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Sidonia The Sorceress V1

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_Summa_, when they reached the inn at Stettin, Sidonia got
all her baggage carried in from the waggon, and there dressed
herself with all her finery: silken robes, golden hairnet, and
golden chains, rings, and jewels, that all the people saluted her
when she came forth, and went to the castle to ask for his
Highness the Duke. He was in his workshop, and had just finished
turning a spinning-wheel; he laughed aloud when she entered, ran
to her, embraced her, and cried, "What! my treasure!--where hast
thou been so long, my sugar-morsel? How I laughed when Master
Hansen, whom my old, silly, sour cousin of Wolgast sent with thee,
came in lately into my workshop, and told me he had brought thee
hither in a ducal coach! I ran directly to the courtyard; but when
the knave opened the door, my little thrush had flown. Where hast
thou been so long, my sugar-morsel?"

As his Grace put all these questions, he continued kissing her, so
that his long white beard got entangled in her golden chains; and
as she pushed him away, a bunch of hair remained sticking to her
brooch, so that he screamed for pain, and put his hand to his
chin. At this, in rushed the court marshal and the treasurer (who
were writing in the next chamber) as white as corpses, and asked,
"Who is murdering his Grace?" but his Grace held up his hand over
his bleeding mouth, and winked to them to go away. So when they
saw that it was only a maiden combat, they went their way
laughing.

Hereupon speaks his Grace--"See now, treasure, what thou hast
done! Thou canst be so kind to a groom, yet thy own gracious
Prince will treat so harshly!"

But Sidonia began to weep bitterly. "What did he think of her? The
whole story was an invention by his old sour cousin of Wolgast to
ruin her because she would not learn her catechism (and then she
told the same tale as to her father); but would not his Grace take
pity on a poor forsaken maiden, seeing that Prince Ernest could
not deny he had promised to make her his bride, and wed her
privately at Crummyn, on the very next night to that on which her
Grace had so shamefully outraged her?"

"My sweet treasure!" answered the Duke, "the young Prince was only
making a fool of you; therefore be content that things are no
worse. For even if he had wedded you privately, it would have been
all in vain, seeing that neither the princely widow nor the
Elector of Brandenburg, his godfather, nor any of the princes of
the holy Roman Empire, nor lastly, the Pomeranian States, would
ever have permitted so unequal a marriage. Therefore, what the
priest joined in Crummyn would have been put asunder next day by
the tribunals. My poor nephew is a silly enthusiast not to have
perceived this all along, before he put such absurdities in your
head. That he talked gallantry to you was very natural, and I
wished him all success; but that he should ever have talked of
marriage shows him to be even sillier than I expected from his
years."

Here Sidonia's tears burst forth anew. "Who would care for her now
that her father was dead, and had left her penniless? All because
he believed that old hypocrite of Wolgast more than his own
daughter. Alas! alas! she was a poor orphan now! and all her
possessions would be torn from her by her hard-hearted, avaricious
brother. Yet surely his Grace might at least take pity on her
innocence."

His Grace wondered much when he heard of Otto's death, for the
letters brought by the market waggon from the honourable council,
acquainting him with the matter, had not yet arrived, and he
scratched behind his ear, and said, "It was an evil deed of that
proud devil her father, to claim the Jena dues. He had got his
answer at Wolgast, and ought to have left the dues alone. What
right had he to break the peace of the land, to gratify his lust
and greed? It was well that he was dead; but as concerning his
testament, that must not be interfered with, he had no power over
the property of individuals. Each one might leave his goods as
best pleased him; yet he would make his treasurer write a letter
in her favour to her brother Otto: that was all that he could do."

This threw Sidonia into despair; she fell at his feet, and told
him, that let what would become of her, she would never go a step
to Zachow, and her harsh brother would never give her one
groschen, unless he were forced to it. His Grace ought to remember
that it was by his advice she had gone to Wolgast, where all her
misery had commenced; for by the traitorous conduct of the widow,
there she had been robbed, not only of her good name, but also of
her fortune. So his Grace comforted her, and said that as long as
he lived she would want for nothing. He had a pretty house behind
St. Mary's, and six young maidens lived there, who had nothing to
do but spin and embroider, or comb out the beautiful herons'
feathers as the birds moulted; for he had a large stock of herons
close to the house; and there was a darling little chamber there,
which she could have immediately for herself. As to clothes, they
might all get the handsomest they pleased, and their meals were
supplied from the ducal kitchen.

As his Grace ended, and lifted up Sidonia and kissed her, she wept
and sighed more than ever. "Could he think this of her? No; she
would never enter the house which was the talk of all Pomerania.
If she consented, then, indeed, would the world believe all the
falsehoods that were told of her--of her, who was as innocent as a
child!" Hereupon his Grace answered stiff and stern (yet this was
not his wont, for he was a right tender master), "Then go your
ways. Into that house or nowhere else." (Alas! let every maiden
take warning, by this example, to guard against the first false
step. Amen, chaste Jesus! Amen.)

That evening Sidonia took up her abode in the house. But that same
evening there was a great _scandalum,_ and tearing of each
other's hair among the girls. For one of them, named Trina
Wehlers, was a baker's daughter from Stramehl, and on the occasion
of Clara's wedding she had headed a procession of young peasants
to join the bridal party, but Sidonia had haughtily pushed her
back, and forbid them to approach. This Trina was a fine rosy
wench, and my Lord Duke took a fancy to her then, so that she
looked with great jealousy on any one that threatened to rob her
of his favour. Now when Sidonia entered the house and saw the
baker's daughter, she commenced again to play the part of the
great lady, but the other only laughed, and mockingly asked her,
"Where was the princely spouse, Duke Ernest of Wolgast? Would his
Highness come to meet her there?"

Then Sidonia raged from shame and despair, that this peasant girl
should dare to insult her, and she ran weeping to her chamber; but
when supper was served, the _scandalum_ broke out in earnest.
For Sidonia had now grown a little comforted, and as there were
many dainty dishes from the Duke's table sent to them, she began
to enjoy herself somewhat, when all of a sudden the baker's
daughter gave her a smart blow over the fingers with a fork.
Sidonia instantly seized her by the hair; and now there was such
an uproar of blows, screams, and tongues, that my gracious lord,
the Duke, was sent for. Whereupon he scolded the baker's daughter
right seriously for her insolence, and told her that as Sidonia
was the only noble maiden amongst them, she was to bear rule. And
if the others did not obey her humbly, as befitted her rank, they
should all be whipped. His Grace wore a patch of black plaister on
his chin, and attempted to kiss Sidonia again, but she pushed him
away, saying that he must have told all that happened at Wolgast
to these girls, otherwise how could the baker's daughter have
mocked her about it.

Whereupon my gracious lord consoled her, and said that if she were
quiet and well-behaved, he would take her with him to the Diet at
Wollin, for all the young dukes of Pomerania were to attend it,
and Prince Ernest amongst the number, seeing that he had summoned
them all there, in order to give up the government of the land
into their hands, as he was too old now himself to be tormented
with state affairs.

When Sidonia heard this, hope sprang up within her heart, and she
resolved to bear her destiny calmly.




CHAPTER V.

_How they went on meantime at Wolgast--Item, of the Diet at
Wollin, and what happened there._


With regard to their Serene Highnesses of Wolgast, I have already
related, _libro primo,_ that the young lord, Ernest
Ludovicus, was carried out of Sidonia's chamber like one dead,
when he beheld her abominable wickedness with his own eyes
and all can easily believe that he lay for a long while sick unto
death. In vain Dr. Pomius offered his celebrated specific; he
would take nothing, did nothing day or night but sigh and groan--

"Ah, Sidonia; ah, my beloved heart's bride, Sidonia, can it be
possible? Adored Sidonia, my heart is breaking. Sidonia, Sidonia,
can it be possible?"

At last the idea struck Dr. Pomius that there must be magic and
devil's work in it. So he searched through all his learned books,
and finally came upon a recipe which was infallible in such cases.
This was to burn the tooth of a dead man to powder, and let the
sick bewitched person smoke the ashes. Such was solemnly
recommended by Petrus Hispanus Ulyxbonensis, who, under the name
of John XXII., ascended the papal throne. See his _Thesaurus
Pauperum,_ cap. ult.

But the Prince would neither take anything nor smoke anything, and
the _delirium amatorium_ grew more violent and alarming day
by day, so that the whole ducal house was plunged into the deepest
grief and despair.

Now there was a prisoner in the bastion tower at Wolgast, a carl
from Katzow, who had been arrested and condemned for practising
horrible sorceries and magic--namely, having changed the calves of
his neighbours into young hares, which instinctively started off
to the woods, and were never seen more, as the whole town
testified; and other devil's doings he had practised, which I now
forget; but they were fully proved against him, and so he was
sentenced to be burned.

This man now sent a message to the authorities, that if they
pardoned him and allowed him free passage from the town, he would
tell of something to cure the young lord. This was agreed to; and
when he was brought to the chamber of the Prince, he laid his ear
down upon his breast, to listen if it were witchcraft that ailed
him. Then he spake--

"Yes; the heart beats quite unnaturally, the sound was like the
whimpering of a fly caught in a spider's web; their lordships
might listen for themselves."

Whereupon all present, one after the other, laid their ear upon
the breast of the young Prince, and heard really as he had
described.

The earl now said that he would give his Highness a potion which
would make him, from that hour, hate the woman who had bewitched
him as much as he had adored her. _Item,_ the young lord must
sleep for three days, and when he woke, his strength would have
returned to him; to procure this sleep, he must anoint his temples
with goat's milk, which they must instantly bring him, and during
his sleep the Lady Duchess must, every two hours, lay fresh
ox-flesh upon his stomach.

When her Grace heard this, she rejoiced that her dear son would so
soon hold the harlot in abhorrence who had bewitched him. And the
earl gave him a red syrup, which he had no sooner swallowed than
all care for Sidonia seemed to have vanished from his mind. Even
before the goat's milk came, he exclaimed--

"Now that I think over it, what a great blessing that we have got
rid of Sidonia."

And no sooner were his temples bathed with the milk than he fell
into a deep sleep, which lasted for three days, and when he opened
his eyes, his first words were--

"Where is that Sidonia? Is the wanton still here? Bring her before
me, that I may tell her how I hate her. Oh, fool that I was, to
peril my princely honour for a harlot. Where is she? I must have
my revenge upon the light wanton."

Her Grace could hardly speak for joy when she heard these words;
and she gave the earl, who had watched all the time by the bedside
of the young Prince, so much ham and sausages from the ducal
kitchen, that he finally could not walk, but was obliged to be
drawn out of the town in a car. Then she asked Dr. Pomius how such
a miracle could have been effected. At which he laid his finger on
his nose, after his manner, and replied, such was accomplished
through the introduction of the natural Life Balsam, which the
learned called _confermentationem Mumie_, and so the fool
went on prating, and her Grace devouring his words as if they were
gospel.

_Summa._--After a few days the young lord was able to leave
his bed, and as they kept fresh ox-flesh continually applied to
his stomach, he soon regained his strength, so that, in a couple
of weeks, he could ride, fish, and hunt, and his cheeks were as
fresh and rosy as ever. One day he mentioned "the groom's
mistress," as he called her, and wished he could give her a lesson
in lute-playing, it would be one to make her tremble. But when the
letter arrived from Duke Barnim, declaring that, from his great
age, he proposed resigning the government of Pomerania into the
hands of her Grace's sons, there was no end to the rejoicings at
Wolgast, and her Grace declared that she would herself accompany
them to the Diet at Wollin.

We shall now see what a treat was waiting her at the old castle
there. It was built wholly of wood, and has long since fallen; but
at the time I write of, it was standing in all its glory.

Monday, the 15th May 1569, at eleven in the forenoon, his Grace of
Stettin came with seven coaches and two hundred and fourteen
horsemen into the courtyard. And there, on the steps of the
castle, stood my gracious Lady of Wolgast, holding the little
Casimir by the hand, in waiting to receive his Highness, and all
her other sons stood round her--namely, the illustrious Bishop of
Camyn, Johann Frederick, in his bishop's robes, with the staff and
mitre. _Item,_ Duke Bogislaus, who had presented her Grace
with a tame sea-gull. _Item,_ Ernest Ludovicus, in a Spanish
mantle of black velvet, embossed in gold, and upon his head a
black velvet Spanish hat, looped up with diamonds, from which long
white plumes descended to his shoulder. _Item,_ Barnim the
younger, who wore a dress similar to his brother's. _Item,_
the Grand Chamberlain, Ulrich von Schwerin, and with him a great
crowd of the counsellors and state officers of Wolgast, besides
all the nobles, prelates, knights, and chief burghers of the
duchy. Among the nobles stood Otto von Bork, brother to Sidonia;
and the burgomaster, Jacob Appelmann, held his place among the
citizens.

As Duke Barnim drove up to the castle, the guards fired a salute,
and the bells rang, and the cannon roared, and all the vessels in
the harbour hoisted their flags, while the streets, houses, and
courtyards were decorated with flowers, and all the people of the
little town trotted round the carriage, shouting, "Vivat! vivat!
vivat!" so that the like was never seen before in Wollin.

Now, when the coach stopped, her Grace the Duchess advanced to
meet his Highness; and as old Duke Barnim's head appeared at the
window, with his long white beard and yellow leather cap, her
Grace stepped forward, and said--"Welcome, dearest Un------"

But she could get no farther, and stood as stiff as Lot's wife
when she was turned into a pillar of salt, for there was Sidonia
seated in the carriage beside the Duke! Old Ulrich, who followed,
soon spied the cause of her Grace's dismay, and exclaimed--

"Three thousand devils, what does your Highness mean by bringing
the accursed harlot a third time amongst us?"

But his Highness only laughed, and drew forth his last puppet, it
was a Satan as he tempted Eve, saying--

"Hold this for me, good Ulrich, till I am out of the coach, and
then I shall hear all about it."

To which the other answered--

"If you let me catch hold of this other Satan, whom ye bring with
you, I think it were wiser done!"

Prince Ernest now sprang down the steps, his eye flaming with
rage, and drawing his sword, cried--

"Hold me, or I will stab the serpent to the heart, who so
disgraced me and my family honour. I will murder her there in the
coach before your eyes."

Whereupon old Ulrich flung the little wooden Satan to the ground,
and seized the young man by the arm, while Sidonia screamed
violently. But the old Duke stepped deliberately out of the coach.
Seeing, however, his wooden Satan lying broken on the ground, he
became very wroth, and called loudly for a turner with his
glue-pot. Then he ascended the steps, and when all had greeted him
deferentially, he began--

"Dear niece, worthy cousins, and friends, ye have no doubt heard
of the misfortune which hath befallen Sidonia von Bork, who sits
there in the carriage. Her father has died; and, further, she has
been disinherited. Thereupon she fled to me to seek a refuge. Now
ye all know well that the Von Borks are an ancient, honourable,
and illustrious race--none more so; therefore I had compassion
upon the orphan, and brought her hither to effect a reconciliation
between her and Otto Bork, her brother. Step forward, Otto Bork,
where are you hiding? Step forth, and hand your sister from the
carriage; I saw you amongst the nobles here to-day. Step forth!"

But Otto had disappeared; and as the Duke found he would not
answer to his summons, he bid Sidonia come forth herself.
Whereupon the young Prince swore fiercely that, if she but put a
foot upon the step he would murder her. "What the devil! young
man," said the Duke, laughing; "first you must needs wed her, and
now you will slay her dead at our feet! This is somewhat
inconsistent. Come forth, Sidonia; he will not be so cruel."

But she sat in the coach, and wept like a child who has lost its
nurse. So my gracious lady stepped forward, and commanded the
coachman to drive instantly with the maiden to the town inn; and
so it was done.

Now the old Duke never ceased for the whole forenoon soliciting
Otto Bork to take the poor orphan home with him, and there to
treat her as a faithful and kind brother, in compensation for her
father's harsh and unnatural will; but it was all in vain, as she
indeed had prophesied. "Not the weight of a feather more should
she get than the two farmhouses in Zachow; and never let her call
him brother, for ancient as his race was, never had one of them
borne the brand of infamy till now."

In the afternoon, all the prelates, nobles, and burghers assembled
in the grand hall; then entered the ducal family, Barnim the elder
at their head. He was dressed in a long black robe, such as the
priests wear now, with white ruffles and Spanish frill, and was
bareheaded. He took his seat at the top of the table, and thus
spake--

"Illustrious Princess, dear cousins, nobles, and faithful
burghers, ye all know that I have ruled this Pomeranian land for
fifty years, upholding the pure doctrine of Doctor Martin Luther,
and casting down papacy in all places and at all times. But as I
am now old, and find it hard sometimes to keep my unruly vassals
in order, whereof we have had a proof lately, it is my will and
purpose to resign the government into the hands of my dear
cousins, the illustrious Princes von Pommern-Wolgast, and retire
to Oderburg in Old Stettin, there to rest in peace for the
remainder of my days; but there are four princes (for the fifth,
Casimir, to-morrow or next day shall get a church endowment) and
but two duchies. For ye know that, by the Act passed in 1541, the
Duchy of Pomerania can only be divided into two portions, the
other princes of the family being entitled but to life-annuities.
Therefore I have resolved to let it be decided by lot amongst the
four Pomeranian princes (according to the example set us by the
holy apostles), which of them shall succeed me in Stettin, which
is to rule in Wolgast in the room of my loved brother, Philippus
Primus of blessed memory; and, finally, which is to be content
only with the life-annuity. And this shall now be ascertained in
your presence."

Having ended, he commanded the Grand Marshal, Von Flemming, to
bring the golden lottery-box with the tickets, and beckoned the
young princes to the table. Then, while they drew the lots, he
commanded all the nobles, knights, and burghers present to lift up
their hands and repeat the Lord's Prayer aloud. So every hand was
elevated, even the Duke and my gracious lady uplifting theirs, and
the three young princes drew the lots, but not the fourth, and
this was Bogislaff. So Duke Barnim wondered, and asked the reason.
Whereupon he answered, "That he would not tempt God in aught. To
govern a land was a serious thing; and he who had little to rule
had little to be responsible for before God. He would therefore
freely withdraw his claims, and be content with the annuity; then
he could remain with his dear mother, and console her in her
widowhood. He did not fear that he would ever repent his choice,
for he had more pleasure in study than in the pomp of the world;
and if he took the government, then must his beloved library be
given up for food to the moths and spiders."

All arguments were vain to turn him from his resolve: so the lots
were drawn, and it was found that Johann Frederick had come by the
Dukedom of Stettin, and Ernest Ludovicus by that of Wolgast.

But as Barnim the younger went away empty, he was filled with envy
and mortification, showing quite a different spirit from his meek,
humble-minded brother, Bogislaff. He swore, and cursed his ill
luck. "Why did not that fool of a bookworm give over his chance to
him, if he would not profit by it himself? Why the devil should he
descend to play the commoner, when he was born to play the
prince?" and suchlike unamiable and ill-tempered speeches.
However, he was now silenced by the drums and trumpets, which
struck up the _Te Deum_, in which all present joined. Then
Doctor Dannenbaum offered up a prayer, and so that grand ceremony
concluded. But the feasting and drinking was carried on with such
spirit all through the evening, and far into the night, that all
the young lords, except Bogislaff, had well nigh drowned their
senses in the wine-cup; and Ernest started up about midnight,
declaring that he would go to the inn and murder Sidonia. Barnim
was busy quarrelling with Johann Frederick about his annuity. So
Ernest would certainly have gone to Sidonia, if one of the nobles,
by name Dinnies Kleist, a man of huge strength, had not detained
him in a singular manner. For he laid a wager that, just with his
little finger in the girdle of the young Prince, he would hold him
fast; and if he (the Prince) moved but one inch from the spot
where he stood, he was content to lose his wager.

And, in truth, Prince Ernest found that he could not stir one step
from the spot where Dinnies Kleist held him; so he called a noble
to assist him, who seized his hand and tried to draw him away, but
in vain; then he called a second, a third, a fourth, up to a
dozen, and they all held each other by the hand, and pulled and
pulled away till their heads nearly touched the floor, but in
vain; not one inch could they make the Prince to move. So Dinnies
Kleist won his wager; and the Duke, Johann Frederick, was so
delighted with this proof of his giant strength, that he took him
into his service from that hour. So the whole night Dinnies amused
the guests by performing equally wonderful feats even until day
dawned.

Now, there was an enormous golden becker which Duke Ratibor I. had
taken away from the rich town of Konghalla, in Norway land, when
he fell upon it and plundered it. This becker stood on the table
filled with wine, and as the Duke handed it to him to pledge him,
Dinnies said, "Shall I crush this in my hand, like fresh bread,
for your Grace?" "You may try," said the Duke, laughing; and
instantly he crushed it together with such force, that the wine
dashed down all over the table-cover. _Item_, the Duke threw
down some gold and silver medals--"Could he break them?"

"Ay, truly, if they were given to him; not else."

"Take, then, as many as you can break," said the Duke. So he broke
them all as easily as altar wafers, and thrust them, laughing,
into his pocket.

_Item_, there had been large quantities of preserved cherries
at supper, and the lacqueys had piled up the stones on a dish like
a high mountain. From this mountain Dinnies took handful after
handful, and squeezed them together, so that not a single stone
remained whole in his hand. We shall hear a great deal more of
this Dinnies Kleist, and his strength, as we proceed; therefore
shall let him rest for the present.




CHAPTER VI.

_How Sidonia is again discovered with the groom, Johann
Appelmann._


It was a good day for Johann Appelmann, when his father went to
the Diet at Wollin. For as the old burgomaster held strictly by
his word, and sent him each day to the writing-office, and locked
him up each night in his little room, the poor young man had found
life growing very dull. Now he was his mother's pet, and all his
sins and wickedness were owing to her as much as Sidonia's to her
father. She had petted and spoiled him from his youth up, and
stiffened his back against his father. For whenever worthy Jacob
laid the stick upon the boy's shoulders, she cried and roared, and
called him nothing but an old tyrant. Then how she was always
stuffing him up with tit-bits and dainties, whenever his father's
back was turned; and if there were a glass of wine left in the
bottle, the boy must have it. Then she let him and his brother
beat and abuse all the street-boys and send them away bleeding
like dogs; and some were afraid to complain of them, as they were
sons of the burgomaster; and if others came to the house to do so,
she took good care to send them away with a stout blow or bloody
nose.

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