John Tetzel

“ Tetzel was selected as the most efficient salesman; he was appointed general sub-commissioner for indulgences, and was accompanied by a clerk of the Fuggers from whom Albrecht had borrowed the money to pay his first-fruits. Tetzel’s efforts irretrievably damaged the complicated and abstruse Catholic doctrine on the subject of indulgences; as soon as the coin clinks in the chest, he cried, the soul is freed from purgatory. ”

“ It became clear that the house in Bridlington Street would soon be too small for his needs.
“It sounds nonsensical, I know,” said Mr. Tetteridge; “but there are times when I wish that I hadn’t been so sensible.”
“What have you been doing sensible?” laughed Anthony.
“When I followed your most excellent and youthful advice, Tony, and started this confounded school,” explained Mr. Tetteridge.
“What’s wrong with it?” asked Anthony.
“Success,” replied Mr. Tetteridge. “It’s going to grow. I shall end in a big square house with boarders and assistant masters and prayers at eight o’clock. ”

“ They were settlers, they were scouts, but they were professional Indian-hunters. The trail had one object to them: scalps and revenge. They spread fear and hatred both.
There were five Wetzel brothers: Martin, Lewis, Jacob, John and George. Not so much is heard about George, but the four others became famous bordermen.
The Wetzel family removed with the Zane families and neighbors from the South Branch of the Potomac River, West Virginia, in 1770, to help form the Wheeling settlement at the Ohio in the pan-handle. Father John Wetzel was a daring man; a great hunter, a venturesome explorer ”

“ The Huns gaped at the proud heroes as they had been wild beasts, and Etzel’s wife saw them through a window, and was troubled anew. She thought on her old wrong, and began to weep. Etzel’s men marvelled much what had grieved her so sore. She said, “Good knights, it is Hagen that hath done it.”
Then said they to the queen, “How came it to pass? A moment ago we saw thee of good cheer. There is no man so bold, had he done thee a hurt, and thou badest us avenge thee, but he should answer for it with his life.” ”

“ He broke off, and looked up into Tresler’s face.
[Pg 32]
“Yes, I’m going there. You don’t happen to belong to—to Blind Hell?”
“Happen I do,” assured the washerman. “I do the chores around the ranch. Joe Nelson, once a stock raiser m’self. Kerrville, Texas. Now——” He broke off, and waved a hand in the direction of the drying clothes.
“Well, I’m John Tresler, and I’m on my way to Mosquito Bend.”
“So you’re the ‘tenderfoot,’” observed the choreman, musingly. “You’re the feller from Noo England as Jake’s goin’ to lick into shape.” ”

“ He had no pleasure in any thing. His very profession was a burthen to him, and night and day he did nothing but mope. What would have become of him, his wife and daughter, his practice, his home, and his society, had he not, as he used to say, met with an angel, in the shape of a horse-dealer?
He was strolling, one evening, in a very melancholy mood, down Friday-street, not far from his own home, as he passed by the livery stables of John Tattsall, as the name was then spelt. John knew the doctor, and capped him with "A beautiful evening, sir." ”

“ Arrived at the stables, it was not long before Doctor Gambado introduced his brother and friend Doctor Bull to the noted personage of his day, John Tattsall. Is the name of Tattsall, as it used to be called, corrupted, from a hundred years ago, now to that of Tattersall? We do not know the gentleman's dealer, auctioner, or horse agent of the latter name; but if he be the descendant of the great John Tattsall, we only hope he is as good a man as his ancestor. A better in his line could never be. It requires a knowledge of a man's craft, to say whether he is a good or bad workmen at it. ”

“ Jan managed to say, after vainly endeavoring for some time to edge in his question.
"Once every year," Mrs. Teczynska replied, [26] "in the city of Cracow, where we got off the train and took the sleigh to come up here, the people have a holiday. They call it the celebration of the Wianki, or wreaths, and it takes place on the twenty-fourth day of June, which is the eve of St. John's Night. They have fireworks and all sorts of gayeties." ”

“ Mrs. Tescheron's tears were those of joy. My joy was without tears, for the occasion brought a hearty welcome to Hygeia's Connecticut home. [Pg 335]
Jim Hosley and I are associated to-day in the management of one of the largest industries rehabilitated by that great executive, John MacDonald, with whom we are on terms of close intimacy. We are surprised at the changes that have come in a few years, and as we look back, we often wonder if the folly of those bachelor days was not after all profitable. Mr. Tescheron has lived long enough to believe it was. ”

“ The abuse was at its height with Tetzel. The council of Trent condemned these measures, and since there have been no conspicuous abuses.
“Tetzel,” tĕt ́sel. (1460?-1519.) He was educated at Leipsic, and after entering his order, was frequently employed as a vender of indulgences. He is usually represented as a very immoral man, and his abuse of the indulgence system to have been most flagrant. Catholic historians claim that these statements are overdrawn, although they admit his indiscretion. After his trouble with Luther, Tetzel seems to have lost all his influence with the public. ”

“ Tetteridge flushed, and his eyes instinctively [Pg 54] turned to a small photograph on the mantelpiece. It featured a pretty dolly-faced girl, the daughter of one of the masters at the grammar school.
“You haven’t got any friends, have you?” asked Anthony.
Mr. Tetteridge shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he answered.
“Couldn’t you keep a school?” suggested Anthony, “for little boys and girls whose mothers don’t like them going to the parish school and who ain’t good enough for the Miss Warmingtons? There’s heaps of new people always coming here. And you’re so clever at teaching.” ”

“ Avenge it who will, man or woman. I will not lie; I have wrought thee much woe.”
She said, “Ye hear him, knights! He denieth not the wrong he hath done me. I care not how he suffer for it, ye men of Etzel.”
The proud warriors glanced at each other. Had there been fighting, the two comrades had come off with honour, as oft aforetime in strife. What the Huns had undertaken they durst not perform, through fear. Then said one among them, “Why look ye at me? My word was vain; I will lose my life for the gifts of no woman. King Etzel’s wife, methinketh, would undo us.” ”

“ One of the mediæval pioneers, Stenzel, delivered a formula of purest Tuscan cinquecento: "Was bei anderen Menschen gemeine Schlechtigkeit ist, erhält, bei den ungewöhnlichen Geistern, den Stempel der Grösse, der selbst dem Verbrechen sich aufdrückt. Der Maassstab ist anders; denn das Ausserordentliche lässt sich nur durch Ausserordentliches bewirken." Treitschke habitually denounces the impotent Doctrinaires who do not understand "dass der Staat Macht ist und der Welt des Willens angehört," and who know not how to rise "von der Politik des Bekenntnisses zu der Politik der That." ”

“ In King Etzel’s love shall vanish: if thou share his life and his throne,
Let who will speak against it, meseems it shall well be done.
For all thou hast lost,” said her brother, “can he make amends unto thee.
From the River Rhone to the Rhine-stream, from the Elbe to the uttermost sea,
There is no king so mighty that men have known or seen.
Well might thine heart be gladdened that he chooseth thee for his Queen.”
She answered: “O brother belovèd, counsel not this, I implore!
Meeter for me are weeping and wailing evermore.
What have I to do with a palace, in the presence of knights to shine? ”

“ So each of you defend him as he loves his life. I must perform my promise; so wills King Etzel's wife." * * * * * * * "Tarry yet a little, right noble Rüdeger! I and my lords a moment would yet with you confer; Thereto hard need compels us, and danger gathering nigh; What boot were it to Etzel though here forlorn we die? "I'm now," pursued Sir Hagan, "beset with grievous care; The shield that Lady Gotelind gave me late to bear, Is hewn, and all-to broken by many a Hunnish brand. I brought it fair and friendly hither to Etzel's land. ”

“ In his right lay her snow-white hand; thus they sate in lover's wise, since Rudeger would not let the king make love to Kriemhild secretly.
Then one bade the tourney cease on every side; in courtly wise the great rout ended. Etzel's men betook them to the booths; men gave them lodgings stretching far away on every side. The day had now an end; they lay at ease, till the bright morn was seen to dawn again, then many a man betook him to the steeds. Ho, what pastimes they gan ply in honor of the king! Etzel bade the Huns purvey all with fitting honors. ”

“ Then he told her what Rüdiger had related of Etzel’s court, its greatness and its glory, and finally told her of Etzel’s wooing. But Chriemhild answered with solemn firmness, that she would not leave the grave-mound in which all she loved was buried.
276 Then mother Ute spoke. “If you will be Etzel’s queen, my child, you will be the most powerful of women.”
“Most powerful of women,” repeated the daughter thoughtfully. “Look, Giselher,” she went on, pointing to her embroidery, “you know whom that hero is intended to represent?” ”

“ She spake unto King Etzel: “My dearly-belovèd Lord,
I would make unto thee my petition, if this thy grace would accord,
That thou suffer mine heart to be gladdened, if my love hath deserved this meed,
By the proof of mine eyes that my kinsmen be dear unto thee indeed.”
Then spake the King, and, speaking, was guileless his heart within:
“Hereof will I certify thee: whatsoe’er to thine hero-kin
Is done for their honour and profit, for mine own joy shall it be done;
For never by love of woman nobler kin have I won.” ”

“ She wist so how to give, that after all her sorrow she had the joy that Etzel's liegemen gave her great worship, of which she later won great store among the heroes. Etzel's rule was known far and wide, so that all time one found at his court the boldest warriors of whom men ever heard, among Christian or among paynim. ”

“ Of all those vassals of Etzel, when he dared to make her a jest;
And she set her once more to enkindle her champions against that guest.
She cried: “Whosoever will smite me yon Hagen of Troneg dead,
And bring for a trophy hither and cast at my feet his head,
For him the shield of Etzel will I fill with gold to the brim,
Yea also, castles for guerdon and land will I give unto him.”
“I wot not why these falter,” the viol-minstrel said.
“Never have I seen heroes stand so sorely adread,
When offered in all men’s hearing is all that wealth of gold. ”

“ Truly it was Tessibel's first day and first night!
"He air to be hanged dead?" she asked, the painful shiftiness of her eyes settling questioningly upon the minister's face. "Aw, he air good, Daddy Skinner air, gooder than ye be, with ye cross and ye crown that ye sing about. Gooder than all ye whole church, if his gun did kill the gamekeeper. We has our rights to live, to eat bread and beans, like ye have, hain't we? If Daddy Skinner air hung, then Tessibel hangs too." ”

“ These, with the twelve hundred men that made up their host, received Kriemhild with all worship. Then came Sir Blœdel, King Etzel’s brother, from the land of the Huns; with great pomp, he drew nigh to the queen. The next was King Etzel, with Sir Dietrich and all his knights, among the which were many good warriors faithful and true; whereat the heart of Queen Kriemhild was uplifted.
Then Sir Rudeger said to the queen, “Lady, the king would welcome thee here. Kiss them that I bid thee kiss. It is not meet that all Etzel’s men be greeted on like manner.” ”

“ Tescheron, after he had read the letters to his wife and Gabrielle, who made it a point to be with her mother early every evening. During the day she spent most of her time at the hospital ministering to Jim.
Mr. Tescheron's admiration of the Stuffer House intensified as time wore on and he found he was safe there. His sagacity in the matter encouraged him, and he soon took risks by venturing into the heart of New York dressed in a suit which made him appear like a City Hall Park [Pg 163] hobo, with slouch hat and long ulster, such as market men wear loosely belted like great aprons. ”

“ He jerked up his head with an odd movement of defiance. “There’s one thing I would like you to know,” he said. “Though I am no more than a country clod and grind my living out of the stones, I’ve made a success of it. There’s not a single farmer hereabouts who can say that he has a better show than mine. In fact, they know quite well that Tetherstones beats them all.”
“That was worth doing,” said Frances.
“Yes. It was worth doing. But now that it’s done, anyone could run it—anyone with any experience. Oliver could run it.” ”

“ Having lost his first wife, Etzel, king of Hungary, now deems it advisable to marry again and secure an heir to his realm. As no other woman seems so fitted for so exalted a station as Kriemhild, Etzel sends his chief nobleman, Rudiger, to Worms with his proposal. After tarrying a few days on the way with his wife and daughter, this ambassador hurries to Worms, where he is welcomed by Hagen, who had formerly spent several years as a hostage at Etzel's court. Rudiger having made his errand known, Gunther beseeches three days' time to ascertain his sister's wishes. ”