The Autobiography of Thomas Platter; A Schoolmaster of the Sixteenth Century

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1839 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III. MASTER THOMAS BEGINS TO STUDY. My stay at home was not long. We soon set out again towards Ulm. Then Paul took another boy with him, whose name was "Hildebrand Kalbermatter;" he was also very young.. To him was given cloth, such as was made in that country, for a little coat. When we came to Ulm, Paul desired me to go about with the cloth, and beg the money to pay for the making. With it I earned a great deal of money; for I understood begging well, because the Bacchants had always kept me to it. To the schools, on the contrary, they did not draw me, not even so much as to teach me to read. Thus it was at Ulm too: when I ought to have gone to school, I was obliged to run about with the cloth. At this time I suffered great hunger; for all that I got, I had to bring to the Bacchants, and did not dare, for fear of stripes, to eat even a morsel. Paul had taken another Bacchant to live with him, of the name of Achatius, a native of Mayence; and I, with my companion Hildebrand, had to wait on them both. But my companion ate almost all himself that was given him in the houses. On that account the Bacchants went after him into the street, and found him eating: therepon they threw him on a bed, covered his head with a pillow, so that he could not cry, and beat him with all their might. That made me afraid, so that I brought home all that I got. They had often so much bread that it became mouldy; then they cut off the mouldy outside, and gave it to us to eat. I was often very hungry, and frost-bitten too, because I had to go about in the dark till midnight, to sing for bread. Now there was at that time at Ulm, a pious widow, who had a son, Paul Reling, and two daughters. This widow often in winter wrapt my feet in a warm fur, which...