circular. One day he announced "that His
Serene Highness was in excellent health
and spirits; no addition was made to the
illustrious dinner circle; and His Serene Highness
ate French beans." On the next Heinrich's
paper came out with, "How long will an
enslaved people suffer tyranny to eat French
beans?" In the succeeding number of
Rrobrecht's paper it was replied, "that the Prince's
fondness for French beans showed his
unflinching desire to encourage agriculture."

"It is," retorted Heinrich, in Number three,
"a bitter mockery of the people, who cannot
afford such expensive luxuries."

One evening the Prince was walking under
the lime-trees; Albertina happened
(accidentally, of course) to be passing that way.
She showed the rival papers to the Prince.
He laughed heartily at Heinrich's denunciations,
and commanded Rrobrecht to discontinue
his "organ" altogether.

In the meanwhile Prince Richard's affairs
went from bad to worse, until they brought
him to the condition of a gentleman in very
embarrassed circumstances. He had hardly a
florin to bless himself with. Retrenchment
was imperative. He therefore assembled his
army and addressed his brave soldiery in the
following terms:—

"My friends, I have no longer the means of
paying you your wages. I have, accordingly,
disposed of your services to a great power,
who will lead you into Africa. You will have
double pay."

The Commissariat arrangements were
neither extensive nor intricate; and the entire
force was soon in heavy marching order (band
included) with drums beating and colours
flying. The departing army made its first
halt, on its way to Africa, at Zwéibrüken,
a village celebrated for the excellence of its malt
liquor; as Heinrich was always ready to testify.

René of Anjou has said, that a king without
music is a crowned ass; and the Prince, after
the departure of his brave band, became the
most unhappy of potentates. Albertina alone
consoled him ; but in a very short time she
also took her departure, accompanied by a
female attendant. The alleged reason for the
journey was a visit to an old relation.

The loss of his farms, of his fortune, of his
army, and even of his band, did not affect the
Prince, it was observed, so much as this; and
the Prince placed in Rrobrecht's hands a
letter addressed to his uncle, without,
however, desiring him to take it to its destination
without loss of time. The letter ran as
follows:—

"MY dear Uncle,

"I neither can, nor do I any longer
desire to remain a Prince.

"When you receive the letter I shall have
taken my departure from my dominions. I
abandon to you all my rights; requiring only at
your hands, as a compensation for the same, a
yearly pension of one thousand five hundred
florins. I will let you know when you are to
forward me my pension. Keep Rrobrecht near
your person, he is a good and loyal servant.

" I embrace you affectionately,
"AUGUSTUS-RlCHARD-FREDERIC-ERNEST-
                         ALPHONSE-HANS-ALBERT."

And the following morning, as soon as the
rising sun had tinged with its first rosy
beams the muslin curtains of his bed-room
windows—silk curtains were used only in the
throne-room—his Serene Highness sprang
from his couch, dressed himself hastily, and
proceeded to pack into a small valise his four
most precious articles. To wit:—

A small canvas bag containing thirty
crowns.

A blue sash which had formerly encircled
the taper waist of the pretty Albertina.

Albertina's letters.

His favourite flute.

This done, he glided down stairs, placed the
valise upon his horse, mounted, and took his
departure from Minnigissenbourgh, never to
return.

When he had reached the outskirts of the
town, he paused and looked round, and his
eyes rested upon the acacias which
overshadowed the tailor's dwelling. After a long
gaze, he sighed and went his way.

His horse padded on steadily; till, towards
evening, he arrived at a little forest retreat,
surrounded by acacias, and fronted by a nicely-
mown grass-plot, dotted with several flower-
beds, each containing a variety of plants in
full bloom. He thought of his own carnations,
and wished they could be transplanted.

He entered the cottage, and an aged
domestic received him politely. He had
scarcely sat down near the window, when he
perceived, at a turning of the gravel walk,
two ladies approaching. One of them was
old, of a gentle and prepossessing countenance;
the other was Albertina.

In a few words the ex-Prince put the ladies
in possession of all that had occurred.
"Albertina," said the Prince, "how sweet would
be a life spent here with you! I cannot now
demand your hand after having foregone the
possession of it when I was a prince. Behold
to day my entire fortune!—I have thirty
ducats in my valise, and I am assured a
pension of fifteen hundred florins a-year."

"My Prince," said the aunt, "you have
no cause for despair. Albertina loves you.
Remain here. She shall come to see me every
month; and when I shall have been assured
that your resolution of marrying her is not
the result of a momentary enthusiasm; when
I am convinced that you do not regret your
palace and power; then we will arrange all
for the best."

Richard could make no other reply than that
of kissing the wrinkled hand of the kind old lady.

When she presented to him, a month
later, the little hand of Albertina, he
exclaimed, as he pressed it to his lips, "Adieu,
adieu, Hesse Minnigissengen; adieu the sad