The Adventurous Simplicissimus: being the description of the Life of a Strange vagabond named Melchior Sternfels von FuchshaimGrimmelshausen, Hans Jakob Christoph von
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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
But for Herzbruder this was not enough but he further begged the
colonel not to refuse to invite me to his table, which favour he also
obtained: and this he did to the end that he might tell the colonel in
my presence what he only knew of me by hearsay in Westphalia from the
Count von der Wahl and the commandant of Soest, all which actions he so
praised that all must hold me for a good soldier. And I too carried
myself so modestly that the colonel and his people that had known me
before could but believe that with my new clothes I had become a new
man. Moreover, when the colonel would know how I had gotten the name of
doctor, I told them the whole story of my journey from Paris to
Philippsburg and how many peasants I had cheated to fill my belly: at
which they laughed heartily. And in the end I confessed openly it had
been my intention so to vex and weary him, the colonel, with all manner
of tricks, that he must at last turn me out of the garrison, if he
would live at peace from all the complaints that I caused him.
Thereupon he told of many rogueries I had committed while in the
garrison, for example, how I had boiled up beans, poured grease over
them, and sold the whole for pure grease; also sand for salt, filling
the sacks with sand below and salt above; and again, how I had made a
fool of one here and another there, and had made a jest of every man,
so that during the whole meal they spoke only of me. Yet had I not had
such a friend at court these same acts would have been held deserving
of severe punishment. And so I drew my conclusion how 'twould go at
court if a rogue should gain a prince's favour.
Our meal ended, we found the Jew had no horse which would serve
Herzbruder for me: but as he stood in such esteem that the colonel
could hardly afford to lose his good word, therefore he presented us
with one from his own stable, saddle and bridle and all, on which my
lord Simplicissimus was set and with his friend Herzbruder rode
joyfully forth from the fortress. And some of my comrades did cry,
"Good luck, brother, good luck," but others from envy, "The longer the
halter the greater the luck."
_Chap. xi._: DISCOURSES OF THE ORDER OF THE MARAUDER BROTHERS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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