Journey from Vienna. 81 



in 1555, by Mehemet Pacha. On the approach of the enemy's 

 army, the whole town resounded with acclamations, men, 

 women, soldiers, all vowed adherence to the following con- 

 ditions : " the word capitulation is proscribed 3 death shall be 

 the punishment of him that mentions it. Should the enemy 

 invite to proposals of peace, the answer to be by discharges of 

 artillery. In the case of provisions failing, we will devour one 

 another, and the lot shall determine the victims. The women 

 shall be employed in repairing the walls ; they may follow 

 their husbands to the breach, or at the sorties. To prevent 

 any plottings to surrender, no assemblages of above three or 

 four to be allowed within the town." 



These desperate conditions were strictly observed j in vain 

 Mehemet sends a trumpet with offers of peace ; no answer is 

 returned, and while he is haranguing at the foot of the walls, 

 the inhabitants, in gloomy silence, place four pikes on the 

 rampart, and on them a coffin covered with black, to indicate 

 that the town should be their grave. The trumpeter reported 

 to his general this terrible but eloquent reply ; salvos of artil- 

 lery soon dismantled the castle and unroofed the houses, but 

 the first attack was repulsed, and 8000 Turks perished at the 

 foot of the ramparts. Mehemet orders four assaults at the 

 same instant; the women run to the breach, some rush among 

 the enemy, others roll huge stones, or pour scalding oil on the 

 assailants. The wife, seizing the arms of her husband, pierced 

 by her side, the mother, those of her son, and all, forgetting 

 their weakness and danger, think only of defending their 

 country and religion, and avenging the death of their friends. 

 These examples of female heroism gave a fresh stimulus to the 

 ener ies of the besieged, who soon became the aggressors, and 

 compelled the Turks to retreat, after the loss oif more than 

 30,000 men. 



The hills about Erlau are, in general, covered with vines, 

 that produce a wine much esteemed, but very heady. It strong- 

 ly resembles some wines from the banks of the Rhone, in 

 Languedoc. Among these hills are some rocks of a grey, com- 

 pact, calcareous substance, from which issue the hot springs 

 that feed the baths of Erlau. My stay here was short but 

 agreeable. The Baron D'Orcy had obligingly made his house 

 in the town my home, though not present himself, and had 

 my stay been prolonged, I should have met with more friends. 

 The Abbe" Titel, a young astronomer, who had spent some 

 time in Paris, entertained me with perfect cordiality, and the 

 Archbishop, Baron Fisher, testified his regret at my hasty de- 

 parture. I had intended to return to Erlau, after visiting the 



VOYAGES and TRAVELS, No. L, VOL. IX. M 



