



Produced by Thierry Alberto, Henry Craig, Leonard Johnson
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net












TRANSLATIONS FROM THE GERMAN

BY

THOMAS CARLYLE.



UNIFORM WITH HIS COLLECTED WORKS.



IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. III.

MUSAEUS, TIECK, RICHTER.



  LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL (LIMITED),
  11 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN.




TALES

BY

MUSAEUS, TIECK, RICHTER.



TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN

BY

THOMAS CARLYLE.



[1827.]



  LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL (LIMITED),
  11 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN.




CONTENTS


  MUSAEUS:
                                          PAGE
  DUMB LOVE                                  3
  LIBUSSA                                   58
  MELECHSALA                                98


  TIECK:

  THE FAIR-HAIRED ECKBERT                  159
  THE TRUSTY ECKART                        175
  THE RUNENBERG                            200
  THE ELVES                                220
  THE GOBLET                               238


  RICHTER:

  SCHMELZLE'S JOURNEY TO FLAETZ             257
  LIFE OF QUINTUS FIXLEIN                  305




MUSAEUS.




DUMB LOVE.[1]


There was once a wealthy merchant, Melchior of Bremen by name, who used
to stroke his beard with a contemptuous grin, when he heard the Rich Man
in the Gospel preached of, whom, in comparison, he reckoned little
better than a petty shopkeeper. Melchior had money in such plenty, that
he floored his dining-room all over with a coat of solid dollars. In
those frugal times, as in our own, a certain luxury prevailed among the
rich; only then it had a more substantial shape than now. But though
this pomp of Melchior's was sharply censured by his fellow-citizens and
consorts, it was, in truth, directed more to trading speculation than to
mere vain-glory. The cunning Bremer easily observed, that those who
grudged and blamed this seeming vanity, would but diffuse the reputation
of his wealth, and so increase his credit. He gained his purpose to the
full; the sleeping capital of old dollars, so judiciously set up to
public inspection in the parlour, brought interest a hundredfold, by the
silent surety which it offered for his bargains in every market; yet, at
last, it became a rock on which the welfare of his family made
shipwreck.

     [1] Prefatory Introduction to Musaeus, _supra_, at p. 316, Vol. VI.
     of _Works_ (Vol. I. of _Miscellanies_).

Melchior of Bremen died of a surfeit at a city-feast, without having
time to set his house in order; and left all his goods and chattels to
an only son, in the bloom of life, and just arrived at the years when
the laws allowed him to take possession of his inheritance. Franz
Melcherson was a brilliant youth, endued by nature with the best
capacities. His exterior was gracefully formed, yet firm and sinewy
withal; his temper was cheery and jovial, as if hung-beef and old French
wine had joined to influence his formation. On his cheeks bloomed
health; and from his brown eyes looked mirthfulness and love of joy. He
was like a marrowy plant, which needs but water and the poorest ground
to make it grow to strength; but which, in too fat a soil, will shoot
into luxuriant overgrowth, without fruit or usefulness. The father's
heritage, as often happens, proved the ruin of the son. Scarce had he
felt the joy of being sole possessor and disposer of a large fortune,
when he set about endeavouring to get rid of it as of a galling burden;
began to play the Rich Man in the Gospel to the very letter; went
clothed in fine apparel, and fared sumptuously every day. No feast at
the bishop's court could be compared for pomp and superfluity with his;
and never while the town of Bremen shall endure, will such another
public dinner be consumed, as it yearly got from him; for to every
burgher of the place he gave a Krusel-soup and a jug of Spanish wine.
For this, all people cried: Long life to him! and Franz became the hero
of the day.

In this unceasing whirl of joviality, no thought was cast upon the
Balancing of Entries, which, in those days, was the merchant's
vade-mecum, though in our times it is going out of fashion, and for want
of it the tongue of the commercial beam too frequently declines with a
magnetic virtue from the vertical position. Some years passed on without
the joyful Franz's noticing a diminution in his incomes; for at his
father's death every chest and coffer had been full. The voracious host
of table-friends, the airy company of jesters, gamesters, parasites, and
all who had their living by the prodigal son, took special care to keep
reflection at a distance from him; they hurried him from one enjoyment
to another; kept him constantly in play, lest in some sober moment
Reason might awake, and snatch him from their plundering claws.

But at last their well of happiness went suddenly dry; old Melchior's
casks of gold were now run off even to the lees. One day, Franz ordered
payment of a large account; his cash-keeper was not in a state to
execute the precept, and returned it with a protest. This
counter-