Litchfield enquirer., 1880-04-29
EPPELEIN VON GAILINGEN.

plays itself chiefly in and around Nurnberg
 The date is the fourteenth century.
 The state of Germany in that age was an
 archie, chaotic. The Church, the Kaisers, tht
 Fursten, nay even the Imperial Free Cities
 whereof there were then some hundred anc SIX were all in rage of strain and storm
 struggling together, each force opposed to the
 other in wild welter of disordered conflict
 Out of the collision of these warning element.
 was pressed into life the order of Raubrittes
 or Robber-knights men of birth who elected
 to live, in lawiess age, by saddle and by sword; who sought gain by masterful spoil tlon, and strove for glory by despiteful deed. of arms. The Raubritter was natural product of his land and time. The younger and wilder nobles pressed into the career-for such it ther
 Was-wlth joyous eagerness, and without much sense ot shame or wrong-they may al
 most be called crusaders of crime; and indeed they very often sublimated their wild life witt a strain of knightly daring and warrior-enter prlse. Many of them were, naturally, mere coarse common robbers, greedy and cruel; but there were, some who surrounded the perilou, aVocation with, chiyalry, and ennohled il
 with fcnaance. That one of the Raubrittei who is the best type of the nobler sort-Ep peleln von Gaillngen-forms the subject oI the present narrative.
 It IS clear that Eppelein did not think his profession any disgrace. He was indignant al the misdeeds of Church and State, of Kaiser and of Pope. He always held himself to be an honorable knight" he never broke his knishtly word he was furious against the ''slanderous tongues" that called his followers Staudenhechte and .Schnapphahne- :pikes-in. the wood, !" or snatch. cocks" ...
 Bravest among the brave, he had a wisdom that could guide his valor to act in safety he was capable of courtesy, generosity, chivalry he was always gentle to women he had keen wit and humorous power of strong sarcasm.
 There was also ''the grace and versatility of the man." He loved adventure, and courted danger for it's own fierce sake.
 Early m the fourteenth century, the good knight. Arnold von Gailingen, was lord of the Castles ot lllesheim near Windshein, of Wald near Gunzenhausen, of Trameysl Cor Dramaus, near Muggendorf, and of Gailingen, his Stamm. schloss, which latter Was situated near Roth. enburg on the Tauber. His wife was named Apollonla, and he had two sons, cue whom was monk at Wur4burg, while the other pur. sued the Kreigshandel, or trade of war. in far lands. The solder-son, following his trade of war, procured himself to be effectua!ly killed in some of those far lands; so that Arnold's two frst-born sons did not yield him an heir to hls name his honors and his castles How. ever, in or about the year 1911, the Frau Ap. polonla proposed to make her husband once more father. '1f," said the good lady. my coming child be girl, it shall be nun ; if boy, he shall be monk" Father Isidor, us, the resident castle chaplain, warmly ap- proved the pious resolutions and Arnold, his wife being weak, did not dissent. In deep winter, in the Castle of Illieshem, Apollonia was safely delivered of son. They called his name Apollonius, which means, being in. terpreted, Eppelein and this infant became Eppelein Gaillngen and his fathers heir The mother had bad time, and the infant was at first, to all appearance rather weakly "He will make good monk" they thought; and when they said this in the child's hearing, he Gas chronicles record) raised great cry, kick. ed and threatened as if he were angry at the very idea of becoming monk. When Eppe. leln was christened, he, so soon as he felt the touch of water, upifted terrible shout that frightened all that heard it; he nearly upset the christening vessel, and behaved SO violent. ly that all were astonished. In this line of conduct, however, Eppelein resembled the in- fant who afterward became the Ernpero, Wenzel, and who, when baptiscd in the St. Se5aldus Church in Nurnberg, comported him. self in the like uproarious manner. Arnold remarked, as he watched his childs behavior, Il should almost doubt whether this boy will ever make aElonk." <
 The little Eppelen soonripened into strong and sturdy boy. When he was about six years old, his great delight was to take down from the wall his fathers sword and to swing It about. He tried to draw on his fathers heavy riding boots and spurs; and when Ar noid rode out on "Black Adam," the boy n- sisted upon riding in front of his father on the great war r-horse. At ten Eppelcin could rlde ''Hiack Adam" almost better than his father. The boy never knew fear. He would catch Wild unbrokep colts by the mane, swing him. self on to them, and gallop furiously round the meadows; nor could the tiercest horse ever throw the boy He sat as if he had been mol .en on to q horse. Arnold did not wish to pain his wife, and therefore held his tongue before her. but he was often heard to mutter. as he Eppelein, They will never make a nonK of that boy" Himself an old Haude- gen, the kni ght lad a secret joy in his sons strength and daring and unru liness
 Frau Appollonia was weak and pous wo- man. Given such lady of it, and the castle s like to be ruled by priest as, indeed was ;he case with all Arnold's many castles, in which the Father Isidorus while malntaining a decent show of respect for the good knight. was practically almost supreme. The educa- 'ion and control of the young Eppelein were ,onflded 10 the priest, but without good results Eppelein soon detected that the father was selfish and hyppocrte; and the boy rose in revolt against the priestly rule. Eppelein would obey only Arnold who seldom inter tered between priest and scholar but, with a smile, let them fight it out between them, though lsldorus was always complaining of the boy, and urging Arnold to punish him. The quarrels between Isidorus and Eppelein became fierce and frequent; and the lad play ed hls reverend tutor many evil tricks. One day, after some mischievous prank, the incen- 'ed father, after calling Eppelein ''heiloser Gesell, pulled the boys ears receiving in re- urn blow which nearly knocked him down. How can you honor my father and mother" i" asked Eppelein, "when you take their son by the ears?" "A pretty monk you'll maker" roared the enraged chaplain. Eppelein,h v who generalized too rapidly, conceived an unhap- py dislike to the whole body of the. clergy. If monks or priests were coming to the castle, he took away the plank. or tree, by which they had to cross the river; when they reached the courtyard, he let loose all the great dogs cf the castle, and fastened all the doors Twice. when lsidorus went to the,eellar, for purposes no doubt innocent in themselves and certainly conductive to his comfort. Eppelein locked him in, and the father could only get let out by frantic knocklngs and callings On another occasion the hoy glued together the leaves of tine fathers breviary. Isidorus did not find out this trick for some days, and the boy point ed out that the priest must have neglected his duties for at least that period Arnold ana Apollonia were induced oscold Eppelein who in conequence, resolved to be further reveng ed upon lssdorus, and accomplished his pur- pose in this wise. t,.t,.-.. -
 Eppelein began by uphraidiug the father for setting his parents against him. ''Verruch- ter Gesell!'' shouted the angry priest; eff I did not khow you tn be the son of your pious mother, l should hold you to, be an imp, of Satan 7"
 "Ahr' returned Eppelein,, "you abuse my r mother, do you? Very we'll, you shall pay for that's have mind to line your cap with pitrh-''' .. f....,
 'l'll take care" !" roared the father, ''that you shall have no chance You shan't get my cap into your mischievous hands. See-r2I put it on at once" And he hastily did SO. But Eppelein had been beforehand with him and the can was already linad xrith o;toh