Albert was born in 1490; George's junior by six years, Casimir's by
nine. He too had been meant for the Church; but soon quitted that, other
prospects and tendencies opening. He had always loved the ingenuous
arts; but the activities too had charms for him. He early shone in his
exercises spiritual and bodily; grew tall above his fellows, expert in
arts, especially in arms;--rode with his Father to Kaiser Max's Court;
was presented by him, as the light of his eyes, to Kaiser Max; who
thought him a very likely young fellow; and bore him in mind, when the
Mastership of the Teutsch Ritterdom fell vacant. [Rentsch, pp. 840-863.]
The Teutsch Ritterdom, ever since it got its back broken in that Battle
of Tannenberg in 1410, and was driven out of West-Preussen with such
ignominious kicks, has been lying bedrid, eating its remaining revenues,
or sprawling about in helpless efforts to rise again, which require
no notice from us. Hopeless of ever recovering West-Preussen, it had
quietly paid its homage to Poland for the Eastern part of that Country;
quietly for some couple of generations. But, in the third or fourth
generation after Tannenberg, there began to rise murmurs,--in the Holy
Roman Empire first of all. "Preussen is a piece of the Reich," said hot,
inconsiderate people; "Preussen could not be alienated without consent
of the Reich!" To which discourses the afflicted Ritters listened only
too gladly; their dull eyes kindling into new false hopes at sound
of them. The point was, To choose as Hochmeister some man of German
influence, of power and connection in the Country, who might help
them to their so-called right. With this view, they chose one and then
another of such sort;--and did not find it very hopeful, as we shall
see.
Albert was chosen Grand-Master of Preussen, in February, 1511; age then
twenty-one. Made his entry into Konigsberg, November next year; in grand
cavalcade, "dreadful storm of rain and wind at the time,"--poor Albert
all in black, and full of sorrow, for the loss of his Mother, the good
Polish Princess, who had died since he left home. Twenty months of
preparation he had held since his Election, before doing anything: for
indeed the case was intricate. He, like his predecessor in office, had
undertaken to refuse that Homage to Poland; the Reich generally, and
Kaiser Max himself, in a loose way of talk, encouraging him: "A piece of
the Reich," said they all; "Teutsch Ritters had no power to give it away
in that manner." Which is a thing more easily said, than made good in
the way of doing.
Albert's predecessor, chosen on this principle, was a Saxon Prince,
Friedrich of Meissen; cadet of Saxony; potently enough connected, he
too; who, in like manner, had undertaken to refuse the Homage. And
zealously did refuse it, though to his cost, poor man. From the Reich,
for all its big talking, he got no manner of assistance; had to stave
off a Polish War as he could, by fair-speaking, by diplomacies and
contrivances; and died at middle age, worn down by the sorrows of that
sad position.
An idea prevails, in ill-informed circles, that our new Grand-Master
Albert was no better than a kind of cheat; that he took this
Grand-Mastership of Preussen; and then, in gayety of heart,
surreptitiously pocketed Preussen for his own behoof. Which is an idle
idea; inconsistent with the least inquiry, or real knowledge how the
matter stood. [Voigt, ix. 740-749; Pauli, iv. 404-407.] By no means in
gayety of heart, did Albert pocket Preussen; nor till after as tough a
struggle to do other with it as could have been expected of any man.
One thing not suspected by the Teutsch Ritters, and least of all by
their young Hochmeister, was, That the Teutsch Ritters had well deserved
that terrible down-come at Tannenberg, that ignominious dismissal out of
West-Preussen with kicks. Their insolence, luxury, degeneracy had gone
to great lengths. Nor did that humiliation mend them at all; the reverse
rather. It was deeply hidden from the young Hochmeister as from
them, That probably they were now at length got to the end of their
capability: and ready to be withdrawn from the scene, as soon as any
good way offered!--Of course, they Were reluctant enough to fulfil their
bargain to Poland; very loath they to do Homage now for Preussen, and
own themselves sunk to the second degree. For the Ritters had still
their old haughtiness of humor, their deepseated pride of place, gone
now into the unhappy CONSCIOUS state. That is usually the last thing
that deserts a sinking House: pride of place, gone to the conscious
state;--as if, in a reverse manner, the House felt that it deserved to
sink.
For the rest, Albert's position among them was what Friedrich of
Sachsen's had been; worse, not better; and the main ultimate difference
was, he did not die of it, like Friedrich of Sachsen; but found an
outlet, not open in Friedrich's time, and lived. To the Ritters, and
vague Public which called itself the Reich, Albert had promised he would
refuse the Homage to Poland; on which Ritters and Reich had clapt their
hands: and that was pretty much all the assistance he got of them. The
Reich, as a formal body, had never asserted its right to Preussen, nor
indeed spoken definitely on the subject: it was only the vague Public
that had spoken, in the name of the Reich. From the Reich, or from any
individual of it, Kaiser or Prince, when actually applied to, Albert
could get simply nothing. From what, Ritters were in Preussen, he might
perhaps expect promptitude to fight, if it came to that; which was not
much as things stood. But, from the great body of the Ritters, scattered
over Germany, with their rich territories (BALLEYS, bailliwicks), safe
resources, and comfortable "Teutschmeister" over them, he got flat
refusal: [The titles HOCHMEISTER and TEUTSCHMEISTER are defined, in many
Books and in all manner of Dictionaries, as meaning the same thing. But
that is not quite the case. They were at first synonymous, so far as I
can see; and after Albert's time, they again became so; but at the date
where we now are, and for a long while back, they represent different
entities, and indeed oftenest, since the Prussian DECLINE began,
antagonistic ones. Teutschmeister, Sub-president over the GERMAN affairs
and possessions of the Order, resides at Mergentheim in that Country:
Hochmeister is Chief President of the whole, but resident at Marienburg
in Preussen, and feels there acutely where the shoe pinches,--much
too acutely, thinks the Teutschmeister in his soft list-slippers, at
Mergentheim in the safe Wurzburg region.] "We will not be concerned in
the adventure at all; we wish you well through it!" Never was a spirited
young fellow placed in more impossible position. His Brother Casimir
(George was then in Hungary), his Cousin Joachim Kur-Brandenburg,
Friedrich Duke of Liegnitz, a Silesian connection of the Family, ["Duke
Friedrich II.:" comes by mothers from Kurfurst Friedrich I.; marries
Margraf George's Daughter even now, 1519 (Hubner, tt. 179, 100, 101).]
consulted, advised, negotiated to all lengths, Albert's own effort was
incessant. "Agree with King Sigismund," said they; "Uncle Sigismund,
your good Mother's Brother; a King softly inclined to us all!"--"How
agree?" answered Albert: "He insists on the Homage, which I have
promised not to give!" Casimir went and came, to Konigsberg, to Berlin;
went once himself to Cracow, to the King, on this errand: but it was a
case of "Yes AND No;" not to be solved by Casimir.
As to King Sigismund, he was patient with it to a degree; made the
friendliest paternal professions;--testifying withal, That the claim
was undeniable; and could by him, Sigismund, never be foregone with the
least shadow of honor, and of course never would: "My dear Nephew can
consider whether his dissolute, vain-minded, half-heretical Ritterdom,
nay whether this Prussian fraction of it, is in a condition to take
Poland by the beard in an unjust quarrel; or can hope to do Tannenberg
over again in the reverse way, by Beelzehub's help?"--
For seven years, Albert held out in this intermediate state, neither
peace nor war; moving Heaven and Earth to raise supplies, that he might
be able to defy Poland, and begin war. The Reich answers, "We have
really nothing for you." Teutschmeister answers again and again, "I
tell you we have nothing!" In the end, Sigismund grew impatient; made
(December, 1519) some movements of a hostile nature. Albert did not
yield; eager only to procrastinate till he were ready. By superhuman
efforts, of borrowing, bargaining, soliciting, and galloping to and fro,
Albert did, about the end of next year, get up some appearance of an
Army: "14,000 German mercenaries horse and foot," so many in theory;
who, to the extent of 8,000 in actual result, came marching towards him
(October, 1520); to serve "for eight months." With these he will besiege
Dantzig, besiege Thorn; will plunge, suddenly, like a fiery javelin,
into the heart of Poland, and make Poland surrender its claim. Whereupon
King Sigismund bestirred himself in earnest; came out with vast clouds
of Polish chivalry; overset Albert's 8,000;--who took to eating the
country, instead of fighting for it; being indeed in want of all things.
One of the gladdest days Albert had yet seen, was when he got the 8,000
sent home again.
What then is to be done? "Armistice for four years," Sigismund was still
kind enough to consent to that: "Truce for four years: try everywhere,
my poor Nephew; after that, your mind will perhaps become pliant."
Albert tried the Reich again: "Four years, O Princes, and then I must
do it, or be eaten!" Reich, busy with Lutheran-Papal, Turk-Christian
quarrels, merely shrugged its shoulders upon Albert. Teutschmeister did
the like; everybody the like. In Heaven or Earth, then, is there no hope
for me? thought Albert. And his stock of ready money--we will not speak
of that!
Meanwhile Dr. Osiander of Anspach had come to him; and the pious young
man was getting utterly shaken in his religion. Monkish vows, Pope, Holy
Church itself, what is one to think, Herr Doctor? Albert, religious
to an eminent degree, was getting deep into Protestantism. In his many
journeyings, to Nurnberg, to Brandenburg, and up and down, he had
been at Wittenberg too: he saw Luther in person more than once there;
corresponded with Luther; in fine believed in the truth of Luther. The
Culmbach Brothers were both, at least George ardently was, inclined to
Protestantism, as we have seen; but Albert was foremost of the three
in this course. Osiander and flights of zealous Culmbach Preachers made
many converts in Preussen. In these circumstances the Four Years came to
a close.
Albert, we may believe, is greatly at a loss; and deep deliberations,
Culmbach, Berlin, Liegnitz, Poland all called in, are held:--a case
beyond measure intricate. You have given your word; word must be
kept,--and cannot, without plain hurt, or ruin even, to those that took
it of you. Withdraw, therefore; fling it up!--Fling it up? A valuable
article to fling up; fling it up is the last resource. Nay, in fact, to
whom will you fling it up? The Prussian Ritters themselves are getting
greatly divided on the point; and at last on all manner of points,
Protestantism ever more spreading among them. As for the German
Brethren, they and their comfortable Teutschmeister, who refused to
partake in the dangerous adventure at all; are they entitled to have
much to say in the settlement of it now?--
Among others, or as chief oracle of all, Luther was consulted. "What
would you have me do towards reforming the Teutsch Order?" inquired
Albert of his oracle. Luther's answer was, as may be guessed, emphatic.
"Luther," says one reporter, "has in his Writings declared the Order to
be 'a thing serviceable neither to God nor man,' and the constitution
of it 'a monstrous, frightful, hermaphroditish, neither secular nor
spiritual constitution.'" [C. J. Weber, _Daa Ritterwessen_ (Stuttgard,
1837), iii. 208.] We do not know what Luther's answer to Albert
was;--but can infer the purport of it: That such a Teutsch Ritterdom was
not, at any rate, a thing long for this world; that white cloaks with
black crosses on them would not, of themselves, profit any Ritterdom;
that solemn vows and high supramundane professions, followed by such
practice as was notorious, are an afflicting, not to say a damnable,
spectacle on God's Earth;--that a young Herr had better marry; better
have done with the wretched Babylonian Nightmare of Papistry altogether;
better shake oneself awake, in God's name, and see if there are not
still monitions in the eternal sky as to what it is wise to do, and wise
not to do!--This I imagine to have been, in modern language, the
purport of Dr. Luther's advice to Hochmeister Albrecht on the present
interesting occasion.
It is certain, Albert, before long, took this course; Uncle Sigismund
and the resident Officials of the Ritterdom having made agreement to
it as the one practicable course. The manner as follows: 1. Instead
of Elected Hochmeister, let us be Hereditary Duke of Preussen, and
pay homage for it to Uncle Sigismund in that character. 2. Such of the
resident Officials of the Ritterdom as are prepared to go along with us,
we will in like manner constitute permanent Feudal Proprietors of what
they now possess as Life-rent, and they shall be Sub-vassals under us
as Hereditary Duke. 3. In all which Uncle Sigismund and the Republic of
Poland engage to maintain us against the world.
That is, in sum, the Transaction entered into, by King Sigismund I.
of Poland, on the one part, and Hochmeister Albert and his Ritter
Officials, such as went along with him, (which of course none could do
that were not Protestant), on the other part: done at Cracow, 8th April,
1525. [Rentsch, p. 850.--Here, certified by Rentsch, Voigt and others,
is a worn-out patch of Paper, which is perhaps worth printing:--
1490, May 17, Albert is born.
1511, February 14, Hochmeister.
1519, December, King Sigismund's first hostile movements.
1520, October, German Mercenaries arrive.
1520, November, try Siege of Dantzig.
1520, November 17, give it up.
1521, April 10, Truce for Four Years.
1523, June, Albert consults Luther.
1524, November, sees Luther.
1525, April 8, Peace of Cracow, and Albert to be Duke of
Prussia.] Whereby Teutsch Ritterdom, the Prussian part of it,
vanished from the world; dissolving itself, and its "hermaphrodite
constitution," like a kind of Male Nunnery, as so many female ones
had done in those years. A Transaction giving rise to endless
criticism, then and afterwards. Transaction plainly not
reconcilable with the letter of the law; and liable to have logic
chopped upon it to any amount, and to all lengths of time.
The Teutschmeister and his German Brethren shrieked murder;
the whole world, then, and for long afterwards, had much to say
and argue.
To us, now that the logic-chaff is all laid long since, the question is
substantial, not formal. If the Teutsch Ritterdom was actually at this
time DEAD, actually stumbling about as a mere galvanized Lie beginning
to be putrid,--then, sure enough, it behooved that somebody should
bury it, to avoid pestilential effects in the neighborhood. Somebody or
other;--first flaying the skin off, as was natural, and taking that
for his trouble. All turns, in substance, on this latter question! If,
again, the Ritterdom was not dead--?
And truly it struggled as hard as Partridge the Almanac-maker to rebut
that fatal accusation; complained (Teutschmeister and German-Papist part
of it) loudly at the Diets; got Albert and his consorts put to the Ban
(GEACHTET), fiercely menaced by the Kaiser Karl V. But nothing came of
all that; nothing but noise. Albert maintained his point; Kaiser Karl
always found his hands full otherwise, and had nothing but stamped
parchments and menaces to fire off at Albert. Teutsch Ritterdom,
the Popish part of it, did enjoy its valuable bailliwicks, and very
considerable rents in various quarters of Germany and Europe, having
lost only Preussen; and walked about, for three centuries more, with
money in its pocket, and a solemn white gown with black cross on its
back,--the most opulent Social Club in existence, and an excellent
place for bestowing younger sons of sixteen quarters. But it was, and
continued through so many centuries, in every essential respect, a
solemn Hypocrisy; a functionless merely eating Phantasm, of the nature
of goblin, hungry ghost or ghoul (of which kind there are many);--till
Napoleon finally ordered it to vanish; its time, even as Phantasm, being
come.
Albert, I can conjecture, had his own difficulties as Regent in
Preussen. [1525-1568.] Protestant Theology, to make matters worse
for him, had split itself furiously into 'DOXIES; and there was an
OSIANDERISM (Osiander being the Duke's chaplain), much flamed upon by
the more orthodox ISM. "Foreigners," too, German-Anspach and other, were
ill seen by the native gentlemen; yet sometimes got encouragement. One
Funccius, a shining Nurnberg immigrant there, son-in-law of Osiander,
who from Theology got into Politics, had at last (1564) to be
beheaded,--old Duke Albert himself "bitterly weeping" about him; for it
was none of Albert's doing. Probably his new allodial Ritter gentlemen
were not the most submiss, when made hereditary? We can only hope the
Duke was a Hohenzollern, and not quite unequal to his task in this
respect. A man with high bald brow; magnificent spade-beard; air
much-pondering, almost gaunt,--gaunt kind of eyes especially, and a
slight cast in them, which adds to his severity of aspect. He kept his
possession well, every inch of it; and left all safe at his decease
in 1568. His age was then near eighty. It was the tenth year of our
Elizabeth as Queen; invincible Armada not yet built; but Alba very busy,
cutting off high heads in Brabant; and stirring up the Dutch to such
fury as was needful for exploding Spain and him.
This Duke Albert was a profoundly religious man, as all thoughtful men
then were. Much given to Theology, to Doctors of Divinity; being
eager to know God's Laws in this Universe, and wholesomely certain of
damnation if he should not follow them. Fond of the profane Sciences
too, especially of Astronomy: Erasmus Reinhold and his _Tabulae
Prutenicae_ were once very celebrated; Erasmus Reinhold proclaims
gratefully how these his elaborate Tables (done according to the latest
discoveries, 1551 and onwards) were executed upon Duke Albert's high
bounty; for which reason they are dedicated to Duke Albert, and called
"PRUTENICAE," meaning PRUSSIAN. [Rentsch, p. 855.] The University of
Konigsberg was already founded several years before, in 1544.
Albert had not failed to marry, as Luther counselled: by his first Wife
he had only daughters; by his second, one son, Albert Friedrich,
who, without opposition or difficulty, succeeded his Father. Thus was
Preussen acquired to the Hohenzollern Family; for, before long, the
Electoral branch managed to get MITBELEHNUNG (Co-infeftment), that is
to say, Eventual Succession; and Preussen became a Family Heritage, as
Anspach and Baireuth were.