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Sidonia The Sorceress V2

W >> William Mienhold >> Sidonia The Sorceress V2




Down in the vault the constables first brought in tables and
chairs, whereon the court sat, and _Dom. Consul_ also pushed
a chair toward me, but I sat not thereon, but threw myself upon my
knees in a corner. When this was done they began again with their
vile admonitions, and as my child, like her guileless Saviour
before His unrighteous judges, answered not a word, _Dom.
Consul_ rose up and bade the tall constable lay her on the
torture-bench.

She shook like an aspen leaf when he bound her hands and feet; and
when he was about to bind over her sweet eyes a nasty old filthy
clout wherein my maid had seen him carry fish but the day before,
and which was still all over shining scales, I perceived it, and
pulled off my silken neckerchief, begging him to use that instead,
which he did. Hereupon the thumb-screw was put on her, and she was
once more asked whether she would confess freely, but she only
shook her poor blinded head, and sighed with her dying Saviour,
"Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani," and then in Greek, "Theé mou, theé
mou, hiva thi me hegkatélipes." [Footnote: "My God, My God, why
hast Thou forsaken Me?"-Matt, xxvii. 46.] Whereat _Dom.
Consul_ started back, and made the sign of the cross (for
inasmuch as he knew no Greek, he believed, as he afterwards said
himself, that she was calling upon the devil to help her), and
then called to the constable with a loud voice, "Screw!"

But when I heard this I gave such a cry that the whole vault
shook; and when my poor child, who was dying of terror and
despair, had heard my voice, she first struggled with her bound
hands and feet like a lamb that lies dying in the slaughter-house,
and then cried out, "Loose me, and I will confess whatsoe'er you
will." Hereat _Dom. Consul_ so greatly rejoiced, that while
the constable unbound her, he fell on his knees, and thanked God
for having spared him this anguish. But no sooner was my poor
desperate child unbound, and had laid aside her crown of thorns (I
mean my silken neckerchief), than she jumped off the ladder, and
flung herself upon me, who lay for dead in the corner in a deep
swound.

This greatly angered the worshipful court, and when the constable
had borne me away, _Rea_ was admonished to make her
confession according to promise. But seeing she was too weak to
stand upon her feet, _Dom. Consul_ gave her a chair to sit
upon, although _Dom. Camerarius_ grumbled thereat, and these
were the chief questions which were put to her by order of the
most honourable high central court, as _Dom. Consul_ said,
and which were registered _ad protocollum._

_Q._ Whether she could bewitch?--_R._ Yes, she could
bewitch.

_Q._ Who taught her to do so?--_R._ Satan himself.

_Q._ How many devils had she?--_R._ One devil was enough
for 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 a
very terrible devil indeed, for that he had never heard such a
name before, and that she must spell it, so that _Scriba_
might make no error; which she did, and he then went on as
follows:--

_Q_. In what shape had he appeared to her?--_R_. In the
shape 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 the
manuscript.]

_Q_. Whether any of the neighbours had been by when she was
re-baptized, and which of them?--_R_. Hereupon my matchless
child cast up her eyes towards heaven, as though doubting whether
she should fyle old Lizzie or not, but at last she said, No!

_Q_. She must have had sponsors; who were they? and what gift
had they given her as christening money?--_R_. There were
none there save spirits; wherefore old Lizzie could see no one
when 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 she
had ever played the wanton with Satan, and known him carnally?
Hereupon she blushed, and was so ashamed that she covered her face
with her hands, and presently began to weep and to sob: and as,
after many questions, she gave no answer, she was again admonished
to speak the truth, or that the executioner should lift her up on
the ladder again. At last she said "No!" which howbeit the
worshipful court would not believe, and bade the executioner seize
her 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 birth
to a changeling, and of what shape?--_R_. No, never.

_Q_. Whether the foul fiend had given her any sign or mark
about her body, and in what part thereof?--_R_. That the mark
had 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 naught
of old Seden his death, _item_, of little Paasch her
sickness, nor, lastly, would she confess that she had, by the help
of the foul fiend, raked up my crop or conjured the caterpillars
into my orchard. And albeit they again threatened her with the
question, and even ordered the executioner to lay her on the bench
and put on the thumbscrew to frighten her; she remained firm, and
said, "Why should you torture me, seeing that I have confessed far
heavier crimes than these, which it will not save my life to
deny?"

Hereupon the worshipful court at last were satisfied, and suffered
her to be lifted off the torture-bench, especially as she
confessed the _articulus principalis_; to wit, that Satan had
really appeared to her on the mountain in the shape of a hairy
giant. Of the storm and the frog, item, of the hedgehog, nothing
was said, inasmuch as the worshipful court had by this time seen
the folly of supposing that she could have brewed a storm while
she quietly sat in the coach. Lastly, she prayed that it might be
granted to her to suffer death clothed in the garments which she
had worn when she went to greet the King of Sweden; _item_,
that they would suffer her wretched father to be driven with her
to the stake, and to stand by while she was burned, seeing that
she had promised him this in the presence of the worshipful court.

Hereupon she was once more given into the charge of the tall
constable, who was ordered to put her into a stronger and severer
prison. But he had not led her out of the chamber before the
sheriff his bastard, whom he had had by the housekeeper, came into
the vault with a drum, and kept drumming and crying out, "Come to
the roast goose! come to the roast goose!" whereat _Dom.
Consul_ was exceeding wroth, and ran after him, but he could
not catch him, seeing that the young varlet knew all the ins and
outs of the vault. Without doubt it was the Lord who sent me the
swound, so that I should be spared this fresh grief; wherefore to
Him 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 beer
down my throat. The faithful old creature shrieked for joy when I
opened my eyes again, and then told me that my daughter had not
suffered herself to be racked, but had freely confessed her crimes
and fyled herself as a witch. This seemed pleasant news to me in
my misery, inasmuch as I deemed the death by fire to be a less
heavy punishment than the torture. Howbeit when I would have
prayed I could not, whereat I again fell into heavy grief and
despair, fearing that the Holy Ghost had altogether turned away
His face from me, wretched man that I was. And albeit the old
maid, when she had seen this, came and stood before my bed and
began to pray aloud to me; it was all in vain, and I remained a
hardened sinner. But the Lord had pity upon me, although I
deserved 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 Neels
came in and told me that he had come yesterday to tell me about my
oats, seeing that he had gotten them all in; and that the
constable came with him who had been to fetch old Lizzie Kolken,
inasmuch as the honourable high court had ordered her to be
brought up for trial. Hereat the whole village rejoiced, but
_Rea_ herself laughed, and shouted, and sang, and told him
and the constable, by the way (for the constable had let her get
up behind for a short time), that this should bring great luck to
the sheriff. They need only bring her up before the court, and in
good sooth she would not hold her tongue within her teeth, but
that all men should marvel at her confession; that such a court as
that was a laughing-stock to her, and that she spat, _salvâ
veniâ_, upon the whole brotherhood, &c.

Upon hearing this I once more felt a strong hope, and rose to go
to old Lizzie. But I was not quite dressed before she sent the
impudent constable to beg that I would go to her with all speed
and give her the sacrament, seeing that she had become very weak
during the night. I had my own thoughts on the matter, and
followed the constable as fast as I could, though not to give her
the sacrament, as indeed anybody may suppose. But in my haste I,
weak old man that I was, forgot to take my witnesses with me; for
all the misery I had hitherto suffered had so clouded my senses
that it never once came into my head. None followed me save the
impudent constable; and it will soon appear how that this villain
had 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), we
found old Lizzie lying on the ground on a truss of straw, with a
broom for a pillow (as though she were about to fly to hell upon
it, as she no longer could fly to Blockula), so that I shuddered
when 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 child
was as innocent thereof as the blessed sun in heaven. Howbeit that
the sheriff had the greatest guilt, inasmuch as he was a warlock
and a witch's priest, and had a spirit far stronger than hers,
called Dudaim, [Footnote: This remarkable word occurs in the I
Mos. xxx. 15 ff. as the name of a plant which produces
fruitfulness in women; but the commentators are by no means agreed
as to its nature and its properties. The LXX. render it by
_Mandragoras_, which has been understood by the most eminent
ancient and modern theologians to mean the mandrake (Alraunwurzel)
so famous in the history of witchcraft. In many instances the
devils, strangely enough, receive Christian names; thus the
familiar spirit of old Lizzie is afterwards called Kit,
_i.e._, Christopher.] which spirit had given her such a blow
on the head in the night as she should never recover. This same
Dudaim it was that had raked up the crops, heaped sand over the
amber, made the storm, and dropped the frog into my daughter her
lap; _item_, carried off her old goodman through the air.

And when I asked her how that could be, seeing that her goodman
had been a child of God until very near his end, and much given to
prayer; albeit I had indeed marvelled why he had other thoughts in
his last illness; she answered, that one day he had seen her
spirit, 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 me
of it; whereupon she, being frightened, had caused her spirit to
make him so ill that he despaired of ever getting over it.
Thereupon she had comforted him, saying that she would presently
heal him if he would deny God, who, as he well saw, could not help
him. This he promised to do; and when she had straightway made him
quite hearty again, they took the silver which I had scraped off
the 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 this
silver returns again to the chalice, then shall my soul return to
God." Whereupon the sheriff, who was by, re-baptized him in the
name of Satan, and called him Jack. He had had no sponsors save
only herself, old Lizzie. Moreover that on St. John's Eve, when he
went with them to Blockula for the first time (the Herrenberg
[Footnote: A hill near Coserow. In almost all trials of witches
hills of this kind in the neighbourhood of the accused are
mentioned, where the devil, on Walpurgis Night and St. John's Eve,
feasts, dances, and wantons with them, and where warlock priests
administer Satanic sacraments, which are mere mockeries of those
of Divine institution.] was their Blockula), they had talked of my
daughter, and Satan himself had sworn to the sheriff that he
should have her. For that he would show the old one (wherewith the
villain meant God) what he could do, and that he would make the
carpenter's son sweat for vexation (fie upon thee, thou arch
villain, that thou could'st thus speak of my blessed Saviour!).
Whereupon her old goodman had grumbled, and as they had never
rightly trusted him, the spirit Dudaim one day flew off with him
through the air by the sheriff's order, seeing that her own
spirit, called Kit, was too weak to carry him. That the same
Dudaim had also been the woodpecker who afterwards 'ticed my
daughter and old Paasch to the spot with his cries, in order to
ruin her. But that the giant who had appeared on the Streckelberg
was not a devil, but the young lord of Mellenthin himself, as her
spirit, Kit, had told her.

And this she said was nothing but the truth, whereby she would
live and die; and she begged me, for the love of God, to take pity
upon her, and, after her repentant confession, to speak
forgiveness of her sins, and to give her the Lord's Supper; for
that her spirit stood there behind the stove, grinning like a
rogue, because he saw that it was all up with her now. But I
answered, "I would sooner give the sacrament to an old sow than to
thee, thou accursed witch, who not only didst give over thine own
husband to Satan, but hast likewise tortured me and my poor child
almost unto death with pains like those of hell." Before she could
make 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, in
my youth, I saw one of the enemy's soldiers spear a child before
its mother's face, and I thought _that_ a fearful shriek
which the mother gave; but her cry was child's play to the cry of
old Lizzie. All my hair stood on end, and her own red hair grew so
stiff that it was like the twigs of the broom whereon she lay; and
then she howled, "That is the spirit Dudaim, whom the accursed
sheriff has sent to me--the sacrament, for the love of God, the
sacrament!--I will confess a great deal more--I have been a witch
these thirty years!--the sacrament, the sacrament!" While she thus
bellowed and flung about her arms and legs, the loathsome insect
rose into the air, and buzzed and whizzed about her where she lay,
insomuch that it was fearful to see and to hear. And this
she-devil called by turns on God, on her spirit Kit, and on me, to
help her, till the insect all of a sudden darted into her open
jaws, whereupon she straightway gave up the ghost, and turned all
black 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 I
straightway perceived that Satan had just flown through it with
her soul. May the all-merciful God keep every mother's child from
such an end, for the sake of Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and
Saviour! Amen.

As soon as I was somewhat recovered, which, however, was not for a
long time, inasmuch as my blood had turned to ice, and my feet
were as stiff as a stake, I began to call out after the impudent
constable, but he was no longer in the prison. Thereat I greatly
marvelled, seeing that I had seen him there but just before the
vermin crawled in, and straightway I suspected no good, as,
indeed, it turned out; for when at last he came upon my calling
him, and I told him to let this carrion be carted out which had
just died in the name of the devil, he did as though he was
amazed; and when I desired him that he would bear witness to the
innocence of my daughter, which the old hag had confessed on her
deathbed, he pretended to be yet more amazed, and said that he had
heard nothing. This went through my heart like a sword, and I
leaned 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 my
humble prayer he went back into the judgment-chamber with the
_Camerarius_ and the _Scriba_, whereupon I told all that
had taken place, and how the wicked constable denied that he had
heard the same. But they say that I talked a great deal of
nonsense beside; among other things that all the little fishes had
swam into the vault to release my daughter. Nevertheless, _Dom.
Consul_. who often shook his head, sent for the impudent
constable, and asked him for his testimony. But the fellow
pretended that as soon as he saw that old Lizzie wished to
confess, 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 and
answered, "What, thou arch rogue, didst thou not crawl about the
room in the shape of a reptile?" whereupon he would hearken to me
no longer, thinking me distraught, nor would he make the constable
take an oath, but left me standing in the midst of the room, and
got into his coach again.

Neither do I know how I got out of the room; but next morning when
the sun rose, and I found myself lying in bed at Master Seep his
ale-house, the whole _casus_ seemed to me like a dream;
neither was I able to rise, but lay a-bed all the blessed Saturday
and Sunday, talking all manner of _allotria_. It was not till
towards evening on Sunday, when I began to vomit and threw up
green bile (no wonder!), that I got somewhat better. About this
time _Pastor Benzensis_ came to my bedside, and told me how
distractedly I had borne myself, but so comforted me from the Word
of God, that I was once more able to pray from my heart. May the
merciful God reward my dear gossip, therefore, at the day of
judgment! For prayer is almost as brave a comforter as the Holy
Ghost Himself, from whom it comes; and I shall ever consider that
so long as a man can still pray, his misfortunes are not
unbearable, even though in all else "his flesh and his heart
faileth" (Ps. lxxiii.).




CHAPTER XXV.

_How Satan sifted me like wheat, whereas my daughter withstood
him right bravely._


On Monday I left my bed betimes, and as I felt in passable good
case, I went up to the castle to see whether I might peradventure
get to my daughter. But I could not find either constable, albeit
I 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 the
kitchen making brimstone matches. And when I asked her when her
husband would come back, she said not before to-morrow morning
early; _item_, that the other constable would not be here any
sooner. Hereupon I begged her to lead me to my daughter herself,
at the same time showing her the two groats; but she answered that
she 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, seeing
that I would have spoken to her through the door; _item_, the
cook, the huntsman, and whomsoever else I met in my sorrow, said
they knew not in what hole the witch might lie.

Hereupon I went all round about the castle, and laid my ear
against every little window that looked as though it might be her
window, and cried, "Mary, my child, where art thou?" _Item_,
at every grating I found I kneeled down, bowed my head, and called
in like manner into the vault below. But all in vain; I got no
answer anywhere. The sheriff at length saw what I was about, and
came down out of the castle to me with a very gracious air, and
taking me by the hand, he asked me what I sought? But when I
answered him that I had not seen my only child since last
Thursday, and prayed him to show pity upon me, and let me be led
to her, he said that could not be, but that I was to come up into
his 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 see
how Almighty God has sent His righteous judgment upon her. She has
long been ripe for the fire; but my great long-suffering, wherein
a good magistrate should ever strive to be like unto the Lord, has
made me overlook it till _datum_, and in return for my
goodness she raises this outcry against me." And when I replied,
"How does your lordship know that the witch raised such an outcry
against you?" he first began to stammer, and then said, "Why, you
yourself charged me thereon before the judge. But I bear you no
anger therefor, and God knows that I pity you, who are a poor weak
old man, and would gladly help you if I were able." Meanwhile he
led me up four or five flights of stairs, so that I, old man that
I am, could follow him no further, and stood still gasping for
breath. But he took me by the hand and said, "Come, I must first
show you how matters really stand, or I fear you will not accept
my help, but will plunge yourself into destruction." Hereupon we
stepped out upon a terrace at the top of the castle, which looked
toward the water; and the villain went on to say, "Reverend
Abraham, can you see well afar off?" and when I answered that I
once could see very well, but that the many tears I had shed had
now peradventure dimmed my eyes, he pointed to the Streckelberg,
and said, "Do you then see nothing there?" _Ego_. "Naught
save a black speck, which I cannot make out." _Ille_. "Know
then that that is the pile whereon your daughter is to burn at ten
o'clock to-morrow morning, and which the constables are now
raising." When this hell-hound had thus spoken, I gave a loud cry
and swounded. O blessed Lord! I know not how I lived through such
distress; Thou alone didst strengthen me beyond nature, in order,
"after so much weeping and wailing, to heap joys and blessings
upon me;" without Thee I never could have lived through such
misery: "therefore to Thy name ever be all honour and glory, O
Thou God of Israel!" [Footnote: Tobit iii. 22, 23, Luther's
Version.]

When I came again to myself I lay on a bed in a fine room, and
perceived a taste in my mouth like wine. But as I saw none near me
save the sheriff, who held a pitcher in his hand, I shuddered and
closed mine eyes, considering what I should say or do. This he
presently observed, and said, "Do not shudder thus; I mean well by
you, and only wish to put a question to you, which you must answer
me on your conscience as a priest. Say, reverend Abraham, which is
the greater sin, to commit whoredom, or to take the lives of two
persons?" and when I answered him, "To take the lives of two
persons," he went on, "Well, then, is not that what your stubborn
child is about to do? Rather than give herself up to me, who have
ever desired to save her, and who can even yet save her, albeit
her pile is now being raised, she will take away her own life and
that of her wretched father, for I scarcely think that you, poor
man, will outlive this sorrow. Wherefore do you, for God His sake,
persuade her to think better of it while I am yet able to save
her. For know that about ten miles from hence I have a small house
in the midst of the forest, where no human being ever goes;
thither will I send her this very night, and you may dwell there
with her all the days of your life, if so it please you. You shall
live as well as you can possibly desire, and to-morrow morning I
will spread a report betimes that the witch and her father have
run away together during the night, and that nobody knows whither
they are gone." Thus spake the serpent to me, as whilom to our
mother Eve; and, wretched sinner that I am, the tree of death
which he showed me seemed to me also to be a tree of life, so
pleasant was it to the eye. Nevertheless I answered, "My child
will never save her miserable life by doing aught to peril the
salvation of her soul." But now too the serpent was more cunning
than all the beasts of the field (especially such an old fool as
I), and spake thus: "Why, who would have her peril the salvation
of her soul? Reverend Abraham, must I teach you Scripture? Did not
our Lord Christ pardon Mary Magdalene, who lived in open whoredom?
and did He not speak forgiveness to the poor adulteress who had
committed 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 read
that any one was saved who had wantonly taken her own life and
that of her father? Wherefore, for the love of God, persuade your
child not to give herself up, body and soul, to the devil, by her
stubbornness, but to suffer herself to be saved while it is yet
time. You can abide with her, and pray away all the sins she may
commit, and likewise aid me with your prayers, who freely own that
I am a miserable sinner, and have done you much evil, though not
so much evil by far, reverend Abraham, as David did to Uriah, and
he was saved, notwithstanding he put the man to a shameful death,
and afterwards lay with his wife. Wherefore I, poor man, likewise
hope to be saved, seeing that my desire for your daughter is still
greater than that which this David felt for Bathsheba; and I will
gladly make it all up to you twofold as soon as we are in my
cottage."

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