Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/70

 58 THE CHUR BREVIARY OF 1490 in January, 1493, t ' ie two houses in the Weisse Gasse were seized by Weissenburg and Pforzheim. In January, 1494, the court decided that if Meister Jacob would swear that he had handed over to the sizer free from all flaws and defeats the books which he had contracted to print for the defend- ants, he should be paid the remainder of what was due to him. This apparently still refers to the Breviaries, but if so it is most extraordinary that we should not have heard of these alleged short- comings before. Meister Jacob, after taking a week to think the matter over, seems to have sworn the required oath, but Gilgenstein succeeded in putting off the day of settlement until the beginning of November, when he was peremptorily ordered to pay up within a week, on pain of a fine of ten shillings. Things were now at a desperate pass, for Jacob was about to drive his debtors out of their trade and deprive them of their liveli- hood altogether ; but Peter von Weissenburg, generously enough considering his previous ex- perience, advanced Gilgenstein 150 florins in gold, and the situation was saved. Gilgenstein, the widow, and her son Heinrich gave their houses and all their property as security to Weissenburg, and engaged to repay the debt in instalments of 50 florins at each of the next three Frankfort fairs. As no more is heard of the matter, we may presume that they succeeded in doing this, and lived happily ever after. Adam's son Heinrich, the only one of his children about whom any information is given, appears to have been still under age when his father died, but