lds
are devastated; her supplies consumed. She is looking despondingly
toward the future, and all that remains to her is hope. Sire, let not
this hope be in vain! Pardon us for not having feared your all-powerful
genius and your victorious heroism! It was a terrible misfortune for us
to have mistaken our strength; but we have been humbled for it. Let it
be enough! You have made us feel the conqueror's hand; let us now feel
and acknowledge your magnanimity! Your majesty cannot intend to trample
in the dust those whom fortune has already so humbled. You will not take
revenge for our errors--you will not deride and revile our majesty--for
majesty, sire, is still enthroned on our heads. It is the sacred
inheritance which we must bequeath to our children."

"Ah, your majesty will comprehend that I cannot feel much respect for
such sacred inheritance," said Napoleon, sneeringly.

"But your majesty will respect our misfortunes," exclaimed Louisa.
"Sire, adversity is a majesty, too, and consecrates its innocent
children."

"Prussia has to blame none but herself for her calamities!" said
Napoleon, vehemently.

"Does your majesty say so because we defended our country when we were
attacked?" asked the queen, proudly. "Do you say so because, faithful to
the treaties which we had sworn to observe, we refused to desert our
ally for the sake of our own profit, but courageously drew the sword to
protect his and our frontiers? Heaven decreed that we should not be
victorious in this struggle, and our defeats became a new laurel-wreath
for your brow. But now you will deem your triumphs sufficient, and will
not think of taking advantage of our distress. I am told that your
majesty has asked of the king, as the price of peace, the largest and
best part of his states--that you intend taking from him his fortresses,
cities, and provinces, leaving to him a crown without territory, a title
without meaning--that you wish to distribute his subjects and provinces,
and form of them new nations. But your majesty knows well that we cannot
with impunity rob a people of their inalienable and noblest rights--of
their nationality--give them arbitrary frontiers, and transform them
into new states. Nationality is a sentiment inherent in the human heart,
and our Prussians have proud hearts. They love their king, their
country--"

"And above all their august queen," interrupted Napoleon, who wished to
put an end to this appeal, and direct the conversa