THE MANIFEST, OR DECLARATION OF HIS SACRED imperial majesty. Translated out of Latin.  
Imprinted with Licence, M. DC. XX.   

FERDINAND the Second, by the grace of God elected Emperour of the Romans, ever Augustus, King of Germany, Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, and Sclauonia &c. Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, and Wittem berge &c. earl of Tirolle &c. To all sovereign kings, our brethren, & most dear Cosens, wisheth increase of Honour, mutual love and happy Prosperity. As also to all and singular Princes, as well ecclesiastical, as temporal, Electors, Archbishops, Bishops, earls, Barons, Knights, Gentlemen, Captains, Lieutenants, Standardbearers, Powers, Burgemaisters, Consuls: and to all the magistrates of all, and every of our countries, cities, holds and Communityes; withall the rest of the faithful and most dear subiectes of all, and every of our Dominions, Health, our imperial favour, and increase of al Felicity &c.  
Although we doubt not, but that it is notorious and manifest unto all persons, as well within, as without the bounds and limits of our Sacred Roman empire, what miserable slaughter, calamity, and desolation hath environed our kingdom of Bohemia, a noble and most renowned part belonging to the body of our imperial crown, and chief amongst our secular Electorships, together with our hereditary provinces that border and adjoin unto it; and what an inundation of misery, the untimely and deplorable necessity of this new raised war hath brought vpon our harmless subiects, together with the universal ruin of our dearest Country: yet haue we thought it not unworthy our labour to lay down the origen, success, and causes of this mournful Tragedy; chiefly to the end that the sinister and malevolent calumniations, and false pretences of fraudulent, and lying tongues being detected, and simplo truth stripped naked from the rags of all imposture & false suspicion, wherewith she hath maliciously been clothed, may appear to all men more conspicuous and manifest.  
The first source and fountain therefore of this deplorable rebellion, or at least the sad time when it first broke forth to public, and like a swelling river that hath overflown the banks, by which it was restrained, began to power itself with wast and desolation to our miserable country, was in the reign of our dread Lord, dear uncle, & most respected Father mathias, of happy memory, late Roman Emperour, King of Hungary and Bohemia &c. at what time some of our Bohemian States, under pretence of I know not what agrieuances, wherein they alleged the privileges of Religion, and that which is called the Regal, or Maiestall Charter, to be infringed and violated; did in most heady and tumultuous manner, break into our Castle and royal Chancery, laid violent hands vpon men of prime quality, being the Magistrates, Lieutenants, and chief deputies of absent Caesar, their undoubted Lord and gracious sovereign; and with a barbarous, cruel, and which to all posterity will be esteemed a most temerarious and infamous example, without examining their cause, or hearing their just defence, did in a fit of brainsick fury throw them down headlong from the tops of highest windows; and then adding to rashness Obstinacy, that they might desperately defend what they had wickedly begun, they broke into open arms, and without al respect unto their absent sovereign, deposed from their authority and place, not only the foresaid Officers, now lying breathless & half dead vpon the hurt and peril of their falls; but all others also throughout the Territoryes of that kingdom and Dominion. And not content herewith injuriously invaded the Royalties of that crown, which from all memory of men, had formerly been accounted sacred and inviolable, changed all the ancient form and frame of government into a new, whereof they would needs create and style themselves, forsooth, directors; exceeding so heinously both in the manner and measure the limits of moderate defending their Religion( if by the tenor of the aforesaid regal Charter, they haue any right at all to such an Action, when no cause of Religion with any colour of probability can be proved to be questioned) that even by these audacious facts of theirs it is apparent unto all that are not wilfully hood winked with partiality, that these sinful, precipitious, & treacherous attempts of disloyal subiects against the Magistrates of their liege Lord, cannot, nor ought not to be mentioned, or styled by any other title thē by the proper names of Seditious, Rebellious, and Execrable Treasons.  
It is not now our purpose to examine with what foundation or ground of reason those agrieuances can be avouched and maintained, that are comprised, divulged & published in the Bohemian Apologies, extant under the name of one part of the States of that kingdom( though they would seem to be under the names of both,) or how far the pretended offences of private persons should redound unto the prejudice and injury of supreme public magistrates; neither is it our part to extenuate or maintain those errors( if perhaps any were committed) before we took into our hands the raynes of royal government; for that( if any such were) they happened wholly without all fault of ours, and therfore the blame thereof ought not in equity and iustice to be derived and communicated to vs. But we are hopefully persuaded that every faithful citizen that is inclinable to peace, and an indifferent friend to equity and iustice, when he shall impartially consider the proceedings hitherto continued and held on; and not being swayed with prejudice & passion shall indifferently peruse the Treatises and Informations which haue been heretofore printed about this business; will evidently perceive that to these pretended agrieuances( whatsoever in themselves they might be) a more calm and seasonable, or at the least a less turbulent and seditious remedy should haue been applied and thought vpon. Neither was it therefore convenient for them, like rabide Children, to pull vpon themselves the ruin of their country, and as it were to constrain the lawful Magistrate to suppress injury with violence, & draw that sword which God hath put into his hands, to the just reuenge and punishment of rebellious malefactors.  
For truly if these controversies which arose vpon the privilege of free exercise of their religion, could not haue been decided & extinguished by those very means, which their forementioned Charter doth peculiarly prescribe, that is, by some indifferent Arbiters, frankly deputed by the States of either Religion; & that also were true which every where they publish, and with earnest endeavours strive to possess the world with the opinion of, to wit, that they were utterly debarred from all access unto the presence of their royal sovereign; yet who is there that can doubt, that in a case of such distress and difficulty, the Princes electors of the sacred Roman Empire, moved with pitiful compassion of their lamentable distresses, would either of their own accord haue interposed effectually their intercession; or invited thereto by the entreaties and complaints of the oppressed party, would for their accustomend solicitude and wonted providence, haue diligently prevented such extremes, as might precipitate the one side into headlong despair, or drive the other to enforced necessity.  
But after these wicked Rebelles had neglected al sweet means of remedy, and it had pleased the new appointed directors, and their Complices to combine themselves in a most bloody conspiracy, that by audacious cruelty they might surprise the hartes of our beloved subiects, and wholly possess them with fearful thoughts of terror and amazement, thinking thereby to entangle others in the participation of their sinful treachery; they placed the hope of their impunity in arms, & sought to bolster their wicked designs, under the colour & cloak of the name & authority of our States. wherefore the Imperial majesty of Caesar our dear deceased Lord, could do no less in duty then provide, although it were with armed hand, that which he thought expedient for the defence & maintenance of his royal Authority and Kingly jurisdiction; especially finding in these obstinate delinquents no place for obedience and Fatherly admonition, no hope of repentance, no inclination to lend a willing ear to better counsels; but the contagion, like to a festering sore and noisome canker, every day dispersing itself to the greater infection and detriment of the weal public, to diffuse also its venomous contagion, to the destruction of the neighbouring provinces: but yet before he suffered the forces he had levied to break forth to open violence, in just commiseration of his subiects heavy calamities, he did omit no careful diligence by sweet means to appease the storms of this enraged tempest. He committed therefore the composing thereof equally unto the care & prudent moderation of the prime electors of this sacred Empire, omitting no diligence that might conduce unto the speedy and effectual pacifying of exasperated mindes, & laying down of arms; although this latter desire of his found many delays and unexpected obstacles. But how coldly & backwardly his Bohemian subiects did answer to his forward propension, and with what impertinent conditions they laboured to disturb and hour-glass his holy purposes, their articles & informations yet extant in print do bear abundant record.  
In the mean time Caesar deceasing, and the Kingdom of Bohemia, with the united provinces, by virtue of our royal Coronation, and the Homage, and Fealty in former time solemnly sworn to us by the states of that country, being by lawful and full right now perfectly deduolued to our government; we bended all our careful thoughts and serious studies, to devise what means might be invented, now in the happy entrance of our reign and sovereignty, to restore our Kingdom, miserable rent & torn with eighteen moneths continual civil war, unto the splendour of its ancient tranquillity; to which purpose we first undertook to sand unto the hands of the supreme Burgemaister, before the space of one month should be expired, the Confirmation of all the privileges of that Kingdom, together with the Reuersalls, of which they seemed so desirous; and withall assured them, that peace and public tranquillity should be restored, iustice administered, dissensions butted, and effectual remedies advised on, in all due and decent manner to redress their agrieuances.  
And although our wilful subiects would vouchsafe no answer to this our benevolent and royal offer; yet notwithstanding did we not forbear no solemn and authentic manner to dispatch the Charter of our Confirmation, according to the tenor of that which they had formerly obtained of our predecessor mathias, their King and Emperour of happy memory, carefully contriving and expressing it in just as many words, clauses, and sentences, as they themselves had heretofore conceived and accepted it. And for the more security, we sent by a messenger of our own Chamber, a second Exemplification thereof to prague, to be delivered into the hands of the supreme Burgemaister, and by our gracious and peculiar letters signified so much to all our Barons, Knights, Gentlemen and citizens that were there assembled; not being able to persuade ourselves, but that by this happy occasion of offered peace, they 〈…〉 rebellious arms, would by performance of their dutiful obedience to their anointed, crwoned, and lawful sovereign, give unto the world some noble testimomy of the desire they had to re-establish public peace, and perfect tranquillity.  
But the rueful event doth pregnantly declare how much they haue deceived our hopes and expectation. For disesteeming our Royal Charter and Grant of Confirmation of all their former privileges; rashly rejecting the truce, and supension of arms which of our parts, from that time we caused to be proclaimed and published; regardlesly neglecting without any answer, our gracious Letters wherein they were mildly and louingely required to sand some Agents to confer with us about the causes of their discontentes, making them free offer of the conduct & safeguard of our Royal and inviolable Word; raising a new and violent commotion in all the body of our Kingdom; levying new souldiers; soliciting our States of Morauia to participate with them in their rebellion, and treacherous revolt; wickedly joining unto their troops all our powers both of horse and foot belonging to that Marquisate; surprising suddenly our city of Bruna; perfidiously arresting, and laying their rebellious hands vpon the captain and chief officers thereof; violently subduing Olmus the Metropolis and chief city in that princedom; deposing the magistrates; abolishing the free exercise of sacred religion which in that Metropolitan Church had heretofore been practised from time out of mind; expelling all ecclesiastical Persons out of their dominions; spoiling, consiscating, and ravishing their goods; soliciting religious persons of both sexes most sacrilegiously to violate the sacred bonds of their holy vows; and finally proscribing, and unmercifully banishing all such of our noble subiects, as out of their faithful loyalty to God & us, refused to approve and countenance their barbarous and wicked treacheries; they gave the world apparent testimony how far they were from peaceful cogitations.  
Neither did their audacious impiety contain itself here, but with impetuous violence powred forth the streams of mischief to our Arch-Duchy of Austria, where they passed so far in impudence, that they durst in hostile manner besiege our frontier town of Laa; and passing over the river Dannubius, made their approach unto our royal seat and chief city of Vienna, where discharging their rebellious shot against our Castle, they feared not to leave to later posterity a hateful memory of their abhorred Treachery; of which their wicked counsels & most mischievous attempts what end they might propose unto themselves, we leave to others to determine of; and will only add, that to the compliment of this their heap of treasons, when according to custom, and the prescription of the Charter, which they call Bulla Aurea, we were in person cited to appear at Frankford in that most sacred and honourable assembly of the Imperial Electors, as being one of that number, and thereby acknowledged the lawful and undoubted King of Bohemia, and Septemuir( or chief vmpyre) of the Empire; they feared not in impudent and shameless manner to move new doubts and unheard of questions of State; wickedly endeavouring( as much as in them lay) by their seditious libels, to disannul and abrogate the force and prerogative of our suffrage and session; seeking, clean contrary both to their duty and our will, to involve our natural and hereditary Subiects in the execrable plots of their hateful conspiracy: and at that very time when the benign and uniform consent of our Princes electors, had jointly raised us unto the highest top of imperial Soueraingty, they by a nefarious and unheard of example of matchless perfidiousness( at whose memory, succeeding posterity will blushy with horror and confusion;) contemning all sacred bonds of their religious oaths, with earnest endeavours sought to frustrate and disavow our royal Election( as they vainly termed it;) and contrary to the express privileges of our kingdom, & inviolable laws of our sacred Roman Empire, with their uttermost( although they proved vneffectuall and vain) labours, in fact sought to transfer our royal diadem unto another race and family.  
I need not relate with what secret mines of treacheries, and wicked counsels they laboured to pervert and trouble our kingdom of Hungary, inducing with their lawless trumpets of sedition, our native subiects to participate with them in a rebellious and civil war; with several sleights inciting Bethlehem Gabor( à sworn vassal to the turk) to invade Cassouia, and conjoining their forces with his, passing again over Danubius by a naual bridge at Presburge, broke into Austria, wasting & foraging the region round about with slaughter, fire, and sword, even to the walls of our princely city of Vienna; exposing to extreme peril and hazard that sacred bulwark and fortress of the Roman Empire, whose indemnity, and safe preservation hath by the Renowned German Nation heroically been maintained with the expense and profusion of much Christian blood. And finally to comprise all in a word, look what wast, calamity, and mischief a sworn enemy can bring vpon another, all that they most injuriously and barbarously haue attempted against their lawful, acknowledged, and received sovereign, and his subordinate appointed magistrates, never provoked by the least indignity, or injury of their parts offered them.  
And not being able to extenuate or decline the guilt of these abominable and enormous crimes, without addition of new wrongs and injuries unto their former rebellions and treacheries; these faithless rebells, and their subtle abherents forged a mass of truthless calumniations, by which they might seem, with others like themselves in disloyalty, to blanch and justify their graceless & outrageous proceedings; frivolously carping at our Royal Acceptation, Proclamation, & Coronation; pretending( which yet is horrible to mention) we had unjustly violated our royal Reuersals, and had condescended to such aggrements and confederacies, as might be deemed pernicious, and prejudicial to our State and kingdom. Which slanderous and untrue defamations, with others of like tenor, wanting all ground of probability, in this time and place will need no larger confutation.  
These desperate and inconsiderate beginnings, haue driven their authors to such height of shameless impudence, that they make no conscience to infringe and violate the very fundamental laws of their native country, making no scruple at once to frustrate the foresaid Bulla Aurea of Charles the fourth, the sacred Decree & Sanction of King Wladislaus, the Reuersalls of the Emperor FERDINAND, the public Constitutions and Articles confirmed, and agreed on in the year 1547. by the religious and solemn oath of all the Nobility and state of our kingdom; having withall infringed the ancient custom religiously observed by al our predecessors, for the term of eight whole ages together; seeing that from the reign of our first Duke Primislaus, in all this decourse of time, no one hath been admitted to the diadem of this kingdom( except Rudolphus, who under pretext of hereditary covenants, was raised to the sceptre, and George Podiebratius) to whom the lineal descent of their Fathers or Mothers blood, or the happy coniunction and marriage of the daughters of some precedent kings, did not bequeath the crown and sceptre. And now at last after the devolution of 270. years they go above with captious questions, & doubtful cavils to evacuate & delude the Charter, called Bulla Carolina, together with the declaration of the privileges thereinto inserted by the Emperour Frederick the second, injuriously taxing the noblest and most renowned Emperour, whom for his excellent merits of this kingdom, our Venerable predecessors,( much more grateful then their ungracious ofspringe) did adorn & reverence with the honourable title of their FATHER & FOVNDER; insinuating in their seditious pamphlets, that this good Emperor in his foresaid declaration did not proceed with candour and good conscience, but neglecting the tenor of the foresaid Bulla Aurea had more regard to the raising and establishing of his own issue and posterity, then of the privileges of their kingdom; and for that purpose had advisedly depraved, corrupted, and impeached the true intent and purport of the same: When not withstanding it is evident, that the foresaid Declaration, being granted with the knowledge and consent of all the Electors of the sacred Roman Empire, and accepted by all the Nobility & States of the Country, was not only precedent to the golden Charter, acted and Concluded at Norinberge, but amongst other things, that also was expressly reserved and confirmed.  
Which being so, we could by no means be induced to beleeue that any sensible & prudent man could be found out, who had regard of equity and conscience( and much less a Prince sprung from the noble German blood, who by the gracious favour of God, and great benefit of the sacred Roman Empire had subiects committed to his government, to whose injurious control he would think it unfit he should be brought to base subiection) that would undertake to countenance, cherish, and patronise the insolent rebellion of disloyal subiects, and least of all could we conceive that any rinsed iudgment would be so precipitous & inconsiderate, that without further knowledge of our cause, or more mature examination of the privileges of our ancient imperial Family; would under pretence of a seditious and violent election( frustrate and void, even by the letter of the law itself) presume to thrust himself into the managing of our public affairs and government; but even in this desperate case an unhappy event, suitable to the designs of our rebellious subiects, hath not been wanting: for such an one hath been found, that contrary to the expectation of almost all the whole Christian world, neglecting the wholesome counsels of the rest of our Princes Electors, hath dared to impale his ambitious Head, within the circled of our royal crown; by which it is manifest, that this was the scope and final end, to which these new directors from the beginning of their subtle counsels and wicked actions, did chiefly aim and level at.  
But I will here speak nothing of the disability of their persons, that without al colourable title, durst assume unto themselves the right of suffrages, & set our Royal Crown vpon the head of a stranger, nothing of the clear nullity of this their whole new no Election: only I cannot sufficiently admire, that another Prince, never provoked by us with the least shadow of injury, but rather obliged and bound unto us by many respectful offices of Princelike benevolence, should dare to intrude himself into the government of our hereditary kingdom. For what colour could be invented for him to exact, or accept of a new oath of Homage, and Fealty of our subiects, without previous manifestation of their right, either to depose us or to elect another? Yea, and without all relaxation of their former solemn & religious oaths, by whose sacred bands they yet stand and remain inviolably bound to us: and contrary unto our laws and wholesome Constitutions; contrary unto the public peace and tranquillity of the Empire; contrary unto all laws, both human and divine, with a fatal and pernicious example, against al sovereign Princes( which evermore the very Barbarous Turkes and Tartars haue abhorred and detested) hath violently sought to exclude us from our native Dominions. But the time will come when a severe and strict account of these exorbitant and foul actions will be exacted of him, by the King of Kings, and judge of Iudges.  
In the mean time let him, that being pushed forward with heedless and intemperate counsels, and spurred on with headlong ambition of unbridled youth, without all care of right or wrong, hath made himself guilty of these heinous and hateful crimes, for which he never can escape the powerful hand of Gods Iustice and reuenge; let him, I say, consider, how he can justify these foul and lawless actions to the whole Christian world; how to succeeding posterity; and finally how to the Roman Empire, from whence the sublime dignity of the Electorshippe and office of High-Butler is to this crown annexed, and of which it doth depend, as of prime Paramount & Patron; especially knowing that all the imperial Electors, Princes, and States of the country, and amongst them the Prince Palatine himself, haue solemnly acknowledged us for the lawful, proclaimed, crwoned, & invested King of Bohemia; and under that title did admit us to the right of suffrage, in the election of the new King of the Romans; and having in the beginning offered his helpful assistance in the friendly treaty of pacification, continued the same, after the kingdom by right of due succession was devolved to us: & when likewise not long since it seemed good unto the Princes Electors, assembled at Frankford to resume the foresaid intermitted Treaty, he likewise caused his letters to that purpose to be written, and by his Agent to be delivered into our hands, thereby seeming to testify the esteem he had of us, and our royal Dignity.  
Yet least his void and forcelesse Election, by any means, or at any time hereafter might prove prejudicial to us, the truly, and solemnly anointed King of Bohemia, and that we may at once declare openly our royal mind in this behalf; We do protest against all, and singular the unjust pretences, that lewdly and wikedly haue been attempted against us, and our imperial Family; and we namely contradict in all effectual and most serious manner, which we may, or ought, his vnduely pretended Election, Coronation, and unjust and tyrannous usurpation of our kingdom, and the provinces annexed unto it; and by our imperial and royal authority do declare them to be void, frustrate, and of no effect; and by these presents evacuate, disannul, and make them void, to all intents and purposes: and on the contrary side expressly do reserve unto ourselves, and our imperial Family, all fitting remedies, either of right or fact, by way of arms, punishments, or confiscations, ordained and established either by civil or municipal laws, or by the decrees & constitutions of our Roman Empire, or kingdom of Bohemia, religiously protesting, before the majesty of our immortal God, that searcheth the secrets of all harts; and faithfully testifying to the whole far extended world, with all ensuing posterity; that as there is nothing which hitherto hath sunk into our careful breast more deeply then the desire that public tranquillity should be restored to our afflicted provinces, peaceful security confirmed to our oppressed subiects, & that we might entirely recover that which with violence, injury, and unjust rebellion hath for a time been treacherously withheld, and forcibly kept from us, resuming into our hands the Imperial and royal Authority, which by their faithless and treasonable attempts hath hitherto been most injuriously oppressed and violated: so are we strooken with feeling and deep commiseration, when we recall to mind the wast, slaughter, destruction, butcheries, rapines, ruins, combustions, and heap of other woeful miseries, which the necessity of an untimely and domestical war, raised by the malice of a few rebellious firebrands, and cloaked with the specious title of Religion, can bring vpon a multitude of wretched and exhausted subiects; of al which we are most free and innocent, as having performed in ample manner, whatsoever may be pretended to be promised in our Reuersalls; and never entertained so much as any thought of violating the privileges of Religion and majesty in them granted: & therfore we return both the stain, sin, and shane of these foul and abominable mischiefs vpon the mischeiuous and guilty heads of their Authors, and first contrivers.  
No less seriously protesting that if the vnrestrained fury of our unbridled souldiers, losing the rains of exact discipline, shall contrary to our martiall law break out to violent effusion of innocent blood, and through the outrage of military liberty shall stain themselves with the enormous crimes of theft, rapine, robberies depopulations, incests, adulteries, or the like dreadful offences; they are all most opposite and contrary to our upright and merciful intentions, being audaciously committed against the express tenor of our Inhibitions: and we will testify how much they do displease us, by the severe & rigorous chastisement, which vpon just complaint made to us, we will cause to be inflicted, not only vpon every so grievous and hateful an offender, but also vpon all and every such officer of ours, as through his sinful connivency, and unjust remissness, shall forbear to execute our severe and rigorous iustice against so heinous & pernicious delinquents.  
But withall we cannot but aclowledge how much it doth concern us in conscience and royal duty, to defend our Kingdoms, Dominions, and provinces from the injurious oppression of any intruder whatsoever: neither shall we need to dread the censures of men, if to this purpose, we shall be enforced to suppress injury with violence, unjust arms with lawful power and just forces, and seek to quench and extinguish, by all means we are able, the flames of rebellion, so fiercely enkindled, and so far extended; to the end we may restore unto our subiects, who with fear and tyranny are divorced, and inforcedly drawn from their duty and obedience, the former liberty which they lament and morn to haue lost; that we may lawfully recover what hath been unworthily taken from us, and with our warlike hand, and if it were needful; with the profusion & voluntary expense of the last drop of our dearest blood, defend & maintain the rights, immunities, authority, & Roialties of the sacred Roman Empire, & our imperial House & Family. We humbly, & in suppliant manner do adore and reverence the sovereign majesty of our most powerful & most gracious God, from whose sacred beck & divine will, all lawful power & commanding authority is derived; not doubting, but that we shall find him a faithful patron, & most just & severe revenger of these injuries, which seem not so much done unto us as to himself, whose place & person we represent and bear, & to the whole Christian world. For if this proceeding of rebellious subiects, and patronage of their unlawful attempts, should be permitted, no sovereign Prince could be free from the like insolences, nor in any security of his estate.  
wherefore we lovingly request all Christian Kings, Princes, and Magistrates, to whom the treacheries of malecontended subiects against their superior, if they should be dissembled or neglected, and much more if they should be patronized, cannot but in consequence yield a most pernicious example: & chiefly we most benignly and clemently exhort, admonish, and require all the Electors, Princes, & States of our sacred Empire, whom this pretended Election, begun and ended against al right and iustice, doth in no mean degree concern, that in this difcult and hard enterprise, they would not be displeased, to lend us cheerfully their careful labour and helpful assistance.  
We likewise interchangeably promising unto them, all mutual offices of like benevolence, the patronage of our imperial and royal protection, together with the constant and perseverant preservation and maintenance of all those wholesome Decrees and Constitutions of the sacred Roman Empire, which may any way concern the establishment of public peace and advancement of religion and piety, and according to the laudable example of our happy & most respected Grandfather and predecessor Ferdinand, sometimes your gracious Emperour, whose name we bear, and who likewise heretofore restored the sacred Empire to tranquillity, when it was tost and shaken with storms of danger and division, not much unlike to these with which it is now again molested: religiously professing that we aim at no other end, then that dissensions, and the harmful & pernicious seeds of al distrustful diffidence, may be eternally extirpated and rooted out; and after this long eclipse, the sacred Roman Empire may be restored unto the lustre and splendour of its ancient concord, glory and power, wherein it hath confessedly excelled all other Nations. And we haue thought good by these our Letters Pattens to notify thus much to al and singular your majesties, Graces, and Excellencies, that out of our natural propension & gracious inclination, esteem ourselves eternally obliged unto you in al mutual offices of due benevolence. Dated in our city of Vienna the 17. of February anno 1620. and in the first year of our reign over the Roman Empire, our second of Hungary, and third of Bohemia.  
By the special Command of his imperial majesty.