Page:History of the Thirty Years' War - Gindely - Volume 1.djvu/61

 went to Prague, where the Emperor then held his court, with the design of extorting from him and his minister a promise of Ferdinand’s immediate elevation. When Khlesl promised, “by word, by hand-grasp, and by his hope of salvation,” to give him the most earnest support, and uttered the hope that by Christmas (1616) Ferdinand would receive the crown of Bohemia, Maximilian thought that he might expect with certainty the summoning of an Electoral Diet, and also Diets for Bohemia and Hungary to determine the succession, and quietly left Prague. But when a year had elapsed and Khlesl’s word was not fulfilled, he resorted to threats, and wrote him “he should be careful, for his delays would not effect his purpose.” Khlesl, who just at this time received the cardinal’s hat, threw this threat to the winds and sought at once to awaken the Emperor’s distrust of both his brother and his cousin. This conduct irritated the Archduke to that degree that he asked Ferdinand in what way they could render the Cardinal harmless; whether it were not better to make him a prisoner, or even poison him. Advised adversely as to these violent measures, Maximilian, in order by his personal presence to apply the needed pressure to the Emperor, visited Prague. He arrived there in January, 1617; but several months transpired, and he was no nearer the attainment of his end.

At this time the rival claims of Ferdinand and Philip were settled by Count Oñate, whom Philip had sent to the Archduke’s residence in Gratz, for the purpose. Ferdinand declared himself ready, in case he should mount the imperial throne, to convey to his Spanish cousin all his fiefs in Italy which should become vacant. In regard to the cession of Alsace, he referred the Count to Prague, whither he then accompanied Oñate. Here the embas-