had inspired with courage. The measures of the Catholic League were utterly disconcerted; and the king of Sweden made himself master of the whole country from the Elbe to the Rhine, comprehending a space of near one hundred leagues, full of fortified towns. The elector of Saxony, in the mean time, entered Bohe mia, and took Prague. Count Tilly was killed APRIL 5. in disputing with the Swedes the passage of the A. D. 1632. Lech. And Gustavus, who by that passage gained immortal honour, soon after reduced Augsburg, and there re-established the Protestant religion. He next marched into Bavaria, where he found the gates of almost every city thrown open on his approach. He entered the capital in triumph; and there had an opportunity of displaying the liberality of his mind-when pressed to revenge on Munich the cruelties (too horrid to be described) which Tilly had perpetrated at Magdeburg, to give up the city to pillage, and reduce the elector's magnificent palace to ashes, "No!" replied he: "let us not imitate the barbarity of the Goths, our ances66 tors, who have rendered their memory detestable by abus"ing the rights of conquest; in doing violence to humanity, and destroying the precious monuments of art46." During these transactions, the renowned Welstein, who had been for a time in disgrace, but was restored to the chief command with unlimited powers, soon after the defeat at Leipsic, had recovered Prague, and the greater part of Bohemia. Gustavus offered him battle near Nuremburg; but that cautious veteran prudently declined the challenge, and the king of Sweden was repulsed in attempting to force his entrenchments. The action lasted for ten hours, during which every regiment in the Swedish army, not excepting the body of reserve, was led on to the attack. AUG. 24. The king's person was in imminent danger; the Austrian cavalry sallying put furiously from their entrenchments on 46. Harte, vol. ii. Le Vassor, Hist. Lervis XIII. the the right and left, when the efforts of the Swedes began to slacken; and a masterly retreat only could have saved him from a total overthrow. That service was partly performed by an old Scotch colonel of the name of Hepburn, who had resigned his commission in disgust, but was present at this assault. To him Gustavus applied in his distress, seeing no officer of equal experience at hand, and trusting to the colonel's natural generosity of spirit. He was not deceived. Hepburn's pride overcame his resentment. "This," said he (and he persevered in his resolution) "is the last time "that ever I will serve so ungrateful a prince !”—Elated with the opportunity that was offered him of gathering fresh laurels, and of exalting himself in the eye of a master, by whom he thought himself injured, he rushed into the thickest of the battle, delivered the orders of the king of Sweden to his army, and conducted the retreat with so much order and ability, that the Imperialists durst not give him the smallest disturbance47. This severe check, and happy escape from almost inevitable ruin, ought surely to have moderated the ardor of Gustavus. But it had not sufficiently that effect. In marching to the assistance of the elector of Saxony, he again gave battle to Walstein with an inferior force, in the wide plain of Lutzen, and lost his life in a hot engagement, which terminated in the defeat of the imperial army. That engagement was attended with circumstances sufficiently memorable to merit a particular detail. Soon after the king of Sweden arrived at Naumburg, he learned that Walstein had moved his camp from Weissensels to Lutzen; and although that movement freed him from all necessity of fighting, as it left open his way into Saxony by Degaw, he was keenly stimulated with an appetite for giving 47 Mod. Univ. Hist. art. Swel. sect. viii. This anecdote relative to Hepburn told somewhat differently by Mr. Harte; who, jealous of the honour of his hero Gustavus, seems scrupulous in admitting the merit of the Scottish and English officers. battle NOV. 4. battle. He accordingly convened, in his own apartment, his two favourite generals, Bernard, duke of SaxeWeymar, and Kniphausen, and desired them to give their opinions freely, and without reserve, in regard to the eligibility of such a measure. The youthful and ardent spirit of the duke, congenial to that of the king, instantly caught fire, and he declared in favour of an engagement. But the courage of Kniphausen, matured by reflection, and chastised by experience, made him steadily and uniformly oppose the hazarding an action at that juncture, as contrary to the true principles of the military science. "No "commander," said he, "ought to encounter an enemy (( greatly superior to him in strength, unless compelled so to do by some pressing necessity. Now your majesty is "neither circumscribed in place, nor in want of provisions, "forage, or warlike stores48." Gustavus seemed to acquiesce in the opinion of this able and experienced general; yet was he still greatly ambitious of a new trial at arms with Walstein. And no sooner was he informed, on his nearer approach, that the imperial army had received no alarm, nor the general any intelligence of his motions, than he declared his resolution of giving battle to the enemy. That declaration was received with the strongest demonstrations of applause, and the most lively expressions of joy. At one moment the whole Swedish army NOV. 5. made its evolutions, and pointed its course towards the imperial camp. No troops were ever known to advance with so much alacrity; but their ardour was damped, and their vigour wasted, before they could reach their hostile antagonists, by a mistake in computing the distance; they had eight miles to march instead of five, and chiefly through fresh ploughed lands, the passage of which was difficult beyond description; the miry ground clinging to 48. Harte, vol. ii. the the feet and legs of the soldiers, and reaching, in some places, almost as high as the knee49. Nor were these the only difficulties the Swedes had to encounter before they arrived at Lutzen. When they came within two miles of the spot, where they hoped for a speedy termination of all their toils, they found a marshy swamp, formed by a stagnating brook, over which lay a paltry bridge, so narrow that only two men could march over it abreast. In consequence of this new obstacle, it was sun-set before the whole Swedish army could clear the pass; and Walstein having been by that time informed of the approach of Gustavus, was employed in fortifying his camp, and in taking every other measure for his own safety and the destruction of his enemy, that military skill could suggest. The situation of the king of Sweden was now indeed truly perilous. He saw himself reduced to the necessity of giving battle under the most adverse circumstances; or of running the hazard of being routed in attempting a retreat with the troops fatigued, and almost fainting for want of food. Yet was a retreat thought expedient by some of his generals. But Gustavus, in a tone of decision, thus silenced their arguments :-" I cannot bear to see Walstein under 66 my beard, without making some animadversions upon him. "I long to un-earth him," added he, " and to behold with my own eyes how he can acquit himself in the open fields." Conformable to these sentiments, the king of Sweden came to a fixed resolution of giving battle to the imperial army next morning, and of beginning the action two hours before day. But the extreme darkness of the night rendered the execution of the latter part of his plan impracticable; and when morning began to dawn, and the sun to dispel the thick fog that had obscured the sky, an unexpected obstacle presented itself. Across the line, on which the Swedish left wing proposed to advance, was cut NOV. 6. 49. Id. ibid. 50. Sold. Sued. a deep a deep ditch too difficult for the troops to pass ; so that the king was obliged to make his whole army move to the right, in order to occupy the ground which lay between that ditch and Walstein's camp1. This movement was not made without some trouble and a considerable loss of time. Having at length completed it, between eight and nine in the morning, Gustavus ordered two hymns to be sung; and riding along the lines with a commanding air, he thus harrangued his Swedish troops :"My companions and friends! Shew the world this day "what you really are: Acquit yourselves like disciplined "men, who have seen and been engaged in service; observe 66 your orders, and behave intrepidly, for your own sakes as "well as for mine. If you so respect yourselves, you will "find the blessing of heaven on the point of your swords, "and reap deathless honour, the sure and inestimable re"ward of valour. But if, on the contrary, you give way to fear, and seek self-preservation in flight, then infamy "is as certainly your portion, as my disgrace and your de"struction will be the consequence of such a conducts"," The king of Sweden next addressed his German allies, who chiefly composed the second line of his army, lowering a little the tone of his voice, and relaxing his air of authority: "Friends, officers, and fellow-soldiers," said he, "Let me conjure you to behave valiantly this day. You "shall fight not only under me, but with me. My blood “shall mark the path you ought to pursue. Keep firmly "therefore within your ranks, and second your leader with courage. If you so act, victory is ours, together with all "its advantages, which you and your posterity shall not fail "to enjoy. But if you give ground, or fall into disorder, your lives and liberties will become a sacrifice to the ene"my53." 46 51. Harte. vol. ii. 52. Soldat. Suedois. Merc. Franc. Swedish Int¿ligencer. 53. Chemnitz, de Bell. Suec. German. On |