petitioned the King not to restore their city to
the empire, of which it had been a vassal republic from the beginning of
the feudal era; they feared the Emperor's revenge. Henry, however, had
no thought of relinquishing Metz; he was too well pleased with his new
possession, and "proposed to make it one of the ramparts of France."

But while Henry for the defence of German independence was making
conquests and annexing them to his dominions, Charles V had fled before
Maurice's vigorous pursuit, and had only escaped capture by a mere
mischance that briefly retarded his pursuers' progress. When Augsburg
was taken, Charles felt that he was not safe at Innspruck. He was
neither in a position to crush the rebellious princes nor to resist the
invasion of the King of France. Want of means had induced him to disband
a large part of his army; Mexico and Peru for some time had failed to
make any remittances to his treasury; the bankers of Venice and Genoa
were not willing to lend him money, and it was only by placing Piombino
in the hands of Cosmo de' Medici that he obtained from him the small sum
of two hundred thousand crowns.

His first impulse was to endeavor to pass over the route of the
Netherlands by the valleys of the Inn and the Rhine; but as he could
only move, owing to his gout, from place to place in a litter, he was
compelled, from physical suffering, after proceeding a very short
distance on his journey, to return to Innspruck. There he remained with
a small body of soldiers sufficient to guard himself personally--having
sent all he could possibly spare to hold the mountain pass leading to
the almost inaccessible castle of Ehrenberg. But, guided by a shepherd,
the heights of Ehrenberg were reached by the troops under George of
Brandenburg, after infinite fatigue and danger. The walls were scaled,
and the garrison, terrified by the appearance of this unlooked-for
enemy, threw down their arms and surrendered.

A few hours only separated Innspruck from Ehrenberg, and Maurice
proposed to push on rapidly so as to anticipate the arrival there of any
accounts of the loss of the castle, hoping to surprise the Emperor and
his attendants in an open, defenceless town, and there to dictate
conditions of peace. The dissatisfaction of a portion of the troops at
not immediately receiving the usual gratuity for taking a place by
assault occasioned a short delay in the advance of Maurice's army. He
arrived at Innspruck in the midd