were by some Confidents not a little scoffed and scorned at But they that had beene vsed to hard deeds before were sufficiently hardned against fowle words now they were not to be discouraged this way they did their businesse and let the others talke their talkes Things going thus on it was by the middle of May every where perceived How that these Leaguers of Leipsich were now in very good earnest For now vpon the taking of Magdenburg the Protestants strongly suspecting by the inhumane crueltie there vsed by the Imperialists that it was not a heate of warre alone but that there was a Coare of malice discovered in it not an Imperiall but a Popish spite vnto that Citie aboue others for having beene one of the first that harboured Luther and his Religion they beginne to make it their owne case and that for their Religions sake all they were likely not to be much better vsed Some therefore of the neighbour Princes those namely of Saxony and Swaben demaund of the Cities of Vlmes and Memmingen c. Scituate in Swaben by the River of Danubius which were of the Protestant League with them to enterteyne for Garrisons some of these new levyed Forces Memmingen consents but Vlme being a greater Citie relyes vpon her owne strength These things being done Command is given by the Emperour vnto Eggon Count of Furstenberg appointed Generall for the Circle of Swaben to imploy those 8000. lately come out of
and his associates Mansfeild Brunswicke and the King of Denmarke That himselfe being the forwardest there had beene divers Conferences concerning an Agreement but through the stubbornnesse of the adverse partie all the Treaties had come to nothing now at length therefore high time it was seriously to bethinke themselues of a good Peace or if that could not at the best hand be obtained then to devise vpon the way of a joynt league both betweene themselues and with the Emperor against the disturbers of this so necessary a Peace be they natiues of the Empire or be they forreigners and in as much as the Palsgraue Fredericke the Causerboth of these warres and miseries after those most equall Conditions propounded to him by the Elestors in their Dyet at Mulhausen is not to this day come in nor hath ever since desisted from such Courses as haue beene troublesome both vnto his Countrey and common peace but hath stirr'd vp others heretofore and the Hollanders of latter times vnto the destruction of his owne Countrey The Emperors request therefore was that the Electors would be pleased to passe an Act of Counsell whereby the Palsgrane should continue a banished man without all hopes of returning and that they would never vouchsafe to entertaine eyther peace or amitie with him He furthermore declared how that the Hollanders having long since shaken off all due reverence vnto the Empire had with a sacrilegious boldnesse of late both besieged and taken in certaine of his good Cities and Dominions now therefore it must be lookt vnto that the Empire suffer no damage and the remedies must now be consulted vpon how the boldnesse of these robbers might best be restrained and how that which vnjustly they had taken away might be recovered The fourth poynt to be considered vpon was the warres of Italy and the French King who now invaded the rights of the Empire and made himselfe an Vmpire of such matters as belong'd not vnto his Cognizance which is not to be endured But the King of Sweden sayd otherwise in his Defence which see afâ—erwards sayth the Emperour As for the King of Sweden there be no causes of enmitie betwixt vs but if he will not condescend vnto the Imperiall Ambassador the Burgraue of Dhona and the King of Denmarke the Mediator of the Peace then verily he is to be threatned with the power of the Romane Empire and if he gaue not over then was his bold attempt to be chastised by force of Armes Last of all were the Princes advised to consult vpon the meanes of maintaining a standing Army and of the restoring of Martiall Discipline and of the manner of laying and of levying the Impositions So soone as ever these Propositions were noysed abroad The Peoples construction of the Emperours Oration they were variously descanted vpon by diverse most men admiring that whereas the first Proposition tooke care how to establish a good Peace the fiue other Articles breathed out nothing but menaces of warres and Armies That the Soveraigntie of the house of Austria and the base enduring of servitude by the other side was the thing forsooth that must be called Peace That all was now excused by the rebellion of the Bohemians the oversight of the Palsgraue and the stubborne spirits of Mansfeild and the rest That those Armes which were at first taken vp against enemies were now turnd against the Common-wealth For after the differences were compounded with the King of Denmarke there remained no enemy in the whole Empire and yet the Army and the Impositions were neverthelesse commanded to be kept on foote But now plainely was this driven at that the private quarrels of the house of Austria might be maintained by the power of the Romane Empire which must thereby make another mans quarrell her owne interest But as for * The King of Bohemia Fredericke the Hollanders the * Novv Duke of Mantua vvhose Ancestors being of a yoÌ„ger house of Mantua setled themselues in FraÌ„ce to whom for want of Issue MaÌ„tua is now falne the Investiture wherof being denied him by the Emperour and the King of Spaine set on the French King appeared with an Army in favour of him Duke de Nivers and for his sake the French King and the King of Sweden to conclude they all professe themselues injuried by the Austrians and to keepe firme amitie with the Empire And suppose that Frederick had invaded the Crowne of Bohemia vnjustly and had merited punishment in that regard yet had his Electorall dignitie beene taken from him and conferred vpon the Duke of Bavaria before ever the consent of the Princes of the Empire had beene asked the Electors gainesaying it yea the King of Spaine himselfe being vtterly against it People moreover were bold to Prophecy That never should Peace returne into the Empire vnlesse the Prince Palatine were first restored into all or into a good part of his lost dignitie and Dominions For not he in his owne person alone and his so many Children and their posteritie which soever of them were so minded would sometime or other become the subject of more troubles but the Austrians and Spaniard with the Hollander and the Protestants who by putting the Prince Palatine out of the Colledge of Electors should alwayes hereafter be too weake in number of voyces with the Catholikes would ever jarre with a perpetuated heart-burning But were that Prince re-estated in his ancient place then should that too great power of the Duke of Bavaria the heart-burning against the house of Austria and the feares which the Protestants now stood in be all taken away And now that the Duke of Bavaria might neither be afraid nor asham'd to lay aside the Electorship obtained by his valour and * Deserts to the Emperor vnderstand and not to his Cosin the Prince Palatine deserts they interposed this Counsell to leaue namely a part of the Palatinate vnto him and his heires for ever and which is sayd not to be without example to haue the Electorship goe by turnes between them from one vnto another eyther by terme of yeares or liues Moreover as for the Hollanders notwithstanding they had renounced their allegiance to the King of Spaine yet they fayrely conserved the Majestie of the Empire yea and that with their neighbouring Princes though Catholikes they did religiously maintaine the Articles and Quarter of Neutralitie True it is that by the right of Warre they had made theÌ„selues Masters of certaine places which either the Spaniard before held or they feared he would take in whereas the Emperour on the contrary not by them provoked by any injury had without any Decree of the Empire to that purpose all out of a private desire of his owne for the assisting of the King his Cosin sent the Count de Monte-Cuculi even into the very heart of * While the Prince of Orange lay before St. Hertoghenbosch Holland it selfe with an Army This was the cause of the revenge which they
tooke afterward nor did they more then enough in so doing or committed any thing contrary to the Law of Armes That for the Warres * About the Dukedome of Mantua which the Spaniard perchance could ha◠bin willing to haue seised for himselfe in the Emperors name who pretended the Dukedome to be a Fee or Forfeiture of the Empire of Italy the Rights of the Empire t is true were pretended but yet were they with the bloud and at the charges of the Germane Nation maintained in behalfe of the King of Spaine For as for the Duke de Nivers he was ever ready to haue sworne fealtie and done his homage to the Emperour but indeed it no way stood with the Spaniards designes to haue a Prince so neere a neighbour vnto his Dutchy of Millaine that were infected with a French spirit Against the King of Sweden they affirmed how that the Emperour in ayde of his Cosin the King of Poland had sent a strong Army and therefore ought not to take it ill if by the same Law of Armes that King should now assist his owne Cosins the Dukes of Mecklenburg condemned * By the Emperor to leese their Estates Whereupon Walsteyn with his Army fell vpon the Dutchy of Mecklenburg whom the Emperour having Created Duke of Freidlandt before now made him Duke of Mecklenburg before they were heard revenging withall the private injuries offered vnto himselfe These and the like Discourses passed vp and downe * The summe of the Princes Answer vnto the Emperors Propositions But the Electors in a graue and a solemne Answere insisted vpō the miseries of the present times the outrages committed in the Warres and the excessiuenesse of the Impositions laying all the fault vpon the author of all these the new Duke of Mecklenburg Generall of the Emperors great Armie through his sides thus girding even at the Emperour himselfe seeing that vnto him He had given so large a Commission and that without the consent of the Princes of the Empire as never before him any had That there had an infinite Army beene gathered to no vse vnlesse to the destruction of their Country that warre had beene commenced against such as it had never beene denounced That the Impositions which by the Law of the Empire it had beene fit to haue assessed by the joynt consent of the Princes had at the pleasure of the sayd Duke beene imposed and most rigorously exacted They at the same time also affirmed how that the Elector of Brandenburg alone in these few yeares past besides those inestimable damages which vsually accompany the Warres and the vnruly Souldiers had beene faine to contribute and that vnder the name of a Tribute to the value of twentie Millions of * A Florens is about two shillings English Florens At which time these severall complaints were also given vp The Duke of Pomerland complained himselfe for ten Millions drawne out of his Principalitie of Stetin alone and that in one onely yeare besides an vnnecessary rabble of Hang-byes Drablers and the Skullery of the Armie there had beene one and thirtie thousand foote and seaven thousand fiue hundred and fortie horse billetted vp n Pomerland William Landtgrave of Hessen for his tribute of some certaine yeares seaven Millions the Duke of Wirtemberg monethly contributed an hundred and twentie thousand Florens The Citie and State of Norimberg twentie thousand a moneth others likewise complained of some more some lesse that had beene raked from them They highly accused thereupon the prodigall luxury of the sayd Duke his Collonells Captaines for their flanting of it in such rich Cloaths and household-stuffe of gold and silver and the incredible high keeping and trappings of their horses At the same time there was a little Booke shewed vp and downe wherein the ordinary provisions of * Walsteyns his house the offices of his Court and the names of those that had principall charge about him were conteined and all these with larger allowance as it was sayd then those of the Emperours owne pallace Then was his so much envied house built at Prage out of the spoyles of the Empire and vpon the ruines of an hundred houses purposely pluckt downe for him every wherespoken of Nor could any of these things be denied But those times as the Emperour excused it and the power the enemy was then growne vnto and the victory depending vpon speedy pursuite alone nothing being safer in Civill Warres then expedition could not away with that scrupulous order of the ancient Customes Many a Dispute in writing hereupon passed too and againe on both sides in all which the Emperour pressed no new Proposition or request but the Electors mainly vrged the casheering of the new * Walsteyn Duke and his Army to haue a Peace made with the French King and the Princes of Italy yea with the King of Sweden also whose Fleete was not as yet arrived vpon the Coasts of Pomerland The * Mr. Russdorff by name Ambassador of Fredericke the Palatine they were very earnest to haue admitted to Audience vnto whom now comming to the Dyet in company of the King of great Britaines * Sir Robert Austruther Ambassador they gaue assurance for his safe comming and returning With the Hollanders last of all they all but especially the Bishop Elector of Colein who lyes nearest to the danger desired peace vpon any termes a buisinesse of which moment they all affirmed worthy to be referred vnto a Dyet of the whole Empire Many things therefore the Electors by voyces at length carried which fell heavy vpon the Emperour and his Courtiers Vnto Walensteyn therefore first of all were there sent Iohn Baptista Verdenberg and Gerard Questenberg Barons both of them and both of them enriched by him with many a mightie gift and both of them alwayes beleeved to be at Court the great advancers of his Projects But even therefore were they made choyce of before any others as the fittest men to perswade with him The taske which they vndertooke seemed to be the difficultest of all the rest it being beleeved that Walenstein being a man of a most haughtie spirit accustomed to a military command one that had beene Courted by the greatest Princes and vpheld by infinite riches would never dully endure such an affront nor by his good will ever stoope againe vnto a private life Cause to feare moreover he had lest they who never durst doe it when he was a Generall would yet require their own of him when he should become a private man And the Dutchy of Mecklenburg * They feared left he would vse it as the Devill did the Possessed all to teare it when he knew he wat to leaue it they beleevd likely hereby to be exposed to most certaine danger All mens mindes now full of expectation what would be the event of that message all men now afraid of new hurly-burlies behold now what every * Peoples guesses at the reason of