hands, with full powers to punish
the same for her past wickedness.' Our lord and husband answered: 'I
should be glad at last to know who this person is; but I imagine the
offence is not so great as your Princely Highness interprets it.' But
we answered further: 'The offence is so great that the person can only
atone for it with their blood.' 'Nay, my treasure,' said our husband,
'that verdict is too severe.' But we were minded to reveal fully to his
Princely Highness the cause of our long affliction; we therefore took
out of our pocket the letter which our servant had brought, and began
to read it in an audible voice. Hereupon our lord and husband laughed
and said: 'All a mere jest; my treasure knows right well that the
Fraeulein von Degenfeld has from her youth been assiduous in studying
the Latin tongue, therefore I wished to try whether she was
sufficiently versed in it, to answer in the aforesaid language a note
prepared by me for the purpose. This she executed in the like jesting
way; and we are determined to support her on account of her innocence.'
We did not choose to wrangle with his Princely Highness, but said: 'We
have long known how to distinguish between jest and earnest. If it
please my treasure to furnish me with full proof that it was a jest I
will gladly be content.' Hereupon our lord and husband answered: 'Why
is so much proof required? Your Princely Highness is a woman, and has
better means of examining the innocence of Degenfeld than I, in whom it
would not be quite seemly. But I see well that innocent lady has lost
all grace and favour with you. As, however, it is already very late, I
wish my treasure to inform me whether it please her to be reconciled
with me here?' We answered to this: 'I feel myself bound by virtue of
my once given troth not to gainsay you in this.' But our lord and
husband, with a hearty embrace, protested by all that was noble and
holy, that, with the exception of this note, he had not trespassed
against us, and promised yet once more, never henceforth to misbehave
towards us, if we, on the other hand, would again render due obedience
to his Princely Highness. All this we promised, hoping henceforth to
live in peaceful wedlock, which perhaps might have come to pass if the
devil had not sown his tares.

"For, three days after, when his Serene Highness the Lord Margrave of
Baden had departed, a patent came to Heidelberg from your Imperial
Majesty's illustrious Lord Father, Ferdi