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he had carried it off, for the purpose of dis- | understood him to say, 'Men and beasts, men posing of it. So they published a notice in and beasts;' therefore he returned homeward all the neighboring boroughs, towns, and vil-in great affliction, and said as much to his lages, calling on them, If any one came there worthy masters. On learning this they became with a millstone round his neck, that they greatly alarmed, and said, 'When it has no should treat him as one who had stolen the more mice to eat, it will eat our cattle; and common goods, and give him to justice.' But when they are gone it will eat us. To think the poor devil lay in the pond, dead. Had he that we should lay out our good money in been able to speak, he would have been wil- buying such a thing! And they held counling to tell them not to worry themselves on cil together, and resolved that the cat should his account, for he would give them their be killed; but no one would venture to lay own again. But his load pressed so heavily hold of it for that purpose. Whereupon it upon him, and carried him so deep in the was determined to burn the granary and the water, that he, after drinking water enough—cat in it, seeing that it was better they should more, indeed, than was good for him-died, and he is dead at the present day; and dead he will, shall, and must remain."

One more specimen, and we have done; and it shall be the 44th chapter, which tells "How the Schildburghers purchased a mouser, and with it their own ruin."

"Now it happened that there were no cats in Schilda, and so many mice, that nothing was safe, even in the bread-basket; for whatsoever they put there, was sure to be gnawed or eaten; and this grieved them sorely. And upon a time there came a traveller into the village, carrying a cat in his arms, and he entered the hostel. The host asked him, what sort of a beast is that?' Said he, 'It is a mouser.' Now the mice at Schilda were so quiet and so tame, that they never fled before the people, but ran about all day long with. out the slightest fear. So the traveller let the cat run, who, in the sight of the host, soon caught numbers of mice.

"Now when the people were told this by the host, they asked the man whether the mouser was to be sold, for they would pay him well for it. He said, 'It certainly was not to be sold, but seeing that it would be so useful to them, he would let them have it, if they would pay him what was right;' and he asked a hundred florins for it. The boors were glad to find that he asked so little, and concluded a bargain with him, he agreeing to take half the money down, and to come again in six months to fetch the rest. As soon as the bargain was struck on both sides, they gave the traveller the half of his money, and carried the mouser into the granary where they kept their corn, for there were most mice there. The traveller went off with the money at full speed, for he feared greatly lest they should repent them of the bargain and want their money back again; and as he went along he kept looking behind him, to see that no one was following him.

"Now the boors had forgotten to ask what the cat was to be fed upon; so they sent one after him in haste, to ask him the question. But when he with the gold saw that some one was following him, he hastened so much the more, so that the boor could by no means overtake him; whereupon he called out to him from afar off, What does it eat? what does it eat?' What you please, what you please,' quoth the traveller. But the peasant

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suffer a common loss, than all lose their life and limb. So they set fire to the granary.

"But when the cat smelt the fire, it sprang out of a window and fled to another house; and the granary was burned to the ground. Never was their sorrow greater than that of the Schildburghers, when they found that they could not kill the cat. They counselled with one another, and purchased the house to which the cat had fled, and burned that also. But the cat sprang out upon the roof and sate there, washing itself, and putting its paws behind its ears, after the manner of cats. And the Schildburghers understood thereby, that the cat lifted up its hands and swore an oath, that it would not leave their treatment of it unrevenged. Then one of them took a long pole and struck at the cat, but the cat caught hold of the pole and began to clamber down it; whereupon the people grew greatly alarmed and ran away, and left the fire to burn as it might. And because no one regarded the fire, nor sought to put it out, the whole village was burnt to a house; and notwithstanding that, the cat escaped. And the Schildburgh. ers fled, with their wives and children, to a neighboring forest. And at this time was burned their chancery, and all the papers therein; which is the reason why their his tory is not to be found described in a more regular manner.'

Here would we willingly have quitted our plished editor of the "Narrenbuch," for havpresent subject, first thanking the accoming collected, in that amusing volume, so choice a collection of early German facetiæ ; and which forms but one of his many claims upon the gratitude of all lovers of the middle age literature of his native land. But though we may pass over in silence the "Jests of Claus Narr," leave untouched Schimpf and Ernst," and defer, till the publica"Pouli's tion of Mr. Kemble's promised volume on the subject of" Marcolph," all notice of that mocking spirit, we cannot conclude an article on the comic romances of Germany, without bestowing a few words on Germany's favorite droll-Tyll Eulenspiegel. It would indeed be playing the tragedy of Hamlet, and leaving out the character of the Prince of Denmark, to omit all mention of this most prankish and mischievous Merry Andrew, whose memory still lives in the affections of

his countrymen. The house at Kneitlingen, its popularity to make it a party book: and in which he was born,* is standing at the pre- Germany was not only divided into Reformsent day, and his gravestone and monument ers and Anti-Reformers, but had a version of are still pointed out at Mollen; the inhabi. Eulenspiegel suited to the palates of both tants of which formerly used to keep a feast parties. in memory of him, and to show the apparel

he was wont to wear.

The edition now before us is a sadly mo. dernized version; but it contains some good wood cuts. We shall, therefore, give a few specimens of the work, which is far too unconnected to admit of a regular analysis, from Master Copland's version; modernizing, in a few instances, his orthography. The first extracts will show, that Owlglas' love of fun and mischief was as strong in him when a child as when he grew to man's estate.

"How that Howleglas, when that he was a child, answered a man that asked the way."

His Life and Adventures," which is said to have been one of Fuseli's pet-books, is supposed to have been originally written in Low German, and the well-known Franciscan Thomas Murnar has the credit of being its translator into High German. The ear. liest known edition, and which is in the latter dialect, is that of 1540, preserved in the Wolfenbüttel Library. But that there formerly existed editions of far earlier date is proved by the fact, that the first English translation of it was made by old Copland; an imperfect "Upon a time went Howleglas' father and copy of whose version,and we believe the only mother out, and left Howleglas within the one in existence, is to be found in the Garrick house. Then came there a man riding half Collection in the British Museum. If trans- into the door, and asked, 'Is there nobody lation be a fair test of the popularity of a within?' Then answered the child, "There book, few can adduce stronger claims to the is a man and half and a horse's head.' Then asked the man, Where is thy father;' and title of popular than Eulenspiegel: for upon the child answered and said, 'My father is of few has that honor been more frequently ill making worse; and my mother is gone for bestowed. We have mentioned one English scathe or shame.' And the man said to the version; another under the not inappropriate child, How understandest thou that?' And title of the "German Rogue," appeared at the commencement of the last century. A translation into Latin verse, by Nem.ius, entitled "Triumphus Humanæ Stultitiæ vel Tylus Saxo," was published in 1558; and another by Periander, who states in the prefare that it took him but six weeks to do, was published in 1567. This latter, which its arthor calls "Noctuæ Speculum," contains 10 very delicate wood cuts, by Jobst Ammon. There are no fewer than five editions of the French translation and it has been twice translated into Dutch, and also into Polish. And what is still more curious, advantage was taken of

* The following passage from the Heltlingish. Sassen Chronick (p. 185, in Caspar Adel's Sammlung) not only proves him to have existed, but

shows the date and manner of his death :

"A. 1350.-Eyne Pestilencien was sere gruwelich over de ganse werlde, dat yt wart geheten de grote Dot, unde sterff so hefftigen, dat me in velen steden de Doden moste võren in andere stidden, ub andere Kirchhove, dat öre Kirchhove to luttingk waren; to Brunswick sterff der Bervoten Kloster de Monicke all uth, up einen kleynen Monik na, de sterve wart so grot, dat me lovede des hiligen Cruces dages Erhogingk to vyren, do sul fest sterff Ulenspeygel to Möllen unde de Gheyselen Broden kemen an."

+ As we believe this work to be of the greatest rarity, its full title may be acceptable to some of our readers," The German Rogue, or the Life and Merry Adventures, Cheats, Stratagems, and Contrivances of Tiel Eulespiegle.

"Let none Eulespiegle's artifices blame, For rogues of every country are the same. "Made English from the hgih Dutch, London: printed in the year MDCCIX." 8vo.

the child said, 'My father is making of ill worse, for he ploweth the field, and maketh great holes, that men should fall therein when they ride; and my mother is gone to borrow bread-and when she giveth it again, and giveth less, it is shame, and when she giveth it, and giveth more, it is scathe.' Then answered the man, Which is the way to ride?' And the child answered and said, 'There, where the geese go.' And then rode the mari his way to the geese, and they flew into the water. Then wist he not where to ride, but turned again to the child and said, "The geese be flown into the water, and thus wot I not what to do, nor whether to ride?' Then answered the child, You must ride where as the geese go, and not where they swim.' Then departed the man and rode his way, and marvelled at the answer of the child."

.

After sundry shifts and contrivances How. leglas was hired of a priest.

"As Howleglas came out of the castle, he came to a village that was called Buddest, in the land of Brounswicke; and there came a priest to Howleglas and hired him; but he And the priest said 'he knew him not. should have good days, aud eat and drink the same that he himself and his woman did; and all that should be done with half the labor." And then said Howleglas that thereThen after would he do his diligence.' dresses the priest's woman two chickens, and she bade Howleglas turn, and so he did. And he looked up and saw that she had but one eye; and when the chickens were done enough, then he brake one of the chickens

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from the spit, and ate it without any bread. | leglas was parish clerk, at Easter they should And when it was dinner t me, came the wo- play the the resurrection of our Lord. And man into the kitchen, where Howleglas turned, for because then the men were not learned, and thought to take up the chickens; and nor could not read, the priest took his leman when she was corne, she found no more there and put her in the grave for an angel: und but one chicken. Then said she to Howle. this seeing, Howleglas took to him three of glas, Where is the other chicken-there the simplest persons that were in the town, were two chickens.' Then answered he to that played the three Marys: and the parher, Lift up your eye and then shall you see son played Christ, with a banner in his hand. the other chicken.' Then was the woman Then said Howleglas to the simple persons, therewith angry, and knew well that Howle. When the angel asketh you whom you seek, glas mocked her; and then she ran to the you must say, The parson's leman with one Then it fortuned that the time was priest, and told him how she had dressed two eye.' chickens, and when she came to take them come that they must play; and the angel up, she found hut one, and then he mocked asked them whom they sought; and then me because I had but one eye, Then went said they as Howleglas had showed and the priest to Howleglas, and said, 'Why learned them afore; and then answered they, mock ye my woman: there were two chick. We seek the priest's leman with one eye.' ens.' Then answered Howleglas, I said And then the priest might hear that he was that was truth. I have said to the woman mocked. And when the priest's leman heard that she should open her eyes, and she should that, she arose out of the grave, and would see well where that other chicken was be have smitten with her fist Howleg as upon come.' Then laughed the priest and said, the check; but she missed him and smote one 'She cannot see, for she hath but one eye.' of the simple persons that played one of the Then said Howleglas to the priest, The one three Marys; and he gave her another. And chicken I have eaten; for ye said, I should then took she him by the ear; and that seeeat and drink as well as you and your wo-ing, his wife came running hastily to smite man; and the one I ate for you, and the other I ate for your woman; for I was afraid that you should have sinned, for the promise that ye promised me, and therefore I made me sure.' Then said the priest, I care not for the chickens, but I would have you please my woman, and do after her. Then said How. leglas, I do your commandment.' And that the woman bade him do, he did but half. For she bade him fetch a bucket of water, and he went and brought it but half full of water; and when he should bring two logs, he brought but one; and when he should get the beast two bottles of hay, he gave them but one; and when he should fetch a pot full of beer, he brought it half full; and so did he of many things besides. Then complained she to the priest of Howleglas again. Then said the priest, I bade that you should do as she bade you.' And Howleglas answered, 'I have done as ye bade me, for ye said to me that I should do all things with half labor; and your woman would fain see with both eyes, but she seeth with but one eye, and so do I half the labor.' And then the priest laughed. And then said the woman,

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the priest's leman; and then the priest seeing this, cast down his baner and went to help his woman, so that the one gave the other sore strokes, and made great noise in the church. And then Howleglas, seeing them lying together by the ears in the body of the church, went his way out of the village, and came no more there."

And here we take our leave of Tyll Eu. lenspiegel* and his associates; and should any of our readers be of opinion that we have bestowed more time upon these mad. wag knaves that they deserve, we will give them Old Copland's excuse for translating the " Merry Jest of a man that was called Howleglas.' "Methinke it is better to pass the tyme with such a merry Jest, and laughe thereat, and doe no sin, than for to wepe and do synne."

dien.

(Biographico-historical Studies.) Von Ernst Münch, 2 Bände. 12mo. Stuttgart, 1836.

your have this ungracious knave any longer; ART. IV.—1. Biographisch-historische Stuthen will I tarry no longer with you, but depart.' Then gave the priest Howleglas leave to depart, for his woman's sake: but when the parish clerk was dead of the village, then sent the priest for Howleglas, and holpe him so much that he was made the parish clerk.'

While engaged in the capacity of parish clerk of Buddenest, Master Howleglas espied a fair opportunity of being revenged of the priest's "leman," for getting him dis. missed from his servitude, and as may be supposed he was not slow to avail himself of it.

2.

Erinnerungen, Leb.nsbilder, und Stu

The adventures of this merry rogue have been illustrated with considerable humor by the graver of Ramberg, in a series of 55 p ates, under the title of "Ty Eulenspiegel, in 55 Blättern same artist we are a so indeb ed for a set of simigezeichnet und radirt." Leipsic, 1820. To the ar illustrations to that other popular volume of the Germans-Reynard the Fox-whose history was treated of in our pages very recently. "And then in the mean season, while How- Foreign Quarterly Review, No. XXXIII.

See

dien, aus den sieben und dreissig Jahren | the seven Northern, and that of William I. eines Teutschen Gelehrten, mit Rückblic- of the Netherlands-under whom, for the ken auf das öffentliche, politische, intellec- first time since the dark ages, they enjoyed tuelle, und sittliche Leben, von 1815 bis any thing like independence-by the latter; 1835, in der Schweitz, in Teutschland, a somewhat interesting account of the early und den Niederlanden. (Recollections, years of the said King William; a fragment Sketches from the Life, and Studies, during of the life of Demosthenes; an account of a seven and thirty Years, of a German Man professor at the Frieburg University, of the of Letters, with Glances at public, politi- House of Hapsburg in remote ages, of the cal, intellectual, and moral Life, from 1815 rebellion of the pseudo-Rienzi, Porcaro, of to 1835, in Switzerland, Germany, and the unfortunate and perhaps guilty Vittoria the Netherlands.) Von Ernst Münch. Accoramboni; some letters in old German, 8vo. Carlsruhe, 1836. orthographically hard to decypher, relative to Philip the Fair of Austria's little-interesting visit to England, and a narrative of the fate of the Seigneur de Montigny in Spain.

THESE volumes are genuine productions of the 19th century, the bold, careless, and unlabored outpourings of a vigorous mind, which The second book, with the long-winded the author has not given himself the trouble title,is the commencement of the autobiograof digesting and working into a whole. phy of Ernst Münch, poet, historian, bioAuthors of olden times-we speak not of times grapher, magazine-writer, professor at the beyond the memory of man, but actually Freiburg University, and what rot; a Swawithin our own-took not such liberties with bian, transformed diplomatically into a Swiss, the public, stood more in awe of criticism. which autobiography is intended to be enliven. Their works might be good or bad, and we ed and illustrated by recollections and sketchwill frankly acknowledge that the authors es of all the individuals with whom the writer who flourished in those happy days when we is, or has ever been acquainted. Now, as ourselves were young and uncritical, might Münch appears to have seen much andknown frequently be inferior in power and origin- many persons of consideration, his autobiograality to their successors; but, good or bad, phy and recollections may become very interthey produced works, works of art, long and esting in the subsequent volumes; but he and maturely studied, made as perfect as their his friends of Rheinfeld, Aarau and Freitalents could make them; not a heterogene- burg, Professors, Burschen,* and Philistines ous mass of thoughts often original and bril-inclusive, the sole occupants of the present liant, as often or oftener crude and fraught volume, possess no such European reputa. with error, which an hour's labor in reading tion as can make a circumstantial exposior reflection would have corrected. tion and development of all the thoughts, The books now before us are happy illus- feelings and pursuits of their childhood and trations of this class. The first consists of adolescence important in the eyes of English one real and good piece of biography; a life readers. Yet we must modify this asser. of Sir Walter Raleigh, and of a series of tion; under one point of view they acquire sketches, biographico-historical certainly, but importance. Münch having attained to such biographico-historical fragments as manhood during the paroxysm of demomight be dashed off at a heat for a magazine cratic reaction in Germany, consequent or annual, not works, nor portions of works, upon the disappointment of those political of biography or history, not works of art, in hopes which blossomed upon Napoleon's short. In the first volume these fragments overthrow the opinions and feelings here derelate to the loves of Leonora of Austria with tailed are ultra-republican, Anglicè radical, a Count Palatine, those of the tyrannous and thus give weight to his subsequent bitter, Christiern II. of Denmark with his Dutch anti-democratic condemnation of the Belgian Dove, the vindication of the philosopher insurrection against King William, and to Vanini from the charges of immorality and his panegyric of that sovereign. In order atheism, and the Acqua Tofana, oddly called that this corroborative effect may be felt, we by one of the pretty diminutives of Italian shall begin with offering an extract or endearment, the Acquetta. In the second two from the autobiography. The account volume, we have a comparison between the modern Belgians and those of the sixteenth century; between the treatment by the former of William the Taciturn, to whom the Southern provinces might have owed eman cipation from the Spanish yoke, had they supported his exertions in the cause of religious liberty and national independence, as did

VOL. XX.

23

* Need we here explain that Burschen, Burschenschaft and Philister and Philisterei (literally boys and boyry-if such a word analogous to soldiery may be coined for the nonce - Philistine and Philistinishness), are slang terms of the young collegians, by the first of which they designate themselves, by the second every thing common-place; everything that is not themselves being included in the designation.

he gives of the feelings, views-including a
scheme for the emancipation of German
Catholicism from the Papal see-and or.
ganization of the Burschenschaft, now das
Junge Deutschland, (Young Germany,) with
its offsets and opposition branches, is not
sufficiently explicit to be intelligible without
recurring to other sources of information;
in fact Münch, like others of his class, gene-
rally writes for those only who are familiar
with his subject—and this is not the occa-
sion for the requisite investigation of the
Burschenschaft. But we will extract his
feelings, and those of his brother enthusiasts
for Old-Germanism, respecting the murder
of Kotzebue by the student Sand, (by the
way, has Madame Dudevant chosen her nom
de guerre, George Sand, from the admiration
of this political auto-da fé ?) and the punish-
ment of the fanatic assassin.

"This calm, serene, and harmless state of playing with the new doctrines, although I myself had even then the most serious views, (he was then under twenty,) was essentially changed to Sand's deed.

"It was upon a Sunday, in March 1819, that, going from church to the inn where the notables were wont to assemble, I mechanically took up a newspaper, and, tolerably indifferent as to politics, tossed over the leaves; when the words Kotzebue has been murdered by a German student,' glared upon my sight. Horror-stricken, I devoured the article and learned the dreadful fact. The lines seemed blood-shot, and danced convulsively before my eyes. The whole incalculable train of consequences which this deed must produce lay in gloomy anticipation before me. I hastened home to examine my papers. A part of the archives of our society was then in my hands; and all that could implicate either myself or others were quickly destroyed, or sealed up and committed by a fair friend to her wardrobe. When I had taken these precautions, I meditated deeply upon the deed, its motives, probable connexion, &c. ; and examined, more scrupulously than ever before, the worth of the exertions to which I had pledged myself by joining the union.

"My first expression of abhorrence I depicted in a letter to Zschokke, then at Aarau, who fully concurred in that feeling, lamenting the folly, the insanity, of the murder. But I conceived that this would not be the end; from my knowledge of the disposition of many individuals, I expected something in the style of Pelopidas at Thebes, and that all influential statesmen would according to the repeated advice of an energetic liberal, now dead, be made away with. Not only did I consider the execution of such a scheme as premature, the nation as unripe for boldly plunging into rebellion upon the impulse of a couple of daring examples, but I detested, from the bottom of my heart, the horrid theory of assassination. This painful state of│

mind lasted for weeks. Meanwhile, reports came in from all quarters; our friends imparted their own judgment and that of others upon Sand's action. Many of these bore the same character of disapprobation and aversion as my own; others, on the contrary, culogized the sentiments of the murderer, envied his pre-eminence, and dwelt upon the necessity of an action calculated to spread terror amongst the enemies of freedom. Soon afterwards occurred Lohning's unsuccessful attempt to murder the president Ibell, the Jewish riot, &c.

"The Fresh Voices of Free Youth,' by the Brothers Follenius, diligently and universally circulated, contributed much by their partlymystic, partly patriotico-political, partly sentimental-elegiac, and always richly poetic style, to excite and strengthen such passions.

*

"Numbers of persons of every rank, age and sex, took Sand's deed under their protection. We saw tears shed by beautiful eyes over the unhappy youth; flowers planted by princesses on his grave. We heard men even of advanced age enthusiastically harangue in his praise. A letter of Consolation,' by de Wette, who had already, in his pamphlet entitled The sin against the Holy Ghost,' treated us to some apocalyptic phrases, which we interpreted in the spirit of the day, removed many scruples, and thus was the theory of the lawfulness of murder in certain cases, when necessary for the good of our country or to avenge virtue, deeply studied by persons who had never, or very differently, thought of it. For myself, it cost me much trouble ere I gained the due temper; but there was a something narcotic in this tale of Sand, heightened by the eternal singing of liberty songs, that none of us could permanently resist. We play. ed with sanguinary phrases, because we saw that they gained listeners; and the apologies for Sand, with which we coquetted, filled our souls with joy, from the terror they excited amongst the Philistins. Thus did I,like many others, disown my innate humanity, merely to enjoy the sight of this or that respectable man leaving the table, horror-stricken at the levity of our language and the carelessness of our looks, while discussing such a subject; or we exaggerated our praises of Sand solely to enhance the anger, the horror, of the anti-Germanismers. Under this aspect

* * * *

must much of what was then and subsequently done and written by young men be considered. Had Sand been sent to a madhouse as a maniac, and our proceedings been treated as the extravagances and puerilities of school-boys, we should have been morally slain, much gold and time would have been saved, and the German nation been spared the disgrace of being laid under a general political interdict on account of such follies. But the course adopted justified us in considering ourselves as the heroes of the day.”

Many of these boy-Brutuses, in whose in

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