“The Turks of Drégelypalánk have lately brought a kopja (a short spear) and a feather to the gate. They are now writing frequently to those who have accepted them; they (my warriors) have also annoyed me so much that I would grant them, if not a duel, at least the breaking of the lance, but as I have no authority over one or the other, I could not grant it without your lordship’s will, but they have determined that I should strive for it with your lordship.

I beseech your lordship, therefore, let them break their lances, and give me liberty to call two hundred Turks on horseback, for I will not have more, and let the other young men break their lances among themselves; let not the heathen say that we hide our faces from them, for they are the instigators of the thing. If they trust in their numbers and their might, we trust in our God.

This kind of game was played at Eger not so long ago. The Lord God has shown His mercy to His faithful. Let it be so with Your Majesty. In this way, the dignity of Your Majesty will be exalted”.

The origin of Pogrányi Benedek is unknown at present. Perhaps his parents were Pogrányi Zsigmond and Dersffy Anna from Szerdahely, mentioned in 1556. Benedek was first mentioned in 1580 as a captain in Bakabánya, and in 1589, at the time of writing, he was a captain in Korpona. He held this position until about 1597, after which he commanded Nógrád Castle (of which he was also vice-captain from 1594) and was also mentioned as captain of Szécsény.

From 1595 he was also Deputy Chief of the Western Danube District and Mining District, a position he held until 1602. In 1604 he was also briefly appointed chief captain of the district. He took part in the battles at the end of the war and in March 1592 he repulsed the invaders of the mill at Korpona. He then took part in the operations of the Fifteen Years’ War, took part in the recapture of the castles of Nógrád County in the late autumn of 1593, and in 1601 he joined the Christian army that was sent to recapture Székesfehérvár with 2,000 soldiers.

On 5 March 1608, Emperor and King Rudolph made him and his sons János, István, and György barons, and on 19 November, at the coronation of Matthias II, he and his son György, who was already an adult, were knighted with golden spurs. In the spring of 1610, at the invitation of Palatine Thurzó György, he took part in the Zsolna partial assembly of the Protestant nobility of the western Danube counties. He probably died at his castle in Végles on 29 May 1614.