a free man $7!"-The death of Gustavus deferves LETTER more particular notice,

THE king of Sweden firft received a ball in his left arm. This wound he either felt not, or difregarded for a time, ftill preffing on with intrepid valour. Yet the foldiers perceived their leader to be wounded, and expreffed their forrow on that account: Courage,

"my comrades!" cried he, "the hurt is nothing; let "us refume our ardour, and maintain the charge 58" At length, however, perceiving his voice and ftrength to fail him, he defired his coufin the duke of SaxeLawenburg, to convey him to fome place of fafety.

In that inftant, as the warlike king's brave affociates were preparing to conduct him out of the fcene of action, an imperial cavalier advanced, unobserved, and crying aloud, "Long have I fought thee !" tranfpierced Guftavus through the body with a pistol ball 9, But this bold champion did not long enjoy the glory of his daring exploit: for the duke of Saxe-Lawenburg's mafter of the horfe fhot him dead, with the yaunting words yet recent on his lips.

PICCOLOMINI's cuiraffiers now made a furious attack upon the king of Sweden's companions. Guftayus was held up on his faddle for fome time; but his horfe having received a wound in the shoulder, made a furious plunge, and flung the rider to the earth. His majesty's military followers were foon after utter, ly difperfed, but his perfonal attendants remained with him. His two faithful grooms, though mortally

58. Mere Franc.

57. Riccius de Bell. Germ. 59. Harte, vol ii. 65. Harte, vol. ii. This promptitude, and other collateral circumftances, seem to prove, that the duke of Saxe-Lawenburg, is by no means chargeable with the death of Gustavus, notwithstanding all the attempts that have been made to criminate him.

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A.D. 1631.

PART I.

A. D. 1632.

wounded, threw themselves over their mafter's body; and one gentleman of the bed-chamber, who lay on the ground, having cried out, in order to fave his fovereign's life, that he was the king of Sweden, was instantly stabbed to the heart, by an imperial cuiraffier 6.

GUSTAVUS being afterward afked who he was, replied with heroic firmness and magnanimity, "I am "the king of Sweden! and feal with my blood the "Proteftant religion and liberties of Germany 62." The Imperialists gave him five barbarous wounds, and a bullet paffed through his head, yet had he ftrength left to exclaim, "My God! my God! 63," His body was recovered by Stalhaus, in spite of the moft vigorous efforts of Piccolomini, who ftrove to carry it off.

No prince, ancient or modern, fecins to have poffeffed info eminent a degree, as Guftavus Adolphus, the united qualities of the hero, the statesman, and the commander; that intuitive genius which conceives, that wisdom which plans, and that happy combination of courage and conduct which gives fuccefs to an enterprise. Nor was the military progrefs of any leader ever equally rapid, under circumftances equally difficult; with an inferior force, against warlike nations, and difciplined troops, commanded by able and experienced generals. His greateft fault as a king and a commander, was an excefs of valour. He ufually appeared in the front of the battle, mounted on a horfe of a particular colour; which, with his large and majeftic ftature, furpaffing that of every other Swede, made him known both to friends and and foes+

61. Id. ibid. 62. Harte, vol. ii. 63. Id. ibid. 64. Harte, ubi. fup.

Bur

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BUT Guftavus had other qualities befide thofe of LETTER the military and political kind. He was a pious Chrif tian, a warm friend, a tender husband, a dutiful fon, A. D. 1632. an affectionate father. And the fentiments fuited to all thefe fofter characters are admirably displayed, in a letter from the Swedish monarch to his minifter Oxenstiern, written a few days before the battle of Lutzen. "Though the cause in which I am engaged," faid he, " is juft and good, yet the event of war, "because of the viciffitudes of human affairs, muft "ever be deemed doubtful. Uncertain alfo is the "duration of mortal life; I therefore require and "beseech you, in the name of our bleffed Redeemer! "to preferve your fortitude of spirit, though events "should not proceed in perfect conformity to my "wishes.

"REMEMBER likewife," continued Guftavus,› "how I fhould comfort myself in regard to you, if by "divine permiffion I might live till that period when

you should have occafion for my affiftance of any "kind. Confider me as a man, the guardian of a kingdom, who has ftruggled with difficulties for "twenty years, and paffed through them with repu"tation, by the protection and mercy of heaven; as

a man, who loved and honoured his relations, and "who neglected life, riches, and happy days, for the "preservation and glory of his country and faithful "fubjects; expecting no other recompenfe, than to be "declared, The prince who fulfilled the duties of that flation " which Providence had assigned him in this world.”

"THEY who furvive me," added he, "for I like "others must expect to feel the stroke of mortality, "are, on my account, and for many other reasons, "real objects of your commiferation:-They are of "the tender and defenceless fex,-a helpless mother, "who wants a guide, and an infant daughter, who

"needs

PART I. " needs a protector!-Natural affection, forces thefe "lines from the hand of a fon and a parent."

A.D. 1632.

THE death of the king of Sweden prefaged great alterations in the ftate of Europe. The elector Palaine, who was in hopes of being restored not only to his hereditary dominions, but to the throne of Bohemia, died foon after of chagrin. The German Proteftants, now without a head, became divided into factions; the Imperialifts, though defeated, were tranfported with joy, and prepared to push the war with vigour ; while the Swedes, though victorious, were overwhelmed with forrow for the lofs of their heroic prince, whofe daughter and fucceffor, Chriftina, was only fix years of age. A council of regency, however, being appointed, and the management of the war in Germany, committed to the chancellor Oxenftiern, a man of great political talents, the Protestant confederacy again wore a formidable aspect. The alliance between A. D. 1633. France and Sweden was renewed, and hoftilities were pushed with vigour and fuccefs by the duke of SaxeWeymar, and the generals Bannier and Horn.

NOTWITHSTANDING thefe favourable appearances, the war became every day more burthenfome and difagreeable, both to the Swedes and their German allies; and Oxenstiern, who had hitherto fuccefsfully employed his genius in finding refources for the fupport of the common caufe, faw it in danger of finking, when

65. Loccen. Hi. Suce. It is not a little furprising that Guftavus, in in this memorable Letter, makes no mention of his beloved confort Eleanora ? in parting from whom, when he began his march for Saxony, he was fo much affected, that he could only fay, "God bless you!”— and in bewailing whofe widowed condition (his ejaculation to the Deity excepted) his last words were employed. "Alas, my poor queen;" fighed he, in his dying moments," Alas, my poor queen!” Harte, vol. ii.

an

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an unexpected event gave new hopes to the confede- LETTER rates. The emperor, become jealous of the vaft powers he had granted to Walftein, whofe infolence and am- A. D.1633. bition knew no bounds, refolved to deprive him of the command; and Walftein, in order to prevent his dif grace, is faid to have concerted the means of a revolt. It is at leaft certain, that he attempted to fecure himfelf by winning the attachment of his foldiers; and Ferdinand, afraid of the delay of a legal trial, or having no proof of his treafon, and dreading his refentment, had recourfe to the difhonourable expedient of A. D. 1634 affaffination 66

BUT the fall of this great man, who had chiefly obftructed the progrefs of the Swedish arms, both before and fince the death of Guftavus, was not followed by all those advantages which the confederates expected. from it. The Imperialifts, animated by the prefence of the king of Hungary, the emperor's eldeft fon, who fucceeded Walftein in the command of the army, made up in valour what their general wanted in experience. Twenty thousand Spanish and Italian troops arrived in Germany under the duke of Feria; the cardinal Infant, the new governor of the Low Countries, likewife brought a reinforcement to the Catholic caufe: the duke of Lorrain, a foldier of fortune, joined the king of Hungary with ten thousand men; and the duke of Bavaria, whom the Swedes had deprived of the Palatinate, also found himself under the neceffity of uniting his forces to thofe of the emperor,

66. Barre, tom, ix. Annal. de l'Emp. tom. ii. Harte, vol. ii. If Walstein had formed any treasonous design, it seems to have been after he difcovered his ruin to be otherwife inevitable. He was too great and haughty for a fubject; and the death of Gustavus had rendered him lefs néceffary to the emperor.

MEANWHILE