ved there in time
coming; a quieter place than even Prag for him. In short, he appears to
have fancied his cheap Purchase, and to have cheered his poor old futile
life with it, as with one thing that had been successful. Poor old
creature: he had been a Kaiser on false terms, "Ho every one that dare
bully me, or that has money in his pocket;"--a Kaiser that could not but
be futile! In five years' time he died; [King of Bohemia, 1346, on his
Father's death; Kaiser (acknowledged on Ludwig the BAIER'S death), 1347;
died, 1378, age 62.] and doubtless was regretted in Brandenburg and even
in the Reich, in comparison with what came next.

In Brandenburg he left, instead of one indifferent or even bad governor
steadily tied to the place and in earnest to make the best of it, a
fluctuating series of governors holding loose, and not in earnest; which
was infinitely worse. These did not try to govern it; sent it to the
Pawnbroker, to a fluctuating series of Pawnbrokers; under whom, for
the next five-and-thirty years, Brandenburg tasted all the fruits of
Non-government, that is to say, Anarchy or Government by the Pawnbroker;
and sank faster and faster, towards annihilation as it seemed. That was
its fate under the Luxemburg Kurfursts, who made even the Bavarian and
all others be regretted.

One thing Kaiser Karl did, which ultimately proved the saving of
Brandenburg: made friendship with the Hohenzollern Burggraves. These,
Johann II., temporary "STUTTHALTER" Johann, and his Brother, who were
Co-regents in the Family Domain, when Karl first made appearance,--had
stood true to Kaiser Ludwig and his Son, so long as that play lasted at
all; nay one of these Burggraves was talked of as Kaiser after Ludwig's
death, but had the wisdom not to try. Kaiser Ludwig being dead, they
still would not recognize the PFAFFEN-KAISER Karl, but held gloomily
out. So that Karl had to march in force into the Nurnberg country, and
by great promises, by considerable gifts, and the "example of the other
Princes of the Empire," ["Hallow-eve, 1347, on the Field of Nurnberg,"
Agreement was come to (Rentsch, p. 326).] brought them over to do
homage.

After which, their progress, and that of their successor (Johann's son,
Friedrich V.), in the grace of Karl, was something extraordinary.
Karl gave his Daughter to this Friedrich V.'s eldest Son; appointed a
Daughter of Friedrich's for his own Second Prince, the famed Sigismund,
famed that is to be,--which lat