Freiburger historische Bestände - digital

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and that Martin Behaim, the father, had married a Portuguese
lady of high degree and had done long and faithful
service to the King and his predecessors up to the time
of his death.

This letter was written on June 7, 1518, but only
reached Lisbon three weeks after young Martin had been
discharged from prison. He acknowledged the receipt of
this letter on August 13,1 stating that oAving to his illness
—Jorg Pock wrote that he was suffering from jaundice—
and a game leg, the letter had not yet been presented to
the King, but that he intended to present it at an early
date. However, a few days afterwards, on August 18, at a
family council it was decided not to present the letter at all,
as it was not deemed wise to remind a King, who held homicides
in horror, of a matter which had by this time been
forgotten. They desired at the same time that a second
letter might be written giving an account of the rank
among the nobility of his father and his father's family, so
that the King might admit him to the Royal household
without a fee (foro) being exacted, but that no mention be
made of the homicide. This he wrote on August 18.2
Not a word did he say in this letter about paying a visit
to his friends in Germany. As an additional reason for
not troubling the King he might have stated that the
plague had invaded Lisbon in August,3 that His Majesty
denied himself to all visitors until he started for Crato to
meet his fourth bride, Princess Eleanor, the sister of
Charles V.

A proposed visit to Nuremberg.

Uncle Michael not unnaturally was rather puzzled by
the apparently irreconcilable wishes of his nephew, but
sent word at once that his Nuremberg relatives would be
glad to see him, and that Ulrich Futterer, one of his uncles,
would lodge him for a month, as his own (Michael's) house
only sufficed for his own needs, and there was no stable
attached to it.4 He must not, however, expect to live at
Nuremberg at the expense of his relations, for after the
expiration of this month he would have to provide for
himself. In a letter which, a few days later, on November
12,8 he wrote to his friend Jorg Pock, he expressed regret
that his nephew had not come to Nuremberg immediately
upon his father's death, had learnt a business and made a
prudent marriage, instead of making a precarious living as
a mariner. The sturdy German Reichsbiirger evidently
did not look with favour upon his nephew attaching himself
as a " servant " to a Royal Court, " as Royal favours
were not hereditary," and his own father, who had been in
high favour with the old King (King John II.), seemed to
have fared ill under his successor (Manuel), " concerning

1 Ghillany, p. 107.

• See Ghillany, p. 109.

3 Damiao de Goes,1 Chronica do Re- II. Emanuel,' Coimhra, 1790, IV.,

c. 34.

* See letter of November 5, 1518 (Ghillany p. 111).

* See Ghillany, p. 112.

• " Herrendienst erbt nit."

which Pock was probably better informed than they at
Nuremberg." He expressed at the same time anxiety at
the extinction of the family of the Behaims, which, at the
time he wrote, was represented only by five males. They
were Uncle Michael himself, who was suffering from gout,
and although married twenty-two years was as yet childless
; two sons of his brother Stephen, of whom one was
intended for the priesthood ; Frederick, a grandson of
Leonhard Behaim, and young Martin.7

Both Michael Imhof8 and Jorg Pock advised young
Martin against going to Nuremberg, as he knew no
German, and the manners of Germany differed greatly
from those prevailing in Portugal. Michael, however, did
not quite approve of this advice, as it might lead young
Martin and others to think that they in Nuremberg
wanted him to stay away, so that his share of the
inheritance, amounting in all to about 350 gulden, to
which he had become entitled in consequence of the death
of his uncle, Wolfgang, might be withheld from him.
Incidentally, the uncle remarked that all financial matters
between the family and Martin's late father had been
definitely settled.9

Young Martin goes to Nuremberg.

Once the journey to Nuremberg was resolved upon
worthy Jorg Pock gave his young friend the best advice in
his power.10

He first of all pointed out to him that there was no
need for him to go at all, as his business in connection
with his inheritance could be transacted quite as satisfactorily
by a confidential agent furnished with powers of
attorney. He advised him, in case he should only stay a
month, not to return without a letter recommending him
to the King. He warned him against squandering his
inheritance, for it would not go far in Portugal, but rather
to seek to increase it, before he thought of marriage. On
the other hand, if he proposed a prolonged stay in Germany
he must not expect to be placed on a chair and made
a gentleman of, or be waited upon, for work was looked
upon as honourable in Germany, and he might even be
asked to groom one or two horses, to sweep the house or
carry fuel into the kitchen. All his relatives, in spite of
their noble birth, had worked in this manner, and unless
he was prepared to submit to all their hardships it would
be better for him to stay at home. This advice was first
of all given at Pock's office and repeated in the presence
of Martin's mother and grandmother. It did not frighten
him. He declared that he was anxious to go, and would
shrink from no service that could be demanded from the
humblest of his uncle's servants.

7 See on these relations p. 15.

8 See a letter to his brother-in-law, Frederick Behaim, Ghillany,
p. 116.

9 See Michael Behaim's letter of December 16, 1518 (Ghillany, p. 113).

10 See Pock's letter of March 25, 1519 (Ghillany, p. 114).