The business remained unfinished, but the Elector's letters to his brother were still in a most friendly and affectionate strain; addressed always to his "tres-cher Frere," and signed "tres-cher frere, votre tres affectionne, et fidele frere et serviteur," they are full of good-will, and wishes for "une prompte et bonne expedition" in Rupert's affairs. Occasionally they assume the old tone of jesting familiarity; in one letter Charles laments that the poems--"nos poesies"--forwarded to his brother have miscarried; and in another, remarks, in the true polyglot style of the Palatines, "Le Duc de Simmeren nous a vu a Hort, en passant pour etre au bapteme d'un fils de Madame la Landgrave de Cassel, ou je suis prie aussi; but I do not love to go a-gossipping."[14] In August he anticipated a petty war with the Bishop of Speyer, but he hastily declined Rupert's prompt offer of assistance. "I am deeply obliged for the offer you make me, but I should be desolated to think that you neglected your own more pressing business for a dispute of so little consequence."[15] In truth, the less his brother interfered in Palatine politics, the better pleased was the Elector. Rupert, he once wrote to his sister Sophie, {289} might suit very well with those who cared "to propagate the gospel by the sword," but he, for his part, loved "peace and concord."[16] His concord with Rupert was not of long duration, and this time the causa belli was a woman. The Elector had married, in 1650, Charlotte of Hesse Cassel, but the marriage was not a happy one. The Electress was of a violent temper, jealous and unreasonable to the last degree, and Charles Louis, wearying of his attempts to win her affections, permitted his wandering fancy to dwell on a certain Louise Von Degenfeldt, a girl not only beautiful, but clever enough to write her love-letters in Latin. Most unfortunately, the Baroness Louise also fascinated--quite unconsciously--the Elector's brother Rupert. At the same time the Electress conceived a violent admiration for her gallant brother-in-law, and the situation was, as may well be imagined, somewhat critical. The explosion was caused by a letter which Rupert wrote to Louise, complaining bitterly of her coldness towards him. The letter, which was without superscription, fell into the hands of the Electress, who, believing it intended for herself, received it with delight. It was her chief desire, just then, to appear to Rupert the most fascinating person in her court, and, encouraged by his letter, she assured him publicly that he had no cause to complain of lack of affection on her part. Rupert, who had evidently not learnt to command his countenance, was overcome with confusion, and blushed so furiously as to show the Electress her mistake. Thenceforth the Electress abused and persecuted Louise for having endeavoured to win the Prince's love, of which crime, at least, she was perfectly innocent.[17]