Agreement by the mediation of the Lords the Princes the Elector of Ments and Lodowick the Lantgraue of Hassia and concluded betwixt the Lord Marquis Spinola Captaine Generall of the armie of the Emperours Maiestie in the Pallatinate on the one part and the Lord Ioachim Ernest of Ausburg Generall of the armie of the Euangelik Vnion and Iohn Frederick Duke of Wittemberg as wel for themselves as other Princes and States vnited on the other part FIrst of all it is agreed betwixt the said Princes and States henceforth wholy to forbeare all hostilitie betwixt thē so as the said Princes States of the Vniō and their army shall at no hand from henceforth impeach the Lord Marquis Spinola nor his forces or places which be in his power nor any other comprised in this treatie or their lands or dominions neither shall assist Frederick the Palatine with mony men or by any other meanes directly or indirectly by themselves or by others meanes and shall not proroge their vnion formerly made neither in fauour of Frederick the Palatine nor against the Emperiall Maiesty make a new one but before the expiration of the terme of the Vnion that is to say the 14 day of May next com̄ing all their forces as well priuate as common shall draw off out of the Pallatinate of other place seased on for defence of the Pallatinate and cause the same to depart and shall continue themselves faithfull and obedient Princes and States to the Emperours Maiestie as they haue often before this time professed to do On the other side the Lord Marquis Spinola shall from henceforth attempt no hostile thing against the Lords and States vnited their persons souldiers officials subiects castles cities and lands neither by pillages exactions excursions nor by any other meanes And in this Agreement are comprehended as well those mentioned in the concord of Vlmes as other Electors Princes States and Nobles of the Empire whether of the Catholick or Euangelick Religion yet so that the parties aforesaid meane not in this place to determine any thing concerning the land of Iulier And as concerning the Palatine Frederick whom the things forespoken touch not the said Lord Marquis Spinola at the request of the King of Great Brittaine hath promised from henceforth vntill the foresaid terme of the 14 of May not to proceed in the execution of the Pallatinate to him committed but for so long to suspend the execution yet on the conditiō that the Princes of the Vnion shall prouide so that the proper forces of the said Palatine whether being in the said Palatinate or the bordering places practise no hostilitie against the said Marquis Spinola nor his armie or the places which he hath taken or others the loyall States of the Empire their ministers or subiects And to the end that the neighbour Princes and States and their subiects and others resiant in their territories may not be grieued or indammaged by the souldiers of either partie the aforesaid Chiefs of both armies haue promised seriously and faithfully to procure that all excursions pillages and other annoyances in their territories and prouinces shall be wholy restrained and forborne and safetie of the wayes and trafficke aduanced For the better assurance of all which promises they often forenamed Princes of both parties together with the Princes Intervenneng haue confirmed this same with their hands and seales and Marquis Spinola shall with all speed procure that the same shall be ratified by the sacred Imperiall Maiestie and the Lord Archduke Albertus Acted at Ments the 12 of April 1621. Ambr. Spinola Io. Ep. of Ments Lod. Landgr of Hassia Ioach Ernest Marg. of Ausburg Ioh. Duke of Wittemberg FINIS
English in the Van next after the guard of the Princes the Dutch foote next after ours who with ours made vp the number of 6200 foote About halfe an houre past two wee came in sight of some of our enemies troupes and perceiued some skirmishing in a bottome in which wee after heard of foure of our horse and two of our men shot but wee did not know what dammage they did On wee marched but Spinola rewarding him very royally that brought him the newes of our marching smiling his sticke on the ground saying Battalio Battalio yet vpon view of our comming vpon him and of the number of our horse which were one third part more then his as his foote was almost a third more then ours hee drew backe almost two miles and within two of Openheim placed himselfe in Batalio horse and foot vpon a hill whither by reason of a deepe valley wee could not approach but by one passage of but reasonable width in which hee planted his artillery which that wee might know to bee there was discharged eight times at a cornet of horse that lay under a wood and slue a dog or else did not hurt Right a gainst this of his we planted our artillery on another hil embatteld our horse drew our foote into the valley before it where the Dutch guard pleased to glue our English leave to take the Van by this time it was 3 of the clocke and thus we stood at a mile and half vs distance facing one the other still expecting order to charge till the night and the newes of an impassable way tooke off our hopes There also tooke I vpon mee to goe to the heads of our English troupes to euery deuision apart to incourage them which they received with much affection and generally shewed the brauest resolution to fight that could be seene or wished of men It was the hand of God that did strangely disappoint vs of that worke by which if it had succeeded this poore afflicted people might haue beene relieved and the war in a manner ended in one day or at the least Openheim and the bridge might haue beene taken yea without stroke of battell if we had but put our armie betwixt Spinola and it which was moued by some but not followed Count Henrie and Generall Vere as loth to ouergage their horse too farre and distrustfull of the foote being most High Dutch and vnexperienced though well disabled The Princes of the vnion which had lyen about Openheim remembred not the passage in time till the aduantage was lost The night came on at the approch whereof Spinola was retired without sound of drum or Trumpet and shouted for joy when they had thus escaped and leaving vs in the field all night returned to his quarter neuer I suppose more glad of any escape which hath rather taken from his glorie then added to ours It is true that when we came after the day to discouer our possibilities we are much more ready to censure our greatest Commanders for that ouersight of aduantage then to acknowledge their foresight for our preseruation The opinion is that except the Prince foote bee reinforced by more English of whom they haue a great opinion the Princes will hardly give battell to the enemies and consequently the poore people be eaten vp as well of their friends as enemies The Townes which Spinola hath taken are of no strength and yeelded without any stroke also did also some strong forts possessed by the Boores whom the very name of a souldier conquered In the meane time God pursueth our enemies with mortall sicknesse and iudging them fit to bee punished but not by vs nor doe I maruell at this our outrage considered for even we that in respect of the cause fight for God doe in our behauiour fight against him I speake not of all but of many of our troupes who doe pleade greater abuses in other instead of their owne vertues and reckon some deboyses to their callings which onely spring from their owne personall wildnesse Since the fourth of October wee haue twice remoued and now lye at Nitersein betweene Wormes and Frankindal vncertaine whether wee shall be called to businesse or garrison On the morrow after our returne some went to Arwen the place where our enemies stood and there found some 7. or 8. Italians and 26. Spanish women which Captaine Proud tooke there prisoners The same morning Spinola sent certaine troupes of horse to obserue our rising whereof 600. were charged by the Duke of Brundswicke and Sir William Dalford with 300. of our horse who also cut off and tooke six of the enemies Frankindale Ianuary 9. 1620. COncerning the late lamentable defeature of the King of Bohemia his armie I suppose you haue heard enough perhaps more then truth The losse of men was little for on both sides there fell not aboue 22 hundred insomuch as some did blame the cowardize of our partie which others called trecherie The losse of honour munition of treasure and baggage was great but the losse of the Kingdome much greater which except one place of strength is said to be reuolted to the stronger party though of that so ill intreated as if occasion were they would quickly shew to whom their hearts were subiect euen the Romish part it selfe The King and Queene great with child hauing receiued the oath of Allegiance from those of Silecia and promise of their uttermost assistance as being firme in their Religion haue retired themselues into the country of Brandenburg together with the Prince of Anhault and there both of them the Queene especially do make all commers to be witnesses of their singular moderation patience deuotion and confidence in God And this I would haue you to beleeue that the world in many ages did hardly see such a paire of that ranke and surely this tribulation shall do them good A report was spread in these parts that the Queene was dead in child bed a moneth since but I spake with one that came from her presence within these nine dayes and and left her in good health and daily expectation of deliverance which God grant and I trust we shall heare well Bethlem Gabor beheaded the Generall and some other officers of those forces he sent into Bohemia as soone as they returned into Hungaria for their cowardly running away and threatned that if hereafter any of his made the like fault he would raze out their posteritie those troupes were 10000. VVe say without variance that he prepares to aide the King of Bohemia with 30000 men which hee may the better do because the Polanders which found him worke at home haue bin lately broken by the armie of the Turks and Tartarians which lately slaughtering 20000 of them haue succeeded farre into that kingdome and are like to possesse it A remedy worse then the disease There is much speech here of the King of Denmarke his purpose to shew him selfe in person and with an army for the King of
to bed of a yong Prince the sixt of Ianuary and baptized the eight of Ianuary 1620. his name is Mauricius Bucquoy is past through Morauia without resistance and is as they say resisted by Bethlem Gabor in Hungaria For represse of swearing in our armie our worthy Generall hath caused memorable punishments to be executed on them as boring through the tongue the Strapado and banishment Your louing friend I. B. Frankindale the 26 of February 1620. BY letters written the 29. of Ianuary last I hope you vnderstand are this how things then stood in the Palatinate About that time the Princes of the Vnion met at Helbrun in the Dukedome of Wittenberg where they yet remaine in consultation and amongst them the Margraue of Ausburg Generall of all their forces in the Pallatinate and some other chiefe Officers Count Solms being left to commaund in chiefe at Wormes in their absence Spinola taking the aduantage hereof did with some of his troupes assault in the night a walled Dorpe called West Oven some fiue English miles from Wormes and did the next day about noone take it and in it 300 foote souldiers there quartered and thirtie horse with losse of 50 of his men The souldiers spoiled of their armes were the next day put to their choise of returning to the Princes or seruing the enemy The one halfe returned the other reuolted This was done the fifth of February at which time the towne was put to ransome of 10000. Count Solms tooke the alarme and drew out the horse troupes when all was done so he onely ouertooke and tooke some sixe of their straggling horse prisoners Vpon this occasion the Margraue of Ausburg was suddenly recalled to Wormes but after few dayes went againe to Helbrun and in his stead came the Marquis of Bauden who lies now at Wormes full of the gout but a valiant Prince On the 23 of February the foresaid towne of west Oven and East Ouen by it were both burnt to the ground being each of them bigger then Bromingham by command of the Marquis vpon intelligence that the enemie had designed to lodge his men and there to watch his opportunitie of assailing Wormes or Frankindale which he might from thence haue done in three houres march This thing though necessarily done for the safetie of the rest yet hath brought a maruellous feare vpon this people every man either pittying the misery of those many ruined in habitants or fearing that his owne turne is not farre off to be vndone We haue had many alarmes and haue bin drawne out of our garrison sundry times but to no vse onely our troupes haue had the oportunitie of shewing their alacritie and willingnesse to sight which is admired of this people Count Iohn of Nassaw who commanded the natiues of the Palatinate being threatned with the losse of his owne country vnlesse he would quit his service hath now withdrawne himselfe and left his name to construction It is much feared that the Princes wil prouide for their owne peace and abandon this poore countrey which is like to be left vpon the mercifull hand of God who is able to deliuer them and in his good time wil do it though we yet see not the meanes Meane time in Bohemia Count Mansfield hath rifled much and taken sundry townes and is like enough to recouer Prague if he had but meanes enough to pay his men which he utterly wants Coronell Grays regiment being reduced to 300 was lately besieged in a towne of Bohemia and did in three assaults repulse the enemie brauely In Morauia Bucquoy his forces haue lately received two great ouerthrowes by Count de Turn assisted with Bethlem Gabors troupes in which the Imperialists are said to haue lest 27 or 28 Ensignes The Emperour hath put out the Banne against the King of Bohemia the Prince of Anhault the Marquis of Brandenburgh and all the Kings assistants Our troupes continues 2000. by the supplies wee haue met withall and are much better disciplined and ordered then they were before and some there are whom God I trust hath effectually called by his word and rod unto true grace Our noble Generall thanked be God is in good health and growes in all goodnesse c. Thus beseeching God to blesse you with all yours and praying you to stirre vp all the prayers you can for the distressed people of God here and even for our troupes and for me that I may do the great worke of God faithfully and fruitfully in this emploiment I take my leave and remaine Yours much bound and much affectioned to you I. B. Frankindale 31 of March 1621. SIr I receiued your second letters the 23 of March and thanke you heartily for them Newes out of any farre country brings some delight how much more out of a mans owne country when he is farre from it and specially when it is all very good or not very ill From hence I shal not be able by exchange to make retribution to you not because I am vnwilling to do it but because the exchange goes so low at the present But take it as it is We yet are and haue bin a moneth in treatie of truce for six weekes This day the Margraue of Ausberg and Spinola with the Bishop of Ments and Count de Ormstat which two last haue bin interposers for peace do meet at Ormstat a dayes journey from Wormes to finish this Treatie in cessation as is hoped from armes for two moneths vpon which Spinola with most of his will look back not so much for loue of Flanders as for feare of the States army now drawing forth The French King hath lately encouraged the Princes to hold their vnion with promise of aid whether really as iealous of the Austrian greatnesse or more maiorum that with lesse distaste of these Princes hee may afflict his of the Religion pendre le temps Bathl Gabor is said to be off his treatie with the Emperour by the Venetians perswasions and in armes vpon the reuolters of Morauia wth 30000 men From the Kings of Denmarke and Sweden and the Duke of Brunswick and Haunce townes 3000 men are in readinesse if not already in their march for the Kings aid but whether here or in Bohemia is yet vnknowne to vs because both wayes reported Count Mansfield growes daily in strength and hath recouered the seuen peeces of Cannon left by Prague The great Turke is expected in Polonia this Summer in person with 300000. Al which things wil in likelihod moue the Emperiall partie to take thankes for giving that peace in the Palatinate which they might better haue giuen thanks to take if that point had been stood vpon But in appearance God will give this poore and good people peace which shall be to them the best And blessed be the peace-makers This being all that I haue for the present I commend you Sir to the protection and blessing of God our Father and remaine Your louing brother and friend I. B. Articles of