The Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648Gardiner, Samuel Rawson
History
The Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648
Gardiner, Samuel Rawson
Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648
At first he had been received at Prague with the liveliest joy. When a
son was born to him, who was in after days to become the Prince Rupert
of our English civil wars, every sign of rejoicing accompanied the child
to the font. But it was not long before Frederick's Lutheran subjects
were offended by his Calvinistic proceedings. In the royal chapel
pictures of the saints were ruthlessly torn down from the walls, and the
great crucifix, an object of reverence to the Lutheran as well as the
Catholic, was tossed aside like a common log of wood. The treasures of
art which Rudolph II. had collected during his life of seclusion were
catalogued that they might be offered for sale; and it is said that many
of them were carried off by the officials entrusted with the duty. And
besides real grievances, there were others that were purely imaginary. A
story has been told which, whether true or false, is a good illustration
of the impracticable nature of the Bohemian aristocracy. Frederick is
said to have convened some of them to council early in the morning and
to have received an answer that it was against their privileges to get
up so soon.
[Sidenote: § 12. Frederick brings no strength to the Bohemians.]
The Bohemians were not long in discovering that no real strength had
been brought to them by Frederick. He had been set upon the throne, not
for his personal qualities, but because he was supposed to have good
friends, and to be able to prop up the falling cause of Bohemia by aid
from all parts of Protestant Europe. But his friends gave him little or
no help, and he was himself looking tranquilly on whilst the storm was
gathering before his eyes. In his ranks there was neither organization
nor devotion. Christian of Anhalt had been placed in command of the
army, but, though personally brave he did not inspire confidence. The
other generals were quarrelling about precedence. New levies were
ordered, but the men either remained at home or took the earliest
opportunity to slink away. Those who remained, scantily provided with
the necessities of life, were on the verge of mutiny.
[Sidenote: § 13. March of Tilly and Bucquoi.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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