WE, Fredericke, by the grace of God, King of Bohemia, Count Palatine of the Rheine, and Prince Elector, Duke of Bauaria, Marquis of Morauia, Duke of Lut­zelburge and Silesia, Mar­quis of vpper and lower Lu­zatia, &c. To all Christian Potentates, Princes Electors, Princes, and States in generall, and to e­uery one of them in particular; as also to all others of what qualitie, state, or condition so euer they be; make knowne our willing seruice, friendship, and gracious will, giuing them hereby to vnder­stand, that we haue beene certainly and most truly informed, in what manner not long since, vnder the name of the Emperours Maiestie, diuers ri­gorous, & vnaccustomed Mandates and Patents, (to our most great preiudice, defamation, and [Page] dishonour) haue beene here and there dispersed, as well within as without the Empire, and in some places publikely set vp: Thereby vnder pretence of all manner of vntrue narrations and friuolous suggestions, pretending, that our true and law­full Election vnto the Kingdome of Bohemia, made and performed by the generall vnanimous consent and agreement of the States of the said Kingdome of Bohemia, together with the Coun­tries thereunto incorporated, is vtterly void, and de facto, of no force, or of none effect. And withall affirming, that all the Princes, States, and Mem­bers of the Empire, (which hitherto out of a Chri­stian compassion, haue in any manner and by any meanes ayded and assisted the oppressed Christi­ans of the Kingdome of Bohemia and the incor­porated Countries thereunto annexed, inhumane­ly persecuted and molested by extreame Tyran­nies, Murthers, Robberies, Burnings, and inno­cent bloud-shedding) are by the said Declarati­ons, and Letters Pattents, vpon the auoiding of the actuall declaration and execution of the pains and penalties in that case set down and appointed by the Imperiall constitutions, commanded and strictly enioyned to leaue ayding and assisting of the said greatly persecuted and oppressed Christi­ans, and specially Vs, their now orderly elected and lawfully crowned King. And further, by most friuolous vntrue and slanderous, imputations against vs, and with like seuere menacings, by Em­periall [Page] power, within a certaine time therein limi­ted and set downe; commanding Vs, expressely, without any delay, certainly, infallibly and actu­ally to abandon, leaue, and giue ouer our said Kingdome of Bohemia, and the Countries incor­porated thereunto, obtayned by so iust and lawful a Title, and being in vndeniable iust possession.

Now setting apart that, which to the slander and disgrace of the States of Bohemia, hath at large (though vntruly) beene published concer­ning the displacing and remoouing of certaine vn­fit, peruerse and turbulent Officers, alteration of Gouernment, and establishing of Orders for the naturall defence and protection of their Subiects, whereunto by nature they are bound:

As also that, which for the confirmation of the pretended imaginary claime of Inheritance made by the house of Austria to the said kingdome, may be, and is produced and obiected, out of the slen­der, insufficient and partiall Declaration made by the Emperour Charles the Fourth; concerning the free Election belonging to the Bohemians; as al­so from that vnformal and disorderly priuate testi­fication made by King Vladislaus; and of that out of the Decree, seuen and fortie yeares since, by fire and sword compulsiuely extorted and wrung from the assembly of the States in Parliament at Prague; together with the ill alleaged obseruation of their pretended eight hundred yeares successi­on. Sith that all these things haue beene fully an­swered [Page] and confuted by the Apologies and dedu­ctarie Declarations made and published by the said States, with such truth and good ground, as that we thinke it needlesse here to rehearse or de­duce the same againe at large.

Only for the better and plainer iustification of our owne Person, we say that we doubt not, but that all men of indifferent and vnpassionate minds, (that haue seene and read our Declaration dated the twentieth of October (and seuenth of No­uember) published in Prague, and the Bohemian deduction therein mentioned and set downe,) suf­ficiently perceiue & vnderstand, vpon what most vrgent and ineuitable reasons and motiues, after so great and notorious necessities, calamities, and miseries endured, and thereby inforced defence; the said States of the renowned Kingdome of Bohemia, together with the Prouinces incorpo­rated to the same, haue beene forced and compel­led vnto that wel-ordered abdication and reiecti­on, to them permitted both by the Lawes of God and man, and by vertue of their lawfull priuile­ges hitherto inuiolably maintained. And by what occasion wee for our parts haue beene mooued, and incited to accept of the said vacant Crowne, (vnexpected by vs, and without any thought of Ours) and lawfully cast vpon vs by a ioynt, free, and generall assemblie of the States of the King­dome of Bohemia, according to the ancient Pri­uileges and Freedome of Election reserued vnto [Page] them by their fundamentall Lawes. As also that in the acceptation thereof wee neuer had any re­spect to the further aduancement or increasing of our owne dignitie, and present particular profit, but chiefly and before all things to the glorie of God, the common wel-fare of our natiue Coun­trey, and as much as possibly might bee, to the preseruation of this famous Kingdome, and Ele­ctorate Principalitie there, by hostile power and force almost vtterly spoyled and ruinated; withall hauing commiseration and taking pitie vpon the miseries, sighes, and lamentable teares which wee had before our eyes of so many poore distressed Christians. And therefore with our pure consci­ences we doe now againe testifie, that if by the re­fusall of this Crowne then offered vnto vs, wee might haue beene a meanes that the deuouring fire of dissention raised in the said Kingdome and the Territories thereof, (and still more and more in­creasing) might haue beene quenched, the perse­secution for Religion ceassed, their infringed Pri­uileges restored, the Countrey freed and secured from menaced bondage and suppression, and the Empire also, and specially wee our selues, and o­ther States bordering about vs, freed from appa­rant dangers: Wee would not only haue refused the acceptation of the said Crowne offered vnto vs, but most willingly haue employed our vtter­most endeuour in that behalfe.

And wee hope, that no man to whom our acti­ons [Page] and proceedings, from and before the begin­ning of these troubles raised in Bohemia, are knowne and made manifest, can as well any waies doubt of our sinceritie, seeing it is vndeniable, that we not onely particularly, but ioyntly also with other godly and true hearted Princes Ele­ctors, and Princes, presently vpon their verie first bursting out, as vpon the encreasing of this hurt­full fire, for the preuention of ensuing mischiefes, haue not spared nor refused to vse any good meanes, nor to giue any true and vpright counsell therein. To the which end, at the last election day holden in Frankefort, by our fully authorised deputies, (together with the aduice and counsell of our fellow temporall Princes Electors) wee did most faithfully and diligently labour, and gaue our aduice, to procure, that before wee handled or dealt in any other matter, the hostile troubles ray­sed in the Empire, and specially in the Kingdome of Bohemia, might first be brought and reduced to a peaceable and quiet State; for the effecting wherof, we wished & desired nothing more, then that the Ambassadours of the States of Bohemia, then sent to Frankefort, (which by our deputies was oftentimes moued) at their instant request might haue beene admitted and heard, and not (as they were) so contemptuously reiected and put off.

And the electorall Records of the last procee­dings in the said Election at Franckfort, can wit­nesse, [Page] That our fully authorised deputies were as vnwilling vnto the said contumelious refusall of the Bohemian Ambassadours, as we were readie to the approuing and admission of his Imperiall Maiestie (as King of Bohemia) into the electorall Colledge; but rather oftentimes haue protested and declared, that wee by no meanes would dero­gate any thing from the liberties and rights of the States of the Crowne of Bohemia, nor thereby in any manner seeke to prejudice either the one or the other.

Therefore, because such good and faithfull ad­monitions, aduice, and protestations could take no effect, but to the contrarie, the said Ambassa­dours of the States of Bohemia (against their an­cient nationall Lawes and Priuiledges) were con­strained with great disgrace to goe home againe vnheard; their propositions set downe in writing, not propounded nor read in the Electorall Col­ledge, nor yet the cause orderly and lawfully dis­cussed and handled, (the Countrie in the meane time being so grieuously afflicted, by continuall and most extreame hostilitie and deuastation) as the like hath not beene heard of:

So that the interposition then made and pro­pounded to the electorall Colledge (which not­withstanding required much time, and in the meane while the Kingdome of Bohemia might haue beene vtterly spoyled and ouerthrowne) could not be brought to any effectuall treatie, nei­ther [Page] was by the contrary part earnestly, nor with befitting zeale esteemed of, nor considered vpon, as conueniently it ought to haue beene; but much rather, purposely the businesse was delayed, that so in the meane time the Countrie might bee weakned and tyred out.

For these considerations, the States at that time assembled together in the Citie of Prague, beeing then in danger of falling into most great extremi­tie and distresse, as also despayring of any equall and impartiall redresse of that the contumelious reiection and refusall of their said Ambassadours; were constrayned and forcibly compelled, to vn­dertake some other meanes (by vertue of their ancient and legall priuiledges) and to proceede to the lawfull alteration of the Crowne, as it is now knowne vnto the World: thereby to preserue and saue themselues from vtter ruine and final de­structions, as by their publique Apologies and De­ductions set forth, and imprinted, doth sufficiently and at large appeare.

From whence all men, yea also euerie simple man, may easily know and perceiue, That the causes and motiues, whereby the States of Bohe­mia, and the Prouinces thereinto incorporated, were enforced to this finall resolution, are not in any manner to be ascribed vnto vs, whose care and indeuour still was imployed by all the meanes that could be, to procure that peace, quietnesse, and concord, might be againe reduced, and re-esta­blished [Page] within the holy Empire; as also, that in the said Kingdome of Bohemia (as a speciall and prin­cipall Electorall Principalitie) the troubles rai­sed and begun, might be appeased, and the same reduced to a peaceable and quiet State: But much rather vnto those, who at the verie beginning, (preferring force of armes before friendly means) at the aforesaid Electorall day, neglected, and re­iected all good counsell, admonition, and protesta­tions; seeking all the meanes and waies they could, to aduance and effect that their so long before pre­meditated intent and secret meaning.

And the processe of these affaires manifestly shew, how little the contrarie part is and hath bin inclined to any peaceable course of proceeding, as their actions sufficiently testifie; and especially hereby, in that we (at the beginning of our Regall gouernement) when occasion was motioned of entering into a peaceable treatie, willingly offered to yeeld thereunto. The same was notwithstan­ding by them vtterly refused and reiected.

And whereas it is imputed vnto vs, as if wee by our accepting and taking of the Crowne offered vnto vs, both orderly, and without all intrusion, and (according to the ancient Lawes and funda­mentall Ordinances of the Kingdome of Bohe­mia, and their olde customes) by lawfull pre­cedent abdication altogether free and vacant) should thereby rebelliously & by force of armes, haue, of our owne actuall manner, vndertaken to [Page] pull away the said Kingdome and Prouinces incor­porated vnto the same, from his Imperiall Maie­stie, contrarie to the common peace of the Em­pire: therein we finde our selfe to be altogether ouer much wronged, and may in regard thereof, vndergoe and stand vnto the censure of all indiffe­rent persons, both within and without the Em­pire. For seeing that by the fore-mentioned seue­rall published deductorie Writings of the wor­thie Bohemian States, not onely their right and lawfull causes of vndertaken Reiection, but also their anciently descended, & well grounded law­full Right of free Election: and that no man with equitie, nor vpon any good ground or solid rea­son, and iust foundation, can boast of any lawfull succession to the said Realme; much lesse by dan­gerous conuentions, cessations, and transports (wholly opposite to the Fundamentall Lawes) made against and without the knowledge and con­sent of the said States, transport the often foresaid Kingdome of Bohemia, and proprietie of the Em­pire, and other the noble Countries, vnto any out-landish strangers:

That all men may sufficiently perceiue what great wrong and iniustice is offered thereby vnto vs, by proceeding against vs in such manner, who neuer sought nor desired to wrong any one, nor take away against right from any man (of how meane estate soeuer he were) any thing that be­longed vnto him.

And although the Emperours Maiestie within a short time after our Coronation, in an edict pub­lished before this latter Mandate, by diuers colou­rable circumstances and allegations, hath taken vpon him, not onely to contradict, but altogether to annihilate and make void the aforesaid Reiecti­on, Election, and Coronation made, & conferred vpon vs by the said States of the Crowne of Bo­hemia: Wee doubt not, but that euery man may easily iudge, and discerne that his Maiestie, (who in this cause touching the saide States of Bohe­miaes Abdication or Reiection, and therupon en­suing Election and Coronation, presumeth vpon certaine suppositions, and pretences of the house of Austria, being but a partie plaintife) is not for himselfe to iudge, whether the States of Bohemia haue herein done lawfully, and according to their ancient Lawes and priuiledges; and so whether the new Election be in force, and of sufficiencie, or not: nor can he be warranted by any Law, or vnder any colour of absolute Imperial authority, power, and Soueraigntie, to aduance and presse thorow the priuate dessignes and particular Au­strian pretences, with peremptory processe of exe­cution, & by his own power to make himself iudge in his own cause, contrarie to all the Laws & Or­dinances of the Empire; no more then the deceas­sed Emperours Frederick, Charles, Rodulph, and others, in their owne particular controuersies, and pretences against any of the States of the Empire, [Page] did euer vndertake and assume vnto themselues, to be both Iudges and parties.

Besides this; The States of the Crowne of Bo­hemia, and the prouinces incorporated to the same, acknowledge not any iurisdiction or Supe­rioritie in the Emperor, in or ouer the Kingdome, (excepting that which concerneth the Feudarie Lands had from the holy Empire) because they are not subiect to the Romaine Emperour, nor to any of the holy Empires censurers,Note this well. either at the Imperiall Court, nor in the Chamber at Spires; nor also to any other constitutions of the Empire, nor Assemblings and common decidings, decrees, Tracts, and decisions of the Empire, but haue their owne ancient Countrie Lawes, Priuiledges, Ordi­nances, Exemptions, and Customes, whereby they are gouerned.

Whereby it easily appeareth, how vnseasona­bly and without reason, the Emperours priuie Councell in this priuate businesse arrogate against vs vnto themselues the office of Iudges, whereun­to in regard of their Persons or Qualities they are not called; nor by the temporall Princes Electors, and other Princes, are acknowledged or deemed to be such as are worthie, of their owne authoritie to assume such Princes power, as by such vnfit and disordered proces, of no force nor validitie, to pro­ceede against a King, and a Prince Elector.

But if his Imperiall Maiestie, as Archduke of Austria, be resolued orderly and by due course of [Page] Law to prosecute and produce his pretended heredi­tarie claime to the Crowne of Bohemia, then he ought not to doe it before his owne priuie Councel and ser­uants,A poynt verie ob­seruable. but (according to the Lawes and Priuiledges of the Crowne of Bohemia) before their owne Iudges, vnto whom such high and weightie causes doe ap­pertaine, and must as plaintife and actor Forum rei, sue and follow the same, before them, and according to the Ordinances of the generall Common Law: as on the other side, if as Emperour of Rome, hee be su­ed by order of Law, by any other, according to the golden Bull of Charles the Fourth, hee ought to ap­peare, plead, and answer before a Palsgraue & Prince Elector; and therefore neither can nor ought to be his owne Iudge. As now it is to be hoped, that no impar­tiall person whatsoeuer may any waies doubt of the insufficiencie and manifest nullitie of the aforesaide pretended Imperiall Edict of cassation: So likewise, we are fully perswaded, that from the same or the like grounds, no man will nor can, but hold and esteeme the alreadie thereupon ensued Imperiall rigorous mandates; as also all such others which are threatned, as may hereafter follow, and be made against vs, or o­thers, either belonging vnto vs, or aiding of vs; to bee void and of none effect (as in verie truth of themselues they are) and which we (as occasion serueth, and our necessitie requireth) are determined in all euents as is lawfully permitted vnto vs, to withstād & repugne; in as much as the said proceedings deriued from a passionate minde, and concerning his owne priuate pretended right, are done without any lawfull exami­nation [Page] or knowledge of the cause, and then specially when his Maiestie hath alreadie hitherto chosen ano­ther course by force of armes, and therein hath not o­mitted any kind of hostilitie whatsoeuer; & whereby he hath directly not onely proceeded contrarie to the common Lawes of all Nations, but also against the good and profitable Constitutions of the Empire, and the Sacred corporall Oath ratified by Imperiall Ca­pitulation, whereunto his Maiestie also hath bound and obliged himselfe, in these words following:

That neither he, nor any other for him, or in his name or behalfe, will or shall, by violence or force, molest or trouble any of the Princes Electors, Prin­ces, Prelates, Earles, Barons, nor other States of the Empire, in any manner: But that, if his Imperiall Ma­iestie himselfe, or any other particular person, hath right or cause to demand or sue for any thing of them all in generall, or of any of them in particular (for the auoyding and preuenting of all dissentions, troubles, and other inconueniences in the Empire, thereby to preserue and maintaine peace and vnitie) he will and shall proceede by lawfull order and processe; and in such cases, where hee or they may haue iustice by Law, be willing to submit themselues thereunto: and will by no meanes, nor vnder any pretence whatsoe­uer, permit nor suffer them to be molested, hurt, or inuaded by warre, burning, defiances, or any other manner of hostilitie whatsoeuer. That his Maiestie also shall foresee, and hereafter by no meanes suffer nor permit, that any of the States, of high or low de­gree, Princes Electors, Princes, or any others, shall [Page] without iust cause and lawfull audience, wrongfully be proclaimed or declared guiltie of proscription and banishment: But that all cases shall bee proceeded in according to the ordinarie processe, and the holy Ro­mane Empires Lawes established, to the direction of the Lawes of the holy Empire, and the reformed or­der held in the Imperiall Chamber, and agreeably be fully and strictly obserued and followed.

And then lastly, that his Maiestie (contrary to the golden Bull, and other Lawes and Ordinances of the holy Empire) shall not in any manner, nor by any meanes, of his owne authoritie, send out any Rescript, Mandate, or other preiudiciall Commission, nor by way of entreatie procure the same from any other magistrate whatsoeuer: with this expresse clause, That if any thing repugnant to the aforesaid Articles and speciall points, be either obtained, or sent forth, that the same shall be in all respects wholly frustrate, void, and of no force at all.

As therefore in this present difference, wherein We now are at controuersie with the Emperous Maiestie, concerning the priuate particular pretence which hee maketh (as Archduke of Austria) vnto our lawfully possessed Kingdome of Bohemia, and the Prouinces incorporated thereunto, We are not as yet at all sum­moned by ordinarie course of Law, to appeare, which We are readie and willing to doe and performe, so it be in an indifferent and conuenient place, and before vnpartiall Iudges (according to the priuiledges of Bohemia:) So no man can nor ought to think hard­ly of Vs, for refusing to obey the Imperiall Monitorie [Page] Mandate, published and sent forth against Vs, bearing date the 30. of Aprill last past; as being wholly oppo­site and contrarie to all the Lawes and Ordinances of the Empire, and which also is by vertue of the afore­said Imperiall Capitulation, and the golden Bull, of it selfe frustrate, void, and of none effect at all.

And Wee also hope, that other States and fellow-members of the Empire (that haue not as yet openly submitted themselues vnto the Spanish seruitude, or that haue not betaken themselues vnto the seruice of that House,) wil not be moued by the said Imperiall Mandate to them directed (which for the reasons a­foresaid is of no force) to desist from their most com­mendable intents and purposes, which hitherto they haue had, for the glorie of God, and the comfort and consolation of so many poore Christians wrongfully oppressed. And the rather, for that we are perswaded no man of vnderstanding that is not led by vntimely immoderate affection, or blinded with priuate consi­derations & imaginarie respects, can iudge or censure, that Wee or Our assistants haue in the least respect done any thing contrarie to the Constitutions of the Empire, by means of this our firme resolution, which We haue bin, and are forced to take against the Em­perours Maiestie; not as he is Romane Emperour, (for in that respect We neither doe, nor will derogate any thing from him, but rather, according to the Imperi­all Lawes, in all things duely honour and respect him) but as Archduke of Austria, in regard of his pretended particular and priuate pretences. And therefore, that neither by law nor equitie doe the penalties set down [Page] in the said actuall peremptorie menacing Declaration and Execution, (as grounded vpon the Constitutions of the Empire) belong vnto Vs, and so much the lesse, seeing they pretend, that the hitherunto attempted & the hereafter further threatned processe, is groun­ded vpon the Empires Constitutions, which yet are not by Vs at all: but much rather by them of the o­ther part, cleane laid aside, and wholly neglected; yea, and in such manner so ouerstridden and transgressed, and with such vnheard of cruell insolencies, by the forraigne barbarous souldiers who are brought in; as that the inforced Defence and Deliuerance permitted by all Lawes Naturall and Nationall, neither can nor ought by any the like surmise and colour of Lawe, or other pretended ground of Reason whatsoeuer, be drawne and taken at all away from the oppressed.

And if yet his Imperiall Maiestie (beyond all ex­pectation) shall still suffer himselfe to be so far trans­ported and carried away, as that (not regarding nor respecting the precious Oath he hath taken) in respect of the claim he pretends (against Vs) to Our Crowne of Bohemia, and the Prouinces thereunto incorpora­ted; continually to molest and grieue Vs, our friends, and Allies, with intimated processe of Proscription (ex authoritate propria) and of himselfe actually pro­ceede so farre, especially as in hostile manner, to in­uade our hereditarie Countries and Territories, and by that meanes (as he hath already done, and yet con­tinueth to doe, both in the Kingdome of Bohemia, and the neighbouring confines thereof) occasion new commotions, distractions, diuisions, and alterations in [Page] other places of the Empire, and thereby (as much as in him lyeth) seeke to subuert & ouerthrow the publike peace of the said Empire: We must indeed then with patience commit our Cause vnto God the highest Iudge, with assured confidence, that as hitherto Wee haue palpably felt and seene his great and wonderfull prouidence, and mightie out-stretched arme extended towards Vs, so We hope that his diuine Omnipotence will also not hereafter forsake nor abandon Vs, but fatherly affoord vnto Vs such meanes, that, by his powerfull assistance, We may be able to defend Our selfe and Our right, against so vnlawfull wrongs, and vnexpected barbarous attempts. And hereby We doe expressely and in the best manner that Wee may or can, truly protest, both before God and man, that if, by further menacings, and vnlawfull seuere pro­cesses of Execution, a generall fire of wars (which our good GOD graciously auert) shall be kindled in Our natiue Countrie of Germanie (as is to be feared) that then the calamities and miseries that thereby may en­sue, shall not in any wise be laid vpon, nor imputed vnto Vs; but vnto those Counsellors, and Seruants, that haue not onely neglected to put his Imperiall Maiestie in remembrance of the Capitulation where­unto Hee hath sworne (as by duty they were bound) but also for their owne benefit, particular commodi­tie, and imaginarie greatnesse in the Countrie of Bo­hemia, and out of a reuengefull desire, haue ministred such means as in many particulars are directly against the aforesaid Capitulation, and the common peace and tranquillitie of the whole Countrie.

And this We thought expedient (as also our neces­sitie requireth) to giue notice of vnto euerie one; ve­rily hoping, that no man (who fauoureth reason, truth, and equitie) vpon the sight of this Our most true Information, can or will bee moued to censure badly of Vs, or to distaste Our Actions, in regard of his Maiesties friuolous Mandate (repugnant to Lawe and the Imperiall Capitulation) published and sent forth against Vs, Our friends, Allies, and adherents, in regard of this controuersie that Wee haue with his Maiestie, as Archduke of Austria: nor suffer any taxa­tions towards the performance of the execution of such priuat pretences, to be laid or louied vpon them; which the House of Austria it selfe, did neuer hereto­fore respect nor account of, nor yet euer did any thing or contributed in the like cases of Execution, but did euer, and vpon all occasions, wholly exempt and free themselues from the same.

In regard whereof, the Princes Electors, Princes, and States of the Empire, at this time, haue lesse cause to trouble and to burthen themselues therewith on the behalfe of the said House of Austria, against Vs; but on the contrarie, to be readie and willing, if We or Ours, in manner aforesaid, shall be assaulted and inuaded, to aide and assist Vs with their aduice and meanes, and according to the Order of Executions, (which Wee euer, and at all times, haue duely respe­cted and obserued;) and so much the rather, to afford Vs their helpe, for that euery particular Grant, Tract, and State of the Empire, ought, and is reciprocally [Page] bound to aide and assist each other, in the like hostile oppression and inuasion. To the which, hereby Wee most friendly, louingly, and graciously incite them, with promise when occasion shall bee offe­red, to requite them with the like.

Giuen at Prague the 1. of Iuly, 1620.