ly jokes the dreary hours of many awaiting an audience, who, even
if not favourably received, nevertheless laughed at my excellent
quibbles. At that time I little thought, that I myself should have to
sit here and beg for a small pension."

"We both owe our misfortunes to that vagabond Olevianus," said the
Parson. "Because I defeated him in a public argument--he knows as much
about theology as your cow does of a bag-pipe--and because he cannot
bear to see how I filled my church, therefore has he deprived me of my
position in the Church of St. Peter, leaving me only matins in the Holy
Ghost, which no one ever attends. But that will help him little, let
but the Heidelbergers have to choose between me and Olevianus and we
shall see who gets the most votes. That he well knows, and on that
account am I stuck in the background. But I seek an audience and intend
to speak out my mind to the Kurfuerst, although he does not like to hear
the truth."

"Our day is over, Herr Neuser," said the discharged Court-fool; "these
are the people who now have full swing," and he grimly pointed to the
other couple, a well dressed old Italian with a head like a fox,
listening covertly to anything said in his neighbourhood, whilst at the
same time he earnestly addressed a young man, who appeared from his
long locks and Raphael-cap to be an artist. "There is another of those
starvelings, which the Italian Doctor trots up and down. At the 'Stag'
where he has stopped a whole week, he has not as yet drunk a whole
bottle of wine. That cock-sparrow has most surely got in his pocket a
letter from Herr Beza recommending him for a post as Privy, or Church
Counsellor."

"Then ought he to have risen earlier," said the Parson, "the martyrs
from Treves, Paris and Prague have long since snapped up those dainty
morsels."

"Then in that case he will be paid, so that wolves may not gobble the
moon, nor the people of Heilbronn set fire to the Neckar; bread and
places are always to be found by the Italians."

"This way, gentlemen, this way most honoured scum!" said the Priest in
the tone of a showman. "Here may you see Boquin, Ramus, Du Jon,
Tremelli and Sanchi, Ursinus and the Bohemian Zuleger, Olevianus from
the lower Rhine, van Keulen, Pithopoeus, Dathan, Marnix, and others
whatever may be their names. For an honest Swabian there is no place,
we may as well quit."

The expressions of the worthy couple would have in no wise lighted up,
had they understoo