ted to indicate the errors which,
after his own feeling, he may find in the song, by striking with the
hammer upon the last. The Marker sings, Sachs repeatedly and
vigorously strikes the last, and the Marker jumps up angrily but is
met with the question whether he is through with the song. "Far from
it," he cries. Sachs now laughingly hands him his shoes and declares
that the strokes of disapproval sufficed to complete them. With the
rest of the song, which in desperation he sings without stopping, he
lamentably fails before the female form at the window who shakes her
head violently in disapproval, and, to add to his own misfortune, he
receives a thrashing at the hands of the apprentices and journeymen
whom the noise has roused from slumber. The following day, deeply
dejected, he asks Sachs for one of his own songs. Sachs gives him one
of the young nobleman's poems, pretending not to know whence it came.
He cautions him to observe the melody to which it must be sung. The
vain Marker, however, believes himself perfectly secure in this, and
now sings the poem before the public master and peoples-court to a
melody which completely disfigures it, so that he fails again, and
this time decisively. Rendered furious, he accuses Sachs of deceit in
that he gave him an abominable poem. Sachs declares the poem to be
quite good, but that it must be sung according to the proper melody.
It is now determined that whoever knows this melody shall be the
victor. The young nobleman sings it and secures the bride. The
admission into the guild however he declines. Thereupon Hans Sachs
humorously defends the mastersingers and closes with the rhyme:

"The Holy Roman Empire may depart,
Yet will remain our Holy German art."

A few years later the German empire arose to new glory and blessing,
and yet a lustrum, and with the rise of Baireuth, came the German art.

CHAPTER V.

1862-1868.

MUNICH.

Successful Concerts--Plans for a New Theatre--Offenbach's Music
Preferred--Concerts Again--New Hindrances and Disappointments--King
Louis of Bavaria--Rescue and Hope--New Life--Schnorr--"Tannhaeuser"
Reproduced--Great Performance of "Tristan"--Enthusiastic
Applause--Death of Schnorr--Opposition of the Munich Public--Unfair
Attacks Upon Wagner--He Goes to Switzerland--The
"Meistersinger"--The Rehearsals--The Successful
Performance--Criticisms.

_O, thus descendest thou at last to me,
Fulfilment, fairest daug