ow going to cross my Rubicon. But give me your
blessing, old man,--advice is too late."

The knight cast his eyes around, evidently suffering from intense
agony; his voice refused utterance to his feelings, and he pressed the
Duke's right hand to his heart in token of bestowing his blessing. The
chancellor, observing a momentary hesitation in the Duke to quit his
friend, stretched forth his long withered arm from under his cloak, and
pointed to the roll of parchment. He looked like the tempter who had
succeeded in dragging another victim after him in chains. Ulerich von
Wuertemberg tore himself away, and went to hear the oath of allegiance
administered.

CHAPTER XXX.

No furnace ever blazed so bright,
Nor glow'd the burning brand
With half so powerful a light,
As love of fatherland.
_An old popular Song._

The apprehensions of the knight of Lichtenstein were not so totally
void of foundation as Ambrosius Bolland had represented them to be. A
large portion of the country had, indeed, joined the Duke, arising
partly from, the predilection of the people in favour of the hereditary
house of Wuertemberg, but in a great measure from the oppressions of the
League, who had forcibly compelled them to submit to their rule. Many
were, at first, induced to join his standard, and declare for
Wuertemberg, when they heard that victory followed Ulerich's path; but
the new oath of allegiance, by which all ancient laws were to be
abrogated, and the report that the refractory were to be compelled by
force to subscribe to these forms, had the effect, at least, of not
adding to the Duke's popularity,--a defect, in such doubtful
undertakings as the present, often felt too late to be remedied. Urach,
Goeppingen, and Tuebingen were still in the hands of the League, having
powerful garrisons in each. Dieterich Spaet, the Duke's bitterest enemy,
was established in Urach. He recruited so many men in a few days, that
he not only kept his district in subjection, but was enabled to make
incursions into the country which had submitted to the Duke. The report
was also spread that the assembly of the League at Noerdlingen had
separated, each member hurrying home to re-organize a fresh army to
meet Ulerich a second time in the field.

The Duke, in the meanwhile, appeared nowise concerned in the midst of
the unsettled state of the