It is better, in the duke's opinion, to fight
and to be beaten than to tamely yield Nordlingen to the Imperialists.
In the one case honour would be satisfied and the reformers
throughout Germany would feel that we had done our utmost to save
their co-religionists, on the other hand there would be shame and
disgrace."
"There is much in what the duke says," Nigel Graheme remarked.
"There is much," Munro rejoined; "but there is much also in the
arguments of Horn. He reasons that we are outnumbered, the enemy
is superior to us by at least a third, and to save the town we must
attack them in an immensely strong position, which it will cost us
great numbers to capture.
"The chances against our winning a victory are fully five to one.
Granted the fall of Nordlingen will injure us in the eyes of the
princes and people of Germany; but with good management on our part
the feeling thus aroused will be but temporary, for we should soon
wipe out the reverse. Of the 35,000 men of which the Imperial army
is composed, 8000 at least are Spaniards who are on their way to
Flanders, and who will very shortly leave it.
"On the other hand the Rhinegrave Otto Ludwig is with 7000 men within
a few marches of us; in a short time therefore we shall actually
outnumber the enemy, and shall be able to recover our prestige,
just as we recovered it at Leipzig after suffering Magdeburg to
fall.
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