the  thing  to  come  to  a  legal  settlement,  or  content  himself  with  ruling
over  those  who  had  elected  him.1

Such  are  the  most  important  points  of  these  negotiations,  which  fill
huge  bundles  of  documents  in  various  archives.2  The  elector  palatine
kept  up  a  constant  correspondence  with  the  landgrave  ;  the  elector  of
Mainz  with  the  elector  of  Saxony  ;  and  both  of  them  with  each  other,
and  with  the  other  members  of  the  League  of  Schmalkald.  Occasionally
imperial  plenipotentiaries  came  to  Weimar  ;  the  elector  of  Mainz  took
the  opportunity,  during  his  journey  between  Halle  and  Aschaffenburg,
to  speak  with  one  or  other  of  the  most  influential  functionaries  of  Saxony  ;
lastly,  the  two  chancellors  met  in  Bitterfeld,  and  drew  up  new  proposals,
which  they  sent  to  Brussels.  The  emperor  turned  pale  when  this  affair,
to  which  he  had  such  a  repugnance,  was  brought  before  him  again  ;  but
he  did  not  refuse  to  hear  it,  asked  his  brother's  advice,  and  moderated
or  confirmed  his  propositions  accordingly.
