The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-03-23
Bishop Hatto.


and bring away with them "reminiscences
of tottering castles and desecrated con-
vents-whether they take interest or not
in the legends inseparably attached to
these ruins-none, probably, have failed
to learn and remember the famous story
of Gods judgmenton the wicked Bishop
Hatto, in the quaint Mausethurm,
erected on little rock in midstream.
At the close of the tenth century lived
Hatto. once abbot of Fulda, where he
ruled the monks with great prudence for
twelve years, and afterward Bishop of
Mayence.
In the year $40, Germany suffered from
famine.
The summer and autumn had been so wet,
That in winter the corn was growing yet, --s--
Twas piteous sight to soc all around
The corn lie rotting on the ground
Every day the starving poor
Crowded around Bishop Hatto's door
For he had plentiful last years store;
And all the neighborhood could tell
His granaries were furnished we'll"
Wearied by the cries of the famishing
people, the bishop appointed day
whereon he undertook to quiet them.
He bade all who were without bread and
the means to purchase it at its then high
rate, repair to his great barn. From all
quarters, far and near, the poor, hungry
folks focked into Kaub and were ad-
mitted into the barn, till it was as full
of people as it could be made to con-
tain.
"Then, when he saw it could hold no more,
Bishop Hatto made fast the door,
And while for mercy on Christ they call,
He set fire to the barn and burnt them all.
!" Pfaith, tits an excellent bonfrep quoth he,
And the country is greatly obliged 10 me
For Kidding it, in these times f0rlorn,
OF rats that only consume the corn.'
a So then, to his palace returned he
And he sat down to supper merfily,
And he slept that night like an innocent man
But Bishop Hatto never slept again.
I" In the morning. as he enter'd the hall
Where his picture hung against the wall,
A sweat, like death, all oyer him came,
For the rats had eaten it out of the frame"
Then there came man to him from
his barn, with countenance pale with
fear, to tell him that the rats had de-
voured all the corn in his granaries And
presently there came another servant to
inform him that a legion of rats was on
its way to his palace. The bishop looked
from his window, and saw the road and
fields dark with the moving multitude;
neither hedge nor wall impeded their
progress, as they made straight for his
mansion. Then, full of terror, the pre-.
late fled by his postern and, taking
a boat, was rowed out to his tower in the
river,
and harr,d
ALI the gates secure and hard.
q He laid him down and closed his eyes,
But soon scream made him arise
| He started, and saw two eyes of fame
| On his pillow, from whence the screaming came.
| He listen'd and look'd-it was only the cat
| But the bishop he grew more fearful for that,
J For she sat screaming, mad with fear,
AT the army of rats that were drawing near.
"For they have swum over the river so deep,
And they have elimb'd the shores so steep,
] And now by thousands up they crawl
To the holes and windows in the wall.
"Down on his knees the bishop fell,
| And faster and faster his beads did tell,
| As louder and louder, drawing near,
The saw OF their teeth without he could hear.
"And in at the windows. and in at the door,
And through the walls by thousands they pour,
And down from the ceiling, and up through tn
floor,
From the right and the left, from behind and be
fore,
From within and without, from above and below
And allat once to the bishop they go.
They have whetted their teeth against til
stones,
And now they pick the bishops bones;
They gnaw'd the flesh from every limb,
For they were sent to do judgment on him."
It's satisfactory to know that popula
fiction has maligned poor Bishop Hattt
who was not, by any means, hare
hearted and wicked prelate. Wolfn
who tells the story, says: "This is II
garded by many as fable; yet th
: tower, taking its name from the mic
exists to this day on the river Rhine.
But this is no evidence, as there is docl
mentary proof that the tower was erecte
as station for collecting tolls on IL
vessels which passed up and down IL
u | ~