fortia’s travels in sweben.

485

Hlmfelf obliged to renounce all his hopes of placing his brother Charles on the throneof the Czars. The truce with Poland was feveral times renewed; but in 1625, Sigif-mund, who always imagined his pretenfions juft to a crown which he had not beenable to retain, determined pofitively on war. This war lafted till 1630, much to thedifadvantage of Poland , which was affifted by the Emperor to fupport its continuance;,while at the fame time he himfelf feized upon a part of the coafts of the Baltic. Guf-tavus could not without uneafinefs behold the projett of the Houfe of Auftria to domi-neer in the North. However, in order to avoid proceeding to extremities on flightfoundation, he fent to propofe a realbnable accommodation to the imperial plenipoten-tiaries tjien at Lubeck ; but his ambafladors were not even admitted. Guftavus havingdemanded attention in vain, conceived it belonged to him for the honor of Sweden andhis own, to make preparation for war. This was then refolved upon, and declared in1.63c. This was that famous war, known by the denomination of the thirty years’ war,which lafted uninterruptedly to 1648, and in which the Swedes began to crown them-felves with glory under the command of their King; and the luftre of which was fur-ther encreafed by the different generals he had formed: they became the terror ofGermany, and were looked upon as the beft troops in Europe at a time when all thepowers of the continent were involved in war. The campaigns of 1631 and 1632 aremafter-pieces of military taftics. The rapidity of the conquefts of the Swedilh monarchis aftonifhing, as well as the multiplied advantages he obtained over the beft generalsof that day. The caufe of this was his being not only the beft general in Europe ,(proved by thefchool he formed,) but at the fame time the braveft foldier in his army.

At length, on the 16th November 1632, this great man encountered death at the battleof Lutzen in Saxony, in the 38th year of his age. The Swedes , it is true, were victo-rious here, but in lofing their King they loft more than a battle; in cafe of his death,he had nominated Banner to fucceed him in command.

Puffendorff afferts he was killed by Duke Albert of Saxe Lauenbourg , which is thetruth, but does not afcribe the real motive of this villainy ; it was as follows: ten yearsor more before the battle of Lutzen , the Duke of Saxe Lauenbourg , being at a halfgiven by the Queen-dowager, at which the King and feveral fenators were prefent, ■»claimed precedence of a fenator, which was oppofed by His Majefty; the Prince, obligedto fubmit, fhortly after put his cane between the fenator’s legs and nearly threw himdown; this being perceived by the King, in the firft heat of his refentment he gave theDuke a box of the ear. The affair was unnoticed at the inftant, but the Duke neverforgave the blow ; and at Lutzen , in the middle of the aftion, he fhot Guftavus, whofired at him again as he fell, but miffed his aim; the Duke thereupon fired a fecondtime, after which the King was trampled under the horfes’ feet. The King had a hei-duke, who accompanied him wherever he went; but this man being wounded inpaflingthrough a coppice, the Duke availed himfelf of his abfence to fire at the King, afterwhich he returned to fee if the heiduke was dead ; this he feigned to be, and afterwardsrelated the fa£t to a clergyman, who took his depofition in a bible; this bible was af-terwards found, but no one knows aught of it at prefent. After the death of the King,general Banner took command of the army, in fpite of the oppofition of the differentPrinces ferving in it. An oath was tendered to the troops, and luch officers as objectedto it were replaced by others. , -

Duke Albert of Saxe Lauenbourg , on the very day of the battle, went over to theEmperor, and was killed by the Swedes at the fiege of Schweinitz in Silefia:

Guftavus, by his perfonal qualities and brilliant aftions, acquired the title of thtGreat , a title which upon every account he eminently deferved. The leifure afforded him