History of Friedrich II of Prussia, vol 2 | Page 4

obtained footing and supremacy there. In the
Northern parts, these immigrating Sclaves were of the kind called
Vandals, or Wends: they spread themselves as far west as Hamburg and
the Ocean, south also far over the Elbe in some quarters; while other
kinds of Sclaves were equally busy elsewhere. With what difficulty in
settling the new boundaries, and what inexhaustible funds of quarrel
thereon, is still visible to every one, though no Historian was there to
say the least word of it. "All of Sclavic origin;" but who knows of how
many kinds: Wends here in the North, through the Lausitz (Lusatia)
and as far as Thuringen; not to speak of Polacks, Bohemian Czechs,
Huns, Bulgars, and the other dim nomenclatures, on the Eastern
frontier. Five hundred years of violent unrecorded fighting, abstruse
quarrel with their new neighbors in settling the marches. Many names
of towns in Germany ending in ITZ (Meuselwitz, Mollwitz), or bearing
the express epithet Windisch (Wendish), still give
indication of those old sad circumstances; as does the word SLAVE, in

all our Western languages, meaning captured SCLAVONIAN. What
long-drawn echo of bitter rage and hate lies in that small etymology!
These things were; but they have no History: why should they have any?
Enough that in those Baltic regions, there are for the time (Year 600,
and till long after Charlemagne is out) Sclaves in place of Suevi or of
Holstein Saxons and Angli; that it is now shaggy Wends who have the
task of taming the jungles, and keeping down the otters and wolves.
Wends latterly in a waning condition, much beaten upon by
Charlemagne and others; but never yet beaten out. And so it has to last,
century after century; Wends, wolves, wild swine, all alike dumb to us.
Dumb, or sounding only one huge unutterable message (seemingly of
tragic import), like the voice of their old Forests, of their old Baltic
Seas:-- perhaps more edifying to us SO. Here at last is a definite date
and event:--
"A.D. 928, Henry the Fowler, marching across the frozen bogs, took
BRANNIBOR, a chief fortress of the Wends;" [Kohler,
Reichs-Historie (Frankfurth und Leipzig, 1737), p. 63.
Michaelis, Chur-und Furstlichen Hauser in Deutschland italic> (Lemgo, 1759, 1760, 1785), i. 255.]-- first mention in human
speech of the place now called Brandenburg: Bor or "Burg of the
Brenns" (if there ever was any TRIBE of Brenns,--BRENNUS, there as
elsewhere, being name for KING or Leader); "Burg of the Woods," say
others,--who as little know. Probably, at that time, a town of clay huts,
with dit&h and palisaded sod-wall round it; certainly "a chief fortress
of the Wends,"--who must have been a good deal surprised at sight of
Henry on the rimy winter morning near a thousand years ago.
This is the grand old Henry, called, "the Fowler" (Heinrich der
Vogler), because he was in his Vogelheerde italic> (Falconry or Hawk-establishment, seeing his Hawks fly) in the
upland Hartz Country, when messengers came to tell him that the
German Nation, through its Princes and Authorities assembled at
Fritzlar, had made him King; and that he would have dreadful work
henceforth. Which he undertook; and also did,--this of Brannibor only
one small item of it,--warring right manfully all his days against Chaos

in that country, no rest for him thenceforth till he died. The beginning
of German Kings; the first, or essentially the first sovereign of united
Germany,-- Charlemagne's posterity to the last bastard having died out,
and only Anarchy, Italian and other, being now the alternative.
"A very high King," says one whose Note-books I have got, "an
authentically noble human figure, visible still in clear outline in the
gray dawn of Modern History. The Father of whatever good has since
been in Germany. He subdued his DUKES, Schwaben, Baiern (Swabia,
Bavaria) and others, who were getting too HEREDITARY, and
inclined to disobedience. He managed to get back Lorraine; made
TRUCE with the Hungarians, who were excessively invasive at that
time. Truce with the Hungarians; and then, having gathered strength,
made dreadful beating of them; two beatings,-- one to each half, for the
invasive Savagery had split itself, for better chance of plunder; first
beating was at Sondershausen, second was at Merseburg, Year
933;--which settled them considerably. Another beating from Henry's
son, and they never came back. Beat Wends, before this,--'Brannibor
through frozen bogs' five years ago. Beat, Sclavic Meisseners
(Misnians); Bohehemian Czechs, and took Prag; Wends again, with
huge slaughter; then Danes, and made 'King Worm tributary' (King
Gorm the Hard, our KNUT'S or Canute's great-
grand-father, Year 931);--last of all, those invasive Hungarians as
above. Had sent the Hungarians, when they demanded tribute or
BLACK-MAIL of him as heretofore, Truce being now out,--a