He asked at the hand of Brandenburg that he be permitted to hold the fortresses of Kustrin and Spandau till the siege of Magdeburg could be raised. But his brother-in-law, afraid of the wrath of the Emperor, utterly refused. The anger of his Emperor concerned him much more than the anger of his Lord. King Gustavus wrote him: "My road is to Magdeburg, not for my own advantage, but for that of the Protestant religion. If no one will stand by me I shall immediately retreat, conclude a peace with the Emperor and return to Stockholm. I am convinced that Ferdinand will readily grant me whatever conditions I may require. But if Magdeburg is once lost, and the Emperor relieved of all fear of me, then it is for you to look for yourselves and the consequences. He who makes a sheep of himself will be eaten by the wolf. For I tell you plainly, I will not hear a word of neutrality. Your serenity must be either friend or foe. As soon as I get to your frontier you will have to declare yourself. Here strive God and the devil. If you will hold with God, come over to me. If you prefer the devil, you will have to fight me first. There shall be no neutral party in this war." It was just what Duke George William wanted, to be the third party. He hoped he could hold off and eventually be the balance of power between the Empire and Gustavus, King of Sweden. The Elector of Brandenburg actually gave orders to the commanders of these fortresses, Kustrin and Spandau, to let the Imperial troops "pass and repass," but if the Swedes come "pray them to turn back," but if prayers failed, they were to be allowed to pass, for their conduct would show their power. Such an order must have been given while the duke was on one of his after-dinner too free libations. As the Swedish army approached Spandau was granted to Gustavus, for the Elector saw that even without his consent, Gustavus would take it. Then John George, Elector of Saxony, controlled by his own envy and jealousy, utterly refused to let Gustavus have free passage through his State, even forbidding him to cross the Elbe. Gustavus did not desire to go to war with the prince who was the very head and front of the Protestant Union, which in the February meeting had demanded the revocation of the Edict of Restitution. He had to force his way into Mecklenburg, whose ruling princes were his kinsmen. He had given them shelter and kindness when they had been pressed by the Imperial forces. Indeed, his entering the Thirty Years' War was partly on their behalf, but the Emperor had his Jesuits everywhere, and when Gustavus landed in Pomerania he found the Dukes of Mecklenburg more friendly to the Imperialists than to him. He needed that State to secure his rear and to keep open communications with Sweden.