It was of her son that George Louis used to say, in later years, ‘Il est fougueux, mais il a du cœur’--hot-headed but not heartless. George Augustus manifested this disposition very early in life. He was on one occasion hunting in the neighbourhood of Luisberg, not many miles from the scene of his mother’s imprisonment, when he made a sudden resolution to visit her, regardless of the strict prohibition against such a course laid on him by his father and the Hanoverian government. Laying spurs to his horse, he galloped at full speed from the field, and in the direction of Ahlden. His astonished suite, seeing the direction which he was following at so furious a rate, immediately suspected his design and became legally determined to frustrate it. They left pursuing the stag and took to chasing the prince. The heir-apparent led them far away over field and furrow, to the great detriment of the wind and persons of his pursuers; and he would have distanced the whole body of flying huntsmen, but that his steed was less fleet than those of two officers of the Electoral household, who kept close to the fugitive, and at last came up with him on the skirts of a wood adjacent to Ahlden. With mingled courtesy and firmness they represented to him that he could not be permitted to go further in a direction which was forbidden, as by so doing he would not only be treating the paternal command with contempt, but would be making them accomplices in his crime of disobedience. George Augustus, vexed and chafed, argued the matter with them, appealed to their affections and feelings, and endeavoured to convince them both as men and as ministers, as human beings and as mere official red-tapists, that he was authorised to continue his route to Ahlden by every law, earthly or divine. The red-tapists, however, acknowledged no law under such circumstances but that of their Electoral lord and master, and that law they would not permit to be broken. Laying hold of the bridle of the prince’s steed, they turned its head homewards and rode away with George Augustus in a state of full discontent and strict arrest. CHAPTER X. THE SUCCESSION--DEATH OF THE ELECTRESS. Marriage of Prince George to Princess Caroline of Anspach, and of his sister to the Crown Prince of Prussia--Honours conferred by Queen Anne on Prince George--Intention to bring over to England the Princess Sophia--Opposed by Queen Anne--Foundation of the kingdom of Prussia--The establishment of this Protestant kingdom promoted by the Jesuits--The Electress Sophia’s visit to Loo--The law granting taxes on births, deaths, and marriages--Complaint of Queen Anne against the Electress--Tom D’Urfey’s doggrel verses on her--Death of the Electress--Character of her.