The Turks eagerly watched their movements, and, encouraged by these dissensions, soon burst into Hungary with an army of one hundred thousand men.  They crossed the Drave at Esseg, and, ascending the valley of the Danube, directly north one hundred and fifty miles, crossed that stream unopposed at Buda.  Still ascending the stream, which here flows from the west, they spread devastation everywhere around them, until they arrived nearly within sight of the steeples of Vienna.  The capital was in consternation.  To add to their terror and their peril, the emperor was dangerously sick of the small-pox, a disease which had so often proved fatal to members of the royal family.  One of the imperial generals, near Presburg, in a strong position, held the invading army in check a few days.  The ministry, in their consternation, appealed to all the powers of Christendom to hasten to the rescue of the cross, now so seriously imperiled by the crescent.  Forces flowed in, which for a time arrested the further advance of the Moslem banners, and afforded time to prepare for more efficient action.

CHAPTER XX.

LEOPOLD I.

From 1662 to 1697.

Invasion of the Turks.—­A Treaty concluded.—­Possessions of Leopold.—­ Invasion of the French.—­League of Augsburg.—­Devastation of the Palatinate.—­Invasion of Hungary.—­Emeric Tekeli.—­Union of Emeric Tekeli with the Turks.—­Leopold applies to Sobieski.—­He immediately marches to his Aid.—­The Turks conquered.—­Sobieski’s triumphal Receptions.—­Meanness of Leopold.—­Revenge upon Hungary.—­Peace concluded.—­Contest for Spain.

While Europe was rousing itself to repel this invasion of the Turks, the grand vizier, leaving garrisons in the strong fortresses of the Danube, withdrew the remainder of his army to prepare for a still more formidable invasion the ensuing year.  Most of the European powers seemed disposed to render the emperor some aid.  The pope transmitted to him about two hundred thousand dollars.  France sent a detachment of six thousand men.  Spain, Venice, Genoa, Tuscany and Mantua, forwarded important contributions of money and military stores.  Early in the summer the Turks, in a powerful and well provided army, commenced their march anew.  Ascending the valley of the Save, where they encountered no opposition, they traversed Styria, that they might penetrate to the seat of war through a defenseless frontier.  The troops assembled by Leopold, sixty thousand in number, under the renowned Prince Montecuculi, stationed themselves in a very strong position at St. Gothard, behind the river Raab, which flows into the Danube about one hundred miles below Vienna.  Here they threw up their intrenchments and prepared to resist the progress of the invader.