God help us! He alone can help us." And, as the old man spoke, he beat the table with his hand in an agony of impotent grief and indignation.

[295] To keep the German princes steady was no easy task; but it was accomplished.

Money was distributed among them, much less indeed than they asked, but much more than they had any decent pretence for asking.
With the Elector of Saxony a composition was made.

He had, together with a strong appetite for subsidies, a great desire to be a member of the most select and illustrious orders of knighthood.

It seems that, instead of the four hundred thousand rixdollars which he had demanded, he consented to accept one hundred thousand and the Garter.