¶ A treaty was drawn giving to Napoleon control over Prussia; and this document Fr: William weakly signed. After that Napoleon simply ignored Prussia; made it so hot for Prussian ministers that they resigned when Paris frowned, or danced when Paris smiled. Napoleon set up his new Rhein Confederation without consulting Prussia; and Prussian patriots felt themselves mortified beyond endurance. ¶ Young men in Berlin, by way of protest, made a demonstration. Going to the doorsteps of the French minister, they there sharpened their swords! Napoleon was furious; he sought out the bookseller circulating an anti-French pamphlet, "The Deepest Humiliation of Prussia," lured him across the frontier, and had him assassinated. ¶ The Prussian patriotic party, begun as a court cabal secretly headed by Louise, decided on war. ¶ The troops were drilled night and day in preparation for the great war of liberation. Never before had a downtrodden nation worked harder to win liberty through liberation from the French yoke. However, the immediate results were to be disastrous. ¶ The Queen's dragoons went to the front; the Queen rode near by in her carriage; she wore a smart military coat, colors of her crack regiment; and General Kalkreuth, in a burst of enthusiasm, vowed that the Queen could herself win the war should she remain with the troops. ¶ Yes, Louise was actually going out to fight Napoleon's veterans, Napoleon's famous marshals, Berthier, Murat and the others; and even the great Napoleon himself. The decisive struggle took place at Jena, October 16, 1806; Prussian forces were annihilated. ¶ Napoleon came on to Berlin and housed himself in the Prussian palace. From here he now issued bulletins denouncing Louise as the cause of the war; he attacked her character, accusing her of a liaison with the handsome Alexander of Russia, and of still other intrigues with high army officers; he presented her as a compound of shameless camp-follower and dangerous woman, plotting against her own husband, thus bringing ruin to her native land. Napoleon even had Louise's apartments broken into and the Queen's papers seized, to see if incriminating evidence could not be uncovered. Ah, he knew all the tricks of love as well as of war! * * * * * ¶ But Napoleon went too far. His cruel persecution caused Prussians to sympathize with their Queen, instead of reviling her. 18 Years before the great question is settled Prussia indeed becomes Germany--in moody thoughtfulness--in stubborn determination--in unflinching courage. ¶ Louise now reveals herself a glorious National heroine. In spite of her animosity toward Napoleon for his atrocious slanders, the Queen decided to arrange an interview with the conqueror and beg favorable terms for her beloved Prussia.