sition. He showed them that were he to fall back with his
army he should be able to effect a junction with the troops under
his generals, and would ere long be in a position to offer battle to
Wallenstein upon more equal terms, but that were he to do so he would be
forced to abandon the city to the vengeance of the Imperialists. He told
them that did he remain before the city he must to a great extent be
dependent upon them for food and supplies, as he would be beleaguered
by Wallenstein, and should be unable to draw food and forage from the
surrounding country; he could therefore only maintain himself by the aid
of the cordial goodwill and assistance of the citizens.

The people of Nuremberg were true to the side they had chosen, and
placed the whole of their resources at his disposal. Gustavus at once
set his army to work to form a position in which he could confront the
overwhelming forces of the enemy. Round the city, at a distance of about
thirteen hundred yards from it, he dug a ditch, nowhere less than twelve
feet wide and eight deep, but, where most exposed to an attack, eighteen
feet wide and twelve deep. Within the circuit of this ditch he erected
eight large forts and connected them with a long and thick earthen
parapet strengthened with bastions. On the ramparts and forts three
hundred cannon, for the most part supplied by the city of Nuremberg,
were placed in position. As the camp between the ramparts and the town
was traversed by the river Pegnitz numerous bridges were thrown across
it, so that the whole force could concentrate on either side in case of
attack. So vigorously did the army, assisted by the citizens, labour at
these works, that they were completed in fourteen days after Gustavus
reached Nuremberg.

It was on the 19th of June that the Swedish army arrived there, and on
the 30th Wallenstein and Maximilian of Bavaria appeared before it
with the intention of making an immediate assault. The works, however,
although not yet quite completed, were so formidable that Wallenstein
saw at once that the success of an assault upon them would be extremely
doubtful, and, in spite of the earnest entreaties of Maximilian to lead
his army to the assault, he decided to reduce the place by starvation.
This method appeared at once easy and certain. The whole of the
surrounding country belonged to the Bishop of Bamberg, who was devoted
to the Imperialist cause, and he possessed all the towns, and strong
places in