Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/312

 300 HISTORY OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE which pious Christians from far-off lands visit for the honour of God and the veneration of His blessed mother and saints, and where they sing and pray. Eead such books to inflame thy heart ; be cheerful, take thy staff ; be filled with courage, humility, and piety, and pray to God and His saints. As it is pleasant to visit new lands and people, so should we wish to make pilgrimages to sacred places.' Amongst these descriptions of travels two are specially worthy of notice : ' The Pilgrimage of the Knight Arnold Harff to the Holy Land,' and the book published in 1486 by the Chamberlain Bernhard von Breidenbach under the title, ' Die heyligen Eayssen ghen Jherusalem ' (' The Holy Journeys to Jerusalem '). The latter contains full and exact descriptions of different places, and gives vivid pictures of their condi- tion at that time. Take, for instance, the following glowing description : ' I have not seen or heard any man who says that he has beheld the like of the church at Bethlehem for costliness and solemnity. For very many great and noble pillars of marble are set in it in four rows. Also the outer church, called the " Ship " of the church, from the pillars to the balcony, is made of beautiful noble mosaic work, with all the histories from the beginning of the world to the Day of Judg- ment. Also the whole upper pavement of the church is made of marble of many colours, embellished with beautiful painting, and all so costly that many think its value cannot be estimated.' This book went through several editions in German and Latin, and was trans- lated into Dutch, French, and Italian, and in 1498 even into Spanish. The dedication of the book, to the archbishop of