Full resolution (TIFF) - On this page / på denna sida - XIII. Reign of Charles XII, 1697–1718 - D. War with Augustus II
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224 A History of Sweden
Charles X. The Swedish forces traversed the land up
and down with constant victories, often over forces
several times their number. But lords of the land they
never became. After three years of war Charles suc-
ceeded in inducing a part of the Polish nobility to de-
clare Augustus deposed, and to elect Stanislaus Les-
czinski, one of their own number, as king. But it re-
quired three years more to secure his general recogni-
tion.
In pursuit of Augustus toward the south, Charles
was informed that his enemy had turned about and
was advancing northward toward Warsaw, where
there was stationed a small Swedish garrison. But
Charles did not turn in pursuit. Farther south in
Poland lay Lemberg with fortifications, boasting that
it had never been taken by an enemy, although a
Turkish army of 100,000 men had invested it for
many months. This was some exploit for Charles to
try. Suddenly he gave orders to his cavalry to mount
and set out in a gallop, leaving his infantry and ar-
tillery behind. Soon the greater part of the cavalry
dropped behind too, and the king had with him only
three regiments of dragoons. With them he attacked
the fortifications of Lemberg. The garrison kept up a
sharp firing. The soldiers with their king at the head
rushed across the trenches, sprang upon each other’s
shoulders, and climbed the walls. They pushed through
the city gate at the same time as the fleeing garrison
passed out. In a quarter of an hour the city was taken,
with the loss of but a few men. The report of this in-
credible exploit served to increase still more, in the
minds of the Poles, the fear of the Carolinians.
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