d to let our courage fail, and it was at that time that
our friendship put forth fresh flowers. We fought shoulder to shoulder
as it were, comrades in the struggle, full of love towards each other
and of love for my brother; and when I bid her farewell and she would
fain walk home with me, all those who dwelt in the coppersmith's house
were of the same mind as men might be in a beleaguered town, who had
been about to yield and then, on a sudden, beheld the reinforcements
approaching with waving banners and a blast of trumpets.

In truth there was a shrewd fight to be waged; and the stronghold which
day by day waxed harder to conquer was my lord chief Constable, the
Elector Frederick; his peer, the Elector of Maintz, put all on him when
Cardinal Branda, who was Ann's kind patron, besought his mercy.

Until I had been roused to this new care in life I had never been to
court, in spite of many a gracious bidding from my lady, the Queen.
My supplications found no answer, and when Queen Barbara granted me
audience at my entreaty, though she received me graciously, yet would
she not hear me out. She would gladly help, quoth she, but that she,
like all, must obey the laws; and at last she freely owned that her
good will would come to nought against the demands of the Elector of
Brandenburg. The greatness of that wise and potent prince was plainly
set before our eyes that same day, for on him, as commander-in-chief of
the crusade to be sent forth against the Hussite heresy, the Emperor's
own sword was solemnly bestowed in the church of Saint Sebald. It was
girt on to him by reverend Bishops, after that he had received from
the hand of the Pope's legate a banner which his Holiness had himself
blessed, and which was borne before him by the Count of Hohenlohe as he
went forth.

That it would be a hard matter to get speech with so potent a lord at
such a time was plain to see; howbeit I was able to speak privily at
any rate with his chamberlain, and from him I learned in what peril
my brother was, inasmuch as not the Junker's father alone was bent on
bringing him to extreme punishment, but likewise no small number
of Nuremberg folk, who had of yore been aggrieved by my brother's
over-bearing pride.

Every one who had ever met him in the streets with a book under his arm,
or had seen him, late at night, through the lighted window-pane, sitting
over his papers and parchments, was ready to bear witness to his study
of the black ar