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them.1 Few of my soldiers will remain alive.” It must
have been a relief for Leslie when in 1630 he could report
some victorious skirmishes with the enemy. In the
following year he was attached to the Marquis of Hamilton and
assisted him in his levying of troops in England. He was
back in 1631. The death of the King of Sweden moved
him also, though constitutionally a reticent man, to
expressions of the greatest grief.
Leslie’s son-in-law was General Sir Patrick Ruthven.
He is the type of what the Germans call a “ Haudegen,”
a hard drinker,1 2 illiterate, brave, unscrupulous, but faithful
to his duties as they were then understood. During
Gus-tavus’s reign he was Governor of Memel and afterwards
of Ulm. Many of his letters to Axell Oxenstierna have
been printed; they commence with the beginning of the
year 1629, when he defends himself against the charge
of having delayed General Wrangel’s departure by not
furnishing horses and conveyances in due time. “I did
command the magistrates ” (of Marienburg) u two days
previous to be ready with their horses and carts, but what
they furnished was of such miserable description that I
put the Mayor into prison and sent him home after a time
to provide better horse-material.” From Memel there are
eleven letters all proving his anxiety to render the town
safe against any attacks of the enemy. He advises the
sending of a master of ordnance who would have the
armoury under him, as well as of a customs-officer, to
prevent ships leaving the harbour without paying duty.
He tells how one night fire broke out just above his
sleeping-room, but it only consumed the top of a tower.
1 . . . 4< dass ohnumbgengklich (with absolute necessity) die seuch
(contagion) der pest unter sie gerathen muss.”
2 See Scots in Germany, Part II. His nickname was General
** Rotwein ” (red wine).
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