privileges of the kingdom, and establish an absolute monarchy. He was much disturbed to see the king letting slip the favorable moment by peaceful negotiations, and, seeing that Cardinal Khlesl was the chief cause of this mild policy, he had that prelate kidnaped and carried away to a fortress in Tyrol. The king, naturally indolent, and now further weakened by illness, had not energy enough to resent this indignity to his favorite. Indeed, he was finally convinced that Khlesl was a hypocrite, who cared nothing for the interests of the crown. The obnoxious prelate being out of the way, the Jesuit-Spanish party now surrounded the king, and soon he was convinced that the difficulty in Bohemia could be settled in no other way than by the sword. Accordingly troops began to be collected upon all sides, until there was a large army ready to march against Bohemia. The conduct of the war was given to Ferdinand, who soon sent a force of 10,000 men to Bohemia under the command of Henry Dampierre. Thurn was compelled to raise the siege of Budweis; but he defeated the Imperial army in two small battles, so that it was obliged to retire to Austria. Here it was re-enforced, partly by recruits, and partly by Spanish troops under the command of General Buguoi, a renowned Spanish officer who had distinguished himself in the war against the Netherlands.
The insurrection in Bohemia was welcomed with joy by the neighboring countries that were not friendly to the house of Hapsburg; for they saw in it an opportunity for a general attack upon Spain and Austria, and so hastened to offer their aid to Bohemia. This aid, however, was not given without certain conditions. The leaders in the insurrection were obliged to bind
