together with these counterfeit letters from the Emperour the Prince with a chéerefull and vnsuspected countenance giues him his hand bids him welcome demands of the Prince his health and the newes at Court all is deliuered in faire manner and coloured ouer with dissembled words the Prince beléeues all and distrusteth nothing receiues and reads the letter without suspition making himselfe ready for his iourny to Mosco Thus whilest the tongue and the heart of truth are in one line paralel the heart and tongue of treason are as farre sundered as the Poales such distance there is from their artike words to the antartike purposes the Prince is soone ready kisseth his faire Lady making more hast then good spéed to goe on with this traitour to the Mosco from whence he is neuer to returne nor euer to behold his wife againe shée wéepes at parting as bedewing his hidden fate with her open teares whether of present loue or fore signifying sorrow they mount on horse-backe and with halfe a doozin of the Princes followers they post towards the Mosco till they came within the compasse of the Ambuscado that all this while laie as still as midnight the larum being giuen on the sudden they surprise him and detaine him prisoner there could be no resistacne the Prince seeing himselfe thus vildly betraied and by him also whom he especially trusted bouldly desired to know the cause and whether it was the Emperours pleasure that he should be thus held in captiuity they answered him churlishly that he should know the rest at his comming to Mosco and when he began in goodly tearmes as he was an excellent wel spoken man to bewray his innocense they staied not the end of his speech but rudely put him forward at which the Prince sighed but it booted not All this was done within view of the Princes house and in the Ladies sight Now iudge all you houourable dames that loue your Lords and husbands with intire affections with what heart the sad eyes of this desolate Lady could behould this miserable obiect to sée her husband thus betraied within her view such was the sorrow of that euer memorable Roman Lady Cornelia wife to Pompey the great when from a farre off shée saw her Lord and husband in a little Boate betrayed and slaine by the treacherous Councellers and bloudy ministers of that periured Prince Ptolomie King of Aegypt when after his ouerthrow in Thessalie hée put himselfe vpon his protection And this poore Ladies sorrowes were the greater because shée neither knew the cause their purposes nor the meanes to helpe him but wee must leaue her in her passions and follow him in his captiuity whom they soone brought in a poasting iourney to Mosco and lodged him in a strong prison CHAP. 7. Tragus is arraighned condemned and iudged vniustly in the Mosco who out of the greatnesse of his minde to mocke Vansusces tyranny kils himselfe NOw were their daily counsels and consultations held in the Citty concerning the progresse of this businesse with this Noble-man by Vansusce and those of his secrets who â—ooâ—e grew to be powerfull by reason of his strong Guards and plurality of friends that from all parts flocked vnto him The day was soone appointed for this young Lords tryall not from his knowen innocence to cléere him but from their preiudicated doombes to confound him the publike place of iudgement was appointed the Theatre vpon which must be acted this Gentlemans tragedy thither at the day set downe comes Vansusce in a Princes Roabe together with his friends allies and a strong guard of souldiers the principal Officers in the Citty accompanying him and hauing all taken their places this Princly prisoner is brought in before them who with a chéerefull and vnaffrighted countenance beholds them all The allegations of treason obiected against him were that by his procurement the last warre with the Tartars was commenced that cost more treasure and bloud then the victory was worth that by his sollicitation that vnhappy marriage with the Polish Princes was mediated and concluded that the Polish Guard was by his meanes brought in by which so many outrages were committed that they were driuen to take the course they did for their slaughter in which the Emperor himselfe past an vnhappy destiny the guilt of whose death was laid vpon him as being the originall though not the efficient cause thereof that the bringing in of tenthousand Poles more was by his counsell vrged that the Princes treasure was by his prodigal profuse of mony much wasted that he had allowed the title of the Dukedome of Seuere to the Crowne and Kingdome of Poland with other matters not so much as thought vpon to all which the Prince answered so fully and so nobly as euery vnpartiall eare found his innocence howbeit truth neuer told her tale but enuy was either ready to wrong herby suggestion or falshood by subornation for vniust witnesses were produced against him by whose testimony this innocent Prince was condemned Vansusce then rising from his Throne began with a studied and premeditated spéech after this maner I cannot tell my louing Country-men in what tearmes or with what words I shall procéed in iudgement against this Noble-man late kinsman and néere Alley vnto our deare Soueraigne Lord the Emperour for when I thinke of the times past and compare them with the present the thought and consideration thereofso strikes me with astonishment my minde being diuersly distracted betwixt my Countries care and this Noble-mans respect that I stand deuided in my iudgment the one pleading rigor the other pitty what I shall definatiuly set downe in censure for him or against him first giue him his due who doth not sorrow that so noble a Gentleman so fully stuft with such excellent parts of mind of so admirable composure and constitution of body in the prime of his youth and beauty in the pride of his state and pleasures in the solace and comfort of his wife and children his ouer-héedlesse actions and ouer-wéening conceit his owne greatnesse in abusing the Princes fauour should now make him vnworthy of his life by reason of the states present condition whereas otherwise his life should haue bene most desired For mine owne part I would I had not liued at all or at least not till this time wherein sauing my countries care and the entire respect and affection I beare to all your liues and safeties I am otherwise euen against the consent of my soule and my best genious enforst to pronounce peremptory sentence of iudgement against such a man to whom but of late I gaue place to in honour For thus say my priuate thoughts to my common cares where Nobility greatnesse a Princes fauour or what excellent parts or qualities soeuer either of body or mind be in the same subiect that owes them transferred vnto it selfe without respect of common good to the which he owes a duty he growes not onely an vnprofitable but also a dangerous member to
fauour committing many outrages in the Citty and in short time fall into great hatred with the Muscouite Kneseuansusce Iaying hold of this occasion ioynes with the Muscouite and growes discontent NOw while the Emperour with his Lady delighted in nothing but what might please his fancy spending whole dayes and nights in Banqueting and Reuels thinking all safe and secure the Poles being a people proud in their owne nature and that pride nowe doubled in them by the Princes fauour commit without controlement many outrages in the Mosco and other places adioyning so that by degrées in short time they came to be extreamely hated of the Muscouite which Vansusce perceiuing would oftentimes complaine so farre as he durst to diuerse of his friends the Muscouites both of the Indulgence of the Prince and insolency both of the Pole alleaging probability of a Tyranny in the sonne more vnsufferable then that of his fathers Who foresées not saith Vansusce that perceiues any thing how this new Alliance with Poland is like to proue fatall to Rushia who sées not that these rude beginnings are certaine signes foregoing much greater mischiefes if they be not in time preuented we are scarse now secured of our wiues children and goods but that many times they passe the hazard of their barbarous cruelty if six thousand Poles kéepes vs thus in awe committing such outrages whereof there are daily complaints without controulement what will their greater numbers doe whereof there is a continuall expectance the Prince sleepes and dallies in the delights of his new loue forgetting his old friends his owne people are disestéemed the Pole hath all estimation no Rushian sues at Court but if he will thriue must haue a Pole to his Aduoacte nothing that is by the Pole begged but is by the Prince granted without respect of common profit the principall Offices begin already to be transposed both in Court and Citty what shall we looke for but a declination still from bad to worse vntill we haue lost all and the Pole hath got all These words together with their outrages had so incensed the Muscouite that there wanted but occasion to raise an innouation which vnluckely was soone after proffered for a Polish Gentleman casting by chance his eye vpon a Marchants daughter of Mosco a virgine of excellent bewty was so infangled in her loue that hauing tried all waies for the obtayning his desire by intreaties and gifts and finding stil his suite to returne in vaine was neuerthelesse so ardent in his outragious lust that hauing trayned her by deuise into a place of conueniency where in the pursuite of his desire all faire waies being denied him he in a most barbarouse manner rauisht her This deflowred damsell with great sorrow and heauinesse complained to her frinds of this vile abuse When the causes of our griefes excéede all bounds it workes in our minds diuersity of effectes not immoderatly those that follow our ordinary afflictions or the customary crosses of fortune which draw our sighes teares and other common tokens of calamity but in the excesse of grief when the obiect there of presents a veiw beyond al patience or sufferance it so distracts the minde and astonisheth the senses that reason giuing way to sorrow we fall into a boundlesse Ocean of the extreamest passtons such was the inuolued heart with griefe in that spectacle of all misery Hecuba Quéene of Troy who seeing herselfe betraid 〈◊〉 set on fire her Lord Priame flaine her children murdered and that flowre of al beauty Polixena in the loue of whom that mirror of all knighted Achilles fight slaine in her owne armes by vnrelenting Pirrhus in the view of these miserable obiects she was so far from finding ease in the vtterance ofsorrow that shée lost herselfe in the Maze and Labrinth of madnesse the like was that of Niobe vpon the slaughter of her seuen sonnes by the Goddesse Latona who in the fight thereof was so astonished with sorrow that the Poet fained her turned into a stone not much vnlike was the state of the friends of this deflowred damsell who hauing séene their daughters teares and knowen the cause of hir grieuance fell presently from the passion of sorrow to the passion of rage and in a furious manner with resolued purposes but vnguided steps ran to Court complaines of this abuse with frantike and vnséemly gesture set forth the guilt of this abhominable fact in the presence of the Emperour and after a violent manner rather commanding then crauing iustice what haue we committed saith the father to this wronged damsell that we your natural people hauing béene so long brought vp vnder your Lawes Religion and Gouernment should be so farre distrusted of our loyalties and so much distasted in our affections that you should repose your selfe in a strange guard and expose vs to their cruelty what outrages haue they committed since the comming of your Quéene into Mosco sparing neither age sex nor quality how many complaints haue béene made of their abuses but no redresse and I the sad father to this deflowred virgin perceiue by your lookes that I speake in vaine the way to oppression is plaine and open the path to Iustice is vntrodden the King is a stranger to his subiects and a King to strangers the Muscouite held himselfe wretched vnder the gouernment of your father but wee much more vnder your tyrannie these last words did so incense the Prince that with his foote he spurned the father of this damsell from him and being by rage wholy transported from reason without any respect either to the complainants cause or the Muscouites discontent committed him as a mutiner together with his wife and this wronged damsell to prison who causing them there to be laden with Irons did there by so ouerlade himselfe with the hatred of his people that in short time it proued a burden too heauy for him to beare ouer-pressing him so much that it depriued him of his Empire in the end of his life as the sequell shall declare CHAP. IIII. Vansusce with the aide of the Muscouite rebels surpriseth the great Castle or Pallace of Mosco kils all the Poles in one night in this garboile the Emperour is bruted to be slaine but with the aid of a trusty seruant escapes secretly with his 〈◊〉 disguised THe newes being spread abroad the great Citty of the vsage of his Marchant his wrongs and vniust imprisonment together with his wife and daughter the Muscouite in more open manner bewray their discontents on to another and all against the Pole so farre forth that they begin to mutiny flocking togther in great Companies with mindes of resolution to reuenge themselues for the wrongs receiued which the Pole vnderstanding kéepe within the great Pallace not daring to stirre abrdad The Prince looking but too late into the danger imploie certaine Noble men of his Court such whom he knew to be gracious with the people for the quieting of these tumults by whose care and
hauing receiued further Intelligence that their Forces were ready to ioyne with resolution to attempt to raise the Leager from before Smalensco sent vppon the sodaine Chollcosce his lieutenant generall with fiftéene thousand Launsiers and thirtie thousand Cossakes to take a Skance of great import called Gregory that lieth in the common passage betwéen two great woods from Mosco to Smalensco This Skonce being thus strongly beleagered on all sides Vansusce raiseth his Armie from the Mosco constituting his brother Demetrius their Generall who ioyning with the strangers Forces of whom Pontus la Gard had the commaund they march towards the Skonce of Gregory the whole Armie consisting of fortie thousand Being come within two daies march of the Skonce the Enemy hauing gotten intelligence by some of our fugitiues of the approach of this Armie their numbers and purposes which was to surprize them in the night vppon a nonslaught Cholcosce to preuent their proiect the night before drawes out of his Leager thrée thousand and fiue hundred Launsiers being Noble men and Gentle men of the best rancke and resolution that came with the King out of Poland together with seuen thousand Cossakes and with this number hauing nine thousand Launsiers more for a second closely in the night they marched and earely in the morning which was Midsummer day they fell sodainely vpon our quarters Our men trusting that the Muscouite who knew the Countrey would by the Scowt-watches haue giuen the larum of any sodaine approach But the Russe not daring to stirre out of their quarters was the cause of our vnhappy defeature and their owne vtter ouerthrow for our men being thus put into amazement by the larum giuen Pontus de la Gard did according to the shortnesse of the time and the weight of the danger dispose in this manner of his Forces the vangard he gaue to Edward Horne a full Souldier and a braue Commaunder with his Regiment of Fynlanders who were the first that stoode the Poles charge But being ouercharged by the Poles number of Launsters they fled scarse abiding the charge Coronell Coborne commaunding the English horse aduaunced forward with his Troupes to answer the Pole The French and Dutch did the like But Cholcosce finding them weakely armd and horsed being also encouraged before with the ouerthrow of the Fynlanders with corage and resolution followed the tract of his fortune and in short time ouerthrew the whole Forces of the strangers horse but with the death of many of his owne Launsiers The whole Army of the Russe séeing the fortune of our forces being themselues out of danger fled without stroke striking The companies of our foote séeing the successe of the day did barrocad◠themselues with Cartes and Waggons with resolution to fight it out to the last man or to take some honorable composition Which Cholcosce perceiuing and doubting some further stratagem his returne also backe to the Skonce of Gregory being of moment satisfying himselfe at that time with the glorie of this day made a tender of these proffers following that if they would giue ouer their strength they should be at libertie eyther to serue the Emperour or the King of Pole with the same pay they had if they would returne to the King of Swethland they should haue leaue if into theyr owne Countries they should haue licence and helpe to passe through the Poles Country with the Kings fauour These proffers were accepted and they hauing yéelded did seuerally dispose of themselues some backe to the Emperour some to the King of Swethen the most of them to the Pole many home into their Countries Thus was this great Armie vnhappily disperced that neuer met together againe Pontus de la Gard Edward Horne La Vile Collayne and Coborne with a few Officers and some Souldiers to the number of fiue hundred returned backe to the King of Swethen CHAP. 13. The Emperor Demetrius returnes from Colloge with a hundred thousand men and beleagers Mosco on the one side of the towne Cholcosce on the other Vansusce is taken prisoner and sent into Poland Demetrius flees againe to Colloge and is at last miserably slayne by a Tartare VAnsusce hearing of the ouerthrow of his Army was much troubled in his minde especially for the defeature of the strangers vpon whom he principally trusted he now saw that the hand of God was against him in dangers ineuitable which by humane reason and iudgement he could not auoyde he feared Demetrius on the one side that had drawne together in Colloge a hundred thousand men with purpose to besiege the Mosco on the other side He knew the Poales forces before Smalensco and that they were still re-informed with new supplies hée feared Gregory could not hold out that Skonce bearing his name which Cholcosce had beleagerd but that he would yéelde it vp vppon any composition as indéede he did He knew then that there was no barre nor hawlt for the Poales Armie to march from Smalensco to the City of Mosco To the increase of these feares hée sawe the citty empty of victualles and other prouision for the warres But that which most troubled him he found his reputation much lessened in the opinion of the Muscouite While Vansusce stoode thus exercised and perplexed with these feares sayling betwixt Scilla and Charibdis in doubt which way to take the Emperour Demetrius layes hold of the occasion and once more attempts with this new raised power to recouer his Empire hée therefore with all spéed aduanceth forward with this great Army consisting of a hundred thousand men that in those tumultuous times either for his loue or their owne safeties had fled vnto him there were also ten thousand Poles in his Army that had followed him in his last flight from the Mosco He hauing thus once more like an Emperour the commaunding of such an Armie which neuerthelesse was more fearefull for their numbers then in their armes and courage came before the Citty fortifying his camp and planting his Ordonance which soone beganne to batter Sigismond King of Poland hauing intelligence hereof takes his aduantage in this diuision and sends Cholcosce his lieutenant generall hauing lately taken in the fort of Gregory with forty thousand men to beleager the other side of Mosco there were also fiftéene hundred strangers in his army English Scottish and French that had put themselues into the King of Poles seruice after their defeature on Midsummerday Now was this great citty inuironed on all sides with huge numbers of men of warre and in short time brought to so great misery in the height of all extreame that if a man could imagine in such a case the worst of calamity such was the wretched fortune of this citty wherein nothing but horror and despaire was found the canon roring without women children crying within the noise of drums trumpets horses harqnebuses and the helplesse grones of dying men made it on earth a hell to the miserable Muscouite Famine also at