Sickness and alms, war and peace
Spring to Summer 1552:
The Dual Kingdoms: Poland was calm after the execution of the Ultra grandees. Their successors assumed their lands and held them for Miklos with little dissent as yet. Miklos himself remained at Krakow with a strong force ready to fight. While the Ultras were in disarray, the Protestants of the North-West used the respite to consolidate their position and to penetrate the lands further with their pastors. Bishop Robert undertook a great preaching tour which had great effect in winning further adherents.
Cardinal Mihály had saved many lives during the winter. The urban poor benefitted from cheaper bread prices after a better harvest. They flocked to the cathedral and the friary churches to give voice to their thanksgiving. The young princess Reka was impressed by this devotion and impulsively gave alms to the poor and beggars outside the cathedral. Her tutor quickly took her back to the palace, but she began to frequent Mass at the cathedral rather than the palace digging in her heels when the tutor sought to dissuade her.
Frisia: The siege of Arnhem took up the campaigning season. The beleaguered Catholics held out for months using their ingenuity against saps and quickly repairing breaches made by Imperial guns. In July two mighty attacks just failed, foundering on the patchwork walls held with grim determination. Imperial casualties were high. The defenders were slowly worn down though. The end came on 21st September when the last defenders made a stand at the bridge after the Imperials finally made it over the wall. Most of the population died in the sack that followed. Meanwhile Paderborn and Limousin struck and parried at increasingly fortified positions. Each side had successes in skirmishes, but no major engagements were fought. The French governor of Rotterdam increased nocturnal patrols to ward against the breaking of curfew. The damned heretics were organising house churches to get around his prohibition of public worship outside Catholic churches. He was determined to root them out.
Germany: Lutheranism was still growing rapidly throughout northern Germany despite its internal rifts. Radical pastors proved the more adept at conversions with their positive vision of a new, more righteous and just kingdom to mirror God’s own. Pomerania and, to a lesser extent, Saxony were becoming strongholds of the Radical wing. Sandy-soiled Brandenburg was firm in the grip of the traditionalists. Its gentry greatly feared the losses that liberation of the serfs would bring them. Catholicism was waning everywhere outside Bavaria. Fr Berthold covertly led some Franciscan friars to Augsburg just beyond the borders of the Grand Duchy of Bavaria to bring succour to the poor. Their contacts with the Fuggers had been encouraging. Friedrich V meanwhile was taking time to educate his fifteen-year-old son and heir, Albrecht, Prince of the Rhineland. The prince was intelligent and dutiful. He had never expected the role, but his much older brother, Karl, had died of the sweating sickness three years earlier.
The Baltic: Lutheran radicals began to make headway in continental Denmark where serfdom bit hard. The court remained strongly traditionalist and the Catholics were entrenched in the countryside. It was a complex mix of differing loyalties, but passions were rising, as elsewhere. Kristoph V resisted the increasing desire for liberation by the serfs staunchly. God had created the social hierarchy and would protect it. Bishop Henry died in advanced old age and was buried with a stately requiem Mass. When Haakon VII landed with a strong fleet and army, there was no opposing him and Iceland was reintegrated into the realm. The king banished Catholic landholders and reestablished ecclesiastical power in Reykjavik. The lesser monasteries were dissolved at once and the larger given five years to get their affairs in order. Karl VII of Gothia finally felt secure enough to convert publicly to Lutheranism. Friedrich V immediately enrolled him as a Grand Knight in the Order of St Paul. There was a scattering of localised revolts, but they were swiftly suppressed by local nobles. But even their loyalty was still divided. Dissent grew in Gothia. The execution of Lutherans continued in Finland under Fenno II. Six more were executed in the presence of the duke and five in the border towns of N. Sweden.
The British Isles: Edward VI mourned the death of his heir, Alfred, from the sweating sickness. Princess Aife and the three-year-old Edmund survived though, the sole hope of the House of Swale. The epidemic swept across East Anglia, Northumbria and Scotia leaving many dead. Princes, prelates and commoners died alike and hopelessness spread. The Friars of St Ethelred preached God’s mercy in the face of despair. Man, in its isolation, was spared. Bishop Gundobad was swift to preach that the Anglian backsliders were being punished by God for their sins. Bishop Erasmus, now very ancient, risked his life in visits to the poor and sick. Two Jewish physicians, Abraham and Solomon, accompanied him and brought what comfort they could. Edmund VI gave funds for a new church to be built at Beodericsworth which had collapsed and issued alms for the poor. An order of nuns built a small priory there and began to study medicine, the sisters of St Wendreda. Edmund VI and Erasmus secretly arranged for Jewish doctors to instruct the nuns.
France: The spiritual awakening spread with merchants and friars through the great cities of France: Lyons, Bordeaux, Nantes and Marseilles. The pious gave alms to the poor and hunger and deprivation was a little ameliorated. Guillaume Bude travelled secretly to Bavaria and met Duke Rupprecht. The duke would not revolt against the emperor but was willing to be an emissary for peace. The merchants continued to agitate for an end to the war which was strangling their trade. Henri IV began to pave the way for a visit to Paris by pope Clement VII hoping to shake the waverers in the war party loose. Some few courtiers began to put out secret feelers to the king’s party.
Italy: An uneasy and insecure peace continued in Italy. Merchants began to revive trade. Farmers planted new orchards to replace those felled in war and livestock multiplied. The warm sun brought plentiful harvests to restock depleted granaries. Prince Guiseppe personally planted vines, lemon and olive trees throughout his estates. Slowly Naples began slowly, tentatively to come back to life. Greek and Arab merchants returned.
Spain: Prince Enrique won a great naval victory outside the harbour of Tangiers. Berber galleys burned and more supplies and reinforcements flooded into the city. A major sortie led to a large battle outside the walls, but it was inconclusive and the siege continued. Meanwhile the Spanish strengthened their hold over other parts of Morocco.
The Dual Kingdoms: Poland was calm after the execution of the Ultra grandees. Their successors assumed their lands and held them for Miklos with little dissent as yet. Miklos himself remained at Krakow with a strong force ready to fight. While the Ultras were in disarray, the Protestants of the North-West used the respite to consolidate their position and to penetrate the lands further with their pastors. Bishop Robert undertook a great preaching tour which had great effect in winning further adherents.
Cardinal Mihály had saved many lives during the winter. The urban poor benefitted from cheaper bread prices after a better harvest. They flocked to the cathedral and the friary churches to give voice to their thanksgiving. The young princess Reka was impressed by this devotion and impulsively gave alms to the poor and beggars outside the cathedral. Her tutor quickly took her back to the palace, but she began to frequent Mass at the cathedral rather than the palace digging in her heels when the tutor sought to dissuade her.
Frisia: The siege of Arnhem took up the campaigning season. The beleaguered Catholics held out for months using their ingenuity against saps and quickly repairing breaches made by Imperial guns. In July two mighty attacks just failed, foundering on the patchwork walls held with grim determination. Imperial casualties were high. The defenders were slowly worn down though. The end came on 21st September when the last defenders made a stand at the bridge after the Imperials finally made it over the wall. Most of the population died in the sack that followed. Meanwhile Paderborn and Limousin struck and parried at increasingly fortified positions. Each side had successes in skirmishes, but no major engagements were fought. The French governor of Rotterdam increased nocturnal patrols to ward against the breaking of curfew. The damned heretics were organising house churches to get around his prohibition of public worship outside Catholic churches. He was determined to root them out.
Germany: Lutheranism was still growing rapidly throughout northern Germany despite its internal rifts. Radical pastors proved the more adept at conversions with their positive vision of a new, more righteous and just kingdom to mirror God’s own. Pomerania and, to a lesser extent, Saxony were becoming strongholds of the Radical wing. Sandy-soiled Brandenburg was firm in the grip of the traditionalists. Its gentry greatly feared the losses that liberation of the serfs would bring them. Catholicism was waning everywhere outside Bavaria. Fr Berthold covertly led some Franciscan friars to Augsburg just beyond the borders of the Grand Duchy of Bavaria to bring succour to the poor. Their contacts with the Fuggers had been encouraging. Friedrich V meanwhile was taking time to educate his fifteen-year-old son and heir, Albrecht, Prince of the Rhineland. The prince was intelligent and dutiful. He had never expected the role, but his much older brother, Karl, had died of the sweating sickness three years earlier.
The Baltic: Lutheran radicals began to make headway in continental Denmark where serfdom bit hard. The court remained strongly traditionalist and the Catholics were entrenched in the countryside. It was a complex mix of differing loyalties, but passions were rising, as elsewhere. Kristoph V resisted the increasing desire for liberation by the serfs staunchly. God had created the social hierarchy and would protect it. Bishop Henry died in advanced old age and was buried with a stately requiem Mass. When Haakon VII landed with a strong fleet and army, there was no opposing him and Iceland was reintegrated into the realm. The king banished Catholic landholders and reestablished ecclesiastical power in Reykjavik. The lesser monasteries were dissolved at once and the larger given five years to get their affairs in order. Karl VII of Gothia finally felt secure enough to convert publicly to Lutheranism. Friedrich V immediately enrolled him as a Grand Knight in the Order of St Paul. There was a scattering of localised revolts, but they were swiftly suppressed by local nobles. But even their loyalty was still divided. Dissent grew in Gothia. The execution of Lutherans continued in Finland under Fenno II. Six more were executed in the presence of the duke and five in the border towns of N. Sweden.
The British Isles: Edward VI mourned the death of his heir, Alfred, from the sweating sickness. Princess Aife and the three-year-old Edmund survived though, the sole hope of the House of Swale. The epidemic swept across East Anglia, Northumbria and Scotia leaving many dead. Princes, prelates and commoners died alike and hopelessness spread. The Friars of St Ethelred preached God’s mercy in the face of despair. Man, in its isolation, was spared. Bishop Gundobad was swift to preach that the Anglian backsliders were being punished by God for their sins. Bishop Erasmus, now very ancient, risked his life in visits to the poor and sick. Two Jewish physicians, Abraham and Solomon, accompanied him and brought what comfort they could. Edmund VI gave funds for a new church to be built at Beodericsworth which had collapsed and issued alms for the poor. An order of nuns built a small priory there and began to study medicine, the sisters of St Wendreda. Edmund VI and Erasmus secretly arranged for Jewish doctors to instruct the nuns.
France: The spiritual awakening spread with merchants and friars through the great cities of France: Lyons, Bordeaux, Nantes and Marseilles. The pious gave alms to the poor and hunger and deprivation was a little ameliorated. Guillaume Bude travelled secretly to Bavaria and met Duke Rupprecht. The duke would not revolt against the emperor but was willing to be an emissary for peace. The merchants continued to agitate for an end to the war which was strangling their trade. Henri IV began to pave the way for a visit to Paris by pope Clement VII hoping to shake the waverers in the war party loose. Some few courtiers began to put out secret feelers to the king’s party.
Italy: An uneasy and insecure peace continued in Italy. Merchants began to revive trade. Farmers planted new orchards to replace those felled in war and livestock multiplied. The warm sun brought plentiful harvests to restock depleted granaries. Prince Guiseppe personally planted vines, lemon and olive trees throughout his estates. Slowly Naples began slowly, tentatively to come back to life. Greek and Arab merchants returned.
Spain: Prince Enrique won a great naval victory outside the harbour of Tangiers. Berber galleys burned and more supplies and reinforcements flooded into the city. A major sortie led to a large battle outside the walls, but it was inconclusive and the siege continued. Meanwhile the Spanish strengthened their hold over other parts of Morocco.