Disquisition on the Celebrated Poetic Book Theuerdanck

...of discipline, having performed great deeds, they were created Soldiers or Knights of the Golden Spur with a drawn sword original: Equites Aurati stricto ense; a high-ranking order of knighthood often conferred by the Emperor, and were deservedly gifted and decorated with the Titles, Precedences, and Rewards for Virtues of the military and other most distinguished dignities, as well as the most ample Privileges and Prerogatives. From this illustrious lineage, therefore, was born our Melchior Pfintzing in the year 1481, on a Sunday, during the feast sacred to Saint Catherine, as evening was approaching. His father was Seyfrid Pfintzing, a Senator and Public Works Official original: Aedili; a magistrate responsible for public buildings and infrastructure of Nuremberg, and his mother was Barbara, born of the Grundherr family. Having acquired for himself the knowledge worthy of a nobleman, he went to the Imperial Court, and there he was admitted into the household of the Imperial Chancellor, Lord von Serntein. Through his recommendation, he subsequently became the Secretary to Emperor Maximilian. In this office, he proved his service to the Emperor so well that the Emperor—even after the death of Erasmus Doppler (*) original: Sebaldinae aedis Praepositi; the Provost or head administrator of St. Sebald’s Church in Nuremberg in the year 1512—recommended him to the Nuremberg Senate so that they might confer the Provostship of St. Sebald’s Church upon him. The Bishop of Bamberg had indeed intended this most ample priesthood for Wilhelm von Limburg (whose very ancient family recently died out), but because the city’s privileges were harmed by this succession The Free Imperial City of Nuremberg often fought to maintain its right to appoint its own officials against the influence of outside Bishops, the Senate immediately named Pfintzing as Doppler’s successor and, in his absence, conferred this office upon his representative. Later, Pfintzing himself came to Nuremberg and lived there at various intervals for some time. Through his care, the Provost’s residence was restored; he converted it from wood to stone, as is evident from his coat of arms hung on the projecting balcony. Not long after, he returned to the Imperial Court, and there not only...

() This was a most outstanding man and greater than any praise, as we know from his epitaph, which remains in the Church of Saint Sebald, and which reads as follows: Erasmus Doppler, Doctor of Both Laws original: I.V.D.; a scholar of both civil and church law and Apostolic Protonotary, as well as Councilor to the Most Serene Emperor Maximilian, well-deserving Provost of this church; while he was providing faithful service to his homeland, he exchanged life for death at Trier during a solemn assembly of princes, in the year of our Lord 1512, on the Calends of May [May 1st]. He lived 50 years. You, reader, farewell, and do not be reluctant to pour out prayers to God for such a great man.*