ng system and other
rigors, were extremely unwilling to come under Friedrich Wilhelm's sway,
could they have helped it. They refused fealty, swore they never would
swear: nor did they, till the appearance, or indubitable foreshine, of
Friedrich Wilhelm's bayonets advancing on them from the East, brought
compliance. And always after, spite of such quasi-fealty, they showed
a pig-like obstinacy of humor; a certain insignificant, and as it were
impertinent, deep-rooted desire to thwart, irritate and contradict the
said Friedrich Wilhelm. Especially in any recruiting matter that might
arise, knowing that to be the weak side of his Prussian Majesty.
All this would have amounted to nothing, had it not been that their
neighbor, the Prince Bishop of Liege, who imagined himself to have some
obscure claims of sovereignty over Herstal, and thought the present a
good opportunity for asserting these, was diligent to aid and abet the
Herstal people in such their mutinous acts. Obscure claims; of which
this is the summary, should the reader not prefer to skip it:--

"The Bishop of Liege's claims on Herstal (which lie wrapt from mankind
in the extensive jungle of his law-pleadings, like a Bedlam happily
fallen extinct) seem to me to have grown mainly from two facts more or
less radical.

"FACT FIRST. In Kaiser Barbarossa's time, year 1171, Herstal had
been given in pawn to the Church of Liege, for a loan, by the then
proprietor, Duke of Lorraine and Brabant. Loan was repaid, I do not
learn when, and the Pawn given back; to the satisfaction of said Duke,
or Duke's Heirs; never quite to the satisfaction of the Church, which
had been in possession, and was loath to quit, after hoping to continue.
'Give us back Herstal; it ought to be ours!' Unappeasable sigh or
grumble to this effect is heard thenceforth, at intervals, in the
Chapter of Liege, and has not ceased in Friedrich's time. But as the
world, in its loud thoroughfares, seldom or never heard, or could hear,
such sighing in the Chapter, nothing had come of it,--till--

"FACT SECOND. In Kaiser Karl V.'s time, the Prince Bishop of Liege
happened to be a Natural Son of old Kaiser Max's;--and had friends at
headquarters, of a very choice nature. Had, namely, in this sort, Kaiser
Karl for Nephew or Half-Nephew; and what perhaps was still better, as
nearer hand, had Karl's Aunt, Maria Queen of Hungary, then Governess of
the Netherlands, for Half-Sister. Liege, in these choice circumstan