The Thirty Years' War - James Aitken Wylie

still doubtful, the Swedish monarch directed his
own march to the West, where the free cities, and
the Protestant princes, waited his coming to shake
off the yoke of Ferdinand, and rally round the
standard of the Protestant Liberator.
His progress was a triumphal march. The
fugitive Tilly had collected a few new regiments to
oppose his advance, but he had marshaled them
only to be routed by the victorious Swedes. The
strongly fortified city of Erfurt fell to the arms of
Gustavus; Gotha and Weimar also opened their
gates to him. He exacted an oath of allegiance from
their inhabitants, as he did of every town of any
importance, of which he took possession, leaving a
garrison on his departure, to secure its loyalty. The
army now entered the Thuringian Forest, cresset
lights hung upon the trees enabling it to thread its
densest thickets in perfect safety. On the 30th
September, 1631, the king crossed the frontier of
Franconia. The cities opened their gates to him,
most of them willingly, and a few after a faint
show of resistance. To all of them the conqueror
extended protection of their civil rights, and liberty
147