parts And the 22. of May were letters written from Manhem againe which reported what they there heard that Bethlem Gabor was said to be with a great Army marching towards Bauaria And that the Count de Tourne who is on the King of Bohemiaes side beganne to stirre on the borders of Bohemia and that Iegerensdorff Marquesse of Brandenburg was as forward as the formost Now that Bethlem Gabor hath beene all this while quiet and now beginnes to bussle againe These reasons haue beene giuen The Turkes expedition into Poland fayling of that victory which they bragd of before they won Bethlem Gabor being not supplyed with those forces from the Turkes and Tartars which were hereupon drawne out of those parts of Europe and the countenance of the Grand Signior vpon which he something depended being by his retreat flight or slaughter of his soldiers lesse feared in Christendome and in the Empire for that time Bethlem Gabor was willinger to hearken to those conditions of peace propounded vnto him by the Emperor so that all the time of the treaty while the Articles were consulted vpon and afterward till the time of performance was expected hee was content to lay downe Armes But conditions being as he affirmes not performed on the Emperors part hee vnwilling that more time should bee gained vpon him resolues it seemes to fall vpon the Emperor and his friends on that side while most of his forces are embroyled in a tedious warre on this But that you may haue something worth your obseruation and may not only see the bare euents but the secret counsels also of these motions wee haue here imparted to you a prime peece of intelligence from a person resident with Bethlem Gabor himself for the seruice of the King of Bohemia written to an English Gentleman a friend of his in Germanie and by that Gentleman himselfe translated out of the originall Dutch whereof these following are the very sillables Concerning the Agreement betwixt the Emperour and the King of Hungarie it is past on these conditions THat the King shall deliuer ouer the Crowne to the States of Hungarie which shall be kept in the Castle of Trenchshin and the King hath appointed six persons to looke vnto it three of the States of Transiluania and three of Hungaria and at the Dyet or Land-day which is to be held at Edenburk in Hungarie the 1. of May it shall be resolued how the Crowne shall be disposed of 2. The Emperour shall consigne vnto the King for his securitie Cassaw the Castle of Gratz Warrakin the Dukedome of Oplin and Rateboye in Silecia and to that purpose for performance are deputed certaine Commissioners by the Emperour but the States of Silecia will by no meanes giue consent hereunto The Emperor they say hath promised them to protect and defend them in their priuiledges and so hath no power for to giue away any of their Country being against his owne promise 3. It is likewise agreed that the Emperor shall free 14. townes in Tzips which he hath pawned to the King of Poland but the King of Poland will not giue way hereunto 4. It is agreed that the Emperor within one moneth should send to the King of Hungaria 4. hundred thousand ducats but the time is already past and no money come 5. It is concluded that the Emperour as long as he liueth shall remaine King in Hungaria and after his death Bethlem Gabor and yet neuerthelesse he also shall haue the name and title of King 6. The King of Hungarie hath likewise reserued to himselfe libertie to acquaint the Great Turke with this agreement betwixt him and the Emperor and in case that he will not consent thereunto but shall goe about to attempt any matter of hostilitie against him for it the Emperor bindeth himselfe to defend him and to send vnto him at his requisition as many forces both of horse and foot ordnance or other munition as shall be necessarie for his defence And the Turke is not contented with this agreement whereupon he hath sent to the Emperor a designation That is to say of forty thousand foote and fifteene thousand horse 24. great peeces of Ordnance and fiue hundred Centeries of powder and ten thousand great bullets which he desireth to haue forthwith for his defence but how they will be prouided let the Emperor take care so that it is impossible for the Emp. to hold any one of all these Articles and that the bitternesse betwixt him and the Hungarians is like to be far greater then euer Moreouer the Hungarians haue taken an expresse resolution to visit the Emp. at Vienna in Iune next and for that purpose long for nothing more then to see the grasse and Oates on the ground that I beleeue there will nothing come of this peace or agreement which I could likewise confirme vnto you by other arguments which I am forbidden to trust the feather withall but you shall shortly receiue aduertisements more at large by word of mouth Transylvania Aprill 18. stilo veteri And now gentle Readers for that you haue bought what is new wee giue you what is stale into the match which is two Letters one from an Ancient and another from a Gentleman of a Company which had they beene published when they were newes would haue beene much esteemed of And for that they agree together in so many particulars and the Ancient was personally in the battels wee haue here exhibited their owne words the Gentlemen to whom they were written can testifie that we haue not mis-reported them The Gentlemans Letter begins thus The King crossed the Rhine at Gernsheim with Count Mansfields Army marching towards the Duke of Bavarias Forces then pilling and spoyling the Countrey twixt Heidleberg and Heilbrun the 16. of Aprill they approacht and quartered nere the enemy who lay at Wisflow The 17. in the morning the enemie fell vpon Obertrauts Regiment of horse and Colonell Grayes Regiment of foot The Alarum being giuen there the whole Army drew to their rescue And as they marched Obertraut was commanded to quit his quarter and to set it on fire which being done the King aduanced vnder the cloud of that smoake with his Army whereas the enemy certainly made account he had retyred but contrary to their expectation he fell on Obertrauts and Grayes Regiments changing their retreat into a stout and resolute charge For halfe an houre there was a doubtfull fight but the fortune and valour of the King exhorting euery battalion to play the men who answered him presently by drawing their swords on the Enemy who at their comming on quailed Generall Tilly sau'd himselfe by the swiftnes of his Horse There is a Colonell a Serieant-Maior and many Captaines taken Prisoners and Cornets and many Ensignes found amongst the dead bodies which are esteemed to be 3000. men There was also taken foure peices of Cannon The Marquesse of Baden with his Army marched to cut off the enemies bridge which is at Wimpfen on the Neckar
mile and a halfe below Frankford But the towne belonging to the Marquesse of Dermstadt and hauing correspondēcie with Tilly had assurance from him vpon their sending to him the newes of Badens march thitherward that hee would withall speed come in to their rescue if the towne Garrison could but make good the place some few houres So that the townesmen beeing confident of succours the Marques perceiuing his passage that way stopt and that all the Army could not passe the River before the enemie would bee ready to fall vpon those that were passing or not yet passed came off fairely and Count Mansfield who kept the Reare with the greatest part of the Army retired in good order and leysure as beeing before freed of their Carriages And yet neverthelesse the Vauntgard of the Bavarians being come up to the reare of the Mansfieldians followed them and skirmished with them almost two daies together In which to confesse the truth and no more but the truth The Generall intending homewards was vnwilling to turne faces about and to make a stand with the whole body of his Army so at once to receiue the whole shocke of the battell vpon him there were some 600. foot and 60. horse of ours cut off And because I would bee impartiall I haue heere spoken with the most although those that could wish them ten times so many will peraduenture at least haue foure times so many slaine so partiall are many reporters as some haue not let to giue out that the Marquesse of Baden had the defeat of 15000 the Archduke Leopoldus they would haue to loose but 400. But beleeue it as I heare so I speake nothing vnder the number of common souldiers heere slaine And of Commanders on the Kings side one Colonell Gulstein of the Marquesse of Badens was kild a Palsgraue and a Count Mansfield of the same house with the Generall Mansfield are carried hence prisoners which two great names will no doubt make a great noyse being so nere in title to the King of Bohemia Palsgraue of the Rhine to the Count Mansfield General of the Army But to enforme these men let them know that all Princes of the Empire haue this priviledge that their Paternall titles doe descend to all their younger Sonnes although to keepe vp the house the Lands are onely entaylde to their eldest The rest hauing for their portions either some purchased Lands or Summes of Moneyes and withall the honour of Governour of some Countrey or State in the Country which makes them still both to bee employed and accounted of Or else they must make themselues vp a fortune by the Warres And thus there are at once diuers Dukes of Saxonie diuers Palsgraues of the Rhine and diuers Marquesses of Brandenburgh the chiefe of which 3. great Families are distinguished from the second houses by the addition of Kurfurst or Elector put to their stiles And thus is it possible not comparatiuely to instance in any that these two prisoners should bee no greater personages then that Duke of Saxonie whom after the defeat of the Archduke Leopoldus Colonell Overtraut tooke prisoner at Strasburgh On the Enemies party there were many slaine too and amongst the rest one braue horse captaine who being hemd in did with one Cornet of Horse aduenture to charge through a whole Regiment of the Marquesse of Badens horse where being opprest with multitude he was killed ere he could tell his name some others are heere prisoners with vs too men of good fashion and the best forwardnes in the battell and this skirmish continued the 29. and 30. of May. The next day the Enemy proud of it to haue had once the better came on in the heat of blood and in a brauado presented himselfe in Battalia somtimes and sometimes in some loose troopes flying vp and downe before the Trenches of the Kings Reare who had not yet passed the Neckar at Manhem bridge but were by the River parted from the rest of the Campe. And this they did againe the first of Iune but by their actions wee know not whether they be friends or enemies for they haue attempted nothing vpon the kings Folke who lye still either to be ready to receiue them if they haue the courage to charge or else to waite vpon them whither soeuer they stirre And thus haue wee described enough of the expedition of Dermstat with the aduentures and skirmishes in the returne from thence The two Armies lie now at the gaze one vpon another which it is expected they will not doe long For there will be extreme hot seruice if either the Duke of Brunswick shall come vp hither to ioyne with our two Armies or shall resolue to march vp into Bauaria which it seemes the two Princes on the Emperors side already stand in doubt of For the Prince Elector of Saxonie musters his troopes in Turing and the Duke of Bauaria makes a Campe at Dunawert which stands vpon the Donaw or Danubius and as Hondius Map sets it much about the middle of the borders of the vpper Palatinate Bauaria and Wittenberg So that if he goes on the Duke of Bauaria is likelier to haue neede of his owne forces vnder Mounsieur Tilly and to leaue Don Cordoua and the Spaniards in the Palatinate to the mercy of the King of Bohemiah Or if hee comes hither the King is absolutely and vncontrouleably Master of the Field And which of these he next does the next Post shall bring newes of In the meane time he enricheth himselfe wonderfully The countrey about Eichfield so much feares him that they offered him 100000. Dollers to spare it but hee askes a farre greater summe And thus is this side of Germany wholy embroyled there being at this time already these Armies all at once and all at this present in the poore Palatinate First the King himselfe with the General Mansfields Forces Then the Marquesse of Baden both these in the field and ioyned Then the Generall Vere in Garrison of Hidlebergh Manhem and Franckendall and peraduenture by this time the Duke of Brunswick also come or a comming and all on our side On the other side Don Cordoua in the Garrisons and Generall Tilly with his ould Army of Bauarians and new supplies out of Bohemia the Bishop of Cullens Generall the Baron of Anhalt ioyned with him And the other side of the Empire in much suspition of the great preparations of Bethlem Gabor ready either to fall vpon Bohemia Austria Bauaria or some other part or Prince of the Empire So that vnlesse it will please God to giue good successe to those pious endeauours of our gratious Soueraigne labouring for an vniuersal Christian peace we shall peraduenture shortly see either Bauaria or some parts of the Empire as miserable as the Palatinate is at this day In some letters May 20. out of the Palatinate we had an inckling that Bethlem Gabor was then almost in a readinesse and altogether in a resolution to come downe into those
but fayling of that proiect fell vpon some of their scattered troopes put many of them to the sword and tooke 5. peices of Ordnance Which heere now the Ancient confirmes who was one there himselfe The 20. of Aprill last the King and Count Mansfield with our Army in the Vant and Turlach in the Reare fought with al the Bavarian forces put them to flight we kild in the battle neere 3000. of the Enemie and after Turlachs Horse in the Reare slew many as they fled besides many Officers and men of note which wee tooke prisoners The K. and Count Mansfield charging brauely when the battel 's ioyned that t was enough to make a coward valiant We tooke all their Ordnance they had there which were sixe peices where our English behaued themselues so brauely that the King rewarded many in particular with Gold We lost in the battle not 200. men whereof there were but 50. English and Scots we haue an English troope of Horse which behaued themselues wondrous brauely in the fight but they engaged themselues so far in the enemies Battaliaes that they lost their Leiutenant an Englâ—sh Gentleman of worth and Twelue Horsemen more besides those that were shot which are yeâ— liuing we tooke some 9. Colours and Cornets Turlach with his Army cut off almost two Regiments of Gonsales foot who vpon the newes of the Bavarians ouerthrow marched through the hils towards the remaines of the Dukes forces but before hee could come Turlach met him and cut off those men Here the difference is onely in 4. and 6. peeces of Cannon taken The Gentleman goes on The 21. the King tooke in Sintzen which is halfe a daies iourney by Coach aboue Heidlebergh towards the Duke of Wittenberghes Countrey and neere to Wimpfen and Wifflow which when the enemie tooke he put man woman and child to the Sword To this place most of the enemies foote fled for refuge Don Gonsales marched presently with his whole Army to the reliefe of Mounsieur Tilly who lay at Wimpfen leauing Oppenheim Treitznach and Allshime with very small or no Garrisons The Ancient confirmes this report thus The 21 of Aprill we beleagred Sintzen a Towne of the Enemyes and tooke it in by composition to depart without Armes and many of them tooke entertainement with vs diuers other Castles and little townes haue yeelded to the King The Gentleman goes on About the 25. of April the King left the Marquesse of Baden to confront the Enemie and marched with his Army through Heidlebergh and sate downe before Laudenbergh which he tooke in on the 28. Most of the soldiers that were there to the number of 600. haue taken entertainment vnder the King Much about that time Don Gonsalez and Mounsteur Tilly rowted the Marquesse of Badens Army but they bought the victory deate with the losse of as many men as the Marquesse lost but they tooke his Cannon and the mâ—st of his baggage His horse playd the lades and ran away without much losse which caused his foot to lie close within their Barracadoes till night and vnder couert of the night fled and gained a wood which was not farre from them so that the losse is onely in his Cannon and Baggage This taking in of Laudenberg and the defeat of the Marquesse of Badens Armie The Ancient thus describes The 25. of April wee beleaguered Laudenberg a towne of the Kings that the enemie had tooke in and man'd it strongly wee mounted ten pieces and in two daies and one night we made a breach that twenty might goe in a front they of the towne would haue giuen it vp the first day but the King would giue them no quarter which made them fight desperatly knowing no way but death but the breach being made the Army threw dice and the lot fell to the French who went on so coldly that the English and the Scots got in the towne crying Vilegainee of the other side of the towne which made the Garrison soldiers in such a maze that they came running vpon the Pikes at the breach where were slaine more then two hundred many of the Officers seeing the towne was won blew themselues vp wiâ—h gunpowder And howsoeuer the Kings mercy was such that after the breach was entered he gaue faire quarters which they gladly tooke and most of them tooke entertainment of the King many of the chiefe are prisoners for ransomes Turles with his Army cut off almost two Regiments of Gonsales foote which came to Tillyes rescue But after the same day by negligence and not well encamping Turlach lost 400. men and was forc'd to retreat and leaue three peeces of Ordnance behinde him but not without the losse of as many men on the enemies side The Gentleman goes on The First of May the King rose from Laudenberg and passed his Army ouer the Neckar and Rhine here at Manheim and quartered about Frankendall Wormbes and Oppenheim where hee lay still two daies whether to amuse the enemie or no I know not His Generall Mansfield is one of the subtillest men in the world The fourth of May hee rose againe and quartered about Germisham marching Countermount the Rhine to the releefe of Hagenaw The Antient confirmes this There is an Ambassador come from the Duke of Brunswick who lyeth beneath with a braue Armie whereupon the King is marched leauing his Garrisons well man'd to Turlach the Marquesse but Leopoldus with his Armie hath beleaguered Hagenaw a braue strong towne of the Bishop of Spiers which caused the King to leaue all and is now gone to releeue it And thus farre these two Gentlemen agree in their relations which wee impart to you not for Newes but for certainty of a report whereof there haue beene so many tales Because the Printer shewed vs a blancke page at the end we therefore haue filled it vp with forraine relations which are nothing to the continuation of our discourse THe Grisons now carry themselues manfully and haue taken againe some of the passages and killed a great number of Spaniards The Suisse arme to assist them so that this moneth is noted to be vnhappy to Leopoldus Count Mansfield also sendeth 2000 men to assist them The Duke of Brunswicke hauing driuen Count Henry Vanderberg with his 8000 men into an Iland which the Rhine makes betweene Wesel Rhineberck the Count seeing himselfe too weake is vpon his calling backe now in Bruxels where the Merchants say money is not too plentifull The Spaniards vnder Spinola haue besieged Ham in the land of Mark wherein the States haue a very strong garrison which lies aboue toward Germanie betweene Emmerick Rees and Wesell where the last summers leaguers were The Spaniards haue appointed three Randezvous at Lier Mastrick and Rhineberge The States hope well this summer that if Spinola sends out any more forces into Germanie that they shall be masters of the field at home By letters from Franckford the 26. of May was certified Sir Arthur Chichester Lord Belfasts with Master Burlemacks safe arriuall at Mentz next to the Palatinate FINIS