Hungary stood by Urban
Preserved but no longer current.
The Church was torn from top to bottom by the schism, both sides being in good faith and no one knowing to whom allegiance was due. This confusion lasted until 1417, when Martin V was elected at the Council of Constance. Schlemihl, Peter (shlem' il). The man who sold his shadow to the devil, in Chamisso's tale so called (1814). The name is a synonym for any person who makes a desperate and silly bar- gain.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Hungary stood by Urban” mean?
The Church was torn from top to bottom by the schism, both sides being in good faith and no one knowing to whom allegiance was due. This confusion lasted until 1417, when Martin V was elected at the Council of Constance. Schlemihl, Peter (shlem' il). The man who sold his shadow to the devil, in Chamisso's tale so called (1814). The name is a synonym for any person who makes a desperate and silly bar- gain.
Is “Hungary stood by Urban” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.