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Page 54
_The Twenty-seventh Chapter_
OF THAT WHICH BEFELL US BY THE WAY: _ITEM_, OF THE FEARFUL DEATH OF THE
SHERIFF AT THE MILL
We met with many wonders by the way, and with great sorrow; for hard by
the bridge, over the brook which runs into the Schmolle, stood the
housekeeper her hateful boy, who beat a drum and cried aloud, "Come to the
roast goose! come to the roast goose!" whereupon the crowd set up a loud
laugh, and called out after him, "Yes, indeed, to the roast goose! to the
roast goose!" Howbeit, when Master Krekow led the second verse the folks
became somewhat quieter again, and most of them joined in singing it from
their books, which they had brought with them. But when he ceased singing
awhile the noise began again as bad as before. Some cried out, "The devil
hath given her these clothes, and hath adorned her after that fashion";
and seeing the Sheriff had ridden on before, they came close round the
cart, and felt her garments, more especially the women and young maidens.
Others, again, called loudly, as the young varlet had done, "Come to the
roast goose! come to the roast goose!" whereupon one fellow answered, "She
will not let herself be roasted yet; mind ye that: she will quench the
fire!" This, and much filthiness beside, which I may not for very shame
write down, we were forced to hear, and it especially cut me to the heart
to hear a fellow swear that he would have some of her ashes, seeing he had
not been able to get any of the wand, and that nought was better for the
fever and the gout than the ashes of a witch. I motioned the _Custos_ to
begin singing again, whereupon the folks were once more quiet for a
while--_i.e._, for so long as the verse lasted; but afterwards they rioted
worse than before. But we were now come among the meadows, and when my
child saw the beauteous flowers which grew along the sides of the ditches,
she fell into deep thought, and began again to recite aloud the sweet song
of St. Augustinus as follows:--
Flos perpetuus rosarum ver agit perpetuum,
Candent lilia, rubescit crocus, sudat balsamum,
Virent prata, vernant sata, rivi mellis influunt,
Pigmentorum spirat odor liquor et aromatum,
Pendent poma floridorum non lapsura nemorum,
Non alternat luna vices, sol vel cursus syderum,
Agnus est faelicis urbis lumen inocciduum.
By this _Casus_ we gained that all the folk ran cursing away from the
cart, and followed us at the distance of a good musket-shot, thinking
that my child was calling on Satan to help her. Only one lad, of about
five-and-twenty, whom, however, I did not know, tarried a few paces behind
the cart, until his father came, and seeing he would not go away
willingly, pushed him into the ditch, so that he sank up to his loins
in the water. Thereat even my poor child smiled, and asked me whether I
did not know any more Latin hymns wherewith to keep the stupid and
foul-mouthed people still further from us. But, dear reader, how could I
then have been able to recite Latin hymns, even had I known any? But my
_confrater_, the reverend Martinus, knew such an one; albeit it is indeed
heretical; nevertheless, seeing that it above measure pleased my child,
and that she made him repeat to her sundry verses thereof three and four
times, until she could say them after him, I said nought; otherwise I have
ever been very severe against aught that is heretical. Howbeit I comforted
myself therewith that our Lord God would forgive her in consideration of
her ignorance. And the first line ran as follows:--_Dies irae, dies ilia_.
But these two verses pleased her more than all the rest, and she recited
them many times with great edification, wherefore I will insert them here.
Judex ergo cum sedebit
Quidquid latet apparebit,
Nil inultum remanebit:
_Item_,
Rex tremends majestatis!
Qui salvandos salvas gratis,
Salva me, fons pietatis!
When the men with the pitchforks, who were round about the cart, heard
this, and at the same time saw a heavy storm coming up from the
Achterwater, they straightway thought no other but that my child had made
it; and, moreover, the folk behind cried out, "The witch hath done this;
the damned witch hath done this!" and all the ten, save one, who stayed
behind, jumped over the ditch, and ran away. But _Dom. Consul_, who,
together with the worshipful court, drove behind us, no sooner saw this
than he called to the constable, "What is the meaning of all this?"
Whereupon the constable cried aloud to the Sheriff, who was a little way
on before us, but who straightway turned him about, and when he had heard
the cause, called after the fellows that he would hang them all up on the
first tree, and feed his falcons with their flesh, if they did not return
forthwith. This threat had its effect; and when they came back he gave
each of them about half a dozen strokes with his riding-whip, whereupon
they tarried in their places, but as far off from the cart as they could
for the ditch.
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