THE PRESENT and FUTURE CONDITION OF GERMANY. Giving a full ACCOUNT 1. Of the Turks Advance into Christendom, and the Grounds of those Disturbances in Hungary, which occasioned it. 2. A Description of the City VIENNA, and the Siege thereof. 3. The Grand Signors Nativity Calculated, and the Success of this Expedition probably conjectured. 4. Several Predictions relating to the present Posture of Affairs in Europe. LONDON, Printed for J. A. and Entered according to Order. 1683. THE PRESENT and FUTURE CONDITION OF GERMANY. AT this time, when Christendom is alarmed 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 Gazettes 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 annexed to the Empire of Germany, under Ferdinand II. Anno 1624. But having formerly been an Elective Kingdom, the Inhabitants still challenged certain Privileges and Immunities, and the same were from time to time promised and confirmed to them by the Emperors; which being much infringed and violated (as they alleged) some years since, they (being a Warlike People) betook themselves to Arms. But though 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 crushed and suppressed, the Jesuits (too prevalent in the Imperial Councils) contrived to take an advantage from the umbrage 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 Rigours and Pressures upon them; the Nature of which may partly appear from the Memorial of Count Oxenstierne the King of sweden 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, pillaged, and insolently abused; flayed 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 Employments, not only servile and laborious, but the most filthy and noisome that can be invented; loaded perpetually with Chains, more cruelly than those that are guilty of the most grievous Parricides or Treasons, without out all Commiseration, without any satiety or end of mocking and abusing them; so that they lead a life, than which Hell itself 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 carried on fiercely, and a great number of those Protestant Ministers sold for Galleyslaves, were in Chains; divers of them perished, and some that survived 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 though 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 joining with the Infidels is justly to be condemned, 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 Signior regarding them now as his Vassals, gins a Quarrel on their behalf with the Emperor, and taking the advantage of these distractions to enlarge his Dominions (for amongst Heathen princes, whatever are their pretences, Ambition and Glory are the Grounds of their Wars) employs his Vizier with a mighty Army of above an hundred thousand men, to enter Christendom; which like an 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 continueth 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 University, and for its Cathedral dedicated to St. Stephen, (the Steeple whereof is 465 Foot high, of hewn 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, beleaguered 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 success against it, is a question; the Fortifications being much improved, a discreet and valiant Governor placed in it, and 18 thousand Soldiers 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 Soldiers; 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 repel these Mahometans: The Duke of Lorraine has a considerable Force not above a day or two's March off; and only waits the coming up of 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 joined, '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 tidings, that the Duke of Lorraine, 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 subjoin the Nativity of the present Grand Signior 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. Natal chart (astrology) This Figure affords (according to the Rules of Astrology) divers Arguments of Grandeur, and illustrious Achievements. 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 Sovereignty) 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 indulged 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 Lion roused up, shaking off that Trance of Inglorious Sloth, he gins 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 preceding 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 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 show, that those People shall move out of their own Country 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 entering 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 itself; and the general Conquest of the East part of Germany. And afterwards he threatens the Lilies to be blasted by the Influences of the Crescent. And thou O Italy, hast a great share of this Cup of God's Wrath; for great will be the Scarcity that shall be in thy fruitful Country; 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, 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 refer 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. — It shall every year decrease and fade, Till such a Darkness do the World invade At Christ's last Coming, as his first did find: Yet must there such Proportions be assigned To these Diminishing, as is between The spacious World, and Jury, to be seen. Religion stands on Tiptoe in our Land, Ready to pass to the American Strand: When height of Malice, and prodigious Lusts, Impudent Sinning, Witchcrafts and Distrusts, (The marks of future Bane) shall fill our Cup Unto the Brim, and make our measure up. When Seine shall swallow Tiber, and the Thames By letting in them both pollutes her Streams; When Italy of us shall have her Will, And all her Calendar of Sins fulfil: Whereby one may foretell what Sins next year Shall both in France and England domineer: Then shall Religion to America flee; They have their times of Gospel, even as we. My God, thou dost prepare for them a way, By carrying first their Gold from them astray: For Gold and Grace did never yet agree; Religion always sides with Poverty. Yet as the Church shall thither Westward fly, So Sin shall trace and dog her Instantly; That when they have accomplished the Round, And met i'th' East, their first and ancient Ground, Judgement may meet them both, and search them round. Thus do both Lights, as well in Church and Sun Light one another, and together run. Thus also Sin and Darkness follow still The Church and Sun with all their Power and Skill; But as the Sun still goes both West and East, So also shall the Church by going West Still Eastward go, because it draws more near ●o'th ' Time and Place where Judgement shall appear. FINIS.