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Sidonia The Sorceress V1

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When he had tired himself out, I communicated what his Highness
had so nobly commanded to be done, and prayed him to relate all he
knew and could remember of this detestable sorceress, Sidonia von
Bork. He sighed deeply, and then went on talking for about two
hours, giving me all his recollections just as they started to his
memory. I have arranged what he then related, in proper order. It
was to the following effect:--

Whenever his father, Philip Uckermann, attended the fair at
Stramehl, a town belonging to the Bork family, he was in the habit
of visiting Otto von Bork at his castle, who, being very rich,
gave free quarters to all the young noblemen of the vicinity, so
that from thirty to forty of them were generally assembled at his
castle while the fair lasted; but after some time his father
discontinued these visits, his conscience not permitting him
further intercourse. The reason was this. Otto von Bork, during
his residence in Poland, had joined the sect of the enthusiasts,
[Footnote: Probably the sect afterwards named Socinians; for we
find that Laelius Socinus taught in Poland, even before
Melancthon's death (1560).] and had lost his faith there, as a
young maiden might her honour. He made no secret of his new
opinions, but openly at Martinmas fair, 1560, told the young
nobles at dinner that Christ was but a man like other people, and
ignorance alone had elevated Him to a God; which notion had been
encouraged by the greed and avarice of the clergy. They should
therefore not credit what the hypocritical priests chattered to
them every Sunday, but believe only what reason and their five
senses told them was truth, and that, in fine, if he had his will,
he would send every priest to the devil.

All the young nobles remained silent but Claude Zastrow, a feudal
retainer of the Borks, who rose up (it was an evil moment to him)
and made answer: "Most powerful feudal lord, were the holy
apostles then filled with greed and covetousness, who were the
first to proclaim that Christ was God, and who left all for His
sake? Or the early Christians who, with one accord, sold their
possessions, and gave the price to the poor?" Claude had before
this displeased the knight, who now grew red with anger at the
insolence of his vassal in thus answering him, and replied: "If
they were not preachers for gain, they were at least stupid
fellows." Hereupon a great murmur arose in the hall, but the
aforesaid Zastrow is not silenced, and answered: "It is
surprising, then, that the twelve stupid apostles performed more
than twelve times twelve Greek or Roman philosophers. The knight
might rage until he was black in the face, and strike the table.
But he had better hold his tongue and use his understanding;
though, after all, the intellect of a man who believed nothing but
what he received through his five senses was not worth much; for
the brute beasts were his equals, inasmuch as they received no
evidence either but from the senses."

Then Otto sprang up raging, and asked him what he meant; to which
the other answered: "Nothing more than to express his opinion that
man differed from the brute, not through his understanding, but by
his faith, for that animals had evidently understanding, but no
trace of faith had ever yet been discovered in them." [Footnote:
This axiom is certainly opposed to modern ontology, which denies
all ideas to the brute creation, and explains each proof of their
intellectual activity by the unintelligible word "instinct." The
ancients held very different opinions, particularly the new
Platonists, one of whom (Porphyry, liber ii. _De
abstinentia_) treats largely of the intellect and language of
animals. Since Cartesius, however, who denied not only
understanding, but even feeling, to animals, and represented them
as mere animated machines (_De passionib. Pars i. Artic. iv. et
de Methodo,_ No. 5, page 29, &c.), these views upon the
psychology of animals produced the most mischievous results; for
they were carried out until if not feeling, at least intellect,
was denied to all animals more or less; and modern philosophy at
length arrived at denying intelligence even to God, in whom and by
whom, as formerly, man no longer attains to consciousness, but it
is by man and through man that God arrives to a conscious
intelligent existence. Some philosophers of our time, indeed, are
condescending enough to ascribe _Understanding_ to animals
and _Reason_ to man as the generic difference between the
two. But I cannot comprehend these new-fashioned distinctions; for
it seems to me absurd to split into the two portions of reason and
understanding one and the same spiritual power, according as the
object on which it acts is higher or lower; just as if we adopted
two names for the same hand that digs up the earth and directs the
telescope to heaven, or maintained that the latter was quite a
different hand from the former. No. There is but one understanding
for man and beasts, as but one common substance for their material
forms. The more perfect the form, so much the more perfect is the
intellect; and human and animal intellects are only dynamically
different in human and animal bodies.

And even if, among animals of the more perfect form, understanding
has been discovered, yet in man alone has been found the innate
feeling of connection with the supernatural, or _Faith_. If
this, as the generic sign of difference, be called _Reason_,
I have nothing to object, except that the word generally conveys a
different meaning. But _Faith_ is, in fact, the pure Reason,
and is found in all men, existing alike in the lowest
superstitions as well as in the highest natures.]

Otto's rage now knew no bounds, and he drew his dagger, roaring,
"What! thou insolent knave, dost thou dare to compare thy feudal
lord to a brute?" And before the other had time to draw his
poignard to defend himself, or the guests could in any way
interfere to prevent him, Otto stabbed him to the heart as he sat
there by the table. (It was a blessed death, I think, to die for
his Lord Christ.) And so he fell down upon the floor with
contorted features, and hands and feet quivering with agony. Every
one was struck dumb with horror at such a death; but the knight
laughed loudly, and cried, "Ha! thou base-born serf, I shall teach
thee how to liken thy feudal lord to a brute," and striding over
his quivering limbs, he spat upon his face.

Then the murmuring and whispering increased in the hall, and those
nearest the door rushed out and sprang upon their horses; and
finally all the guests, even old Uckermann, fled away, no one
venturing to take up the quarrel with Otto Bork. After that, he
fell into disrepute with the old nobility, for which he cared
little, seeing that his riches and magnificence always secured him
companions enough, who were willing to listen to his wisdom, and
were consoled by his wine.

And when I, Dr. Theodore Plönnies, inquired from the old bachelor
if his Serene Highness had not punished the noble for his shameful
crime, he replied that his wealth and powerful influence protected
him. At least it was whispered that justice had been blinded with
gold; and the matter was probably related to the prince in quite a
different manner from the truth; for I have heard that a few years
after, his Highness even visited this godless knight at his castle
in Stramehl.

As to Otto, no one observed any sign of repentance in him. On the
contrary, he seemed to glory in his crime, and the neighbouring
nobles related that he frequently brought in his little daughter
Sidonia, whom he adored for her beauty, to the assembled guests,
magnificently attired; and when she was bowing to the company, he
would say, "Who art thou, my little daughter?" Then she would
cease the salutations which she had learned from her mother, and
drawing herself up, proudly exclaim, "I am a noble maiden, dowered
with towns and castles!" Then he would ask, if the conversation
turned upon his enemies--and half the nobles were so--"Sidonia,
how does thy father treat his enemies?" Upon which the child would
straighten her finger, and running at her father, strike it into
his heart, saying, "_Thus_ he treats them." At which Otto
would laugh loudly, and tell her to show him how the knave looked
when he was dying. Then Sidonia would fall down, twist her face,
and writhe her little hands and feet in horrible contortions. Upon
which Otto would lift her up, and kiss her upon the mouth. But it
will be seen how the just God punished him for all this, and how
the words of the Scriptures were fulfilled: "Err not, God is not
mocked; for what a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

The parson of Stramehl, David Dilavius, related also to old
Uckermann another fact, which, though it hardly seems credible,
the bachelor reported thus to me:--

This Dilavius was a learned man whom Otto had selected as
instructor to his young daughter; "but only teach her," he said,
"to read and write, and the first article of the Ten Commandments.
The other Christian doctrines I can teach her myself; besides, I
do not wish the child to learn so many dogmas."

Dilavius, who was a worthy, matter-of-fact, good, simple
character, did as he was ordered, and gave himself no further
trouble until he came to ask the child to recite the first article
of the creed out of the catechism for him. There was nothing wrong
in that; but when he came to the second article, he crossed
himself, not because it concerned the Lord Christ, but her own
father, Otto von Bork, and ran somewhat thus:--

"And I believe in my earthly father, Otto von Bork, a
distinguished son of God, born of Anna von Kleist, who sitteth in
his castle at Stramehl, from whence he will come to help his
children and friends, but to slay his enemies and tread them in
the dust."

The third article was much in the same style, but he had partly
forgotten it, neither could he remember if Dilavius had called the
father to any account for his profanity, or taught the daughter
some better Christian doctrine. In fine, this was all the old
bachelor could tell me of Sidonia's education. Yes--he remembered
one anecdote more. Her father had asked her one day, when she was
about ten or twelve years old, "What kind of a husband she would
like?" and she replied, "One of equal birth." _Ille:_
[Footnote: In dialogue the author makes use of the Latin pronouns,
_Ille_, he; _Illa_, she, to denote the different
characters taking part in it; and sometimes _Hic_ and
_Hæc_, for the same purposes. _Summa_ he employs in the
sense of "to sum up," or "in short."] "Who is her equal in the
whole of Pomerania?" _Illa:_ "Only the Duke of Pomerania, or
the Count von Ebersburg." _Ille:_ "Right! therefore she must
never marry any other but one of these."

It happened soon after, old Philip Uckermann, his father, riding
one day through the fields near Stramehl, saw a country girl
seated by the roadside, weeping bitterly. "Why do you weep?" he
asked. "Has any one injured you?" "Sidonia has injured me," she
replied. "What could she have done? Come dry your tears, and tell
me." Whereupon the little girl related that Sidonia, who was then
about fourteen, had besought her to tell her what marriage was,
because her father was always talking to her about it. The girl
had told her to the best of her ability; but the young lady beat
her, and said it was not so, that long Dorothy had told her quite
differently about marriage, and there she went on tormenting her
for several days; but upon this evening Sidonia, with long
Dorothy, and some of the milkmaids of the neighbourhood, had taken
away one of the fine geese which the peasants had given her in
payment of her labour. They picked it alive, all except the head
and neck, then built up a large fire in a circle, and put the
goose and a vessel of water in the centre. So the fat dripped down
from the poor creature alive, and was fried in a pan as it fell,
just as the girls eat it on their bread for supper. And the goose,
having no means of escape, still went on drinking the water as the
fat dripped down, whilst they kept cooling its head and heart with
a sponge dipped in cold water, fastened to a stick, until at last
the goose fell down when quite roasted, though it still screamed,
and then Sidonia and her companions cut it up for their amusement,
living as it was, and ate it for their supper, in proof of which,
the girl showed him the bones and the remains of the fire, and the
drops of fat still lying on the grass.

Then she wept afresh, for Sidonia had promised to take away a
goose every day, and destroy it as she had done the first. So my
father consoled her by giving her a piece of gold, and said, "If
she does so again, run by night and cloud, and come to Dalow by
Stargard, where I will make thee keeper of my geese." But she
never came to him, and he never heard more of the maiden and her
geese.

So far old Uckermann related to me the first evening, promising to
tell me of many more strange doings upon the following morning,
which he would try to think over during the night.




CHAPTER II.

_Of the bear-hunt at Stramehl, and the strange things that
befell there._


The following morning, by seven o'clock, the old man summoned me
to him, and on entering I found him seated at breakfast by the
fire. He invited me to join him, and pushed a seat over for me
with his crutch, for walking was now difficult to him. He was very
friendly, and the eyes of the old man burned as clear as those of
a white dove. He had slept little during the night, for Sidonia's
form kept floating before his eyes, just as she had looked in the
days when he paid court to her. Alas! he had once loved her
deeply, like all the other young nobles who approached her, from
the time she was of an age to marry. In her youth she had been
beautiful; and old and young declared that for figure, eyes,
bosom, walk, and enchanting smile, there never had been seen her
equal in all Pomerania.

"Nothing shall be concealed from you," he said, "of all that
concerns my foolish infatuation, that you and your children may
learn how the all-wise God deals best with His servants when He
uses the rod and denies that for which they clamour as silly
children for a glittering knife." Here he folded his withered
hands, murmured a short prayer, and proceeded with his story.

"You must know that I was once a proud and stately youth, upon
whom a maiden's glance in no wise rested indifferently, trained in
all knightly exercise, and only two years older than Sidonia. It
happened in the September of 1566, that I was invited by Caspar
Roden to see his eel-nets, as my father intended laying down some
also at Krampehl [Footnote: A little river near Dalow] and along
the coast. When we returned home weary enough in the evening, a
letter arrived from Otto von Bork, inviting him the following day
to a bear-hunt; as he intended, in honour of the nuptials of his
eldest daughter Clara, to lay bears' heads and bears' paws before
his guests, which even in Pomerania would have been a rarity, and
desiring him to bring as many good huntsmen with him as he
pleased. So I accompanied Caspar Roden, who told me on the way
that Count Otto had at first looked very high for his daughter
Clara, and scorned many a good suitor, but that she was now
getting rather old, and ready, like a ripe burr, to hang on the
first that came by. Her bridegroom was Vidante von Meseritz, a
feudal vassal of her father's, upon whom, ten years before, she
would not have looked at from a window. Not that she was as proud
as her young sister Sidonia. However, their mother was to blame
for much of this; but she was dead now, poor lady, let her rest in
peace.

So in good time we reached the castle of Stramehl, where thirty
huntsmen were already assembled, all noblemen, and we joined them
in the grand state hall, where the morning meal was laid out.
Count Otto sat at the head of the table, like a prince of
Pomerania, upon a throne whereon his family arms were both carved
and embroidered. He wore a doublet of elk-skin, and a cap with a
heron's plume upon his head. He did not rise as we entered, but
called to us to be seated and join the feast, as the party must
move off soon. Costly wines were sent round; and I observed that
on each of the glasses the family arms were cut. They were also
painted upon the window of the great hall, and along the walls,
under the horns of all the different wild animals killed by Otto
in the chase--bucks, deers, harts, roes, stags, and elks--which
were arranged in fantastical groups.

After a little while his two daughters, Clara and Sidonia,
entered. They wore green hunting-dresses, trimmed with
beaver-skin, and each had a gold net thrown over her hair. They
bowed, and bid the knights welcome. But we all remained breathless
gazing upon Sidonia, as she lifted her beautiful eyes first on
one, and then on another, inviting us to eat and drink; and she
even filled a small wine-glass herself, and prayed us to pledge
her. As for me, unfortunate youth, from the moment I beheld her I
breathed no more through my lungs, but through my eyes alone, and,
springing up, gave her health publicly. A storm of loud, animated,
passionate voices soon responded to my words with loud vivas. The
guests then rose, for the ladies were impatient for the hunt, and
found the time hang heavily.

So we set off with all our implements and our dogs, and a hundred
beaters went before us. It happened that my host, Caspar Roden,
and I found an excellent sheltered position for a shot near a
quarry, and we had not long been there (the beaters had not even
yet begun their work) when I spied a large bear coming down to
drink at a small stream not twenty paces from me. I fired; but she
retired quickly behind an oak, and, growling fiercely, disappeared
amongst the bushes. Not long after, I heard the cries of women
almost close to us; and running as fast as possible in the
direction from whence they came, I perceived an old bear trying to
climb up to the platform where Clara and Sidonia stood. There was
a ruined chapel here--which, in the time of papacy, had contained
a holy image--and a scaffolding had been erected round it, adorned
with wreaths of evergreen and flowers, from which the ladies could
obtain an excellent view of the hunt, as it commanded a prospect
of almost the entire wood, and even part of the sea. Attached to
this scaffolding was a ladder, up which Bruin was anxiously trying
to ascend, in order to visit the young ladies, who were now
assailed by two dangers--the bear from below, and a swarm of bees
above, for myriads of these insects were tormenting them, trying
to settle upon their golden hair-nets; and the young ladies,
screaming as if the last day had come, were vainly trying to beat
them off with their girdles, or trample them under their feet. A
huntsman who stood near fired, indeed, at Bruin, but without
effect, and the bees assailing his hands and face at the same
time, he took to flight and hid himself, groaning, in the quarry.

In the meantime I had reached the chapel, and Sidonia stretched
forth her beautiful little hands, crying, along with her sister,
"Help! help! He will eat us. Will you not kill him?" But the bear,
as if already aware of my intention, began now to descend the
ladder. However, I stepped before him, and as he descended, I
ascended. Luckily for me, the interval between each step was very
small, to accommodate the ladies' little feet, so that when Bruin
tried to thrust his snout between them to get at me, he found it
rather difficult work to make it pass. I had my dagger ready; and
though the bees which he brought with him in his fur flew on my
hands, I heeded them not, but watching my opportunity, plunged it
deep into his side, so that he tumbled right down off the ladder;
and though he raised himself up once and growled horribly, yet in
a few seconds he lay dead before our eyes. How the ladies now
tripped down the ladder, not two or three, but four or five steps
at a time! and what thanks poured forth from their lips! I rushed
first to Sidonia, who laid her little head upon my breast, while I
endeavoured to remove the bees which had got entangled in her
hair-net. The other lady went to call the huntsman, who was hiding
in the quarry, and we were left alone. Heavens! how my heart
burned, more than my inflamed hands all stung by the bees, as she
asked, how could she repay my service. I prayed her for one kiss,
which she granted. She had escaped with but one sting from the
bees, who could not manage to get through her long, thick,
beautiful hair, and she advanced joyfully to meet her father and
the hunting-train, who had heard the cries of the ladies. When
Count Otto heard what had happened, and saw the dead bear, he
thanked me heartily, praying me to attend his daughter Clara's
wedding, which was to be celebrated next week at the castle, and
to remain as his guest until then. There was nothing in the world
I could have desired beyond this, and I gratefully accepted his
offer. Alas! I suffered for it after, as the cat from poisoned
dainties.

But to return to our hunt. No other bear was killed that day, but
plenty of other game, as harts, stags, roes, boars--more than
enough. And now we discovered what an old hunter had conjectured,
that the dead bear was the father, who had been alarmed by the
growls of his partner, at whom I had fired whilst he was
endeavouring to carry off the honey from a nest of wild bees in a
neighbouring tree. For looking around us, we saw, at the distance
of about twenty paces, a tall oak-tree, about which clouds of bees
were still flying, in which he had been following his occupation.
No one dared to approach it, to bring away the honeycombs which
still lay beneath, by reason of the bees, and, moreover, swarms of
ants, by which they were covered. At length Otto Bork ordered the
huntsman to sound the return; and after supper I obtained another
little kiss from Sidonia, which burned so like fire through my
veins that I could not sleep the whole night. I resolved to ask
her hand in marriage from her father.

Stupid youth as I was, I then believed that she looked upon me
with equal love; and although I knew all about the mode in which
she had been brought up, and many other things beside, which have
now slipped from my memory, yet I looked on them but as idle
stories, and was fully persuaded that Sidonia was sister to the
angels in beauty, goodness, and perfection. In a few days,
however, I had reason to change my opinion.

Next day the two young ladies were in the kitchen, overseeing the
cooking of the bear's head, and, as I passed by and looked in,
they began to titter, which I took for a good omen, and asked,
might I not be allowed to enter. They said, "Yes, I might come in,
and help them to cleave the head." So I entered, and they both
began to give me instructions, with much laughter and merry
jesting. First, the bear's head had to be burned with hot irons;
and when I said to Sidonia that thus she burned my heart, she
nearly died of laughter. Then I cut some flesh off the mouth,
broke the nose, and handed it all over to the maidens, who set it
on the fire with water, wine, and vinegar. As I now played the
part of kitchen-boy, they sent me to the castle garden for thyme,
sage, and rosemary, which I brought, and begged them for a taste
of the head; but they said it was not fit to eat yet--must be
cooled in brine first; so in place of it I asked one little kiss
from each of the maidens, which Sidonia granted, but her sister
refused. However, I was not in the least displeased at her
refusal, seeing it was only the little sister I cared for.

But judge of my rage and jealousy, that same day a cousin arrived
at the castle, and I observed that Sidonia allowed him to kiss her
every moment. She never even appeared to offer any resistance, but
looked over at me languishingly every time to see what I would
say. What could I say? I became pale with jealousy, but said
nothing. At last I rushed from the hall, mute with despair, when I
observed him finally draw her on his knee. I only heard the peal
of laughter that followed my exit, and I was just near leaving the
whole wedding-feast, and Stramehl for ever, when Sidonia called
after me from the castle gates to return. This so melted my heart,
that the tears came into my eyes, thinking that now indeed I had a
proof of her love. Then she took my hand, and said, "I ought not
to be so unkind. That was her manner with all the young nobles.
Why should she refuse a kiss when she was asked? Her little mouth
would grow neither larger nor smaller for it." But I stood still
and wept, and looked on the ground. "Why should I weep?" she
asked. Her cousin Clas had a bride of his own already, and only
took a little pastime with her, and so she must cure me now with
another little kiss.

I was now again a happy man, thinking she loved me; and the
heavens seemed so propitious, that I determined to ask her hand.
But I had not sufficient courage as yet, and resolved to wait
until after her sister's marriage, which was to take place next
day. What preparations were made for this event it would be
impossible adequately to describe. All the country round the
castle seemed like a royal camp. Six hundred horses were led into
the stables next day to be fed, for the Duke himself arrived with
a princely retinue. Then came all the feudal vassals to offer
homage for their fiefs to Lord Otto. But as the description is
well worth hearing, I shall defer it for another chapter.

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