Catholic Bohemia, and in place of the little Elector of Brandenburg was to have arisen a mighty Prince, who was to have broken the power of the German Emperor in the north, and become the chief and center of Protestant Germany!  To that end were they leagued with the Swedes, to that end was King Gustavus Adolphus to have furnished help to his cousins and brothers-in-law.  But the fates were against them!  In the battle of the White Mountain the Count Palatine lost his Bohemian throne, in the battle of Luetzen the Swedish King his life, and in the peace of Prague the Swedes and other enemies of the Emperor a powerful ally in the Elector of Brandenburg!  It was I who alienated the Elector from the Swedes, who made him again the obedient vassal of his Emperor and Sovereign.  And it shall be I who will make the Mark Brandenburg imperialist again!  For the limbs accommodate themselves to the head, and if the Prince acknowledges himself a professed Catholic, his subjects will soon follow suit.”

“What! most gracious father, is it possible that the Elector George William—­”

“Hush, hush, my son! who says anything about the Elector George William?  Who thinks of the decaying tree, which can no longer bear fruit, when he beholds at its side a young, vigorous tree laden with blossoms, rich for future harvests?  My son, I herewith give you my consent to woo the love of the Princess Charlotte Louise, but I make one condition which you must solemnly swear to respect:  none but a Catholic becomes the wife of my son John Adolphus.”

“None but a Catholic becomes my wife!” cried the young count.  “I solemnly give you my oath to that effect, father.”

“And you actually suppose that the Emperor will bestow upon me the same favor he has conferred upon Fuerstenberg, Lobkowitz, and Liechtenstein?”

“I am empowered to promise it prospectively, most gracious sir.  The house of Austria is grateful, and forgets not that already your father before you rendered her important services, attending the Emperor with credit in his wars against the Turks; that you yourself have been through a whole lifetime true and unswerving in your fidelity to the Emperor’s service; that the Stadtholder in the Mark, and the Grand Master of the Order of St. John has been ever mindful of his duty to the Emperor.”

“I must and shall be ever called a good Imperialist,” cried the count warmly, “and prefer the Emperor’s to the Elector’s service.[20] Bethlen Gabor, Prince of Hungary, has well said that the Elector and I are upon one ship, and that my fortune depends upon the Elector’s fortune; but he shall be proved to have been in error, and we prefer making our voyage in our own little bark to take passage in the Electoral ship.”

“Yes, father, that shall we!” cried the young count joyfully.  “You sit at the helm and give management and direction to the boat.  For my part, I shall so hoist and unfurl the sails that we catch the breeze and bound swiftly forward!”