Chapter XVI: From the Beginning of the Reaction to the Death of Rudolf II. 425-453

(1600-1612.)

Causes of Rudolf’s change of policy--The Turkish question--Growth
of power of the Komora Dvorska--Rudolf’s
insanity--Opposition of his family to him--The Edict of
1602--of 1604--Bocksay’s insurrection--Growing opposition
to Rudolf--Karl von Z̆erotin--His training, character,
and policy--Rudolf removes him from office--His relations
with Illyezhazy--His championship of Matthias--Differences
between Rudolf and Matthias--Lichtenstein and
Berka--The Moravian rising--Christian of Anhalt--Z̆erotin’s
feelings about war--Alliance between Hungary,
Moravia, and Austria against Rudolf--Wenceslaus Budovĕc--His
struggles for religious liberty in Bohemia--His
opposition to Matthias--The Assembly of 1608--Importance
and originality of Budovĕc’s demands--Rudolf’s resistance--Failure
of Matthias in Bohemia and success
elsewhere--Lobkovic, Martinic, and Slavata--Adam of
Sternberg--Resolution of Bohemian Protestants to resort
to armed resistance--Bohemia and Silesia--Rudolf’s final
resistance to the Protestants--Budovĕc’s leadership--The
Defenders--Peter Vok of Rosenberg--Rudolf’s final concession--The
Letter of Majesty--The Archduke Leopold--The
peacemakers--Concession by Rudolf to Matthias--The
Passau plot; its rise, horrors, and end--Flight of
Leopold--Matthias crowned at Prague--Last hopes and
death of Rudolf.