Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-20

DEFIANCE OF AGNES DURER

A Css.m,ss Lester Tbs, Pats ~ eess sswe
s,spser.- pirkseimer.s maisce.
Mr.. Prime writes to the New York
Journal Of Commerce from Lonesome
Lake cabin as follows:
wherever books are read. and Illus
t,s,ed by the art which Albert Dnrer
gave to the world. Agnes Durer, his
wife. has been maligned as the modern
xsntippe. This evil reputation OF q
very lovely woman is the pure result OF
fslsehood and malice. There IL no
other foundation for il. tits due to one
of the worst, as it is one Of the pre-
dominant characteristics Of human Ms
ture and Of literary humanity, the love
of Islander. Beyond any doubt men
and women enjoy hearing and repeat
ing slanderous stories. Some WRITER'S
historians, novelists, and Journal
lists delight in il IS piquant' stiording
opportunity for slashing and attractive
writing. Others have baSer motives
OF getting money for their publications.
because the world delights 10 Buying
and reading ,ilifc,tions, personal Az
t.cks-anything which dcfsmes mas
woman. Unscrupulous publishers
make much money by selling TINS VIE
rrodpct of the pen and brain. There
follows as a necessity this, that many
w,;teys manufacture the wretched stuff
n, sale. or At best make no in
ou;rv use 10 effort TO ascer-
tain the foundation for libels be-
fore repeating them. A common idea
prevails that one who reprints or re-
meats a libsl is absolved Of response
bility by giving 8 previous author as
his authority. Such is neither law nor
common morality. Every self-respect-
ing author or editor, every true
gentleman, every upright man OF
pure and honest heart, not only
will refuse to repeat slsnderous stories
about Others. but instinctively disbe-
leye them when he hears them; and
even when accompanied with apparent
p,oofs, suspect fslsehood and regard
explanation as probable.
There is no doubt that many other
persons who bear evil names In history,
like Agnes Durer, are the victims OF
malice and falsehood, originating in
personal animosity and perpetuated by
the prevailing love OF Islander. Her
story. above all others, is worthy o.
study as . warning 20 readers not to
mace implicit faith in written abuse Of
Individual personal character, not even
when there is a consent Of apparently
all writers.
For more than a hundred years after
she died, horored and beloved in Nu-
remberg, no breath of SANDER had ever
touched her fair fame. Then among
the old papers of Bilibald Pirkheimer,
q contemporary Of Durer, was found a
letter Tor ue draft of proposed letter
which wa never sent, in which was
. yirulen attack on various persons
in Nuremberg, and among them
on Agps, widow Of Albert Dursr.
Pirkheiner said that Albert once
owned noble pair Of stays sntlsrs,
which after the artists death, he
wished to have. But Agnes would not
let lin have them. and disposed of
then elsewhere for less than their
valre. Thereupon he poured out tor
ren Of villticstiOn Of her She was a
man, svaricious woman; kept Albert
fpm good company killed him by
diving him to hard work, that she
night inherit his fortu ., which at last
.he had gotten.
Joachim sandrart, al early member
Of the tribe Of art critics, seized on this
letter. and falsifyiug it in part. added a
mass Of purely-invented falsehood to
defame the character of the wife Of
Durer. lie related a story that when
Durer made his well-known journey
into Holland that journey Was taken
by advice f Pirkheimer and other
friends for the purpose of frightening
his wife into better conduct by the fear
of abandonment that while he was
away she came to Pirkheimer and
begged il agony that Albert might be
recalled, and promised total amend
ment; but that when be did return
she was no better than before.
The stories thus started by Ssndrart
were eagerly repeated and enlarged on
by subsequent writers on the history OF
ait and artists. The pack ran in full
CRY, and from generation TO generation
the-not hounds but far less noble
curs-have pursued the memory Of
Agnes Durer with neyer-failing love OF
the foul scent laid by Sandrart. The
amount of untruth. misrepresentation,
Instrumentation OF old German, forgery,
and evil Imagination. which has en-
ploved the pens Of writers Of every
class about the wife OF Durer, has
been almost incredible. In his Vienna
letters TO FiIkhcimer when he was
Young married mani Durer once or
twice mentioned q Nuremberg person.
II was plain from the context that 1t
was no allusion TO his wife, but the
ISLANDERS, one and all, translated the
name Of the person as an epithst ap-
plhd in foul insult 10 Agnes. In one
Csc. where he warned Pirkheimer that
Agnes dishked him, they translated it
a. an expression Of willingness that
Pikh.imer might have her for himself.
They even belouled the pure memory
Of nurer by reading on a sketch he
One made " My Augusta and said
he ecretly loved another woman than
Agnes.
Not alone art critics, but morslistS,
writer's about women and in general,
even novclists. have joined in the SIAN
drous pursuit. One of the latest biog-
nphers Of Durer, a woman herself,
STYLES Agnes "a deaths head " ours
nr her husbands board and bed.
Many years ago, in one Of these let
tiers. showed by the internal evidence
in Pukheimer's letter, aud by consider
ing his own bad character, that all this
abuse Of Agnes Durer, founded on his