stirred to that he had or so he deemed long ago forgotten and still musing he almost mechanically went on with the wild was not the sea made for the free land for courts and chains alone t � here we are slaves but on the waves love and liberty are our own this will never do he exclaimed leaping from his bed i am becoming a mere with advancing age power he went to the window and looked out it was about six o clock in the morning � the sun was shining brightly into his room before him lay the sea calm as a lake and clear sparkling as a diamond � not a boat was in sight � not a single white sail on the distant horizon and in the freshness and stillness of the breaking day the world looked but just newly created how we fret and in our little span of life he murmured a few years hence and for us all the troubles which we make for ourselves will be ended but the sun and the sea will shine on just the same � and love the power on earth will still govern mankind when and kings and are no more his thoughts were destined to bear quick the morning deepened into noon � and at that hour a sealed brought by a sailor who gave no name and who departed as soon as he had delivered his packet was handed to the king it was from the crown prince and ran briefly thus � at your command sir and by my own desire i have left the country over which you hold your sovereign dominion whither i travel and how is my own affair i shall return no more till the nation demands my service � whereof i shall doubtless hear should such a ever arise i leave you to deal with the situation as seems best to your good pleasure and that of the government � but the life god has given me can only be lived once and to him alone am i responsible for it i am resolved therefore to live it to my own liking � in honesty faith and freedom in accordance with this determination my wife as in her sworn bound goes with me for one moment the king stood and astounded a cloud of anger darkened his brows up the document in his hand he was about to fling it from him in a fury what this mere boy and girl had baffled the authority of a king anon his anger cooled � his countenance cleared the paper out he read its contents again � then smiled a fair well has something of me in him after all he said he is not entirely his mother he has a heart � a will and a conscience all three generally lacking to sons of kings let me be honest with myself if he had given way to me i should have despised him � but for love s sake he has opposed me and by my soul � i respect him chapter the king s rumour we are told has a million tongues and i they were soon all at work out the news of the crown prince s mysterious departure each tongue told a different story and none of the stories no information was to be obtained at court there nothing was said but that the prince the formal ceremony of a public departure had privately set sail in his own for his projected tour round the world nobody believed this and the general impression soon gained ground that the young man had fallen into disgrace with his royal parents and had been sent away for a time till he should recognize the of his youthful sent away you understand said the society to avoid further scandal th prince s younger brothers and were often plied with questions by their but knowing nothing and truly caring less they could give no explanation neither king nor queen spoke a word on the subject and sir de astonished and perplexed beyond measure as he was at this turn in affairs dared not put any questions even to his friend professor von who as soon as the news of the prince s departure was known resolutely declined to speak so he said on what did not concern him gradually however this excitement partially subsided to give place to other forms of social commotion which beginning in trifles swiftly expanded to larger and more serious development the first of these was the sudden rise of a newspaper which had for many years with the greatest difficulty in opposition to the many journals governed by david it happened in this manner the king s several leading articles written in favour of a settlement in the country had appeared constantly in s largest and most widely newspaper and the last of these leaders had concluded with the assertion that though his majesty the king had at first refused the portion of crown lands needed by the society for building he had now graciously re considered the situation and had been pleased to his previous decision the very next morning the rival daily had leaped into by merely two the settlement statement by his majesty the king and there plainly set forth was the royal and refusal to grant the lands required because of the earnest petition of our loving subjects against the said grant � and till our loving subjects objections were removed the lands would be withheld this public announcement signed by the king in person created the most extraordinary sensation throughout the whole country it was the one topic at every social meeting it was the one subject of every sermon and in every pulpit and lifting up his harsh voice in the cathedral itself addressed an enormous congregation one sunday morning on the matter and the king the queen 