HISTORICAL POEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1957, 27 August 1891, Page 39

HISTORICAL POEMS.

A SERIES OF GERMAN BALLADS, Done Into English Veese bt O. Baetertz.

The " Great Bkcfcor," Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg and Puke of Prussia (1640- 1688), stands at the beginning of a new epoch. The Houte of Hababurg, though still honoured with the Imperial name, had already sufficiently proved how little mindful It was of the true interests of the German nation, and how inoapable of protecting German honour and dignity. While the Bmperor quietly yielded up German ; territory to the encroachments of Louii XIV, the overbearing King of Prance, the great Eleotor stood on the banks of the Bbine, doing bis duty >s a prince of the [empire, aud fighting against Turenne. In order to free himself from this valiant adversary, the French KlDg caused the Swedes, his allies, to invade the 'domains of the Elector. The Swedes were burning and ravaging the districts of the Neumark. when the Elector suddenly appeared after a rapid [marob, and beat the enemy, in the gloriou* battle of the Fehrbellin. The army of the Eleotor consisted of 5000 cavalry, while the hostile army numbered 11,000 men. The event which form* the sub. ject of our b\Uf.d is r?latrd by Frederick the Gr«it, in his Mtmoiret pour servir a I'historie de la maison de Brandenbourg, in the following terns :—

"II est digne de la tnajesU de Vhistoire de rapporter la belle action que fit un ecuyer de I'electeurdans cc combat. L'electeur montait un chevul blanc : Froben, son ecuyer, s'a^ergut que les Suedois tiraient plus surcecheval quite distinguait par sa couleur, que sur let autres ; il pria son maitre de It troquer contre le sien, sous pretexts ' que eelui de Selecteur etait ombrageux ; etapeine cefidele domes' tique l'eut-il monte qutlques moments quil fut tue, ettauva ainti par sa mort la vie a VeUcteur."

It seems a pity to demolish the truth of so beautiful a story, but In spite ofthe Authority of Frederiok the Great it bad no actual .foundation, in fact, and may be treated as a mere^legend.

The [dates 1640-1688 correspond ; with the latter part of the reign of Charles ll,"the protectorship of Oliver and Biohard Cromwell, and the reigns of Charles II and James 11. Stirrlng' : times;.indeod I One of the great epochs in English history.

FEHRBELLIN. (28th June 1675.)

Elector Friedrioh Wilhelm, the ohampion of

the free, See how be proudly rideth before hit

cavalry ;— O, 'twae » hard day's riding from Rhine unto the Rhin, And 'twas a fierce-fought battle— tha. fight of

Fehrbellin. Want you, ye greedy Sweedieb, of German land yet more ? Why trail ye through the Naumark with bloody brand of war ? The over-bearing Lewis— ye but do his be-

hest— Hath made our folk from Oder unto Aliaohe

distrest. But no, Count Gustav Wrangel, just stay one moment still ! Here comes Herr Friedrioh Wilhelm, who with

Thee oonveree will. See how bis comrades gallop, and all are at

their ease, And William's standard flutters ao gaily in the

breeze. Now sea him in his saddle, a battle-god in-

deed ! Erect he sits, and brave he looks 'pon his snow-white steed ; And 'mong his true companions, though not through any fear, Froben, his valiant equerry, himself brings up

the rear. And when Herr Wrangel saw them, so few and

yet so fair, He cried to his artillery : " Now, children, aim

with oare ! For there upon his snow-white Btaed doth the Eleotor ride; Now thunder, and now lighten on him from

every side ! " And fierce and ever fiercer falls the'deadly

leaden hail, And c'en the bravest of them all doth turn a

trifle pale. " Seek shelter, bravo Eleotor ! " But Friedrioh

hears it not, Nor recka he the tornardo of bullet and of

shot. Then rides Emmanuel Froben up to his noble

sire: "Herr Kurfurst, your white charger, doth greatly dread the fire, la restiva 'mid this tumult, so I have brought

you mine ; He does not fear the powder, so I'll ride back

with thine." The Prince from off his white steed, right

. quiokly stepped him down, And in a second with a spring he mounted on

th 9 brown. Fzoben stood still a moment, then strode across

the grey, And saved the Kurfurst's life on that memor-

able day. Ai far from the Elector his steed doth madly

rush, Juat for one little moment the artillery seemed

to hush ; And Friedrich wonders inly why ceased the

bullet-howls, And, "Bravely waß it managed" the aged Dorfling growls. Then once again it thunders, and ones more i-ains down lead, But to another quarter they point their can-

non dread ; And down the white borse falloth, a»d there

upon the land Both borso and rider miagle their life-blood

with the sand. The cavaliers, speechless, see Friedrich 'for

their lines, Then grimly gize at Froben— how bright his glory shines ! The Kurfurst murmurs Bof tly, " Ha ! did he plan it so?"— Ani then in vengeful aoctn s, "Now forward for the foe!"