always-hoping, never-resting, unsuccessful, vain
and empty Kaiser. Specious, speculative; given to eloquence, diplomacy,
and the windy instead of the solid arts;--always short of money for
one thing. He roamed about, and talked eloquently;--aiming high, and
generally missing:--how he went to conquer Hungary, and had to float
down the Donau instead, with an attendant or two, in a most private
manner, and take refuge with the Grand Turk: this we have seen, and this
is a general emblem of him. Hungary and even the Reich have at length
become his; but have brought small triumph in any kind; and instead of
ready money, debt on debt. His Majesty has no money, and his Majesty's
occasions need it more and more.

He is now (A.D. 1414) holding this Council of Constance, by way of
healing the Church, which is sick of Three simultaneous Popes and of
much else. He finds the problem difficult; finds he will have to run
into Spain, to persuade a refractory Pope there, if eloquence can (as it
cannot): all which requires money, money. At opening of the Council,
he "officiated as deacon;" actually did some kind of litanying "with
a surplice over him," [25th December, 1414 (Kohler, p. 340).] though
Kaiser and King of the Romans. But this passage of his opening speech
is what I recollect best of him there: "Right Reverend Fathers, _date
operam ut illa nefanda schisma eradicetur,"_ exclaims Sigismund, intent
on having the Bohemian Schism well dealt with,--which he reckons to be
of the feminine gender. To which a Cardinal mildly remarking,
_"Domine, schisma est generis neutrius (Schisma_ is neuter, your
Majesty),"--Sigismund loftily replies, _"Ego sum Rex Romanus et super
grammaticam_ (I am King of the Romans, and above Grammar)!" [Wolfgang
Mentzel, _Geschichte der Deutschen,_ i. 477.] For which reason I call
him in my Note-books Sigismund SUPER GRAMMATICAM, to distinguish him in
the imbroglio of Kaisers.

BRANDENBURG IS PAWNED FOR THE LAST TIME.

How Jobst's pawn-ticket was settled I never clearly heard; but can guess
it was by Burggraf Friedrich's advancing the money, in the pinch above
indicated, or paying it afterwards to Jobst's heirs whoever they were.
Thus much is certain: Burggraf Friedrich, these three years and more
(ever since 8th July, 1411) holds Sigismund's Deed of acknowledgment
"for 100,000 gulden lent at various times:" and has likewise got the
Electorate of Brandenburg in pledge for that sum; and does himself
admi