Nearly all of the eastern and southern portions of Hungary were already in the hands of the Turks.  Maximilian held a few important towns and strong fortresses on the western frontier.  Not feeling strong enough to attempt to repel the Turks from the portion they already held, he strengthened his garrisons, and raising an army of eighty thousand men, of which he assumed the command, he entered Hungary and marched down the Danube about sixty miles to Raab, to await the foe and act on the defensive.  Solyman rendezvoused an immense army at Belgrade, and commenced his march up the Danube.

“Old as I am,” said he to his troops, “I am determined to chastise the house of Austria, or to perish in the attempt beneath the walls of Vienna.”

It was beautiful spring weather, and the swelling buds and hourly increasing verdure, decorated the fields with loveliness.  For several days the Turks marched along the right bank of the Danube, through green fields, and beneath a sunny sky, encountering no foe.  War seemed but as the pastime of a festive day, as gay banners floated in the breeze, groups of horsemen, gorgeously caparisoned, pranced along, and the turbaned multitude, in brilliant uniform, with jokes, and laughter and songs, leisurely ascended the majestic stream.  A fleet of boats filled the whole body of the river, impelled by sails when the wind favored, or, when the winds were adverse, driven by the strong arms of the rowers against the gentle tide.  Each night the white tents were spread, and a city for a hundred thousand inhabitants rose as by magic, with its grassy streets, its squares, its busy population, its music, its splendor, blazing in all the regalia of war.  As by magic the city rose in the rays of the declining sun.  As by magic it disappeared in the early dawn of the morning, and the mighty hosts moved on.

A few days thus passed, when Solyman approached the fortified town of Zigeth, near the confluence of the Drave and the Danube.  Nicholas, Count of Zrini, was intrusted with the defense of this place, and he fulfilled his trust with heroism and valor which has immortalized both his name and the fortress which he defended.  Zrini had a garrison of but three thousand men.  An army of nearly a hundred thousand were marching upon him.  Zrini collected his troops, and took a solemn oath, in the presence of all, that, true to God, to his Christian faith, and his country, he never would surrender the town to the Turks, but with his life.  He then required each soldier individually to take the same oath to his captain.  All the captains then, in the presence of the assembled troops, took the same oath to him.