The Thirty Years' War - James Aitken Wylie

look of their beloved sovereign. Contrary winds
detained the fleet a few days, but at last the breeze
veered round, and bore away the magnanimous
prince, with his chivalrous host, from a shore to
which he but too truly presaged he should return no
more. In a few days the opposite coast of the Baltic
rose out of the waves, and the fleet cast anchor
before the Isle of Rugen, on the coast of
Pomerania. On the 24th of June, 1630 -- exactly
100 years after the presentation of the Augsburg
Confession to Charles V -- Gustavus Adolphus
landed on the shore of Germany. The king was the
first to step on land, and advancing a few paces
before the soldiers, he kneeled down in presence of
the army, and gave thanks to God for conveying
the host in safety across the deep, and prayed that
success might crown their endeavors.
The powerful Popish monarch who had put his
foot upon the neck of Germany, heard with easy
and haughty unconcern of the landing of Gustavus
Adolphus. The significance of that landing was but
little understood on either the Romish or the
Protestant side. Ferdinand could not see that the
111