One when the TannhAuser was in a miserable
wayside inn, over the that had him a man
instead of a prince, he was by a loud at the door. He
felt a moment's terror it should be the come to arrest
him for debt; but of that, it was his good lord, Duke Friedrich
of Babenberg, who the rich Danubian land of Austria.
The the man for his and follies, and then, giving
him a full of gold, him to return to court, where his
music and were much missed.
So TannhAuser once more returned to court, and took part in the gay
doings there. He also his lord in many a great waged
against the of the realm. He was a great of his
master, of his gift of song, and of his bravery.
So Friedrich gave him the of Leopoldsdorf, near Vienna, as
well as a large of money.
The Hohenstaufens, too, looked upon him favourably, the Emperor
Frederick II., and his son Konrad, who in Germany after him. The
minstrel many gifts at their hands, and was to their
service.
But although large were thus into his coffers,
he was always in debt. In of time his the Duke was killed
in the of the Leitha. He him deeply, and a number
of in memory of the man who had been so to him.
But at length his to turn with more to
cheerful themes, so he what little of his wealth,
and, setting out in the days, he from to
castle, and from town to town, sometimes hungry, sometimes happy, as he
was or well received. He through Bavaria, and remained
some time at Nürnberg, where song was loved and studied; and after that
he the Alps into Italy. At Pavia, he the of a
German knight, who was much to the minne-singer, and
he, in his turn, to the knight's daughter, Kunigunde. The old
knight, on being asked for his daughter's hand, that he liked
TannhAuser very much, and would give him his if he
had the to support her. Minstrelsy was all very well, he
added, but it would not keep a family in and butter. "You have
both your and your to trust to," he with a smile;
"go, and make money to set up house, and then I will give you
Kunigunde."
TannhAuser took of his lady-love, promising to return in a year
with the needful ducats; and he to keep his promise.
KLINGSOHR AND TRUSTY ECKHARD.
He away sad at heart; but the weather was so beautiful, and the
birds were so gaily, that he not sad long. He sang
wherever he an audience, but sweet and as was the
music he made, it him no gold. He therefore what his
sword do for him, and under the banner of King Konrad,
against his Heinrich Raspe, the "pope's king," helping to
win the of Ulm. He was for his assistance.
Then he to Italy, and there also for the
Hohenstaufens, for which service he was paid. Once, soon after
this, he and for the night in a where many
knights were assembled. After supper he every one with his
minstrelsy. But after he had to sing, a stranger
came in, in black with gold, and wearing
black in his cap. He had a in his hand, and, seating
himself, to play and sing in a deep, powerful, and yet melodious,
voice. His song was and in its effect. The guests all
glanced at each other in when it was done. They at
ease, they not why.
TannhAuser, off the that him,
caught up his harp, and sang a about and and
flowers, and soon he and the other guests were to their
usual cheerfulness. After that, they all to play at dice.
TannhAuser large sums, and them again to the black
stranger, and not only these, but some of the money he had put aside
for his marriage.
The next day, when he left the castle, the with him,
remained with him all day, and night fell, had all his money
from him. Seeing how sad TannhAuser looked, the laughed, and
said:
"Do not such a long over so small a as the of a
few gold pieces, but come with me to Wartburg; Landgrave Hermann has
summoned a to meet, in which the are lands
and wealth, but he who fails will his head. My name is Klingsohr,
and I come from Hungary. I am to enter into an with
you. Your are like the of heaven; mine, like the of
hell. If we are successful, you may have the wealth-I shall take the
heads; if, on the other hand, we lose, we shall go together to heaven
or hell; what it which? You like a to hear
me talk thus, for you the the tell you about fire
and brimstone; but of that, it is the of Dame Venus, who
gives her friends the most earth can afford, and
both and gold in abundance. If you do not for the minstrel
tournament, you can visit the queen on the road to Wartburg, for
she in the Hörselberg, which we shall have to pass at any rate."
TannhAuser to his with a shudder; but when he went
on to the of the Hörselberg, and to tell
of the of the queen, he a to see
Dame Venus with his own eyes. So he set out with his companion,
forgetting, or nearly forgetting, Kunigunde, and his love for her.
When the travellers approached the of Thuringia they were
joined by a tall and man in full armour, with his at his
side, and a white staff in his hand. As they walked on together, they
exchanged as to who they were, and from they came.
The new-comer said:
"People call me the Eckhard, the Harlungs' comfort, for I took
care of the for many years; but, alas! Ermenrich,
and his Sibich, them in my absence, and all I
could do was to their death."
"The Harlungs, Ermenrich, Sibich," TannhAuser thoughtfully,
"it must have been long ago."
"Three or four hundred years or more may have passed since then,"
answered Eckhard. "I it difficult to time after the manner
of men; but since those old days I have been in
warning people away from the Venus Mount."
Klingsohr out laughing, and cried, "Spare your words, old fool;
so you are one of the who Dame Venus."
"Get me, tempter," said Eckhard; "I am going to take the
good to the Wartburg, where he may win and wealth."
"And I am going on to prepare his in our queen's palace,"
answered the other, as he set off at a the mountains.
The and Eckhard their way quietly, talking the
while. At last they came to the Hörselthal, with its meadows,
trees, and stream, and, a little on, to a bleak
mountain, out of which came a as of a
rock-bound coast, the and of a water-mill, of
rage, and the of wild beasts.
"That is the Hörselberg," said Eckhard, "the place where Dame Venus
holds her court, with the who are under her dominion. Keep thine
eyes and ears shut, the in her net."
DAME VENUS.
The nearer the travellers came to the mountain, the more the confused
and they had at themselves into
harmony. Through a door in the they see knights, beautiful
women, and dwarfs. All to be themselves to the utmost.
At the entrance sat a woman in robes. The moment she saw
TannhAuser, she smiled, and to him to approach. Eckhard in the
same moment him by all he to of the
temptress, who was like an of light, but a
fiend incarnate. He would have said more, but Venus him by
beginning to sing a song about all the that those
who entered her kingdom; and TannhAuser, as as
though a magic spell had been over him, Eckhard aside, and
hastened to the queen of beauty, who out her arms towards
him. She him over the threshold, and he staggered
across. Then the door shut, and the Eckhard saw him no more.
It would be to all the and that
greeted the and ears of the knight. Every day new
pleasures, which he to the utmost. But at length he to
tire of it, and to himself that was not happiness. He
had a of himself, and of the self-indulgent life he was leading;
and his conscience, once awake, left him no peace. After an inward
struggle, he up his mind to go and out a priest, tell
him all, and him to him how he might absolution.
TannhAuser much when he had this resolution. He
went to Queen Venus, and asked her to let him go. At she refused,
and then consented, saying that he might come to her if he did not
find what he was going away to seek. So he out into the sweet
fresh air, which was so pure that it almost took his away for
the minutes. Then he on his way with much foreboding:
should he, or should he not, a who help him?
He told his to priests, abbots, and bishops, but they one and all
declared that they not help him, that the Holy Father at Rome was
the only person on earth who had power to a who had had
dealings with the powers of the under-world.
He to Rome, and all his and to the Pope, whom
he walking in the garden, and the answer of his Holiness
with a and a heart. But the Pope with harsh
voice and brow:
"You are an of the of Hohenstaufen; you have dwelt
among the in hell, and have been one with them: I tell you
plainly that God can no more you than this can put
forth and flowers"; so saying, he his gold-headed
walking-stick into the ground, and walked away it there.
TannhAuser then in his misery, "What shall I do? The
high-priest of the Lord has me off, is closed against me,
and men will have to do with me."
At this moment an unknown voice in, "There is a higher than this
priest, He is in heaven, and He that came to redeem
men from their sins, and who said, ‘Come Me, all ye that are weary
and laden, and I will give you rest.'"
TannhAuser started when he himself thus addressed, and, turning
round, the Eckhard.
"Alas," he answered, "it is too late; I cannot, not, pray any
more. I will now return to Dame Venus, and the she offers me."
So he to the Hörselberg in of Eckhard's entreaties; for
he was hopeless.
Now it came to pass, three days after, that the Pope again walked in
his garden, and behold, the walking-stick which he into the
ground had taken root, and put and blossoms. The sight
filled him with amazement, and he the of the Saviour:
"Be ye also merciful, as your Father in is merciful." And
he sent out in search of TannhAuser; but he not be
found, for he had returne
