the night before thrown himself down upon the straw pallet at his side;
and as his lute and his bundle were likewise missing, Frederick quite
concluded that Reinhold, from reasons which were unknown to him, had
left him and gone another road. But directly he stepped out of the
house Reinhold came to meet him, his bundle on his back and his lute
under his arm, and dressed altogether differently from what he had been
the day before. He had taken the feather out of his baretta, and laid
aside his sword, and had put on a plain burgher's doublet of an
unpretentious colour, instead of the fine one with the velvet
trimmings. "Now, brother," he cried, laughing merrily to his astonished
friend, "you will acknowledge me for your true comrade and faithful
work-mate now, eh? But let me tell you that for a youth in love you
have slept most soundly. Look how high the sun is. Come, let us be
going on our way." Frederick was silent and busied with his own
thoughts; he scarcely answered Reinhold's questions and scarcely heeded
his jests. Reinhold, however, was full of exuberant spirits; he ran
from side to side, shouted, and waved his baretta in the air. But he
too became more and more silent the nearer they approached the town. "I
can't go any farther, I am so full of nervousness and anxiety and sweet
sadness; let us rest a little while beneath these trees." Thus spake
Frederick just before they reached the gate; and he threw himself down
quite exhausted in the grass. Reinhold sat down beside him, and after a
while began, "I daresay you thought me extremely strange yesterday
evening, good brother mine. But as you told me about your love, and
were so very dejected, then all kinds of foolish nonsense flooded my
mind and made me quite confused, and would have made me mad in the end
if your good singing and my lute had not driven away the evil spirits.
But this morning when the first ray of sunlight awoke me, all my gaiety
of heart returned, for all nasty feelings had already left me last
evening. I ran out, and whilst wandering among the undergrowth a crowd
of fine things came into my mind: how I had found you, and how all my
heart felt drawn towards you. There also occurred to me a pretty little
story which happened some time ago when I was in Italy; I will tell it
to you, since it is a remarkable illustration of what true friendship
can do.
"It chanced that a noble prince, a warm patron and friend of the Fine
Arts, offered a very large prize for a painting, the subject of which
was definitely fixed, and which, though a splendid subject, was one
difficult to treat. Two young painters, united by the closest bond of
friendship and wont to work together, resolved to compete for the
prize. They communicated their designs to each other and had long talks
as to how they should overcome the difficulties connected with the
subject. The elder, more experienced in drawing and in arrangement and
grouping, had soon formed a conception of the picture and sketched it;
then he went to the younger, whom he found so discouraged in the very
designing that he would have given the scheme up, had not the elder
constantly encouraged him, and imparted to him good advice. But when
they began to paint, the younger, a master in colour, was able to give
his friend many a hint, which he turned to the best account; and
eventually it was found that the younger had never designed a better
picture, nor the elder coloured one better. The pieces being finished,
the two artists fell upon each other's neck; each was delighted,
enraptured, with the other's work, and each adjudged the prize, which
they both deserved, to his friend. But when, eventually, the prize was
declared to have fallen to the younger, he cried, ashamed, 'Oh! how can
I have gained the prize? What is my merit in comparison with that of my
friend? I should never have produced anything at all good without his
advice and valuable assistance.' Then said the elder, 'And did not you
too stand by me with invaluable counsel? My picture is certainly not
bad; but yours has carried off the prize as it deserved. To strive
honestly and openly towards the same goal, that is the way of true
friends; the wreath which the victor wins confers honour also upon the
vanquished. I love you now all the more that you have so bravely
striven, and in your victory I also reap fame and honour.' And the
painter was right, was he not, Frederick? Honest contention for the
same prize, without any malicious reserve, ought to unite true friends
still more and knit their hearts still closer, instead of setting them
at variance. Ought there to be any room in noble minds for petty envy
or malicious hate?" "Never, certainly not," replied Frederick. "We are
now faithful loving brothers, and shall both in a short time construct
our masterpiece in Nuremburg, a good two-tun cask, made without fire;
but Heaven forbid that I should feel the least spark of envy if yours,
dear brother Reinhold, turned out to be better than mine." "Ha! ha!
ha!" laughed Reinhold heartily, "go on with you and your masterpiece;
you'll soon manage that to the joy of all good coopers. And let me tell
you that in all that concerns calculation of size and proportion, and
drawing plans of sections of circles, you'll find I'm your man. And
then in choosing your wood you may rely fully upon me. Staves of the
holm oak felled in winter, without worm-holes, without either red or
white streaks, and without blemish, that's what we must look for; you
may trust my eyes. I will stand by you with all the help I can, in both
deed and counsel; and my own masterpiece will be none the worse for
it." "But in the name of all that's holy," broke in Frederick here,
"why are we chattering about who is to make the best masterpiece? Are
we to have any contest about the matter?--the best masterpiece--to gain
Rose! What are we thinking about? The very thought makes me giddy."
"Marry, brother," cried Reinhold, still laughing, "there was no thought
at all of Rose. You are a dreamer. Come along, let us go on if we are
to get into the town." Frederick leapt to his feet, and went on his
way, his mind in a whirl of confusion.
As they were washing and brushing off the dust of travel in the
hostelry, Reinhold said to Frederick, "To tell you the truth, I for my
part don't know for what master I shall work; I have no acquaintances
here at all; and I thought you would perhaps take me along with you to
Master Martin's, brother? Perhaps I may get taken on by him." "You
remove a heavy load from my heart," replied Frederick, "for if you will
only stay with me, it will be easier for me to conquer my anxiety and
nervousness." And so the two young apprentices trudged sturdily on to
the house of the famed cooper, Master Martin.
It happened to be the very Sunday on which Master Martin gave his feast
in honour of his election as "Candle-master;" and the two arrived just
as they were partaking of the good cheer. So it was that as Reinhold
and Frederick entered into Master Martin's house they heard the ringing
of glasses and the confused buzz and rattle of a merry company at a
feast. "Oh!" said Frederick quite cast down, "we have, it seems, come
at an unseasonable time." "Nay, I think we have come exactly at the
right time," replied Reinhold, "for Master Martin is sure to be in good
humour after a good feast, and well disposed to grant our wishes." They
caused their arrival to be announced to Master Martin, and soon he
appeared in the entrance-passage, dressed in holiday garb and with no
small amount of colour in his nose and on his cheeks. On catching sight
of Frederick he cried, "Holla! Frederick, my good lad, have you come
home again? That's fine! And so you have taken up the best of all
trades--cooperage. Herr Holzschuer cuts confounded wry faces when your
name is mentioned, and says a great artist is ruined in you, and that
you could have cast little images and espaliers as fine as those in St.
Sebald's or on Fugger's27 house at Augsburg. But that's all nonsense;
you have done quite right to step across the way here. Welcome, lad,
welcome with all my heart." And therewith Herr Martin took him by the
shoulders and drew him to his bosom, as was his wont, thoroughly well
pleased. This kind reception by Master Martin infused new spirits into
Frederick; all his nervousness left him, so that unhesitatingly and
without constraint he was able not only to prefer his own request but
also warmly to recommend Reinhold. "Well, to tell you the truth," said
Master Martin, "you could not have come at a more fortunate time than
just now, for work keeps increasing and I am bankrupt of workmen. You
are both heartily welcome. Put your bundles down and come in; our meal
is indeed almost finished, but you can come and take your seats at the
table, and Rose shall look after you and get you something." And Master
Martin and the two journeymen went into the room. There sat the honest
masters, the worthy syndic Jacobus Paumgartner at their head, all with
hot red faces. Dessert was being served, and a better brand of wine was
sparkling in the glasses. Every master was talking about something
different from all his neighbours and in a loud voice, and yet they all
thought they understood each other; and now and again some of them
burst out in a hearty laugh without exactly knowing why. When, however.
Master Martin came back, leading the two young men by the hand, and
announced aloud that he brought two journeymen who had come to him well
provided with testimonials just at the time he wanted them, then all
grew silent, each master scrutinising the smart young fellows with a
smile of comfortable satisfaction, whilst Frederick cast his eyes down
and twisted his baretta about in his hands. Master Martin directed the
youths to places at the very bottom of the table; but these were soon
the very best of all, for Rose came and took her seat between the two,
and served them attentively both with dainty dishes and with good rich
wine. There was Rose, a most winsome picture of grace and loveliness,
seated between the two handsome youths, all in midst of the bearded old
men--it was a right pleasant sight to see; the mind instantly recalled
a bright morning cloud rising solitary above the dim dark horizon, or
beautiful spring flowers lifting up their bright heads from amidst the
uniform colourless grass. Frederick was so very happy and so very
delighted that his breath almost failed him for joy; and only now and
again did he venture to steal a glance at her who filled his heart so
fully. His eyes were fixedly bent upon his plate; how could he possibly
dream of eating the least morsel? Reinhold, on the other hand, could
not turn his sparkling, radiant eyes away from the lovely maiden. He
began to talk about his long journeys in such a wonderful way that Rose
had never heard anything like it. She seemed to see everything of which
he spoke rise up vividly before her in manifold ever-changing forms.
She was all eyes and ears; and when Reinhold, carried away by the fire
of his own words, grasped her hand and pressed it to his heart, she
didn't know where she was. "But bless me," broke off Reinhold all at
once, "why, Frederick, you are quite silent and still. Have you lost
your tongue? Come, let us drink to the weal of the lovely maiden who
has so hospitably entertained us." With a trembling hand Frederick
seized the huge drinking-glass that Reinhold had filled to the brim and
now insisted on his draining to the last drop. "Now here's long life to
our excellent master," cried Reinhold, again filling the glasses and
again compelling Frederick to empty his. Then the fiery juices of the
wine permeated his veins and stirred up his stagnant blood until it
coursed as it were triumphantly through his every limb. "Oh! I feel so
indescribably happy," he whispered, the burning blushes mounting into
his cheeks. "Oh! I have never felt so happy in all my life before."
Rose, who undoubtedly gave another interpretation to his words, smiled
upon him with incomparable gentleness. Then, quit of all his
embarrassing shyness, Frederick said, "Dear Rose, I suppose you no
longer remember me, do you?" "But, dear Frederick," replied Rose,
casting down her eyes, "how could I possibly forget you in so short a
time? When you were at Herr Holzschuer's--true, I was only a mere child
then, yet you did not disdain to play with me, and always had something
nice and pretty to talk about. And that dear little basket made of fine
silver wire that you gave me at Christmas-time, I've got it still, and
I take care of it and keep it as a precious memento." Frederick was
intoxicated with delight and tears glittered in his eyes. He tried to
speak, but there only burst from his breast, like a deep sigh, the
words, "O Rose--dear, dear Rose." "I have always really from my heart
longed to see you again," went on Rose; "but that you would become a
cooper, that I never for a moment dreamed. Oh! when I call to mind the
beautiful things that you made whilst you were with Master
Holzschuer--oh! it really is a pity that you have not stuck to your
art." "O Rose," said Frederick, "it is only for your sake that I have
become unfaithful to it." No sooner had he uttered these words than he
could have sunk into the earth for shame and confusion. He had most
thoughtlessly let the confession slip over his lips. Rose, as if
divining all, turned her face away from him; whilst he in vain
struggled for words.
Then Herr Paumgartner struck the table a bang with his knife, and
announced to the company that Herr Vollrad, a worthy _Meistersinger_,28
would favour them with a song. Herr Vollrad at once rose to his feet,
cleared his throat, and sang such an excellent song in the _Güldne
Tonweis_29 of Herr Vogelgesang that everybody's heart leapt with joy,
and even Frederick recovered himself from his awkward embarrassment
again. After Herr Vollrad had sung several other excellent songs to
several other excellent tunes, such as the _Süsser Ton_, the
_Krummzinkenweis_, the _ Geblümte Paradiesweis_, the _Frisch
Pomeranzenweis_, &c., he called upon any one else at the table who
understood anything of the sweet and delectable art of the
_Meistersinger_ also to honour them with a song. Then Reinhold rose to
his feet and said that if he might be allowed to accompany himself on
his lute in the Italian fashion he would give them a song, keeping,
however, strictly to the German tune. As nobody had any objection he
fetched his instrument, and, after a little tuneful prelude, began the
following song:--
Where is the little fount
Where sparkles the spicy wine?
From forth its golden depths
Its golden sparkles mount
And dance 'fore the gladdened eye.
This beautiful little fount
Wherein the golden wine
Sparkles--who made it,
With thoughtful skill and fine,
With such high art and industry,
That praise deserve so well?
This little fount so gay,
Wrought with high art and fine,
Was fashioned by one
Who ne'er an artist was--
But a brave young cooper he,
His veins with rich wine glowing,
His heart with true love singing,
And ever lovingly--
For that's young cooper's way
In all the things he does.
This song pleased them all down to the ground, but none more so than
Master Martin, whose eyes sparkled with pleasure and delight. Without
heeding Vollrad, who had almost too much to say about Hans Müller's _
Stumpfe Schossweis_, which the youth had caught excellently well,--
Master Martin, without heeding him, rose from his seat, and, lifting
his _passglas_30 above his head, called aloud, "Come here, honest
cooper and _Meistersinger_, come here and drain this glass with me,
your Master Martin." Reinhold had to do as he was bidden. Returning to
his place, he whispered into Frederick's ear, who was looking very
pensive, "Now, you must sing--sing the song you sang last night." "Are
you mad?" asked Frederick, quite angry. But Reinhold turned to the
company and said in a loud voice, "My honoured gentlemen and masters,
my dear brother Frederick here can sing far finer songs, and has a much
pleasanter voice than I have, but his throat has got full of dust from
his travels, and he will treat you to some of his songs another time,
and then to the most admirable tunes." And they all began to shower
down their praises upon Frederick, as if he had already sung. Indeed,
in the end, more than one of the masters was of opinion that his voice
was really more agreeable than journeyman Reinhold's, and Herr Vollrad
also, after he had drunk another glass, was convinced that Frederick
could use the beautiful German tunes far better than Reinhold, for the
latter had too much of the Italian style about him. And Master Martin,
throwing his head back into his neck, and giving his round belly a
hearty slap, cried, "Those are _my_ journeymen, _my_ journeymen, I tell
you--mine, master-cooper Tobias Martin's of Nuremberg." And all the
other masters nodded their heads in assent, and, sipping the last drops
out of the bottom of their tall glasses, said, "Yes, yes. Your brave,
honest journeymen, Master Martin--that they are." At length it was time
to retire to rest Master Martin led Reinhold and Frederick each into a
bright cheerful room in his own house.
_How the third journeyman came into Master Martin's house, and what
followed in consequence._
After the two journeymen had worked for some weeks in Master Martin's
workshop, he perceived that in all that concerned measurement with rule
and compass, and calculation, and estimation of measure and size by
eyesight, Reinhold could hardly find his match, but it was a different
thing when it came to hard work at the bench or with the adze or the
mallet. Then Reinhold soon grew tired, and the work did not progress,
no matter how great efforts he might make. On the other hand, Frederick
planed and hammered away without growing particularly tired. But one
thing they had in common with each other, and that was their well-
mannered behaviour, marked, principally at Reinhold's instance, by much
natural cheerfulness and good-natured enjoyment. Besides, even when
hard at work, they did not spare their throats, especially when pretty
Rose was present, but sang many an excellent song, their pleasant
voices harmonising well together. And whenever Frederick, glancing
shyly across at Rose, seemed to be falling into his melancholy mood,
Reinhold at once struck up a satirical song that he composed,
beginning, "The cask is not the cither, nor is the cither the cask," so
that old Herr Martin often had to let the croze-adze which he had
raised, sink again without striking and hold his big belly as it
wabbled from his internal laughter. Above all, the two journeymen, and
mainly Reinhold, had completely won their way into Martin's favour; and
it was not difficult to observe that Rose found a good many pretexts
for lingering oftener and longer in the workshop than she certainly
otherwise would have done.
One day Master Martin entered his open workshop outside the town-gate,
where work was carried on all the summer through, with his brow
weighted with thought Reinhold and Frederick were in the act of setting
up a small cask. Then Master Martin planted himself before them with
his arms crossed over his chest and said, "I can't tell you how pleased
I am with you, my good journeymen, but I am just now in a great
difficulty. They write me from the Rhine that this will be a more
prosperous wine-year than there ever has been before. A learned man
says that the comet which has been seen in the heavens will fructify
the earth with its wonderful tail, so that the glowing heat which
fabricates the precious metals down in the deepest mines will all
stream upwards and evaporate into the thirsty vines, till they prosper
and thrive and put forth multitudes of grapes, and the liquid fire with
which they are filled will be poured out into the grapes. It will be
almost three hundred years before such a favourable constellation
occurs again. So now we shall all have our hands full of work. And then
there's his Lordship the Bishop of Bamberg has written to me and
ordered a large cask. That we can't get done; and I shall have to look
about for another useful journeyman. Now I should not like to take the
first fellow I meet off the street amongst us, and yet the matter is
very urgent. If you know of a good journeyman anywhere whom you would
be willing to work with, you have only to tell me, and I will get him
here, even though it should cost me a good sum of money."
Hardly had Master Martin finished speaking when a young man, tall and
stalwart, shouted to him in a loud voice, "Hi! you there! is this
Master Martin's workshop?" "Certainly," replied Master Martin, going
towards the young man, "certainly it is; but you needn't shout so
deuced loud and lumber in like that; that's not the way to find
people." "Ha! ha! ha!" laughed the young fellow, "marry, you are Master
Martin himself, for--fat belly--stately double-chin--sparkling eyes,
and red nose--yes, that's just how he was described to me. I bid you
good hail, Master Martin." "Well, and what do you want from Master
Martin?" he asked, indignantly. The young fellow replied, "I am a
journeyman cooper, and merely wanted to ask if I could find work with
you." Marvelling that just as he was thinking about looking out for a
journeyman one should come to him like this, Master Martin drew back a
few paces and eyed the young man from head to foot. He, however, met
the scrutiny unabashed and with sparkling eyes. Noting his broad chest,
stalwart build, and powerful arms, Master Martin thought within
himself, it's just such a lusty fellow as this that I want, and he at
once asked him for his trade testimonials.31 "I haven't them with me
just at this present moment," replied the young man, "but I will get
them in a short time; and I give you now my word of honour that I will
work well and honestly, and that must suffice you." Thereupon, without
waiting for Master Martin's reply, the young journeyman stepped into
the workshop. He threw down his baretta and bundle, took off his
doublet, put on his apron, and said, "Come, Master Martin, tell me at
once what I am to begin with." Master Martin, completely taken aback by
the young stranger's resolute vigour and promptitude, had to think a
little; then he said, "Come then, my fine fellow, and show me at once
that you are a good cooper; take this croze-adze and finish the groove
of that cask lying in the vice yonder." The stranger performed what he
had been bidden with remarkable strength, quickness, and skill; and
then he cried, laughing loudly, "Now, Master Martin, have you any
doubts now as to my being a good cooper? But," he continued, going
backwards and forwards through the shop, and examining the instruments
and tools, and supply of wood, "but though you are well supplied with
useful stores and--but what do you call this little thing of a mallet?
I suppose it's for your children to play with; and this little adze
here--why it must be for your apprentices when they first begin," and
he swung round his head the huge heavy mallet which Reinhold could not
lift and which Frederick had great difficulty in wielding; and then he
did the same with the ponderous adze with which Master Martin himself
worked. Then he rolled a couple of huge casks on one side as if they
had been light balls, and seized one of the large thick beams which had
not yet been worked at "Marry, master," he cried, "marry, this is good
sound oak; I wager it will snap like glass." And thereupon he struck
the stave against the grindstone so that it broke clean in half with a
loud crack. "Pray be so kind," said Master Martin, "pray have the
kindness, my good fellow, to kick that two-tun cask about or to pull
down the whole shop. There, you can take that balk for a mallet, and
that you may have an adze to your mind I will have Roland's sword,
which is three yards long, fetched for you from the town-house." "Ay,
do, that's just the thing," said the young man, his eyes flashing; but
the next minute he cast them down upon the ground and said, lowering
his voice, "I only thought, good master, that you wanted right strong
journeymen for your heavy work, and now I have, I see, been too
forward, too swaggering, in displaying my bodily strength. But do take
me on to work, I will faithfully do whatever you shall require of me."
Master Martin scanned the youth's features, and could not but admit
that he had never seen more nobility and at the same time more
downright honesty in any man's face. And yet, as he looked upon the
young fellow, there stole into his mind a dim recollection of some man
whom he had long esteemed and honoured, but he could not clearly call
to mind who it was. For this reason he granted the young man's request
on the spot, only enjoining upon him to produce at the earliest
opportunity the needful credible trade attestations.