A true and brief relation of the bloudy battell fought foure dayes and foure nights together betweene Duke Bernard van VVimeren, victour, and Iohn de Weerdt, with the Duke Savelli, both imperiall generalls, vvho were utterly overthrowne and beaten / translated out of authentick letters, as well out of the Duke of Wimeren his owne letter, as another written to a great lord from Basill.

The Confirmation of the abovesaid Letter written out of Basil. the 23 of Feb. 1638. truly translated out of High dutch.

I Cannot omit to give your Lordship to understand by these, the great Victory, which Duke Bernard Wymer hath got over the Imperiallists. Last Sunday about two of the Clock in the after-noone John de Weerdt, the Duke de Savelli, the Earle of Furstenbergh, and Speerruyter came with nine Regiments of Horse, two Regiments of Dragoones, two Companies of Crabats, and two thousand Foot (among which there were many Swart∣waldish Pesants) through the Swartwalde to Bucken by Rhynefield, with intent to fall upon the Duke of Wymer in Bucken unawares. But the Duke having got intelligence of their comming, rose with sixe Regiments of horse, and sixe hundred Muskettiers, to meet the Enemy, and fought with them till evening,

many men falling on both sides, but the most on the Dukes side, in regard hee was much weaker than the Enemy; for a great many of his men being sent abroad to get intelligence of the Enemy. Whereupon hee presently quitted the siege of Rhynefield, and gathered all his men and Ordinance together, to make a head against the Enemy, which were quartered upon the hills, having but little forrage and victualls with them, because of the mountaines; so that in regard of the shortnesse of the time, they could not bring much along with them. About the middest of the last weeke, at the breake of the day, John de Weerdt brake up againe, and for want of forrage was driven to march to∣wards Friburgh, whereupon Duke Barent tooke some Ordinance along with him, and went to encounter the Enemy, and met with him not far from Rhynefield at Overwylen, and fell upon them with such a fury, routed and beat them so, that it is thought there is not above foure hundred men left of them escaped, taking all their Standards, Cor∣nets, Horse and foot Colours; so that every one of the Dukes souldiers got two three or foure prisoners: Also all their Chiefes and Officers, as John de Weerdt, the Duke of Savelli, Furstenbergh, Speerruyter, Serjeant Major Ge∣nerall Erkefort, all taken prisoners; so that

the Wimerish account this a greater Victory than the Battaile of Nordelingen. For verely it is a great and a brave Victory, that three Generalls of the Emperours at a time, and in one Battaile should be overthrowne and taken prisoners. There were slaine dead upon the place 2500 men, besides many that were cut in pieces by the Turne pikes.

The number of prisoners taken on the Emperours side are accounted to bee above two thousand, but there are not many lost on the Dukes side; among the which there was the Rhyne-grave John Philips, the Com∣mander Bredendorf, Scavilliski, and the Chiefe∣taine Erlach carried prisoners into Rhyne-field, which by taking in of the towne will be all set at liberty: For Duke Bernard hath be∣sieged the Towne againe with all earnest∣nesse, and hopes in a short time to become master of it. The Imperiallists were two to one, which is accounted a brave businesse a∣mong the Wimerish to beat their enemies so all to pieces.