Page:History of the Thirty Years' War - Gindely - Volume 1.djvu/132

 ners. In addition to this, the peasantry waylaid the imperial soldiers and their supply-trains, and inflicted upon them daily many a loss. Maintenance became so difficult that Buquoi, greatly as he disliked to take this step, felt that he must retire southward without having come to an engagement with the enemy. He began his retreat at the end of October; was, however, pursued by the Bohemian army, and must fight them at disadvantage near Pilgram. The Silesian auxiliaries were first employed in this engagement. He felt more sensibly a defeat which he suffered on the 9th of November at a place called Lomnitz, nine miles from Budweis, so that he had no choice but to retreat within the fortifications of Budweis, advise the Emperor of the peril of his situation, and counsel him by all means to enter upon peace negotiations.

The war party at Vienna had nourished themselves with the hope that Buquoi would, in a few days, end the campaign by the capture of Prague, and were now compelled to see him beaten, retreating and trembling before the enemy. Their chagrin was still further increased by learning, a few days later, that Mansfeld had effected the capture of Pilsen (November 21, 1618), after a siege of some weeks, and had converted the resources of this Catholic city to-the enemy’s use.

In Bohemia, on the contrary, there was rejoicing over this result and the retreat of Buquoi. They were already so sure of victory as to feel that their enlisted force, which now, by the addition of Mansfeld’s command and the Silesians, was raised to about 18,000 men, would be sufficient, and discharged the general levy, as they perceived that it did not fulfil the hope which they had set uponit. Instead of the 30,000 which should have been realized, scarcely