How could Kaiser Max revoke his Father's deed, or Kaiser Karl his Great-grandfather's?
Little Albert, the Albert of the PRINZENRAUB, he who grew big, and fought lion-like for his Kaiser in the Netherlands and Western Countries; he and his have clearly the heirship of Cleve by right; and we, now grown Electors, and Seniors of Saxony, demand it of a grateful House of Hapsburg,--and will study to make ourselves convenient in return."-- "Nay, if that is your rule, that old Laws and Deeds are to come in bar of new, we," cry a multitude of persons,--French Dukes of Nevers, and all manner of remote, exotic figures among them,--"we are the real heirs! Ravensburg, Mark, Berg, Ravenstein, this patch and the other of that large Duchy of yours, were they not from primeval time expressly limited to heirs-male?
Heirs-male; and we now are the nearest heirs-male of said patches and portions; and will prove it!"-- In short, there never was such a Lawsuit,--so fat an affair for the attorney species, if that had been the way of managing it,--as this of Cleve was likely to prove.
THE KAISER'S THOUGHTS ABOUT IT, AND THE WORLD'S.
What greatly complicated the affair, too, was the interest the Kaiser took in it.

The Kaiser could not well brook a powerful Protestant in that country; still less could his Cousin the Spaniard.

Spaniards, worn to the ground, coercing that world-famous Dutch Revolt, and astonished to find that they could not coerce it at all, had resolved at this time to take breath before trying farther.

Spaniards and Dutch, after Fifty years of such fighting as we know, have made a Twelve-years' Truce (1609): but the battled Spaniard, panting, pale in his futile rage and sweat, has not given up the matter; he is only taking breath, and will try it again.

Now Cleve is his road into Holland, in such adventure; no success possible if Cleve be not in good hands.