History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 03Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 03
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
And accordingly, "on the 4th of September, 1610," after a two-months'
siege, they, or the Dutch, French, and Evangelical Union Troops
bombarding along with them, and "many English volunteers" to help,
retook Julich, and packed Leopold away again. [Ib. iii. 527.] The Dutch
and the French were especially anxious about this Cleve business,--poor
Henri IV. was just putting those French troops in motion towards Julich,
when Ravaillac, the distracted Devil's-Jesuit, did his stroke upon him;
so that another than Henri had to lead in that expedition. The actual
Captain at the Siege was Prince Christian of Anhalt, by repute the first
soldier of Germany at that period: he had a horse shot under him, the
business being very hot and furious;--he had still worse fortune in the
course of years. There were "many English volunteers" at this Siege;
English nation hugely interested in it, though their King would not
act except diplomatically. It was the talk of all the then world,--the
evening song and the morning prayer of Protestants especially,--till it
was got ended in this manner. It deserves to rank as SYMPTON SECOND
in this business; far bigger flare of dull red in the universal
smoke-continent, than that of Donauworth had been. Are there no
memorials left of those "English volunteers," then? [In Carlyle's _
Miscellanies_ (vi.? "Two Hundred and Fifty Years ago: a Fragment about
Duels") is one small scene belonging to them.] Alas, they might get
edited as Bromley's _Royal Letters_ are;--and had better lie quiet!
"Evangelical Union," formed some two years before, with what cause we
saw, has Kur-Pfalz [Winter-King's Father; died 9th September, 1610, few
days after this recapture of Julich.] at the head of it: but its troops
or operations were never of a very forcible character. Kur-Brandenburg
now joined it formally, as did many more; Kur-Sachsen, anxious to
make himself convenient in other quarters, never would. Add to these
phenomena, the now decisive appearance of a "Catholic LIGA" (League of
Catholic Princes), which, by way of counterpoise to the "Union," had
been got up by Duke Maximilian of Bavaria several months ago; and which
now, under the same guidance, in these bad circumstances, took a great
expansion of figure. Duke Maximilian, "DONAUWORTH Max," finding the
Evangelical Union go so very high, and his own Kaiser like to be good
for little in such business (poor hypochondriac Kaiser Rodolf II., more
taken up with turning-looms and blow-pipes than with matters political,
who accordingly is swept out of Julich in such summary way),--Donauworth
Max has seen this a necessary institution in the present aspect.--Both
"Union" and "League" rapidly waxed under the sound of the Julich cannon,
as was natural.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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