ART. VI.- Bibliothek des Literarischen Vereins in Stutt- THE Stuttgart "Literarischer Verein " is a society, formed a few years ago, for the purpose of publishing ancient German monuments which have never seen the light before, or which, having been once published, have become, in the course of time, exceedingly rare, or have fallen wholly out of the recognized circle of literature. It embraces many of the most distinguished scholars and antiquarians, who have already rendered good service to the cause of letters, by giving to the world a series of very curious and interesting documents, which illustrate the early history, manners, and modes of life of modern Europe. The plan of the society seems to be something like that of the Camden Club in England, or of the Shakspeare Society, but on a more comprehensive scale. They have already published seven volumes, each of which has been edited with great ability and learning, and all are printed in a style of uncommon excellence. The first publication appeared in 1842, and contained the "Strassburgische Chronik" of Fritsche Closener, a curious chronicle of Strasburg, written in the German language early in the fourteenth century. The second publication came out the following year, and contains a "Life of the Knight Georg von Ehingen," from a manuscript of the fifteenth century; Eneas Sylvius, "De Viris Illustribus "; Ott Ruland's Handlungsbuch," a very curious book of accounts, kept by the head of a commercial house in the imperial city of Ulm, about the middle of the fifteenth century, which embodies a great variety of items besides those which make up a modern leger; and the "Codex Hirsaugiensis," a valuable history of the cloister of Hirsau, containing much important information respecting the powerful houses throughout the southwestern part of Germany, in the * Middle Ages. The work is supposed to have been written at the beginning of the thirteenth century, though the manuscript from which it is printed dates as late as the beginning of the sixteenth. The other works already published are, a Latin account of a journey to the Holy Land, Arabia, and Egypt, made in the latter half of the fifteenth century, by Brother Felix Faber; letters of the Princess Elizabeth Charlotte of Orleans to the Raugravine Louise, written between 1676 and 1722, and edited by Wolfgang Menzel; and "Die Weingartner Liederhandschrift," or the Weingarten Manuscript of old German Songs, being the first complete publication of one of the most interesting monuments extant of early German poetry. This manuscript dates at the beginning of the fourteenth century, and is ornamented with colored portraits of the principal poets, drawn in the style of the close of the thirteenth century. These portraits, though stiff and rudely designed, are highly characteristic and expressive. Among them, we find the famous names of Kaiser Heinrich, Heinrich von Morungen, Liutolt von Savene, and Walther von der Vogelweide. They are all faithfully copied in the publication of the society. The seventh and last publication is that of which the title stands at the head of the present article. It contains, besides the travels of the Bohemian nobleman, the "Livländische Reimchronik," a rhymed chronicle of Livonia, of great value, particularly in relation to the early history of the manners and customs of the Livonians. It extends to nearly thirteen thousand verses. The object of the present article, however, is to give some account of the travels, adventures, and perils of the Herr von Rozmital, as they are chronicled in the two documents contained in the first half of the society's last publication. This nobleman was the brother-in-law of the reigning king of Bohemia, George von Podiebrad, who, having been regent, was raised to the throne by popular election in 1458, was excommunicated by the pope in 1469, and closed his troubled life in 1471. The Herr von Rozmital was undoubtedly intrusted by his brother-in-law with commissions of a political nature, as the journey was undertaken when * An extinct title belonging to some noble families on the Rhine. the difficulties of George were at their height, and just before he fell under the ban of the Church. But the political objects of the mission, if such there were, do not distinctly appear in either of the two records now before us. They are both occupied with details of the journey, incidental notices of the manners and customs of the countries through which the travellers passed, pious descriptions of miracles which happened, for the most part, just before the travellers reached the places where they were performed, and accounts of shrines and relics, of which they saw the most astonishing quantities in every country which they visited. The dangers of the journey were neither few nor small. In those days it was worth while to travel. The pilgrim was encompassed by marvels on every side; and he could scarcely pass from one village to another without being compelled to fight for his life. One cannot read the history of Herr von Rozmital and his gallant company without envying them those good old times, when the exceeding difficulty of defending life made life worth the having; when the delights of compassing sea and land had not yet been annihilated by turnpikes, railroads, steamboats, and comfortable inns ; when banditti flourished, and the age of chivalry had not gone; when picturesque tourists, and travelling cockneys, and fastidious dandies such as now throng every thoroughfare in the world still lay in their rudimentary and merely possible state, undeveloped by the force of civilization; when a man, who set out on a journey of a few hundred miles, made his will, commended his soul to God, and, if he returned in safety, sang psalms of thanksgiving, was looked upon as a wonder, remained ever after the oracle of his neighbourhood, and was made at least a burgomaster of his native city. Of the two journals which contain the travels and adventures of the Herr von Rozmital, one is in Latin, written originally in the Bohemian, by one of the company called Schaschek, or Ssassek. This was translated into Latin about a century afterwards, by Stanislaus Pawlowski, canon, and afterwards bishop, at Ölmütz. The Bohemian original is now lost. The second is in German, written by Gabriel Tetzel, a good citizen of Nuremberg, who had been invited to accompany the mission. The manuscript of this journal was discovered in 1837, and belongs to the fifteenth century. About the same time, the editor succeeded in obtaining possession of a copy of Pawlowski's Latin translation of Ssassek, and was thus enabled to publish the two documents together. On comparing them, they are found to agree in every important particular, and to differ chiefly in relating or omitting different incidents of the journey. A few slight inaccuracies in Gabriel Tetzel's story, such as substituting 1468 for 1467, the true date of the conclusion of the mission, show, in the opinion of the editor, that the Nuremberger's reminiscences were not reduced to writing until after his return; and as he was made a burgomaster of Nuremberg in 1469, and died in 1479, there might have been, between the date of the journey and the date of the journal, an interval of nine or ten years. There is another characteristic difference between these two documents, which is worth stating. Whenever they describe a visit to a shrine or an assemblage of relics, the Bohemian gives a minute catalogue of these objects of superstitious veneration with the most solemn and unhesitating simplicity; but Gabriel Tetzel, coming from an important commercial city, and having doubtless had his eyes opened by a more extended intercourse with the world, treats them with comparative indifference. Not that he casts any doubt upon their sacred charnot at all; but he dwells more lovingly on the knightly entertainments, the gold, and jewels, and precious stones, and especially on the "unspeakably rich meals " with which they were feasted from place to place. acter, The journal of Ssassek possesses almost an official authenticity from the circumstance, that in it are preserved all the letters of safe conduct granted to the Baron Rozmital by the monarchs through whose territories he passed. To il lustrate the different styles of these two worthies, we take from each the description of the commencement of the journey. Ssassek thus begins: "In the year of our salvation, MCCCCLXV., the day after the festival of the blessed virgin Saint Catharine, the Lord Leo departed, and remained the first night at Pilsna (Pilsen), and there, with all his companions confessed his sins. The next night we passed at Tepla (Tepel), in the monastery; thence we proceeded to Egra (Eger), and there stopped for the night. From Eger we went to Neustadt, thence to Paierreuth, that town, belonging to the territory of the Marquis of Brandenburg, is situated in Voigtland; from Paierreuth to Gravenberg, from Gravenberg to Noriberga (Nuremberg). At Nuremberg we remained two days, and saw these sacred relics: first, there was shown to us the manger in which the mother of God placed the infant Jesus; then, an arm of Saint Anna, and a tooth of Saint John the Baptist; also, a piece of the wood of the holy cross on which Christ was crucified, and the right-hand nail with which the same was fastened to the cross. Afterwards, there was shown to us the sword of Saint Mauritius, and another sword, that of the Holy Emperor Charles, which is said to have been given to him by God from heaven, that he might use it against his enemies, the heathen; item, his spurs, greaves, and boots. We saw afterwards the chains of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, who suffered for the name of God. Then we beheld the spear with which the blessed side of Christ was pierced. The priests placed our rings upon it, that whoever might be troubled with a pain or stitch in the side might have with him a certain remedy. Besides these, many other relics of the saints were shown to our lord and his companions, which are not noted down in this place. From Nuremberg we went to Hailsbruna (Heilsbronn,) a monastery under the authority of the Marquis In that monastery, the blood of the Lord is not elevated when mass is performed; wherefore I have not discovered. From Heilsbronn we proceeded to Anspach, where the Marquis has a palace; in this place we remained for the space of two days. And there Johannes Zehroviensis (Johann von Kolowrat auf Zehrowitz, one of the train, of whom more hereafter) ran a tilt with Mirossius and both were thrown by each other's stroke from their horses. Frodner also tilted with one of the servants of the Marquis; but both kept on their horses. The wife of the Margrave was a spectator, together with her maids, and illustrious and noble persons, and a multitude of men. The spectacle being over, the Marquis took my lord by the hand, led him with the rest of the company into the castle, and there honorably entertained him with dances, and other sports and spectacles." So far the good Ssassek. Tetzel begins as follows: "The noble and well born lord, the Lord Leo von Rozmital, lord of Platter and Freyenberg, undertook to do a knight's journey, when were numbered after the birth of Christ a thousand four hundred, and in the six [mistake for five] and sixtieth year. Before Saint Catharine's day, he fared forth from Prague with two-and-fifty horses, and with a sumpter-wagon (Kamerwagen). And he took with him of the noblemen, Herr Jan Scrobitz Kollatbratt, a banneret, Herr Buyan von Schwanburck (Burian of Schwanberg), a banneret, Achacy (Achatz) Frodner, |