nn in a strange
adventure. Ann kissed not his cheek, but in the air near by it, and the
bold knave, who had no mind to forego so sweet a boon, declared to her
after the dance was over that she was his debtor, and that he would give
her no peace till she should pay him his due.

Ann courteously prayed him that he would be a merciful creditor and remit
the payment of that she had indeed omitted, though truly out of no
ill-will. And whereas he would by no means consent, the dispute was taken
up by others present and Jorg Loffelholz devised the fancy of holding a
Court of Love to decide the case.

This met with noisy approval, and albeit I and my dear Hans, and some
others with us, made protest, the damsels were presently seated in a
circle and Jorg Loffelholz, who was chosen to preside, asked of each to
pronounce sentence. Thus it came to the turn of Ursula Tetzel and she,
looking round on Junker Henning or ever she spoke, said, with a proud
curl of her red lips, that she could give no opinion, inasmuch as she
only knew what beseemed young maids of noble birth.

On this the Junker answered with such high and grave dignity as I should
not have looked for in so scatter-brained a wight: "The best patent of
nobility, fair lady, is that of the maid to whom God Almighty has
vouchsafed the gentlest soul and sweetest grace; and in all this assembly
I have found none more richly endowed with both than the damsel against
whom I in jest have made complaint. Wherefor I pray the presiding judge
of this Court of Love to ask you once more for your verdict."

Ursula found this ill to brook; nevertheless her high spirit was ready to
meet it. She laughed loudly, and with seeming lightness, as she hastily
answered him: "Then you haughty lords of the marches allow not that it is
in the Emperor's power to grant letters of nobility, but ascribe it to
Heaven alone! A bold opinion. Howbeit, I care not for politics, and will
pronounce my sentence. If it had been Margery Schopper, who had refused
the kiss, or Elsa Ebner, or any one of us whose ancestors bore arms by
grace of the Emperor, and not of the God of the Brandenburgers, I would
have condemned her to give you, in lieu of one kiss, two, in the presence
of witnesses; but inasmuch as it is Mistress Ann Spiesz who has dared to
withhold from a noble gentleman, a guest of the town, what we highborn
damsels would readily have paid I grant her of our mercy, grace and leave
to kiss the hand of Ju