Grand Visier assembled his Army at Belgrade and the Duke of Lorrain assembled the Emperor's near Comora and Raab He was joined by the Polish Troops in the Emperor's Pay commanded by the Chevalier Prince Lubomirski who had treated with them for three Regiments The Duke advanced afterwards to the other side of the Danube where he formed the Siege of Newhausel an important Place the furthest advanced of any belonging to the Turks about 8 Hungarian Leagues from Presburg that is to say 12 Hours March at least situated in a vast Plain Part of which is Marshy and Part of it full of Ditches and hollow Ways but all of it open and cultivated It is bounded on one side by an Arm of the Danube to which another great River joins called Waag and on the other it has a pleasant Edge of little Hills and altogether form a charming Lantskip with considerable Towns frequent Villages and generally a fruitful Soil The Town is small formerly built of Brick with with large Streets pav'd in the Hungarian Manner that is to say with Borders raised like a Casway with 6 Foot of Earth It had stately Churches very Lofty Monastries and Considerable Pallaces amongst others that of the Bishop of Nitra Spiritual Lord of Neuhausel upon which are still to be seen the Arms of the Bishops that built or repaired it At present all those Houses are in Ruines where the Turks have formed ' emselves Habitations without restoring the Buildings to which they have added other Houses made of Earth and Wood according to the Custom of that Nation who never repair any thing that they acquire They have turned the Churches into Mosques the Palaces into Lodgings for their Bassas and others of the first Rank The Convents were given to the Soldiers of the Garison the rest is inhabited by Merchants and Tradesmen of their own Nation and Way for after Ahmet Kuproli the Son took it not so much as one Christian staid in the Town but all of them retired elsewhere The Town is regularly fortified with 6 Royal Bastions according to the Modern Way faced with Brick well terrassed with a great Parapet of Turf betwixt which and the Wall there is a very large Way The Top of the Platform is also very large Each Bastion hath a spacious Cavalier capable of containing 500 Men the Streets of the Place end at the Avenues and the whole Circumference is very Easy and Commodious for giving Mutual Assistance to one another It hath only two Gates they are well vaulted but have neither Ravelin nor Half-Moon this being only the Body of a Fortification which the Turks never suffered to be compleated Nay the Ditches are not all throwly dug and beyond 'em there is the Draught of a Counterscarp which shews the Ingineers design so that all the Out-works remain about the Height of a Man and the Place hath no other Defence but an Inundation which fills the Ground designed for Ditches and leaves a little Space at the Foot of the Walls in form of a Fausse Braye This City had a little Suburb going to the Gate that looks towards Comorra beyond the little River Nitra with a sorry wooden Bridge after the Polish Manner which is not Unuseful to cover this Front tho' it be the easiest Part of the Town to attack by drawing the Water from the Ditches and conveying it away by the River As for the rest the City is encompassed with marshy Medows through which there lie Cause-ways shaded with Trees and admirable Gardens from whence as also from the River Nitra the Turks had great Relief there being no Water in the Place It was furnished with Cannon Arms Powder and Provisions for 2000 Foot and 800 Horse the usual Garison and defended by two Pachas the one being Governour called Aly and the other his Deputy called Mustapha The former was about 60 Years of Age of a good Aspect with a venerable large grey Beard and of more than a middling Stature of a melancholy Air lean Face of a Carriage genteel enough but Ignorant to a Progidy a great Hater of the Christians and full of the foolish Vanity of the Turks who have a mighty Conceit of their own Nation and Power The other on the contrary was a young Man of a good Countenanco fair Complexion pleasant Look full Face of a cold but easie Access a Noble Mien and about 40 Years of Age. The Turks call this City Oiiy-War a Hungarian Word for Bishops-Castle After 't was taken by the Grand Visier Kuproli it was agreed that the Christians might build another City in lieu of it in the same Country whereupon they erected Leopoldstat within 6 Leagues of it fortified much in the same Manner The Duke of Lorrain had scarce begun his Approaches before Newhausel till he heard of the March of the Infidels But the Court of Vienna whom he informed of it being prepossessed with contrary News ordered him to continue the Siege since the Grand Visier was still at Belgrade He obeyed and very narrowly escaped being swallowed up by the Ottoman Army having had much difficulty to retire his own and to throw them speedily into the Isle of Comorra commonly so call'd from the famous Fortress at the oint of it but properly called the Grand Schit or Schut by which he sav'd the Empire That we may the better understand the Importance of this Step I must inform you that the Isle of Schit is one of the finest in any River of Europe begins near Presburg and lies along for the space of 10 Hungarian Leagues On the Point opposite to the Turkish Couutry as you go down the River there 's a little City formerly walled and still a good Town called Comorra covered with a Cittadel that is looked upon as Impregnable and a Master-Piece of the Art Military both in regard of its Scituation betwixt two large Arms of the Danube which wash its Flanks and join together at the Point of its Bastions and in regard of its Fortifications and Works It hath one called Couronné in Mathematical Terms whose Extent Regularity and Outworks are certainly comparable to the finest of that kind as is also the Esplanade which separates it from the City but the Body of the Place is nothing answerable 'T is an Irregular Pentagon because in order to possess all the Ground of the Point they were forced to contract the Fortification towards the end where there are little Bastions and narrow Curtains but that Part is well enough defended by the two Arms of the Danube and the height of the Ramparts But towards the City the Works have their full Extent the Ditches Half Moon space betwixt the Glacis and the Crowned Work answer very well to the rest but those who are versed in Fortifications think the Defences too near the Walls too high and the Flanks ill defended I observed one Irregularity here which is a great eye-sore viz. That the Gate opens in the Corner of the Curtain almost touching
Depth and Rapidity of the Danube requires Betwixt those Canals there are several small ones which cut the Islands but don't properly make distinct Arms being only Streams that proceed from the Inundations of the River The first of those Islands and the nearest to the City is a second Town as we may call it the whole Place being full of Country-houses Palaces Gardens great Walks of Trees as those of the Cours le Reins Inclosures Thickets Malls and other things that conduce to the Ornament of a Capital City The whole being inclosed like a Park with high Pallissadoes of curious Workmanship This is that they call Leopolstadt From hence we enter the City by a little Bridge and a great Suburb beyond it that joins to the Houses of the Island in which the Empress some few Years before had caused a Palace to be built call'd the New Favorita which was the principal Beauty of the Island though to speak freely all those Houses Palaces and Gardens have little Magnificence or Grandeur in them but the Place of it self is very much adorned by Nature The other Island beyond it betwixt the two great Branches of the River is greater than Leopoldstadt but without Houses being only adorned with Walks of Trees and Thickets 'T is called Tabor and communicates with the First by a large Bridge as it does with the Terra Firma upon the Austrian-shore by one yet larger This Canal is properly the great Stream of the Danube At the Head of this last Bridge there 's a little Fort upon the Bank of the River built only with Turf and Pallissados which was useful to the Duke of Lorrain favoured his Retreat and covered those that sustained the Party commanded to destroy the Bridge In all the Letters which that Prince wrote to the King of Poland about his Retreat of all those Islands he mentions only the Tabor as if he had confounded it with that of Leopoldstadt but it is certain that he possessed himself of the latter immediately from whence his Infantry marched to Vienna and into which the Tartars and Janissaries entred upon their arrival so that it was not possible for him to burn the Bridge which joins with those two Islands Yet he left Coll. Greben there to defend it till he marched his Troops over the Tabor and gained the other Bridge of the Great Canal But the Tartars seized it defeated the Detachment and took or killed Col. Greben who was never afterwards heard of Then they run to the other of which the Duke of Lorrain had time to burn part and by that means saved the Remainder of the Imperial Army Those Bridges are now rebuilt but to me they don't seem to be in the same Place and the Road across those Islands appears to be changed The City is encompassed with large Suburbs which at that time extended very near the Glacis and to which the Imperialists had begun to set fire to satifie in some measure the King of Poland and to shew some deference to his Advice for the Emperor thought there was no need of it so that they left in effect the Walls of the Houses and the Terrasses of the Gardens which the Turks made use of to place their Batteries upon and to make their Approaches so that under the Shelter of those Ruines they advanced their Trenches within 60 Paces of the Counterscarp the first Night that they opened them which was the 13th of July 1683. This fatal Experience hath since occasioned them to remove the Suburbs at a greater distance when they began to rebuild them after the Siege As to the Fortifications some of them are strong and others weak There are 12 Royal Bastions faced with Brick with Cavaliers Ravelins Half-Moons and fine Gates all fac'd with Bricks as the Bastions and adorn'd with Wreaths of hewn Stone The Ditch is large and deep part of of it dry and part full of Water The Counterscarp is very sorry ill pallissadod nor did I see any thing that deserved to be called a Covert-Way or any detached Works beyond it The side on which the Town was attack'd hath two indifferent Bastions a Ravelin before the Courtin betwixt both the whole covered with Brick with a Cavalier or Platform for Guns and a large Ditch but so little Ground within and so little space betwixt the Rampart and the Houses that there could be no Retrenchment made on it particularly the Bastion of the Court the Emperor's Palace joining close to it and the Platform of it serving instead of a Terrasse for the Appartments so that when the Turks were lodg'd at the Point of it The Count de Staremberg could not make any more than one Retrenchment and told the King of Poland when he shewed him the Breaches that he could not have held out above three Days longer notwithstanding certain Barricadoes he had made at the entrance of the Bastion and of the Streets which run into it but I am of Opinion as were all those who saw the Disposition of the Ground that it might have bin carried in 24 Hours If the Grand Visier had not despised our Supplies been less intent upon the spoil of the Town and on the Evening before the Battle attack'd the weak Retrenchment of the Garrison for all Ingineers agree that he began the Siege like an able Captain and one that was well informed of the weak Places of the Town and that there is no other Place for carrying on of Trenches but those of the two Bastions attack'd by the Turks called the Bastions of the Lyon and of the Court. This was the Condition of the Place without that within was not ill there being great Stores of Provisions and Ammunition abundance of Artillery the Citizens resolved on a long Resistance and vigorously to endure the fatigues of the Siege There was a numerous Garison for Count Staremberg brought thither above 1000 Men and was also seconded by Count Caplier Commissary General of the Provisions who defended the Place longer than the other that fell sick of a Dysenterie during the Siege But notwithstanding all this the Duke of Lorrain was very much afraid of the Town and amongst other Reasons he wrote to the King of Poland at the beginning of the Siege he acquainted him That Vienna though well fortified with Bastions ought to be looked upon to be more a Courtly than a Warlike City as being defective in Works and a regular Counterscarp that which they had not being large enough in several Places It must be owned also That it was very ill defended and as feebly attacked since the Turks having advanced the first Night within 60 Paces of the Ditch were notwithstanding above six Weeks in passing it though the Place was batter'd with seventy Pieces of Cannon of which there were twenty five of a prodigious Size and the Garison made no great Sallies but contented themselves to defend their Ground foot by foot in the common Manner I saw nothing in reality in all the
large and boundless View of the finest Country that can be imagin'd At the City of Presbourg situate on the Left across the Danube you have the most charming Prospect and Landskip that any Painter can possibly invent or draw One passes the River on a Magnificent Floating-Bridge large enough for above ten Coaches During the first Campagne it was taken away and a Ferry-Boat only clap'd in its room The next Year it was set on the River again and is certainly the best contriv'd Machine and admirably well built being surrounded with Ballisters or Rails on the Four Sides 'T is so contriv'd that one may walk upon it as upon plain Ground and is guided by the Stream without Oars or Helm only with a Pully whose Cable is fastened to a train of small Boats that lye across the River at an equal distance from each other The Reader will still perceive the Retreat of the Grand Visier to be the more surprizing when he here considers the Defiles through which he was to march before he could so much as reach his Bridges which lay at Raab and he will be able to judge Whether Miogensky that Brave Commander that Leader of the Famous Brigade did not pursue them highly in being able to come up with the Rear of the Enemy I shall shut up this Chapter with a Latin Epigram made by the Bishop of Puy Brother of the Marquis of Bethune who had married the Queen of Poland's Eldest Sister Those who are skill'd in Latin Poetry say 't is smart and has something of the Attick Poignancy in it 'T is only a Distich and runs thus Dignior Imperio numne Austrius anne Polonus Odrysias acies hic fugat ille fugit CHAP. IV. The sequel of the Campagne in Hungary with a particular Account of the Battles of Barcan and the Taking of Grana or Strigonium THE precipitate Retreat of the Grand Visier from before Vienna could not be pursued for the Reasons assign'd in the former Chapter So that he had Leisure enough to pass his Bridges at Raab and to get to Buda with the Remains of his Army He made a stand at that place as being out of Danger and the Letters which he there receiv'd from the Sultan with new Marks of his Favour and fresh Standards comforted him a little in his Misfortune But being order'd to cover the Frontiers which his Defeat might have laid open to the Poles and Imperialists he rally'd his Forces gave some Subsistence to the Soldiers rous'd up the Courage of the Commanders that they might be in a posture of opposing the Christians in case they were minded to prosecute their Victory and to lay Siege to any place within the Grand Signior's Dominions Tho' the Army was not well satisfied with the Grand Visier who did not duly pay them and whose Pay was found in good Ducats in his Chest that were left to be rifl'd by the King of Poland yet they rallied without any more ado being animated with a Spirit of Mahometism which serves that Nation instead of true Glory The New Cham of Tartary cross'd the Danube over the Bridge of Buda and took possession of the City of Pest with the Country round about it to serve as a cover from thence to the Mountains where Count Teckley was advanc'd in the Bottoms He reinforc'd the Garrisons of Newhausel and Strigonium and sent a Body of Horse to the latter of these Places there to pass the Bridge and to guard that Pass where was a Fort of Earth staked and pallissadoed call'd Barcan For the better comprehending of those Motions by the Knowledge of the Country you are to take Notice That the Danube joyning its Streams at the Foot of the Citadel of Comorne and at the Extremity of the Isle of Schut forms one single and large Channel between great and open Plains on the Left and a narrow Mountainous and covert Country on the Right as far as Buda being about twelve Leagues distant from that Isle That these Plains are full of Villages large Towns and small Cities whose Inhabitans manure the Land under the Cannon of Newhausel to which they contribute and whither they carry their Commodities to sell The City is situated in the Centre of those Champian Countries and is the most advanc'd Place which the Turks have on that side of Lower Hungary The Country on the Right beyond the Danube is less fertile and manur'd Mountainous and Woody yet Populous having several strong Cities or Castles which makes the Visiriat of Buda The nighest of those Places towards Germany is Strigonium seated at the foot of a Hill almost on the Banks of the Danube and 't is there where the Turks have their first Bridge to pass over to the Plains of Newhausel and by this communication to guard the Conquer'd Country On the same side with Strigonium lies the City of Buda of the same situation of the former but a great deal more considerable with such another Bridge to pass to Vpper Hungary and relieve the Places that are on that side at the foot of the Mountains The Passes of those two Bridges are defended on the Left side of the River the first by a very great Fort where are abundance of Houses fortified with high Pallisadoes with two Gates but uncover'd and liable to be attack'd on all Sides This Fort is call'd Barcan The second Bridge is defended by a large fortified City call'd Pest. But whereas the Turks had been settled for above 140 Years in all this Country which Solyman II. sirnam'd The Great had in part conquer'd those Places were look'd upon as the ancient Patrimony of the Sultan The Turks never dream'd of any change either in Religion or Government Buda was the Capital City of Turkish Hungary and by the Forts with which it was either cover'd or surrounded within six Leagues of Comorne it might pass for the Centre of the Ottoman Empire Upon this account it was that the Visier there made a stand and Rendevouz'd his new Army He took up his Quarters there with the best part of the Army thereby to cover the Frontiers of that Visiriat and sent the rest cross the Danube to guard the Passes of the two Bridges that they might be in a Readiness to hinder the Christians from advancing in the Plains of Newhausel or towards the Neighbouring Mountains This is the Ichnography of the Country in General let us descend to that of the Places contain'd in it in Particular STRIGONIUM Strigonium call'd by the Germans Gran by the Italians Grana by the Inhabitants Estregon from whence the Turks have nam'd it Ostrogon is a City whose Houses are built with Wood. It is situated at the foot of a large Mountain which the Danube washes inclos'd with Stone Walls pretty well built having Turrets and Batteries on them but without a Trench or any other kind of Defence On the Top is a Fortress call'd the Upper Town where the Governour and his Garrison are quartered This Fortress has no
can speak Latin as well as Hungarian and in short the Generality of the Inhabitants speak it very Naturally There is scarce any Kingdom that has so many considerable Nobility Rich Lords and Powerful Families which appears from those frequent Rebellions that have happen'd in that Country and in our Days from that Rebellion rais'd by the Counts Nadasti Fragipani and Serin whose punishment contrary to the Edict of Amnesties and Impunities has fomented it again in the Person of Count Teckley who inherits the Hatred which his Ancestors bore to the Tyranny and Cruelty of the Ministers of Vienna Religion was the unhappy cause of it the Jesuites the Instruments and the Turks have made the finishing Stroke having ruin'd this vast Territory partly on their own Head and partly to relieve the Rebels From hence ensu'd the Incursion of Mahomet IV. made in the Year 1683. Afterwards the Conquests of Count Teckley in Vpper Hungary where he took Filek Cassovia Tokay Eperiez and other Places a little before Kara Mustapha a Bassa fell into Austria Not only the Genius of the Hungarians who are Naturally Treacherous and inclin'd to rebel not only the Riches of the Lords and the Fiery and Haughty Temper of the Nation but withall the Arrogance of the German Governours contributed very much to those Revolts All the World knows what great Generals and Commanders this Country has bred up who were for a long time the strongest Bulwark Christianity had against the Infidels Histories are full of the Noble Actions Memorable Battels and Sieges which have rais'd the Reputation of this Kingdom to a great Height by the Valour of its Kings or Generals both Ancient and Modern So that their Bravery has been perpetuated in all Ages and even nourish'd by the War of the Turks who could never have advanc'd their Conquest so far had not Rebellion and Intestine Divisions open'd a way to them Those of Flanders have met with a Famous Historian Strada by whose Help they have merited the Admiration of all Ages But the Wars of Hungary which are longer and more bloody would have been more memorable if a faihtful and well-inform'd Historian had wrote the Particulars of them This Kingdom formerly contain'd ten Provinces whose Standards were set up as at present at the Coronation of the Kings Sclavonia Servia Bosnia Croatia and other Countries of the Ancient Illyricum were dependent upon it Vienna still pretends That the Principality of Transylvania was one of its Provinces but this last is at present a particular Soveraignty of it self and the Turks have added the rest to the Empire of Constantinople So that we are to look upon the Kingdom in its present State as 't is bounded by Poland Transylvania Talachia Servia Croatia and Austria containing in this vast Circumference two different Countries which the Danube cuts asunder and wholly separates the One call'd Vpper Hungary which consists of Mountains Hills and Valleys the other Lower Hungary stretching it self along vast fertile and pleasant Plains from the Right side of the River taking in those great Isles which it forms from Presbourg Both these Countries are wash'd with great Rivers enrich'd with considerable Cities and fortified with Forts and Castles But the best Canton is Vpper Hungary as the Lower is the most pleasant The Ancient Romans had possession of the former a long time and refus'd not to pay their Obedience to the Emperors of that Warlike Nation which costs them no less than the Gauls It was Pannonia a Province of the Roman Empire where those Lords of the Universe settled themselves planted Colonies and kept up Armies being very well satisfied with the fruitfulness of the Soil the goodness of the Climate and the considerableness of its Situation There are still to be found a vast number of Medals the old Ruines are full of 'em the Foundations of the Cities were the Treasuries of 'em where the People doubtless did hide them either in time of War or out of Covetousness as in other Parts Those who would write a History by those Ancient Coyns or Medals cannot meet any where else with so many and so fine pieces so well stamp'd and preserv'd as are to be met with in this Kingdom and in Transylvania In the Year 1685. I brought to his Polish Majesty above two thuosand Pieces of Gold or Silver gather'd in that Country at the Instance of the Marquis of Bethune by the care of several Lords of his Acquaintance and among the rest of those of Teckley's Party And when the Germans fortify'd Nyssa in the 1619 Count Veterani collected an infinite number of very Curious Medals in digging up the Foundations of the Walls Besides this general Division of Hungary there is another particular one with respect to its Sovereingty as 't is divided between the Turks and the King 's the Successors of those who first founded this Monarchy The Turks have curtailed Vpper as well as Lower Hungary Of Lower-Hungary they have conquered all the Country from the Save to the Drave and from the Drave running along the Danube as far almost as the Isle of Schut or Komorne This Conquest reaches on the Left towards Croatia and Styria on the Right within Seven Leagues of Presbourg along the Mountains and the River Theysse which is generally comprized under one Province Governed by a Visier called from the Capital City of it the Visier of Buda In Vpper-Hungary they carried on their Conquests beyond the Theysse skirting on Transylvania and piercing into the very heart of the Kingdom where they took Possession of Temeswar Peterwaradin and other Parts of which they made a second Province under the Title of the first of those Cities The rest towards Poland and Moravia remained to the Emperor or the King of Hungary but very much curtailed by the Rebels and the strong places which the Grandees held out So that when the Turks came to Vienna only Zatmar towards Poland and some other inconsiderable Cities which that Fortress likewise covered were under the Obedience of the Emperor The State of War indeed changed the Disposition afterwards as we shall see but thus it was in this year I now speak of after the Raising of the Siege of Vienna Whilst the Grand Visier rallied the broken Forces of his Army at Buda the King of Poland marched victoriously with his towards Lower-Hungary on the Right of the River Danube on which they caused the Bridge of Toulm to fall down and to be placed below Presbourg to pass over into the Isle of Schut This Isle they traversed from one end to the other in several distinct Camps as hath been already said to the City of Komorne which is at the point of that Isle Over against which and on the left Branch of the Danube the same Bridge was brought down to pass over into the plains of Newhausel which they had a design to besiege A League lower another Bridge was cast over on Presbourg side to maintain a Communication between this City
for scarce had he reached the other side of the Danube when the Tartars sent to invest Vienna entred that same Island by the small Branch of the River which runs along by the Walls of the Town and was at that time fordable They were followed by a Body of Infantry who marched straight to the Bridge that the Duke had caused to be burnt and whilst he put that Great Exploit in Execution in view of the Enemy the Janisaries made a terrible Fire upon him with their Musquets of an extraordinary Size and entrenched themselves upon the Bank of the River in the Island as having a design to rebuild the Bridge and indeed that was the Grand Visier's Design to the end he might have an Entrance into Austria on that side and a Communication with Teckley and Hungary and that the Tartars by their Incursions into Moravia and Silesia might stay the Poles in their own Dominions and lay the Country under Contribution as far as Cracovia Every thing seemed to favour this Design every thing was for them on the Way they had no River to pass being once over the Danube they had no Towns to take no Mountains to pass no Forrests to march thro' and plenty of Provisions every where in the Country which they might have carried to the Camp before Vienna All these Circumstances set off the Duke of Lorrain's Conduct in this March with the greater Lustre he having by those Motions saved both Vienna and the Empire The remaining part of his Conduct was answerable for in the following Part of this Campagne we shall find him put a stop to the Enemies Projects in two or three important Rencounters the success of which would have stoped the Passage of the Supplies We come now to see what happened upon the arrival of the Tartars before the City The Grand Visier marched them with so much diligence that they appeared before the Town at the very same Moment that the Emperor and Empress went out at an opposite Gate to make their Escape to Lintz without having time to carry either Money or Jewels with them Most of the Lords of the Court left their Equipages behind them The Marquis de Seppeville Envoy of France could not carry off his and his Gentleman of the Horse staid willingly behind to take Care of it He was a Man of Valour proud of the Opportunity of being in a Siege of that Importance but was killed in a Salley The Bishop of Gratz buried 400000 Crowns there that he could not carry off All those Circumstances which appeared so afflicting at first were yet the true Cause of the Visier's not taking the Town and that too from the same Motives that should seem to have made him hasten it He was informed of the Riches shut up within the City and fearing to lose them during the Pillage if his Army took it by Assault he moderated their Efforts and slackened their Attacks to oblige the Town to come to a Capitulation with which all the Officers upbraided him for by this means he gave the King of Poland time to arrive whereas had he staid but three Days longer he had come too late The Court being gone out of the City the Gates were shut Cavalry was posted in the Ditch and Skirmishers were detached to dislodge the Platoons of the Turks that had posted themselves on the little Heights about the Town so that several little Fights happened at the beginning in sight both of the Army and City which wanted not their own use to confirm the Garrisons Courage and to accustom them to the Turbans and Scimiters But at last that innumerable Multitude of Troops having posted themselves about the Town and inclosed it in form of a Crescent beginning from the Bank of the Danube which the Turks had on their Right and extending as far as the Mountains on the Left The German Cavalry posted themselves on the Counterscarp and in the Ditch and in the mean time the Tartars ravaged all the Country for Forage and extended ' emselves more than 15 Leagues above Vienna towards Bavaria which obliged the Emperour who thought himself not safe enough at Lintz where he just arrived time enough to avoid being taken to retire to Passaw The Particulars of this Flight are very afflicting The Court lay the first Night in a Wood where the Empress being six Months gone with Child could scarce have a little Straw to repose her self upon I have seen a Relation of it wrote by the Nuncio Bonvisi to the Nuncio Pallavicini in Poland which contained many such Circumstances For the better understanding of what I have already said and am further to say concerning this famous Expedition It is necessary to lay down a Plan of Vienna and of the Turkish Camp and Army The City of Vienna being the Capital of Austria is scituated on an unequal Plain being cut with Rising Grounds hollow Ways and little Heights watered by the River of Wien which gives Name to the City runs within 100 Paces of the Counterscarp and nearer in some Places betwixt the Glacis of the Counterscarp and a Suburb into which we enter by two Stone-Bridges of very little use during the Summer when that River is almost dry Behind that Plain towards Upper Austria there rises a Chain of high Mountains which begin at the Danube and extend thewselves towards Styria and Tirol serving as a sort of Rampart and Barrier to the Town which is covered by them Those Mountains descend by Stages like an Amphitheatre to the very Avenues of the Suburbs being a vast Quantity of little Hills rough and Stony deep Pools occasioned betwixt them by Rain the Ascent of them steep and the Heights rugged There 's abundance of Villages amongst them and concealed Houses in the Bottoms and all round a vast Plantation of Vines which fills the Body of the Amphitheatre Upon the highest part of the Mountains where the Chain begins over the Danube there are two solid Buildings each of them scituated upon a steep Hill and separated by a Valley The one is a ruinous Castle call'd Callenberg and the other a Chappel dedicated to St. Leopold from which to the Suburbs of the City there 's a large half German League of descent a cross those lower Hill and above a League to the Glacis of the Counterscarp The Danube washes one side of all this Ground and before the City forms diverse Islands by the several Streams which it throws out to the Right and the Left the least and shallowest of which touches the Walls at one end of the City where there is no other Ditch only the Body of the Place and a very high Wall which covers the Entrance of the City with a Street betwixt both the Canal of the River over which there 's a fine Bridge serving instead of a Ditch at that Point The two other Arms which are the largest have each of them a Bridge of very good Workmanship for Timber and massy such as the
The Sultan was likewise for Comforting his Son-in-Law by the Example of Solyman the Great who met with the same Misfortune before Vienna where indeed he was not defeated but only miss'd of his Aim in taking it However with all these Testimonies of Favour the Sultan order'd him to make amends for this Misfortune by covering the Frontier Places He consented to the Deposing of the Old Cham of Tartary who was succeeded by one of the Visier's Relations and at the Death of the Visier of Buda that Post was fill'd by Kara Mehemet Pacha the Grand Visier's Intimate Friend This Letter from the Prince of Transylvania contain'd likewise several other Particulars and concluded with this Compliment to the King That his Victory was so compleat and his steddy Resolution so commendable in carrying on his Design to the utmost that all Christendom must still remember his Name and have it always in their Mouths The Emperor for his part rewarded the Good Services of the Count of Staremberg on whom he bestow'd the Title of Felt-Mareshal that is General of his Army but he slighted those of the Duke of Saxe-Laonburg whose Deserts were equal to his Birth and who hop'd to have had the Dignity that was conferr'd on Staremberg This made the Prince of Saxony to withdraw in Discontent having the Satisfaction only of seeing the King of Poland approve of his Resentment and Retreat That King sent him a very rich Sabre as a Testimony of his Esteem by a Gentleman who waited upon him at Presburgh where he had left the Army Staremberg had likewise the Golden-Fleece bestow'd upon him and 100000 Crowns being part of 400000 sent by the Pope as a supply to the Army Thus have we given you a Faithful and Exact Account of this Great Action which will be a more Shining Ornament to the History of our Age by the Extraordinariness of the Event than by the greatness of the Matters of Fact For we shall in the Sequel meet with more Heroical and Considerable Transactions on one side as well as the other I shall now present you with the Particulars of the March and Encampments of the King of Poland from Tarnowits to Vienna and set down upon occasion the several Stages thereof The first Country the King of Poland entred after he had left his own Dominions was the Dutchy of Silesia This Province is one of the Hereditary Countries of the House of Austria and begins on the side of Poland at Bengin nine Leagues off Cracow From Bengin to Tarnowits three Leagues This is the Place which the Poles call Tarnosky Goury Most of those Towns of Provinces subject at present to the Republick going under two Names As for the Leagues from hence to Vienna they are to be reckon'd as German Leagues of the larger Measure the swiftest Courrier not being able to compass a Stage in less than two Hours and some will take above three Hours Riding From Tarnowits to Gleibwitz three Leagues a Stage and an half In this Road you will meet with great variety of Woods open Plains Sandy Fields and Fertile Grounds with some Villages that look better than those in Poland tho' the Houses are made of Wood The Towns are all wall'd even Gleibwitz it self which is the least upon the Road but yet this Town makes some shew has a great Clock in it its Gates are guarded and the Burghers are of a Manly Aspect The King encamp'd at this Place the first Day after he had left Tarnowits and din'd at Vessolo a Village between both From Glebwitz to Routh three Leagues a Stage and an half You still meet with the same pleasant Prospect of a mixt Country which hitherto is pretty good Travelling tho' Sandy Routh is only a small Village situated in the midst of a Wood but it has a very fine Abbey of the Cistercian Order and the Post-Office is within its inward Yard The King din'd at Pilikvitzé and lay in the Abbey Dutchy of RATIBOR From Routh to Ratibor three Leagues one Stage and an half They are very long Leagues and the Country very close and sandy but in going down the Hills that lie next to the Marshy Plain in which Ratibor is situated we discover'd a very pleasant Country This Marshy Plain makes the Avenues to the Town very difficult by reason of the Length of the Causeys made of Faggots Ratibor has Suburbs quite round its Walls and is wash'd with the River Odar which we pass'd over a Wooden Bridge into one part of the Suburbs The Place is very large and set off with Stately Brick Houses It is the Capital City of a fine Dutchy which the House of Austria often pawns Casimir King of Poland enjoy'd it a long time under that Title and the Heirs of Queen Lewes his Wife pretended to great Reimbursements after her Death for that Territory to be made out of the Emperor's Demesnes The King who din'd the third Day at Samotitzé just step'd to Ratibor where he staid a little with the Lords of the Family of Henoff who had provided a Collation for him and went to lye at Pietrovitzé From Ratibor to Troppaw 4 Leagues two Stages This is an Uneven Country but Champian and well manur'd and this City is one of the finest in the Province surrounded with good Walls with Turrets and several pieces of Workmanship on the Gates the Churches are well built the Inhabitants of a graceful Mein It has a Governor and a well-disciplin'd Garrison On that side of it towards Ratibor the Suburbs are but indifferent through which runs the River Oppava which gives the City a Second Name being call'd by the Poles Oppava from the Name of the River The King din'd there the fourth Day The Marquisate of MORAVIA From Troppaw to Hauff four Leagues two Stages Upon leaving of Troppaw the Plains by which it is surrounded and which are very Champian go a League farther and with them is terminated the Province of Silesia separated on this side from the Marquisate of Moravia by a Ridge of large Mountains of six Leagues length which arising from those of Hungary on the Left are joyn'd to those of Bohemia beyond Breslaw on the Right These Mountains are very high cover'd with large Woods of Fir and at the Bottoms wash'd with Fountains and Rivulets where are some Villages ill built but pretty populous Such a Village as this is Hauff which might be reckon'd a large Town and would be a good City in Poland It is call'd in the Polish Language Dwortzè This Ridge of Mountains is terminated by a long rough and steep descent at the foot of which is the City of Sternberg which is properly no more than a Street with a Gate at each End but large rich and well built In the midst of this Mountain is a Castle of Ancient Structure very large and well kept as belonging to a Petty Prince or rather some Great Lord of Germany From Hauff to Sternberg three Leagues a Stage and an half
thence on the Glory and Success of the Reigning Prince who is either preferr'd before or set below his Ancestors according to the Event of these Matches Herein I have made no Additions and speak of no more than I my self was an Eye-witness of The City of Niklitsbourg therefore is the first City of Austria on that Side of it that lies towards Moravia It is situated on a Rising commanded by a very high Prominence where is seen a great Pile of Buildings very Magnificent even in their Irregularity 'T is the Castle belonging to the Lords of the Place which looks more like a Prince's Palace The City is but small but neat and encompass'd with Suburbs in one of which the Jews are permitted to settle a rare thing in those parts It is adorned with Fountains set off with a chain of little Hills that do as it were embrace it and by a pleasant Vale which lies below it From this Place to Vienna they reckon nine Leagues and by Stages ten which are very large ones The King of Poland turn'd off to the Right that he might be Master of the Dauube above over against Toulm marching to Mederich to Orkendorf to Ollebrun but the common Road is through Tastorf Volkestorf and other Villages for upon the strait Road there are no Walled Towns from Niklitsbourg to Vienna The Country is very incommodious by its Eminences and by the low Bottoms in the nature of Valleys 't is fat and fertile mix'd with Vineyards with several covert Places There are a great many Villages along those Valleys as well as in the Hilly Country and every where a variety of Prospects The largest Town on this Road is Volkestorf the last Stage from whence they reckon two more to Vienna tho' 't is only three Leagues taking in the Passage of the Danube from the first great Bridge across the two Islands The Road Volkestorf to Vienna is a vast Plain without Hedge or Bush at least for two Leagues together On the Right it is bounded with small Hills where are Villages in the midst of the Vineyard and on the Left one may see to the opening of the Mountains made on purpose they say for an Entrance into the Kingdom of Hungary and for the Passage of the Danube above seven Leagues distant from Volkestorf 'T is likewise the direct Road from Presbourg which on the same Line is no more than ten Leagues from that Village without any other Defile than the River of Moravia which is fordable in Summer and at all times supply'd with a Ferry-Boat These Countries as I have already observ'd from that River to Volkestorf were the Seat of War the Duke of Lorrain being always encamp'd therein ever since Vienna began to be besieg'd and having render'd them Famous by the Bloody Battles that he fought with the Turks and Hungarians The Reader may be the better inform'd of the Importance of this by perusing this last Description of the Road where he will meet with no Rivers nor Fortified Places nor Forests nor Defiles for that Ridge of Mountains between Moravia and Silesia is a Road good and easie enough since the Stage is perform'd in a Chariot and the Ways are broad commodious without any steep Rocks or frightful Precipices Nor are the Cities I have mention'd any Obstruction by their Situation since 't is not necessary to go through them and Travellers leave them on the Right or Left when they have nothing to do there There are no Fortified Places nor deep Rivers to pass over nor any narrow Ways to march through So that all was open from the Danube to Vistula or at least to Oder which is a large and deep River but such as the Tartars might have swam over or pass'd by the Bridge of Ratibor which was left unguarded Such an Incursion would have been a fatal Blow to the Emperor's Affairs by ravaging three of his best Provinces at least Austria and Moravia may be reckon'd such as well for the Richness of their Soil which surpasses Silesia by the large Vineyards that are in both as also for the number of their Cities more considerable and better built than those of that Dutchy The Wines of Austria and Moravia are not indeed very rich they are of an Orange colour and have a Flavour neither perceptible by the Eye nor the Palate yet they are sold very much in those Provinces and at Vienna they drink none else From Niklitsbourg to Keysselstorf two Leagues one Stage From Keysselstorf to Canschtorf two Leagues one Stage From Canschtorf to Volkestorf two Leagues one Stage From Volkestorf to Vienna three Leagues two Stages These are all very large Villages and built either of Stone or Mud or Brick The first Stage is very long the next three Hours Riding at least but the last are common ones There is also a Stage set up from Vienna to Presbourg but in time of Peace there is no need of going through Vienna but leaving it on the Left you may travel in a strait Line from Volkerstorf across the Plains to the River of Moravia and thence to Presbourg By this means one saves four Leagues of the Way and avoids the double Passage over the Danube once over the Bridges of Vienna and again in a Ferry-Boat over against Presbourg But because that Road was not safe during the first Year of the War by reason of the Inroads which the Hungarians made into Moravia I always went by Vienna in the two Journeys I made from the Army to Cracow viz. from Vienna to Fichau call'd by the Germans Wischo four Leagues two Stages which are very short through a pleasant Champian Country wherein formerly there were three Villages like those about Paris which the Tartars levell'd with the Ground From Fichau to Mutschultembourg four Leagues two Stages From Mutschultembourg to Presbourg two Leagues one Stage In leaving the first of these Places one meets with a Barrier of high Hills on the Right which shut up the Passage and make a very narrow Defile between the Mountains and the Danube A League farther you pass through another straiter than the former and that is the Gate or Opening which is descry'd from Volkestorf compos'd of two steep Rocks which on both sides situate one over against the other straiten the current of the Danube In the midway of this Passage is a large Town enclos'd with Stone Walls with a lofty Gate through which one enters into the Defile there being no other Entrance for the Danube flows along on the Left and the Wall reaches on the Right along the Mountain to a Tower that is seated on the Top the which is very high and steep This Place is call'd Hamburgh and might formerly have been a well-built City at present 't is all in Ruines as well as the rest From thence one enters into a pleasant and fertile Plain bounded on one side by the River and on the other side by those Green Hills which opening wider and wider gives a
the World an Idea of the Gallantry of the Polish Officers who most of 'em desire to die calmly in their Beds whereas even Lieutenant Generals and Mareshals of France are for falling in the Field of Honour and at the Head of their Troops The City of Zetzen being thus surrender'd was guarded at first by the Polish Infantry and the Head-Captain of the Prince's Regiment Nam'd Des Forges a Frenchman and a Gentleman belonging to the Queen was plac'd in it as Commander in Chief The King gave the Inhabitants leave to go out with their Families A great many Women and Children follow'd the Soldiery after which the King put the place into the Hands of General Dunneval who took possession of it for the Emperor and made a stand there with his Detachment from whence he sent them into Winter Quarters His Polish Majesty continu'd his March after he had spent four Days about Zetzen and advanc'd towards Cassovia one of the Chief and Strongest Cities of the Kingdom fortify'd formerly with a Citadel which Count Teckley had won the Year before and demolish'd as he did the Fort of Fileck The Emperor had assign'd those revolted Cities for Winter Quarters to the Polish Army which they must first be oblig'd to force tho' they were well garrison'd so that there was no staying in an Enemy's Country with such a Handful of Men being continually harrass'd with Hungarian Parties and the Peasants who cut off several of our Army The Soldiery dead almost with Hunger and Cold oblig'd to pass Rivers half froz'n over and often swell'd above their Banks went to dry themselves in the adjacent Villages sought for some shelter on every side and were killed by the Rebels who destroy'd more of our Army that way than they had by the Battles of Vienna and Barcan Nay they were oblig'd to Count Teckley for that small number which did at last arrive in Poland For he being always the King 's trusty Friend and keeping the Engagements made between them advis'd him to draw off betimes being not able any longer to prevent the Cutting off of his Passage through the Mountains after which the Rebels would quickly make an hand of his Army The Turks were in such Expectations of it that News was brought to Newhausel of the entire Defeat of the Polish Troops which infallibly would have been had Teckley preferr'd the Interest of his Party before the Obligations he had with the King to whom his Majesty stood indebted for all the Glorious Successes of this Campaign The Turks had so certain an Intelligence of this that sometimes after they caus'd this Ring-leader of the Rebels to be arrested as we shall shew in its proper place The King of Poland would not venture too nigh Cassovia but encamp'd on one side out of the reach of the Cannon The Town fir'd briskly upon our Troops as they march'd along within sight of the Place and the Garrison sally'd out upon the Stragglers So that staying there only one Night they the next Day pass'd the River above Cassovia and so to continue their March to Eperies another Capital City of Hungary larger and of greater Trade than the former but not so highly Dignify'd seated at the Foot of the Mountains of Crapak upon one of the Rivers that run to Cassovia For this City is scituate in the very Centre where two large Rivulets joyn together which in going through the City make but one single River and thus through the same Channel disembogue themselves into the Theysse below Tokay These two Rivulets spring from those very Mountains and form a kind of Peninsula reaching from the Foot of the Mountains to Cassovia being a handsome Tract of Ground Eperies is upon that River which is on the Right The King approach'd it in order to besiege it so that the Cannon play'd into his Camp even beyond the Tents of his Head-Quarters Upon His Arrival the Garrison sally'd out upon our foremost Squadrons and skirmish'd with them all that Day On the Morrow they fell upon the King's Dragoons at Mid-day who quickly mounted their Horses and repuls'd the Sallyers On the third Day the King broke up from thence to seek out Winter-Quarters elsewhere Instead of Eperies which had been assign'd for his Hussars and his own Regiments He led the Army directly to Czebin three Leagues beyond in the Mountains where he arriv'd the Second Day after he had left Eperies From the Camp that lay betwixt he detach'd Miogenski with his Brigade to go and take a View of Czebin and the adjacent Places The Horse of the Town sally'd out upon his Troops Miogenski retreated into several Houses and Barns which the Disposition of the Ground had conceal'd where he form'd an Ambuscade Thirty of his Cavalry being detach'd advanc'd further up in the Plain in order to draw out the Garrison who fell into the Snare and very vigorously pursu'd our Men to the Place where they had Orders to face about but the rest of the Brigade coming up they began a regular Fight which ended in the Retreat of the Rebels who left behind them several slain and several Prisoners Miogenski had a Horse kill'd under him and his Nephew took an Hungarian Officer After this the King appear'd before the Place where the Lithuanian Army first joyn'd him It came to Cracow the latter end of September and for two Months together kept skirting upon the Frontiers or in the Entrance into Hungary leaving every where behind them tokens of their March in the open Countries and against the Peasants This very much offended Count Teckley and the Polish Court who had order'd the Lithuanian Generals to prevent any Disturbance or Acts of Hostility from being offer'd to the Subjects of that Prince These Generals began to Cannonade Czebin when the King arriv'd before it and the Town which held out against the Army of Lithuania surrender'd upon Articles to his Polish Majesty He spake very civilly to the Officers exhorting them to return to the Obedience of the Emperor their lawful Sovereign But they very freely told him That they had rather die than submit to the German Yoke begging Leave that they might follow him and serve in his Army Accordingly they did attend his Majesty for some Days but after he was advanc'd a little in his March they return'd back to Czebin from whence they beat our Troops even without charging them The same was done in other Places of these Countries where any Garrison had been left At last the whole Army return'd into Poland with the King who took his March through Lubownia the First City of his Territories and arriv'd at Cracow on Christmas Eve Lubownia is a Starosty in the Mountains 8 Leagues off Eperies and 12 or 15 from Cracow As to Czebin 't is scituated in a Bottom enclos'd with good Walls and Forts a large Trench and several Stone Bridges reaching to the Gates The Inside is vere well built as are all the other Cities of this part of Hungary which
Letters from the Duke of Lorrain and Prince of Transylvania to the King of Poland that took any great Notice of the Vigor of the Garifon who undertook nothing extraordinary but only sustained the Enemies Assaults with Bravery the Cavalry having continued a long time in the Ditch without making any attack either on the Quarters or Trenches The Turks on their side did not push on the Attacks with vigor so that the City which ought to have been in Ruins by Cannon and Bombs was very intire those Places excepted that were directly exposed to the Batteries I neither saw Steeples beat down nor many Houses shattered and much fewer burnt which confirms the Opinion of the Pachas that the Grand Visier spar'd that City for his own Interest whilst by a quite contrary and ill understood Policy he utterly ruined all the Neighbourhood as far as from Presberg to 5 or 6 Leagues up the Danube beyond Vienna The Tartars in effect left furious Marks of their Rage and Cruelty in those Parts for they not only depopulated those Countries but quite destroyed all the Houses except one Castle belonging to the Emperor which is within a small League of Vienna upon the great Road to Presburg where the Turks laid up their Magazins and which the Grand Visier preserved out of Respect to the Memory of the Great Soliman because that Emperor having formerly encamped upon that Ground when he besieged the same Place The Germans built an House there with a Park inclosed with Stone-Walls flankd with little Towers looking like Pavillions representing the Form and Disposition of the Sultans Tents whose Quarter was built by way of a Palace or Seraglio Those that are versed in War could not comprehend the Reasons of the Grand Visier who without any necessity thus ruined a fine Country of the Conqest whereof he assured himself and designed to have made it his Residence Besides that in ravaging behind him he not only starved his own Camp but also cut off all Possibility of Subsistance in his retreat in case of any Misfortune whilst at the same time he spar'd the Country on his left-hand towards Newstadt and the Mountains of Styria where the Tartars had scarcely ever touched He had pitched his Camp from the Brinks of the Danube which inclosed his right Wing to the Foot of the next little Hills where the Vineyard was taking up a vast Tract of Ground in Form of a Half-Moon insomuch that the very sight of it was formidable The Tartars had advanced further having passed the first Arm of the River and possessed themselves of the Isles over-against the Place On the first of which there was an Attack with a Battery of only six Pieces of Cannon pointed along the Streets of the Suburbs against a Bastion on the outside which is washed by the little Stream of the Danube This took up the width of the whole Street and could be nothing but a false Attack to fatigue the Garison for its Works were inconsiderable though that Arm of the River was not only fordable but very shallow in that Place The other two Approaches were towards the middle of the Camp full of irregular Cutts Turnings and VVindings after the Turkish Fashion with frequent Places of Arms all well covered and guarded the Trenches being deep and the Parapets raised high besides which the laborious Janisaries had made several Holes like Huts to secure themselves from the Granado's Firepots and Bombs as for Stones they did no hurt there In a word all that could be thought of for strengthening a Trench and covering a Battery was practised here No Body ever saw such fine VVorks and Gabions nor so many Fascines and Sacks of Earth particularly on the Brink of the Ditch from whence they defended the Lodgments made upon the two Bastions The Grand Visier had taken up his Quarters upon certain little Heights near that renowned Palace called the Favorita which he inclosed within his Park the extent whereof was prodigious I have heard the King compare it to the largeness of the City of VVarsaw He had added Gardens VVater-Courses and other Imbelishments to it and also a sort of a Menagery for after the Siege was raised several Rabbets live Pidgeons and the Body of the finest feathered Ostridge that ever was seen whose Head the Visier's Party had cut off as they retired were found there He was a Man who loved his Pleasures and Magnificence in all things mixing them always with a Representation of VVar. The Cares of that Siege did not debar him of his Divertisements nor interrupt his Amours And I know that the Mufti who accompanied him in that famous Expedition often reproached him with his brutal Debaucheries threatning him with the Vengeance of God and Forewarning him as by a Spirit of Prophecy that his infamous Commerce with Boys which the Turks as well as Christians are forbid under very severe Penalties would be the Cause of the ruin of the Empire and of his ill success in that Enterprize He had little reason to fear it humanly speaking for the Ottoman Empire had never assembled so vast an Army nor so many Pioneers at once nor gathered together such vast Quantities of Ammunition and Artillery The Camp was an entire VVorld as one may say I have heard some Turks who pretended not to exagerate when they said That it consisted of seven hundred thousand Men including regular Troops Pioneers Artificers Domesticks and such as composed the Trains of the Officers VVhen we arrived to the top of Mount Callemberg and first saw them we were struck with Fear and Admiration at the same time which we could not avoid at the sight of so many Men and such great Riches agreeable to the Grandeur and Puissance of the Grand Senior But the terror wherewith we were seized overcame our Admiration when the King asked one of his Gentlemen who advanced to the top of the highest Mountain to view them and bring some News of them he gave so terrible a Description of them that the whole Army trembled at it which that great Monarch seeing and fearing lest such a Prepossession might discourage the Army he openly derided the Gentleman's Relation calling it a Coward 's Vision but when the Business was over being himself amazed at his good Success he confessed that he had Reason to speak of it as he had done and that his Fear was very well grounded Amongst this prodigious Number of People which I have spoke of 't was computed that there were nigh 300000 fighting Men without including the Tartars and other Auxiliary Troops as Walachians Moldavians Transylvanians c. But according to the just Relation of an Envoy from Count Teckley who afterwards followed the King of Poland to Cracow that Number was reduced to an hundred and sixty thousand effective Turks whereof 22000 Men were at that time killed being in the Month of August The Grand Visier depending upon his formidable strength marched as if it had been to a Triumph and had
carryed the Residents of the Emperor and of the King of Poland chained as Captives to be witnesses of the same the former was found in that Condition in the Camp after the Flight of the Turks who had forgot him there I determine nothing about the precise Number of this prodigious Multitude of Troops and pass over the divers Relations that have been made of this great Affair I tell in a Historical manner what I know from the Original recommending the Reader to judge of the thing upon two Circumstances one of which is that next Morning after the Battle there were remaining at ten of the Clock twenty five thousand small Tents after a whole Nights plunder which began about 7 in the Evening If the Turks put 4 Men in each Tent as we do 't is easie to draw a Conclusion from thence The other Circumstance relates to the Tartars who have no Tents besides these a great many were scattered in the Neighbouring Islands the Grand Visier had left ten thousand Men to guard his Bridges upon the Raab to hinder the Garison of that Place from burning them and besides all this the Sultan who was advanced to Belgrade to encourage the Expedition had sent him towards the end of the Siege a Reinforcement of twenty thousand Men in the Room of those that might be killed or dead but they did not arrive in time Whilst he batters the Place with a terrible fury Count Teckley advances through Hungary to Presburg with another Body of about twenty thousand Men Hungarians and Turks the latter commanded by three Bassas He had brought over almost all that Kingdom to his Party and the arrival of the Grand Visier augmented the Inclination which those who still adher'd to the Emperor had for a Revolt Thus the Town of Comorra was burnt by the Rebbels under the favour of this Irruption and that of Presburg opened its Gates to Count Teckley and received a Turkish Garison of about three hundred Men. The Grand Visier being informed of its Surrender sent some Troops thither with Orders to lay a Bridge over the Danube to the end that the Tartars or some Turkish Cavalry might pass over the same from his Camp before Vienna into that other part of Austria bordering upon Moravia in order to shut up the Passage of the Succours expected from Poland But the Duke of Lorrain being informed of the Surrender of Presburg and fearing what the Visier had projected as to a Bridge he advanced in great Diligence thitherwards with the rest of the Imperial Army which since its March out of the Islands of Leopoldstadt and Tabor moved up and down the Plains on the other side the Danube along the Roads where the Troops of the Allies were to come He carefully concealed his March and slipt during the Darkness of the Night into the Thickets and Vineyards above Presburg from whence he sent some Horse by break of Day with Orders to approach the Castle and to see whether 't was still in the hands of the Germans to the end he might put some Troops into the same and afterwards force the Town to return to the Obedience of the Emperor Presburg the Capital of the Kingdom of Hungary Residence of the Governour General call'd Palatin and the Place where the States assemble for the Election and Coronation of their Kings was formerly a considerable City and an Ancient Roman Colony founded by Piso from whence comes the Latin Denomination of Posonium which the Turks and Hungarians have corrupted to Poson It has only been the Capital of the Kingdom since the Turks took Buda which before that time was the Residence of the Kings of Hungary whose Palace is yet to be seen at least Part of that which King Matthias caused to be built there and called by his own Name Presburg is scituated upon the left-hand Branch of the Danube inclosed within a Chain of little Hills covered with Vineyards and the Channel of the River which is very broad there and washes its Walls Upon one of those rising Heights near the City is a Castle or more properly a Noblemans House which in reality is very large in Form of a Square but all intire It is covered by a Modern Fortification with some Works at a distance upon the brow of the Hill on that side which commands the City The Town is only girt with a single Wall flanked with great Towers of Stone and a covered Rampart sufficient to stop an Army for some Days The Gates are very broad but the Ditch is narrow and not very deep 'T is not very considerable within there are some Fountains in it several Churches pretty well built some Squares but small and huddled up there 's a great many People in the Town and extraordinary plenty of Provisions and above all of admirable Fruit. I have heard the King of Poland express his wonder at this Plenty as the Product of a fortunate Country and of a Climate cherished by the Heavens which ought not to surprize us for he spoke without doubt in Comparison of that from whence he came where Nature overwhelmed with Snow produceth nothing that is delicious though to speak the Truth there are few Countries in the World better than the Kingdom of Hungary Notice being given to the Duke of Lorrain by his Men that the Castle of Presburg held out still he advanced thither with his Troops and summoned the Town which delayed its Submission to the Emperor only to gain time for the Turkish Garison to march out at an opposite Gate and to give 'em leasure to regain Count Teckley's Camp which was pitched upon a rising Ground about a quarter of a League beyond it This step broke all the Measures of the Grand Visier for building his Bridge for which all the Materials were already got together in the Town The Duke of Lorrain did not content himself with having retaken the Town but went in quest of the Enemy on the other side who boldly offered him Battel and bore the Shock with Vigor But at last were broke by the Imperialists and pressed upon in their Retreat by the Polish Troops under the command of Prince Lubomirski who signalized themselves on this Occasion The Duke of Lorrain having afterwards given necessary Orders for the Security of Presburg he repassed the Morave foarding it as he had done before when he went thither and pitched his Camp at Levenstorf in the same Plains where he had not been long till he saw the Enemy again Anchar one of Count Teckley's â—â—eutenants returned with a great Detachment of Hungarian Troops and passed the Morave burning wherever he came and ravaging the finest Country in all Austria The Duke of Lorrain being informed of this by the Spies belonging to the Polish Troops could not refuse Prince Lubomirski who commanded them the Glory of Fighting those Rebels with the Regiments of their own Nation only and the said Prince having obtained leave for that purpose led on his Men with
of Lorrain was supporting the Emperor's Affairs with the utmost diligence and the Princes of the Empire were gathering together their Troops throughout all Germany the King of Poland hastened the March of his with all possible speed The Generals assembled them as soon as they were levied and to give the Germans some Comfort of their Expectations Lieutenant General Schignafski began his March with a body of Cavalry composed of the Regiments of Hussars Pancernes Peteores and some other old standing Troops that were first in condition to March The Great General followed with the rest some Weeks after The new-raised Foot marched separately from their Quarters where they were brought together by Regiments by Companies and by Recruits without any other Rendezvous than that appointed by the King in General under the Counterscarp of Vienna insomuch that Poland was filled with Soldiers and Equipages marching in Disorder and with great Precipitation towards Cracow in order to enter into Silesia where the Imperial Commissaries had prepared Provisions and Forage for them The King of Poland regulating his Departure upon the News he received of the State of his Troops set out at last about the beginning of July taking the Road towards Cracow which is reckoned to be about forty Leagues from Villaneuf He made something more of it because he had a mind to go to the famous Devotion of Chenstokova as renowned in those Countries and perhaps as rich as the House of Loretto Besides the Queen had made a Vow at her lying in and the King whose Piety is equal with his other Virtues believed that he ought to beg in that holy Place the Protection of Heaven by the Intercession of the Virgin seeing the Enterprize he had undertaken was for the Glory of the Christian Name the Defence of the Church and the safety of the Empire From Villaneuf he went to Falenta a fine Pleasure-House about a League from thence where he tarryed that Day The third Day he had Advice at Nadazzin where he dined of the raising of the Siege of Newhausel and the Retreat of the Imperial Troops into the Isle of Schit occasioned by the Approach of the Grand Visier He lay afterwards at Radgiovick another renowned House in Poland at Rava the Capital of the Palatin of Great Poland and at the Abbey of Vitouf near Pietrecouf the Residence of the Chief Tribunal of the Kingdom for the first six Months which begins on St. Francis's Day the fourth of October He lay afterwards at Krotchin which is another fine Country-House belonging to the Count d'Henof regularly built with Stone adorned with a fine Garden with several Water-Works Terras-Walks c. therein and which is very rare in Poland furnished pretty neatly Next Morning the Court arrived at Chenstokova where the King tarryed to perform his Devotions There he dispatched some Courriers to the Emperor and Duke of Lorrain who had sent a Polish Gentleman called Glinski an Officer under Prince Lubomirski to give his Majesty an Account of the Turks before Vienna which they had besieged The King of Poland wrote upon that Subject to other Courts to excite the Compassion of the Princes in favour of the Emperor who was chased from his Capital City and upon the very brink of seeing himself stript of all his Territories then continued his march and arrived at last at Cracow at a Pleasure-House which the Kings of Poland have at the end of one of the Suburbs called Lobzouf where he staid some Days In the mean time his Troops advanced towards the same Place and some small Parties of them passed by every Day Lieutenant General Schignafski came no nearer than within two Leagues with his Body of Cavalry which the King went to see upon the Road and ordered them to march by the Foot of the Mountains on the left-hand that they might not fall into the Road marked out for the Grand Army which was to the Right the General Rendezvous of which was to be at Tarnovitz the first City of Silesia and of the Emperors Territories towards Cracow being 12 great Leagues from thence The Grand General who led the Body of the Army in Person from the Frontiers of Russia arrived some Days after and incamped within half a League of Lobzouf from whence he continued his March through Bengin and the King having seen those two Chief Bodies of his Troops go before set out himself on the 15th of Aug. He took his way by the Foot of the Mountains to the Left and afterwards fell into that of the Great Army at Bengin where Count Caraffa the Emperor's General who was sent per Post to represent that the danger was Pressing arrived two Hours before the Court The fight of the Camp gave him some hopes but he could not yet believe that the King was there he being prepossessed as was the whole Court of Vienna and several others that that Prince would never go out of his Dominions insomuch that when the Marquis d'Arquyan who was the first that visited him at Dinner told him that the King was just coming the Count de Caraffa as a Man who still doubted it replyed Sir 't is said so Before I go further I must observe one Particular relating to the Person of Prince James the King 's Eldest Son whom the Gazetts thro' Ignorance or Malice have confounded with his younger Brother Prince Alexander who was then but 7 Years old and yet they published That he followed the King in this Expedition I am not ignorant of the Venom hid under this Affectation and that most of the Polanders prefer him to the Elder as well because he was born upon the Throne if I may so speak and after the Election and Coronation as because of his charming Behaviour and the fancy of the Nation However I ought to undeceive the Publick as to the Error imposed on them upon this Occasion and to leave to Posterity the Remembrance of the first sâ—â—ting out into the Field of Prince James Eldest Son to the King of Poland was at 16 Years of Age. He was born in France aad held at the Font by Lewis le Grand whose Name he also bears with that of his Grand-Father 'T is certain that the Polanders don't look upon him as the Son of a King but only as the Son of the Great Marshal On the 5th of August the King received Deputies from the States of Silesia who came to assure him that the Provisions were ready upon the Road as also the Waggons granted by the Imperial Envoy for carrying 200 Foot The King I say sent on the 9th Expresses every where to hasten the new Troops who began to march the next Day That same Day his Polish Majesty dipatched the Gentleman of whom I have already spoke to Count Teckley to entertain with that Hungarian General the mutual Correspondence they had agreed upon and to renew the Reciprocal Promises they had made each other to wit on the King's Part that the Polish Troops should commit no
The King lay at the first of these Places the fourth Day of his March Moravia is doubtless the Best of the Hereditary Provinces and the Richest Country of Germany It is fat fertil plentiful populous set off with Neat Cities and adorn'd with all that Nature can afford to make it Beautiful having variety of Plains Green Forests Vales and Meadows which represent very pleasing Prospects to the Eye On the one side it borders on the Kingdom of Hungary It is separated from Silesia by a Ridge of Mountains On the Front it has the Plains of Austria terminated by the Danube and on the Right the Kingdom of Bohemia whose Language is very like to the Moravian being both a Dialect deriv'd from the Sclavonian The Capital City of Moravia is Olmutz call'd in Latin Olomucium It is well built and set off with a large Square a great many Churches Stately Houses wide and clear Streets strong Walls which last are flanked with Turrets cover'd with a Mote and other Modern Works It is adorn'd without with Sumptuous Seats fine shady Walks and very advantagious for its Scituation being at the end of a Plain two Leagues long bounded on the Left with a Ridge of Hills of different Prospects such as Meadows Ponds Thickets and the like of which the City is the Point of Sight It is seated on a small Rising over-looking a spacious Meadow which surrounds three Sides of it with a River that runs in a winding Stream thro' the midst Olmutz is a Bishoprick whose Bishop is a Prince of the Empire and has a Right of Coyning Money and I have seen several fine Ducats of his Coyn. He has a new Palace suitable to his Dignity yet the Garrison and the Governor are plac'd by the Emperor in the City and their Discipline is Exact and Great The King leaving Hauff din'd at Sternberg and took up his Quarters at Olmutz the fifth Day of his March being August 26. From Sternberg to Olmutz two Leagues one Stage From Olmutz to Prostnitz two Leagues one Stage The Country between is very uneven wholy Champian and of an extraordinary Soil Prostnitz is scituated in a Plain and is less considerable than Olmutz but yet neat enough being built with Brick as are all the Towns of this Marquisate its Houses are lofty and its Streets large The King din'd here and the same Day encamp'd at Viska a Village upon the Road. From Prostnitz to Bitchau two Leagues one Stage It takes up in good Weather near four Hours Time to travel this Stage and in Winter 't is near a Day 's Journey by reason of the fat Mountains and dirty Soil The Fields are all open stretching out towards the Left and plow'd into large Furrows As for Bitchau it is one of the Best Cities of the Country and its Land is the Granary of all those Parts From Bitchau to Brinn four Leagues two Stages This last City is more considerable than the former not only for its Grandeur fine Houses and the Nobility with which 't is fill'd but also for its Citadel one of the Best I ever saw in those Parts It takes in the compass of the whole Platform of an high and inaccessible Mountain whose Extremity at the Top has a Mantling or Counterscarp much like that of Montmidy in Luxemburgh Besides this Brinn has its fortified Walls tho' irregular all cover'd with a sort of Bastions without any Outside or loose Works It is situated on a small Prominence at the foot of which round about it has some Houses in the Nature of Suburbs It s Governor is a Noble Lord very highly esteem'd by the Elector of Bavaria who came to refresh himself at his House after the Siege of Vienna was rais'd The King came thither in three Days time from Olmutz From Brinn to Pourlits four Leagues two Stages This is a Village in a very fat Soil and a Plain diversify'd with Meadows Plow'd Lands and Thickets where there are some others more considerable From Pourlits to Niklitsbourg the Germans pronounce it Niklitspourg two Leagues one Stage of three Hours Riding Moravia terminates at the end of one League at a certain Lake over which we pass'd on a sorry Wooden Bridge Beyond the Lake Austria begins and presents us a new kind of Prospect no less pleasant for its Variety than Rich and Plentiful in its vast Extent On the Left you see nothing but Vineyards like those about Lions on the Right boundless Plains garnish'd with Villages manur'd all over and of a fat and fertile Soil The Arch-Dutchy of AUSTRIA Austria from whence that Illustrious Family whose two Branches have sway'd the Imperial Scepter from the Year 1437. to this Time took its Name was formerly no more than a Marquisate which the Emperor rais'd first to a Dutchy and afterwards to an Arch-Dutchy The Danube runs cross it and it is separated from Hungary on the one Side by the River of Moravia and on the other by that of Raab both which throw themselves into the Danube by opposite currents Austria is bounded by Moravia Bohemia Bavaria Styria and Hungary It is full Cities considerable not only in themselves but also for the Epochas of History which will perpetuate their Names Among others we may reckon Passà w Lints and Vienna its Capital City This last is become the Metropolis of the whole Empire ever since Fourteen Emperors of the House of Austria have reign'd successively the last of which have Establish'd their Court there and have made a Splendid City of it Besides Austria is a Country abounding with variety of Plains Vineyards Hills and large Forests which afford ample Diversions to the Emperors by that prodigious quantity of Stags and other large Beasts with which they are stock'd 'T is certain that no Country abounds so much with the former as this Province does You may see them in whole Herds like so many Beeves round about Vienna and 't is to be wondred what a great number of them the Emperor takes every Year whereof with the weight of each an exact Register is kept This Register is lock'd up in the Archives of the Court and has been lodg'd there time out of Mind These Hunting-Matches are three Months in the Year The Emperor misses not one of 'em having stated and fix'd days for this Exercise as he has for Audiences His Courtiers make a Business of State of it and at the place of Rendez-vous take each of 'em a Nosegay of Greens provided by the Huntsmen who present the Emperor with a Crown and a kind of Sceptre made of the same The Scales are carry'd along with 'em to weigh each Beast they kill and the Register to take an exact Account thereof and the Emperor himself opens the Belly cross-ways with a large Knife before any dare touch it When the Hunting-Matches are over they cast up the Number and the Weight as set down in the Register and by comparing them to former Years and to other Emperors they pass a Judgment from
other Fortifications beside very thick Walls well built and Rampier'd defended with Towers Angles and other ancient Flankers by which the Walls of the Lower Town are joyn'd to those of the Upper That side which faces the Danube is very pleasant and the Communication of the Lower City with the Fortress very easie by paths than run along the Descent to a small Gate But the side which looks towards the Champian Country is very steep on the Top where is a Rocky Crest that surrounds the Fort and its Walls at the foot of which is a Pallisade in the nature of a Counterscarp to keep off the Enemy For as soon one has gain'd the foot of those Walls he is cover'd from all the Attempts of those that are upon them Over against this side is just such another Mountain parallel to the former and call'd in German Thomasberg where formerly was a sort of Fortress of which nothing is now remaining but the Foundations and from whence one might cannonade that of Strigonium The Lower City had several Houses in the out-parts upon the Plain a Mosque upon the Bank of the Danube near the Bridge to which they went through a small Gate open'd in the Wall over against it This Bridge was one of the longest that ever was seen the middle built on Boats the two ends on Piles The River is of an extraordinary Breadth its Banks pleasant its Current running in a strait line the passage all about of wonderful variety It was formerly a considerable Arch-Bishoprick whose Title is still bestow'd on Prelates of high Dignity And of late Years we have met in the Learned World with an Archbishop of Strigonium whose Writings have furnish'd matter of Dispute to the most Famous Universities of Europe and have establish'd a lasting Reputation to their Author This City is still the Metropolis of a Country of a large Extent which made up one of the best parts of the ancient Kingdom of Hungary BUDA Buda was the Capital thereof and the Residence of the King who had there a Magnificent Palace It lies below Strigonium six large Leagues and on the same side divided into the Upper and Lower Town the latter seated on the Declivity and at the Foot of a large Mountain the former stretch'd out on the Top of it where it stands being very narrow about the middle but very long and the two Extremities widened out like Places-d ' Armes Neither of these Towns have any Fortifications The Lower Town is inclos'd only with Walls the Upper flank'd with round Towers with a good Trench a double Circumvallation in several parts of the Ancient Mode and with those Pallaces of King Matthias at the end which enters into the very Substance of the Walls and make a principal part of them The whole is built with Brick and well rampier'd yet of easie Access the Declivity of the Mountain not being very rough and the Top being almost all of it commanded by other Risings proper to mount Cannon on The River runs behind that Hill on which the City stands so that one cannot get betwixt them and to cut off their Supplies one must either seise upon Pest which is on the other side at the Head of the Bridge or stop up the Danube below Buda towards the Isle of Saint Andrews which is not far from thence The Turks call the Place Boudim and have made it the Title of a Visier I likewise look upon it as one of the Chief Visiriats by the Extent of its Government and the Importance of the Province which is one of the richest and largest of the Ottoman Empire which comprehends the whole course of the Drave a very considerable River upon which or its Marshes on each side is the Famous Bridge of Esseck of near two hundred Leagues Length and which opens a Passage into Servia Bulgaria Bosnia and other Ancient Provinces of the Turkish Dominions The Province of Buda made a great part of Lower Hungary and one of the Ancient Pannonienses stretching it self from the Danube towards Sclavonia and across that River as far as the Mountains of Vpper Hungary and the River Theysse taking in the City of Agria with its Dependencies At present 't is the most considerable Province of the Ottoman Empire which reaches to the Borders of Austria on one side and to the Frontiers of Poland on the other HUNGARY But for the clearer Apprehending the course of this Country we ought here to say something in general of the Kingdom of Hungary one of the largest richest most fertile pleasantest and most populous Countries of all Europe Tho' it is in a great measure rob'd of those rare Qualifications and has been the Seat of War Revolts and Bloody Catastrophes for two hundred Years together still it is the best of all the Estates that belong to the House of Austria It wants nothing and what it has is altogether Admirable Its Mountains furnish you with Golden Mines its Coasts with the richest Wines in the World for the Best comes not near those of Hungary made in certain Parts and of certain rich Grapes dry'd in the Sun call'd Vvae siccae Vvae passae The Fruits of the Country are likewise Extraordinary You there meet with a kind of black Plums of a delicate Taste and so suitable to the Constitution of an Humane Body that the Physicians say proverbially That they will do you no harm eat as many as you will of ' em unless you swallow down Tree and all The other Fruits so much boasted of in hot Countries grow here in great plenty Water Melons and others on dry Land without meeting with so much as one of 'em naught And there are three or four sorts of them or of different colours being white green red within Hungary abounds no less in all other things requisite for the Pleasure or Necessities of Life so that it needs not to borrow any thing from its Neighbors but on the contrary can lend to them of its own stores This has render'd it very populous and enrich'd it with great Cities large Towns and stately Castles Most of the first owe their Original to the Ancient Romans who planted Colonies in this Country the Names of which are still retain'd in that general corruption of Languages Such are Poson Sabine and Tyrnau which are Famous Cities of this Kingdom founded formerly by Piso Sabinus and Tyrnavius The Inhabitants of those Places still retain the purity of the Language of their ancient Masters 'T is certain that no place of Europe speaks so good so Proper Elegant and Fluent Latin as Hungary Even the Language of Augustus's Time is not degenerated neither in the Stile nor the Pronunciation 'T is still cultivated with Care in the Universities of this Kingdom of which the Colleges of Tyrnau and Cassovia are the most Famous and noted as the Best Universities of France and the Ancient Conimbrian and Complutensian Academies of Spain The Post-Masters are not admitted into that Office unless they
these Transactions the Turks press'd forwards to regain the Fort and their Number hindering their Retreat they cast themselves into the Danube which a moment after became all black and its Stream cover'd all over with Men Arms Horses and Turbants whose heaps and mixture made an admirable Picture being both a dreadful and a pleasant Sight Those who would not venture so dangerous a Passage were cut in pieces on the Bank of the River and there were heaps of 'em all along of a Fathom high which form'd a kind of a Parapet or Breast-work As an Addition to their Misfortune the Bridge was broke by the Multitude of those who fled over it after 7 or 8 hundred had pass'd it with the Visier of Buda The rest endeavouring still to gain the Boats which lay there fell by hundreds at a time one upon another and were all stifl'd by the Weight of those that lay uppermost But whereas they could not disengage themselves nor advance one way or other they were expos'd to the Fire of our Artillery and Troops yet 't is certain there were fewer kill'd that way than by being suffocated Whilst the Turks were thus drown'd the Polish Infantry advanc'd towards the Fort of Barcan the Regiments of the Queen and Prince of Poland arriv'd thither the first and began the Assault The Count of Morstein being Colonel of the One and Sessevin Colonel of the Other led them directly to the two Gates and forc'd them The Enemy laid their Arms on the Ground in order to surrender themselves and hung out a white Flag But the Poles either did not or would not see it and fell upon them without giving them Quarter who seeing themselves hopeless betook themselves to their Arms again resolving to sell their Lives at as dear a rate as possible Thereupon they made so terrible a Discharge that our Infantry began to give Ground and were for regaining the Gates A French Gentleman Mouilly by Name who was Page to the Marquiss of Arquyen and Ensign to the Regiment of the Prince of Poland plac'd himself at the Gate on the Left by which that Battalion had enter'd and with his Sword drove back those who fled thither and by this Undauntedness much above one of his Years he oblig'd them to return upon the Enemy of which not a Man was sav'd This was the Finishing-stroke of that Defeat the most Entire and Compleat that had been known for a long time before Count Teckley arriv'd soon enough upon the adjacent Hills to be an Eye-witness of this Bloody Scene He did indeed appear upon the Brow of the Mountains at the close of the Action when the Danube was cover'd with those unhappy Creatures and when the rest of this Army were cut in pieces in the Fort only 7 or 800 having sav'd themselves by passing the Bridge with the Visier of Buda before it was broke down The Christians at this time could not expect any rich Booty since the Turks had brought thither neither Artillery nor Equipages but to make amends for it they did not lose many Men nor any Officer of Note whereas the Enemy left behind them two Bassas taken Prisoners and three others drown'd in the River with the Standards of the Visiers and other Honourable Tokens of the Victory After the Taking of the Fort they rested a while on the Banks of the Danube to take a view of that dreadful Spectacle Some drew up what the Current threw ashore such as Horses Arms Men and other Spoils whilst the rest play'd with the Artillery that of Strigonium not wounding a Man of our Side One single shot and perhaps the last either from beyond the River or from the Fort of Barcan unfortunately struck between the two Eyes of a French Gentleman belonging to the Prince of Poland nam'd Duheaume and forc'd one of 'em out of his Head The King endeavour'd to chear him up by all the Marks of Esteem and Affection by the Care he order'd to be taken of him and by the Present he sent him the next Day of 100 Ducats in Gold This Gentleman very well deserv'd those distinguishing Favours not only for his constant Attendance upon the Prince's Person but likewise for the Present he made the King in the Fields of Vienna of a Tuft of Heron's Feathers garnish'd with a Rose of Diamonds and Rubies which he found in the Grand Visier's Tent and was the same which that Ottoman General us'd to put on the Head of his War-Horse The Army return'd upon the Plains above Barcan and encamp'd there by possessing all the Curtains of the Bank of the Danube The King with the Duke of Lorrain resov'd to pass the River in that Place and to put an end to the Campaign by the Taking of Strigonium which would enhance the Reputation of the Christian Army by thus Marching over the Conquests of Solyman the Great The Emperor's Generals were with much ado brought over to consent to it and the Season being already very much advanc'd made the Poles murmur who began to Breath after their Country but the King threatening to leave them and trust his Person with the German Troops each Soldier return'd to his Duty and murmured no more unless in Secret As for the Germans he gave them to understand That Strigonium could not hold outlong and that the Visier could not come to its Relief after the last Defeat Besides he was advertis'd of his Retreat towards Belgrade leaving Buda as soon as Kara Mehemet Pacha wounded in the Battle was return'd thither The Latter stay'd four Days after the Battle in Strigonium and then went to Buda along the Danube without any Obstruction having left two Bassas in the Place with a strong Garrison to maintain the Siege in case the Victorious Army should attempt it It was therefore resolv'd upon and all Hands at Work for building a Bridge in a place where the River made an Island about half a League above the City Beside the Safety of this Post by the Space which facilitated the Retreat from one Bridge to the other they rais'd a Fort at the Head of the Latter on the Enemy's Side of the River And moreover they had not far from Javarin or Raab where they might cover themselves in case the Turks should make any desperate Sally upon them Whilst this was doing and all things necessary for carrying on a Siege were bringing from Komorne General Dunneval march'd to seise upon Lewents a very considerable City which facilitated the Communication of the Turks between Newhausel and Buda The Bassa of Newhausel knew nothing of the Matter whereupon several of his Parties were surpriz'd and fell into the Snare without dreaming of it The King order'd Barcan to be put into the Hands of the Germans who burnt the Houses that were hard-by At last the Bridges being finish'd by the 19th of October the Duke of Lorrain order'd part of his Army to pass over that Day and the two next On the 22d the Polish Infantry commanded
numerous Retinue at his Heels and several Executioners of Justice who carry Bundles of Rods to punish upon the spot in the middle of the Street those that are complain'd of to him as he goes along Both Ancient and Modern Histories are full of Remarkable Relations concerning this Body of Infantry which have rais'd such frequent Insurrections and so many Revolts even to the Deposing of Sultans demanding the Heads of Visiers and other such extraordinary Disturbances 'T is said they are about 40000 strong The other sort of Infantry is call'd by the Turks Seymen and differ nothing from that of other Nations having nothing of Distinction either in their Privileges or in their Habits wearing a plain Cap hanging down behind call'd Calpac whereas the Janizaries have a white Turbant and green Coats as I describ'd them before in speaking of the King of Poland's Guards The Agas or Captains of these Seymen are call'd Tchorbaggey of which there is a Commander in chief in every Garrison of a Town honour'd with the Title of Yanchar-Aga and who is properly the Colonel of the Infantry of the Town This may suffice in general to give You a Light into those Particulars of which former Histories have taken no notice As to the Places of War that little Precaution which the Turks make use of to cover them may seem somewhat strange They have no Body of Guards in the Streets nor any Sentinels by Day upon the Ramparts near their Artillery nor any great number at the Gates Indeed they have nothing to fear within because the Cities they conquer are re-peopled by the Natural Turks and in process of Time the People of the Country become greater Turks than the ancient Musselmen This I observ'd at Newhausel where the Hungarians that were turn'd Mahometans were the most zealous Defenders of the Place There were in the Town but few Janizaries and Spahas of Ancient Creation some other Turks such as Greeks Asiatics and Levantines all the rest were Hungarian Horse retaining still the Habit and Language of the Country with the Religion and Notion of the true Original Turks It was they who went out in Parties and scour'd the Country round about It was they who guarded the Prisons where the Slaves were kept and the Hungarian Infantry compos'd likewise the greatest part of the Garrison The Method of fixing the Guard consists in those Nightly Rounds which a Body of Foot make going upon the Ramparts with large Lanterns and stopping at every Bastion to set up a hideous Cry calling upon the Name of the Most Blessed God and this they do without any intermission till Break of Day when they all go off even the Sentinels of the Watch-Towers These last carry their Rugs along with them to lie on and their Duty is from time to time to cry Alla in answer to those that walk the Rounds This was all the Turkish Party of Foot at least all that I ever saw at Newhausel either in the Reviews or in their Exercise and I learnt from several German Officers That during the Siege of Buda and other Places the Night Round made the same Cries and had the same Guard A great many People believe that the Office of Visier is confin'd only to one single Person and till then I was of the same Opinion but at Newhausel I was inform'd That besides the Prime-Visier call'd likewise Grand Visier or Visier Asem there were six others which compos'd the Divan or Council of the Empire But of each of these we have already given a particular Account Chap. III. Next to the Visiers are the other Governours of the Province call'd Becglerbeys who are only two tho' frequently he who is no Visier has a larger Extent of Government For Instance The Bassa of Temeswaer in Hungary has a considerable Province or Becglerbeyat compos'd of one half of the Territories conquer'd by the Turks in that Kingdom and yet he is no Visier Next to these come all the Bassas which either serve in the Army or in places of Importance who have only one Horse-tayl to which the Sultan for some Signal service adds a second and a third for which they pay 20000 Crowns in 40 Purses as has been already mention'd Here I must inform the Publick That the Name of Bassa is a Title of Honour belonging to the Person not to the Office they are in So that the Ottoman Empire hath a great many Bassas without any Office or Command and those who have any such never take upon them the Name of the Place where they are Governours but only their own Personal Title Thus for Instance The Bassa of Newhausel was call'd Assan Pacha and not Ouywar Pacha Ouywar being the Turkish Word to signifie Newhausel and so of the rest Besides this Title in common Conversation is by way of Compliment given to Private Persons and at the end of my Slavery when the Exchange was concluded upon they honour'd me with the same Title calling me Fransous Pacha as much as to say an Illustrious Frenchman Of these Bassas some are made Governors of Provinces and Cities others Serasquiers or Generals and others the General Officers in the Armies which are Subordinate to the former who all of them retain the Title of Bassa without taking upon them any new one by their Office Thus for Example The Visiers do not stile themselves The Visier of Buda of Silistria of Bosnia c. but rather Boudin-Pacha Silistri-Pacha Bosnié-Pacha The Becglerbeys and General Officers of the Army do the same The same may be said of the Title of Sultan which is not appropriated to the Grand-Signior only as most People imagine and only signifies Protector Benefactor Patron Master For all the Turks in general when they discourse together give one another this Title as we do that of Sir or Master But forasmuch as the Grand Signior the Great Cham of Tartary and their Sons or Brothers are reckon'd Patrons and Protectors in a higher sense than ordinary therefore they are by way of Eminence stiled Sultan Thus they say Mehemet Sultan which is the Grand Signior Suleyman Sultan which is his Brother Gherei Sultan which is the Cham of Tartary Galga Sultan Nuradin Sultan which are his Sons or Brothers The proper Title therefore which the Turks have given to their Emperor is that of Padicha signifying the Lord and Master of all the rest and as a token of Respect and that particular Esteem which they have for the King of France they have conferr'd upon him only that great Title of Padicha or Emperer of the French England would have given 100000 Crowns for that Favour but could not obtain it as they would have had the Sopha at the Audiences granted at last to the Embassador of Lewis the Great in the Person of Mr. De Guilleragues about ten Years ago This consists of having a Cushion-stool set upon the same Floor with the Grand Signior whereas formerly they sat below as the Embassadors of other Kings do to
Visier Successor to Cara Mustapha Pacha took particular care to secure his Frontier-Cities and rais'd a Body of his Best Troops to be as a Supply to those whom the Germans should offer to besiege being not in a capacity of entring upon the Offensive this Year The Council of Vienna resolv'd upon Assaulting Buda leaving Newhausel behind them knowing it would surrender of it self after the Taking of that Capital City from whence it had all its Supplies For 't is to be observ'd That notwithstanding the Taking of Barcan Lewents and Strigonium yet the Turks had free Communication between Newhausel and Buda where they had a Bridge The new Bassas sent to Newhausel in the Year 1684 arriv'd there without any obstruction and the Bey my Patron went once during the Winter to Buda and return'd back as easily only making use of the Night and the Windings of the Mountains Upon that occasion I had a Sight of that Famous City which was the best fortified of any in Hungary and was rich populous full of Jews and Merchants The Grand Visier after the Raising of the Siege of Vienna had put into the Place his Friend Cara Mehemet Pacha and appointed for his Assistant a Brave Soldier call'd by way of Exaggeration The Devil his Name was indeed Chaitan Ibraham Pacha as if the first Word which signifies Satan was the Sirname of his Family The Duke of Lorrain open'd the Campaign be-times and march'd directly to Strigonium where his Bridge was laid Part of his Army pass'd before Newhausel a little on the Left almost within reach of their Cannon and encamp'd three Days above within sight of the City during which time the Bassa sally'd out with all his Cavalry to harass the German Army from whom they took a great many Men and Women with Provisions in abundance After this the Army continu'd its March pass'd the Danube carry'd in a few Days two strong Places scituated upon the Hills on the Right side of Strigonium and afterwards went to lay Siege to Buda Whereas the Imperial Army was not very numerous it could not form any large circumvallation nor could it entirely surround the Place There were great Intervals in the Line by which the Grand Visier had several Opportunities of throwing Men and Ammunition into the City The Duke of Lorrain assaulted first the Lower Town where he carry'd two very large and well-guarded Trenches He caus'd the Town of Pest on the other side the Danube to be carry'd by Storm where he broke the Bridge of the Turks and left a small Detachment to hinder the entring in of any Succours that might be brought upon the River He had the sole conveniency of this very River which might have brought all necessary Provisions into his Camp with Recruits and fresh Troops without any danger of being intercepted Yet the Germans did not either know how or else could not take any Advantage from that Conveniency for the Army wanted every thing at the end of the Siege Bread being as scarce with them as in the besieg'd City The Ammunition was scarcer and I have heard of very creditable Persons that they were forc'd to eat Man's Flesh besides that of Horses The Lower Town was taken in a short time The D. of Lorrain continu'd his Assaults on the same side to come up to the Wall of the Upper Town stretch'd as I observ'd before on the Edge of the Hill widen'd at each end and fortify'd with a double Retrenchment That Prince omitted nothing that might make himself Master of the Place no more than the Bassa did to defend it The Jews serv'd him herein very zealously push'd on with a desire of preserving their Riches which was as dear to them as their Religion and Country The Supplies of Men and Provisions which he receiv'd by several Reprisals refresh'd his Garrison and besides it was but faintly attack'd They carry'd their Works to the very bottom of the Wall and endeavour'd to undermine it in two several Places and the Mine that was made at one of the round Towers was charg'd three times together to make a Breach The Turks countermin'd it and the first time took the Powder out of it the second had no effect and at last when it was blown up it threw it towards the City instead of throwing it into the Trench and so fortify'd the place on that side They were no more successful in other parts The Assaults were frequent but always repuls'd with Vigour The Artillery play'd constantly but without success and they cast in not above three or four Bombs in a Night In a word they spent three whole Months together before this City without being able to make the least Lodgment upon it and they ruin'd the Imperial Army which lost near 28000 Men among whom are reckon'd 500 of the Bravest German Officers The Elector of Bavaria arriv'd at the Camp towards the end of September with his Troops and took his Post on the Right of the Imperial Army over against the Palace of King Matthias which is the Point opposite to that which had been attack'd The Council of War held after his coming concluded to carry on a fresh Assault on that side as being the most easie to batter and force The Elector of Bavaria sent before-hand a Trumpeter to the Bassa to summons him to surrender The Bassa admitted the Trumpeter into the City hearken'd calmly to his Proposal told him That he understood of that Prince's Arrival and had not fail'd to have beaten any one but himself by Cannon-shot from an Eminence where he was one Day posted to take a View of the City but that he was willing to spare him and had that consideration for his Person Afterwards the Bassa order'd him to be shewn the Place and an inner Intrenchment which render'd it stronger than at the beginning of the Siege He shew'd him his Magazines furnish'd with Provisions and Ammunitions for above six Months longer and his Garrison standing to their Arms being very Numerous and very Resolute After this the Bassa ask'd him upon what account he was oblig'd to surrender and then dismiss'd him with a Present of 20 Ducats of Gold The Siege therefore continu'd with fresh Vigour and new Attempts In the mean time the Bassa of Newhausel made his Advantage of the Enemy's besieging that City He had plac'd Detachments of his Cavalry for half a League round his Town and went often to visit them Every Week he went out in Parties sometimes towards Lewents another time towards Komorne and then towards the River Wag to Goutta to Nitria and to all the Parts round about his Government to seek for Provisions and never return'd empty-handed So that he preserv'd his own Stores and supply'd the City very plentifully with the Spoils he took in the Enemy's Country Twice or thrice he advanc'd towards Buda to get Intelligence of the Siege One Day he entred at Noon into the Isle of Schut and ravag'd the Borders of it In a word this
Passes Cities and Rivers lay between He enquir'd likewise very much about the King of Poland and his Family In a word all that could be of any Service to him he made the subject of our Conferences which were held almost every Night after Supper in the presence of two or three of the Principal Officers of the Cavalry and the Curate of the Mosque whom he very highly esteem'd inviting him every Night to Supper The more I advanc'd in the Knowledge of the Turkish Language the more he lik'd my Company and the greater was his care of me He ask'd Whether I had Bread enough allow'd me by his Steward and upon my Reply order'd me two Loaves a Day But the Valet de Chambre whose Business it was to distribute the Bread to the rest kept back the Moiety for his own use and his Knavery being found out by the Bassa he commanded an hundred Blows to be given him upon the Soles of his Feet The Turks have several sorts of Coyn beginning with the Ducats or Turkish Sequins call'd Altom The Crowns of every Country are of the common Value In the Levant they are call'd Piastres in Hungary Rixdollars and of these they make up the Purses which contain 500 each This is their peculiar way of reckoning considerable Sums as they do by Aspres in the ordinary course of Trade Besides the Crowns they have Lion-dollars of a less value call'd simply Cara-groch made almost like the Dutch Crowns with a great Lion on one side There are a great many of these Pieces in the Frontiers of Russia because all the Commerce of Valachia and Constantinople through those Provinces that ly between the Niester and the Danube is carry'd on by Lion-dollars At Newhausel they have small Silver Pieces of the Emperor's Coyn worth 5 German Groats or 10 French Sous stamp'd with the Arms of the King of Hungary on one side and on the reverse with a Nostre-dame encircl'd with Rays The Tinfes of Poland of the same Value are likewise currant here And the smallest Coyn us'd in Domestick Affairs were the Para and the Atché The first of these are very thin and of very fine Silver about the bigness of a French Denier having several Arabic Characters on them 48 or 50 of them go for a Crown and 40 for a Lion-dollar The Atché is the smallest Coyn the Turks have which yet is worth about 4 French Deuiers and with these Pieces they pay off the Troops and go to Market it sounding big to hear them prize such or such a Commodity at 4 or 500 Atchés or Aspres In the mean time Prince Lubomirski having receiv'd our Answers dispatch'd them away to the King of Poland who sent him back an Order to take out of the Prisons of Transchyn the 28 Turks which had been sent thither by way of Reprisal This spun out a long time by reason of the great Distance there was betwixt Buda and the Niester where the King of Poland then was it was further protracted by the Knavery of a Secretary belonging to the Prince Lubomirski who instead of going to fetch the Slaves stay'd at Niklitsbourg where he consum'd the Money that had been given him and a thousand Crowns that he had borrow'd in his Master's Name So that after two Months waiting for News from him they were forc'd to send another Messenger who brought the Turks at last about the beginning of November to Komorne At their Arrival two of the Chief of them came to Newhausel to cast themselves at the Bassa's Feet and to beg for my Liberty and their own This Man affected with their Misfortune and desiring to render a considerable Service to the Grand Signior in delivering such Brave Soldiers was at first for frightning them by telling them That they must make him amends for the Ransom he was like to lose for me These unfortunate Creatures represented to him That they could give him but little satisfaction at present being so long prisoners but assur'd him that they would make him an ample Return as soon as they should get into their own Country The Bassa smil'd and commanding their Fetters immediately to be knock'd off which they had always wore to this time told them very freely that he did not pretend to exact an Aspre of them thinking himself sufficiently happy in being able to do that piece of Service to his Countrymen and the Sultan I was afterwards call'd into his Chamber He told me That indeed the Turks retain'd at Transchyn were arriv'd but that there were still wanting two more that were propos'd for my personal Exchange I reply'd That they could not as yet be brought from Poland or that they might be deliver'd without sending them so far into Hungary by the Bassa of Caminiec Upon this Overture the Bassa of Newhausel reflecting upon the Distance of the Country and willing besides to demonstrate his Generosity and Confidence told me that he would trust to my Word without waiting for any farther News and would remit me upon the Promise which I made him of immediately delivering the two Spahi of his acquaintance specify'd in our Letters I gave him a Note under my Hand for it writ in Latin to which for want of a Seal I clapp'd my Five Fingers And here 't is to be noted That all the Turks wear a Ring engrav'd with Arabic Characters which they make their Seal making the Impression of it in a Letter or a Deed by the side of the Superscription to attest the Truth and Validity of the Contents Besides this Note the Bassa made me swear to the same thing upon my Prayer-Book and these Assurances I ratify'd to him by an honourable Promise of Returning back to Newhausel in case these two Men were not set at Liberty In pursuance to this the Bassa order'd my Fetters to be knock'd off for you must take Notice That the Bey the Kiayia of his deceas'd Father who had taken them off at first by his own Authority put them upon me again two Months after the Bassa's Death in order to oblige me to be more urgent for my Ransom There was nothing now more to do than to appoint a day with the Governour of Komorne and the Officer who had brought the Turks from Transchyn to make our Exchange in the open Field They sent on each side Pasports and they agree'd to have 30 Men of a Side and the Place they fix'd on was to be not far from the Danube near the Village of SanPetré But the Execution of it was put off to the 14th of November through two Scruples of Interest that were as Unintelligible as Unreasonable The Officer of Prince Lubomirski to whom several Polish Slaves had writ during the Goings and the Comings of the Express from Komorne to Newhausel thought of delivering two or three others with my eight and twenty Turks pretending that this Number was too extravagant for a single Man It was to no purpose for me to write that his Polish Majesty
detain'd 'em only upon my account That zealous Patriot was harden'd to this Project and I believe he would have stopp'd the Exchange had he not receiv'd fresh Orders from Vienna whither Prince Lubomirski was return'd being wounded in the Camp before Buda The King of Poland being tir'd with the Delay redoubled his Instances and that Lord did the same to his Envoy with Orders at the same time to give two of his own Prisoners which he had at Komorne in case that the Bassa of Newhausel made any Scruple upon the two Spahis that had not yet been sent The other Pretension was started by the Keeper of the Prisons of Komorne nam'd Lasko That covetous Officer was for exacting of those miserable Turks the Fees of the Prison settled on both sides at a Ducat a Head as if for fourteen or fifteen Day 's stay in his Prison by chance for want of a more secure Place they ought to have pay'd a Fee which the Governor of Transchyn never demanded of them The Bassa of Newhausel perceiv'd the Pretension of Lasko to be very unjust and appear'd very much concern'd to me and the more because for one Ducat that he might demand of me he must give 28 for these unhappy Creatures who had nothing in the World However he very generously compleated his Design and pay'd the whole Fees so boundless were his honourable Intentions This Noble Bassa whom I shall never forget loaded me with Favours upon my Departure gave me a Coat and Money to buy me what I wanted besides at Komorne He intrusted me with more to send him several Toys and Tobacco from thence embrac'd me very joyfully and affectionately and order'd me to be conducted to the Place of Rendezvous by a Colonel of Hungarian Cavalry with thirty of the Best Horse belonging to his Garrison or Houshold my self being mounted on one of his Arabian Horses of which he had thirty very Rich Ones The Exchange was made with all the Fairness and Honor imaginable We arriv'd the first at the Rendezvous Prince Lubomirski's Officer put his Turks into a large Boat with thirty Foot Solders as a Guard allow'd him by Zamori George Governor of Komorne and pass'd the Danube over against San-Petré When he saw this Body of Turkish Cavalry having as many Led-horses as there were Men he fear'd some Foul-play he therefore put his Prisoners into the Thickets and plac'd his Foot in a Covert way before his Boat to secure a Retreat in case of any accident But Maiar-Alay-Bey who commanded that Troop of Horse order'd them to alight and advanced himself to dissipate the Fears of the Pole Lasko advanced likewise towards Alay-Bey whom he knew particularly They sat down on the Grass and entred into a Friendly Conference which lasted a quarter of an Hour At last Alay-Bey seeing his Countrymen in Chains coming out of the Bushes for whom he had provided several Waggons he took me by the Hand and gave me to Lasko and the Polish Officer assuring them over and over That I was the King of Poland's French Gentleman Each Party took their Leaves and went on his own Way The Footmen march'd in good Order towards the Boat Alay-Bey caus'd the Priest or Otgé of Zetzen who was one of the Turks that had been detain'd and particularly recommended to him by the Bassa of Newhausel to get upon the Horse that brought me thither He doubtless was very glad to see his Brethren arrive as I was to see once more Komorne and the Christian Country where I took up my Lodging for that Night On the Morrow I punctually discharg'd the Commissions of the Bassa and laid out all the Money he gave me in small Toys which I presented to my Good Friends of Newhausel of whom I receiv'd a thousand Tokens of Friendship at the latter end of my Slavery and whom I would certainly have seen again had not the Imperialists besieg'd that Place the next Year They broke up the Siege of Buda at the same time The very day of my Departure part of the Army pass'd the Bridge of Barcan in order to encamp on the Plains between that Fort and Newhausel The Elector of Bavaria arriv'd at Komorne just as I got on Shore and was receiv'd under the Discharge of all the Artillery of the Citadel which I took at first for a Rejoycing for the Taking of Buda On the Morrow I waited upon that Prince and the Duke of Lorrain to recommend to them the German Slaves which I had left behind me in Chains Besides the Bassa had given me in charge to propose in his Name a general Discharge of the Prisoners of both Nations Head for Head wisely foreseeing that he should want Men and chusing rather to spend his Provisions on Turks who were of use to him than on Slaves that were only a Burden I cannot sufficiently commend the Vigilance and Bravery of this Officer nor his Conduct and Skill in matters of War He was better vers'd in Fortifications than the most Skilful of his own Nation Newhausel had several Defects in the Fortification which lay on the side of the Komorne Gate by which it was attack'd That Governor discover'd them and order'd them to be repair'd in opening the Angles enlarging the Breast-works and strengthening with Fascines the back Part of the Open Curtains He made all his Cavalry march out one Day to cut down a large Thicket which lay about a League off the City over against Goutta Another time he carry'd off all the Wood of the Neighbouring Villages depriving the Enemy by that means in case of a Siege of that Supply with which he furnish'd his Garrison I was very sorry to hear of the Loss of that Brave Man tho' I was the cause of his being besieg'd For upon the Report I made to the King of Poland of the state of that Place in the presence of the Pope's Nuncio Palavicini and his acquainting his Holiness with it It was resolv'd upon at Vienna through his Sollicitations to bestow the next Campaign on that Undertaking For which purpose General Heyseler was detach'd with a Body of Troops this Winter to block up the Place and to prevent them from receiving any Supplies from Abroad But this Blockade did not hinder the Bassa of Newhausel from making Sallies upon the German Quarters The Germans had during Summer taken a Town nam'd Schoran a League off that City from whence the Turks had been forc'd to withdraw They afterwards made some Provisions at Nitra in Preparation for the intended Siege The Bassa after my Departure retook Schoran and went to burn upon the River of Nitra at the very Gates of that City the Boats which the Germans had caus'd to fall down with Provisions These were the Transactions of Hungary this Campaign The King of Poland on his side did all he could to oppose the Incursion of the Turks and Tartars commanded by the Serasquier Suleyman Pacha who was advanc'd as far as the Niester and by this march
cross'd the Designs of the Polanders who had Thoughts of entring into Valachia and by the Way of Boudziac to have pierc'd as far as the Black Sea The Court remov'd from Cracow at the end of March 1684 and had gain'd the Frontiers towards Leopold to be in a Readiness for any Enterprise Whilst the King waited at Yavorouf for the Coming up of his Troops and Recruits Count Montecuculli arriv'd there being sent by the King of Spain to Compliment his Polish Majesty upon the happy Success of the preceding Campaign The Emperor sent thither the Count of Valestein as his Ambassador Extraordinary with Order to follow the King and his Army whithersoever they mov'd Lastly the Republick of Venice being willing to enter into a League against the Turks and to take Advantage of these Favourable Junctures nominated the Procurator Morosini to go into Poland with that Character who likewise made the Campaign with his Polish Majesty The King of Poland open'd it by spoiling two or three Retreats which the Turks had preserv'd on this side Caminiec on the Confines of Podolia and Russia The nearest that lay towards this Capital City was the Castle of Yaslovietz scituated on a Hill surrounded with others more large and almost encompass'd with a River which wash'd the Bottom There was an Aga with a Garrison of about 120 Men detach'd from Caminiec some small Pieces of Artillery and Fortifications proportionable The Army encamp'd on the Eminencies which commanded that Castle and summon'd the Aga to surrender The Aga desir'd for his Honor's sake to see some Cannon play upon the Place it being pretty strong by its Scituation and by its ancient Walls M. Dupont Engineer to the Republick caus'd two Batteries to be rais'd which Beat down all the Front of the Castle which fac'd the Army They had scarce fir'd ten times when the Garrison desir'd to march out The Aga being well acquainted with the Customs of his own Country which reckons no Man innocent that is unfortunate was not for exposing himself to the Test and so retir'd into Poland where the Queen made him Keeper of one of her Country Houses His Lieutenant likewise stay'd with the King and serv'd him as an Hussar and their Janizaries were dispers'd here and there about the Country The Aga is a Man of a good Mein and a Venerable Aspect of a Warlike Air even a little rough which Adversity smooth'd afterwards The other is a mere Soldier very Fat of a Low but Brave Mein as appear'd by those dreadful Scars with which he was full especially that which he brought from Candy by a Bullet shot into the back part of his Head The Surrender of this small Castle made just as I have describ'd it did however inhance the the Reputation of the Polish Arms in Foreign Parts They talk'd as big in France of this Expedition as of the Taking of Valenciennes so true is it That Fame raises Matter of Fact in Proportion to the Distance of the Climates where they are done The same News being brought to Newhausel chear'd up the Hearts of the Polish Slaves so much that I believ'd it had been Caminiec that was taken by the King And my supposition was the more probable because I knew that the Republick had undertaken the War only with Intention of retaking that Place from the Turks being the most considerable which they held in Poland But my News-monger Suleyman the Bassa's Coffee-man undeceiv'd me and told me the truth of the Business The Queen attended the King as far as Yaslovietz and was present with her Court at the Assault of that Place which in truth deserv'd no other than an Army of Females The Turks who march'd out were very much surpriz'd having never before seen such Luggage follow the Camp But the Queen after this Exploit retir'd to Leopold from thence to Yaroslave The King march'd directly to Zwaniec there to pass the Niester His Design was to enter into Valachia to make himself Master of that Province and there to winter his Army in order to cut off the Communication between Caminiec and the Turks who had no other way thither no more than the Tartars By this means that place would have been immediately block'd up and reduc'd at last for want of Supplies to surrender within six Months without so much as discharging a Cannon Besides the King of Poland made a considerable Diversion to facilitate the Taking of Buda by the Germans and to relieve one another from the Niester to the Danube But neither were the Germans minded to share the Glory and the Fruits of their Conquests with the Poles nor were the Poles in a capacity of finishing this great Design They could not in 3 Week's Time so much as lay the Foundations of a Bridge having neither Boats nor other things necessary And after they had spent above a Month's Time in casting Baskets of Stones Fascines and other Materials in the Water an Inundation of the River occasion'd by the Rains that fell carry'd away all the Work Whilst these things were doing the Tartars appear'd on the other side the Niester to the number of near 40000 Horse from whence every Day Detachments were sent out who swam over the River a little below the Polish Camp between Cotchim and Caminiec and came to skirmish with the Poles who likewise cross'd the River sometimes with the same Vigour so that all was reduc'd into particular Skirmishes the two Armies looking on at the same time and disputing for the Ground and Forrage at the Expence of some unhappy Creatures whom the Tartars carry'd off every Day There were likewise several Interviews between the Officers of the two Armies having the River in the midst The Chancellor of the Cham who had formerly been at the Polish Court to treat about ransoming his Brother came one Day on the Bank of the River and desir'd to speak with one of the King's Touariches who accordingly was order'd thither He desir'd them to tell his Polish Majesty That he desir'd to see him to thank him again for all the Favours he had formerly shewn him The King was very glad of that Encounter and order'd this Answer to be given to the Tartars That if he would come into the Camp he would send him not only a Convoy but Hostages This Gentleman very frankly reply'd That his Polish Majesty did him wrong to think that he forgot that his single Word was more worth than all the Hostages of the Army and that he would come to him on the Morrow upon his Parole But he could not execute his Design because the Enemy decamp'd To enter into the the Particulars of this Campaign which in general pass'd without any considerable Action You must know that the King of Poland in Decamping from Yaslovietz to march towards the Niester committed the Van-guard to be led by the Castellan of Cracow Little General of the Crown with fifty Troops all Horse Hussars Pancernes and Valachians who had Orders to advance
fine after having done all things possible in vain God be thanked to frighten me I was called some Days ago to an Audience of the Visier's Deputy Our Conversation lasted an Hour and an half He talked to me of the unheard of Temerity of this enterprize and of the extream Anger of the Grand Senior and at last told me That he gave me Notice as a Friend that perhaps I might be so happy as to buy off my own and the Blood of the French for a great Summ of Money I answered him I was as secure at Constantinople as at Paris because his Emperor was just and mine very potent That I would not give one Denier towards repairing the Damages sustained at Scio That it was the Tripolins part to pay it I added several things which certainly the Turkish Minister had never heard before The Countenance and Tone wherewith I pronounced them were a la Gascogne I spoke of all that the Emperor of France would do in this Country if he were exasperated and I concluded with telling him That if the French were troublesom to the Grand Senior or the Visier I would carry them all back into France where they would soon forget Turkey The Deputy treated me very civilly He told me That he exhorted my Prudence to take other Resolutions and went immediately after to give the Visier an Account of our Conferences being much surprized at my stedfastness I do not know what will become of this Affair I shall certainly support it to the end nay to the last extremity M. du Quêne is still before Scio where the Tripolins design to refit They have done no sort of Violence nor made no Threats to any French Man 'T is certain that if such a like thing had happened to any other Nation it would have been the utter ruine of them I was told about six Days ago That they expected News of the Captain Bassa who is to go to Scio with the Grand Senior's Gallies I wait the Consequences and the Success of his Interview with M. du Quesne with impatience I am c. A Letter from the Duke of Lorrain to the King of Poland Most Serene King I received with a due Respect the Letters which your Majesty was pleased to do me the honour to transmit to me dated the 25th Inst And from them I understood how much your Majesty's Royal Mind is moved to accelerate the Succour of the City of Vienna and how much inclined to the Defence of the Christian Empire and Austrian Territories Of which indeed I have been always so much perswaded that in relation hereunto I have received from your Majesty's Letters nothing new nor what I did not before believe In the mean time I esteem it a great Favour and honour to me that your Majesty does not vouchsafe to trust to your own most prudent Judgment in these things that are still to be done I have hitherto indeavoured to guard my self against the Watchfulness of the Enemy by the Scituation of my incampments which though indeed I did not look upon as walled about yet I have thought them to be as good as such from the Scituation of the Rivers and the disposition of the Ground they take up I have provided for the Security of the Bridge of Crems and am advising the building of a second about Tulm a Place nearer to Vienna and which is reckoned to be secure That which is hardest to me is that I can scare send any Person into the Town nor on the other hand receive any News from the besieged But seeing I understand from the magnificent Marshal of the Court of the Kingdom of Poland that the particular Relations of what things are acted in the Imperial Army do not displease your Majesty I have communicated something to your Majesty in Writing which hath Relation to the same from which and from the said Marshal's Letters your Majesty may distinctly understand every thing particularly what was done against the flying Rebels and Turks about Presburg on the 29th Instant by Prince Lubomirski and his Polish Officers and Soldiers alone most prudently valiantly and with the natural Vigor of the renowned Polish Nation Your Majesty will also understand in what Condition this Army is and also the Progress of the German Auxiliaries It is my Hope and Prayer to see the Christian Army defeat this most inveterate Enemy and deliver the Austrian Territories under your Majesty's Conduct being sensible that in such a Field I shall have an Opportunity of further deserving your Royal Majesty's Favour and Benevolence to whom I wish a healthful and long Reign from the very Heart of Your Majesty's most Humble and most Obedient Servant and Allie Charles Duke of Lorrain Dated in the Imperial Camp near Mayerech the 31st of July 1683. The Duke of Lorrain's Account whereof mention is made in the foregoing Letter given to Prince Lubomirski to be sent with his Dispatches to the King of Poland THE Turks having opened their Trenches on the 14th instant before Vienna pretty near the City from the 16th they advanced their Works to within 60 Paces of the Counterscarp and took Post in an Island of the Danube over-against Vienna called Tabor from whence I was obliged to retire I would willingly have kept that Post to have had Communication with the City but this Island extending about two Leagues and the Arm of the Danube which runs near the City being almost fordable every where and the Squadrons and the Infantry being able to pass in Battalia in many Places of the Fords the Banks on that side where the Turkish Camp was being raised and their Cannon commanding the whole Island even to the Bridges which being broke down by their Artillery there was no other retreat left me but the City or to swim over the Danube which were two Extremities equally dangerous And though the Bridges had been covered it was in Teckley's power to come and post himself at the end on this side I remained in the Island without Forrage and Subsistance insomuch that that Post not being tenable and particularly with Cavalry alone having been obliged to put the Infantry into the City to defend it I thought that I was obliged to pass the Danube with the Imperial Cavalry in order to preserve them for their relief The Communication being thus cut off we have had no News of them since the 22d when the Enemy had advanced their Works to the Palissado's which the besieged defended with dint of Sword They extended their Works to the Right and Left and had already made them reach three Points of the Counterscarpe They had not yet begun to batter the Walls and had only 10 or 12 great Pieces of Cannon mounted in Battery Having received Advice of the Auxiliaries of Poland by the Count de la Tour I endeavored to send some Persons into the Town to acquaint the Governor therewith but I have as yet no Advice of their being got in not having received
any Letters from the City nor seen any of the Signals by which I had ordered them to let me know that they had received my Letters The Communication with the City is the more difficult that I understand they have posted Watches at every ten Paces distance Just now we hear their Cannon battering the Place though from the Report there appears not to be 20 or 25 Pieces of great Cannon On the 25th Instant having had Advice that the Rebels advanced and that they burnt all towards the Morave I resolved to march to the River Mark which is pretty good having nevertheless first given Orders to the Imperial Troops that are in Stiria to advance into the Mountains into inaccessible Places and endeavour to incommode the Forages of the Turks I gave Orders to General Dunewald who covers Upper Austria toward Saint Peld to assemble all the Peasants and to post them in the Woods for the same purpose I sent General Lessie to Crems to wait for the Bavarians that ought to be arrived there by this time and to keep the Bridge I left in the Retrenchments of the Bridges of Vienna two Regiments to hinder the Turks from passing on this side by Boats and to endeavour as much as possible to communicate News to the City and to receive Advice from them Upon my arrival on the River Mark I had Advice that Presburg had desired Teckley's Protection and taken in a Garison of the Rebels That he was marching with his Hungarians and the Bassa's of Agria and Waradin with Artillery to storm the Castle That the Grand Visier had ordered the City to make a Bridge of Boats with all Diligence And that he had already sent a Detachment from his Army to join Tekey by means of the Bridge that was making at Presburg I thought my self obliged upon those Advices to attempt the breaking those Measures since if they succeeded not only the Countries of Silesia Moravia and Bohemia were unavoidably exposed to Fire and Sword but besides this Communication of the Enemies two Armies seemed so dangerous to me that I had reason to fear they might force me to retire to Crems cut off my Communication with the Army of Poland bring up their Bridges as far as Vienna and render it impossible to succour the Town for the Grand Visier might make very great Detachments from his Cavalry which being joined to the Body of the Rebels that was marching towards this side of the Danube might post themselves every where and withstand the succours from Poland or at least keep them further off So that I determined to pass the Mark to put some more Foot into the Castle of Presburg and to destroy all the Materials which that disloyal Town was preparing for a Bridge to the Enemy I left the Infantry and the Baggage in Mayerek and began to pass the River with the Cavalry about three in the Afternoon at two Fords I marched on the 28th all Night and stopt at a Defile about half a League from the Town having sent some Dragoons before backed by Polanders to possess themselves of the Hill of the Vineyards within Musquet-shot of the Town that the Foot might march with safety The Dragoons having secured the said Hills I caused the Infantry to march into the Castle and having been told That the Fire in the Enemy's Camp was feen within a quarter of a League of the Town I thought my self obligd ' to summons it the better to destroy the Preparations of the Turks for the Bridge not doubting but that seeing the Germans in the Castle and the Emperor's Army in a Condition to destroy them it would surrender which is did at first summons delaying only so long as was requisite to save the Garison of the Rebels to the number of three hundred who fled in Disorder to their Camp This Facility perswaded me that there was some Weakness in the Enterprize of the Enemy who had put themselves in Battalia so soon as they perceived me without offering to advance towards the Town and this face of Affairs made me resolve to march towards them I caused the Dragoons immediately to possess ' emselves of the Vineyards Hedges and Places that were covered with Trees that I might draw up the Cavalry in Battalia behind them which was done in four Lines the Ground allowing it As the Lines were formed I made them advance to give Ground to others At first the Turks began to skirmish which I hindered that I might not ingage before I was in Battalia Being formed I made them advance towards the Enemy who immediately retired something back to a sort of a covered Place where I believed the Body of their Army and their Infantry might be And continuing to march I saw them retreat soon after which obliged me to pursue them and to give Orders to Prince Lubomirski to detach Part of his Polanders to ingage them They follow'd them with so much vigor that the Turks and Rebels who fled with as much Precipitation and Confusion were obliged some of them to betake themselves to swim in the Arm of the Danube which forms the Isle of Schit others fled into the Woods and the Body towards Tyrnau without having ever faced about but at a little pass which they abandoned immediately I caused all the rest of the Polanders to advance to back the first and afterwards all the Imperial Dragoons to advance into these Posts where the Turks made show as if they had a design to turn into The Disorder of the Turks was so great that they were pursued near to Tyrnau their Bagage taken and six or seven hundred Men killed without the loss of one Man on our side Seeing them thus flying and my Cavalry fatigued enough and not able to come up with them I recalled the Polanders not being willing to suffer them to pursue them too far without being at hand to second them however some pursued them even almost to the very Walls of Tyrnau I encamped them afterwards near the City in the Camp of the Turks who I heard were retired to Schintaw and having refreshed themselves a little there retired further towards Lewens and Newhausel they and the Rebels having separated being dissatisfied with each other All the Cavalry of the Emperor was marching to the Engagement with stedfastness and joy But the whole Action was done by the Polanders alone who left nothing for the Germans to do I cannot sufficiently praise the Constancy Vigor and Conduct of Prince Lubomirski and of the Officers and Soldiers of the Body which he commanded All the Prisoners and Deserters say that Tekeli had retired the Night before with the Canon and the Infantry and that there was a Misunderstanding between him and the Turks They talk variously of their strength some making them amount to 60000 Men others to 40000 and others to 25000. But from their Incampment I cannot guess that they could be above 16 or 18000 Men. I hope this Action secures Presburg for
indefatigable Man made as good a Campaign as could have been imagin'd whilst the Germans perish'd with Misery under the Walls of Buda When he went out of the City the Second Bassa commanded in his Absence and never fail'd of coming to compliment him upon his Return with an extraordinary submission It was then that he open'd all the Avenues and brought plenty of all things into Newhausel which before was under a kind of Blockade and so quite chang'd the Face of Affairs in that City from what it was in his Predecessor's Time In the midst of these Transactions his Polish Majesty inform'd by Count Teckley of the Arrival of this Bassa and of the Friendship there was betwixt him and the Visier of Silistria then prisoner at Leopold he oblig'd the Visier to write to his Friend of Newhausel concerning my Exchange with the 30 Turks of Zetzen This Letter and Instructions were sent to Prince Lubomirski who serv'd with his Polish Regiment in the Imperial Army at the Siege of Buda He had a Commission of offering two Men more for my particular Ransom because those that were detain'd at Transchyn were only stopp'd by way of Reprisal for my former Patron 's Breach of Faith The Prince sent an Express to Komorne with all these Dispatches and a Letter which he wrote to me From Komorne to Newhausel a Correspondence was settl'd as if it were in time of Peace the Peasants on both sides went and came by an Establish'd Custom The same thing was allow'd to the Slaves of both Nations who left a Comrade as Hostage in the City where they were attended by some honest Man still wearing Shackles on one Leg. Without this it would have been impossible to have concluded upon any Exchange or to have negotiated for any Ransom The Hungarian Governour of Komorne nam'd Zamori George according to the Custom of that Country of putting the Christian after the Sirname this Governour I say sent by Prince Lubomirski's Order a Peasant to Newhausel with the New Proposals of the King of Poland The Bassa who never heard of my Name inform'd himself by the old Officers who the Frenchman was that the King of Poland demanded and who was his Master He afterwards sent a Chaous to the Quarters of the Bey the Eldest Son of his Predecessor which Chaous came to call me in the Kitchin and commanded me to follow him without asking any Leave of my Master or so much as letting me go to speak to him In the way he inform'd me of the Proposals that were arriv'd and the Bassa's Intention of accepting them The Bassa examin'd me very mildly about my Quality about the Refusal which his Predecessor made of Releasing me and what the Pretences and Excuses were that he had alledg'd for so doing What I answer'd him was confirm'd to him by Mustapha-Aga who had taken me The time of my Enlargement being now come the Bassa consented to the Exchange and demanded for the two Men that were offer'd him two Spahas of his Acquaintance prisoners in Poland call'd Alé Spaha and Mehemet Spaha Upon this the Messenger was sent back with the Answers and from that time the Bassa kept me at his own House sending one of his Men to fetch my Rug and my Knap sack from the old Patron 's Cook without any other Formality I never far'd better than I did this Day All the Turks of the Houshold being newly come from Constantinople where they had been us'd to Civility gave me Bread Meat and some small pieces of Money At Night they brought me into an old ruinous Building possess'd by a great many Soldiers Spahas or Janizaries of the Ottoman Race very sociable Persons who receiv'd me civilly especially those with whom I was acquainted in the former Bassa's House who waited for an Opportunity of being convey'd back to the Levant On the Morrow an Aga took and carry'd me before the Cadis or Judge of the Town before whom they had summon'd the Boy my Master to consent to my being made free by vertue of a considerable Exchange offer'd to the Bassa That Bey sent thither his two Brothers who disputed a long time about the Reparation that ought in justice to be made for a Slave for whom they said they might have 5000 Crowns at Constantinople The Cadis took my Name and continued writing in his Register but they would by no means consent to the Manumission and so went away without signing it Notwithstanding this the Bassa continu'd his Resolution and detaining me at his House lie the next Day sent these three Beys away with all their Family to Constantinople He committed me to the care of his Valets de Chambre who were six young Levantines well shap'd and lodging all together who were allow'd four dishes at a Meal out of their Master's Kitchin and they always left me enough with Bread that I had every Morning hot out of the Oven for a comfortable Subsistence The Turks do not bake as we do they make thick Cakes rather than Loaves and bake every Day according to the number of the People among which they are to be distributed But that which restor'd me perfectly to my former Health were the Melons and Ice I have already observ'd That the Melons of Hungary are extraordinary good There are whole Fields full of 'em round about Newhausel from whence they bring ten Cartloads a Day into the City besides which the Bassa orders a small Cart of 'em to be brought every Day after Dinner for the use of his Family out of his own Private-Garden which he cultivated very carefully and caus'd to be watch'd every Night by one of his Men in their Turn Out of this Cart thirty are pick'd out for his own Table the rest fell to the share of the Footmen and Slaves So that I did eat 10 or 12 a Day like so many Apples I drank Water and Water-Ic'd for the Turks have no other way of refreshment than to put large pieces of Ice into a Pitcher full of Water whose Mouth is stopp'd with another Isicle that drops into the Water by little and little and of this they drink I began to feel my self in a comfortable condition which increas'd upon the hopes of seeing a speedy end put to my Misery The Bassa order'd a Cloth Coat two Shirts and a Cap to be given me and charg'd his Valets de Chambre not to put me upon waiting so that they would not let me so much as carry the Dishes to the Kitchin for fear the Patron should chance to meet me He being a Man of Courage and desirous of being better instructed took an occasion by my stay of informing himself of all things that I was able to give him an account of both with respect to the Countries and to the Courts of Princes I then took Notice That the Grand Visier's Design was after the taking of Vienna to fall into Bohemia All the Questions of this Bassa were about the City of Prague what