s of Anhalt, and
the Dukes of Brunswick, Pomerania, Mecklenburg, and Saxony, all
supported his pretensions; the most of the nobility of the marquisate
acknowledged him to be their prince; and the common people, either
touched with the hardships he was said to have suffered, or wearied of
Bavarian rule, lent him money to acquire his rights and drive out
Louis. All the cities declared for him except Frankfort-on-the-Oder,
Spandau, and Brisac, and war was at once begun. The victory at first
rested with the so-called Voldemar; many of the towns opened their
gates to him; and his rival Louis fled to his estates in the Tyrol,
leaving the electorate to his two brothers--a disposition which was
confirmed by the Emperor Charles IV. in 1350. There are two versions
of the death of Voldemar. Lunclavius asserts that he was finally
captured and burnt alive for his imposture; while De Rocoles maintains
that he died at Dessau in 1354, nine years after his return, and was
buried in the tombs of the Princes of Anhalt. The general impression,
however, is that he was an impostor.

ARNOLD DU TILH--THE PRETENDED MARTIN GUERRE.

There are few cases in the long list of French _causes celebres_ more
remarkable than that of the alleged Martin Guerre. This individual,
who was more greatly distinguished by his adventures than by his
virtues, was a Biscayan, and at the very juvenile age of eleven was
married to a girl called Bertrande de Rols. For eight or nine years
Martin and his wife lived together without issue from their marriage,
notwithstanding masses said, consecrated wafers eaten by the wife and
charms employed by the husband to drive away the bewitchment under
which he supposed himself to labour. But in the tenth year after the
marriage a son was born, and was named Sanxi. The father's joy was of
brief duration; for having been guilty of defrauding his own father of
a quantity of corn, he was compelled to abscond to avoid the paternal
rage and the probable consequences of a prosecution. It was at first
intended that he should only stay away until the family difficulty
blew over. But Martin, once gone, was not so easily persuaded to come
back, and eight long years elapsed before his wife saw his face. At
the end of that time he suddenly returned, and was received with open
arms by Bertrande, who was congratulated by her husband's four
sisters, his uncle, and her own relations. The re-united pair lived
together at Artigues for thr