He
Temporised And Entered Into Negotiations With The Enemy; And During
An Interview With A Swedish General (Arnheim), Is Even Said To Have
Proposed An Alliance To "Hunt The Emperor To The Devil." It Is
Supposed That He Aspired To The Sovereignty Of Bohemia.
Ferdinand
was informed of the ambitious designs of his general, and at length
determined that Wallenstein should die.
He despatched one of his
generals, Gallas, to the commander-in-chief, with a mandate
depriving him of his dignity of generalissimo, and nominating Gallas
as his successor. Surprised before his plans were ripe, and
deserted by many on whose support he had relied, Wallenstein retired
hastily upon Egra. During a banquet in the castle, three of his
generals who remained faithful to their leader were murdered in the
dead of night. Roused by the noise, Wallenstein leapt from his bed,
and encountered three soldiers who had been hired to despatch him.
Speechless with astonishment and indignation, he stretched forth his
arms, and receiving in his breast the stroke of a halbert, fell dead
without a groan, in the fifty-first year of his age.
The following anecdote, curiously illustrative of the state of
affairs in Wallenstein's camp, is related by Schiller in his History
of the Thirty Years' War, a work containing a full account of the
life and actions of this extraordinary man. "The extortions of
Wallenstein's soldiers from the peasants had at one period reached
such a pitch, that severe penalties were denounced against all
marauders; and every soldier who should be convicted of theft was
threatened with a halter. Shortly afterwards, it chanced that
Wallenstein himself met a soldier straying in the field, whom he
caused to be seized, as having violated the law, and condemned to
the gallows without a trial, by his usual word of doom: "Let the
rascal be hung!" The soldier protested, and proved his innocence.
"Then let them hang the innocent," cried the inhuman Wallenstein;
"and the guilty will tremble the more." The preparations for
carrying this sentence into effect had already commenced, when the
soldier, who saw himself lost without remedy, formed the desperate
resolution that he would not die unrevenged. Rushing furiously upon
his leader, he was seized and disarmed by the bystanders before he
could carry his intention into effect. "Now let him go," said
Wallenstein; "it will excite terror enough."" - ED.
{9} Poniatowski was the commander of the Polish legion in the
armies of Napoleon, by whom he was highly respected. At the battle
of Leipzig, fought in October 1813, Poniatowski and Marshal
MacDonald were appointed to command the rear of Napoleon's army,
which, after two days hard fighting, was compelled to retreat before
the Allies. These generals defended the retreat of the army so
gallantly, that all the French troops, except those under their
immediate command, had evacuated the town. The rear-guard was
preparing to follow, when the only bridge over the Elster that
remained open to them was destroyed, through some mistake. This
effectually barred the escape of the rear of Napoleon's army. A
few, among whom was Marshal MacDonald, succeeded in swimming across;
but Poniatowski, after making a brave resistance, and refusing to
surrender, was drowned in making the same attempt. - ED.
{10} Leipzig has long been famous as the chief book-mart of
Germany. At the great Easter meetings, publishers from all the
different states assemble at the "Buchhandler Borse," and a large
amount of business is done. The fairs of Leipzig have done much
towards establishing the position of this city as one of the first
trading towns in Germany. They take place three times annually: at
New-year, at Easter, and at Michaelmas; but the Easter fair is by
far the most important. These commercial meetings last about three
weeks, and during this time the town presents a most animated
appearance, as the streets are thronged with the costumes of almost
every nation, the smart dress of the Tyrolese contrasting gaily with
the sombre garb of the Polish Jews. The amount of business
transacted at these fairs is very considerable; on several
occasions, above twenty thousand dealers have assembled. The trade
is principally in woollen cloths; but lighter wares, and even
ornaments of every description, are sold to a large extent. The
manner in which every available place is taken advantage of is very
curious: archways, cellars, passages, and courtyards are alike
filled with merchandise, and the streets are at times so crowded as
to be almost impassable. When the three weeks have passed, the
wooden booths which have been erected in the market-place and the
principal streets are taken down, the buyers and sellers vanish
together, and the visitor would scarcely recognise in the quiet
streets around him the bustling busy city of a few days ago. - ED.
{11} The fire broke out on 4th May 1842, and raged with the utmost
fury for three days. Whole streets were destroyed, and at least
2000 houses burned to the ground. Nearly half a million of money
was raised in foreign countries to assist in rebuilding the city, of
which about a tenth was contributed by Britain. Such awful fires,
fearful though they are at the time, seem absolutely necessary to
great towns, as they cause needful improvements to be made, which
the indolence or selfishness of the inhabitants would otherwise
prevent. There is not a great city that has not at one time or
another suffered severely from fire, and has risen out of the ruins
greater than before. - ED.
{12} There are no docks at Hamburgh, consequently all the vessels
lie in the river Elbe, and both receive and discharge their cargoes
there. Madame Pfeiffer, however, is mistaken in supposing that only
London could show a picture of so many ships and so much commercial
activity surpassing that of Hamburgh. Such a picture, more
impressive even than that seen in the Elbe, is exhibited every day
in the Mersey or the Hudson. - ED.
{13} Kiel, however, is a place of considerable trade; and doubtless
the reason why Madame Pfeiffer saw so few vessels at it was
precisely the same reason why she saw so many at Hamburgh.
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