Saturday, October 28. 1704.

Numb. 68.
[285]

OUR last Review brought on the great Argument of the Hungarians being the Causes of the War with the Turks, in 1682.

And first, I might ask our Opponents to produce any other Reason for that War; and to shew us, what even the Turks themselves had to alledge against the Emperor?

In all the Embassies the Emperor made to the Port, and in all the Treaties with the Turks, there was not one Pretence ever offered, why the Port was disgusted; no such thing as Reparation or Satisfaction Demanded, but in the last offer, which the Turk ever made to the Emperor; this was the main thing the Bassa insisted on, viz. That it should be Lawful for the Turks to assist the Malecontents of Hungaria.

Now let any Man but consider, what sort of a Peace this must have been, that the Emperor must have been ty’d up to have acted no Hostilities on the Turks, and at the same time they were at Liberty to have brought down the whole Force of the Ottoman Empire upon him, under the specious sham of assisting the HungariansContinue reading Saturday, October 28. 1704.

Tuesday, October 17. 1704.

Numb. 65.
[273]

THE Defeat of Count Teckely, and the Bassa of Great Warradin near Presburgh, was but the beginning of their Sorrows; about 12 days after the said Fight, he joyn’d another Body of Hungarians and Tartars, and Passing the River Mark, entred Moravia, Burnt and Ravag’d 16 or 18 Villages, in a most Barbarous manner, and Summon’d the whole Province to pay him Contribution.

The Duke of Lorrain Detach’d 500 Polanders, and 800 German Horse, with 200 Dragoons, to advance and put a stop to them, till the rest of the Army could be got together. This small Detachment met the Malecontents, at a River near Ancren, in Moravia; and being surrounded by them, were oblig’d to Charge their whole; Whether it was the extraordinary Bravery of the Imperialists, or which is more likely, the Hungarians intimidated and dispirited by the foulness of their Cause, and the hand of Heaven, we cannot be certain; but this small Party of 1500 Men, routed their whole Army, Kill’d 500 Men, Took 2000 Prisoners, 12 of their Standards, and recover’d all their Plunder, and particularly above 3000 poor Country People, who the Tartars had taken Prisoners, designing to sell them to the Turks.

Thus the Turks went on Prosperously enough with their Siege, yet the Hungarians were Beaten on all occasions.

Count Teckely, to be reveng’d for their Affront, obtains 2000 Turkish Horse of the Grand Visier, and joyning to them 1000 of his own, under a Brother of Count Budiani, Orders them to pass the River Waagh, and Ravage the Frontiers of the Hereditary Conntries between the Mark and Moravia; but the Duke of Lorrain sending Orders to some of the Saxon Forces which were on their March for the Relief of Vienna, they laid a Snare for them, and drew them into an Ambuscade, which unexpectedly surrounding them, cut them all off, or took them Prisoners; among the latter, the Young Count Budiani was Taken, and died of his Wounds, and Teckely’s Secretary was kill’d. Continue reading Tuesday, October 17. 1704.

Saturday, October 14. 1704.

Numb. 64.
[269]

THE Success of the Hungarians, under Count Teckely, after they had put themselves under the Protection of the Turk, is the present Subject we are upon; whether God Almighty, in his Righteous Providence, Punish’d them for their Infidelity and Distrust, in quitting their Dependence upon his Omnipotence, and flying to his Enemies for Aid; whether it was for their Disloyalty to the Emperor, or for their Cruelties in the Execution of their Resentments against the Germans; or for what other Reasons, I am willing to leave that Particular undecided.

’Tis my proper Business to make out the Fact, as I have alledg’d it in several past Papers; viz. That from the time that they abandon’d their Faith, Revolted from, and Betray’d the Christian Army, under the Duke of Lorrain, on the River Raab; the Consequences of which, were that dreadful Eruption of the Tartars into the German part of Lower Hungary, into Austria, Stiria, and Moravia; the Destruction of a Plentiful, Flourishing, and some of it Protestant Country, for above 100 Miles Square; the Murther or Captivity of above 40000 Innocent Christians, the Retreat or Flight of the Imperial Army, and after that the Siege of Vienna: From this time the Divine Protection visibly forsook them, and Heaven seem’d plainly to have left them to the Vengeance and Punishment of their own ways, fill’d them with their own doings, and they fell before the Germans as Grass beneath the hands of the Mower.

The first instance of this we have in Sir Roger Manley’s History aforemention’d, under the Head of the Seige of Vienna.

The Hungarians, who, as has been already Noted, Concerted Measures with the Grand Visier at Buda, had contriv’d effectually to Secure the Ruin of Vienna, by placing themselves on the Borders of Austria, so Securing the Passes of the Mountains on that side, effectually to prevent the King of Poland, who was then on his March to Relive the City; had they Succeeded in their Design, the Poles could not have come at all, or else must have March’d so far about, that it had been impossible for Vienna, which, as it was, found it self reduc’d to the last extremity, to have held out till their Arrival. Continue reading Saturday, October 14. 1704.

Tuesday, October 10. 1704.

Numb. 63.
[265]

I Am not justifying here the Honour of such Princes Proceedings, who fall upon their Neighbours, and begin Wars and Hostilities, without pretence of Quarrel, and without Declaring first their Resolution.

But for the Edification of those Gentlemen; who are willing the Swedes should ruin the King of Poland, because he Assaulted them without a just Ground; I would recommend to their consideration, how the Hungarians joyn’d with the Turks, in a War against the Emperor, under the obligation of a Solemn Peace, unbroken, and which had three Years yet to come, and without any ground of Complaint on the Turks behalf.

Nay, so openly, and against all Justice and Honour did the Turks break this Peace, that when afterwards the Losses and Destruction of the War, brought them to think their Priests at Constantinople exclaim’d against the injustice of it, and the Rabble Sacrificed those who had been the occasion of it; Declaring their great Prophet Mahomet was Angry at their beginning so Dishonourable a War; and Teckely himself was in no small danger among them upon this Account.

Yet I never read that our Hungarians, and who, some would have all call’d Protestants, made the least scruple of the Turks denying the Emperor this Ceremony, but treated his Imperial Majesty in all Cases, as if he was a Person with whom no Measures were to be observed, breaking all their Truces and Cessations, seizing their Magazines, intercepting his Convoys, even when under Treaties and Capitulations. Continue reading Tuesday, October 10. 1704.

Saturday, October 7. 1704.

Numb. 62.
[261]

THUS we have brought the Hungarians and the Turks by the proper steps, to the firm League concerted from the Ruine of the Christian Cause; and so strongly were they link’d together, that when the next Winter, viz. 1682. the Emperor on a Treaty of Truce with Count Teckely, Demanded the Silver Cities of Upper Hungaria; so call’d, because of the Mines there: Teckely return’d for Answer, That he could not restore them, without consent of the Bassa of Buda.

And thus the Unhappiest League was brought to perfection; the worst, and the most Fatal for Christendom, that ever was made.

The Emperor was not backward to make offers, and even almost to Sollicit them to Peace, and at last offer’d Teckely the Sovereignity of what he had gain’d in Upper Hungaria.

To this, when the Ambitious Prince could find no Room for any other Answer, he return’d, That he could do nothing in it, without the consent of the Turks; and at the same time, tho’ the Truce was not then Expir’d, sits down before the Castle of Donavisth, and gave the Emperor this most Pityful and Intollerable Reason for it; That he did it because Count Joanelli, to whom it belong’d, had refus’d to come to his Dyet at Cassovia. Continue reading Saturday, October 7. 1704.

Tuesday, October 3. 1704.

Numb. 61.
[257]

I Brought the Hungarians in the Last Review, just to the Precipice of their own Ruine, when despising all the Concessions of the Emperor; which at the Intercession of the Protestant Electors, had been such, that the very Turks themselves suspected they could not refuse an Accommodation.

The Apprehensions of this, occasion’d the Turkish Ambassadors to make mighty Offers of Imaginary Honours, such as no People in the World, who had not projected the Absolute Ruine of Europe, would have the least Imagination could ever be made good.

Upon these Expectations, Count Teckeley, and Eighty of the Principal Nobility and Gentry of Hungary, enter into this black Contract, and agree with the Turks for Protection and Assistance against the Emperor; and on that Condition stipulate in the Name of all the Kingdom, to make Hungaria Tributary to the Turks, to become his Servants, and to pay to his Ottoman Highness a Tribute of 8oooo Crowns per Ann. Vid. Knowl’s Contin. fol. 28o.

To make this yet more plain, the Grand Seignior, in Pursuance of the abovesaid Treaty, sends the following haughty Command to Abassi Prince of Transylvania. Continue reading Tuesday, October 3. 1704.

Tuesday, September 19. 1704.

Numb. 57.
[241]

I cannot go back from the Charges in the last Review, as to the Hungarians calling in the Turks. The Count Westelini, who was Palatine of Hungary, in the Year 1676, was openly engag’d in the Troubles of that Time; and as it was his Post to Command the Military as well as the Civil Power, he made no scruple, tho’ a Roman Catholick, to head the whole Body of the Malecontents, and joyn with them in taking Arms against the Emperor.

Some say he turn’d Protestant before he died, and that he was so in his Heart from the beginning; but, as that does no where appear to me, so it does not seem Material to the present Argument, whether he did or no.

Sir Roger Manly, in his Continuation of Sir Paul Rycaut’s History of the Turks, gives us a short Abridgment of the beginning of that Insurrection, which I shall re-abridge in as short a manner, as will consist with the length of my Paper.

’Tis true, there had been several Insurrections, and designs of Insurrection before that, but as the Causes were generally the same, the Abstract of this, may very reasonably pass for an Introduction into the whole Story. Continue reading Tuesday, September 19. 1704.

Saturday, April 29. 1704.

Numb. 16.
[77]

SUch is the Partiality of Mens Humours, that I must not Attempt to say any thing that is well of an Enemy, without a previous Assurance, that I am not going over to his Party: ’Tis something hard that a Man cannot be allow’d to own any thing that’s Honourable in the Man we fight with, tho’ he has Signaliz’d himself to all the World in the Fact, and all Men must allow it to be true.

Some reply, But tell us, then, the Criminal things he has done; as you have shewn us his bright, shew us his dark side; be Impartial, and as we see the Hero, let us see the Tyrant too.

Why really, Gentlemen, I am afraid I shall never please you that way neither; for that tho’ I pretend to speak as plain English as any-body, and too plain for some People; yet possibly when I come to it, I may not call him all the Monsters, and Barbarous Perjured Tyrants, at least in Express Terms, as some People may expect from me.

And yet I shall go near to do the World Justice as to that part of the French Affairs too, but one part must come before another, and the Reader must have Patience; he that will not, is desired to let this Paper alone, and ought indeed neither to read this nor any thing else. Continue reading Saturday, April 29. 1704.