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the Great Charles to the time of the Great Frederick。 Between these
times she had her various rulers； ecclesiastical and secular； in various
forms of vassalage to the empire； but for nearly four centuries her
sovereignty was in the hands of the margraves； who reigned in a
constantly increasing splendor till the last sold her outright to the
King of Prussia in 1791； and went to live in England on the proceeds。
She had taken her part in the miseries and glories of the wars that
desolated Germany； but after the Reformation； when she turned from the
ancient faith to which she owed her cloistered origin under St。
Gumpertus； her people had peace except when their last prince sold them
to fight the battles of others。 It is in this last transaction that her
history； almost in the moment when she ceased to have a history of her
own； links to that of the modern world； and that it came home to the
Marches in their national character； for two thousand of those poor
Ansbach mercenaries were bought up by England and sent to put down a
rebellion in her American colonies。
Humanly； they were more concerned for the Last Margrave； because of
certain qualities which made him the Best Margrave； in spite of the
defects of his qualities。 He was the son of the Wild Margrave； equally
known in the Ansbach annals； who may not have been the Worst Margrave；
but who had certainly a bad trick of putting his subjects to death
without trial； and in cases where there was special haste； with his own
hand。 He sent his son to the university at Utrecht because he believed
that the republican influences in Holland would be wholesome for him； and
then he sent him to travel in Italy； but when the boy came home looking
frail and sick； the Wild Margrave charged his official travelling
companion with neglect； and had the unhappy Hofrath Meyer hanged without
process for this crime。 One of the gentlemen of his realm； for a
pasquinade on the Margrave； was brought to the scaffold； he had； at
various times； twenty…two of his soldiers shot with arrows and bullets or
hanged for desertion； besides many whose penalties his clemency commuted
to the loss of an ear or a nose； a Hungarian who killed his hunting…dog；
he had broken alive on the wheel。 A soldier's wife was hanged for
complicity in a case of desertion； a young soldier who eloped with the
girl he loved was brought to Ansbach from a neighboring town； and hanged
with her on the same gallows。 A sentry at the door of one of the
Margrave's castles amiably complied with the Margrave's request to let
him take his gun for a moment； on the pretence of wishing to look at it。
For this breach of discipline the prince covered him with abuse and gave
him over to his hussars； who bound him to a horse's tail and dragged him
through the streets； he died of his injuries。 The kennel…master who had
charge of the Margrave's dogs was accused of neglecting them： without
further inquiry the Margrave rode to the man's house and shot him down on
his own threshold。 A shepherd who met the Margrave on a shying horse did
not get his flock out of the way quickly enough； the Margrave demanded
the pistols of a gentleman in his company； but he answered that they were
not loaded； and the shepherd's life was saved。 As they returned home the
gentleman fired them off。 〃What does that mean？〃 cried the Margrave；
furiously。 〃It means； gracious lord； that you will sleep sweeter
tonight； for not having heard my pistols an hour sooner。〃
From this it appears that the gracious lord had his moments of regret；
but perhaps it is not altogether strange that when he died； the whole
population 〃stormed through the streets to meet his funeral train； not in
awe…stricken silence to meditate on the fall of human grandeur； but to
unite in an eager tumult of rejoicing； as if some cruel brigand who had
long held the city in terror were delivered over to them bound and in
chains。〃 For nearly thirty years this blood…stained miscreant had
reigned over his hapless people in a sovereign plenitude of power； which
by the theory of German imperialism in our day is still a divine right。
They called him the Wild Margrave； in their instinctive revolt from the
belief that any man not untamably savage could be guilty of his
atrocities； and they called his son the Last Margrave； with a touch of
the poetry which perhaps records a regret for their extinction as a
state。 He did not harry them as his father had done； his mild rule was
the effect partly of the indifference and distaste for his country bred；
by his long sojourns abroad； but doubtless also it was the effect of a
kindly nature。 Even in the matter of selling a few thousands of them to
fight the battles of a bad cause on the other side of the world； he had
the best of motives； and faithfully applied the proceeds to the payment
of the state debt and the embellishment of the capital。
His mother was a younger sister of Frederick the Great； and was so
constantly at war with her husband that probably she had nothing to do
with the marriage which the Wild Margrave forced upon their son。 Love
certainly had nothing to do with it； and the Last Margrave early escaped
from it to the society of Mlle。 Clairon； the great French tragedienne；
whom he met in Paris； and whom he persuaded to come and make her home
with him in Ansbach。 She lived there seventeen years； and though always
an alien； she bore herself with kindness to all classes； and is still
remembered there by the roll of butter which calls itself a Klarungswecke
in its imperfect French。
No roll of butter records in faltering accents the name of the brilliant
and disdainful English lady who replaced this poor tragic muse in the
Margrave's heart； though the lady herself lived to be the last Margravine
of Ansbach； where everybody seems to have hated her with a passion which
she doubtless knew how to return。 She was the daughter of the Earl of
Berkeley； and the wife of Lord Craven； a sufficiently unfaithful and
unworthy nobleman by her account； from whom she was living apart when the
Margrave asked her to his capital。 There she set herself to oust Mlle。
Clairon with sneers and jests for the theatrical style which the actress
could not outlive。 Lady Craven said she was sure Clairon's nightcap must
be a crown of gilt paper； and when Clairon threatened to kill herself；
and the Margrave was alarmed； 〃You forget；〃 said Lady Craven； 〃that
actresses only stab themselves under their sleeves。〃
She drove Clairon from Ansbach； and the great tragedienne returned to
Paris； where she remained true to her false friend； and from time to time
wrote him letters full of magnanimous counsel and generous tenderness。
But she could not have been so good company as Lady Craven； who was a
very gifted person； and knew how to compose songs and sing them； and
write comedies and play them； and who could keep the Margrave amused in
many ways。 When his loveless and childless wife died he married the
English woman； but he grew more and more weary of his dull little court
and his dull little country； and after a while； considering the uncertain
tenure sovereigns had of their heads since the French