¶ The treaty of Luneville, February, 1801, now seemed to lend color to Napoleon's greatest delusion of grandeur; he would restore the ancient domain of Charlemagne, comprising France, Germany and Italy! Signing with Prussia and Bavaria, Napoleon confiscated broad Papal domains along the Rhine, lands that had been in possession of the church since Roman times. With this bribe for secular princes, as the price of the readjustment, exactly 112 Teutonic domains, petty in size but all-powerful with the prestige of centuries, vanished from the map. The holy Electors of Treves and Cologne, those empire-makers of ancient days, were stripped of their worldly possessions, and expelled from the Papal lands. ¶ There were even rumors of a French-supported Emperor of Prussia--think of that! Francis of Austria, for reasons of policy, gave up the high-swelling title, "Holy Roman Emperor," and more modestly contented himself with "Emperor of Austria." ¶ And now, when Napoleon's delusion--Charlemagne--seemed on the very point of realization, there came the third Coalition against him; Prussia joined against France; but Napoleon soon gained the most noted of his victories, Austerlitz; 15,000 prisoners, 12,000 dead on the field, represented Austria's loss alone, but this was not all. The victorious French pressed on to Vienna. By the treaty of Pressburg, Austria was excluded from Germany; Wuertemberg, Bavaria and the Rhinelands went over to the French, Napoleon setting himself up as Protector of the Rhine country, with his representative President Karl von Dalberg, former archbishop of Mainz. * * * * * ¶ Louise was high-spirited, impulsive, courageous, imaginative--the very foil of her slow-going Frederick, with his church restorations forevermore. The Queen, always for an aggressive policy, by her sympathy encouraged the Prussian war party; patriots, restive under the indecision of Frederick, were eager to shake off French domination. The appeal was to Militarism, but what would you? The Hun was not only "at the gate," but was inside the walls; and if a man will not fight for his fireside, then he must remain a slave. It was a virtuous cause. ¶ The cabal at the Prussian court, secretly in opposition to the easy-going King, was aided by Louise. There were the King's brothers, the ambitious Hardenburg, the King's cousin, Ferdinand, the gifted Rahel Levin--and many others. These plots within the palace gave to Louise's life strange political aspects. ¶ The Queen desired to strike. ¶ By 1805 Austria, Russia and Great Britain were united, but Russia still wavered. ¶ Louise's secret influence became a watchword for Prussian patriots, who despised French rule. * * * * * ¶ After Austerlitz, Napoleon read Prussia his ultimatum: Shall it be war or peace? Peace and Hanover, or war with me?