; and, had strength and courage alone determined this last
agony, doubtful indeed would have been its issue. But the Swedish cannon
now again opened their flaming mouths upon the right flank and front of
the Imperialists; and the effect was terrible: rank upon rank and file
upon file fell beneath that crushing fire; so that when darkness
thickened around the still contending armies, taking advantage of its
cover, and leaving behind him the guns which had not been already
captured, Wallenstein gave the signal to retreat, and drew off from the
field.

Thus ended this day of mingled glory and sadness, the mists and
confusion of which have in a great measure obscured its history. The
numbers engaged, the order of battle on the side of the Imperialists,
the number of the slain, the period of Pappenheim's arrival, what part
of his forces were actually engaged; above all, the circumstances of the
King's death, are perplexed amid the contrariety of contemporary
narrations, representing partly the imperfection of human testimony and
partly the different interests, jealousies, and suspicions of the times.

Among the last may be mentioned the imputation cast upon the Duke
Francis Albert of Lauenburg, of having, according to previous compact
with the Imperialists, murdered the King on the field of battle. This he
is said to have effected as he was leading him away wounded, by placing
a pistol behind him, and shooting him in the back. The Duke, who was now
about thirty-two years of age, had served during the Mantuan war in the
Imperial army, but, from some impression that he had been neglected,
joined Gustavus two or three weeks before the battle of Luetzen, as a
volunteer. After the King had fallen, supposing that all was lost, he
ran away to Weissenfels, and did not appear again among the Swedish
ranks until next morning, when the cool reception he received from the
generals induced him probably to leave and go to Dresden, where he
obtained from his relation, the Elector of Saxony, the rank of
field-marshal under Arnim. Wallenstein courted his friendship by
restoring to him without ransom some of his attendants captured at
Luetzen. The Duke was not ungrateful, and took a zealous part in the
negotiations between Wallenstein and the Elector of Saxony, and Duke
Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar in January and February, 1634. On the night of
Wallenstein's assassination he was arrested by Gordon and sent to
Vienna, where he remained a year in i