'When the cour

P. 107. Ladies' tenderness.' Cf. Lib. III. § 8. tiers and stewards complained on his return of the Lady Elizabeth's too great extravagance in alms-giving, "Let her alone," quoth he, "to do good, and to give whatever she will for God's sake, only keep Wartburg and Neuenburg in my hands."

P. 116. 'A crusader's cross.' Cf. Lib. IV. § 1. 'In the year 1227 there was a general "Passagium to the holy land, in which Frederick the Emperor also crossed the seas,' (or rather did not cross, says Heinrich Stero, in his annals, but having got as far as Sicily, came back again,-miserably disappointing and breaking up the expedition, whereof the greater part died at the various ports,-and was excommunicated for so doing;) and Lewis, landgrave of the Thuringians, took the cross likewise in the name of Jesus Christ, and. did not immediately fix the badge which he had received to his garment, as the manner is, lest his wife, who loved him with the most tender affection, seeing this, should be anxious and disturbed, but she found it while turning over his purse and fainted, struck down with a wonderful consternation.'

6

P. 120. I must be gone.' Cf. Lib. IV. § 2. A chapter in which Dietrich rises into a truly noble and pathetic strain. Coming to Schmalcald,' he says, Lewis found his dearest friends, whom he had ordered to meet him there, not wishing to depart without taking leave` of them.'

Then follows Dietrich's only poetic attempt, which Basnage calls a carmen ineptum, foolish ballad,' and most unfairly, as all readers should say, if I had any hope of doing justice in a translation to this genial fragment of an old dramatic ballad, and its simple objectivity, as of a writer so impressed (like all true Teutonic poets in those earnest days) with the pathos and greatness of his subject, that he never tries to improve it by reflections, and preaching at his readers, but thinks it enough, just to tell his story, sure that it will speak for itself

to all hearts.

Quibus valefaciens cum morore

Commisit suis fratribus natos cum uxore:
Matremque deosculatos filiali more,
Vix eam alloquitur cordis præ dolore,
Illis mota viscera, corda tremuerunt,
Dum alter in alterius colla irruerunt,
Expetentes oscula, quæ vix receperunt
Propter multitudines, quæ eos compresserunt.
Mater tenens filium, uxorque maritum,
In diversa pertrahunt, et tenent invitum,
Fratres cum militibus velut compeditum
Stringunt, nec discedere sinunt expeditum.
Erat in exercitu maximus tumultus,
Cum carorum cernerent alternari vultus.
Flebant omnes pariter, senex et adultus,
Turbæ cum militibus, cultus et incultus.
Eja! Quis non plangeret, cum videret flentes
Tot honestos nobiles, tam diversas gentes,
Cum Thuringis Saxones illuc venientes,
Ut viderent socios suos abscedentes.

Amico luctamine cuncti certavere,
Quis eum diutius posset retinere;
Quidam collo brachiis, quidam inhæsere
Vestibus, nec poterat cuiquam respondere.
Tandem se de manibus eximens suorem
Magnatorum socius et peregrinorum,
Admixtus tandem cœtui cruce signatorum
Non visurus amplius terram Thuringorum!

Surely there is a heart of flesh in the old monk which, when warmed by a really healthy subject, can toss aside Scripture-parodies, and professional Stoic-sentiment, and describe with such life and pathos, like any eye-witness, a scene which occurred, in fact, two years before his birth.

And thus this Prince of Peace,' he continues, mounting his horse with many knights, &c. about the end of the month of June, set forth in the name of the Lord, praising him in heart and voice, and weeping and singing were heard side by side. And close by followed, with saddest heart, that most faithful lady after her sweetest prince, her most loving spouse, never, alas! to behold him more. And when she was going to return, the force of love and the agony of separation forced her on with him one day's journey; and yet that did not suffice. She went on, still unable to bear the parting, another full day's journey. At last they part, at the exhortations of Rudolf the Cupbearer. What groans, think you, what sobs, what struggles, what yearnings of the heart must there have been? Yet they part, and go on their way.

The Lord went forth exulting, as a giant to run his course; the Lady returned lamenting, as a widow, and tears were on her cheeks. Then putting off the garments of joy, she took the dress of widowhood. The mistress of nations, sitting alone, she turned herself utterly to God-to her former good works, adding better ones.'

Their children were, 'Hermann, who became Landgraf; a daughter, who married the Duke of Brabant; another, who remaining in virginity, became a nun of Aldenburg, of which place she is lady abbess until this day.'

P. 125.

NOTES TO ACT III.

'On the freezing stone.' Cf. Lib. II. § 5. 'In the absence of her husband she used to lay aside her gay garments, conducted herself devoutly as a widow, and waited for the return of her beloved, passing her nights in watchings, genuflexions, prayers, and disciplines. And again, Lib. IV. § 3, just quoted.

P. 127. The will of God.' Cf. Lib. IV. § 6. 'The mother-in-law said to her daughter-in-law, "Be brave, my beloved daughter; nor be disturbed at that which hath happened by divine ordinance to thy husband, my son." Whereto she answered boldly, "If my brother is

"He is

captive, he can be freed by the help of God and our friends." dead," quoth the other. Then she, clasping her hands upon her knees, "The world is dead to me, and all that is pleasant in the world." Having said this, suddenly springing up with tears, she rushed swiftly through the whole length of the palace, and being entirely beside herself, would have run on to the world's end, usque quâque, if a wall had not stopped her; and others coming up, led her away from the wall to which she had clung.'

P. 128. 'Yon lion's rage.' Cf. Lib. III. § 2. There was a certain lion in the court of the Prince; and it came to pass on a time, that rising from his bed in the morning, and crossing the court dressed only in his gown and slippers, he met this lion loose and raging against him. He thereon threatened the beast with his raised fist, and rated it manfully, till laying aside its fierceness, it lay down at the knight's feet, and fawned on him, wagging its tail.' So Dietrich.

P. 132; p. 138.

Cf. Lib. IV. § 7.

'Now shortly after the news of Lewis's death, certain vassals of her late husband (with Henry, her brother-in-law,) cast her out of the castle and of all her possessions. that night in a certain tavern,

to the matins of the "Minor Brothers."

She took refuge and went at midnight And when no

one dare give her lodging, took refuge in the church. And when her little ones were brought to her from the castle, amid most bitter frost, she knew not where to lay their heads.

She entered a priest's house, and fed her family miserably enough, by pawning what she had. There was in that town an enemy of hers, having a roomy house.

Whither she entered at his bidding, and was forced to dwell with her whole family in a very narrow space, her host and hostess heaped her with annoyances and spite. She therefore bade them farewell, saying, "I would willingly thank mankind, if they would give me any reason for so doing." So she returned to her former filthy cell.'

P. 133. 'White as whales' bone,' (i.e. the tooth of the narwhal;) a common simile in the older poets.

P. 139. The nuns of Kitzingen.' Cf. Lib. V. § 1. 'After this, the noble Lady the Abbess of Kitzingen, Elizabeth's aunt according to the flesh, brought her away honourably to Eckembert, Lord Bishop of Bamberg.'

P. 141. Aged crone.' Cf. Lib. IV. where this whole story is related word for word.

เ

P. 145. 'I'd mar this face.' Cf. Lib. V. § 1. 'If I could not,' said she, escape by any other means, I would with my own hands cut off my nose, that so every man might loath me when so foully disfigured.'

P. 147. Botenstain.' Cf. ibid. 'The Bishop commanded that she should be taken to Botenstain with her maids, until he should give her away in marriage.'

Ibid. Bear children.' 6

Ibid. 'The venerable man, knowing that the apostle says, "I will that the younger widows marry, and bear

children," thought of giving her in marriage to some one-an intention which she perceived. And protested on the strength of her "votum continentia."'

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P. 150. The tented field.' All records of the worthy Bishop on which I have fallen, describe him as 'virum militiâ strenuissimum,' -a mighty man of war.-We read of him, in Stero of Altaich's Chronicle, A.D. 1232, making war on the Duke of Carinthia, destroying many of his castles, and laying waste a great part of his land; and next year, being seized by some bailiff of the Duke's, and keeping that Lent in durance vile. In A.D. 1237, he was left by the Emperor as 'vir magnanimus et bellicosus,' in charge of Austria, during the troubles with Duke Frederick; and died in 1240.

P. 152. 'Lewis's bones.' Cf. Lib. V. § 3.

P. 156. I thank thee.' Cf. Lib. V. § 4. 'What agony and love there was then in her heart, He alone can tell, who knows the hearts of all the sons of men. I believe that her grief was renewed, and all her bones trembled, when she saw the bones of her beloved separated one from another (the corpse had been dug up at Otranto, and boiled). But though absorbed in so great a woe, at last she remembered God, and recovering her spirit, said '-Her words I have paraphrased as closely as possible.)

P. 157. The close hard by.' Cf. Lib. V. § 4.

NOTES TO ACT IV.

P. 158. Your self-imposed vows.' Cf. Lib. IV. § 1. 'On Good Friday, when the altars were exhibited bare in remembrance of the Saviour who hung bare on the cross for us, she went into a certain chapel, and in the presence of Master Conrad, and certain Franciscan brothers, laying her holy hands on the bare altar, renounced her own will, her parents, children, relations, "Et omnibus hujus modi pompis," all pomps of this kind (a misprint, one hopes, for mundi), in imitation of Christ; and "omninò se exuit et nudavit," stripped herself utterly naked, to follow Him naked, in the steps of poverty.'

P. 162. All worldly goods.' A paraphrase of her own words.

P. 163. Thine own needs.' 'But when she was going to renounce her possessions also, the prudent Conrad stopped her.' The reflections which follow are Dietrich's own.

P. 164. The likeness of the fiend,' &c. I have put this daring expression into Conrad's mouth, as the ideal outcome of the teaching of Conrad's age on this point-and of much teaching also, which miscalls itself protestant, in our own age. The doctrine is not, of course, to be found totidem verbis in the formularies of any sect-yet almost all sects preach it, and quote Scripture for it as boldly as Conrad-the Romish Saint alone carries it honestly out into practice.

P. 166. With pine boughs.' Cf. Lib. VI. § 2. Entering a certain desolate court, she betook herself, "sub gradu cujusdam caminatæ," to the projection of a certain furnace, where she roofed herself in with boughs. In the mean time, in the town of Marpurg, was built for her a humble cottage of clay and timber.'

P. 168. Isentrudis and Guta.' Cf. Lib. VII. § 4. 'Now Conrad, as a prudent man, perceiving that this disciple of Christ wished to arrive at the highest pitch of perfection, studied to remove all which he thought would retard her, and therefore drove

from her all those of her former household in whom she used to solace or delight herself. Thus the holy priest deprived this servant of God of all society, that so the constancy of her obedience might become known, and occasion might be given to her for clinging to God alone.'

P. 168. A leprous boy,' Cf. Lib. VI. § 8.

She had several of these protégés, successively, whose diseases are too disgusting to be specified, on whom she lavished the most menial cares. All the other stories of her benevolence which occur in these two pages are related by Dietrich.

P. 169. Mighty to save.' Cf. Lib. VII. § 7. Where we read, amongst other matters, how the objects of her prayers used to become while she was speaking so intensely hot, that they not only smoked, and nearly melted, but burnt the fingers of those who touched them: from whence Dietrich bids us learn with what an ardour of charity she used to burn, who would dry up with her heat the flow of worldly desire, and inflame to the love of eternity.'

P. 171. Lands and titles.' Cf. Lib. V. §§ 7, 8.

P. 172. Spinning wool.' Cf. Lib. VI. § 6. And crossing himself for wonder, the Count Pama cried out and said, "Was it ever seen to this day that a king's daughter should spin wool?" "All his messages from her father," says Dietrich, "were of no avail."'

P. 178. To do her penance.' Cf. Lib. VII. § 4. 'Now, he had placed with her certain austere women, from whom she endured much oppression patiently for Christ's sake, who, watching her rigidly, frequently reported her to her master for having transgressed her obedience, in giving something to the poor, or begging others to give. And when thus accused, she often received many blows from her master, insomuch that he used to strike her in the face, which she earnestly desired to endure patiently in memory of the stripes of the Lord.'

P. 180. That she dared not.' 6 Cf. Lib. VII. § 4. 'When her most intimate friends, Isentrudis and Guta,' (whom another account describes as in great poverty,) 'came to see her, she dared not give them any thing, even for food, nor, without special license, salute them.'

Ibid. To bear within us.' 6 Seeing in the church of certain monks who "professed poverty," images sumptuously gilt, she said to about twenty-four of them, "You had better to have spent this money