[Footnote 46]: Sastrow had no easy task for his diplomatic beginnings: Charles V had gained the crushing victory of Mühlberg over the German Protestants on April 24, 1547; the League of Schmalkalden had ceased to exist; its chiefs, the Elector Johannes-Friedrich of Sachsen and the Landgrave of Hesse, Philip the Magnanimous, were both prisoners. Though they were members of that league since 1536, the Dukes of Pomerania had, it is true, observed a neutral attitude during the latter years; nevertheless, the emperor's resentment inspired them, not without reason, with great fear. Preparations for defence commenced everywhere; Greifswald and Stralsund strengthened and increased their fortifications. Finally, the dukes obtained their pardon, in consideration of humiliating excuses, the acceptance of the Interim, and the payment of a large contribution, towards which Stralsund contributed 10,000 florins.--Translator.
[Footnote 47]: The Duke Frederick III von Liegnitz in Silesia, born in 1520, had become reigning duke in 1547. His ill-regulated conduct caused him to be called "the Extravagant." Finally, the Emperor ordered him to be deposed. Frederick III, who died in 1570, spent the last six years of his life dependent upon private charity at the castle of Liegnitz. Heindrich XI, his son and successor, followed his example in every respect.
Far distant from Silesia, in a mountainous region of Switzerland, there lived at that period another offshoot of an illustrious princely house, namely, Count Michael de Gruyère, who, the last of his race, was soon compelled to abandon to his creditors even the manor of his ancestors By a curious coincidence the two incorrigible spendthrifts met at the French court and became, it appears intimately acquainted, for the noble Silesian paid a visit to the French noble in 1551 at his seat at Devonne, near Geneva. It would be impossible to conceive a better matched couple. Michael, finding his guest to be suffering from fever caused by a fall from his horse at Lyons, took him to the Castle of Gruyère. True to his custom, Frederick soon asked for a loan, and obtained a big sum which the count himself had borrowed.
When it came to repayment they fell out; there was a lawsuit at Friburg, and the Duke, ordered to refund, gave some jewels as security, which, after all, were not redeemed. A letter from the Countess de Gruyère says, in fact, that Count Michael, holding several precious stones of great beauty, having belonged to the Duke von Liegnitz, has pledged part of them with the lords of Lucerne and another part with various people of Friburg. An innkeeper of that town with whom the prince had lodged put a distraint on certain jewels and other objects. Frederick succeeded in leaving the country, as usual, without paying.--Translator.
[Footnote 48]: Those who refused to Charles V the title of Emperor Called him Charles of Ghent.--Translator.
[Footnote 49]: Lazarus von Schwendi was born in 1525. After a brilliant university career at Basle and Strasburg, he entered the service of Charles V, who employed him both in warfare and in diplomatic negotiations. It was he who was ordered to arrest, at Wissemburg, Sebastian Vogelsberg, who, in spite of the Emperor's prohibition, had taken service with France, and was relentlessly executed as an example to Schaerlin and other Protestant captains who had taken refuge at the court of the king. Schwendi became a member of the Imperial Council for German Affairs. He went through all the campaigns in Germany, the Low Countries and Hungary. In 1564 he was appointed general-in-chief against the Turks. He retired to Alsace, and died there in May, 1583, bequeathing to Strasburg ten thousand florins for poor students.--Translator.
[Footnote 50]: Nicholas Perrenot de Granvelle, born at Ornans (Doubs) in 1486, died at Augsburg in 1550. He was the most influential minister of Charles V. His son, Anthony, who was born at Besançon in 1517, inherited the paternal omnipotence. Appointed Bishop of Arras at twenty-three years of age, he died a cardinal at Madrid in 1586.--Translator.
[Footnote 51]: These "Portuguese" golden coins were pieces of mark and often served as presents.--Translator.
[Footnote 52]: Margrave Albrecht of Brandenburg-Culmbach, nicknamed Alcibiades, was born in 1522 and died in 1555. These two princes were fated to oppose each other in 1553 at Sievershausen, where Maurice, though victorious, perished. He had been ordered to reduce Albrecht to order, as the latter continued to trouble the peace of the Empire.--Translator.
[Footnote 53]: "Truc" was a kind of game of skill, not unlike billiards, but more like bagatelle. There is a reproduction from an ancient picture of a "truc" board in Richter's Bilder aus der Deutschen Kulturgeschichte, vol. ii. p. 385.--Translator.