it was afterwards prolonged to July 16. This naturally caused great indignation in Vienna. The Emperor sent new envoys to remonstrate with Waldstein, and these agents succeeded in obtaining from two of his eminent generals—Piccolomini and Gallas—the promise that they would remain faithful to the Emperor "should Waldstein for reason of health, or other causes, give up the command of the Imperial armies." On August 22, Waldstein had another interview with Arnim. He here appears to have spoken very openly. He declared that it was his intention to rise in arms against the Emperor and to restore to the Bohemian Estates the free right of electing their sovereign. He also offered to assist the Swedes should they attack the Elector Maximilian of Bavaria—Waldstein's old enemy.
It is a proof of the tortuous policy of the Duke of Friedland that, after having spent the summer of the year 1633 in negotiating with the enemies of the Emperor, he should have attacked them in the autumn of that year. It is probable that the "perfidia plus quam Punica" of Waldstein which was noted even at a period when treachery and statesmanship were almost identical, caused the Protestant leaders to meet his overtures with some distrust. It appears certain that Oxenstierna, who since the death of the king directed the foreign policy of Sweden, distrusted the Duke of Friedland. The latter, thinking it advisable to show that his skill and strength had not decreased, attacked the Swedish forces in Silesia that were then commanded by Count Thurn. Waldstein was again victorious. He defeated the Swedish forces at Steinau on October 11, and then returned to Bohemia to winter there. His success for a time silenced his enemies, but when it became known that the Swedish and German Protestant forces under Duke Bernhard of Weimar had on November 15 obtained possession of the important city of Regensburg, Waldstein, who had refused to march to the aid of his old enemy the Elector of Bavaria, was doomed. The Emperor, not entirely unmindful of the great services formerly rendered to him by the Duke of Friedland, determined to make an attempt to induce him voluntarily to resign his command. For this purpose he sent Father Quiroga, the Empress's confessor, to Waldstein's camp, but the latter absolutely declined to give his demission. He had at this moment undoubtedly already decided to join the Emperor's enemies. He, however, well
