power which hitherto faintly seconded them, brought them powerful
assistance. Lewis XIII. by the advice of his Prime Minister, sent
Cardinal De la Vallette at the head of an army into Germany; and
concluded a treaty with the Duke of Weimar, engaging to pay him a
subsidy of one million five hundred thousand Livres, and the sum of four
millions yearly for maintaining an army of eighteen thousand men, which
the Duke obliged himself to furnish, and command under the direction of
France.

Such is the exact portrait which Father Bougeant gives of the state of
Germany. Let us hear what a cotemporary author says of it[215]. "Fortune
smiled on the Imperialists on every side. There was nothing but conquest
and victories and a happy change of affairs: for in less than a month
the Swedes, who were become so powerful and formidable, were defeated,
and entirely dispersed in one battle, and an unheard-of victory gained
most gloriously with inconsiderable loss on the side of the
Imperialists. Bavaria was entirely delivered; the Swedes driven out of
Swabia, the dutchy of Wirtemberg conquered; and almost all Franconia:
the rivers Ocin and Iser remained free; the Lek, the Danube, the Necker,
and almost all the Main cleared, with the loss of so many towns and
provinces in such a short time, almost deprived the Swedes of a
retreat; Ulm and Nuremberg refusing them admittance, whereas formerly
they were welcome, and masters every where."

These descriptions agree with that given by Grotius. Sept. 20, 1634, he
writes to Du Maurier[216], "Had I come sooner to the High Chancellor, I
should have found the times more favourable; but as his great courage is
most conspicuous in adverse circumstances, it is proper we should
conform to the example of so great a leader. France is at present the
sole resource of Germany in her affliction: since the loss of Ratisbon