Famous and decisive battles of the world; . s climbing toward the zenith. Mean-time, dressed in a plain buff coat, without armor, the king ap-peared before his men. First he had caused his chaplain, Fa-bricius, to read prayers with him alone; then, out in front of hisline, the monarch knelt and implored the blessing of the Al-mighty on the issues of the day; and his soldiers, catching sightof him, struck up the grand old Lutheran hymn, that to thisday is the stirring chant of the German soldier before going intoaction : Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott— Our God is a strongtower. Starting among th
Famous and decisive battles of the world; . s climbing toward the zenith. Mean-time, dressed in a plain buff coat, without armor, the king ap-peared before his men. First he had caused his chaplain, Fa-bricius, to read prayers with him alone; then, out in front of hisline, the monarch knelt and implored the blessing of the Al-mighty on the issues of the day; and his soldiers, catching sightof him, struck up the grand old Lutheran hymn, that to thisday is the stirring chant of the German soldier before going intoaction : Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott— Our God is a strongtower. Starting among the footmen of Brahe in the centre, itwas taken up right and left, and soon the sonorous voices ofthousands of bearded men blended in the ringing, majesticmelody, and the morning air resounded with the swellingchorus. The king himself, when the notes had died away, ledthem in another hymn; then, mounting, he rode among and ad-dressed them. To his Swedes he said: My brave and belovedsubjects, yonder is the enemy you have sought so long, not. GUSTAVUS ADDRESSES HIS ARMY. 271 now sheltered by strong ramparts, nor posted on inaccessibleheights, but ranged in fair and open field. Advance then, by-Gods help, not so much to fight as to conquer. Spare not yourblood, your lives, for your king, your country, your God; andthe present and eternal blessing of the Almighty, and an illus-trious name throughout the Christian world, await you. But if,which God forbid, you prove cowards, I swear that not a boneof you shall return to Sweden. Then he rode over to the left, among the Germans of DukeBernhard: My brave allies and fellow-soldiers, he said tothem, I adjure you by your fame, your honor and your con-science ; by the interests temporal and eternal now at stake;by your former exploits, by the remembrance of Tilly and theBreitenfeld, bear yourselves bravely to-day. Let the field beforeyou become illustrious by a similar slaughter. Forward ! I willbe this day not only your general, but your
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherphila, bookyear1905
