scramble that there then was,--Uncle Billung dead without heirs,
a SALIC line of emperors going or gone out, and a HOHENSTAUFFEN
not yet come in,--he made a rich game of it for himself; the
rather as Lothar, the intermediate Kaiser, was his cousin, and
there were other good cards which he played well.

"This is he they call 'Albert the Bear ( Albrecht der Bar
);' first of the ASCANIEN Markgraves of Brandenburg;
--first wholly definite MARKGRAF OF BRANDENBURG that there is;
once a very shining figure in the world, though now fallen dim
enough again. It is evident he had a quick eye, as well as a
strong hand; and could pick what way was straightest among crooked
things. He got the Northern part of what is still called Saxony,
and kept it in his family; got the Brandenburg Countries withal,
got the Lausitz; was the shining figure and great man of the North
in his day. The Markgrafdom of SALZWEDEL (which soon became of
BRANDENBURG) he very naturally acquired (A.D. 1142 or earlier);
very naturally, considering what Saxon and other honors and
possessions he had already got hold of."--

We can only say, it was the luckiest of events for Brandenburg,
and the beginning of all the better destinies it has had.
A conspicuous Country ever since in the world, and which grows
ever more so in our late times.

He had many wars; inextricable coil of claimings, quarrellings and
agreeings: fought much,--fought in Italy, too, "against the
Pagans" (Saracens, that is). Cousin to one Kaiser, the Lothar
above named; then a chief stay of the Hohenstauffen, of the two
Hohenstauffens who followed: a restless, much-managing, wide-