A Safe Conduct

by Peter Vansittart

A decaying German principality on the brink of the Reformation and in the shadow of the famous Children's Revolt. In luxuriant prose, Vansittart depicts [15th century Germany] with the fierce precision of a Dürer engraving."" - Publishers Weekly ""Engrossing, a colorful canvas.... The language is rich, giving shape to a world in which people live close to nature and are more alive because of it."" - Booklist ""Impressive."" - Kirkus Reviews.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

184 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1995

About the author

Peter Vansittart was a master of the historical novel and a writer of outstanding talent. He wrote more than 40 books, which also encompassed anthologies, works on literature and social history.

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This highly recommended novel is based on the story of the real-life Hans Bohm, 'The Little Piper', in the 15th century. From his preaching economic and political equality for all, the 'Children's Revolt', his final capture and execution for his bold words, the author has fashioned this novel. It tells the story of one of the many people's revolts in Europe during the Middle Ages and Early Modern times. This Hans is completely the author's creation, an unattractive, mentally retarded boy who is completely apolitical. One can see how the social conditions relate to the modern world with all our inequalities, but the story takes place in an unnamed province in Germany during the years before the Reformation.

An evil, cruel Graf in his castle on the hill oppresses the people in his principality. We are introduced to him and his equally evil retainers and Uncle amid the crumbling castle. It's rumored that the Graf may have killed his Gräfin. A group of children run off and found a palisaded shanty-town they name 'Troy.' It grows by leaps and bounds. Vagabonds, paupers, gypsies, other disaffected people swell the ranks of the children. Alberich, a boy from another village who Hans has has always admired, 'pulls the strings' behind the scenes and really leads the Revolt, although Hans is nominally their 'King'. Alberich has a secret agenda of his own, which doesn't include the welfare of the group.

The story is straightforward, but written in Vansittart's inimitable style and vivid descriptions. I wondered at the choice of title. It was explained thus as one of Alberich's shrewd ideas: a safe conduct was promised to the leader of the revolt if he would come peacefully to the castle. When Hans presented himself, the Graf reneged on that promise and exacted a horrific death. I learned a little of the history of that period. I admire the author's most unusual style and modes of expression. On the last page the author tells us, Grete, one of the children, carves an intricate pattern on a tree trunk; after much dissention as to its meaning, "opinions gradually agreed, identifying it as an emblem of religious dissent which gathering murderous pace after 1500, substantially reduced the population of the Holy Roman Empire."

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't think this was where to start with Vansittart. It's just the one that came first in the mail.

I had the sense that this wasn't about one revolt in particular, although there was a Hans who led a children's revolt. For a short novel it devotes a lot of pages to a general assemblage of superstitions, beliefs, filtered information and oddities of the times, like a medieval gazette. It is very unenchanted – with the children no more than with the Graf. Joining the revolt are “discontented cottagers, shamble-fellows, pigfeed vagrants, donkey-drivers, nightsoil carcase-wights...” and on further pages, “wanderlust felons, geniuses of dream, escapee prentices, gaunt scavengers, jobless suppliants... fishpond imps, lumbering clodhoppers, hod carriers and criminal wastrels.” I quote this because it's typical and reminds me of Shakespearean insults in litanies or lists. His style is such that there's never a dull sentence even on pages without sight of the plot. I was most happy to be with the Graf in his castle, for his lifelikeness – unattractive (who isn't in here?) but very human and just so well described. Vansittart does enlist pathos for Hans but my, he's a severe author: Hans, along with the other kids, is most of the time repugnant. His writing isn't pretty either, but expressive, unexpected and enough to tide me over when we're too detached from the particular. The actual revolt was lyrical and involving... he does great scenes of popular inebriation.

Fascinating writer, although unless you want German principalities circa 1500, I still don't think this is the place to start.