Sigismund Bathori, weary of government, had abdicated in favour of his brother, the Cardinal Andreas, with whom Michael had nothing in common, and then it was (if not previously) that the latter began to nurse the design of becoming the independent ruler over what had been ancient Dacia, namely, Wallachia, Moldavia, and Siebenbuergen.  With this view he commenced negotiations with the Porte, which were eagerly welcomed; and he also approached the German emperor, from whom he needed money to pay his mercenary troops.  Indeed, for the purpose of accomplishing his ends, he at one and the same time did homage and acknowledged himself the vassal of both powers.  For a long time he temporised and contented himself with strengthening and drilling his forces.  At length taking advantage of unfriendly relations which subsisted between Andreas Bathori and the emperor, from whom he had succeeded in obtaining a subsidy on the plea that he required it for his operations against the Turks, who constantly threatened the Empire, Michael hastily assembled his forces, and, against the warnings and wishes of his wife and some of his more discreet counsellors, he crossed the Boza Pass in the Carpathians in 1599, and proceeded to overrun Siebenbuergen, as he professed, in the name and interests of his suzerain, the German emperor.

After striking terror into the inhabitants of Transylvania by the excesses of his troops, Michael’s first step of any consequence on entering the country was to appear before Kronstadt with his army and demand its surrender.  This was granted, and Michael deemed it politic not to enter the city, but to march forward and get possession of other towns, which yielded to him one after the other in rapid succession.

Andreas Bathori was staggered and perplexed by this sudden inroad into his dominions, but when he became fully alive to the danger the whole country was roused by the carrying round of the ‘bloody sword.’  He also sent emissaries to induce Michael to return to his own country, but the latter kept these in confinement until the conclusion of the campaign.  What made the matter more serious for Andreas was that a vast number of discontented inhabitants and freebooters, lusting after plunder, had joined the army of Michael, and had swelled it to the number of 25,000 men.  A council of war was hastily called by Andreas, and after considerable delay the Transylvanian army was collected at Hermanstadt.  Michael, not expecting serious opposition so soon, had recourse to stratagem in order to gain time and deceive his enemy.  To his shame be it said that he sent emissaries to Andreas who were instructed to represent the whole proceeding as an unfortunate mistake, and to express Michael’s regret at the excesses of his troops.  All he wished, he said, was a free passage through Siebenbuergen into Hungary, where he desired to join his forces with those of the Empire against the Turks.  And when the cardinal sent him word that he must return