SIngular , Benevolent , and most worthy Frend , Mr. Martine , I receiued your lamentable letter a fewe dayes since , whereby I vnderstood with a sorrow full , and a Compassionate heart , in what manner your li●le towne , who alwayes shewed their good affection to the Imperiall Army was vsed , who although they strayned them selues aboue their abilities , yea more then was required , in giuing of Contribution , as money , corne , & victuals , to supply their wants : yet for al this their liuing , and written Safegards were not regarded , giuen them by his Imperiall Maiesties Marshal ●orquato di Conti ( termed by the vulgar the bad Count ) who desiring a passage thorow this Towne vpon the 19. of ●uly last past , for some Imperiall Dutch souldiers they fell vpon it , & plundred it , brake open the Houses castle and church , vsing the inhab●tants worse then Heathen , Turcks , or Tartarians could doe , beate them , rackt them , & tortured them , to make them confesse where their goods were layd , & carried the chiefe of them awaye vpon waggons . Tore the letters of Safegardship in peeces , ran with a greatfury into the castle : the church , the preachers & other mens Houses , made boote of al they could finde in them : yea which was more , and vnheard of , digge vp the very graues of the dead to ransack them for pillage , threesnt the corne halfe out , carried it awaye with them and spoyled the rest , wounded , and marryred the poore people to death , and among the rest spared not your preacher who had showne the Imperials all respect , and friendship , yea much more then euer they deserued . And which was worse , forced , and ravished publickly the wemen , and maides , and where some of them to keepe them from their villany hid themselues among bu●rushes , they found them out , stript them , and droue them before them starke naked in an impudent manner . And when ●he men sought to shelter , and defend their wiues , and daughters from this shamfull abuse , they most cruelly shot them thorow , and hewd them downe with their Cutlasses , that nowe poore Penkum , with all her adioyning villages , is wholly plundred and destroyed , so that they haue scarce a peece of bread to put into their mouthes , notwithstanding that this poore Towne never shewed the least signe of disobedience against the Imperiall souldiers , but in stead of what they had done for them , rewarded them with all manner of insolences , villaines , and enormities , which they haue suffred , and endured patiently , from these in humai●e and mercilesse souldiers .

Nowe Sr. I doe wish with my heart , that I were in your House and dwelling , that being moued with a Christian zeale grounded vpon Gods word , I might administer comfort , and consolation to you in this your affliction . And seing all the world knowes you suffer innocently , greeue no● so much , at it ( at if some euill thing befell you ) faint not , but pluck vp a good heart , and be not discouraged , rest vpon the Eternall Councell , providence and permission of God , who though as a farther doth correct vs after many manners , for our manyfold sinns : yet at the length in his good time , he will not forget to cast his chastising Rod into the Fire . But forasmuch as I and my fellowe Burgesses of Pasewalke haue bin fellowe feelers of this horrible tyranny , committed by those who vniustly are called the Emperours souldiers , who haue weakned all my powers , and faculties all most to the very vttermost , and am not yet recouuered . Though with Iobs friends I might sit downe vpon the Earth by him , and in beholding his sores , and missery be silent , and not speake a word : yet when I consider that it is a comfort to a man in his affliction , for to breake his minde , and to power out his griefe into the bosome of a trusty friend , according vnto the Prouerbe FANDO EGERITVR DOLOR : That is , By speech a man easies himself of his sorrow . Therefore seing Sir you haue giuen mee to vnderstand of your complaints , I will also bewaile vnto you mine owne , and all those of the inhabitants of P●sewalck , by helping to binde vp their fret●h bleeding wounds , if thereby they maye be prepared to a litle con●olidation and healing .

But Sr. I will put you in minde , that this miserable vn deserued , land-destroying quartering in Pomer , being first consented vnto but for sixe weekes , hath continued three yeeres , yea 26. times sixe weekes , with an vnviterable , ( and as long as the world shal last extends it selfe to an irreparable ) hurt to Pomerland , our Pasewalck being a place and Towne well situated , and reasonnable good trading in it , tooke in at the first also three Corners of Horse , and afterward followed other grips and vultures , which laye so heavely vpon them , that many times a Burgesse did paye ordinarily for his part , 4. 5. 8. yea ten , or more Rixe dallers euery weeke , and when they had cast vp their accounts , gaue more then their lands , Houses , and goods were worth , and if they be yet liuing can neuer recouuer their losses againe . Therefore it hapned that in this our populous Towne , which was riche and had good meanes , in a short time was so consumed and wasted , that it was diuided into three quarters , whereof onely one of them was inhabited , and the other laye vast and ruyned . Finally , Pasewalck must giue contribution , and had such a Commandour sent them , which bare the name of one that professed the Gospel , but was in truth such an one , who led a worser lise then a pagan , without any feare of God , in abhominable incest with two sisters , with strange marryed wemen , and with euery one , which either by craft or violence he could attame vnto his wil , and though he had a married wife : notwith standing he carried an other marryed woman with him where he went , & her child was knowne to be his , neuer regarding that which was right & equitie , hauing before also showne an exsample of his cruelty and Tirranny in the ●le of Rugen , where he did not onely by violence plunder the Towne of Bergen● and other places : but also shewed a proofe of it in the gentle wemens cloister , there where he caused the gentlewemen of that cloister to be stript starke naked , that the base souldiers committed all manner of will fulnesse with them . This cursed , and vnheard of Martiall child of perdition is HANS GOTZE , who thorow many cunning tricks in a short time bereft this Towne of all provisions , & meanes , That at length the whole summe of the ordinary contribution money amounted to aboue 147000. Rix dallers , And though this money was brought vp with much adoe , & that there remained but 3000. Rix dallers of it vnpayd : yet this GOTZE pretented against al right and equity 18000 Rix dallers more , which was impossible for them to paye ( neyther durst they speake of vnreasonnablesse to these bra●en faces , for feare of displeasing them ) yet this impious GOTSE the 3● . of Iuly sent the Li●u●enant Colonell WINSTEN , with three troopes of Horse , and some foote to plunder the Towne , and carried the chiefest Burgers prisoners to Gratz into the Armie Now let euerie Christian heart Iudge , whether this GOTSENS tyrannie was commanded or can be approued of by his Imperial Maiestie , or whether any such presidents were euer found in the Christian world , that an obedient Towne , hauing deserued well of the Emperours Armie , should be so cruelly vsed . And albeit those of Pasewalk , in the time that the Kings Maiestie of Sweathland , had taken in many places in Pomerland , and made himselfe master of Stetine : yet held with the Imperial Armie , & beyond their abilities gaue them contribution vncessantly , euen as they serued innocent Penkum , where neuer any Swethen souldiers laye , so likewise Pasewalk must be serued with the very same sauce .

Assoone as these three afore sayd Companies came in the 31. of ●uly , they apprehended at the first the chiefest of the Towne , set them vpon waggons , and carried them to Gartz , among whome there was a Burgomaster , and a ludge both well stricken in yeeres , diuers Councellours , and an Appothe cary to the number of 18. persons , before they departed from their wiues and children with bitter teares , and cryes they began to plunder , so that they pilliged the Towne of as much of there chiefest goods , as the souldiers could well carry awaye . What did these good Pasewalkians nowe , they be sought them to beare with them , but they did as the wicked seruant in the Gospell , who dealt so vnmercifully with his fellow seruant to make him pay the 100 pence , tooke him by the throate , and cast him into prison , and spake therefore vnto them and sayd haue patience with vs & wee will paye you all , sent likewise out of their pouertie Butter . corne , Mer●aile , Obligations , bills and p●edges vnto the Army , that they might thereby moue the stony and hard hearts of these in humaine wretches , but they were then Deafe , dumme , and blind , as a right GOTZE ( that is , like an Idoll block ) which sawe not , what they brought , heard not that for which they intreated , and gaue noe answere to their cryes and complaints ▪ In the meane while , the poore prisonners laye vnder the Heauens Canopy fe●tered and chayn'd together like slaues , and kept at hard meate , scarcly getting a draft of cold water , and a bit of browne bread , to satisfie their thirst and hunger , and if their wiues and friends sent them any victualls , the souldiers made boo●e of it , lying all this while in the winde & raigne , worse then dogs , making a common ●akes round about them , to annoy them with a filthy sti●cke , yea at the commaund of this GOTZEN , they were kept three dayes , without bread and water , so that if the Lord had not sustained them , they had bin hunger starved , and lost the strength of their bodies .

In the meane time , the inhabitants of the Towne were pittifully handled , they droue awaye al their caule , as horses , Oxen , Cowes , and sheepe , the land laye wast , noe man durst looke out of the gates , but some mischiefe was done vnto him . They robt the very spit●e nouses without the Towne , beate the poore men in them , takeing their provisions , and victualls from them , that they were ready to famish . There were some Burgers , which meant to laye vp a litle corne for themse●●es , to relieue their necessi●ies , and to helpe to make money to paye their Contribution , on the second of September carrying it home , the Emperours Horse men fe●l vpon them and tooke it from them , vnder the pretence , that they intended to carry it to the Ennemie , and offred to se● the lighter a fire in which it laye , and beginning to burn with much intreated they quencht it . But he that owe● the Co●ne they tooke him prisonner , & beate him fearefully , and bringing him to the port , wold haue had a hundred Rida●lers of him for his ransome , his wife seing that her husband was thus mis vsed , out of feare promised them fortie , which was more then shee was able to paye , the souldiers lying in her House , till with much difficultly shee got vp that money . But what ? hauing spoken of the drops , I must now speake of the showers . The next daye following these 20. horse men , being yet in the Town , towards euening news came , that the Sweathish Horse men shewed themselues before the ports , the tributarie Horse men got them gone as fast as they could , and two Sweathish companies being 140. stronge came into the Towne . They in the absence of the Burgomaster , Magistrates and chiefest men , found the ports open , and entred , the Towne without any resistance , who sent them thether is not knowne , some imagine they were gone out of Ockermonde , without the knowledge of the King . Howsoeuer it was , on the 4. of September , the Burgers which were remayning , were requested by the two Sweathish Captaines , that with them they wold helpe to make vp the Wals of the Towne , where vpon they all laboured so diligently , that in the space of three dayes , they performed a great worke , but were to fewe souldiers , to man so great a circuit of ground within the Towne . A Gentleman called Linsteed , whose inheritance lay at Bellin , a mile distant from Pasewalk , bearing a hatred , and spite to our Towne , revealed this to the Imperialists , and Councelled them to take in the Towne . The 7. of September then , word was brought , that the Ennemie was come before the Towne , & droue the Cattle awaye , some 30. of the Sweathish Dragons sallyed out of the Towne , and began to schirmish with the Emperours Horsemen , but a great number of them comming to charge them , droue them into the Town , and following the souldiers , and Burgers hotely , entred the por●s , and beset the walls , and after them came a matter of 3000 men , which encompassed the Towne , and playd into it with their ordinance and at last by the Vcker side , where there was noe guard entred the Towne , and stole a long to the Prents-Lauwish port , and from thence came to the Stetine port , and got in by making a breach vnder the wall . The Sweathish souldiers defended themselues so brauely , that the Imperiallists were faine to acknowledge , they had met with souldiers , but having noe ordinance mounted , and the eleuen brasse peeces , which were in our Towne , which should haue bin sent to the Coronell Gotzen vpon an account , being not in areadinesse to make any defence , and hauing but a fewe souldiers and Burgers , not able to man , and make good the large circuit of the Wals of the Towne , were driuen to reteate vnto the lagoish port , at length being forct , and ouermasterd , this woe and miserie then began not onely vpon those , who brauely defended themselues by armes , in shooting them dead , slashing , and strangling them , but also among those which were vnarmed , and whosoeuer met them in this first fury , were strooke downe and masacred . Many to escape ran into the Morras , the hop-yards , the Corne , and got ouer the Vcker , were fetcht out . The men were lamentably butcher'd , & the wemen kept for filthinesse . The Sweathish Horsemen turning faces about , diuerse times gaue fire . & shot some of them dead , and so escaped from them , leaving one of their Captaines behind them , and an other of their Captaines fell with his Horse betweene the planckes of the broken bridge , but notwithstanding came of well . After this they powred out there foming wrath vpon the rest of the poore Burgers , whome they found in the Houses , they nipt , and pincht them with pincers , & Thumb-scrues , and tormented them with other inventions to make them confesse if they knewe of any thing that was hide , if they got it out of them , yet it would not serue their turnes , because others comming in vsed the like extremities by blowes , and strockes , If they did confesse nothing , it cost them their dearest liues , for they cryd out Giue vs money or bloode , howsoeuer whether they gaue or not , yet they must dye the death , or be so wounded , that they will feele it as longe as they liue .

The Captaines , and Ensignes into what House soeuer they came , if they had money they promissed them a safeguard . If any man had a man or a mayde servant , a sonne or a daughter , if they had bin shut vp into Nine Castles , vpon such faire words , and comfortable promisses as they gaue them , they would haue brought them out , but when they had got all out of them that they could , then the safegards were forgotten , there came in not onely seuen , but ten worser vncleane spirits , which broake vp all in peeces , left not a pot , not a pan , not a kettle , not a shirt , not a smock , not a feather vn sought for puld of their shoos , and stockings , pluckt of the we mens quoifs , and kerchiefs , Tore the Coates from their backes . If they stept ouer the Threshold , they sawe a woefull spectacle of some one or an other of their neighbours , and acquaintance lye sprawling before there doores , wounded , or dead , and if they cast but a cloake to couer them , it was snatch from them , if they spake but a comfortable word vnto them , they serued them in the like manner : yea , though he were a Preacher , which came to intreate them , and to denounce the Iudgements of God against them , beseeching them to vse them as Christians , they geerd at him , scoft him , and he must feele of the edge of the sword , and heare these execrable words : What should wee be Christians ? Wce are Divills incarnate , and thy Deuill likewise . Yea they puld out a preacher by head , and shoulders out of his bed , bound him hand and foot , tormenting him to make him confesse , where hts money laye , If he told them where it was , & gaue them all he had , others vsed him in the same kind , and when the first were gone , to extort more out of him , at last would haue burnt him . Thus much concerning murthering and strangling . Alas this is not yet all , for after this hapned two greater miseries , which befel vs , the ravishing of wemen , & fire . Touching this filthy ravishment . I neuer read the like in any Greeke , or Romish Historie , or euer heard the like abhominations of such people , though they were meere Heathens , in committing such foule facts , by forcing , and defyling all marryed wemen , maydes , and girles of eight or ten yeers old , without making any difference of them . That which you related to me of Penkum , was the first that euer I heard of amonge Christians . That in an obedient town , they should ravish wemen publickly , in the vewe of the sunne , in Church-gards , streets , and Gardens , which makes me tren●ble to thinke , that the Deuill should be so powreful , in those , which are called Christians , who I thinke striued to be worser , and baser then the Deuill himself , which cannot doe nothing but sinne , They might haue left these in humaine sinns vncommitted , but would no● .

But when they had got into the Towne , and plundred it , then they began the horriblest fact , which euer the sunne beheld , was there an honest woe man , which with teares , & wringing hands besought them for gods sake , not to staine her honestie , & g●ue them all that euer shee had to a pe●ny ? yet shee must suffer her selfe by euery one , like doggs to be openly & pittifully abused till she had not so much strength as to stirr a foote . When I remember this my countenance waxeth pale , and wane in discribing 〈◇〉 is abhomination , yea the very sunne it selfe blushes at it , and is loath to giue light to such more then develi●h filthynesse , but these whore Stalions , forgetting God & all honesty , did without any care or feare in euery place seeke out the wemen , yea hunted the wemen in childbed out of their bedds to abuse them , stript the wemen with child naked to defyle them , tooke the sucking babes from their mothers Duggs , & dasht them against the Earth : They spared not so much as the old wemen , of great age , yea the litle Girles to satiate their satyrical lust , and some which pleased them better then others , they either set them vpon wagons , or tyde them to their sadell bowe , to make them trot after them . This ravishment yesterday being the 11. of December was not ended , but they tooke vp with them to the gallowes-hill three honest women , and some girles of nine or ten yeeres old , where they spoyled them so , that they can not goe .

O Lord arise at lenght , and reward them according to their wickednesse , stretch out thy mighty arme , and smite those in thy wrath , which haue thus destroyed thy people in their Innocencie , for what could those of Pasewalke doe , more for the Imperialists , then they haue done ? Their tyrannie hath left them nothing but their bare liues . When the Sweathens tooke in their Towne , could a companie of pooredes armed men helpe it ? Especially , seing the Imperialists had before abandonned and forsaken al ●he Townes , and sea ports , and opened the gate and doore to the Swethens ; & left them nothing but an emptie nest , must they therefore be called Rebells ? But what should I speake of Iustice , to those which contemne and speake euill of iustice , which keepe noe faith , which loue noe sinceritie , which regard noe righteousnesse , which care not for godlinesse , but liue as men without a Conscience , as if there were noe God , noe Heauen , noe Hell , noe Deuill . I ha●●en to shut vp this dolefull Tragedie , and will briefely relate in what manner they burnt this Towne of Pasewalke to asches .

In the end , when there was nothing more to be found in the Houses , then quickly the fire began to breake out in diuerse places of the Towne . When it increased , and with violence consumed all that stood in the waye , then heard wee often times these Neronian words : See howe brauely Pasewalke burnes ? What a fine fire it makes ? I neuer sawe such a stately fire in my life ? A great part of the Towne vpon the seuenth of September , was burnt with many barnes full of corne . The next daye these nor among the Priests ( who had bin miserably entreated the dayes before , and was preserued as an Ebedmeleck by Captaine Smalenberke , ( whome I here make mention of with honour a mong this wicked generation of souldiers , and whose wounds , were drest by the surgean of the feild ) notwithstanding he , and his wife with diuerse Burgers of his acquaintance sicke Preachers , Students , Schollers , and the Organists . This senor I say together with these desired Captaine Smallenberke , that they might haue audience by the Coronell Gotzen , to crave , and intreate him , that the Maries Church , and the Houses which were then standing might be spared , and kept from fyring : but he would not harken vnto them , commaunding that fire should be put vnto them incontinent , rid also into the Towne himselfe , and where it was not a fire , commaunded to set it on fire , yea some saye he set it on fire himselfe ? Moreouer it is reported , howe that the Officers , Especially , the Lieutenant Coronell Winsten to keepe it from fyring , interceeded , and requested this Coronell Goizen , not to doe it , offring him many thousand Rix dallers , to keepe the Towne from burning : but here turned them this Heroycall answere , That he had sworne too deepely , and therefore all must be burnt , and not a white spared . After this Saint Maries church was set a fire , a very sumptuous building with many costly Ornaments in it , when they had plundered it of all the Church Ornaments , as silver , and gold , and burnt all the carued workes in it , that a whit of timber worke was not left . A braue chime of great Bells melted , whereof the like was not in all Pomerland , & the steeple falling downe , which was a lamentable spectacle , while the souldiers in a braverie walked vp and downe as it were in procession , or as if they had bin in a masckarado , with the Priests Cirplises , coops , and Capps . A souldier being asked by a Captaine , where he had got that habit , answered hee had taken it from the Papes , here vpon the Captaine replyed , that he should also haue slayne the Pape , or the Preacher himselfe .

In this furie , and cruell persecution , there vyere not onely many children burnt to ashes , which their mothers had left lying in their Cradles , and beddes : but also the souldiers , tooke those which were shot , and wounded euen to the death , to burne and torment them . And such as offred to carrye , or convey any thing out of their Houses , those they cast into the fire and burnt them . A Church Provisour being an Alderman ( for the citie of Pasewalke and Stetine had this dignitie , that they onely had a session , and Iudgement seate in Pomerland ) who would haue saued himselfe with his crutches , being troubled with a Demy-Palsy was wounded to the death , and afterward burnt in the House whereinto they carryed him . An other Burger , being a baker , was runn thorow his bodie in his owne House , and his wife carrying a child vnder each arme , and runing into a sellar was burnt with fire . And in an other place , nine , or ten boyes , and Girles , running into a sellar to saue themselues , these Hell-hounds perceaving it , layd strawe ouer the sellar , set it on fire , and so these innocent children were pittifully burnt to death . And who can expresse all this our miscrie ? seing the rage , and furie of our ennemies For none of those which were slayne , wounded , sabled , shot , or halfe burn'd , could haue any buriall , but must lie in the streets , to be eaten , and torne in peeces by hoggs , and doggs , which came running into that wast , and ruyned Towne . Nee●e vnto the Prints-lauwish port a fewe Houses remaines yet standing ; In the smiths streete , as yee goe down to Saint Niclas ( though the Church is yet standing , which is dayely threatned to be burnt ) there yet remaines but two Houses ( in reigestae monumentum , as a memoriall of their wicked deeds ) that whosoeuer beholds them , and passes that waye , can saye noe other wise , then Cacodoemona quendam pelle Go●ziana tectum , sua crudelitate & immanitate , cum Lanienam fecesse , quam aeterna sin maledictione sir●olim luiturus ; That is : The euill spirit couuered with Gotzens hyde , did accomplish this burcherie by his crueltie , & fiercenesse , which at lengh● he shall paye for , by an everlasting curse layde vpon him .

I protest here seriously notwithstanding , that nothing is here related , which tends to doe any iniury , or preiudice to the posteritie of the worthy and noble familly of the Gotzians , or that is meant to the least stayne of their noble reputation , for as noe body is so sound and pure , but that 〈◇〉 hath sometimes it owne vicer , and excrement , so likewise that nob●e , and sounde bodie is not intended hereby , but onely that one putrifyng fore before named is aymed at herein .

Herewith I conclude , and recommend all forowfull , hearts , & comfortlesse soules to the father of Mercies , that he will protect his Church , and stoppe the Deuills rage , and al his followers , and reward them with Eternall flames , according to their deserts . Written at Backsholt , neere vnto Lockenitz , where the Imperiall ●●oke a poore man , whom they brought with them from ●asewalke , and beare , him shrodly , so that they brake his arme in peeces , & afterward would haue hang'd him , vpon t●ve birckin braunches hanging downe , but with many petitions , and much intreatie , they pardonned him with an vnhristian mercy , for they being at dinner in steed of a peece of bread and butter , sent him for a speciall , and a dainty dishe , which they compeld him to eate , to wit , a peece of bread steept in fresh pisse , and spread ouer thicke with mans dung . Anno 1630. the 12. of September .