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It was a saying of the celebrated Wallenstein's, that it was

easier to maintain an army of 100,000 men than one of 12,000. And

this army of which we are now speaking was part of that which in

the thirty years' war had desolated all Germany; it was commanded

by one of Wallenstein's lieutenants, and consisted of 28,000

infantry, and 7000 horse. In descending from the Valtelline

towards Milan, they had to coast along the Adda, to the place

where it empties into the Po; eight days' march in the duchy of

Milan.