SIDONIA THE SORCERESS THE SUPPOSED DESTROYER OF THE WHOLE REIGNING DUCAL HOUSE OFPOMERANIA. TRANSLATED BY LADY WILDE MARY SCHWEIDLER THE AMBER WITCH BY WILLIAM MEINHOLD DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. II. 1894 CONTENTS SIDONIA THE SORCERESS. BOOK III. Continued. _FROM THE RECEPTION OF SIDONIA INTO THE CONVENT AT MARIENFLIESSUP TILL HER EXECUTION, AUGUST_ 19TH, 1620. CHAPTER IV. How Dorothea Stettin is talked out of the sub-prioret by Sidonia, and the priest is prohibited from visiting the convent. CHAPTER V. How Sidonia wounds Ambrosia von Guntersberg with an axe, becauseshe purposed to marry--And prays the convent porter, MatthiasWinterfeld, to death--For these, and other causes, the reverendchaplain refuses to shrive the sorceress, and denounces herpublicly from the altar. CHAPTER VI. Dorothea Stettin falls sick, and how the doctor manages to bleedher--Item, how Sidonia chases the princely commissioners into theoak-forest. CHAPTER VII. How the assembled Pomeranian princes hold a council over Sidonia, and at length cite her to appear at the ducal court. CHAPTER VIII. Of Sidonia's defence--Item, how she has a quarrel with JoachimWedel, and bewitches him to death. CHAPTER IX. How a strange woman (who must assuredly have been Sidonia) incitesthe lieges of his Grace to great uproar and tumult in Stettin, byreason of the new tax upon beer. CHAPTER X. Of the fearful events that take place at Marienfliess--Item, howDorothea Stettin becomes possessed by the devil. CHAPTER XI. Of the arrival of Diliana and the death of the convent priest--Item, how the unfortunate corpse is torn by a wolf. CHAPTER XII. How Jobst Bork has himself carried to Marienfliess in his bed toreclaim his fair young daughter Diliana--Item, how GeorgePutkammer threatens Sidonia with a drawn sword. CHAPTER XIII. How my gracious Lord Bishop Franciscus and the reverend Dr. Joelgo to the Jews' school at Old Stettin, in order to steal the SchemHamphorasch, and how the enterprise finishes with a sound. Cudgelling. CHAPTER XIV. How the Duke Francis seeks a virgin at Marienfliess to cite theangel Och for him--Of Sidonia's evil plot thereupon, and theterrible uproar caused thereby in the convent. CHAPTER XV. Of the death of the abbess, Magdalena von Petersdorfin--Item, howDuke Francis makes Jobst Bork and his daughter, Diliana, come toCamyn, and what happens there. CHAPTER XVI. Jobst Bork takes away his daughter by force from the Duke and Dr. Joel; also is strengthened in his unbelief by Dr. Cramer--Item, how my gracious Prince arrives at Marienfliess, and therevehemently menaces Sidonia. CHAPTER XVII. Of the fearful death of his Highness, Duke Philip II. OfPomerania, and of his melancholy but sumptuous burial. CHAPTER XVIII. How Jobst Bork and his little daughter are forced at last into the"Opus Magicum"--Item, how his Highness, Duke Francis, appointsChristian Ludecke, his attorney-general, to be witch-commissionerof Pomerania. CHAPTER XIX. How Christian Ludecke begins the witch-burnings in Marienfliess, and lets the poor dairy-mother die horribly on the rack. CHAPTER XX. What Sidonia said to these doings--Item, what our Lord God said;and lastly, of the magical experiment performed upon GeorgePutkammer and Diliana, in Old Stettin. CHAPTER XXI. Of the awful and majestic appearance of the sun-angel, Och. CHAPTER XXII. How old Wolde is seized, confronted with Sidonia, and finallyburned before her window. CHAPTER XXIII. How Diliana Bork and George Putkammer are at length betrothed--Item, how Sidonia is degraded from her conventual dignities andcarried to the witches' tower of Saatzig in chains. CHAPTER XXIV. Of the execution of Sidonia and the wedding of Diliana. CONCLUSION. Mournful destiny of the last princely Pomeranian remains--My visitto the ducal Pomeranian vault in Wolgast, on the 6th May 1840. THE AMBER WITCH. PREFACE INTRODUCTION CHAPTER VII. How the Imperialists robbed me of all that was left, and likewisebroke into the church and stole the _Vasa Sacra;_ also whatmore befell us. CHAPTER VIII. How our need waxed sorer and sorer, and how I sent old Ilse withanother letter to Pudgla, and how heavy a misfortune this broughtupon me. CHAPTER IX. How the old maid-servant humbled me by her faith, and the Lord yetblessed me, His unworthy servant. CHAPTER X. How we journeyed to Wolgast, and made good barter there. CHAPTER XI. How I fed all the congregation--Item, how I journeyed to thehorse-fair at Gützkow, and what befell me there. CHAPTER XII. What further joy and sorrow befell us-Item, how Wittich Appelmannrode to Damerow to the wolf-hunt, and what he proposed to mydaughter. CHAPTER XIII. What more happened during the winter--Item, how in the springwitchcraft began in the village. CHAPTER XIV. How old Seden disappeared all on a sudden--Item, how the greatGustavus Adolphus came to Pomerania, and took the fort atPeenemünde. CHAPTER XV. Of the arrival of the high and mighty King Gustavus Adolphus, andwhat befell thereat. CHAPTER XVI. How little Mary Paasch was sorely plagued of the devil, and thewhole parish fell off from me. CHAPTER XVII. How my poor child was taken up for a witch, and carried to Pudgla. CHAPTER XVIII. Of the first trial, and what came thereof. CHAPTER XIX. How Satan, by the permission of the most righteous God, soughtaltogether to ruin us, and how we lost all hope. CHAPTER XX. Of the malice of the Governor and of old Lizzie--Item, of theexamination of witnesses. CHAPTER XXI. _De confrontations testium_. CHAPTER XXII. How the _Syndicus Dom. _ Michelson arrived, and prepared hisdefence of my poor child. CHAPTER XXIII. How my poor child was sentenced to be put to the question. CHAPTER XXIV. How in my presence the devil fetched old Lizzie Kolken. CHAPTER XXV. How Satan sifted me like wheat, whereas my daughter withstood himright bravely. CHAPTER XXVI. How I received the Holy Sacrament with my daughter and the oldmaid-servant, and how she was then led for the last time beforethe court, with the drawn sword and the outcry, to receivesentence. CHAPTER XXVII. Of that which befell us by the way--Item, of the fearful death ofthe sheriff at the mill. CHAPTER XXVIII. How my daughter was at length saved by the help of the all-merciful, yea, of the all-merciful God. CHAPTER XXIX. Of our next great sorrow, and final joy. BOOK III. Continued. FROM THE RECEPTION OF SIDONIA INTO THE CONVENT AT MARIENFLIESS UPTILL HER EXECUTION, AUGUST 19TH, 1620. VOL. II. CHAPTER IV. _How Dorothea Stettin is talked out of the sub-prioret bySidonia, and the priest is prohibited from visiting theconvent. _ If Sidonia could not be the pastor's wife, she was determined atleast to be sub-prioress, and commenced her preparations for thisobject by knitting a little pair of red hose for her cat. Then shesent for Dorothea Stettin, saying that she was weak and ill, andno one took pity on her. When the good Dorothea came as she was asked, there lay my serpenton the bed in her nun's robes, groaning and moaning as if her lasthour had come; and scarcely had the sub-prioress taken a seat nearher, when my cat crept forth from under the bed, in his little redhose, mewing and rubbing himself up against the robe of thesub-prioress, as if praying her to remove this unwonted constraintfrom him, of the little red hose. After Dorothea had inquired about her sickness, she looked at thecat, and asked wonderingly, what was the meaning of such a strangedress? _Illa_. --"Ah, dear friend, it was dreadful to my feelings to see thelittle animal going about naked, therefore I knit little hose forhim, as you see; indeed, I am often tempted to wonder how the LordGod could permit the poor animals to appear naked before us. " _Hæc_ (extending her arms for joy, so that she almost tumbled backoff the stool). --"Oh, God be praised and thanked, at last I havefound one chaste soul in this wicked world! (sobs, throws up hereyes, falls upon Sidonia's neck, kisses her, and weeps over her:)ah yes, one chaste soul at last, like herself!" _Illa. _--"True, Dorothea, there is no virtue so rare in thisevil world as chastity. Ah, why has the Lord God placed suchthings before our eyes? I never can comprehend it, and never will. What a sight for a chaste virgin these naked animals! What did thedear sister think on the matter?" _Hæc. _--"Ah, she knew not what to think, had asked the priestabout it. " _Illa. _--"And what did he say?" _Hæc. _--"He laughed at her. " _Illa. _--"Just like him, the lewd, hypocritical pharisee. " _Hæc. _--"Eh? she was too hard on the good priest. He was apure and upright servant of God. " _Illa. _--"Ay, as Judas was. Had not sister Dorotheaheard----" _Hæc. _--"No; for God's sake, what? The dear sister frightenedher already. " _Illa. _--"First, you confess that the priest laughed when youtalked about chastity?" _Hæc. _--"Yes, true, ah, indeed true. " _Illa. _--"Then you remember that he preached a sermon latelyupon adul--upon adul--. No, she never could utter the word--thehorrible word. Upon the seventh commandment, to the great scandalof the entire convent?" _Hæc. _--"Ah yes, ah yes, she was there, and had to stop oneear with her finger, the other with her kerchief, not to hear allthe strange and dreadful things he was saying. " _Illa. _--"And yet this was the man that ran in and out of thecloister daily at his pleasure, sent for or not--a young unmarriedman--though the convent rules especially declared an _old_man. Ah, if _she_ were sub-prioress, this scandal shouldnever be permitted. " _Hæc_. --"What could be done? it was a blessed thing to livein peace. Besides, the priest was such a pious man. " _Illa_. --"Pious? Heaven defend us from such piety! Why, hadshe not heard?--the whole convent talked about it. " _Hæc_. --"No, no; for God's sake, what had happened? tellher--she had been making sausages all the morning, and had heardnothing. " _Illa_. --"Then know, ah God, how it pained her to talk ofit--she had heard a great noise in the kitchen in the morning, asif all the pots and pans were tumbled about, and when she ran into see--there was the priest--oh, her chaste eyes never had seensuch a sight--the _pious_ priest making love to her old maid, Wolde. " _Hæc_. --"Impossible, impossible!--to her old maid, Wolde?" _Illa_. -"Yea, and he was praying her for kisses, and praisingher fat hand, and extolling her white hair. But as to what moreshe had seen----" _Hæc_. --"For God's sake, sister, what more?" _Illa_ (sighing, and covering her face with both hands). --"No, no, that she could never bring her chaste lips to utter. Oh, thatsuch wickedness should be in the world (weeping bitterly). But shewould never enter the chapel again, and that priest there; norreceive the rites from him. But this was not all; the dear sistermust hear how he revenged himself upon her, because sheinterrupted his toying with the old hag. It was truth, all truth!She (Sidonia) grew so ill with fright and horror that she wasunable to disrobe, and threw herself on the bed just as she was, but growing weaker and weaker hour by hour, sent for the priest atlast, to pray with her, and afterwards to offer up generalsupplication for her restoration, in the chapel with all thesisterhood; but only think, the shameless hypocrite refused topray with her, because he spied an end of her black robe out ofthe bed, declaring she was not ill at all, that she was a baseliar, all because she had lain down in her convent dress, andfinally went his way cursing and swearing, without even saying oneprayer, or uttering one word of comfort, as was his duty. And now, alas! she must die without priest or sacrament! To what a Sodomand Gomorrah she had come! But if an old hag like her maid was notsafe from the shameless parson, how could she or any of them besafe? What was to be done? unless the dear sister, assub-prioress, took the matter in her own hands, and brought him totask about it?" At this proposal the other trembled like an aspen leaf, and seemedmore dead than alive. She wept, wrung her hands--for God's sakewhat could she do? how could she talk on such a matter? Let theabbess see to it, if she chose. _Illa_. --"Stuff, the old pussy--the less said of _her_the better. Why, she was worse than the old maid, Wolde, herself. " _Hæc_. --"The abbess? why, the whole convent, and the wholeworld too, talked of her piety and virtue. " _Illa_. --"Very virtuous, truly, to have the priest locked upwith her; and when some of the sisters wished to remain, suspecting that all was not right, the priest pushed them out atthe door with his own hands, and bolted it after them, as manycould testify to her had been done this very day. Oh, what a Sodomand Gomorrah she had been betrayed into! (weeping, sobbing, andfalling upon Dorothea's neck. ) I pray you, sister, for the sake ofour heavenly bridegroom, bring this evil to an end, otherwise fireand brimstone will assuredly and justly be rained down upon ourpoor cloister. " Still the other maintained, "That the dear sister must err asregarded the abbess. It might be her chaste zeal that blinded her. True enough, probably, what she said of the priest; but the worthyabbess--no, never could she believe that. " _Illa_. --"Let her have proof then. It was not her custom toweaken innocence; call her maid, Wolde. " Then as Wolde entered, Sidonia made a sign, and bid her tell thesub-prioress all that the shameless priest had done. _Ancilla_. --"He had asked her for little kisses, praised herhands and hair, and her beautiful limp, and had sat up close toher on the bench, then run after her into the kitchen, gave hermoney (shows the money), asked again for kisses, then----" Sidonia screams-- "Hold your tongue; no more, no more; enough, enough!" At this story, Dorothea Stettin nearly went into convulsions--shewrung her hands, crying--. "How is it possible? O heaven, how is it possible?" _Illa_. --"There is something more quite possible also; thehag shall tell you what she saw at the room door of the abbess. " _Ancilla_. -"When the scandalous priest left her, he wentstraight to the abbess, and there was taken with cramps, as sheheard, upon which all the convent ran thither, and she with therest. And he was lying stretched out on a bench, like one dead, nodoubt from shame; but the shame soon went off, and then he got up, and bade them all leave the room. However, good Anna Apenborg didnot choose to go, for she suspected evil. Whereupon he seized herby the hand, and put her out along with the others. She saw allthis herself, for she was standing in the passage, waiting tospeak to sister Anna. When, behold, she was pushed out, to hergreat surprise, in this way by the priest, and they heard the doorbolted inside immediately after. " At this Dorothea Stettin fell upon Sidonia's bed, weeping, sobbing, and ready to die with grief; but Sidonia bade her nottake on so; for perhaps, after all, the old hag had not told thetruth, at least concerning the dear, worthy abbess; but twowitnesses would be sufficient testimony. Whereupon she bid Woldewatch for Anna Apenborg from the window, and beckon to her to comein if she saw her going by. And scarcely had Wolde stepped to the window, when she laughed andsaid-- "Truly, there stands Anna chatting with Agnes Kleist's maid at thewell. Shall I run and call her?" "Yes, " said Sidonia. In a little while Wolde returned with sister Anna. The girl lookedwildly round at first, stared at the broom-sticks which laycrosswise under the table, and then asked, with a trembling voice, what the good sister wanted with her, while she took a seat on atrunk near the bed. "My old maid, " said Sidonia, "tells me that the reverend chaplaintook you by the hand, and put you out of the abbess's room, afterwhich he bolted the door. Is this true or not? Speak the wholetruth. " So Anna related the whole story as Wolde had done; but, whiletalking, the curious damsel lifted up a corner of the quilt topeep under the bed, upon which my cat in his little red hose creptforth again, mewing and rubbing himself against Anna, at which shegave a shriek of horror and sprang out of the room, down the stepsand into the courtyard, without ever once venturing to look behindher. And many think that this cat was Sidonia's evil spirit Chim. But Anna Apenborg saw afterwards a pair of terrible fiery eyesglaring at her from Sidonia's window; so others said, that musthave been Chim. But we shall hear more of this same cat presently. _Summa_. --Sidonia knew well enough what made the girl scream, but she turned to Dorothea, and said-- "Ah, see how this wickedness has shocked the poor young nun!Therefore, dear sister, you must, as sub-prioress, make an end ofthe scandal, and prohibit this false priest from visiting theconvent; for, indeed, they who permitted him such freedom amongstthe nuns were more to blame for his sins than he himself. " Poor Dorothea groaned forth in answer-- "Alas, alas! why did I ever accept the sub-prioret? For the coupleof sacks of flour and the bit of corn which she got more than theothers, it was not worth while to be plagued to death. It was alltrue about the priest. He must be dismissed. But then she lovedpeace. How could she right such matters? Oh, that some one wouldrelieve her of this sub-prioret!" _Illa_. --"That can be easily done if you will. Suppose youask Anna Apenborg to take it?" _Hæc_. --"No, no; Anna had not sense enough for that; but ifthe dear sister herself would take it, how happy she would feel. " _Illa_. --"She was too sick, probably going to die; who couldtell?" _Hæc_. --"No, no; she would pray for her. The dear sistercould not be spared yet. Let her say yes (falling on her neck andweeping), only let her say yes. " _Illa_. --"Well, out of love to her she would say yes; and ifthe Lord raised her up from this sick bed, order and decorumshould reign again in the convent. " _Hæc_ (again embracing her with gratitude). --"No doubt theywould. She knew well that no such pure-minded nun was in theconvent as her dear sister Sidonia. " _Illa_. --"But, good Dorothea, in order to get rid of thepriest as soon as possible, we had better send the porterimmediately to summon the abbess and the entire sisterhood here, for you to tender your resignation in their presence. " _Hæc_. --"But sister Sidonia must promise not to complain ofthe priest or the abbess to the Prince. " _Illa_. --"No, no; I can settle the matter quietly, withoutlaying a complaint before the Prince. " _Hæc_. --"All right, then. Everything, if possible, in peace. " Hereupon Sidonia despatched the porter to the abbess with arequest that she and the whole convent would assemble inhalf-an-hour at the refectory, as she had somewhat to communicate. Meanwhile she instructed Dorothea in what she was to say, so asnot to disgrace the poor abbess before the whole convent. At the end of the half-hour, the abbess and the entire sisterhoodappeared, but all with anger and mistrust depicted on theircountenances. Sidonia then spake-- "Since ye and your priest refused to pray for me, I have prayedfor myself, and the Lord hath heard me in my weakness, and made mestrong enough to listen to the request of this good sister, Dorothea, and promise to fulfil it. Speak, sister Dorothea, whatwas your prayer?" So Dorothea advanced, weeping and wringing her hands-- "Ah, God! she could no longer be sub-prioress. She loved peace toomuch. But there were bad doings in the convent--she would say nomore--only they must end. Therefore she had earnestly prayed herdear sister Sidonia to relieve her from the duties of office, andbecome sub-prioress in her stead. " Here she loosed the veil, which differed from the others, byhaving a key embroidered in gold thereon--the abbess had two keyson her veil--and bound it on Sidonia, who had by this time risenfrom bed, taking Sidonia's veil for herself. Then leading thefatal sorceress forward, she said-- "Good mother and dear sisters--behold your sub-prioress!" Thereupon the abbess and the whole convent remained quite mute, sogreat was their horror. Then Sidonia asked-- "Have they aught to say against it? If so, let them speak. " But they all remained silent and trembling, till at last theabbess murmured-- "Is this done with your free-will, Dorothea?" "Ah, yes, yes, truly, " she answered. "I told you before with whatearnest prayers I besought the dear sister to release me. God bethanked she has consented at last. Who can keep order and decorumso well throughout the convent?" Then the abbess spoke again-- "Sister Sidonia, I have no opposition to make, as you know fullwell. So, if the Prince, and the sheriff, our worthysuperintendent, consent, you shall be sub-prioress. Yet first youmust render an account of your strange doings this past night, forthings were seen and heard in your chamber which could not havebeen accomplished without the help of the great enemy himself. " Hereat Sidonia laughed as if she would die. She would tell themthe whole trick. They all knew what a trouble to the convent wasthis Anna Apenborg from her curiosity--not once or twice, but tentimes a day, running in and out with her chat and gossip. She hadtried all means to prevent her, but in vain. Even in the middle ofher prayers, the said Anna would come in to tell her what onesister was cooking, and another getting, or some follies evenquite unfit for chaste ears. And that last night being very sick, she sent for the priest, upon which she heard Anna calling outfrom the window to the porter, "Will he come? will he come?"_Item_, she had then crept down to listen at the door. Soafter the priest went, notwithstanding all her weakness, she(Sidonia) determined to give her a good fright, and thus preventher from spying and listening any more. Then she called Wolde, andbid her dance, while she muttered some words out of thecookery-book. But here Anna called out, "It is not true; therewere _three_ danced. Where is the carl with the deep bassvoice? Who could this be at that midnight hour, but the devilbodily himself?" At this, Sidonia laughed louder than before. It was her cat--herown cat, who was springing about the room, because for diversreasons she had put little red hose on him. On this she stoopsunder the bed, seizes my cat by the leg, who howls (that was thedeep bass voice), and flings him into the middle of the room, where all the nuns, when they beheld his strange jumps and springsin the little hose, burst out into loud laughter, in which theabbess herself could not refrain from joining. So as there was noevidence against Sidonia, and Anna Apenborg was truly held of allas a most troublesome chatterbox and spy, the inquiry ended. Andwith somewhat more friendliness, putting the best face on a badmatter, they accepted Sidonia for their sub-prioress. CHAPTER V. _How Sidonia wounds Ambrosia von Guntersberg with an axe, because she purposed to marry--And prays the convent porter, Matthias Winterfeld, to death--For these, and other causes, thereverend chaplain refuses to shrive the sorceress, and denouncesher publicly from the altar_. Sidonia's first act, as may easily be imagined, was to dismiss thepriest; and for this purpose she wrote him a letter, saying thathe must never more presume to set foot within the cloister, for ifold ice-grey mothers were not safe from him, how could she and theother maidens hope to escape? If he disobeyed her orders, shewould summon him before the princely consistorium, where strangethings might be told of him. So the reverend David consented right willingly, and never saw thenuns except on Sundays in the chapel, but Sidonia herself neverappeared in the nuns' choir. She gave Dorothea many excellent andconvincing reasons for her absence. (But in my opinion, it wascaused by hate and abhorrence of the sacrament and the holy Wordof God; for such are a torment and a torture to the children ofthe devil, even as the works of the devil are an abomination tothe children of God. ) When, however, the report came, that the reverend David was indeedbetrothed to Barbara Bamberg, Sidonia presented herself once inthe choir, kneeled down, and was heard to murmur, "Wed if thouwilt, that I cannot hinder; but a child thou shalt never hold atthe font!" And truly was the evil curse fulfilled. Meanwhile the fear and the dread of her increased daily in theconvent, for besides old Wolde, two other horrible hags wereobserved frequently going in and out of her apartments--truechildren of Satan, as one might see by their red, glowing eyes. With these she practised many horrible sorceries, sometimesquarrelled with them, however, and beat them out with thebroom-stick; but they always came back again, and were as wellreceived as ever. Then she had strifes and disputes with every one who approachedher, and was notorious through all the courts of justice for herwrangling and fighting, in particular with her brother's son, Ottoof Stramehl, for she sued him for an _alimentum_ pension, andalso demanded that the rents of her two farm-houses in Zachowshould be paid her, according to the sum to which they must haveaccumulated during the last fifty years. But he answered, sheshould have no money; why did she not live at her farm-houses? Heknew nothing of the rents, the whole matter was past andforgotten, and she had no claim now on him, and so every month shewrangled in the courts about this business. _Item_, shefought with Preslar of Buslar, because, being a feudal vassal ofthe Borks', she required him to kiss her hand, which he refused;then her dog having strayed into his house, she accused him ofhaving stolen it. _Item_, she fought with the maid who actedas cook in the convent kitchen, and said she never got a morselfit to eat. And the said maid (I forget her name now) havingsalted the fish too much one day, she ran after her with abroom-stick--once, indeed, beat her so severely, that she was lameher life long after. But worse than the fish-salting was the white kerchief which themaid wore. For people, she said, might take her at a distance tobe one of the honourable convent ladies, therefore she must wear acoloured one. This the maid would not do, so she was soon broughtto an untimely end also, along with all others who displeased her. These things, and many more, came out upon her trial, but fordivers reasons I must pass them over. All her notes, messages, andletters, she entrusted to the porter, Matthias Winterfeld, who wasoften sent, may be five times a week, by her to Stargard. But hedared not remonstrate, or she would have struck him with thebroom-stick. However, all this is nothing in comparison with the way shetreated the unfortunate nuns. The younger and prettier they were, so much the more she boxed, beat, and martyred them, even strikingthem with the broom-stick. And if they ever smiled or seemed happytalking to one another, she abused and reviled them, calling themidle wantons, who thought of nothing but matrimony. None werepermitted outside the convent gates, not even to visit theirparents: they should not be flying back with their crumbs ofgossip about brides and weddings, forsooth, and such-like improperthoughts. Neither should they go to the annual fair. She would goherself and buy everything for them she thought needful, only letthem give her the gold. And out of deadly fear the poor maidens bore this tyranny longwhile silently; even the abbess feared to complain, so thatSidonia soon usurped the entire government of the convent. But the powder-mill broke out at last into vivid flames, as Ishall narrate here. It was on this wise:--Amongst the novices wasone beautiful young maiden, Ambrosia von Guntersberg by name. Shewas fifth daughter of old Ambrosius of Falkenwald, a little townnear Jacobshagen. One day a young nobleman called Ewald vonMellenthin beheld her in her cloister habit. Think you he forgother? No, he can never forget the maiden! One, two weeks pass over, but she has sunk deeper and deeper into his heart; at last he roseup and went to Falkenwald to her father, Ambrosius, asking herhand in honourable marriage. Now, the old man was well pleased, for he was poor, and had fivedaughters; so he bid the young noble write a letter to hisdaughter Ambrosia, which he would inclose in one from himself toher. But no answer arrived from the maiden (we may guess why, forSidonia opened and read all the letters that came to the convent, before they were handed to their owners. Those that displeased hershe burned; no doubt, therefore, the love-letter was the first inthe flames). But the young noble grew impatient for an answer, andresolved to ride to Marienfliess. So he ties his good horse to across in the churchyard, walks straight up to the convent, andrings the bell. Immediately the old porter, Matthias, opened tohim, with his hands covered with blood (for he was killing a fatox for the nuns, close by); whereupon the noble lord prayed tospeak a few words to the young novice Ambrosia von Guntersberg, atthe grating; and in a little time the beautiful maiden appeared, tripping along the convent court (but Sidonia is before her). Ambrosia advanced modestly to the grating, and asked the handsomeknight, "What was his pleasure?" who answered, "Since I beheld youin Guntersberg, dearest lady, my heart has been wholly yours; andwhen I saw how diligently and cheerfully you ruled your father'shouse during his sickness, I resolved to take you for my wife, ifsuch were possible; for I need a good and prudent spouse at mycastle of Lienke, and methinks no better or more beautiful couldbe found than yourself. Therefore I obtained your father'spermission to open the matter to you in writing, and he inclosedmy letter in one of his own; but you have neither answered one northe other. Whereupon, in my impatience, I saddled my good horse, and rode over here to have an answer at once from your ownbeautiful lips. " When Sidonia heard this, she grew black in the face withrage--"What! in her presence, before her very face, to dare tohold such language to a young maiden--a mere child--who knewnothing at all of what marriage meant. He must pack off thisinstant, or the devil himself should turn him out of thecloister. " Meanwhile the young maiden took heart (for the handsome knightpleased her), and said, "Gracious Lady Prioress (Sidonia made themall call her Gracious Lady, as if she were a born princess), I amno more a child, as you say, and I know very well what marriagemeans. " This boldness made the other so wroth that she screamed--"Wait! Iwill teach you what marriage is;" and she sprang on her to boxher. But Ambrosia rushed through the side-door out into the court, Sidonia following; however, not being able to reach her, sheseized up the axe with which the porter had been killing the ox, and flung it after her, wounding the poor maiden so in the footthat the red blood poured down over her white stockings, while theyoung lover, who could not break the grating, screamed and stampedfor rage and despair. By the good mercy of God the wound was onlyslight, still the fair novice fell to the ground; but seeingSidonia rushing at her again with the large butcher's knife whichthe porter had been using, she sprang up and ran to the grating, crying out to the noble, "Save me! save me!" And at her screams all the nuns threw up their windows, right andleft, over the courtyard; but finding the young knight could nothelp her, she ran to the old porter, still screaming, "Save me!save me! she is going to murder me!" Now the fellow was glad enough to be revenged on Sidonia, for shehad sent him running to Stargard for her late the night before, and the moment the ox was to be quartered, he was to be off thereagain at her command; so he rushed at the vile witch, and seizingher up like a bundle of old rags, pitched her against the wallwith all his force, adding a right hearty curse; and there she layquaking like an old cat, while the handsome young noble laughedloud from the grating. But she was up again soon, shook her dry, withered fist at theporter, and cried, "Ha! thou insolent churl, I will pray thee todeath for this!" Whereupon she went off to her room, and locked herself up there, while the fair Ambrosia ran to the grating, and stretching out herlittle hands through the bars, exclaimed, "I am yours, dearknight; oh, take me away from this horrible hell!" This rejoiced my young noble heartily, and he kissed the littlehands and lamented over her foot--"And was it much hurt? She mustlift it up, and show him if the wound was deep. " So she raised up the dainty foot a little bit, and then saw thather whole shoe was full of blood; but the old porter, who came byjust then, comforted the handsome youth, and told him he wouldstop the blood directly, for the wound was but a trifle. Whereuponhe laid a couple of straws over it, murmured some words, andbehold, in a moment, the blood is staunched! Then the fair novicethanked him courteously, and prayed him to unlock the wicket, forshe would go and stay a couple of hours with the miller's wife, while this young noble, to whom she had plighted love and troth, returned to her father's for a carriage to bring her home. Afterwhat had passed now, never more would she enter the cloister. But what happened? Scarcely had the good old porter unfastened thegrating, and the young knight taken the fair girl in his arms, kissing her and pressing her to his heart (well Sidonia did notsee him), when Matthias screamed out, "My God, what ails me?" andfell flat on the ground. At this the young knight left his bride, and flew to raise him up. "What could ail him?" But the poor oldman can hardly speak, his eyes are turned in his head, and hegasped, "It was as if a man were sitting inside his breast, andcrushing him to death. Oh, he could not breathe--his ribs werebreaking!" The alarmed young noble then helped the poor creature to reach hisroom, which lay close by the wicket; and having laid him on thebed in care of his wife, and recommended him to the mercy of God, he returned to his own fair bride, to carry her off from thismurder-hole, and place her in safety with the miller's wife. I mayas well mention here that he and the beautiful Ambrosia werewedded in due time, and lived long in peace and happiness, blessedwith many lovely children; for all the evil which Sidonia tried tobring upon them, as we shall hear, came to nought, through themercy of the great God. But to return to the porter-on the third day he died; and duringthat time, day and night, Sidonia prayed, and was never seen butonce. This was at the dividing of the salmon, when she threw upher window, and shaking her withered clenched hand at them, andher long white locks, threatened the nuns on their peril to touchthe tail-piece-the tail-piece was hers. A general horror pervaded the convent now, in truth, when thedeath of the porter was known. Anna Apenborg shut herself up, trembling, in her cell, and even good Dorothea began somewhat todoubt the virtues of the vile sorceress; for the corpse had astrange and unnatural appearance, so that it was horrible to lookupon, by which signs it was easy to perceive that he had beenprayed to death, as the fearful night-hag had threatened. I must notify these symptoms, for the corpses of many of Sidonia'svictims presented the same appearances; as the corpse of thereverend David--_item_, Joachim Wedeln ofCremzow--_item/_, Doctor Schwalenberg of Stargard, and DukePhilip II. , and lastly, the abbess, Magdalena von Petersdorf. Whether her brother's son, Otto of Stramehl, whom she wassuspected also of having prayed to death, presented the like, Icannot say with certainty. At this same time also his princelyGrace Duke Bogislaff XIII. Expired, many say bewitched to death;but of this I have no proof, as the body had quite a naturalaspect after death. Still he had just arranged to journey toMarienfliess himself, and turn out Sidonia, in consequence of theaccusations of Sheriff Sparling and the convent chaplain, so thathis sudden death looks suspicious; however, as the _medicus_, Dr. Nicolaus Schulz, pronounced, "Quod ex ramis venæ portæ Epatiset lienis exporrectis, iste adustus sanguis eo prosiliiset" (forhe died by throwing up a black matter like his brothers); andfurther, as the manikin on the three-legged hare did not appearthis time at the castle, I shall not lay the murder on Sidonia, toincrease her terrible burden at the last day, though I have my ownthoughts upon the matter. _Summa. _-My gracious Prince died _suddenly_. Alas, woe!exactly like all his brothers; he was just sixty-one years old, seven months, and fifteen days, and a more God-fearing princenever sat on a throne. But my grief over the fate of this greatPomeranian house has carried me away from the corpse of the oldporter. The appearances were these:-- 1. The face brown, green, and yellow, particularly about the_musculi frontales et temporales. _ 2. The _musculi pectorales_ so swelled, and the _cartilagoensiformis_ so singularly raised, that the chest of the corpsetouched the mouth. 3. From the _patella_ of the left leg to the _malleolusexternus_ of the foot, all brown, green, and yellow, blendedtogether. And on examination of the said corpse, Dr. Kukuck of Stargardaffirmed and was ready to swear, that no one tittle of thesignature of Satan was wanting thereupon. _Summa_. --The poor carl was buried with great mourning on thefollowing Friday; and the reverend David preached a sermonthereupon, in which he plainly spoke of his strange and unnaturaldeath, so that every one knew well whom he suspected. My hag heardof this instantly, and therefore determined to attend thesacrament on the following Sunday; for this end she despatchedWolde to the priest, bidding her tell him she had a great desireto attend the holy rite, and would go to confession that day afternoon. At this horrid blasphemy a cold shudder fell upon the priest(and I trust every Christian man will feel the like as he readsthis), for he now saw through her motive clearly, how she wantedto blind the eyes of the people as to the death of the porter, bythis mockery of the holiest rites of religion. Besides, amongstthe horrible abominations practised by witches, it is well knownthat having received the sacred bread, they privately take thesame again from their mouth and feed their familiar therewith. Andone day when the convent was quite still, Anna Apenborg, havingcrept down to peep through the key-hole of the refectory door, sawenough to confirm this general belief. No wonder then if the good priest stood long silent from horror;then he spake--"Tell the prioress it is well;" but when Wolde wasgone, he threw himself upon his knees in his closet before God, and wrestled long in prayer, with tears and wringing of hands, that He would open to him what was his path of duty. About noon he became more composed, through the great mercy of theLord; and bid his wife, Barbara, come to him, with whom he hadlived now a year and a half in perfect joy, though withoutchildren. To her he disclosed the proposition of the horriblesorceress, and afterwards spake thus:-- "And because, dear Barbara, after earnest prayer to God, I havecome to the resolution neither to shrive nor to give the Lord'sbody to this daughter accursed of hell, do not be surprised if alike death awaits me as happened to the porter, Matthias. When Idie, therefore, dear wife, take thee another spouse and bearchildren. 'For the woman, ' says the Scripture, 'shall be blessedthrough childbearing, so as she continues in faith, and love, andin holiness with sobriety' (I Tim. Ii. ). Thus thou wilt soonforget me. " But the poor wife wept, and besought him to turn from his resolve, and not incur the vengeance of Sidonia. So he answered, "Weep not, or our parting will be more bitter; this poor flesh and blood isweak enough, still never will I blaspheme the holy rite of ourChurch, and 'cast pearls before swine' (Matt. Vii. ). And whereforeweep? At the last day they would meet again, to smile for ever inan eternity of joy. But could he hope for this if he were anunfaithful steward of the mysteries of God? No; but it waswritten, 'Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is thysting? Hell, where is thy victory? God be thanked who giveth usthe victory through Christ our Lord' (I Cor. Xv. ). In Godtherefore he trusted, and in His strength would go now to theconfessional. " She must let him go; the sexton would soon ring the bell, and hewished to pray some time alone in the church. Her tears had againdisturbed his spirit, and made him weak. But he would use the holykeys of his office, which his Saviour had entrusted to him, to Hisglory alone, even if this accursed sorceress were to bring him tothe grave for it. If the Lord will, He could protect him, but hewould still do his duty. Will she not let him go now, that he maypray? And when she unwound her arms, he took her again in his, kissedher, sobbed, and wept; then tearing himself away, went out intothe church by the garden entrance. Then the poor wife flung herself on a seat, weeping and praying, but in a little while in came Dorothea Stettin, saying, "That shewas going to confession, and had no small silver for theoffertory. Could she give her change of a dollar?" Then she asked about the other's grief; and having heard thecause, promised to go to the priest herself, and beseech him notto break the staff "Woe" over Sidonia. She went thereforeinstantly to the church, and found him on his knees praying behindthe altar. Whereupon she entreated him, after her fashion, not tobreak the blessed peace--peace above all things. Meanwhile the sexton rung the bell, and Sidonia entered, sweepingthe nave of the church to the altar, followed by seven or eightnuns. But when she beheld Dorothea come out at one side, and thepriest at the other, and that not another soul had been in thechurch, she laughed aloud mockingly, and clapped her hands--"Ha!the pious priest, would he tell them now what he and Dorothea weredoing behind the altar? The sisters were all witnesses how thisshameless parson conducted himself. " Though she spoke this quiteloud for every one to hear, yet not one of the nuns made answer, but stood trembling like doves who see the falcon ready to pounceupon them. Yea, even as Dorothea came down the altar steps to takeher place in the choir, my hag laughed loud again like Satan, andcried, "Ah! the chaste virgin! who meetest the priest behind thealtar! Thou shameless wanton, the prioress shall teach thee fitterbehaviour soon!" Poor Dorothea turned quite pale with fright, and began--"Ah! dearsister, only listen!" But the dragon snapped at her, with--"Dear sister, forsooth!What!--was she to bear this insolence? Let her know that thegracious Lady Prioress was not to be talked to as 'dear sister '!" Here the organ struck up the confession hymn; and the wholecongregation being assembled in the church, Sidonia and the sevennuns ascended the steps of the altar, bowed to the priest, andthen took their seats, whereupon the organ ceased playing. After a brief silence, the poor minister sighed heavily, and thenspake--"Sidonia, after all that has been stated concerning you, particularly with regard to the death of the convent porter withinthese last few days, I cannot, as a faithful servant of God, giveyou either absolution or the holy rite of the Lord's Supper, untilyou clear yourself from such imputations before a princelyconsistorium. " At this my hag laughed loud from the altar, crying, "Eh?--that wasa strange story. What had she done to the convent porter?" _Ille_. --"Prayed him to death, as every one believed, and hisappearance proved. " _Hæc_ (still laughing). --"He must have lost his senses. Lethim go home and bind asses' milk upon his temples; he would soonbe better. " _Ille_. --"She should remember where and what she spoke. Hadshe not herself said, she would pray the porter to death?" _Hæc_ (laughing yet louder). --"Oh! in truth, his little bitof mother-wit was quite gone. When and where had it been everheard that one person could pray another to death? Then they mightpray them to life again. Shall she try it with the porter?" _Ille_. --"Why then had she threatened it?" _Hæc_ (still laughing). --"Ah! poor man! she saw now he wasquite foolish. Why had she threatened? Why, in anger, of course, because the vile churl had flung her against the wall. Had henever heard the poor people say to each other, 'May the devil takeyou;' but if one happened to die soon after, did people reallythink the devil had taken him? Why, he was as superstitious as anold spinning-wife. " _Ille_. --"She had heard his resolve. This was no place toargue with her; therefore she might go her ways, for he wouldverily not give her absolution. " So Sidonia rose up raging from the confessional, clenched herhand, and screamed out in the still church, so that all the peopleshuddered with horror--"Ye are all my witnesses that thisworthless priest has denied me absolution, because, forsooth, hesays I killed the convent porter. Ha! ha! ha! Where is it said inyour Scriptures that one man can pray another to death? But thelicentiousness of the vile priest has turned his brain, and hewallows in all most senseless superstitions. Did he not run aftermy old hag of a servant, as I myself saw; and this was not enough, but he must take Dorothea Stettin (the hypocritical wanton) behindthe altar alone; and because I and these seven maidens discoveredhis iniquity, he refuses me the rites, and must have me before aprincely consistorium to revenge himself. But wait, priest, I willdrag the sheep's clothing from thee. Wait, thou shalt yet repentthis bitterly!" After the horrible sorceress had so blasphemed, she departed asquickly as possible from the church, muttering to herself. Thecongregation remained silent from fear and terror; and the poorpriest, who seemed more dead than alive, prayed the sexton tofetch him a cup of water, which he drank; and then being in somedegree recovered, he stepped forth, and addressed the congregationthus:-- "Dear brethren and friends, after what ye have just heard, ye willnot wonder if I am unable to receive confessions this day, or toadminister the holy communion. Ye all know Dorothea Stettin, neither is my character unknown to you; therefore remember thewords of St. Peter, 'The devil goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ' But we will resist him, steadfast inthe faith. Meet me, then, tomorrow here at the altar, and ye shallhear my justification. After which, I will shrive those who desireto be partakers of the holy sacrament. " And on the following morning, the holy minister of God preachedfrom Matthew v. 11--"Blessed are ye when men shall revile you andpersecute you, and say all manner of evil falsely against you, forMy sake; be glad and comforted, for ye shall be well recompensedin heaven. " And in this powerful sermon he drew a picture ofSidonia from her youth up; so that many trembled for him when theyremembered her power, though they glorified God for the mightyzeal and courage that burned in his words. But when Sidonia heardof this sermon, she became almost frantic from rage. CHAPTER VI. _Dorothea Stettin falls sick, and how the doctor manages tobleed her--Item, how Sidonia chases the princely commissionersinto the oak-forest. _ Such a public humiliation the good virgin Dorothea Stettin foundit impossible to bear. She fell sick, and repented with bittertears of the trust and confidence she had reposed in Sidonia;finally, the abbess sent off a message to Stargard for the_medicus_, Dr. Schwalenberg. This doctor was an excellent little man, rather past middle agethough still unmarried, upright and honest, but rough asbean-straw. When he stood by Dorothea's bed and had heard allparticulars of her illness, he bid her put out her hand, that hemight feel her pulse. "No, no;" she answered, "that could shenever do; never in her life had a male creature felt her pulse. "At this my doctor laughed right merrily, and all the nuns whostood round, and Sidonia's old maid, Wolde, laughed likewise; butat last he persuaded Dorothea to stretch out her hand. "I must bleed her, " said the doctor. "This is _febrisputrida_; therefore was her thirst so great: she must strip herarm till he bleed her. " But no one can persuade her to this--stripher arm! no, never could she do it; she would die first: if thedoctor could do nothing else, he may go his ways. Now the doctor grew angry. Such a cursed fool of a woman he hadnever come across in his life; if she did not strip her arminstantly, he would do it by force. But Dorothea is inflexible;say what he would, she would strip her arm for no man! Even the abbess and the sisterhood tried to persuade her. "Would she not do it for her health's sake; or, at least, for thesake of peace?" They were all here standing round her, but all in vain. At lastthe doctor, half-laughing, half-cursing, said-- "He would bleed her in the foot. Would that do?" "Yes, she would consent to that; but the doctor must leave theroom while she was getting ready. " So my doctor went out, but on entering again found her sitting onthe bed, dressed in her full convent robes, her head upon AnnaApenborg's shoulder, and her foot upon a stool. As the foot, however, was covered with a stocking, the doctor began to scold. "What was the stocking for? Let him take off the stocking. Was shemaking a fool of him? He advised her not to try it. " "No, " Dorothea answered, "never would she strip her foot for him. Die she would if die she must, but that she could never do! If hecould not bleed her through the stocking, he may go his ways. " _Summa_. --As neither prayers nor threatening were of anyavail, the doctor, in truth, had to bleed her through thestocking; and scarcely had he finished, when Sidonia sent, saying. "That she, too, was ill, and wished to be bled. " And there lay my hag alone, in bed, as the doctor entered. She wasright friendly. "And was it indeed true, that absurd fool Dorothea did not chooseto be bled? Now he saw himself what a set of simpletons she had todeal with in the convent. No wonder that they all blackened herand belied her. She was sick from very disgust at such malice andabsurdity. Ah, she regretted now not having married when she hadthe opportunity; it would have been better, and she had manyoffers. But she always feared she was too poor. However, herfortune was now excellent, for her sister had died withoutchildren, and left her everything--a very large inheritance, asshe heard. But the dear doctor must taste her beer; she had tappedsome of the best, and there was a fresh can of it on the table. " But my doctor was too cunning not to see what she was driving at;besides, he had heard of her beer-brewing, so he answered-- "He never drank beer; but what ailed her?" "Ah, she didn't know herself, but she had a trembling in all herlimbs. Would he not take a glass of mead, or even water? Her oldservant should bring it to him. " "No. Let her just put out her hand for him to feel her pulse. " Instantly she stretched forth, not her hand alone, but her wholenaked, dry, and yellow arm from the bed. Whereupon the doctorspoke-- "Eh? What should I bleed you for? The pulse is all right. In fact, old people never should be bled without serious cause; for atseventy or so, mind ye, every drop is worth a groschen. " "What!" exclaimed Sidonia, starting up; "what the devil, do yethink I am seventy? Why, I am hardly fifty yet. " "Seventy or fifty, " answered the doctor, "it is all much the samewith you women-folk. " "To the devil with you, rude churl!" screamed Sidonia. "If youwill not bleed me, I'll find another who will. Seventy indeed! Sorude a knave is not in the land!" But my doctor goes away laughing; and as the ducal commissionershad arrived to try Sidonia's case, with the convent chaplain, hewent down to meet them at Sheriff Sparling's, and these were thecommissioners:-- 1. Christian Ludeck, state prosecutor; a brother of the priest's. 2. Johann Wedel of Cremzow. 3. Eggert Sparling, sheriff of Marienfliess. 4. Jobst Bork, governor of Saatzig. This Jobst was son to that upright Marcus whose wife, Clara vonDewitz, Sidonia had so miserably destroyed. For his good father'ssake, long since dead, their Graces of Stettin had continued himin the government of Saatzig, for he walked in his father's steps, only he was slow of speech; but he had a lovely daughter, yet morepraiseworthy than her grandmother, Clara of blessed memory, ofwhom we shall hear more anon. _Summa_. --The doctor found all the commissioners assembled inthe sheriff's parlour. _Item_, Anna Apenborg and the abbessas witnesses, who deposed to all the circumstances which I haveheretofore related; also, the abbess set forth the prayer of thesick Dorothea Stettin, that she might be restored to thesub-prioret out of which the false Sidonia had wickedly talkedher, and now for thanks gave her insolent contempt and mockingsneers. Anna Apenborg further deposed, that, looking through the key-holeof the refectory door one day, she spied the wicked witch boring ahole in the wall; in this she placed a tun-dish, and immediatelyafter, a rich stream of cow's milk flowed down into a basin whichSidonia held beneath, and that same day the best cow in theconvent stopped giving milk, and had never given one drop since. And because the dairymaid, Trina Pantels, said openly this waswitchcraft, and accused Sidonia and the old hag Wolde of beingevil witches--for she was not a girl to hold her tongue, notshe--her knee swelled up to the size of a man's head, and day andnight she screamed for agony, until another old witch that visitedSidonia, Lena of Uchtenhagen, for six pounds of wool, gave her aplaster of honey and meal to put on the knee, and what should bedrawn out of the swelling, but quantities of pins and needles; andhow could this have been, but by Sidonia's witchcraft? [Footnote:However improbable such accusations may seem, numbers of the like, some even still more extraordinary, may be found in the witchtrials of that age, by any one who takes the trouble of referringto them. ] Many witnesses could prove this fact; for Tewes Barth, DinniesKoch, and old Fritz were by, when the plaster was taken off. Then Sheriff Sparling deposed, that having smothered his beeslately, he sent a pot of pure honey to each of the nuns, as washis custom; but Sidonia scolded, and said her pot was not largeenough, and abused him in a cruel manner about his stinginess innot sending her more. So, some days after, as he was ridingquietly home to his house, across the convent court, suddenly thewhole ground before him became covered with the shadows ofbee-hives, and little shadows like bees went in and out, andwheeled about just as real bees do. Whereupon, he looked in everydirection for the hives, for no shadows can be without a body, butnot a hive nor a bee was in the whole place round; but he heard apeal of mocking laughter, and, on looking up, there was the wickedwitch looking out at him from a window, and she called out-- "Ho! sir sheriff, when you smother bees again, send me more honey. A couple of pounds of the best--good weight!" And this he did to have peace for the future. Now the commissioners noted all this down diligently; but thestate prosecutor shook his head, and asked the abbess-- "Wherefore she had not long ago brought this vile witch before theprincely court?" To which she answered, sighing--. "What would that help? She had already tasted the vengeance of thewicked sorceress, and feared to taste it again. Well, night andday had she cried to God to free the convent from this she-devil, and often resolved to unfold the whole Satan's work to hisHighness, though her own life would be perilled surely by sodoing. But she was ready, as a faithful mother of the convent, tolay it down for her children, if, indeed, that could save them. But how would her death help these poor young virgins? Forassuredly the moment Sidonia had brought her to a cruel end, shewould make herself abbess by force, and this was such a dread tothe sorrowing virgins, that they themselves entreated her to keepsilence and be patient, waiting for the mercy of God to help them. For truly the power of this accursed sorceress was as great as herwickedness. " Here answered Dr Schwalenberg-- "This power can soon be broken; he knew many receipts out ofAlbertus Magnus, Raimundus Lallus, Theophrastus, Paracelsus, &c. , against sorcery and evil witches. " This was a glad hearing to the state prosecutor, and he answeredwith a joyful mien and voice-- "Marry, doctor, if you know how to get hold of this evil hag, doit at once; we shall then bind her arms, so that she can make nosigns to hurt us, and clap a pitch-plaster on her mouth, to stopthe said mouth from calling the devil to her help; after which, Ican easily bring her with me to Stettin, and answer for allproceedings to his Grace. Probably she is a-bed still; go back, and pretend that, upon reflection, you think it will be better tobleed her. Then, when you have hold of her arm, call in thefellows, whom the sheriff will, I am sure, allow to accompanyyou. " "Yes, yes, " cried the sheriff, "take twenty of my men with you, mygood doctor, if you will. " "Well, then, " resumed the state prosecutor, "let them rush in, bind the dragon, clap the pitch-plaster on her mouth, and she isours in spite of all the devils. " "Right, all right, " cried the doctor; "never fear but I'll pay herfor her matrimonial designs upon me. " And he began to prepare the plaster with some pitch he got from acobbler, when suddenly the state prosecutor screamed out-- "Merciful God! see there! Look at the shadow of a toad creepingover my paper, whereon I move my hand!" He springs up--wipes, wipes, wipes, but in vain; the uncleanshadow is there still, and crawls over the paper, though never atoad is to be seen. What a commotion of horror this Satan's work caused amongst thebystanders, can be easily imagined. All stood up and looked at thetoad-shadow, when the abbess screamed out, "Merciful God! lookthere! look there! The whole floor is covered with toad-shadows!"Hereupon all the women-folk ran screaming from the room, butscreamed yet louder when they reached the door, and met thereSidonia and her cat face to face. Round they all wheeled again, rushed to the back-door, out into the yard, over the pond, andinto the oak-wood, without daring once to look behind them. Butthe men remained, for the doctor said bravely, "Wait now, goodfriends, patience, she can do us no harm;" and he murmured somewords. But just as they all made the sign of the cross, and silently putup a prayer to God, and gathered up their legs on the benches, sothat the unclean shadows might not crawl upon their boots, thehorrible hag appeared at the window, and her cat in his little redhose clambered up on the sill, mewing and crying (and I thinkmyself that this cat was her spirit Chim, whom she had sent firstto the sheriff's house to hear what was going on; for how couldshe have known it?). _Summa_. --She laid one hand upon the window, the better tolook in, and clenching the other, shook it at them, crying out, "Wait, ye accursed peasant boors, I, too, will judge ye for yoursins!" But seeing her cousin, Jobst Bork, present, she screamedyet louder--"Eh! thou thick ploughman, hath the devil brought theehere too? Art thou not ashamed to accuse thy own kinswoman? Wait, I will give thee something to make thee remember ourrelationship!" And as she began to murmur some words, and spat out before themall, the state prosecutor jumped up and rushed out after thewomen, and Sheriff Sparling rushed out after him, and they neverstopped or stayed till both reached the oak-wood. But Jobst said calmly, "Cousin, be reasonable; it is my duty!" Mydoctor, however, wanted to pay her off for the marriage business, so he seized a whip with which Sheriff Sparling had been thrashinga boor, and hurrying out, cried, "I will make her reasonable! Thouold hag of hell! here is the fit marriage for thee!" and so whack, whack upon her thin, withered shoulders. Truly the witch cried out now in earnest, but began to spit at thesame time, so that the doctor had given but four strokes when thewhip fell from his hand, and he tottered hither and thither, crying, "O Lord! O Lord!" At this the sorceress laughedscornfully, and mocking his movements, cried out likewise, "OLord! O Lord!" and when the poor doctor fell down flat upon theearth like the old porter and others, she began to dance, chantingher infernal psalm:-- "Also kleien und also kratzen, Meine Hunde und meine Katzen" And the cat in his little red hose danced beside her. After which, she returned laughing to the convent to pray him to death, whilethe poor fellow lay groaning and gasping upon the pavement. Nonewere there to help him, for the state prosecutor and Wedeln hadmade off to Stargard as quick as they could go, and SheriffSparling was still hiding in the bush. However, Jobst and the olddairy-woman helped him up as best he could, and asked what ailedhim? to which he groaned in answer, "There seemed to be some onesitting inside his breast, and breaking the _cartilagoensiformis_ horribly asunder. Ah, God! ah, God! he was weakindeed! his hour was come; let them lay him in a coach, and carryhim directly to Stargard. " This was done as soon as the sheriff could be found; but mydoctor's screams never ceased for three days, after which he gaveup the ghost, and the corpse had the same appearance as that ofthe convent porter, which I have already noticed. Thus it happenedwith the wise! But Johann Wedeln fared little better, as we shall see; for afterthe doctor's strange death, he said openly everywhere, he wouldnever rest till the accursed witch was burned. Anna Apenborgrepeated this in the convent, and to Sidonia's maid, upon whichthe witch sent for Anna, and asked was the report true? And whenthe other did not deny it, she exclaimed, "Now for this shall theknave be contracted all his life long, and twist his mouth_thus_. " Whereupon she mimicked how his shoulders would bedrawn up to his ears, and twisted her mouth in horriblecontortions, so that it was a shame and sin to look at her. Andtruly this misfortune fell upon him from that hour. And afterwardswhen he heard of her wickedness, from Anna Apenborg and others, and brought her to an account for her sorcery in Stettin, she madehim bite the dust and lie in his coffin ere long, out of maliceand terrible revenge, as we shall hear further on. CHAPTER VII. _How the assembled Pomeranian princes hold a council overSidonia_ [Footnote: Note of Bogislaff XIV. --I was not presentat this council, for I was holding my espousals at the time. (TheDuke married the Princess Elizabeth von Schleswig Holstein in1615, but left no heirs. )] _and at length cite her to appear atthe ducal court. _ When the state prosecutor, Christian Ludeck, reached Stettin withhis appalling news, the Duke was seriously troubled in mind as tohow he could best save the holy sisterhood, and indeed the wholeland, from the terrible Satanic power and murderous malice of thiscruel sorceress. So he summoned all the princes of his family to aconvocation on a certain day, at Old Stettin; but when theyarrived, his Grace was absent, for he had gone to Coblentz on somebusiness, and here was the matter. His steward, Jeremias Schroter, was an unworthy agent, as hisGrace heard; and when the time came for the poor people to gettheir oats or corn, he sent round and made them all give theirreceipts first, saying "They should have their corn after;" butwhen they went to bring it home, he beat them, and asked what theymeant--he had their receipts: they were cheats, and should get nomore corn from him. Now, a poor parson's widow came up all the way to Stettin, tocomplain of the steward to his Highness, who was shocked at suchknavery, and determined to go down himself to Coblentz and makeinquiries; for the steward swore that the people were liars, andhad defamed him. The Duke therefore bid the chancellor, Martin Chemnitz, entertainhis princely brothers until his return, which would not be beforeevening, and to show them his painting and sculpture galleries, and whatever else in the castle might please them. And now to showthe good heart of his Grace, I must mention that, seeing the poorwidow was tired with her six miles' walk, he bid her get up besidethe coachman on the box of his carriage, and he would drive herhimself to her own place. Meanwhile the young princes arrived, and the court marshal, thechancellor, the aforesaid state prosecutor, and other highofficials, received them on behalf of his Highness. Doctor Cramer, _vice-superintendens_, my esteemed father-in-law, was alsopresent--_item_, Doctor Constantius Oesler. They were first led into the picture-gallery by the chancellor(although Duke George cared little about such matters), wherethere was a costly collection of paintings by Perugino, Raphael, Titian, Bellini, &c. --_item_, statues, vases, coins, andmedals, all of which his Grace had brought lately from Italy. Herealso there was a large book, covered with crimson velvet, lyingopen, in which his Grace the Duke had written down many extractsfrom the sermons of Doctor Cramer and Mag. Reutzio, with marginalLatin notes of his own; for the Duke had a table in his oratory orcloset in St. Mary's Church, that he might write down what pleasedhim, and a Greek and Latin Bible laid thereon. This book was, therefore, a right pleasing sight to Doctor Cramer, who stood andread his own sermons over again with great relish, while theothers examined the paintings. When they grew weary, the chancellor conducted them to thelibrary, which contained ten thousand books. But Duke Ulrich said, "Marry, dear brothers, what the devil is there to see here? Let usrather go down to the stables, and examine my new Danish horses;then come up to my quarters (for his Grace lived with his brother, Duke Philip), and have a good Pomeranian carouse to pass away thetime; for as to these fooleries, which have cost our good brothersuch a mint of money, I would not give a dollar for them all. " So they ran down the steps leading to the stables; but first hebrought them into the hunting-hall, belonging to his quarter, which was decorated, and covered all along the walls withhunting-horns, rifles, cross-bows, and hunting-knives and pouches, with the horns of all sorts of animals killed in the chase. Whereupon Duke George said, "He was content to remain here--thehorses he could see on the morrow. " So he sat down by the wine-flask, which lay there already upon thetable; and while Duke Ulrich was trying to persuade him to come tothe stables, saying he could have the wine-flask after, the dooropened, and his Highness Duke Philip unexpectedly entered theapartment. He embraced all his dear brothers, and then, turning to DukeFrancis, the bishop, said, "Tell me, dear Fra (so he always calledhim, for his Grace spoke Italian and Latin like German), is thereany hope of a christening at thy castle? Oh, say yes, and I willgive thee a duchy for my godchild. " But Bishop Francis answered mournfully, "No!" Then Duke Philipturned to another--"How say you, brother--mayhap there is hope ofan heir to Wolgast?" "None, alas!" was the answer. "No, no!" exclaimed the Duke, "and there is no hope for meeither--none!" Then he walked up and down the hall in greatagitation, at last stopped, and lifting up his hands to heaven, cried, "Merciful God, a child, a child! Is my whole ancient raceto perish? Wilt Thou slay us, as Thou didst the first-born ofEgypt? Oh! a child, a child!" Here Doctor Cramerus advanced humbly, and said, "Your Highnessshould have faith. Remember what St. Paul says (Rom. Iv. )concerning the faith of Abraham and Sarah; and Abraham was ahundred years old, whereas your Highness is scarce forty, therefore why despair of the mercy of God? Besides, many of hisbrothers were still unwed. " Hereat his Grace stood silent, and looked round at his dearbrothers; but Duke George exclaimed, "You need not look at me, dear brother, for I mean never to marry" (which, indeed, was thetruth, for he died some short time after at Buckow, whetherthrough Sidonia's witchcraft I know not, at the age of thirty-fiveyears, and unmarried. One thing, however, is certain, that hisdeath was as strange as the others; for in seven days he was well, sick, dead, buried). [Footnote: There was formerly a Cistercianmonastery at Buckow, in the chapel of which still hangs a pictureof this Prince. Like most of his race, the face is in the highestdegree unmeaning; indeed, nothing more can be said of him thanthat he was born and died. ] _Summa_. --His Highness first excused himself to hisillustrious brothers for his absence, and related the cause, howhis knave of a steward had been oppressing the poor, whereupon hedetermined to go himself and avenge their injuries; for a princeshould be the father of his people, and it was a blessed work, theScripture said, to visit the fatherless and widows in theiraffliction (James i. 27). So he hid himself in a little closet, where he could hear everything in the widow's house, and then bidher send for the steward; and when he came, the widow asked forher corn, as usual, but he said, "She must give him the receiptfirst, and then she might have it;" upon which she gave him thereceipt, and he went away. Then the Duke bid the widow send apeasant and his cart for the corn; however, the old answer cameback--"She was a cheat--what did she mean? He had her receipt inhis hand. " Upon this the Duke drove himself to the knave, and made him, inhis presence, pay down all the arrears of corn to the widow; thenhe beat him black and blue, for a little parting remembrance, anddismissed him ignominiously from his service. After this he hadthoughts of driving round to visit Prechln of Buslar, for therumour was afloat that Sidonia had bewitched his little sonBartel, scarcely yet a year old, and made him grow a beard on hischin like an old carl's, that reached down to his little stomach. But as his dear brothers were waiting for him, his Grace had givenup this journey, particularly as he wished to hear their opinionswithout delay as to what could be done to free the land from thisevil sorceress Sidonia. Hereupon he bade Christian Ludeck, thestate prosecutor, to read the proceedings at Marienfliess from hisnotes. As he proceeded to read the Acta, the listeners crossed andblessed themselves; at last Duke Francis, the bishop, spake--"DidI not say well, when years ago, in Oderkrug, I prayed our fatherof blessed memory to burn this vile limb of Satan for a terribleexample? But my good brother Philip sided against me with myfather, and he was deemed the wiser. Who is the wiser now, Iwonder--eh?" Then Duke Philip asked Dr. Cramer, "What he thought of the matteras _theologus_?" who answered, "Your Grace must spare me; Iwill accuse no one, not even Sidonia, for though such thingsappear verily to be done by the help of the devil, yet had they noproof, seeing that no _medicus_ had hitherto dissected anyone of the _cadavera_ which it was avowed Sidonia hadbewitched to death. " Hereupon Dr. Constantius spake that he had already, by legalpermission, dissected the body of his colleague, Dr. Schwalenberg, and delivered over the _visum repertum_ to his Grace'schancellor. Then he described the appearances, which were trulysingular, particularly that of the _cartilago ensiformis_. _Item_, concerning the _valvulae tricuspidales_, throughwhich the blood falls into the heart. They were so powerfullycontracted that the blood was forced to take another course, forwhich reason, probably, the corpse seemed so dreadfullydiscoloured. _Item_, the _vena pulmonalis_ had burst, from which cause the doctor had spit blood to the last. Andlastly, the _glandulae sublinguales_ were so swollen that thetongue could not remain in the mouth. Such a death was notnatural; that he averred. But whether Sidonia's sorcery had causedit, or it were sent as a peculiar punishment by God, that he wouldnot say; he agreed with the excellent Dr. Cramer, and thought itbetter to accuse no one. "Now by the cross!" cried Duke Francis, "what else is it butdevil's work? But the lords were very lukewarm, and resolved notto peril themselves; _that_ he saw. However, if his brother, Duke Philip, permitted the whole princely race to be thusbewitched to death, he would have to answer for it at the day ofjudgment. He prayed him, therefore, for the love of God, to sendfor the hag instantly, and drag her to the scaffold. " Hereat Duke Philip sank his head upon his arm, and was silent along space. But the state prosecutor gave answer--"Marry! willyour Episcopal Highness then take the trouble to tell us, who isto seize the hag? I will do it not, and who else will? for, methinks, whoever touches her must needs be sore tired of life. " "If no one else will, " returned the bishop, "my Camyn executioner, Master Radeck, will surely do it, for he never feared a witch;besides, he knows all their _arcana_. " Meanwhile, as Duke Philip still sat in deep thought, and playedwith a quill, the door opened, and a lacquey entered with amessage from the noble Prechln of Buslar, requesting an_audienza_ of his Grace. He had an infant in his arms which awicked witch had prayed to death, and the child had a beard on itlike an old man, so that all in the castle were terrified at thesight. His Grace Duke Philip instantly started up. "Merciful God! is ittrue?" waved his hand to the lacquey, who withdrew, and thenwalked up and down, exclaiming still, "Merciful God! what can bedone?" "Torture! burn! kill!" cried Duke Francis, the bishop "andto-morrow, if it be possible. I shall send this night for myexecutioner! trust to him. He will soon screw the soul out of thevile hag; take my word for it. " "Ay! torture! burn! kill!" cried also the state prosecutor, "andthe sooner the better, gracious master. For God's sake, no mercymore!" Here the door opened, and Prechln of Buslar entered, pale as theinfant corpse that lay upon his arms. This corpse was dressed inwhite with black ribbons, and a wreath of rosemary encircled thelittle head; but, what was strange and horrible, a long blackbeard depended from the infant's chin, which the wind, as the dooropened, blew backward and forward in the sorrowing father's face. After him came his wife, wringing her hands wildly from grief, andan old serving-maid. Truly the whole convocation shuddered at the sight, but BishopFrancis was the first to speak-- "And this is no devil's work?" he exclaimed. "Now, by my faith, yeand your wise doctors are fools if ye deny this evidence. Comenearer, poor fellow; set the corpse of your child down, and tellus how it came to pass. We had heard of your strange affliction, and just spoke thereon as you entered. Ha! the sorceress cannotescape us now, methinks. " Now, when the mourning father began to tell the story, his wifeset up such a weeping and lamentation, and the old nurse followedher example after such a lugubrious fashion, that their lordshipscould not hear a word. Whereupon his Grace Duke Philip was obligedearnestly to request that the women should keep silence whilstPrechln of Buslar spoke. I have already mentioned what grudge Sidonia had against him, because he refused to acknowledge himself her feudal vassal bykissing her hand; also, how she accused him afterward of stealingher dog. This the poor knight related now at length, and with manytears, and continued-- "During the strife between them, she one day spat upon both hislittle sons, and the eldest, Dinnies, a fine fellow of seven yearsold, who was playing with a slipper at the time under the table, died first. But the accursed witch had stepped over to the cradlewhere his little Bartholomew lay sleeping, while this old nurse, Barbara Kadows, rocked him, and murmuring some words, spat uponhim, and then went away, cursing, from the house. So the spell wasput upon both children that same day, and Dinnies took sickdirectly, and in three days was a corpse; but on his little Memifirst grew this great black beard which their lordships all saw, and then he likewise died, after crying three days and threenights in horrible torture. " The old nurse confirmed all this, andsaid-- "That when the horrible hag knelt down by the cradle to blow uponthe child, she turned up her eyes, so that nothing but the whitescould be seen. Ah! what a wicked old hag that could not spare achild like that, and could put such an old man's beard on itslittle face. " Then Duke Philip asked the knight if he had accused Sidonia of thewitchcraft, and what had she answered? "Ah yes, he had done so, but by letter, for he feared to go toMarienfliess, lest it might happen to him as to others who met herface to face, and his messenger brought back a letter in answer, by which their lordships could see how her arrogance equalled herwickedness, " and he drew forth her letter from his bosom, andhanded the same to his Highness. Now Bishop Francis would haveprevented his brother touching the letter, but Duke Philip had abrave heart, and taking it boldly, read aloud as follows:-- "SIDONIA, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, PRIORESS OF THE NOBLE CONVENT OFMARIENPLIESS, LADY AND HEIRESS OP THE LANDS AND CASTLE OFSTRAMEHL, LABES, REGENWALD, WANGERIN, AND OTHERS--GREETING. " "GOOD FRIEND AND VASSAL, " "Touching your foul accusation respecting your two brats, and mybewitching them to death, I shall only say you must be mad. I havelong thought that pride would turn your brain: now I see it hasbeen done. If Bartel has got a beard, send for soap and shave him. As to yourself, I counsel you to come to Marienfliess to oldKathe, she knows how to turn the brain right again with a woodenbowl. Pour hot water therein, three times boiled, set the bowl onyour head, and over the bowl an inverted pot; then, as the wateris drawn up into the empty pot, so will the madness be drawn upout of your brain into the wooden bowl, and all will be rightagain. It is a good receipt; I counsel you to try it. She onlydesires you to kiss her hand in return. Such is the advice of yourfeudal lady and seigneuress, "SIDONIA BORK. " His Highness had hardly finished reading the letter, when BishopFrancis cried out-- "What the devil, brother, hast thou made the murderous dragon aprioress?" But his Highness knew nothing of it, and wondered much likewise. Whereupon the state prosecutor told them how it came about, andthat poor Dorothea Stettin had been talked out of her situation bythe dragon, as was all here to be seen set down in full in theindictment; but, as the case was not now under discussion, hewould pass it over, although great quarrels and scandal prevailedin the convent in consequence, and poor Dorothea lay sick, earnestly desiring to be restored to her prioret. Bishop Francis now grew yet more angry-- "Give the witch a prioret in hell, " he cried. "What would his dearbrother do, now that the proofs were in his hands?" To which Duke Philip answered mildly-- "Dear Fra, think on my symbol, C. & R. " (that is, _Christo etReipublicae_, for Christ and the State). "Let us not beover-hasty. Suppose that Dr. Constantinus should first dissectthis poor infant, and see what really caused its death. " Thereat the doctor plunged his hand in his pocket, to draw forthhis case of instruments, but the mother screamed out, and ran totear the child from him--"No, no; they should never cut up herlittle Memi!" _Item_, the maid screamed out, "No, no; shewould lose her life first!" _Item_, the father stood stilland trembled, but said never a word. What was to be done now? His Grace repented of his hastiness, andat last said-- "Well, then, friends, let the doctor examine the infantexternally, look into its mouth, &c. " And when the parents consented to this, his Grace prayed themgently to withdraw with him into another apartment while theexamination was made, as such a sight might give them pain. Tothis also they consented, and his Grace led the way to anotherhall (giving a sign privately to the doctor to do his businessproperly), where a splendid collation was served. After which, just to detain them longer, his Grace brought them to visit thepicture-gallery. _Summa_. --When they returned, the dissection had beenaccomplished, at which sight the parents and the maid screamed;but his Grace confuted them, saying-- "That the ends of justice required it. He would now take the caseinto his own hands, and they might return quietly to their owncastle and bury their infant, who would sleep as well dissected asentire. " Having at last calmed them somewhat, they kissed his hand and tooktheir leave. Meanwhile the two young Dukes, Ulrich and George, finding the timehang heavy, had slipped away from the council-board, and gone downto the ducal stables. When his Highness noticed their absence, he sent a page biddingthem return and give their opinion in council as to what should bedone next. But they sent back an answer--"Let the lords do whatthey pleased; as for them they were off to the chase, seeing itwas pleasanter to hunt a hare than a witch. " Now Bishop Francis stormed in earnest. "Marry, some folk would not believe in witchcraft, till they stoodwith their heels turned toward heaven; and here these idleyounkers must needs ride off to the chase when the life and deathof our race hangs in the balance. I say again, brother, torture, burn, kill, and as soon as may be. " But Duke Philip still answered mildly-- "Dear Fra, the _medicus_ hath just pronounced that the corpseof the poor child presents no unnatural appearances; and as to thebeard, this may just as well be a _miraculum Dei_ as a_miraculum damonis_, therefore I esteem it better to citeSidonia to our court, and admonish her strenuously to all good. " This course had little favour from Bishop Francis; but when thestate prosecutor agreed with his Highness, and Dr. Crameruspraised so Christian and merciful a resolve, he was at lastcontent, particularly as some one said (I forget who, but I ratherthink it was the chancellor, Martinus Chemnitz), that Mag. Joel ofGrypswald gave it as his opinion that it would be a matter oftrouble and danger to seize the witch, seeing that her familiar, the spirit Chim, was a mighty and strong spirit, and capable oftaking great revenge on any who laid hand upon her; but that he, Mag. Joel, would do for him easily if he came in his way. This intelligence gave the bishop great comfort, and he instantlydespatched a letter to Mag. Joel, bidding him come forthwith toStettin, whilst the chancellor prepared a _Citationem realemsive personalem_ for Sidonia, which contained the following:-- "WE, PHILIP, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, &c. , "Command thee, Sidonia von Bork, conventual and not prioress ofthe noble convent of Marienfliess, to appear before us, at ourcourt of Stettin, on the 15th day of July, at three of the clock, to answer for the evil deeds whereof thou art accused, underpunishment of banishment, forfeiture, and great danger to thy bodyand life. Against such, therefore, take thou heed. "Signatum, Old Stettin, 10th July 1616. "PHILIPPUS, _manu sua_. " CHAPTER VIII. _Of Sidonia's defence--Item, how she has a quarrel with JoachimWedel, and bewitches him to death_. At three of the clock on the appointed day, the grand Rittersaal(knights' hall) of the stately castle of Old Stettin was crowdedwith ministers, councillors, and officials, who had met there bycommand of their illustrious mightinesses, Duke Philip, Prince andLord of Stettin, and Francis, Bishop of Camyn. Amongst the noblesassembled were Albert, Count of Eberstein, Lord of Neugarten andMassow; Eustache Flemming, hereditary Grand Marshal; Christoph vonMildenitz, privy councillor and dean of the honourable chapter ofCamyn; Caspar von Stogentin, captain at Friedrichswald; Christophvon Plate, master of the ceremonies; Martin Chemnitz, Chancellorof Pomerania; Dr. Cramer, my worthy lord father-in-law, _vice-superintendens_; Dr. Constantius Oesler, _medicus_; Christian Ludeck, attorney-general; Mag. Joel ofGrypswald, and many others. These all stood in two long rows, waiting for their princely Graces. For it was rumoured thatSidonia had already arrived with the fish-sellers from Grabow, which, indeed, was the case; and she had, moreover, packed sevenhogsheads of her best beer on the waggon along with her, purposingto sell it to profit in the town; but the devil truly got hisprofit out of the said beer, for by it not only our good town ofStettin, but likewise the whole land, was nearly brought to ruinand utter destruction, as we shall hear further on. _Summa_. --When all the afore-named were ranged in rank andorder, the great doors of the hall were flung wide open, and DukePhilip entered first. Every one knows that he was small, delicate, almost thin in person, pale of face, with a moustache On his upperlip, and his hair combed _à la Nazarena_. [Footnote: Dividedin the centre, and falling down straight at each side, as in thepictures of our Saviour. ] He wore a yellow doublet withsilver-coloured satin sleeves, scarlet hose trimmed with goldlace, white silk stockings, and white boots, with gold spurs;round his neck was a Spanish ruff of white point lace, and by hisside a jewel-hilted sword; his breast and girdle were alsoprofusely decorated with diamonds. So his Highness advanced up thehall, wearing his grey beaver hat, from which drooped a statelyplume of black herons' feathers, fastened with an aigrette ofdiamonds. This he did not remove, as was customary, until allpresent had made their obeisance and deferentially kissed hishand. Duke Francis followed in his episcopal robes, with a mitreupon his head, and a bishop's crook of ivory in his hand. Theother young dukes, Ulrich, George, and Bogislaus, remainedcautiously away. [Footnote: Note of Bogislaff XIV. --Yes; but notout of fear. I was celebrating my espousals, as I have said. ] And the blood-standard waved from the towers, and the princelysoldatesca, with all the officers, lined the castle court, so thatnothing was left undone that could impress this terrible sorceresswith due fear and respect for their illustrious Graces. And when the order was given for Sidonia to be admitted, the twoPrinces leaned proudly on a table at the upper end of the hall, while the assembled nobles formed two long lines at each side. Three rolls of the drum announced the approach of the prisoner. But when she entered, accompanied by the lord provost, in hernun's robes and white veil, on which the key of her office wasembroidered in gold, a visible shudder passed over her frame;collecting herself, however, quickly, she advanced to kiss theirGraces' hands, but Bishop Francis, after he had drawn his_symbolum_ with chalk before him on the table, namely, H, H, H, that is, "Help, helper, help, " cried out, "Back, Satan! stirnot from thy place; and know that if thou shouldst attempt any ofthy diabolical sorceries upon my dear lord and brother here (asfor me, this honourable, consecrated, and priestly robe saves mefrom thy power) thou shalt be torn limb from limb, and thy membersflung to feed the dogs, while thou art yet living to behold it, accursed, thrice-accursed witch!" And his Grace, in his great rage against her, struck the tablewith his ivory crook, so that he broke a bottle filled with redink which stood thereon, and the said ink (alas! what an evilomen) poured down upon Duke Philip's white silk stockings, andstained them red like blood. Meanwhile Sidonia exclaimed, "What! is there no leech here to feelthe pulse of his Serene Highness? Surely the dog-days, that we arein the middle of, have turned his brain completely. Any little bitof mother-wit he might have had is clean gone. What! she hadscarcely entered--knew not yet of what she was accused, and shewas 'Satan!' 'a thrice-accursed witch!' who was to be cut up intolittle bits to feed dogs! Had any man ever heard the like? Wouldthe nobles of Pomerania, whom she saw around her, suffer one oftheir own rank--a lady of castles and lands--to be thus handled?She called upon them all as witnesses, and after the_audienza_ a notary should be summoned to note all down, forshe would assuredly appeal to the states of the kingdom, and bringher cause before the Emperor. " Hereupon Duke Philip interposed--"Lady, our dear brother is of ahasty temperament; yet you can scarce wonder at his speech, ortake it ill, when you consider the terrible evils which you havebrought upon our ancient and illustrious race. However, as anupright and good prince must judge the cause of his subjectsbefore his own, I shall first inquire what caused the suddenillness of the sheriff, Eggert Sparling, and of the abbess, Magdalena, that time they brought my father's letter to you?--thatletter which you said was a forgery, and flung into the fire. " _Illa. _--"What caused it? How could she remember? It was along time ago; but so far as she recollected, they came in whenshe was brewing beer or cooking sausages, and she opened thewindow to admit fresh air; before this window they both sat andtalked, to be out of the smell of the cooking; could they not havegot rheumatism by such means? Let his Grace ask the doctors did itrequire witchcraft to give a man the rheumatism, who sat in adraught of air?" _The Duke_. --"But both were cured again as quickly as theyhad taken it. " _Illa>/i>. --"Ah, yes! She would have done her best to cure evenher greatest enemy, for the holy Saviour had said, 'Bless themthat curse you; do good to them that hate you; pray for them thatpersecute you. ' To such commands of her Lord she had ever been afaithful servant, and therefore searched out of her cookery-bookfor a _sympatheticum_, but for thanks, lo, now what she gets!Such was the way of this wicked world. Perhaps my gracious lordwould like to know of the _sympatheticum_; she would say itfor him, if he wished. " "Keep it to yourself, woman, " roared Duke Francis, "and tell uswhy you burned my father's letter?" _Illa_. --"Because, in truth, she deemed it a forgery. Howcould she believe a knave who had already deceived his owngracious Prince? For did not this base sheriff appropriate to hisown use eleven mares, one hundred sheep, sixteen head of cattle, and forty-two boars, all the property of his Highness, to thegreat detriment of the princely revenue. _Item_, at the lastcattle sale he had put three hundred florins into his own bag, andmany more evil deceits had this wicked cheat practised. " "Keep to the question, " cried Duke Philip, "and answer only whatyou are asked. What was that matter concerning the priest whichcaused you to complain of him to our princely consistorium?" _Illa. _--"Ay! and no notice taken, though it was a scandalthat cried to Heaven, how this licentious young carl was admittedinto the convent as chaplain, when the regulations especiallydeclared that an honourable _old_ man should hold the office. She prayed, therefore, that another priest might be appointed. " Hereat my worthy father-in-law, Dr. Cramer, said, "Good lady, benot so hasty; from all we have heard, this priest is a rightworthy and discreet young man. " _Illa. _--"Right worthy and discreet, truly! as her old maidcould testify; or the abbess, with whom he locked himself up; orDorothea Stettin, with whom he was discovered behind the holyaltar. Fie! The scandal that such a fellow should be conventchaplain! and that a Christian government should suffer it!"(spitting three times on the ground. ) _The Duke_. --"The inquiry concerning him was pending. Forwhat cause had she forced herself into the sub-prioret?" _Illa. _--"She! Forced herself! Forced herself into thesub-prioret! What devil had invented this story? Why, the abbessand the whole convent were witness that she was forced into it;for as Dorothea Stettin was ashamed after that business behind thealtar when she was discovered with the priest--besides, was aweak, silly thing at all times--she had consented to relieve herfrom the sub-prioret at her (Dorothea's) earnest supplication andprayer. " _The Duke_. --"Wherefore had she treated the novices with suchcruelty, and run at them with axes and knives, to do them grievousbodily harm?" _Illa. _--"They were a set of young wantons, always gossipingabout marriage and loons, therefore she had held a strict handover them, which she would not deny; particularly as if any of thenuns fell into sin, the law decreed that she was to be beheaded. Was she therefore wrong or right? Truly the abbess said nothing, for she was as bad as any of them, and had locked herself up withthe priest. " _The Duke. _--"What caused the sudden death of the conventporter?" _Illa_. -"What! was this, too, laid on her as a crime? Why, atlast, if any one died in Wolgast, or another in Marienfliessduring her absence, she would have to answer for it. " _The Duke_. --"But Dr. Schwalenberg had died in the self-sameway, and as suddenly--tumbling down dead upon the pavement. " _Illa_. --"The knave was so drunk when he ran after her with ahorsewhip to beat her, that he tumbled down on the stones; andmayhap the shock killed him, as it did that other knave who flungher against the wall; or that he got a fit; for such would havebeen a just judgment of God on him, as it is written (Malachi iii. 5), 'I will be a swift witness for the widow and the orphan. ' Ah!truly she was a poor orphan, and the just God had been her swiftwitness; for which, all praise and glory be to His name for ever"(weeping). Here Christoph Mildenitz, canon of Camyn, exclaimed, "Marry, thouwicked viper, I have seen the corpse of this same Schwalenbergmyself, and every one, even the physicians, said that he had diedno natural death. " _Illa_. --"Must the fat canon put in his word now? Ha! thiswas her thanks for the gloves she had knit him, and which he woreat this present moment, for she knew them, even at that distance, by the black seams round the thumbs. But so it was ever: she hadno greater enemies than those whom she had done kindness to. " _The Duke_. --"Prechln von Buslar also accused her of havingbrought his two sons to death, and making a long man's beard growupon the little Bartel. " _Illa_ (laughing). --"Ah! it is easy to see by your Grace thatwe are in the dog-days. Your Highness must pardon my mirth; butwho could help it? Merciful God! are Thy wonders, sent to frightthe world and turn men from sin, to be called devil's sorceries!To what a pass is the world come! Has your Highness forgotten allhistory? Know you not that God gives many signs to His people, andspeaks in wonders? Yet, when did men, till now, say that thesesigns were of the devil alone, and persecute and destroy helplesswomen by reason of them? Speak, gracious Duke--speak, ye noblelords--have ye not tortured, and burned, and put to death weak andinnocent women without number for these things, and must ye needsnow seek my life? And when was it ever known, till now, thatnobles sat in judgment upon one of their own rank--a lady of ashigh blood and proud descent as any of ye here--for old wives'tales like these, and children's fooleries? Speak! Whoso saith Ilie, let him step forward and convict me. " [Footnote: It was afact that the persecution of witches had risen at this periodalmost to a mania. ] There was a dead silence in the hall when she had ended, and evenDuke Philip looked down ashamed, for he could not but acknowledgethat she spoke the truth, however unwillingly he believed aughtthe vile sorceress uttered. At last Bishop Francis spake--"Why then didst thou blow upon thechildren of Prechln of Buslar, if it were not to bewitch them todeath?" Whereupon the witch answered scornfully--"If that could kill, thenwere we all dead long since, for the wind blows on us everyminute, and we blow upon our hot broth to cool it, yet who diesthereof? How could a bishop be so sunk in superstition? As toPrechln of Buslar, no wonder if God had smitten him for his prideand arrogance, as it is said (Luke i. 51), 'He scatters such asare proud of heart, ' for, though her feudal vassal, he had refusedto do her homage; therefore here was no witch-work, but only God'swork, testifying against sinful haughtiness and pride. "Moreover, it was false that she had blown upon the children; thesilly fool Prechln had imagined it all--nothing was too absurd forstupidity like his to believe; and what then? Can't people die butby witchcraft? Did St. Peter bewitch that covetous knave Ananias(Acts v. ) when he fell down dead at his feet for having lied tothe Holy Ghost? Let the honourable convocation answer her truly. " _Summa. --The end of all was (as we may imagine) that the cunningSatan was allowed to depart in peace, only receiving a wholesomeadmonition from his Highness Duke Philip, and another from myworthy father-in-law, Dr. Cramer. But what happened as she returned to her lodgment in the RüdenbergStreet? Behold Joachim Wedel of Cremzow, whom she had madecontracted, sat at his window to enjoy the air, but the evil hagno sooner looked up and saw him than she began to mock him, twisting her mouth awry, even as he twisted his mouth. When heobserved her, his face grew red with anger, and he cried out ofthe window, "Ha, thou accursed witch, I am not sohelp--help--help--helpless as thou thinkest; so do nottwi--twi--twi--twist thy mouth at me that way. " To which Sidonia only answered with the one word "Wait!" andpassed on, but returned soon again with a notary and two witnesses(one was the landlord of the inn where she had left her beer), stepped up to the chamber where Joachim sat, and bid them takedown that he had called her an accursed witch while she wasquietly going along the street to her lodgment. Poor Wedel vainly tried to speak in his defence; the hagmaintained her assertion, and prayed that the just God who broughtall liars to destruction would avenge her cause, if it were Hisgracious will, for the Scripture said (Psalm v. 7), "I willdestroy them that speak leasing. " Therefore she left him and allher other enemies in the hand of God. He would take vengeance! And oh, horror! scarcely had she returned to her lodgment when thepoor man began to scream, "There is some one sitting within mybreast, and lifting up the breast-bone!" Thus he screamed andscreamed three days and three nights long; no physician, not evenDr. Constantinus, could help him, and finally, when he died, hisbody presented the same appearances precisely as those of Dr. Schwalenberg and the convent porter, as the doctors who dissectedhim affirmed upon oath. He was a clever man, learned and wellread, and left _Annales_ behind him, a work which this cruelwitch caused to remain unfinished. And further, it was a strange thing (whether of witchcraft or ofGod, I cannot say) that except my gracious Duke Philip, almostevery one present at this remarkable _colloquium_ died withinthe year; for example, Count Albert, Eustache Flemming, Caspar vonStogentin, Christoph von Mildenitz--all lay in their graves beforethe year was out. [Footnote: Some place the death of Joachim Wedelso early as 1606. The whole matter is taken, almost word for word, from the criminal records in the Berlin Library; and, according toDähnert, the first question on the book concerned the death ofthis man. His, _Annales_ include the years from 1501 to 1606;they contain the whole history of that period, but the work hasnever been printed. Dähnert, however, vol. Ii. Pomeranian Library, gives some extracts therefrom; also, in Franz Kock's"Recollections of Dr. John Bugenhagen, " Stettin, 1817, we findthis chronicle quoted. ] CHAPTER IX. _How a strange woman (who must assuredly have been Sidonia)incites the lieges of his Grace to great uproar and tumult inStettin, by reason of the new tax upon beer_. My gracious Prince will perhaps say, "But, Theodore, how comes itthat this hag, who in her youth could not be brought to learn thecatechism, quoted Scripture in her old days like a priest?" I answer--Serene Prince and Lord, that seems in my opinion becausethe evil witch found that Scripture, when not taught of God, canbe made to serve the devil's purposes. For this reason she studiedtherein; not to make honey, but to extract poison, as your Gracemay have perceived in her strifes with individuals, and even withthe constituted authorities. Further, methinks, she must also havestudied in history books, for how else could she have discoursedupon political matters so as to raise the whole population ofStettin into open revolt, as we shall soon see. However, I leavethese questions undecided, and shall only state facts, leaving therest for your Highness's judgment. The day following that on which Sidonia had been tried before thenoble convocation (and she must have still been in the town, Ithink, for it was late in the previous evening when she bewitchedJoachim Wedel), the priest of St. Nicholas read out after thesermon, before the whole congregation, the ducal order declaringthat, from that date forward, the quart of beer, hitherto sold fora Stralsund shilling, should not be sold under sixteen Pomeranianpence. This caused great murmurs and discontent among the people;and when they came out of church they rushed to the inn, whereSidonia had been staying, to discuss the matter freely, andscreamed and roared, and gesticulated amongst themselves, saying, "The council had no right to raise the price of beer; they were aset of rogues that ought to be hung, " &c. , and they struckfiercely on the table, so that the glasses rang. Just then an oldhag came to the door, but not in a cloister habit. She had a blackplaster upon her nose, and complained how she had hurt herself byfalling on the sharp stones, which had put her nose out of joint. "People talked of this new decree--was it true that the poor folkwere to pay sixteen Pomeranian pence for a quart of beer?--O God!what the cruelty and avarice of princes could do. But she scarcelybelieved the report, for she brewed beer herself better than anybrewer in the land, and yet could sell the quart for eightpence, and have profit besides. Oh, that princes and ministers could robthe poor man so! ay, they would take the very shirt off his backto glut their own greed and covetousness. And what did they givetheir hard-earned gold for? To build fine houses for the Prince, forsooth, and fill them with fine pictures from Italy, andstatues, as if he were a brat of a school-girl, and must have hisdolls to play with. " "What sort is your beer, old dame?" asked a fellow. "Marry, itmust be strange trash, I warrant. " _Illa_. --"No, no; if they would not believe her word, letthem taste the beer. She wanted nothing further but to prove howthe wicked government oppressed the poor folk; for she was aGod-fearing woman, and her heart was filled with grief to see howthe princes lately, in this poor Pomerania, squeezed the verylife-blood out of the people, " &c. Then she lifted up a barrel ofbeer upon the table (I have already said that Sidonia had broughtsome with her to sell), and invited the discontented people totaste it, which they were nothing loth to do, and soon broachedthe said barrel. Then, having tasted, they extolled her beer tothe skies--"No better had ever been brewed. " Now other troops ofthe discontented came pouring in from Lastadie, Wiek, &c. , cursing, and swearing, and shouting--"The beer must not be raised;they would force the government to take off the tax. Would nottheir comrades join?" This was fine fun to the old hag, and she produced another barrelof beer, which the mob emptied speedily, and then began talking, shouting, screaming, roaring like flocks of wild geese; and whenthe old hag saw that they had got enough under their caps to makethem quite desperate, she began-- "Was not her beer as good as any beer in the duchy?" "Ay, ay--better!" shouted the mob, "Where dost thou live, mother?" To this she gave no answer, but continued: "Yet this beer cost buteightpence a quart, by which they could see how the wicked andcruel government oppressed them. Oh, it was a sin that cried toHeaven, to see how princes and nobles scourged and skinned thepoor folk. They swilled wine of the best, and plenty, in their owngorgeous castles, but grudged poor bitter poverty its can of beer!Shame on such a government!" "True, true!" shouted the mob; "she is right: we are scourged andskinned by these worthless nobles. Come, brothers, let us off tothe council-hall, and if they will not take off the tax, we'llmurder every soul of them. " _Illa_. --"And be asses for their pains. Was that all theycould do--_pray_ the mighty council, forsooth, to lower thetax? Oh, brave fellows! What! had they not the power in their ownhands, if they would only be united? Had they never heard how thepeople of Anklam had, in former times, killed their rulers andgovernors, and then did justice to themselves? What right hadprince, minister, or council to skin a people? They had all stoutarms and brave hearts here, as she saw; _could they not rightthemselves?_--must they needs crouch for their own to prince orminister? Did she lie, or did she speak the truth?" Here the mob cheered and shouted, "True! true!" and they struckthe table till the glasses broke, roaring, "She is right, brothers. Are we not strong? Can we not right ourselves? Whyshould we go begging to a council? May the devil take all thecovetous, rich knaves, who drink the people's blood!" _Illa_. --"But may be they wanted a prince--eh? The prince wasthe shepherd, the council only the dog who bit the sheep as hismaster commanded. Eh, children? is not a prince a fine thing, tosqueeze the sweat and life-blood out of ye, and turn it into goldfor himself? For what are his riches but your sweat and blood, ifye reflect on it; and is it a sin to take your own? Methinks ifall princes were killed or banished, and their goods dividedamongst the people, ye would all have enough. Have ye not heard ofthat brotherhood who set all princes and governments at defiancefor two hundred years, and lived like brothers amongst themselves, dividing all goods alike, so that they were called Like-dealers;and no beggar was found amongst them, for they had all things incommon. [Footnote: These Like-dealers were the communists of theMiddle Ages, and were for a number of years the plague of thenorthern seas; until at the beginning of the fifteenth centurythey were subdued, and many of them captured by the Dutch, whonailed them up in barrels, leaving an aperture for the head, attop, and then decapitated them. The best account of them is foundin "Raumer's Historical Note-book, " vol. Ii. P. 19. And if any onewishes to see the result of communist teaching, they have only tostudy here the horrible excesses to which it leads. The communism of the apostolic age might have been suited to aperiod in which it would be difficult to say whether faith or lovepredominated most; but even then it by no means prevented theexistence of extreme poverty, for we read frequently in the Actsand Epistles of the _collections_ made for the Christianchurches. But in our faithless, loveless, selfish, sin-drownedcentury, such an attempt at community of goods would not onlyannihilate all morality completely, but absolutely degrade us backfrom civilisation and modern Catholicism into the rudest and mostmeagre barbarism. The apostles of such doctrines now must speak, though perhaps unconsciously, from the sole inspiration of Satan, like Sidonia. The progress of humanity is not to be furthered bysuch means. Let our merchants no longer degrade human beings intomachines for their factories, nor our princes degrade them intoautomaton puppets for their armies, but of men make _livingmen_. And the strong energy, the stern will, the vitalspiritual power that will thus be awakened, will and must producethe regeneration of humanity. ] Wherefore can ye not beLike-dealers also? Are there not rich enough for ye to kill? Andif ye are united, who can withstand you? Look at the dog and thecattle--how the poor stupid beasts let themselves be driven, andbit, and beaten, just because they are used to it; but, lo! if thecattle should all turn their horns against the dog and theshepherd, what becomes of my fine pair? So is it with the Princeand his council. Oh, if ye were only united! Fling off the parsonstoo, for they are prime movers of all your misery. Do they notteach you, and teach you from your youth up, that ye must haveprinces and priests? Eh, brothers, where is that written in theScriptures? "Doth not St. Peter say (1st Epistle, chap, ii. ), 'Ye are a royalpriesthood'? What then! if ye are kings, princes, and priestsyourselves, must ye needs pay for other kings, princes, andpriests? Can ye not govern yourselves? can ye not pray foryourselves? In my opinion, yes! Doth not the same St. Peterlikewise call ye 'a chosen people, ' 'a people of inheritance;'but, I pray you, where is your inheritance?--poor beggars as yeare--to whom neither priest nor prince will give one can of beer. Ha! go, I tell you--take back your kingship, your priesthood, yourinheritance. Become Like-dealers, brothers, even as the earlyChristians, who had all things in common, before the greed ofpriest or prince had robbed them of all. Like-dealers!Like-dealers! run, run--kill, slay, strike all dead, and neverrest until ye drown the last priest in the blood of the lastprince!" As the hag thus spoke, through the horrible inspiration of Satan, the passions of the mob rose to frenzy, and they rushed out andjoined the bands in the streets, and the crowds that poured fromevery door; and as they repeated her words from one to the otherthe frenzy spread (for they were like oil to fire). But the hagwith the black plaster on her nose, when she saw herself leftalone in the chamber, looked out after them, and laughed, anddanced, and clapped her hands. Now the Prince and court had withdrawn to Colbatz for safety, anda council was summoned in all haste and anxiety. The water-gatewas barred likewise, to prevent a junction with the people ofLastadie and Wiek, but the townspeople, who had gathered inimmense crowds, broke it in, and joining with the others, proceeded to storm the council-hall, where the honourable councilwere then sitting. They shouted, roared, menaced, and seizing theclerk, Claude Lorenz, in the chamber, murdered him before the veryeyes of the burgomasters, and flung the body out of the window;then rushing down the steps again, proceeded along thecorn-market, and by the high street into the horse-market, wherethey sacked three breweries from the roof to the cellar; anddragging out the barrels, staved in the bottom, and drank out oftheir hats and caps, shouting, roaring, singing, and dancing, while they swilled the good beer; so that the sight was a scandalto God and man. And the uproar waxed stronger and stronger throughout that wholenight. Not a word of remonstrance or expostulation will the peoplelisten to; they threaten to hang up the messengers of thehonourable council, and show no respect even to a mandate from hisHighness, under his own seal and hand, which a horseman bringsthem. They laugh, mock, fling it into the gutter, sack morebreweries, and by ten of the clock, just as the citizens are goingto church, they number ten bands strong. So my worthy father-in-law, Dr. Cramer, with the dean andarchdeacon of St Mary's, stood upon the steps at the church-dooras the bells rung, and the mob rushed by to sack more breweries. And he spoke friendly to the rioters--"They should stop and hearwhat the Word of God said about the uproar at Ephesus (Actsxix. ). " And some would, and some would not. What did they want withparsons? Strike all the parsons dead. They could play the priestfor themselves, and forgive their own sins. Yet many went in, forit was the custom to attend the weekly preaching, and my worthyfather-in-law, turning round, addressed them from the nave of thechurch--me-thinks they needed it! One very beautiful comparison that he employed made a greatimpression, and brought many to reason. For he spoke of the bees, how, when they wander too far from the hive, they can be broughtback by soft, sweet melody, and so might this wild and wanderinghuman swarm be brought back to the true hive by the soft andthrilling melody of God's holy Word. Then for conclusion he readthe princely mandate from the altar; but at this the uproarrecommenced, and they ran shouting and screaming out of thechurch, and to their wild work again, staving in the barrels anddrinking the beer; and they insulted a magistrate that spokemildly to them, and said if they would be quiet, he would try andhave the tax removed. So they raged like the bands of Korah andAbiram; wanted to kill every one, all the rich, and divide theirgoods; for their riches were their blood and sweat. They woulddrag the four guilds to the council-hall, and the chiefburgomasters, and hang them all up, and afterwards the honourablecouncil, and all the priests, &c. So passed the first and secondday. On the third morning by six of the clock, his Highness DukePhilip, with all his suite, drove in six coaches from Colbatz upto the Oderstrasse, galloping into the middle of the crowd ofnoisy, drunken rioters, who thronged the grass-market as thick asbees in a swarm. He wished to pass on quickly to the castle, but could not, so hehad to see and hear for himself how the insurrection raged, andthe mob surrounded the coach of his Highness with loud cries, inwhich nothing could be heard distinctly, but on one side "Killhim!" and on the other, "Let him go!" This made Bishop Franciswild with anger, and he wanted to jump out of the coach and beatback the people, but Duke Philip gently restrained him. "See younot, " he said, "the people are sick? Hot words will increase theirsickness. " Then he motioned to Mag. Reutzio, the court chaplain, who sat in the coach, to admonish the crowd. But the moment the reverend M. Reutzio put his head out of thewindow to address them, the people shouted, "Down with the parson!what is he babbling for. Dr. Cramer told us all that yesterday. Wewant no parsons; kill them! kill them! Down with priests! downwith princes!" And they sprang upon the horses to cut the traces, but the coachman and outriders slashed away right and left withtheir horsewhips, so that the mob recoiled; and then with loudshouts of "Make way! make way!" the coachman lashed his horsesforward into a gallop. But behold, as they crossed the Shoe-strasse, a coarse, thick-setwoman knelt by the kennel with her daughter, a half-grown girl, and they were drinking beer from a barrel like calves. This samewoman was knocked down by the foremost horse, so that she fellinto the gutter. Hereat she roared and cursed his princely Grace, and flung the beer-can at him, but it fell upon the horse, whogrew wild, and dashed off in a mad gallop across the Shoe-strasseinto the Pelzerstrasse, and up to the castle without pausing, where a large crowd had already collected. If the sovereign people had been wild before, they were ten timesmore wild now, and ran to try and get into the castle after hisHighness; but the Duke ordered the gates to be closed. He, findingthat the courts and corridors were already filled with the membersof the venerable council, and three hundred of the militia, badethe men stand to their arms, load the heavy artillery, and erectthe blood-standard on the tower, while he and the princes, withthe honourable members, considered what could best be done in thisgrave and dangerous crisis. Whereupon he bade the council attendhim in the state banqueting-hall. Now the honourable council declared they were ready to part lifeand limb for their liege lord and the illustrious house ofPomerania, according to the terms of their oath; but the burgherswould not. For when Duke Philip asked, would not the burghers goforth, and help to disperse this armed and unruly mob, the militiamade sundry objections, and set forth numerous difficulties. Whereupon Bishop Francis started up, and exclaimed, "Brother, Ipray thee, do not stoop to conciliate the people! If ye know nothow to die, I can go forth and die for all--since it has come tothis. " And he rose to depart. But his Highness seized him by the hand, and entreated patienceyet for one hour more. Then he turned to the militia, and againadmonished them of their duty, and bid them remember the oath; butthey answered sharply, "Why the devil should we go forth and shootour brothers, neighbours, and friends? They are more to us thanall. " _Item_, they recapitulated their objections anddifficulties. Hereupon his Highness exclaimed, "Alas! how comes it that my goodpeople of Stettin are so unruly? If the Stralsunders indeed hadrisen, I would say nothing, but my dear Stettiners, who have everbeen so true and loyal, holding to their province through alladversities, and now--ah! that I should live to see this day!" Then Bishop Francis spake--"Truly, our good Stettiners are to beknown no longer. Were it possible to bewitch a whole people, Iwould say this witch-devil of Marienfliess had done it. For in allPomeranian land was it ever heard that the people refusedobedience to their Prince as the burgher militia here have daredto refuse this day?" Just then the evil tidings arrived that the mob were sacking thehouse of one of the chiefs of the council, whereupon his HighnessDuke Philip called out again, "Will ye stand by me or not? Here isno time for hesitation, but action. Will ye follow me? Speak, lieges!" Hereat a couple of hundred voices responded "Yes, yes;" but the"yes" fell as dull and cold upon the ear as the clang of a leadenbell. However, Bishop Francis instantly exclaimed, "Good! Go then, allof ye, to the armoury, and arm yourselves with speed. Meanwhile Ishall see to the loading of the cannon in the castle court. Thenwhosoever among you is for God and the Prince, follow me tovictory or death. " But Duke Philip interposed. "Not so, dear brother; not so, my goodlieges; let us try first what reconciliation will do, for they aremy erring children. " And though Duke Francis was sore displeased and impatient, yet mygracious Prince despatched his chief equerry, Andreas Ehlers, asherald to the people, dressed in complete armour, and with a drawnsword in his hand, accompanied by three trumpeters, to read a newprincely proclamation to the people. So the herald rode first to the grass-market, and when the trumpetsounded, the people stood still and listened, whereupon he readthe following proclamation, in a loud voice:-- "The Serene and Illustrious Prince and Lord, Lord Philip, Duke ofStettin, Pomerania, Cassuben, and Wenden, Prince of Rugen, Countof Gutzkow, and Lord of the lands of Lauenburg and Butow, ourgracious Prince, Seigneur, and Lord, hereby commandeth allpresent, from Lastadie, Wiek, Dragern, and other places assembled, to lay down their arms, and retire each man to his own home inpeace and quietness, without offering further molestation to hisloyal lieges, burghers, and citizens, on pain of severe punishmentin person and life, and deprivation of all wonted privileges. Further, if they have aught of complaint against the honourablecouncil or burgesses, let them bring the same before his Highnesshimself. Meanwhile the quart of beer, until further orders, shallbe reduced to its original price, as agreed on yesterday incouncil, and be sold henceforth for one Stralsund shilling. "Signatum, Old Stettin, the 18th July, 1616. "PHILIPPUS, _manu sua_. " When the herald had finished reading, and shown the princelysignature and seal to the ringleaders, a great murmur arose amongthe crowd, of which, however, the herald took no heed, but rode onto the horse-market, where he likewise read the proclamation, andso on through the principal thorough-fares. Then he returned tothe grass-market, but lo! not a soul was to be seen; the crowdshad all dispersed, and quietness reigned everywhere. Whereupon theherald rode joyfully to the horse-market, to see if the like hadhappened there, and truly peace had returned here too. And allalong the principal streets where the proclamation had been read, the people were thoroughly subdued by this princely clemency andauthority. So when the herald returned to the castle, and related the successof his mission, the tears filled the eyes of his Grace DukePhilip, and taking his lord brother by the hand, he exclaimed, "See, dear Francis, how true are the words of Cicero, '_Nihiltam populare quam bonitas_. '" [Footnote: (Nothing so popular askindness. )] Then they both went forth and walked arm in armthroughout the town, and wherever his Grace saw any group stillgathered round the beercans, he told them to be content, for thebeer should be sold to them at the Stralsund shilling. And thusthe riot was quelled, and the town returned to its accustomedquietness and order. Now truly the same Cicero says, "_In imperita muititudine estvarietas et inconstantia et crebra tanquam tempestatum, sicsententiarum commutatio_. " [Footnote: (The senseless multitudeare changeful and inconstant as the weather, and their opinionssuffer as many mutations. )] CHAPTER X. _Of the fearful events that take place at Marienfliess--Item, bow Dorothea Stettin becomes possessed by the devil. _ Meanwhile Satan hath not been less busy at Marienfliess inSidonia's absence, than at Old Stettin in her presence. But hecunningly changed his mode of action, not to be recognised, andtruly Dorothea Stettin was the first he practised on. For havingrecovered from her sickness, she one day presented herself atchurch in the nun's choir as usual; but while joining in theclosing hymn, she suddenly changed colour, began to sob andtremble in every limb, then continued the chant in a strange, uncertain voice, sometimes treble, sometimes bass, like that of alad whose beard is just beginning to grow. At this the abbess andthe sisterhood listened and stared in wonder, then asked if thedear sister had fallen ill again? "No, " she answered gruffly, "she only wanted to be married. Shewas tired of playing the virgin. Did the abbess know, perchance, of any one who would suit her as bridegroom? For she must andwould be married!" Think now of the horror of the nuns. Still they thanked God thatsuch a _scandalum_ had happened during the singing, and notat the blessed sermon. Then they seized her by the arms, and drewher away to her cell. But woe, alas! scarcely had she reached it, when she threw herself upon her bed in strong convulsions. Hereyes turned so that only the whites were to be seen, and her facegrew so drawn and strange that it was a grief to look upon it, andstill she kept on screaming in the deep, gruff man's voice--"For abridegroom! a bridegroom!" she that was so modest, and had such adelicate, gentle voice. Whereupon all the sisters rushed in tohear her the moment the sermon was over; _item_, the priestin his surplice. But the unfortunate maiden no sooner beheld him, than she criedout in the deep bass voice--"David, I must marry; wilt thou be mybridegroom?" And when he answered, "Alas, poor girl! when was suchspeech ever heard from you before? Satan himself must havepossessed you!" she cried out again, "Hold your chatter--will you, or will you not?" "How can I take you?" replied the priest; "you know well that Ihave a wife already. " Whereupon the gruff bass voice answered, with mocking laughter, "Ha! ha! ha! what matter for that? Takemore wives!" Here some of the young novices laughed, but others who had neverwept _bis dato_, now broke out in violent weeping, and theabbess exclaimed, "Oh, merciful God! who hath ever heard the likefrom this our chaste sister, whom we have known from her youth up?Oh! deliver her from this wicked devil who reigns in her soul andmembers!" But at the mention of the holy name, the evil one raged morefuriously than ever within her. He tore her, so that she foamed atthe mouth, and--ah! woe is me that I must speak it--uttered coarseand shameful words, such as the most shameless groom or jack-boywould scarce pronounce. These sent all the novices flying and screaming away; but theabbess remained, with some of the nuns, also the priest, whoprepared now to exorcise the devil with the most powerfulconjurations. Yet ere he began, a strange thing happened; for thepossessed maiden became suddenly quite still, all her membersrelaxed, and her eyes closed heavily as if in sleep. But it wasnot so, for she then began, in her own soft, natural voice, tochant a hymn in Dutch, although they all knew she never hadlearned one word of that language. The words were these:-- "Oh, chaste Jesu! all whose beingWas so lovely to our seeing, Thoughts and speech, and soul and senses, Filled with noblest evidences. Oh! the God that dwelt in Thee, In His sinless purity!Oh, Christ Immanuel, Save me from the sinner's hell! Make my soul, with power divine, Chaste and holy, ev'n as Thine!" Then she added in her own tongue--"Ah! ye must pray much beforethis devil is cast out of me. But still pray, pray diligently, andit will be done. "Guard, Lord Christ, our deepest slumber, Evil thoughts may come in dreams;And the senses list the murmur, Though the frail form sleeping seems. Oh! if Thy hand do not keep us, Even in sleep, from passion's flame, Though our eyes close on temptation, We may fall to sin and shame!Amen. " "Yes, yes, oh, pray for me; be not weary, her judgment ispronounced. " "What mean you?" spake the abbess, "whose judgment hath beenpronounced?" _Illa_. --"Know you not, then? Sidonia's. " _Hæc_. --"How could she have bewitched you? She is far fromhere. " _Illa_. --"Spirits know no distance. " _Hæc_. --"How then hath she done this?" _Illa_. --"Her spirit Chim summoned another spirit lastevening, who entered into me as I gasped for air, after thatstrife between you and your maid, for I was shocked to hear thisfaithful creature called a thief. " _Hæc_. --"And is she not a thief?" _Illa_. --"In no wise. She is as innocent as a new-bornchild. " _Hæc_. --"But there was no one else in the chamber when I laiddown my purse, and when she went away it was gone. " _Illa_. --"Ah! your dog Watcher was there, and the purse wasmade of calf's skin, greased with your hands, for you had beenrolling butter; so the dog swallowed it, having got no dinner. Kill the dog, therefore, and you will find your purse. " _Hæc_. --"For the love of Heaven! how know you aught of myrolling butter?" _Illa_. --"A beautiful form like an angel sits at my head, andwhispers all to me. " _Hæc_. --"That must be the devil, who has gone out of thee, for fear of the priest. " _Illa_. --"Oh, no! He sits under my liver. See!--there is theangel again! Ha! how terribly his eyes are flashing!" _Hæc_. --"Canst thou see, then? Thine eyes are close shut"(opening Dorothea's eyes by force, but the pupil is not to beseen, only the white). _Illa_. --"I see, but not through the eyes--through thestomach. " _Hæc_. --"What? Thou canst see through the stomach?" _Illa_. --"Ay, truly! I can see everything: there is AnnaApenborg peeping under the bed; now she lets the quilt drop infright. Is it not so?" The abbess clasps her hands together, looks at the priest inastonishment, and cries, "For the love of God, tell me what doesall this betoken?" To which the priest answers, "My reason is overwhelmed here, and Imight almost believe what the ancients pretended, and CorneliusAgrippa also maintained, that two _dæmones_ or spirits attendeach man from infancy to the grave; and that each spirit strivesto blend himself with the mortal, and make the human being likeunto himself, whether it be for good or evil. [Footnote: CorneliusAgrippa, of the noble race of Nettersheim, natural philosopher, jurist, physician, soldier, necromancer, and professor of theblack art--in fine, learned in all natural and supernaturalwisdom, closed his restless life at Grenoble, 1535. His principalwork, from which the above is quoted (cap. Xx. ), is entitled _DeOcculta Philosophia_. That Socrates had an attendant spirit ordemon from his youth up, whose suggestions he followed as anoracle, is known to us from the _Theages_ of Plato. But ofthe nature of this genius, spirit, or voice, we have no certainindications from the ancients, though the subject has been muchinvestigated in numerous writings, beginning with the monographsof Apulejus and Plutarch. The first (Apulejus), _De DeoSocratis_, makes the strange assertion, that it was a commonthing with the Pythagoreans to have such a spirit; so much so, that if any among them declared he had _not_ one, it wasdeemed strange and singular. ] "However, I esteem this apparition to be truly Satan, who haschanged himself into an angel of light to deceive more easily, asis his wont; therefore, as this our poor sister hath also aprophesying spirit, like that maiden mentioned, Acts xvi. 16, letus do even as St. Paul, and conjure it to leave her. But first, itwould be advisable to see if she hath spoken truth respecting thedog. " So my dog was killed, and there in truth was the purse of goldfound in his stomach, to the wonderment of all, and the great joyof the poor damsel who had been accused of stealing it. Immediately after, the poor possessed one turned herself on thecouch, sighed, opened her eyes, and asked, "Where am I?" for sheknew nothing at all of what she had uttered during her sleep, andonly complained of a weakness through her entire frame. [Footnote:That poor Dorothea was in the somnambulistic state (according toour phraseology) is evident. A similar instance in which thedemoniac passed over into the magnetic state is given by Kerner, "History of Possession, " p. 73. I must just remark here, thatKieser ("System of Tellurism") is probably in error when heasserts, from the attitudes discovered amongst some of theEgyptian hieroglyphics, that the ancients were acquainted with themode of producing the magnetic state by manipulation or passes, for Jamblicbus enumerates all the modes known to the ancients ofproducing the divining crisis, in his book _De MysteriisÆgyptorium_, in the chapter, _Insperatas vacat ab actionepropria_, page 58, and never mentions manipulation amongstthem, of which mode, indeed, Mesmer seems to have been theoriginal discoverer. The ancients, too, were aware (as we are)that the magnetic and divining state can be produced only in youngand somewhat simple (_simpliciores_) persons. Porphyryconfirms this in his remarkable letter to the Egyptian priest ofAnubis (to which I earnestly direct the physiologists), in whichhe asks, "Wherefore it happens that only simple (_aplontxronzkai nxonz_) and young persons were fitted for divination?" Yetthere were many even then, as we learn from Jamblich and the laterPsellus, who maintained the modern rationalistic view, that allthese phenomena were produced only by a certain condition of ourown spiritual and bodily nature; although all somnambulists affirmthe contrary, and declare they are the result of external_spiritual_ influences working upon them. ] After this, theevil spirit left her in peace for two days, and every one hopedthat he had gone out of her; but on the third day he began to ragewithin the unfortunate maiden worse than ever, so that they had tosend quickly for the priest to exorcise him. But behold, as heentered in his surplice, and uttered the salutation, "The peace ofour Lord Jesus Christ be upon this maid, " the evil spirit with theman's coarse voice cried out of poor Dorothea's mouth-- "Come here, parson, I'll soon settle for you. " Then it cursed, swore, and blasphemed God, and raged within thepoor maiden, so that the foam gathered on her pale lips. But thereverend David is not to be frightened from his duty by the foulfiend. He kneeled down first, with all present, and prayedearnestly to God; then endeavoured to make the possessed maidenrepeat the Lord's Prayer and the Creed after him; but the devilwould not let her. He raged, roared, laughed scornfully, andabused the priest with such unseemly words that it was a grief andhorror to hear them. "Wait, parson, " it screamed, "in three days thou shalt be as I am. (Namely, a spirit; though no one knew then what the devil meant. )I will make thee pay for this, because thou tormentest me. " But neither menaces nor blasphemies could deter the good priest. He lifted his eyes to heaven, and prayed that beautiful prayerfrom the Pomeranian liturgy, page 244, which he had by heart:-- "O Lord Jesu Christ, Thou Son of the living God, at whose nameevery knee must bend, in heaven, upon the earth, and under theearth; God and man; our Saviour, our brother, our Redeemer; whohast conquered sin, and death, and hell, trod on the devil's headand destroyed his works--Thou hast promised, Thou holy Saviour, 'that whatever we ask the Father in Thy name, Thou wilt grant untous. ' Therefore, by that holy promise, we pray Thee, Lord Christ, to look with pity upon this our sister, who hath been baptized inThy holy name, redeemed by Thy precious blood, washed from allsin, anointed by Thy Holy Spirit, and made one with Thee, a memberof the living temple of Thy body. Relieve her from the tyranny andpower of the devil; graciously cast out this unclean spirit, thatso Thy holy name may be praised and glorified, for ever and ever. Amen. " Then he laid his hand upon the sick maiden's head, while thehellish fiend raged and roared more furiously than ever, so thatall present were seized with trembling, and exclaimed-- "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the strength of theLord Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, Ibid, desire, and command thee, thou unclean spirit, to come forth, and give place to the Holy Spirit of God! Amen. " Whereupon the convulsions ceased in the sick maiden's limbs, andshe sank down gently on her bed, as a sail falls when the cordsare loosed and the wind ceases; and thus she lay for a long timequite still. After which, she said in her own natural voice-- "Now I see him no more!" "Who is it that you see no more?" asked the abbess. _Illa_. --"The evil spirit, my angel says. He has gone forthfrom me. Woe, woe, alas!" _Hæc_. --"Why dost thou cry, alas, when he has in truth goneout from thee?" _Illa. --"My angel says, he will first strangle the priest whohas cast him forth, then will he return, as it is written in theScripture (Matt. Xi. 24), 'After three days I will return to myhouse from which I had gone forth. ' Ah, look! the good priest isgrowing pale. But let him be comforted, for he shall have hisreward in heaven, as the Lord saith (Matt, v. ). " _Hæc_. --"But why does the great God permit such power to thedevil, if what thou sayest be true?" _Illa_ is silent. _Hæc_. --"Thou art silent; what says thy angel?" _Illa_. --"He is silent also--now he speaks again. " _Hæc_. --"What says he then?" _Illa_. --"The wisdom of God is silent. " The abbess repeats the words, while the priest falls back againstthe wall, as white as chalk, and exclaims-- "Your angel is right. I feel as if a mouse were running up anddown through my body. Alas! now the bones of my chest arebreaking. Farewell, dear sisters; in heaven we shall meet again. Farewell; pray for me. I go to lay my head upon my death-pillow. " And he was scarcely gone out at the door when a great cry andweeping arose amongst the sisters present, and the abbess asked, weeping likewise-- "Is this, too, Sidonia's work?" _Illa_. --"Whose else? She hath never forgiven him because herejected her love, and hath only delayed his death to a fittingopportunity. " _Hæc_. --"Merciful God! and will this murderous nun be broughtto judgment?" _Illa_. --"Yes, when her hour comes, she will be burned andbeheaded--not many years after this. " _Hæc_. --"And what will become of you? Will you die, if Satanoften takes up his dwelling-place in your heart?" _Illa_. --"If you do not prevent him, I shall die; if he leaveme, I shall grow well. " _Hæc_. --"What can we, miserable mortals, do to prevent him?" _Illa_. --"Jobst Bork of Saatzig has three rings, which thespirits made, and gave to his grandmother in Pansin. _Item_, he has also a beautiful daughter called Diliana, and as no secondon earth bears her name, [Footnote: In fact, I have nowhere elsemet with the name "Diliana, " whereas that of "Sidonia" is by nomeans uncommon. Virgil calls Dido "Sidonia" (Æn. I, v. 446), withsomewhat of poetic license, for she was not born in Sidon but inTyre. About the time of the Reformation this name became verycommon in the regal houses. For example, King George of Bohemia, Duke Henry of Saxony, Duke Franz of Westphalia, and others, haddaughters called "Sidonia. " For this reason, therefore, the proudknight of Stramehl probably gave the same name to his daughter. Inthe Middle Ages I find only one Sidonia or Sittavia, the spouse ofCount Manfred of Xingelheim, who built the town of Zittau, anddied in the year 1021. ] so is there no other who equals her ingoodness, piety, humility, chastity, and courage. If this Dilianalays one of the rings on my stomach, in the name of God, the devilcan no more enter in me, and I shall be healed. But what do Isee?--there she comes herself. " _Hæc_. --"Who comes?" _Illa_. --"Diliana. She has run away from her father, and willoffer herself as servant to Sidonia, because old Wolde is sick. " _Hæc_. --"She must be foolish then, if this be true. " _Illa_. --"Ay, she is foolish, but it is from pure love, whichindeed is a godlike folly; for Sidonia hath bewitched her poorfather, and he grows worse and worse, and her prayers to thesorceress are of no avail to help him, so she hath privately lefther father's castle, to offer herself as servant to Sidonia; forno wench, far or near, will be found who will take old Wolde'splace, and she hopes, in return for this, that the sorceress willgive her something from her herbal to cure her old father. Ha!what do I see? How her beautiful hair streams behind her upon thewind! How she runs like a deer over the heather, and looks backoften, for her heart is trembling lest her father might send afterher. Now she enters the wood; see, she kneels down, and prays forher father and for herself, that God will keep her steps. Let uspray also, dear sisters, for her, for the poor priest, and for theunfortunate maiden. " Whereupon they all fell upon their knees, and the possessed virginoffered up so beautiful a prayer that none had ever heard the likebefore, and every face was bedewed with tears. After which sheawoke, and, as the first time, remembered nothing whatever of whathad passed, or of what she had uttered. CHAPTER XI. _Of the arrival of Diliana and the death of the conventpriest--Item, how the unfortunate corpse is torn by a wolf_. Scarcely had the abbess returned to her apartment when Dilianasprang in, with flowing hair, and her beautiful, blooming facelooking like a rose sprinkled with morning dew. So the worthymatron screamed first with wonder that all should be true, thentaking the lovely young maiden in her arms, pressed her to herheart, and asked-- "Wherefore comest thou here, my beloved Diliana?" _Illa_. --"I have run away from my father, good mother, andwill serve my cousin Sidonia Bork as her waiting-maid, hoping thatin return she will give him something out of her herbal to healhis poor frame, which is distracted day and night with pain, evenas she healed you and Sheriff Sparling; and she will do this, I amsure, because I hear that her maid, Anne Wolde, is sick, and noone in all the country round will take service with her, theysay. " _Hæc_. --"Poor child, thou knowest not what thou dost. Shewill slay thee, or ill-treat thee in her wickedness, or may bebring some worse evil than either on thee. " _Illa_. --"And I will do as the Lord commanded--if she strikeme on one cheek, I will turn to her the other also, whereby shewill be softened, and consent to help my poor father. " _Hæc_. --"She will help him in nothing, and then how wiltthou bear the disgrace of servitude?" _Illa_. --"Disgrace? If the soul suffer not disgrace, thebody, methinks, can suffer it never. " _Hæc_. --"But how canst thou do the duties of a serving-wench?Thou, brought up the lady of a castle!" _Illa_. --"I have learned everything privately from Lisette;trust me, I can feed the pigs and sheep, milk the cow, and washthe dishes, &c. " _Hæc_. --"But what put it into thy head, child, to serve heras a maid?" _Illa_. --"When I last entreated my cousin Sidonia to help mypoor father, she said, 'Get me a good maid who will do my businesswell, and then I shall see what can be done to help him. Now, asno one will take service with her, what else can I do, but playthe trencher-woman myself, and thus save my poor father's life?" _Hæc_. --"Thou hast saved it once before, as I have heard. " _Illa_ is silent. _Hæc_. --"How was it? Tell me, that I may see if they told methe story truly. " _Illa_. --"Ah, good mother, speak no more of it. It was as youhave heard, no doubt. " _Hæc_. --"People say that a horse threw your father, draggedhim along, and attempted to kick him, upon which, while all themen-folk stood and gaped, you flew like the wind, seized thebridle of the animal, and held him fast till your father was upagain. " _Illa_. --"Well, mother, there was nothing very wonderful inthat. " _Hæc_. --"Also, they tell that one day at the hunt you cameupon a part of the wood where two robbers were beating a noblealmost to death, after having plundered him. You sprang forward, menaced them, and finally made them take to their heels, afterwhich you helped the poor wounded man upon your own palfrey, likea good Samaritan indeed, and without thought of the danger orfatigue, walked beside him, leading the horse by the bridle untilclear out of the wood, and thus----" _Illa_. --"Ah, good mother, do not make me more red than I am;for know, the poor wounded noble thought so much of what I haddone, that he must needs ask me for his bride, though truly Iwould have done the like for a beggar. " _Hæc_. --"Then it was George Putkammer, and thou wilt not havehim?" _Illa_. --"I may say with Sara (Tobias iii. ), 'Thou knowest, Lord, that I have desired no man, and have kept my soul pure fromall evil lusts;' but indeed to save my father's life is more to methan a bridegroom. A bridegroom may be offered many times in lifeto a young thing like me, but a father comes never again. " _Hæc_. --"God grant that thou mayest save him, but never tellthy cousin Sidonia of George Putkammer's love, else, methinks, itwill be all over with thee. " _Illa_. --"But if she ask me, I cannot lie unto her----" Just then the cry was heard, "The priest is dying;" whereupon theabbess, Diliana, indeed the whole convent, rushed out to visit himat the glebe-house. The priest, however, was dead when theyarrived, and his corpse had the same signature of Satan as theothers who died before him, save only that his right hand wasuplifted, and had stiffened into the same position in which heheld it when he exorcised the evil spirit out of Dorothea. So they all stood around pale and trembling, while they listenedto his poor widow telling how his breast-bone rose up higher andhigher, until at length he died in horrible agony. But behold, the door flies open, and Sidonia, who had justreturned from her long journey, enters, with her long black habittrailing after her through the chamber. Whereupon they all becomedumb with horror and disgust, and stand there like so many marbleor enchanted figures. "Ah, what is this I hear, " exclaimed the accursed sorceress, "juston my return home? Is the worthy and upright man really dead? Woe!alas, that I could have saved him from this! How did it happen?Thank God that I was not here at the time, or the wicked world, which lays all manner of crimes upon me falsely, might haveaccused me of this likewise. Yes, I thank God a thousand timesthat I was absent! Speak, poor Barbara! how did it happen thatyour dear spouse fell so suddenly ill?" But the poor wife only trembled, and sank powerless against thebed where the corpse of her husband lay stretched; for whenSidonia advanced close to it, the red blood oozed from the mouthof the dead man, as if to accuse his murderess before God and man. And no one could speak a word, not even a sob was heard in answerto her questions; whereupon the sorceress spake again-- "Alas, what is all this which has happened in my absence! GoodDorothea, they tell me, is possessed by a devil; but, at least, people can see now that I am as innocent as a new-born infant;though, assuredly, some terrible sinner must be lurking amongstus, though we know it not, or all this judgment would not comeupon the convent. I would not willingly condemn any Christiansoul; but, if I err not, the old dairy-woman is the person!" This she said from revenge, because the woman had refused to giveher seven cheeses for a florin, when she was on her way toStettin. Of the misfortunes which grew out of these same cheesesfor the poor dairy-woman, we shall hear more in due time. At this horrible hypocrisy and falsehood the abbess could nolonger hold her peace, and cried, "In my opinion, sister, you errmuch; the old dairy-mother is a pious and honest woman, as all theconvent can testify, and attended diligently on our dead pastorhere to be catechised. " _Illa_. --"Who then, else? It was incomprehensible. A thousandtimes thank God that she had been away during it all. Now theymust hold their tongues, they who had blackened her to the Prince;but his Grace had done her justice, and dismissed her honourablyfrom the trial at Stettin. " _Hæc_. --"I have a different version of the story; for hisHighness has commanded you to resign the sub-prioret to DorotheaStettin forthwith--_item_, you are to be kept close withinthe convent walls, for which purpose I shall order the greatpadlock to be placed again upon the gates. Thus his Gracecommands; and as we have a chapter assembled here already, I mayannounce the resolve with all due form. " _Illa_. --"What! you tell me this, in the presence of thepriest's wife and your serving-wenches? Do they belong to thechapter of noble virgins? I shall forward a _protocollum_ tohis Highness, setting forth all that has happened in my absence, and get all the sisterhood to sign it, that the Duke may know whatkind of folk the abbess summons to her chapter; but as touchingthe sub-prioret, it is well known to you all how it was forcedupon me by Dorothea, as I fully explained to the princes incouncil. However, speak, sisters; if ye indeed wish this light, silly creature, this devil-possessed Dorothea Stettin, for yoursub-prioress again, take her, and welcome--I will not prevent you. She can teach you all the shameful words which, as I hear, flow soliberally from her lips--eh, sisters, will ye have the wanton ornot?" And when the nuns all cried "No, no!" the accursed witch went on-- "Well, then, I bid ye all to assemble instantly in my apartment, to testify the same to his Highness; also to bear witness of theevil deeds done in my absence, for that the poor priest has diedno natural death, is evident; therefore his Grace, I trust, willprobe the business to the uttermost, and find out who is the evilSatan amongst us--ay, and tear off the deceitful mask, that mygood name thereby may be justified before the Prince and the wholeworld. " Diliana now stepped forward from amidst a crowd of serving-womenamong whom she had concealed herself, and bowed low in salutationto Sidonia; but the witch laughed scornfully, and cried, "What!has your worthy father sent you to me?" _Illa_. --"Ah, no; she came out of her own free will, to serveher good cousin Sidonia, for she heard that no maid could be foundto hire with her, therefore she would play the serving-wenchherself, and ask no other wages but a cure from her receipt-bookfor her dear father, who was daily growing worse and worse. " _Hæc_. --"She required much from her maid; and on her way homeshe had bought six little pigs--_item_, she had a cow, cocksand hens, geese, and seven sheep. All these the maid must feed andlook after, besides doing all the indoor work. " _Illa_. --"She could do all that easily, for old Lisa hadinstructed her in everything. " _Hæc_. --"But how was it that she was not ashamed to play theserving-wench--she, a castle and land dowered maiden, with thatillustrious name she bore?" _Illa_. --"There was but one thing of which men need beashamed, and that was sin; but this was not sin. " _Hæc_. --"She was very sharp with her answers. Why did she nottalk to her father, who had made her brother's son, Otto ofStramehl, give up to him her two farm-houses in Zachow, with allthe rents appertaining; but Otto had been justly punished by thegood God, for she had just got tidings of his death. " _Illa_. --"But my father will restore you all, good cousin, ashe wrote to you himself. " _Hæc_. --"Ay, the old houses, may be, he'll give back, butwill he restore the rents that have been gathering for fiftyyears? No, no, he refuses the money, even as my nephew Ottorefused it (but God has struck him dead for it, as I said before). [Footnote: He died suddenly just at this time; and Sidoniaconfessed, at the eleventh torture question, that she had causedhis death, (Dähnert, p. 430. )] Oh, truly these proud knights of myown kin and name stood bravely for me against the world! ay, I owethem many thanks for turning me out, a poor young maiden, unfriended and alone, till I became a world's wonder, and thescorn of every base and lying tongue; but persecution was ever thelot of the children of God. " _Illa_. --"Her poor father had not the gold; for fiverix-dollars a year would amount in fifty years to five hundredrix-dollars, and such a sum her father could not command. " _Hæc_. --"Yet he had enough to spend on horses, falcons, hunting, and the like; only for her he had naught. " _Illa_ (kissing her hand). --"Ah, good cousin, leave him inpeace, and help him if you can; I will serve thee as well as I amable--my life long, if you ask it of me. " _Hæc_. --"Away! thou silly, childish thing; how should themeek Sidonia ever bear to be served by a noble lady as thou art?If the world had not blackened me before, it might begin now inearnest, and justly. " _Illa_. --"Ah, good, kind cousin, will you then heal my fatherfor nothing?" _Hæc_. --"Well, I shall see about it, if, perchance, it beGod's will. " _Illa_ (kissing her hand again). --"Dear cousin, how good youare! Now see, all of ye, what a kind cousin I have in Sidonia, whohas promised to cure my loved father" (dancing for joy like achild). _Hæc_. --"Come, then, all present, to my apartment; thou, Diliana, mayest draw up the _protocollum_, and better, perhaps, than a bad notary. Come!" So they all proceeded to the refectory, and the_protocollum_, was drawn up and signed, and Sidonia compelledthe new convent porter to carry it off, that very night, to hisHighness at Stettin. Meanwhile the poor widow, along with some other women, includingthe old dairy-mother, prepared the poor priest's corpse forburial, and they put on him his black Geneva gown--_item_, black plush breeches, which his brother-in-law in Jacobshagen hadmade him a present of. I note the plush breeches especially, forwhat reason my readers will soon see; and because the parsonageswarmed with rats, they had the corpse carried before nightfallinto the church, and set down close beside the altar; and bycommand of the sheriff the windows were thrown open to admit freshair, on account of the dead body lying there. An hour after the poor widow went into the church, to see if theblood yet flowed from the mouth of her dear murdered husband. Butwhat sees she?--the corpse is lying on its face in the coffin inplace of on its back. She calls the dairy-mother in, tremblingwith horror, and they turn him between them. Then they go forth, but return in a little while again, and see, the corpse is againturned upon its face. And no one is able to comprehend how thecorpse can turn of itself, or be turned by any one, for the widowhas one key of the church and the abbess has the other; thereforethe poor wife, simple as she is, resolves to hide herself in thechurch for the night, and light the altar candles, that she mightsee how it happened that the corpse turned in the coffin. And thedairy-mother agreed to watch with her; _item_, Anna Apenborg, who heard the story from them; _item_, Diliana, for asSidonia had no bed to give her, the young maiden had gone to sleepwith Anna, and there the priest's maid told them of the horribleway her poor master's corpse had turned in the coffin. So theweeping widow let them all watch with her gladly, for she fearedto be alone, but warned them to speak no word, lest the evil-doer, whoever it might be, should perceive them, and keep away. Therewas no man within call, either, to help them, for the porter hadgone away to Stettin; so they four, after commending themselves toGod, went secretly into the church at ten of the clock, laid thecorpse right upon its back, and lit candles round it, as thecustom is. Item, they lit the candles on the altar, and then hidthemselves in the dark confession-box, which lay close by thealtar, and from which they could see the coffin perfectly. After waiting for an hour or more, sighing and weeping, and whenthe hour-glass which they had brought with them showed it was thetwelfth hour--hark! there was a noise in the coffin that made themall start to their feet, and at the same instant the private doorof the nuns' choir opened gently, and something came down thesteps of the gallery, step by step, on to the coffin, and theblood now froze in their veins, for they perceived that it was awolf; and he laid his paws upon the corpse, and began to tear it. At this sight the poor widow screamed aloud, whereupon the wolfsprang back and attempted to make off, but Diliana bounded on itstrack, crying, "A wolf! a wolf!" and seeing upon the altar an oldtin crucifix, which some of the workmen who had been opening thevault had brought up from below, she seized it and pursued thewolf out of the great gate into the churchyard, while the restfollowed screaming. And as the wolf ran fast, and made for thegraves, as if to hide itself, the daring virgin, not being able toget near enough to strike it, flung the crucifix at the uncleanbeast, when lo! the wolf suddenly disappeared, and nothing was tobe seen but Sidonia in the clear moonlight, standing tremblingbeside a grave. "Good cousin!" exclaimed Diliana in horror, "where has the wolfgone? we were pursuing a wolf. " Upon which the horrible andaccursed night-raven recovered herself quickly, and pointing withher finger to the crucifix which lay upon the ground, said with atone of mingled scorn and anger, "There, thou stupid fool! he sankbeneath that cross!" The poor innocent child believed her, and ran forward to pick upthe crucifix, looking in every direction around for the wolf; butthe others, who were wiser, saw full well that the wolf had beennone other than Sidonia herself, for her lips were bloody, andround them, like a beard, were sticking small black threads, whichwere indeed from the black silk hose of the poor corpse. And whenthey looked at her horrible mouth they trembled, but were silentfrom fear; all except the inquisitive Anna Apenborg, who asked, "Dear sister, what makes you here at midnight in the churchyard?" Here the horrible witch-demon mastered her anger, and answered ina melancholy, plaintive tone, "Ah, good sister Anna! I had amiserable toothache, so that I could not sleep, and I just creptdown here into the fresh air, thinking it might do me good. Butwhat are you all doing here by night in the churchyard?" No one replied; indeed, she seemed not to care for an answer, butput up her kerchief to her horrible and traitorous mouth, andturned away whimpering. The others, however, went back to thechurch, where the corpse truly lay upon its back as they had leftit, but the hose were rent at the knee, and the flesh torn andbloody. How can I tell now of the poor widow's screams and tears? _Summa_. --The corpse was buried the next day, and as no manhad been a witness of the night-scene, only the weeping women, noone would believe their strange story, neither on the last trialwould the judges even credit so wild a tale as that Sidonia couldchange herself into a wolf, and pronounced as their opinion, thatfear must have made the women blind, or distracted their heads, and that no doubt a real wolf had attacked the corpse, which wasby no means a strange or unusual occurrence. (But I have my ownopinion on the subject, and many who read this will thinkdifferently from the judges, I warrant. ) For no more horrible vengeance could have been devised byBeelzebub himself, the chief of the devils, than this of theshe-wolf Sidonia Bork (for Bork means wolf in the Gothic tongue), to revenge herself on the priest because he disdained her love. But why and wherefore the unfortunate corpse was found so oftenturned upon its face, that I cannot explain, and it must everremain a mystery, I think. However, I shall pass on now to othermatters, for truly we have had enough of these disgusting horrors. [Footnote: One of the most inveterately rooted of oursuperstitions is this belief in the existence of man-wolves. Ovidmentions it in his _Lycaon_, and even Herodotus. Many modernexamples are given in Dr. Weggand's natural history, which book Irecommend to all lovers of the marvellous, for they will find muchin it which far surpasses what we have related above concerningSidonia. The belief in a vampire, which Lord Byron has clothedwith his genius, belongs to the same order of superstitions; andHorst, in his Magic Library, furnishes some very curious remarksconcerning it. Even Luther himself believed in the possibility ofsuch existences. ] CHAPTER XII. _How Jobst Bork has himself carried to Marienfliess in his bed, to reclaim his fair young daughter Diliana--Item, how GeorgePutkammer threatens Sidonia with a drawn sword. _ Now Jobst Bork of Saatzig had but this one daughter, the fairDiliana, whom he loved ten times more than his life; and no soonerhad he heard of her flight than he guessed readily whither, andfor what cause, she had flown; for, that day and night herthoughts were bent on how to help him, he knew well; also, theteachings of old Lisa were not unknown to him. So he resolved togo and seek her, and sent for twelve peasants to carry him, as hewas, in his bed, to Marienfliess, for his limbs were so contractedfrom gout that he could neither ride, walk, nor stand. Accordingly, next morning early, the twelve peasants bearing thecouch on which lay the poor knight, entered the great gate of theconvent, and they set down the bed, by command of the knight, justbeneath Sidonia's window. Whereupon the miserable father stretchedforth his right hand, and cried out, as loud as he was able, "Sidonia Bork, I conjure you by the living God, give me my childagain!" Three times he repeated this adjuration. So we may imagine how thewhole convent ran together to see who was there. Anna Apenborg andDiliana were, however, not amongst them, for they had been up latewatching by the corpse, and were still fast asleep; _item_, Sidonia, I think, was snoring likewise, for she never appeared, until at last she threw up the window, half-dressed, and screamedout, "What wants the cursed knave? Hath the devil possessed you, Jobst, in earnest? Good people, take the fellow to Dorothea'scell--they are fit company for one another!" But the knight again stretched forth his trembling arm from thebed, and repeated his adjuration solemnly, using the same words. At this, Sidonia's face glowed with anger; and seizing herbroom-stick, she rushed out of the room, down the steps, and intothe courtyard, while her long, thin, white hair flew wildly abouther face and shoulders, and her red eyes glared like two red coalsin her head. (I have omitted to notice that this horrible Satan'shag had long since got his signature in her red eyes; for, as theslaves of vice are known by their ash-pale colour, and the_black_ circle round their eyes, so the slaves of Satan areknown by the _red_ circle. ) But when the evil witch reachedthe spot where the sick knight lay on his bed, and saw the crowdstanding round him, she changed her demeanour, and leaning on thebroom-stick, exclaimed, "Methinks, Jobst, you are mad; and you andyour daughter ought to be put at once into a mad-house; for, judgeall of ye who stand here round us, how unjustly I am accused. Yesterday this man's daughter comes to me, and says she will playmy serving-wench, if I promise to cure her father; just as if Iwere the Lord God, and could heal sickness as I willed; but Irefused to take her, as was meet, and the whole convent cantestify this of me; when, see now, here comes this fool of afather, and, taking the Lord's name in vain, demands his daughterof me, though I never had her, nor detained her; and she can gothis moment whither she likes, as ye all know. " Hereupon the abbess herself advanced to the bed, and spake--"Intruth, you err, sir knight. Sidonia hath refused to accept yourdaughter's service! But here comes the fair maiden herself--askher if it is not so. " And Diliana, who had thrown on her clothes in haste, and ran withAnna out of her cell, sprang forward, and fell sobbing upon herfather's bosom, who sobbed likewise, and cries, in an agitatedvoice, "God be thanked, I have thee again; now I shall die happy!Ah! silly child, how couldst thou run away from me! Dearest!--myheart's dearest!--my own joy-giving Diliana! ah, leave me notagain before I die--it will not be long, perhaps. " Here the weeping of the peasants interrupted him, for they lovedthe good knight dearly, and the rude boors sobbed, and blew theirnoses, in great affliction, like so many children. But the knightwas too proud to beg a cure from Sidonia; he would ratherdie--better death than humiliation. So he spake--"Children, liftme up again, in the name of God, and bear me home; and thou, myDiliana, walk thou by my side, sweet girl, that my eyes may notlose thee for an instant. " So the peasants lifted up the bed again on their shoulders; butDiliana exclaimed, "Wait, ah, my heart's dearest father, you doour good cousin Sidonia sore injustice. Only think, she haspromised to cure you, without any recompense at all! Is it nottrue, dear cousin? Set the bed down again, good vassals! Is it nottrue, dear cousin?" As she thus spoke, and kissed the claws of the horrible hell-wolfwith her beautiful bright lips, such an expression of rage andunutterable hatred passed over Sidonia's face, that all, even thepeasants, shuddered with horror, and nearly let the bed fall fromtheir trembling hands; but the fair young girl was unaware of it, for she was bending down upon the hand of the evil sorceress. However, my hag soon composed herself; and, no doubt, fearing thevengeance of Duke Francis, or hoping perhaps to cover her evildeeds by this one public act of charity, and so gain a good namebefore the world, and the fair opinion of their Highnesses, towhom she had written the day previous, she rested her arm oncemore upon the broom-stick, and turning to the crowd, thus spake-- "Ye shall see now that Sidonia hath a truly Christian heart in herbosom; for, by the help of God, I will try and heap coals of fireupon mine enemy's head. Yes, he is mine enemy. None havepersecuted me more than he and his race, though, God be good tome, it is my own race likewise. His false father was the first tomalign me, and yet more guilty was his still falser mother; butGod punished her hypocrisy with a just judgment, for she died inchild-birth of him, so true is it what the Scripture says, 'TheLord abhors both the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. ' Ah, she wasdeceitful beyond all I have met with upon earth--also, this herson, the false Clara's son, hath made my nephew, Otto of Stramehl, in a traitorous and unknightly manner, give him up my twofarm-houses at Zachow, and he now refuses to restore me either myfarms or the rents thereto belonging. " Here Jobst cried out, "'Tis false, Sidonia! I shall say nothing ofthy statements respecting my parents, for all who knew themtestify that they were righteous and honourable their life long, therefore let them rest in their graves; but as touching thyfarm-houses, thou shalt have them back, as I have already writtento thee. The accumulated rents, however, thou canst not have, forit were a strange and unjust thing, truly, to demand fifty years'rent from me, who have only been in possession of the farms forhalf a year. " "What! thou unjust knave, " screamed Sidonia furiously; but thensuddenly strangled the wrath in her throat with a convulsion, asif a wolf were gulping a bone, and continued--"It may be a hardstruggle to help one of thy name, but I remember the words of myheavenly Bridegroom (oh, that the horrible blasphemy did not chokeher), 'I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curseyou, do good to them that hate you;' and so, Jobst Bork, I will dogood to thee out of my herbal, if the merciful God will assist myefforts, as I hope. " Then she turned her hypocritical, Satanic eyes up to heaven, sighed, and stepping to the bed, murmured some words; then asked, "How is it with thee now, Jobst? is there ease already?" "Oh yes, good cousin, " he answered, "I am better, much better, thanks, good cousin! Lift me up again, children, and bear mehomeward--I thank thee, cousin!" and with these words he was borneout of the convent gates, the fair young Diliana following himclosely; and scarcely had they left the town and reached the moor, when the knight called out from the bed, "Oh, it is true, my owndear daughter--praise be to God, I am indeed better; but I am soweary!" And he sank back almost immediately into a deep sleep, whichcontinued till they reached the castle of Saatzig, and the bearerslaid the bed down again in its old place in the knight'schamber--still he woke not. Then Diliana kneeled down beside him, and thanked the Lord withburning tears; sprang up again quickly, and bade them saddle herpalfrey, for she must ride away, but would return again before acouple of hours. If her father woke up in the meantime, let themsay he must not be uneasy, for that she would return soon and tellhim herself whither and on what errand she had been. Hereupon she went to a large cabinet that stood in her father'schamber, took out a little casket containing three golden rings, mounted her palfrey, and rode back with all speed on the road toMarienfliess. But I must here relate how these magic golden ringscame into possession of the family; the tradition runs asfollows:-- A long while ago the castle of Pansin, which had originallybelonged to the Knights Templars, became a fief of the Borkfamily, and the Count who was then in possession went to the warsin the Holy Land, leaving his fair young wife alone in her sorrow:and lo! one night, as she was weeping bitterly, a spirit appearedin her chamber, and motioned her to rise from bed and follow himto the castle garden. But she was horror-struck, and crepttrembling under the quilt. Next night the ghost again stood by herbed, made the same gestures even menacingly, but she wasfrightened, and hid her head beneath the clothes. The third night brought the ghost likewise; but this time the fairlady took courage, rose from bed, and followed him in silence downthe steps into the castle garden, on to a small island, where thetwo streams, the Ihna and the Krampehl, meet. Here there was alarge fire, and around it many spirits were seated. Hereupon herghost spake-- "Fear nothing, but fill thy apron with coals from the fire, andreturn to the castle; but, I warn thee, do not look back. " The fair chatelaine did as she was desired, filled her apron, andreturned to the castle; but all the way, close behind her, therewas a terrible uproar, and the rushing and roaring as of manypeople. However, she never looked back, only on reaching thecastle gates she thought she might take one peep round just as shewas closing them; but, lo! instantly her apron was rent, and thecoals fell hither and thither on the ground, and out of all shecould only save three pieces, with which she rushed on to her ownapartment, never again looking behind her, though the uproarcontinued close to her very heels all the way up to her chamberdoor; and trembling with dread, and commending herself to all thesaints, she at last threw herself on her bed once more in safety. But next morning, on looking for the coals, she found three goldenrings in their stead bearing strange inscriptions, which no manhath been able to decipher until this day. As to those she haddropped at the castle gate, they were nowhere to be seen; and onthe fourth night the ghost comes again, and scolds her fordisobeying his orders, but admonishes her to preserve the threerings safely, for if she lost one, a great misfortune would fallupon the village, and the castle be rent violently--_item_, but two of her race would ever be alive at the same time; if thesecond were lost, her race would be reduced to direst poverty; andif the third ring were lost, the race would disappear entirelyfrom the earth. After this, when her knightly spouse returned from Jerusalem, andshe told him the wonderful story of the three rings, he had acostly casket made for them, in which they were safely locked, with a rose of Jericho placed above them, which he had himselfbrought from the Holy Land; and this wonderful treasure has beenpreserved by the Count's descendants with jealous care, even untilthis day. I have said that no man could read the inscriptions onthe rings: they were all the same--the three as like as the leavesof a trefoil. They were all large enough for the largest man'sthumb, and made of the purest crown gold: the shield was of acircular form, bearing in the centre the figure of a KnightTemplar in full armour, with spur and shield, keeping watch beforethe Temple at Jerusalem; but what the characters around the figuresignified, I leave unsaid, and many, I am thinking, will leaveunsaid likewise. [Footnote: It is a fact, that no one up to thepresent time has been able to decipher this very remarkableinscription, not even Silvestre de Sacy himself, to whom it wassent some years ago. Dreger's reading, given in Dähnert'sPomeranian Library, iv. P. 295, is manifestly wrong--_OrdoHierosolymitamis_. But two of the rings are forthcoming now;and in fulfilment of the tradition, a tremendous rent reallyfollowed the loss of the first in the old castle of Pansin, whichmay yet be seen in this fine ruin, whose like is not to be foundin all Pomerania, nor, indeed, in the north of Germany. The tworemaining rings, with the rose of Jericho, are still to be seen inthe original casket, which is of curious and costly workmanship, and this casket is again enclosed in another of iron, with stronghoops and clasps. Should any of my readers desire to discover themeaning of the inscription, he will do me the highest favour bycommunicating the same to me. ] _In summa_. --When Diliana arrived with these rings, the poorDorothea lay again in the devil's fetters. She roared, andscreamed, and raged horribly, and tore her bed-clothes, and foamedat the mouth, and even abused and reviled the beautiful youngvirgin, who took, however, no heed thereof, but with permission ofthe abbess laid the three rings upon the stomach of the sick nun, who immediately became quite still, and so lay for a little while, after which, with a loud roar, Satan went out of her, while thewindows clattered and the glasses rang upon the table. Then shefell into a deep sleep, and on awakening remembered nothing ofwhat had happened, but seeing Diliana prepared to set out on herhomeward ride, asked with wonder, "Who is this strange youngmaiden, and what does she here?" After this, as I may as well briefly notice here, Dorothea becamequite well, and by the mercy of God remained for ever afteruntouched by the demon claws of the great enemy of mankind. Meanwhile the good Diliana felt it to be her duty to descend tothe refectory, and thank the hell-dragon for the refreshing sleepwhich her father, Jobst, had obtained by her means. But, ah! howdoes she find my dragon? Her eyes shoot fire and flame, and in aninstant she flew at poor Diliana on the subject of marriage-- "What! she wanted to marry too! She was scarcely out of school, and yet already was thinking about marriage!" "Good cousin, " answered the other, "I have indeed no thoughts ofmarriage, and no desire for it has ever entered my heart. " "What!" screamed my dragon; "you lie to me, child! The wholeconvent talks of it; and Anna Apenborg herself told me that youare betrothed to that beardless boy George Putkammer. Fie! afellow without a beard. " Hereupon she began to spit out. But George Putkammer that instantclattered up the steps; for the news had come to Pansin, of whichcastle Jobst Bork had made him castellan, seeing that he set muchstore by the brave young knight, and would willingly have had himfor his son-in-law, if his fair little daughter Diliana had notresisted his entreaties, _bis dalo_; the news came, I say, now that Diliana had run away from her father, and gone to playthe serving-wench to Sidonia. So the knight seized his good sword, and went forth, like another Perseus, to save his Andromeda, anddeliver her from the dragon, even if his own life were to pay thecost. He knew not that the damning dragon despised the service ofthe mild, innocent girl, nor that Jobst Bork had gone to offerhimself as a sacrifice in her place. So he clattered up the steps, dashed open the door, and findingSidonia in the very act of spitting out, he drew his sword, androared-- "Dare to touch even a finger of that angel beside thee, and thyblack toad's blood shall rust upon this sword. " And when Sidonia started back alarmed, he continued-- "O Diliana, much loved and beautiful maiden, what does my queenhere? Where have you heard that the angels of God seek help andshelter from the devil, as you have done here? Return with me toSaatzig, and, by my faith, some other means shall make this vilewretch help your poor father. " Sidonia now screamed with rage-- "What wants this silly varlet here, this beardless youngprofligate? Ha, youngster, thou shalt pay for thy bold, saucytongue!" _Ille_. --"Hold thy accursed mouth, or I will give thee such ablow that thou shalt never need it again, but to groan. Listen, cursed beast of hell, and mark my words. Since our gracious Lordof Stettin handles thee so gently, and lets thee heap evil uponevil at thine own vile will, I and another noble have swornsolemnly to rid the land from such a curse. Let it cost our livesor not, we shall avenge our country in thy blood, unless thouceasest to work all thy diabolical wickedness. Now, therefore, hear me. Delay one instant to heal the upright Jobst and to removethy accursed witch-spell from off him, and this sword shall take abloody revenge; or if but a finger ache of this beautiful maidenhere, thy death is certain. Think not to escape. Thou mayst lameme, like Jobst or Wedel, or murder me as others, it will not helpthee; for my friend hath sworn, if such happen, that he will ridestraight to Marienfliess, and run his sword through thy bodywithout a word. Two horses stand, day and night, ready saddled inmy stall, and in a quarter of an hour we are here--he or I, itmatters not, whichever is left alive, or both together, and weshall hew thee from head to foot, even as I hew this jar in twothat stands upon the table, so that human hand shall never lift itmore. " So saying, he struck the jar with his sword, when it flew into athousand pieces, and the beer dashed over the hag's clothes, sothat she raised a cry of terror, for such speech had no man everyet dared to hold to her. But the brave Diliana seized hold of the young knight's sword, crying-- "For God's sake, sir knight, what mean you? You do my good cousinsore injustice; I have never seen you thus before. Sidonia hathdeclined to take me for her maid, and has helped my poor father, of her own free will, for he was here yesterday, and now restssafe in Saatzig in a deep and healthful sleep; for which cause Icome hither to thank my good cousin for her kindness. Where isyour justice, sir knight--your honour? Bethink you how often youhave extolled these noble virtues yourself to me!" As the knight listened, and heard that her father was alreadycured, he marvelled greatly; inquired all the particulars, butshook his head at the end, saying-- "'A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, and figs are notto be gathered from thorns. ' That she has helped your father, Itake as no sign of her kindness, but of her fear; therefore myresolve stands good. Sidonia, thou accursed hag, touch but onefinger of this maiden or her father, and I will hew thee inpieces, even as I cleft this jar. But you, fair lady, permit me toride home with you to your father's castle, and see how it standswith the brave knight's health, and whether he has in truth beencured. " Meanwhile Sidonia hath spat forth again, and begins running like awild cat in her rage round the room, so that her kerchief fallsoff, and her two sharp, dry, ash-coloured shoulder-bones stick upto sight, like pegs for hanging baskets on; and she curses andblasphemes the young knight and his whole race, who, however, cares little for her wrath, but gently taking Diliana by the hand, said tenderly-- "Come, dear lady, come from this hell-hole, and leave the olddragon to dance and rage at her pleasure, as much as she likes. " The lady, however, withdrew her hand, saying, "Ride back alone toSaatzig, sir knight! It is not seemly for a young maiden to ridethrough the wood with a young man alone. Besides, I must stay alittle, and comfort my poor cousin for all your hard words--seehow you have vexed her!" But Sidonia paused, and laughed loud and long, mocking the youngknight's disappointment; so after he had again prayed the maidenin vain to accompany him, he left the refectory in silence, sprangupon his barb, and rode on to the wood, resolving to wait theretill Diliana came up. And in truth he had to wait long. At last, however, she appearedthrough the trees, and on seeing him she was angry, and bade himride his ways. So my knight entreats for the love of God that shewill listen to him, for he can no longer live without her. By dayand by night her image floats before him, and wherefore should shebe so hard and cruel-hearted towards him? Better to have let himdie at once under the hands of the murderers in the forest, thanto let him die daily and hourly before her eyes, of the bitterlove-death. Was he, then, really such an object of abhorrence toher, such a fire in her eyes? Alas! alas! could she but know historments!" "Sir knight, " she answered, "you are no fire in my eyes, unless itbe the cold fire of the moon. Have patience, sir knight; why doyou press me for a promise when you have heard my resolve?" _Ille. _--"Patience! How could he have patience longer? Ah!her father had long since consented, but she was but as the moonin the brook to the child who tries to lay hold of it, since shehad talked of the moon. " _Hæc_. --"Sir knight, you compel me to a confidence. " _Ille. _ (riding up close to her palfrey). --"Speak! dearestDiliana. " _Hæc_ (drawing back). --"Come no nearer. What if any one sawus. Listen! Yesterday six weeks, my grandmother, Clara von Dewitz, who died, as you know, giving birth to my father, appeared to mein a dream. She was wrapped in a bloody shroud, and her eyes werestarting forth horribly from her head, when I shuddered withterror, and the poor ghost spoke--'Diliana, I am Clara von Dewitz, and thou art the one selected to avenge me, provided thou dostkeep thy virgin honour pure in thought, word, and deed!' Withthis she disappeared, and now, sir knight, judge for yourself whatis henceforth my duty. " Now the knight tried to laugh her out of her belief in this ghoststory, said it was all fancy, the same had often happened tohimself; not once, but a hundred times, had he seen a ghost, as hethought, but found out afterwards there was no ghost at all in thebusiness, &c. However, his words and smiles have no effect. Sheknew what she knew, and whether she was deceived or not about thisapparition of her grandmother, time would show, and _bisdalo_, she would remain obedient to her commands, and preserveher virgin honour pure in thought, word, and deed, even if it wereto be for her life long, until she saw clearly what purpose Goddestined her to accomplish. Now as my poor knight began his solicitations again yet moreearnestly, the fair maiden drew herself up gravely, and said, "Adieu! sir knight, ride your own path, I go mine! At present Ishall select no spouse; but if I ever give my hand to man, youshall be the selected one, sir knight, and no other. Now return toyour own castle. If you wish to see my father, come to-morrow toSaatzig, for I shall ride there alone now. Farewell!" And off she cantered on her palfrey, hop, hop, hop, as fast as anarrow from a bow, and her red feathers gleamed through the greenleaves of the forest trees, so that my knight stood watching, her, filled with as much joy as sorrow, for the maiden now seemed tohim so beautiful, and he watched her as long as a glimpse of herfeathers could be had through the trees, and then he listened aslong as the tramp of her palfrey could be heard (for he told methis himself), then he alighted, and kneeling down, prayed to Godthe Lord to bless this beautiful darling of his heart, whilst hesobbed like a child, for sorrow and the sweet anguish of love. Then he rose up, and obedient to her commands, took his way backto the stately castle of Pansin. But next morning early, he was at Saatzig, where the good knightJobst receives him joyfully at table, quite restored to health. Nor has aught evil happened to the beautiful Diliana, as theknight feared from the spitting of Sidonia. However, he heard fromthe maiden, that after he left the refectory, Sidonia spat asecond time, probably to remove the first witch-spell (for nodoubt she feared the knight would hold his word, and hew her inpieces if aught evil happened to the fair young maiden). And forthe rest, the knight ceased to trouble Diliana with hissolicitations; but he made father and daughter promise to give himinstant notice if but a finger ached, and he would instantly findone sure way to bind the wild beast of Marienfliess for ever, namely, with his good sword. CHAPTER XIII. _How my gracious Lord Bishop Franciscus and the reverend Dr. Joel go to the Jews' school at Old Stettin, in order to steal theSchem Hamphorasch, and how the enterprise finishes with a soundcudgelling. _ Meanwhile my gracious Duke Francis was puzzling his brain, day andnight, how best to bind this malicious dragon, and hinder her fromutterly destroying his whole race. He wanted to effect, by theagency of spirits, what George Putkammer had already effected byhis good sword, as we have related before. So his Highness mustneeds send for Dr. Joel, in all haste, to Old Stettin, to ask himwhether it were not possible to break the power of the evil witchby spiritual agency; for as to human, it was out of the question, since no one could be found to lay hands on her. They would assoon touch the bodily Satan himself. Whereupon my _magister_ answered, that he had already, toserve his Grace, consulted divers spirits as to what could be donein this sore strait, but none would undertake a contest withSidonia's spirit, which was powerful and strong, and, acting inconcert always with the spirit of old Wolde, had the might inhimself, as it were, of two demons. For this reason they must trytwo modes of casting out the evil thing. The first was to exorcisethe sun-spirit, according to the form in the _ClaviculaSalomonis_, for he was the most powerful of all the astralspirits, and question him as to what should be done. But for thisconjuration a pure young virgin was necessary, not merely pure inact, but in thought, in soul. Even her very garments must be wovenby a virgin's hands, otherwise the holy angels, who neither marrynor are given in marriage, would not appear. For they obey onlythe summons of one who is as pure as themselves, in body and insoul. Such a being he had once possessed in his only littledaughter, a virgin of eighteen years. All her clothes had beenspun and woven by virgin hands, and as she had a brave spirit, shehad often helped him to cite the astral angel _Och_. But thelast time she had assisted at the conjuration, the angel himselfhad strangled her with his own hands, twisting her neck sohorribly that her tongue hung out of her mouth. And thus she diedbefore his very face. The cause was, as he, poor father, had heardafterwards, that she had suffered a young student to kiss her, andso the pure virginity of her soul was lost. Now if the graciousPrince knew of any such pure virgin, who besides must be brave andcourageous as an amazon, matters would proceed easily, they wouldmake an end of the demon Sidonia without the least difficulty. Hehad the clothes ready, all spun by virgins; _item_, all thenecessary _instruments_. So my gracious Prince sits and thinks awhile, then shakes hishead, and says, laughing, "Methinks such a virgin were rarer thana white raven. It would be easy to find one pure in form, but avirgin pure in soul--and then as brave as Deborah and Judith. Mag. Joel, such a virgin, methinks, is not to be had, and you did evilto put your poor little daughter to such a test. For woman-fleshis a weak flesh since the day of Eve, as we all know. But youtalked of a second mode: what is it? Let me hear. " Hereupon the _magister_ sighed for grief, wiped his eyes, andspake--"Ah, yes! you are right, my good lord. Fool that I was, Imight have had my little daughter still, for though she onlyallowed the student to kiss her, yet by that one kiss the puremirror of her soul was dimmed, and before the angels of God shewas henceforth unholy. However, as touching the second method, itis the Schem Hamphorasch, through which all things are possible. " _The Duke_. --"What is the Schem Hamphorasch?" _Ille_. --"The seventy names of the Most High and ever-blessedGod, according to the seventy nations, and the seventy tongues, and the seventy elders of Moses, and the seventy disciples ofChrist, and the seventy weeks of Daniel. To him who knows thisname, the holy God will appear again as He did aforetime in thedays of the patriarchs. " _The Duke_. --"You are raving, good Joel; yet--but how canthis be possible?" _Ille_. --"I am not raving, gracious Prince; for tell me, wherefore is it that the great God does not appear to men now asHe did in times long past? I answer, because we no longer know Hisname. This name, or the Schem Hamphorasch, Adam knew in Paradise, and therefore spake with God, as well as with all animals andplants. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, &c. --all knew this name, andperformed their wonders by it alone. But when the beastly andidolatrous Jews gave themselves over to covetousness and alluncleanness, they forgot this holy name; so, as a punishment, theyendured a year of slavery for each of the seventy names which theyhad forgotten; and we find them, therefore, serving seventy yearsin Babylonian bonds. After this they never learned it again, andall miracles and wonders ceased from amongst them, until theever-blessed God sent His Son into the world, to teach them oncemore the revelation of the Schem Hamphorasch; and to all whobelieved on Him He freely imparted this name, by which also theyworked wonders; and that it might be fixed for ever in theirhearts, He taught them the blessed Pater Noster, in which theywere bid each day to repeat the words, 'Hallowed be Thy name. 'Yea, even in that last glorious high-priestly prayer of His--inface of the bitter anguish and death that was awaiting Him, Hesays, 'Father, keep them in Thy name;' or, as Luther translatesit, 'Keep them above Thy name. ' For how easily this name is lost, we learn from David, who says that he spelt it over in the night, so that it might not pass from his mind (Psalm cxix. 55). _Item_, after the resurrection, He gave command to go andbaptize all nations-not in the name of the Father, of the Son, andof the Holy Ghost, as Luther has falsely rendered the passage, but_for_, or _by_, the name-that such might always be keptbefore their eyes, and never more pass away from the knowledge ofmankind. And the holy apostles faithfully kept it, and St. Paulmade it known to the heathen, as we learn (Acts ix, 15). And allmiracles that they performed were by this name. Now the knowledgeremained also with the early Christians, and each person wasbaptized _by_ this name; and he who knew it by heart couldwork miracles likewise, as we know by Justin Martyr and others, who have written of the power and miraculous gifts of the earlyChurch. But when the pure doctrine became corrupted, and theChristian Church (like the Jewish of former times) gave itself upto idolatry, masses, image-worship, and the like, the knowledge ofthe mystic name was withdrawn, and all miracles have ceased in theChurch from that up to this day. " While Magister Joel so spake, his Highness Duke Francis fell intoa deep fit of musing. At last he exclaimed, "Good Joel, you are afanatic, an enthusiast--surely we know the name of God; or whathinders us from knowing it?" _Ille_. --"You err, my gracious Prince, for this name is theholy and mystic _Tetragrammaton_, 'Jehovah, ' which is thechief and highest name of God, and which truly is found written inthe Scriptures; but of the true pronunciation of the name no manknoweth at this day, for the letters J H V H are wanting in allthe old manuscripts. " [Footnote: For those who are unacquaintedwith Hebrew, I shall just observe here, that, in fact, the properpronunciation of the name "Jehovah" is a vexed question with thelearned up to this hour. Ewald, one of the latest authorities, andwho has taken much trouble in investigating the subject, says, that there is the highest probability that the word should bepronounced "Jahve, " signifying, He who should come(hoxrcho'menos), for which reason the Baptist's disciples askedChrist (Matt. Xi. 13), "Art Thou He who should come?"--namely, theMessias, Jahve, or, as we call it, Jehovah. Compare Heb. X. 37;Hagg. Ii. 6, 7; Rev. I. 8. I must observe, next, that all theTheophanisms (God manifestations) recorded in the Old Testament, to which the theosophistic, cabalistic Dr. Joel refers, wereconsidered by the earty Christian fathers as manifestations to thesenses, not of _God_--whom no man hath seen or can see--butof the asarchos Christ. Even the elder rabbins understand, inthese Theophanisms, not _God_, but the Mediator between Godand the world--the angel Metatron. For the rest, I need scarcelyremark that the exegesis of Dr. Joel is false throughout. TheBible has been so tortured to support each man's individual, strange, crude dogma, that it is no wonder even Protestants arefalling back upon _tradition_ as the best and surestinterpreter of Scripture, and the clearest light to read it by. ] Magister Joel continues--"But be comforted; there were somefaithful souls on the earth, who did not entirely lose theremembrance of the Schem Hamphorasch; and your Highness willwonder to hear, that even in this very town the secret exists, inthe possession of an old man, who has it, really and truly, lockedup in his trunk, though, I confess, he is as great a rogue himselfas ever breathed. " Hereupon his Grace jumped up, and embraced the _magister_. "Let him not spare the gold; only bring him this treasure. Howcould it be done? How did the man get it? Let him tell the wholestory. " _Ille_. --"It was a long story; but he would just give it inbrief:--A Jew out of Anklam, named Benjamin, went on a pilgrimageto Jerusalem; and having suffered great hardships and distress bythe way, was taken in and sheltered by a hermit, in the desert, who converted and baptized him. The Jew stayed with the old hermittill he died; and the old man, as a costly legacy, left him theSchem Hamphorasch, written on seventy palm-leaves. But as Benjamincould not read a word of Hebrew, he resolved to return home toPomerania, where his mother's brother lived-the Rabbi Reuben BenJoachai, of Stettin. However, when he presented himself, poor andnaked as he was, at his uncle's door, the rabbi pushed him away, and shut the door in his face the moment he said he had a favourto ask of him. This treatment so afflicted Benjamin that he tookill on his return to the inn; but having nothing wherewith to paythe host, he sent a message to his uncle, the rabbi, bidding himcome to him, as he had a secret to impart. "When the rabbi arrived, Benjamin asked, 'What he would give forthe Schem Hamphorasch, for people told him that it was thegreatest of all treasures?--to him, however, it was useless, sincehe could not read Hebrew. ' "Hereat the rabbi's eyes sparkled; he took the palm-leaves in hishand, and seeing that all was correct, offered a ducat for thewhole; this Benjamin refused. Whereupon, after many cunningefforts to possess himself of it, which were all in vain, therabbi had to depart without the treasure. However, Benjamin, suspecting that he would come back for it in a little while, cutout two of the leaves from revenge, and when my knave of a rabbireturned, he sold him the incomplete copy for five ducats at last. "This same Benjamin I (the _magister_) attended afterwards inhospital when he was dying, and as the poor wretch had no money, he gave me himself, upon his death-bed, the two abstractedpalm-leaves out of gratitude, being all he had to offer. These twoare now in my possession, and if we could only obtain the otherportion, your Highness would have the holy and mystic SchemHamphorasch complete. But how to get it? Gold he had alreadyoffered in vain to the Jew, Rabbi Reuben, who even denied havingthe Schem Hamphorasch at all; but his servant, Meir, for a goodbribe, told him in confidence that his master, the rabbi, reallyand in truth had this treasure, though the knave denied the factto him. It lay in a drawer in the Jewish school, beside the bookof the law or the _Thora_, and my magister thought they mightmanage to gain admittance some night into the Jews' school bybribing the man Meir well. Then they could easily possessthemselves of the Schem Hamphorasch (which indeed was of no use tothe old knave of a rabbi), for the drawer could be known at onceby the tapestry which hung before it, in imitation of the veil ofthe Temple. If they once had the treasure, the angel Metatronwould appear to them, the mightiest of all angels, and hisHighness could not only obtain his protection against the devil'smagic of the sorceress of Marienfliess, but also induce him tolook graciously upon his Grace's dear spouse, whom this evildragon had bewitched, as all the world saw plainly, so that sheremained childless, as well as all the other dukes and duchessesof dear Pomerania land, who were rendered barren and unfruitfullikewise by some demon spell. " Hereupon his Grace cried out with joy, "True, true! I will makehim do all that; and when I obtain the Schem Hamphorasch I willlearn it myself by heart, and repeat it day and night like KingDavid, so that it never shall go out of my head--_item_, allpriests in the land shall learn it by heart; and I will gatherthem together three times a year at Camyn, and hear them myself, man by man, repeat this said Schem Hamphorasch, so that never morecan it pass from the memory of our Church, as it did from that ofthe filthy Jews, or the impure Christians of the Papacy. " _Summa_. --The rabbi's servant, Meir, is bribed, and hepromises to admit them both next night into the Jews' school, forthere was to be a meeting there of the elders, and his master, thesaid Rabbi Reuben Ben Joachai, was to examine a _moranu_ orteacher. They could conceal themselves in the women's gallery, where no one would discover them, and after every one had gone, slip down and take what they pleased out of the drawer, then makeoff, for he would leave the door open for them--that was all hecould do--his master might come, &c. So all was done as agreed upon; the Prince and Mag. Joel crept upto the women's gallery, in which were little bull's-eyes, throughwhich they could see clearly all that was going on; and scarcelywere the candles lit when my knave of a rabbi enters (he was along, dry carl, with a white beard, and ragged coat bound roundthe waist with a girdle); _item_, the candidate, I think hewas called David, a little man, with curly red beard, and long redlocks falling down at each side upon his breast; _item_, seven elders, and they place themselves in their great hats rounda table. Then the Rabbi Reuben demands of the candidate to pay hisdues first, for a knave had lately run away without paying them atall; the dues were ten ducats. When the candidate had reckoned down the gold, Rabbi Reubencommenced to question him in Hebrew; whereupon the other excusedhimself, said he knew Hebrew, but could not answer in it; prayed, therefore, the master would conduct the examination in German. Hereupon my knave of a rabbi looked grave, seemed to think thatwould be impossible, consulted with the elders, and finally askedthem, if the candidate David paid down each of them two ducats, and ten to himself, would they consent to have the examinationconducted in the language of the German sow? Would they consent tothis, out of great charity and mercy to the candidate David? "Yea, yea--even so let it be, " screamed the elders; "God ismerciful likewise. " So my David again unbuttoned his coat, and reckoned down the fine;whereupon the examination began in German, and I shall here notepart of it down, that all men may know what horrible blindness andfolly has fallen upon the Jews, by permission of the Lord God, since they imprecated the blood of Christ upon their own heads. Not even amongst the blindest of the heathen have such base, low, grovelling superstitions and dogmas been discovered as theseaccursed Jews have forged for themselves since the dispersion, andcollected in the Talmud. Well may the blessed Luther say, "If aChristian seeks instruction in the Scripture from a Jew, what elseis it than seeking sight from the blind, reason from the mad, lifefrom the dead, grace and truth from the devil?" And this madness and blindness of the accursed race would neverhave been fully known, only that the examination was held inGerman (for in general it is conducted in Hebrew, to please thevain Jews), by which means the Prince and Doctor Joel heard everyword, and wrote it all down on their return home; and whenafterwards his Highness Duke Francis succeeded to the government, he banished this rabbi and the elders, with their whole forge ofblasphemy and lies, for ever from his capital. Here, therefore, are some of the most remarkable questions; but Imust premise that K. Means my Knave, namely, the rabbi, and C. The_Candidates_. [Footnote: Lest my reader might think that whatfollows is a malicious invention of my own to bring the Jews intodisrepute, I shall add the precise page of the Talmud from whicheach question is taken (from Eisenmenger's "Judaism Unveiled, "Königsberg, 1711, and other sources). The Jews, I know, endeavourto deny that they hold these doctrines; but it is neverthelessquite true that all their learned men who have been converted toChristianity since the time of the Reformation confessed thatthese dogmas were intimately woven into their belief, and formedits groundwork. ] _K_. --"Which is holier, the Talmud or the Scriptures?" _C_. --"I think the Talmud. " _K_. --"Wherefore, wherefore?" _C_. --"Because Raf Aschi hath said, he who goes from theHálacha (the Talmudical teaching) to the Scripture will have nomore luck; [Footnote: Talmud, tract. Chagiga, fol. X. Col. I. RafAschi, the author the Gemara, a portion of the Talmud. ] and goodluck we all prize dearly above all things--eh, my master?" _K. _--"Right, right. Who is he like who reads only in theScripture, and not in the Talmud? What say our fathers of blessedmemory?" _C_. --"They say that he is like one who has no God. "[Footnote: Talmud, tract. Eruvin. ] _K. _--"Can the holy and ever-blessed One sin? What is thegreatest sin He has committed?" _C. _--"First; He made the moon smaller than the sun. " _K. _--"Our rabbis of blessed memory are doubtful upon thispoint, as Jonathan, the son of Usiel, says, in the Targum ofMoses. [Footnote: The ancient Chaldee paraphrase of the OldTestament is called Targum by the Jews. It is split into theJerusalemitan, and the Babylonian Targum. ] But which is thegreatest sin of all that the holy and ever-blessed One committed?" _C. _--"I think it was when He forswore himself. [Footnote:Talmud, tract. Sanhedrin. ] For He first swore, saith RabbiEliaser, that the children of Israel, who were wandering in thedesert, should have no part in eternal life; and then His oath layheavy on Him, so that He got the angel Mi to absolve Himtherefrom. " _K. _--"It was, in truth, a great sin, but a greater, methinks, was, that He created the accursed Nazarene--theJesu--the idol of the children of Edom. I mean the Christ. " _C. _--"Rabbi, that is not in the Talmud. " _K. _--"Fool! it is the same. _I_ have said it, thereforeit is true. Knowest thou not, when a rabbi says, 'This thy righthand is thy left, and this thy left hand is thy right, ' thou mustbelieve it, or thou wilt be dammed?" [Footnote: Targum upon Deut. Xvii. 11. ] Here all the elders cried out-- "Yea, yea; the word of a rabbi is more to be esteemed than thewords of the law, and their words are more beautiful than thewords of the prophets, for they are words of the living God. "[Footnote: Talmud, tract. Sanhedrin. ] _K. _--"Now answer--what says the Talmud of that Adam Belial, that Jesu, that crucified, of whom the Christians say that he wasGod?" _C. _--"That he was the son of an evil woman, who learnedsorcery in Egypt, and he hid the sorcery in his flesh, in a woundwhich he made therein, and with the magic he deceived the people, and turned them from God. He practised idolatry with a bakedstone, and prostrated himself before his own idol; and finally, asa fit punishment, he was first stoned to death, upon the eve ofthe passover, and then hung up upon a cross made of acabbage-stalk, after which, Onkelos, the fallen Titus' sister'sson, conjured him up out of hell. " [Footnote: Although the Jewsdeny that Christ is named in the Talmud, saying that another Jesusis meant, yet Eisenmenger has fully proved the contrary, on themost convincing grounds. ] _K_. --"Is it possible to find more detestable Gojim thanthese impure and dumb children of Talvus--these Christian swine?"[Footnote: Children of Edom, children of harlots, swine, dogs, abominations, worshippers of the crucified, idolaters, are titlesof honour freely given to Christians by the rabbis. --SeeEisenmenger. ] _C_. --"No; that were impossible. " _K_. --"It permitted us to deceive them and spoil them oftheir goods. " _C_. --"Eh? Wherefore are we the selected people, if we couldnot spoil the children of Edom? They are our slaves, for we havegold and they have none. " _K_. --"Good, good; but where is it written that we may spoilthe swine and take their goods?" _C_. --"The Talmud says, it is permitted to deceive a Goi, andtake his goods. " [Footnote: Tract. Bava Mezia. ] _K_. --"Forget not the principal passage, Tract. Megilla, fol. L3--'What, is it then permitted to the just to deal deceitfully?And he answered, Yea, for it is written, With the pure thou shaltbe pure, and with the froward thou shalt learn frowardness. '[Footnote: 2 Sam. Xxii. 27; a specimen of how the Talmudistsinterpret the Bible. ] _Item_, it is written expressly in the_Parascha Bereschith_, 'It is permitted to the just to dealdeceitfully, even as Jacob dealt;' and if our fathers of blessedmemory acted thus, we were fools indeed not to skin the Christiandogs and flog them to the death. (Spitting out. ) Curse on theunclean swine!" _C. _--"I will be no such fool, rabbi, and if they compel meto take an oath, I will do as Rabbi Akkiva of blessed memory. " _K. _--"Right, my son; pity thou canst not speak Hebrew;methinks then thou wouldst have been a light in Israel. Speak--howhath the Rabbi Akkiva sworn?" _C. _--"The Talmud says, 'Hereupon the Rabbi Akkiva took theoath with his lips, but in his heart he abjured it. " [Footnote:Talmud, tract. Calla. ] _K. _--"The Rabbi Akkiva, of blessed memory, was but a sorryliver. Canst thou, too, defend the violation of the marriage vow?" _C. _--"With the wives of the unclean Christian dogs, wherefore not? For Moses saith (Lev. Xx. 10), 'He who committethadultery with his _neighbour's_ wife shall be put to death;'so saith the Talmud, the wives of _others_ are excepted; andRabbi Solomon expressly says on this passage, that under the word'others' the wives of Gojim, or the Christian dogs, are meant. "[Footnote: Eisenmenger quotes a prayer-book of the Jews on thissubject, called _The Great Tephilla_. ] _K. _--"Yea, cursed be they and their whole race. Dost thoucurse them daily, as is thy duty?" _C. _--"My duty is to curse them once; I curse them thrice. "[Footnote: Talmud, tract. Sanhedrin. ] _K. _--"Then wilt thou be recompensed threefold when Messiascomes, and the fine dishes and the fine clothes will grow out ofthe blessed earth of themselves, that it will be a pleasure to seethem. [Footnote: Talmud, tract. Kethuvoth. ] Speak--what saith theTalmud? How large will the grapes then be?" _C. _--"So large that a man will put a single grape in thecorner of his house, and tap it as if it were a beer-barrel. Isnot that almost too large, master!" _K_. --"Look at my pert wisehead! Knowest thou not, that hewho mocks the words of the wise goes straight to hell, as happenedto that disciple who laughed at the Rabbi Jochanan when he saidthat precious stones should be set in the gates of Jerusalem, three ells long and three ells broad? [Footnote: Talmud, tractBava Bathra. ] _Item_, hast thou not read how Rabbi Jacob BenDosethai went one morning from Lud to Ono for three miles in purehoney, or how Rabbi Ben Levi saw grapes in the land of Canaan solarge that he mistook them for fatted calves. What, then, will itnot be when Messias comes? [Footnote: In tractat Kethuvoth] Butwho will _not_ partake these blessings?" _C. _--"The accursed swine, the Christians. " [Footnote:Eisenmenger ii. 777, &c. On this point he brings forward numerousquotations from the later rabbinical writings; for it is certainthat on _this_ subject the Talmud judges more mildly. ] _K_. --"Wherefore not?" _C. _--"Because they cat swine's flesh, and believe on theTalvus, who deceived the people through his sorceries. " _K_. --"All true; but when the Talmud says that the impureNazarene brought all his sorceries out of Egypt, what say ourrabbis of blessed memory against that?" _C. _--"That he secretly stole the Schem Hamphorasch out ofthe Temple, and stitched it into his flesh. " [Footnote: An extractfrom the horrible book of curses against the Saviour, the_Toledotk Jeschu_, is given in Eisenmenger; the entire isprinted in Dr. Wagenseil's _Tela Ignea Satanæ_] _K_. --"What is the Schem Hamphorasch?" _C. _--"God's wonder, His greatest! the seventy names of theholy and ever-blessed God; and to him who knows them will theangel Metatron appear, as he appeared to our forefathers, and allstones can he turn to diamonds, and all loam to gold. " _K_. --"Dost thou know, my son, that I myself possess thisSchem Hamphorasch?" _C_ (clasping his hands). --"Wonder of God! can it be? Andhave you all these riches?" _K_. --"One of the accursed Christian dogs deceived me, andkept back two of the leaves (may God plague him in eternity forit), but still it effects much. I sell the holy Schem in littlepieces, as a cure for all diseases; yea, even bits no larger thana grain will bring three ducats; _item_, I sell bits of it tothe dying to lay upon their stomachs, that so they may gaineternal blessedness. Wilt thou buy a little grain too--eh? Ask theelders here if ever better physic were found than the least grainof dust from the holy Schem Hamphorasch?" So the elders swore as my knave bid them, and said that no betterphysic could be, and told of the various diseases which it hadcured in their own persons; _item_, that no Jew in the wholetown was without a morsel, be it large or small, to lay on hisstomach when dying; "but the greater the piece, " said the rabbi, "the greater the blessedness. " Now as the red-haired disciple seemed much inclined to purchase abit, the rabbi went over to the drawer, withdrew the tapestry, andlifting up the golden jad, [Footnote: The jad--a gold or silverhand with which a priest pointed out each line to the reader ofthe Tora. ] pointed smilingly to the palm-leaves therein with it. "This, " he said to the disciple, "was the ever-blessed SchemHamphorasch itself, if he had not already believed his words. " Meanwhile the aforesaid Meir, the rabbi's servant, crept forthfrom under the women's gallery, and spake--"Now may ye stick twoChristian dogs dead, who are hiding here to steal the blessedgolden treasure from my master the rabbi: the clock has struckeleven, and the Christian swine are snoring in all quarters of thecity. Up to the women's gallery! up to the women's gallery! Therethey sit! Their six ducats I have safe: kill the dumbuncircumcised dogs! strike them dead! For a ducat I will flingthem into the Oder. Come, come! here are knives! here are knives. " When the Duke and Doctor Joel heard all this, and saw all throughthe little bulls'-eyes, they jumped up and clattered down thestairs, the Duke drawing his dagger, which by good luck he hadbrought with him. But the Jews are already on them, and the rabbistrikes the Duke on the face with the golden jad, screaming-- "Accursed dog! there is one golden blow for thee, and a secondgolden blow for thee, and a third golden blow for thee; put themout to interest, and thou wilt have enough to buy the SchemHamphorasch. " And the others fell upon the doctor, beating himtill their fists were bloody, and sticking him with their knives. So my _magister_ roared, "Oh, gracious lord! tell your name, I beseech you, or in truth they will murder us--they will beat usto death!" But the Duke had hit the rabbi such a blow with his dagger acrossthe hand, that the golden jad fell to the ground, and the Duke, leaning his back against a pillar, hewed right and left, and keptthem all at bay. But this did not help, for the traitor knave, Meir, creeping alongon his knees, got hold of the Duke's foot, and lifting it upsuddenly in the air, made him lose his balance, and my graciousPrince stumbled forward, and the dagger fell far from his hand, upon which he cried out, "Listen, ye cursed Jewish brood! I amyour Prince, the Duke of Pomerania! My brother shall make ye payfor this: your flesh shall be torn from the bones, and flung todogs by to-morrow, if you do not instantly give free passage to meand my attendant. " Then taking his signet from his finger, he heldit up, and cried, "Look here, ye cursed brood; here are myarms--the ducal Pomeranian arms--behold! behold!" At this hearing, the rabbi turned as pale as chalk, and all theothers started back from Dr. Joel, trembling with terror, whilethe Duke continued--"We came not here to steal the SchemHamphorasch, as your traitor knave has given out, but to hear youraccursed Satan's crew with our own ears, which also we have done. " "Oh, your Highness, " cried the rabbi, "it was a jest--all a mereinnocent jest. The accursed knave is guilty of all. Come, graciousPrince, I will unbar the door; it was a jest--may I perish if itwas anything more than a merry jest, all this you have heard. " And scarcely had the door been closed upon the Duke and Dr. Joel, when they heard the Jews inside falling upon the traitorous knaveand beating him till he roared for pain, as if in truth they hadstuck him on a pike. But they cared little what became of him, andhastened back with all speed to the ducal residence. CHAPTER XIV. _How the Duke Francis seeks a virgin at Marienfliess to cite theangel Och for him--Of Sidonia's evil plot thereupon, and theterrible uproar caused thereby in the convent. _ After his Highness found that to obtain the Schem Hamphorasch wasan impossible thing, he resolved to seek throughout all Pomeraniafor a pure and brave-hearted virgin, by whose aid he could breakSidonia's demon spells, and preserve his whole princely race fromfearful and certain destruction. He therefore addressed a circularto all the abbesses, conjecturing that if such a virgin were to befound, it could only be in a cloister; and this was the letter:-- "FRANCISCUS, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, DUKE OF POMERANIA, STETTIN, CASSUBEN, AND WENDEN, BISHOP OF CAMYN, PRINCE OP RUGEN, COUNT OFGUTZKOW, LORD OF THE LANDS OF LAUENBURG AND BUTOW, &C. "WORTHY ABBESS, TRUSTY AND GOOD FRIEND, --Be it known to you thatwe have immediate need of the services of a pure virgin--but inall honour--and are diligently seeking for such throughout ourducal and ecclesiastical states; but understand, not alone avirgin in act--for they can be met with in every house--but avirgin in soul, pure in thought and word, for by her agency wemean to build up a holy and virtuous work; as Gregory Nyssensissays (_De Virginitate_, Opp. Tom. Ii. Fol. 593):--'Virginitymust be the fundamentum upon which all virtue is built up, thenare the works of virtue noble and holy; but virginity, which isonly of the form, and exists not in the soul, is nothing but ajewel of gold in a swine's snout, or a pearl which is troddenunder foot of swine. ' "Further, the said virgin must be of a brave, steadfast, andman-like spirit, who fears nothing, and can defy death and thedevil, if need be. "If ye have such a virgin, upon whom, with God's help, I can buildup my great virtuous work, send her to our court without delay, and know that we shall watch over such virgin with all princelygoodness and clemency; but know also, that if on trial such virginis not found pure in thought and word, great danger is in storefor her, perchance even death. "Signatum Camyn, 1st September 1617. "FRANCISCUS, _manu sua_. "_Postscriptum. _--Are the winter gloves ready? Forget not tosend them with the beer-waggon; my canons esteem them highly. " When this letter reached the abbess of Marienfliess by thebeer-waggon of the honourable chapter of Camyn, she was muchtroubled as to how she ought to proceed. Truly there were twoyoung novices lately arrived, of about fifteen or sixteen, namedAnna Holborne and Catharina Maria von Wedel. These the abbessthought would assuredly suit his Highness--_item_, they wereof a wonderful brave spirit, and had gone down at night to thechurch to chase away the martens, though they bit them cruelly, because they prevented the people sleeping; and, further, neverfeared any ghost-work or devil's work that might be in the church, but laughed over it. When these same virgins, however, heard whatthe abbess wanted, they excused themselves, and said they had notcourage to peril their lives, though in truth they were purevirgins in thought and word. But they could not hold their tonguequiet, but must needs blab (alas, woe!) to Anna Apenborg, who runsoff instantly to the refectory to Sidonia, whom she had appeasedby means of some sausages, and tells her the whole story, and ofhis Grace's wonderful letter. So my hag laughed--never suspecting that she was the cause ofall--and said, "She would soon make out if such a virgin were tobe found in the convent; but would Anna promise secrecy?" And whenthe other asseverated that she would be as silent as a stone inthe earth, my hag continued-- "I have got a receipt from that learned man, Albertus Magnus--hisbook upon women--and we shall try it upon the nuns; but thou musthold thy tongue, Anna. " "Oh, she would sooner have her tongue cut out than blab a word;but what was the receipt?" Here Sidonia answered, "She would soon see. She would give thesisterhood a little of her fine beer to drink, with some of ittherein; and as she had got fresh sausages, and other good thingsin plenty by her, she would pray the abbess and the whole conventto dine with her on the following Monday; then the dear sistershould see wonders. " And in truth my hag was so shameless, that on Sunday, afterchurch, she prayed all the virgins, saying, "Would the dearsisters eat their mid-day meal with her next day, to show thatthey forgave her, if she had ever been over-hasty? Ah, God! sheloved peace above everything; but they must each bring their owncan, for she had not cans enough for all; and her new beer wasworth tasting-a better beer had she never brewed. " _Summa_. --All the sisterhood gladly accepted her invitation, thinking from her Christian mildness of speech in the church thatshe indeed wished to be reconciled to them; _item_, theabbess promised to come, holding that compliance brings grace, butharshness disfavour; but here the reverse was the case. Early on this same Monday, the waggon returned laden with beer forthe honourable chapter, and the abbess despatched an answer by itto his Highness the Bishop, as follows:-- MOST REVEREND BISHOP AND ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE, MY FRIENDLY SERVICESTO YOUR GRACE. "GRACIOUS LORD, --Concerning the matter of which your Highnesswrites, I think there is no lack here of such virgins as youdescribe, but none are of steadfast enough heart to brave thegreat danger with which your Highness says they are menaced; forwe have a nature like all women, and are weak and faint-hearted. But, methinks, there is one brave enough, and in all things pure, who would be of the service your Grace demands--I mean DilianaBork, daughter of Jobst Bork of Saatzig; I counsel your Grace, therefore, to try her. "Now, as touching the winter gloves, I shall send some along withthis; but Sidonia will knit no gloves, and says, 'The fat canonsare like enough to old women already, without putting gloves onthem;' by which your Highness may judge of her impure mouth. Godbetter her. "Your princely Grace's and my reverend Bishop's humble servant andsubject, "MAGDELENA V. PETERSDORFIN. "Marienfliess, 5th Sept. 1617. " Now when twelve o'clock struck, and mid-day shone on the blessedland, all the nuns proceeded in their long black habits and whiteveils to Sidonia's apartment, each with her beer-can in her hand(woe is me! how soon they rushed back again in storm and anger). Then they sat down to the sausages and other good morsels, whileAnna Apenborg was on tiptoe of expectation to see what wouldhappen; and old Wolde was there quite well again (for ill weedsnever die--no winter is cold enough for that). And she filled eachof their cans with the beer which Sidonia had brewed, after a newformula; but, lo! no sooner had they tasted it than first DorotheaStettin starts up, and Sidonia asks what ails her. To which she answers: "She is not superstitious, but there wassurely something wrong in the beer. She felt quite strange. " Andshe left the room, then another, and another--in fine, all who hadtasted the beer started up in like manner and followed Dorothea. Only the abbess and some others who had not partaken of itremained. Anna Apenborg had disappeared amongst the first, andpresently a terrific cry was heard from the courtyard, as if notalone the cloister, but the whole world was in flames. Curses, cries, menaces, threats, screams, all mingled together, and shoutsof "Run for a broomstick! the accursed witch! the evil hag! let uspunish her for this!" Whereupon the abbess jumps up, flings open the window, and beholdsDorothea Stettin so changed in mien, voice, gestures--in fine, inher whole being--that she was hardly to be recognised. She looksblack and blue in the face, has her fists clenched, stamps withher feet, and screams. "For God's sake! what ails you, Dorothea?" asked the alarmedabbess. But no answer can she hear; for all the virgins scream, roar, howl, and curse in one grand chorus, as if indeed the lastday itself were come. So she runs down the steps as quick as shecan, while Sidonia looks out at the window, and laughing, said, "Eh, dear sisters, this is a strange pastime you have got; bettercome up quickly, or the pudding will be cold. " At this the screeching and howling were redoubled, and Dorotheaspat up at the window, and another flung up a broomstick, so thatmy hag got a bloody nose, and drew in her head screaming nowlikewise. Then they all wanted to rush up into the refectory, each armedwith a broomstick to punish Sidonia, and they would not heed theabbess, who still vainly asked what had angered them? but theother sisters who were descending met them half way, and preventedtheir ascent; whereupon the abbess raised her voice and called outloud: "Whoever does not return instantly at my command as abbess, shall be imprisoned forthwith, and condemned to bread and waterfor a whole day! _Item_, whoever speaks until I address her, shall be kept half-a-day on bread and water. Now Dorothea, speak--you alone, and let every one of you descend the steps andreturn here to the courtyard. " This menace availed at last, andwith many sobs and groans, Dorothea at last told of Sidonia'shorrible plot, as Anna Apenborg had explained to them. How she hadinvited them on purpose to disgrace them for ever in the eyes ofthe Prince and of the whole world, and the abbess could now judgeherself, if they had not a right to be angry. But she must haveher sub-prioret back again, out of which the scandalous witch hadtricked her, and the abbess must forthwith despatch a messenger tohis Highness, praying him to chase this unclean beast out of theconvent, and into the streets again, from which they had takenher; for neither God nor man had peace or rest from her. Sidonia overhearing this from the window, stretched out her greyhead again, wiped away with her hand the blood that was streamingfrom her nose, and then menacing the abbess with her bloody fist, screamed out, "Write if you dare! write if you dare!" So thecurses, howls, yells, screeches, all break loose again; some pitchtheir shoes up at the windows, others let fly the broomsticks atthe old hag, and Dorothea cried out, "Let all pure and honourablevirgins follow me!" Yet still a great many of the sisters gatheredround the abbess, weeping and wringing their hands, and prayingfor peace, declaring they would not leave her; but all the youngernuns, particularly they who had drunk of Sidonia's accursed beer, followed the sub-prioress, and as the discontented Roman peoplewithdrew once to the Aventine mount, so the cloister malcontentswithdrew to the Muhlenberg, howling and sobbing, and castingthemselves on the ground from despair. In vain the abbess ranafter them, conjuring them not to expose themselves before God andman: it was all useless, my virgins screamed in chorus--"No, thatthey would never do, but to the cloister they would not returntill the princely answer arrived, expelling the dragon for ever. Let what would become of them, they would not return. The jewel oftheir honour was dearer to them than life. " Now Sidonia was watching all this from her window, and as shejustly feared that now in earnest the wrath and anger of the twoPrinces would fall on her, she goes straight to the abbess, whosits in her cell weeping and wringing her hands, menaces her againwith her bloody fist, and says, "Will you write? will you write?ay, you may, but you will never live to hear the answer!" Uponwhich, murmuring to herself, she left the chamber. What can thepoor abbess do? And the cry now comes to her, that not only themiller and his men, but half the town likewise, are gathered roundthe virgins. Oh, what a scandal! She wrings her hands in prayer toGod, and at last resolves to lay down her poor life, so that shemay fulfil her hard duty bravely as beseems her, goes thenstraight to the Muhlenberg and arranges the evil businessthus:--Let the virgins return instantly to the cloister, and shewould herself write to the Duke, and despatch the messenger thisvery night. But she begged for just two hours to herself, that shemight make her will, and send for the sheriff's secretary to drawit up properly; also to search for her shroud which lay in herchest. For since her cruel children demanded her life, she wouldgive it to them. The Duke's answer she would never live to hear. So Sidonia had prophesied just now. Then she descended the hill, chanting that beautiful hymn of Dr. Nicolai's, while the virgins followed, and some lifted up theirweeping voices in unison with hers:-- 'Awake! the watchers on the tower Chant aloud the midnight hour; Awake, thou bride Jerusalem! Through the city's gloomy porches See the flashing bridal torches; Awake, thou bride Jerusalem! Come forth, come forth, ye virgin choir, Light your lamps with altar fire! Hallelujah! in His pride Comes the Bridegroom to His bride; Awake, thou fair Jerusalem! Zion heard the watchers singing, From her couch in beauty springing, She wakes, and hastens joyful out. Lo! He comes in heavenly beauty, Strong in love, in grace, in duty; Now her heart is free from doubt. Light and glory flash before Him, Heaven's star is shining o'er Him, On His brow the kingly crown, For the Bridegroom is THE SON. Hallelujah! follow all To the heavenly bridal-hall, There the Lamb holds festival!' But behold, as they reached the convent gates, chanting theirheavenly melody, there stood the demon-witch, dancing and singingher hellish melody-- "Also kleien und also kratzen, Meine Hunde und meine Katzen. " And old Wolde and the cat, in his little red stockings, dancedright and left beside her. At this horrible sight the poor virgins scampered off hither andthither to their cells, like doves flying to their nests, withoututtering a word, only the abbess exclaimed--"But two hours, mychildren, in the church!" Whereupon she goes, makes her will, andprepares her shroud. _Item_, sends for the dairy-mother, gives her the shroud. _Item_, a sack of moss and hops to makea pillow for her coffin, for such she would like her poor corpseto have. Then sends for the convent carpenter, and makes him takeher measure for a coffin; and, lastly, strengthened in God, goesto the church to write her own death-warrant, namely, the letterto his Highness. Yet many of the virgins, for fear of Sidonia, refused to affix their signatures thereto, among whom was AnnaApenborg, who, as soon as she left the church, ran up to therefectory to chatter over the whole business with Sidonia. _Item_, how the new convent-porter was to be sent that samemidnight with the letter to his Highness. So Sidonia began now to scold, because Anna could not hold hertongue, and had betrayed her secret to the sisters. But the othersaid-- "She thought it was all a pure jest, and had told them for fun, that they might have a good laugh together; for how could she knowthat they would all grow raging mad like that!" So my hag forgave her, and bid her sit down and eat some sausagefor her supper, in return for the news she had brought her. Meanwhile, she would write a letter to his Highness likewise, andAnna should give it to the convent-porter, to take with him alongwith that of the abbess. This was the letter:-- "SERENE PRINCE AND GRACIOUS LORD, -- "Now will your Highness perceive, by this writing, how faithfuland true a servant I am to your princely house, though the godlessworld has raised up an evil cry against me in your Highness'sears. Gracious Prince, the reverend Lord Bishop wrote to ourworthy abbess of Marienfliess, bidding her seek out for him avirgin, pure in thought, word, and deed, by whose help he mightperform some great virtue-work. Now, the abbess confided herperplexities on the matter to me, as sub-prioress; whereupon Isaid, 'That to serve your Highness, I would show whether such avirgin were in the convent, but she must keep silence;' this shepromised. Whereon I brewed a drink, according to AlbertusMagnus--it is at the 95th page--and bade them all to dinner, whenI secretly put the drink into some of my best beer. Now Albertusstates that the drink will have no effect on a pure virgin, onlyon the reverse. Your Highness, therefore, may judge what sort ofsisterhood we have, when, no sooner had they drank, than almostall rose up raging mad, and rushed out of the convent into thecourtyard, where such a _scandalum_ arose--screams, curses, yells, and shrieks, that your Grace may surely judge no honourablevirgin was to be found amongst them. In fact, the worthy abbess, afew others, and I myself, were the only persons who remainedunaffected by the draught. Therefore, I counsel our graciousBishop to select one from amongst us, for his great virtue-work. I, indeed, have the strongest heart of all, and the bravestcourage. "But, assuredly, the worst of all these light wantons was DorotheaStettin, from whom I received the sub-prioret, because, as yourGrace heard, she held unchaste discourse during her illness, and, therefore, is as much suited to be sub-prioress as a jewel of goldto a swine's snout. She, therefore, drew off all the other ragingwantons to the Muhlenberg, declaring that they would not returnuntil I, who had done this great service to my Lord Bishop, wasturned out into the streets. Then the lewd common folk gatheredround the sisters on the hill, who betrayed their own evil case, methinks, by their rage, and mocked and jeered them, till theabbess herself had to go forth and entreat them to return; butthey despised her, and the sheriff must needs gallop up with hishorsewhip, and whip them before him, but in vain; the evil is toostrong in them. They still said, that I, unfortunate maiden, 'mustbe accused to your Highness of all this scandal, ' for the sillyabbess had betrayed what I had done; 'and that till I was turnedout of the convent, they would not come back. ' Now the poor abbessfell sick at such base contempt and insult to her authority, and, feeling her end near, she made her will, and took out the shroudfrom her trunk, and had the carpenter to measure her for hercoffin, and at last consented to write to your Grace, because byno other means would these evil wantons be satisfied, or the greatscandal and disgrace to the convent be averted. But, I think, ifyour Grace would write her a private letter, she would change heropinion (Ah, yes, the hag means her to receive it!) and make a fardifferent resolve when your Grace sees how true and faithful Ihave acted as, "Your Highness's most humble maiden, "SIDONIA BORK, "Otto Bork's only and unfortunate orphan. "Marienfliess, 6th Sept. 1617. "P. S. --If she dies, I pray your Grace to hold me in yourremembrance. " CHAPTER XV. _Of the death of the abbess, Magdalena von Petersdorfin--Item, how Duke Francis makes Jobst Bork and his daughter, Diliana, cometo Camyn, and what happens there. _ Now the messenger had hardly departed, when Sidonia arranged herfood for three days, laid two new brooms crosswise under thetable; _item_, had her bath carried up by old Wolde from thekitchen to the refectory, and lastly, locked herself up, givingout that she must and will pray to God to pardon her fallensisters for all their sins, and that up to Friday night no oneshould disturb her. _Summa_. -The unfortunate abbess ascertained, but too well, that same night, what such praying betokened. She screamed out, like all the others, that it seemed as if a miner was in herbreast, and hammered there, striving to raise up the bones; andthe good dairy-mother, a pious and tender-hearted creature, notvery old either, never left her side during all her martyrdom. Forthree days and three nights she took no rest, but watched by thesick abbess; lifting her from the bed to the cold floor, and fromthe cold floor to the bed, and refused a piece of gold the abbessoffered for her trouble, begging it might be given to LisaBehlken, a little gipsy maiden, whose thievish and heathenishparents had left her behind them in the town, but who had beentaken in and sheltered by the poor widow, though she had enough todo to get her living alone. _Summa_. --On the Friday night the worthy abbess expired inhorrible tortures; and, in consequence, such a fear and horrorfell upon the whole convent, that they trembled and shook likeaspen leaves, and bitterly repented now of their folly with loudcries and weeping, in having, with their own hands, helped to castdown their only stay and support. So, next morning, Sidonia summoned the whole chapter to herapartment, drew herself up like a black adder, as she was, menacedthem with her dry fists, and spake-- "See now, ye shameless wantons, what ye have done! Ye havemurdered the worthy abbess, though she told you herself, it wouldbe her death if ye came not down from the Muhlenberg; giving upyour honour and the honour of our convent, ye vile crew, as a preyto the malicious world. In vain have I cried to God three days andthree nights for pardon for your heavy sins, and for support forour dear mother; your sins are an offence to the Lord, and Hewould not hearken to me. For this morning I hear, to my greatterror, that the good abbess, just as I feared, has been done todeath by your vile obduracy and disobedience. " As the blasphemous devil thus went on, all were silent round her. Even Dorothea Stettin had not a word--for, though her wrath wasgreat, her fear was yet greater. Only Anna Apenborg, who had hereyes always about, cried out--"See there, dear sisters, therecomes the porter back from Old Stettin. Ah, that he should findour good mother in her coffin, as she prophesied!" So Sidonia despatches a sister for the princely letter, and bidsthe others remain; and when the letter is brought, Sidonia breaksthe seal, runs over the contents to herself, laughs, and thensays, at last-- "Listen to the message his Grace sends to our, alas! now deadmother, as a kind and just father!" Reads-- "HONOURABLE MOTHER, WORTHY ABBESS, -- "As our serene and gracious Prince is just setting off to huntwith the illustrious patricio, Philip Heinhofer of Augsburg, hisGrace bids me say that he will visit the convent himself nextmonth on his way to New Stettin, to advise with you, andinvestigate, in person, this evil business with the sisterhood. Asto Sidonia, he reserves a different treatment for her. "Your good son and friend, "FRANCISCA BLODOW, " Ducal Secretary. "Old Stettin, 8th Sept. 1617. " Hereupon she stuck the letter in her pocket, clapped her hand overit, and continued-- "That is what I call a just, good father; and if I had notinterposed with Christian charity, who knows what heaps of vile, shameless wantons might not be cast forth upon the streets. But Iremember the words of my heavenly Bridegroom--'Forgive, and itshall be forgiven you!' And now to end, good sisters, since ourworthy mother is no more, we must have a ruler over thisuproarious convent. Therefore, let us proceed at once to elect hersuccessor from amongst ourselves, that so our gracious Prince maybe able to confirm your choice on his arrival next month. Proceed, then, since ye are all assembled here, that the convent may knowin whom it may place confidence. Speak, Anna Apenborg, whom dostthou name for an abbess, my much-loved sister?" With Sidonia's sausage still in her stomach, what else could shedo, but bow and say-- "I think no one so worthy as our good sister Sidonia. " Hereat laughed my hag, and went on to ask the other virgins; andall those who had not been affected by the hellish drink cried out"Sidonia!" while those who had been were afraid to dissent, and socried out too for her. In fine, "Sidonia! Sidonia!" was heard fromall lips, and so they took her for their abbess, whom but a fewdays before they would have flung out into the streets. EvenDorothea Stettin consented, on condition that she received backthe sub-prioret. Whereupon Sidonia loosed her veil with the onegolden key, and restored it to Dorothea with the Judas kiss; thenbid her fetch the veil of the abbess with the two golden keys, forthis was an heirloom in the cloister. When it arrived, Sidoniagoes to her trunk, and takes out a large regal cape that lookedlike ermine, but was only white cat's skin. She hung this upon herneck, and exclaimed-- "Hitherto I was lady of castles and lands--now, as abbess, I am ofprincely rank, for many princesses were abbesses in the time ofthe Papacy; therefore, it is meet that I array myself as aprincess, and I command ye all to treat me as a princess, andhonour me as your abbess, and kiss my hand, which is the proper, due, and fitting reverence to be paid to my rank. The late worthymatron, indeed, suffered ye to treat her with little respect, andyour late vile contempt of her on the Muhlenberg shows (God begood to us!) but too well what fruit her neglect of these thingsbrought forth. " Truly the pride of this hag was equal to her wickedness; for mark, already for a year and a day before this, she had made theconvent-porter and others bring her white cats and black cats;these she killed and skinned, and sewed the black cats' tails onthe white skins, to make a show withal, for ermine skin was aboveher price, I am thinking. Yet no one knew wherefore she killed thecats, and for what cause. Now it all came to light. No doubt these circumstances gave rise to that error which runsthrough the Pomeranian cotemporary authors, who assert all ofthem, that Sidonia was abbess of Marienfliess--though, in truth, she never was duly elected. [Footnote: Cramer and Mikrælius makethe same mistake. ] But let us return now to his Highness, Bishop Francis. He sent toJobst Bork, bidding him come instantly to Camyn with his littledaughter, Diliana. They knew nothing of his Grace's purpose, butwere soon informed on entering the episcopal palace. For, afterhis Highness, with whom was Doctor Joel, desired them to beseated, the Doctor placed Diliana upon a stool, close to thewindow, beside which my magister had hung up a magic screen onpurpose; and, as the blessed sun poured in through the window, Diliana's beautiful, delicate form was shadowed forth upon thepure white linen with which it was covered. Whereupon the magisterbent down, stuck his hands on his fat sides, knit his brows, andcontemplated the image steadily for some time; then, starting up, gave a loud huzzah, and cried out-- "Gracious Prince, we have found it, we have found it! Here is apure virgin. I know by the formation of the shadows along thevirgin-linen that she is pure as the sun-angel--as the ascendingmorning dew. " Here Jobst Bork shook his head, and the maiden blushed to herfinger-ends, and looked down ashamed in her lap. Then his Gracesaid, laughing-- "Do not wonder at our joy, for the destiny of our whole race, goodJobst, lies now in you and your daughter's hands. Through thewitchcraft of Sidonia Bork, as ye know, and all the worldtestifies, our ancient race has been melted away till but a fewdry twigs remain, and no young eyes look up to us when our oldeyes are failing. But what Sidonia Bork has destroyed, DilianaBork, by God's help, can restore. For, mark! after all human helphad been found of no avail, this man whom ye see here, a_magister artium_ of Grypswald, Joel by name, inquired of thespirits how the great evil could be turned away from our race; butthey declared that none knew except the sun-angel, because he sawall that passed upon the earth. This angel, however, being thegreatest of all spirits, will not appear unless a brave and purevirgin--pure in thought, word, and work--stand within the magiccircle; therefore, we have sent for your daughter, hearing thatshe was such an one, and the magister hath proved the truth of thereport even now. It rests with you, therefore, much-prizedDiliana, sister to the angels in purity, and last and only hope ofmy perishing race, to save them at my earnest petition. " When he ended, Diliana remained quite silent, but Jobst wriggledon his chair, and at last spake-- "Serene Prince, you know me for the most obedient of yoursubjects, but with the devil's work I will have nothing to do;besides, I see not why you must trouble spirits about my evilcousin, the sorceress of Marienfliess. Send to my castellan ofPansin, George Putkammer, he will thrust her in a sack to-night, and carry her to-morrow to Camyn--_that_ you may believe, myLord Duke!" Then he related what the brave knight had done, and how Sidoniahad in truth left him in peace ever since, all through fear of theyoung knight's good sword. His Grace wondered much at this. "Nevercould I have believed that so stouthearted a man was to be foundin all Pomerania--one that would dare to touch this notoriouswitch. " And he fell into deep musing, keeping his eyes upon Jobst'sjack-boots, in which he had stuck a great hunting-knife. At lasthe spake--"But if I seize her and burn her, will it be better withour race? I trow not; for she can leave the evil spell on us, perhaps, even if she were a hundred times burned. Her magic hathgreat power. Will burning her break the spell? No; we must actmore cunningly with the dragon. Earth cannot help us in this. Andhere you see, Jobst, why I demand your daughter's help to conjurethe angels of God. " "Then seek another virgin, my Prince, " answered Jobst, "mine youshall never have. I have been once in the devil's claws, and Iwon't thrust myself into them again--much less my only darlingchild, whom I love a thousand times better than my life. No, no, her body and soul shall never be endangered by my consent. " "But where is the danger?" said the Duke. "It is with an angel, not a devil, your daughter is to speak; and surely no evil, then, could happen to our dear and chaste little sister?" At last Diliana exclaimed eagerly, "Ah; can it be possible tospeak with the blessed angels, as the evil women speak with thedevil? In truth, I would like to see an angel. " At this the Duke looked significantly at the magister, whoimmediately advanced, and began to explain the _opus magicum ettheurgicum_ to the maiden, as follows:-- "You know, fair young virgin, that our Saviour saith of theinnocent children, 'Their angels always see the face of My Fatherwhich is in heaven' (Matt xviii. ). _Item/_, St. Paul (Heb. I. ): 'Are not the angels ministering spirits, sent forth for theservice of those who are heirs of salvation?' This is no newdoctrine, but one as old as the world. For you know, further, thatAdam, Noah, the holy patriarchs, the prophets, &c. , talked withangels, because their faith was great. _Item_, you know that, even in the New Testament, angels were stated to have appeared andtalked with men; but later still, during the papal times even, theangels of God appeared to divers persons, as was well known, andof their own free will. For they did not always appear of _freewill_; and therefore, from the beginning, conjurations wereemployed to _compel/_ them, and fragments of these have comedown to us _ex traditione_, as we magistri say, from the timeof Shem, the son of Noah, who revealed them to his son Misraim;and so, from son to son, they have reached to our day, and arestill powerful. " "But, " spake Diliana, "is it then possible for man to compelangels?" _Ille_. -"Yes, by three different modes; first, through theword, or the intellectual vinculum; secondly, through the heavenlybodies, or the astral vinculum; lastly, through the earthlycreatures, or the elementary vinculum. "Respecting first the _word_, you know that all things weremade by it, and without it was nothing made that is made. With Godthe Lord, therefore, _word_ and _thing_ are one and thesame; for when He speaks it is done; He commands, and it standsthere. Also, with our father, Adam, was the _word_all-powerful; for he ruled over all beasts of the field, andbirds, and creeping things by the _name_ which he gave untothem, that is, by the _word_ (Gen. Ii. ). This power, too, theword of Noah possessed, and by it he drew the beasts into the ark(Gen. Vii. ); for we do not read that he _drave_ them, whichwould be necessary now, but they _went_ into the ark afterhim, two and two, _i. E. _, compelled by the power of his word. " Next follows the _astral vinculum, i. E. _, the sympathybetween us and those heavenly bodies or stars wherein the angelsdwell or rule. We must know their divers aspects, configurations, risings, settings, and the like, also the precise time, hour, andminute in which they exercise an influence over angel, man, andlower creatures, according as the ancients, and particularly theChaldeans have taught us; for spirit cannot influence spirit atevery moment, but only at particular times and under particularcircumstances. "Lastly comes the _elementary vinculum_, or the sympathy whichbinds all earthly creatures together--men, animals, plants, stones, vapours and exhalations, &c. , but above all, thiscementing sympathy is strongest in pure virgins, as you, much-praised Diliana----" Hereupon she spake surprised: "How can all this be? Is it notfolly to suppose that the blessed angels could be compelled byinfluences from plants and stones?" "It is no folly, dear maiden, but a great and profound truth, which I will demonstrate to you briefly. Everything throughout theuniverse is effected by two opposing forces, _attraction_ orsympathy, _repulsion_ or antipathy. All things in heaven aswell as upon earth act on each other by means of these twoforces. " "And as all within, above, beneath, in the heaven and on theearth, are types insensibly repeated of one grand archetype, so wefind that the sun himself is a magnet, and by his different polesrepels or attracts the planets, and amongst them our earth; inwinter he repels her, and she moves darkly and mournfully along;in spring he begins to draw her towards him, and she comesjoyfully, amidst songs of the holy angels, out of night anddarkness, like a bride into the arms of her beloved. And though noear upon earth can mark this song, yet the sympathies of eachcreature are attracted and excited thereby, and man, beast, bird, fish, tree, flower, grass, stones, all exhale forth theirsubtlest, most spiritual, sweetest life to blend with the holysingers. "O maiden, maiden, this is no folly! Truly might we say that eachthing feels, for each thing loves and hates--the animate as theinanimate, the earthly as the heavenly, the visible as theinvisible. For what is love but attraction or sympathy towardssome object, whereby we desire to blend with it? And what is hatebut repulsion or antipathy, whereby we are forced to fly or recoilfrom it? "We, silly men, tear and tatter to pieces the rude coarse_materia_ of things, and think we know the nature of anobject, because, like a child with a mirror, we break it to findthe image. But the life of the thing--the inner, hidden mysticlife of _sympathies_--of this we know nothing, and yet wecall ourselves wise! "But what is the signification of this widespread law of love andhate which rules the universe as far as we know? Nothing else thanthe dark signature of _faith_ impressed upon every creature. For what the thing loves, that is its God; and what the thinghates, that is its devil. So when the upright and perfect soulascends to God, the source of all attraction, God descends to itin sympathy, and blends with it, as Christ says, 'Whoso loves Me, and keeps My word, My Father will love him, and we will come andtake up our abode with him. ' But if the perverted soul descends tothe source of all repulsion, which is the devil, God will turnaway from him, and he will hate God and love the devil, as ourblessed Saviour says (Matt. Vi. ), 'No man can serve two masters, he will _hate_ one and _love_ the other; ye cannot serveGod and the devil. ' Such will be the law of the universe until thedesire of all creatures is fulfilled, until the living Word againdescends from heaven, and says, 'Let there be light!' and the newlight will fall upon the soul. Then will the old serpent be castout of the new heaven and the new earth. Hate and repulsion willexist no longer, but as Esaias saith, 'The wolf and the lamb, theleopard and the kid, will lie down together, and the child mayplay fearlessly upon the den of the adder. ' Hallelujah! Then willcreation be free! then will it pass from the bondage of corruptioninto the lordly freedom of the children of God (Rom. Viii. ), and Sun, Moon, stars, Earth, angels, men, Beasts, plants, stones, The living as the dead, The great as the small, The visible as the invisible, Will find at last The source of all attraction Which they have ever ardently desired-- Round which they will ever circle Day on day, night on night, Century on century, millennium on millennium, Lost in the infinite and eternal abyss Of all love-- GOD!" [Footnote: Almost with the last words of this sketch, the secondpart of _Kosmos_, by Alexander von Humboldt, came to my hand. Evidently the great author (who so well deserves immortality forhis contributions to science) views the world also as a whole; andwherever in ancient or modern times, even a glimpse of thisdoctrine can be found, he quotes it and brings it to light. Butyet, in a most incomprehensible manner, he has passed over thosevery systems in which, above all others, this idea finds ampleroom; namely, the new platonism of the ancients (the TheurgicPhilosophy), and the later Cabalistic, Alchymical, MysticPhilosophy (White Magic), from which system the deductions ofMagister Joel are borrowed; but above all, we must name_Plotinus_, as the father of the new Platonists, to whomnature is throughout but one vast unity, one divine totality, onepower united with one life. In later times, we find that AlbertusMagnus, Cornelius Agrippa, and Theophrastus Paracelsus held thesame view. The latter uses the above word "attraction" in thesense of sympathy. And the systems of these philosophers, whichare in many places full of profound truths, are based upon thisidea. ] CHAPTER XVI. _Jobst Bork takes away his daughter by force from the Duke andDr. Joel; also is strengthened in his unbelief by Dr. Cramer--Item, how my gracious Prince arrives at Marienfliess, andthere vehemently menaces Sidonia. _ When Dr. Joel had ended his discourse, the fair young virgin'seyes overflowed with tears; and clasping her hands, she sprang up, and seizing my magister by the hand, exclaimed, "O sir, let us seethe blessed angels! Let me talk with them. " But her father, who was dry and brief in speech, tore her away, saying sourly, "Have done, child; you must not dare to do it!"Then they all prayed him to consent--the Duke, and the magister, and Diliana herself; and the magister said, that in a few days thesun would be in Libra, which would be the fitting and best time;if they delayed, then a whole year must pass over withoutobtaining any help, for he had already demonstrated that eachspirit had its particular time of influence. And so my magisterwent on. But all was in vain. So Diliana stroked her father'sbeard with her little hands and said, "Think, dear papa, ongrandmamma--her poor ghost; and that I can avenge her if I keep myvirgin honour pure in thought, word, and deed! Is it not strangethat my gracious Prince should just now come and demand the proofof my purity? Let me pass the trial, and then I can avenge thepoor ghost, and calm the fears of his Highness all at once; forassuredly he has cause to fear Sidonia. " So the Duke and MagisterJoel inquired eagerly what she meant by the ghost; and when theyheard, they rejoiced, and said the finger of God was in it. "Wouldthe knight still strive against God?" "No, " he answered, "but against the devil; for Luther says, 'Suchghost-work must be of the devil, since the departed soul musteither be in heaven or in hell; if in heaven, it would have rest, 'therefore he feared the ghost of his poor mother had nothing goodabout it, and he would take care and keep his child from the clawsof the devil. " Thus the argument and strife went on, till Jobst at last cried outsharply, "Diliana, dost thou esteem the fifth commandment? If so, come with me. " Whereupon the pious virgin threw herself upon hisneck, exclaiming, "Father, I come!" But my magister took her by the hand, to draw her from her father, whereat Jobst seized the hunting-knife that he had stuck in hisjack-boots, and brandishing it, cried out, "Hands off, fellow, orI'll paint a red sign upon thee! My Lord Duke, in the name of thethree devils, seek out another virgin; but my virgin, yourHighness shall never have. " Then seizing his little daughter bythe waist, he rushed out of the room with her, growling like abear with his cub, and down the stairs, and through the streets, never stopping or staying till he reached the inn, nor even oncelooking behind him or heeding his Grace, who screamed out afterhim, "Good Jobst, only one word; only one word, dear Jobst!" And when my Jobst reached the inn, he roared for the coachman, bidhim follow him with all speed to the road, paid down his reckoningto mine host, and was off, and already out of the town, just asthe Duke and Dr. Joel reached the inn, to try and get him backagain. So they return raging and swearing, while Jobst crouchesdown behind a thorn-bush with his little daughter, till the coachcomes up. And they have scarcely mounted it, when Dr. Cramer, ofOld Stettin, drives up; for he was on his way to induct a rector(I know not whom) into his parish, as the ecclesiasticalsuperintendent lay sick in his bed. This meeting rejoiced theknight's heart mightily; and after he had peered out of the coachwindows, to see if the Duke or the doctor were on his track, andmaking sure that he was not pursued, he prayed Dr. Cramer to bidea while, and discourse him on a matter that lay heavy on hisconscience. The doctor having consented, they all alighted, andseated themselves in a hollow, where the coachman could notoverhear their discourse. Then Jobst related all that hadhappened, and asked had he acted rightly? "In all things you have done well, brave knight, " answered myexcellent godfather, "for though, doubtless, spirits can and doappear, yet is there always great danger to body and soul inpractising these conjurations; and no one can say with securitywhether such apparition be angel or devil; because St. Paul says(2 Cor. Xi. 14), that 'Satan often changes himself into an angelof light;' and respecting the ghost of your mother, in my opinion, it was a devil sent to tempt your dear little daughter; for it iswritten (Wisdom xxxi. ), 'The just are in the hand of God, and noevil troubles them. '" He is going on with his quotations, when Diliana calls out, "Godfather, here is a coach coming as fast as it can drive; andsurely two men are therein!" "Adieu! adieu!" cried the knight, springing up, and dragging hisdaughter into the coach as quick as he could. Then he bid thecoachman drive for life and death; and when they reached the wood, to take the first shortest cut to the left. Meanwhile, the Duke and Dr. Joel come up with my worthy godfather, stop him, and ask what the knight, Jobst Bork, was saying to him?for they had seen them both together, sitting in the hollow, alongwith Diliana. On this, the dry sheep's cough got into my worthy godfather'sthroat from pure fright, for a lie had never passed his lips inall his life; therefore he told the whole story truly andhonestly. Meanwhile, the other coach drove on rapidly through the wood; andthe coachman did as he was desired, and took the first path to theleft, where they soon came on a fine thick hazel grove. Here Jobststopped to listen, and truly they could hear the other coachdistinctly crushing the fallen leaves, and the voice of the Dukescreaming, "Jobst, dost thou hear?--Jobst, may the devil takethee, wilt thou stop?" "Ay, my Lord Duke, " thought Jobst to himself, "I will stop as youwish, but I trust the devil will neither take me nor my daughter. "Then he lifted the fair Diliana himself out of the coach, and laidher on the green grass, under the thick nut trees, saying, "Whereshall we fly to, my daughter? What thinkest thou?" _Illa_. --"Why, to thy good castle of Saatzig, my father. " _Ille_. --"Marry, I'll take good care I won't--to fly from onedanger to another; for will he not hunt us there--ay, till hisspurs are red, and shouting all the way after me till his lungsburst like an old wind-bag. " _Illa_. --"Whither, then, my father?" _Ille_. --"To Stramehl, methinks, to my cousin Bastien, wherewe shall remain until the time is passed in which he can questionthe spirits; for, if I remember rightly, the sun will enter Librain a few days. " _Illa_. --"But, dear father, is it not cruel thus to tormentthe good Prince? Oh! it must be so beautiful to talk to an angel!" _Ille_. --"Do not anger me, my heart's daughter, do not angerme. Better be George Putkammer's good loving wife; turn thythoughts that way, my daughter, and in a year there will besomething better worth looking at in the cradle than a spirit. " _Illa_ blushes and plucks the nuts over her head. _Ille_. --"What sayest thou? Art thou for ever to put offthese marriage thoughts?" _Illa_. --"Ah! my heart's dear father, what would my poorgrandmother say in eternity? It is impossible that, without God'swill, the Duke and the poor ghost should have come upon the samethoughts about me. " _Ille_. --"Anger me not, child; thou art a silly, superstitious thing; without God's will, it may well be, but notwithout the devil's will. Thou hast heard what Luther says ofghosts, and we must believe him. Eh?" _Illa_. --"But my Lord Duke and Dr. Joel say quitedifferently. Ah, father, let me see the blessed angels! Dr. Joelsurely has seen them often, and yet no danger befell him. " _Ille_. --"Anger me not, daughter, I say, for the third time. It is written, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God;' and is notthis tempting Him--setting heaven and hell in an uproar all abouta wicked old hag of a witch? Wherefore is the Duke such a goose?But I will give him no child of mine to run a race with to hell. Now rise, child, and follow me to the coach!" _Illa_. --"But you must make me one promise" (weeping). _Ille_. --"What then?" _Illa_. --"Speak no more of marriage to me till I say, 'Father, now let the marriage be. '" _Ille_. --"With the young knight, George?" _Illa_. -"I have no objection to offer to him; but the youngman is not to come before my eyes until then. " _Ille_. --"Ah, thou art as obstinate as the Rügen geese! Well, have it thy own way, child. And now to Stramehl!" Still the Duke was hunting after them, through thick and thin, androaring for the knight at the top of his voice, till the woodre-echoed; and though some squires, who came up through theforest, declared that no carriage had passed their way, yet hecontinued his chase, feeling certain that no matter what bypaththe knave had taken, yet he would assuredly come up with him atSaatzig. So the next day he reached the castle, for it lay but ten milesfrom Camyn, but no knight was there. The Duke waited for two days, still no sign of him. So he amused the time by fishing, and makinginquiries amongst all the neighbouring people about Sidonia, andso strange were the tales repeated by the simple, superstitiousfolk, that his Highness resolved to make a detour home byMarienfliess, just to get a passing glimpse of this devil'sresidence. Here he met a shepherd, who told many strange things, and swore that he had seen her many times flying out of thechimney on her broomstick; and, as the convent lay right beforethem, his Grace asked which was Sidonia's chimney, and the carlpointed out the chimney with his hand--it was the fourth from thechurch there, where the smoke was rising. Whereupon my Lord Dukeshuddered, and went his way as quick as he could up the Vossberg. He knew not that upon that very day his brother, Duke Philip, hadarrived at Marienfliess from Old Stettin, on his way to the dietat New Stettin. The herald had been despatched by his Highness, some days before, to inform Sheriff Eggert Sparling of hisapproach, and that his Highness and suite would arrive about noon. He was also to say the same to the nuns, particularly to SidoniaBork. So at mid-day my sheriff set off to the cloister, with the stewardand the secretaries, and waited there in the nuns' courtyard forthe arrival of the Duke, and a boy was placed in the mill to wavehis cap the moment his Highness came in sight. Yet my Eggert wassuffering terrible anguish all the time in his mind, for hethought that the Duke might bid him seize the devil's witch. Soon the cry rose that the Duke was coming--his six coaches hadjust come in sight. Then the convent gate opened, and my hagappeared at the head of the entire sisterhood, all in their blackrobes and white veils; she the same, except that she wore theabbess veil whereon two golden keys were embroidered. _Item_, the white cats'-skin cape, which I have noticed before, wasdisplayed upon her shoulders. Thus she came forth from the conventgate with all the sisters, two and two, and she threw up her eyes, and raised the hymn of St. Ambrose, just as the Duke and his sixcoaches drove into the courtyard, and the whole convent joining, they advanced thus singing to meet his Highness. Now, his Highness was a meek man and seldom angry, but his browgrew black with wrath, when Sidonia, stepping up to the coach, bowed low, and in her cats' tippet--herself a cat in cunning anddeceit--threw up her eyes hypocritically to heaven. "How now, " cried his Grace; "who the devil hath suffered you, Sidonia, to play the abbess over these virgins?" To which my hag replied-- "Gracious Prince, ask these virgins here if they have not selectedme as their abbess of their own free will, and they are now cometo entreat your Highness to confirm the choice of their hearts. " "Marry, " quoth the Duke, "I have heard enough of your doings fromthe neighbouring nobles and others. I know well how you made thepoor abbess Magdalena bite the dust; _item_, how you forcedthese poor virgins to elect you abbess through mortal and deadlyfear. Speak, dear sisters, fear nothing--I, your Prince, commandyou: have ye not elected this piece of sin and vanity to be yourabbess simply through fear of your lives?" But the virgins looked down upon the ground, were silent andtrembled, while my sheriff plunged his hand into his wide bootsfor the kerchief to wipe his face, for he saw well how it wouldend, and the sweat of anguish was dripping from his brow. A secondtime his Grace asked--"Was it from fear?" When at last oneanswered, named Agnes Kleist, not the stout Dinnies' sister, butanother-- "In truth, gracious Prince, it was from pure bodily fear alonethat we elected Sidonia as our abbess. " Her courage pleased the Duke so much that he inquired her name, and hearing it, said-- "Ay, I thought you must be a Kleist; and now, for your truth andcourage, I make you abbess of Marienfliess; _item_, DorotheaStettin sub-prioress. And mark me, Sidonia Bork--it is for thelast time--if you attempt to dispute my will, or make the leastdisturbance in the convent in consequence of my decision, youshall be sent over the frontier. I have tried kindness long enoughby you--now for justice!" "Sparling, I command you by your duty to me as your Prince, ifthis evil and notorious hag should make the least disturbance orstrife in the convent, seize her that instant, either yourself orby means of your bailiffs, and chase her over the frontiers. _Item_, you are not to permit her to leave the convent, toalarm or intimidate the neighbouring nobles, as she hath hithertodone. Therefore I command the new abbess to replace the heavypadlock on the gate from this day forth. Do you hear this, Sidonia? These poor maidens shall have peace at last. Too longthey have been your sport and mockery, but it shall end. " So the new abbess answered--"Your Highness shall be obeyed!" But my sheriff could not utter a word from horror, and seemedstifling with a thick, husky cough in his throat. But when Sidoniacrept up close to him, and menaced him privately with her dry, clenched hand, he forgot himself entirely, and made a spring thatbrought him clean over the churchyard wall, while his swordclattered after him, and his plumed beaver dropt from his head tothe ground. All the lacqueys laughed loud at the sight, even hisGrace laughed. But my sheriff makes the best of it, and callsout-- "Ah, see, my Lord Duke, how the little boys have stolen theflowers that I myself planted on the grave of the blessed abbess. I'll make them pay for it, the thieving brats!" Hereat his Grace asked why the abbess was not buried within thechurch, but in the graveyard. And they answered, she had socommanded. Whereupon he said mildly-- "The good mother is worthy of a prayer; I shall go and say apaternoster upon her grave, and see if the youngsters have left mea flower to carry away for memory. " So he alighted, made Eggert show him the grave, removed his hat, and prayed, while all his suite in the six coaches uncovered theirheads likewise. Lastly, he made the sign of the cross, and bentover the grave to pluck a flower. But just then a warm heavy windblew across the graves, and all the flowers drooped, faded, andturned yellow as it passed. Yea, even a yellow stripe seemed tomark its passage straight across all the graves over the court, upto the spot where the thrice-accursed witch stood upon the conventwall, and people afterwards remarked that all plants, grass, flowers, and shrubs within that same stripe turned pale and faded, only some poison plants, as hemlock, nightshade, and the like, stood up green and stiff along that livid line. When the Dukeobserved this, he shook his head, but made no remark, steppedhastily, however, into his carriage, after again earnestlyadmonishing Sidonia; _item_, the sheriff to remember hiscommands. He ordered the procession to start, and proceeded on hisway to the Diet. It may be easily believed that no one ventured to put the commandsof his Grace into execution; therefore, Sidonia remained abbess asheretofore. Agnes Kleist, indeed, that same day, had the greatpadlock put upon the gate; but my hag no sooner sees it than shecalls for the convent servant, saying she must go forth to drive, then takes her hatchet, and with it hews away at the padlock, until it falls to the ground. Whereupon, laughing scornfully, shewent her way out into the road; and the new abbess could notremonstrate, for on Sidonia's return home (I forgot to say that, latterly, she had gone much about amongst the neighbouring nobles, even as his Highness observed, frightening them to death with hervisits) she shut herself up again; and Anna Apenborg soon bringsthe news from Wolde, "The lady is praying;" and Anna, havingprivately slid under the window, found that it was even so. So the whole convent shuddered; but no one dared to say a word, though each sister judged for herself what the praying betokened, without venturing to speak her surmise. But this time she did notpray for three days and three nights, only once in the week, whenher bath-day came; by which, people suspected that his Highnesswas destined to a slower death than the other victims of herdemoniac malice. CHAPTER XVII. _Of the fearful death of his Highness, Duke Philip II. OfPomerania, and of his melancholy but sumptuous burial. _ After the before-mentioned festival of the jubilee, it happenedthat one day Anna Apenborg went to the brew-house, which layinside the convent walls (it was one of Sidonia's praying days), and there she saw a strange apparition of a three-legged hare. Sheruns and calls the other sisters; whereupon they all scamper outof their cells, and down the steps, to see the miracle, andbehold, there sits the three-legged hare; but when Agnes Kleisttook off her slipper, and threw it at the devil's sprite, my hareis off, and never a trace of him could be found again in the wholebrew-house or in the whole convent court. Hereat the nunsshuddered, and each virgin has her opinion on the matter, butspeaks it not; for just then, too, comes Sidonia forth, with oldWolde and the cat, and the three begin their devil's dance, whilethe cat squalls and wails, and the old witch-hag screams her usualhell psalm:-- "Also kleien und also kratzen, Meine Hunde und meine Katzen. " Next day, however, the poor virgins heard, to their deep sorrow, what the three-legged hare betokened even as they had suspected;for the cry came to the convent that his Grace, good Duke Philip, was dead, and the tidings ran like a signal-fire through thepeople, that this kind, wise, just Prince had been bewitched todeath. (Ah! where in Pomerania land--yea, in all Germanfatherland--was such a wise, pious, and learned Prince to befound? No other fault had he but one, and that was not having, long before, burned this devil's witch, this accursed sorceress, with fire and faggot. ) And now I must tell how his Grace had scarcely left Marienfliessand reached Saatzig (they were but a mile from each other) when hefelt suddenly weak. He wondered much to find that his dear lordbrother, Duke Francis, had only left the castle two hours before. _Item_, that Jobst Bork had not arrived there, and no manknew whither the knight had flown. Here the Duke grew so muchworse, that his ministers earnestly entreated him to postpone thediet at New Stettin, and return home; for how could it please theknights and burgesses to see their beloved Prince in this sadextremity of suffering? Hereupon his Highness replied with the beautiful Latin words, "_Officio mihi officio_. " (And after his death, these wordswere stamped on the burial-medals. _Item_, a rose, half-eatenby a worm, with the inscription, "_Ut rosa rodimur omnes;_"whereby many think allusion is made to the livid breath thatpassed over the flowers at Marienfliess, but I leave these thingsundecided. ) _Summa_. --His Highness proceeded to New Stettin, and decidedall the boundary disputes amongst the nobles, &c. , returned thento his court at Old Stettin, to hold the evangelical jubilee; but, by that time, all the doctors from far and near could do naught tohelp him; and though he lingered some months, yet, from the first, he knew that death was on him; for nothing could appease thetortures he suffered in his breast, even as all the others whomSidonia had murdered, and finally, on the 3rd day of February1618, at ten of the clock, he expired--his age being forty-fouryears, six months, and six days. And the corpse presented the samesignature of Satan, though his Grace's sickness had differed insome particulars from that of Sidonia's other victims. To thisappearance of the princely corpse I myself can testify, for Ibeheld it, along with many others, when it lay in state in thegreat hall. On the 19th of March following, the princely ceremony of intermenttook place. Let me see if my tears will permit me to describeit:-- After the deputies from the three honourable estates hadassembled--the Stettin, the Wolgastian, and the ecclesiastical--inthe castle church, with the Princes of the blood, the nobles, knights, and magnates of the land, three cannons were fired; andat nine of the clock in the evening, the princely corpse wascarried first into the count's chamber, then to the knights'chamber, from thence to the grand state-hall, by torchlight, bytwenty-four nobles, and from that to the castle square, which wasentirely covered with black cloth. Here it was laid down, andsixty students from the university of Grypswald, and forty boysfrom the town-school, sung the burial psalms from their books;while, at intervals, the priests chanted the appointed portions ofthe liturgy; after which all the bells of the town began to toll, and the swan song was raised, "Now in joy I pass from earth. "Whereupon the nobles lifted up the bier again, and the processionmoved forwards. And could my gracious Prince have looked outthrough the little window above his head, he would have seen notonly the blessed cross, but also his dear town, from street totower, covered with weeping human faces: for the procession passedon through the main street, across the coal market, through castlestreet, into the crane court--all which streets were lined withthe princely soldatesca, who also, each man, carried a torch inhis hand, besides the group of regular torch-bearers in theprocession--and windows, roofs, towers, presented one living massof human heads all along the way. And the order was thus:-- 1. The song-master, _cum choro-item_, the rector, pædagogis, with his collegis. 2. The honourable ministerium from all the three states. 3. The Duke's trumpeters and drummers, with instruments reversed, and drums covered with crape. 4. The rector magnificus, and the four deacons of the universityof Grypswald, among whom came Dr. Joel. 5. The land-marshal, with his black marshal's staff, alone; thenthe pages, three and three, in mourning cloaks, and faces coveredwith black taffety up to their noses. 6. The court-marshal, and the marshals of the threestates--_item_, the ambassadors, and other high officials offoreign princes, &c. 7. Twelve knights, in full armour, upon twelve horses; each knightbearing his standard, and each horse covered entirely with blackcloth, and having the arms of his rider embroidered on theforehead-piece, and on the two sides was led by a noble on foot. The supreme court-marshal followed these, his drawn sword coveredwith crape, in his hand, the point to the ground. Next the chancellor, with the seals covered with crape, and laidupon a black velvet cushion. The princely corpse, borne by twenty-four nobles, on a biercovered with black velvet, and beneath a bluish-velvet canopyembroidered on all sides with the arms of his Grace's illustriousancestors, with all their helmets, shields, devices, andquarterings, gorgeously represented in gold and silver. _Item_, on each side, twelve nobles, with lighted waxtorches, from which streamers of black crape floated, and twelvehalberdiers, with halberds reversed. The last poor faded trefoil of our dear fatherland, namely, theserene and illustrious Princes, Dukes, and Lords--Francis, Ulrich, and Bogislaff, the princely brothers of Pomerania--all in longvelvet mantles, and their faces covered with black crape up to theeyes. [Footnote: Note of Duke Bogislaff XIV. -The three accompaniedhim to the grave; but who will walk mourner beside my bier? Ah!that long ere this I had lain calmly in my coffin, and looked upfrom the little window to my Lord, and rested in the God of mysalvation! Amen. ] His princely Highness, Duke Philip Julius of Wolgast--the last ofhis name--and, like his cousins, wearing crape over his face tothe eyes. The honourable chapter of Camyn. The councillors, _medici_, and other officers. The chamberlain, knights, and pages of the princely widow'shousehold. The princely widow herself, with all her ladies, in long blacksilk mantles, their faces covered with black taffety up to theeyes, and accompanied by their Graces the Elector of Brandenburgand the Duke of Mechlenburg. The princely widow, Hedwig, the bereaved spouse of Ernest Ludovicof blessed memory--who was doomed to follow her whole illustriousrace to the grave--conducted by Duke William of Courland, andHenry of Mangerson, ambassador from Brunswick. The Countess von Eberstein, and Baroness von Putbus, with theladies in waiting to her princely Highness. The noble ladies and maids of honour, amongst whom came DilianaBork. Burgomasters, sheriffs, and council of the good town of OldStettin. Trumpeters and drummers, as before, and another songmaster _cumchoro_, as at the beginning; and so closed the procession. And how can I ever forget the lamentations that broke forth fromall the people, as the princely bier approached--men, women, children, all sobbed and wept, as if indeed their own father laythere, and turned their torches down to view the blessed bodybetter, from the windows and the towers (for mostly all the peoplecarried torches). Then arose such a lamentation and cry as if nocomfort more was left for them upon earth, only in heaven mustthey look for it; and as I stood in the coal-market, leaning myshoulder against a post, and heard this great cry of a wholepeople, and saw the flashing torches all bent upon this one pointin the dark midnight, behold the bright gold crucifix on thecoffin glittered as if in the clear light of the sun; and theblaze of the torches was reflected from the black concave ofheaven, so that a glory seemed to rest around and above the bier, and all shone and glittered in that radiant circle, so that it wasa pleasure and a wonder to gaze upon. "Thus through sin and sorrow loometh, Light of light from God that cometh, Shining o'er life's saddest night. For His glory ever stayeth, On the soul that weeps and prayeth; May the words that Jesu sayeth Guide us onward towards that light! Amen!" The procession now returned again to the castle square, and fromthence to the chapel. Now when the coffin was laid down before the altar, and all thetwelve knights with their standard gathered round it, my esteemedgodfather, Dr. Cramer, advanced up the nave to the altar, chantingthe Kyrie Eleison, and all the twelve knights lowered theirstandards upon the coffin, and beat their breasts, cryingout--"Kyrie Eleison!" which cry was caught up by the wholecongregation, and they likewise--nobles, priests, people, prince, peasant, men, women, children--all smote their breasts and criedout, "Kyrie Eleison!" so that my blessed godfather, his voicefailed through weeping, and three times in vain he tried to speak. After the sermon, the coffin was lifted up and lowered into thevault, and the signet-ring of his Highness broken by theland-marshal, and flung upon the coffin. But the twelve standardswere set down by the altar, and the marshal presented his staff toBishop Francis, now the serene and illustrious reigning Duke ofPomerania; and the supreme court-marshal delivered up the sword, and the chancellor the seals to his Serene Highness, and so thismournful ceremony terminated. CHAPTER XVIII. _How Joist Bork and his little daughter are forced at last intothe "Opus Magicum"--Item, how his Highness, Duke Francis, appointsChristian Ludecke, his attorney-general, to be witch-commissionerof Pomerania. _ Now my Jobst, guessing well what was in store for him if heremained at the ducal court, ordered his horses to be readyharnessed by four of the clock, on the morning after the funeral, that he might get clear off with his daughter before my lord Dukeknew anything of the matter. But his Highness knew better thanthat, for just as the knight and his daughter were stepping intothe coach, four of the Duke's equerries sprang forth and seizedthe horses' heads, while four pages rushed down the castle steps, and informed the knight that he must accompany them with hisdaughter back to the castle, and up to the private apartment ofhis Grace, for that the Duke had a word to say to him before hisdeparture. What could my Jobst do? He must take his Diliana out ofthe coach again, and follow the pages through the castle up to theDuke's quarters, which were filled with all beautiful things, statues and paintings, &c. , from Italy; and his private room wasdecorated with the finest pieces of sculpture. So here they findhis Grace and Dr. Joel seated at a table, with the wine-can beforethem, for they had sat up all night discoursing. And when my Jobst enters with his sour face, holding his daughterby the hand, the Duke calls out-- "Marry, brave vassal, why so sour? _I_ might well look sour, since you and your little daughter lately chose to playblind-man's-buff with your lawful Prince, making a mock of him. But I pardon you, and hope you have come to your senses since. Come, sit down; drink my health in the wine cup. I trow this winewill please your palate. " But Jobst excused himself: "He never drank so early. " Whereuponthe Duke continued-- "Well, as you please; but, good Jobst, you must be harder than astone, if you refuse now to assist me in binding this accursedwitch of Marienfliess, when you see this last evil which she hasdone, and how all the weeping land mourns for its Prince. Will youand your little daughter, this virgin, not deliver me and myancient race from so great and terrible a foe? What say ye, braveJobst? Come, sit down beside your afflicted Prince, you and yourlittle daughter, and tell me what help and comfort ye mean tobring me in my sore grief and sorrow. Speak, Jobst; ah! say wasever Prince like unto this Prince--and yet childless, childless, as we are all! Have pity on my noble ancient race, or, even as helamented on his death-bed, 'Pomerania will pass in a little whileinto stranger hands!'" Now, my Jobst, who had sat down with his daughter on a couch nearthe table, got the dry sheep's cough in his throat again, and, inhis embarrassment, snuffed out the candle; but, making a greateffort, at last said-- "His Grace must be resigned: who could withstand the will of God?Yet he must say, in all honesty, that he had talked to manypersons about the matter, and some said it was folly and nonsense, and there could be no reason in it. Others, amongst whom was Dr. Cramer, said, if not folly, yet it was a dangerous business tobody and soul, and ought not to be attempted. " But my Jobst grows disturbed, and at last says, "Well, then, Imust speak out the truth. My child is not the pure virgin whom yeseek. I mean in her thoughts, for she has already been betrothedto a bridegroom. " At this the Duke clapped his hand to his forehead and sighed-"Thenmy last hope has perished!" _Item_, the magister was quitethunderstruck. But Diliana, who blushed to her finger-ends whileher father spoke, started from the couch, seized the hand of mygracious Lord, and exclaimed-- "Be calm, my Lord Duke, my father hath said this but to free me, as he thinks, from this dungeon business. But even against him Imust defend my honour, for in truth my soul has been ever purefrom all vain or sinful lusts, even as it is written (Tobiasiii. ). And though my father has proposed a bridegroom to me, yetup to this day I have constantly rejected him, partly for the sakeof my poor grandmother, whose ghost admonished me, and partly thatI might serve your gracious Highness as a pure and honourablevirgin. " This hearing so rejoiced the Duke, that he kissed herhand; but the fair young virgin, when she saw her father rise upand walk hither and thither in great agitation, began to weep, andran to throw herself on his neck, sobbing forth, "Comfortyourself, dear father, it could not be otherwise, for when youuttered such hard words of your daughter, what could I do butdefend my honour, even against my own earthly father? Ah, dearfather! it was the cruellest word your little daughter ever heardfrom you in her life--but one little kiss, and all will be rightagain!" The poor knight now fairly sobs like a child, and at last stammersout, "Well then, you must let me be present; if the devil takes mychild, let him take me too along with him. I would rather be withmy little daughter in hell, than without her in heaven. " "Good knight, " answered Joel, "that may not be; only three can bepresent, the Duke, your daughter, and myself. I handle theintellectual vinculum or the conjuration. Diliana takes theelementary vinculum, as dove's blood, the blood of thefield-mouse, virgin wax, and the censer, in her pure hands, andthe Duke holds the astral vinculum, and questions the spirit. " Still my Jobst answers, "It may not be, unless I am present. " Andthe strife continued in this wise for a good space, until it wasat last agreed upon that the knight should keep watch before thedoor with his drawn sword during the conjuration, and that inautumn, when the sun entered Libra, they would begin the greatwork. Jobst now rose to take his leave, but his little daughter, Diliana, stood awhile silent, then blushed, looked upon theground, and spoke at last-- "My Lord Duke, will your Grace make my father promise, upon hisknightly word, never to bring the young noble, George Putkammer, whom he has destined for my husband, into my presence from thisday forth until after I have questioned the spirit. For I have aliking for the young knight, and I am but a poor, weak thing, likeour mother Eve and all other women: who knows what thoughts mightrise in my heart, if I beheld his face or listened to hisentreaties? and then the whole good work would come to nought, orperchance I might repent it my life long. I would therefore nowrather go to Stramehl, where I can pray and become strong inspirit, so that perchance I shall find favour in the sight of theangel of God, as Hagar the handmaid of Abraham in the desert. " Then the beautiful child folded her hands, and looked up to heavenwith such trust and innocence, that all were moved, and the knightpledged his word to the Duke; after which he pressed his littlelamb to his heart, and then both of them left the chamber of hisHighness. Now the Duke at last was joyful, for he had hope in the greatwork, and fell upon his knees with the magister to pray God formercy upon himself, his race, and the young virgin. _Item_, promised by his honour to seek out and burn all the witches in theland, that so the kingdom of God might be built up, and thekingdom of the prince of this world sink to ruin and utterdestruction. And on the following morning, he sent for ChristianLudecke (brother to the priest who had been bewitched to death), appointed him special witch-commissioner of the kingdom, and badehim search throughout the length and breadth of the land, andwherever he found one of these evil and accursed sorceresses, toburn her for the honour and glory of God. [Footnote: An equallynotorious witch-finder was one Hopkins of England. See Sir WalterScott's "Letters upon Demonology and Witchcraft. "] "Let him show no mercy towards this hell-brood of Satan, for thedevil lately had become so powerful everywhere, but especially indear Pomerania-land, that, if not prevented, he would soon pervertthe whole people, and turn them away from the pure and blessedevangelical doctrine. Still he must have them all tried fairlybefore the sheriff's court ere he tortured or burned. His brotherof blessed memory had too long delayed the burning, therefore hemust now be the more diligent; and, by next autumn, he trusted, with the help of God, to be able to burn Sidonia herself. " Hereupon, my Ludecke wondered much that his Grace should be soconfident about burning Sidonia, but answered bravely, "All shouldbe done as his Highness wished; for since the cruel death of hispoor brother, the priest, his motto was--'Torture! burn! kill!'But would to God that his Highness could bind Sidonia's familiarfirst, for he was a powerful spirit, every one said; and could notthis learned magister exorcise him? The rumour went that he meantso to do. " But his Grace rebuked such curiosity, and answeredcoldly, "He could not tell how the magister meant to proceed; buthis (Ludecke's) duty lay clear before him, let him do it. " Hereupon, my Ludecke looked rather confused, and took his leave. And soon after, the witch-burnings began in such fearful risethrough the land, that in many parishes six or seven poor women, young or old, innocent or guilty, it was all the same--yea, evenchildren of ten to twelve years were yearly burned to powder; andby the wonderful providence of God, it happened that the burningsbegan first in Marienfliess, and truly with one of Sidonia'sfriends, the old pugnosed hag of Uchtenhagen, whom I havementioned before, and that she visited Sidonia frequently; andthis was the way of it:--One day, Sidonia beat this same Pug-nosemost unmercifully with the broomstick, and chased her out into theconvent square, still striking at her, which sight, however, thenuns little heeded, for this _spectaculum_ was now so commonthat they only thanked their stars it was not their turn, andpassed on. But Anna Apenborg met her by the well, and as thehorrible old Pug-nose was screeching and roaring at the top of hervoice, and cursing Sidonia, she asked, "What now?--what ailedher?--what had she and the Lady Sidonia been quarrelling about?"And some others came up, principally the wenches from the kitchen, to hear what all the roaring was for. Whereupon, Pug-nose told herstory: "The cursed lady-witch had bid her lately go to the holysacrament, and when she received the blessed wafer, to take thesame out of her mouth privately, and bring it to her atMarienfliess, wherewith to feed her familiar, whom she kept in theform of a toad. At this blasphemy she (Pug-nose) remained silent, for she feared the hag and her anger; but on the Sunday sheswallowed the bread, as other Christian people; whereupon Sidoniasends for her, pretending she had spinning to give her, but nosooner had she entered the room, than the terrible she-devil askedfor the wafer; so she confessed she had swallowed it. How couldshe commit such a horrible sacrilege? At this, the accursed witchran at her with the broomstick, and beat her all the way down intothe court. " This story soon spread over the convent, and the priest's wifetold it to the fish-seller, who came up there that day, biddinghim run to her brother-in-law, Christian Ludecke, with the news ofthe last sorcery going on in the convent. This was a fine hearing to the witch commissioner, who resolvedinstantly to seize Pug-nose, and begin the burnings in the parishof Marienfliess, to frighten Sidonia, and keep her in check untilautumn. So he took the executioner, with all the tortureinstruments, and a scriba along with him in the carriage, and setoff for Uchtenhagen, where the old hag dwelt. CHAPTER XIX. _How Christian Ludecke begins the witch-burnings inMarienfliess, and lets the poor dairy-mother die horribly on therack. _ Now it happened about this time in Marienfliess that thedairy-mother (I have tried to remember her name, but in vain, shewas daughter to Trina Bergen I know, as is noticed _librosecundo_) sold a kid to the bailiff, Brose [Footnote:Ambrosius. ] Bucher, grandson of that Zabel Bucher who was going toburn old Wolde years before, which kid soon grew sick and died. _Item_, the bailiff's wife had quarrelled with thedairy-mother (ah, if I could remember her name) about the price;the said wife assured her husband the bailiff that thedairy-mother had bewitched the kid to death out of spite, becauseshe would not give her as much as she asked for it. This he easilycredited, and talked of it to the country people, and now the oldhag must be an evil witch, her mother indeed he knew had been inbad repute likewise, for how but by witchcraft could the poorlittle kid have died off all of a sudden. So all the maliciouswomen's tongues were set going with their spinning-wheels, andthis poor worthy dairy-mother, whose piety, charity, and kindnessI have noticed already, was in a few days the common talk of theparish. About this time, Beatus Schact, the convent chaplain, was summonedto baptize a shepherd's dying child, and he had just packed up hisbook, when he observed through the window a waggon, drawn by fourhorses, coming down the Stargard street, with the sound of singingfrom the persons within. Foremost on the waggon sit threeofficial-looking personages, in scarlet mantles, and one of thembears a red banner, with a black cross thereon, in his hand. Behind them are three women bound, and the psalm which they chantis the death-psalm--"Now pray we to the Holy Ghost. " As the priestlooks upon this strange sight, _bis dato_, never seen inPomerania-land, the waggon halts close by the church wall, and oneof the men with the red mantles sounded a trumpet, so that all thepeople run to see what was going forward, and the priest runslikewise. _Item_, all the nuns gather thick at the conventgate, and peep over other's shoulders; for people think it must bepickleherring, or some such strolling mummers, come to exhibit tothe folk during the evening. Meanwhile, a peasant observes that his own sister, Ussel, wife toa peasant at Pegelow, was one of the three poor wretches who satthere with bound hands. Whereupon he springs to the waggon, andasks with wonder, "Ussel, what brings thee here?" But for answershe only pours forth tears and lamentations. However, commissionerLudecke (for you may well guess it was he with his witch-waggon)would not let them discourse further; but bid the peasant standback, unless he wished the executioner to seize him and tear hishide for him; then speaks-- "Know, good people, that our serene and gracious Prince and Lord, the illustrious and eminent Duke Francis George of Stettin, Pomerania, having heard that the devil is loose in our dearfatherland, and carries on his demon work, especially amongst thewomen folk, tempting them into all horrible sorceries, filthiness, and ungodly deeds, has appointed me, Christian Ludecke (brother ofyour late pastor), to be witch-commissioner for the whole kingdom, that so I may purge the land by fire, bringing these devil's hagsto their just punishment, for the great glory of God, and terrorof all godless sorceresses, witches, and others in this or anyother place. Ye are also to name me the honourableattorney-general, which also I am. " Here the peasant cried out-- "But his sister Ussel, who sat there bound upon the cart, was nowitch, and every one knew that. His worship might take pity on hertears and let her free. She had a husband, and four innocentlittle children likewise; who would take care of them now?" "No, no, " shouted Ludecke; "true sign that she is a witch sinceshe howls! Had she a good conscience wherefore should she do it?He came to know whether there was a witch, perchance, also inMarienfliess?" Here the bailiff's wife nudged her husband in the side with herelbow, and whispers--"The dairy-mother, " but the carl would notutter a word. So she screamed out herself-- "Ay, there is the dairy-mother of the parish, a horrible oldwitch, as all the town knows. " And here I have just bethought me of the name of the dairy-mother. It was Benigna Ficht; she was widow of old Ficht, the peasant. At this several voices cried out, "No, no;" but she screamed out-- "Yea, yea! it was true; and her mother before her had been an evilwitch, and had let witches sit in her cellar, so that she must bea witch herself. " [Footnote: This idea runs through all the witchtrials. Woe to the woman whose mother had been accused ofwitchcraft, she seldom got off with her life. ] This pleased the bloodthirsty attorney-general, and he asked ifthe bailiff were present. And when my Brose stepped forward with aprofound bow, Ludecke went on-- "Was this the case about the dairy-mother? Was she, in truth, anevil witch?" Whereupon his malicious wife nudged him again with her elbows inthe side, till he answered--"Ay, the people say so. " Ludecke continued--"Were there more witches in the place besidethe dairy-mother?" The fellow was silent and seemed disturbed, until being menaced bythe commissioner with all temporal and eternal punishment if hespoke not the truth, my Brose stepped up upon the wheel, andwhispered in his ear, while he cast a frightened glance at theconvent gate-- "Ay, there is another, one of the convent sisters called SidoniaBork, she is the very devil itself. " But Ludecke seemed as though he could not believe him-- "It was impossible; he had always heard that this lady was a modelof all goodness, piety, and wisdom, who had healed the sheriffhimself of some great sickness;" but he squinted all the time overat the convent gate, where the black robes were crowding, and thenwhispered the bailiff--"Is Sidonia amongst them, think you?" My carl squinted likewise at the gate, then whispered back againin his ear--"No, Sidonia is not there, as far as I can see. " Meanwhile the _pastor loci_, a simple, timid little man, as Ihave said, got up all his courage, and feeling it to be his dutyto defend his parishioner, the poor dairy-mother, advanced to thewaggon, saying-- "Would his worship the lord attorney-general permit him a fewwords? He was the priest of the parish, had married the widow ofhis late brother, as no doubt his worship had heard by lettersfrom his dear spouse. His duty compelled him to take the part ofthis poor dairy-woman, whose character evil tongues had blackenedto his worship, for she was the most pious person in all theparish, and every evening brought her spinning along with otherpious women to his house, to hear the blessed Word of God, and beexamined in the catechism--any one who knew her pious honest lifecould not believe this of her. " "So much the more likely she is a witch, " cried Ludecke; "they areall hypocrites. Look at that pious and honest trio in the cart, how they cast down their eyes and look so innocent, and yet theywere three of the vilest witches; for what made them look down, ifit were not their evil conscience?" Now it happened that just then old Wolde came limping by, with anew broom which she had bought in the town for Sidonia, no doubtto lay under the table, as she was wont; so Brose whispered-- "Yea, yea, there was one hobbling by with the broom, and she wasthe worst of all, Sidonia's servant, old Wolde. " Whereupon thecommissioner thought within himself, how could he terrify Sidoniamore than by seizing her maid, and sending her to the rack and thestake. So he bid the executioner lay hold on that lame hag withthe broom, and fling her into the cart along with the others. Thiswas soon done; for, though old Wolde made some resistance, andscreeched and roared, yet she was thrown down upon the ground, bound, and flung into the nest in spite of all. Anna Apenborg saw all this from the convent gate, and, to makefriends with Sidonia, she ran to the refectory with the news ofLudecke's doings. Whereupon Sidonia, who knew the coward knavewell, seized her broomstick and ran down the steps, beating thenuns right and left about the ears, who were gathered thick andblack around the gate, so that they all flew screaming away, andthen presented herself, glowing with fury, and brandishing herbroomstick, to the eyes of the terrified Ludecke, whereat all thefour hags cried out from the waggon-- "Help us, O Lady Prioress! Help us, O Lady Prioress!" And Sidonia screamed in answer, "I come, I come!" swung herbroomstick and called out--"Wait, thou accursed quill-driver, wait!" But my Ludecke no sooner saw her rushing at him, with her thinwhite hair flying about her face, than he jumped from the cart, and took to his heels so fast that nothing could be seen of himthrough the dust he raised but the bright nails of his shoes, ashe scampered away to the furze bushes. _Item_, followed thescriba, and lastly the executioner, to the great amusement of thecommon folk, who stood round the waggon, and now laughed and gibedat the authorities. Then the afore-mentioned peasant jumped uponthe cart, and cut the cords that bound his sister, Ussel, and theothers. Whereat they likewise took to their heels and went hitherand thither, to hide themselves in the wood, while old Woldereturned calmly with Sidonia to the convent, and two of the hagsgot clear off, and were fed by their kinsfolk, I take it, formonths in the pits and hollow trees where they had shelteredthemselves, for never a trace could Ludecke get of them more, though he searched day and night in every village, and house, andnook, and corner. But Pug-nose, who was half-blind with fright, inplace of running away, ran straight up into the very mouth of theexecutioner, who was crouching with the clerk his master behind athorn-bush. Eh, how she roared when Master Hansen stretched out his arm andcaught hold of her by the coat! Then he bound her again, and soshe was carried to the sheriff's house, for Ludecke had set up hisquarters with Sheriff Sparling, and that same day he resolved toopen the criminal commission _nomine serenissim_a withPug-nose. _Summa_. --The hag confessed upon the rack to Sidonia being awitch, and named several other women besides. So my Ludecke has towrite off for another executioner and seven bailiffs, fearing hisown would have more work on their hands than they could do. Andevery day messengers were despatched to Stargard with bundles ofindictments and writs. And in the sheriff's court, day after day, there was nothing but trying witches and condemning them, andtorturings, and burnings. And though many saved themselves byflight, and others got off with only a sharp reprimand, yet infour weeks no less than four wretched women were burned close bySidonia's window, so that she might see them smoking to powder. And Pug-nose was the first whom the bloodthirsty knave ordered tobe burned (I say nothing against that, for it is all right andaccording to law), but the bloodhound went rather beyond the lawsometimes, thinking to terrify Sidonia, for it was the custom tobuild a sort of little chamber at top of the pile within which thewretched victims were bound, so that they could be stifled by thesmoke before the flames reached them. But he would allow of nolittle chamber, and had a stake erected on the summit of the pile, round which an iron chain was fastened, and to the end of thischain the miserable criminal: and truly many hearts were movedwith pity when Pug-nose was fastened to the stake, and the pilewas lit, seeing how she ran right and left to escape the flames, with the chain clattering after her, in her white death-shift, stitched with black, which Sidonia gave out she made for her outof pure Christian charity--screaming horribly all the while, tillfinally the fire blazed up over her, and she fell down a blackenedheap. Three weeks after three more women were burned upon three separatepiles, on the same day, and at the same hour, straight in view ofSidonia's window; and they likewise each one were bound to thechain, and their screams were heard plainly as far as Stargard. And for four miles round the smell of roast human flesh wasplainly perceptible, which, as every one knows, has quite adifferent odour from any other burned flesh. Yet the death of thepoor dairy-mother was still more horrible if possible, and thoughit may well make my tears to flow again, yet I will relate it. Buttears here, tears there, what will it help? So to begin:-- My worthy father-in-law, M. Beutzius, formerly court-chaplain, butwho had lately been made general-superintendent by Duke Francis, for the reason before mentioned, went about this time to attendthe synod, at the little town of Jacobshagen; and on his way home, in the morning about eleven o'clock (for he had slept atStargard), while passing the court-house at Marienfliess, had hisattention attracted by two young peasant girls, who were standingbefore a window wringing their hands, and screaming as piteouslyas if the world itself were going to be destroyed. He stopped his coach instantly, listened, and then distinctlyheard groans proceeding from the little room; but the sound was sohollow and unnatural that two pigs that were rooting up the earthnear him lifted up their snouts. As soon as they heard it, theystarted off in fright, then stopped and stood listening andtrembling in the distance. So my worthy father-in-law called out, while his hair stood on end with terror, "Children, for the loveof God, what is the matter?" But the poor girls, for their sobbingand weeping, could utter nothing but "Our mother! our poormother!" Upon which he sprang from the coach, advanced closer, andasked, "What is it, poor girls? what has happened?" "Oh sir!" answered one at last, "our poor innocent mother has beenlying two whole hours on the rack within there, and the savageknaves won't leave their breakfast to come and release her!" So the good man looked shudderingly through the window, and therebeheld the unfortunate dairy-mother lying bound half naked upon aplank, so that her white hair swept the ground. And her hands werebound round her neck, and under each arm lay a coal-pan, fromwhich a blue flame ascended as if sulphur were burning therein, sothat her arms were burned quite black already. "My God! where is the executioner?" screamed my father-in-law, andwhen the girl, sobbing, pointed to the tavern, the old man ran offas quick as he was able the whole way to the place, where theexecutioner and his fellows sat by the beer-jug, laughing andmaking merry. And when he arrived, the old man's breath waswell-nigh gone, and he could scarcely tell of the horrors he hadseen and heard; but when he had ended the executioner answered hecould not help it. "His worship the attorney-general was atbreakfast likewise at the court-house, and had the keys. When hewas done he would send for them. " The worthy priest then ran backagain all the way from the tavern to the court-house, as quick ashe could, but stopping his ears the while as he came nearer, notto hear the groans of the poor dairy-mother, and the screams ofher daughters, who were running hither and thither round thewalls, as if indeed the wretched girls had quite lost theirsenses. And at last he reached the sheriff's quarter, whereanother kind of roaring saluted his ears--I mean the shouts andlaughter of the drunken noisy crew within. For the ferocious bloodhound, Christian Ludecke, had invitedfriends over from Old Stettin, and there they all sat, SheriffSparling too amongst them, round the table like coupled hounds, for a fine metal wire had been passed through all their ears asthey sat drinking, so that none could go away without having hisear torn by the wire. Or if one of the beastly drunken pigsswilled so much, that he fell under the table, and his ear tore inconsequence, it was a source of great laughter and merriment tothe other pigs. When the old man beheld this, he thought that between grief, anger, and horror, he would have fallen to the ground. And for along while he stood gazing at the scene, unable to utter a word, whilst they roared to him to take his place, and shoved thewine-can over: "But he must have his ear pierced first like theothers; for the good old laws were in force here, and he mustdrain the cup at a draught till his breath was gone, and his twocheeks remained full--this was the true Pomeranian draught. " At this beastly proposition, the pious priest crossed himself, andat last got out the words--"Mercy for the criminal! mercy for thepoor dairy-mother!" At this, the attorney-general, Christian Ludecke, clapped his handupon his forehead, exclaiming, "'Fore God, it is true, I have letthat cursed hag lie on the rack these two hours. I forgot allabout her. Send to the executioner, and bid him release her. Lether rest for to-day. " "And you could forget a fellow-creature thus!" exclaimed thepriest, with indignation. "Oh! you are more savage than a heathen, or the very brute beasts there without, who trembled at the groansof the poor martyr; yea, hell itself could not be more merciless!" "What, thou cursed parson!" cried the commissioner, starting fromhis seat in fury. But just then, as he sprang up, the wire torethrough his ear, and the red blood flowed down upon his fine whiteruff, whereat the others burst out into a yell of laughter, whichincreased the villain's fury ten times more. "Now the damned hag should stay on the rack till night. What didpeople mean coming with begging prayers for the devil's brood? Aswell pray mercy for the devil himself--the reverend parson wasvery tender about his friends the witches. " At which he laughed soloud that the roof rang, and all the others roared in chorus. But the priest replied gravely, "I shall repeat every word youhave uttered to his Highness the Duke, with a statement of how Ifound ye all employed, unless this instant you give orders torelease the dairy-mother. " "Never! never!" shouted the bloodhound, and struck the table tillthe glasses rang. "What is it to thee, damned priest? I amwitch-commissioner of Pomerania; and his Highness expresslycharged me to show no mercy to these cursed devil's hags, therefore, I am ready to answer to God, the Prince, and myconscience, for what I do. " However, my worthy father-in-law had scarcely left the room, sighing deeply at his unsuccessful mission, when the cowarddespatched his scriba with the keys to release the dairy-mother. But it was too late--the horrible agony had already killed her;and when the hands of the corpse were unbound, both arms fell ofthemselves to the ground, out of the sockets. [Footnote: Suchscenes of satanic cruelty and beastly debauch, mingled togetherwith the proceedings of justice, were very frequent during thewitch-trials. How would it rejoice me if, upon contemplating thispresent age, I could exclaim with my whole heart, "Whatprogression--infinite progression--in manners and humanity!" But, alas! our modern laws, with their womanish feebleness, andsentimental whimperings, sin quite as much against a lofty andnoble justice as those of earlier times by their tyrannical andcannibal ferocity. And yet now, as then, _conscience_ isappealed to as the excuse for all. O conscience, conscience! howwilt thou answer for all that is laid upon thee! To-day, forexample, it is a triumphal denial of God and thy Saviour JesusChrist: a crime at which a Ludecke would have shuddered, even aswe shudder now at his; and yet no sense of shame or disquietudeseems to pass over thee, although by the Word of God thy crime isa thousandfold greater than his. Matt. Xii. 31; John viii. 24;Ephes. V. 6. ] CHAPTER XX. _What Sidonia said to these doings--Item, what our Lord Godsaid; and, lastly, of the magical experiment performed upon GeorgePatkammer and Diliana, in Old Stettin_. I think my bloodhound gained his end at last respecting Sidonia;for truly a terrible anguish fell upon her--a foretaste of thathell-anguish she would one day suffer, I take it; yet she onlybetrayed this terror by the disquietude of her bearing, and theuneasiness which she exhibited day and night; _item_, throughan increase of her horrible hypocrisy, which grew more flagrantthan ever; for now, standing or going, her eyes were turned up toheaven, and three or four times a day she compelled the nuns toattend prayers in the chapel. Yet when the news was brought her, that the coward knave, Christian Ludecke, had extolled her virtueshimself to the bailiff, Brose, she concluded that he meant nothingserious with her. However, she continued sending Anna Apenborgdiligently to the sheriff's house, to pick up all the gossip shecould from the servants and others. And at length Anna broughtword that a maid at the court-house said, the scriba said, inconfidence, that his Grace of Stettin said, Sidonia should beburned next autumn. When Sidonia heard this, she turned as pale as a corpse, and herbreath seemed stifling, but recovering herself soon, attempted tosmile, turned up her eyes to heaven, and, sighing, said, "He thatwalketh innocently walketh surely" (Prov. X. 9), and then rang forthe nuns to go and pray in the chapel. Yet that same day, when sheheard of the fearful death of the dairy-mother, she turned herhypocritical mouth to another tune, raged, and stormed, and abusedthe bloodthirsty savage of a commissioner, who had let the mostpious person of the whole parish die so horribly on the rack; thenbid the whole chapter assemble in her room, to state the matter tohis Highness, for if these evil doings went on, not even the mostinnocent amongst them was safe from a like bitter death. Whereupon Anna Apenborg, who had grown the bravest of all, sinceshe found that Sidonia could not do without her, said, "But, gracious Lady Prioress, you yourself accused the dairy-mother ofwitchcraft when you came back from Stettin, and found the poorpriest in his coffin!" which impertinence, however, my hag soresented, that she hit Anna a blow on the mouth, and exclaimed ingreat wrath, "Take that for thy impudence, thou daring peasantwench!" But, calming herself in a moment, added, "Ah, good Anna, is it not human to err?--have you never been deceived yourself?" _Summa_. --The nuns must write and sign. Whereupon my Ludecke, out of fear of Sidonia's revenge, withdrew to Saatzig after thedeath of the dairy-mother, from thence to Dölitz, Pyritz, and soon, still faithful to his motto, "Torture! burn! kill!" for hefound as many witches as he pleased in every place; so that theexecutioner, Curt Worger, who, when he first arrived atMarienfliess, wore nothing but a sorry grey mantle, now appeareddecked out like a noble, in a bright scarlet cloak; _item_, ahat with a red feather, a buff jerkin, and jack-boots with gildedspurs; neither would he sit any longer on the cart with thewitches, but rode by the side of the commissioner, on a jet blackhorse, which carried a red flag between its ears; and his drawnsword rested upon his shoulder. Thus they proceeded through theland; and upon entering a town, the executioner always struck up apsalm, in which not only the attorney-general and his secretaryfrequently joined, but also the wretched witches themselves whosat in the cart. And though the Duke received complaints daily, not only from thepriest Beutzius, and the convent, but from every town where thespecial commission was held, of the horrible cruelties practisedand permitted by his Grace's officials; yet the Duke remained firmin his determination to root out witchcraft, by these or anymeans; for whatever the ferocious bloodhound, Ludecke, prated tohis Highness, the Duke believed, and therefore would say nothingagainst any of his acts. But our Lord God had a great deal to sayagainst them; for observe all the signs and wonders that appearedabout this time through different parts of the land, which broughtmany a one to serious reflection. First, some women, who were cooking meal and pease at Pyritz, found the mess changed into blood; baked bread, likewise, thesame. And a like miracle happened at Wriezen also, for the deacon, Caspar Rohten, preached a sermon on the occasion, which has sincebeen printed. _Item_, at Stralsund there was a red rain--yea, the whole sea had the appearance as if it were turned into blood;and some think this was a foreshadowing of the great and realblood-rain at Prague, and of all the evils which afterwards fellupon our whole German fatherland. Next the news was brought tocourt, that, at the same hour, on the same night, strange andsupernatural voices were heard at the following places, inPomerania:-- 1. W-edderwill, a house, as every one knows, close to Stramehl, and the birthplace of Sidonia. 2. E-ggesin, a town near Uckermand, at the other end of Pomerania. 3. H-ohenmoeker, near Demmin. 4. P-yritz, the town where the witch-burnings had raged the mostcruelly. 5. O-derkrug, close to his Grace in Stettin. 6. M-arienfliess, where Sidonia defied man, and blasphemed God, and organised all the evil that fell upon the land. Now when the Duke read this account he was filled with horror, that heaven itself should cry, "Woe;" for when he placed theinitial letters of each town together, he observed, to his dismay, that they read, "Weh Pom--" [Footnote: Weh is called Woe, andPomerania, _Pommern_ in the original. ] Yet as the lastsyllable, _mern_, was wanting, the Duke comforted himself, and thought, "Perhaps it is the other Pomerania, where my cousinPhilip Julius rules, over which God has cried 'Woe. '" So he wroteletters; but, alas! received for answer, that in the self-samenight the strange voices had been heard in the following places:-- E-ixen, a town near Franzburg. R-appin, in Rügen. N-etzelkow, on the island of Usedom. Thus passing directly across the land. Yet the Duke still had some little comfort remaining, for therewas an _m_ wanting--people always wrote Pommern, notPomern--therefore by this the All-merciful God showed that Hemeant to preserve one _m_, that is, a _man_, of thenoble Pomeranian house, whereby to build it up and make itflourishing again. To this faith he clung in his sore grief; andDoctor Joel further comforted him about the angel, saying that hewould assuredly tell him what the sign denoted, and this _m_in particular, which was kept back from the word Pomerania. Butthe magister knew right well--as many others, though they wouldnot tell the Duke--that the Lord God had spelled the wordcorrectly; for the name in the Wendisch and Polish tongues is_Pomorswa_, spelt with but one _m_, and means a landlying by the sea, and therefore many of the old people still wrotePomern for Pommern. Had the Duke, however, as well as his princelybrothers, heard of the awful appearances which accompanied thevoices in every place, methinks they would have despaired utterly. For the clouds gathered themselves into forms resembling each ofthe four princely Dukes in succession, as like as if a painter haddrawn them upon the sky; thence they were, each lying on his blackbier, from east to west, in the clear moonlight of heaven. And his Highness, Duke Francis, was the first, lying on his bier, with his hair combed _à la Nazarene_, as was his custom, andhis face turned to the moon, behind which he presentlydisappeared. Next came Duke Udalricus, and his face was so distinct that itseemed cut out of paper, lying there in his coffin; and he, too, sank behind the moon, and was seen no more. Philip Julius of Wolgast was the third, and the blessed moon shonebright upon his black moustache in the coffin; and, lastly--woe, alas! Whereupon night and darkness fell upon the sky. [Footnote:Latin note of Bogislaff XIV. --"Tune ego ipse, nonne? hoc nobisinfelicibus bene taciturnitate nostrum cohibitum est; ElectorBrandenburgiæ sane omnia rapiet!" (Then I myself--is it not so?This was kept secret from us unfortunates. The Elector ofBrandenburg will rob all. ) Then in German he added:--"Yet the Lordis my light, of whom then shall I be afraid? Ah, that my poorsoul, in truth, rested calm in heaven! For I am ready to beoffered up like St. Paul (meaning through Wallenstein): 'Wouldthat the time of my departure were at hand! '--2 Tim. Iv. 6. Yea, come and take my heritage, George of Brandenburgh, I am weary ofthis life. "] But these fearful signs were as carefully concealed from theirHighnesses as if the whole people had conspired to keep thesecret; besides, the figures were not observed at every placewhere the voices sounded. However, Doctor Joel himself came to theconclusion, in his own mind, that, after these open declarationsfrom heaven, it would be quite useless to consult the angel. Nevertheless, to calm the mind of the Duke, he resolved to gothrough with the conjuration if possible, at least he might bindthe hell-dragon of Marienfliess, and save others from her evilspells, if even the Duke and his illustrious race were alreadydoomed. Now, having cast Sidonia's nativity, he found that the time inwhich alone her powerful evil spirit or familiar could be bound, coincided exactly with that in which the sun-angel might be madeto appear; thus, the helpless hag could be seized at Marienfliesswithout danger or difficulty, at this precise hour and moment. Sohe determined to commence his conjuration at once by the magicalbloodletting, and for this purpose wrote the following letter toDiliana, with which his Highness instantly despatched a horsemanto Stramehl:-- * * * * * * JESUS! "NOBLE AND PURE VIRGIN, --Having found, _ex namtate Sidoniæ_, that it is possible to bind her evil spirit just at the moment inwhich we three stand within the circle to question the sun-angel, we must seek out a brave youth in Marienfliess whom you trust, andwho by nature is so sympathetical with you, that he willexperience the same sensations in his body while there, preciselyat the same moment in which they are excited in you at OldStettin. This can be accomplished only by the magic bleeding, performed upon you both; therefore I pray you, in the name of hisHighness, to communicate with such an one, if so be there is ayouth in whom you place trust, and by the next new moon come withhim to Old Stettin, where I shall perform the magic bleeding onyou both, that no time may be lost in commencing this mighty work, which, by God's help, will save the land. God keep you. Pray forme! "Your servant to command, " M. JOEL. "Old Stettin, 19th June 1618. " This letter grieved the young virgin, for she saw the magisterwould not cease his importunities. Nevertheless, to show herobedience to his Highness, and by the advice of her cousinBastien, she consented to undertake the journey. Bastien likewiseoffered willingly to go through the magic bleeding along with her, but the maiden declined, and wrote privately to George Putkammerat Pansin the following letter:-- "Be it known to you, Sir Knight, that his Highness of Stettin hassolicited my aid in a mighty magic-work, and desired me to seekout a youth in whom I trust, that magister Joel of Grypswald mayperform a magic bleeding upon us both. So I have selected you, anddesire therefore to meet you on St. John the Baptist's day, by tenof the clock in the forenoon, at the castle of Old Stettin. But myfather or Saatzig is to know nothing of the matter; and you mustpromise neither to look upon me, nor sigh, nor press my hand, norspeak of marriage, whether we be alone or not. In this I trust toyour knightly honour and noble nature. "DILIANA BORK. "Stramehl, 22nd July 1618. " So on the appointed day Diliana arrived at the castle of Stettin, and his Highness was rejoiced to see her, and bade the magisterJoel himself to bring all sorts of dainties for her refreshment, in order that the lacqueys might not be coming in and out, spyingat what was going on. And immediately after, the court marshalflung open the door a second time, and my young knightappeared--marry, how handsome he looked--dressed just like abridegroom! He wore a buff doublet, with sleeves of blue satin, bordered with scarlet velvet; scarlet hose broidered ingold--_item_, Spanish boots with gold spurs, and round histhroat a ruff of the finest lace--_item_, ruffles of thesame. So with his long sword by his side he entered, carrying hisplumed beaver in his hand; and truly he blushed up to his veryears when he beheld Diliana seated there in her pomp and beauty, and he stammered and cast down his eyes upon his boots when theDuke addressed him, so that his Highness grew provoked, andexclaimed-- "What the devil, young man! have you an evil conscience? Can younot look any one straight in the face?" At this the young knight lifted his eyes boldly and fixed themupon his Grace, answering haughtily--"My Lord Duke, I can look thedevil himself straight in the face, if need be; but what is thiscomedy which you are about to play with me and this young maiden?" This speech offended his Highness. "It was no mumming work theyhad in hand, but a grave and serious matter, which, as he did notunderstand, the magister would explain to him. " So my magister began, and demonstrated the whole _opustheurgicum_; but the knight is as unbelieving as Jobst, andsays-- "But what need of the angel? Can we not do the business ourselves?My lord Duke, it is now eleven o'clock; give me permission, and bythis hour to-morrow morning Sidonia shall be here in a pig-sack. And long ago I would have done this of myself, or stabbed her withmy dagger for her late evil deeds, if your Grace had not forbademe so to do at the burial of our gracious lord, Duke Philip II. The devil himself must laugh at our cowardice, that we cannotseize an old withered hag whom a cowboy of ten years old wouldknock down with his left hand. " To which his Highness answered, "You are foolhardy, young man, toesteem so lightly the power of her evil spirit; for know that itis a mighty and terrible spirit, who could strangle you as easilyas he has murdered others, for all your defiant speeches!Therefore we must conquer him by other means; and for this reasonI look with hope to the appearance of the angel, who will teachus, perhaps, how to remove the spell from my illustrious race, which Sidonia's inhuman malice has laid on them, making them toperish childless off the face of the earth. If even you succeededin seizing her, how would this help? She would revenge herself bystanding there deaf and mute as a corpse, and would sooner beburned at the stake than speak one word that would remove thisgreat calamity from our house. " Then the knight said, "He would never consent that Diliana shouldrun the great danger of citing a spirit. " Which, when the maiden heard, she grew as red as the young knightwhen he first entered, and said with a grave and haughty mien-- "Sir knight, who gave you any right over my words or works? Theremay be other men in whom I place trust as well as you; and speakbut another word of the like nature, and I will prove it to you bymy acts. " Marry, that was a slap on the mouth to my young knight, who grewas red as scarlet, and cast down his eyes upon his boots, while M. Joel began to demonstrate the magic blood-letting to them asfollows-- "See here, young knight, and you, fair virgin, here are two littleboxes of white ivory, of the same size and weight; and see, withineach of them is suspended a little magnet, both cut from the oneloadstone, and round in a circle are all the letters of thealphabet. Now, let each of you take a little box, carry itdelicately, and by its help you can converse with each otherthough you were a hundred miles apart. This sympathy between youis established by means of the magic blood-letting. I make anincision in each of your arms, placed together in the form of across, then touch the knight's wound with the blood of the virgin, and the virgin's with the blood of the knight, so will your bloodbe mingled; and then, if one of you press the wound on the arm, the other will feel the same pressure sympathetically on the armat the same instant, though ye be ever so far removed from oneanother. Now suppose that you, fair maiden, feel a pressuresuddenly on the wound in your arm, you place the magnet boxthereon, and the needle will point of itself, by sympathy, to theletters necessary to form a word, which word will be the same asthat found by the magnet of the knight, who will likewise have thebox on his arm at the same moment; thus ye can read each other'sthoughts instantaneously, and this results entirely from the lawsof sympathy, as described by the renowned Abbot JohannesTrithemius, and Hercules de Sunde. " To all this my knight made no answer, but seemed much disturbed. However, the magister ordered him to retire into the next chamberand remove his doublet. _Item_, he bade the young maidenlikewise to take off her robe, seeing that the sleeves were verytight. It was a blue silk bodice she had on, trimmed round thebosom with golden fringe, and a mantle of yellow silk embroideredin violets and gold. Now the maiden was angry at first with themagister for his request, but laughed afterwards, when she thoughtof Dorothea Stettin, and her absurdities with the doctor. So she said, "Here, cut open my sleeve, it matters not. I havemore dresses with me at my lodging. " This my magister doesimmediately, and draws forth the beautiful arm white as asnow-flake, throws the sleeve back upon the shoulder, and placesDiliana with her face turned towards the window, on a seat whichhis Highness, the Duke, laid for her himself, while he exclaimedearnestly, "Now, Diliana, guard thy soul well from any evilthought!" Hereupon the poor young virgin began to weep, and said, "Ah! myLord Duke, I have indeed need to pray for support, but I will lookup to the Lord my Saviour, whose strength is made perfect in myweakness. Now the young knight may come, but let me not see him. " On this, the magister called in the young man, and sat him on thesame seat with Diliana, but back to back. Then he stepped to oneside, and looking at them, said, "Eh, my Lord Duke, see thebeautiful James's head. That betokens good luck. Pity that theyounker has no beard! Young man, you have more hair on your teeththan on your chin, I take it. [FOOTNOTE: Having hair on the teeth, means being a brave, fearless person, one who will stand up boldlyfor his own. ] Why do you not scrape diligently; shall I give you areceipt?" But the knight made no answer, only grew red for shame. Whereuponmy magister left off jesting; and taking the young man's arm, laidit upon the maiden's, in the form of a cross, then opened a veinin each, murmuring some words, while the blood-stream poured downinto two silver cups which were held by his Highness, the Duke. But, woe! my knight sinks down in a dead faint off his side of thecouch to the ground. Which, when Diliana heard, she springs upwith her arm still bleeding, and exclaims, "The knight is dead!Oh, save the knight!" Then the poor child wept. "Ah, what willbecome of me? What is this you mean to do with us?" So the magister gave over the young knight to the care of hisHighness, who held a smelling-flask to his nose, while Dr. Joeltook some of his blood and poured it into Diliana's arm, afterwhich he bound it up. And then, when the young knight began torecover, she hastened, weeping, out of the apartment, saying, "Tell the knight not to touch his arm. When there is necessity Ishall press mine. Farewell, gracious Lord Duke, and help me dayand night with the sixth petition in the Lord's Prayer!" And shewould not return, though the Duke called out after her, "A word, one word!" _Item_, M. Joel, "Bring a shift with you thatbelonged to your grandmother! Nothing can be done unless you bringthis with you!" She hastens on to the inn, and when the knightrecovered sufficiently to follow after her, behold, there was hercarriage already crossing the Oder bridge, which so afflicted him, that the tears poured from his eyes, and he cursed the whole worldin his great love-agony, particularly his Grace, the magister, andthe ghost of Clara. For to these three he imputed all the grievousvexations and misfortunes he endured with regard to the fairmaiden. Yet he lived in hope that she would soon press her wounded arm, and thus establish a sympathy of thought between them. So he setspurs to his horse and rode back again to his good castle ofPansin. CHAPTER XXI. _Of the awful and majestic appearance of the sun-angel, Och. _ At last the blessed autumn arrived, and found my Ludecke stilltorturing and burning, and Sidonia still practising her evilsorceries upon man and beast, of which, however, it would betiresome here to notice all the particulars. And on the 11th dayof September, Jobst and his fair daughter arrived at Old Stettin, where the knight again tried to remonstrate with his Highnessabout the conjuration, but without any success, as we may easilysuppose. Thereupon the Duke and the magister commenced adiscipline of fastings. _Item_, every day they had magicbaths, and this continued up to the midnight of the 22nd day, whenthey at last resolved to begin the great work, for the sun enteredLibra that year on the 23rd day of September, at twenty minutesafter two o'clock A. M. So they all three put on garments of virgin-white linen, andDiliana drew over hers a shift which had belonged to hergrandmother of blessed memory, Clara von Dewitz, for she had notomitted to bring one with her, having searched for it with greatdiligence. Then she said to the magister, "Much do I wish to askthe angel, wherefore it is that God gives such power to Satan uponthe earth? No man hath yet answered me on this point. May I dareto ask the angel?" Hereupon he answered, "She might fearlessly do it, he was himselfcurious. " So they conversed, and meantime placed caps on theirheads, made likewise of virgin linen, with the Holy_Tetragrammaton_ [Footnote: I have observed before, this wasthe name, Jehovah, in the Hebrew. ] bound thereon. Then themagister, taking a hazel-wand in his right hand, placed the magiccircle upon his breast with the left, which circle was made ofparchment, and carved all over with magic characters, and takingup his book, bade the Duke bear the vinculum of the heavenlybodies, that is, the signet of the spirit; _item_, Diliana, the vinculum of the earthly creature, as her own pure body, theblood of the white dove, of the field-mouse, incense, andswallow's feathers. Whereupon, he lastly made the sign of thecross, and led the way to the great knights' hall, which wasalready illuminated with magic lights of virgin wax, according tohis directions. Now as they all stepped out of the door in their white robes andhigh caps, shaped like the mitre of a bishop, there stood my Jobstin the corridor, purple with anguish and bathed in sweat--"Hewould go with them;" and when the magister put him back, saying, "Impossible, " the poor knight began to sob, embraced his littledaughter, "for who could tell whether he would ever see his onlyjoy upon earth alive again? Ah, into what straits had the Dukebrought him and his dear little daughter!" However, the magister bade him be of good heart, for that no evilcould happen to his fair daughter, seeing that she had again andagain assured him of her pure virgin soul; but they must lose notime now, if the knight chose to stand outside he might do so. Tothis Jobst consented, but when the three others had entered theknights' hall, my magister turned round to bolt the door, on whichthe alarmed father shook the door violently-- "He would never consent to have it bolted; if it were, he wouldburst it in with a noise that would waken the whole castle. He wasa father, and if any danger were in there, he could spring in andsave his poor little worm, or die with her if need be. " So the magister consented at last not to bolt the door, butclapped it to, so that the knight could not peep through. He isnot to be outwitted, however; drew off his buff doublet, took outa gimlet from his pocket, and bored a hole in the door, laid hishat upon the doublet, took his naked sword between his legs, and, resting both hands firmly on the hilt, bent down and placed hiseye at the gimlet-hole, through which he could distinctly see allthat passed in the room. And the three walked up to the centre ofthe hall, where the magic lights were burning, and the magisterunloosed the circle from his breast and spread it out upon theground, as far as it would reach, then he drew a figure with whitechalk at each of the four corners, like interlaced triangles, andtaking the vinculum of the heavenly creature, or the signet of thesun-angel, which was written with the blood of a coal-black ravenupon virgin parchment, out of the hand of the Duke, hung it upon anew dagger, which no man had ever used, and fixed the same in thecircle towards the north-- "For, " said he, "the spirit will come from the north: only watchwell for the little white cloud that always precedes him, and benot alarmed at anything, for I have too often practised thisconjuration to anticipate danger now. " After all this was done, and the pan of perfume, with the vinculumof the earthly creature, had been placed in the centre, themagister spake--"In the name of God the Father, of the Son, and ofthe Holy Ghost. Amen!" And stepped from the north side the firstinto the circle, within which he kneeled down and repeated abeautiful prayer. And the two others responded "Amen. " Whereupon the wise Theurgist, the brave priest of the grand primitive old faith, rose up, madethe sign of the cross at the north, and began the conjuration ofthe angel with a loud voice. They were harsh and barbarous words that he uttered, which no oneunderstood, and they lasted a good paternoster long; after which, the priest stopped and said-- "Gracious Prince, lay thy left hand upon the vinculum of theheavenly creature;--virgin, step with thy left foot upon thesignet of the spirit, in the north of the circle. After the third_pause_ he must appear. " With these words he began the conjuration again; but, behold, asit was ended, a form appeared, not at the north but at the south, and glided on in a white bloody shroud, until it reached thecentre of the circle. At this sight the magister was transfixedwith horror, and made the sign of the cross, then said in anagitated voice-- "All good spirits praise God the Lord!" Upon which the spirit answered-- "In eternity. Amen!" Whilst Diliana exclaimed-- "Grandmother! grandmother! art thou indeed her spirit?" So the spirit glided three times round the circle, with aplaintive wailing sound, then stopped before Diliana, and makingthe sign of the cross, said-- "Daughter, take that shift of mine from off thee, it betokensmisfortune. It is No. 7, and see, I have No. 6 for my bloodyshroud. " Whereupon it pointed to the throat, where indeed the red number 6was plainly discernible. Diliana spake-- "Grandmother, how did these things come to pass?" But the spirit laid the forefinger on its mouth in silence. Whereupon she asked again-- "Grandmother, art thou happy?" The spirit answered-- "I hope to become so, but take off that shift, the angel must soonappear; it will be Sidonia's death shroud. " As the spirit said these words it disappeared again towards thesouth, whereupon the knight at the gimlet-hole cried out-- "There was some one here, was it the angel?" "No, no, " screamed Diliana, while she quickly stepped out of thecircle, and drew off the shift. "No, it was my poor grandmother!" "Silence, " cried the magister; "for God's sake, no talking more, we have already lost ten seconds by that ghost. Now quick with thevinculum of the earthly creature! My Prince, strew the incenseupon the burner; virgin, dip the swallow's feathers in the bloodof the white dove, and streak my two lips with them. Now all bestill if you value your life. Eternity is listening to us, and thewhole apartment is full of invisible spirits. " Then he repeated the conjuration for the third time, and, behold, at the last word, a white cloud appeared at the north, that atevery moment became brighter and brighter, until a red pillar oflight, about an arm's thickness, shot forth from the centre of it, and the most exquisite fragrance with soft tones of music werediffused over the whole north end of the hall; then the cloudseemed to rain down radiant flowers of hues and beauty, such asearth had never seen, after which a tremendous sound, as if a clapof thunder shook not only the castle to its foundation, but seemedto shake heaven and earth itself, and the cloud, parting in twain, disclosed the sun-angel in the centre. Yet the knight outsidenever heard this sound, nor did old Kruger, the Duke'sboot-cleaner, who sat in the very next room reading the Bible; hemerely thought that the clock had run down in the corridor, andsent his wife out to see, and this seems to me a very strangething, but the knight, through his gimlet-hole, saw plainly that achair, which they had forgotten to take out the way of the angelat the north side, was utterly consumed by his presence, and whenhe had passed, lay there a heap of ashes. And the angel in truth appeared in the form of a beautiful boy oftwelve years old, and from head to foot shone with a dazzlinglight. A blue mantle, sown with silver stars, was flung aroundhim, but so glittering to the eye that it seemed a portion of themilky way he had torn from heaven, as he passed along, and wrappedround his angelic form. On his feet, rosy as the first clouds ofmorning, were bound golden sandals, and on his yellow hair acrown; and thus surrounded by radiant flowers, odours, and thesoft tones of heavenly music, he swept down in grace and gloriousbeauty to earth. When the Theurgist beheld this, he fell on hisknees along with the others, and prayed-- "We praise thee, we bless thee, we adore thee, O lofty spirit ofGod!--thou throne-angel of the Almighty!--that thou hast deignedby the word of our father Adae, by the word of our father Henoch, and by the word of our father Noah, to enter the darkness of thisour second world, and appear before our eyes. Help us, blessedangel!--help us!" And the angel said, "What will ye?" Here the Duke took heart, and gave for answer, "Lord, an evilwitch, a devil's sorceress, wickeder than anything yet known uponearth, Sidonia Bork by name----" But the angel let him continue no further, and with a glance ofterrible anger exclaimed, "Silence, thou drunken man of blood!" Then, looking upon Diliana, murmured softly, "Speak, thou pure andblessed maiden!" At this the virgin took courage, and answered, "Our graciousPrince would know how the evil spirit of my cousin Sidonia can beovercome?" "Seize Wolde first, " replied the angel, "then the evil spirit ofSidonia will become powerless. What wouldst thou know further?" Hereupon the modest virgin blushed, stammered, and looked down;then from awe and terror, scarcely knowing what she said, madeanswer-- "Behold, thy servant would know wherefore the All-mighty andAll-merciful God hath, since the beginning of time, allowed somuch power to Satan over His creatures, the works of His ownhands?" Then the angel spake--"That is a grave and serious question, maiden, and the answer would be above thy comprehension; yet thismuch I will explain to thee--if there were no devil and no evil, many attributes of the Almighty God our Lord would have remainedfor ever hid from you, children of humanity, as well as from us, spirits of heaven. Therefore, from the beginning, hath Godpermitted such power to the devil as might show forth these Hisattributes to the wondering universe. First, after the fall, His_justice_ was revealed, as you have seen displayed in the oldcovenant, and this attribute could never have been manifestedunless evil and the devil had entered into the world. Now, thoughtthe devil when he beheld the manifestation of this terribleattribute, the whole human race must fall for ever to perdition, and the Lord God must be the first to murder the work of His ownhands. But, lo! before heaven and earth, the great God manifestedtwo new attributes; namely, mercy and love, for He fulfilled Hisword given to Satan in Paradise. The serpent-treader entered intothe world, and oh! infinite wonder! heaven and earth, which tillthen had seen God but in His goodness, now beheld His love bleedfrom the wounds of His Son on Golgotha, and the world reconciledto Him for ever, through Christ. "Yet Satan still thinks to regain his lost dominion over theworld; therefore it shall come to pass that the Lord will sufferhim to become a mock and derision to all mankind, and for thefirst time since the world was made men will doubt his existenceand disbelieve his power, and his name will be a scorn and idleword to the very children, and the old wives by theirspinning-wheels. Then will be manifested some new attribute ofdivinity, of which as yet thou, nor I, nor any creature, may havean opportunity to contemplate. All this has lain in the purpose ofGod, in order to increase the happiness of His creatures; for allthe other attributes of the Almighty, such as Infinity, Omnipresence, Omnipotence, awaken only _awe_ in the mind ofthe finite; but those attributes which He manifests in His triumphover sin and Satan, are what truly awaken _love_, and throughlove, above all, is the happiness of the creature advanced. WhenGod has thus manifested all His attributes by means of sin andSatan, to the joy of His faithful servants, men and angels, forall eternity, who without sin and Satan would never have knownthem, then the great day of the Lord will come, when the wine ofHis love-spirit will inspire every creature that believes on Himin heaven, and on earth, and under the earth! Further----" But behold, at this word of the angel, a blue ray, about thethickness of an arm, came up from the south into the middle of thecircle, and blended itself, trembling and glittering, with theradiant cloud and flowers. When the angel beheld this, he said-- "Lo! I am summoned to the ruins of Nineveh. Let me depart!" At this the Duke took heart again to speak, and began, "Lord, howis my ancient race----" But the angel again interrupted him with, "Silence, thou drunkenman of blood!" And when the magister repeated the form which broke theconjuration, the angel disappeared as he had come, with a terribleclap of thunder; and clouds, light, flowers, odours, and music, all passed away with him, and the hall became dark and silent asthe grave. But in a couple of seconds, just as the magister had stepped outof the circle with the virgin, who trembled in every limb, even ashe did himself, my Jobst comes rushing in at the door with joyfulmien, thanks God, sobs, embraces his little daughter twice, thrice--embraces her again, and at last asks, "What said theangel?" And they told him all--_item_, about the ghost of his poormother, and what it desired. Then, for the first time, theyobserved that the Duke stood still within the circle with foldedarms, and eyes bent upon the ground. "My Lord Duke, will you not step out of the circle?" exclaimed themagister. Whereupon the Duke started, sprang from the circle to the spotwhere they stood, and, seizing the magister by the throat, roared, "Dog of a sorcerer! this is some of thy black-art. Jobst here wasright; thou hast raised no angel, but a devil!" At this the terrified magister first tried to release himself fromhis Grace's hold, then began to explain, but the Duke would listento nothing. "It was clear as the sun this was no angel, but a devil, who, asSt. Paul says, had transformed himself into an angel of light;for, first, the hellish emissary had called him a bloodhound. Now, what blood had he ever shed, except the blood of accursed witches?and this, as a just ruler, he had done upon the express command ofGod Himself (Ex. Xxii. 18), where it is written:--'Thou shalt notsuffer a witch to live. ' No one, therefore, from heaven or uponearth, could blame him for fulfilling the commands of God, yet thespirit had blamed him. _Ergo_, he was not an angel, but adevil. Next, the knave twice called me a drunkard. Here clearly heshowed himself no angel, but, as the Lord Jesus named him, the'father of lies;' for tell me, friends, was I drunk to-day? If Ido take a sleeping draught after the fatigues of the day--tell me, what does that matter to this impudent devil? So I say with thatMecklenburgh nobleman in Dobberan:-- 'Away, away, thou devil, from me, I care not a single hair for thee; In spite of the devil, a noble man Should drain to the last his drinking-can. I'll sup with the Lord and the saints the first, While thou, poor devil, must ever thirst. I'll drain the mead from the flowing bowl, While the devil is sitting in hellish dole; Therefore, away, thou devil, from me, I care not a single hair for thee. [Footnote: This inscription is still to be seen upon a tombstonein Dobberan. ] And doth not Martinus Lutherus say-- 'Who loves not wine, women, and song, Remains a fool his whole life long'? Marry, the grievous devil may wait long enough before he makes mea fool. I am too sharp for the stuff with which he humbugs you, mywise chattering magister!" But the magister began to demonstrate how unlikely it was thatSatan would give advice how to subdue himself; "For how then couldhis kingdom stand?" as the Lord said (Luke xi. ). So the Dukelistened, and grew thoughtful--at last exclaimed, "Well, come, we'll settle that over the wine-cup; and to spite the knave, we'llkeep up the carouse till morning; the night is already half spent, and I have some glorious Muscadel in the cellar. " My Jobst, however, will not remain; and Diliana asks, "What hisGrace will do about Wolde?" This set his Grace again upon abusing the spirit--"Ay, truly, hemust have been a devil--Master Beelzebub himself, and no goodangel--for had he not bid him twice to hold his tongue when hebegan to ask about his old illustrious race, and what should bedone to preserve it from utter destruction? The magister might goto the devil himself now, with all his magic; he saw clearlythrough the whole business. " So a great strife arose between them, which ended in the Dukepermitting the blessed maiden to press the wound in her arm, inorder to communicate, by means of the magnetic alphabet, with theknight, who at that moment was keeping watch with his good swordin the chapel of Marienfliess. Everything, however, must beperformed before the eyes of the Duke, else he would not believeit; so the young maiden, blushing for shame, pressed the wound onher arm; and after a brief space, cried out with wonder--"In truthI feel the pressure now of itself. " Whereupon, at the command ofthe magister, she threw up her wide sleeve (for she still wore themagic robe), and placed the little box with the magnet on her arm, directing the magnetic needle, with a fine stick, to the letters, thus:-- S--E--I--Z--E----W--O--L--D--E. She then retired to a chamber, to put on her own dress, and hadscarcely finished when she feels the pressure on her arm again. Whereupon she calls to his Grace and the magister, who set themagnet immediately on her arm, when, to the great surprise of hisGrace, the needle turns of itself to the letters-- S--H--E----I--S----S--E--I--Z--E--D. This sight gave my gracious Lord fresh courage: "And after all, perhaps that was an angel; for surely Sidonia would have protectedher maid, if her evil spirit had not become powerless, as thespirit had foretold. And now they would soon have thearch-sorceress herself. He would send a horseman instantly toChristian Ludecke, who was burning witches at Colbatz, to hasten, without delay, to Marienfliess. " At last he permits Jobst, since he will not drink, to take hisleave; "yet he and his fair daughter must first promise, by theirhonour, not to breathe a word of the magic conjuration, since theignorant and stupid people would only make a mock of such matters;and why cast pearls before swine, or holy mysteries to dogs?" Andtruly they kept the secret of his Grace, so that not a word wasknown thereof until Duke Bogislaff the Fourteenth communicated thesame to me, precisely as he had the facts from his brother, andgave me permission to publish them in my "History of Sidonia. " CHAPTER XXII. _How old Wolde is seized, confronted with Sidonia, and finallyburned before her window. _ Meanwhile the young knight, George Putkammer, had ridden over toMarienfliess on the appointed day, to Sheriff Eggert Sparling's. He mentioned nothing of the great magic work, as the Duke hadforbidden him to do so, but merely said that he had orders fromthe Prince to seize Sidonia that night. At this, my sheriff shuddered: "The young knight should reflect onwhat he was about; young people were often foolhardy andconfident, to their utter ruin. What did he want from him? If hegot half the world for it, he would not touch even the clothes ofthe devil's hag. He had tried it once, and that would do him forhis life. " But the knight answered, "He had pledged his word to the Duke, andmust hold by it. His worship must just give him a couple of stoutfellows to help him. " _Ille_. --"Did he really think that in the whole bailiwick afellow could be got to go with him, when it was known he was goingto seize the sorceress--the devil's night-bird? Ha! ha! ha!" _Hic_. --"Then he would do it alone. His worship must justgive him some cords, and show him a prison where he could put thevile witch. " _Ille_. --"Cords he should have, as many as he wished, but onno account must the hag be brought to the court-house. He knew herwell, and would take care to have nothing to do with her. " _Hic_. --"At least, then, his worship must lend him a horse, and he would bind the dragon thereon with stout cords, and carryher away to his good castle of Pansin, where there was a deepdungeon, in which he could lay her, until he knew the Duke'spleasure. " _Ille_. --"The horse he might have, and choose one himselffrom the stall, and if it pleased him, bind the witch on its backthere in the churchyard, under the linden-trees; but to thecourt-house the witch must not come--certainly not--or she wouldsuspect him of having a hand in her capture. Yet let the knightthink again, and give up this dangerous business, or surely theyhad beheld each other for the last time. " But the knight only waited until the clock pointed to ten; thentaking a lantern, he goes and chooses out a stout white mare (forsuch, they say, are antipathetical to witches), ties her to alinden in the churchyard, enters the church, lights the altarcandles, and sits there, reading in the large Bible; until aboutthe hour that the conjuration was taking place at Old Stettin, when a strange feeling of uneasiness came over him, and he rose upand walked to and fro in the church in great agitation. Suddenlyhe felt a pressure on his wounded arm, and turning up the sleeveof his doublet, pressed in return, after which, he laid the magnetupon it, and, to his surprise, read that he was to seize Wolde, not Sidonia. Instantly he took up the lantern and the cords, puthis good sword under his arm, and ascended the steps up to thenuns' gallery, and from that, entered the convent corridor, as thedoor between always lay open; but stumbling, by chance, into AnnaApenborg's cell, she led him down a flight of stairs to the groundfloor, and close to the refectory, where she pointed to a littlechamber adjoining, whispering, "There is where the old catsnores;" then creeps behind a barrel, to watch, while the knight, holding the light before him, stepped at once into the cell, crying, "Stand up, old night-bird, and get on thy rags, thine hourhath come. " A scream of horror was the answer from the hag, and she clappedviolently at the refectory wall, calling out, "Help me! help!help! a fellow has seized me, Lady Prioress!" But the knight wasresolved to make quick work of it; and hearing a stir already inSidonia's apartment, threw himself upon the hag, and bound herhands tight with the cords, while she screamed, and struggled, andyelled piteously for the Lady Prioress; then dragging her up, heexclaimed, "Since thou didst not heed me, now thou shalt come offnaked as thou art; better the devil should not have a rag to catchhold of. Come!" But a fearful-looking form just then rushed into the room--it wasSidonia, just as she had risen from bed, bearing a lamp in herhand, with her white hair flowing wildly about her face andshoulders, and her red glowing eyes fixed menacingly upon theknight. She had just begun a terrific curse, when the young man, seeing the cat in his red hose following, lifted his sword andwith one blow cut him clean in two, but started back, for thefirst time, in terror, when he beheld one half, on its two legs, run quickly under Wolde's bed, and the other half, on the twoother legs, make off for the refectory, through the door which hadbeen left open. Even Sidonia recoiled at the sight; but soon, withincreased ferocity, sprang at the knight, screaming and clenchingher hands. But he cried out, "Hold! or I will cleave thee intwain, even as thy cat. " And in truth she stopped stone-still, butsoon began to spit and murmur. Whereupon he cried out again, "Ay, spit and mumble; but know that my good friend, of whom I toldthee, stands without, and if but a finger of mine aches, now or infuture, he hath sworn thy death. " Then swinging Wolde's clothes, which lay on the bed, over hershoulder with the point of his sword, he exclaimed toSidonia--"Away, away, or the like will be done to thee!" Whereupon, amidst the howling of the hag, and the horrible cursesand maledictions of Sidonia, he re-crossed the gallery and thechurch, the lame she-devil still howling before him, till theyentered the churchyard; after which my brave knight bound her feetupon the white mare, and rode away with her to his good castle ofPansin. I had forgotten to notice before, that the pastor was not buriedwithin the church, as his widow first intended, but was laidoutside in the blessed earth, because she feared that the man-wolfmight get at him again within the church-vault and tear him. _Summa_. --That same evening the witch-commissioner, ChristianLudecke, arrived with his secretary at Marienfliess, according tothe mandate of the Prince; and behind them come two waggons, onone of which sits the executioner with his assistants, the redflag floating above him, and the second is laden with theinstruments of torture and the rack; for those belonging to thecourt-house of Marienfliess were not considered powerful enough. And, as usual, they enter the town chanting a sacred hymn, atwhich sound every one shudders, but my sheriff is particularlyhorror-struck; and, rushing out to meet them at the court-house, cried out-- "What the devil! is the bloodhound back again? Did he think thatwitches grew up in the town like cabbages?" but held his peaceinstantly, when he heard that all was done by command of thePrince. So the lame hag was brought back again from Pansin that night, andthe _articuli indictionales_ were drawn up against her, inwhich it was not forgotten that years before she had sat in thecellar of the poor dairy-woman's mother, and there bewitched thecocks and hens, as many old people still living could testify; andthe bailiff's wife is by no means slack either in helping her tothe same death as the poor dairy-mother. While the whole town andadjacent country rang with these proceedings, Sidonia'sdisquietude became evident. Every day she sent Anna Apenborg up tothe court-house, and there the said Anna and the serving-maid ofthe scriba were seen with their heads together in every cornerconversing, and each day brought less comfort to the terriblewitch of Marienfliess. Therefore, about this time, she changed herdemeanour to the nuns, and in place of her usual fierce and cruelbearing, she now became quite mild, threw up her eyes, wentregularly to church every Sunday, and sighed deeply during thesermon. Day and night she was singing spiritual songs, and sent toStargard to purchase prayer-books, all to make the world thinkthat she had grown truly religious. _Item_, she sent her newmaid, Anna Dorings by name, to Stargard, to purchase mercury forher from the apothecary; and when the maid handed the same to her, she heard her murmur as if to herself, while she locked up thepoison in her press-- "So now, at least, they can do nothing worse with me than beheadme!" Then she went herself one day to Stargard, and visited acelebrated advocate, called Elias Pauli. "The world was now sohard-hearted, and the devil so active, that she feared her turnmight come next to be tried for a witch, just for the sympathy sheshowed for the poor creatures. Alas! how Satan blinded the reasonof men; for when were such cruelties ever heard of as werepractised now on poor helpless women? (Weeping. ) And would not myElias defend her from this ferocious bloodhound, ChristianLudecke, who had come again to Marienfliess, and boasted loudlythat, when he had made an end of her old maid, Wolde, he wouldseize her next; and even sworn that, to make a terrible example ofher, her nose and ears should be torn off with red-hot pincers ereshe was tied to the stake. And what would my Elias do for her? Shehad a few dozen gold crowns which her sister Dorothea had left herby will, and willingly she would give them, if he turned the basemalice of her enemies to shame. Ah, he might take pity on her; forshe was a good and holy virgin, and as innocent of all theycharged her with as the child in the cradle!" (Weeps and sobsagain. ) So the cunning witch had struck the right nail on the head, for myElias was a great lover of coins; and though he had a few silverand many copper, yet not a single gold one did he possess. Therefore he became thoughtful after her speech, and walked up anddown the room for a quarter of an hour, after which he stoodstill, and answered-- "Lady, you know as well as I do that your name is notoriousthroughout the whole land, and little hope can I give you if youare brought to trial. However, I will do what I can to delay thetime as much as possible; perchance from your great age, and thebitter heart-remorse you must, no doubt, suffer, you may end yourmiserable life before they can lay violent hands on you. Pray tothe Lord God, therefore, day by day, for your speedy death! Iwill, likewise, pray for you. Meanwhile, if any evil befall you, Iwill write petitions in your favour to all the neighbouringprinces, to the resident nobles, and to the Duke himself inStettin, for your race is one of the most illustrious in allPomerania. And respecting the gold crowns which you promise, sendthem speedily; for remember from the moment they arrest you, your_inventorium_ is sealed. " This my hag promised, and took her leave; but, woe! the first newsshe heard upon her return home was, that her maid, by a decree ofthe council at Stettin, had that day been put to the torture; andhaving on the rack confessed that she (Sidonia) was the truearch-sorceress, they were to be confronted with each other on themorrow. This news Anna Apenborg told her before she had welldescended from the coach--_item_, many of the other nunsconfirmed the rumour; so that the unfortunate wretch at lastresolved, in despair, to put an end to herself. However, she hadlittle inclination to taste the mercury, I think. So in the twilight she creeps out behind the brew-house, whichstood three or four feet from the convent wall, so that no one inthe convent could see what she was about, draws a ladder afterher, sets it against the wall, and mounts, intending to springdown into the river below and drown herself. Now it happened that in the oak-wood, at the opposite side of thestream, my Ludecke and the sheriff were walking up and down, andthe sheriff's teeth were chattering in his head from pure fright;for a courier from Stettin had arrived that very evening with anorder from his Grace, commanding him, under pain of severepunishment and princely disfavour, to be present, along with JobstBork, on the following morning, when Sidonia and Wolde wereconfronted. Their eyes were suddenly attracted to a head risingabove the opposite wall, then long white hair fluttered wildly inthe evening breeze, and afterwards a thin black form appeared, until the entire figure stood upon the top of the wall, andextended its arms as a young stork its wings, when it essays toleave the nest, while the eyes were fixed on the water below. Instantly they both recognised Sidonia, and saw what her purposewas. "Let her, let her, " whispered the sheriff to the other; "if she isdead, if she is dead, we shall all rest in peace!" But the other seized a stone, and flung it with all his might atthe wall, crying out, "Wait, thou shameless witch; doth thyconscience move thee so?" Whereupon the black figure dropped down again behind the wall asquickly as possible. And my Ludecke, being loath to lose the fatmorsel he had ready for the flames, resolved to place four guardsover her in the refectory; but though the whole town wassearched--_item_, menaced that the executioner should scourgethem man by man, yet no one will undertake the dangerous office. At last four fellows are found, who promise, for a tun of beer atthe very least, to hold watch in the convent square, so that thewitch cannot get away out of the building, with which mybloodhound is obliged to be content. Next morning, at nine of the clock, Sidonia was cited to appear incourt, but as she did not come, and mocked the messenger who wassent for her, Ludecke commanded the executioner to go himself, andif she would not come by fair means, to drag her by force. Thefellow hesitated, however-- "It was a dangerous business; but if his worship was very anxious, why, for a good horse from the ducal stables, he might dare it, since his own nag had fallen lame. " So this being promised, he departed, and, in a short time, theybeheld the carl in his red mantle dragging Sidonia up to thecourt-house; and, methinks, many within shuddered at the sight;for there were present sitting round the green table--ChristianLudecke, Eggert Sparling, Jobst Bork, and the scriba, ChristopherKahn. But when the executioner threw open the door, and bade the witchtake off her shoes and enter backwards, she refused and scolded-- "What? her bitterest enemies were to be her judges. The thickploughman from Saatzig, who had stolen her rents from thefarm-houses at Zachow; _item_, the arch-cheat Sparling, whorobbed his Prince every day--such rabble--burgher carls--secretaryfellows, and the like--no; she would never enter. She was the ladyof castles and lands; besides, her advocate was not here, and shehad engaged one at Stargard;" finally she pushed the door to withher foot. "Master, " cried the bloodhound within, "seize the witch in thename of the Prince!" Whereupon the door was again thrown open, and my hag, sobbingloudly, was forced into the court in her socks, and backwards. [Footnote: Because the judges on witch-trials feared the evilinfluence of the glances of the accused. ] "And what did they want with her?" she asked, still sobbing. Whereupon the commissioner made a sign to the executioner, whoinstantly admitted old Wolde Albrecht by the same door. Sheentered barefoot, and in the black shift worn upon the rack, uponwhich the red blood lay in deep fresh stains. When Sidonia beheldthis she shuddered. But Ludecke rose up and admonished Wolde tospeak the truth without fear, and to remember that, on the morrowmorning, at that very hour, she would stand before the throne ofGod--there was yet time to save her poor soul. So the old lame hag began to sob likewise, and lament, and says atlast-- "O Lady Prioress, I must save my poor soul! I would not betray youelse. " Then she spoke out, and told bravely all she knew about Sidonia, and her evil spirit Chim; and how Chim used to help her ownfamiliar, whose name was Jurgen, to get rid of Sidonia's enemies;_item_, that the devil Chim sometimes took the form of a man, for she had seen him frequently in Sidonia's chamber. At this Sidonia raged and scolded, and flew at Wolde to seize herby the hair, but Ludecke interposed, and threatened, if she werenot quiet, to give her up to Master Hansen for a few turns or sofor trial; upon which she remained silent from terror apace, butsoon began again to sob, and exclaimed-- "Yes, yes; she must think of her blessed Saviour, who likewise wasbetrayed and trodden under foot by one who had broken bread withHim! She had not only given bread to this wretch, but twice hadgiven her life. Oh, woe, woe to the shameless creature, who couldstep before the throne of God with such a lie in her mouth!" At which the other wept, and answered with loud sobs-- "Ah, gracious Lady Prioress, if I had not my poor soul to save, Iwould betray you never!" Then by desire of the court, she confirmed by oath her previousstatements. Whereupon Sidonia was led back to her cell in theconvent by the executioner, and forbidden, upon pain of death, toleave it without permission. Whereupon her rage knew no bounds;she scolded, stamped, menaced, and finally cursed her cousinJobst, as well as the commissioner, jailers, and hangmen, as theywere. The third day the pile is erected again by the executioner, therewhere the others stood, that is, not far from the window ofSidonia, and as it was necessary for one of the criminal judges tobe present at the burning of a witch, Jobst Bork proceeded thitherwith a great concourse of people, for my Eggert had excusedhimself, saying he was sick, though, methinks, I know whatsickness he had--namely, the hare's sickness; and Jobst admonishedthe witch, who hobbled along in her white shift and black cap, leaning on a crutch, not to accuse his poor cousin falsely, forlet her think where she would stand in a few moments. There wasthe pile before her eyes, an image of the eternal hell-fire. Butshe held by her first confession, and even after the executionermade her ascend the ladder, she turned round at the third step, and cried-- "Give her shoulder as good a wrench as ye gave mine, and she willsoon confess, I warrant. " But behold, when the executioner, by desire of the upright Jobst, had bound her fast with wet cords, in order soon to make an end ofher, and lit the pile up round about, the flames were still blownaway from the stake by the wind, and would not touch the hag, sothat many saw in it a miracle of Satan, and wondered, till an oldpeasant stepped forth from the crowd, and cried, "Ha, ha, I willsoon settle her. " Then seizing her crutch, which she had droppedat the foot of the pile, he stepped up the ladder, and pitched offher black cap with his stick, whereupon a black raven flew out, with loud croakings, and disappeared towards the north, andinstantly after the flames blazed up around her, covering her allover like a yellow mantle, with such rapidity that the people onlyheard her shriek once. CHAPTER XXIII. _How Diliana Bork and George Putkammer are at lengthbetrothed--Item, how Sidonia is degraded from her conventualdignities and carried to the witches' tower of Saatzig inchains. _ When Jobst returned home to Saatzig from the execution, he seemedmuch disturbed in his mind, which was unusual to him, and sat bythe stove plunged in deep thought. At length he calls his littledaughter Diliana from the spinning wheel where she sat. "Ah, the Prince had set his life in great peril, but more than thePrince himself did she, his little daughter, plague him by showingherself so cold to the brave young knight. She ought to leave offthis prudery, else he feared by the next time the sun was in thepropitious position, that his Highness would send for her again toquestion the devil--there was nothing such a fanatic would not do;but if she would only press her arm now, and bid the young knightcome. Where could she meet with a braver husband?" At this the young maiden blushed up to her very eyes, and askedearnestly-- "Father, think you the good knight stays away because I have notsummoned him?" _Ille_. --"Of course, my child. Thou forbadst him to approachthee until summoned; and now where could be a greater proof of hislove than in having obeyed thee?" _Hæc_. --"Ah me, I have wondered so, father, why he neversought me. I never meant that; you surely misunderstood me. But, father, if you wish--shall I summon him by the magnetic sign?" _Ille_ nods his head, laughing. Whereupon Diliana, blushing yet more, pressed her arm, and feelinga pressure in return almost immediately, pushed up her sleeve, setthe magic box thereon, and with her golden breastpin directed themagnetic needle to the letters-- C--O--M--E---D--E--A--R--E--S--T. Whilst my Jobst looked over her shoulder, so that his long greybeard fell upon her neck, and when he read the letters he embracedand kissed her, telling her that a better kisser would soon comeand save him the trouble--meaning the knight; and truly scarcehalf-an-hour had passed, when the cloud of dust could be seenthrough the trees, which was raised as he rode along, and, pantingand agitated, he sprang into the room, exclaiming to myJobst--"Where is Diliana?" But she sits mute in the corner, red asa rose, and looks down upon the ground. So my Jobst laughed, and pointed to the blushing rose in thecorner, whereupon the young knight, George, in a moment is by herside, and had her hand in his, and asks-- "If his loved Rachel will not end his weary years of serving now, and be his for evermore?" "Yes, " she murmured through her soft tears. "I will be yours nowfor evermore;" and she extended her two arms towards him. Marry, how soon my young knight took the trouble off the oldfather; so that Jobst danced for joy at the sight, and clapped hishands, and swore that such a wedding should be held at Saatzig, that people would talk about it for fifty years. But, alas! the wedding must wait for a year and a day! for, in twodays the young knight is laid upon a sick bed, and brought so lowthat at one time his life was despaired of. However, he comfortedhimself by pressing his wounded arm three times a day, and thuscorresponding with his betrothed by means of the magnet. So theytold their grief and their love to each other daily in these fewwords. And many think that his sickness was a devil's work ofSidonia, or of old Wolde's planning; but he himself rather judgedit arose from the wild ride to his young bride on the morning shebade him come. This matter, therefore, I leave undecided. Yet no one can surely fathom all the cunning wiles of Satan; forthough many said Sidonia's power is now broken by Wolde's death, and indeed the poor sheriff was the only one who still played thehare, and kept the roaring ox safe up in the stall--still, sostrange a thing happened at this time to the knight, Ewald vonMellenthin, that the criminal court thought proper to takecognisance of the matter, and so we find it noted down in therecords of the trial. For, mark! This same knight, being summonedto give evidence, deposed to Sidonia having in his presence flunga hatchet at his dear bride, Ambrosia von Guntersberg, who hadbeen now a long while his well-beloved spouse, which hatchet hadwounded her in the foot. Then turning to the hag, he exclaimedwrathfully-- "Ha! thou devil's witch, hast thou found thy recompense at last?" Whereupon Sidonia made a face at him after her fashion, andmenaced him with the vengeance of her friends. But what friend had she but Satan, who avenged her on this wise. For, as some days after, the knight Ewald was driving with hiscousin Detloff, between Schlotenitz and Schellin, such an awfulroaring, and raging, and storming was heard in the air over theirheads, that the two foremost horses took fright, broke theirtraces, threw the coachman, who was nearly killed, and dashed offacross the field through thick and thin, and never stopped tillthey reached Stargard, trembling, panting, and exhausted, aboutevening time. The knight laid all this evidence before the criminal commission, and my hare grew so frightened thereupon, that next day, whilelistening to the depositions of more witnesses, seeing a shadowhop along his paper, he started up in horror, screaming, "Thereare the toad-shadows again! O God, keep me! There are thetoad-shadows again!" But the special commissioner, who had alsoobserved the shadow, and got up to look out at the window, nowcalled out, laughing heartily, "Marry, good Sparling, the shadowbelongs to one of your worship's brothers--a poor little sparrow, who is hopping there on the house-top. Go out and see, if youdon't believe me. " Whereupon the whole court burst out into a loudfit of laughter, to the great annoyance of my hare. Whilst Ludecke is drawing up his _articulus inquisitionalis_, Sidonia's advocate, Dr. Elias Pauli, was not idle. And first hestirred up the whole race of the Borks in her favour, letting itcome to the Duke's ears through his grand chamberlain, MatzkeBork, that if Sidonia were treated with gentleness, and therebybrought to make confession, assuredly there was great hope thatfor this grace and indulgence she would untie the magic knots ofthe girdle wherewith she had bewitched the whole princely race, and laid the spell of barrenness upon them. But if extrememeasures were resorted to, never would she do this for hisHighness. So the Duke was half moved to consent, and bade hissuperintendent, Mag. Reutzius, come to him, and he shouldinstantly repair to Marienfliess, visit the sorceress in herapartment, where she was _bis dato_, guarded a closeprisoner. Let him read out the seventy-four articles of theindictment to her himself, admonish her to confess, and in his(the Duke's) name, offer her pardon if she would untie the knotsof the girdle. Did she refuse, however, let her be brought thefollowing Sunday to the convent-chapel, there, in the presence ofthe whole congregation, before the altar he was again to admonishher. If she still persisted in her lies and wickedness, then lethim summon the executioner to strip her of her cloister habitbefore the eyes of all the people. When he had further pronouncedher degradation from all her conventual dignities, she was to beput in fetters and carried to the witches' tower at Saatzig. My worthy father-in-law offered many objections against thispublic degradation, but his Highness was resolved, and wouldlisten to no reasons, his wrath was so great against the hag. Now it may be easily conjectured what crowds of people gathered inthe chapel when the blessed Sabbath bell rang, and the news ranfrom mouth to mouth, that the witch was to be denounced anddegraded that day before the altar. Never had so many folk beenseen within the walls. And when the church was so full that not asoul more could squeeze in at the doors, the people broke in thewindows, and setting ladders against them, clambered through, andswung themselves right and left on the balustrades, and above andbelow, and on all sides, there was not a spot without a humanface. Yea, four younkers crowded under the baldaquin of thepulpit, and another carl got on the altar behind the crucifix, andwould have knocked it down, but my worthy father-in-law, seeing itshake, caught hold of the carl by the tail of his coat, anddragged him forth. _Item_, the whole criminal commission ispresent; _item_, all the nuns in their gallery, with theexception of the sub-prioress, Dorothea Stettin, who, along withtwo other women, had devoted themselves to a fearful act ofvengeance (which I would hardly have believed of them), but itwill be related presently. As to Sidonia, she had been brought in already, and placed on thepenitential stool before the altar, after which the organ struckup that terrible hymn, "Eternity, thou thunder word!" Yet, as it happened that the congregation had not got this hymn intheir Psalm-books, seeing that it was quite a new one (whichcircumstance had been overlooked in the general agitation), theywere obliged to sing that other, beginning, "Now the awful hour has come. " Then the reverend priest, M. Reutzius, advanced to the altar, having first chanted the litany, and there, to obey the Duke'sbehests as nearly as possible, opened his sermon with some versesfrom the afore-mentioned hymn, which I shall set down here for thesake of the curious reader:-- "Eternity, thou thunder word!Piercing the soul like sharpest sword, Beginning without ending!Eternity! Time without Time, I know not in my grief and crime Whereto my soul is tending. The fainting heart recoils in fearTo see thy shadow drawing near. In all the world there is no griefTo which Time brings not some relief, Though sorrow wildest rages;But thou, Eternity, can bringNo balm to lessen hell's fierce sting, Through never-ending ages. For even Christ Himself hath said, 'There's no repentance for the dead. ' So long as God in Heaven reigns, So long shall last the sinner's pains, In hell's fierce tortures lying. Eternal fires will plague the soul, Thirst, hunger, horror, fear, and dole, The soul itself undying. For hell's dark shades will never flee, Till God Himself hath ceased to be!" After which he read out the words of his text to the criminal, telling her how his Serene Highness had selected the same himselfout of paternal clemency and in all uprightness. Then he explainedit, admonishing her yet once more to save her poor soul and notplunge it into eternal perdition. After this, he kneeled downalong with the whole congregation, and prayed to the Holy Spiritfor her conversion, so that every one in the church wept andtrembled and sobbed. Then he rose up again and spake: "I ask you, for the last time, Sidonia von Bork, do you confess yourselfguilty or not?" And while every one held their breath suspended, the terriblesorceress rose up and spake out with bold defiance-- "I am innocent. Curse upon the bloodthirsty Prince, who hasbrought me to this shame; my blood be upon him and upon his race!" "No!" cried the priest from the altar; "he hath saved his soul;thy blood be upon thyself, and thy perdition upon thine own head!" Then he lifted his right hand as a signal to the executioner, whereupon Master Worger stepped forward in his red mantle with sixassistants. And first he draws forth a pair of scissors frombeneath his cloak, and cuts off her nun's veil (for by command ofthe criminal judge, she had only a simple veil on to-day), and heand his assistants trampled it beneath their feet. Then he cuts aslit in her black robe, just beneath the chin, and tore it downfrom head to foot, as a draper tears linen, and at this sight, andthe harsh sound in the silence of the church, many amongst thenuns fainted. When all this had been done, and Sidonia now stoodthere in her white under-garment, Master Worger, by command of thecourt, put fetters on her, and riveted them tightly. So that atthe terrible sound of the hammering and clanking, and thethundering reverberation through the vaulted church, so great ahorror and fear fell upon every one present, that all the nuns whohad not fainted rushed out of the gallery; _item_, a crowd ofpeople from the nave, and even the priest holding his hands beforehis eyes, hastened after them. She was soon lifted up by the executioner and his assistants, andthrown into the cart over which the red flag waved; then drivenoff without delay to Saatzig, a great crowd of people trottingalong with her. And even in Saatzig the whole town ran togetherwhen the cart with the criminal was seen emerging from the wood, and the executioner blew his trumpet to give notice to the warderon the tower of their approach, as had been agreed upon. Amongst the crowd, however, my Jobst is not to be seen; yet whenthe cart stops, the beautiful form of Diliana is seen pressingforward. She is dressed in a deep mourning mantle, and bears agolden beaker of wine in her hand--weeps, and says mildly-- "Here, dear cousin, drink! You shall have everything as good as Ican make it for you, and eat what I and my father eat. Ah! cousin, cousin, wherefore did you not make full confession?" Herewith she reached out the beaker to the cart, but the evilwitch screamed out-- "Confess! What should I confess, you fool? Away with your stuff; Iwill not be fed by your charity!" Whereupon she dashed aside the beaker so fiercely that it fell tothe ground, and the wine splashed all over the young maiden'srobe. Then, clenching her withered hand, she shook it at thewindow-- "Ha! the thick ploughman. Where hath the devil hid him? the thiefthat stole my rents from Zachow! This is my reward for havingcured him! But wait, I will make him repent it yet, " &c. And she would have gone on much longer with her curses, but theexecutioner gave her another blow with his fist, which made herhold her tongue. Then he and his fellows lifted her from the cart, and as she was unable to walk from shame, and despair, and wrath, they carried her up the winding stairs to the witches' tower; andshe glowered into the little chamber which she had occupied fiftyyears before, at the time she murdered poor Clara von Dewitz, forthey had to pass by it to reach the witches' tower, which lay twoflights of stairs higher up. And when Master Worger laid her down in the damp dark hole, andshook out some straw for her to lie on, the knave grinned andsaid--"What would she do now for company? The devil would scarcelycome; still a companion would be pleasant. " The witch, however, made no answer, only looked down upon theground, muttering to herself. Whereupon the knave laughed againand cried, "Eh, wait, I have got a companion for you!" And opening a sack he had brought with him, took out a blackenedhuman head, and then two long, black, half-burned bones; placedthe bones crosswise on the ground, and set the head atop of them, then said, "So, now you have right merry company. That is Wolde'shead, as you may perceive; and now ye may conjure the deviltogether as ye were wont. " Then, grinning maliciously, he wentout, locking the prison door upon the unfortunate wretch and thedeath's-head. Meanwhile, my Jobst and his fair daughter are plunged in greatperplexity and despair at the Duke's cruel order to have Sidoniasent to their castle of Saatzig. Therefore, the indignant knightsat down and wrote an earnest remonstrance to his Highness theDuke, and prayed his Grace, therefore, to remove this millstonefrom his neck, or he would resign the post of Governor of Saatzig, and withdraw to his own good castle of Pansin. This letter hedespatched by a running courier to Old Stettin, and it produced agood effect upon the Duke; for, in three days, an order arrivedfor Sidonia's removal to Oderburg; and the crowds gathered roundthe cart, from all parts, to see her as she passed along--as thickas if it had been the time of the annual fair. God be thanked, I have now got her as far as the Odenburg! For asconcerning her long imprisonment there, her frequent examinations, and, finally, the question by torture, what need for me to relatethem here, seeing that your Highness and your illustrious brotherswere present during all behind the green screen? I, too, DoctorTheodore Plonnies, assisted at the trial as high-sheriff, AntonPetersdorf was _protonotarius_ to the criminal court, andJohann Caude, the _notarius_, conducted the_protocollum_. Besides, when I look back and think of hershrieks, and how the dry withered limbs writhed and cracked uponthe wheel, till the black blood poured forth from her nails andteeth, my head swims and the sight leaves my eyes--therefore, awaywith it! This only will I notice, that her advocate, Doctor EliasPauli, preserved her in truth for a year and a day from the rackand a bitter death, by his keen and cunning devices, thinking thatshe would make away with herself some way or other, by mercury orelse, to escape the stake. But no such thing: she was as afraid ofdeath as a cat of hot broth; so at last he had to suffer justiceto take its course. Whereupon this Satan's hag, on the 28th July1620, at four o'clock in the afternoon, pursuant to a decree ofthe electoral-court of judges of Magdeburg in Saxony, was broughtinto the great hall at Oderburg. And there stretched upon therack, as I have above mentioned, to force her to a confession uponseventeen _artlculos inquisitionales_, many of which I havenoticed here and there through the preceding chapters. CHAPTER XXIV. _Of the execution of Sidonia and the wedding of Diliana. _ After the torture, the poor malicious old wretch became so weakthat she thought herself like to die, and therefore bade my worthygodfather, Doctor Cramer, to be brought to her that she might makefull confession at last. And her repentance, in truth, seemedearnest and real now; for after the communion she bade them bringher coffin--then sat up, and looking at it for a long while insilence, at last said-- "I shall soon rest there in peace; meantime, carry it out againtill I am dead. " But such a hunger for the blessed sacrament was caused by herdeath fears, and not by holy repentance; for as she did not die, but rather after some days grew strong again (probably because theLord God chose to spare her yet longer, for a more fearful andterrible warning to all sinners), she returned, "like a sow, toher wallowing in the mire. " And more particularly did she spitforth her poisonous curses upon the whole princely race, when thecourt-painter, Matthias Eller, arrived at the prison with an orderfrom his Highness, to paint her portrait, now in her hideous oldage, behind that which he had seen at Wolgast, representing her inthe prime of youthful beauty. Long did she weep and groan when shelooked upon the portrait of what she had been sixty years before;then clenched her fists, and cursed to all eternity the princelyrace which had first brought her to public dishonour--she so youngand innocent--and not content with that, now thirsted to see hernoble blood flow from the gallows. "Ah, that was indeed the portrait of her youth! for her princelybridegroom had got it painted secretly, because of his haughtyarrogant mother, by a painter in Wolgast; but she had revengedherself on the proud old woman at last. The golden chain was herown, but the gold hair-band and the sable collar had been apresent from her young bridegroom, And now, what was left of allher pomp and magnificence! See what these accursed princes hadbrought her to with their envy, arrogance, and savagevengeance--she that was the richest lady in the land was now thepoorest beggar, and had not wherewithal even to purchase adeath-shift. " Meanwhile the report spread throughout all Pomerania land thatSidonia was dead, and had been privately buried. The cause wasthis, --when the executioner and his fellows carried out her coffinafter she had seen it, they told the eager and curious rabble, whogathered round and had been roaring out for her death, that shewas dead already and lay within, and so they would lose the fun ofseeing her burned; and this they said in jest, to disappoint thefilthy and savage mob. So the news spread through the land andreached Saatzig, where it was confirmed by an honourable knightfrom Old Stettin, who answered them on oath that he had seen hercoffin carried out with his own eyes. So my Jobst and his fairdaughter are glad, and thank God that one of their noble race hadbeen spared the disgrace of falling by the hands of the hangman;the young Diliana, in especial, rejoices, and when her loverarrived from Pansin in the afternoon (for he was grown well andstrong again), she threw herself on his bosom, rapturouslyexclaiming-- "Dearest George, our poor cousin is dead; now may the weddingbe--now may the banns be published!" However, the news soon came how the mistake had happened, and thatSidonia was still alive. But as the banns had been alreadypublished and the wedding fixed for the 18th of July, Diliana atlength consented to abide by the arrangement, particularly as theyheard also that the execution would be delayed for some time, inconsequence of the Elector of Saxony having sent in his protestagainst it to the Ducal Court of Stettin. Indeed, so many powerfulprinces protested against this public disgrace, by reason ofSidonia's high rank, that many thought she would be allowed to goaway perfectly free. _Summa_. --Already, by the evening of the 17th, the nobleguests had gathered at Saatzig, and of the Borks, almost the wholeillustrious race is present; among whom were particularlynoticeable the Honourable Aulic Councillors, and Councillors ofAdministration, Just, Andreas, and Henning. _Item_, all thePutkammers, among whom came the old burgomaster Wolff, with hissons, Benedictus, Asso, Gerson, Matthias, Wolfgang, &c. So that bymidnight the castle rang with merriment and revelry; and old JobstBork was so beside himself with joy, that he flung the emptyflasks, as he drained them, up at the monks' heads which werecarved round the capitals of the pillars in the great knights'hall, crying out, "That is for thee, monk!" But the festive night hath a sad morning, without talking of allthe drinkers who snored till mid-day. However, all were ready atlast to go to the bridal, only waiting for Matzke Bork, theprincely chamberlain, who had promised, if possible, to be presentat the marriage, along with his Serene Highness himself, DukeFrancis. So they watched from the windows, and they watched fromthe towers, but never a one of them is to be seen; and the guestsimpatiently pace up and down the great hall, which is all wreathedand decorated with flowers and banners. But the young bridegroomis the most impatient of all. He paced up and down the hall, arm-in-arm, with his betrothed, when at last a carriage was heardapproaching, and every eye was turned to the window, but MatzkeBork sits in it alone. He enters disturbed and mournful, and whenthe knight of Saatzig asks him where he has left his Highness theDuke, he answers-- "The Duke will drink blood in place of wine to-day! Listen, goodcousins, to what the Duke hath resolved concerning our kinswomanSidonia. Her sentence hath been pronounced, and this very day willbe carried into effect: first, her nose and ears are to be torn upwith red-hot irons, at three different quarters of the town, bythe public hangman, and afterwards she is to be burned alive at aslow fire. " When he ended, all the Borks present screamed with horror, andgathered round him: "And was it not possible yet to change thissentence?" But Matzke answered, "He had tried all entreaties, but in vain;even three times he had cast himself on his knees before hisHighness, yet could obtain no mitigation; for his Grace wasincensed against the witch, because of her arrogant defiance, andher stubborn refusal to remove the spell from the princely race, and sent orders to the executioner to build the pile by eight ofthe clock on the following morning, and burn her alive thereon. " When he ceased speaking, the uproar in the hall rose to thehighest. Some of Sidonia's kin, amongst whom was Jobst, swore thedevil's hag deserved it all; and how could her death bringdishonour upon them? But some thought evil of the insult offeredto their race, and cursed his Highness, and would spring to theirsaddles and ride to Stettin on the instant. Matzke, however, lifted his voice, and bade them have reason. "They must endure what could not be altered. Jobst was right: wasthe proud oak the worse because a rotten branch was lopped off?Were they to come before his Highness with such mien and gesture, why, he would straight order them all to be clapped into prison, and then, indeed, would disgrace rest on their illustrious name. No, no; for God's sake, let them rest here. His Grace was too fullof wrath now to listen even to his preachers, the ministers ofGod. How, then, would he hear them? Let them rather rest in peace, and forget the fate of their evil cousin in the festivities of thebridal. " "Ay, good cousins and guests, " quoth the bridegroom, "let us tothe bridal, and the Word of God will calm us, and bring us uponother thoughts. But where is my beloved Diliana?" They sought her in the hall--in vain! They ran all through thecastle--in vain! Diliana is away, and no one knows whither she hasgone. But the maiden hath a brave spirit, and hath wrapped a blackmantle belonging to her mourning robes over her bridal dress, anddrawn the hood over her myrtle wreath; then taking the shift ofher grandmother, Clara, in her hand, which she had kept ready byher for such a case, she descended to the stables, where therewere only two grooms to be seen, all the others having joined thecrowd round the church to catch a sight of the bridal procession, had the best palfrey saddled, took one groom with her, pressedsome money into the hand of the other, and bade him not tell, forthree hours, that she had gone to Old Stettin. Then rode away, striking, however, into a bypath, to deceive the guests, in casethey should attempt to follow her. And her journey ended allsafely; for in four hours she was in Old Stettin, without havingbeen pursued. And reaching the ducal residence, she alighted, hastened up the stairs, bowed proudly to the princely officialwithout uttering a word, and proceeded straight to the apartmentof the Duke. There threw off her travelling hood and mantle, andknocked bravely at the door. "Enter!" exclaimed the voice of his Highness. Upon which thebeautiful maiden in her bridal robes, and the myrtle wreath on herhair, stepped in. At which sight his Grace, who was reclining on acouch, started up, took her hand smiling, and asked--"For the loveof Heaven, what brought her hither upon her festal-day?" So she began: "This was no festal-day, but a day of shame to herand her whole race, because of the horrible and incredible tidingsbrought to them by Matzke Bork, respecting their old kinswoman, Sidonia; therefore she had left bridegroom, bridal, and festival, and ridden away alone, to see if she could not turn away such adisgrace from her noble race, and such horrible torture from herpoor old kinswoman. Had she not freely perilled her life for hisGrace? If they had not succeeded, at least it was no fault ofhers. Let him recall the terrible decree, and if her cousindeserved death, as she doubted not, command her to be beheaded, ashad at first been agreed upon. This, at least, was a morehonourable and less painful death. His Grace must grant herprayer, for she would not move from the spot until he did so. " But his Grace is inexorable, and recapitulates all the sins of thedemon hag; "how she had defied him, and made a mock of the holysacrament; and wherefore did he bear the sword from God, if itwere not as a just Prince, to set her forth a terrible warning andexample to all; for witchcraft was increasing day by day in theland, and witches were almost as plenty as flies. " His Grace then paced up and down a long while in silence. At lastspake-- "Now, for thy sake, the first decree shall hold good, althoughnever was one so unworthy of my favour as this hag. " Whereat the young virgin was so moved with gratitude, that shefell down on her knees before his Grace, and bedewed his hand withher tears. Just then some one knocked, and the jailer entered-- "The witch had taken another fit of conversion, and prayed for apriest. _Item_, for a fresh shift, for she had not changedher linen for four weeks, and no one would give her a freshshift. " When Diliana heard this she wondered much over the dark providenceof God, and said--"Wait, I will give thee a shift for her;"stepped out into the gallery and took Clara's, No. 7, which shehad brought with her, out of her travelling mantle, and, in truth, this was the very shift in which the murderess was carried to herdeath. _Summa_. --The jailer hath scarcely got the said shift underhis arm, when the clatter of footsteps is heard upon the stairs, and then another knock at the Duke's apartment, and this was myknight George Putkamraer, who rushed in, arrayed in his weddingfinery, but all covered over with dust, since he had not givenhimself time to fling a cloak over his dress. He clasped his youngbride to his heart, and half scolded her for leaving him privatelybefore the bridal. But when he heard of her noble courage, andwhat she had accomplished, he was glad again, and kissed the handof his Grace, and he must now grant them one favour more, andreturn with them to the wedding. "The distance was only fivemiles, and he had the finest Malmsey that ever was drunk topresent to his Highness. " At this hearing his Grace exclaimed-- "Eh, George, where have you got the Malmsey? Ha! younker, hastthou a cup of Malmsey? I will go with thee right heartily toSaatzig!" And his Grace wanted to order carriages instantly to carry themall off, that so they might arrive that same evening at thecastle, but Diliana objected-- "No, she would stand by her word, and never hold bridal in Saatziguntil her poor cousin lay at rest in her grave. This night shewould remain in the town, and not leave it until she had seen thelast of her poor cousin. " A long strife now ensued, but Diliana remained firm to herresolve. So his Highness said, at last, that he would play themessenger himself, and journey off to the wedding the moment hehad given orders to his chancellor respecting the change ofSidonia's sentence. He was better pleased not to be in the placewhen she was executed. Diliana could stay the night in the castlewith his dear spouse, the Duchess, and the knight might look aftera place for himself. He would desire all the wedding-guests to beready to-morrow at midday for the bridal, and if Diliana and theknight disliked riding, let them order a carriage from the marshalof his stables, with fresh Frisian horses, and in a couple ofhours they would be at Saatzig. However, Diliana would not remain the night in the castle, butwent to her cousin, the lady of Matzke Bork, because her housestood not far from the place of execution, although the placeitself was not visible, and my younker went down sorrowfully tothe inn to pass the night there, but betimes in the morning was upand off to his dear little bride. He finds her in the secondstory, but no longer in her bridal magnificence; a black mourninggarment covered her entire person; and when the knight started indismay at her appearance, she said-- "That no other robes beseemed a Bork when one of their race wasgoing to her death; and she heard that the procession to thescaffold was to come that way from the Otterburg, and would passin half-an-hour, therefore she was prepared to behold it. It waswell that the scaffold itself was hidden from their sight; butwould her dear George just go over and bid some one hoist a flagwhen the head of her cousin fell. " So the knight did her will, but when he returned said-- "Diliana, if thou givest me so many nuts to crack when we aremarried, methinks it will be an evil thing. " To which she answered mildly-- "No, dear George, after marriage it is the wife who cracks all thehard nuts, but to-day, dearest, it is thy office. I know not why, but I have a feeling over me to-day as if the soul of my poorgrandmother would be at rest after this execution, and thatSidonia herself will be, in some sense, pardoned through the meansof that death-shift, No. 7; yet wherefore I think this I knownot. " Just then a dull, hoarse, murmuring sound was heard in thedistance, like the heaving of the waves when thunder is in theair, and the Lady Matzke's maid rushed in exclaiming--"She'scoming! she's coming!" Then Diliana trembled and turned pale, butstill advanced to the balcony with her cousin and the youngknight. At length the terrible sorceress herself appears in sight, accompanied by the school, chanting the death-psalm. She wore awhite robe seamed with black, and Diliana recognises, with ashudder, that this is indeed Clara's shift, for she had herselfthus stitched the seams in order to know it; but besides, the No. 7 was plainly discernible on the neck. She walked barefoot, andround her head was bound a black fillet flowered with gold, frombeneath which her long white hair fluttered in the wind. Diliana contemplates all this awhile shudderingly, then covers herface with both hands, and sobs and weeps, so that the tears pourdown through the delicate little fingers, and my younker hathenough to do to comfort her. But when the procession disappearsshe dries her eyes, re-enters the chamber, and folding her handsacross her bosom, walks up and down, praying earnestly, until thered Danish flag shoots up. Then she sighed deeply, and drying herbeautiful eyes again said softly-- "May God have mercy upon her soul, now her tortures are over!" Scarcely are the words uttered ere a dense cloud of smoke ascendsabove the fisher's house, rising higher and higher, like a loftyblack tower in the air, so that they all conjectured--"Now she isburning on the pile, " and shuddered, yet are content withal thatat last her fearful life has ended. Then they all knelt down and repeated the Lord's Prayer; thenrising, addressed themselves in earnest for their homewardjourney. And here, with the death of Sidonia, I might justly close my book, merely stating in addition, that her ashes were laid in the burialground for the poor, and that some time after the gentle Dilianacaused a tombstone to be erected over them, out of Christiancharity and forgiveness. But as some say his Highness the Duke gothis death at the wedding of Diliana, I shall briefly narrate thefacts here, to please the curious reader. For the said Duke was so much taken with the Malmsey wine, that hesat up drinking the whole night, and next morning his legs wereswelled to that degree that his boots had to be cut oft withknives. So that when the bridal pair arrived, his Grace had toreceive them in slippers, yet rejoiced much at hearing that allwas over; and then, scarcely giving Diliana time to recoverherself, despatched the whole company off to the church. Not, however, without giving serious admonitions, both to the priestand the knight, George, not to let the ring drop. For if Dr. Luther, the thoughtless lubberhead, had not let the ring fall atthe wedding of his grandfather in Forgau, it would have beenbetter with him and his whole race, as his grandmother of blessedmemory had always said, and now indeed he saw she had spokenwisely. Now my Jobst in the confusion of voices, hearing only the word"monk, " thought his Grace was speaking of the monks' heads on thecapitals of the pillars in the hall. So seeing two empty flasks, shouted, "Ay, that is for thee, monk!" and pitched them crash!crash! with such force up at the monks, that the pieces flew aboutthe ears of the musicians who were to play before the bridal pairgoing to church, and a loud peal of laughter rang through thehall--after which they all set off for the wedding at last. And intruth this was a blessed marriage. But respecting the illustrious and princely race of Pomerania, they perished each and all without leaving behind one singleinheritor of their name or possessions. Not, methinks, because ofthe spell which the demoniac sorceress laid on them, but becauseHe loved this race so well, that He withdrew them from this evilworld before the dreadful strifes, wars, and calamities came uponthem, which our poor fatherland now endures. For before thesestorms broke over our heads, He called them one by one from thisvale of tears, and truly, the first was his Highness Duke Francis, for in a few months after Sidonia's execution, after a briefillness, on the 27th December 1620, he fell asleep in God, aged 43years, 8 months, and 3 days, without leaving children. The nextwas Bishop Udalricus, who likewise became suddenly ill atPribbernow, near Stepnitz, with swollen body and limbs, and had tolie there until his death, on the 31st October 1622, when, to thegreat grief and consternation of the whole land, his young lifeclosed at the early age of 34 years, and he too left no children, though he had a young and beautiful spouse. The next who died wasDuke Philip Julius of Wolgast, the only son of Ernest Ludovicusand his spouse Hedwig. He was a wise and just ruler, but followedthe others soon, on the 16th February 1625, aged only 40 years, 1month, and 28 days--likewise, as all the rest, left no children. But our Lord God hath not withdrawn so many and noble princes fromthe world without sending forth strange and wonderful signs toforewarn the land; for, without speaking of the great thunderclapwhich was heard all of a sudden in the middle of clear fineweather, the winter after Sidonia's death, and the numberless mocksuns that appeared in different places, or of that strange rain, when a sulphureous matter, like starch in appearance, fell fromthe air (_item_, a snow-white pike was caught at Colzow inWellin, seven quarters long, and half an ell broad, with red roundeyes, and red fins), a stranger wonder than all was seen atWolgast; for suddenly, during a review held there, one of thesoldier's muskets went off without a finger being laid on it, andthe ball went right through the princely Pomeranian standard withsuch precision, that the arms seemed to have been cut out allround with a sharp knife. At Stettin also, in the castle-chapel, one of the crowns suspended over the stalls fell down of itself;but still more awful was what happened respecting Bogislaus XIII. , last father of all the Pomeranian princes. For all along, by thepillars of the aisle, there are figures in armour representing thedeceased dukes. And during the sermon one Sunday, the sword fellclanging to the ground from the hand of the armed figurerepresenting Bogislaus XIII. , though no human hand ever touchedit. At this sight every one was troubled in spirit, but woe, alas!we now see what all these supernatural signs and wonders denoted!Yet still we have one noble prince remaining with the ancientblood of Pomerania in his veins. May the Lord God spare him longto us, and bless him, like Abraham, with a son in his old age. Such an Isaac would be a blessed sight to me; for when the lastbranch falls, I know that my poor heart will break also! DR. THEODORUS PLÖNNIES. CONCLUSION. _Mournful destiny of the last princely Pomeranian remains--Myvisit to the ducal Pomeranian vault in Wolgast, on the 6th May1840. _ Bogislaf XIV. , who as a truth-loving, amicable, and piousglossator, has annotated so many places in our text, found this"last and happy hour, " which he had so long desired, on the 10thMarch 1637. When he had attained the age of fifty-seven years, hisdeath occurred at a period of unexampled misery, the like of whichbefore or since was never seen in our whole German fatherland. Yetthe destiny of the Zantalides which followed the princelyPomeranian house, seemed in no way propitiated even by theirdeath. No; it raged, and rages still, against the last poorremains of their mouldering clay. Bogislaff, during the horrors ofthe thirty years' war, remained for _seventeen_ yearsunburied, because none of the princes who fought for thepossession of Pomerania' would consent to bear the expense of theburial, and the land was too poor to take the cost upon itself. Yet his corpse suffered no further indignities like those of hisprincely kinsfolk of Wolgast. For after ninety-four years we findhim still lying calmly in his coffin, looking upward to his Godthrough the little window which he so often sighed after. We shallfirst take a look at him before we descend into the Wolgast vaultto contemplate the disgusting sacrilege which has been perpetratedand permitted there. Every reader of sensibility will feelinterested in the following details, which are taken fromOelrich's valuable work, "Memorials of the Pomeranian Dukes, " p. 87:-- "On the 19th of April 1731, a royal commission opened the vault inthe castle-church of Stettin, wherein many of the noble princes ofPomerania lay buried, and the coffin of Duke Bogislaff was brokenopen by especial command. The body was found quite perfect. Eventhe face was tolerably preserved, though the eyes had fallen in;for the skin had dried over the features, and the beard was longand somewhat red; the coffin was lined throughout with violetvelvet (some say black), bordered with stones which had theappearance of turquoise. The corpse was dressed in a surplice, similar in form to that worn by priests at the present day, butfringed with silver, and likewise ornamented with turquoise. Uponthe left hand there was a diamond ring and another. The diamondwas quite pale, and the right hand was lying close to the side, asif going to seize the dagger. Farther, they found a long andmassive gold chain suspended round the neck, and upon the breast asilver plate, like the bottom of a silver beaker, upon which thePomeranian arms were engraved. "Beneath the coffin of this last Duke of Pomerania lay the ducalflag, but the pole was broken in two, either from design or inconsequence of decay; and above the coffin were remains of crapeand mouldered fragments of velvet. _Lave anima pia!_ "But the princely remains of Wolgast had indeed a mournfuldestiny. True; they were not left unburied for a number of years, but they were plundered and outraged, in such a disgraceful andrevolting manner, by church-robbers, that it is impossible even toread the account of it in the Swedish protocol of 21st June 1688, from which Heller gives extracts in his 'Chronicle of the Town ofWolgast, ' p. 346, without as much pain as emotion. [Footnote: Only one of these robbers was seized-he was whippedand banished; the second hanged himself, and the other escaped. One was a Jew; the other two were the sexton and gravedigger ofthe church. ] "Yet the Swedish Government seemed content to rest with the simpleinvestigation, and took no trouble about, or showed the leastrespect for, the ashes of those to whom they were indebted forland and people. For the coffins lay there just as the robbersleft them--broken open with axes and hatchets, or wrenched asunderwith crowbars, and still lie in this state. However the vault wasclosed up, and no one was permitted to enter it unless in thepresence of one of the reigning family; for this reason very fewever beheld these mournful remains. I myself would probably neverhave had an opportunity of so doing, only that the PrussianGovernment resolved on building some additions to the Wolgastchurch; and, at the same time, desired the foundation to beevened, for it had sunk in various places, and afterwards to wallup the princely vault for ever. In order to work at thefoundation, it was necessary to remove the great stone whichcovered the entrance to the vault, and many along with myselfavailed themselves of this last opportunity to visit the interior. Therefore, on the day named above, I descended with deep emotionthe steps that led to it. I found the vault was divided into twocompartments, having vaulted roofs of about seven or eight feethigh. In the first partition no coffin whatever was to be seen, but I could distinguish already the glitter of the tin coffins inthe second compartment, which was reached by a further descent ofa few steps, and lit up by the torches and lanterns of numerousvisitors who had preceded me. The coffins were nine in number, andmostly covered with tin; each lay on a tressel of mason-work, andbore the marks, more or less, of the violence that had beenemployed to wrench them open. "The strong Philip I. Began the mournful range. A gentleman handedme his skull, in which scarcely a tooth was wanting. Then Isearched in the adjoining coffin for that of his spouse Maria, 'mygracious Lady of Wolgast, ' of Doctor Theodore's History. I foundit, took it in the other hand, and cannot describe the strangefeeling which came over me. "When I had indulged some time in strange and deep emotions, Ilaid down the honourable relics again in their coffins, andstepped to that of Ernest Ludovic, the unfortunate lover of thestill more unfortunate Sidonia. According to the protocol of 1688, which I held in my hand, there was to be seen there a violetvelvet mantle, and a cap without anything inside. There theywere--nothing more to find--all fallen in dust, the weak head asthe weak heart! Close to him lay his unfortunate wife, SophiaHedwig of Brunswick, both the most beautiful persons of theirtime. "But my interest was excited most by the contemplation of PhilipJulius, the last Duke of Pommern-Wolgast, who has only received apassing notice in this book, but who was one of the most gifted, and probably the most lamented Prince of his thousand-year-oldrace. His coffin was of far costlier workmanship than the others, and decorated with a row of gilded angels' heads; near it stoodthe black wooden tressel, upon which it had originally beenplaced, and which looked as fresh as if it had been only justplaced there, instead of having lain in the vault for two hundredand fifteen years. A strange sensation crept over me! We were bothsilent, till at last the gentleman began to search with his handin the grey mouldering dust, and along with some rags of velvet, he brought up a damp, discoloured scrap of paper, which hecarelessly tore; but I instantly seized it, and joined the piecestogether again, for the signification of such little notes in thecoffins of old times was not unknown to me. "And, in fact, I found what I sought; there was not only marked onit the date of the Duke's burial, the 6th of May, which had amystic significance to me, since it was on the very 6th of Maythat I was now standing to contemplate these mute yet eloquentgraves, but also there was noted down the text from which thefuneral sermon had been preached (2 Tim. Iv. 7), as well as thelist of the psalms sung on the occasion, among which the closingpsalm--'When sorrow assails thee, ' is still to be found in mosthymn-books. But my poor old Pomeranian heart could bear no more: Iplaced the paper again in the coffin; and, while the tears pouredfrom my eyes as I ascended the steps, those beautiful old versescame into my head, and I could not help reciting them aloud:-- 'So must human pomp and statIn the grave lie desolate. He who wore the kingly crown, With the base worm lieth down:Ermined robe, and purple pall, Leaveth he at death's weird call. Fleeting, cheating human life, Souls are perilled in thy strife;Yet the pomps in which we trust, All must perish!--dust to dust. God alone will ever be;Who serves Him reigns eternally!'" MARY SCHWEIDLER THE AMBER WITCH THE MOST INTERESTING TRIAL FOR WITCHCRAFT EVER KNOWN PRINTED FROM AN IMPERFECT MANUSCRIPT BY HER FATHER ABRAHAMSCHWEIDLER, THE PASTOR OP COSEROW IN THE ISLAND OF USEDOM EDITED BY WILLIAM MEINHOLD DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY LADY DUFF GORDON PREFACE In laying before the public this deeply affecting and romantictrial, which I have not without reason called on the title-pagethe most interesting of all trials for witchcraft ever known, Iwill first give some account of the history of the manuscript. At Coserow, in the island of Usedom, my former cure, the samewhich was held by our worthy author some two hundred years ago, there existed under a seat in the choir of the church a sort ofniche, nearly on a level with the floor. I had, indeed, often seena heap of various writings in this recess; but owing to my shortsight, and the darkness of the place, I had taken them forantiquated hymn-books, which were lying about in great numbers. But one day, while I was teaching in the church, I looked for apaper mark in the Catechism of one of the boys, which I could notimmediately find; and my old sexton, who was past eighty (and who, although called Appelmann, was thoroughly unlike his namesake inour story, being a very worthy, although a most ignorant man), stooped down to the said niche, and took from it a folio volumewhich I had never before observed, out of which he, without theslightest hesitation, tore a strip of paper suited to my purpose, and reached it to me. I immediately seized upon the book, and, after a few minutes' perusal, I know not which was greater, myastonishment or my vexation at this costly prize. The manuscript, which was bound in vellum, was not only defective both at thebeginning and at the end, but several leaves had even been tornout here and there in the middle. I scolded the old man as I hadnever done during the whole course of my life; but he excusedhimself, saying that one of my predecessors had given him themanuscript for waste paper, as it had lain about there ever sincethe memory of man, and he had often been in want of paper to twistround the altar-candles, &c. The aged and half-blind pastor hadmistaken the folio for old parochial accounts which could be of nomore use to any one. [Footnote: The original manuscript does indeed contain severalaccounts which at first sight may have led to this mistake;besides, the handwriting is extremely difficult to read, and inseveral places the paper is discoloured and decayed. ] No sooner had I reached home than I fell to work upon my newacquisition, and after reading a bit here and there withconsiderable trouble, my interest was powerfully excited by thecontents. I soon felt the necessity of making myself better acquainted withthe nature and conduct of these witch trials, with theproceedings, nay, even with the history of the whole period inwhich these events occur. But the more I read of theseextraordinary stories, the more was I confounded; and neither thetrivial Beeker (_Die bezauberte Welt_, "The EnchantedWorld"), nor the more careful Horst (_Zauberbibliothek_, "TheLibrary of Magic"), to which, as well as to several other works onthe same subject, I had flown for information, could resolve mydoubts, but rather served to increase them. Not alone is the demoniacal character, which pervades nearly allthese fearful stories, so deeply marked, as to fill the attentivereader with feelings of alternate horror and dismay, but theeternal and unchangeable laws of human feeling and action areoften arrested in a manner so violent and unforeseen, that theunderstanding is entirely baffled. For instance, one of theoriginal trials which a friend of mine, a lawyer, discovered inour province, contains the account of a mother, who, after she hadsuffered the torture, and received the holy Sacrament, and was onthe point of going to the stake, so utterly lost all maternalfeeling, that her conscience obliged her to accuse as a witch heronly dearly loved daughter, a girl of fifteen, against whom no onehad ever entertained a suspicion, in order, as she said, to saveher poor soul. The court, justly amazed at an event which probablyhas never since been paralleled, caused the state of the mother'smind to be examined both by clergymen and physicians, whoseoriginal testimonies are still appended to the records, and areall highly favourable to her soundness of mind. The unfortunatedaughter, whose name was Elizabeth Hegel, was actually executed onthe strength of her mother's accusation. [Footnote: It is myintention to publish this trial also, as it possesses very greatpsychological interest. ] The explanation commonly received at the present day, that thesephenomena were produced by means of animal magnetism, is utterlyinsufficient. How, for instance, could this account for the deeplydemoniacal nature of old Lizzie Kolken as exhibited in thefollowing pages? It is utterly incomprehensible, and perfectlyexplains why the old pastor, notwithstanding the horrible deceitspractised on him in the person of his daughter, retained as firm afaith in the truth of witchcraft as in that of the Gospel. During the earlier centuries of the Middle Ages little was knownof witchcraft. The crime of magic, when it did occur, wasleniently punished. For instance, the council of Ancyra (314)ordained the whole punishment of witches to consist in expulsionfrom the Christian community. The Visigoths punished them withstripes, and Charlemagne, by advice of his bishops, confined themin prison until such time as they should sincerely repent. [Footnote: Horst, _Zauberbibliothek_, vi. P. 231. ] It was notuntil very soon before the Reformation, that Innocent VIII. Lamented that the complaints of universal Christendom against theevil practices of these women had become so general and so loud, that the most vigorous measures must be taken against them; andtowards the end of the year 1489, he caused the notorious Hammerfor Witches (_Malleus Malleficarurn_) to be published, according to which proceedings were set on foot with the mostfanatical zeal, not only in Catholic, but, strange to say, even inProtestant Christendom, which in other respects abhorredeverything belonging to Catholicism. Indeed, the Protestants faroutdid the Catholics in cruelty, until, among the latter, thenobleminded Jesuit, J. Spee, and among the former, but not untilseventy years later, the excellent Thomasius, by degrees put astop to these horrors. After careful examination into the nature and characteristics ofwitchcraft, I soon perceived that among all these strange andoften romantic stories, not one surpassed my "amber witch" inlively interest; and I determined to throw her adventures into theform of a romance. Fortunately, however, I was soon convinced thather story was already in itself the most interesting of allromances; and that I should do far better to leave it in itsoriginal antiquated form, omitting whatever would be uninterestingto modern readers, or so universally known as to need norepetition. I have therefore attempted, not indeed to supply whatis missing at the beginning and end, but to restore those leaveswhich have been torn out of the middle, imitating, as accuratelyas I was able, the language and manner of the old biographer, inorder that the difference between the original narrative, and myown interpolations, might not be too evident. This I have done with much trouble, and after many ineffectualattempts; but I refrain from pointing out the particular passageswhich I have supplied, so as not to disturb the historicalinterest of the greater part of my readers. For modern criticism, which has now attained to a degree of acuteness never beforeequalled, such a confession would be entirely superfluous, ascritics will easily distinguish the passages where PastorSchweidler speaks from those written by Pastor Meinhold. I am, nevertheless, bound to give the public some account of whatI have omitted, namely-- 1st. Such long prayers as were not very remarkable for Christianunction. 2d. Well-known stories out of the Thirty Years' War. 3d. Signs and wonders in the heavens, which were seen here andthere, and which are recorded by other Pomeranian writers of thesefearful times; for instance, by Micrælius. [Footnote: Vom AltenPommerlande (Of Old Pomerania), book v. ] But when these eventsformed part of the tale itself, as, for instance, the cross on theStreckelberg, I, of course, allowed them to stand. 4th. The specification of the whole income of the church atCoserow, before and during the terrible times of the Thirty Years'War. 5th. The enumeration of the dwellings left standing, after thedevastations made by the enemy in every village throughout theparish. 6th. The names of the districts to which this or that member ofthe congregation had emigrated. 7th. A ground plan and description of the old manse. I have likewise here and there ventured to make a few changes inthe language, as my author is not always consistent in the use ofhis words or in his orthography. The latter I have, however, withvery few exceptions, retained. And thus I lay before the gracious reader a work, glowing with thefire of heaven, as well as with that of hell. MEINHOLD. THE AMBER WITCH INTRODUCTION. The origin of our biographer cannot be traced with any degree ofcertainty, owing to the loss of the first part of his manuscript. It is, however, pretty clear that he was not a Pomeranian, as hesays he was in Silesia in his youth, and mentions relationsscattered far and wide, not only at Hamburg and Cologne, but evenat Antwerp; above all, his South-German language betrays a foreignorigin, and he makes use of words, which are, I believe, peculiarto Swabia. He must, however, have been living for a long time inPomerania at the time he wrote, as he even more frequently usesLow-German expressions, such as occur in contemporary nativePomeranian writers. Since he sprang from an ancient noble family, as he says onseveral occasions, it is possible that some particulars relatingto the Schweidlers might be discovered in the family records ofthe seventeenth century, which would give a clue to his nativecountry; but I have sought for that name in all the sources ofinformation accessible to me in vain, and am led to suspect thatour author, like many of his contemporaries, laid aside hisnobility and changed his name when he took holy orders. I will not, however, venture on any further conjectures; themanuscript, of which six chapters are missing, begins with thewords "Imperialists plundered, " and evidently the previous pagesmust have contained an account of the breaking out of the ThirtyYears' War in the island of Usedom. It goes on as follows:-- "Coffers, chests, and closets were all plundered and broken topieces, and my surplice also was torn, so that I remained in greatdistress and tribulation. But my poor little daughter they did notfind, seeing that I had hidden her in the stable, which was dark, without which I doubt not they would have made my heart heavyindeed. The lewd dogs would even have been rude to my old maidIlse, a woman hard upon fifty, if an old cornet had not forbiddenthem. Wherefore I gave thanks to my Maker when the wild guestswere gone, that I had first saved my child from their clutches, although not one dust of flour, nor one grain of corn, nor onemorsel of meat even of a finger's length was left, and I knew nothow I should any longer support my own life, and my poor child's. _Item_, I thanked God that I had likewise secured the _vasasacra_, which I had forthwith buried in the church in front ofthe altar, in presence of the two churchwardens, Hienrich Sedenand Claus Bulken, of Uekeritze, commending them to the care ofGod. And now because, as I have already said, I was suffering thepangs of hunger, I wrote to his lordship the Sheriff Wittich v. Appelmann, at Pudgla [Footnote: A castle in Usedom, formerly acelebrated convent. ], that for the love of God and His holy Gospelhe should send me that which his Highness' Grace Philippus Juliushad allowed me as _præstanda_ from the convent at Pudgla, towit, thirty bushels of barley and twenty-five marks of silver, which howbeit his lordship had always withheld from me hitherto(for he was a very hard inhuman man, inasmuch as he despised theholy Gospel and the preaching of the Word, and openly, withoutshame, reviled the servants of God, saying that they were uselessfeeders, and that Luther had but half cleansed the pig-stye of theChurch--God mend it!). But he answered me nothing, and I shouldhave perished for want if Hinrich Seden had not begged for me inthe parish. May God reward the honest fellow for it in eternity!Moreover, he was then growing old, and was sorely plagued by hiswicked wife Lizzie Kolken. Methought when I married them that itwould not turn out over well, seeing that she was in common reportof having long lived in unchastity with Wittich Appelmann, who hadever been an arch-rogue, and especially an arrant whoremaster, andsuch the Lord never blesses. This same Seden now brought me fiveloaves, two sausages, and a goose, which old goodwife Paal, atLoddin, had given him; also a flitch of bacon from the farmer JackTewert. But he said I must shield him from his wife, who wouldhave had half for herself, and when he denied her she cursed him, and wished him gout in his head, whereupon he straightway felt apain in his right cheek, and it was quite hard and heavy already. At such shocking news I was affrighted, as became a good pastor, and asked whether peradventure he believed that she stood in evilcommunication with Satan, and could bewitch folks? But he saidnothing, and shrugged his shoulders. So I sent for old Lizzie tocome to me, who was a tall, meagre woman of about sixty, withsquinting eyes, so that she could not look any one in the face;likewise with quite red hair, and indeed her goodman had the same. But though I diligently admonished her out of God's Word, she madeno answer, until at last I said, 'Wilt thou unbewitch thy goodman(for I saw from the window how that he was raving in the streetlike a madman), or wilt thou that I should inform the magistrateof thy deeds?' Then, indeed, she gave in, and promised that heshould soon be better (and so he was); moreover she begged that Iwould give her some bread and some bacon, inasmuch as it was threedays since she had had a bit of anything to put between her lips, saving always her tongue. So my daughter gave her half a loaf, anda piece of bacon about two hands-breadths large; but she did notthink it enough, and muttered between her teeth; whereupon mydaughter said, 'If thou art not content, thou old witch, go thyways and help thy goodman; see how he has laid his head on Zabel'sfence, and stamps with his feet for pain. ' Whereupon she wentaway, but still kept muttering between her teeth, 'Yea, forsooth, I will help him and thee too. '" CHAPTER VII. _How the Imperialists robbed me of all that was left, andlikewise broke into the church and stole the Vasa Sacra; also whatmore befell us. _ After a few days, when we had eaten almost all our food, my lastcow fell down dead (the wolves had already devoured the others, asmentioned above), not without a strong suspicion that Lizzie had ahand in it, seeing that the poor beast had eaten heartily the daybefore; but I leave that to a higher judge, seeing that I wouldnot willingly calumniate any one; and it may have been the will ofGod, whose wrath I have well deserved. _Summa_, I was oncemore in great need, and my daughter Mary pierced my heart with hersighs, when the cry was raised that another troop of Imperialistswas come to Uekeritze, and was marauding there more cruelly thanever, and, moreover, had burnt half the village. Wherefore I nolonger thought myself safe in my cottage; and after I hadcommended everything to the Lord in a fervent prayer, I went upwith my daughter and old Ilse into the Streckelberg, [Footnote: Aconsiderable mountain close to the sea near Coserow. ] where Ialready had looked out for ourselves a hole like a cavern, wellgrown over with brambles, against the time when the troublesshould drive us thither. We therefore took with us all we had leftto us for the support of our bodies, and fled into the woods, sighing and weeping, whither we soon were followed by the old men, and the women and children; these raised a great cry of hungerwhen they saw my daughter sitting on a log and eating a bit ofbread and meat, and the little things came with their tiny handsstretched out and cried, "Have some too, have some too. " Thereforebeing justly moved by such great distress, I hindered not mydaughter from sharing all the bread and meat that remained amongthe hungry children. But first I made them pray--"The eyes of allwait upon Thee;" [Footnote: Ps. Cxlv. 15, 16. ] upon which words Ithen spake comfortably to the people, telling them that the Lord, who had now fed their little children, would find means to filltheir own bellies, and that they must not be weary of trusting inHim. This comfort did not, however, last long; for after we had restedwithin and around the cavern for about two hours, the bells in thevillage began to ring so dolefully, that it went nigh to break allour hearts, the more as loud firing was heard between whiles;_item_, the cries of men and the barking of dogs resounded, so that we could easily guess that the enemy was in the village. Ihad enough to do to keep the women quiet, that they might not bytheir senseless lamentations betray our hiding-place to the cruelenemy; and more still when it began to smell smoky, and presentlythe bright flames gleamed through the trees. I therefore sent oldPaasch up to the top of the hill, that he might look around andsee how matters stood, but told him to take good care that theydid not see him from the village, seeing that the twilight had butjust begun. This he promised, and soon returned with the news that abouttwenty horsemen had galloped out of the village towards theDamerow, but that half the village was in flames. _Item, he toldus that by a wonderful dispensation of God a great number of birdshad appeared in the juniper-bushes and elsewhere, and that if wecould catch them they would be excellent food for us. I thereforeclimbed up the hill myself, and having found everything as he hadsaid, and also perceived that the fire had, by the help of God'smercy, abated in the village; _item_, that my cottage wasleft standing, far beyond my merits and deserts; I came down againand comforted the people, saying, "The Lord hath given us a sign, and He will feed us, as He fed the people of Israel in thewilderness; for He has sent us a fine flight of fieldfares acrossthe barren sea, so that they whirr out of every bush as ye comenear it. Who will now run down into the village, and cut off themane and tail of my dead cow which lies out behind on the common?"(for there was no horsehair in all the village, seeing that theenemy had long since carried off or stabbed all the horses). Butno one would go, for fear was stronger even than hunger, till myold Ilse spoke, and said, "I will go, for I fear nothing, when Iwalk in the ways of God; only give me a good stick. " When oldPaasch had lent her his staff, she began to sing, "God the Fatherbe with us, " and soon out of sight among the bushes. Meanwhile Iexhorted the people to set to work directly, and to cut littlewands for syringes, and to gather berries while the moon stillshone; there were a great quantity of mountain-ash andelder-bushes all about the mountain. I myself and my daughter Marystayed to guard the little children, because it was not safe therefrom wolves. We therefore made a blazing fire, sat ourselvesaround it, and heard the little folks say the Ten Commandments, when there was a rustling and crackling behind us, and my daughterjumped up and ran into the cavern, crying, "_Proh dolorhostis!_" [Our author afterwards explains the learned educationof the maiden. ] But it was only some of the able-bodied men whohad stayed behind in the village, and who now came to bring usword how things stood there. I therefore called to her directly, "_Emergas amici_, " whereupon she came skipping joyously out, and sat down again by the fire, and forthwith my warden HinrichSeden related all that had happened, and how his life had onlybeen saved by means of his wife Lizzie Kolken; but that JurgenFlatow, Chim Burse, Claus Peer, and Chim Seideritz were killed, and the last named of them left lying on the church steps. Thewicked incendiaries had burned down twelve sheds, and it was nottheir fault that the whole village was not destroyed, but only inconsequence of the wind not being in the quarter that suited theirpurpose. Meanwhile they tolled the bells in mockery and scorn, tosee whether any one would come and quench the fire; and that whenhe and the three other young fellows came forward they fired offtheir muskets at them, but, by God's help, none of them were hit. Hereupon his three comrades jumped over the paling and escaped;but him they caught, and had already taken aim at him with theirfirelocks, when his wife Lizzie Kolken came out of the church withanother troop and beckoned to them to leave him in peace. But theystabbed Lene Hebers as she lay in childbed, speared the child, andflung it over Claus Peer's hedge among the nettles, where it wasyet lying when they came away. There was not a living soul left inthe village, and still less a morsel of bread, so that unless theLord took pity on their need they must all die miserably ofhunger. (Now who is to believe that such people can call themselvesChristians?) I next inquired, when he had done speaking (but with many sighs, as any one may guess), after my cottage; but of that they knewnaught save that it was still standing. I thanked the Lordtherefore with a quiet sigh; and having asked old Seden what hiswife had been doing in the church, I thought I should have diedfor grief when I heard that the villains came out of it with boththe chalices and patens in their hands. I therefore spoke verysharply to old Lizzie, who now came slinking through the bushes;but she answered insolently, that the strange soldiers had forcedher to open the church, as her goodman had crept behind the hedge, and nobody else was there; that they had gone straight up to thealtar, and seeing that one of the stones was not well fitted(which, truly, was an arch lie), had begun to dig with theirswords till they found the chalices and patens; or somebody elsemight have betrayed the spot to them, so I need not always to laythe blame on her, and rate her so hardly. Meanwhile the old men and the women came with a good store ofberries; _item_, my old maid, with the cow's tail and mane, who brought word that the whole house was turned upside down, thewindows all broken, and the books and writings trampled in thedirt in the midst of the street, and the doors torn off theirhinges. This, however, was a less sorrow to me than the chalices;and I only bade the people make springes and snares, in order nextmorning to begin our fowling, with the help of Almighty God. Itherefore scraped the rods myself until near midnight; and when wehad made ready a good quantity, I told old Seden to repeat theevening blessing, which we all heard on our knees; after which Iwound up with a prayer, and then admonished the people to creep inunder the bushes to keep them from the cold (seeing that it wasnow about the end of September, and the wind blew very fresh fromthe sea), the men apart, and the women also apart by themselves. Imyself went up with my daughter and my maid into the cavern, whereI had not slept long before I heard old Seden moaning bitterly, because, as he said, he was seized with the colic. I therefore gotup and gave him my place, and sat down again by the fire to cutspringes, till I fell asleep for half-an-hour; and then morningbroke, and by that time he had got better, and I woke the peopleto morning prayer. This time old Paasch had to say it, but couldnot get through with it properly, so that I had to help him. Whether he had forgot it, or whether he was frightened, I cannotsay. _Summa_. --After we had all prayed most devoutly, wepresently set to work, wedging the springes into the trees, andhanging berries all around them; while my daughter took care ofthe children, and looked for blackberries for their breakfast. Nowwe wedged the snares right across the wood along the road toUekeritze; and mark what a wondrous act of mercy befell fromgracious God! As I stepped into the road with the hatchet in myhand (it was Seden his hatchet, which he had fetched out of thevillage early in the morning), I caught sight of a loaf as long asmy arm which a raven was pecking, and which doubtless one of theImperial troopers had dropped out of his knapsack the day before, for there were fresh hoof-marks in the sand by it. So I secretlybuttoned the breast of my coat over it, so that none shouldperceive anything, although the aforesaid Paasch was close behindme; _item_, all the rest followed at no great distance. Now, having set the springes so very early, towards noon we found sucha great number of birds taken in them, that Katy Berow, who wentbeside me while I took them out, scarce could hold them all in herapron; and at the other end old Pagels pulled nearly as many outof his doublet and coat-pockets. My daughter then sat down withthe rest of the womankind to pluck the birds; and as there was nosalt (indeed it was long since most of us had tasted any), shedesired two men to go down to the sea, and to fetch a little saltwater in an iron pot borrowed from Staffer Zuter; and so they did. In this water we first dipped the birds, and then roasted them ata large fire, while our mouths watered only at the sweet savour ofthem, seeing it was so long since we had tasted any food. And now when all was ready, and the people seated on the earth, Isaid, "Behold how the Lord still feeds His people Israel in thewilderness with fresh quails: if now He did yet more, and sent usa piece of manna bread from heaven, what think ye? Would ye thenever weary of believing in Him, and not rather willingly endureall want, tribulation, hunger and thirst, which He may hereafterlay upon you according to His gracious will?" Whereupon they allanswered and said, "Yea, surely!" _Ego_: "Will you thenpromise me this in truth?" And they said again, "Yea, that willwe!" Then with tears I drew forth the loaf from my breast, held iton high, and cried, "Behold then, thou poor believing littleflock, how sweet a manna loaf your faithful Redeemer hath sent yethrough me!" Whereupon they all wept, sobbed and groaned; and thelittle children again came running up and held out their hands, crying, "See, bread, bread!" But as I myself could not pray forheaviness of soul, I bade Paasch his little girl say the_Gratias_ the while my Mary cut up the loaf and gave to eachhis share. And now we all joyfully began to eat our meat from Godin the wilderness. Meanwhile I had to tell in what manner I had found the blessedmanna bread, wherein I neglected not again to exhort them to layto heart this great sign and wonder, how that God in His mercy haddone to them as of old to the prophet Elijah, to whom a ravenbrought bread in his great need in the wilderness; as likewisethis bread had been given to me by means of a raven, which showedit to me, when otherwise I might have passed it by in my heavinesswithout ever seeing it. When we were satisfied with food, I said the thanksgiving fromLuke xii. 24, where the Lord saith, "Consider the ravens: for theyneither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; andGod feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?" Butour sins stank before the Lord. For old Lizzie, as I afterwardsheard, would not eat her birds because she thought them unsavoury, but threw them among the juniper bushes; whereupon the wrath ofthe Lord was kindled against us as of old against the people ofIsrael, and at night we found but seven birds in the snares, andnext morning but two. Neither did any raven come again to give usbread. Wherefore I rebuked old Lizzie, and admonished the peopleto take upon themselves willingly the righteous chastisement ofthe Most High God, to pray without ceasing, to return to theirdesolate dwellings, and to see whether the all-merciful God wouldperadventure give them more on the sea. That I also would callupon Him with prayer night and day, remaining for a time in thecavern with my daughter and the maid to watch the springes, andsee whether His wrath might be turned from us. That they should, meanwhile put my manse to rights to the best of their power, seeing that the cold was become very irksome to me. This theypromised me, and departed with many sighs. What a little flock! Icounted but twenty-five souls where there used to be above eighty;all the rest had been slain by hunger, pestilence, or the sword. [Footnote: This took place in the year 1628, and the horrors ofthe Thirty Years' War were spread most fearfully over this island;pity that the description of the old vicar, which he doubtlessgave in the preceding pages, has been lost. ] I then abode awhilealone and sorrowing in the cave, praying to God, and sent mydaughter with the maid into the village to see how things stood atthe manse; _item_, to gather together the books and papers, and also to bring me word whether Hinze the carpenter, whom I hadstraightway sent back to the village, had knocked together somecoffins for the poor corpses, so that I might bury them next day. I then went to look at the springes, but found only one singlelittle bird, whereby I saw that the wrath of God had not yetpassed away. Howbeit, I found a fine blackberry bush, from which Igathered nearly a pint of berries, and put them, together with thebird, in Staffer Zuter his pot, which the honest fellow had leftwith us for a while, and set them on the fire for supper againstmy child and the maid should return. It was not long before theycame through the coppice, and told me of the fearful devastationwhich Satan had made in the village and manse by the permission ofall-righteous God. My child had gathered together a few books, which she brought with her, above all, a _Virgilius_ and aGreek Bible. And after she had told me that the carpenter wouldnot have done till next day, and we had satisfied the cravings ofhunger, I made her read to me again, for the greater strengtheningof my faith, the _locus_ about the blessed raven from theGreek of Luke, at the twelfth chapter; also, the beautiful_locus parallelus_, Matt. Vi. After which the maid said theevening blessing, and we all went into the cave to rest for thenight. When I awoke next morning, just as the blessed sun rose outthe sea and peeped over the mountain, I heard my poor hungrychild, already standing outside the cave, reciting the beautifulverses about the joys of paradise which St. Augustine wrote and Ihad taught her. [Footnote: This is an error. The following versesare written by the Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, Peter Damianus (d. 23d Feb. 1072), after Augustine's prose. ] She sobbed for grief asshe spoke the words:-- "Uno pane vivunt cives utriusque patriæ Avidi et semper pleni, quod habent desiderant Non _sacietas_ fastidit, neque fames cruciat Inhiantes semper edunt, et edentes inhiant Flos perpetuus rosarum ver agit perpetuum, Candent lilia, rubescit crocus, sudat balsamum, Virent prata, vernant sata, rivi mellis influunt Pigmentorum spirat odor liquor et aromatum, Pendent poma floridorum non lapsura nemorum Non alternat luna vices, sol vel cursus syderum Agnus est fcelicis urbis lumen inocciduum. " [Footnote: The following version is from the pen of afriend. --_Trans_. "In that far land the citizens all share one equal bread, And keep desire and hunger still, although to fulness fed: Unwearied by satiety, unracked by hunger's strife, The air they breathe is nourishment, and spiritual life! Around them, bright with endless Spring, perpetual roses bloom; Warm balsams gratefully exude luxurious perfume; Red crocuses, and lilies white, shine dazzling in the sun; Green meadows yield them harvests green, and streams with honeyrun; Unbroken droop the laden boughs, with heavy fruitage bent, Of incense and of odours strange the air is redolent; And neither sun, nor moon, nor stars, dispense their changefullight, But the Lamb's eternal glory makes the happy city bright!" At these words my own heart was melted; and when she ceased fromspeaking, I asked, "What art thou doing, my child?" Whereupon sheanswered, "Father, I am eating. " Thereat my tears now indeed beganto flow, and I praised her for feeding her soul, as she had nomeat for her body. I had not, however, spoken long, before shecried to me to come and look at the great wonder that had risenout of the sea, and already appeared over the cave. For behold acloud, in shape just like a cross, came over us, and let greatheavy drops, as big or bigger than large peas, fall on our heads, after which it sank behind the coppice. I presently arose, and ranup the mountain with my daughter to look after it. It floated ontowards the Achterwater, [Footnote: A wash formed by the riverPeene in the neighbourhood. ] where it spread itself out into along blue streak, whereon the sun shone so brightly that it seemedlike a golden bridge, on which, as my child said, the blessedangels danced. I fell on my knees with her, and thanked the Lordthat our cross had passed away from us; but, alas! our cross wasyet to come, as will be told hereafter. CHAPTER VIII. _How our need waxed sorer and sorer, and how I sent old Ilsewith another letter to Pudgla, and how heavy a misfortune thisbrought upon me_. Next day, when I had buried the poor corpses amid the lamentationsof the whole village (by the same token that they were all buriedunder where the lime-tree overhangs the wall [Footnote: Thisexists no longer. ]), I heard with many sighs that neither the seanor the Achterwater would yield anything. It was now ten dayssince the poor people had caught a single fish. I therefore wentout into the field, musing how the wrath of the just God might beturned from us, seeing that the cruel winter was now at hand, andneither corn, apples, fish nor flesh, to be found in the village, nor even throughout all the parish. There was indeed plenty ofgame in the forests of Coserow and Uekeritze; but the old forestranger, Zabel Nehring, had died last year of the plague, and therewas no new one in his place. Nor was there a musket nor a grain ofpowder to be found in all the parish; the enemy had robbed andbroken everything: we were therefore forced, day after day, to seehow the stags and the roes, the hares and the wild boars, &c. , ranpast us, when we would so gladly have had them in our bellies, buthad no means of getting at them: for they were too cunning to letthemselves be caught in pit-falls. Nevertheless, Claus Peersucceeded in trapping a roe, and gave me a piece of it, for whichmay God reward him. _Item_, of domestic cattle there was nota head left; neither was there a dog nor a cat, which the peoplehad not either eaten in their extreme hunger, or knocked on thehead, or drowned long since. Albeit old farmer Paasch still ownedtwo cows; _item_, an old man in Uekeritze was said to haveone little pig--this was all. Thus, then, nearly all the peoplelived on blackberries and other wild fruits; the which also soongrew to be scarce, as may easily be guessed. Besides all this, aboy of fourteen was missing (old Labahn his son), and was nevermore heard of, so that I shrewdly think that the wolves devouredhim. And now let any Christian judge by his own heart in what sorrowand heaviness I took my staff in my hand, seeing that my childfell away like a shadow from pinching hunger; although I myself, being old, did not, by the help of God's mercy, find any greatfailing in my strength. While I thus went continually weepingbefore the Lord, on the way to Uekeritze, I fell in with an oldbeggar with his wallet, sitting on a stone, and eating a piece ofGod's rare gift, to wit, a bit of bread. Then truly did my poormouth so fill with water, that I was forced to bow my head and letit run upon the earth before I could ask, "Who art thou? andwhence comest thou, seeing that thou hast bread?" Whereupon heanswered that he was a poor man of Bannemin, from whom the enemyhad taken all; and as he had heard that the Lieper Winkel[Footnote: A remote part of the island of Usedom. ] had long beenin peace, he had travelled thither to beg. I straightway answeredhim, "Oh, poor beggar man, spare to me, a sorrowful servant ofChrist, who is poorer even than thyself, one little slice of breadfor his wretched child; for thou must know that I am the pastor ofthis village, and that my daughter is dying of hunger. I beseechthee, by the living God, not to let me depart without taking pityon me, as pity also hath been shown to thee!" But the beggar manwould give me none, saying that he himself had a wife and fourchildren, who were likewise staggering towards death's door underthe bitter pangs of hunger; that the famine was sorer far inBannemin than here, where we still had berries; whether I had notheard that but a few days ago a woman (he told me her name, buthorror made me forget it) had there killed her own child, anddevoured it from hunger? [Footnote: Micraslius also mentions thishorrible event in his History of Pomerania. ] That he could nottherefore help me, and I might go to the Lieper Winkel myself. I was horror-stricken at his tale, as is easy to guess, for we inour own trouble had not yet heard of it, there being little or notraffic between one village and another; and thinking onJerusalem, [Footnote: Where, according to Josephus, the same thingoccurred. ] and sheer despairing because the Lord had visited us, as of old that ungodly city, although we had not betrayed orcrucified Him, I almost forgot all my necessities, and took mystaff in my hand to depart. But I had not gone more than a fewyards when the beggar called me to stop, and when I turned myselfround he came towards me with a good hunch of bread which he hadtaken out of his wallet, and said, "There! but pray for me also, so that I may reach my home; for if on the road they smell that Ihave bread, my own brother would strike me dead, I believe. " ThisI promised with joy, and instantly turned back to take to my childthe gift hidden in my pocket. And behold, when I came to the roadwhich leads to Loddin, I could scarce trust my eyes (before I hadoverlooked it in my distress) when I saw my glebe, which couldproduce seven bushels, ploughed, sown, and in stalk; the blessedcrop of rye had already shot lustily out of the earth a finger'slength in height. I could not choose but think that the evil onehad deceived me with a false show, yet, however hard I rubbed myeyes, rye it was, and rye it remained. And seeing that old Paaschhis piece of land which joined mine was in like manner sown, andthat the blades had shot up to the same height, I soon guessedthat the good fellow had done this deed, seeing that all the otherland lay waste. Wherefore, I readily forgave him for not knowingthe morning prayer; and thanking the Lord for so much love from myflock, and earnestly beseeching Him to grant me strength and faithto bear with them, steadfastly and patiently, all the troubles andadversities which it might please Him henceforward to lay upon us, according to His divine pleasure, I ran rather than walked backinto the village to old Paasch his farm, where I found him justabout to kill his cow, which he was slaughtering from grim hunger. "God bless thee, " said I, "worthy friend, for sowing my field, howshall I reward thee?" But the old man answered, "Let that be, anddo you pray for us;" and when I gladly promised this, and askedhim how he had kept his corn safe from the savage enemy, he toldme that he had hidden it secretly in the caves of theStreckelberg, but that now all his store was used up. Meanwhile hecut a fine large piece of meat from the top of the loin, and said, "There is something for you, and when that is gone you can comeagain for more. " As I was then about to go with many thanks, hislittle Mary, a child nearly seven years old, the same who had saidthe _Gratlas_ on the Streckelberg, seized me by the hand, andwanted to go to school to my daughter; for since my _Custos_, as above mentioned, departed this life in the plague, she had toteach the few little ones there were in the village; this, however, had long been abandoned. I could not, therefore, denyher, although I feared that my child would share her bread withher, seeing that she dearly loved the little maid, who was hergodchild; and so indeed it happened; for when the child saw metake out the bread, she shrieked for joy, and began to scramble upon the bench. Thus she also got a piece of the slice, our maid gotanother, and my child put the third piece into her own mouth, as Iwished for none, but said that I felt no signs of hunger, andwould wait until the meat was boiled, the which I now threw uponthe bench. It was a goodly sight to see the joy which my poorchild felt, when I then also told her about the rye. She fell uponmy neck, wept, sobbed, then took the little one up in her arms, danced about the room with her, and recited, as she was wont, allmanner of Latin _versus_, which she knew by heart. Then shewould prepare a right good supper for us, as a little salt wasstill left in the bottom of a barrel of meat which theImperialists had broken up. I let her take her own way, and havingscraped some soot from the chimney and mixed it with water, I torea blank leaf out of _Virgillus_, and wrote to the _PastorLiepensts_, his reverence Abraham Tiburtius, praying that forGod His sake he would take our necessities to heart, and wouldexhort his parishioners to save us from dying of grim hunger, andcharitably to spare to us some meat and drink, according as theall-merciful God had still left some to them, seeing that a beggarhad told me that they had long been in peace from the terribleenemy. I knew not, however, wherewithal to seal the letter, untilI found in the church a little wax still sticking to a woodenaltar-candlestick, which the Imperialists had not thought it worththeir while to steal, for they had only taken the brass ones. Isent three fellows in a boat with Hinrich Seden, the churchwarden, with this letter to Liepe. First, however, I asked my old Ilse, who was born in Liepe, whether she would not rather return home, seeing how mattersstood, and that I, for the present at least, could not give her astiver of her wages (mark that she had already saved up a smallsum, seeing that she had lived in my service above twenty years, but the soldiers had taken it all). Howbeit, I could nowisepersuade her to this, but she wept bitterly, and besought me onlyto let her stay with the good damsel whom she had rocked in hercradle. She would cheerfully hunger with us if it needs must be, so that she were not turned away. Whereupon, I yielded to her, andthe others went alone. Meanwhile the broth was ready, but scarce had we said the_Gratias_, and were about to begin our meal, when all thechildren of the village, seven in number, came to the door, andwanted bread, as they had heard we had some from my daughter herlittle godchild. Her heart again melted, and notwithstanding Ibesought her to harden herself against them, she comforted me withthe message to Liepe, and poured out for each child a portion ofbroth on a wooden platter (for these also had been despised by theenemy), and put into their little hands a bit of meat, so that allour store was eaten up at once. We were, therefore, left fastingnext morning, till towards midday, when the whole village gatheredtogether in a meadow on the banks of the river to see the boatreturn. But, God be merciful to us, we had cherished vain hopes!six loaves and a sheep, _item_, a quarter of apples, was allthey had brought. His reverence Abraham Tiburtius wrote to me thatafter the cry of their wealth had spread throughout the island, somany beggars had flocked thither that it was impossible to be justto all, seeing that they themselves did not know how it might farewith them in these heavy troublous times. Meanwhile he would seewhether he could raise any more. I therefore with many sighs hadthe small pittance carried to the manse, and though two loaveswere, as _Pastor Liepensis_ said in his letter, for me alone, I gave them up to be shared among all alike, whereat all werecontent save Seden his squint-eyed wife, who would have hadsomewhat extra on the score of her husband's journey, which, however, as may be easily guessed, she did not get; wherefore sheagain muttered certain words between her teeth as she went away, which, however, no one understood. Truly she was an ill woman, andnot to be moved by the Word of God. Any one may judge for himself that such a store could not lastlong; and as all my parishioners felt an ardent longing afterspiritual food, and as I and the churchwardens could only gettogether about sixteen farthings in the whole parish, which wasnot enough to buy bread and wine, the thought struck me once moreto inform my lord the sheriff of our need. With how heavy a heartI did this may be easily guessed, but necessity knows no law. Itherefore tore the last blank leaf out of _Virgilius_, andbegged that, for the sake of the Holy Trinity, his lordship wouldmercifully consider mine own distress and that of the wholeparish, and bestow a little money to enable me to administer theHoly Sacrament for the comfort of afflicted souls; also, ifpossible, to buy a cup, were it only of tin, since the enemy hadplundered us of ours, and I should otherwise be forced toconsecrate the sacred elements in an earthen vessel. _Item_, I besought him to have pity on our bodily wants, and at last tosend me the first-fruits which had stood over for so many years. That I did not want it for myself alone, but would willingly shareit with my parishioners, until such time as God in His mercyshould give us more. Here a huge blot fell upon my paper; for the windows being boardedup, the room was dark, and but little light came through two smallpanes of glass, which I had broken out of the church, and stuck inbetween the boards: this, perhaps, was the reason why I did notsee better. However, as I could not anywhere get another piece ofpaper, I let it pass, and ordered the maid, whom I sent with theletter to Pudgla, to excuse the same to his lordship the sheriff, the which she promised to do; seeing that I could not add a wordmore on the paper, as it was written all over. I then sealed it asI had done before. But the poor creature came back trembling for fear, and bitterlyweeping, and said that his lordship had kicked her out of thecastle-gate, and had threatened to set her in the stocks if sheever came before him again. "Did the parson think that he was asfree with his money as I seemed to be with my ink? I surely hadwater enough to celebrate the Lord's Supper wherewithal. For ifthe Son of God had once changed the water into wine, He couldsurely do the like again. If I had no cup, I might water my flockout of a bucket, as he did himself;" with many more blasphemies, such as he afterwards wrote to me, and by which, as may easily beguessed, I was filled with horror. Touching the first-fruits, asshe told me, he said nothing at all. In such great spiritual andbodily need the blessed Sunday came round, when nearly all thecongregation would have come to the Lord's table, but could not. Itherefore spoke on the words of St. Augustine, _crede etmanducasti_, and represented that the blame was not mine, andtruly told what had happened to my poor maid at Pudgla, passingover much in silence, and only praying God to awaken the hearts ofmagistrates for our good. Peradventure I may have spoken moreharshly than I meant. I know not; only that I spoke that which wasin my heart. At the end I made all the congregation stay on theirknees for nearly an hour, and call upon the Lord for His holySacrament; _item_, for the relief of their bodily wants, ashad been done every Sunday, and at all the daily prayers I hadbeen used to read ever since the heavy time of the plague. Last ofall, I led the glorious hymn, "When in greatest need we be, " whichwas no sooner finished than my new churchwarden, Claus Bulk ofUekeritze, who had formerly been a groom with his lordship, andwhom he had now put into a farm, ran off to Pudgla, and told himall that had taken place in the church. Whereat his lordship wasgreatly angered, insomuch that he summoned the whole parish, whichstill numbered about 150 souls, without counting the children, anddictated _ad protocollum_ whatsoever they could remember ofthe sermon, seeing that he meant to inform his princely Grace theDuke of Pomerania of the blasphemous lies which I had vomitedagainst him, and which must sorely offend every Christian heart. _Item_, what an avaricious wretch I must be to be alwayswanting something of him, and to be daily, so to say, pesteringhim in these hard times with my filthy letters, when he had notenough to eat himself. This, he said, should break the parson hisneck, since his princely Grace did all that he asked of him; andthat no one in the parish need give me anything more, but only letme go my ways. He would soon take care that they should have quitea different sort of parson from what I was. (Now I would like to see the man who could make up his mind tocome into the midst of such wretchedness at all. ) This news was brought to me in the self-same night, and gave me agreat fright, as I now saw that I should not have a graciousmaster in his lordship, but should all the time of my miserablelife, even if I could anyhow support it, find in him an ungraciouslord. But I soon felt some comfort, when Chim Krüger, fromUekeritze, who brought me the news, took a little bit of hissucking-pig out of his pocket and gave it to me. Meanwhile oldPaasch came in and said the same, and likewise brought me a pieceof his old cow; _item_, my other warden, Hinrich Seden, witha slice of bread, and a fish which he had taken in his net; allsaying they wished for no better priest than me, and that I wasonly to pray to the merciful Lord to bestow more upon them, whereupon I should want for nothing. Meanwhile I must be quiet, and not betray them. All this I promised; and my daughter Marytook the blessed gifts of God off the table and carried them intothe inner chamber. But, alas! next morning, when she would haveput the meat into the cauldron, it was all gone. I know not whoprepared this new sorrow for me, but much believe it was HinrichSeden his wicked wife, seeing he can never hold his tongue, andmost likely told her everything. Moreover, Paasch his littledaughter saw that she had meat in her pot next day; _item_, that she had quarrelled with her husband, and had flung thefish-board at him, whereon some fresh fish-scales were sticking:she had, however, presently recollected herself when she saw thechild. (Shame on thee, thou old witch, it is true enough, I daresay!) Hereupon naught was left us but to feed our poor souls withthe Word of God. But even our souls were so cast down that theycould receive naught, any more than our bellies; my poor child, especially, from day to day grew paler, greyer, and yellower, andalways threw up all her food, seeing she ate it without salt orbread. I had long wondered that the bread from Liepe was not yetdone, but that every day at dinner I still had a morsel. I hadoften asked, "Whence comes all this blessed bread? I believe, after all, you save the whole for me, and take none for yourselfor the maid. " But they both then lifted to their mouths a piece offir-tree bark, which they had cut to look like bread, and laid bytheir plates; and as the room was dark, I did not find out theirdeceit, but thought that they too were eating bread. But at lastthe maid told me of it, so that I should allow it no longer, as mydaughter would not listen to her. It is not hard to guess how myheart was wrung when I saw my poor child lying on her bed of mossstruggling with grim hunger. But things were to go yet harder withme, for the Lord in His anger would break me in pieces like apotter's vessel. For behold, on the evening of the same day, oldPaasch came running to me, complaining that all his and my corn inthe field had been pulled up and miserably destroyed, and that itmust have been done by Satan himself, as there was not a traceeither of oxen or horses. At these words my poor child screamedaloud and fainted. I would have run to help her, but could notreach her bed, and fell on the ground myself for bitter grief. Theloud cries of the maid and old Paasch soon brought us both to oursenses. But I could not rise from the ground alone, for the Lordhad bruised all my bones. I besought them, therefore, when theywould have helped me, to leave me where I was; and when they wouldnot, I cried out that I must again fall on the ground to pray, andbegged them all save my daughter to depart out of the room. Thisthey did, but the prayer would not come. I fell into heavydoubting and despair, and murmured against the Lord that Heplagued me more sorely than Lazarus or Job. Wretch that I was, Icried, "Thou didst leave to Lazarus at least the crumbs and thepitiful dogs, but to me Thou hast left nothing, and I myself amless in Thy sight even than a dog; and Job Thou didst not afflictuntil Thou hadst mercifully taken away his children, but to meThou hast left my poor little daughter, that her torments mayincrease mine own a thousandfold. Behold, then, I can only praythat Thou wilt take her from the earth, so that my grey head maygladly follow her to the grave! Woe is me, ruthless father, whathave I done? I have eaten bread, and suffered my child to hunger!O Lord Jesu, who hast said, 'What man is there of you, whom if hisson ask bread will he give him a stone?' Behold, I am thatman!--behold, I am that ruthless father! I have eaten bread, andhave given wood to my child! Punish me; I will bear it and liestill. O righteous Jesu, I have eaten bread, and have given woodto my child!" As I did not speak, but rather shrieked these words, wringing my hands the while, my child fell upon my neck, sobbing, and chide me for murmuring against the Lord, seeing that even she, a weak and frail woman, had never doubted His mercy; so that withshame and repentance I presently came to myself, and humbledmyself before the Lord for such heavy sin. Meanwhile the maid had run into the village with loud cries to seeif she could get anything for her poor young mistress, but thepeople had already eaten their noontide meal, and most of themwere gone to sea to seek their blessed supper; thus she could findnothing, seeing that old wife Seden, who alone had any victuals, would give her none, although she prayed her by Jesu's wounds. She was telling us this when we heard a noise in the chamber, andpresently Lizzie her worthy old husband, who had got in at thewindow by stealth, brought us a pot of good broth, which he hadtaken off the fire whilst his wife was gone for a moment into thegarden. He well knew that his wife would make him pay for it, butthat he did not mind, so the young mistress would but drink it, and she would find it salted and all. He would make haste out ofthe window again, and see that he got home before his wife, thatshe might not find out where he had been. But my daughter wouldnot touch the broth, which sorely vexed him, so that he set itdown on the ground cursing, and ran out of the room. It was notlong before his squint-eyed wife came in at the front door, andwhen she saw the pot still steaming on the ground, she cried out, "Thou thief, thou cursed thieving carcass!" and would have flownat the face of my maid. But I threatened her, and told her allthat had happened, and that if she would not believe me, she mightgo into the chamber and look out of the window, whence she mightstill, belike, see her goodman running home. This she did, andpresently we heard her calling after him, "Wait, and the devilshall tear off thine arms, only wait till thou art home again!"After this she came back, and, muttering something, took the potoff the ground. I begged her, for the love of God, to spare alittle to my child; but she mocked at me and said, "You can preachto her, as you did to me, " and walked towards the door with thepot. My child indeed besought me to let her go, but I could nothelp calling after her, "For the love of God, one good sup, or mypoor child must give up the ghost: wilt thou that at the day ofjudgment God should have mercy on thee, so show mercy this day tome and mine!" But she scoffed at us again, and cried out, "Let hercook herself some bacon, " and went out at the door. I then sentthe maid after her with the hour-glass which stood before me onthe table, to offer it to her for a good sup out of the pot; butthe maid brought it back, saying that she would not have it. Alas, how I wept and sobbed, as my poor dying child with a loud sighburied her head again in the moss! Yet the merciful God was moregracious to me than my unbelief had deserved; for when thehard-hearted woman bestowed a little broth on her neighbour, oldPaasch, he presently brought it to my child, having heard from themaid how it stood with her; and I believe that this broth, underGod, alone saved her life, for she raised her head as soon as shehad supped it, and was able to go about the house again in anhour. May God reward the good fellow for it! Thus I had some joyin the midst of my trouble. But while I sat by the fireside in theevening musing on my fate, my grief again broke forth, and I madeup my mind to leave my house, and even my cure, and to wanderthrough the wide world with my daughter as a beggar. God knows Ihad cause enough for it; for now that all my hopes were dashed, seeing that my field was quite ruined, and that the sheriff hadbecome my bitter enemy, moreover that it was five years since Ihad had a wedding, _item_, but two christenings during thepast year, I saw my own and my daughter's death staring me in theface, and no prospect of better times at hand. Our want wasincreased by the great fears of the congregation; for although byGod's wondrous mercy they had already begun to take good draughtsof fish both in the sea and the Achterwater, and many of thepeople in the other villages had already gotten bread, salt, oatmeal, &c. , from the Pokers and Quatzners of Anklam and Lassan[Footnote: These people still go about the Achterwater every dayin small boats called Polten and Quatzen, and buy from the boorsany fish they may have caught. ] in exchange for their fish;nevertheless, they brought me nothing, fearing lest it might betold at Pudgla, and make his lordship ungracious to them. Itherefore beckoned my daughter to me, and told her what was in mythoughts, saying that God, in His mercy, could any day bestow onme another cure if I was found worthy in His sight of such afavour, seeing that these terrible days of pestilence and war hadcalled away many of the servants of His Word, and that I had notfled like a hireling from His flock, but, on the contrary, till_datum_ shared sorrow and death with it. Whether she wereable to walk five or ten miles a day; for that then we would begour way to Hamburg, to my departed wife her stepbrother, MartinBehring, who is a great merchant in that city. This at first sounded strange to her, seeing that she had veryseldom been out of our parish, and that her departed mother andher little brother lay in our churchyard. She asked, "Who was tomake up their graves and plant flowers on them? _Item_, asthe Lord had given her a smooth face, what I should do if in thesewild and cruel times she were attacked on the highways bymarauding soldiers or other villains, seeing that I was a weak oldman and unable to defend her; _item_, wherewithal should weshield ourselves from the frost, as the winter was setting in, andthe enemy had robbed us of our clothes, so that we had scarceenough left to cover our nakedness?" All this I had notconsidered, and was forced to own that she was right; so aftermuch discussion we determined to leave it this night to the Lord, and to do whatever He should put into our hearts next morning. Atany rate, we saw that we could in nowise keep the old maid anylonger; I therefore called her out of the kitchen, and told hershe had better go early next morning to Liepe, as there still wasfood there, whereas here she must starve, seeing that perhaps weourselves might leave the parish and the country to-morrow. Ithanked her for the love and faith she had shown us, and beggedher at last, amid the loud sobs of my poor daughter, to departforthwith privately, and not to make our hearts still heavier byleave-taking; that old Paasch was going a-fishing to-night on theAchterwater, as he had told me, and no doubt would readily set heron shore at Grussow, where she had friends, and could eat her filleven to-day. She could not say a word for weeping, but when shesaw that I was really in earnest she went out of the room. Notlong after we heard the house-door shut to, whereupon my daughtermoaned, "She is gone already, " and ran straight to the window tolook after her. "Yes, " cried, she, as she saw her through thelittle panes, "she is really gone;" and she wrung her hands andwould not be comforted. At last, however, she was quieted when Ispoke of the maid Hagar, whom Abraham had likewise cast off, buton whom the Lord had nevertheless shown mercy in the wilderness;and hereupon we commended ourselves to the Lord, and stretchedourselves on our couches of moss. CHAPTER IX. _How the old maid-servant humbled me by her faith, and the Lordyet blessed me His unworthy servant_. "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless Hisholy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all Hisbenefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thydiseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneththee with loving-kindness and tender mercies" (Ps. Ciii. ). Alas! wretched man that I am, how shall I understand all thebenefits and mercies which the Lord bestowed upon me the very nextday? I now wept for joy as of late I had done for sorrow; and mychild danced about the room like a young roe, and would not go tobed, but only cry and dance, and between whiles repeat the 103rdPsalm, then dance and cry again until morning broke. But as shewas still very weak, I rebuked her presumption, seeing that thiswas tempting the Lord; and now mark what had happened. After we had both woke in the morning with deep sighs, and calledupon the Lord to manifest to us, in our hearts, what we should do, we still could not make up our minds. I therefore called to mychild, if she felt strong enough, to leave her bed and light afire in the stove herself, as our maid was gone; that we wouldthen consider the matter further. She accordingly got up, but cameback in an instant with cries of joy, because the maid hadprivately stolen back into the house, and had already made a fire. Hereupon I sent for her to my bedside, and wondered at herdisobedience, and asked what she now wanted here, but to tormentme and my daughter still more, and why she did not go yesterdaywith old Paasch? But she lamented and wept so sore that she scarcecould speak, and I understood only thus much: that she had eatenwith us, and would likewise starve with us, for that she couldnever part from her young mistress, whom she had known from hercradle. Such faithful love moved me so, that I said almost withtears, "But hast thou not heard that my daughter and I havedetermined to wander as beggars about the country; where, then, wilt thou remain?" To this she answered that neither would shestay behind, seeing it was more fitting for her to beg than forus; but that she could not yet see why I wished to go out into thewide world; whether I had already forgotten that I had said, in myinduction sermon, that I would abide with my flock in afflictionand in death? That I should stay yet a little longer where I was, and send her to Liepe, as she hoped to get something worth havingfor us there, from her friends and others. These words, especiallythose about my induction sermon, fell heavy on my conscience, andI was ashamed of my want of faith, since, not my daughter only, but yet more, even my maid, had stronger faith than I, who, nevertheless, professed to be a servant of God's Word. I believedthat the Lord, to keep me, poor fearful hireling, and at the sametime to humble me, had awakened the spirit of this poormaid-servant to prove me, as the maid in the palace of thehigh-priest had also proved the fearful St. Peter. Wherefore Iturned my face towards the wall, like Hezekiah, and humbled myselfbefore the Lord; which scarce had I done before my child ran intothe room again with a cry of joy. For behold some Christian hearthad stolen quietly into the house in the night, and had laid inthe chamber two loaves, a good piece of meat, a bag of oatmeal, _item_, a bag of salt, holding near a pint. Any one may guesswhat shouts of joy we all raised. Neither was I ashamed to confessmy sins before my maid; and in our common morning prayer, which wesaid on our knees, I made fresh vows to the Lord of obedience andfaith. Thus we had that morning a grand breakfast, and sentsomething to old Paasch besides; _item_, my daughter againsent for all the little children to come, and kindly fed them withour store, before they said their tasks; and when in my heart oflittle faith I sighed thereat, although I said naught, she smiled, and said, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for themorrow shall take thought for the things of itself. " [Footnote:Matt. Vi. 34. ] The Holy Ghost spoke by her, as I cannot but believe, nor thoueither, beloved reader: for, mark what happened. In the afternoon, she (I mean my child) went up the Streckelberg to seek forblackberries, as old Paasch had told her through the maid that afew bushes were still left. The maid was chopping wood in theyard, to which end she had borrowed old Paasch his axe, for theImperialist thieves had thrown away mine, so that it could nowherebe found; and I myself was pacing up and down in the room, meditating my sermon; when my child, with her apron full, camequickly in at the door, quite red and with beaming eyes, andscarce able for joy to say more than "Father, father, what have Igot?" "Well, " quoth I, "what hast thou got, my child?" Whereuponshe opened her apron, and I scarce trusted my eyes when I saw, instead of the blackberries which she had gone to seek, twoshining pieces of amber, each nearly as big as a man's head, notto mention the small pieces, some of which were as large as myhand, and that, God knows, is no small one. "Child of my heart, "cried I, "how cam'st thou by this blessing from God?" As soon asshe could fetch her breath, she told me as follows: That while she was seeking for blackberries in a dell near theshore, she saw somewhat glistening in the sun, and on coming near, she found this wondrous godsend, seeing that the wind had blownthe sand away from off a black vein of amber. [Footnote: Thishappens frequently even now, and has occurred to the editorhimself. The small dark vein held indeed a few pieces of amber, mixed with charcoal, a sure proof of its vegetable origin, ofwhich we may observe in passing there is now scarce any doubt, since whole trees of amber have been found in Prussia, and arepreserved in the museum at Konigsberg. ] That she straightway hadbroken off these pieces with a stick, and that there was plentymore to be got, seeing that it rattled about under the stick whenshe thrust it into the sand, neither could she force it fartherthan, at most, a foot deep into the ground; _item_, she toldme that she had covered the place all over again with sand, andswept it smooth with her apron so as to leave no traces. Moreover, that no stranger was at all likely to go thither, seeingthat no blackberries grew very near, and she had gone to the spot, moved by curiosity and a wish to look upon the sea, rather thanfrom any need; but that she could easily find the place againherself, inasmuch as she had marked it with three little stones. What was our first act after the all-merciful God had rescued usout of such misery, nay, even as it seemed, endowed us with greatriches, any one may guess. When we at length got up off our kneesmy child would straightway have run to tell the maid our joyfulnews. But I forbade her, seeing that we could not be sure that themaid might not tell it again to her friends, albeit in all otherthings she was a faithful woman, and feared God; but that if shedid that, the sheriff would be sure to hear of it, and to seizeupon our treasure for his princely Highness the Duke, that is tosay, for himself; and that naught would be left to us but thesight thereof, and our want would begin all over again; that wetherefore would say, when folks asked about the luck that hadbefallen us, that my deceased brother, who was a councillor atRotterdam, had left us a good lump of money; and indeed it wastrue that I had inherited near 200 florins from him a year ago, which, however, the soldiery (as mentioned above) cruelly robbedme of; _item_, that I would go to Wolgast myself next day, and sell the little bits as best I might, saying that thou hadstpicked them up by the seaside; thou mayst tell the maid the sameif thou wilt, but show the larger pieces to no one, and I willsend them to thy uncle at Hamburg, to be turned into money for us;perchance I may be able to sell one of them at Wolgast, if I findoccasion, so as to buy clothes enough for the winter, for thee andfor me, wherefore thou too mayst go with me. We will take the fewfarthings which the congregation have brought together to pay theferry, and thou canst order the maid to wait for us till eventideat the water-side to carry home the victuals. She agreed to allthis, but said we had better first break off some more amber, sothat we might get a good round sum for it at Hamburg; and Ithought so too, wherefore we stopped at home next day, seeing thatwe did not want for food, and that my child, as well as myself, both wished to refresh ourselves a little before we set out on ourjourney; _item_, we likewise bethought us that old MasterRothoog, of Loddin, who is a cabinet-maker, might knock together alittle box for us, to put the amber in, wherefore I sent the maidto him in the afternoon. Meanwhile we ourselves went up theStreckelberg, where I cut a young fir-tree with my pocket knife, which I had saved from the enemy, and shaped it like a spade, sothat I might be better able to dig deep therewith. First, however, we looked about us well on the mountain, and seeing nobody, mydaughter walked on to the place, which she straightway foundagain. Great God! what a mass of amber, was there! The vein washard upon twenty feet long, as near as I could feel, and the depthof it I could not sound. Nevertheless, save four good-sizedpieces, none, however, so big as those of yesterday, we this dayonly broke out little splinters, such as the apothecaries bruisefor incense. After we had most carefully covered and smoothed overthe place, a great mishap was very near befalling us; for we metWitthan her little girl, who was seeking blackberries, and sheasked what my daughter carried in her apron, who straightway grewred, and stammered so that our secret would have been betrayed ifI had not presently said, "What is that to thee? she has gotfir-apples, for firing, " which the child believed. Wherefore weresolved in future only to go up the mountain at night bymoonlight, and we went home and got there before the maid, and hidour treasure in the bedstead, so that she should not see it. CHAPTER X. _How we journeyed to Wolgast, and made good barter there. _ Two days after, so says my daughter, but old Ilse thinks it wasthree (and I myself know not which is true), we at last went tothe town, seeing that Master Rothoog had not got the box readybefore. My daughter covered it over with a piece of my departedwife her wedding gown, which the Imperialists had indeed torn topieces, but as they had left it lying outside, the wind had blownit into the orchard, where we found it. It was very shabby before, otherwise I doubt not they would have carried it off with them. Onaccount of the box we took old Ilse with us, who had to carry it, and as amber is very light ware, she readily believed that the boxheld nothing but eatables. At daybreak, then, we took our stavesin our hands, and set out with God. Near Zitze, [Footnote: Avillage half way between Coserow and Wolgast, now calledZinnowitz. ] a hare ran across the road before us, which they saybodes no good. Well-a-day!--When we came near Bannemin I asked afellow if it was true that here a mother had slaughtered her ownchild, from hunger, as I had heard. He said it was, and that theold woman's name was Zisse; but that God had been wroth at such ahorrid deed, and she had got no good by it, seeing that shevomited so much upon eating it that she forthwith gave up theghost. On the whole, he thought things were already going ratherbetter with the parish, as Almighty God had richly blessed themwith fish, both out of the sea and the Achterwater. Nevertheless agreat number of people had died of hunger here also. He told usthat their vicar, his reverence Johannes Lampius, [Footnote: Thepresent parish archives contain several short and incompletenotices of his sufferings during these dreadful wars. ] had had hishouse burnt down by the Imperialists, and was lying in a hovelnear the church. I sent him my greeting, desiring that he wouldsoon come to visit me (which the fellow promised he would takecare to deliver to him), for the reverend Johannes is a pious andlearned man, and has also composed sundry Latin_Chronosticha_ on these wretched times, in _metrumheroicum_, which, I must say, pleased me greatly. [Footnote:The old vicar has introduced them among the still existingparochial accounts, and we will here give a specimen of them:-- For 1620. VsqVe qVo Do MIne IrasCerls, sIs nobIs pater! For 1628. InqVe tVa DeXtra fer operaM tV ChrIste benIgne!] When we had crossed the ferry we went in at Sehms his house, onthe castle green, who keeps an ale-house; he told us that thepestilence had not yet altogether ceased in the town; whereat Iwas much afraid, more especially as he described to us so manyother horrors and miseries of these fearful times, both here andin other places, _e. G. _, of the great famine in the island ofRügen, where a number of people had grown as black as Moors fromhunger; a wondrous thing if it be true, and one might almostgather therefrom how the first blackamoors came about. [Footnote:Micrælius also, in his "Ancient Pomerania" (vol. Ixxi. 2), mentions this circumstance, but only says:--"Those who came overto Stralsund were quite black from the hunger they had suffered. "This accounts for the strange exaggeration of mine host, and thestill stranger conclusion of our author. ] But be that as it may. _Summa_. When Master Sehms had told us all the news he hadheard, and we had thus learnt to our great comfort that the Lordhad not visited us only in these times of heavy need, I called himaside into a chamber and asked him whether I could not here findmeans to get money for a piece of amber, which my daughter hadfound by the sea. At first he said "No;" but then recollecting, hebegan, "Stay, let me see, at Nicolas Graeke's, the inn at thecastle, there are two great Dutch merchants, Dieterich von Pehnenand Jacob Kiekebusch, who are come to buy pitch and boards, _item_, timber for ships and beams; perchance they may liketo cheapen your amber too; but you had better go up to the castleyourself, for I do not know for certain whether they still arethere. " This I did, although I had not yet eaten anything in theman's house, seeing that I wanted to know first what sort ofbargain I might make, and to save the farthings belonging to thechurch until then. So I went into the castle yard. Gracious God!what a desert had even his princely Highness' house become withina short time! The Danes had ruined the stables and hunting-lodge, anno 1628; _item_, destroyed several rooms in the castle; andin the _locamentum_ of his princely Highness Duke Philippus, where, anno 22, he so graciously entertained me and my child, aswill be told further on, now dwelt the innkeeper Nicolas Graeke;and all the fair tapestries, whereon was represented thepilgrimage to Jerusalem of his princely Highness Bogislaus X. , were torn down, and the walls left grey and bare. [Footnote:Compare Heller's "Chronicle of the Town of Wolgast, " p. 42, &c. The riots were caused by the successor of Philippus Julius (d. 6thFeb. 1625), who was also the last Duke of Pomerania, BogislausXIV. , choosing to reside in Stettin. At the present time thecastle is a mere ruin, and only several large vaulted cellarsremain, wherein some of the tradesmen of the present day keeptheir shops. ] At this sight my heart was sorely grieved; but Ipresently inquired for the merchants, who sat at the tabledrinking their parting cup, with their travelling equipmentsalready lying by them, seeing that they were just going to set outon their way to Stettin; straightway one of them jumped up fromhis liquor, a little fellow with a right noble paunch, and a blackplaster on his nose, and asked me what I would of them? I took himaside into a window, and told him I had some fine amber, if he hada mind to buy it of me, which he straightway agreed to do. Andwhen he had whispered somewhat into the ear of his fellow, hebegan to look very pleasant, and reached me the pitcher before wewent to my inn. I drank to him right heartily, seeing that, as Ihave already said, I was still fasting, so that I felt my veryheart warmed by it in an instant. (Gracious God! what can gobeyond a good draught of wine taken within measure!) After this wewent to my inn, and told the maid to carry the box on one sideinto a small chamber. I had scarce opened it and taken away thegown, when the man (whose name was Dieterich von Pehnen, as he hadtold me by the way), held up both hands for joy, and said he hadnever seen such wealth of amber, and how had I come by it? Ianswered that my child had found it on the sea-shore; whereat hewondered greatly that we had so much amber here, and offered me300 florins for the whole box. I was quite beside myself for joyat such an offer, but took care not to let him see it, andbargained with him till I got 500 florins, and I was to go withhim to the castle, and take the money forthwith. Hereupon Iordered mine host to make ready at once a mug of beer, and a gooddinner for my child, and went back to the castle with the man, andthe maid who carried the box, begging him, in order to avoidcommon talk, to say nothing of my good fortune to mine host, norindeed to any one else in the town, and to count out the money tome privately, seeing that I could not be sure that the thievesmight not lay in wait for me on the road home if they heard of it. And this the man did; for he whispered something into the ear ofhis fellow, who straightway opened his leathern surcoat, _item_, his doublet and hose, and unbuckled from his paunch awell-filled purse which he gave to him. _Summa_. --Before longI had my riches in my pocket, and, moreover, the man begged me towrite to him at Amsterdam whenever I found any more amber, thewhich I promised to do. But the worthy fellow, as I have sinceheard, died of the plague at Stettin, together with hiscompanion--truly I wish it had happened otherwise. [Footnote:Micrælius mentions these Dutch merchants, p. 171, but asserts thatthe cause of their death was doubtful, and that the townphysician, Dr. Laurentius Eichstadius, in Stettin, had written aspecial medical paper on the subject. However, he calls one ofthem Kiekepost, instead of Kiekebusch. ] Shortly after, I was verynear getting into great trouble; for, as I had an extreme longingto fall on my knees, so that I could not wait until such time as Ishould have got back to my inn, I went up three or four steps ofthe castle stairs, and entered into a small chamber, where Ihumbled myself before the Lord. But the host, Nicolas Graeke, followed me, thinking I was a thief, and would have stopped me, sothat I knew not how to excuse myself but by saying that I had beenmade drunken by the wine which the strange merchants had given tome (for he had seen what a good pull I had made at it), seeing Ihad not broken my fast that morning, and that I was looking for achamber wherein I might sleep a while, which lie he believed (ifin truth it were a lie, for I was really drunken, though not withwine, but with love and gratitude to my Maker), and accordingly helet me go. But I must now tell my story of his princely Highness, as Ipromised above. Anno 22, as I chanced to walk with my daughter, who was then a child of about twelve years old, in the castlegarden at Wolgast, and was showing her the beautiful flowers thatgrew there, it chanced that as we came round from behind somebushes we espied my gracious lord the Duke Philippus Julius, withhis princely Highness the Duke Bogislaff, who lay here on a visit, standing on a mount and conversing, wherefore we were about toreturn. But as my gracious lords presently walked on towards thedrawbridge, we went to look at the mount where they had stood; ofa sudden my little girl shouted loudly for joy, seeing that shefound on the earth a costly signet-ring, which one of theirprincely Highnesses doubtless had dropped. I therefore said, "Come, and we will follow our gracious lords with all speed, andthou shalt say to them in Latin: _Serenissimi principes, quisvestrum hunc annulum deperdidit_? (for, as I have mentionedabove, I had instructed her in the Latin tongue ever since herseventh year), and if one of them says _Ego_, give to him thering. _Item_, should he ask thee in Latin to whom thoubelongest, be not abashed, and say: _Ego sum filia pastorisCoserowiensis_; for thou wilt thus find favour in the eyes oftheir princely Highnesses, for they are both gracious gentlemen, more especially the taller one, who is our gracious rulerPhilippus Julius himself. " This she promised to do; but as shetrembled sorely as she went, I encouraged her yet more andpromised her a new gown if she did it, seeing that even as alittle child she would have given a great deal for fine clothes. As soon, then, as we were come into the courtyard, I stood by thestatue of his princely Highness Ernest Ludewig, [Footnote: Thefather of Philippus Julius, died at Wolgast 17th June 1592. ] andwhispered her to run boldly after them, as their princelyHighnesses were only a few steps before us, and had already turnedtoward the great entrance. This she did, but of a sudden she stoodstill, and would have turned back, because she was frightened bythe spurs of their princely Highnesses, as she afterwards told me, seeing that they rattled and jingled very loudly. But my gracious lady the Duchess Agnes saw her from the openwindow wherein she lay, and called to his princely Highness, "Mylord, there is a little maiden behind you, who, it seems, wouldspeak with you, " whereupon his princely Highness straightwayturned him round, smiling pleasantly, so that my little maidpresently took courage, and, holding up the ring, spoke in Latinas I had told her. Hereat both the princes wondered beyondmeasure, and after my gracious Duke Philippus had felt his finger, he answered, "_Dulcissima puella, ego perdidi_;" whereuponshe gave it to him. Then he patted her cheek, and again asked, "_Sed quoenam es, et unde venis_?" whereupon she boldly gaveher answer, and at the same time pointed with her finger to whereI stood by the statue; whereupon his princely Highness motioned meto draw near. My gracious lady saw all that passed from thewindow, but all at once she left it. She, however, came back to itagain before I had time even humbly to draw near to my graciouslord, and beckoned to my child, and held a cake out of the windowfor her. On my telling her she ran up to the window, but herprincely Highness could not reach so low nor she so high above heras to take it, wherefore my gracious lady commanded her to come upinto the castle, and as she looked anxiously round after me, motioned me also, as did my gracious lord himself, who presentlytook the timid little maid by the hand and went up with hisprincely Highness the Duke Bogislaff. My gracious lady came tomeet us at the door, and caressed and embraced my little daughter, so that she soon grew quite bold and ate the cake. When mygracious lord had asked me my name, _item_, why I had in sosingular a manner taught my daughter the Latin tongue, I answeredthat I had heard much from a cousin at Cologne of Maria Schurman, [Footnote: Anna Maria Schurman, born at Cologne on the 5th Nov. 1607, died at Wiewardin the 5th May 1678, was, according to theunanimous testimony of her contemporaries, a prodigy of learning, and perhaps the most learned woman that ever lived. The FrenchmanNaudé says of her, "You find in her alone all that the hand canfashion or the mind conceive. No one paints better, no one worksbetter in brass, wax, and wood. In needlework she excels all womenpast or present. It is impossible to say in what branch ofknowledge she is most distinguished. Not content with the Europeanlanguages, she understands Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, and writesLatin so well that no one who has devoted his whole life to it cando it better. " The celebrated Netherlander Spanheim calls her ateacher of the Graces and the Muses; the still more celebratedSalmasius confesses that he knows not in which branch of learningto say she excels: and the Pole Rotyer calls her "The sole exampleof all wondrous works in one single learned person, and a perfect_monstrum_ of her sex, yet without fault or blame. " For, intruth, with all her extraordinary knowledge she was marvellouslyhumble, although she herself confesses that the immoderate praisesof the learned even yet at times blinded her to her own defects. In her later years she went over to the sect of the Labadists, which appears to have some points in common with that of theMuckers. She died unmarried, as an early love affair in herfifteenth year with the Dutchman Caets had been broken off. It isrelated of her, as a strange fancy, that she liked to eat spiders. The celebrated Spanheim was the first to publish an edition of herworks under the title of _Annæ Mariæ a Schurman Opuscula_. Leyden, 1648. ] and as I had observed a very excellent_ingenium_ in my child, and also had time enough in my lonelycure, I did not hesitate to take her in hand, and teach her fromher youth up, seeing I had no boy alive. Hereat their princelyHighnesses marvelled greatly, and put some more questions to herin Latin, which she answered without any prompting from me. Whereupon my gracious lord Duke Philippus said in the vulgartongue, "When thou art grown up and art one day to be married, tell it to me, and thou shalt then have another ring from me, andwhatsoever else pertains to a bride, for thou hast this day doneme good service, seeing that this ring is a precious jewel to me, as I had it from my wife. " Hereupon I whispered her to kiss hisprincely Highness' hand for such a promise, and so she did. (But alas, most gracious God, it is one thing to promise and quiteanother to hold! Where is his princely Highness at this time?Wherefore let me ever keep in mind that "Thou only art faithful, and that which Thou hast promised Thou wilt surely hold. " Ps. Xxxiii. 4. Amen. [Footnote: Luther's version. ]) _Item_. --Whenhis princely Highness had also inquired concerning myself and mycure, and heard that I was of ancient and noble family, and my_salarium_ very small, he called from the window to hischancellor, D. Rungius, who stood without, looking at thesun-dial, and told him that I was to have an addition from theconvent at Pudgla, _item_, from the crownlands at Ernsthoff, as I mentioned above; but, more's the pity, I never have receivedthe same, although the _instrumentum donationis_ was sent mesoon after by his princely Highness' chancellor. Then cakes were brought for me also, _item_, a glass offoreign wine in a glass painted with armorial bearings, whereuponI humbly took my leave, together with my daughter. However, to come back to my bargain, anybody may guess what joy mychild felt when I showed her the fair ducats and florins I hadgotten for the amber. To the maid, however, we said that we hadinherited such riches from my brother in Holland, and after we hadagain given thanks to the Lord on our knees, and eaten our dinner, we bought in a great store of bread, salt, meat, and stock-fish:_item_, of clothes, seeing that I provided what was needfulfor us three throughout the winter from the cloth-merchant. Moreover, for my daughter I bought a hair-net and a scarlet silkbodice, with a black apron and white petticoat, _item_, afine pair of earrings, as she begged hard for them; and as soon asI had ordered the needful from the cordwainer we set out on ourway homewards, as it began to grow very dark; but we could notcarry nearly all we had bought. Wherefore we were forced to get apeasant from Bannemin to help us, who likewise was come into thetown, and as I found out from him that the fellow who gave me thepiece of bread was a poor cotter called Pantermehl, who dwelt inthe village by the roadside, I shoved a couple of loaves in at hishouse-door without his knowing it, and we went on our way by thebright moonlight, so that by the help of God we got home about teno'clock at night. I likewise gave a loaf to the other fellow, though truly he deserved it not, seeing that he would go with usno further than to Zitze. But I let him go, for I, too, had notdeserved that the Lord should so greatly bless me. CHAPTER XI. _How I fed all the congregation--Item, how I journeyed to thehorse-fair at Gützkow, and what befell me there. _ Next morning my daughter cut up the blessed bread, and sent toevery one in the village a good large piece. But as we saw thatour store would soon run low, we sent the maid with a truck, whichwe bought of Adam Lempken, to Wolgast, to buy more bread, whichshe did. _Item_, I gave notice throughout the parish that onSunday next I should administer the Blessed Sacrament, and in themeantime I bought up all the large fish that the people of thevillage had caught. And when the blessed Sunday was come I firstheard the confessions of the whole parish, and after that Ipreached a sermon on Matt. Xv. 32, "I have compassion on themultitude ... For they have nothing to eat. " I first applied thesame to spiritual food only, and there arose a great sighing fromboth the men and the women, when, at the end, I pointed to thealtar whereon stood the blessed food for the soul, and repeatedthe words, "I have compassion on the multitude ... For they havenothing to eat. " (_N. B. _ The pewter cup I had borrowed atWolgast, and bought there a little earthenware plate for a patentill such time as Master Bloom should have made ready the silvercup and paten I had bespoke. ) Thereupon as soon as I hadconsecrated and administered the Blessed Sacrament, _item_, led the closing hymn, and every one had silently prayed his "OurFather" before going out of church, I came out of the confessionalagain, and motioned the people to stay yet awhile, as the blessedSaviour would feed not only their souls, but their bodies also, seeing that He still had the same compassion on His people as ofold on the people at the Sea of Galilee, as they should presentlysee. Then I went into the tower and fetched out two baskets whichthe maid had bought at Wolgast, and which I had hidden there ingood time; set them down in front of the altar, and took off thenapkins with which they were covered, whereupon a very loud shoutarose, inasmuch as they saw one filled with broiled fish and theother with bread, which we had put into them privately. Hereupon, like our Saviour, I gave thanks and brake it, and gave it to thechurchwarden, Hinrich Seden, that he might distribute it among themen, and to my daughter for the women. Whereupon I madeapplication of the text, "I have compassion on the multitude, forthey have nothing to eat, " to the food of the body also; andwalking up and down in the church amid great outcries from all, Iexhorted them always to trust in God's mercy, to pray withoutceasing, to work diligently, and to consent to no sin. What wasleft I made them gather up for their children and the old peoplewho were left at home. After church, when I had scarce put off my surplice, Hinrich Sedenhis squint-eyed wife came and impudently asked for more for herhusband's journey to Liepe; neither had she had anything forherself, seeing she had not come to church. This angered me sore, and I said to her, "Why wast thou not at church? Nevertheless, ifthou hadst come humbly to me thou shouldst have gotten somewhateven now, but as thou comest impudently, I will give thee naught:think on what thou didst to me and to my child. " But she stood atthe door and glowered impudently about the room till my daughtertook her by the arm and led her out, saying, "Hear'st thou, thoushall come back humbly before thou gett'st anything, but when thoucomest thus, thou also shall have thy share, for we will no longerreckon with thee an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; letthe Lord do that if such be His will, but we will gladly forgivethee!" Hereupon she at last went out at the door, muttering toherself as she was wont; but she spat several times in the street, as we saw from the window. Soon after I made up my mind to take into my service a lad, nearupon twenty years of age, called Claus Neels, seeing that hisfather, old Neels of Loddin, begged hard that I would do so, besides which the lad pleased me well in manners and otherwise. Then, as we had a good harvest this year, I resolved to buy me acouple of horses forthwith, and to sow my field again; foralthough it was now late in the year, I thought that the mostmerciful God might bless the crop with increase if it seemed goodto Him. Neither did I feel much care with respect to food for them, inasmuch as there was a great plenty of hay in the neighbourhood, seeing that all the cattle had been killed or driven away (asrelated above). I therefore made up my mind to go in God's namewith my new ploughman to Gützkow, whither a great many Mecklenburghorses were brought to the fair, seeing that times were not yet sobad there as with us. [Footnote: The fief of Mecklenburg was givenby the Emperor to Wallenstein, who spared the country as much ashe could. ] Meanwhile I went a few more times up the Streckelbergwith my daughter at night, and by moonlight, but found verylittle; so that we began to think our luck had come to an end, when, on the third night, we broke off some pieces of amber biggereven than those the two Dutchmen had bought. These I resolved tosend to my wife's brother, Martin Behring, at Hamburg, seeing thatthe schipper Wulff of Wolgast intends, as I am told, to sailthither this very autumn, with pitch and wood for shipbuilding. Iaccordingly packed it all up in a strong chest, which I carriedwith me to Wolgast when I started with my man on my journey toGützkow. Of this journey I will only relate thus much, that therewere plenty of horses, and very few buyers in the market. Wherefore I bought a pair of fine black horses for twenty florinsapiece; _item_, a cart for five florins; _item_, twenty-five bushels of rye, which also came from Mecklenburg, atone florin the bushel, whereas it is hardly to be had now atWolgast for love or money, and cost three florins or more thebushel. I might therefore have made a good bargain in rye atGützkow if it had become my office, and had I not, moreover, beenafraid lest the robbers, who swarm in these evil times, shouldtake away my corn, and ill-use, and perchance murder me into thebargain, as has happened to sundry people already. For, at thistime especially, such robberies were carried on after a strangeand frightful fashion on Strellin heath at Gützkow; but by God'shelp it all came to light just as I journeyed thither with myman-servant to the fair, and I will here tell how it happened. Some months before a man had been broken on the wheel at Gützkow, because, being tempted of Satan, he murdered a travelling workman. The man, however, straightway began to walk after so fearful afashion, that in the evening and night-season he sprang down fromthe wheel in his gallows dress whenever a cart passed by thegallows, which stands hard by the road to Wolgast, and jumped upbehind the people, who in horror and dismay flogged on theirhorses, and thereby made a great rattling on the log embankmentwhich leads beside the gallows into a little wood called theKraulin. And it was a strange thing that on the same night thetravellers were almost always robbed or murdered on Strellinheath. Hereupon the magistrates had the man taken down from thewheel, and buried under the gallows, in hopes of laying his ghost. But it went on just as before, sitting at night snow-white on thewheel, so that none durst any longer travel the road to Wolgast. Until at last it happened that, at the time of the above-namedfair, young Rudiger von Nienkerken of Mellenthin, in Usedom, whohad been studying at Wittenberg and elsewhere, and was now on hisway home, came this road by night with his carriage. Just before, at the inn, I myself had tried to persuade him to stop the nightat Gutzkow on account of the ghost, and to go on his journey withme next morning, but he would not. Now as soon as this young lorddrove along the road, he also espied the apparition sitting on thewheel, and scarcely had he passed the gallows when the ghostjumped down and ran after him. The driver was horribly afraid, andlashed on the horses as everybody else had done before, and they, taking fright, galloped away over the log-road with a marvellousclatter. Meanwhile, however, the young nobleman saw by the lightof the moon how that the apparition flattened a ball of horse-dungwhereon it trod, and straightway felt sure within himself that itwas no ghost. Whereupon he called to the driver to stop; and asthe man would not hearken to him, he sprung out of the carriage, drew his rapier, and hastened to attack the ghost. When the ghostsaw this he would have turned and fled; but the young noblemangave him such a blow on the head with his fist that he fell uponthe ground with a loud wailing. _Summa:_ the young lord, having called back his driver, dragged the ghost into the townagain, where he turned out to be a shoe-maker called Schwelm. I also, on seeing such a great crowd, ran thither with manyothers, to look at the fellow. He trembled like an aspen leaf; andwhen he was roughly told to make a clean breast, whereby he mightperadventure save his own life, if it appeared that he hadmurdered no one, he confessed that he had got his wife to make hima gallows dress, which he had put on, and had sat on the wheelbefore the dead man, when, from the darkness and the distance, noone could see that the two were sitting there together; and thishe did more especially when he knew that a cart was going from thetown to Wolgast. When the cart came by, and he jumped down and ranafter it, all the people were so affrighted that they no longerkept their eyes upon the gallows, but only on him, flogged thehorses, and galloped with much noise and clatter over the logembankment. This was heard by his fellows in Strellin andDammbecke (two villages which are about three-fourths on the way), who held themselves ready to unyoke the horses and to plunder thetravellers when they came up with them. That after the dead manwas buried he could play the ghost more easily still, &c. Thatthis was the whole truth, and that he himself had never in hislife robbed, still less murdered, any one; wherefore he begged tobe forgiven: that all the robberies and murders which had happenedhad been done by his fellows alone. Ah, thou cunning knave! But Iheard afterwards that he and his fellows were broken on the wheeltogether, as was but fair. And now to come back to my journey. Theyoung nobleman abode that night with me at the inn, and early nextmorning we both set forth; and as we had grown into goodfellowship together, I got into his coach with him as he offeredme, so as to talk by the way, and my Claus drove behind us. I soonfound that he was a well-bred, honest, and learned gentleman, seeing that he despised the wild student life, and was glad thathe had now done with their scandalous drinking-bouts: moreover, hetalked his Latin readily. I had therefore much pleasure with himin the coach. However, at Wolgast the rope of the ferry-boatbroke, so that we were carried down the stream to Zeuzin, [Footnote: Now Sauzin. ] and at length we only got ashore withgreat trouble. Meanwhile it grew late, and we did not get intoCoserow till nine, when I asked the young lord to abide the nightwith me, which he agreed to do. We found my child sitting in thechimney corner, making a petticoat for her little god-daughter outof her own old clothes. She was greatly frighted, and changedcolour when she saw the young lord come in with me, and heard thathe was to lie there that night, seeing that as yet we had no morebeds than we had bought for our own need from old Zabel Nering theforest-ranger his widow, at Uekeritze. Wherefore she took measide: What was to be done? My bed was in an ill plight, herlittle godchild having lain on it that morning; and she could nowise put the young nobleman into hers, although she wouldwillingly creep in by the maid herself. And when I asked her whynot? she blushed scarlet, and began to cry, and would not showherself again the whole evening, so that the maid had to see toeverything, even to the putting white sheets on my child's bed forthe young lord, as she would not do it herself. I only tell thisto show how maidens are. For next morning she came into the roomwith her red silk bodice, and the net on her hair, and the apron;_summa, _ dressed in all the things I had bought her atWolgast, so that the young lord was amazed, and talked much withher over the morning meal. Whereupon he took his leave, anddesired me to visit him at his castle. CHAPTER XII. _What further joy and sorrow befell us; item, how WittichAppelmann rode to Damerow to the wolf-hunt, and what he proposedto my daughter. _ The Lord blessed my parish wonderfully this winter, inasmuch asnot only a great quantity of fish were caught and sold in all thevillages, but in Coserow they even killed four seals; _item, _the great storm of the 12th of December threw a goodly quantity ofamber on the shore, so that many found amber, although no verylarge pieces, and they began to buy cows and sheep from Liepe andother places, as I myself also bought two cows; _item, _ mygrain which I had sown, half on my own field and half on oldPaasch's, sprung up bravely and gladly, as the Lord had till_datum_ bestowed on us an open winter; but so soon as it hadshot up a finger's length, we found it one morning again torn upand ruined, and this time also by the devil's doings, since now, as before, not the smallest trace of oxen or of horses was to beseen in the field. May the righteous God, however, reward it, asindeed He already has done. Amen. Meanwhile, however, something uncommon happened. For one morning, as I have heard, when Lord Wittich saw out of the window that thedaughter of his fisherman, a child of sixteen, whom he haddiligently pursued, went into the coppice to gather dry sticks, hewent thither too; wherefore, I will not say, but every one mayguess for himself. When he had gone some way along the conventmound, and was come to the first bridge, where the mountain-ashstands, he saw two wolves coming towards him; and as he had noweapon with him, save a staff, he climbed up into a tree;whereupon the wolves trotted round it, blinked at him with theireyes, licked their lips, and at last jumped with their fore-pawsup against the tree, snapping at him; he then saw that one was ahe-wolf, a great fat brute with only one eye. Hereupon in hisfright he began to scream, and the long-suffering of God was againshown to him, without, however, making him wiser; for the maiden, who had crept behind a juniper-bush in the field, when she saw thesheriff coming, ran back again to the castle and called together anumber of people, who came and drove away the wolves, and rescuedhis lordship. He then ordered a great wolf-hunt to be held nextday in the convent wood, and he who brought the one-eyed monster, dead or alive, was to have a barrel of beer for his pains. Stillthey could not catch him, albeit they that day took four wolves intheir nets, and killed them. He therefore straightway ordered awolf-hunt to be held in my parish. But when the fellow came totoll the bell for a wolf-hunt, he did not stop awhile, as is thewont for wolf-hunts, but loudly rang the bell on, _sinemord, _ so that all the folk thought a fire had broken out, andran screaming out of their houses. My child also came running out(I myself had driven to visit a sick person at Zempin, seeing thatwalking began to be wearisome to me, and that I could now affordto be more at mine ease); but she had not stood long, and wasasking the reason of the ringing, when the sheriff himself, on hisgrey charger, with three cart-loads of toils and nets followinghim, galloped up and ordered the people straightway to go into theforest and to drive the wolves with rattles. Hereupon he, with hishunters and a few men whom he had picked out of the crowd, were toride on and spread the nets behind Damerow, seeing that the islandis wondrous narrow there, [Footnote: The space, which isconstantly diminishing, now scarcely measures a bow-shot across. ]and the wolf dreads the water. When he saw my daughter he turnedhis horse round, chucked her under the chin, and graciously askedher who she was, and whence she came? When he had heard it, hesaid she was as fair as an angel, and that he had not known tillnow that the parson here had so beauteous a girl. He then rodeoff, looking round at her two or three times. At the first beatingthey found the one-eyed wolf, who lay in the rushes near thewater. Hereat his lordship rejoiced greatly, and made the groomsdrag him out of the net with long iron hooks, and hold him therefor near an hour, while my lord slowly and cruelly tortured him todeath, laughing heartily the while, which is a _prognosticon_of what he afterwards did with my poor child, for wolf or lamb isall one to this villain. Just God! But I will not be beforehandwith my tale. Next day came old Seden his squint-eyed wife, limping like a lamedog, and put it to my daughter whether she would not go into theservice of the sheriff; praised him as a good and pious man; andvowed that all the world said of him were foul lies, as sheherself could bear witness, seeing that she had lived in hisservice for above ten years. _Item, _ she praised the goodcheer they had there, and the handsome beer-money that the greatlords who often lay there gave the servants which waited uponthem; that she herself had more than once received a rose-noblefrom his princely Highness Duke Ernest Ludewig; moreover, manypretty fellows came there, which might make her fortune, inasmuchas she was a fair woman, and might take her choice of a husband;whereas here in Coserow, where nobody ever came, she might waittill she was old and ugly before she got a curch on her head, &c. Hereat my daughter was beyond measure angered, and answered, "Ah!thou old witch, and who has told thee that I wish to go intoservice, to get a curch on my head? Go thy ways, and never enterthe house again, for I have naught to do with thee. " Whereupon shewalked away again, muttering between her teeth. Scarce had a few days passed, and I was standing in the chamberwith the glazier, who was putting in new windows, when I heard mydaughter scream in the kitchen. Whereupon I straightway ran inthither, and was shocked and affrighted when I saw the sheriffhimself standing in the corner with his arm round my child herneck; he, however, presently let her go, and said, "Aha, reverendAbraham, what a coy little fool you have for a daughter! I wantedto greet her with a kiss, as I always used to do, and shestruggled and cried out as if I had been some young fellow who hadstolen in upon her, whereas I might be her father twice over. " AsI answered naught, he went on to say that he had done it toencourage her, seeing that he desired to take her into hisservice, as indeed I knew, with more excuses of the same kindwhich I have forgot. Hereupon I pressed him to come into the room, seeing that after all he was the ruler set over me by God, andhumbly asked what his lordship desired of me. Whereupon heanswered me graciously, that it was true he had just cause foranger against me, seeing that I had preached at him before thewhole congregation, but that he was ready to forgive me and tohave the complaint he had sent in _contra_ me to his princelyHighness at Stettin, and which might easily cost me my place, returned to him if I would but do his will. And when I asked whathis lordship's will might be, and excused myself as best I mightwith regard to the sermon, he answered that he stood in great needof a faithful housekeeper whom he could set over the other womenfolk; and as he had learnt that my daughter was a faithful andtrustworthy person, he would that I should send her into hisservice. "See there, " said he to her, and pinched her cheek thewhile. "I want to lead you to honour, though you are such a youngcreature, and yet you cry out as if I were going to bring you todishonour. Fie upon you!" (My child still remembers allthis--_verbolenus_; I myself should have forgot it a hundredtimes over in all the wretchedness I since underwent. ) But she wasoffended at his words, and, jumping up from her seat, she answeredshortly, "I thank your lordship for the honour, but will only keephouse for my papa, which is a better honour for me;" whereupon heturned to me and asked what I said to that. I must own that I wasnot a little affrighted, inasmuch as I thought of the future andof the credit in which the sheriff stood with his princelyHighness. I therefore answered with all humility, that I could notforce my child, and that I loved to have her about me, seeing thatmy dear huswife had departed this life during the heavypestilence, and I had no child but only her. That I hopedtherefore his lordship would not be displeased with me that Icould not send her into his lordship's service. This angered himsore, and after disputing some time longer in vain he took leave, not without threats that he would make me pay for it. _Item_, my man, who was standing in the stable, heard him say as he wentround the corner, "I will have her yet, in spite of him!" I was already quite disheartened by all this, when, on the Sundayfollowing, there came his huntsman Johannes Kurt, a tall, handsomefellow, and smartly dressed. He brought a roebuck tied before himon his horse, and said that his lordship had sent it to me for apresent, in hopes that I would think better of his offer, seeingthat he had been ever since seeking on all sides for a housekeeperin vain. Moreover, that if I changed my mind about it his lordshipwould speak for me to his princely Highness, so that the dotationof Duke Philippus Julius should be paid to me out of the princely_ærarium_ &c. But the young fellow got the same answer as hismaster had done, and I desired him to take the roebuck away withhim again. But this he refused to do; and as I had by chance toldhim at first that game was my favourite meat, he promised tosupply me with it abundantly, seeing that there was plenty of gamein the forest, and that he often went a-hunting on theStreckelberg; moreover, that I (he meant my daughter) pleased himuncommonly, the more because I would not do his master's will, who, as he told me in confidence, would never leave any girl inpeace, and certainly would not let my damsel alone. Although I hadrejected his game, he brought it notwithstanding, and in thecourse of three weeks he was sure to come four or five times, andgrew more and more sweet upon my daughter. He talked a vast dealabout his good place, and how he was in search of a good huswife, whence we soon guessed what quarter the wind blew from. _Ergo_, my daughter told him that if he was seeking for ahuswife she wondered that he lost his time in riding to Coserow tono purpose, for that she knew of no huswife for him there, whichvexed him so sore that he never came again. And now any one would think that the grapes were sour even for thesheriff; nevertheless he came riding to us soon after, and withoutmore ado asked my daughter in marriage for his huntsman. Moreover, he promised to build him a house of his own in the forest;_item_, to give him pots and kettles, crockery, bedding, &c. , seeing that he had stood godfather to the young fellow, who, moreover, had ever borne himself well during seven years he hadbeen in his service. Hereupon my daughter answered that hislordship had already heard that she would keep house for nobodybut her papa, and that she was still much too young to become ahuswife. This, however, did not seem to anger him, but, after he had talkeda long time to no purpose, he took leave quite kindly, like a catwhich pretends to let a mouse go, and creeps behind the corners, but she is not in earnest, and presently springs out upon itagain. For doubtless he saw that he had set to work stupidly;wherefore he went away in order to begin his attack again after abetter fashion, and Satan went with him, as whilom with JudasIscariot, CHAPTER XIII. _What more happened during the winter--Item, how in the springwitchcraft began in the village. _ Nothing else of note happened during the winter, save that themerciful God bestowed a great plenty of fish both from theAchterwater and the sea, and the parish again had good food; sothat it might be said of us, as it is written, "For a small momenthave I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. "[Footnote: Isa. Liv. 7. ] Wherefore we were not weary of praisingthe Lord; and the whole congregation did much for the church, buying new pulpit and altar cloths, seeing that the enemy hadstolen the old ones. _Item_, they desired to make good to methe money I had paid for the new cups, which, however, I would nottake. There were still, however, about ten peasants in the parish whohad not been able to buy their seed-corn for the spring, inasmuchas they had spent all their earnings on cattle and corn for bread. I therefore made an agreement with them that I would lend them themoney for it, and that if they could not repay me this year, theymight the next, which offer they thankfully took; and we sentseven waggons to Friedland, in Mecklenburg, to fetch seed-corn forus all. For my beloved brother-in-law, Martin Behring, in Hamburg, had already sent me by the schipper Wulf, who had sailed home byChristmas, 700 florins for the amber: may the Lord prosper it withhim! Old Thiemcke died this winter in Loddin, who used to be themidwife in the parish, and had also brought my child into theworld. Of late, however, she had had but little to do, seeing thatin this year I only baptized two children, namely, Jung his son inUekeritze, and Lene Hebers her little daughter, the same whom theImperialists afterwards speared. _Item_, it was now full fiveyears since I had married the last couple. Hence any one may guessthat I might have starved to death, had not the righteous God somercifully considered and blessed me in other ways. Wherefore toHim alone be all honour and glory. Amen. Meanwhile, however, it so happened that, not long after thesheriff had last been here, witchcraft began in the village. I satreading with my child the second book of _Virgilus_, of thefearful destruction of the city of Troy, which was more terribleeven than that of our own village, when a cry arose that our oldneighbour Zabel his red cow, which he had bought only a few daysbefore, had stretched out all fours, and seemed about to die; andthis was the more strange as she had fed heartily but half-an-hourbefore. My child was therefore begged to go and pluck three hairsfrom its tail and bury them under the threshold of the stall; forit was well known that if this was done by a pure maid the cowwould get better. My child then did as they would have her, seeingthat she is the only maid in the whole village (for the others arestill children); and the cow got better from that very hour, whereat all the folks were amazed. But it was not long before thesame thing befell Witthahn her pig, whilst it was feedingheartily. She too came running to beg my child for God's sake totake compassion on her, and to do something for her pig, as illmen had bewitched it. Hereupon she had pity on her also; and itdid as much good as it had done before. But the woman, who was_gravida_, was straightway taken in labour from the fright;and my child was scarce out of the pig-stye when the woman wentinto her cottage, wailing and holding by the wall, and calledtogether all the women of the neighbourhood, seeing that theproper midwife was dead, as mentioned above; and before longsomething shot to the ground from under her; and when the womenstooped down to pick it up, the devil's imp, which had wings likea bat, flew up off the ground, whizzed and buzzed about the room, and then shot out of the window with a great noise, so that theglass clattered down into the street. When they looked after it, nothing was to be found. Any one may judge for himself what agreat noise this made in all the neighbourhood. And the wholevillage believed that it was no one but old Seden his squint-eyedwife that had brought forth such a devil's brat. But the people soon knew not what to believe. For that woman hercow got the same thing as all the other cows; wherefore she toocame lamenting, and begged my daughter to take pity on her as onthe rest, and to cure her poor cow for the love of God. That ifshe had taken it ill of her that she had said anything about goinginto service with the sheriff, she could only say she had done itfor the best, &c. _Summa_, she talked over my unhappy childto go and cure her cow. Meanwhile I was on my knees every Sunday before the Lord with thewhole congregation, praying that He would not allow the evil oneto take from us that which His mercy had once more bestowed uponus after such extreme want; _item_, that he would bring tolight the _auctor_ of such devilish works, so that he mightreceive the punishment he deserved. But all was of no avail. For a very few days had passed when themischief befell Stoffer Zuter his spotted cow, and he, too, likeall the rest, came running to fetch my daughter; she accordinglywent with him, but could do no good, and the beast died under herhands. _Item_, Katy Berow had bought a little pig with the money mydaughter had paid her in the winter for spinning, and the poorwoman kept it like a child, and let it run about her room. Thislittle pig got the mischief, like all the rest, in the twinklingof an eye; and when my daughter was called it grew no better, butalso died under her hands; whereupon the poor woman made a greatoutcry and tore her hair for grief, so that my child was moved topity her, and promised her another pig next time my sow shouldlitter. Meantime another week passed over, during which I went on, together with the whole congregation, to call upon the Lord forHis merciful help, but all in vain, when the same thing happenedto old wife Seden her little pig. Whereupon she again came runningfor my daughter with loud outcries, and although my child told herthat she must have seen herself that nothing she could do for thecattle cured them any longer, she ceased not to beg and pray her, and to lament, till she went forth to do what she could for herwith the help of God. But it was all to no purpose, inasmuch asthe little pig died before she left the stye. What think you this devil's whore then did? After she had runscreaming through the village she said that any one might see thatmy daughter was no longer a maid, else why could she now do nogood to the cattle, whereas she had formerly cured them? Shesupposed my child had lost her maiden honour on the Streckelberg, whither she went so often this spring, and that God only knew whohad taken it! But she said no more then, and we did not hear thewhole until afterwards. And it is indeed true that my child hadoften walked on the Streckelberg this spring both with me and alsoalone, in order to seek for flowers and to look upon the blessedsea, while she recited aloud, as she was wont, such verses out of_Virgilius_ as pleased her best (for whatever she read a fewtimes that she remembered). Neither did I forbid her to take these walks, for there were nowolves now left on the Streckelberg, and even if there had beenthey always fly before a human creature in the summer season. Howbeit, I forbade her to dig for amber. For as it now lay deep, and we knew not what to do with the earth we threw up, I resolvedto tempt the Lord no further, but to wait till my store of moneygrew very scant before we would dig any more. But my child did not do as I had bidden her, although she hadpromised she would, and of this her disobedience came all ourmisery. (O blessed Lord, how grave a matter is Thy holy fourthcommandment! [Footnote: In Luther's version. ]) For as hisreverence Johannes Lampius, of Crummin, who visited me thisspring, had told me that the Cantor of Wolgast wanted to sell the_Opp. St. Augustini_, and I had said before her that Idesired above all things to buy that book, but had not moneyenough left; she got up in the night without my knowledge to digfor amber, meaning to sell it as best she might at Wolgast, inorder secretly to present me with the _Opp. St. Augustini_ onmy birthday, which falls on the 28th _mensis Augusti_. Shehad always covered over the earth she cast up with twigs of fir, whereof there were plenty in the forest, so that no one shouldperceive anything of it. Meanwhile, however, it befell that the young _nobilis_Rüdiger of Nienkerken came riding one day to gather news of theterrible witchcraft that went on in the village. When I told himall about it he shook his head doubtingly, and said he believedthat all witchcraft was nothing but lies and deceit; whereat I wasstruck with great horror, inasmuch as I had hitherto held theyoung lord to be a wiser man, and now could not but see that hewas an atheist. He guessed what my thoughts were, and with a smilehe answered me by asking whether I had ever read Johannes Wierus, [Footnote: A Netherland physician, who, long before Spee orThomasius, attacked the wicked follies of the belief in witchcraftprevalent in his time in the paper entitled _Confulatioopinionum de magorum Dæmonomia_, Frankfort, 1590, and wastherefore denounced by Bodinus and others as one of the worstmagicians. It is curious that this liberal man had in anotherbook, _De præstigiis Dæmonum_, taught the method of raisingdevils, and described the whole of hell, with the names andsurnames of its 572 princes. ] who would hear nothing ofwitchcraft, and who argued that all witches were melancholypersons who only imagined to themselves that they had a_pactum_ with the devil; and that to him they seemed moreworthy of pity than of punishment? Hereupon I answered that I hadnot indeed read any such book (for say, who can read all thatfools write?), but that the appearances here and in all otherplaces proved that it was a monstrous error to deny the reality ofwitchcraft, inasmuch as people might then likewise deny that therewere such things as murder, adultery, and theft. But he called my _argumentum_ a _dilemma_, and after hehad discoursed a great deal of the devil, all of which I haveforgotten, seeing it savoured strangely of heresy, he said hewould relate to me a piece of witchcraft which he himself had seenat Wittenberg. It seems that one morning, as an Imperial captain mounted his goodcharger at the Elstergate in order to review his company, thehorse presently began to rage furiously, reared, tossed his head, snorted, kicked, and roared not as horses use to neigh, but with asound as though the voice came from a human throat, so that allthe folks were amazed, and thought the horse bewitched. Itpresently threw the captain and crushed his head with its hoof, sothat he lay writhing on the ground, and straightway set off atfull speed. Hereupon a trooper fired his carabine at the bewitchedhorse, which fell in the midst of the road, and presently died. That he, Riidiger, had then drawn near, together with many others, seeing that the colonel had forthwith given orders to the surgeonof the regiment to cut open the horse and see in what state it wasinwardly. However, that everything was quite right, and both thesurgeon and army physician testified that the horse was thoroughlysound; whereupon all the people cried out more than ever aboutwitchcraft. Mean-while he himself (I mean the young_nobilis_) saw a thin smoke coming out from the horse'snostrils, and on stooping down to look what it might be, he drewout a match as long as my finger, which still smouldered, andwhich some wicked fellow had privately thrust into its nose with apin. Hereupon all thoughts of witchcraft were at an end, andsearch was made for the culprit, who was presently found to be noother than the captain's own groom. For one day that his masterhad dusted his jacket for him he swore an oath that he would havehis revenge, which indeed the provost-marshal himself had heard ashe chanced to be standing in the stable. _Item_, anothersoldier bore witness that he had seen the fellow cut a piece offthe fuse not long before he led out his master's horse. And thus, thought the young lord, would it be with all witchcraft if it weresifted to the bottom; like as I myself had seen at Giitzkow, wherethe devil's apparition turned out to be a cordwainer, and that oneday I should own that it was the same sort of thing here in ourvillage. By reason of this speech I liked not the young noblemanfrom that hour forward, believing him to be an atheist. Though, indeed, afterwards, I have had cause to see that he was in theright, more's the pity, for had it not been for him what wouldhave become of my daughter? But I will say nothing beforehand. _Summa_: I walked aboutthe room in great displeasure at his words, while the young lordbegan to argue with my daughter upon witchcraft, now in Latin, andnow in the vulgar tongue, as the words came into his mouth, andwanted to hear her mind about it. But she answered that she was afoolish thing, and could have no opinion on the matter; but that, nevertheless, she believed that what happened in the village couldnot be by natural means. Hereupon the maid called me out of theroom (I forget what she wanted of me); but when I came back againmy daughter was as red as scarlet, and the nobleman stood closebefore her. I therefore asked her, as soon as he had ridden off, whether anything had happened, which she at first denied, butafterwards owned that he had said to her while I was gone, that heknew but one person who could bewitch; and when she asked him whothat person was, he caught hold of her hand and said, "It isyourself, sweet maid; for you have thrown a spell upon my heart, as I feel right well!" But that he said nothing further, but onlygazed on her face with eager eyes, and this it was that made herso red. But this is the way with maidens; they ever have their secrets ifone's back is turned but for a minute; and the proverb-- "To drive a goose and watch a maidNeeds the devil himself to aid, " is but too true, as will be shown hereafter, more's the pity! CHAPTER XIV. _How old Seden disappeared all on a sudden--Item, how the greatGustavus Adolphus came to Pomeranla, and took the fort atPeenemünde. _ We were now left for some time in peace from witchcraft; unless, indeed, I reckon the caterpillars, which miserably destroyed myorchard, and which truly were a strange thing. For the treesblossomed so fair and sweetly, that one day as we were walkingunder them, and praising the almighty power of the most mercifulGod, my child said, "If the Lord goes on to bless us soabundantly, it will be Christmas Eve with us every night of nextwinter!" But things soon fell out far otherwise. For all in amoment the trees were covered with such swarms of caterpillars(great and small, and of every shape and colour), that one mighthave measured them by the bushel; and before long my poor treeslooked like brooms; and the blessed fruit, which was so well set, all fell off, and was scarce good enough for the pigs. I do notchoose to lay this to any one, though I had my own privatethoughts upon the matter, and have them yet. However, my barley, whereof I had sown about three bushels out on the common, shot upbravely. On my field I had sown nothing, seeing that I dreaded themalice of Satan. Neither was corn at all plentiful throughout theparish, in part because they had sown no winter crops, and in partbecause the summer crops did not prosper. However, in all thevillages a great supply of fish was caught by the mercy of God, especially herring; but they were very low in price. Moreover, they killed many seals; and at Whitsuntide I myself killed one asI walked by the sea with my daughter. The creature lay on a rockclose to the water, snoring like a Christian. Thereupon I pulledoff my shoes and drew near him softly, so that he heard me not, and then struck him over his nose with my staff (for a seal cannotbear much on his nose), so that he tumbled over into the water;but he was quite stunned, and I could easily kill him outright. Itwas a fat beast, though not very large; and we melted forty potsof train-oil out of his fat, which we put by for a winter store. Meanwhile, however, something seized old Seden all at once, sothat he wished to receive the Holy Sacrament. When I went to him, he could give no reason for it; or perhaps he would give none forfear of his old Lizzie, who was always watching him with hersquinting eyes, and would not leave the room. However, Zuter hislittle girl, a child near twelve years old, said that a few daysbefore, while she was plucking grass for the cattle under thegarden hedge by the road, she heard the husband and wifequarrelling violently again, and that the goodman threw in herteeth that he now knew of a certainty that she had a familiarspirit, and that he would straightway go and tell it to thepriest. Albeit this is only a child's tale, it may be true for allthat, seeing that children and fools, they say, speak the truth. But be that as it may. _Summa:_ my old warden grew worse andworse; and though I visited him every morning and evening, as Iuse to do to my sick, in order to pray with him, and oftenobserved that he had somewhat on his mind, nevertheless he couldnot disburthen himself of it, seeing that old Lizzie never lefther post. This went on for a while, when at last one day about noon, he sentto beg me to scrape a little silver off the new sacramental cup, because he had been told that he should get better if he took itmixed with the dung of fowls. For some time I would not consent, seeing that I straightway suspected that there was some devilishmischief behind it; but he begged and prayed, till I did as hewould have me. And lo and behold, he mended from that very hour, so that when Iwent to pray with him at evening, I found him already sitting onthe bench with a bowl between his knees, out of which he wassupping broth. However, he would not pray (which was strange, seeing that he used to pray so gladly, and often could not waitpatiently for my coming, insomuch that he sent after me two orthree times if I was not at hand, or elsewhere employed), but hetold me he had prayed already, and that he would give me the cock, whose dung he had taken, for my trouble, as it was a fine largecock, and he had nothing better to offer for my Sunday's dinner. And as the poultry was by this time gone to roost, he went up tothe perch which was behind the stove, and reached down the cock, and put it under the arm of the maid, who was just come to call meaway. Not for all the world, however, would I have eaten the cock, but Iturned it out to breed. I went to him once more and asked whetherI should give thanks to the Lord next Sunday for his recovery;whereupon he answered that I might do as I pleased in the matter. Hereat I shook my head, and left the house, resolving to send forhim as soon as ever I should hear that his old Lizzie was fromhome (for she often went to fetch flax to spin from the sheriff). But mark what befell within a few days! We heard an outcry thatold Seden was missing, and that no one could tell what had becomeof him. His wife thought he had gone up into the Streckelberg, whereupon the accursed witch ran howling to our house and asked mydaughter whether she had not seen anything of her goodman, seeingthat she went up the mountain every day. My daughter said she hadnot; but, woe is me, she was soon to hear enough of him. For onemorning, before sunrise, as she came down into the wood on her wayback from her forbidden digging after amber, she heard awoodpecker (which, no doubt, was old Lizzie herself), crying sodolefully, close beside her, that she went in among the bushes tosee what was the matter. There was the woodpecker, sitting on theground before a bunch of hair, which was red, and just like whatold Seden's had been, and as soon as it espied her it flew up withits beak full of the hair, and slipped into a hollow tree. Whilemy daughter still stood looking at this devil's work, up came oldPaasch, who also had heard the cries of the woodpecker, as he wascutting roofing shingles on the mountain, with his boy, and waslikewise struck with horror when he saw the hair on the ground. Atfirst they thought a wolf must have eaten him, and searched allabout, but could not find a single bone. On looking up theyfancied they saw something red at the very top of the tree, sothey made the boy climb up, and he forthwith cried out that here, too, there was a great bunch of red hair, stuck to some leaves asif with pitch, but that it was not pitch, but something speckledred and white, like fish-guts; _item_, that the leaves allaround, even where there was no hair, were stained and spotted, and had a very ill smell. Hereupon the lad, at his master'sbidding, threw down the clotted branch, and they two belowstraightway judged that this was the hair and brains of old Seden, and that the devil had carried him off bodily, because he wouldnot pray nor give thanks to the Lord for his recovery. I myselfbelieved the same, and told it on the Sunday as a warning to thecongregation. But further on it will be seen that the Lord had yetgreater cause for giving him into the hands of Satan, inasmuch ashe had been talked over by his wicked wife to renounce his Maker, in the hopes of getting better. Now, however, this devil's whoredid as if her heart was broken, tearing out her red hair by wholehandfuls when she heard about the woodpecker from my child and oldPaasch, and bewailing that she was now a poor widow, and who wasto take care of her for the future, &c. Meanwhile we celebrated on this barren shore, as best we could andmight, together with the whole Protestant Church, the 25th day_mensis Junii_, whereon, one hundred years ago, the Estatesof the Holy Roman Empire laid their confession before the mosthigh and mighty Emperor Carolus V. , at Augsburg; and I preached asermon on Matt. X. 32, of the right confession of our Lord andSaviour Jesus Christ, whereupon the whole congregation came to theSacrament. Now towards the evening of the self-same day, as Iwalked with my daughter by the sea-shore, we saw several hundredsail of ships, both great and small, round about Ruden, andplainly heard firing, whereupon we judged forthwith that this mustbe the most high and mighty king Gustavus Adolphus, who was nowcoming, as he had promised, to the aid of poor persecutedChristendom. While we were still debating a boat sailed towards usfrom Oie, [Footnote: Ruden and Oie, two small islands betweenUsedom and Rügen. ] wherein was Kate Berow her son, who is a farmerthere, and was coming to see his old mother. The same told us thatit really was the king, who had this morning run before Ruden withhis fleet from Rügen; that a few men of Oie were fishing there atthe time, and saw how he went ashore with his officers, andstraightway bared his head and fell upon his knees. [Footnote: Seealso the _Theatrum Europeum_, p. 226 fl. ] Thus, then, most gracious God, did I Thy unworthy servant enjoy astill greater happiness and delight that blessed evening than Ihad done on the blessed morn; and any one may think that I delayednot for a moment to fall on my knees with my child, and to followthe example of the king; and God knows I never in my life prayedso fervently as that evening, whereon the Lord showed such awondrous sign upon us as to cause the deliverer of His poorChristian people to come among them on the very day when they hadeverywhere called upon Him, on their knees, for His gracious helpagainst the murderous wiles of the Pope and the devil. That nightI could not sleep for joy, but went quite early in the morning toDamerow, where something had befallen Vithe his boy. I supposedthat he, too, was bewitched; but this time it was not witchcraft, seeing that the boy had eaten something unwholesome in the forest. He could not tell what kind of berries they were, but the_malum_, which turned all his skin bright scarlet, soonpassed over. As I therefore was returning home shortly after, Imet a messenger from Peenemünde, whom his Majesty the high andmighty king Gustavus Adolphus had sent to tell the sheriff that onthe 29th of June, at ten o'clock in the morning, he was to sendthree guides to meet his Majesty at Coserow, and to guide himthrough the woods to Swine, where the Imperialists were encamped. _Item_, he related how his Majesty had taken the fort atPeenemünde yesterday (doubtless the cause of the firing we heardlast evening), and that the Imperialists had run away as fast asthey could, and played the bush-ranger properly, for after settingtheir camp on fire they all fled into the woods and coppices, andpart escaped to Wolgast and part to Swine. Straightway I resolved in my joy to invent a _carmengratulatorium_ to his Majesty, whom, by the grace of AlmightyGod, I was to see, the which my little daughter might present tohim. I accordingly proposed it to her as soon as I got home, andshe straightway fell on my neck for joy, and then began to danceabout the room. But when she had considered a little, she thoughther clothes were not good enough to wear before his Majesty, andthat I should buy her a blue silk gown, with a yellow apron, seeing that these were the Swedish colours, and would please hisMajesty right well. For a long time I would not, seeing that Ihate this kind of pride; but she teased me with her kisses andcoaxing words, till I, like an old fool, said yes, and ordered myploughman to drive her over to Wolgast to-day to buy the stuff. Wherefore I think that the just God, who hateth the proud andshoweth mercy on the humble, did rightly chastise me for suchpride. For I myself felt a sinful pleasure when she came back withtwo women who were to help her to sew, and laid the stuff beforeme. Next day she set to work at sunrise to sew, and I composed my_carmen_ the while. I had not got very far in it when theyoung Lord Rüdiger of Nienkerken came riding up, in order, as hesaid, to inquire whether his Majesty were indeed going to marchthrough Coserow. And when I told him all I knew of the matter, _item_, informed him of our plan, he praised it exceedingly, and instructed my daughter (who looked more kindly upon him to-daythan I altogether liked) how the Swedes use to pronounce theLatin, as _ratscho_ pro _ratio_, _uet_ pro_ut_, _schis_ pro _scis_ &c. , so that she might beable to answer his Majesty with all due readiness. He said, moreover, that he had held much converse with Swedes atWittenberg, as well as at Griepswald, wherefore if she pleasedthey might act a short _colloquium_, wherein he would playthe king. Hereupon he sat down on the bench before her, and theyboth began chattering together, which vexed me sore, especiallywhen I saw that she made but small haste with her needle thewhile. But say, dear reader, what was I to do?--Wherefore I wentmy ways, and let them chatter till near noon, when the young lordat last took leave. But he promised to come again on Tuesday whenthe king was here, and believed that the whole island would flocktogether at Coserow. As soon as he was gone, seeing that my_vena poetica_ (as may be easily guessed) was still stoppedup, I had the horses put to and drove all over the parish, exhorting the people in every village to be at the Giant's Stoneby Coserow at nine o'clock on Tuesday, and that they were all tofall on their knees as soon as they should see the king coming andthat I knelt down; _item_, to join at once in singing theAmbrosian hymn of praise, which I should lead off as soon as thebells began to ring. This they all promised to do; and after I hadagain exhorted them to it on Sunday in church, and prayed to theLord for his Majesty out of the fulness of my heart, we scarcecould await the blessed Tuesday for joyful impatience. CHAPTER XV. _Of the arrival of the high and mighty King Gustavus Adolphus, and what befell thereat. _ Meanwhile I finished my _carmen_ in _metrum elegiacum_, which my daughter transcribed (seeing that her handwriting isfairer than mine) and diligently learned, so that she might say itto his Majesty. _Item_, her clothes were gotten ready, andbecame her purely; and on Monday she went up to the Streckelberg, although the heat was such that the crows gasped on the hedges:for she wanted to gather flowers for a garland she designed towear, and which was also to be blue and yellow. Towards eveningshe came home with her apron filled with all manner of flowers;but her hair was quite wet, and hung all matted about hershoulders. (My God, my God, was everything to come together todestroy me, wretched man that I am!) I asked, therefore, where shehad been that her hair was so wet and matted; whereupon sheanswered that she had gathered flowers round the Kölpin, [Footnote: a small lake near the sea. ] and from thence she hadgone down to the sea-shore, where she had bathed in the sea, seeing that it was very hot and no one could see her. Thus, saidshe, jesting, she should appear before his Majesty to-morrowdoubly a clean maid. This displeased me at the time, and I lookedgrave, although I said naught. Next morning at six o'clock all the people were already at theGiant's Stone, men, women, and children. _Summa_, everybodythat was able to walk was there. At eight o'clock my daughter wasalready dressed in all her bravery, namely, a blue silken gown, with a yellow apron and kerchief, and a yellow hair-net, with agarland of blue and yellow flowers round her head. It was not longbefore my young lord arrived, finely dressed as became a nobleman. He wanted to inquire, as he said, by which road I should go up tothe Stone with my daughter, seeing that his father, Hans vonNienkerken, _item_, Wittich Appelmann, and the Lepels ofGnitze, were also going, and that there was much people on all thehigh roads, as though a fair was being held. But I straightwayperceived that all he wanted was to see my daughter, inasmuch ashe presently occupied himself about her, and began chattering withher in the Latin again. He made her repeat to him the_carmen_ to his Majesty; whereupon he, in the person of theking, answered her, "_Dulcissima et venustissima puella, quæmihi in coloribus cœli, ut angelus Domini appares, utinam sempermecum esses, nunquam mihi male caderei_;" whereupon she grewred, as likewise did I, but from vexation, as may be easilyguessed. I therefore begged that his lordship would but go forwardtoward the Stone, seeing that my daughter had yet to help me onwith my surplice; whereupon, however, he answered, that he wouldwait for us the while in the chamber, and that we might then gotogether. _Summa_: I blessed myself from this young lord; butwhat could I do? As he would not go, I was forced to wink at itall: and before long we went up to the Stone, where I straightwaychose three sturdy fellows from the crowd, and sent them up thesteeple that they might begin to ring the bells as soon as theyshould see me get up upon the Stone and wave my napkin. This theypromised to do, and straightway departed; whereupon I sat down onthe Stone with my daughter, thinking that the young lord wouldsurely stand apart, as became his dignity; albeit he did not, butsat down with us on the Stone. And we three sat there all alone, and all the folk looked at us, but none drew near to see mychild's fine clothes, not even the young lasses, as is their wontto do; but this I did not observe till afterwards, when I heardhow matters stood with us even then. Towards nine o'clock, Hansvon Nienkerken and Wittich Appelmann galloped up, and oldNienkerken called to his son in an angry voice; and seeing thatthe young lord heard him not, he rode up to the Stone, and criedout so loud that all the folk might hear, "Can'st thou nothearken, boy, when thy father calls thee?" Whereupon Rüdigerfollowed him in much displeasure, and we saw from a distance howthe old lord seemed to threaten his son, and spat out before him;but knew not what this might signify: we were to learn it soonenough, though, more's the pity! Soon after the two Lepels ofGnitze [Footnote: a peninsula in Usedom] came from the Damerow;and the noblemen saluted one another on the green sward closebeside us, but without looking on us. And I heard the Lepels saythat naught could yet be seen of his Majesty, but that thecoast-guard fleet around Ruden was in motion, and that severalhundred ships were sailing this way. As soon as this news wasknown, all the folk ran to the sea-shore (which is but a step fromthe Stone); and the noblemen rode thither too, all save Wittich, who had dismounted, and who, when he saw that I sent old Paaschhis boy up into a tall oak-tree to look out for the king, straightway busied himself about my daughter again, who now satall alone upon the Stone: "Why had she not taken his huntsman? andwhether she would not change her mind on the matter and have himnow, or else come into service with him (the sheriff) himself? forthat if she would not, he believed she might be sorry for it oneday. " Whereupon she answered him (as she told me), that there wasbut one thing she was sorry for, namely, that his lordship wouldtake so much useless pains upon her; whereupon she rose with allhaste and came to where I stood under the tree, looking after thelad who was climbing up it. But our old Ilse said that he swore agreat curse when my daughter turned her back upon him, and wentstraightway into the alder-grove close by the high road, wherestood the old witch Lizzie Kolken. Meanwhile I went with my daughter to the sea-shore and found itquite true that the whole fleet was sailing over from Ruden andOie towards Wollin, and several ships passed so close before usthat we could see the soldiers standing upon them and the flashingof their arms. _Item_, we heard the horses neigh and thesoldiery laugh. On one ship, too, they were drumming, and onanother cattle lowed and sheep bleated. Whilst we yet gazed we sawsmoke come out from one of the ships, followed by a great noise, and presently we were aware of the ball bounding over the water, which foamed and splashed on either side, and coming straighttowards us. Hereupon the crowd ran away on every side with loudcries, and we plainly heard the soldiery in the ships laughthereat. But the ball flew up and struck into the midst of an oakhard by Paasch his boy, so that nearly two cart-loads of boughsfell to the earth with a great crash, and covered all the road bywhich his Majesty was to come. Hereupon the boy would stop nolonger in the tree, however much I exhorted him thereto, but criedout to us as he came down that a great troop of soldiers wasmarching out of the forest by Damerow, and that likely enough theking was among them. Hereupon the sheriff ordered the road to becleared forthwith, and this was some time a-doing, seeing that thethick boughs were stuck fast in the trees all around; the nobles, as soon as all was made ready, would have ridden to meet hisMajesty, but stayed still on the little greensward, because wealready heard the noise of horses, carriages, and voices close tous in the forest. It was not long before the cannons broke through the brushwoodwith the three guides seated upon them. And seeing that one ofthem was known to me (it was Stoffer Krauthahn, of Peenemünde), Idrew near and begged him that he would tell me when the kingshould come. But he answered that he was going forward with thecannon to Coserow, and that I was only to watch for a tall darkman, with a hat and feather and a gold chain round his neck, forthat that was the king, and that he rode next after the greatstandard whereon was a yellow lion. Wherefore I narrowly watched the procession as it wound out of theforest. And next after the artillery came the Finnish and Laplandbowmen, who went clothed all in furs, although it was now theheight of summer, whereat I greatly wondered. After these therecame much people, but I know not what they were. Presently Iespied over the hazel-tree which stood in my way, so that I couldnot see everything as soon as it came forth out of the coppice, the great flag with the lion on it, and, behind that, the head ofa very dark man with a golden chain round his neck, whereuponstraightway I judged this must be the king. I therefore waved mynapkin toward the steeple, whereupon the bells forthwith rang out, and while the dark man rode nearer to us, I pulled off myskull-cap, fell upon my knees, and led the Ambrosian hymn ofpraise, and all the people plucked their hats from their heads andknelt down on the ground all around singing after me; men, women, and children, save only the nobles, who stood still on thegreensward, and did not take off their hats and behave withattention until they saw that his Majesty drew in his horse. (Itwas a coal-black charger, and stopped with its two forefeet rightupon my field, which I took as a sign of good fortune. ) When wehad finished, the sheriff quickly got off his horse, and wouldhave approached the king with his three guides who followed afterhim; _item_, I had taken my child by the hand, and would alsohave drawn near to the king. Howbeit, his Majesty motioned awaythe sheriff and beckoned us to approach, whereupon I wished hisMajesty joy in the Latin tongue, and extolled his magnanimousheart, seeing that he had deigned to visit German ground for theprotection and aid of poor persecuted Christendom; and praised itas a sign from God that such had happened on this the highestfestival of our poor Church, and I prayed his Majesty graciouslyto receive what my daughter desired to present to him; whereuponhis Majesty looked on her and smiled pleasantly. Such graciousbearing made her bold again, albeit she trembled visibly justbefore, and she reached him a blue and yellow wreath whereon laythe _carmen_, saying, "_Accipe hanc vilem coronam ethæc_, " whereupon she began to recite the _carmen_. Meanwhile his Majesty grew more and more gracious, looking now onher and now on the _carmen_, and nodded with especialkindness towards the end, which was as follows:-- "Tempus erit, quo tu reversus ab hostibus ultor Intrabis patriæ libera regna meæ; Tune meliora student nostræ tibi carmina musæ, Tunc tua, maxime rex, Martia facta canam. Tu modo versiculis ne spernas vilibus ausum Auguror et res est ista futura brevi! Sis fœlix, fortisque diu, vive optlme princeps, Omnia, et ut possis vincere, dura. Vale!" [Footnote: Thou shall return chastier of the foe, To the freed kingdoms of my native land! Then shall our song with loftier cadence flow, Boasting the deeds of thy heroic hand! Scorn not, meanwhile, the feeble lines which thus Thy future glory and success foretell. Live, prince beloved! be brave, be prosperous; Conquer, howe'er opposed, --and fare thee well!] As soon as she held her peace his Majesty said, "_Propiusaccedas, patria virgo, ut te osculer_;" whereupon she drew nearto his horse, blushing deeply. I thought he would only have kissedher forehead, as potentates commonly use to do; but not at all, hekissed her lips with a loud smack, and the long feathers on hishat drooped over her neck, so that I was quite afraid for heragain. But he soon raised up his head, and taking off his goldchain, whereon dangled his own effigy, he hung it round my child'sneck with these words, "_Hocce tuæ pulchritudini! et si faventeDeo redux fuero victor, promissum carmen et præterea duo osculaexspecto_. " Hereupon the sheriff, with his three men, again came forward andbowed down to the ground before his Majesty. But as he knew noLatin, _item_, no Italian nor French, I had to act asinterpreter. For his Majesty inquired how far it was to Swine, andwhether there was still much foreign soldiery there? And thesheriff thought there were still about 200 Croats in the camp. Whereupon his Majesty spurred on his horse, and, noddinggraciously, cried "_Valete_!" And now came the rest of thetroops, about 3000 strong, out of the coppice, which likewise hada valiant bearing, and attempted no fooleries, as troops are wontto do, when they passed by us and the women, but marched on inhonest quietness, and we followed the train until the forestbeyond Coserow, where we commended it to the care of the Almighty, and every one went on his way home. CHAPTER XVI. _How little Mary Paasch was sorely plagued of the devil, and thewhole parish fell off from me. _ Before I proceed any further, I will first mark that theillustrious king Gustavus Adolphus, as we presently heard, had cutdown the 300 Croats at Swine, and was thence gone by sea toStettin. May God be for ever gracious to him! Amen. But my sorrows increased from day to day, seeing that the devilnow played pranks such as he never had played before. I had begunto think that the ears of God had hearkened to our ardent prayers, but it pleased Him to try us yet more hardly than ever. For, a fewdays after the arrival of the most illustrious king GustavusAdolphus, it was bruited about that my child her littlegod-daughter was possessed of the evil one, and tumbled about mostpiteously on her bed, insomuch that no one was able to hold her. My child straightway went to see her little god-daughter, butpresently came weeping home. Old Paasch would not suffer her evento come near her, but railed at her very angrily, and said thatshe should never come within his doors again, as his child had gotthe mischief from the white roll which she had given her thatmorning. It was true that my child had given her a roll, seeingthat the maid had been, the day before, to Wolgast, and hadbrought back a napkin full of them. Such news vexed me sore, and after putting on my cassock I went toold Paasch his house, to exorcise the foul fiend, and to removesuch disgrace from my child. I found the old man standing on thefloor by the cockloft steps, weeping; and after I had spoken "Thepeace of God, " I asked him first of all, whether he reallybelieved that his little Mary had been bewitched by means of theroll which my child had given her? He said "Yes!" And when Ianswered, That in that case I also must have been bewitched, _item_, Pagel his little girl, seeing that we both had eatenof the rolls, he was silent, and asked me with a sigh, whether Iwould not go into the room, and see for myself how matters stood. I then entered with "The peace of God, " and found six peoplestanding round little Mary her bed; her eyes were shut, and shewas as stiff as a board; wherefore Kit Wels (who was a young andsturdy fellow) seized the little child by one leg, and held herout like a hedge-stake, so that I might see how the devil plaguedher. I now said a prayer, and Satan, perceiving that a servant ofChrist was come, began to tear the child so fearfully that it waspitiful to behold; for she flung about her hands and feet, so thatfour strong men were scarce able to hold her; _item_, she wasafflicted with extraordinary risings and fallings of her belly, asif a living creature were therein, so that at last the old witchLizzie Kolken sat herself upon her belly, whereupon the childseemed to be somewhat better, and I told her to repeat theApostles' Creed, so as to see whether it really were the devil whopossessed her. [Footnote: It was imagined in those fearful timesthat when the sick person could repeat the three articles ofbelief, and especially some passages from the Bible bearingparticular reference to the work of redemption, he was notpossessed, since "no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but bythe Holy Ghost" (I Cor, xii. 3). ] She straightway grew worse thanbefore, and began to gnash her teeth, to roll her eyes, and tostrike so hard with her hands and feet that she flung her father, who held one of her legs, right into the middle of the room, andthen struck her foot so hard against the bedstead that the bloodflowed, and Lizzie Kolken was thrown about on her belly, as thoughshe had been in a swing. And as I ceased not, but exorcised Satanthat he should leave her, she began to howl and to bark like adog, _item_, to laugh, and spoke at last, with a gruff bassvoice like an old man's, "I will not depart. " But he should soonhave been forced to depart out of her, had not both father andmother besought me, by God's holy Sacrament, to leave their poorchild in peace, seeing that nothing did her any good, but rathermade her worse. I was therefore forced to desist, and onlyadmonished the parents to seek for help like the Canaanitishwoman, in true repentance and incessant prayer, and with her tosigh in constant faith, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, thou son ofDavid, my daughter is grievously vexed of a devil" (Matt. Xv. );that the heart of our Lord would then melt, so that He would havemercy on their child, and command Satan to depart from her. _Item_, I promised to pray for the little child on thefollowing Sunday with the whole congregation, and told them tobring her, if it were any ways possible, to the church, seeingthat the ardent prayer of the whole congregation has power to risebeyond the clouds. This they promised to do, and I then went homesorely troubled, where I soon learned that she was somewhatbetter; thus it still is sure that Satan hates nothing so much, after the Lord Jesus, as the servants of the Gospel. But wait, andI shall even yet "bruise thy head with my heel" (Gen. Iii. );naught shall avail thee. Howbeit, before the blessed Sunday came I perceived that many ofmy people went out of my way, both in the village and elsewhere inthe parish, where I went to visit sundry sick folks. When I wentto Uekeritze to see young Tittelwitz, there even befell me asfollows. Claus Pieper the peasant stood in his yard chopping wood, and on seeing me he flung the axe out of his hand so hastily thatit stuck in the ground, and he ran towards the pig-stye, makingthe sign of the cross. I motioned him to stop, and asked why hethus ran from me his confessor? Whether, peradventure, he alsobelieved that my daughter had bewitched her little godchild?_Ille_. Yes, he believed it, because the whole parish did. _Ego_. Why, then, had she been so kind to her formerly, andkept her like a sister, through the worst of the famine?_Ille_. This was not the only mischief she had done. _Ego_. What, then, had she done besides? _Ille_. Thatwas all one to me. _Ego_. He should tell me, or I wouldcomplain to the magistrate. _Ille_. That I might do, if Ipleased. Whereupon he went his way insolently. Any one may guessthat I was not slow to inquire everywhere, what people thought mydaughter had done; but no one would tell me anything, and I mighthave grieved to death at such evil reports. Moreover, not onechild came during this whole week to school to my daughter; andwhen I sent out the maid to ask the reason, she brought back wordthat the children were ill, or that the parents wanted them fortheir work. I thought and thought, but all to no purpose, untilthe blessed Sunday came round, when I meant to have held a greatSacrament, seeing that many people had made known their intentionto come to the Lord's Table. It seemed strange to me that I saw noone standing, as was their wont, about the church door; I thought, however, that they might have gone into the houses. But when Iwent into the church with my daughter, there were not more thansix people assembled, among whom was old Lizzie Kolken; and theaccursed witch no sooner saw my daughter follow me, than she madethe sign of the cross and ran out of the door under the steeple;whereupon the five others, among them mine own churchwarden ClausBulken (I had not appointed any one in the room of old Seden), followed her. I was so horror-struck that my blood curdled, and Ibegan to tremble, so that I fell with my shoulder against theconfessional. My child, to whom I had as yet told nothing, inorder to spare her, then asked me, "Father, what is the matterwith all the people? are they, too, bewitched?" Whereupon I cameto myself again, and went into the churchyard to look after them. But all were gone save my churchwarden Claus Bulken, who stoodunder the lime-tree whistling to himself. I stepped up to him, andasked what had come to the people? whereupon he answered, he couldnot tell; and when I asked him again, why, then, he himself hadleft the church, he said, What was he to do there alone, seeingthat no collection could be made? I then implored him to tell methe truth, and what horrid suspicion had arisen against me in theparish? But he answered, I should very soon find it out formyself; and he jumped over the wall and went into old Lizzie herhouse, which stands close by the churchyard. My child had made ready some veal broth for dinner, for which Imostly use to leave everything else; but I could not swallow onespoonful, but sat resting my head on my hand, and doubted whetherI should tell her or no. Meanwhile the old maid came in, ready fora journey, and with a bundle in her hand, and begged me with tearsto give her leave to go. My poor child turned pale as a corpse, and asked in amaze what had come to her? but she merely answered, "Nothing!" and wiped her eyes with her apron. When I recovered myspeech, which had well-nigh left me at seeing that this faithfulold creature was also about to forsake me, I began to question herwhy she wished to go; she who had dwelt with me so long, and whowould not forsake us even in the great famine, but had faithfullyborne up against it, and indeed had humbled me by her faith, andhad exhorted me to stand out gallantly to the last, for which Ishould be grateful to her as long as I lived. Hereupon she merelywept and sobbed yet more, and at length brought out that she stillhad an old mother of eighty, living in Liepe, and that she wishedto go and nurse her till her end. Hereupon my daughter jumped up, and answered with tears, "Alas, old Ilse, why wilt thou leave us, for thy mother is with thy brother! Do but tell me why thou wiltforsake me, and what harm have I done thee, that I may make itgood to thee again. " But she hid her face in her apron, andsobbed, and could not get out a single word; whereupon my childdrew away the apron from her face, and would have stroked hercheeks, to make her speak. But when Ilse saw this she struck mypoor child's hand, and cried "Ugh!" spat out before her, andstraightway went out at the door. Such a thing she had never doneeven when my child was a little girl, and we were both so shockedthat we could neither of us say a word. Before long my poor child gave a loud cry, and cast herself uponthe bench, weeping and wailing, "What has happened, what hashappened?" I therefore thought I ought to tell her what I hadheard, namely, that she was looked upon as a witch. Whereat shebegan to smile instead of weeping any more, and ran out of thedoor to overtake the maid, who had already left the house, as wehad seen. She returned after an hour crying out that all thepeople in the village had run away from her, when she would haveasked them whither the maid was gone. _Item_, the littlechildren, for whom she had kept school, had screamed, and hadhidden themselves from her: also no one would answer her a singleword, but all spat out before her, as the maid had done. On herway home she had seen a boat on the water, and had run as fast asshe could to the shore, and called with might and main after oldIlse, who was in the boat. But she had taken no notice of her, noteven once to look round after her, but had motioned her to begone. And now she went on to weep and to sob the whole day and thewhole night, so that I was more miserable than even in the time ofthe great famine. But the worst was yet to come, as will be shownin the following chapter. CHAPTER XVII. _How my poor child was taken up for a witch, and carried toPudgla. _ The next day, Monday, the 12th July, at about eight in themorning, while we sat in our grief, wondering who could haveprepared such great sorrow for us, and speedily agreed that itcould be none other than the accursed witch Lizzie Kolken, a coachwith four horses drove quickly up to the door, wherein sat sixfellows, who straightway all jumped out. Two went and stood at thefront, two at the back door, and two more, one of whom was theconstable Jacob Knake, came into the room, and handed me a warrantfrom the sheriff for the arrest of my daughter, as in commonrepute of being a wicked witch, and for her examination before thecriminal court. Any one may guess how my heart sunk within me whenI read this. I dropped to the earth like a felled tree, and when Icame to myself my child had thrown herself upon me with loudcries, and her hot tears ran down over my face. When she saw thatI came to myself, she began to praise God therefore with a loudvoice, and essayed to comfort me, saying that she was innocent, and should appear with a clean conscience before her judges. _Item_, she repeated to me the beautiful text from Matthew, chap. V. : "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecuteyou, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for Mysake. " And she begged me to rise and to throw my cassock over my doublet, and go with her, for that without me she would not suffer herselfto be carried before the sheriff. Meanwhile, however, all thevillage--men, women, and children--had thronged together before mydoor; but they remained quiet, and only peeped in at the windowsas though they would have looked right through the house. When wehad both made us ready, and the constable, who at first would nottake me with them, had thought better of it, by reason of a goodfee which my daughter gave him, we walked to the coach; but I wasso helpless that I could not get up into it. Old Paasch, when he saw this, came and helped me up into thecoach, saying, "God comfort ye! Alas, that you should ever seeyour child come to this!" and he kissed my hand to take leave. A few others came up to the coach, and would have done likewise;but I besought them not to make my heart still heavier, and totake Christian charge of my house and my affairs until I shouldreturn. Also to pray diligently for me and my daughter, so thatthe evil one, who had long gone about our village like a roaringlion, and who now threatened to devour me, might not prevailagainst us, but might be forced to depart from me and from mychild as from our guileless Saviour in the wilderness. But to thisnone answered a word; and I heard right well, as we drove away, that many spat out after us, and one said (my child thought it wasBerow her voice), "We would far sooner lay fire under thy coatsthan pray for thee. " We were still sighing over such words asthese, when we came near to the churchyard, and there sat theaccursed witch Lizzie Kolken at the door of her house with herhymn-book in her lap, screeching out at the top of her voice, "Godthe Father, dwell with us, " as we drove past her: the which vexedmy poor child so sore that she swooned, and fell like one deadupon me. I begged the driver to stop, and called to old Lizzie tobring us a pitcher of water; but she did as though she had notheard me, and went on to sing so that it rang again. Whereupon theconstable jumped down, and at my request ran back to my house tofetch a pitcher of water; and he presently came back with it, andthe people after him, who began to say aloud that my child's badconscience had stricken her, and that she had now betrayedherself. Wherefore I thanked God when she came to life again, andwe could leave the village. But at Uekeritze it was just the same, for all the people had flocked together, and were standing on thegreen before Labahn his house when we went by. Nevertheless, they were quiet enough as we drove past, albeit somefew cried, "How can it be, how can it be?" I heard nothing else. But in the forest near the watermill the miller and all his menran out and shouted, laughing, "Look at the witch, look at thewitch!" Whereupon one of the men struck at my poor child with thesack which he held in his hand, so that she turned quite white, and the flour flew all about the coach like a cloud. When Irebuked him, the wicked rogue laughed and said, That if no othersmoke than that ever came under her nose, so much the better forher. _Item_, it was worse in Pudgla than even at the mill. The people stood so thick on the hill, before the castle, that wecould scarce force our way through, and the sheriff caused thedeath-bell in the castle tower to toll as an _avisum_. Whereupon more and more people came running out of the ale-housesand cottages. Some cried out, "Is that the witch?" Others, again, "Look at the parson's witch! the parson's witch!" and much more, which for very shame I may not write. They scraped up the mud outof the gutter which ran from the castle kitchen and threw it uponus; _item_, a great stone, the which struck one of the horsesso that it shied, and belike would have upset the coach had not aman sprung forward and held it in. All this happened before thecastle gates, where the sheriff stood smiling and looking on, witha heron's feather stuck in his grey hat. But so soon as the horsewas quiet again he came to the coach and mocked at my child, saying, "See, young maid, thou wouldest not come to me, and herethou art nevertheless!" Whereupon she answered, "Yea, I come; andmay you one day come before your Judge as I come before you;"whereunto I said, Amen, and asked him how his lordship couldanswer before God and man for what he had done to a wretched manlike myself and to my child? But he answered, saying, Why had Icome with her? And when I told him of the rude people here, _item_, of the churlish miller's man, he said that it was nothis fault, and threatened the people all around with his fist, forthey were making a great noise. Thereupon he commanded my child toget down and to follow him, and went before her into the castle;motioned the constable, who would have gone with them, to stay atthe foot of the steps, and began to mount the winding staircase tothe upper rooms alone with my child. But she whispered me privately, "Do not leave me, father;" and Ipresently followed softly after them. Hearing by their voices inwhich chamber they were, I laid my ear against the door to listen. And the villain offered to her that if she would love him naughtshould harm her, saying he had power to save her from the people;but that if she would not, she should go before the court nextday, and she might guess herself how it would fare with her, seeing that he had many witnesses to prove that she had played thewanton with Satan, and had suffered him to kiss her. Hereupon shewas silent, and only sobbed, which the arch rogue took as a goodsign, and went on, "If you have had Satan himself for asweetheart, you surely may love me. " And he went to her and wouldhave taken her in his arms, as I perceived; for she gave a loudscream, and flew to the door; but he held her fast, and begged andthreatened as the devil prompted him. I was about to go in when Iheard her strike him in the face, saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan, " so that he let her go. Whereupon she ran out at the doorso suddenly that she threw me on the ground, and fell upon me witha loud cry. Hereat the sheriff, who had followed her, started, butpresently cried out, "Wait, thou prying parson, I will teach theeto listen!" and ran out and beckoned to the constable who stood onthe steps below. He bade him first shut me up in one dungeon, seeing that I was an eavesdropper, and then return and thrust mychild into another. But he thought better of it when he had comehalf way down the winding-stair, and said he would excuse me thistime, and that the constable might let me go, and only lock up mychild very fast, and bring the key to him, seeing she was astubborn person, as he had seen at the very first hearing which hehad given her. Hereupon my poor child was torn from me, and I fell in a swoundupon the steps. I know not how I got down them; but when I came tomyself, I was in the constable his room, and his wife was throwingwater in my face. There I passed the night sitting in a chair, andsorrowed more than I prayed, seeing that my faith was greatlyshaken, and the Lord came not to strengthen it. CHAPTER XVIII. _Of the first trial, and what came thereof. _ Next morning, as I walked up and down in the court, seeing that Ihad many times asked the constable in vain to lead me to my child(he would not even tell me where she lay), and for verydisquietude I had at last begun to wander about there; about sixo'clock there came a coach from Uzdom, [Footnote: Or Usedom, asmall town which gives its name to the whole island. ] wherein sathis worship, Master Samuel Pieper, _consul dirigens_, _item_, the _camerarius_ Gebhard Wenzel, and a_scriba_, whose name, indeed, I heard, but have forgotten itagain; and my daughter forgot it too, albeit in other things shehas an excellent memory, and, indeed, told me most of whatfollows, for my old head well-nigh burst, so that I myself couldremember but little. I straightway went up to the coach, andbegged that the worshipful court would suffer me to be present atthe trial, seeing that my daughter was yet in her nonage, butwhich the sheriff, who meanwhile had stepped up to the coach fromthe terrace, whence he had seen all, had denied me. But hisworship Master Samuel Pieper, who was a little round man, with afat paunch, and a beard mingled with grey hanging down to hismiddle, reached me his hand, and condoled with me like a Christianin my trouble: I might come into court in God's name; and hewished with all his heart that all whereof my daughter was fyledmight prove to be foul lies. Nevertheless I had still to wait fulltwo hours before their worships came down the winding stair again. At last towards nine o'clock I heard the constable moving aboutthe chairs and benches in the judgment chamber; and as I conceivedthat the time was now come, I went in and sat myself down on abench. No one, however, was yet there, save the constable and hisyoung daughter, who was wiping the table, and held a rosebudbetween her lips. I was fain to beg her to give it me, so that Imight have it to smell to; and I believe that I should have beencarried dead out of the room that day if I had not had it. God isthus able to preserve our lives even by means of a poor flower, ifso He wills it! At length their worships came in and sat round the table, whereupon _Dom. Consul_ motioned the constable to fetch in mychild. Meanwhile he asked the sheriff whether he had put_Rea_ in chains, and when he said No, he gave him such areprimand that it went through my very marrow. But the sheriffexcused himself, saying that he had not done so from regard to herquality, but had locked her up in so fast a dungeon, that shecould not possibly escape therefrom. Whereupon _Dom. Consul_answered that much is possible to the devil, and that they wouldhave to answer for it should _Rea_ escape. This angered thesheriff, and he replied that if the devil could convey her throughwalls seven feet thick, and through three doors, he could veryeasily break her chains too. Whereupon _Dom. Consul_ saidthat hereafter he would look at the prison himself; and I thinkthat the sheriff had been so kind only because he yet hoped (as, indeed, will hereafter be shown) to talk over my daughter to lethim have his will of her. And now the door opened, and my poor child came in with theconstable, but walking backwards, [Footnote: This ridiculousproceeding always took place at the first examination of a witch, as it was imagined that she would otherwise bewitch the judgeswith her looks. On this occasion indeed such an event was notunlikely. ] and without her shoes, the which she was forced toleave without. The fellow had seized her by her long hair, andthus dragged her up to the table, when first she was to turn roundand look upon her judges. He had a vast deal to say in the matter, and was in every way a bold and impudent rogue, as will soon beshown. After _Dom. Consul_ had heaved a deep sigh, and gazedat her from head to foot, he first asked her her name, and how oldshe was; _item_, if she knew why she was summoned beforethem? On the last point she answered that the sheriff had alreadytold her father the reason; that she wished not to wrong any one, but thought that the sheriff himself had brought upon her therepute of a witch, in order to gain her to his wicked will. Hereupon she told all his ways with her, from the very first, andhow he would by all means have had her for his housekeeper; andthat when she would not (although he had many times come himselfto her father his house), one day, as he went out of the door, hehad muttered in his beard, "I will have her, despite of all!"which their servant Claus Neels had heard, as he stood in thestable; and he had also sought to gain his ends by means of anungodly woman, one Lizzie Kolken, who had formerly been in hisservice; that this woman, belike, had contrived the spells whichthey laid to her charge: she herself knew nothing of witchcraft;_item_, she related what the sheriff had done to her theevening before, when she had just come, and when he for the firsttime spoke out plainly, thinking that she was then altogether inhis power: nay, more, that he had come to her that very nightagain, in her dungeon, and had made her the same offers, sayingthat he would set her free if she would let him have his will ofher; and that when she denied him, he had struggled with her, whereupon she had screamed aloud, and had scratched him across thenose, as might yet be seen, whereupon he had left her; whereforeshe would not acknowledge the sheriff as her judge, and trusted inGod to save her from the hand of her enemies, as of old He hadsaved the chaste Susannah. When she now held her peace amid loud sobs, _Dom. Consul_started up after he had looked, as we all did, at the sheriff'snose, and had in truth espied the scar upon it, and cried out inamaze, "Speak, for God His sake, speak, what is this that I hearof your lordship?" Whereupon the sheriff, without changing colour, answered, that although, indeed, he was not called upon to sayanything to their worships, seeing that he was the head of thecourt, and that _Rea_, as appeared from numberless_indicia_, was a wicked witch, and therefore could not bearwitness against him or any one else; he, nevertheless, wouldspeak, so as to give no cause of scandal to the court; that allthe charges brought against him by this person were foul lies; itwas, indeed, true, that he would have hired her for a housekeeper, whereof he stood greatly in need, seeing that his old Dorothy wasalready growing infirm; it was also true that he had yesterdayquestioned her in private, hoping to get her to confess by fairmeans, whereby her sentence would be softened, inasmuch as he hadpity on her great youth; but that he had not said one naughty wordto her, nor had he been to her in the night; and that it was hislittle lap-dog, called Below, which had scratched him, while heplayed with it that very morning; that his old Dorothy could bearwitness to this, and that the cunning witch had only made use ofthis wile to divide the court against itself, thereby, and withthe devil's help, to gain her own advantage, inasmuch as she was amost cunning creature, as the court would soon find out. Hereupon I plucked up a heart, and declared that all my daughterhad said was true, and that the evening before I myself had heard, through the door, how his lordship had made offers to her, andwould have done wantonness with her; _item_, that he hadalready sought to kiss her once at Coserow; _item_, thetroubles which his lordship had formerly brought upon me in thematter of the first-fruits. Howbeit the sheriff presently talked me down, saying, that if Ihad slandered him, an innocent man, in church, from the pulpit, asthe whole congregation could bear witness, I should doubtless findit easy to do as much here, before the court; not to mention thata father could, in no case, be a witness for his own child. But _Dom. Consul_ seemed quite confounded, and was silent, and leaned his head on the table, as in deep thought. Meanwhilethe impudent constable began to finger his beard from under hisarm; and _Dom. Consul_, thinking it was a fly, struck at himwith his hand, without even looking up; but when he felt theconstable his hand, he jumped up and asked him what he wanted?whereupon the fellow answered, "Oh, only a louse was creepingthere, and I would have caught it. " At such impudence his worship was so exceeding wroth that hestruck the constable on the mouth, and ordered him, on pain ofheavy punishment, to leave the room. Hereupon he turned to the sheriff, and cried angrily, "Why, in thename of all the ten devils, is it thus your lordship keeps theconstable in order? and truly, in this whole matter there issomething which passes my understanding. " But the sheriffanswered, "Not so; should you not understand it all when you thinkupon the eels?" Hereat _Dom. Consul_ of a sudden turned ghastly pale, andbegan to tremble, as it appeared to me, and called the sheriffaside into another chamber. I have never been able to learn whatthat about the eels could mean. Meanwhile _Dominus Camerarius_ Gebhard Wenzel sat biting hispen and looking furiously--now at me, and now at my child, butsaid not a word; neither did he answer _Scriba_, who oftenwhispered somewhat into his ear, save by a growl. At length boththeir worships came back into the chamber together, and _Dom. Consul_, after he and the sheriff had seated themselves, beganto reproach my poor child violently, saying that she had sought tomake a disturbance in the worshipful court; that his lordship hadshown him the very dog which had scratched his nose, and that, moreover, the fact had been sworn to by the old housekeeper. (Truly _she_ was not likely to betray him, for the old harlothad lived with him for years, and she had a good big boy by him, as will be seen hereafter. ) _Item_, he said that so many _indicia_ of her guilt hadcome to light, that it was impossible to believe anything shemight say; she was therefore to give glory to God, and openly toconfess everything, so as to soften her punishment; whereby shemight perchance, in pity for her youth, escape with life, &c. Hereupon he put his spectacles on his nose, and began tocross-question her, during near four hours, from a paper which heheld in his hand. These were the main articles, as far as we bothcan remember: _Quæstio_. Whether she could bewitch?--_Responsio_. No;she knew nothing of witchcraft. _Q_. Whether she could charm?--_R_. Of that she knew aslittle. _Q_. Whether she had ever been on the Blocksberg?--_R_. That was too far off for her; she knew few hills save theStreckelberg, where she had been very often. _Q_. What had she done there?--_R_. She had looked outover the sea, or gathered flowers; _item_, at times carriedhome an apronful of dry brushwood. _Q_. Whether she had ever called upon the devilthere?--_R_. That had never come into her mind. _Q_. Whether, then, the devil had appeared to her there, uncalled?--R. God defend her from such a thing. _Q_. So she could not bewitch?--_R_. No. _Q_. What, then, befell Kit Zuter his spotted cow, that itsuddenly died in her presence?--_R_. She did not know; andthat was a strange question. _Q_.. Then it would be as strange a question, why Katie Berowher little pig had died?--_R_. Assuredly; she wondered whatthey would lay to her charge. _Q_. Then she had not bewitched them?--_R_. No; Godforbid it. _Q_. Why, then, if she were innocent, had she promised oldKatie another little pig, when her sow should litter?--_R_. She did that out of kind-heartedness. (And hereupon she began toweep bitterly, and said she plainly saw that she had to thank oldLizzie Kolken for all this, inasmuch as she had often threatenedher when she would not fulfil all her greedy desires, for shewanted everything that came in her way; moreover, that Lizzie hadgone all about the village when the cattle were bewitched, persuading the people that if only a pure maid pulled a few hairsout of the beasts' tails they would get better. That she pitiedthem, and knowing herself to be a maid, went to help them; andindeed, at first it cured them, but latterly not. ) _Q_. What cattle had she cured?--_R_. Zabel his red cow;_item_, Witthan her pig, and old Lizzie's own cow. _Q_. Why could she afterwards cure them no more?--_R_. She did not know, but thought-albeit she had no wish to fyle anyone--that old Lizzie Kolken, who for many a long year had been incommon repute as a witch, had done it all, and bewitched the cowsin her name and then charmed them back again, as she pleased, onlyto bring her to misfortune. _Q_. Why, then, had old Lizzie bewitched her own cow, _item_, suffered her own pig to die, if it was she that hadmade all the disturbance in the village, and could reallycharm?--_R_. She did not know; but belike there was some one(and here she looked at the sheriff) who paid her double for itall. _Q_. It was in vain that she sought to shift the guilt fromoff herself; had she not bewitched old Paasch his crop, nay, evenher own father's, and caused it to be trodden down by the devil, _item_, conjured all the caterpillars into her father'sorchard?--_R_. The question was almost as monstrous as thedeed would have been. There sat her father, and his worship mightask him whether she ever had shown herself an undutiful child tohim. (Hereupon I would have risen to speak, but _Dom. Consul_suffered me not to open my mouth, but went on with hisexamination; whereupon I remained silent and downcast. ) _Q_. Whether she did likewise deny that it was through hermalice that the woman Witthan had given birth to a devil's imp, which straightway started up and flew out at the window, so thatwhen the midwife sought for it it had disappeared?--_R_. Truly she did; and indeed she had all the days of her life donegood to the people instead of harm, for during the terrible famineshe had often taken the bread out of her own mouth to share itamong the others, especially the little children. To this thewhole parish must needs bear witness, if they were asked; whereaswitches and warlocks always did evil and no good to men, as ourLord Jesus taught (Matt. Xii. ), when the Pharisees blasphemed Him, saying that He cast out devils by Beelzebub the prince of thedevils; hence his worship might see whether she could in truth bea witch. _Q_. He would soon teach her to talk of blasphemies; he sawthat her tongue was well hung; but she must answer the questionshe asked her, and say nothing more. The question was not what goodshe had done to the poor, but _wherewithal_ she had done it?She must now show how she and her father had of a sudden grown sorich that she could go pranking about in silken raiment, whereasshe used to be so very poor? Hereupon she looked towards me, and said, "Father, shall I tell?"Whereupon I answered, "Yes, my child, now thou must openly tellall, even though we thereby become beggars. " She accordingly toldhow, when our need was sorest, she had found the amber, and howmuch we had gotten for it from the Dutch merchants. _Q_. What were the names of these merchants?--_R_. Dieterich von Pehnen and Jakob Kiekebusch; but, as we have heardfrom a schipper, they since died of the plague at Stettin. _Q_. Why had we said nothing of such a godsend?--_R_. Out of fear of our enemy the sheriff, who, as it seemed, hadcondemned us to die of hunger, inasmuch as he forbade theparishioners, under pain of heavy displeasure, to supply us withanything, saying that he would soon send them a better parson. Hereupon _Dom. Consul_ again looked the sheriff sharply inthe face, who answered that it was true he had said this, seeingthat the parson had preached at him in the most scandalous mannerfrom the pulpit; but that he knew very well, at the time, thatthey were far enough from dying of hunger. _Q_. How came so much amber on the Streckelberg? She had bestconfess at once that the devil had brought it to her. --_R_. She knew nothing about that. But there was a great vein of amberthere, as she could show to them all that very day; and she hadbroken out the amber, and covered the hole well over withfir-twigs, so that none should find it. _Q_. When had she gone up the Streckelberg; by day or bynight?--_R_. Hereupon she blushed, and for a moment held herpeace; but presently made answer, "Sometimes by day, and sometimesby night. " _Q_. Why did she hesitate? She had better make a fullconfession of all, so that her punishment might be less heavy. Hadshe not there given over old Seden to Satan, who had carried himoff through the air, and left only a part of his hair and brainssticking to the top of an oak?--_R_. She did not know whetherthat was his hair and brains at all, nor how it came there. Shewent to the tree one morning because she heard a woodpecker cry sodolefully. _Item_, old Paasch, who also had heard the cries, came up with his axe in his hand. _Q_. Whether the woodpecker was not the devil himself, whohad carried off old Seden?--_R_. She did not know: but hemust have been dead some time, seeing that the blood and brainswhich the lad fetched down out of the tree were quite dried up. _Q_. How and when, then, had he come by his death?--_R_. That Almighty God only knew. But Zuter his little girl had saidthat one day, while she gathered nettles for the cows under Sedenhis hedge, she heard the goodman threaten his squint-eyed wifethat he would tell the parson that he now knew of a certainty thatshe had a familiar spirit; whereupon the goodman had presentlydisappeared. But that this was a child's tale, and she would fyleno one on the strength of it. Hereupon _Dom. Consul_ again looked the sheriff steadily inthe face, and said, "Old Lizzie Kolken must be brought before usthis very day:" whereto the sheriff made no answer; and he went onto ask-- _Q_. Whether, then, she still maintained that she knewnothing of the devil?--_R_. She maintained it now, and wouldmaintain it until her life's end. _Q_. And nevertheless, as had been seen by witnesses, she hadbeen re-baptized by him in the sea in broad daylight. --Here againshe blushed, and for a moment was silent. _Q_. Why did she blush again? She should for God His sakethink on her salvation, and confess the truth. --_R_. She hadbathed herself in the sea, seeing that the day was very hot; thatwas the whole truth. _Q_. What chaste maiden would ever bathe in the sea? Thouliest; or wilt thou even yet deny that thou didst bewitch oldPaasch his little girl with a white roll?--_R_. Alas! alas!she loved the child as though it were her own little sister; notonly had she taught her as well as all the other children withoutreward, but during the heavy famine she had often taken the bitfrom her own mouth to put it into the little child's. How thencould she have wished to do her such grievous harm? _Q_. Wilt thou even yet deny? Reverend Abraham, how stubbornis your child! See here, is this no witches' salve, [Footnote: Itwas believed that the devil gave the witches a salve, by the useof which they made themselves invisible, changed themselves intoanimals, flew through the air, &c. ] which the constable fetchedout of thy coffer last night? Is this no witches' salve, eh?--_R_. It was a salve for the skin, which would make itsoft and white, as the apothecary at Wolgast had told her, of whomshe bought it. _Q_. Hereupon he shook his head, and went on: How! wilt thouthen lastly deny that on this last Saturday the 10th July, attwelve o'clock at night, thou didst on the Streckelberg call uponthy paramour the devil in dreadful words, whereupon he appeared tothee in the shape of a great hairy giant, and clipped thee andtoyed with thee? At these words she grew more pale than a corpse, and tottered sothat she was forced to hold by a chair; and I, wretched man, whowould readily have sworn away my life for her, when I saw andheard this, my senses forsook me, so that I fell down from thebench, and _Dom. Consul_ had to call in the constable to helpme up. When I had come to myself a little, and the impudent varlet sawour common consternation, he cried out, grinning at the court thewhile, "Is it all out? is it all out? has she confessed?"Whereupon _Dom. Consul_ again showed him the door with asharp rebuke, as might have been expected; and it is said thatthis knave played the pimp for the sheriff, and indeed I think hewould not otherwise have been so bold. _Summa_: I should well-nigh have perished in my distress, butfor the little rose, which by the help of God's mercy kept me upbravely; and now the whole court rose and exhorted my poorfainting child, by the living God, and as she would save her soul, to deny no longer, but in pity to herself and her father toconfess the truth. Hereupon she heaved a deep sigh, and grew as red as she had beenpale before, insomuch that even her hand upon the chair was likescarlet, and she did not raise her eyes from the ground. _R_. She would now then confess the simple truth, as she sawright well that wicked people had stolen after and watched her atnights. That she had been to seek for amber on the mountain, andthat to drive away fear she had, as she was wont to do at herwork, recited the Latin _carmen_ which her father had made onthe illustrious king Gustavus Adolphus: when young Rüdiger ofNienkerken, who had ofttimes been at her father's house and talkedof love to her, came out of the coppice, and when she cried outfor fear, spoke to her in Latin, and clasped her in his arms. Thathe wore a great wolf's-skin coat, so that folks should not knowhim if they met him, and tell the lord his father that he had beenon the mountain by night. At this her confession I fell into sheer despair, and cried ingreat wrath, "O thou ungodly and undutiful child, after all, then, thou hast a paramour! Did not I forbid thee to go up the mountainby night? What didst thou want on the mountain by night?" and Ibegan to moan and weep and wring my hands, so that _Dom. Consul_ even had pity on me, and drew near to comfort me. Meanwhile she herself came towards me, and began to defendherself, saying, with many tears, that she had gone up themountain by night, against my commands, to get so much amber thatshe might secretly buy for me, against my birthday, the _OperaSancti Augustini_, which the Cantor at Wolgast wanted to sell. That it was not her fault that the young lord lay in wait for herone night; and that she would swear to me, by the living God, thatnaught that was unseemly had happened between them there, and thatshe was still a maid. And herewith the first hearing was at end, for after _Dom. Consul_ had whispered somewhat into the ear of the sheriff, hecalled in the constable again, and bade him keep good watch over_Rea_; _item_, not to leave her at large in her dungeonany longer, but to put her in chains. These words pierced my veryheart, and I besought his worship to consider my sacred office, and my ancient noble birth, and not to do me such dishonour as toput my daughter in chains. That I would answer for her to theworshipful court with my own head that she would not escape. Whereupon _Dom. Consul_, after he had gone to look at thedungeon himself, granted me my request, and commanded theconstable to leave her as she had been hitherto. CHAPTER XIX. _How Satan, by the permission of the most righteous God, soughtaltogether to ruin us, and how we lost all hope. _ The same day, at about three in the afternoon, when I was gone toConrad Seep his ale-house to eat something, seeing that it was nownearly two days since I had tasted aught save my tears, and he hadplaced before me some bread and sausage, together with a mug ofbeer, the constable came into the room and greeted me from thesheriff, without, however, so much as touching his cap, askingwhether I would not dine with his lordship; that his lordship hadnot remembered till now that I belike was still fasting, seeingthe trial had lasted so long. Hereupon I made answer to theconstable that I already had my dinner before me, as he sawhimself, and desired that his lordship would hold me excused. Hereat the fellow wondered greatly, and answered, Did I not seethat his lordship wished me well, albeit I had preached at him asthough he were a Jew? I should think on my daughter, and besomewhat more ready to do his lordship's will, wherebyperadventure all would yet end well. For his lordship was not sucha rough ass as _Dom. Consul_, and meant well by my child andme, as beseemed a righteous magistrate. After I had with some trouble rid myself of this impudent fox, Itried to eat a bit, but nothing would go down save the beer. Itherefore soon sat and thought again whether I would not lodgewith Conrad Seep, so as to be always near my child; _item_, whether I should not hand over my poor misguided flock to M. Vigelius, the pastor of Benz, for such time as the Lord stillshould prove me. In about an hour I saw through the window howthat an empty coach drove to the castle, and the sheriff and_Dom. Consul_ straightway stepped thereinto with my child;_item_, the constable climbed up behind. Hereupon I lefteverything on the table and ran to the coach, asking humblywhither they were about to take my poor child; and when I heardthey were going to the Streckelberg to look after the amber, Ibegged them to take me also, and to suffer me to sit by my child, for who could tell how much longer I might yet sit by her! Thiswas granted to me, and on the way the sheriff offered me to takeup my abode in the castle and to dine at his table as often as Ipleased, and that he would, moreover, send my child her meat fromhis own table. For that he had a Christian heart, and well knewthat we were to forgive our enemies. But I refused his kindnesswith humble thanks, as my child did also, seeing we were not yetso poor that we could not maintain ourselves. As we passed by thewater-mill the ungodly varlet there again thrust his head out of ahole and pulled wry faces at my child; but, dear reader, he gotsomething to remember it by; for the sheriff beckoned to theconstable to fetch the fellow out, and after he had reproached himwith the tricks he had twice played my child, the constable had totake the coachman his new whip and to give him fifty lashes, which, God knows, were not laid on with a feather. He bellowedlike a bull, which, however, no one heard for the noise of themill-wheels, and when at last he did as though he could not stir, we left him lying on the ground and went on our way. As we drove through Uekeritze a number of people flocked together, but were quiet enough, save one fellow who, _salvâ veniâ_, mocked at us with unseemly gestures in the midst of the road whenhe saw us coming. The constable had to jump down again, but couldnot catch him, and the others would not give him up, but pretendedthat they had only looked at our coach and had not marked him. Maybe this was true! and I am therefore inclined to think that it wasSatan himself who did it to mock at us; for mark, for God's sake, what happened to us on the Streckelberg! Alas! through thedelusions of the foul fiend, we could not find the spot where wehad dug for the amber. For when we came to where we thought itmust be, a huge hill of sand had been heaped up as by a whirlwind, and the fir-twigs which my child had covered over it were gone. She was near falling in a swound when she saw this, and wrung herhands and cried out with her Saviour, "My God, my God, why hastThou forsaken me!" Howbeit, the constable and the coachman were ordered to dig, butnot one bit of amber was to be found, even so big as a grain ofcorn, whereupon _Dom. Consul_ shook his head and violentlyupbraided my child; and when I answered that Satan himself, as itseemed, had filled up the hollow in order to bring us altogetherinto his power, the constable was ordered to fetch a long stakeout of the coppice which we might thrust still deeper into thesand. But no hard _objectum_ was anywhere to be felt, notwithstanding the sheriff, _Dom. Consul_, and myself in myanguish did try everywhere with the stake. Hereupon my child besought her judges to go with her to Coserow, where she still had much amber in her coffer which she had foundhere, and that if it were the gift of the devil it would all bechanged, since it was well known that all the presents the devilmakes to witches straightway turn to mud and ashes. But, God be merciful to us, God be merciful to us! when wereturned to Coserow, amid the wonderment of all the village, andmy daughter went to her coffer, the things therein were all tossedabout, and the amber gone. Hereupon she shrieked so loud that itwould have softened a stone, and cried out, "The wicked constablehath done this! when he fetched the salve out of my coffer, hestole the amber from me, unhappy maid. " But the constable, whostood by, would have torn her hair, and cried out, "Thou witch, thou damned witch, is it not enough that thou hast belied my lord, but thou must now belie me too?" But _Dom. Consul_ forbadehim, so that he did not dare lay hands upon her. _Item_, allthe money was gone which she had hoarded up from the amber she hadprivately sold, and which she thought already came to about tenflorins. But the gown which she had worn at the arrival of the mostillustrious king Gustavus Adolphus, as well as the golden chainwith his effigy which he had given her, I had locked up as thoughit were a relic in the chest in the vestry, among the altar andpulpit cloths, and there we found them still; and when I excusedmyself therefor, saying that I had thought to have saved them upfor her there against her bridal day, she gazed with fixed andglazed eyes into the box, and cried out, "Yes, against the daywhen I shall be burnt! O Jesu, Jesu, Jesu!" Hereat _Dom. Consul_ shuddered and said, "See how thou still dost smitethyself with thine own words. For the sake of God and thysalvation, confess, for if thou knowest thyself to be innocent, how, then, canst thou think that thou wilt be burnt?" But shestill looked him fixedly in the face, and cried aloud in Latin, "_Innocentia, quid est innocentia! Ubi libido dominatur, innocentia leve præsidium est. _" [Footnote: These words arefrom Cicero, if I do not mistake. ] Hereupon _Dom. Consul_ again shuddered, so that his beardwagged, and said, "What, dost thou indeed know Latin? Where didstthou learn the Latin?" And when I answered this question as wellas I was able for sobbing, he shook his head, and said, "I neverin my life heard of a woman that knew Latin. " Upon this he kneltdown before her coffer, and turned over everything therein, drewit away from the wall, and when he found nothing he bade us showhim her bed, and did the same with that. This, at length, vexedthe sheriff, who asked him whither they should not drive backagain, seeing that night was coming on? But he answered, "Nay, Imust first have the written paction which Satan has given her;"and he went on with his search until it was almost dark. [Footnote: At this time it was believed that as a man boundhimself to the devil by writing, so did the devil in like mannerto the man. ] But they found nothing at all, although _Dom. Consul_, together with the constable, passed over no hole orcorner, even in the kitchen and cellar. Hereupon he got up againinto the coach, muttering to himself, and bade my daughter sit sothat she should not look upon him. And now we once more had the same _spectaculum_ with theaccursed old witch Lizzie Kolken, seeing that she again sat at herdoor as we drove by, and began to sing at the top of her voice, "We praise thee, O Lord. " But she screeched like a stuck pig, sothat _Dom. Consul_ was amazed thereat, and when he had heardwho she was, he asked the sheriff whether he would not that sheshould be seized by the constable and be tied behind the coach, torun after it, as we had no room for her elsewhere; for that he hadoften been told that all old women who had red squinting eyes andsharp voices were witches, not to mention the suspicious thingswhich _Rea_ had declared against her. But he answered that hecould not do this, seeing that old Lizzie was a woman in goodrepute, and fearing God, as _Dom. Consul_ might learn forhimself; but that, nevertheless, he had had her summoned for themorrow, together with the other witnesses. Yea, in truth, an excellently devout and worthy woman!--forscarcely were we out of the village, when so fearful a storm ofthunder, lightning, wind, and hail burst over our heads, that thecorn all around us was beaten down as with a flail, and the horsesbefore the coach were quite maddened; however, it did not lastlong. But my poor child had to bear all the blame again, [Footnote: Such sudden storms were attributed to witches. ]inasmuch as _Dom. Consul_ thought that it was not old Lizzie, which, nevertheless, was as clear as the sun at noon-day, but mypoor daughter who brewed the storm;--for, beloved reader, whatcould it have profited her, even if she had known the black art?This, however, did not strike _Dom. Consul_, and Satan, bythe permission of the all-righteous God, was presently to use usstill worse; for just as we got to the Master's Dam, [Footnote: Itis also called to the present day, and is distant a mile fromCoserow. ] he came flying over us in the shape of a stork, anddropped a frog so exactly over us that it fell into my daughterher lap: she gave a shrill scream, but I whispered her to sitstill, and that I would secretly throw the frog away by one leg. But the constable had seen it, and cried out, "Hey, sirs! hey, look at the cursed witch! what has the devil just thrown into herlap?" Whereupon the sheriff and _Dom. Consul_ looked roundand saw the frog, which crawled in her lap, and the constable, after he had blown upon it three times, took it up and showed itto their lordships. Hereat _Dom. Consul_ began to spew, andwhen he had done, he ordered the coachman to stop, got down fromthe coach, and said we might drive home, that he felt qualmish, and would go a-foot and see if he got better. But first heprivately whispered to the constable, which, howbeit, we heardright well, that when he got home he should lay my poor child inchains, but not so as to hurt her much; to which neither she nor Icould answer save by tears and sobs. But the sheriff had heard ittoo, and when his worship was out of sight he began to stroke mychild her cheeks from behind her back, telling her to be easy, ashe also had a word to say in the matter, and that the constableshould not lay her in chains. But that she must leave off being sohard to him as she had been hitherto, and come and sit on the seatbeside him, that he might privately give her some good advice asto what was to be done. To this she answered, with many tears, that she wished to sit only by her father, as she knew not howmuch longer she might sit by him at all; and she begged fornothing more save that his lordship would leave her in peace. Butthis he would not do, but pinched her back and sides with hisknees; and as she bore with this, seeing that there was no helpfor it, he waxed bolder, taking it for a good sign. Meanwhile_Dom. Consul_ called out close behind us (for beingfrightened he ran just after the coach), "Constable, constable, come here quick; here lies a hedgehog in the midst of the road!"whereupon the constable jumped down from the coach. This made the sheriff still bolder; and at last my child rose upand said, "Father, let us also go a-foot; I can no longer guardmyself from him here behind!" But he pulled her down again by herclothes, and cried out angrily, "Wait, thou wicked witch, I willhelp thee to go a-foot if thou art so wilful; thou shalt bechained to the block this very night. " Whereupon she answered, "Doyou do that which you cannot help doing: the righteous God, it isto be hoped, will one day do unto you what He cannot help doing. " Meanwhile we had reached the castle, and scarcely were we got outof the coach, when _Dom. Consul_, who had run till he was allof a sweat, came up, together with the constable, and straightwaygave over my child into his charge, so that I had scarce time tobid her farewell. I was left standing on the floor below, wringingmy hands in the dark, and hearkened whither they were leading her, inasmuch as I had not the heart to follow; when _Dom. Consul_, who had stepped into a room with the sheriff, lookedout at the door again, and called after the constable to bring_Rea_ once more before them. And when he had done so, and Iwent into the room with them, _Dom. Consul_ held a letter inhis hand, and, after spitting thrice, he began thus, "Wilt thoustill deny, thou stubborn witch? Hear what the old knight, Hansvon Nienkerken, writes to the court!" Whereupon he read out to us, that his son was so disturbed by the tale the accursed witch hadtold of him, that he had fallen sick from that very hour, and thathe, the father, was not much better. That his son, Rüdiger, hadindeed at times, when he went that way, been to see PastorSchweidler, whom he had first known upon a journey; but that heswore that he wished he might turn black if he had ever used anyfolly or jesting with the cursed devil's whore his daughter; muchless ever been with her by night on the Streckelberg, or embracedher there. At this dreadful news we both (I mean my child and I) fell down ina swound together, seeing that we had rested our last hopes on theyoung lord; and I know not what further happened. For when I cameto myself, my host, Conrad Seep, was standing over me, holding afunnel between my teeth, through which he ladled some warm beerdown my throat, and I never felt more wretched in all my life;insomuch that Master Seep had to undress me like a little child, and to help me into bed. CHAPTER XX. _Of the malice of the Governor and of old Lizzie--item, of theexamination of witnesses. _ The next morning my hairs, which till _datum_ had beenmingled with grey, were white as snow, albeit the Lord otherwiseblessed me wondrously. For near daybreak a nightingale flew intothe elder-bush beneath my window, and sang so sweetly thatstraightway I thought it must be a good angel. For after I hadhearkened awhile to it, I was all at once able again to pray, which since last Sunday I could not do; and the spirit of our LordJesus Christ began to speak within me, "Abba, Father;" [Footnote:Gal. Iv. 6. ] and straightway I was of good cheer, trusting thatGod would once more be gracious unto me His wretched child; andwhen I had given Him thanks for such great mercy, I fell into arefreshing slumber, and slept so long that the blessed sun stoodhigh in the heavens when I awoke. And seeing that my heart was still of good cheer, I sat up in mybed, and sang with a loud voice, "Be not dismayed, thou littleflock:" whereupon Master Seep came into the room, thinking I hadcalled him. But he stood reverently waiting till I had done; andafter marvelling at my snow-white hair, he told me it was alreadyseven; _item_, that half my congregation, among others, myploughman, Claus Neels, were already assembled in his house tobear witness that day. When I heard this, I bade mine hostforthwith send Claus to the castle, to ask when the court wouldopen, and he brought word back that no one knew, seeing that_Dom. Consul_ was already gone that morning to Mellenthin tosee old Nienkerken, and was not yet come back. This message gaveme good courage, and I asked the fellow whether he also had cometo bear witness against my poor child? To which he answered, "Nay, I know naught save good of her, and I would give the fellows theirdue, only----" These words surprised me, and I vehemently urged him to open hisheart to me. But he began to weep, and at last said that he knewnothing. Alas! he knew but too much, and could then have saved mypoor child if he had willed. But from fear of the torture he heldhis peace, as he since owned; and I will here relate what hadbefallen him that very morning. He had set out betimes that morning, so as to be alone with hissweetheart, who was to go along with him (she is Steffen of Zempinhis daughter, not farmer Steffen, but the lame gouty Steffen), andhad got to Pudgla about five, where he found no one in theale-house save old Lizzie Kolken, who straightway hobbled up tothe castle; and when his sweetheart was gone home again, time hungheavy on his hands, and he climbed over the wall into the castlegarden, where he threw himself on his face behind a hedge tosleep. But before long the sheriff came with old Lizzie, and afterthey had looked all round and seen no one, they went into anarbour close by him, and conversed as follows:-- _Ille_. --Now that they were alone together, what did she wantof him? _Illa_. --She came to get the money for the witchcraft she hadcontrived in the village. _Ille_. --Of what use had all this witchcraft been to him? Mychild, so far from being frightened, defied him more and more; andhe doubted whether he should ever have his will of her. _Illa_. --He should only have patience; when she was laid uponthe rack she would soon learn to be fond. _Ille_. --That might be, but till then she (Lizzie) should getno money. _Illa_. --What! Must she then do his cattle a mischief? _Ille_. --Yes, if she felt chilly, and wanted a burning faggotto warm her _podex_, she had better. Moreover, he thoughtthat she had bewitched him, seeing that his desire for theparson's daughter was such as he had never felt before. _Illa_ (laughing). --He had said the same thing some thirtyyears ago, when he first came after her. _Ille_. --Ugh! thou old baggage, don't remind me of suchthings, but see to it that you get three witnesses, as I told youbefore, or else methinks they will rack your old joints for youafter all. _Illa_. --She had the three witnesses ready, and would leavethe rest to him. But that if she were racked she would reveal allshe knew. _Ille_. --She should hold her ugly tongue, and go to thedevil. _Illa_. --So she would, but first she must have her money. _Ille_. --She should have no money till he had had his will ofmy daughter. _Illa_. --He might at least pay her for her little pig whichshe herself had bewitched to death, in order that she might notget into evil repute. _Ille_. --She might choose one when his pigs were driven by, and say she had paid for it. Hereupon, said my Claus, the pigswere driven by, and one ran into the garden, the door being open, and as the swineherd followed it, they parted; but the witchmuttered to herself, "Now help, devil, help, that I may----" buthe heard no further. The cowardly fellow, however, hid all this from me, as I have saidabove, and only said, with tears, that he knew nothing. I believedhim, and sat down at the window to see when _Dom. Consul_should return; and when I saw him I rose and went to the castle, where the constable, who was already there with my child, met mebefore the judgment-chamber. Alas! she looked more joyful than Ihad seen her for a long time, and smiled at me with her sweetlittle mouth: but when she saw my snow-white hair, she gave a cry, which made _Dom. Consul_ throw open the door of thejudgment-chamber, and say, "Ha, ha! thou knowest well what news Ihave brought thee; come in, thou stubborn devil's brat!" Whereuponwe stepped into the chamber to him, and he lift up his voice andspake to me, after he had sat down with the sheriff, who was by. He said that yester-even, after he had caused me to be carriedlike one dead to Master Seep his ale-house, and that my stubbornchild had been brought to life again, he had once more adjuredher, to the utmost of his power, no longer to lie before the faceof the living God, but to confess the truth; whereupon she hadborne herself very unruly, and had wrung her hands and wept andsobbed, and at last answered that the young _nobilis_ nevercould have said such things, but that his father must have writtenthem, who hated her, as she had plainly seen when the Swedish kingwas at Coserow. That he, _Dom. Consul_, had indeed doubtedthe truth of this at the time, but as a just judge had gone thatmorning right early with the _scriba_ to Mellenthin, toquestion the young lord himself. That I might now see myself what horrible malice was in mydaughter. For that the old knight had led him to his son'sbedside, who still lay sick from vexation, and that he hadconfirmed all his father had written, and had cursed thescandalous she-devil (as he called my daughter) for seeking to robhim of his knightly honour. "What sayest thou now?" he continued;"wilt thou still deny thy great wickedness? See here the_protocollum_ which the young lord hath signed _manupropriâ!_" But the wretched maid had meanwhile fallen on theground again, and the constable had no sooner seen this than heran into the kitchen, and came back with a burning brimstonematch, which he was about to hold under her nose. But I hindered him, and sprinkled her face with water, so that sheopened her eyes, and raised herself up by a table. She then stoodawhile, without saying a word or regarding my sorrow. At last shesmiled sadly, and spake thus: That she clearly saw how true wasthat spoken by the Holy Ghost, "Cursed be the man that trusteth inman;" [Footnote: Jer. Xvii. 5. ] and that the faithlessness of theyoung lord had surely broken her poor heart if the all-mercifulGod had not graciously prevented him, and sent her a dream thatnight, which she would tell, not hoping to persuade the judges, but to raise up the white head of her poor father. "After I had sat and watched all the night, " quoth she, "towardsmorning I heard a nightingale sing in the castle garden so sweetlythat my eyes closed, and I slept. Then methought I was a lamb, grazing quietly in my meadow at Coserow. Suddenly the sheriffjumped over the hedge, and turned into a wolf, who seized me inhis jaws, and ran with me towards the Streckelberg, where he hadhis lair. I, poor little lamb, trembled and bleated in vain, andsaw death before my eyes, when he laid me down before his lair, where lay the she-wolf and her young. But behold a hand, like thehand of a man, straightway came out of the bushes, and touched thewolves, each one with one finger, and crushed them so that naughtwas left of them save a grey powder. Hereupon the hand took me up, and carried me back to my meadow. " Only think, beloved reader, how I felt when I heard all this, andabout the dear nightingale too, which no one can doubt to havebeen the servant of God. I clasped my child with many tears, andtold her what had happened to me, and we both won such courage andconfidence as we had never yet felt, to the wonderment of _Dom. Consul_, as it seemed; but the sheriff turned as pale as asheet when she stepped towards their worships and said, "And nowdo with me as you will, the lamb fears not, for she is in thehands of the Good Shepherd!" Meanwhile _Dom. Camerarius_ camein with the _scriba_, but was terrified as he chanced totouch my daughter's apron with the skirts of his coat; and stoodand scraped at his coat as a woman scrapes a fish. At last, afterhe had spat out thrice, he asked the court whether it would notbegin to examine witnesses, seeing that all the people had beenwaiting some time both in the castle and at the ale-house. Hereunto they agreed, and the constable was ordered to guard mychild in his room, until it should please the court to summon her. I therefore went with her, but we had to endure much from theimpudent rogue, seeing he was not ashamed to lay his arm round mychild her shoulders, and to ask for a kiss _in meâpresentiâ_. But, before I could get out a word, she toreherself from him, and said, "Ah, thou wicked knave, must Icomplain of thee to the court; hast thou forgotten what thou hastalready done to me?" To which he answered, laughing, "See, see!how coy;" and still sought to persuade her to be more willing, andnot to forget her own interest; for that he meant as well by heras his master; she might believe it or not; with many otherscandalous words besides which I have forgot; for I took my childupon my knees and laid my head on her neck, and we sat and wept. CHAPTER XXI. _De confrontatione testium_. When we were summoned before the court again, the whole court wasfull of people, and some shuddered when they saw us, but otherswept; my child told the same tale as before. But when our old Ilsewas called, who sat on a bench behind, so that we had not seenher, the strength wherewith the Lord had gifted her was again atan end, and she repeated the words of our Saviour, "He that eatethbread with Me hath lift up his heel against Me:" and she held fastby my chair. Old Ilse, too, could not walk straight for verygrief, nor could she speak for tears, but she twisted and woundherself about before the court, like a woman in travail. But when_Dom. Consul_ threatened that the constable should presentlyhelp her to her words, she testified that my child had very oftengot up in the night, and called aloud upon the foul fiend. _Q_. Whether she had ever heard Satan answer her?--_R_. She never had heard him at all. _Q_. Whether she had perceived that _Rea_ had a familiarspirit, and in what shape? She should think upon her oath, andspeak the truth. --_R_. She had never seen one. _Q_. Whether she had ever heard her fly up thechimney?--_R_. Nay, she had always gone softly out at thedoor. _Q_. Whether she never at mornings had missed her broom orpitchfork?--_R_. Once the broom was gone, but she had foundit again behind the stove, and may be left it there herself bymistake. _Q_. Whether she had never heard _Rea_ cast a spell, orwish harm to this or that person?--_R_. No, never; she hadalways wished her neighbours nothing but good, and even in thetime of bitter famine had taken the bread out of her own mouth togive it to others. _Q_. --Whether she did not know the salve which had been foundin _Rea_ her coffer?--_R_. Oh, yes! her young mistresshad brought it back from Wolgast for her skin, and had once givenher some when she had chapped hands, and it had done her a vastdeal of good. _Q_. Whether she had anything further to say?--_R_. No, nothing but good. Hereupon my man Claus Neels was called up. He also came forward intears, but answered every question with a "nay, " and at lasttestified that he had never seen nor heard anything bad of mychild, and knew naught of her doings by night, seeing that heslept in the stable with the horses; and that he firmly believedthat evil folks--and here he looked at old Lizzie--had broughtthis misfortune upon her, and that she was quite innocent. When it came to the turn of this old limb of Satan, who was to bethe chief witness, my child again declared that she would notaccept old Lizzie's testimony against her, and called upon thecourt for justice, for that she had hated her from her youth up, and had been longer by habit and repute a witch than she herself. But the old hag cried out, "God forgive thee thy sins; the wholevillage knows that I am a devout woman, and one serving the Lordin all things;" whereupon she called up old Zuter Witthahn and mychurchwarden Claus Bulk, who bore witness hereto. But old Paaschstood and shook his head; nevertheless when my child said, "Paasch, wherefore dost thou shake thy head?" he started, andanswered, "Oh, nothing!" Howbeit, _Dom. Consul_ likewise perceived this, and askedhim, whether he had any charge to bring against old Lizzie; if so, he should give glory to God, and state the same; _item_, itwas competent to every one so to do; indeed, the court required ofhim to speak out all he knew. But from fear of the old dragon, all were still as mice, so thatyou might have heard the flies buzz about the inkstand. I thenstood up, wretched as I was, and stretched out my arms over myamazed and faint-hearted people, and spake: "Can ye thus crucifyme together with my poor child? have I deserved this at yourhands? Speak, then; alas, will none speak?" I heard, indeed, howseveral wept aloud, but not one spake; and hereupon my poor childwas forced to submit. And the malice of the old hag was such that she not only accusedmy child of the most horrible witchcraft, but also reckoned to aday when she had given herself up to Satan to rob her of hermaiden honour; and she said that Satan had, without doubt, thendefiled her, when she could no longer heal the cattle, and whenthey all died. Hereupon my child said naught, save that she castdown her eyes and blushed deep for shame at such filthiness; andto the other blasphemous slander which the old hag uttered withmany tears, namely, that my daughter had given up her (Lizzie's)husband, body and soul, to Satan, she answered as she had donebefore. But when the old hag came to her re-baptism in the sea, and gave out that while seeking for strawberries in the coppiceshe had recognised my child's voice, and stolen towards her, andperceived these devil's doings, my child fell in smiling, andanswered, "Oh, thou evil woman! how couldst thou hear my voicespeaking down by the sea, being thyself in the forest upon themountain? surely thou liest, seeing that the murmur of the waveswould make that impossible. " This angered the old dragon, andseeking to get out of the blunder she fell still deeper into it, for she said, "I saw thee move thy lips, and from that I knew thatthou didst call upon thy paramour the devil!" for my childstraightway replied, "Oh, thou ungodly woman! thou saidst thouwert in the forest when thou didst hear my voice; how then up inthe forest couldst thou see whether I, who was below by the water, moved my lips or not?" Such contradictions amazed even _Dom. Consul_, and he beganto threaten the old hag with the rack if she told such lies;whereupon she answered and said, "List, then, whether I lie! Whenshe went naked into the water she had no mark on her body, butwhen she came out again I saw that she had between her breasts amark the size of a silver penny, whence I perceived that the devilhad given it her, although I had not seen him about her, nor, indeed, had I seen any one, either spirit or child of man, for sheseemed to be quite alone. " Hereupon the sheriff jumped up from his seat, and cried, "Searchmust straightway be made for this mark;" whereupon _Dom. Consul_ answered, "Yea, but not by us, but by two women of goodrepute, " for he would not hearken to what my child said, that itwas a mole, and that she had had it from her youth up. Whereforethe constable his wife was sent for, and _Dom. Consul_muttered somewhat into her ear, and as prayers and tears were ofno avail, my child was forced to go with her. Howbeit, sheobtained this favour, that old Lizzie Kolken was not to followher, as she would have done, but our old maid Ilse. I, too, wentin my sorrow, seeing that I knew not what the women might do toher. She wept bitterly as they undressed her, and held her handsover her eyes for very shame. Well-a-day, her body was just as white as my departed wife's;although in her childhood, as I remember, she was very yellow, andI saw with amazement the mole between her breasts, whereof I hadnever heard aught before. But she suddenly screamed violently andstarted back, seeing that the constable his wife, when nobodywatched her, had run a needle into the mole, so deep that the redblood ran down over her breasts. I was sorely angered thereat, butthe woman said that she had done it by order of the judge, [Footnote: It was believed that these marks were the infalliblesign of a witch when they were insensible, and that they weregiven by the devil; and every one suspected of witchcraft wasinvariably searched for them. ] which, indeed, was true; for whenwe came back into court, and the sheriff asked how it was, shetestified that there was a mark of the size of a silver penny, ofa yellowish colour, but that it had feeling, seeing that_Rea_ had screamed aloud, when she had, unperceived, driven aneedle therein. Meanwhile, however, _Dom. Camerarius_suddenly rose, and stepping up to my child, drew her eyelidsasunder and cried out, beginning to tremble, "Behold the signwhich never fails:" [Footnote: See, among other authorities, Delrio, _Disquisit. Magicæ_, lib. V. Tit. Xiv. No. 28. ]whereupon the whole court started to their feet, and looked at thelittle spot under her right eyelid, which in truth had been leftthere by a sty, but this none would believe. _Dom. Consul_now said, "See, Satan hath marked thee on body and soul! and thoudost still continue to lie unto the Holy Ghost; but it shall notavail thee, and thy punishment will only be the heavier. Oh, thoushameless woman! thou hast refused to accept the testimony of oldLizzie; wilt thou also refuse that of these people, who have allheard thee on the mountain call upon the devil thy paramour, andseen him appear in the likeness of a hairy giant, and kiss andcaress thee?" Hereupon old Paasch, goodwife Witthahn, and Zuter, came forwardand bare witness, that they had seen this happen about midnight, and that on this declaration they would live and die; that oldLizzie had awakened them one Saturday night about eleven o'clock, had given them a can of beer, and persuaded them to follow theparson's daughter privately, and to see what she did upon themountain. At first they refused; but in order to get at the truthabout the witchcraft in the village, they had at last, after adevout prayer, consented, and had followed her in God's name. They had soon through the bushes seen the witch in the moonshine;she seemed to dig, and spake in some strange tongue the while, whereupon the grim arch-fiend suddenly appeared, and fell upon herneck. Hereupon they ran away in consternation, but, by the help ofthe Almighty God, on whom from the very first they had set theirfaith, they were preserved from the power of the evil one. For, notwithstanding he had turned round on hearing a rustling in thebushes, he had had no power to harm them. Finally, it was even charged to my child as a crime, that she hadfainted on the road from Coserow to Pudgla, and none would believethat this had been caused by vexation at old Lizzie her singing, and not from a bad conscience, as stated by the judge. When all the witnesses had been examined, _Dom. Consul_ askedher whether she had brewed the storm, what was the meaning of thefrog that dropped into her lap, _item_, the hedgehog whichlay directly in his path? To all of which she answered, that shehad caused the one as little as she knew of the other. Whereupon_Dom. Consul_ shook his head, and asked her, last of all, whether she would have an advocate, or trust entirely in the goodjudgment of the court. To this she gave answer, that she would byall means have an advocate. Wherefore I sent my ploughman, ClausNeels, the next day to Wolgast to fetch the _Syndicus_Michelson, who is a worthy man, and in whose house I have beenmany times when I went to the town, seeing that he courteouslyinvited me. I must also note here that at this time my old Ilse came back tolive with me; for after the witnesses were gone she stayed behindin the chamber, and came boldly up to me, and besought me tosuffer her once more to serve her old master and her dear youngmistress; for that now she had saved her poor soul, and confessedall she knew. Wherefore she could no longer bear to see her oldmaster in such woeful plight, without so much as a mouthful ofvictuals, seeing that she had heard that old wife Seep, who hadtill _datum_ prepared the food for me and my child, often letthe porridge burn; _item_, over-salted the fish and the meat. Moreover that I was so weakened by age and misery, that I neededhelp and support, which she would faithfully give me, and wasready to sleep in the stable, if needs must be; that she wanted nowages for it, I was only not to turn her away. Such kindness mademy daughter to weep, and she said to me, "Behold, father, the goodfolks come back to us again; think you, then, that the good angelswill forsake us for ever? I thank thee, old Ilse; thou shaltindeed prepare my food for me, and always bring it as far as theprison-door, if thou mayest come no further; and mark, then, Ipray thee, what the constable does therewith. " This the maid promised to do, and from this time forth took up herabode in the stable. May God repay her at the day of judgment forwhat she then did for me and for my poor child! CHAPTER XXII. _How the Syndicus Dom. Michelson arrived, and prepared hisdefence of my poor child. _ The next day, at about three o'clock P. M. , _Dom. Syndicus_came driving up, and got out of his coach at my inn. He had a hugebag full of books with him, but was not so friendly in his manneras was usual with him, but very grave and silent. And after he hadsaluted me in my own room, and had asked how it was possible formy child to have come to such misfortune, I related to him thewhole affair, whereat, however, he only shook his head. On myasking him whether he would not see my child that same day, heanswered, "Nay;" he would rather first study the _Acta_. Andafter he had eaten of some wild duck which my old Ilse had roastedfor him, he would tarry no longer, but straightway went up to thecastle, whence he did not return till the following afternoon. Hismanner was not more friendly now than at his first coming, and Ifollowed him with sighs when he asked me to lead him to mydaughter. As we went in with the constable, and I, for the firsttime, saw my child in chains before me--she who in her whole lifehad never hurt a worm--I again felt as though I should die forvery grief. But she smiled and cried out to _Dom. Syndicus_, "Are you indeed the good angel who will cause my chains to fallfrom my hands, as was done of yore to St. Peter?" [Footnote: TheActs of the Apostles, xii. 7. ] To which he replied, with a sigh, "May the Almighty God grant it;" and as, save the chair whereon mychild sat against the wall, there was none other in the dungeon(which was a filthy and stinking hole, wherein were more wood-licethan ever I saw in my life), _Dom. Syndicus_ and I sat downon her bed, which had been left for her at my prayer; and heordered the constable to go his ways, until he should call himback. Hereupon he asked my child what she had to say in herjustification; and she had not gone far in her defence when Iperceived, from the shadow at the door, that some one must bestanding without. I therefore went quickly to the door, which washalf open, and found the impudent constable, who stood there tolisten. This so angered _Dom. Syndicus_ that he snatched uphis staff in order to hasten his going, but the arch-rogue took tohis heels as soon as he saw this. My child took this opportunityto tell her worshipful _defensor_ what she had suffered fromthe impudence of this fellow, and to beg that some other constablemight be set over her, seeing that this one had come to her lastnight again with evil designs, so that she at last had shriekedaloud and beaten him on the head with her chains; whereupon he hadleft her. This _Dom. Syndicus_ promised to obtain for her;but with regard to the _defensio_, wherewith she now went on, he thought it would be better to make no further mention of the_impetus_ which the sheriff had made on her chastity. "For, "said he, "as the princely central court at Wolgast has to givesentence upon thee, this statement would do thee far more harmthan good, seeing that the _præses_ thereof is a cousin ofthe sheriff, and ofttimes goes a hunting with him. Besides, thoubeing charged with a capital crime hast no _fides_, especially as thou canst bring no witnesses against him. Thoucouldst, therefore, gain no belief even if thou didst confirm thecharge on the rack, wherefrom, moreover, I am come hither to savethee by my _defensio_. " These reasons seemed sufficient to usboth, and we resolved to leave vengeance to Almighty God, whoseeth in secret, and to complain of our wrongs to Him, as we mightnot complain to men. But all my daughter said about oldLizzie--_item_, of the good report wherein she herself had, till now, stood with everybody--he said he would write down, andadd thereunto as much and as well of his own as he was able, soas, by the help of Almighty God, to save her from the torture. That she was to make herself easy and commend herself to God;within two days he hoped to have his _defensio_ ready and toread it to her. And now, when he called the constable back again, the fellow did not come, but sent his wife to lock the prison, andI took leave of my child with many tears: _Dom. Syndicus_told the woman the while what her impudent rogue of a husband haddone, that she might let him hear more of it. Then he sent thewoman away again and came back to my daughter, saying that he hadforgotten to ascertain whether she really knew the Latin tongue, and that she was to say her _defensio_ over again in Latin, if she was able. Hereupon she began and went on therewith for aquarter of an hour or more, in such wise that not only _Dom. Syndicus_ but I myself also was amazed, seeing that she did notstop for a single word, save the word "hedgehog, " which we bothhad forgotten at the moment when she asked us what it was. _Summa. --Dom. Syndicus_ grew far more gracious when she hadfinished her oration, and took leave of her, promising that hewould set to work forthwith. After this I did not see him again till the morning of the thirdday at ten o'clock, seeing that he sat at work in a room at thecastle, which the sheriff had given him, and also ate there, as hesent me word by old Ilse when she carried him his breakfast nextday. At the above-named time, he sent the new constable for me, who, meanwhile, had been fetched from Uzdom at his desire. For thesheriff was exceeding wroth when he heard that the impudent fellowhad attempted my child in the prison, and cried out in a rage, "S'death and 'ouns, I'll mend thy coaxing!" Whereupon he gave hima sound threshing with a dog-whip he held in his hand, to makesure that she should be at peace from him. But, alas! the new constable was even worse than the old, as willbe shown hereafter. His name was Master Köppner, and he was a tallfellow with a grim face, and a mouth so wide that at every word hesaid the spittle ran out at the corners, and stuck in his longbeard like soapsuds, so that my child had an especial fear andloathing of him. Moreover, on all occasions he seemed to laugh inmockery and scorn, as he did when he opened the prison-door to us, and saw my poor child sitting in her grief and distress. But hestraightway left us without waiting to be told, whereupon _Dom. Syndicus_ drew his defence out of his pocket, and read it tous; we have remembered the main points thereof, and I will recountthem here, but most of the _auctores_ we have forgotten. 1. He began by saying that my daughter had ever till now stood ingood repute, as not only the whole village, but even my servants, bore witness; _ergo_, she could not be a witch, inasmuch asthe Saviour hath said, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit" (Matt. Vii. ). 2. With regard to the witchcraft in the village, that belike wasthe contrivance of old Lizzie, seeing that she bore a great hatredtowards _Rea_, and had long been in evil repute, for that theparishioners dared not to speak out, only from fear of the oldwitch; wherefore Zuter her little girl must be examined, who hadheard old Lizzie her goodman tell her she had a familiar spirit, and that he would tell it to the parson; for that notwithstandingthe above-named was but a child, still it was written in Ps. Viii. , "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordainedstrength... ;" and the Saviour Himself appealed (Matt. Xxi. ) to thetestimony of little children. 3. Furthermore, old Lizzie might have bewitched the crops; item, the fruit-trees, inasmuch as none could believe that _Rea_, who had ever shown herself a dutiful child, would have bewitchedher own father's corn, or made caterpillars come on his trees; forno one, according to Scripture, can serve two masters. 4. _Item_, she (old Lizzie) might very well have been thewoodpecker that was seen by _Rea_ and old Paasch on theStreckelberg, and herself have given over her goodman to the evilone for fear of the parson, inasmuch as Spitzel, _DeExpugnatione Orci_, asserts; _item_, the _MalleusMalesicarum_ [Footnote: The celebrated "Hammer for Witches" ofInnocent VIII, which appeared 1489, and gave directions for thewhole course of proceeding to be observed at trials forwitchcraft. ] proves beyond doubt, that the wicked children ofSatan ofttimes change themselves into all manner of beasts, as thefoul fiend himself likewise seduced our first parents in the shapeof a serpent (Gen. Iii). 5. That old Lizzie had most likely made the wild weather when_Dom. Consul_ was coming home with _Rea_ from theStreckelberg, seeing it was impossible that _Rea_ could havedone it, as she was sitting in the coach, whereas witches whenthey raise storms always stand in the water and throw it overtheir heads backwards; _item_, beat the stones soundly with astick, as Hannold relates. Wherefore she too, may be, knew bestabout the frog and the hedgehog. 6. That _Rea_ was erroneously charged with that as a_crimen_ which ought rather to serve as her justification, namely, her sudden riches. For the _Malleus Malesicarum_expressly says that a witch can never grow rich, seeing thatSatan, to do dishonour to God, always buys them for a vile price, so that they should not betray themselves by their riches. [Footnote: The original words of the "Hammer for Witches, " tom. I. Quest. 18, in answer to the questions, _ Cur maleficœ nonditentur?_ are, _Ut juxta complacentiam dæmonis incontumeliam Creatoris, quantum possibile est, pro vilissimo pretioemantur, et secundo, ne in divitas notentur. ] Wherefore that as_Rea_ had grown rich, she could not have got her wealth fromthe foul fiend, but it must be true that she had found amber onthe mountain; that the spells of old Lizzie might have been thecause why they could not find the vein of amber again, or that thesea might have washed away the cliff below, as often happens, whereupon the top had slipped down, so that only a _miraculumnaturale_ had taken place. The proof which he brought forwardfrom Scripture we have quite forgotten, seeing it was butmiddling. 7. With regard to her re-baptism, the old hag had said herselfthat she had not seen the devil or any other spirit or man about_Rea_, wherefore she might in truth have been only naturallybathing, in order to greet the King of Sweden next day, seeingthat the weather was hot, and that bathing was not of itselfsufficient to impair the modesty of a maiden. For that she had aslittle thought any would see her as Bathsheba the daughter ofEliam, and wife of Uriah the Hittite, who in like manner did batheherself, as is written (2 Sam. Xi. 2), without knowing that Davidcould see her. Neither could her mark be a mark given by Satan, inasmuch as there was feeling therein; _ergo_, it must be anatural mole, and it was a lie that she had it not before bathing. Moreover, that on this point the old harlot was nowise to bebelieved, seeing that she had fallen from one contradiction intoanother about it, as stated in the _Acta_. 8. Neither was it just to accuse _Rea_ of having bewitchedPaasch his little daughter; for as old Lizzie was going in and outof the room, nay, even sat herself down on the little girl herbelly when the pastor went to see her, it most likely was thatwicked woman (who was known to have a great spite against>i>Rea_) that contrived the spell through the power of the foulfiend, and by permission of the all-just God; for that Satan was"a liar and the father of it, " as our Lord Christ says (Johnviii. ). 9. With regard to the appearance of the foul fiend on the mountainin the shape of a hairy giant, that indeed was the heaviest_gravamen_, inasmuch as not only old Lizzie, but likewisethree trustworthy witnesses, had seen him. But who could tellwhether it was not old Lizzie herself who had contrived thisdevilish apparition in order to ruin her enemy altogether; forthat notwithstanding the apparition was not the young nobleman, as_Rea_ had declared it to be, it still was very likely thatshe had not lied, but had mistaken Satan for the young lord, as heappeared in his shape; _exemplum_, for this was to be foundeven in Scripture: for that all _Theologi_ of the wholeProtestant Church were agreed, that the vision which the witch ofEndor showed to King Saul was not Samuel himself, but thearch-fiend; nevertheless, Saul had taken it for Samuel. In likemanner the old harlot might have conjured up the devil before_Rea_, who did not perceive that it was not the young lord, but Satan, who had put on that shape in order to seduce her; foras _Rea_ was a fair woman, none could wonder that the devilgave himself more trouble for her than for an old withered hag, seeing he has ever sought after fair women to lie with them. [Footnote: Gen. Vi. 2. ] Lastly, he argued that _Rea_ was in nowise marked as a witch, for that she neither had bleared and squinting eyes nor a hookednose, whereas old Lizzie had both, which Theophrastus Paracelsusdeclares to be an unfailing mark of a witch, saying, "Naturemarketh none thus unless by abortion, for these are the chiefestsigns whereby witches be known whom the spirit _Asiendens_hath subdued unto himself. " When _Dom. Syndicus_ had read his _defensio_, mydaughter was so rejoiced thereat that she would have kissed hishand, but he snatched it from her and breathed upon it thrice, whereby we could easily see that he himself was nowise in earnestwith his _defensio_. Soon after he took leave in anill-humour, after commending her to the care of the Most High, andbegged that I would make my farewell as short as might be, seeingthat he purposed to return home that very day, the which, alas! Ivery unwillingly did. CHAPTER XXIII. _How my poor child was sentenced to be put to the question. _ After _Acta_ had been sent to the honourable the centralcourt, about fourteen days passed over before any answer wasreceived. My lord the sheriff was especially gracious towards methe while, and allowed me to see my daughter as often as I would(seeing that the rest of the court were gone home), wherefore Iwas with her nearly all day. And when the constable grew impatientof keeping watch over me, I gave him a fee to lock me in togetherwith my child. And the all-merciful God was gracious unto us, andcaused us often and gladly to pray, for we had a steadfast hope, believing that the cross we had seen in the heavens would now soonpass away from us, and that the ravening wolf would receive hisreward when the honourable high court had read through the_Acta_, and should come to the excellent _defensio_which _Dom. Syndicus_ had constructed for my child. WhereforeI began to be of good cheer again, especially when I saw mydaughter her cheeks growing of a right lovely red. But onThursday, 25th _mensis Augusti_, at noon, the worshipfulcourt drove into the castle yard again as I sat in the prison withmy child, as I was wont; and old Ilse brought us our food, butcould not tell us the news for weeping. But the tall constablepeeped in at the door grinning, and cried, "Oh, ho! they are come, they are come; now the tickling will begin:" whereat my poor childshuddered, but less at the news than at sight of the fellowhimself. Scarce was he gone than he came back again to take offher chains and to fetch her away. So I followed her into thejudgment-chamber, where _Dom. Consul_ read out the sentenceof the honourable high court as follows:--That she should oncemore be questioned in kindness touching the articles contained inthe indictment; and if she then continued stubborn she should besubjected to the _peine forte et dure_, for that the_defensio_ she had set up did not suffice, and that therewere _indicia legitima, prægnantia et sufficientia ad torturamipsam_; to wit--1. _Mala sama_. 2. _Malesicum, publicè commissum_. 3. _Apparitio dæmonis in monte_. Whereupon the most honourable central court cited about 20_auctores_, whereof, howbeit, we remember but little. When_Don. Consul_ had read out this to my child, he once morelift up his voice and admonished her with many words to confess ofher own free will, for that the truth must now come to light. Hereupon she steadfastly replied, that after the _defensio_of _Dom. Syndicus_ she had indeed hoped for a bettersentence; but that, as it was the will of God to try her yet morehardly, she resigned herself altogether into His gracious hands, and could not confess aught save what she had said before, namely, that she was innocent, and that evil men had brought this miseryupon her. Hereupon _Dom. Consul_ motioned the constable, whostraightway opened the door of the next room, and admitted_Pastor Benzensis_ [Footnote: The minister at Bentz, avillage situated at a short distance from Pudgla. ] in hissurplice, who had been sent for by the court to admonish her stillbetter out of the Word of God. He heaved a deep sigh, and said, "Mary, Mary, is it thus I must meet thee again?" Whereupon shebegan to weep bitterly, and to protest her innocence afresh. Buthe heeded not her distress; and as soon as he had heard her pray, "Our Father, " "The eyes of all wait upon Thee, " and "God theFather dwell with us, " he lift up his voice and declared to herthe hatred of the living God to all witches and warlocks, seeingthat not only is the punishment of fire awarded to them in the OldTestament, but that the Holy Ghost expressly saith in the NewTestament (Gal. V. ), "That they which do such things shall notinherit the kingdom of God;" but "shall have their part in thelake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the seconddeath" (Apocal. Xxi. ). Wherefore she must not be stubborn normurmur against the court when she was tormented, seeing that itwas all done out of Christian love, and to save her poor soul. That, for the sake of God and her salvation, she should no longerdelay repentance, and thereby cause her body to be tormented andgive over her wretched soul to Satan, who certainly would notfulfil those promises in hell which he had made her here uponearth; seeing that "he was a murderer from the beginning--a liarand the father of it" (John viii. ). "Oh!" cried he, "Mary, mychild, who so oft hast sat upon my knees, and for whom I now cryevery morning and every night unto my God, if thou wilt have nopity upon thee and me, have pity at least upon thy worthy father, whom I cannot look upon without tears, seeing that his hairs haveturned snow white within a few days, and save thy soul, my child, and confess! Behold, thy Heavenly Father grieveth over thee noless than thy fleshly father, and the holy angels veil their facesfor sorrow that thou, who wert once their darling sister, art nowbecome the sister and bride of the devil. Return, therefore, andrepent! This day thy Saviour calleth thee, poor stray lamb, backinto His flock, 'And ought not this woman, being a daughter ofAbraham, whom Satan hath bound... Be loosed from this bond?' Suchare His merciful words (Luke xiii. ); _item_, 'Return, thoubacksliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not cause Mineanger to fall upon you, for I am merciful' (Jer. Iii. ). Returnthen, thou backsliding soul, unto the Lord thy God! He who heardthe prayer of the idolatrous Manasseh when 'he besought the Lordhis God and humbled himself (2 Chron. Xxxiii. ); who, through Paul, accepted the repentance of the sorcerers at Ephesus (Acts xix. ), the same merciful God now crieth unto thee as unto the angel ofthe church of Ephesus, 'Remember, therefore, from whence thou artfallen and repent' (Apocal. Ii. ). O Mary, Mary, remember, mychild, from whence thou art fallen, and repent!" Hereupon he held his peace, and it was some time before she couldsay a word for tears and sobs; but at last she answered, "If liesare no less hateful to God than witchcraft, I may not lie, butmust rather declare, to the glory of God, as I have ever declared, that I am innocent. " Hereupon _Dom. Consul_ was exceeding wroth, and frowned, andasked the tall constable if all was ready, _Item_, whetherthe women were at hand to undress _Rea_; whereupon heanswered with a grin, as he was wont, "Ho, ho, I have never beenwanting in my duty, nor will I be wanting to-day; I will tickleher in such wise that she shall soon confess. " When he had said this, _Dom. Consul_ turned to my daughterand said, "Thou art a foolish thing, and knowest not the tormentwhich awaits thee, and therefore is it that thou still artstubborn. Now then, follow me to the torture-chamber, where theexecutioner shall show thee the _instrumenta_, and thoumayest yet think better of it, when thou hast seen what thequestion is like. " Hereupon he went into another room, and the constable followed himwith my child. And when I would have gone after them, _PastorBenzensis_ held me back, with many tears, and conjured me notto do so, but to tarry where I was. But I hearkened not unto him, and tore myself from him, and swore that so long as a single veinshould beat in my wretched body, I would never forsake my child. Itherefore went into the next room, and from thence down into avault, where was the torture-chamber, wherein were no windows, sothat those without might not hear the cries of the tormented. Twotorches were already burning there when I went in, and although_Dom. Consul_ would at first have sent me away, after a whilehe had pity upon me, so that he suffered me to stay. And now that hell-hound the constable stepped forward, and firstshowed my poor child the ladder, saying with savage glee, "Seehere! first of all, thou wilt be laid on that, and thy hands andfeet will be tied. Next the thumb-screw here will be put uponthee, which straightway will make the blood to spirt out at thetips of thy fingers; thou mayest see that they are still red withthe blood of old Gussy Biehlke, who was burnt last year, and who, like thee, would not confess at first. If thou still wilt notconfess, I shall next put these Spanish boots on thee, and shouldthey be too large, I shall just drive in a wedge, so that thecalf, which is now at the back of thy leg, will be driven to thefront, and the blood will shoot out of thy feet, as when thousqueezest blackberries in a bag. "Again, if thou wilt not yet confess--holla!" shouted he, andkicked open a door behind him, so that the whole vault shook, andmy poor child fell upon her knees for fright. Before long twowomen brought in a bubbling cauldron, full of boiling pitch andbrimstone. This cauldron the hell-hound ordered them to set downon the ground, and drew forth, from under the red cloak he wore, agoose's wing, wherefrom he plucked five or six quills, which hedipped into the boiling brimstone. After he had held them awhilein the cauldron he threw them upon the earth, where they twistedabout and spirted the brimstone on all sides. And then he calledto my poor child again, "See! these quills I shall throw upon thywhite loins, and the burning brimstone will presently eat into thyflesh down to the very bones, so that thou wilt thereby have aforetaste of the joys which await thee in hell. " When he had spoken thus far, amid sneers and laughter, I was soovercome with rage that I sprang forth out of the corner where Istood leaning my trembling joints against an old barrel, andcried, "Oh, thou hellish dog! sayest thou this of thyself, or haveothers bidden thee?" Whereupon, however, the fellow gave me such ablow upon the breast that I fell backwards against the wall, and_Dom. Consul_ called out in great wrath, "You old fool, ifyou needs must stay here, at any rate leave the constable inpeace, for if not I will have you thrust out of the chamberforthwith. The constable has said no more than is his duty; and itwill thus happen to thy child if she confess not, and if it appearthat the foul fiend hath given her some charm against thetorture. " [Footnote: It was believed that when witches enduredtorture with unusual patience, or even slept during the operation, which, strange to say, frequently occured, the devil had giftedthem with insensibility to pain by means of an amulet which theyconcealed in some secret part of their persons. --Zedler'sUniversal Lexicon, vol. Xliv. , art, "Torture. "] Hereupon thishell-hound went on to speak to my poor child, without heeding me, save that he laughed in my face: "Look here! when thou hast thusbeen well shorn, ho, ho, ho! I shall pull thee up by means ofthese two rings in the floor and the roof, stretch thy arms abovethy head, and bind them fast to the ceiling; whereupon I shalltake these two torches, and hold them under thy shoulders, tillthy skin will presently become like the rind of a smoked ham. Thenthy hellish paramour will help thee no longer, and thou wiltconfess the truth. And now thou hast seen and heard all that Ishall do to thee, in the name of God, and by order of themagistrates. " And now _Dom. Consul_ once more came forward and admonishedher to confess the truth. But she abode by what she had said fromthe first; whereupon he delivered her over to the two women whohad brought in the cauldron, to strip her naked as she was born, and to clothe her in the black torture-shift; after which theywere once more to lead her barefooted up the steps before theworshipful court. But one of these women was the sheriff hishousekeeper (the other was the impudent constable his wife), andmy daughter said that she would not suffer herself to be touchedsave by honest women, and assuredly not by the housekeeper, andbegged _Dom. Consul_ to send for her maid, who was sitting inher prison reading the Bible, if he knew of no other decent womanat hand. Hereupon the housekeeper began to pour forth a wondrousdeal of railing and ill words, but _Dom. Consul_ rebuked her, and answered my daughter that he would let her have her wish inthis matter too, and bade the impudent constable his wife call themaid hither from out of the prison. After he had said this, hetook me by the arm, and prayed me so long to go up with him, forthat no harm would happen to my daughter as yet, that I did as hewould have me. Before long she herself came up, led between the two women, barefooted, and in the black torture-shift, but so pale that Imyself should scarce have known her. The hateful constable, whofollowed close behind, seized her by the hand, and led her beforethe worshipful court. Hereupon the admonitions began all over again, and _Dom. Consul_ bade her look upon the brown spots that were upon theblack shift, for that they were the blood of old wife Biehlke, andto consider that within a few minutes it would in like manner bestained with her own blood. Hereupon she answered, "I haveconsidered that right well, but I hope that my faithful Saviour, who hath laid this torment upon me, being innocent, will likewisehelp me to bear it, as He helped the holy martyrs of old; for ifthese, through God's help, overcame by faith the tormentsinflicted on them by blind heathens, I also can overcome thetorture inflicted on me by blind heathens, who, indeed, callthemselves Christians, but who are more cruel than those of yore;for the old heathens only caused the holy virgins to be torn ofsavage beasts, but ye which have received the new commandment, 'That ye love one another; as your Saviour hath loved you, that yealso love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are Hisdisciples' (St. John xiii. ); yourselves will act the part ofsavage beasts, and tear with your own hands the body of aninnocent maiden, your sister, who has never done aught to harmyou. Do then as ye list, but have a care how ye will answer it tothe highest Judge of all. Again, I say, the lamb feareth naught, for it is in the hand of the Good Shepherd. " When my matchlesschild had thus spoken, _Dom. Consul_ rose, pulled off theblack skull-cap which he ever wore, because the top of his headwas already bald, bowed to the court, and said, "We hereby makeknown to the worshipful court, that the question ordinary andextraordinary of the stubborn and blaspheming witch, MarySchweidler, is about to begin, in the name of the Father, and ofthe Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. " Hereupon all the court rose save the sheriff, who had got upbefore, and was walking uneasily up and down in the room. But ofall that now follows, and of what I myself did, I remember not oneword, but will relate it all as I have received it from mydaughter and other _testes_, and they have told me asfollows:-- That when _Dom. Consul_ after these words had taken up thehour-glass which stood upon the table, and walked on before, Iwould go with him, whereupon _Pastor Benzensis_ first prayedme with many words and tears to desist from my purpose, and whenthat was of no avail my child herself stroked my cheeks, saying, "Father, have you ever read that the Blessed Virgin stood by whenher guileless Son was scourged? Depart, therefore, from me. Youshall stand by the pile whereon I am burned, that I promise you;for in like manner did the Blessed Virgin stand at the foot of thecross. But now, go; go, I pray you, for you will not be able tobear it, neither shall I!" And when this also failed, _Dom. Consul_ bade the constableseize me, and by main force lock me into another room; whereupon, however, I tore myself away, and fell at his feet, conjuring himby the wounds of Christ not to tear me from my child; that I wouldnever forget his kindness and mercy, but pray for him day andnight; nay, that at the day of judgment I would be his intercessorwith God and the holy angels if that he would but let me go withmy child; that I would be quite quiet, and not speak one singleword, but that I must go with my child, &c. This so moved the worthy man that he burst into tears, and sotrembled with pity for me that the hour-glass fell from his handsand rolled right before the feet of the sheriff, as though GodHimself would signify to him that his glass was soon to run out;and, indeed, he understood it right well, for he grew white as anychalk when he picked it up, and gave it back to _Dom. Consul_. The latter at last gave way, saying that this daywould make him ten years older; but he bade the impudentconstable, who also went with us, lead me away if I made any_rumor_ during the torture. And hereupon the whole court wentbelow, save the sheriff, who said his head ached, and that hebelieved his old _malum_, the gout, was coming upon himagain, wherefore he went into another chamber, _item_, _Pastor Benzensis_ likewise departed. Down in the vault the constables first brought in tables andchairs, whereon the court sat, and _Dom. Consul_ also pusheda chair toward me, but I sat not thereon, but threw myself upon myknees in a corner. When this was done they began again with theirvile admonitions, and as my child, like her guileless Saviourbefore His unrighteous judges, answered not a word, _Dom. Consul_ rose up and bade the tall constable lay her on thetorture-bench. She shook like an aspen leaf when he bound her hands and feet; andwhen he was about to bind over her sweet eyes a nasty old filthyclout wherein my maid had seen him carry fish but the day before, and which was still all over shining scales, I perceived it, andpulled off my silken neckerchief, begging him to use that instead, which he did. Hereupon the thumb-screw was put on her, and she wasonce more asked whether she would confess freely, but she onlyshook her poor blinded head, and sighed with her dying Saviour, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani, " and then in Greek, "Theé mou, theémou, hiva thi me hegkatélipes. " [Footnote: "My God, My God, whyhast Thou forsaken Me?"-Matt, xxvii. 46. ] Whereat _Dom. Consul_ started back, and made the sign of the cross (forinasmuch as he knew no Greek, he believed, as he afterwards saidhimself, that she was calling upon the devil to help her), andthen called to the constable with a loud voice, "Screw!" But when I heard this I gave such a cry that the whole vaultshook; and when my poor child, who was dying of terror anddespair, had heard my voice, she first struggled with her boundhands and feet like a lamb that lies dying in the slaughter-house, and then cried out, "Loose me, and I will confess whatsoe'er youwill. " Hereat _Dom. Consul_ so greatly rejoiced, that whilethe constable unbound her, he fell on his knees, and thanked Godfor having spared him this anguish. But no sooner was my poordesperate child unbound, and had laid aside her crown of thorns (Imean my silken neckerchief), than she jumped off the ladder, andflung herself upon me, who lay for dead in the corner in a deepswound. This greatly angered the worshipful court, and when the constablehad borne me away, _Rea_ was admonished to make herconfession according to promise. But seeing she was too weak tostand upon her feet, _Dom. Consul_ gave her a chair to situpon, although _Dom. Camerarius_ grumbled thereat, and thesewere the chief questions which were put to her by order of themost honourable high central court, as _Dom. Consul_ said, and which were registered _ad protocollum. _ _Q. _ Whether she could bewitch?--_R. _ Yes, she couldbewitch. _Q. _ Who taught her to do so?--_R. _ Satan himself. _Q. _ How many devils had she?--_R. _ One devil was enoughfor her. _Q_. What was this devil called?--_Illa_ (considering). His name was _Disidæmonia_. [Footnote: Greek--Superstition. What an extraordinary woman!] Hereat _Dom. Consul_ shuddered and said that that must be avery terrible devil indeed, for that he had never heard such aname before, and that she must spell it, so that _Scriba_might make no error; which she did, and he then went on asfollows:-- _Q_. In what shape had he appeared to her?--_R_. In theshape of the sheriff, and sometimes as a goat with terrible horns. _Q_. Whether Satan had re-baptized her, and where?--_R_. In the sea. _Q_. What name had he given her?--_R_. -------. [Footnote: It was impossible to decipher this name in themanuscript. ] _Q_. Whether any of the neighbours had been by when she wasre-baptized, and which of them?--_R_. Hereupon my matchlesschild cast up her eyes towards heaven, as though doubting whethershe should fyle old Lizzie or not, but at last she said, No! _Q_. She must have had sponsors; who were they? and what gifthad they given her as christening money?--_R_. There werenone there save spirits; wherefore old Lizzie could see no onewhen she came and looked on at her re-baptism. _Q_. Whether she had ever lived with the devil?--_R_. She never had lived anywhere save in her father's house. _Q_. She did not choose to understand. He meant whether shehad ever played the wanton with Satan, and known him carnally?Hereupon she blushed, and was so ashamed that she covered her facewith her hands, and presently began to weep and to sob: and as, after many questions, she gave no answer, she was again admonishedto speak the truth, or that the executioner should lift her up onthe ladder again. At last she said "No!" which howbeit theworshipful court would not believe, and bade the executioner seizeher again, whereupon she answered "Yes!" _Q. _ Whether she had found the devil hot or cold?--_R_. She did not remember which. _Q_. Whether she had ever conceived by Satan, and given birthto a changeling, and of what shape?--_R_. No, never. _Q_. Whether the foul fiend had given her any sign or markabout her body, and in what part thereof?--_R_. That the markhad already been seen by the worshipful court. She was next charged with all the witchcraft done in the village, and owned to it all, save that she still said that she knew naughtof old Seden his death, _item_, of little Paasch hersickness, nor, lastly, would she confess that she had, by the helpof the foul fiend, raked up my crop or conjured the caterpillarsinto my orchard. And albeit they again threatened her with thequestion, and even ordered the executioner to lay her on the benchand put on the thumbscrew to frighten her; she remained firm, andsaid, "Why should you torture me, seeing that I have confessed farheavier crimes than these, which it will not save my life todeny?" Hereupon the worshipful court at last were satisfied, and sufferedher to be lifted off the torture-bench, especially as sheconfessed the _articulus principalis_; to wit, that Satan hadreally appeared to her on the mountain in the shape of a hairygiant. Of the storm and the frog, item, of the hedgehog, nothingwas said, inasmuch as the worshipful court had by this time seenthe folly of supposing that she could have brewed a storm whileshe quietly sat in the coach. Lastly, she prayed that it might begranted to her to suffer death clothed in the garments which shehad worn when she went to greet the King of Sweden; _item_, that they would suffer her wretched father to be driven with herto the stake, and to stand by while she was burned, seeing thatshe had promised him this in the presence of the worshipful court. Hereupon she was once more given into the charge of the tallconstable, who was ordered to put her into a stronger and severerprison. But he had not led her out of the chamber before thesheriff his bastard, whom he had had by the housekeeper, came intothe vault with a drum, and kept drumming and crying out, "Come tothe roast goose! come to the roast goose!" whereat _Dom. Consul_ was exceeding wroth, and ran after him, but he couldnot catch him, seeing that the young varlet knew all the ins andouts of the vault. Without doubt it was the Lord who sent me theswound, so that I should be spared this fresh grief; wherefore toHim alone be honour and glory. Amen. CHAPTER XXIV. _How in my presence the devil fetched old Lizzie Kolken_. When I recovered from my above-mentioned swound, I found my host, his wife, and my old maid standing over me, and pouring warm beerdown my throat. The faithful old creature shrieked for joy when Iopened my eyes again, and then told me that my daughter had notsuffered herself to be racked, but had freely confessed her crimesand fyled herself as a witch. This seemed pleasant news to me inmy misery, inasmuch as I deemed the death by fire to be a lessheavy punishment than the torture. Howbeit when I would haveprayed I could not, whereat I again fell into heavy grief anddespair, fearing that the Holy Ghost had altogether turned awayHis face from me, wretched man that I was. And albeit the oldmaid, when she had seen this, came and stood before my bed andbegan to pray aloud to me; it was all in vain, and I remained ahardened sinner. But the Lord had pity upon me, although Ideserved it not, insomuch that I presently fell into a deep sleep, and did not awake until next morning when the prayer-bell rang;and then I was once more able to pray, whereat I greatly rejoiced, and still thanked God in my heart, when my ploughman Claus Neelscame in and told me that he had come yesterday to tell me about myoats, seeing that he had gotten them all in; and that theconstable came with him who had been to fetch old Lizzie Kolken, inasmuch as the honourable high court had ordered her to bebrought up for trial. Hereat the whole village rejoiced, but_Rea_ herself laughed, and shouted, and sang, and told himand the constable, by the way (for the constable had let her getup behind for a short time), that this should bring great luck tothe sheriff. They need only bring her up before the court, and ingood sooth she would not hold her tongue within her teeth, butthat all men should marvel at her confession; that such a court asthat was a laughing-stock to her, and that she spat, _salvâveniâ_, upon the whole brotherhood, &c. Upon hearing this I once more felt a strong hope, and rose to goto old Lizzie. But I was not quite dressed before she sent theimpudent constable to beg that I would go to her with all speedand give her the sacrament, seeing that she had become very weakduring the night. I had my own thoughts on the matter, andfollowed the constable as fast as I could, though not to give herthe sacrament, as indeed anybody may suppose. But in my haste I, weak old man that I was, forgot to take my witnesses with me; forall the misery I had hitherto suffered had so clouded my sensesthat it never once came into my head. None followed me save theimpudent constable; and it will soon appear how that this villainhad given himself over body and soul to Satan to destroy my child, whereas he might have saved her. For when he had opened the prison(it was the same cell wherein my child had first been shut up), wefound old Lizzie lying on the ground on a truss of straw, with abroom for a pillow (as though she were about to fly to hell uponit, as she no longer could fly to Blockula), so that I shudderedwhen I caught sight of her. Scarce was I come in when she cried out fearfully, "I'm a witch, I'm a witch! Have pity upon me, and give me the sacrament quick, and I will confess everything to you!" And when I said to her, "Confess then!" she owned that she, with the help of the sheriff, had contrived all the witchcraft in the village, and that my childwas as innocent thereof as the blessed sun in heaven. Howbeit thatthe sheriff had the greatest guilt, inasmuch as he was a warlockand a witch's priest, and had a spirit far stronger than hers, called Dudaim, [Footnote: This remarkable word occurs in the IMos. Xxx. 15 ff. As the name of a plant which producesfruitfulness in women; but the commentators are by no means agreedas to its nature and its properties. The LXX. Render it by_Mandragoras_, which has been understood by the most eminentancient and modern theologians to mean the mandrake (Alraunwurzel)so famous in the history of witchcraft. In many instances thedevils, strangely enough, receive Christian names; thus thefamiliar spirit of old Lizzie is afterwards called Kit, _i. E. _, Christopher. ] which spirit had given her such a blowon the head in the night as she should never recover. This sameDudaim it was that had raked up the crops, heaped sand over theamber, made the storm, and dropped the frog into my daughter herlap; _item_, carried off her old goodman through the air. And when I asked her how that could be, seeing that her goodmanhad been a child of God until very near his end, and much given toprayer; albeit I had indeed marvelled why he had other thoughts inhis last illness; she answered, that one day he had seen herspirit, which she kept in a chest, in the shape of a black cat, and whose name was Kit, and had threatened that he would tell meof it; whereupon she, being frightened, had caused her spirit tomake him so ill that he despaired of ever getting over it. Thereupon she had comforted him, saying that she would presentlyheal him if he would deny God, who, as he well saw, could not helphim. This he promised to do; and when she had straightway made himquite hearty again, they took the silver which I had scraped offthe new sacrament cup, and went by night down to the sea-shore, where he had to throw it into the sea with these words, "When thissilver returns again to the chalice, then shall my soul return toGod. " Whereupon the sheriff, who was by, re-baptized him in thename of Satan, and called him Jack. He had had no sponsors saveonly herself, old Lizzie. Moreover that on St. John's Eve, when hewent with them to Blockula for the first time (the Herrenberg[Footnote: A hill near Coserow. In almost all trials of witcheshills of this kind in the neighbourhood of the accused arementioned, where the devil, on Walpurgis Night and St. John's Eve, feasts, dances, and wantons with them, and where warlock priestsadminister Satanic sacraments, which are mere mockeries of thoseof Divine institution. ] was their Blockula), they had talked of mydaughter, and Satan himself had sworn to the sheriff that heshould have her. For that he would show the old one (wherewith thevillain meant God) what he could do, and that he would make thecarpenter's son sweat for vexation (fie upon thee, thou archvillain, that thou could'st thus speak of my blessed Saviour!). Whereupon her old goodman had grumbled, and as they had neverrightly trusted him, the spirit Dudaim one day flew off with himthrough the air by the sheriff's order, seeing that her ownspirit, called Kit, was too weak to carry him. That the sameDudaim had also been the woodpecker who afterwards 'ticed mydaughter and old Paasch to the spot with his cries, in order toruin her. But that the giant who had appeared on the Streckelbergwas not a devil, but the young lord of Mellenthin himself, as herspirit, Kit, had told her. And this she said was nothing but the truth, whereby she wouldlive and die; and she begged me, for the love of God, to take pityupon her, and, after her repentant confession, to speakforgiveness of her sins, and to give her the Lord's Supper; forthat her spirit stood there behind the stove, grinning like arogue, because he saw that it was all up with her now. But Ianswered, "I would sooner give the sacrament to an old sow than tothee, thou accursed witch, who not only didst give over thine ownhusband to Satan, but hast likewise tortured me and my poor childalmost unto death with pains like those of hell. " Before she couldmake any answer, a loathsome insect, about as long as my finger, and with a yellow tail, crawled in under the door of the prison. When she espied it, she gave a yell, such as I never before heard, and never wish to hear again. For once, when I was in Silesia, inmy youth, I saw one of the enemy's soldiers spear a child beforeits mother's face, and I thought _that_ a fearful shriekwhich the mother gave; but her cry was child's play to the cry ofold Lizzie. All my hair stood on end, and her own red hair grew sostiff that it was like the twigs of the broom whereon she lay; andthen she howled, "That is the spirit Dudaim, whom the accursedsheriff has sent to me--the sacrament, for the love of God, thesacrament!--I will confess a great deal more--I have been a witchthese thirty years!--the sacrament, the sacrament!" While she thusbellowed and flung about her arms and legs, the loathsome insectrose into the air, and buzzed and whizzed about her where she lay, insomuch that it was fearful to see and to hear. And thisshe-devil called by turns on God, on her spirit Kit, and on me, tohelp her, till the insect all of a sudden darted into her openjaws, whereupon she straightway gave up the ghost, and turned allblack and blue like a blackberry. I heard nothing more save that the window rattled, not very loud, but as though one had thrown a pea against it, whereby Istraightway perceived that Satan had just flown through it withher soul. May the all-merciful God keep every mother's child fromsuch an end, for the sake of Jesus Christ our blessed Lord andSaviour! Amen. As soon as I was somewhat recovered, which, however, was not for along time, inasmuch as my blood had turned to ice, and my feetwere as stiff as a stake, I began to call out after the impudentconstable, but he was no longer in the prison. Thereat I greatlymarvelled, seeing that I had seen him there but just before thevermin crawled in, and straightway I suspected no good, as, indeed, it turned out; for when at last he came upon my callinghim, and I told him to let this carrion be carted out which hadjust died in the name of the devil, he did as though he wasamazed; and when I desired him that he would bear witness to theinnocence of my daughter, which the old hag had confessed on herdeathbed, he pretended to be yet more amazed, and said that he hadheard nothing. This went through my heart like a sword, and Ileaned against a pillar without, where I stood for a long time:but as soon as I was come to myself I went to _Dom. Consul_, who was about to go to Usedom, and already sat in his coach. At myhumble prayer he went back into the judgment-chamber with the_Camerarius_ and the _Scriba_, whereupon I told all thathad taken place, and how the wicked constable denied that he hadheard the same. But they say that I talked a great deal ofnonsense beside; among other things that all the little fishes hadswam into the vault to release my daughter. Nevertheless, _Dom. Consul_. Who often shook his head, sent for the impudentconstable, and asked him for his testimony. But the fellowpretended that as soon as he saw that old Lizzie wished toconfess, he had gone away, so as not to get any more hard words, wherefore he had heard nothing. Hereupon I, as _Dom. Consul_afterwards told the pastor of Benz, clenched my fists andanswered, "What, thou arch rogue, didst thou not crawl about theroom in the shape of a reptile?" whereupon he would hearken to meno longer, thinking me distraught, nor would he make the constabletake an oath, but left me standing in the midst of the room, andgot into his coach again. Neither do I know how I got out of the room; but next morning whenthe sun rose, and I found myself lying in bed at Master Seep hisale-house, the whole _casus_ seemed to me like a dream;neither was I able to rise, but lay a-bed all the blessed Saturdayand Sunday, talking all manner of _allotria_. It was not tilltowards evening on Sunday, when I began to vomit and threw upgreen bile (no wonder!), that I got somewhat better. About thistime _Pastor Benzensis_ came to my bedside, and told me howdistractedly I had borne myself, but so comforted me from the Wordof God, that I was once more able to pray from my heart. May themerciful God reward my dear gossip, therefore, at the day ofjudgment! For prayer is almost as brave a comforter as the HolyGhost Himself, from whom it comes; and I shall ever consider thatso long as a man can still pray, his misfortunes are notunbearable, even though in all else "his flesh and his heartfaileth" (Ps. Lxxiii. ). CHAPTER XXV. _How Satan sifted me like wheat, whereas my daughter withstoodhim right bravely. _ On Monday I left my bed betimes, and as I felt in passable goodcase, I went up to the castle to see whether I might peradventureget to my daughter. But I could not find either constable, albeitI had brought a few groats with me to give them as beer-money;neither would the folks that I met tell me where they were;_item_, the impudent constable his wife, who was in thekitchen making brimstone matches. And when I asked her when herhusband would come back, she said not before to-morrow morningearly; _item_, that the other constable would not be here anysooner. Hereupon I begged her to lead me to my daughter herself, at the same time showing her the two groats; but she answered thatshe had not the keys, and knew not how to get at them: moreover, she said she did not know where my child was now shut up, seeingthat I would have spoken to her through the door; _item_, thecook, the huntsman, and whomsoever else I met in my sorrow, saidthey knew not in what hole the witch might lie. Hereupon I went all round about the castle, and laid my earagainst every little window that looked as though it might be herwindow, and cried, "Mary, my child, where art thou?" _Item_, at every grating I found I kneeled down, bowed my head, and calledin like manner into the vault below. But all in vain; I got noanswer anywhere. The sheriff at length saw what I was about, andcame down out of the castle to me with a very gracious air, andtaking me by the hand, he asked me what I sought? But when Ianswered him that I had not seen my only child since lastThursday, and prayed him to show pity upon me, and let me be ledto her, he said that could not be, but that I was to come up intohis chamber, and talk further of the matter. By the way he said, "Well, so the old witch told you fine things about me, but you seehow Almighty God has sent His righteous judgment upon her. She haslong been ripe for the fire; but my great long-suffering, whereina good magistrate should ever strive to be like unto the Lord, hasmade me overlook it till _datum_, and in return for mygoodness she raises this outcry against me. " And when I replied, "How does your lordship know that the witch raised such an outcryagainst you?" he first began to stammer, and then said, "Why, youyourself charged me thereon before the judge. But I bear you noanger therefor, and God knows that I pity you, who are a poor weakold man, and would gladly help you if I were able. " Meanwhile heled me up four or five flights of stairs, so that I, old man thatI am, could follow him no further, and stood still gasping forbreath. But he took me by the hand and said, "Come, I must firstshow you how matters really stand, or I fear you will not acceptmy help, but will plunge yourself into destruction. " Hereupon westepped out upon a terrace at the top of the castle, which lookedtoward the water; and the villain went on to say, "ReverendAbraham, can you see well afar off?" and when I answered that Ionce could see very well, but that the many tears I had shed hadnow peradventure dimmed my eyes, he pointed to the Streckelberg, and said, "Do you then see nothing there?" _Ego_. "Naughtsave a black speck, which I cannot make out. " _Ille_. "Knowthen that that is the pile whereon your daughter is to burn at teno'clock to-morrow morning, and which the constables are nowraising. " When this hell-hound had thus spoken, I gave a loud cryand swounded. O blessed Lord! I know not how I lived through suchdistress; Thou alone didst strengthen me beyond nature, in order, "after so much weeping and wailing, to heap joys and blessingsupon me;" without Thee I never could have lived through suchmisery: "therefore to Thy name ever be all honour and glory, OThou God of Israel!" [Footnote: Tobit iii. 22, 23, Luther'sVersion. ] When I came again to myself I lay on a bed in a fine room, andperceived a taste in my mouth like wine. But as I saw none near mesave the sheriff, who held a pitcher in his hand, I shuddered andclosed mine eyes, considering what I should say or do. This hepresently observed, and said, "Do not shudder thus; I mean well byyou, and only wish to put a question to you, which you must answerme on your conscience as a priest. Say, reverend Abraham, which isthe greater sin, to commit whoredom, or to take the lives of twopersons?" and when I answered him, "To take the lives of twopersons, " he went on, "Well, then, is not that what your stubbornchild is about to do? Rather than give herself up to me, who haveever desired to save her, and who can even yet save her, albeither pile is now being raised, she will take away her own life andthat of her wretched father, for I scarcely think that you, poorman, will outlive this sorrow. Wherefore do you, for God His sake, persuade her to think better of it while I am yet able to saveher. For know that about ten miles from hence I have a small housein the midst of the forest, where no human being ever goes;thither will I send her this very night, and you may dwell therewith her all the days of your life, if so it please you. You shalllive as well as you can possibly desire, and to-morrow morning Iwill spread a report betimes that the witch and her father haverun away together during the night, and that nobody knows whitherthey are gone. " Thus spake the serpent to me, as whilom to ourmother Eve; and, wretched sinner that I am, the tree of deathwhich he showed me seemed to me also to be a tree of life, sopleasant was it to the eye. Nevertheless I answered, "My childwill never save her miserable life by doing aught to peril thesalvation of her soul. " But now too the serpent was more cunningthan all the beasts of the field (especially such an old fool asI), and spake thus: "Why, who would have her peril the salvationof her soul? Reverend Abraham, must I teach you Scripture? Did notour Lord Christ pardon Mary Magdalene, who lived in open whoredom?and did He not speak forgiveness to the poor adulteress who hadcommitted a still greater _crimen_? nay more, doth not St. Paul expressly say that the harlot Rahab was saved, Hebrews xi. ?_item_, St. James ii. Says the same. But where have ye readthat any one was saved who had wantonly taken her own life andthat of her father? Wherefore, for the love of God, persuade yourchild not to give herself up, body and soul, to the devil, by herstubbornness, but to suffer herself to be saved while it is yettime. You can abide with her, and pray away all the sins she maycommit, and likewise aid me with your prayers, who freely own thatI am a miserable sinner, and have done you much evil, though notso much evil by far, reverend Abraham, as David did to Uriah, andhe was saved, notwithstanding he put the man to a shameful death, and afterwards lay with his wife. Wherefore I, poor man, likewisehope to be saved, seeing that my desire for your daughter is stillgreater than that which this David felt for Bathsheba; and I willgladly make it all up to you twofold as soon as we are in mycottage. " When the tempter had thus spoken, methought his words were sweeterthan honey, and I answered, "Alas, my lord, I am ashamed to appearbefore her face with such a proposal. " Whereupon he straightwaysaid, "Then do you write it to her; come, here is pen, ink, andpaper. " And now, like Eve, I took the fruit and ate, and gave it to mychild that she might eat also; that is to say, that Irecapitulated on paper all that Satan had prompted, but in theLatin tongue, for I was ashamed to write it in mine own; andlastly, I conjured her not to take away her own life and mine, butto submit to the wondrous will of God. Neither were mine eyesopened when I had eaten (that is, written), nor did I perceivethat the ink was gall instead of honey, and I translated my letterto the sheriff (seeing that he understood no Latin), smiling likea drunken man the while; whereupon he clapped me on the shoulder, and after I had made fast the letter with his signet, he calledhis huntsman, and gave it to him to carry to my daughter;_item_, he sent her pen, ink, and paper, together with hissignet, in order that she might answer it forthwith. Meanwhile he talked with me right graciously, praising my childand me, and made me drink to him many times from his greatpitcher, wherein was most goodly wine; moreover, he went to acupboard and brought out cakes for me to eat, saying that I shouldnow have such every day. But when the huntsman came back in abouthalf-an-hour, with her answer, and I had read the same, then, first, were mine eyes opened, and I knew good and evil; had I hada fig-leaf, I should have covered them therewith for shame; but asit was, I held my hand over them, and wept so bitterly that thesheriff waxed very wroth, and cursing bade me tell him what shehad written. Thereupon I interpreted the letter to him, the whichI likewise place here, in order that all may see my folly, and thewisdom of my child. It was as follows:-- IESVS! Pater infelix! Ego eras non magis pallebo rogum aspectura, et rogus non magiserubescet, me suspiciens, quam pallui et iterum erubescui, literastuas legens. Quid? et te, pium patrem, pium servum Domini, itaSatanas sollicitavit, ut communionem facias cum inimicis meis, etnon intelligas: in tali vita esse mortem, et in tali morte vitam?Scilicet si clementissimus Deus Marias Magdalens aliisque ignovit, ignovit, quia resipiscerent ob carnis debilitatem, et non iterumpeccarent. Et ego peccarem cum quavis detestatione carnis, et nonsemel, sed iterum atque iterum sine reversione usque ad mortem?Quomodo clementissimus Deus hoc sceleratissima ignoscere posset?infelix pater! recordare quid mihi dixisti de sanctis martyribuset virginibus Domini, quas omnes mallent vitam quam pudicitiamperdere. His et ego sequar, et sponsus meus, Jesus Christus, etmihi miserse, ut spero, coronam asternam dabit, quamvis eum nonminus offendi ob debilitatem carnis ut Maria, et me sontemdeclaravi, cum insons sum. Fac igitur, ut valeas et ora pro meapud Deum et non apud Satanam, ut et ego mox coram Deo pro teorare possim. MARIA S. , captiva. [Footnote: It is evidently written by a female hand, and probablythe original letter; there are, however, no traces of sealing-waxor wax upon it, whence I infer that it was sent open, which, fromits being written in a foreign language, would have been perfectlysafe. I have purposely left the few grammatical errors itcontains, as the smallest alteration of this gem would appear tome in the light of a treason against the character of thisincomparable woman. Translation. JESUS! Unhappy Father! I shall not to-morrow grow more pale at sight of the pile, norwill the pile grow more red on receiving me, than I grew pale andthen red while reading thy letter. How? and hath Satan so temptedthee, pious father, pious servant of the Lord, that thou hast madecommon cause with mine enemies, and that thou understandest notthat in such life is death, and in such death is life? For if theall-merciful God forgave Mary Magdalene and other sinners, Heforgave them because they repented of the weakness of their flesh, and sinned not again. And shall I sin with so great abhorrence ofthe flesh, and that not once but again and again without returneven until death? How could the all-merciful God forgive this tothe vilest of women? Unhappy father! remember what thou hast toldme of the holy martyrs, and of the virgins of the Lord, who alllost their lives rather than lose their chastity. These will Ifollow, hoping that my spouse Jesus Christ will also give towretched me a crown of eternal glory, although, indeed, I have notless offended through the weakness of the flesh than Mary, declaring myself to be guilty, whereas I am innocent. Be strong, therefore, and pray for me unto God, and not unto the devil, sothat I may soon pray for thee before the face of God. MARY S. , a Prisoner. ] When the sheriff heard this he flung the pitcher which he held inhis hand to the ground, so that it flew in pieces, and cried, "Thecursed devil's whore! the constable shall make her squeak for thisa good hour longer;" with many more such things beside, which hesaid in his malice, and which I have now forgotten; but he soonbecame quite gracious again, and said, "She is foolish; do you goto her and see whether you cannot persuade her to her own good aswell as yours; the huntsman shall let you in, and should thefellow listen, give him a good box on the ears in my name; do youhear, reverend Abraham? Go now forthwith and bring me back ananswer as quickly as possible!" I therefore followed the huntsman, who led me into a vault where was no light save what fell througha hole no bigger than a crown-piece; and here my daughter sat uponher bed and wept. Any one may guess that I straightway began toweep too, and was no better able to speak than she. We thus laymute in each other's arms for a long time, until I at last beggedher to forgive me for my letter, but of the sheriff his message Isaid naught, although I had purposed so to do. But before long weheard the sheriff himself call down into the vault from above, "What (and here he gave me a heavy curse) are you doing there solong? Come up this moment, reverend Johannes!" Thus I had scarcetime to give her one kiss before the huntsman came back with thekeys and forced us to part; albeit we had as yet scarcely spoken, save that I had told her in a few words what had happened with oldLizzie. It would be hard to believe into what grievous anger thesheriff fell when I told him that my daughter remained firm andwould not hearken unto him; he struck me on the breast, and said, "Go to the devil then, thou infamous parson!" and when I turnedmyself away and would have gone, he pulled me back, and said, "Ifthou breathest but one word of all that has passed, I will havethee burnt too, thou grey-headed old father of a witch; so look toit!" Hereupon I plucked up a heart, and answered that that wouldbe the greatest joy to me, especially if I could be burntto-morrow with my child. Hereunto he made no answer, but clappedto the door behind me. Well, clap the door as thou wilt, I greatlyfear that the just God will one day clap the doors of heaven inthy face! CHAPTER XXVI, _How I received the Holy Sacrament with my daughter and the oldmaid-servant, and how she was then led for the last time beforethe court, with the drawn sword and the outcry, to receivesentence. _ Now any one would think that during that heavy Tuesday night Ishould not have been able to close mine eyes; but know, dearreader, that the Lord can do more than we can ask or understand, and that His mercy is new every morning. For toward daybreak Ifell asleep as quietly as though I had had no care upon my heart;and when I awoke I was able to pray more heartily than I had donefor a long time; so that, in the midst of my tribulation, I weptfor joy at such great mercy from the Lord. But I prayed for naughtsave that He would endow my child with strength and courage tosuffer the martyrdom He had laid upon her with Christian patience, and to send His angel to me, woeful man, so to pierce my heartwith grief when I should see my child burn, that it mightstraightway cease to beat, and I might presently follow her. Andthus I still prayed when the maid came in all dressed in black, and with the silken raiment of my sweet lamb hanging over her arm;and she told me, with many tears, that the dead-bell had alreadytolled from the castle tower, for the first time, and that mychild had sent for her to dress her, seeing that the court wasalready come from Usedom, and that in about two hours she was toset out on her last journey. Moreover, she had sent her word thatshe was to take her some blue and yellow flowers for a garland;wherefore she asked me what flowers she should take; and seeingthat a jar, filled with fine lilies and forget-me-nots, stood inmy window, which she had placed there yesterday, I said, "Thoucanst gather no better flowers for her than these, wherefore dothou carry them to her, and tell her that I will follow thee inabout half-an-hour, in order to receive the sacrament with her. "Hereupon the faithful old creature prayed me to suffer her to goto the sacrament with us, the which I promised her. And scarce hadI dressed myself and put on my surplice when _PastorBenzensis_ came in at the door and fell upon my neck, weeping, and as mute as a fish. As soon as he came to his speech again hetold me of the great _miraculum_ (_dæmonis_ I mean)which had befallen at the burial of old Lizzie. For that, just asthe bearers were about to lower the coffin into the grave, a noisewas heard therein as though of a carpenter boring through a dealboard; wherefore they thought the old hag must be come to lifeagain, and opened the coffin. But there she lay as before, allblack and blue in the face and as cold as ice; but her eyes hadstarted wide open, so that all were horror-stricken, and expectedsome devilish apparition; and, indeed, a live rat presently jumpedout of the coffin and ran into a skull which lay beside the grave. Thereupon they all ran away, seeing that old Lizzie had ever beenin evil repute as a witch. Howbeit at last he himself went nearthe grave again, whereupon the rat disappeared, and all the otherstook courage and followed him. This the man told me, and any onemay guess that this was in fact Satan, who had flown down the hagher throat as an insect, whereas his proper shape was that of arat: albeit I wonder what he could so long have been about in thecarrion; unless indeed it were that the evil spirits are as fondof all that is loathsome as the angels of God are of all that isfair and lovely. Be that as it may. _Summa_: I was not alittle shocked at what he told me, and asked him what he nowthought of the sheriff? whereupon he shrugged his shoulders, andsaid, that he had indeed been a wicked fellow as long as he couldremember him, and that it was full ten years since he had givenhim any first-fruits; but that he did not believe that he was awarlock, as old Lizzie had said. For although he had indeed neverbeen to the table of the Lord in his church, he had heard that heoften went, at Stettin, with his princely Highness the Duke, andthat the pastor at the castle church had shown him the entry inhis communion-book. Wherefore he likewise could not believe thathe had brought this misery upon my daughter, if she were innocent, as the hag had said; besides, that my daughter had freelyconfessed herself a witch. Hereupon I answered, that she had donethat for fear of the torture; but that she was not afraid ofdeath; whereupon I told him, with many sighs, how the sheriff hadyesterday tempted me, miserable and unfaithful servant, to evil, insomuch that I had been willing to sell my only child to him andto Satan, and was not worthy to receive the sacrament to-day. Likewise how much more steadfast a faith my daughter had than I, as he might see from her letter, which I still carried in mypocket; herewith I gave it into his hand, and when he had read it, he sighed as though he had been himself a father, and said, "Werethis true, I should sink into the earth for sorrow; but come, brother, come, that I may prove her faith myself. " Hereupon we went up to the castle, and on our way we found thegreensward before the hunting-lodge, _item_, the whole spacein front of the castle, already crowded with people, who, nevertheless, were quite quiet as we went by: we gave our namesagain to the huntsman. (I have never been able to remember hisname, seeing that he was a Polak; he was not, however, the samefellow who wooed my child, and whom the sheriff had thereforeturned off. ) The man presently ushered us into a fine large room, whither my child had been led when taken out of her prison. Themaid had already dressed her, and she looked lovely as an angel. She wore the chain of gold with the effigy round her neck again, _item_, the garland in her hair, and she smiled as weentered, saying, "I am ready!" Whereat the reverend Martinus wassorely angered and shocked, saying, "Ah, thou ungodly woman, letno one tell me further of thine innocence! Thou art about to go tothe Holy Sacrament, and from thence to death, and thou flauntestas a child of this world about to go to the dancing-room. "Whereupon she answered and said, "Be not wroth with me, deargodfather, because that I would go into the presence of my goodKing of Heaven in the same garments wherein I appeared some timesince before the good King of Sweden. For it strengthens my weakand trembling flesh, seeing I hope that my righteous Saviour willin like manner take me to His heart, and will also hang His effigyupon my neck when I stretch out my hands to Him in all humility, and recite my _carmen_, saying, 'O Lamb of God, innocentlyslain upon the cross, give me Thy peace, O Jesu!'" These wordssoftened my dear gossip, and he spoke, saying, "Ah, child, child, I thought to have reproached thee, but thou hast constrained me toweep with thee: art thou then indeed innocent?" "Verily, " saidshe, "to you, my honoured god-father, I may now own that I aminnocent, as truly as I trust that God will aid me in my last hourthrough Jesus Christ. Amen. " When the maid heard this, she made such outcries that I repentedthat I had suffered her to be present, and we all had enough to doto comfort her from the Word of God till she became somewhat moretranquil; and when this was done my dear gossip thus spake to mychild: "If, indeed, thou dost so steadfastly maintain thineinnocence, it is my duty, according to my conscience as a priest, to inform the worshipful court thereof;" and he was about to leavethe room. But she withheld him, and fell upon the ground andclasped his knees, saying, "I beseech you, by the wounds of Jesus, to be silent. They would stretch me on the rack again, and uncovermy nakedness, and I, wretched weak woman, would in such tortureconfess all that they would have me, especially if my father againbe there, whereby both my soul and my body are tortured at once:wherefore stay, I pray you, stay; is it then a misfortune to dieinnocent, and is it not better to die innocent than guilty?" My good gossip at last gave way, and after standing awhile andpraying to himself, he wiped away his tears, and then spake theexhortation to confession, in the words of Isa. Xliii. I, 2: "Butnow thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He thatformed thee, O Israel, Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I havecalled thee by thy name: thou art Mine. When thou passest throughthe waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, theyshall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thoushalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. ForI am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour. " And when he had ended this comfortable address, and asked herwhether she would willingly bear until her last hour that crosswhich the most merciful God, according to His unsearchable will, had laid upon her, she spake such beautiful words that my gossipafterwards said he should not forget them so long as he shouldlive, seeing that he had never witnessed a bearing at once so fullof faith and joy, and withal so deeply sorrowful. She spake afterthis manner: "Oh, holy cross, which my Jesus hath sanctified byHis innocent suffering; oh, dear cross, which is laid upon me bythe hand of a merciful Father; oh, blessed cross, whereby I ammade like unto my Lord Jesus, and am called unto eternal glory andblessedness: how! shall I not willingly bear thee, thou sweetcross of my bridegroom, of my brother?" The reverend Johannes hadscarce given us absolution, and after this, with many tears, theHoly Sacrament, when we heard a loud trampling upon the floor, andpresently the impudent constable looked into the room and askedwhether we were ready, seeing that the worshipful court was nowwaiting for us; and when he had been told that we were ready, mychild would have first taken leave of me, but I forbade her, saying, "Not so; thou knowest that which thou hast promised me;... 'and whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest Iwill lodge: ... Where thou diest will I die ... '; [Footnote: Ruthi. 16, ] if that the Lord, as I hope, will hear the ardent sighs ofmy poor soul. " Hereupon she let me go, and embraced only the oldmaid-servant, thanking her for all the kindness she had shown herfrom her youth up, and begging her not to go with her to make herdeath yet more bitter by her cries. The faithful old creature wasunable for a long time to say a word for tears. Howbeit at lastshe begged forgiveness of my child, for that she had unwittinglyaccused her, and said, that out of her wages she had bought fivepounds' weight of flax to hasten her death; that the shepherd ofPudgla had that very morning taken it with him to Coserow, andthat she should wind it closely round her body; for that she hadseen how old wife Schurne, who was burnt in Liepe, had sufferedgreat torments before she came to her death, by reason of the dampwood. But ere my child could thank her for this, the dreadful outcry ofblood began in the judgment-chamber; for a voice cried as loudlyas might be, "Woe upon the accursed witch, Mary Schweidler, because that she hath fallen off from the living God!" Then allthe folk without cried, "Woe upon the accursed witch!" When Iheard this I fell back against the wall, but my sweet childstroked my cheeks with her darling hands, and said, "Father, father, do but remember that the people likewise cried out againstthe innocent Jesus, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him!' Shall not we thendrink of the cup which our heavenly Father hath prepared for us?" Hereupon the door opened, and the constable walked in, amid agreat tumult among the people, holding a drawn sword in his handwhich he bowed thrice before my child and cried, "Woe upon theaccursed witch, Mary Schweidler, because that she hath fallen offfrom the living God!" and all the folks in the hall and withoutthe castle cried as loud as they could, "Woe upon the accursedwitch!" Hereupon he said, "Mary Schweidler, come before the high andworshipful court, to hear sentence of death passed upon thee!"Whereupon she followed him with us two miserable men (for_Pastor Benzensis_ was no less cast down than myself). As forthe old maid-servant, she lay on the ground for dead. After we had with great pains pushed our way through all thepeople, the constable stood still before the openjudgment-chamber, and once more bowed his sword before my child, and cried for the third time, "Woe upon the accursed witch, MarySchweidler, because that she hath fallen off from the living God!"And all the people, as well as the cruel judges themselves, criedas loud as they could, "Woe upon the accursed witch!" When we had entered the room, _Dom. Consul_ first asked myworthy gossip whether the witch had abode by her free avowal inconfession; whereupon, after considering a short time, heanswered, that he had best ask herself, for there she stood. Accordingly, taking up a paper which lay before him on the table, he spake as follows--"Mary Schweidler, now that thou hastconfessed, and received the holy and most honourable sacrament ofthe Lord's Supper, answer me once again these followingquestions:-- 1. Is it true that thou hast fallen off from the living God andgiven thyself up to Satan? 2. Is it true that thou hadst a spirit called _Disidæmonia, _who re-baptized thee and carnally knew thee? 3. Is it true that thou hast done all manner of mischief to thecattle? 4. Is it true that Satan appeared to thee on the Streckelberg inthe likeness of a hairy giant?" When she had with many sighs said "Yes" to all these questions, herose, took a wand in one hand and a second paper in the other, puthis spectacles on his nose, and said, "Now, then, hear thysentence. " (This sentence I since copied: he would not let me seethe other _Acta_, but pretended that they were at Wolgast. The sentence, however, was word for word as follows. ) "We, the sheriff and the justices appointed to serve the high andworshipful criminal court. Inasmuch as Mary Schweidler, thedaughter of Abraham Schweidlerus, the pastor of Coserow, hath, after the appointed inquisition, repeatedly made free confession, that she hath a devil named _Disidæmonia_, the which didre-baptize her in the sea, and did also know her carnally;_item_, that she by his help did mischief to the cattle; thathe also appeared to her on the Streckelberg in the likeness of ahairy giant. We do therefore by these presents make known anddirect, that _Rea_ be first duly torn four times on eachbreast with red-hot iron pincers, and after that be burned todeath by fire, as a rightful punishment to herself and a warningto others. Nevertheless, we, in pity for her youth, are pleased ofour mercy to spare her the tearing with red-hot pincers, so thatshe shall only suffer death by the simple punishment of fire. Wherefore she is hereby condemned and judged accordingly on thepart of the criminal court. "_Publicatum_ at the castle of Pudgla, the 30th day _mensisAugusti, anno Salutis_ 1630. " [Footnote: Readers who areunacquainted with the atrocious administration of justice in thosedays, will be surprised at this rapid and arbitrary mode ofproceeding. But I have seen authentic witch-trials wherein a merenotary condemned the accused to the torture and to death withoutthe smallest hesitation; and it may be considered as a mark ofhumanity whenever the acts on which judgment was given were sentto an university, or to some other tribunal. For the sentence ofdeath appears to have been almost invariably passed by theinferior courts, and no appeal seems to have been possible; indeedin these affairs their worships, as in this case, usually madeincredible haste, which, it must beadmitted, is perhaps the onlygood quality which the modern courts of justice might borrow fromthe old ones. ] As he spake the last word he brake his wand in two and threw thepieces before the feet of my innocent lamb, saying to theconstable, "Now, do your duty!" But so many folks, both men andwomen, threw themselves on the ground to seize the pieces of thewand (seeing they are said to be good for the gout in the joints, item, for cattle when troubled with lice), that the constable fellto the earth over a woman who was on her knees before him, and hisapproaching death was thus foreshadowed to him by the righteousGod. Something of the same sort likewise befell the sheriff nowfor the second time; for when the worshipful court rose, throwingdown tables, stools, and benches, a table, under which two boyswere fighting for the pieces of the wand, fell right upon hisfoot, whereupon he flew into a violent rage, and threatened thepeople with his fist, saying that they should have fifty rightgood lashes apiece, both men and women, if they were not quietforthwith, and did not depart peaceably out of the room. Thisfrighted them, and after the people were gone out into the street, the constable took a rope out of his pocket, wherewith he bound mylamb her hands so tightly behind her back that she cried aloud;but when she saw how this wrung my heart, she straightwayconstrained herself and said, "O father, remember that it fared nobetter with the blessed Saviour!" Howbeit, when my dear gossip, who stood behind her, saw that her little hands, and moreespecially her nails, had turned black and blue, he spoke for herto the worshipful court, whereupon the abominable sheriff onlysaid, "Oh, let her be; let her feel what it is to fall off fromthe living God. " But _Dom. Consul_ was more merciful, inasmuch as, after feeling the cords, he bade the constable bindher hands less cruelly and slacken the rope a little, whichaccordingly he was forced to do. But my dear gossip was notcontent herewith, and begged that she might sit in the cartwithout being bound, so that she should be able to hold herhymn-book, for he had summoned the school to sing a hymn by theway for her comfort, and he was ready to answer for it with hisown head that she should not escape out of the cart. Moreover, itis the custom for fellows with pitchforks always to go with thecarts wherein condemned criminals, and more especially witches, are carried to execution. But this the cruel sheriff would notsuffer, and the rope was left upon her hands, and the impudentconstable seized her by the arm and led her from thejudgment-chamber. But in the hall we saw a great _scandalum_, which again pierced my very heart. For the housekeeper and theimpudent constable his wife were fighting for my child her bed, and her linen, and wearing apparel, which the housekeeper hadtaken for herself, and which the other woman wanted to have. Thelatter now called to her husband to help her, whereupon hestraightway let go my daughter and struck the housekeeper on hermouth with his fist, so that the blood ran out therefrom, and sheshrieked and wailed fearfully to the sheriff, who followed us withthe court. He threatened them both in vain, and said that when hecame back he would inquire into the matter and give to each herdue share. But they would not hearken to this, until my daughterasked _Dom. Consul_ whether every dying person, even acondemned criminal, had power to leave his goods and chattels towhomsoever he would? And when he answered, "Yes, all but theclothes, which belong of right to the executioner, " she said, "Well, then, the constable may take my clothes, but none shallhave my bed save my faithful old maid-servant Ilse!" Hereupon thehousekeeper began to curse and revile my child loudly, who heededher not, but stepped out at the door toward the cart, where therestood so many people that naught could be seen save head againsthead. The folks crowded about us so tumultuously that the sheriff, who, meanwhile, had mounted his grey horse, constantly smote themright and left across their eyes with his riding-whip, but theynevertheless would scarce fall back. Howbeit, at length he clearedthe way, and when about ten fellows with long pitchforks, who forthe most part also had rapiers at their sides, had placedthemselves round about our cart, the constable lifted my daughterup into it, and bound her fast to the rail. Old Paasch, who stoodby, lifted me up, and my dear gossip was likewise forced to belifted in, so weak had he become from all the distress. Hemotioned his sexton, Master Krekow, to walk before the cart withthe school, and bade him from time to time lead a verse of thegoodly hymn, "On God alone I rest my fate, " which he promised todo. And here I will also note, that I myself sat down upon thestraw by my daughter, and that our dear confessor the reverendMartinus sat backwards. The constable was perched up behind withhis drawn sword. When all this was done, _item_, the courtmounted up into another carriage, the sheriff gave the order toset out. CHAPTER XXVII. _Of that which befell us by the way--Item, of the fearful deathof the sheriff at the mill. _ We met with many wonders by the way, and with great sorrow; forhard by the bridge, over the brook which runs into the Schmolle, [Footnote: A lake near Pudgla. ] stood the housekeeper her hatefulboy, who beat a drum and cried aloud, "Come to the roast goose!come to the roast goose!" whereupon the crowd set up a loud laugh, and called out after him, "Yes, indeed, to the roast goose! to theroast goose!" Howbeit, when Master Krekow led the second verse thefolks became somewhat quieter again, and most of them joined insinging it from their books, which they had brought with them. Butwhen he ceased singing awhile the noise began again as bad asbefore. Some cried out, "The devil hath given her these clothes, and hath adorned her after that fashion;" and seeing the sheriffhad ridden on before, they came close round the cart, and felt hergarments, more especially the women and young maidens. Others, again, called loudly, as the young varlet had done, "Come to theroast goose! come to the roast goose!" whereupon one fellowanswered, "She will not let herself be roasted yet; mind ye that:she will quench the fire!" This, and much filthiness beside, whichI may not for very shame write down, we were forced to hear, andit especially cut me to the heart to hear a fellow swear that hewould have some of her ashes, seeing he had not been able to getany of the wand; and that naught was better for the fever and thegout than the ashes of a witch. I motioned the _Custos_ tobegin singing again, whereupon the folks were once more quiet fora while--_i. E. _, for so long as the verse lasted; butafterwards they rioted worse than before. But we were now comeamong the meadows, and when my child saw the beauteous flowerswhich grew along the sides of the ditches, she fell into deepthought, and began again to recite aloud the sweet song of St. Augustinus as follows:-- "Flos perpetuus rosarum ver agit perpetuum, Candent lilia, rubescit crocus, sudat balsamum, Virent prata, vernant sata, rivi mellis influunt, Pigmentorum spirat odor liquor et aromatum, Pendent porna noridorum non lapsura nemorumNon alternat luna vices, sol vel cursus syderumAgnus est foelicis urbis lumen inocciduum. " [Footnote: "Around them, bright with endless Spring, perpetual roses bloom, Warm balsams gratefully exude luxurious perfume;Red crocuses, and lilies white, shine dazzling in the sun;Green meadows yield them harvests green, and streams with honeyrun;Unbroken droop the laden boughs, with heavy fruitage bent, Of incense and of odours strange the air is redolent:And neither sun, nor moon, nor stars dispense their changefullight, But the Lamb's eternal glory makes the happy city bright!"] By this _Casus_ we gained that all the folk ran cursing awayfrom the cart, and followed us at the distance of a goodmusket-shot, thinking that my child was calling on Satan to helpher. Only one lad, of about five-and-twenty, whom, however, I didnot know, tarried a few paces behind the cart, until his fathercame, and seeing he would not go away willingly, pushed him intothe ditch, so that he sank up to his loins in the water. Thereateven my poor child smiled, and asked me whether I did not know anymore Latin hymns wherewith to keep the stupid and foul-mouthedpeople still further from us. But, dear reader, how could I thenhave been able to recite Latin hymns, even had I known any? But my_Confrater_, the reverend Martinus, knew such an one; albeit, it is indeed heretical; nevertheless, seeing that it above measurepleased my child, and that she made him repeat to her sundryverses thereof three and four times, until she could say themafter him, I said naught; otherwise I have ever been very severeagainst aught that is heretical. Howbeit, I comforted myselftherewith that our Lord God would forgive her in consideration ofher ignorance. And the first line ran as follows:--_Dies iræ, dies ilia. _ [Footnote: Day of wrath, that dreadful day; one ofthe most beautiful of the Catholic hymns. ] But these two versespleased her more than all the rest, and she recited them manytimes with great edification, wherefore I will insert them here:-- "Judex ergo cum sedebit Quidquid latet apparebit Nil inultum remanebit: _Item_, Rex tremendæ majestatis Qui salvandos salvas gratis Salva me, fons pietatis!" [Footnote: "The judge ascends his awful throne, He makes each secret sin be known, And all with shame confess their own. Thou mighty formidable king! Thou mercy's unexhausted spring, Some comfortable pity bring. "--_Old Version. _] When the men with the pitchforks, who were round about the cart, heard this, and at the same time saw a heavy storm coming up fromthe Achterwater, [Footnote: A wash formed by the river Peene. ]they straightway thought no other but that my child had made it;and, moreover, the folk behind cried out, "The witch hath donethis; the damned witch hath done this!" and all the ten, save onewho stayed behind, jumped over the ditch, and ran away. But_Dom. Consul_, who, together with the worshipful court, drovebehind us, no sooner saw this than he called to the constable, "What is the meaning of all this?" Whereupon the constable criedaloud to the sheriff, who was a little way on before us, but whostraightway turned him about, and when he had heard the cause, called after the fellows that he would hang them all upon thefirst tree, and feed his falcons with their flesh, if they did notreturn forthwith. This threat had its effect; and when they cameback he gave each of them about half-a-dozen strokes with hisriding-whip, whereupon they tarried in their places, but as faroff from the cart as they could for the ditch. Meanwhile, however, the storm came up from the southward, withthunder, lightning, hail, and such a wind, as though theall-righteous God would manifest His wrath against these ruthlessmurderers; and the tops of the lofty beeches around us were beatentogether like besoms, so that our cart was covered with leaves aswith hail, and no one could hear his own voice for the noise. Thishappened just as we were entering the forest from the convent dam, and the sheriff now rode close behind us, beside the coach whereinwas _Dom. Consul_. Moreover, just as we were crossing thebridge over the mill-race, we were seized by the blast, whichswept up a hollow from the Achterwater with such force that weconceived it must drive our cart down the abyss, which was atleast forty feet deep or more; and seeing that, at the same time, the horses did as though they were upon ice, and could not stand, the driver halted to let the storm pass over, the which thesheriff no sooner perceived, than he galloped up and bade him goon forthwith. Whereupon the man flogged on the horses, but theyslipped about after so strange a fashion, that our guards with thepitchforks fell back, and my child cried aloud for fear; and whenwe were come to the place where the great waterwheel turned justbelow us, the driver fell with his horse, which broke one of itslegs. Then the constable jumped down from the cart, butstraightway fell too, on the slippery ground; Item, the driver, after getting on his legs again, fell a second time. Hereupon thesheriff with a curse spurred on his grey charger, which likewisebegan to slip as our horses had also done. Nevertheless, he camesliding towards us, without, however, falling down; and when hesaw that the horse with the broken leg still tried to get up, butalways straightway fell again on the slippery ground, he hallooedand beckoned the fellows with pitchforks to come and unharness themare; _item_, to push the cart over the bridge, lest itshould be carried down the precipice. Presently a long flash oflightning shot into the water below us, followed by a clap ofthunder so sudden and so awful that the whole bridge shook, andthe sheriff his horse (our horses stood quite still) started backa few paces, lost its footing, and, together with its rider, shotheadlong down upon the great mill-wheel below, whereupon a fearfulcry arose from all those that stood behind us on the bridge. For awhile naught could be seen for the white foam, until the sheriffhis legs and body were borne up into the air by the wheel, hishead being stuck fast between the fellies; and thus, fearful tobehold, he went round and round upon the wheel. Naught ailed thegrey charger, which swam about in the mill-pond below. When I sawthis, I seized the hand of my innocent lamb, and cried, "Behold, Mary, our Lord God yet liveth! 'And he rode upon a cherub, and didfly; yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. Then did he beatthem small as the dust before the wind; he did cast them out asthe dirt in the streets. ' [Footnote: Ps. Xviii. 10, 42. ] Lookdown, and see what the Almighty God hath done. " While she hereuponraised her eyes toward heaven with a sigh, we heard _Dom. Consul_ calling out behind us as loudly as he could: and, seeing that none could understand his words for the fearful stormand the tumult of the waters, he jumped down from the coach, andwould have crossed the bridge on foot, but straightway he fellupon his nose, so that it bled, and he crept back again on hishands and feet, and held a long talk with _Dom. Camerarius_, who, howbeit, did not stir out of the coach. Meanwhile, the driverand the constable had unyoked the maimed horse, bound it, anddragged it off the bridge, and now they came back to the cart, andbade us get down therefrom, and cross the bridge on foot, thewhich we did after that the constable had unbound my child, withmany curses and ill words, threatening that, in return for hermalice, he would keep her roasting till late in the evening. (Icould not blame him much therefore; for truly this was a strangething!) But, albeit, my child herself got safe across; we two--Imean reverend Martinus and myself--like all the others, fell twoor three times to the ground. At length we all, by God His grace, got safe and sound to the miller's house, where the constabledelivered my child into the miller his hands, to guard her onforfeit of his life, while he ran down to the mill-pond to savethe sheriff his grey charger. The driver was bidden the while toget the cart and the other horses off the bewitched bridge. Wehad, however, stood but a short time with the miller, under thegreat oak before his door, when _Dom. Consul_ with theworshipful court, and all the folks, came over the little bridge, which is but a couple of musket shots off from the first one, andhe could scarce prevent the crowd from falling upon my child andtearing her in pieces, seeing that they all, as well as _Dom. Consul_ himself, imagined that none other but she had brewedthe storm, and bewitched the bridge (especially as she herself hadnot fallen thereon), and had likewise caused the sheriff hisdeath; all of which, nevertheless, were foul lies, as ye shallhereafter hear. He, therefore, railed at her for a cursedshe-devil, who, even after having confessed and received the holySacrament, had not yet renounced Satan; but that naught shouldsave her, and she should, nevertheless, receive her reward. And, seeing that she kept silence, I hereupon answered, "Did he not seethat the all-righteous God had so ordered it, that the sheriff, who would have robbed my innocent child of her honour and herlife, had here forfeited his own life as a fearful example toothers?" But _Dom. Consul_ would not see this, and said thata child might perceive that our Lord God had not made this storm, or did I peradventure believe that our Lord God had likewisebewitched the bridge? I had better cease to justify my wickedchild, and rather begin to exhort her to repent, seeing that thiswas the second time that she had brewed a storm, and that no manwith a grain of sense could believe what I said, &c. Meanwhile the miller had already stopped the mill, _item, _turned off the water, and some four or five fellows had gone withthe constable down to the great water-wheel, to take the sheriffout of the fellies, wherein he had till _datum_ still beencarried round and round. This they could not do until they hadfirst sawn out one of the fellies; and when at last they broughthim to the bank, his neck was found to be broken, and he was asblue as a corn-flower. Moreover, his throat was frightfully torn, and the blood ran out of his nose and mouth. If the people had notreviled my child before, they reviled her doubly now, and wouldhave thrown dirt and stones at her, had not the worshipful courtinterfered with might and main, saying that she would presentlyreceive her well-deserved punishment. Also, my dear gossip, the reverend Martinus, climbed up into thecart again, and admonished the people not to forestall the law;and seeing that the storm had somewhat abated, he could now beheard. And when they had become somewhat more quiet, _Dom. Consul_ left the corpse of the sheriff in charge with themiller, until such time as, by God's help, he should return. _Item, _ he caused the grey charger to be tied up to theoak-tree till the same time, seeing that the miller swore that hehad no room in the mill, inasmuch as his stable was filled withstraw; but that he would give the grey horse some hay, and keepgood watch over him. And now were we wretched creatures forced toget into the cart again, after that the unsearchable will of Godhad once more dashed all our hopes. The constable gnashed histeeth with rage, while he took the cords out of his pocket to bindmy poor child to the rail withal. As I saw right well what he wasabout to do, I pulled a few groats out of my pocket, and whisperedinto his ear, "Be merciful, for she cannot possibly run away, anddo you hereafter help her to die quickly, and you shall get tengroats more from me!" This worked well, and albeit he pretendedbefore the people to pull the ropes tight, seeing they all criedout with might and main, "Haul hard, haul hard, " in truth, hebound her hands more gently than before, and even without makingher fast to the rail; but he sat up behind us again with the nakedsword, and after that _Dom. Consul_ had prayed aloud, "Godthe Father, dwell with us, " likewise the _Custos_ had ledanother hymn (I know not what he sang, neither does my child), wewent on our way, according to the unfathomable will of God, afterthis fashion: the worshipful court went before, whereas all thefolks to our great joy fell back, and the fellows with thepitchforks lingered a good way behind us, now that the sheriff wasdead. CHAPTER XXVIII. _How my daughter was at length saved by the help of theall-merciful, yea, of the all-merciful God. _ Meanwhile, by reason of my unbelief, wherewith Satan again temptedme, I had become so weak that I was forced to lean my back againstthe constable his knees, and expected not to live even till weshould come to the mountain; for the last hope I had cherished wasnow gone, and I saw that my innocent lamb was in the same plight. Moreover, the reverend Martinus began to upbraid her, saying thathe, too, now saw that all her oaths were lies, and that she reallycould brew storms. Hereupon she answered, with a smile, although, indeed, she was as white as a sheet, "Alas, reverend godfather, doyou then really believe that the weather and the storms no longerobey our Lord God? Are storms, then, so rare at this season of theyear, that none save the foul fiend can cause them? Nay, I havenever broken the baptismal vow you once made in my name, nor willI ever break it, as I hope that God will be merciful to me in mylast hour, which is now at hand. " But the reverend Martinus shookhis head doubtingly, and said, "The evil one must have promisedthee much, seeing thou remainest so stubborn even unto thy life'send, and blasphemest the Lord thy God; but wait, and thou wiltsoon learn with horror that the devil 'is a liar, and the fatherof it'" (St. John viii. ). Whilst he yet spake this, and more of alike kind, we came to Uekeritze, where all the people, both greatand small, rushed out of their doors, also Jacob Schwarten hiswife, who, as we afterwards heard, had only been brought to bedthe night before, and her goodman came running after her to fetchher back, in vain. She told him he was a fool, and had been onefor many a weary day, and that if she had to crawl up the mountainon her bare knees, she would go to see the parson's witch burnt;that she had reckoned upon it for so long, and if he did not lether go, she would give him a thump on the chaps, &c. Thus did the coarse and foul-mouthed people riot around the cartwherein we sat, and as they knew not what had befallen, they ranso near us that the wheel went over the foot of a boy. Nevertheless they all crowded up again, more especially thelasses, and felt my daughter her clothes, and would even see hershoes and stockings, and asked her how she felt. _Item_, onefellow asked whether she would drink somewhat, with many morefooleries besides, till at last, when several came and asked herfor her garland and her golden chain, she turned towards me andsmiled, saying, "Father, I must begin to speak some Latin again, otherwise the folks will leave me no peace. " But it was not wantedthis time; for our guards, with the pitchforks, had now reachedthe hindmost, and, doubtless, told them what had happened, as wepresently heard a great shouting behind us, for the love of God toturn back before the witch did them a mischief; and as JacobSchwarten his wife heeded it not, but still plagued my child togive her her apron to make a christening coat for her baby, forthat it was pity to let it be burnt, her goodman gave her such athump on her back with a knotted stick which he had pulled out ofthe hedge, that she fell down with loud shrieks; and when he wentto help her up she pulled him down by his hair, and, as reverendMartinus said, now executed what she had threatened; inasmuch asshe struck him on the nose with her fist with might and main, until the other people came running up to them, and held her back. Meanwhile, however, the storm had almost passed over, and sankdown toward the sea. And when we had gone through the little wood, we suddenly saw theStreckelberg before us, covered with people, and the pile andstake upon the top, upon the which the tall constable jumped upwhen he saw us coming, and beckoned with his cap with all hismight. Thereat my senses left me, and my sweet lamb was not muchbetter; for she bent to and fro like a reed, and stretching herbound hands toward heaven, she once more cried out-- "Rex tremendæ majestatis! Qui salvandos salvas gratis, Salva me, fons pietatis!" [Footnote: Vide p. 395. ] And, behold, scarce had she spoken these words, when the sun cameout and formed a rainbow right over the mountain most pleasant tobehold; and it is clear that this was a sign from the mercifulGod, such as He often gives us, but which we blind and unbelievingmen do not rightly mark. Neither did my child heed it; for albeitshe thought upon that first rainbow which shadowed forth ourtroubles, yet it seemed to her impossible that she could now besaved, wherefore she grew so faint, that she no longer heeded theblessed sign of mercy, and her head fell forwards (for she couldno longer lean it upon me, seeing that I lay my length at thebottom of the cart), till her garland almost touched my worthygossip his knees. Thereupon, he bade the driver stop for a momentand pulled out a small flask filled with wine, which he alwayscarries in his pocket when witches are to be burnt, [Footnote:Which so often happened at that time, that in many parishes ofPomerania six or seven of these unhappy women were brought to thestake every year. ] in order to comfort them therewith in theirterror. (Henceforth, I myself will ever do the like, for thisfashion of my dear gossip pleases me well. ) He first poured someof this wine down my throat, and afterwards down my child's; andwe had scarce come to ourselves again, when a fearful noise andtumult arose among the people behind us, and they not only criedout in deadly fear, "The sheriff is come back! the sheriff is comeagain!" but as they could neither run away forwards nor backwards(being afraid of the ghost behind and of my child before them), they ran on either side, some rushing into the coppice, and otherswading into the Achterwater up to their necks. _Item_, assoon as _Dom. Camerarius_ saw the ghost come out of thecoppice with a grey hat and a grey feather, such as the sheriffwore, riding on the grey charger, he crept under a bundle of strawin the cart: and _Dom. Consul_ cursed my child again, andbade the coachmen drive on as madly as they could, even should allthe horses die of it, when the impudent constable behind us calledto him, "It is not the sheriff, but the young lord of Nienkerken, who will surely seek to save the witch: shall I, then, cut herthroat with my sword?" At these fearful words my child and I cameto ourselves again, and the fellow had already lift up his nakedsword to smite her, seeing _Dom. Consul_ had made him a signwith his hand, when my dear gossip, who saw it, pulled my childwith all his strength back into his lap. (May God reward him onthe day of judgment, for I never can. ) The villain would havestabbed her as she lay in his lap; but the young lord was alreadythere, and seeing what he was about to do, thrust the boar-spear, which he held in his hand, in between the constable's shoulders, so that he fell headlong on the earth, and his own sword, by theguidance of the most righteous God, went into his ribs on oneside, and out again at the other. He lay there and bellowed, butthe young lord heeded him not, but said to my child, "Sweet maid, God be praised that you are safe!" When, however, he saw her boundhands, he gnashed his teeth, and, cursing her judges, he jumpedoff his horse, and cut the rope with his sword, which he held inhis right hand, took her hand in his, and said, "Alas, sweet maid, how have I sorrowed for you! but I could not save you, as I myselfalso lay in chains, which you may see from my looks. " But my child could answer him never a word, and fell into a swoundagain for joy; howbeit, she soon came to herself again, seeing mydear gossip still had a little wine by him. Meanwhile the dearyoung lord did me some injustice, which, however, I freely forgivehim; for he railed at me and called me an old woman, who could donaught save weep and wail. Why had I not journeyed after theSwedish king, or why had I not gone to Mellenthin myself to fetchhis testimony, as I knew right well what he thought aboutwitchcraft? (But, blessed God, how could I do otherwise thanbelieve the judge, who had been there? Others besides old womenwould have done the same; and I never once thought of the Swedishking; and say, dear reader, how could I have journeyed after him, and left my own child? But young folks do not think of thesethings, seeing they know not what a father feels. ) Meanwhile, however, _Dom. Camerarius_, having heard that itwas the young lord, had again crept out from beneath the straw;_Item, Dom. Consul_ had jumped down from the coach and rantowards us, railing at him loudly, and asking him by what powerand authority he acted thus, seeing that he himself had heretoforedenounced the ungodly witch? But the young lord pointed with hissword to his people, who now came riding out of the coppice, abouteighteen strong, armed with sabres, pikes, and muskets, and said, "There is my authority, and I would let you feel it on your backif I did not know that you were but a stupid ass. When did youhear any testimony from me against this virtuous maiden? You liein your throat if you say you did. " And as _Dom. Consul_stood and straightway forswore himself, the young lord, to theastonishment of all, related as follows:--That as soon as he heardof the misfortune which had befallen me and my child, he orderedhis horse to be saddled forthwith, in order to ride to Pudgla tobear witness to our innocence: this, however, his old father wouldnowise suffer, thinking that his nobility would receive a stain ifit came to be known that his son had conversed with a reputedwitch by night on the Streckelberg. He had caused him therefore, as prayers and threats were of no avail, to be bound hand andfoot, and confined in the donjon-keep, where till _datum_ anold servant had watched him, who refused to let him escape, notwithstanding he offered him any sum of money; whereupon he fellinto the greatest anguish and despair at the thought that innocentblood would be shed on his account; but that the all-righteous Godhad graciously spared him this sorrow; for his father had fallensick from vexation, and lay a-bed all this time, and it sohappened that this very morning about prayer time, the huntsman, in shooting at a wild duck in the moat, had by chance sorelywounded his father's favourite dog, called Packan, which had crepthowling to his father's bedside, and had died there; whereupon theold man, who was weak, was so angered that he was presently seizedwith a fit and gave up the ghost too. Hereupon his people releasedhim, and after he had closed his father's eyes and prayed an "OurFather" over him, he straightway set out with all the people hecould find in the castle, in order to save the innocent maiden. For he testified here himself before all, on the word and honourof a knight, nay, more, by his hopes of salvation, that he himselfwas that devil which had appeared to the maiden on the mountain inthe shape of a hairy giant; for having heard by common report thatshe ofttimes went thither, he greatly desired to know what she didthere, and that from fear of his hard father he disguised himselfin a wolf's skin, so that none might know him, and he had alreadyspent two nights there, when on the third the maiden came, and hethen saw her dig for amber on the mountain, and that she did notcall upon Satan, but recited a Latin _carmen_ aloud toherself. This he would have testified at Pudgla, but, from thecause aforesaid, he had not been able: moreover, his father hadlaid his cousin, Glaus von Nienkerken, who was there on a visit, in his bed and made him bear false witness; for as _Dom. Consul_ had not seen him (I mean the young lord) for many along year, seeing he had studied in foreign parts, his fatherthought that he might easily be deceived, which accordinglyhappened. When the worthy young lord had stated this before _Dom. Consul_ and all the people, which flocked together on hearingthat the young lord was no ghost, I felt as though a millstone hadbeen taken off my heart; and seeing that the people (who hadalready pulled the constable from under the cart, and crowdedround him, like a swarm of bees) cried to me that he was dying, but desired first to confess somewhat to me, I jumped from thecart as lightly as a young bachelor, and called to _Dom. Consul_ and the young lord to go with me, seeing that I couldeasily guess what he had on his mind. He sat upon a stone, and theblood gushed from his side like a fountain (now that they haddrawn out the sword); he whimpered on seeing me, and said that hehad in truth hearkened behind the door to all that old Lizzie hadconfessed to me, namely, that she herself, together with thesheriff, had worked all the witchcraft on man and beast, tofrighten my poor child, and force her to play the wanton. That hehad hidden this, seeing that the sheriff had promised him a greatreward for so doing; but that he would now confess it freely, since God had brought my child her innocence to light. Whereforehe besought my child and myself to forgive him. And when _Dom. Consul_ shook his head, and asked whether he would live and dieon the truth of this confession, he answered, "Yes!" andstraightway fell on his side to the earth and gave up the ghost. Meanwhile time hung heavy with the people on the mountain, who hadcome from Coserow, from Zitze, from Gnitze, &c. , to see my childburnt, and they all came running down the hill in long rows likegeese, one after the other, to see what had happened. And amongthem was my ploughman, Claus Neels. When the worthy fellow saw andheard what had befallen us, he began to weep aloud for joy; andstraightway he too told what he had heard the sheriff say to oldLizzie in the garden, and how he had promised her a pig in theroom of her own little pig, which she had herself bewitched todeath in order to bring my child into evil repute. _Summa_:All that I have noted above, and which till _datum_ he hadkept to himself for fear of the question. Hereat all the peoplemarvelled, and greatly bewailed her misfortunes: and many came, among them old Paasch, and would have kissed my daughter her handsand feet, as also mine own, and praised us now as much as they hadbefore reviled us. But thus it ever is with the people. Whereforemy departed father used to say, "The people's hate is death, Their love, a passing breath!" My dear gossip ceased not from fondling my child, holding her inhis lap, and weeping over her like a father (for I could not havewept more myself than he wept). Howbeit she herself wept not, butbegged the young lord to send one of his horsemen to her faithfulold maid-servant at Pudgla, to tell her what had befallen us, which he straightway did to please her. But the worshipful court(for _Dom. Camerarius_ and the _scriba_ had now pluckedup a heart, and had come down from the coach) was not yetsatisfied, and _Dom. Consul_ began to tell the young lordabout the bewitched bridge, which none other save my daughtercould have bewitched. Hereto the young lord gave answer that thiswas indeed a strange thing, inasmuch as his own horse had alsobroken a leg thereon, whereupon he had taken the sheriff hishorse, which he saw tied up at the mill; but he did not think thatthis could be laid to the charge of the maiden, but that it cameabout by natural means, as he had half discovered already, although he had not had time to search the matter thoroughly. Wherefore he besought the worshipful court and all the people, together with my child herself, to return back thither, where, with God's help, he would clear her from this suspicion also, andprove her perfect innocence before them all. Thereunto the worshipful court agreed; and the young lord, havinggiven the sheriff his grey charger to my ploughman to carry thecorpse, which had been laid across the horse's neck, to Coserow, the young lord got into the cart by us, but did not seat himselfbeside my child, but backward by my dear gossip: moreover, he badeone of his own people drive us instead of the old coachman, andthus we turned back in God His name. _Custos Benzensis_, who, with the children, had run in among the vetches by the wayside (mydefunct _Custos_ would not have done so, he had morecourage), went on before again with the young folks, and bycommand of his reverence the pastor led the Ambrosian _TeDeum_, which deeply moved us all, more especially my child, insomuch that her book was wetted with her tears, and she atlength laid it down and said, at the same time giving her hand tothe young lord, "How can I thank God and you for that which youhave done for me this day?" Whereupon the young lord answered, saying, "I have greater cause to thank God than yourself, sweetmaid, seeing that you have suffered in your dungeon unjustly, butI justly, inasmuch as by my thoughtlessness I brought this miseryupon you. Believe me that this morning when, in my donjon keep, Ifirst heard the sound of the dead-bell, I thought to have died;and when it tolled for the third time, I should have gonedistraught in my grief, had not the Almighty God at that momenttaken the life of my strange father, so that your innocent lifeshould be saved by me. Wherefore I have vowed a new tower, andwhatsoe'er beside may be needful, to the blessed house of God; fornaught more bitter could have befallen me on earth than yourdeath, sweet maid, and naught more sweet than your life!" But at these words my child only wept and sighed; and when helooked on her, she cast down her eyes and trembled, so that Istraightway perceived that my sorrows were not yet come to an end, but that another barrel of tears was just tapped for me, and soindeed it was. Moreover, the ass of a _Custos_, havingfinished the _Te Deum_ before we were come to the bridge, straightway struck up the next following hymn, which was a funeralone, beginning, "The body let us now inter. " (God be praised thatno harm has come of it till _datum_. ) My beloved gossip ratedhim not a little, and threatened him that for his stupidity heshould not get the money for the shoes which he had promised himout of the church dues. But my child comforted him, and promisedhim a pair of shoes at her own charges, seeing that peradventure afuneral hymn was better for her than a song of gladness. And when this vexed the young lord, and he said, "How now, sweetmaid, you know not how enough to thank God and me for your rescue, and yet you speak thus?" she answered, smiling sadly, that she hadonly spoken thus to comfort the poor _Custos_. But Istraightway saw that she was in earnest, for that she felt thatalthough she had escaped one fire, she already burned in another. Meanwhile we were come to the bridge again, and all the folksstood still, and gazed open-mouthed, when the young lord jumpeddown from the cart, and after stabbing his horse, which still laykicking on the bridge, went on his knees, and felt here and therewith his hand. At length he called to the worshipful court to drawnear, for that he had found out the witchcraft. But none save_Dom. Consul_ and a few fellows out of the crowd, among whomwas old Paasch, would follow him; _item_, my dear gossip andmyself. And the young lord showed us a lump of tallow about thesize of a large walnut which lay on the ground, and wherewith thewhole bridge had been smeared, so that it looked quite white, butwhich all the folks in their fright had taken for flour out of themill; _item_, with some other _materia_, which stunklike fitchock's dung, but what it was we could not find out. Soonafter a fellow found another bit of tallow, and showed it to thepeople; whereupon I cried, "Aha! none hath done this but thatungodly miller's man, in revenge for the stripes which the sheriffgave him for reviling my child. " Whereupon I told what he haddone, and _Dom. Consul_, who also had heard thereof, straightway sent for the miller. He, however, did as though he knew naught of the matter, and onlysaid that his man had left his service about an hour ago. But ayoung lass, the miller's maid-servant, said that that verymorning, before daybreak, when she had got up to let out thecattle, she had seen the man scouring the bridge. But that she hadgiven it no further heed, and had gone to sleep for another hour:and she pretended to know no more than the miller whither therascal was gone. When the young lord had heard this news, he gotup into the cart, and began to address the people, seeking topersuade them no longer to believe in witchcraft, now that theyhad seen what it really was. When I heard this, I washorror-stricken (as was but right) in my conscience, as a priest, and I got upon the cart-wheel, and whispered into his ear, for GodHis sake, to leave this _materia_, seeing that if the peopleno longer feared the devil, neither would they fear our Lord God. [Footnote: Maybe a profound truth. ] The dear young lord forthwith did as I would have him, and onlyasked the people whether they now held my child to be perfectlyinnocent? And when they had answered, Yes! he begged them to goquietly home, and to thank God that he had saved innocent blood. That he, too, would now return home, and that he hoped that nonewould molest me and my child if he let us return to Coserow alone. Hereupon he turned hastily towards her, took her hand, and said, "Farewell, sweet maid; I trust that I shall soon clear your honourbefore the world, but do you thank God therefore, not me. " He thendid the like to me and to my dear gossip, whereupon he jumped downfrom the cart, and went and sat beside _Dom. Consul_ in hiscoach. The latter also spake a few words to the people, andlikewise begged my child and me to forgive him (and I must say itto his honour, that the tears ran down his cheeks the while), buthe was so hurried by the young lord that he brake short hisdiscourse, and they drove off over the little bridge, without somuch as looking back. Only _Dom. Consul_ looked round once, and called out to me, that in his hurry he had forgotten to tellthe executioner that no one was to be burned to-day: I wastherefore to send the churchwarden of Uekeritze up the mountain, to say so in his name; the which I did. And the bloodhound wasstill on the mountain, albeit he had long since heard what hadbefallen; and when the bailiff gave him the orders of theworshipful court, he began to curse so fearfully that it mighthave awakened the dead; moreover, he plucked off his cap andtrampled it under foot, so that any one might have guessed what hefelt. But to return to ourselves: my child sat as still and as white asa pillar of salt, after the young lord had left her so suddenlyand so unawares, but she was somewhat comforted when the oldmaid-servant came running with her coats tucked up to her knees, and carrying her shoes and stockings in her hand. We heard herafar off, as the mill had stopped, blubbering for joy, and shefell at least three times on the bridge, but at last she got oversafe, and kissed now mine and now my child her hands and feet;begging us only not to turn her away, but to keep her until herlife's end; the which we promised to do. She had to climb upbehind where the impudent constable had sat, seeing that my deargossip would not leave me until I should be back in mine ownmanse. And as the young lord his servant had got up behind thecoach, old Paasch drove us home, and all the folks who had waitedtill _datum_ ran beside the cart, praising and pitying asmuch as they had before scorned and reviled us. Scarce, however, had we passed through Uekeritze, when we again heard cries of"Here comes the young lord, here comes the young lord!" so that mychild started up for joy, and became as red as a rose, but some ofthe folks ran into the buckwheat by the road, again thinking itwas another ghost. It was, however, in truth the young lord, whogalloped up on a black horse, calling out as he drew near us, "Notwithstanding the haste I am in, sweet maid, I must return andgive you safe conduct home, seeing that I have just heard that thefilthy people reviled you by the way, and I know not whether youare yet safe. " Hereupon he urged old Paasch to mend his pace, andas his kicking and trampling did not even make the horses trot, the young lord struck the saddle horse from time to time with theflat of his sword, so that we soon reached the village and themanse. Howbeit, when I prayed him to dismount awhile, he wouldnot, but excused himself, saying that he must still ride throughUzedom to Anclam, but charged old Paasch, who was our bailiff, towatch over my child as the apple of his eye, and should anythingunusual happen, he was straightway to inform the town clerk atPudgla or _Dom. Consul_ at Uzedom thereof, and when Paaschhad promised to do this, he waved his hand to us, and galloped offas fast as he could. But before he got round the corner by Pagel his house, he turnedback for the third time: and when we wondered thereat he said wemust forgive him, seeing his thoughts wandered to-day. That I had formerly told him that I still had my patent ofnobility, the which he begged me to lend him for a time. HereuponI answered that I must first seek for it, and that he had bestdismount the while. But he would not, and again excused himself, saying he had no time. He therefore stayed without the door, untilI brought him the patent, whereupon he thanked me and said, "Donot wonder hereat, you will soon see what my purpose is. "Whereupon he struck his spurs into his horse's sides, and did notcome back again. CHAPTER XXIX. _Of our next great sorrow, and final joy. _ And now might we have been at rest, and have thanked God on ourknees by day and night. For, besides mercifully saving us out ofsuch great tribulation, He turned the hearts of my beloved flock, so that they knew not how to do enough for us. Every day theybrought us fish, meat, eggs, sausages, and whatsoe'er besides theycould give me, and which I have since forgotten. Moreover, they, every one of them, came to church the next Sunday, great and small(except goodwife Kliene of Zempin, who had just got a boy, andstill kept her bed), and I preached a thanksgiving sermon on Jobv. , 17th, 18th, and 19th verses, "Behold, happy is the man whomGod correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of theAlmighty: for He maketh sore, and bindeth up; and His hands makewhole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea, in seven thereshall no evil touch thee. " And during my sermon I was ofttimesforced to stop by reason of all the weeping, and to let them blowtheir noses. And I might truly have compared myself to Job, afterthat the Lord had mercifully released him from his troubles, hadit not been for my child, who prepared much fresh grief for me. She had wept when the young lord would not dismount, and now thathe came not again, she grew more uneasy from day to day. She satand read first the Bible, then the hymnbook, _item_, thehistory of Dido in _Virgilius_, or she climbed up themountain to fetch flowers (likewise sought after the vein of amberthere, but found it not, which shows the cunning and malice ofSatan). I saw this for awhile with many sighs, but spake not aword (for, dear reader, what could I say?) until it grew worse andworse; and as she now recited her _carmina_ more than everboth at home and abroad, I feared lest the people should againrepute her a witch, and one day I followed her up the mountain. Well-a-day, she sat on the pile which still stood there, but withher face turned towards the sea, reciting the _versus_ whereDido mounts the funeral pile in order to stab herself for love ofAeneas-- "At trepida et coeptis immanibus effera Dido Sanguineam volvens aciem, maculisque trementes Interfusa genas, et pallida morte futura Interiora domus irrumpit limina et altos Conscendit furibunda rogos... " [Footnote: "But furious Dido, with dark thoughts involv'd, Shook at the mighty mischief she resolv'd. With livid spots distinguish'd was her face, Red were her rolling eyes, and discompos'd her pace; Ghastly she gazed, with pain she drew her breath, And nature shiver'd at approaching death. Then swiftly to the fatal place she pass'd, And mounts the funeral pile with furious haste. " --DRYDEN'S _Virgil. _] When I saw this, and heard how things really stood with her, I wasaffrighted beyond measure, and cried, "Mary, my child, what artthou doing?" She started when she heard my voice, but sat still onthe pile, and answered, as she covered her face with her apron, "Father, I am burning my heart. " I drew near to her and pulled theapron from her face, saying, "Wilt thou then again kill me withgrief?" Whereupon she covered her face with her hands, and moaned, "Alas, father, wherefore was I not burned here? My torment wouldthen have endured but for a moment, but now it will last as longas I live?" I still did as though I had seen naught, and said, "Wherefore, dear child, dost thou suffer such torment?" Whereuponshe answered, "I have long been ashamed to tell you; for the younglord, the young lord, my father, do I suffer this torment! He nolonger thinks of me; and albeit he saved my life he scorns me, orhe would surely have dismounted and come in awhile; but we are offar too low degree for him!" Hereupon I indeed began to comforther and to persuade her to think no more of the young lord, butthe more I comforted her the worse she grew. Nevertheless I sawthat she did yet in secret cherish a strong hope by reason of thepatent of nobility which he had made me give him. I would not takethis hope from her, seeing that I felt the same myself, and tocomfort her I flattered her hopes, whereupon she was more quietfor some days, and did not go up the mountain, the which I hadforbidden her. Moreover, she began again to teach little Paasch, her god-daughter, out of whom, by the help of the all-righteousGod, Satan was now altogether departed. But she still pined, andwas as white as a sheet; and when soon after a report came thatnone in the castle at Mellenthin knew what was become of the younglord, and that they thought he had been killed, her grief becameso great that I had to send my ploughman on horseback toMellenthin to gain tidings of him. And she looked at least twentytimes out of the door and over the paling to watch for his return;and when she saw him coming she ran out to meet him as far as thecorner by Pagels. But, blessed God! he brought us even worse newsthan we had heard before, saying, that the people at the castlehad told him that their young master had ridden away the self-sameday whereon he had rescued the maiden. That he had, indeed, returned after three days to his father's funeral, but hadstraightway ridden off again, and that for five weeks they hadheard nothing further of him, and knew not whither he was gone, but supposed that some wicked ruffians had killed him. And now my grief was greater than ever it had been before; sopatient and resigned to the will of God as my child had shownherself heretofore, and no martyr could have met her last hourstronger in God and Christ, so impatient and despairing was shenow. She gave up all hope, and took it into her head that in theseheavy times of war the young lord had been killed by robbers. Naught availed with her, not even prayer, for when I called uponGod with her, on my knees, she straightway began so grievously tobewail that the Lord had cast her off, and that she was condemnedto naught save misfortunes in this world; that it pierced throughmy heart like a knife, and my thoughts forsook me at her words. She lay also at night, and "like a crane or a swallow so did shechatter; she did mourn like a dove; her eyes did fail with lookingupward, " [Footnote: Isa. Xxxviii. 14. ] because no sleep came uponher eyelids. I called to her from my bed, "Dear child, wilt thouthen never cease? sleep, I pray thee!" and she answered and said, "Do you sleep, dearest father; I cannot sleep until I sleep thesleep of death. Alas, my father; that I was not burned!" But howcould I sleep when she could not? I, indeed, said each morningthat I had slept awhile in order to content her; but it was notso; but, like David, "all the night made I my bed to swim; Iwatered my couch with my tears. " [Footnote: Ps. Vi. 6. ] Moreover, I again fell into heavy unbelief, so that I neither could norwould pray. Nevertheless the Lord "did not deal with me after mysins, nor reward me according to mine iniquities. For as theheaven is high above the earth, so great was His mercy toward" me, miserable sinner! [Footnote: Ps ciii. 10, 11. ] For mark what happened on the very next Saturday! Behold, our oldmaid-servant came running in at the door quite out of breath, saying that a horseman was coming over the Master's Mount, with atall plume waving on his hat; and that she believed it was theyoung lord. When my child, who sat upon the bench combing herhair, heard this, she gave a shriek of joy, which would have moveda stone under the earth, and straightway ran out of the room tolook over the paling. She presently came running in again, fellupon my neck, and cried without ceasing, "The young lord! theyoung lord!" whereupon she would have run out to meet him, but Iforbade her, saying she had better first bind up her hair, whichshe then remembered, and laughing, weeping, and praying, all atonce, she bound up her long hair. And now the young lord camegalloping round the corner, attired in a green velvet doublet withred silk sleeves, and a grey hat with a heron's feather therein;_summa_, gaily dressed as beseems a wooer. And when we nowran out at the door, he called aloud to my child in the Latin, from afar off, "Quomodo stat dulcissima virgo?_" Whereupon shegave answer, saying, "_Bene, te aspecto. _" He then sprangsmiling off his horse and gave it into the charge of my ploughman, who meanwhile had come up together with the maid; but he wasaffrighted when he saw my child so pale, and taking her hand spakein the vulgar tongue, "My God! what is it ails you, sweet maid?you look more pale than when about to go to the stake. " Whereuponshe answered, "I have been at the stake daily since you left us, good my lord, without coming into our house, or so much as sendingus tidings of whither you were gone. " This pleased him well, and he said, "Let us first of all go intothe chamber, and you shall hear all. " And when he had wiped thesweat from his brow, and sat down on the bench beside my child, hespake as follows:--That he had straightway promised her that hewould clear her honour before the whole world, and the self-sameday whereon he left us he made the worshipful court draw up anauthentic record of all that had taken place, more especially theconfession of the impudent constable, _item_, that of myploughboy Claus Neels; wherewith he rode throughout the samenight, as he had promised, to Anclam, and next day to Stettin, toour gracious sovereign Duke Bogislaw: who marvelled greatly whenhe heard of the wickedness of his sheriff, and of that which hehad done to my child: moreover, he asked whether she were thepastor's daughter who once upon a time had found the signet-ringof his princely Highness Philippus Julius of most Christian memoryin the castle garden at Wolgast? and as he did not know thereof, the Duke asked, whether she knew Latin? And he, the young lord, answered yes, that she knew the Latin better than he did himself. His princely Highness said, "Then indeed, it must be the same, "and straightway he put on his spectacles, and read the _Acta_himself. Hereupon, and after his princely Highness had read therecord of the worshipful court, shaking his head the while, theyoung lord humbly besought his princely Highness to give him an_amende honorable_ for my child, _item, literascommendatitias_ for himself to our most gracious Emperor atVienna, to beg for a renewal of my patent of nobility, seeing thathe was determined to marry none other maiden than my daughter solong as he lived. When my child heard this, she gave a cry of joy, and fell back ina swound with her head against the wall. But the young lord caughther in his arms, and gave her three kisses (which I could not thendeny him, seeing, as I did with joy, how matters went), and whenshe came to herself again, he asked her whether she would not havehim, seeing that she had given such a cry at his words? Whereuponshe said, "Whether I will not have you, my lord! Alas! I love youas dearly as my God and my Saviour! You first saved my life, andnow you have snatched my heart from the stake whereon, withoutyou, it would have burned all the days of my life!" Hereupon Iwept for joy, when he drew her into his lap, and she clasped hisneck with her little hands. They thus sat and toyed awhile, till the young lord againperceived me, and said, "What say you thereto? I trust it is alsoyour will, reverend Abraham. " Now, dear reader, what could I say, save my hearty good-will? seeing that I wept for very joy, as didmy child, and I answered, how should it not be my will, seeingthat it was the will of God? But whether the worthy, good younglord had likewise considered that he would stain his noble name ifhe took to wife my child, who had been habit and repute a witch, and had been well-nigh bound to the stake? Hereupon he said, By no means; for that he had long sinceprevented this, and he proceeded to tell us how he had done it, namely, his princely Highness had promised him to make ready allthe _scripta_ which he required, within four days, when hehoped to be back from his father's burial. He therefore rodestraightway back to Mellenthin, and after paying the last honourto my lord his father, he presently set forth on his way again, and found that his princely Highness had kept his word meanwhile. With these _scripta_ he rode to Vienna, and albeit he metwith many pains, troubles, and dangers by the way (which he wouldrelate to us at some other time), he nevertheless reached the citysafely. There he by chance met with a Jesuit with whom he had onceupon a time had his _locamentum_ for a few days at Prague, while he was yet a _studiosus_, and this man having heard hisbusiness, bade him be of good cheer, seeing that his ImperialMajesty stood sorely in need of money in these hard times of war, and that he, the Jesuit, would manage it all for him. This hereally did, and his Imperial Majesty not only renewed my patent ofnobility, but likewise confirmed the _amende honorable_ to mychild granted by his princely Highness the Duke, so that he mightnow maintain the honour of his betrothed bride against all theworld, as also hereafter that of his wife. Hereupon he drew forth the _Acta_ from his bosom and put theminto my hand, saying, "And now, reverend Abraham, you must also dome a pleasure; to wit, to-morrow morning, when I hope to go withmy betrothed bride to the Lord's table, you must publish the bannsbetween me and your daughter, and on the day after you must marryus. Do not say nay thereto, for my pastor the reverend Philippussays that this is no uncommon custom among the nobles inPomerania, and I have already given notice of the wedding forMonday at mine own castle, whither we will then go, and where Ipurpose to bed my bride. " I should have found much to say againstthis request, more especially that in honour of the holy Trinityhe should suffer himself to be called three times in churchaccording to custom, and that he should delay awhile theespousals; but when I perceived that my child would gladly havethe marriage held right soon, for she sighed and grew red asscarlet, I had not the heart to refuse them, but promised all theyasked. Whereupon I exhorted them both to prayer, and when I hadlaid my hands upon their heads, I thanked the Lord more deeplythan I had ever yet thanked Him, so that at last I could no longerspeak for tears, seeing that they drowned my voice. Meanwhile the young lord his coach had driven up to the door, filled with chests and coffers: and he said, "Now, sweet maid, youshall see what I have brought you, " and he bade them bring all thethings into the room. Dear reader, what fine things were there, such as I had never seen in all my life! all that women can usewas there, especially of clothes, to wit, bodices, plaited gowns, long robes, some of them bordered with fur, veils, aprons, _item_, the bridal shift with gold fringes, whereon the merrylord had laid some six or seven bunches of myrtle to make herselfa wreath withal. _Item_, there was no end to the rings, neck-chains, ear-drops, &c. , the which I have in part forgotten. Neither did the young lord leave me without a gift, seeing he hadbrought me a new surplice (the enemy had robbed me of my old one), also doublets, hosen, and shoes, _summa_, whatsoeverappertains to a man's attire; wherefore I secretly besought theLord not to punish us again in His sore displeasure for such pompsand vanities. When my child beheld all these things she wasgrieved that she could bestow upon him naught save her heartalone, and the chain of the Swedish king, the which she hung roundhis neck, and begged him, weeping the while, to take it as abridal gift. This he at length promised to do, and likewise tocarry it with him into the grave: but that my child must firstwear it at her wedding, as well as the blue silken gown, for thatthis and no other should be her bridal dress, and this he made herpromise to do. And now a merry chance befell with the old maid, the which I willhere note. For when the faithful old soul had heard what had takenplace, she was beside herself for joy, danced and clapped herhands, and at last said to my child, "Now to be sure you will notweep when the young lord is to lie in your bed, " whereat my childblushed scarlet for shame, and ran out of the room; and when theyoung lord would know what she meant therewith she told him thathe had already once slept in my child her bed when he came fromGützkow with me, whereupon he bantered her all the evening afterthat she was come back again. Moreover, he promised the maid thatas she had once made my child her bed for him, she should make itagain, and that on the day after to-morrow, she and the ploughmantoo should go with us to Mellenthin, so that masters and servantsshould all rejoice together after such great distress. And seeing that the dear young lord would stop the night under myroof, I made him lie in the small closet together with me (for Icould not know what might happen). He soon slept like a top, butno sleep came into my eyes for very joy, and I prayed the livelongblessed night, or thought over my sermon. Only near morning Idosed a little; and when I rose the young lord already sat in thenext room with my child, who wore the black silken gown which hehad brought her, and, strange to say, she looked fresher than evenwhen the Swedish king came, so that I never in all my life saw herlook fresher or fairer. _Item_, the young lord wore his blackdoublet, and picked out for her the best bits of myrtle for thewreath she was twisting. But when she saw me, she straightway laidthe wreath beside her on the bench, folded her little hands, andsaid the morning prayer, as she was ever wont to do, whichhumility pleased the young lord right well, and he begged her thatin future she would ever do the like with him, the which shepromised. Soon after we went to the blessed church to confession, and allthe folk stood gaping open-mouthed because the young lord led mychild on his arm. But they wondered far more when, after thesermon, I first read to them in the vulgar tongue the _amendehonorable_ to my child from his princely Highness, togetherwith the confirmation of the same by his Imperial Majesty, andafter that my patent of nobility; and, lastly, began to publishthe banns between my child and the young lord. Dear reader, therearose a murmur throughout the church like the buzzing of a swarmof bees. (_N. B_. -These _scripta_ were burnt in the firewhich broke out in the castle a year ago, as I shall hereafterrelate, wherefore I cannot insert them here _in origine_. ) Hereupon my dear children went together with much people to theLord's table, and after church nearly all the folks crowded roundthem and wished them joy. _Item_, old Paasch came to ourhouse again that afternoon, and once more besought my daughter'sforgiveness because that he had unwittingly offended her; that hewould gladly give her a marriage-gift, but that he now had nothingat all; howbeit that his wife should set one of her hens in thespring, and he would take the chickens to her at Mellenthinhimself. This made us all to laugh, more especially the younglord, who at last said, "As thou wilt bring me a marriage-gift, thou must also be asked to the wedding, wherefore thou mayest cometo-morrow with the rest. " Whereupon my child said, "And your little Mary, my god-child, shall come too, and be my bridemaiden, if my lord allows it. "Whereupon she began to tell the young lord all that had befallenthe child by the malice of Satan, and how they laid it to hercharge until such time as the all-righteous God brought herinnocence to light; and she begged that since her dear lord hadcommanded her to wear the same garments at her wedding which shehad worn to salute the Swedish king, and afterwards to go to thestake, he would likewise suffer her to take for her bridemaidenher little god-child, as _indicium secundum_ of her sorrows. And when he had promised her this, she told old Paasch to sendhither his child to her, that she might fit a new gown upon herwhich she had cut out for her a week ago, and which the maid wouldfinish sewing this very day. This so went to the heart of the goodold fellow that he began to weep aloud, and at last said, sheshould not do all this for nothing, for instead of the one hen hiswife should set three for her in the spring. When he was gone, and the young lord did naught save talk with hisbetrothed bride both in the vulgar and in the Latin tongue, I didbetter--namely, went up the mountain to pray, wherein, moreover, Ifollowed my child's example, and clomb up upon the pile, there inloneliness to offer up my whole heart to the Lord as an offeringof thanksgiving, seeing that with this sacrifice He is wellpleased, as in Ps. Li. 19, "The sacrifice of God is a troubledspirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, shall Thou notdespise. " That night the young lord again lay in my room, but next morning, when the sun had scarce risen---------- * * * * * Here end these interesting communications, which I do not intendto dilute with any additions of my own. My readers, moreespecially those of the fair sex, can picture to themselves atpleasure the future happiness of this excellent pair. All further historical traces of their existence, as well as thatof the pastor, have disappeared, and nothing remains but a tabletfixed in the wall of the church at Mellenthin, on which theincomparable lord, and his yet more incomparable wife, arerepresented. On his faithful breast still hangs "the golden chain, with the effigy of the Swedish king. " They both seem to have diedwithin a short time of each other, and to have been buried in thesame coffin. For in the vault under the church there is still alarge double coffin, in which, according to tradition, lies achain of gold of incalculable value. Some twenty years ago, theowner of Mellenthin, whose unequalled extravagance had reduced himto the verge of beggary, attempted to open the coffin in order totake out this precious relic, but he was not able. It appeared asif some powerful spell held it firmly together; and it hasremained unopened down to the present time. May it remain so untilthe last awful day, and may the impious hand of avarice orcuriosity never desecrate these holy ashes of holy beings! THE END.