GERMANY. 
492 
firmly refiifed to attend a counciT which the pope had 
no power to convoke, and declared their intention of 
adliering to the Confeffion of AugfOurg in fpite of all 
oppofition. 
In the mean time, Ferdinand managed his interefts fo 
fnccefsfiilly in a diet at Frankfort, that his fon Maxi¬ 
milian, who had already received the crown of Bohemia, 
was unanimoufly elefted king of the Romans. He like- 
wife took this opportuiiity of attempting to perfuade the 
protefhmts to fiibmit to a general council; but finding 
them inflexible, he refolved to take another method to 
terminate thofe diflfenfions which had fo long diftradted 
the empire. Accordirkgly, with the alfiftance of Charles 
IX. of France, he concerted a remonftrance to the fa¬ 
thers of the corincil, exhorting them to undertake a re¬ 
formation among the ecclefiafiics, whofe depravity af- 
forded a fubjedt of univerfal complaint; but the pope 
would not allow the council to take cognizance of an 
an affair which he affirmed to belong to his own pecu¬ 
liar province. Tliis was the lafi: public a6l in whicli 
I'erdinand was concerned; for he was foon afterward at¬ 
tacked by a diforder, which put a period to his life, in 
tlie fixty-firlf yeaiiof his age, and the eighth of his reign, 
A. D. 1564. 
Maximilian II. afeended the imperial throne imme¬ 
diately after the deatli of his father. Like him, he pre¬ 
ferred pacific expedients in all difputes, efp.ecially thofe 
ol religion ; obferving tliat I'piritual affairs ought not to 
be determined by the fword; and affirming that thofe 
who held a contrary opinion were enemies to union and 
tranquillity. 
Having obtained a fubfidy for the maintenance of a 
numerous army, Maximilian marched, at the head of 
eighty thoufand foot and twenty thoufand horfe, into 
Hungary, where Solyman had iltvefied Zighet. But, 
being perfuaded to remain on the defenfive, he had the 
mortification to witnefs the reduction of that town ; and 
imprudently retreated to Auftria, while the infidels were 
thrown into conflernation by the fudden death of their 
I'overeign, which was occafioned by an apoplexy. The 
emperor however placed fuch ftrong garrifons in mofl: 
of the principal towns of Hungary, that Selim, the fon 
ot Solyman, thought proper to conclude a truce for 
twelve years. On his return from this expedition, 
Maximilian condemned John-Frederic, duke of Saxony, 
to perpetual imprifonment, for liaving granted a pro¬ 
tection to criminals, and levied troops with a defign of 
leizing tlie imperial throne. About this time alfo tlte 
proteftants of Auftria were indulged in liberty of con- 
Icience ; and the emperor made fome vigorous, though 
ineffeCfual, exertions on behalf of thofe inhabitants of 
the Netiierlands whofe religion fubjedted them to the 
vengeance of the court of Spain. 
After procuring his eldefl; fon Rodolphus to be eledled 
king of tlie Romans, and acknowledged as his fuccelfor to 
tile crowns of Hungary and Bohemia, Maximilian hoped 
to have obtained tlie kingtlom of Poland for his fecond 
ton ; and he attualiy made preparations for alTerting his 
liaim by force of arms. But his project was i'oon inter¬ 
rupted by a diilemper, which induced him to relinquilh 
all worldly affairs, and devote liis thoughts entirely to 
the contemplation of a future ftate. He had for fome 
time been accuftomed to difeourfe, in his familiar par¬ 
ties, upon the immortality of the foul; and he encoun¬ 
tered the terrors of death with perfedt refignation, in 
the fiftietli year of ids age. Maximilian II. appears to, 
liave been one of the molt amiable princes that ever 
fwayed the imperial feeptre. No individual ever com- 
piained of liavmg iieard a haiih expreflion from liis lips; 
none ever departed diiiatisfied from his audience. So 
regular were his economical arrangements, tliat to every 
att oi' ids life its appropriate hour was allotted ; and 
every day, after dinner, the meanelt of Ids fubjeCls was 
at liberty to apnroacli him. A faithful hulband, an af- 
ioctionate parent, and a pafiioaate lover of truth, his 
example had confiderable influence on the manners of 
his people, and the empire flouriflied in a peculiar man¬ 
ner under his adminiftration. 
On the demife of this illullrious prince, A. D. 1576, 
l> 4 s eldefl; fon fucceeded to the empire by the title of 
Rodolphus II. and the firfl adts of his government were 
calculated flill to preferve the peace of Germany, and 
to provide a powerful refiflance againft the Turks. Their 
emperor, Amurath 111 . in violation of a truce which he 
had concluded, made an hoflile incurfion into Croatia, 
and ravaged the country with fire and fword. Hereupon 
Rodolphus fent out an army of forty thoul'and men, 
which, attacked the infidels, near the abbey of Siffeg, 
and defeated them with prodigious daughter. Amurath 
made fome vigorous attempts to retrieve tliis misfor¬ 
tune ; but viciory continuedffo hover over the imperial 
ftandard, and the Turks were again difeomfited, with 
the lofs of twelve thoufand men. The emperor’s lieu- 
tenant-geneTal alfo recovered twelve flrong caftles, and 
emancipated a prodigious number of Chriflians from 
llavery. 
After obtaining fome frefh fupplies from a diet at Ra~ 
tifbon, the emperor returned to Prague, in order to pre¬ 
pare for the defence of Hungary, as the grand-vizir Si- 
nan, general of the Turks, had compelled the archduke 
Mattliias to raife the fiege of Graan ; made himfelf maf- 
ter of the fortrelfes of Thata and St. Martin; and pre¬ 
vailed on the governor of Javerin to betray his trull for 
a confiderable fum of money. 1111526, Sinaii’a progrefs 
was checked by a reinforcement which the emperor fent 
to his brother Matthias, and the infidels were defeated 
in feveral engagements ; but the eiifuing year was not 
fo fortunate to the imperialifls. Mohammed III. wlio 
had fucceeded Amurath in the Ottoman empire, refolved 
to (igiialife the commencement of his reign by fome great 
exploit; and accordingly marched with an army of a 
hundred and fifty thoufand men againfl Agria, one of 
tlie mofl important places in Hungary. At firfl the gar- 
rifon made a refolute defence; but, growing impatient 
at the delay of an expecfed reinforcement, they com¬ 
pelled the governor to furrender upon diflionourable 
conditions. This bafenefs, however, was amply re¬ 
venged ; for the Turks had no fooner entered the place 
than they violated the capitulation, and put the whole 
garrifon to tlie fword. 
The war was carried on with various fuccefs for about 
nine years; but as no advantages were gained byeither 
party which could j'uftify I'uch a prodigious eflaifioii of 
blood, both tides began 'to think of peace, and an ac¬ 
commodation was concluded, in 1606, between the em¬ 
peror and fultan Aclimet, the fuccelfor of Mohammed, 
by which it was agreed that the Turks fliould forbear 
from making incurfions on the Chriflians ; that bot|i par¬ 
ties ihould mutually fend prefeiits to each other every 
three years; that they fliould retain th.eir reipeefive 
coiiquefts; and that they fliould not attack each other 
on any pretence during the term ot twenty years. 
Shortly after the ratification of this treaty, the flates 
of Hungary aflembled at Pretburg, and eledted the arch¬ 
duke Matthias for their king, on condition that he fliould 
confirm all their privileges, and indulge them with the 
liberty of profefling the reformed religion. Many ot the 
Bohemians alfo determined on a fimilar mea'ure, and 
actually perfuaded PHatthias to march into their country 
at the head of a numerous army. Thefe proceedings 
were extremely dilagreeable to the emperor, who had 
conceived a flight jealoul'y of ids brother; and it was 
expedfed that Ibme ferious confequences would take 
place. But thefe were happily prevented by the inter- 
polition of the princes; and, after tome time, a treaty 
was concluded, by which Rodolphus yielded Hungary 
and Auflria to the archduke, and even promifed to fe- 
cure him in the fucceiiion to Bohemia, proldded he him- 
lelf fliould die without male ilfue. After this tranfadtion 
the enip^dff became melancholy and diitruflful, and fe- 
I eluded. 
