Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-01-20
" WALLENSTEIN."

OF mat General, from Alcnlels " oecIet /
History of the Austrian Government"
Wallenstein's immense riches, his
profound reserve and theatrical manners,
were the principal means he employed /
to exalt the imagination Of the masses.
He always appeared in public surrounded
By extraordinary pomp, and allowed all
those attached to his house to share in his /
luxury. His officers lived sumptuously |
at his table, where never less than one
hundred dishes were served. As he re-
warded with excessive liberality, not only
the multitude but the greatest personages
were dazzled by this Asiatic splendor.-
Six gates gave entrance to his palace at
Prague, to make room for which he had
pulled down one hundred houses. SINH
lar chateaux were erected by his orders
on all his numerous estates. Twenty
four chamberlains, sprung from the most
noble families, disputed the honor of SER
wing him, and some sent back the golden
key, emblem of their grade, to the en-
peror, in order that they might wait on
| Wallenstein. He educated sixty pages.
dressed in blue velvet and gold, TO whom
he gave the first masters; fifty Trabants
guarded his ante-chsmber night and day ;
six barons and the same number of chew
alters were constantly within call TO bear
his orders. His maitre GhoteL was a
person of distinction. A thousand per-
SONS usually formed his household, and
above one thousand horses filled bis sta
! bIes, where they fed from marble man.
gers. When he set out on his travels, g
hundred carriages, drawn by four or SIX
horses, conveyed his servants and bag
gage sixty carriages and fifty led horses
carried the people of his suite; ter
trumpeters with silver bugles preceded
the procession. The richness of his liv
cries, the pomp of his equipages, and thc
decoration of his apartments, were il
harmony with all the rest. In hall o
I his palace at Prague he had himsel
D painted in triumphal car, with wreatl
I of laurels round his head and sta
, above him.
Wallenstein's appearance was enough il
5 itself to inspire fear and respect. FIJI
d tall, thin figure, his naughty attitude, tn
e stern expression of his pale face, his wild
forehead, that seemed formed to com
= mand, his black hair, close shorn an
2, harsh, his little dark eyes, in which til
flame of authority shown, bis haught
and suspicious look, his thick moustache
and tufted beard, produced, at the frs
glance, a startling sensation. His usua
dress consisted of jnstaucorps of Ell
skin, covered by a white doublet an
cloak round his neck he wore a Span
ish ruff; in his hat futtered large re
plume, while scarlet psntaloons and boot
of Cordovan leather, carefully paddle
on account of the govt, completed his o.
binary attire. While his army devote
itself to pleasure, the deepest silenc
reigned around the General. He coul
not endure the rumbIing of carts, lou
conversations, or even simple sounds
One of his chamberlains was hanged fl
waking him without orders, and an of
Ger secretly put to death because h
spurs had cIanked when he came to II
General. His servants glided about Il
rooms like phantoms, and dozen patro
necessarily moved round his tent
palace to maintain perpetual tranquilit
Chains were also stretched across ii
streets, in order to guard him again
any sound. Wallenstein was ever a
sorbed in himself, ever engaged with h
plans and designs. He was never SEE
to smile, and his pride rendered him i
accessible to sensual pleasures. Fl
only fanaticism was ambition. Tt
strange chief meditated and acted ince
sanity, only taking counsel of himse
and disdaining strange advice and i
SEPARATIONS. When he gave any orde
or explanations, he could not bear to
looked at curiously; VIXEN he cross
the camp, the soldiers were obliged
pretend that they did not see him. Y
they suffered from ar involuntary shu
der when they saw him pass like a :
pernatural being. There was somethil
about him mysterious, solemn, and aw
inspiring. He walked along, surroun
ed by this magic influence, like a sa
dening halo. His troops firmly believ
that he was in communion with d
spirits of darkness, that the stars had
secrets from him, that the Growing
cocks or the barking of dogs never reac
ed his ear, that bullets, sabres, and lane
could not wound him, for he possessed
talisman that rendered him master