xploits.

Though he recovered from his wounds, he never regained his former
cheerfulness and good fortune seemed to desert him, and in a second
battle with Gustavus on the Lech he was mortally wounded, dying a few
days later.

As for Gustavus, he had won imperishable renown as a military leader. All
Germany seemed to lie open before him and it appeared as if nothing could
prevent a triumphant march upon Vienna. He had proved himself the ablest
captain and tactician of the age, his device of small, rapidly moving
brigades and flexible squadrons being the death-blow of the solid and
unwieldy columns of previous wars. And his victory formed an epoch in
history as saving the cause of Protestantism in Germany.

The emperor, in despair, called again into his service the disgraced and
disgruntled Wallenstein, granting him extraordinary powers. But this
great captain also was beaten by Gustavus on the field of Lutzen, where
the career of the Swedish hero came to an untimely end. His renown as a
great soldier will live long in history.

_CHARLES X. AND THE INVASION OF DENMARK._

When Charles X., nephew of Gustavus Adolphus, succeeded Christina, the
daughter of Gustavus, on the throne, the "Thirty Years' War" was at an
end, but new wars awaited the new king. Sweden had won large possessions
on the southern shores of the Baltic and had become one of the leading
powers of Europe. But Charles found these southern provinces hard to
hold, having to battle for them with Russia and Poland.

A worthy successor of his great uncle, Charles showed his warlike ability
by a rapid march into Poland and the overthrow of its army by a three
days' battle at Warsaw. But his progress was checked by a new and dark
cloud which appeared upon the sky. Suddenly and unexpectedly, on the 2d
of May, 1657, Denmark declared war against Sweden, and at the same time
an Austrian army invaded Poland with the purpose of aiding that kingdom
and destroying the Swedish army.

This double attack left Charles in a quandary. An able and experienced
soldier, who had learned the trade of war in Germany during Queen
Christina's reign, he was well fitted to deal with one foe, but could not
readily cope with two widely separated ones. He therefore determined to
abandon Poland, though leaving garrisons in its more important cities,
and devote his attention to Denmark. This Danish war had much in it of
interest, and showed that the new Swedish king had been tau