Aehmat, 5 p # Emperour of the Turfy

862 Achmat, eighth Emferonr of the Turfy.
Batfcttfi
Letters to
the Nobility
and
States of
Hungary,
to call
them together
to Strents.
prefsthc unruly and head-ftrong Utidmki, being
yet in their Rage and Fury, as the manner of the
discontented Multitude is. Of which Haiducks,
fome going forth toward Newhuje, and bringing
home a great Booty of Cattel,werc by Co/lonitz and
Trautmanprf, purfuing them with their Horfemen,
overthrown, and all the Booty again recovered.
Bot/cay, about this time, viz. the nine and twentieth
day ai-March; fummoned all the Nobility
and States of Hungary unto an Aflembly to be holden
at Serentium the feventecnth day of April 3
Writing unto them in this fort t
YO U know (faid he) rigbt worthy and valiant
men, into what extream Miferies our
affl idled Country (all the ancient Privflcdges and
Immunities thereof being contemned and troden
under foot) is by the coming in of Strangers
brought; -whole Infolency is gone fo far, that
we cannot only not quietly poffefs our own
Goods, but fo much as enjoy the Liberty of our
own Consciences. For which caufe, the Nobility
of the whole Kingdom being the* Iaft Year fent
inJEmbafly, and as it were forefeeing what was
to come, the Aflembly of the Empire being ended,
openly protefted before the whole Imperial
Diet, and by their Letters oftentimes declared,
That they fhould of neceffity be at length inforccd
to take upon themfelves the defence of their
Priviledges and of their Religion: by which their
Proteftations for all that they fo little prevailed,
that forthwith after, fuch an intolerable Edidt
was by the Emperour's Commandment published,
as had expofed us all, and every one of us,
to mod certain Death, had we not betime provided
for our felves. All which things are unto
you all moft certainly known, both by the unlawful
ACts themfelves, and the whole Proceeding
of the Provoft General. All which things
ConGdered, you met together at Gale!i y and
from thence again openly fignified unto the
aforefaid Provoft General (unto whom his Imperial
Majefty had committed the (hedding of our
Blood, the abolifhing of our Priviledges and Religion,
viz. the execution of this cruel Edidt)I that
if he proceeded to go forward in that Bufinefs,
you would put into Execution what you had before
publickly protefted in the general Aflembly
of the whole Empire at Presburg. But what Anfwer
you received from him, forafmuch as it is
not unto any of you unknown, it Is not needful
here to rehearfc. Wherefore, when as he, going
about the execution of the aforefaid Edidt, did
in forcible manner, with certain Pieces of great
Ordnance, impugn the Army of his Imperial
Majefty, both in his and our dread Lord and
Sovereign, and by force took from us fome of
our Catties, and befieged fome others; we found
no other remedy again (I thefe fo great Evils, but
that which God himfelf even then fhewed unto
us, which was, by force of Arms to defend our
felves-fo far as we might. In which our purpofe,
feeing that the Grace of God, and the good Succefs
which we have hitherto bad, will us to
continue, although we have fufiered no little
harm from the Germans and Haidueks (which
for all that is, for the recovery of the liberty of
oar Country, patiently to be borne) to the intent
that we, united with other our Brethren through
Hungary^ may the better w'thftand our Enemies,
and fight again ft them; it is moft ncccflary that
we fhould meet together, and all matters fee
apart, enter into Confutation, how hereafter
to refift our Enemies, and fet our Country in
Peace and Quietnefs. Wherefore, feeing that
we have "determin'd to hold an Aflembly at Se-
Z rem the Seventeenth day of jfril, we by thefe
c Prefents warn and requeft you all, there at the 1605
c aforefaid Seventeenth day of April to make your v^v^>
e perfonal Appearance, to joyn in Amity with us,
* and, after God's Name called upon, to confulc
c and conclude upon fuch things as may be both .
c acceptable and pieafin unto God, and moft pro-"
c fitable and neceflary for the good of our af
e Country in general. But if there Dial] be any,
c which upon a prefumptuous orcarelcfs Contempt
c (hall not at the tin\e appointed come, nor feem
' to regard fuch things as fo much concern the
e common Good and Welfare of their Native
c Country; let them affuredly know, Both themc
felves to be therefore to be accounted for Enec
mies unto their Country, and their Goods alfo
e fo to be difpofed of, as fball unto the Nobility
c and States then and there affembled, be thought
( meet and convenient.
Much about this time, a great Tumult was A great
raifed amongft the Janizaries and other Souldiers T " l lc J
of the Court at Conftantinople; at which time a JJJESjJj
great Fire arofe alfb in the City (as oft times the tuple.
like hath before done through the Infolency of
the Janizaries, who in fuch Confufion of mens
Minds ufc to make their own Gains) wherein many,
both Men and Women, perifbed, with above
five hundred Shops and Ware-boufes full of rich
Merchandise, moft part whereof belonged unto
the Jews -, of whom almoft two hundred are faid
to have been there burnt: the Deforrnjty and
Spoil made by which Fire in the City, remaining
long after fo be fecn. Thefe Troubles brought a
great fear upon the young Sultan, who firft therewith
half dumayed, and feeing tne like to arjfein
Pera alfo on the other fide of the Haven, about a
mile off from the Seraglio, could not otherwifc
think, but that the Souldiers were about fome dangerous
Treafon. Which fufpicion, two Meflengers,but
a little before come from Cicala Bafa 3 increafed:
who by the fame Mefleneers defired new
Supplies to be forthwith fent unto him; protefting,
that for as much as he had not long before in a
great Battel loft a number of his Men, if he were
not with new Supplies fpeedily relieved, he muft
of force retire, and leave all unto the Perfian.
Howbeit, the Fire quenched, and the Janizaries
and other Souldiers with the Spoil they had of the
Lofles of others gotten, fatisfied, the Tumult was
without much ado again quieted.
Now befide the aforefaid Troubles from the The Em-
Rebels in TranfUvania and the upper Hungary* pcrour*
that nothing might be wanting unto the Mifery ^ d i^
of thofe fo miferable Countries, the Emperout's for their
Souldiers which fcrved under* Bafia 3 having of Pay,threaw
long from day to day in vain expedted their Pay, cn ^dr
and feeing neither Pay nor other Relief to come un- ^Sjy
to them, rofe up inMutiny. and fo in a great Rage th e counbrake
into Bafiajhc General's Lodging; where, ha- try beving
heaped upon him many unworthy*and de- twiwQefpightful
Reproaches, wirh their Pieces bent againft "" a ? d
him, and taking the fpoil of certain Carriages loaded
with many rich Commodities, they departed
from him; and fo marching thorow the Country
toward Presbourg 3 by the way ufed fuch Infolency
and Cruelty, by rifling and fpoiling whatfbever
came in their way, as that they feemed unto the
People as they went, worfe and more inhumane
than the very Turks and Tartars themfelves;
where, amongft other the Prey by them taken,
which were very great, they carried away with them
toward Presburg above ten thoufand Oxen and two
thoufand Horfes; threatning by the way as they
went to burn the Suburbs of the City fo fbon as
they came thither, if they were not forthwith payed
their Pay: whereupon many of the Citizens for fear
forfook their Dwellings, and removed v&Vitma.
But
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