The Habsburg Brothers’ Feud 115coming in that Matthias’s forces were advancing towards Bohemia, and
day by day more men were reaching the Old Town to strengthen its
defences.
With their military position much improved, the Estates moved to
organise themselves politically. On 28 February they elected thirty direc-
tors, ten from each estate, the lords, knights and cities, together with
Thurn and Fels as the army commanders. Among them were Kinsky
and Wilhelm Lobkowitz, as well as a number of others who had been
involved in 1609 or would be again in 1618.^35 This directorate promptly
published anApologiajustifying their actions, all of which, they claimed,
were done loyally in the name of the emperor and in self-defence against
the Passau army.
It was not much longer before the Passau position began to collapse.
On 4 March Leopold despatched his secretary on a diplomatic mission to
Germany, but he was observed slipping out of Prague, Kinsky went after
him with a troop of cavalry, and he was captured and brought back.
Under interrogation he revealed damaging details of Leopold’s ambi-
tions and plans, which together with further news of Matthias’s advance
caused panic in Prague castle. Leopold frantically sent a messenger to
the Estates on 6 March, claiming to be young, inexperienced in military
matters,andledastraybybadadvice,concludingwitharequestfora
safe conduct out of Prague so that he could go to Matthias to seek his
pardon.^36
By now Ramé had been cooling his heels for most of three weeks in the
Lesser Town, while his still unpaid men grew increasingly restive, the cit-
izenry grew increasingly hostile because of their depredations, and the
opposing forces on the other side of the river grew steadily larger. His
troops were clearly in no mood to fight, and there were fears that they
might arrest their officers and defect to the Estates instead. On 6 March
Matthias’s army, reportedly 8000 strong, reached the outskirts of Prague,
while Thurn and Fels began debating using their own increased strength
to attack the Lesser Town.^37 Ramé beat them to it, slipping away with
his men on the night of 10 March, prudently covering his retreat with
a rearguard and destroying bridges behind him as he went. He also took
a circuitous route, thereby foiling a belated attempt to intercept him,
so that he arrived safely at Budweis and fortified it against attack. It is
worth adding that although the Passau army has passed into history
as an odious rabble because of the ruthless looting carried out by the
hungry troops and their dependents, they nevertheless performed their
military functions effectively, while Ramé appears to have been a com-
petent officer. Back in Prague Thurn promptly took a troop of cavalry