of Venice to bring 'em to a particular accommodation and to break that Sacred League which our Holy Father Innocent XI so politickly contriv'd and carry'd on at the expence of the Treasures of the Church for the good of the Cause of Jesus Christ and the Propagation of the True Faith In the mean time the great War-like preparations which the Emperour made in his Hereditary Countries and other parts of Germany were carry'd on so vigorously that all things were ready by the time appointed to thunder in upon the Turkish Garrisons The Artillery the vast number of Bombs Granado's Shells and Fire-works the inventions of a Franciscan Monk and the Sieur Gonzales a Spanish Ingineer were so dreadful that well there could not any doubt be made of the happy issue of one of the most glorious and daring Enterprises that had been undertaken in a long time And though the Siege of Buda were in vain attempted in the year 1684. at what time it cost us the blood of 10000. Christians the disappointment of one Campagne and the expence of so much Treasure yet was not the Imperial Court discourag'd from a second attempt well knowing that upon the Conquest of that important Capital depended all the rest of Hungary and the neighbouring Countries True it is the Duke of Lorrain was not more succesful in the first Siege than those other Generals which had preceded him in that Enterprise however he fail'd not to acquire great honour and made it apparent that he might be compar'd with the most renowned Captains which past Ages have admir'd by that noble retreat which he made in the face of a numerous Garrison and an Army of the Enemies little inferiour to his own who durst not make the least attempt upon his Rear for fear of having no better success than at the time of the Siege during which the Duke had three times beaten the Serasquier's Army and had it not been that the Winter was already come which caus'd a scarcity of Forrage and other necessaries for the subsistence of the Armies and some little mis-understandings among the Generals perhaps there might have been no need of a second Siege In the Council of War that was held the last year in presence of the Emperor to consult what was to be done the next Summer there were some who presently propounded the Siege of Buda and to keep the Fortress of Newhausel blockt up that so it might be compelled to yield of it self which was rejected by others who were of opinion That Thorn was first to be pulled out of the foot and that the Expedition of Buda was to be reserv'd for the present year as was done In the mean time there were several Councils of War wherein the Sentiments of the Generals were very much divided the most part affirming That it was first requisite to be Masters of Alba Regalis to prevent the Turks from making use of it as a place of Retreat and sheltering their Army under the Cannon of that Fortress as the Serasquier had done at the last Siege to the great vexation of our Forces Others were for marching directly to the Bridge of Esseck taking that City and then leaving a part of the Army for the preservation of that important Passage to wast all the Enemies Country and so to sit down before Buda Others were for the Recovery of Agria and the Fortress of Mongats thereby to exterminate the Remainder of that Arch-Rebel Teckely's adherents of which the Reduction of those two places would clear all the Vpper Hungary Some propos'd to act with two Armies apart That the Elector of Bavaria should march into the Vpper Hungary and draw one part of the Enemies Forces that way while the Duke of Lorrain Besieg'd Alba Regalis and that the Croatian Army under General Schultz should march toward the Bridge of Esseck There were very few that concluded positively for the Siege of Buda which was nevertheless the Enterprize that the Emperor and the Duke of Lorrain had resolv'd to put in Execution whatever it cost 'em that they might have the rest of Hungary at a cheaper rate keep a door open to Belgrade and Winter fifty or sixty thousand Germans in the Kingdom where the year before they could not Winter above twenty thousand This Design thus concluded upon was kept very secret even from the Generals themselves to whom the Emperour upon their dismission declar'd that he would send his Resolution what he would have done to the general Rendezvous which was appointed to be in the Plains of Barkan upon the thirtieth of May. But because the Auxiliary Forces of Bavaria Brandenburgh Saxony and the Circles could not be there so soon they were delay'd for some days In the mean time the Forces march'd from all parts to the place assign'd as well by Water as Land so that it was a lovely sight to see the Danube cover'd with such an infinite number of Barks and Barges laden with Soldiers great Guns Ammunition and Provisions Bullets Bombs Granado's Carcasses Shovels Pick-Axes and other Instruments fit for the Siege of a Town Upon the 20th of May the Elector of Bavaria arriv'd at Newstadt to which place the whole Court was come from Vienna some days before There his Electoral Highness together with the Arch-Dutchess his Lady were received by their Imperial Highnesses with all the Marks of a tender Affection beseeming the near Relation between Personages of that illustrious Quality the Cannon of the Garrison being three times discharged upon their Entrance Upon the 23d being Ascension-Day the Elector went to visit the Duke of Lorrain who was come to Oldenburgh though somewhat indisposed and returned the same Evening to Newstadt Where his Electoral Highness having had several Conferences about the opening of the Campaign and taken leave of their Imperial Majesties and the Electress his Wife he departed the second of June with the Acclamations of the whole Court and People and the Prayers and good Wishes of all That God would be pleased to preserve the Life of that young Prince who was going so generously to expose his own and the Lives of his Subjects in such a Holy War against the sworn Enemy of Christendom After that his said Electoral Highness arriving at Comorrha was there received by the Commanders and Magistrates of the City with Peals of Cannon and three Volleys of small Shot ranged in double Files and so conducted to the Lodging prepared for him The next day the Duke of Lorrain who had put himself at the Head of the Imperial Army near Barkan came to give a visit to his Electoral Highness and view the Bavarian Army which was to that purpose drawn up in Battle-Array in the Fields near Comorrha where Prince Lewis of Baden commanded next under his Electoral Highness in the quality of General of the Cavalry Count Serini in quality of General of Artillery The Marquess de la Vergne and the Count de Fontaign acted there as Lieutenant-General Marshals of
Hungarian Infantry to be posted all along the Wall of the low Town from the water-Roundel to the German Quarters where they secured themselves with a deep Trench and a good Parapet And because the Danaw is very deep thereabout two Barks filled with Stones were ordered to be sunk and several Palisado'd Spurs were rais'd all along the bank of the River to discourage the Enemy from designing any Relief that way This morning the Enemy gave us another Alarm in the Bavarian Quarter whereupon all our Cavalry were commanded to horse but the Enemy retreated at the same time It seems their design was to have forced a Passage that way but the Bavarians were too well entrenched for them to succeed in their Enterprize The Prince of Croy being cured of his wounds re-entred upon the Duty of his Employment and appeared again in the Approaches Four Hussars very well mounted advancing toward some Turks of the Garrison made a shew as if they intended to have charg'd 'em but when they drew near they talked lovingly together and shook hands which being observed by some of the Musqueteers in the Redoubt adjoyning they went forth and fired upon the Hâ—ssars who betook themselves to their heels but one was wounded and taken Prisoner together with another of his Companions the third escaped and the fourth got into the Town The Prisoners examined declared that they only expostulated with the Turks about their holding out but then they were put off to a more strict Examination August 11. Some Troops of the Enemy shewed themselves upon the Hill next to the Bavarian Quarters toward the Road to Alba Regalis As yet we could not learn the exact number of the Enemy though our Spies assured us that they were forty thousand Turks and twenty thousand Tartars But notwithstanding all these hot Alarms being so well fitted to receive 'em as we were all things were at the same time preparing for a vigorous Assault of the second Wall if the Mines did that execution as was expected The 12th In the morning all things being ready for an Onset three Mines were sprung in the Lorrain Attack which did no other Execution than only overthrew some Palisadoes For the Miners had not digged deep enough under the Wall of the second Rampart which made it apparent that they did not understand their Trade though the best were sought out and sent for from several Parts the Generals knowing that nothing would contribute more to the Reduction of this Place than well ordered Mines Thereupon the Assault which was determined to have been given had the Mines succeeded was delay'd and the Miners were again set to work to make new ones In the Skirmishes which our Men had this Day with the Enemy there was a Turkish Officer slain who was no doubt obliged to have got into the Town For there were Letters found about him for the Governour of Buda discovering the Method which the Enemy intended to observe for the relief of the Town which was to force one Quarter and put Relief into the Town without hazarding a Battle and that eight Thousand Tartars were to range the Country as far as Gran and cut off Provision from our Men and infest the Country with continual Inroads Upon which Intelligence the Duke of Lorrain called a Council of War Whereupon it was resolved to leave a part of the Army to guard the Posts against the City and to issue forth out of the Lines with the rest of the Imperial and Auxiliary Forces and go and meet the Enemy who as those Letters seemed to intimate was above sixty Thousand Strong Though the more Judicious would not allow 'em to be above forty Thousand Fighting Men. The 13th All the Army march'd out of the Lines except twenty thousand men that were left for the guard of our Works and to hinder the Enemy from putting a Recruit into the Place Commissary-General Rabata caus'd a distribution of Oats and Hay for the Horses for three days And besides we made a shift to form a very noble Body of Volunteers under good Officers The Duke of Lorrain posted himself in view of the Enemy four thousand Hussars and Heydukes keeping the Van-guard Nevertheless the Town was no less vigorously batter'd and assail'd than before This Evening our Spies and some Deserters assur'd us that the night following the Enemy would put themselves in Battle-Array to Attack us the next morning by break of day which oblig'd the Duke of Lorrain to dispose all things in readiness for a Battel The 14th Before Sun rise the Enemy had drawn out a Body of eight thousand Men part Janisaries part Spahi's of the stoutest and most resolute Soldiers in the Army which being divided into divers lesser Bodies march'd from six till eight a Clock in the Morning turning and winding to and again behind the Mountains towards Alba Regalis and entred into a Plain designing to approach our Camp under the shelter of a great Valley But the Duke of Lorrain having observ'd this contrivance of the Enemy and understanding their design commanded Count Dunewald General of the Cavalry to possess himself of the ground on the left hand with nine Imperial Regiments Cuirassiers Dragoons and Croats viz. Caprara's Palfy's Taff's Lodron's Neuburgh's Furstenbergh's Stirum's Serau's and Schultz's to which he added some Hussars and General Heusler had orders to post himself with his detachment upon a rising ground on the right hand The Hussars next to General Dunewald were they that received the first Charge and although they fought with all the bravery imaginable they were nevertheless forced to give ground but finding themselves seconded by the Germans they return'd to the Charge The Turks having thus made the Hussars give ground thought they should have a cheap bargain of the rest To which purpose they advanced with great fury and loud outcries against our Men who received them without moving a foot General Heusler who had the upper ground charged them vigorously so that the Combat was obstinate and bloody for though the Enemies saw themselves attack'd in Flank and Front they did their utmost to cut their way through till at length they were put into disorder separated and constrain'd to fly The slaughter that followed was very great and it was a very pleasant sight to see the Janisaries drop here and there who being abandon'd by the Spahi's and environ'd by ours threw down their Arms and shifted every one for themselves They were pursu'd into the Plain nor would it serve their Turn to throw themselves among the Bushes to shelter themselves from death for they were Massacred like Wild Beasts that fall into the Hunters Net The Turks had three Thousand Men killed upon the Spot the most part Janisaries and all choice Men who had undertaken to force a Quarter and get into the City or to perish and to whom the Grand Vizier had given five Ducats a Head of Twenty which he promised to every one that should enter the City They
into Transilvania and kept the Town in his own Hands with a Resolution never to restore it notwithstanding his public Declaration to keep it only during the Minority of the Prince And to that intent he filled it with a strong Garrison of his own Men the choicest in his Army under the Command of a Beglerbeg or Vice Roy whose Authority extends over all the Basha's of Hungary Thus it was that this Royal City has been ever since in subjection to the Ottoman Empire The Marquess of Brandenburgh hadform'd a design upon Buda in the Year 1542. but having in vain assaulted the City of Pest which is separated from it only by the Danaw he retreated without making the least Attempt upon the Capital City So that this Expedition is not to be lookt upon as a Siege as some would erroneously have it to be Count Smarzenburgh besieg'd it in the Year 1598. but was constrain'd to raise his Siege after he had lain thirty days before it by reason of the continual Rains when the Year was too far spent In the Year 1602. General Roswourm lay before it with the Imperial Army and attacqu'd it in vain Nor was the fatal day for this Place languishingunder the Tyranny of the Turks yet come in the Year 1684. when the Duke of Lorrain first attacked it For God had ordain'd the 2d of Septemb. 1686. the day when it was taken by Solyman to be the day of his Triumph when it was again wrested from the Hands of the Barbarians after this same 7th Siege had been carried on with that Heat Constancy Prudence and Conduct of the Couragious D. of Lorrain assisted by the Elector of Bavaria no less eminent for all the forementioned Vertues and several other Generals of the Emperor and his Auxiliaries unanimously conspiring the Regaining of this Place that we have reason to hope for Conquests far more Glorious and more Considerable for the Advancement of the Cause of God Advancement of the Austrian Family and consolation of so great a number of Christian Souls as groan'd under the Tyrannous Yoak of Infidels and the Recovery of an infinite number of Barbarians into the Bosom of the true Church of God The Turks have heretofore experienced the Valour of Huniades and Scanderbergh who were the Scourges of those barbarous People They have trembled at the Courage and Conduct of the D. of Merceur to that degree that the Grand Signior threaten'd a Rupture with France if the King would not recall him out of the Emperor's Service They have been apprehensive of the Progress of the Valiant Count Serini and several other famous Captains every where attended by their good Fortune But much more Reason have they to be astonished at the Heroic Virtues of our undaunted and martial D. of Lorrain who seems to have been born for the Subversion of the Mahometan Law and with whom no Person living can dispute the Honour of being the greatest Captain of his Age and the Terror of the Musselmen who knows not what it is to lose a Battel and who may say with the Invincible Emperor Charles V. when he swam cross the Elb vanquish'd and took Prisoner Frederic D. of Saxony crying out Veni vidi Deus vicit For in all Encounters whereever he engaged during this Holy War he has miraculously triumphed o're his Enemies and born away the Victory He it was who during the Seige of Vienna surpriz'd and overcame near Presburgh the Rebellious Army of Perfidious Teckley Reinforced with a Body of Turks under the Command of Hussein-Basha He it was that defeated the Turks near Calenburgh and constrain'd the Grand Vizier dishonourably to raise his Siege from before Vienna He it was that vanquished the Enemy near Barkan and rescu'd the King of Poland and the Prince his Son when they were both in iminent Danger and the Polish Army in Confusion He it was that during the Siege of Buda three times defeated the Serasquier's Army Who during the Siege of Newhausel relieved the City of Gran and routed the Army of Zeitan Ibraim Bassa And lastly he it was who won this glorious Conquest while the Grand Vizier Solyman looked on with a potent Army of Barbarians twice or thrice beat his Succors and tho' at length he came up with all his Forces against our Lines gave a general Assault and by main Force carried this Important Place guarded still by above 5000. fighting Men So that it is deservedly said of him EXPVLIT EX BVDA TVRCAM He drave the Turk out of Buda The Conquests made in Turkie are the price of so many Victories and will doubtless be attended with many more by the assistance of the God of Battels who has hitherto favour'd and bless'd the victorious Arms of our thrice Illustrious Monarch under the Conduct of so great a Captain defcended from the Noble Stock of so many Illustrious Hero's and particularly from the warlike Conqueror of the Holy Land Godfrey of Bulloign whose steps he treads so gloriously that if the Christian Princes would but assist him with their Forces and act unanimously with him he might with ease regain the Kingdom of Jerusalem his ancient Patrimony which the Infidels wrested from his Ancestors Would it might please Divine Providence that now the time were come to humble the Ottoman Empire which according to the Prognostications of the Turks themselves has not long to subsist it being a Prediction currant among 'em That the City of Constantinople having been taken by one Mahomet will be re-taken by the Christians under the Raign of another Mahomet God grant that this may happen under Him at present who by the loss of Buda has lost the Key of all his Empire Nor will it be amiss to add in this place the following Epigram made by an ingenious Person upon this Subject Integra de Victis foret ut Victoria Turcis Littera Christicolis B capienda ter est Buda prius posthanc Belgradum Regia demum Maenia Bysanti caetera lusus erunt O're conquer'd Turks the Victory to compleat The Christians thrice must Letter B repeat First Buda Belgrade next the third Effort Bysantium's Walls the rest will be but Sport That is to say that before we can gain an absolute Triumph over the Turks and ruin their Empire the Christians must win the three Principal Cities of their Empire that begin with the Letter B Buda Belgrade and Bysantium the rest will come easily Buda which is the strongest of all these three places is already taken as you have heard and by the Recovery of this Important Place the Gate is open to Belgrade there being no Fortress upon the Danaw able to dispute our Approach and the advantage of that River will not a little contribute to facilitate an Enterprize of so great Importance to all Christendom Bysantium or Constantinople also might be easily attacked both by Sea and Land while the Naval Power of the most Serene Republick of Venice re-inforced with the Galleys of the Pope Malta Tuscany and others force the Dardanels and block it up by Sea The Polonian Army also crossing Bessarabia might march as far as the Pontus Euxinus and awe those Countries which for many Ages have not known what War is nor seen an Enemy For if a handful of Cossacks that inhabit the Rocks of Borysthenes during the late Wars of Poland have been so couragious as to affront with their small Barks the Grand Signior in his Seraglio and alarm Constantinople it self the Capital City of the Empire and to fire the very Suburbs what might not such formidable Armies of so many Christian Princes be able to do encouraged by so many remarkable Victories which they have obtained over their Enemies and the famous Conquests they have won under the Conduct of such Renowned Captains who know nothing else but how to Conquer especially at a time when the King of Persia and the Grand Duke of Muscovy are preparing to make most powerful Diversions in favour of the Christians TIBI DEVS EXERCITVVM GLORIA SIR AEVITERNA To thee O God of Battel be Eternal Glory FINIS