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412 GERMANY. [Brandenburg:
the jurlfdiölon over the cloyfter of Steinach, and have ten pounds in money
from the bailifFs office at Nia-nberg, with ten pounds more ariling from
the toll there, and the other fiefs, which he and his anceftors held of the
King's predecefTor's. The King alfo, in cafe the Burggrave Frederick (hould
die without male-heirs, inverts his daughters with this Imperial fief: but
difputes have arifen concerning the meaning of the Comicia Burggravia
in Niirmberg, of which mention is made in the letters of inveftiture. The
Nürnberg writers affirm, that this expreffion denotes barely a jurifdidion
or office ; but the Brandenburg authors affert that it denotes in this place a
country> or a feigniory, with the right of fupreme power over it.
§.2. From the above-mentioned Burggrave Fr^i^fr/V/^ II. is defcended the
prefent royal and princely houfe of Brandenburg. John III. and Frederick
V. (by others called Frederick VI.) fons to the Burggrave Frederick W,
(or Frederick V.) divided the burggravial lands among themfelves in fuch
a manner, according to his regulation, that the former obtained the countries
above the Gebirg, and the latter thofe below it. In the year 14 15, the
Burggrave Frederick V. (or Frederick V^I.) obtained of the Emperor Si^if-
7nund the eleftoral mark of Brajidcnburg, and after the death of John III.
his brother, alfo the countries fituated above the Gebirg. His eldeft fon,
the Marggrave John, ceded to his next brother the right of primogeniture
and the fucceffion to the eledlorate and lands thereof; upon v/hich the old
Eleiflor divided his countries among his fons in fuch a manner that the
elded, Marggrave John, obtained the Francotiian principality above the
Gebirg ; the fecond, namely, the Marggrave Frederick I. the eledloral
mark of Brandenburg ; the third, "viz. the Marggrave Albrecht, the Franconian
principality below the Gebirg j and the youngeft, named the Marggrave
Frederick, a fliare in the old mark, and had alfo his refidence at
'Fangermund. The Elector, Frederick II. ceded, as he became old and infirm,
and was without male-heirs, the electoral mark to his brother, the
Marggrave Albrecht, who was alfo poffelTed of the entire burggravate of
Nurnbej-g, and, in the year 1473, made a perpetual regulation of fuccei^
fion, by virtue of which the mark of Brandenburg, with all the countries
belonging thereto, was without any divifion to belong to the ElecH-or only;
but the burggravate of Nürnberg was to have only two reigning lords,
one of whom was to poffefs the principality above the Gebirg, and the other
that below it ; which regulation the Emperor Frederick V. confirmed at a
public Diet of the Empire. This Eleftor died in the year 14S6. His
eldeft fon, yohn, was Elector of Brandenburg, and his fecond fon, the
Marggrave Frederick IV. or the elder, obtained the principality o{ Anßacb ;
the third, namely, the Marggrave Sigifmund acquiring the principality of
Bayreuth: but this laft dying without iffue in the year 1495, the fecond
obtained the whole burggravate, or both principalities, into which it is divided
: but thefe were again fliared among his fons Cafnnir and George, the
former