for eight years, confusion went worse confounded; as if plain
chaos were coming; and Brandenburg and Otto grew tired of each
other to the last degree.

In which state of matters, A.D. 1373, Kaiser Karl offered Otto a
trifle of ready money to take himself away. Otto accepted
greedily; sold his Electorate and big Mark of Brandenburg to
Kaiser Karl for an old song,--200,000 thalers (about 30,000
pounds, and only half of it ever paid); [Michaelis, i. 283.]--
withdrew to his Schloss of Wolfstein in Bavaria; and there, on the
strength of that or other sums, "rolled deep as possible in every
sort of debauchery." And so in few years puddled himself to death;
foully ending the Bavarian set of Kurfursts. They had lasted fifty
years; with endless trouble to the Country and to themselves; and
with such mutual profit as we have seen.



Chapter XIII.

LUXEMBURG KURFURSTS IN BRANDENBURG.

If Brandenburg suffered much under the Bavarian Kurfursts for
Fifty years, it was worse, and approached to the state of worst,
under the Luxemburgers, who lasted for some Forty more.
Ninety years of anarchy in all; which at length brought it to
great need of help from the Fates!--

Karl IV. made his eldest Boy Wenzel, still only about twelve,
Elector of Brandenburg; [1373 (born 1361).] Wenzel shall be Kaiser