relative situation of the town, this language would necessarily be of a
mixed character: that is to say, there would be intermarriages between the
Germans and French--and the offspring of such marriages would necessarily
speak a _patois_. This seems to be generally admitted. The ancient language
of Strasbourg is said to have been the pure dialect of _Suabia_; but, at
present, the dialect of _Saxony_, which is thought to be purer as well as
more fashionable, is carefully taught in the schools of both sexes, and
spoken by all the ministers in the pulpit. Luther wrote in this dialect,
and all protestant preachers make use of it as a matter of course. Yet
Hermann labours to prove how much softer the dialect of High Germany is
than that of High Saxony. There have lately appeared several small
brochures in the _common language_ of the town--such, of course, as is
ordinarily spoken in the shops and streets: and among others, a comedy
called; _Der Pfingst-Montag_, written (says Hermann) with much spirit; but
the author of this latter work has been obliged to mark the pronunciation,
which renders the perusal of it somewhat puzzling. It is also accompanied
with a glossary. But that you, or your friends, may judge for yourselves, I
send you a specimen of the _patois_, or common language spoken in the
street--in the enclosed ballad: which I purchased the other day, for about
a penny of our money, from an old goody, who was standing upon a stool, and
chanting it aloud to an admiring audience. I send you the first four
stanzas.[228]
Im Namen der allerheiligsten Dreifaltigkeit
das goldene ABC,
Neu verfasst für Jedermann, dass er mit Ehr' bestehen kann.
Alles ist an Gottes Segen,
Was wir immer thun, gelegen,
Arbeit aber bleibt doch unsre Pflicht:
Der Träge hat den segen Gottes nicht.
Behalt' ein weises Maass in allen Stücken;
Das Uebertriebne kann dich nicht beglücken.
Dies Sprichwort trifft in allen Dingen ein:
Das Gute selbst muss eingeschränket seyn.
Christ! sey der Rache nicht ergeben,
Der Zorn verbittert nur das Leben;
Und wer dem Feinde gern verzeiht,
Geniesst schon hier der Seligkeit.
Der wird verachtet von der Welt,
Der das gegebne Wort nicht hält:
Drum gieb dein Wort nich leicht von dir;
Hast du's gethan, so steh' dafür.
_In the name of the most Holy Trinity._
THE GOLDEN A B C.
_Newly set forth to enable every man to stand fast in honour._
_Howe'er employed, we ev'ry nerve should strain
On all our works God's blessings to obtain.
Whilst here on earth to labour we're ordain'd;
The lazy never yet God's blessing gain'd._
_In all things strive a medium to procure;
Redundance never can success insure:
This proverb will in all things be found true,
That good itself, should have its limits due.
Christian! avoid revenge and strife,
For anger tends to embitter life:
And he who readily forgives his foe,
Ev'n here on earth true happiness shall know.
He who the promise he hath given denies,
Will find the world most justly him despise;
Be cautious then how thou a promise make,
But, having made it, ne'er that promise break_.
DANNBACH is the principal Greek printer of this place; his Greek type
(which I cannot too much commend) is precisely that used in the _Bipont
Thucydydes_ and _Plato_. The principal printers, for works in which the
Greek type is not introduced, is LEVRAULT _Pere et Fils_: and I must say
that, if even a fastidious author, a resident Strasbourgeois,--whose
typographical taste had been formed upon the beautifully executed volumes
of Bodoni, Didot, or Bulmer--chose to publish a fine book, he need not send
it to _Paris_ to be printed; for M. Levrault is both a skilful,
intelligent, and very able printer and publisher. I visited him more than
once. He has a considerable commercial establishment. His shop and
warehouses are large and commodious; and Madame Levrault is both active and
knowing in aiding and abetting the concerns of her husband. I should
consider their house to be a rich one. M. Levrault is also a very fair
typographical antiquary. He talked of Fust and Jenson with earnestness, and
with a knowledge of their productions; and told me that he had, up stairs,
a room full of old books, especially of those printed by _Aldus_--and
begged I would walk up and inspect them. You will give me credit for having
done so readily. But it was a "poor affair,"--for the fastidious taste of
an Englishman. There was literally nothing in the way of temptation; and so
I abstained from tempting the possessor by the offer of napoleons or golden
ducats. We had a long and a very gratifying interview; and I think he
shewed me (not for the purpose of sale) a copy of the famous tract of St.
Austin, called _De Arte prædicandi_, printed by _Fust_ or by _Mentelin_; in
which however, as the copy was imperfect, he was not thoroughly conversant.
They are all proud at Strasbourg of their countryman Mentelin, and of
course yet more so of Gutenberg; although this latter was a native of
Mentz. Mr. Levrault concluded his conversation by urging me, in strong
terms, to visit _Colmar_ ere I crossed the Rhine; as that place abounded
with "DES INCUNABLES TYPOGRAPHIQUES." I told him that it was impossible;
that I had a great deal on my hands to accomplish on the other side of the
Rhine; and that my first great stroke, in the way of BOOK-ACQUISITIONS,
must be struck at _Stuttgart_. M. Levrault seemed surprised--"for truly,"
(added he) "there are no _old_ books there, save in the _Public Library_."
I smiled, and wished him a good day.
Upon the whole, my dear friend, I have taken rather an affection for this
place. All classes of people are civil, kind, and communicative: but my
obligations are due, in a more especial manner, to the younger Mr.
Schweighæuser and to Madame Francs. I have passed several pleasant evenings
with the former, and talked much of the literature of our country with him
and his newly married spouse: a lively, lady-like, and intelligent woman.
She is warm in commendation of the _Mary Stuart_ of Schiller; which, in
reply to a question on my part, she considers to be the most impassioned of
that Dramatist's performances. Of English she knows nothing; but her
husband is well read in Thomson, Akenside, and Pope; and of course is
sufficiently well acquainted with our language. A more amiable and zealous
man, in the discharge of his duties as a teacher of youth, the town of
Strasbourg does not possess. His little memoir of Koch has quite won my
heart.[229]
You have heard me mention the name of OHMACHT, a sculptor. He is much
caressed by the gentry of this place. Madame Francs shewed me what I
consider to be his best performance; a profile, in white marble, of her
late daughter, who died in childbed, in her twenty-first year. It is a
sweet and tender production: executed upon the Greek model--and said to be
a strong resemblance of the deceased. Madame Francs shewed it to me, and
expatiated upon it with tears in her eyes: as she well might--for the
_character_ of the deceased was allowed to have been as attractive as her
countenance.[230] I will candidly confess that, in other respects, I am a
very _qualified_ admirer of the talents of Ohmacht. His head of Oberlin is
good; but it is only a profile. I visited his _Studio_, and saw him busy
upon a colossal head of Luther--in a close-grained, but coarse-tinted,
stone. I liked it as little as I have always liked heads of that celebrated
man. I want to see a resemblance of him in which vulgarity shall be lost in
energy of expression. Never was there a countenance which bespoke greater
intrepidity of heart.
I am hastening to the close of this despatch, and to take leave of this
place. Through the interposition of Messrs. Treuttel and Würtz, I have
hired a respectable servant, or laquais, to accompany me to Vienna, and
back again to Manheim. His name is _Rohfritsch_; and he has twice visited
the Austrian capital in the rear of Napoleon's army,--when he was only in
his sixteenth or seventeenth year--as a page or attendant upon one of the
Generals. He talks the French and German languages with equal fluency. I
asked him if we needed fire arms; at which he smiled--as if wondering at my
simplicity or ignorance. In truth, the question was a little precipitate;
for, the other evening, I saw two or three whiskered Bavarian travellers,
starting hence for Munich, in an open, fourgon-shaped travelling carriage,
with two benches across it: on the front bench sat the two gentlemen,
wrapped round with clokes: on the hinder bench, the servant took his
station--not before he had thrown into the carriage two huge bags of
_florins_, as unconcernedly as if they had been bags of _pebbles_. They
were to travel all night--without sabre, pistol, or carbine, for
protection.
I own this gave me a very favourable opinion of the country I was about to
visit; and on recollecting it, had good reason to acquiesce in the
propriety of the smiles of Rohfritsch. Every thing, therefore, is now
settled: gold ducats and silver florins have been obtained from Madame
Francs; and to morrow we start. My next will be from _Stuttgart_--where a
"deed of note" will, I trust, be accomplished. Fare you well.
[224] [This dinner party is somewhat largely detailed in the preceding
edition of this work; but it scarcely merits repetition here; the more
so, since the presiding Hostess is NO MORE!]
[225] _Hermann_; vol. i. p. 154.
[226] _greatly benefited by the Reformation_.]--Among the benefactors
to the cause of public morality, was the late lamented and ever
memorable KOCH. Before the year 1536, it should seem, from Koch's
statement, that even whole streets as well as houses were occupied by
women of a certain description. After this year, there were only two
houses of ill fame left. The women, of the description before alluded
to, used to wear black and white hats, of a sugar-loaf form, over the
veil which covered their faces; and they were confined strictly to
this dress by the magistrates. These women were sometimes represented
in the sculptured figures about the cathedral. Hermann says that there
may yet be seen, over the door of a house in the _Bickergase_ (one of
the streets now called _Rue de la fontaine_, which was formerly
devoted to the residence of women of ill fame) a bas-relief,
representing two figures, with the following German inscription
beneath:
_Diss haus steht in Gottes Hand
Wird zu deu freud'gen kindern gennant._
which he translates thus:
_Cette maison; dans la main de Dieu,
S'appelle aux enfans bien joyeux_.
It should seem, therefore, (continues Hermann) that this was one of
the houses in which a public officer attended, to keep order, prevent
quarrels, and exact municipal rights. The book, in which the receipt
of this tax was entered, existed during the time of the Revolution,
and is thought to be yet in existence. Hermann, vol. i. p. 156.
[227] See p. 401 ante.
[228] For the English metrical version I am indebted to "an old hand at
these matters."
[229] Since the publication of this Tour, I have received several pleasant
and thoroughly friendly letters from the above excellent Individual:
and I could scarcely forgive myself if I omitted this opportunity of
annexing his autograph:--as a worthy companion to those which have
preceded it.
[Autograph: Schweighæuser]
[230] [Madame Francs, whose kind and liberal conduct towards me can never
be forgotten, has now herself become the subject of a monumental
effigy. She DIED (as I learn) in the year 1826.]
END OF VOL. II.
* * * * *
London: Printed by W. Nicol,
Cleveland-row, St. James's.