i! hi! I adorned my person by way of letting your highness have a
joke, for I know, of old date, you are fond of a little fun; and our
dear good Sturmfeder, for the sake of adding to it, plays the part of a
jurist. Hi! hi! hi! but all he may say or do, he cannot save him in the
rose-coloured gown. High treason! he must lose his head, poor fellow!"

"Mr. Chancellor," cried Albert, glowing with anger, "the Duke can
witness, that I was never accustomed to play the buffoon. I don't wish
to rival any person in this sort of character; but I never play or make
sport with the life of a fellow creature! I am seriously in earnest,
when I pledge my life for the noble Dieterich von Kraft, scribe to the
council of Ulm, now present before you. I hope my bail will be taken."

"How?" said Ulerich, "is he the elegant gentleman, your host in Ulm, of
whom you have often spoke to me. I regret that he committed himself so
far as to be taken in the act of creating an insurrection, under very
suspicious circumstances."

"Certainly," croaked Ambrosius, "a _crimen lesae majestatis!_"

"Permit me, sir, to speak," said Albert. "I have studied law long
enough to know, that in this case it is absurd to talk of treason. The
governor and council of the League were still in the town last night,
consequently Stuttgardt was in the power of the enemy, and the scribe,
who is in no wise a subject of his highness, did not act differently
from any other Leaguist soldier, who takes the field against the Duke
by the orders of his superiors."

"Ei, youth, youth! How nicely it accommodates itself to circumstances!"
said the chancellor; "but my worthy friend, you must know that so soon
as the Duke summoned the town, and had the _animum possidentis_, every
thing within its walls belonged to him. Therefore, any conspiracy
against his royal person, becomes high treason immediately. The
prisoner Dieterich von Kraft held very dangerous language to the
people."

"Impossible! it is quite contrary to his manner and principles. My Lord
Duke, it cannot be!"

"Albert!" said the Duke in earnest, "we have had much patience in
hearing what you have to say; but it can do your friend no good. Here
is the protocol. The chancellor had examined witnesses before I came,
and every thing is proved as clear as day. We must make an example. The
chancellor is perfectly right; therefore I cannot hold out any act of
grace in the prisoner's favour."

"But allow me to ask him and th