366 SOBIESKI
two nights anyone who cares has been dismantling them, but I warrant they will not pull
them down in a week. They left behind them a mass of innocent local Austrian people,
particularly women; but they butchered as many as they could. Bodies of dead women lie
in great numbers; but there are also many wounded, and those who might yet live.
Yesterday I saw a three-year old child, a most pretty little boy, whose face and head had
been savagely slashed by an infidel.
The Vizir had captured a marvellously beautiful ostrich from one of the Emperor's
palaces here; but this too he had killed so that it would not fall into our hands. What
luxuries he had surrounding his tents it is impossible to imagine. He had baths; he had a
garden and fountains; rabbits; cats; and a parrot which kept on flying about so that we
could not catch it.
Today I was in the city, which could have held out five more days, no more. Eyes have
never seen things such as the mines have done there; the fortified towers, enormous and
high, stand like craggy skeletons and are so damaged that they could survive little longer.
The Emperor's palace is completely ruined by shot.
All the armies which gave such good account of themselves give praise to God and
ourselves for this victory. When the enemy began to retreat and allowed himself to be
broken - the Vizir, with whom it fell to me to do battle, turned his entire forces against
my right wing, leaving our middle, or mainguard, and the left wing with nothing to do.
As a result, they sent me all their German reinforcements. The Princes, such as the Elector
of Bavaria and Prince Waldeck, rushed up to me clasping me around the neck and
kissing me on the mouth. The generals did likewise on my hands and feet. What then the
soldiers! The officers and all the cavalry and infantry regiments cried out: 'Ach, unzer
brawe Kenik! They listened to me as our soldiers never do. I dare not speak of the delight
of the Princes of Lorraine and Saxony this morning (I did not have occasion to see them
yesterday, since they were on the extreme of my left wing where I had sent the Marshal
of the Court several squadrons of Hussars) nor of Stahremberg, who is commandant
here. They all embraced me, congratulated me, called me their saviour. Afterwards, I
went to two churches. All the common people kissed my hands, feet, clothes; others only
touched me saying: 'Ach, let us kiss so valiant a hand!' They all wished to cry 'Vivat', but
it was plain that they feared their officers and superiors. One group could not refrain
from doing so, however, and I saw that it was looked on disapprovingly. Therefore, hav-
ing dined with the commandant, I left the city to return to camp. The people, waving all
the time, accompanied me to the very gates ... It is said that when the Vizier realised he
could not hold out against us, he called his two sons to him, and having embraced them,
exclaimed in tears to the Tartar Khan, 'Save me if you can'. But the Khan replied, 'We
know the King of Poland well. He is irresistible. Let us consider rather how best to
escape.'...
1 am preparing to ride into Hungary, and hope, as I said when I left you, that we will
meet at Stryc... The princes of Bavaria and Saxony are ready to accompany me to the
end of the world. We shall have to quicken our pace for the first couple of miles on
account of the unbearable stench of dead men, horses and camels. I have written to the
King of France. I told him that it was he, the Most Catholic Monarch, who should receive
my report on the battle won for the safety of Christendom. Our son, notre Fanfan, is
brave in the highest degree.^10
When Sobieski posted the green standard of the Prophet to the Pope, he
appended a suitably terse message: VENI, VIDI, DEUS VINXIT. (I came, I saw,