The Estates had already been in communication with him, better hopes, for the time at least, being entertained from him than from the flaccid Rudolph.

Moreover a kind of compromise had been made in the autumn between Matthias and the Emperor after the defeat of Leopold in the duchies.

The real king had fallen at the feet of the nominal one by proxy of his brother Maximilian.

Seven thousand men of the army of Matthias now came before Prague under command of Colonitz.

The Passauers, receiving three months pay from the Emperor, marched quietly off.