Fynes Moryson on Germany

Our friends the makers and practitioners of the contemporary sciences, Economics, Politics, and Sociology, often tell us of movements, qualities, and national traits, the origin of which they have discovered in the annals of last week. So occupied are they often with keeping their generalizations strictly “up to date” that when they have a moment to turn to the pages of history they find their unwonted contents “very fine,” as the boy found Hamlet, “but dreadfully full of quotations.” Not long since a prominent sociological generalizer in one of our large universities told his class that the national traits that make the English of to-day were not developed until the time of the Georges, that the England of Shakespeare was in no true sense national or distinguishable, as it is now distinguishable, from the national qualities going to make Frenchmen and Germans. Some of the generalizer’s students were greatly troubled over this deliverance, and consulted their professor of history as to his opinion of this dictum of the new science. The historian astutely observed that had any one but a sociologist so delivered himself he would have stigmatized his words as arrant nonsense. And he quoted to his inquirers these words of Dr. Horace Howard Furness, who, after a delightful passage suggesting the appreciation of As You Like It as “the supreme and final test in determining nationality, at least as between the Gallic, Teutonic, and AngloSaxon races,” concludes: “As You Like It ... is through and through an English comedy, on English soil, in English air, beneath English oaks; and it will be loved and admired, cherished and appreciated, by English men as long as an English word is uttered by an English tongue.”

But it is to a piece of contemporary evidence of the persistence of racial traits even in minor characteristics that I want to call the attention of the readers of the Atlantic. Fynes Moryson was born two years later than Shakespeare, and after an honorable career at Cambridge, utilized his fellowship, there obtained, in a somewhat novel manner for his day, that is, by traveling to see the world, and sojourn in various foreign universities. Setting out in May, 1591, two years before Kit Marlowe met his desperate end, Moryson journeyed to Germany, residing successively at Wittenberg, Leipsic, Prague, Heidelberg, and Leyden, and visiting Cracow, Vienna, and Elsinore in Denmark. Strange to say, he there learned that there was “a gray-headed old senator” named George Rosenkrantz, greatly respected by the Danish court, and that Ubricus, the brother of the King of Denmark, was then a student at Wittenberg (Hamlet’s university), Moryson was abroad again in 1596 and 1597, journeying as far as Jerusalem, and living for some time in Constantinople. Of all these travels he has left an interesting account, full of keen observation and plain wisdom, and not unilluminated by wit; as the work of a disinterested and qualified observer Moryson’s Itinerary is worth many conscious memoirs, and though still to a large degree inaccessible to the average reader, the recent publication by Mr. Charles Hughes of part of Moryson’s manuscripts, which had remained unpublished in the Bodleian Library, is a boon indeed to historical students and readers.

Moryson’s remarks as to the Germans are especially entertaining. He found the conversations of the German gentlemen “very austere, full of scowling gravity rather than of disdaynful pryde.” He tells us that they “chyde rudely more than they fight;” that their “parcimony” is “singular,” “only they spend prodigally in drincke.” He greatly commends the modesty and thrift of German women; and tells how German merchants “in their potts will promise any thinge, and make all bargaynes, but the consent of the sobber wife at home must first be had before any thinge be performed.” He remarks upon the abuse of the feeing system, and on naming Drinckgelt explains, “that is drincking mony, for so they call all guifts, as if they had no other use but for drincking.”

Moryson grants the Germans to be “excelent in manuall artes and the liberall sciences,” but adds, “I think that to be attributed not to theire sharpnes of witt but to theire industry, for they use to plodd with great diligence upon their professions.” Elsewhere he declares: “Indeede they knowe not what a pleasant jest is, but will interprett literally after the playne wordes such speeches as by strangers are spoken with savorye and witty conceyte.” Evidently the sly and facetious wit of the Cantabrigian went begging in the Germany of Shakespeare’s time.

Not the least interesting is Moryson’s unconscious testimony to the presence in Germany and the repute of English actors there. The passage in question runs:

“Germany hath some fewe wandring Comeydians, more deseruing pitty then prayse, for the serious parts are dully penned, and worse acted, and the mirth they make is ridiculous, and nothing lesse then witty. . . . So as I remember that when some of our cast dispised Stage players came out of England into Germany, and played at Franckford in the tyme of the Mart, hauing nether a Complete number of Actours, nor any good Apparell, nor any ornament of the Stage, yet the Germans, not understanding a worde they sayde, both men and wemen. flocked wonderfully to see theire gesture and Action, rather then heare them, speaking English which they understoode not, and pronowncing peeces and Patches of English playes, which my selfe and some English men there present could not heare without great wearysomenes. Yea my selfe Comming from Franckford in the Company of some cheefe marchants, Dutch and Flemish, heard them often bragg of the good markett they had made, only Condoling that they had not the leasure to heare the English players.”

And lastly what could be more complete and contemporaneous than this: —

“One thinge I cannot commend in the Germans, that for desyre of vayneglory, being yet without Beardes and of smale knowledge, they make themselues known more than praysed, by untimely Printing of bookes, and very toyes, published in theire names. Young Students who haue scarce layd theire lipps to taste the sweete fountaynes of the Sciences, if they can wrest an Elegy out of their empty brayne, it must presently be Printed, yea if they can but make a wrangling disputation in the University, the questions they dispute upon, with the Disputers names, must also be Printed. Yea very graue men and Doctors of the liberall Professions, are so forward to rush into these Olimpick games, for gayning the prise from others, as they seeme rather to affect the writing of many and great, then iudicious and succinct bookes.”