The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
"Don't speak that way, because it makes me angry. I will see her gladly
and I do not deny it. Have you ever met a prettier girl?"
"What do I care for her beauty! Better marry her, when she is grown up;
she is the daughter of a mighty _comes_."
Zbyszko's face brightened with a pleasant smile.
"It must be. No other lady, no other wife! When your bones are old, you
shall play with the grandchildren born to her and myself."
Now Macko smiled also and said:
"Grady! Grady![23]---- May they be as numerous as hail. When one is old,
they are his joy; and after death, his salvation. Jesus, grant us this!"
CHAPTER III.
Princess Danuta, Macko and Zbyszko had been in Tyniec before; but in the
train of attendants there were some courtiers who now saw it for the
first time; these greatly admired the magnificent abbey which was
surrounded by high walls built over the rocks and precipices, and stood
on a lofty mountain now shining in the golden rays of the rising sun. The
stately walls and the buildings devoted to various purposes, the gardens
situated at the foot of the mountain and the carefully cultivated fields,
showed immediately the great wealth of the abbey. The people from poor
Mazowsze were amazed. It is true there were other mighty Benedictine
abbeys in other parts of the country; as for instance in Lubusz on Odra,
in Plock, in Wielkopolska, in Mogila and in several other places: but
none of them could compare with the abbey in Tyniec, which was richer
than many principalities, and had an income greater than even the kings
of those times possessed.
Therefore the astonishment increased among the courtiers and some of them
could scarcely believe their own eyes. In the meanwhile, the princess
wishing to make the journey pleasant, and to interest the young ladies,
begged one of the monks to relate the awful story about Walgierz Wdaly
which had been told to her in Krakow, although not very correctly.
Hearing this, the ladies surrounded the princess and walked slowly,
looking in the rays of the sun like moving flowers.
"Let Brother Hidulf tell about Walgierz, who appeared to him on a certain
night," said one of the monks, looking at one of the other monks who was
an old man.
"Pious father, have you seen him with your own eyes?" asked the princess.
"I have seen him," answered the monk gloomily; "there are certain moments
during which, by God's will, he is permitted to leave the underground
regions of hell and show himself to the world."
"When does it happen?"
The old monk looked at the other monks and became silent. There was a
tradition that the ghost of Walgierz appeared when the morals of the
monastic lives became corrupted, and when the monks thought more about
worldly riches and pleasures than was right.
None of them, however, wished to tell this; but it was also said that the
ghost's appearance portended war or some other calamity. Brother Hidulf,
after a short silence, said:
"His appearance does not foretell any good fortune."
"I would not care to see him," said the princess, making the sign of the
cross; "but why is he in hell, if it is true as I heard, that he only
avenged a wrong?"
"Had he been virtuous during his whole life," said the monk sternly, "he
would be damned just the same because he was a heathen, and original sin
was not washed out by baptism."
After those words the princess' brows contracted painfully because she
recollected that her father whom she loved dearly, had died in the
heathen's errors also.
"We are listening," said she, after a short silence.
Brother Hidulf began thus:
During the time of heathenism, there was a mighty _grabia_[24] whose name
was Walgierz, whom on account of his great beauty, they called Wdaly.[25]
This whole country, as far as one can see, belonged to him, and he lead
all the expeditions, the people on foot and a hundred spearmen who were
all _wlodykas_; the men to the east as far as Opole, and to the west as
far as Sandomierz, were his vassals. Nobody was able to count his herds,
and in Tyniec he had a towerful of money the same as the Knights of the
Cross have now in Marienburg."
"Yes, they have, I know it!" interrupted the princess.
"He was a giant," continued the monk. "He was so strong he could dig up
an oak tree by the roots, and nobody in the whole world could compare
with him for beauty, playing on the lute or singing. One time when he was
at the court of a French king, the king's daughter, Helgunda, fell in
love with him, and ran away with him to Tyniec, where they lived together
in sin. No priest would marry them with Christian rites, because
Helgunda's father had promised her to the cloister for the glory of God.
At the same time, there lived in Wislica, Wislaw Piekny,[26] who belonged
to King Popiel's family. He, while Walgierz Wdaly was absent, devastated
the county around Tyniec. Walgierz when he returned overpowered Wislaw
and imprisoned him in Tyniec. He did not take into consideration this
fact: that every woman as soon as she saw Wislaw, was ready immediately
to leave father, mother and even husband, if she could only satisfy her
passion. This happened to Helgunda. She immediately devised such fetters
for Walgierz, that that giant, although he could pluck an oak up by its
roots, was unable to break them. She gave him to Wislaw, who took and
imprisoned him in Wislica. There Rynga, Wislaw's sister, having heard
Walgierz singing in his underground cell, soon fell in love with him and
set him at liberty. He then killed Wislaw and Helgunda with the sword,
left their bodies for the crows, and returned to Tyniec with Rynga."
"Was it not right, what he did?" asked the princess.
Brother Hidulf answered:
"Had he received baptism and given Tyniec to the Benedictines, perhaps
God would have forgiven his sins; but he did not do this, therefore the
earth has devoured him."
"Were the Benedictines in this kingdom at that time?"
"No, the Benedictines were not here; only the heathen lived here then."
"How then could he receive baptism, or give up Tyniec?"
"He could not; and that is exactly why he was sent to hell to endure
eternal torture," answered the monk with authority.
"Sure! He speaks rightly!" several voices were heard to say.
In the meanwhile they approached the principal gate of the monastery,
where the abbot with numerous monks and noblemen, was awaiting the
princess. There were always many lay people in the cloister: land
stewards, barristers and procurators. Many noblemen, even powerful
_wlodykas_, held in fief from the monastery numerous estates; and these,
as "vassals," were glad to pass their time at the court of their
"suzerain," where near the main altar it was easy to obtain some gift and
many benefits. Therefore the "_abbas centum villarum_"[27] could greet
the princess with a numerous retinue.
He was a man of great stature, with a thin, intelligent face; his head
was shaved on the top with a fringe of grey hair beneath. He had a deep
scar on his forehead, which he had evidently received during his youth
when he performed knightly deeds. His eyes looked penetratingly from
beneath dark eyebrows. He wore a monk's dress similar to that worn by the
other monks, but over it he wore a black mantle, lined with purple;
around his neck was a gold chain from which was hanging a gold cross set
with precious stones. His whole figure betrayed a proud man, accustomed
to command and one who had confidence in himself.
But he greeted the princess affably and even humbly, because he
remembered that her husband belonged to the family of the princes of
Mazowsze, from which came the kings, Wladyslaw and Kazimierz; and that
her mother was the reigning queen of one of the most powerful kingdoms in
the world. Therefore he passed the threshold of the gate, bowed low, and
then having made the sign of the cross over Anna Danuta and over her
court, he said;
"Welcome, gracious lady, to the threshold of this poor monastery. May
Saint Benedictus of Nursja, Saint Maurus, Saint Bonifacius, Saint
Benedictus of Aniane and also Jean of Tolomeia--our patrons living in
eternal glory,--give you health and happiness, and bless you seven times
a day during the remainder of your life."
"They would be deaf, if they did not hear the words of such a great
abbot," said the princess affably; "we came here to hear mass, during
which we will place ourselves under their protection."
Having said this she stretched her hand toward him, which he falling upon
one knee, kissed in knightly manner. Then they passed through the gate.
The monks were waiting to celebrate mass, because immediately the bells
were rung; the trumpeters blew near the church door in honor of the
princess. Every church used to make a great impression on the princess
who had not been born in a Christian country. The church in Tyniec
impressed her greatly, because there were very few churches that could
rival it in magnificence. Darkness filled the church except at the main
altar where many lights were shining, brightening the carvings and
gildings. A monk, dressed in a chasuble, came from the vestry, bowed to
the princess and commenced mass. Then the smoke from the fragrant incense
arose, veiled the priest and the altar, and mounted in quiet clouds to
the vaulted ceiling, increasing the solemn beauty of the church. Anna
Danuta bent her head and prayed fervently. But when an organ, rare in
those times, began to shake the nave with majestic thunderings, filling
it with angelic voices, then the princess raised her eyes, and her face
expressed, beside devotion and fear, a boundless delight; and one looking
at her would take her for some saint, who sees in a marvelous vision, the
open heaven.
Thus prayed Kiejstut's daughter, who born in heathenism, in everyday life
mentioned God's name just as everybody else did in those times,
familiarly; but in the Lord's house she used to raise her eyes with fear
and humility, toward his secret and unmeasurable power.
The whole court, although with less humility, prayed devoutly. Zbyszko
knelt among the Mazurs, and committed himself to God's protection. From
time to time he glanced at Danusia who was sitting beside the princess;
he considered it an honor to be the knight of such a girl, and that his
vow was not a trifle. He had already girded his sides with a hempen rope,
but this was only half of his vow; now it was necessary to fulfill the
other half which was more difficult. Consequently now, when he was more
serious than when in the inn drinking beer, he was anxious to discover
how he could fulfill it. There was no war. But amidst the disturbances on
the frontier, it was possible to meet some Germans, and either kill them
or lay down his own life.
He had told this to Macko. But he thought: "Not every German wears
peacock or ostrich feathers on his helmet. Only a few among the guests of
the Knights of the Cross are counts, and the Knights of the Cross
themselves are only _comthurs_; and not every one of them is a _comthur_
either. If there be no war, then years may pass before I shall get those
three crests; I have not been knighted yet and can challenge only those
who are not knights like myself. It is true I expect to receive the
girdle of a knight from the king's hands during the tournaments, which
have been announced to take place during the christening, but what will
happen then? I will go to Jurand of Spychow; he will help me kill as many
_knechts_[28] as possible; but that will benefit me little. The _knechts_
are not knights, with peacock feathers on their heads."
Therefore in his uncertainty, seeing that without God's special favor, he
could do nothing, he began to pray:
"Jesus, grant a war between the Knights of the Cross and the Germans who