On the 24th of February, 1634, Wallenstein reached the town of Eger, near the Bohemian frontier: only two or three more days were required, to consummate his plan. Then Colonel Butler, an Irishman, and two Scotch officers, Gordon and Leslie, conspired to murder him and his associates--no doubt in consequence of instructions received from Vienna. Illo, Terzky and Kinsky accepted an invitation to a banquet in the citadel, the following evening; but Wallenstein, who was unwell, remained in his quarters in the Burgomaster's house. Everything had been carefully prepared, in advance: at a given signal, Gordon and Leslie put out the lights, dragoons entered the banquet-hall, and the three victims were murdered in cold blood. Then a Captain Devereux, with six soldiers, forced his way into the Burgomaster's house, on pretence of bearing important dispatches, cut down Wallenstein's servant and entered the room where he lay. Wallenstein, seeing that his hour had come, made no resistance, but silently received his death-blow. When Duke Bernard arrived, a day or two afterwards, he found Eger defended by the Imperialists. Ferdinand II. shed tears when he heard of Wallenstein's death, and ordered 3,000 masses to be said for his soul; but, at the same time, he raised the assassins, Butler and Leslie, to the rank of Count, and rewarded them splendidly for the deed. Wallenstein's immense estates were divided among the officers who had sworn to support him, and had then secretly gone over to the Emperor. CHAPTER XXIX. END OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR. (1634--1648.) The Battle of Nördlingen. --Aid furnished by France. --Treachery of Protestant Princes. --Offers of Ferdinand II. --Duke Bernard of Saxe-Weimar visits Paris. --His Agreement with Louis XIII. --His Victories. --Death of Ferdinand II. --Ferdinand III. succeeds. --Duke Bernard's Bravery, Popularity and Death. --Banner's Successes. --Torstenson's Campaigns. --He threatens Vienna. --The French victorious in Southern Germany. --Movements for Peace. --Wrangel's Victories. --Capture of Prague by the Swedes. --The Peace of Westphalia. --Its Provisions. --The Religious Settlement. --Defeat of the Church of Rome. --Desolation of Germany. --Sufferings and Demoralization of the People. --Practical Overthrow of the Empire. --A Multitude of Independent States. [Sidenote: 1634. DEFEAT OF THE PROTESTANTS.]