Note 62 — CHAP. XIX.

The author of ‘An Account of Livonia, with a Relation of the Rise, Progress and Decay of the Marian Teutonic Order,’ London, 1701, relates these transactions in the manner following:

‘The order was now on the highest pinnacle of prosperity and honour, exceeding great kings and potentates of Europe in extent of dominions, power and riches, when Ulricus à Jungingen was chosen great master; but he being of a boisterous, fiery temper, soon broke the peace concluded between Poland with his brother Conradus à Jungingen, whereupon king Uladislaus Jagellon joining forces with his father Witoldas of Lithuania, formed an army of 150,000 fighting men and marched into Prussia. To stop the progress of this formidable army, the great master drew up as many forces as he could, and, after the Livonians had joined him, found his army consisted, in a general muster, of 83,000 well armed stout combatants; and thus, with an undaunted spirit, he marched forth to meet his enemy. Such a battle as this was never heard of before in these parts, and was given the 15th day of July 1410 in Prussia, near the town Gilgenbourg, between the two villages Tannenberg and Grunwald, on a large plain, with such obstinacy that, according to an exact computation, there were actually killed, on both sides, 100,000 on the spot. The Poles got the victory, but lost 60,000 men. The order lost 40,000,—but among them almost all their generals and commanders. The great master himself, and the chief of the order, with 600 noble german marian knights, were there slain. There is still kept every year a day of devotion upon that plain, in a chapel built to the remembrance of this battle, marked with the date of the year it happened, and this inscription, Centum mille occisi. The king of Poland was so weakened by this dear-bought victory that he very readily agreed to a peace. This memorable battle is called The Battle of Tannenberg.’