Taylor, Edgar [Editor]; Austin, Sarah [Editor]: Lays of the minnesingers or German troubadours of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries: Illustr. by specimens of the contemporary lyric poetry of Provence and other parts of Europe ; With histor. and crit. notes, and engravings from the ms. of the minnesingers in the king's library at Paris, and from other sources (London, 1825)

GERMANY. 115

Her image in his heart

Did banish all his care,
As now before his eyes

Stood forth that lady fair.

From her embroider'd vest

There glitter'd many a gem,
While o'er her lovely cheek

The rosy red did beam;
Whoe'er in raptur'd thought

Had imag'd lady bright,
Confess'd that lovelier maid

Ne'er stood before his sight

And as the beaming moon

Rides high the stars among,
And moves with lustre mild

The mirky clouds along;
So, midst her maiden throng,

Up rose that matchless fair;
And higher swell'd the soul

Of many a hero there.

Next in value are the pieces usually passing under
the general title of the " Helden-buch," or " Book of
Heroes." The greater part is attributed to the un-
wearying hand of Wolfram of Eschenbach, the review
of whose life and works would in fact embrace almost
every branch of the literature of his age. One of the
pieces, entitled "Laurin, the Dwarf King," or " The
Little Garden of Roses," is the work of his cotempo-
rary Henry of Ofterdingen, and might be selected as
the most sprightly and elegant specimen of this class
of ancient romantic fiction. Nothing can be more
airy and romantic than some of the descriptions
i %