Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/117

UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER CENTRES OF LEARNING 105 chronicles we have no records of humanity earlier than the siege of Troy, and the songs of Homer and Hesiod are a century and a half later. But, notwithstanding its age, the Hebrew tongue is unequalled in richness : all other languages, poor and barren in comparison, draw from this one as from their fountain-head.' Eeuchlin's labours bore abundant fruit. While zealously serving the Church, he was in turn supported by the officers of the Church. We read now of an abbot of Ottobeuren applying to him for a Hebrew teacher for his monastery, now of a provost in Eor begging for explanations of some passages in his writings, now of a Dominican prior leaving him a Hebrew manuscript for use during his lifetime. Monks also — such as the indefatigable Nicholas Ellenbog, to whom Ottobeuren later was indebted for the establish- ment of a university and a printing-house ; William Schrader, of Camp, on the Lower Ehine, who devoted all his laroe fortune to the collecting of Hebrew manu- scripts ; Nicholas Basellius, of Hirsau, and many others — became his most devoted disciples and enthusiastic eulogists. Basellius said in 1501: ' Eeuchlin not only revived the study of Greek, he also rescued the Hebrew language from the dust of oblivion. The republic of scholars is eternally indebted to him for having saved them from a burdensome task, and theologians should crown him with honour for having restored to the sacred Scriptures their ancient lustre.' Others who, like Eeuchlin, belonged to the first celebrities of Heidelberg were James Wimpheling, who, at the instigation of Dalberg, had written the ' Guide for the Youth of Germany,' and Wimpheling's friend, Pallas Spangel. The Latin poets, Conrad Leontius and