Part 11 (2/2)
”And ner, ”to have this very day an opportunity to undergo trial and be elected master?”--”Oho!”
soliloquises Beckmesser, with a shock of surprise at audacity such as this, ”on that head stands no skittle!” There is no ner is no doubt surprised too, but answers kindly: ”Theto rule To-day, however, as it happens, is song-trial I will propose you The masters lend a favourable ear to requests of mine”
The masters are assembled; last of all has entered Hans Sachs, the shoe- Hans Sachs ”Are we all here?”
asks one of the members ”Sachs is here! What more is necessary?”
sneers Beckmesser
Fritz Kothner, the baker, in the capacity of speaker, calls the roll As the ner asks for the floor, and unfolds before the asse is Saint John's day, when it is custo-contest out in the open, a a prize ”Now I, by God's grace, a to his ive not unworthy of me Hear what I determined upon In rined to find that the burgher is held cheap, is thought close-fisted and h and low alike, I heard the bitter reproach, till I was soul-sick of it,--that the burgher has no ai of uardians and preservers of art, they take into no account To what point we place our honour in that, hat a lofty spirit we cherish the good and beautiful, how highly we prize art and its influence, I wished therefore to show the world So hear, Masters, the gift which I have appointed for prize: To the singer who in the song-contest shall before all the people win the prize on Saint John's day, let hiner of Nure, with my whole inheritance, even as it stands, Eva, e!”
Loud applause ”There is a ht sort! There one sees what a Nureer is capable of!
Who would not wish to be a bachelor?” ”I dare say that so away their wives!”
But there is a postscript to Pogner's address which qualifies the aspect of the whole: The ht to reject the masters' choice That is what has froner's counsel before this ed by this revelation ”Does it strike you as judicious?” Beckerous I call it!”--”Do I understand aright,” asks Kothner; ”that we are placed in the hands of the young lady? If the ree with hers, how is it to operate?”--”Let the young lady choose at once according to the inclination of her heart, and leave ame!”
rener strives to calm them, ”Not in the very least! You have imperfectly understood
The ers award the prize, but she er he must be Only one crowned by yourselves e lady, and one fancies more than once, in the course of the play, a shade of sheepishness in the father's own attitude toward it,--
A voice of beautiful, calm, corrective sanity is now raised in the assener, ”you have perhaps already gone solow for master-art do not always burn with an identical flament, untutored as it is, would seehly you honour art, and if, leaving to your daughter the right of choice, you wish her not to repudiate the verdict, let the people be aes, for the people's taste is sure to coincide with the girl's”
Indignation upon this a the ood-bye, once for all, to art! Sachs, what you say is nonsense Are the rules of art to be set aside for the people?”--”Understand ht!” Sachs meets them; ”How you take on! You will own that I know the rules thoroughly For uild to a strict observation of them But once a year it would seem to me wise to test the rules therooves of habit their strength and vitality have not been lost And whether you are still upon the right track of nature you can only find out fro of tabulated rules!” (The apprentices, who here represent the people, and have no great love for the _Tabulatur_, give evidence of joy) ”Wherefore it would seem to me expedient that yearly, at Saint John's feast, instead of per the people to come to you, you should descend out of your lofty o to the people You wish to please the people It would strike me as to the point to let the people tell you itself whether you succeed in pleasing it You would thus secure a vital advantage, both for the people and for art There you have Hans Sachs's opinion!”
No one agrees with him, of course ”You no doubt mean well, but it would be a mistake If the people is to have a voice, I, for one, shall keep my mouth shut If art is to run after the favour of the people, it cannot fail to corief and contees this matter so stiffly,” Beckmesser puts in spitefully; ”His coner sets Sachs's suggestion aside with perfect civility and good hu I am about to do is novel already Too ret”--”Sufficient to ht of refusal!”--”That cobbler always excites my wrath!” mutters Beckmesser
They pass to the order of the day ”Who enters the lists as a candidate?
A bachelor he must be”--”Or perhaps a er?” offers Beckmesser; ”Ask Sachs!”--”Oh, no, er wax than either you or I must the suitor be, if Evchen is to bestow the prize on hier than I, too? Coarse fellow!”
At the question whether any be on the spot ish to take the song-trial, Pogner presents Walther von Stolzing, as one desirous of being that saer The ht's charrace, his elastic step, his hat and feathers, the delicate haughtiness of his bearing, in keeping with his proud naht of hi had up his sleeve The town-clerk declares promptly that it is too late now to enter the new-colances: ”Anoble? Is it a case for rejoicing?
Or is there danger in it? The fact that Master Pogner speaks for hiht, certainly”--”If he is to be welcoly, ”he ner hastens to say; ”Though I wish hi any rule Put to hientlemen, the customary questions” At the very first question, however, whether he be free and honourably born, Pogner hurriedly prevents Walther's answer by his own,hienerous Sachs, feeling the so in the attitude of thebeen one of the rulesa lord or a peasant should have no significance, that inquiry concerning art alone should be er Kothner passes thereupon to the question: ”Of what master are you a disciple?” And then is born into the world a new, a ravishi+ng ht in it that can be compressed into the space Airily, confidently, debonairly, Walther delivers hienuousness of his heart, ”new,” as he had said, ignorant as yet of the jealous world's ways: ”Beside my quiet hearth in winter-time, when castle and court were buried in snow, in an ancient book, bequeathed tobeauties of past Springs, as well as, prophesied, the beauties of the Spring soon to reawaken
The poet, Walther von der Vogelweid, he it is who has been my master!”
Sachs has listened with a surprised, char dead!” snaps Beckmesser; ”How could he learn the canons from him?”
Kothner proceeds without comment to the next question: ”In what school did you learn to sing?”--”Then when the sas free fro winter-evenings I had read in the old book was proclaiht the clear sound of it there In the forest where the birds congregate, I learned likewise to sing!”--”Ho, ho, fro?” Beck no doubt smacks of its teachers!”--”What do you think, masters,” inquires Kothner, upon this hopeless revelation, ”shall I proceed with the questions?
It strikes ether wide of the mark”--”That is ill presently be seen,” Sachs interposes warht sort, and he duly proves it, of what consequence is it fro Walther: ”Are you prepared, now, at once, to atteinal both in text and tune?” Walther answers unhesitatingly: ”All that winter-night and forest-splendour, that book and grove have taught ic of poetry has secretly revealed to htful listener, froay assehest prize of life , is what inal in word and note,--is what must be outpoured before you, ather anything from that torrent of words?” Beck his hair, of his fellow-masters
”Now, masters, if you please,” Kothner directs, ”let the Marker take his seat Does his lordshi+p,” to Walther, ”choose a sacred subject?” ”One that is sacred to nificently; ”The banner of Love I swing and I sing--and cherish good hope!” ”That,” considers Kothner, without a gleam, ”comes under the head of secular subject And now, Master Beckmesser, pray shut yourself in!” With a thin pose of reluctance, Beckmesser takes his way toward the curtained cabinet ”A sour office--and to-day especially The chalk, I surht, Sixtus Beckmesser is the Marker
Here in the cabinet he attends to his stern duty He allows you seven errors He marks them down in there with chalk If you ht, you have failed in the song-trial
Keen is the Marker's ear; that the sight of him therefore may not disconcert you, he relieves you of his presence and considerately shuts hi!” He has climbed upon the platform; he sharply draws the curtains
Two apprentices take down froes Tabulaturoe_ With pomp and flourish Kothner reads them off to Walther