Page:History of the Thirty Years' War - Gindely - Volume 1.djvu/23

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE AUTHOR’S PREFACE
ix

that the grace of God would not be withheld, and that their hopes would be rewarded with victory. These words moved those who opposed the battle to yield, and with united forces to close upon the foe.”

I shall, in the course of this year or the next, publish the evidence of both Angelini and Maximilian.

In the first part I have followed closely in the track of my previous labors. In the second also, and a part of the third, I have made little use of the numerous publications upon the history of the Thirty Years’ War, but have depended chiefly upon my investigations of the archives, which I have nearly completed as far as to the beginning of the year 1636, and in the French State archives have pursued to the year 1648. What I have to offer, therefore, of new matter, and especially in regard to Waldstein and his quarrels with the League and his removal at Regensburg, I shall in my future publications bring out in detail, as also the plan of Gustavus Adolphus, as gradually developed in his own mind, concerning a dominion in Germany. Wittich, in his work, entitled “Magdeburg, Gustavus Adolphus, and Tilly,” observes that he who should more thoroughly investigate and more clearly discriminate than has hitherto been done as to the degree in which the pretensions and demands of Gustavus Adolphus rose after his victories, would perform a labor worthy of grateful remembrance. In the archives of Berlin, Munich, Dresden, and Paris, I have examined everything which pertains to this subject. Sweden only have I failed to visit; and though I have not yet made use of this final authority, I have nevertheless found in the above-named archives matter of greatest importance, illustrating the gradual growth of the Swedish King's plans, which matter I have made use of, and shall hereafter pub-