The Continuation of Simplicissimus (Dedalus European Classics) by Johann Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen

Author:Johann Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen [Grimmelshausen, Johann Jakob Christoffel von]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781912868155
Publisher: Dedalus Ebooks
Published: 2020-04-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

My journey went pretty well for I found kind-hearted people who were happy to give me both lodging and food from their plenty; and they were all the happier to do that because they saw that I neither asked for nor accepted money, even when I was offered a few coppers. In the town I saw a well-dressed man, who was still very young, with children running round who called him father. I was surprised at this, for I didn’t know that such sons married young so that they could become officials and find posts in the prefectures all the sooner. This man saw me begging at the doors of several houses and when I made a low bow as I passed by him (for I couldn’t doff my hat to him since I went bare-headed), instead of running up to him in the street as some shameless beggars do, he put his hand in his pocket and said, “Hey, why aren’t you asking for alms? Look, there’s a copper for you.” I replied, “I could well imagine, sir, that you don’t carry a loaf of bread around with you, so that is why I didn’t ask you; I don’t seek money for that is not right for beggars.”

By that time there was, as usual, a crowd gathered round and he went on, “You must be a proud beggar if you spurn money.”

“No, sir. I would not have you believe that I scorn money so that it will not make me proud.”

He asked, “Then where are you going to spend the night if you have no money?”

“If God and good folk were kind enough to allow me to take my rest, which I sorely need, in that shed, I would have what I need and rest content.”

He then said, “If I could be sure that you had no lice, I could take you in and give you a proper bed.”

For my part I replied that I had as few lice as I had coins, but I wasn’t sure whether it would be advisable for me to sleep in a bed, because that might spoil me and make me abandon my habit of living a hard life.

At this point a fine gentleman came along to whom the young man said, “Look there, another Diogenes the Cynic, as God’s my witness.”

“O come now, cousin,” the old man said, “what are you saying? Has he barked at someone and bitten them? Give him alms and let him go on his way.”

The young man replied, “He doesn’t want money, cousin, nor any other kindness people want to do him.” Then he told the old man everything I had said and done.

“Ah!” said the old man, “Now that makes sense.” And he told his servants to take me to an inn and to promise to pay the landlord for everything I might consume that night. As I went off the young man shouted after me that I was to be sure to come and see him in the morning and he would give me a good cold collation to take on my way.

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