of more than a ton of
gold. I waited on his Princely Highness when the drinking began. Now
Herr Fugger gave to his Princely Highness for a drinking-cup, an
artistically formed ship of the most beautiful Venetian glass; when I
took it from the sideboard and was going across the hall, having on my
new shoes, I slipped up, and fell upon my back in the middle of the
hall; the wine poured about my neck, the new red brocade dress which I
had on was quite spoilt, and the beautiful ship was broken into a
thousand pieces. Though this created great laughter amongst all, yet I
was told that Herr Fugger said privately he would rather have lost a
hundred gulden than that ship; it happened, however, without any fault
on my part, for I had neither eaten nor drunk; but when later I became
intoxicated I stood firmer, and did not fall a single time even in the
dance. Meanwhile the lords and all others were very merry. Herr Fugger
took his Princely Highness a walk through the house, a prodigious great
house, so great that the Roman Emperor at the Imperial Diet found room
in it for himself and his whole court. Herr Fugger showed his Princely
Highness, in a turret, a treasure of chains, jewels, and precious
stones, and of curious coins and pieces of gold the size of a head, and
he himself said that they were worth more than a million of gold.
Afterwards he opened a chest that was full of nothing but ducats and
crowns up to the brim; these he estimated at two hundred thousand
gulden, which had been remitted to him in exchange by the King of
Spain. Then he led his Princely Highness up to the turret, which was
paved half way down from the top with good thalers; he said there were
about seventeen thousand. He showed his Princely Highness great honour,
but also his own power and possessions: it is said that Herr Fugger had
enough to buy an empire. He gave me, on account of my fall, a beautiful
new groschen which weighed about nine grains. His Princely Highness
expected also a good present, but got nothing but a good drinking bout.
At that time Fugger bestowed the hand of his daughter on a count, and
gave two hundred thousand thalers, besides jewels, as her dowry.

"As his Princely Highness had very little ready money he sent me to
Herr Fugger to borrow four thousand thalers; but he decidedly declined
doing this, excusing himself quite politely; however the following day
he sent his steward to me to be introduced to my lord, through whom he
pres