It may be easily imagined how the good knight endeavoured to dissuade her Highness from this course, and even spoke to the young Prince himself, but in vain. That same day he and Appelmann were obliged to set off for Stettin, and on their arrival presented the following letter to old Duke Barnim:--
"MARIA, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, BORN DUCHESS OF SAXONY, &c.
"ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE AND MY DEAR UNCLE,--It has not been concealed from your Highness how our clear son Ernest Ludovicus, since the departure of Sidonia, has fallen, by the permission of God, into such a state of bodily weakness that his life even stands in jeopardy.
"He has declared that nothing will restore him but to see Sidonia once more. We therefore entreat your Highness, after admonishing the aforesaid maiden severely upon her former light and unseemly behaviour, to dismiss her with our messengers, that they may return and give peace and health to our dearly beloved son.
"If your Highness would enjoy a hunt or a fishing with a tame sea-gull, it would give us inexpressible pleasure.
"We commend you lovingly to God's holy keeping.
"Given from our Castle of Wolgast, this Friday, April 15, 1569.
_How Duke Barnim of Stettin and Otto Bork accompany Sidonia back to Wolgast._
When his Highness of Stettin had finished the perusal of her Grace's letter, he laughed loudly, and exclaimed--
"This comes of all their piety and preachings. I knew well what this extravagant holiness would make of my dear cousin and old Ulrich. If people would persist in being so wonderfully religious, they would soon become as sour as an old cabbage head; and Sidonia declared, that, for her part, a hundred horses should not drag her back to Wolgast, where she had been lectured and insulted, and all because she would not learn her catechism like a little school-girl."
Nor would Otto Bork hear of her returning. (He was waiting at Stettin to conduct her back to Stramehl.) At last, however, he promised to consent, on condition that his Highness would grant him the dues on the Jena.
Now the Duke knew right well that Otto wanted to revenge himself upon the people of Stargard, with whom he was at enmity; but he pretended not to observe the cunning knight's motives, and merely replied--