Emperours consent who alone together with the Duke of Bavaria entertained the Minstrills of the Revel but his Companion danced better then he For had he abandoned the Party at the perswasion of the French he would not have danced much longer and had he been willing to hazard any more neither the Swedes nor the French had danced so well but he chose rather to dance sure for feare of tripping Let us now withdraw our selves from the Labyrinth of Germany and see in what condition the affairs of Flanders are for as for those of the Emperour they are sufficiently afflicted and have almost no other support then that of the justice of their Cause besides that so many fine actions as are performed in those parts away from hence CHAP. XVII The deplorable state of the Low-Countries under obedience The taking of a great number of strong Towns in Flanders AFter so remarkable a Victory as that of Rocroy which hapned after the death of Lewis the thirteenth and so many losses in Germany which had so peeled the Eagle that there was no more apparence or possibility left of herflying farre after the defection of Portugal and so many Battels lost in Catalonia it was conceived that the King of Spain would have neither power nor will to succour the Obedient Provinces as having work enough at home and that the first Field following the French and Hollanders would carry all yea that the people being abandoned would revolt and to hinder a total ruine joyne themselves with the Conquering Party In effect the Ecclesiasticks and the Nobility cast their eyes already upon France in regard of the Religion and the people turned their heads to wards Holland for love of the Traffick but the onely deprivation of the exercise of their Faith made them as it were weeping follow the Spaniards Peace was necessary for them and for that they held up their hands but the Treaties walked too slowly on Nothing but the rigour of the Placarts of these Provinces and the preaching of their Priests made them resolve to endure all the extremities of war rather then submit themselves to the Reformates For if we must needs change our Master said they let us range our selves under the French so to have and retaine our Religion rather then under the Hereticks who destroy Souls The Plenipotentiary Embassadours of France passed by the Haghe renewed the Offensive Allyance for three years more The League renewed for three yeares spake in the behalfe of the Catholicks of Holland but obtained nothing it being too ticklish a matter For where the Reformates are Masters they give no liberty to them of that Profession and will not have them amongst them not being able to suffer Idolatry and the Papistical Ceremonies shook their over-tender Conseiences Let us leave them going to Munster to begin a work which they will not perfect and let us go see the bloody fruits of this Field The Duke of Orleans being declared Lieutennant-General of all the King his Brothers Armies sent La Meillieraye Gassion and Rantzow towards Flanders who made a shew of going to Dunkerke but sate down before the strong Town of Graveling and seized upon all the Forts about it and Admiral Tromp came and ranged himselfe before the Haven The French take many places in Flanders 1645. to shut up the passage This Town was taken in lesse then two moneths and thereby made the Spaniards avow that there is nothing impregnable when mens lives are not spared For the French lost above six thousand before it and all the industry of the Spaniards could not save this Bulwark of their State Don Francisco de Melo who hindred the Prince from passing the River into Flanders hastened with all the best of his Forces gave the Hollanders meanes come over The Sass of Gaunt taken 1945. and take the Sass of Gaunt with many other Forts and the losse of the said Sass and Graveling the two maine defences of the Country laid it open to an entire Conquest The Duke of Orleans followed his Carriere and all stooped to him he took Bourburgh the Fort of Linck Lens Bethune St. Venant Lillers Armentiers and Mening and put all the rest into Contribution besides that Mardyke was also surrendred after a Siege and so this Field of 1645. ended The Victories of the French were little lesse splended in Italy by the taking of Piombino and Portolongòno 1646 to wipe away the affront of Orbitello where they were beaten and constrained to discamp and many other places were also taken besides the defeate of the Spaniards at the passage of Mora. Count Harcourts Victory in Catalunia 1645. The Count of Harcourt who was not wont to be idle when any thing was to be done got a glorious reputation by winning a Battel and taking some Towns in Catalunia 1645. Notwithstanding that Flanders was almost quite conquered the Subjects remained firme in their fidelity amongst so many troubles Mardyke surprized by the Spaniards and the surprizing of the Fort of Mardyke in the Winter made them take fresh courage This Place cost but ten or twelve mens lives to retake it and had cost above five thousand to teare it out of the Spaniards clutches Let us see the begin-of this Field of 1646. The Duke of Orleans being entred into Flanders with a tertible Army resolved to compel the Enemy to a General and final Decision or to take some Towns of importance in the heart of the Country which might give the State a mortal blow And though the Spaniards were too wise to hazard the former yet could they not hinder the latter Courtrack taken which was the taking of Courtrack in the middle of Flanders seven leagues from Gaunt But the enemy making a Defensive war onely forced them for want of victualls to draw back towards the Sea side where they took Berghen St. Wynock and besieged Mardyke which they hoped to carry by many assaults before the Holland Fleet arrived but their temerity was so well chastised by the supply which entred every Tyde into the said Fort that Monsieur de la Trisllerie who was newly come out of Denmarke was constrained to complain to the States of the delay of their Fleet. And they who walked a slow pace and observed the falling back of the French with their bravado of saying that this Field would make them Masters of Flanders and the next after of all Holland judged by the rash discourse of the Souldiers of the intention of their Master and shewed themselves very cold in the pursuance of the designe to come to the concluded Stake sharing for in this knot it is that the best friends become foes and this was the stumbling-block as it shall shortly appeare However at length they sent Admiral Tromp who was no sooner come then they lowed their colours to signifie that they would render themselves up and so the Garrison of three thousand men marched out Mardyke retaken by the French and
strong salves and fresh bleedings King Charles of Sweden having crowned himself and renewed the War in Livonie made use of this intestine sedition Sigismund made a brisk opposition as well to him as to the Swedes and Muscovites also whose Empire was then full of factions The siege of Smolensko He besieged Smolensko and after two years siege carried it This was a second Ostend if we consider the length of the siege and the number of the dead which if those authors who gave us the description thereof be worthy of credit amounted to more then twenty thousand men There was another Polish Army imployed to force the head City called Mosco whilest the rest of the Troops got huge victories and took the Yown of Novogrode and the great Duke Suiskie together with his two Brothers prisoners The the great Cham of Tartarie astonished at so many high Victories offered to submit himself to the King of Poland But Sigismond returned and the confederated Muscovites to be payd their Arreares followed him and being satisfied they were a further meanes to get yet more Victories The Muscovites rejell Uladislaus upon the adverse Party In fine the Muscovites tyred and vexed by a forraigne Rule rejecting Vladeslaus whom they had formerly chosen elected a new Emperour and endeavoured to compose their difference with Sigismund but in vain for they were chased away from before Smolensko and payed for their perfidie Now the King of great Britaine being the spectatour and very often the Arbitratour of the Controversies of his Neighbours lived in peace and his subjects of the Romane Catholik Profession were reduced to some discresse upon the discovery of that abominable conspiracy The son in England discovered against him his children and the whole Parliament For it seemed not enough to extend the punishment upon the guilty who received it according to their mâ—rit but all the whole body of them also mast be made feel it It was then that the doctrine of the Iesuites was carped and reviled and their Order brought into horrour through the whole Island as it was in France upon the death of Henry the great though yet they could not be convinced of having any hand in that as they evidently were in this But what shall we say of the English Puritans whom King Iames himself accused of having attempted to stifle him in his Mothers womb I know there are also some who make the Iesuites the cause of the Tragicall death of King Charles so great an aversion hath the contrary party from this Society I neither accuse nor excuse any but onely make a plaine and simple relation of what is passed and blame the rash judgement of such as are too passionate Whilest other Kings were in extream jealousie of their interests King Iames amuses himself with playing the Philosopher and the Divine by composing books of controversies against Cardinall Perronn and Monsieur de Coeffetean Bishop of Marseilles And since he had no warr with any body else he raised one against the Puritans and the Iesuites as making declamations against them both and their Doctrine which he said was most pernicious to the Potentates of Europe Take heed my son sayes he in his Book intitled the Roy all Present of these Puritans meer Plagues both in the Church and state a race not to be obliged by any benefit nor tied by any Oath or promise breathing nothing but seditions and calumnies And a little lower You will not finde amongst any High-way Robbers more ingratitude or more lyes and perjuries then amongst these Fanatick Spirits c. The Duke of Savoy demanded his Daughter Elizabeth for his eldest Son and offered him his for the Prince of Wales but in regard of the difference of Religions it was honourably refused Fate had reserved this Princesse for Prince Frederick Palatine of the Rheyn who arriving in England Frederick Prince Palatine marries Elizabeth Princesse of England married her and carried her to the Palatinat through Holland where they were received and regaled all along their passage being accompanied by Prince Maurice as far as Colein 1614. The never sufficiently lamented death of Henry the great one of the bravest Princes that ever wore the Crown of France was like to put Paris and all France into great tumults for the prevention whereof the Queen-Mother was declared Regent of the Kingdome and Lewis the thirteenth succeeded him at the age of nine yeers being consecrated at Rheims and all this great preparation for war was dissipated either because the Kings design was not known or else to say better because it could not be executed except the reserve of ten thousand men who were sent into the Dutchy of Gulick under the command of Marshal de la Cateres as we have lately expressed Now some time after all these embroiles and perturbations both in Bohemia and Austria were past the Emperour Rodolph either through vexation and trouble or otherwise Death of the Emperour Rodolph the twentieth of January 1612. for death hath alwayes a cause departed out of this fraile life to the immortall one He was son to that good Emperour Maximilian whose steps he followed He was a lover of sciences and chiefly of the Art of Painting He passed his time much in distilling he was fearfull and by consequence little undertaking and little feared by his enemies who knowing his nature did many things to the diminution of the Imperial Authority He died at Pragut in the year 1612. upon the 20 th of Ianuary The Empire had no need of a distillator but rather of a good Operatour to act powerfully against the ill plants which cast forth strong roots both under him and his successour and which have given so much pains and troubles to the Empire CHAP. XIV The Warre between the Danes and Swedes the reasons why Colmar taken Charles dies The Queen-Regent purchases a double Marriage in Spain The Town of Aix or Aquisgrane taken and Newburgh relieved by Spinola Chules Duke of Sudermain and afterwards King of Sweden sends an Embassadour into Holland CHarles Duke of Sudermaine took the Crown away from Sigismund his Nephew and possessed his States quietly enough but there rose a huge warre between him and the King of Denmark who very much disturbed his rest and whereof in his complaint of King Christian he takes the Jesuits for the Authors They are the Atlases who must bear upon their shoulders all kinds of Calummes and Detractions They must swallow down the faults of others He had had many conflicts with the Polanders and had tried the various effects of Fortune But this of Denmark touched him so much to the quick that they two came from complaints to brawles and reproaches and thence to the lye yea and at last to desie one another A strange thing that men disapprove in others what they do themselves Charles a little before had sent an Embassadour to the States-General to beseech them to make a close Allyance
design drawn from those revolutions Luther writes against the Pope The Rebellion of the Peasants in Germany Page 24. CHAP. XV. The Anabaptists at Munster The Reformates in France A change of Religion in England by what means The King repudiates his wife The Queens Speech He makes himself Head of the Church Luther writes to him His miserable death Page 10. CHAP. XVI Queen Elizabeth banishes the Catholick Religion out of England again by degrees The Protestant Religion goes into Scotland under the Bastard Murrey who swayes the Scepter It is called the Congregation fortified by Queen Elizabeth and the Hughenots of France Page 29. CHAP. XVII Religion gives divers pretexts causes jealousies The Latin and Greek Religion Page 32. THE SECOND BOOK CHAP. I. THe Queen and the States refuse peace The Arch-Duke returns from Spain Henry polishes his Kingdom makes war upon the Duke of Savoy Page 34. CHAP. II. King Henry gives his sister in marriage to the Marquis du Pont. Marries Mary of Medicis wages war against the Duke of Savoy The Enterprise of the said Duke upon Geneva Page 35. CHAP. III. The Jubily Biron put to death The Battail of Flanders La Burlotte killed Rhinbergh yeelds Page 37. CHAP. IV. The Siege of Ostend Maurice endeavours to surprize Boisleducq besieges Grave and takes it Page 38. CHAP. V. Peace between the Spaniards and the English King Henry establishes the Jesuits Father Cotton hurt The war is carried on about the Rheyn Page 41. CHAP. VI. The difference which happened between Pope Paul the fifth and the Republick of Venice and why the peace is made The Duke of Brunswick endeavours to surprize the town The King of Denmark goes into England The continuation of the war in the Low-Countries Page 42. CHAP. VII The taking of Ringbergh The mutiny of the Spaniards The Siege of Grol raised by the promptitude of the Marquis The first overture for a Truce rejected Page 44. CHAP. VIII The defeat of the Spanish Armada The Enterprize upon Sluce failed The continuance of the Treaty Spinola arrives at the Haghe The Treaty being broaken again is renewed at Antwerp where the Truce is made for twelve yeares Page 46. CHAP. IX The State of France The King goes to Sedan Troubles in Austria and Bohemia A Conjuration discovered in Spain and the Mores banished Page 48. CHAP. X. A brief description of the Kingdomes of Spain and France Page 50. CHAP. XI The King of France arms The Spaniards do the same All is full of joy and fear He is killed His education Page 53. CHAP. XII The difference which happened about the Dutchy of Juleers or Gulick Iealousie between the Catholicks and Protestants why A tumult at Donawerdt an Imperiall town about a Procession Gulick besieged by Prince Maurice and the French yeelds The Princes will not admit of a Sequestration Page 56. CHAP. XIII A tumult in Poland and why They suddenly arme The Swedes and Muscovits serve themselves of this occasion against the Polanders who loose Smolensko Treason discovered in England The troubles at Paris appeased Rodolph dies Page 58. CHAP. XIV The war between the Danes and Swedes the reasons why Colmar taken Charles dies The Queen-Regent purchases a double marriage in Spain The town of Aix taken and Newburgh succoured by Spinola Page 60. CHAP. XV. The differences which happened in the United Provinces Barneveldt is beheaded and the Religion of Arminians condemned King Lewis humbles the Hughenots and reduces Bearn Page 62. THE THIRD BOOK CHAP. I. THe Prodigies which preceded the wars of Germany A description of the Kingdom of Bohemia Ancient differences about Religion The warres of Zisca compared to this Page 66. CHAP. II. The Bohemians take Arms and why All the Princes interest themselves in this war Ferdinand elected Emperour Page 69. CHAP. III. The following of the war of Bohemia The Battel of Prague Frederick flies and forsakes the town together with his people Page 71. CHAP. IV. War against the Hughenots and why A new difference betwixt the House of Austria and the Venetians Page 80. CHAP. V. The War of Austria of Lusatia of Moravia and of the Palatinat Page 76. CHAP. VI. The War of Transylvania The King of Poland treacherously wounded War between the Poles and the Turks Page 78. CHAP. VII War in the Palatinat Tilly beaten takes his revenge and defeates the Marquis of Baden The Bishop of Halberstadt makes himselfe known in Westphalia is beaten passes with Mansfeldt through Lorraine and incamps before Sedan Page 73. CHAP. VIII The continuance of the war betwen the Polanders and the Turks The Tragical end of young Osman The Death of some Lords Page 82. CHAP. IX Sadnesse in the United Provinces for the ill success of Fredericks affaires The war begins again between them and the Spaniards Gulick and Pape-mutz yeeld themselves Count Henry suspected and why Page 83. CHAP. X. Berghen is besieged Mansfeldt and his Bishop beaten by Cordua come to succour the Hollanders The Duke of Boüillous death and a summary of his life Spinola quits the siege Mansfeldt goes into Freezland The third war in France Page 85. CHAP. XI Of the Swissers and Grizous and their Government The fall of a Mountain Soubize breakes the Peace The death of the Great Priour and of the Marshal of Ornano Page 88. CHAP. XII Mansfeldt seeks succour every where puts an Army on foot again The marriage of the Prince of Wales with a Danghter of France after his returne from Spain Page 91. CHAP. XIII The siege of Bredà Enterprises upon Antwerp Page 93. THE FOURTH BOOK CHAP. I. The war of Denmark The Allyances of the Kings of England France and Denmark as also of the States of Holland against the Emperour Page 96. CHAP. II. The prosecution of the second war against the Hughenots The Peace is made by the intercession of the King of England the Venetians and the Hollanders War between the English and the French and why The beginning of the third and last war against the Hughenots Cardinal Richelieu makes himselfe known admired and feared The siege and reduction of Rochell Page 99. CHAP. III. The following of the war of Denmark unfortunate to the Danes Wallenstein besiedges Stralsund in vain The peace is made Page 103. CHAP. IV. The war of the Peasants or Country-people of Austria Page 105. CHAP. V. The death of Prince Maurice and of the King of England The siege of Groll The state of Lorraine The Jubily at Rome Bethleem Gabor makes war against the Emperour and obtaines peace Page 106. CHAP. VI. Gustave King of Sweden attacks Broussia or Prussia The Imperialists succour the Poles Truce is made for six years Page 108. CHAP. VII The siege of Boisleducq or the Bosse The Imperialists under Montecuculi joyne with the Count of Bergh who enters the Velaw The taking of Wesel Page 110. CHAP. VIII The following of the last war against the Reformates in France The Duke of Rohan makes his peace All the Townes stoop and throw down their
death Page 189. CHAP. XII Whether the House of Austria aspire to an universall Monarchy and whether the reasons be sufficient which accuse it of aspiring to it Why France retaines Lorraine Page 191. CHAP. XIII Piccolomini raises the Siege from before Wolfenbottel with losse Torstenson arrives from Sweden with a supply Lamboy beaten and taken prisoner The progresse of the Swedes in Silesia The Imperialists defeated before Leipsick recollect themselves after having punished the slacknesse of the souldiers and raise the Siege of Friburgh The Battail of Honcourt The Expleits in Catalunia The death of Monsieur le Grand The death of the Great Cardinal An Epitome of his life Page 194. CHAP. XIV The death of Lewis the Iust The Battail of Rocroy The Battail of Dudling The Swedes enter into Holstein Page 198. CHAP. XV. Of the war of Denmark with all the circumstances thereof Page 200. CHAP. XVI Gallasso retyres out of Holstein and is ruined by Torstenson at Magdeburgh The Battail of Lankewitz The Exploits of the French in Alsatia under the conduct of the Duke of Anguien The taking of Philipsburgh 203. CHAP. XVII The deplorable state of the obedient Low-Countries The taking of many of the strongest townes in Flanders Page 206. CHAP. XVIII The war of England The Tragical death of the King Page 208. CHAP. XIX A continuation of the Exploits in Flanders The Baâ—tail of Lenâ—â— Page 212. CHAP. XX. The Peace between the King of Spain and the Confederated States The remarkable siege of Brin Torstenson quits the Generalate Page 213. CHAP. XXI The difference which happened betwixt the two Families of the Landgraves The Battels of Mergendal and Nortlinghen Generall Mercy 's death Page 216. CHAP. XXII The Exploits of the Swedes upon the Franteers of Swisserland alarme the Cantons Gallasso's death Melander Generall of the Imperiall Armies Page 219. CHAP. XXIII The taking of Swinsfort and Eger Lamboy and Conninxmark incamped before Rene. The taking of Retschin The siege of Prague Page 222. CHAP. XXIV The breach of the Truce with the Duke of Bavaria A tempest upon the Elbe Melanders death The Peace of Germany The death of the King of Denmark and of Uladislaus of Poland Casimir succeeds him Page 223. CHAP. XXV Pope Urbans death The wars of Italy and Catalunia Page 226. THE SECOND BOOK CHAP. I. THe tumults at Naples begun by Thomaso Aniello and why The history of Conradin Prince of Swaveland his death the Sicilian Vespers or Even-songs The history of Catenesa and of the Tragedies which happened at Naples Page 230. CHAP. II. The war of the Turks and the Venetians and why The taking of Canea The Knights of Malta take a great Booty a great number of Gallies and the young Sultanesse with her Sonne The Venetians obtain succour but are beaten Page 234. CHAP. III. The troubles which happened at Paris The City is besieged The Arch-Duke comes to succour it The Siege and taking of Ypers Cambray besieged in vain Hennault ransacked Page 237. CHAP. IV. Tumults in the Province of Luke or Liedge The Election of a Coadjuter Tumules at Trevirs The Lorrains in the Kingdom of Aix and in the Dutchy of Gulick beat the Peasants The war is kindled again at Naples Page 239. CHAP. V. The Jubily at Rome The Princes imprisoned The Princesse of Conde the Duke of Bouillon and other Lords retyre themselves so Bourdeaux The Dutchess of Longueville and the Vice-Count of Turenne to Stenay The Allyance is made The Duke of Orleans in Flanders and a digression upon that subject Page 244. CHAP. VI. Containing what passed in the Summer of this year of 1654. The Offers of the Portugal Embassadour The Fleet in the Indies does nothing The Princes complaints The Siege of Amsterdam The Imprisonment of six Lords carried to Louvestein The Prince of Oranges death His praises Page 247. CHAP. VII The deplorable death of the valiant Earle of Montrosse The war of the Polanders against the Cossacks Page 250. CHAP. VIII Blakes Fleet in Portugal Charles Stuart in Jersey The Kings Goods sold Charies Stuart goes into Scotland The English go thither with an Army The Scots are beaten The continuance of the War in Candy The war made with the Pen. An Embassadour from Spain at London The Chineses or people of China become Christians Page 254. CHAP. IX The Coronation of the Queen of Sweden The dammage at Paris by the River The diliverance of the Princes Mazarin being banished departs out of France The Great Assembly at the Haghe The arrival of the English Embassadours at the Haghe The war against the Cossacks The King of Scots enters into England with an Army is beaten at Worcester and slyes disguised Page 256. CHAP. X. The Coronation of Charles King of the Scots His entry into England He looses the Baetiel near Worcester The miserable condition of the Scots Charles's marvellous escape He arrives in France The difference between the Electour of Brandenburgh and the Duke of Newburgh The peace made Page 258. CHAP. XI Cardinal Mazarins retreat into the Province of Liedge The Princes make their entrance into Paris The joy for the one and the other The Dutchess of Longueville and the Marshal of Turenne returne into France The Prince of Oranges Baptism and the dispute for his tutelage The Bank broken near Waghening Uiefeldt accused of having intended to poison the King Berghen St. Winock taken by the Spaniards Page 260. CHAP. XII The Cardinal returnes into France The Lords who had been prisoners restored to their Charges The Prince of Conde retires to Paris The King declared Major Prodigies seen at sea The beginning of the troubles between England and Holland and why Spirings death Page 262. CHAP. XIII The miseries at sea caused by Pirats The present state of Norway Denmark Sweden Poland Hungary Germany Italy Spain and France etc. Page 264. CHAP. XV. The Prince of Conde comes to Paris The King attacks Estampes The Duke of Lorraine being to succour the Princes receives some money of the King and returnes The Arch-Duke sends back an Army to Paris takes Graveling and Dunkerek The English beat the French Fleet. The Cardinal of Retz induces the King to come back to Paris The Prince of Conde retyres into France Cardinal Mazarins praises The Cardinal of Retz carried to the Bois de Vincennes Page 267. CHAP. XVI The English attack the Convoy of Fishermen Tromp returns to Sea findes Blake a tempest separates them and he comes back into Holland De Ruyter attacks Ascue Van Galens victory before Ligorne Tromp conducts the Fleet safely into France Divers Combats Tromps death Cromwell and his Exploits The Assembly at Ratisbone The Election and Coronation of Ferdinand the fourth King of the Romans Page 271. The Continuation Page 275. Reader The Corrector to the Presse intreats thee to amend with thy Pen these faults which have escaped his eye PAge 1. line 28. read sent p. 2. l. 27. Now. p. 6. l. 16. then p. 7. l. 1. other by p. 12. l. 4.
before the Elective of Poland three moneths after his arrivall he secretly departed leaving the Polanders the repentance of having chosen him and the trouble to choose another Stephen Batorins succeeds who sell out to be Stephanus Batorins Prince of Transylvania He reigned ten yeares reduced Dantsick to her obedience kept the bordering places within their duty and rejoyned Livonia to the Crown He governed the Kingdome both happily and wisely died in the resolution he had taken to subdue Muscavy to Poland left great grief for his so sudden death amongst tho Poles and a good odour of his vertues to posterity The Polanders after the decease of King Stephen found themselves in a dangerous sicknesse by a division which threatned utter ruine to the Crown The great Chancellour Samotskie the Bishops and many other of the great Lords elected Sigismund of Sweden sonne of King John and Queen Katherine of Poland daughter to Sigismund of Jaguellonne The other party had chosen Maximilian of Anstria who entring 〈◊〉 Poland with an Army made up in haste besieged Warsaw from whence being repulsed Maximilian forces and recruting his forces in Silesia he was the second time defeated and taken prisoner by the Great Chancellour aforesaid After these two victories was crowned Sigismund in the year 1587 and called by the name of Sigismund the third He married Anne of Austria who brought him a sonne named Vladislans who afterwards was King of Poland And this is that which we thought very sit to recount and which must serve us for the present History of this Age. Let us now passe into Sweden and hear what the Swedes alledge against the Polanders with the reasons and arguments both of the one and the other CAROLVS GVS'TMVS ' King of S'wethens Goths Vandalls greate mince of Finland Duke of Esthonia Carelia Lot of Jâ—â—ria Ciou'ned An Dom 1654. CHAP. V of Sweden The discords happening between King Sigismund and his Uncle Charles and why The successe of their Arms. SIgismund King of Sweden endeavouring to put two Crowns upon his head lost the Hereditary one See how all passed This young Prince had been brought up in the Roman Catholick Religion though yet he were the sonne of King Erick who embraced the Confession of Ausbourgh and introduced it into his Kingdome This Erick was sonne to King John and Nephew to Charles Duke of Sudermanic whom he left in Sweden to govern that Kingdome in his absence in the quality of Vice-Roy Now it often chances that Princes who have more then one kingdom grow by little and little to loose the affections of their remote subjects and their authority comes also by degrees to be eclipsed in regard that their said subjects are not warmed by the heat of their favour and prudence and so others grow insensibly to take place as well because their presence winnes the affections of the said subjects as also for that reasons are never wanting to such as have no will to obey And besides every one stands in fear of forraine Rule But the most powerfull argument of the coldness of subjects towards their Soveraigne is diversity of Religions which causes a change in State and alters and shakes it so as that many Princes for the strengthening and fixing of theirs have believed that they neither could nor ought to permit any more then one Sigismund goes into Sweden King Sigismund hearing many complaints from Sweden and conceaving some jealousies of his Uncle Charles resolved with leave of the States of Poland to transport himself thither with some Polish and German forces He departed from Dantsick with a fleet of sixty Sayle and was well received by the Governour of Colmar from whom he went to see his sister at Stebourgh Duke Charles hastened towards him from Finland with an Army to defend the kingdome against the King himself Sigismund beaten who as it was published came to take the Vice-King prisoner and change the State by subverting Religion So there occurred a fierce skirmish wherein the Vice-King had the better and Sigismund the King was forced to retite himself towards the Confines of Denmark In fine he was beaten again near Lincopin and his Fleet taken Upon which seeing his Uncle thus courted by Fortuâ—e through the mediation of some Lords he was fain to make peace with him under certain conditions by vertue whereof his Fleet was restored to him to go by Sea to Stockholm Makes Peace and Duke Charles in whose hands were put the prime Lords of Sweden who had been to fetch the King in Poland went thither by land Sigismund instead of going to the Assembly of States at Stockholm went secretly out of the kingdom which he thereby lost He retires our of the kingdom and regained Dantsick Some Authors have written that he had been advertised of some ill design of his Uncle Charles against him and a certain person who was then at Stockholm affirms that he sighed for his having let slip the bird which he had in his hand However those Lords were beheaded and their heads set upon stakes which were since taken away upon the request of a great Wanyer Duke Charles quickly recovered those places of strength which were in the Kings possession chastised the Citizens of Lubeck who had favoured him caused the States to approve of all his actions and ranged the Finlanders who held the Kings party under obedience to himself Some months after the States deposed the King by a publick Decree declaring him fallen from the Rights he had in the kingdom and renouncing all fidelity to him though yet still they were ready to receive his sonne Vladislans for King of Sweden in case he would forthwith send him thither to be bred in the Religion and customes of the Country But these conditions not seeming receivable were not accepted by the King and the proceedings of the States of Sweden cryed down by the Poles who resolved to take an account of them with the sword This is the summe of what is known of that difference which is yet remaining between the Heires of these two Princes and which is debated by very contrary reasons according to the predominancy either of Passion or Religion and according to the knowledge also of the Right of the Parties concerned The Polanders reproach the Swedes for that without any available reason and upon some ill grounded suspicions only yea even against all Right both Divine and Humane they took the kingdom from Sigismund to give it to Charles To which the Swede answer that the King against his promise had endeavoured under hand to bring in the Jesuits so to replant the Roman Catholick Religion and strangers to check and curb them and many other arguments there are both upon the one side and the other which I let passe in silence and which are found at large elsewhere Now you have had the words take also some effects of their arms Duke Charles after the reduction of Finlande went into
discovered in his physiognomy that he should one day become the Author of much disturbance to Christendome which afterwards proved true For he caused the Duke of Orleans to be massacred which raised a huge warre between these two illustrious Houses to the great advancement of the English affaires in France But now for the remedy of all those evills a Peace was made and Duke John assassinated in a Conference in the presence of the Dolphin Now this dismal chance this unseasonable revenge and this mad Counsell was the cause why the English assisted by the Burgundians and Flemmings made themselves masters of almost all the kingdome of France For Philip surnamed the Good joyned with the English to revenge the death of his Father against Charles the seventh In fine there happening a civil warre in England between the Houses of Lancaster and York the White and Red Rose and Duke Philip drawing his stake out of the play the English came by degrees to loose all they had gotten in the said kingdome This good Prince instituted and established the Order of the Golden Fleece in the year 1430 and tyed so by succession all those Provinces into one body to which Charles the Combatant annexed the Duchy of Guelders sold to him by Duke Arnolt for the summe of 92 thousand Crowns The pretensions of the Duke of Juleers or Gulick were also granted by consent of the Emperour Frederick in consideration of the summe of eighty thousand Florens in gold He left one only Daughter named Mary of Valois who was a very vertuous Princess and was married to Maxmilian of Austria and her death proved fatall to the Low-countries in respect of the war which followed there Her sonne Philip having renewed his alliance with Henry the seventh went into Spain and married Iane of Castile who brought him Charles of Austria And thus these Provinces being bound first to the House of Burgundy and then to that of Austria came last into the possession of that of Spain which by the discovery and conquest of the Indies happening almost at the same time is become most puissant and terrible as well to other States and Princes as also to the Ottomans themselves who seeing the Romane Empyre governed by a Prince of this Family loaden with so many Crowns and so many potent States take no small pleasure in seeing so many Schismes amongst the Christians Charles being chosen Emperour had Francis the first for his Competitor which kindled great Warres between them The success whereof was that Francis being taken prisoner promised though he performed not to restore the Duchy of Burgundy and renounce the Rights which the Kings of France had had in some Provinces of the Low-countries land Italy so that the Heyres of Charles remained a long time in the quiet and peacefull possession of them France being enough embroyled at home by the tender youth of three Kings all sonnes to Henry the second and by Civill Warre without looking back into old quarrels The House of Austria encreased by Marriages and Navigation And here we may see how by marriages and Navigations the House of Austria is both amplified and elevated which hath maintained her self by arms given jealousies to the Princes of Europe by her victories and struck sear and hatred into the soules of the Protestants who have made Leagues to uphold themselves and put a flea into the eare of France which hath abandoned the interests of Religion to make her self great and check this formidable power From this Knot or Tye of so many Crowns and great States together wherewith the King of Spaines head is burthened sprang that ticklish and indissoluble difference of precedency or preheminency which the Kings of France by the title of Eldest sonnes of the Church and most Christian Kings have alwayes attributed to themselves CHAP. X A Relation of the mischiefs happened in France under the minority of the Kings and by the diversity of Religions The jealousie about the power of the Guilards The Evils in France through State-jealousie FRance by the deplorable death of Henry the second grew in a very short space to sink into calamities which dured to the end of the last Age. The evil began in the minority of Francis the second and under the Regency of Katharin de Medicis through a jealousie which thrust it self in amongst the Princes of the Blood the Constable Montmorency the Counts of Chattillon and Andelot Admiral Caspar de Colligny and other Lords on the one side and the Dukes of Guise the Princes of the House of Laâ—rraine and other Noblemen on the other The Princes complained of the Guisards or them of the House of Guise whom in mockery and to make them odious they termed strangers had the mannagement of all the Affaires of France in their hands They almost all embraced the Reformed Religion which at that time began to encrease much through the whole kingdome whereof they declared themselves Protectors The chief motive of hatred betwixt these two most illustrious and ancient Families grew from a jest which the Admiral de Colligny cast upon the Duke of Guise concerning the taking of Theonnille A prick of a Lance which drew such a deluge of blood as no Chirurgion was able to stench Hatred between these two Houses for a jest The greatest part of the Ecclesiasticks and the most zealous of the Romane Catholicks took the Party of the King and the Guisards Many Battails were fought many Siedges of Townes laid and many Peaces made and no sooner made then broken In fine under Charles the ninth at the Wedding of the King of Navarre at Paris upon the Eve of Saint Bartholomew hapned that abhominable Massacre so much and so justly exclained against by the Protestants and blamed even by the Romane Catholicks themselves In the Reign of Henry the third was made a League called the Holy League for the exclusion of Henry de Bourbon from succession to the Crown as being an Heretick whereof the Duke of Guise a Prince of courage and high esteem was the Head who having routed the Reyters or Germane Horse ented Paris in despight of the King where he was received by the Citizens with excess of honours and when the showes of joy were ended they raised certain Barricadoes which made the King retire himself to a place of safety A Fatall Honour to all subjects how innocent soever they be For redress of these disorders there was a Peace endeavoured betwixt the King and the Duke The place of Treaty was Blois where the King contrary to his Royal Word given him caused both him and the Cardinal his Brother to be treacherously murthered His Children were saved by the Queen-Mother for the King had resolved to extirpate the whole Race thereby to prevent the danger of revenge Paris revolted and in imitation thereof many other Townes besides The King applied himself to the Huguenot Party and sent for the King of Navarre which rendered him still more odious
his stroakes be heavie and the justice of his wrath will reduce this wretched world into dust In Germany they who laboured to revive the Gospel fell to oddes principally about the Sacrament of the last Supper It is easier to pull down an old Building then to set up a new one Erasmus of Rotterdam that great Wit flourished at this time and contented himself only by scoffing the Monks without medling with the party of the Reformers For he well knew that the abuses came from men and manners and not from the 〈◊〉 Doctrine heretofore taught by the Church The horrible Rebellion which arose about this time did not a little deform Doctor Luthers new-born Doctrine For the Peasants thinking all things lawfull to them for the liberty so called they this new Reformation of the Gospel took arms and assayled the Church-men Cloisters and Gentry Their number was growne to be a hundred thousand men and their chief leader a Minister called Muntzer The holy Scripture teaches us to obey our Magistrates and not to exterminate and cast them out But ambition dwells both in Cabans in Churches and even under ragged Cloakes They are defeated They were routed in three distinct Battails the first by the Lord Trueses the second by Philip Landgrave of Hassia and the last by Anthony Duke of Lorrain who cut them off when they were endeavouring to enter France where they hoped to play Rex by meanes of the Confusion which they imagined they should find there by the Kings captivity who was carried into Spain Charles endeavours to humble the Protestants Now the greatness of the Emperour Charles being reconciled to the Pope and counselled by him to reduce the Protestants for so were the Princes and States termed who had received Luthers Doctrine into the lap of the Church either by threats or force gave no small apprehension to the German Princes And he being glad of any subject to establish his power in Germany was not willing to lose this fair occasion So the Armies marched into the Field and Francis the first after him his sonne Henry were requested to give relief for the maintaining as they styled it of the German liberty now like to be lost under the Spanish Domination which was granted by the French foâ— State-interest though they were enemies to the Religion But neither Arms nor Victories nor Disputes nor the Majesty it self of the Emperour was able to deracinate or root out this Doctine and so in fine it was permitted by his Authority at the Diet of Ausbourgh Now it was not Luther alone who rose against the Popes authority For a certain Revolted Monk called Menno began also to preach a Doctrine different enough from his and his Adherents were called Anabaptists Besides that learned man Iohn Calvin carried on that Reformation much farther then Luther as well in France as elsewhere and fixed his Chayre at Geneva They agreed well about combating the Pope and some other points but yet since they remained not in perfect unity of Doctrine In so much as that this party and that of Luther are very little better friends amongst themselves then either of them is with the Roman Catholicks as we shall see in the sequel of these Tragedies CHAP. XV The Anabaptists at Munster The Reformers in France The Change of Religion in England and by what meanes The King repudiates his Wife The Queens Speech The King makes himself Head of the Church Luther writes to him His unhappy death NOw we have seen the Lutherans established in Germany let us see what the Anabaptists do at Munster an Episcopall Town in Westphalia which was to be the Head of a Chimerical Kingdom and serve for a precious testimony of the wrath of that great God which for a time suffers his Word to be abused and the wicked to cover their pernicious Designes under the Cloak of Religion and the mask of Hypocrisie Oh Lord Thou dost hourâ—ly admonish us by so many prodigies and monstrous accidents but our eyes are shut our eares stopt and our hearts hardened John de Leide King of Munster John of Leiden by trade a Taylor and his adherents seized upon the aforesaid Town and he was made King thereof and fought long against the Bishop by whom they were at length subdued and chastised according to the measure of their crimes The extremity of their rigour was against the Church men a clear argument of the indignation of God against them because they had deviated from their duty and were lulled asleep in ignorance idlenesse and pleasures They likewise desclaimed the Authoriry of the Pope and brake down the Images without sparing the very Pictures of the Church-windowes A zeal too violent to proceed from the Holy Ghost and of little conformity with that of the Primitive Christians These insolencies being once repressed at Amsterdam returned there no more The Anabaptists which are now in the united Provinces and the Confines thereof disown the proceedings of the former and count them in the number of Hereticks The Reformed Religion in France Now the Doctrine of Martin Luther passed into France under the reign of Francis the first though yet it could not take fast root enough there as well because of the persecutions and the Kings aversion from it as also for that it was too far distant from the Author and Teacher thereof And so it quickly grew to be transformed into that of John Calvin and his Disciple Theodore Bezâ—â— and so much encreased in few yeares throughout the greatest part of the Country during the troubles caused by Envies of State and the League that the Kings after many bloody Wars were constrained by various Edicts or Proclamations to grant them free exercise of their Religion through all the Kingdom King Francis was a great persecutor of the said Doctrine Obtains free exercise and made open protestation that he would not spare even his own Arm if it were infected with Heresie And yet the â—â—â—lousie which he had conceived against the prosperity of Charles the Empeâ—our moved him neverthelesse to succour the Protestants King Henry succeeded in his Fathers hatred to them but being sent to his grave by the thrust of a Lance they began to respire saw the end of their persecutions lost the smell of the Fagot and propped by some Princes of the Blood rendred themselves at length no less considerable in France then the Protestants are in Germany The Protestant Church in England Let us now make a step into England and see how the Protestant Church hath sowen her first seed supplanted the ancient Doctrine and established her self as Mistress there King Henry the eighth for writing a Book against Luther in defence of the Roman Church and her seven Sacraments was honoured by the Pope with the Title of Defender of the Faith His prime Minister was that great Cardinal Wolsey who ruled all So that it is not only from this day that Cardinals have introduced them selves into
without granting his souldiers who were tired with their long march so much leisure as to breath But Maurice having drawn back his fleet into the main thereby to hinder his souldiers from flight and obleige them rather to die honourably The Battell of Flanders then to seek a shamefull retreat made a generous resistance and won a glorious victory The Mutiners gave a remarkable account of themselves Gotten by Maurice and the first of this Age. and almost all lost their lives in the dispute The Admirall was taken prisoner and many Officers of note And this was the first battell of this age which proved favourable to the Hollanders who conferred all imaginable honours upon their victorious Prince by shouts of joy Bonefires c. The Archduke having tasted the bitter fruits of bad counsell forthwith reinforced his army and sent troops into all the forts about Ostend in such sort as that Maurice finding no gap of advantage imbarqued his foot and repassed into Holland La Bourlotte killed Collonell La Bourlotte going to defend Fort Issabell was killed there by musquet shot and his death much regretted by the Archduke he having given great characters of himself in divers actions and occasions of his service as the taken of many towns and fighting of many battels His life He was a Gentleman born in Lorraine ascended to very high military charges by his huge courage esteemed one of the greatest Captains of his time Henry the fourth endeavoured to disingage him from the service of the Arch-Duke in case there happened a good agreement but he being too passionate for the service of the House of Austria would not hearken to it at all Now the warre was continued by enterprises which for the most part issued to the dammage of the undertakers and almost ever of the Treaties The greatest incoveniences were by Sea where the Dunkerkers who were snapt were hanged without mercy who likewise often repayed the same coyn to the Herring-Fishers and others The Zelanders continually complained of the mischiefs they received from Spinola's Gallies at the Sluce which indeed were neither small nor insensible But this thorn was quickly taken out of their sides and the said Town taken by famine whilest the Spaniards were engaged at the siege of Ostend Rhinl eâ—gh taken by agreen â—nent Rinbergh was besieged by Prince Maurice 1601. and well defended by the Garrison which was strong But the relief coming too late and sinding the Hollanders well intrenched durst not venter and so the Governour D'Avila was constrained to yeeld up the place not without having performed the action of a valiant Captain upon honourable conditions about the beginning of August the same year And Meurs likewise followed the victorious Chariot of Prince Maurice CHAP. IV The Siege of Ostend Maurice attempts the surprise of Bois-le-Ducque and besieges and carries the Grave ALbert importuned by the States of Flanders to free them from their ill neighbours and those Birds of prey at Ostend in regard that the Forts thereof could not stop their occasions nor hinder them from fixing their cluches in the flat Country suffered himself to be induced to that high and most difficult enterprise partly to draw Maurice from Rinbergh and animated also partly by the vast summe of monies which the said States undertook to furnish at different terms for this work For their interest urged them to unnestle those enemies and it belonged only to the Eagle to make so high a flight But a place which hath alwayes one Gate open and where so many neighbours pretend an interest is not so soon gotten The said Town was ever very carefully conserved and kept as well by the Queen of England as by the confederated States so to draw great contributions from it It was before the troubles but a very small paltry place a Retreat for Fishers but very well known since by the most famous and memorable siege that ever was The siege of Ostend begun thes of July 1601. It was invested as much as possibly it could be in the year 1601 upon the 5. of July and first revictualled afterwards by an English Knight called Veer and above three thousand fresh souldiers of his country sent by the Queen In the month of September Admiral de Varniont came with a hundred and seventy Sayl of Ships loaden with all kinds of Munition both for wat and mouth for the winter so that all was better cheap there then even in Holland it self This made the Prince resolve about All-hallown-tide to go and attack Boisle-Due And the Arch-Duke well knowing the importance of the place sent an Armythither and put some colours into the Town But the coldness of the weather proved the strongest enemy and forced him to pack up his Baggage and march another way In the monoth of September aforesaid the Queen of Spain was delivered of a Daughter and the Queen of France of a * The title of the eldest son of the Crown Dolphin who by a happy destiny were afterwards joyned together in marriage as we shall shew in fit place Prince Maurice finding his enterprise upon Boisleduc crossed and that the Spaniards continued their siege raised more souldiers the year following and towards the end of Iune with a terrible train he marched down into Brabant The Arch-Duke informed of his great preparation enabled by some money from Spain and the reasons for the continuation of the siege in which the Honour of the House of Austria was engaged and all difficulties well ballanced by that most cautelous and advised nation resolved for his part to make a great defence It is in trouble that vertue shines with most luster He sent the Admirall into Brabant to stop the progresse of the Princes who having some Italian Regiments with him intrenched himself near Tirlemont a Town grown famous since by her deplorable misfortune and buried in her own ashes The Hollanders not being able to draw the Spaniards who were yet mindful of their losse received before Newport to a generall decision diverted their course and incamped themselves before Grave which Town being well fortified was two moneths after surrendred upon conditions Grave yeeld upon agreement Mutiny The Spaniards seaze upon Hoochstrade And the Admirall not able to raise the siege was constrained to retreat neither could he hinder the disbanding and mutinies of some of his Souldiers who seazed upon the Town of Hoochstrade and began a new policy amongst themselves The Arch-Duke hastens thither and the Admiral drawes his stake out of play and retires himself into Spain But Albert instead of water cast oyle into the sire and contrary to the advice of the States under his obedience proscribes them and declares them Rebels Traitors attainted Mecauban and convicted of High Treason in a superlative degree c. But it is in vain to be angry without strength and the weak Lawes yeeld to the unjust violence of Armes The Squadron of Mutiners remained not
Crown upon the Head of King Henry And he seeing the disorder which happened in that Family and strengthened by the friendship of some Catholick Princes Paxadge demanded of them of Colem as well as most assured of that of the Protestants leaned visibly that way The Magistrates of Colein being intreated by his Deputies to grant Provisions for mony and passage for his Army were fain to avow that it would be temerity to opposeso great a King who had been alwayes victorious Besides the noises which some scattered up and down that he would allow and maintain three Religions to wit the Roman the Lutheran and the Reformed In brief his Designe seemed to be to extend the bounds of the French Monarchy at the cost of the House of Austria and some neighbour-Princes In the mean time the King Don Philip stood not with his arms a cross at the newes of this terrible Preparative The Arch-Duke puts an Army on foot which rejoyced all such as were enemies to his States The Arch-Duke Albert contracts all his old forces raises new and sends a strong Army towards the Consines of France under the command of Spinola who intrenched himselfe near Gambray In fine men talk of nothing but Armes and Horses in the Countries of both Crownes and the Pope sends his Nuncio to divert the King from his Designe but he was dispatched to Monzon Amazement every where Now all Europe stood amazed and the Princes of Italy seeing the Duke of Savoy in allyance with Henry by meanes of the marriage of his Sonne with the Daughter of France begin to think of their preservation The King in the interim confirms his Intelligences gives the Rendezvous of his Troops in Campagne and after having extraordinarily courted the Embassadours of the United Provinces conjures them to to send Prince Maurice with some Troops to attend his coming at the fronteer of Cleveland The Protestant Princes could hardly dissemble their joy The joy of the Protestants and fear of the Catholâ—â—ks and the Cartholick strangers their fear at the approach of so formidable an Army Infine both friends and enemies were ballancing or staggering in apprehension joy and uncertainty and every one in pain to know what he was either to hope or fear It came so farre as to be published that the King was to march with an Army of forty thousand men and leave as many to guard the kingdome whereof he declared the Queen Regent after her Coronation But he was treacherously murthered in his Coach the fourteenth of May 1610 and this fatall blow put all France in mourning his Corps into the Tomb and his great Designes into Smoak Above all this misfortune was impatiently taken by them of the Religion as also by the greatest part of his Allyes amongst whom his Arms had not as yet moved the least jealousie The most generall opinion was that after having established the Princes in the possession of the Dutchyes of Galick and Cleveland he was to go for Germany And indeed the House of Austria had reason to keep her selfe upon her guard as well knowing how much this Prince was affected to her opposers His death gave matter enough every where for men to inform themselves of who might be the Authour and the Jesuits were not forgotten to be called in question by the Protestants however Ravilliaâ— never confessed any such thing This King was brought up in labour and toyle and noursed in the the Civil Warres His first wife was Margaret of Valois His Life whom when he was come to the Crown he repudiated He had been Head of the Hugenots and wonne many Battails against them of the League When he was become Catholick and after the reconciliation of the Dukes of Mayanne and Mercoenr all stooped and layd down their arms He had a quick wit brave thoughts and excessive high points of judgement had in fine such eminent qualities as would have ranged him in the number of the grearest Kings that ever wore a Crown had ho not been too passionately inclined to handsom women a vicious habit which is familiar to Princes He alwayes loved the United Provinces of the Low-Conntrâ—es and assisted them with men money and counsell notwithstanding the complaints of the Arch-Dukes He was the Restorer of the French Monarchy which was horribly tottered and obtained by generall consent in regard of his heroick actions in arms the surname of Great He was beloved feared and redoubted and amongst all his Kingly vertues none shined more brightly then his Clemencie VVhy suspected to be a Hugenot Many were in doubts of his Religion for the Gâ—genots believed him of theirs and some others also besides in respect of the favour ge shewed to the Protestant Party and for that it was imputed to him to have said that the Crowne of France was well worth a Masse It is onely God who can judge of the Conscience of Soveraigns and therefore men must be silent and abey However it were he much loved Conferences and Disputes as it appeared by that of Cardinall Peronnâ— against Du Plessis Mornay The Confederated States had good reason to love him in regard of the care he alwayes took to conserve them though their seeing him expected by Prince Maurice with the forces of the Low-countries near Wesel and a Letter written by him to the Princesse Dowager of Orange intimating that he would come and visit her at the Hague not as a King but as her kinsman thrust a flea into their eare The said Prince of Orange above all impatiently took this strange and unexpected accident But indeed his death freed a good part of Europe from a great terrour filled the other with sadnesse and amazement gave way to the Prince of Conde to return into France with his wife and so the Armies to retire to rest till another season and another conjuncture which afterwards presented it self in the Warre of Gulick CHAP. XII A difference happening for the Dutchy of Gulick Jealosic between the Catholicks and Protestants and why A Tumult at Donawert an Imperiall Towne about a procession Gulick besieged by Prince Maurice and the French yeelds The Princes will not admit the Sequestration VVE have already shewed how the pretext of the Arms of Hebry the Great was the succour promised to the Princes of Brandeabourgh and Newbourgh therefore let us now look upon the justice of the Competitors since the quarrell is not quite consopited yet Sone weeks before the the conclusion of the Truce Death of the Duke of Gulick deceased John Wolliam Duke of Cleveland and Gulick leaving no Children by the Countesse of Baden his former wife noâ— yet by the sister of the Count of Vandemon his later Now this Princesse passing through Colein was received by the illustrious Magistraces and Citizens of that ancient City with great magnisicence acclamations and wishes of fertility in this match and all this for their interests which are visible enough in themselves without any
with him against his Nephew the Spaniards and the Jesuits for it was upon them that he chiefly aymed and whom he so much mistrusted who yet peradventure dreamt not at all of him and demanded a speedy succour before the Poles had quite subdued Muscovie He also mentioned the quarrell between him and the King of Denmark offering to referre it to them or any other Neutrall Princes and to acquiesce in their Decision The States also sent theirs to him but he was able to effect nothing with him The King declares a warre upon him In the moneth of April 1611. King Christian declares a Warre founded upon four points The first upon the Fishing of Lapponia or Lapland the third part whereof he pretended to appertain to himself The second a complaint formed upon Charles his having fortified Guttemburgh to the disadvantage of the Sound the third was the redemanding of the Isle of Oesel held by the Swedes And the last that Christian would not suffer him to put in his Arms the three Crownes nor the Title of Lapland and North-land Kings have never any better reason to make Warre then that which is offered them by occasion It is a Royal thing sayes a Disciple of that so much disclaimed Italian to attempt the Possessions of others Colmar taken The Danes seazed Colmar the prime key of the kingdom of Sweden and besieged the Castle both by Sea and land which unlesse it were famished was held impregnable by reason of the situation Neither was it taken now by that way but yeelded up by the levity of the Governour who went to fix his habitation in Denmark That which cannot be digged by Iron is often done by Gold The King of Sweden found work enough to do with two so potent enemies upon his skirts but that which most troubled him was that he could not bring the Danes to any Composition Fonce so that in sine having lost Colmar with above a hundred pieces of Canon six ships of Warre the Isle of Bornholm and some other The death of Charles also forced to bow to old age and afflictions caused by these losses he fell sick and coming to die made way for that great Captaine Gustavus Adolphus the very relation of whose victories makes the world tremble Charles was a Prince of great courage and lover of his Law for the only defence whereof the Swedes affirm that he accepted the Crown and not through any ambition he had to be a King He inclined a little towards the Reformates and could not endure to have prayers made in Latin He was speechlesse some time before his death and was much more prone to rigour then moderation yea even to Tyranny it self which is a vice much observed in the successours of Erick after they are past forry years old The Danes sayling with the winde in poupe took many ships near Elsburgh together with the Castle it self But the Swedes were fully revenged upon them by taking their measures well as it will appear in the continuation of this History With patience all things are effected In fine Peace made a Peace was made and Colmar upon agreement of some barrels of Gold restored to the Swedes The Kings were friends and afterwards an Enterview and an Allyance both Offensive and Defensive concluded against the King of Poland But let us go back to the South Italy produced no seed of sedition at all every one keeping himself within his own jurisdiction but the Duke of Mantua being taken out of his by death without sons his Brother succeeded him who assisted by the Spaniards waged a long warre against the Duke of Savoy who was supported by France Since the Truce in the Low-countries and the expulsion of the Mores there passed nothing in Spain worthy of memory but some Fights at Sea against Pirats who were defeated by the Spaniards and the Hollanders The match sought in Spain Queen Mary of Medicis willing to keep her subjects in Peace during her Regencie and prevent all occasions of disorder mediated a double match with Spain that is of her Son and Daughter with Prince Philip and the Infanta his Sister but the marriages were differred in regard of their too tender age though yet this good newes caused great rejoycing throughout all the Territories of the two Crowns with Tilts and Turnaments worth anmiration wherein the French Lords expressed as well the agility and fine disposition of their bodies as the gentilnesse of their mindes Let us now draw back to the Low-countries again which observe the Truce but let not their souldiers rest in favour of their Neighbours For the Dukes of Brandenburgh and Newburgh this being grown a Roman and that a Reformat renewed their old unhappy quarrel either for want of a right and mutual understanding or else for being the object of the ambitious passion of some other Princes The Arch-Duke had sent Spinola into the Field to execute the sentence given upon them of Aquisgrane Aix or Aquisgrane yeelds The Spaniards succour the Duke of Newburgh and the Hollanders the Duke of Brandenburgh who had incurred the disfavour of the Emperour by expelling the Roman Catholick Magistrates out of the Town and their sudden submission gave the Spaniards conveniency to hasten to the relief of the Duke of Newburgh by whom they were expected They took Wesel and some other small places and Prince Maurice on the other side who was sent by the States to succour the Electour took and fortified Emmerick and Rees It is most dangerous to have a Neighbour stronger then ones self for his succour is alwayes dammageable to him who accepts it These two Princes know it as well as any others But what Passion very often prevailes over Reason and the errour of the Hunters gives the Hare opportunity to escape But let us reprize this Webbe contrived of many threds of different colours and woven by divers Weavers The Emperors Authority proving inefficacious and his threats as it wore our of breath and saint as coming from so great a distance with these two Princes who proud of the assistance of two Kings and shouldered by a strong Common-Wealth equally shared the Government of the Dutchy for some time making their Residence together at Dusseldorp But by means of some small jealousies were quickly disunited and the Marriage of the Duke of Newburgh with the Duke of Bavaria's Sisters awakened as great suspicions in the Duke of Brandenburghs breast being a Reformate as the Allyance of the united Provinces in that of the Duke of Newburgh who was become Cathohok The Design upon Dusseldorp had no successe and that which was so prosperously executed upon Gulick by the Governours meanes manifested to the Arch-Duke a peacefull Prince that the Reformates in a fair occasion want no boldnesse no courage The Spaniards took the Allarme so much the more powerfully as the Treaties went on slowly and as the French seemed to favour the Duke of Brandenburgh more to put
by the death of the Marquis d' Ancre and by the return of the Princes leagued against the said Marquis and his greatness by that of the unfortunate wife that unhappy Favorite whose Possessions and Goods were liberally bestowed upon him The death of the Marquis d' Ancre by the King He was killed by his Majesties command and by the counsell of this new Minister just as he was entring into the Loüure and his Body torne in pieces by a people which thought it self going into a Golden Age after this Execution And his VVife His wife who had been the companion of his Greatnesse was likewise to be so of his disaster and fall She was cast in prison and notwithstanding she baffled and eluded the vanity of the witnesses who accused her of magick or witchcraft she was neverthelesse condemned to suffer a shamefull death upon the Market-place of Greve Her Exccution caused pitty in the soules of some contentment in others and amazement to strangers the eyes of whose understandings were not dazled by the clowds of passion For it was a strange thing to set a Lady upon a base and infamousscaffold who had been but a little before with so much power and greatnesse at the Court Ah false and treacherous Fortune How much gall dost thou hide under thy honey and how many treacheries under thy favours No marvel if thou destroy what thou hast made since thou overturnest even Kings and Kingdomes themselves which had taken their foundations from the hands of the Almighty himself This tragical Beginning being brought to his desired issue Luynes counselled the King to banish his Mother from the Court whom he knew to be in implacable indignation against him Her Exile which was taken for a Retreat the advancement of his two Brothers companions of his fortune and the total and entire disposal of the favour of the good King cast him into the hatred of the people which he could not faile to inherit as well as of the Queen and into the aversion of the Princes who took his government for a pretext of their discontentments and for a cloak to disguise their interests From the quality of an ordinary Gentleman he rid Post as it were to honours and was created Earl and Viceroy of Picardy Duke and Peer of France and within a very short time after Constable In fine all smiled upon him every one adored this Golden Calfe yea even they who if they could have gotten him in their power would have crushed and shivered him to pieces To secure himself from the Queen-Mother he procured the deliverance of the Prince of Conde but common necessity obstructed the course of his greatness though it hardly extinguished the hatred which all the French bore him and left him but two friends who caused his miserable Body to be secretly interred for fear lest be should receive the same treatment of him whose place he had taken O short felicity full of troubles disquiets cares and vexatious apprehensions O vain Glory so much hunted after so much envied and so dearly and painfully bought how deceitful is thy end O vain Honours How are you steeped and drenched in gall And how different from those which are prepared by Eternity for us On the other side Prince Henry was beloved almost throughout all France as well for his great vertue as for the open hatred he carried to the Constable ended his dayes upon the bed of honour before Montanban for the Catholick Faith and for the restauration of the Authority of his King and the whole Kingdom His life He was son to the deceased Duke of Mayenne so well known in the History of the precedent Age to whom France had this obligation that she was not dismembred and crippled during the fury of the cruell Warres Whilest he courted the Widow of the Count de Soissons she moved both him and the Duke of Nevers 1614. to this pernicious Warre to whom the Prince of Conde and the busie Duke of Boüâ—â—lon joyned themselves also which kindled by some certain Princess who respired nothing but vengeance and terminated by the prudence of that most wise Queen at Saint Menehout He retired from the Court for the hatred he bore to the Constable and followed the party of the Queen-Mother 1620. together with other Princes in regard of the ill treatment she received His choler caused him to commit a great fault before Moissac in Quercy whereof the of a frank and open humour without dissimulation such as is fit for a Prince and not for a Courtier He was also free to speak and deliver his opinion and very courteovs to his inferiours much more intense upon the ruine of the Hugenot Party then upon prolonging the Warre as many have done for their own proper interest In fine a Bullet sent him to his grave put the Army in disorder France into mourning The mourning of all France for his death an end to so many brave exploits which which will cause him to be eternally hurt to the siege of Montaubane and to the fear of the Hugenots who called him the great Butcher and the tears interrupted by sobbes expressed the true love which all the Orders of France really bore him and which was besides most amply decleared by the elegant Orations made at his Funerall The newes of his death being divulged at Paris so much moved the Common-people that they cast themselves upon the Reformates and fired the Church of Charenton yea and the mischief had yet gone further had it not been prevented and stopped by the Queens and the Lords of the Parliament Some dayes after the Pontan Change in English the Exchange Bridge and the Pont des Orfebures in English Goldsmiths Bridge were likewise set on fire with inestimable loss for which the Reformats were much suspected by their enemies thereby to revenge themselves of the affronts which had been done them for vengeance is sweet But much more diligence was used to finde out the riches which was fallen into the River then the cause of two such disasters However it be the Warre grew hot the next year after and the King made himself Master of the Isles St. Martin d'Oleron and Bronage After some small victories gotten upon the Duke of Rohan and his Brother The Peace made at Montpeillier 1622. A Tumult at Paris against them of the Religion The Peace made the Peace was concluded at Montpeillier by which the said Towne more by force then by inclination returned to her duty and all the party which had been attacked by many Armies throughout all the Provinces after frequent losses began to respire and shewed that it was no more invincible This Peace separated the Navies hindered the Duke of Guise from prevailing upon his advantage and the Fort Lewis built upon the Haven of Rochelle gave subject to renew the War as we shall hereafter shew The Venetians to procure reparation of the dammages received from the Croats 1617.
between the Poles and the Turks The tragicall end of young Osman The death of some Lords THe Polanders being resolved to revenge the affront done their Embassadour received besides some kind of check in Moldavia but Prince Vladistans hasting thither with a puissant Army defeated the Turks in a ranged Battail which kindled so great fury in the young Emperour Osman that he swore he would be revenged and destroy the kingdom of Poland with that terrible Army whereof we have spoken already King Sigismund received the Alarme and sent his Embassadours to all Christian Kings imploring their assistance against the Common Enemy King James aforesaid sent five thousand men whom the King of Denmark would not suffer to pass in respect of the Allyance between him and the King of Sweden In fine the Polanders finding nothing but excuses every where were fain to get all on horse-back together with their King and go to deliver their Prince who was so ingaged that he had almost no means left him to escape evident danger It was a worthy object They make all the Nobility march to succour â—ladâ—slaus to see a King march at the Head of two hundred thousand Gentlemen whereof the Grand Signor being advertised sent to offer a Peace to the Prince who embraced it as an Embassie come from heaven because the third part of his Troops of sixty thousand men which were left to defend the Confines against this huge multitude was quite consumed partly by continual attacks The Yeate made and partly by diseases as having been compelled for want of victuals to eat many of their own horses The Tucks after having wanted half their Army made their retreat which together with the Peace was about the moneth of October 1621. Let us follow them to Constantinople where we shall see the tragical and pitifull end of their Prince Osman the aforesaid young Prince by some deportments of his gave suspition to the Innisuries of his having a mind to transferre both the Treasure and seate of the Empyre from Constantinople under pretext of making a pilgrimage to the Sepulcher of their Prophet Mahomet Osman strangled and Mustapha clâ—â—led in his place Whereupon his ships were stopped his Favorites massacred in his presence and himself after having endured a thousand indignities from the Souldiers strangled by the command of his Uncle whom they had drawne out of his Hermitage to succeed him But he did not long enjoy those honours whereof indeed he was unworthy Happy are they who live content in the lownesse of their Condivion and are not exposed to the blowes of the Thunderbolt at those Captaines also are who for sake the Armies to return to the Plough without I stening to the voyce of the charming Syrens of ambition But it is not only here that we have seen unheard-of changes Now these fatall Tragedies were advantageous to the Christians who were so divided by the two so often mentioned Passions The Count de la Tour obtaines sucoâ—â—â— of the Turk that there was no appearance left to reunite them The old Count de la Tour and the Marquis of Lagerendorf were knocking at the Grand-Signors Gate and displaying both their Rhetorick and their Presents seconded by the Embassadours of the inconstant Gabor so much were they seazed by desire to ruine the House of Austria which almost all Christendome banded together hath not been able to effect hitherto no nor so much as to deprive it of the Imperial Crown Sâ—â—ks Moravia However they obtained some succour sackaged Moravia and joyned with Gabor but the Turks were defeated and their Mustapha compelled to yeeld up his place to Amurath Is beâ—◠〈◊〉 Brother to Osman And these Tragedies were the cause of the warre which chanced between the Turks and Persians to the great good of Christendom and gave occasion also to the Gossacks to make a Cavalcada or Inroade to the very Gates of Constantinople The Cossacks at the Gates of Constantinople For after they had passed many great Forrests and vast Deserts the Alarme grew so hot that if the said Cossacks had not speedily retreated with their prey the poor Christians in the Town had had their throats cut it regard that it was published that they had intelligence with them Let us now take leave of the Countries of the Half * The Turks Moon for many yeares and return by the Mediterranean into those of the * The Roman Catholick Countries upon the Mediterranean Sea Crosse which being momentarily sprinkled with blood cannot choose but multiply abundantly The Venetians were very attentive to the successes of the Bohemian warre and being more propense to their own interest then their Religion occultly favoured the Bohemians But the rest of the States of Italy leaned more to the other side however Peace remained amongst them just as they did in Spain where they received the newes of a great victory upon the King of Maroco and saw after the expiration of the Truce some Holland Vessels brought into their Ports which came from Venice and were taken in the Sreights of Gibelaltar This year 1621. in the moneth of March deceased Philip the third King of Spain and was followed some moneths after The death of Philip the third King of Spain and of and Cardinal Bellatmine by the pious Arch-Duke Albert who left the Country to his Isabel and the Command of the Militia to the Marquis Spinola That famous Cardinal Robert Bellarmin so well known by the Books he left written both against the Reformats and others paid likewise his tribute to Nature this very year being above fourscore years old England continued in Peace and therefore we will step into the Low-Countries CHAP. IX Sadnes in the Low-Countries for the bad successe of the Affaires of Frederick The Warre begun again betwixt them and the Spaniards Gulick and Papemutz surrendred Count Henry suspected and why HOlland was full of loy upon the termination of the Domestick Disorders and the condemnation of the Arminians a great part whereof withdrew themselves out of united Provinces some others embraced the doctrine of the confession of Auxbourgh and the rest fought so long against their Crosses that they surmounted them at length by obtaining in many Towns free Exercise of their Faith But this joy was quickly turned into mourning by the arrivall of the newes of the unhappy successe of King Fredericks Arms and the losse of his Kingdom which he had already had some moneths in his possession Though yet the Gazets sung alwayes of his victories and of the decline of the Emperours Affayres yea and the Painters represented him already sitting in the Imperial Throne Ferdinand on his knees before him and the Eagle all peeled and debilitated The Eagle peeled It was also published that the Battail before Prague was wonne by him and the contrary tidings contemned as suspects and given out by the Papists till himself arrived and brought the naked Truth with him and
Don Lewis had order to march with all speed to Berghen op Zoom and to seize upon Emblee the Haven and the two Forts which defended it but whether out of jealousie or otherwise he want and took Steenbergh giging the Hollanders time to re-inforce the Garrison and secure the Isle of Tertollen The Marquis neverthelesse arrived and besieged the Place Berghen besieged but not being able to gaine the possession of the said Haven he wasted a good part of his Army about it We left Mansfeldt and his Bishop at Sedan in consultation with the Duke of Bouillon Minsfeldt at Sedan and let us now call them from thence since we are sure to learn nothing of their private conferences but onely by conjecture The King of France was then before Montauban and fearing least they might serve themselves of the fair occasion to make a strong diversion in fauour of the Hughenots who were very much weakened he commanded the Duke of Neuers The Duke of Neuers to raise speedily a Body of an Army in Champague and entertaine the said Mansfeldt with Treaties till his Troops were in condition to hinder his passage He also wrote to Don Cordona who promised him to come and relieve him in case the Germans made but the least shew of moving against his service Mansfeldt dares not succour the Hughenots Now this proposition of succouring the Hughenots being found most difficult and of too dangerous a consequence and the meanes of returning the same way they came taken from them they resolved to traverse or passe through Brabaus and go to succour Berghen which Spinola attacked both with Mines and Assaults as he had done Ostend and this so much the rather because they were invited thither by the States Generall and the Prince of Orange And so they marched and by their departure freed Campagne from the great oppressions wherewith they had very ill treated the Lasiere Cordona and Anholt followed them and having overtaken them near Floury compelled them to stop and face about The battail began hotly Is beaten by Cordona and Cordona was in danger of losing it if the enemies horse had stood fast and better seconded the foot which was almost all cut off by the Canon But five hundred Peasants of the Province of Liege who presumed to set upon them were cut in pieces and sacrificed to their displeasure which yet was quite forgotten as soon as they came to the Hollanders Camp The Mansfeldians excused their losse by the necessity they had to get the passage which since they had obtained by the sword the Imperialests said they ought not so much to boast of their Victorie The Bishop was hurt in the arme The Bishop loses his arme which was forced to be cut off which gave the Romane Catholicks ground to publish that that arme which made warre against the Priests had deserved to be struck off It is very likely that if the Protestants had not feared to alienate the King from their Party of whose favour they hoped one day to feel some effects they would have made no difficulty at all to set the Hughenots upon their feet again in such sort as that the King could not lay hold of a more opportune season to humble them then during the decline of the affairs of the Protestants in Germany The Duke of Bouillon after the departure of the Germans being quite crazed with age payed his tribute to Nature and it concerns us to speak briefly of his life that so we may come both to the knowledge of his experience and exploits The death of the Duke of Bouillon and of his right also to Sedan Religion and Nature tied him fast to his Kings service whose secrets and savour he enjoyed for a long time His first wife was the Princesse who was heiress to Sedan and notwithstanding that she died without Childrein and that there was another heir of the same House His life he left not to retaine the said Principat by the support of the Kings favour He marries the heiresse of Sedan He keeps the Principate and passes to the second marriage Believed in Germary 1609 Surprizes Sâ—â—â—â—y In his second marriage he had the daughter of Prince William of Orange by whom he had begat two sons who grew very famous afterwards and by this Allyance he acquired a most streight correspondence with the States Gonerall of the united provinces He much molested the Dutchies of Lorraine and Luxenburgh by arms wherein he purchased great reputation He went and surprised the Cittidell of Sâ—endy the very day of his wedding and was alwayes redoubted by his neighbours and in most high esteem with the Princes of Germany and it is believed that it was chiefly he who counselled the Prince Palatine to take the Crown of Bohemia After his designs and Communications with the Marshal of Bâ—ron were blown up he kept himself alwayes close in Sedan till the King at length came to awaken him But his peace was quickly made in consideration of the good which he was to perform and of the high enterprizes whereof he was both the most worthy and principall instrument After the sad death of Henry the Great the Prince of Conde being returned into France he used his utmost endeavour to tye him to the interests of the Hughenots by describing his to him quite otherwise He embroils France then they were to be understood which were in effect to embroil the Kingdome But the Prince would not revenge the injurie which he pretended was done him to the detriment of Religion and the destruction of the poor people which yet not long after he did against his promise to the Queen though yet that promise were quickly dissipated as well as many other which came out of the shop of his brest more for his particular advantage then that of the Publick which he alwayes pretended Now howbeit he had been brought up in the civill wars and factions he yet refused the generalship He refuses the Generalship of the Hughenot Party 1621. Why of all the Hughenot Armies which was offered him by the Assembly of Rochell and that upon very reasonable reasons as first his age then the Gout wherewith he was much tormented and lastly for the difficulty which he was likely to find to govern so many Heads as composed that popular State Let us return to the siege of Berghen Spinola finding his enemy recruited with so great a Body of Horse and his owne Army much diminished with toyle assaults sicknesse and disbandings speedily raised the siege for fear least the way should be stopped Spinola raises the siege and went and encamped himself three leagues short of Antwerp where having put himself in posture and sent away his sick and wounded men he offered the Prince Battell but he contenting himself with having succoured the Place made answer to some French Lords who advised him to accept the offer that it was better to make a
golden Bridge for his enemies then engage them in fight which is often gained by dispaire And so he retyred to the Hague where he was well received by the States Mansfeldt shewed himself likewise there and the Bishop grew to be known and hated and was sometimes in danger of being well rubbed for his former insolencies But these two guests after some consultations quickly dislodged for Mansfeldt having received five thousand men from France Mansfeldt and the French in East-Freezland The Bishop defeated in the year 1623. neer Statloo was sent into East-Freezland for fear least Tilly should come and take up his quarters there and the Bishop returned into Westphalia where living after the old fashion he was snapt neer Statloo and most basely defeated With much more reason might that have been said of Tilly which the Emperour of Turkie said of the French when he heard the newes of the huge Victorie gotten by them upon the Venetians namely That they had to do with Calves Six thousand Imperialists cut off an Army of eighteen thousand men and the Bishop in stead of retyring himself to his Bishoprick returned speedily into Holland with the nimblest runners of his broken Armie to take new counsell and recollect his scattered Troops in the Fronteer Towns There were about six thousand of his men taken prisoners and the Spanish Garrison of Grol contributed no small matter to this entyre Victorie in the year 1623. If the Bishops Souldiers used great cruelties the Mansfeldians did not much better in Freezland in such sort as that good Country which was able to maintaine above fifty thousand men in good order for fifteen years together was exhausted in lesse then seven moneths These two Generals return into Holland and the Count of Oldenbergh sound reason to complaine of them besides as bad neighbours for making excursions upon his lands But they got not all off and of five thousand French there returned not twelve hundred into France to revile their Generall and relate the good treatment which they had both given and received in these parts all the rest being knocked in the head by the Peasants Mansfeldt being rejoyned to the Bishop with the fragments of both Armies performed no great exploits but being beaten againe at Frisoit they both went back againe into Holland where they plotted new designes against the House of Austria But now let us go visit the Swissers in their Mountaines for they will give us matter also to discourse of them CHAP. XI Of the Swissers and Grizons and their Government The fall of a Mountaine Soubise breakes the Peace The death of the great Priour and of the Marshall Ornano Description of the Cantons BEfore we enter upon the motives of the Wars which happened in the Grisons we will first shew that the Swissers area People of Germany divided into thirteen Cantons of whose valour Julius Caesar in his Commentaries of the Gawlish War makes very honourable mention They are shut up within Mountains and great Lakes which make their Countrey inaccessible The Tyranny of some Governours caused them to shake off the yoke both of the House of Austria The first League and their owne Nobility Their first League was made between three Country men or Peasants who within a short time after grew much augmented by the aversion of the People from the abovesaid Government Let no man trust to his own power and maintaine it by rigour for enemies often come from whence they are least expected They have upon the one side the States of the Republick of Venice and the Dutchy of Milan and Burgundy Alsatia and the Dukedome of Wirtemberg on the other They were long in peace and rest being protected by their Hills and their poverty till Charles Duke of Burgundy at length stirred them up to his own confusion For having a desire to extend his domination as far as Italy he notwithstanding all their humble supplications for peace and liberty and offers to serve him brought a war upon them Irregular ambition prepares her self a fall Charles of Burgundie beatea For their humility being turned into dispair they fell to the use of arms which they had almost forgoten and defeated his Army without so much as almost any fighting for it and glutted themselves in fine with the spoiles both of the Burgundians and Flemmings Since which time their Allyance hath been sought by the Popes Kings and Princes of Europ and especially by France Their allyance which by keeping her self fast with them through a yearly pension hath drawn no small advantages from them Let us speak a word also of their beginnings which are worthy consideration They were heretofore wont to receive their Governours from the Emperours by whom Justice was administred Their beginings and their Priviledges maintained so that they lived in peace with the Ecclesiasticks upon whom by donation of the said Emperours if not all yet a great part of them at least depended In fine they being a people of a strong nature and lovers of Liberty as all such as dwell within the mountains are found themselves contemned by the Nobility which through delights produced by great riches was grown insolent and from contempt drawn into servitude and therefore laying hold of the opportunity of the confusions of the Empire they assaulted the said Nobility and expelled it by force of Arms and so redeemed themselves from the Yoke The Emperour Albert having a great charge of Children endeavoured to joyn also that which immediately depended upon the Empyre to what he held there already as well by inheritance as by donation and purchase but in vain wherereupon he turned his desires into threats but still in vain For his Governours had used tyranny The Governours Tyrants and brought this people to seek entyre Liberty by way of revenge of some crimes committed and some affronts done to some particular persons the first whereof was to him who had alwayes disswaded them from putting themselves under the yoke of the House of Austria The second and principal was for having attempted the chastity of a woman a vice which caused the Kings to be expelled from Rome the Infidels to enter into Spain and whole nations to go out of Conquered Countries The third was a most absurd and ridiculous Command namely to do reverence to the Hat of a Governour which was at the end of a perch when they passed by it And it happened once that a certain follow being brought before the Governour for having slighted this order he commanded him to shoot a Apple from his childes head with an arrow which he performed to the great amazement of all such as were present The first League of three men Now in revenge of these and the like cruell proceedings a secret League was made amongst three Husband-men the number whereof being quickly encreased they cunningly seazed upon the Castles of the said Governours and drove them out of their Country in the year
Troops assured himself of the Passe or Streight of the Suze and compelled the Spaniards to raise the Siege wherein he was better obeyed then the Emperour himself But the short durance of the Peace with the Hughenots in France obliged him to returne and humiliate theâ—o It is now time to send part of our forces from the Baltick Sea to carry the Eagles thither where they first commanded Fordinand to uphold his Authority dispatched thither an Army of twenty thousand men under the conduct of the Generals Alâ—ring and Galasso who having seazed upon the Passage of the Grisons effused themselves into Italy and got into their clutches the whole Dutchy of Mantua with as much good luck The Imperialists in Italy lesiege Mantua in with as the French did that of Savoy except only the Head City which they also besieged but the jealous Venatians endeavouring to remove all such as might be able to give their State any cause of apprehension were not slack in setting their hands stoutly to work for the Duke though yet the Imperialists took Goite from them and carried away all the booty or pillage thereof to their Camp But the French coming in the nick craftily snapt two Sentinels entred into a Quarter and put a huge number of them to the Sword So that the other finding the season improper and the small apparence there was of carrying the place retyred themselves much diminished into Garrison CHAP. XI The continuation of the warre of Italy The Venetians beaten Pignarola taken Mantua taken and pillaged The Peace made with restitution on both sides The Venetians beaten by Galasso THis retreat gave the Venetians a desire to retake Goite but they were broken by Galasso Whereupon they re-assembled their forces and having recruited and ingrossed them put them selves again in a posture of fighting wherein they were the second time put to flight and above six thousand killed and taken together with all their Artillery This losse much amazed the Republick But Fortune was more favourable to the French who as we have already said after the taking of Rochel shewed themselves very hot for the defence of the Duke of Nevers True it is that the Kings dangerous sickness at Lyons had almost been the cause of slackening this generous ardour and they who looked asquint upon the Cardinals potencye seemed to prognosticate that his ruine was at hand Envy still followes the Charrior of a growing Power And the Savoyers by the French The French took Pignarola and were re-inforced by the Swissers and this loss which was most sensible to the Duke was followed by many other The Spaniards were beaten by Monsieur de Bassompiere Cambery taken and Montmclian besieged The Duke of Guise landed near Nice to go joyne with the Army The King sent the Duke of Montmorancy towards Piedmont and followed himself afterwards Prince Thomas presuming to dispure his entrance with twelve thousand men was beaten the Colours presented to the King being the honour and all Piedmont the reward of the victory In such sort as that the poor Duke of Savoy who had so often ventured to contest sometimes with one of the Crowns and sometimes with the other found himself quite spoyled of his States For having nothing lest but Turin and not daring to shut himself up there he resolved to keep the key of the Fields and let the Mountains oppose the victorious Party by seeking to preserve his liberty in desert and inaccessible places We must here take notice of the Martial generosity of the French who in the beginning of warre are invincible make all bow to their Armes break through all oppositions and as soon take whole Provinces as other Nations do Towns but by the too sudden loss of patience on the other side Their impatience they grew also to loose whole Provinces almost as soon as other Nations do Townes Now Fortune favoured the Imperialists every where which they made both the Venetians and the Duke of Nevers feel For they returned the Siege upon Mantua and took it at length by a fine Stratagem Mantua taken by atrick of warre For the besieged by their frequent Sallies being reduced to a very small number demanded the succour of five thousand men from the Venetians and Letters being intercepted gave the Besiegers occasion to serve themselves of this trick to catch besieged They secretly drew into the field the number of men demanded who by a fight with powder without shot got near to one of the Gates which being forthwith opened by some who thought them to be Venetians they made themselves Masters of the Town to the great astonishment of the Inhabitants who were sacked by their imaginary Auxiliaries and the Duke yeelding up the Castle by Composition was conducted together with his wife and children to Ferrara Spinola before Casal This victory swelled up the spirits of the Imperialists and made the Spaniards continue the Siege of Casal under the command of Marquis Spinola who had acquired so much glory in the Low-countries and Toiras who was all crowned with lawrell for the honour he atchieved by the defence of the Fort of Saint Martin against the English defended the Cittadel The French making a shew to go and attack the Dutchy of Milan wheeled suddenly about upon the Besiegers the state whereof was this The Town and Castle were already yeelded to the Marquis and the Cittadel had capitulated that in case there came not sufficient succour to beat them from thence within a certain term which was the fifteenth of October Monsieur de Toiras was to march out The French Army appeared in Battaile array neare the Trenches and the Spaniards put themselves in posture to receive it The death of Spinola and of the Duke of Savoy All seemed to laugh upon the French by the death of the Marquis who was taken out of this world by the Plague and Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy being being stripped of his States and overwhelmed with grief and warre payed also his tribute to Nature When two great Bulls are ready to rush together and shock one another the whole Heard stand still and attend with trembling the issue of the Combat In the same manner was Italy the spectatresse of this furious shock and had no cause at all to rejoyce But it pleased God that by the Popes intercession The peace was made by the addresse of Cardinal Mazarin and Cardinall Mazarin's dexterity who made himself known by this first negotiation the Peace being concluded at Vienna was brought to the Armies just when the Trumpets were going to sound to draw the sword A fair escape happy newes By vertue of this Peace the French returned into France and restored all to the Duke of Savoy except onâ—ly Piguarola which had been privately bought by the said Cardinal A politick subtilty to have the Gate into Italy alwayes open mixt with Cousenage as the Spaniards say who rendred Montferrat as the Germans likewise did
Wallenstein takes the Generalat with conditions of toâ— much advantage An Earth-quake at Naples the Mountain of Soma vomited fire THe Hollanders amazed at the admirable progresse of the King of Sweden conceived that it would be for the interest of all the Allyes as well as their own for them to assayle their enemies They were Masters by Sea without controversie And after the taking of the Money-Fleet they seazed upon the Bay and Town of Todos los Santos or All-Saints where the booty they got was great enough to excise their desire to seek more But the King of Spain taking it from them again obliged them to go and attack the Town of Olinda in Pharnambus which deligne issued well and all the Country there about followed quickly after without much resistance In such sort as that the two Branches of the House of Austria tryed almost by turns the cruel effects of that inconstant Goddesse however she have not strength enough to make them loose their courage they having means sufficient to maintain and uphold themselves Now the Spaniards were afflicted with so many losses both by Sea and Land that they resolved to endeavour some revenge They secretly prepared a Fleet of Shalops and vanted of great secrets yea that there was a certain Priest who would make souldiers go under the water and fly in the ayre c. The Hollanders were allarmed at this and Prince Henry incamped himself in the Isse of Tertollen to watch the designes of the Enemy The Fleet hoysed Sayle passed through the mouth of Safting The Fleet of Shallops taken the thirteenth of September 1651. and turned round about the Island but for want of good Pilots to observe the Tyde and staying for some Shalops which were aground in the sands they lost the time and gave it to the Hollanders to attack them and take them as it were in a field of corn and that without so much as fighting for they all rendred themselves up to the mercy of their Enemies and their Cavalry which was come to the bank to help them was fain to return as it came There were more then four thousand prisoners who were all pillaged and then put to ransom by a singtilar favour of the Prince of Orange for they were taken because they could not fly not walk under water and in a place where there was no quarter to be given The truth of their design was never yet known some thought it was upon Willeinstadt others to make Fortresses and separate Holland from Zeland This great victory happened the thirteenth of September 1631 and that of the King of Sweden four dayes after An Earthquake at Naples About two moneths after there chanced a terrible Earthquake at Naples and the Mountain of Soma after many horrible bellowings vomited out burning streams of fire which tumbled into the Adriatick Sea and cast out a huge deale of ashes The Hill of Soma This was renewed the year following in the moâ—eth of February with so great hurt and losse to the circumjacent places is well in houses men women children and cattell that it cannot be expressed nor comprehended Those three aforesaid losses astonished the House of Austria which to put a powerfull stop to the impetuous torrent of the victories of King Gustave her most dangerous Enemy who was inseparably accompanied both by Fortune and Favour cast her eyes upon the Duke of Frithland a most happy and most experimented Captain who in the affront of having been deprived of his charge received an incomparable contentment from Count Tilly's misfortunes And so Embassadours were dispatched to mitigate him Wallensiein retakes the Generalship and offer him the Generalship again and with most ample Commissions and a huge summe of money He suffered himself to be much intreated and courted covering his ambition or rather his vengeance with a thousand dissimulations But at last under conditions which divided the Soveraign authority he was brought to accept it and forth with gave Pattents for the raising of sixty thousand men and so there was an Army of forty thousand on foot as it were in the twinkling of an eye as if with striking his foot against the ground he had raised souldiers and he Generalissimo or Chief Genorall of all the Emperours Armies and Arbitratour of Peace and Warre It often happens that when we endeavour to shuune one kind of Rocks or Sand-banks we hit against another Necessity seemed to command this extremity and to remit the course of affaires to the Divine Providence He did both good and evill and received at length the Crown of his works CHAP. XXIIII George Landgrave of Darmstadt obtains newtrality and why Horne beaten by Tilly The King makes his entry at Nuremberge and Tilly retires The King takes Donawerdt passes the Leck makes Tillyes forces retreat with confusion Tillyes death his Elogies The Siedge of Ingolstadt The taking of Ratisbone Divers instructions of the Embassadours of France The Eagle in danger succoured by whom THe rejoycing which was caused by the Kings victory before Leipsick in the Vnited Provinces to see themselves freed from great apprehension was very much whereas the other as also all the subjects of the Crown of Spaine expressed no lesse sadnesse and cryed aloude that it was high time to arme and stop the progresse of these Goths least both the Empire and all Europ should come to be destroyed by them Between this joy and fear of the people King Gustave played not truant King Guestave posses the Rheyn but having made his entry into Francfurt like a great Conquerour he receaved the Embassadours and Congratulations of his Friends His Armes had droven his enemyes over the Rheyn and therefore he resolved also to passe it and the Spaniards who came to relieve the Electour of Mentz endeavoured to hinder him but they were not able to resist his happinesse and so they gave way to force though not to industrie He took Wormes Spiers and Oppengeim only Mentz and Creutznach made a shew of defence but were quickly compelled to follow the other and the Spaniards either to repasse the Mosell or to be shut up in Frankendal The King having visited the Seate of the mouth of the Mayne resolved to build a strong Town Gustave burgh under his own name opposite to Mentz below Francfurt and so he set men on worke about it and many great Lords built faire houses there but both this Town and the Victories of this great Prince vanished away a few years after as we shall shortly shew Amongst all the Princes of the confession of Auxburgh The Landgrave of Darmstedt obtaines new trality there was none but George Landgrave of Darstadt who kept newtrality and fidelity to the Emperour He sent to demand it also of the King by his Embassadours whom he answered that he wondered that he came not himself in Person since he was so neer Whereupon the Prince assembled the principal Ministers of his Countrey and proposed to
principal Imperial Towns besides It is seated almost in the Center of Germany hath alwayes been extreamely jealous of the Emperours happines opposed his designes by many direct wayes Nurembergh contrary to the Emperour as by Embassyes to the Protestants and by Leagues which it hath made with the Enemies of the House of Austria Wallenstein resolved to go thanke the Citizens of the Town for the good reception they had given his Masters Capital Enemy and by the same means to recall him to their succour The Armies drew neer the Town and invironned it together with the King who not being strong enough to oppose so great and terrible forces sent for all his Generals as Marshal Horne the Landgrave of Hassia Duke Bernard of Wimar Axel Oxensterns and a multitude of other Officers with their Troops who all arrived happily to his camp All the forces before Nurembergh save onely Tupadel who had three Regiments cut in pieces and himselfe taken prisoner Upon the other side Gallasso and Holck gave the Protestants like for like pilladged Misnia and took all the Towns Friburgh to save the Sepulcher of the Duke of Saxony paid eighty thousand Rix-Dollers Leipsick Galasso in Misnia took Garrison the second time and saw them returne whom it thought never to see again and that song was proved false which said that the Emperour was escaped like a Theese and a Highway-man But respect was lost and detraction praised Oh depraved Age Thou art full of injustice and perfidie Papenheim in Westphalia Papenheim being repassed the Rheyn made all his Enemies forthwith know of his returne and all the Birds smelling the approach of the Falcon hid themselves He tore some in pieces and made others fly from their nests without letting any body take either rest or breath Baudis His exploits and the Landgrave felt the prickings of his tallons Duke George of Luneburgh who had besieged Wollfenbottel found himselfe oppressed before he knew of his Enemies coming and he was so well cudgelled that he could hardly get safe to Brunswick This successe so much inflamed the courage of this brave Souldier that he presumed to attack the great Towns and so he took Hâ—ldesheem and Mulhuse with three hundred thousand Rix-Dollars for ransom and Erfurt was already mennased by him when he heard that the King was departed out of Franconie and was coming towards Saxony there to finde his Tomb And indeed he said a little before the Battel of Lutzen that he should not live long because he was too much loved honoured The words of Gustave and respected by the people which prediction of his proved true as we shall forthwith demonstrate CHAP. XXVII The Armies encamped before Nurembergh The Skirmishes They depart from thence The Battail of Lutzen The death of King Gustave King Frederick and Papenheim I Shal not mention all which passed between the two greatest Armies that have been seen these hundred yeares composed of so many Generals as well as others Every one laboured to excell his companion and whatsoever art and subtilty can be in Arms was here set on work The King who boasted that he had to do with a Priest which was Tilly with a souldier Tilly called Priestly the King Papenheim Souldier and Willenstein Foole. meaning Papenheim and with a Fool which was Wallenstein who gave him more exercise then all the rest not being able to draw him to a generall Battail offered him the Crown of Hungary but that not succeeding and the Impostume which Wallenstein had in his soul not being yet ready to burst and vent the filth which was in it recourse must be had to force For the Imperialists were grown Hollanders and served themselves of the Spade instead of the Lance. But Gustave longing to be Master of the Empyre resolved to unnestle him from thence and assembled his principall Officers to dispose his Army that way But finding them of a contrary opinion through the impossibility of the Enterprize he fell to reproach them and utter such injurious language against them as had not their interest been tyed to his Gustave abuses his Officers and their aversion from the House of Austria too great would have made many of them disband In so much as that Duke Barnard rising full of generous choler answered him in these terms Sir the Germans are not Cowards But the King appeased him saying that it was not he whom he taxed and so disposed him together with the other Officers to a Generall Attack The losse of the Swedes The Swedes advanced and the Imperialists covered with their Trenches withstood them and after a stubborn fight of many houres and the losse of the Flower of their Army repulsed them There were aboue five thousand killed upon the place besides hurt and taken Then was the gold of great Gustaves wisdome ecclipsed and appeared that it was neer an end The Imperialists lost about fifteen hundred men And the King fearing least he should loose the Electour of Saxonie left a good Garrison in the Town to secure it and marched with all his Army towards Saxonie to preserve that Countrey for himself But whilest the Armyes were incamped neer Nurembergh and the circumjacent Countries for more then ten leagues compasse ruined by the excursions of so many men General Arnem domineered over Silesia at his pleasure and being reinforced by some Troops constrained Holck to cast himself into Misnia with Galasso The Masters of Politick Science were of opinion that if Wallenstein had had a mind to destroy the King he might have done it without putting himself in the danger of hazarding a Combat had it not been upon very great advantage but that he let him passe so to play his part the better Whatever were the matter his actions were more neerly and narrowly pryed into afterwards which when the right side of the Meddal was turned upwards were discovered to be all criminal The King not having been able to ruin Wallenstein passed to the Dutchy of Wirtembergh and sent General Bannier over the Danub The Duke separated himself to go and defend his Countrey and Wallenstein followed the King but suddenly changed his resolution and marched into the Dutchy of Saxonie there to take up his Winter quarters Gustave hastened thither Wallenstein speedily sent for the Valliant Papenheim The King whose genius seemed to apprehend that of the Souldier laboured to hinder this conjunction and desired to destroy him but could not for the Souldier had too much craft and dexterity and he was very well receaved by his General who sent him with ten or twelve Regiments to surprise Hall and keep Galasso and Holck with himself The King being incamped before Nurenburgh had notice from Wallensteins Camp neer Lutzen of the departure of him whose valour he so much esteemed and being desirous to end the difference by a Battail The Battail of Lutzen disposed his Army thereto with a short speech And Wallenstein having discovered his intension
sent speedily after Papenheim and resolved to stand fast and expect the Enemy The Shock or Ouset was furious and bloody The Croats did well enough at the beginning and the Swedes better and if Papenheim had stayed a little longer the Imperialists had fled But he came time enough Papenheim slain to redresse the Army which already began to stagger and to repulse the enemy but the shot of a Falkon a piece of Ordnance so called put a period to his life and all his glorious enterprizes Germany hath produced but few such Souldiers as he was for Valour Felicitie and Courage His elogies and the Emperour hath had few who have equalled him in fidelity He first made himself known in the Valtelme and at the Battail of Prague he was found amongst dead He finished the Tumults of the Peasants in Austria and above all after the Battail of Leipsick he redressed his Masters desperate party in Westphalia He seemed to dye content when he was told that the King was killed and it is held that if he had lived yet some years more he would have restored the Imperial Majesty to the first splendour The Horse basely gave ground as they had done in the first Battail It is beleeved that the King was slaine about the beginning of the Battail having receaved five wounds two whereof were mortal but it could never be learnt by whose hand he fell and opinions were so different that the truth could never be discovered The Swedes have reported that he was killed Gustave slain by a great Lord of his own Army others by Papenheim but neither the one nor the other is very likely to be true He was found amongst the dead so trodden and tumbled by the Army which had passed over his body that he was hard to be known What shall we say of the potency of this world since so much glory and merit is trodden under foot by horses This Prince who like another Alexander was grieved and vexed to stay so long in Germany and wished nothing more His praises then to go seek new Trophies elsewhere is borne down and that so venerable Majesty so much respected and feared every where is now reduced to dust This great Warrier this invincible Monarch the delight of the Protestants the terrour of the Catholicks the Darling of Fortune lost his life in the middle of Triumphs and of Germany His fall caused so much rage and despaire in the soules of his souldiers that they chose rather to die then retyre and obliged the Imperialists after they had fought till dark night to make a retreate but little more modest then plain flight towards Leipsick His life Duke Bernard and Cniphanse gave great testimonies of themselves in this bloody Fight and the whole Army melted in teares to see the King their Generall without sense and motion He was Son to Charles Duke of Sudermam who had taken away the Crown from his Nephew Sigismund King of Poland It is reported that he had made his Apprentiship in War disguised and unknown under Prince Maurice and that even after he was King he made a journey into Germany in the quality of an ordinary Horseman His Governours son hath told me that he was in the war of Bohemia saw the Count of Bucquoy's Army discovered himselfe to some Princes and then sowed the first seeds of his intelligence in the Empire He made War in Livonia and Prussia with a most singular odour of his great felicity His many Victories changed his sweet and tractable nature into a too rough and austere severity an hereditary Vice in the race of Erick as soon as they are past forty years old Thus gloriously ended Gustavus Adâ—phus his dayes and Parca by cutting off the thred of his life made him triumph to manifest that if he had lived some years longer Europ would have been too little for the number of his Conquests and his glory He presumed against the content and opinion of the Chiefe of his Council to come into Germany with an Army of eight thousand men to defend the Lutheran Religion and to check so vast and formidable a Power as that of the House of Austria but he was sure of his Allyes and of the affections of all the Protestants in general Also that though Fortune should have treated him as she had done others he had still the means left to save himselfe in his own Kingdom and draw up the Bridge after him But she was too kinde to him to break company with him so soone and his designes too high to please his Allyes Never was there Prince more regretted and deplored then he and all the North put on mourning whilest the South rejoyced at his fall but it felt the rough Attacks of his Generals after his death and the Swedes went not out of Germany till they got a Peace the spoiles and a share of the Empire a notable recompence The Battel of Lutzen the sixteenth of November for having whipped it so well This Battel hapned the sixteenth of November some dayes after deceased King Frederick at Mentz a milde Prince and much bewailed by his people He accompanied Gustave into Bavaria who was willing to restore him to the Palatinat The death of Frederick but under hard and unreceiuable conditions Let us see what passes in France CHAP. XXVIII The Elector of Trevirs takes the protection of France Monsieur enters into the Kingdom with an Army The death of the brave Duke of Montmorancy THe fidelity of the Ecclesiastical Electors was so great that they chose rather to suffer all the rigour and extremity of Fortune then untie themselves from the Emperour The French drivo the Spâ—niâ—ds from Trevirs save onely that the Elector of Trevirs sought to shelter his Country under the protection of France and received a French Garrison into Harmestein an inexpugnable place neer Cobelents where the Mosell casts her selfe into the lap of the Rheyn And he would have done as much at Trevirs if he had not been prevented by the Chapter which put a Spanish Garrison in before whereby the King was moved to send the Marshal De'stree to dislodge it and put in another Whilest the said King and Cardinal were looking upon the affairs of Germany Monsieur his Brother marched out of Brabant with an Army and published that he would deliver France from the Tyranny of the Cardinal The Duke of Montmorancy ranged himselfe with him Monsieur enters France and it looked as if all were disposed to Richelnis ruine Many of the Grandees inâ—lined also that way being jealous to see the King of Sweden destroy the Catholick League in Germany shouldered by the Allyance of the Eldest Sonne of the Church upon the suscitation of this proud Minister The Marshal of Schoonbergh followed this said Army with some ordinary forces There hapned a Skirmish wherein the Duke of Montmorancy would needs be nibbling and so was wounded and taken and his Party ruined
seeking the end of their evills in a happy peace but there was a wind which hindred the sprowting forth of this good seed During the time of their negotiation the Infanta went to enjoy everlasting beatitude with her husband The death of the Infanta with whom she had so religiously lived Her subjects expressed very great grief for the departure of so good a Mother by whom they had been so gently governed and that which most afflicted them was to foresee that these Treaties would produce no good effect as it was easie to judge for the States stood fast upon impossibilities and these could not by any means exclude their Master besides the Prince going to besiege Rhinbergh which he took in three weeks made them conceive that they treated with them almost no other wise then Conquerors use to do with such as they have vanquished For they offered them conditions of advantage enough to testifie that their thoughts were very much inclined to peace but the wind of France quickly cooled that pious heat Charnasse made use of the two most potent wayes in the world to make this Treaty infructuous that is of Eloquence and of that divine Mettall which Inpiter knew to be the strongest In fine he effected so much by his diligent pursuits The Treaty of Peace vanishes and sollicitations that he brake off the whole match and brought the States to take Arms again with his Master The Marquis of Aitona not having force enough to face the Prince before Rhinbergh was content to fortify the Isle of Saint Stephen upon the Moze whereby to have the passage free And the Prince agitating in his mind a greater exploit then that of a Siege went The siege of Rheynbergh and incamped himself beyond Boisleduc or the Bosse and having sent for eighteen or Twenty Troops of Swedish Horse departed with a multitude of Waggons of Victualls and marched directly towards Aitona who though he had also received some Horse from the Imperialists for his defence kept himself upon his advantages as judging it beyond the maximes of a souldier to put the Country into a general joy by hazarding the Battail offered him For if the Prince had gained it he had found no resistance but if he had lost it he had left the Conquerours nothing but the glory of having wonne it without any other profit at all save only peradventure of a Town or two as Wenlo and Ruremund The Prince sent a supply to Mastricht and retyred himself faster then he came which caused the disbanding of many of his men And the Marquis hastened with three thousand horse to defend the Isle of Saint Stephen and thus ended the Field of this year of 1633 upon which the Swedes who had committed unknown insolencies in this Militia and some dissolutions which spoyled the Holland discipline repassed the Rheyn as the Imperialists on the other side also did But let us see the Field following before we repasse with them Some Lords prisoners Aitona having received money from Spain and ranged his Militia in a good state of obedience took some Lords prisoners who were suspected of having complotted with Count Henry of Bergues The Prince d'Espinoy was already fled into France and the Duke of Arscot gone into Spain and so this thick fogge being dissipated and Count Henry's Cause tryed he marched with his Army towards the Moze whether he had already sent the Marquis de Lede who took the strong House of Argenteau and retook the Dutchy of Limburgh and so made a shew of besieging Mastricht to have the passage open into Germany The Prince to divert him from this design went and planted himself before Breda but having received notice that the Spanish Army drew towards him to dislodge him from thence he retyred five dayes after Thus ended this Field in the Low-Countries let us go see other sport in the Empyre much more bloody then this CHAP. XXXIII The Siege of Ratisbon the taking of the Town The death of Aldringer The Cardinall Infanto joynes with the King of Hungary The Protestants draw all their forces together again The Businesse of Norlinghen The victory of the Imperialists The Cardinal Infanto passes into the Low-Countries THe chief of the Protestant Party had so great cause to mistrust Generall Wallenstein whose plots and practises they knew that it was no wonder if Duke Bernard gave no credit to the promises he made to hasten a Conjunction the retardment whereof was fatall to him and all his friends Duke Francis-Albert of Saxony Lailemburgh who was the instrument chosen to tye these two mettals of a different nature together proved not his Crafts-master and so was carried prisoner for his apprentisage to Vienna Ratish me taken by the Sweden Duke Bernard having taken Ratisbone by the good will of the Inhabitants and being assured too late of the intentions of the Duke of Fruhland was advancing already towards Bohemia when he received the newes of the just disaster which was befallen him whereupon he changed course Inpiter is patient but when his goodnesse is too much abused he darts his Thunderbolt and crushes all It is alwayes dangerous to meddle with ones Master and to crack nuts with him This great Symptome was advantageous to the Swedes as giving them opportunity to take Towns in Swaveland and towards the Lake of Bregants in such sort as that the terrour which King Gustave had cast into Italy was now renewed more strongly then ever The King of Hungary having cured the Army with a sweet shower of Gold and taken a new Oath from the souldiers made them march towards Ratisbone For since the servant had betrayed the Father of the Family it was necessary to sond the childe who was received by all of them with incredible joy and alacrity I will not stay upon the particulars of this famous siege which cost very much blood but content my self with only saying that newes being come to the Camp of a notable victory gotten by Arnem upon the Imperialists in Silesia and of his moving towards Prague the King sent so strong a supply And retaken by the Imperialists that the said Armens was constrained to raise the Siege and retyre himself into Saxony Aldringer 〈◊〉 at the very same time that Ratisbone began to parly and capitulate which was near the end of July and some dayes before the famous General Aldringer was slain near Lanshut He was born in the Country of Lâ—xenburgh and his vertue had drawn him out of the obscurity of his birth to raise him to so eminent a Charge He had fought happily with John de Werdr and his death was much regretted by the principal of his party Donawerds followed Rarisbone and the Cardinal Infanto who had now staid long enough at Milan passed with the old Spanish Italian and Burgundian Bands through Swisserland into Germany where they quickly taught the Swedes what it was exactly to observe Military Discipline The Armyes joyned and marched into
must reckon twice Prince Thomas his Troops defeated They cutt of Prince Thomas's Troops which presumed to oppose such an Army as that the Vant-guard whereof only put them to flight and which was a terrour both to Friends and Foes yea the Prince of Orange himself and the States when they beheld this so gallant an Army and above seven thousand Horsemen with scarlet Cassocks were so amazed that they would have made the signe of the crosse thereat had they been accustomed to it But afterwards distrusts and jealousies the obstacles to all brave exploits wriggled themselves in amongst them and continued till the end of the Field The first prey was Tirlemount famous for the ruine thereof for all imaginable cruelties and unnaturall actions were perpetrated and executed in this unhappy Town The Churches Tirlemount taken and burnt Grâ—at cruelties and whatsoever the Catholicks held in greatest Veneration was handled with lesse reverence then if they had been meer Tartars All was pillaged all violated and burnt and almost all massacred A fine beginning cannot choose but haue a fine end The Cardinal Infanto in the mean time retyred and incamped himself before Brussels expecting succour from Germany and gathering together the forces of the Provinces all which were not sufficient to stop this impetuous torrent which carried all before it The Armies pitched their Camp before Lovaine the seat of the Muses which Mars ought to spare and by consequence he did nothing for Jupiter saved it Grotendonck with six or seven Regiments commanded in the Town and the Enemy stayed in this Siege about twelve dayes Lovaine besieged but French at length being better furnished with Pistolls then Bread found themselves besieged by hunger which caused fierce muttering and then disbanding Is succoured and the Hellanders retyre The Prince of Orange seeing this disorder and the relief came out of Germany under Piccolommi concluded with the French Marshals to make a retreat and the Infanto with his Supply to pursue them They went and incamped neer Grave and the Spaniards neer to the Fort of St. Stephen where they stayed not long for the Prince being advertised that the fort of Schenck was surprized hastened thither speedily with three thousand men and the Armies followed him This Fort stood upon a point which divided the Rheyn into two Arms or Branches and was so well strengthened and furnished that it was not besiegeable But Captain Eenholt a native of those parts desiring nothing more then a favourable occasion to revenge the death of his Father who was beheaded at the Haghe pryed so well into matters and layd so fit hold of his time that he got it with small trouble and losse to the great cost of the United Provinces whose Army camped at Besaw and the French at Emmerick and Rees And besiege the Fort of Scheck taken a little be fore The Spaniards who vanted that they found the key of Holland kept this Fort nine mouths but the Lock was changed insomuch as that they were in deliberation of blowing it up Thus Fortune played the wagge with them by giving victory sometimes to the one and sometimes to the other The French demy much diminished and afflicted This French Army which was the lustiest and gallantest that had been raised since the beginning of this Age being reduced to five or six thousand men of forty thousand which it was felt the whole winter the crosses of irreconcilable Fortune or rather the effects of that great God who was so much irritated by them for the souldiers were constrained to sell their Horses and Cassacks and go a begging It was a pittifull thing to see Gentlemen of good birth dye of sicknesse in Hospitals and the souldiers miserable by the expectation of the wind which was almost four months quite contrary Thus passed the first Field which looked at first as if it would swallow and devoure all and so both Parties were equall But if Fortune smiled upon the Assailants in the beginning she did so yet more upon the Defendants who prepared themselves to attack the other the year following and so the war grew hotter then ever towards the Rheyn in the Low-Countries and in France CHAP. V The Imperialists beat back the French into Lorraine Oxenstern passes into France Bannier renewes the war and beats the Saxons Hatsfeldt succours them Magdeburgh yeelds The Battail of Witstock Leipsick succoured THen offers it self so much to be said in the carrcer of this deplorable war which as streaming Rivers swell bigge by receiving many other brooks into them embraces so many other in it and growes so universall that if I made any longer stay then only to pick out every one in their particular circumstances I should never come to an end Wherefore having sufficiently declared the motives and praetexts I will speak of them only in bulk especially since we are now descended to those which are known to all men for the wounds thereof are bleeding yet in the most illustrious Families and the Villages still smoaking some whereof have so far lost their form that they are reduced as it were into a certain First matter or Chaos and serve for nothing but a retreat to Wolves and Scritch-Owles or Birds of ill augure which advertise us that it is time to aspire to some other place since this land is cursed and desert producing nothing but nettles and thistles The abomination of desolation is in the holy place let us hope for no amendment but fly to the mountains An inundation in Holstein This year of 1635. by means of a flood which happened near Glucstat there were drowned about six thousand persons and more then fifty thousand beasts The like misfortune chanced in Catalunia some years before and the Plague which began in the North passed through Holland and carried away above twenty thousand mortalls in the Town of Leyden only without counting such as were consumed in Amsterdam The plague at Leyden and other Townes And this contagion seemed to be fomented by the famine which had been in Germany where the very dead were disinterred to be eaten in the Palatinat and Alsatia The French beaten out of Germany The French had no better luck at fighting in Germany from whence they were expelled with losse of men Canon an Baggage and Iohn de Werdt went beating them to Monthelgard and Galasso having made them quit Mentz Gust aveburgh and other places went pursuing them in the Reer as farre as Metz in such sort as that Weimar and Cardinall de la Valette were compelled to forsake all and the Imperialists being tyred with following them and want of food were fain to return and give them leave to take breath In other Ages such revolutions as these would have produced peace but in this these losses were but as matches to kindle them to a continuation for he who got a great victory hoped forthwith to suppress his enemy and if Fortune changed desire of revenge
George besieged it in August and carried it in September following but General Bannier caused the Governour to be beheaded for not having done his duty Galasso marched out of Pomerania and passed the Elbe Glitznigh the General of Brandenburgh stormed Gariz and he of Saxonie the Fort of Varnemont neer Rostock where he lost his life Now who would believe that the Swedes being forsaken in apparence by all the States of Germany droven back to the Baltick sea beaten in many Encounters despoiled of the Isle of Vsedon and many other with considerable losse should ever have been able to rise any more But General Hatsfelds sicknesse made them take courage though General Bredaw defeated them and made them start back again into theit Islands And yet all this was not able to hinder them from afflicting Germany yet more and that with more confusion then it had been before The feaver required yet greater blood-lettings which made this Body once so puissant and formidable grow faint and languish Let us accompany them to the banck of the Danub and to the Gates of Ratisbone Bannier having received from Sweden a supply of eight thousand men and ruined Gartz passed the Elbe in the Dutchy of Luneburgh which might have been hindred by the Princes of that House had they not taken newtrality and confirmed the good opinion of them at Venice But he marched into Misnia where he found great facility every where and very little aversion any where so strong was the zeal of Religion even yet amongst those people It was to much purpose to prohibit the Germans from taking part with the Swedes under paine of being declared Traytours to their Countrey The Sweeds againe in Misnia in Bohemia and Silesia for the hatred they carried to the Catholicks their inclination to the Swedes and the desire to plunder made them slight the ruin of the Empire but it was chiefly in Saxony 1639 that they declared their sence concerning the Peace of Prague Bannier went into Bohemia Torstenzon into Lusatia and Stalhans into Silesia and God knows into what condition they put that Country where they found more friends then the Imperialists did in Pomerania He defeated General Marizim neer Chemniz and incamped before Prague where he also defeated General Hoskirck Beats the Impeâ—alists All the world was amazed at this progress which was against all apparence and all expectation and which cost so much blood so much desolation and so many inflagrations throughout all Saxonie and even to the very Gates of Prague Fortune had again turned her back upon the Imperalists who changed their Commander For the Archduke Leopold was declared Generalissimo or Chief-General and Piccolomini his Lieutenant Many encounters hapned in which the Swedes had almost still the better and Fortune accompanied them even to the last according to the assurance which was given Bannier by a certain Peasant who was become his Prophet He marched into Thuringe 1640 to joyn with the Weymarians Hassians French and Luneburghians who returned to his Party The Imperalists incamped themselves neer Salfeldt and the Swedes over against them so that there was no other separation between them then that of the little River Sale from whence as the French writers affirm The famous Salick Law derives its name and Origen The businesse passed on both sides with some small Skermishes and with looking upon one another In sine the Swedes departed and took their way towards Brunswick and the Imperalists theirs towards Hassia where they carryed themselves no better then the others had done in Bohemia But the Duke of Weymar ruins the Lawrel winns the Rheyn therefore let as retire that way CHAP. VIII The Duke of Weymar repasses the Rheyn and besieges Rhinfeldt John de Werdr beaten and taken prisosoner The Duke of Rohans death Duke Benrards many Victories he takes Brisack his death SInce we have carried on the progresse of the Swedes to the year 1640. Let us go see what the French and Weymarians do for their part Indeed after General Gallasso departed the Burgundians were alwayes much afflicted and their constance wraher brought misfortune upon them The Burgundians ill treated then diverted it from them They refused to admit of Garrisons from him and the Lorrianers were not able to defend them The Waymarians in Alsatia beaten so that they were beaten neer Besanton and that Victory opened that way for the Weymarians again into Germany who with certain Barks which they sound passed the Rheyn made many Forts and a Bridge to keep the River at their devotion John de Werdt having notice of it omitted not to come and charge them and made them turne their backs so that he quickly got possession of the said Forts and Bridge delivered his Masters this second time from the fear which was given them by the Duke of Weymar in those parts and then sent his Troops into Winter quarters However the Duke of Weymar were much astonished at his losse yet did not he loose his courage For it is in the crosses of Fortune that great men shew vertue and testify that they are never able to despaire of good successe He repassed the Rheyn Repasse the Rheyn 1638. and besiege took Lanfenburgh and besieged Rheynfelt in the moneth of March 1638. Iohn de Werdt knowing the importance of this place marched with all speed attacked the Enemy raised the Siege beat some Foor and took two Field-pieces But this Victory having cast the Imperilites into a kind of dull security and the said Duke having gotten to himself the Duke of Rohan with five Regiments he came and charged them so happily that he routed them Iohn de Wedrt defeated and taken prisoner is sent to Paris and took Iohn de Werdt and the Duke of Savelly who afterwards made his escape prisoners besides Enkefort Sperrenter and many other Officers together with sixty Standards and Coulours This was a great blow for it brake open all the bars of the Rheyn and Iohn de Werdt with Enkefort was sent to Paris to witnesse it and was lodged at Bois de Vincennes where all the world flocked to see so renowned a Souldier in such fort as had he been an Emperour A daâ—â—â—ageable loss to the Hause of Austria there could not have been more crowding This defeat was the cause of great trouble to the House of Austria as the losse of Alsatia and the taking of Brisack but upon the other side it brought no lesse joy to France especially to such as were tyed to the interests of that great Cardiual the main mover of this low world The Duke of Roham death the Duke of Rohan being grown old under the burthen and toyle of Arms dyed of his wounds He was newly come back from the Valieline where he had archived new Lawrel which he besprinkled with blood in this last battail Rhinfeldt yeelded Rotued followed Friburgh made a shew of defence but the Governour quickly flinched Duke Barnard marched to Brisack the
Halberstadt and his Body was carried to Stockholm His Elogies He was a valiant souldier and more happy after the death of his King then before Bohemia and chiefly Saxony felt the effects of his cruelty which was covered with the title of vengeance He redressed the Swedish affaires in Germany after the Peace and Forstenton his Successour made them glorious The Swedish and Weymarian Armies being joyned together and fearing lest the Imperielists should succour Wolfenbottle which was besieged by the Dukes of Brunswick they all marched and incamped themselves before the said Town where we will leave them wasting and consuming in expectation of the success of the Siege CHAP. XI The prudence of the Cardinal Duke The Duke of Lorraine â—goes to Paris and why The Count of Soissons the Duke of Guise and Bouillon retire to Sedan The fight with Lamboy The Marshal of Chatillon The taking of Aire The Cardinal Infanto retires to Brussels his death GOod Mariners very often foresee a great Storme in a great Calme In high prosperity we must apprehend some misfortunes which being prevised will be lesse able to hurt by meanes of the preventive remedies which may be procured This potent Minister during the time of good successe had his eyes upon the Poupe of that vast Vessel the government whereof he had in his hands thereby to observe which way the Tempest might chance to come He easily discovered by the discontentment of some certaine Princes a kinde of fog which by condensing might cause a furious blast It is not sufficient to know what passes but to foresee also what is to come Wherefore he secretly caused the Duke of Lorraines pulse to be felt and laboured to untie him from the interest of Spain by rendring him his States The Duke who had so often experimented his pranks and who never had any other then good thoughts for France and never changed them till he saw that they endeavoured to deprive him of his Dutchy listened to the overtures made him received the Promises which were sent him signed to Brussels for his entire re-establishment and thereupon departed towards Paris where he was received with much honour more then a hundred and fifty Coaches going to meet him and the King expressed great kindnesse The Duke of Lorraine goes into France and benevolence to him They would make him sweare to the Treaty and yet they would keep Nancy for a pledge of his promise So that the poor Prince perceiving the Cardinals jugglings and the aversion of the Courtiers dissembled some affronts and endeavoured to withdraw himselfe thence to returne into Lorraine For they would needs ingage him against the Spaniards which he neither could nor would do The Cardinal conceiving that he would not be able to do any harme nor finde any credit in the Council of Spain suffered him to go A piece of cunning whereby he had couzened many In the mean time the discontented Princes contracted forces at Sedan with whom the Duke of Lorraine The discontented Princes at Sedan having already gotten a small body of an Army on foot refused to joyne but kept his word with the King But seeing that La Motte and some other small Places were not restored him and that he was but scoffed at by them at length full of generous resentment and zeal of revenge he cast himselfe again into the interest of Spain with intention to remaine therein till a General Peace Why would they needs retaine Nancy What assurance could he have of the restitution And what hope or apparence of constraining so great a Monarch to render it to him if he were untyed from the Spaniards If when he was re-established he should not keep his word whereof yet there was no doubt at all the King had but too much means with the forces in Germany and France to make him repent himselfe of any such light Change No no had it not been for the full restitution of his Country he would not have gone from Brussels and had they performed what they promised him he would have lived in pence and quiet with his Subjects But such as penetrated into this Ministers designes saw well enough that they would never render it him because they intended to adde to France such other Conquests as they had already made and hoped to make in Germany Those Writers who flattered the Cardinal and accused the Duke of levity either did not or would not know the bottome of the businesse and had a minde to make men believe that a Prince ought to want resentment and interest when they break their word with him in order whereunto I could produce the example of some others if it might be done without offence As soon as the season permitted the King of France put a strong Army into the Field Ayre besieged and taken under the command of Marshal de la Meillieraye who took some small places as the Islers and laid Siege to Ayre a strong Town in the Province of Artoise but the strength thereof served for nothing but to kindle the generous courage of the French who notwithstanding all the desences both within and without took it in leste then two moneths 1641. The Princes disemtented and why He sent also another Army under the conduct of Monsieur de Chatillon to watch the designes of the Princes of whose discontentments and the grounds thereof it is necessay to speak The Count of Soissons a Prince of the Blood having received au affront at the Siege of Corbie and many other at the Court too sensible to be endured removed himselfe and retired to Sedan where the Duke of Guise came to him and all complaining of the Cardinals unjust Ministery and of the oppression of the Kingdom they published a Manifest containing their complaints and the subject for which they took Arms which was for the peace of Europe and the expulsion of him who fomented the War They make Alliance with the House of Austria Beat the Duke of Chatillon and the Count of Soissons They made an Allyance with the Emperour and the Cardinal Infante and joyned their forces with those of General Lamboy In fine there grew a Battle wherein the brave Count of Soissons against the advice of all the Great ones would needs ingage and the Duke of Chatillon lost it and was pursued as farre as Resol This Victory was bought by the death of this brave Lord brought small profit to the Vanquishers but much more to him who was vanquished For if he had lived he would have raised more then halfe France The King left the Frontier of Flanders but the Cardinal would not leave him and so being followed by a gallant Army which shouldered that which was before Ayre they marched towards Sedan The Infanto lost no time for whilest the King was setting his Minister on work to make the Duke of Bouillon abandon the Party by promising him mountaines of Gold he besieged the Besiegers who not having
of that learned writer the Imperial Crown upon his brothers head because he would rather have had it upon his Sonnes and the Germans will not see it upon that of a Spaniard How then shall these instruments be tuned I conclude that she hath been moved to act by Interest only to uphold her self and not to hunt aster this chimericall Monarchy The Emperours which have been since have manifested no excess of ambition and Philip the third made no stir at all So that it must be either Fâ—rdinand the second or Philip the Fourth Let us examin the grounds which may give these jealousies and authorize these opinions The said Ferdinand the second had War with the Bohemians and the Prince Palatine every one knows for what He would have the three Episcopal Townes had he not right to them The Victories he got in Low-Saxonie moved him to restore and re-established his Authority there was he out of reason Here-demanded as Soveraign Judge the Ecelesiasticall Lands and Goods according to the tenour of the contract at Passavia was he ill-grounded The Lutherans themselves will not say so Shall we therefore suffer this House to swallow up all Now it is that we must have recourse to the interest which every body ought to have in commendation and not stray from the path of Justice As for Hypocrisiy whereof he accuses them of this Family by comparing their piety to the colours of the Rain-bow which are but deceipts and illusions it is acalumnie which confutes it self and a malice convinced by the testimonies of the Lutherans who have frequented the Imperiall Court A calumny convinced and have wished that all the Courts of the Protestant Princes were regulated like that Indeed the words which he uses to cure as he sayes the mindes of such as are praeoccupated by errour are not strong enough to make them passe for good even in his own opinion For a may be cannot form a determinate truth of future things Yet it is not my intention to approve all the actions of this House and defend her ends and much lesse to deliver the Bordering Princes from the fear which they may have of her greatnesse by the refutation of those arguments but only freely and plainly to lay open the justice of her Arms and the strong necessity of her interests to maintain her self against so many enemies I combat no Soveraign Family but reverence them all without exception and praeoccupation I only demonstrate the practices cheateries and effects of ambition together with those of self-advantage which render whole Provinces desert and breed general calamities In the Treaty of peace at Manster we shall discover the intentions of all the Princes without amusing our selves any more with the words of interested Clarks But we must first consider why France which hath always restored to the Dukes of Savoy such of their States Why France wi keep Lorrain as she hath seazed upon by arms doth now yet so obstinatly retaine Lorrain as she also did the three Bishopricks I answer that she hath done the former to avoide giving jealousie to the Princes of Italy whole good correspondence she holds necessary for her so to maintain her interests there But she will not let Lorrain go in regard of her conquests made in Germany and because the Princes of that Country being divided into Parties are not sourgent for the restitution of the losses of their Neighbours as those others are France calls the Princes of the House of Austria and all such as are tyed to her interests her Enemies and in regard that this irreconcitiable-hatred is not very ancient we shall quickly finde out the source thereof During the English Warrs in France the Spaniards being then great friends and Allyes with France always succoured her and there were some Lords of that Nation who possested great Charges in the said Warrs Yea in that memorable assembly of Arras where to the confusion of the English the Peace was made between the King and the Duke of Burgundy a certain Spanish Knight in a contention of honour took the White Cross without giving any other reason for it then that it was a sign of Amity But now The causes of the hatreds between France and Spain the said House being annexed to Spain the first spark of division sprung up in Italy the second and the greatest was about the Imperial â—â—â—â—n and jealousie of State which lasted til the death of Henry the second a 〈◊〉 as a wakened again under Henry the third by the counsell of the Hughenots and his brother the Duke of Alencon sudddenly made Duke of Brabaâ—t Philip the second of Spain did the like for him by favouring the Heads o the League to the deminution of his Authoritie and the Hughenot Party Henry the fourth took his revenge advanced the hatred always contraried opposed and laboured to weaken this power which gave him jealousy And then it was that not only the Hughenots but the Catholicks also began to hate that Nation Not did the Spaniards remain their debtors therem In such sort as the hatred of the people is formed by that of State But this kings death stopped the currnet of those partialities that double marriage seemed quite to stifle them out in vain for these two proud Nations the most potent of Christendom have many pretensions upon each other and cannot endure any praeeminence at all In so much as that when the one makes any progresse the other endeavours to stop it besides sides the same Ministers of State spurred on by ambition and desire to raise their Families have from time to time kindled these suspitions which have hatched these fatall wars to the destruction of all Europe The one of these Houses styles her selfe most Christian and yet meddles not much with the businesse of Religion for she ordinarily attracts the Reformates to her interests who are enemies to the Pope and by consequence to the other House which suffers not their Doctrine in her Dominions The other is tearmed Catholick and abandons not the interests of Religion no more then she doth her own unlesse it be by force proceeding from the necessity of State-affaires through some new conjuncture as we shall see in the sequell of this work Lewis the thirteenth shocked this House with so much authority and power and procured her so many Enemies that she had very much adoe to keep her self up in such sort as that great Cardinal the Angel-Gardian of France by his puissant Allyances begat an opinion in the Soules of many Politicians that he sought the Universal Monarchy In effect by this great Conquerours means he hoped to overthrow the Emperour and had already devoured the possession of the Low-Countries by the help of the Hollanders But man purposes and God disposes But let us withdraw our selves out of this Labyrinth since we have already gon round about it and if we enter into it we have not a sufficient thred of
prevented by the aforesaid Prince who made his Army march at one of the clock after mid-night and pitched his Camp near the said Weymarians in such sort as that Melo coming some hours too late durst not meddle with them and avowed that he had to do with one of the cunningest Captains in the world But whilest these things passed Baron John de Werdt returned out of France and shewed that he had not forgotten his Trade by the discontinuance thereof for in less then two months there were above two thousand horses sold at Colein which he had taken from the enemy Let us now pass into Catalunia and see the condition of the affaires of that Country commanded by Monsieur de la Motte Houdancour who so often beat the Castilians took so many Towns and succoured so many more that he deserved and had the Marshalls staffe The King and Cardinal went thither The great progresse of the Frénch in Catalunia and the French took Salces Perpinlan and all the County of Roussillion which had been formerly engaged to the Crown of France but was restored by Charles the eighth Monsieur le Grand had such an advantagious possession of the Kings favour at that time that the great Cardinal was alarmed by it and found himself ready to be cast out of the Saddell For he let the King know how necessary a Peace would be for his kingdom which was impoverished and exhausted by so many Taxes and Warres and had already disposed him to listen to an Accommodation with the King of Spain But he warped a Web into which he so involved himself that he was not afterwards able to put it off For they who recommended Peace were held for malefactors and worthy of death Monsieur le Grand beheaded and the Duke of Bouillon saved by whom Wherefore he was sent to Lyons with Monsieur de Thoii where they were both beheaded and the Duke of Bouillon had run the same Fortune had he not been saved by the high and sharp intercession of the Prince of Orange and the consideration of the Town of Sedan For the said Prince had newly preserved the Weymarian Army and rendred France a most remarkable service whereby he could not merit less then the safety of an innocent mans life The execution of the two young Lords aforesaid augmented the hatred which all the world bore this ambitious Cardinal yea and the King himself expressed some coldnesse to him The great Cardinals death which together with so many other inconveniences encreased his sickness and the fourth of December 1642 sent him to the other world since he had troubled this enough already Never did any man ascend to such an immense greatness and maintain himself so well in it His life was very like that of Seianus but their deaths were different this being naturall and that violent Don Alvarez de Luna rose very high but his fall was so heavy that it brake his neck Cardinal Wolsey disposed absolutely enough of his Master but his credit never passed the Sea but by sits and yet was he degraded before his death and in houtly expectation of the Hangman He was born at Paris of a noble extraction was well learned A brief relation of his life and took the Orders of Priesthood at Rome It is said that Pope Paul the fifth looking him once in the face told him That he would one day be the greatest cheat upon earth The Queen-Mother finding him a man of great wit procured him the Bishoprick of Luzon where he wrote a Book of controversie upon which she recommended him to the King her Son and afterwards to the Pope who sent him the Cardinals Cap and the taking of Rochel gave him so great an influence upon his Masters Mind that he left him almost the totall direction of his Kingdom He got himself shut of the Queen and all who favoured her cut off the Marshall of Marillacs head and destroyed all such as gave him any jealousie He never pardoned such as he had offended He was a most accomplished Politician beloved by the most zealous Protestants and hated by the most zealous Catholicks He made it his task to ruine the House of Lorrain by beginning with that of Guise as also that of Austria by labouring to conquer the Low-Countries so that he could not faile to be beloved by all such as hated the Church of Rome He is accused of having embroyled England to the end that for interest of State it might not hinder his seazing upon Flanders For an English Embassadour imputes to him the destruction of his King by most unjust and maligne practices and of setting all Europe by the eares in generall But he cannot be deprived of the praise of having done the Kingdom of France superlative services though it were with the huge oppression of the poor people A Polish Waywodt of great age and experience desired to outlive the said Cardinall to see what end he would have As he had done many people a great deale of hurt so was he alwayes in perpetuall apprehension and fear nor was there eyer Tyrant who lived in greater disquiet then he A great Volume might be made of the observations of his life which being wholly miserable was sustained but by a blast of ambition In fine whilest he was thinking to triumph over Europe his infirmities and troubles redoubled upon him till they made his soule go out of his wretched Body His death was lamented by few and such as had either feared him or fled from his persecution returned into France not to put on mourning but to give God thanks and repossesse themselves of their Charges and Estates CHAP. XIV The death of Lewis the Just The ' Battel of Rocroy The Battel of Dudling The Swedes enter into Holstein THe same Play was still acted under different names For they who had so much longed for great Gustaves death for the establishment of the Emperours Affaires were all amazed to see his Generalls accompanied by the same prosperity as if they had been destinated to consummate the begun-work Upon the other side many Princes and Townes openly favoured them in such such sort as the Emperours affaires weakened so fast to mens sight that they began to despaire of his redresse And so it was held for certain that that Great Cardinals death would cause a huge alteration in France and give the Spaniards the prize but it happened quite otherwise for the French defeated all their forces before Rocroy Let us therefore confesse that it is the Almighty who governes all changes destroyes subverts and augments States both when and how he pleases and that for the bringing of this Great All to an end he permits the Destruction to be Universall and the Confusion Generall Lewis the Just being arrived at his good City of Paris quite altered with the toyle and trouble of his long journey and extremely sad and melancholy began by little and little to lose his health and
together with the Generals Hatsfeldt Mercy Broy Zaradeske and six or seven Colonels This Battail fell our upon the six of March 1645. near Iankow which caused the Emperour to retyre to Prague and expose his kingdom to the Conquerours made the siege be raised from before Olmitz and brought the enemy even to the Gates of Vienna in such sort as there was nothing but the River betwixt them A strange thing and a prodigious felicity Fortune constantly continued victories to divers Generals and every one thought that the Emperour was lost if the Swedes chanced to pass the Danub This Nation which was little known in the fourteenth age was now become so puissant that she thought by the help of her Allyes to stumble that formidable house which is composed of so many other The Roman Emperour was almost destroyed by the Goths Visigoths and Vandals who came from the North and those Writers wrong the Swedes who say that they came not out of their Country it being too sterill to feed so many people However it is not my design to refute that opinion which refutes it self but I remain within the limits of that war and in great amazement to see the Swedes at one and the same time at the Gates of Vienna Copenhaghen and Bremen every where tredding down their Enemies Baron Iohn de Werdt who was wronfully blamed for not well mannaging his advantage through over much rashness met with some Weymarian Regiments the fifteenth of May and sacrificed almost fifteen hundred of them to the soules of such as were slain in the Battel of Iankow from which he got off with as much temerity as felicity but his Party was more afflicted by the losse of two hundred men then his enemies were by that of six hundred I should never have done if I should particularize upon so many takings of Towns so many furprizes and encounters so many Provinces grown desert and so much poverty by continuall invasions but it suffices me to note the Fields and Battails And to the end that we may not go a stray in the constant victories of the Swedes we will return to the French Weymarians The defeat of Durling seemed to have annihilated all that Body and buried the memory of that illustrious Prince Bernard of Weymar His Troops were ill enough handled after his death by the Bavarians towards the Rheyn but they had their revenge upon the bank of the same River against Lamboy This last blood-letting made them become French and had nothing left of Germans but the meer name A politick prank to preserve the amity of the Nation The Duke of Anguien a most Martiall Prince went to succour the Marshall of Iurenne in Atsatia The Siege of Friburg The Baron of Marey besieged Friburgh 1644. and after the taking thereof seemed to threaten Brisack The French Weymarians passed the Rheyn and endeavoured to draw the Bavarians to a Combat but they contented themselves with repulsing their ardour by a moderate defence The French lost an infinity of men at the attack of some certain Forts and constrained their enemies rather to abandon their advantage with the losse of foure pieces of Canon then to ingage in a generall Decision against the expresse Commandement of their Master who would not expose his States to the temerity of a Nation which wanted neither people nor intelligence nor practice This said attack deserved to be published in regard that the Generals themselves affirmed that they had never been at a Feast of this kind where there was greater effusion of blood with more obstinacy without defining the difference And indeed the onsert was made by the boldest Nation of the world and which more despises danger then all other The furious attacks near Fribâ—â—gh The magnanimous Duke of Anguien being joyned with the Marshall of Turenne resolved to storm a Fort but he was fain to retyre with loss The day following the Assault was begun again upon the other with so much fury that the report thereof cannot be heard without trembling Yea the sky it self being quite absconded with clouds at such a slaughter shed so many tears in the afternoon that it dulled the ardour of the Babes of Mars and made them retyre into their Quarters leaving the ground quite covered with dead corps The last attack was so horrible and the blood-shed so great that one would have said that they had a design to kill all and perish like Barbarians not like Christians A massacre worthy of this present Age. A detestable slaughter to winne one Fort and a morcell of ground The French who were much superiour to the Bavarians in Cavalry having refreshed their Infantry and not being able to draw them into the plain Field departed from thence leaving the ground strewed with dead bodies Never was death seen so much braved by two contrary Patties with more courage and resolution and lesse fear then in these reiterated Encounters It was not for Religion but for Rule Oh great God thou comesb with a soft pace but how hard and heavy are thy blowes when thou strikest The conflict of some Lorrain Regiments near the Rheyn with Collonel Teste de Corbean in English Crowes-head by whom they were surprized and at first worsted till they were seconded by one of the Counts of Nasseaw was glorious to them but with lesse slaughter For the victorious Hassians were constrained to fly and acknowledge that they who go about to catch are very often the first caught Philipsburgh taken by the Duke of Anguien The Bavarians marched into the Dutchy of Wirtembergh and the French being reinforced towards the Rheyn where they seized by incredible successe upon Philipsburgh for want either of sufficient Garrison or sufficient resolution and afterwards upon Spiers and Mentz made the Flower de luce spring again upon the Rheyn and carried the terrour of the French Name into the very heart of Germany In fine they returned towards Bavaria and met the Electours Army near Nortlinghen where the brave Baron of Mercy The second Battel of Nortlinghen who was born at Longui and by his valour and addresse was ascended to this high degree cooled their courage a little and put them to a gentile retreat but he being slain in the shock and they seconded by Giese a Hassian General they defeated some Regiments and the Bavarians having been all the night in Battail marched away the next morning by the Electours Order with sound of Drummes and Trumpets sixty three Colours being carried away the day before and left their enemies nothing but the pride of seeing them depart without resuming the Dance for this retreat of theirs gave the praise of the victory to them who stayed and the Duke of Auguien after having been in danger to be taken in this Combat returned into France The Duke of Saxony being troubled and tired by so many disasters demanded Newtrality of the Swedes The Duke of Saxony takes Newtrality and obtained it by the
a Boron and gave him some Lands as also a place in his Privy Counsel Torstenson quits the Generalat 1646. Torstenson as brave a General as ever was after this cross of Fortune not being wâ—l in health withdrew his Army out of Moravia resigned the Generalat into the hands of Wranghel and passed to those new Medicinal Fountaines newly discovered at Hornhawzen in the Bishoprick of Holberstadt 1646. where there was then so huge a conflux of people as if Germany had stil been compleatly inhabited General Wranghel took up his quarters in Turinghe in the Dutchy of Wirtembergh and in Silesia and Connixmarck in the Bishoprick of Bremen where it seemed as if he intended to establish his residence He retires into Sweden The Swedes changed their General but not their prosperity for the Imperialists were as ill handled by Wranghel as they had been by Torstenson who retyred himself into Sweden and was received by the Queen with honours due to his merits and the great services he had rendred that Crown His death He dyed in the year 1650 and left a most excellent odour of his vertues every where yea even amongst his very Enemies themselves Before we set down the motions of that fortunare Warrier Charles Gustave Wranghel we will relate the difference which chanced between the Landgraves of Hassia Darmstadt and Cassel the rather because it is mingled with the successe of his first Field CHAP. XXI The difference which hapned between the two Families of the Landgraves The Battails of Mergendal and Nortlinghen General Mercies death Why the Landgrave George remained consant AMongst all the Protestants of Germany none remained faithfull to the Emperour but only George Landgrave of Darmstadt all the rest being entred into the Swedish League And he finding no subject to take Arms and so slightly to break his Oath obtained Newtrality of the King of Sweden and merited besides to be called by Ferdinand himself the Faithful Prince The chief motive of this immovable constance of his shall be inserted beer as I have learnt it The Landgrave William his Father feeling himself decaying in his strength and drawing neer his end sent for this George his Sonne to whom after many good lessons and instructions he declared as it were by a Prophetick Spirit that there would happen many Warrs in Germany against the Emperour under the pretext of Religion wherein Strangers would be also ingaged being attracted by the desire and occasion of making themselves great And therefore that he should be sure to take heed of casting himself into that precipice but that he should remain faithful to the said Emperour without suffering himself by any meanes to be distracted or carried away to the ambition of any such people Promise me said he that you will never abandon the Emperours Party unlesse he endeavour to force you and your Subjects in your Conseience Which he did by Oath and hath always observed it hitherto so that he could not be loved by the Protestant Party neither was the Newtrality he obtained and so religiously observed by him sufficient to keep him out of the dance for the Fidlers played about him and made him dance in despight of his heart But there must be a pretext which was not long to seek Oh cursed and detestable Age Apretext to make War upon him Butsback a place belonging to the said Landgrave was taken by General Giese for a punishment as was said because it had refused passage to Colonel St. Andrews Forces or rather for that indeed the Politick necessity of affaires required it For where this Maxime hath the upper hand Justice is shut out of door From thence the said Giese went to Marpurgh in Novem. 1644. which Town forthwith yeelded and lest the dispure to the Castle which was also after having briefly defended it self forced to bow the knee in regard that the Foot was already taken away By this unheard-of and unexpected proceeding against all Right against faith and promise this agreement which had bin solemaly made and sworn between the two Branches of this most illustrious and most ancient House Hassia this Agreement I say confirmed by the Emperour approved by the of Electoral Colledge and the whole Empire was quashed by this invasion and that pacisicall Prince George induced to defend his Countriel by Arms since the Lawes and the Columne or Piller which supported them was too weak In a word a War was kindled in that district and the Swedes who defended the Lutheran Religion and the Liberty of Germany ranged themselves against this poor Lutheran Prince in favour of the Calvinsticall Landgravinne or Princesse Landgrave their Alley Maximes must be changed according to occasions and the pretext of Religion is but to amuse the Vulgar Some Lutherans were not a whit sorry to see this Prince tormented but such as yet cherished right and justice openly pittyed him In brief he armed powerfully and set forth a Manifest against which the Landgravinne published another so that the War was begun both with the pen and with the pike Indeed she could not take a fitter time For it is alwayes good to fish in troubled water 1646. General Wranghel returned towards Hassia took Hoxter and Paderborne at discretion and cleansed all those parts from the Imperialists whilest they were very busiy about doing the like in Moravia where they retook Crambs with much trouble and Corneuburgh with more So that when Austria was beginning to respire by the retreate of the Swedes and unexpected misfortune put all the Court into Mourning the Emperesse into her Tomb and the Religious Prince Ferdinand into the greatest sadnesse that any invincible Soule could be able to sustaine This Princesse The death of the Emperesse being great with childe was stifled by a Catharr or Rheume and universally regretted by all for her bounty and other Imperial Vertucs The King of Spaines onely Son followed her which so much afflicted his Father And of the Prince of Spain that it caused him a sicknesse Whilest these things passed General Mortaigne was taken by the Imperialists and found furnished with certain papers Mortaigne prisoner which contained so exact and perfect a List of the Imperial Army and all other particulars belonging to it that many of the principal and highest Officers had not so compleat a knowledge thereof Yea and he affirmed besides that there was nothing done nor any Order given which was not forth with discovered to the Swedes and therefore no wonder if Victory marched with them since Traitours marched with the Imperialists Whilest the Conquering Army was approaching Hassia and the Generals were making good cheare at Cassel the Count of Holtsappel General of the Elector of Coleins Forces endeavoured to redresse his Party and to offend her whose Troops he had long Commanded Zonts a little Town near Nuits and five leagues from Colein Zonts seated upon the Bank of the Rheyn was very convenient for the Hassians and very often
created Generalissimo or chief Generall arrived from Sweden with five or six thousand men and having encreased his Army by some Regiments drawn out of Pomerania Prince Charls-Gustave goes to Prague and the Archbishoprick of Bremen he advanced towards Prague where we will let him do a great work and make a turn back into Bavaria CHAP. XXIV The breach of the Truce with the Duke of Bavaria A Tempest upon the Elbe Melanders death The Peace of Germany The death of the King of Denmark and Uladislaus of Poland Cassimir succeeds him THe Truce which was made between the French the Swedes and the Bavarians 1648. lasted not long for it was broaken about the beginning of this Field not without great complaints on both sides the one party being accused of perfidy and the other of cheatery Indeed if we would seek in the success of this last action him who deserved the blame through the unhappiness of chance we should finde it to be the good old Duke of Bavaria who was little beloved by the Conqueting Patty because he was too wise and well advised But if we will hearken to his reasons we shall be quickly of another opinion though when there is question of Conquest words are rejected as weak and idle and such as wear the sword to make themselves masters of other mens goods without any other form of proceeding then that of occasion very often pass the bounds of newtrality and tocomplain of them is to offend them He saw all the conjurated Nations crosse the Danub again and fall upon Bavaria and ruine it except only one part thereof guarded by a River which they could not passe and by his Troops which were mad to see their hands tyed up They who have made any observations upon the Tragedies of Germany have reported that the greatest losses incurred by the Imperialists proceeded either from casting themselves too soon upon pillage in the advantage of some Battail or else from jealousies I will not touch upon the inevitable Rule of Fate nor Treason by which the bravest men lare sometimes attrapped nor many other accidents from which the most considerate and vigilant are not able to defend themselves in such sort as if we weigh the forces by Politick Prudence we shall finde that it would not have been possible in humane apparence any way to hurt this most August House Upon the 24. of November there rose so surious a tempest in Holstein A storme at Hamburgh 1648. and especially at Hamburgh and upon the Elbe with such an Earthquake that it was imagined that Dooms-day was come and that both Heaven and Earth sled before the face of the Judge irritated by the effusion of so much innocent bloud The death of the Kings in Dâ—nmark and Poland but the end is not yet arrived Good King Christian survived not this storme which seemed to have Prognosticated his departure he was followed by King Vladislans a Prince of much happinesse however he met with some repugnance and much jealousie amongst the Nobility about the design which he had to make a new order of Knighthood as also about that great Army which he had newly raised with the Duke of Valachia and some other Allyes against the Turks in apparence and with the money of the Venetians For the Swedes having smelt the businesse and the Polanders yet more it was remonstrated to him that these Leavies ought not to be made without the consent of the Senatours In fine being tyred and almost transported by these importunities and distrusts he condescended to the licentiating or disbanding of the forces and so that fire was excinguished without noise But this dismission was advantagious to the Swedish General Wirtembergh and to the French also who got three thousand of the Souldiers to their service Indeed all other Kings acquired by their great prosperity and successe more authority and respect from their subjects and more liberty to undertake but this The Polanders jealous of their Priviledges by his famous and remarkable Victories made the Poles more studious of the preservation of their priviledges which they wilnever loose by flattery for which they are rather to be praised then imitated This warlike Prince was much troubled after having so well danced in the round against the Turke and Muscovits to sit still whilest the said dance was hottest almost every where For his generous Spirit was bound by the plots of his enemies who feared the effects thereof for that they might peradventure have redowned to the profit of the House of Anstria His Brother Casiâ—â—ir succeeds him His Brother succeeded him by election and by a dispensation married the Princesse of Nevors his Widow Melander the â—â—â—perours Generali Melander having for many strong reasons been elevated to the dignity of commanding all the Imperial Armies promised no lesse then the redresse or restauration of the Emperours credit through all Germany but that foolish and dammageable passion had more praevalencie upon the mindes of some certa in persons then their Masters service For they murmured that this charge was given to a Calvinist and that a man of mean condition was preferred before so many great Lords of merit and illustrious extraction whereof he not being ignorant laboured upon the first occasion to render so great proofs of his vertue and zeal as that every one might be moved by his example to prefer their Princes occasions before their own particular interests one whereof you shall forthwith see The Swedes passed the Danub at Lawing and he faced them magnanimously neer Auxburgh but not being seconded by Greensfeldt a fault like that which he committed at the Battail of Hamelen he chose rather to dye Is killed 1648. then flinch and so sacrificed his life and that of two thousand men besides to the passion of his Emulatours By this Combat Bavaria was laid open and the Inhabitants ruined by both Armies for however the Imperialists and Bavarians were stronger then the Conquerours they were faine nevertheless to content themselves with tormenting them onely by surprises and Encounters whilest the old Town of Prague defended it selfe stourly and so repulsed the Chief General that he could not take it and lost above four thousand of his men before it Now whereas there be some Seasons so rainy now and then that though the Sun do shew himself by fits and thereby give hope of some change the weather neverthelesse returns to rain and continues so long that it makes folks despaire of ever seeing it fair again Just so this dismall war which began in the year 1618 looked as it would last always however there were many fair intervalls For mens hearts were so pufted up with ambition that it was beleived that it would never be ended but with the end of the world But what seems impossible to man is not to God Moreover the most zealous Protestants fancyed to themselves that the Catholick Religion being divided by the Arms of France might be
easily annihilated and then the Conquerours would have all or nothing The Plempotentiary-Embassadours had already treated at Munster and Osuabrugh the space of four years when it pleased at length the Father of light to dissipate the darkness of ambition and to send back peace into poor Germany which was so much tottered dispeopled and desert that it was not any more to be known The Tragedy both began The war begun and ended in Prague and ended in the City of Prague Great God grant this Peace may last tul the coming of thy Son our Lord Amen It is here to be marked that after the death of King Gustave of Lewis the thirteenth and the Landgrave William the Daughter of the first and the widowes of the two others continued the war against the Emperour by their Generals with so great constance prosperity and glory that he had very little less trouble and loss then he had before Moreover the hatred which the Conquerours shewed towards the Hollanders for the Composition which they had made rendied their design evident enough The Peace was conlud d ordered and signed at Munster and the Instruments there of sent to the principall persons concerned to be ratified which was effected and a Diet convocated at Nurembergh The Peace made at Mâ—â—stâ— 1649. there to treat about the restitution of Places and the disimission of the Armies as also of the meanes to content the Swedish Militia Such as had their swords in their hands were not ill handled The kingdom of Bohemia was declared Hereditary to the House of Austria and put out of dispute with Silesia and Moravia The upper Palatinat and the Electorall Dignity to the Hâ—use of Bavaria The Crown of Sweden retaines Pomerania except only that part which is called the Hâ—nder-Pemerama and the Archbishoprick of Bremen which is secularized into a Dukedom Item the Town of Wismar The gain of the Conquerours and Meckelemburgh The Marquis of Brandenburgh hath in recompence the Bishoprick of Magdeburgh which is also secularized and some other besides There are most ample Treatises written of this Peace to which I reser the Reader but I will first tell him that there are eight Electors and that the Prince Palatin is re-established in the lower Palatinat France hath Brisack and a good part of Alsatta with the renunciatton of the Empite to the pretensions of the Bishopricks of Metz Thoul and Verdun The Complaints of the House of Burguady and the Duke of Lorraines affairs were remitted to a particular Treaty between the two Crowns Thus ended the great Revel or Dance in Germany which lasted about thirty years wherein all the Nations of Europe had their pate Thus was the Emperour Ferdinand the third delivered from so many troubles and vexations who sits yet at the Helme of this noble Vessel Thus every body was contenred in apparence at least however there be some who could have wished to dance longer Thus was the Maske laid aside and the design of the French and Swedes discovered who vanted that they took Arms only for the liberty of Germany Thus were the Germans in excessive joy and in some care also to finde mony to pay the Charges content the Minstrills and the Dancers and take their leave Let them go to Nurembergh so weary with having danced so much that they can hardly stand upon their feer and let us transport our selves into Italy to see whether that prudent Nation dances with better grace and more judgement CHAP. XXV Pope Vrbans death The wars of Italy and Catalunia THe war which was made upon the Emperour by the Swedes had so divided the people of Europe that there were very few persons to be found who shewed not themselves either glad or sad upon the issue of any remarkable Battel The Lutherans who looked upon it only for the interest of their Doctrine were afraid least if the Emperour grew victorious he should deprive them of the exercise thereof by a Reformation and retake from them all the Ecclesiastical Lands and Possessions The Catholicks guided by zeal were inwardly afflicted at the decline or decay of that Great House which alone sustained the hatred of the Protestants and could not forbeare to murmur and cry our aloude against Pope Vrban The Complaints of the most zealous Catholicks whom they conceived to be tyed to the Interests of France How is it possible said they that the Common Father of Christians should either by secret agitations plot the ruin or resist the designes of a House by which he is so powerfully propped She hath raised a just quarrel both for her own interest and that of the whole Clergy is grown odious to the contrary Party and bath hazarded her States And not with standing all these essential reasons he depended wholly upon Cardinal Richelieu What can he expect after the destruction of the Empire but another inundation of the Goths in Italy who will sack Rome and evert the Holy Chaire He prefers the advancement of his Nephews before the care of the Church whilest the Protestants and some feigned Catholicks are labouring to abolish and overthrow her The praises which the Protestants gave him by saying that he was a most learned and able man and a good Politician and that he did very well to contribute to the humbling and abasing of this House which if she could once come to her end would make but a simple Chaplaine of him and take away part of his Authority augmented and grounded their complaints yet more But he in despight of all these noises Pope Urban affellionate to France leaned alwayes towards France For the interests of States enter as well into the Conclave as those of the Church He forbore not for all that to exhort the Princes to Peace and to promise Ferdinand some succour whereof there appeared some effects now and then This unhappy Age could not produce but miserable fruits since the Ecclesiasticks as well as the Seculars forsook Gods Cause to serve their own irregular Passions and evil Customes Some instead of quenshing this fire kindled it on every side and in Italy it selfe yea they were the Minstrills themselves of this Universal Revel or Dance The Cardinals the Minstrilis of the great Ball. which hath violated the Church and her Sacraments destroyed the Theological and Cardinal Vertues and utterly extinguished Christian Charity This good Pope left this mortal habitation the nine and twentieth of July 1644. after having held the Chaire about two and twenty years The Popes death 1644. a very knowing man and a goot Poet. A little before his decease he had almost all Italy in arms against him for the Dutchy of Castro and some other pretentions of divers partyes but by the King of Frances intercession all was accommodated for this war being dammageable to the Catholick Doctrine and advantageous to the Protestant was quickly lulled asleep and so St. Peters Ship hath not quite made Shipwrack yet by the tempest of scandals
no more he had sent Count William of Nassaw to put all in quiet that so that which he had yet to propose for the Countries service might not be hindred by such as were ill affected Let us returne to the Hague The Prince having made himself sure of the aforesaid Lords sent for the Pensioner Gatz and acquainted him with his having secured them and told him that he had sent sixty companies of Horse and Foor to Amsterdam under Count Williams conduct whom he believed to be infallibly already The States separated themselves in the Town which being reported by him to the Assembly of the States they forthwith retired and the Deputies of Amsterdam having taken a cow ple of Waggons went by the way of Harlem and arrived at Amsterdam The gard invirons the Court at eight of the clock in the evening and about eleven the Princes Gard with five companies more invested the Court. There were so great changes that they made some murmour and others blame the Peace with the Spaniards and cast in fine all the Hollanders into such astonishment that they knew not how to free themselves from it The Peasants fly The Country people about Amsterdam fled and no body knew either what to hope or feare The rich were silent and the dreggs of the People spake What State can be sure of being free from War since Holland being in the middle of the Water sees her self precipitated into these disquiets in full peace God who governsall knows why since nothing is done without his providence The reasons why those Lords are detained they are carried to Louvestein The Prince gave the six other Provinces to understand upon what grounds he had seazed upon the aforementioned Lords whom he sent with a good Gard to Louvestein the last of July and having received notice of what had passed he transported himself on Sunday to Amsterveen a Village neer Amsterdam In the mean while Souldiers flocked thither from all parts and it looked as if they would besiege the Town in good earnest which being perceived by the Inhabitants they opened the Sluces and made a shew of breaking the Damms The Slucer open in case they were put to greater extremity so that by little and little the Country began to be covered with water when the Inhabitants of Harlem observing the Prince was come to lodge with some companies neer the banck between their Town and Amsterdam took a fright and resolved at the same time to dispatch their Deputies towards him who returned with answer that they should be quiet and that he had nothing at all to say to their Town But they of Amsterdam seeing his resolution forgot nothing which concerned their liberty In fine the third of August the accommodation was made with articles of advanrage enough to the Prince who withdrew his forces The peace is made and the forces withdraw and thereby rendred Peace to all Holland and indeed had this Siege lasted yet some dayes longer it would have caused an irreparable dammage which was grown already by the interruption of commerce to be of some millions to the besieged The Siege knows before We must not omit to take notice here of a very remarkable things which is that some Marchants some weeks before this Siege received advertizements from London Dantzick and Genna that Amsterdam was besieged by Prince William The States in this conjuncture determined to draw the difference to the Haghe The Libels run and malicious Pens lest not to vomit up their venim against them of Amsterdam for a certain Libel ran up and down of articles ordered with them of the Parliament of England In brief ill tongues were as busy as ill Penus and the Prince himself was not spared Thus passed this first attack which was but precursory to a pernicious war whereof weshal make mention in fit place Albeit it seemed that the poison was taken off and all pacified distrust increased daily Distrust and they of Amsterdam had alway es an eye upon the Country The Prince sent the reasons of his proceedings to the Assembly of the States in writing but the Paper was sent back without being opened and the Prisoner's released without any other condition then that of being thenceforth deprived of Publick Employments The Prince goes to the Assembly of the Stares of Guelders He went to the Assembly of the Dutchy of Guelders where having by his prudence scattered some disorders between the Nobility and the Towns Returns is the Haghe he returned to the Haghe in some indisposition of health the twenty nineth of October was let blood the thirtieth the day following the small pocks appeared upon him and the sixth His death against the opinion of all the Physitians his sicknesse being augmented he departed out of this world in the four and twentieth year of his age leaving behinde him a young widow with childe who being afterwards delivered of a young Prince delivered the House of Nassaw and such as were well affected to it from part of the grief which was caused by his death The vecital of his life He was a Prince of a great wit which he testified in the Conference he had with the Deputies of Amsterdam as also in many other occasions He was handsome of body and given to such vices as are ordinary companions to youth Above all he was infatigable on horse-back and sooner tired his horses then himselfe He was already his Crafts-master in war to which he much inclined and promised to follow the steps of his Ancestours He knew well how to make himselfe both feared and obeyed Let us now see the miserable end of the brave Earle of Montrosse CHAP. VII The deplorable death of the magnanimous Earle of Montrosse The War of the Polanders against the Cossacks Brave Montrosses praise VErtue was never so universally oppressed as in this miserable Age Witnesse Montrosse a Souldior of merit and illustrious extracton who had rendred his Master so considerable services in the Kingdom of Scotland that his enemies effectively feared him and after he had laid down Anns by his said Masters commandment he did him yet such other services by Embassyes as made him admired for the dexterity of his wit During the Treaty of the commissioners with Charles Sinart his young Master at Breda he went into Scotland contracted some Forces to such as he carried with him from abroad and entred the Kingdom upon hope of the good successe of the said Treaty Is beater But his Troops were defeated he escaped by swimming and lay hid some dayes amongst the Reeds In fine after he had been forced by hunger His mistry which drives the Wolfe out of the Wood to eat his gloves and the very flesh of his Arm he was discovered by a Peasant taken prisoner brought before the Parliament at Edenburgh and accused of entring into the Kingdom against the order of his bannishment and other crimes
yet shewed themselves again so distinctly that they were able to discerne the Ropes and Cables Last of all they saw the great Vessels again which they had discovered first These visions lasted about three houres A Lyon on the North side of the Ships performed the last Act under which there appeared animals of different shapes which turned into Ships The Parliament of England being grown formidable by Charles Stewarts expulsion whom they quite expelled the Island and by the conquest of the Kingdom of Scotland was much intense upon War and desirous to diminish the traffique which hath inriched these united Provinces as by taking the Ships which they met either at Sea or came into their havens and then by giving Letters of Mart. The begining by Letters of Mart. Whereupon the complainrs of the Holland Marchants obliged the States to send their Embassadours to acknowledge them for a Free Common Wealth to renew friendship and to redemand their Vessels taken The first point pleased them and the second was payed with silence and the third differred as never to be granted The Propositions which they made the said Embassadours were so high and beyond their expectation that the High and Might Lords resolved upon War Whilest these things were in agitation there hapned an encounter betwixt General Blake and Admiral Tromp about striking The first attak wherein Tromp was so briskly received that he had much adoe to get handsomly off leaving two ships behind him in the possession of the English This action hastened the returne of the Embassadours and set the States on work for the fitting of a second Fleet which was retarded by the wary Hollanders out of hope of composing the difference by representing the necessity of a good harmony betwixt the two Nations They wanted neither strength courage nor convenience to hurtâ— but other considerations made them seek an accommodation which these new Republicans rejected Mousieur Spiring the Embassadour of Sweden used all diligence to prevent the States Embassadours departure Every one goes into England to acknowledge the Parliament and encouraged them to acknowledge England for a Free State The Title in his Letter of Credence not being well adjusted he met with some little difficulty yet nevertheless obtained Audience but death taking him soon away deprived that State of a great friend After the Spanish Embassadour had acknowledged them every body hastened to the Offering as fearing to be the last Only France seemed not much to care but after having suffered a very rough check she at last came as we shall shortly demonstrate But we must yet make another great circuit before we conclude our Work CHAP. XIII The miseries at Sea caused by Pirats The present state of Norway Denmark Sweden Poland Hungary Germany Italy Spain and France c. HItherto we have seen the wars begun and caried on first for the authority and occupation or seazure of Countries under the princtpal pretext of Religion and then there hapned so great a Hotchpot and such a confused variety by the shuffling together of so many different Allyances and deceiptful practices that this precicus Cloak being grown quite thred-bare could be no longer worne and therefore the hatred of Nations and old quarrels must now be brought upon the Stage Indeed if according to the saying of Tertullian by forging so many Religions there grow at length to be none at all left with the like foundation may I also say that by making so many various Allyances which are so easily broken and so dexterously patched together again there is no Allyance at all I have to do said a certain Monarch with a bordering people which never keep their Faith but when they perceive no occasion to hurt me By this it is that there is so much trouble to make a peace and they who labour to joyne the two Parties finde so much difficulty and repugnance in regard of the indelible distrusts and jealousies between them that they cannot accomplish it Sea-Rovers Besides that there have alwayes been Sea-Rovers who as The The eves hidden in the Woods and Forrests have surprized passengers and laid wait for the Merchants Ships and at present we see whole Fleets the Sea loaden with Vessels to attacke not by stealth but open force the said Merchants Ships and the men of War also which accompany them Some years agoe the Sea was free and safe enough but now there are more and greater dangers there then there ever were by Land Let us passe through the North and end our Carrer in England The Kingdom of Norway being secured by its poverty feared not the year before nor this present year neither the war wherein the King of Denmark seemed ready to involve himself Thirty English Ships stopt in Denmark For he redemanded the Portion of his Aunt Anne Queen of England which being refused he stopped and confiscated some thirty English Merchant Ships and made a streight Allyance thereupon with the States of Holland for their Common Interests That Libell which was made in Sweden being washed and wiped off with the blood of the Authours thereof all was there in good order and diligence was used for the setting out of a little considerable Fleet which gave the bordering parts so much jealousie that King Frederick sent his Embassadours thither who returned with a good answer A Spanish Resident at Stockholme There was then a Spanish Resident at the Court of Sweden who treated secretly and the affairs of the last Assembly were conducted there so occultly that there was no light at all to be found thereof But true it is that Silence is the Soul of great Expedtions Livonia was well guarded against the invasion of the Polanders and the Treaties at Lubeck between them and the Swedes produced no good operation at all so that the Embassadours retired to the great displeasure of such as meddled in them The Muscovits did nothing in a long time which deserves to be noted here But the Polanders felt as well as the rest of the Nations of Europe the Rod of the Almighty by pestilence inundations and wars which continue even yet against the Rebellious Cossacks under the direction and authority of King Casimir The accidental fire which was like to burne the young Princesse was taken as an ill augure by such as were curious but the Kingdom is yet in vigour and the Armies in condition to ruin their enemies The Turks and Tartars made some irruptions into Hungary which gave both dammage and fear by the marching of some Troops but at present the Peace is exactly kept The Empire enjoyes the Peace made at Munster and every Prince labous by the offer of fair Priviledges to revive both his Country and the Religion he professes The Emperour who shewes that he took the redresse of the Empire more to heart then the preservation of his own life assembled all the Electors the last year at Prague The Electors at Prague 1692. and courted
them with so free and open a breast that they were all most satisfied and promised to meet at the Diet of Ratishone Germany seeing her Head and Members in so perfect a harmony hopes that this Union will prove a wholesome Balme to cure the wounds of the Empire Italy is restored to a better state there being only the Venetians who alone sustaine the weight of the Ottoman Arms. They sent their Embassadour to Constantinople The Venetian Embassadour arested at Constantinople being advertised of the Grand Signors desire to compose the Difference who against the Law of Nations arrested him and would not listen to any overture of Peace at all unlesse the Republick would yeeld him up the whole Kingdom of Candy The Pope was disgusted at the disobedience of the Christians who stopped their cares to his remonstrances The heat of the war in Piemont cooled by little and little for want of nutriment The King of Spain after the Conjuration made against his person and stifled in the blood of the Authours after the peace restored to the States of Neaples Sicily and Perin had no other care left then to protect his Subjects maintain the peace with the United Provinces keep up his Armada or Navy send monies into Flanders to continue the war and succour the Princes of France thereby to divide in effect or weaken that Kings Authority as he hath also on the other side endeavoured by all means possible to deminish that of the House of Austria The Civil wars of France had taken away the vigour of that of Cataluniâ—â— and Barcelona having been blocked up about fifteen moneths Barcelons renders her self 1652. rendred hâ—r selfe in Autumne in the year 1652. La Motte Hodincour not having been able to succour it though he entred the Town by force no more then the Duke of Mercoeur was Tortoza and so they both returned into France with Don Joseph de Marguerita Cazal and Dunkeâ—k taken Cazall and Dunkerck being taken from the King of France with very little trouble and charge gave full joy to the one Party and grief to the other to see that their Conquests made with the mony sweat and blood of the poor people were torne from them as it were playing and without losse of men as we shall demonstrate They imputed all these misfortunes to the Civil wars but others to the injustice of their taking arms upon meer distrust and occasion in so favourable a conjuncture During this deplorable Civil War wherein this poor Kingdom findes it self miserably involved after having waged and kindled so many other wars throughout all Europe The Second State assembles it selfe at Paris the Second State began to hold their Assembly at Paris according to the example of the first but being broken by fair promises the true jealousie which proceeded from it vanished The poor Subjects were not yet enough oppressed by the Taxes but that they must be so more Bat it is broken by the dissolute and undisciplined Souldiers whose insolency was insupportable but their chastisemens was proportionable to their barbarity besides despair made both the Nobility and people of Campague take arms against them and dispatch a very great number of them and they of Senlis Meanx The Souldiers killed by the Country people Anergue and other places followed their example and massacred a great part of those Robbers in such fort as it was horrible to see all these disorders Moreover there hath been a perpetual Traffick or buying and selling of Charges The Venality or selling of Offices dammâ—â—gable and Offices since the Ministery of these two Cardinals which hath caused almost mortal Commotions to the State The troubles in Provence Guyenne Anergne and other parts proceeded from this turmoyle For a summe of mony hath often been given to some for such a Government and to others for such another whilest the Subjects have been averse from it And we must here adde that the venality or selling of Offices hath corrupted Integrity and Justice in such sort as that this Goddess having lost her strength all sorts of impieties extortions and blasphemies are now in vogue for the fear of God and equity being taken away men run post into vices and welter in wickednesse yea and Princes very often make their Subjects sin by their example Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis What ere the King is that we ever finde The people apt to be in their own kinde The Prince of Conde having received a supply from Spain and Paris another from Brussels by land Suttour from Spain as I have noted already the War was made in Xaintongue in the year 1652 and in the district of Aunts against the Count of Angnon Governour of the Isles of Broiiage and Oleron by the Count of Harcourt who retook some places and the Tower of Rochel But having received notice that the Cardinal would accommodate himself with Brisack posted thither Harcourt at Brisack and left his Army an Orphant This retreat of one of the most illustrious and most fortunate Warriers in the World who was so necessary and useful to the State was a Pill of hard disgestion which yet must needs be swallowed down without shewing the bitternesse thereof Let us here mark the inconstance of the French Nation which they themselves confesse to be as it were essential to them For they who had quite abandoned yea contemned the just choler of their Soveraign and incurred the Crime of High Majesty by pursuing with the naked Sword the deliverance of the Princes Renlarkal le Vihanges and calling in Strangers into the Kingdom both were astewards and yet are the onely men who fight against the Prince of Coinle The Duke of Boüillon was raised very high and cherished by the King and all the Court part of the year 1652. but he quickly lest those vain and inconstant honours to goe and receive incorruptible ones The Duke of Boüillons death for he died at Pontoise He was a great Captain and had learnt the discipline of War in Holland where he had the honour to Command the Cavalry and govern the Town of Mastricht He lost the affection of all the Hughenots by having embraced the Roman Catholick Religion and that of the King by having put himself into the League of the Princes of the Peace in such fort as being suspected of I know not what kinde of intelligence with Monsieur le Grand and imprisoned the Town of Sedan and the high intercession of the Prince of Orange saved his life The Marshal of Turenne after having refused many courtships and a present of great value from the Prince of Conde was chosen to command the Kings Army CHAP. XV The Prince of Conde comes to Paris The King of France attacks Estampes The Duke of Lorraine being come to succour the Princes receives some money of the King and returnes The Arch-Duke sends an Army to Paris Takes Graveling and Dunkerck The English beat
Citizens who were killed by Musket-shot was like to have put that illustrious City into a deplorable confusion The English not content with taking their ships attacked and took also many other vessels which go every yeare to catch Herrings and other fish so that they hurt and do yet hurt this Republick by all the means and ways they could or can devise The Propositions of the English not receivable The Propositions which they made our Embassadours were so high and unequall that they sufficiently evidenced their design against this Common-wealth the principall whereof was this That we should enter into a League Offensive and Defensive with them and that we should make all their enemies ours c. Points of most dangerous consequences But let us go further CHAP. XVI The English attack the Convoy of the Fishers Tromp returns to Sea and findes Blake The Tempest separates them and he comes back into Holland De Ruyter attacks Ascue Van Galens Victory before Ligorne The English take all without distinction Tromp safely conducted the Fleet into France Divers combats Tromps death Cromwell and his Exploits The Diet at Ratisbone The Election and Coronation of Fetdinand the Fourth King of the Romans VVhen Nations cannot be reconciled by all kinds of reason and justice war must be endured The Astrologors foretold this in the observation of that Comet of the year of 1618. and that of the year before and advertised us that the wrath of God was not appeased The States having received the troublesome news of the taking of those ships of war which accompanied the fishermen gave order to attack the English by way of retorsion The Fleets at Sea Tromp departed in July with resolution to make the English repent their having neglected and slighted the Hollanders friendship and espying Sir George Asene in the Downes with a Squadron of Ships was not able to bear up with him by reason of the Calme and so going to seek Blaks in the North where some Vessels which came from the Great Indies were to pass he discovered him The prayers were said and the Onset begun A storm dammageable to the Hodanders 1952. but a great wind separated the two Fleets made the English retyre into their Havens and some of our Ships perish upon the Rocks and the rest were saved in Hitland and about forty came home with the Admirall Thus the Calme and the Tempest parted them two several times but de Ruyter going to convoy the Marchant-Fleet with forty Ships met Asonâ— with his Squadron and faced him so stoutly that he was constrained â—o â—â—treat into England and give him passage General Badiley bravely defended himself against twice his number of Ships in the Streights but being over-powred lost the Phanix which was after wards recovered by Captain Cox The Victory obtained afterwards before Ligorne by Admiral Van Galen was successful Van Galens Victory before Lavorno for three Vessels were taken and some other burnt yet was in some manner otherwise the said Admiral receiving his deaths wound in the engagement It very often chances that they who gaine the Battel have not the greatest booty for there are some who go out in Party and sometimes make their Fortune The Capes of Grip are certain particular persons who go to Sea with small Vessels set out at their one charge and they make huge profit and they lie at present about the Coast of England and cause much danger The conjunction of Vice-Admiral Witt Wittenson was rendred infructuous by the Cowardise of some Holland Captains who forgot their duty whilest the English performed theirs with great advantage by taking the Spanish mony which was destinated to pay the Armies in the Low-Countries and carrying it to London where it was stop't The English detaine the mony which comes from Spain and rever restored because there were some Holland Marchants Goods or Wares in the Vessels and albeit the instances made by the Arch-Duke Leopold and the Spanish Embassadours were heard they yet took no effect whereupon some have believed that they were but faigned but however it were they kept the mony and have served themselves of it The Rendeznous of the Ships near Rochâ—l 1653. The States considering the greatness of the danger gave all the Marchant Ships order to assemble themselves in a General Rendeznuous before the Isle of St. Martin near Rochel and there expect the Navy consisting of seventy six Men of War and eight Fire-Ships which departed the first of December under Admiral Tromps orders to convoy home the abovesaid Merchant Ships which were above three hundred all loaden with Commodities The English approached but came off with losse and returned into the Thames and so the Fleet arrived in France without any dammage But during these great Attacks the little War was carried on with much partiality and prejudice to the Marchants For the mitigation of Gods wrath and the diversion of his scourge from the United Provinces the States ordered prayers to be made every Weducsday at four of the clock in the afternoone all Shops to be kept shut and all negotiations forborne during the time of the Sermon Thus was the War indirectly mennadged upon this blew Element between the two most potent Nations that are at present or ever have been in all the North for the Dominion of the Ocean and for the retention of Trade None but the Sea-Monsters are able to render an account of all the brave Actions which are done there as being Spectatours of them The said States being advertised of the great preparation which their Enemies were making to attack Tromp in his return with the Marchant-Fleet gave order for the speedy equipaging of some other Ships to go to meet him but they were hindred by contrary windes The Navall Battel which lasted three dayes 1653. Tromp being arrived near Bolein discovered the English Fleet and a little after began a Battel which continued three dayes the most furiously that could be Nothing was feen but fire and flame and one would have said that the Ocean was become combustible and had taken the nature of the contrary Element The Land had been already sufficiently steeped in blood and now the Sea must be also coloured with it The indignation of that just God extends it selfe upon all the Elements malediction is upon the Land and upon the Water The end of the Combas was that Tromp retreated into Calais Road and brought back the most part of the Fleet into Holland all which the English thought to eatch though they were faine to becontent with the taking of some Marchant Ships and some Men of War and with letting the Hollanders see that they had to do with most generous and redoubtable Enomies But our Admiral had two difficulties to overcome the one to charge the Enemies in their retreat and the other to guard the Marchandise When a Shepherd sees many Wolves coming to attack his flock he keeps it behinde him and cannot serve
how much apparence soever there were of repaying the affront received before it the precedent year The time passed in contest the Garrison of the Town reinforced and the Knight after two dayes sickness The knight of Guises death dead which death for the Violence thereof was suspected of some malignity as well to the Soule as to the body The suddain deaths of great persons give occasion of talke but those of mean ones are put into common necessity However it be one of his Masters drew profit from it and the other disavowed it Commandments are dangerous to such as execute them for not having their Commission in writing This unforeseen accident amazed such as were cleer sighted filled his most illustrious House with mourning cansed great alterations and designes which made more noyse then effect During these irresolutions the Arch-duke departed from Brussels and arrived at the Army neer Cambray to advice how and with what advantage the Field should be finished The siege of Rocroy Rocroy glorious by the defeat of the Spaniards was a subject which deserved to be brought under obedience wherefore the resolution was taken to besiege it and the French who had coasted their enemies to the Frontiers without hazarding any thing went and incamped themselves before Mouzon And of Mouzon I will say nothing in particular of these two Sieges though I were present at one of them but that Heaven being angry to see the two most generous Nations that ever bore the Christian Name ceased not to outrage or vex one another to their mutuall disadvantage powred down so many teares and the windes raysed so many stormes Ill weather that both men and horses felt excessived stresses It parted the victorres to open their eyes for Rocroy which was the first attacked These two Towns renders themselves yeelded two dayes after Mouzon i. e. the thirtieth of September and the Armies being fatigated by the over much wetness of the season went to seeke shelter almost naked The French being very impatient and desirous to be lodged more at large unnestied the Garrison of St. Menehout and the Lorrains And St. Menchout conducted by their own Master the Duke went to affict the Bishoprick of Liedge The Lorraines in the Bishoprick of Liedge The small success of the three last Fields in respect of the great advantages which were promised by the disorder caused by the discontentments of the Princes of the blood at least a second Peace of Vervins made fools talke who open their mouthes when the wise or at least the wary a most usual maxime in these present times keep them shut There was a misfortune foreseen and it fel upon the Abbot of Mercy and the Count of Bassigny who were cast in prison The Count of Bassigay and the Abbot of Mercy prisoners and their imprisonment gave such as were curious ground to scrue into the cause thereof and made others believe that it would discover some great mistery for which the lovers of novelty longed much This first Thunderclap struck but one only steple but before it was dissipated it crushed a Rock which so many Mariners in this Sea of miseries both doubted and feared and against which so many Vessels made Shipwrack For the Liedgers took an Alarme as also a resolution to make an Allyance with the French against the House of Spain Which blow must needs be fatall to his Catholick Majesty if not prevented and Cardinal Mazarin ful of joy to see himself at the Helme of the Ship began to hope that the webs which he had woven in that Country would be more difficult to untangle then it was to unty the Gordions knot The Duke of Lorraine was sent for to Brussels taken prisoner and carried to the cittadel of Antwerp And the Duke of Lorrain Neither the exploits of Mas-Aniello nor the death of the King Charles brought more astonishment to all Europe then this detention which gave things another countenance brake the neck of many designes sent back the great Faber with his forces to Sedan and retained the Liedgers in their liberty which they were about to loose together with their Peace The Imprisonment of this Soveraign Prince smothered all his Counfels which seemed to be great and was taken for one of the strangest accidents of the time and discovered that he was beloved by almost no body He is suspected to have imitated the constable of St. Paul Suspected to imitate the constable of St. Paul and to have sought his profit in this pernicious War where he danced better then he did in the great Ball or Revel which was made at Paris 1642. France blamed this proceeding more for her own interest then for that of the Prisoner his Troops expressed so great discontentments and fell into such disorder Prince Francs arrives aâ— Brussels that it was needful to send for Prince Francis to put them into the state of obedience who having taken leave of the Emperour and all the Court departed from Vienna being well received and cherished every where and principally at Brussels where he arrived with his two Soanes Whilest the Count of Fuensaldania in busy about securing the Lorrains to his Masters service and assigning them good Winter-quarters to the great displeasure of the Inhabitants of Lile we will go down a little lower Promps last battail The last Battail in the moneth of August wherein the valliant Admirall Tromp lost his life proceeded partly from disgust by seeing the Enemies brave or domineer so long upon the Coast before the havens of Texel and the Moze hindring the going out of the ships obstructing the commerce The Hollanders who had made so many bravadoes throughout all the whole Ocean and imagined that the Lordship of the Sea belonged without controversie to them were even almost dead with spight and displeasure to see themselves so highly and grossely affronted even at their own doors This baâ—tail Isay whereof I have hitherto made very little mention declared in the beginning the addres of both Parties by striving for the advantage of the winde and at the end their generous and obstinate resolution to overcome The losse which the Hollanders sustained was of about fifteen or sixteen Vessels and that of the English little as to Vessels but many were extreemly indammaged on both sides In this surious fight as also in all the former the English Vessels by reason of their hight and their number of bigg Brass Gunns had almost the same advantage upon the Hollanders which Curasseers In which as in many former many Captaines did not their duty or Corsler-Horsmen have upon the Light Horse Besides that many Dutch Captains did not their duty in such sort as that the Hollanders reaped no other profit of their valour then that of removing their Enemies from their Coast and were forced themselves into the Texel The English considering in what equipage their fleet was and fearing the violent storms that
and would needs make others also believe that the States of Holland chose rather a way of Accommodation then to enter into a war which if it had proved successefull to them would have redressed Charles Stewarts affairs and his Nephews to the detriment of their Authority Others maintained that this Peace being utterly broaken the Country would quickly be lost Be it what it will mens passions have been so much the more discovered upon this matter as the liberty of speaking is greater in Holland then elsewhere A tumult at London raised by the Portugucles The tumult which was so temerarily excited at London by the Portugal Embassadours brother made him carry his head upon a Scaffold some moneths after and all issued so well for the great and most prudent Cromwell that he acquired together with the Title of Protectour of the Common-wealth of England the renown of the most acute Politician of this Age. For good successe made the Enterprizers admired gave the Protector full power and authority and left desolate Charles nothing but complements of compassion France the sanctuary of the afflicted France which hath alwayes vanted her self to be the Sanctuary of such as are poor and afflicted labours at present to strip her self of that glorious quality through a maxime of State She hath already felt the strength of the English Will have no war with the English by the loss of her ships and so knowes how dangerous this enemy is and the trouble she had in former Ages to pluck him out of her bowels Wherefore it is better to appease him by politick craft and comply with the Times The reasons then to fall into another war The motions are great enough yet in the Kingdom and it suffices to have the Spaniards for her enemies without drawing the English upon her back too We must sometimes kisse the hands of such as we would have farre enough from us for fear of irritating them And therefore it is that the King sent his Embassadour to London to acknowledge the Republick and treat of a good peace and settle Traffick The Lord Preâ—â—â—tour a great Politician General Cromwel hath expressed his incomparable dexterity in the mannagement of Arms in the direction of Affaires in his Allyances with strangers in dissipating the ambushes and treacheries which have from time to time been land against his designes and his authority and principally in the wars against the Hollanders And you shall now sce how he came to rise higher He assembled another Parliament some of the members whereof being inclined to him proposed one day in full Assembly that the burthen of the Common-wealth was too heavy for them and that it was necessary to impose it upon the shoulders of General Cromwell Some of them not approving of this change retyred secretly to shelter themselves from the contrary winds and the rest were dismissed by him and so the rest went forthwith to conferre that honour upon him congratulate with him and gave him the Title of Protectour England hat 's changed her Gevernment three several times which is not new in that Island and occultly the Soveraignty of England so that in a few years this said Island hath changed her government three severall times and yet leaves not to flourish and to be most formidable to all the powers on earth Some moneths before the dissolution of the Parliament the Kings youngest Son commonly called the Duke of Glocester was sent to Dunkerck in the condition of a private Gentleman with a summe of mony to defray his expences Whilest the Peace is treated at London with many dissiculties by the intervention of the Reformed Cantons of Swisserland and the recommendation of the Queen of Sweden we will take a turn through the North. The King of Denmark being fortified by the Allyance of the States-General and the jealousies which the King of Swedens Leavies gave him The King of Denmark fortifies himselfe being taken away had no other care then to keep his Subjects in arms to hinder all surprises and to intrench the Approaches at the same time when the scourge of God went ransacking all the Inhabitants of the North. At Stockholme Fortune manifested her Empire by casting for a time Count Magnus de la Gardia under her wheel Count Magnus de la Gardia disgraced and depriving him of his Mistresses favour but she was not so rigorous to him as she was to the brave Earle of Essex in Queen Elizabeths time in England Whilest this August Queen is disposing her self to do in the greatest vigour of her youth what the Emperour Charles the fifth did in his decline we will make an in-road into Poland Searce had King Casimir unlaced his Armour yet all stained with the blood of the Rebellious Cossacks The King of Poland attacked by the Muscovites when he saw himself oblidged to put his foot in the stirrop again to resist the Moscovits This Kingdom which had been so much afflicted by the excursions of the said Cossacks by Inundations contagious Diseases Partialities and Distrusts which are ordinary in Free Countries findes her self now in the necessity of making a Defensive War and the Natives to make resistance against a barbarous Nation which they have so often beaten and chased as far as the very heart of Russia and the very Gates of the Capital City Mosco But Changes are as well universal as Chastisements The death of that great Minister Mons de Brum In the beginning of the year 1554. religiously deceased at the Haghe that great man and most faithful Minister Monsicur Anthony de Brun Baron of Apremont and Ordinary Embassadour for the King of Spain to the States He was born at Dole in Burgundy had served his Master from his youth in very great affairs and nominatively in the General Peace at Munster Towards the Spring the Peace was concluded at London against the opinion of many and the news thereof was most agreeable to the Hollanders but when the Articles came to be published The Peace made between the English the Hollanders whereby the young Prince was excluded from all Charges or Offices it much troubled the Provinces and was like to cause divorces and great partialities in so much as the other Provinces set forth complaints and Protestations which were amply enough answered in a Manifest published by the States of Holland and which the Reader may see at good leasure But there were nothing but murmurations they taxed the said States with ingratitude and reproaches and slanders were scattred at random Is this the recompence said they every where of so many services rendred The Princes his Predecessours The cause of the murmurations in behalfe of the Prince of Orange spared not their blood nor their lives nor their meanes to purchase our liberty and in lien thereof we make Agreements so prejudicial to his Authority and so contrary to our duty Ah! what will not the Allyes of this
Illustrious Family say Will they not accuse us and our posterity of the blackest ingratitude in the World Then were the obligations of the Common-wealth to the said House tepeated the services laid open and the merits so highly exalted and found so infinite that there was no means to recompence them A Manifest published by the States These noises I say and this liberty of censuring the procedings of their Masters with impunity produced that Manifest which by little and little swallowed up the tattle of such as were most hot amongst them refuted the Objections of the other Provinces and put Holland into firme tranquility again For my part I content my self with having hinted a word thereof for proof of the general malignity of this corrupt Age. This war having been prudently counselled by the most accomplished Politician of these Times against a Nation which was able to give the Law upon the whole Ocean The war began in regard of the jealousie which was amongst the Provinces had it not been unfortunatly divided by an unforeseen Siege and an unexpected Death was continued by him with very much dexterity utility and glory and terminated with so great advantage abd reputation that he hath rendred himself far more formidable then any great Conquerour ever was Hath much excreised the English This war restored the English to the perfect knowledge of the maritime Militia and oblidged the Hollanders who opened their eyes too late to seek this Peace for the redresse of their Traffick half ruined Whilst the sea was agitated by so many different humours there arrived news of the utter losse of Brezill The utter losse of Brezill together with the Recif which was believed when it could be no more doubted of and caused some to cry louder and especially them of Zeland who could not digest some Articles But General Schup who brought the confirmation of the said news was forthwith imprisoned together with some others Let us briefly dispatch what we have to say because it is quite fresh Cardinal Mazarin finding no more contradiction in the Council and perceiving that the heat of the French against him began by little and little to cool The Consecration of the King of France had now no other care then to get the King Annointed which accordingly was done at Rheims with the accustomed Ceremonies for the illustration whereof it was held necessary to adde a Triumph to it Stenay a small place but of great consideration between Verdun and Sedan was the Lawrel-branch worthy to guild the Head of this great Kings The Siege of Stenay and so it was invested and the Trenches opened in his Majesties presence The Prince of Conde who was not asleep led his Troops into the Field and made a shew of going another way whilest some other Forces seized upon the approaches of Arras And of Arras with so much felicity and speed that such as endeavoured to enter the Town were repulsed and beaten The Arch-Duke hastned thither the Peasants were commanded to come and work about the lines of Circumvallation and the Horse to hinder the French from entering into the Town the Garrison whereof was very weak A bold Enterprise and which could not be accomplished with so few men without making some diversion But let us make another turn through the North for the last time The Queen of Sweden quits the Crown Queen Christine performed a most extraordinary action and which is more easie to relate then to imitate for having worne the Crown of Sweden which was so much illustrated and augmented by the brave exploits of the Great Gustave her Father for some years together put it in the presence of all the States of the Kingdom upon the head of her Cousin King Charles in the month of June and after this Ceremony departed from Stockholms to Hamburgh Our Age produces nothing but Prodigies and Miracles Some loose their Diadems by force and others of their own accord The Polanders being extreamly disgusted to see the Muscovits keep Smolensko blocked up The Muscovits ravage Lituania and make havock at their pleasure in Lituania who had been formerly so often defeated by them though they were six times stronger and receiving no relief from Christian Princes knew so well how to represent to the Great Turk by their Embassadour their firmness and stability in the exact observance of their former Treaties with him and how they had constrained their King Vladislans to casheere his Forces which he intended to employ The Turk promises the Poâ—anders suceâ—ar to the disadvantage of the said Treaties that he promised them in fine to assist them It is already confirmed that the Tartars are joyned with them and that the rest most make an Invasion upon Muscovy but it is after the losse of Smolensko Smolensko taken which was most sensible to the said Common-wealth The cruelties which those Barbarians exercise in those parts would be incredible in an Age which were lesse cursed then this and we are made hope that the Poles will quickly have their revenge however such as are of opinion with me by the consideration of the giddy course of the affairs of Christendom suspect the relief of these Infidels The succour of the Insidels suspelled and fear least in the general Commotion of the Levant or Easterne people they may chance to seize upon this Kingdom instead of succouring it and effuse themselves according to the old prediction into Germany Time will shew us strange revolutions and it is best not to apprehend such evils as must needs happen The Greeks are groaning even yet for having desired and tasted the like succour This war of the Muscovits and Cossacks wherein Religion Rebellion and some other Causes make a concert is very dammageable to this strong Bulwark of all Christendome and teaches us that such as have alwayes been beaten heretofore have now the advantage Luck is turned every where Governments are changed Policy is reversed and men follow another and a very different habit Reformations in Germany The Germans by their dissentions and distrusts have very much weakned the Empyre and there is no discontentment heard now but about the Reformations which are made in the Emperours Hereditary Countries But such as councel them would do well to begin upon themselves or proceed at least more civilly therein For I know not whether Persecutions for diversity of opinions have ever been useful to the Church St. Martin disapproved them and indeed they ingender more hurt then they bring good in these latter times This Emperour continuing his care for the Roman Catholick Church the redresse of the Empire and the restauration of his most serene House to her first splendour by the Election and Coronation of his Son sees now his joy turned into mourning and the hope of almost all his people overthrown by the inopinate death of this young King The paines which were taken to remove him from infected