108 The Origins of the Thirty Years War and the Revolt in Bohemia, 1618
was exhausted they were preparing to defend themselves against any-
one who attempted to deny it to them. To this challenging assertion
they attached a complete draft law, requiring only the king’s signature
to give effect to their full demands, a document which with only the
smallest of alterations eventually became the famous Letter of Majesty.
They then began making preparations. A provisional list of directors and
generals was drawn up, plans were made to call up every fifth man into
the militia, and a tax on land and capital, to be paid in two stages, was
proposed. The latter caused some concern among the wealthier mem-
bers of the Estates, but they were outvoted by their more numerous less
well-heeled colleagues.^21
It appears that a combination of pressure from Saxony, indications
of help from Moravia and Silesia for the Estates, and the latter’s own
preparations for armed action, had a significant effect on Rudolf, as
on 24 June he agreed to Saxon mediation. His resulting new propos-
als went much further than before, although by no means meeting the
Protestant demands in full, particularly over the consistory and the uni-
versity. Although some of the Protestants were by now ready to accept
the offered terms those prepared to fight on prevailed, and the Saxons
were sent back to seek improvements. Rudolf’s quick reply was angrily
received, as it reduced the concessions already made, thus undermin-
ing the position of the compromise-minded members of the Estates and
leaving the way clear for the militants.
Events now moved swiftly. A previously prepared document was
promptly published, enumerating the grievances of the Protestants in
polemical style, asserting that the intention of the Estates was only
self-defence, and calling for the assembly of the militia and the rais-
ing of money for the struggle. Thirty directors were appointed, ten from
each Estate, that is lords, knights and cities, while the salaries of these
appointees were also carefully provided for, the nobles at a level some
three times that of the city representatives. Thurn was to head the mil-
itary leadership as lieutenant-general, with Leonhard Colonna Fels as
field marshal (then a lower rank) and Johann Bubna as quartermaster-
general. Late at night on 26 June, this work completed, the Protestant
members of the Estates took an oath of solidarity, dissolved their meet-
ing and departed for home, while the directors set to work establishing
what was in effect a provisional government in the Prague Old Town city
hall.^22 Military considerations came first, with an appeal to Christian of
Anhalt to send help and supplies, while Thurn began recruiting urgently
in order to provide the directorate with both protection and a means of
control in the city. A target was set of 3000 infantry and 1500 cavalry,