prisoner. To ransom himself he was obliged to
pay 4,000 gold gulden, for which he thought Friedrich ought to repay
him. Friedrich refused to do so, as Kunz was not his vassal whom he was
bound to protect, but only a hired soldier who had to take all risks on
himself. Kunz was very angry, and threatened to revenge himself on the
Elector, who took all his threats very calmly, saying to him, 'Keep
cool, Kunz; don't burn the fish in the ponds.' But Kunz was in bitter
earnest. He went away to an old castle called Isenburg in Bohemia, on
the Saxon frontier, where he lived for some time with his two squires,
Mosen and Schoenberg, plotting against the Elector and his family. He
had, moreover, bribed one of the Elector's servants, Hans Schwalbe, to
tell him all that was being done in his castle of Altenburg. In July,
Schwalbe sent word to him that, on the seventh day of the month, the
Elector and most of his followers were going away to Leipzig, and would
leave the Electress and his two boys, Ernst and Albrecht, guarded only
by a few servants, and these, he added, would probably spend the evening
drinking in the town. Now the castle of Altenburg was built on a steep
hill, and one side of it overhung a precipice. As this side was little
guarded, Hans agreed to let down a rope-ladder from one of the windows,
and thus enable Kunz to get an entrance into the castle. His plan then
was to make his way to the sleeping room of the two little princes,
carry them off to his castle at Isenburg, and keep them till their
father should grant his demands. Isenburg Castle was about a day's
journey from the little town of Altenburg; so Kunz and his two squires,
Mosen and Schoenberg, and a few other men, started early on the 7th to
ride to Altenburg, and when they reached it they hid themselves till
nightfall. About midnight Kunz and his men went as quietly as possible
to the foot of the cliff. Everyone seemed asleep in the castle, and
outside no sound was to be heard but the stealthy tramp of the armed
men. When they reached the rendezvous under the castle, Kunz gave his
men their orders. Mosen, Schoenberg, and three or four more were to come
with him into the castle, and, when inside, to lock the doors of the
Electress's and the servants' room, while the rest were to guard the
gates in order that no one should escape to give the alarm. Each was to
be ready when once the princes were secured to ride away for Isenburg as
hard as possible.

Then