Page:History of the Thirty Years' War - Gindely - Volume 1.djvu/142

 When the news of this plan reached Heidelberg, another meeting was appointed at Crailsheim for the last of March, 1619, in which, besides the persons already named, the Elector of the Palatinate also took part. It was now known that the King of England was opposed to the plans of the Palatinate, on which account the offer from Savoy did not meet with so unfavorable a reception as might otherwise have been supposed. There was a disposition on the part of the Palatinate to concede Bohemia to the Duke of Savoy and be content with Hither-Austria. There would be, indeed, an advantage in this, as the immediate proximity of this territory to the Palatinate made its possession of more importance than that of Bohemia. And the prospect of the Bohemian crown itself also would still be open, for it might be expected that, in any future election, this might fall upon the Elector of the Palatinate, instead of the son of the Duke of Savoy. But it would not suffice to accept in Heidelberg the proposal from Savoy; they must endeavor to gain the Bohemians themselves to this plan, and to this end decided that Anhalt should visit Bohemia and invite Hohenloe and Ruppa to meet him at Taus, where the necessary statements should be made. This interview was to take place on the 10th of April, and it was hoped that by the end of this month the further determinations might be brought about.

As we perceive, the party of the Palatinate made use of the winter months in considering the final consequences of the insurrection in Bohemia and in planning to wrest the crown of this land from the house of Hapsburg. It was, however, otherwise on the imperial side. Here the effort was at the same time made, as remarked above, with more energy than ever before to bring about a