ve him some ducats,
which she had for a whole week concealed in the cuff of her sleeve, he
brought to her my father-in-law, who however was horribly disfigured.
Thus they left the town more dead than alive, and being too weak to go
further, went into the hospital. Not only the poor sick folk were
there, but many respectable citizens and women in hopes of finding
it a safe asylum. But it was far from being the case. Although my
father-in-law was lying on a bed nearly dying, and every one saw that
he was bleeding and had been evil treated, yet he was dragged hither
and thither, some wicked people having betrayed that he was a rich man.
They broke him on the wheel; they brought my wife and children
prisoners into the town, where they had to make shirts for the
soldiers. As she was sitting in the churchyard, one of them brought her
a piece of linen to cut out, he said to one of his comrades: 'Go and
make sure that the peasant, meaning my father-in-law, is dead.' He
went, and returned again soon, having in his arms my father-in-law's
hosen and waistcoat, and said to my wife, 'Your father is done for.'
What barbarity! When the pilferers had sufficiently pillaged the church
of clothes and linen, they left the town, and would carry my wife with
them whether she would or no.

"Not long after they received their reward at Leipzig and Luetzen, as
may be read in other places. After this every one returned home, and
people found each other again; but the sheep and cattle were all gone.
I did not preserve more than three calves out of eight, without
counting my forty-eight sheep which, with the whole herd, had been
lost.

"Duke Johann Casimer died in the year 1633, and was buried, on the same
day on which the funeral sermon was preached for Gustavus King of
Sweden, in that country. At that time great robbing and plundering went
on, amongst others by Duke Bernhard's soldiers, nine regiments of which
were stationed at Itzgrund, to enable the princely corpse to be buried
in safety.

"In 1634 things became much worse, and one could well perceive that in
a short time everything would be topsy-turvy. I therefore removed what
I could to the parsonage at Steltzen, my beds, two cows, clothes, &c.
But this being in the autumn, after Lamboy had quartered himself with
every one and everywhere, my winter quarters cost me more than five
hundred gulden in thirty-five weeks, which I had to settle with Captain
Krebs. I had eleven persons in my ho