The Thirty Years War, book 4 | Page 9

towns, and, supported by the Palatine of Birkenfeld, who had liberated
the Lower Palatinate and beaten the Duke of Lorraine out of the field,
had once more given the superiority to the Swedish arms in that quarter.
He was now forced to retire before the superior numbers of the enemy;
but Horn and Birkenfeld quickly advanced to his support, and the
Imperialists, after a brief triumph, were again expelled from Alsace.
The severity of the autumn, in which this hapless retreat had to be
conducted, proved fatal to most of the Italians; and their leader, the
Duke of Feria, died of grief at the failure of his enterprise.
In the mean time, Duke Bernard of Weimar had taken up his position
on the Danube, with eighteen regiments of infantry and 140 squadrons
of horse, to cover Franconia, and to watch the movements of the
Imperial-Bavarian army upon that river. No sooner had Altringer
departed, to join the Italians under Feria, than Bernard, profiting by his
absence, hastened across the Danube, and with the rapidity of lightning
appeared before Ratisbon. The possession of this town would ensure
the success of the Swedish designs upon Bavaria and Austria; it would
establish them firmly on the Danube, and provide a safe refuge in case
of defeat, while it alone could give permanence to their conquests in
that quarter. To defend Ratisbon, was the urgent advice which the
dying Tilly left to the Elector; and Gustavus Adolphus had lamented it
as an irreparable loss, that the Bavarians had anticipated him in taking
possession of this place. Indescribable, therefore, was the consternation
of Maximilian, when Duke Bernard suddenly appeared before the town,

and prepared in earnest to besiege it.
The garrison consisted of not more than fifteen companies, mostly
newly-raised soldiers; although that number was more than sufficient to
weary out an enemy of far superior force, if supported by well-disposed
and warlike inhabitants. But this was not the greatest danger which the
Bavarian garrison had to contend against. The Protestant inhabitants of
Ratisbon, equally jealous of their civil and religious freedom, had
unwillingly submitted to the yoke of Bavaria, and had long looked with
impatience for the appearance of a deliverer. Bernard's arrival before
the walls filled them with lively joy; and there was much reason to fear
that they would support the attempts of the besiegers without, by
exciting a tumult within. In this perplexity, the Elector addressed the
most pressing entreaties to the Emperor and the Duke of Friedland to
assist him, were it only with 5,000 men. Seven messengers in
succession were despatched by Ferdinand to Wallenstein, who
promised immediate succours, and even announced to the Elector the
near advance of 12,000 men under Gallas; but at the same time forbade
that general, under pain of death, to march. Meanwhile the Bavarian
commandant of Ratisbon, in the hope of speedy assistance, made the
best preparations for defence, armed the Roman Catholic peasants,
disarmed and carefully watched the Protestant citizens, lest they should
attempt any hostile design against the garrison. But as no relief arrived,
and the enemy's artillery incessantly battered the walls, he consulted his
own safety, and that of the garrison, by an honourable capitulation, and
abandoned the Bavarian officials and ecclesiastics to the conqueror's
mercy.
The possession of Ratisbon, enlarged the projects of the duke, and
Bavaria itself now appeared too narrow a field for his bold designs. He
determined to penetrate to the frontiers of Austria, to arm the Protestant
peasantry against the Emperor, and restore to them their religious
liberty. He had already taken Straubingen, while another Swedish army
was advancing successfully along the northern bank of the Danube. At
the head of his Swedes, bidding defiance to the severity of the weather,
he reached the mouth of the Iser, which he passed in the presence of the
Bavarian General Werth, who was encamped on that river. Passau and
Lintz trembled for their fate; the terrified Emperor redoubled his
entreaties and commands to Wallenstein, to hasten with all speed to the

relief of the hard-pressed Bavarians. But here the victorious Bernard, of
his own accord, checked his career of conquest. Having in front of him
the river Inn, guarded by a number of strong fortresses, and behind him
two hostile armies, a disaffected country, and the river Iser, while his
rear was covered by no tenable position, and no entrenchment could be
made in the frozen ground, and threatened by the whole force of
Wallenstein, who had at last resolved to march to the Danube, by a
timely retreat he escaped the danger of being cut off from Ratisbon, and
surrounded by the enemy. He hastened across the Iser to the Danube, to
defend the conquests he had made in the Upper Palatinate against
Wallenstein, and fully resolved not