Page:The German Novelists (Volume 2).djvu/380

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
370
Popular Traditions.

well satisfied with his journeyman, who, if he devoured a good deal of food, also went through as much labour; and he troubled his head very little with inquiring into his descent and country, leaving all such conjectures to the solution of the learned.

“In this proceeding, however, he could not be justified, as no Christian master and householder ought to engage any servants, whose faith, good character, and conduct are not sufficiently known to him, since he must remain accountable both to God and man for the demeanour of such domestics, or other hired persons.”

Here the old man sighed deeply, and leaned down his head, white with age, upon his hand. Margery stopped and looked at him with surprize. He then recovered himself, and forcing a smile observed, “Well, my love, read on; I want nothing. I was only thinking how much better it had been, if—but go on, Margery, my dear.” And Margery thus proceeded:

“About the same period there happened to pass that way, a famous necromancer, who applied to the said gondolier for three able-bodied boatmen, in order to make a long and quick passage by night. The gondolier thought he was rendering him a great service by letting him have his dumb rower for one of the hands, which he calculated at the rate of five others. This he seemed to shew by the speed with which his