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,