belonging to the first of those two Places to which the King of Poland readily consented While they were preparing to put this Design in Execution Prince Lewis of Baden joyn'd the Army with the Duke of Bavaria's Infantry which Reinforcement giving them fresh Life and Courage they began to cross the Waag The Cavalry encamp'd the same day upon the Banks of that same Arm of the Danaw staying for those other Troops which had not yet passed the River The Duke also waited for the Infantry to the end the Army might march in a Body toward Barcam and perform some remarkable Atchievement And he reckon'd upon it that the next day which was the 8th the whole Army wou'd be ready to set forward in regard Count Starembergh who Commanded the Infantry had Orders to joyn the Army that day But the King of Poland anticipated tâ—e Time for he sent word that he was alreaâ—â— upon his March to Attack the Place which they had agreed to Assail and therefore dâ—â—â—'d him to follow with all expedition Which alteration of the K. of Poland's Resolution did not a little surprize the Duke and tho' he prepar'd himself to March nevertheless he sent before the Count de Dunewald to the King to let him know the Necessity of staying for the Infantry and the Danger they should bring themselves into by seperating their Forces when they were so near the Armies both of the Turks and Male-Contents and almost at the Gates of their strong Holds But the Count found the King already on Horseback who gave him this Answer That being assured that the Detachement of the Turks toward Barcam was not considerable he saw no Inconvenience that could happen by continuing his March So that the Duke perceiving the King's Resolution was constrain'd to follow leaving only a Regiment of Croats to attend the Foot But the King of Poland was sooner advanc'd within an Hours March of Barcam but he was informed by some of the first Troops of his Vanguard that some Squadrons of the Enemy appear'd Upon which he ordered a Detachement to repel them which was vigorously done while the Turkish Cavalry gave ground but being seconded by a greater Number the Polish Troops that fell on first were repulsed themselves to whose relief the King at the same time sent some other Squadrons And now the Fight being equal he advanced himself with all his Horse But then it was that the Body of the Enemies Cavalry to the Number of between Seven and Eight Thousand Men which till then lay cover'd behind a great Hill appeared when the King least dreamt of their being so near So that before the Polanders could put themselves into Order of Battel they were Charged so briskly both in Front and Flank that they were constrain'd to fly and leave behind them their Baggage and some Colours The Duke of Lorrain being informed that the Enemy was Engaged with the Polanders hasten'd to their Aid But he soon found upon his Arrival that the Polish Horse were utterly Broken and that the Turks pursued them close at the Heels The first thing therefore that he did was to range the foremost of the Imperial Troops which he had no sooner done but he advanced toward the Enemy and his appearance put them into such a Consternation that they immediately betook themselves to flight and retir'd under the Guns of Barcam The King of Poland was so far advanced and in many places so openly exposed on purpose to encourage his Men by his own Example that for some time 't was thought he had been taken by the Infidels for he was one of the last that retreated and that a long time too after the Duke of Lorrain had routed the Ottoman Troops And indeed such was the Terror that still continued among the Polanders notwithstanding their Fortunate Rescue that the Presence of the King who was thought to have been taken Prisoner could not quite recover 'em out of the Amaze they were in The Losses they had sustain'd and the Hazards they had run had so terrified their Senses that the Principal Officers of the Army began to perswade the King to alter his Design of Attacking Barcam and to bethink himself of taking up his Winter Quarters Upon which the Duke of Lorrain who had some Intimation what Counsel the King had given him presently hasten'd to his Quarters where the Reasons he alleadged for the easie making themselves Masters of that Fort were so prevalent and convincing that a Resolution was taken to Attack the Fort and to that purpose to March the next day But the same Night his Majesty of Poland having received Intelligence that the Turkish Detachement had been reinforced by some Bodies Commanded by the Bassa's of Aleppo and other Places and fearing that those Troops were followed by the rest of the Ottoman Army began to deliberate anew upon the Enterprize so lately resolv'd upon Till the Duke having made it manifestly appear to him that the Enemies whole Army could not possibly be arrived before Barcam and that though it were yet there was no reason for that to alter the Design they determined at last to Attack it and march'd toward the Enemy at the Head of both Armies Nor did the Turks who were Drawn up in a Plain stay till they were Attackt themselves but briskly gave the first Charge upon the Left Wing of the Polanders with so much Bravery that the whole Wing began to give ground But the Duke of Lorrain having quitted his Lines to fly to their Succor rallied them with so much speed and bring himself at the Head of some German Horse fell upon the Enemy with that fury that being well seconded by the Polanders he put them to a total Rout and Count de Dunewald having Orders to pursue them they were chac'd to the Gates of Barcam with a Loss far greater than that which the Grand Visier sustain'd at Vienna For besides the dreadful Slaughter of the Turks in the Battel one of the Bridges over which the Fugitives crouded to get into the Fort falling down with the weight of the Throng an infinite Number were Drowned in the Danaw This Opportunity was too favourable not to make the best of it immediately Therefore the Christian Army advanced and the Duke caused a Battery to be raised from whence the Christians play'd so furiously upon the Fort that the Garison hung out a white Flag desired to Capitulate and Surrendred upon Composition However that could not prevent the Polonians from cutting the Garison in pieces which very much troubled the Duke of Lorrain who had received the Capitulation 'T is thought that of Fourteen or Fifteen Thousand Turks that were advanced for the Relief of Barcam there hardly Escaped Four Thousand and that there were above a Thousand Prisoners taken among whom were two Bassa's and some Aga's of Janisaries * The Fort of Barcam Surrendred to the D. of Lorrain the 9th of October 1683. within less than a Month after the Siege
For the Serasquier afraid of being beaten by the Duke as he had been the Campagne before no sooner understood that the Duke was advancing towards him with his Forces but he raised the Siege of Gran and drew up all his Forces together So that the Duke found him ranged in Order of Battel with an Army of above Sixty thousand Men in a very advantageous Post For he had of each side Mountains covered with Wood before him a Marsh that extended as far as the Danaw upon the Banks of which he had begun his Entrenchments which he had carried on from the River to a rising Ground where he had Planted his great Guns The first days were only spent in Skirmishes while the Turks extended their Camp to the same Distance from the Marsh as that of the Christians lay stretching out their Right Wing along the Danaw and their Left upon the rising Grounds Now in regard that upon the News which the Duke of Lorrain had received that the Enemy had raised the Siege of Gran and that the Relief which he had sent to the Town was got in he was not obliged to pass the Marsh that lay between him and the Ottoman Army he thought it rather his Business to force the Serasquier to pass it himself and to draw him on to begin the Fight without being obliged to tire his own Soldiers but which way to do this he could not devise Thereupon a Council of War was called and then it was resolved that the Duke should counterfeit a hasty Flight to draw on the Serasquier to follow him Thereupon the Baggage was immediately sent away before toward the close of the Evening and the Imperialists about two hours after decamped No sooner was the Army upon their March but they heard a most hideous noise of Turkish Exaltation which made them conjecture that the Serasquier would be at their heels In short the Turkish General upon false Intelligence that the Christian Army was not above Twenty thousand Men had laboured might and main to fill up the Marsh and had passed it with a Design to give the Duke Battel and then to relieve Newhausel On the other side the Duke of Lorrain who had compassed his Design prepared for Battel and having caused his Army to face about he marched it all Night in Order of Battel toward the Enemy And by break of day there arose such a thick Fog that it was impossible for the Serasquier to observe the Number of the Christians nor the Order of their Army which did not contribute a little to the Victory which the Duke of Lorrain gained for he knew how to make his Advantage of it So soon as the Mist cleared up both Armies drew near one to another with a slow pace at first But at length the Turks coming down from the rising Grounds which they possest flew upon the Right Wing of the Christian Army commanded by the Prince of Baden with an incredible Fury but that Wing stood immoveable and immediately after the Left Wing commanded by the Elector of Bavaria was Charged with no less Resolution Which also with a superiour courage repelled the Infidels who then despairing to break into the Body assayed to force their Flank but that same Attempt deceiving their Expectations as being secured by the River Danaw they fell again upon Prince Louis of Baden Thereupon the Duke of Lorrain who perceived what the violent Attempts of the Turks aimed at ordered the Wing which he commanded to march with a slow pace with Instructions to receive the first firing of the Enemy without so much as discharging a Gun The same Directions were also given by the Duke of Bavaria to the Left Wing which he commanded So that after the Turks had discharged their first Vollies the Imperialists fired so thick upon them that they were forced to give ground Upon which the Duke of Lorrain to take the Advantage of their Disorder commanded his own Men to bear hard upon the Enemy yet not so furiously as to break their Ranks and at the same time ordered the Hungarians to follow the pursuit who being better acquainted with the Turkish manner of Fighting rally themselves more easily Upon that the Turks who had betaken themselves to flight so soon as they were out of reach of the Imperial Artillery began to rally again and turning Head against the Hungarians put them into some disorder and encouraged by this Advantage they returned to make a second Charge but were received with that Resolution by the Imperialists keeping their Ground that the greatest part of them that carried the Colours were slain at the Head of their Squadrons which put them again into disorder and obliged them to a second Flight In this hurly-burly and Danger wherein the Turks beheld themselves they threw themselves all on one side and flew upon the Duke of Lorrain's Wing with a Resolution to Flank it But the Duke perceiving their Design by their first Motions rendered it altogether ineffectual by redoubling the fire of the first Line as he saw the Turks come on At the same time also he gave Order to the Count de Dunewald to march on that side with the Squadrons and Batallions that were nearest the second Line And all his Orders were so exactly and so successfully obeyed that the Duke of Bavaria advancing at the same time with the Left Wing there began a most terrible confusion among the Turks who at last betook themselves to flight with so much consternation that they entangled themselves among the most difficult Passes of the Marsh Immediately the Duke ordered the pursuit to be made by a Detachement of Hungarians and Croats and some Squadrons of Dragoons and Horse which so much increased the disorder of the Turks that they lost above Two thousand Men before they could repass the Marsh The greatest part of the Janisaries who were engaged upon a rising Ground being forsaken by their Horse were all cut to pieces Nevertheless the Turks endeavoured to rally But the Duke of Lorrain having passed the Marsh with his Army by the same Passes through which the the Turks had Escaped as having made them passable themselves this put the Enemy into such a terrible consternation that they abandoned their Camp and sought their Safety in the nimbleness of their Heels And in this disorder impossible to be described it was that the Janisaries made no scruple to cut the Spahi's Throats for the sake of their Horses so that it may well be said that the Serasquier lost more Men through the Fright and Confusion that was among them then in the Fight where not above Three thousand were slain upon the Place with the loss of only Three hundred on the Dukes side In the Camp were found Four and twenty Pieces of Cannon some Mortars above a thousand Bombs a great Quantity of Ammunition and Provisions and a good number of Colours While the Duke of Lorrain was thus employ'd at the Battle of Gran the
at Aix la Chapelle in regard she had no longer Wars with Spain and had Disbanded good part of her Forces she was willing the Duke should follow her Example On the other side the Duke of Lorrain having Intelligence every day that the Elector Palatine drew his Forces together and had certainly some design upon his Frontiers he let the King know the danger he was in if he had not an Army on Foot But the King making Solemn Protestations and having likewise given him his Royal Word that the Elector had no Thoughts of molesting him he dismiss'd his Army and dispers'd his Men after such a manner that it was not easie for him to draw them together again if necessity requir'd it But the Intelligence given the Duke of Lorrain that the Palatine Elector had some design upon him prov'd too true For he had no sooner dismiss'd his Army but he understood that the Elector had besieged and taken the Castles of Landstoaille and Honde and made his Prisoners the Commander of the Prince of Vaudemont's Regiment and several other Officers who confiding in the Kings Assurance that the Elector would not stir were altogether unprovided to defend themselves The Duke had no sooner receiv'd the News but he rally'd a good part of his Men and put them under the Command of the Prince of Lislebonne withal giving the Count of Vaudemont orders to accompany him with his Regiment of Horse Now though the Lorrain Army were nothing near so numerous as that of the Electors yet they enter'd the Palatinate and after several Skirmishes the Princes of Lislebonne and Vaudemont coming to encamp near the Enemy a Battel was fought wherein one part of the Electors Army was cut in pieces and the other utterly routed But as entire a Victory as it was the Duke of Lorrain made no Advantage of it For the Elector after such an unexpected Misfortune fearing the loss of his Country put himself under the Protection of France and by his Resident at Paris desir'd the King to interpose his Authority and Power for the concluding a War which he was no longer able to maintain Upon which the King who waited only for Pretences to bring down the Duke of Lorrain and wisht besides that the Duke would delay to obey his Commands that he might have an occasion to declare War against him and seize upon his Territories sent him Word That he should dismiss his Army forthwith upon pretence that his Army gave him cause of Jealousie and therefore letting him understand that he must absolutely resolve to lay down his Arms according to the general Treaty of Peace which gave him Power only to retain some Companies of his Guards and his light Horsemen but not to have standing Armies Promising however to protect him against the Elector in case he did not dismiss his Forces or attempted any thing against him The Duke who stomach'd the King of France's Controul answer'd him first haughtily enough That the King of France was not his Master That he had only a small Army to defend himself against the Attempts of an open Enemy and that if the King went about to constrain him he made no doubt but there were Princes in Europe that would Infallibly stand by him But the Kings Messenger having given him to understand that Marshal Crequi was upon the Frontiers of his Territories with Orders in case of refusal to advance with Ten Thousand Men the Duke was so terrifi'd with that same dreadful Menace that he thought it his best way to dismiss his Men. And having taken this Resolution he began to put it in execution But whither it were that he did not proceed to the King of France's Liking or that Marshal Crequi who was sent into Lorrain with some other Commissioners to see the Dukes Army disbanded were troubl'd to see the War so soon at an end and started Suspicions on purpose the Cities of Pent a Mousson St. Michael and some others were surpriz'd at the same time that the Prince of Vaudemont was about to enter into those Places to meet Marshal Crequi on the Dukes behalf and perfect what remain'd to be done for the Kings full Satisfaction True it is that the Duke having made his Complaint of the Violences committed by the Marshal the King to shew him that he had no design but for the publick Tranquility and not to invade the Dukes Territories recall'd his Garisons out of those Places which the Marshal had taken and all his other Forces out of Lorrain So that Lorrain began to enjoy that Peace which it had not enjoy'd for above Five and thirty years before But this Repose lasted so small a while that it could hardly be perceiv'd While things thus pass'd in Lorrain the Troubles in Hungary brake out again There was first a Conspiracy against the Life of the Emperor which would have prov'd fatal to Prince Charles had the Conspirators succeeded in their Design I shall not here repeat the Original of those Troubles because it is a Thing so well known I shall only tell ye that Count Serini who till then had adher'd to the Emperors Interests secretly strook in with the Male-Contents as did also Count Nadash some time after upon the score of a Palatine Employment which the Emperor had denied him These two Counts blinded by their Fury and believing it not enough to take up Arms against the Emperor laid a design to take away his Life and the more easie to bring their Endeavours about they so well dissembl'd their Resentment that no body perceiv'd that they kept the least Intelligence with the Male-Contents Count Serini more especially was so little suspected by his Imperial Majesty that he had entrusted him to take care of fortifying the Frontier Towns And at this time it was that feigning to be wholly taken up in forwarding the Work committed to his Care both he and Nadish jointly resolv'd to attempt the Emperor's Life who was preparing to meet the Empress his Wife that was expected out of * The 25th of April 1666 Leopold Married Margaret Maria Therese Daughter of Philip IV. King of Spain His second Wife was Claudia Felicitie of Austria Dutchess of Inspruch in the year 1673. And at the end of the same year he Married a third time with the Princess Palatine of Neuburgh Elianora Maria Therese Daughter of the Elector Palatine lately deceas'd Spain To this end they had contriv'd to lay Five hundred Men in a certain place through which the Emperor was to ride Post accompanied only with the Grand Master of his House and ten or a dozen Gentlemen and the Commander of those Troops had himself engag'd to stab the Emperor But in regard it was a difficult thing to succeed in so horrid a Design Couâ—â— Nadash had tried an infinite number of ways which still prov'd ineffectual But at length having corrupted a Carpenter that wrought in a new Apartment which the Emperor was making in his Palace for the Empress
Original of these Troubles that have caus'd the Effusion of so much Blood for Twenty years together and the Calling in of the Ottoman Assistance at the last Extremity and has been the only Occasion of so many Calamities and Miseries which the greatest Part of Germany still bewails At what time the Emperor had laid his Design to reduce the Hungarian Male-Contents after the Discovery of the Conspiracy already mention'd he sent an Army into that Kingdom which committed therein an infinite number of Hostilities On the other side the Hungarians who had had no hand in the Conspiracy seeing the Troubles were wholly appeas'd upon Prince Ragotski's laying down his Arms believ'd that the Emperor would have drawn off his Forces that ruin'd all before 'em but their Expectations were no way satisfied Thereupon they made their Complaints that the Innocent were envelop'd among the Guilty and that the Germans never considering they were not in an Enemies Country yet committed the same Disorders they had done some Months before but the Emperor would not listen to any Complaints On the other side General Spork being reinforc'd with a considerable Body sent him from Bohemia entred into the very Heart of the Country his Infantry being Commanded by the Marquis of Baden and the Cavalry by Prince Charles Upon this the Hungarians who never expected to see an Army where no no Enemy made any Opposition were in such a Consternation that they resolv'd to Arm themselves against the Emperor and this they did accordingly in all Parts where they thought themselves to be strong enough But in regard the Imperial Army was very numerous the Male-Contents were hard put to it General Spork immediately seiz'd upon all the Passes to prevent their flight into Foreign Countries and advancing to the Principal Places with fifteen Regiments to furnish them with Garisons he no sooner appear'd before those Places but they set open their Gates to him so that there was only Muran that made any Resistance But the Prince of Lorrain coming before it with a considerable Detachement of Horse and Foot and having presently possessed himself of a Hill which commanded the Town he intrench'd himself and summon'd the Countess of Wesselini who was Mistress of the Place to Surrender threatning to give no Quarter if he took it by Storm The Countess who was within the Town that a sufficient Number of Male-Contents who had betaken themselves thither for Refuge made a shew at first of holding out But at length considering that her resistance would be in vain since the Prince was Master of a Post so Advantageous she resolv'd to Capitulate So that all the strong Holds being fill'd with Garisons General Spork and the Prince of Lorrain return'd to Vienna to give an Accompt to the Emperor of their Expedition In the Year 1672. the King of France Declar'd War against the Low-Countries and within one Month made himself Master of Two and thirty Towns that were all Places of good Defence For those Provinces at that time were divided into two or three Factions and in regard that France who made the best Advantage of every thing fomented those Divisions underhand it was no such extraordinary thing to make such considerable Conquests in so short a time besides that there was a great suspition that Treachery assisted his Successes However it were the French Army no sooner appear'd before a Place but they found the Gates open or at least it was not long before they were open'd So that the French who were in that Campagne were wont to say That they rather travell'd through those Cities than besieg'd 'em and that if they had not met with some Resistance at Nimeghen they should not have known they had been at War The King also who was present at all these safe Exploits had a particular Eye upon Amsterdam and he miss'd but little of his Design But the Inhabitants letting loose their Sluces rather chose to seek their safety in a Deluge of Water that environ'd 'em and to suffer all manner of Hardships than to lose their Liberty which disappointed the Measures of France Now in regard the Country lay under Water the King finding it impossible for him to advance his Conquests any farther return'd to Paris leaving his Armies under the Conduct of Marshal Turenne At the same time also the Elector of Brandenburgh alarum'd by these Victories of the French and seeing that the King had got Possession of Wesel and some other Towns that belong'd to him in particular resolv'd to take the Field and stop so rapid a Progress as also to oppose the Designs of the Elector of Cologne and Bishop of Munster who had both likewise Declar'd against Holland Nevertheless because he found himself not strong enough to drive the French out of his Dominions had they attempted to enter for there was all the Probability in the World that they had such a Design he had so sucessfully manag'd a Negotiation at the Court of Vienna that he had perswaded the Emperor to joyn him with a Body of Fifteen thousand Men under the command of Montecuculi So that the Elector found himself toward the beginning of October in a condition to Encamp above Mayence between the Mein and the Rhine with an Army of Thirty thousand Men. At the same time the Duke of Lorrain joyn'd the Elector with some Regiments which he had still in Burgundy and Prince Charles who had refus'd some Propositions which the King of France had made him as not being for his Advantage serv'd in the same Army as General of the Horse But the Prince met with no opportunity to signalize himself for besides that Montecuculi had his Reasons why he would not venture his Army and for that he had to do with Marshal Turenne the Prince de Lokowitz having delay'd the Execution of the Emperor's Orders both this and the following Campagne pass'd over without any considerable Action which occasion'd the Fall of that Minister Toward the end of the Year 1673. the King of Poland who had Married the Emperor's Sister the Princess Eleanora-Maria died Now in regard the Emperor had some thoughts of Marrying Prince Charles to that Princess could he have obtain'd the Crown of Poland resolv'd to make up this Match upon the decease of King Michael in regard that now the Prince had new hopes that he might ascend the Throne of that Kingdom For there was great Probability that if he Married the Queen of Poland the Polanders would sooner Elect him to be their King than any other Foreign Prince for that besides the Sollicitation of the Emperor which could not but be of very great weight as Affairs then stood the Grandees of Poland had all along testify'd a very great Respect and Esteem for the Queen They who aspired to that Crown at that time were the Prince of Lorrain the Prince of Muscovie the Prince of Condé the Duke of York Prince George of Denmark the Prince of Orange the Elector of Brandenburgh
pleas'd to shew him such an extraordinary Affection in an Affair of so high a Concern However he could not forbear from breaking forth into a vehement Indignation against the Author of his Misfortune He told the Gentleman that it proceeded from the foul Practices of the King of France and the subtle Artifices of his Publick Minister who had frustrated his Design yet that perhaps he should not be always so unhappy but that one day he might be Reveng'd of a Prince that seem'd only to be Born to trouble him and all the World beside In short upon his departure from the Frontiers of Poland where he lay he return'd to Vienna where at the very Moment of his arrival he besought the Emperor to permit him to rejoyn the Imperial Army in Flanders under the Command of the Count de Souches Nor did the Emperor whom the Prince had incens'd against France after an extraordinary manner think fit to detain him that Campagne as he had purpos'd to do So that leaving Vienna with all speed imaginable he came time enough to be at the Battel of Seneff one of the most memorable that have happen'd in this Age. The desire which the Prince had to signalize himself at such a time and to render himself formidable to France caus'd him to expose himself equally to the meanest Souldier in the Army The Signal of Battel was no sooner given but he threw himself into the thickest of his Enemies with a contempt of danger not to be exprest And his presence prov'd fatal to several of the French But as it was impossible that a Prince who expos'd himself so openly as he did should scape without a Wound he receiv'd a Gash in the Head which forc'd him to retire out of the Battel But how dangerous soever the Wound were he was in a Condition to act again the next Campagne in Germany where Marshal Turenne Commanded the French Army Against him the Emperor had oppos'd Montecuculi who would not take charge of the Imperial Army the year before because he would not be Subservient to the Duke of Brandenburgh Now in regard that Turenne and Montecuculi were both Experienc'd Generals that were shie one of another they only watch'd one anothers Motions at first Montecuculi pass'd and repass'd the Rhine several times making a shew as if he intended to sit down before Philipsburgh which bridl'd the Palatinate Marshal Turenne coasted along the River on Strasburgh side during the movements of the Confederate Army But in regard he mistrusted Strasburgh though that City had enter'd into a Neutrality some time before he resolv'd himself to pass the Rhine with his whole Army This was an attempt which the Confederates thought impossible in regard their Army was more numerous than the French In short Marshal Turenne having laid a Bridge over the River against a certain place environ'd with a Wood and Hills the Imperialists thought it was only a design to pass over one part since they could not see which way he could get his Carriages and Baggage to follow him But in regard that Turenne had accustom'd his Soldiers to all sorts of Labour the obstacle which the Imperialists believ'd invincible was soon remov'd So that his Army having pass'd the Rhine he presently made himself Master of Wildstat designing to tire out the Imperialists who presently march'd toward Offenburgh Montecuculi fearing least the French should attempt that place And indeed the Imperial Army suffer'd great Hardships in regard that they were depriv'd of their Communication with Strasburgh Nor did the French suffer less for want of Victuals but chiefly of Forage which began to grow so scarce that the Horses had nothing for above Eight days but Leaves from the Trees In the mean time because the Bridge which Marshal Turenne had laid over the Rhine extreamly annoy'd the Imperialists and that it was of great importance to make themselves Masters of it the Prince of Lorrain and Count Caprara undertook to effect it To which purpose they resolv'd to fall upon the French Army one on the one side and the other on the other side while two other Detachments made a false Attack upon two other Posts Thereupon they march'd all Night having each of them between Three and Four Thousand Horse and Dragoons The Prince of Lorrain was to fall upon the Enemies Rear and perform'd his Duty accordingly but not being seconded by the other Detachements who were to Attack the French Camp in several parts at the same time as was concluded upon he was forc'd to Retreat because he perceiv'd a great Body of the choicest of the French Troops advancing toward him For Marshal Turenne having lin'd all the Lanes through which the Prince was to pass the Prince was constrain'd to clear his way before he could pass any farther However he made a shift to force two or three Posts of the Enemies and to kill about Four Hundred of their Men and take several Prisoners of Note among whom was Traci Major General of the Infantry He also brought away three Colours and among the rest the Standard of the Kings Dragoons So that although the Prince could not make himself Master of the Bridge as he design'd yet the Honour which he won in that Conflict was very great as the French and Turenne himself acknowledg'd as well for the vigorous Attack as the orderly and Soldier-like Retreat which he made Now the two Armies lying so near each other there past not a day without some skirmishes but they came not to a general Battel though there were great scarcity of Victuals as well in Turenne's as Montecuculi's Army which one would have thought should have forc'd the two Generals to have fought for their Bread But being both unwilling to put it to a venture unless they could have found their Advantages which it was a hard matter to do both Generals being so well acquainted with each others Conduct they only contented themselves with slight Skirmishes for fear of being too precipitate Nevertheless Montecuculi being no longer able to contend with those Distresses under which his Army labour'd made one motion which caus'd Marshal Turenne to believe he had a purpose to give him Battel And therefore as he was covetous of nothing more than of Honour so he sought all opportunities to acquire it though never any General had a more Illustrious or more dilated Reputation Desirous therefore of Victory he remov'd without losing time to a Hill where he design'd to plant a Battery But as he was giving directions to St. Hilaire Lieutenant General of the Artillery how to dismount the Imperialists great Guns he was shot with a Cannon Bullet which caus'd a great Consternation in the French Army and forc'd them to repass the Rhine Montecuculi desirous to make his Advantage of the Terrour which he judg'd the Enemy was in resolv'd upon a vigorous pursuit and first he fell upon Wildstat and regain'd it With that the Count de Lorges who together with
to no purpose For the Marquis made Answer That having done nothing but by the Emperors Order which he produc'd in Writing he could neither set the Prince at Liberty nor restore the Money without a new Order from his Imperial Majesty This so enrag'd the King of France that he Commanded his Ambassadors to tell those from the King of Sweden that they had Order to return and that he was resolv'd to be Reveng'd by force of Arms for the Injury done to himself and the Elector of Cologne's Plenipotentiary Thus the French Ambassadors departed and then it was to no purpose for the rest to stay any longer But the Advantage which the King of France got by this Rupture was this that having over-perswaded the King of Sweden that the Confederates had no value for him That in scorn of his Mediation they had seiz'd upon Prince William and refus'd to release him at his Request and that it was himself indeed that had received the Affront by these Artifices he engag'd him to his Interest This Violence upon the Person of Prince William and the Injury which the King of France had receiv'd in particular made all men believe that there would be no Peace in hast in Europe and that the King of France would never consent to renew the Negotiation Nevertheless at the Request of the King of England whose Mediation was generally approv'd of by all the Princes that were interested in that War since the Swedes had declar'd for France and at the earnest Sollicitation of the Bishop of Strasburgh who openly declar'd that he preferr'd the Advantages of Peace before the Liberty of the Prince his Brother the King was prevail'd upon to let the Reasons of his Honour give way to those of his Interest And having accepted Nimeghen for the Place of Treaty he sent thither for his Plenipotentiaries the D. of Vitry M. Colbert and the Count d' Avaux Now in regard there was a Necessity for granting Passports on both sides for the Ambassadors of the Princes concern'd all Germany being up in Arms and the King of France also granted a Passport for the Duke of Lorrain's Plenipotentiaries wherein he call'd him Cousin and barely Prince of Lorrain Upon which the Duke refus'd the Passport and complain'd to the King of England That the King of France had not given him his Titles of Brother and Duke of Lorrain The King of England to remove this Obstacle propos'd to the Confederates that he might grant all the Passports himself and to facilitate the Success of this Expedient he wrote to the Emperor and caus'd a Memorial to be Presented to the States General wherein he set forth the Reasons which had oblig'd him to propound this Expedient as he had done in his Letter to the Emperor But his Imperial Majesty made Answer that the Proposal could not be accepted that things were to be done in due form and that the King of France could not alter the usual Style of Passports but must give to every one the Titles that belong'd to ' em The States General went higher for they spoke out in plain terms and which also serv'd for an Answer to the King of England that the Confederates and themselves were very much surpriz'd that the King of France should not give Prince Charles the Title of Duke of Lorrain considering that the Treaty in the Year 1662 by which he was lawfully possessed of the Dutchies of Lorrain and Bar could not be lookt upon but as null and void as being in the first place concluded with a Prince who had no Right or Power besides that in the second place it was notoriously known that the King had never perform'd that Treaty nor the Clause which Charles IV. inserted which was one of the Principal Things contain'd in it They added That the King of France had made no mention of the Treaty 1662. in that of 1663. And that having after the Death of Charles IV. granted Permission to those of his House to give him the Title of Duke of Lorrain their Wonder was so much the more that he should refuse the same Title to the new Duke and by that means put a stop to a Peace which all Europe so vehemently thirsted after The King answer'd all these Objections But in regard it was his Interest that the Peace should be concluded after he had declar'd that the Titles either given or omitted could do him no Prejudice he caus'd another Passport to be drawn wherein he gave the New Duke the Title of Brother and Duke of Lorrain Upon which the Duke wrote the following Letter to the States General High and Potent Lords THe Constancy which your High and Mightinesses have shown in the Support of my Interest till this very time in Pursuance of the Alliance into which you have done me the Honour to admit me having constrain'd the King of France to allow me those Titles which God and Nature has given me I find my self oblig'd to testifie to your High and Mightinesses my Joy and my Acknowledgment not only in regard of my particular Interests but much more by reason of the Satisfaction your Highnesses receive when they find their Designs successful Nevertheless as all your Cares have been of my Interests I desire you to believe that I shall acknowledge them to the utmost of my Power as long as I live and that if at present any Opportunity should present it self to give you Proofs of my sincerity I should be passionately desirous to lay hold of it This the sincere Protestation of c. Charles Lorrain The French Army that lay in Alsatia was to be commanded this Year 1676. by the Duke of Luxemburgh whom the King had preferr'd before the Prince of Condé by means of the Intreagues of Monsieur de Louvois who was no Friend to the Prince and the Imperial Army was to be commanded by the Duke of Lorrain For Montecuculi having got leave to retire to Vienna had resign'd his Command by Order of the Emperor Toward the beginning of the Campagne therefore the Duke of Luxemburgh departed from Schelestadt at the Head of near Fifty thousand Men and after seven or eight days March Encamp'd his Army upon fresh Intelligence that the Duke of Lorrain was coming against him with an Army not much inferiour in number to his and that he was just upon passing the Saar He could not believe at first that the Duke had any design to fight him For in regard he was rather perswaded that the Duke would Besiege Philipsburgh which had been block'd up for some time he could not imagine he would venture a Battel But being confirm'd by some Prisoners that the Imperial Army continu'd their March he advanced himself with a numerous Detachement and gave Orders for the rest of the Army to follow him The Duke had already seiz'd upon a Rising Ground from whence he poured his small Shot upon the Enemy So that the Guard which Luxemburgh had caus'd to pass beyond
a little River that parted the two Armies being forc'd to repass again he lin'd the Hedges with his Dragoons and Infantry for fear the Imperialists should come on too fast But that could not stop 'em so that there happen'd a Fight that lasted about two Hours not at all to the Advantage of the Duke of Luxemburgh Now though it were impossible as well for the Imperialists as the French to stay long in those Posts where the Battel was fought by reason of the great Difficulty of bringing Provisions to the Armies yet both Generals entrench'd themselves as if they had not been to stir during the whole Campagne but in regard the Posts were not tenable they were oblig'd to quit 'em and the Marshal was the first that mov'd He sent away his heavy Baggage toward the beginning of the Night when the Duke least expected it and having decamp'd with all the Silence imaginable the Marshal left in the Lanes as many Foot and Dragoons as he thought necessary to favour their Retreat But the Imperialists perceiving they had decamp'd presently clear'd the Lanes of the Enemy and having open'd a passage for the Cavalry they thunder'd with such a Fury upon the Rear of the French and the Duke of Lorrain fought with such a steady Courage that if Count Hamilton who had posted himself upon an Advantageous ground had not put himself with his Pike in his hand at the Head of his Regiment there had been an end of the French Army Marshal de Luxemburgh thus deliver'd by the Bravery of that English Gentleman who nevertheless was slain at the same time after his stout resistance had put the Imperial Army to a kind of disorder which oblig'd the Duke to Sound a Retreat got over to the other side of a small River by the side of which he encamp'd and entrench'd his Army But the Duke following him thither encamp'd within sight of him and ply'd the Marshal so thick with his Cannon that the French were strangely terrified Nevertheless in regard they were posted so advantageously that it was impossible to force their Camp the Duke drew off and bent his March for Strasburgh which had declar'd for the Emperor after the Death of Turenne and having sent away his Artillery and his Infantry by Water march'd directly for Philipsburgh which he had Orders to Besiege Prince Frederick of Baden Dourlach General of the Army of the Circles was entrusted with the Management of the Siege where he met with many Difficulties in regard the place was Strong the Garison very numerous and the Rhine no less troublesom through the swelling of the Waters though it were a Season that Inundations are not very frequent Nevertheless the Prince who had under him Prince Herman of Baden General of the Emperor's Artillery and the famous Wertmuller made himself Master of the Place after a vigorous Defence of Four Months Luxemburgh not being able to relieve it by reason of the Bravery and Vigilance of the Duke of Lorrain who worsted him several times during the Siege and at length forc'd him to Retreat though at the Head of Fifty thousand Men almost in view of the Besiegers It is said that the Prince of Condè who understood the Mystery of War much better than Luxemburgh being ask'd by the King what was to be done to save Philipsburgh made answer That he must keep the Duke of Lorrain from Besieging it but since the Error was committed he ought to hazard the Army what e're it cost him and force the Enemy in his Entrenchments But Luxemburgh was so far from doing that that he only spun out the time and gave Ground at last which render'd him contemptible insomuch that a Thousand Lampoons were made upon him in the Army and among the Rest this was One Upon the Rhine a Monster of a Beast Threaten'd Prodigious Havock to his Foes Though Lorrain never fear'd him in the least But bravely did the Monster still oppose For why the Monster had no Head at all But arms a Hundred Thousand great and small But at last Luxemburgh asham'd that he had perform'd nothing considerable with so brave an Army bent his March for Schelestadt with a design to Repair his Honour in Brisgau To which purpose he set his Men to lay a Bridge over the Rhine below Brissac But he was so long about it that the Duke had leisure to oppose his Designs and put a good Garison into Friburgh the only Place that was in danger on that side So that all Luxemburgh's Atchievements terminated in Plundering some few Villages and putting little Garisons into petty Places to prevent the Duke that follow'd him close from falling upon Him at a Disadvantage as if he had been only upon the Defensive part After which having repassed the Rhine he encamp'd between Brisac and Basle while the Duke of Lorrain still observing his Motions advanc'd toward the latter City fearing lest he might have some design upon it though it were a City that stood Neuter Now in regard the Weather began to grow very unseasonable and for that there was nothing more to be done in those Posts both Armies resolv'd to retire to their Winter Quarters Luxemburgh sent one part of his Men in to Alsatia and the other part into Lorrain and Burgundy who in the way seiz'd upon the Country of Montbeillard which as the King afterwards publickly declar'd was done not that he had any design to make himself Master of Montbeillard but only to take it into his Protection however the Prince and Princess not caring for such Protectors retir'd to Basle As for the Duke of Lorrain in regard his Men were very much tired out with the Siege of Philipsburgh he sent them to their Winter Quarters in Suabia and Franconia after he had taken all necessary care that they should not be surpriz'd by the Duke of Luxemburgh The Success which the Duke had had put him in great hopes of the same Prosperity the next year He thought it would be no difficult matter to break into his own Country where he knew himself to be passionately desir'd by his own Subjects So that in the midst of these Thoughts he made it his Business to be early in the Field as he was before the end of April Now in regard he was assur'd of Strasburgh Bridge he order'd his Army to Rendezvous upon the Banks of the Rhine while the Prince of Saxon Essenak labour'd the laying of a Bridge order the same River to enter Alsatia another way For this Prince Commanded the Army of the Circles instead of the Marquis of Baden Dourlach who fell Sick and Died presently after the taking of Philipsburgh The King of France on the other side advertiz'd of this Design and fearing lest the Duke of Lorrain should force a passage into his own Territories if once he got footing in Alsatia laid that Country waste after so terrible a manner to deprive the Imperial Army of all Subsistance there that he burnt up all the
Villages demolish'd the Walls and Fortifications of all the considerable Cities except Schelestadt and two or three other Towns that were strong enough to stop the Imperialists And indeed it may be said that the King of France had never so much Reason to be afraid as he had at the beginning of this Campagne He had to do with a victorious Enemy at the Head of above Threescore Thousand Men and a valiant General who fought for his own proper Interests and who considering the mildness of his Temper towards his own Subjects could not fail unless he were strongly oppos'd to make himself Master of Lorrain and carry the War into the very Heart of France So that it is no wonder considering the Fears he was in that he was constrain'd to take that desperate course to lay desolate his own Country and to make a wide desart of one of the goodliest Provinces of Germany But this was not the only care that Monarch took For misdoubting least Luxembergh should have no better Success than he had the year before he oppos'd Crequi against the Duke of Lorrain with this Condition notwithstanding all the Confidence he had in him that he should venture nothing but shun as much as it was possible the coming to a Battel with the Enemy Nevertheless the Duke of Lorrain who was not ignorant of the Kings Fears and saw a fair prospect of new Conquests before him caus'd this Latin Motto to be put in his Colours Aut nunc aut nunquam Now or Never And with these hopes he pass'd over Strasburgh Bridge and bent his march directly for Mets with a Resolution to force the Passes of the Meuse which he believ'd would be strongly Guarded while the Prince of Saxon Essenak march'd into Alsatia with the Army of the Circles But the first thing which the Duke of Lorrain took care of was to erect his Magazines at Treves which made Crequi believe that he had some design that way After which advancing along the Saar he sent out a strong Party which coming before the Castle of Illingham constrain'd the Garison to Surrender upon Discretion He sent out another Party to seize the little Town of Sarbruch to which the Governor set Fire upon the approach of the Imperialists and retreated to the Castle Which so incens'd the Imperialists that they rais'd a Battery of Four pieces of Cannon and what with their great Shot on the one side and their Bombs on the other the Castle was brought to that Distress in a little time that the Governor beat a Parley but no Capitulation would be listen'd to So that the Governor was carry'd to Treves and the best part of the Garison put to the Sword After that the Imperialists also took the Castle of Kitchel So that the Duke of Lorrain being thus Master of all the small Places upon the Saar pursu'd the French who lay near to the Seille Upon the approach of the Imperialists the French pass'd that River and not believing themselves safe enough in the place where they Encamped they retreated farther off The Duke of Lorrain pass'd the River in five places and encamped within half a League of the Enemy So that there was only a thick Wood and a Hill which hinder'd the two Armies from being in sight of each other Crequi who had receiv'd at the same time a Reinforcement of Eight Squadrons of the Kings Guards of his Body and two others of the Gens d'Armes and light Horse of the Guards laid a Bridge over the Seille at Longueville as if he had a design to repass that River But that being only for a Bravado he march'd directly for Morville from whence he drave out the Imperialists that kept it and then seiz'd upon some Hills where he planted his Cannon So that all the Duke of Lorrain could do was to possess himself of a Wood upon the Right Hand of the French Army And then believing the Enemy would have come out of their Trenches he drew up his Army in order of Battel But finding they had no such design he endeavour'd to bring his Artillery so as to bear upon the French But before that could be done in a place Convenient the Imperialists were forc'd to undergo a rude brush not a little to their Damage though the losses of the Enemy were not inconsiderable The French were intrench'd in a very advantageous Place so as not to be forc'd in their Posts So that the Duke thought it Prudence to retreat a little farther in hopes to draw Crequi into open Ground But finding that the French avoided Battel he repass'd the Seille and being encamp'd a little nearer to Metz than he was before he attack'd the Fort of Espli which the Enemy had rais'd upon the River Upon that Crequi sent out a Party of Two Thousand Men to succour it but they were so vigorously repuls'd that a great number of the Souldiers were forc'd to throw themselves into the Water to save themselves And the rest brake down the Bridge which the Marshal had laid over that part of the River that they might have time to Retreat before the Imperialists could be in a Condition to follow the pursuit Nevertheless the Duke of Lorrain's Forces making daily Inroads into the Country made their way to the very Gates of Mets and Thionville to fetch in Contributions the Duke being a Horseback Day and Night and certain it is that he exposed himself too vent'rously for a General Insomuch that having passed the Saar with the Marquiss of Grana and Twenty Horse to view the Place where the French Army commanded by Crequi was beaten in the Year 1675. by the Duke his Uncle he had like to have fallen into an Ambuscade of Three Hundred French But being luckily informed by certain Peasants of the Danger which his unseasonable Curiosity had like to have brought him into he had the leisure to ' scape and send out a Party which utterly dispersed the Ambuscade It would be too tedious to recount the Particulars of this Campagne which to say truth consisted only in a great many inconsiderable Skirmishes For Marshal Crequi still retreated when there was any probability of coming to a Battel So that the Imperial Army whatever Advantages they might have till then began to suffer very much for want of necessary Provisions which being to come from Treves were with great hazard brought to the Army For besides that Crequi had always Parties abroad to intercept the Wagons the Governor of Thionville sent out such Numerous Detachements that many times their Vittles cost 'em dear And therefore the Duke considering that these Difficulties were almost insurmountable resolv'd to decamp from the Place where he lay To this purpose he pass'd the Moselle in hopes to compel the French to fight in spight of their Teeths But finding it was absolutely impossible because they still retreated he thought it the best course he could take to march toward the Meuse on purpose to find the Enemy
that he could neither pass into Alsatia nor secure Friburgh On the other side Crequi who perceiv'd the Dukes design encamp'd within half a League of Rhinefelde and at length through the several Movements of both Armies they came within sight of each other being only separated by the River Eltz which was every where Fordable However neither of them would begin first in regard of the narrow Lanes that were between 'em extreamly to the disadvantage of them that should be the first Assailant Only the Imperialists sent out some Parties that took some few Prisoners and frequently alarum'd the French Army Thus the two Armies seperated for a time but soon after came in view of each other again upon the Banks of the same River And they lay so near one to the other that there was not a day that past without Skirmishes wherein sometimes the French sometimes the Imperialists got the better And this was all that the Movements of those two Armies produc'd For it was in vain for the Duke to torment himself to bring Crequi to a Battel His design being only to tire out the Imperialists as he had done the year before to prevent their designs upon Friburgh and still to seize upon some advantageous Post from whence he could not be forc'd his business being only to stand upon his Guard The Duke of Lorrain was vex'd to the Soul to see all his Measures thus broken and that he could not force the Enemy to Fight finding there was no way to bring about his designs but by beating the Enemy out of the Field So that not knowing what course to take he pass'd the River Eliz and posted himself between Brisack and the French Army believing that to be the way to force Marshal Crequi to decamp and reduce him to a necessity of giving Battel 'T is true Crequi decamp'd the same day but he so strongly fortified himself upon a Hill within half a League of Friburgh that it was a difficult thing for the Imperialists to attack him with any advantage However the Duke lying between them and Brisack he thought want of Victuals would force the French Camp to alter their Ground for that they could have no Provisions but from Friburgh and that it was not likely he would starve a place which was at the same time threatned with a Siege On the other side the Duke flattering himself that while his Army was able to subsist in their Post he might be able to approach Friburgh he began to be full of new hopes But the want of Provision being no less in the Imperial Army than in the French Camp he was himself constrain'd to dislodge and see the disappointment of all his Expectations It would be too tedious for me to set down the several Movements of both Armies the care that Crequi took to prevent the Decision of the fate of Friburgh by a Battel the great endeavours of the Duke of Lorrain and the good and bad Successes that befel him this Campagne Two or three times he defeated considerable Parties of the Enemy he took several Prisoners some Colours and in several Encounters put to flight great Detachements of the French Army as in that which happen'd near the River Kintz where the Marquis of Rannes Colonel General of Dragoons was Slain while he was endeavouring to Rally his routed Men. On the other side the Enemy took several Prisoners some Colours and two pieces of Artillery and defeated Count Starenburgh in the Plain of Rhinefeildt and having forc'd him to Retreat with the rest of his Party that had made a most noble Defence pursu'd the Imperialists with so much vigour to the Bridge of Rhinfeildt so that if the Governor had not pull'd up the Draw-Bridge and Sacrific'd some of the Emperors Men Crequi might have enter'd the Town and made himself Master of it as he did of the Castle of Ottanburgh the Fort of Kell the Star Fort and the Island and Castle of Lichstenbergh By which Successes of the French Army this Campagne it is apparent that the Duke of Lorrain was much deceiv'd in the great Expectations with which he flattered himself at the beginning of the year However it was neither want of Courage or through any rash and ill consulted Act of his own that he fail'd in his designs But there were two things that very much contributed to his ill Success The first was That he never receiv'd so much Money as was necessary for the subsistanee of his Men as he highly complain'd and for that the Emperors Ministers either through Treachery or want of Foresight not having provided sufficient Magazines he was constrain'd to quit those Posts wherein if he could have subsisted but three or four days he might have laid Siege to Friburgh as he sent Word to the Emperor by Count Mansfeldt The Second thing was the little Vigour and Heart which he found in the most part of the Officers which made him lose the only opportunity that he had of giving Battel which happen'd some time after the Encounter wherein the Marquis of Rennes was Slain For Brisgau where the two Armies lay was so wasted that there was no Provision left either for Horse or Man Therefore Marshal Crequi whose Army was in great want of both resolv'd to pass the River Kints beyond which there lay a fertile Plain where he might subsist for some time So soon as the Duke had notice of his design he encamp'd himself upon the River side to hinder his passage but not being able to prevent him he remov'd to an advantageous Post where he could not believe the Enemy durst have Attack'd him or that he had any such design Nevertheless the French General who thought himself the more numerous and was desirous to make the best of some disorder then in the Imperial Army resolv'd to hazard a Battel And having rested his Men for some time after their passing the River he march'd directly toward the Imperialists The Duke who perceiv'd the Marshals design and desir'd nothing more than to Fight presently call'd a Council of War where were present the Principal Officers of the Army to whom he urg'd all the Reasons he could why they ought not to refuse giving Battel But there was not one of his Opinion every one affirming that it would be a great piece of Imprudence to do it and that he must wait another opportunity which he would certainly find more favourable upon the first remove of the French Army Adding withall that if he would venture a Battel it would be better to do it on the other side the Rhine than in their own Country which would become a Prey to the Enemy should they loose the Victory more especially since Crequi could not avoid repassing the River for want of Provision So that he was forced to retreat under the Cannon of Offenburgh which fell out ill for him For it being long before they came to this Result he had no sooner given Orders to Retreat but
presently hung out white and red Colours to signifie an offer either of Peace or War yet withal to shew that he was rather inclin'd to Peace than War But all these Devices prov'd ineffectual for the Duke advancing with his Army laid close Siege to the Town The beginning of the Enterpize was successful enough for three or four days after the Imperial Army had passed the Neckar the City was begirt the great Guns were upon the Battery ready to Play and the Duke had sent the Bassa a Summons To which the Bassa return'd a haughty Answer That he should understand what Persons they were to whom the Grand Signior entrusted his Garisons and having taken some Prisoners in a Sally which he made to his loss after he had immediately put them to death he hung up their Heads over the Walls of the Town Nevertheless that was so far from discouraging the Besiegers who had serv'd the Turks which they took Prisoners after the same manner that they had carried on their Works so far that they were just ready to open their Trenches But then it was that the Duke received Orders to raise the Siege upon certain Intelligence which the Emperor sent him that the Grand Visier was advancing with all the speed he could toward Newhausel with an Army of above Two hundred thousand Men so that the Duke was constrain'd to rise from before the Town Most certain it is that the Duke was very much troubled to abandon a Victory of which he thought himself secure But it was a Misfortune for which there was no Remedy For in short the Grand Signior himself came to Belgrade where the Grand Visier receiv'd from his Hands the Standard which the Turks believe was given to Mahomet by the Angel Gabriel And then it was that the Ottoman Army consisting of several sorts of Nations marchâ—d with so much speed that the Duke was in danger of being surpriz'd All that he could do in the Extremity to which he was reduc'd was to lodge as many of his Foot as it was possible in certain Houses about a quarter of a League from Newhausel to favour his Retreat after which he beat a March and retreated towards Comorra which he reinforced with a considerable Relief Nevertheless in regard the Turks advanc'd he continu'd his March to the Island of Schutt and having pass'd the Raab upon a Bridge which he caus'd to be laid over the River he encamp'd in a very Advantageous Post Which he had no sooner done but the Enemy appear'd and encamp'd between Alba Regalis and the City of Raab there being only the River from whence the Town derives its Name between both Armies which caus'd a very great Consternation at first among the Imperialists While the two Armies lay looking one upon another the Tartars who made up a Body of Thirty thousand Men under the Command of their Cham having drawn out a very numerous Detachement swam the River and ravag'd all before 'em with Fire and Sword as far as the River Leithe which separates Hungary from Austria Which Incursion of those Barbarians together with the Horrible Cruelties which they committed sparing neither Age nor Sex put the Duke into a deep study what course to take For besides that the Forces which he had remaining with him after so many great Detachements which he had been forc'd to part with to reinforce the Garisons of Raab and Comorra were reduced to no more than Four and twenty Thousand Men he could not without imminent Danger expose himself to be environ'd by the Enemy and Attack'd on every side and therefore after he had call'd a Council of War he dislodg'd from his Post and retreated toward Vienna though not without some difficulty The Army was upon its March toward the Island of Schutt when the Duke receiv'd Intelligence that the Turks had also Decamp'd and that Six thousand Hungarians of the Emperor's Forces commanded by the Counts of Dralkowitzs and Budiani who guarded a considerable Pass were gone over to the Male-Contents and had left the Pass open to the Turks This News strook an extraordinary terror into the Imperialists but that which augmented their Consternation was this that besides that the Parties which were sent out to discover the Enemy return'd in great disorder and sometimes without half their number they heard that the Turks Burnt all before 'em and exercis'd unheard of Hostilities And the Consternation was so general that the Duke had much ado to get his Detachements to venture out to observe the Enemy Nevertheless his Army still advanc'd and march'd in very good order But upon advice that the Enemy was within a League of a River which the Army was to cross the Cavalry retreated to avoid the Fury of the Turks and forsook the Foot notwithstanding all that the Officers could do to hinder ' em The Duke did all that could be expected from a Person of his Courage and Experience to bring back the Cowardly Fugitives but while he was using all imaginable Perswasions to make them sensible of their Honour and their Duty the Enemy had already overtaken and fallen upon his Rear-guard so that all he had now to do was to save his Foot And first of all the Baggage belonging to the Duke of Saxon Lawenbergh Prince Louis of Baden Count Caprara and Montecuculi were Plundred and the Waggoners and Guards cut to pieces and the same Troops animated with their number and the flight of the Imperial Cavalry began to fall upon the Imperial Infantry and make a most horrible Slaughter But the Duke who gave himself over for lost and was resolv'd to die like a Great General or save his Infantry after he had encourag'd the Officers to follow him made his way through the thickest of his Enemies to their Relief upon which the Infantry that were just ready to give ground and to which some of the Horse had by this time joyn'd animated by the Example of their General fought with that fury that the Turks who never expected such an Alteration and were for the most part busie in packing up the Booty which they got were so amaz'd that they betook themselves to flight and the Duke having brought off his Men let 'em go not thinking it safe to pursue them but pursuing his March got safe at length to the Island of Leopolstadt under the Canon of Vienna where the rest of the Cavalry waited for him And now the first thing which the Turks did after the Duke's Retreat was to lay Siege to Raab But the Grand Visier looking upon the winning of that Conquest not to be worth his while left the Care of that Siege to the Bassa of Buda and march'd directly for Vienna But the Siege of that City was a thing of too great Consequence to be undertaken without considering well beforehand The Grand Visier therefore call'd a Council of War to consult upon this Enterprize where most were for deferring the Siege of Vienna till the next Campagne and
Vienna had not awaken'd the Grand Visier who always flatter'd himself that he should take the Place before any Relief could come but began to be out of heart upon the Approach of the King of Poland The Bassa of Buda at a Council of War which the Grand Visier call'd was of Opinion that they were not to stay till the Polanders came to force their Camp but that it was the best way to draw off the Janisaries out of the Trenches to cut down the Woods adjoyning and lay the Trees cross the Highways to make a deep Entrenchment covered with Earth wherein to lodge the Foot and raise a great Battery that there was no other way to stop the King of Poland and that then the Besieged would immediately Capitulate but that it was a vain thing to hazard the Storming of the City when they had no expectation of any Reinforcement to supply the loss of their Men. And indeed what the Bassa said was spoken like a wary and judicious Captain but the Grand Visier opoos'd his Advice In the mean time the King of Poland receiving News every Moment of the bad Condition of the City hasten'd his march with that extraordinary Diligence that he arriv'd toward the beginning of September at Helbrune which is not above Four Leagues from Vienna And the Duke of Lorrain had so ordered his Affairs that the Polanders and his Army join'd without any opposition All this while the Count de Starenbergh finding himself prest upon by the Besiegers gave notice to the Duke by the continual throwing of Squibs of the necessity he was in and the Duke Answer'd by other Signals agreed upon that Relief was at hand In short all the Forces design'd for the Succour of Vienna being joyn'd the King of Poland march'd at the Head of the Christian Army with a Resolution to force the Infidels in their Camp for all the Christians being joynd together made up an Army of about a Hunderd Thousand Men. On the other side the Grand Visier who expected no less than to be assail'd by the King of Poland and the Duke of Lorrain with a more than ordinary fury and who prepar'd to make as desperate a Resistance found he had no Resolution to spare when he understood the strength of the Christians and saw their Vanguard appear upon a Hill He then began to repent that he had not follow'd the Bassa of Buda's Advice but it was then too late But the Bassa of Adrianople observing his perplexed and dubious Countenance adviz'd him to raise the Siege and to Retreat with his Men toward Newhausel as Solyman the great had formerly done upon the same occasion But the Grand Visier whether out of Presumption or Despair would not listen to his Counsel He told the Bassa that the Besieged were reduc'd to the last Extreamity and that it was impossible for them to hold out three days and as for the Relief which appear'd he said Haughtily That they were not to be fear'd That besides that the Polish Army could not but be extreamly tir'd the Polanders had more of the false Bravado than true Courage That for the Imperialists he already understood 'em well enough and that there was no Body among 'em but the General of the Christians speaking of the Duke of Lorrain who had any Wit or Courage And in a Word That he would rather choose to Die with his Sword in his Hand than be bow string'd by a Mute or live in Ignominy and Disgrace With this Resolution he put himself into a posture to meet the Christians and having left about Twenty Thousand Men before the City that made continual Attempts upon it he set forward with his Army in Three Bodies to make Head against the Christians who came on also in Three Lines For the King of Poland had entrusted the Duke of Lorrain with the Conduct of the whole Army who guided it so safely leading his Men through places where they were still secur'd from the onsets of the Enemy that might have easily stopt their Advance but for the extraordinary Prudence of the General that so soon as they were got down a Hill at the foot of which the Grand Signiors Army was drawn up in Battel Array they were presently in a posture to Fight The Conflict for three Hours was sharp and Bloody for all the Christian Officers as well as common Soldiers fought with no less Emulation than Courage Only this applause was given to the Duke That he exceeded all the rest Thus at length the Ottomans were forc'd to give Ground and had not Night come on too fast which favour'd their Retreat they had been utterly defeated However they return'd to their Camp so disorder'd and shatter'd that not believing themselves safe there so soon as it was dark they betook themselves to a total flight And their Consternation was so great and their flight so precipitate that they left behind 'em all their Tents the greatest part of their Baggage all their Ammunition all their Artillery and the Standard of the Ottoman Empire with the Horse Tails which are the Marks of the Grand Visiers absolute Power in the Turkish Armies For they relate a Story how that the Turks having lost their Chief Standard in a Battel against the Christians the Visier perceiving that upon that loss his Army began to fly with his Scimitar presently cut of a Horses Tail and holding it up fasten'd to a half Pike cry'd out See here the Chief Standard upon which the Souldiers recover'd new Courage and rally'd again to a second Charge Since which time the Grand Visiers have always a Horse Tail fastned to the Banners which are carry'd before them or else set up over the Doors of their Tents as a Mark of their Authority Be it as it will the Turks left the Chief Standard behind them the loss of which is lookt upon by the Superstitious Turks as an infallible Omen of the decay of their Empire And the Grand Visier who was left almost alone was fain to make his escape without his Vest while his Men fled all before to Raab without looking back till they had rid Five and Twenty long Leagues in a Night and Day and joyn'd themselves with the rest of their Army that blockt up that place The next day the Duke of Lorrain sent to Congratulate the King of Poland for the Victory which the Christian Army had won from the Infidels ordering withal the Messenger to tell him That the Success of that memorable Battel was entirely due to him and that it was not the first time that his Presence had been a Terrour to those Barbarians But the King of Poland who had been a Witness as well of the Dukes Performances as of the Actions of the other Generals return'd him for Answer That it was a Victory wherein the whole Army had a share but nevertheless that the Honour of it was due to his Conduct and the Resolution of the Germans who were the first within the
of Vienna After this the Duke of Lorrain perceiving the Success of the Emperor's Arms resolved to Besiege Gran before he put an end to the Campaign to which the King of Poland also agreed And all things being prepared for that Enterprize they began to cross the Danaw over Bridges which were laid for that purpose When that Resolution was taken all the Grand Visier's Army lay encamped about Buda not any of the Enemies Forces appearing near Gran. But then the Turks apprehensive by the March of the Christians that they were going to Besiege that Town sent some Detachements to relieve it in case of Necessity which together with the Report that the Ottoman Army was above Fourscore Thousand strong made the King of Poland resolve to quit his Design of the Siege which was a very great Affliction to the Duke For though he thought himself strong enough alone with the Emperor's Forces and those of the Confederates under his Command to reduce that Place in a short time yet he was willing to Caress the King of Poland's Assistance For in short besides that it would have been a too Scornful opposing the Advice of a Prince to whom the Emperor was so many ways obliged the Turks and Male-Contents could not but have made a great Advantage of such a Separation of the two Armies In this Confusion of Thoughts there was no Stone which the Duke left unturn'd to regain the K. of Poland those of his Council to the Approbation of his Design Wherein at first he met with some Difficulties but he manag'd his Business so Prudently and alledged such convincing Reasons that at length the King consented to concur with him in his Desires Now in regard it was a Matter of the highest Importance imaginable not to lose time because the Season was already far advanc'd and for that besides there was a necessity of taking the Advantage of the King of Poland's kind Inclinations while he was in the Humour the Duke of Lorrain caus'd his Forces to advance forthwith and order'd them in the first place to possess themselves of three Posts from whence they might batter the Castle The Polish Army lodg'd it self on the other side and both Armies raised their own Batteries by which means within two days after the Siege was laid they press'd with so much Vigor and so close upon the Enemies that they were constrain'd to quit the City and shut themselves up in the Castle which Capitulated three days after though the * Gran was Besieged the 22d of October 1683. and Surrendred upon Composition the 27th of the same Month five days after and fifteen or sixteen days after the taking of Barcam Garison consisted of above Three Thousand Men under the Command of two Bassa's This Famous Expedition being thus at an end and the Armies too much tired to think of any other considerable Action the Duke of Lorrain repassed the Danaw and both Armies set forward to take up their Winter Quarters After the taking of Barcam the Count d'Humanai and some other Chieftains of the Male-Contents had been sent to the King of Poland by Count Teckeley to desire him to Mediate their Peace with his Imperial Majesty upon certain Propositions that were at first rejected But the King of Poland who passionately long'd for an Accommodation with Teckeley desired the Duke of Lorrain to call a Council to Consult upon the Interests of the Male-Contents before the Separation of the Armies Which the Duke excused at first alleadging That he had no Order from his Imperial Majesty to treat with Rebels But the King of Poland's Importunities were such that a Council was call'd wherein the Vice-Chancellor of Poland after a long Discourse of the Great Advantages which Peace procures to a Prince set forth the Pretentions of the Male-Contents which he reduced to these Heads I. The Preservation of the Privileges of the Kingdom and especially of their Religion II. The Restitution of Confiscated Estates III. The Summoning of a Dyet IV. To grant them Winter Quarters and a Truce during the Negotiation V. To Declare Count Teckeley to be a Prince VI. To grant him those Counties which formerly he was put in hopes should be resign'd to him But the Duke of Lorrain returning answer That it behoved the Male Contents to quit the Turks and lay down their Arms before they could be heard the Council proceeded no farther And now it being necessary to think of the Preparations for the next years Campagne the Duke left the Command of the Army to the Count de Rabata and departed for Lints where the Emperor then kept his Court and arrived there the 3d of December As for the King of Poland he had design'd to spend the Winter in the Quarters which he had made choice of nevertheless he chang'd his Mind and returned with his Army into his own Dominions which was no small Trouble to the Emperor But the Duke of Lorrain giving him great Hopes that he should be able to reduce Hungary without the Assistance of his Majesty of Poland and those other Confederates that were already gone home he put his Confidence in the Duke who in the midst of the Divertisements of the Court and the Caresses of the Queen of Poland his beloved Spouse neglected no time but took care for all things that might contribute to his being early in the Field the next Campagne and enable him to strike new Terrors into the Armies of the Turks and Male-Contents The raising the Siege of Vienna the taking of Barcam and Gran the reducing of several of the Free Towns of Upper Hungary of which the King of Poland had made himself Master in his March and several other Victories which the Christians had won so strongly allarum'd the Grand Seignior that during the Winter he made extraordinary Preparations to endeavour the repairing of so many Losses which he had sustain'd And in regard the ill Success of his Arms in Hungary was attributed unanimously to the ill Conduct of Cara-Mustapha that was the Name of the Grand Visier the first thing he did was to Strangle that Minister and to set up another in his room to Command the Armies In short the time being come to take the Field Cara Ibrahim who succeeded the former having received the Batoon of Command departed from Adrianople June the 16th 1684. and went to joyn the Ottoman Army Now if this same New Visier made use of all his Abilities to defend himself the best he could the Duke of Lorrain was no less indefatigable to put himself into a Condition to assail him and make new Conquests He was already in Hungary where all his Forces were met at the General Rendezvous at the same time that the Grand-Visier arrived there He had also besieged and taken * This City was besieged the 15th of June 1684 capituluted two days after Vicegrade This City was formerly famous for being the Residence of the Kings of Hungary and the reducing of it
was of great importance for that being a very strong Hold built upon a Rock at the foot of the Danaw whoever was Master of it was also Master of the River and hindred all Provisions going to the Turks The New Visier therefore proud of the Eminent Dignity to which he was elevated and unwilling to neglect any thing for the effectual supply of this Place had no sooner joyn'd the Ottoman Forces but he caused a Body of the Army to march towards Buda for the security of that Place On the other side the Duke of Lorrain who had already repassed the Danaw and had intelligence that the Bassa of of Buda was advanced at the Head of Fifteen thousand Turks went himself to meet the Bassa and force him to a Battle And having met him near Weizen he fought him defeated him took his Cannon with several Colours a part of his Baggage and a great number of Prisoners and then made himself Master of the Place which yielded at Discretion after a vigorous Resistance of three or four hours * Weizen or Vaccia was taken June 28. 1684 and Pest some few days after These 2 Towns are seated upon the Danaw the latter so near Buda that it is commanded by it as being within the reach of the Cannon of that Town Pest which he afterwards attack'd ran the same fortune with Weizen for the Duke began to throw in his Bombs so furiously at first that the Place was constrained to open to him her Gates But the Duke stay'd not there Some few days after he routed the Ottoman Army near Buda where it was rang'd in Battle Array and then laid Siege to the City which before the Invasion of the Turks had been the Metropolitan of the Kingdom By these ill Successes there was such a Terrour spread among the Ottoman Forces that though their Army was as strong as that of the Duke of Lorrain's they durst not make any Detachement to oppose the Siege At the beginning of which the Imperialists possessed themselves of the Suburbs and some other Advantageous Posts from whence they drove the Enemy And after some days that the Siege had been laid they had so terribly batter'd the Town that there was a considerable Breach made in the Wall And these prosperous Beginnings begat great Hopes of a Fortunate Issue But the Grand-Visier being waken'd out of his Slumber sent an Army of Twenty thousand Turks under the Command of a Serasquier to Relieve the Place Of this the Duke of Lorrain had Intelligence and therefore fearing that if those Forces should advance too near he should be forced to raise his Siege he resolved to go and fight them To which purpose with a Detachement of Fifteen thousand Men he fell upon the Enemy at such an Advantage that no less than Four thousand were slain upon the Place and a great part of the rest were either wounded or taken Prisoners and those that escaped the hands of the Christians betook themselves to flight with so much dread and precipitation that they left behind 'em all their Baggage all their Ammunition all their Cannon and the Grand-Visiers Standard as at the raising the Siege of Vienna All this while they that were left in the Siege play'd furiously with their Great Guns upon the City and the Duke of Lorrain being returned to the Camp after the defeat of the Serasquier continued the Siege with great violence On the other side the Besieged for above two Months together made such bold and vigorous Sallies every day that the Imperial Army began to waste very much However all their Losses were no such hindrance but that they had gained a great deal of Ground that they had advanced even to the Rampart of the Town that they had sprung several Mines which had wrought wonderful Effects insomuch that the Breach which they had made was about thirty paces wide and that the Duke was inclin'd to have ventur'd a general Assault but falling sick at the same time he was constrained to retire and leave the Care of the Siege to the Count of Rabata who was a Person of great Knowledge and Experience and would by no means give his Advice to hazard any thing During the Duke of Lorrain's Indisposition of Body the Duke of Bavaria arriv'd at the Camp with a considerable Reinforcement and no sooner had he visited the Works and observ'd the Situation of the Place but he sent a Summons to the Governor to surrender the Town with a Promise of good Conditions And there was some hopes that the Governor finding himself so closely press'd upon and without any hopes of Relief while the Christian Army had received fresh Succors would not have refus'd so fair an Offer But he only answer'd the Duke of Bavaria with continual Sallies which much diminish'd the Christian Army though the Besieged in like manner sustained great Losses Upon this the Duke of Lorrain although he had not quite recovered his Health return'd to the Camp impatient to be Master of Buda But the face of Affairs was alter'd during his Sickness for the Serasquier was again approach'd the Place with new Forces and while the Besieged made continual Sallies on the one side the Ottoman Army attack'd the Christian Camp with numerous Detachements on the other so that the Duke of Lorrain's Army was not a little distrest as having to contend with Enemies before and behind at one time besides that by the favour of these Sallies which the Besieged made every day they several times receiv'd considerable Succors Nor could the Duke of Lorrain do what he could prevent the Enemy from putting in several times into the Town great quantities of Ammunition and Provisions So that at length after several Assaults several Bloody Sallies several Endeavours in vain and the loss of above Ten thousand Christians that perish'd in this Siege which lasted three months and a half the Serasquier having receiv'd a Reinforcement of Ten thousand Tartars and marching up directly to the Imperial Army made such desperate Attacks and they that were assail'd defended themselves with so much disadvantage that the Duke of Lorrain found it high time to think of retreating The Relief put into the Place the diminution of his Army the bad condition of his Men for want of Forage and Victuals the inconveniences of the Season and the little misunderstandings which were crept in among some of the Generals the flight of some part of the Hungarians and the extream hazard of a general Storm at what time there would be a necessity of fighting at the same moment with the Garison and against the Serasquier who was not far distant from the Dukes Entrenchments all these Considerations made the Duke determine to raise the Siege and to suffer his Courage to give way to his Prudence and good Conduct * Buda was besieged the 14th of July 1684. the Siege was rais'd the 1st of Novemb. of the same year Nevertheless it was not without a more
then ordinary Violence upon himself that he consented to this Retreat However it was so Honourable that it redounded greatly to his Fame For notwithstanding that the Enemies Army was so numerous they never durst so much as fall upon his Rear so strangely was the Serasquier terrified with the Advantages the Duke had gained over him during the Siege Thus ended the Campagne of which the successful Beginnings propos'd a quite contrary Conclusion The Serasquier marched off to take up his Winter-quarters and the Duke his after he had furnish'd Weizen and Vicegrad with strong Garisons and ordered the demolishing of Pest as being impossible to be preserved During the Winter some little Excursions were made on both sides some few Castles were taken and retaken and the Imperial Army block'd up Newhausel in order to begin the next Campagne with the Siege of that Place However that did not prevent the Turks from putting in fresh Relief into it several times nor from committing several Ravages upon the Country The raising the Siege of Buda the continual Incursions of the Turks in a Season when Armies are usually at rest and the great Preparations which were making at Constantinople made the Emperor to judge that the Duke of Lorrain's Army could not be strong enough to undertake any new Enterprize and therefore He thought it necessary to have recourse to the Electors and other States and Princes of the Empire to prevent the danger of receiving a Check in his Affairs And indeed as it was their Interest to bring down as low as it was possible the Common Enemy of Christendom They engaged therefore against the next Spring to send an Army into Hungary of above Sixty thousand Men while the Pope on the other side promis'd to open his Treasuries and contribute as far as he could toward the payment of the Armies that were to march against the Infidels It would be impossible to relate the hardships which the Emperor 's and the Duke of Bavaria's Soldiers suffered in their Winter-quarters They wanted both Victuals and Forage which the Armies had already devoured in a wasted Country And that same little Nourishment which they could get or the bad Sustenance which they were glad to make use of begat so many Diseases and Distempers that they were all in danger of perishing However as much lessen'd as the Imperial Army was they were in a condition to march so soon as the Spring approached and to enterprize something till the Auxiliary Forces came up The Emperor therefore resolved to begin the Campagne with the Siege of Novigrade which is a little City seated about a League from the Danaw between Gran and Weizan and has a Castle belonging to it which is built upon an inaccessible Rock His Imperial Majestie 's Design being by that means to deprive the Turks of their Communication between Buda and Newhausel and after that to lay Siege again to the first Some days after this Resolution was taken the Duke of Lorrain departed from Vienna and arrived in the Army that lay encamped near Gran consisting of about Five and twenty Thousand Men. This Prince to whom the Emperor had given a full Commission to act according as Occasions presented after he had well consider'd the Resolution taken to Besiege Novigrade first and then Buda found such great Difficulties in the Execution of this Design that he almost dispaired of better Success than he had the Summer before In short besides that the Fortifications of Buda were in a much better condition than the Emperor imagined besides that the new Bassa who Commanded in that Place had utterly demolished the Houses that had been ruined during the Siege to the end he might be in a better condition to defend himself the Garison consisted of above Ten thousand Men. There were also Ten thousand Turks that lay between Buda and Alba Regalis and Twelve thousand more had passed the Bridge of Esseck to joyn Ten thousand Tartars So that the Duke of Lorrain found he had to deal with an Army of no less than Threescore thousand Men besides great Detachements which they could draw out of the Garisons adjoyning All these Considerations made him out of conceit with the Siege nevertheless he sent away the Count of Caprara with a Detachement of Three thousand Horse to take a View of Novigrade At what time although that Garison had received a reinforcement of Five hundred Janisaries they quitted the City and flung themselves into the Castle upon the sight of that Detachement However because the Count had no Order for a Siege he returned without attempting any thing And upon the Report which Caprara made of the Condition of the Place the Duke gave over the Design which he had to Attack it and resolved to Besiege Newhausel which was approved by the Emperor to whom the Duke signified his Resolution by a Letter The Imperial Army therefore invested Newhausel upon the 7th of July 1685. and the next day the Duke of Bavaria's Forces with those of the Dukes of Brunswick Lunenburg and other Princes of Germany being arrived at the Camp the Duke of Lorrain attended by some Volunteers and Principal Officers of the Army went to View the Place and laid his Design to Attack it in the same manner as the Turks had attackt and taken it before in the year 1663. Accordingly the Design was put in Execution and the Siege was prosecuted with so much Vigor that though the Besieged made continual Sallies from the very first day they were invested and made as Brave a Defence as any Men in the World could have done nevertheless they despair'd of being able to sustain the violent Efforts of the Christians In the mean time while the Christians Besieged Newhausel the Turks surprized the lower Town of Vicegrade which they first Plundered and then set on Fire after they had put the greatest part of the Inhabitants to the Sword and taken the rest Prisoners Which done they went to Besiege Gran in hopes to make themselves Masters of that Place or else to raise the Siege of Newhausel To which the Duke of Lorrain was upon the point of giving a General Assault when the News was brought him that Gran was in extream Distress that the Tartars carried on their Trenches amain and that the Serasquier whose Army was above Sixty thousand Strong had already given two Assaults Upon this the Duke no less resolved to Succour Gran than to fight the Serasquier role from the Camp before Newhausel with the Elector of Bavaria and some other Generals at the Head of Thirty thousand Men leaving only Twenty thousand to make good the Siege under the Command of the Count of Caprara The same day the Army encamp'd at Comorra and the next day having passed the Danaw over two Bridges which were made in the Night they began to march in Battle array and â—o continued their March till they came in view of the Enemy who advanced forward to meet the Christian Army
the Besiegers caused on the one side the most Prodigious Noises of Havock and Destruction sufficient to astonish the most undaunted on the other side the continual Peals of Cannon and Stone Mortar-Pieces from the Besieged accompanied with Showers of Arrows Darts Bombs and other Instruments of Death which they rolled from the top of the Breaches where they stood with their Bodies exposed without any shelter to all Varieties of Death gave the Christians to understand that they had to do with Men fully determin'd to sell their Lives at a dear rate The Imperialists were they that advanced the farthest and lodged themselves where the Besieged were entrench'd but they had much ado to preserve the Posts which they had won by reason of the Mines which the Enemy continually Sprung so that you might see two or three Hundred Men blown up into the Air at a time And the Resistance which the Besieged made was so great that the Imperialists that came on to the Assault were repulsed no less than three times with considerable loss Which the Duke of Lorrain perceiving from the place where he gave his Orders advanced himself to the foot of the Breach with fresh Succors to relieve the rest And his Presence animated the Soldiers in such a manner that seeing their General exposing his Person like the meanest of them to the most apparent Dangers and aâ— hand to give a Testimony of their Actions they forced the Infidels out of their Lodgments and gain'd a Roundel upon which depended in a manner the taking of the Town Nor had the Elector of Bavaria and the Troops of Brandenburgh less success in the Assaults which they made then the Duke of Lorrain on his side This Assault which was the second that was given lasted about three hours at what time Night coming on would not permit them to advance any farther The Duke himself was also wounded the last time in the Leg with a Stone and his Assistant Camp-Master-General was killed close by him And now all things were ready prepared to carry the Place by Storm But the Duke of Lorrain deeming it convenient for the Service of the Emperor to avoid that Extremity sent a second time to Summon the Bassa to surrender And then the Bassa who began already to fear the worst was grown somewhat more humble in his Language then formerly Thereupon he wrote two Letters one directed to the Duke of Lorrain the other to the Elector of Bavaria Wherein after he had represented the Importance of the Preservation of Buda to the Ottomans as being both the Key of Constantinople and Jerusalem so that he could not resolve to surrender it into the Hands of the Christians he proposed to the two Generals the choice of any other City in Hungary which he would deliver into their Possession provided they would at the same time raise the Siege and make a general Peace But that Proposal being rejected they prepared for a third general Assault which was accordingly given three days after at what time the Imperialists advanced their Lodgments to the Foot of the third Wall which environed the City though not without the loss of a great many Men. But while the Town was thus streighten'd and the Besieged reduced to the last Extremity the Ottoman Army came boldly on with a purpose either to put Relief into the Town or force the Christians in their Lines And it was believed that Mahomet IV. would have appeared at the Head of that Army But Solyman whom he had wholly engaged by conferring upon him the Charge of Grand Visier which was That he gap'd after diverted him from the Expedition by laying before him that he could not march without a numerous Train of useless Persons and by consequence a great Number of his Forces that were to be otherwise employ'd would be taken off from all other Service but that of Guarding his Person So that his Highness submitting to those and some other Reasons which he alledg'd retir'd to Constantinople and the Grand Visier took upon him the Command of the Army with a new Serasquier whom he sent before with Twenty thousand Men and follow'd him with Thirty thousand more and Forty Pieces of Cannon expecting some other Recruits to joyn him So that the Ottoman Army upon the Conjunction of the Tartars which happen'd in a short time after was about a Hundred thousand Men. With this Army the Grand Visier presented himself several times in view of the Enemies Camp sent several of his Detachements of the choicest of his Men and by surprize put in some small Succors into the Town But in regard it was not the Bassa's design to come to a Battel he only fought in Parties for several Months insomuch that his Army as numerous as it was at the beginning being much weakened and discouraged and by degrees brought to so sad a Condition as not to be able to make any attempt upon the Lines of the Christians who on the other side were greatly encouraged by the continual Advantages which they daily won over the Detachements which the Grand Visier exposed to their Victorious Swords the Duke of Lorrain resolv'd to try the Issue of a 4th Assault for the Mastery of the Town 'T is true the Advice of some of the Generals was to give the Grand Visier Battel for fear least while they were busied in the Assault the Turks should endeavour to force their Lines and they be in danger of being themselves Besieged But the Duke of Lorrain making it evident by several Reasons that there was nothing to be feared on that side That besides there was a kind of Confidence in the Christians which did in a manner assure them of Victory and that moreover the hope of Pillage would make them Fight with more vigour against the Town than against the Enemy in the Field where there was nothing to be got but Blows his Advice was immediately followed and all things prepared ready for the Onset Immediately Thirty thousand Horse and Foot were drawn out of the Lines and put in Order of Battel in a Plain opposite to the Front of the Ground which the Enemies possessed The Duke of Lorrain's Design being to amuse the Enemy by making as if he intended to Attack them and by that means to put them out of hopes of making any Advantage of the Time spent in the Assault or of endeavouring to force the Christians Lines and it fell out as was intended For the Visier whether he were secure of any Success in the Assault or whether he were afraid to fight the Christian Forces never budged out of his Camp The next day therefore the Besiegers gave the Onset after the Duke of Lorrain the Elector of Bavaria and General Schoning who commanded the Brandenburgers in their several Attacks had given all such Orders as they thought Necessary Never was any Assault pursued with more Vigor and undaunted Courage and never did Garison better defend it self than that of Buda at that time
little River Saubits having a Marsh behind him and that his design was to lye in that Post and observe the Motions of the Imperialists At length the Army being arrived near Tolna from whence the Enemy lay not above three Leagues the Duke of Lorrain order'd a Bridge to be laid over the River Saubits that he might engage the Grand Visier to fight if it were possible But not being able to subsist in that Post for want of Forage he thought it not convenient to cross the River understanding besides that the Turks were retreated on this side the Drave near to Darda where they had a very Strong Castle built on purpose to secure the Bridge of Esseck Therefore the Duke of Lorrain taking another course divided his Army into two Bodies of which one was commanded by Prince Louis of Baden with Orders to joyn the Croatian Troops under the Command of Count Scherffenberg and so to Attack Five Churches which Town was taken and afterwards Darda and Capuswar the latter upon Articles the two first Surrendred at Discretion During this Expedition of Prince Lewis the Duke of Lorrain crossed the Drave at Tolna over a Bridge of Boats and returned to Pest with his Army From whence he sent a Detachment of several Regiments that marched slowly toward Upper Hungary and the Teysse where Count Caraffa and General Heusler were to take the Command of them and attack Segedin Which place Surrendred after Count Veterani had twice beaten the Infidels that attempted to relieve it The taking of Buda the Conquests of the Venetians in Dalmatia and in the Morea which had been no less considerable than those of the Imperialists in Hungary and certain Jealousies that the King of Poland had a design to declare War against the Port occasion'd such hot Allarums at Constantinople that the People began te murmur against the Grand Signior There were the Imans which are the Preachers in the Mosques who upbraided him that instead of being at the Head of his Armies after the Example of his Predecessors he kept himself shut up in his Seraglio and never stirr'd out but to go a Hunting and generally all Men complain'd of his being unsensible of the common Good But these Complaints were little regarded by the Sultan Nevertheless reflecting upon the Consequences as such that might prove unlucky to him he degraded the Mufti accusing him to have been the Cause of all the Misfortunes that had befallen the Ottoman Empire out of his Complaisance at the Request of the Grand Visier Cara Mustafa to Sign the Resolution taken to begin the War before he had Remonstrated the ill Consequences of it as it was his Duty to have done He was afterward Banish'd and his Dignity conferr'd upon another After which the Sultan made great Reformations in the Seraglio he retrench'd himself the vast Expences of his Hunting and the Retinue that belong'd to it He assembled divers Extraordinary Councils to find out a way how he might recruit the Army in Hungary and by his great Preparations prevent the Misfortunes that threatned the Empire In a Word he omitted nothing that might conduce to his own Defence and to repel the Enemy But all these Precautions could not hinder the People from continuing their Murmurs which encreas'd to that Degree that they cry'd out aloud in the midst of the Publick Streets That the Enemy was always Victorious and that the General of the Christians was Born to be the Scourge of the Musselmen so long as the Government and the Places of highest Trust and Honour were in the Hands of such Effeminate Persons But if the Grand Signior were under such Disturbances at Constantinople the Grand Visier was no less turmoild in his Thoughts at Belgrade whither he had retir'd himself Deeply apprehensive therefore of the loss of his Head he got a Writing Sign'd by all the Officers of his Army which he sent to the Port in Justification of himself to the Sultan that nothing had been done during the Campagne but by their Advice and according to the Resolutions that had been taken in the Councils of War To this Testimonial he added That the Affairs of Hungary were in such a desperate Condition when the Ottoman Forces arrived there besides that they arriv'd too late that it seem'd as if they had been only sent to be witnesses of the loss of Buda Lastly he promised the Grand Signior That if he would vouchsafe to continue the Trust of his Forces in his Hands and give orders for their necessary Supplies he would so order his Affairs as to recover in one Campagne perhaps what all the other Visiers had lost ever since the raising the Siege of Vienna 'T is true he had caus'd a Report to be spread abroad that he was going for Constantinople and that he had already sent away his Equipage before but that was the thing which was farthest from his Thoughts On the other side he made it his whole Study to avoid a Journey which he could not choose but look upon as that which would prove mortal to him And indeed he knew so well how to persuade the Sultan that his Presence was absolutely necessary upon the Frontiers that he obtain'd a Letter from his Highness wherein after he had graciously given him to understand that it was his real Opinion that the unfortunate Success of the last Campagne did not proceed from any Suspicion of his Fidelity or Conduct but that he attributed the loss of so many strong Holds to the Pleasure of God on purpose to punish the Ottoman Empire he order'd him to stay in Hungary and go on with the Fortifications of Belgrade and Esseck and diligently to attend the Motions of the Imperialists till he could send him fresh Recruits that might enable him to undertake some considerable Enterprize the next Spring before the Christians could be in the Field The Visier who by this had got what he aim'd at left no Stone unturn'd to put himself into a Condition to repel the Christians and to perform some considerable Undertaking before the Imperialists were ready for him It lay so much upon him that the Face of Affairs should change that there was nothing which he omitted during the Winter to gain Fortune on his side at the beginning of the Spring He us'd all the Endeavours imaginable to engage the Muscovites and the Prince of Transilvania to continue the Peace between them and his Highness He sent an Aga to the King of Poland who being got as far as the Black Sea seem'd to threaten the Turks that he intended to open a passage to Constantinople He made several Propositions of Peace to the Court at Vienna on purpose to lull the Emperor a sleep But finding that all his Negotiations and Stratagems could not prevent the States of Transilvania from concluding a Peace with the Emperor nor hinder the League which the Polanders and Muscovites had made together against the Turks and lastly perceiving that there were no preparations
at Vienna for the beginning of the Spring he labour'd with so much diligence to have his Forces ready that his Army had taken the Field before the Duke of Lorrain's could be in a Condition to march But all his Industry avail'd him nothing for still the Parties which he sent abroad were continually beaten And we may safely say that unless it were the Castle of Mohans which he surpriz'd and some Villages which he plunder'd and burnt he got no other Advantage over the Imperialists As for the Christian Army it was not so numerous as it had been the preceding Years in regard a great part of the Men were Destroy'd and Dead and for that the Forces of Saxony Brandenburgh and Swedeland were return'd home But in regard that Army as much lessen'd as it was had the Superiority of being Victorious the Duke of Lorrain was assur'd of their Fighting with Confidence that the Grand Visier would be beaten notwithstanding all his Precautions and tho his Men were so fresh and lusty And therefore full of hopes he departed from Vienna where he had been to confer with the Emperor and arriv'd at Buda the Fourth of June Where after he had given Orders for the finishing of certain new Works which were already begun he marched toward the Drave with one part of his Army and so to the Bridge of Esseck whither the Count de Scherffenbergh was to follow him with Nine Regiments At the same instant that he arriv'd he possessed himself of the Fort near the Bridge where he rais'd some new Works and then burnt all the Bridges that were upon the Moore and continuing his march up the Drave he arriv'd at Siclos the First of July after several Skirmishes and the loss of some Men. The next day the Infantry got within half a League of a Fort which the Imperialists possess'd upon the Drave but it was impossible for them to advance any farther in regard the Waters were out to that degree that the Bridges were all Drown'd and the Fort surrounded with such an Innundation that the Garison was forc'd to lie upon the Parapets Which was no small trouble to the Duke who thought to have pass'd his Army over in that place In this perplexity therefore to see the fair season waste before he could do any considerable Action he laid a design to Besiege Sigeth but the continual Rains and the Innundation of the Rivers having render'd the Moras's which encompasses that Place inaccessible he was forc'd to alter his Resolution Thereupon he determin'd again to pass the Drave as having no other course to follow and so resolv'd notwithstanding the many difficulties which he met with he cross'd the River within a few days after being followed by the Duke of Bavaria As for the River Walpo not so difficult to be cross'd both Armies past it the 16th of the same Month. Which done there being a small Fort upon the same River of the same Name the Duke design'd to have reduc'd it believing he should meet with little or no Resistance But the Garison consisting of Four or Five Hunderd Turks fired so terribly upon the Imperialists that he not deeming it worth his while to loose time in Besieging it continu'd his march towards Esseck And after two or three days march pester'd with continual Skirmishes after he had made his way through a thick Wood by cutting down the Trees on both sides the two Armies came to Face the Enemy But the Christian Forces were far inferior to those of the Grand Visier who was above Fourscore Thousand strong whereas the Imperialists were not above Five and Fifty Thousand Nevertheless whether it were that the Duke was ignore of the full strength of the Enemy or that he rely'd upon the Bravery of his own and the Duke of Bavaria's Men he was no sooner entrench'd upon the Ground where both Armies lay encamp'd but he advanc'd toward the first Line of the Turks Entrenchments which was Twelve Hunderd Paces in Front fortifi'd with a double Ditch extreamly wide and a Pikes length in Depth with two rows of rampir'd Pallisadoes and a Battery of Fifty great Guns This precipitate Action cost the Lives of above Eight Hunderd Christians among whom were some Officers of Note For besides that the Turks upon the approach of the Christians sent forth a numerous Body that cut in pieces the foremost of those that advanc'd they discharg'd in less than Three Hours above Four Thousand Cannon Shot However after this loss the Duke of Lorrain having drawn up his Men in Order of Battle about half a League from the Turks Camp did all that he could to provoke them to Fight though all to no purpose For he saw by their Countenances they had no mind to leave their Entrenchments to hazard a Battel as deeming it more proper to play their Artillery and ply him with continual Detachements So that the Duke perceiving that the Turks who had had a long time to Post themselves the most advantagiously they could desire and had levell'd all the rising Grounds and cut down all the Woods that could shelter the Christian Army by that means every way expos'd to the Enemies great and small Shot thought it not convenient to Attack them in their Post where it was impossible to get any advantage over them as he had found by Experience So that after Four and twenty Hours facing the Enemy within the reach of the Cannon of their Camp and that of the Fortress of Esseck it was resolv'd at a Council of War not to expose the Army to any farther Inconvenience but to wait a more favourable opportunity to Fight the Enemy and immediately to decamp However the Duke of Lorrain made his Retreat in view of the Grand Visier who durst not budge out of his Camp to disturb him The same day the Imperial Army arriv'd at Walpo and two days after crossing the River the day following encamp'd within a League of Mohats from whence he sent a Detachement of Five Regiments to reinforce the Blockade of Agria The Duke of Lorrain was thought too adventurous to pass the Drave and expose the Army without any necessity to so many Hardships and that it was too dangerous a Hazard But these were Reflexions after the thing was done and grounded only upon the ill Success of the Enterprise For the design of the Duke was to have drawn the Grand Visier to a Battel and if he had the ill luck not to succeed and be oblig'd to a Retreat all that can be concluded from thence is That no Man is always Fortunate However it were we must acknowledge that no Man could have Retreated with more Honour and Prudence than he did And I would fain know whether it be not an Action as much deserving Applause to understand how to Retreat with Honour and Discretion as to gain a great Victory However after he had made his Retreat besides the Detachement which he sent to reinforce the Blockade of Agria he
sent another to secure Siclos and Five-Churches and then resolv'd to have besieged Sigeth But the same Reasons that frustrated his Design before he had pass'd the Drave caus'd him to give it over the second time After which he had a purpose to have pass'd the Danaw over the Bridge which had been built near Mohats But that March was put off upon fresh Intelligence that the Grand-Visier had pass'd the Bridges near Esseck with his whole Army So that now he resolv'd once more to march toward the Infidels and try if he could provoke 'em to an Engagement After the Retreat of the Duke of Lorrain the Grand-Visier was once in a mind to have pursu'd the Imperialists but then again believeing that this Retreat was but feign'd to draw him out of his Entrenchments he let them retreat without any disturbance But then again as firmly believing that the Retreat of the Christians was a real Flight he quitted the Fastness where he lay and encamp'd near Darda Nevertheless there being nothing which he dreaded more then to come to Handy-Stroaks with the Christians he took great care to entrench himself and kept himself very quiet in his Camp On the other side the Duke of Lorrain who saw that the Visier avoided fighting and that there was no probability of drawing him out of his Trenches unless he made use of some Stratagem caus'd his Army sometimes to advance sometimes to retreat as if he had been afraid of the Enemy He made several Detachements some of which pass'd the Danaw others march'd towards Siclos and Sigeth with Orders however not to remove from the Camp above a Leagues distance But all these Counterfeit shews proving fruitless and the Duke besides seeing that his Men could not subsist in the Place where they were he resolv'd to retreat in good earnest and the Resolution was no sooner taken but he began to decamp The Visier not being able hitherto to penetrate the meaning of so many Motions of the Christian Army began to believe at last that the Duke thought himself too weak to attack him and that his flight was a sign that he had no desire to fight So that being eager to make the best of the Advantage which he thought he had he hasten'd out several Detachements to fall upon the Rear and Baggage of the Imperialists and afterwards causing a greater number of Men to advance the fight began insensibly Presently Ten thousand Spahi's and five thousand Janisaries appear'd who march'd directly against the Left Wing of the Imperialists where the Duke of Bavaria commanded with Prince Lewis of Baden And these two great Bodies of Turkish Horse and Foot were preceded by another great Body of Cavalry whose charge was vigorously receiv'd by General Dunewald In a moment after that the Janisaries posted themselves upon a rising Ground with some Pieces of Cannon charg'd with Car-touches which very much endammag'd the Left Wing at what time the Ten thousand Spahi's began to come on But then the Duke of Bavaria who saw that now the Turks had a design to fight extended the Front of his Wing proportionably as he saw that the Enemy extended theirs And indeed the Turks fell on briskly and vigorously But the Duke of Bavaria stood the Shock like a great Captain and though he expos'd himself as much as any Common Soldier and flew about from one place to another he receiv'd only a slight Wound in the Hand with a Musket Bullet While the Left Wing was thus engag'd the Duke of Lorrain drew up the Right Wing in the form of a Half Moon the right Horn of which extended to the Enemies Flank with whom they were already in close fight and the left Horn extended toward a Body of Spahi's and Janisaries that were thundring down upon ' em The Combat was long and Bloody and it was observable that the Turks fought in much better Order than they us'd to do and with much more Courage but for all that they were forced to give ground The Grand-Visier who never thought the Fight would have begun so soon or that his Detachements would have charg'd the Christian Army with so much precipitancy had not drawn up all his Men in Battel Array or rather not imagining that the Christians would have made that Resistance which they did was in such a hurry such a strange amaze and gave his Orders so confusedly that it was impossible for those that receiv'd 'em to put 'em in execution which caus'd such a disorder among the Turks that the Duke and the Elector knew well how to make their best advantage of it So that while they were in that Confusion they overturn'd whole Squadrons one upon another and while Friends routed Friends made a miserable slaughter among ' em On the other side the Grand-Visier who was afraid of what he saw and could not prevent it with all his Precautions flew from place to place where there was most danger to rally his Men which he did in some measure but in regard it was impossible he should be every where the Turks gave ground in many places and the Field was soon clear'd by the Christians for those of the Turks who had made the stoutest resistance and fought with most fury lost their ground by degrees and at length betook themselves all to flight They were pursu'd to their Camp where the greatest part were cut to pieces and they that escap'd the Victor being chac'd from their Entrenchments were driv'n like Sheep as far as the Drave where they had been all cut to pieces had not the night been more favourable to them This Battel was fought very near the same place where the famous Battel of Mohats was fought in the year 1526 at what time Soliman the Second slew about Twenty thousand Christians among whom was Lewis the Second King of Hungary All the Enemies Artillery consisting of Fourscore Pieces of Cannon and twelve Mortars became a Prey to the Victor with all their Provisions and Riches The Turks so little expected this defeat that their Wagons were found without Horses their Elephants and Camels in their Stalls and their Tents standing The Duke of Bavaria who enter'd among the first into their Camp pusht on forward to the Grand Signior's Tent which was easily known by the Richness of it and other Marks particular to the Generals of the Infidels where he found a little Chest wherein were about Two Millions in Gold and Jewels And in this Tent it was that Te Deum was sung two days afterwards for joy of the Victory and so they decamp'd the next day for fear of infection from the stench of the dead Bodies For 't is verily believ'd the Turks lost near Twelve thousand Men in this Battel At the same time also that the Christians gain'd this considerable Victory in Hungary the Serasquier of the Morea was defeated by Count Coningsmark and the Rout of that General occasion'd such a Consternation among the Turks that they quitted Patras the Castles
of the Morea and Rumelia and the City and Castle of Lepanto The Grand-Visier who two days before had intelligence of the Victory and Conquest of the Venetians was at his wits end to see himself vanquish'd in his own turn For he foresaw that so many Losses one after another could not but prove fatal to him and he had all the reason in the world to be assur'd of it for the whole Army murmur'd against him and was ready to Mutiny Nevertheless being retreated toward Esseck with about Forty thousand Men and rousing up his Courage that he might not altogether sink under his bad Fortune he endeavour'd to pacifie his Men and to hearten 'em up at the same time He told 'em that the Misfortune which had befall'n 'em ought not to deject their Courage that the chance of War was uncertain that the mischief was not so great as was imagin'd that there was no City or Town lost and supposing that the defeat were greater then it was the season was so far advanced that the Christians would not be able to undertake any thing considerable This Discourse and some Money which he caus'd to be distributed among the Soldiers gave them a little new Life and for the time dispell'd their Fears so that they resolv'd to defend themselves and the Grand-Visier found himself in a Condition able in some measure to make head against the Duke of Lorrain However it was not the Resolution of the Turks that stopt the Duke in the Carcer of his Victories For in regard that his Men were animated by Success 't is most certain they would have continu'd Victorious could they but have had an opportunity to fight but the season hinder'd them from farther falling upon the Enemy 'T is true the Duke of Lorrain did all he could to engage the Grand-Visier to a second Battel but in regard he found it impossible and for that the continual Rains and overflowings of the Rivers made the ways unpassable he call'd a Council of War upon the Field of Battel to consider what to do The greatest part advis'd him to pass the Drave but the Trouble he met with in passing it the first time having silenc'd that Advice the Duke resolv'd to spend his time in repairing the Disorders which it was impossible but such a Battel as that of Mohats had caus'd in his Army till he could have a positive Accompt what was become of the Enemy In the mean time he sent a particular Relation of the Battel to the Emperor who return'd him his Congratulations and Thanks for so Glorious a Victory with his own Hands and at the same time he also wrote his Acknowledgments to the Duke of Bavaria Great was the Rejoycing at Vienna for the Defeat of the Grand Visier But the Emperor's Joy was somewhat abated by a Letter from Count Caraffa then in Upper Hungary wherein he gave his Majesty to understand that the Prince of Transilvania had declared for the Port notwithstanding the Treaty which I mentioned by which the Prince Abaffi and his Territories were obliged to contribute to the Subsistance of the Imperial Forces and to furnish them with Ammunition and Money This News was so much the more unwelcom to the Emperor in regard he had resolved since the Treaty to send his Forces to take up their Winter Quarters in Transilvania Thereupon the Duke of Lorrain who soon received the same ill Tidings finding that he must give over the Designs which he had on the other side the Drave without any hesitation march'd away into Upper Hungary with a Resolution to reduce Prince Abaffi to his Duty To this purpose he strengthen'd the Places from whence he was to remove with good Reinforcements and having left a flying Camp in those Parts by the Advice of the Duke of Bavaria and the rest of the General Officers he advanced toward the Frontiers of Transilvania Now in regard this was a tedious March and the Ways bad his Men suffer'd great Hardships but the Advantages which they hoped to find in their Quarters made them endure all their Toil and Inconveniencies with Patience However the Duke of Lorrain who omitted nothing to disappoint and distract the Counsels of the Enemy made a shew of Marching toward Temeswaert Upon which the Grand Visier apprehending that the Duke had a Design to Besiege that Place sent a numerous Detachement to secure it Of which the Duke no sooner received Intelligence but perceiving the false March which he had caused the Grand-Visier to take he sent away immediate Orders to Count Erdedi Governor of Croatia to joyn Count Dunewald and march forthwith to that Part where the Grand Visier had least Strength Upon which the Infidels who expected no such Visit were not a little surprized and abandon'd Esseck Upon which Count Dunewald made himself Master of Walpo which had been so often attempted before and took in several Castles and other petty Places which must of necessity have been reduced at the beginning of the next Campagne But to return to the Duke of Lorrain's March He was no sooner arrived upon the Frontiers of Transilvania but he demanded Winter Quarters for his Soldiers to which the States returned answer That in regard their Country lay open and without defence they could not hinder the Turks from entring into it and committing all manner of Hostilities if they should openly Declare against them But since the Imperialists were at their Gates and that they were no longer in fear of the Ottoman Forces they offer'd the Duke to allow Quarters to some of his Regiments Which tho' it were something yet the Duke was not fully satisfied He therefore sent them word that he must be constrain'd to take by Force what they would not grant him in a Friendly way and because that sort of Language produced no Effect he advanced into the Country and seized upon the Castle of Samblock in Transilvania which lay in his Road and after he had caus'd it to be fortified to make himself Master of that Passage he came before Claussenberg which is a considerable City where the States frequently meet into which Place being resolv'd to put a Garison he proposed his Resolution to the Governor To which the Commander made answer That in regard he must have an Express Order from Prince Abaffi for such an Admission he desir'd time to write to him But the Answer not coming soon enough and the Duke preparing for an Assault the Governor open'd the Gates Prince Abaffi's Garison being gone out after certain Conditions agreed to Three thousand of the Imperialists enter'd with Drums beating and Colours flying Several other Cities also followed the Example of Claussenberg and receiv'd Imperial Garisons All this while Prince Abaffi who had one of his Sons a Hostage at Constantinople having given the Turks to understand the Condition of his Affairs and how he was distress'd sollicited for Aid But while the Imperial Troops advanced and still gain'd Ground Count Dunewald having taken
to all Proposals of Peace that were presented to him from the Port and who saw well by the carriage of Affairs that he should infallibly have a War with France that he might not have two Enemies to deal with at once now thought it not convenient to reject the Offers that were made him by the Sultan and therefore determin'd that the Duke of Lorrain should go to Buda to give Audience to his Ambassadors And indeed the choice which his Imperial Majesty made of the Duke was a certain Sign that he had a desire to terminate the War if he might have an advantageous Peace For it is certain That there was nothing which the Duke more passionately desir'd And he had often brought the Emperor to agree with him in this That he got nothing but desolate Countries in Hungary while he suffer'd considerable Losses toward the Rhine by the continual Claims and Enterprizes of the King of France He had laid before him the Designs of that Monarch He had pointed out to him the Methods he had taken since the Peace concluded at Nimeguen to make himself Universal Monarch and that there could not be too much hast made to limit his Ambitious Designs And certainly though all that the Duke of Lorrain said had not really been true it was so highly his Interest that the Emperor should turn his Arms against France that he could not choose but desire a Conclusion of the War with the Turks But the Emperor who listen'd after nothing but Fame and saw nothing before his Eyes but Victory and Triumphs in Hungary how desolate and ruin'd soever the Country was of which he got Possession had shut his Eyes to all that the Duke of Lorrain represented to him though he were satisfi'd in the Wisdom of his Counsels For he imagin'd that after the K. of France had seiz'd upon Strasbourg and Luxemburgh he would not adventure to Undertake any thing more And that when he came to reflect upon the great Victories which his Imperial Majesty won every day from the Ottomans he would be afraid to buckle with a Prince so favour'd by Fortune But when he found that the King of France was resolv'd to support the Cardinal of Furstenbergh whom he had a long time look'd upon as the capital Enemy of the Empire when he saw that the French were upon their march toward Cologne and that he could no longer doubt but that he must have a War upon the Rhine he then without any farther Hesitation thought it high time to hearken to the Propositions of Peace that were made him by the Grand Signior so that they were very Advantageous and to avoid the spinning out of the Treaty he made choice of the Duke of Lorrain whose Interest it was to hasten the Affair There was also another Reason which made the Emperor cast his Eye rather upon the Duke than any other Minister of State to Treat with the Sultans Ambassadors For the Turks had an Opinion That the Duke who was become the Terrour of their Armies not being able to take the Field was no more in a condition to Command the Army and that this was the main Reason which constrain'd his Majesty to think of a Peace In short they sent to Constantinople that the Duke would never recover of his Sickness and the Imans cry'd out already in their Mosques That they had all the reason in the world to hope that now their Prophet was appeas'd since the General of the Christians was at the Gates of Death And therefore it was of absolute Necessity that the Duke should appear to make a more Advantageous Peace So that these two Reasons joyn'd together made the Emperor make choice of the Duke before any other for this Important Negotiation And now the Duke recovering his Strength by degrees was no sooner in a Condition to endure the Inconveniencies of a Journey but he departed from Vienna together with the Queen Dowager his Wife and safely in a short time arriv'd at Buda They that were not Privy to the Secret were of Opinion that he was going to the Army and his Enemies publickly reported that he had never intended any such thing at that time before he was perfectly recover'd but that the Elector of Bavaria who had so honourably behav'd himself the year before in the Battel against the Turks should not acquire new Honour by the taking of Belgrade But beside that the Duke of Lorrain was not in a condition to endure the Toils of War besides that the â—ueen his Wife accompanied him in his Journey and that he had consented that the Duke of Bavaria should command the Army in Hungary his obliging and generous Behaviour toward that General justified him to all the World For although he went to visit the Camp at Belgrade he came away the day before the Assault because he would leave the Elector all the Honour of the Conquest And now the Duke and the Turkish Ambassadors being arriv'd at Buda they offer'd the Duke of Lorrain to shew him their Commission from the Grand Signior to negotiate a Peace with him At which time it was that fresh News came that the Disorders and Con-Confusions at Constantinople were broken out again That the Janisaries had massacred a great many of the Officers of the Divan that they had made an Attempt to Kill the new Visier who was forced to make his Escape into Asia And as News daily encreases it was also farther added that the new Sultan was deposed and that Mustapha the Eldest Son of Mahomet IV. was set up in his room This News as uncertain as it was might perhaps have wrought with any other than the Duke of Lorrain to surcease the Negotiation that had brought him to Buda And the Turks though accustom'd to desire Peace and to detain to that effect Ambassadors in Hostage found themselves compell'd to send first of all and for a Pretence of sending to lay hold on the Occasion that offer'd of Complementing the Emperor upon the Accession of their new Master to the Throne which they never were accustom'd to do at other times However this unusual Forwardness apparently shew'd that the Port was at a great Stand. And these new Commotions which had some appearance of probability had been sufficient ground on the other side to let his Imperial Majesty see that it was for his Interest at that time to have preferr'd War before Peace But all these Considerations never mov'd the Duke in the least He was still of opinion that all that could be gain'd from the Turks by a War would not countervail the Losses which they should run the hazard of sustaining in Germany And therefore considering that the Emperor could not maintain two Wars at a time it was good Policy to grant a Peace to those that sought it to the end he might bend all his Power against France Therefore the Duke caus'd this to be said to the Ambassadors That he had not left the Imperial Court but
to negotiate a Peace with them that might conduce to the repose of both Empires But just as he was about to enter into a Conference with the Turkish Ministers his Ague unfortunately seizing him he was constrain'd to return to Esseck from whence he wrote to the Emperor that he resolv'd to transport himself to Gran through Sclavonia and Croatia and so to Inspruck till he were perfectly recover'd Upon which Count Caraffa had Orders to Conduct the Ambassadors to Presburgh In the mean while the King of France who since the Truce for Twenty years concluded in the year 1684. seem'd desirous to observe his Conditions with the Empire thought it not convenient to interrupt the Progress of the Emperor's Arms against the Infidels deeming it more for his Advantage to leave him engag'd in a War of which he had run the hazards and of which the Success had been too doubtful some years before then to break a Truce that suffer'd him quietly to enjoy the Fruits of his Conquests and gave him time to fortifie his Frontiers which he had so considerably enlarg'd since the Peace He flatter'd himself that the Emperor contented with not being cross'd in his Designs would suffer him to reap in Peace all the Advantages which the Death of the Elector of Cologne seem'd to secure to the Cardinal of Furstenbergh and which he passionately desir'd to the end he might have so sure and stedfast a footing in the Empire that he might be able one day to strike home But when he saw the ill success of his Negociations the Cardinal of Furstenbergh disappointed of a Dignity wherein he thought to have had a greater share than all his Rivals the Pope not well inclin'd to favour him the Emperor victorious the Princes of the Empire resolved to stand by Prince Clement of Bavaria and the Peace with the Turk ready to be concluded notwithstanding all his Menaces and the Approach of his Army near Cologne all these things making him deeply sensible that after all the Methods he had taken his Honour was too far engag'd to recoyle and that the only thing to be consider'd now being whether to Attack or be Attack'd he judg'd it his Interest to begin and resolv'd to assail the Empire though the Emperor had not stirr'd a foot And to that purpose he sits down before * Philipsburgh was Besieged the 6th of October 1688. and Capitulated the 29th of the same Month and the 1st of November the Imperial Garison went forth that day being the Dauphins Birth-Day Philipsburgh which was Surrender'd in a short time after to the Dauphin For though the King of France well understood that the Siege of that Town would be look'd upon by the Emperor as a Rupture of the Truce since himself was the first that offer'd Violence nevertheless being desirous to make the World believe that his design was rather to defend himself than assail others he Publish'd a Manifesto wherein he gave several Reasons for his being compell'd to Invade the Empire Protesting that he had no other intention than to procure the Publick Repose That he was ready to restore Philipsburgh after he had taken it and demolish'd the Fortifications and to joyn Friburgh also with it provided the Cardinal of Furstenbergh might be put into Possession of the Electorate of Cologne that the Truce should be chang'd into a perpetual Peace if by vertue of that Peace he might keep all the Fortifications which he had built upon the Rhine and all the Places which he had re-united to his Crown in pursuance of the Treaties of Munster and Nimiguen Sometime after the Emperor made answer to all the Reasons of the Manifesto and having refus'd his Consent that the Truce should be chang'd into a perpetual Peace upon the Conditions propos'd by the K. of France as being that by which he gave away to perpetuity a sixth part of the Empire of which the King had made himself Master he laid aside all other thoughts but those of defending himself Now in regard the Invasion of the French upon Germany was a thing not foreseen either at Vienna nor in any other Courts of the Empire as being all lull'd asleep under the Faith of a Truce for Twenty years the King of France had no great Trouble to Conquer in a Country which he found without Defence So that after the taking of Philipsburgh he invaded the Palatinate under the Pretence which is universally known and seiz'd upon Wormes and Spire put a French Garison into Mayence Besieged Coblents and Bomb'd it after he had ravag'd all the County of Treves threaten'd to Burn Francfort ruin'd all the Countries round about by the excessive Contributions which he exacted from the People and of a suddain saw himself Master of the Rhine from Hunninghen to Cologne which declar'd for the Empire However the Season was so far advanc'd that it was impossible for the Emperor or the Princes interested to oppose the Progress of France They were forc'd to let her do what she pleas'd her self And the French Soldiers who afterwards took up their Winter Quarters in the Palatinate and other Countries newly conquer'd committed a thousand Barbarous Inhumanities without any regard to Capitulations But these Exorbitances unusual and scarce heard of among Christians did not produce that Effect which France expected they only serv'd to exasperate the Princes and Neighbouring States of Germany to take more speedy and severer Courses The Electors of Brandenburgh and Saxony the Duke of Hanouer and the Landtgrave of Hesse after several Conferences together both at Magdeburgh and other places omitted nothing to put themselves into a Condition to expel the Common Enemy so soon as the Season should permit them to take the Field and the Emperor in a just Rage took such vigorous Resolutions that he could not forbear openly to say That he hop'd his Armies would prove no less Victorious upon the Rhine than upon the Danaw and that he would humble the French as he had humbled the Ottomans However notwithstanding the firmness of his Resolutions the Emperor found himself but in a bad Condition He had two Enemies to deal with at once who considering the State of his Affairs were both formidable though not both equally Puissant The Peace which was in Negotiation with the Port was not an Affair so soon to be concluded For upon the Invasion of the French into Germany the Turks seem'd to have taken heart Nor did the Ambassadors testifie that extraordinary earnestness to come to a Conclusion as they did before On the one side they started such and such Difficulties and new Scruples on the other side they desir'd the consent of the Venetians but more especially of the King of Poland who oppos'd the Peace and without whom there could be nothing concluded considering how greatly they were beholding to him But this was not the only thing that pester'd the Emperor The Duke of Lorrain still continu'd ill And though there were great hopes that he
Camp and Trenches of the Enemy Nor was it any of the Dukes fault that the Turks were not immediately pursu'd But the King of Poland found his Army so tir'd that he thought it but requisite to rest 'em for some few days In a Word the Polanders enter'd the Grand Visiers Camp the same day the Turks quitted it and began to Pillage and then the Imperialists following their Example they continued Pillaging all the next day And indeed there were few People in Vienna that did not go out to see what purchase they could meet with in a Camp where the Turks had left infinite Riches behind ' em The King of Poland went in to view the Grand Visiers Tents which took up as much Ground as the City of Warsovia where you might also see Gardens and large Canals and whatever else could be desir'd in a great City The King also lay there one Night and from thence it was that he wrote a Letter to the Queen wherein after he had given her an accompt of what he had met with most costly in those Magnificent Tents he merrily added this Expression You shall not say to me as the Tartarian Women say to their Husbands when they return home from the Army with empty Hands You are no Man you return without Booty For I shall return with so many costly Spoils that you shall acknowledge I was in the Fight THE LIFE OF Charles V. DUKE of Lorrain Bar And Generalissimo of all the Imperial Forces THE FOURTH BOOK HAD the Opinion of the Duke of Lorrain been followed the Turks were in such a Consternation and in so ill a Condition to Defend themselves that they had been all cut in Pieces But during the two or three days that the Christian Army lay and did nothing and that the King of Poland and the other Generals lay in Vienna or else were visiting the Grand-Visiers Tents the Ottoman Forces who were fled in disorder having had time to recover and rally themselves put Relief into other Places that might have easily been surprized and at length secured themselves from the farther Enterprizes of their Enemies All Men agree that the Victorious Army knew not how to make the best of their Advantage since they might have secured all Hungary to the Emperor and pusht on their Conquests to a far larger extent The Duke of Lorrain was vex'd to the very Soul to see himself constrained out of Complaisance to submit to the Advice of a Prince who had left his Kingdom expos'd his own and the Lives of his Subjects for the good of Christendom and who in the last place had put to flight a numerous and formidable Army who was almost within a hairs breadth of Victory and entring Triumphant into Vienna On the other side the King of Poland who perceived by the Event that the Duke had Reason of his side could not forbear letting the Emperor see how much he was troubled for the Miscarriage For after he had told his Imperial Majesty at their first Enterview what time the Emperor returned him Thanks for the Signal Victory he had won that all the Honour of that Victory was due to God and that he had done nothing upon that Occasion but what became a Christian Prince He added that he was much troubled that he could not prosecute his Victory by a vigorous pursuit of the Enemy but that the continued March of his Men for three days and three nights together over steep Mountains and deep Valleys through unfrequented and craggy Ways without Baggage which he was forc'd to leave behind had so wearied and worn out his Army for want of Victuals and Forrage that he was constrain'd to give them a repose of two or three days to refresh themselves and enable them for farther Service towards the entire ruin of the Infidels In the mean time the Duke of Lorrain's Measures who aspir'd to nothing less than the utter Destruction of the Ottoman Forces were broken and that which put them totally out of order was this That some of the Confederates believing that they had done enough in contributing toward the Relief of Vienna began to talk of returning home and the Elector of Saxony drew off in good earnest with his Men and some other Princes were just upon following his Example which would never have so fallen out if by a speedy March all the Christian Princes had been engag'd to pursue the Victory And indeed the Duke of Lorrain rightly apprehending and fearing that his Designs would all miscarry if the Confederate Princes should forsake him labour'd so indefatigably to engage those Princes not to abandon the Emperor at such an Important Conjuncture that excepting the Elector of Saxony all the rest of the Princes were determin'd to continue the Campagne However Things fell out quite otherwise At first they talk'd of Dividing the Army into several Bodies to be employed at the same time upon several Expeditions and there were several Meetings and Conferences to this purpose But in regard there was nothing concluded upon the Duke whose thoughts were wholly bent to make his best Advantage of the remaining part of the Summer made all the Proposals which he thought most favourable either for Reducing of Hungary or laying Siege to some strong Town It was impossible to foresee where the Turks design'd to make a stand and therefore the Duke was of Opinion That the Christians should go and find 'em out And his Advice being approved by his Imperial Majesty and the King of Poland the Polish and Imperial Armies set forward upon the 18th and two days after encamped near Presburgh there to stay for the Confederate Forces which had promis'd to joyn them But they having altered their Resolutions while their Captains for particular Reasons of their own lay demurring whither they should stay in their Camp near Vienna or return home the King of Poland and the Duke of Lorrain having agreed among themselves for the Undertaking some considerable Enterprize without the rest of the Confederates in case of delay or their retiring Home resolved to continue their March and Encamp'd the 2d of October at Weswar which is not far distant from Comorra There they had Intelligence that Count Teckeley with the Forces of the Male-Contents was at Levents That the Body of the Turkish Army lay near Buda that the Grand Visier had sent a considerable Detachment toward Gran and that he had put Four Thousand Men into Newhausel to strengthen that Garison But the Season was so far advanced and the Country withal so bare and consequently in so bad a Condition to afford Subsistance for the Army the Garisons in both those Places so numerous and in a word the Enterprize so hazardous by reason that the Confederates did not come up that the Duke after mature Deliberation was of opinion that to assure himself of Gran and Newhausel it was the best way to Attack the Fort of Barcam which stands at the Head of the Bridge