The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-01-16
WHAT GERMANY OWES BISMARCK.
FIRST OF A SERIES OF PAPERS READBE-
FORE THE PIERIAN CHAUTAUOUA CIRCLE.

had not yet come; his beard was said
to have grown through the marble
table; he awoke once every hundred
years to ask if the ravens were flying
around the hill, and when answered in
the affirmative he settled down for
another comfortable nap of century.
Sounds very funny, does it not? but
can assure you that up to my twelfth
or thirteenth year l, with many another
German boys, firmly believed in this.
Later on, when romance was gone, |
have seen the "Kyffhaeuser," but no
ravens were near, for Germany once
more stood there gloriously.
He was indirectly followed by his
grandson, Frederick H., who also did
much for Germany, but was very much
hampered in his undertakings by his
qnarrels with the Pope. His grandson,
Cohradin, SO calle't as the little son of
Conrad, his father, died on the scatfold
in Naples, where he was sent by
Charles Of Anjou, the brother of Louis
the Saint of France, who robbed him
with the assistance of the Pope of his
kingdom of Naples and Sicily.
Now indeed came most sorry time
for Germany; her crown, once the most
brilliant Of all Christenuom, was almost
put up at auction, and indeed worn for
short time, at least nOminally, by two
Outlanders, William of Holland and
the Prince OF CORVALLIS. AS these
two never exercised any real authority,
the country was the prey of the strong
est, and highway robbery was deemed
not Incompatible with knIghthood.
After seventeen years of this chaos,
called "die k0iserlose, die schreckliche
Zeit'-the emperorless, the terrible
tlme-RudOlph Won Habsburg was
elected emperor. He did indeed eradl-
cate, or at-least greatly lessen, highway
robbery by knights, barOns and counts,
by hanging quite number of them,
but having no power of his own, having
been comparatively poor count, and
having to rely on his vassals for any
great enterprises, he could not do very
much for the glory of Germany.
The successors of his own house: for
1T must be borne in mind that Germany
was an elective monarchy, and that,
tho since 1437 with Albrecht II. the i'm
perial dignity remained forever with the
house of Habsburg, this was simply 10y
the good will of the seven electors: his
successors, say, tried their best to i'm
prove their own power, their "Haus-
macht," even to the serious detrimeut
OF Germany proper. Under one of
their house, Charles ", German power
Was everywhere felt, but Charles was
really more of Spauiard than Ger
man, and cared more for Spain than
Germany. Besides, he was troubled
much with religious wars and disputes,
and tho at his time the sun never set
on German possessions, the real well
fare was not very much enhanced dur
ing his reign. But nevertheless COM
merce and manufacturing flourished.
You will perhaps remember the name
of Fugger; he was nothing more nor
less than a weaver. He had lent to
Charles V. some 100000 gold gulden,
an immense sum for those times.
When Charles OH his journeys once
passed through Augsburg, the home of
Fugger, he spent one night with
him. The evening was chilly and Fug-
ger had fire built in the chimney
place. Instead of common wood he
had it made of cinnamon, and to light
it he used the emperor's receipt for the
100000 gold gulden. There is a poor
weaver for you!
During the sixty years following
Charles abdication Germany was rent
by religious strife, which reached its
culmination in the Thirty Years War.
This war brought Germany to the verge
of ruin, the whole country was a will