The Thirty Years' War 209 to the welfare of the fatherland. May their name again win undying fame and be feared by kings and princes, and may you of the noble class gain world-wide renown. This do I hereby wish you. You of the priestly class I would, in parting, remind of your duty to admonish your hearers (whose hearts are in your keeping) to be faithful and true to their rulers and perform their duty obediently and cheerfully. Strengthen your flocks, that they may live together in peace and con- cord and not be led astray by the counsels of evil men. But it is not enough that you instruct them in these mat- ters — it is my wish that you should walk before them in blameless rectitude, offending none, so that not only by your teaching and preaching, but by your example as well, they may become a useful and peaceful people. For you, burghers, I wish that your little cottages may grow into big stone houses, your little boats into great ships ; and that the oil in your cruses may never fail. This, for you, is my parting wish. For the rest, I wish for you all that your fields may wax green and bring forth fruit a hundredfold ; that your chests may overflow, and your comfort and well-being grow and increase, so that your duty may be done with joy and not in sighing. Above all, do I commend you, each and every one, in soul and body, to God Almighty. Upon his arrival in Germany, Gustavus was received The German with natural suspicion by the Protestant princes of S^ant to northern Germanv, who were not unnaturally reluctant join Gustavus. to ally themselves with a powerful foreign monarch against the emperor. The Swedish king thus expostu- lated with the cautious representative of his brother-in- law, the elector of Brandenburg : I have received your explanation of the grounds on which my honored brother-in-law seeks to dissuade me from this war. I confess I should have expected a different sort
