Herman.  Henrich, give us a glass of brandy.  I swear, gentlemen, it went black before my eyes when I heard this news read.—­Your health, gentlemen!—­I must admit I consider it a fatal mistake to go past all the forts.

Sivert.  On my word, I should have done the same thing if the army had been entrusted to me.

Franz.  You will see when they make generals of baggage inspectors.

Sivert.  You have no call to sneer.  I should have been as good as another.

Gert.  You are right there, Sivert.  The prince did well to make straight for the enemy.

Herman.  Ah, my good Gert, you are much too self-satisfied.  You still have something to learn.

Gert.  But not from Franz the cutler.

(They get into a violent quarrel and talk all at once.  They rise from their chairs, threaten, and shout.)

Herman [knocking on the table and bellowing].  Silence!  Silence!  Gentlemen!  Let us say no more about it, and each one hold to his own opinion.  Listen, gentlemen!  Keep still, will you?  Do you think that it was from fear that the Duke of Vendome retired and set fire to the countryside?  No, the fellow has been reading the Chronicle of Alexander the Great, for that’s what he did when Darius followed him, and thereby he won as great a victory as we won before Hochstadt.

Jens.  It has just struck twelve by the postmaster’s clock.

Herman.  Then we must go.

[They go out disputing, and make a great noise as they continue the argument.]

ACT III

SCENE 1

(In front of Herman’s house stand Abrahams and Sanderus, with Christopher and Jochum, their servants.)

Abrahams. I have a story for you that will amuse the whole town.  Do you know what I have arranged with three or four gentlemen here in the city?

Sanderus.  No, I don’t know.

Abrahams. Do you know Herman von Bremen?

Sanderus.  That must be the tinker who is such a great politician and who lives in this house.

Abrahams. That’s the man.  I was with some of the members of the council awhile ago, and they were very angry with the fellow because he talked so boldly at the tavern about the government, and wanted to reform everything.  They thought it would be worth while to set spies on him to find out just what he says, so that he could be punished as an example to others.

Sanderus.  It would be a good thing to punish such fellows, for they sit over a jug of ale and criticise kings and princes and magistrates and generals in a way that is dreadful to listen to.  And it is dangerous, too, for the common people hare not the discretion to appreciate how absurd it is for a tinker, a hatter, and a maker of brushes to talk about such things, of which they know little or nothing, and settle matters that are too much for the whole council.