King Eric and the Outlaws Volume I Part 16

"For that very reason no va.s.sal should presume to shut the castle on the lawful ruler of the land, or his generalissimo," answered the king.

"I cannot but commend your endeavours to excuse my erring brother, Sir Margrave," he added, abruptly; "and be a.s.sured, if he can be acquitted,--if he can only give me his princely word that he hath had no share in this contumacy,---he needs not that a stranger should plead for him, where a brother is his liege and judge."

The margrave bowed courteously, and was silent, while he pa.s.sed his hand over his brow, and appeared desirous to hide a look of annoyance.

"Will your grace speak to the burghers now?" asked Count Henrik; "they seem timidly waiting for permission to approach you."

"They have it of course, count; let them come hither."

Count Henrik rode to meet the lingering burgher crowd, and soon returned to the king, accompanied by the burgomaster, and twelve of the oldest burghers of the town, who, clad in their holiday attire, and with their heads uncovered, reverently greeted their sovereign. After several salutations, the burgomaster somewhat bashfully and humbly began his address. "Most mighty liege and sovereign! your grace's august presence--this poor town's joy at seeing your most royal grace----"

"Is not very great," interrupted the king; "say it out at once, burgomaster, and speak without a long-winded preamble! You fear there may be bounds to my most royal grace this time, and that I mean to call you to strict account for the reception my Marsk hath met with here."

"Your princely brother, our strict master, the junker, had ordered his commandant at the castle"--stammered the burgomaster.

"I speak not now of what he hath or hath not commanded his servants,"

interrupted the king. "Such contumacy he himself, or his commandant, shall answer for. But who enjoined you to refuse obedience to my amba.s.sadors?"

"The commandant, in the junker's name, and in your own, my liege,"

answered the burgomaster--"although we could not consider the behest as lawful, or obey it, when the Marsk, with your authority, enjoined us the reverse, after a short demur, what he demanded was even granted him, and his people, though it came to cost us all dear."

"What!" interrupted the king, with vehemence, "have ye since been chastised because you obeyed my orders?"

"We complain not, my liege, and least of all of your august kindred, and the ruler you have given us--whatever injustice we have suffered is but trifling, in comparison of our sorrow and shame if we have brought upon us the displeasure of our n.o.ble liege and sovereign."

"You have suffered injustice for your loyalty to me--could I then be wroth with you, brave burghers?" said the king, with sudden emotion.

"By all the holy men! were I so, I should not longer deserve one loyal and devoted heart among ye. The injustice ye have suffered shall be atoned for--we are come hither to call to account for what here hath been done--where is the junker?"

"We know not, most mighty king!"

"Where is his commandant, then? Why comes he not hither to receive us?"

"He affirms he hath received commands, my liege, which are so hard to believe that we dare not name them."

"What! Who dares command here when I am present?" exclaimed the king, with vehemence. "Yet, no; it is impossible," he added, more calmly, and restrained his impatience. "The man must be sick or mad. Ride to the castle, Count Henrik, and announce my coming! I will stay the night here with my knights and an hundred men--you will care for the rest of the men-at-arms, burgomaster!"

Count Henrik was instantly in motion, and rode down with a small train towards the castle.

"Mighty king!" resumed the burgomaster, in a timid tone; "my life, and the lives and property of my fellow burghers are at your service and the country's; but be not wrath with us, my liege, for what it lay not in our power to hinder! The castle gate is locked, the draw-bridge raised, men-at-arms and balista are posted on the outer walls, and the commandant hath announced to us that he hath orders to fire the town with burning stones within twenty-four hours from the moment it is beleaguered by your men-at-arms."

"Doth he rave?" exclaimed the king. "Well, then, away with all grace and mercy--we will see who is master here.--To horse, my men! You stand under our royal protection, brave burghers!" he said to the burgomaster and elders of the town. "If a straw is scorched over your heads for my sake it shall dearly be atoned for! Every rebel and traitor I will strictly punish, however high he may carry his head."

"Honour to the king! to Eric, the youthful king!" shouted the burgomaster, waving his hat; and this well known acclamation (derived from a national ballad) was re-echoed by the whole burgher troop, amid the waving of caps and hats.

"Now place, good people!" ordered the king, reining in his steed. "I will see who dares to lock the gate through which we would enter."

"Permit me to detain your grace one moment," said the Margrave of Brandenborg, who had again vaulted into his saddle, and now rode hastily up to the king, with his head uncovered. "Ere you take any compulsory step, I wish, as an impartial friend both of yours and your princely brother, to have a minute's conversation with you without witnesses."

"Well, that shall not be denied you. Sir Margrave--Aside, my friends!"

All withdrew to some distance and the margrave remained in the same respectful att.i.tude, with his high-plumed hat in his hand. "Your n.o.ble brother hath honoured me with a confidence and friendship which makes it my duty to plead his cause in his absence--what hath already been done, and hereafter may be done, against your will, hath undoubtedly the appearance of contumacy and treason: but it is impossible it should be according to your n.o.ble brother's wish or order, for that,--(pardon me this expression,)--for that I count him to be at least too _wise_.

Of our inmost heart and mind, He who knoweth the heart of man alone can judge--I will stand security for Prince Christopher in this matter, until he can stand forth in person before you to justify himself. I offer my services to seek him out, and bring him to you. He must certainly be at Holbek castle, or at Samsoe--Will you promise me so long to delay every compulsory measure, and at the utmost only to beleaguer the castle?"

"Well, Sir Margrave! for twenty-four hours I will await him, but not an hour longer. Till to-morrow at this time I will restrain my just wrath, and with sheathed sword wait without the gate which hath been presumptuously shut before mine eyes. But ere I hear another ave from the pious Franciscans here--the castle shall be in my power; that I vow, by all the holy men! as surely as I am lord here, and would be called king in Denmark."

"It is agreed, then, your grace!" answered the margrave, with spirit, after a moment's deliberation. "If I stand not within twenty-four hours with your brother acquitted before your sight--then let yon fair castle mount up in smoke and flames--or take it with a storming hand! Count Henrik hath no doubt a strong desire to show you his prowess and generalship. Then I shall have done what lay in my power, and shown you both, as I trust, that you have had a friend for your guest."

"You have my word for it, Sir Margrave! I shall owe you thanks if your good purpose succeed. See you how the shadow yonder falls from the middle spire upon the cloister roof--It marks the bounds of my patience to-morrow. The Lord and our holy Lady be with us all!" So saying, Eric waved his right hand, and saluted the margrave, as he spurred his horse, and rode forward at the head of his troop of warriors. The king and his knights now rode down the hill in the direction of the castle, while Margrave Waldemar, with his little train of German and Danish men-at-arms, proceeded at full gallop on the road to Holbek.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: "Marsk," a military t.i.tle, corresponding in some degree to our field marshal. This office, however, comprises civil as well as military duties, the marsk being also one of the princ.i.p.al ministers of state.]

[Footnote 2: The private wrongs committed by Eric the Seventh, surnamed Glipping, against his Marsk, Stig, a n.o.bleman of high rank, had rendered him his deadly foe. Stig headed a band of conspirators on the 22d of November, 1286, disguised as Franciscan monks, and murdered him while asleep in a barn at the village of Finnerup, where he had taken refuge from their pursuit. The king's chamberlain, a kinsman of Marsk Stig, conducted the a.s.sa.s.sins to the place where the king lay concealed.--_Translator's Note_.]

[Footnote 3: Waldemar the Victorious was Eric Menved's great-grandfather.]

[Footnote 4: Drost, the prime minister of state in Denmark in the middle ages; all state ministers however, in that age, were required to serve in the field as well as in council. When the Drost was present, he superseded the Marsk in the command of the army.--_Translator's Note_.]

[Footnote 5: Junker (p.r.o.nounced Yunker) was the t.i.tle of the sons of the kings of Denmark in the middle ages, corresponding to that of Infant in Spain.--_Translator's Note_.]

[Footnote 6: Baron Holberg supposes that the word "carline" (kierlinge in Danish) had its origin in the easy victories obtained by the Northmen over the French, or Carlines, the subjects of Charles the Bald: the word carline or kierlinge now signifying in Danish an old woman, and applied in derision to the fainthearted of the other s.e.x.--_Translator_.]

[Footnote 7: Esrom Lake, situated about eight English miles from Elsinore, is a fair specimen of the placid lake scenery of Zealand. The monastery is still in part in a habitable state.]

[Footnote 8: "Axel and Valborg," one of the gems of Scandinavian poetry. The interest of the poem turns on the separation of the hero and heroine (who had been betrothed from childhood) by an interdict of the church, on the plea of the parties standing within a forbidden degree of affinity to each other. This affinity, however, consisted merely in having one common G.o.dmother. Circ.u.mstances like these, however trivial, were frequently made available by the church for the extension of its power, and the furtherance of its secular interests.]

[Footnote 9: Flynderborg, the castle at Elsinore, of which no vestiges now remain. Its site was not far from that of the present castle of Cronberg.]

[Footnote 10: At this period the Hanseatic merchants were absolute masters of the whole trade of the Baltic. The Danish fleet was in a reduced state, and the Hanse were therefore under the necessity of guarding the seas themselves, for the security of their trade. This was peculiarly the case during the disturbed reign of Eric Glipping, when the northern pirate, Alf Erlingsen, infested the Danish seas. This is the subject of a ballad still preserved among the Danish peasantry,--

"The German men they sailed up the sound, With meal and with malt sailed they, But Erlingsen's ships there to meet them they found, And theirs he took all for his prey."

In the time of Eric Glipping the Hanse had no less than thirty armed vessels stationed in the sound at Elsinore.--_Translator's Note_.]

[Footnote 11: Carl the German.]

[Footnote 12: The Kareles were a heathen tribe of Livonia, conquered by the Swedes, under the command of Marsk Torkild Knudson.]

[Footnote 13: A characteristic exclamation of King Eric, who according to Holberg, scrupled making use of a stronger expression, even in confirmation of the most solemn engagements.--_Translator's Note_.]

[Footnote 14: In the early ages of Denmark the people bore an important part in the affairs of government, a fact of which there are traces at this day in the Norwegian const.i.tution, in which the peasantry as a cla.s.s are represented. The people at large decided on war or peace, nor was any royal decree considered valid until it had obtained their consent. Every town had its own "Ting," or place of a.s.sembly, in the open air; a large flat stone, placed in the centre of a circle of upright ones, served as a platform for the speakers. In these a.s.semblies the peasants discussed, not only public affairs, but decided on all private differences, &c. Saxo Grammaticus blames King Svend Grathe for neglecting to attend these meetings of the people. In such a.s.semblies the king was not permitted to take his leave until he had greeted even the meanest of his subjects, and sent a friendly greeting to his family. The English reader may perhaps require to be reminded of these facts, in order fully to perceive that Jeppe is a representative of his cla.s.s in that age.--_Translator's Note_.]

[Footnote 15: Dyrendal, the name of Roland's sword, afterwards used for swords in general by the Danes. Scandinavian warriors esteemed their swords above all other treasures. If a sword had done good service, it was distinguished by some epithet expressive of the deeds it had achieved. The sword of King Hagen of Norway was called "quaern bider,"

or mill-stone biter, from having cut through a mill-stone. If the owner of such a sword had no immediate descendants, it was buried beside him in his grave.--_Translator's Note_.]

[Footnote 16: King Glipping, so called from his twinkling eye.]