For all this the said Captaines shrunke not for this blow but t is well seene by that which themselues wrote to the Lord Marshall what they would haue done if he had not opportunely come to them and kept vp the businesse See here the Tenor of their letter in their owne words My Lord WE haue receiued a letter from your Excellencie and vnderstand the effects of it whereof wee maruell much that your Excellencie will still delay the returne you promised vs seeing we haue had a hard time of it till now And for this one thing of keeping of good orders surely t is a thing impossible to doe without money as well in respect of the officers as souldiers Our hopes were to haue receiued in present pay euery Captaine 1000. florins according to your Exc promises And for want of this what shall we doe seeing the enemie hath sent out some troupes of horse on euery side of vs and haue taken moreouer aboue 80 of our men although we yet know not what will be the issue of this truce Behold t is more then time for your Exc to returne home with all speed lest the counsell comes after the harme The enemy threatens to keepe vs in so strait that we shall not safely fetch in our fewell and if any misfortune fall out against our wills we desire to be held excused and blamelesse before God and the world On the other side my Lord we haue here a letter from his Royall Maiestie of Bohemia directed to your Exc but we are no wayes desirous to be put vpon any seruice till we be sure of our pay Moreouer let it be taken well or ill we are desirous to know how the King will pay vs our old arrerages For the third though the King would giue vs one months pay it will not serue our turnes wee cannot be contented with two For the fourth Forasmuch as neither your Excellencie nor wee the Captaines are fauoured by the Prince of Anhalt wee will not be commanded by him considering how he hath dealt with vs both in Austria and here and aboue all we intreat this that if your Excellencie would not haue too great disorder among the souldierie let your Excellencie make all haste to come home so soone as possibly according to your High promise at your departure In thus doing your Excellencie shall infinitely obligevs No more at this present but our prayers to God for the prosperitie of your Exc c. And shall euer remaine My Lord Your Excellencies most humble and affectionate seruants Giuen at Pilsen the 2 of Ianuar. 1621 stilo novo Iohann von Pierriz Leonhard Syrach Hartman Alexander von Kronniz Wolff Sigmund Teuffel Iohann Grotte Postscript My Lord this day newes is brought that the enemie giues chase to our convoyes others they disarme and more they take prisoners This letter was presently followed by another of the same tenor but much fuller of passion Meane while the Lord Marshall tooke horse to goe towards Tachaw accompanied with Colonel Gray some part of his Scottish Regiment being there arriued hee wrote to the said Captaines as followeth MY Masters after you had done me the honour to beare Armes vnder me vpon so faire occasions and with such reputation I was confident you would so well haue obserued my actions past that you would not now haue come to this point to question my sinceritie seeing that euery way you had leysure to know me that I neuer sought but the good of euery one of you Yet must I needs with great vnpleasingnesse take notice of the distrust you haue of me in a matter of so great consequence as is now in hand you lightlier giue credit to those who apparantly seeke your ruine vnder dangerous conditions then to him who seekes nothing but to preserue that honour which you haue engaged If I haue giuen my promise to returne I haue kept my word and see I am comming to doe the King seruice and what shall be for your good as I my selfe shall see occasion without receiuing law from you who ought to giue it I am now about it nay and haue the meanes now in mine owne hands that shall content you and the whole Armie but t is by another kinde of way then to stand to their mercy who desire to entrap you It is I say a more honourable course I had once entred into a treatie with the enemie that we might haue got our pay that way if we could not an other and haue drawne our companies out from thence where we wanted succour but seeing there is yet another way to come by it and that we haue the meanes to get from thence and that I otherwhere perceiue the enemie casts about how to ouer-reach vs I will no more of that treatie And I cannot beleeue that you who are bound in dutie to mee would preferre an vncertaine profit before your honour that so loosely in so faire an occasion you would forsake your Chiefe from whom God be praised you neuer receiued dishonour You haue in following that way wherein I set you your pay assured your liberties and honours safe Wheras in place of this from the other partie you cannot expect your pay when you are once made slaues and bound hand and foot so that you can haue no hope of assurance Adde to this the hazard whereinto you shall runne your reputations Then if contrary to my hopes you haue now trodden vnder foot the respect you owe me notwithstanding my fatherly aduises you be obstinate to render vp Pilsen why you may do it for my part I will wash my hands and protest from henceforward and hitherto that if Pilsen be now giuen vp it is against my will my pleasure and my commandment T is you that in this case must answer it before God the King and all his braue soldiers seeing that you being not as yet forced of necessity against all necessity contrary to the will of the Chiefe you giue ouer a place which you before gained with so great glory and reputation As for the Newes from Morania and Silesia with which they would scarre you I wonder that like men of Spirit and experience you marke not the sleights of a Foe and how easie it is to forge such subtle lyes to make vse of against Enemies But if the worst happens what is that to vs T is our Honour and our pay we must looke after which we are sure to haue if we follow good Counsaile For we knowing the meanes as I said I am presently resolued to fall vpon the atchieuement to which I inuite you also That wee may hereafter performe some exploit seruiceable to the King and our owne selues And to this effect I will draw c. From Tachaw Ianuary 16. The same day he wrote to Colonell Franke as followeth Sr. the further I goe the lesse I know the resolutions of my Captaines I thought they had taken a good course and in the meane
say the truth as we ought to doe it is the couetousnesse of certaine particular persons it is the great disorder that was therein touching the receiuing and distributing of the treasures which hindred them from paying the souldiers that discipline could not be established and so many mischiefes preuented The good people had made the wolfe a shepherd popel de Lobkowiz was their Lord Tresurer all men know his nature and with what wood he warmes himselfe The three Estates and the Nobilitie haue sufficiently disliked of his dealings The children went to fetch mustard And not to hold you too long with this subiect I will only say that men worthy of credit and such as had that credit to haue a sight of the bookes of account affirme That since the beginning of the direction vntill the month of Nouember anno 1620. which is not aboue two yeeres and a halfe the States of Bohemia without comprehending therein the Prouinces incorporated haue not disbursed three millions of Florins Good God what a summe of money is that in respect of the great reuennes of so rich and opulent a Realme as that is Now let men consider of the great summes of money that haue beene leuied by contribution in the plaine country and in the villages let them only set downe the contributions of the Towne of Prague and it shall be seene whether it was for want of money that the souldiers were not paid or for want of good will One of them of the first Estate for touching the two other I am perswaded they did their endeuours being asked how much he would willingly contribute to the maintenance of the warre out of 20000. dollars yeerely rent that he possessed durst offer 300. dollars a yeere And one of the principallest of them that had a great hand in managing the affaires of the Land and one that could doe much being rated at 2000. dollars a yeere was willing to giue but 2. or 3. hundred a yeere An other of the same coat in steed of 2000. florins that he ought for his part would pay but 500 because as he said he had no more money In the meane time running away from Prague after the battell he left 300000. dollars ready money behinde him which he could not saue among other things What profit did some of them make of the opening of the Emperor Rodulphus chamber what benefit of Ecclesiasticall goods I will not speake of the rest And yet they are poore they haue no meanes to pay a little entertainment to those that are strangers that haue no part of that abundant riches that daily expose their liues and bodies for the good of the Bohemian Crowne and for the maintenance of those who so richly enioy the blessings of that country Let the vnpartiall Reader that is acquainted with the affaires of the world iudge if it pleaseth him by that which I haue said and shall say hereafter what is the true cause of the disorders and insolencies committed by the souldiers and of the mischiefes and miseries hapned and fallen vpon that country To that end I haue made this digression Now we will leaue these great masters following their affaires in Prague and popel de Lobkowiz telling their money separating the old grosches from the new to melt and make his particular profit of them staying for the taking of the said Towne when Colonel Iuggeâ— gâ—â—es him a bastinado as a beginning of a reward for his accursed auarice To returne vnto our purpose The Generall although ill prouided of that which was necessarie for him yet weary to be enclosed within the walls of a Towne and desirous to take the aire of the fields entred into the field with his troupes and some peeces of Cannon in the moneth of Aprill and marched to Grunberge from whence he once againe gaue an other countercharge vnto the principall land officers sharper then the former but to the same end and then went forward There is a Castle that stands ten miles distant from Prague in the way to Vodnian and Prachadis neere to the riuer of Moldauia in a village called Thein which as then the enemie held and thereby much disturbed the Kings affaires which he determined to take from the enemie and to that end wrote to Colonel Franc who as then was at Tabor with six companies of Hollanders to come with his men and some troupes of horse and foot men of the country people vnto the said village of Thein vpon a day appointed and there to seize vpon the bridge that so he might ioyne with him Which he did and all the troupes meeting together at the time appointed in the said village in the morning when the Generall had giuen two or three volleys of Cannon shot at the enemie he vnderstood that some second was comming to aide them and that the vangard was already in sight Whereupon he caused his Armie to enter into the field and placing it in order of battell resolued to fight if the enemie would giue the onset Now hauing staid in that manner vntill euening and no man seene to appeare and considering the danger that might ensue to lodge so many men in a village and that the season of the yeere as then was not fit to lie in the fields as also the newes that came from the Earle de la Tour who wrote for aide he resolued to defer that matter to a more conuenient time and to retire to Bekin You must vnderstand that in the meane time the Earle of Bucquoy that was strong in Austria held our men at a bay in such manner that the Earle de la Tour who as then commanded the Armie in the absence of the Prince of Anholt and the Earle of Hohenloe was constrained to send to the King for aide Whereupon his Maiestie gaue commission to the Lord Generall of the Artillerie to goe thither with his troupes as he did but against his will sufficiently foreseeing by experience of the time past that among so many great persons and commanders iealousie might easily arise to the preiudice of the common good and of some of them as it hapned When he came to Niddreller a village two miles distant from Egenburg in the lower Austria where the other Armie was he stayed there two or three weekes with his troupes attending the comming of the Prince of Anholt Generall of all the Armie who as then was at Prague in the which time he ceased not to write againe vnto the land officers and to harpe vpon the same string that he had done before withall shewing them of the pouertie and great necessitie of his souldiers growing by the dearth that was in that country all ouer-runne and ruinated by the former warres praying and hardly pressing them to haue a regard vnto so many braue men that deserued rather to die in battell for the Kings seruice then so miserably to perish for want of food But they were so farre off from hauing any regard vnto his
heare any newes of them they had quartered themselues in Eutopia therefore it is no more speaking of them Thereupon the Lord Marshall made complaint vnto the land officers who for an excuse made answer that they had receiued a countermaund and were sent to Piseck Vodnian and the places thereabouts to secure them against Don Balthasars forces Whether that were true or no we cannot tell but it is certaine that the enemie soone after wanne all those places as if no forces had beene in them Briefly the Lord Marshall seeing himselfe destitute of succours and that the enemie followed close vpon him fearing lest they should take the way of Pilsen before him resolued to retire and lodge there as indeed he did And thus ended the month of September He being receiued found there such wants and defaults as nothing more the fortifications very little furthered want of labourers of timber for the Pallisadoes and of money to supply all he once againe tooke pen in hand to write to the land officers shewing them of all these wants and the danger they were likely to be in if all were not supplied in time But especially he requested they would send him in some munition that he might be competently prouided to hold out a siege and money to satisfie the officer and souldier for otherwise it might be feared the discontent already they were in might burst out into a mutinie to the great preiudice of the place and cause Of these letters he had a faire answer but to no effect according to their custome In the meane time the Lord Marshall who well foresaw that the enemie who had aduanc't himselfe daily with a puissant Armie forcing all the places where ere he came would not be slacke to come and visit him did not sleepe for his part but made the Boores as many as he could get to worke in the fortifications and caused good store of timber to be brought in for the Pallisadoes and of corne and meale all that he could puruey Briefly he did all that the time and necessitie required to fortifie himselfe against the enemie who was violently comming vpon him Neither was the enemie all this while idle but grew stronger daily by maine force making himselfe master of whatsoeuer might any way oppose him Then also Vodnian Prachaditz Winterberg and Pisek were wonne with great effusion of bloud Schuttenhofen yeelded without stroke striking The like had befallen to Taux and Glatta had not the Lord Marshall strengthned them with new supplies which he had sent in thither to lie in garrison so that the enemie found more to doethere then at the other places Within Taux there were two or three troupes of horse and some few foot all commanded by the Rittmeister Claudius Linstaw He is master of all the Cavaileâ—â—e Don Balthasar came hither to asseige it with a great power of foot and horse and with 7. peeces of Cannon began to batter it first on one side and then on the other they within the Towne in the meane time made it good with all their best endeuours But the Towne being hard laid at on all sides and not well prouided of munition and especially wanting powder after a few dayes resistance by the aduice of the said Lord Marshall gaue it vp vpon composition Into Glatta the Lord Marshall had sent 200 musketiers with certaine companies of landfolke that were there vnder the command of Sir Thomas Ferenz who was charged by the Lord Marshall not to tyre out himselfe in regard the place could not be long kept but to quit it before he was driuen to extremities lest they should lose themselues to no purpose From Taux Don Balthasar went to besiege Glatta batterd it and tooke it in by composition His Highnesse arriued with his Armie at Crassitz fiue leagues from Prague and wrote to the Lord Marshall the 3. of October that he should come from Pilsen with such forces as he could draw out leauing a sufficient garrison in it to ioyne with his Armie The day after he sent him againe the same command The Lord Marshall doubting his Highnesse was not throughly enough informd of the estate of the garrison of Pilsen sent Captaine Roy Quartermaster generall to shew him the necessitie the place had to keepe still all the forces then within it if they meant still to hold it offering notwithstanding vnto his Highnesse that if he would appoint him the expresse number of men and cannon which he would haue sent without leauing it to his discretion he was ready to obey him The 10. of October behold Generall Bucquoy and the Duke of Bauaria with their whole Armie began to shew themselues before Pilsen and very neere the Towne The outworkes were not yet in case to be defended nor were there forces enough to man them besides all other discommodities which vse to fall out where money is wanting So as if at the instant the enemie with those great forces he drew after him had attempted the place he had certainly either carried it or at the least driuen it to strange extremities The Lord Marshall the more leisure he perceiued they let him haue the more diligence he vsed He caused all his souldiers to worke by course day and night in the fortifications he enquired and borrowed money of his Captaines wheresoeuer he could finde it to giue the souldier some content and did so well and fairely that within few dayes the workes were defenseable All things going thus on the King with his Armie was arriued at Rokezan some two leagues from Pilsen in the way towards Prague The Count Bucquoy a wise and old Captaine seeing the resolution of the Lord Marshall and that to force the place would both lose time and many a braue man cast how to get it by policie Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat and plotted how to make way into Pilson by sending in thither K. Philip of Macedons mule he had intelligence from thence of the ill managing of businesse amongst some principall personages of that partie and of the discontent giuen to the Lord Marshall and well knew there is nothing that can put a noble spirit sooner from his posture then enuie Caesar was ambitious but for that he had neuer turned the point of his sword against his natiue country if enuie had not ouercome him And Charles of Burbon had neuer taken a resolution so contrary to his Countries good had he not met with this passion the most violent of all others and which only ouerbeares the greatest courages He studies therefore how to gaine him that was most potent in that place and whosoeuer had voices in this counsell held it so easie to bee brought about that they no way doubted of the issue yea they were so confident that a rumor was spread throughout the Armie as of a thing already done and effected Now notwithstanding that the bare euent might testifie Ger-contrary yet for that it is published throughout all
Lord began to turne her backe against him and prepared a crosse for him The 10. of Iune anno 1619. shee gaue him the blowe checke and almost a mate VVe will declare the circumstances thereof in some sort for speciall cause He had Commission to leaue certaine men in the Garrisons for the Defence and keeping of them and with the rest to goe and joyne himselfe with the Army that lay before Budweis and in pursuite of that Commission he departed from Pilsen and went to Portewin an houres going from Vodnian where he attended for 500. Horsmen that the Earle was to bring vnto him there he expected them from day to day In the meane time the Generals prest him to goe forward without staying any longer for them so the Tenth of the said month he departed from thence with his Troupes being about 8. Companies of Foote but not compleat because of the Garrisons aforesaid and about 450. Horsmen among the said Garrisons there was one of 30. Souldiers in a Village called Netoliz on the right hand of the way which the Generall held The euening before his departure the Hungarians that serued the Enemy set Fire thereon and constrained the Garrison to withdraw themselues into the Church The Generall being arriued with the Army at Zablatti in Dutch Grossen Lasken a Village distant about a Germane myle and a halfe from the said Netoliz was aduertised by the Earle of Solmes who as then was at Vodnian with charge to prouide for the said Garrisons that the said Souldiers yet made resistance and desired him to ayde them to goe thither with the Army my Lord found it to be a dangerous matter to abandon them he feared a reproach Therefore he resolued vpon another course and commaunded the body of his Army to stay there while he himselfe with 150. Horsemen ranne thither causing part of them to stay by the way to ayde him in his retraict and to the same end commanded 400. Muskatiers to march to lye in Ambuscado and to stay his returne He thereupon put forward with the rest of his Horsemen and met with the Hungarians whom he valiantly charged but the first part of them being seconded by a great number of others and by some Troupes of Cuirasses he was constrained to retire by another way without hauing meanes to preuaile of the aduantage which he prouided for himselfe by the Ambuscado which neuerthelesse hee caused to be aduertised that they should slide along through the Wood and by the water side and so get to the Army which they effected in such manner that they safely arriued there but yet were narrowly pursued by the Enemy In the meane time the Earle of Bucquoy with the maine body of his Army consisting of 5000. Horse and 4000. footmen marched forward following the traces of the said Lord Generall who being come to the Village where the rest of his men stayed for him and thinking to refresh himselfe sodainly all the Earle of Bucquoyes Army shewed it selfe Whereupon the Generall mounted on Horsebacke with all his Souldiers in order of Battaile commanded them to make a Fortification or sconse of Waggons which was presently begun on the left side but by reason that the VVaggoners were put into a great feare by the running away of certaine Caroches it was not made round about as it should haue bin The length of the Village was behinde at the backe of the Generals Army his Horsemen being deuided into 3. Battalions in manner of a Triangle the better to ayde one the other The Foot-men were behinde and the Carriage in the middle being 4. Companies on the left hand and 3. on the right and one before the Carriage all in such manner disposed that the Horsmen had meanes to be defended by the Muskatiers The Enemy being very neere and all the field couered ouer with his horsemen my Lord Generall set vpon those that were formost and scattered certaine Squadrons of Hungarians but the Cuirassiers belonging to the Baron of Walstein comming forward he was repulsed and so whotly charged on all sides that he was put to flight A little before the Enemy began to giue the on-set 50. Souldiers of the Colonels company that were on the right side were commaunded to goe to the Generals lodging to defend it and the little Street betweene both but as they went the rest of the Company followed them by misunderstanding And the two other Companies did the like and were no sooner gone but the Enemies entred into their places who acknowledging and perceiuing their errour turned backe againe to place themselues as they were at the first but then it was too late in such manner that they were constrayned to looke for their owne safety There was a Wood beyond the Village whether they sought to retire but finding themselues to bee out of the Village to crosse ouer a plaine They were presently enuironed on all sides by the Hungarians and so hardly charged that few of them could saue themselues the rest were either slaine or taken prisoners In the meane time the horsemen were broken part of the footmen lost and the fiue Companies remaining in great hazard to be spoyled Carpezo the Serieant Maior the Rhingraue The Captaines Haid Scheammerdorf and N. commaunding them had the great body of the Enemies forces before them the fire at their backes and all the Amunition except some carkes of powder with all the carriage burning whereby they were put to their shifts and if they had any blood at their fingers ends it was then time for them to shew it as it became them Assoone as the horsemen were dispierced the Enemy began to set vpon the fiue Companies on all sides where they could come at them and they defended themselues valiantly as they were in a Garden hauing the aduantage of a hedge which was a good defence and safegard vnto them The Earle of Bucquoy made certaine peeces of Cannon to be shot at them on that side thinking to beat it downe but he could not doe it that day The Sunne shone very hot and the heat that encreased by the fire that burnt in the Village was the cause that the fire which the Enemy put into the hedge easily burnt but the diligence of those that were assayled surmounting all difficulties presently quenched it In the meane time the Generall without any astonishment at that disorder had reassembled and gathered his horsemen againe together and with them forcibly past through the Hungarians squadrons and ranne too and fro in field and returned againe into the Village with an intent to mount vpon a fresh horse and to put on his Cuirasse being then vnarmed But hee found his lodging already taken vp by the Enemy and that side of the Village that was behind at the backe of his Souldiers all set on fire which notwithstanding he sought by all the meanes he could to get among his footmen but the way was stopt on all sides At the last as hee turned and lookt about
the lesse to lose no time expecting greater forces he went to take the fort of Walleren after that the better to bridle other Garisons that were neere thereunto and so to prepare the way to besiege Crumaw Before his departure the Earle de la Tour sent from the Prince of Anholt came into his Armie and being come to Prachadiz the Lord Marshall receiued letters out of higher Austria whereby they were intreated to goe thither in respect of the danger that they feared least the Duke of Bauaria would enter into that countrey He shewed the letters vnto the Earle de la Tour and aduised his Maiestie thereof To those of Austria hee made answer that being so weake of forces as he was he could not aide them but that daily he expected more forces and that then he would most willingly come vnto them and therewith marched forward to the fort of Walleren to besiege it as aforesaid That fort is seated vpon a little hill iust vpon the comming out of the great wood which is betweene Bohemia and Passaw at the riuer of Moldauia running at the foot thereof at the top of the said fort there was a small sconse about 60. paces long furnished with two rauelins square at both corners which flanked the curtaines of the fort all furnished with good ditches and pallizadoes besides the trenches that were within it In the fort there was about 400. men The Lord Marshall placed his Armie about it and not long after in the marshie woods by diligent search he found out a passage to get neere vnto the fort on the banke side and that euening he sent one of his Captaines with 500 musketeers to seeke to passe through it to lie in the wood behind the fort The next morning the Cannon was planted and two peeces and a murtherer were set on worke to hinder those that were within the fort from fortifying the same About ten of the clocke the Captaine got neere vnto the fort and both parts saluting each other with a storme of musket bullets they that were below in the halfe moone perceiuing themselues to be assailed behinde were in great feare and running away saued themselues in the fort our souldiers pursued them hotly and that with such diligence that presently they got into the fort and all the enemies were enclosed in the small sconce well intrenched as I said before and in an instant all our musketeeres got so neere vnto them that they might ioyne together at push of pike And in the meanetime while the musketeers on both sides plaid one against the other the Lord Marshall caused a mine to be made which the next day was blowne vp with indifferent good effect but that notwithstanding the breach was not great enough in such manner that the next day another was begun to be made and to conclude they within were kept at such a bay with Muskets Cannon shot and assaults that the effects thereof ioyning with the apprehension which they had conceiued of another mine the second day they made composition and the third day issued out of the fort which according to the opinion of Don Balthasar de Marades Serieant Maior Generall of the Emperors horse-men would haue beene strong enough to haue held our Armie before it all that summer The taking of this fort procured great ioy to them in Prague but it continued not long for in the meane time while we were busied to pull out that thorne the Duke of Bauaria prickt vs with another hauing seized vpon vpper Austria which without comparison procured more griefe vnto vs then euer the other did The Lord Marshall aduised his Maiestie touching the same giuing him counsell what to doe in such occurrents which because it is of great importance I will here particularly set downe the contents of his letter SIR yesterday I wrote vnto your Maiestie to certifie you of the heauy newes that is in vpper Austria And for that it doth not only continue for certaine but as it is to be feared that the Duke of Bauaria will approch vnto this country to enter therein I thought it conuenient to giue your Maiestie this further aduise and therewith to shew you what I thinke requisite to be done in these occurrents First I thinke it conuenient and most necessarie to prouide for the defence of the country whereunto we are not sufficient when the two Regiments of the Duke de Weinmar and that of Colonel Gray are come hither And therefore it is requisite that your Maiestie should hold Colonel Grayes regiment there about Prague for your guard and for other occasions which shall fall out and also to fortifie and keepe strongly these foure places Pilsen Piseck Tabor and Wittignaw to the which end it is requisite to put my Regiment into Pilsen because some of my men are therein already into Piseck the Duke de Weinmars regiment with 100. horsemen and 100. Hungarians into Tabor Colonel Francks regiment with as many horsemen and Hungarians and into Wittignaw Colonel Seitans Regiment with 50 horsemen and 100. Hungarians and all these to runne on that side whither the enemies shall bend their forces to take breath and thereby to stop them if it be possible from victuals The rest of my horsemen and of the Hungarians must retire towards Pilsen or to some other part where occasion shall serue by that meanes at times suddenly to doe some enterprise to indamage the enemie All these troupes being thus diuided it is requisite that as soone as they are entred into the said places they must begin earnestly to labour about the fortifications of the same wherein your Maiestie must spare nothing and make as great haste therein as possibly you can because it is to be feared that we shall be surprized sooner then we thinke for and that afterward it will be too late to remedie the same For the enemie being strong of horsemen as in truth he is we may easily be enuironed by him before we could auoid it And our forces being in that manner ouerthrowne and hauing no other places that are strong and well garrisond your Maiestie may well iudge what danger and losse may thereby ensue and whether we may not apprehend the same mischiefe to fall vpon vs that is hapned to those of Austria specially considering the mutable humor of this people who vpon this occasion doing something to the preiudice of your Maiestie without doubt to excuse themselues will after seeke to couer it with the cloake of necessitie But these foure places being fortified in this manner that storme may be stayed at the brinke while the Prince of Anholt comes out of Austria to aide those that are in extremitie And by this meanes we may withstand the enemies forces this yeere and in the meane time your Maiestie may haue leisure to thinke vpon the meanes how to repulse them altogether better then you can doe now For the rest touching other smaller places there must be garrisons put into them to
the many and that there is no biting of calumnie which leaues not behinde it some scarre to the blemish of his honour that hath once beene calld in question if presently it be not washt off with the pure substance of the truth I would not let to set downe for the Reader so much as should be necessarie by the true narration of that which passed about this matter Ioachim de Carpzo Lieutenant Colonell of one of the Regiments of my Lord Marshall was yet prisoner with the enemie euer since the last summer when he was taken at Glax in Austria Him they made choise of to be an instrument of their designe to perswade the Lord Marshall to leaue the place to the Emperor in consideration of the reward promised him which was great as t is commonly in such a case in a word mountaines of gold He desirous to part from them to procure his ransome agreeth the willinger to take such a commission vpon him But as the common prouerbe saith A thin lining agreeth not with a thin outside If the Count Bucquoy be honest the Count Mansfield is iust if the one be quicke of sight the other is swift of foot He was not so foolish nor so ill a merchant to make so bad a bargaine and to sell his honour being inestimable for a thing that perisheth to loose in one houre what he had beene so long in getting with such labours and danger of his life He had too staid a iudgement and a spirit better lodged then to play such a Clerkes tricke The Count Bucquoy thought he had knowne him but knew him not This messenger then being arriued and doing what he had in commission the Lord Marshall sent him presently to his Highnesse the Prince of Anhalt who caused him to be examined by three persons set on to sound the depth of this plot The Lord Marshall for his part made this occasion of worth to doe his Master seruice by whose consent he gaue care to the Count Bucquoy that he might in the while gaine time and to make his out-workes defenceable offers to treat with him but vpon this condition that first of all he should see right done to the Rittmeister Linstau whose troupes being gone from Heiden in fauour of the capitulation of Taux were spoiled by the souldiers of the said Count Bucquoy who now the more to further this treatie endeuoured by all means to giue satisfaction to the said Captaine Linstau Diuers ranne vp and downe about this satisfaction but so much time was imployed about the accessarie that they had no leisure to come to the principall While these things were on foot the Prince of Anholt sent for Colonel Pobliz to come to Pilsen vnder pretext to view the fortifications but his meaning was as a man may easily discerne to get a more exact insight into this negotiation who being returned and hauing made report of his commission to his Maiestie his Highnesse wrote to the Lord Marshall in these termes My Lord the Lord Pobliz hath well satisfied the King who you may assure your selfe reposes great confidence in you and holds you in his good grace c. From Rockelzan the 18. of October 1620. The next day hee wrote to him againe and amongst other passages one clause to this effect Furthermore I am aduertised when the enemie shall vnderstand that the treatie of Pilsen takes no effect he will make his approch to the place and entrench himselfe about it This is to shew that the Lord Marshall did nothing in a thing of such consequence without the aduise and consent of his Maiestie and his Generall The same day of the said month about 9. of the clocke at night he wrote another which I will adioyne to the same end My Lord although I am of the same opinion with you to gaine time yet so it is that his Maiestie after he had deliberately considered that of all that can happen this is the most expedient that you breake off the action and when it be performed that you will be pleased to send it leauing to your discretion and will the disposing of the two Companies whereof you wrote vnto me c. This is for substance the true discourse of this treatie that hath cast such mists ouer the ignorant and giuen such hopes to the enemie In this time were presented some faire occasions to the enemie to doe vs hurt because of our want of horse which were all at Rokelzan in the Campe whither the Lord Marshall was gone to finde the King to kisse his hand and to take leaue of his Maiestie following the Articles of Bechin as it came to passe The Count Bucquoy perceiuing at length that golden nets would not take this Lion and that it was more necessarie to vse his iron and steele resolued to try his force for which purpose he caused great store of faggots to be made entending without question to giue a generall assault But changing his minde he rose with his whole Armie the twentie one of the said month to passe the water aboue Pilsen and draw towards Sozergrais and so towards Prague When he had passed the water his reareward was lodged halfe an houres march from Pilsen The next day the Count Hollach came with all the Kings horse as well Germans as Hungarians and with 3000. musketeers within one houres march of Pilsen where the Lord Marshall meeting with him amongst other discourses propounded to him a meanes how to cut off the Reare of the enemie That is if he would please to aduance his troupes himselfe would ioyne with him with the best that he had in Pilsen and charging thus ioyntly the enemie who had also some disaduantages they should certainly beat the Reareward or at least greatly distresse them But the Count thought it the better way to turne backe and take the passage to cut off the enemies way to Prague His Highnesse being possest for that purpose of Raconiz the two Armies houered some time thereabouts with various successe according to the course of the warres At the last comming so neere that it was thought the Count Bucquoy would hazard a battell his Highnesse aduised the Lord Marshall inuited him to come and attend his pleasure who thanked him heartily and assured him that as this was an occasion he had alwayes sought so would he not now slack to put himselfe forward with all readinesse for that he should now be assured there to be entertained in the qualitie of a Marshall of the field to command according to his charge desiring his Highnesse that hee would send him word with all speed and to rest assured that in such a cause he would faile him in nothing Therefore to lose no more time and withall to know the short and the long presently after this letter he dispatcht Sir Thomas Ferenz with charge to sollicite his Highnesse in his behalfe and to draw him to a speedy resolution The said Lieutenant Ferenz went thence post but because
Franke in stead of obeying the L. Marshals Commaunds which expresly forbad any suspected person but especially of the Enemies to come within Pilsen did all the quite contrary All sortes of people of the aduerse party had free accesse thither Messingers Souldiers Officers Captaines yea and their Colonels too who all went and came freely He himselfe went to visite Colonell Lindlaw in his Quarters without leaue of the L. Marshall The said Colonell Lindlaw comming also diuerse times to Pilsen was there feasted and entertained by the said Colonell Franke and the Captaines of the Garrison with asmuch familiarity as could be deuised amongst friends of the same party The L. Marshall who neuer mistrusted the said Colonell Franke as indeed he was not yet sented out of any being now aduertised what quarter he kept with his Enemies wrote to him but kindly exhorting him to abstaine hereafter from such vagaries as might bring all his Actions into suspition As the L. Marshall was on his way towards Heilbrun he receiued Letters from his Matie wherein was confirmed vnto him the charge of Marshall generall of the field for the Kingdome of Bohemia and the Vnited Countries with full power to do all that he thought would best aduance the seruice of his Matie and the profit of the Estates At his returne from Heilbrun to Amberg he got the wind of those plots practises still on foot in Pilsen whereupon he wrote first to one and then to another to continue constant assuring them he would not forsake them and that he would find the meanes to get thē their Pay as also to relieue their necessities Things going thus came his Auditor of the Camp who had bin at Prague about the busines afore mentioned who tolde the L. Marshall that to continue the Treaty hee must haue a larger Warrant from him then that he had receiued at Ellenbogen So that the L. Marshall caused one to be drawne for him in the amplest manner that could be deuised and renued his Instructions adding to the rest of the Articles that the Vpper Palatinate should be comprised within the said Treaty And with this Commission sent the said Auditor to Prague giuing him in charge to sound the depth of the enemies Designes in regard of a speciall Treaty they intended to haue with the Captaines And that he should perswade the said Captaines to be constant in his Maiesties seruice And finally to aduertise him carefully of all that passed This was to make the Wolfe the Shepheard The L. Marshall hauing had experience of his faithfull Seruice some yeares thought he had dealt vprightly in his imployment but hee had already supt the poyson of infidelity out of Portaes Cup. This was verily the same Auditor but chang'd within and quite another man from what he was before Momus had good reason in my opinion when hee had considered the stature of Mans body to finde fault that Nature had not made a wicket before the Heart of man that his thoughts might be discouered The want of this if I may call it a want hath beene the cause that a 1000. men haue beene deceiued by these Two men in whose sincerity they had good confidence not being able to see into their inward partes which God hath reserued to himselfe In briefe the Enemy forwarned by the treacheries of these two perfidious persons husbanded this occasion so well that they conditioned secretly with the Captaines for the yeelding vp of Pilsen while in outward shew they seemed to desire a Treaty with the L. Marshall So as the Captaines hauing already left the party and gone beyond the bounds of their Duty began now to speake more openly then before They wrote and causde it to be tolde by word of mouth to the Marshall that they purposed to expect no longer but would either be presently payde or at least be assured of their Pay and that if shortly they had not a resolution to their mindes and deedes accordingly they would prouide for themselues The said Auditor after Conference with Monsieur Tilly about his last Commission returned to the Lord Marshall without effecting any thing excusing it that hee was sent backe with threats and denyed Audience For that as he alledged the Enemy tooke it ill that the L. Marshall changing the contents of his first Commission had inserted this last Article concerning the Vpper Palatinate which had no depency vpon Bohemia But the troath is that they being then assured of the mindes of the Captaines cared no more to holde on the treaty with the Lord Marshall hauing held it with him all this while to no other end then to stay him from going forward And surely to confesse the truth both parties although they differed in their desires yet were they well agreed in this that one sought to entrap the other The Imperialists had two aduantages aboue vs that is to say Meanes which wee wholly wanted and the absence of the L. Marshall not to speake of the perfidiousnes of Porta And thus they got the game Now the Auditor by priuate Intelligence assured the L. Marshall of the secret Treaty and that his Captaines inclined wholly to the Emperours side making more of euery thing then it was The L. Marshall vpon these tidings dispatcht Letters into all quarters and did all he could to procure money in some sort to satisfie the couetous desire of these Traytors But all in vaine For that little which he could get could not staunch their hunger Meane time he omitted no oportunity which might make for the breaking off of these treacherous practises which he thought yet had floated vpon the waues of vncertainties and not landed at any Port hee imployes all the pollicies which his wisedome or dexterity could furnish him with And no doubt it had succeeded well had not so vnfortunately these very agents whome he vsed being before hand corrupted and made the Enemies as amongst others the Colonell Franke and the Auditor whom he sent againe to Pilsen aswell to obserue more narrowly the actions of the said Colonell Franke as to hinder the finall Conclusion of the treaty The L. Marshall assuring himselfe that he being a man knowne to all the Officers and Souldiers and of good dexterity would doe him able seruice as indeed he might haue done had he regarded Honour asmuch as profit But his ill meaning was to worke cleane contrary effects Moreouer the L. Marshall sent a Corporall of Captaine Becke Baslois Company with a packet of Letters directed to diuers Officers which Packet had verily strucke the stroke had it beene deliuered But this honest Messinger was betrayed going out of Amberg by one of Nuremberg so that entring into Bohemia he was taken by the Enemies The Colonell Lindlaw sent the Originals to Colonell Franke who read them and sent them backe without deliuering them to whom they were directed To conclude all thinges went backwards So that doe what the L. Marshall could the Impostume burst This fire that had long been raked