Descendants of the Stuarts

298 THE DESCENDANTS
who was her friend also, for her treachery ; but
the Princess defended herself from her reproaches
by the plea, that her conscience precluded her
from refusing to assist a fellow-creature, who
appealed to her for aid under such circum-
stances, and who was desirous of embracing, what
she considered, the true faith. More indignant
than ever at these excuses, which she viewed
as only shufiB.ing and evasive, Elizabeth next
appealed to the States-General for redress; and
here she was more successful, as the States, taking
her petition into consideration, determined on
punishing the Princess of Hohenzollern, by de-
priving her of certain privileges which she enjoyed
in the appointment of the magistracy of Bergen op
Zoom. This so irritated the Princess, that she
threw out some tolerably plain hints that Louisa's
conversion was attributable to any but the motives
she had assigned for it; a statement which only
served to widen the breach between herself and the
Palatine family. The Queen of Bohemia, the
Elector Palatine, and Prince Rupert, were all in
arms to defend Louisa's honour, until finding the
Princess was determined on substantiating her asser-
tions by written proofs, they wisely desisted from
further provoking her. Throughout this controversy
it seems strange to find Louisa herself, as welL as her
brother Edward, openly defending the Hohenzollern
Princess, and if, as that lady alleged, her only fault
consisted in having rendered Louisa assistance
when appealed to for it, her conduct does not