ing them openly, captured by
the stronger hand; and have heard the short querulous squeak of the
bristly creatures: "What is the use of being a pig at all, if I am to be
stolen in this way, and surreptitiously made into ham?" Pigs do continue
to be bred in Brandenburg: but it is under such discouragements.
Agriculture, trade, well-being and well-doing of any kind, it is not
encouragement they are meeting here. Probably few countries, not even
Ireland, have a worse outlook, unless help come.

Jobst came back in 1398, after eight years' absence; but no help came
with Jobst. The Neumark of Brandenburg, which was brother Johann's
portion, had fallen home to Sigismund, brother Johann having died; but
Sigismund, far from redeeming old pawn-tickets with the Neumark, pawned
the Neumark too--the second pawnage of Brandenburg. Pawned the Neumark
to the Teutsch Ritters "for sixty-three thousand Hungarian gulden" (I
think, about thirty thousand pounds), and gave no part of it to Jobst;
had not nearly enough for himself and his Hungarian occasions.

Seeing which, and hearing such squeak of pigs surreptitiously driven,
with little but discordant sights and sounds everywhere, Jobst became
disgusted with the matter; and resolved to wash his hands of it, at
least to have his money out of it again. Having sold what of the domains
he could to persons of quality, at an uncommonly easy rate, and so
pocketed what ready cash there was among them, he made over his
pawn-ticket, or properly he himself repawned Brandenburg to the Saxon
potentate, a speculative moneyed man, Markgraf of Meissen, "Wilhelm the
Rich," so called. Pawned it to Wilhelm the Rich--sum not named; and went
home to Moravia, there to wait events. This is the third Brandenburg
pawning: let us hope there may be a fourth and last.

And so we have now reached that point in Brandenburg history when, if
some help does not come, Brandenburg will not long be a country, but
will either get dissipated in pieces and stuck to the edge of others
where some government is, or else go waste again and fall to the bisons
and wild bears.

Who now is Kurfuerst of Brandenburg, might be a question. "I
unquestionably!" Sigismund would answer, with astonishment. "Soft, your
Hungarian Majesty," thinks Jobst: "till my cash is paid may it not
probably be another?" This question has its interest: the Electors just
now (1400) are about deposing Wenzel; must choose some better Kaiser. If
they wanted an