PART II: DIARY OF A JOURNEY THE NETHERLANDS (July, 1520- July, 1521) (continued 2)

I have made a careful portrait in black chalk on a royal sheet of the great Anthony Hainault, and I have done careful portraits in black chalk of Braun and his wife on royal sheets, and I have done another one of him in silverpoint; he has given me an angel. Changed 1 florin for expenses, paid 1 florin for a pair of shoes; gave 6 stivers for an inkstand. I gave 12 stivers for a case for packing; 21 stivers for one dozen ladies' gloves; 6 stivers for a bag; 3 stivers for three bristle brushes; changed 1 florin for expenses; gave 1 stiver for a piece of fine red leather. Anthony Hainault, whose portrait I did, has given me 3 Philip's florins, and Bernhard Stecher has made me a present of a tortoise shell; I have done the portrait of his wife's niece; dined once with her husband and he gave me 2 Philip's florins; gave 1 stiver for a tip. I have given Anthony Hainault two books; received 13 stivers for prints. I have given Master Joachim the Hans Grun woodcut. I have changed 3 Philip's florins for expenses; dined twice with Bernhard Stecher; again twice with Tomasin. I have given Jobst's wife four woodcuts; gave Friedrich, Jobst's man, two large books; gave glazier Hennick's son two books. Rodrigo gave me one of the parrots which they bring from Malacca, and I gave his man 3 stivers for a tip. Again dined twice with Tomasin; have given 2 stivers for a little cage, 3 stivers for one pair of socks, and 4 stivers for eight little boards. I gave Peter two whole sheet engravings and one sheet of woodcut. Again dined twice with Tomasin; changed 1 florin for expenses. I gave Master Art, the glass painter, a "Life of Our Lady," and I gave Master Jean, the French sculptor, a whole set of prints; he gave my wife six little glasses with rose water; they are very finely made.

Bought a packing-case for 7 stivers; changed 1 florin for expenses; have given 7 stivers for a cut [leather] bag. Cornelius, the secretary, has given me Luther's "Babylonian Captivity:" in return I gave him my three big books. I gave Peter Puz, the monk, one florin's worth of prints; to the glass painter, Hennick, I gave two large books; gave 4 stivers for a piece of glazed calico; changed 1 Philip's florin for expenses. I gave 8 florins' worth of my prints for a whole set of Lucas's engravings; again changed 1 Philip's florin for expenses. I gave 8 stivers for a bag and 7 stivers for half a dozen Netherlandish cards, and 3 stivers for a small yellow post-horn. I paid 24 stivers for meat, 12 stivers for coarse cloth, and again 3 stivers for coarse cloth. Have eaten twice with Tomasin. I gave 1 stiver to Peter; gave 7 stivers for a present and 3 stivers for sacking. Rodrigo has presented me with six ells of coarse black cloth for a cape; it cost a crown an ell. Changed 2 florins for expenses; gave the tailor's man 2 stivers for a tip. I have reckoned up with Jobst and I owe him 31 florins, which I paid him. Therein were charged and deducted two portrait heads which I painted in oils, for which he gave me five pounds of borax, Netherlandish weight.

In all my doings, spendings, sales, and other dealings in the Netherlands, in all my affairs with high and low, I have suffered loss, and Lady Margaret in particular gave me nothing for what I gave her and did for her. This settlement with Jobst was made on SS. Peter and Paul's Day. I gave Rodrigo's man 7 stivers for a tip. I have given Master Hennick an engraved "Passion;" he gave me some burning pastilles. I had to pay the tailor 25 stivers for making up the cape. I have engaged a carrier to take me from Antwerp to Cologne. I am to pay him 13 light florins, each of 24 stivers, and am to pay besides the expenses for a man and a boy. Jacob Rehlinger has given me 1 ducat for his charcoal portrait. Gerhard has given me two little pots with capers and olives, for which I gave 4 stivers as a tip. Gave Rodrigo's man 1 stiver. I have given my portrait of the Emperor in exchange for a white English cloth which Jacob, Tomasin's son-in-law, gave me.

Alexander Imhof has lent me a full hundred gold florins, on the Eve of Our Lady's Crossing the Mountains, 1521. For this I have given him my sealed signature, which he will have presented to me at Nuremberg, when I will pay him back with thanks, gave 6 stivers for a pair of shoes; paid the apothecary 11 stivers, paid 3 stivers for cord. In Tomasin's kitchen I gave away a Philip's florin in leaving gifts, and I gave his maiden daughter a gold florin on leaving. I have dined thrice with him. I gave Jobst's wife a florin and 1 florin in the kitchen for leaving gifts, also I gave 2 stivers to the packers. Tomasin has given me a small jar full of the best theriac [an antidote for poison]. Changed 3 florins for expenses; gave the house servant 10 stivers on leaving; gave Peter 1 stiver; gave 2 stivers for a tip. I gave 3 stivers to Master Jacob's man; 4 stivers for sacking; gave Peter 1 stiver; gave the messenger 3 stivers.

On Our Lady's Visitation, when I was just leaving Antwerp, the King of Denmark sent for me to come to him at once, to do his portrait; this I did in charcoal, and I did the portrait, too, of his servant Anthony, and I had to dine with the King, who showed himself very gracious to me.

I have entrusted my bale to Leonhard Tucher and given over to him my white cloth. The carrier with whom I bargained, did not take me; I fell out with him. Gerhard has given me some Italian seeds. I gave the new carrier to take home the great turtle shell, the fish shield, the long pipe, the long shield, the fish fins, and the two little casks of lemons and capers, on Our Lady's Visitation Day, 1521.

Next day we set out for Brussels on the King of Denmark's business, and I engaged a driver, to whom I gave 2 florins. I presented to the King of Denmark the best pieces of all my prints, they are worth 5 florins. Changed 2 florins for expenses; paid 1 stiver for a dish and basket. I saw, too, how the people of Antwerp wondered very much when they saw the King of Denmark, that he was such a manly, handsome man, and that he had come hither with only two companions through his enemies' country. I saw, too, how the Emperor rode forth from Brussels to meet him and received him honourably and with great pomp. Then I saw the noble costly banquet that the Emperor and Lady Margaret held next day.

Paid 2 stivers for a pair of gloves. Herr Anthony paid me 12 Horn florins, of which I gave 2 Horn florins to the painter for the little panel to paint the portrait on, and 2 Horn florins for having colours rubbed for me; the other 8 Horn florins I took for expenses.

On the Sunday before St. Margaret's Day, the King of Denmark gave a great banquet to the Emperor, Lady Margaret, and the Queen of Spain [Editor's note: probably Eleanora of Portugal, not the Spanish Queen], and invited me, and I dined there also. Paid 12 stivers for the King's frame, and I painted the King in oils—he has given me 30 florins. [Editor's note: this painting no longer exists].

I gave 2 stivers to the young man called Bartholomew, who rubbed the colours for me; I bought a little glass jar which once belonged to the King for 2 stivers. Paid 2 stivers for a tip; gave 2 stivers for the engraved goblets. I have given Master Jan's boy four half-sheets, and to the master- painter's boy an "Apocalypse" and four half-sheets. Thomas of Bologna has given me one or two Italian prints; I have also bought one for 1 stiver. Master Jobst, the tailor, invited me and I supped with him. I have paid for the hire of a room at Brussels for eight days, 32 stivers. I have given an engraved "Passion" to the wife of Master Jan, the goldsmith, with whom I dined three times. I gave another "Life of Our Lady" to Bartholomew, the painter's apprentice; I have dined with Herr Nicolas Ziegler, and gave 1 stiver to Master Jan's servant. Because of being unable to get a carriage, I have stayed on two days in Brussels; paid 1 stiver for a pair of socks.

On Friday morning early I started from Brussels, and I am to pay the driver 10 florins. I paid my hostess 5 stivers more for the single night. From there we rode through two villages and came to Louvain; breakfasted, and spent 13 stivers. Thence we journeyed through three villages and came to Thienen, which is a little town, and lay the night there, and I spent 9 stivers. From there, early on St. Margaret's Day, we traveled through two villages and came to a town which called St. Truyen, where they are building a large, well-designed church tower, quite new. From thence we went on past some poor houses and came to a little town, Tongeren; there we had our morning meal, and spent all together, 6 stivers. From thence we went through a village and some poor houses and came to Maestricht, where I lay the night, and spent 12 stivers, and 2 blanke besides, for watch money. Thence we journeyed early on Sunday to Aachen, where we ate and spent all together 14 stivers. Thence we traveled to Altenburg, taking six hours, because the driver did not know the way and went wrong; there we stayed for the night and spent 6 stivers. On Monday early we traveled through Julich, a town, and came to Bergheim, where we ate and drank, and spent 3 stivers. Thence we journeyed through three more villages and came to Cologne.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ELECTRONIC EDITION

The original edition of this text was translated into English by Rudolf Tombo, Ph.D., and published by The Merrymount Press, Boston, 1913, as part of volume VI of The Humanist's Library, edited by Lewis Einstein. It has also been republished, unabridged, by Dover Publications, Inc., in 1995.

The text itself is copyright-free. This digitized version of the text was prepared by John Mamoun in December, 2000 and is copyright, but liberal permission is granted to freely copy/distribute/modify it for non-commercial purposes/contexts and/or for non-commercial academic use.