The Life of Courage: The Nortorious Thief, Whore and Vagabond (Dedalus European Classics) - Softcover

Grimmelshausen, Johann Jakok

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1910213241 ISBN 13: 9781910213247

Publisher: Dedalus Limited, 2016

Synopsis

Courage is one of most indomitable women in European literature and a feminist icon for our times.

The Life of Courage (first published in 1670), one episode from whose life Brecht used as the basis for his Mother Courage, is the female counterpart to Simplicissimus. A young girl caught up in the turmoil of the Thirty Years War, she survives, even prospers, by the use of her native cunning and sexual attraction. Completely amoral, she flits from man to man, having a succession of husbands and lovers, and ends her life with a band of gypsies.

Courage supposedly tells her story to get her own back on Simplicissimus, who treats her rather dismissively in his memoirs. Her method is to reveal the truth about herself, including the fact that she was recovering from the pox at the time of their affair, so that he will be tarred with the same brush. The result is a lively account of lechery, knavery and trickery told with disarming frankness and a complete lack of remorse.

It will appeal to anyone who likes a rollicking good yarn and a bit of knavery in their reading.

About this title

About the Author

Grimmelshausen was born at Gelnhausen in 1621 or 1622. His early life was dominated by the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) in which he fought for both sides. He describes his first involvement in the war as a 'snotty-nosed ten-year-old musketeer' in his writing and served as a soldier until its end. His experiences in the Thirty years War are mirrored in his masterpiece, Simplicissimus which was first published in 1668 and was the first bestselling novel in Germany. Several of his later work takes up themes and characters occurring in Simplicissimus,

Award-winning translator from French and German. He has published more than 70 books.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 7

Courage proceeds to marry for the third time, exchanging the status of a

captain's wife with that of a lieutenant's. However things don't turn out so

well this time and she and her lieutenant fight with cudgels about who is to

wear the trousers. She wins, thanks to her determination and courage, and

her husband walks out on her and disappears.

My husband's body was scarcely cold in its grave when once more I had a

whole dozen suitors to choose from, for I was not only young and beautiful,

I had fine horses and a fair sum of money. Even though I let it be known

that I intended to go into mourning for my captain for six months, I could

not keep off the importunates who came swarming round me like bumblebees

round an open honeypot. The colonel promised me board and lodging with the

regiment until I had sorted my affairs out. I for my part got two of my

servants to perform the services their late master could no longer provide,

and whenever I thought there was an opportunity of grabbing something from

the enemy I was as ready to risk my neck as any soldier. In that pleasant,

not to say lively encounter at Wimpfen I captured a lieutenant and, not far

from Heilbronn during the following pursuit, a cornet with his standard. My

two servants made a good haul of money from the plundering of the baggage

train which, according to our agreement, they had to share with me.

After that battle I had even more admirers than before, and seeing that with

my previous husband I had had more good days than good nights, also taking

intI had been on short commons, I

decided to choose a man who would make up for everything I had been missing,

a man who, to my eyes, outshone all his rivals in looks, youth, intelligence

and bravery. He was Italian by birth, had black hair and white skin, and I

thought him more handsome than any artist could paint. He behaved towards me

with all the fawning humility of a spaniel, and when I agreed to marry him

he went into raptures, as if God had reserved the delights of heavenly bliss

for him alone. The wedding took place in the Imperial Palace at Wimpfen and

we were honoured with the presence of the colonel himself and most of the

senior officers, all of whom wished us - though in vain - a long and happy

marriage.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dedalus Limited
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1910213241
• ISBN 13: 9781910213247
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 168