I then desired him to consider some few grounds which I should lay before him, the which being presupposed, I conceived he could not but think that the reply, which the King, my master, had directed me to make, was grounded upon much equity and honour.

The first thing I desired this King should consider, was, That when his Majesty dealt with him, and his ministers, he presumed so much of the equity of this King's judgment, and promised himself so much of his affections and respect unto him, as he should never hear from him any demand unworthy of him, or which this King would not judge fitting to be propounded to himself, were the King my master's case his own.

The second thing, which I desired that this King should know and believe, was, That there was no prince whatsoever more confident and certain in the truth of his religion, than the King, my master, was in his, in which he was not only resolved to live and die, but, for the protection and defence thereof, had by several means declared himself as far, and would ever be ready to adventure as much for the maintenance thereof, as any prince living should do.

Thirdly, I desired it might be remembered, that though it be true, that the King, my master, caused the proposition for the Prince, with the Infanta Major, to be made, yet he was first moved and invited thereunto, by the assurance which this King's ambassador gave unto him, how welcome this motion would be to his master.

And for that which hath now passed in this of the second daughter, it hath been likewise only stirred and moved from hence, by the offer of her made by this King; and to this offer, thus accompanied with these demands and conditions, I was out of these grounds, by the direction of the King, my master, to make this answer:

That whereas it is demanded that, to match with this King's second daughter, the Prince should become a Roman Catholick, the King, my master, desires to refer it to this King's own judgment, what censure that King should deserve, both from the hands of God, and the world, that having so many ways expressed his constancy and love to the faith and religion, which he professeth, should shew himself so full of impiety and dishonour, to persuade his son to make a change of his soul, for a wife, or any earthly fortune whatsoever.

And if this King would not for a world, as he professed, be either the direct or indirect cause of the hazard of his daughter's perversion: the King may be pleased to consider, that if he be therein so exact, as befitteth a King, in point of religion and honour, the King, my master, is likewise so, in no degree less: and therefore hath commanded me, plainly to declare, that though he could not but make a kind and princely construction of the offer, which this King made of his daughter, as judging her most worthy of any prince whatsoever, yet, for this demand of the Prince's becoming a Roman Catholick, the King, my master, holdeth it unworthy of him, and would absolutely refuse to bestow the Prince, his son, upon these conditions, were the person of. fered the sole heir of the monarchy of the whole world,

Hereunto the Duke made little auswer, not expecting, as I conceive, so direct and conclusive a proceeding; only said, that his King did

сс

suppose, that God might have been pleased to have made this the means for the reducing of the Prince, and England, to the Catholick religion.

And so from the Duke I went unto the King, with whom I was appointed at that time to have audience; unto whom I made an ample and full relation of the whole course of the business, and particularly signified unto him the answers, which, in his name, I had received from the Duke of Lerma, and likewise, his Majesty's reply.

He told me the Duke of Lerma had in all things proceeded as he directed him, and therefore he would only confirm those answers, which I had already received from him.

Thus having made you a true and exact relation, how this business hath hitherto been carried, I will refer the judgment thereof to your own wisdom; only these passages I shall recommend unto you, as most remarkable:

First, That his Majesty's proposition, for the King of Spain's eldest daughter, was from the several invitations of the Spanish ambassadors, neither can the dishonour of their indirect proceedings be removed, but that another will necessarily fall upon them. For if princes shall not give credit and belief to the ambassadors and publick ministers, one of another, all means of negotiating betwixt them will be taken away.

Herein they pretend, that, for the giving his Majesty satisfaction, they have rejected their ambassador, and, likewise, sent Don Pedro de Zuniga, in the interim, until the coming of Don Diego Sarmiento d'Acuna, whom they have nominated for that employment.

Secondly, In this business concerning the second daughter, it never was, in any kind, any motion of his Majesty's, but merely an offer of the King of Spain, which God, I conceive, appointed, as a fitting and a worthy means, for his Majesty to make declaration, both to them here, and to the world, of his constancy and resolution, in the professing and protesting of his religion.

So that I must conclude, that if any thing hath passed herein, less honourable, or less sincere, than befitted the greatness of two such mighty Princes; there cannot so much as any reflexion of it light upon his Majesty, whose proceedings clear throughout have been with all directness. Whereas they, if they do not justly incur the censure of some falsehood, yet it cannot but be a great unluckiness to them, in a matter of so great consequence, to be forced to renounce their ambassador. Neither have they any advantage in point of honour, that a daughter, whose sex giveth ever the privilege to be sought, being offered, hath not been accepted.

A TRUE RELATION

OF

THE BLOODY EXECUTION,

LATELY PERFORMED BY

THE COMMANDMENT OF THE EMPEROR'S MAJESTY,

UPON THE

PERSONS OF SOME CHIEF STATESMEN, AND OTHERS,

In Prague, the chief City of the Kingdom of Bohemia, the 11th of June, 1621. With the Manner and Proceedings therein observed. Faithfully translated out of the Dutch Copy.

Printed the 21st of July, 1621, Quarto, containing twenty-four Pages.

THERE is no doubt, but that many will be very desirous to understand and be fully informed of the last most bloody and cruel execution, with the criminal proceedings concerning the same, against the noble persons of some statesmen, directors, and other excellent and well-qualified personages in the famous kingdom of Bohemia; and therefore we have thought good to set in writing, and to cause openly to be printed, the true discourse thereof, to the end it may come to the knowledge of those that desire to be certified of the true ground and manner thereof; and this execution, with the circumstances concerning the same, was done and accomplished in such manner as followeth :

After that the Majesty of the Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia, had ordained and given commission to his excellency the Prince of Lichtenstein (having to his assistance some other personages) concerning the prisoners in the Kingdom of Bohemia, his Majesty gave commandment, that the execution of them should be done and accomplished upon Monday, being the eleventh after the ancient, and the twenty-first day of June after the new computation; which, according to the imperial commandment, is performed upon the same day, in the following manner:

On Thursday before, namely, the seventeenth of the said month of June, there came seven companies of horse, under the command of

his highness the Duke of Saxony, into the city of Prague; whereof five companies were ordained to lodge in the old city, and two companies in the new city: They kept their watches and centinels, from that day, here and there in the several streets of the old city; but in the great market-place, before the town-house of the old city, there watched every night continually a whole company of the said horsemen.

On Friday following, being the eighteenth of June, the theatrum, or scaffold of timber, which was to be erected, and whereupon the following execution of the prisoners, for the most part, was to be performed, was made ready and dispatched in the common carpenters yard of the old city; and the same was the next day erected and set up in the great market-place of the said city, close and joining to the town house, so that they might, out of the same town house, go conveniently upon the scaffold, through a door purposely made to that end; the scaffold being four ells high, twenty two paces broad, and twenty-two paces long, in a square form, all of good substantial strong timber, and rails made round about.

On Saturday, the nineteenth of June, very early in the morning, there were thirteen of the prisoners out of the old city, and ten out of the new city, by the coaches and horses belonging to the senators of the said city, brought upwards in the court to the castle, conveyed with a strong guard of horse, and some companies of musqueteers, where the others, as well lords as knights, who were of the number of the directors, had been kept prisoners.

Whereupon, they proceeded to the arraignment and condemnation of the prisoners; which business was took in hand and effected in the King's court chamber, right over the chancery, where a royal throne, or seat, of russet velvet was erected; and thereupon his excellency, the Prince of Lichtenstein, and the other lords and commissioners were sitting by and about him.

Then the prisoners were one after another sent for, and brought before the imperial court and lords commissioners, when the emperor's attorney came forth, and indicted every particular prisoner, one after another, in the German and Bohemian speech, for matters enormous and criminal, as he alledged; requesting the lords commissioners, in his master's behalf, to decree and pronounce their final judgment against them.

Whereupon, Dr. Melander made answer, in high Dutch, that the judgment was decreed already, and should not be executed, but in such sort as might be according to right and justice, and to the laws of the kingdom, and, besides, as may stretch to the reputation and authority of the emperor's majesty.

After him, Dr. Kapper made a speech, in the Bohemian tongue, being the same in effect; thereupon is the arraignment and judgment pronounced by the imperial judge of the lower part in the high Dutch, and presently after him by another in the Bohemian language: And thus were the forty-three hereafter named persons, by the judge's sentence, in manner as followeth, adjudged and condemned to several punishments.

First of all, some were condemned to imprisonment of their persons, and others to corporal punishment.

1. The Lord William Poppel, of Lockowitz, &c. high-steward of the kingdom, who was brought forth first of all: His judgment was, That grace should be offered unto him; but yet, upon the good-liking and ratification of the emperor's Majesty, he was to remain in perpetual prison.

2. Paul Rinschan.

3. Hans Wastrowetz.

4. Felix Wentzel Pietibeski.

5. D. Matthias Borbonius.

These are condemned, in like manner, upon his Majesty's liking, to perpetual imprisonment.

6. Lucas Karabon is condemned to be executed with the sword; but, grace being shewed him, his judgment is, that he shall be sent to Raab, and there remain in perpetual prison.

7. Wolfgang Haslawer is to be sent to Raab, and there to be shut up in iron chains.

8.

Melchior Dubrecht is to be banished out of the land for ever; but, grace being shewed him, he is to be sent to Raab, and there to wear the iron chains for a year.

9. George Sabiota is also condemned to be banished for ever; but, out of grace, and upon the emperor's pleasure, execution was suspended.

io. Paul Petzko shall remain in prison for a year.

11. Caspar Uszler is condemned to be hanged out of the window of the new city's council-house, but, by grace, till farther order, the execution is stayed, and he, in the mean time, to remain in prison.

12. Nicholas Diebis, officer to the burgo-masters of the old city, is condemned to have his tongue cut out of his throat, and it fastened to the gallows, and after that, to be sent to Raab, there to be shut up in irons but, by grace offered him, he is to stand with his tongue nailed on the post of the gallows, for the space of an hour, and then to be sent to Raab aforesaid, to perpetual imprisonment.

13. Wentzel Orsatzky,

14. Joseph Kubin,

15. Hans Sirele.

Amongst these, are two Bohemian procurators; all three are condemned to be whipped with rods out of the city, and banished the land.

16. John Kammerit is to be banished, for one year.

These persons following were condemned to death.

First, Men of Noble Houses.

1. The Lord Joachim Andreas Schlick, &c. chief minister of justice, in the land of Bohemia, one of the privy-council, director, and head governor in Upper Lusatia, &c. whom the elector of Saxony