m. He galloped right to the place where
his infantry was most oppressed; and while looking round to spy out
some weak point, on which his attack might be directed, his
short-sightedness led him too near the enemy's lines. An Imperial
sergeant (_gefreiter_), observing that every one respectfully made
room for the advancing horseman, ordered a musketeer to fire on him.
"Aim at _him_ there," cried he; "that must be a man of consequence."
The soldier drew his trigger; and the King's left arm was shattered by
the ball. At this instant, his cavalry came galloping up, and a
confused cry of "_The King bleeds! The King is shot!_" spread horror
and dismay through their ranks. "It is nothing: follow me!" exclaimed
the King, collecting all his strength; but overcome with pain, and on
the point of fainting, he desired the Duke of Lauenburg, in French, to
take him without notice from the tumult. The Duke then turned with him
to the right wing, making a wide circuit to conceal this accident from
the desponding infantry; but as they rode along, the King received a
second bullet through the back, which took from him the last remainder
of his strength. "I have got enough, brother," said he with a dying
voice: "haste, save thyself." With these words he sank from his horse;
and here, struck by several other bullets, far from his attendants, he
breathed out his life beneath the plundering hands of a troop of
Croats. His horse flying on without its rider, and bathed in blood,
soon announced to the Swedish cavalry the fall of their King; with
wild yells they rush to the spot, to snatch that sacred spoil from the
enemy. A deadly fight ensues around the corpse, and the mangled
remains are buried under a hill of slain men.

'The dreadful tidings hasten in a few minutes over all the Swedish
army: but instead of deadening the courage of these hardy troops, they
rouse it to a fierce consuming fire. Life falls in value, since the
holiest of all lives is gone; and death has now no terror for the
lowly, since it has not spared the anointed head. With the grim fury
of lions, the Upland, Smaeland, Finnish, East and West Gothland
regiments dash a second time upon the left wing of the enemy, which,
already making but a feeble opposition to Von Horn, is now utterly
driven from the field.

* * * * *

'But how dear a victory, how sad a triumph! Now first when the rage of
battle has grown cold, do they feel the whole greatnes