Botskoi's Manifesto.--Horrible Suffering in Transylvania.--Character of Botskoi.--Confidence of the Protestants.--Superstition of Rholdoph.--His Mystic Studies.--Acquirements of Matthias.--Schemes of Matthias.--His increasing power.--Treaty with the Turks.--Demands on Rhodolph.--The Compromise.--Perfidy of Matthias.--The Margravite.--Fillisbustering.-- The People's Diet.--A Hint to Royalty.--The Bloodless Triumph.--Demands of the Germans.--Address of the Prince of Anhalt to the King. Page 198 CHAPTER XIV. RHODOLPH III. AND MATTHIAS. From 1609 to 1612. Difficulties as to the Succession.--Hostility of Henry IV. to the House of Austria.--Assassination of Henry IV.--Similarity in Sully's and Napoleon's Plans.--Exultation of the Catholics.--The Brother's Compact.--How Rhodolph kept it.--Seizure of Prague.--Rhodolph a Prisoner.--The King's Abdication.--Conditions Attached to the Crown.--Rage of Rhodolph.--Matthias Elected King.--The Emperor's Residence.--Rejoicings of The Protestants.--Reply of the Ambassadors.-- The Nuremberg Diet.--The Unkindest cut of all.--Rhodolph's Humiliation and Death. Page 213 CHAPTER XV. MATTHIAS. From 1612 to 1619. Matthias Elected Emperor of Germany.--His Despotic Character.--His Plans Thwarted.--Mulheim.--Gathering Clouds.--Family Intrigue.--Coronation of Ferdinand.--His Bigotry.--Henry, Count of Thurn.--Convention at Prague.--The King's Reply.--The Die Cast.--Amusing Defense of an Outrage.--Ferdinand's Manifesto.--Seizure of Cardinal Klesis.--The King's Rage.--Retreat of the King's Troops.--Humiliation of Ferdinand.--The Difficulties Deferred.--Death of Matthias. Page 229 CHAPTER XVI. FERDINAND II. From 1619 to 1621. Possessions of the Emperor.--Power of the Protestants of Bohemia.-- General Spirit of Insurrection.--Anxiety of Ferdinand.--Insurrection led by Count Thurn.--Unpopularity of the Emperor.--Affecting Declaration of the Emperor.--Insurrection in Vienna.--The Arrival of Succor.--Ferdinand Seeks the Imperial Throne.--Repudiated by Bohemia.--The Palatinate.-- Frederic Offered the Crown of Bohemia.--Frederic Crowned.--Revolt in Hungary.--Desperate Condition of the Emperor.--Catholic League.--The Calvinists and the Puritans.--Duplicity of the Emperor.--Foreign Combinations.--Truce between the Catholics and the Protestants.--The Attack upon Bohemia.--Battle of the White Mountain. Page 245 CHAPTER XVII. FERDINAND II. From 1621 to 1629.