Zigzag Journeys in Northern Lands Part 21

[Ill.u.s.tration: "And it told to her the truth."]

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Not very, very plain."]

II.

She made her way to college just as straight as straight could be, And she asked for the Professor of the new philosophie; He met her with a smile And said, "Pray rest awhile, And come into my parlor and take a cup of tea.

We will talk of themes celestial,-- Of the flowery nights in June When blow the gentle zephyrs; Of the circle round the moon; Of the causes of the causes."

These college men are quite and very much polite, And when you call upon them they you straightway in invite.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "They you straightway in invite."]

III.

But the lady she was modest, And she said, "You me confuse; I have come, O man of wisdom, To get a bit of news.

There's a problem of life's problems That often puzzles me: Tell me true, O man of Science, When my wedding-day will be."

IV.

Quick by the hand he seized her, He of the philosophie, And his answer greatly pleased her When they had taken tea: "'Twill be, my fair young lady, When you are _twenty-three_!"

V.

At her window, filled with flowers, Then she waited happy hours, Scanned the byways and the highways To see what she could see.

If the postman brought a letter, It was sure to greatly fret her,-- Fret her so her maid she'd frighten, If a dun it proved to be.

If it came not from a lover, Sadly she her face would cover, Hide her face and say in sorrow, "Truly _he_ will come to-morrow, For he knew, that man of science, And I'm _almost_ twenty-three."

VI.

He deceived her, he deceived her, Oh, that too kind man deceived her,-- He of compa.s.ses and lenses, He of new-found influences, He of the philosophie.

Oh the chatterer, oh the flatterer, Oh the smatterer in science, To whom all things clear should be!

Had he taken the old almanac, That true guide to worldly wisdom, He would have seen that there was something-- Some stray figure, some lost factor, Something added the extractor-- Wrong in his chronologie, In his learned chronologie.

MORAL.

There are few things, one, two, three, In the earth, the air, and sea, That the schoolmen do not know.

When you're going to catch a beau, And a few like occultations, In a few things here below, Men of wisdom do not know; And to them for these few items It is never wise to go.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "HE OF THE PHILOSOPHIE."]

CHAPTER IX.

FIFTH MEETING FOR RHINE STORIES.

SEVEN NIGHTS ON THE RHINE:--WORMS.--LUTHER'S MONUMENT.--THE STORY OF SIEGFRIED AND THE DRAGON.--MAYENCE.--BOAT JOURNEY.--STORIES OF THE CASTLES ON THE MIDDLE RHINE.--THE WONDERFUL STORY OF THE LORELEI.--KERNER.

Mr. Beal continued the narrative of travel at the fifth meeting of the Club for the rehearsal of Rhine stories.

"We pa.s.sed over a road along the right bank of the Rhine towards Worms. We journeyed amid green forests, and past fields which had heaped up harvests for a thousand years. Spires gleamed on the opposite bank, and in the flat landscape Worms came to view, the Rhine flowing calmly by.

"We stopped at Worms to see the cathedral and the Luther Monument. It is a dull town. We recalled that it was here great Caesar stood, and Attila drove his cavalry of devastation over the Rhine. Here lived the hero of German cla.s.sic song,--Siegfried. The cathedral has a monumental history. In 772 war was declared in it against the Saxons.

Here was held the famous Diet of Worms at which Luther appeared, and said,--

"'Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise. G.o.d help me.'

"The cathedral is of the style called Romanesque. It is lofty and gloomy. Worms itself is a shadowy and silent city as compared with the past.

"The Luther Monument is a history of Protestantism in stone and bronze. It is one of the n.o.blest works of art of modern times, and its majesty and unity are a surprise to the traveller. Luther is of course the central figure. He stands with his Bible in his hands, and his face upturned to heaven. Around him are the figures of the great reformers before the Reformation: Wycliffe, of England; Waldo, of France; Huss, of Bohemia; and Savonarola, of Italy. The German princes who befriended and sustained the Reformer occupy conspicuous places, and the immense group presents a most impressive scene, a.s.sociated with lofty character and commanding talent.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A BATTLE BETWEEN FRANKS AND SAXONS.]

"We went to the place where Luther sat beneath a tree, when his companions sought to dissuade him from entering Worms.

"'I would go to Worms,' he said, 'were there as many devils as there are tiles upon the roofs.'

"The high pitched roofs and innumerable tiles on them everywhere met our eyes, and recalled the famous declaration.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LUTHER'S HOUSE.]

"I should here tell you the

STORY OF SIEGFRIED AND THE NIBELUNG HEROES.

The early nations of Europe seem to have come out of the northwest of Asia. The Celts or Gauls came first; other tribes followed them.

These latter tribes called themselves _Deutsch_, or _the people_.

They settled between the Alps and the Baltic Sea. In time they came to be called Ger-men, or war-men. They lived in rude huts and held the lands in common. They were strong and brave and prosperous.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A TRIBE OF GERMANS ON AN EXPEDITION.]

They wors.h.i.+pped the great G.o.d Woden. His day of wors.h.i.+p was the fourth of the week; hence Woden's-day, or Wednesday.

Woden was an all-wise G.o.d. Ravens carried to him the news from earth. His temples were stone altars on desolate heaths, and human sacrifices were offered to him.

Woden had a celestial hall called Valhall, and thither he transported the souls of the brave; hence the name Valhalla.

There were supposed to be water G.o.ds in the rivers and elves throughout the forest. The heavens were peopled with minor G.o.ds, as well as the great G.o.ds, and the spirits of the unseen world could make themselves visible or invisible to men as they chose.

Most great nations have heroes of song sung by the poets, like those of Homer and Virgil. The early German hero was Siegfried, and the song or epic that celebrates his deeds is called the _Nibelungen Lied_. Its story is as follows.

In the Land of Mist there was a lovely river, where dwelt little people who could a.s.sume any form they wished. One of them was accustomed to change himself into an otter when he went to the river to fish. As he was fis.h.i.+ng one day in this form he was caught by Loki, one of the great G.o.ds, who immediately despatched him and took off his skin.

When his brothers Fafner and Reginn saw what had been done, they reproved Loki severely, and demanded of him that he should fill the otter's skin with gold, and give it to them as an atonement for his great misdeed.