for it. Sure enough, he got it; took root in it, he and his; and,
in the course of centuries, branched up from it, high and wide,
over the adjoining countries; waxing towards still higher
destinies. That is the epitome of Conrad's history; history
now become very great, but then no bigger than its neighbors, and
very meagrely recorded; of which the reflective reader is to make
what he can.

There is nothing clearly known of Conrad more than these three
facts: That he was a cadet of Hohenzollern (whose father's name,
and some forefathers' names are definitely known in the family
archives, but do not concern us); that he married the Heiress of
the Vohburgs, whose history is on record in like manner; and that
he was appointed Burggraf of Nurnberg, year not precisely known,--
but before 1170, as would seem. "In a REICHSTAG (Diet of the
Empire) held at Regensburg in or about 1170," he formally
complains, he and certain others, all stanch Kaiser's friends (for
in fact it was with the Kaiser's knowledge, or at his
instigation), of Henry the Lion's high procedures and
malpractices; of Henry's League with the Pope, League with the
King of Denmark, and so forth; the said Henry having indeed fallen
into opposition, to a dangerous degree;--and signs himself
BURGGRAF OF NURNBERG, say the old Chronicles. [Rentsch, p. 276
(who cites Aventinus, Trittheim, &c.).]
The old Document itself has long since perished, I conclude: but
the Chronicles may be accepted as reporters of so conspicuous a
thing; which was the beginning of long strife in Germany, and
proved the ruin of Henry the Lion, supreme Welf grown over-big,--
and cost our English Henry II., whose daughter he had married,
a world of trouble and expense, we may remark withal. Conrad