his native talent for supporting troops by levying contributions, for Leopold thought little of making payment. In one of his marauding expeditions he fell into the hands of Count Solms, who, in the service of the Elector of Brandenburg and the Palsgrave of Neuburg, the two claimants of the Duchy of Jülich, held Düren with a garrison. He now expected Leopold to obtain his release; as the latter, however, always moneyless, amused him with promises only, Mansfeld, tired of his situation, helped himself, and as it seems in a dishonorable way. The story indeed goes that he bound himself to Count Solms, and those whom the latter served, to the betrayal of his master. He was in fact set free, and at once enlisted for the service of the Archduke 1,000 infantry and 500 cavalry. After long imploring in vain to be mustered into service, this was finally granted, and he was paid a part of his recently augmented demands. The money was scarcely in his hands when he brought his troops into such a position that they must surrender to the Union.[1] Mansfeld himself sought to avoid fighting, and called upon the soldiers to enter the service of the Union, and set them the example. He was, however, disappointed with the result. The war was soon ended, and he would have fallen into distress, had not the Union, in expectation of future services, retained him by the annual
- ↑ This was the war for the succession to the Duchy of Cleves, the Duke having just died. The two pretenders to it were the Elector of Brandenburg and the Palsgrave of Neuburg, both Protestants. They made common cause against the Emperor Rudolph II., who felt called upon to settle this question against any Protestant claims. Henry IV., of France, would have settled it quickly, but the dagger of Ravaillac interposed its veto. The Protestant Union, formed two years before, conducted the war on the Protestant side, and Count Solms commanded for the Elector of the Palatinate, who was head of the Union. This was indeed a kind of prelude to the Thirty Years’ War.—Tr.
