ine Karl Ludwig, Duke of
Bavaria, _dilecto meo_.

"'I can no longer oppose your Electoral Highness, nor any longer
deceive you as to my inclinations. _Vicisti jamque tua sum_, I unhappy
one,

"'Maria Susanna, Baronissa a Degenfeld.'

"When, by God's Providence, we got this letter, we forthwith perused
the same with great consternation; but as we are not much versed in the
Latin tongue, we despatched the aforesaid trusty servant to the Most
Noble Lord, Johann Jacob Graf von Eberstein, our dear lord and cousin,
who was accidentally stopping at Heidelberg, bidding him come to us,
and beseeching him as a friend and cousin to lend us his aid in the
interpretation of the said note. This he honestly rendered us. It
cannot be told what great sorrow took possession of our hearts, when it
became evident in how unjustifiable and unprincely a way we had been
dealt with. So distracted, therefore, were we in mind, that we ventured
so far as to break open the coffer of the afore-mentioned Degenfeld,
who was not then present, and after earnest search found three
abominable letters of his Electoral Highness, likewise written in
Latin, in which he equally assures the Degenfeld of his love.

"Then we could sufficiently see that our lord and husband was minded to
renounce all truth and love towards us. This we wished at a fitting
opportunity to forestal, and give his Princely Highness to understand
it in a covert way.

"It then came to pass accidentally, that a week after, his Serene
Highness Friedrich, Lord Margrave of Baden, our dearly loved
brother-in-law and brother, together with his loving lady and wife, our
especially beloved cousin and sister, came from Durlach to Heidelberg
to visit us. Now once when we were sitting at table, his Princely
Highness the Lord Margrave, thus spoke to us: 'Wherefore, my lady
sister, wherefore so sorrowful?' To which we answered thus: 'My dear
lord and brother, perhaps there is truly reason for our sorrow.'
Whereupon our lord and husband turning quite red said, 'There is
nothing new in my lady and wife being angry without any cause.' We
could not then, for our honour's sake, leave such a speech unanswered,
but replied, 'It is those that prefer waiting women to wives who make
me angry,' &c. Thereupon our lord and husband was quite taken aback,
turned pale with anger, and gave us, in the presence of the said
princely personages, such a severe box on the ear, that on account of
the v