He tried
some small prefatory Siege or scalade of Pesth; could not do it; and
came his ways home again, as the best course. Pedant Chroniclers give
him the name HECTOR, "Joachim Hector,"--to match that of CICERO and
that of ACHILLES. A man of solid structure, this our Hector, in body and
mind: extensive cheeks, very large heavy-laden face; capable of terrible
bursts of anger, as his kind generally were.

The Schmalkaldic War went to water, as the Germans phrase it:
Kur-Sachsen,--that is, Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, Son of
Johann "V. D. M. I. AE.," and Nephew of Friedrich the Wise,--had his
sorrowfully valid reasons for the War; large force too, plenty of
zealous copartners, Philip of Hessen and others; but no generalship, or
not enough, for such a business. Big Army, as is apt enough to
happen, fell short of food; Kaiser Karl hung on the outskirts, waiting
confidently till it came to famine. Johann Friedrich would attempt
nothing decisive while provender lasted;--and having in the end,
strangely enough, and somewhat deaf to advice, divided his big Army into
three separate parts;--Johann Friedrich was himself, with one of those
parts, surprised at Muhlberg, on a Sunday when at church (24th April,
1547); and was there beaten to sudden ruin, and even taken captive,
like to have his head cut off, by the triumphant angry Kaiser. Philip of
Hessen, somewhat wiser, was home to Marburg, safe with HIS part, in the
interim.--Elector Joachim II. of Brandenburg had good reason to rejoice
in his own cautious reluctances on this occasion. However, he did now
come valiantly up, hearing what severities were in the wind.

He pleaded earnestly, passionately, he and Cousin or already "Elector"
Moritz, [Pauli, iii. 102.]--who was just getting Johann Friedrich's
Electorship fished away from him out of these troubles, [Kurfurst, 4th
June, 1547.]--for Johann Friedrich of Saxony's life, first of all. For
Johann's life FIRST; this is a thing not to be dispensed with,
your Majesty, on any terms whatever; a _sine qua non,_ this life to
Protestant Germany at large. To which the Kaiser indicated, "He would
see; not immediate death at any rate; we will see." A life that could
not and must not be taken in this manner: this was the FIRST point.
Then, SECONDLY, that Philip of Hessen, now home again at Marburg,--not a
bad or disloyal man, though headlong, and with two wives,--might not be
forfeited; but that peace and pardon might be granted him,