nt matters, second only in piety and zeal to his
Cousin, Margraf George the Pious; and was not so held back by official
considerations as his Brother the Elector now and then. Johann of
Custrin is a very famous man in the old Books: Johann was the first that
fortified Custrin: built himself an illustrious Schloss, and "roofed it
with copper," in Custrin (which is a place we shall be well acquainted
with by and by); and lived there, with the Neumark for apanage, a true
man's life;--mostly with a good deal of business, warlike and other,
on his hands; with good Books, good Deeds, and occasionally good Men,
coming to enliven it,--according to the terms then given.

Chapter XI. -- SEVENTH KURFURST, JOHANN GEORGE.

Kaiser Karl, we said, was very good to Joachim; who always strove,
sometimes with a stretch upon his very conscience, to keep well with the
Kaiser. The Kaiser took Joachim's young Prince along with him to those
Schmalkaldic Wars (not the comfortable side for Joachim's conscience,
but the safe side for an anxious Father); Kaiser made a Knight of this
young Prince, on one occasion of distinction; he wrote often to Papa
about him, what a promising young hero he was,--seems really to have
liked the young man. It was Johann George, Elector afterwards, Seventh
Elector.--This little incident is known to me on evidence. [Rentsch, p.
465.] A small thing that certainly befell, at the siege of Wittenberg
(A.D. 1547), during those Philip-of-Hessen Negotiations, three hundred
and odd years ago.

The Schmalkaldic War having come all to nothing, the Saxon Elector
sitting captive with sword overhead in the way we saw, Saxon Wittenberg
was besieged, and the Kaiser was in great hurry to get it. Kaiser in
person, and young Johann George for sole attendant, rode round the place
one day, to take a view of the works, and judge how soon, or whether
ever, it could be compelled to give in. Gunners noticed them from the
battlements; gunners Saxon-Protestant most likely, and in just gloom
at the perils and indignities now lying on their pious Kurfurst Johann
Friedrich the Magnanimous. "Lo, you! Kaiser's self riding yonder, and
one of his silk JUNKERS. Suppose we gave the Kaiser's self a shot,
then?" said the gunner, or thought: "It might help a better man from his
life-perils, if such shot did--!" In fact the gun flashed off, with due
outburst, and almost with due effect. The ball struck the ground among
the very horses' feet of the t