en, as courtesy did of
the noble, that he should openly express his wishes by a proceeding
which should make his resolution irrevocable. Of the agitation of the
man, or the heart-beating of the maiden, we find nothing recorded; we
hope that both were happy, when they had gone through the trying scene,
he without faltering, she without an outburst of tears.

In the year 1644, Friedrich Lucae, son of a professor at the Gymnasium,
was born in the capital of the Silesian principality of Brieg. He
studied as a Calvinist, first in Heidelberg, then in the Netherlands
and Frankfort on the Oder, returned after many travels and adventures
to his native city, became the court preacher at Brieg, and, after the
death of the last Piasten Duke at Liegnitz, and the occupation of the
country by the Austrians, was appointed pastor and court preacher at
Cassel. He died after an active life, rich in honours, in 1708. As a
copious historical writer, he was appreciated, but also severely
criticised by his contemporaries. He corresponded with Leibnitz, and
some interesting letters to him from that great man are still preserved
to us. He wrote also an autobiography, which has been piously preserved
in his family for five generations, and was published by one of his
descendants. ('The Chronicle of Friedrich Lucae. A picture of the time,
and its manners,' published by Dr. Friedrich Lucae. Frankfort a. M.
Broenner, 1354.) We will here give Friedrich Luca's account of his
wooing. This event, so replete with excitement, took place the year he
was preacher at Liegnitz.

"Meanwhile, when my mind was least intent on thoughts of matrimony, and
the other proposals made to me had been unheeded, a foreign lady,
Elizabeth Mercer, whom I had never seen or heard of all my life long,
made known to me her intention of receiving the holy sacrament from me
privately, as she could not wait till it was again publicly given, it
having been so only a short time before. The said lady had come hither
with the noble General Schlepusch and his most dear wife, from Bremen,
and resided at their noble country mansion Klein-Polewitz, a mile and a
half from Liegnitz.

"On Sunday, the maiden presented herself at divine service, and after
the performance of the same, came from the church to my house, and the
holy communion being devoutly concluded, I took occasion to discourse
with her concerning the condition of the Church at Bremen, as also to
thank her for two capons whi