tillness pervades that spacious
square. The people with dark, flashing eyes gaze curiously upon the
heretic, the unbeliever, who is to swear fealty to his Catholic Majesty.
The Polish deputies look threateningly upon the bold duke, who dared to
enter upon the government of Prussia before he had given his oath of
allegiance; the papal nuncio turns his head aside with sorrowful looks,
and can not bear to see a heretic, an apostate, invested with authority
over a Catholic country.

The King, however, smiles good-naturedly, and the ladies from the balcony
in the rear kindly incline their heads and blushingly greet the young
Elector, who, doffing his plumed hat, gracefully salutes them.

Three senators approach the Elector. One holds out to him the red feudal
banner, which the Elector grasps firmly in his right hand. The second
offers him the _Juramentum fidelitatis_ (oath of fidelity), on which the
young Prince is to lay his hands and swear. The third holds in his hand
the parchment on which is inscribed the feudal oath. The high chancellor
now descends from the steps of the throne and takes the parchment out of
the senator's hands. The Elector bends his knee upon the richly
embroidered cushion, a crimson glow flushes his cheeks, and deep in his
soul he repeats: "I shall be the last Hohenzollern to submit to such
humiliation and bow in the dust before another Prince. I shall make my
Prussia and Brandenburg great. I shall free them from Emperor and King,
and shall own no superior but God! To that end, O Lord, grant me thy
blessing, and hear the vow my heart utters while my lips are speaking
other words!"

The King waves his golden scepter and the lord chancellor begins with
resonant voice to read off the oath of allegiance couched in the Latin
tongue.

Loud and clearly the Elector speaks each word after him, loud and clearly
his lips pronounce words of which his heart knows nothing. To be a
submissive vassal, his lips swear--to fulfill faithfully and obediently
all the obligations due from him as Duke of Prussia to the King, as is
written in the oath of fealty subscribed by him. How full and strong is
his voice, sounding distinctly over all the square, and yet how sweet
and harmonious every tone!

Oh, King's daughter, King's daughter, shield your heart! Look not down
upon his lustrous eyes, heed not his voice, though it ring like music in
your ear! Beware of loving him, for you know not whether his heart
inclines towar