COPPIES OF LETTERS SENT FROM PERSONAGES Of Accompt vnto divers Personages of Worth in London; Truely relating all such remarkable Occurrences as haue hapned in the Palatinate from the 30 th of May to the 11 th of IVNE.
Amongst which, the Prise that Count Mansfeild hath taken from the Bavarian.
As also the Mis-hap of the Duke of Brunswicke in his passage over the River of MAYNE.
Likewise a Relation of divers strange and miraculous Accidents, falling out thereabouts.
By Doctor Welles and others.
Printed this 22. of Iune 1622.
LONDON, Printed by I. D. for Iohn Bartlet, and are to be sold at his Shop in Cheap-side, at the gilt Cup in the Gold-smiths Row. 1622.
❧To the courteous Reader.
These are to advertise thee that these Letters are Printed without the privitie of those that sent them, but I suppose that they will not take it offencively, that all such as are well-willers to the cause of the Palatinate, should bee made acquainted with the common occurrences which fall out there, and I suppose they would the rather suffer it, if they knew or were made acquainted with the false Rumors which often passe heere for current, vntill wee heare the contrary by such Letters as these are: I haue not prefixed any long preamble to the ensuing Relation, neither is it stuffed with any superfluous coniectures, but you haue them printed in the same wordes and phrase in which I received them.
Vale.
COPIES OF LETTERS Sent from personages of accompt vnto divers personages of Worth in London, truely relating all such remarkeable Occurrences as haue hapned in the Palatinate from the 30 th of May to the 11 th of IVNE.
FRom Hannaw within these two dayes are come together all the Forces the Emperor, Bavaria, and the Bishops can make within six Germaine myles of vs. The King hath his Forces together, the one halfe in Ments Lands, the King in Darmstradts Lands. Brunswicke is not yet with the King, he is this day about a myle from Freesburg in the Watterewe, foure myles from vs. The King hath or shall haue from Franckford an 100000. Reeks Dollars. The Bavarian souldiers fall daily to Mansfield, I [Page 2] haire seene it, and haue heard it of his officers, that they goe twelue or sixteene in a day out of a Company. And two dayes agoe there was money going to pay for foure Moneths, but Mansfeilds Souldiers tooke it.
There were three Hathorn Trees by Darmstadt, which were spotted all over on the leaues as with blood; they are in Franckford to be seene; when they are washed they will go off, but come on againe. For three weeks word came from Valtaline, from the Grisons, that the folke had slaine all Leopoldus Forces he had left there, for he had also put the Valtalines to the sword for them of their Religion, and that after such crueltie, as the like hath not bin heard of. This weeke Newes came, that in a towne called Bunfen, there were but fiftie men left in habitants; and many women, who putting themselues into mens apparell, slew at severall times two thousand of the Papists their enemies: it is accounted here a worke and a wonder of God.
MAINHEM 2. of IVNE.
MY L. Chichester arived here on Thursday last, to my Lord Generals great comfort, and the whole troupes. Barron Tilley strengthened with his fresh supplies, which were 5000. foote and 1000. horse, marched towardes the Maine, to hinder Count Mansfeild and Marquis Baden, from meeting with the Duke of Brunswick. Now the passage aimed at on both sides was Ashenburge a Towne of the Bishop of Ments vpon the Maine, where there is a Bridge. The Count Mansfeilds Army came about Darmstat, one Thursday was sevennight, and there staid the comming of the Marquis which was Sunday: to conclude it was Teusday before they marched from their quarters, in the Lantgraues Countrey towards this Ashenburge, when beeing by Dippergen a small Towne, which ransommed it selfe at 15000. Lor. advertisement came of the Barron Tillies hauing possessed [Page 4] himselfe of the passage, and that hee marched directly towards them with a great power, weied to bee (by the coniecture) of the Barron Anhalts forces and most of Gonsales with him 30000. and the horse fully armed from top to toe as they say. Our Armie then thought of a faire retrait, and applied to it by the same way they advanced, and lay the same night in Armes: on Wednesday they retreated towards Openheim bridg and lodged about Girah. On thursday (which was a very great march) they came on this side Bensheim, The Enemie all this while following without any thing done, on Fryday morning our two Armies hauing so disposed of themselues, marched by severall passages to Loresh, least the enemie should cut betweene them and Mainhem, but were no sooner risen, but the Enemie appeared, and with a body of Cairassiers, charged the rereward of the Marquis of Baden, wher his Lieutenant General Colonell Golstein a man much lamented for his courage and vnderstanding was at the first shot slaine. But since that written newes came from the Enemies Leaguer [Page 5] that hee is liuing shot in the head, but not mortally, and his horse put to the worse, but the presse of the enemy was kept vp by the Rereward of Count Mansfields horse, the Regiment of Colonell Megant, and were forced to a disorderly retreat. Note the enemies foote neuer came vp, which if they had, the whole must needes haue beene engaged. Thus skirmishing continued in the rere somewhat sharpely by fits, till towardes night: the danger on euery side was by the Chiefes vigilance preuented, and the estimate of men slaine on both sides is betweene 3. or 4. hundred, but till a particular view bee taken of the particular companies by each Captaine, the iust number of those that are wanting cannot be knowne. In this skirmish his Maiesty shewed himselfe (as before) most forward and valorous to the encouragement of others.
The Landgraue of Darmstart and his yonger sonne are inuited hither, and lodged with the King at the Citadell, the King of Bohemia came suddenly and vnexspectedly [Page 6] vpon the Landgraue of Darmstat, so that hee came to meete the King withall speeding demonstrations of affection and much complement, which hee would haue spared if the king had not brought a force with him able to fleece the Landgraue, the King notwithstanding did not trust him; but shewed him an intercepted letter of his, whereat he was silent, and most of the Cattle in his countrey are driuen into the Pallatinate to make supply of flesh there.
The Arch Duke Le [...]poldus at my since his retreat from Hagenaw hath bene in a grea [...] consumption, what with muting and a great different betweene the Spanish and Dutch souldiers, a [...] also by the Switzers who are sayde to haue killed a great number of them.
The Count Leuensteine in a letter to my Lord, takes notice of a Castle betweene Ca [...]iere and Zurich, taken from the Spaniard with three peeces of Canon which the Citizens haue now before Mainfelt.
We here nothing from aboue, but [Page 7] great preparations (if the armies on foot suffise not) against the poore Palatinate. Whether our army will aduenture once more ouer the Neckar, or take some other course, leaue.
A Germaine Prince of the house of the Rhinegraues, and a Count of the house of the Mansfields were taken, and some others meaner of Officers, on the Enemies side was a Collonell slaine in compleate armour, by a bullet in his face when hee lifted vp his helmet to take cold aire. And many other Officers of horse, we count it a great blessing of God that in a retreat of thirty miles, we lost no baggage, nor more men the enemy.
You will happily in few dayes heare of a scoffe sooner then of armes, or a forbearer of hostility, which makes as much, wee haue the Marquesse of Baden and Count Mansfield here with vs, with both their armies, which are shortly else where to be bestowed or discharged of [Page 8] attending the good successe of the treaty. The Bauarians forces are in Darmstrats countrey in a readinesse to oppose what may be attempted by the duke of Brunswicke in his passage vpward: but it is conceited that the endeauours of the Lord Ambassador here, and those at Brussels will put a barre betweene them, here is a speech that the Turke is powring downe his forces vpon Christendome, but hauing no ground for it other then a common report, you shall take it accordingly. This day the king sent 2. Gentlemen to Brussels as doth also the Marquesse of Baden, there to treate for them: my Lord Ambassador sent his Secretary to Gonsalo Tilly, and so to Brunswicke, who is neere to Ashenburg. Most of the Marquesse his forces are put into Garrison at Hidelberg, Frankendale, and Mainheim: my Lord Ambassador hath receiued them for 3. weekes into the king our soueraigns pay; he payes so many as makes the number vp, with these my Lord Generall already hath, in that space of three weekes it is thought that they of [Page 9] Brussels will either conclude or breake off.
The Duke of Brunswicke hath taken Hasteon; the riuer of Main, and made a bridge ouer it, he hath sixe Regiments of foote, and eighty Cornet of horse.
Count Mansfields horse went to meete the Duke of Brunswickes forces, and afterwards his foote.
In hast I desire to present my loue, & tell you that Barron Tilly and Gonsalo are gone with all the forces they can make ouer the Main to see if they can finde out the Duke of Brunswicke, who lay intrenched at a place called Hoest within a Dutch league of Frankford, where the Duke lay ready to encounter him, there is great disaduantage in their forces, but we hope that it will bee made vp by the aduantage of the ground, it is apparant by the great preparation of the campe that he hopeth to swallow vp the Duke, but wee hope it shall turne to the augmentation [Page 10] of the Dukes honor, the duke hath had many skirmishes with them, wherein he hath had the better of them We haue, and you will heare of a lamentable defeate of the Duke of Brunswicke by Francford to the losse and scattering of the whole army, but God be thanked it is not true but what is the truth is hard to say, the likeliest is, that in passing the Main towards a bridge by Hoest below Franckford, Tilly who is now sayd to bee 30000. at least, with three supplyes from aboue, from Bohemia, Bauaria, and the Bishops, and the Duke had but two small peeces: and the Barron of Anhoults occasion hath broke the bridge with thirteen peeces of Canon, where the foote were most passed, and put the horse to swim, and so tooke much of the baggage and some men therewith, but God be praised the body of the Army ioynes this night with the kings, we hope.
The Army hath laine euer sine they came out of Darmstat here by Mainheim.