The Habsburg Brothers’ Feud 107Meanwhile the emissaries despatched to the electors and to the Estates
of the other lands of the Bohemian crown had elicited polite but mainly
non-committal responses. Most help came from the elector of Saxony,
who sought to mediate in this difficult situation by sending no less a
person than his own chancellor to intercede with Rudolf. In accordance
with his family’s traditional policy towards the Empire, the elector’s
objective was to counterbalance the influence of the Catholic party at
Rudolf’s court, and to steer the emperor towards the position of the more
moderate group among the Protestants.^20 Adopting the tone of a con-
cerned friend, he advised the emperor to seek an accommodation with
the Estates, just at the time when the majority of Rudolf’s own advisers
were doing the same. Lobkowitz, Martinitz and Slavata still held to their
hard line, but they were isolated, and although Rudolf was personally of
the same inclination he eventually gave way. On 14 May negotiations
began, not over the substance of the demands but over the calling of
a new Estates meeting. Rudolf reluctantly agreed to this but sought a
postponement, successively reducing the delay under pressure until in
the end he gave way, but it took ten days before agreement was reached.
The Estates meeting opened on 25 May, but it soon became clear
that Rudolf had no intention of changing his position. His opening
statement noted that the religious issue was to be discussed but made
no proposals or response to the many previous Protestant submissions,
instead dwelling on the other standard business matters, principally tax-
ation, which he planned to put forward. The Prague lawyers got to work
again, and on 29 May a deputation handed in yet another document,
restating the demand for religious freedom and claiming the consistory
and the university for the Protestants. Tempers began to fray again, and
there were bitter exchanges with Rudolf’s Catholic officials, while he
himself remained closeted, seeing only his principal advisers. Eventu-
ally he issued a statement to the effect that he had not changed his
mind, that the religious status quo should prevail as it had been under
Emperor Ferdinand I, and that the Estates should now proceed to his
other business.
After four months of argument the Protestants were no further for-
ward than they had been at the outset, and Count Matthias Thurn
doubtless spoke for many in saying that there had been enough words
wasted, that it was now time for action, and that they should set about
arming themselves. Once more the lawyers started work on a reply, but
this time its tone was quite different and its style was clearly intended for
a wider audience than Rudolf alone. They were no longer prepared, the
Estates declared, to be refused their religious freedom, and as argument