In the Fire of the Forge

The Fire Of The Forge, Complete,
by Georg Ebers

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Title: In The Fire Of The Forge, Complete
Author: Georg Ebers
Release Date: October 17, 2006 [EBook #5551]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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FIRE OF THE FORGE, COMPLETE ***

Produced by David Widger

IN THE FIRE OF THE FORGE, Complete
A ROMANCE OF OLD NUREMBERG
By Georg Ebers

Volume 1.
Translated from the German by Mary J. Safford
CHAPTER I.
On the eve of St. Medard's Day in the year 1281, the moon, which had
just risen, was shining brightly upon the imperial free city of
Nuremberg; its rays found their way into the street leading from the
strong Marienthurm to the Frauenthor, but entrance to the Ortlieb
mansion was barred by a house, a watchtower, and--most successfully
of all--by a tall linden tree. Yet there was something to be seen here
which even now, when Nuremberg sheltered the Emperor Rudolph and
so many secular and ecclesiastical princes, counts, and knights,
awakened Luna's curiosity. True, this something had naught in
common with the brilliant spectacles of which there was no lack during
this month of June; on the contrary, it was very quiet here. An imperial
command prohibited the soldiery from moving about the city at night,
and the Frauenthor, through which during the day plenty of people and
cattle passed in and out had been closed long before. Very few of the
worthy burghers--who went to bed betimes and rose so early that they
rarely had leisure to enjoy the moonlight long--passed here at this hour.
The last one, an honest master weaver, had moved with a very crooked
gait. As he saw the moon double--like everything else around and
above him--he had wondered whether the man up there had a wife. He
expected no very pleasant reception from his own at home. The
watchman, who--the moon did not exactly know why--lingered a short
time in front of the Ortlieb mansion, followed the burgher. Then came a
priest who, with the sacristan and several lantern bearers, was carrying
the sacrament to a dying man in St. Clarengasse.
There was usually more to be seen at this hour on the other side of the
city--the northwestern quarter--where the fortress rose on its hill,
dominating the Thiergartenthor at its foot; for the Emperor Rudolph
occupied the castle, and his brother-in-law, Burgrave Friedrich von
Zollern, his own residence. This evening, however, there was little

movement even there; the Emperor and his court, the Burgrave and his
train, with all the secular and ecclesiastical princes, counts, and knights,
had gone to the Town Hall with their ladies. High revel was held there,
and inspiring music echoed through the open windows of the spacious
apartment, where the Emperor Rudolph also remained during the ball.
Here the moonbeams might have been reflected from glittering steel or
the gold, silver, and gems adorning helmets, diadems, and gala robes;
or they might surely have found an opportunity to sparkle on the ripples
of the Pegnitz River, which divided the city into halves; but the
heavenly wanderer, from the earliest times, has preferred leafy hidden
nooks to scenes of noisy gaiety, a dim light to a brilliant glare. Luna
likes best to gaze where there is a secret to be discovered, and mortals
have always been glad to choose her as a confidante. Something
exactly suited to her taste must surely be going on just now near the
linden which, in all the splendour of fullest bloom, shaded the street in
front of the Ortlieb mansion; for she had seen two fair girls grow up in
the ancient dwelling with the carved escutcheon above the lofty oak
door, and the ample garden--and the younger, from her earliest
childhood, had been on especially intimate terms with her.
Now the topmost boughs of the linden, spite of their dense foliage,
permitted a glimpse of the broad courtyard which separated the
patrician residence from the street.
A chain, which with graceful curves united a short row of granite posts,
shut out the pedestrians, the vehicles and horsemen, the swine and
other animals driven through the city gate. In contrast with the street,
which in bad weather resembled an almost impassable swamp, it was
always kept scrupulously clean, and the city beadle might spare himself
the trouble of looking there for the carcasses of sucking pigs, cats, hens,
and rats, which it was his duty to