Page:History of the Thirty Years' War - Gindely - Volume 1.djvu/129

 signedly moved out of the enemy’s way on every occasion on which the latter might have attacked him with certainty of victory, and so the two armies stood for a time watching each other. During this time a Moravian deputation, with Z̃erotínŽerotín [sic] at its head, arrived in Prague, whither they were sent by the Emperor to make one more attempt at a settlement by mediation. The Moravians had on their way learned by their own eyes the sufferings with which numerous villages had been visited in the course of the few days’ march of the imperial army into the country. Z&#771;erotín, who hoped that by picturing these he might awaken in Prague a desire for peace, was, on the 17th of September, together with his associates, ceremonially received by the Directors and a deputation from the Diet, to whom he gave utterance of his sorrow at that which had occurred, and exhorted the Estates to yield humbly to the Emperor’s offers for the restoration of peace. He represented the Moravians as having so earnestly desired this that they had requested the Emperor to bring about an adjustment by the mediation of persons of princely rank. They had indeed received no binding assurance to this effect, but if the Bohemians would maintain a suitable bearing, the Emperor would be pleased to permit the mediation. This appeal, however, instead of inclining the Directors to yield, did but irritate them. They suspected the speaker of a desire to produce a division between them and the Estates, an attempt in which Waldstein, the High Steward, had failed a few days before. The audience closed, therefore, and the negotiators retired without the answer which they desired.

On the evening of the same day, Ruppa and Budowec had an interview with Z̃erotín, in which they discussed