The true travels, adventures, and observations of Captaine Iohn Smith, in Europe, Asia, Affrica, and America, from anno Domini 1593. to 1629 His accidents and sea-fights in the straights; his service and stratagems of warre in Hungaria, Transilvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia, against the Turks, and Tartars ... After how he was taken prisoner by the Turks, sold for a slave ... and escaped ... Together with a continuation of his generall History of Virginia, Summer-Iles, New England, and their proceedings, since 1624. to this present 1629; as also of the new plantations of the great river of the Amazons, the iles of St. Christopher, Mevis, and Barbados in the West Indies. All written by actuall authours, whose names you shall finde along the history.

CHAP. IX. (Book 9)

Sigismundus sends Ambassadours vnto the Emperour; the conditi∣ons re-assured; He yeeldeth up all to Busca, and returneth to Prague.

BVsca having all this time beene raising new forces, was comman∣ded from the Emperour againe to invade Transilvania, which be∣ing one of the fruitfullest and strongest Countries in those parts, was now rather a desart, or the very spectacle of desolation; their fruits and fields overgrowne with weeds, their Churches and battered Palaces and best buildings, as for feare, hid with Mosse and Ivy; being the very Bulwarke and Rampire of a great part of Europe, most fit by all Christians to have beene supplyed and maintained, was thus brought to ruine by them it most concerned to support it. But alas, what is it, when the power of Majestie pampered in all delights of pleasant vanity, neither knowing nor considering the labour of the Ploughman, the hazard of the Merchant, the oppression of Statesmen; nor feeling the piercing tormēts of broken limbes, & inveterated wounds, the toilsome marches, the bad lodging, the hungry diet, and the extreme misery that Souldiers endure to secure all those estates, and yet by the spight of malicious detraction, starves for want of their reward and recompences; whilest the politique Courtier, that cōmonly aimes more at his owne honors & ends, than his Countries good, or his Princes glory, honour, or security, as this worthy Prince too well could testifie. But the Emperor being certified how weak and desperate his estate was, sent Busca againe with a great Army, to trie his fortune once more in Transilvania. The Prince considering how his Country & subjects were consumed, the small means he had any longer to defend his estate, both against the cruelty of the Turke, & the power of the Emperor, & the small care the Polanders had in supplying him, as they had promised, sent to Busca to haue truce, till messengers might be sent to the Emperour for some better agreement, wherewith Busca was con∣tented. The Ambassadours so prevailed, that the Emperour re-assured vnto them the conditions he had promised the Prince at their confede∣racie for the lands in Silesia, with 60000. ducats presently in hand, and 50000. ducats yearely as a pension. When this conclusion was

knowne to Moyses his Liestenant then in the field with the Army, that would doe any thing rather than come in subjection to the Germans,* 1.1 he encouraged his Souldiers, and without any more adoe marched to en∣counter Busca, whom he found much better provided than he expected; so that betwixt them in six or seven houres, more than five or six thou∣sand on both sides lay dead in the field. Moyses thus overthrowne, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the Turks at Temesware, and his scattered troopes some one way, some another.

The Prince vnderstanding of this so sudden and unexpected acci∣dent, onely accompanied with an hundred of his Gentry and Nobility, went into the campe to Busca, to let him know, how ignorant he was of his Liestenants errour, that had done it without his direction or know∣ledge, freely offering to performe what was concluded by his Ambassa∣dours with the Emperour;* 1.2 and so causing all his Garrisons to come out of their strong holds, he delivered all to Busca for the Emperour, and so went to Prague, where he was honourably receiued, and established in his possessions, as his Emperiall Majestie had promised. Busca assem∣bling all the Nobility, tooke their oaths of allegeance and fidelity, and thus their Prince being gone, Trasilvania became againe subject to the Emperour.

Now after the death of Michael,* 1.3 Vavoyd of Wallachia, the Turke sent one Ieremie to be their Vavoyd or Prince; whose insulting tyranny caused the people to take Armes against him, so that he was forced to flie into the confines of Moldavia; and Busca in the behalfe of the Emperour, proclaimed the Lord Rodoll in his stead. But Ieremy having assembled an Army of forty thousand Turks, Tartars, and Moldavians, returned into Wallachia. Rodoll not yet able to raise such a power, fled into Transilvania to Busca, his ancient friend; who considering well of the matter, and how good it would be for his owne security to have Wallachia subject to the Emperour, or at least such an employment for the remainders of the old Regiments of Sigismundus, (of whose greatnesse and true affection hee was very suspitious,) sent them with Rodoll to recover Wallachia, condu∣cted by the valiant Captaines, the Earle Meldritch, Earle Veltus, Earle Nederspolt, Earle Zarvana, the Lord Bechlefield, the Lord Budendorfe, with their Regiments, and divers others of great ranke and quality, the greatest friends and alliances the Prince had; who with thirty thousand, marched along by the river Altus, to the streights of Rebrinke, where they entred Wallachia, encamping at Raza; Ieremie lying at Argish, drew his Army into his old campe, in the plaines of Peteske, and with his best diligence fortified it, intending to defend himselfe till more power came to him from the Crym-Tartar. Many small parties that came to his campe, Rodoll cut off, and in the nights would cause their heads to be throwne vp and downe before the trenches. Seven of their Porters were taken, whom Ieremie commanded to be stayed quicke, and after hung their skinnes vpon poles, and their carkasses and heads on stakes by them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Busca in Transil∣vania overthrow∣eth Moyses.
• * 1.2

  Sigismundus yeel∣deth his country to E••s••a.
• * 1.3

  Busca assisteth Rodoll in Wallachia.