advantage gained by the Swedes over their northern neigh bours at sea, made the Danish monarch more tractable. Despairing of being able to obtain fresh succours from the emperor, the haughty and violent Christian now listened to the mediation of France. A treaty was accordA. D. 1644. ingly concluded at Bromsboo, by which Sweden restored to Denmark all the towns Torstenson had taken in Holstein; and Christian, on his part, ceded to Sweden Jemp. tie, Halland, the island of Gothland, and the citadel and town of Wisbie, with all the isles depending upon it. Be side this treaty, which enabled Sweden to act with all her forces against the house of Austria, Thuillerie concluded an alliance between France and Denmark, by which Christian agreed to yield no assistance, directly or indirectly, to the enemies of France, or those of her allies32;

The emperor was not in a condition to prevent the ratification of these treaties. Turenne had retrieved the affairs of France upon the Rhine, which he crossed at Brisac, and advancing with a small army toward the source of the Danube, routed the Imperialists, commanded by the baron de Merci. He afterward attempted the relief of Friburg, which was invested by the Bavarian army, under the count de Merci, brother of the baron; but, finding himself too weak to act with vigour against the enemy, he retired, and fortified a camp within a league of the town, whence he had the mortification to see it surrender. Meantime cardinal Mazarine, informed that the French army was very inferior in strength to the Bavarians, ordered the celebrated Lewis de Bourbon, duke d'Enguien, whom I have already had occasion to mention, and who was son to the prince of Condé to join Turenne with a reinforcement. These two generals attacked the count de Merci near Friburg, with such impetuosity, that, notwithstanding his advantageous situation,

32. Puffend. lib. 15.

which seemed to place him beyond the reach of danger, he was obliged to retire with the loss of three thousand men.

This action, which lasted seven hours, was immediately followed by another, in which the Bavarians gained at first some advantage. But the duke d'Enguien rallied his troops, which seemed disposed to quit the field, and boldly marching against the enemy, drove them three times from their entrenchments, which they as often regained, and victory at last remained undecided, as neither party quitted his ground; Merci, however, who had lost one-half of his army, resolved to avoid a third shock by a quick retreat. This he effected in good order, notwithstanding all the attempts of the French to break his rear; and resolutely continuing his march, he safely reached the country of Wurtemburg with the remains of his forces, leaving to the enemy his artillery and baggage, with all the towns situated between the Rhine and the Moselle, from Mentz to Landau33.

Nor were France and Sweden the only foreign powers that incommoded the emperor. Mazarine and Oxenstiern, in order the better to command the negociations, as well as to furnish employment for Ferdinand, while the Swedes were engaged in the Danish war, had formed an alliance with Ragotski, vaivode of Transylvania; and that prince, with the consent of the Grand Signior, to whom he was tributary entered Hungary at the head of thirty thousand men, and took Cassovia. In justification of his conduct he published a manifesto, addressed to the Hungarian nobility, in which he assured them, that his sole view in taking up arms was to defend their liberties and privileges against the ambition of the emperor, who intended to make that elective kingdom hereditary in his family. This manifesto was answered by Ferdinand, who sent a body of veteran troops, under general Goeutz, to expel the Transylvanian prince; and Ragotski's troops being raw and undisciplined, he durst not hazard an

33. Barre, tom. ix.

engagement,

engagement, though superior in number to the enemy. Other circumstances conspired to hasten his retreat. He received intelligence that the grand vizier, the chief support of his interest at the court of Constantinople, was dead, and that the king of Poland intended to declare war against him. He was eagerly pursued by Goeutz : but the couutry being destitute of provisions, the Imperial troops were wasted with famine and fatigue, and afterward totally ruined at the siege of Cassovia, where the vaivode had left five regiments, which defended the place with singular bravery. That defence, and the loss of the Imperialists, inspired Ragotski with fresh courage. He rejected with disdain the terms of peace offered him by Ferdinand; and was of infinite service to Sweden, by dividing the forces of the empire, while her troops were employed in Holstein against the king of Denmark34.

Torstenson, whom we have seen commanding in Holstein, pursued into Lower Saxony, Galas, the Imperial general, whose army there experienced a fate similar to that under Goeutz in Hungary; it being almost utterly destroyed by famine, fatigue, and the sword of the Swedes. Having now no enemy to oppose him, Torstenson, entered Bohemia, and marched directly toward Prague, in hopes of surprizing that city, and taking prisoners the emperor and the archduke Leopold, who had resided there for some time. In this bold attempt, however, he was disappointed. Ferdinand was no sooner apprised of the march of the Swedes, than he ordered all the troops that could be assembled to approach the place of his residence, under Galas, Hasfeld, John de Wert (who had at last obtained his liberty) and the counts Brouay and Montecuculi. But all these forces, commanded by such able generals, not being sufficient to dissipate his fears, the emperor retired with the archduke to Vienna35.

A. D. 1645.

34, Id. ibid.

35. Heiss, lib. iii. chap. ix.

Barre, tom. ix.

Meantime

Meantime the Imperial army being completely formed, encamped between Thabor and Budeweis, at a small distance from the Swedes, and each party watched the motions of the other with equal diligence and address. Here the superior genius of Torstenson was conspicuous. In order to decoy the Imperialists from their advantageous position, he spread a report, that he intended to march into Moravia, and actually took the route to that province; but finding he has gained his point, as the enemy were in motion to follow him, he returned and encamped near Strockwitz. Soon after he passed the Moldaw, and arrived in the neighbourhood of Thabor, whither he was followed by the enemy. Nothing passed, for some days, but slight skirmishes; for although both armies were eager to engage neither would quit the post it had seized, in order to attack the other. At length, however, Torstenson, trusting to the valour of his troops, resolved to give the Imperialists battle. He accordingly advanced toward their camp, in a threatening posture, about break of day, when a brisk cannonading began; and by seven in the morning, both armies. were engaged in close fight, which was continued for the space of four hours with incredible obstinacy. In the beginning of the action, the left wing of the Swedes began to give ground; but being supported in time, the battle was restored, and Torstenson charged the Imperialists with such fury, that their cavalry was broken, and their infantry cut in pieces. General Goeutz, and about three thousand men were left dead on the field; twenty-six pieces of cannon were taken, together with sixty-three pair of colours, and four thousand prisoners, among whom was general Hasfeld, and several other officers of distinction. The pursuit was no less bloody than the battle. Twelve hundred of the Imperial infantry were slain in one body, and a great number taken prisoners, together with three thousand horse36.

36. Id. ibid.

Struck

Struck with terror by these repeated misfortunes, Ferdinand pressed the elector of Bavaria to assist him with troops; and that prince sent four thousand men to Vienna, excusing himself from furnishing a greater number, as he was obliged to protect his own dominions against the insults of the French, who threatened the Upper Palatinate. Galas, at the same time, collected the broken remains of the Imperial army in Bohemia; set on foot new levies; and having formed a respectable body of troops, encamped under the cannon of Pilsen, in order to observe the motions of Torstenson; who, in consequence of his late victory, had reduced Leipnitz, Pilgran, Iglaw, and several other places. The town of Krembs, Stein, and the fort of Tyrnstein also submitted to the conquerors: so that the Swedes were now masters of the Danube on the side of Moravia: and all the towns in that province surrendered at discretion, except Brinn, which Torstenson besieged, as the reduction of it seemed necessary to facilitate his junction with Ragotski, on which was supposed to depend the fate of Hungary and Austria.

This enterprize occasioned such alarm at the court of Vienna, that the emperor retired to Ratisbon, and the empress and her attendants fled for refuge to Gratz in Stiria. All the most valuable furniture was removed from the capital, the suburbs were pulled down, and the bastions and ramparts repaired. Some old regiments threw themselves into the city; the inhabitants were armed; the magazines filled, and preparations made for supporting a long siege. Torstenson, however, had no thoughts of such an enterprize. He found sufficient employment at Brinn; which by its gallant defence, afforded Ferdinand leisure to put his affairs in some order. The archduke Leopold was declared commander in chief of the Imperial forces; and Galas, who served under him in quality of lieutenant-general, assembled the militia from all quarters to augment the army, that he might be able to prevent the Swedes from crossing the Danube. Nor was the elector of Bavaria less busy in taking measures to oppose the progress of the French.

General