guard over
one single weak woman, with forty well-armed halberdiers, which might
be sufficiently accomplished by two or three. I cannot imagine what
offence I have committed to deserve such harsh procedure. I therefore
entreat your Princely Highness, for God's sake to set me at liberty.
For during this time I have not been able to sleep three hours by
reason of the noisy blustering and clatter of these indiscreet Swiss.

"'Your Princely Highness's faithful unto death,

"'Charlotta Palatine of the Rhine.'

"After our husband had read this writing, he commanded that all the
Swiss saving four should be withdrawn, which was done forthwith, to our
great content. But his Princely Highness sent us a letter, to the
following tenour.

"'To Charlotta, born Landgravine of Hesse.

"'It surprises me much that you should venture to ask why I have put
you under surveillance. You cannot deny that on my return from Ratisbon
to Heidelberg, I urgently commanded you to follow me without fail the
next day. But you did not do so till some weeks later, and during this
period you spent so much money, that our subjects, who were
sufficiently ruined without this, will for a long time have much, to
endure. You also know well how you disgraced me at Ratisbon by your
hunting parties, and how--because I in my just indignation, on account
of your past frivolity of conduct and wanton indecorum of dress in the
presence of the assembled Diet, have put you only under slight
restraint--you have for the past half-year refused to live with me as a
wife. This culpable conduct has entirely released me from all bonds of
wedlock; and I am fully resolved to separate myself completely from you
by a public act. This, my purpose, has moved me to assure myself of
your person, that you may not as a fugitive, by exasperating your
brother and other friends, bring evil on my country. Finally, if you
will keep quiet and retired, and will consent to the divorce, I promise
you on my Electoral faith, that I will not only entirely free you from
restraint, but will assign you an income which will enable you to
maintain yourself right royally. Thus saying, and expecting a decisive
declaration from you,

"'I remain your loving cousin,

"'The Elector.'

"When this writing was put into our hands, we were in such great
affliction we did not know how