Epistolæ Ho-elianæ familiar letters domestic and forren divided into sundry sections, partly historicall, politicall, philosophicall, vpon emergent occasions / by James Howell.

XXIX. To the right Hon^ble Sir Peter Wicks, Lo: Ambassador at Constantinople.

My Lord,

IT seems ther is som angry Star that hath hung over the busines of the Palatinat from the beginning of these German Wars to this very day; which will too evidently appear, if one should mark and deduce matters from their first rise.

You may remember how poorly Prague was lost: The Bishop of Halverstat and Count Mansfelt shuffled up and down a good while, and did great matters, but all came to nothing at last. You may remember how one of the Ships-Royall was cast away in car∣rying over the last, and the 12000 men he had hence perish'd many of them very miserably, and he himself, as they write, di∣ed in a poor Hostrey with one Laquay, as he was going to Venice to a bank of money he had stor'd up there for a dead lift. Your Lordship knows what success the King of Denmark had (and our 6000 men under Sir Charles Morgan) for while he thought to make new acquests, he was in hazard to lose all that he had, had not he had favorable Propositions tendred him. Ther were▪ never poor Christians perished more lamentably than those 6000 we sent under M. Hamilton for the assistance of the King of Sweden, who did much, but you know what became of him at last: How disa∣strously the Prince Palatin himself fell, and in what an ill conjun∣cture of time, being upon the very point of being restor'd to his Country.

But now we have as bad news as any we had yet; for the young Prince Palatin, and his Brother Prince Rupert, having got a jol∣ly considerable Army in Holland, to try their fortunes in Germa∣ny with the Swedes, they had advanc'd as far as Munsterland, and Westphalia, and having lain before Lengua, they were forc'd to raise the siege; and one Generall Ha•…•…zfield pursuing them, ther was a fore battell fought, wherin Prince Rupert, my Lord Craven, and others were taken prisoners. The Prince Palatin himself, with Major King, thinking to get over the Weser in a Coach, the Water being deep and not sordable, he sav'd himself by the help

of a Willow, and so went a foot all the way to Minden, the Coach and the Coach-man being drown'd in the River: Ther wer neer upon 2000 slain on the Palsgraves side, and scarce the twentieth part so many on Ha•…•…zfields, Major Gaeuts, one of the chiefe Com∣manders, was kil'd.

I am sorry I must write unto you this sad story; yet to counter∣vail •…•…t somthing, Saxen Weymar thrives well, and is like to get B•…•…i∣sac by help of the French forces. All your frends here are well, and remember your Lordship often, but none more oft than

Lond. 5 Iun. 1635.

Your most humble and ready Servitor, J. H.