dead letter, or to a messenger-the former may never reach its destination or not be read, the latter may prove faithless or lukewarm: mark the issue, Charles Gebhardt will save his Order."

"And poor old Molay will lose the Templars! Again I understand you, reverend brother," said the grand master, with difficulty keeping down his rising ire. "It were a wise, political measure, if the grand master of the Templars ran to Avignon, there to urge his cause before the Pope, like a criminal before his judge."

"I mean not that precisely," replied Peter of Boulogne, meekly. "There are many-very many in our Order who could be well employed on such a mission;-it were, indeed, more suitable in every way to one of our clerical than to one of our military dignitaries. You might choose from among us one shrewd and cautious, versed in argument, capable of refuting hostile insinuations, of satisfying doubts, placing interests and circumstances in their true light, so experienced as to read the heart and thoughts through the manifold disguises of looks and of words whose prudence

"In short, Peter of Boulogne," interposed the dauphin, with a sarcastic smile; and turning to the grand master, we have but one such man in our whole Order, and he stands before us."

"If I thought an ambassador on such a mission at all needful," said Molay, bluntly, "I might listen to your proposal, good brother-nor could I repose my trust in better hands than yours; but, in my humble opinion, my letter to the Pope, in which I gave my reasons for refusing all amalgamation with the other Orders, was, and still is, all-sufficient therefore shall I request your services on other, and to us more urgent matters. We have now," continued the grand master, bent on carrying through the lesser matter that agitated his mind, "to think of passing judgment on these miserable men. With regard to your advice about Cyprus, we will think and talk of it at our leisure; but rest assured we will give the affair due consideration. Your zeal for the Temple we have never had occasion to doubt, and therefore are we disposed to consider your opinions in the most favourable light, even when they differ from our own, though sometimes, peradventure, we may think it advisable to consult our own poor judgment, especially in cases where conscience prompts us."

Peter of Boulogne crossed himself several times; but whether he was imploring patience to bear with his superior's obstinacy and blindness, or entreating Heaven to avert their consequences, his command of feature made it difficult to determine.

Accompanied by Guy d'Auvergne, he now withdrew to reflect upon the calamities he so clearly foresaw, but had so often in vain striven to avert. Jaques Molay continued firm in his resolve. That same night a limited Chapter was convened; and Noffodei and Esquin de Flexian were condemned to perpetual imprisonment, the offences of the latter being found not many shades lighter than those of the Italian, who, it was discovered, had found means to enter the tower, where he had embezzled money to a considerable extent.

CURIOSITIES OF GERMAN HISTORY.

I.

THE battle of Mühlberg had been fought, and a great part of the imperial army lay in and around Halle. While the German infantry was quartered in the city, the Spanish and German cavalry lay without it along the banks of the Saal. Several disturbances had taken place between the two nations, generally originating from horse-stealing. The Spaniards possessed very beautiful horses, and many a German did his best to gain possession of these splendid animals. A German nobleman, for instance, had commissioned his servant to steal a famous Spanish stallion, and then sent it away to a distant town. After the expiration of some weeks the horse was brought back to the camp, and his new master hoped that the loss would be forgotten, and the animal not be recognised in the number. It was not so, however. One evening the horse was led to the river, and recognised there by the former groom. A loud dispute immediately arose between the two servants, which soon led to the exchange of blows. Spaniards and Germans flocked in from all sides and took the part of their countrymen. The larger the mob grew, the greater the tumult became, and they soon began to use their weapons. The Spaniards held the higher ground, and fired with such fury, that several German commanders were wounded in their tents. As soon as the emperor (Charles V.) was informed of the disturbance, he sent a Spanish noble of his suite to the place of contest to restore peace; but he had scarce made his appearance, before the Germans saluted him from afar with the cry, "Shoot the Spanish villain." In fact, several guns were pointed in the direction he was coming, and as he crossed the bridge a bullet struck his horse, and it leaped with its rider over the parapet, and both were irretrievably lost. The Archduke Maximilian then galloped up, but he was scarcely better treated than his predecessor: the Germans attacked him, and the emperor's son was forced to carry his arm for several weeks in a sling. The Emperor Charles then decided on undertaking the office of intermediator, and he at length succeeded, though with much difficulty, in calming the temper of the soldiers. Without inquiring carefully into the cause of the dispute, he somewhat hastily acquitted the Germans of all blame, and promised them that he would hang the Spaniards on the following day. As soon as matters had been so far arranged, the towngates, which Charles had wisely ordered to be closed, were again opened. This occurred on the 12th of June, 1547. The next morning the emperor inquired after the loss on both sides, and it was seen that the Germans had lost eighteen men and seventeen horses, but seventy Spaniards had been killed. Charles, who had, in the mean while, learned that a German had been the cause of the first outbreak, could not possibly keep his promise: he therefore sent a message to the German cavalry, telling them that he would have the Spaniards hanged if they desired it, but as they had suffered a loss fourfold greater than theirs, he considered them sufficiently punished, and hoped that the Germans would also feel satisfied with it. They agreed to this proposition; and if horses were afterwards

VOL. XXIV.

2 I

stolen from the Spaniards, it was done with more caution, for we are not informed of any further excesses.

This little episode was either forgotten or passed over by the historians of this period as unimportant: only one eye-witness has retained it for posterity by giving it a place in his memoirs.

cure.

II.

In spite of being fifty-four years of age, the Dowager Princess of East Friesland was much handsomer than ladies are wont to be at that period of life. She was well aware of it, and neglected none of the innocent arts of the toilette to preserve her charms. In her wardrobe she had more than two hundred dresses, and it afforded her the greatest pleasure to continually change her attire. Her wardrobe always accompanied her wherever she went. During a visit she was paying to the Duke of Celle, at his chateau of Bruckhausen, in 1692, a violent pain in the heart suddenly attacked her, which the physicians declared was mortal. On her inquiry, they informed her of the impossibility of effecting a She prepared for death like a Christian; but as soon as the clergyman had quitted her room, she ordered all her lady's-maids round the bed, and arranged her toilette with the greatest accuracy. She was dressed in her best linen, and a white dress shot with black; had her hair arranged, and her handsomest head-dress put on. All was most carefully selected, down to the white gloves. She then uttered her last wishes, among which she expressly ordered that no surgeon should lay his hand upon her. She had her coffin lined with white satin, and placed in her room. Her greatest apprehension was lest the jolting of the coach, in which her remains would be borne home, might disarrange her position and dress; and only a few moments before she felt the approach of death, through the coldness of her extremities, she most earnestly entreated her attendants to take care that she was properly laid in her coffin, and securely fastened down, that nothing might be disturbed. Could any one be more consequent in vanity, in the presence of death?

..III.

ANDREAS EBERHARD RAUBER, councillor and son-in-law of the Emperor Maximilian II., had a beard which reached to his feet. His corporal strength was notorious, and the Archduke Charles once wished that he should measure his strength with a converted Jew, who, in the confidence of his power, was wont to boast largely. The trial was to be a very simple one, and consisted in standing a buffet from the other. (On drawing lots, the Jew gained the first chance, and when Rauber was prepared to receive his opponent's blow, he had such a tremendous one that he was hurled to the ground, and was forced to keep his bed for a week. He had scarce recovered, when he appointed the time for repayment. They stood opposite one another again. Suddenly, and before his opponent could prevent it, Rauber caught hold of him by the beard, twisted it twice round his left hand, and struck him so tremendously with the right, that he held not merely the beard, but the lower jaw as well, in his hand. The Jew died soon after from the effects of this strange duello.

IV.

In the year 1451, two thieves went from the Bavarian town of Landshuth to the Suabian town Dinkelsbühl, and stole all they could lay hands on. The people of Dinkelsbühl seized them, however, and made no long inquiries as to where they came from, but hanged them without further ceremony on the town gallows, although many of the elders of Dinkelsbühl expressed their opinion, "that the gallows were built for themselves, and it was a disgrace to them that foreigners' should be hanged upon them." This attack on the prerogative of the Duke of Landshuth annoyed him terribly. He said, "I hang my own Bavarians," and marched with a troop of soldiers to Dinkelsbühl, i.e. to the gallows of that town. The hanged men were then taken down, bound across a horse, and the duke returned triumphantly with them to Landshuth. Here they were cast into prison, condemned to be broken on the wheel, as if still alive, and, finally, hanged a second time. Thus did the Duke of Landshuth maintain his privileges.

V.

AT the commencement of the fifteenth century, a carpenter was working at a tall gallows, which the magistracy had ordered to be erected. Twenty years later the carpenter was hanging upon it, but not in the dress of a carpenter, but in a black velvet cloak adorned with ermine and precious stones, over it the massive chain of a reigning lord, and on his head a heavy velvet cap, adorned with ermine and pearls. Round the gallows were three hundred silver cups, and fifty golden vessels of every description. All the guilds and corporations had assembled in solemn procession, with flags and music. The former carpenter on the gallows was Ulrich Schwarz, the powerful Burgomaster of Augsburg, who had just been hanged for his barbarity with the same solemnity as he had been invested with his office. The gold and silver vessels had been found in his house, and he had obtained them from the citizens by menaces. more solemn execution never took place in the German empire.

VI.

Α

It was formerly the custom in some German towns for the butchers to carry about an immense sausage on New Year's-day, and make merry over it. The butchers of Königsberg made one, in 1583, which was 596 yards long, weighed 494 pounds, contained, beside other ingredients, 36 hams, and was borne by 91 journeymen butchers on wooden forks. After an interval of eighteen years, the butchers of Königsberg made a much larger sausage, which was 1005 yards long, and for which they employed 81 smoked hams, and 181 pounds of pepper, and it weighed nearly 900 pounds. They carried it round the town on New Year's-day, 1601, with great solemnity, and accompanied by bands of music, and then ate it in company with the bakers, who had made out of twelve bushels of ryeflour eight great loaves, each five yards long, and baked six huge cakes, which they carried in procession through the town on the 6th January, and which the butchers afterwards helped them to devour.

VII.

THE Republic of Venice had sent an embassy to the Emperor Maximilian I., and presented him with a splendid glass drinking-cup. The

ambassadors were invited to the imperial table. Kunz von der Rosen, the emperor's jester, danced round the room, till his spur caught in the cloth of the table on which the present was exposed, and pulled it down, so that the vessel was broken to pieces. The Venetians fancied it was done to insult them, and were very angry with Kunz. The emperor, however, took him under his protection, and wittily remarked: "Dear gentlemen, it was only glass; had the goblet been made of gold or silver it would still be whole, or the fragments would, at least, be of some value." VIII.

among

Ar the beginning of the sixteenth century, it was the fashion the princes and nobles to have their genealogies drawn up, in which they were proved to have descended from the Trojan heroes, or even from Noah. The Emperor Max ordered the historian John Stabius, poet-laureat and mathematician, to draw up a genealogy of the Austrian ruling family at Vienna in 1510, and the learned man traced it back to Noah's ark. When Stabius handed the emperor the genealogy, and informed him of the result of his investigation, Kunz von der Rosen was also present: he put his hand in his pocket, drew out a florin, and handed it to Stabius, while thanking him for the information that he was the emperor's cousin, through his descent from Noah.

IX.

WIGAND VON THEBEN, called the Priest of Kahlenberg, attracted the attention of Otho the Merry in a curious fashion. When he was a student, he lived in the house of a respected citizen of Vienna. While walking with him across the fish-market, they saw a fish of an extraordinary size, which no one was inclined to buy. The student, however, procured the money to purchase it, and also borrowed some state clothes, in order to present it to the duke. The porter, however, would not admit him into the palace until he promised him the half of what the duke gave him. The student agreed: laid the fish before the duke, and begged to be rewarded with a hundred blows. When he had received half, he mentioned that the rest were due to the gatekeeper, who most assuredly met with his reward. The duke felt great attachment to the young rogue, asked him who he was, and what he wished to obtain by his clever scheme. The student mentioned his name, and expressed a wish to become a priest, and receive a good living. After a very ludicrous examination, the young student was appointed to the vacant rectory of Kahlenberg, near Vienna, where he preached with great success, though never forgetting his own advantage. On one occasion he had purchased a quantity of wine, and finding it too bad for his own drinking, he announced that he intended to fly from the steeple of his church across the Danube. A number of peasants collected to witness the miracle. The priest kept them waiting a long while. The day was very hot, the peasants wanted something to drink, and the rector's sour wine went off at a famous price. When it was all consumed, the priest appeared, and asked the people whether they had ever seen a man fly? As an universal "No!" was answered, he continued, "Well, then, you shall not see me; it is a sinful thing to desire such an extraordinary novelty. Go home— I give you my blessing!" The peasants went away, some laughing, some cursing; but the priest was enabled to buy better wine.