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
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
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
serue for the furtherance of his Designe But before all things hee sought in good time to prouide for the assurance of the Towne of Pilsen and that in time of neede he might be furnished with money and men He knew the slacknesse of the land Officers and how hardly they were to be drawne thereunto Therefore he wrote vnto them from Pilsen to desire them to commaund the Countrey Pesants to trauaile about the fortification of that Towne and to take order that it might be prouided of Munition both for the belly and the warre that hee might haue sufficient Cannon and Horses to draw them into the field and that they would send him money and men to effect his Designe c. They made prouision touching the first point but so slenderly that in steed of a thousand Pesants that should ordinarily haue beene employed and changed at that worke there was neuer aboue 300. together for the rest of the points there was nothing but promises made in steed of effects The Lord Generall knowing their humours and that if he prest them not forwards the matter would rest there sent them Letter after Letter the moneth of March being almost spent in following that At last the said Lord Generall perceiuing the season to come on wherein something was to be done in the field and that they went so slackly forward he began againe and writing with the best Inke that he could get protested that in case they tooke no better order for their affaires that if any mischiefe fell vpon them the fault should not be imputed vnto him and that from that time forward he would discharge himselfe thereof both before God and all the world These protestations were by him reiterated diuers times one after the other with as many passions as he could well expresse In the meane time he could not and that with great intreaty get but one part of that which he required and none or very little money Their ordinary answere being that they would take order for the same withall still complaining of the insolencies committed by his Souldiers He still continued his replies and touching their complaints shewed them that without mony it was impossible for him to restraine so many malcontents and as they required that correction should be inflicted on them for the said insolencies hee solicited for themeanes to effect the same And among other things hee propounded a course which is much practised and common in other Nations and easily to be put in vse among them which was a Contribution to be raised vpon the Countrey Pesants offering to make an account of that which he should gather and to deduct it out of his and his Souldiers pay But they being altogether ignorant of matters of State knew not how to accept of so good a condition much lesse to effect it They rather desired to lose all the Countrey then a little wealth and all the body rather then one member thinking to make warre without money In the meane time the complaints encreased and from thence euill will began to arise which ioyning with enuie whereof I haue formerly spoken will heereafter produce slaunders and iniuries in effect preiudiciall both vnto the State and to the Authors thereof Now as we cannot denie much lesse excuse the excesse and insolencies which the Souldiers as then committed and did commit during that warre so it is well knowne that it is impossible to restraine and hold them vnder Discipline if their wages be not paid them Neither they nor their horses can liue by the ayre all that they haue whether it be Armes or apparrell weareth wasteth and breaketh If they must buy more they must haue money And if men haue it not to giue them they will take it where they finde it not as in part of that which is due vnto them but without weighing or telling it This gate being once opened vnto them they enter into the large fields of liberty There is no more staying nor bounds for them in steed of contenting themselues with that whereof they haue neede they seeke to enrich themselues thereby they take all force beate and kill those that resist them and to conclude there is no disorder which they will not commit encouraging themselues in their wickednesse by the practise thereof and frequentation with diuers Nations The Germaine the Flemming the French man the Italian and the Hungarian euery one contributeth somewhat of theirs therevnto and there is no subtilty nor craftinesse which they know not and which they doe not put in practise to haue it They spare no person of what quality soeuer he be respect no place how holy so euer neither Churches Altars Tombs Sepulchres nor the dead bodies that lye in them can escape the violence of their Sacriligeous hands Wee know and confesse all this and to our great griefe haue seene many examples thereof These are the mischiefes of the warre which makes it become detestable and abhominable But what It is not enough to know it and to complaine thereof Wee must preuent the same by the true and right meanes if wee will be exempted thereof The onely meanes to remedy all such disorders and so many mischiefes is Discipline but how shall it be established where money for their pay wanteth I know not who would vndertake the same no not the Prince of Orange that great Master of Discipline himselfe In the meane time the land Officers of Bohemia taking things cleane contrary would turne the course of ordinary astaires and to hide and couer their ignorance would serue their turnes with the cloake of pouerty making a great shew and matter of the charges which they are forced to disburse and the small meanes that they haue to defray the same and when they are required to pay any money they make answere and say wee haue none wee are not able to doe it Those that were in this Countrey during the time of peace and that knew the riches thereof can well iudge of the truth of such an excuse Bohemia is one of the best countries that is to be found within the borders of great Germanie rich of wools corne pearles pretious stones and of mines both of gold siluer copper iron lead and all sorts of minerals environed with most rich neighbours with whom they traffique in diuers manner a country which of long time hath enioyed peace and for an ornament thereof the ordinarie seat of the Emperors a place whereinto so great riches haue come and beene brought from all places in the world for the space of these 200. yeeres together Euery man knowes the great number and riches of the Barons and Lords of this country there being some of them that possesse a million and a halfe of wealth besides the riches of the great Towne of Prague without speaking of the rest In such manner that to alledge pouertie for enduring of a yeere and an halfes warre it is too grosse an excuse not to be allowed But to