The Project Gutenberg EBook of Margery [Gred], Complete, by Georg Ebers

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Title: Margery [Gred], Complete
A Tale Of Old Nuremberg

Author: Georg Ebers

Last Updated: March 10, 2009
Release Date: October 17, 2006 [EBook #5560]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MARGERY [GRED], COMPLETE ***

Produced by David Widger

MARGERY, Complete

(GRED)

A TALE OF OLD NUREMBERG

By Georg Ebers

Translated from the German by Clara Bell

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE:

In translating what is supposed to be a transcript into modern German
of the language of Nuremberg in the fifteenth century, I have made no
attempt to imitate English phraseology of the same date. The difficulty
would in fact be insuperable to the writer and the annoyance to the
reader almost equally great.

I have merely endeavored to avoid essentially modern words and forms of
speech.

INTRODUCTION:

"PIETRO GIUSTINIANI, merchant, of Venice." This was the signature
affixed to his receipt by the little antiquary in the city of St. Mark,
from whom I purchased a few stitched sheets of manuscript. What a name
and title!

As I remarked on the splendor of his ancestry he slapped his pocket, and
exclaimed, half in pride and half in lamentation:

"Yes, they had plenty of money; but what has become of it?"

"And have you no record of their deeds?" I asked the little man, who
himself wore a moustache with stiff military points to it.

"Their deeds!" he echoed scornfully. "I wish they had been less
zealous in their pursuit of fame and had managed their money matters
better!--Poor child!"

And he pointed to little Marietta who was playing among the old books,
and with whom I had already struck up a friendship. She this day
displayed some strange appendage in the lobes of her ears, which on
closer examination I found to be a twist of thread.

The child's pretty dark head was lying confidentially against my arm and
as, with my fingers, I felt this singular ornament, I heard, from behind
the little desk at the end of the counter, her mother's shrill voice
in complaining accents: "Aye, Sir, it is a shame in a family which has
giv