of Muhlberg, chief Town of the District,
lying some ten miles northwest; then, not much beyond it, Torgau; and
then famed Wittenberg, all on the northwest, farther down the River: and
on the other side, Meissen with its Potteries not far to the southeast
of you, up the River, on the Dresden hand. Nay perhaps many of
my readers have seen the place, and not known, in their touring
expeditions; which are now blinder than ever, and done by steam, without
even eyesight, not to say intelligence. Precisely where the railway
from Leipzig to Dresden crosses the Elbe,--there, if you happen to
have daylight, is a flat, rather clayey country, dirty-greenish, as if
depastured partly by geese; with a big full River Elbe sweeping through
it, banks barish for a mile or two; River itself swift, sleek and of
flint-color; not unpleasant to behold, thus far on its journey from the
Bohemian Giant-Mountains seaward: precisely there, when you have
crossed the Bridge, is the south-most corner of August the Strong's
Encampment,--vanished now like the last flock of geese that soiled and
nibbled these localities;--and, without knowing it, you are actually
upon memorable ground.

Actually, we may well say; apart from August and his fooleries. For
here also it was, on the ground now under your eye, that Kurfurst Johann
Friedrich the Magnanimous, having been surprised the day before at
public worship in the abovementioned Town of Muhlberg, and completely
beaten by Kaiser Karl the Fifth and his Spaniards and Duke of Alba,
did, on Monday 25th April, 1547, ride forth as Prisoner to meet the said
Kaiser; and had the worst reception from him, poor man. "Take pity on
me, O God! This is what it is come to?" the magnanimous beaten Kurfurst
was heard murmuring as he rode. At sight of the Kaiser, he dismounted,
pulled off his iron-plated gloves, knelt, and was: for humbly taking the
Kaiser's hand, to kiss it. Kaiser would not; Kaiser looked thunderous
tornado on him, with hands rigidly in the vertical direction. The
magnanimous Kurfurst arose therefore; doffed his hat: "Great-mightiest
(GROSSMACHTIGSTER) all-gracious Kaiser, I am your Majesty's prisoner,"
said he, confining himself to the historical. "I AM Kaiser now,
then?" answered the sullen Tornado, with a black brow and hanging
under-jaw.--"I request my imprisonment may be prince-like," said the
poor Prince. "It shall be as your deserts have been!"--"I am in your
power; you will do your pleasure on me,"