it into the minds of their
adopted children, as if the wisdom of Minerva had sprung out of their
own thick heads.

He therefore met his friend in good humour, when dinner was announced.
The conversation between them was dull and common-place. The scribe's
thoughts appeared to be occupied with some important project; and
Albert taking a review in his mind of the whole state of affairs as
they stood, consoled himself with the idea that, as the father of
Bertha had sided with the League as he supposed, and such men as
Fronsberg had proffered their services in the same cause, there might
be less reason to doubt the justice of it than he imagined.

Youth's ever ready with its word; it seizes
The first that comes to hand, as 'twould a knife:
And thus ye cry or "shame," or "nobly done,"
On every thing--all's either good or bad.

These words of the poet well describe the feelings of Albert at this
moment, and the sudden change in his sentiments was also to be
attributed to his inexperienced mind in worldly affairs, acting
as he did alone, without the aid and advice of any tried friend.
Anticipating, therefore, the happy moment of meeting his love at the
ball in the evenings where he would be able to speak with her, and from
her lips have his doubts cleared up respecting her father's intentions,
the gloom with which his mind had been overcast in his conversation
with his friend the secretary gave away to the pleasing prospect of
seeing her again.

FOOTNOTE TO CHAPTER V.:

[Footnote 1: Beer-soup was a mixture of beer, eggs, sugar, cinnamon,
and a little milk, with crums of bread, in quantity according to the
taste.]

CHAPTER VI.

"And in the merry dance, she whispers, to impart,
In soft accents, the sorrows of her heart."
L. UHLAND.

If we had ransacked all the pawnbrokers' shops, and attended the
auction of an antiquary's goods, to find "a pocket-book giving a
description of the social pleasures, with the fashionable figure
dances, of the year 1519," we could not have been more fortunate than
in the fund of information which chance has thrown in our way upon that
subject.

Having arrived at that part of the present history which is to treat of
a ball so far back as 1519, a difficulty arose of ascertaining what
were the figures, and how they were danced in t