A. True Copy of the Latine Oration of the Excellent Lord GEORGE OSSOLINSKI, Count Palatine of Tenizyn, and Sendomyria, Chamberlain to the Kings Majeftie of Poland, and Suethland, and Embaffadour to the Kings moft Excellent MAJESTY.

As it was pronounced to his MAJESTIE at White-Hall by the faid Embaffadour, on Sunday the 11. of March. 1620.

With the Tranflation of the fame into English.

Commanded by his MAJESTIE to be published in Print.

Sereniffime REX,

SAcra, Regia Poloniæ, & Sueciæ Majeftas, Dominus meus clementiffimus integram diuturnamq; valitudinem, foeliciffimos votorum omnium eventus, forens ac tranquillum latiffimarum ditionum Imperium, M. V. precatus, fingularem fraterni animi, & rerum, M. V. ftudiofiffimi, propenfionem, maximà quà poteft particularis ergà M. V. affectus teftificatione declarat, ac his obftringit literis. Quibus præviis, ut reliqua Legationis meæ expedienti mihi, M. V. benignas aures præbere dignetur, humilimè poftulo.

Andem erupit Ottomanorum jam diu celatum pectore virus, & depofitâ fimulate multis abhinc annis amicitiæ larva, publico Barbarorum furore, validiffimum Chriftiani orbis antemurale, petitur Polonia. Perftrepit bellico apparatu Oriens, onerantur claffibus maria, jungitur Europa Asia, Africanarum, fi quid est virium in noftram armatur perniciem. In focietatem tanti belli veniunt hæreditarii nominis noftri hoftes, Scythe; venit & uterque Dacus; Servii, Bulgari, Bofnenfes, Illyrii, Thraces, Epirota, quicquid ferarum ufquam eft gentium, vi, præmiis, pollicitationibus, fpe præda, cupiditate vindiƐlæ cogitur, pellicitur, accenditur. Paratus nuper lamentabilis cruente tragedia prologus; baufit immitis primum cruorem Dacia, cùm perfidus hoftis veterum ac recentium folenni jurejurando firmatorum immemor fæderum, innumeris copiis Regiæ Majeftatis Domini mei clementiffimi petens ditiones, appofitam fibi parvam quidèm, fed bellicofiffimam noftrorum manum cæcidit, ingenti Chriftianæ Reip. detrimento.

Creverunt etenim eâ victoria barbari fpiritus, & tam fauftis infolentes primordiis univerfam fpe concipiunt Europam, eô provecti vel arrogantiæ, vel amentiæ, ut nec affentiente quidem Deo, delere gentem noftram fe poffe arbitrentur. Tanto non fuarum duntaxat, fed Chriftianarum omnium provinciarum commola facra Regia Majeftas Dominus meus clementiffimus difcrimine, eo fuit animo, ut &

reliquos

reliquos Principes impendentis metus commune faceret, & inprimis ad M. V. nullâ interpofita morâ, referret.

Sed ea eft M. V. fingularis vigilantia, tantum communis Chriftianorum boni ftudium, ut & illos, ad quos ipfa potiffimùm vel temporum, vel locorum ratione pertinent pericula, animadvertat. Antevertit M. V. & hunc Sereniffimi Regis mei nuncium, idque ultrò præftitit quod poftulandum erat, cùm eidem hofti fe Regie M. Domini mei clementiffimi amicum effe, nec ei ullo in difcrimine deeffe poffe, nunciavit. Qua in re agnofcit R. M. verè magnum, verè regium, verè Chriftianum M. V. animum; agnofcit fraternum ergà fe affectum, quem gratif fimi teftificatione animi profequitur, ac profitetur, nihil tam grave, nihil tam difficile, nihil tam periculofum fore, quod viciffim M. V. cau/a aggredi recufet. Moveantur utinam tam præclaro M. V. exemplo reliqui Chriftianorum Principes, velintquè potiùs tam gloriofi laboris effe cooperatores, quàm fegnes & otiofi Spectatores alieni periculi, peffundaturi quandoquè popria, dum vicina negligunt. Id verò ufu venire noftro, fi Diis placet, credant cautiores, exemplo, quos neglella Grecia, deferta Pannonia, in has conjecit auguftias. Et nos quidèm eam quam cælum tulerit fortem feremus, renovatori Saguntinorum fidei, Tyriorum conftantiæ, & fi quid ufquam fortiter actum, exempla; cæterùm vicini noftri provideant, qua ratione animos firmare poffint, ad fimiles, vel (avertant omen fuperi) graviores cafus tolerandos. Nequè putent tyrannum, cujus animum bumiles Sarmatarum cafe ad tam deteftandum impulerunt perjurium, faneliora habiturum vicinitatis jura quæ cum eis jecerit, quorum urbibus mercaturâ florentiffimis, opibus præftantiffimis, ædificiorum cultu fplendiffimis, jamdudum inhiat. Non detinebunt hæc, fed allicient, non extinguent, fed inflammabunt facrilegam per nefas propagandi imperii fitim. Quis enim non videt hoc unum Tyrannum intendere, quod in majorum ejus multo tempore agitatum conftet fuiffe confilio, ut occupatâ patentiffimâ in omnes Europe partes regione, omnis grani feraciffimâ, omnium ad claffem inftruendam, armandamquè neceffariorum refertiffima, innumeris fuis copiis opima apperiat borrea, navium ingentem præparet copiam, quibus Balthicum occupet finum, tranfiturus in Oceanum, ut fic binis claffibus, velut alis, ab utroquè mari Europam premat, & opprimat; terreftres copias per apertiffimos, quà Poloniam fpectat, campos, in Germaniam effundat, quà euntem non montium claufira retinere, non fluminum rapacitas poterit retardare? Volvebat hæc Solymannus animo, agitabant ejus pofteri, nec ullâ aliâ ab eo confilio deterritos eos fuiffe conftat ratione, quàm quòd crederent univerfos confpiraturos Chriftianos, ad tuendum hoc Regnum, ex cujus falute totius Europe pendeat integritas. Nec deerant illo evo tam magnanimi Principes, qui maluiffent opum, ac vite proprie detrimentum facere, quàm vicini fibi populi falutem periclitantem deferere. Hæc noftrâ ætate, prob dolor! multi non intelligunt, negligunt nonnulli, & quod dolendum magis, accerfunt ultrò ad communem omnium perniciem, perfidum nominis Chriftiani hoftem, indigni Chriftiano nomine, Barbaris ipfis execrabiliores. Unum Te habent, Sereniffime Rex, hæc noftra tempora, qui pro fingulari tuâ prudentiâ animadvertiti, & judicafti per latus Poloniæ univerfam peti Europam, ac ejus periculum ad omnes pertinere Chriftianos; folenne Ottomanorum effe bella ex bellis quærere, & regna regnis cumulare, qui non contenti Afia, Africa, & majoris Europe partis imperio, quicquid reliquum

Gg 2

est

eft præde deftinant: nec fibi per religionem licere aliter poffe opinantur. Videt hæc M. V. fingula, unde & hanc gloriam est confecuta, ambigentibus cateris Principibus quid fentirent, folam M. V. quid Chriftianæ Reip. expediret, maximè & vidiffe, & eligiffe, autoremquè reliquis extitiffe, ut, dum licet, mutuis auxilliis, communibus fubfidiis tante imaniffimi hoftis obviam eant libidini, cujus opes inteftinis ipforum diffidiis eo creverunt potentia.

Perge porrò, Invictiffime Rex! & hanc dextram non armis magis quàm pietate notam, tuam fidem imploranti, porrige Poloniæ. Defenfor fidei es, commune Numen ne blafphemetur, provide; imitêre majores tuos, quibus baud grave fuit è propriis Barbaros eruere latebris, & ultimæ Syriæ finibus Britannici nominis gloriam terminare. Abundè ampliffimis Majeftatis Veltræ ditionibus fuppetunt, quæcunquè ad reprimendas potentiffimi boftis vires requiruntur. Procerum copia, populi multitudo, omnis generis apparatus, vis immenfa; ne patiatur Majeftas Veftra peritiffimos rei militaris Anglos, bellicofiffimos Scotos, Hybernos ferociffimos, conjunétiffimi Majeft. Veftræ Regis, & amiciffimæ gentis, difcrimina Spectare otiofos, ac tàm latè ferpens incendium in propriâ potiùs opperiri domo, quàm in vicina, dum licet, reftinguere. In alieno difcrimine propria curare pericula, nec præfentia duntaxat intueri, fed futura profpicere, erit celebrate Majeftatis Veftræ prudentiæ, erit & magnanimitatis, quam uterquè admirabitur orbis, quam fera prædicabit pofteritas, quam fervata venerabitur Polonia. Sereniffimus verò Rex meus utì nunc particularem Majeftatis Veftræ ergà fe affectum, quâ poteft maximà animi gratitudine, complectitur, ità in pofterum eum fe Majest. Veftræ declarabit amicum, qui & fecundus Majeftatis Veftræ rebus ex animo faveat, & adverfis, fi quæ impendeant, non fecùs quàm proprio commoveatur difcrimine.

Moft Renowned KING,

THE facred, royall Majefty of Poland, and Suethland, my most gracious Lord and Mafter, wishing unto your Majesty perfect, and long Health, most happy Succeffe in all your Defires, a flourishing, and peacefull Government over your most large Dominions, declareth, by the most ample Teftification bee may of particular Affection to your Majestie, the fingular Propenfion of a Minde, brotherly, and most ftudiously addicted to your Majefties Affaires, and obligeth himselfe by thefe Letters. And this Preface past, I most humbly beseech your Majesty, while I briefely declare the rest of my Emballage, to vouchsafe me your benigne Attention.

T

HE long concealed Poyfon in the Breft of the Ottomans, hath now at length broke forth, and the Mafke of many Yeeres faigned Friendfhip laid afide, Poland, the strongest Bulwarke of the Chriftian World, is affaulted with the univerfall Fury of the Barbarous. The Eaft is filled with Noife of Preparation for Warre, the Seas are loaden with Navies, Afia is joyn'd to Europe, and what Forces Africa affoords, are arm'd for our Destruction. Into the Society of fo great a Warre there come the hereditary Enemies of our Name, the Tartars; there comes alfo both the Dacians; the Servians, Bulgars, Bofnians, Illyrians, Thracians, Epirotes,

all

all wilde, and barbarous People whatsoever, by Force, Rewards, Promises, Hopes of Prey, Defire of Revenge, are compel'd, allur'd, enraged. A lamentable Prologue to this bloudy Tragedy hath lately bin acted; cruell Dacia hath greedily drunke the firft Bloud, where the perfidious Enemy mindleffe of his past and prefent Leagues folemnely feal'd, and fworne, invading with innumerable Troopes the Territories of the King, my most clement Mafter, flue, to the fingular Loffe of the Chriftian Commonwealth, our small, but moft warlike Army oppofed against him. For by that Victory the Courage of the barbarous, increased, and they growne infolent with fo happy Beginnings, have in Hope devoured all Europe, beeing fo farre transported either with Arrogance, or Madneffe, that even without * Gods Affent, they beleeve themfelves able to deftroy our Nation, with fo great a Danger not onely of his owne, but of all other Chriftian Provinces, the facred Majestie of my moft gracious Mafter being moved, hath determined with himfelfe to forewarne other Princes of the imminent Perill, but especially, all Delay fet apart, to referre it to your Majeftie. But fuch is the fingular Vigilancy of your Majefty, fo great is the Study of the common Good of Chriftians, that you doe advertise them, to whom the Dangers in Respect either of Time, or Place chiefely belong; and your Majeftie preventeth even this Meffage of my most renowned King, and of your own Accord You have offered what wee fhould have fought, when to this felfefame Enemie, you declared your felfe Friend to the regall Majeftie of my moft gracious Malter, and that you would not for fake him in any Danger. Wherein his regall Majeftie acknowledgeth your truely great, truely royall, truely Chriftian Minde; wherein hee acknowledgeth your Majefties brotherly Affection, which with the Teftification of a moft thankefull Heart, hee embraces, and profeffeth there is nothing so grievous, fo difficult, fo dangerous, which hee would not likewife for your Majefties Caufe undertake. I would to God other Chriftian. Princes might be moved by this moft famous Example of your Majeftie, and that they would rather be fellow Labourers in fo glorious a Worke, then idle and flothfull Spectators of others Danger, fince by neglecting their Neighbours, they cannot but at length ruine themfelves. Which how likely it is to come to paffe, they may, if Heav'n bee pleas'd, beleeve, forewarned by the Example of our felves, whom neglected Greece, forfaken Hungary have caft into thefe prefent Straights. And furely wee fhall fuffer whatfoever Heav'n impofeth with Refolution to renew the Examples of the Saguntines Faith, Tyrians Conftancie, or of what Fortitude hath elfe beene found; but let our Neighbours forethinke how they fhall prepare their Mindes to endure the like, or (which Heav'n forbid) greater Calamities. Neither let them once imagine the Tyrant, whofe Minde the poore Sarmatian Cottages drew to fo deteftable Perjury, wil efteeme more holy the Rights and Lawes of Neighbourhood

*When the chiefe Muphty, at the Inftance of Scanaber Basfha, Generall against the Polonians, appointed folemn Prayers in their Mofchites for the good Succeffe

of his Armie, the Great Turke he forbid them, faying, that without any Aide from God, they were fure by their own Forces to deftroy the Polonians.

which he fhall make with them, after whofe Cities moft flourishing in Merchandise, moft excelling in Riches, most beautifull in Buildings, hee hath long gaped. Thefe Things will not keepe backe, but draw him on, they will not quench, but inflame his facrilegious Thirft of enlarging his Empire by all both inhumane, and irreligious Wickedneffe. For who fees not the Tyrant onely to intend that which is knowne to have beene long Time debated in the Counfell of his Predeceffors, that by poffeffing a Country yeelding eafieft Acceffe into all Parts of Europe, moft fertile of all Kinde of Graine, moft replenished with all Neceffaries to build, and arme a Navie, hee might open plentifull Granaries to his numberleffe Armies, and prepare infinite Shipping, by which beeing Mafter of the Baltbike Sound, hee might paffe into the Ocean, and fo with two Navies, as it were with two Wings, by both the Seas, preffe, and oppreffe Europe; that he might through moft open Countries, and Plaines powre into Germany, by thofe Quarters it bordereth with Poland, his Land Forces, where are no Clofure of Mountaines to restraine, no Swiftneffe of Rivers to fore-flowe his Journey? This, long fince, Solyman and his Succeffors caft in their Minde, neither were they, as it is manifeft, by any other Reafon deterred from that Purpose, then for that they beleeved, all Chriftians would confpire to defend that Kingdome, on whofe Safety the good Eftate of all Europe depended. Neither did there want in that Age Princes fo magnanimous, that they rather chofe to fuffer Loffe of Substance, yea of Life, then to forfake the endangered Safety of their neighbour Nation. But many in this our Age apprehend not, with Griefe I fpeake it, these Things, fome neglect them, and which is more to be lamented, industriously invite this faithleffe Enemie of the Chriftian Name, of which they are unworthy, and then the Barbarous themselves more execrable, to the common Deftruction of all. Thefe our Times, moft Renowned King! finde onely you, who in your fingular Wifedome have confidered, and understood that all Europe is ftrooke at through the Sides of Poland, and that the Danger toucheth all Chriftians; that to feeke Warres after Warres, and heape Kingdomes to Kingdomes, is cuftomary with the Turkes, who, not fatisfied with the Empire of Afia, Africa, and greater Part of Europe, defigne what e're remaines for Prey, and according to their Religion, imagine it is not lawfull for them to doe otherwife. All thefe Things your Majeftie well fees, and thereby hath attained the Glory, whiles other Princes ftand doubtfull what to thinke, alone to have understood, and chofen what was behovefull for the Chriftian Common-wealth, and to have beene Author to the rest, of refifting, by mutuall Aides, and common Succours, the fo great Rage of a moft cruell Enemy, whofe Fortunes have growne unto this Height of Power by their inteftine Difcords. Proceede then, O moft invincible King! and reach out this your Hand, not more knowne by Armes then Piety, to afflicted Poland imploring your Helpe. You are Defender of the Faith; take then Care that our common Deity be not blafphemed; imitate your Predeceffors, who held it not burthenfome to rowze the Barbarous out of their owne Dens, and ftretch unto the Bounds of fartheft Syria, the Glory of the British Name. In your Majefties moft ample Territories all Things abound