d wares thither himself. Verily he was not suffered to sell any
other goods in the land, inasmuch as the Republic set strait bounds to
the dealings of German traders. If such an one would have aught from the
Levant he may get it only through the Merchants' Hall or Fondaco in
Venice; and much less is a German suffered to carry his wares, of what
kind soever, out of Venice into the East, inasmuch as every German trader
is bound to sell by the hand of the syndicate all which his native land
can produce or make in Venice itself. And in no other wise may a German
traffic in any matters, great or small, with the Venice traders; and all
this is done that the Republic may lose nought of the great taxes they
set on all things.

As to Seyfried Kubbeling, the great Council, by special grace, and
considering that none but he could carry his birds over seas in good
condition, had granted to him to go with them to the land of Egypt. For
many and many a year had the Kubbelings brought falcons to the
Waldstromers, and whensoever my uncle needed such a bird, or if he had to
provide one for our lord constable and prince elector the Duke of
Bavaria, or any other great temporal or spiritual prince, it was to be
had from Seyfried--or Young Kubbeling. To be sure no man better knew
where to choose a fine bird, and while he journeyed between Brunswick,
Italy, and the Levant, his sons and brothers went as far as to Denmark,
and from thence to Iceland in the frozen Seas, where the royal falcon
breeds. Yet are there right noble kinds likewise to be found in the Harz
mountains, nigh to their native country.

The man who was ever Kubbeling's fellow, going with him to the Levant
now, as, erewhile to the far North, was Uhlwurm, who, albeit he had been
old Jordan's serving-man, was held by Seyfried as his equal; and whoso
would make one his guest must be fain to take the other into the bargain.
This was ever gladly done at the Forest-lodge; Uhlwurm was a man of few
words, and the hunting-lads and kennel-men held him to be a wise man, who
knew more than simply which side his bread was buttered. At any rate he
was learned in healing all sick creatures, and in especial falcons,
horses, and hounds, by means of whispered spells, the breath of his
mouth, potions, and electuaries; and I myself have seen him handle a
furious old she-wolf which had been caught in a trap, so that no man
dared go nigh her, as though it were a tame little dog. He was taller
than