Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/138

 126 HISTORY OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE the interests of the people that appealed to him. This is strikingly shown by his didactic and religious poem ' Das Narrenschiff,' one of the most interesting monu- ments of a pious, patriotic mind. He was an enthusi- astic worshipper of the ancient order of things under pope and emperor, and he remained unswervingly true to his creed. His principles were summed up in the following lines : Nit lass vom Glauben dich abfiiren, Ob man davon will disputiren, Sonder glaub schlecht einfeltiglich Wie die heilige Kirch thut leren dich. Nimm dich der scharffen Lehr nit an, Die dein Vernunft nit mag verstahn. ' Be not led from the Faith although they may dis- pute about it. Believe with simplicity what the Church teaches you. Do not trouble yourself about subtleties which it is beyond your power to understand.' Heynlin's pupil and friend, the cathedral preacher, Geiler von Kaisersberg, born in 1445, occupied the same position at Strasburg as Heynlin himself did at Basle. He was the leading spirit of an important circle of highly gifted men, on whom the ' Queen of the Upper Ehine ' might well look with pride. As a scholastic theologian, as a zealous promoter of Humanistic studies in the Christian sense, and as a pulpit preacher, he was entirely in accord with the mental attitude of his master, Heynlin. These two men, together with their friends, Johann Trithemius and Gabriel Biel, close the list of the <*reat mediaeval divines. Geiler's sound and thorough- going classical culture rendered him specially capable of preaching clearly and impressively to the people. His Biblical and patristic learning was wide and thorough. While urging strongly on theologians the