New-York tribune., 1880-04-11

delivered Eppelein's letter. The. knight of
Gailngen stipulated for the jews life, but
better Christian than the Nurnbergers were,
for he had spared the life of a man who had
sold his life for price. The letter ended,
You shall soon hear more from Eppeeln;"
The Rath was sOrely perplexed at this threat,
but they spared the life Of Elias, and the Jew
escaped safely to his own people, in Poland,
Hungary or Bohemia. And so Elias yanishes
from this history, and the fame of Eppelein Won
! Gailingen, and of his wonderful horse, Waxed
even greater in the land:
Love came to Eppelein, as 1t does to all men.
| He loved KuDigunde Won WuImstein, the sister
of bis friend "The Wolf" Kunigunde was OF
but at first she refused Eppelein, saying that
| his way of life was too dangerous, that she
should always be anxious, and might be left an
nntlmcly widow. All is fair in love, and Eppe-
| len planned, without changing his way OF life,
to convince her OF his reformation by extractng
a mar1iage-gift from Nurnberg. He wi0.e his
request to the Free City, but the reply was that
Nulnberg would not give him Spatz-a spar
him sparrow he would take their singing
birds. He rode disguised into Nurnberg, en-
| tered the Treasury put their portable gold cups
and the like INTO a sack, which he. shook aud
| ratified TO "make the birds sing" ana rode
safely off. When Kunigunde received her wed,
| ding present. she told Eppeein that if he had
yielded to her request she would never have ac-
| ceptod him, that she loved his fame, ana ad.
|
said the lady, "your friends are my friends,
and your foes are my foes" So they twain
married. in great splcndor, ut Dranlaus They
were well suited to each other, and lived very
happily. Kunigunde died in few years, leav-
ing one son, Johannes, who promised to become
a second Eppeein but was killed III fight when
quite young falling with his face to the foe,
ard with all his wounds in front.
1t happened, in 1343, that Nurnberg was
visited with the "BIack Death" and with
terrible dearth and famine. The people were
| dying miserably of sickness and starvation, SO
that 1t was piteOus to see and hear OF. Now
| there was q certain Insurer who had DOught great
stores of corn, which he held back that he
might sell his stock at an enormous profit when
the poor people should be driven by hunger to
| pay any price Had Eppelein known anything
| of political economy he would have recognized
that such dealing was a natural and beautiful
| transaction but he was ignorant of the dismal
science" aud what he did was this. First he
| himself warned the usIlIer, who denied having
| any corn, but when, few days later, the uSurer
thought it safe to drive his corn to Nurnberg to
market, Eppelein's riders seized the cargo ana
gave it away to the Door, starving people, who,
indeed loved Eppa- Gala well ! better than
| they loved BIrggraf, or Burgermeister, or Rath.
He nterfered once to make the course OF true
love run smooth An old man, one Muifel, who
was very rich, had got the consent OF the pa
rents Of pretty girl, and the marriage WAS be-
inc forced ON. Now tlis girl loved, and was
loved by, nice young fellow, ard Eppelein
interfcred to help the lovers. He so frightened
old Mulfel that the hunks gave mp the glrl and
the young lovers were happily married.
When the troubles III Nurnberg were at their
height, the poor people, maddened by misery
and wasting with sickness. got hold OF the idea
| that The Jews had poisoned The wells, and then
| began II cIuel persecution OF the UNHAPPY
lsraelites. Eppeleln, grieve TO say. lntlamed
| popular passions against his old enemies the
| Jews, and he is partly to be blamed for the Ill
| treatment to which they were subjected One
day, riding near the city, Eppeelein saw an un-
happy jew, one Jacklcin, followed by some %
cIlizcus vino wished to Ill-usc or perhaps kill
the Hebrew. Moved by some impulse OF pity,
! Eppelein interfeIel. "NOw that | have saved
you what will you dor asked Eppelen, and
Jacllein begged franucally to he allowed to
| enter into the knights service, and TO live and
die there. Something in tho mans manner
| touchel Eppelein, who trusted in the jew and
granted his request. Jnckle'n WAS found astute
and active; he was always eager ana otter
| whenever anything was to be done to lnJure Or
insult Nurnbcrg.
On the occasion Of the Burgglaf's marriage,
| Karl ". honorch the nuptials with his presence,
ard there were great feastinRs, and mummings
| and maskings, and Eppelein, you may be sure
| in good disguise, was one of tho gayest there.
| lie rode in the cavalcade, and rode so well,
wiichIng the world with noble h0rsemanship,"
that people cried: "Why, that cavalier rides
like Eppeenin Aud the bride sad to him:
should ike to Rs;s Zee ,t tGSt 9TSye S EPpc
sec ,' him and yet not know that 1t is Eppelcn
Remember what have said to you!'
The bride dropped her glove, ana Eppelen,
returning it to her with knightly grace, asked
| her to ask the Emperor 10 grant him two iayOTs.
| She consented, and she asked the Emperor to
do what the courteous stranger deninndcd ana
| Karl readily promised TO do as the bride wished
| Thcreupon Eppelein and the Emperor talked
| long together, and Karl was charmed with Ep-
peeins bright, bold wit. Then Eppelein pre-
| fcred his first request; it was that Karl would
| give II gold gudcn to Hans Won Lobensteln:
! The Emperor laughed loud and lORg. Thou
art n nobeman, though it may he poor one,
said Karl. "The gold guldcn shall be paid;
bur vet have mind to lay thee IN the tower
for thine nudacious talk and bold request"
But the Emperor could not 90 lhls, Dcrause
safety SO Eppelein bowed and vaIisimd and
shortly after the Chamberlain handed to tho
Kaiser letter. II was from Eppelein, who said
that good Knecht should always, SO far ms
| pOssible initiate his master; that he did, so Tar
| as he could, initiate his Emperor, who pawned
| and pledged cities and towns, took spoil anu
sack and plunder wherever ne could scize
them. The writer did the same thing also. lie
| had pawned Nurnbprg to Hans Won LObenstein
| for gOld gulden, and was, for the lntornla-
| tion Of the Kaiser and the brlde-EPPELEIN
Karl laughed rather gllmIy, but the fair lady
knew that she had seen Eppeleln without KNOW
ing that he was Eppelcin, and she Thought WIN
pleasure Of the stately figure aud bright lace OF
the renowned robber-knghl. o.,
| .Jacklcn the jew WAS consumed win
fierce hatred Of the oppressois of his race.
lie used Eppelen to obtain vengeance upon the
Nurnbergers, and he meant then to use Nurn-
berg to be reyenged upon Eppelein.o He was was
| the second Jew-Elias was the first-whO
treacherously sought to betray the Raubritter:.
One day Jackcin stabbed Eppelein's fayoritee
horse, took another from the stables, and on it
rode into Nurnberg, and proposed plan FOR
Epnelcin,s capture. The Rath listened to him
aid trusted him, so great was Nurnberg's hatred
and dread Of Eppelein.
L.. nnI oil Ennnlninla n1hnrnnfR