Landmarks of History (Volume 3 (Modern History))

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1860. Excerpt: ... His disobedience inspired distrust at Vienna, and he began to apprehend that the command would be taken from him. Moreover he believed that the stars declared that his time for greatness was come, and that the man who should most assist him was an Italian colonel, Ottavio Piccolomini, who had been born under the same conjunction of planets as himself. Collecting Piccolomini and the other officers at a banquet, he persuaded them to sign a bond, pledging them to hold fast by him against any other general, so long as he should employ them in the Emperor's service; but it was said that the paper, with this clause, was withdrawn, and that the one which actually received their names, bound them to him without restriction. Though Piccolomini signed the bond, he sent information of the whole to the Emperor, and orders were secretly despatched to Gallas, one of the inferior generals, to supersede Wallenstein. Not daring to make this known at Pilsen, Gallas obtained leave of absence, and going to the other portions of the army, obtained their adherence so easily, that it was evident that Wallenstein's power was more from fear than love. Piccolomini soon joined Gallas, and Wallenstein was forced to shut himself up in Egra, where still fancying that the stars, though they had deceived him in Piccolomini, held out hopes of his becoming a great prince, he wrote to the leaders of the Lutheran army to offer to join them, and to put Egra into their hands. Bernard declared that one who did not believe in God could not be trusted by man; but the other allies were willing to take the advantage, and sent forward the Duke of Saxe Lauenberg to receive the town. Wallenstein had taken into his confidence a Scotsman, named Leslie, to whom he had always been kind. This man communic...