by the father’s hand, with marginalia which throw light on his life and times, his dislike of the Venetians for their anti-papal policy, his experiences as physician to the Abbey of St. Ulrich in Augsburg, and the part that he played in the introduction of printing there.  On Lady Day, 1481, shortly after Nicholas’ birth, perhaps when he had lived just a week and seemed likely to thrive, the father composed an address to his four living sons—­four being already dead—­, and wrote it into this volume.  He adjures them to follow learning and goodness, and finally bids them take every care of the books; and not let them be separated.  This it was which inspired Nicholas’ appeal thirty years later, when Ulrich, the son, was cut off, just as his eyes seemed about to follow his father’s up and down the pages.

Ellenbog’s letters to his sister Barbara are amusing.  She was four or five years older than he, but being a woman had not had his opportunities.  He begins by trying to teach her Latin.  But the difficulties were many, and apparently she did not progress far enough to write in the tongue.  At any rate, Ellenbog copied none of her letters into his book; a fact which is to be deplored both from her point of view and from ours.  One would like to know what reply she made to some of his homilies.  She invited him once to come and see her at Heppach, with leave from her Abbess.  He replies cautiously that, if he comes, he hopes they will be able to talk without being overheard; for Onofrius had been once, and when he made a rather coarse remark, there had been giggles outside the door.  In 1512 Barbara became Prioress, and Ellenbog took the opportunity to lecture her at length upon spiritual pride and the importance of humility; sweetening his dose of virtue with a present of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Once she let fall some regrets that she had brought nothing into her convent, and was dependent on it for food and clothing; evidently she would have liked some share of the patrimony which had been divided between her married sisters and the brothers who remained in the world.  Nicholas’ reply was that Heppach, like other monasteries, was well endowed; she had given herself, and that was quite enough.  In 1515 Barbara was elected Abbess; and received another discourse about spiritual pride.  John and Elizabeth wrote to Nicholas saying that they had been invited to Heppach to salute the new Reverend Mother, and suggesting that he should come too.  But his plain speaking had had its reward, no invitation had come for him.  Under the circumstances, he writes, he could not think of going; besides he had been there several times before, and had found it very dull; it was clearly John’s duty to go, as he had not been once in twenty years, although his parish was only three miles from Heppach.  However the breach was healed, and a proper invitation came for Nicholas; but the business of his stewardship prevented him from accepting.