“My son,” he said softly and quickly, “I love you.  Yours are the first eyes that I have ever kissed, and this kiss of your father’s unpolluted lips should be to you a life-long blessing.  And now to work, now for action, and bold adventurous deeds!  Oh, of late how weak and worn out I have felt myself to be, and longed to withdraw into solitude and retirement, to rest from all labor!  I believed it was old age creeping upon me, and by its abominable touch unnerving my arm and crippling my activity.  But now I feel that it was only secret grief about you which thus enfeebled me and robbed my arm of vigor.  Now I am quite well again and strong; now I will dare everything that you have so prudently and wisely planned.  Yes, yes, once more I am Schwarzenberg, the Stadtholder in the Mark, and I shall not allow myself to be imposed upon; I shall do battle with this little Frederick William, who ventures to defy and threaten me.  He opposes the Emperor, he would be an independent Sovereign, while he is only the Emperor’s vassal.  For this he shall be punished.  It will not be our fault if this hurls him from his little throne, and how could we be blamed, should the Emperor bestow the margraviate of Brandenburg upon Prince Schwarzenberg, as he did the margraviate of Jaegerndorf upon Prince Lobkowitz?  To work, my son, to work!  Oh, now again my eyes see clearly—­now again my head conceives fixed and energetic thoughts.  My son, we two combined will surely be equal to the execution of our exalted schemes.  We two combined will ruin the Elector.”

“And put you in his place,” cried the young count.

“I must go before, that you may be my successor, and that our house stand firm and strong, and not be inferior to that of Lobkowitz or Fuerstenberg.  Already it is clearly defined in my mind what we shall have to do.  In the first place, we must render the Elector odious to all parties, making it evident to each that he is a dangerous foe to all, who would enrich himself at his neighbors’ expense, and would arrive at honor and power by weakening and degrading others.  We have only to say to the Emperor that he is his opponent, and seeks to release his officers from the oath they have taken.  Ferdinand is passionate and jealous of his prerogatives, and will crush his rebellious vassal.  To the Lutherans and their favorers we will have it whispered by our friends that the Elector, as a rigid Calvinist, threatens their faith, and proposes to restrict the privileges of their country churches and to deprive of their offices all those who will not confess the Calvinistic creed.  The Lutherans are a hard-headed and fanatical sect.  He who menaces their faith is their arch-enemy, and they will be ready to fight against him with fire and sword.  The soldiers, you know, are always ready to follow him who pays them best, and as regards their officers, thanks to you, my son, we are sure of them.  Let us now adopt a fixed plan for hastening the crisis.”