Category — France

Numb. 63.
[265]

I Am not justifying here the Honour of such Princes Proceedings, who fall upon their Neighbours, and begin Wars and Hostilities, without pretence of Quarrel, and without Declaring first their Resolution.

But for the Edification of those Gentlemen; who are willing the Swedes should ruin the King of Poland, because he Assaulted them without a just Ground; I would recommend to their consideration, how the Hungarians joyn’d with the Turks, in a War against the Emperor, under the obligation of a Solemn Peace, unbroken, and which had three Years yet to come, and without any ground of Complaint on the Turks behalf.

Nay, so openly, and against all Justice and Honour did the Turks break this Peace, that when afterwards the Losses and Destruction of the War, brought them to think their Priests at Constantinople exclaim’d against the injustice of it, and the Rabble Sacrificed those who had been the occasion of it; Declaring their great Prophet Mahomet was Angry at their beginning so Dishonourable a War; and Teckely himself was in no small danger among them upon this Account.

Yet I never read that our Hungarians, and who, some would have all call’d Protestants, made the least scruple of the Turks denying the Emperor this Ceremony, but treated his Imperial Majesty in all Cases, as if he was a Person with whom no Measures were to be observed, breaking all their Truces and Cessations, seizing their Magazines, intercepting his Convoys, even when under Treaties and Capitulations. [Read more →]

Numb. 62.
[261]

THUS we have brought the Hungarians and the Turks by the proper steps, to the firm League concerted from the Ruine of the Christian Cause; and so strongly were they link’d together, that when the next Winter, viz. 1682. the Emperor on a Treaty of Truce with Count Teckely, Demanded the Silver Cities of Upper Hungaria; so call’d, because of the Mines there: Teckely return’d for Answer, That he could not restore them, without consent of the Bassa of Buda.

And thus the Unhappiest League was brought to perfection; the worst, and the most Fatal for Christendom, that ever was made.

The Emperor was not backward to make offers, and even almost to Sollicit them to Peace, and at last offer’d Teckely the Sovereignity of what he had gain’d in Upper Hungaria.

To this, when the Ambitious Prince could find no Room for any other Answer, he return’d, That he could do nothing in it, without the consent of the Turks; and at the same time, tho’ the Truce was not then Expir’d, sits down before the Castle of Donavisth, and gave the Emperor this most Pityful and Intollerable Reason for it; That he did it because Count Joanelli, to whom it belong’d, had refus’d to come to his Dyet at Cassovia. [Read more →]

Numb. 60.
[253]

IF the French King has been so severely censur’d for exciting the Turks to Invade the Christian Power of Europe, what shall we say to the Hungarians, who, for the particular Article of their Grievances, small compar’d with the General Peace of Europe, drew down the whole Powers of Mahomet upon their Fellow-Christians; and began the Terriblest, the most Bloody, and most Desperate War, that ever was between the Turkish and German Empire?

And be it that the Germans assisted by almost all the Princes of Christendom got the better, and that a series of Unexpected Victories ended that War Gloriously for the Emperor; yet the Hazard Europe ran in the first Part of it, and the Blood and Treasure it cost the German Empire before the Turkish Power was reduc’d, was such, as no Age can parallel.

When the Count Wesselini, who headed the first Insurrection, had kept the command about 2 or 3 Years, having carried it on with great Success, and in a great Measure ruin’d the Affairs of the Emperor on that Side, in the Year 1628. he died; and the Malecontents chose Count Teckeley in his Room. During these 2 Years of Count Wesselini, the Germans were Massacred on every Side, and the Towns clear’d of them, and the Affairs of the Emperor came to a very low Ebb. Teckeley assisted by Prince Abassi of Transylvania, grew formidable, and having secur’d all the upper Hungary, Invaded the Hereditary Provinces of Austria and Moravia.

Many and Great Encounters happen’d between the Germans and Hungarians, (during Count Wesselini’s Government) in which the latter generally had the better, and the Imperialists lost Ground every Day. [Read more →]

Numb. 59.
[249]

IN the last Review, I brought the Oppressions of the Germans, and the Violences of the People, down to the very Article of Civil War, the Protestants Compos’d of and including Calvinists, Lutherans, Arians, Socinians and Greek Christians, call’d Rasciens, were all brought in, to make their Complaints rise up to a pitch, and heighten the Account of German Tyranny; these Complained their Privileges were infring’d, and taken from them; those Complain’d their Churches were taken away; and no doubt where the Soldiers prevail’d, the Priests under the Protection of the Military Power, made havock of the Protestants, and Sacrifized all to the Ecclesiastick Zeal; and Church-Tyranny as it always exceeds State-Tyranny, made the Cry of the Protestants, tho’ second to the Common Grievance, equal to it, If not Superiour in the Cause of Complaint.

We are now to suppose them up in Arms, and so universal the Insurrection, and the Emperor’s Affairs in such Disorder and Weakness, for want of Money and Management that almost on all Occasions, Count Paul Wesselini, the Palatine of Hungary, met with Success; the Germans were routed on several occasions, the Cities Revolted, and turn’d out the German Garrisons, or cut their Throats in their Quarters.

The Emperor’s Garrisons were ill provided, and worse paid; the Stores and Ammunitions embezzel’d; and in short every thing almost that was needful to oppose the Torrent of the Hungarian Success, seem’d to be wanting so that the Imperial Affairs went down on every side, and the Hungarians began to think of setting their Kingdom absolutely Independent of the House of Austria.

But Count Paul Wesselini, and the Hungarians, knew the Confusion of the Imperial Affairs, tho’ it was now their Advantage, would not always last, but that his Imperial Majesty would soon be rouz’d, and that they were not able at last to resist the German Power, when it should come on them with such Additions, as might be expected; upon these Considerations, They took Care to sollicit their Affairs at the Port, and by the help of their Agents, brought the Grand Seignor, to give all his Bassa’s and Commanders orders in their Favour, viz. To furnish them with Provisions, supply them with Arms and Ammunition; and upon all occasions, to permit ’em, if press’d by the Germans, to make their Retreat their Territories. [Read more →]