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A43882
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An Historical description of the glorious conquest of the city of Buda, the capital city of the kingdom of Hungary, by the victorious arms of the thrice illustrious and invincible Emperor Leopold I, under the conduct of His Most Serene Highness, the Duke of Lorraine, and the Elector of Bavaria
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1686
(1686)
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Wing H2102; ESTC R3381
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55,917
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74
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AN Historical Description OF THE GLORIOUS CONQUEST Of the CITY of BUDA THE Capital CITY of the KINGDOM of HUNGARY By the Victorious Arms of the Thrice Illustrious and Invincible Emperor LEOPOLD I. Under the Conduct of his Most Serene Highness the Duke of LORRAINE and the Elector of BAVARIA LICENSED October 1st 1686. R. L'Estrange LONDON Printed for Robert Clavell at the Peacock in St. Pauls Church-Yard MDCLXXXVI THE BOOKSELLER TO THE READER AFTER so many disjointed Relations of Truth and uncertain Reports hudled and confus'd one among another we do here present the Reader with a continued Diary of the whole Siege of Buda from the very first March of the Army that lay before it till the end of the Siege which terminated in the Winning of the Town The Gentleman that wrote it in French was without question an Eye-witness of most of those bloody Transactions as being an Imperialist and upon the Theatre himself Nor is it reasonable to mistrust the Credit of a Person whose Zeal for the Common Cause makes him so diligent as not to omit the least Particular that may contribute to the Honour of so many Renowned Commanders without detracting in the least from the Gallantry of the Defendants So that the Passages of every Day thus clos'd and join'd together yields a full Prospect of the Industry Vigilancy Courage Resolution Experience and Conduct of Generals exact in Martial Affairs and the Indefatigable Constancy and Valour of Laborious and well-Disciplin'd Soldiers A Piece which when the Curious in History have read they will find the Story of the most Famous Siege in the World the Assailants equalling if not surpassing Titus surrounding Jerusalem and Abdi Basha no less bravely obstinate in defending his Trust than Villerius upon the Walls of Rhodes Of which I shall say no more in the Epistle since the Book is so near at hand AN Historical Description OF THE CONQUEST Of the CITY of BUDA THE Divisions and Mis-understandings that have reign'd among the Christian Princes gave the Mahometans an opportunity to surprise some by Policy and Stratagem others by the force of their triumphing Arms and to constrain some that were not in a condition to stop the Torrent of their formidable Armies to put themselves under their Protection and acknowledge by the payment of an Annual Tribute the power of the Ottoman Empire which in less than four Centuries has spread it self to such a vast Extent and become so terrible to all the Earth that their Chief Sultans would suffer no Superiours nor acknowledge any Equals True it is the Potent Tamerlan King of the Tartars and Parthians had the good fortune to tame the Pride and haughty Arrogance of Bajazet But his death which happen'd in the flower of his Age reviv'd the dejected courage of the Turks in such a manner that they not only regain'd the Kingdoms and Countries which that victorious Prince had wrested out of their hands but in process of time forc'd the Parthians also and the Tartars to do them Homage to pay 'em Tribute and submit to such Laws as the Ottoman Emperours thought fit to impose upon ' em These Barbarians have often attempted to bring Germany under their subjection to which purpose they have several times like an Inundation with all the Forces of the East over-run Hungary Austria and the adjacent Countries and had accomplished their designs had not God in meer pity and compassion heard the Prayers of all Christendom and twice miraculously delivered the City of Vienna from the fury of the Infidels First in the year 1529. when Solyman the Magnificent with an Army of 300000 fighting Men had reduc'd it to the last extremity by means of the bloody Assaults with which he harrass'd the Defendants without ceasing yet was constrain'd to raise his Siege upon the approach of the Emperor Charles the Fifth The second time in the year 1683. when a numerous Ottoman Army consisting of above 200000. Men under the Command of the Grand Visier Cara Mustapha attack'd that important Bulwark of Germany with so much fury during a Siege of three Months carried on with the greatest vigor and obstinacy that had been known for many Ages past so that the place was driven to its last shifts and had certainly been forc'd to undergo the Ottoman Yoke had not the God of Battels rais'd the Polonians Bavarians Saxons and other Subjects of the Empire to follow their several Princes to the Succour of the capital City of Austria where they all equally shar'd the honour of fighting those Infidels and putting them to a shameful flight with the loss of all their Baggage Riches Artillery and a prodigious quantity of warlike Ammunition and Provisions and above fifty thousand of their number slain Since which time God approving the justice of our thrice Illustrious and Invincible Emperour's Cause has in such a manner blest his victorious Armies under the Conduct of the Brave and Generous Duke of Lorrain and the most Serene Elector of Bavaria through the great Victories they have gain'd and the glorious Conquests they have made during the whole course of four Campagnes together that they have struck a Terror over all the Ottoman Empire So that the people not knowing where the fault lay have miserably put to death the principal Ministers of the Port and the best Officers of their Armies imputing to them the cause of God's wrath as now intending to destroy their Empire and exterminate the Law of their Prophet for engaging them in an unjust War contrary to the opinion of their Mufti who is the Oracle of the Turks and to whom those Infidels give as much credit as the Christians do to the Traditions and Writings of the true Prophets and Doctors of the Church This Mufti who is the Interpreter and Dispenser and consequently the Head of the Mahometan Law was the only person in the Divan who endeavour'd to disswade the Grand Signior from entring into a War with the Emperor in favour of Teckely foretelling him the curses that would fall upon his head the hazard he would run of losing his Empire and seeing it shar'd among the Christian Princes saying withal That God would never endure that the Musselmen who had always been so punctual in the observation of their Treaties should violate a League two years before its expiration and enter into an unjust War which would infallibly draw upon their heads the anger of the Almighty And indeed he miss'd but little of moving the credulous People and rousing up in their minds an aversion to a War so fatal and ruinous to their Repose The Grand Signior to remedy so many disorders and prevent the mischiefs threatned him from his own Subjects used all the means imaginable to put an end to this Bloody War to which end he offer'd to make a Peace with the Emperour upon Articles favourable to Christendom and the Court of Vienna having rejected his Propositions he addressed himself to the King of Poland and the Republic
slain amounted to above 3000. besides the wounded which were not many so that it appears the Garrison was much strâ—nger than the Deserters reported The Governour Basha dy'd bravely upon the the Breach where he defended himself valiantly with his Scimiter in his hand scorning to Retreat or demand Quarter that he might not degenerate from the Honour and Heroic Vertue of the ancient Mussel men nor falsifie the Oath which he had made the Grand Signior either to preserve the Town or gloriously to end his days The Vice Basha being an Officer of high Reputation defended the Castle but perceiving all was lost retir'd fighting into the fore-mentioned Fort at the foot of the Castle which he thought to make good and give the Grand Visier leisure to relieve him but seeing the desperate condition of Affairs he rather chose to implore the clemency of the Victors than to occasion the Massacre of those that were about him and so was taken Prisoner with the rest by the Bavarians and presented to his Electoral Highness The Aga of the Janisaries taken by the Imperialists was delivered up to the D. of Lorrain with some other Turkish Officers of note So that the number of the Prisoners did not much exceed 2000. Men of 13000. at the beginning of the Siege all stout and experienc'd Soldiers and the very sinews of the Militia of all the Ottoman Empire The loss on our side was very small compar'd with that of the Enemies For we cannot reckon above 400. kill'd and about 200. wounded among whom were several Volunteers but very few Officers Colonel Spinola Marquess of Arquato an Officer of great merit receiv'd his death's wound at the head of the Assailants the Baron of Asti who had been twice wounded before during the Siege receiv'd a third wound more dangerous than any of the former to the great hazard of his life The booty which the Soldiers got was extraordinary there being a vast deal of Wealth in the City which the Inhabitants of other Cities and Places under the dominion of the Turk had brought thither for Security as being a place which they thought impregnable There was found in the Town Ammunition and Provision sufficient for a Siege of two Months longer a Magazine furnish'd with all sorts of Arms Offensive and Defensive for above 30000. Men Harness for Horses Saddles Boots and other Equipage for the Cavalry and besides all this near 400. Pieces of Cannon and Mortar Pieces of which 170. were never the worse fixed upon their Carriages It is impossible to give you an Inventory of every thing 't will be enough to say that never any City could be better provided to sustain a vigorous Siege than this was or ever was defended by a stouter Garrison But if the resistance met with were so surprizing much more must be the Glory of so many brave Officers Volunteers and Soldiers that signalized their valour and eternized not only their own Memories but the Honour of the Emperor in gaining such a strong hold and recovering it into the Possession of him to whom it belongs by right of Nature and Succession and which had endured so many Sieges before it could be reduced under the Subjection of its Lawful Sovereign BVDA SEXTO INEXPVGNABILIS SEPTIMO FIT CESARIS Buda six times Inexpugnable the seventh becomes Caesar's The D. of Lorrain after he had prevented any farther slaughter and given all necessary orders to reduce the Soldiers under their Colours commanded the People to quench the fire that continu'd burning in several parts gave the Government of the place to General Beek with a Garrison of 5000. Foot and 1000. Horse till his Imperial Majesty should otherwise dispose of the absolute Government of this Imperial City and commanded between 8 and 10000 Cuirassiers and Dragoons with the Hussars under Count Budiani to pursue the Grand Vizier who having look'd on and seen the taking of Buda decamp'd with his whole Army to secure the rest of the Turkish Fortresses to reinforce the Garrisons and gain the Bridge of Esseck where our General is resolv'd to attack him if he can overtake him in his march To which purpose the Infantry was embark'd upon the Danaw to make the more hast while the Cavalry march'd by Land Thus was this great and strong City the Capital City of all Hungary the seat of the Ancient Kings reduced under the Obedience of our most Illustrious and Invincible Emperour Leopold the first after it had groaned under the Tyrannous Yoke of the Ottomans a hundred forty five years who made use of it as a place of Rendezvous for their Armies and a Magazine to furnish all the other Cities in those parts under their subjection with Men and Ammunition to which purpose they always furnished it with a numerous Garrison never consisting of less than between 8 and 10000 Janisaries and Spain's whether in Peace or War And though Sultan Solyman won this important place from King Ferdinand Brother to the Emperour Charles the Fifth in the year 1529. through the treachery of the Hungarian Garrison nevertheless he put it into the hand of John Zapolilia Prince of Transilvania who had call'd him to his Assistance to preserve him in the Throne to which he had been advanc'd by Sedition and contrary to Form by a part of the Nobility after the death of King Lewis slain at the Battle of Mohaes contrary to the Proclamation of the real King Ferdinand duly elected by the four Orders of the States of the Kingdom This Usurper being thus confirm'd in the enjoyment of one part of the Kingdom and of the Capital City under the Protection of the Turks King Ferdinand sent his General Count Roggendorff who had so valiantly defended Vienna under the Command of the Elector Palatine against the efforts of Solyman to lay Siege to Buda but he was constrain'd to raise his Siege after he had lost a great part of his Army General Felsius was sent thither 10. years after But that Enterprise succeeded no better thaâ— the former notwithstanding the Death of the Usurper Zapolia and the Minority of his Son John Sigismund who was under the Tutelage of the Princess Elizabeth of Poland his Mother and George Martinusius chief Minister of State to his deceased Father However King Ferdinand was no way discouraged by these two unsuccessful Attempts but considering the Importance of the Place for the Support of his Crown resolv'd upon a third Attempt To which purpose he raised a more numerous Army than before and gave the Command of it to Roggendorff who the next Year laid a third Siege to Buda and had made himself Master of it if Solyman at the Sollicitation of the Princess Elizabeth had not hastned to his Relief which constrained the General to raise his Siege not being able to make head against such a numerous Army of the Infidels Thereupon the Sultan politickly seized upon the City of Buda sent the young Prince John Sigismund with the Princess his Mother