rg 80 pieces of artillery
opened from its summit and from the ridge of the Alte Veste, while
the smoke of the arquebuses drifted up in a cloud from the lines of
intrenchments.

Steadily and in good order the Scotch and Swedish infantry pressed
forward, and forcing the lower ditch strove to climb the rocky heights;
but in vain did they strive. Over and over again they reached the
intrenchments, but were unable to force their way through the thickly
bound fallen trees, while their lines were torn with a storm of iron
and lead. Never did the Scottish soldiers of Gustavus fight with greater
desperation and valour. Scores of them rolled lifeless down the slope,
but fresh men took their places and strove to hack their way through the
impenetrable screen through which the Imperialist bullets whistled like
hail.

At last, when nigh half their number had fallen, the rest, exhausted,
broken, and in disorder, fell suddenly back. Gustavus in person then led
on his Finlanders, but these, after a struggle as obstinate and heroic
as that of their predecessors, in their turn fell back baffled. The
Livonians next made the attempt, but in vain.

In the meantime a sharp conflict had taken place between the Imperial
cavalry and the Swedish left wing. Wallenstein's cuirassiers, hidden by
the smoke, charged right through a column of Swedish infantry; but this
success was counterbalanced by the rout of Cronenberg's Invincibles,
a magnificent regiment of 1500 horsemen, by 200 Finland troopers. The
troops of Duke Bernhard of Weimar, among whom were still the Scottish
regiments of Hamilton and Douglas, marched against the heights which
commanded the Alte Veste, and drove back the Imperialists with great
loss. Five hundred musketeers of the Green Brigade under Colonel Munro
then pushed gallantly forward and posted themselves far in advance,
resisting all attempts of the Imperialists to drive them back, until
Lieutenant Colonel Sinclair, who was now in command of Munro's own
regiment, brought it forward to his assistance. Until the next morning
this body of one thousand men maintained the ground they had won in
spite of all the efforts of the Imperialists to dislodge them.

Colonel Munro was severely wounded in the left side. Lieutenant Colonel
Maken, Capt. Innis, and Capt. Traill were killed, and an immense number
of other Scottish officers were killed and wounded. The news was brought
down to Gustavus of the advantage gained by Duke Bernhard