e useful, and the Kaiser's interests might
require him rather to stay at home in that juncture. Burggraf of
Nurnberg he continued to be; he and his descendants, first in a
selective, then at length in a directly hereditary way, century after
century; and so long as that office lasted in Nurnberg (which it did
there much longer than in other Imperial Free-Cities), a COMES DE ZOLRE
of Conrad's producing was always the man thenceforth.

Their acts, in that station and capacity, as Burggraves and Princes of
the Empire, were once conspicuous enough in German History; and indeed
are only so dim now, because the History itself is, and was always, dim
to us on this side of the sea. They did strenuous work in their day;
and occasionally towered up (though little driven by the poor wish of
"towering," or "shining" without need) into the high places of Public
History. They rest now from their labors, Conrad and his successors, in
long series, in the old Monastery of Heilsbronn (between Nurnberg and
Anspach), with Tombs to many of them, which were very legible for slight
Biographic purposes in my poor friend Rentsch's time, a hundred
and fifty years ago; and may perhaps still have some quasi-use, as
"sepulchral brasses," to another class of persons. One or two of those
old buried Figures, more peculiarly important for our little Friend
now sleeping in his cradle yonder, we must endeavor, as the Narrative
proceeds, to resuscitate a little and render visible for moments.

OF THE HOHENZOLLERN BURGGRAVES GENERALLY.

As to the Office, it was more important than perhaps the reader
imagines. We already saw Conrad first Burggraf, among the magnates of
the country, denouncing Henry the Lion. Every Burggraf of Nurnberg is,
in virtue of his office, "Prince of the Empire:" if a man happened to
have talent of his own, and solid resources of his own (which are always
on the growing hand with this family), here is a basis from which he
may go far enough. Burggraf of Nurnberg: that means again GRAF (judge,
defender, manager, G'REEVE) of the Kaiser's BURG or Castle,--in a word
Kaiser's Representative and ALTER EGO,--in the old Imperial Free-Town of
Nurnberg; with much adjacent very complex territory, also, to administer
for the Kaiser. A flourishing extensive City, this old Nurnberg, with
valuable adjacent territory, civic and imperial, intricately intermixed;
full of commercial industries, opulences, not without democratic
tendencies. Nay