Page:History of the Thirty Years' War - Gindely - Volume 1.djvu/93

 hand in their answer to the Regents. Thurn had been busy since an early hour of the morning with preparations for the success of the insurrection. Towards nine o’clock the procession of the Estates arrived before the castle. All carried weapons; the majority were attended by one or several servants. They first assembled in the hall of the Landtag, where the answer, prepared by the Defensors, was read to them. It was a protest against the attempt to prevent their meeting, as also against the threatened judicial proceedings; it reflected, therefore, upon the first imperial letter, and closed with the question whether the Regents had any part, and if so, what part, in the drawing up of the threatening letter. The Estates resorted to the hall of the Regents, and found there but four of these, viz., the chief Burggrave, Adam von Sternberg; his son-in-law, Jaroslas von Martinitz, Burggrave of Karlstein; William von Slawata, Chief Justice; and Diepold von Lobkowitz, Grand Prior of the Order of Malta. At their side was the secretary, M. Philip Fabricius, who had not till then been named.

After a little verbal skirmishing, Paul von R&#771;ic&#771;anŘíčan [sic] read the answer. The passage which put to the Regents the question whether the threatening imperial paper originated with them, was indeed most deeply significant, and its significance was not a little augmented by the appended threat that the Estates would thenceforth obtain their rights against all opposition. The chief Burggrave and his colleagues requested that before making their reply this paper might be handed to them, that they might further consider its contents. This request was obeyed, and, after counselling in whisper with his colleagues, the chief Burggrave refused all information. He said it was a thing unheard of that imperial counsellors, bound by