Alas, that is easily said and written; but it is, for a George Wilhelm especially, difficult to do! His capability in all kinds was limited; his connections, with this side and that, were very intricate.

Gustavus and the Winter-King were his Brothers-in-law; Gustavus wedded to his Sister, he to Winter-King's.
His relations to Poland, feudal superior of Preussen, were delicate; and Gustavus was in deadly quarrel with Poland.

And then Gustavus's sudden laying-hold of Pommern, which had just escaped from Wallenstein and the Kaiser?
It must be granted, poor George Wilhelm's case demanded circumspectness.
One can forgive him for declining the Bohemian-King speculation, though his Uncle of Jagerndorf and his Cousins of Liegnitz were so hearty and forward in it.

Pardonable in him to decline the Bohemian speculation;--though surely it is very sad that he found himself so short of "butter and firewood" when the poor Ex-King, and his young Wife, then in a specially interesting state, came to take shelter with him! [Solltl _( Geschichte des Dreissigjahrigen Krieges,_--a trivial modern Book) gives a notable memorial from the Brandenburg RATHS, concerning these their difficulties of housekeeping.

Their real object, we perceive, was to get rid of a Guest so dangerous as the Ex-King, under Ban of the Empire, had now become.] But when Gustavus landed, and flung out upon the winds such a banner as that of his,--truly it was required of a Protestant Governor of men to be able to read said banner in a certain degree.