- Accordingly He Bent His Course To Saxony, Marched Thro' Silesia
And Lusatia, Plundered The Open Country, Laid The Rich City
Of Leipsic,
and other towns, under contribution, and at length encamped at
Alranstadt, near the plains of Lutsen, whence he
Sent to the estates of
Saxony, to give him an estimate of what they could supply, and obliged
them to levy whatever sums he had occasion for: not that he had the
least spark of avarice in his nature, but his hatred to Augustus, who
had by his injustice made him become his enemy, was so great, that it
extended to all those of his country, so far, as to humble and
impoverish the once opulent inhabitants, making them not only support
his numerous army, but laid on them besides many unnecessary imposts,
which he divided among his soldiers, so that they were all cloathed in
gold and silver, and every private man had the appearance of a general,
the king himself still preferring his usual plainness; but he loved, he
said, to see the Saxon riches upon Swedish backs.
Horatio had now a second opportunity of writing to France, which he did
not fail to do, and, as there was no talk of the army decamping for some
time, let his friends know he hoped to hear from them at Alranstadt.
Augustus, in the mean time deprived of every thing, and a wanderer in
that kingdom where he had lately reigned, sent a mean submission to him,
entreating peace, and that he might have leave to return to his
electorate. This was granted by the conqueror, on condition he would
renounce, for ever, all thoughts of re-entering Poland, or giving any
disturbance to Stanislaus. But as the treaty was going to be signed, the
czar sent an army of 20,000 men to his relief, who defeated general
Mayerfield, whom the king had left to guard that kingdom; and the
dethroned monarch once more entered Warsaw, the capital of Poland,
in triumph.
Charles XII. was so exasperated when he received this intelligence, that
he gave immediate orders to decamp, resolving he should not long enjoy
the benefit of his breach of faith; but the pusillanimity of Augustus
prevented him: that prince was afraid the czar should discover the peace
he had been secretly negotiating, and withdraw his troups; and as he had
neither any of his own, nor money to assist him, he sent the articles
demanded of him by the king of Sweden, signed with his own hand, and set
out to Alranstadt, hoping, by his presence and persuasions, to mollify
his indignation, and be permitted to enjoy his own Saxony in peace.
What more could the utmost ambition of man require than the king of
Sweden now received, to see a prince, so lately his equal and inveterate
enemy, come to solicite favour of him in his camp, almost at his feet;
but whatever were his sentiments on this occasion he concealed them, and
tho' he could not but despise such an act of meanness, he treated him
with the utmost politeness, tho' without making any abatement of the
demands he had exacted from him.
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