AT this time, when Christendome is alarm'd with a dreadful Invasion from its Common Enemy, and the Imperial Eagle trembles under the Gripes of the Ottoman Fury, who is not curious to inquire both into the occasion of this Incursion, and what may rational­ly be expected as the Consequence and Issue thereof?

The disturbances of Hungary have a long time made a considerable Figure in the Gazetts of Europe: A great part of that Kingdom hath been subject to the Turk ever since its Metropolis Buda yielded to the vi­ctorious Arms of Solyman the Magnificent, in the year 1536. the rest (with the Title of King of Hungary) was claimed by the House of Austria, and so became annext to the Empire of Germany, under Ferdinand II. Anno 1624. But having formerly been an Elective Kingdom, the Inhabitants still challeng'd certain Pri­viledges and Immunities, and the same were from [Page 4] time to time promised and confirmed to them by the Emperors; which being much infringed and viola­ted (as they alleadg'd) some years since, they (be­ing a Warlike People) betook themselves to Arms.

But thô the greatest part of them are Protestants, yet it was not upon the Account or pretence of Religion, that the first Insurrection there began, but for their Ci­vil Liberties; and the most eminent Conspirators were of the Roman Communion; however, the same being pretty well crusht and suppress'd, the Jesuites (too pre­valent in the Imperial Councils) contriv'd to take an advantage from the Ʋmbrage of this Rebellion, to de­stroy and root out all those of the Reformed Religion in that Kingdom; and stimulated the Ministers of State to practise divers intolerable Rigors and Pressures upon them; the Nature of which may partly appear from the Memorial of Count Oxenstierne the King of Swedens Ambassador, presented to his Imperial Majesty in the year 1674. wherein are these words.

‘The Protestant Ministers, especially in the Cities of Leopoldople, Capuarina, Camara, and others, have been most violently seized on, pillag'd, and in­solently abused; flea'd with stripes, starved with hunger and nakedness, thrust down into most loathsome and horrible Prisons, amongst Snakes and Toads; and so bound and manacled, that they want all means of defence to help themselves against the Venomous Creatures: And where they are most fa­vourably dealt with, and suffered to live above ground, they are compelled to Imployments, not only servile and laborious, but the most filthy and noysom that can be invented; loaded perpetually with Chains, more cruelly than those that are guil­ty of the most grievous Parricides or Treasons, with­out [Page 5] out all Commiseration, without any satiety or end of mocking and abusing them; so that they lead a life, than which Hell it self may seem more tolerable.’

Thus was their Condition remonstrated by that great Minister of State, but little amended or alleviated for his solicitations; for the persecution was still carry­ed on fiercely, and a great number of those Prote­stant Ministers sold for Gally-slaves, were in Chains; divers of them perished, and some that surviv'd were at last released by the Mediation of the Dutch Admi­ral. To preserve themselves from these Outrages, finding nothing less than the destruction of them and their Religion were designed, several of these Hunga­rians gathered together, and stood upon their own defence; and have some years been headed by Count Teckely, a Nobleman of that Kingdom: And thô se­veral Overtures have been made for accommodation, yet all being frustrated, and finding that their Bre­thren enjoyed under the Turk fairer Quarter than they could hope for under the Papists, they made their Complaints to the Port, submitting themselves to that power from whence they might expect protecti­on: And as their Disloyalty and joyning with the Infidels is justly to be condemn'd, so neither can those Councils be justified for Prudence or Piety, which by unnecessary Severities reduced them to that despair, and the extremity of such a Choice.

But the Grand Seignior regarding them now as his Vassals, begins a Quarrel on their behalf with the Em­peror, and taking the advantage of these distractions to inla [...]ge his Dominions (for amongst Heathen Prin­cies, whatever are their pretences, Ambition and Glory are the Grounds of their Wars) employs his Vizier with a mighty Army of above an hundred [Page 6] thousand men, to enter Christendome; which like an irresistable Torrent, carrying death and desolation before it, has lately advanced to the Walls of Vienna, the chief City of Germany, and residence of the Impe­rial Court, which he invested on the fourteenth of Ju­ly last, and continues to Besiege; the Emperor being forced to abandon the same for his safety.

This City is seated on the Banks of the Danubius, (one of the greatest Rivers in the World) in the Arch-Dukedom of Austria; it contains in Circuit about 5000 Geometrical Paces, and is famous for its Ʋniversity, and for its Cathedral dedicated to St. Ste­phen, (the Steeple whereof is 465 Foot high, of hew­en Stone, curiously carved into various Figures) but especially 'tis renowned for the Repulse given to the Turks Ann. 1526. of whom two hundred thousand un­der the conduct of Solyman the Magnificent, belea­guer'd it for a long time; but by the valour of Frede­rick the 2d. Elector Palatine, and other Princes, they were forced to raise their Siege, and retire with the loss of fourscore thousand men. And whether the Turk at this time may have any better successe against it, is a question; the Fortifications being much im­proved, a discreet and valiant Governour placed in it, and 18 thousand Souldiers in Garrison, besides the Scholars and Burghers, and good store of Provision and Ammunition laid in; yet the Vizier attacques it with all imaginable fury, and is prodigal of the lives of his Souldiers; it being affirmed that he hath alrea­dy lost 20 thousand of his men before it. Nor are the Christian Princes wanting to gather together a strength to repell these Mahumetans: The Duke of Lorrain has a considerable Force not above a day or two's March off; and only waits the coming up of [Page 7] the Auxiliary Troops, and especially of the valiant King of Poland, who is resolved in person to endea­vour the relief of this Imperial City, and is now up­on his March; and when once they are joyned, 'tis not doubted but we shall soon hear of a Battle, the fate of which will be of a vast importance to Europe: And for a good Omen we have already tydings, that the Duke of Lorrain, and part of the Polish Army have defeated some of the Turks, and Teckley's Troops, and forced them to retire with considerable loss.

For the Satisfaction of the Curious, I shall here sub­joyn the Nativity of the present Grand Seignior or Em­peror of the Turks, as the same was communicated by a good hand from Constantinople, divers years since, and rectified by several remarkable Accidents; the Scheme, or true Position of the Heavens at the moment of his Birth being as followeth.

This Figure affords (according to the Rules of Astro­logy) divers Arguments of Grandeur, and illustri­ous Atchievements. All the Planets are in the Ascend­ing part of Heaven: The Luminaries posited upon the Ascendant in Sextile of the Medium Coeli: A Reception between Saturn and Jupiter: And indeed the Scheme is very much with that of the great Augustus Caesar, and in some respects more mighty and powerful, This Puissant Monarch at 17 years of Age (when his Horoscope came to the Sextile of Mars, Lord of the An­gle of Soveraignty) came to the Throne; and when the Moon came to the like direction in the twenty se­cond year of his Age, he invaded Germany: Since that time he has for some years indulg'd himself in the soft delights of the Seraglio, and the diversions of the Plains of Adrianople; But now his Ascendant ap­proaching by Direction to the Body of Jupiter, like a Lyon rouzed up, shaking off that Trance of Inglo­rious Sloth, he begins again to threaten the Repose of Christendom.

'Tis observable, that this Inroad of the Turks was predicted some considerable time before it was un­dertaken: Witness, Mr. Holwel's Catastrophe Mun­di, where in pag. 63. we have these words. — ‘A­bout the year 1531. began the Ottoman Family, un­der the Gubernation of a Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Gemini. Now is this Conjunction in Leo, 1682. in Sextile to that Conjunction preceed­ing the Rise of the Ottoman Family: This shall cause that Monarch to thrive much; besides, he at this time hath very good Directions in his Nativity; and forasmuch as the Conjunction favours that mighty Prince, and afflicts the Roman Empire, therefore may it be conjectured, that he shall dis­member [Page 9] the Roman Empire of some of its Territores, and shall continue so doing for some years.’

And before in p. 46. — ‘If the Ottoman Family had their Rise under the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Scorpio, as it is verily believed, then shall that people afflict a great part of Christen­dom; for he has lately, or will very shortly change his Aphelion into Virgo; which doth shew, that those People shall move out of their own Coun­trey in way of Conquest, and shall continue so doing for some years to come; even till they have made themselves Masters of a great part of Chri­stendom.’ And again, p. 79. speaking to a potent Neighbouring Nation, he saith, — ‘Thou hast been one cause of the Turks entring Europe; he will hardly return until he hath endangered thy Crown; and thou wilt repent when it is too late, for thy own Subjects will betray thee.’ — This was written in the Summer, 1682. when there was no News or Prospect of the present Invasion.

The same Author in his Appendix is more po­sitive; and averrs, That the Transit of Mars through Libra, doth threaten Austria with great Devastation, and also the taking of Vienna it self; and the general Conquest of the East part of Germa­ny. And afterwards he threatens the Lillies to be blasted by the Influences of the Crescent. ‘And thou O Italy, hast a great share of this Cup of Gods Wrath; for great will be the Scar­city that shall be in thy fruitful Countrey; and the Turk will destroy with Fire and Sword, a great part of thy Famous Towns and Cities, and come even to the Gates of Rome, and sack it as bad as the Gauls did, and will keep possessi­on, [Page 10] and destroy it with Fire, and strew Salt up­on it: Then will the Pope be forced to fly from place to place; and soon after there will be no more such Cattle in the World.’

Thus that Author, with much more to that purpose, especially as to the declining Fortune of France; to whose Book we referr the Reader, as we do for the verity of those predictions to Time, the Midwife of Truth: And indeed, who knows how far Providence may suffer these Infidels to be a Scourge to those nominal Christians, who by their Idolatrous Ceremonies, and lewd Practices, have al­most utterly subverted the substance of Religion, and real Piety?

I shall conclude with the Divine Herbert, (for Poets are a sort of Prophets too) who in his Church Militant seems to threaten a Transmigration of Re­ligion from the Old into the New World, in these latter Ages; which he thus expresses.