this
picture will convince you that I am not to be ranked amongst the
inferior artists. Whilst still young I went to Italy, the land of art;
there I had the good fortune to be accepted as a pupil by renowned
masters, who fostered into living fire the spark which glowed within
me. Thus it came to pass that I rapidly rose into fame, that my
pictures became celebrated throughout all Italy, and the powerful Duke
of Florence[35] summoned me to his court. At that time I would not hear
a word about German art, and without having seen any of your pictures,
I talked a good deal of nonsense about the coldness, the bad drawing,
and the hardness of your Duerer and your Cranach.[36] But one day a
picture-dealer brought a small picture of the Madonna by old Albrecht
to the Duke's gallery, and it made a powerful and wonderful impression
upon me, so that I turned away completely from the voluptuousness of
Italian art, and from that very hour determined to go back to my native
Germany and study there the masterpieces upon which my heart was now
set I came to Nuremberg here, and when I beheld Rose I seemed to see
the Madonna who had so wonderfully stirred my heart, walking in bodily
form on earth. I had the same experiences as you, dear Frederick; the
bright flames of love flashed up and consumed me, mind and heart and
soul. I saw nothing, I thought of nothing, but Rose; all else had
vanished from my mind; and even art itself only retained its hold
upon me in so far as it enabled me to draw and paint Rose again and
again--hundreds of times. I would have approached the maiden in the
free Italian way; but all my attempts proved fruitless. There was no
means of securing a footing of intimacy in Master Martin's house in any
insidious way. At last I made up my mind to sue for Rose directly, when
I learned that Master Martin had determined to give his daughter only
to a good master-cooper. Straightway I formed the adventurous resolve
to go and learn the trade of cooperage in Strasburg, and then to come
and work in Master Martin's work-shop. I left all the rest to the
ordering of Providence. You know in what way I carried out my resolve;
but I must now also tell you what Master Martin said to me some days
ago. He said I should make a skilful cooper and should be a right dear
and worthy son-in-law, for he saw plainly that I was seeking to gain
Rose's favour, and that she liked me right well." "Can it then indeed
well be otherwise?" cried Frederic