superior to most of his, though counting amongst their number many
deserters from veteran regiments; but the horses of their own party were in
general poor and out of condition, - and of the whole train, whom Maximilian had
inspected at starting, not two hundred could be pronounced fit for making or
sustaining a charge. It was true, that by mounting some of their picked troopers
upon the superior horses of the most distinguished amongst the travellers, who
had willingly consented to an arrangement of this nature for the general
benefit, some partial remedy had been applied to their weakness in that one
particular. But there were others in which Holkerstein had even greater
advantages; more especially, the equipments of his partisans were entirely new,
having been plundered from an ill-guarded armoury near Munich, or from convoys
which he had attacked. »Who would be a gentleman,« says an old proverb, »let him
storm a town,« and the gay appearance of this robber's companions threw a light
upon its meaning. The ruffian companions of this marauder were, besides,
animated by hopes such as no regular commander in an honourable service could
find the means of holding out. And finally, they were familiar with all the
forest roads and innumerable bypaths, on which it was that the best points lay
for surprising an enemy, or for a retreat; whilst, in their own case, encumbered
with the protection of a large body of travellers and helpless people, whom,
under any circumstances, it was hazardous to leave, they were tied up to the
most slavish dependency upon the weakness of their companions, and had it not in
their power either to evade the most evident advantages on the side of the
enemy, or to pursue such as they might be fortunate enough to create for
themselves.
    »But, after all,« said Maximilian, assuming a tone of gaiety, upon finding
that the candour of his explanations had depressed his fair companion, »the
saying of an old Swedish4 enemy of mine is worth remembering in such cases, -
that nine times out of ten a drachm of good luck is worth an ounce of good
contrivance, - and, were it not, dearest Paulina, that you are with us, I would
think the risk not heavy. Perhaps, by to-morrow's sunset, we shall all look
back, from our pleasant seats in the warm refectories of Klosterheim, with
something of scorn upon our present apprehensions. - And see! at this very
moment the turn of the road has brought us in view of our port, though distant
from us, according