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Sidonia The Sorceress V2

W >> William Mienhold >> Sidonia The Sorceress V2




They thus sat and toyed awhile, till the young lord again
perceived me, and said, "What say you thereto? I trust it is also
your will, reverend Abraham." Now, dear reader, what could I say,
save my hearty good-will? seeing that I wept for very joy, as did
my child, and I answered, how should it not be my will, seeing
that it was the will of God? But whether the worthy, good young
lord had likewise considered that he would stain his noble name if
he took to wife my child, who had been habit and repute a witch,
and had been well-nigh bound to the stake?

Hereupon he said, By no means; for that he had long since
prevented this, and he proceeded to tell us how he had done it,
namely, his princely Highness had promised him to make ready all
the _scripta_ which he required, within four days, when he
hoped to be back from his father's burial. He therefore rode
straightway back to Mellenthin, and after paying the last honour
to my lord his father, he presently set forth on his way again,
and found that his princely Highness had kept his word meanwhile.
With these _scripta_ he rode to Vienna, and albeit he met
with many pains, troubles, and dangers by the way (which he would
relate to us at some other time), he nevertheless reached the city
safely. There he by chance met with a Jesuit with whom he had once
upon a time had his _locamentum_ for a few days at Prague,
while he was yet a _studiosus_, and this man having heard his
business, bade him be of good cheer, seeing that his Imperial
Majesty stood sorely in need of money in these hard times of war,
and that he, the Jesuit, would manage it all for him. This he
really did, and his Imperial Majesty not only renewed my patent of
nobility, but likewise confirmed the _amende honorable_ to my
child granted by his princely Highness the Duke, so that he might
now maintain the honour of his betrothed bride against all the
world, as also hereafter that of his wife.

Hereupon he drew forth the _Acta_ from his bosom and put them
into my hand, saying, "And now, reverend Abraham, you must also do
me a pleasure; to wit, to-morrow morning, when I hope to go with
my betrothed bride to the Lord's table, you must publish the banns
between me and your daughter, and on the day after you must marry
us. Do not say nay thereto, for my pastor the reverend Philippus
says that this is no uncommon custom among the nobles in
Pomerania, and I have already given notice of the wedding for
Monday at mine own castle, whither we will then go, and where I
purpose to bed my bride." I should have found much to say against
this request, more especially that in honour of the holy Trinity
he should suffer himself to be called three times in church
according to custom, and that he should delay awhile the
espousals; but when I perceived that my child would gladly have
the marriage held right soon, for she sighed and grew red as
scarlet, I had not the heart to refuse them, but promised all they
asked. Whereupon I exhorted them both to prayer, and when I had
laid my hands upon their heads, I thanked the Lord more deeply
than I had ever yet thanked Him, so that at last I could no longer
speak for tears, seeing that they drowned my voice.

Meanwhile the young lord his coach had driven up to the door,
filled with chests and coffers: and he said, "Now, sweet maid, you
shall see what I have brought you," and he bade them bring all the
things into the room. Dear reader, what fine things were there,
such as I had never seen in all my life! all that women can use
was there, especially of clothes, to wit, bodices, plaited gowns,
long robes, some of them bordered with fur, veils, aprons,
_item_, the bridal shift with gold fringes, whereon the merry
lord had laid some six or seven bunches of myrtle to make herself
a wreath withal. _Item_, there was no end to the rings,
neck-chains, ear-drops, &c., the which I have in part forgotten.
Neither did the young lord leave me without a gift, seeing he had
brought me a new surplice (the enemy had robbed me of my old one),
also doublets, hosen, and shoes, _summa_, whatsoever
appertains to a man's attire; wherefore I secretly besought the
Lord not to punish us again in His sore displeasure for such pomps
and vanities. When my child beheld all these things she was
grieved that she could bestow upon him naught save her heart
alone, and the chain of the Swedish king, the which she hung round
his neck, and begged him, weeping the while, to take it as a
bridal gift. This he at length promised to do, and likewise to
carry it with him into the grave: but that my child must first
wear it at her wedding, as well as the blue silken gown, for that
this and no other should be her bridal dress, and this he made her
promise to do.

And now a merry chance befell with the old maid, the which I will
here note. For when the faithful old soul had heard what had taken
place, she was beside herself for joy, danced and clapped her
hands, and at last said to my child, "Now to be sure you will not
weep when the young lord is to lie in your bed," whereat my child
blushed scarlet for shame, and ran out of the room; and when the
young lord would know what she meant therewith she told him that
he had already once slept in my child her bed when he came from
Gützkow with me, whereupon he bantered her all the evening after
that she was come back again. Moreover, he promised the maid that
as she had once made my child her bed for him, she should make it
again, and that on the day after to-morrow, she and the ploughman
too should go with us to Mellenthin, so that masters and servants
should all rejoice together after such great distress.

And seeing that the dear young lord would stop the night under my
roof, I made him lie in the small closet together with me (for I
could not know what might happen). He soon slept like a top, but
no sleep came into my eyes for very joy, and I prayed the livelong
blessed night, or thought over my sermon. Only near morning I
dosed a little; and when I rose the young lord already sat in the
next room with my child, who wore the black silken gown which he
had brought her, and, strange to say, she looked fresher than even
when the Swedish king came, so that I never in all my life saw her
look fresher or fairer. _Item_, the young lord wore his black
doublet, and picked out for her the best bits of myrtle for the
wreath she was twisting. But when she saw me, she straightway laid
the wreath beside her on the bench, folded her little hands, and
said the morning prayer, as she was ever wont to do, which
humility pleased the young lord right well, and he begged her that
in future she would ever do the like with him, the which she
promised.

Soon after we went to the blessed church to confession, and all
the folk stood gaping open-mouthed because the young lord led my
child on his arm. But they wondered far more when, after the
sermon, I first read to them in the vulgar tongue the _amende
honorable_ to my child from his princely Highness, together
with the confirmation of the same by his Imperial Majesty, and
after that my patent of nobility; and, lastly, began to publish
the banns between my child and the young lord. Dear reader, there
arose a murmur throughout the church like the buzzing of a swarm
of bees. (_N.B_.-These _scripta_ were burnt in the fire
which broke out in the castle a year ago, as I shall hereafter
relate, wherefore I cannot insert them here _in origine_.)

Hereupon my dear children went together with much people to the
Lord's table, and after church nearly all the folks crowded round
them and wished them joy. _Item_, old Paasch came to our
house again that afternoon, and once more besought my daughter's
forgiveness because that he had unwittingly offended her; that he
would gladly give her a marriage-gift, but that he now had nothing
at all; howbeit that his wife should set one of her hens in the
spring, and he would take the chickens to her at Mellenthin
himself. This made us all to laugh, more especially the young
lord, who at last said, "As thou wilt bring me a marriage-gift,
thou must also be asked to the wedding, wherefore thou mayest come
to-morrow with the rest."

Whereupon my child said, "And your little Mary, my god-child,
shall come too, and be my bridemaiden, if my lord allows it."
Whereupon she began to tell the young lord all that had befallen
the child by the malice of Satan, and how they laid it to her
charge until such time as the all-righteous God brought her
innocence to light; and she begged that since her dear lord had
commanded her to wear the same garments at her wedding which she
had worn to salute the Swedish king, and afterwards to go to the
stake, he would likewise suffer her to take for her bridemaiden
her little god-child, as _indicium secundum_ of her sorrows.

And when he had promised her this, she told old Paasch to send
hither his child to her, that she might fit a new gown upon her
which she had cut out for her a week ago, and which the maid would
finish sewing this very day. This so went to the heart of the good
old fellow that he began to weep aloud, and at last said, she
should not do all this for nothing, for instead of the one hen his
wife should set three for her in the spring.

When he was gone, and the young lord did naught save talk with his
betrothed bride both in the vulgar and in the Latin tongue, I did
better--namely, went up the mountain to pray, wherein, moreover, I
followed my child's example, and clomb up upon the pile, there in
loneliness to offer up my whole heart to the Lord as an offering
of thanksgiving, seeing that with this sacrifice He is well
pleased, as in Ps. li. 19, "The sacrifice of God is a troubled
spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, shall Thou not
despise."

That night the young lord again lay in my room, but next morning,
when the sun had scarce risen----------

* * * * *

Here end these interesting communications, which I do not intend
to dilute with any additions of my own. My readers, more
especially those of the fair sex, can picture to themselves at
pleasure the future happiness of this excellent pair.

All further historical traces of their existence, as well as that
of the pastor, have disappeared, and nothing remains but a tablet
fixed in the wall of the church at Mellenthin, on which the
incomparable lord, and his yet more incomparable wife, are
represented. On his faithful breast still hangs "the golden chain,
with the effigy of the Swedish king." They both seem to have died
within a short time of each other, and to have been buried in the
same coffin. For in the vault under the church there is still a
large double coffin, in which, according to tradition, lies a
chain of gold of incalculable value. Some twenty years ago, the
owner of Mellenthin, whose unequalled extravagance had reduced him
to the verge of beggary, attempted to open the coffin in order to
take out this precious relic, but he was not able. It appeared as
if some powerful spell held it firmly together; and it has
remained unopened down to the present time. May it remain so until
the last awful day, and may the impious hand of avarice or
curiosity never desecrate these holy ashes of holy beings!

THE END.

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