The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
came out, looking so beautiful that he dazzled Jagienka, as much as he
did the first time he went to Zgorzelice in his white _jaka_. She
regretted that this handsome knight was not hers, and that he was in love
with another girl.
Macko was pleased because he thought that the abbot could not help liking
Zbyszko and would be more lenient during their business transaction. He
was so much pleased with this idea, that he determined to go also.
"Order the servants to prepare a wagon," said he to Zbyszko. "If I could
travel from Krakow to Bogdaniec with an iron in my side, surely I can go
now to Zgorzelice."
"If you only will not faint," said Jagienka.
"Ej! I will be all right, because I feel stronger already. And even if I
faint, the abbot will see that I hastened to meet him, and will be more
generous."
"I prefer your health to his generosity!" said Zbyszko.
But Macko was persistent and started for Zgorzelice. On the road he
moaned a little, but he continued to give Zbyszko advice; he told him how
to act in Zgorzelice, and especially recommended him to be obedient and
humble in the presence of their mighty relative, who never would suffer
the slightest opposition.
When they came to Zgorzelice, they found Zych and the abbot sitting in
front of the house, looking at the beautiful country, and drinking wine.
Behind them, near the wall, sat six men of the abbot's retinue; two of
them were _rybalts_; one was a pilgrim, who could easily be distinguished
by his curved stick and dark mantle; the others looked like seminarists
because their heads were shaved, but they wore lay clothing, girdles of
ox leather, and swords.
When Zych perceived Macko coming in the wagon, he rushed toward him; but
the abbot, evidently remembering his spiritual dignity, remained seated,
and began to say something to his seminarists. Zbyszko and Zych conducted
the sick Macko toward the house.
"I am not well yet," said Macko, kissing the abbot's hand, "but I came to
bow to you, my benefactor; to thank you for your care of Bogdaniec, and
to beg you for a benediction, which is most necessary for a sinful man."
"I heard you were better," said the abbot, placing his hand on Macko's
head; "and that you had promised to go to the grave of our late queen."
"Not knowing which saint's protection to ask for, I made a vow to her."
"You did well!" said the abbot, enthusiastically; "she is better than all
the others, if one only dare beseech her!"
In a moment his face became flushed with anger, his cheeks filled with
blood, his eyes began to sparkle.
They were so used to his impetuosity, that Zych began to laugh and
exclaimed:
"Strike, who believes in God!"
As for the abbot, he puffed loudly, and looked at those present; then
laughed suddenly, and having looked at Zbyszko, he asked:
"Is that your nephew and my relation?"
Zbyszko bent and kissed his hand.
"I saw him when he was a small boy; I did not recognize him," said the
abbot. "Show yourself!" And he began to look at him from head to foot,
and finally said:
"He is too handsome! It is a girl, not a knight!"
"To this Macko replied:
"That girl used to go to dancing parties with the Germans; but those who
took her, fell down and did not rise again."
"And he can stretch a crossbow without a crank!" exclaimed Jagienka.
The abbot turned toward her:
"Ah! Are you here?"
She blushed so much that her neck and ears became red, and answered:
"I saw him do it."
"Look out then, that he does not shoot you, because you will be obliged
to nurse yourself for a long time."
At this the _rybalts_, the pilgrim and the seminarists broke out with
great laughter, which confused Jagienka still more; the abbot took pity
on her, and having raised his arm, he showed her his enormous sleeve, and
said:
"Hide here, my dear girl!"
Meanwhile Zych assisted Macko to the bench and ordered some wine for him.
Jagienka went to get it. The abbot turned to Zbyszko and began to talk
thus:
"Enough of joking! I compared you to a girl, not to humiliate you, but to
praise your beauty, of which many girls would be proud. But I know that
you are a man! I have heard about your deeds at Wilno, about the Fryzes,
and about Krakow. Zych has told me all about it, understand!"
Here he began to look intently into Zbyszko's eyes, and after a while he
said:
"If you have promised three peacocks' tufts, then search for them! It is
praiseworthy and pleasing to God to persecute the foes of our nation.
But, if you have promised something else, I will release you from the
vow."
"Hej!" said Zbyszko; "when a man promises something in his soul to the
Lord Jesus, who has the power to release him?"
Macko looked with fear at the abbot; but evidently he was in an excellent
humor, because instead of becoming angry, he threatened Zbyszko with his
finger and said:
"How clever you are! But you must be careful that you do not meet the
same fate that the German, Beyhard, did."
"What happened to him?" asked Zych.
"They burned him on a pile."
"What for?"
"Because he used to say that a layman could understand God's secrets as
well as the clergy."
"They punished him severely!"
"But righteously!" shouted the abbot, "because he had blasphemed against
the Holy Ghost. What do you think? Is a layman able to interpret any of
God's secrets?"
"He cannot by any means!" exclaimed the wandering seminarists, together.
"Keep quiet, you _shpilmen_!" said the abbot; "you are not ecclesiastics,
although your heads are shaved."
"We are not '_shpilmen_,' but courtiers of Your Grace," answered one of
them, looking toward a large bucket from which the smell of hops and malt
was filling the air.
"Look! He is talking from a barrel!" exclaimed the abbot. "Hej, you
shaggy one! Why do you look at the bucket? You will not find any Latin at
the bottom of that."
"I am not looking for Latin, but for beer; but I cannot find any."
The abbot turned toward Zbyszko, who was looking with astonishment at
such courtiers as these, and said:
"They are _clerici scholares_;[83] but every one of them prefers to throw
his books aside, and taking his lute, wander through the world. I shelter
and nourish them; what else can I do? They are good for nothing, but they
know how to sing and they are familiar with God's service; therefore I
have some benefit out of them in my church, and in case of need, they
will defend me, because some of them are fierce fellows! This pilgrim
says that he was in the Holy Land; but I have asked him in vain about
some of the seas and countries; he does not know even the name of the
Greek emperor nor in what city he lives."
"I did know," said the pilgrim, in a hoarse voice; "but the fever I
caught at the Danube, shook everything out of me."
"What surprises me most is, that they wear swords, being wandering
seminarists," said Zbyszko.
"They are allowed to wear them," said the abbot, "because they have not
received orders yet; and there is no occasion for anyone to wonder
because I wear a sword even though I am an abbot. A year ago I challenged
Wilk of Brzozowa to fight for the forests which you passed; but he did
not appear."
"How could he fight with one of the clergy?" interrupted Zych.
At this the abbot became angry, struck the table with his fist, and
exclaimed:
"When I wear armor, then I am not a priest, but a nobleman! He did not
come because he preferred to have his servants attack me in Tulcza. That
is why I wear a sword: _Omnes leges, omniaque iura vim vi repellere
cunctisque sese defensare permittunt!_ That is why I gave them their
swords."
Hearing the Latin, Zych, Macko and Zbyszko became silent and bent their
heads before the abbot's wisdom, because they did not understand a word
of it; as for the abbot, he looked very angry for a while, and then he
said:
"Who knows but what he will attack me even here?"
"Owa! Let him come!" exclaimed the wandering seminarists, seizing the
hilts of their swords.
"I would like to have him attack me! I am longing for a fight."
"He will not do that," said Zych. "It is more likely that he will come to
bow to you. He gave up the forests, and now he is anxious about his son.
You know! But he can wait a long time!"
Meanwhile the abbot became quieted and said:
"I saw young Wilk drinking with Cztan of Rogow in an inn in Krzesnia.
They did not recognize us at once, because it was dark; they were talking
about Jagienka."
Here he turned to Zbyszko:
"And about you, too."
"What do they want from me?"
"They do not want anything from you; but they do not like it that there
is a third young man near Zgorzelice. Cztan said to Wilk: 'After I tan
his skin, he will not be so smooth.' And Wilk said: 'Perhaps he will be
afraid of us; if not, I will break his bones!' Then they assured each
other that you would be afraid of them."
Hearing this Macko looked at Zych, and Zych looked at him; their faces
expressed great cunning and joy. Neither of them was sure whether the
abbot had really heard such a conversation, or whether he was only saying
this to excite Zbyszko; but they both knew, and Macko especially, that
there was no better way to incite Zbyszko to try to win Jagienka.
The abbot added deliberately:
"It is true, they are fierce fellows!"
Zbyszko did not show any excitement; but he asked in a strange tone that
did not sound like his voice:
"To-morrow is Sunday?"
"Yes, Sunday."
"You will go to church?"
"Yes!"
"Where? to Krzesnia?"
"That is the nearest!"
"Well, all right then!"
CHAPTER IX.
Zybszko, having joined Zych and Jagienka, who were accompanying the abbot
and his retinue to Krzesnia, rode with them, because he wanted to show
the abbot that he was afraid neither of Wilk of Brzozowa, nor of Cztan of
Rogow. He was again surprised at Jagienka's beauty. He had often seen her
in Zgorzelice and Bogdaniec, dressed beautifully; but never had she
looked as she did now when going to church. Her cloak was made of red
broadcloth, lined with ermine; she wore red gloves, and on her head was a
little hood embroidered with gold, from beneath which two braids fell
down on her shoulders. She was not sitting on the horse astride, but on a
high saddle which had an arm and a little bench for her feet, which
scarcely showed from beneath her long skirt. Zych permitted the girl to
dress in a sheepskin overcoat and high-legged boots when at home, but
required that for church she should be dressed not like the daughter of a
poor _wlodyczka_,[84] but like the _panna_ of a mighty nobleman. Two
boys, dressed like pages, conducted her horse. Four servants were riding
behind with the abbot's seminarists, who were armed with swords and
carried their lutes. Zbyszko admired all the retinue, but especially
Jagienka, who looked like a picture. The abbot, who was dressed in a red
cloak, having enormous sleeves, resembled a traveling prince. The most
modest dress was worn by Zych, who requiring magnificent display for the
others, for himself cared only for singing and joy.
Zych, Zbyszko, Jagienka and the abbot rode together. At first the abbot
ordered his _shpilmen_ to sing some church songs; afterward, when he was
tired of their songs, he began to talk with Zbyszko, who smiled at his
enormous sword, which was as large as a two-handed German sword.
"I see," said he gravely, "that you wonder at my sword; the synod permits
a clergyman to wear a sword during a journey, and I am traveling. When
the holy father forbade the ecclesiastics to wear swords and red dresses,
most assuredly he meant the men of low birth, because God intended that
noblemen should wear arms; and he who would dare to take this right from
a nobleman, would oppose His eternal will."