Transcriber's Note:
1. Page scan source:
http://www.archive.org/details/autiobiographyt00platgoog
2. Greek text [Greek: ] is transliterated.

THE

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

OF

THOMAS PLATTER,

A SCHOOLMASTER
OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN,

By MRS. FINN.

Second Edition.

WITH FAC-SIMILE ENGRAVINGS.

LONDON:

B. WERTHEIM, ALDINE CHAMBERS,

PATERNOSTER ROW.

1847.

LONDON:
C. F. HODGSON, PRINTER, 1 GOUGH SQUARE
FLEET STREET.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

MASTER THOMAS BECOMES A GOATHERD

CHAPTER II.

MASTER THOMAS BECOMES A TRAVELLING SCHOLAR

CHAPTER III.

MASTER THOMAS BEGINS TO STUDY

IV.

MASTER THOMAS BECOMES A ROPE-MAKER AND HEBREW PROFESSOR

V.

MASTER THOMAS BECOMES ARMOUR-BEARER AND THEN SCHOOLMASTER

VI.

MASTER THOMAS IN THE WAR, AND PROFESSOR IN BASLE

VII.

MASTER THOMAS TURNS PRINTER

VIII.

MASTER THOMAS BECOMES PROFESSOR AGAIN--DIES

ORIGINAL MAXIMS FOR THE YOUNG.

BY J. C. LAVATER.

Translated from the German, by Mrs. FINN.

Cloth lettered, 1s.

"We cannot enough recommend this unpretending volume to those who have charge of the rising generation."--Monthly Mag.

"An epitome of moral duties for Children, drawn up with considerable ability by the original author.... the translation does great credit to the Daughter of a Clergyman."--British Mag.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

CHAPTER I.

MASTER THOMAS BECOMES A GOATHERD.

I came into this world on the Shrove-Tuesday of the year 1499, just as they were coming together for mass. From this circumstance, my friends derived the confident hope that I should become a priest, for at that time that sort of superstition was still every where prevalent. I had one sister, named Christina; she alone was with my mother when I was born, and she afterwards told it me. My father's name was Anthony Platter, of the old family of Platter, who have their name from a house which stands on a broad plat (Platte). This plat is a rock on a very high mountain, near a village of the name of Grenchen, in the district and parish of Visp, a considerable village of the Canton of St. Gall. My mother, however, was named Anteli Summermatter, of the very great family of that name. Her father attained the age of 126. I conversed with him six years before his death; and then he told me that he knew ten more men in the parish of Visp who were all older than he. When he was 100 years old he married a woman who bore him one son. By his first wife he left sons and daughters, of whom some were white-headed and some grey before he died. They called him old Hans Summermatter. The house in which I was born is near the village of Grenchen, and is called Am Graben. My mother could not nurse me herself, therefore I was obliged to drink cow's milk through a small horn, as is the custom in that country when they wean a child: because they give the children nothing to eat, but only milk to drink, till they are four or five years old. My father died when I was so young that I do not remember ever to have seen him. It is usual in that country for almost all women to be able to weave and sew. Before the winter, almost all the men go into the territory of Berne to buy wool: this the women spin, and make rustic cloth of it for coats and trowsers for the peasants. So also my father was in the district of Thun, in the territory of Berne, buying wool. There he was attacked by the plague and died, and was buried at Staffisburg, a village near Thun. Soon after, my mother married a man of the name of Heintzmann, who lived in a house between Stalden and Visp, that was called Am Grunde. So the children were all separated from her: I do not exactly know how many of them there were. Of my sisters, I knew only two;--one, whose name was Elizabeth, died in Entlibuch, where she was married;--the name of the other was Christina, and she died above Stalden, at Burgen, of the plague, with eight persons of her family. Of my brothers, I knew three: the first was called Simeon, the other Hans, the third Theodore. Simeon and Hans fell in battle. Theodore died at Oberhofen, on the lake of Thun: for the usurers had mined my father, so that my brothers were obliged to go to service almost as soon as they could do any thing; and as I was the youngest, some of my aunts, my father's sisters, had me with them for a while. I can still well remember that I was with one whose name was Margaret. She carried me to a house that was called "In der Wilde," near Grenchen. One of my aunts was there also: she wrapped me up in a truss of straw that was accidentally in the room, and laid me on the table, and went to the other women. Once in the night, after my aunts had laid me down, they went to the mass at candle-mass time. Then I got up, and had run through the snow in winter, naked, to a house. When they came back, and did not find me, they were in great distress, but found me at last in that house, between two men, who were warming me, for I was frozen in the snow. Afterwards when I was also for a while with the same aunts, at "In der Wilde," my eldest brother arrived from the Savoy war, and brought me a little wooden horse, which I drew along by a thread before the door. I still remember well that I really thought the little horse could walk, and can therefore well explain to myself how the little children often think that their dolls, and what they have, are alive. My brother also strode over me with one leg, as I still perfectly remember, and said, "Oho! Tommy, now you will never grow any more." When I was about three years old. Cardinal Matthew Schinner passed through the country to hold a visitation and confirm every where, as is the custom in the Catholic Church, and came to Grenchen also. At this time there was a priest in Grenchen, whose name was Anthony Platter; he was a relation of mine; to him they brought me, that he should act as godfather at my confirmation. When however the Cardinal had dined, and was gone again into the church to confirm, (I do not know what my uncle had to do), I ran without his knowledge into the church, that I might be confirmed, and that my godfather might give me a crown piece, as it is the custom to give the children something. The Cardinal sat in an arm chair waiting till they brought him the children. I still recollect very well that I ran up to him. As my godfather was not with me, he spoke to me: "What do you want, my child?" I said, "I should like to be confirmed." Then he said, smiling, "What is your name?" I answered, "My name is