From out of her nose the blood fell fast, The tears from her eyes descended; She cover’d the face of her darling knight With blood and tears closely blended. The knight lay quietly down in the bed, And not one word has he spoken; While Venus went to the kitchen, to make Some soup, that his fast might be broken. She gave him soup, and she gave him bread, She wash’d his wounded feet, too; She comb’d his rough and matted hair, And laugh’d with a laugh full sweet, too. “Tannhauser, dear and noble knight, “Full long hast thou been wandering; “O say in what lands hast thou thy time “So far from hence been squandering?” “Dear Venus, lovely mistress, in truth “In Italy I have been staying; “I’ve had some bus’ness in Rome, and now “Return without further delaying. “Rome stands on the Tiber, just at the spot “Where seven hills are meeting; “In Rome I also beheld the Pope,-- “The Pope he sends thee his greeting. “And Florence I saw, when on my return, “And then through Milan I hasted, “And next through Switzerland scrambled fast, “And not one moment wasted. “And when I travell’d over the Alps, “The snow already was falling; “The blue lakes sweetly on me smiled, “The eagles were circling and calling. “And when on the Mount St. Gothard I stood, “Below me snored Germany loudly; “Beneath the mild sway of thirty-six kings “It slumber’d calmly and proudly. “In Swabia I saw the poetical school “Of dear little simpleton creatures; “They sat together all ranged in a row, “With very diminutive features. “In Dresden I saw a certain dog, “A sprig of the aristocracy; “His teeth he had lost, and bark’d and yell’d “Like one of the vulgar democracy. “At Weimar, the Muses’ widow’d seat, “I heard them their sentiments giving; “They wept and lamented that Goethe was dead, “And Eckermann still ’mongst the living! “At Potsdam I heard a very loud cry,-- “I said in amaze: ‘What’s the matter?’-- “’Tis Gans[11] at Berlin, who last century’s tale “Is reading and making this clatter.’ “At Göttingen knowledge was blossoming still, “But bringing no fruit to perfection; “’Twas dark as pitch when I got there at night, “No light was in any direction. “In the bridewell at Zell Hanoverians alone “Were confined; at our next Reformation “A national bridewell and one common lash “We must have for the whole German nation. “At Hamburg, in that excellent town, “Many terrible rascals dwell still; “And when I wander’d about the Exchange, “I fancied myself in Zell still! “At Hamburg I Altona saw; ’tis a spot “In a charming situation; “And all my adventures that there I met “I’ll tell on another occasion.”[12] 14. ROMANCES. 1. A WOMAN.