the Bastion on the Right and looks more like a Postern than the Gate of a Cittadel It 's also very strait within and the Lodgings crowded too near together which would be hurtful to the Garrison if it were bombarded but three Days in the French Manner but as for the rest every thing there is very Magnificent and well covered so that the Place being well entertained might pass for one of the best of the kind The Emperor has always two Governours in this Place the one a German and the other an Hungarian according to the Priviledges of that Kingdom as at Raab and other principal Places The Isle of Schit hath some other Towns that were formerly considerable and well peopled but at present little frequented There 's abundance of large Villages in it and the whole is extraordinary fruitful It is one of the best Parts of the Kingdom of Hungary and a Canton of an enchanted Country both in respect of its Beauty and Fertilty 'T is above 20 Leagues in Circumference and in some Places above 8 in Breadth so that I look upon it to be larger than Malta Beyond the Danube on both sides there is such a Country as cannot be expressed boundless Plains watered with other great Rivers that come to enlarge this on the Right and Left such is the Raab upon which is settled the Town of that Name call'd otherwise Javarin near which there 's another Island called Little Schit by the side of the great one and the Nitra which passes by Newhausel and about 6 Leagues higher washes a Town called by its Name besides some others no less Considerable 'T was into this Island the Duke of Lorrain threw his Army on the approach of that of the Turks to secure this fine Country and the Cittadel and to cover his Troops from the Enemy without which prudent Foresight that prevented the Grand Visier the Infidels had certainly seized it on their arrival They marched up the Danube upon the Bank on the Right having left on the other side a great Body of Troops under three Pachas to augment the Hungarian Army whose General had Order to possess himself of Presburg that they might be Masters of both sides the River to hinder the Conjunction of the Germans and Poles and block up the Way of the latter to Vienna It is also said that Count Teckley when he had seised Presburg was to have made himself be crowned King of Hungary there with the same Ensigns of Royalty that their former Kings used to be crowned with but this is only a Conjecture without Foundation Whilst this Army marches towards the Country assigned them the Grand Visier advances towards Raab with a Design to build Bridges over the River of that Name that he might pass to Vienna He held as the Pachas of Newhausel informed me a General Council upon this Great Affair and against the Opinion of all those who assisted at it would undertake the Siege of that Capital City without amusing himself with little Expeditions The Visir of Buda represented to him vigorously the Difficulties of that Enterprize foretold him his bad Success and laid him under a Necessity of taking the Event of the thing upon himself which did so much vex the Ottoman General that after his Misfortune he threw the Blame upon the said Visier of Buda and the Tartar Han made the Head of the former to be cut off and the latter to be degraded Upon which those Pachas bewailing the Misfortune of their Nation sighed for the loss of the Great Kuproli and blessed his Memory remembring with what docibility he asked the Opinion of old Captains on the least Occasion Whereas Kara Mustapha his Successor believed there was none better than his own He advanced in fine as far the Town of Raab which he made as if he would besiege and took his Posts round it the better to amuse the Duke of Lorrain and that he might with more ease surprize the Place which he had only in his view Raab Yavarin or Javarin is one of the best Towns of that Country built in the same Form and of the same Size with Newhausel as to the Town but of a prodigous Extent as to the Fortifications heaped one above another all good Pieces of Turf and the Outworks admirable but not fac'd 'T is scituated near that Branch of the Danube which forms the little Isle of Schit and hath before its Walls the River of Raab which falls there into the Danube so that it may be represented as in the Point of a Pennisula betwixt those two Canals It hath two Governours as the Cittadel of Comorra and a very considerable Bishoprick possessed by the Cardinal de Kolonitz The Grand Visier encamped round it as if he would have besieged it and continued there seven whole Days during which he made three Bridges to be laid over the River Raab on the other side of the City about a quarter of a League above without Cannon shot of the Town which he hid from the besieged by seising himself of the Posts on the Neighbouring Hills that surround it so that he missed very little of surprizing Vienna unprovided the Duke of Lorrain not having perceived that Design tâ—â— very late and the Emperor who continued there without any manner of Suspicion had scarce so much time left as to go out of it Nay further the Tartars who were commanded to go and and invest it found the People quietly reaping their Harvest in the Fields within three or four Miles of Vienna and Gentlemen and Women travelling thro' the Country as if the Turks had been still at Belgrade Of those unhappy People surprized on the Roads I have seen a great Number and amongst others Col Rosemberg's Lady who was carried to Boudziac and ransomed two Years after from whom I knew this Circumstance in Poland whither she was conducted The Grand Visier passed the Raab unexpectedly as soon as his Bridges were finished and marched with great Diligence The Duke of Lorrain got before him however with the same Celerity across the Isle of Comorra and threw all his Infantry commanded by Count Staremberg into the Island of Leopoldstadt opposite to Vienna and in fine marched them opportunely into the Town with the General by the favour of those Islands through which he conducted them so that the Turks could never cut off their March He continued with the Cavalry some Days in Leopoldstat but fearing to be shut up there if Count Teckley advanced on the other side of the River and entred Austria by the River Morave He thought best to retire from that Place where he might be starved or taken without striking one Blow being locked up betwixt two Rivers and two Armies Thus he secured Vienna by his first March and by his next March he sav'd the Remainder of the Army marching out of the Island by the great Bridge to which he set Fire as soon as he passed it His foresight herein was admirable
Visiers The simple Beys are only either Governors of Castles or Colonels of the Cavalry But to return to the Relation After the Emperor was come to Vienna he sent the King of Poland Word that he passionately desir'd to see him and to thank him in Person for the Signal Service he had done him which one might easily have believ'd he would have done However one would not have thought That the Emperor after such a piece of Service would have stood so much upon the Punctilio's and Formalities of it In short 't is most certain that after several Debates upon that Subject it was agreed between the Ministers of the Imperial Court and Guinsky Vice-Chancellor of Poland that the Interview of the two Princes should be in the open Field and on Horse-back to avoid those Niceties upon which his Polish Majesty was once a-minded to go away without seeing the Emperor It was on the Fifteenth of September when they came to an Interview about a League and an half off of Vienna or a little more The King of Poland had decamped in the Morning and tho' the Emperor to stop his March had sent him word that he was coming to wait upon him yet he still continued it that he might oblige the Emperor to follow him and remov'd his Camp a quarter of a League farther The Troops were still a filing off when they perceiv'd a Body of Cavalry which was compos'd of the Lords of the Imperial Court who had quitted their Coaches and mounted on Horse-back when they were about two hundred Paces from the Army The King of Poland at the same time order'd his Troops to draw up into a Line of Battle and afterwards advanc'd towards the Emperor who was making to him with full speed After these two Princes were met the King of Poland unvailing his Bonnet at the same time that the Emperor clap'd his Hand to his Hat told him in Latin That he was very glad that he had been able in such a Critical Juncture to give him any solid marks of his Friendship After this short Compliment he presented the Young Prince his Son to him adding That he had brought him along with him to teach him how he ought to succour his Allies He likewise presented to him the two Generals of the Crown who saluted the Emperor without alighting Lastly seeing that this Prince was stiff and mute without returning a word of Answer or shewing any token of Honour not so much as saluting the Young Prince the King left him very bluntly and said Without doubt Brother you have a mind to take a view of my Army there are my Generals whom I have order'd to shew it your Majesty With that he turn'd his Head from him and march'd away and the Emperor with the same Indifference that he had heard this Discourse suffer'd him to depart whilst he for his part went to visit the Lines Two Days after he sent 3000 Ducats of Gold to each of the two Polish Generals and a Sword set with Diamonds of about a thousand Pistols value to Prince James As to him the Emperor willing to make amends for the Fault he had committed in not saluting him of which there were loud and severe Complaints made he in my mind committed a fresh one by writing to the Prince of Poland a very submissive Letter wherein he cast all the Blame of that Disrespect on the Surprize he was in in remembring the Danger and seeing the Person who had deliver'd him from it 'T is said that he wrote as much to the Castellan of Livonia Baron of Felkerzen Prince James's Governour but this I am no farther assur'd of than that it was the common Discourse of our Court but the other Letter I saw with my own Eyes September 16. the Army rested the Seventeenth it broke up and encamped at Fichau four Leagues off Vienna and in the mean time the Bridge of Toulm was order'd to be brought down and to be put on the Right Branch of the Danube below Presburg by which they enter'd the Isle of Schut which they were to cross because the Country from thence to Raab through which the Turks had made their Retreat was all laid waste and the other side towards Presburgh was not in a better condition by reason of the Encampments of that Body of an Army which Count Teckeley had brought thither in the beginning of the Campaign and likewise because of the Neighbourhood of Newhausel The Army was divided into four Parts for the better conveniency of Forraging The King of Poland led the Van-guard of the whole with his Troops posted about two or three Leagues in the Front towards the Enemy The Duke of Lorrain came next with the Emperor's Cavalry marching a little towards the Right The Count of Staremberg being march'd out of Vienna at the Head of the Infantry which he had thrown into that Town led them on the Left side of the Isle by Goutta and other Towns that border'd on the Plains of Newhausel The Regiments of Croatia brought up the Rear at 3 or 4 Leagues distance The King by the way went to visit Presburgh when the Army was encamp'd over against it He likewise visited Raab or Yavarin going out of the Isle with a small Attendance over which a great Party of Rebels lodg'd in some Gentlemen's Houses thereabouts might have had the Better being near the place where the King din'd but they durst not attempt any thing and the King repass'd the River the same Night to rejoyn the Army in the Island The Rejoycings and Feasts which his Presence occasion'd in these two Places had nothing in them extraordinary The Prince of Poland threw a great many Ducats in Presburgh among the People that were gather'd under the Windows At Raab a great deal of Wine and Powder was spent The Bishop of the Place harangued the King whom he stil'd the King of Hungary and their Deliverer The Governor made him a very Noble Feast under the Salvo of an hundred Cannon Whilst the King of Poland was crossing the great Isle of Schut the Elector of Bavaria with his Troops was posted between Vienna and Presburgh The Count Waldeck likewise made a Halt with those of the Circles and the Elector of Saxony drew off all his Forces But his Polish Majesty not willing to leave any thing for the Germans to do after he had done so much in this Notable Juncture continued his March always at the Head of his Army to put an end to the Campaign and to return to his Estates by the way of Vpper Hungary During this he receiv'd a Letter from Michael Apaffy Prince of Transylvania full of Compliments upon the Success of his Arms. He sent him word of the Arrival of the Grand Visier at Buda whom the Sultan had pardon'd for the Miscarriage before Vienna having sent him a Vest and a Sabre a Standard and other Trophies of the Dignity of Grand Visier as an Assurance of his being still in his Favour
Infantry pinch'd with Hunger starved with Cold and overwhelmed with Misery and their Cavalry lazy and void of Experience are enough to frustrate the best laid designs of the greatest Generals Among those who deserve this Character we must reckon the Palatin of Russia Jablonouski a Lord of a fine Presence of a Noble and VVarlike and yet of a sweet Mien he is a Person of undaunted Courage accompanied with an admirable Temper and great Penetration He was first Grand Ensign of the Crown afterwards Little General and for his Valour advanced to the Supreme Dignity of Grand General after the Death of Prince Demetrius Wietsnievistski One of the Actions wherein this General signalized himself with part of the Foreign Troops was to stop the fury of Tartars and give the King time to retire under Leopold with the rest of his Army This particular will merit the Readers pardon for the Digression I shall here make to acquaint him with one of the greatest Actions of the King of Poland and the Palatin of Russia The City of Leopold is Capital of the Palatinat of Russia the Seat of the Palatin and is become famous in the History of the present Age by reason of the share it hath born in the War betwixt the Poles and the Turks But this Action of the King which we are now about to relate will consecrate its Memory to all Posterity and advance it to the highest Pinacle of Glory In the last Year of the Reign of Michael his Predecessor this City was in great danger The Turks burnt its Suburbs in 1672. and were likely to have carried this Important Place which is but sorrily fortified had not the Inhabitants come to a Treaty promised a great Summ for their Redemption and given up the principal Citizens as Hostages who were retained a long time in Caminiec But King John III. knew how to guard this City in the Sequel of the War by the most glorious Methods imaginable In 1675. the Tartars advanced very near this City which the Grand Visier had commanded them to besiege The King of Poland encamped round the Place and fortified the same with diligence though he had scarcely 5000 Men left Ibrahim Pacha and Sultan Nuradin commanded the Enemies Army which consisted of 15000 Turks and 20000 Tartars These two Generals having miscarried before several other Places sat down before Sbaracz in which there were but 40 Heidukes and 6000 Paysants who were more inclined to surrender than to fight and in effect as soon as the Enemy appear'd the Rabble opened the Gates After this Expedition Ibrahim retired to Caminiec and Nuradin detatch'd 15000 Men to block up Leopold posting himself with the rest of the Army two Leagues higher to attend the Issue which was to his dishonour for the King of Poland marched with some Squadrons against the Enemy charged them with vigor and drove them back to Nuradin's Camp whence that Tartar Prince retir'd with great Precipitation Some time after having assembled more Troops he renewed his design of investing Leopold and forcing the King's Camp and undertook it himself at the Head of 40000 chosen Men being attended with abundance of Officers of the best repute among the Tartars He began with the Attack of Slotzow which is a Castle belonging to the King 's Hereditary Demesnes within ten Leagues of Leopold on the side of Caminiec This Castle is well enough for a Gentleman's House and hath some Fortifications according to the Modern way faced with Stone but of very little Defence The Enemy attacqued it vigorously by way of Scalade with Sword in Hand The Palatin of Russia defended it with extreme bravery and forced the Tartars to retire from before this sorry Place after an obstinate Fight of five Hours duration Nuradin thinking it best to preserve his Troops that were designed for a more important Expedition would not expose them to any more Assaults but continued his march towards Leopold and possessed himself of a vast Plain below the Hills with which the Town is surrounded and upon which the King had taken his Post This Plain was covered in an Instant with the Enemies Squadrons who raised such a mighty Dust as quickly covered them from view In the mean time those of the Castle of Leopold fired some Guns to give Notice to the People of the Country to retire for their Security behind the King's Camp His Majesty having viewed that of the Tartars was nothing discouraged by their prodigious Number but gave all necessary Orders for the safety of his Camp and the City in which the Queen and the Princes her Sons were shut up He posted Guards in two places on the Right and Left to prevent a Surprize placed his Infantry in Ambuscade amongst the Bushes at the foot of the Hills which separated his Camp from the Plains possessed by the Tartars and planted his Cannon on the Heights to favour the descent of his Squadrons his eagerness to fight having quite over-ballanced his Enemies Numbers They began to skirmish assoon as they could join and the Polish Horse not finding a convenient ground at first were put into disorder but the King coming to their relief with the rest of his Troops and enlarging hi Front insensibly as his Squadrons gain'd gtound he restored the Battle where his presence seconded by his Example inspired his own Men with as much Valour as it did his Enemies with terror The Sultan quickly perceived by the disorder of his Troops that he was defeated by a Superior Power The King of Poland's Hand became dreadful to them by the weight of its blows and every one striving to avoid them that prodigious Army vanished in an instant like a Phantome Having finished this Digression I return to my Subject The Palatin of Kiow General of the Artillery is owned by all Men to be one of the bravest Officers and wisest Generals at this time in Poland and hath acquired an universal Esteem by his Gallant and Prudent Actions Those who have seen him in Battle could not but be charmed to behold his Magnanimity in exposing himself and taking care to save his Men. Those who have heard him discourse of Martial Affairs are perswaded that were he in a Country where the Art Military is regularly cultivated he would be accounted one of the greatest Captains in Europe There is moreover in Poland another Person of extrordinary Merit in that kind namely Prince Lubomirski who is no less expert in War than the Palatin and exceeds him much in Temper and Presence of Mind which contribute so much to the winning of Battles so that the same paralel might be made betwixt those two Polish Generals that was made betwixt the Prince of Condé and the Mareschal Turenne the one was incomparable for managing a Campagne and the other for fighting a Battle I would not that others whose Names and singular Endowments I don't mention here should suffer by my silence I shall do them Justice elsewhere but I thought fit to mention those
Refreshments of Sweet-Meats Wine and other things 'T is an inconceivable thing the Truth of which we could never learn How all that Infantry made their Retreat in a Night the darkest that ever was seen For we discovered neither Stragler nor Company except 23 Janizaries shut up in that House of the Emperor where the Grand Visier kept his Head-Quarters and laid up his Stores These Janizaries did not fly with the rest but were in that place Sept. 14. Attempts were made to force them they kill'd several Dragoons and would not submit to any but the King of Poland when he came before that Castle out of which they were allow'd to march with Bag and Baggage This great Victory so-compleat so happy and so shining cost but a very few Men the Germans lost a Prince of Crouy the Poles the two Lords above-mention'd and the whole Army about 600 Men. A great part never saw the Enemy The Palatine of Russia with his Right Wing march'd all along without a Rencounter The Emperour's Cuiriassiers never struck a stroke the Second Lines were no more than Spectators because the Enemy fled before they were come up so that properly speaking none but the Dragoons the Infantry and the Hussars bore the Fire and engag'd the Enemy We cannot tell what happen'd particularly on the Left Each Prince kept at the Head of his own Troops and none but Count Waldeck was seen next the King's Person and that but once when the heat of the Battle was near over upon which he pass'd this Compliment to his Majesty That it was a good Days-work for his Glory and for the History of his Life From this true Recital we may Discover the Falsity of that Report which was spread abroad and publish'd even in Poland it self namely That the Turks had forty thousand kill'd upon the spot Talenty the Italian Secretary whom the King dispatch'd to the Pope the next Day after the Defeat with the great Standard of Mahomet found at the Portal of the Grand Visier told such another Story in his Journey and had the Confidence to tell his Holiness himself That in leaving Vienna he travell'd four Leagues together on dead Bodies Now in the first place his Way to Rome did not lie through the Field of Battle nor through any part of the Road by which the Turks made their Retreat some of whom were cut off both this Night and on the Morrow And besides it is certain that in the whole compass of the Ground there were not above 800 dead Corps to be seen I do not speak this to lessen the Glory of his Polish Majesty which shines bright enough of it self the Greatness of the Undertaking the wonderful Success that attended it and above all that Heroical Resolution which made him leave his Dominions to come to the Relief of his Allie are enough to set it off without the help of any false Lustre Most of the Polish Senators and Generals were likewise for his immediate Return home after the Relieving Vienna that he might preserve an Army of which Poland might in the sequel of the War stand in need But the King hearkened neither to these Advices nor to the repeated Instances of the Queen He was for compleating the Business and thereby to lay the Empire under stronger Obligations to him 'T is upon those Accounts that his Polish Majesty merits Praise without the killing of 40000 Men. 'T is reported of Alexander the Great That he was highly offended with one of his Generals who in the History of his Wars ascribed false Matters of Fact to him thereby endeavouring to enhance his Glory He threw the Tablets into the River Hydaspes upon which he was when the Recital was made to him and upbraided the Author for having foisted his own Inventions into such a large Field of Praise which Truth alone was sufficient to represent On Munday Sept. 13. the King detach'd Miogensky with a thousand Horse to pursue the Enemy and cut off their Retreat This Officer when he was come over against Presburgh detach'd fifty Horse who advanced as far as Raab where they saw the Turkish Army which began to pass the Bridges very quietly It had marched twelve Hungarian Leagues the first Night and began to defile on the Morrow without any opposition The Garrison of Yavarin durst not or could not undertake the burning of the Bridges the Grand Visier having very cautiously left a considerable Body of Men to guard them They were three Days and three Nights in passing over the River and met with no disturbance Some blame the King of Poland for this who should they say have push'd on his Victory But this Charge is groundless since his Troops could not have left the Camp that Night without great danger They had been without their Equipages for three Days and could not expect that they could pass the Mountains in less than three Days more Besides the greatest Generals having finish'd what they design'd are well enough satisfied with that and never care for running after the Conquered to whom Martial Policy often thinks it adviseable to allow Bridges for their Retreat After the Departure of Miogensky the King visited the Camp and the Tents of the Grand Visier from whence in a few words he wrote the News of his Victory to the Pope and other Princes He sent a Gentleman Express to the Queen as an Eye-witness of all that had pass'd with several Pieces of that great Spoil And for the sake of this Good News the Imperial Ministers order'd the Post-Masters to demand nothing of that Courier for his Journey Afterwards the King over-ran all the Enemies Works even to their last Lodgments upon the Bastions But in the Interim some Souldier or other having accidentally set fire to some loose corns of Powder that lay about the Magazine where there were still nigh 300 thousand pound weight it caus'd one of the most dreadful Fires that could be imagin'd The Air seem'd to be all in a blaze the Earth shook and nothing could give us a more lively resemblance of the general Conflagration at the Last Day However there was some thing surprizing even in this terrible Prospect and his Majesty said That he had long wish'd to see such a Sight At last he made his Entry into Vienna through the Breaches on the same side that the Assault had been carry'd on There he reap'd the full Satisfaction of his Victory amidst the Acclamations of a City destin'd before to a miserable Slavery the Chains whereof this Hero broke The People Huzza'd him the Croud did as it were carry his Horse along and their Acknowledgments rose so high as to wish that they had a Master and Emperor like to this Glorious Monarch This they cry'd out loudly in every Street transported with such an excess of Joy and Affection as cannot admit of Moderation upon such moving Occasions as this The first thing he did was to return God Thanks for his Victory in the Church of the Reform'd
these Transactions the Turks press'd forwards to regain the Fort and their Number hindering their Retreat they cast themselves into the Danube which a moment after became all black and its Stream cover'd all over with Men Arms Horses and Turbants whose heaps and mixture made an admirable Picture being both a dreadful and a pleasant Sight Those who would not venture so dangerous a Passage were cut in pieces on the Bank of the River and there were heaps of 'em all along of a Fathom high which form'd a kind of a Parapet or Breast-work As an Addition to their Misfortune the Bridge was broke by the Multitude of those who fled over it after 7 or 8 hundred had pass'd it with the Visier of Buda The rest endeavouring still to gain the Boats which lay there fell by hundreds at a time one upon another and were all stifl'd by the Weight of those that lay uppermost But whereas they could not disengage themselves nor advance one way or other they were expos'd to the Fire of our Artillery and Troops yet 't is certain there were fewer kill'd that way than by being suffocated Whilst the Turks were thus drown'd the Polish Infantry advanc'd towards the Fort of Barcan the Regiments of the Queen and Prince of Poland arriv'd thither the first and began the Assault The Count of Morstein being Colonel of the One and Sessevin Colonel of the Other led them directly to the two Gates and forc'd them The Enemy laid their Arms on the Ground in order to surrender themselves and hung out a white Flag But the Poles either did not or would not see it and fell upon them without giving them Quarter who seeing themselves hopeless betook themselves to their Arms again resolving to sell their Lives at as dear a rate as possible Thereupon they made so terrible a Discharge that our Infantry began to give Ground and were for regaining the Gates A French Gentleman Mouilly by Name who was Page to the Marquiss of Arquyen and Ensign to the Regiment of the Prince of Poland plac'd himself at the Gate on the Left by which that Battalion had enter'd and with his Sword drove back those who fled thither and by this Undauntedness much above one of his Years he oblig'd them to return upon the Enemy of which not a Man was sav'd This was the Finishing-stroke of that Defeat the most Entire and Compleat that had been known for a long time before Count Teckley arriv'd soon enough upon the adjacent Hills to be an Eye-witness of this Bloody Scene He did indeed appear upon the Brow of the Mountains at the close of the Action when the Danube was cover'd with those unhappy Creatures and when the rest of this Army were cut in pieces in the Fort only 7 or 800 having sav'd themselves by passing the Bridge with the Visier of Buda before it was broke down The Christians at this time could not expect any rich Booty since the Turks had brought thither neither Artillery nor Equipages but to make amends for it they did not lose many Men nor any Officer of Note whereas the Enemy left behind them two Bassas taken Prisoners and three others drown'd in the River with the Standards of the Visiers and other Honourable Tokens of the Victory After the Taking of the Fort they rested a while on the Banks of the Danube to take a view of that dreadful Spectacle Some drew up what the Current threw ashore such as Horses Arms Men and other Spoils whilst the rest play'd with the Artillery that of Strigonium not wounding a Man of our Side One single shot and perhaps the last either from beyond the River or from the Fort of Barcan unfortunately struck between the two Eyes of a French Gentleman belonging to the Prince of Poland nam'd Duheaume and forc'd one of 'em out of his Head The King endeavour'd to chear him up by all the Marks of Esteem and Affection by the Care he order'd to be taken of him and by the Present he sent him the next Day of 100 Ducats in Gold This Gentleman very well deserv'd those distinguishing Favours not only for his constant Attendance upon the Prince's Person but likewise for the Present he made the King in the Fields of Vienna of a Tuft of Heron's Feathers garnish'd with a Rose of Diamonds and Rubies which he found in the Grand Visier's Tent and was the same which that Ottoman General us'd to put on the Head of his War-Horse The Army return'd upon the Plains above Barcan and encamp'd there by possessing all the Curtains of the Bank of the Danube The King with the Duke of Lorrain resov'd to pass the River in that Place and to put an end to the Campaign by the Taking of Strigonium which would enhance the Reputation of the Christian Army by thus Marching over the Conquests of Solyman the Great The Emperor's Generals were with much ado brought over to consent to it and the Season being already very much advanc'd made the Poles murmur who began to Breath after their Country but the King threatening to leave them and trust his Person with the German Troops each Soldier return'd to his Duty and murmured no more unless in Secret As for the Germans he gave them to understand That Strigonium could not hold outlong and that the Visier could not come to its Relief after the last Defeat Besides he was advertis'd of his Retreat towards Belgrade leaving Buda as soon as Kara Mehemet Pacha wounded in the Battle was return'd thither The Latter stay'd four Days after the Battle in Strigonium and then went to Buda along the Danube without any Obstruction having left two Bassas in the Place with a strong Garrison to maintain the Siege in case the Victorious Army should attempt it It was therefore resolv'd upon and all Hands at Work for building a Bridge in a place where the River made an Island about half a League above the City Beside the Safety of this Post by the Space which facilitated the Retreat from one Bridge to the other they rais'd a Fort at the Head of the Latter on the Enemy's Side of the River And moreover they had not far from Javarin or Raab where they might cover themselves in case the Turks should make any desperate Sally upon them Whilst this was doing and all things necessary for carrying on a Siege were bringing from Komorne General Dunneval march'd to seise upon Lewents a very considerable City which facilitated the Communication of the Turks between Newhausel and Buda The Bassa of Newhausel knew nothing of the Matter whereupon several of his Parties were surpriz'd and fell into the Snare without dreaming of it The King order'd Barcan to be put into the Hands of the Germans who burnt the Houses that were hard-by At last the Bridges being finish'd by the 19th of October the Duke of Lorrain order'd part of his Army to pass over that Day and the two next On the 22d the Polish Infantry commanded
the present and will cut off the Communication which I apprehended with so much reason That the Rebels will not easily present themselves before this Army That Teckley's Troops will be deserted by a great Number of Hungarians who will not rejoin him and that the Misunderstanding between him and the two Bassa's will not be disadvantagious to him In the mean time after having ruined every thing that might serve to make Bridges I thought it advisable to rejoin the Infantry and the Bagage and to put my self within reach to cover the passage of the Succours from Poland and to hasten the others The News I have of them are that the Bavarians ought to be arrived near to Krems where I believe there may be 15 or 16000 Foot as well Bavarians as Imperialists within these few Days I believe that the Troops of Saxony and Franconia are upon their march and I hasten them as much as I can I cannot deny but that I very much doubt the holding out of Vienna for though I may very well hope that it is strong enough with a good Garison and good Troops yet the forwardness of the Enemies Approaches and the Accidents that may Occasion a Confusion in a City that did not expect to be besieged oblige me to hasten the Succours that they may show themselves to the Besiegers c. A Letter from the Emperor to the King of Poland LEopold by the Favor of the Divine Clemency chosen Emperor of the Romans always Augustus King of Germany Hungary Bohemia Dalmatia Croatia and Sclavonia Arch-Duke of Austria Duke of Burgundy Stiria Carinthia Carniola and Wirtemberg and Count of Tirol To the most Serene and most Potent Prince John III. King of Poland Great Duke of Lithuania Russia Prussia Masovia and Samogitia our most dear Brother and Neighbor greeting and mutual Friendship Most Serene and most Potent Prince our most dear Brother and Neighbour In this most calamitous Condition into which the Treachery of the Hungarians and the most impetuous Barbarity of the Turks hath cast our Country of Austria Your Serenities most kind Letters wrote to us on the 7th of July have wonderfully refreshed us It was indeed a most joyful Message to us when we understood that your Serenity having laid aside all other Military Expeditions was marching your Army with utmost Diligence to rescue Vienna which is so closely besieged out of the Jaws of the Barbarous Enemy With how grateful and true a Sense we accept this Readiness to assist us as not proceeding only from the League betwixt us but from your Serenities kind Affection and Inclination which you have towards us and our Interests and with what Returns of Kindness we shall acknowledge this obligation which tends to the safety of Christendom We have given Orders to our faithful and beloved John Christopher Free Baron of Zieroua Ziorouski our Envoy and magnificent Counsellor to us and to the Sacred Empire to explain more at large He hath also Instructions to acquaint and submit to your Serenities sublime Prudence what we have thought necessary and useful on the present Occasion for the more vigorous carrying on of the War and raising the Siege of the said Town Wherefore out of friendly and brotherly confidence we obtest your Serenity to give entire Credit unto our said Envoy in every thing he shall say to you in our Name and that you would cheerfully prosecute what you have begun whereas by this Assistance and delivering and rescuing the City of Vienna you will purchase Glory and eternal Fame and more and more engage our Affection which hath long ago been fixed upon your Serenity unto your Royal Off-spring To which end we pray That God would vouchsafe you the height of all sorts of Felicity Given at Passaw Aug. 3. 1683. of our Reigns over the Roman Empire the 26th over Hungary the 29th and over Bohemia the 27th Your Serenity's Brother and Neighbour The Reader may observe from this Letter that the Emperor does not give the Title of Majesty to the King of Poland nevertheless he did it once in an Italian Letter wrote with his own Hand which is preciously kept in Poland as a Piece upon which they may found their Right of Pretensions for the future A Letter from the Duke of Lorrain to Mons Yablonowski Great General of Poland Dated from the Camp at Angres the 16th of August 1683. SIR THE Count de Caraffa General of the Battle set out Yesterday in order to go to the King I have given him Charge of a Letter for your Excellency wherein I signified to you that the Counterscarp of Vienna was after having held out twenty three Days taken by the Turks under the Covert of three great heaps of Earth which they had cast up to clear three Points from whence they entred into the covered way And after having lodged themselves there they applied themselves to the Descent of the Ditch which they sounded on the 8th of this Month. Altho' the Garison chased them them thence with loss yet the Enemy had time to fix their Miners to the Ravelins which they blew up on the 12th and there assaulted the Place They were repulsed insomuch that they think of nothing but mining and blowing up the Bastions which they attack Your Excellency who knows what it is for Places to be besieged may judge of the State of Vienna which the Turks think fit now only to attack by Mines and as they are already in the Ditch you may easily comprehend the Danger and the Importance of not loosing one Minute of coming to the Succour of a Place which is of so great Moment to the common Cause and to all Christendom I have given your Excellency all these Particulars because that knowing how much you understand the State of all things I should have done an Injury to your Merit and Zeal if I did not tell you the true State of the Besieged and the Importance of hastening to their Assistance I pray the King to succour us his presence alone is worth an Army so I beg him to advance his march with the first Troops By the same reason I pray your Excellency to hasten your march to join me I should be overjoyed to see you both for the Advantage I promise my self from the Troops you command and for the Satisfaction that I hope to see so great a General as your Excellency with us Count Oberstoff will tell you more particularly how much I pray your Excellency to join us with all possible diligence how much I esteem you and how much I am SIR Your Excellency's most Affectionate Servant Charles de Lorrain I pray your Excellency to march directly towards the Bridges of Vienna from whence you shall hear further from me You will do me a pleasure to give an Account of Your march so soon as the Count ' dOberstoff shall have joined You being impatient to have it in my power to testifie to Your Excellency the Esteem I have for Your Person
A Letter from the Emperor to the King of Poland wrote by his own Hand Dated at Passaw Aug. 24. 1683. To the most Serene Lord the King of Poland my most dearly beloved Brother and Neighbour I Have seen by Your Majesty's Letter wrote with Your own Hand dated the 15th Instant how that You have already sent a good part of Your Army before and given order that they shall join very speedily with the Troops of Lithuania and the Cossacks and that You had begun Your march on that great Day of the Feast of our Lady with Your whole Army to come and succour with all Your might my City of Vienna which is ready to surrender being closely besieged by the most powerful Army of the Turks So puissant and opportune a Succour makes me sufficiently to see the brotherly Love You have for me to preserve my Dominions as well as the Zeal You have for the Good of Christendom So I return You most hearty Thanks and shall endeavour upon all Occasions to acknowledge Your brotherly Love I have been also willing to confess the same by this my devout Acknowledgment which will be presented by the Count de Schafsgoutz who will acquaint You that I am to set out to Morrow for Lintz in order to be nearer the City and have News of it the sooner and to have an Opportunity to consult more easily with You to whom I wish a perfect Health and all Prosperity Your Majesty's most Affectionate Brother and Neighbour Leopoldus A Letter from the King of Poland to the Pope Dated at Ratibor Aug. 24. 1683. This Letter properly speaking is only the rough Draught drawn by the King himself and wrote with his own Hand from which I copied it For he afterwards gave this rough Draught to an Italian Secretary who translated it into his own Language with the Ceremonies and Titles agreed on LAst Year I ordered the Imperial Minister at my Court to acquaint his Master That Vienna would be besieged the beginning of this because I had Advice of it from good Hands So soon as the Confederacy and the Diet were over I caused my Secretary to write to Cardinal Barbarini that in case Vienna should be besieged I would go in Person to succour it I received the News of its being besieged on the Twenty Third of July between Warsaw and Cracow In a Months time I have raised an Army without Money for the Provinces have scarce begun to pay their Contributions I gathered together the Troops that were in Podolia towards Caminiec and those which cover the Frontiers of Ukrania I caused them to make long marched insomuch that in a little time they have marches above an hundred German Leagues without having had Rest or Intermission And seeing I have Advice every Moment that the City which has been besieged only forty Days and defended by a whole Army is notwithstanding reduced to a great extremity I send part of my Army before with the Lieutenant General who will join the Duke of Lorrain the Day after to Morrow But seeing every Body wants my presence and that my Hussars Cannon and Infantry can march but four German Leagues a Day I take this Day some Troops of light Horse with me and by the Blessing of God shall be upon the Banks of the Danube by the last Day of this Instant to see and determine with the Duke of Lorrain and the other Generals how and by which way we shall succour Vienna and we shall forthwith pass the River which we wish to render yet more glorious by the defeat of the Infidels Let your Holiness now judge if you ought to give Credit to those who would have made you believe that the Polanders would do nothing this Campagne and that the King would never go out of his own Kingdom The King and his Army shall be sooner at the Gates of Vienna that one could have expected to have heard of his departure out of his own Territories And then you may reflect whether or no one can do more for a Friend and Allie but in so far as it concerns the good of the Church and Christendom I and my Kingdom shall be always ready to shed the last drop of our Blood as a true Shield of Christianity AN ACCOUNT OF THE Raising of the SIEGE OF VIENNA Written by Order of the Queen of POLAND THIS Account is properly an Abstract of the Letter which the King of Poland wrote to the Queen by the ordinary Post five or six Days after the departure of the Courier which he had sent the Day after the raising of the Siege who only carried the News by Word of Mouth whereof the King afterwards made an ample Relation to the Queen This is an Abstract of the Circumstances and particularly of the very Words in which the King wrote them connected together The Reader may observe some Verbosity and extravagant Praises therein but it is the Genius of the Nation and of the Polish Language which is full of Periphrases and Circumlocutions which in that Country they reck on to be great and sublime so that they make a Harangue at saluting one or for a Compliment of nothing The Victory which the King of Poland hath obtained over the Infidels is so great and so compleat that past Ages can scarce parallel the same and perphaps future Ages will never see any thing like it All its Circumstances are as profitable to Christendom in general and to the Empire in particular as glorious to that Monarch On one hand we see Vienna besieged by three hundred thousand Turks reduced to the last extremity its Outworks taken the Enemy fixed to the Body of the Place Masters of one Point of the Bastions having frightful Mines under the Retrenchments of the besieged We see an Emperor chased from his Capital retired to a Corner of his Dominions all his Country at the mercy of the Tartars who have filled the Camp with an infinite Number of unfortunate Slaves that had been forcibly carried away out of Austria On the other hand we see the King of Poland who goes out of his Kingdom with part of his Army and hastens to succour his Allies who abandons what is dearest to him to march against the Enemies of the Christian Religion willing to act in Person on this Occasion as a true Buckler of Religion and will not spare his eldest Son the Prince of Poland whom he carries with him even in a tender Age to so dangerous an Expedition as this was That which preceded the battle is no less surprizing The Empire assembles on all sides the Elector's of Saxony and Bavaria come in Person to join their Troops with the Imperialists under the command of the Duke of Lorrain Thirty other Princes repair out of Emulation to one another to the Army which nevertheless before they will enter upon Action stay for the presence of the K of Poland whose presence alone is worth an Army They all march with this Confidence The
meerly the Ornament Tho' this Army be called Foreign it is nevertheless compos'd of native Poles with Officers of a Foreign Name and Model Colonels Lieutenant Colonels General Majors and others People of all Nations may be employed in this Army whereas the Poles only are admitted into the Free Companies There are Germans Curlanders French and others in the Foreign Army The King Queen Princes Generals and other Lords have Regiments therein of both sorts The Foot and Horse Guards that attend the King's Person are comprehended in this Body of the Army as are abundance of other Free Companies of Horse Dragoons and Heidukes which the Generals have rais'd for their particular service and make the Republic pay for them Upon which I shall observe by the way that there are Royal Lands in Poland which we call Fiefs in France given to Lords and their Descendants as Hereditary Estates on condition of maintaining a certain number of Troops whereof there are some that are obliged to furnish an hundred Dragoons but the Court does not keep those Lords to an exact performance tho' if they would oblige the Possessors of those Lands to it the Republic should have in case of need near twenty thousand Men that cost them nothing This is the disposition of the Polish Armies with which that Nation hath formerly made their Neighbours to tremble ev'n those who now keep them under the Yoke of which one essential Reason is not so much the want of Courage tho' the Poles be in that very respect much degenerated from their Ancestors as the want of Mony and Discipline which hinders the compleating of their Troops prevents their arrival at the place of their Rendesvouz against the time appointed and overwhelms them with misery As to their Discipline that is still more irregular than their Pay there being nothing of any exact service performed here I never saw in the Army neither main nor ordinary Guard nor Convoy for their Forragers their Troops going to sleep upon the moral security they conceive themselves to be in from the stupidity of their Enemies Had they to do with French or Germans not one Forrager should return to the Camp nor could there pass a Night without beating up one quarter or other There 's nothing but the Body commanded by the Stragenik compos'd of all sorts of Troops and amongst them Pancernes and Polish Cavalry which makes a sort of advanc'd Guard for all the Army in general encamping at their Head about half a League from the first Line and the same is reinforc'd proportionable to the danger Besides this Detachment each Regiment of Infantry makes one of twenty or twenty five Men posted about thirty paces before the Line for the Guard of the Colours which are planted all together at the Head of the Colonel's Company They do moreover besides this when they are in the open Field and in presence of the Enemy inclose their Camp with an Entrenchment of Waggons which they call the Tabor and is certainly an Extraordinary Rampart against the Tartars This Tabor marches in order of Battle with the Army without breaking Every Officer makes such an Entrenchment round his Tents The number of Carriages is twice as great as the number of the Men and a Camp so entrench'd hath something that is great singular and formidable in it In cover'd or uneven ground they make use of Chevaux de Frize each Regiment hath a certain number of them they are fixed to four Wheels like a Waggon and on a March are drawn by Horses This is none of the worst Inventions and is owing to a Frenchman call'd Hoccart who is Ingineer to the King of Poland and hath serv'd him for fifteen years with applause The Poles have a particular way of Encamping viz. in a very large Square inclos'd on all sides the first Line consists of all the Infantry with the Artillery in the Center the Dragoons on the Wings disposed according to the German manner the Officers encamping in the Rere and the Soldiers making Baracks for themselves The second Line is form'd of the Gens d' Arms Hussars Pancernes Peteores all call'd Touariches The two Flanks are clos'd by the Light Horse Cossacs Vallachians and Poles to whom there is added Pancernes and Dragoons as the Number of the Troops will allow and the Ground requires so that the Camp fronts every way and the middle or space betwixt the two Lines serves for a Market to the Victuallers Merchants and Purveyors As to the Artillery which is at the Head sometimes without the Line sometimes in the Center It hath its particular Guard viz. a Regiment design'd for that purpose called the Regiment of Artillery The Strageniks advanc'd Guard is beyond the Square separated from all the rest as I have already said The King's Quarters those of the Senators Grand General and Volunteers is in this Inclosure adjoining to the Hussars at the Head of the Line which is begun by the King's Company the Lieutenant of which commands all the rest and his Drum gives the signal of March there being no such thing amongst the Poles as beating to the Watch in the Evening nor for a General March in the Morning during their Encampment This leads me to speak of their Tents which in Poland are extraordinary magnificent both for Number and Beauty They are the same with those of the Turks that is to say of a certain coarse Cloth much like our Tent Cloth painted without and lin'd with a Cotton Stuff cut out in Figures Flower-Baskets Squares Compartments Their form differs according to the occasion some have Pavillions with Porches in form of a Wall and double Roofs Some of them resemble long Halls others are like square Chambers call'd Cotars made of coarse Cloth and lin'd with another Stuff resembling Tapestry with Glass-windows and Deal-floors and encompassed without by a great Wall that forms an Ally or Gallery round it which composes a Wardrobe and a Lodging-place for Servants These Cotars are of admirable use in the advanced season and resemble true Stoves As the Poles surpass all other European Nations in this sort of Magnificence so the Turks do much exceed the Poles both of 'em affect to shew their Pomp and Grandeur in the richness of those Moveable Houses as thinking them most convenient for them The Quarters of the Polish Generals and Turkish Pachas are encompassed with Walls that have Battlements flanqu'd with little Pavillions or Turrets like Towns they have likewise Halls for Council Closets Porches to eat in great Kitchins and prodigious Stables The Parc or Quarter of the Grand Visier before Vienna was as large as St. Denis in France that of the Pacha of Egypt resembled a Magnificent Pallace adorn'd in the inside with Rich Tapistry Alcoves and Cushions The Polish Senators make a faint Resemblance of this Martial Pomp. It is a very fine fight to see their Quarter because of the Variety of Colours the Gilded Balls on their Pavillions the diverse Apartments and the
Letters from the Duke of Lorrain and Prince of Transylvania to the King of Poland that took any great Notice of the Vigor of the Garifon who undertook nothing extraordinary but only sustained the Enemies Assaults with Bravery the Cavalry having continued a long time in the Ditch without making any attack either on the Quarters or Trenches The Turks on their side did not push on the Attacks with vigor so that the City which ought to have been in Ruins by Cannon and Bombs was very intire those Places excepted that were directly exposed to the Batteries I neither saw Steeples beat down nor many Houses shattered and much fewer burnt which confirms the Opinion of the Pachas that the Grand Visier spar'd that City for his own Interest whilst by a quite contrary and ill understood Policy he utterly ruined all the Neighbourhood as far as from Presberg to 5 or 6 Leagues up the Danube beyond Vienna The Tartars in effect left furious Marks of their Rage and Cruelty in those Parts for they not only depopulated those Countries but quite destroyed all the Houses except one Castle belonging to the Emperor which is within a small League of Vienna upon the great Road to Presburg where the Turks laid up their Magazins and which the Grand Visier preserved out of Respect to the Memory of the Great Soliman because that Emperor having formerly encamped upon that Ground when he besieged the same Place The Germans built an House there with a Park inclosed with Stone-Walls flankd with little Towers looking like Pavillions representing the Form and Disposition of the Sultans Tents whose Quarter was built by way of a Palace or Seraglio Those that are versed in War could not comprehend the Reasons of the Grand Visier who without any necessity thus ruined a fine Country of the Conqest whereof he assured himself and designed to have made it his Residence Besides that in ravaging behind him he not only starved his own Camp but also cut off all Possibility of Subsistance in his retreat in case of any Misfortune whilst at the same time he spar'd the Country on his left-hand towards Newstadt and the Mountains of Styria where the Tartars had scarcely ever touched He had pitched his Camp from the Brinks of the Danube which inclosed his right Wing to the Foot of the next little Hills where the Vineyard was taking up a vast Tract of Ground in Form of a Half-Moon insomuch that the very sight of it was formidable The Tartars had advanced further having passed the first Arm of the River and possessed themselves of the Isles over-against the Place On the first of which there was an Attack with a Battery of only six Pieces of Cannon pointed along the Streets of the Suburbs against a Bastion on the outside which is washed by the little Stream of the Danube This took up the width of the whole Street and could be nothing but a false Attack to fatigue the Garison for its Works were inconsiderable though that Arm of the River was not only fordable but very shallow in that Place The other two Approaches were towards the middle of the Camp full of irregular Cutts Turnings and VVindings after the Turkish Fashion with frequent Places of Arms all well covered and guarded the Trenches being deep and the Parapets raised high besides which the laborious Janisaries had made several Holes like Huts to secure themselves from the Granado's Firepots and Bombs as for Stones they did no hurt there In a word all that could be thought of for strengthening a Trench and covering a Battery was practised here No Body ever saw such fine VVorks and Gabions nor so many Fascines and Sacks of Earth particularly on the Brink of the Ditch from whence they defended the Lodgments made upon the two Bastions The Grand Visier had taken up his Quarters upon certain little Heights near that renowned Palace called the Favorita which he inclosed within his Park the extent whereof was prodigious I have heard the King compare it to the largeness of the City of VVarsaw He had added Gardens VVater-Courses and other Imbelishments to it and also a sort of a Menagery for after the Siege was raised several Rabbets live Pidgeons and the Body of the finest feathered Ostridge that ever was seen whose Head the Visier's Party had cut off as they retired were found there He was a Man who loved his Pleasures and Magnificence in all things mixing them always with a Representation of VVar. The Cares of that Siege did not debar him of his Divertisements nor interrupt his Amours And I know that the Mufti who accompanied him in that famous Expedition often reproached him with his brutal Debaucheries threatning him with the Vengeance of God and Forewarning him as by a Spirit of Prophecy that his infamous Commerce with Boys which the Turks as well as Christians are forbid under very severe Penalties would be the Cause of the ruin of the Empire and of his ill success in that Enterprize He had little reason to fear it humanly speaking for the Ottoman Empire had never assembled so vast an Army nor so many Pioneers at once nor gathered together such vast Quantities of Ammunition and Artillery The Camp was an entire VVorld as one may say I have heard some Turks who pretended not to exagerate when they said That it consisted of seven hundred thousand Men including regular Troops Pioneers Artificers Domesticks and such as composed the Trains of the Officers VVhen we arrived to the top of Mount Callemberg and first saw them we were struck with Fear and Admiration at the same time which we could not avoid at the sight of so many Men and such great Riches agreeable to the Grandeur and Puissance of the Grand Senior But the terror wherewith we were seized overcame our Admiration when the King asked one of his Gentlemen who advanced to the top of the highest Mountain to view them and bring some News of them he gave so terrible a Description of them that the whole Army trembled at it which that great Monarch seeing and fearing lest such a Prepossession might discourage the Army he openly derided the Gentleman's Relation calling it a Coward 's Vision but when the Business was over being himself amazed at his good Success he confessed that he had Reason to speak of it as he had done and that his Fear was very well grounded Amongst this prodigious Number of People which I have spoke of 't was computed that there were nigh 300000 fighting Men without including the Tartars and other Auxiliary Troops as Walachians Moldavians Transylvanians c. But according to the just Relation of an Envoy from Count Teckley who afterwards followed the King of Poland to Cracow that Number was reduced to an hundred and sixty thousand effective Turks whereof 22000 Men were at that time killed being in the Month of August The Grand Visier depending upon his formidable strength marched as if it had been to a Triumph and had
carryed the Residents of the Emperor and of the King of Poland chained as Captives to be witnesses of the same the former was found in that Condition in the Camp after the Flight of the Turks who had forgot him there I determine nothing about the precise Number of this prodigious Multitude of Troops and pass over the divers Relations that have been made of this great Affair I tell in a Historical manner what I know from the Original recommending the Reader to judge of the thing upon two Circumstances one of which is that next Morning after the Battle there were remaining at ten of the Clock twenty five thousand small Tents after a whole Nights plunder which began about 7 in the Evening If the Turks put 4 Men in each Tent as we do 't is easie to draw a Conclusion from thence The other Circumstance relates to the Tartars who have no Tents besides these a great many were scattered in the Neighbouring Islands the Grand Visier had left ten thousand Men to guard his Bridges upon the Raab to hinder the Garison of that Place from burning them and besides all this the Sultan who was advanced to Belgrade to encourage the Expedition had sent him towards the end of the Siege a Reinforcement of twenty thousand Men in the Room of those that might be killed or dead but they did not arrive in time Whilst he batters the Place with a terrible fury Count Teckley advances through Hungary to Presburg with another Body of about twenty thousand Men Hungarians and Turks the latter commanded by three Bassas He had brought over almost all that Kingdom to his Party and the arrival of the Grand Visier augmented the Inclination which those who still adher'd to the Emperor had for a Revolt Thus the Town of Comorra was burnt by the Rebbels under the favour of this Irruption and that of Presburg opened its Gates to Count Teckley and received a Turkish Garison of about three hundred Men. The Grand Visier being informed of its Surrender sent some Troops thither with Orders to lay a Bridge over the Danube to the end that the Tartars or some Turkish Cavalry might pass over the same from his Camp before Vienna into that other part of Austria bordering upon Moravia in order to shut up the Passage of the Succours expected from Poland But the Duke of Lorrain being informed of the Surrender of Presburg and fearing what the Visier had projected as to a Bridge he advanced in great Diligence thitherwards with the rest of the Imperial Army which since its March out of the Islands of Leopoldstadt and Tabor moved up and down the Plains on the other side the Danube along the Roads where the Troops of the Allies were to come He carefully concealed his March and slipt during the Darkness of the Night into the Thickets and Vineyards above Presburg from whence he sent some Horse by break of Day with Orders to approach the Castle and to see whether 't was still in the hands of the Germans to the end he might put some Troops into the same and afterwards force the Town to return to the Obedience of the Emperor Presburg the Capital of the Kingdom of Hungary Residence of the Governour General call'd Palatin and the Place where the States assemble for the Election and Coronation of their Kings was formerly a considerable City and an Ancient Roman Colony founded by Piso from whence comes the Latin Denomination of Posonium which the Turks and Hungarians have corrupted to Poson It has only been the Capital of the Kingdom since the Turks took Buda which before that time was the Residence of the Kings of Hungary whose Palace is yet to be seen at least Part of that which King Matthias caused to be built there and called by his own Name Presburg is scituated upon the left-hand Branch of the Danube inclosed within a Chain of little Hills covered with Vineyards and the Channel of the River which is very broad there and washes its Walls Upon one of those rising Heights near the City is a Castle or more properly a Noblemans House which in reality is very large in Form of a Square but all intire It is covered by a Modern Fortification with some Works at a distance upon the brow of the Hill on that side which commands the City The Town is only girt with a single Wall flanked with great Towers of Stone and a covered Rampart sufficient to stop an Army for some Days The Gates are very broad but the Ditch is narrow and not very deep 'T is not very considerable within there are some Fountains in it several Churches pretty well built some Squares but small and huddled up there 's a great many People in the Town and extraordinary plenty of Provisions and above all of admirable Fruit. I have heard the King of Poland express his wonder at this Plenty as the Product of a fortunate Country and of a Climate cherished by the Heavens which ought not to surprize us for he spoke without doubt in Comparison of that from whence he came where Nature overwhelmed with Snow produceth nothing that is delicious though to speak the Truth there are few Countries in the World better than the Kingdom of Hungary Notice being given to the Duke of Lorrain by his Men that the Castle of Presburg held out still he advanced thither with his Troops and summoned the Town which delayed its Submission to the Emperor only to gain time for the Turkish Garison to march out at an opposite Gate and to give 'em leasure to regain Count Teckley's Camp which was pitched upon a rising Ground about a quarter of a League beyond it This step broke all the Measures of the Grand Visier for building his Bridge for which all the Materials were already got together in the Town The Duke of Lorrain did not content himself with having retaken the Town but went in quest of the Enemy on the other side who boldly offered him Battel and bore the Shock with Vigor But at last were broke by the Imperialists and pressed upon in their Retreat by the Polish Troops under the command of Prince Lubomirski who signalized themselves on this Occasion The Duke of Lorrain having afterwards given necessary Orders for the Security of Presburg he repassed the Morave foarding it as he had done before when he went thither and pitched his Camp at Levenstorf in the same Plains where he had not been long till he saw the Enemy again Anchar one of Count Teckley's â—â—eutenants returned with a great Detachment of Hungarian Troops and passed the Morave burning wherever he came and ravaging the finest Country in all Austria The Duke of Lorrain being informed of this by the Spies belonging to the Polish Troops could not refuse Prince Lubomirski who commanded them the Glory of Fighting those Rebels with the Regiments of their own Nation only and the said Prince having obtained leave for that purpose led on his Men with
could get But nothing could be expected from them because of their smalness and the height of the Place on which they were planted This inconvenience was observed in the Battery that was made at Calemberg which began to fire Sunday Septemb. 12. about Ten in the Morning on the Main Body of the Turks Posted below without reaching them For as we said before the Grand Visier convinc'd at last of the Approach of the Succours took no other precautions to cover the Siege than only to send on Saturday Night a Body of 10 or 12000 Men whose Standards we could only see in the Covert or Hollow ways to take Possession of the bottom below this Castle On Sunday September 12. 1683. The German Troops about break of Day began to Skirmish with this Detachment of the Enemy whom they chased from Post to Post and there were particular Skirmishes carry'd on very warmly on both sides Among the Rest the Dragoons of Savoy those of Crouy a Regiment of the Army of Saxony and that of a small Body of Polanders commanded by Chevalier Lubomirsky signaliz'd themselves particularly These Troops were insensibly drawn into fight and began at last a regular Battle in the Villages and Defiles where the Turks defended themselves vigorously discharging on Foot and afterwards mounting on Horseback which deceived one of these Bodies of Dragoons who supposing that the Enemy fled advanced too forward and were cut in pieces In this Action the Lieutenant Colonel of Lubomirsky's Dragoons nam'd Kinsik was wounded in the Head with a Sabre who died within three days after notwithstanding the Horseshoe that he had in his Hat to defend him from the Blow The Marquiss of Parelle desired leave to go with his Volunteers to drive the Turks out of that Post but the Duke of Lorrain every time he made the Proposal seemed as if he heard him not and order'd Colonel Mercy to do it charging him thrice together not to go without his Head-piece This was a very brave Officer and notable Partyman He executed the Order with as much Address as Valour The Turks were driven out of that Post and all of a sudden scattered over the whole face of the Mountainous Country The Grand Visier himself came at last out of his Camp and posted himself not far from the Lines of it with a Body of Cavalry which according to the Accounts that have been given and the Relations of those who were in the Action were upwards of 30000 Men But the number did not appear so great to those who saw that Body of the Grand Visier broken by two Companies of Hussars one of which and the first that made the Onset was commanded by Alexander the King of Poland's second Son Before I descend any further to particulars I must take notice that the Janizaries did not appear upon this occasion none but the Cavalry and Dragoons which last fought sometimes on Foot The Infantry still carried on the Assault and maintained the Trenches For the Besieged have said since that they made three Sallies that very day and took or Nail'd up thirty Pieces of Cannon The Camp therefore remained still in the same Posture and the Conqueror found their Tents spread as if the Grand Visier had design'd his March before the Christians for no more than a Walk But the wiser among the Turks had other thoughts of the matter The Cham of Tartary was the first that took care of his Retreat The Principal Bassas sent their Equipage away before hand with the Camels and Led-Horses of which there were but a few left and scarce anything else considerable so that the Soldiery had but indifferent Plunder This very Day in the Morning we had descry'd from the top of the Mountains the retreat of all these Equipages And whereas they raised a great Dust in Raab Road it was thought at first that it was rais'd by the Reinforcement of the 20000 Men which as it was reported in our Army were to to be sent to the Camp before Vienna by the Sultan who was advanced as far as Belgrade But of this Reinforcement we could never get any certain intelligence The Precaution of these Bassas and the premeditated retreat of the Cham of Tartary were look'd upon among the Turks as arising from a correspondence they held with the King of Poland The Visier of Buda lost his Head for it The Cham of Tartary was deposed by the Sultan's Authority who gave the Grand Visier Orders to do it upon the complaints that he had preferr'd to his Highness about it after the raising of the Siege It was likewise reported among us that the King of Poland made way for this happy success by a secret negotiation as he had done at Kotchim the evening before the Battle by the desertion of the Hospodars Valachia and Moldavia which he dexterously brought about by the prevalence of his Promises But these are conjectures too refin'd with respect to the Affair of Vienna and besides the remainder of the Turkish Army was enough to have prevented the King of Poland from being Victorious if they had but done their duty Apannick fear infus'd from on high into all their hearts by one of those sudden Motions of which no account can be given was that alone which routed this formidable Army as had been promis'd in the Morning by Father Mark de Aviano a Capuchin Friar famous for contemplation and of so great an esteem for his Goodness as to be said to work Miracles This Holy Man we met with at Calemberg who always attended the Army during the Fight The King of Poland heard him say Mass and received the Communion at his hands in the Chappel of St. Leopold which is not far from the other Fabrick This Capuchin afterwards gave the Benediction in the name of the Pope to all the Generals and assured them in the name of God of a compleat Victory if they had but the Faith to Trust in him Si habebitis saith he Confidentiam in Deo obtinebitis Victoriam These are the Fryar's own words But to return to the Fight Whilst the German Troops were engaged the Cannon of Calemberg plaid upon the Turk and the rest of the Army began to draw out of the Wood forming themselves into a Line of Battle The King of Poland returning from the Chappel of St. Leopold made an halt in the bottom below that Fortress where he din'd under a Tent pitched in that place on purpose and afterwards mounted his Horse to march towards the Enemy with a design as I said before only of beating them to such an Eminence where he intended to have incamped on this Day being Sept. 12. The Fight therefore began then on all sides and it was just past Eleven a Clock The Turks being Posted in the Rocky Bottoms fenced with Walls in several places and in the high and thick Vineyards vigorously received the charge at first and killed a great many Men. The Company of the Hussars of the Castellan of
Cracow headed by his Son the Starost of Halich underwent several discharges in one of which that young Lord notwithstanding his coat of Mail was shot through the Body with a Musket shot as was Mondreowsky Treasurer of the Court in another Post or as some say in passing at the head of the Line to carry out the King's Orders It was in these first Motions they began to descry the main Body of the Grand Visier posted in the Lines of the Camp and sometime after a small Red Tent which was raised on purpose to take a view of the Fight in the shade out of the Sun for never was there ahotter day known than this The Grand Visier's Men have since inform'd us that he there apprehended the Caffa with his two Sons and the Cham of Tartary No sooner had the King a sight of this Tent but knowing it by its Colour he found himself animated afresh and being engaged that he could not set his Eyes on his Infantry who were not come up and to whom he had sent time after time he marched at the head of the first Batallions which he met with causing his Cannon to play continually on that Tent. But he had no more than two or three Pieces which were rolled along on Levers according as they advanced to the Enemy and the King promised fifty Crowns for each Discharge The mischief of it was they had but few Bullets at hand and nothing to ram down upon them I have heard a French Engineer say that for want of some other thing to ram down he made use at last of his Gloves his Perriwig his Cravet and a great Pacquet of Gazets that were in his Pocket At last the Polish Infantry came up The Battle grew warm on all sides The Turks were beat from Eminence to Eminence and at last the Count of Maligny the Queen's Brother with the Grand Squire of the Crown was the first who gain'd that Eminence where the King had designed to have Encamp'd this day But immediately after his Polish Majesty perceived the Turkish Squadrons to give ground which denoted them to be less resolute than before In effect our Troops broke them upon which this Monarch cry'd out That they were defeated by a certain Warlike penetration of thought habitual to him ever since he fought against those Infidels He ordered the Duke of Lorrain by the Adjutants near his Person to send him forthwith some Troops He caused his Hussars to advance whom we saw to descend down a hollow Way on foot among the Walls and Steep Places where a Footman could scarce stand upright and at the same time the King himself fell upon the Visier's main Body recommending the Prince his Son to the Count of Maligny his Brother-in-Law whose Valour and good Conduct had been experienced in this and several other Rencounters Every thing happened according as he supposed The Hussars of Prince Alexander fell upon the main Body of the Grand Visier routed them and in that instant the whole Army of the Enemy retreated without making any resistance The Grand Visier endeavoured in Vain to make them stand their ground He addressed himself to the Cham of Tartary What says he will you not stand by me But that Man already disheartned as well as the rest reply'd That he knew the King of Poland and that he could not be safe with him any otherwise than by flying from him of which he gave him an Example immediately The Visier endeavoured still to rally some part of his Cavalry and seeing they all fled before the Hussars he with Tears in his Eyes embrac'd his two Sons and was carried off by the Croud and quitting his War-Horse which was barded with Steel-Armour damask'd with Gold and quilted with Crimson Velvet and making his escape with only one Vest an instance which I observe to let you know that I was well informed as to this particular the which I saw in the Letter of the Prince of Transylvania who sent word to the King that he had lent him one from that very night In the mean time the Duke of Lorrain march'd on the left where he met with no manner of Opposition and having a less compass to fetch in order to arrive at the Camp on that side of it which lay next to the City and the Trenches the German Forces entred it betimes It was a little past half an hour after Six when the King of Poland pass'd through the midst of it where a young Turk of a comely aspect presented him with the Grand Visiers Horse very fit indeed for the Parade of a Publick Entry but for no other use by reason of the weight of its Armour Another Turk came with great hast and one of the Grand Visiers stirrups in his hand to present to his Polish Majesty which he sent to the Queen to be laid at the feet of the Miraculous Crucifix of the Cathedral of Cracow A third waited upon him to inform him of the Place where that Ottoman General 's Tents were pitch'd whither the King send his Dragoons as a Guard charging them to forbear pillaging He likewise order'd all the Army to stand still in Battalia for fear the Enemy rallying behind the Camp should renew the Fight and so rob them of such a cheap Victory This they might have done had not a Terror still possess'd them and carry'd them with the same impetuosity to the Bridges of the River of Raab For spight of the King's Orders the Souldiers began to plunder that very Night The General Dunneval who they say was a greedy Lover of Rich Booties in his Rounds met with the Tent of the Bassa of Egypt very suitable to his Purpose and a-propos to his desires The Emperor's Envoy was hard-by still in Chains which he had worn ever since he had been at Adrianople In several places of the Camp they met with Women and Children massacred or wounded by those Barbarians who could not carry them off in such a precipitate Retreat One of those Children of a very Beautiful Aspect and wounded in the Head was brought before the King The Duke of Lorrain seeing the Army absolute Masters of the Camp sent to the King to give Orders for the clearing the Trenches where they still fir'd and kept playing upon the Town 'till Ten at Night But the King who was unwilling that the Germans should have the Honour of Raising the Siege at the first reply'd That it was needless and that it was better to make sure of the Camp against an unexpected Return And afterwards gave out that he had already detach'd some Forces for that purpose However either the Germans went thither of their own Heads or the Janizaries retreated of themselves for not a Man stirr'd out of the Camp where the King spent the Night at the foot of a Tree lying upon his Horse-Saddle in stead of a Pillow About Midnight the Governor of Vienna sent out some of his Men who brought his Majesty some
other Fortifications beside very thick Walls well built and Rampier'd defended with Towers Angles and other ancient Flankers by which the Walls of the Lower Town are joyn'd to those of the Upper That side which faces the Danube is very pleasant and the Communication of the Lower City with the Fortress very easie by paths than run along the Descent to a small Gate But the side which looks towards the Champian Country is very steep on the Top where is a Rocky Crest that surrounds the Fort and its Walls at the foot of which is a Pallisade in the nature of a Counterscarp to keep off the Enemy For as soon one has gain'd the foot of those Walls he is cover'd from all the Attempts of those that are upon them Over against this side is just such another Mountain parallel to the former and call'd in German Thomasberg where formerly was a sort of Fortress of which nothing is now remaining but the Foundations and from whence one might cannonade that of Strigonium The Lower City had several Houses in the out-parts upon the Plain a Mosque upon the Bank of the Danube near the Bridge to which they went through a small Gate open'd in the Wall over against it This Bridge was one of the longest that ever was seen the middle built on Boats the two ends on Piles The River is of an extraordinary Breadth its Banks pleasant its Current running in a strait line the passage all about of wonderful variety It was formerly a considerable Arch-Bishoprick whose Title is still bestow'd on Prelates of high Dignity And of late Years we have met in the Learned World with an Archbishop of Strigonium whose Writings have furnish'd matter of Dispute to the most Famous Universities of Europe and have establish'd a lasting Reputation to their Author This City is still the Metropolis of a Country of a large Extent which made up one of the best parts of the ancient Kingdom of Hungary BUDA Buda was the Capital thereof and the Residence of the King who had there a Magnificent Palace It lies below Strigonium six large Leagues and on the same side divided into the Upper and Lower Town the latter seated on the Declivity and at the Foot of a large Mountain the former stretch'd out on the Top of it where it stands being very narrow about the middle but very long and the two Extremities widened out like Places-d ' Armes Neither of these Towns have any Fortifications The Lower Town is inclos'd only with Walls the Upper flank'd with round Towers with a good Trench a double Circumvallation in several parts of the Ancient Mode and with those Pallaces of King Matthias at the end which enters into the very Substance of the Walls and make a principal part of them The whole is built with Brick and well rampier'd yet of easie Access the Declivity of the Mountain not being very rough and the Top being almost all of it commanded by other Risings proper to mount Cannon on The River runs behind that Hill on which the City stands so that one cannot get betwixt them and to cut off their Supplies one must either seise upon Pest which is on the other side at the Head of the Bridge or stop up the Danube below Buda towards the Isle of Saint Andrews which is not far from thence The Turks call the Place Boudim and have made it the Title of a Visier I likewise look upon it as one of the Chief Visiriats by the Extent of its Government and the Importance of the Province which is one of the richest and largest of the Ottoman Empire which comprehends the whole course of the Drave a very considerable River upon which or its Marshes on each side is the Famous Bridge of Esseck of near two hundred Leagues Length and which opens a Passage into Servia Bulgaria Bosnia and other Ancient Provinces of the Turkish Dominions The Province of Buda made a great part of Lower Hungary and one of the Ancient Pannonienses stretching it self from the Danube towards Sclavonia and across that River as far as the Mountains of Vpper Hungary and the River Theysse taking in the City of Agria with its Dependencies At present 't is the most considerable Province of the Ottoman Empire which reaches to the Borders of Austria on one side and to the Frontiers of Poland on the other HUNGARY But for the clearer Apprehending the course of this Country we ought here to say something in general of the Kingdom of Hungary one of the largest richest most fertile pleasantest and most populous Countries of all Europe Tho' it is in a great measure rob'd of those rare Qualifications and has been the Seat of War Revolts and Bloody Catastrophes for two hundred Years together still it is the best of all the Estates that belong to the House of Austria It wants nothing and what it has is altogether Admirable Its Mountains furnish you with Golden Mines its Coasts with the richest Wines in the World for the Best comes not near those of Hungary made in certain Parts and of certain rich Grapes dry'd in the Sun call'd Vvae siccae Vvae passae The Fruits of the Country are likewise Extraordinary You there meet with a kind of black Plums of a delicate Taste and so suitable to the Constitution of an Humane Body that the Physicians say proverbially That they will do you no harm eat as many as you will of ' em unless you swallow down Tree and all The other Fruits so much boasted of in hot Countries grow here in great plenty Water Melons and others on dry Land without meeting with so much as one of 'em naught And there are three or four sorts of them or of different colours being white green red within Hungary abounds no less in all other things requisite for the Pleasure or Necessities of Life so that it needs not to borrow any thing from its Neighbors but on the contrary can lend to them of its own stores This has render'd it very populous and enrich'd it with great Cities large Towns and stately Castles Most of the first owe their Original to the Ancient Romans who planted Colonies in this Country the Names of which are still retain'd in that general corruption of Languages Such are Poson Sabine and Tyrnau which are Famous Cities of this Kingdom founded formerly by Piso Sabinus and Tyrnavius The Inhabitants of those Places still retain the purity of the Language of their ancient Masters 'T is certain that no place of Europe speaks so good so Proper Elegant and Fluent Latin as Hungary Even the Language of Augustus's Time is not degenerated neither in the Stile nor the Pronunciation 'T is still cultivated with Care in the Universities of this Kingdom of which the Colleges of Tyrnau and Cassovia are the most Famous and noted as the Best Universities of France and the Ancient Conimbrian and Complutensian Academies of Spain The Post-Masters are not admitted into that Office unless they
with the Army and the Isle of Schut the only Road that could be Travelled with any safety and to facilitate that of the City Komorne which was seated at the farther end of the Island The King of Poland left the Isle October 3. and Encamped beyond it under the Cannon of that Fortress facing towards Newhausel on the Left leaving space on the Right for the German Army who arrived the next Day near the City and passed the Bridge the same Day and all the fifth which obliged the King to make a stand in that place to the sixth that the Duke of Lorrain might have time to draw over all his Forces However the Imperial Artillery and the Regiments of the Cravatians could not pass over till this Day and the Army was forced still to Halt But our Parties and our Cossacks having brought News the Night before that the Turks were likewise passing the Danube at Pest and Barean to put a stop to our March and cover Newhausel Lewents and the Country that lay at the foot of the Mountains the King resolved upon Marching directly to the Bridge of Strigonium to burn it before the Enemy could all get over to us and to carry the Fort which lay at the head of the Bridge by the Vanguard with Sword in Hand In the mean time he took a view of the Rounds of his Camp of Komorne to descry the Avenues and the Disposition of the Ground He sent a French Engineer named M. du Pont with a great Party of Horse towards Lewents with Orders to advance as nigh as he could to the Enemies Army His Cossacks were likewise ordered forth towards the Danube one of whom brought a Turk who was advanced but only twenty paces from the Main-Guard of the Enemies Camp The Engineer returned without having discover'd any thing because his Guides had led him all the Night without coming nigh either of the Bridges on the contrary they brought him towards Newhausel by the Walls of which he marched But another Officer committed a greater Error for being commanded to go as far Barcan he stopp'd in a Village half-way where he spent the greatest part of the Night a Detachment of the Turks surprized him cut off his Head with thirty Horse that attended him whose Trunks we saw the next Day as we passed through that Village So that the King could never get any certain Intelligence what number of Turks had crossed on this side of the River nor where their particular Post was We could plainly see the Fires which they made in the Villages upon the Road thereby to cut off from us both Wood and Forrage the former of which was very scarce in those Plains We were informed by the Prisoners that marched on the side of us that the Tartars were advanced by the way of Pest and were to join the Rebels of Hungary led by Count Teckly along the Mountains but we knew nothing of what past at Barcan This Post was very still undiscovered and the King was ill advised to think of carrying the Place by his Dragoons and Infantry without communicating any thing of his Design to the Germans that he might let them see that the Poles knew how to carry considerable Forts by surprize Full of this design he urged the Duke of Lorrain to decamp from Komorne and advance towards the Bridges of the of the Turks under a pretence of burning them without letting him know any of his Real intentions But the Imperial Army could not yet break up since their Cannon and part of the Cavalry was still stopp'd in the Isle by the breaking of part of the Bridge which was repairing all the fifth Day On October 6. about Nine in the Morning they decamped without waiting for the coming up of the rest and in that very instant the King received advice that Teckley being informed of his March was retreated towards Transylvania having gained the Mountains This redoubled his Desire of advancing towards the Enemy which they did this very Day within two short Leagues off the Fort of Barcan having marched three large Leagues During these Transactions the Queen of Poland to whom the King had sent me with a very large Account of the Particulars of Vienna dispatch'd me back again with her Answers and order'd me particularly to insinuate to the King by means of the Senators that follow'd the Camp that it was high time to return back to his Dominions This the Poles passionately long'd for because the Infantry began to be out of Heart for want of Provisions particularly Bread for which the Germans cannot be excus'd having the conveniency of the Danube by which they might have convey'd great plenty into the Camp had they us'd due Precautions Besides this the Poles thought they were at the fag-end of the World and long'd for their Beer their Colworts and their Cacha without which they fancy'd they could not live But the King would listen to none of these Considerations and with a steddy Resolution pursu'd that Glorious Carreer which he had form'd in his Mind from the Banks of the Danubâ—â— the Vistula across all Vpper Hungary I met with the German Army in the Isle of Komorne and because I could not tell for certain where the Polish Army was which always march'd two or three Leagues in the Van I resolv'd at Presbourg to follow a Courrier from the Emperor that was going thence to the Duke of Lorrain from whom I expected to receive a Convoy After 4 Hours march we found the Arrier-Guard compos'd of the Cravatian Regiments We went afterwards by the course of the Country towards the Place where they told us the Main Body of the Army lay but we turn'd too much towards the the Left and fell in with the Camp of the Infantry commanded by Staremberg which coasted along the Left Arm of the Danube and encamp'd this Day upon the Shore about Goutta a small City over against Newhausel By this means we could not get before Midnight to the Duke of Lorrain's Camp posted about the Middle of the Isle four large Leagues off Komorne being two Days March to that City On the Morrow being Sunday Octob. 3. I waited upon the Duke of Lorrain at his Levée who inform'd me That the King was this very Day to pass the Danube over the Bridge of Komorne his Army being march'd over the Day before That Prince order'd me to be conducted thither by one of his Adjutants upon Horses belonging to his own Equipage I arriv'd at the Bridge that very Instant the King pass'd it and his Majesty who had order'd me to rejoyn him by coming that Road in which he was pursuing the Enemy was surpris'd and at the same time glad to see me arrive so safe to his Camp During the Halt he made there he receiv'd an Express from the Prince of Transylvania with Letters writ in Cyphers dated at Buda which contain'd little else but the Re-establishment of the Grand Visier in his former Dignity and the
to describe the general Consternation our Army was in or the Sorrow of the Court The King almost dead with the Fatigue weak and out of Breath was laid on the Ground upon a little Hay surrounded with his Polish Lords that had escap'd the Slaughter all of 'em in a Melancholy posture with pale Countenances and Eyes fix'd on the Ground A sad and mournful Silence possess'd the Troops who this Day encamp'd without any Order being rather dispers'd in the Open Fields than lodg'd in a mark'd-out Ground for in truth we had no other place to encamp in but that which the Turks had allow'd us to take breath in a great way short of the intended Camp which now serv'd as a Burying-place to our unfortunate Comrades After this the German Generals arriv'd who stood round the King with an external Aspect suitable to the Misfortune of the Day but inwardly ravish'd at the Loss which so much eclipsed the Glory gain'd by delivering Vienna One might read even in their feign'd and mask'd looks a secret Joy which Emulation stirr'd up and which Ingratitude render'd more delightful 'T is possible the Duke of Lorrain might have more generous Thoughts and I am perswaded That the publick Interest his Polish Majesty's Person and the Honour of the Christians Arms inspir'd into him a true Sorrow but the manner whereby this Enterprize was kept secret from him That haughty Air which was affected in the Execution of it and that Vaunting which had been made of the Bravery of the Polish Troops could not chuse but make him relish some Comfort even in the Misfortune of this Day The King of Poland could not speak a Word to him and with much ado lifted up his Eyes at the Arrival of the Prince his Son whom the Grand Squire had conducted to him to remove the Dejection of his Spirits There was no farther Order given this Night but only to encamp in the Bottom between the Curtains along the Danube and to take care of interring the Dead forthwith to cover the Shame of our Defeat which was but too considerable in the Van-Guard In the mean time the Turks puffed up with this Success sent Expresses all Night to Buda to acquaint the Grand Visier therewith and desire him to send them a Reinforcement that so they might conclude by cutting off the Germans which they fancy'd they might do at a cheap rate They sent the same News to Count Teckley who was fortified about the Mountains giving him to understand that if he had reasons hitherto of complimenting the King of Poland they were now remov'd by the entire Defeat of his Army in which himself had been kill'd perhaps taken That none remain'd of that great Body of Troops but the Germans his mortal Enemies whom he might easily get himself rid of if he would but make haste with his Army which they earnestly desir'd him to do This News that was sent to Count Teckley and the Grand Visier had different Impressions on the Minds of those two Generals The Ottoman General forgot his Flight and thought he might wipe off the Disgrace of that by a Second Battle To this Purpose he order'd 12 or 15000 Horse to march to Strigonium with Anchars or Dragoons arm'd with Carabines under the Command of Two Visiers and Four other Bassas who had Injunctions to pass the Bridge and immediately to fall Hand-over-head upon the Christians without needlesly disputing the Ground with them that so by this bold Enterprize they might add the last Stroke to the Pannick Fear of the Foregoing Day This I learn'd from one of the Visiers who was taken in this Action Count Teckley receiv'd the News of our Misfortune with contrary Thoughts He did not desire the Turks should have the better on 't and look'd upon the King of Poland as one that ballanc'd and counterpois'd their insolent Greatness Upon this Consideration he was heartily troubl'd at our Loss especially when he consider'd his own private Interest and the occasion he had of the Polish Prince either to make his Peace with the Imperial Court or to prevent him from submitting himself entirely to the Tyrannical Yoke of the Port. He turn'd those Thoughts over and over in his disturbed Breast and open'd himself to Count Forval his Intimate Friend when he receiv'd Orders to march with his Army towards Barcan to hem in that of the Christians whilst the Turkish Cavalry charg'd them in the Front 'T is certain That if this Hungarian General had done all he could upon this Occasion and discharg'd his Trust to the Turks he would have sav'd their Army and put a new Face upon their Affairs for he was above thirty some say forty thousand strong However he march'd much against his Will towards the Champian Country of Barcan and the Turks arriv'd there Friday Night October 8th there being but six Leagues distance between Buda and Strigonium They pass'd the Bridge all Night left 500 Men in the Fort and posted themselves beyond the Low Plain on the Brow of the Curtain the very Place where the others had the Day before charg'd the Polish Van-Guard On the Morrow Octob. 9th they drew into a Line of Battle in the Plains above stretching their Right Wing towards the Mountains where is a narrow Valley cover'd with Woods and Thickets through which Teckley's Army was to pass Their Left Wing terminated very near the Curtain within sight of Barcan Fort. They made but one Line and one single Front very thick but behind upon the Brow of the Curtain there were three Columns of 14 or 15 Squadrons each plac'd behind one another which were to open in the Fight in order to surround our Army as they had done at first This is the Turkish Method of Drawing up an Army which may perhaps be of some Use For they pretend that these Columns are not so easily broke and rallying themselves with all the Ease imaginable their Squadrons thus rank'd can the better support the First Line when 't is a little shatter'd They had on the Right Wing Kara Mehemet Pacha Visier of Buda in the Centre the Visier of Silistria and next the Bassa of Caramania nam'd Alè with three others of the First Rank Whilst the Turks were thus Preparing themselves for a Battle the King of Poland thought of nothing else but Revenging the Disgrace he had receiv'd the Day before He bestow'd all Friday Oct. 8th in drawing up the two Armies and in agreeing upon the Order of Battle in a general Council the Poles being eager to regain their Credit and the Germans desirous to share in the Glory which they had in some measure been rob'd of the Day before After this the King dispatch'd a Courrier to Cracow to acquaint the Queen with his ill Success and with the Resolution he had taken either to make amends for it or not to survive the Disgrace informing her That he was to march towards the Enemy on the morrow and that she must expect to hear News
either of their Defeat or of his Death These Circumstances joyn'd to those of the former Day wherein his Polish Majesty was in so much danger together with the Particulars of what the Palatine of Russia had done to favour that Prince's Retreat were a mortal Affliction to the Queen who was in dread of the Life of her Royal Consort and offended that he should be so much oblig'd to the Crown General with whom the Court was dissatisfy'd ever since his open Correspondence with the Marquiss De Vitry the French Ambassador But let us leave the Queen at the Altar loading it with her Offerings and let us see what the King is doing in the Plains of Barcan On Saturday Octob. 9. by break of Day he decamped that he might advance above the Defiles in which the Army was posted and draw it up in Battalia upon that Champian and even Ground which lay Parallel to that which the Turks had cover'd with their Squadrons As soon as we were come upon the Plain we discover'd their Line ready drawn up All our Troops were cast into three Lines there being no occasion of Stretching them nor any conveniency of doing it because of the Ground bounded on the Left by the Ridge of Mountains above-mention'd and on the Right by the Curtain which ran along above the Bottom of Barcan Our first Line had a larger Front than that of the Turks which did not reach our Centre at least not beyond it In this Line was an equal Number of German and Polish Troops the Infantry and Cavalry of both Nations together with the Generals and Trains of Artillery Thus were there some of all these in each Post and all saw the Enemy hard-by tho' not many of 'em charg'd them The Army was still 50000 strong and never made a finer Appearance not only by the wise Disposition of the Order of Battle and the goodness of the Ground but likewise by the Diversity of the Troops their Fierce Aspects their Regularity in keeping their Ranks as they march'd the dreadful Sounds of Drums and Trumpets and lastly by the Number of those Famous Commanders who led them The King of Poland was posted on the Right to intercept the Turks between the Line and the Fort of Barcan whose Retreat he was minded to cut off He assign'd the Left Wing to the Grand General of the Crown attended with some of the Emperor's Generals among whom was Count Veterani who has in the subsequent Campaigns given the World such Signs of an Extraordinary Valour and Conduct The Duke of Lorrain with others were in the Centre of the Line of Battle The Polish Artillery was planted in the Spaces between the Battalions and Squadrons of the Left Wing because they very wisely foresaw the whole Force of the Turks would fall on that side their Line being wholly drawn up over against them No sooner did the Cannon begin to play but the Turks undaunted at the Inequality of their Forces charg'd that Wing with an Impetuosity like Thunder which cannot be conceiv'd nor describ'd They were receiv'd by our Troops without giving the least Ground and with a dreadful Discharge of Fire and Ball it being certain that by the first Firing of a German Battalion a prodigious number of Men and Horses fell to the Ground Their Fury was not cool'd by this on the contrary they return'd with greater Vigour the Fight grew warm and a Bloody Slaughter ensu'd on all Sides The Visier of Buda did all he could to get the Better of our Troops and was wounded in two or three places by a Sabre The Visier of Silistria advanc'd so far that his Horse being kill'd under him he was surrounded by a Body of Cavalry against whom he defended himself a long while being assisted by 40 of his Domesticks who seeing him on the Ground leap'd all off their Horses with their Sabres in their Hands to cover their Master This Heroical Action struck our Generals with Admiration and they cry'd out that they should spare those Brave Men but in vain the Germans having put themall to the Edge of the Sword After this the Visier abandon'd to the Fury of the Soldiery and vanquish'd look'd about for a General to whom he might surrender himself chusing to die rather than yield to a less Officer He perceiv'd the Palatine of Russia and was not out in his Guess for he had the Air and Figure of what he really was whereupon the Visier getting out of the Croud advanc'd toward that Lord to whom he presented his Sabre The Bassa of Caramania was likewise wounded and taken in the same place by the Great General 's Troop However the Turks still maintain'd the Fight the Success whereof was doubtful But those who were drawn up in Columns behind the Line perceiving the Motion of our Right Wing guess'd at the Design They gave notice thereof to the foremost Troops who retreated gradually without breaking their Ranks and at last fled for it The King of Poland foresaw That the Turks being less extended than our Line would use their utmost Efforts to break our Left Wing and after stretch themselves upon the Flank between the two Lines He therefore suffer'd the Fight to grow a little warm and in the mean time order'd the Right Wing to advance from the Centre in the form of a Half-Moon with which he gradually gain'd the Low Plain thereby to possess the whole compass of it and to get between the Enemies and their Bridge He order'd the Hussars to trail their Lances on the side of their Horse's Necks to prevent the Enemy from perceiving the Motion But they having discover'd it and conjecturing truly at the Design of the King of Poland left the Field of Battle that they might gain the Fort of Barcan under the Cannon of the Upper-Town of Strigonium which carry'd a great way beyond this almost as far as the Curtain tho' the Danube be of an extraordinary breadth in this Place and the Plain beyond it of a vast extent The Troops were drawn up in Battalia that they might march orderly towards the Enemy and give the Artillery time to come up with the Battalions which open'd a little to the Right and Left The German Generals complimented his Polish Majesty upon this Day 's Glorious Success at which time one of his Pages who had with some Squadrons of Volunteers advanc'd very near the Danube on the Right side of the Fort return'd with full speed to acquaint his Majesty That the Turks were Filing off over the Bridge This Prince animated with the Desire of compleating his Victory order'd his Army to march directly to the Banks of the River on both sides of Barcan and himself at the Head of the foremost Squadrons The Artillery follow'd pretty close some pieces of which the King order'd to be planted so as to break the Bridge or graze the top of it and encourag'd the Gunners by the Mony he gave 'em in Hand to expedite the Design During
the World an Idea of the Gallantry of the Polish Officers who most of 'em desire to die calmly in their Beds whereas even Lieutenant Generals and Mareshals of France are for falling in the Field of Honour and at the Head of their Troops The City of Zetzen being thus surrender'd was guarded at first by the Polish Infantry and the Head-Captain of the Prince's Regiment Nam'd Des Forges a Frenchman and a Gentleman belonging to the Queen was plac'd in it as Commander in Chief The King gave the Inhabitants leave to go out with their Families A great many Women and Children follow'd the Soldiery after which the King put the place into the Hands of General Dunneval who took possession of it for the Emperor and made a stand there with his Detachment from whence he sent them into Winter Quarters His Polish Majesty continu'd his March after he had spent four Days about Zetzen and advanc'd towards Cassovia one of the Chief and Strongest Cities of the Kingdom fortify'd formerly with a Citadel which Count Teckley had won the Year before and demolish'd as he did the Fort of Fileck The Emperor had assign'd those revolted Cities for Winter Quarters to the Polish Army which they must first be oblig'd to force tho' they were well garrison'd so that there was no staying in an Enemy's Country with such a Handful of Men being continually harrass'd with Hungarian Parties and the Peasants who cut off several of our Army The Soldiery dead almost with Hunger and Cold oblig'd to pass Rivers half froz'n over and often swell'd above their Banks went to dry themselves in the adjacent Villages sought for some shelter on every side and were killed by the Rebels who destroy'd more of our Army that way than they had by the Battles of Vienna and Barcan Nay they were oblig'd to Count Teckley for that small number which did at last arrive in Poland For he being always the King 's trusty Friend and keeping the Engagements made between them advis'd him to draw off betimes being not able any longer to prevent the Cutting off of his Passage through the Mountains after which the Rebels would quickly make an hand of his Army The Turks were in such Expectations of it that News was brought to Newhausel of the entire Defeat of the Polish Troops which infallibly would have been had Teckley preferr'd the Interest of his Party before the Obligations he had with the King to whom his Majesty stood indebted for all the Glorious Successes of this Campaign The Turks had so certain an Intelligence of this that sometimes after they caus'd this Ring-leader of the Rebels to be arrested as we shall shew in its proper place The King of Poland would not venture too nigh Cassovia but encamp'd on one side out of the reach of the Cannon The Town fir'd briskly upon our Troops as they march'd along within sight of the Place and the Garrison sally'd out upon the Stragglers So that staying there only one Night they the next Day pass'd the River above Cassovia and so to continue their March to Eperies another Capital City of Hungary larger and of greater Trade than the former but not so highly Dignify'd seated at the Foot of the Mountains of Crapak upon one of the Rivers that run to Cassovia For this City is scituate in the very Centre where two large Rivulets joyn together which in going through the City make but one single River and thus through the same Channel disembogue themselves into the Theysse below Tokay These two Rivulets spring from those very Mountains and form a kind of Peninsula reaching from the Foot of the Mountains to Cassovia being a handsome Tract of Ground Eperies is upon that River which is on the Right The King approach'd it in order to besiege it so that the Cannon play'd into his Camp even beyond the Tents of his Head-Quarters Upon His Arrival the Garrison sally'd out upon our foremost Squadrons and skirmish'd with them all that Day On the Morrow they fell upon the King's Dragoons at Mid-day who quickly mounted their Horses and repuls'd the Sallyers On the third Day the King broke up from thence to seek out Winter-Quarters elsewhere Instead of Eperies which had been assign'd for his Hussars and his own Regiments He led the Army directly to Czebin three Leagues beyond in the Mountains where he arriv'd the Second Day after he had left Eperies From the Camp that lay betwixt he detach'd Miogenski with his Brigade to go and take a View of Czebin and the adjacent Places The Horse of the Town sally'd out upon his Troops Miogenski retreated into several Houses and Barns which the Disposition of the Ground had conceal'd where he form'd an Ambuscade Thirty of his Cavalry being detach'd advanc'd further up in the Plain in order to draw out the Garrison who fell into the Snare and very vigorously pursu'd our Men to the Place where they had Orders to face about but the rest of the Brigade coming up they began a regular Fight which ended in the Retreat of the Rebels who left behind them several slain and several Prisoners Miogenski had a Horse kill'd under him and his Nephew took an Hungarian Officer After this the King appear'd before the Place where the Lithuanian Army first joyn'd him It came to Cracow the latter end of September and for two Months together kept skirting upon the Frontiers or in the Entrance into Hungary leaving every where behind them tokens of their March in the open Countries and against the Peasants This very much offended Count Teckley and the Polish Court who had order'd the Lithuanian Generals to prevent any Disturbance or Acts of Hostility from being offer'd to the Subjects of that Prince These Generals began to Cannonade Czebin when the King arriv'd before it and the Town which held out against the Army of Lithuania surrender'd upon Articles to his Polish Majesty He spake very civilly to the Officers exhorting them to return to the Obedience of the Emperor their lawful Sovereign But they very freely told him That they had rather die than submit to the German Yoke begging Leave that they might follow him and serve in his Army Accordingly they did attend his Majesty for some Days but after he was advanc'd a little in his March they return'd back to Czebin from whence they beat our Troops even without charging them The same was done in other Places of these Countries where any Garrison had been left At last the whole Army return'd into Poland with the King who took his March through Lubownia the First City of his Territories and arriv'd at Cracow on Christmas Eve Lubownia is a Starosty in the Mountains 8 Leagues off Eperies and 12 or 15 from Cracow As to Czebin 't is scituated in a Bottom enclos'd with good Walls and Forts a large Trench and several Stone Bridges reaching to the Gates The Inside is vere well built as are all the other Cities of this part of Hungary which
cross'd the Designs of the Polanders who had Thoughts of entring into Valachia and by the Way of Boudziac to have pierc'd as far as the Black Sea The Court remov'd from Cracow at the end of March 1684 and had gain'd the Frontiers towards Leopold to be in a Readiness for any Enterprise Whilst the King waited at Yavorouf for the Coming up of his Troops and Recruits Count Montecuculli arriv'd there being sent by the King of Spain to Compliment his Polish Majesty upon the happy Success of the preceding Campaign The Emperor sent thither the Count of Valestein as his Ambassador Extraordinary with Order to follow the King and his Army whithersoever they mov'd Lastly the Republick of Venice being willing to enter into a League against the Turks and to take Advantage of these Favourable Junctures nominated the Procurator Morosini to go into Poland with that Character who likewise made the Campaign with his Polish Majesty The King of Poland open'd it by spoiling two or three Retreats which the Turks had preserv'd on this side Caminiec on the Confines of Podolia and Russia The nearest that lay towards this Capital City was the Castle of Yaslovietz scituated on a Hill surrounded with others more large and almost encompass'd with a River which wash'd the Bottom There was an Aga with a Garrison of about 120 Men detach'd from Caminiec some small Pieces of Artillery and Fortifications proportionable The Army encamp'd on the Eminencies which commanded that Castle and summon'd the Aga to surrender The Aga desir'd for his Honor's sake to see some Cannon play upon the Place it being pretty strong by its Scituation and by its ancient Walls M. Dupont Engineer to the Republick caus'd two Batteries to be rais'd which Beat down all the Front of the Castle which fac'd the Army They had scarce fir'd ten times when the Garrison desir'd to march out The Aga being well acquainted with the Customs of his own Country which reckons no Man innocent that is unfortunate was not for exposing himself to the Test and so retir'd into Poland where the Queen made him Keeper of one of her Country Houses His Lieutenant likewise stay'd with the King and serv'd him as an Hussar and their Janizaries were dispers'd here and there about the Country The Aga is a Man of a good Mein and a Venerable Aspect of a Warlike Air even a little rough which Adversity smooth'd afterwards The other is a mere Soldier very Fat of a Low but Brave Mein as appear'd by those dreadful Scars with which he was full especially that which he brought from Candy by a Bullet shot into the back part of his Head The Surrender of this small Castle made just as I have describ'd it did however inhance the the Reputation of the Polish Arms in Foreign Parts They talk'd as big in France of this Expedition as of the Taking of Valenciennes so true is it That Fame raises Matter of Fact in Proportion to the Distance of the Climates where they are done The same News being brought to Newhausel chear'd up the Hearts of the Polish Slaves so much that I believ'd it had been Caminiec that was taken by the King And my supposition was the more probable because I knew that the Republick had undertaken the War only with Intention of retaking that Place from the Turks being the most considerable which they held in Poland But my News-monger Suleyman the Bassa's Coffee-man undeceiv'd me and told me the truth of the Business The Queen attended the King as far as Yaslovietz and was present with her Court at the Assault of that Place which in truth deserv'd no other than an Army of Females The Turks who march'd out were very much surpriz'd having never before seen such Luggage follow the Camp But the Queen after this Exploit retir'd to Leopold from thence to Yaroslave The King march'd directly to Zwaniec there to pass the Niester His Design was to enter into Valachia to make himself Master of that Province and there to winter his Army in order to cut off the Communication between Caminiec and the Turks who had no other way thither no more than the Tartars By this means that place would have been immediately block'd up and reduc'd at last for want of Supplies to surrender within six Months without so much as discharging a Cannon Besides the King of Poland made a considerable Diversion to facilitate the Taking of Buda by the Germans and to relieve one another from the Niester to the Danube But neither were the Germans minded to share the Glory and the Fruits of their Conquests with the Poles nor were the Poles in a capacity of finishing this great Design They could not in 3 Week's Time so much as lay the Foundations of a Bridge having neither Boats nor other things necessary And after they had spent above a Month's Time in casting Baskets of Stones Fascines and other Materials in the Water an Inundation of the River occasion'd by the Rains that fell carry'd away all the Work Whilst these things were doing the Tartars appear'd on the other side the Niester to the number of near 40000 Horse from whence every Day Detachments were sent out who swam over the River a little below the Polish Camp between Cotchim and Caminiec and came to skirmish with the Poles who likewise cross'd the River sometimes with the same Vigour so that all was reduc'd into particular Skirmishes the two Armies looking on at the same time and disputing for the Ground and Forrage at the Expence of some unhappy Creatures whom the Tartars carry'd off every Day There were likewise several Interviews between the Officers of the two Armies having the River in the midst The Chancellor of the Cham who had formerly been at the Polish Court to treat about ransoming his Brother came one Day on the Bank of the River and desir'd to speak with one of the King's Touariches who accordingly was order'd thither He desir'd them to tell his Polish Majesty That he desir'd to see him to thank him again for all the Favours he had formerly shewn him The King was very glad of that Encounter and order'd this Answer to be given to the Tartars That if he would come into the Camp he would send him not only a Convoy but Hostages This Gentleman very frankly reply'd That his Polish Majesty did him wrong to think that he forgot that his single Word was more worth than all the Hostages of the Army and that he would come to him on the Morrow upon his Parole But he could not execute his Design because the Enemy decamp'd To enter into the the Particulars of this Campaign which in general pass'd without any considerable Action You must know that the King of Poland in Decamping from Yaslovietz to march towards the Niester committed the Van-guard to be led by the Castellan of Cracow Little General of the Crown with fifty Troops all Horse Hussars Pancernes and Valachians who had Orders to advance
as far as Caminiec to take a View of the adjacent Places to observe the Motions of the Garrison and the Marches of the Tartars The Castellan was to amuse the Enemy and to cover the the March of the Army as well as the Design of the Bridge He stay'd for some time before that City where his Hussars march'd frequently to skirmish with the Turks who made small Sallies on the Polish detachment In the mean time the King posted himself at Zwaniec on the Banks of the Niester where he had his Right Wing stretch'd out a little beyond that Castle towards Caminiec which was not above two Leagues lower and on the same side To cover the Building of the Bridge that he was willing to make in that place he sent over on the other side the River all the Dragoons and some Troops of Cossacks and Valachians part in Barges part swam over and the rest forded it a little above the Camp where was a small Island These Troops were retrench'd on the other Bank and remain'd there a long time but the Tartars having harass'd them several times by the small Attacks which the Poles bore with great constancy and the Rains having ruin'd their Bridge the King order'd them to repass the River intending to march towards Caminiec He was joyn'd before by a Body of Troops which the Elector of Brandenburgh had sent to the Republick as his Quota consisting of two Regiments of Infantry the one commanded by Prince Alexander Cowrland the other by the Count of Dona with a Regiment of Dragoons the whole under the Command of General Troucz which compos'd about 2000 Men. Whereas the Tartars came frequently into the Camp and stay'd there without being discover'd one could not be secure from them The Equipage of these Brandenburgh Troops was all carry'd off the first Night which oblig'd the King of Poland to order all the Poles to wear a white Handkerchief twisted round their Left Arm to distinguish them from the Tartars who were always mix'd in the Camp and at Forraging with the Valets of the Army The Army then decamped from Jouanietz after having tarried above three Weeks to no purpose having known that the Tartars had been joined by the Serasquier with a great Body of Turks which the common Report of the Camp gave out to amount to forty thousand Men but which in effect was not above ten thousand The Enemy passed on our side at first by Detachments of three or four hundred Horse who approaching the Polish Camp amused their Troops by frequent Skirmishes carried off the detached Parties who were ordered to patrol along the River to secure its Banks and by this means deprived the Polish Army of the Knowledge of their Motions In fine all theirs had passed without being discovered they having no need of a Bridge for that end carrying neither Artillery nor Equipages with them The better to judge of this Action we must note that Jouanietz is an Ancient Castle of Stone-Work but very much shattered scituated upon a rising Ground about one hundred and fifty or two hundred Paces from the Dniester which is very rapid at that Flace and almost as broad as the Seine at Paris but not so deep by much with steep Banks covered with thick Bushes This Castle is inhabited by some Families of Valachians of the Number of those who retired into Poland by whom certain Places of these Frontiers of PODOLIA have been peopled Over-against this on the other side of the River but a little lower towards Caminieck is that of Cotchym This is much of the same Structure pretty good and Massive but much ruined There was heretofore a Bridge which saved some of those that fled at the Battle of Cotchym when the Turks who were encamped at this Place were defeated This Bridge at that time fell down by the Numbers of Fugitives that crowded over it was afterwards rebuilt and broke down again taken and retaken by both Parties The King of Poland designing to march into Wallachia had posted himself under Jouanietz which he left behind his Camp taking up all the Ground between that Castle and the River The Tartars advanced to Cotchym and after having roamed a long time on its Banks as I have said swam over the Dniester a little below that Castle but very secretly to keep the Polish Army on their own Country and to divert them from their design against Walachia The King of Poland having by this means miss'd his Aim formed another Project which was to draw the Tartars to a Battle in some disadvantagious Place He was forced to move cunningly from Post to Post as at a Game at Chess The King went directly to Caminieck advanced upon the Hills near that Place from whence he saw into the very streets and tarryed there some time by way of Bravado within Cannon-shot above 500 of which they shot from their Platforms and Towers the Pieces of a middle-size or bore carrying beyond his Army After which he left that Place on his his left Hand marching as if he designed to return into Poland and moving from the Dniester which was behind him The Tattars followed the same way and daily presented themselves either upon their Flanks Front or Rear In fine the King posted himself behind the Ruins of a demolished Town where there were still some Walls with the Terrasses of an old Castle which was rased on which he planted his Standard This Place was in a Bottom enclosed by steep Hills and a River The Lithuanian Army stayed at the top and the Tartars being deceived by this Lure rusht into this Bottom The KING seeing them thus ensnared according to his Desire rejoyced to have catched his Prey in a Trap and would have given them Battle and the rather because the Tartars must suffer in retiring precipitately from this Cut-throat Place flanked by the Polanders But the Generals opposed the same alledging the Approach of the Night and Fatigue of a long March hiding under those seeming Reasons a spiteful Jealousie of the K's Glory whose Name would have swallowed every thing as at Vienna without leaving any share of the Success to the Generals They proposed a Council of War But the King saw into their Hearts and reproaching them with this Aversion for the Publick Good which they made to give Place to a secret Partiality for a Politic Interest he retir'd to his own Quarters full of a just Indignation and mortal Anger against those Enemies of their Country which at this Juncture lost such an Opportunity as they could never get since In a word the Tartars being sensible of the disadvantagiousness of the Post retired and appeared not again in two Days after Thus ended this Campagne called in Poland The Campagne of Jouanietz which decided nothing on either side only the Enemy drew this Advantage from it that they hindred the King of Poland from entring into Valachia as the Grand Visier on his side had frustrated the Projects of the
fine after having done all things possible in vain God be thanked to frighten me I was called some Days ago to an Audience of the Visier's Deputy Our Conversation lasted an Hour and an half He talked to me of the unheard of Temerity of this enterprize and of the extream Anger of the Grand Senior and at last told me That he gave me Notice as a Friend that perhaps I might be so happy as to buy off my own and the Blood of the French for a great Summ of Money I answered him I was as secure at Constantinople as at Paris because his Emperor was just and mine very potent That I would not give one Denier towards repairing the Damages sustained at Scio That it was the Tripolins part to pay it I added several things which certainly the Turkish Minister had never heard before The Countenance and Tone wherewith I pronounced them were a la Gascogne I spoke of all that the Emperor of France would do in this Country if he were exasperated and I concluded with telling him That if the French were troublesom to the Grand Senior or the Visier I would carry them all back into France where they would soon forget Turkey The Deputy treated me very civilly He told me That he exhorted my Prudence to take other Resolutions and went immediately after to give the Visier an Account of our Conferences being much surprized at my stedfastness I do not know what will become of this Affair I shall certainly support it to the end nay to the last extremity M. du Quêne is still before Scio where the Tripolins design to refit They have done no sort of Violence nor made no Threats to any French Man 'T is certain that if such a like thing had happened to any other Nation it would have been the utter ruine of them I was told about six Days ago That they expected News of the Captain Bassa who is to go to Scio with the Grand Senior's Gallies I wait the Consequences and the Success of his Interview with M. du Quesne with impatience I am c. A Letter from the Duke of Lorrain to the King of Poland Most Serene King I received with a due Respect the Letters which your Majesty was pleased to do me the honour to transmit to me dated the 25th Inst And from them I understood how much your Majesty's Royal Mind is moved to accelerate the Succour of the City of Vienna and how much inclined to the Defence of the Christian Empire and Austrian Territories Of which indeed I have been always so much perswaded that in relation hereunto I have received from your Majesty's Letters nothing new nor what I did not before believe In the mean time I esteem it a great Favour and honour to me that your Majesty does not vouchsafe to trust to your own most prudent Judgment in these things that are still to be done I have hitherto indeavoured to guard my self against the Watchfulness of the Enemy by the Scituation of my incampments which though indeed I did not look upon as walled about yet I have thought them to be as good as such from the Scituation of the Rivers and the disposition of the Ground they take up I have provided for the Security of the Bridge of Crems and am advising the building of a second about Tulm a Place nearer to Vienna and which is reckoned to be secure That which is hardest to me is that I can scare send any Person into the Town nor on the other hand receive any News from the besieged But seeing I understand from the magnificent Marshal of the Court of the Kingdom of Poland that the particular Relations of what things are acted in the Imperial Army do not displease your Majesty I have communicated something to your Majesty in Writing which hath Relation to the same from which and from the said Marshal's Letters your Majesty may distinctly understand every thing particularly what was done against the flying Rebels and Turks about Presburg on the 29th Instant by Prince Lubomirski and his Polish Officers and Soldiers alone most prudently valiantly and with the natural Vigor of the renowned Polish Nation Your Majesty will also understand in what Condition this Army is and also the Progress of the German Auxiliaries It is my Hope and Prayer to see the Christian Army defeat this most inveterate Enemy and deliver the Austrian Territories under your Majesty's Conduct being sensible that in such a Field I shall have an Opportunity of further deserving your Royal Majesty's Favour and Benevolence to whom I wish a healthful and long Reign from the very Heart of Your Majesty's most Humble and most Obedient Servant and Allie Charles Duke of Lorrain Dated in the Imperial Camp near Mayerech the 31st of July 1683. The Duke of Lorrain's Account whereof mention is made in the foregoing Letter given to Prince Lubomirski to be sent with his Dispatches to the King of Poland THE Turks having opened their Trenches on the 14th instant before Vienna pretty near the City from the 16th they advanced their Works to within 60 Paces of the Counterscarp and took Post in an Island of the Danube over-against Vienna called Tabor from whence I was obliged to retire I would willingly have kept that Post to have had Communication with the City but this Island extending about two Leagues and the Arm of the Danube which runs near the City being almost fordable every where and the Squadrons and the Infantry being able to pass in Battalia in many Places of the Fords the Banks on that side where the Turkish Camp was being raised and their Cannon commanding the whole Island even to the Bridges which being broke down by their Artillery there was no other retreat left me but the City or to swim over the Danube which were two Extremities equally dangerous And though the Bridges had been covered it was in Teckley's power to come and post himself at the end on this side I remained in the Island without Forrage and Subsistance insomuch that that Post not being tenable and particularly with Cavalry alone having been obliged to put the Infantry into the City to defend it I thought that I was obliged to pass the Danube with the Imperial Cavalry in order to preserve them for their relief The Communication being thus cut off we have had no News of them since the 22d when the Enemy had advanced their Works to the Palissado's which the besieged defended with dint of Sword They extended their Works to the Right and Left and had already made them reach three Points of the Counterscarpe They had not yet begun to batter the Walls and had only 10 or 12 great Pieces of Cannon mounted in Battery Having received Advice of the Auxiliaries of Poland by the Count de la Tour I endeavored to send some Persons into the Town to acquaint the Governor therewith but I have as yet no Advice of their being got in not having received
King passes the Danube first and leaves no Troops on the other side to cover Moravia from the Incursions that the Malecontents under Count Teckley might make into the same as the Duke of Lorrain had proposed because says the King he had wrote to that Hungarian Lord that if he burnt one Straw in the Territories of his Allies or in his own he would go and burn him and all his Family in his House so that this was enough to protect that Country during the distance of the Army He leads them afterwards through unfrequented Defiles to the tops of the Hills of Vienna and in sight of the Turks who drew out of their Camp to put themselves in order and even attack'd the Imperialists by break of Day on Sunday the 12th of September before the King of Poland had made an end of forming his Order of Battle and extending his Lines in which his Majesty had mixed his Hussars and other Polish Troops among those of the Empire In the mean time the Turks leave their Trenches well provided with Janisaries with a considerable Body at the Posts and at the Attacks to hinder the besieged from sallying out hoping to continue the Siege at the same time as the Army should make head against the Succours of the Christian Princes and truly they had wherewith all to back this proud Resolution having above 300000 Men according to the King's Account who found above 100000 small Tents in their Camp wherein apparently according to the manner of disposing their Men there were at least three Men in each and his Polish Majesty has reduced the common Report of 300000 Tents which would infinitely augment the number of Soldiers to that of 100000. The Battle was fought on the 12th it lasted 14 or 15 Hours the slaughter was horrible and the loss of the Turks inestimable for they left upon the Field of Battle besides the Dead and Prisoners all their Canon Equipage Tents and infinite Riches that they had been six Years gathering together throughout the whole Ottoman Empire There was found in their Camp above a Million of Powder Bullets Balls and other Ammunition without reckoning the Powder that the Servants burnt by inadvertency in several Places of the Park of the Artillery the flame whereof made an Emblem of the terrible day of Judgment with the Earthquakes that will accompany it and that thick Mass of Clouds that will obscure the Universe A Loss nevertheless which ought to be called a great Misfortune seeing 't is above a Million more as the King assures us in his Letter that he wrote himself to the Queen from which all these Particulars are extracted The Battle ended by the Infantry of the Trenches and of the Isle of the Danube where the Turks had a Battery The Night was spent in slaughter and the unhappy Remnant of this Army saved their Lives by flight having abandoned all to the Victors even an infinite Number of Waggons loaden with Ammunition and some Field-pieces that that designed to have carried with them and which were found next Day upon the Road they had taken which makes us suspect that they 'l not be able to rally again as neither having where withal to incamp themselves nor Cannon to shoot with So soon as the Grand Visier knew the Defeat of his first Lines he caused a red Tent to be pitched at the Head of his Main Body where he resolved to dye for the Ottoman Empire but his last Efforts were to no purpose and the Wing of the Imperialists which he attacked with all his might was so opportunely succoured by the presence of the King who brought part of the Troops of his left Wing thither that all fled before him So soon as he perceived the red Tent knowing by it that the Visier was there in Person he caused all his Artillery to fire upon that Pavillion encouraging the Activity of the Gunners by considerable Recompenses promising them fifty Crowns for each Cannon-shot and these leveled their small Pieces so well that they brought down the Tent of the Grand Visier and the Troop of Prince Alexander his second Son had the Advantage to break through that Body of Cavalry at the very Place where the Visier was who was dismounted and had much ado to save himself upon another Horse having left among the slain his Kiayia that is his Lieutenant General ad the second Person of the Army with abundance of considerable Officers all the Standards the Marks of his Dignity that are carried before him or that are set up before his Pavilions even the great Standard of Mahomet which the Sultan had put into his Hands when he set out upon this Expedition and which the King has sent to Rome by the Sieur Talenti one of his Secretaries to be a Testimony to the Pope of this great Victory The King understood afterwards by Deserters who come every hour in Troops to surrender themselves to him as well as the Renegadoes that the Visier seeing the defeat of the Army called his Sons to him imbraced them bitterly bewailed their Misfortune and turned towards the Han of the Tartars and said And thou wilt not thou succour me To whom the Tartar Prince replied That he knew the King of Poland by more than one Proof and that the Visier would be very happy if he could save himself by flight as having no other way for his Security and that he was going to show him Example The Grand Visier being thus abandoned took the same way and retired in Disorder with only one Horse that which he had in the Battle and was armed all over with Steel having fallen into the Hands of the King with all the Equipages of that Ottoman General who has left his Majesty Heir to all his Riches In effect his Letters were dated from the Tents of the Grand Visier the Park whereof was of as large Extent as the City of Warsaw or that of Leopold inclosing his Baths Fountains Canals a Garden a kind of Menagerie or Place for strange Beasts and Birds with Dogs Rabbets and Parrots There was found an Ostridge of an admirable Beauty which had been taken from one of the Emperor's Country-Houses and whose Head the Visier's Men cut off in their Retreat that it might not serve to adorn the King's Menagerie This Precaution would have been of greater use if they had taken it with Respect to the Standard of Mahomet and of that prodigious Quantity of Riches Bows Quivers Sabres set with Rubies and Diamonds precious Moveables and Equipages of great Value that were left with the Tents to the King of Poland which made that Monarch say very pleasantly in his Letter to his Queen You will not tell me at my return what the Tartarian Women tell their Husbands when they see them return from the Army without Booty Thou art not a Man seeing thou returnest empty handed for doubtless he was the first in the Battle who returns loaden with the Spoils of the Enemy
the Grand Visier having made me his Universal Legatee The Booty that was taken in this Action is infinite and inestimable The Field of Battle was sowed with Gold Sabres with Pieces of Stuff and such a prodigious Quantity of other things that the Pillage which has already lasted three Days will scarce be over in a whole Week although the Besieged are come out of the Town in great Companies to partake of the Booty with the victorious Soldier both the one and the other being scarce able as yet to perswade themselves that this happy success is real it is so extraordinary Insomuch that the whole Army which nevertheless has done its duty very couragiously can't forbear to attribute this great Victory to the mighty God of Battles who would make use of the Hands of the King of Poland to overthrow the Enemies of his Name for which let him be honoured and glorified for ever and ever The King did not taste all the Joy that Christendom will feel as well because his great Spirit is accustomed to Victories as by the Reflection he made upon the lamentable Spectacle wherewith he was pierced when he entred into the Camp of the Turks at the sight of an infinite Number of Slaves whose Throats the Infidels had cut after their defeat and whose Bodies yet chained were extended confusedly amongst the dying and the wounded The King was particularly touched with a Child of about four Years of Age who seemed to be admirably beautiful notwithstanding he was coverd all over with Blood from a wound he had received on his Head The Desolation was nothing less in the City of Vienna where the King entered the Day after the Battle and found heaps of Ruines rather than Houses and even the Emperor's Palace reduced to Ashes hy the Cannon and Bombs but he was eased of the Grief which this dismal Spectacle had occasioned by the Acclamations of the Inhabitants who thinking no more of their past Calamities were transported with Joy for their unexpected Deliverance The City not being able to hold out two or three Days more Some kissed his Hands some his Feet and others his Robe And all cryed out that they might be permitted at least to see and admire the Hand that had delivered them from the Bondage they had been so near reduced to They called him their Saviour And some of them dropt out that they must have such an Emperor as this magnanimous King His Majesty would have willingly put a stop to those Acclamations and desired the German Officers to silence the People but all in vain for it was impossible to stop the Current of the Burgers who repeated their Cries of Long live the King wherever that victorious Monarch went After having visited some Churches where he returned thanks to God for the happy deliverance of Vienna he dined with Count Staremberg the Governour where he was no less fatigued with Embraces than he had been with the Acclamations in the Streets The Elector of Bavaria the other German Princes the Officers and all the Army as one may say run thither as soon as they had Notice of it to see him near at Hand whose valour they had so much admired in the Battle The Princes imbraced and kissed the King with such Transports as are easily pardoned in extasies of Joy where Respect is a little neglected which cannot be attributed to any want of Considaration for they had given him very great Marks of it by the Submission with which they had always obeyed him and which that Monarch had wrote to the Queen was with more promptness and less reserve than that of his own Troops He returned afterwards into the Camp followed by the Princes where he was joined by the Duke of Lorrain and Elector of Saxony who had not seen the King since the Morning before the Battle because they had been always imployed at the head of the left Wing The King was afterwards obliged to change his Camp and to remove it two Leagues beyond the Field of Battle because the stench of the dead Corps began to be infectious He proposed to himself at the same time to pursue the Enemy close to give them no respite in their flight and was so pushed on with the Ardor of his Zeal that he could not give himself a Minutes rest In the mean time the Emperor advanced in great diligence to see him and arrived at Vienna two Hours after his Majesty departed thence But the King did not retard his March for it preferring the Security of his Victory and the Interest of of the Party to the Joy which doubtless he would have had to see the Emperor who likewise ardently desired to see him He marches then directly after the Enemy whom he had resolved to pursue into Hungary whither he had directed his flight the Electors of Saxony and Bavaria resolved also to follow his Majesty even to the end of the World as they themselves told him those Princes having joined themselves in strict Frindship to his Person as had the Elector of Bavaria to the Prince of Poland in particular with whom he would have divided his Spoils This victorious Army may justly be compared to that which Godfrey of Boulogne led in triumph thro' the Holy Land and ought to be the more satisfied with their Glory for that the Victory though bloody cost them but very few Men of Note among whom is reckoned only the Prince de Crouy of the Germans and of the Polanders the Starost Halitski Son to the Castellan of Cracow Potoski and Mordreoski Treasurer of the Court whom the King particularly regretted This surprizing success ought also to be attributed to a visible Protection of the Lord according to the Vision of Father Marc d'Aviano a Capuchin of a very Holy Life who administred the Sacrament to the King and the Prince his Son on the Morning of that memorable Day who positively affirms that he saw a white Dove fly in a Circle over the Christian Army during the whole Action and it was observed during the King's march that an Eagle followed his Majesty 7 Leagues and proportioned its flight so as to be always over his Head One may observe an Effect of this Protection upon the sacred Person of this Hero who exposed himself like the meanest Soldier and upon that of the Prince his Son who was always by his side wherever he went The same may be also said of the Elector of Bavaria who in the most dangerous Places testified a Courage worthy of the Origin he comes of and who was always by the King's side during the Battle I ought not to forget the Count de Maligni the Queen's Brother to whom the King in his Letter gives an Account of the Valor and good Conduct of that French Lord whereof he was an Eye-witness Let us conclude this Account as the King hath done his and let us return Thanks to God for this memorable Victory in which he did not suffer the Infidels