Neither of which suspicious transactions came to any result for
Albert; as indeed most of his unjust graspings proved failures.
He at one time had thoughts of the Crown of France; "Yours _I_
solemnly declare!" said the Pope. But that came to nothing;--only
to France's shifting of the Popes to Avignon, more under the thumb
of France. What his ultimate success with Tell and the Forest
Cantons was, we all know! A most clutching, strong-fisted,
dreadfully hungry, tough and unbeautiful man. Whom his own Nephew,
at last, had to assassinate, at the Ford of the Reus (near
Windisch Village, meeting of the Reus and Aar; 1st May, 1308):
"Scandalous Jew pawnbroker of an Uncle, wilt thou flatly keep from
me my Father's heritage, then, intrusted to thee in his hour of
death? Regardless of God and man, and of the last look of a dying
Brother? Uncle worse than pawnbroker; for it is a heritage with NO
pawn on it, with much the reverse!" thought the Nephew,--and
stabbed said Uncle down dead; having gone across with him in the
boat; attendants looking on in distraction from the other side of
the river. Was called Johannes PARRICIDA in consequence; fled out
of human sight that day, he and his henchmen, never to turn up
again till Doomsday. For the pursuit was transcendent, regardless
of expense; the cry for legal vengeance very great (on the part of
Albert's daughters chiefly), though in vain, or nearly so, in this
world. [Kohler, p. 272. Hormayr, OEsterreichischer
Plutarch, oder Leben und Bild nisse, &c. (12
Bandchen; Wien, 1807,--a superior Book), i. 65.]


OF KAISER HENRY VII. AND THE LUXEMBURG KAISERS.