Pictures of German Life in the XVth, XVIth, and XVIIth Centuries, Vol. I.Freytag, Gustav
History
Pictures of German Life in the XVth, XVIth, and XVIIth Centuries, Vol. I.
Freytag, Gustav
Germany -- Civilization; Germany -- Social life and customs
It was especially when a woman took part in the literary struggle that
she was destined to suffer, this however rarely happened; the best
known instances are those of Caritas Pirkheimer and Argula von
Grumbach, born at Stauffen; both experienced how bitter it is for women
to take part in the disputes of men. The Roman Catholic Caritas wrote a
letter full of reverence to Emser, and had to go through the trial of
seeing her letter printed by the Lutheran party with contemptuous
marginal notes. The Lutheran Argula, the friend of Spalatin, sent an
admonitory letter to the rector of the university at Ingoldstadt, when
it had compelled Arsatius Seehofer by imprisonment and a threat of the
stake, to recant seventeen heresies, which he had propounded to the
students from the writings of Melancthon. Argula bravely took the
master's part, whom she called a child of eighteen years old, and
offered to go to Ingoldstadt herself to defend the good cause against
the university. She was in consequence of this, maliciously assailed in
verse, against which she valiantly defended herself in counter-rhymes.
The last years of Caritas and her mild brother were embittered by the
rude attacks of the Protestant rabble and their teachers. Argula was
banished from the Bavarian court, and her husband was dismissed in
disgrace from his court appointment.
The Glauburgs were one of the most distinguished patrician families of
Frankfort-on-the-Maine; Hutten had been very intimate with some members
of this family, and had at one time indulged in the charming dream of
establishing himself at Frankfort and marrying one of them. Even the
ardent spirit of Hutten was powerfully attracted by their splendid
opulence and highly refined life. He eagerly disclaimed the suspicion
that he intended to take away his bride to the rocky home of his
family. He wooed the maiden with more consideration than was his wont,
and Arnold of Glauburg was his confidant. But it was a short dream; his
destiny soon tore him away. The following letters from two ladies will
introduce us into this patrician family; they are printed in the
Frankfort archives of J. C. von Fichard, 1811-1815. The first is the
letter of a mother to her son, in which she recommends to him a maiden
for his wife, in order to withdraw him from the revolutionaries of
Wittenberg and the neighbourhood of Luther; a letter which is
characteristic of the position of women in a family, and written by one
possessed of energy and a practical understanding, who was accustomed
to rule, and not without a disposition to intrigue; her son was the
nephew of that Arnold of Glauburg, the son of Johann, to whom Hutten
sent with hearty greeting his dialogue _Febris_.
1526.
_From Margaret Horng_[57] _at Frankfort, to her son John
von Glauburg at Wittenberg_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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