This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
The city gates were already open. Peasants and peasant women bringingvegetables and other farm produce to market thronged the streets, wainsloaded with grain or charcoal rumbled along, and herds of cattle andswine, laden donkeys, the little carts of the farmers and bee keepersconveying milk and honey to the city, passed over the dyke, which wasstill softened by the rain of the preceding night.
The thunderstorm had cooled the air, but the rays of the morning sun werealready scorching. A few heavy little clouds were darkly relievedagainst the blue sky, and a peasant, driving two sucking pigs before him,called to another, who was carrying a goose under each arm, that the sunwas drawing water, and thundershowers seldom came singly.
Yet the city looked pleasant enough in the freshness of early June. Themaidservants who were opening the shutters glanced gaily out into thestreets, and arranged the flowers in front of the windows or bowedreverently as a priest passed by on his way to mass. The barefootedCapuchin, with his long beard, beckoned to the cook or the tradesman'swife and, as she put something into his beggar's sack and he thanked herkindly with some pious axiom, she felt as if she herself and all herhousehold had gained a right to the blessing of Heaven for that day,and cheerily continued her work.
The brass counter in the low, broad bow window of the baker's houseglittered brightly, and the pale apprentice wiped the flour from his faceand gave his master's rosy-cheeked daughter fresh warm cakes to set onthe shining shelves. The barber's nimble apprentice hung the towel andbasin at the door, while his master, wearied by the wine-bibbing and talkat the tavern or his labour at the fire, was still asleep. His activewife had risen before him, strewed the shop with fresh sand, and renewedthe goldfinch's food.
The workshops and stores were adorned with birch branches, and the youngdaughters of the burghers, in becoming caps, the maid servants andapprentices, who were going to market with baskets on their arms, wore aflower or something green on their breasts or in their caps.
The first notes of the bells, pealing solemnly, were summoningworshippers to mass, the birds were singing in the garden, and the cockswere crowing in the yards of the houses. The animals passing in thestreet lowed, grunted, and cackled merrily in the dawn of the young day.
Gay young men, travelling students who had sought cheap quarters in thecountry, now entered the city with a merry song on their lips just shadedby the first down of manhood, and when a maiden met them she lowered hereyes modestly before the riotous fellows.
The terrors of the frightful thunderstorm seemed forgotten. Nuremberglooked gladsome; a carpet hung from many a bow-window, and flags andstreamers fluttered from roofs and balconies to honour the distinguishedguests. Many signs of their presence were visible, squires andequerries, in their masters' colours, were riding spirited horses, anda few knights who loved early rising were already in the saddle, theirshining helmets and coats of mail flashing brightly in the sunshine.
The gigantic figu