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Sidonia The Sorceress V2

W >> William Mienhold >> Sidonia The Sorceress V2




When the tempter had thus spoken, methought his words were sweeter
than honey, and I answered, "Alas, my lord, I am ashamed to appear
before her face with such a proposal." Whereupon he straightway
said, "Then do you write it to her; come, here is pen, ink, and
paper."

And now, like Eve, I took the fruit and ate, and gave it to my
child that she might eat also; that is to say, that I
recapitulated on paper all that Satan had prompted, but in the
Latin tongue, for I was ashamed to write it in mine own; and
lastly, I conjured her not to take away her own life and mine, but
to submit to the wondrous will of God. Neither were mine eyes
opened when I had eaten (that is, written), nor did I perceive
that the ink was gall instead of honey, and I translated my letter
to the sheriff (seeing that he understood no Latin), smiling like
a drunken man the while; whereupon he clapped me on the shoulder,
and after I had made fast the letter with his signet, he called
his huntsman, and gave it to him to carry to my daughter;
_item_, he sent her pen, ink, and paper, together with his
signet, in order that she might answer it forthwith.

Meanwhile he talked with me right graciously, praising my child
and me, and made me drink to him many times from his great
pitcher, wherein was most goodly wine; moreover, he went to a
cupboard and brought out cakes for me to eat, saying that I should
now have such every day. But when the huntsman came back in about
half-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 had
a fig-leaf, I should have covered them therewith for shame; but as
it was, I held my hand over them, and wept so bitterly that the
sheriff waxed very wroth, and cursing bade me tell him what she
had written. Thereupon I interpreted the letter to him, the which
I likewise place here, in order that all may see my folly, and the
wisdom of my child. It was as follows:--

IESVS!

Pater infelix!

Ego eras non magis pallebo rogum aspectura, et rogus non magis
erubescet, me suspiciens, quam pallui et iterum erubescui, literas
tuas legens. Quid? et te, pium patrem, pium servum Domini, ita
Satanas sollicitavit, ut communionem facias cum inimicis meis, et
non 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 iterum
peccarent. Et ego peccarem cum quavis detestatione carnis, et non
semel, sed iterum atque iterum sine reversione usque ad mortem?
Quomodo clementissimus Deus hoc sceleratissima ignoscere posset?
infelix pater! recordare quid mihi dixisti de sanctis martyribus
et virginibus Domini, quas omnes mallent vitam quam pudicitiam
perdere. His et ego sequar, et sponsus meus, Jesus Christus, et
mihi miserse, ut spero, coronam asternam dabit, quamvis eum non
minus offendi ob debilitatem carnis ut Maria, et me sontem
declaravi, cum insons sum. Fac igitur, ut valeas et ora pro me
apud Deum et non apud Satanam, ut et ego mox coram Deo pro te
orare possim.

MARIA S., captiva.

[Footnote: It is evidently written by a female hand, and probably
the original letter; there are, however, no traces of sealing-wax
or wax upon it, whence I infer that it was sent open, which, from
its being written in a foreign language, would have been perfectly
safe. I have purposely left the few grammatical errors it
contains, as the smallest alteration of this gem would appear to
me in the light of a treason against the character of this
incomparable woman.

Translation.


JESUS!

Unhappy Father!

I shall not to-morrow grow more pale at sight of the pile, nor
will the pile grow more red on receiving me, than I grew pale and
then red while reading thy letter. How? and hath Satan so tempted
thee, pious father, pious servant of the Lord, that thou hast made
common cause with mine enemies, and that thou understandest not
that in such life is death, and in such death is life? For if the
all-merciful God forgave Mary Magdalene and other sinners, He
forgave them because they repented of the weakness of their flesh,
and sinned not again. And shall I sin with so great abhorrence of
the flesh, and that not once but again and again without return
even until death? How could the all-merciful God forgive this to
the vilest of women? Unhappy father! remember what thou hast told
me of the holy martyrs, and of the virgins of the Lord, who all
lost their lives rather than lose their chastity. These will I
follow, hoping that my spouse Jesus Christ will also give to
wretched me a crown of eternal glory, although, indeed, I have not
less 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, so
that 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 in
his hand to the ground, so that it flew in pieces, and cried, "The
cursed devil's whore! the constable shall make her squeak for this
a good hour longer;" with many more such things beside, which he
said in his malice, and which I have now forgotten; but he soon
became quite gracious again, and said, "She is foolish; do you go
to her and see whether you cannot persuade her to her own good as
well as yours; the huntsman shall let you in, and should the
fellow listen, give him a good box on the ears in my name; do you
hear, reverend Abraham? Go now forthwith and bring me back an
answer as quickly as possible!" I therefore followed the huntsman,
who led me into a vault where was no light save what fell through
a hole no bigger than a crown-piece; and here my daughter sat upon
her bed and wept. Any one may guess that I straightway began to
weep too, and was no better able to speak than she. We thus lay
mute in each other's arms for a long time, until I at last begged
her to forgive me for my letter, but of the sheriff his message I
said naught, although I had purposed so to do. But before long we
heard the sheriff himself call down into the vault from above,
"What (and here he gave me a heavy curse) are you doing there so
long? Come up this moment, reverend Johannes!" Thus I had scarce
time to give her one kiss before the huntsman came back with the
keys 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 old
Lizzie. It would be hard to believe into what grievous anger the
sheriff fell when I told him that my daughter remained firm and
would not hearken unto him; he struck me on the breast, and said,
"Go to the devil then, thou infamous parson!" and when I turned
myself away and would have gone, he pulled me back, and said, "If
thou breathest but one word of all that has passed, I will have
thee burnt too, thou grey-headed old father of a witch; so look to
it!" Hereupon I plucked up a heart, and answered that that would
be the greatest joy to me, especially if I could be burnt
to-morrow with my child. Hereunto he made no answer, but clapped
to the door behind me. Well, clap the door as thou wilt, I greatly
fear that the just God will one day clap the doors of heaven in
thy face!




CHAPTER XXVI,

_How I received the Holy Sacrament with my daughter and the old
maid-servant, and how she was then led for the last time before
the court, with the drawn sword and the outcry, to receive
sentence._


Now any one would think that during that heavy Tuesday night I
should not have been able to close mine eyes; but know, dear
reader, that the Lord can do more than we can ask or understand,
and that His mercy is new every morning. For toward daybreak I
fell 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 done
for a long time; so that, in the midst of my tribulation, I wept
for joy at such great mercy from the Lord. But I prayed for naught
save that He would endow my child with strength and courage to
suffer the martyrdom He had laid upon her with Christian patience,
and to send His angel to me, woeful man, so to pierce my heart
with grief when I should see my child burn, that it might
straightway cease to beat, and I might presently follow her. And
thus 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 already
tolled from the castle tower, for the first time, and that my
child had sent for her to dress her, seeing that the court was
already come from Usedom, and that in about two hours she was to
set out on her last journey. Moreover, she had sent her word that
she was to take her some blue and yellow flowers for a garland;
wherefore she asked me what flowers she should take; and seeing
that a jar, filled with fine lilies and forget-me-nots, stood in
my window, which she had placed there yesterday, I said, "Thou
canst gather no better flowers for her than these, wherefore do
thou carry them to her, and tell her that I will follow thee in
about half-an-hour, in order to receive the sacrament with her."
Hereupon the faithful old creature prayed me to suffer her to go
to the sacrament with us, the which I promised her. And scarce had
I dressed myself and put on my surplice when _Pastor
Benzensis_ 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 he
told me of the great _miraculum_ (_dæmonis_ I mean)
which had befallen at the burial of old Lizzie. For that, just as
the bearers were about to lower the coffin into the grave, a noise
was heard therein as though of a carpenter boring through a deal
board; wherefore they thought the old hag must be come to life
again, and opened the coffin. But there she lay as before, all
black and blue in the face and as cold as ice; but her eyes had
started wide open, so that all were horror-stricken, and expected
some devilish apparition; and, indeed, a live rat presently jumped
out of the coffin and ran into a skull which lay beside the grave.
Thereupon they all ran away, seeing that old Lizzie had ever been
in evil repute as a witch. Howbeit at last he himself went near
the grave again, whereupon the rat disappeared, and all the others
took courage and followed him. This the man told me, and any one
may guess that this was in fact Satan, who had flown down the hag
her throat as an insect, whereas his proper shape was that of a
rat: albeit I wonder what he could so long have been about in the
carrion; unless indeed it were that the evil spirits are as fond
of all that is loathsome as the angels of God are of all that is
fair and lovely. Be that as it may. _Summa_: I was not a
little shocked at what he told me, and asked him what he now
thought of the sheriff? whereupon he shrugged his shoulders, and
said, that he had indeed been a wicked fellow as long as he could
remember him, and that it was full ten years since he had given
him any first-fruits; but that he did not believe that he was a
warlock, as old Lizzie had said. For although he had indeed never
been to the table of the Lord in his church, he had heard that he
often went, at Stettin, with his princely Highness the Duke, and
that the pastor at the castle church had shown him the entry in
his communion-book. Wherefore he likewise could not believe that
he had brought this misery upon my daughter, if she were innocent,
as the hag had said; besides, that my daughter had freely
confessed herself a witch. Hereupon I answered, that she had done
that for fear of the torture; but that she was not afraid of
death; whereupon I told him, with many sighs, how the sheriff had
yesterday tempted me, miserable and unfaithful servant, to evil,
insomuch that I had been willing to sell my only child to him and
to 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 my
pocket; 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, "Were
this 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 the
greensward before the hunting-lodge, _item_, the whole space
in front of the castle, already crowded with people, who,
nevertheless, were quite quiet as we went by: we gave our names
again to the huntsman. (I have never been able to remember his
name, seeing that he was a Polak; he was not, however, the same
fellow who wooed my child, and whom the sheriff had therefore
turned off.) The man presently ushered us into a fine large room,
whither my child had been led when taken out of her prison. The
maid 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 we
entered, saying, "I am ready!" Whereat the reverend Martinus was
sorely angered and shocked, saying, "Ah, thou ungodly woman, let
no one tell me further of thine innocence! Thou art about to go to
the Holy Sacrament, and from thence to death, and thou flauntest
as a child of this world about to go to the dancing-room."
Whereupon she answered and said, "Be not wroth with me, dear
godfather, because that I would go into the presence of my good
King of Heaven in the same garments wherein I appeared some time
since before the good King of Sweden. For it strengthens my weak
and trembling flesh, seeing I hope that my righteous Saviour will
in like manner take me to His heart, and will also hang His effigy
upon my neck when I stretch out my hands to Him in all humility,
and recite my _carmen_, saying, 'O Lamb of God, innocently
slain upon the cross, give me Thy peace, O Jesu!'" These words
softened my dear gossip, and he spoke, saying, "Ah, child, child,
I thought to have reproached thee, but thou hast constrained me to
weep with thee: art thou then indeed innocent?" "Verily," said
she, "to you, my honoured god-father, I may now own that I am
innocent, as truly as I trust that God will aid me in my last hour
through Jesus Christ. Amen."

When the maid heard this, she made such outcries that I repented
that I had suffered her to be present, and we all had enough to do
to comfort her from the Word of God till she became somewhat more
tranquil; and when this was done my dear gossip thus spake to my
child: "If, indeed, thou dost so steadfastly maintain thine
innocence, it is my duty, according to my conscience as a priest,
to inform the worshipful court thereof;" and he was about to leave
the room. But she withheld him, and fell upon the ground and
clasped his knees, saying, "I beseech you, by the wounds of Jesus,
to be silent. They would stretch me on the rack again, and uncover
my nakedness, and I, wretched weak woman, would in such torture
confess all that they would have me, especially if my father again
be there, whereby both my soul and my body are tortured at once:
wherefore stay, I pray you, stay; is it then a misfortune to die
innocent, and is it not better to die innocent than guilty?"

My good gossip at last gave way, and after standing awhile and
praying to himself, he wiped away his tears, and then spake the
exhortation to confession, in the words of Isa. xliii. I, 2: "But
now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that
formed thee, O Israel, Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have
called thee by thy name: thou art Mine. When thou passest through
the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou
shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For
I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour."

And when he had ended this comfortable address, and asked her
whether she would willingly bear until her last hour that cross
which the most merciful God, according to His unsearchable will,
had laid upon her, she spake such beautiful words that my gossip
afterwards said he should not forget them so long as he should
live, seeing that he had never witnessed a bearing at once so full
of faith and joy, and withal so deeply sorrowful. She spake after
this manner: "Oh, holy cross, which my Jesus hath sanctified by
His innocent suffering; oh, dear cross, which is laid upon me by
the hand of a merciful Father; oh, blessed cross, whereby I am
made like unto my Lord Jesus, and am called unto eternal glory and
blessedness: how! shall I not willingly bear thee, thou sweet
cross of my bridegroom, of my brother?" The reverend Johannes had
scarce given us absolution, and after this, with many tears, the
Holy Sacrament, when we heard a loud trampling upon the floor, and
presently the impudent constable looked into the room and asked
whether we were ready, seeing that the worshipful court was now
waiting for us; and when he had been told that we were ready, my
child 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 I
will lodge: ...where thou diest will I die ...'; [Footnote: Ruth
i. 16,] if that the Lord, as I hope, will hear the ardent sighs of
my poor soul." Hereupon she let me go, and embraced only the old
maid-servant, thanking her for all the kindness she had shown her
from her youth up, and begging her not to go with her to make her
death yet more bitter by her cries. The faithful old creature was
unable for a long time to say a word for tears. Howbeit at last
she begged forgiveness of my child, for that she had unwittingly
accused her, and said, that out of her wages she had bought five
pounds' weight of flax to hasten her death; that the shepherd of
Pudgla had that very morning taken it with him to Coserow, and
that she should wind it closely round her body; for that she had
seen how old wife Schurne, who was burnt in Liepe, had suffered
great torments before she came to her death, by reason of the damp
wood.

But ere my child could thank her for this, the dreadful outcry of
blood began in the judgment-chamber; for a voice cried as loudly
as might be, "Woe upon the accursed witch, Mary Schweidler,
because that she hath fallen off from the living God!" Then all
the folk without cried, "Woe upon the accursed witch!" When I
heard this I fell back against the wall, but my sweet child
stroked my cheeks with her darling hands, and said, "Father,
father, do but remember that the people likewise cried out against
the innocent Jesus, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him!' Shall not we then
drink of the cup which our heavenly Father hath prepared for us?"

Hereupon the door opened, and the constable walked in, amid a
great tumult among the people, holding a drawn sword in his hand
which he bowed thrice before my child and cried, "Woe upon the
accursed witch, Mary Schweidler, because that she hath fallen off
from the living God!" and all the folks in the hall and without
the castle cried as loud as they could, "Woe upon the accursed
witch!"

Hereupon he said, "Mary Schweidler, come before the high and
worshipful 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 for
the old maid-servant, she lay on the ground for dead.

After we had with great pains pushed our way through all the
people, the constable stood still before the open
judgment-chamber, and once more bowed his sword before my child,
and cried for the third time, "Woe upon the accursed witch, Mary
Schweidler, because that she hath fallen off from the living God!"
And all the people, as well as the cruel judges themselves, cried
as loud as they could, "Woe upon the accursed witch!"

When we had entered the room, _Dom. Consul_ first asked my
worthy gossip whether the witch had abode by her free avowal in
confession; whereupon, after considering a short time, he
answered, 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 hast
confessed, and received the holy and most honourable sacrament of
the Lord's Supper, answer me once again these following
questions:--

1. Is it true that thou hast fallen off from the living God and
given 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 the
cattle?

4. Is it true that Satan appeared to thee on the Streckelberg in
the likeness of a hairy giant?"

When she had with many sighs said "Yes" to all these questions, he
rose, took a wand in one hand and a second paper in the other, put
his spectacles on his nose, and said, "Now, then, hear thy
sentence." (This sentence I since copied: he would not let me see
the 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 and
worshipful criminal court. Inasmuch as Mary Schweidler, the
daughter 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 did
re-baptize her in the sea, and did also know her carnally;
_item_, that she by his help did mischief to the cattle; that
he also appeared to her on the Streckelberg in the likeness of a
hairy giant. We do therefore by these presents make known and
direct, that _Rea_ be first duly torn four times on each
breast with red-hot iron pincers, and after that be burned to
death by fire, as a rightful punishment to herself and a warning
to others. Nevertheless, we, in pity for her youth, are pleased of
our mercy to spare her the tearing with red-hot pincers, so that
she shall only suffer death by the simple punishment of fire.
Wherefore she is hereby condemned and judged accordingly on the
part of the criminal court.

"_Publicatum_ at the castle of Pudgla, the 30th day _mensis
Augusti, anno Salutis_ 1630." [Footnote: Readers who are
unacquainted with the atrocious administration of justice in those
days, will be surprised at this rapid and arbitrary mode of
proceeding. But I have seen authentic witch-trials wherein a mere
notary condemned the accused to the torture and to death without
the smallest hesitation; and it may be considered as a mark of
humanity whenever the acts on which judgment was given were sent
to an university, or to some other tribunal. For the sentence of
death appears to have been almost invariably passed by the
inferior courts, and no appeal seems to have been possible; indeed
in these affairs their worships, as in this case, usually made
incredible haste, which, it must beadmitted, is perhaps the only
good quality which the modern courts of justice might borrow from
the old ones.]

As he spake the last word he brake his wand in two and threw the
pieces before the feet of my innocent lamb, saying to the
constable, "Now, do your duty!" But so many folks, both men and
women, threw themselves on the ground to seize the pieces of the
wand (seeing they are said to be good for the gout in the joints,
item, for cattle when troubled with lice), that the constable fell
to the earth over a woman who was on her knees before him, and his
approaching death was thus foreshadowed to him by the righteous
God. Something of the same sort likewise befell the sheriff now
for the second time; for when the worshipful court rose, throwing
down tables, stools, and benches, a table, under which two boys
were fighting for the pieces of the wand, fell right upon his
foot, whereupon he flew into a violent rage, and threatened the
people with his fist, saying that they should have fifty right
good lashes apiece, both men and women, if they were not quiet
forthwith, and did not depart peaceably out of the room. This
frighted them, and after the people were gone out into the street,
the constable took a rope out of his pocket, wherewith he bound my
lamb her hands so tightly behind her back that she cried aloud;
but when she saw how this wrung my heart, she straightway
constrained herself and said, "O father, remember that it fared no
better with the blessed Saviour!" Howbeit, when my dear gossip,
who stood behind her, saw that her little hands, and more
especially her nails, had turned black and blue, he spoke for her
to the worshipful court, whereupon the abominable sheriff only
said, "Oh, let her be; let her feel what it is to fall off from
the living God." But _Dom. Consul_ was more merciful,
inasmuch as, after feeling the cords, he bade the constable bind
her hands less cruelly and slacken the rope a little, which
accordingly he was forced to do. But my dear gossip was not
content herewith, and begged that she might sit in the cart
without being bound, so that she should be able to hold her
hymn-book, for he had summoned the school to sing a hymn by the
way for her comfort, and he was ready to answer for it with his
own head that she should not escape out of the cart. Moreover, it
is the custom for fellows with pitchforks always to go with the
carts wherein condemned criminals, and more especially witches,
are carried to execution. But this the cruel sheriff would not
suffer, and the rope was left upon her hands, and the impudent
constable seized her by the arm and led her from the
judgment-chamber. But in the hall we saw a great _scandalum_,
which again pierced my very heart. For the housekeeper and the
impudent constable his wife were fighting for my child her bed,
and her linen, and wearing apparel, which the housekeeper had
taken for herself, and which the other woman wanted to have. The
latter now called to her husband to help her, whereupon he
straightway let go my daughter and struck the housekeeper on her
mouth with his fist, so that the blood ran out therefrom, and she
shrieked and wailed fearfully to the sheriff, who followed us with
the court. He threatened them both in vain, and said that when he
came back he would inquire into the matter and give to each her
due share. But they would not hearken to this, until my daughter
asked _Dom. Consul_ whether every dying person, even a
condemned criminal, had power to leave his goods and chattels to
whomsoever he would? And when he answered, "Yes, all but the
clothes, which belong of right to the executioner," she said,
"Well, then, the constable may take my clothes, but none shall
have my bed save my faithful old maid-servant Ilse!" Hereupon the
housekeeper began to curse and revile my child loudly, who heeded
her not, but stepped out at the door toward the cart, where there
stood so many people that naught could be seen save head against
head. The folks crowded about us so tumultuously that the sheriff,
who, meanwhile, had mounted his grey horse, constantly smote them
right and left across their eyes with his riding-whip, but they
nevertheless would scarce fall back. Howbeit, at length he cleared
the way, and when about ten fellows with long pitchforks, who for
the most part also had rapiers at their sides, had placed
themselves round about our cart, the constable lifted my daughter
up into it, and bound her fast to the rail. Old Paasch, who stood
by, lifted me up, and my dear gossip was likewise forced to be
lifted in, so weak had he become from all the distress. He
motioned his sexton, Master Krekow, to walk before the cart with
the school, and bade him from time to time lead a verse of the
goodly hymn, "On God alone I rest my fate," which he promised to
do. And here I will also note, that I myself sat down upon the
straw by my daughter, and that our dear confessor the reverend
Martinus sat backwards. The constable was perched up behind with
his drawn sword. When all this was done, _item_, the court
mounted up into another carriage, the sheriff gave the order to
set out.

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