¶ "I am past the time of life when one takes advice from flesh and blood, in such things as now confront us. When I stake my life for a matter, I do so in that faith which I have strengthened by long and severe struggling--but also in honest and humble prayer to God, a faith which no word of man, even that of friend in Christ and servant of his church, can overthrow!" ¶ Magnificent, magnificent you are, at this supreme moment, you big bull-dog Bismarck, and you can whip them three to one, when the great day comes. ¶ Bismarck gained in power as he exercised his strength. He kept Prussia steady during the perilous times of the Crimean war; even urged an alliance with the French--think of that!--to gain secret ends for Prussia; but the Prussian king, who hated rulers of revolutionary origin, was opposed to Bismarck's master-scheme; that is to say, William held in contempt Napoleon III, hero of the trick, known as the coup d'etat, which won a crown. But Bismarck had no such scruples. At St. Petersburg, Bismarck won the Czar--for which the liberals hated Otto the more. His arts of diplomacy were expanding in all directions. Foreshadowing the war with Austria, Bismarck planned to keep Italy, France, Russia, England and Belgium quiet by various intrigues of politics--and how well he succeeded we shall learn later on. 44 The storm increases--Bismarck decides to defy the Chamber and rule alone! ¶ In the general turmoil, along comes a fanatic named Cohen, who attempts to kill Bismarck. This was in May, 1866. The war broke within thirty days! Cohen fired point-blank three shots, and there was a personal struggle. The giant coolly handed the would-be murderer over to the guards, then went home. His greeting to his wife was characteristic. "They have tried even to kill me, my dear, but do not mind, no harm has been done. Let us go out to dinner." It was a time of assassins and their plots follow. Struck down by the police, Ferd Cohen, step-son of Karl Blind, meets in the eyes of the Democrats a martyr's death; his body is crowned with flowers, as though the corpse were a consecration of Prussian Liberalism on the altar of liberty. The frenzy takes still other forms; suicide cults become notorious; here and there, we read that some lunatic patriot "seeks voluntary death, for the sacred cause of the people." ¶ And as for Cohen, ladies of high degree bring flowers, soldiers of the common cause wear on their coats his picture crowned with oak leaves. The cult of murder, with Bismarck as the arch enemy in the centre of the picture, was indulged to prevent what was termed the War of the Brothers. ¶ "I believe," rumbled the granite rock Bismarck, with frowning clouds around his brow, "I do solemnly believe in victory--whether or not I shall live to see it!" This speech was regarded as little short of blasphemy!