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Authors: Johann Grimmelshausen
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neither in his Da’s house nor in the hermit’s hut. But I could not sleep because my belly growled and grumbled the whole night through. The reason must have been either that it did not yet know what was good for it or that it was still astonished at the delightful new dishes it had been given. But it was cold, so I just lay there until the sun was shining once more, musing on the strange hardships I had been through during the last few days and on how faithfully the Lord God had come to my aid and brought me to such a good place.
Chapter 22
Who the hermit was from whose company Simplicius had benefited
That morning the governor’s steward ordered me to go to the above-mentioned pastor to hear what his lord had said to him about me. He gave me a bodyguard to take me there. The pastor led me into his study, made me sit down and said, ‘My dear Simplicius, the hermit with whom you lived in the forest is not only the brother-in-law of the governor, he also helped him gain promotion in the army and was his closest friend. The governor was kind enough to tell me about him. From his earliest youth he at all times showed both the courage of a heroic soldier and the devout godliness usually only found in a monk, two virtues which are rarely seen together. His piety coupled with unhappy experiences so conspired to make him discontented with the world that he repudiated his nobility and considerable estates in Scotland, where he was born, because all worldly affairs had come to seem vain, stale and corrupt to him. In a word, he hoped to exchange his present high rank for a better glory to come. His noble spirit felt disgust at all worldly splendour and all his hopes and all his endeavours were directed towards the wretched existence in which you found him in the forest and shared with him until his death.
In my opinion’, the pastor went on, ‘he was led astray by reading too many popish books about the lives of old hermits. However, I will not conceal from you how he came to the Spessart and fulfilled his desire for such a wretched hermit’s life, so that in future you can tell other people about it. The second night after the bloody battle of Höchst had been lost, he arrived at my parsonage, alone and unattended. It was towards morning and I and my wife and children had only just gone to sleep because the noise throughout the countryside made by both pursued and pursuers had kept us awake the whole previous night and half of this. He knocked on the door, at first gently, then furiously enough to wake myself and my sleepy servants. At his request, and after a short exchange of words, which was very cautious on both sides, I opened the door and saw the noble gentleman dismounting from his steed. His sumptuous clothing was bespattered with the enemy’s blood as much as it was adorned with gold and silver and since he was still holding his naked sword in his hand, I was filled with fear and dread. But once he had sheathed it and had nothing but civil words for me, I began to wonder why such a brave lord should be asking a poor village pastor for shelter in such friendly fashion. He was so handsome a figure and so magnificently attired that I addressed him as Count Mansfeld. He replied that he was the Count’s equal, if not his superior, in misfortune alone. There were three things he grieved over: the loss of his wife, who was close to her term; the loss of the battle; and the fact that he had not had the good fortune to die in it for the gospel, like other honest soldiers. I tried to comfort him, but soon saw that his noble heart needed no comfort. Then I set before him what food we had in the house and got the servants to make up a soldier’s bed of fresh straw, which he insisted upon, even though he was much in need of rest.
The first thing he did in the morning was to give me his horse and to distribute his money, of which he had no small amount on him, and several valuable rings among my wife, children and
Chapter 22
Who the hermit was from whose company Simplicius had benefited
That morning the governor’s steward ordered me to go to the above-mentioned pastor to hear what his lord had said to him about me. He gave me a bodyguard to take me there. The pastor led me into his study, made me sit down and said, ‘My dear Simplicius, the hermit with whom you lived in the forest is not only the brother-in-law of the governor, he also helped him gain promotion in the army and was his closest friend. The governor was kind enough to tell me about him. From his earliest youth he at all times showed both the courage of a heroic soldier and the devout godliness usually only found in a monk, two virtues which are rarely seen together. His piety coupled with unhappy experiences so conspired to make him discontented with the world that he repudiated his nobility and considerable estates in Scotland, where he was born, because all worldly affairs had come to seem vain, stale and corrupt to him. In a word, he hoped to exchange his present high rank for a better glory to come. His noble spirit felt disgust at all worldly splendour and all his hopes and all his endeavours were directed towards the wretched existence in which you found him in the forest and shared with him until his death.
In my opinion’, the pastor went on, ‘he was led astray by reading too many popish books about the lives of old hermits. However, I will not conceal from you how he came to the Spessart and fulfilled his desire for such a wretched hermit’s life, so that in future you can tell other people about it. The second night after the bloody battle of Höchst had been lost, he arrived at my parsonage, alone and unattended. It was towards morning and I and my wife and children had only just gone to sleep because the noise throughout the countryside made by both pursued and pursuers had kept us awake the whole previous night and half of this. He knocked on the door, at first gently, then furiously enough to wake myself and my sleepy servants. At his request, and after a short exchange of words, which was very cautious on both sides, I opened the door and saw the noble gentleman dismounting from his steed. His sumptuous clothing was bespattered with the enemy’s blood as much as it was adorned with gold and silver and since he was still holding his naked sword in his hand, I was filled with fear and dread. But once he had sheathed it and had nothing but civil words for me, I began to wonder why such a brave lord should be asking a poor village pastor for shelter in such friendly fashion. He was so handsome a figure and so magnificently attired that I addressed him as Count Mansfeld. He replied that he was the Count’s equal, if not his superior, in misfortune alone. There were three things he grieved over: the loss of his wife, who was close to her term; the loss of the battle; and the fact that he had not had the good fortune to die in it for the gospel, like other honest soldiers. I tried to comfort him, but soon saw that his noble heart needed no comfort. Then I set before him what food we had in the house and got the servants to make up a soldier’s bed of fresh straw, which he insisted upon, even though he was much in need of rest.
The first thing he did in the morning was to give me his horse and to distribute his money, of which he had no small amount on him, and several valuable rings among my wife, children and
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