Page images
PDF
EPUB

necessary, even with death. And thus the rigour of the father may prove wholesome to the son, whilst leniency would be injurious to him.'

FOLZ (VOLZ) HANS, poet and barber, in the old town of Nuremberg. His poems are of a humorous character, and treat of matrimonial subjects. He also wrote an historical poem, on the origin of the holy Roman Empire, in its relations to Germany. His comical plays are inferior to those of Rosenblüt, and the language is very coarse.

In another poem, he celebrates the victory obtained in 1450, by the Nurembergers over the princes allied against them.

FRANKFURTER (PHILIP), lived at Vienna. He wrote the satirical poem 'Der Pfaffe von Kalenberg,' which strongly reflects the tendencies of his age.

FRICKARD (THÜRING), also called FRICKER, was born at Brugg, on the river Aar, in the year 1429, studied the law in Italy, held for some time a clerkship at the town of Bern, and evinced so much ability in the discharge of his professional duties, that the Government of Bern employed him for a considerable number of years in diplomatic negociations of great importance. At this time took place the famous contest between the citizens and the nobility of Bern, known under the name of 'Twingherrnstreit.'

Frickard has given an excellent description of the negociations on that occasion; the original document, however, having been lost, we possess only a copy, dating from the 16th century. It is highly interesting to read the parliamentary debates of those days; and Frickard, though evidently showing his predilections for the nobility, judges with impartiality.

FRITZLAR (HERMANN VON) flourished towards the middle of the 14th century, and is said to have belonged to a holy order. His 'Buch von der Heiligen Leben,' a compilation from other sacred subjects, written between 1343-1449, furnishes an insight into the mysticism of the middle age, and at the same time an interesting account of the description of the foreign countries visited by the author.

[ocr errors]

FÜTERER (ULRICH), living towards the middle of the 15th century at Munich, attempted, like Caspar von der Rön, to revive the legends of the past. They are contained in his Buch der Abenteuer,' and are dedicated to Duke Albrecht, of Bavaria, who died in 1508. His language is coarse.

GESTA ROMANORUM. A collection of legends, novels, and anecdotes, evidently bearing the stamp of the era of chivalry, written in Latin, and alluding to the time of the Roman emperors; they convey moral lessons.

Various versions, in different languages, have been given, of the 'Gesta.' Warton, in his History of English Poetry, ascribes them to the Benedictine monk Petrus Berichorius, or Pierre Bercheur (1362); others assign them to Helinandus, who died in 1227. The collection, containing a graphic account of the manners of the time, may be considered as the source from which the modern novel has sprung. Its influence, however, has been greater on Italian than on German literature.

The authors of the German translation, which appeared in the 14th and 15th centuries, are unknown.

HERMANN, MÖNCH VON SALZBURG, living about 1370, translated many Latin hymns into German, among which that of the benediction 'Veni, sancte Spiritus,' written originally in Latin by King Robert of France, who died 1031, is remarkable for the peculiarity of the metre used by the German translator.

INSPRUCK (The), EASTER-PLAY, written in 1391, represents the history of Christ. At the beginning, the Jews, addressing Pilate, desire him to watch the holy grave, four knights are appointed for that purpose, but fall asleep, and when awaking reproach each other for their neglect, and the first act ends by a fight.

In the second, Jesus, having delivered Adam and Eve from the hands of Lucifer, the latter, disappointed, desires Satan to bring up a number of sinners, high and low, and among them many tradesmen, bakers, shoemakers, &c. &c. &c., who are now punished for not having dealt honestly with their customers here below.

The third part is an intermezzo, in which Rubin, a roguish fellow, offers his services to Mercator, whose wife he seduces.

The fourth part represents the resurrection; the three Maries weep over the death of Christ, who appears, followed by the angels. Thomas is also introduced, and, finally, John; who, addressing the audience in the theatre, tells them that the smallest trifle would be thankfully received.

JUSTINGER (KONRAD), the first Swiss work of Chronicles began with that of the town of Bern, in the year 1420, contains a highly interesting description of the early history of Bern, and is particularly graphic in the account of the battle of Laupen, gained in the year 1339, by the Bernese over the nobility, which oppressed them. The style is plain, but bears the stamp of truthfulness and candour. Justinger only errs when he leaves his home sphere and treats of foreign subjects, a task for which,owing to his inexperience, he is evidently unfit.

KAISERSBERG (JOHANNES GEILER VON), born at Schaffhausen, in the year 1445, studied theology at Friburg and Würzburg, and

became, ultimately, one of the greatest preachers of his time; he officiated for many years in the celebrated Münster at Strasburg, in which town he died in the year 1510.

Of his sermons, originally written in Latin, not one has been published by himself, but many of his admirers, having been in the habit of taking notes at Church, they were published ultimately in an altered form. Chrysostomus, Bernhard, Gerson seem to have been his prototypes. After having given the text, and explained it in his own peculiar manner, he generally divided his subject into seven principal parts, this number being, according to him dear and wonderful.' 6 Geiler was no sensation-preacher, he only wore plain linen; no diamond was sparkling on his finger; his manly voice did not possess the soft, tutored modulation so much admired by the fair worshippers of our days, but that voice penetrated the hearts and souls of his hearers, because the words. uttered were in harmony with the preacher's own pure life. Earnest, solemn, deep, and argumentative, he knew how to season his sermons with anecdotes and quaint sayings, calculated to render them highly popular, and by fearlessly exposing the defects and vices of his own church, he foreshadowed the great religious movement which followed after him. The most remarkable among these sermons are those relating to the celebrated production of his friend and contemporary Sebastian Brandt, called the Narrenschiff.' All he has said and written bears the stamp of candour and sincerity. We have given here an extract, though short, of one of his many excellent sermons, in which he points out the evil results springing from an unbridled tongue.

6

A SERMON.

'An dem Sontag Jubilate gepredigt von der XXV blattern des Munds vnd sagt vom uernünfftigem zeuil schweigen.' (A Sermon preached on the Sunday of the Jubilate, of the 25 small-pox marks left on the tongue, and of unreasonable silence.)

In this sermon, Geiler points out the virtues and vices of speaking and being silent. There are, he says, three kinds of silence propter mansuetudinem, for the sake of virtue-propter fatuitatem, for the sake of folly-propter oportunitatem, for the sake of opportunity.

He then dwells upon each of these points. 'If,' he says, 'you speak to a foolish and talkative man, you had better be silent, for he will not listen to you, and you cannot convince him of his folly. If, on the other hand, you are in company of wise men, and you feel anxious about your own mental inferiority, it

will be prudent not to speak. A lawyer should not talk about the church, nor a churchman about the law; and it would ill become the uneducated to speak of medical matters. If, thirdly, you

happen to meet a drunkard, it would be foolish to speak to him, whilst in that state. You should avail yourself of the right opportunity, when he is sober, and then reason with him on his wickedness and folly.'

[ocr errors]

'There is a time for speaking. Ipocras, being once asked to give his opinion about some wicked things, did not reply, and, when asked the reason, said, "My silence is my answer." Having thus spoken of the wisdom of silence, he points out its vices, and speaks of 'Taciturnitas mortalis, arising from laziness, anger, pride, awkwardness, envy, and false shame. He then treats each cause separately. 'Silence is death in a man,' he continues, who, entrusted with the care of souls, neglects his duty by not exposing sin and wickedness in whatever station of life it may show itself; in a man, who, in the treatment of his domestics, overlooks their defects and vices from fear of being slandered by them, it is death, also, when it arises from anger, revengeful feeling, pride, and false shame; and when man omits to confess his sins, it becomes venialis taciturnitas, when from mere habit and carelessness he is silent without any apparent reason; for unreasonable silence may cause great injury, namely—

'privationem multorum fractuum. mortem perpetuo luendam.

vindictam sanguinis effusi.

deprivation of many parts.
suffering of perpetual death.
revenge for spilt blood.'

'With regard to the first, Cato says: "Virtutem primam puto compescere linguam" (the first virtue is to master one's tongue); if we omit thanking God aloud for blessings received, that silence will deprive us of many good fruits. If he who, entrusted with power, omits to speak the truth, and acts accordingly, his silence is death to him, just as it is death in a priest, who does not speak, when he ought to expose wickedness and sin. If those in authority, by their silence, cause strife and bloodshed among their subjects, "vindictum sanguinis effusi" follows.'

Kaisersberg concludes his speech by recommending three ointments for the wicked tongue :—to follow the example of Christ; to be fervent in prayer; and to use salt, concluding thus :

'Also ist saltz das drit, daz in die salben gehört des vnuernünfftigen schweigens, daz ist, daz man bescheidenheit darin sol haben, also wan es not ist, daz man red oder schweig.'

KÖNIGSHOFEN (JACOB TWINGER VON), born at Strasburg, in the year 1346. His clerical pre-occupations did not prevent him from devoting himself to researches respecting the celebrated Münster, in his native town, and from writing a GermanLatin dictionary. He wrote the Chronicle of Strasburg both in Latin and German, drawing considerably from Closener's work. The history of the world from the creation to Alexander, that of the Roman emperors, of the popes, of the Strasburg bishops, of Alsatia and Strasburg are contained in his work. In many respects it surpasses Closener's in vivid description.

Here is a specimen of his style, the subject relating to the building of the celebrated Strasburg Cathedral.

VON UNSER FROWEN MÜNSTER. Unser frowen Münster, die hohe stift zu Strosburg, wart zum ersten mole ane gefangen unde gestiftet in hoher würdikeit unde friheit von eine künige von Frangrich, genant Clodovicus, do men zalte noch Gotz gebürte fünf hundert und zehen jor, also in dem cappitel bi den künigen von Frangrich geseit ist, unde ist die erste unde eilteste kirche zu Strosburg unde in dem bistum, die do gemaht wurdent, noch dem also Strosburg unde Elsas anderwerbe bekert wurdent, also ouch ist vor geseit. Doch was das münster, do es zum ersten mole gemaht wart, nüt als gros unde also kostper an gebuwe, also es ignoten ist, wan hie vor men mahte die kirchen vaste mit holtzwerke unde mit slehten steinen, unde men hette nüt not umb kostper steine, noch um grosse gezierde.

OF OUR LADY'S CATHEDRAL.

Our Lady's cathedral, the highly (endowed) at Strasburg, was for the first time begun and founded in high honour and liberty by a king of France called Clodovic, when men counted after God's birth five hundred and ten years, as is told in the chapter of the kings of France, and is the first and oldest church at Strasburg and in the bishopric which was built after Strasburg, and Alsatia had been converted, as already mentioned. Yet the münster, when it was for the first time built, was not so great and so costly a building as it is now; when men made the churches almost of woodwork and of bad stones, and had no need of costly stones, for great ornaments.

KÜCHENMEISTER (CHRISTIAN, DER, 1330), of the convent of St. Gall, wrote the 'Nüwen casus monasterii Sancti Galli,' interesting on account of its being the first historical work written in high German.

LAUFENBERG (HEINRICH VON), born on the Rhine, the most fertile writer of sacred poetry of the 15th century. Many of his hymns are derived from the Latin, with which they are often interspersed.

Sancta celorum conditrix
du edli Gottes genetrix.
quid sol ich de te singen,
cum cuncti de te

vil lobend wunder dingen?

So rüeffend wir dich omnes an, and gerend din levamen ; alpha et o,

nun mach uns fro,

nun und ouch semper. amen.

Laufenberg has also written didactic poems, among which we mention 'Spiegel menschlichen Heils, speculum humanæ salva

« PreviousContinue »