Now this my discourse they understood not, but looked one upon another

like live stockfish till they saw me very soberly take the first

draught out of my hat. Then one by one they arose from beside their

fire, and looked upon this miracle and tasted the water; but instead of

being grateful to me as they should have been, they began to curse and

said they would I had chanced on some other spot with my spring: for if

their lord came to know of it, then must the whole district of

Dornstett do forced-work to make a road thither, which would bring

great hardship upon them. "But," says I, "on the contrary, ye will all

have your profit therefrom: for ye can turn your fowls, your eggs, your

butter, and your cattle and the rest more easily into money." "Nay,

nay," said they, "the lord will put in an innkeeper that will take all

the profit alone: and we must be his poor fools to keep road and path

in trim for him, and earn no thanks thereby."

But at last they disagreed: for two were for keeping the spring and

four demanded of me that I should take it away; which, had it been in

my power, I had willingly done whether it pleased them or teased them.

So as day began to break, and I had no more to do there, but must

rather take heed lest we came together by the ears, I said that unless

they were minded that all the cows in that valley should give red milk

as long as the spring flowed they must presently shew me the way to

Seebach; with which they were content, and to that end sent two of them

with me; for one had feared to go with me alone.

So I departed thence, and though the whole land there was barren and

bore nothing but pine-cones, yet would I with a curse have made it yet

poorer, for there I had lost all my hopes; yet went I silently enough

with my guides till I came to the top of the hill, where I could a

little trace my way by the lie of the country. And there I said to

them, "Now, my masters, ye can turn your new spring to fine profit if

ye go forthwith and tell your lords of its coming up; for that will

bring ye a rich reward, seeing that the prince will surely build about

it for the glory and gain of the country, and for the promotion of his

own interest will have it made known to all the world." "Yea," said

they, "fools should we be in truth so to bind rods for our own backs;

we had rather the devil would take thee and thy spring too: thou hast

heard enough to know why we desire it not." "Ah, miscreants!" quoth I,

"should I not call ye disloyal rogues that depart so far from the ways

of your pious forefathers, which were so true to their prince that he

could boast that he might venture to lay his head upon the knees of any

of his subjects and there sleep in safety. But ye blackcaps, to 'scape

a trifling task for which ye would in time be recompensed and of which

all your posterity would reap a rich reward, ye be so dishonest as to

refuse to make known this healing spring, which were both to the profit

of your worshipful prince and also to the welfare and health of many a

sick man. What would it cost ye though each should do a few days'

forced work to that end?" "How," said they, "we would rather kill thee

that thy spring might remain unknown." "Ye night-birds," says I, "there

must be more of ye for that," and therewith heaved up my cudgel and

chased them to all the devils, and thereafter went my way down hill

westwards and southwards, and so came after much toil and tumble about

sunset to my farm, and found it true indeed what my dad had prophesied

to me, namely, that I should get naught from this pilgrimage save weary

legs and the way back for the way thither.

_Chap. xix._ is an uninteresting excursus on certain communities of

Anabaptists in Hungary.

_Chap. xx._: TREATS OF A TRIFLING PROMENADE FROM THE BLACK FOREST TO

MOSCOW IN RUSSIA

The same autumn there drew near to us French, Swedish, and Hessian

troops to refresh themselves among us and to keep the Free City in the

neighbourhood (which was built by an English king,[43] and called after

his name) blockaded, for which cause every man gathered together his

cattle and the best of his goods and fled into the woods among the

mountains. I too did as my neighbours did and left my house pretty well

empty, wherein a Swedish colonel on half-pay was lodged. The same found

still remaining in my cabinet certain books, for in my haste I could

not bring all away; and among others certain mathematical and

geometrical essays, and also some on fortification, wherewith our

engineers be principally busied, and therefore at once concluded that

his quarters could belong to no common peasant, and so began to inquire

of my character and to court my acquaintance, till by courteous offers

and threats intermingled he wrought me to it that I should visit him at

mine own farm, where he treated me very civilly and restrained his

people, that they should do my goods no unnecessary damage or hurt. And

by such friendly treatment he brought it about that I told him of all

my business, and in especial of my family and descent. Thereat he

wondered that I in the midst of war could so dwell among peasants, and

look on while another tied his horse to my manger, whereas I with more

honour could tie mine own horse to another's: I should, said he, gird

on the sword again and not allow my gift which God had bestowed on me

to perish by the fireside, and behind the plough; for he knew, if I

would enter the Swedish service, my capacity and my knowledge of war

would soon raise me to high rank. This I treated but coldly, and told

him advancement was ever far off if a man had no friends to take him by

the hand; whereto he replied that my good qualities would soon procure

me both friends and advancement; nay, more: he doubted not that I

should find kinsmen at the Swedish headquarters, and those of some

account, for there there were many Scottish noblemen and men of rank.

Further, said he, a regiment had been promised to him himself by

Torstensohn; which promise if it were kept (of which he doubted not)

then would he at once make me his lieutenant-colonel. With such and the

like words he made my mouth to water, and inasmuch as there were now

but scanty hopes of peace, and for me to suffer further billeting of

troops did but mean utter ruin, therefore I resolved to serve again,

and promised the colonel to go with him if only he would keep his word

and give me the post of lieutenant-colonel in the regiment he was to

have.

And so the die was cast; and I sent for my dad or foster-father, which

was still with my cattle at Bairischbrunn;[44] and to him and his wife

I devised my farm as their own property; yet on condition that after

his death my bastard Simplicissimus that had been laid at my door

should inherit it with all appurtenances, since there were no heirs

born in wedlock. Thereafter I fetched my horse and all the gold and

trinkets I still had, and having settled all my affairs and taken order

for the education of my said by-blow of a son, on a sudden the blockade

I spoke of was raised, so that before we looked for it we must decamp

and join the main army.

Under the colonel I served as a steward, and maintained him with his

servants and horses and all his household by theft and robbery, which

is called in soldiers' language foraging. But as to the promises of

Torstensohn, of which he had talked so big at my farm, they were not so

great by a good deal as he had given out, but as it seemed to me he was

rather looked at askance. "Aha," says he to me, "some malicious dog

hath slandered me at headquarters. Yet I shall not need to wait long":

but when he suspected that I should not endure to tarry longer with him

he forged letters as if he had to raise a fresh regiment in Livonia

where his home was, and persuaded me to embark with him at Wismar and

to sail thither. And there too we found naught, for not only had he no

regiment to raise, but was besides a nobleman as poor as a church

mouse: and what he had came from his wife. Yet though I had now been

twice deceived and had suffered myself to be enticed so far afield, yet

I took the bait the third time; for he shewed me writings he had

received from Moscow, in which, as he professed, high commands in the

army were offered him, for so he interpreted the said letters to me and

boasted loudly of good and punctual pay: and seeing that he started off

with wife and child, I thought, surely he is on no wild-goose chase.

And so with high hopes I took the road with him, for otherwise I saw no

means or opportunity to get back to Germany. But as soon as we came

over the Russian frontier, and sundry discharged German soldiers met

us, I began to be alarmed and said to my colonel, "What the devil do we

here? We leave the country where war is, and where there is peace and

soldiers be of no account and disbanded, thither we come." Yet still he

gave me fair words and said I should leave it to him; he knew better

what he was about than these fellows that were of no account.

But when we came in safety to the city of Moscow, I saw at once the

game was up. 'Tis true my colonel conferred daily with great men, but

far more with bishops than boyars, which seemed to me not so much grand

as far too monkish, and aroused in me all manner of fancies and

reflections, though I could not conceive what he aimed at: but in the

end he revealed to me that war was over and that his conscience urged

him on to embrace the Greek religion; and that his sincere advice to me

was, inasmuch as otherwise he could help me no more as he had promised,

to follow his example: for his Majesty the Czar had already good

accounts of my person and my great capabilities: and would be

graciously pleased, if I would agree to the conditions, to endow me as

a knight with a fine estate and many serfs; which most gracious offer

was not to be rejected, since for any man it was better to have in so

great a monarch rather a gracious lord than an offended prince. At this

I was much confounded, and knew not what to answer, for had I had the

colonel in another place I would have answered him rather by deeds than

words: but now I must play my cards otherwise, and consider the place

where I was, and where I was like to a prisoner; and therefore was

silent a long time before I could resolve upon an answer. At length I

said to him I had indeed come with the purpose to serve the Czar's

Majesty as a soldier, to which he, the colonel, had persuaded me; and

if my services in war were not needed I could not help it; far less

could I lay it to the charge of the Czar that I had for his sake

undertaken so long a journey in vain, for he had not written to me to

come. But that his Majesty condescended so graciously to dispense his

royal favour to me would be a thing for me rather to boast of before

all the world than most humbly to accept it and to earn it, since I

could not just now determine to alter my religion, and only wished I

were dwelling again in my farm in the Black Forest and so causing no

man concern or inconveniency. To which he replied, "Your honour may do

as he pleases: only I had conceived that if God and good luck favoured

him, he would do well to be thankful to both; but if he will accept no

help and refuses to live like a prince, at least I hope he will believe

that I have spared no pains to help him to the best of my ability."

Thereupon he made me a deep reverence, went his way, and left me in the

lurch, not allowing me even to give him my company to the door.

So as I sat there all perplexed and reviewed my present condition I

heard two Russian carriages before our lodging, and looking out of the

window saw my good master colonel with his sons enter the one and his

wife with her daughters the other. Which were the Czar's carriages and

his livery, and divers priests there also which waited upon this

honourable family and shewed them all kindness and good will.

_Chap. xxi._: HOW SIMPLICISSIMUS FURTHER FARED IN MOSCOW

From this time I was watched, not openly indeed, but secretly, by

certain soldiers of the Strelitz guard, and that without my knowledge;

and my colonel and his family never once came in my sight, so that I

knew not what was become of him: and all this, as may easily be

thought, brought in my head strange conceits and many grey hairs also.

There I made the acquaintance of the Germans that dwell in Moscow, some

as traders, some as mechanics, and to them lamented my plight and how I

had been deceived by guile; who gave me comfort and direction how I,

with a fair opportunity, might return to Germany. But so soon as they

got wind of it that the Czar had determined to keep me in the land and

would force me to it, they all became dumb towards me, yea, avoided my

company, and 'twas hard for me even to find a shelter for my head. For

I had already devoured my horse, saddle and trappings and all, and was

now doling out one to-day and to-morrow another of the ducats which I

had wisely sewn into my clothes. At last I began to turn into money my

rings and trinkets, in the hope to keep myself so until I could find a

fair occasion to get back to Germany. Meanwhile a quarter of a year was

gone, after which the said colonel, with all his household, was

baptized again and provided with a fine nobleman's estate and many

serfs.

At that time there went out a decree that both among natives and

foreigners no idlers should be allowed (and that with heavy penalties)

as those that took the bread out of the mouth of the workers, and all

strangers that would not work must quit the country in a month and the

town in four-and-twenty hours. With that some fifty of us joined

together with intent to make our way, with God's help, through Podolia

to Germany; yet were we not two hours gone from the town when we were

caught up by certain Russian troopers, on the pretence that his Majesty

was greatly displeased that we had impudently dared to band together in

such great numbers, and to traverse his land at pleasure without

passports, saying further that his Majesty would not be going beyond

his rights in sending us all to Siberia for our insolent conduct. On

the way back I learned how my business stood: for the commander of the

troop told me plainly, the Czar would not let me forth of the country:

and his sincere advice was that I should obey his Majesty's most

gracious will and join their religion, and (as the colonel had done)

not despise a fine estate; assuring me also that if I refused this and

would not live among them as a lord I must needs stay as a servant

against my will: nor must his Majesty be blamed that he would not allow

to depart from his country a man so skilful as the before-mentioned

colonel had reported me to be. Then did I disparage mine own worth, and

said the honourable colonel must surely have ascribed to me more arts,

virtues, and knowledge than I possessed: 'twas true indeed I had come

into the land to serve his Majesty the Czar and the worshipful Russian

people, even at the risk of my life, against their enemies: but to

change my religion, to that I could not resolve me: yet so far as I

could in any wise serve his Majesty without burdening my conscience, I

would not fail to do my utmost endeavour.

Then was I set apart from the rest and lodged with a merchant, where I

was openly watched, yet daily provisioned from the court with rich food

and costly liquors, and also daily had visitors that talked with me and

now and again would invite me as a guest. In especial there was one to

whose charge I had without doubt been chiefly commended, a crafty man,

that entertained me daily with friendly talk; for now could I speak

Russian pretty well. So he discoursed with me oftentimes of all manner

of mechanic arts, as well as of engines of war and others, and of

fortification and artillery practice. At last, after much beating about

the bush to find out whether I would give in to his master's wishes,

when he found there was no hope of my changing even in the least point,

he begged that I would for the honour of the great Czar impart and

communicate to their nation somewhat of my science: for his Majesty

would requite my complaisance with high and royal favours. To which I

answered, my desires had ever been to that end, most dutifully to serve

the Czar, seeing that for this purpose I had come into his country,

albeit I perceived that I was kept like a prisoner. But he replied,

"Nay, nay, sir, ye be no prisoner, but his Majesty doth hold ye so dear

that he cannot resolve to part with your person." So says I, "Wherefore

then am I guarded?" "Because," he answered, "his Majesty feareth lest

any harm should happen to ye."

So now understanding my proposals, he said the Czar was graciously

pleased to consider of digging for saltpetre in his own country and

making of powder there; but because there was no one in the land that

could deal with the matter, I should do him an acceptable service if I

would undertake the work: to that end I should be provided with men and

means enough ready to hand, and he in his own person would most

sincerely beg of me not to reject such a gracious proposal, seeing that

they were already well assured that I had a full knowledge of such

matters. To which I answered, "Sir, I say as I said before: if I can

serve his Majesty in anything, provided only he will be graciously

content to leave me undisturbed in my religion, I will not fail to do

my best." Whereat the Russian, which was one of their chief magnates,

was heartily glad and pledged me in drink deeper than ever a German.

Next day there came from the Czar two great nobles with an interpreter

to make a final agreement with me, and presented me on behalf of the

Czar with a costly Russian robe: and a few days after I began to seek

for saltpetre and to instruct the Russians that had been assigned to me

how to separate it from the earth and refine it; and at the same time I

drew up a plan of a powder-mill, and taught others to burn charcoal, so

that in brief space we had ready a goodly amount both of musquet and

ordnance powder; for I had people enough, besides mine own servants

that were to wait on me, or, to speak more truly, to keep watch and

ward over me.

I being thus well started, there comes to me the before-mentioned

colonel in Russian clothes and nobly escorted by many servants; without

doubt by such a show of glory to persuade me to go over to that

religion. But I knew well that the clothes came from the Czar his

wardrobe, and were but lent him to make my mouth water: for 'tis the

commonest of customs at the Russian court: and that the reader may

understand how 'tis managed, I will give him an instance of mine own

self. For once was I busied with taking order at the powder-mills

(which I caused to be built on the river outside Moscow) as to what

task one and the other of the people assigned to me should perform that

day and the next, when of a sudden there was an alarm that the Tartars,

100,000 horse strong, were but four miles away plundering the country

and advancing continually: so must I and my people needs betake

ourselves to the palace, to be equipped out of the Czar's armoury and

stables. And I for my part, in place of a cuirass, was clad in a

quilted silk breastplate that would stop any arrow, but could not keep

out any bullet: moreover boots and spurs and a princely head-dress with

a heron plume, and a sabre that would split a hair, mounted with pure

gold and studded with precious stones, were given to me, and of the

Czar's horses such an one was put between my legs as I had never seen

the like of in my life, far less ridden; so I and my horses blazed with

gold, silver, pearls and precious stones. I had a steel mace hanging by

me that shone like a mirror, and was so well made and heavy that I had

easily beaten to death any that I dealt a blow with it, so that the

Czar himself could not ride into battle better equipped: and there

followed me a white standard with a double eagle to which the people

flocked from all sides and corners, so that before two hours were over

we were forty thousand strong and after four hours nigh sixty thousand,

with whom we marched against the Tartars; and every quarter of an hour

I had my orders from the Czar; which yet were but this, that I should

this day approve myself a soldier, having given myself out for one,

that his Majesty might as such esteem and recognise me. So every moment

our troop was increased with great and small soldiers and officers; yet

in all this haste could I discover none that should command the whole

body, or array the battle. It needs not that I should tell all, for my

story is not much concerned with this encounter. I will but say this

only, that we came suddenly upon the Tartars in a valley or deep dip in

the land, encumbered with tired horses and much booty, and least of all

expecting us; whom we attacked on all sides with such fury that at the

very onset we scattered them. There at the first attack I called to my

followers in the Russian speech, "Come now, let each do as I do!" and

that they all shouted to one another, while I with a loose rein charged

at the enemy, and of the first I met, which was a Mirza or prince's

son, I cleft the head in twain, so that his brains were left hanging on

my steel mace. This heroical example did the Russians follow, so that

the Tartars might not withstand their attack, but turned to a general

flight, while I dealt like a madman, or rather like one that from

desperation seeketh death and cannot find it, for I smote down all that

came before me, Tartar and Russian alike; and they that were commanded

by the Czar to watch me followed me so hard that I had ever my back

guarded. There was the air so full of arrows as it had been swarms of

bees, of which my share was one in the arm; for I had turned back my

sleeve that so with less hindrance I might use my sword and came to

cleave and batter; and until I received the wound my heart did laugh

within me at such bloodshed; but when I saw mine own blood flow, that

laughter was turned into a mad fury.

So when these savage foes had been put to flight, it was commanded me

by divers nobles in the name of the Czar that I should carry to their

emperor the news how the Tartars had been defeated: and at their

bidding I rode back with some hundred horsemen at my heels, with whom I

rode through the town to the Czar's palace, and was by all men received

with triumph and gratulation; but so soon as I had made my report of

the battle (albeit the Czar had already news of all that happened) I

must again doff my princely apparel, which was again stored away in the

Czar his wardrobe, though both it and the horse trappings were

bespattered and befouled all over with blood and so almost entirely

ruinated; whereas I had thought, since I had borne myself so knightly

in the encounter, the clothes should at least have been left me,

together with the horse, for a reward. But from this I could well judge

how 'twas managed with the Russian robe of state of which my colonel

made use; for 'tis all but lent finery which, like all else in Russia,

pertaineth to the Czar alone.

_Chap. xxii._: BY WHAT A SHORT AND MERRY ROAD HE CAME HOME TO HIS DAD

Now as long as my wound was a-healing 'tis true I was treated like a

prince; for I walked abroad at all times clad in a furred gown of cloth

of gold lined with sables, though the wound was neither mortal nor

dangerous, and in all the days of my life I have never tasted such rich

foods as then; but this was all the reward I had for my labours, save

the praise which the Czar favoured me with, and this too was spoiled

for me by the envy of certain nobles. So now, being completely sound

again, was I sent down the Volga in a ship to Astrachan, to set up a

powder-mill there as in Moscow, for 'twas not possible for the Czar to

furnish these frontier fortresses from Moscow with fresh and good

powder, which must needs be carried by water and that with great risk.

And this service I willingly undertook, for I had promises that the

Czar, after the accomplishment of such business, would send me back to

Holland, and that with a good reward in money proportionable to my

services. But alas! when we think we stand safest and most certain in

the hopes and conceits we have formed, there comes a wind unawares, and

in a wink blows away all the flimsy stuff whereon we had founded our

hopes so long.

Yet the Governor of Astrachan treated me like the Czar himself, and in

brief space I had all on a good footing; his old ammunition which was

quite spoiled and ruined and could do no harm to any, I refounded (as a

tinker makes new tin spoons out of old ones), which was then a thing

unheard of among the Russians; by reason of which and other arts of

mine some held me to be a sorcerer, others a new saint or prophet, and

others, again, for a second Empedocles or Gorgias Leontinus. But being

hard at work and busied at night in a powder-mill outside the

fortifications, I was in thievish wise captured and carried off by a

horde of Tartars, which took me with others so far into their country

that I not only could see the herb Borametz or sheep-plant growing but

did even eat thereof: which is a most strange vegetable; for it is like

a sheep to look upon, its wool can be spun and woven like natural

sheep's wool, and its flesh is so like to mutton that even the wolves

do love to eat thereof. But they that had captivated me did barter me

away for certain wares of China to the Tartars of Nuichi, which again

presented me as a rare gift to the King of Corea, with whom they had

but then made a truce. And there was I highly valued, for there could

none be found like me in the handling of sword and rapier; and there I

taught the king how, with his piece over his shoulder and his back

turned to the target, he could yet hit the bull's-eye; in reward for

which at my humble petition he gave me my liberty again, and let me go

by way of Japonia to the Portuguese of Macao, which made but small

count of me. So I went about among them like a sheep that has strayed

from the flock, till at last in marvellous fashion. I was captured by

Turkish corsairs, and by them, after they had dragged me about with

them for a full year among strange foreign nations that do inhabit the

isles of the East Indies, sold to certain merchants of Alexandria in

Egypt. These carried me with their wares to Constantinople, and because

the Turkish emperor was just then fitting out galleys against the

Venetians and needed rowers, therefore must many Turkish merchants part

with their Christian slaves (yet for ready payment), among whom I was

one, as being a strong young fellow. And now must I learn to row; which

heavy task nevertheless endured not more than two months: for our

galley was in the Levant right valiantly overcome by the Venetians, and

I with all my companions freed from the power of the Turks: and the

said galley being brought to Venice with rich booty and divers Turkish

prisoners of high degree, I was set at liberty, as wishing to go to

Rome and on pilgrimage to Loretto, to view those places and to thank

God for my deliverance. To which end I easily obtained a passport, and

moreover from several honourable persons, especially Germans,

reasonable help in money, so that now I could provide me with a

pilgrim's staff and enter on my journey.

So I betook me by the nearest way to Rome, where I fared right well,

for both from great and small I got me much alms; and tarrying there

nigh six weeks, I took my way with other pilgrims, of whom some

Germans, and especially certain Switzers, to Loretto: from whence I

came over the Saint Gotthard Pass back through Switzerland to my dad,

which had kept my farm for me; and nothing remarkable did I bring home

save a beard which I had grown in foreign parts.

Now had I been absent three years and some months, during which time I

had fared over the most distant seas and seen all manner of peoples,

but had commonly received from them more evil than good; of which a

whole book might be writ. And in the meanwhile the Westphalian treaty

had been concluded, so that I could now live with my dad in peace and

quiet: and him I left to manage and to keep house, but for myself I sat

down to my books, which were now both my work and my delight.

_Chap. xxiii._: IS VERY SHORT AND CONCERNETH SIMPLICISSIMUS ALONE

Once did I read how the oracle of Apollo gave as answer to the Roman

deputies, when they asked what they must do to rule their subjects in

peace, this only, "Nosce teipsum," which signifieth, "Let each man know

himself." This caused me to reflect upon the past and demand of myself

an account of the life I had led, for I had naught else to do. So said

I to myself: "Thy life hath been no life but a death, thy days a

toilsome shadow, thy years a troublous dream, thy pleasures grievous

sins, thy youth a fantasy, and thy happiness an alchemist's treasure

that is gone by the chimney and vanished ere thou canst perceive it.

Through many dangers thou hast followed the wars, and in the same

encountered much good and ill luck: hast been now high, now low: now

great, now small: now rich, now poor: now merry, now sorry: now loved,

now hated: now honoured, now despised: but now, poor soul, what hast

thou gained from thy long pilgrimage? This hast thou gained: I am poor

in goods, my heart is burdened with cares, for all good purposes I am

idle, lazy, and spoilt; and, worst of all, my conscience is heavy and

vexed: but thou, my soul, art overwhelmed with sin and grievously

defiled; the body is weary, the understanding bemused; thine innocence

is gone, the best years of youth are past, the precious time lost:

naught is there that gives me pleasure, and withal I am an enemy to

myself. But when I came, after my sainted father's death, into the

great world, then was I simple-minded and pure, upright and honest,

truthful, humble, modest, temperate, chaste, shame-faced, pious and

religious, but soon became malicious, false, treacherous, proud,

restless, and above all altogether godless, all which vices I did learn

without a teacher. Mine honour have I guarded not for its own sake, but

for mine own exaltation. I took note of time not to employ it well for

mine own soul's welfare, but for the profit of my body. My life have I

often put in jeopardy, and yet I have never busied myself to better it

that I might die blest and comforted; for I looked only to the present

and to my temporal profit, and never once thought on the future, much

less remembered that I must some time give an account before the face

of God Almighty."

With such thoughts I tormented myself daily; and just then there came

into my hands certain writings of the Franciscan friar Quevara, of

which I must here set down some; for they were of such power as fully

to disgust me with the world.

_Chap. xxiv._: WHY AND IN WHAT FASHION SIMPLICISSIMUS LEFT THE WORLD

AGAIN

The first part of the chapter is a fair translation, extending to many

pages, of Quevara's somewhat trite reflections on the vanity of a

worldly life. It is taken from Albertini's translation of a book called

"Of the burden and annoyance of a courtier's life." 8vo. Amberg, 1599.

The only part of the chapter which concerns the story is as follows.

All these words I pondered carefully and with continual thought, and

they so pierced my heart that I left the world again and became a

hermit. Fain would I have dwelt by my spring in the Muckenloch, but the

peasants that dwelt near would not suffer it, though it had been for me

a wilderness to my taste; for they feared I should reveal the spring

and so move their lord to force them to make highways and byways

thither, especially now that peace was secured. So I betook myself to

another wilderness and began again my old life in the Spessart; but

whether I shall, like my father of blessed memory, persevere therein to

the end, I know not. God grant us all His grace that we may all alike

obtain from Him what doth concern us most, namely, a happy

END

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

The success of "Simplicissimus" induced Grimmelshausen to publish a

"Continuatio" or sequel, which certainly does not seem to have been

contemplated when he wrote the last chapter of the original work. It,

as well as three lesser "continuations" which were published later, is

entirely unworthy of the author, though all four seem to be genuine

products of his pen. It is a string of allegories, ghost stories,

fables, and monotonous chronicles of adventure, not redeemed from

dulness by occasional gross filth. For one reason only it deserves our

attention; viz., the curious anticipation of the story of Robinson

Crusoe which is contained in chapters xix. to xxii. A subjoined

"relation" of Jean Cornelissen of Harlem gives an account of his

finding Simplicissimus and leaving him on his island well provided with

necessaries: but this narrative is so overloaded with childish stories

of the castaway's miraculous powers and performances that an abstract

of it only is here given at the end.

From the middle of chapter xix. to the end of chapter xxiii. is fully

translated.

CONTINUATION

_Chap. xix._: HOW SIMPLICISSIMUS AND A CARPENTER ESCAPED FROM A

SHIPWRECK WITH THEIR LIVES AND WERE THEREAFTER PROVIDED WITH A LAND OF

THEIR OWN

So taking ship and coming from the Sinus Arabicus or Red Sea into the

ocean, and having a fair wind, we held our course to pass by the Cape

of Good Hope, and sailed for some weeks so happily that way that we

could have desired no other weather: but when we deemed that we were

now over against the isle of Madagascar there suddenly arose such a

hurricane that we had scarce time to take in sail. And the storm

increasing, we must needs cut down the mast and leave the ship to the

mercy of the waves, which carried us up, as it were, to the clouds, and

in a trice plunged us down again to the depths; all which lasted a full

half-hour and taught us all to pray most piously. At length were we

cast upon a sunken reef with such force that the ship with a terrible

crack broke all in pieces, at which there arose a lamentable and

piteous outcry. Then was the sea in a moment strown with chests, bales,

and fragments of the ship, and then one could hear and see the unlucky

folk, here and there, some on and some under the waves, clinging to

anything that in such need came first within their grasp, and with

dismal cries lamenting their ruin and commending of their souls to God.

But I, with the ship's carpenter, lay upon a great timber of the vessel

which had certain cross-pieces yet fast to it, to which we clung and

spake to one another. And little by little the dreadful wind abated;

the raging waves of the angry sea grew calmer and less; yet on the

other hand there followed pitch-dark night with terrible rain, till it

seemed as if we should be drowned from above in the midst of the sea.

And this endured till midnight, by which time we had been in sore

straits; but then was the sky clear again, so that we could see the

stars, by which we perceived that the wind drove us more and more from

the coast of Africa towards the open sea and the unknown land of

Australia, which troubled us both greatly. Now towards daybreak it grew

dark again, so that we could not see each other though we lay close at

hand: and in this darkness and piteous plight we drove ever onward,

till of a sudden we were aware that we were aground and stuck fast. So

the carpenter, which had an axe hanging to his girdle, tried with it

the depth of the water and found it on the one side of us not a foot

deep, which heartily rejoiced us and gave us sure hope that God had in

some way helped us to land, as we perceived by a sweet odour that we

smelt as soon as we came to ourselves a little. Yet because 'twas dark

and we both wearied out, and in especial looked presently for daylight,

we had not courage enough to commit ourselves to the sea and make for

land, notwithstanding we already thought to hear at a distance the song

of divers birds, which indeed was so. But as soon as the blessed

daylight shewed itself in the east, we saw through the dusk a small

island overgrown with bushes lying close before us; whereupon we betook

ourselves to the water on that side, which grew shallower and shallower

till at length, with great joy, we came to dry land. So there we fell

on our knees and kissed the ground, and thanked God above for His

fatherly care in bringing of us to land; and in such fashion did I come

to my island. As yet could we not know whether we were in an inhabited

or an uninhabited land and whether on the mainland or an island: but

this we marked at once, that it must be a right fertile soil; for all

was overgrown thick with shrubs and trees like a hemp-field, so that we

could hardly come through it. But when it was now broad day, and we had

made our way through the shrubs some quarter of an hour's march from

the shore, we could not only find no trace of human dwelling, but

moreover lighted here and there upon many strange birds that had no

fear of us, but suffered us to take them with our hands, from all which

we might judge we were on an uninhabited island, yet most fruitful.

There did we find citrons, pomegranates, and cocoanuts, with which

fruits we refreshed ourselves right well; and when the sun rose we came

to a plain covered with palm-trees, from which palm wine is made; the

which was but too pleasing to my comrade, who loved the same more than

was good for him. So there we set ourselves down in the sun to dry our

clothes, which we stripped off and to that end hung them on the trees,

but for our own parts walked about in our shirts: and my carpenter

cutting a palm-tree with his axe, found it was full of wine: yet had we

no vessel to catch it in, and for our hats, we had lost them both in

the shipwreck.

So the kindly sun having dried our clothes again, we put them on and

climbed up the high, rocky mountain that lieth on the right hand

towards the north between this plain and the sea, and looking about us

found that we were on no mainland but on this island, which in circuit

exceeded not an hour and a half's journey. And because we could see

neither near nor far off any land but only sea and sky, we were both

troubled, and lost all hope ever to see mankind again; yet contrariwise

it did comfort us that the goodness of God had brought us to this land

both safe and most fruitful, and not to a place that belike would prove

barren or inhabited of man-eaters. So we began to consider of our way

to act; and because we must live even as prisoners on this island with

one another we did swear perpetual fidelity each to each.

Now on the said mountain there not only sat and flew many birds of

divers kinds, but it was so full of nests with eggs that we could not

sufficiently marvel thereat. Of these eggs we did eat some and took

still more with us down the hill, on which we found the spring of sweet

water which flows into the sea towards the east with such force that it

might well turn a small mill-wheel; at which we rejoiced anew and

resolved to set up our abode beside the said spring. Yet for our new

housekeeping we had no other furniture but an axe, a spoon, three

knives, a prong or fork, and a pair of scissors: and nothing more. 'Tis

true my comrade had some thirty ducats about him, but these we had

gladly bartered for a tinder-box had we known where to buy one: for

they were of no use to us at all; yea, less than my powder-horn, which

was still full of priming; this did I dry, for it was all like a

soft cake, in the sun, scattered some upon a stone, covered it with

easy-burning stuff such as the moss and cotton which the cocoanut-trees

furnished in plenty, and then drawing a knife sharply through the

powder, kindled it, which rejoiced us as much as our rescue from the

sea: and had we but had salt and bread and vessels to hold our drink

we had esteemed ourselves the luckiest fellows in the world, though

four-and-twenty hours before we might have been counted among the most

miserable; so good and faithful and merciful is God, to whom be glory

for ever and ever, Amen.

Then we caught some birds forthwith, of which whole flocks flew about

us, plucked, washed, and stuck them on a wooden spit, and so I began to

turn the roast, while my comrade fetched me wood and prepared a shelter

that, if it should come on to rain again, might protect us from the

same, for these Indian rains in the parts towards Africa are wont to be

very unhealthy; but our lack of salt we supplied with lemon-juice to

give a flavour to our food.

_Chap. xx._: HOW THEY HIRED A FAIR COOKMAID AND BY GOD'S HELP WERE RID

OF HER AGAIN

This was the first meal of which we partook upon our island; and having

ended it, we had naught else to do but gather dry wood to keep up our

fire. We would fain have explored the whole island at once, but by

reason of the fatigue we had passed through, sleep so overpowered us

that we must needs lie down to rest and sleep till broad daylight. And

finding it so, we walked down the brook or glade as far as its mouth

where it flows into the sea, and saw with amazement how a great

multitude of fish of the size of middling salmon or large carp swam up

the little river into the fresh water, so that it seemed as a great

herd of swine were driven violently in; and finding also certain

bananas and sweet potatoes, which be excellent fruits, we said to each

other we had surely found the Land of Cocaigne or Monkeys' Paradise,

(though no four-footed beast there) if we had but company to help us to

enjoy both the fruitfulness of this noble island and also the plenty of

birds and fishes on it: yet could we find no single sign that ever men

had been there.

But as we began to take counsel how we should further order our

housekeeping and whence we might have vessels wherein both to cook and

to catch the juice from the palms and let it ferment in its own

fashion, that we might have the full enjoyment of it, and as we walked

on the shore in talk of this, we saw far out at sea something that

tossed about, which we at a distance could not make out, though it

seemed bigger than it really was. For when it came near and was driven

ashore on the coast of the island it proved to be a woman, half-dead,

lying on a chest, and with both hands fast clasped to the handles of

it. Her for Christian charity we drew to dry land; and dreaming her to

be a Christian woman of Abyssinia both by her clothing and certain

marks she had on her face, we were the more busy to bring her to, to

which end (yet with all honesty, as becomes them that deal with modest

women in such a case) we set her on her head till a good deal of water

had run out of her, and albeit we had no cordial to revive her more

than our citron-juice, yet we ceased not to press under her nose that

spirituous liquor which is found at the very end of the lemon-peel and

to shake and move her about, till at last she began to stir of herself

and to speak in Portuguese: which as soon as my comrade heard, and as a

lively colour began to shew itself in her face, he said to me, "This

Abyssinian was once on our ship as maid to a Portuguese lady of

quality; for I knew them both well: they dwelt at Macao and were

purposed to sail with us to the Isle of Annabon." And she, so soon as

she heard him speak, shewed herself right glad, and called him by name,

and told us not only of her whole journey, but how she was rejoiced

both that he and she were still alive, as also that they had as old

acquaintances met on dry land and out of all danger. At that my

carpenter asked what manner of wares might be in the chest. To which

she answered they were certain parcels of Chinese apparel with firearms

and weapons, besides divers vessels of porcelain both small and great,

that should have been sent by her master to a great prince in Portugal.

At which news we rejoiced greatly, seeing that these were the things

which we most needed. Then did she beg of us that we would shew her

kindness and keep her with us: for she would gladly serve us in

cooking, washing, and other duties of a maid and obey us as a slave, if

we would but keep her under our protection and suffer her to partake

with us of the sustenance which fortune and nature provided in that

place.

So with great toil and trouble we dragged the chest to that place which

we had chosen for our dwelling; where we did open it, and found therein

things so fitted to our needs that we could have desired nothing better

for our then condition and for the use of our household. These goods we

unpacked and dried them in the sun, in which business our new maid

shewed herself diligent and serviceable; and thereafter we began to

slay, boil, and roast birds, and while my carpenter went to fetch

palm-wine I climbed up the mountain to gather eggs for us, meaning to

boil them hard and to use them in place of good bread. And as I went I

considered with hearty gratitude the great gifts and goodness of God,

that had with such fatherly kindness caused His Providence to watch

over us and gave us the promise of further help. There did I fall upon

my face, and stretching out my arms and lifting up my heart to God I

prayed thus: "O heavenly Father of all mercies, now do I find indeed

that Thou art more ready to give than we to ask; yea, dearest Lord,

Thou hast with the fulness of Thy divine riches supplied us more

quickly and more plentifully than we poor creatures ever thought to ask

of Thee at all. O faithful Father, may it please Thy infinite

compassion to grant to us that we may never use these Thy gifts and

favours otherwise than as is agreeable to thy Holy will and pleasure,

and as may tend to the honour of Thy great and unspeakable Name, that

we, with all the Elect, may ever praise, honour, and glorify Thee here

on earth and hereafter in heaven for ever and for evermore." And with

these and the like words, which flowed from the very depth of my soul,

with hearty and true faith, I went on till I had gathered all the eggs

we needed, and with them came back to our hut even as our supper stood

excellently well served upon the chest we had that day fished out of

the sea with our cook-maid, and which my comrade had made use of for a

table.

Now while I was absent seeking for eggs, my comrade, which was a lad of

some twenty odd years, I being now over forty, had struck a bargain

with our maid that should be both for his ruin and mine; for finding

themselves alone in my absence, and talking together of old times and

also of the fruitfulness and great delight of this blessed, yea more

than fortunate isle, they had grown so familiar that they had begun to

speak of a match between them, of which the pretended Abyssinian would

not hear, unless 'twere agreed that my comrade the carpenter should

make himself master of the island and rid them of me; for, said she, it

were impossible for them to dwell in peace in wedlock so long as an

unmarried man lived by them.

"For bethink thyself," says she, "how would not suspicion and jealousy

plague thee, if thou wert my husband, and yet the old fellow talking

with me day by day, even if he should never think to make a cuckold of

thee! Nay, but I know a better plan: if I be to be married on this

island, that well can feed a thousand or more persons to increase the

human race, then let the old fellow marry me; for were it so 'twere but

a year to count on, or perhaps twelve or at most fourteen, in which

time he and I might breed a daughter and marry her to thee, who would

not then be of the age that the old man is now; and in the meantime ye

might cherish the certain hope that the one should be the other's

father-in-law and the other his son-in-law, and so do away all evil

suspicions and deliver me from all dangers which otherwise I might

encounter with. Doubtless 'tis true that a young woman like me would

sooner wed with a young man than an old: yet must we suit ourselves to

the circumstance as our present plight doth require, to provide that I

and she that may be born of me shall be in safety."

By this discourse, which lasted much longer and was more fully set

forth than I have here described, and also by the beauty of the

pretended Abyssinian (which in the light of the fire did shine more

perfect than ever in my comrade's eyes) and by her lively actions, my

good carpenter was so captivated and befooled that he was not ashamed

to say he would sooner throw the old man (meaning me) into the sea and

send the whole island to the devil than deliver over to him so fair a

lady: and thereupon was the bargain I spoke of concluded between them,

namely, that he should slay me with his axe from behind or in my sleep;

for he was afeared of my great strength of body, as well as of my

staff, which he had himself fashioned for me as strong as a weaver's

beam.[45]

So this compact being made, she shewed my comrade close to our dwelling

a kind of fine potter's earth, of which she promised to make fine

earthen vessels after the manner of the Indian women on the Guinea

coast, and laid all manner of plans how she would maintain herself

and her family on this island, rear them and provide for them a

peaceful and sufficient livelihood, yea even to the hundredth

generation: and could not boast enough of what profit she could make of

the cocoanut-trees and the cotton which the same do bear or produce,

out of which she would provide herself and all her children's children

with clothing.

But I, poor wretch, came knowing no word of this foul business, and sat

down to enjoy what was yet before me, saying moreover, according to the

worshipful Christian usage, the Benedicite; yet no sooner had I made

the sign of the Cross over the meats and over my companions at table

and asked God's blessing, when our cookmaid vanished away with the

chest and all that had been in it, and left behind her such an horrible

stench that my comrade fainted clean away because of it.

_Chap. xxi._: HOW THEY THEREAFTER KEPT HOUSE TOGETHER AND HOW THEY SET

TO WORK

Now as soon as he was recovered and come to his senses, he knelt down

before me and folded his hands, and for a full quarter of an hour

continually said nothing but "Oh, my father! O my brother! O my father!

O my brother!" and then began with the repeating of these words to weep

so bitterly that for very sobbing he could utter no word that could be

understood, until I conceived that by reason of the fear and the stench

he had lost his reason. But when he would not cease this behaviour and

continually besought my forgiveness, I answered him, "Dear friend, what

have I to forgive thee that hast never harmed me in thy life? Do but

tell me how I can help thee." "Nay," says he, "I seek for pardon; for I

have sinned against God and thee and myself": and therewith began again

his former lamentations, and went on so long that at last I said I knew

no evil of him, and if he had done any such that weighed upon his

conscience, I would not only from my heart forgive and condone anything

that concerned myself, but also, so far as he might have sinned against

God, would with him beseech the divine mercy for pardon. At which words

he embraced my knees and kissed them, and looked upon me so sorrowfully

that I was as one dumb, and could not conceive or guess what ailed the

lad; but when I had taken him to my arms and embraced him, begging him

to tell me what troubled him and how I could help him, he confessed to

me in every particular his discourse with the pretended Abyssinian, and

the resolve he had formed in respect of me in despite of God and of

Nature and of Christian love and of the laws of true friendship which

we had solemnly sworn one to another: and this he did with such words

and behaviour that from it his sincere repentance and contrite heart

might easily be guessed and presumed.

So I comforted him as well as I could, and said: God had peradventure

sent us this as a warning, that we might in time to come be better

aware of the devil's snares and temptations and live in the constant

fear of God: that he had of a surety cause enough to pray God heartily

for forgiveness for his evil intent, yet even greater cause to thank

Him for His goodness and mercy, seeing that He had in such fatherly

wise plucked him forth from wicked Satan's traps and snares and so

saved him from destruction now and eternally: and that we must perforce

here walk more circumspectly than if we dwelt in the midst of the world

among other men; for should one or the other or both fall into

temptation, there would be none at hand to help us but God Himself,

whom we must therefore the more diligently keep before our eyes and

without ceasing pray for His help and assistance.

By talk of such things he was, 'tis true, somewhat cheered, yet would

not be altogether content, but humbly besought me to lay upon him a

penance for his sin. So to raise up his prostrate spirit as far as

might be, I said that he being a carpenter, and having yet his axe by

him, should in the same place where we, as well as our hellish

cookmaid, had come to land, set up a cross on the shore; whereby he

would not only perform a penance well pleasing to God, but also bring

it to pass that in time to come the evil spirit, who doth ever fear the

sign of Holy Cross, would not again so easily attack our island. He

answered, "Not only a cross on the shore but two also on the mountain

will I make ready and set up, if only, my father, I may again possess

thy grace and favour and be assured of God's forgiveness." In which

fervour he went away straightway and ceased not to toil till he had

made ready three crosses, whereof we set up one on the sea-shore and

the other two apart on the highest top of the hill, with the

inscription that followeth:

"To the honour of God Almighty and in despite of the enemy of mankind,

Simon Meron, of Lisbon in Portugal, with counsel and help of his

faithful friend Simplicius Simplicissimus, a High German, did fashion

and here set up this token of our Saviour's sufferings, for Jesus

Christ His sake."

Thenceforward we began to live somewhat more religiously than before;

and in order to our reverencing and keeping of the Sabbath, I every

day, in place of an almanack, cut a notch in a post and on Sundays a

cross; and then would we sit together and talk of holy and godly

things; and this fashion must I use because I had not yet invented

anything to serve me in the stead of ink and paper, by means of which I

might set down somewhat in writing to keep count of our life.

And now to end this chapter I must make mention of a strange adventure

that did greatly terrify and distress us on the evening after our cook

her vanishing; for the first night we perceived it not, because sleep

overpowered us at once by reason of fatigue and great weariness. And

this was it. We having still before our eyes the thousand snares by

which the accursed devil would have wrought our ruin in the form of the

Abyssinian, could not sleep, but passed the time in watching, and

indeed for the most part in prayer; and so soon as it became a little

dark we saw floating around us in the air an innumerable quantity of

lights, which gave forth such a bright glow that we could discern the

fruit on the trees from the leaves: this we deemed to be another

invention of the enemy to torment us, and therefore kept still and

quiet, but in the end found 'twas but a kind of firefly or glow-worm,

as we call them in Germany, which are generated by a particular kind of

rotten wood that is found in this island, and shine so bright that one

can well use them in place of a lighted candle; for I have written this

book for the most part thus: and if they were as common in Europe,

Asia, and Africa as they be here, the candle-sellers would do a poor

trade.

_Chap. xxii._: FURTHER SEQUEL OF THE ABOVE STORY, AND HOW SIMON MERON

LEFT THE ISLAND AND THIS LIFE, AND HOW SIMPLICISSIMUS REMAINED THE SOLE

LORD OF THE ISLAND

And now seeing we must perforce remain where we were, we began to order

our housekeeping accordingly. So my comrade made out of a black wood

that is almost like to iron mattocks and shovels for us both, with the

help of which we first dug holes for the three crosses before

mentioned, and secondly drew the sea-water into trenches, where, as I

had seen at Alexandria in Egypt, it turned into salt; and thirdly we

began to make us a cheerful garden; for we deemed that idleness would

be for us the beginning of destruction; fourthly, we dug another

channel for the brook, into which we could at pleasure turn it off, and

so leave the old river-bed dry, and take out as many fish and crayfish

as we would with hands and feet dry: fifthly, we found near the said

brook a most beautiful potter's clay; and though we had neither lathe

nor wheel and, most of all, no borer or other instruments so as to make

anything of the kind and so mould for ourselves vessels, and though we

had never learned the craft, yet we devised a plan by which we got what

we wanted; for having kneaded and prepared the clay as it should be, we

made rolls of it of the thickness and length of English tobacco-pipes,

and these we stuck one upon another like a snail's shell and formed out

of such whatever vessels we would, both great and small, pots and

dishes, for cooking and drinking: and when our first baking of these

prospered, we had no longer reason to complain of lack of anything;

'tis true we had no bread; but yet plenty of dried fish which we used

in its stead. And in time our scheme for getting salt turned out well,

so that now we had nothing to complain of but lived like the folk in

the golden age of the world: and little by little we learned how with

eggs, dried fish, and lemon peel, which two last we ground to a soft

meal between two stones, and birds' fat, which we got from the birds

called boobies and noddies, to bake savoury cakes in place of bread:

likewise did my comrade devise how to draw off the palm-wine very

cleverly into great pots and let it stand for a few days till it

fermented; and then would he drink of it till he reeled, and this at

last he came to do every day, and God knoweth how I dissuaded him

therefrom. For he said if 'twas allowed to stand longer 'twould turn to

vinegar; in which there was some truth; yet I answered him, he should

not at one time draw so much but only enough for our needs; to which he

replied that 'twas a sin to despise the gifts of God, and that the

palm-trees must have a vein opened at proper times lest they should be

choked with their own blood: and so must I give a loose rein to his

appetites unless I would be told that I grudged him that of which we

had plenty.

And so, as I have said, we lived like the first men in the golden age,

when a bountiful heaven produced for them all good things from the

earth without labour on their part; but even as in this world there is

no life so sweet and happy that is not at times made bitter by the gall

of suffering, so happened it with us: for the richer we grew daily in

larder and cellar, the more threadbare did our clothes from day to day

become, till at last they rotted on our bodies. And 'twas well for us

indeed that we thus far had had no winter; no, not the slightest

cold; although by this time, when we began to go naked, we had by my

notch-calendar spent more than a year and a half on the island, but all

the year round 'twas such weather as is wont to be in Europe in May and

June, save that about August and a little before it used to rain mighty

hard and there were great thunderstorms: moreover from one solstice to

another the days did not vary in length more than an hour and a

quarter. But although we were alone upon the island, yet would we not

go naked like brute beasts, but clothed as became honest Christians of

Europe: and had we but had four-footed beasts it had been easy to help

ourselves by using their hides for clothing; for lack of which we

skinned the birds we took, such as boobies and penguins, and made

clothes of this; yet because for want of the needful tools and other

material for the purpose we could not dress them so as to last, they

became stiff and uneasy and fell away in pieces from our bodies before

we were ware of it. 'Tis true the cocoanut-trees bore cotton enough for

us, yet could we neither weave nor spin: but my comrade, that had been

some years in India, shewed me on the leaves at the very tip a thing

like a sharp thorn; which if it be broken off and drawn along the stem

of the leaf, as we do with the bean-pods called Faseoli to strip them

of their rind, there will remain hanging on the said pointed thorn a

string as long as the stem or the leaf is, so that one can use the same

for needle and thread too; and this provided me with opportunity to

make for us breeches of those leaves and sew them together with the

threads of their own growing.

But while we thus lived together, and had so improved our condition

that we had no longer any cause to trouble for overwork, waste, want,

or calamity, my comrade went on daily tippling at his palm-wine as he

had begun, and now had made a habit of it, till at last he so inflamed

his lungs and liver that, before I was rightly ware of it, he by his

untimely death left me and the island and palm-wine and all. Him did I

bury as well as I was able; and as I pondered upon the uncertainty of

human life and other the like matters, I wrote for him this epitaph

that followeth:

"That I am buried here and not in ocean deep.

Nor in the flames of hell (from which may God us keep!)

The cause was this: three things did for my soul contend:

The first the raging sea: the next the infernal fiend.

These two did I escape by God His help and grace:

The third was wine of palms, which brought me to this place."

So I became lord of the whole island and began again a hermit's life,

for which I had now not only opportunity more than enough but also a

fixed desire and purpose thereto. 'Tis true I made all use of the good

things and gifts of this place, with hearty thanks to God, whose

goodness and might alone had so richly provided for me, but withal I

was careful not to misuse this superfluity. And often did I wish that I

had Christian men with me that elsewhere must suffer poverty and need,

to profit with me by the gifts that God had given: but because I knew

that for His Almighty power 'twas more than possible, if it were but

His divine will, to bring thither more folk in easier and more

miraculous fashion than I had been brought, it often gave me cause

humbly to thank Him for His divine Providence in that He had in such

fatherly wise cared for me more than many thousands of other men, and

set me in a place so full of content and peace.

_Chap. xxiii._: IN WHICH THE HERMIT CONCLUDES HIS STORY AND THEREWITH

ENDS THESE HIS SIX BOOKS

Now had my comrade hardly been a week dead when I marked that my abode

was haunted. "Yea, yea," I thought, "Simplicissimus, thou art now

alone, and so 'twas to be expected that the evil one should endeavour

to torment thee. Didst not look that that malicious spirit would make

thy life hard for thee? Yet why take count of him, when thou hast God

to thy friend? Thou needest but somewhat wherein to exercise thyself;

else wilt thou come to thy ruin from mere idleness and superfluity; for

besides him thou hast no enemy but thine own self and the plenty and

pleasaunce of this island; therefore make thy resolve to strive against

him who in his own conceit is the strongest of all. For be he overcome

by God his help, then shouldst thou, if God will, by His grace remain

master of thyself."

And with these thoughts I went my way for a day or two, and they made

of me a better and a piouser man; for I did prepare myself for that

encounter which without doubt I must endure with the evil spirit; yet

herein did I for this time deceive myself; for as on a certain evening

I perceived a somewhat that could be heard, I went out of my hut, which

stood close beneath a spur of that mountain, beneath which was the

spring of that sweet water that floweth through the island into the

sea; and there saw I my comrade that scrabbled with his fingers in a

cleft of the rock. Then may ye easily understand that I was afeared;

yet quickly I plucked up heart and commended myself to God's protection

with the sign of Holy Cross, and thought, "this thing must be; 'twere

better to-day than to-morrow."

With that I went up to the spirit and used to him such words as be

customary in such a case. And then forthwith I understood that 'twas my

deceased comrade, which in his lifetime had there concealed his ducats,

as thinking that if, sooner or later, a ship should come to the island,

he would recover them and take them away with him; yea, and he gave me

to know that he had trusted more in this handful of money, whereby he

hoped again to come to his home, than on God; for which cause he must

now do penance by such unrest after his death, and moreover against his

will be a cause of uneasiness to myself. So at his desire I took forth

the money, yet held it as less than naught, as will the sooner be

believed because I had nothing on which to employ it. And this was now

the first affright that I had after I was left alone; yet afterwards

was plagued by spirits of other sorts than this one; whereof I will say

no more, but this only, that by God's help and grace I attained to

this, that I found no single enemy more, save only mine own thoughts,

which were oft troubled enough; for these go not scot-free before God,

as men do vainly talk, but in His good time a reckoning must be paid

for these also.

So that these might the less stain my soul with sins, I busied myself

not only in the avoiding of that which profited naught, but did impose

on myself a bodily task the which to perform with my customary prayer;

for as man is born for work like the bird for flying, so on the other

hand doth idleness inflict her sicknesses both on soul and body, and in

the end, when we be least ware of it, eternal ruin. For this cause I

planted me a garden, of which indeed I had less need than the waggon

hath of a fifth wheel, seeing that the whole island might well be

called one lovely pleasure-garden; so was my work of no other avail but

that I brought this and that into completer order, albeit to many the

natural disorder of the plants as they grew mingled together might

appear more pleasing, and again that, as aforesaid, I shunned idleness.

O how oft did I wish, when I had wearied out my body and must give it

rest, that I had godly books wherein to comfort, to delight, and to

edify myself! But such I could not come by. Yet as I had once read of a

holy man that he said the whole wide world was to him one great book;

wherein to recognise the wondrous works of God and to be cheered to

praise Him, so I thought to follow him therein, howbeit I was, so to

speak, no longer in the world. For that little island must be my whole

world, and in the same, every thing, yea, every tree, an incitement to

godliness and a reminder of such thoughts as a good Christian should

have. Thus, did I see a prickly plant, forthwith I thought on Christ

his crown of thorns; saw I an apple or a pomegranate, then I reflected

on the fall of our first parents and mourned therefore; when I did draw

palm-wine from a tree, I fancied to myself how mercifully my Redeemer

had shed His blood for me on the tree of the Holy Cross; when I looked

on sea or on mountain, then I remembered this or that miracle which our

Saviour had wrought in such places; and when I found one or more stones

that were convenient for casting, I had before mine eyes the picture of

the Jews that would have stoned Christ; and when I walked in my garden

I thought on the prayer of agony in Mount Olivet, or on the grave of

Christ, and how after His Resurrection He appeared to Mary Magdalene in

the garden. Such thoughts were my daily occupation; never did I eat but

that I thought on the Last Supper, and never cooked my food without the

fire reminding me of the eternal pains of hell.

At last I found that with Brazil-juice, of which there be several sorts

on this island, when mixed with lemon-juice, 'twas easy to write on a

kind of large palm-leaves; which rejoiced me greatly; for now could I

devise and write out prayers in order; yea, in the end, considering

with hearty repentance my whole life and my knavish tricks that I had

committed from my youth up, and how the merciful God, despite all such

gross sins, had not only thus far preserved me from everlasting

damnation, but had given me time and opportunity to better myself and

to be converted, to beg His forgiveness and to thank Him for His

mercies, I did write down all that had befallen me in this book made of

the afore-mentioned palm-leaves, and laid them together with my

comrade's ducats in this place, to the end that if at any time folk

should come hither, they might find such, and therefrom learn who it

was that before inhabited this island. And whoso shall find this and

read it, be it to-day or to-morrow, either before or after my death,

him I beg that if he meet therein with words which be not becoming, for

one that would do better, to speak, much less to write, he will not be

angered thereat, but will consider that the telling of light actions

and stories demands words fitting thereto; and even as the houseleek

cannot easily be soaked by any rain, that so a true and devout spirit

cannot forthwith be infected, poisoned, and corrupted by any discourse,

though it seem as wanton as you will. The honourably minded Christian

reader will rather wonder, and praise the divine mercy, when he shall

find that so knavish a companion as I have been yet hath had such grace

of God as to resign the world and to live in such a condition that

therein he hopeth to come to eternal glory and to attain to everlasting

blessedness by the sufferings of his Redeemer, through a pious

END

APPENDIX B

Attached to chap. xxiii. is the "Relation of Jean Cornelissen of

Harlem, a Dutch sea-captain, to his good friend German Schleifheim von

Sulsfort concerning Simplicissimus."

Its contents are as follows:

On a voyage from the Moluccas to the Cape of Good Hope Cornelissen is

separated by stress of weather from the fleet with which he had sailed.

Having many of his crew sick, and no fresh water, he is delighted to

discover Simplicissimus' isle. His men go ashore and find the hermit's

dwelling, which, as the captain only afterwards learn they plunder, and

generally behave brutally. Cornelissen finds the crosses and many pious

inscriptions on trees, which prove to him that the unknown is a good

Christian though probably a Papist. The crew track Simplicissimus to a

vast cavern, on entering which their lights are miraculously

extinguished. There is an earthquake, and the seamen who had taken part

in the plundering of the hermit's dwelling are smitten with madness.

Cornelissen, with the chaplain and officers, determines to find

Simplicissimus at any cost. They penetrate the cave, but their lights

also go out, and Simplicissimus addresses them from the darkness and

remonstrates with them for their interference. The chaplain apologises,

and asks how the madmen may be cured: he is told that they are to

swallow the kernels of certain plums they had eaten. They offer to take

him back to Europe, but he refuses. After making a bargain with them to

secure his being left in peace, Simplicissimus shews himself surrounded

with his glow-worms. He leads them out of the cave and shews them his

ruined hut, and tells how his ducats and his book had been stolen. The

madmen are brought to their senses again. Simplicissimus recovers his

book, which he entrusts to Cornelissen, but again refuses to return to

sinful Europe. They rebuild his hut for him, provide him with plenty of

tools, a burning-glass, cotton clothing, and a pair of rabbits for

breeding purposes: and so, their sick being all recovered, sail away

and leave him there.

[A reference to the "Introduction" will show that this island adventure

could have had no place in the Simplician cycle of romances; unless we

suppose, which is highly improbable, that the author meant it to be

subsequent to the inn episode, in which Simplicissimus' family and

friends all meet. Most likely we have here the latest addition, in

point of composition, to the legend.]

[The following is given as a specimen of the nonsense of which the

various continuations are made up.]

APPENDIX C

"Continuatio," _chap. xiii._: HOW SIMPLICISSIMUS IN RETURN FOR A

NIGHT'S LODGING, TAUGHT HIS HOST A CURIOUS ART

Now the evening before this I had lost a certain catalogue of those

special arts which I had aforetime practised and written down that I

might not forget them so easily: yet I depended not on this to remember

how to perform them and with what helps. For example I do here set down

the beginning of this list:

So to prepare matches or fuses that they shall give out no smell,

seeing that by such smell musqueteers be often betrayed and their plans

defeated.

To prepare match so that it will burn though it be wet.

To prepare powder so that it will not burn though red-hot steel be

thrust therein: very useful for fortresses that must harbour much of so

dangerous a guest.

To shoot men or birds with powder alone so that they shall lie as dead

for a while and yet rise up again without harm.

To give a man double strength without the use of carbine-thistle or

other such forbidden means.

If a sally from a fortress be checked, so to spike the enemy's guns in

a moment that they must burst.

To spoil a man's gun so that it will scare all game to cover till it be

again cleansed with a certain other substance.

To hit the bull's-eye in a target more quickly by laying the gun on the

shoulder and firing backward, than if a man should take aim and fire in

the accustomed way.

A special art to provide that no bullet may hit thee.

To prepare an instrument by means of which, specially on a still night,

a man can in wondrous wise hear all that sounds or is spoken at an

incredible distance (otherwise clean impossible and supernatural); very

profitable for sentries and specially in sieges, etc. (bk. iii., chap.

1.).

In like manner were many arts described in the said catalogue which

mine host had found and read: so he came to me himself into my

chamber, shewed me the list, and asked whether 'twas possible that

these things could be done by natural means; for that could he scarce

believe; yet must confess that in his youth, when he served as a page

in Italy with Field-marshal von Schauenburg, it was given out by some

that the princes of Savoy were proof against bullets: which the said

Field-marshal desired to make proof of in the person of Prince Thomas,

whom he then kept besieged in a fortress; for when on a time both sides

had agreed on a truce for an hour to bury the dead and to confer

together, he had commanded a corporal of his regiment, that was held to

be the best marksman in the whole army, to take aim at the said prince

while he should be standing on the parapet of the wall for a parley,

and so soon as the hour agreed upon should end, to fire at him with his

piece, with which he could put a lighted candle out at fifty paces:

that this corporal had taken careful note of the time and kept the said

prince under observation the whole time of the truce, and at the very

moment when it ended with the first stroke of the hour, fired at him:

yet had his piece, contrary to all belief, missed fire, and before the

corporal could make ready again the prince was gone behind the parapet;

whereupon the corporal pointed out to the Field-marshal, who had

likewise come to him on the trenches, a Switzer of the prince's guard,

at whom he aimed and hit him in such fashion that he rolled over and

over; wherefrom it plainly appeared that there was something in the

story that no prince of the house of Savoy could be hit or harmed. Yet

whether this was brought about by such arts, or whether perchance the

said princely house enjoyed a special grace from God, being, as 'twas

said, sprung from the race of the royal prophet David, he knew not.

I answered, "I know not either, but this I do know of a surety, that

the arts here specified be natural and no witchcraft." Which if he

would not believe, let him but say which he held to be the most

wonderful and impossible and I would at once to satisfy him (provided

only that 'twas one that asked not long time but only such means as I

had then at hand), make trial of it, for I must presently be a-foot and

pursue my journey. At that he said this seemed to him the most

impossible, that gunpowder should not burn if fire were put to it,

unless one should first pour the powder into water; which if I could by

natural means effect he would believe concerning all the other arts,

though there were over sixty of them, what he might not see and before

such trial could not believe. I answered, let him bring me quickly a

charge of powder and also a certain substance which I had need of, and

fire also, and presently he should see that the trick would hold. This

being done, I caused him to follow my process and then set light to the

powder: yet could he do no more than burn here and there a grain though

he worked at it for a quarter of an hour, and accomplished no more than

that he cooled a red-hot iron and quenched matches and lighted coals in

the very powder itself. "Aha!" says he, "the powder is bad." But I

answered him in act, and without much ado, before he could count a

score, so worked it that the powder blew up when he had scarce touched

it with the fire.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: _Lit._, "Bohemian Villages," _i.e._, with unpronounceable

names.]

[Footnote 2: William, Duke of Aquitaine, and afterwards a Saint noted

for the acerbity of his penances.]

[Footnote 3: A proverb: on Saint Gertrude's day spinning ceases and

garden-work begins.]

[Footnote 4: Viz. "ihnen den Hintern zu lecken."]

[Footnote 5: The commandments are here numbered according to the Roman

arrangement, but the meaning is obscure.]

[Footnote 6: The hermit.]

[Footnote 7: _i.e._ full of innocence.]

[Footnote 8: Given as an example of a Roman of luxurious tastes.]

[Footnote 9: Refers to an episode omitted in this translation.]

[Footnote 10: Allusion to a cruel practice in use in falconry.]

[Footnote 11: Proverbial: an allusion to a popular story.]

[Footnote 12: Lit. there are folk dwelling beyond the mountains too.]

[Footnote 13: I.e., he was bewitched.]

[Footnote 14: Hessian General.]

[Footnote 15: It is difficult to translate the German expression.

Probably this word, meaning a maritime trader in illicit wares,

represents it best.]

[Footnote 16: Obscure lines: many of the expressions in this chapter

are now inexplicable.]

[Footnote 17: He wrote the words down as he was told as if they meant

the _judge's_ mother.]

[Footnote 18: The cuirass would be well lined to prevent chafing.]

[Footnote 19: Some 120 years before.]

[Footnote 20: Besieged by the Spaniards from 1601 to 1604.]

[Footnote 21: A kind of Eldorado.]

[Footnote 22: The famous cavalry commander of the Imperialists.]

[Footnote 23: The musqueteer supported his piece on a prop or stake.]

[Footnote 24: See chap. iii.]

[Footnote 25: viz. Lippstadt.]

[Footnote 26: The initials only of the name are given in the original.]

[Footnote 27: The pastor was 'Reformed' (i.e. Calvinist).]

[Footnote 28: I.e., at the Antipodes: "at the other end of the world."]

[Footnote 29: Referring to a body of Breton troops sent by Richelieu to

help Guébriant. They turned out worthless.]

[Footnote 30: "Bearskinner" was the troopers' name for a malingerer. It

was taken from a very old legend.]

[Footnote 31: The allusion is to the escape of the robber-knight,

Eppelin von Gailingen, from the Castle of Nuremberg.]

[Footnote 32: In 1063 the retainers of the Bishop of Hildesheim and the

Abbot of Fulda fought in church at Goslar, and much bloodshed ensued.]

[Footnote 33: Act as a usurer or cheat.]

[Footnote 34: He may possibly mean the three old fortifications of

which ruins still remain: Schwaben-, Schweden-, and Alexander-schanze;

all of which are close to his favourite spa at Griesbach.]

[Footnote 35: See chap. xi. above.]

[Footnote 36: This was "Courage," the heroine of some of

Grimmelshausen's later romances.]

[Footnote 37: Unknown.]

[Footnote 38: The jest is now unintelligible.]

[Footnote 39: It was really Christian of Brunswick, marching to join

Mansfeld.]

[Footnote 40: "Goblin" or rather "bogey" lake.]

[Footnote 41: D'Enghien.]

[Footnote 42: A hedge schoolmaster.]

[Footnote 43: Offa. Offenburg.]

[Footnote 44: Baiersbronn.]

[Footnote 45: Literally "a Bohemian ear-picker."]

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