opposition to the League has only subjected their houses and
estates to damage and heavy contributions. I then requested to be led
to the hall of the knights, where I would try to discover whether there
were not still left honourable men sufficient to defend the castle. I
reckoned upon the fidelity of the two Berlichingens, and many others,
whose names are familiar to your Grace, as having sworn allegiance to
your colours. But Hewen shook his head, and said I was mistaken in most
of them."

"But Stammheim, Thierberg, Westerstetten, in whose faith I would have
staked my existence--did you see them?" asked the Duke.

"Oh, yes! they were in the cellar with Stadion, and assisted to drink
your wine. They would not allow me to go up into the castle. Even
Hewen, with Freiberg and Heideck, who were with him, dissuaded me from
it, because, they said, the two parties were already much inflamed
against each other, Stadion having the majority of knights, and of the
soldiers also, on his side. 'If I went up,' they added, 'and it should
come to blows in the court of the castle, and in the hall of the
knights, there would be nothing left for them, as the weakest party,
than to fight for life and death. Willingly as they would shed their
last drop of blood for you, they would rather fall before the enemy in
the field of battle than be cut to pieces by their own countrymen and
brothers in arms. Being foiled in every thing, I asked them, as a last
petition, to protect your son, the young Prince Christoph, and your
darling daughter, and preserve the castle to them, when they
surrendered. Some of them consented, others remained silent, and
shrugged up their shoulders. Exasperated, I denounced them as traitors,
and giving them my curses as a Christian knight, challenged any five of
them to fight with me for life and death when the war should be ended.
Upon which I left them, and returned the same way out of the castle
that I entered it."

"Wuertemberg's honour is gone! could I have thought it possible!" cried
Lichtenstein. "Forty-two knights, two hundred soldiers, thus to betray
a fortified castle! Our good name is defamed,--futurity will brand with
scorn our nobility, who deserted their Duke's banners. The saying
'faithful and honourable as a Wuertemberger' is become a term of
reproach."

"We could, indeed, once boast of the truth of the saying, 'faithful as
a Wuertemberger,'" said Duke Ulerich, whilst a tear fell on his beard.
"When