Henrich.  Mr. Burgomaster—­Beg your pardon, I mean master!

Herman.  Burn up all my political books, for I can’t have them before my eyes any more, after the foolish ideas they put into my head. (To the audience.)

     To take the leading statesman’s part
     Is harder far than sneering,
     For squinting at a seaman’s chart
     Is not the whole of steering: 
     With books on politics at hand
     A dolt may criticise,
     But judging right our fatherland
     Is only for the wise. 
     All craftsmen who have seen my fate,
     Pray, profit by its ending: 
     Though all’s not sound within the state,
     That’s not our kind of mending. 
     And when we drop our humble tools
     And set us up as thinkers,
     We look the sorry lot of fools
     That statesmen would as tinkers.

ERASMUS MONTANUS OR RASMUS BERG

A COMEDY IN FIVE ACTS

1731

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Jeppe Berg, a well-to-do peasant.

Nille, his wife.

Rasmus Berg, called Erasmus Montanus, their elder son a student at the University.

Jacob, the younger son.

Jeronimus, a wealthy freeholder.

Magdelone, his wife.

Lisbed, their daughter, betrothed to Rasmus.

Peer, the deacon.

Jesper, the bailiff.

A Lieutenant.

Niels, the corporal.

ACTS I, IV, AND V

Scene:  A milage street, showing Jeppe’s house.

Acts II and iii A room in Jeppe’s house.

ACT I

SCENE I

(A village street showing Jeppe’s house.  Jeppe, with a letter in his hand.)

Jeppe.  It is a shame that the deacon is not in town, for there’s so much Latin in my son’s letter that I can’t understand.  Tears come to my eyes when I think that a poor peasant’s son has got so much book-learning, especially as we aren’t tenants of the university.  I have heard from people who know about learning that he can dispute with any clergyman alive.  Oh, if only my wife and I could have the joy of hearing him preach on the hill, before we die, we shouldn’t grudge all the money we have spent on him!  I can see that Peer the deacon doesn’t much relish the idea of my son’s coming.  I believe that he is afraid of Rasmus Berg.  It is a terrible thing about these scholarly people.  They are so jealous of each other, and no one of them can endure the thought that another is as learned as he.  The good man preaches fine sermons here in the village