The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-02

people" haunted him, and he moistpned
This pillow with tears of modification and
pain. "How can 1 turn the peoples
curse into blessingf how can /, mex
perienced as am, escape from the net
Ofevil counselors and the power of the
proud and greatT
And in his perplexity he turned to
prayer He prayed for strength and wis.
dom from Him to whom he must one
day give an account of his government
"Oh, for sign now" thought he, ''foI
something TO show me what course ]
ought to followp
The gray autumn was beginning to
dawn, and from the forge arose the
sound Of the bellows. Soon the regular
beat of the forge-hammer rang loud and
clear, and with it the sound of manly
voice, which the Landgraf recognized as
the master smiths. He listened.
'Landgraf Louis be hard-hard-
hard! Landgraf Louis be hardW
Thus with every beat. Of the hammer
rose the voice. And the Landgraf lay
and listened, and with every blow his
will seemed to grow harder and harder,
his resolve frmer and firmer, his courage
to face all difficulties higher and higher.
And thus he lay and listened until the
sun shone in at the window; then he
arose, brimful of energy and earnest re-
solution-a changed man.
Mounted once more OH his impatient
horse, the young knight bent from his
saddle to grasp the rough hand of the
blacksmith, and said as he pressed it
heartily, II may not offer you golden
thanks, good mine host, for all your hos
pitality and kindness, but let this hearty
German squeeze of the hand tell you
that your benefits have been bestowed
on no ungrateful guest.4+You do mot
know all you have done for me. You
have welded and wrought me into iron,
you have hammered me hard on your
anvil, this morning"
He was gone before the blacksmith
had time to consider whether it could
possibly have been the Landgraf him
self whom he had entertained.
Before the close of that year (it was
the year of grace 1861 all the estates of
the land were summoned by proclama-
ton to Eisenach, to hold there Nation
al Council. And they assembled in great
numbers, the three estates-nobles burg
hers and peasants. Then the Landgraf
caused it to he proclaimed by a herald,
that whosoever had any grievance or
complaint to make should forthwith
bring it before the Council. And as he
sat on his throne in the midst of the
assembly, there came before him first,
deputies from the citizens, who COM
planned that it was useless to gain any
thing by manufacture or trade, for the
hard-earned fruits of their labors were
taken from them by heavy and cruel ex-
actions. And next came a poor peasant,
who found courage to bring the COM
plants Of his order before the Prince, to
tell him how they were ground down and
tyrannized by their feudal lords, and
treated like beasts of burden under tine
lash of the overseer.
His words aroused storm among the
MOBILES, who desired that the "dog"
might be instantly hanged; but the
young Landgraf rose from his throne,
his eyes flashing with indignation, and
said:
"You have oppressed my people long
enough; day of reckoning is come now;
justice without mercy must be dealt to
those who showed no mercy"
There were fierce looks among the
mobiles, and some laid their hands on the
hilts Of their swords, but the Landgrat
was firm as iron now and shrank not
from his duty. He caused inquiry to be
made and evidence collected diligently.
and it is said, but ON this point chron-
iclers were not agreed, that he caused all
the mobiles who were found guilty of ex-
tortion and cruelty, to be yoked to
plows, four to each, and made then plow
a great field near his castle, the Neuen-
berg, that they too, might taste of the
cup which they made others to drink.
That field is called the "Field of the
Mobiles" to this day. 1t is said, too, that
he sent for the blacksmith and gave him
forge near his castle, that whenever he
was in danger of becoming weak and
yielding again, and wanted little more
hammering, he might hear his grimy
friend singing over his work, "Landgraf,
be hard~ However this may be, it is
certain that Landgraf Louis ruled
thenceforth firmly and we'll in the fear
Of God, and is known in history as the
''Iron Landgraf."