Source:
The court and times of Charles the First, volume 2, pages 205 to 207, published by Robert Folkestone Williams, 1848
The letter excerpt:
London, December 6, 1632.
... On Friday, Dalbier, a German, who was Count Mansfield's paymaster in all his wars, he that should have fetched over the Dutch horse for the late duke from Embden, and which hath served some time under the King of Sweden since his coming into Germany — Dalbier, I say, came to court; and Burlamachi, that accompanied him thither, told me the news he brought out of Dutchland were as followeth: that he was four days in the Swedish army after the battle was fought; that he saw the dead body of the King of Sweden; that Pappenheim, the bravest commander that ever served the emperor, was slain in the same battle; that the Swedish army got the victory; that Wallenstein left his ordnance behind him; that Bernard, Duke of Saxe Weimar, pursued Wallenstein towards Bohemia; that Dalbier, as he passed through Frankfort, understood the Chancellor Oxenstiern was gone up to consult with the Duke Elector of Saxony about the carriage of the main business; and that when Dalbier was come to Mentz he found the King of Bohemia dead there of the plague, which he had gotten at Frankfort. Thus far Burlamachi.
The manner of the King of Sweden's death he thus describes; I mean, Dalbier. The king, saith he, being shot on the arm with a pistol, called to his cousin Bernard, Duke of Saxe Weimar, to make way for his retreat, that he might go and dress his wound. But, as the word was in his mouth, a horseman of the enemy, prying the king stedfastly in the face, said, "You are the bird we have so long looked for;" and with that shot him through the body with a brace of bullets, so that the king fell off his horse stark dead, and Duke Bernard slew the man that had thus killed him. But that which sounds harsh and incredible in all men's ears, is that the king's body, thus falling, should be so much neglected, as to be left all day and all night in the field, and to be found next morning stripped stark naked among the promiscuous carcasses. But Browne, that arrived here on Saturday, being sent post by Curtius, the king's agent, from Frankfort, contradicts Dalhier in this, saying the king's corpse, so soon as ever it fell, was laid in a waggon, and that, being since embalmed, it is carried along with the army as an incentive to stir up his soldiers to revenge his blood. Both do agree that the king, by his last will and testament, constituted the queen his wife to succeed him in authority, and ordered a council of war continually to attend her, that she might sign and confirm all their despatches and resolutions.
If the King of Bohemia be dead, the emperor hath a great advantage thereby, because there is none now living but himself that hath any title to that so long controverted crown. Besides, upon that king's death, our king and state are obliged to do more for a nephew than for a brother-in-law, and more likewise for a widow than for a wife. Well, the mourning here in court for both kings began on Sunday, and is to continue until New-year's day. And yet some, and those not a few, are so incredulous, as they will not believe the death of either; for yesterday there came letters to town from Amsterdam, Haarlem, the Hague, and Delft, which affirmed the King of Sweden to be alive, though those from Antwerp said the contrary. Yesterday there was at least £200 laid in wagers that he is still alive. Mr. James Maxwell's brother, hearing them there yesterday affirm the king's life so confidently, said he would lay ten to one the king was dead: such a throng of people came about him with gold in their hands as almost put him out of countenance, and made him glad to accept no more but three pieces. At night, with the tide, arrived from Delft a servant of one Mr. Berrington, a merchant-adventurer, who saith, that letters from Leipsic and Magdeburg do avow the king to be alive; and that the reason why it was generally thought he was dead was, because so soon as he was hurt he retired into his tent, and kept himself close there for two days under the surgeon's hands. ...
With more modernised spelling:
London, December 6, 1632.
... On Friday Dalbier, a German who was Count Mansfield's paymaster in all his wars, he that should have fetched over the Dutch horse for the late Duke from Emden, and which hath served some time under the King of Sweden since his coming into Germany — Dalbier, I say, came to court; and Burlamachi, that accompanied him thither, told me the news he brought out of Dutchland were as followeth: that he was four days in the Swedish army after the battle was fought; that he saw the dead body of the King of Sweden; that Pappenheim, the bravest commander that ever served the Emperor, was slain in the same battle.
That the Swedish army got the victory; that Wallenstein left his ordnance behind him; that Bernhard, Duke of Saxe Weimar, pursued Wallenstein towards Bohemia. That Dalbier, as he passed through Frankfurt, understood the Chancellor Oxenstiern was gone up to consult with the Duke Elector of Saxony about the carriage of the main business; and that when Dalbier was come to Mainz, he found the King of Bohemia dead there of the plague, which he had gotten at Frankfurt. Thus far Burlamachi.
The manner of the King of Sweden's death he thus describes — I mean Dalbier. The King, saith he, being shot on the arm with a pistol, called to his cousin Bernhard, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, to make way for his retreat, that he might go and dress his wound. But, as the word was in his mouth, a horseman of the enemy, prying the King steadfastly in the face, said, "You are the bird we have so long looked for", and with that shot him through the body with a brace of bullets, so that the King fell off his horse, stark dead, and Duke Bernhard slew the man that had thus killed him.
But that which sounds harsh and incredible in all men's ears is that the King's body, thus falling, should be so much neglected as to be left all day and all night in the field and to be found next morning, stripped stark naked among the promiscuous carcasses. But Browne, that arrived here on Saturday, being sent post by Curtius, the King's agent, from Frankfurt, contradicts Dalhier in this, saying the King's corpse, so soon as ever it fell, was laid in a wagon, and that, being since embalmed, it is carried along with the army as an incentive to stir up his soldiers to revenge his blood.
Both do agree that the King, by his last will and testament, constituted the Queen, his wife, to succeed him in authority and ordered a council of war continually to attend her, that she might sign and confirm all their despatches and resolutions.
If the King of Bohemia be dead, the Emperor hath a great advantage thereby, because there is none now living but himself that hath any title to that so long controverted crown. Besides, upon that king's death, our King and state are obliged to do more for a nephew than for a brother-in-law, and more likewise for a widow than for a wife.
Well, the mourning here in court for both kings began on Sunday, and is to continue until New Year's Day. And yet some, and those not a few, are so incredulous as they will not believe the death of either; for yesterday there came letters to town from Amsterdam, Haarlem, The Hague and Delft which affirmed the King of Sweden to be alive, though those from Antwerp said the contrary.
Yesterday there was at least £200 laid in wagers that he is still alive. Mr. James Maxwell's brother, hearing them there yesterday affirm the King's life so confidently, said he would lay ten to one the King was dead. Such a throng of people came about him with gold in their hands as almost put him out of countenance and made him glad to accept no more but three pieces.
At night, with the tide, arrived from Delft a servant of one Mr. Berrington, a merchant-adventurer who saith that letters from Leipzig and Magdeburg do avow the King to be alive and that the reason why it was generally thought he was dead was because so soon as he was hurt he retired into his tent and kept himself close there for two days under the surgeon's hands. ...
French translation (my own):
Londres, 6 décembre 1632.
... Vendredi, Dalbier, un Allemand qui fut le trésorier du comte Mansfield dans toutes ses guerres, celui qui aurait dû envoyer la cavalerie hollandaise pour le feu duc d'Emden, et qui a servi quelque temps sous le roi de Suède depuis son arrivée en Allemagne, Dalbier, dis-je, vint à la cour; et Burlamachi, qui l'y accompagna, me dit que les nouvelles qu'il rapporta de Hollande étaient les suivantes: qu'il était resté dans l'armée suédoise pendant quatre jours après la bataille; qu'il avait vu le cadavre du roi de Suède; que Pappenheim, le plus brave commandant qui ait jamais servi l'empereur, avait été tué dans la même bataille.
Que l'armée suédoise remporta la victoire; que Wallenstein laissa derrière lui son artillerie; que Bernhard, duc de Saxe-Weimar, poursuivit Wallenstein vers la Bohême. Que Dalbier, en passant par Francfort, apprit que le chancelier Oxenstierna était monté pour consulter le duc-électeur de Saxe au sujet de l'exécution de l'affaire principale; et que lorsque Dalbier arriva à Mayence, il y trouva le roi de Bohême mort de la peste qu'il avait contractée à Francfort. D'après Burlamachi.
Il décrit ainsi la mort du roi de Suède, je veux dire Dalbier. Le roi, dit-il, ayant reçu une balle de pistolet au bras, appela son cousin Bernhard, duc de Saxe-Weimar, pour lui ouvrir la retraite afin qu'il pût aller panser sa blessure. Mais, comme il avait dit cela, un cavalier ennemi, le regardant fixement au visage, lui dit: «Vous êtes l'oiseau que nous avons si longtemps cherché», et, sur ces mots, il le perça de balles dans le corps, de sorte que le roi tomba de cheval, complètement mort, et le duc Bernhard tua l'homme qui l'avait ainsi tué.
Ce qui semble dur et incroyable aux oreilles de tous, c'est que le corps du roi, tombé ainsi, ait été tellement négligé qu'il ait été laissé toute la journée et toute la nuit dans le champ et retrouvé le lendemain matin, complètement nu parmi les cadavres égarés. Mais Browne, qui est arrivé ici samedi et qui a reçu du courrier de Curtius, l'agent du roi, de Francfort, contredit Dalhier en cela, disant que le corps du roi, dès qu'il est tombé, a été déposé dans une charrette, et qu'étant depuis embaumé, il est emporté avec l'armée pour inciter ses soldats à venger son sang.
Tous deux conviennent que le roi, par son testament, a constitué la reine, son épouse, pour lui succéder dans l'autorité et a ordonné qu'un conseil de guerre la fréquente continuellement afin qu'elle puisse signer et confirmer toutes leurs dépêches et résolutions.
Si le roi de Bohême est mort, l'empereur a un grand avantage à cela, car il n'y a plus personne d'autre vivant que lui qui ait droit à cette couronne qui est convoitée depuis si longtemps. De plus, à la mort de ce roi, notre roi et notre État sont obligés de faire plus pour un neveu que pour un beau-frère, et aussi de faire plus pour une veuve que pour une épouse.
Hé bien, le deuil des deux rois a commencé dimanche à la cour et doit durer jusqu'au jour de l'An. Et pourtant, il y a des gens, et ils ne sont pas peu nombreux, qui sont si incrédules qu'ils ne veulent pas croire à la mort de l'un ou l'autre roi. Car hier, des lettres sont arrivées à Amsterdam, Harlem, La Haye et Delft, qui affirmaient que le roi de Suède était vivant, bien que celles d'Anvers disaient le contraire.
Hier, on a parié au moins 200 livres qu'il était encore vivant. Le frère de M. Jacques Maxwell, les ayant entendus hier affirmer avec tant d'assurance que le roi était en vie, a dit qu'il parierait dix contre un que le roi était mort. Une telle foule de gens se rassembla autour de lui, l'or dans les mains, qu'ils le submergeèrent presque et le firent se contenter de trois pièces.
La nuit, avec la marée, arriva de Delft un domestique d'un certain M. Berrington, un marchand aventurier qui dit que des lettres de Leipzig et de Magdebourg attestent que le roi est vivant et que la raison pour laquelle on le croyait généralement mort était que, dès qu'il fut blessé, il se retira dans sa tente et s'y tint pendant deux jours sous les mains du chirurgien. ...
Swedish translation (my own):
London, den 6 december 1632.
... På fredagen Dalbier, en tysk som var greve Mansfields betalmästare i alla hans krig, han som skulle ha skickat över den holländska hästen efter den salige hertigen från Emden, och som har tjänat en tid under Sveriges kung sedan han kom in i Tyskland — Dalbier, säger jag, kom till hovet; och Burlamachi, som åtföljde honom dit, berättade för mig, att de nyheter, som han förde ut ur Holland, var följande: att han var i den svenska armén i fyra dagar efter det att slaget utkämpats; att han såg Sveriges konungs lik; att Pappenheim, den modigaste befälhavaren som någonsin tjänat kejsaren, dödades i samma slag.
Att den svenska armén fick segern; att Wallenstein lämnat sitt ammunition efter sig; att Bernhard, hertig av Sachsen-Weimar, förföljde Wallenstein mot Böhmen. Att Dalbier, då han reste genom Frankfurt, förstod, att rikskanslern Oxenstierna hade gått upp för att rådfråga hertigen kurfursten av Sachsen om huvudärendets verkställande; och att när Dalbier kom till Mainz, fann han konungen av Böhmen där död av pesten, som han hade fått i Frankfurt. Enligt Burlamachi.
Sättet för Sveriges konungs död skildrar han sålunda — jag menar Dalbier. Konungen, säger han, skjuten på armen med en pistol, kallade till sin kusin Bernhard, hertig av Sachsen-Weimar, att göra plats för sin reträtt, så att han kunde gå och förbinda sitt sår. Men när ordet låg i hans mun, sade en fiendens ryttare, som orubbligt drog konungen i ansiktet, »Ni är fågeln vi har letat efter så länge«, och med det sköt han honom genom kroppen med ett gäng kulor, så att konungen föll av sin häst, alldeles död, och hertig Bernhard dräpte den man, som sålunda dödat honom.
Men det som låter hårt och otroligt i alla mäns öron är att konungens lik, som på så sätt föll, var så mycket försummad att det lämnades kvar hela dagen och hela natten på fältet och återfanns nästa morgon, helt naken bland de promiskuösa kadavren. Men Browne, som anlände hit på lördagen och fick post av Curtius, konungens agent, från Frankfurt, motsäger Dalhier i detta, och säger att konungens lik, så snart det föll, lades i en vagn, och att det sedan balsamerats och burits tillsammans med armén som ett incitament för att hetsa upp sina soldater för att hämnas hans blod.
Båda är överens om att konungen, genom sitt sista testamente, utgjorde drottningen, hans maka, för att efterträda honom i auktoritet och beordrade ett krigsråd att ständigt närvara vid henne så att hon kunde underteckna och bekräfta alla deras depescher och resolutioner.
Om konungen av Böhmen är död, har kejsaren en stor fördel därigenom, eftersom det nu inte finns någon som lever utom han själv, som har någon titel till den krona som man tävlat om så länge. Dessutom, vid den konungens död, är vår konung och stat skyldig att göra mer för en systerson än för en svåger, och även att göra mer för en änka än för en maka.
Nåväl, sorgen här vid hovet för båda konungarna började i söndags och skall fortsätta till nyårsdagen. Och ändå är vissa människor, och de är inte få, så vantro att de inte kommer att tro någondera konungens död; ty igår kom det brev till staden från Amsterdam, Haarlem, Haag och Delft som bekräftade att Sveriges konung var vid liv, fastän de från Antwerpen sade motsatsen.
Igår lades det ut minst 200 pund i satsningar på att han fortfarande lever. Herr James Maxwells bror, som hörde dem där igår bekräfta konungens liv så säkert, sade att han skulle slå vad om tio mot en att konungen var död. En sådan skara människor samlades omkring honom med guld i händerna att de nästan överväldigade honom och gjorde honom glad över att inte ta emot mer än tre mynt.
På natten, med tidvattnet, anlände från Delft en tjänare till en herr Berrington, en köpman-äventyrare som säger att brev från Leipzig och Magdeburg säger att konungen är vid liv och att orsaken till att man i allmänhet trodde att han var död berodde på att han, så snart han blev sårad, drog sig tillbaka i sitt tält och höll sig där i två dagar under kirurgens händer. ...
Notes: Dalbier = John Dalbier (born circa 1600, died 1648), a German professional soldier from the Rhineland who emigrated to England and fought in the Thirty Years' War and the War of the Three Kingdoms. He served with the Parliamentarian army during the First English Civil War before switching to the Royalist side during the Second English Civil War. He was killed at the Battle of St. Neots on July 10 or 11, 1648.
Burlamachi = Philippe Burlamachi (1575-1644), a Frenchman from an Italian family who lived in England for at least 30 years since at least 1605. He became King Charles I's financial intermediary and is best remembered as the inventor of a concept of a central bank.
Friedrich V (born 1596), Elector Palatine of the Rhine in the Holy Roman Empire from 1610 to 1623 and King of Bohemia from 1619 to 1620 until his forced abdications, died from a "pestilential fever" at Deinschwang on November 19/29 (New Style), 1632, leaving behind ten surviving children and his widow, Elizabeth Stuart (1596-1662), the daughter of King James VI of Scotland and I of England (1566-1625) and Anne of Denmark (1574-1619). Friedrich's heir was his fifteen year old son Karl Ludwig (1617-1680), and his younger brother, Ludwig Philipp of Simmern-Kaiserslautern (1602-1655), served as the boy's regent until he came of age.
No comments:
Post a Comment