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MARIA FELICIA

Černins, Bouquois, Šternberks, and at their head Archbishop Prince Arnošt Mandršeid. These acknowledged the Elector as their king, and granted him at a Diet, called directly after his coronation, a subsidy of six million florins that he might go to Frankfort and there work for his election to the German throne.

At the same time Charles of Lorraine, the Empress’s brother-in-law, advanced with his army toward Prague, and guarded the city so closely that no provisions could be brought to the market. To ward off hunger from the garrison, its commander gave orders to kill the horses, and the French soldiers had thus to be content with horseflesh. But even then, said the steward, such exemplary discipline was maintained among the soldiers that the Prague people might have left their doors open all night and nothing would have been stolen. But the unaccustomed diet caused sickness, and they died in great numbers. On that account the commander, Count Bellisle, received orders to give up the city. He left