No Money, No Gun
Markgraf Johann von Brandenburg, reigning Prince of Neumark, was in the habit of leaving his debts stand for a long time. His gunsmith at Nuremberg was well aware of this. So having filled an order, he wrote one day the following laconic letter to him;
“Good-day, your Grace! Your gun is finished. If you send the money, I’ll send you the gun. If you don’t send the money, you won’t get the gun. God be with you!”
His Grace, far from resenting this language, sent the money.