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
And first I must go to visit my Jupiter, that had aforetime appointed
me his Ganymede, to ask how it fared with the property I had left
there: but him I found quite brain-sick again and full of anger against
the human race. "O Mercury," says he, as soon as he saw me, "what news
from Münster? Do men conceive they can make peace without my good will?
Nay, never! they did have peace. Why kept they it not? Was not vice
everywhere triumphant when they provoked me to send them war? And how
have they deserved that I should give them peace again? Have they since
been converted? Are they not become worse, and do they not run into war
as to a festival? Or have they perchance repented them by reason of the
famine that I sent among them, whereof so many thousands died of
hunger? Or hath the grievous pestilence terrified them to better their
ways, whereby so many millions were cut off? Nay, nay, Mercurius, they
that remain, that did see these dreadful sufferings with their own
eyes, have not only not repented, but be grown worse than ever they
were. And if they have not been turned by so many sore plagues, nor
have ceased to live in godless wise in the midst of such trial and
tribulation, what will they do if I should grant them again the
delights of golden peace? Then must I fear lest, as once did the
giants, so they now should try to storm my heaven. But such overweening
I will check in good time and leave them to perish in their war." But I
knowing how one must go about with this god if one would make him hear
reason, "Oh, great god," says I, "all the world doth sigh for peace and
promise great amendment: why wilt thou then continue to refuse them
such?" "Yea," answered Jupiter, "doubtless they sigh: yet not for my
sake but their own: not that each may praise God under his own vine and
fig-tree, but that they may enjoy the fruit thereof in peace and
delight. Of late I asked of a scurvy tailor, should I give him peace?
He gave me answer, 'twas the same to him, that must ply his needle as
well in peace as in war: and the like answer I got from a brazier,
which said if he could get no bells to found in peace time, yet in time
of war he had enough to do with cannon and mortars. So likewise, a
smith replied to me and said, 'Though I have no ploughs and hay-carts
to mend in war-time, yet have I so many war-horses and army waggons to
deal with that I can well afford to do without peace.' Lookye then,
dear Mercurius, why should I grant them peace? True there be some that
do desire it, yet only as I say, for their belly's sake and their
pleasure: contrariwise there be others that will still have war, not
because 'tis my will, but because 'tis for their profit. And just as
the masons and carpenters desire peace, to earn money by the building
again of ruined houses, so others that be not sure of earning a living
by their handicraft in time of peace do hope for the continuing of war,
wherein they can steal."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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