Légende d'Ulenspiegel. English

by Charles de Coster

  "Hanske."

  "To death with the sorcerer!" cried the crowd.

  The bailiff said:

  "Let the two handwritings be compared."

  When this had been done, and when it had been found that they werein all respects similar, the bailiff said:

  "After these proofs, Messire Joos Damman is found to be a sorcerer,a murderer, a seducer of women, a robber of the property of the King,and as such he must be accounted guilty of high treason against Godand man."

  And the bailiff and the aldermen gave judgment on Joos Damman, and hewas condemned to be degraded from the rank of a nobleman, and to beburned alive in the slower fire till death supervened. And he underwentthis punishment on the following day in front of the Town Hall. Andall the time he kept on crying: "Let the witch perish, it is she andshe alone who is guilty! Cursed be God! My father will avenge me!"

  And the people said: "Behold how he curses and blasphemes. He isdying the death of a dog."

  On the next day, the bailiff and the aldermen gave sentence uponKatheline. She was condemned to undergo the trial by water in theBruges Canal. If she floated she would be burned for a witch. If shesank and was drowned she would be considered to have died the deathof a Christian and would be buried in the churchyard.

  So on the morrow Katheline was conducted to the canal-bank, holdinga candle in her hand and walking barefoot in a shift of blacklinen. Along by the trees went the long procession. In front wasthe Dean of Notre Dame, chanting the prayers for the dead, and withhim were his vicars, and the beadle carrying the cross. Behind camethe bailiff of Damme, the aldermen, the clerks, the sergeants of thecommune, the provost, the executioner and his two assistants. On theedge of the procession there followed a great crowd of women crying,and men mourning, in pity for Katheline, who herself walked like alamb that allows itself to be led whither it knows not. And all thetime she kept on crying:

  "Put out the fire! My head is burning! Hans, where are you?"

  In the midst of the women was Nele, who kept crying also:

  "Let them throw me in with her!"

  But the women did not suffer her to come near to Katheline.

  A sharp wind came blowing in from the sea, and from the grey sky a finehail fell dripping into the water of the canal. Now there was a boatmoored by the side of the water, and this boat the executioner andhis assistants commandeered in the name of His Royal Majesty. ThenKatheline was ordered to step down into the boat. She obeyed atonce, and the executioner was seen standing by her side and holdingher securely. Then the provost raised the rod of justice, and theexecutioner threw Katheline into the canal. For a while she struggled,but soon sank, with one last cry: "Hans! Hans! Help!"

  And the people said: "This woman was no witch."

  Thereafter certain men who were there jumped into the canal anddragged Katheline out again, senseless and rigid as one dead. Andshe was taken into a tavern near by, and placed in front of a brightfire. Nele took off her garments wringing wet as they were, meaningto put dry ones on her. After a while she regained consciousness, andcried out, all trembling and with her teeth chattering: "Hans! Giveme a cloak of wool!"

  But Katheline could not be warmed. And on the third day she died. Andshe was buried in the garden of the church.

  And Nele, the orphan, went away into Holland, and dwelt at the houseof Rosa van Auweghem.

  XXXII

  In those days it was that the Beggarmen, among whom were Lamme andUlenspiegel, took the city of Gorcum by storm. And they were ledin this enterprise by one Captain Marin. This Marin had once been aworkman on the dikes, but now he bore himself with great haughtinessand effrontery, and he signed an agreement with Gaspard Turc, thedefender of Gorcum, by which it was agreed that the city shouldcapitulate on condition that Turc himself, together with the monks,citizens, and soldiers who had been shut up in the citadel, should beallowed to pass out freely, their muskets on their shoulders and withanything that they could carry with them--save only what belonged tothe churches, which was to remain in the hands of the victors. But inspite of this agreement, Captain Marin, acting under an order fromMessire de Lumey, detained nineteen monks as his prisoners, whilethe rest of the citizens were allowed to go free as had been promised.

  And Ulenspiegel said:

  "Word of a soldier, word of gold. Why has the captain been false tohis promise?"

  An old Beggarman answered Ulenspiegel:

  "The monks are the sons of Satan, the canker of our nation, the shameof our country. Dogs are chained up--let the monks be also chained,for they are the bloodhounds of the Duke. Long live the Beggarmen!"

  "But," answered Ulenspiegel, "we must remember that my Lord of Orange,the Prince of Liberty, has ordered us to respect the property andthe free conscience of all such as give themselves up into our power."

  Some of the older Beggarmen replied that the admiral could not do soin the case of the monks. "And he is master here," they added. "Itwas he that took La Briele. To prison with the monks!"

  "A soldier's word is a word of gold," said Ulenspiegel. "Parole desoldat, parole d'or. Why should we ever break our word?"

  "No longer do the ashes beat upon your heart," they told him. "Hearyou not the souls of the dead that cry for vengeance?"

  "The ashes beat upon my heart," said Ulenspiegel. "Parole de soldat,c'est parole d'or."

  The next day a message arrived from Messire de Lumey to the effectthat the nineteen monks were to be brought as prisoners from Gorcumto La Briele where the admiral was then stationed.

  "They will be hanged," said Captain Marin to Ulenspiegel.

  "Not as long as I am alive," said Ulenspiegel.

  "My son," said Lamme, "you must not speak in this way to Messire deLumey. He is a stern man, and will have you hanged as well as themonks if you are not careful."

  "I shall tell him the truth," answered Ulenspiegel. "Parole de soldat,c'est parole d'or."

  "If you think that you can save them," said Marin, "I will give youpermission to go with them by ship to La Briele. Take Rochus withyou as pilot, and your friend Lamme if you please as well."

  "I will," said Ulenspiegel.

  The ship was moored by the quay side, and the nineteen monks were takenaboard. Rochus took charge of the helm, while Ulenspiegel and Lammeplaced themselves at the bow. Certain vagabond soldiers who had joinedthe Beggarmen for the sake of plunder were stationed by the monks, whonow began to wax hungry. Ulenspiegel gave them food and drink. Thenthe sailors began to murmur one to another, saying: "This man is atraitor." Meanwhile the nineteen monks were seated sanctimoniously inthe midst, and they were shivering although the month was July and thesun was shining hot and clear, and a gentle breeze filled the sailsof the ship as it glided, heavy and full-bellied, over the green waves.

  Father Nicholas then began to speak, addressing himself to the pilot:

  "O Rochus," he said, "are they taking us to the gallows-field?" Then,turning his face towards Gorcum: "O city of Gorcum," he cried,stretching out his hands, "O city of Gorcum, how many evils hast thoustill to suffer! Verily thou shalt be cursed among all the citiesof the earth, for thou hast nurtured within thy walls the seed ofheresy! O city of Gorcum! For now no longer shall the angel of theLord stand watch above thy gates, no longer shall he have any carefor the modesty of thy virgins, or the courage of thy men, or forthe fortunes of thy merchants! O city of Gorcum, accursed thou artand doomed to misfortune!"

  "Cursed and accursed indeed!" answered Ulenspiegel. "As accursed as isthe comb that has combed away the lice of Spain, or accursed as thedog that has broken the chain that held him captive, or as the proudcharger that has thrown from his back the cruel cavalier! Be cursedyourself, silly preacher that you are, who think it an evil thing tobreak the rod upon the back of a tyrant, even if it be a rod of iron!"

  The monk was silenced, and dropping his eyes he seemed lost in adream of hate and bigotry.

  The next morning they arrived at La Briele, and a messenger was sentto advise Messire de Lumey of thei
r coming.

  As soon as he had received the news he set out to go to them onhorseback, half dressed as he was, and with him went a company ofarmed men, some on foot and some on horseback. And now once again wasit given to Ulenspiegel to behold this fierce admiral dressed as hewas like some noble, proud and opulent.

  "Welcome," said he, "Sir Monks. And now hold up your hands and showme there the blood of my Lords of Egmont and Hoorn!"

  One of the monks, whose name was Leonard, made answer:

  "Do what you like with us. We are monks. No one will make anyobjection."

  "He has well spoken," said Ulenspiegel. "For having broken withthe world--that is with father, mother, brother and sister, wife andsweetheart--a monk finds no one at the hour of God to claim anything onhis behalf. Nevertheless, your Excellency, I will do so. For CaptainMarin, when he signed the treaty for the capitulation of Gorcum,stipulated that these monks should be free like all the others thatwere taken in the citadel and were allowed to go out from it. Butin spite of this, and for no adequate reason, these monks were keptprisoner, and now it is reported that they are to be hanged. My Lord,I address myself to you right humbly on their behalf, for I knowthat the word of a soldier is a word of gold--parole de soldat,c'est parole d'or."

  "And who are you?" asked Messire de Lumey.

  "My Lord," replied Ulenspiegel, "a Fleming I am from the lovely landof Flanders, working man, nobleman, all in one--and I go wanderingthrough the world, praising things beautiful and good but boldlymaking fun of foolishness. And verily I will sing your praises ifyou will keep the promise which was made to these men by the captain:parole de soldat, c'est parole d'or."

  But the good-for-nothing Beggarmen who were on the ship cried outat this.

  "My Lord," said they, "this man is a traitor. He has promised themthat he will save them, and he has been loading them with bread andham and sausages. But to us he has given nothing at all."

  Then Messire de Lumey said to Ulenspiegel:

  "Wandering Fleming that you are, and protector of monks, I tell youI will have you hanged with them."

  "I am not afraid," replied Ulenspiegel. "Parole de soldat, c'estparole d'or."

  The monks were led away to a barn, and Ulenspiegel with them. Therethey tried to convert him with many theological arguments; but thesesoon sent him to sleep.

  In the meanwhile Messire de Lumey was feasting at a table coveredwith meats and wines when a messenger arrived from Gorcum fromCaptain Marin, bringing with him copies of those letters of Williamthe Silent, Prince of Orange, which ordered "all governors of citiesand other places to confer the same privileges of safety and suretyon ecclesiastics as on the rest of the people."

  The messenger asked to be brought into the presence of de Lumey sothat he might put into his own hands the copies of these letters.

  "Where are the originals?" inquired de Lumey.

  "My master has them," said the messenger.

  "And the churl sends me the copy!" said de Lumey. "Where is yourpassport?"

  "Here, my Lord," said the messenger.

  Then Messire de Lumey began to read it aloud:

  "My Lord and Master Marin Brandt commands all ministers, governors,and officers of the Republic that they should allow to pass...." etc.

  De Lumey struck the table with his fist, and tore the passport in two.

  "Sang de Dieu!" he cried. "What is he doing meddling here, thisMarin? This trumpery fellow who before the taking of La Briele had notso much as the bone of a smoked herring to place between his teeth! Hecalls himself 'My Lord' forsooth, and 'Master,' and sends to me his'orders'! He commands and orders! You may tell your master that sincehe is so much of a Captain and so much of a My Lord, ordering andcommanding so excellently well, the monks shall be hanged forthwith,and you with them if you don't get out at once."

  And he gave the man a great kick and had him removed from the room.

  "Bring me to drink," he cried. "Have you ever seen anything to comparewith the effrontery of this Marin? I could spit my food out, so angry Iam. Let the monks be hanged immediately, and let the wandering Flemingbe brought hither to me as soon as he has witnessed the execution. Wewill see if he still dares to tell me that I have done wrong. Bloodof God! What are these pots and glasses doing here?"

  And with a great noise he brake the bowls and dishes, and no onedurst say anything to him. The servants would have cleared up thedebris but he would not allow them, but went on drinking yet more;and growing more and more enraged he strode up and down the room,treading the broken pieces and stamping upon them furiously.

  Ulenspiegel was brought before him.

  "Well?" he said. "What news of your friends the monks?"

  "They have been hanged," said Ulenspiegel. "And those cowards ofexecutioners, whose game it is to kill for profit, have cut one ofthem open to sell the fat to an apothecary. And now the word of asoldier is gold no more. Parole de soldat n'est plus parole d'or."

  Then de Lumey stamped again upon the broken dishes.

  "So you defy me, do you, you good-for-nothing beast! But you alsoshall be hanged, not in my barn forsooth, but in the open street,most ignominiously, where all can see you!"

  "Shame on you," cried Ulenspiegel. "Shame on us all! Parole de soldatn'est plus parole d'or."

  "Silence, Iron-pate!" said Messire de Lumey.

  "Shame on you again!" cried Ulenspiegel. "Parole de soldat n'est plusparole d'or. You ought rather to be punishing those rascals that aremerchants in human fat!"

  At this Messire de Lumey rushed at Ulenspiegel and raised his handto strike at him.

  "Strike," said Ulenspiegel. "I am in your hands. But I have no fearat all of you. Parole de soldat n'est plus parole d'or."

  Messire de Lumey drew his sword, and would certainly have killedUlenspiegel had not Messire Tres-Long taken him by the arm, saying:

  "Have mercy. He is a brave and valiant man and has committed no crime."

  Then de Lumey thought better of the matter.

  "Let him ask my pardon then," he said.

  But Ulenspiegel stood his ground.

  "Never," he said.

  "At least he must admit that I was not in the wrong," cried de Lumey,growing angry again.

  Ulenspiegel answered:

  "I will lick no man's boots. Parole de soldat n'est plus parole d'or."

  "Tell them to put up the gallows," said de Lumey, "and let this manbe taken where he may hear the way a halter speaks."

  "Yes," said Ulenspiegel, "and I will cry out there in front of allthe people, Parole de soldat n'est plus parole d'or."

  The gallows was set up in the market square, and the news spreadswiftly through the city how Ulenspiegel, the brave Beggarman,was going to be hanged. And the populace was moved with pity andcompassion, and a great crowd collected in the market square. AndMessire de Lumey came there also, being desirous himself to give thesignal for the execution.

  He regarded Ulenspiegel without pity as he stood upon the scaffold,dressed to meet his death in a single garment with his arms boundto his sides, his hands clasped together, the cord round his neck,and the executioner ready to do the deed.

  Tres-Long said:

  "My Lord, pardon him now; he is no traitor, and no one has ever heardof a man being hanged simply because he was sincere and pitiful."

  And the men and women in the crowd, hearing Tres-Long speak inthis wise, cried out also: "Have pity, my Lord! Mercy and pardonfor Ulenspiegel!"

  "The Iron-pate has defied me," said de Lumey. "Let him admit he waswrong and that I was in the right."

  "Will you?" said Tres-Long to Ulenspiegel.

  "Parole de soldat n'est plus parole d'or," Ulenspiegel answered.

  "Draw the cord," said de Lumey.

  The executioner was about to obey when a young maid, dressed allin white and with a wreath of flowers round her head, ran up thesteps of the scaffold like one mad, and threw herself on the neckof Ulenspiegel.

  "This man is mine," she said. "I take him for my husband."
/>   And the people broke into applause, and the women cried aloud:

  "Long live the maid, long live the maid that has saved the lifeof Ulenspiegel!"

  "What does this mean?" demanded Messire de Lumey.

  Tres-Long answered:

  "You must know that by the legal usages and customs of our city anyyoung maid or unmarried girl has the right to save a man from hanging,provided that she be willing to take him for her husband at the footof the gallows."

  "God is on his side," said de Lumey. "Unloose his fetters."

  Then riding up close to the scaffold he saw how the executionerwas endeavouring to prevent the maid from severing the cords whichbound Ulenspiegel, telling her at the same time that he didn't knowwho would pay the price of the cords if she cut them. But the damseldid not appear even to hear him. Seeing her so hasty in her love andso cunning withal, the heart of de Lumey was softened within him,and he asked the maid who she might be.

  "I am Nele," she answered him, "the betrothed of Ulenspiegel, and Iam come from Flanders to seek him."

  "You have done well," said de Lumey in a disdainful tone. And hewent away.

  Then Tres-Long approached the scaffold.

  "Young Fleming," he said, "when once you are married, will you stillserve as a soldier in our ships?"

  "Yes, sir," answered Ulenspiegel.

  "But you, my girl, what will you do without your husband?"