A Legend of the Rhine

by William Makepeace Thackeray

herself, was sitting, he kneeled down before her, and received the velvet cap;

  which, blushing as scarlet as the cap itself, the Princess Helen placed on his

  golden ringlets. Once more their eyes met�their hearts thrilled. They had never

  spoken, but they knew they loved each other for ever.

  "Wilt thou take service with the Rowski of Donnerblitz?" said that individual to

  the youth. "Thou shalt be captain of my archers in place of yon blundering

  nincompoop, whom thou hast overcome."

  "Yon blundering nincompoop is a skilful and gallant archer," replied Otto,

  haughtily; "and I will NOT take service with the Rowski of Donnerblitz."

  "Wilt thou enter the household of the Prince of Cleves?" said the father of

  Helen, laughing, and not a little amused at the haughtiness of the humble

  archer.

  "I would die for the Duke of Cleves and HIS FAMILY," said Otto, bowing low. He

  laid a particular and a tender emphasis on the word family. Helen knew what he

  meant. SHE was the family. In fact her mother was no more, and her papa had no

  other offspring.

  "What is thy name, good fellow," said the Prince, "that my steward may enroll

  thee?"

  "Sir," said Otto, again blushing, "I am OTTO THE ARCHER."

  CHAPTER XI. THE MARTYR OF LOVE.

  The archers who had travelled in company with young Otto gave a handsome dinner

  in compliment to the success of our hero; at which his friend distinguished

  himself as usual in the eating and drinking department. Squintoff, the Rowski

  bowman, declined to attend; so great was the envy of the brute at the youthful

  hero's superiority. As for Otto himself, he sat on the right hand of the

  chairman; but it was remarked that he could not eat. Gentle reader of my page!

  thou knowest why full well. He was too much in love to have any appetite; for

  though I myself when laboring under that passion, never found my consumption of

  victuals diminish, yet remember our Otto was a hero of romance, and they NEVER

  are hungry when they're in love.

  The next day, the young gentleman proceeded to enroll himself in the corps of

  Archers of the Prince of Cleves, and with him came his attached squire, who

  vowed he never would leave him. As Otto threw aside his own elegant dress, and

  donned the livery of the House of Cleves, the noble Childe sighed not a little.

  'Twas a splendid uniform 'tis true, but still it WAS a livery, and one of his

  proud spirit ill bears another's cognizances. "They are the colors of the

  Princess, however," said he, consoling himself; "and what suffering would I not

  undergo for HER?" As for Wolfgang, the squire, it may well be supposed that the

  good-natured, low-born fellow had no such scruples; but he was glad enough to

  exchange for the pink hose, the yellow jacket, the pea-green cloak, and orange-

  tawny hat, with which the Duke's steward supplied him, the homely patched

  doublet of green which he had worn for years past.

  "Look at you two archers," said the Prince of Cleves to his guest, the Rowski of

  Donnerblitz, as they were strolling on the battlements after dinner, smoking

  their cigars as usual. His Highness pointed to our two young friends, who were

  mounting guard for the first time. "See yon two bowmen�mark their bearing! One

  is the youth who beat thy Squintoff, and t'other, an I mistake not, won the

  third prize at the butts. Both wear the same uniform�the colors of my house�yet

  wouldst not swear that the one was but a churl, and the other a noble

  gentleman?"

  "Which looks like the nobleman?" said the Rowski, as black as thunder.

  "WHICH? why, young Otto, to be sure," said the Princess Helen, eagerly. The

  young lady was following the pair; but under pretence of disliking the odor of

  the cigar, she had refused the Rowski's proffered arm, and was loitering behind

  with her parasol.

  Her interposition in favor of her young protege only made the black and jealous

  Rowski more ill-humored. "How long is it, Sir Prince of Cleves," said he, "that

  the churls who wear your livery permit themselves to wear the ornaments of noble

  knights? Who but a noble dare wear ringlets such as yon springald's? Ho,

  archer!" roared he, "come, hither, fellow." And Otto stood before him. As he

  came, and presenting arms stood respectfully before the Prince and his savage

  guest, he looked for one moment at the lovely Helen� their eyes met, their

  hearts beat simultaneously: and, quick, two little blushes appeared in the cheek

  of either. I have seen one ship at sea answering another's signal so.

  While they are so regarding each other, let us just remind our readers of the

  great estimation in which the hair was held in the North. Only nobles were

  permitted to wear it long. When a man disgraced himself, a shaving was sure to

  follow. Penalties were inflicted upon villains or vassals who sported ringlets.

  See the works of Aurelius Tonsor; Hirsutus de Nobilitate Capillari; Rolandus de

  Oleo Macassari; Schnurrbart; Fresirische Alterthumskunde,

  "We must have those ringlets of thine cut, good fellow," said the Duke of Cleves

  good-naturedly, but wishing to spare the feelings of his gallant recruit. "'Tis

  against the regulation cut of my archer guard."

  "Cut off my hair!" cried Otto, agonized.

  "Ay, and thine ears with it, yokel," roared Donnerblitz.

  "Peace, noble Eulenschreckenstein," said the Duke with dignity: "let the Duke of

  Cleves deal as he will with his own men-at-arms. And you, young sir, unloose the

  grip of thy dagger."

  Otto, indeed, had convulsively grasped his snickersnee, with intent to plunge it

  into the heart of the Rowski; but his politer feelings overcame him. "The count

  need not fear, my lord," said he: "a lady is present." And he took off his

  orange-tawny cap and bowed low. Ah! what a pang shot through the heart of Helen,

  as she thought that those lovely ringlets must be shorn from that beautiful

  head!

  Otto's mind was, too, in commotion. His feelings as a gentleman� let us add, his

  pride as a man�for who is not, let us ask, proud of a good head of hair?�waged

  war within his soul. He expostulated with the Prince. "It was never in my

  contemplation," he said, "on taking service, to undergo the operation of hair-

  cutting."

  "Thou art free to go or stay, Sir Archer," said the Prince pettishly. "I will

  have no churls imitating noblemen in my service: I will bandy no conditions with

  archers of my guard."

  "My resolve is taken," said Otto, irritated too in his turn. "I will . . . . "

  "What?" cried Helen, breathless with intense agitation.

  "I will STAY," answered Otto. The poor girl almost fainted with joy. The Rowski

  frowned with demoniac fury, and grinding his teeth and cursing in the horrible

  German jargon, stalked away. "So be it," said the Prince of Cleves, taking his

  daughter's arm�"and here comes Snipwitz, my barber, who shall do the business

  for you." With this the Prince too moved on, feeling in his heart not a little

  compassion for the lad; for Adolf of Cleves had been handsome in his youth, and

  distinguished for the ornament of which he was now depriving his archer.

  Snipwitz led the p
oor lad into a side-room, and there�in a word� operated upon

  him. The golden curls�fair curls that his mother had so often played with!�fell

  under the shears and round the lad's knees, until he looked as if he was sitting

  in a bath of sunbeams.

  When the frightful act had been performed, Otto, who entered the little chamber

  in the tower ringleted like Apollo, issued from it as cropped as a charity-boy.

  See how melancholy he looks, now that the operation is over!�And no wonder. He

  was thinking what would be Helen's opinion of him, now that one of his chief

  personal ornaments was gone. "Will she know me?" thought he; "will she love me

  after this hideous mutilation?"

  Yielding to these gloomy thoughts, and, indeed, rather unwilling to be seen by

  his comrades, now that he was so disfigured, the young gentleman had hidden

  himself behind one of the buttresses of the wall, a prey to natural despondency;

  when he saw something which instantly restored him to good spirits. He saw the

  lovely Helen coming towards the chamber where the odious barber had performed

  upon him,�coming forward timidly, looking round her anxiously, blushing with

  delightful agitation,�and presently seeing, as she thought, the coast clear, she

  entered the apartment. She stooped down, and ah! what was Otto's joy when he saw

  her pick up a beautiful golden lock of his hair, press it to her lips, and then

  hide it in her bosom! No carnation ever blushed so redly as Helen did when she

  came out after performing this feat. Then she hurried straightway to her own

  apartments in the castle, and Otto, whose first impulse was to come out from his

  hiding-place, and, falling at her feet, call heaven and earth to witness to his

  passion, with difficulty restrained his feelings and let her pass: but the love-

  stricken young hero was so delighted with this evident proof of reciprocated

  attachment, that all regret at losing his ringlets at once left him, and he

  vowed he would sacrifice not only his hair, but his head, if need were, to do

  her service.

  That very afternoon, no small bustle and conversation took place in the castle,

  on account of the sudden departure of the Rowski of Eulenschreckenstein, with

  all his train and equipage. He went away in the greatest wrath, it was said,

  after a long and loud conversation with the Prince. As that potentate conducted

  his guest to the gate, walking rather demurely and shamefacedly by his side, as

  he gathered his attendants in the court, and there mounted his charger, the

  Rowski ordered his trumpets to sound, and scornfully flung a largesse of gold

  among the servitors and men-at- arms of the House of Cleves, who were marshalled

  in the court. "Farewell, Sir Prince," said he to his host: "I quit you now

  suddenly; but remember, it is not my last visit to the Castle of Cleves." And

  ordering his band to play "See the Conquering Hero comes," he clattered away

  through the drawbridge. The Princess Helen was not present at his departure; and

  the venerable Prince of Cleves looked rather moody and chap-fallen when his

  guest left him. He visited all the castle defences pretty accurately that night,

  and inquired of his officers the state of the ammunition, provisions, He said

  nothing; but the Princess Helen's maid did: and everybody knew that the Rowski

  had made his proposals, had been rejected, and, getting up in a violent fury,

  had called for his people, and sworn by his great gods that he would not enter

  the castle again until he rode over the breach, lance in hand, the conqueror of

  Cleves and all belonging to it.

  No little consternation was spread through the garrison at the news: for

  everybody knew the Rowski to be one of the most intrepid and powerful soldiers

  in all Germany,�one of the most skilful generals. Generous to extravagance to

  his own followers, he was ruthless to the enemy: a hundred stories were told of

  the dreadful barbarities exercised by him in several towns and castles which he

  had captured and sacked. And poor Helen had the pain of thinking, that in

  consequence of her refusal she was dooming all the men, women, and children of

  the principality to indiscriminate and horrible slaughter.

  The dreadful surmises regarding a war received in a few days dreadful

  confirmation. It was noon, and the worthy Prince of Cleves was taking his dinner

  (though the honest warrior had had little appetite for that meal for some time

  past), when trumpets were heard at the gate; and presently the herald of the

  Rowski of Donnerblitz, clad in a tabard on which the arms of the Count were

  blazoned, entered the dining-hall. A page bore a steel gauntlet on a cushion;

  Bleu Sanglier had his hat on his head. The Prince of Cleves put on his own, as

  the herald came up to the chair of state where the sovereign sat.

  "Silence for Bleu Sanglier," cried the Prince, gravely. "Say your say, Sir

  Herald."

  "In the name of the high and mighty Rowski, Prince of Donnerblitz, Margrave of

  Eulenschreckenstein, Count of Krotenwald, Schnauzestadt, and Galgenhugel,

  Hereditary Grand Corkscrew of the Holy Roman Empire�to you, Adolf the

  Twenty-third, Prince of Cleves, I, Bleu Sanglier, bring war and defiance. Alone,

  and lance to lance, or twenty to twenty in field or in fort, on plain or on

  mountain, the noble Rowski defies you. Here, or wherever he shall meet you, he

  proclaims war to the death between you and him. In token whereof, here is his

  glove." And taking the steel glove from the page, Bleu Boar flung it clanging on

  the marble floor.

  The Princess Helen turned deadly pale: but the Prince, with a good assurance,

  flung down his own glove, calling upon some one to raise the Rowski's; which

  Otto accordingly took up and presented to him, on his knee.

  "Boteler, fill my goblet," said the Prince to that functionary, who, clothed in

  tight black hose, with a white kerchief, and a napkin on his dexter arm, stood

  obsequiously by his master's chair. The goblet was filled with Malvoisie: it

  held about three quarts; a precious golden hanap carved by the cunning

  artificer, Benvenuto the Florentine.

  "Drink, Bleu Sanglier," said the Prince, "and put the goblet in thy bosom. Wear

  this chain, furthermore, for my sake." And so saying, Prince Adolf flung a

  precious chain of emeralds round the herald's neck. "An invitation to battle was

  ever a welcome call to Adolf of Cleves." So saying, and bidding his people take

  good care of Bleu Sanglier's retinue, the Prince left the hall with his

  daughter. All were marvelling at his dignity, courage, and generosity.

  But, though affecting unconcern, the mind of Prince Adolf was far from tranquil.

  He was no longer the stalwart knight who, in the reign of Stanislaus Augustus,

  had, with his naked fist, beaten a lion to death in three minutes; and alone had

  kept the postern of Peterwaradin for two hours against seven hundred Turkish

  janissaries, who were assailing it. Those deeds which had made the heir of

  Cleves famous were done thirty years syne. A free liver since he had come into

  his principality, and of a lazy turn, he had neglected the athletic exercises

  which had made him in youth so fam
ous a champion, and indolence had borne its

  usual fruits. He tried his old battle-sword�that famous blade with which, in

  Palestine, he had cut an elephant-driver in two pieces, and split asunder the

  skull of the elephant which he rode. Adolf of Cleves could scarcely now lift the

  weapon over his head. He tried his armor. It was too tight for him. And the old

  soldier burst into tears, when he found he could not buckle it. Such a man was

  not fit to encounter the terrible Rowski in single combat.

  Nor could he hope to make head against him for any time in the field. The

  Prince's territories were small; his vassals proverbially lazy and peaceable;

  his treasury empty. The dismallest prospects were before him: and he passed a

  sleepless night writing to his friends for succor, and calculating with his

  secretary the small amount of the resources which he could bring to aid him

  against his advancing and powerful enemy.

  Helen's pillow that evening was also unvisited by slumber. She lay awake

  thinking of Otto,�thinking of the danger and the ruin her refusal to marry had

  brought upon her dear papa. Otto, too, slept not: but HIS waking thoughts were

  brilliant and heroic: the noble Childe thought how he should defend the

  Princess, and win LOS and honor in the ensuing combat.

  CHAPTER XII. THE CHAMPION.

  And now the noble Cleves began in good earnest to prepare his castle for the

  threatened siege. He gathered in all the available cattle round the property,

  and the pigs round many miles; and a dreadful slaughter of horned and snouted

  animals took place,�the whole castle resounding with the lowing of the oxen and

  the squeaks of the gruntlings, destined to provide food for the garrison. These,

  when slain, (her gentle spirit, of course, would not allow of her witnessing

  that disagreeable operation,) the lovely Helen, with the assistance of her

  maidens, carefully salted and pickled. Corn was brought in in great quantities,

  the Prince paying for the same when he had money, giving bills when he could get

  credit, or occasionally, marry, sending out a few stout men-at-arms to forage,

  who brought in wheat without money or credit either. The charming Princess,

  amidst the intervals of her labors, went about encouraging the garrison, who

  vowed to a man they would die for a single sweet smile of hers; and in order to

  make their inevitable sufferings as easy as possible to the gallant fellows, she

  and the apothecaries got ready a plenty of efficacious simples, and scraped a

  vast quantity of lint to bind their warriors' wounds withal. All the

  fortifications were strengthened; the fosses carefully filled with spikes and

  water; large stones placed over the gates, convenient to tumble on the heads of

  the assaulting parties; and caldrons prepared, with furnaces to melt up pitch,

  brimstone, boiling oil, wherewith hospitably to receive them. Having the keenest

  eye in the whole garrison, young Otto was placed on the topmost tower, to watch

  for the expected coming of the beleaguering host.

  They were seen only too soon. Long ranks of shining spears were seen glittering

  in the distance, and the army of the Rowski soon made its appearance in battle's

  magnificently stern array. The tents of the renowned chief and his numerous

  warriors were pitched out of arrow-shot of the castle, but in fearful proximity;

  and when his army had taken up its position, an officer with a flag of truce and

  a trumpet was seen advancing to the castle gate. It was the same herald who had

  previously borne his master's defiance to the Prince of Cleves. He came once

  more to the castle gate, and there proclaimed that the noble Count of

  Eulenschreckenstein was in arms without, ready to do battle with the Prince of

  Cleves, or his champion; that he would remain in arms for three days, ready for

  combat. If no man met him at the end of that period, he would deliver an

  assault, and would give quarter to no single soul in the garrison. So saying,