ht seemed to
have forgotten to make the slightest effort in behalf of his faithful
servant. 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 had
arrived, in not a single one had the young commander mentioned his
servant even by a word. He, the protonotary, had taken advantage of a
favourable hour to urge his royal master, as a reward for Biberli's rare
fidelity, to protect him from further persecution by the citizens of
Nuremberg; but the Emperor Rudolph did not even allow him to finish,
because, as a matter of principle, he refrained from interference in
matters whose settlement rightfully pertained to the Honourable Council.

When soon after Herr Pfinzing availed himself of a report which he had to
deliver to the Emperor to intercede himself for the valiant fellow, the
Hapsburg, with the ruler's strong memory, recalled the protonotary's plea
and referred Herr Berthold to the answer the former had received,
remarking, less graciously than usual, that the imperial magistrate ought
to know that he would be the last to assail the privileges which he had
himself 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 as
was his disposition, disputes concerning many questions of law were
constantly occurring between him and the Honourables. When he began to
persuade the Emperor to prevent by a pardon the cruelty which the Council
intended to practise upon a servant of Sir Heinz Schorlin, who was doing
such good service in the field, the sovereign told even him, his friend
and brother-in-law, who had toiled so energetically to secure him the
crown, that he would not interfere, though it were in behalf of a beloved
brother, with the decrees of the Council, and the noble petitioner was
silenced by the reasons which he gave. The Burgrave deemed the Emperor's
desire to maintain the Honourables' willingness to grant the large loan
he intended to ask to fill his empty treasury still more weighty than
those with which he had repulsed Herr Pfinzing.

On the other hand, the pardon granted to Ernst Ortlieb and Wolff Eysvogel
could only tend to increase the good will of the Council. The former was
given at once, the latter only conditio