The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
"It will not be according to your will. They will cut off your head just
the same."
These words angered Zbyszko, and he wondered if it would be proper to
challenge the _bojarzynek_[55] for a fight either on horseback or on
foot, with swords or with axes; but he stifled this desire. He dropped
his head sadly and surrounded by the archers, went silently to the tower.
In the meanwhile everybody's attention in the dining hall was turned to
Danusia, who became pale with fright. She stood motionless like a wax
figure in a church. But when she heard that they were going to execute
Zbyszko, then she was seized with great fear; her mouth quivered and at
once she began to cry so loudly and so pitifully, that all faces turned
toward her and the king himself asked her:
"What is the matter with thee?"
"Gracious king!" said the Princess Anna, "she is the daughter of Jurand
of Spychow and this unhappy knight made a vow to her. He promised her to
tear three peacock tufts from the helmets of the Germans, and having
noticed such a tuft on the helmet of this _comthur_, he thought that God
himself had sent the Krzyzak. He did not attack him, lord, through
malice, but through stupidity; therefore be merciful and do not punish
him, we beseech you on our knees!"
Having said this she arose, seized Danusia by the hand, and rushed with
her toward the king, who seeing this began to retire. But both kneeled
before him and Danusia began to cry;
"Forgive Zbyszko, king, forgive Zbyszko!"
Because she was afraid, she hid her fair head between the folds of the
king's dress, kissed his knees and trembled like a leaf. Anna Ziemowitowa
kneeled on the other side and having clasped her hands, looked at the
king on whose face there was visible great perplexity. He retired toward
the chair, but did not push Danusia back, only waved his hands.
"Do not trouble me!" he cried. "The youth is guilty; he has brought
disgrace on the country! They must execute him!"
But the little hands clung closer and closer to his knees and the child
cried more and more pitifully:
"Forgive Zbyszko, king, forgive Zbyszko!"
Now the voices of some knights were heard to exclaim:
"Jurand of Spychow is a famous knight, and the cause of awe to the
Germans."
"And that youth fought bravely at Wilno!" added Powala.
But the king excused himself further, although he pitied Danusia.
"He is not guilty toward me and it is not I who can forgive him. Let the
envoy of the Order pardon him, then I will pardon him also; but if the
envoy will not, then he must die."
"Forgive him, sir!" exclaimed both of the princesses.
"Forgive, forgive!" repeated the voices of the knights.
Kuno closed his eyes and sat with uplifted forehead, as if he was
delighted to see both princesses and such famous knights entreating him.
Then his appearance changed; he dropped his head, crossed his hands on
his breast and from a proud man became a humble one, and said with a
soft, mild voice:
"Christ, our Saviour, forgave his enemies and even the malefactor on the
cross."
"He is a true knight!" said Bishop Wysz.
"He is, he is!"
"How can I refuse to forgive," continued Kuno, "being not only a
Christian, but also a monk? Therefore I forgive him with all my heart, as
Christ's servant and friar!"
"Honor to him!" shouted Powala of Taczew.
"Honor!" repeated the others.
"But," said the Krzyzak, "I am here among you as an envoy and I carry in
me the majesty of the whole Order which is Christ's Order. Whosoever
offends me, therefore, offends the Order; and whosoever offends the
Order, offends Christ himself; and such an offence, I, in the presence of
God and the people, cannot forgive; and if your law does not punish it,
let all Christian lords know."
After these words, there was a profound silence. Then after a while there
could be heard here and there the gnashing of teeth, the heavy breathing
of suppressed wrath and Danusia's sobbings.
By evening all hearts were in sympathy with Zbyszko. The same knights who
in the morning were ready to cut him into pieces, were now considering
how they could help him. The princesses determined to see the queen, and
beseech her to prevail upon Lichtenstein to withdraw his complaint; or if
necessary to write to the grand master of the Order, and ask him to
command Kuno to give up the case. This plan seemed to be the best because
Jadwiga was regarded with such unusual respect that if the grand master
refused her request, it would make the pope angry and also all Christian
lords. It was not likely that he would refuse because Konrad von
Jungingen was a peaceable man. Unfortunately Bishop Wysz of Krakow, who
was also the queen's physician, forbade them to mention even a word about
this affair to the queen. "She never likes to hear about death
sentences," he said, "and she takes even the question of a simple
robber's death too seriously; she will worry much more if she hear about
this young man who hopes to obtain mercy from her. But such anxiety will
make her seriously ill, and her health is worth more to the whole kingdom
than ten knightly heads." He finally said that if anyone should dare,
notwithstanding what he had said, to disturb the queen, on that one he
would cause the king's anger to rest and then he threatened such an one
with excommunication.
Both princesses were frightened at such menace and determined to be
silent before the queen; but instead to beseech the king until he showed
some mercy. The whole court and all the knights sympathized with Zbyszko.
Powala of Taczew declared that he would tell the whole truth; but that he
would also speak in favor of the young man, because the whole affair was
only an instance of childish impetuousness. But notwithstanding all this,
everybody could see, and the castellan, Jasko of Tenczyn made it known,
that if the Krzyzak was unrelenting, then the severe law must be
fulfilled.
Therefore the knights were still more indignant against Lichtenstein and
they all thought and even said frankly: "He is an envoy and cannot be
called to the lists; but when he returns to Malborg, God will not permit
that he die a natural death." They were not talking in vain, because a
knight who wore the girdle was not permitted to say even one word without
meaning it, and the knight who vowed anything, was obliged to accomplish
his vow or perish. Powala was the most implacably angry because he had a
beloved daughter of Danusia's age in Taczew, and Danusia's tears made his
heart tender.
Consequently, that same day, he went to see Zbyszko, in his underground
cell, commanded him to have hope, and told him about the princesses'
prayers and about Danusia's tears. Zbyszko having learned that the girl
threw herself at the king's feet for his sake, was moved to tears, and
wishing to express his gratitude, said, wiping his tears with his hand:
"Hej! may God bless her, and permit me as soon as possible to engage in a
combat, either on horseback or on foot, for her sake! I did not promise
Germans enough to her! To such a lady, I ought to vow as many as she has
years. If the Lord Jesus will only release me from this tower, I will not
be niggardly with her!" He raised his eyes, full of gratitude.
"First promise something to some church," advised the _Pan_ of Taczew;
"if your promise is pleasing, you will surely soon be free. Now listen;
your uncle went to see Lichtenstein, and I will go see him also. It will
be no shame for you to ask his pardon, because you are guilty; and then
you do not ask for pardon of Lichtenstein, but an envoy. Are you ready?"
"As soon as such a knight as your grace tells me it is proper, I will do
it. But if he require me to ask him for pardon in the same way he asked
us to do it, on the road from Tyniec, then let them cut off my head. My
uncle will remain and he will avenge me when the envoy's mission is
ended."
"We shall hear first what he says to Macko," answered Powala.
And Macko really went to see the German; but he returned as gloomy as the
night and went directly to the king, to whom he was presented by the
castellan, himself. The king received Macko kindly because he had been
appeased; when Macko kneeled, he immediately told him to arise, asking
what he wished.
"Gracious lord," said Macko, "there was an offence, there must be a
punishment; otherwise, there would be no law in the world. But I am also
guilty because I did not try to restrain the natural impetuosity of that
youth; I even praised him for it. It is my fault, gracious king, because
I often told him: 'First cut, and then look to see whom you have hurt.'
That was right in war, but wrong at the court! But he is a man, pure as
gold, the last of our family!"
"He has brought shame upon me and upon my kingdom," said the king; "shall
I be gracious to him for that?"
Macko was silent, because when he thought about Zbyszko, grief
overpowered him; after a long silence, he began to talk in a broken
voice:
"I did not know that I loved him so well; I only know it now when
misfortune has come. I am old and he is last of the family. If he
perish--we perish! Merciful king and lord, have pity on our family!"
Here Macko kneeled again and having stretched out his arms wasted by war,
he spoke with tears:
"We defended Wilno; God gave us honest booty; to whom shall I leave it?
If the Krzyzak requires punishment, let punishment come; but permit me to
suffer it. What do I care for life without Zbyszko! He is young; let him
redeem the land and beget children, as God ordered man to do. The Krzyzak
will not ask whose head was cut off, if there is one cut. There will be
no shame on the family. It is difficult for a man to die; but it is
better that one man perish than that a family should be destroyed."
Speaking thus he clasped the king's legs; the king began to wink his
eyes, which was a sign of emotion with him; finally he said:
"It can not be! I cannot condemn to death a belted knight! It cannot be!
It cannot be!"
"And there would be no justice in it," added the castellan. "The law will
crush the guilty one; but it is not a monster, which does not look to see
whose blood is being shed. And you must consider what shame would fall on
your family, if your nephew agreed to your proposal. It would be
considered a disgrace, not only to him, but to his children also."
To this Macko replied:
"He would not agree. But if it were done without his knowledge, he would
avenge me, even as I also will avenge him."
"Ha!" said Tenczynski, "persuade the Krzyzak to withdraw the complaint."
"I have asked him."
"And what?" asked the king, stretching his neck; "what did he say?"
"He answered me thus: 'You ought to have asked me for pardon on the road
to Tyniec; you would not then; now I will not.'"
"And why didn't you do it?"
"Because he required us to dismount and apologize on foot."
The king having put his hair behind his ears, commenced to say something
when a courtier entered to announce that the Knight of Lichtenstein was
asking for an audience.
Having heard this, Jagiello looked at Jasko of Tenczyn, then at Macko. He
ordered them to remain, perhaps with the hope that he would be able to
take advantage of this opportunity and using his kingly authority, bring
the affair to an end.
Meanwhile the Krzyzak entered, bowed to the king, and said:
"Gracious lord! Here is the written complaint about the insult which I
suffered in your kingdom."
"Complain to him," answered the king, pointing to Jasko of Tenczyn.
The Krzyzak, looking directly into the king's face, said:
"I know neither your laws nor your courts; I only know, that an envoy of
the Order can complain only to the king."
Jagiello's small eyes flashed with impatience; he stretched out his hand