“And now,” exclaimed the Elector, when the two gentlemen had left the cabinet, “now, Colonel von Burgsdorf, you have received your first lesson, and have learned to wait a little.  Come forward now; I have something to say to you.”

“And I, sir,” called out Burgsdorf, as he rushed forth from the bay window and threw himself on his knees before the Elector, “first of all, I have something to say to you.  Your highness, above all things I must beg your pardon from the bottom of my heart, and confess to you the evil thoughts that led me to suppose that the Elector at twenty years of age did not understand government and was only a timid young gentleman.  I see now that you are far wiser and more prudent than the old fool Burgsdorf, and that you have learned more in your twenty years than will ever penetrate my thick skull.  You are a great statesman, your highness; on my knees I implore your pardon for having doubted you, and beseech you, reject me not, sir!  Forget the nonsense I gave utterance to that time at Berlin, and take the old broadsword into your service.  It desires nothing better than to be worn out in your service, to fly out of its scabbard at your bidding and slash away at the enemy.”

“To slash away at the enemy!” repeated the Elector.  “First of all, stand up, old colonel.  There,” he continued, smiling, holding out his hand to him, “I must help you a little, for your old limbs have grown stiff in my father’s service.  And now, just tell me, old broadsword, what you think of it.  How will you attack the enemy for me now?  Enemies enough we have, indeed, but too few soldiers, I should think, to cope with them.  Or think you that we could soon set an army on foot?  Would you go out to battle with your regiment of two thousand six hundred men, and win back for me my contested territories?”

“I beg your highness not to speak of my two thousand six hundred men.  You know well that they have long since melted away, because there was no money wherewith to pay them.”

“Well then,” said the Elector, “I will gratify you by forgetting that splendid regiment, and by no longer reminding you of the things that were.  But this I tell you, Burgsdorf, under my administration everything must correspond, and what is noted down on paper must really exist.  And now we shall see if you are acquainted with our military affairs.”

“Alas! most noble sir,” sighed Burgsdorf, “would that I did not know, for it is a most sorrowful knowledge to an old soldier and in a most distressing condition is the Brandenburg military department.”

“Yes, indeed!” exclaimed the Elector.  “The knights no longer take horse, the citizens no longer care to defend their towns and gates, the States refuse to pay subsidies for the support of the army, and our coffers are exhausted.  It is no wonder if there can be no talk of an army.  How much infantry and cavalry have we in all, Burgsdorf?”

“Most gracious sir,” sighed the colonel, “in the Mark and Prussia together we have not more than twenty companies of infantry, allowing a hundred and twenty-five men to each.”