Barbara his Wife taken often in the act of Uncleannesse being himself a most infamous Adulterer ALBERT from Duke of Austria in a few months was made Duke of Luxenburg Marquiss of Moravia King of Bohemia and Hungary though the latter complaining of the Spoil and havock made by the Turks in that Kingdome during the absence of Sigismund busied in the Affairs of Germany and Italy did with much reluctancy consent to his Election as also of the Romans He swayed the Scepter but two years and was a notable Evidence of the inconstancy of the World in his sudden Advancement and as speedy Fall He was Crowned at Alba whence coming to Buda the Germans took upon them the Civil administration of the City together with the placing of Officers as more allied to him than the Hungarians and in maintainance of this their Intrusion caused a Chief Noble man that stoutly opposed them to be put to Death This so enraged the Hungarians that they flew to their Arms and killed all the Germans they met or could tell where to find them which Bloody Fury lasted till a certain Monk prevailed them to surcease it At this time the Turks wasting Rassia and having subdued Synderovia George Bulchâ—s the Despot of the Province commiting the Guard of the Castle which was the Chief Residence of his Government to his two Sons betook himself with his third Son Lazarus for succour and aid into Hungary but Albert intent upon his Covetousnesse suffered the two Princes to be taken when although Amurath as the Turkish Annals have it had Married their Sister some three years before he caused their privities to be cut off and their Eyes to be put out upon pretence that they assisted their Father as then Designing War against him Albert was upon his March when he understood of the taking of the Castle which dismaying him he encamped betwixt the River Tybiscus and the Danow suffering Amurath after the attainment of his Design to retire unmolested During which idling his Soldiers got the Flux by inordinate eating of Fruit which same disease at the Town of Nesmel took him also away at his return to Hungary ELIZABETH his Wife being left big with Child was urgent with the Nobles that they would regard the Issue of the King her Husband she then went with and in the mean time to her delivery to create an Interrex or Protector to which motion those that were present agreed but others would have the Scepter translated to Uladislaus the third King of Poland Son of Iagello aforesaid by Hedwyga a Daughter of Hungary to whom the Queen should be inter-married and the Posthume Child to be instated in Austria and Bohemia This counsel the Infancy of the Prince and the Noyse of the Turkish Arms did then advise whereupon a hasty Embassy was dispatched to Cracovia but as speedily followed with the news of her being delivered of a Son The Nobles at home now repented of their forwardnesse but the Ambassadors conscious to themselves how far they had gone persisted in their Errand and notwithstanding the Turks instances to the Contrary prevailed upon Uladislaus to accept the Crown Upon his approach into Hungary Elizabeth who had newly brought out the Crown she had secretly purloyned from its place and Crowned her Son Ladislaus therewith for whose good and just Government she and Zecchius with the Count of Cillia had pledged their Oaths foreseeing the danger conveyed the Crown and her self and Son to Frederick the third Emperour Soon after Uladislaus arrived at Buda and having modestly declined the Government gently taxing the Hungarians of their Dissentions as the cause of so many Changes was the more unanimously Complemented with the Regal Title Zecchius and Ladislaus Gara the friends of the Orphan Prince being set at liberty performing their Offices at his Coronation solemnized with the Diadem taken from off the Image of St. Stephen His great friends to this Advancement were Nicholas Vylach Governour of Chroatia and Iohn Huniades who appeared like an auspicious star amidst the many Factions in Hungary For the Queen assisted by some Castellanes and Governours of strong Holds did cause great Troubles to the King especially Ladislaus Gara her former Partaker waged War and tryed the Fortune of Battel in her Sons Cause but was Defeated with great losse by Huniades and Vylach as were afterwards Zechi and Gisera but to the common and great losse and diminution of the Strength of the Kingdome notwithstanding that Iulian the Pope's Legate interposed the Papal Authority by which no more than a Cessation for a time could be obtained The Death of the Queen which now happned serving rather as an incentive then allay to the passions of those who studied her deprived Orphans right and Interest By this opportunity Amurath the second had enlarged his Conquests in the extremest parts of Hungary and was now in person before Belgrade Defended by Iohn Aurane Brother of the Prince or Lord of Croatia and so resolutely maintained by him that after a Seige of seven months in which all manner of Force by assault and mines were tryed but by the Valour and vigilance of the besieged repulsed and Countermin'd to the losse of Thirty thousand Men the proud Turk was constrained to dislodge when Invading the other parts of Hungary he took in Novigrod in the Confines of Servia abandoned upon his coming by the Defendants from whence also he dispatched Isaac Bassa of Semendria to make a further Incursion the Hungarians by their Discords being in no condition to withstand him till at his return loaden with Booty and innumerable Christian Captives Huniades having privily Collected an Army and passed the Danow met with him in the Province of Alba neer to Synderovia and there vanquished him To redresse this Discomfiture Mesithes Bassa was employed to open a Passage into Transylvania by Valachia which at the instance of Huniades had newly Revolted which he effected havocking and laying wast the Countrey and having worsted Huniades at the first Encounter was again by him engaged with a sudden raised Army and totally routed Himself and his Son with Twenty thousand Turks being slain upon the place A Treaty was now with very unequal terms propounded which Vladislaâ—s rejecting Abedin Beg was sent by Amurath to prosecute the same Design upon Transylvania and Hungary with an Army of Fourscore thousand Men at whose approach the Valachians being in no capacity to resist him by the advice of Huniades secured themselves in the inaccessible Mountains and Hills of the Countrey while the Turk raged with all extremity upon what ever he found till suddenly set upon by Huniades with no more then Fifteen thousand Men at Vaskapa he was miserably overthrown with the losse of Thirty thousand Men and his own life For this Victory a three dayes Thanksgivins was appointed and the Ensigns and Spoils of the Enemy hung up in Churches and Huniades Proclaimed and extolled as the Bulwark and Defence of
Turks as far as the Territories of Varadin then in division by civil broyles having endangered Belgrade by mastering two of the Bulwarks For which reasons Vladislaus was induced to make peace with Maximilian though upon very dishonourable terms by yielding Austria Carinthia Carniola and Styria seized and possessed by Matthias and delivering some Castles of Croatia and Sclavonia in lieu whereof Caesar restored him unto places taken this war in Hungary upon condition of his succession as was accorded with Matthias At the dyet held thereafter at Buda the Kings marriage with Beatrice was debated but because of her sterility and in submission to the Pontificall Authority she was put by and Ann the Daughter of the Prince of Anjou preferred to his bed In the mean while Bajazet made great preparations both by Land and upon the Ister for an Invasion of Hungary which caused double Garrisons to be put into the frontier Towns of Severinum Sabaczia and Iaycia and an Army of 60 Thousand men under the conduct and supreme command of Kinisius to be instantly levyed Bajazet came first to Sophia then to Hadrianople by leisure but dared not enter Hungary whither he dispatched Dandes Bassa to Uscopia while he diverted to Maxastinum designing upon Albania and meditating a Truce with Uladislaus which was accorded to neverthelesse respecting more the utility then the faith of the agreement he sent away two Bassa's the one into Valachia the other to beseige Severinum the former was vanquished by that Vayvod and the other by Kinisius who also horribly slaughtered those ravenous pillaging Bohemians whom he had appointed for the guard of the Confines against that Enemy Iohannes Corvinus likewise valiantly repulsed the Turk from Iaycia but wearied with the refractory pride of the Frangepanes and other Noblemen resigned his Government of Bosnia Chroatia and Dalmatia in whose place Emericus Drencenus was substituted by the King who repressed the insolence of those Grandees now seeking for protection from the Turks which occasion being welcome to Iacup Aga he presently made an Incursion into the limits of Carinthia and Carniola and carried away a great prey and spoil by the Confines of Germany when Drencenus having reconciled Frangepanes with a sufficient Army for number encountred him but Frangepanes again revolting the Hungarians were totally routed and Drencenus himself taken Prisoner This losse as is usuall in such cases was imputed to the sloth of the King by the Nobles when their base covetousnesse was the onely cause of it the Kings revennue being hardly able to maintain the expence of his Family as became the Dignity of a King which poverty proceeded meerly from his honesty and begat such a contempt of his Authority that he could not make the Palatine desist from the seige of one of Corvinus his Castles till the noble youth himself revenged the injury and he was the rather thus slighted because of his ignorance in the Hungarian tongue answering nothing but Well well to what ever story In the mean while Kinisius repaired this late losse by an expedition with 10000. men into Mysia where he took two Castles the one of them by the exemplary courage of a Chroat who alone maintained the rampire against the Enemy till his Fellows came to his assistance as by another Irruption into Servia having animated the King to a more vigorous prosecution of the War and brought him upon that account to Petri Varadin whence Kinisi with 14000 men wasted and harrassed all the Turks Country as far as the Suburbs of Synderovia with such a terrour that even Constantinople it self trembled for fear of his approach This noble person survived not long after being in reference to the present state of affairs another Huniades dying also like him of a Feaver He so abhominated and resented the Turkish barbabarities that he always retaliated upon them in a severer manner of Torture and punishment At last the King took courage by the good advice of his friends and Councellors and by force of Arms reduced and tamed those Seditious Grandees of Chroatia the chief of whom were Peter Arch-bishop of Colocza and Laurence Duke of Syrmia in whose Country the Kings Steward had been killed this last he dispossessed of all his Castles and imprisoned at Buda newly before pardoned at the dyet there by which means all those troubles were composed and a three years Truce confirmed by Selymus who had wrested the Turkish Empire from his father Bajazet which added something more to the Kingdomes Welfare About this time dyed Iohn Corvinus his Widdow intermarrying with George Marquesse of Brandenburgh followed by Peter Gereb the Palatine in whose Place came Emericus Perenyi and Stephen Vayvod of Moldavia a person famous next Matthias for his services against the Turk and Tartars in whose room succeeded Bogdanus At Buda a consult was managed by the Faction of Zapolianus or Iohn Scepusius the Vayvod and the Eloquence of Verbeczius of forbidding the Crown to be ever conferred on Forraigners as the Siculi rebelled the same time and killed the Collector of their dues to the King but the Authors were severely punished by Paulus Tomoraeus Nor ever were the Hungarians more deceived then in this Truce made with Selymus relying whereon they became defencelesse for on a sudden all the Country as far as the River Dravus where it joyns with the Danow was laid wast and desolate To second this Calamity the Countreymen and Boors rebelled against the Nobility and for the greater enforcement of their designs joyned themselves with the Forces raised by Thomas the Arch-bishop of Strigonium against Bajazet's Invasion at the instinct of the Pope to keep the War out of Italy at the charge of Hungary There being now upon the Peace again no use for these religious Souldiers they began to be burdensome to the Noblesse and admitted of the Peasants as their Associates by and of these no lesse then 70000 are reported to have been slain in the space of four moneths by which the sanctity of these Crusado men may be guessed at At last Iohn the Vayvod tamed this wicked Crew by intollerable Famine and gave them the head of their Captain one George Szekheli notable formerly for his Valour for food and victual Vladislaus to make up a stricter League with the House of Austria journyed now to Vienna where he had conference with Sigismund of Poland and Maximilian by whom Mary his Neice by Philip was betrothed to Lewis Ladislaus his Son and Mary his Daughter to Charles or Ferdinand with a Condition of succession in case of no Issue against this contract and this last clause Perinyi objected and though lame caused himself to be carried through the Streets of Presburg where he noysed his Dissent and refusal and the Invalidity of the Match as done without his principally and the Nobles Consent but being won by the grant of the Office of Crown-keeper just as he should have subscribed the Instrument he Died. In
without pay they fell into a Mutiny and assaulted him in his Quarters the Convoy of twenty nine Waggons laden with money and Cloth for the Souldiery themselves having stollen and carried them away part into Poland and part to Bocskay neverthelesse having something pacified the Souldiers he attempted Cassovia but in vain thence retreated to Leuchovia his Army deserting him in the way insomuch that Francis Redei with a small party of 2000 Heyduhks and the bent of the People took in twenty Towns besides many Castles betwixt the Rivers Sayon Ippolus and Waegh revolted to him These Successes caused the Emperour to send away the Bishop of Vesprinium and Sigismund Forgacz his Ambassadors to Bocskay to whom the Turk being very observant and intent upon his actions he at the first audience publickly profest that if they were sent from the Hungarian Nobility their Embassy was welcome and acceptable to him but otherwise if they came from the Emperour it was to no purpose for that he had engaged so far that he could not possibly recede At a Diet held at Szerencsium soon after he laid down the Causes of his present undertaking namely the Defence of Religion the Liberty and safety of the People At the end of which Oration he was confirmed by the Estates in the Principality and the Roman Lutheran and Calvinian Doctrines received promiseuously The Cheif Praefecture of Transylvania and the Supreme Command of the Army was conferred the first on Sigismund Rakoczi the latter on Valentine Homonnâ—â— From this Diet in 〈◊〉 he returned into Transylvania where he was met with a Turkish Chiaux who presented him with the usual Ensigns of the Investiture from the grand Seigniour to whom he dispatched â—way Stephes Corlatus and George Kikedi his Ambassadors with the Homage and Presents the more envious for that some German Youths were added thereunto From Cassovia Rocskay invited Stephen Illyeshazi fled for his Treason out of Poland and by the valour of the Heyduckes took Trincinum Fâ—eleck Zackmar as Nitria by the inconstancy of the Garrison was delvered to Francis Redei by Sigismund Forgacz the Bishop of the place Which losses with want of money so disabled Basta besides that he was in great danger of his life that he fled to Presburgh where Collonitz endevoured to relieve him but his Souldiers turned sides Tyrnaw hereupon yeilded and Stanislaus and Christopher Thurzo submitted to Redejus Hence the War was carried into Moravia by Eight thousand Heyducks and a thousand Turks Commanded by Dengelegius who brought away 4000 Captives thence and Tockay was at the last extremity delivered by Reuberus whose Fidelity and Valour Bocskay himselfe commended The Revolt of the Isle of Csallockoes followed this rendition and gave advantage to 6000 of the Confaederates so were Bocskay's party called to make an attempt upon Presburgh burning in their way thither St. George and other Towns whence being rejected by Basta they turned their Invasion upon Austria which they destroyed as far as Prinquelia At the same time Nemethus to enlarge this Devastation passed the Daâ—â—bius at Sabaria to whom Nadasdi and other Noblemen for fear of their own Territories joyned themselves and even to the wonder of the Barbarians sacked all that Tract of ground lying betwixt Layla and Arrhabon pretending Religion as the incentive to this imâ—ane Cruelty although they unmercifully tortured the reformed Ministers and sold very Infants for Slaves to the Turks to such a detestation that God caused Blood to drop out of Gold paid by a Turk to a Christian for one of those Captives This Countrey Desolated he fell next into Styria and barbarously used the Town situated betwixt Arrhabon Pingua and Lappinicia and had almost shook the Allegiance of Drascovitius the Governor of Illyria but he recovering himself and assisted by Trautsmandorf raised an Army of ten thousand men and drove Nemethus out of Sclavonia together with his Partakers among whom were some Tartars to Zigeth Coppan and other their respective Holds and Garrisons by which meanâ— Drascovitius gained to himself great Authority and Renown But these most horrid Divisions hastned the Common Ruin for Mahomet the now prime Vizier who had delivered Strigonium himself to the Christians besieged it in person which Bocskay quarrelled alleadging that by his League with them no City in Hungary ought to be taken by the Turks but being not Master of himself he sent Homonnai either at the request or Command of Mahomet with 6000 men and not long after the Town within ten years of its reduction was delivered by William Oetingensis and his Germans who diffiding in the Hungarians dismist them out of the Town not to this onely disadvantage for they presently thereupon joyned with Redejus against the Emperour to whom Ersekâ—yvarum was yeilded by the consent of Matthias upon the promise of Rodejus that it should not come into the Tarkâ— â—â—ands but be restored when ever the Waâ— should be composed Mahomet the Vizier now summoned Boczkay to Buda to the Solemnization of the Marriage of the Bassa of that City who met him on his way as far as Rakos and introducted him in State where Boczkay did Homage for Transylvania and submitted it under the protection of the Turks whereupon he was presented with a Crown as King also of Hungary supposed to have been the Constantinopolitan Emperours or the Despots of Thrace and a Sword embellished with Gold Jewels and other Ornaments all which except the Crown Boczkay accepted but that he refused acknowledging Caesar to have been duly crowned for which his modesty was worthily praised however he may be justly taxed of Sedition and Rebellion By reason of this fealty the Vizier made him Tribute free for ten years those expired the yearly Tribute of ten thousand Guilders to be paid at the Port for the Upper Transylvania at which agreement the Janizaâ—â—es made great acclamations of Felicity as expecting a Donative and Gratuity A Diet was soon after held by Boczkay at Corpona whither came Sigismund Forgacz from Caesar with Conditions of Peace to which the Turk engaged by the Rebel Bassa's of Aleppo and Caramania was inclinable also in his own behalf having first seen Boczkays Propositions This Overture came to a Conclusion at Vienna managed by Illyeshazi and Mlasodoâ—itius on the part of the Transylvanian Caesar consenting to whatsoever Propositions as knowing Boczkay must ere long dye without Issue The Terms were a general and mutual Amnesty and Oblivion a Toleration of the Roman Lutheran and Calvinian Professions a Palatine to be elected by the Votes of the Hungarians the Chambers and new Courts to be abolished The Treasury to be regulated by new Commissioners the Hungarians to redeem the Castles pawned to the Germans The Government to be administred by Hungarians but Raab and Comorra may be governed by deserving Germans All Transylvania with that part of Hungary which Sigismund Bathori enjoyed to belong to Boczkay together with the Lordships of Tockay
The Regal Diadem Robes Sword and Globe with the noyse of the Cannon and the gladsome Acclamation of the People wishing all happinesse to the King and Kingdome thus restored were conveyed from Presburg in this Order First went the German Trumpeters then thâ— Barons the Masters of the Horse with their Squadrons Armed Cap a pe next followed the Hungarian Noblemen the Deputies or Governours of Dalmatia Sclavonia and Croatia then the Servants of the Palatine covered with the skins of Leopards and Tigers then the Palatine himself in the middst between the German and Hungarian Barons the Crown and the other Royal Ensigns being laid upon a Chariot The Cardinal Peter Pazman and Arch-Bishop of Strigonium put the Crown on the King's Head in the Great Church where were present a great Confluence of Schollars to attend the Cardinal from the Colledges of Vienna and Tyrnaw and elsewhere the Hungarians being here asked if they did accept him for their King with one Voice answered We do We will and require it let the King live and Reign long and Govern us The King the Divine Service performed turned his Chair towards the People and laying the Sword of St. Stephen upon their shoulders Created four Knights when mounting his Horse in an Hungarian Habit he galloped up a little Hill and there brandishing his Sword four times to the four Quarters of the World thereby declared his Majesty and his Empire Medals of Gold and Silver being at the same time thrown among the People For Conclusion he was Nobly treated at a most sumptuous Royal Feast by the Nobles A new Storm over-clouded this Serenity Bethlen instigated by Count Mansfield in the Month of Iuly invaded Hungary again whither the said Count joyned with the Duke of Weymar being beaten out of Germany the Netherlands and Bohemia was bending his forces but both of them although additioned by forces from Bethlen who resented his losse of Opulia and Ratibor were vanquished by Wallensteyn Who being afterwards recoyled by the Turks about Nitria fought with dubious fortune against the said Mansfeldians still recruiting upon every Disaster as if they had been the Sons of Antaeus But upon the news brought to Bethlen that 40. thousand Tartars his Confederates were slain in Poland he found it high time to bethink of Peace by which on shameful Conditions he departed out of Hungary quitted his Confederates Mansfield and Weymar renouncing also his Tartarian friendship with an Obligation to free all Christian Captives with the Turks Mansfield suspecting this Collusion with his most expedite and nimble Troops hasted to the Venetians leaving the rest of his forces to Weymar but taken in Bosnia with a Flux proceeding as some report from poyson he took into his bowells he expired his busie and versatile Soul there Weymar also having possessed himself of Hohenwold and Iabelunca and designing his Efforts upon Hungary discontented with those practises of the Transylvanian soon wasted away aged 32. years much beloved and lamented by his party for his moderate yet valiant actions and deportment in Silesia Him Bethlen followed tortured with such an excessive pain in his feet that he commanded the soles of them to be lanced to give passage to the fluid humour to this was added the Disease of the Holy Fire which gave occasion to the Papists Invectives that all the Elements conspired against him being persecuted with fire water iron c. and that his end was worthy of his Actions He bequeathed to each of the Emperours a Horse with Jewells Trappings and Furniture worth 40. thousand Guilders to his Wife a 100 thousand Guilders and as many thousand Imperials and Florens with 3 Royalty's to hold and enjoy for her life having given this testimony of Caesar that it was a very hazzardous thing to war with him as a person who was neither deprest with adverse nor lifted up with prosperous fortune By his Death Cassovia Tockay and all the places granted to him for his Life reverted to the Emperour and his Widow although proclaimed Prince of Transylvania yet wanting Title and Right as being a Stranger whether spontaneously or against her Will quitted the Administration having procured Stephon Czakius whom she loved to be named for Prince and indevoured at the Ottoman Port to have him invested but the Transylvanians rejecting the Princesse were divided into two other parts some would have Stephen Bethlen the Brother of the deceased Gabriel others stood for George Rakoczi whose fortune and wonderful felicity carried it from all his Competitors Catharius the Agent at Constantinople prevaricating and acting for Rakoczi as did several Castellans by the liberality of the Princess granted unto Csakius who took fortune to their Counsellour Csakius speeds thither and comes to Muncacksum given him by the same hand and desired admission but Iohn Balling the Governour of the Place presenting the Ordnance against him told him he had delivered it to Rakoczi and had received the Hereditary Government of it for his rendition Bethlen at the same time possessed himself of most of the other places in Transylvania but by the detestable disloyalty of his Son Stephen and his Son in Law David Zolyomi and the disaffection of all forraign Princes he was forced to abandon his pretensions for Rakoczi invited by those two persons came to Varadin where by their Suffrage and Advancement he wrested the Principality from Stephen created Prince thereof who being of a mild and quiet disposition and more desirous of a private Life by his own Interest promoted Rakoczi against Czakius and forgave his Son and Son in Law not forgiven by God the just Avenger of their unnatural offence he himself receiving the name of Governour for not long after his Son Stephen a youth otherwise of great learning and virtue having been bred up with his brother Peter at Leyden dyed at Ecsedium his body being horribly eaten up with Worms David Zolyomi was committed to perpetual Imprisonment by Rakoczi whom he had helped to prefer Caesar likewise had dispatcht Esterhasius the Palatine of Hungary with a strong Army to possesse himself of Transylvania but before his Arrival Rakoczi had setled himself and by Stephen Bethlen the Governour of Dacia pro hac vice in an Irruption into Hungary overthrew him and took several Cities the Sultan himself while yet the Peace was in force betwixt him and the Emperor of his own accord sending 10000. men to Ersekuyvarum to his assistance in testimony of his affection to and approbation of Rakoczi who wasted the Countrey on purpose to divert Esterhasius wherefore the Emperour not willing to bring a greater War upon himself by designing upon others presently acquiesced But this provocation determined not so on the part of Rakoczi whose offence thereat the Swede by an Embassy to him so aggravated finding the German War like to rest upon his own single Shoulders by other fetches of the common Cause of Religion