GESKE. Where does the Collegium meet, then?
HENRICH. It meets in turn, now at one member's house, now at another's. To-day—don't tell on me—it will meet here.
GESKE. Ha, ha! Now I understand why he wants to have me out to-day calling on Arianke, the smith's wife.
HENRICH. You might go out, but come back in an hour and surprise them. Yesterday this Collegium of theirs met at Jens the tavern-keeper's. I saw them all there sitting at a table, and the master at the head of it.
GESKE. Did you know any of them?
HENRICH. I should say I did—all of them. Let me see: master and the tavern-keeper makes two, and Franz the cutler, three; Christopher the painter, four; Gilbert the paper-hanger, five; Christian the dyer, six; Gert the furrier, seven; Henning the brewer, eight; Sivert the baggage inspector, nine; Niels the clerk, ten; David the schoolmaster, eleven; and Richard the brushmaker, twelve.
ANTONIUS. They are fine fellows to discuss affairs of state! Didn't you hear what they talked about?
HENRICH. I heard well enough, but I understood very little. I heard them depose emperors and kings and electors, and set up others in their places. Then they talked about excise and consumption, about the stupid people who were in the council, and about the development of Hamburg and the promotion of trade; they looked things up in books and traced things out on maps. Richard the brushmaker sat with a toothpick in his hand; so I think he must be the secretary of their council.
ANTONIUS. Ha, ha, ha! The first time I see him I shall certainly say, "Good-day, Mr. Secretary!"
HENRICH. Yes, but don't you give me away. To the devil with fellows who put down kings and princes and even burgomaster and council!