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verzierten, purpurfarbenen Gewändern beim Scheine von 800 Fackeln ebenfalls einen Umzug durch die Strassen.„Es sei doch“, meint Ascham,„eine wunderbare Mode, das ganze Jahr hindurch so sündhaft zu leben und dann auf einmal Friede mit Gott zu schliessen, möge dieser wollen, oder nicht.“

An Ascham's Briefe reiht sich ergänzend und weiter ausführend sein grösseres, nach einem allerdings nur kurzen Ausfluge nach Italien ¹⁰) geschriebenes Werk:„Report and Discourse of the Affairs and State of Germany and the Emperor Charles his Court, during certain years while the said Roger was there“. Dieser Bericht wird, da ihn Ascham als vorurtheilsfreier, unparteiischer Mann mit grösster Gewissenhaftigkeit geschrieben, und weil er meistens von dem, was er berichtet, Augen- und Ohrenzeuge war, und dazu ausserhalb der Partheien stand ¹¹), als eine zuverlässige Geschichtsquelle jener Zeit angesehen, ist auch von Ranke in seiner Reformationsgeschichte öfters als solche gebührend gewürdigt, aber doch wohl kaum in vollem Umfange ausgenutzt worden, wie unter Anderen die Stelle über die Gefangennahme Philipp's von Hessen ¹²). Was nun die Sprache Ascham's in dieser Arbeit betrifft, so meint Dr. Johnson, sie müsse für die damalige Zeit „honigsüss“ gewesen sein. Sie beginnt mit den Kämpfen Johann von Vega's und Andreas Doria's gegen Dragut Rayes, der Wegnahme Mehadia's und der Einnahme von Tripolis durch die Türken. Als Beispiel der auf beiden Seiten herrschenden fanatischen Wuth führt er uns an, dass die Türken einen gefangenen Christen, nachdem sie ihn verstümmelt, von zu diesem Zwecke aus- gehungerten Hunden zerreissen liessen, und die Christen zur Repressalie drei gefangenen Türken

¹⁰) I was once in Italy myself; but I thank God my abode was there but nine days, and yet I saw in that little time, in one city, more liberty to sin, than ever I heard tell of in our noble city of London in nine vears. I saw it was there as free to sin, not only without all punishment, but also without any man's marking, as it is free in the city of London, to choose without all blame, whether a man lust to wear shoe or pantocle.

¹11) But that you may know that I have not been altogether idle in this my absence, and that I will not come home as one that can say nothing of that he hath seen and heard abroad, I will homely and rudely(yet not altogether disorderly) part privately unto vou such notes of affairs as I privately marked for myself; which J either felt or saw, or learned in such place and of such persons as had wills to seek for, and ways to come by, and wits to weigh the greatest matters that were to be marked in all these affairs. For no week almost has passed, in which there has not commonly come to my hand for the most part of the notable things that have been attempted in Turkey, Hungary, Italy, France and Germany. In declaring to you these things, I will observe only the first two points of our wont communication, that is, to my writing I will set forward nothing that is false, nor keep backlanything that is true. For I, playing no part of no one side, but sitting down as indifferent looker on, neither Imperial nor, French, but flat English, do purpose with truth to report the matter; and seeing I shall live under such a prince as King Edward is, and in such a country as England is, I shall have neither need to flatter the one side for profit, nor cause to fear the other side for displeasure. Letter to Astley.

¹²) The duke of Alva made the Landgrave a supper, and called also thither duke Maurice, and the Marquis of Brandenburg, where they had great cheer; but after supper, it was told duke Maurice and the Marquis that they might depart, for the Landgrave must lodge there that night. On the morrow, they reasoned of the matter wholly to this purpose, that the Emperor promised the Landgrave's person ought not to be kept. Answer was made, that the Emperor went no further than conditions led him; which were, that he should not be kept in ever- lasting prison. When I was at Villach in Carinthia, I asked duke Frederick's preacher what were the very words in German, whereby the Landgrave against his looking was kept in prison. He said the fallacion was pretty and notable, and took his pen and wrote in my book the very words wherein the controversy stood; Duke Maurice said it was„Nicht in einig gefengknes“, i. e.„Not in any prison“. The Imperials said no, but thus:„Nicht in ewig gefengknes“, i. e. in everlasting prison. And how soon„einig“ may be turned into„ewig“, not with scrape of knife, but whit the least dash of a pen, so that it shall never be perceived, a man that will prove may easily see.