THE YOUTH OF THE GREAT ELECTOR An Historical Romance BY L. MÜHLBACH AUTHOR OF JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT, FREDERICK THE GREAT AND HIS COURT, LOUISA OF PRUSSIA AND HER TIMES, HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT, ETC. TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY MARY STUART SMITH 1909 CONTENTS BOOK I. I. GEORGE WILLIAM, THE ELECTOR II. EVIL TIDINGS III. COUNT ADAM VON SCHWARZENBERG IV. SOLDIERS AND DIPLOMATISTS V. THE ELECTOR AND HIS FAVORITE VI. REVELATIONS BOOK II. I. THE DOUBLE RENDEZVOUS II. THE ELECTORAL PRINCE III. THE WARNING IV. AN IDYL V. MEDIA NOCTE VI. THE HARDEST VICTORY BOOK III. I. NEW PLANS II. COUNT JOHN ADOLPHUS VON SCHWARZENBERG III. THE HOME-COMING IV. THE DONATION V. BRUTUS VI. REBECCA VII. THE OFFER VIII. THE BANQUET IX. LOVE'S SACRIFICE X. THE WHITE LADY XI. THE PURSUIT XII. THE DEPARTURE BOOK IV. I. THE YOUTHFUL SOVEREIGN II. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE III. DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IV. CONFIRMED IN POWER V. THE CATASTROPHE VI. REVENGE VII. THE SEALING OF THE DOCUMENTS VIII. THE FLIGHT IX. THE LETTER X. A SECRET AUDIENCE XI. MEETING AND PARTING XII. THE INVESTITURE AT WARSAW ILLUSTRATIONS. Portrait of George William, Elector of Brandenburg The Jewess in her Bridal Dress Robbery of Peasants Portrait of Wladislaus IV, King of Poland [Illustration: George William, Elector of Brandenburg. From an engraving by H. Jacopsen] THE YOUTH OF THE GREAT ELECTOR. THE HEIR TO THE THRONE. BOOK I. I.--GEORGE WILLIAM, THE ELECTOR. With hasty strides George William, the Elector, paced to and fro the length of his cabinet. His features wore a dark, agitated expression, his blue eyes flashed with indignation and wrath; his hands were folded behind his back, as if he would shut out from sight the paper they held with so firm a grasp, and which he had crumpled within his fist, until it bore greater resemblance to a ball than a letter. Yet he _must_ look at it once more--that unfortunate epistle, which had stirred within him such a tempest of fury; he _must_ withdraw his hands from his back, and again unfold the paper, for nothing else would satisfy his rage. "Would that I could thus crush between my hands the insolent, seditious authors of this letter!" he murmured, as with a sigh he smoothed the paper and read it over. "I see it plainly," he said then to himself; "with right unworthy motive, these lords of the duchy of Cleves intend to vex and mortify me. To ask me to give them the Electoral Prince for their stadtholder, to fix his residence among them! That were a fine story forsooth, to send our son away, that he, too, may perchance rebel against us. It is an abominable thing, which I shall never suffer, and I shall forwith give them my mind on the subject." He stepped up to the great table of carved oak-wood, took from it a silver whistle, and gave a loud shrill call. "Are the deputies from the duchy of Cleves already in the antechamber?" he asked of the servant who appeared. "Yes, your Electoral Highness, they are there."