370 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



vourite recreation, then the cherished and dearly -loved 

 cithern is soon upon the table, and accompanying with 

 its simple, unassuming melody, some equally simple 

 love-ditty or song of hunting life. 



The affection the peasantry bear this instrument is 

 very great : its tones affect them more than any instru- 

 ment of greater pretensions would have power to do. 



" Well, 'faith, it is the strangest thing ! 



What's in a cithern's tone ? 

 It moves the heart, and makes it sad, 



As I' re heard many own. 

 And then it is so sweet and gay, 



And sounds in merry style ; 

 'Tis just as though you bravely laugh'd, 



And yet did weep the while*." 



But the most peculiar kind of song, and a very 

 favourite pastime of the people throughout Bavaria, 

 particularly in the southern parts, in Suabia, the 

 Tyrol, Upper Austria, and Styria, are the so-called 

 " Schnadahiipnn." These songs consist -of short 

 verses, not unlike the " Couplets" of the French, and 

 generally contain some figurative comparison, taken 

 from external nature, or from the occupations and 

 pleasures of the hunter or the husbandman, and are 

 always of a humorous, gay, or sportive character. By 

 far the greater number have Love for their theme, 

 and describe the lover or his " dearie," some love ad- 

 venture or a lover's grief. The Spanish " Seguidillas" 

 were somewhat like them : they too were sung to the 

 guitar during the dance, and were frequently impro- 



* ZobelTs Gedichte. 



