Project Gutenberg's The Burgomaster's Wife, Complete, by Georg Ebers

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Title: The Burgomaster's Wife, Complete

Author: Georg Ebers

Last updated: March 10, 2009
Release Date: October 17, 2006 [EBook #5583]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE, COMPLETE ***

Produced by David Widger

THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE, Complete

By Georg Ebers

Translated from the German by Mary J. Safford

BARONESS SOPHIE VON BRANDENSTEIN, nee EBERS.

My reason for dedicating a book, and particularly this book, to you, the
only sister of my dead father, needs no word of explanation between us.
From early childhood you have been a dear and faithful friend to me,
and certainly have not forgotten how industriously I labored, while your
guest seventeen years ago, in arranging the material which constitutes
the foundation of the "Burgomaster's Wife." You then took a friendly
interest in many a note of facts, that had seemed to me extraordinary,
admirable, or amusing, and when the claims of an arduous profession
prevented me from pursuing my favorite occupation of studying the
history of Holland, my mother's home, in the old way, never wearied of
reminding me of the fallow material, that had previously awakened your
sympathy.

At last I have been permitted to give the matter so long laid aside its
just dues. A beautiful portion of Holland's glorious history affords the
espalier, around which the tendrils of my narrative entwine. You have
watched them grow, and therefore will view them kindly and indulgently.

In love and friendship,

Ever the same,

GEORG EBERS

Leipsic, Oct. 30th, 1881.

THE BURGOMASTER'S WIFE.

CHAPTER I.

In the year 1574 A. D. spring made its joyous entry into the Netherlands
at an unusually early date.

The sky was blue, gnats sported in the sunshine, white butterflies
alighted on the newly-opened yellow flowers, and beside one of the
numerous ditches intersecting the wide plain stood a stork, snapping at
a fine frog; the poor fellow soon writhed in its enemy's red beak. One
gulp--the merry jumper vanished, an