shot and shell[1] were reported as rising in piles of unimagined magnitude. Thirty thousand Spaniards and Italians were known, in the beginning of July, to have left Milan for Germany; but where the storm was to break, all men were asking and none could answer. The intended movements were a well-kept secret. So strangely were parties confused that nothing could be guessed from probability. Charles and Henry were on one side. Francis, on the other, had sought allies where he could find them; and was in marvellous combination with the Pope and Solyman, with the Duke of Cleves, and through the Duke, with the Elector of Saxe. The Catholic princes of the Empire could not support Charles without indirectly injuring the Papacy. The Lutherans, in attaching themselves to France, were supporting Paul against England; although, at the moment, the Lanzknechts of Cleves, under Martin von Rosheim, were campaigning, like the Covenanters of the following century, with the sword in one hand and the Bible in the other.[2] In such a labyrinth who could foretell the course which the Emperor might choose?
- ↑ Shells were used freely in this campaign. See Vol. II. p. 193, note.
- ↑ 'I heard a merry tale credibly reported, that Martin von Rosheim, remembering that the Hollanders and people about Amersfort have been of late years much inclined to the profession of the Gospel, and having no priests about him meet for that purpose, causeth some of his Lanzknechts, that can best tell their tales, to preach at Amersfort the liberty of the Gospel, trusting thereby to allure the Hollanders rather to follow him. It must needs be a good sight to see a Lanzknecht, his cap full of feathers, his doublet and hosen cut and jagged, his sword by his side, an arquebuss on his neck, to preach and set forth the Word solemnly, as though it were not Christ's Gospel, but Mahomet's Alcoran.'—Wotton to Henry VIII.: State Papers, vol. ix. p. 465.
