that a wind-mill, and a fowler's
decoy wherein Fools, men and women both, were caught, and other such
pastimes.

My Herdegen had mingled with this wondrous fellowship arrayed as a knight
crusader leading three captive Saracen princes; namely, the two young
Masters Loffelholz and Schlebitzer, who had stirred him to dress in the
fencing-school, mounted on horses, and between them my squire Akusch on
the bear-leader's camel, all in white as a Son of the Desert; and the
three of them fettered with chains made of wood.

My grand-uncle had lent Herdegen the suit of mail he himself had worn in
his youth at a tournament;

Cousin Maud had provided his white cloak with a red cross, and as he rode
forth on a noble black steed in mail-harness with scarlet housings--the
finest and stoutest horse in the Im Hoffs' stables-and his golden hair
shining in the sun, many a maid could not take her eyes off from him.

Kunz, in the garb of a fool, hither and thither, nay, and everywhere at
once, doubtless had the better sport; but Herdegen's heart beat the
higher, for he could hear a thousand voices proclaiming him the most
comely and his troop the most princely of all; from many a window a
flower was shed on him, or a ribband, or a knot. At last, when the dance
was all over, the guilds with the town-pipers betook them to the head
constable's quarters, where they were served with drink and ate the
Shrove-Tuesday meal of fish which was given in their honor. When the
procession was past and gone my grand-uncle bid Herdegen go to him, and
that which the old man then said and did to move him to give up his love
was shrewdly planned and not without effect on his mind. After looking at
him from head to foot, saying nothing but with no small contentment, he
clapped him kindly on the shoulder and led him, as though by chance, up
to the Venice mirror in the dining-hall. Then pointing to the image
before him: "A Tancred!" he cried, "a Godfrey! Richard of the Lion-heart!
And the bride a miserable scrivener's wench!--a noble bride!" Thereupon
Herdegen fired up and began to speak in praise of Ann's rare and choice
beauty; but his guardian stopped him short, laid his arm round his
shoulders, and muttered in his ear that in his young days likewise youths
of noble birth had to be sure made love to the fair daughters of the
common citizens, but the man who could have thought of courting one of
them in good faith. . . .

Here he broke off with a sharp lau