, 1876-09-09
THE TOWN OF HANS SACHS,

n correspondent OF tlio London 7thyrapl
writcs from Nuremberg "a follows: But
amid crowd OF claims upon hts Intention, tla
musical vlaltor Is not likely to forget that MI
re.nbcrg is the city OF Hans Sachs-the hoinc,
II not the birthplace, Of the Mastcr-sngrrs.
How TINT remarkable guild Rrosu from luz
rans ot the Mlnncgcsang practfccl by tho nulla
and collrtsy poets Of mi earlier time no nun
kuows. But traditions describe its origin, ID
great mcnsuFc, to thu popular, az distinct FROM
patrician, genius of the twelve Muster-suger,
sail to havo arisen In tho thirteenth
ccntury-one being g1ass-blowcr, a1lothe,
8 smith, another fisherman, ana arothe,
d rupe-lnakcr. Whntcvcr the fncts Of earlier
times, 1t IS certain that tho guild wa,
Incorporated by the Emperor Charles w., IN
1887, and that from the parent school at MAY.
cllca branches spread all over Germany. OF
thcso the last to perish hnd Its acat IN Nurcm.
berg, where the influence Ut Saclss' fame and
works made good Fight against time ami
Change. Nuremberg ia thus. III Que restleet,
closely assocntca with the Master-stleers, nnI
the church Il, which they met as late the year
mo ,nay claim 10 layo ken thclr special
man art, tnuctl ca.lnot be said. Like most
guilds Of the kind, they elevated tho form above
tho spirit, loaded the practice Ok tlotr craft With
cumbersome MID soilseless rules, attl 80 de-
sufliccd to Mcct tho requirements Of member
ship. One cat.not resist amtlo at tie spec.
taelc presented by thu Nuremberg church
with tl,c Mastc,-singcrs in council. 4
for the functlonary who lnarEc1 tle faults VI
thu candidates, OH tho bcuchca surrounding II
Eat tho Masters aolcmnly critical, aud IN place
apart stood tho aaprant whose observance ol
spirit, gave OCCASION for Judgment. GENERALLY,
indeed, the measure aud melody llad to be ap-
proved before the Hpoet WINS allowed to wre
il line, 81 complete WIS tho bondage imposed by
ut Nuremberg, whoever exceeded tint number
falling to pass the ordeal, oil others winning
Masters scat. In the !" "Frelssngcn,n Which must
haye been by fur the more interesting cxerclset
M yea Sssa exsa pon y S9 Rfse ss and hs"
god mural lnnxitns." That tic institution KEPT
ali7e a ccrta!n spirit Of culture by such practice
the masscs-nho lad their own song, from
which German poetry, "a We know It, arosc-
could never hnTe been great. Hans eaChs it Il
true, was power; not, however,, because he
held Ugh rank as,ong tile Aiaster.slngcrs. Thu
racy, 9o,nc!!y uttcranecs Of the cobblcr poet
reached tho hearts Ut the people by tho shorter
route, md would have done 80 in my case, for
10 was all artist born, with a mission whlcl, he
discharged with tho Instinct uf genius first,
rule and order. Thanks to this, Huns Sacls
makes tho most considerable Ggure a1nopg TIL
at,stcr-eingcrs, aledaing upon lis guild glury
Of which Il had mono too much. III return, Nj.
rcnberg Is proud OF Hans Sachs-not, however,
to thu extent Of purchasing h's 1Io,st
and consccrating It to lila memory.
A vine merchant 1Eres on tho slol
wlero the puet hammered his leather and
composed bis songs; but the street Is named
aiter him, which IL something, mud tho lluusc.
front b. bears aloft \ portrait Of the stanch Old
hero. Thlthcr 20 visitors from every land, solna
mayhap, ~ myself, aftcrwarsl following thu
fHutS ~, By which thy bor9 his body along =.
vary, and so to tho Golgotha, whese It nov
rcsis. Sachs Hes among a crowd OF this DID
patrlcian burghcrss, wlioeo massive monument!
aru cuvcrcd with ilcsulilic Insignia and pun,poEa
epttnphs, executed In iro'l-work such ~ nitgh.
have conto from, the foundry Of Visc!er. But
the poets grave IL not marked I1o had no cont
Of arms, aud was entitled to quarter nothing
that q hcralds college, would rceoSnizu Tla
visitor, nevertheless, turns l.is back upon tia
Nuremberg nobility With all their post-,nortrln
grandeur, md Inns eyes only for the grave o'
the poor cothlcr. 10 In tho l0ng run Is wislum
Justified OF her Children.