Ludwig Tieck

“ When we behold our bold aspirations in the distant future, we take delight in their noble pursuit, in their golden wings; but now that they are suddenly fluttering around my head so close to me, neither I nor they take the slightest notice of the rest of the world. ”

“ Man is terrified by the unexpected, even if it makes him happy. If his ill-fortune is suddenly turned to joy, he immediately begins to doubt all too readily the reality of his own life. Such was Peter's state of mind when he realized that all his senses had been thrown into confusion. ”

“ Peter went down on one knee and raised a finger in the air.
— I swear, he said, that my purest thoughts are always of Magelone. I will love her courteously and with due propriety, as befits an honorable knight; and if this be not true, then may God abandon me in the hour of my greatest need. Amen!
The nurse was well pleased with this vow. She trusted him completely now and said:
— I see that you are not only the most valiant but also the noblest knight on God's great Earth. ”