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The Swedes took up the gauntlet thrown down to them, and, while they were opposed to Goldacker in Mecklenburg, other Swedish regiments marched from Lausitz against Berlin. This was exactly what the Stadtholder wished, and once more the devoted Mark saw the flames of war burst forth, in order that Schwarzenberg might have an excuse for summoning Saxon troops to his aid.
Goldacker left Brandenburg with thirty horse, and, report says, went over to the Imperialists. Colonel von Rochow, however, in his fortress assumed a warlike attitude, and gave out that he was ready to do battle with the enemy to the death.
You swore to do your duty for Emperor and Elector, and for this reason, on the recent accession of the present Elector, I only required the colonels to give me their hands in token of their obligations already assumed, for an oath is an oath, and you can not swear to serve one to-day and another to-morrow." "We can not and will not, either," shouted Colonel Goldacker furiously.
I did just like Commandant von Rochow, left him standing while I hurried off to your excellency." "An Electoral mandate reached me also!" cried Colonel Goldacker, laughing. "I simply showed the jackanapes the door, laughed him to scorn, and am come to get my orders from your excellency!" "But, gentlemen, with all this I know nothing and can not find out what has happened.
"Have you learned what bold steps the Elector is taking?" thundered Colonel Goldacker, shaking his fist in a most menacing way. "I know nothing, gentlemen, have heard nothing! Speak, tell me what has happened!" "It has happened that the Elector has sent commissioners to all our fortresses!" cried Herr von Rochow.
At this moment loud, angry and excited voices made themselves heard from the antechamber, and a lackey tore open the door. "Your excellency, the Commandants von Rochow, von Kracht, and Colonel von Goldacker request an audience." But the three gentlemen did not wait for the granting of this audience.
"A like order has the Elector's deputy handed to me!" cried the commandant of Berlin; "the fellow wanted to swear me and my men into the Elector's service." "I, too, must give such an oath to the commissioner!" screamed Goldacker, "and my troops as well. What do you say to that, Sir Stadtholder in the Mark?" Just now, however, the Stadtholder said nothing.
"It pleases me not," he murmured, after a long pause "no, it pleases me not at all that my son associates so constantly with Goldacker, Kracht, and Rochow at Spandow. They are disorderly fellows, who recognize no law or restraint, and find their sole pleasure in tumult and strife.
The colonels of the regiments will say the same, especially Goldacker, the boldest, bravest of them all. They will keep faith with the Emperor, and therefore the Elector of Brandenburg is not their commander in chief. You, who administered the imperial oath, they will obey in the Emperor's name, they will follow whithersoever you lead." "But whither can I lead them?" asked the Stadtholder.
Goldacker has been extorting bonds in Fürstenwald, plundering whole villages, and putting the magistrates in chains, because they would not say that Goldacker gave the press money to the young fellows of the village, although these had not made their appearance.
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