accomplished all this, you are to proceed to Prussia, where no one defends you, where your friends can not rally around you, where you will vanish, uncared for and unwept.  No, my lord and father, you must not go to Prussia, or if you do, not until you have assembled around you your loyal subjects, when, at the head of your regiments, you go forth to meet the Elector as his powerful and determined foe, not as his servant.”

“What do you say, my son?” asked the Stadtholder, shocked.

“I say, father, that your friends and I have been secretly active, that we have prepared to defend you in case the Elector threatens you.  Throughout the whole Mark your friends are ready to make open opposition to the Elector, and firmly determined to protect you and their own rights and privileges sword in hand.  Only carry out Frederick William’s order, summon the commandants of the forts here to Berlin, and demand of them their oath of allegiance to the Elector.  This they will refuse.  All, with the exception of Burgsdorf of Kuestrin and Trotha of Peitz, will declare that they have already given in their oath to the Emperor, and can not conscientiously take any other.  The colonels of the regiments will say the same, especially Goldacker, the boldest, bravest of them all.  They will keep faith with the Emperor, and therefore the Elector of Brandenburg is not their commander in chief. You, who administered the imperial oath, they will obey in the Emperor’s name, they will follow whithersoever you lead.”

“But whither can I lead them?” asked the Stadtholder.

“To battle against the little Elector of Brandenburg, who would revolt against his lord the Emperor; to battle against the heretical vassal of the Emperor, who threatens the German Empire and the Church, who would break loose from Emperor and empire, who threatens all creeds, making every effort to strengthen and aggrandize the reformed party.  Oh, believe me, not merely good Catholics, but the Evangelical and Lutheran sects, will obey this call, and burn with enmity and wrath against the rash little Elector.  We have spread our net, and its meshes are entangling him, even there in Prussia, where he thinks himself quite safe and secure.  True friends and trusty messengers have been sent by Goldacker and myself to Prussia, to concert measures there with your adherents, and to rouse them to strong, energetic action.  Sebastian von Waldow, superintendent of the palace and captain of Ruppin, assembles your friends together in perfect secrecy, and I daily expect from him exact accounts as to the success of his operations.  In Koenigsberg itself we now have a powerful and efficient friend, who co-operates with us and is like-minded with ourselves.  It is the ambassador whom the Emperor has sent to condole with the Elector.  He is my best, most confidential friend, Count von Martinitz.  He is acquainted with all my plans, he is the confidant of all my hopes and views, and