The Travels of Leo of Rozmital through Germany, Flanders, England, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy 1465-1467

Malcolm Letts, Malcolm Letts

• Publisher: Hakluyt Society
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781317013266
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Histoire
• Subtopic: Histoire antique

Translated and edited from the German account by Gabriel Tetzel, with supplementary passages from the Latin versions (printed in 1577, 1843 and 1951) of the lost account in Czech by Václav Sasek, both having been Rozmital's companions. This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1957.

I

TETZEL

THE noble and well-born lord, Leo of Rozmital, lord of Platten [Blatna] and Freyenberg [Fremperg], had proposed to undertake a knightly journey in the year as one counts from the birth of Christ one thousand four hundred and sixty-six [five].¹ Before St Katherine’s day² he rode out of Prague with two and fifty horses and a supply wagon. He had with him as honourable attendants³ Jan Scrobitz Kollattbratt [Zehrowsky Kolovrat], banneret, Lord Buyan [Burian] von Schwanburck, banneret, Achatz Frodner, a nobleman, Petipesky, a nobleman, Mirnyss [Miros], a nobleman, Pollack, a nobleman, Knysto, a nobleman, Indersyz, a nobleman, and three noble pages, among them a banneret’s son⁴ and other well-selected and honourable servants. He reached Gräfenberg on the eve of St Barbara⁵ and asked me to ride with him to Nuremberg.

On the way he told me about his journey. He intended to visit all Christian kingdoms, also all principalities in Germany and foreign countries, ecclesiastical and lay, and above all to visit the Holy Sepulchre⁶ and [the tomb of] the beloved St James.

Item, in Nuremberg he asked me earnestly through a friend to accompany him, to which I agreed. He remained for some days in my house and prepared himself with all his servants. They were clad in red embroidered with gold and velvet and pearls on the sleeves. With them were also his cook, his steward and comptroller, all maintained in princely fashion. Later I asked my lord to allow Gabriel Muffel¹ to accompany him with one horse and me with two. He left Nuremberg one day before me and rode to Anspach where Gabriel Muffel and I joined him.

My lord stayed at Anspach for several days. The lord Margrave Albert² showed him great honour and gave him presents and arranged a dance for him in the ladies’ apartments. Achatz Frodner tilted with one Seckendorf. The lord Jan Zehrowsky and Miros, two of my lord’s attendants, also tilted. We were obliged to dine at court, but everything for my lord and his company was paid for at the inn.

Item, we rode from Anspach to Feuchtwangen and Keylsam [Crailsheim].³ The lord Margrave sent to my lord Wilhelm von Kersheim and Sebastian von Seckendorf. They rode with my lord and paid for everything at the inns in my lord Margrave’s dominions.

Item, we then rode through the country of Hohenlohe. Here in two places certain men set upon my lord with intent to overthrow him. But as everyone, lord, nobleman and page carried his cross-bow on his saddle they came to the conclusion that we were too strong for them. Then we came to Ohringen. There the ‘Jung’ [squire] of Hohenlohe came to my lord who presented him with pork, venison and oats. He also sent my lord a servant who rode with my lord to Hall [Schwäbisch-Hall] and Wimpfen, where a councillor sent my lord some excellent wine.

Item, we rode thence to Heidelberg. We were halted at two places. My lord had sent to the Palsgrave for an escort. This arrived as we were on our way and rode with us to Heidelberg. My lord and all his honourable company hung their jewels about their necks.¹ This was done to honour the Palsgrave and to show that we wished to run a course for them and tilt at his court. But my lord was informed that the Palsgrave had taken great offence at this and took it to mean my lord had done this because he thought that the Palsgrave had no people fit to joust and tilt with Bohemians. There came from the Palsgrave to greet my lord Götz von Allentzheim, Conrad von Egloffstain and Lienhart Kemetter. My lord begged them urgently to arrange that he might be admitted to the Palsgrave. We stayed there several days, but were not admitted. My lord then went to the bishop of Speyer and to the lord Götz von Allentzheim and begged them to persuade the lord Palsgrave to listen to him, which they agreed to do. The bishop and my lord Götz gave their answer after some days. The Palsgrave was hunting a bear which he wished to kill. When he had done this he would receive him. But this was an arranged answer, as the Palsgrave was all the time in his castle at Heidelberg. So we had to leave, since he declined to receive us.² This all happened because my lord and his attendants had hung their jewels about their necks. Early in the morning, as we were riding away and were settling with the host, he (the Palsgrave) paid all expenses at the inn, and sent one who rode with my lord to Frankfurt, where we spent Christmas Day. The authorities at Frankfurt presented my lord with wine in noble flagons. My lord was advised to stay there.

Item, from Frankfurt we rode to Mainz. The city presented my lord with wine. The bishop excused himself and would not receive my lord.

From Mainz we rode down the Rhine to Rüdesheim. There my lord was advised to stay. We lay there two days and my lord sent to the Count of Katzenelbogen for safe-conduct which did not arrive for a long time. But a nobleman named Premsser guided us through Runckaw [the Rheingau] until the safe-conduct arrived from Katzenelbogen. We rode in his company to Coblenz. There we had to take to the water,¹ for my lord was so advised on all sides. Thus we travelled with our horses in two boats to Kollen [Cologne].

Those of Cologne presented my lord with wine in jugs. The bishop of Cologne² invited my lord and all his honourable company to be his guests. He gave us a grand dinner and was very gracious to my lord. My lord remained there for some days, for a banneret of Bohemia, lord Gauban von Schwanburg, was then at Cologne. He showed my lord much honour and invited him to meet many beautiful ladies.

Lord Jan Zehrowsky Kolbart jousted with Achatz Frodner, and Gabriel Tetzel with the bishop’s chamberlain, called Burkhart of Pfolheim. The bishop was also in the lists. The tourney was in its manner quite extraordinary to those of Cologne and caused much astonishment. That evening my lord invited many beautiful ladies and gave a dance in the council-house. My lord remained there over New Year’s Day. We saw the Three Holy Kings and the head of St Ursula and the bones of her company, and relics of many others who were buried there, of which much might be written. Also many relics and saints who were martyred there.

Item, from Cologne we rode to Aachen to the church of our beloved Lady. Here the burghers of the city showed my lord great honour and reverence, presented him with wine and invited him to their Council House, and showed him many priceless things. They also invited him to a stately banquet which they had provided for him. My lord bathed in the warm baths and inspected many priceless holy relics, as follows:

Item, our Lady’s smock, item, the swaddling clothes, in which Christ was wrapped, item, the cloth in which he was wound at the Crucifixion, item, the napkin used when St John was beheaded, item, Christ’s girdle, item, our Lady’s girdle, item, the cord with which Christ was bound to the pillar, item, a nail and some thorns from the Crown of Thorns, item, St Stephen’s blood, item, the Emperor Charlemagne’s head and body, item, St Simeon’s arm with which he held Christ in the Temple, item, our Lady’s hair, St Katherine’s oil, item, the rope with which Christ was scourged.¹ There is great absolution from all these relics.

Item, from Cologne we rode to Neuss which is held by the bishop of Cologne. Here they gave my lord wine. Here there is a stately nunnery and the most beautiful nuns I have ever seen. There we saw in the church a fine coffin in which was the holy St Quirinus.² We saw his skull out of which they gave us to drink. They receive no-one in the nunnery who is not of noble birth. They may leave the nunnery to get married. The mother superior invited my lord as her guest and gave a fine dance in the nunnery. The nuns were very finely dressed and knew all the best dances. Each one had her own page who waited on and preceded her. They all lived as they wished. I can say that never in my whole life have I seen so many beautiful women in a nunnery.

SCHASECK, (p. 13ff.)

Here [at Heilbronn] there is a monastery which is subject to the Margrave. In that monastery during the celebration of mass the Holy Blood is not elevated, for which reason I have not discovered. Leaving Heilbronn we reached Anspach, where is the abode of the Margrave. We remained there two days. There Lord John Zehrowsky jousted with Miros, and both were unhorsed by one and the same stroke. Frodner also met a minister of the Margrave, but both remained in the saddle. The Margravine looked on, attended by her maids of honour and certain nobles, and a multitude of people. When the spectacle was over the Margrave, taking my lord by the hand, conducted him to his castle with the rest of his company and honoured him there with dances and plays and spectacles…. Leaving Anspach we spent the night at Feuchtwangen and then came to Hall [Schwäbisch-Hall], an imperial city, in which salt is extracted from the water. There is a spring from which the water is drawn in twenty-four buckets and is boiled until it is condensed and thus the salt is made. The river Neckar flows through the town. A mile distant from Hall is a castle inhabited by devils who suffer no one to dwell there….

We arrived [at Frankfurt] on Christmas Eve and remained there three days. On the third day my lord was invited to the Council House by the citizens and merchants. For it is the custom that if any notable person who is travelling arrives there they invite him to the Council House. There they provide food and drink in profusion. Better liquor cannot be found than there. It is laid down in their laws that they may not receive more than twelve pence [nummos] for a whole day’s food and drink. This is what we paid.

We directed our course to Cologne,¹ where the Three Kings and St Ursula with her maiden attendants are buried, also St Helena who discovered the Holy Cross and built the [Church of the] Sepulchre at Jerusalem. She was also buried in the church where the Three Kings lie. We remained eight days in Cologne. The next day the Three Kings were exhibited to us, also the body of St Veronica with many other relics. On the third day we were taken to the church in which the holy virgin Ursula was buried with 11,000 virgins. The priests who showed us the relics affirmed that with those 11,000 virgins 36,000 others were slain. Afterwards we were conducted to a certain chapel where all the relics were collected, each one being named. First they showed us St Ursula, then a king of England, to whom St Ursula was to be married, and the father and mother ofthat same king whom St Ursula converted to the Christian faith, afterwards the daughter of an Ethiopian, a heathen king, and many other heads, hairs, legs and arms, which to describe one by one would involve much labour.

On the fourth day my lord’s attendants reached Cologne. John Zehrowsky tilted with Frodner, Tetzel of Gräfenberg with a vassal of the bishop of Cologne, but in the jousting no one was unhorsed on either side. On the day on which the tourney was held my lord ordered the ladies and maidens of noble birth to be invited. They came in great numbers, and if ever I saw many ladies in one place I saw them at that feast. The banquet was accompanied by various games and dances. The matrons and damsels then approached my lord and begged him humbly that, with the bishop’s consent and to please him, he would dance with his retinue in the manner of his country. My lord consenting and beginning to lead the dance, four and twenty youths in full armour with torches in their hands began to dance before him. Preceding these armed youths were four and twenty others holding in the same manner torches in their hands. After this dance was over various gifts of food and drink were brought before my lord. Then my lord and his retinue were honourably conducted to the inn by the ladies and damsels.

Notes

¹ The Latin text has the correct date, which was 26 November 1465. Schaseck (Latin text, p. 13) adds: ‘The Nurembergers gave my lord the opportunity of examining their slings, bombards, and other instruments of war with which this city, if any, is most abundantly provided. My lord was pleasantly and affably entertained there.’

² St Katherine’s Day was 25 November.

³ For a list of attendants so far as they can be identified, see p. 16.

⁴ This must be the boy who got the travellers into trouble later with his catapult (below, p. 107).

⁵ St Barbara’s Day was 4 December.

⁶ The pilgrimage to the Holy Land did not take place although the Latin text (p. 136) contains an itinerary. Tetzel had already been there (Röhricht and Meisner, Deutsche Pilgerreisen nach dem heiligen Lande (1880), pp. 66, 475).

¹ Gabriel Muffel belonged to an old Nuremberg family. For an account of the family, see Nicolaus Muffel’s ‘Gedenkbuch’ in Chroniken der deutschen Städte (Nürnberg), vol. v, p. 736ff.

² Albert III (1414–86), Margrave of Brandenburg, surnamed Achilles. He was a great jouster and was said to have been the greatest fighter of his day. He supported the Emperor Frederick III in his quarrel with the German princes. This led to open warfare in which the Margrave was worsted. At this time he was allied with his former enemy George Poděbrad, King of Bohemia. It was natural therefore that he should have received the Bohemians with open arms.

³ The route was ...