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[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
Herdegen was to be back in Padua before Passion week, and I shallremember with thankfulness to the day of my death the few months afterworthy Veit Spiesz's burial and before my brother's departure. Not a daypassed without our meeting; and after my heart had moved me to tellCousin Maud all that had happened, and Herdegen had given his consent, wewere rid once for all of the mystery which had at first weighed on oursouls.
Verily the worthy lady found it no light matter to look kindly on thisearly and ill-matched betrothal; yet had she not the heart, nor thepower, to make any resistance. When two young folks who are dear to herare brimfull of high happiness, the woman who would turn them out of thatGarden of Eden and spoil their present bliss with warnings of future woemust be of another heart and mind than Cousin Maud. She indeed foresawgrief to come in many an hour of mistrust by day and many a sleeplessnight, more especially by reason of her awe and dread of my grand-uncle;and indeed, she herself was not bereft of the old pride of race whichdwells in every Nuremberger who is born under a knight's coat of arms.That Ann was poor she held of no account; but that she was not of noblebirth was indeed a grief and filled her with doubts. But then, when herbest-beloved Herdegen's eyes shone so brightly, and she saw Ann cling tohim with maidenly rapture, vexation and care were no more.
If I had sung a loud hymn of praise in the woods over their spring andautumn beauty—and verily it had welled up from my heart—I was ready tothink winter in the town no less gladsome, in especial under the shelterof a home so warm and well built as our old Schopper-hof.
In the last century, when, at the time of the Emperor Carolus—[CharlesIV., 1348]—coming to the throne, the guilds, under the leadership of theGaisbarts and Pfauentritts, had risen against the noble families and theworshipful council, they accused the elders of keeping house not asbeseemed plain citizens but after the manner of princes; and they werenot far wrong, for indeed I have heard tell that when certain merchantsfrom Scandinavia came to our city, they said that the dwelling of aNuremberg noble was a match in every way for their king's palace.
[Gaisbart (goat's beard) and Pfauentritt (peacock-strut), were nicknames given to the leaders of the guilds who rebelled against the patrician families in Nuremberg, from whom alone the aldermen or town-council could be elected. This patrician class originated in 1198 under the Emperor Henry IV., who ennobled 38 families of the citizens. They were in some sort comparable with the families belonging to the Signoria at Venice, from whom, in the same way, the great council was chosen.]
As touching our house, it was four stories high, and with seven windowsin every story; with well devised oriels at the corners, and pointedturrets on the roof. The gables were on the street, in three steps; overthe great house door there was our coat of arms, the three links of theSchopppes and the fool's head with cap and bells as a crest on the top ofthe casque. The middle windows of the first and second stories were ofnoble size, and there glittered therein bright and beautif