But The King Of Sweden Was On Fire To Encounter In Person The Czar Of
Muscovy, Who, With About 2000 Men, Was Then In That City:
So great was
his impatience, that he galloped before his troops, not above 600 of
those best mounted being
Able to keep pace with him, till he came in
sight of the south gate, which gave him entrance without any opposition,
while the czar and his forces made their escape out at the north gate,
not doubting but the king of Sweden's whole army were come up with him.
He was afterward so much vexed and ashamed to think he had quitted the
town to no more than 600 of the enemy, that, to retrieve a mistake which
he feared might be looked upon as cowardice, being informed the body, of
the army was near five leagues off, he sent a party of 1500 horse in
order to surprize the king and his few guards. The Muscovites entered by
night; but the alarm being given, the fortune which still had waited on
the Swedish armies, immediately put them all to the rout; and the army
soon after arriving, the conqueror lost no time, but pursued those that
remained alive into the forest of Mensky, on the other side of which the
czar had then entrenched himself, and had made the general rendezvous of
the Russian army, which was continually divided into parties; and
sometimes falling on the Swedes in the rear, and sometimes in the flank,
very much annoyed them in their march:
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