The Poetic Works of Helius Eobanus Hessus

Book excerpt: Hailed as “King of Poets” by Johann Reuchlin in 1514, Eobanus Hessus (1488–1540) was eager to build on his fame with a stream of new works: “Easter Hymn,” “On True Nobility,” “On the Avoidance of Drunkenness,” “Response from His Majesty Maximilian” (answering Hutten’s “Letter from Italia”), and the short epic “Christ’s Victory over the Underworld,” as well as a hitherto unknown “Inaugural Lecture” on Cicero and Plautus. In 1515 he anonymously published a mock-quodlibetical speech that applies the scholastic method of argumentation to “The Species of Drunkards.” Eobanus’ first bestseller, this brilliant satire was reprinted well into the eighteenth century. All of these texts are included in the present volume, along with annotated translations, ground-breaking introductions, and commentary.