DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48092#0073
IV.] DURER AT VENICE. THE GREAT PICTURES.
53
having seven letters to write—part are written. I am sorry for Herr
Lorenz, greet him and Stephan Paumgartner. Given at Venice in the
year 1506 on St Mark’s day.
Albrecht Durer.
Write me an answer soon for I shall have no rest till I hear. The
news has just reached me that Andreas Kiinhofer is deadly ill.
Venice, 18 Aug. 1506.
To the first, greatest man in the world.
Your servant and slave Albrecht Dilrer sends salutation to his magnifi-
cent master Wilibald Pirkheimer. My truth ! I hear gladly and with
great satisfaction of your health and great honours. I wonder how it is
possible for a man like yozt to stand against so many wisest princes, swag-
gerers, and soldiers ; it must be by some special grace of God. When I read
your letter about this terrible grimace, it gave me a great fright and I
thought it was a most important thing1, but I warrant that you frightened
even Schott’s men2, you with your fierce look and your holiday hop-
ping step. But it is very improper for such folk to smear themselves
with civet. You want to become a real silk-tail and you think that, if
only you manage to please the girls, the thing is done. If you were
only as taking a fellow as I am, it would not provoke me so. You
have so many loves that merely to pay each one a visit you would take
a month or more before you got through the list.
For one thing I return you my thanks, namely for explaining my
position in the best way to my wife; but I know that there is no lack
of wisdom in you. If only you had my meekness you would have all
virtues. Thank you also for all the good you have done me, if only
you would not bother me about the rings ! If they don’t please you
break their heads off and pitch them out on to the dunghill as Peter
Weisweber says. What do you mean by setting me to such dirty
work? I have become a gentleman at Venice.
I have also heard that you can make lovely rhymes ; you would be
a find for our fiddlers here; they fiddle so beautifully that they can’t
help weeping over it themselves. Would God our Rechenmeister girl
could hear them, she would cry too. At your bidding I will again lay
aside my anger and bear myself even more bravely than usual.
But I cannot get away from here in less than two months time, for
I have not got money enough yet to enable me to start myself off, as
I wrote and told you before. So pray, if my mother comes to you for
a loan, let her have 10 florins till God helps me hence, then I will
quite honourably repay you the whole with thanks.
I am sending you the glass-ware by the messenger, and, as for the
1 Thus far the original is in bad Italian.
2 The retainers of Konz Schott, a neighbouring baron, at one time a conspicuous
enemy of Niimberg.
53
having seven letters to write—part are written. I am sorry for Herr
Lorenz, greet him and Stephan Paumgartner. Given at Venice in the
year 1506 on St Mark’s day.
Albrecht Durer.
Write me an answer soon for I shall have no rest till I hear. The
news has just reached me that Andreas Kiinhofer is deadly ill.
Venice, 18 Aug. 1506.
To the first, greatest man in the world.
Your servant and slave Albrecht Dilrer sends salutation to his magnifi-
cent master Wilibald Pirkheimer. My truth ! I hear gladly and with
great satisfaction of your health and great honours. I wonder how it is
possible for a man like yozt to stand against so many wisest princes, swag-
gerers, and soldiers ; it must be by some special grace of God. When I read
your letter about this terrible grimace, it gave me a great fright and I
thought it was a most important thing1, but I warrant that you frightened
even Schott’s men2, you with your fierce look and your holiday hop-
ping step. But it is very improper for such folk to smear themselves
with civet. You want to become a real silk-tail and you think that, if
only you manage to please the girls, the thing is done. If you were
only as taking a fellow as I am, it would not provoke me so. You
have so many loves that merely to pay each one a visit you would take
a month or more before you got through the list.
For one thing I return you my thanks, namely for explaining my
position in the best way to my wife; but I know that there is no lack
of wisdom in you. If only you had my meekness you would have all
virtues. Thank you also for all the good you have done me, if only
you would not bother me about the rings ! If they don’t please you
break their heads off and pitch them out on to the dunghill as Peter
Weisweber says. What do you mean by setting me to such dirty
work? I have become a gentleman at Venice.
I have also heard that you can make lovely rhymes ; you would be
a find for our fiddlers here; they fiddle so beautifully that they can’t
help weeping over it themselves. Would God our Rechenmeister girl
could hear them, she would cry too. At your bidding I will again lay
aside my anger and bear myself even more bravely than usual.
But I cannot get away from here in less than two months time, for
I have not got money enough yet to enable me to start myself off, as
I wrote and told you before. So pray, if my mother comes to you for
a loan, let her have 10 florins till God helps me hence, then I will
quite honourably repay you the whole with thanks.
I am sending you the glass-ware by the messenger, and, as for the
1 Thus far the original is in bad Italian.
2 The retainers of Konz Schott, a neighbouring baron, at one time a conspicuous
enemy of Niimberg.