The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-05-26
A GREAT KINGS PERIL.
Gustasus Adolphus and his Mysterious vis-
ftress.

Hress.
For upward of ten years the terrible
Thirty Years. War had been raging in
Germany. The fairest provinces of the
fatherland had been laid waste. Hun
dreds of thousands Of poor people had
miserably perished, and dismay and de-
spair reigned throughout the Land, until
at length the great and good Grstavus
Adolphus, King ofSweden, who eKcelled
equally as captain and statesman,
was induced, principally by the advice
oil his astute Chancellor, the celebrated
Oxenstiern, to take his whole army to
Germany, and enter upon q hle-and.
death struggle with the Imperialists.
| 1t is impossible to describe the bound
| less enthusiasm which the arrival OF
GustaVus Adolphus, with his splendid
army, at Stralsund, The great fortress OF
Pomerania, excited in Germany.
There was an instantaneous and
truly marvellous revulsion of feeling
to the most ferYid hopefulness. The be.
lief that the accession of the Swedish
King to the Re lormed cause was equiv
/ alent to the utter and final discontinue
of the Imperialists, WAS widely preva-
lent even in the ranks OF the latter. And
| yet but for very singular concatena-
tion Of
| ROMANTIC CIRCUMSTANCES,
! the brilliant career OF the Swedish King,
who. fell afterward so gloriously ON the
4 bloody field OF LutZen, came near being
ended at the above mentioned Pomera-
nian fortress OF Stralsund.
The life Of Gustavus Ad0lphus
abounded in romantic incidents, Dut the
strangest OF these episodes was, per-
haps, the one which we ale now going
4 to relate to our readers.
We should premise, however, that
Gustavus Adolphus, as he appears in
| his tory, is not the man he was in pri-
yate life. Especially in his earlier
years, he subjected himself frequently
10 the reproach that he was too fond
OF the far sex. He was even, aud,
there is reason to believe, not unjustly
4 charged with having overcome, IN mo-
ments OF Irresistible passion, the seru-
ples of women, of whom he was enam-
| ored, by. promises OF marriage, which
he alterward broke as easily as he had
rashly made them.
These blots in his earlier, years, how
ever, were obliterated by his later
career, which stands unrivaied in the
annals OF the royalty of the seventeenth
lcentury, and Which excited the admira-
ton OF his bitter adversaries.
1t was late in the evening of the day
on which Gustavus Adolphus had landed
with his army at Stralsund that he and
his Chancellor, OXenstiern, were con.
yersing In one of the small rooms at the
house of DR.. Brauns, the burgomasJer oil
the city, where the King hau established
his headquarters.
"My good OXenstiern,o said the King
to his Chancellor, "this has been great
day for us. 1 shall always look upon il
as one Of the most memorable III my
life."
"Your Majesty, the extraordinary re
ceptIon with which you have met here
seems to me an ausplcious augury Of the
} success OF the momentOus mission thai
has brought you and your soldiers tt
these shores. Such scene as thai
which the harbor presented at the ar
rival of our fleet, and the frantic rejoic
ings with which the countless multi
tude that awaited you on the shore
greeted your coming, have perhaps never
been witnessed since the time Of the
: Crusades." .
"God grant that success may crown
my efforts" said the King, profoundly
moved; "but, Oxenstiern, at times
nave vague misgyings that l may, ate
all, fail. How terrible it would be if
: should not bring my brave army, Jht
: flower of our country, back to Sweden Z
Your Majesty" said Oxensuern, witt
that confident superiority which made
him one Of the most convincing and il
resistible orators of his time, 'need no
give way to doubts. For the time being
there is absolutely nothing to give u
the slightest uneasiness. The supper
which Cardinal Richelieu gives us alon'
is worth couple Of armies"
"Rieaelieu!' exclaimed the King
"But is ne really and sincerely witt
usY'
cat times it seemed passing strang
to me-" interrupted Gustavus Adolphus
"that he, a prelate of the orthodo.
Church, should lend such active aid t
, the dissenters in their liie-and-deat
j struggle with the lmperialists."
"Your Majesty" interrupted the Char
cellor, II know Richelieu. He is u
n "a MAN OF IRON.
stHe knows that the triumph of tb
Court OF Hapsburg would be dangerou
) in the extreme for France, and that OUT
weighs with him all other considera
tions. For the rest, the Marquis d
Chayanis is here as special envoy of th
!, King Of France. He will be present 9
/, the banquet OF the burgomaster and mu
Y nicipaliLy tomorrow, anu on that occu
sion transmit TO your Majesty TWO lei
ters-one from King Louis the Thil
!. teenth, and, what is more important, al
other from Cardinal Richelieu."
The conversation was here broken of
and the Chancellor retired. The Kin
opened his Testament in order to reaC
as was his habit, a chapter in it betor
going to bed, when there was soft ra
at the door, and DR.. Brauns, the burgo
I master OF Stralsund, and host OF th
, King, entered the room, bowling deepl,
"Your Majesty" he said, ''forgive thl
: intrusion. All evening there has bee
down stairs veiled lady, who refuses I
give her name, but who seems to be
i high descent. She is extremely anz
ious to see your Majesty for a lew mir
} utes, as she alleges, OH business of til
/. highest Importance. 1 have vainly trie
Y to get rid OF her. She asked me to han
your Majesty this locket."
The King took the locket, and opene
! 1t.
An exclamation of surprise escape
him.
"Send her up," he then said, abruptly
to the burg0master.
The King seemed to have suddenly bt
come greatly agitated.
i When the door opened, few minute
later, and
II A SLENDER, GRAcEFULLY-BUILTL LADY
entered, lie advanced a few Steps towar
IL 4