ow, shrouding the
scene in night. Then a star arose, shining in soft, gentle radiance,
and passed along upon its heavenly way. And the masters floated after
this star, resting on shining clouds, singing, and softly touching
their strings. A glimmering radiance trembled up from the grass, the
woodland voices awoke from their deep slumber, and toned forth, and
joined in the masters' songs.

"'And now you perceive, dear reader, that he who dreamed this dream is
he who is about to lead you amongst these masters, to whose
acquaintance Professor Johann Christian Wagenseil has introduced him.

"'Often, when we see strange forms moving in the dimness of distance,
our hearts beat with a painful anxiety to know what or whom they may
be, and what they are doing. They come nearer and nearer; we can make
out the colour of their dress, and see their faces. We hear their
voices, although the words cannot be distinguished. But they dip down
into the blue haze of some valley, and we can scarcely wait till they
come up again and reach us, so eager are we to see them and talk with
them, and know what those who seemed so wondrous in the distance may
turn out to be when close at hand. May the dream above narrated give
rise to similar feelings in you, dear reader, and may you consider that
the narrator is doing you no unfriendly service in at once conducting
you to the famous Wartburg, and the Court of Landgrave Hermann of
Thuringia.

"'THE MASTER SINGERS AT THE WARTBURG.

"'It was about the year 1208, that the noble Landgrave of Thuringia, a
zealous lover and active patron of the gracious singers-craft, had
gathered six mighty masters of song together at his Court. These were
Wolfframb of Eschinbach, Walther of the Vogelweid, Reinhardt of
Zweckhstein, Heinrich Schreiber, Johannes Bitterolff--all of knightly
rank--and Heinrich of Ofterdingen, burgher of Eisenach. The masters
dwelt together in heartfelt amity and harmony, as priests of one and
the same church, all their efforts being directed to maintaining the
gift of song--the most precious wherewith the Lord hath blessed
mankind--in full flower and in high honour. Each of them had a "manner"
of his own, as it was called, a "style" as we should more probably term
it; but just as each note of a harmony differs from all the rest, and
yet they all unite in forming the beautiful chord, so the various
"modes" or "styles" of these masters harmonized completely together,
an