Saltzburg." We had driven eight miles that day. I came into a village;
when I got up in the morning there was a hoar frost, as if it had
snowed, and I had no shoes, only torn socks; no cap, and a jacket
without folds. I therefore went to Passau, and wished there to get a
passage, and sail on the Danube to Vienna. In Passau they would not let
me in. Then I determined to go to Switzerland, and asked the gatekeeper
which was the nearest road to Switzerland. "By Munich," said he. "To
Munich!" I answered, "I will not go. I would rather go out of my way
ten miles to avoid it." He then directed me to Freissing, where there
was a high-school or university. There I found Swiss. But before many
days had elapsed Paul arrived with an halberd. The fags said to me,
"The Bacchant from Munich is here, and is looking for you." Then I ran
out at the gate as if he had been behind me, and went to Ulm, where I
came to my saddler's widow, who had formerly warmed my feet by wrapping
them in fur. After several weeks, one came to me who had been a
companion of Paul's, and said to me, "Your relation Paul is here, and
looking for you." So he had come eighteen miles after me; for in me he
had lost a good benefice, because I had supported him several years.
When however I heard this, although it was nearly night, I ran out at
the gate, on the road to Constance; but lamented in my soul, for it was
very grievous to me on account of the dear woman who had taken care of
me like a mother. So I crossed the lake to Constance, and went over the
bridge, and saw some little Swiss peasants in white jackets. Oh how
glad I was! I imagined I was in the kingdom of heaven. From thence I
came to Zurich, where I found some fellow-countrymen, natives of St.
Gall, great Bacchants; to them I offered my services, if in return they
would instruct me; but that they did as little as the others. After
several months Paul sent his fag Hildebrand from Munich, to tell me
that if I would return he would pardon me; but I would not, but stayed
in Zurich, though indeed without studying. There was one Anthony Benetz
there, out of Visp in St. Gall, who persuaded me to accompany him on a
tour to Strasburg. When we arrived, there were a great many poor
scholars there, and, as was said, not even one good school; we
therefore went to Schlestadt. A gentleman met us, and asked, "Where are
you going?" When he heard that we wished to go to Schlestadt he
dissuaded us from it, by saying that there were many poor scholars
there, and no rich people. Whereupon my comrade began to cry bitterly,
because he did not know any other place to go to. I comforted him, and
said, "Be of good courage! If there is one in Schlestadt who makes
shift to live alone, I will manage to support us both." Whilst in a
village outside of Schlestadt, where we got lodging in a mill, I got
such a pain that I thought I must choke, and scarcely could get breath;
for I had eaten a great many green nuts, which fall off about that
season.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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