nearly as they remained, until Moltke, in one pitched battle,
succeeding where Gustavus, Turenne, Frederic, and even Napoleon
failed, overthrew for ever the military power of Austria.

Neither the Duke of Weimar nor Oxenstiern enjoyed the personal
ascendency of Gustavus Adolphus. The minister could not deal as he
did with German princes, nor the German prince with German territory.
The Swedish cause was very seriously weakened, and as the emperor gave
up the idea of restitution, which was hopeless, and which had done so
much to intensify animosities, and as Wallenstein commanded and Tilly
was dead, it became possible to discuss terms of peace with the
Saxons, who dreaded the moderated emperor less than the formidable
Swedes. That situation gives the basis of the tragedy that followed.
Wallenstein enjoyed undivided command. If the enemy accepted his
proposals, he thought himself strong enough to compel their acceptance
at Vienna. He opened two negotiations, one with the Saxons, to get
rid of the Swedes, the other with the Swedes themselves. The latter
was promoted by his friends, the Bohemian exiles; but Oxenstiern was
reluctant, and required that Wallenstein should declare against his
master. If he would do that, he should have the crown of Bohemia.
Wallenstein refused, and the matter was allowed to drop.

The scheme which he proposed to the Saxons and Brandenburgers was the
restoration of peace on the principles of religious liberty; the
control of belief by Government abolished; everything rescinded which
had been done since 1618 in contradiction with this principle; the
departure of the Swedes to be purchased by an indemnity. These are
the main ideas. They were reasonable conditions of a lasting peace,
and would have saved many years of useless war, and prevented the ruin
of Germany. Wallenstein designed that the emperor should be compelled
to submit, if necessary, by a display of force. What Ferdinand wished
for beyond this, what he had striven for all along, the Catholic
domination, was hopeless. And if not hopeless, it was a thing not to
be desired, and not worthy of the cruel sacrifice of continued
warfare. It was the interest of Spaniard, Bavarian, and clergy to
frustrate Wallenstein's scheme. They represented that he was a
traitor, that he was plotting with the enemies of the empire, that he
crowded his camp with Protestants, that he wanted to be king, and
compassed the death of his master. Some