The Youth of the Great ElectorMühlbach, L. (Luise)
General
The Youth of the Great Elector
Mühlbach, L. (Luise)
Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg, 1620-1688 -- Fiction
was to receive to-day, and this even reconciled the good people a little
to the proud, imperious Count Schwarzenberg.
And now the distinguished guests came riding up. There were the noblemen
from the country round about, in their antiquated, rumbling vehicles,
drawn by beautiful, handsomely harnessed horses. There were the Quitzows,
the Götzes and Krockows, the Bülows and Arnims, and as often as a carriage
arrived the musicians, stationed on both sides of the palace, blew a
flourishing peal of trumpets, and the noblemen bowed right and left,
greeting, although no one had greeted them except Count Schwarzenberg's
chamberlain, von Lehndorf, who received the guests upon the threshold of
the house. But now resounded a loud shouting and huzzaing, rolling nearer
and ever nearer, like a monstrous wave, and an unusual, joyful movement
pervaded the densely packed mass of men. "They come! they come!" sounded
from mouth to mouth, and small people raised themselves on tiptoe, and
tall ones turned their heads toward the corner of the cathedral square.
Already they saw the foot runner, with his plumed hat and golden staff, as
he came bounding on, then the two foreriders in their bright blue
liveries, with low, round caps upon their heads, and then the electoral
equipage, the great gilded coach of state, drawn by four black horses.
"Who is sitting in the coach of state? Is the Electoral Prince in it? Does
he come in the same carriage with his father?"
The people grew dumb from impatience and expectancy, in the midst of their
cries of joy; they wanted to see! All eyes shone with curiosity as the
equipage rolled on. Over in the park, behind the railing, stood the
drummers, and they began to beat a roll, which the boys riding on the
railing seconded with genuine rapture. The trumpeters blew a flourish,
and now Count Schwarzenberg himself issued from the broad palace door,
followed by his son, the young Count John Adolphus. Ah! how glorious to
behold was the Stadtholder in the Mark in his official costume as Grand
Master of the Order of St. John, his breast quite covered with the stars
of the order, whose gems glittered and sparkled so wondrously; and how
handsome looked the young count, in his white suit of silver brocade, with
puffs of purple velvet, his short, ermine-edged mantle of purple velvet,
confined at the shoulders by clasps. The two counts made haste down the
steps to the equipage. The Stadtholder in his amiable impatience opened
the carriage door himself, and offered the Elector George William both his
hands to assist him in alighting. And now, laboriously, gasping, with
flushed face, and a forced smile upon his lips, the Elector dismounted
from his carriage. Leaning upon his favorite's arm, slowly and clumsily he
moved forward to the house, his stout, lofty form bent, his gait heavy,
and his blue eyes, which were only once turned to the gaping multitude,
sad--oh, so sad! The people looked with pity and compassion upon the poor,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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