When for the first time they took the field against the five Cantons,
(Lucern, Schwyz, Uri, Unterwalden, and Zug,) my master was also
summoned, and I carried his armour to Mettmenstetten. When however a
truce was concluded, I remained a while in Zurich with Myconius; and
studied. He and his wife recommended me to marry their housekeeper
Anne, and give up the wandering hither and thither, and then they would
make us their heirs. I allowed myself to be persuaded, and after a few
days we went to Dübendorf, to Myconius's brother-in-law, to church,
and celebrated the wedding with such pomp, that there were people at
table with us who did not know that it was a wedding. Myconius owed my
wife fourteen florins wages, of which he gave her two florins. With
these we went away the first day to Mettmenstetten to the gentleman
whom I had taught Hebrew, by way of Lucern, and Sarnen, to Visp in St.
Gall. At first we visited my sister Christina in Bürgendorf; she had
there a husband and nine children. He had two aunts, who were so old
that they did not know how old they were, and no one else did. With her
we remained until St. Gall's day. I had inherited some household
furniture, which my sister had kept for me; and she lent me her ass,
that I might bring it to Visp. There happened to be an empty house
there with a bed that was not wanted, and we got it lent to us rent
free. It was almost the best house in the village, with nice windows
that had panes. There all went on well at first. I began to prepare my
rope-making trade, and to keep a school. In winter I had about thirty
scholars; in summer scarcely six. Each had to pay a penny every
quarterly fast; besides which, I got many presents. I had many
relations; one brought me eggs, another cheese, or a ball of butter.
Also others, whose children came to me to school, brought the like;
some a quarter of a sheep; those who were at home in the village gave
milk, vegetables, jugs of wine; so that seldom a day passed in which
something was not given to us. At times we have reckoned at night, that
in one day eight or nine different presents had been sent to us. A few
weeks before my arrival, several women in Eisterthal, who were in a
room together, had spoken of me, how magnificent the first Mass would
be that I should celebrate, and how large the offerings which I should
receive. For of the Summermatters alone, the family of my mother, I had
seventy-two cousins, not one of whom was yet married, and who therefore
would have been able to carry their offerings to the altar themselves.
Through my marrying, however, all these splendid hopes were
disappointed. When we began our housekeeping I borrowed fifteen
Swiss bats of my uncle, Anthony Summermatter. With this we began to
trade--bought wine, and sold it again retail; bought apples also,
which, my wife sold again to the boys who would have them; so that we
did very well, and had no want. I had never been so well off. The
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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