The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-11-25

ter, Sophia iF0rOtEea. alone survived
the age of childhood. The love Of
her parents centercd il her, and the
most severe economy WAS plactlsed
at the Court Of LeIle, in order to
amass a dover sutlicaent to induce
some princclin9 to overlook the bar
sinister to their daughters escutch-
con. AsycarsrolIcl Oh, thepersonal
wealth of the Duke became so con-
siderable that lie purchased from the
Bishop brother ami the Emperor an
acknowledgment 0f his Witcas Ouch
ess. But the status Of their child
still remained unchanged.
Her father had received into his
family Philip Ven Konjgsmark, the
son Of an old friend, to be educated
in Germany. The boy was just thir-
teen when he arrived from Sweden,
and Sophia DOrotl.ea several years
younger. Very naturally, they be-
came companionsand friends. There
is not the slightest proof, at least Oh
the part Of the lady, that any stron-
ger feeling ever existed between
them. Philip remained at the Court
Of Ieiie rather more than d year, and
then returned to Sweden.
The court OF the Prince Bishop
presented an uni;'yorablc contrast
with that ofhis brother. His "adop-
ted sister they ha e vey pretty
sentimental names for ugly things
in GeTmany-the Countess Platen,
completely governed the vain Old
man, whose wife consoleil herself for
hcrlIusban0's intitlelity by a platonic
friendship with the philosopher Leib-
nitz.
George Louis, tho heir Of this mu-
tually accommodating pair, posses
sed one solitary virtue: he was corr-
ageouS, but IilicuIouS!y vain, cruel
and immoral, dtiOlmotl i'll person as
in mind. Following the example Of
his ght@veredan princely parent,
he too had an adopted sister, Ermen-.
garde Won Scllulenberg, whom, on
his accession to the English crown.
he created Duchess Of Kendall, and
Master OF the Horse! 1t was one
way Of providing for her out of the
public purse, and met with no re-
monstranco from an obsequious Par
Lament.
The military services Of George
Louis induced the Emperor to confer
the electoral dignity upon his father,
but the other electors refused to &C
knowledge him, disputed the validity
of his vote i'll the Diet, giving him
no higher title than Duke of Hano-
yer, to which NE had just previously
succeeded. MoTey became neces-
sary TO huy off their opposition. ,Er-
nest and the i1iectiess looked around
for q wealthy bride Tor their son, and
with the exception OF the bar sinister
could find none SO eligible as Sophia
Dorothea, whose father, Duke Viii
liam, listened eagerly to their propo-
sal, and despite the entreaties Of his
wife and the tears Of his daughter,
broke off her engagement with her
cousin, Augustus OF Wolfenbuttel,
the only man she ever really loved,
to alliance hol' to q protiigate mon
ster, incapable Of approaching the
virtues Of his reluctant bride.
Soon after the ill-omcncd marriage
the Indifference Of George Louis de-
GENERATED into. hatred, which his pa
rents shared. The Electress never
forgaye her dauehter-in-law the blot
upon her birth; tho Elect0r, her
steadfast refusal to associate with
her adopted sister, the Countess
Platen land his son became so infu-
rated from a similar cause, Mat he
actually attempted to murder her by
stranslllation, ard was only defeated
in his infamous design by the cries
of her attendants.
In order to hush up this last out
rage, which was severely commented
upon in Germany, Sophia Dor0thea
was permitted to visit her father in
Zelle. j. Vain1y she implored. his pro-
lection. Duke William, blinded by
the ambitious hope of seeing his des-
cen;lants on the throne of England,
pretended not to believe her. She
even refused to return to Hanover
till the threat Of eternal separation
from her children, q son, atterward
George the Second, and a daughter,
married to that mad brute, father of
Frederick the Great, and second
King of Prussia. IL
, Shortly after the departure Of So
phia Dorothea for Zelle, Philip Won
Konigsmarlz had arrived in Hanover,
where his ready wit, elegant man.
ners and undoubted talents soon
made him O fayorite, and he was ap
pointed Colonel Of the Guard. Moth
ing could be more natural than that
the intimacy with the companion of
his boylood should be renewed.
Her beauty touched his heart, her
wrongs excited his Indignation, aud
he expressed himself freely OF the
subject. There is.little doubt but he
counseIIed the Princess to seek re-
fuge from her prosecutions at the
court Of her relative, the Duke of
Wolfenbuttel. It was the signal Of
his assassination, and the ruin of the
victim he yairIly sought to defend.
A letterpurporting to be written
by the Princess, but which Madame
Platen on her death bed confessed to
have forged, was placed in his hand,