HE iiijth is about the Klenkners. These are the beggars who sit at the church-doors, and attend fairs and church gatherings with sore and broken legs; one has no foot, another no shank, a third no hand or arm. Item, some have chains lying by them, saying they have lain in captivity for innocence’ sake, and commonly they have a St. Sebastianum or St. Lenhartum with them, and they pray and cry with a loud voice and noisy lamentations for the sake of the Saints, and every third word one of them speaks (BARL) is a lie (GEVOP), and the people who give alms to him are cheated (BESEFELT),—inasmuch as his thigh or his foot has rotted away in prison or in the stocks for wicked deeds. Item, one’s hand has been chopped off in the quarrels over dice or for the sake of a harlot. Item, many a one ties a leg up or besmears an arm with salves, or[Pg 14] walks on crutches, and all the while as little ails him as other men. Item, at Utenheim there was a priest by name Master Hans Ziegler (he holds now the benefice of Rosheim), and he had his niece with him. One upon crutches came before his house. His niece carried him a piece of bread. He said, “Wilt thou give me nought else?” She said, “I have nought else.” He replied, “Thou old priest’s harlot! wilt thou make thy parson rich?” and swore many oaths as big as he could utter them. She cried and came into the room and told the priest. The priest went out and ran after him. The beggar dropped his crutches and fled so fast that the parson could not catch him. A short time afterwards the parson’s house was burnt down; he said the Klenkner did it. Item, another true example: at Schletstat, one was sitting at the church-door. This man had cut the leg of a thief from the gallows. He put on the dead leg and tied his own leg up. He had a quarrel with another beggar. This latter one ran off and told the town[Pg 15]serjeant. When he saw the serjeant coming he fled and left the sore leg behind him and ran out of the town—a horse could hardly have overtaken him. Soon afterwards he hung on the gallows at Achern, and the dry leg beside him, and they called him Peter of Kreuzenach. Item, they are the biggest blasphemers thou canst find who do such things; and they have also the finest harlots (GLIDEN), they are the first-comers at fairs and church-celebrations, and the last-goers therefrom.
Conclusio: Give them a kick on their hind parts if thou canst, for they are nought but cheats (BESEFLER) of the peasants (HANZEN) and all other men.
Example: One was called Uz of Lindau. He was at Ulm, in the hospital there, for xiiij days, and on St. Sebastian’s day he lay before a church, his hands and thighs tied up, nevertheless he could use both legs and hands. This was betrayed to the constables. When he saw them coming he fled from the town,—a horse could hardly have ran faster.
Of Dobissers, or Dopfers, Church-mendicants.
HE vth chapter is about Dobissers. These beggars (STIRNENSTÖSSER, i.e. spurious anointers) go hostiatim from house to house, and touch the peasant and his wife (HANZ und HANZIN) with the Holy Virgin, or some other Saint, saying that it is the Holy Virgin from the chapel,—and they pass themselves off for friars from the same place. Item, that the chapel was poor and they beg linen-thread for an altar-cloth (id est, a gown [CLAFFOT] for a harlot [SCHREFEN]). Item, fragments of silver for a chalice (id est, to spend it in drinking [VERSCHÖCHERN] or gambling [VERJONEN]). Item, towels for the priests to dry their hands upon, (id est, to sell [VERKÜMMERN] them). Item, there are also Dobissers, church-beggars, who have letters with seals, and beg alms to repair a [Pg 17]ruined chapel (DIFTEL), or to build a new church. Verily, such friars do make collections for an edificium—viz. one which lies not far below the nose, and is called St. Drunkard’s chapel.
Conclusio: As to these Dobissers, give them nought, for they cheat and defraud thee. If from a church that lies ij or iij miles from thee people come and beg, give them as much as thou wilt or canst.