Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, is justly
regarded as one of the greatest and noblest
figures in history. He was born at
Stockholm in 1594; was slain in the battle
of Lützen November 6, 1632. His father
died in 1611, and Gustavus ascended the
throne of Sweden in his eighteenth year.
In the Thirty Years' War, which began in
1618, he was hailed as the champion of
Protestantism, and his untimely death at
the age of thirty-eight years was an unspeakable
loss to that cause. His armies
were distinguished for bravery, discipline,
and morality. Robbery and license were
not allowed. Morning and evening the soldiers
gathered around their regimental
chaplains for prayer. On the morning of
the battle of Lützen it is said the army
sang Gustavus's battle bymn, "Fear not,
O little flock, the foe." Such an army was
a novelty in the history of war.
| Fear not, O little flock, the foe |
445 |
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