University of Virginia Library

Chapter IX.

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6

Sigismundus sends Ambassadours unto the Emperour;
the conditions re-assured; He yeeldeth up all
to Busca, and returneth to Prague.

BUSCA having all this time beene raising new forces, was commanded
from the Emperour againe to invade Transilvania,
which being one of the fruitfullest and strongest Countries in those
parts, was now rather a desart, or the very spectacle of desolation;
their fruits and fields overgrowne with weeds, their Churches and
battered Palaces and best buildings, as for feare, hid with Mosse and
Ivy; being the very Bulwarke and Rampire of a great part of Europe,
most fit by all Christians to have beene supplyed and maintained,
was thus brought to ruine by them it most concerned to support it.
But alas, what is it, when the power of Majestie pampered in all
delights of pleasant vanity, neither knowing nor considering the
labour of the Ploughman, the hazard of the Merchant, the oppression
of Statesmen; nor feeling the piercing torments of broken limbes, and
inveterated

wounds, the toilsome marches, the bad lodging, the
hungry diet, and the extreme misery that Souldiers endure to secure
all those estates, and yet by the spight of malicious detraction, starves
for want of their reward and recompences; whilest the politique
Courtier, that commonly aimes more at his owne honors and ends,
than his Countries good, or his Princes glory, honour, or security, as
this worthy Prince too well could testifie. But the Emperor being
certified how weak and desperate his estate was, sent Busca againe
with a great Army, to trie his fortune once more in Transilvania. The
Prince considering how his Country and subjects were consumed, the
small means he had any longer to defend his estate, both against the
cruelty of the Turke, and the power of the Emperor, and the small
care the Polanders had in supplying him, as they had promised, sent
to Busca to have truce, till messengers might be sent to the Emperour
for some better agreement, wherewith Busca was contented. The
Ambassadours so prevailed, that the Emperour re-assured unto
them the conditions he had promised the Prince at their confederacie
for the lands in Silesia, with 60000. ducats presently in hand, and
50000. ducats yearely as a pension. When this conclusion was
∥ knowne to Moyses, his Lieftenant then in the field with the Army,
that would doe any thing rather than come in subjection to the
Germans, he encouraged his Souldiers, and without any more adoe
marched to encounter Busca, whom he found much better provided
than he expected; so that betwixt them in six or seven houres, more
than five or six thousand on both sides lay dead in the field. Moyses
thus overthrowne, fled to the Turks at Temesware, and his scattered
troopes some one way, some another.

The Prince understanding of this so sudden and unexpected
accident, onely accompanied with an hundred of his Gentry and
Nobility, went into the campe to Busca, to let him know, how ignorant
he was of his Lieftenants errour, that had done it without his
direction or knowledge, freely offering to performe what was concluded
by his Ambassadours with the Emperour; and so causing all
his Garrisons to come out of their strong holds, he delivered all to
Busca for the Emperour, and so went to Prague, where he was

honourably received, and established in his possessions, as his Emperiall
Majestie had promised. Busca assembling all the Nobility,
tooke their oaths of allegeance and fidelity, and thus their Prince
being gone, Transilvania became againe subject to the Emperour.

Now after the death of Michael, Vavoyd

of Wallachia, the
Turke sent one Jeremie to be their Vavoyd or Prince; whose insulting
tyranny caused the people to take Armes against him, so that he
was forced to flie into the confines of Moldavia; and Busca in the
behalfe of the Emperour, proclaimed the Lord Rodoll in his stead.
But Jeremy having assembled an Army of forty thousand Turks,
Tartars, and Moldavians, returned into Wallachia. Rodoll not yet
able to raise such a power, fled into Transilvania to Busca, his ancient
friend; who considering well of the matter, and how good it would
be for his owne security to have Wallachia subject to the Emperour,
or at least such an employment for the remainders of the old Regiments
of Sigismundus, (of whose greatnesse and true affection hee
was very suspitious,) sent them with Rodoll to recover Wallachia,
conducted by the valiant Captaines, the Earle Meldritch, Earle
Veltus, Earle Nederspolt, Earle Zarvana, the Lord Bechlefield, the
Lord Budendorfe, with their Regiments, and divers others of great
ranke and quality, the greatest friends and alliances the Prince had;
who with thirty thousand, marched along by the river Altus, to the
streights of Rebrinke, where they entred Wallachia, encamping at
Raza; Jeremie lying at Argish, drew his Army into his old campe,
in the plaines of Peteske, and with his best diligence fortified it, intending
to defend himselfe till more power came to him from the
Crym-Tartar. Many small parties that came to his campe, Rodoll
cut off, and in the nights would cause their heads to be throwne up
and downe before the trenches. Seven of their Porters were taken,
whom Jeremie commanded to be flayed quicke, and after hung their
skinnes upon poles, and their carkasses and heads on stakes by them.