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Page 57
And when we had gone through the little wood, we suddenly saw the
Streckelberg before us, covered with people, and the pile and stake upon
the top, upon the which the tall constable jumped up when he saw us
coming, and beckoned with his cap with all his might. Thereat my senses
left me, and my sweet lamb was not much better; for she bent to and fro
like a reed, and stretching her bound hands towards heaven, she once more
cried out:
Rex tremendae majestatis!
Qui salvandos salvas gratis,
Salva me, fons pietatis!
And, behold, scarce had she spoken these words, when the sun came out and
formed a rainbow right over the mountain most pleasant to behold; and it
is clear that this was a sign from the merciful God, such as he often
gives us, but which we blind and unbelieving men do not rightly mark.
Neither did my child heed it; for albeit she thought upon that first
rainbow which shadowed forth our troubles, yet it seemed to her impossible
that she could now be saved, wherefore she grew so faint, that she no
longer heeded the blessed sign of mercy, and her head fell forward (for
she could no longer lean it upon me, seeing that I lay my length at the
bottom of the cart), till her garland almost touched my worthy gossip his
knees. Thereupon he bade the driver stop for a moment, and pulled out a
small flask filled with wine, which he always carries in his pocket when
witches are to be burnt, in order to comfort them therewith in their
terror. (Henceforth, I myself will ever do the like, for this fashion of
my dear gossip pleases me well.) He first poured some of this wine down my
throat, and afterwards down my child's; and we had scarce come to
ourselves again, when a fearful noise and tumult arose among the people
behind us, and they not only cried out in deadly fear, "The Sheriff is
come back! the Sheriff is come again!" but as they could neither run away
forwards or backwards (being afraid of the ghost behind and of my child
before them), they ran on either side, some rushing into the coppice, and
others wading into the Achterwater up to their necks. _Item_, as soon as
_Dom. Camerarius_ saw the ghost come out of the coppice with a grey hat
and a grey feather, such as the Sheriff wore, riding on the grey charger,
he crept under a bundle of straw in the cart: and _Dom. Consul_ cursed my
child again, and bade the coachman drive on as madly as they could, even
should all the horses die of it, when the impudent constable behind us
called to him, "It is not the Sheriff, but the young lord of Nienkerken,
who will surely seek to save the witch: shall I, then, cut her throat with
my sword?" At these fearful words my child and I came to ourselves again,
and the fellow had already lift up his naked sword to smite her, seeing
_Dom. Consul_ had made him a sign with his hand, when my dear gossip, who
saw it, pulled my child with all his strength back into his lap. (May God
reward him on the day of judgment, for I never can.) The villain would
have stabbed her as she lay in his lap; but the young lord was already
there, and seeing what he was about to do, thrust the boarspear, which he
held in his hand, in between the constable's shoulders, so that he fell
headlong on the earth, and his own sword, by the guidance of the most
righteous God, went into his ribs on one side, and out again at the other.
He lay there and bellowed, but the young lord heeded him not, but said to
my child, "Sweet maid, God be praised that you are safe!" When, however,
he saw her bound hands, he gnashed his teeth, and, cursing her judges, he
jumped off his horse, and cut the rope with his sword, which he held in
his right hand, took her hand in his, and said, "Alas, sweet maid, how
have I sorrowed for you! but I could not save you, as I myself also lay in
chains, which you may see from my looks."
But my child could answer him never a word, and fell into a swound again
for joy; howbeit, she soon came to herself again, seeing my dear gossip
still had a little wine by him. Meanwhile the dear young lord did me some
injustice, which, however, I freely forgive him; for he railed at me and
called me an old woman, who could do nought save weep and wail. Why had I
not journeyed after the Swedish king, or why had I not gone to Mellenthin
myself to fetch his testimony, as I knew right well what he thought about
witchcraft? (But, blessed God, how could I do otherwise than believe the
judge, who had been there? Others, besides old women, would have done the
same; and I never once thought of the Swedish king; and say, dear reader,
how could I have journeyed after him, and left my own child? But young
folks do not think of these things seeing they know not what a father
feels.)
Meanwhile, however, _Dom. Camerarius_, having heard that it was the young
lord, had again crept out from beneath the straw, _item, Dom. Consul_ had
jumped down from the coach and ran towards us, railing at him loudly, and
asking him by what power and authority he acted thus, seeing that he
himself had heretofore denounced the ungodly witch? But the young lord
pointed with his sword to his people, who now came riding out of the
coppice, about eighteen strong, armed with sabres, pikes, and muskets, and
said, "There is my authority, and I would let you feel it on your back if
I did not know that you were but a stupid ass. When did you hear any
testimony from me against this virtuous maiden? You lie in your throat if
you say you did." And as _Dom. Consul_ stood and straightway forswore
himself, the young lord, to the astonishment of all, related as
follows:--That as soon as he heard of the misfortune which had befallen me
and my child, he ordered his horse to be saddled forthwith, in order to
ride to Pudgla to bear witness to our innocence: this, however, his old
father would nowise suffer, thinking that his nobility would receive a
stain if it came to be known that his son had conversed with a reputed
witch by night on the Streckelberg. He had caused him therefore, as
prayers and threats were of no avail, to be bound hand and foot, and
confined in the donjon-keep, where till _datum_ an old servant had watched
him, who refused to let him escape, notwithstanding he offered him any sum
of money; whereupon he fell into the greatest anguish and despair at the
thought that innocent blood would be shed on his account; but that the
all-righteous God had graciously spared him this sorrow; for his father
had fallen sick from vexation, and lay a-bed all this time, and it so
happened that this very morning about prayer-time the huntsman, in
shooting at a wild duck in the moat, had by chance sorely wounded his
father's favourite dog, called Packan, which had crept howling to his
father's bedside, and had died there; whereupon the old man, who was weak,
was so angered that he was presently seized with a fit and gave up the
ghost too. Hereupon his people released him, and after he had closed his
father's eyes and prayed an "Our Father" over him, he straightway set out
with all the people he could find in the castle in order to save the
innocent maiden. For he testified here himself before all, on the word and
honour of a knight, nay, more, by his hopes of salvation, that he himself
was that devil which had appeared to the maiden on the mountain in the
shape of a hairy giant; for having heard by common report that she
ofttimes went thither, he greatly desired to know what she did there, and
that from fear of his hard father he disguised himself in a wolf's skin,
so that none might know him, and he had already spent two nights there,
when on the third the maiden came, and he then saw her dig for amber on
the mountain, and that she did not call upon Satan, but recited a Latin
_carmen_ aloud to herself. This he would have testified at Pudgla, but,
from the cause aforesaid, he had not been able: moreover, his father had
laid his cousin, Claus von Nienkerken, who was there on a visit, in his
bed, and made him bear false witness; for as _Dom. Consul_ had not seen
him (I mean the young lord) for many a long year, seeing he had studied in
foreign parts, his father thought that he might easily be deceived, which
accordingly happened.
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