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Page 49
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" (Psalm lxxiii.).
_The Twenty-fifth Chapter_
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_. "Nought 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. Oh, 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!"
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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