canon of Basel and
Strasbourg; his sister was happy in her convent as a modest Dominican;
but the young knight over whose welfare he had promised his mother to
watch, and whom he loved, was not fitted for the monastic life.

However earnest might be his intention--after the miracle which seemed
to have been wrought specially for him--of renouncing the world, sooner
or later the time must come when Heinz would long to return to it and
the profession of arms, for which he was born and reared. But if he
could not be deterred from entering the modest order of the mendicant
monks, who proudly called poverty their beloved bride, and should become
the head of a bishopric while young, he would inevitably be one of
those fighting prelates who seemed to the Emperor--who disliked halfway
measures--neither knight nor priest, and with whom he had had many a
quarrel.

Opposition would merely have sharpened the young knight's desire;
therefore his imperial patron had treated him as if he were ignorant of
what was passing in his mind. Without circumlocution, he commanded him,
at the head of several bodies of Frank, Swabian, and Swiss troopers,
whom he placed at his orders, to attack the brothers Siebenburg and
their allies, and destroy their castle. If possible, he was to bring
them alive before the imperial judgment seat, and recover for the
Eysvogels the merchandise of which they had been robbed.

When Heinz, after the Emperor Rudolph had mentioned the latter name,
earnestly entreated him to prevent Wolff's persecution, the sovereign
promised to fulfil the wish as soon as the proper time came. He himself
desired to be gracious to the brave champion of Marchfield, who under
great irritation had drawn his sword. But when Heinz also asked the
Emperor to send his friend Count Gleichen with him, the request was
refused. He must have the entire responsibility of the expedition which
he commanded; for nothing except an important duty that no one would
help him bear, gave promise of making him forget everything that usually
engrossed his attention, and thus his new object of longing. Besides, if
he returned victorious his fame and reward would be undivided.

The Hapsburg wished to try upon his young favourite the means which had
availed to keep his own footsteps in the path which he desired to see
Heinz follow: constant occupation associated with heavy responsibility,
the success which brings with it the hope of future achievement and
th