Litchfield enquirer., 1880-04-29

hearted: but at first she refused Eppelein, say fl 2 that his way of life was too dangerous. that she should always be anxious, and might, be leIG an uutluIely widow. All IS lalrln love, and Eppelein planned, without changing his way of life. to convince her of his reforua- tion by extracting marriage gift from Nurn- berg. He wrote his request to the Free City, bnt the reply was that Nurnberg would not give him Spatz-a sparrow. He replied that if they would not give him sparrow he would take their singing birds He rode dis guised into Nurnberg, entered the Treasury, put their portable gold cups and the like into a sack, which he took and rattied to ''make the birds sing" a2d rode safely off. When Kunigunde received her wedding present, she told Eppeein that if he had yielded to her re- quest she would never have accepted him, that she loved his fame, and admired his life ofswld adventure. ''Henceforth" said the lady, your friends are my friends, and your foes are my foes" So they twain married in great splendor, at Dramaus. They were well suited to each other, and lived very happily. Kunigunde dIed in few years, leaving one son, Johannes, who promised to become sec- ond Eppelein, but was killed in fight when quite young, falling with his face to the foe, and with all his wounds in front.
 e l. happened, in 1343, that Nurnberg was visited with the "Black Death" and with terrible dearth and famine. The people were dying miserably of sickness and starvation, so that it was piteous to see and hear of. Now there was certain usurer who had bought 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 hs would have recognized that such dealing was naturaland beautiful transaction; but he was ignorant of EkIs .a11 !, ,l~k Is sI this. First he-himself warned the usurer. who denied having any corn, but when, a few days later, the usurer thought it safe to dnve his corn to Nurnberg to market, EppeIein's riders seized the cargo and gave it away to the poor, starving people, who, indeed loved ''Eppa- Gaila" well-better than they loved Burggfaf, or Burgermeister, or Rath He interfered once to make the course of true love run smooth. An old man, one Muffel, who was very rich, had got the consent of the parents of pretty girl,. and marriage was being forced on. Now this girl loved and was loved by, nice young fellow, and Eppelein interfered to help the lovers. He so frightened old Muffel that the hunks gave up the girl and the young lovers were happily married.
 When the troubles in Nurnberg were at their night, 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 cruel persecution of the un- happy Israelites. EppeIein, grieve to say, inflamed popular passions against his old en- enlies the Jews, and he is partly to be blamed for the illtreatment to which they were sub. jected. One day, riding near the city, Eppe- lein saw an unhappy Jew, one Jacklein, fol- lowed by some citizens who wished to ill-use, or perhaps kill the Hebrew. Moved by some impulse of pity, Eppelein interfered "Now that have saved you, what will you do ?" asked EppeIein, and Jacklein begged franti- cally to be allowed to enter into the knights service, and to live and die there. Some thing in the mans manner touched Eppelein, who trusted in the Jew and granted his re- quest. Jacklein was found astute and active he was always eager and bitter whenever any thing was to be done to injure or insult Nurn-. berg
 On the occasion of the Burggrafs marriage. Karl lV, honored the nuptials with his pres ence, and there were great feastings, and mummings, and maskings, and Eppelein, you may be sure. in good disguise, was one of the sayest there. He rode in the cavalcade, and rode so well, ''witching the world with noble horsemanship," that people cried "Why, that cavalier rides like Eppelein '" And the bride said to him: How l should like to see that brave Eppelein :" and he replied, 'Fair lady, you shall see Eppelein, that 1 promise you. But you may see him and yet not know that it is Eppelein. Remember what I have said to you!'
 The bride dropped her glove, and Eppelein, returning it to her with knigntly grace, asked her to ask the Emparor to grant him two fa- Vors. She consented, and she asked the Ern- peror to do what the courteous stranger de- manded, and Karl readily promised to do as the bride wished. Tbereupon Eppelein and the Emperor talked long together, and Karl was charmed with Eppelein's bright, bold wit Then Eppelein preferred his first request it was that Karl would give gold guldeu to Hans von Lobenstein.
 The Emperor laughed loud and long. 'sThos art nobleman, though it may be poor one,'' said Karl: .'The gold gulden shall be paid !; but yet have mind to lay thee in the tower for thine audacious talk and bold request"
 But the Emperor could not do this, because he had given his royal word for the strangers safety. So Eppelein bowed and vanished. and shortly after the Chamberlain handed to the Kaiser letter. It was from Eppeein, who said that good Knecht should always so far as possible, initiate his master that he did, so far as be could, initiate his Emperor, who pawRed and pledged cities and towns took spoil, and sack and plunder wherever he could seize them. The writer did the same thing also. He had pawned Nurnberg to
 
 was, for the information of the Kaiser and the bride-EPPELEIN. Karl laughed rather grimly. but the fair lady knew that she had seen Eppe- iein without knowing that he was Eppelein and she thought with pleasure of the stately figure and bright face of the renowned robber- knight.
 Jacklein the Jew was consumed with il fierce hatred of the oppressors of his race He used Eppelein to obtain vengeance upon the Nurnbergers, and he meant then to use Nurnberg to be revenged upon Eppelein He was the second Jew-Elias was the first-who treacherously sought to betray the Raubrit- ter.
 One day Jacklein stabbed Eppelein's favsr ite horse, took another from the stables, and on 1t rode into Nurnberg, aud proposed plan for Eppeleins capture. The Rath listened to Aipl and trusted him, so great was Nurnberg's s hatred and dread of Eppelein
 Jackieiu denounced all Eppelein's adherents sn the city, and these unfortunate persons dis appeared into the Froschthurn. At the cold feet of the Iron Virgin yswned a deep and dark oubliette.
 Eppelein was beside himself with rage, and +swore to have the life of the traitor Jacklein. The Jew meanwhile vanished from the city. and the Rath began to suspect his honesty.
 ,0ns day man rushed into Nurnberg call ang out that Eppelein was taken! What haG really happened was this Jacklein caused it te.he lntimated to Eppelein that he the Jew, was hidden in certain village. Eppelein called for his horse, and with the two Bernheimers and four Knechts, rode of at osce. bent blind ly upon vengeance.
 Arrived at the village, Eppelen and his followers rode straight to the inn in which they expected to find Jacklein The landlord who was in the plot, asked them to hide them. seayes in the house till Jacklein, who was looked for every minute, should arrive
 So Eppelein fell into the willy Jews snare
 While the Bernheimers and Eppelein sal, drinking in the inn, crowds of armed men gathered round the house, and they drew up nine wagons across the front of the door.
 Eppelein heard the sound and hum of a mas;
 f .men, and he soon became aware of the tra,, aaid fer him. The Bernheimers and the fouy Anechts tried to escape by the back of the house. but they were surrounded by nun.