Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/308

 296 HISTORY OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE the holy faith to goodness and virtue, is known every- where through her trade and commerce, through her hospitality to visitors, and her sympathy with the afflicted. She is behind no nation in manners or morals, in political power and in her warriors ; neither does she cede to other nations a claim to greater wealth in metals, for they get nearly all their silver from German merchants. Our nation can raise sufficient troops, without foreign help, to withstand otheT countries. Much can be said of Germany's culture, justice, faith, and loyalty.' Even the histories of foreign countries were written ' so as to reflect honour on the German nation,' as Bernhard Schoferlin expressly says in his 'Eoman History,' published by Johann Schoferlin in Mayence in the year 1505. This work is worthy of notice for many reasons over and above its correctness of style. It alludes in the preface to the then popular books on chivalry, and, agreeing with the principle inculcated in ' The Soul's Guide,' that ' truth is higher and worthier than all imaginations of fiction,' recommends the study of history as the best antidote to false representations. The author, a doctor of imperial law, says : ' I shall not confine myself to any special books, but shall cull from authoritative Latin and Greek works, following the example of the bee, that sucks sweetness from a variety of flowers in order to make its honey. I shall hope to put my work into pure German, and I shall trust that some good will spring from it, or at least that it will be found as beneficial as those books on chivalry which are much read, and which are made up of fables incapable of giving men the intelligent ideas of praise- worthy ambition excited by conscientious historians.'