King Eric and the Outlaws, Vol. 2
Page 15
CHAP. XV.
At the fair of Skanor a great number of persons of all classes wereassembled. It was thronged with skippers and merchants from every partof the world, but especially from Hamburgh, Lubeck, Rostock, Deventer,and Overyssel. These last were chiefly dealers in spices. They broughthither the most costly groceries to market from Venice and Genoa: wareswere here to be seen even from India, Persia, and Egypt, which theseenterprising traders had brought down the Rhine, and with which theyjourneyed to northern lands. Here lay many English vessels laden withwine; but what especially struck the eye were the splendid assortmentsof cloths, of all colours, which waved like flags from the vessels inthe harbour, and lay in large bales in the streets under tents orwooden sheds.
The situation of Skanor was advantageous for trade. The town extendedquite to the shore of the coast of Skania, between Falsterbo andMalmoe. It lay to the north of Falsterbo, and was both larger and muchmore ancient than that town. Over the gate of the place was a stonewith an inscription, in the ancient Scanian language, which borewitness to the antiquity of the town, and which afterwards ran thus inmore modern rhyme:
"Lund and Skanor throve apace, When Christ appeared to bring us grace."
The great fairs of the town were particularly famed, and, duringfair-time, many persons crossed over from Zealand. On the whole theintercourse between Scania and the Danish provinces was far morefrequent than in aftertime, when this beautiful province, which borethe closest affinity to Zealand, was dismembered from the kingdom. Amidthe crowd of visitors at the fair were seen knights, monks, andburghers of towns, both from Zealand and Scania, among peasants,knights' ladies, and gaily-attired dairy and kitchen maids from thenearest lordly castles, as well as ragged beggars and pretty countrymaidens, in the national costumes of Scania and Halland. The fair wasthronged with musicians and jugglers of all kinds. Rosaries and littleimages of saints were exposed for sale by the side of every descriptionof worldly wares and foreign luxuries.
Over the two best stocked and most frequented booths at the fair, wavedHenrik Gullandsfar's and Berner Kopmand's well-known flag and sign--agriffin and a dragon, with a bundle of lances tied together, and withthe Lubek charter in their claws, defending their treasures against atroop of robbers in knightly attire, and ridiculously caricatured.These great merchants who had their agents, or resident grocers'apprentices, in the town, did not attend the sale of their goods inperson, but were present at the unloading of their ships, to watch thatno toll was demanded, contrary to the privileges of trade. The sound ofmusic and dancing was heard in the taverns, and all places ofentertainment. German ale and wine were poured out in abundance for therich guests at the fair, while the poorer were content with Scanian andZealand ale. Towards evening many drunken persons were to be seen; hereand there disputes and fights occurred, and the provost with thewatchmen and armed constables of the town were often forced tointerfere.
What attracted most attention at Skanor fair at this time was a boothhung with coloured lamps, close to the quay, where fireworks wereexhibited, together with many new and curious sights, at which thespectators wondered and crossed themselves as though they beheld thedelusions of the evil one. Here the learned Master Thrand had erectedhis optical theatre. He stood himself on a raised platform andharangued the mob on the excellence of his masterpieces, and theirgreat superiority over all the relics, amulets, and false panacea withwhich people suffered themselves to be imposed upon by unlearnedmountebanks and jugglers. He chiefly extolled his arts as beinginnocent, and grounded on the principles of nature; and invited theunprejudiced and sensible public to draw nearer, and attend to what he(rather, he said, for the sake of science and truth, than for worldlygain) was about to expound and exhibit. His admirer, the young MasterLaurentius, who, in his red lay-mantle, was not suspected to be anecclesiastic, zealously assisted him as an amanuensis, and collectedfrom time to time in his hat, money from the spectators, but in amanner which showed that he was ashamed of this employment; to which,however, he had doubtless (though with another and more pious aim) beenaccustomed, when on the anniversaries of the dedication of St. Olaf'schurch at Nidaros, he had, as p[oe]nitentarius, collected alms for thetreasury of the church.
Close by the booth of the distinguished and learned mountebank stood alight, under the image of the Madonna, in a little stone-walled chapel,where was also an iron-bound poor-box nailed fast upon a block. Nomerchant or skipper went to or from his ship without first kneelinghere and depositing a piece of money in the box for the poor, and forthe treasury of the Holy Virgin. In the evening there stood by thischapel, which went by the name of the Quay Chapel, Sir Helmer Blaa,who, with the Drost's squire Canute of Fyen, and some young knights ofAage's train, kept a sharp look out on every one who came up from thequay. The wind had been contrary all day, and the merchants were justcome on shore. Berner Kopmand's Rostock vessel lay at anchor beforethem in the harbour. It had reached Skanor with a fair wind ereday-break. The indefatigable owner of the vessel had been on board thewhole day superintending the unlading of the cargo, and ere it wasdark, Sir Helmer thought he saw the outlawed fugitive on deck by hisside. In case of the criminal's venturing to land preparations had beenmade for his seizure, with the knowledge of the provost; but thefugitive seemed not to purpose quitting his place of refuge. Aftervespers, however, Berner Kopmand and Henrik Gullandsfar landed withgreat parade, and a considerable train of armed seamen. They omittednot to cross themselves at the chapel, and to throw a loud-chinkingoffering into the poor-box, as they passed by the knights with an airof proud defiance.
"How many false silver coins think ye are now in that box?" said SirHelmer, aloud. The heavy Rostocker turned towards him with a look ofrage; but Gullandsfar nudged his elbow with a grave look, and theypassed on. Helmer and the other young knights followed them, and seemedto have a great desire to chastise their arrogance.
Drost Aage had not neglected to attend Thrand Fistlier's performances,and the optic theatre with which he entertained the astonished visitorsat the fair. He had bought of the artist some of his most remarkableand valuable inventions, and gained information of their applicationand use. He could not refuse his admiration to what he here saw of thefamous discoveries of Roger Bacon, and observed the whole exhibitionwith attention. It consisted chiefly of small optical cases in whichthe powers of the magnifying glass were applied in a manner hithertounknown in the North, and by which the artist excited greatastonishment. What was seen in these boxes was not only thetransformation of small animals into monsters, but even a figurativemetamorphosis of the world in Master Thrand's own taste:--saints andmartyrs, miraculous sights, and legendary pictures, processions ofmonks with the Host, the banners of the Madonna, and crucifixes, wererepresented in a ridiculous manner by the side of all the Grecian andRoman gods with their profanest love adventures. All this passed in dimcaricature before the eyes of the spectators, and gave place at last toa number of dazzling allegorical figures, intended to represent Wisdom,Philosophy, Freedom, Burgher Commerce, Political Economy, The Study ofNature, and other subjects of the same kind. As soon as it grewsufficiently dark for the purpose, Master Thrand exhibited smallburning wheels, stars, and suns with many-coloured rays, which flewwith a clear light into the air, and suddenly exploded with a slightreport.
The Drost considered this last exhibition both beautiful andremarkable; all these things, however, were but trifles compared withwhat Master Laurentius had related of the matchless and wondrous featswhich this mountebank was capable of performing. The sight of the smallstars and suns which flew up over the sea and burst in the calm eveningsky, afforded endless amusement to the spectators, to whom it seemed anentirely novel and incomprehensible phenomenon; but the people'sadmiration of this dazzling diversion as well as the beautifulfantastic spectacle itself in its aerial theatre, threw Aage into asingularly pensive mood.
This glimpse of a new and secret art, whose vast and hidden workings hehad already heard mentioned, str
uck him as being the forerunner of thatnew era announced by the mysterious artist, in which all opinions andideas should be reformed and enlarged, and all that was ancient shouldvanish like the mimic suns and stars now waning and disappearing overthe sea. Aage could not forget the strange conversations he had heardbetween the artist and his pupil, of the delusive dream in which thewhole Christian world was wandering. In the learned Master Thrand'speculiar conception of the doctrine of the notorious Leccar Brethren hesaw but a haughty and contumacious insanity, which, should it everbecome dominant, would subvert all that was beautiful and true, andsacred upon earth; his own dream of the petrified world was stillfearfully present to his recollection. The noise and joyousness of thecrowd became almost painful to him. At last he sought relief andfreedom from these distressing thoughts in the little chapel of thequay. He bent his knee before the painted wooden image of the Madonna,who was here represented as usual with the child in her arms, and theglobe of the world with a cross upon it, like a ball and sceptre in thechild's hand. Aage had folded his hands in prayer, but as he turned hiseyes on the image, it was suddenly illuminated by a ball of fire sentup from the artist's booth. The Madonna's image appeared to him in thevivid flash of light like a horribly grinning idol--at the same momenthe heard a loud report in the air, resembling a clap of thunder,followed by shrieks of terror from women and children. The littlechapel shook; the ancient worm-eaten image of the Virgin tottered, andfell down at his feet. He started up, and rushed out of the chapel. Thejoyousness of the people was changed to fear and wrath. Some women hadfainted; the life of one had been seriously endangered; a Capuchin'sbeard had been singed by the explosion. "Witchcraft! Sorcery!" wasre-echoed in the crowd. "Stone him!--Burn him! the accursed wizard! Heis a heretic!" cried some. "He hath said he will draw off allworshippers from our Lady and the saints--he saith he will match histhunders against the Lord's himself.--Stone him! Burn him! Cast himupon the beach! Tear down the wizard's house!"
Amid all this commotion the enraged mob rushed upon the pyrotechnist'sbooth. The hapless little artist had hid himself with his amanuensisamong some large boxes in an adjacent booth. Two of the enraged mob anda lay brother drew them forth from under the planks of the broken-downbooth to give them up to the maltreatment of the mob. The provost andconstables vainly strove to hinder these acts of violence. At lastDrost Aage stepped forth, and cried in an authoritative voice, "Stopthere, countrymen! Peace here, in the king's name! Secure thesejugglers, but injure not a hair of their heads. They shall be judgedand punished according to the law of the land if they cannot giveaccount of themselves. What they have shewn us was done by naturalmeans, my friends! These people know more than we do of the powers ofnature; but they abuse their wisdom by boasting and juggling, and byscoffing at sacred things."
As soon as they heard the name of the king, and recognised his and thenation's favourite, the enraged mob was pacified. Thrand Fistlier andhis amanuensis were instantly seized by the constables and conducted tothe quay, with all their effects; followed by a great throng of people.Drost Aage followed them himself on board a royal vessel, which was tosail next day to Helsingborg, and the captain, with his armed seamen,received orders to protect the captives from all injury.
As soon as the captive mountebank heard he was in safety, but was to betaken as a prisoner to a fortress, he looked around him with a proudsmile, "My noble persecuted master was right," he said. "The age is notsufficiently matured for us and our compeers. It is dangerous to bewise among fools; even the least glimpse of the light which is toappear is, as yet, too strong for these weak-sighted barbarians. It isnot the first time a great genius hath appeared a century too soon!"
"Silence, wretched juggler!" said Aage. "The great man whom thoudishonourest, by calling thy master, was a wise and pious monk, I havebeen told, but no juggler and self-appointed priest. Thank the holyVirgin and her Son, whom thou deniest, for thy life to-day! It is notfor thy wisdom, but for thy folly, and the confusion thou wouldestspread among the people, that I have caused thee to be bound."
Ere Aage quitted the vessel he took Master Laurentius aside, and gazedon him with a look of thoughtful interest. "You are too good to be thisjuggler's attendant and apprentice," he said; "your blind admirationfor his knowledge of the perishing things of time, hath caused you todeny and dishonour your own holy calling, and the high vocation towhich you are dedicated. St. Olaf, and the souls entrusted to you, youhave deserted for this deformed artificer of hell-fire. From want andneed you shall no longer be necessitated thus to degrade yourself. Thecaptain of the vessel hath orders to care for your requirements; atHelsingborg he will provide you with suitable priest's attire, andmoney for your journey. To save your life, Master Laurentius, I havebeen forced to use you more hardly than I wished. When you arrive atHelsingborg, you are free and your own master; but your suspiciouscompanion must, as a state prisoner, tarry the king's coming, andjustify himself before him, if he can do so. It is known to me that heis a Leccar brother; as such it is forbidden to him to rove the countryat large and mislead the people. I know, also, he wishes you to joinhis sect; but, I conjure you by that Almighty Lord and Master you havebeen near betraying--draw back, good Master Laurentius, and preserveyour immortal soul! It hath assuredly a higher and a worthier calling,if your countenance and warm enthusiasm for what is beautiful and truehave not deceived me. The Lord be with you! farewell!" Aage quitted theship without awaiting an answer from the deeply agitated youth, whoseeyes were suffused with tears, and who vainly strove to reach him hisfettered hand.
The Drost rowed back to Skanor. It was dark night, and there was agreat stir and tumult on the quay. A quarrel and serious affray hadarisen between the Drost's knights and the Hanseatic merchants, who hadbeen chased from the inn and had taken flight towards the harbour.Berner Kopmand and Henrik Gullandsfar, with their armed seamen, laidfuriously about them, but could not compete in the dexterous use oftheir weapons with Sir Helmer and the other incensed young knights, whowere supported by the Skanor burghers. "Cut the forgers down! Thecheats! The overbearing dogs!" they shouted. "They have brought falsecoin here to the fair--they have outlaws on board!" The affray wasserious and bloody. The Hanseatics withdrew, fighting, to their boats.It was impossible for Aage to restore peace. The foreign merchants andthe greater part of their seamen at last escaped to their ships, undercover of the night. They instantly hoisted sail. It was not until theywere in the open sea that the knights missed Sir Helmer and the Drost'smost active squire, Canute of Fyen.