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
propositions that to the contrary they sent money to all the rest of the Armie without sending him one penny thereof a most great inequalitie and which moued him extremely And to the purpose I forgot one important thing which is to giue light vnto all this matter but I will set it on worke and place it here The custome of the warre is such that when an Officer dieth he that is next in degree after him that is dead succeedeth in his place Now the late Monsieur de fels in his life time being Marshall of the Bohemian Armie hauing beene slaine in a skirmish giuen by the enemie a little aboue Egenburg the Lord Generall of the Artillery pretended that the same place escheated vnto him by order of warre and therefore wrote vnto his Maiestie to the land Officers and to the Prince of Anholt his Generall for the same which was granted vnto him according to his request and so being Marshall of the Armie he began to execute that Office in the Kings Campe at Egenburg where all the Armie was lodged continued two or three weekes without any contradiction In the meane time one day the Generall hauing done him that honour to come to visit him in his lodging told him that in truth he had beene made Marshall of the Bohemian Armie but that touching the office of the Marshall of the Armie Royall that was reserued for the Earle of Hohenloe Whereupon complaining of that wrong he maintained that the same Office had beene absolutely conferred vnto him without any other condition but only that he should resigne that of the Generall of the Artillerie and that if he had beene told so much at the first he would neuer haue accepted thereof but would rather take his Office of Generall of the Artillery againe But the Prince of Anholt replying that then it was too late because the same was conferred to another he spake no more thereof at that time onely to conclude he desired the Prince of Anholt to giue him leaue to depart that hee might withdraw himselfe elsewhere his discontentment was great but that which grieued him most was that it seemed vnto him that men made more difficultie to grant him his conge to bee gone then to crosse him and that they sought to giue him so many discontentments that in the end he should goe away with some disgrace by that meanes to giue the greater shew vnto other mens actions Certaine dayes after the Prince of Anholt comming againe into his lodging to visit him hee sought to perswade him to content himselfe with that Office with the limitation aforesaid and to suffer the Earle of Hohenlo to execute the office of Marshall Generall of the Armie Royall which he wholly refused saying that if he were but Marshall of the Bohemian Armie he would goe thither and being there would obey the Earle of Hohenloe but as Lieutenant Generall and for that there were a great number of braue Lords in the Armie to command there was no need to take any great care for him once againe beseeching the Prince of Anholt to doe him that fauour to grant him leaue to depart Which he gaue him Discord and misconstring or mistaking of matters among domesticall seruants in a particular house are to be desired for the good and profit that ariseth thereby vnto those whom they serue But dissentions betweene the seruants of Kings and Princes that haue the managing of affaires cannot but be preiudiciall and hurtfull vnto their Masters whatsoeuer Matchiauell and others like him say or discourse thereof The Lord Marshall being already wearied with the cold answers and long delaies of the land officers grieued at the vniust inequality which they vsed in the distribution of their monies wrote also vnto them to haue leaue to depart In the meane time there was an occasion offered that seemed to be fauourable vnto him which was that newes came that Don Balthazar being onely Commander in Bohemiah and hauing none other there to crosse him was determined to issue out into the field and to besiege Vodnian whereupon the Prince of Anholt determined to send some aide thither and committed the charge thereof vnto the Lord Marshall who as then tooke certaine troupes of horse-men out of the Armie to goe with him But before I leaue the affaires of Austria I must touch one point more which I had almost forgotten among the rest of those that increased the Lord Marshals discontentment our Armie was lodged as I said before about Egenburg and the enemies toward the riuer of Danubia within three miles of Germanie on which side the Prince of Anholt determined suddenly to assaile it The exploit was well and wisely vndertaken and dexteriously persued vpon the tenth of Iune about 3. or 4. of the clocke in the euening to that end our Armie consisting of 18. or 20. thousand men departed from the said towne of Egenburg and the next day early in the morning got to Heiterswrf where the first quarter of the enemies Armie lay without being once discouered or meeting with any sentinels Neuerthelesse it stayed there without going any further I know not the reason why and from thence returned backe againe without performing any thing Those that then were there may if it please them remember that the Lord Marshalls soldiers thought then to haue set forth to giue the first onset vpon the Hungarians and others that lay in that quarter as also what was further done at that time This being spoken to no other ende but only to refresh the memory of those that then were present there and know what I intend to speake it being most certaine that if the onset had beene giuen they had driuen the enemie from thence and gotten a great aduantage vpon them Now let vs proceed The Lord Marshall hauing receiued that commission as I said before made preparation to leaue the Armie fully assuring himselfe that he had already found an occasion by some notable action to make enuie it selfe blush for shame It seemed that fortune would fauour him and that from thenceforth he should saile in the seas of her good fauour Yet it was but a vaine hope The Remora cleaning fast to the keele of our ship staied our course The misfortune of our Realme was such that all was forced to goe backward and the most cleare sighted well perceiued that hatred in the court and enuie in the Armie would cause contrary winds to blow vpon him He set saile in Inne tooke his course through vpper Austria past along by Wittignaw caused his soldiers to shew themselues before the gates of Crumaw and Budweis to breake downe the mils about them and to doe many other exploits after that he came to Tabor from thence he went to besiege the Castle of Thein which he battered and after thirtie Voles of Cannon shot giuen against it won it by composition and by that meanes freed the passage for the Kings Maiestie from Prachadiz to Prague Long before he
THE APPOLLOGIE OF THE ILLVSTRIOVS Prince ERNESTVS Earle of Mansfield c. WHEREIN FROM HIS FIRST Entertainment are layd open the Occasions of his Warres in Bohemia Austria and the Palatinate with his faithfull Seruice to the King of Bohemia Translated out of the Originall French Coppie Printed at Heidelbergh 1622. TO THE READERS REaders you must giue me leaue to present my Booke to you without the Epithite of Gentle Courteous or Impartiall Readers for mine is an Apologie which hee that is sure of such Readers needs not make And if the glory of this most loyall and victorious Count hath still at home bin confronted with envious censures how should a story of his Actions euery where meet with such Readers This therefore rather hopes to make then find you so And readers I call you plurally for it lookes to fall into diuers hands and all not alike minded some may light vpon this Apologie who by their enuious detractions from his Acts haue bin the causers that some such as this were sit to bee made for his iustification But I hope that they being now out of action and so no longer corriuals in his honour the proofe of his victorious fidelity hath by this time either made them ashamed or silent A second sort are those whom these scandalous reports haue suspended in their goood opinions of his fidelity to the King and to them is this Apology chiefly intended for it well hopes that by relating the treacheries who by his martiall sentence suffered for it and withall truely representing his diligence and letters to the traytors and the wants which disabled him from hindring their plots when his wisdome had discouered them will throughly enforme such a Reader turne him now to an impartial Reader A third sort may light vpon this who haue liued so farre off from newes that they neuer heard him so much as suspected for thankes be to God his glory is further trauelled then their enuy which hath either bin lost by the way or turned backe againe and I hope these men will thinke their money well bestowed in that an Apology must of necessity discouer more priuate and particular passages whence this enuy sprang then any generall History of these Bohemian warres need produce for such a story rather relates then proues and besides here are diuers letters coppyed out and letters be the very linings and insides of Stories and this way too this Apology giues these Readers best satisfaction Yet for one fauour I must appeale to thee Gentle and Courteous Reader for so I hope euen in this point to finde the first sort of these Readers because what I entreate although it goes with the history yet it is besides the scope of it which is the thing they onely maligne I meane to craue your fauourable censures for the rudenesse of the Style For wee Bohemians next our vulgar more frequently vse the neighbour Italian speech but because the campe whither this is chiefely sent compoūded of diuers Nations best vnderstand one another in the French I haue therefore wrote it in that language wherein I was lesse perfect But maruell not if wee Swordmen who vse to hew out our way now and then hacke at a word a souldiers writing stile is his stilletto and when wee parlee wee send summons not orations and their owne necessity perswades the vanquished to yeeld and not the victors Rhetoricke but if it be plaine plainnesse best sets forth truth as this is And peraduenture it will be the better thought to be so for the Author profession for a souldier as much scornes to giue the lye as to take it Seeing then this braue mans Fame hath bin put to his compurgators I who haue bin a witnesse of all I write come in here as one of the Iurors and vpon mine owne knowledge deliuer the truth and willingly nothing but the truth and to this I sweare and you here see I lay my hand vpon the booke Farewell and listen after him his owne Actions shall next make their owne Apology or need none S. W. AN APPOLLOGIE MADE IN DEFENCE OF THE ILLVSTRIOVS PRINCE ERNESTVS Earle of MANSFIELD Marquisse of CASTEL NOVO and BONTIGLIERE Baron of HELDRVNGEN Marshall of the Army of BOHEMIA and the Prouinces Incorporated thereunto c. PAssion is a most strange and wonderfull thing it is a malady and sore disease of the soule which hindreth the functions of Iudgement and a mist darkning the eyes of the Spirit making thinges to seeme otherwise and contrary vnto that which in effect they are Loue the most violent passion of all others thinketh that which is euill fauored to be faire and that which is wicked to be good Scilicet insano nemo in amore videt hatred Enuy and euill will contrary passions produce contrary effects and cause that which is good vertuous and commendable to appeare and shew to be euill vicious and worthy of blame From thence Ingratitude bad speeches and slaunder accursed Daughters of such wicked Mothers which satisfie and feede themselues with euill as the Spider doth with the poyson which shee sucketh out of all sorts of Flowers and that from the best like these who blame and dispraise all sortes of actions yea and those that are most commendable Lycurgus so excellent a person that the Oracle of Apollo was in doubt and made question whether it should place him among the rancke of the Gods or of Men what did not hee doe for the good and benefit of his natiue Countrey and for the welfare of his fellow Cittizens but in the meane time they being led and carryed away by this disease in stead of acknowledging his benefits imparted vnto them sought to doe some mischiefe vnto him charged him with many Iniuries and blowes and finally banished him out of his Countrey The like in a manner happened vnto Scipio hee I say who by the ruyne of the Carthagian Empire strengthened the foundation of the Romane Common-wealth his bones could finde no rest in that place whereunto hee had procured the same Charles Duke of Burbon one of the most braue and valiant Princes that France euer brought forth worthy in truth to haue Descended out of that most Illustrious house and of a better Fortune if it had pleased God to haue graunted him that fauour as well as he had indowed him with great and rare Vertues by diuers and good effects witnessed and set forth the greatnes of his Courage and the affection that he bare vnto the King his Master He deliuered Dision from the siege that the Switzers layde about it tooke Millaine out of their handes And which is more aduanced the Victory which the King had against them in the Battaile of Marignan For all which his Noble actions and many other eminent Seruices which he did for him yet he could not obtaine his fauour But to the contrary the further that he proceeded still hee found himselfe to be further from it Passion hauing in such manner
possest the Kings minde that he could not see nor behold the said Princes merites much lesse acknowledge them so that in the end after hee had many yeares patiently borne and supported all the indignities that Enuy hatred and euill will could or might suggest Falling into despight and Dispaire he ranne headlong into his owne ruyne at the hazard of the affaires of him that was the cause thereof These are examples of times past and now behold one of the present time an Example which serueth for the subiect of this Apologie The most Illustrious Prince Ernestus Earle of Manssield Marquisse of Castell Nouo and Bontighere Baron of Heldrungen and great Marshall of the Army Royall of the Kingdome of Bohemia and the Prouinces incorporated thereunto hauing had that happy successe to make his Valour and Fidelity knowne vnto the Sonne of Mars S. A. S. of Sanoy hauing borne his Armes into Bohemia for the seruice of that Crowne made great offers vnto the same exposed his life and meanes for the good thereof and to conclude hauing done all that which a great and Valiant Knight of his profession could or might doe Behold certaine euill willers transported by the violence of her accursed passions set vpon him and couertly vnder-hand seeke to vndermine the foundations of his Reputation to make his whitenesse seeme blacke and his fidelity suspitious blaming him as if he had had some intelligence with the Enemy that he would take his part and afterward sell the Towne of Pilsen when it was besieged vnto him for money And in a word they charge him with Treason in stead of recompencing him for his Fidelity The rumour whereof spread abroad throughout all the Countrey of Bohemia Germany Italy and France and in all other places Time certainely is the mother of Truth which at the last although it bee hidden and couered by obscurity commeth forth into the light Veritatem tempus in Lucem eruit saith an Ancient wise man But in the meane time he that is bitten and wounded by slaunder cannot chuse but feele the panges thereof yea and in a manner dye with griefe if it be great if no remedy be procured for the same Now as great and valiant Courages are hardned in greatest dangers and apprehend no perill so they passe not greatly neither yet any whit esteeme of her woundes accounting them to be the same which they receiue by the Armes of Mars But seeing that experience and the Examples of times past make vs see and finde the contrary and that it is a dangerous thing to seeke to defend our selues against Slaunder onely with the buckler of patience it is requisite to proceed with Armes and to fight against this fury in the genesis thereof All other Armes the more they are distant from the hand from whence they were sent so much the more violence and force they lose But those of slaunder are cleane contrary for the further they are from the hand so much the more force they haue and feare nothing more then to meete and encounter at handy blowes with the party Then in stead of flying from them we must approach neare vnto them wee must cast off our Dublets and shew them our naked breasts That is the buckler and the Target of steele which wholly and vtterly repulseth them That is it which wee shoote at in this Apologie we seeke to defend the Innocency of the said Prince against the Impostures of this infernall fury and to that end wee will produce him in open Field by the representation of his valorous exploits and by his owne permission wee will open his Dublet and let you see his naked breast a white breast which neuer was made blacke with Infidelity nor stayned with the colour of the Indian Sunne As men know a Tree by the fruit so we know a man by his workes It is his actions that wee meane which we will make to appeare at the least in such wherein he hath had a part during this Warre and will so liuely discribe them one after the other to the end that they may be seene of euery one that in time to come they may be knowne by euery man and in the end be vnto him a fortresse against the slaunderous assaults of his euill willers We will begin with the treaty of Conuention with the States of Bohemia made with him and will set it down in English to serue for a frontispece and a foundation of this worke The tenure whereof is as followeth VVee N. N. N. N. the Directors and Counsellours of the Realme of Bohemia thereunto Deputed with full Authority and power by all the 3. Euangelicall Estates of this Crowne make knowne vnto all men by these presents That forasmuch as the state of the Affaires of this Realme requireth to prouide our selues of a Valiant Generall of the Artillery and a Colonell of a certaine number of Souldiers thereby to strengthen the Armies which wee haue leuyed for the Defence of this Crowne To that end wee haue chosen the most Illustrious Prince Ernestus Earle of Mansfield Baron of Heldrungen Colonell of the Lords the vnited Electors Princes and States of the Romane Empire and Generall of the Germaine Troupes of S. A. S. the Duke of Sauoy and that in regard of the good experience that hee hath had in Marshall affaires as also of other his Noble qualities and according to the Articles made betweene vs haue made and declared him to bee Generall of the Artillery and Colonell of a Regiment of Dutch Soldiers from two to 4000. men to serue vs and the said Lords of the Three Estates as long as this Warre shall continue As by these presents wee declare and establish him so to bee to the end that he may be knowne and holden for the same In regard whereof the said Count Mansfield hath offered to assemble his Troupes with as much speed possible as he may or can and of himselfe to arme them as need requireth And with as many Horsmen as hee can get to come hither into Bohemia to the place appointed which when time serueth shall bee set downe vnto him and at the furthest within Fourteene dayes by that meanes to serue this Crowne and the State thereof wheresoeuer it shall bee needfull and requisite and by Gods helpe to Defend the same against all their Enemies according to the good trust and confidence that wee haue reposed in him Assuring him that wee will satisfie and content him for the said Offices of Generall of the Artilliry and Colonell according to the vse and custome of the Warre and the agreement made with him in such manner that hee shall thinke himselfe to be well pleased and contented And further as well for our selues as for the said Lords the Euangelicall States of this Crowne wee protest and promise to requite the good endeauours of the said Earle in all occasions by all kindes of good Offices In witnesse whereof we haue hereunto put our Seales Giuen in the Castle
of the yeare is now contrary as also that the proportion of the assaylers to the assayled and the mutenies and Discords whereon you ground are vncertaine as likewise that the Enemies in this season making you beleeue their weakenes will haue aduantage against you But bee it as it will if you obtaine the Victory you shall deserue to be Crowned with commendations I pray you let me bee informed of your proceedings at Nurembergh If there be any man in the world who with all that hee hath to the vttermost of his power will doe you good it is hee that is and will be my Lord. Your most affectionated Friend to doe you what seruice he can CHRISTIAN Prince of Anholt A great courage accompanied with a good Iudgement effecteth strange thinges if there were difficulties the Lord Generall of the Artillery assured himselfe to finde the meanes to surmount and ouercome them all and vpon that assurance he went to besiege Pisacke But because he had not sufficient Cannot shot he sent for some to Prague And in the meane time while he stayed for them tenne or twelue dayes past ouer When they were come the Lord General set them so well on worke that within few dayes after that is vpon the sixth day of December he wanne the Towne I will not take on me to set downe or declare the great importance of that enterprise I am content to let the Reader know it by the Coppy of certaine Letters that were written to the Lord Generall touching that Subiect by the Prince of Anholt from Ambergh the 29. of Nouember St. V. in manner as followeth MY Lord I am aboundantly wel satisfied with the good newes which you haue imparted vnto mee by my Poast touching the taking of Pisacke which I esteemed to bee very difficult in so hard a time and specially in respect of the small prouision that might be sent vnto you wherein you haue once againe yeelded a proofe of your valour and vertue which I haue presently made knowne vnto his Maiesty who therewith will bee exceedingly well pleased and haue the greater opinion of your Valour And therefore as well in his Maiesties name as for my selfe I giue you most hearty thankes as also vnto all your Lieutenants Colonels Captaines and all your Souldiers for the paines trauailes and other endeauours by them taken and vsed in the taking of the Towne desiring no other but condignly to requite them all and euery one in particular for the same And therefore I thought it good to dispatch this present Bearer to assure you of the great accompt that I make of the taking of the said Towne My opinion at this present is that you must not refraine to assault the Castle of Straconits hauing the commodity of the Cannon so neare and that there is no appearance that the Captaine therein will long withstand you whome you must not pardon as you did at Winterbergh That done you must looke to your Cannon and if the wayes be too bad you may leaue them for a while at Pisacke But if it may bee done I had rather they should be left at Pilsen and that they should bee kept there till I giue you further order concerning the same In the meane time if you can affect any thing against the Fortes of Guldenstein as I haue heretofore written to the Lieutenant Colonell Poblis I assure you you shall much please his Maiesty And in effect it will be no small matter if you can take order there for Victuals and Munition and that you can spoyle the wayes toward Passaw which will put our Enemies on that side in dispaire And therewith I am of opinion that wee must content our selues for this Winter time vnlesse some good supprise happen by the way which for my part I will not let slip c. With another as followeth MY Lord it is his Maiesty that hath written this Letter hereunto annexed vnto you vpon the great contentment that he hath for the taking of Pisacke It is said in Nurembergh that you are able to enforce Nature I send you aduise c. I am my Lord Your most affectioned Friend to doe you any good I can CHRISTIAN Prince of Anholt His Maiesty the King of Bohemia wrote vnto him in manner as folloeth VVEE yeeld thankes vnto God for your happy successe and assure our selues that of his great benignity he will further shew vs much more fauour that by your Valour great Zeale and Wisedome In the end wee shall see all this Realme and Countrey deliuered out of the handes of our Enemies And as wee doe in no manner doubt but that in all occasions in time to come you will make knowne the great care and vigilancy which you haue hitherto shewen for the aduancement of our Seruice So wee promise to acknowledge your good endeauour by all the Fauours that wee can afford Nuremberg the last of Nouember St. V. FREDIRICK AFter all these exploites the Lord Generall retired his forces into the Garisons the season of the yeare in all places lesning the fury of Armes but not the fire of iealousie which the sound of his happy successe had caused to rise vp in certaine malicious Spirits A fire which in time to come will consume many good Designes in the first beginning of their birth to the great preiudice of the Crowne of Bohemia Plinie writeth of a small fish called Remora and saith that it is of such a quality that cleauing fast to a Ship though it be exceeding great it stayeth the course thereof in the maine Seas small matters preuent great enterprises Our Ship will set sayle but the stinking waters of euill will will produce so many Remores that on what side so euer it sayleth it will hardly arriue at any good Hauen The Reader shall see how it will fall out by the issue of this discourse then let vs proceede If it be greeuous to a particular man to lose that small substance that he hath It may easily be iudged how much it displeaseth great personages to lose Crownes and whole Kingdomes It was easily to be seene and perceiued that Crumaw and Budweis being lost Bohemia would be cleane quit out of the hands of the house of Austria And that how much the more those places were of great importance for the conseruation of that Kingdome so much the more the Emperour and all the Princes of that house would enforce and strengthen themselues for the maintainance of them The Lord Generall of the Artillery foresaw this and that to pull those two Townes out of their hands they must not goe empty handed thereunto Now for that the great Armie of Bohemia was in Austria and he in Bohemia with the rest of the Troupes he esteemed that the conquest of those two Townes was reserued for him as the rest of his taske In the Winter time he began to dispose of his affaires thereafter framed intelligences and lent his Spirit to looke after that which in any wise might
trouble the enemie and set him on worke and so to winne time I beseech your Maiestie to take a speedy resolution herein For first to write vnto the Armie time will passe away And to the contrary If the Prince of Anholt should not like well of this aduice there will be time enough to alter it and to ioyne againe May it please your Maiestie not to thinke ill of my boldnesse in aduising you in this matter danger and necessitie ioyning with the desire that I haue for the aduancement of your seruice haue constrained me thereunto and forced me to cast all other considerations vnder foot as also that neither my selfe nor those that are about me can see any appearance at all that with so small forces we may winne any honour against so puissant an enemie Therefore expecting your Maiesties resolution alwayes vnto the last gaspe of breath I remaine your Maiesties Most humble most faithfull and most obedient seruant Ernestus Earle of Mansfield From Protowin the 1. of August 1620. This aduice was not followed but to the contrary it was thought conuenient to make a Campo formato Our Armie then retired from Protwin to Thein and from thence to Pechin where we continued all the month of August increased by the regiments of the Duke de Saxon Weymars and of Colonel Grayes a Scot and yet effected nothing as being not strong enough to withstand so puissant an enemie During this vnprofitable staying the discontentment of our souldiers but specially that of my Lord Marshall increased more and more because that besides the affront that he had receiued in Austria and so many vaine promises that had beene made vnto him by the land officers he had also beene frustrated of meanes to effect his designes without being able to doe any good for the Crowne of Bohemia in time to come In the end distasting these things and still laden with enuie he determined to withdraw himselfe from thence To that end he wrote vnto the King and to the States who made him a gratious answer exhorting him to continue their friend and not to abandon them in so troublesome a time Whereupon he sent a man expresly againe vnto the King to let him more particularly vnderstand his intent And in that persute diuers messages were sent and returned and in the end it was concluded and decreed that the States should in short time cause him to haue two months pay for his souldiers and that generally his souldiers should be vsed and dealt withall in the same manner that those of the great Armie were that in respect of the fiue companies of horsemen that he entertained and paid out of his owne purse seeing that the Earle de la Tour had discharged him of two of them that the land officers would take order at the next meeting of the States that he should also be discharged of the three others that he should execute his office of Lord Marshall in the same manner that the Marshall de Fels did and that he should not expect any order nor commandement from any other then from the Lord Generall and from such as it appertained vnto Whereupon the Lord Marshall resolued to continue in his Maiesties seruice vntill the end of the month of October and so things rested for that time In the meane time this imposture and scandall was thereby raised that the Lord Marshall would turne his coat as it is commonly said and serue the Emperor A most grosse conclusion and such as deserued to be punished in Schooles to say he will be gone and retire himselfe out of the country ergo he will ioyne with the enemie and serue the Emperor But howsoeuer the bruit thereof hauing beene once spread abroad in the Citie of Prague it afterward ranne throughout all the Realme and further specially when it had encountred with impudence that met it in the way and some accidents sympathizing the same In such manner that in consideration of the force which from time to time it recouered by support of so many fautors it was apparent that in the end it would take root in his Maiesties owne chamber But it was so farre from that that that wise King would not once giue it any place nor entertainment into the cabinet of his conceit but to the contrary did encourage and exhort the Lord Marshall not to respect such euill reports assuring him of his Royall fauour c. While we were as I said about Berkin the Lord Generall thought it expedient to send our Armie from thence to goe to Newhats lest that the Duke of Bavaria that was not farre from thence should suddenly surprize it And when we came thither there we stayed eight or ten daies But his Maiestie and the land officers hauing a great apprehension of the neerenesse of so many troupes that yet were in Bavaâ—ia and that the said Duke would doe some enterprise vpon Pilsen he commanded the Lord Marshall to march with all his forces as he did to diuert and assure the frontiers of Bohemia against the Duke of Bavaria And being on the way he had another charge from the land officers who as he had already past by Tabor made him make haste with assurance that his Maiestie had proclaimed the Ban and that all the country was vp in armes as also that a great number of horse and foot men were commanded to ioyne with him by Glats and Taux which they beleeued he should finde there when he came thither The custome of Bohemia is that when the King goeth forth in person to the warre the Earles Barons and Gentlemen are bound to mount on horsebacke and to follow him and those that are called Gentlemen in that country are at the least 60000 persons besides the Nobilitie which are nothing so great a number Now considering these great forces and the Kings resolution to goe personally into the field the apparance was great that they would doe some notable enterprise These great composed bodies haue their successe courses as well as men and are subiect to the same alterations and changes To behold the countenances of those personages it seemed that they were already rowsde out of a profound slumber specially hauing such an alarme as the Earle of Bucquoy made them with so puissant an Armie comming neere vnto them We beleeued that being assisted and aided by so great forces we should doe miracles We did then already imagine nothing else but an end of the warre But parturiunt montes we shall see that these great mountaines of promises will bring forth nothing but a mouse In the meane time the Lord Marshall vnder that hope caused his Armie to march forward towards Glats and from thence about Taux to discouer the enemies intent and to gouerne himselfe thereafter As hee marched on the way and after he arriued there he caused that aide aforesaid to be sought for and nine miles all about on this side to looke where those souldiers might be but by no meanes could