taining their object, and, failing to relieve Erlau, were obliged to leave that famous fortress in the hands of the Turks.
At Gran I met my cousin, Felix Wratislaw, and also Albert Wratislaw, who had been shot in the knee at Hatwan. He afterwards died, and lies buried at Gran. We then begged his grace the archduke to have us conveyed to Vienna, for our feet were blistered, and we could not walk well from exhaustion. He granted our request, and ordered us to be conveyed to Vienna.
We arrived at Vienna, which was then under his grace the Archduke Maximilian, and were permitted to have an audience. We kissed his hand, and after giving him certain information about the Sultan’s march, and the strength of his army, petitioned for pecuniary assistance to enable us to travel to Prague. We obtained our request, and he not only gave us money for the journey, but also ordered us to be conveyed to Prague to his brother, his Imperial Majesty Rudolph the Second.
When we arrived at Prague, and met our friends, O! it is impossible to describe the joy! His Majesty the Emperor, hearing of us, was graciously pleased to summon us to his presence. We kissed his hand and related how much we had had to endure in his service for all Christendom, and humbly entreated him to be our gracious emperor, king, and lord, and to be pleased to grant us some acceptable recompence for it. His majesty looked kindly upon us all, and said, in German,—“Wir wollen thun!” “We will do so!” It was then his pleasure to leave us; and, although orders were certainly given by him that a considerable sum of money should
