to Dietrich; who returns triumphant to his own country; where also, Monk Ilsan, according to promise, distributes these fifty-two Garlands among his fellow Friars, crushing a garland on the bare crown of each, till “the red blood ran over their ears.” Under which hard, but not undeserved treatment, they all agreed to pray for remission of Ilsan’s sins: indeed, such as continued refractory he tied together by the beards, and hung pair-wise over poles, whereby the stoutest soon gave in.
So endeth here this ditty
Of strife from woman's pride:
God on our griefs take pity,
And Mary still by us abide.
“In Part Fourth is announced (gemelt) of the little King Laurin, the Dwarf, how he encompassed his Rose-garden with so great manhood and art-magic, till at last he was vanquished by the heroes, and forced to become their Juggler, with etc., etc.”
Of which Fourth and happily last part we shall here say nothing; inasmuch as, execpt that certain of our old heroes again figure there, it has no coherence or connection with the rest of the “Heldenbuch”; and is simply a new tale, which by way of episode Heinrich von Ofterdingen, as we learn from his own words, had subsequently appended thereto. He says:
Heinrich von Ofterdingen
This story hath been singing,
To the joy of Princes bold,
They gave him silver and gold,
Moreover pennies and garments rich:
Here endeth this Book the which
Doth sing our noble Heroes’ story:
God help us all to heavenly glory.
Such is some outline of the famous “Heldenbuch”; on which it is not our business here to add any criticism. The fact that it has so long been popular betokens a certain worth in it; the kind and degree of which is also in some measure apparent. In poetry
