This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
Day followed day, a week elapsed, and no message had reached Schweinaufrom Heinz Schorlin or Katterle.
The magistrate had learned that the Siebenburg brothers, with the robberknights who had joined them, were obstinately defending their castles andmaking it difficult for Heinz Schorlin to perform his task. The daybefore news had come that the Absbach's strong mountain fortress hadfallen; that the allied knights, in a sortie which merged into aminiature battle, had been defeated, and the Siebenburgs could not holdout much longer; but in the stress of his duties the knight seemed tohave forgotten to make the slightest effort in behalf of his faithfulservant. At least the protonotary Gottlieb, a friend of Herr Berthold,through whose hands passed all letters addressed to the Emperor,positively assured them that, though plenty of military reports hadarrived, in not a single one had the young commander mentioned hisservant even by a word. He, the protonotary, had taken advantage of afavourable hour to urge his royal master, as a reward for Biberli's rarefidelity, to protect him from further persecution by the citizens ofNuremberg; but the Emperor Rudolph did not even allow him to finish,because, as a matter of principle, he refrained from interference inmatters whose settlement rightfully pertained to the Honourable Council.
When soon after Herr Pfinzing availed himself of a report which he had todeliver to the Emperor to intercede himself for the valiant fellow, theHapsburg, with the ruler's strong memory, recalled the protonotary's pleaand referred Herr Berthold to the answer the former had received,remarking, less graciously than usual, that the imperial magistrate oughtto know that he would be the last to assail the privileges which he hadhimself bestowed upon the city.
Finally even Burgrave Frederick, whose sympathy had been enlisted in
Biberli's behalf by Herr Berthold, fared no better.
His interests were often opposed to those of the Council and, kindly aswas his disposition, disputes concerning many questions of law wereconstantly occurring between him and the Honourables. When he began topersuade the Emperor to prevent by a pardon the cruelty which the Councilintended to practise upon a servant of Sir Heinz Schorlin, who was doingsuch good service in the field, the sovereign told even him, his friendand brother-in-law, who had toiled so energetically to secure him thecrown, that he would not interfere, though it were in behalf of a belovedbrother, with the decrees of the Council, and the noble petitioner wassilenced by the reasons which he gave. The Burgrave deemed the Emperor'sdesire to maintain the Honourables' willingness to grant the large loanhe intended to ask to fill his empty treasury still more weighty thanthose with which he had repulsed Herr Pfinzing.
On the other hand, the pardon granted to Ernst Ortlieb and Wolff Eysvogelcould only tend to increase the good will of the Council. The former wasgiven at once, the latter only conditionally after the First Losunger ofthe city, with several other Honourables, had recommended it. TheEmperor thought it advisable to defer this act of clemency. A violationof the peace of the co