"This story may have come from the East. (See Scott's (Tales from the Arabic and Persian, p. 53, where there is an excellent story, of similar construction.) It is likewise extremely well related in the Contes devots, or Miracles of the Virgin, (Le Grand, Fabliaux, v. 74.) and in other places."—Douce.
But the termination, and most of the principal circumstances of the story are similar. Here then arises a pretty strong inference that Mr. Douce's opinions relative to what he terms the English Gesta, are not altogether accurate. Whence had Schiller this story, if not from the Gesta? And if from thence a copy of it was probably in his possession. The resemblance is too close to suppose it furnished by tradition when there were actually several printed or MS. copies. And even in that view, it opposes the idea of an English origin, which is the hypothesis of Mr. Douce. Such are my sentiments; the following is the account given by Mr. Collier. "Not long subsequent to the first publication of 'Fridolin,' it became so great a favourite throughout Germany, that it was converted into a five act play, by Holbein, the director of the theatre at Prague; and during the fifteen years that followed, it was represented on most of the continental stages with great success, other authors making use of the same story. It was also set to music by C. F. Weber, master of the chapel at Berlin, and in this shape it was extremely popular. Mr. Boetiger informs us, that the origin of the story is an Alsatian tradition, which Schiller learnt when at Manheim. The probable adherence to this Volkssage, as far as was at all convenient, will account for the mode in which the author has treated some incidents. We know of no similar narrative, or ballad, in English."—Remarks on Fridolin, p. 37.
