"
"Pardon, my Lord!" cried the Archbishop of Cologne, "your contention
will hold neither in law nor in fact. High treason is an offense that
can be committed only against the realm as a whole, or against its ruler
in person. Prince Roland is not yet Emperor of Germany, and however much
we may regret the language used in his disparagement, it has arisen
through a misunderstanding quite patent to us all. A good but dreamy man
made a mistake, which, however deplorable, has been put forward with a
sincerity that none of us can question; indeed, it was the intention of
Father Ambrose to keep his supposed knowledge a secret, and you both saw
with what evident reluctance he spoke when commanded to do so by my
colleague of Treves. Whatever justice there may be in disciplining
Father Ambrose, there is none at all for exaggerated censure upon my
lady, the Countess of Sayn, and before pronouncing a further censure I
beg your Lordship to take into consideration the circumstances of the
case, by which a young girl, without any previous warning or
preparation, is called upon suddenly to make the most momentous decision
of her life.
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