our army routed), I went to him in the name of my prince as ambassador, in company with the illustrious Count Nicolas von Salm, and had to kiss the tyrant's right hand in the cause of peace, a proceeding which at that time seemed necessary not only for all Hungary but even for the neighbouring provinces.
Moreover, it is too notorious to need telling what unequal preparations were made for the conflict of King Louis with Solyman. A young king, unskilled in warfare, and never before engaged in war, was exposed with a few men, for the most part unfit for fight, to encounter a most crafty enemy, inflated with many recent victories, and leading with him the flower of an army with which he had subdued the East and a great part of Europe. Those troops which would have been the strength of the Hungarians were retained by John Zapolski, the Waywod of Transylvania; nor would he allow them to go to the assistance of the king. He also, after the death of the king, aimed at gaining the sceptre, which he had long coveted, and which indeed had been destined for him when a boy by his father, Stephen Zapolski. For I recollect to have heard from John Lazki, who was secretary to Casimir, King of Poland, and afterwards Archbishop of Gnesno, that this Stephen Zapolski, after the death of King Matthias, at whose court he held the highest degree of authority, when there was a talk about creating a new king, embraced his son John, who was yet an infant, and said: "If, my son, thou wert only as large as this," indicating only a little greater size than that of his child was, "thou shouldst now be king of Hungary." And this incident was constantly adduced by the said archbishop as a good omen, and as having the form of a prognostication whenever we talked together upon the subject of bringing about a peace between my prince and John Zapolski. And indeed it came to pass, that John, through Solyman, obtained the royal seal and dignity, together with a portion of Hungary; and the
