Page:Marquis de Sade - Adelaide of Brunswick.djvu/23

 when an unknown knight advanced and asked for the honor of measuring lances with the Prince. In order to provoke the prince, he said that the lady for whom Frederick fought was far from being the most beautiful in the stands, and that this superiority could only belong to a foreign lady as unknown as he, and whom he pointed out. Frederick responded in a suitable way to such a challenge, and the unknown knight was immediately knocked off his horse, and, submissive to the orders of his vanquisher, went to pay his respects to Adelaide who ordered him to tell his name and take his place beside her.

"Milady," said the knight, "I am the Count of Mersburg, and my estates are next to those of your august husband, and I am his vassal. Invited by the Prince, two powerful motives have made me accept the invitation which he was kind enough to give me; that of paying my respects to my sovereign and that of coming to admire in Your Highness the highest perfection that Germany has produced."

"And why did you say, Count, that another woman was more beautiful than I?"

"I see now that all competition was impossible," answered the Count. "If you will look over toward the young woman I had in mind, you will see that she has taken off her veil and that she is young and handsome, but is as far from having the gifts which nature has bestowed on you as the stars of the night are from having the brilliancy of the sun."

"But why did you fight?"

"In order to lose, Milady, and to merit in that way the honor of falling at your feet."

At this moment Louis of Thuringia and Frederick came up to the princess, and the conversation became general.

By nightfall the jousting was over, and dances and festivities of all types followed. For two weeks the amusements continued, and the Count of Mersburg, invited by his sovereign, was present at all the parties which preceded the marriage.

The Count of Mersburg was a handsome man of thirty. He was a learned man at a time when very few people knew how to read. He was intelligent enough, however, to keep his learning a secret in most gatherings because it was not considered a very important attribute. The count was a frequent