Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Sidor ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
beg, or run away so that the whole district will be a desert
soon.”
u If I,” he continues a month later, “ if I was to exhort
the citizens to help the soldiers a little with some small
entertainment, I obtain nothing, because they always refer
and appeal to your Lordship’s written letters. I and my
captains have ever and anon pawned our store of clothes
and other things to content the men, but now the well is
exhausted and I know of no other means.”
Enough has been quoted to show the enormous
difficulties the Scottish officers had to contend with,
enough also to prove their devotion to duty, their
foresight, and their love ot discipline. They all took their
great king as their model. After the Battle of Breitenfeld
on the 7th of September 1631, the magistrates of the
ancient Imperial city of Ulm desired an offensive and
defensive alliance with Sweden. It was concluded at
Frankfort on the 13th of February 1632, and on the
following day the writer of these letters, Sir Patrick
Ruthven, now Major-General, rode into Ulm as the
Swedish Governor. He at once devoted himself to
putting the fortress, for such it was, into proper order. New
fortifications were erected, the old ones strengthened, and
1200 recruits levied, who had to swear their oath of
allegiance both to the city and to the King, of Sweden.
The chronicles of Ulm relate many of the deeds of wanton
cruelty of these men, but since they were Germans, the
Scots cannot be blamed for it, nor can Ruthven, who
according to the testimony of the same chronicles tried to
uphold discipline and punish malefactors with an iron
hand. But Ruthven was no favourite with the
townspeople. The rigour with which he set about forcing
the monasteries and small princes of the neighbourhood
into submission, his greed, of which I am afraid he is not
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
