inrich was at the
Court of Leopold the Seventh, Duke of Austria, singing many beautiful
songs. Soon afterwards Landgrave Hermann received copies of the same,
together with the "manners" to which they were to be sung. All the
masters were heartily delighted, and convinced that Heinrich of
Ofterdingen had renounced all that was false, and preserved his pure
singer's heart inviolate, through all the Evil One's attempts upon him.

"'Thus it was Wolfframb of Eschinbach's high art of song, as it
streamed from the depths of his purest of souls, which, in glorious
victory over his enemy, rescued his beloved and his friend from utter
perdition.'"

The friends gave diverse verdicts as to Cyprian's tale, Theodore
disapproved of it altogether, and said Cyprian had utterly marred for
him the beautiful picture, which Novalis had drawn of the grandly
inspired Heinrich of Ofterdingen. But his chief objection was that the
singers never actually got the length of any singing, for sheer
continual preparation to sing. Ottmar supported him; but, at the same
time, considered that the introductory vision might be admitted to be
Serapiontic; although, at the same time, Cyprian ought to be careful
for the future not to dip into Ancient Chronicles, because reading of
that sort was apt--as the present instance proved--to lead him into an
unfamiliar province, in which--not being native to the soil, nor
endowed with a strong bump of locality--he wandered astray and lost
himself, without being able to find the real path.

Cyprian, putting on a face of vexation, jumped hastily up, went to the
fire, and was going to throw his manuscript into it. But Lothair went
up to him, seized him by the shoulders, turned him about, and said with
solemnity:

"Cyprian, Cyprian! withstand strenuously the foul fiend of author's
pride, which, is vexing you, and whispering all manner of ugly things
in your ear. I will address you in the formula of conjuration employed
by the doughty Tobias von Ruelp, 'Come, come--tuck, tuck--it is
contrary to all respectability, man, to play at pitch and toss with the
Devil. Away with the ugly sweep!' Ha! your face lightens up! You are
smiling! See what power over the demons I possess; and now I have some
healing balm to drop upon the wounds, which your friends' adverse
verdicts have inflicted. If Ottmar thinks your introduction is
Serapiontic, I may say as much for Klingsohr, and the fiery demon
Nasias. Also the little automatic