The Thirty Years War, book 4

The Thirty Years War, book 4

The Project Gutenberg EBook The Thirty Years War, by Schiller, Book
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Title: The Thirty Years War, Book IV.
Author: Frederich Schiller
Release Date: Oct, 2004 [EBook #6773] [Yes, we are more than one
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30 YEARS
WAR, BY SCHILLER, BOOK IV. ***

This eBook was produced by David Widger, [email protected]

THE WORKS
OF
FREDERICK SCHILLER

Translated from the German

Illustrated
HISTORY OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR IN GERMANY.

BOOK IV.

The weak bond of union, by which Gustavus Adolphus contrived to
hold together the Protestant members of the empire, was dissolved by
his death: the allies were now again at liberty, and their alliance, to last,
must be formed anew. By the former event, if unremedied, they would
lose all the advantages they had gained at the cost of so much
bloodshed, and expose themselves to the inevitable danger of becoming
one after the other the prey of an enemy, whom, by their union alone,
they had been able to oppose and to master. Neither Sweden, nor any of
the states of the empire, was singly a match with the Emperor and the
League; and, by seeking a peace under the present state of things, they
would necessarily be obliged to receive laws from the enemy. Union
was, therefore, equally indispensable, either for concluding a peace or
continuing the war. But a peace, sought under the present
circumstances, could not fail to be disadvantageous to the allied powers.
With the death of Gustavus Adolphus, the enemy had formed new
hopes; and however gloomy might be the situation of his affairs after
the battle of Lutzen, still the death of his dreaded rival was an event too

disastrous to the allies, and too favourable for the Emperor, not to
justify him in entertaining the most brilliant expectations, and not to
encourage him to the prosecution of the war. Its inevitable consequence,
for the moment at least, must be want of union among the allies, and
what might not the Emperor and the League gain from such a division
of their enemies? He was not likely to sacrifice such prospects, as the
present turn of affairs held out to him, for any peace, not highly
beneficial to himself; and such a peace the allies would not be disposed
to accept. They naturally determined, therefore, to continue the war,
and for this purpose, the maintenance of the existing union was
acknowledged to be indispensable.
But how was this union to be renewed? and whence were to be derived
the necessary means for continuing the war? It was not the power of
Sweden, but the talents and personal influence of its late king, which
had given him so overwhelming an influence in Germany, so great a
command over the minds of men; and even he had innumerable
difficulties to overcome, before he could establish among the states
even a weak and wavering alliance. With his death vanished all, which
his personal qualities alone had rendered practicable; and the mutual
obligation of the states seemed to cease with the hopes on which it had
been founded. Several impatiently threw off the yoke which had always
been irksome; others hastened to seize the helm which they had
unwillingly seen in the hands of Gustavus, but which, during his
lifetime, they did not dare to dispute with him. Some were tempted, by
the seductive promises of the Emperor, to abandon the alliance; others,
oppressed by the heavy burdens of a fourteen years' war, longed for the
repose of peace, upon any conditions, however ruinous. The generals of
the army, partly German princes, acknowledged no common head, and
no one would stoop to receive orders from another. Unanimity
vanished alike from the cabinet and the