He in rich

( Poor ), or “Poor Henry,” the hero and title of a poem by Hartmann von der Aue [ Our ]. He in rich was a rich nobleman, struck with leprosy, and was told he would never recover till some virgin of spotle purity volunteered volunteered to die on his behalf. As He in rich neither hoped nor even wished for such a sacrifice, he gave the main part of his po e ions to the poor, and went to live with a poor tenant farmer, who was one of his va als. The daughter of this farmer heard by accident on what the cure of the leper depended, and went to Salerno to offer herself as the victim. No sooner was the offer made than the lord was cured, and the damsel became his wife (twelfth century). ⁂ This tale forms the subject of Long fellow’s Golden Legend (1851).