The Adventurous Simplicissimus: being the description of the Life of a Strange vagabond named Melchior Sternfels von FuchshaimGrimmelshausen, Hans Jakob Christoph von
General
The Adventurous Simplicissimus: being the description of the Life of a Strange vagabond named Melchior Sternfels von Fuchshaim
Grimmelshausen, Hans Jakob Christoph von
German fiction -- Translations into English; Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648 -- Fiction
Now as I was living in this fashion, and busied with this, namely, to
have me certain devil-masks made and grisly raiment thereto
appertaining with cloven hoofs, by which means to terrify our foes, and
specially to take their goods from our friends unbeknown (for which the
affair of the bacon-stealing gave me the first hint), I had news that a
fellow was at Wesel, which was a renowned partisan, went clad in green,
and under my name practised divers rapes and robberies here and there
in the land, but chiefly among our supporters, so that well-founded
plaints against me were raised, and I must have paid for it smartly,
had I not clearly shewn that at the very time he played these and other
like tricks in my name I was elsewhere. Now this I would not pardon
him, much less suffer him longer to use my name, to plunder in my shape
and so bring me to shame. So with the knowledge of the commandant at
Soest I sent him an invitation to the open field with swords or
pistols. But as he had no heart to appear, I let it be known I would be
revenged on him, even though it were in the very quarters of the
commandant at Wesel, who had failed to punish him. Yea, I said openly
if I found him on a foray I would treat him as an enemy. And that
determined me to let my masks alone with which I had planned to do
great things, to cut my green livery in pieces, and to burn it publicly
in Soest in front of my quarters, to say nothing of all my clothing and
horse harness, which were worth well over a hundred ducats: yea, and in
my wrath I swore that the next that should call me huntsman must either
kill me or die by my hand, should it cost me my life: nor would I ever
again lead a party (for I was not bound to do so, being no officer)
till I had avenged myself on my counterfeit at Wesel. So I kept myself
to myself and did no more any exploits, save that I did my duty as
sentry wheresoever I might be ordered to go, and that I performed as
any malingerer might, and as sleepily as might well be. And this thing
became known in the neighbourhood, and the advance-parties of the enemy
became so bold and assured at this that they every day would bivouac
close to our pickets: and that at last I could endure no longer. Yet
what plagued me most of all was this: that this huntsman of Wesel went
ever on his old way, giving himself out for me and under that name
getting plunder enough and to spare.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account