well-dressed positive-looking gentleman ("Baron von
Hompesch," the records name him) enters the shop; wants "a stout chest,
with lock on it, for household purposes; must be of such and such
dimensions, six feet six in length especially, and that is an
indispensable point,--in fact it will be longer than yourself, I think,
Herr Zimmermann: what is the cost; when can it be ready?" Cost, time,
and the rest are settled. "A right stout chest, then; and see you don't
forget the size; if too short, it will be of no use to me: mind;"--"JA
WOHL! GEWISS!" And the positive-looking, well-clad gentleman goes his
ways. At the appointed day he reappears; the chest is ready;--we hope,
an unexceptionable article? "Too short, as I dreaded!" says the positive
gentleman. "Nay, your honor," says the carpenter, "I am certain it is
six feet six!" and takes out his foot-rule.--"Pshaw, it was to be longer
than yourself." "Well, it is."--"No it isn't!" The carpenter, to end the
matter, gets into his chest; and will convince any and all mortals. No
sooner is he in, rightly flat, than the positive gentleman, a Prussian
recruiting officer in disguise, slams down the lid upon him; locks it;
whistles in three stout fellows, who pick up the chest, gravely walk
through the streets with it, open it in a safe place; and find-horrible
to relate--the poor carpenter dead; choked by want of air in this
frightful middle-passage of his. [Forster, ii. 305, 306; Pollnitz, ii.
518, 519.] Name of the Town is given, Julich as above; date not. And if
the thing had been only a popular Myth, is it not a significant one?
But it is too true; the tall carpenter lay dead, and Hompesch got
"imprisoned for life" by the business.

Burgermeisters of small towns have been carried off; in one case, "a
rich merchant in Magdeburg," whom it cost a large sum to get free
again. [Stenzel, iii. 356.] Prussian recruiters hover about barracks,
parade-grounds, in Foreign Countries; and if they see a tall soldier
(the Dutch have had instances, and are indignant at them), will
persuade him to desert,--to make for the country where soldier-merit is
understood, and a tall fellow of parts will get his pair of colors in
no-time.

But the highest stretch of their art was probably that done on
the Austrian Ambassador,--tall Herr von Bentenrieder; tallest of
Diplomatists; whom Fassmann, till the Fair of St. Germain, had
considered the tallest of men. Bentenrieder was on his road as Kaiser's
Am