with finery and flaunt through the streets in velvets and satins.  And the men encourage them in it, join in their amusements, and waste their lives in banquetings and feastings.  Such disgraceful lives as men must have passed in Sodom and Gomorrah!  And although you know the enemy may come again at any moment and levy their contributions upon you, yet you take it not in the least to heart, but continue to lead a merry, luxurious life, have balls and drinking bouts, spend a wild, heathenish life in eating, drinking, gambling, and other wantonness, deck yourselves out like peacocks, and those who have the least, and carry all their possessions upon their bodies, act worst of all.”

“It is desperation, your Electoral Highness, which makes the people of Berlin so mad and wild.  Well they know that they can call nothing their own.  Why should they save when the Swede comes to-day or to-morrow, and takes from them their last possession?  Therefore they prefer to squander upon themselves in desperate merriment, rather than economize and go along sorrowfully, to find that they have only saved for the enemy, who laughs at their misery.”

“Now, if you take it so, you might give to me also what I desire and demand, and I would have the citizens of Berlin and Cologne to know through you that I am not minded to abate in the least my requisitions for the payment of the expenses of my bodyguard, and the tax for the maintenance of my Electoral court.  You must and shall pay, and in any case it must be preferable, to your desperation, to give your last thing to your Elector and Sovereign, rather than have it stolen and extorted from you by the Swedes.  So, there you have my decision, and be off with it and convey it to the citizens of Berlin and Cologne.  Attempt not to say anything more now, for I will hear nothing more.  You are dismissed, go then!”

“Your Electoral Highness,” the spokesman ventured to begin, “I—­”

But the Elector would not allow him to proceed.  He took up his silver whistle, and with its shrill call overpowered the sound of the burger’s words.  The door of the outer chamber opened immediately, and the lackey appeared upon the threshold; on the outside, beside the door, were to be seen two of the Electoral lifeguardsmen, standing with shouldered weapons.

“The burger deputation is dismissed,” cried the Elector shortly.  “Have the doors opened, and let them go out.”

The delegates from the oppressed cities ventured not to make opposition; sighing and with heads bowed low they strode through the room.  Arrived at the door, they turned once more and bowed deeply before his Electoral Grace.  But George William saw it not, for with an adroit jerk he had again turned his armchair toward his writing table.  Meanwhile, although he affected to read the document which he took from the table, his attention was in fact wholly concentrated upon the departing burgers.  He listened with a satisfied air as they slowly moved away, and, when the door of the antechamber closed behind them, with a deep-drawn breath deposited the document upon the table.