Memorials and Other Papers, vol 2 | Page 6

adjourning to the seclusion of their college
rooms, determined to consult, whilst it was yet not too late, whether, in
their hopeless situation for openly resisting the Landgrave without
causing as much slaughter as they sought to prevent, it might not yet be
possible for them to do something in the way of resistance to the
bloody purposes of Holkerstein.

CHAPTER II.
The travelling party, for whom much anxiety was felt in Klosterheim,
had this evening reached Waldenhausen without loss or any violent
alarm; and, indeed, considering the length of their journey, and the
distracted state of the empire, they had hitherto travelled in remarkable
security. It was now nearly a month since they had taken their departure
from Vienna, at which point considerable numbers had assembled from
the adjacent country to take the benefit of their convoy. Some of these
they had dropped at different turns in their route, but many more had

joined them as they advanced; for in every considerable city they found
large accumulations of strangers, driven in for momentary shelter from
the storm of war as it spread over one district after another; and many
of these were eager to try the chances of a change, or, upon more
considerate grounds, preferred the protection of a place situated like
Klosterheim, in a nook as yet unvisited by the scourge of military
execution. Hence it happened, that from a party of seven hundred and
fifty, with an escort of four hundred yagers, which was the amount of
their numbers on passing through the gates of Vienna, they had
gradually swelled into a train of sixteen hundred, including two
companies of dragoons, who had joined them by the emperor's orders at
one of the fortified posts.
It was felt, as a circumstance of noticeable singularity, by most of the
party, that, after traversing a large part of Germany without
encountering any very imminent peril, they should be first summoned
to unusual vigilance, and all the most jealous precautions of fear, at the
very termination of their journey. In all parts of their route they had met
with columns of troops pursuing their march, and now and then with
roving bands of deserters, who were formidable to the unprotected
traveller. Some they had overawed by their display of military strength;
from others, in the imperial service, they had received cheerful
assistance; and any Swedish corps, which rumor had presented as
formidable by their numbers, they had, with some exertion of
forethought and contrivance, constantly evaded, either by a little detour,
or by a temporary halt in some place of strength. But now it was
universally known that they were probably waylaid by a desperate and
remorseless freebooter, who, as he put his own trust exclusively in the
sword, allowed nobody to hope for any other shape of deliverance.
Holkerstein, the military robber, was one of the many monstrous
growths which had arisen upon the ruins of social order in this long and
unhappy war. Drawing to himself all the malcontents of his own
neighborhood, and as many deserters from the regular armies in the
centre of Germany as he could tempt to his service by the license of
unlimited pillage, he had rapidly created a respectable force; had
possessed himself of various castles in Wirtemberg, within fifty or

sixty miles of Klosterheim; had attacked and defeated many parties of
regular troops sent out to reduce him; and, by great activity and local
knowledge, had raised himself to so much consideration, that the terror
of his name had spread even to Vienna, and the escort of yagers had
been granted by the imperial government as much on his account as for
any more general reason. A lady, who was in some way related to the
emperor's family, and, by those who were in the secret, was reputed to
be the emperor's natural daughter, accompanied the travelling party,
with a suite of female attendants. To this lady, who was known by the
name of the Countess Paulina, the rest of the company held themselves
indebted for their escort; and hence, as much as for her rank, she was
treated with ceremonious respect throughout the journey.
The Lady Paulina travelled with, her suite in coaches, drawn by the
most powerful artillery horses that could be furnished at the various
military posts. [Footnote: Coaches were common in Germany at this
time amongst people of rank. At the reinstatement of the Dukes of
Mecklenburg, by Gustavus Adolphus, though without much notice,
more than four-score of coaches were assembled.] On this day she had
been in the rear; and having been delayed by an accident, she was
waited for with some impatience by the rest of the party, the latest of
whom had reached Waldenhausen early in the afternoon. It was sunset
before her train