diff options
Diffstat (limited to '40004.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 40004.txt | 13194 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 13194 deletions
diff --git a/40004.txt b/40004.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 21430a1..0000000 --- a/40004.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13194 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Legend of Ulenspiegel, Vol. II (of 2), by -Charles de Coster - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Legend of Ulenspiegel, Vol. II (of 2) - And Lamme Goedzak, and their Adventures Heroical, Joyous - and Glorious in the Land of Flanders and Elsewhere - -Author: Charles de Coster - -Translator: F. M. Atkinson - John Hero Lepper - -Release Date: June 15, 2012 [EBook #40004] -Last Updated: July 3, 2016 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LEGEND OF ULENSPIEGEL, VOL II *** - - - - -Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project -Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously -made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - THE LEGEND OF ULENSPIEGEL - - And Lamme Goedzak, and their Adventures - Heroical, Joyous and Glorious - in the Land of Flanders and Elsewhere - - By - CHARLES DE COSTER - - Translated by - F. M. Atkinson - - - - Vol. II - - - - 1922 - - London: William Heinemann - - - - - - - -CONTENTS - - - Page - - Book III 1 - Book IV 197 - Book V 305 - - - - - - - - THE LEGEND OF ULENSPIEGEL AND LAMME GOEDZAK - - AND THEIR ADVENTURES HEROICAL, JOYOUS, - AND GLORIOUS IN THE LAND OF - FLANDERS AND ELSEWHERE. - - -BOOK III - - -I - -He goes away, the Silent One, God guideth him. - -The two counts have been seized already; Alba promises the Silent -One lenity and pardon if he will present himself before him. - -At this news, Ulenspiegel said to Lamme: "The Duke summons, at the -instance of Dubois, the procurator general, the Prince of Orange, -Ludwig his brother, De Hoogstraeten, Van den Bergh, Culembourg, -de Brederode, and other friends of the Prince's, to appear before -him within thrice fourteen days, promising them good justice and -grace. Listen, Lamme, and hearken: One day a Jew of Amsterdam summoned -one of his enemies to come down into the street; the summoner was on -the pavement and the summoned at a window. - -"'Come down, then,' said the summoner to the summoned, 'and I will -give thee such a cuff on the head with my fist that it will tumble -into thy breast, and thou shalt look through thy ribs like a thief -through the bars of his prison.' - -"The summoned replied: 'Even if thou wast to promise me an hundredfold -more, I would not come down even then.' And so may Orange and the -others answer." - -And they did so, refusing to appear. Egmont and de Hoorn did not follow -their example. And weakness in duty evokes the hour of God and fate. - - - - - -II - -At this time were beheaded on the Horse Market at Brussels the sires -d'Andelot, the sons of Battemberg and other renowned and valiant lords, -that had wished to seize Amsterdam by surprise. - -And while they were going to execution, being eighteen in number, -and singing hymns, the drummers drummed before and behind, all along -the way. - -And the Spanish troopers escorting them and carrying blazing torches -burned their bodies with them all over. And when they writhed because -of the pain, the troopers would say: "What now, Lutherans, does that -hurt then to be burned so soon?" - -And he that had betrayed them was called Dierick Slosse, who brought -them to Enkhuyse, that was still Catholic, to hand them over to the -duke's catchpolls. - -And they died valiantly. - -And the king inherited. - - - - - -III - -"Didst thou see him go by?" said Ulenspiegel, clad as a woodman, -to Lamme similarly accoutred. "Didst thou see the foul duke with his -forehead flat above like an eagle's, and his long beard like a rope end -dangling from a gallows? May God strangle him with it! Didst thou see -that spider with his long hairy legs that Satan vomiting spat out upon -our country? Come, Lamme, come; we will fling stones into his web...." - -"Alas!" said Lamme, "we shall be burned alive." - -"Come to Groenendal, my dear friend; come to Groenendal, there is a -noble cloister whither His Spiderly Dukishness goes to pray to the God -of peace to allow him to perfect his work, which is to rejoice his -black spirits wallowing in carrion. We are in Lent, and it is only -blood from which His Dukishness has no mind to fast. Come, Lamme, -there are five hundred armed horsemen roundabout the house of Ohain; -three hundred footmen have set out in little bands and are entering -the forest of Soignes. - -"Presently, when Alba is at his devotions, we shall run out upon him, -and having taken him, we shall put him in a good iron cage and send -him to the prince." - -But Lamme, shivering in anguish: - -"A great risk, my son," he said to Ulenspiegel. "A great risk! I would -follow you in this emprise were not my legs so weak, if my belly was -not so blown out by reason of the thin sour beer they drink in this -town of Brussels." - -This discourse was held in a hole dug in the earth in a wood, in the -middle of the undergrowth. Suddenly, looking through the leaves as -though out of a burrow, they saw the yellow and red coats of the -Duke's troopers, whose weapons glittered in the sun and who were -going afoot through the wood. - -"We are betrayed," said Ulenspiegel. - -When he saw the troopers no more, he ran at top speed as far as -Ohain. The troopers let him pass without noticing him, because of -his woodcutter's clothes and the load of wood he carried on his -back. There he found the horsemen waiting; he spread the news, all -scattered and escaped except the sire de Bausart d'Armentieres who -was taken. As for the footmen that were coming from Brussels, they -could not find a single one. - -And it was a cowardly traitor in the regiment of the Sieur de Likes -that betrayed them all. - -The Sire de Bausart paid cruelly for the others. - -Ulenspiegel went, his heart beating wildly with anguish, to see his -cruel punishment in the Cattle Market at Brussels. - -And poor d'Armentieres, put upon the wheel, received thirty-seven -blows of an iron bar on legs, arms, feet, and hands, which were -broken to pieces one by one, for the murderers desired to see him -suffer terribly. - -And he received the thirty-seventh on the breast, and of that one -he died. - - - - - -IV - -On a June day, bright and sweet, there was erected at Brussels, -on the marketplace in front of the City Hall, a scaffold covered -with black draperies, and hard by two tall stakes with iron spiked -ends. Upon the scaffold were two black cushions and a little table -on which there was a silver crucifix. - -And on this scaffold were put to death by the sword the noble counts -of Egmont and of Hoorn. And the king inherited. - -And the ambassador of Francois, the first of that name, said, speaking -of Egmont: - -"I have just seen the head cut from off the man that twice caused -France to tremble." - -And the heads of the counts were set on the iron spikes. - -And Ulenspiegel said to Lamme: - -"The bodies and the blood are covered with black cloth. Blessed be -they that shall hold their heart high and the sword straight in the -black days that are at hand!" - - - - - -V - -At this time the Silent One gathered an army and invaded the Low -Countries from three sides. - -And Ulenspiegel said at a meeting of Wild Beggars at Marenhout: - -"Upon the advice of the Inquisitors, Philip, the king, has declared -each and every inhabitant of the Low Countries guilty of treason -through heresy, both for adherence to it and for not having opposed -it, and in consideration of this execrable crime, condemns them all, -without respect to sex or age, excepting those that are expressly -noted by name, to the penalties attached to such misdemeanours; -and that without hope of grace. The king inherits. Death is reaping -throughout the wide rich lands that border on the Northern Sea, -the country of Emden, the river Amise, the countries of Westphalia, -of Cleves, of Juliers and of Liege, the bishoprics of Cologne and -of Treves, the countries of Lorraine and of France. Death is reaping -over a land of three hundred and forty leagues, in two hundred walled -cities, in a hundred and fifty villages holding city rights, in the -countryside in bourgs and plains. The king inherits. - -"It is nowise too much," he went on, "eleven thousand butchers to -do the work. Alba calls them soldiers. And the land of our fathers -has become a charnel house whence the arts are taking flight, which -the trades abandon, whence industries are departing to go and enrich -foreigners, who allow them in their land to worship the God of the -free conscience. Death and Ruin are reaping. The king inherits. - -"The countries had acquired their privileges by dint of money given -to needy princes; these privileges are confiscated. They had hoped, in -accordance with the contracts entered upon and passed between them and -the sovereigns, to enjoy riches as the fruit of their labours. They -are deceived: the mason builds for the fire, the worker toils for -the thief. The king inherits. - -"Blood and tears! death reaps at the stake; upon the trees that serve -as gallows all along the highways; in the open graves wherein poor -girls are thrown alive; in the judicial drownings of the prisons, -in the circles of blazing faggots within which the victims burn by -slow fire, in the wrappings of burning straw in which the victims -die in flame and smoke. The king inherits. - -"So has willed the Pope in Rome. - -"The cities are bursting with spies waiting for their share of the -victims' goods. The richer a man is, the guiltier he is. The king -inherits. - -"But the valiant men of the countries will not suffer themselves to be -slain like lambs. Among those that flee there are armed men that take -shelter in the woods. The monks had denounced them that they might be -slain and their goods seized. And so by night, by day, by bands, like -wild beasts they rush upon the cloisters, and take back from thence the -money stolen from the poor people, in the shape of candelabra, gold -and silver shrines, pyxes, patens, precious vases. Is not that so, -good fellows? They drink from them the wine the monks were keeping -for themselves. The vases melted down or pledged will serve for the -holy war. Long live the Beggars!" - -"They harass the king's soldiers, slay them and strip them, and then -they flee into their dens. Day and night fires are seen lighted and -extinguished, changing place incessantly. They are the fires of our -feastings. For us the game, both fur and feather. We are lords. The -peasants give us bread and bacon when we want it. Lamme, look at -them. Raggedy, fierce, resolute, and proud eyed, they wander about -the woods with their hatchets, halberds, long swords, daggers, pikes, -lances, crossbows, arquebuses, for all weapons are good to them, -and they will never march under ensigns. Long live the Beggars! - -And Ulenspiegel sang: - - - "Slaet op den trommele van dirre dom deyne - Slaet op den trommele van dirre doum, doum. - Beat upon the drum! van dirre dom deyne, - Beat upon the drum of war. - - "Let them tear out his bowels from the Duke! - Let them lash his face with them! - Slaet op den trommele, beat upon the drum - Cursed be the Duke! Death to the murderer. - - "Let him be thrown to dogs! Death to the - Butcher! Long live the Beggars! - Let him be hanged by the tongue - And by the arm, by the tongue that orders, - And by the arm that signs the sentence of death. - - Slaet op den trommele. - Beat upon the war drum. Long live the Beggar! - - "Let the Duke be shut up alive with his victims' bodies! - In the noisome stench - Let him die of the corpse plague! - Beat upon the war drum. Long live the Beggar! - - "Christ from on high look on thy soldiers, - Risking the fire, the rope, - The sword for thy word's sake. - They will deliverance for the land of their fathers. - Slaet op den trommele, van dirre dom deyne. - Beat upon the war drum. Long live the Beggar!" - - -And all set to drinking and shouting: - - - "Long live the Beggar!" - - -And Ulenspiegel, drinking from the gilt tankard of a monk, looked -proudly round on the valiant faces of the Wild Beggars. - -"Wild men," said he, "ye are wolves, lions, and tigers. Eat the dogs -of the bloody king." - -"Long live the Beggar!" said they, singing: - - - "Slaet op den trommele van dirre dom deyne; - Slaet op den trommele van dirre dom dom: - Beat upon the war drum. Long live the Beggar!" - - - - - -VI - -Ulenspiegel, being at Ypres, was recruiting soldiers for the Prince: -pursued by the Duke's catchpolls, he offered himself as beadle to the -provost of Saint Martin. There he had for his companion a bellringer -called Pompilius Numan, a coward of the deepest dye, who at night -took his own shadow for the devil and his shirt for a ghost. - -The provost was fat and plump as a hen fattened just ripe for the -spit. Ulenspiegel soon saw on what grass he grazed to make himself -so much pork. According to what he heard from the bellringer and -saw with his own eyes, the provost dined at nine and supped at four -by the clock. He stayed in bed until half-past eight; then before -dinner he went walking in his church to see if the poor-boxes were -well filled. And the half he put into his own pouch. At nine o'clock -he dined on a bowl of milk, half a leg of mutton, a little heron pie, -and emptied five tankards of Brussels wine. At ten, sucking a few -prunes and washing them down with Orleans wine, he prayed God never to -bring him in the way of gluttony. At noon, he ate, to pass the time, -a wing and rump of a chicken. At one o'clock, thinking of his supper, -he drained a big draught of Spanish wine; then stretching himself -out on his bed, refreshed himself with a little nap. - -Awaking, he would eat a little salted salmon to whet his appetite, -and drink a great tankard of dobbel-knol of Antwerp. Then he would -go down into the kitchen, sit down before the chimney place and the -noble wood fire that flamed in it. There he watched roasting and -browning for the abbey monks a big piece of veal or a well-scalded -little pigling, that he would have eaten more gladly than a piece of -bread. But his appetite was a little wanting. And he would study the -spit, which turned by itself like a miracle. It was the work of Peter -van Steenkiste the smith, who lived in the castellany of Courtrai. The -provost paid him fifteen Paris livres for one of these spits. - -Then he would go up again to his bed, and dozing upon it through -fatigue, he would wake up about three o'clock to gulp in a little -pig jelly washed down with wine of Romagna at two hundred and forty -florins the hogshead. At three he would eat a fledgling chick with -Madeira sugar and empty two glasses of malvoisie at seventeen florins -the keg. At half-past three, he took half a pot of preserves and -washed it down with hydromel. Being now well awaked, he would take -one foot in his hand and rest in meditation. - -The moment of supper being come, the cure of Saint Jean would often -arrive to visit him at this succulent hour. They sometimes disputed -which could eat most fish, poultry, game, and meat. The one that -was quickest filled must pay a dish of carbonadoes for the other, -with three hot wines, four spices, and seven vegetables. - -Thus drinking and eating, they talked together of heretics, being -of opinion anyhow that it was impossible to do away with too many of -them. And then they never fell into any quarrel, except only when they -were discussing the thirty-nine ways of making good soups with beer. - -Then drooping their venerable heads upon their priestly paunches, they -would snore. Sometimes half waking, one of them would say that life in -this world is very sweet and that poor folk are very wrong to complain. - -This was the saintly man whose beadle Ulenspiegel became. He served -him well during mass, not without filling the flagons three times, -twice for himself and once for the provost. The ringer Pompilius -Numan helped him at it on occasion. - -Ulenspiegel, who saw Pompilius so flourishing, paunchy, and full -cheeked, asked him if it was in the provost's service he had laid up -for himself this treasure of enviable health. - -"Aye, my son," replied Pompilius, "but shut the door tight for fear -that one might listen to us." - -Then speaking in a whisper: - -"You know," said he, "that our master the provost loveth all wines -and beers, all meats and fowl, with a surpassing love. And so he locks -his meats in a cupboard and his wines in a cellar, the keys of which -are ever in his pouch. And he sleeps with his hand on them.... By -night when he sleeps I go and take his keys from his pouch and put -them back again, not without trembling, my son, for if he knew my -crime he would have me boiled alive." - -"Pompilius," said Ulenspiegel, "it needs not to take all that trouble, -but the keys one time only; I shall make keys on this pattern and we -shall leave the others on the paunch of the good provost." - -"Make them, my son," said Pompilius. - -Ulenspiegel made the keys; as soon as he and Pompilius judged -about eight of the clock in the evening that the good provost was -asleep they would go down and take what they chose of meats and -bottles. Ulenspiegel would carry two bottles and Pompilius the meats, -because Pompilius always was trembling like a leaf, and hams and legs -of mutton do not break in falling. They took possession of fowl more -than once before they were cooked, which brought about the accusation -of several cats belonging to the neighbourhood, which were done to -death for the crime. - -They went thereafter into the Ketel-straat, which is the street of -the bona robas. There they spared nothing, giving liberally to their -dears smoked beef and ham, saveloys and poultry, and gave them wine -of Orleans and Romagna to drink, and Ingelsche bier, which they called -ale on the other side of the sea, and which they poured in floods down -the fresh throats of the pretty ladies. And they were paid in caresses. - -However, one morning after dinner the provost sent for both of -them. He had a formidable look, sucking a marrow bone in soup, not -without anger. - -Pompilius was trembling in his shoes, and his belly was shaken with -fear. Ulenspiegel, keeping quiet, felt at the cellar keys in his -pocket with pleased satisfaction. - -The provost, addressing him, said: - -"Someone is drinking my wine and eating my fowl, is it thou, my son?" - -"No," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"And this ringer," said the provost, pointing to Pompilius, "hath not -he dipped his hands in this crime, for he is pallid as a dying man, -assuredly because the stolen wine is poison to him." - -"Alas! Messire," answered Ulenspiegel, "you wrongly accuse your ringer, -for if he is pale, it is not from having drunk wine, but for want -of drinking enough, from which cause he is so loosened that if he is -not stopped his very soul will escape by streams into his shoes." - -"The poor we have always with us," said the provost, taking a deep -draught of wine from his tankard. "But tell me, my son, if thou, -who hast the eyes of a lynx, hast not seen the robbers?" - -"I will keep good watch for them, Messire Provost," replied -Ulenspiegel. - -"May God have you both in his joy, my children," said the provost, -"and live soberly. For it is from intemperance that many evils come -upon us in this vale of tears. Go in peace." - -And he blessed them. - -And he sucked another marrow bone in soup, and drank another great -draught of wine. - -Ulenspiegel and Pompilius went out from him. - -"This scurvy fellow," said Ulenspiegel, "would not have given you a -single drop of his wine to drink. It will be blessed bread to steal -more from him still. But what ails you that you are shivering?" - -"My shoes are full of water," said Pompilius. - -"Water dries quickly, my son," said Ulenspiegel. "But be merry, -to-night there will be flagon music in the Ketel-straat. And we will -fill up the three night watchmen, who will watch the town with snores." - -Which was done. - -However, they were close to Saint Martin's day: the church was adorned -for the feast. Ulenspiegel and Pompilius went in by night, shut the -doors close, lit all the wax candles, took a viol and bagpipe, and -began to play on these instruments all they might. And the candles -flared like suns. But that was not all. Their task being done, they -went to the provost, whom they found afoot, in spite of the late hour, -munching a thrush, drinking Rhenish wine and opening both eyes to -see the church windows lit up. - -"Messire Provost," said Ulenspiegel to him, "would you know who eats -your meats and drinks your wines?" - -"And this illumination," said the provost, pointing to the windows -of the church. "Ah! Lord God, dost thou allow Master Saint Martin -thus to burn, by night and without paying, poor monks' wax candles?" - -"He is doing something besides, Messire Provost," said Ulenspiegel, -"but come." - -The provost took his crozier and followed with them; they went into -the church. - -There, he saw, in the middle of the great nave, all the saints come -down from their niches, ranged round and as it seemed commanded -by Saint Martin, who out-topped them all by a head, and from the -forefinger of his hand, outstretched to bless, held up a roast -turkey. The others had in their hands or were lifting to their mouths -pieces of chicken or goose, sausages, hams, fish raw and cooked, -and among other things a pike weighing full fourteen pounds. And -every one had at his feet a flask of wine. - -At this sight the provost, losing himself wholly in anger, became -so red and his face was so congested, that Pompilius and Ulenspiegel -thought he would burst, but the provost, without paying any heed to -them, went straight up to Saint Martin, threatening him as if he would -have laid the crime of the others to his charge, tore the turkey away -from his finger and struck him such heavy blows that he broke his arm, -his nose, his crozier, and his mitre. - -As for the others, he did not spare them bangs and thumps, and more -than one under his blows laid aside arms, hands, mitre, crozier, -scythe, axes, gridirons, saw, and other emblems of dignity and of -martyrdom. Then the provost, his belly shaking in front of him, -went himself to put out all the candles with rage and speed. - -He carried away all he could of hams, fowl, and sausages, and bending -beneath the load he came back to his bedchamber so doleful and angry -that he drank, draught upon draught, three great flasks of wine. - -Ulenspiegel, being well assured that he was sleeping, took away to -the Ketel-straat all the provost thought he had rescued, and also -all that remained in the church, not without first supping on the -best pieces. And they laid the remains and fragments at the feet of -the saints. - -Next day Pompilius was ringing the bell for matins; Ulenspiegel went -up into the provost's sleeping chamber and asked him to come down -once more into the church. - -There, showing him the broken pieces of saints and fowls, he said -to him: - -"Messire Provost, you did all in vain, they have eaten all the same." - -"Aye," replied the provost, "they have come up to my sleeping chamber, -like robbers, and taken what I had saved. Ah, master saints, I will -complain to the Pope about this." - -"Aye," replied Ulenspiegel, "but the procession is the day after -to-morrow, the workmen will presently be coming into the church: if -they see there all these poor mutilated saints, are you not afraid -of being accused of iconoclasm?" - -"Ah! Master Saint Martin," said the provost, "spare me the fire, -I knew not what I did!" - -Then turning to Ulenspiegel, while the timid bellringer was swinging -to his bells: - -"They could never," said he, "between now and Sunday, mend Saint -Martin. What am I to do, and what will the people say?" - -"Messire," answered Ulenspiegel, "we must employ an innocent -subterfuge. We shall glue on a beard on the face of Pompilius; it is -always respectable, being always melancholic; we shall dight him up -with the Saint's mitre, alb, amice, and great cloak; we shall enjoin -upon him to stand well and fast on his pedestal, and the people will -take him for the wooden Saint Martin." - -The provost went to Pompilius who was swaying on the ropes. - -"Cease to ring," said he, "and listen to me: would you earn fifteen -ducats? On Sunday, the day of the procession, you shall be Saint -Martin. Ulenspiegel will get you up properly, and if when you are borne -by your four men you make one movement or utter one word, I will have -you boiled alive in oil in the great caldron the executioner has just -had built on the market square." - -"Monseigneur, I give you thanks," said Pompilius; "but you know that -I find it hard to contain my water." - -"You must obey," replied the provost. - -"I shall obey, Monseigneur," said Pompilius, very pitifully. - - - - - -VII - -Next day, in bright sunshine, the procession issued forth from the -church. Ulenspiegel had, as best he could, patched up the twelve saints -that balanced themselves on their pedestals between the banners of -the guilds, then came the statue of Our Lady; then the daughters of -the Virgin all clad in white and singing anthems; then the archers -and crossbowmen; then the nearest to the dais and swaying more than -the others, Pompilius sinking under the heavy accoutrements of Master -Saint Martin. - -Ulenspiegel, having provided himself with itching powder, had himself -clothed Pompilius with his episcopal costume, had put on his gloves and -given him his crozier and taught him the Latin fashion of blessing the -people. He had also helped the priests to clothe themselves. On some -he put their stole, on others their amice, on the deacons the alb. He -ran hither and thither through the church, restoring the folds of -doublet or breeches. He admired and praised the well-furbished weapons -of the crossbowmen, and the formidable bows of the confraternity of -the archers. And on everyone he poured, on ruff, on back or wrist, -a pinch of itching powder. But the dean and the four bearers of Saint -Martin were those that got most of it. As for the daughters of the -Virgin, he spared them for the sake of their sweetness and grace. - -The procession went forth, banners in the wind, ensigns displayed, -in goodly order. Men and women crossed themselves as they saw it -passing. And the sun shone hot. - -The dean was the first to feel the effect of the powder, and scratched -a little behind his ear. All, priests, archers, crossbowmen, were -scratching neck, legs, wrists, without daring to do it openly. The -four bearers were scratching, too, but the bellringer, itching worse -than any, for he was more exposed to the hot sun, did not dare even -to budge for fear of being boiled alive. Screwing up his nose, he -made an ugly grimace and trembled on his tottery legs, for he nearly -fell every time his bearers scratched themselves. - -But he did not dare to move, and let his water go through fear, -and the bearers said: - -"Great Saint Martin, is it going to rain now?" - -The priests were singing a hymn to Our Lady. - - - "Si de coe ... coe ... coe ... lo descenderes - O sanc ... ta ... ta ... ta ... Ma ... ma ... ria." - - -For their voices shook because of the itching, which became excessive, -but they scratched themselves modestly and parsimoniously. Even so -the dean and the four bearers of Saint Martin had their necks and -wrists torn to pieces. Pompilius stayed absolutely still, tottering -on his poor legs, which were itching the most. - -But lo on a sudden all the crossbowmen, archers, deacons, -priests, dean, and the bearers of Saint Martin stopped to scratch -themselves. The powder made the soles of Pompilius's feet itch, -but he dared not budge for fear of falling. - -And the curious said that Saint Martin rolled very fierce eyes and -showed a very threatening mien to the poor populace. - -Then the dean started the procession going again. - -Soon the hot sun that was falling straight down on all these -processional backs and bellies made the effect of the powder -intolerable. - -And then priests, archers, crossbowmen, deacons, and dean were seen, -like a troop of apes, stopping and scratching shamelessly wherever -they itched. - -The daughters of the Virgin sang their hymn, and it was as the angels' -singing, all those fresh pure voices mounting towards the sky. - -All went off wherever and however they could: the dean, still -scratching, rescued the Holy Sacrament; the pious people carried the -relics into the church; Saint Martin's four bearers threw Pompilius -roughly on the ground. There, not daring to scratch, move, or speak, -the poor bellringer shut his eyes devoutly. - -Two lads would have carried him away, but finding him too heavy, they -stood him upright against a wall, and there Pompilius shed big tears. - -The populace assembled round about him; the women had gone to fetch -handkerchiefs of fine white linen and wiped his face to preserve his -tears as relics, and said to him: "Monseigneur, how hot you are!" - -The bellringer looked at them piteously, and in spite of himself, -made grimaces with his nose. - -But as the tears were rolling copiously from his eyes, the women said: - -"Great Saint Martin, are you weeping for the sins of the town of -Ypres? Is not that your honoured nose moving? Yet we have followed the -counsel of Louis Vives and the poor of Ypres will have wherewithal to -work and wherewithal to eat. Oh! the big tears! They are pearls. Our -salvation is here." - -The men said: - -"Must we, great Saint Martin, pull down the Ketel-straat in our -town? But teach us above all ways of preventing poor girls from going -out at night and so falling into a thousand adventures." - -Suddenly the people cried out: - -"Here is the beadle!" - -Ulenspiegel then came up, and taking Pompilius round the body, carried -him off on his shoulders followed by the crowd of devout men and women. - -"Alas!" said the poor ringer, whispering in his ear, "I shall die of -itch, my son." - -"Keep stiff," answered Ulenspiegel; "do you forget that you are a -wooden saint?" - -He ran on at full speed and set down Pompilius before the provost -who was currying himself with his nails till the blood came. - -"Bellringer," said the provost, "have you scratched yourself like us?" - -"No, Messire," answered Pompilius. - -"Have you spoken or moved?" - -"No, Messire," replied Pompilius. - -"Then," said the provost, "you shall have your fifteen ducats. Now -go and scratch yourself." - - - - - -VIII - -The next day, the people, having learned from Ulenspiegel what had -happened, said it was a wicked mockery to make them worship as a -saint a whining fellow who could not hold in his water. - -And many became heretics. And setting out with all their goods, -they hastened to swell the prince's army. - -Ulenspiegel returned towards Liege. - -Being alone in the wood he sat down and pondered. Looking at the -bright sky, he said: - -"War, always war, so that the Spanish enemy may slay the poor people, -pillage our goods, violate our wives and daughters. And all the while -our goodly money goes, and our blood flows in rivers without profit -to any one, except for this royal churl that would fain add another -jewel of authority to his crown. A jewel that he imagines glorious, -a jewel of blood, a jewel of smoke. Ah! if I could jewel thee as I -desire, there would be none but flies to desire thy company." - -As he thought on these things he saw pass before him a whole herd of -stags. There were some among them old and tall, with their dowcets -still, and proudly wearing their antlers with nine points. Graceful -brockets, which are their squires, trotted alongside them seeming all -prepared to give them succour with their pointed horns. Ulenspiegel -knew not where they were going, but judged that it was to their lair. - -"Ah!" said he, "old stags and graceful brockets, ye are going, merry -and proud, into the depths of the woodland to your lair, eating -the young shoots, snuffling up the balmy scents, happy until the -hunter-murderer shall come. Even so with us, old stags and brockets!" - -And the ashes of Claes beat upon Ulenspiegel's breast. - - - - - -IX - -In September, when the gnats cease from biting, the Silent One, with -six field guns and four great cannon to talk for him, and fourteen -thousand Flemings, Walloons, and Germans, crossed the Rhine at -Saint Vyt. - -Under the yellow-and-red ensigns of the knotty staff of Burgundy, a -staff that bruised our countries for long, the rod of the beginning of -servitude that Alba wielded, the bloody duke, there marched twenty-six -thousand five hundred men, and rumbled along seventeen field pieces -and nine big guns. - -But the Silent One was not to have any good success in this war, -for Alba continually refused battle. - -And his brother Ludwig, the Bayard of Flanders, after many cities -won, and many ships held to ransom on the Rhine, lost at Jemmingen -in Frisia to the duke's son sixteen guns, fifteen hundred horses, -and twenty ensigns, all through certain cowardly mercenary troops, -who demanded money when it was the hour of battle. - -And through ruin, blood, and tears, Ulenspiegel vainly sought the -salvation of the land of our fathers. - -And the executioners throughout the countries were hanging, beheading, -burning the poor innocent victims. - -And the king was inheriting. - - - - - -X - -Going through the Walloon country, Ulenspiegel saw that the prince -had no succour to hope for thence, and so he came up to the town -of Bouillon. - -Little by little he saw appearing on the road more and more hunchbacks -of every age, sex, and condition. All of them, equipped with large -rosaries, were devoutly telling their beads on them. - -And their prayers were as the croakings of frogs in a pond at night -when the weather is warm. - -There were hunchback mothers carrying hunchback children, whilst -other children of the same brood clung to their skirts. And there were -hunchbacks on the hills and hunchbacks in the plains. And everywhere -Ulenspiegel saw their thin silhouettes standing out against the -clear sky. - -He went to one and said to him: - -"Whither go all these poor men, women, and children?" - -The man replied: - -"We are going to the tomb of Master Saint Remacle to pray him that -he will grant what our hearts desire, by taking from off our backs -his lump of humiliation." - -Ulenspiegel rejoined: - -"Could Master Saint Remacle give me also what my heart desireth, -by taking from off the back of the poor communes the bloody duke, -who weighs upon them like a leaden hump?" - -"He hath not charge to remove humps of penance," replied the pilgrim. - -"Did he remove others?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -"Aye, when the humps are young. If then the miracle of healing takes -place, we hold revel and feasting throughout all the town. And every -pilgrim gives a piece of silver, and oftentimes a gold florin to the -happy one that is cured, becomes a saint thereby and with power to -pray with efficacy for the others." - -Ulenspiegel said: - -"Why doeth the wealthy Master Saint Remacle, like a rascal apothecary, -make folk pay for his cures?" - -"Impious tramp, he punishes blasphemers!" replied the pilgrim, -shaking his hump in fury. - -"Alas!" groaned Ulenspiegel. - -And he fell doubled up at the foot of a tree. - -The pilgrim, looking down on him, said: - -"Master Saint Remacle smites hard when he smites." - -Ulenspiegel bent up his back, and scratching at it, whined: - -"Glorious saint, take pity. It is chastisement. I feel between my -shoulder bones a bitter agony. Alas! O! O! Pardon, Master Saint -Remacle. Go, pilgrim, go, leave me here alone, like a parricide, -to weep and to repent." - -But the pilgrim had fled away as far as the Great Square of Bouillon, -where all the hunchbacks were gathered. - -There, shivering with fear, he told them, speaking brokenly: - -"Met a pilgrim as straight as a poplar ... a blaspheming pilgrim -... hump on his back ... a burning hump!" - -The pilgrims, hearing this, they gave vent to a thousand joyful -outcries, saying: - -"Master Saint Remacle, if you give humps, you can take them away. Take -away our humps, Master Saint Remacle!" - -Meanwhile, Ulenspiegel left his tree. Passing through the empty suburb, -he saw, at the low door of a tavern, two bladders swinging from a -stick, pigs' bladders, hung up in this fashion as a sign of a fair -of black puddings, panch kermis as they say in the country of Brabant. - -Ulenspiegel took one of the two bladders, picked up from the ground -the backbone of a schol, which the French call dried plaice, drew -blood from himself, made some blood run into the bladder, blew it -up, sealed it, put it on his back, and on it placed the backbone of -the schol. Thus equipped, with his back arched, his head wagging, -and his legs tottering like an old humpback, he came out on the square. - -The pilgrim that had witnessed his fall saw him and cried out: - -"Here is the blasphemer!" - -And pointed to him with his finger. And all ran to see the afflicted -one. - -Ulenspiegel nodded his head piteously. - -"Ah!" said he, "I deserve neither grace nor pity; slay me like a -mad dog." - -And the humpbacks, rubbing their hands, said: - -"One more in our fraternity." - -Ulenspiegel, muttering between his teeth: "I will make you pay for -that, evil ones," appeared to endure all patiently, and said: - -"I will neither eat nor drink, even to fortify my hump, until Master -Saint Remacle has deigned to heal me even as he has smitten me." - -At the rumour of the miracle the dean came out of the church. He was -a tall man, portly and majestic. Nose in wind, he clove the sea of -the hunchbacks like a ship. - -They pointed out Ulenspiegel; he said to him: - -"Is it thou, good fellow, that the scourge of Saint Remacle has -smitten?" - -"Yea, Messire Dean," replied Ulenspiegel, "it is indeed I his humble -worshipper who would fain be cured of his new hump, if it please him." - -The dean, smelling some trick under this speech: - -"Let me," said he, "feel this hump." - -"Feel it, Messire," answered Ulenspiegel. - -And having done so, the dean: - -"It is," said he, "of recent date and wet. I hope, however, that -Master Saint Remacle will be pleased to act pitifully. Follow me." - -Ulenspiegel followed the dean and went into the church. The humpbacks, -walking behind him, cried out: "Behold the accursed! Behold the -blasphemer! What doth it weigh, thy fresh hump? Wilt thou make a bag -of it to put thy patacoons in? Thou didst mock at us all thy life -because thou wast straight: now it is our turn. Glory be to Master -Saint Remacle!" - -Ulenspiegel, without uttering a word, bending his head, still -following the dean, went into a little chapel where there was a tomb -all marble covered with a great flat slab also of marble. Between -the tomb and the chapel wall there was not the space of the span of -a large hand. A crowd of humpbacked pilgrims, following one another -in single file, passed between the wall and the slab of the tomb, -on which they rubbed their humps in silence. And thus they hoped to -be delivered. And those that were rubbing their humps were loath to -give place to those that had not yet rubbed theirs, and they fought -together, but without any noise, only daring to strike sly blows, -humpbacks' blows, because of the holiness of the place. - -The dean bade Ulenspiegel get up on the flat top of the tomb, -that all the pilgrims might see him plainly. Ulenspiegel replied: -"I cannot get up by myself." - -The dean helped him up and stationed himself beside him, bidding -him kneel down. Ulenspiegel did so and remained in this posture, -with head hanging. - -The dean then, having meditated, preached and said in a sonorous voice: - -"Sons and brothers of Jesus Christ, ye see at my feet the greatest -child of impiety, vagabond, and blasphemer that Saint Remacle hath -ever smitten with his anger." - -And Ulenspiegel, beating upon his breast, said: "Confiteor." - -"Once," went on the dean, "he was straight as a halberd shaft, and -gloried in it. See him now, humpbacked and bowed under the stroke of -the celestial curse." - -"Confiteor, take away my hump," said Ulenspiegel. - -"Yea," went on the dean, "yea, mighty saint, Master Saint Remacle, -who since thy glorious death hast performed nine and thirty miracles, -take away from his shoulders the weight that loads them down. And may -we, for this boon, sing thy praises from everlasting to everlasting, -in saecula saeculorum. And peace on earth to humpbacks of good will." - -And the humpbacks said in chorus: - -"Yea, yea, peace on earth to humpbacks of good will: humpbacks' peace, -truce to the deformed, amnesty of humiliation. Take away our humps, -Master Saint Remacle!" - -The dean bade Ulenspiegel descend from the tomb, and rub his hump -against the edge of the slab. Ulenspiegel did so, ever repeating: -"Mea culpa, confiteor, take away my hump." And he rubbed it thoroughly -in sight and knowledge of those that stood by. - -And these cried aloud: - -"Do ye see the hump? it bends! see you, it gives way! it will melt away -on the right"--"No, it will go back into the breast; humps do not melt, -they go down again into the intestines from which they come"--"No, -they return into the stomach where they serve as nourishment for -eighty days"--"It is the saint's gift to humpbacks that are rid of -them"--"Where do the old humps go?" - -Suddenly all the humpbacks gave a loud cry, for Ulenspiegel had just -burst his hump leaning hard against the edge of the flat tomb top. All -the blood that was in it fell, dripping from his doublet in big drops -upon the stone flags. And he cried out, straightening himself up and -stretching out his arms: - -"I am rid of it!" - -And all the humpbacks began to call out together: - -"Master Saint Remacle the blessed, it is kind to him, but hard to -us"--"Master, take away our humps, ours too!"--"I, I will give -thee a calf."--"I, seven sheep."--"I, the year's hunting."--"I, -six hams."--"I, I will give my cottage to the Church"--"Take away -our humps, Master Saint Remacle!" - -And they looked on Ulenspiegel with envy and with respect. One would -have felt under his doublet, but the dean said to him: - -"There is a wound that may not see the light." - -"I will pray for you," said Ulenspiegel. - -"Aye, Pilgrim," said the humpbacks, speaking all together, "aye, -master, thou that hast been made straight again, we made a mock of -thee; forgive it us, we knew not what we did. Monseigneur Christ -forgave when on the cross; give us all forgiveness." - -"I will forgive," said Ulenspiegel benevolently. - -"Then," said they, "take this patard, accept this florin, permit us -to give this real to Your Straightness, to offer him this cruzado, -put these carolus in his hands...." - -"Hide up your carolus," said Ulenspiegel, whispering, "let not your -left hand know what your right hand is giving." - -And this he said because of the dean who was devouring with his eyes -the humpbacks' money, without seeing whether it was gold or silver. - -"Thanks be unto thee, sanctified sir," said the humpbacks to -Ulenspiegel. - -And he accepted their gifts proudly as a man of a miracle. - -But greedy ones were rubbing away with their humps on the tomb without -saying a word. - -Ulenspiegel went at night to a tavern where he held revel and feast. - -Before going to bed, thinking that the dean would want to have his -share of the booty, if not all, he counted up his gain, and found more -gold than silver, for he had in it fully three hundred carolus. He -noted a withered bay tree in a pot, took it by the hair of its head, -plucked up the plant and the earth, and put the gold underneath. All -the demi-florins, patards, and patacoons were spread out upon the -table. - -The dean came to the tavern and went up to Ulenspiegel. - -The latter, seeing him: - -"Messire Dean," said he, "what would you of my poor self?" - -"Nothing but thy good, my son," replied he. - -"Alas!" groaned Ulenspiegel, "is it that which you see on the table?" - -"The same," replied the dean. - -Then putting out his hand, he swept the table clean of all the money -that was upon it and dropped it into a bag destined for it. - -And he gave a florin to Ulenspiegel, who pretended to groan and whine. - -And he asked for the implements of the miracle. - -Ulenspiegel showed him the schol bone and the bladder. - -The dean took them while Ulenspiegel bemoaned himself, imploring him -to be good enough to give him more, saying that the way was long from -Bouillon to Damme, for him a poor footpassenger, and that beyond a -doubt he would die of hunger. - -The dean went away without uttering a word. - -Being left alone, Ulenspiegel went to sleep with his eye on the bay -tree. Next day at dawn, having picked up his booty, he went away -from Bouillon and went to the camp of the Silent One, handed over the -money to him and recounted the story, saying it was the true method -of levying contributions of war from the enemy. - -And the Prince gave him ten florins. - -As for the schol bone, it was enshrined in a crystal casket and placed -between the arms of the cross on the principal altar at Bouillon. - -And everyone in the town knows that what the cross encloses is the -hump of the blasphemer who was made straight. - - - - - -XI - -The Silent One, being in the neighbourhood of Liege, made marches -and countermarches before crossing the Meuse, thus misleading the -duke's vigilance. - -Ulenspiegel, schooling himself to his duties as a soldier, became -very dexterous in handling the wheel-locked arquebus and kept his -eyes and ears well open. - -At this time there came to the camp Flemish and Brabant nobles, -who lived on good terms with the lords, colonels, and captains in -the following of the Silent One. - -Soon two parties formed in the camp, eternally quarrelling and -disputing, the one side saying: "the Prince is a traitor," the other -answering that the accusers lied in their throat and that they would -make them swallow their lie. Distrust spread and grew like a spot of -oil. They came to blows in groups of six, of eight, or a dozen men; -fighting with every weapon of single combat, even with arquebuses. - -One day the prince came up at the noise, marching between two -parties. A bullet carried away his sword from his side. He put an end -to the combat and visited the whole camp to show himself, that it might -not be said: "The Silent One is dead, and the war is dead with him." - -The next day, towards midnight, in misty weather, Ulenspiegel being -on the point of coming out from a house where he had been to sing a -Flemish love song to a Walloon girl, heard at the door of the cottage -beside the house a raven's croak thrice repeated. Other croakings -answered from a distance, thrice by thrice. A country churl came to -the door of the cottage. Ulenspiegel heard footsteps on the highway. - -Two men, speaking Spanish, came to the rustic, who said to them in -the same tongue: - -"What have you done?" - -"A good piece of work," said they, "lying for the king. Thanks to us, -captains and soldiermen say to one another in distrust: - -"'It is through vile ambition that the prince is resisting the king; he -is but waiting to be feared by him and to receive cities and lordships -as a pledge of peace; for five hundred thousand florins he will abandon -the valiant lords that are fighting for the countries. The duke has -offered him a full amnesty with a promise and an oath to restore -to their estates himself and all the highest leaders of the army, -if they would re-enter into obedience to the king. Orange means to -treat with him alone by himself.' - -"The partisans of the Silent One answered us: - -"'The duke's offer is a treacherous trap. He will pay them no heed, -recalling the fate of Messieurs d'Egmont and de Hoorn. Well they know -it, Cardinal de Granvelle, being at Rome, said at the time of the -capture of the Counts: "They take the two gudgeons, but they leave -the pike; they have taken nothing since the Silent remains still -to take."'" - -"Is the variance great in the camp?" said the rustic. - -"Great is the variance," said they: "greater every day. Where are -the letters?" - -They went into the cottage, where a lantern was lighted. There, peeping -through a little skylight, Ulenspiegel saw them open two missives, -read them with much satisfaction and pleasure, drink hydromel, and -at last depart, saying to the rustic in Spanish: - -"Camp divided, Orange taken. That will be a good lemonade." - -"Those fellows," said Ulenspiegel, "cannot be allowed to live." - -They went out into the thick mist. Ulenspiegel saw the rustic bring -them a lantern, which they took with them. - -The light of the lantern being often intercepted by a black shape, -he took it that they were walking one behind the other. - -He primed his arquebus and fired at the black shape. He then saw -the lantern lowered and raised several times, and judged that, one -of the two being down, the other was endeavouring to see the nature -of his wound. He primed his arquebus again. Then the lantern going -forward alone, swiftly and swinging and in the direction of the camp, -he fired once more. The lantern staggered about, then fell, and there -was darkness. - -Running towards the camp, he saw the provost coming out with a crowd -of soldiers awakened by the noise of the shots. Ulenspiegel, accosting -them, said: - -"I am the hunter, go and pick up the game." - -"Jolly Fleming," said the provost, "you speak otherwise than with -your tongue." - -"Tongue talk, 'tis wind," replied Ulenspiegel. "Lead talk remains in -the bodies of the traitors. But follow me." - -He brought them, furnished with their lanterns, to the place where -the two were fallen. And they beheld them indeed, stretched out on -the earth, one dead, the other in the death rattle and holding his -hand on his breast, where there was a letter crushed and crumpled in -the last effort of his life. - -They carried away the bodies, which they recognized by their garments -as bodies of nobles, and thus came with their lanterns to the prince, -interrupted at council with Frederic of Hollenhausen, the Markgrave -of Hesse, and other lords. - -Followed by landsknechts, reiters, green jackets and yellow jackets, -they came before the tent of the Silent, shouting requests that he -would receive them. - -He came from the tent. Then, taking the word from the provost who -was coughing and preparing to accuse him, Ulenspiegel said: - -"Monseigneur, I have killed two traitor nobles of your train, instead -of ravens." - -Then he recounted what he had seen, heard, and done. - -The Silent said not a word. The two bodies were searched, there -being present himself, William of Orange, the Silent, Frederic de -Hollenhausen, the Markgrave of Hesse, Dieterich de Schooenbergh, -Count Albert of Nassau, the Count de Hoogstraeten, Antoine de Lalaing, -the Governor of Malines; the troopers, and Lamme Goedzak trembling -in his great paunch. Sealed letters from Granvelle and Noircarmes -were found upon the gentlemen, enjoining upon them to sow dissension -in the prince's train, in order to diminish his strength by so much, -to force him to yield, and to deliver him to the duke to be beheaded -in accordance with his deserts. "It was essential," said the letters, -"to proceed subtly and by veiled speech, so that the people in the army -might believe that the Silent had already, for his own personal profit, -come to a private agreement with the duke. His captains and soldiers, -being angry, would make him a prisoner. For reward a draft on the -Fueggers of Antwerp for five hundred ducats had been sent to each; -they should have a thousand as soon as the four hundred thousand -ducats that were expected should have arrived in Zealand from Spain." - -This plot being discovered and laid open, the prince, without a word, -turned towards the nobles, lords, and soldiers, among whom were -a great many that held him in suspicion; he showed the two corpses -without a word, intending thereby to reproach them for their mistrust -of him. All shouted with a great tumultuous noise: - -"Long life to Orange! Orange is faithful to the countries!" - -They would, for contumely, fain have flung the bodies to the dogs, -but the Silent: - -"It is not bodies that must be thrown to the dogs, but feeblemindedness -that bringeth about doubts of singleminded and good intents." - -And lords and soldiers shouted: - -"Long live the prince! Long live Orange, the friend to the countries!" - -And their voices were as a thunder threatening injustice. - -And the prince, pointing to the bodies: - -"Give them Christian interment," said he. - -"And I," said Ulenspiegel, "what is to be done with my faithful -carcase? If I have done ill let them give me blows; if I have done -well let them accord me reward." - -Then the Silent One spake and said: - -"This musketeer shall have fifty blows with green wood in my -presence for having, without orders, slain two nobles, to the great -disparagement of all discipline. He shall receive as well thirty -florins for having seen well and heard well." - -"Monseigneur," replied Ulenspiegel, "if they gave me the thirty florins -first, I would endure the blows from the green wood with patience." - -"Aye, aye," groaned Lamme Goedzak, "give him first of all the thirty -florins; he will endure the rest with patience." - -"And then," said Ulenspiegel, "having my soul free of guilt, I have -no need to be washed with oak or rinsed with cornel." - -"Aye," groaned Lamme Goedzak as before, "Ulenspiegel hath no need -of washing or of rinsing. He hath a clean soul. Do not wash him, -Messires, do not wash him." - -Ulenspiegel having received the thirty florins, the stock-meester -was ordered by the provost to seize him. - -"See, Messires," said Lamme, "how piteous he looks. He hath no love -for the wood, my friend Ulenspiegel." - -"I love," replied Ulenspiegel, "to see a lovely ash all leafy, -growing in the sunshine in all it's native verdure; but I hate to the -death those ugly sticks of wood still bleeding their sap, stripped -of branches, without leaves or twigs, of fierce aspect and harsh -of acquaintance." - -"Art thou ready?" asked the provost. - -"Ready," repeated Ulenspiegel, "ready for what? To be beaten. No, -I am not, and have no desire to be, master stock-meester. Your beard -is red and you have a formidable air; but I am fully persuaded that -you have a kind heart and do not love to maltreat a poor fellow -like me. I must tell it you, I love not to do it or see it; for a -Christian man's back is a sacred temple which, even as his breast, -encloseth the lungs wherewith we breathe the air of the good God. With -what poignant remorse would you be gnawed if a brutal stroke of the -stick were to break me in pieces." - -"Make haste," said the stock-meester. - -"Monseigneur," said Ulenspiegel, speaking to the Prince, "nothing -presses, believe me; first should this stick be dried and seasoned, -for they say that green wood entering living flesh imparts to it -a deadly venom. Would Your Highness wish to see me die of this foul -death? Monseigneur, I hold my faithful back at Your Highness' service; -have it beaten with rods, lashed with the whip; but, if you would -not see me dead, spare me, if it please you, the green wood." - -"Prince, give him grace," said Messire de Hoogstraeten and Dieterich -de Schooenbergh. The others smiled pityingly. - -Lamme also said: - -"Monseigneur, Monseigneur, show grace; green wood it is pure poison." - -The Prince then said: "I pardon him." - -Ulenspiegel, leaping several times high in air, struck on Lamme's -belly and forced him to dance, saying: - -"Praise Monseigneur with me, who saved me from the green wood." - -And Lamme tried to dance, but could not, because of his belly. - -And Ulenspiegel treated him to both eating and drinking. - - - - - -XII - -Not wishing to give battle, the duke without truce or respite harried -the Silent as he wandered about the flat land between Juliers and -the Meuse, everywhere sounding the river at Hondt, Mechelen, Elsen, -Meersen, and everywhere finding it filled with traps and caltrops to -wound men and horses that sought to pass over by fording. - -At Stockem, the sounders found none of these engines. The prince -gave orders for crossing. The reiters went over the Meuse and held -themselves in battle order on the other bank, so as to protect the -crossing on the side of the bishopric of Liege; then there formed up -in line from one bank to the other, in this way breaking the current -of the river, ten ranks of archers and musketeers, among whom was -Ulenspiegel. - -He had water up to his thighs, and often some treacherous wave would -lift him up, himself and his horse. - -He saw the foot soldiers cross, carrying a powder bag upon their -headgear and holding their muskets high in air: then came the wagons, -the hackbuts, linstocks, culverins, double culverins, falcons, -falconets, serpentines, demi-serpentines, double serpentines, -mortars, double mortars, cannon, demi-cannon, double cannon, sacres, -little field pieces mounted on carriages drawn by two horses, able -to manoeuvre at the gallop and in every way like those that were -nicknamed the Emperor's Pistols; behind them, protecting the rear, -landsknechts and reiters from Flanders. - -Ulenspiegel looked about to find some warming drink. The archer -Riesencraft, a High German, a lean, cruel, gigantic fellow, was snoring -on his charger beside him, and as he breathed he spread abroad the -perfume of brandy. Ulenspiegel, spying for a flask on his horse's -crupper, found it hung behind on a cord like a baldric, which he cut, -and he took the flask, and drank rejoicing. The archer companions -said to him: - -"Give us some." - -He did so. The brandy being drunk, he knotted the cord that held the -flask, and would have put it back about the soldier's breast. As he -lifted his arm to pass it round, Riesencraft awoke. Taking the flask, -he would have milked his cow as usual. Finding that it gave no more -milk, he fell into mighty anger. - -"Robber," said he, "what have you done with my brandy?" - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"Drunk it. Among soaking horsemen, one man's brandy is everybody's -brandy. Evil is the scurvy stingy one." - -"To-morrow I will carve your carcase in the lists," replied -Riesencraft. - -"We will carve each other," answered Ulenspiegel, "heads, arms, legs, -and all. But are you not constipated, that you have such a sour face?" - -"I am," said Riesencraft. - -"You want a purge, then," replied Ulenspiegel, "and not a duel." - -It was agreed between them that they should meet next day, mounted -and accoutred each as he pleased, and should cut up each other's -bacon with a short stiff sword. - -Ulenspiegel asked that for himself the sword might be replaced by a -cudgel, which was granted him. - -In the meanwhile, all the soldiers having crossed the river and -falling into order at the voice of the colonels and the captains, -the ten ranks of archers also crossed over. - -And the Silent said: - -"Let us march on Liege!" - -Ulenspiegel was glad of this, and with all the Flemings, shouted out: - -"Long life to Orange, let us march on Liege!" - -But the foreigners, and notably the High Germans, said they were too -much washed and rinsed to march. Vainly did the prince assure them -that they were going to a certain victory, to a friendly city; they -would listen to nothing, but lit great fires and warmed themselves -in front of them, with their horses unharnessed. - -The attack on the city was put off till next day when Alba, greatly -astonished at the bold crossing, learned through his spies that the -Silent One's soldiers were not yet ready for the assault. - -Thereupon, he threatened Liege and all the country round about to -put them to fire and sword, if the prince's friends made any movement -there. Gerard de Groesbeke, the bishop's catchpoll, armed his troopers -against the prince, who arrived too late, through the fault of the -High Germans, who were afraid of a little water in their stockings. - - - - - -XIII - -Ulenspiegel and Riesencraft having taken seconds, the latter said -that the two soldiers were to fight on foot to the death, if the -conqueror wished, for such were Riesencraft's conditions. - -The scene of the conflict was a little heath. - -Early in the morning, Riesencraft donned his archer's array. He put -on his salade with the throat piece, without visor, and a mail shirt -with no sleeves. His other shirt being fallen into pieces, he put it -in his salade to make lint of it if need was. He armed himself with -an arbalest of good Ardennes wood, a sheaf of thirty quarrels, with -a long dagger, but not with a two-handed sword, which is the archer's -sword. And he came to the field of battle mounted upon his charger, -carrying his war saddle and the plumed chamfron, and all barded -with iron. - -Ulenspiegel made up for himself an armament for a nobleman; his -charger was a donkey; his saddle was the petticoat of a gay wench, -his plumed chamfron was of osier, adorned above with goodly fluttering -shavings. His barde was bacon, for, said he, iron costs too much, -steel is beyond price, and as for brass in these later days, they -have made so many cannon out of it that there is not enough left to -arm a rabbit for battle. He donned for headgear a fine salade that -had not yet been devoured by the snails; this salade was surmounted -by a swan's feather, to make him sing if he was killed. - -His sword, stiff and light, was a good long, stout cudgel of pinewood, -at the end of which there was a besom of branches of the same tree. On -the left hand of his saddle hung his knife, which was of wood likewise; -on the right swung his good mace, which was of elderwood, surmounted -with a turnip. His cuirass was all holes and flaws. - -When he arrived in this array, at the field of the duel, Riesencraft's -seconds burst out laughing, but he himself remained unbending from -his sour face. - -Ulenspiegel's seconds then demanded of Riesencraft's that the -German should lay aside his armour of mail and iron, seeing that -Ulenspiegel was armed only in rags and pieces. To which Riesencraft -gave consent. Riesencraft's seconds then asked Ulenspiegel's how it -came that Ulenspiegel was armed with a besom. - -"You granted me the stick, but you did not forbid me to enliven it -with foliage." - -"Do as you think fit," said the four seconds. - -Riesencraft said never a word and cropped down with little strokes -of his sword the thin stalks of the heather. - -The seconds requested him to replace his sword with a besom, the same -as Ulenspiegel. - -He replied: - -"If this rascal of his own accord chose a weapon so out of the way, -it is because he imagines he can defend his life with it." - -Ulenspiegel saying again that he would use his besom, the four seconds -agreed that everything was in order. - -They were set facing each other, Riesencraft on his horse barded with -iron, Ulenspiegel on his donkey barded with bacon. - -Ulenspiegel came forward into the middle of the field of combat. There, -holding his besom like a lance: - -"I deem," said he, "fouler and more stinking than plague, leprosy, -and death, this vermin brood of ill fellows who, in a camp of old -soldiers and boon companions, have no other thought than to carry -round everywhere their scowling faces and their mouths foaming -with anger. Wherever they may be, laughter dares not show itself, -and songs are silent. They must be forever growling and fighting, -introducing thus alongside of legitimate combat for the fatherland -single combat which is the ruin of an army and the delight of the -enemy. Riesencraft here present hath slain for mere innocent words -one and twenty men, without ever performing in battle or skirmish -any act of distinguished bravery or deserved the least reward by his -courage. Now it is my pleasure to-day to brush the bare hide of this -crabbed dog the wrong way." - -Riesencraft replied: - -"This drunkard has had tall dreams of the abuse of single combats: -it will be my pleasure to-day to split his head, to show everybody -that he has nothing but hay in his brain-box." - -The seconds made them get down from their mounts. In so doing -Ulenspiegel dropped from his head the salad which the ass ate -quietly and slyly; but the donkey was interrupted in this job by -a kick from one of the seconds to make him get out of the duelling -enclosure. The same treatment fell to the lot of the horse. And they -went off elsewhere to graze in company. - -Then the seconds, carrying broom--these were Ulenspiegel's pair, -and the others, carrying sword--they were Riesencraft's, gave the -signal for the fray with a whistle. - -And Riesencraft and Ulenspiegel fell to fighting furiously, -Riesencraft smiting with his sword, Ulenspiegel parrying with his -besom; Riesencraft swearing by all devils, Ulenspiegel fleeing before -him, wandering through the heather obliquely and circling, zigzagging, -thrusting out his tongue, making a thousand other faces at Riesencraft, -who was losing his breath and beating the air with his sword like -a mad trooper. Ulenspiegel felt him close, turned sharp and sudden, -and gave him a great whack under the nose with his besom. Riesencraft -fell down with arms and legs stretched out like a dying frog. - -Ulenspiegel flung himself upon him, besomed his face up and down and -every way, pitilessly, saying: - -"Cry for mercy or I make you swallow my besom!" - -And he rubbed and scrubbed him without ceasing, to the great pleasure -and joy of the spectators, and still said: - -"Cry for mercy or I make you eat it!" - -But Riesencraft could not cry, for he was dead of black rage. - -"God have thy soul, poor madman!" said Ulenspiegel. - -And he went away, plunged in melancholy. - - - - - -XIV - -It was then the end of October. The prince lacked money; his army was -hungry. The soldiers were murmuring; he marched in the direction of -France and offered battle to the duke, who declined it. - -Leaving Quesnoy-le-Comte to go towards Cambresis, he met ten companies -of Germans, eight ensigns of Spaniards, and three cornets of light -horse, commanded by Don Ruffele Henricis, the duke's son, who was in -the middle of the line, and cried in Spanish: - -"Kill! Kill! No quarter. Long live the Pope!" - -Don Henricis was then over against the company of musketeers in which -Ulenspiegel was dizenier, in command of ten men, and hurled himself -upon them with his men. Ulenspiegel said to the sergeant of his troop: - -"I am going to cut the tongue out of this ruffian!" - -"Cut away," said the sergeant. - -And Ulenspiegel, with a well-aimed bullet, smashed the tongue and -the jaw of Don Ruffele Henricis, the duke's son. - -Ulenspiegel brought down from his horse the son of Marquis Delmares -also. - -The eight ensigns, the three cornets were beaten. - -After this victory, Ulenspiegel sought for Lamme in the camp, but -found him not. - -"Alas!" said he, "there he is, gone, my friend Lamme, my big friend. In -his warlike ardour, forgetting the weight of his belly, he must have -pursued the flying Spaniards. Out of breath he will have fallen like -a sack upon the road. And they will have picked him up to have ransom -for him, a ransom for Christian bacon. My friend Lamme, where art -thou then, where art thou, my fat friend?" - -Ulenspiegel sought him everywhere, and finding him not fell into -melancholy. - - - - - -XV - -In November, the month of snow storms, the Silent sent for Ulenspiegel -to come before him. The prince was biting at the cord of his mail -shirt. - -"Hearken and understand," said he. - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"My ears are prison doors; to enter is easy, but it is a hard business -to get anything out." - -The Silent said: - -"Go through Namur, Flanders, Hainaut, Sud-Brabant, Antwerp, -Nord-Brabant, Guelder, Overyssel, Nord-Holland, announcing everywhere -that if fortune betrays our holy and Christian cause by land, -the struggle against every unjust violence will continue on the -sea. May God direct this matter with all grace, whether in good or -evil fortune. Once come to Amsterdam, you shall give account to Paul -Buys, my trusty friend, of all you have done and performed. Here are -three passes, signed by Alba himself, and found upon the bodies at -Quesnoy-le-Comte. My secretary has filled them. Perchance you will find -on the way some good comrade in whom you may be able to trust. Those -are good folk who to the lark's note answer with the warlike bugle -of the cock. Here are fifty florins. You will be valiant and faithful." - -"The ashes beat upon my heart," replied Ulenspiegel. - -And he went away. - - - - - -XVI - -He had, under the hand of the king and the duke, license to carry all -weapons at his own convenience. He took his good wheel-lock arquebus, -cartridges, and dry powder. Then clad in a ragged short cloak, a -tattered doublet, and breeches full of holes in the Spanish fashion, -wearing a bonnet with plume flying in the wind, and sword, he left -the army near the French frontier and marched off towards Maestricht. - -The wrens, those heralds of the cold, flew about the houses, asking -shelter. The third day it snowed. - -Many times and oft on the way Ulenspiegel must needs show his safe -conduct. He was allowed to pass. He marched towards Liege. - -He had just entered into a plain; a great wind drove whirls of flakes -upon his face. Before him he saw the plain stretch out all white, -and the eddies of snow driven hither and thither by the gusts. Three -wolves followed him, but when he knocked one over with his musket, -the others flung themselves on the wounded one and made off into the -woods, each carrying a great piece of the corpse. - -Ulenspiegel being thus delivered, and looking to see if there was -no other band in the country, saw at the end of the plain specks -as it were gray statues moving among the eddies, and behind them -shapes of mounted soldiers. He climbed up into a tree. The wind -brought a far-off noise of complaining: "These are perchance," he -said to himself, "pilgrims clad in white coats; I can scarcely see -their bodies against the snow." Then he distinguished men running -naked and saw two reiters, harnessed all in black, who sitting on -their chargers were driving this poor flock before them with great -blows of their whips. He primed his musket. Among these wretches -he saw young folk, old men naked with teeth chattering, frozen, -huddled up, and running to escape the whips of the two troopers, -who took a delight, being well clad, red with brandy and good food, -in lashing the bodies of the naked men to make them run quicker. - -Ulenspiegel said: "Ye shall have vengeance, ashes of Claes." And -he killed, with a bullet in the face, one of the reiters, who fell -down from his horse. The other, not knowing from whence had come that -unlooked-for bullet, took fright. Thinking there were enemies hidden -in the wood, he would fain have fled with his comrade's horse. While -he dismounted to despoil the dead man, and had taken hold of the -bridle, he was stricken with another bullet in the neck and fell, -like his companion. - -The naked men, believing that an angel from heaven, a good arquebusier, -had come to their rescue, fell upon their knees. Ulenspiegel came -down from his tree and was recognized by those in the band who had, -like him, served in the prince's army. They said to him: - -"Ulenspiegel, we are of the land of France, sent in state to Maestricht -where the duke is, there to be treated as rebel prisoners, unable -to pay ransom and condemned in advance to be tortured, beheaded, -or to row like ruffians and robbers on the king's galleys." - -Ulenspiegel, giving his opperst kleed to the oldest of the band, -replied: - -"Come, I will fetch you as far as Mezieres, but first of all we must -strip these two troopers and take their horses with us." - -The doublets, breeches, boots, and headgear and cuirasses of -the troopers were divided among the weakest and most ailing, and -Ulenspiegel said: - -"We shall go into the wood, where the air is thicker and milder. Let -us run, brothers." - -Suddenly a man fell and said: - -"I am cold and I am hungry, and I go before God to bear witness that -the Pope is Antichrist on earth." - -And he died. And the others were fain to bear him away with them, -in order to give him a Christian burial. - -While they were journeying along a main road they perceived a -countryman driving a wagon covered with its canvas tilt. Seeing the -naked men, he took pity and made them get into the wagon. There they -found hay to lie on and empty sacks to cover themselves with. Being -warm, they gave thanks to God. Ulenspiegel, riding by the side of -the wagon on one of the reiters' horses, held the other by the bridle. - -At Mezieres they alighted: there they were given good soup, beer, -bread, cheese, and meat, the old men and the women. They were lodged, -clad, and weaponed afresh at the charge of the commune. And they all -gave the embrace of blessing to Ulenspiegel, who received it rejoicing. - -He sold the horses of the two reiters for forty-eight florins, of -which he gave thirty to the Frenchmen. - -Going on his way alone, he said to himself: "I go through ruins, -blood, and tears, without finding aught. The devils lied to me, -past a doubt. Where is Lamme? Where is Nele? Where are the Seven?" - -And he heard a voice like a low breath, saying: - -"In death, ruin, and tears, seek." - -And he went his way. - - - - - -XVII - -Ulenspiegel came to Namur in March. There he saw Lamme, who having -been seized with a great love for the fish of the River Meuse, and -especially for the trout, had hired a boat and was fishing in the -river by leave of the commune. But he had paid fifty florins to the -guild of the fishmongers. - -He sold and ate his fish, and in this trade he gained a better paunch -and a little bag of carolus. - -Seeing his friend and comrade going along the banks of the Meuse -to come into the town, he was filled with joy, thrust his boat up -against the bank, and climbing up the steep, not without puffing, -he came to Ulenspiegel. Stammering with pleasure: - -"There you are then, my son," said he, "my son in God, for my belly-ark -could carry two like you. Whither go you? What would you? You are -not dead, without a doubt? Have you seen my wife? You shall eat Meuse -fish, the best that is in this world below; they make sauces in this -country fit to make you eat your fingers up to the shoulder. You are -proud and splendid, with the bronze of battle on your cheeks. There -you are then, my son, my friend Ulenspiegel, the jolly vagabond." - -Then in a low voice: - -"How many Spaniards have you killed? You never saw my wife in -their wagons full of wenches? And the Meuse wine, so delicious for -constipated folk, you shall drink of it. Are you wounded, my son? You -will stay here then, fresh, lively, keen as an eagle. And the eels, -you shall taste lad. No marshy flavour whatever. Kiss me, my fat -lad. My blessing upon God, how glad I am!" - -And Lamme danced, leapt, puffed, and forced Ulenspiegel to dance -as well. - -Then they wended their way towards Namur. At the gate of the city -Ulenspiegel showed his pass signed by the duke. And Lamme brought -him to his house. - -While he was making their meal ready, he made Ulenspiegel tell his -adventures and recounted his own, having, he said, abandoned the army -to follow after a girl that he thought was his wife. In this pursuit -he had come as far as Namur. And he kept repeating: - -"Have you not seen her at all?" - -"I saw others that were very beautiful," replied Ulenspiegel, "and -especially in this town, where all are amorous." - -"In truth," said Lamme, "a hundred times they would fain have had me, -but I remained faithful, for my sad heart is big with a single memory." - -"As your belly is big with innumerable dishes," answered Ulenspiegel. - -Lamme replied: - -"When I am in distress I must eat." - -"Is your grief without respite?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -"Alas, yes!" said Lamme. - -And pulling a trout from out a saucepan: - -"See," said he, "how lovely and firm it is. This flesh is pink as -my wife's. To-morrow we shall leave Namur; I have a pouch full of -florins; we shall buy an ass apiece, and we shall depart riding thus -towards the land of Flanders." - -"You will lose heavily by it," said Ulenspiegel. - -"My heart draws me to Damme, which was the place where she loved me -well: perchance she has returned thither." - -"We shall start to-morrow," said Ulenspiegel, "since you wish it so." - -And as a matter of fact, they set out, each mounted on an ass and -straddling along side by side. - - - - - -XVIII - -A sharp wind was blowing. The sun, bright as youth in the morning, -was veiled and gray as an old man. A rain mixed with hail was falling. - -The rain having ceased, Ulenspiegel shook himself, saying: - -"The sky that drinks up so much mist must relieve itself sometimes." - -Another rain, still more mingled with hail than the former, beat down -on the two companions. Lamme groaned: - -"We were well washed, now we must needs be rinsed!" - -The sun reappeared, and they rode on gaily. - -A third rain fell, so full of hail and so deadly that like knives it -chopped the dry twigs on the trees to mincemeat. - -Lamme said: - -"Ho! a roof! My poor wife! Where are ye, good fire, soft kisses, -and fat soups?" - -And he wept, the great fellow. - -But Ulenspiegel: - -"We bemoan ourselves," said he, "is it not from ourselves none the -less that our woes come on us? It is raining on our backs, but this -December rain will make the clover of May. And the kine will low for -pleasure. We are without a shelter, but why did we never marry? I -mean myself, with little Nele, so pretty and so kind, who would now -give me a good stew of beef and beans to eat. We are thirsty in spite -of the water that is falling; why did we not make ourselves workmen -steady in one condition? Those who are received as masters in their -trade have in their cellars full casks of bruinbier." - -The ashes of Claes beat upon his heart, the sky became clear, the -sun shone out in it, and Ulenspiegel said: - -"Master Sun, thanks be unto you, you warm our loins again; ashes -of Claes, ye warm our heart once more, and tell us that blessed are -they that are wanderers for the sake of the deliverance of the land -of our fathers." - -"I am hungry," said Lamme. - - - - - -XIX - -They came into an inn, where they were served with supper in an upper -chamber. Ulenspiegel, opening the windows, saw from thence a garden -in which a comely girl was walking, plump, round bosomed, with golden -hair, and clad only in a petticoat, a jacket of white linen, and an -apron of black stuff, full of holes. - -Chemises and other woman's linen was bleaching on cords: the girl, -still turned towards Ulenspiegel, was taking chemises down from the -lines, and putting them back and smiling and still looking at him, -and sat down on linen bands, swinging on the two ends knotted together. - -Near by Ulenspiegel heard a cock crowing and saw a nurse playing with -a child whose face she turned towards a man that was standing, saying: - -"Boelkin, look nicely at papa!" - -The child wept. - -And the pretty girl continued to walk about in the garden, displacing -and replacing the linen. - -"She is a spy," said Lamme. - -The girl put her hands before her eyes, and smiling between her -fingers, looked at Ulenspiegel. - -Then pressing up her two breasts with her hands, she let them fall -back, and swung again without her feet touching the ground. And the -linen, unwinding itself, made her turn like a top, while Ulenspiegel -saw her arms, bare to the shoulders, white and round in the pallid -sunshine. Turning and smiling, she kept always looking at him. He -went out to find her. Lamme followed him. At the hedge of the garden -he searched for an opening to pass through, but found none. - -The girl, seeing what he was doing, looked again, smiling between -her fingers. - -Ulenspiegel tried to break through the hedge, while Lamme, holding -him back, said to him: - -"Do not go there; she is a spy, we shall be burned." - -Then the girl walked about the garden, covering up her face with -her apron, and looking through the holes to see if her chance friend -would not be coming soon. - -Ulenspiegel was going to leap over the hedge with a running jump, -but he was prevented by Lamme, who caught hold of him by the leg and -made him fall, saying: - -"Rope, sword, and gallows, 'tis a spy, do not go there." - -Sitting on the ground, Ulenspiegel struggled against him. The girl -cried out, pushing up her head above the hedge: - -"Adieu, Messire, may Love keep your Longanimousness hanging!" - -And he heard a burst of mocking laughter. - -"Ah!" said he, "it is in my ears like a packet of pins!" - -Then a door shut noisily. - -And he was melancholy. - -Lamme said to him, still holding him: - -"You are counting over the sweet treasures of beauty thus lost to -your shame. 'Tis a spy. You fall in luck when you fall. I am going -to burst with laughing." - -Ulenspiegel said not a word, and both got up on their asses once more. - - - - - -XX - -They went on their way each well astride his ass. - -Lamme, chewing the cud of his last meat, sniffed up the cool air -rejoicing. Suddenly Ulenspiegel fetched him a great stinging slash -of his whip on his behind, which was like a cushion in the saddle. - -"What are you doing?" cried Lamme, piteously. - -"What!" answered Ulenspiegel. - -"This lash with the whip?" said Lamme. - -"What lash with the whip?" - -"The one I got from you," returned Lamme. - -"On the left?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -"Aye, on the left and on my behind. Why did you do that, scandalous -vagabond?" - -"In ignorance," replied Ulenspiegel. "I know well enough what a -whip is, and very well, too, what a behind of small compass is upon -a saddle. But seeing this one wide, swollen, tight, and overflowing -the saddle, I said to myself: 'Since it could never be pinched with -a finger, a stroke of the whip could not sting it either with the -lash.' I was wrong." - -Lamme smiling at this speech, Ulenspiegel went on in these terms: - -"But I am not the only one in this world to sin through ignorance, -and there is more than one past-master idiot displaying his fat on -a donkey saddle who could give me points. If my whip sinned on your -behind, you sinned much more weightily on my legs in preventing them -from running after the girl who was coquetting in her garden." - -"Crow's meat!" said Lamme, "so it was revenge then?" - -"Just a little one," replied Ulenspiegel. - - - - - -XXI - -At Damme Nele the unhappy lived alone with Katheline who still for -love called the cold devil who never came. - -"Ah!" she would say, "thou art rich, Hanske my darling, and mightest -bring me back the seven hundred carolus. Then would Soetkin come back -alive from limbo to this earth, and Claes would laugh in the sky: well -canst thou do this. Take away the fire, the soul would fain come out; -make a hole, the soul would fain come out." - -And without ceasing she pointed her finger to the place where the -tow had been. - -Katheline was very poor, but the neighbours helped her with beans, -with bread and meat according to their means. The commune gave her some -money. And Nele sewed dresses for rich women in the town; went to their -houses to iron their linen, and in this way earned a florin a week. - -And Katheline still repeated: - -"Make a hole; take away my soul. It knocks to get out. He will give -back the seven hundred carolus." - -And Nele, listening to her, wept. - - - - - -XXII - -Meanwhile, Ulenspiegel and Lamme, armed with their passes, came to a -little inn backed up against the rocks of the Sambre, which in certain -places are covered with trees. And on the sign there was written: -Chez Marlaire. - -Having drunk many a flask of Meuse wine of the fashion of Burgundy and -eaten much fish, they gossiped with the host, a Papist of the deepest -dye, but as talkative as a magpie through the wine he had drunk and all -the time winking an eye cunningly. Ulenspiegel, divining some mystery -under this winking, made him drink more, so much that the host began -to dance and burst out into laughter, then returning to the table: - -"Good Catholics," he said, "I drink to you." - -"To you we drink," replied Lamme and Ulenspiegel. - -"To the extinction of all plague, of rebellion and heresy." - -"We drink," replied Lamme and Ulenspiegel, who kept replenishing the -goblet the host could never allow to stay full. - -"You are good fellows," said he. "I drink to your Generosities; -I make a profit on wine drunk. Where are your passes?" - -"Here they are," answered Ulenspiegel. - -"Signed by the duke," said the host. "I drink to the duke." - -"To the duke we drink," replied Lamme and Ulenspiegel. The host, -continuing: - -"How do we catch rats, mice, and field mice? In rat-traps, snares, -and mouse-traps. Who is the field mouse? 'Tis the great heretic Orange -as hellfire. God is with us. They are coming. He! he! Something to -drink! Pour out, I am roasting, burning. To drink! Most goodly little -reforming preachers.... I say little ... goodly little gallants, stout -troopers, oak trees.... Drink! Will you not go with them to the great -heretic's camp? I have passes signed by him. Ye shall see their work." - -"We shall go to the camp," answered Ulenspiegel. - -"They will get there all right, and by night if an opportunity -offers" (and the host, whistling, made the gesture of a man cutting a -throat). "Steel-wind will stop the blackbird Nassau from ever whistling -again. Come on, something to drink, hey!" - -"You are a gay fellow, even though you are married," replied -Ulenspiegel. - -Said the host: - -"I neither was nor am. I hold the secrets of princes. Drink up! My wife -would steal them from my pillow to have me hanged and to be a widow -sooner than Nature means it. Vive Dieu! they are coming ... where are -the new passes? On my Christian heart. Let us drink! They are there, -three hundred paces along the road, at Marche-les-Dames. Do ye see -them? Let us drink!" - -"Drink," said Ulenspiegel. "I drink to the king, to the duke, to -the preachers, to Steel-wind; I drink to you, to me; I drink to the -wine and to the bottle. You are not drinking." And at every health -Ulenspiegel filled up his glass and the host emptied it. - -Ulenspiegel studied him for some time; then rising up: - -"He is asleep," said he; "let us go, Lamme." - -When they were outside: - -"He has no wife to betray us.... The night is about to come -down.... You heard clearly what this rogue said, and you know who -the three preachers are?" - -"Aye," said Lamme. - -"You know they are coming from Marche-les-Dames, along by the Meuse, -and it will be well to wait for them on the way before Steel-wind -blows." - -"Aye," said Lamme. - -"We must save the prince's life," said Ulenspiegel. - -"Aye," said Lamme. - -"Here," said Ulenspiegel, "take my musket; go there into the underwoods -between the rocks; load it with two bullets and fire when I croak -like a crow." - -"I will," said Lamme. - -And he disappeared into the undergrowth. And Ulenspiegel soon heard -the creak of the lock of the musket. - -"Do you see them coming?" said he. - -"I see them," replied Lamme. "They are three, marching like soldiers, -and one of them overtops the others by the head." - -Ulenspiegel sat down on the road, his legs out in front of him, -murmuring prayers on a rosary, as beggars do. And he had his bonnet -between his knees. - -When the three preachers passed by, he held out his bonnet to them, -but they put nothing in. - -Then rising, Ulenspiegel said piteously: - -"Good sirs, refuse not a patard to a poor workman, a porter who -lately cracked his loins falling into a mine. They are hard folk in -this country, and they would give me nothing to relieve my wretched -plight. Alas! give me a patard, and I will pray for you. And God will -keep Your Magnanimities in joy throughout all their lives." - -"My son," said one of the preachers, a fine robust fellow, "there -will be no joy more for us in this world so long as the Pope and the -Inquisition reign therein." - -Ulenspiegel sighed also, saying: - -"Alas! what are you saying, my masters! Speak low, if it please Your -Graces. But give me a patard." - -"My son," replied a preacher who had a warrior-like face, "we others, -poor martyrs, we have no patards beyond what we need to sustain life -on our journey." - -Ulenspiegel threw himself on his knees. - -"Bless me," said he. - -The three preachers stretched out their hands over Ulenspiegel's head -with no devoutness. - -Remarking that they were lean men, and yet had fine paunches, he got -up again, pretended to fall, and striking his forehead against the tall -preacher's belly, he heard therein a gay clink and tinkle of money. - -Then drawing himself up and drawing his bragmart: - -"My goodly fathers," said he, "it is chilly weather and I am lightly -clad; you are clad overly much. Give me your wool that I may cut -myself a cloak out of it. I am a Beggar. Long live the Beggars!" - -The tall preacher replied: - -"My Beggar-cock, you carry your comb too high; we shall cut it -for you." - -"Cut it!" said Ulenspiegel, drawing back, "but Steel-wind shall blow -for you before ever it blows for the prince. Beggar I am; long live -the Beggars!" - -The three preachers, dumbfounded, said one to another: - -"Whence does he know this news? We are betrayed! Slay! Long live -the Mass!" - -And they drew from under their hose fine bragmarts, well sharpened. - -But Ulenspiegel, without waiting for them, gave ground towards -that side of the brushwood where Lamme was hidden. Judging that the -preachers were within musket range, he said: - -"Crows, black crows, Lead-wind is about to blow. I sing for your -finish." - -And he croaked. - -A musket shot, from out of the brushwood, knocked over the tallest -of the preachers with his face to the ground, and was followed by a -second shot which stretched the second on the road. - -And Ulenspiegel saw amid the brush Lamme's good visage, and his arm -up hastily recharging his arquebus. - -And a blue smoke rose up above the black brushwood. - -The third preacher, furious with rage, would fain by main force have -cut down Ulenspiegel, who said: - -"Steel-wind or Lead-wind, thou art about to go over from this world -to the other, foul artificer of murders!" - -And he attacked him, and he defended himself bravely. - -And they both remained standing face to face stiffly upon the highway, -delivering and parrying blows. Ulenspiegel was all bloody, for his -opponent, a tough soldier, had wounded him in the head and the leg. But -he attacked and defended like a lion. As the blood that flowed from -his head blinded him, he broke ground continually with great strides, -wiped it off with his left hand and felt himself grow weak. He was like -to be killed had not Lamme fired on the preacher and brought him down. - -And Ulenspiegel saw and heard him belch forth blasphemy, blood, -and deathfoam. - -And the blue smoke rose up above the black brushwood, amidst of which -Lamme showed his good face once more. - -"Is that all over?" said he. - -"Aye, my son," answered Ulenspiegel. "But come...." - -Lamme, coming out of his niche, saw Ulenspiegel all covered with -blood. Then running like a stag, in spite of his belly, he came to -Ulenspiegel, seated on the earth beside the slain men. - -"He is wounded," said he, "my friend, wounded by that murdering -rascal." And with a kick from his heel he broke in the teeth of the -nearest preacher. - -"You do not answer, Ulenspiegel! Are you going to die, my -son? Where is that balsam? Ha! in the bottom of his satchel, under -the sausages. Ulenspiegel, do you not hear me? Alas! I have no warm -water to wash your wound, nor any way to have it. But the water of the -Sambre will serve. Speak to me, my friend. You are not so terribly -wounded, in any case. A little water, there, very cold water, is it -not? He awakes. 'Tis I, thy friend: they are all dead! Linen! linen -to tie up his hurts. There is none. My shirt then." He took off his -doublet. And Lamme continuing his discourse: "In pieces, shirt! The -blood is stopping. My friend will not die." - -"Ha!" he said, "how cold it is, bareback in this keen air. Let us -reclothe ourselves. He will not die. 'Tis I, Ulenspiegel, I thy -friend Lamme. He smiles. I shall despoil the assassins. They have -bellies of florins. Gilded entrails, carolus, florins, daelders, -patards, and letters! We are rich. More than three hundred carolus -to share. Let us take the arms and the money. Steel-wind will not -blow as yet for Monseigneur." - -Ulenspiegel, his teeth chattering from the cold, rose up. - -"There you are on your feet," said Lamme. - -"That is the might of the balsam," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"The balsam of valiancy," answered Lamme. - -Then taking the bodies of the three preachers one by one, he cast -them into a hole among the rocks, leaving them their weapons and -their clothes, all save their cloaks. - -And all about them in the sky croaked the ravens, awaiting their food. - -And the Sambre rolled along like a river of steel under the gray sky. - -And the snow fell, washing the blood away. - -And they were nevertheless troubled. And Lamme said: - -"I would rather kill a chicken than a man." - -And they mounted their asses again. - -At the gates of Huy the blood was still flowing; they pretended to -fall into quarrel together, got down from their asses, and fenced -and foined with their daggers most cruelly to behold; then having -brought the combat to an end, they mounted again and entered into Huy, -showing their passes at the gates of the city. - -The women seeing Ulenspiegel wounded and bleeding, and Lamme playing -the victor upon his ass, they looked on Ulenspiegel with pity and -showed their fists at Lamme saying: "That one is the rascal that -wounded his friend." - -Lamme, uneasy, only sought among them whether he did not see his wife. - -It was in vain, and he was plunged in melancholy. - - - - - -XXIII - -"Whither are we going?" said Lamme. - -"To Maestricht," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"But, my son, they say the duke's army is there all about and around, -and that he himself is within the city. Our passes will not be enough -for us. If the Spanish troopers accept them, none the less we shall be -held in the town and interrogated. Meanwhile, they will have discovered -the death of the preachers, and we shall have finished with living." - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"The ravens, the owls, and the vultures will soon have made an end of -their meat; already, beyond a doubt, they have faces that could not be -recognized. As for our passes they may be good; but if they learned of -the slaughter, we should, as you say, be taken prisoners. Nevertheless, -we must needs go to Maestricht and take Landen on our way." - -"They will hang us," said Lamme. - -"We shall pass," replied Ulenspiegel. - -Thus talking, they arrived at the Magpie inn, where they found good -meals, good beds, and hay for their asses. - -The next day they set out on their way to Landen. - -Having arrived at a great farm near the city, Ulenspiegel whistled -like the lark, and immediately there answered from within the -warlike clarion of a cock. A farmer with a goodly face appeared on -the threshold of the farmhouse. He said to them: - -"Friends, as freemen, long live the Beggar! Come within." - -"Who is this one?" asked Lamme. - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"Thomas Utenhove, the brave reformer; his serving men and women on -the farm work like him for freedom of conscience." - -Then Utenhove said: - -"Ye are the prince's envoys. Eat and drink." - -And the ham began to crackle in the pan and the black puddings also, -and the wine went about and glasses were filled. And Lamme fell to -drinking like the dry sand and to eating lustily. - -Lads and lasses of the farm came in turns and thrust in their noses -at the half-open door to look at him labouring with his jaws. And -the men, jealous of him, said they could do as well as he. - -At the end of the meal Thomas Utenhove said: - -"A hundred peasants will go from here this week under pretence of going -to work on the dykes at Bruges and round about. They will travel by -bands of five or six and by different ways. There will be boats at -Bruges to fetch them by sea to Emden." - -"Will they be furnished with weapons and money?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -"They will have each ten florins and big cutlasses." - -"God and the prince will reward you," said Ulenspiegel. - -"I am not working for reward," replied Thomas Utenhove. - -"What do you do," said Lamme, eating big black puddings, "what do -you do, master host, to have a dish so savoury, so succulent, and -with such fine grease?" - -"'Tis because we put in it," the host said, "cinnamon and catnip." - -Then speaking to Ulenspiegel: - -"Is Edzard, Count of Frisia, is he still the prince's friend?" - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"He hides it, while at the same time giving refuge at Emden to -his ships." - -And he added: - -"We must go to Maestricht." - -"You will not be able to do so," said the host; "the duke's army is -before the town and in the environs." - -Then taking him into the loft, he showed him far away the ensigns -and guidons of horse soldiers and footmen riding and marching in -the country. - -Ulenspiegel said: - -"I shall make my way through if you, who are of authority in this -place, will give me a permit to marry. As for the woman, she must be -pretty, gentle, and sweet, and willing to marry me, if not for always, -at least for a week." - -Lamme sighed and said: - -"Do not do this, my son; she will leave you alone, burning in the -fires of love. Your bed, where you now sleep so snugly, will become -as a mattress of holly to you, depriving you of sweet slumber." - -"I will take a wife," replied Ulenspiegel. - -And Lamme, finding nothing more on the table, was deeply -distressed. However, having discovered castrelins in a bowl, he ate -them in melancholy fashion. - -Ulenspiegel said to Thomas Utenhove: - -"Come, then, let us drink; give me a wife rich or poor. I shall go -with her to church and have the marriage blessed by the cure. And he -will give us the certificate of marriage, which will not be valid -since it comes from a Papist and inquisitor; we shall have it set -down in it that we are all good Christians, having confessed and -taken the Sacrament, living apostolically according to the precepts -of our Holy Mother the Roman Church, which burneth her children, -and thus calling upon us the blessings of our Holy Father the Pope, -the armies celestial and terrestrial, the saints both men and women, -deans, cures, monks, soldiers, catchpolls, and other rascals. Armed -with this certificate aforesaid, we shall make our preparations for -the usual festal wedding journey." - -"But the woman," said Thomas Utenhove. - -"You will find her for me," replied Ulenspiegel. "I will take two -wagons, then; I will bedeck them with wreaths adorned with pine boughs, -holly, and paper flowers; I will fill them with certain of the lads -you want to send to the prince." - -"But the woman?" said Thomas Utenhove. - -"She is here without a doubt," replied Ulenspiegel. And continuing: - -"I shall harness two of your horses to one of the wagons, our two asses -to the other. In the first wagon I shall put my wife and myself, -my friend Lamme, the witnesses of the marriage; in the second, -tambourine players, fifers, and shawm players. Then displaying the -joyful marriage flags, playing the tambourine, singing, drinking, -we will go trotting down the highway that leads to the Galgen-Veld, -the Gallows Field, or to liberty." - -"I will help you," said Thomas Utenhove. "But the women and girls -will wish to go with their men." - -"We shall go, by the grace of God," said a pretty girl, putting her -head in at the half-open door. - -"There will be four wagons, if they are needed," said Thomas Utenhove; -"in this way we shall get more than twenty-five men through." - -"The duke will be crestfallen," said Ulenspiegel. - -"And the prince's fleet served by some good soldiers the more," -replied Thomas Utenhove. - -Having his serving men and women summoned then by ringing a bell, -he said to them: - -"All ye that are of Zealand, men and women, oyez; Ulenspiegel the -Fleming here present desires that you should pass through the duke's -army in wedding array." - -Men and women of Zealand shouted together: - -"Danger of death! we are willing!" - -And the men said, one to another: - -"It is joy to us to leave the land of slavery to go to the free -sea. If God be for us, who shall be against us?" - -Women and girls said: - -"Let us follow our husbands and our lovers. We are of Zealand and we -shall find harbour there." - -Ulenspiegel espied a pretty young girl, and said to her, jesting: - -"I want to marry you." - -But she, blushing, replied: - -"I am willing, but only in church." - -The women, laughing, said to one another: - -"Her heart turns to Hans Utenhove, the son of the baes. Doubtless he -is going with her." - -"Aye," replied Hans. - -And the father said to him: - -"You may." - -The men donned festal raiment, doublet and breeches of velvet, and -the big opperst-kleed over all, and large kerchiefs on their heads, -to keep off sun and rain; the women in black stockings and pinked -shoes; wearing the big gilt jewel on their foreheads, on the left for -the girls, on the right for the married women; the white ruff upon -their necks, the plastron of gold, scarlet, and azure embroidery, -the petticoat of black woollen, with wide velvet stripes of the same -colour, black woollen stockings and velvet shoes with silver buckles. - -Then Thomas Utenhove went off to the church to beg the priest to -marry immediately, for two ryck-daelders which he put in his hand, -Thylbert the son of Claes, which was Ulenspiegel, and Tannekin Pieters, -to the which the cure consented. - -Ulenspiegel then went to church followed by the whole wedding party, -and there he married before the priest Tannekin, so pretty and sweet, -so gracious and so plump, that he would gladly have bitten her cheeks -like a love-apple. And he told her so, not daring to do it for the -respect he had to her gentle beauty. But she, pouting, said to him: - -"Leave me alone: there is Hans looking murder at you." - -And a jealous girl said to him: - -"Look elsewhere: do you not see she is afraid of her man?" - -Lamme, rubbing his hands, exclaimed: - -"You are not to have them all, rogue." - -And he was delighted. - -Ulenspiegel, applying patience to his trouble, came back to the farm -with the wedding party. And there he drank, sang, and was jolly, -drinking hob-nob with the jealous girl. Thereat Hans was merry, -but not Tannekin, nor the girl's betrothed. - -At noon, in bright sunshine and a cool wind, the wagons set forth, -all greenery and flowers, all the banners displayed to the merry -sound of tambourines, shawms, fifes, and bagpipes. - -At Alba's camp there was another feast. The advanced outposts and -sentinels having sounded the alarm, came in one after another, saying: - -"The enemy is near at hand; we have heard the noise of tambourines and -fifes and seen his ensigns. It is a strong body of cavalry come there -to draw you into some ambush. The main army is doubtless farther on." - -The duke at once had his camp masters, colonels, and captains informed, -ordered them to set the army in battle array, and sent to reconnoitre -the enemy. - -Suddenly there appeared four wagons advancing towards the -musketeers. In the wagons men and women were dancing, bottles were -jigging round, and merrily squealed the fifes, moaned the shawms, -beat the drums and droned the bagpipes. - -The wedding party having halted, Alba came in person to the noise, -and beheld the new-made bride on one of the four wagons; Ulenspiegel, -her bridegroom, all rosy and fine beside her, and all the country -folk, both men and women, alighted on the ground, dancing all about -and offering drink to the soldiers. - -Alba and his train marvelled greatly at the simplicity of these -peasants who were singing and feasting when everything was in arms -all about them. - -And those who were in the wagons gave all their wine to the soldiers. - -And they were well applauded and welcomed by them. - -The wine giving out in the wagons, the peasants went on their way -again to the sound of the tambourines, fifes, and bagpipes, without -being interfered with. - -And the soldiers, gay and jolly, fired a salvo of musket shots in -their honour. - -And thus they came into Maestricht, where Ulenspiegel made arrangements -with the reformers' agents to despatch by vessels arms and munitions -to the fleet of the Silent. - -And they did the same at Landen. - -And they went in this way elsewhere, clad as workmen. - -The duke heard of the trick; and there was a song made upon it, -which was sent him, and the refrain of which was: - - - Bloody Duke, silly head, - Have you seen the newlywed? - - -And every time he had made a wrong manoeuvre the soldiers would sing: - - - The Duke has dust in eye: - He has seen the newlywed. - - - - - -XXIV - -In the meantime, King Philip was plunged in bitter melancholy. In his -grievous pride he prayed to God to give him power to conquer England, -to subdue France, to take Milan, Genoa, Venice, and great lord of -all the seas, thus to reign over all Europe. - -Thinking of this triumph, he laughed not. - -He was continually and always cold; wine never warmed him, nor the -fire of scented wood that was always burning in the chamber where he -was. There always writing, sitting amid so many letters that a hundred -casks might have been filled with them, he brooded over the universal -domination of the whole world, such as was wielded by the emperors of -Rome; on his jealous hatred of his son Don Carlos, since the latter -had wanted to go to the Low Countries in the Duke of Alba's place, to -seek to reign there, he thought, without doubt. And seeing him ugly, -deformed, a savage and cruel madman, he hated him the more. But he -never spoke of it. - -Those who served King Philip and his son Don Carlos knew not which -of the twain they ought to fear the most; whether the son, agile, -murderous, tearing his servitors with his nails, or the cowardly -and crafty father, using others to strike, and like a hyaena, living -upon corpses. - -The servitors were terrified to see them prowling around each -other. And they said that there would soon be a death in the Escurial. - -Now they learned presently that Don Carlos had been imprisoned for the -crime of high treason. And they knew that he was devouring his soul -with black spite, that he had hurt his face trying to get through -the bars of his prison in order to escape, and that Madame Isabelle -of France, his mother, was weeping without ceasing. - -But King Philip was not weeping. - -The rumour came to them that Don Carlos had been given green figs -and that he was dead the next day as if he had gone to sleep. The -physicians said as soon as he had eaten the figs the blood ceased to -beat, the functions of life, as Nature meant them, were interrupted; -he could neither spit, nor vomit, nor get rid of anything from out -of his body. His belly swelled at his death. - -King Philip heard the death mass for Don Carlos, had him buried -in the chapel of his royal residence and marble set over his body; -but he did not weep. - -And the lords in waiting said to one another, mocking the princely -epitaph that was on the tombstone: - - - HERE LIES ONE WHO, EATING GREEN FIGS, - DIED WITHOUT HAVING BEEN SICK - - A qui jaze qui en para desit verdad, - Morio s'in infirmidad - - -And King Philip looked with a lustful eye upon the Princess of Eboli, -who was married. He besought her love, and she yielded. - -Madame Isabelle of France, of whom it was said that she had favoured -the designs of Don Carlos upon the Low Countries, became haggard and -woebegone. And her hair fell out in great handfuls at a time. Often -she vomited, and the nails of her feet and her hands came out. And -she died. - -And King Philip did not weep. - -The hair of the Prince of Eboli fell out also. He became sad and always -complaining. Then the nails of his feet and his hands came out, too. - -And King Philip had him buried. - -And he paid for the widow's mourning and did not weep. - - - - - -XXV - -At this time certain women and girls of Damme came to ask Nele if she -would be the May bride and hide among the brushwood with the groom that -would be found for her; "for," said the women, not without jealousy, -"there is not one young man in all Damme and round about who would -not fain be betrothed to you, who stay so lovely, good, and fresh: -the gift of a witch, doubtless." - -"Goodwives," answered Nele, "say to the young men that seek after me: -'Nele's heart is not here, but with him that wandereth to deliver -the land of our fathers.' And if I am fresh, even as you say, it is -no gift of a witch, but the gift of good health." - -The goodwives replied: - -"All the same, Katheline is suspect." - -"Do not believe what ill folk say," answered Nele; "Katheline is -no witch. The law-men burned tow upon her head and God struck her -with witlessness." - -And Katheline, nodding her head in a corner where she was sitting -all huddled up, said: - -"Take away the fire; he will come back, my darling Hanske." - -The goodwives asking who was this Hanske, Nele replied: - -"It is the son of Claes, my foster brother, whom she thinks she lost -since God struck her." - -And the kindly goodwives gave silver patards to Katheline. And when -they were new she showed them to someone that nobody could see, saying: - -"I am rich, rich in shining silver. Come, Hanske, my darling; I will -pay for my love." - -And the goodwives being gone, Nele wept in the lonely cottage. And -she thought on Ulenspiegel wandering in far-off countries where she -might not follow him, and on Katheline who, often groaning "take away -the fire," held her bosom with both hands, showing in this way that -the fire of madness burned her head and her body feverishly. - -And in the meanwhile the bride and groom of May hid in the grass. - -He or she who found one of them was, according to the sex of the one -found, and his or her own, King or Queen of the feast. - -Nele heard the cries of joy of the lads and lasses when the May bride -was found on the edge of a ditch, hidden among the tall grasses. - -And she wept, thinking on the sweet time when they hunted for her -and her friend Ulenspiegel. - - - - - -XXVI - -Meanwhile, Lamme and he were riding along well astraddle upon their -asses. - -"Listen here, Lamme," said Ulenspiegel, "the nobles of the Low -Countries, through jealousy against Orange, have betrayed the cause -of the confederates, the holy alliance, the valiant covenant signed -for the good of the land of our fathers. Egmont and de Hoorn were -traitors alike and with no advantage to themselves. Brederode is -dead; in this war there is nothing left us now but the poor common -folk of Brabant and Flanders waiting for loyal chiefs to go forward; -and then, my son, the isles, the isles of Zealand, North Holland, too, -over which the Prince is governor; and farther still and on the sea, -Edzard, Count of Emden and East Frisia." - -"Alas," said Lamme, "I see it clear; we journey between rope, rack, and -stake, dying of hunger, gaping for thirst, and with no hope of rest." - -"We are but at the beginning," replied Ulenspiegel. "Deign to consider -how that all in this is pleasure for us, slaying our enemies, -mocking them, having our pouches full of florins; well laden with -meat, with beer, with wine, with brandy. What would you have more, -feather bed? Would you like us to sell our asses and buy horses?" - -"My son," said Lamme, "the trotting of a horse is very severe on a -man of my corpulence." - -"You will sit on your steed as peasants do," said Ulenspiegel, -"and no man will mock at you, since you are clad like a peasant, -and do not wear the sword like me, but only carry a pikestaff." - -"My son," said Lamme, "are you sure that our two passes will avail -for the little towns?" - -"Have not I the cure's certificate," said Ulenspiegel, "with the -great seal of the Church in red wax hanging from it by two tails of -parchment, and our confession cards? The soldiers and catchpolls of -the duke have no power against two men so well armed. And the black -paternosters we have for sale? We are two reiters, both of us, you a -Fleming and I a German, travelling by express command from the duke, -to win over the heretics of this land to the Holy Catholic faith -by the sale of sacred articles. We shall thus enter everywhere the -houses of noble lords and the fat abbes. And they will give us rich -hospitality. And we shall surprise their secrets. Lick your chops, -my gentle friend." - -"My son," said Lamme, "we will then be carrying on the trade of spies." - -"By law and right of war," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"If they hear of the affair of the three preachers, we shall die -without a doubt," said Lamme. - -Ulenspiegel sang: - - - "My standards 'Live' as motto bear - Live ever in a sunshine land - My skin the first is buff well tanned - And steel the second skin I wear." - - -But Lamme, sighing: - -"I have nothing but one skin, and a soft one; the least stroke of a -dagger would make a hole in it immediately. We should do better to -settle in some useful trade than to gad about in this way over hill -and valley, to serve all these great princes who, with their feet in -velvet hose, eat ortolans on gilded tables. To us the blows, perils, -battle, rain, hail, snow, the thin soups that fall to vagabonds. To -them the fine sausages, fat capons, savoury thrushes, succulent fowls." - -"The water is coming into your mouth, my gentle friend," said -Ulenspiegel. - -"Where are ye, fresh bread, golden koekebakken, delicious creams? But -where art thou, my wife?" - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"The ashes beat upon my heart and drive me on to the battle. But -thou, mild lamb that hast naught to avenge, neither the death of -thy father nor of thy mother, nor the grief of those thou lovest, -nor thy present poverty, leave me alone to march whither I say, -if the toils of war affright thee." - -"Alone?" said Lamme. - -And he pulled up his ass, which began to eat a tuft of thistles, -of which there was a great plantation on that wayside. Ulenspiegel's -ass stopped and ate likewise. - -"Alone," said Lamme. "You will not leave me alone, my son; that would -be an infamous cruelty. To have lost my wife and then further to lose -my friend, that is impossible. I will whine no more, I promise you. And -since it must be"--and he raised his head proudly--"I will go under -the rain of bullets. Aye! And in the midst of swords; aye! in the face -of those foul soldiers that drink blood like wolves. And if one day -I fall at your feet bloody and death-stricken, bury me; and if you -see my wife, tell her that I died because I could not bear to live -without being loved by someone in this world. No, I could not do it, -my son Ulenspiegel." - -And Lamme wept. And Ulenspiegel was moved to see that mild courage. - - - - - -XXVII - -At this time the duke, dividing his army into two corps, made the -one march towards the Duchy of Luxembourg and the other towards the -Marquisate of Namur. - -"This," said Ulenspiegel, "is some military decision unknown to me; -it is all one to me, let us go towards Maestricht boldly." - -As they went alongside the Meuse near the city Lamme saw Ulenspiegel -looking attentively at all the boats that were moving in the river; and -he stopped before one of them that bore a siren on the prow. And this -siren held a scutcheon on which there was marked in gold letters on a -sable ground the sign J. H. S., which is that of Our Lord Jesus Christ. - -Ulenspiegel signed to Lamme to stop and began to sing merrily like -a lark. - -A man came up on the boat, crowed like a cock, and then, on a -sign from Ulenspiegel, who brayed like a donkey and pointed him to -the people gathered on the quay, he began to bray terribly like a -donkey. Ulenspiegel's two asses laid back their ears and sang their -native song. - -Women were passing; men, too, riding the towing horses, and Ulenspiegel -said to Lamme: - -"That boatman is mocking us and our steeds. Suppose we go and attack -him on his boat?" - -"Let him rather come hither," replied Lamme. - -Then a woman spoke and said: - -"If you do not want to come back with arms cut off, broken backs, -faces in bits, let that Stercke Pier bray in peace as he pleases." - -"Hee haw! hee haw! hee haw!" went the boatman. - -"Let him sing," said the goodwife, "we saw him the other day lift up on -his shoulders a cart laden with huge casks of beer, and stop another -cart pulled by a powerful horse. There," she said, pointing to the -inn of the Blauwe-Toren, the Blue Tower, "he pierced with his knife, -thrown from twenty paces off, an oaken plank twelve inches thick." - -"Hee haw! hee haw! hee haw!" went the boatman, while a lad of twelve -years old got up on the bridge of the boat and started to bray also. - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"Much we care for your strong Peter! However Stercke Pier he may be, -we are more of it than he is, and there is my friend Lamme who would -eat two of his size without a hiccup." - -"What are you saying, my son?" asked Lamme. - -"What is," replied Ulenspiegel; "do not contradict me through -modesty. Aye, good people, goodwives and artisans, soon you will behold -him try the work of his arms and annihilate this famous Stercke Pier." - -"Hold your tongue," said Lamme. - -"Your might is well known," replied Ulenspiegel, "you could never -hide it." - -"Hee haw!" went the boatman; "hee haw!" went the lad. - -Suddenly Ulenspiegel sang again, most melodiously like a lark. And -the men, the women, and the artisans, ravished with delight, asked -him where he had learned that divine whistle. - -"In paradise, whence I have come direct," answered Ulenspiegel. - -Then, speaking to the man who never stopped braying and pointing with -his finger for mockery: - -"Why do you stay there on your boat, rascal? Do you not dare to come -to land and mock at us and our steeds?" - -"Do you not dare?" said Lamme. - -"Hee haw! hee haw!" went the boatman. "Masters, donkeys, playing the -donkey, come up on my boat." - -"Do as I do," said Ulenspiegel in a low voice to Lamme. - -And speaking to the boatman: - -"If you are the Stercke Pier, I, I am Thyl Ulenspiegel. And these -twain are our asses, Jef and Jan, who can bray better than you, for -it is their native tongue. As for going up on your rickety planks, we -have no mind to it. Your boat is like a tub; every time a wave strikes -it it goes back, and it can only move like the crabs, sideways." - -"Aye, like the crabs!" said Lamme. - -Then the boatman, speaking to Lamme: - -"What are you muttering between your teeth, lump of bacon?" - -Lamme, becoming furious, said: - -"Evil Christian, who reproached me with my infirmity, know that my -bacon is my own and comes from my good food; while thou, old rusty -nail, thou livest but on old red herrings, candle wicks, skins of -stockfish, to judge from thy scrawny beef that can be seen sticking -through the holes in thy breeches." - -"They'll be giving each other a stiff drubbing," said the men, women, -and artisans, delighted and full of curiosity. - -"Hee haw! hee haw!" went the boatman. - -"Do not throw stones," said Ulenspiegel. - -The boatman said a word in the ear of the lad hee-hawing beside him -on the boat, and with the help of a boat hook, which he handled -dexterously, came to the bank. When he was quite close, he said, -standing proudly upright: - -"My baes asks if you dare to come on board his boat and wage battle -with him with fist and foot. These goodmen and goodwives will be -witnesses." - -"We will," said Ulenspiegel with much dignity. - -"We accept the combat," said Lamme with great stateliness. - -It was noon; the workmen, navvies, paviours, ship-makers, their wives -armed with their husbands' luncheons, the children that came to see -their fathers refresh themselves with beans or boiled meat, all laughed -and clapped their hands at the idea of a battle at hand, gaily hoping -that one or the other of the combatants would have a broken head or -would fall into the river all in pieces for their delectation. - -"My son," said Lamme in a low voice, "he will throw us into the water." - -"Let yourself be thrown," said Ulenspiegel. - -"The big man is afraid," said the crowd of workmen. - -Lamme, still sitting on his ass, turned on them and looked wrathfully -at them, but they hooted him. - -"Let us go on the boat," said Lamme, "they will see if I am afraid." - -At these words he was hooted again, and Ulenspiegel said: - -"Let us go on the boat." - -Alighting from their asses, they threw the bridles to the boy who -patted the donkeys in friendly fashion, and led them where he saw -thistles growing. - -Then Ulenspiegel took the boat hook, made Lamme get into the dinghy, -sculled along towards the boat, where by the help of a rope he climbed -up, preceded by Lamme, sweating and blowing hard. - -When he was upon the bridge of the vessel, Ulenspiegel stooped down -as though he meant to lace up his boots, and said a few words to the -boatman, who smiled and looked at Lamme. Then he roared a thousand -insults at him, calling him rascal, stuffed with guilty fat, gaol seed, -pap-eter, eater of pap, and saying: "Big whale, how many hogsheads -of oil do you give when you are bled?" - -All at once, without answering him, Lamme hurled himself on him like a -wild bull, flung him down, struck him with all his might, but did him -little harm because of the fat pithlessness of his arms. The boatman, -while pretending to struggle, let him do as he would, and Ulenspiegel -said: "This rascal will pay for liquor." - -The men, women, and workmen, who from the bank looked on at the battle, -said: "Who would have imagined that this big man was so impetuous?" - -And they clapped their hands while Lamme struck like a deaf man. But -the boatman took care for nothing except to save his face. Suddenly -Lamme was seen with his knee on Stercke Pier's breast, holding him -by the throat with one hand and raising the other to strike. - -"Cry for mercy," he said in fury, "or I will drive you through the -ribs of your tub!" - -The boatman, coughing to show that he could not cry out, asked for -mercy with his hand. - -Then Lamme was seen generously lifting up his enemy, who was soon -on his feet, and turning his back on the spectators, put out his -tongue at Ulenspiegel, who was bursting with laughter to see Lamme, -proudly shaking the feather in his cap, walking up and down the boat -in mighty triumph. - -And the men, women, lads, and lasses, who were on the bank, applauded -with all their might, saying: "Hurrah for the conqueror of Stercke -Pier! He is a man of iron. Did ye see how he thumped him with his fist -and how he stretched him on his back with a blow from his head? There -they are, going to drink now to make peace. Stercke Pier is coming -up from the hold with wine and sausages." - -In very deed, Stercke Pier had come up with two tankards and a great -quart of white Meuse wine. And Lamme and he had made peace. And Lamme, -all gay and jolly because of his triumph, because of the wine and the -sausages, asked him, pointing to an iron chimney that was disgorging a -black thick smoke, what were the fricassees he was making in his hold. - -"War cookery," replied Stercke Pier, smiling. - -The crowd of artisans, women, and children being dispersed to go back -to their work or to their homes, the rumour ran speedily from mouth -to mouth that a great fat man, mounted on an ass and accompanied by -a little pilgrim, also mounted on an ass, was stronger than Samson -and that care must be taken not to offend him. - -Lamme drank and looked at the boatman with a conquering air. - -The other said suddenly: - -"Your donkeys are tired of being over yonder." - -Then, bringing the boat up against the quay, he got out on the earth, -took one of the asses by the hind legs and the forelegs, and carrying -him as Jesus carried the lamb, set it down on the bridge of the -boat. Then having done the same with the other one without so much -as drawing a quicker breath, he said: - -"Let us drink." - -The lad leaped on the bridge. - -And they drank. Lamme, all in a maze, no longer knew if it was himself, -native of Damme, who had beaten this strong man, and he no longer dared -to look at him, save by stealth, without any triumphing, fearing that -he might take a notion to lay hold of him as he had done with the -donkeys and throw him alive into the Meuse, for spite at his overthrow. - -But the boatman, smiling, invited him gaily to drink again, and -Lamme recovered from his fright and looked on him once more with -victorious assurance. - -And the boatman and Ulenspiegel laughed. - -In the meanwhile, the donkeys, dumbfounded to find themselves on a -floor that was not the cows' floor, as the peasants call dry land, -had hung their heads, laid back their ears, and dared not drink for -fear. The boatman went off to fetch them one of the pecks of corn he -gave the horses that towed his boat, buying it himself so as not to -be cheated by the drivers in the price of fodder. - -When the donkeys saw the grain they murmured paternosters of the jaw -while staring at the deck of the boat in melancholy fashion and not -daring to move a hoof for fear of slipping. - -Thereupon the boatman said to Lamme and to Ulenspiegel: - -"Let us go into the kitchen." - -"A war kitchen, but you may go down into it without fear, my -conqueror." - -"I am nowise afraid, and I follow you," said Lamme. - -The lad took the tiller. - -Going down they saw everywhere bags of grain, of beans, peas, carrots, -and other vegetables. - -The boatman then said to them, opening the door of a small forge: - -"Since ye are men of valiant heart and know the cry of the lark, -the bird of the free, and the warrior clarion of the cock, and the -braying of the ass, the gentle worker, I am minded to show you my -war kitchen. This little forge you will find such an one in most -Meuse boats. No one can be suspicious of it, for it serves to mend -and repair the ironwork of the vessels; but what all do not possess -is the goodly vegetables contained in these cupboards." - -Then removing some stones that covered the floor of the hold, he -raised a few planks, and pulled up a fine sheaf of musket barrels, -and lifting it as if it had been a feather, he put it back in its -place; then he showed them lance heads, halberds, sword blades; -bags of bullets, bags of powder. - -"Long live the Beggar!" said he; "here are beans and their sauce, -the musket stocks are legs of mutton, the salads are these halberd -heads, and these musket barrels are ox shins for the soup of -freedom. Long live the Beggar! Where am I to take this victual?" he -asked Ulenspiegel. - -"To Nimeguen, where you will enter with your boat still more heavily -laden, with real vegetables, brought you by the peasants, which you -will take on board at Etsen, at Stephansweert, and at Ruremonde. And -they, too, will sing like the lark, the bird of the free; you shall -answer with the warlike clarion of the cock. You are to go to the -house of Doctor Pontus, who lives beside the Nieuwe-Waal; you are -to tell him you are coming to the city with vegetables, but that -you fear the drought. While the peasants go to the market to sell -the vegetables at a price too dear for any to buy, he will tell you -what you are to do with your weapons. I think, too, that he will -direct you to pass, not without danger, by the Wahal, the Meuse, or -the Rhine, exchanging vegetables for nets for sale, so that you may -wander with the Harlingen fishing boats, where there are many sailors -that know the lark's song; skirt the coast by the Waden, and get to -the Lauwer-Zee; exchange the nets for iron and lead; give costumes -of Marken, Vlieland, and Ameland to your peasants; remain awhile on -the coasts, fishing and salting down your fish to keep it and not to -sell it, for to drink cool and make war on salt is a lawful thing." - -"Wherefore, let us drink," said the boatman. - -And they went up on the deck. - -But Lamme, falling into melancholy: - -"Master boatman," said he, suddenly, "you have here in your forge -a little fire so bright that for certain one might cook with it the -most delicious of hotpots. My throat is thirsty for soup." - -"I will refresh you," said the man. - -And speedily he served him a rich soup, in which he had boiled a -thick slice of salt ham. - -When Lamme had swallowed a few spoonfuls, he said to the boatman: - -"My throat is peeling, my tongue is burning: this is no hotpot." - -"'Cool drink and salt war', it was written," replied Ulenspiegel. - -Then the boatman filled up the tankards, and said: - -"I drink to the lark, the bird of freedom." - -Ulenspiegel said: - -"I drink to the cock, blowing the clarion of war." - -Lamme said: - -"I drink to my wife; may she never be athirst, the poor darling." - -"You are to go as far as Emden by the North Sea," said Ulenspiegel -to the boatman. "Emden is a refuge for us." - -"The sea is wide," said the boatman. - -"Wide for the battle," said Ulenspiegel. - -"God is with us," said the boatman. - -"Who then shall be against us?" replied Ulenspiegel. - -"When do you depart?" said he. - -"Immediately," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"Good voyage and a following wind. Here are powder and bullets." And -kissing them, he brought them ashore, after carrying the two donkeys -on his neck and shoulders like lambs. - -Ulenspiegel and Lamme having mounted them, they started for Liege. - -"My son," said Lamme, as they went on their way, "how did that man, -so strong as he is, allow himself to be so cruelly thumped by me?" - -"So that everywhere we go," said Ulenspiegel, "terror may precede -you. That will be a better escort to us than twenty landsknechts. Who -would henceforth dare to attack Lamme the mighty, the conqueror; -Lamme the bull without peer, who with his head, before the eyes and -to the knowledge of everyone, overthrew the Stercke Pier, Peter the -Strong, who carries asses like lambs and lifts with one shoulder a -cart of beer barrels? Everyone knows you here already; you are Lamme -the terrible, Lamme the invincible, and I walk in the shadow of your -protection. Everyone will know you along the way we are to go, no -one will dare to look on you with an unfriendly eye, and considering -the great valour of mankind, you will find nothing on your path but -louting, salutations, homage, and venerations offered to the might -of your redoubtable fist." - -"You speak well, my son," said Lamme, drawing himself up in his saddle. - -"And I speak the truth," replied Ulenspiegel. "Do you see these -curious faces in the first houses of this village? They are pointing -the finger, showing to one another Lamme, the terrific conqueror. Do -you see these men that look at you with envy and these poor cowards -that doff their kerchiefs! Reply to their salutation, Lamme, my dear; -disdain not the poor weak common herd. See the children know your -name and repeat it with awe and fear." - -And Lamme passed by, proud and stately, saluting to the right and to -the left like a king. And the word of his prowess followed him from -burg to burg, from city to city, to Liege, Choquier, to Neuville, -Vesin, and Namur which they avoided because of the three preachers. - -They went on thus a long time, following up rivers, streams, and -canals. And everywhere to the lark's song answered the crowing of -the cock. And everywhere for the work of liberty men founded forges -and furbished the weapons that went away on the ships that skirted -along the coasts. - -And they passed the tolls in casks, in cases, in baskets. - -And there were found always good folk to receive them and to conceal -them in a sure place, with powder and bullets, until the hour of God. - -And Lamme wending his way with Ulenspiegel, still preceded by his -victorious reputation, began himself to believe in his great strength, -and becoming proud and bellicose, he let his hair grow long. And -Ulenspiegel christened him "Lamme the Lion." - -But Lamme did not hold steadfast in the design because of the -irritation of the young growth on the fourth day. And he had the razor -passed over his conquering face, which appeared to Ulenspiegel once -more, round and full like a sun, lit up with the flame of good victual. - -In this wise they came to Stockem. - - - - - -XXVIII - -About nightfall, having left their asses at Stockem, they entered -into the city of Antwerp. - -And Ulenspiegel said to Lamme: - -"Lo this great city; here the whole world piles up its riches: gold, -silver, spices, gilded leather, Gobelin tapestry cloth, stuffs -of velvet, wool, and silk; beans, peas, grain, meat, and flour, -salted hides, Louvain wines, wines of Namur, of Luxembourg, Liege, -Landtwyn from Brussels and from Aerschot, Buley wines whose vineyard -is beside the Plante gate at Namur, Rhine wines, wines from Spain -and Portugal; grape oil from Aerschot that they call Landolium; wines -of Burgundy, Malvoisie and so many more. And the quays are cumbered -with merchandise. - -"These riches of earth and of human toil bring into this place the -most beautiful light ladies that are." - -"You are growing dreamy," said Lamme. - -Ulenspiegel answered: - -"I shall find the Seven among them. It was told me: - - - In ruins, blood and tears, seek! - - -What then is there that causeth more of ruin than light wenches? Is it -not in their company that poor witless men lose their goodly carolus, -shining and chinking; their jewels, chains, and rings, and come away -without a doublet, ragged and despoiled, even without their linen; -while the girls grow fat upon their spoils? Where is the red clear -blood that used to course in their veins? 'Tis leek juice now. Or else, -indeed, to enjoy their sweet and lovely bodies do they not fight with -knife, with dagger, with sword, without pity? The corpses borne away, -pale, and bloody, are corpses of the love-distraught. When the father -scolds and remains on his chair with forbidding looks; when his white -hairs seem whiter and stiffer; when from his dry eyes, wherein burns -the grief at a son's loss, the tears refuse to flow; when the mother, -silent and pale as a dead woman, weeps as if she saw nothing before -her now save all the sorrows that this world holdeth, who is it makes -those tears to fall? The gay ladies that love but themselves and money, -and hold the world, thinking or working or philosophizing, fastened -to the end of their golden girdle. Aye, it is there the Seven are, -and we shall go, Lamme, among the girls. Perchance thy wife is among -them; that will be a double sweep of the net." - -"I am willing," said Lamme. - -It was then in the month of June, towards the end of the summer, -when the sun was already reddening the leaves on the chestnuts, when -the little birds sing in the trees and there is never a mite so small -that he does not chirp for pleasure to be so warm in the grass. - -Lamme wandered beside Ulenspiegel through the streets of Antwerp, -hanging his head and dragging his body along like a house. - -"Lamme," said Ulenspiegel, "you are plunged in melancholy; do you not -know that nothing is worse for the skin; if you persist in your grief, -you will lose it in strips. And it will be a fine word to hear when -they say of you: 'Lamme the flayed.'" - -"I am hungry," said Lamme. - -"Come and eat," said Ulenspiegel. - -And they went together to the Old Stairs, where they ate choesels -and drank dobbel-cuyt as much as they could carry. - -And Lamme wept no more. - -And Ulenspiegel said: - -"Blessed be the good beer that maketh thy soul all sunny! Laughest -and shakest thy big paunch. How I love to see thee dance of the -merry entrails." - -"My son," said Lamme, "they would dance far more if I had the good -luck to find my wife again." - -"Let us go and seek for her," said Ulenspiegel. - -They came thus to the quarter of the Lower Scheldt. - -"Look," said Ulenspiegel to Lamme, "see that little house all made of -wood, with handsome windows, well opened and glazed with little square -panes; consider these yellow curtains and that red lamp. There, my son, -behind four casks of bruinbier, of uitzet, of dobbel-cuyt, and Amboise -wine, sits a beauteous baesine of fifty years or upwards. Every year -she lived gave her a fresh layer of bacon. Upon one of the casks -shines a candle, and there is a lantern hung to the beams of the -roof. It is bright and dark there, dark for love, bright for payment." - -"But," said Lamme, "this is a convent of the devil's nuns, and this -baesine is its abbess." - -"Aye," said Ulenspiegel, "'tis she that leadeth in Beelzebub's name, -down the path of sin fifteen lovely girls of amorous life, which find -with her shelter and food, but it is forbidden to them to sleep there." - -"Do you know this convent?" said Lamme. - -"I am going to look for your wife therein. Come." - -"No," said Lamme, "I have taken thought and will not go in." - -"Wilt thou let thy friend expose himself all alone in the midst of -these Astartes?" - -"Let him not go there," said Lamme. - -"But if he must go in to find the Seven and your wife?" replied -Ulenspiegel. - -"I would rather sleep," said Lamme. - -"Come on then," said Ulenspiegel, opening the door and thrusting -Lamme in front of him. "See, the baesine stays behind her casks, -between two candles; the chamber is large, with a roof of blackened -oak with smoked beams. All around reign benches, lame-legged -tables covered with glasses, quart pots, goblets, tankards, jugs, -flasks, bottles, and other implements of drinking. In the middle are -still more tables and chairs whereon are enthroned odds and ends, -the which are women's capes, gilded belts, velvet shoes, bagpipes, -fifes, shawms. In a corner is a ladder leading to the upper story. A -little bald hunchback plays on a clavecin mounted on glass feet that -make the sound of the instrument grating. Dance, my fat lad. Fifteen -lovely ladies are sitting, some on the tables, some on the chairs, -a leg here, a leg there, bending, upright, leaning on an elbow, -thrown back, lying on their back or on their side, at their pleasure, -clad in white, in red, their arms bare like their shoulders, too, -and their bosom down to the waist. There are some of every kind; -choose! For some the light of the candles, caressing their fair -hair, leaves in the shadow their blue eyes, of which nothing can be -seen but the gleaming of their liquid fire. Others, looking at the -ceiling, sigh to the viol some German ballade. Some round, brown, -plump, brazen-faced, are drinking from full tankards Amboise wine, and -show their round arms, bare to the shoulder, their half-opened dress, -whence come out the apples of their breasts, and shamelessly talk with -their mouths full, one after the other or all at once. Listen to them." - -"A straw for money to-day! it is love we must have, love at our -own choice," said the lovely ladies, "child's love, youth's love, -whoever pleases us, and no paying."--"Yesterday was the day when one -paid, to-day is the day when one loves!" "Who so would fain drink -at our lips, they are still moist from the bottle. Wine and kisses, -it is a whole feast!" "A straw for widows that lie all alone!" "We -are girls! 'Tis the day of charity to-day. To the young, the strong, -and the comely, we will open our arms. Something to drink!" "Darling, -is it for the battle of love that your heart is beating the tambourine -in your breast! What a pendulum! 'Tis the clock of kisses. When -will they come, full hearts and empty purses? Do they not scent out -dainty adventures? What is the difference between a young Beggar -and Monsieur the Markgrave? Monsieur pays in florins and the young -Beggar in caresses. Long live the Beggar! Who will go and wake up -the graveyards?" - -Thus spake the good, the ardent, and the gay among the ladies of -amorous life. - -But there were others of them with narrow faces, lean shoulders, who -made of their bodies a shop for savings, and liard by liard harvested -the price of their thin flesh. And these were fuming among themselves: -"It is very foolish for us to refuse payment in this fatiguing trade, -for these ridiculous whimsies running in the heads of girls that -are wild over men. If they have a cantle of the moon in their heads, -we have none, and prefer not to have to drag around in our old age -like them, in rags in the gutter, but to be paid since we are for -sale. A straw for this gratis! Men are ugly, stinking, grumbling, -greedy, drunken. It is nothing but them that turns poor women to ill!" - -But the young and beautiful ones did not hear these speeches, and -all in their pleasure and drinkings said: "Do you hear the passing -bells ringing in Notre Dame? We are on fire! Who will go and waken -the graveyards?" - -Lamme seeing so many women all at once, brunette and fair, fresh and -withered, was ashamed; lowering his eyes he cried out: "Ulenspiegel, -where are you?" - -"He is dead and gone, my friend," said a great stout girl taking hold -of his arm. - -"Dead and gone?" said Lamme. - -"Aye," said she, "three hundred years ago, in the company of Jacobus -de Coster van Maerlandt." - -"Let me go," said Lamme, "and do not pinch me. Ulenspiegel, where -are you? Come and save your friend! I am going away immediately if -you do not let me go." - -"You will not go away," they said. - -"Ulenspiegel," said Lamme, again, piteously, "where are you, my -son? Madame, do not pull my hair in this way; it is not a wig, I -assure you. Help! Do you not think my ears red enough, without your -bringing the blood to them besides? There is that other one filliping -me all the time. You are hurting me! Alas! what are they rubbing my -face with now? A looking glass! I am black as the jaws of an oven. I -will be angry in a minute if you do not stop; it is ill done of you -to torment a poor man like this. Let me go! When you have tugged me -by my breeches to right, to left, from all sides, and have made me -go like a shuttle, will you be any the fatter for it? Aye, I shall -get angry without a doubt." - -"He will get angry," said they, mocking; "he will get angry, the good -man. Laugh rather, and sing us a love lay." - -"I will sing one of blows, if you wish, but let me alone." - -"Whom do you love here?" - -"Nobody, neither you nor the others. I will complain to the magistrates -and he will have you whipped." - -"Oh, indeed!" they said. "Whipped! And suppose we were to kiss you -by main force before this whipping?" - -"Me?" said Lamme. - -"You," said they all. - -And thereupon the lovely and the ugly, the fresh and the faded, the -brown and the fair all rushed upon Lamme, flung his bonnet into the -air, and his cloak, too, and fell to caressing him, kissing him on -the cheek, the nose, the back, with all their might. - -The baesine laughed between her candles. - -"Help!" cried Lamme; "help, Ulenspiegel; sweep away all this -rubbish. Let me go. I want none of your kisses; I am married, God's -blood! and keep all for my wife." - -"Married," said they; "but your wife has over much: a man of your -corpulence. Give us a little. Faithful woman, 'tis well and good; -a faithful man, he is a capon. God keep you! you must choose, or we -shall whip you in our turn." - -"I will do no such thing," said Lamme. - -"Choose," said they. - -"No," said he. - -"Will you have me?" said a pretty, fair girl: "See, I am gentle, -and I love whoever loves me." - -"Let me alone," said Lamme. - -"Will you have me?" said a delicious girl, who had black hair, eyes -and complexion all brown, and in everything else made to perfection -by the angels. - -"I don't like gingerbread," said Lamme. - -"And what of me, would you not take me?" said a tall girl, who had a -brow almost covered by her hair, heavy eyebrows joined together, big -drowned eyes, lips thick as eels and all red, and red, too, of face, -neck, and shoulders. - -"I don't like," said Lamme, "burnt bricks." - -"Take me," said a girl of sixteen with a little squirrel face. - -"I don't like nut crunchers," said Lamme. - -"We must whip him," said they, "with what? Fine whips with a lash of -dried hide. A sound lashing. The toughest skin cannot resist it. Take -ten of them. Carters' and donkey drivers' whips." - -"Help! Ulenspiegel!" cried Lamme. - -But Ulenspiegel made no answer. - -"Ye have a bad heart," said Lamme, seeking his friend on every side. - -The whips were brought; two of the girls set to work to strip Lamme -of his doublet. - -"Alas!" said he; "my poor fat, that I had so much trouble to make, -they will doubtless lift it off with their keen whips. But, pitiless -females, my fat will be no use to you, not even to make sauces." - -They replied: - -"We shall make candles with it. Is it nothing to see clear without -paying for it! She that will henceforth say that out of the whip comes -forth candle will seem mad to everybody. We will uphold it to the -death, and win more than one wager. Steep the rods in vinegar. There, -your doublet is off. The hour is striking at Saint Jacques! Nine -o'clock. At the last stroke of the clock, if you have not made your -choice, we shall strike." - -Lamme, paralyzed, said: - -"Have pity and compassion upon me; I have sworn faithfulness -to my poor wife and will keep it, although she left me in evil -fashion. Ulenspiegel, dear friend, help!" - -But Ulenspiegel did not show himself. - -"See me," said Lamme to the light ladies, "see me at your knees. Is -there a humbler posture? Is it not enough to say that I honour your -great beauties like the very saints? Happy is he that, not being -married, can enjoy your charms! 'Tis paradise, without doubt; but do -not beat me, if you please." - -Suddenly the baesine, who remained between her two candles, spoke in -a strong and threatening voice: - -"Good women and girls," said she, "I take my oath on my great devil -that if, in a moment, you have not, by laughter and gentle ways, -brought this man to a good mind, that is to say into your bed, I will -go fetch the night watch and have you all whipped instead of him. Ye -do not deserve to be called girls of amorous life if in vain you -have free mouth, wanton hand, and flaming eyes to excite the males, -as do the females of the glow-worms that have their lanterns but to -this end. And you shall be whipped without mercy for your simpleness." - -At that word the girls trembled and Lamme became joyful. - -"Now, then, good women, what news bring you from the land of sharp -thongs? I will myself go and fetch the watch. They will do their duty, -and I shall help them with it. It will give me great pleasure." - -But then a pretty little girl of fifteen threw herself at Lamme's -knees: - -"Messire," said she, "you see me here before you, humbly resigned; -if you do not deign to choose me from among us, I must needs be -beaten for you, monsieur. And the baesine there will put me into a -foul cellar, under the Scheldt, where the water oozes from the wall, -and where I shall have but black bread to eat." - -"Will she verily be beaten for me, Madame baesine," said Lamme. - -"Till the blood runs," replied she. - -Lamme then, considering the girl, said: "I see thee fresh, perfumed, -thy shoulder coming out from thy robe like a great petal of a white -rose; I would not have this lovely skin under which the blood flows -so young, suffer under the whip, nor that those eyes bright with the -fire of youth should weep for the anguish of the strokes, nor that the -cold of the prison should make thy body shiver, thy body like a love -fay. And so I had rather choose thee than know that thou wert beaten." - -The girl took him away. So sinned he, as he did all things in his life, -through kindness of heart. - -Meanwhile, Ulenspiegel and a tall handsome brown girl with curling -waving hair were standing before one another. The girl, without -saying a word, was looking at Ulenspiegel coquettishly and seemed -not to wish to have anything to do with him. - -"Love me," said he. - -"Love thee," said she, "wild lover who lovest only at thine own hour?" - -Ulenspiegel answered: "The bird that passes above thy head sings his -song and flies away. And so with me, sweetheart: wilt thou that we -sing together?" - -"Aye," said she, "a song of laughter and of tears." - -And the girl flung herself on Ulenspiegel's neck. - -Suddenly, as both were happy in the arms of their darlings, lo! there -came into the house, to the sound of fife and drum, and jostling, -pushing, singing, whistling, crying, shouting, bawling, a gay company -of meesevangers, who at Antwerp are titmouse catchers. They were -carrying bags and cages full of these little birds, and the owls that -had helped them in the sport were opening wide their eyes, gilded in -the light. - -The meesevangers were full ten in number, all red, bloated with wine -and cervoise ale, with waggling heads, dragging their tottering legs -and crying out in a voice so hoarse and so broken that it seemed to -the timid girls that they were rather listening to wild beasts in a -wood than men in a house. - -However, as they never stopped saying, speaking singly or all at once: -"I would have the one I love." "We are his that pleaseth us. To-morrow -to the rich in florins! To-day to the rich in love!" the meesevangers -replied: "Florins we have and love as well; to us then the light -ladies. He that draws back is a capon. These are tits, and we are -sportsmen. Rescue! Brabant for the good duke!" - -But the women said, laughing loudly: "Fie! the ugly muzzles that think -to eat us! 'Tis not to swine that men give sherbets. We take whom we -please and do not want you. Barrels of oil, bags of lard, thin nails, -rusty blades, you stink of sweat and mud. Get out of here; you will -be well and duly damned without our help." - -But the men: "The Frenchies are dainty to-day. Disgusted ladies, -you can well give us what you sell to everybody." - -But the women: "To-morrow," they said, "we will be slaves and dogs, -and will accept you; to-day we are free women and we cast you out." - -The men: "Enough words," they cried. "Who is thirsty? Let us pluck -the apples!" - -And so saying they threw themselves upon them, without distinction of -age or beauty. The girls, resolute in their minds, threw at their heads -chairs, quart pots, jugs, goblets, tankards, flasks, bottles, raining -thick as hail, wounding them, bruising them, knocking out their eyes. - -Ulenspiegel and Lamme came down at the tumult, leaving their trembling -lovers above at the top of the ladder. When Ulenspiegel saw these -men striking at the women, he took up a broom in the courtyard, tore -away the twigs from the head, gave another to Lamme, and with them -they beat the meesevangers without pity. - -The game seemed hard to the drunkards; thus belaboured, they stopped -for an instant, by which profited the thin girls who desired to sell -themselves and not to give, even in this great day of love voluntary -as Nature wills it. Like snakes they glided among the injured, -caressed them, tended their wounds, drank wine of Amboise for them, -and emptied so well their pouches of florins and other moneys, that -they had left not a single liard. Then, as the curfew was ringing, -they put them to the door through which Ulenspiegel and Lamme had -already taken their way. - - - - - -XXIX - -Ulenspiegel and Lamme were marching towards Ghent and came at daybreak -to Lokeren. The earth in the distance sweated dew; white cool mists -glided along the meadows. Ulenspiegel, as he passed before a forge, -whistled like the lark, the bird of liberty. And straightway appeared -a head, tousled and white, at the door of the forge, and imitated -the warlike clarion of the cock in a weak voice. - -Ulenspiegel said to Lamme: - -"This is the smitte Wasteele, who forges by day spades, mattocks, -plough shares, hammering the iron when it is hot to fashion with -it fine gratings for the choirs of churches, and oftentimes, at -night, making and furbishing arms for the soldiers of freedom of -conscience. He has not won the looks of health at this game, for he -is pale as a ghost, sad as a damned soul, and so lean that his bones -poke holes in his skin. He has not yet gone to rest, having doubtless -toiled all night long." - -"Come in, both of you," said the smitte Wasteele, "and lead your -asses into the meadow behind the house." - -This being done, Lamme and Ulenspiegel being in the forge, the smitte -Wasteele took down into a cellar of his house all the swords he had -furbished and the lance heads he had cast during the night, and made -ready the day's work for his men. - -Looking at Ulenspiegel with lack-lustre eye, he said to him: - -"What news do you bring me from the Silent?" - -"The prince has been driven out of the Low Countries with his -army because of the misconduct of his mercenaries, who shout 'Geld, -Geld! money, money!' when they ought to fight. He has gone away towards -France with the faithful soldiers, his brother Count Ludovic and the -Duke of Deux-Ponts, to help the King of Navarre and the Huguenots; -from thence he passed over into Germany, to Dillenbourg, where many -that have fled from the Low Countries are with him. You must send -him arms and what money you have collected, while we, we shall ply -the task of free men upon the sea." - -"I shall do what is to be done," said the smitte Wasteele; "I have -arms and nine thousand florins. But did you not come riding on asses?" - -"Aye," they said. - -"And have you not, on your way, heard news of three preachers, slain -and stripped and thrown into a hole among the rocks of the Meuse?" - -"Aye," said Ulenspiegel, with the utmost boldness, "these three -preachers were three spies of the duke's, assassins, paid to kill the -prince of freedom. Together we two, Lamme and I, sent them from life -to death. Their money is ours and their papers likewise. We shall -take what we need from it for our journey; the rest we shall give to -the prince." - -And Ulenspiegel, opening his own doublet and Lamme's, pulled out from -them papers and parchments. The smitte Wasteele having read them: - -"They contain," he said, "plans of battle and conspiracy. I will have -them sent to the prince, and he will be told that Ulenspiegel and -Lamme Goedzak, his trusty vagabonds, saved his noble life. I will -have your asses sold that you may not be recognized from your mounts." - -Ulenspiegel asked the smitte Wasteele if the sheriff's court at Namur -had already set their catchpolls on their track. - -"I will tell you what I know," replied Wasteele. "A smith of Namur, -a stout reformer, passed through here the other day, under pretext -of asking me to help him with the screens, weathercocks, and other -ironwork of a castle that is to be built near the Plante. The usher -of the sheriff's court told him that his masters had already met, -and that a tavern keeper had been summoned, because he lived a few -hundred fathom from the place where the murder had taken place. Asked -if he had seen the murderers or not, or any he might suspect as -such, he had replied: 'I saw country folk men and women travelling -on donkeys, asking me for something to drink and staying seated on -their mounts, or getting down to drink in my house, beer for the men, -hydromel for the women and girls. I saw two bold rustics that talked -of shortening Messire of Orange by a foot.' And so saying, the host, -whistling, imitated the sound of a knife going into the flesh of the -neck. 'By the Steel-wind,' he said, 'I will speak with you in private, -being empowered to do so.' He spoke and was released. From that time -the councils of justice have without doubt sent despatches to their -subordinate councils. The host said he had seen only country men and -country women riding upon asses; it will therefore follow that pursuit -will be directed against all persons that may be found bestriding a -donkey. And the prince hath need of you, my children." - -"Sell the asses," said Ulenspiegel, "and keep the price for the -prince's treasury." - -The asses were sold. - -"You must now," said Wasteele, "have each a trade free and independent -of the guilds; do you know how to make bird cages and mouse traps?" - -"I have made such long ago," said Ulenspiegel. - -"And thou?" asked Wasteele of Lamme. - -"I will sell eete-koeken and olie-koeken; these are pancakes and -balls of flour cooked in oil." - -"Follow me; here are cages and mouse traps all ready; the tools and -copper filigree work also which are needed to mend them and to make -others. They were brought me by one of my spies. This is for you, -Ulenspiegel. As for you, Lamme, here is a little stove and a bellows; -I will give you flour, butter, and oil to make the eete-koeken and -the olie-koeken." - -"He will eat them," said Ulenspiegel. - -"When shall we make the first ones?" asked Lamme. - -Wasteele replied: - -"First ye shall help me for a night or two; I cannot finish my great -task alone by myself." - -"I am hungry," said Lamme, "can one eat here?" - -"There is bread and cheese," said Wasteele. - -"No butter?" asked Lamme. - -"No butter," said Wasteele. - -"Have you beer or wine?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -"I never drink them," he answered, "but I will go in het Pelicaen, -close by here, and fetch some for you if you wish." - -"Aye," said Lamme, "and bring us some ham." - -"I will do as you wish," said Wasteele, looking at Lamme with great -disdain. - -All the same he brought dobbel-clauwert and a ham. And Lamme, full -of joy, ate enough for five. - -And he said: - -"When do we set to work?" - -"To-night," said Wasteele; "but stay in the forge and do not be afraid -of my workmen. They are of the Reformed faith like yourselves." - -"That is well," said Lamme. - -By night, the curfew having rung and the doors being shut, Wasteele, -making Ulenspiegel and Lamme help him, going down and bringing up -from his cellar heavy bundles of weapons: - -"Here," he said, "are twenty arquebuses to mend, thirty lance heads -to furbish, and lead for fifteen hundred bullets to melt down; you -shall help me with it." - -"With all my hands," said Ulenspiegel, "and why have I not four to -serve you?" - -"Lamme will help us," said Wasteele. - -"Aye," replied Lamme, piteously, and falling with drowsiness through -excess of drink and food. - -"You shall melt the lead," said Ulenspiegel. - -"I will melt the lead," said Lamme. - -Lamme, melting his lead and running his bullets, kept looking with a -savage eye at the smitte Wasteele who was driving him to keep awake -when he was dropping with sleep. He ran his bullets with a wordless -fury, having a great longing to pour the molten lead on the head of -Wasteele the smith. But he controlled himself. Towards midnight, his -rage getting the better of him at the same time as excess of fatigue, -he addressed him thus in a hissing voice, while the smitte Wasteele -with Ulenspiegel was patiently furbishing musket barrels, muskets, -and lance heads: - -"There you are," said Lamme, "meager, pale, and wretched, believing -in the good faith of princes and the great ones of the earth, and -disdaining, in an excessive zeal, your body, your noble body that you -are leaving to perish in misery and humiliation. It was not for this -that God made it with Dame Nature. Do you know that our soul which -is the breath of life, needs, that it may breathe, beans, beef, beer, -wine, ham, sausages, chitterlings, and rest; you, you live on bread, -water, and watching." - -"Whence have you this talkative flow?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -"He knows not what he says," answered Wasteele, sadly. - -But Lamme growing angry: - -"I know better than you. I say that we are mad, I, you, and -Ulenspiegel, to wear out our eyes for all these princes and great -ones of the earth, who would laugh loudly at us if they saw us dying -of weariness, losing our sleep to furbish up arms and cast bullets -for their service while they drink French wine and eat German capons -from golden tankards and dishes of English pewter; they will never -ask whether, while we are seeking in the open wild the God by whose -grace they have their power, their enemies are cutting off our limbs -with their scythes and casting us into the well of death. They, -in the meanwhile, who are neither Reformed, nor Calvinists, nor -Lutherans, nor Catholics, but sceptics and doubters entirely, will -buy or conquer principalities, will devour the wealth of the monks, -abbeys, and convents, and will have all: virgins, wives, women and -bona robas, and will drink from their gold cups to their perpetual -jollity, and to our everlasting foolishness, simplicity, stupidity, -and to the seven deadly sins which they commit, O smitte Wasteele, -under the starveling nose of thy enthusiasm. Look upon the fields, -the meads, look on the harvest, the orchards, the kine, the gold -rising out of the earth; look at the wild things in the woods, the -birds of the skies, delicious ortolans, delicate thrushes, wild boars' -heads, haunches of buck venison; all is theirs, hunting, fishing, -earth, sea, everything. And you, you live on bread and water, and we -are killing ourselves here for them, without sleep, without eating, -and without drinking. And when we shall be dead they will fetch our -carrion a kick and say to our mothers: 'Make us more of these; those -ones can do us no service now.'" - -Ulenspiegel laughed and said nothing. Lamme breathed hard with -indignation, but Wasteele, speaking in a gentle voice: - -"Thou speakest but lightly," said he. "I live not for ham, for beer, or -for ortolans, but for the victory of freedom of conscience. The prince -of freedom does even as I do. He sacrifices his wealth, his sleep -and his happiness to drive out from the Low Countries the butchers -and tyranny. Do as he does and try to grow thinner. 'Tis not by the -belly that peoples can be saved, but by proud courage and fatigues -endured even unto death without a murmur. And now go and lie down, -if thou art sleepy." - -But Lamme would not, being ashamed. - -And they furbished arms and cast bullets until it was morning, and -thus for three days. - -Then they departed for Ghent, by night, selling bird cages, -mouse-traps, and olie-koekjes. - -And they stopped at Meulestee, the little town of the mills, whose -red roofs are seen everywhere, and there they agreed to carry on their -trades apart and to meet each other at night before curfew in de Zwaen, -at the Swan Inn. - -Lamme wandered about the streets of Ghent selling olie-koekjes getting -a liking for this trade, seeking for his wife, emptying many a quart -pot and eating continually. Ulenspiegel had delivered letters from -the prince to Jacob Scoelap, licentiate in medicine; to Lieven Smet, -cloth seller; to Jan Wulfschaeger, to Gillis Coorne, the scarlet dyer, -and to Jan de Roose, tile maker, who gave him the money harvested by -them for the Prince, and bade him wait some days longer at Ghent and -in the neighbourhood, and he would be given still more. - -Those men having been hanged later on the New Gibbet for heresy, -their bodies were buried in the Gallows Field, near the Bruges Gate. - - - - - -XXX - -Meanwhile, the provost Spelle le Roux, armed with his red wand, was -hurrying from town to town on his lean horse, everywhere setting up -scaffolds, lighting fires of execution, digging graves to bury poor -women and girls alive in them. And the King inherited. - -Ulenspiegel being at Meulestee with Lamme, under a tree, found himself -full of weary lassitude. It was cold although the month was June. From -the skies, laden with gray clouds, there fell a fine hail. - -"My son," said Lamme, "you are for the past four nights shamelessly -running wild, gadding after the bona robas, you go to sleep in de -Zoeten Inval, at the Sweet Fall; you will do like the man on the sign, -falling head foremost into a hive of bees. Vainly do I wait for you in -de Zwaen, and I draw evil forebodings from this liquorish living. Why -do you not take a wife virtuously?" - -"Lamme," said Ulenspiegel, "he to whom one woman is all women, and -to whom all women are one in this gentle combat that they call love, -must not lightly rush upon his choice." - -"And Nele, do you not think at all on her?" - -"Nele is at Damme, far away," said Ulenspiegel. - -While he was in this posture and the hail was falling thick, a young -and pretty woman passed by, running and covering up her head in -her petticoat. - -"Eh," said she, "dreamy one, what dost thou under that tree?" - -"I am dreaming," said Ulenspiegel, "of a woman that should make me -a roof against the hail with her petticoat." - -"Thou hast found her," said the woman. "Rise up." - -"Wilt thou leave me alone again?" said Lamme. - -"Aye," said Ulenspiegel, "but go in de Zwaen, eat a leg of mutton or -two, drink a dozen tankards of beer; you will sleep and you will not -be forlorn then." - -"I will do that," said Lamme. - -Ulenspiegel went up to the woman. - -"Pick up my skirt on one side," said she, "I will lift it on the other, -and now let us run." - -"Why run?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -"Because," she said, "I am fain to flee from Meulestee; the provost -Spelle is in it with two catchpolls and he has sworn to have all the -light ladies whipped if they will not pay him five florins each. That -is why I am running: run, too, and stay with me to defend me." - -"Lamme," cried Ulenspiegel, "Spelle is in Meulestee. Go off and away -to Destelberg, to the Star of the Wise Men." - -And Lamme, getting up affrighted, took his belly in both hands and -began to run. - -"Whither is this fat hare going?" said the girl. - -"To a burrow where I shall find him again," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"Let us run," said she, beating the ground with her foot like a -restive filly. - -"I would fain be virtuous without running," said Ulenspiegel. - -"What does that mean?" asked she. - -Ulenspiegel made answer: - -"The fat hare wants me to renounce good wine, cervoise ale, and the -fresh skin of women." - -The girl looked at him with an ugly eye. - -"Your breath is short; you must rest," said she. - -"Rest myself? I see no shelter," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"Your virtue," said the girl, "will serve for a quilt." - -"I like your petticoat better," said he. - -"My petticoat," said the girl, "would not be worthy to cover a saint -such as you would fain be. Take yourself off that I may run alone." - -"Do you not know," replied Ulenspiegel, "that a dog goes swifter with -four feet than a man with two? And so, having four feet, we shall -run better." - -"You have a lively tongue for a virtuous man." - -"Aye," said he. - -"But," said she, "I have always observed that virtue is a quiet, -sleepy, thick, and chilly quality. It is a mask to hide grumbling -faces, a velvet cloak on a man of stone. I like men that have in -their breast a stove well lighted with the fire of virility, which -exciteth to valiant and gay enterprises." - -"It was ever thus," replied Ulenspiegel, "that the lovely she-devil -spake to the glorious Saint Anthony." - -There was an inn a score of paces from the road. - -"You have spoken well," said Ulenspiegel, "now you must drink well." - -"My tongue is still cool and fresh," said the girl. - -They went in. On a chest there slumbered a big jug nicknamed "belly," -because of its wide paunch. - -Ulenspiegel said to the baes: - -"Dost thou see this florin?" - -"I see it," said the baes. - -"How many patards would thou extract from it to fill up that belly -there with dobbel-clauwert?" - -The baes said to him: - -"With negen mannekens (nine little men), you will be clear." - -"That," said Ulenspiegel, "is six Flanders mites, and overmuch by -two mites. But fill it, anyhow." - -Ulenspiegel poured out a goblet for the woman, then rising up proudly -and applying the beak of the belly to his mouth, he emptied it all -every drop into his throat. And it was as the noise of a cataract. - -The girl, dumbfounded, said to him: - -"How did you manage to put so big a belly into your lean stomach?" - -Without replying, Ulenspiegel said to the baes: - -"Bring a knuckle of ham and some bread, and another full belly, -that we may eat and drink." - -Which they did. - -While the girl was munching a piece of the rind he took her so subtly, -that she was startled, charmed, and compliant all at once. - -Then questioning him: - -"Whence," she said, "have they come to your virtue, this thirst like -a sponge, this wolf's hunger, and these amorous audacities?" - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"Having sinned a hundred ways, I swore, as you know, to do -penance. That lasted a whole long hour. Thinking during that hour -upon my life that was to come, I saw myself fed meagrely on bread, -dully refreshed with water; sadly fleeing from love; daring neither -to move nor sneeze, for fear to commit wickedness; esteemed by all, -feared by each; alone like a leper; sad as a dog orphaned of his -master, and after fifty years of martyrdom, ending by undergoing my -death in melancholy fashion on a pallet. The penance was long enough: -so kiss me, my darling, and let us go out from purgatory together." - -"Ah!" said she, obeying cheerfully, "what a good sign virtue is to -put on the end of a pole!" - -Time passed in these amorous doings; nevertheless they must needs -rise and go, for the girl feared to see in the midst of their pleasure -the provost Spelle suddenly appear with his catchpolls. - -"Truss up thy petticoat then," said Ulenspiegel. - -And they ran like stags towards Destelberg, where they found Lamme -eating at the Star of the Three Wise Men. - - - - - -XXXI - -Ulenspiegel often saw at Ghent, Jacob Scoelap, Lieven Smet, and Jan -de Wulfschaeger, who gave him news of the good or bad fortune of -the Silent. - -And every time that Ulenspiegel came back to Destelberg, Lamme said -to him: - -"What do you bring? Good luck or bad luck?" - -"Alas!" said Ulenspiegel, "the Silent, his brother Ludwig, the other -chiefs and the Frenchmen were determined to go farther into France and -join with the Prince of Conde. Thus they would save the poor Belgian -fatherland and freedom of conscience. God willed it otherwise; the -German reiters and landsknechts refused to go farther, and said their -oath was to go against the Duke of Alba and not against France. Having -vainly entreated them to do their duty, the Silent was forced to take -them through Champagne and Lorraine as far as Strasbourg, whence they -went back into Germany. All has gone awry through this sudden and -obstinate departure: the King of France, despite his contract with -the prince, refuses to give over the money he promised; the Queen -of England would have sent him money to get back the town and the -district of Calais; her letters were intercepted and despatched to -the Cardinal at Lorraine, who forged an answer in the contrary sense. - -"Thus we see melt away, like ghosts at the crowing of the cock, that -goodly army, our hope; but God is with us, and if the earth fail us, -the water will do its work. Long live the Beggar!" - - - - - -XXXII - -The girl came one day, all weeping, to say to Lamme and to Ulenspiegel: - -"Spelle is allowing murderers and robbers in Meulestee to escape for -money. He is putting the innocent to death. My brother Michielkin is -among them. Alas! Let me tell you, ye will avenge him, being men. A -vile and infamous debauchee, Pieter de Roose, an habitual seducer of -children and girls, does all the harm. Alas! my poor brother Michielkin -and Pieter de Roose were one evening, but not at the same table, in -the tavern of the Valck, where Pieter de Roose was avoided by every -one like the plague. - -"My brother, not willing to see him in the same room as himself, -called him a lecherous blackguard, and ordered him to purge the -chamber of his presence. - -"Pieter de Roose replied: - -"'The brother of a public baggage has no need to show such a lofty -nose.' - -"He lied. I am not public, and give myself only to whomsoever -I please.' - -"Michielkin, then, flinging his quart of cervoise ale in his face, told -him he had lied like the filthy debauchee that he was, threatening, -if he did not decamp, to make him eat his fist up to the elbow. - -"The other would have talked more, but Michielkin did what he had -said: he gave him two great blows on the jaw and dragged him by the -teeth, with which he was biting, out on to the road, where he left -him battered and bruised, without pity. - -"Pieter de Roose, being healed, and unable to live a solitary life, -went in 't Vagevuur, a veritable purgatory and a gloomy tavern, where -there were none but poor people. There also he was left to himself, -even by all those ragamuffins. And no man spoke to him, save a few -country folk to whom he was unknown, and a few wandering rogues, or -deserters from some troop or other. He was even beaten there several -times, for he was quarrelsome. - -"The provost Spelle had come to Meulestee with two catchpolls, and -Pieter de Roose followed them everywhere about like a dog, filling -them up at his expense with wine, with meat, and many other pleasures -that are bought with money. And so he became their companion and -their comrade, and he began to do his wicked best to torment all he -hated; which was all the inhabitants of Meulestee, but especially my -poor brother. - -"First of all he attacked Michielkin. False witnesses, gallows birds, -greedy for florins, declared that Michielkin was a heretic, had uttered -foulness about Notre Dame, and oftentimes blasphemed the name of God -and the saints in the tavern of the Falcon, and that, besides all, -he had full three hundred florins in a coffer. - -"Notwithstanding that the witnesses were not of good life and conduct, -Michielkin was arrested, and the proofs being declared by Spelle and -the catchpolls good and sufficient to warrant putting the accused to -the torture, Michielkin was hung up by the arms to a pulley fastened to -the ceiling, and they put a weight of fifty pounds on each of his feet. - -"He denied the charge, saying that if in Meulestee there was a rogue, -a blackguard, a blasphemer and a lecherous brute, it was no other -than Pieter de Roose, and not he. - -"But Spelle would listen to nothing, and bade his catchpolls hoist -Michielkin right up to the ceiling, and to let him drop heavily -with his weights on his feet. And this they did, and so cruelly that -the skin and the muscles of the victim were torn, and that the foot -scarcely held to the leg. - -"As Michielkin persisted in saying he was innocent, Spelle had him -tortured afresh, while giving him to understand that if he would give -him a hundred florins he would leave him free and acquitted. - -"Michielkin said that he would die first. - -"The folk of Meulestee, having learned the fact of the arrest and the -torture, desired to be witness par turbes, which is the testimony of -all the reputable inhabitants of a commune. 'Michielkin,' said they, -unanimously, 'is in no way or guise heretical; he goes every Sunday -to mass and to the holy table; he has never said anything else of Our -Lady than to call on her to succour him in difficult circumstances; -having never spoken ill, even of an earthly woman, he would much less -ever have dared to speak ill of the heavenly Mother of God. As for the -blasphemies that the false witnesses declared they had heard him utter -in the tavern of the Falcon, that was in all points false and lies.' - -"Michielkin having been released, the false witnesses were punished, -and Spelle cited Pieter de Roose before his court, but set him free -without examination or torture, in consideration of one hundred -florins paid down in one sum. - -"Pieter de Roose, fearing that the money he still had left might -attract Spelle's attention to him once again, fled from Meulestee, -while Michielkin, my poor brother, died of the gangrene that had -caught hold of his feet. - -"He who no longer wished to see me, yet had me sent for to bid me -beware well of the fire in my body that would bring me into the fire -of hell. And I could but weep, for the fire is within me. And he gave -up his soul in my arms." - -"Ha!" said she, "he who would avenge upon Spelle the death of my -beloved kind Michielkin would be my master forever, and I would obey -him like a dog." - -While she spake, the ashes of Claes beat upon the breast of -Ulenspiegel. And he determined to bring Spelle the murderer to the -gallows. - -Boelkin (that was the girl's name) returned to Meulestee, well assured -in her home against the vengeance of Pieter de Roose, for a cattle -dealer, passing by Destelberg, informed her that the cure and the -townsfolk had declared that if Spelle touched Michielkin's sister, -they would cite him before the duke. - -Ulenspiegel, having followed her to Meulestee, came into a low chamber -in Michielkin's house, and saw there a portrait of a master pastry -cook which he supposed to be that of the poor victim.... - -And Boelkin said to him: - -"It is my brother's portrait." - -Ulenspiegel took the picture and said, going away: - -"Spelle shall be hanged!" - -"What will you do?" said she. - -"If you knew that," said he, "you would have no pleasure in seeing -it done." - -Boelkin nodded her head and said in a grieving voice: - -"You show no confidence in me." - -"Is it not," said he, "showing you extreme confidence to say to you -'Spelle shall be hanged!' For with this mere word alone you can have -me hanged before him." - -"That is true," said she. - -"Then," said Ulenspiegel, "go fetch me good potter's clay, a double -quart of bruinbier, clear water, and a few slices of beef. All -separate." - -"The beef will be for me, the bruinbier for the beef, the water for -the clay, and the clay for the portrait." - -Eating and drinking Ulenspiegel kneaded the clay, and now and then -swallowed a morsel of it, but heeded it little, and looked most -attentively at Michielkin's portrait. When the clay was kneaded, -he made a mask out of it, with a nose, a mouth, eyes, ears so much -like the portrait of the dead man, that Boelkin was astonied at it. - -After that he put the mask in the oven, and when it was dry, he painted -it the colour corpses are, showing the haggard eyes, the solemn face, -and the various contractions of a man in the act of dying. Then the -girl, ceasing to be astonied, looked at the mask, without being able -to take her eyes off it, grew pale and livid, covered up her face, -and said shuddering: - -"It is he, my poor Michielkin!" - -He made also two bloody feet. - -Then having conquered her first fright: - -"Blessed will he be," said she, "that will slay the -murderer." Ulenspiegel, taking the mask and the feet, said: - -"I must have an assistant." - -Boelkin replied: - -"Go in den Blauwe Gans, to the Blue Goose, to Joos Lansaem of -Ypres, who keeps this tavern. He was my brother's best friend and -comrade. Tell him it is Boelkin that sends you." - -Ulenspiegel did as she bade him. - -After having laboured for death, the provost Spelle went to drink -in't Valck, at the Falcon, a hot mixture of dobbel-clauwert, with -cinnamon and Madeira sugar. They dared refuse him nothing at his inn, -for fear of the rope. - -Pieter de Roose, having plucked up courage again, had come back to -Meulestee. Everywhere he followed Spelle and his catchpolls to have -their protection. Sometimes Spelle paid the wherewithal for him to -drink. And they drank up merrily the money of the victims. - -The inn of the Falcon was not filled now as in the good days when the -village lived joyously, serving God after the Catholic fashion; and -not tormented because of religion. Now it was as though in mourning, -as could be seen from its numerous houses that were empty or shut up, -from its deserted streets in which there wandered a few starved dogs -searching among the rubbish heaps for their rotten food. - -There was no place now in Meulestee for any but the two evil and cruel -men. The timid dwellers in the village saw them by day insolent and -noting the houses of future victims, drawing up the lists of death; -and by night venturing from the Falcon singing filthy choruses, while -two catchpolls, drunk like them, followed them armed to the teeth to -be their escort. - -Ulenspiegel went in den Blauwe Gans, to the Blue Goose, to Joos -Lansaem, who was at the bar. - -Ulenspiegel took from his pocket a little flask of brandy, and said -to him: - -"Boelkin has two casks for sale." - -"Come into my kitchen," said the baes. - -There, shutting the door, and looking fixedly at him: - -"You are no brandy merchant; what do these winkings of your eyes -mean? Who are you?" - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"I am the son of Claes that was burned at Damme; the ashes of the -dead man beat upon my breast; I would fain kill Spelle, the murderer." - -"It is Boelkin who sends you?" asked the host. - -"Boelkin sends me," replied Ulenspiegel. "I will kill Spelle; you -shall help me in it." - -"I will," said the baes. "What must I do?" - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"Go to the cure, the good pastor, an enemy to Spelle. Assemble your -friends together and be with them to-morrow, after the curfew, on -the Everghem road, above Spelle's house, between the Falcon and the -house aforesaid. All post yourselves in the shadows and have no white -on your clothes. At the stroke of ten you will see Spelle coming out -from the tavern and a wagon coming from the other side. - -"Do not tell your friends to-night; they sleep too near to their wives' -ears. Go and find them to-morrow. Come, now, listen to everything -closely and remember well." - -"We shall remember," said Joos. And raising his goblet: "I drink to -Spelle's halter." - -"To the halter," said Ulenspiegel. Then he went back with the baes -into the tavern chamber where there sate drinking certain old clothes -merchants of Ghent who were coming back from the Saturday market at -Bruges, where they had sold for high prices doublets and short mantles -of cloth of gold and silver bought for a few sous from ruined nobles -who desired by their luxury and splendour to imitate the Spaniards. - -And they kept revels and feasting because of their big profits. - -Ulenspiegel and Joos Lansaem, sitting in a corner, as they drank, -and without being heard, agreed that Joos should go to the cure of -the church, a good pastor, incensed against Spelle, the murderer of -innocent men. After that he would go to his friends. - -On the morrow, Joos Lansaem and Michielkin's friends, having been -forewarned, left the Blauwe Gans, where they had their pints as usual, -and so as to conceal their plans went off at curfew by different ways, -and came to the Everghem causeway. They were seventeen in number. - -At ten o'clock Spelle left the Falcon, followed by his two catchpolls -and Pieter de Roose. Lansaem and his troop were hidden in the barn -belonging to Samson Boene, a friend of Michielkin. The door of the -barn was open. Spelle never saw them. - -They heard him pass by, staggering with drink like Pieter de Roose -and his two catchpolls also, and saying, in a thick voice and with -many hiccups: - -"Provosts! provosts! life is good to them in this world; hold me up, -gallows birds that live on my leavings!" - -Suddenly were heard upon the road, from the direction of the open -country, the braying of an ass and the crack of a whip. - -"There is a restive donkey indeed," said Spelle, "that won't go on -in spite of that good warning." - -Suddenly they heard a great noise of wheels and a cart leaping along -and coming down the middle of the road. - -"Stop it!" cried Spelle. - -As the cart passed beside them, Spelle and his two catchpolls threw -themselves on the donkey's head. - -"This cart is empty," said one of the catchpolls. - -"Lubber," said Spelle, "do empty carts gallop about by night all -alone? There is somebody in this cart a-hiding; light the lanterns, -hold them up, I am going to look in it." - -The lanterns were lighted and Spelle climbed up on the cart, holding -his own lamp; but scarcely had he looked than he uttered a great cry, -and falling back, said: - -"Michielkin! Michielkin! Jesu! have pity upon me!" - -Then there rose up from the floor of the cart a man clad in white as -pastry cooks are and holding in his hands two bloody feet. - -Pieter de Roose, seeing the man stand up, illuminated by the lanterns, -cried with the two catchpolls: - -"Michielkin! Michielkin, the dead man! Lord have pity upon us!" - -The seventeen came at the noise to look at the spectacle and were -affrighted to see in the light of the clear moon how like was the -image of Michielkin, the poor deceased. - -And the ghost waved his bleeding feet. - -It was his same full round visage, but pale through death, threatening, -livid, and eaten under the chin by worms. - -The ghost, still waving his bleeding feet, said to Spelle, who was -groaning, lying flat on his back: - -"Spelle, Provost Spelle, awake!" - -But Spelle never moved. - -"Spelle," said the ghost again, "Provost Spelle, awake or I fetch -thee down with me into the mouth of gaping hell." - -Spelle got up, and with his hair straight up for terror, cried -lamentably: - -"Michielkin! Michielkin, have pity!" - -Meanwhile, the townsfolk had come up, but Spelle saw nothing save -the lanterns, which he took for the eyes of devils. He confessed as -much later. - -"Spelle," said the ghost of Michielkin, "art thou prepared to die?" - -"Nay," replied the provost, "nay, Messire Michielkin; I am nowise -prepared for it, and I would not appear before God with my soul all -black with sin." - -"Dost thou know me?" said the ghost. - -"May God be my helper," said Spelle, "yea, I know thee; thou art the -ghost of Michielkin, the pastry cook, who died, innocently in his bed, -of the after effects of torture, and the two bleeding feet are those -upon each of which I had a weight of fifty pounds hung. Ha! Michielkin, -forgive me, this Pieter de Roose was so strong a tempter; he offered -me fifty florins, which I accepted, to put thy name on the list." - -"Dost thou desire to confess thyself?" said the ghost. - -"Aye, Messire, I desire to confess myself, to tell all and do -penance. But deign to send away these demons that are there, ready -to devour me. I will tell all. Take away those fiery eyes! I did -the same thing at Tournay, with respect to five townsmen; the same -at Bruges, with four. I no longer know their names, but I will tell -them you if you insist; elsewhere, too, I have sinned, lord, and of -my doing there are nine and sixty innocents in the grave. Michielkin, -the king needed money. I had been informed of that, but I needed money -even likewise; it is at Ghent, in the cellar, under the pavement, -in the house of old Grovels my real mother. I have told all, all: -grace and mercy! Take away the devils. Lord God, Virgin Mary, Jesus, -intercede for me: save me from the fires of hell, I will sell all I -have, I will give everything to the poor, and I will do penance." - -Ulenspiegel, seeing that the crowd of the townsmen was ready to -uphold him, leapt from the cart at Spelle's throat and would have -strangled him. - -But the cure came up. - -"Let him live," said he; "it is better that he should die by the -executioner's rope than by the fingers of a ghost." - -"What are you going to do with him?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -"Accuse him before the duke and have him hanged," replied the -cure. "But who art thou?" asked he. - -"I," replied Ulenspiegel, "am the mask of Michielkin and the person -of a poor Flemish fox who is going back into his earth for fear of -the Spanish hunters." - -In the meantime, Pieter de Roose was running away at full speed. - -And Spelle having been hanged, his goods were confiscated. - -And the king inherited. - - - - - -XXXIII - -The next day Ulenspiegel went towards Courtray, going alongside the -Lys, the clear river. - -Lamme went pitifully along. - -Ulenspiegel said to him: - -"You whine, cowardly heart, regretting the wife that made you wear -the horned crown of cuckoldom." - -"My son," said Lamme, "she was always faithful, loving me enough as -I loved her over well, sweet Jesus. One day, being gone to Bruges, -she came back thence changed. From then, when I prayed her of love, -she would say to me: - -"'I must live with you as a friend, and not otherwise.' - -"Then, sad in my heart: - -"'Beloved darling,' I would say, 'we were married before God. Did I -not for you everything you ever wished? Did not I many a time clothe -myself with a doublet of black linen and a fustian cloak that I might -see you clad in silk and brocade despite the royal ordinances? Darling, -will you never love me again?' - -"'I love thee,' she would say, 'according to God and His laws, -according to holy discipline and penance. Yet I shall be a virtuous -companion to thee.' - -"'I care naught for thy virtue,' I replied, ''tis thou I want, thou, -my wife.' - -"Nodding her head: - -"'I know thou art good,' she said; 'until to-day thou wast cook -in the house to spare me the labour of fricassees; thou didst iron -our blankets, ruffs, and shirts, the irons being too heavy for me; -thou didst wash our linen, thou didst sweep the house and the street -before the door, so as to spare me all fatigue. Now I desire to work -instead of you, but nothing more, husband.' - -"'That is all one to me,' I replied; 'I will be, as in the past, -thy tiring maid, thy laundress, thy cook, thy washwoman, thy slave, -thy very own, submissive; but wife, sever not these two hearts and -bodies that make but one; break not that soft bond of love that -clasped us so tenderly together.' - -"'I must,' she replied. - -"'Alas!' I would say, 'was it at Bruges that thou didst come to this -harsh resolve?' - -"She replied: - -"'I have sworn before God and His saints.' - -"'Who, then,' I cried, 'forced thee to take an oath not to fulfil -your duties as a wife?' - -"'He that hath the spirit of God, and ranks me among the number of -his penitents,' said she. - -"From that moment she ceased to be mine as much as if she had been -the faithful wife of another man. I implored her, tormented her, -threatened her, wept, begged, but in vain. One night, coming back -from Blanckenberghe, where I had been to receive the rent of one -of my farms, I found the house empty. Without doubt fatigued with -my entreaties, grieved and sad at my distress, my wife had taken -flight. Where is she now?" - -And Lamme sat down on the bank of the Lys, hanging his head and -looking at the water. - -"Ah!" said he, "my dear, how plump, tender, and delicious thou -wast! Shall I ever find a lass like thee? Daily bread of love, -shall I never eat of thee again? Where are thy kisses, as full of -fragrance as thyme; thy delicious mouth whence I gathered pleasure as -the bee gathers the honey from the rose; thy white arms that wrapped -me round caressing? Where is thy beating heart, thy round bosom, -and the sweet shudder of thy fairy body all panting with love? But -where are thy old waves, cool river that rollest so joyously thy new -waves in the sunshine?" - - - - - -XXXIV - -Passing before the wood of Peteghem, Lamme said to Ulenspiegel: - -"I am roasting hot; let us seek the shade." - -"Let us," replied Ulenspiegel. - -They sat down in the wood, upon the grass, and saw a herd of stags -pass in front of them. - -"Look well, Lamme," said Ulenspiegel, priming his German musket. "There -are the tall old stags that still have their dowcets, and carry proud -and stately their nine-point antlers; lovely brockets, that are their -squires, trot by their side, ready to do them service with their -pointed horns. They are going to their lair. Turn the musket lock as -I do. Fire! The old stag is wounded. A brocket is hit in the thigh; -he is in flight. Let us follow him till he falls. Do as I do: run, -jump, and fly." - -"There is my mad friend," said Lamme, "following stags on foot. Fly not -without wings; it is labour lost. You will never catch them. Oh! the -cruel comrade! Do you imagine I am as agile as you? I sweat, my son; -I sweat and I am going to fall. If the ranger catches you, you will -be hanged. Stag is kings' game; let them run, my son, you will never -catch them." - -"Come," said Ulenspiegel, "do you hear the noise of his antlers in the -foliage? It is a water spout passing. Do you see the young branches -broken, the leaves strewing the ground? He has another bullet in his -thigh this time; we will eat him." - -"He is not cooked yet," said Lamme. "Let these poor beasts run. Ah! how -hot it is! I am going to fall down there without doubt and I shall -never rise again." - -Suddenly, on all sides, men clad in rags and armed filled the -forest. Dogs bayed and dashed in pursuit of the stags. Four fierce -fellows surrounded Lamme and Ulenspiegel and brought them into a -clearing, in the middle of a brake, where they saw encamped there, -among women and children, men in great numbers, armed diversely with -swords, arbalests, arquebuses, lances, pikestaff, and reiter's pistols. - -Ulenspiegel, seeing them, said to them: - -"Are ye the leafmen or Brothers of the Woods, that ye seem to live -here in common to flee the persecution?" - -"We are Brothers of the Woods," replied an old man sitting beside -the fire and frying some birds in a saucepan. "But who art thou?" - -"I," replied Ulenspiegel, "am of the goodly country of Flanders, -a painter, a rustic, a noble, a sculptor, all together. And through -the world in this wise I journey, praising things lovely and good -and mocking loudly at all stupidity." - -"If thou hast seen so many countries," said the ancient man, "thou -canst pronounce: Schild ende Vriendt, buckler and friend, in the -fashion of Ghent folk; if not, thou art a counterfeit Fleming and -thou shalt die." - -Ulenspiegel pronounced: Schild ende Vriendt. - -"And thou, big belly," asked the ancient man, speaking to Lamme, -"what is thy trade?" - -Lamme replied: - -"To eat and drink my lands, farms, fees, and revenues, to seek for -my wife, and to follow in all places my friend Ulenspiegel." - -"If thou hast travelled so much," said the old man, "thou art not -without knowledge of how they call the folk of Weert in Limbourg." - -"I do not know it," replied Lamme; "but would you not tell me the name -of the scandalous vagabond who drove my wife from her home? Give it -to me; I will go and slay him straightway." - -The ancient man made answer: - -"There are two things in this world which never return once having -taken flight: they are money spent and a woman grown tired and -run away." - -Then speaking to Ulenspiegel: - -"Dost thou know," said he, "how they call the men of Weert in -Limbourg?" - -"De reakstekers, the exorcisers of skates," replied Ulenspiegel, -"for one day a live ray having fallen from a fishmonger's cart, old -women seeing it leap about took it for the devil. 'Let us go fetch -the cure to exorcise the skate,' said they. The cure exorcised it, -and carrying it off with him, made a noble fricassee in honour of -the folk of Weert. Thus may God do with the bloody king." - -Meanwhile, the barking of the dogs reechoed in the forest. The armed -men, running in the wood, were shouting to frighten the beast. - -"'Tis the stag and the brocket I put up," said Ulenspiegel. - -"We shall eat him," said the old man. "But how do they call the folk -of Eindhoven in Limbourg?" - -"De pinnemakers, boltmakers," replied Ulenspiegel. "One day the enemy -was at the gate of their city; they bolted it with a carrot. The geese -came and ate the carrot with great pecks of their greedy beaks, and -the enemies came into Eindhoven. But it will be iron beaks that will -eat the bolts of the prisons wherein they seek to lock up freedom -of conscience." - -"If God be with us, who shall be against us?" replied the ancient man. - -Ulenspiegel said: - -"Dogs baying, men shouting, branches broken; 'tis a storm in the -forest." - -"Is it good meat, stag meat?" asked Lamme, looking at the fricassees. - -"The cries of the trackers come nearer," said Ulenspiegel to Lamme; -"the dogs are close at hand. What thunder! The stag! the stag! take -care, my son. Fie! the foul beast; he has flung my big friend down -to the earth in the midst of the pans, saucepans, cooking pots, -boilers, and fricassees. There are the women and girls fleeing daft -with fright. You are bleeding, my son?" - -"You are laughing, scoundrel," said Lamme. "Aye, I am bleeding; he -hath landed his antlers in my seat. There, see my breeches torn, and -my flesh, too, and all those lovely fricassees on the ground. There, -I am losing all my blood down my hose." - -"This stag is a foresighted surgeon; he is saving you from an -apoplexy," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"Fie! rascal without a heart," said Lamme. "But I will follow you -no more. I will stay here in the midst of these good fellows and -these good women. Can you, without any shame, be so hardhearted to -my woes, when I walk at your heels like a dog, through snow, frost, -rain, hail, wind, and when it is hot weather, sweating my very soul -out through my skin?" - -"Your wound is nothing. Clap an olie-koekje on it; that will be both -plaster and fry to it," answered Ulenspiegel. "But do you know how -they call the folk of Louvain? You do not know it, poor friend. Well, -then, I am about to tell you to keep you from whimpering. They call -them de koeye-schieters, cow shooters, for they were one day silly -enough to fire on cows, which they took for enemy soldiers. As for us, -we fire on Spanish goats; their flesh is stinking stuff, but their -skin is good to make drums withal. And the folk of Tirlemont? Do -you know it? Not that, either. They carry the proud nickname of -kirekers. For in their town, in the great church, on Whit Sunday, a -drake flies from the rood-loft altar, and that is the image of their -Holy Ghost. Put a koeke-bakke on your wound. You pick up without a -word the cooking pots and fricassees overturned by the stag. 'Tis -kitchen courage. You relight the fire, and set up the soup pot again -upon its three stakes; you are busying yourself very attentively with -the cooking. Do you know why there are four wonders in Louvain? No. I -will tell you why. In the first place, because the living there pass -underneath the dead, for the church of Saint-Michel is built close -to the gate of the town. Its graveyard is therefore above. Secondly, -because the bells there are outside the towers, as is seen at the -church of Saint-Jacques, where there is a great bell and a little -bell; being unable to place the little one inside the bell tower, -they placed it outside. Thirdly, because of the Tower-without-Nails, -because the spire of the church of Saint-Gertrude is made of stone -instead of being made of wood, and because men do not nail stones, -except the bloody king's heart which I would fain nail above the great -gate of Brussels. But you are not listening to me. Is there no salt -in the sauces? Do you know why the folk of Tirlemont call themselves -warming pans, de vierpannen? Because a young prince being come in -winter to sleep at the inn of the Arms of Flanders, the innkeeper did -not know how to air the blankets, for he had no warming pan. He had -the bed aired by his daughter, who, hearing the prince coming, made -off running, and the prince asked why they had not left the warming -pan in the bed. May God bring it about that Philip, shut in a box of -red-hot iron, may serve as warming pan in the bed of Madame Astarte." - -"Leave me in peace," said Lamme; "a fig for you, your vierpannen, -the Tower-without-Nails, and the rest of your nonsense. Leave me to -my sauces." - -"Beware," said Ulenspiegel. "The barkings cease not to reecho; they -become louder; the dogs are roaring, the bugle is sounding. Beware -of the stag. You are taking flight! The bugle sounds." - -"It is the death quarry," said the old man, "come back, Lamme, to -your fricassees, the stag is dead." - -"It will be a good meal for us," said Lamme. "You will invite me to -the feast, because of the trouble I am taking for you. The sauce for -the birds will be good: it crunches a little, however. That is the -sand on which they fell when that big devil of a stag tore my doublet -and me all together. But are you not afraid of the foresters?" - -"We are too numerous," said the old man; "they are afraid and do -not disturb us. It is even the same with the catchpolls and the -judges. The inhabitants of the towns love us, for we do no harm to any -man. We shall live some time longer in peace, unless the Spanish army -surrounds us. If that happens, old men and young men, women, girls, -lads, and lasses, we will sell our lives dear, and we will kill one -another rather than endure a thousand martyrdoms at the hands of the -bloody duke." - -Ulenspiegel said: - -"It is now no longer the time to combat the murderer by land. It is -on the sea that we must ruin his power. Go to the Zealand Islands, -by way of Bruges, Heyst, and Knoeke." - -"We have no money," said they. - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"Here are a thousand carolus from the prince. Follow along the -waterways, canals, rivers, and streams; when you see ships carrying -the sign 'J. H. S.,' let one of you sing like a lark. The clarion of -the cock will answer him. And you will be in friends' country." - -"We will do this," said they. - -Soon the hunters, followed by the dogs, appeared, pulling after them -the dead stag with ropes. - -Then all sate down round about the fire. There were full sixty, men, -women, and children. Bread was pulled out from satchels, knives from -their sheaths; the stag, cut up, stripped, disembowelled, was put on -the spit with small game. And at the end of the meal Lamme was seen -snoring with his head drooped on his breast and sleeping propped -against a tree. - -At nightfall, the Brothers of the Wood went back into huts constructed -underground to sleep, and Lamme and Ulenspiegel did the same. - -Armed men kept watch, guarding the camp. And Ulenspiegel heard the -dry leaves protest under their feet. - -The next day he departed with Lamme, while the men of the camp said: - -"Blessed be thou; we will make towards the sea." - - - - - -XXXV - -At Harlebek, Lamme renewed his stock of olie-koekjes, ate twenty-seven -and put thirty in his basket. Ulenspiegel carried his cages in his -hand. Towards evening they arrived in Courtray and stopped at the inn -of in de Bie, the Bee, with Gilis van den Ende, who came to his door -as soon as he heard someone sing like the lark. - -There it was all sugar and honey with them. The host having seen the -prince's letters, handed fifty carolus to Ulenspiegel for the prince, -and would take no payment for the turkey he served them, nor for the -dobbel-clauwert with which he washed it down. He warned them, too, -that there were at Courtray spies of the Court of Blood, for which -cause he ought to well keep his tongue as well as his companion's. - -"We shall reconnoitre then," said Ulenspiegel and Lamme. - -And they went out from the inn. - -The sun was setting, gilding the gables of the houses; the birds were -singing under the lime trees; the goodwives gossiped on the thresholds -of their doors; the children rolled and tumbled about in the dust, -and Ulenspiegel and Lamme wandered haphazard through the streets. - -Suddenly Lamme said: - -"Martin van den Ende, asked by me if he had seen a woman like my -wife--I drew him my pretty portrait,--told me that there were at the -house of the woman Stevenyne, on the Bruges road, at the Rainbow, -outside the town, a great number of women who gather there every -evening. I am going there straightway." - -"I shall find you again presently," said Ulenspiegel. "I wish to pay -the town a visit; if I meet your wife I will presently send her to -you. You know that the baes has enjoined on you to be silent, if you -have any regard for your skin." - -As Ulenspiegel wandered at his will, the sun went down, and the day -falling swiftly, he arrived in the Pierpot-Straetje, which is the lane -of the Stone Pot. There he heard the viol played upon melodiously; -drawing near he saw from afar a white shape calling him, gliding away -from him and playing on the viol. And it sang like a seraph a sweet -slow song, stopping, turning back, still calling him and fleeing -from him. - -But Ulenspiegel ran swiftly; he overtook her and was about to speak -to her when she laid on his mouth a hand perfumed with benjamin. - -"Art thou a rustic or a nobleman?" said she. - -"I am Ulenspiegel." - -"Art thou rich?" - -"Enough to pay for a great pleasure, not enough to ransom my soul." - -"Hast thou no horses, that thou goest afoot?" - -"I had an ass," said Ulenspiegel, "but I left him in the stable." - -"How is it thou art alone, without a friend, in a strange city?" - -"Because my friend is wandering on his own side, as I am on mine, -my curious darling." - -"I am not curious," said she. "Is he rich, your friend?" - -"In fat," said Ulenspiegel. "Will you soon have finished questioning -me?" - -"I have done," said she, "now leave me." - -"Leave you?" he said; "as well bid Lamme, when he is hungry, leave -a dish of ortolans. I want to eat you." - -"You have not seen me," she said. And she opened a lantern which -shone out suddenly, lighting up her face. - -"You are beautiful," said Ulenspiegel. "Ho! the golden skin, the -sweet eyes, the red mouth, the darling body! All will be for me." - -"All," she said. - -She brought him to the woman Stevenyne's, on the Bruges road, at the -Rainbow (in den Reghen-boogh). Ulenspiegel saw there a great number -of girls wearing on their arms armlets of a colour different from -that of their fustian dress. - -This one had an armlet of silver cloth on a robe of cloth of gold. And -all the girls looked at her jealously. Coming in she made a sign to -the baesine, but Ulenspiegel never saw it. They sat down together -and drank. - -"Do you know," said she, "that whoever has loved me is mine forever?" - -"Lovely fragrant girl," said Ulenspiegel, "'twould be a delicious -feast to me to eat always of this meat." - -Suddenly he perceived Lamme in a corner, with a little table before -him, a candle, a ham, a pot of beer, and not knowing how to rescue his -ham from the two girls, who wanted perforce to eat and drink with him. - -When Lamme perceived Ulenspiegel, he stood up and leaped three feet -into the air, crying: - -"Blessed be God, that restoreth my friend Ulenspiegel to me! Something -to drink, baesine!" - -Ulenspiegel, pulling out his purse, said: - -"Bring to drink till this is at an end." - -And he made the carolus clink. - -"Glory to God!" said Lamme, craftily taking the purse in his hands; -"it is I that pay and not you; this purse is mine." - -Ulenspiegel wished to get back his purse from him by force, but Lamme -held on tenaciously. As they were fighting, the one to keep it, the -other to get it back, Lamme speaking disjointedly, said in low tones -to Ulenspiegel: - -"Listen: ... catchpolls within ... four ... little room with three -girls ... two outside for you, for me ... would have gone out -... prevented.... The brocade girl a spy ... a spy, Stevenyne!" - -While they were struggling, Ulenspiegel, listening with all his ears, -cried out: - -"Give back my purse, rascal!" - -"You shall never get it," said Lamme. - -And they seized each other by the neck and the shoulders, rolling on -the ground while Lamme gave his good advice to Ulenspiegel. - -Suddenly the baes of the Bee came in followed by seven men, whom he -seemed not to know. He crowed like a cock and Ulenspiegel whistled -like a lark. Seeing Ulenspiegel and Lamme fighting, the baes spoke: - -"Who are these two fellows?" he asked the Stevenyne. - -The Stevenyne answered: - -"Rogues that it would be better to separate rather than leave them -here to make such an uproar before going to the gallows." - -"Let him dare to separate us," said Ulenspiegel, "and we will make -him eat the tiled floor." - -"The baes to the rescue," said Ulenspiegel in Lamme's ear. - -Hereupon the baes, scenting some mystery, rushed into their battle, -head down. Lamme threw these words into his ear. - -"You the rescuer? How?" - -The baes pretended to shake Ulenspiegel by the ears and said to him -in a whisper: - -"Seven for thee ... strong fellows, butchers ... I'm going away ... too -well known in town.... When I am gone, 'tis van te beven de klinkaert -... smash everything ..." - -"Aye," said Ulenspiegel, getting up and fetching him a kick. - -The baes struck him in his turn. And Ulenspiegel said to him: - -"You hit thick and fast, my belly boy." - -"As hail," said the baes, seizing Lamme's purse lightly and giving -it to Ulenspiegel. - -"Rogue," said he, "pay for me to drink now that you have been restored -to your property." - -"Thou shalt drink, scandalous rascal," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"See how impudent he is," said the Stevenyne. - -"As insolent as thou art lovely, darling," answered Ulenspiegel. - -Now the Stevenyne was full sixty years old, and had a face like a -medlar, but all yellowed with bile and anger. In the middle of it was -a nose like an owl's beak. Her eyes were the eyes of a flinty-hearted -miser. Two long dog-tusks jutted from her fleshless mouth. And she -had a great port-wine stain on her left cheek. - -The girls laughed, mocking her and saying: - -"Darling, darling, give him somewhat to drink"--"He will kiss you"--"Is -it long since you had your first spree?"--"Take care, Ulenspiegel, she -will eat you up"--"Look at her eyes; they are shining not with hate -but with love"--"You might say she will bite you to death"--"Don't -be afraid"--"All amorous women are like that"--"She only wants your -money"--"See what a good laughing humour she is in." - -And indeed the Stevenyne was laughing and winking at Gilline, the -girl in the brocade dress. - -The baes drank, paid, and went. The seven butchers made faces of -intelligence at the catchpolls and the Stevenyne. - -One of them indicated by a gesture that he held Ulenspiegel for a -ninny and that he was about to fool him to the top of his bent. He -said in his ear, putting out his tongue derisively on the side of -the Stevenyne who was laughing and showing her fangs: - -"'Tis van te beven de klinkaert" ('tis time to make the glasses clink). - -Then aloud, and pointing to the catchpolls: - -"Gentle reformer, we are all with thee; pay for us to drink and -to eat." - -And the Stevenyne laughed with pleasure and also put out her tongue -at Ulenspiegel when he turned his back to her. And Gilline of the -brocade dress put out her tongue likewise. - -And the girls said, whispering: - -"Look at the spy who by her beauty brought to cruel torture and more -cruel death more than twenty-seven of the Reformed faith; Gilline is -in ecstasy thinking of the reward for her informing--the first hundred -florins carolus of the victim's estate. But she does not laugh when -she thinks that she must share them with the Stevenyne." - -And all, catchpolls, butchers, and girls, put out their tongues to -mock at Ulenspiegel. And Lamme sweated great drops of sweat, and he -was red with anger like a cock's comb, but he would not speak a word. - -"Pay for us to drink and to eat," said the butchers and the catchpolls. - -"Well, then," said Ulenspiegel, rattling his carolus again, "give us -to drink and to eat, O darling Stevenyne, to drink in ringing glasses." - -Thereupon the girls began to laugh anew and the Stevenyne to stick -out her tusks. - -Nevertheless, she went to the kitchens and to the cellar; she brought -back ham, sausages, omelettes of black puddings, and ringing glasses, -so called because they were mounted on felt and rang like a chime -when they were knocked. - -Then Ulenspiegel said: - -"Let him that is hungry eat; let him that is thirsty drink!" - -The catchpolls, the girls, the butchers, Gilline, and the Stevenyne -applauded this speech with feet and hands. Then they all ranged -themselves as well as they could, Ulenspiegel, Lamme, and the seven -butchers at the principal table, the great table of honour, the -catchpolls and the girls at two small tables. And they drank and ate -with a great noise of jaws, even the two catchpolls that were outside, -and whom their comrades made come in to share the feast. And ropes -and chains could be seen sticking out from their satchels. - -The Stevenyne then putting out her tongue and grinning said: - -"No one can go without paying me." - -And she went and shut all the doors, the keys of which she put in -the pockets. - -Gilline, lifting her glass, said: - -"The bird is in the cage, let us drink." - -Thereupon two girls called Gena and Margot said to her: - -"Is this another one that you are going to have put to death, -wicked woman?" - -"I do not know," said Gilline, "let us drink." - -But the three girls would not drink with her. - -And Gilline took her viol and sang, in French: - - - "To viol's tone I sing - 'Neath night or noonday skies, - A gay, mad, wanton thing - Who sell Love's merchandise. - - "Astarte traced aright - My hips in lines of flame: - Were shoulders ne'er so white - And God's my lovely frame. - - "Oh tear each purse's sheath - And let its money glow: - Set tawny gold beneath - My milk-white feet aflow. - - "Of Eve the child I seem, - Of Satan too a part; - As fine as is your dream, - Come seek it in my heart. - - "My mood is cold or burning, - Or fond with careless ease, - Mad, mild, or melting turning, - My man, your whim to please. - - "See every charm that cheers, - Soul, eyes of blue, for hire; - Delights and smiles and tears, - And Death, if you desire. - - "To viol's tone I sing - 'Neath night or noonday skies, - A gay, mad, wanton thing - Who sell Love's merchandise." - - -As she sang her song, Gilline was so beautiful, so sweet, and so pretty -that all the men, catchpolls, butchers, Lamme, and Ulenspiegel were -there, speechless, moved, smiling, captivated by the spell. - -All at once, bursting into laughter, Gilline said, looking at -Ulenspiegel: - -"That is the way birds are put in the cage." - -And the spell was broken. - -Ulenspiegel, Lamme, and the butchers looked at one another. - -"Now, then, will you pay me?" said the Stevenyne, "will you pay me, -Messire Ulenspiegel, you that grow so fat on the flesh of preachers?" - -Lamme would have spoken, but Ulenspiegel made him hold his tongue, -and speaking to the Stevenyne: - -"We shall not pay in advance," said he. - -"I will pay myself afterwards then out of your estate," said the -Stevenyne. - -"Ghouls feed on corpses," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"Aye," said one of the catchpolls, "those two have taken the preachers' -money; more than three hundred florins carolus. That makes a fine -tithe for Gilline." - -Gilline sang: - - - "Seek such in other spheres - Take all, my loving squire, - Pleasures, kisses, and tears, - And Death, if you desire." - - -Then, laughing, she said: - -"Let's drink!" - -"Let's drink!" said the catchpolls. - -"In God's name," said the Stevenyne, "let us drink! The doors are -locked, the windows have stout bars, the birds are in the cage, -let us drink!" - -"Let's drink," said Ulenspiegel. - -"Let's drink," said Lamme. - -"Let's drink," said the seven. - -"Let's drink," said the catchpolls. - -"Let's drink," said Gilline, making her viols sing. "I am beautiful; -let us drink. I could take the Archangel Gabriel in the nets of -my singing." - -"Bring us to drink then," said Ulenspiegel, "wine to crown the feast, -wine of the best; I would have a drop of liquid fire at every hair -of our thirsty bodies." - -"Let us drink!" said Gilline; "twenty gudgeons more like you, and -the pikes will sing no more." - -The Stevenyne brought wine. All were sitting, drinking and eating, -the catchpolls and the girls together. The seven, seated at the table -of Ulenspiegel and Lamme, threw, from their table to the girls, hams, -sausages, omelettes, and bottles, which they caught in the air like -carps snatching flies on the surface of a pond. And the Stevenyne -laughed, sticking out her tusks and showing packets of candles, -five to the pound, that hung above the bar. These were the girls' -candles. Then she said to Ulenspiegel: - -"When men go to the stake, they carry a tallow candle on the way -thither; would you like to have one now?" - -"Drink up!" said Ulenspiegel. - -"Drink up," said the seven. - -Said Gilline: - -"Ulenspiegel has eyes shining like a swan about to die." - -"Suppose they were given to the pigs to eat?" said the Stevenyne. - -"That would be a feast of lanterns; drink up!" said Ulenspiegel. - -"Would you like," said the Stevenyne, "when you are on the scaffold, -to have your tongue thrust through with a red-hot iron?" - -"It would be the better of that for whistling; drink up," answered -Ulenspiegel. - -"You would talk less if you were hanged," said the Stevenyne, "and -your darling might come to look at you." - -"Aye," said Ulenspiegel, "but I should weigh heavier, and would fall -on your lovely muzzle: drink up!" - -"What would you say if you were beaten with cudgels, branded on the -forehead and on the shoulder?" - -"I would say they had made a mistake in the meat," replied Ulenspiegel, -"and that instead of roasting the sow Stevenyne, they had scalded -the young porker Ulenspiegel: drink up!" - -"Since you do not like any of these," said the Stevenyne, "you shall be -taken on to the king's ships, and there condemned to be torn asunder -by four galleys." - -"Then," said Ulenspiegel, "the sharks will have my four quarters, -and you shall eat what they reject: drink up!" - -"Why do you not eat one of these candles," said she, "they would -serve you in hell to light your eternal damnation." - -"I see clear enough to behold your shiny snout, O ill-scalded sow, -drink up!" said Ulenspiegel. - -Suddenly he struck the foot of the glass on the table, imitating with -his hands the noise an upholsterer makes beating rhythmically the -wool of a mattress upon a frame of sticks, but very gently, and saying: - -"'Tis (tydt) van te beven de klinkaert" (it is time to make the -clinker shiver--the glass that rings). - -This is in Flanders the signal for the angry outbreak of drinkers -and for the sacking of houses with the red lantern. - -Ulenspiegel drank, then made the glass quiver on the table, saying: - -"'Tis van te beven de klinkaert." - -And the seven imitated him. - -All kept very still. Gilline grew pale, the Stevenyne appeared -astonished. The catchpolls said: - -"Are the seven on their side?" - -But the butchers, winking, reassured them, at the same time continually -repeating in louder and louder tones with Ulenspiegel: - -"'Tis van te beven de klinkaert; 'tis van te beven de klinkaert." - -The Stevenyne drank to give herself courage. - -Ulenspiegel then struck the table with his fist, with the rhythm -and measure of upholsterers beating mattresses; the seven did as he -did; glasses, jugs, bowls, quart pots, and goblets came slowly into -the dance, overturning, breaking, rising on one side to fall on the -other; and still there rang out more threatening, sombre, warlike, -and in monotone: "'Tis van te beven de klinkaert." - -"Alas!" said the Stevenyne, "they are going to smash everything here." - -And in her fear her two tusks stuck farther still out of her mouth. - -And the blood lit up with wrath and fury in the minds of the seven -and Lamme and Ulenspiegel. - -Then without stopping their monotonous threatening chant all the men -at Ulenspiegel's table took their glasses, and breaking them on the -table, keeping time together, they got astride their chairs and drew -their cutlasses. And they made such a din with their song that all the -window-panes in the house were quaking. Then like a ring of devils they -went round about the chamber and all the tables, saying continually: -"'Tis van te beven de klinkaert." - -And the catchpolls then rose up quaking with terror, and took out their -ropes and chains. But the butchers, Ulenspiegel, and Lamme, thrusting -their cutlasses back into their sheaths, got up, seized their chairs, -and brandishing them like cudgels, they ran nimbly through the room -hither and thither, striking right and left, sparing only the girls, -smashing all the rest, furniture, windows, chests, dishes, quart pots, -bowls, glasses, and flasks, beating the catchpolls without pity and -always singing to the time of the sound of the upholsterer beating -mattresses: "'Tis van te beven de klinkaert; "'tis van te beven de -klinkaert," while Ulenspiegel had given a blow on the face with his -fist to the Stevenyne, had taken her keys from her bag, and by force -made her eat her candles. - -The beauteous Gilline, tearing at the doors, the shutters, the windows, -and the glass panes with her nails, seemed to want to scratch her -way through everything, like a terrified cat. Then, all livid, she -crouched down in a corner, with haggard eyes, showing her teeth, -and holding her viol as if she must needs protect it at all costs. - -The seven and Lamme said to the girls: "We will do you no hurt"; -with their help tied up with their own chains and cords the catchpolls -shivering in their shoes and not daring to resist, for they perceived -that the butchers, picked out among the strongest by the baes of the -Bee, would have chopped them to pieces with their cutlasses. - -At every candle he made the Stevenyne eat Ulenspiegel said: - -"This is for the hanging; that for the cudgelling; this other for -the branding; this fourth for my pierced tongue; these two excellent -and extra fat ones for the king's ships and the quartering by four -galleys; this for your den of spies; that one for your damsel in the -brocade dress, and all these others just to please me." - -And the girls laughed to see the Stevenyne sneezing with anger and -trying to spit out her candles. But in vain, for she had her mouth -too full of them. - -Ulenspiegel, Lamme, and the seven never ceased singing in time with -one another: "'Tis van te beven de klinkaert." - -Then Ulenspiegel stopped, making sign to them to murmur the refrain -softly. They did so while he held this conversation with the girls -and the catchpolls: - -"If any one of you cries for help, he will be cut down immediately." - -"Cut down!" said the butchers. - -"We will hold our tongues," said the girls, "do not hurt us, -Ulenspiegel." - -But Gilline, huddled in her corner, her eyes starting out of her head, -her teeth out of her mouth, could not speak, and clasped her viol -tightly to her. - -And the seven still were murmuring: "'Tis van te beven de -klinkaert!" in measure. - -The Stevenyne, pointing to the candles she had in her mouth, made -signs that she would hold her tongue likewise. The catchpolls promised -the same. - -Ulenspiegel continued his discourse: - -"Ye are here," said he, "in our power; the night has fallen, we are -near the Lys where you drown easily if you are thrust in. The gates -of Courtrai are closed. If the night watch have heard the uproar, -they will never budge, being too lazy and thinking it is simply good -Flemish folk who as they drink are singing merrily to the sound of -pots and flasks. Wherefore stay ye still, both men and girls, before -your masters." - -Then, speaking to the seven: - -"Are you going to Peteghem to find the Beggars?" - -"We made ready for this at the news of thy coming." - -"From thence ye will go to the sea?" - -"Aye," said they. - -"Do you know among these catchpolls one or two that might be let go -to serve us?" - -"Two," said they, "Niklaes and Joos, who never hunted down the poor -Reformed folk." - -"We are faithful!" said Niklaes and Joos. - -Then Ulenspiegel said: - -"Here are twenty florins carolus for you, twice more than you would -have had if ye had taken the vile reward of the informer." - -Suddenly the five others exclaimed: - -"Twenty florins! We will serve the prince for twenty florins. The king -pays ill. Give each of us the half; we will tell the judge whatever -you wish." - -The butchers and Lamme murmured low: - -"'Tis van te beven de klinkaert; 'tis van te beven de klinkaert." - -"So that ye may not talk too much," said Ulenspiegel, "the seven will -bring you bound as far as Peteghem, to the Beggars. Ye shall have ten -florins when ye are on the sea; we shall be certain till then that -the camp victual will keep you faithful to bread and soup. If ye are -valiant men, ye shall have your share in the booty taken. If ye try -to desert, ye shall be hanged. If ye escape, thus avoiding the rope, -ye shall find the knife." - -"We serve who pays us," said they. - -"'Tis van te beven de klinkaert! 'Tis van te beven de klinkaert!" said -Lamme and the seven striking upon the table with shards of broken -pots and glasses. - -"Ye shall take with you also," said Ulenspiegel, "Gilline, the -Stevenyne, and the three damsels. If one of them tries to escape, -ye shall sew her up in a sack and throw her into the river." - -"He has not killed me," said Gilline, leaping out from her corner, -and brandishing her viol in the air. And she sang: - - - "Of blood was all my dream - The dream so near my heart, - Of Eve the child I seem, - Of Satan, too, a part." - - -The Stevenyne and the others were like to weep. - -"Fear nothing, darlings," said Ulenspiegel, "you are so soft and -sweet, that everywhere they will love you, feast you, and caress -you. At every war capture ye shall have your share in the booty." - -"They will give nothing to me, for I am an old woman," wept the -Stevenyne. - -"A sou a day, crocodile," said Ulenspiegel, "for thou shalt be -serving woman to these four beauteous damsels; thou shalt wash their -petticoats, blankets, and chemises." - -"I, Lord God!" said she. - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"Thou hast ruled them long, living on the earnings of their bodies -and leaving them poor and hungry. Thou mayst whine and bellow, it -shall be as I have said." - -Thereupon the four girls began to laugh and mock at the Stevenyne, -and say to her, putting out their tongues: - -"To each her turn in this world. Who would have said it of Stevenyne -the miser? She shall work for us as a servant. Blessed be the lord -Ulenspiegel!" - -Then the three turned to Gilline: - -"Thou wast her daughter, her support; thou didst share with her the -fruits of thy foul spydom. Wilt thou ever dare again to strike and -insult us with thy brocade dress? Thou didst scorn us because we -were but fustian. Thou art clothed so richly only with the blood of -victims. Let us take her dress so that she may be even like ourselves." - -"I will not have it," said Ulenspiegel. - -And Gilline, leaping on his neck, said: - -"Blessed be thou that hast not killed me, and wouldst not have -me ugly!" - -And the girls, jealous, looked at Ulenspiegel, and said: - -"He has lost his wits for her like all the men." - -Gilline sang to her viol. - -The seven set out towards Peteghem, taking with them the catchpolls and -the girls along by the Lys. As they went on their way they murmured: - -"'T is van te beven de klinkaert; 't is van te beven de klinkaert!" - -As the sun was rising they came to the camp, sang like the lark, and -the clarion of the cock made them answer. The girls and the catchpolls -were closely guarded. For all that, on the third day Gilline was found -dead, her heart pierced through with a great needle. The Stevenyne was -accused by the three girls and brought before the captain of the band, -his dizeniers and sergeants formed into a tribunal. There, without -their having to put her to the torture, she confessed that she had -killed Gilline through jealousy of her beauty and rage because the -damsel treated her as her servant pitilessly. And the Stevenyne was -hanged, and afterwards buried in the wood. - -Gilline, too, was buried, and the prayers for the dead were said -above her sweet body. - -Meanwhile, the two catchpolls instructed by Ulenspiegel had gone before -the castellan of Courtray, for the tumult, uproar, and pillage made in -the Stevenyne's house must needs be punished by the said castellan, as -the Stevenyne's house was in the castle ward, outside the jurisdiction -of the town of Courtray. After having narrated to the lord castellan -what had taken place, they told him with great conviction and humble -sincerity of language: - -"The murderers of the preachers are in no wise Ulenspiegel and -his trusty and well-beloved Lamme Goedzak, who went to the Rainbow -purely for their repose and refreshment. They even have passes from -the duke, and we have seen these ourselves. The real culprits are two -Ghent merchants, one a lean man and the other very fat, who went away -towards France, after breaking everything at Stevenyne's, taking her -away with her four girls along with them for their pleasure. We had -them well and duly taken prisoners, but there were in the house seven -butchers, the strongest in the town, who took their side. They tied -us all up and only let us go when they were far away on the French -soil. And here are the marks of the ropes. The four other catchpolls -are on their tracks, waiting for a reinforcement to lay hands on them." - -The castellan gave each of them two carolus and a new coat for their -loyal services. - -He then wrote to the Council of Flanders, to the Sheriff's Court at -Courtray, and to other courts of justice to announce to them that -the real murderers had been discovered. - -And he recounted to them the whole adventure in detail and at length. - -Whereat the people of the Council of Flanders and the other courts -of justice shuddered. - -And the castellan was greatly praised for his perspicacity. - -And Ulenspiegel and Lamme journeyed in peace upon the road from -Peteghem to Ghent, along the Lys, wishing to arrive at Bruges, where -Lamme hoped to find his wife, and at Damme, where Ulenspiegel, all -a-dream, would have wished to be already, to see Nele, who lived in -sadness with Katheline the madwife. - - - - - -XXXVI - -During a long while, in the country of Damme and round about, there -had been committed several abominable crimes. Lasses, young men, old -men, who had been known to go forth carrying money in the direction of -Bruges, Ghent, or some other town or village of Flanders, were found -dead, naked as worms and bitten in the back of the neck by teeth so -long and so sharp that they all had the bones of their necks broken. - -Physicians and barber-surgeons declared that these were the teeth of -a huge wolf. "Robbers," said they, "had doubtless come up, after the -wolf, and had stripped the victims." - -Despite all search, no man could ever discover who were the -robbers. Soon the wolf was forgotten. - -Several townsmen of note, who had proudly set forth on their way -without an escort, disappeared without any one knowing what had -become of them, save that at times some country fellow, going out -in the morning to plough the earth, found wolf tracks in his field, -while his dog, digging in the furrows with his paws, brought to -light a poor dead corpse carrying the marks of the wolf's teeth on -the nape or under the ear, and oftentimes on the leg, too, and always -behind. And always the neckbone and legbone were broken. - -The peasant, affrighted, would go off at once to give information to -the bailiff, who would come with the clerk of the court, two aldermen, -and two surgeons to the place where lay the body of the murdered -man. Having visited it diligently and carefully, having sometimes when -the face was not eaten by worms recognized its quality, even its name -and lineage, they were nevertheless always astonied that the wolf, -a beast that kills for hunger, should not have carried off some part -of the dead man. - -And the folk of Damme were sore terrified, and no woman dared to go -out by night without an escort. - -Now it came that several valiant soldiers were sent out to look for -the wolf, with orders to hunt for it day and night in the dunes, -along by the sea. - -They were then near Heyst, among the great dunes. Night had come. One -of them, confident in his strength, wanted to leave them to go alone on -the hunt, armed with a musket. The others allowed him, certain that, -valiant and armed as he was, he would kill the wolf if he dared to -show himself. - -Their comrade having gone, they lit a fire and played at dice while -drinking brandy out of their flasks. - -And from time to time they called out: - -"Now, then, comrade, come back; the wolf is afraid; come and drink!" - -And he made no answer. - -Suddenly, hearing a great cry as of a man that is at the point of -death, they ran in the direction whence the cry came, saying: - -"Hold on, we are coming to the rescue!" - -But they were long before they found their comrade, for some said the -cry came from the valley, others that it came from the highest dune. - -At length, when they had well searched dune and valley with their -lanterns, they found their comrade bitten in the leg and in the arm, -from behind, and his neck broken like the other victims. - -Lying on his back, he was holding his sword in his clenched fist; -his musket was on the sand. By his side were three severed fingers, -which they carried off, and which were not his fingers. His pouch -had been taken. - -They took up on their shoulders their comrade's body, his good sword, -and his gallant musket, and grieved and angry, they carried the corpse -to the bailiff's where the bailiff received them in the company of -the clerk of the court, two aldermen, and two surgeons. - -The severed fingers were examined and recognized as the fingers of -an old man, who was no worker at any trade, for the fingers were -long and tapering, and the nails were long as the nails of lawyers -and churchmen. - -Next day the bailiff, the aldermen, the clerk, the surgeons, and the -soldiers went to the place where the poor slain man had been bitten, -and saw that there were drops of blood upon the grass and footmarks -that went as far as the sea, where they ceased. - - - - - -XXXVII - -It was at the time of the ripened grapes, in the wine month and the -fourth day of it, when in the city of Brussels they throw, from the -top of the tower of Saint Nicholas after high mass, bags of walnuts -down to the people. - -At night Nele was awakened by cries coming from the street. She looked -for Katheline in the room and found her not. She ran down and opened -the door, and Katheline came in saying: - -"Save me! Save me! the wolf! the wolf!" - -And Nele heard in the country far-off howlings. Trembling, she lighted -all the lamps, wax tapers, and candles. - -"What has happened, Katheline?" said she, clasping her in her arms. - -Katheline sat down, with haggard eyes, and said, looking at the -candles: - -"'Tis the sun, he driveth away evil spirits. The wolf, the wolf is -howling in the countryside." - -"But," said Nele, "why did you leave your bed where you were warm, -to go and take a fever in the damp nights of September?" - -And Katheline said: - -"Hanske cried last night like an osprey; and I opened the door. And -he said to me: 'Take the drink of vision,' and I drank. Hanske is -goodly to look upon. Take away the fire. Then he brought me down -to the canal and said to me: 'Katheline, I will give thee back the -seven hundred carolus; thou shalt restore them to Ulenspiegel the son -of Claes. Here be two to buy thee a robe; thou shalt have a thousand -soon.' 'A thousand,' said I, 'my beloved, I shall then be rich.' 'Thou -shalt have them,' said he. 'But is there none in Damme who, woman or -damsel, is now as rich as thou wilt be?' 'I know not,' I answered. But -I had no mind to tell their names for fear he might love them. Then he -said to me: 'Find this out and tell me their names when I come back.' - -"The air was chill, the mist rolled over the meadows, the dry twigs -were falling from the trees upon the roadway. And the moon was shining, -and there were fires on the water of the canal. Hanske said to me: -'It is the night of the were-wolves; all guilty souls come forth out -of hell. Thou must make the sign of the cross thrice with the left -hand and cry: Salt! Salt! Salt! which is the emblem of immortality, and -they will do thee no hurt.' And I said: 'I shall do what thou desirest, -Hanske, my darling.' He kissed me, saying: 'Thou art my wife.' 'Aye,' -said I. And at his gentle word a heavenly happiness glided over my -body like an ointment. He crowned me with roses and said to me: 'Thou -art fair.' And I said to him: 'Thou art fair, too, Hanske, my darling, -and goodly in thy fine raiment of green velvet with gold trimmings, -with thy long ostrich feather that floats from thy bonnet, and thy -face pale as the fire upon the waves of the sea. And if the girls of -Damme saw thee, they would all run after thee, beseeching thee for -thy heart; but thou must give it only to me alone, Hanske.' He said: -'Endeavour to know which are the richest; their fortune will be for -thee.' Then he went away, leaving me after straitly forbidding me to -follow him. - -"I stayed there, chinking the three carolus in my hand, all shivering -and frozen by reason of the mist, when I saw coming up from a steep -bank and climbing the slope a wolf that had a green face and long -reeds among his white hair. I cried out: Salt! Salt! Salt! making -the sign of the cross, but he seemed to be in no dread of it. And -I ran with all my might, I crying, he howling, and I heard the dry -clashing of his teeth close upon me, and once so near to my shoulder -that I thought that he was about to catch me. But I ran faster than -he did. By great good luck, I met at the corner of the street of -the Heron the night watch with his lantern. 'The wolf! the wolf!' I -cried. 'Be not afraid,' said the watchman to me, 'I will take you -home, Katheline the madwife.' And I felt that his hand, holding me, -was shaking. And he was afraid like me." - -"But he hath got back his courage," said Nele. "Do you hear him now -chanting in a drawling voice: 'De clock is tien tien aen de clock': -It is ten o' the clock, o' the clock ten! And he springs his rattle." - -"Take away the fire," said Katheline, "my head burns. Come back, -Hanske, my darling." - -And Nele looked on Katheline, and she prayed Our Lady the Virgin -to take away from her head the fire of madness; and she wept over -her mother. - - - - - -XXXVIII - -At Belleau, on the banks of the Bruges canal, Ulenspiegel and Lamme -met a horseman wearing three cock's feathers in his felt hat and -riding at full speed towards Ghent. Ulenspiegel sang like a lark and -the horseman, pulling up, answered with the clarion of Chanticleer. - -"Dost thou bring tidings, headlong horseman?" said Ulenspiegel. - -"Great tidings," said the horseman. "On the advice of M. de Chatillon -who is in the land of France the admiral of the sea, the prince of -freedom hath given commissions to equip ships of war, beyond those -that are already armed at Emden and in East Frisia. The valiant men -who have received these commissions are Adrien de Berghes, Sieur -de Dolhain; his brother Louis of Hainaut; the Baron of Montfaucon; -the Sieur Louis de Brederode; Albert d'Egmont the son of the beheaded -count and no traitor like his brother; Berthel Enthens of Mentheda, -the Frisian; Adrien Menningh; Hembuyse the hot and proud man of Ghent; -and Jan Brock. - -"The prince hath given all his having, more than fifty thousand -florins." - -"I have five hundred for him," said Ulenspiegel. - -"Take them to the sea," said the horseman. - -And he went off at a gallop. - -"He gives all his having," said Ulenspiegel. "We others, we give -nothing but our skins." - -"Is that nothing then," said Lamme, "and shall we never have aught -talked of but sack and massacre? The orange is on the ground." - -"Aye," said Ulenspiegel, "on the ground, like the oak; but with the -oak they build the ships of freedom!" - -"For his profit," said Lamme. "But since there is no danger now, -let us buy asses again. I like to march sitting, for my part, and -without having a chime of blister-bells on the soles of my feet." - -"Let us buy asses," said Ulenspiegel; "these are beasts it is easy -to sell again." - -They went to market and found there, by paying for them, two fine -asses with their equipment. - - - - - -XXXIX - -As they rode on astraddle, they came to Oost-Camp, where there is a -great wood the fringe of which touched the canal. - -Seeking therein shade and sweet fragrance, they went into it, without -seeing anything but the long forest alleys going in every direction -towards Bruges, Ghent, South Flanders, and North Flanders. - -Suddenly Ulenspiegel jumped down from his ass. - -"Dost thou see nothing yonder?" - -Lamme said: - -"Aye, I see." And trembling: "My wife, my good wife! 'Tis she, my -son. Ha! I cannot walk to her. To find her thus!" - -"What are you complaining of?" said Ulenspiegel. - -"She is beautiful thus half-naked, in this muslin tunic cut in open -work that lets the fresh skin be seen. That one is too young; she is -not your wife." - -"My son," said Lamme, "it is she, my son; I know her. Carry me. I can -go no more. Who would have thought it of her? To dance clad in this -way like an Egyptian, shamelessly! Aye, it is she; see her shapely -legs, her arms bare to the shoulder, her breasts round and golden -half emerging from her muslin tunic. See how with that red flag she -excites that great dog jumping up at it." - -"'Tis a dog of Egypt," said Ulenspiegel; "the Low Countries give none -of that kind." - -"Egypt ... I do not know.... But it is she. Ha! my son, I can see no -more. She plucks up her breeches higher to show more of her round -legs. She laughs to show her white teeth, and loudly to let the -sound of her sweet voice be heard. She opens her tunic at the top and -throws herself back. Ha! that swan neck amorous, those bare shoulders, -those bright bold eyes! I run to her!" - -And he leaped from his ass. - -But Ulenspiegel, stopping him: - -"This girl," said he, "is not your wife. We are near a camp of -Egyptians. Beware.... See you the smoke behind the trees? Hear you -the barking of the dogs? There, here are some looking at us, ready -to bite perhaps. Let us hide deeper in the brake." - -"I will not hide," said Lamme; "this woman is mine, as Flemish as -ourselves." - -"Blind and madman," said Ulenspiegel. - -"Blind, nay! I see her well, dancing, half-naked, laughing and teasing -this great dog. She feigns not to see us. But she does see us, I assure -you. Thyl, Thyl! there is the dog hurling himself on her and throws her -down to have the red flag. And she falls, uttering a plaintive cry." - -And Lamme suddenly dashed towards her, saying to her: - -"My wife, my wife! where are you hurt, darling? Why do you laugh so -loud? Your eyes are haggard." - -And he kissed her and caressed her and said: - -"That beauty spot you had under the left breast, I see it not. Where -is it? Thou art not my wife. Great God of Heaven!" - -And she never stopped laughing. - -Suddenly Ulenspiegel cried out: - -"Guard thee, Lamme!" - -And Lamme, turning about, saw before him a great blackamoor of an -Egyptian, of a sour countenance, brown as peper-koek, which is ginger -bread in the land of France. - -Lamme picked up his pikestaff, and putting himself to his defence, -he cried out: - -"To the rescue, Ulenspiegel!" - -Ulenspiegel was there with his good sword. - -The Egyptian said to him in High German: - -"Gibt mi ghelt, ein Richsthaler auf tsein." (Give me money, a -ricksdaelder or ten.) - -"See," said Ulenspiegel, "the girl goes away laughing loudly and even -turning round to ask to be followed." - -"Gibt mi ghelt," said the man. "Pay for your amours. We are poor folk -and wish you no harm." - -Lamme gave him a carolus. - -"What trade dost thou follow?" said Ulenspiegel. - -"All trades," replied the Egyptian: "being master of arts in -suppleness, we do miraculous and magic tricks. We play on the -tambourine and dance Hungarian dances. More than one among us make -cages and gridirons to roast fine carbonadoes therewith. But all, -Flemings and Walloons, are feared of us and drive us forth. As -we cannot live by trade, we live by marauding, that is to say, -on vegetables, meat, and poultry that we must needs take from the -peasant, since he will neither give nor sell them to us." - -Lamme said to him: - -"Whence comes this girl, who is so like to my wife?" - -"She is our chief's daughter," said the blackamoor. - -Then speaking low like a man in fear: - -"She was smitten by God with the malady of love and knows naught of -woman's modesty. As soon as she seeth a man, she entereth on gaiety -and wildness, and laughs without ceasing. She saith little; she was -long thought to be dumb. By night, in sadness, she stays before the -fire, weeping at whiles or laughing without reason, and pointing to -her belly, where, she saith, she hath a hurt. At the hour of noon, -in summer, after the meal, her sharpest madness cometh upon her. Then -she goeth to dance near naked on the outskirts of the camp. She will -wear naught but raiment of tulle or muslin, and in winter we have -great trouble to cover her with a cloak of cloth of goat's hair." - -"But," said Lamme, "hath she not some man friend to prevent her from -abandoning herself thus to all comers?" - -"She hath none," said the man, "for travellers, coming near her and -beholding her eyes distraught, have more of fear than desire for -her. This big man was a bold one," said he, pointing to Lamme. - -"Let him talk, my son," said Ulenspiegel; "it is the stockvisch -slandering the whale. Which of the two is the one that gives most oil?" - -"You have a sharp tongue this morning," said Lamme. - -But Ulenspiegel, without listening to him, said to the Egyptian: - -"What doth she when others are as bold as my friend Lamme?" - -The Egyptian answered sadly: - -"Then she hath pleasure and gain. Those who win her pay for their -delight, and the money serves to clothe her and also for the -necessities of the old men and the women." - -"She obeyeth none then?" said Lamme. - -The Egyptian answered: - -"Let us allow those whom God hath smitten to do as they wish. Thus -he marks his will. And such is our law." - -Ulenspiegel and Lamme went away. And the Egyptian returned thence to -his camp, grave and proud. And the girl, laughing wildly, danced in -the clearing. - - - - - -XL - -Going on their way to Bruges, Ulenspiegel said to Lamme: - -"We have disbursed a heavy sum of money in the enlisting of soldiers, -in payment to the catchpolls, the gift to the Egyptian girl, and those -innumerable olie-koekjes that it pleased you to eat without ceasing -rather than to sell a single one. Now notwithstanding your belly-will, -it is time to live more circumspectly. Give me your money. I will -keep the common purse." - -"I am willing," said Lamme. And giving it to him: "All the same, -do not leave me to die of hunger," said he, "for think on it, big and -strong as I am, I must have substantial and abundant nourishment. It is -well for you, a thin and wretched fellow, to live from hand to mouth, -eating or not eating what you pick up, like planks that live on air -and rain on the quays. But for me, whom air hollows and rain hungers, -I must needs have other feasts." - -"You shall have them," said Ulenspiegel, "feasts of virtuous Lents. The -best filled paunches cannot resist them; deflating little by little, -they make the heaviest light. And presently will Lamme my darling be -seen sufficiently thinned down, running like a stag." - -"Alas!" said Lamme. "What henceforth will be my starveling fate? I -am hungry, my son, and would fain have supper." - -Night was falling. They arrived in Bruges by the Ghent gate. They -showed their passes. Having had to pay one demi-sol for themselves -and two for their asses, they entered into the town; Lamme, thinking -of Ulenspiegel's word, seemed brokenhearted. - -"Shall we have supper, soon?" said he. - -"Aye," replied Ulenspiegel. - -They alighted in de Meermin, at the Siren, a weathercock which is -fixed all in gold above the gable of the inn. - -They put their asses in the stable, and Ulenspiegel ordered, for his -supper and Lamme's, bread, beer, and cheese. - -The host grinned when serving this lean meal: Lamme ate with hungry -teeth, looking in despair at Ulenspiegel labouring with his jaws -upon the too-old bread and the too-young cheese, as if they had been -ortolans. And Lamme drank his small beer with no pleasure. Ulenspiegel -laughed to see him so miserable. And there was also someone that -laughed in the courtyard of the inn and came at whiles to show her -face at the window. Ulenspiegel saw that it was a woman that hid her -face. Thinking it was some sly servant he thought no more of it, and -seeing Lamme pale, sad, and livid because of his thwarted belly loves, -he had pity and thought of ordering for his companion an omelette -of black puddings, a dish of beef and beans, or any other hot dish, -when the baes came in and said, doffing his headgear: - -"If messires the travellers desire a better supper, they will speak -and say what they want." - -Lamme opened wide eyes and his mouth wider still and looked at -Ulenspiegel with an anguished distress. - -The latter replied: - -"Wandering workmen are not rich men." - -"It nevertheless happens," said the baes, "that they do not always -know all their possessions." And pointing to Lamme: "That good phiz is -worth two. What would Your Lordships please to eat and to drink--an -omelette with fat ham, choesels, we made some to-day, castrelins, a -capon melting under the tooth, a fine grilled carbonado with a sauce -of four spices, dobbel-knol of Antwerp, dobbel-cuyt of Bruges, wine -of Louvain prepared after the manner of Burgundy? And nothing to pay." - -"Bring all," said Lamme. - -The table was soon laid, and Ulenspiegel took his delight to see -poor Lamme who, more famished than ever, precipitated himself upon -the omelette, the choesels, the capon, the ham, the carbonadoes, -and poured down his throat in quarts the dobbel-knol, the dobbel-cuyt -and the Louvain wine prepared after the manner of Burgundy. - -When he could eat no more, he puffed with comfort like a whale, and -looked about him over the table to see if there was nothing left to -put under his tooth. And he ate the crumbs of the castrelins. - -Neither he nor Ulenspiegel had seen the pretty face look smiling -through the panes, pass and repass in the courtyard. The baes -having brought some wine mulled with cinnamon and Madeira sugar, -they continued to drink. And they sang. - -At the curfew, he asked them if they would go upstairs each to his -large and goodly bedchamber. Ulenspiegel replied that a small one -would suffice for them both. The baes replied: - -"I have none such; ye shall each have a lord's chamber, and nothing -to pay." - -And indeed and in verity he brought them into chambers richly adorned -with furniture and carpets. In Lamme's there was a great bed. - -Ulenspiegel, who had well drunk and was falling with sleep, left him -to go to bed and promptly did likewise. - -The next day, at the hour of noon, he entered Lamme's chamber and saw -him sleeping and snoring. Beside him was a pretty little satchel full -of money. He opened it and saw it was gold carolus and silver patards. - -He shook Lamme to wake him. The other came out of his sleep, rubbed -his eyes and, looking round him uneasily, said: - -"My wife! where is my wife?" - -And showing an empty place beside him in the bed. - -"She was there but now," said he. - -Then leaping out of the bed, he looked everywhere again, searched in -all the nooks and corners of the chamber, the alcove and the cupboards, -and said, stamping his foot: - -"My wife! Where is my wife?" - -The baes came up at the noise. - -"Rascal," said Lamme, catching him by the throat, "where is my -wife? What hast thou done with my wife?" - -"Impatient tramper," said the baes, "thy wife? What wife? Thou didst -come alone. I know naught." - -"Ha! he knows naught," said Lamme, ferreting once more in all the nooks -and corners of the room. "Alas! she was there, last night, in my bed, -as in the time of our good loves. Aye. Where art thou, my darling?" - -And flinging the purse on the ground: - -"'Tis not thy money I want, 'tis thou, thy sweet body, thy kind -heart, O my beloved! O heavenly joys! Ye will come back no more. I -had grown hardened not to see thee, to live without love, my sweet -treasure. And lo, having come to me again, thou dost abandon me. But -I will die. Ha! my wife? Where is my wife?" - -And he wept with scalding tears on the ground where he had cast -himself. Then all at once opening the door, he started to run -throughout the whole of the inn, and into the street, in his shirt, -crying: - -"My wife? Where is my wife?" - -But soon he came back, for the mischievous boys hooted him and threw -stones at him. - -And Ulenspiegel said to him, forcing him to clothe himself: - -"Do not be so overwhelmed; you shall see her again, since you have -seen her. She loves you still, since she came back to you, since it -was doubtless she that paid for the supper and for the lordly chambers, -and that put on your bed this full pouch. The ashes tell me that this -is not the doing of a faithless wife. Weep no more, and let us march -forth for the defence of the land of our fathers." - -"Let us still remain in Bruges," said Lamme; "I would fain run through -the whole town, and I will find her." - -"You will not find her, since she is hiding from you," said -Ulenspiegel. - -Lamme asked for explanations from the baes, but the other would tell -him nothing. - -And they went away towards Damme. - - - -While they went on their way, Ulenspiegel said to Lamme: - -"Why do you not tell me how you found her beside you, last night, -and how she left you?" - -"My son," replied Lamme, "you know that we had feasted on meat, on -beer, on wine, and that I could hardly breathe when we went off to -bed. I held a wax candle in my hand, like a lord, to light me and had -put down the candlestick on a chest to sleep; the door had remained -ajar, the chest was close to it. Undressing, I looked on my bed with -great love and desire for sleep; the wax candle suddenly went out. I -heard as it were a breath and a sound of light feet in my chamber; -but being more sleepy than afraid, I lay down heavily. As I was about -to fall asleep, a voice--her voice, O my wife, my poor wife!--said -to me: 'Have you supped well, Lamme?' and her voice was beside me, -and her face, too, and her sweet body." - - - - - -XLI - -On that day Philip the king, having eaten too much pastry, was more -melancholy than usual. He had played upon his living harpsichord, -which was a case containing cats whose heads came out through round -openings above the keys. Every time the king struck a key, the key -in turn struck a cat with a dart, and the beast mewed and complained -by reason of the pain. - -But Philip never laughed. - -Unceasingly, he sought in his mind how he could conquer the great -queen, Elizabeth, and set up Mary Stuart on the throne of England. With -this object he had written to the Pope who was needy and full of debts; -the Pope had replied that for this enterprise he would gladly sell -the holy vessels of the temples and the treasures of the Vatican. - -But Philip never laughed. - -Ridolfi, Queen Mary's favourite, who hoped, by delivering her, to -marry her afterwards and become king of England, came to see Philip -and with him plot the murder of Elizabeth. But he was so "parlanchin," -as the king wrote, so given to talking, that his designs were openly -talked about in the Antwerp Bourse; and the murder was never committed. - -And Philip never laughed. - -Later, in accordance with the king's orders, the bloody duke sent two -couples of assassins into England. They succeeded in getting hanged. - -And Philip never laughed. - -And thus God brought to naught and thwarted the ambition of this -vampire, who looked to remove her son from Mary Stuart and to reign in -his stead, with the Pope, over England. And the murderer was irritated -to see this noble country so great and powerful. He never ceased to -turn his pale eyes towards it, seeking how he might crush it so as -to reign thereafter over the whole world, exterminate the reformers, -and especially the rich, and inherit the victim's wealth. - -But he never laughed. - -And mice and field mice were brought to him in an iron box, with high -sides, and open of one side; and he put the bottom of the box on a -hot fire and took his pleasure in seeing and hearing the poor little -beasts leaping, moaning, and dying. - -But he never laughed. - -Then pale and with trembling hand he went to the arms of Madame -d'Eboli, to slake the fire of his lust lit by the torch of cruelty. - -And he never laughed. - -And Madame d'Eboli received him for fear and not for love. - - - - - -XLII - -The air was warm: from the quiet sea there came not a breath -of wind. Scarce did the trees by the canal of Damme shiver, the -grasshoppers dwelt in the meadows, while in the fields men from the -churches and the abbeys came to fetch the thirteenth part of the -harvest for the cures and the abbots. Out of the sky, blue, ardent, -deep, the sun poured down warmth and Nature slept under his rays -like a fair girl naked and swooning under her lover's caresses. The -carps were cutting capers above the surface of the canal to seize the -flies that buzzed like a kettle; while the swallows, with their long -bodies and great wings, disputed the prey with them. From the earth -rose a warm vapour, wavering and shimmering in the light. The beadle -of Damme announced from the top of the tower, by means of a cracked -bell sounding like a pot, that it was noon and time for the country -folk working at the haymaking to go to dinner. Women cried long and -loud, holding their closed hands funnel-wise, calling in their men, -brothers or husbands, by name: Hans, Pieter, Joos; and one might see -their red hoods above the hedges. - -Far off, in the eyes of Lamme and Ulenspiegel, rose lofty, square, -and massive the tower of Notre Dame, and Lamme said: - -"There, my son, are thy griefs and thy love." - -But Ulenspiegel made no answer. - -"Soon," said Lamme, "shall I see my ancient home and perchance -my wife." - -But Ulenspiegel made no answer. - -"Man of wood," said Lamme, "heart of stone, nothing then can affect -you, neither the nearness of the places in which you spent your -boyhood, nor the dear shades of poor Claes and poor Soetkin, the two -martyrs. What! you are neither sad nor glad; what then hath dried up -your heart in this way? Look at me, anxious, uneasy, bounding in my -belly; look at me...." - -Lamme looked at Ulenspiegel and saw him with head livid, pale and -hanging, his lips trembling, and weeping without saying a word. - -And he held his tongue. - -They marched thus in silence as far as Damme, and came into it -by the street of the Heron, and saw no one in it, because of the -heat. The dogs, with their tongues hanging out, lying on their sides, -were gaping before the thresholds of the doors. Lamme and Ulenspiegel -passed directly in front of the Townhall, before which Claes had been -burned; the lips of Ulenspiegel trembled more, and his tears dried -up. Finding himself over against the house of Claes, occupied by a -coalman, he said to him as he went within: - -"Dost thou know me? I am fain to rest here." - -The master coalman said: - -"I know thee; thou art the son of the victim. Go wherever thou wouldst -in this house." - -Ulenspiegel went into the kitchen, then into the bedchamber of Claes -and Soetkin, and there he wept. - -When he had come down thence, the master coalman said to him: - -"Here are bread, cheese, and beer. If thou art hungry, eat; if thou -art thirsty, drink." - -Ulenspiegel signed with his hand that he was neither hungry nor -thirsty. - -He walked thus with Lamme, who stayed astraddle on his ass, while -Ulenspiegel held his by the halter. - -They arrived at Katheline's cottage, tied up their asses, and went -in. It was meal time. There were on the table haricots in their pods -mixed with great white beans. Katheline was eating; Nele was standing -and ready to pour into Katheline's plate a vinegar sauce she had just -taken from the fire. - -When Ulenspiegel came in, she was so startled that she put the pot and -all the sauce in Katheline's plate, who, nodding her head, began to -hunt for the beans around the saucepot with her spoon, and striking -herself on the forehead, repeated like a madwoman: - -"Take away the fire! My head is burning!" - -The smell of the vinegar made Lamme hungry. - -Ulenspiegel remained standing, looking at Nele, smiling with love -through his great sadness. - -And Nele, without a word, threw her arms about his neck. She, too, -seemed bereft of her wits; she wept, laughed; and red with great and -sweet joy, she said only: "Thyl! Thyl!" Ulenspiegel, happy, gazed -at her; then she left him, went and stationed herself farther off, -contemplated him with joy and from there once again sprang upon him, -throwing her arms about his neck; and so several times over. He -held her, very happy, unable to sever from her, until she fell upon -a chair, wearied out and as though out of her senses; and she said -without any shame: - -"Thyl! Thyl! my beloved, and so there you are back again!" - -Lamme was standing at the door; when Nele was calmed, she said, -pointing to him: - -"Where have I seen this big man?" - -"This is my friend," said Ulenspiegel. "He is seeking for his wife -in my company." - -"I know thee," said Nele, speaking to Lamme; "thou didst use to -dwell in the street of the Heron. Thou art seeking thy wife; I saw -her at Bruges, living in all piety and devoutness. Having asked -her why she had so cruelly abandoned her husband, she answered me: -'Such was the holy will of God and the order of the holy Penance, -but I cannot live with him henceforth.'" - -Lamme was sad at this word, and looked at the beans in vinegar. And the -larks, singing, sprang aloft in the sky, and Nature in ecstasy allowed -herself to be caressed by the sun. And Katheline with her spoon picked -out all round the pot the white beans, the green pods, and the sauce. - - - - - -XLIII - - -At this time a girl of fifteen went from Heyst to Knokke, alone, -in broad daylight, through the dunes. No one had any fears for her, -for it was well known that weer-wolves and evil spirits of the damned -bite only by night. She was carrying in a pouch forty-eight sols in -silver, of the value of four florins carolus, which her mother Toria -Pieterson, who lived at Heyst, owed, out of the proceeds of a sale, -to her uncle, Jan Rapen, who lived at Knokke. The girl, by name Betkin, -having donned all her best finery, had gone off gaily. - -That night her mother was uneasy not to see her come home; still, -thinking she had slept at her uncle's house, she reassured herself. - -The next day certain fishermen, coming back from sea with a boat full -of fish, hauled their boat up on the beach and unloaded their fish into -carts, to sell it by auction, cart by cart, in Heyst. They climbed -up the road, strewn with broken shells, and found among the dunes a -young girl stripped quite naked, even of her chemise, and blood around -her. Coming near, they saw in her poor broken neck the marks of long, -sharp teeth. Lying on her back, her eyes were open, staring at the sky, -and her mouth was open, too, as if to cry out on death! - -Covering the girl's body with an opperst-kleed, they brought it to -Heyst, to the Townhall. Thither speedily assembled the aldermen and -the barber-surgeon, who declared that those long teeth were never -wolf's teeth as they were made by Nature, but belonged to some wicked -and evil and infernal weer-wolf, and that it behoved all men to pray -to God to deliver the land of Flanders. - -And in all the country and especially at Damme, Heyst, and Knokke, -were ordained prayers and orisons. - -And the people, groaning, remained in the churches. - -In the church of Heyst, where the corpse of the young girl was laid -out and exposed, men and women wept, seeing her neck all bloody and -torn. And the mother said in the very church: - -"I will go to the weer-wolf and kill him with my teeth." - -And the women, weeping, egged her on to do this. And some said: - -"Thou wilt never come back." - -And she went, with her husband and her two brothers well armed, to -hunt for the wolf by beach, dune, and valley, but never found him. And -her husband was obliged to take her home, for she had caught fever -by reason of the night cold; and they watched beside her, mending -their nets for the next fishing day. - -The bailiff of Damme, bethinking himself that the weer-wolf is a beast -that lives on blood and does not strip the dead, said that this one -was doubtless followed by robbers wandering about the dunes seeking -their evil gain. Wherefore he summoned by the sound of the church -bell all and sundry, directing them to fall well armed and furnished -with cudgels upon all beggars and tramping ruffians, to apprehend -their persons and search them to see if they might not have in their -satchels gold carolus or any portion of the victim's raiment. And after -this the able-bodied beggars and tramps should be taken to the king's -galleys. And the aged and infirm should be allowed to go their ways. - -But they found nothing. - -Ulenspiegel went to the bailiff's and said to him: - -"I mean to slay the weer-wolf." - -"What gives thee this confidence?" asked the bailiff. - -"The ashes beat upon my heart," answered Ulenspiegel. "Grant me -permission to work in the forge of the commune." - -"Thou mayst do so," said the bailiff. - -Ulenspiegel, without saying a word of his project to any man or woman -in Damme, went off to the forge and there in secret he fashioned a -fine and large-sized engine to trap wild beasts. - -The next day, being Saturday, a day beloved of the weer-wolf, -Ulenspiegel, carrying a letter from the bailiff for the cure of Heyst, -and the engine under his cloak, armed also with a good crossbow and -a well-sharpened cutlass, departed, saying to the folk in Damme: - -"I am going to shoot sea-mews and I will make pillows for the bailiff's -wife with their down." - -Going towards Heyst, he came upon the beach, heard the boisterous sea -curling and breaking in big waves, roaring like thunder, and the wind -came from England whistling in the rigging of shipwrecked boats. A -fisherman said to him: - -"This is ruin to us, this ill wind. Last night the sea was still, -but after sunrise it got up suddenly into fury. We shall not be able -to go a-fishing." - -Ulenspiegel was glad, assured thus of having help during the night -if there should be need. - -At Heyst he went to the cure, and gave him the letter from the -bailiff. The cure said to him: - -"Thou art bold: yet know that no man passes alone at night, by the -dunes, on Saturday without being bitten and left dead on the sand. The -workmen on the dykes and others go there only in bands. Night is -falling. Dost thou hear the weer-wolf howling in his valley? Will he -come again as he did this last night, to cry terribly in the graveyard -the whole night long? God be with thee, my son, but go not thither." - -And the cure crossed himself. - -"The ashes beat upon my heart," answered Ulenspiegel. - -The cure said: - -"Since thou hast so stout a mind, I will help thee." - -"Master cure," said Ulenspiegel, "you would do a great boon to me -and to the poor desolated country by going to the house of Toria, the -mother of the slain girl, and to her two brothers likewise to tell them -that the wolf is close at hand, and that I mean to await and kill him." - -The cure said: - -"If thou dost not yet know on what path thou shouldst take up thy -stand, stay in that one that leads to the graveyard. It is between -two hedges of broom. Two men could not walk in it side by side." - -"I will take my stand there," said Ulenspiegel. "And do you, valiant -master cure, co-worker of deliverance, order and enjoin the girl's -mother, with her husband and her brothers, to be in the church, all -armed, before the curfew. If they hear me whistling like the sea-mew, -it will mean that I have seen the weer-wolf. They must then sound -wacharm on the bell and come to my rescue. And if there are any other -brave men?..." - -"There are none, my son," replied the cure. "The fishermen fear the -weer-wolf more than the plague and death. But go not thither." - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"The ashes beat upon my heart." - -The cure said then: - -"I shall do as thou wishest; be thou blessed. Art thou hungry or -thirsty?" - -"Both," replied Ulenspiegel. - -The cure gave him beer, bread, and cheese. - -Ulenspiegel drank, ate, and went away. - -Going along and raising his eyes, he saw his father Claes in glory, -by the side of God, in the sky where the clear moon was shining, -and looked at the sea and the clouds and he heard the tempestuous -wind blowing out of England. - -"Alas!" said he, "black clouds that pass so swift, be ye like Vengeance -upon the heels of Murder. Roaring sea, sky that dost make thee black as -the mouth of hell, waves with the fire foam running along the sombre -water, shaking impatient, wrathful, ye animals innumerable of fire, -oxen, sheep, horses, serpents that wallow upon the sea or rise up -into the air, belching out a flaming rain, O sea all black, sky black -with mourning, come with me to fight against the weer-wolf, the foul -murderer of little girls. And thou, wind that wailest plaintively in -the bents on the dunes and in the cordage of the ships, thou art the -voice of the victims crying out for vengeance to God; may He be my -helper in this enterprise." - -And he went down into the valley, tottering on his two natural -posts as if he had had the drunkard's wine-lees in his head and a -cabbage-indigestion on his stomach. - -And he sang hiccuping, zigzagging, yawning, spitting, and stopping, -playing at a pretence of vomiting, but in reality opening his eyes -wide to study closely everything about him, when suddenly he heard -a shrill howling; he stopped short, vomiting like a dog, and saw in -the light of the strong shining moon the long shape of a wolf walking -towards the cemetery. - -Tottering again he entered on the path marked out among the -broom. There, feigning to fall, he set the engine on the side whence -the wolf was coming, made ready his crossbow, and moved away ten -paces, standing in a drunken attitude, continually pretending to -stagger about, to hiccup and vomit, but in verity stringing up his -wits like a bow and keeping eyes and ears wide open. - -And he saw nothing, nothing but the black clouds running like mad -things over the sky and a large thick and short shape coming towards -him; and he heard nothing but the wind wailing plaintively, the sea -roaring like thunder, and the shell-strewn road crackling under a -heavy, stumbling tread. - -Feigning to want to sit down, he fell on the road like a drunkard, -heavily. And he spat. - -Then he heard as it were iron clicking two paces from his ear, then -the noise of his engine shutting up and a man's cry. - -"The weer-wolf," he said, "has his front paws taken in the trap. He -gets up howling, shaking the engine, trying to run. But he will -never escape." - -And he sped a crossbow dart into his legs. - -"And now he falls, wounded," said he. - -And he whistled like a sea-mew. - -Suddenly the church bell rang out the wacharm, a shrill lad's voice -cried through the village: - -"Awake, ye sleeping folk, the weer-wolf is caught." - -"Praise be to God!" said Ulenspiegel. - -Toria, Betkin's mother, Lansaem her husband, Josse and Michiel her -brothers, came the first with their lanterns. - -"He is taken?" said they. - -"See him on the roadway," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"Praise be to God!" said they. - -And they made the sign of the cross. - -"Who is that ringing?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -Lansaem replied: - -"My eldest boy; the youngest is running through the village knocking -at the doors and crying that the wolf is taken. Praise be to thee!" - -"The ashes beat upon my heart," replied Ulenspiegel. - -Suddenly the weer-wolf spake and said: - -"Have pity upon me, pity, Ulenspiegel." - -"The wolf talks," said they, crossing themselves. "He is a devil and -he knows Ulenspiegel's name already." - -"Have pity, pity," said the voice, "bid the bell be quiet; it is -ringing for the dead; pity, I am no wolf. My wrists are pierced by -the engine; I am old and I bleed; pity! What is this shrill boy's -voice awaking the village? Pity!" - -"I heard thy voice of old," said Ulenspiegel, vehemently. "Thou art -the fishmonger, the murderer of Claes, the vampire of the poor little -young girls. Men and women, have no fear. 'Tis the demon, he through -whom Soetkin died for grief and pain." - -And holding him by the neck beneath the chin with one hand, with the -other he drew his cutlass. - -But Toria, Betkin's mother, stayed him in this movement. - -"Take him alive," she cried. - -And she plucked out his white hairs by handfuls, and tore his face -with her nails. - -And she howled with grief and fury. - -The weer-wolf, his hands fast in the engine and stumbling about the -roadway, through his keen sufferings: - -"Pity," said he, "pity! take this woman away. I will give two -carolus. Break those bells! Where are those children that are calling?" - -"Keep him alive!" cried Toria, "keep him alive, let him pay! The -bells for the dead, the death bells for thee, murderer. By slow fire, -by red-hot pincers. Keep him alive! let him pay!" - -Meanwhile, Toria had picked up on the road a waffle iron with long -arms. Looking closely at it in the light of the torches, she saw -it deeply engraved between the two iron plates with lozenges in the -Brabant fashion, but armed besides, like an iron mouth, with long sharp -teeth. And when she opened it, it was like the mouth of a greyhound. - -Then Toria, holding the waffle iron, opening it and shutting it and -making the iron ring, seemed as though she had lost her wits for male -fury, and gnashing her teeth and with hoarse rattle breath like a -woman dying, bit the prisoner with this engine in the arms, the legs, -everywhere, seeking most of all his neck, and with every bite saying: - -"Thus he did to Betkin with the iron teeth. He pays. Dost thou bleed, -murderer? God is just. The bells for the dead! Betkin is calling me -to revenge. Dost thou feel the teeth? 'Tis the mouth of God." - -And she bit him without ceasing and without pity, striking him with -the waffle iron when she could not bite him with it. And because of -her great thirst for revenge she did not kill him. - -"Show compassion," cried the prisoner. "Ulenspiegel, strike me with -thy knife, I shall die quicker. Take this woman away. Break the bells -for the dead; kill those calling children." - -And Toria still kept biting him, until an old man, in pity, took the -waffle iron out of her hands. - -But Toria then spat on the weer-wolf's face and tore out his hairs, -crying: - -"Thou shalt pay, by slow fire, by burning pincers, thy eyes to -my nails!" - -In the meantime were come all the fishermen, rustics, and women of -Heyst, at the report that the weer-wolf was a man and not a devil. Some -carried lanterns and flaming torches. And all were crying out: - -"Robber and murderer, where dost thou hide the gold stolen from the -poor victims? Let him give all back." - -"I have none: have pity," said the fishmonger. - -And the women threw stones and sand upon him. - -"He pays, he pays!" cried Toria. - -"Pity," he groaned, "I am all wet with my own blood running. Pity!" - -"Thy blood?" said Toria. "There will be enough left for thee to pay -with. Cover his wounds with ointment. He will pay by the slow fire, -his hand cut off, with red-hot pincers. He shall pay, he shall pay!" - -And she would have struck him; then out of her senses she fell upon -the sand as though dead, and she was left there till she came back -to herself. - -Meanwhile, Ulenspiegel, taking the prisoner's hands out of the engine, -saw that there were three fingers lacking on the right hand. - -And he gave orders to bind him straitly and to put him in a fisherman's -hamper. Men, women, and children then departed, taking turns to carry -the hamper, wending their way towards Damme to seek justice there. And -they carried torches and lanterns. - -And the fishmonger kept repeating without ceasing: - -"Break the bells; kill the children that are calling." - -And Toria said: - -"Let him pay, by slow fire, by red-hot pincers, let him pay!" - -Then both held their peace. And Ulenspiegel heard no more, save the -laboured breathing of Toria, the heavy steps of the men on the sand, -and the sea roaring like thunder. - -And sad in his heart, he looked at the clouds running like mad -things in the sky, the sea where the sheep of fire were to be seen, -and in the light of the torches and the lanterns the livid face of -the fishmonger staring on him with cruel eyes. - -And the ashes beat upon his heart. - -And they marched for four hours till they came to where was the -populace assembled in one mass, knowing the news already. All wishing -to see the fishmonger, they followed the band of fishermen shouting, -singing, dancing, and saying: - -"The weer-wolf is taken! he is taken, the murderer! Blessed be -Ulenspiegel! Long life to our brother Ulenspiegel! Lange leven onsen -broeder Ulenspiegel." - -And it was like a revolt of the people. - -When they passed before the bailiff's house, he came out at the noise -and said to Ulenspiegel: - -"Thou art the victor; praise be to thee!" - -"The ashes of Claes were beating upon my heart," replied Ulenspiegel. - -The bailiff then said: - -"Thou shalt have the half of the murderer's estate." - -"Give it to the victims," replied Ulenspiegel. - -Lamme and Nele came; Nele, laughing and weeping for gladness, kissed -her friend Ulenspiegel; Lamme, jumping heavily, smote him on the -stomach, saying: - -"This is a brave, a trusty, a faithful one; 'tis my beloved companion; -ye have none such, ye others, ye folk of the flat country." - -But the fishermen laughed, mocking at him. - - - - - -XLIV - -The bell called Borgstrom rang next day to summon the bailiff, -aldermen, and clerks of the court to the Vierschare on the four turf -benches, under the tree of justice, which was a noble lime tree. All -around were the common folk. Being interrogated the fishmonger would -confess nothing, even when he was shown the three fingers severed by -the soldier, and missing from his right hand. He kept saying: - -"I am poor and old; have compassion." - -But the common folk hooted him, saying: - -"Thou art an old wolf, a child killer; do not have pity on him, -judges." - -The women said: - -"Look not on us with thy cold eyes; thou art a man and not a devil; -we do not fear thee. Cruel beast, more coward than a cat devouring -small birds in the nest, thou didst kill poor little girls asking to -live their pretty little lives in all honesty." - -"Let him pay by slow fire, by red-hot pincers," cried Toria. - -And in spite of the sergeants of the commune, the mothers egged on the -lads to throw stones at the fishmonger. And the boys did so eagerly, -hooting him every time he looked at them and crying incessantly: -"Blood-zuyger, blood-sucker! Sla dood, kill, kill!" - -And Toria cried without ceasing: - -"Let him pay by slow fire; by red-hot pincers let him pay!" - -And the populace growled. - -"See," said the women among each other, "how cold he is under the -sun that shines in the sky, warming his white hairs and his face torn -by Toria." - -"And he shivers with pain." - -"'Tis the justice of God." - -"And he stands there with a lamentable air." - -"See his murderer's hands tied before him and bleeding from the wounds -of the trap." - -"Let him pay, let him pay!" cried Toria. - -He said, bemoaning himself: - -"I am poor, let me go." - -And everyone, nay, even the judges, mocked as they listened to him. He -wept feigningly, meaning to touch their hearts. And the women laughed. - -The evidence being sufficient to warrant torture, he was condemned -to be put on the bench until he had confessed how he killed, whence -he came, where were the spoils of the victims, and the place where -he had his gold hidden. - -Being in the torture chamber, and shod with foot-gear of new leather -too small for him, and the bailiff asking him how Satan had come to -suggest to him such black designs and crimes so abominable, he replied: - -"Satan is myself, my natural being. Already when a small boy, but -ugly to look on, unfit for all bodily exercise, I was held a ninny -by everybody and often beaten. Lad nor lass had pity never. In my -adolescence no women would have me, not even though I paid. Then -I put on cold hatred against every being born of a woman. That was -why I denounced Claes, beloved of all. And I loved but Money only, -that was my darling, white or golden; to have Claes killed I found -both profit and pleasure. After I must live like a wolf more than -ever, and I dreamed of biting. Passing through Brabant, I saw there -the waffle irons of that country and thought that one of them would -be a good iron mouth for me. Why do not I have you by the neck, -you evil tigers, that delight in an old man's torment! I would bite -you with greater joy than the soldier and the little girl. For her, -when I saw her so sweet, sleeping on the sand in the sun, holding -the little bag of money in her hands, I felt love and pity; feeling -myself too old and not being able to take her, I bit her...." - -The bailiff asking him where he lived, the fishmonger replied: - -"At Ramskapelle, whence I go to Blanckenberghe, to Heyst, even as far -as Knokke. On Sundays and feast days, I make waffles, after the fashion -of those of Brabant, in all the villages with yonder machine. It is -always very clean and well oiled. And this novelty of foreign parts was -well received. If you should please to know more, and how it was that -no one could recognize me, I will tell you that by day I reddened my -face with rouge and painted my hair red. As for the wolf skin you are -pointing to with your cruel finger, questioning me, I will tell you, -defying you, that it comes from two wolves killed by me in the woods -of Raveschoot and of Maldeghen. I had but to sew the skins together to -cover myself with them. I hid it in a box in the dunes of Heyst; there -are also the clothes stolen by me to sell later at a fit opportunity." - -"Take him from before the fire," said the bailiff. The tormentor -obeyed. - -"Where is thy gold?" said the bailiff again. - -"The king shall never know," replied the fishmonger. - -"Burn him with the candles nearer him," said the bailiff. "Put him -closer to the fire." - -The tormentor obeyed and the fishmonger cried: - -"I will say nothing. I have spoken too much; ye will burn me. I am no -sorcerer; why do ye set me at the fire again? My feet are bleeding from -the burns. I will say nothing. Why nearer now? They bleed, I tell you, -they bleed; these slippers are boots of red-hot iron. My gold? Ah, -well, my only friend in this world, it is ... take me away from the -fire; it is in my cave at Ramskapelle, in a box ... leave it to me; -grace and mercy, master judges; cursed tormentor, take the candles -away.... He burns me more ... it is in a box with a false bottom -wrapped in wool, so as to avoid a noise if any one shakes the box; -now I have told all; take me away." - -When he was taken away from before the fire, he smiled maliciously. - -The bailiff asked him why. - -"'Tis for comfort at being eased," replied he. - -The bailiff said to him: - -"Did no one ever ask thee to let him see thy toothed waffle iron?" - -The fishmonger replied: - -"It was seen like any other, save that it is pierced with holes in -which I was wont to screw the iron teeth at dawn I took them out; -the peasants prefer my waffles to those of the other sellers; and -they call them 'Waefels met brabandsche knoopen', 'waffles with -brabant buttons', because when the teeth are away, the empty holes -make little half spheres like buttons." - -But the bailiff: - -"When didst thou bite the poor victims?" - -"By day and by night. By day I used to wander about the dunes and the -highways, carrying my waffle iron, keeping in hiding, and especially -on Saturday, the day of the great Bruges market. If I saw some rustic -pass, wandering melancholy, I left him alone, judging that his trouble -was a flux of the purse; but I used to walk along by him whom I saw -journeying merrily; when he did not look for it I would bite him in -the neck and take his satchel. And not only in the dunes, but on all -the byways and highways of the flat country." - -The bailiff then said: - -"Repent and pray unto God." - -"It is the Lord God that willed I should be what I am. I did all -without my will, egged on by Nature's will. Wicked tigers, ye will -punish me unjustly. But do not burn me ... I did all without my -will; have pity, I am poor and old; I shall die of my wounds; do not -burn me." - -He was then taken to the Vierschare, under the lime tree, there to -hear his sentence in the presence of all the people assembled. - -And he was condemned, as a horrible murderer, robber, and blasphemer, -to have his tongue pierced with a red-hot iron, his right hand cut -off, and to be burned alive in a slow fire, until death ensued, -before the doors of the Townhall. - -And Toria cried: - -"It is just; he pays!" - -And the people cried: - -"Lang leven de Heeren van de Wet," long life to the men of the law. - -He was taken back into prison, where he was given meat and wine. And -he was merry, saying that he had never till then eaten or drunk, -either, but that the king, inheriting his goods, could well pay for -his last meal for him. - -And he laughed sourly. - -The next day, at the first of dawn, while they were taking him to -execution, he saw Ulenspiegel standing beside the stake, and he cried -out, pointing to him with his finger: - -"That one there, murderer of an old man, ought to die as well; -he flung me into the canal of Damme, ten years ago, because I had -denounced his father, wherein I had served His Catholic Majesty as -a faithful subject." - -The bells of Notre Dame rang for the dead. - -"For thee even as for me are those bells tolling," said he to -Ulenspiegel; "thou shalt be hanged, for thou hast killed." - -"The fishmonger lies," cried all the common folk; "he lies, the -murdering ruffian." - -And Toria, like a madwoman, cried out, flinging a stone at him that -cut his forehead: - -"If he had drowned thee, thou wouldst not have lived to bite my poor -girl, like a bloodsucking vampire." - -As Ulenspiegel uttered no word, Lamme said: - -"Did any see him throw the fishmonger in the water?" - -Ulenspiegel made no answer. - -"No, no," shouted the people; "he lied, the murderer!" - -"No, I lied not," cried the fishmonger, "he threw me in, while -I implored him to forgive me, and by the same token, I got out by -the help of a skiff tied up alongside the high bank. Wet through and -shivering, I could scarcely get back to my poor home. I had the fever -then, none looked after me, and I deemed I must die." - -"Thou liest," said Lamme; "no man saw it." - -"No, no man saw it," cried Toria. "To the fire with the -murderer. Before he dies he wants an innocent victim; let him pay! He -has lied. If thou didst do it, confess not, Ulenspiegel. There are -no witnesses. Let him pay by slow fire, by red-hot pincers." - -"Didst thou commit the murder?" the bailiff asked Ulenspiegel. - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"I flung the murderer, the denouncer of Claes, into the water. My -father's ashes were beating on my heart." - -"He confesseth," said the fishmonger; "he shall die even as I. Where -is the gallows, that I may see it? Where is the executioner with -the sword of justice? The death bells are ringing for thee, rascal, -murderer of an old man." - -Ulenspiegel said: - -"I threw thee into the water to kill thee; the ashes were beating on -my heart." - -And among the people, the women said: - -"Why confess it, Ulenspiegel? No man saw it, now thou shalt die." - -And the prisoner laughed, leaping for bitter joy, waving his arms -that were tied and covered with blood-stained wrappings. - -"He will die," he said, "he will pass from earth into hell, the rope -about his neck, as a ragamuffin, a robber, a rascal: he will die, -God is just." - -"He shall not die," said the bailiff. "After ten years, murder may -not be punished in the soil of Flanders. Ulenspiegel committed a bad -action, but through filial love: Ulenspiegel will not be prosecuted -for this deed." - -"Long live the law!" cried the people. "Lang leven de Wet." - -The bells of Notre Dame rang for the dead. And the prisoner gnashed -his teeth, drooped his head, and wept his first tear. - -And he had his hand cut off, and his tongue pierced with a hot iron, -and he was burned alive by a slow fire before the doorway of the -Townhall. - -At the point of death he yelled: - -"The king shall not have my gold; I lied.... Evil tigers, I will come -back to bite you." - -And Toria cried: - -"He pays, he pays! They writhe and twist, the arms and the legs -that ran to murder: it smokes, the murderer's body; his white hair, -hyaena's hair, burns on his pale face. He pays! He pays!" - -And the fishmonger died, howling like a wolf. - -And the bells of Notre Dame tolled for the dead. - -And Lamme and Ulenspiegel mounted upon their asses again. - -And Nele, sad and grieving, dwelt with Katheline, who said, without -ceasing: - -"Take away the fire! my head is burning; come back, Hanske, my -darling." - - - - - - -BOOK IV - - -I - -Being at Heyst, upon the dunes, Ulenspiegel and Lamme see, coming -from Ostend, from Blanckenberghe, from Knokke, many fishing boats -full of armed men, adherents of the Beggars of Zealand, who wear in -their headgear the silver crescent with this inscription: "Better to -serve the Turk than the Pope." - -Ulenspiegel is glad; he whistles like the lark; from all sides answers -the warlike clarion of the cock. - -The boats, sailing or fishing and selling their fish, come to land, -one after the other, at Emden. There William of Blois is detained, -who is equipping a ship under commission from the Prince of Orange. - -Tres-Long, having been at Emden for eleven weeks, was bitterly sick of -waiting. He went from his ship to land and from the land to his ship, -like a bear on a chain. - -Ulenspiegel and Lamme, wandering about on the quays, saw there a lord -of a jovial visage, somewhat melancholy and at a loss to heave up one -of the paving-stones of the quay with a pikestaff. Not succeeding -in this he still bent every effort to carry out his undertaking, -while a dog gnawed at a bone behind him. - -Ulenspiegel came to the dog and pretended to want to rob him of his -bone. The dog growls; Ulenspiegel does not stop: the dog makes a -great uproar of doggish wrath. - -The lord, turning at the noise, said to Ulenspiegel: - -"What good does it do thee to torment this beast?" - -"What good does it do you, Messire, to torment this pavement?" - -"It is not the same thing at all," said the lord. - -"The difference is not extreme," replied Ulenspiegel; "if the dog -sets store by his bone and wants to keep it, this pavement holds to -its quay and is fain to remain on it. And it is the very least that -folk like us may do, turning to busy ourselves about a dog when folk -like you busy yourselves about a paving stone." - -Lamme remained behind Ulenspiegel, not daring to speak. - -"Who art thou?" asked the lord. - -"I am Thyl Ulenspiegel, the son of Claes, who died in the flames for -his faith." - -And he whistled like the lark and the lord crowed like the cock. - -"I am Admiral Tres-Long," said he; "what wouldst thou with me?" - -Ulenspiegel narrated to him his adventures, and gave him five hundred -carolus. - -"Who is this big man?" asked Tres-Long, pointing a finger at Lamme. - -"My comrade and friend," replied Ulenspiegel: "he desires, like myself, -to sing on your ship, with the fine voice of a musket, the song of -deliverance for the land of our fathers." - -"Ye are brave men both," said Tres-Long, "and ye shall go on my ship." - -They were then in the month of February; sharp was the wind, keen the -frost. After three weeks of grudging waiting Tres-Long left Emden under -protest. Thinking to enter the Texel, he went out from Vlie, but was -forced to go in to Wieringen, where his ship was locked up in the ice. - -Soon there was a merry spectacle all about: sledges and skaters all -in velvet; women skating in jackets and skirts broidered with gold, -pearl, scarlet, azure; lads and lasses went, came, glided, laughed, -following one another in line, or two by two, in pairs, singing the -song of love upon the ice, or going to eat and drink in booths decked -out with flags, brandy, oranges, figs, peperkoek, schols, eggs, hot -vegetables, and eete-koeken, which are pancakes and pickled vegetables, -while all about them sleds and sailing sleighs made the ice cry out -under their runners. - -Lamme, seeking his wife, went wandering on skates like the jolly men -and women, but he fell often. - -Meanwhile, Ulenspiegel went to drink and to feed in a small inn on -the quay where he had not to pay too dear for his daily rations; -and he liked to talk with the old baesine. - -One Sunday about nine he went in there asking them to give him -his dinner. - -"But," said he to a pretty woman coming forward to serve him, "baesine -rejuvenated, what hast thou done with thy old wrinkles? Thy mouth hath -all its teeth, white and girlish, and its lips are red as cherries. Is -it for me, that soft and cunning smile?" - -"No, no," said she; "but what must I give you?" - -"Thyself," said he. - -The woman answered: - -"That would be too much for a starveling like you; would you not like -other meat?" - -Ulenspiegel making no reply: - -"What have you done," she said, "with that handsome, well-made, -corpulent man whom I often saw with you?" - -"Lamme?" said he. - -"What have you done with him?" she said. - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"He eats, in the booths, hard eggs, smoked eels, salt fish, zuertjes, -and all that he can put under his tooth; and all to look for his -wife. Why art thou not his wife, pretty one? Wouldst thou like fifty -florins? Wouldst thou like a gold necklace?" - -But she, crossing herself: - -"I am not to buy or to take," said she. - -"Dost thou love naught?" said he. - -"I love thee as my neighbour, but I love above all my Lord Christ and -Madame the Virgin, who bid me live a chaste life. Hard and heavy are -its duties, but God is our helper, we poor women. Yet there are some -that succumb. Is thy big friend happy?" - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"He is gay when he is eating, sad when fasting, and always pensive. But -thou, art thou happy or sad?" - -"We women," said she, "are slaves of that that rules us!" - -"The moon?" said he. - -"Aye," said she. - -"I am going to tell Lamme to come to see thee." - -"Do not so," said she; "he would weep and I in likewise." - -"Didst thou ever see his wife?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -Sighing, she answered: - -"She sinned with him and was condemned to a cruel penance. She knows -that he goeth on the sea for the triumph of heresy, and that is a -hard thing for a Christian heart to think on. Defend him if he is -attacked; care for him if he is wounded: his wife bade me make this -request of you." - -"Lamme is my brother and my friend," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"Ah!" she said, "why do ye not return to the bosom of our Mother -Holy Church?" - -"She devours her children," answered Ulenspiegel. - -And he went his way. - -One morning in March, since the wind, that was blowing sharp and -cutting, ceased not to thicken the ice, and Tres-Long's ship could -not leave, the sailors and the soldiers of the vessel were holding -feasting and revel on sledges and on skates. - -Ulenspiegel was at the inn, and the pretty woman said to him, all -woeful and as if bereft of her wits: - -"Poor Lamme! poor Ulenspiegel!" - -"Why do you lament?" asked he. - -"Alas! Alas!" said she, "why do ye not believe in the mass. Ye would -go to paradise, without a doubt, and I could save you in this life." - -Seeing her go to the door and listen attentively, Ulenspiegel said -to her: - -"It is not the snow falling that you are listening to?" - -"No," said she. - -"It is not the moaning wind that you give ear to?" - -"No," she said again. - -"Nor to the merry din that our valiant sailors are making in the -tavern close by?" - -"Death cometh as a thief," she said. - -"Death!" said Ulenspiegel. "I do not understand thee; come inside -and speak." - -"They are there," she said. - -"Who?" - -"Who?" she answered. "The soldiers of Simonen-Bol, who are to come, -in the name of the duke, to throw themselves on all of you; if you -are so well treated here, it is like the bullocks that are meant for -the slaughter. Ah! why," said she all in tears, "why did I not know -it save but just now." - -"Do not weep, nor cry out," said Ulenspiegel, "and stay where you are!" - -"Do not betray me," said she. - -Ulenspiegel went out from her house, ran, made his way to all the -booths and taverns, whispering into the ears of the seamen and the -soldiers these words: "The Spaniard is coming." - -All ran to the ship, preparing with the utmost haste all that was -needed for battle, and they awaited the enemy. Ulenspiegel said -to Lamme: - -"Seest thou yon pretty woman standing upon the quay, with her black -dress embroidered with scarlet, and hiding her face under her white -hood?" - -"It is all one to me," replied Lamme. "I am cold; I want to sleep." - -And he rolled his head up in his opperst-kleed. And like that he was -as a man deaf. - -Ulenspiegel then recognized the woman and called to her from the ship: - -"Dost thou wish to follow us?" - -"To the grave," said she, "but I cannot...." - -"Thou wouldst do well," said Ulenspiegel; "yet think of this: when -the nightingale stays in the forest, it is happy and sings; but if -it leaves the forest and risks its little wings in the wind of the -great sea, it breaks them and dies." - -"I have sung in my house," said she, "and would sing outside if I -could." Then drawing closer to the ship: "Take this ointment," she -said, "for thyself and thy friend who sleeps when he should wake...." - -And she went away saying: - -"Lamme! Lamme! God keep thee from harm; come back safe." - -And she uncovered her face. - -"My wife, my wife!" cried Lamme. - -And he would have leaped down on the ice. - -"Thy faithful wife!" said she. - -And she ran away swiftly. - -Lamme would have leaped from off the deck down on the ice, but he was -prevented by a soldier, who held him back by his opperst-kleed. He -cried, wept, implored that he might be given leave to go. But the -provost said to him: - -"Thou shalt be hanged if thou dost leave the ship." - -Again Lamme would have cast himself on the ice, but an old Beggar -held him back, saying to him: - -"The floor is damp, you might get your feet wet." - -And Lamme fell on his behind, weeping and saying without ceasing: - -"My wife, my wife! let me go to my wife!" - -"Thou shalt see her again," said Ulenspiegel. "She loves thee, but -she loves God more than thee." - -"The mad she-devil," cried Lamme. "If she loves God more than her -husband, why does she show herself to me lovely and desirable? And -if she loves me, why does she leave me?" - -"Dost thou see clear in a deep well?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -"Alas!" said Lamme, "I shall die before long." - -And he stayed upon the deck, livid and distraught. - -Meanwhile, had come up the men of Simonen-Bol, with a great artillery. - -They fired against the ship, which replied to them. And their cannon -balls broke the ice all about it. Towards evening a warm rain fell. - -The wind blowing from the west, the sea grew angry under the ice, and -heaved it up in immense blocks, which were seen rising up on high, -falling back again, clashing against one another, one mounting on -top of another, not without peril to the ship, which when dawn broke -through the clouds of night, opened out its canvas wings like a bird -of freedom and sailed towards the free ocean. - -There they joined up with the fleet of Messire de Lumey de la Marche, -admiral of Holland and Zealand, and chief and captain-general, and -as such carrying a lantern at his ship's peak. - -"Look well at him, my son," said Ulenspiegel; "that one will -never spare thee, if thou shouldst wish to leave the ship against -orders. Hearest thou his voice breaking forth like thunder? See how -broad and strong he is in his great stature! Look at his long hands -with the crooked nails! See his round eyes, eagle eyes and cold, -and his long pointed beard that he means to leave to grow until -he has hanged all the monks and priests to avenge the death of the -two counts! See him redoubtable and cruel; he will have thee hanged -high on a short rope, if thou dost continue to whine and cry always: -'My wife!'" - -"My son," replied Lamme, "he that talks of a halter for his neighbour -has already the hempen cravat on his own neck." - -"Thou thyself shalt be the first to wear it. Such is my vow as a -friend," said Ulenspiegel. - -"I shall see thee on the gallows," replied Lamme, "thrust out thy -poisonous tongue a fathom out of thy mouth." - -And both were in mere jest. - -On that day Tres-Long's ship took a ship from Biscay laden with -mercury, gold dust, wines, and spices. And the ship was emptied of -its marrow, men, and booty, as a beef bone under a lion's teeth. - -It was at this time also that the duke ordained in the Low Countries -cruel and abominable imposts, obliging all the inhabitants who -sold real or personal estate to pay one thousand florins in ten -thousand. And this tax was a permanent one. All sellers and buyers -whatsoever must pay the king the tenth part of the purchase price, -and it was said among the people that if goods were sold ten times -within a week the king should have all. - -And thus commerce and industry took the way towards Ruin and Death. - -And the Beggars took Briele, a strong seaboard fortress that was -christened the Orchard of Freedom. - - - - - -II - -In the first days of May, under a clear sky, with the ship sailing -proudly along the sea, Ulenspiegel sang: - - - "The ashes beat upon my heart. - The butchers are come; they have struck - With poignard, fire, violence, the sword. - They have paid for foulest spying. - Where once were Love and Faith, mild virtues, - They have set Denunciation and Mistrust. - May the butchers be smitten, - Beat the drum of war. - - "Long live the Beggar! Beat upon the drum! - Briele is taken, - Flessingue, too, the key of the Scheldt; - God is good, Camp-Veere is taken, - Where Zealand kept her artillery! - We have bullets, powder, and shot, - Iron shot and leaden shot. - God is with us, who then is against? - - "Beat upon the drum of war and glory! - Long live the Beggar! Beat upon the drum! - - "The sword is drawn, be our hearts high, - Firm be our arms, the sword is drawn. - Out upon the tenth tithe, the whole of ruin, - Death to the butcher, halter to the spoiler, - For a perjured king a rebel folk. - The sword is drawn for our rights, - For our houses, our wives, and our children. - The sword is drawn, beat upon the drum! - - "High are our hearts, stout are our arms. - Out upon the tenth tithe, out upon the infamous pardon. - Beat upon the drum of war, beat upon the drum!" - - -"Aye, good fellows and friends," said Ulenspiegel; "aye, they have set -up at Antwerp, before the Townhall, a dazzling scaffold covered with -red cloth; the duke is seated upon it like a king upon his throne in -the midst of liverymen and soldiers. Meaning to smile benevolently, -he makes a sour grimace. Beat upon the war drum! - -"He hath accorded a pardon, make silence, his gilded cuirass shines -in the sun; the grand provost is on horseback beside the dais; lo here -cometh the herald with his kettle-drums; he reads; it is a pardon for -all those that have not sinned; the others will be punished cruelly. - -"Oyez, good fellows, he reads the edict that orders, on penalty as -for rebellion, the payment of the tenth and twentieth deniers." - -And Ulenspiegel sang: - - - "O Duke! hearest thou the voice of the people, - The strong dull clamour? Tis the sea that rises - In the hour of the mighty surges. - Enough of gold, enough of blood. - Enough of ruins. Beat upon the drum! - The sword is drawn. Beat upon the drum of woe! - - "It is the nails tearing the bleeding wound, - Robbery after murder. Must thou then - Mix all our gold with our blood for your drink? - We moved in ways of duty, faithful and true - To the King's Majesty. His Majesty is perjured, - We are free of our oaths. Beat upon the drum of war. - - "Duke of Alba, bloody duke, - See these booths, these shops shut fast, - See these brewers, bakers, grocers, - Refusing to sell so as not to pay. - Who then salutes thee when thou art passing? - No man. Feelest thou, like a steaming plague - Hate and Scorn enwrap thee round? - - "The fair land of Flanders, - The gay country of Brabant, - Are sad as graveyards. - There where of old, in freedom's days, - Sang the viols, squealed the fifes, - There are silence now and death. - Beat upon the drum of war. - - "Instead of jolly faces - Of drinkers, and singing lovers - There are pallid faces now - Of men that wait, resigned, - The stroke of the sword of injustice. - Beat upon the drum of war. - - "No man now hears in the taverns - The jolly clink of pots, - Nor the clear voices of girls - Singing in bands about the streets. - And Brabant and Flanders, lands of mirth, - Are become the lands of tears. - Beat upon the drum of woe. - - "Land of our fathers, sufferer beloved, - Stoop not your brow to the murderer's foot, - Toilsome bees, rush in your swarms, - Upon the hornets from Spain. - Corpses of women and girls buried alive, - Cry out to Christ: 'Vengeance!' - - "Wander in the fields by night, poor souls, - Cry unto God! The arm quivers to strike, - The sword is drawn, Duke; we will tear out thy entrails - And flog thy face with them. - Beat upon the drum. The sword is drawn. - Beat upon the drum. Long live the Beggar!" - - -And all the seamen and the soldiers of Ulenspiegel's ship and of the -other ships sang likewise: - - - "The sword is drawn, long live the Beggar!" - - -And their voices growled like a thunder of deliverance. - - - - - -III - -The world was in January, the cruel month that freezes the calf in -the cow's belly. It had snowed, and frozen over and above. The lads -were taking with birdlime sparrows seeking some poor food on the -hardened snow, and carried off this game into their cottages. Against -the gray clear sky stood out motionless the skeletons of the trees, -whose branches were covered with snowy cushions that covered also -the cottages and the coping of walls on which were seen the prints -of the paws of cats, which, like the boys, were hunting sparrows -over the snow. At a distance the meadows were hidden over by this -marvellous fleece, keeping the earth warm against the bitter cold of -winter. The smoke of houses and cottages rose up black into the sky, -and there was no noise heard of any kind. - -And Katheline and Nele were alone in their house; and Katheline, -nodding her head, said: - -"Hans, my heart turns to thee. Thou must give back the seven hundred -carolus to Ulenspiegel, the son of Soetkin. If thou art poor, come -none the less that I may see thy shining face. Take away the fire, -my head burns. Alas! where are thy snow-cold kisses? Where is thy -icy body, Hans, my beloved?" - -And she kept at the window. Suddenly there passed, running at full -speed, a voet-looper, a courier carrying bells at his belt, and -calling out: - -"Here cometh the bailiff, the high bailiff of Damme!" - -And he went thus as far as the Townhall, so as to assemble there the -burgomasters and the sheriffs. - -Then in the thick silence Nele heard two clarions sound. All the -people of Damme came to their doors, believing it was His Majesty -the king who announced himself by such flourishes. - -And Katheline also went to the door with Nele. From afar they saw -resplendent horsemen riding in a band, and before them, also on -horseback, a personage covered in an opperst-kleed of black velvet -laced with fine gold, and boots of yellow calfskin furred with -marten. And they recognized the high bailiff. - -Behind him there rode young lords, who, notwithstanding the ordinance -of his late Imperial Majesty, wore on their velvet accoutrements -embroideries, trimmings, bands, edgings, of gold, of silver, and of -silk. And their opperst-kleederen, under their outer garments, were -edged with fur like those of the bailiff. They rode gaily along, -shaking in the wind the long ostrich feathers that adorned their -bonnets, gold buttoned and gold laced. - -And they seemed to be all of them good friends and companions of the -grand bailiff, and notably a lord of sharp visage clad in green velvet -trimmed with gold lace, and a cloak of black velvet like his bonnet -adorned with long plumes. And he had a nose shaped like a vulture's -beak, a thin mouth, red hair, a pale face, and haughty carriage. - -While the troop of these lords was passing in front of Katheline's -house suddenly she darted to the bridle of the pale lord's horse, -and beside herself with joy, she cried out: - -"Hans! my beloved, I knew it; thou art back. Thou art goodly thus in -velvet and all in gold like a sun upon the snow! Dost thou bring me -the seven hundred carolus? Shall I hear thee once more crying like -the sea-eagle?" - -The high bailiff stopped the troop of gentlemen, and the pale lord -said: - -"What doth this beggar want with me?" - -But Katheline, still keeping hold of the horse by the bridle: - -"Do not go away again," said she, "I have wept so much for thee. Sweet -nights, my beloved, kisses of snow--body of ice. The child is here!" - -And she pointed him to Nele who was looking at him in anger, for he -had raised his whip to Katheline: but Katheline, weeping: - -"Ah!" said she, "dost thou not remember at all? Have pity on thy -handmaiden. Take her with thee wherever thou wilt. Take away the fire, -Hans; pity!" - -"Begone!" said he. - -And he drove his horse on so hard that Katheline, loosing the bridle, -fell; and the horse stepped on her and gave her a bloody wound in -the forehead. - -The bailiff then said to the pale lord: - -"Messire, do you know this woman?" - -"I do not know her at all," said he, "doubtless it is some mad -creature." - -But Nele, having raised Katheline from the ground: - -"If this woman is mad, I am not, Monseigneur, and I pray that I -may die here of this snow that I eat"--and she took up snow in her -fingers--"if this man has not known my mother, if he did not borrow -all her money, if he did not kill Claes's dog in order to take from -the wall of the well at our house seven hundred carolus belonging to -the poor dead man." - -"Hans, my darling," wept Katheline, bleeding, and on her knees, "Hans, -my beloved, give me the kiss of peace: see the blood flowing: my soul -has made the hole and would fain come forth: I shall die presently: -leave me not." Then in a whisper: "Long ago thou didst slay thy comrade -for jealousy, along by the dyke." And she stretched out her finger -in the direction of Dudzeele. "Thou didst love me well in those days." - -And she caught the gentleman's knee and embraced it, and she took -his boot and kissed it. - -"What is this slain man?" asked the high bailiff. - -"I do not know, Monseigneur," said he. "We have nothing to do with -the talk of this beggarwoman; let us forward." - -The populace was assembling around them; the townsmen great and small, -artisans and rustics, taking Katheline's part, cried out: - -"Justice, Monseigneur Bailiff, justice." - -And the bailiff said to Nele: - -"What is this slain man? Speak in accordance with God and the truth." - -Nele spoke and said, pointing to the pale gentleman: - -"This man came every Saturday to the keet to see my mother and to take -her money: he killed a friend of his, Hilbert by name, in the field -of Servaes van der Vichte, not for love, as this innocent distracted -woman thinks, but to have for himself alone the seven hundred carolus." - -And Nele told of Katheline's loves and what she heard when she was -hidden by night behind the dyke that ran through the field of Servaes -van der Vichte. - -"Nele is bad," said Katheline; "she speaks hardly of Hans, her father." - -"I swear," said Nele, "that he used to cry like a sea-eagle to announce -his presence." - -"Thou liest," said the gentleman. - -"Oh, no!" said Nele, "and monseigneur the bailiff and all these -noble lords here present see it well: thou art pale not for cold, -but with fear. Whence comes it that thy face no longer shines: -thou hast then lost thy magic compound wherewith thou wast wont to -rub it that it might appear bright, like the waves in summer when -it thunders? But sorcerer accursed, thou shalt be burned before the -doors of the Townhall. 'Tis thou that didst cause Soetkin's death, -thou that didst reduce her orphan son to want; thou, a man of noble -rank, doubtless, and who wast wont to come to us burgesses to bring my -mother money once only and to take money from her all the other times." - -"Hans," said Katheline, "thou wilt bring me again to the Sabbath and -wilt rub me again with ointment; do not listen to Nele, she is bad: -thou seest the blood, the soul has made the hole and would come forth: -I shall die soon and I shall go into limbo where it burneth not." - -"Hold thy tongue, mad witch, I know thee not," said the gentleman, -"and know not what thou wouldst say." - -"And yet," said Nele, "it was thou that camest with a companion and -wouldst have given him to me for a husband: thou knowest that I would -have none of him; what did he do, thy friend Hilbert, what did he do -with his eyes after I had sunk my nails into them?" - -"Nele is bad," said Katheline, "do not believe her, Hans, my darling: -she is angry against Hilbert who would have taken her by force, but -Hilbert cannot do it now; the worms have eaten him: and Hilbert was -ugly. Hans, my darling, thou alone art goodly; Nele is bad." - -Upon this the bailiff said: - -"Women, go in peace." - -But Katheline would by no means leave the place where her friend -was. And they must needs bring her to her house by force. - -And all the people there assembled cried out: - -"Justice, Monseigneur, justice!" - -The constables of the commune having come up at the noise, the bailiff -bade them remain, and he said to the lords and gentlemen: - -"Messeigneurs and Messires, notwithstanding all privileges protecting -the illustrious order of nobility in the country of Flanders I must -needs, upon the accusations and especially upon that of witchcraft, -laid against Messire Joos Damman, have his person apprehended until -he be judged according to the laws and ordinances of the Empire. Give -me your sword, Messire Joos." - -"Monseigneur Bailiff," said Joos Damman, with the utmost hauteur and -pride of nobility, "in apprehending my person you are transgressing the -law of Flanders, for you are not yourself a judge. Now you are aware -that it is permitted to arrest without a warrant from a judge only -false coiners, robbers on public roads and highways; fire-raisers, -ravishers of women; gendarmes deserting their captain; enchanters -making use of poison to poison water springs; monks or nuns that -have renounced their vows and banished men. And now, Messires and -Messeigneurs, defend me!" - -Some would have obeyed, but the bailiff said to them: - -"Messeigneurs and Messires, as representing here our king, count, -and overlord, to whom is reserved the decision of difficult cases, -I command and order you, upon pain of being proclaimed rebels, to -return your swords to their scabbards." - -The gentlemen having obeyed, and Messire Joos Damman still hesitating, -the people cried out: - -"Justice, Monseigneur, justice; let him give up his sword." - -He did so then against his will, and dismounting from his horse, -he was brought by two constables to the prison of the commune. - -All the same, he was not shut up in the cellars, but in a barred -chamber, where he had, for payment, a good fire, a good bed, and good -food, the half of which the gaoler took. - - - - - -IV - -On the next day the bailiff, the two clerks of the court, two aldermen, -and a barber-surgeon went by Dudzeele to see if they might find in -the field of Servaes van der Vichte the body of a man along by the -dyke running through the field. - -Nele had said to Katheline: "Hans, thy darling, asks for the severed -hand of Hilbert: this evening he will cry like the sea-eagle; he -will come into the cottage, and will bring thee the seven hundred -florins carolus." - -Katheline had replied: "I will cut it off." And indeed, she took a -knife and went forth accompanied by Nele and followed by the officers -of justice. - -She walked swiftly and proudly beside Nele, whose pretty face the -keen air made all rosy and glowing. - -The officers of justice, old and coughing, followed her, frozen with -cold; and they were all like black shadows on the white plain; and -Nele carried a spade. - -When they arrived in the field of Servaes van der Vichte and on the -dyke, Katheline, walking up to the middle of it, said, pointing to the -meadow on her right hand: "Hans, thou didst not know that I was hidden -there, shivering at the noise of the swords. And Hilbert cried out: -'This iron is cold.' Hilbert was ugly; Hans is goodly. Thou shalt -have his hand; leave me alone." - -Then she went down on the left hand, knelt in the snow and cried -three times into the air to call the spirit. - -Nele then gave her the spade, upon which Katheline made the sign of -the cross thrice; then she traced upon the ice the shape of a coffin -and three crosses reversed, one on the side of the east, one on the -side of the west, and one on the south; and she said: "Three, it is -Mars beside Saturn, and three is discovery under Venus, the bright -star." She traced after, about the coffin, a great circle, saying: -"Begone, evil demon that guardest corpses." Then falling on her knees -in prayer: "Devil friend, Hilbert," said she, "Hans, my master and -lord, bids me come here and cut off thy hand and bring it to him. I -owe him obedience: make not the earth-fire to leap out against me, -because I disturb thy noble burying place: and forgive me in the name -of God and of the Saints." - -Then she broke the ice, following the outline of the coffin: she came -to the damp sword, then to the sandy soil, and monseigneur the bailiff, -his officers, Nele, and Katheline beheld the body of a young man, -chalk-white by reason of the soil. He was clad in a doublet of gray -cloth with a cloak of the same; his sword was laid by his side. At -his belt he had a chain purse, and a big poignard planted under his -heart; and there was blood upon the cloth of the doublet; and that -blood had flowed under his back. And the man was young. - -Katheline cut off his hand and put it in her pouch. And the bailiff -let her do what she would, then bade her to strip the body of all -its insignia and clothing. Katheline having asked if Hans had thus -commanded, the bailiff replied that he did nothing save by his orders; -and Katheline then did what he wished. - -When the body was stripped, it was seen to be dry as wood, but not -decayed: and the bailiff and the officers of the commune departed, -having covered it again with sand: and the constables carried the -cloth. - -Passing the front of the prison of the commune, the bailiff said to -Katheline that Hans was awaiting her there; she went in joyously. - -Nele wanted to prevent her, and Katheline always replied: "I would -see Hans, my lord." - -And Nele wept on the threshold, knowing that Katheline was arrested -as a witch for the conjurations and figures she had made upon the snow. - -And in Damme men said there could be no pardon for her. - -And Katheline was put in the western cellar of the prison. - - - - - -V - -The next day, the wind blowing from Brabant, the snow melted and the -meadows were flooded. - -And the bell called borgstorm called the judges to the tribunal of the -Vierschare, under the penthouse, because of the dampness of the turf. - -And the populace surrounded the tribunal. - -Joos Damman, being interrogated, confessed that he had killed his -friend Hilbert in single combat with the sword. When they said to him: -"He was smitten with a poignard," Joos Damman replied: "I struck him -on the ground because he died not quick enough. I confess this murder -of my own will, being under the protection of the laws of Flanders -which forbid the prosecution, after ten years, of a manslayer." - -The bailiff, addressing him: - -"Art thou not a sorcerer?" said he. - -"No," replied Damman. - -"Prove this," said the bailiff. - -"I will prove it at the proper time and place," said Joos Damman, -"but it pleaseth me not to do so as now." - -The bailiff then questioned Katheline; she never listened to him, -and gazing at Hans: - -"Thou art my green lord, lovely as the sun. Take away the fire, -my darling!" - -Nele, then speaking for Katheline, said: - -"She can confess naught but what ye know already, Monseigneur and -Messieurs; she is no witch, and only bereft of her wits." - -The bailiff then spoke and said: - -"A sorcerer is one that, by diabolical means wittingly employed, -endeavours to attain somewhat. Now, these twain, man and woman, -are sorcerers by intent and deed: he, in having given the ointment -for the sabbath, and in having made his face bright like Lucifer in -order to obtain money and the satisfying of lewdness; she, in having -submitted herself to him, taking him for a devil, and for having given -herself up to his desires: the one being the worker of witchcraft, -the other his manifest accomplice. There can therefore be no pity, -and I must say this, for I perceive the aldermen and the populace -over-indulgent in the case of the woman. She has not, it is true, -killed or robbed, nor bewitched either beasts or mankind, nor healed -any sick by remedies extraordinary, but only by known simples, as -an honest and Christian physician; but she would have given up her -daughter to the devil, and if this maid had not in her youth resisted -with frank and valiant courage she would have yielded to Hilbert and -would have become a sorceress like the other. Accordingly, I put it -to the members of this tribunal if they are not of the opinion to -put both these two to the torture?" - -The aldermen made no answer, showing sufficiently that this was not -their desire with regard to Katheline. - -The bailiff then said, continuing his discourse: - -"I am, like yourselves, touched with pity and compassion for her, but -this sorceress, bereft of her wits, so obedient to the devil, might -she not, had her lewd co-defendant so bidden her, have been capable of -cutting off her daughter's head with a sickle, even as Catherine Daru, -in the country of France, did to her two daughters at the invitation -of the devil? Might she not, if her black husband had so bidden her, -have put animals to death; turned the butter in the churn by throwing -sugar in it; been present in the body at all the worship and homage to -the devil, dance, abominations, and copulations of sorcerers? Might she -not have eaten human flesh, killed children to make pasties of them -and sell them, as did a pastry cook in Paris; cut off the thighs of -hanged men and carry them away to bite into them raw and thus commit -infamous robbery and sacrilege? And I ask of the tribunal that in -order to discover whether Katheline and Joos Damman have not committed -other crimes than those already known and called into account, they -be both put to the torture. Joos Damman refusing to confess anything -further than the murder, and Katheline not having told everything, -the laws of the empire enjoin upon us to proceed as I indicate." - -And the aldermen gave sentence of torture for the Friday which was -the day after the morrow. - -And Nele cried: "Grace, Messeigneurs!" and the people cried with -her. But it was in vain. - -And Katheline, looking at Joos Damman, said: - -"I have Hilbert's hand; come and take it to-night, my beloved." - -And they were taken back to the prison. - -There by order of the tribunal, the gaoler was ordered to assign two -guardians to each of them, to beat them every time they would have -slept; but the two guardians of Katheline left her to sleep all night, -and those of Joos Damman beat him cruelly every time he closed his -eyes or even nodded his head. - -They were hungry all day on Wednesday, the same night and all Thursday -until night, when they were given food and drink, meat salted and -saltpetred, and water salted and saltpetred likewise. That was the -beginning of their torment. And in the morning they brought them, -crying out for thirst, into the torture chamber. - -There they were set face to face with one another, and bound each upon -a bench covered with knotted ropes which made them suffer grievously. - -And they were each forced to drink a glass of water, full of salt -and saltpetre. - -Joos Damman beginning to sleep upon his bench, the constables -struck him. - -And Katheline said: - -"Do not strike him, sirs; you break his poor body. He only committed -one crime, for love, when he killed Hilbert. I am athirst, and thou, -too, Hans my beloved. Give him to drink first. Water! Water! my body -burns. Spare him, I will die soon in his place. A drink!" - -Joos said to her: - -"Ugly witch, die and burst like a bitch. Throw her in the fire, -Messieurs the Judges. I am athirst!" - -The clerks took down all he said. - -The bailiff then said to him: - -"Hast thou nothing to confess?" - -"I have nothing more to say," replied Damman; "you know all." - -"Since he persists," said the bailiff, "in his denials, he shall -remain on these benches and on these cords until he makes a fresh -and full confession, and he shall be athirst, and he shall be kept -from sleeping." - -"I will stay here," said Joos Damman, "and I will take my pleasure in -seeing that witch suffer on this bench. How do you find the marriage -bed, my love?" - -And Katheline replied, groaning: - -"Cold arms and hot heart, Hans, my beloved. I am athirst; my head -burns!" - -"And thou, woman," said the bailiff, "hast thou naught to say?" - -"I hear," said she, "the chariot of death and the dry noise of -bones. I thirst! And he taketh me to a great river where there -is water, water fresh and clear; but this water it is fire. Hans, -my dear, deliver me from these cords. Yea, I am in purgatory and -I see on high Monseigneur Jesus in his paradise and Madame Virgin -so full of compassion. O our dear Lady, give me one drop of water: -do not eat those lovely fruits all alone." - -"This woman is smitten with cruel madness," said one of the -aldermen. "She must be taken from the bench of torment." - -"She is no more mad than I," said Joos Damman; "it is mere play and -acting." And in a threatening voice: "I shall see thee in the fire," -he said to Katheline, "thou playest the madwoman so well." - -And grinding his teeth, he laughed at his cruel lie. - -"I thirst," said Katheline; "have pity, I thirst. Hans, my beloved, -give me to drink. How white thy face is! Let me come to him, -Messieurs the Judges." And opening her mouth wide: "Yea, yea, they -are now putting fire in my breast, and the devils fasten me on this -cruel bed. Hans, take thy sword and slay them, thou so mighty. Water, -to drink, to drink!" - -"Perish, witch," said Joos Damman; "they ought to thrust a choke-pear -into her mouth to keep her from setting herself up thus, a low creature -like her, against me, a man of rank." - -At this word one of the aldermen, an enemy of the nobility, replied: - -"Messire Bailiff, it is contrary to the laws and customs of the empire -to put a choke-pear into the mouth of any that are being interrogated, -for they are here to tell the truth, and for us to judge them from -what they say. That is permitted only when the accused being condemned -might, upon the scaffold, speak to the people, and in this way move -them, and stir up popular feelings." - -"I thirst," said Katheline, "give me to drink, Hans, my darling." - -"Ah!" said he, "thou dost suffer, accursed witch, sole cause of all -the torments I am enduring; but in this torture chamber thou shalt -undergo the pain of the candles, the strappado, the wooden splinters -under the nails of thy feet and hands. They will make thee ride naked -astride a coffin whose back will be sharp as a blade, and thou shalt -confess that thou art not mad, but a foul witch to whom Satan hath -given it in charge to work evil upon noble men. A drink!" - -"Hans, my beloved," said Katheline, "be not wroth with thy -handmaiden! I suffer a thousand pangs for thee, my lord. Spare him, -Messieurs the Judges. Give him a full goblet to drink, and keep but -one drop for me. Hans, is it not yet the hour of the sea-eagle?" - -The bailiff then said to Joos Damman: - -"When thou didst kill Hilbert, what was the motive of this combat?" - -"It was," said Joos, "for a girl at Heyst we both wished to have." - -"A girl at Heyst!" cried Katheline, trying at all costs to rise -up from her bench; "thou art deceiving me for another, traitor -devil. Didst thou know that I was listening to thee behind the dyke -when thou saidst that thou wouldst fain have all the money, which was -Claes's money? Without doubt it was to go and spend it with her in -liquorishness and revelling! Alas! and I that would have given him -my blood if he could have made gold of it! And all for another! Be -accursed!" - -But suddenly, weeping and trying to turn round on her bench of torture: - -"Nay, Hans, say that thou wilt still love thy poor handmaid, and I -shall scratch the earth with my fingers and find thee a treasure; -aye, there is such; and I will go with the hazel twig that bends -this way and that where there are metals; and I will find it and -bring it back to thee; kiss me, darling, and thou shalt be rich; -and we shall eat meat, and we shall drink beer every day; aye, aye, -all these folk also drink beer; fresh, foaming beer. Oh! sirs, give -me but one single drop; I am in the fire; Hans, I know well where -there are hazel trees, but we must wait for the spring time." - -"Hold thy tongue, witch," said Joos Damman; "I know thee not. Thou -hast taken Hilbert for me: it was he that came to see thee. And in thy -wicked mind thou didst call him Hans. Know that I am not called Hans, -but Joos: we were of the same height, Hilbert and I. I do not know -thee; it was Hilbert, without doubt, that stole the seven hundred -florins carolus; give me to drink; my father will pay a hundred -florins for a little goblet of water; but I know not this woman." - -"Monseigneur and Messires," exclaimed Katheline, "he saith he knows -me not, but I know him well, I, and know that he hath upon his back a -mole, brown, and of the size of a bean. Ah! thou didst love a girl -at Heyst! Doth a good lover blush for his lover? Hans, am I not -still fair?" - -"Fair!" said he, "thou hast a face like a medlar and a body like -a century of faggots: see the trash that would be loved by noble -men! Give me to drink!" - -"Thou didst not speak so, Hans, my sweet lord," said she, "when I -was sixteen years younger than I am now." Then, beating her head and -her breast: "'Tis the fire that is there," said she, "and dries up -my heart and withers my face. Do not reproach me with it; dost thou -remember when we ate salt meat to drink better, so thou saidst? Now -the salt is in us, my beloved, and monseigneur the bailiff is drinking -Romagna wine. We do not want wine: give us water. It runs among the -grass, the streamlet that makes the clear spring; the good water, -it is cold. Nay, it burns. It is water of hell." And Katheline wept, -and she said: "I have done ill to no one, and the whole world casteth -me into the fire. Give me to drink; men give water to straying dogs. I -am a Christian woman. Give me to drink. I have done no ill to any. Give -me to drink." - -An alderman then spoke and said: - -"This witch is mad only in what concerns the fire she saith burns -her head, but she is nowise mad upon other matters, since she helped -us with a clear head to discover the remains of the dead man. If the -mole is there upon the body of Joos Damman, that sign sufficeth to -establish his identity with the devil Hans, for whom Katheline was -out of her wits; tormentor, let us see the mark." - -The tormentor, uncovering Damman's neck and shoulder, showed the mole, -brown and hairy. - -"Ah!" said Katheline, "how white is thy skin! One would say a girl's -shoulders; thou art goodly, Hans, my beloved: give me to drink!" - -The tormentor then thrust a long needle into the mole. But it did -not bleed. - -And the aldermen said one to the other: - -"This man is a devil, and he must have killed Joos Damman and taken -his shape the more securely to deceive the poor world." - -And the bailiff and the aldermen fell into fear. - -"He is a devil and there is witchcraft in it." - -And Joos Damman said: - -"Ye know there is no witchcraft, and that there are such fleshy -excrescences that can be pricked without bleeding. If Hilbert hath -taken this witch's money, for it is she that confesseth to have lain -with the devil, he could well have done so by the good and free will -of this foul hag. And was thus, being a man of rank, paid for his -caresses even as bona robas are every day. Are there not in the world, -the same as girls, gay fellows that make women pay for their strength -and comeliness?" - -The aldermen said one to another: - -"See you his diabolical assurance? His hairy wart hath not bled: being -an assassin, a devil, and a magician, he would fain pass simply for -a duellist, throwing his other crimes on to the devil his friend, -whose body he has killed, but not his spirit.... And consider how -pale his face is."--"Thus appear all the devils, red in hell, and -pale on earth, for they have none of the fire of life that giveth -ruddiness to the countenance, and they are ashes within."--"We must -put him in the fire that he may be red and that he may burn." - -Then said Katheline: - -"Yea, he is a devil, but a kind devil, a sweet devil. And Monseigneur -Saint Jacques, his patron, has given him licence to come out of -hell. He prays Monseigneur Jesus for him every day. He will have -but seven thousand years of purgatory: Madame Virgin wishes it, but -Monsieur Satan is against it. None the less Madame does what she has -a mind to. Will he go against her? If ye consider well, ye shall see -he hath kept naught of his estate and condition as a devil, save the -cold body, and also the face luminous as are the waves of the sea in -August when it is like to thunder." - -And Joos Damman said: - -"Hold thy tongue, witch, thou wilt burn me." Then speaking to the -bailiff and the aldermen: "Look at me, I am no devil; I have flesh -and bones, blood and water. I drink and eat, digest and void like -yourselves; my skin is like yours, my foot likewise; tormentor, -take my boots off, for I cannot budge with my feet bound." - -The tormentor did so, not without fear. - -"Look," said Joos, showing his white feet: "are those cloven feet, -devil's feet? As for my paleness, is there none of you that is pale -like me? I see more than three among you. But the sinner is not I, -but verily this ugly witch, and her daughter, the evil accuser. Whence -did she have the money she lent to Hilbert; whence came those florins -that she gave him? Was it not the devil that paid her to accuse and -bring death to men of noble birth and guiltless? It is those twain -that should be asked who killed the dog in the yard, who dug the hole -and went off leaving it empty, doubtless to hide the stolen treasure -in another place. Soetkin the widow had placed no trust in me, for -she never knew me, but in them, and saw them every day. It is they -that stole the Emperor's property." - -The clerk wrote, and the bailiff said to Katheline: - -"Woman, hast thou naught to say for thy defence?" - -Katheline, looking upon Joos Damman, said most amorously: - -"It is the hour of the sea-eagle. I have Hilbert's hand, Hans, -my beloved. They say that thou wilt give me back the seven hundred -carolus. Take away the fire! Take away the fire!" cried she after -that. "Give me to drink! to drink! my head burns. God and the angels -are eating apples in the sky." - -And she lost consciousness. - -"Loosen her from the bench of torment," said the bailiff. - -The tormentor and his assistants obeyed. And she was seen staggering -and with feet swollen out, for the tormentor had pulled the cords -too tight. - -"Give her to drink," said the bailiff. - -Cold water was given her, and she swallowed it greedily, holding -the goblet in her teeth as a dog does with a bone and not willing to -let it go. Then they gave her more water, and she would have gone to -take it to Joos Damman, but the tormentor took the goblet out of her -hands. And she fell sleeping like a lump of lead. - -Joos Damman cried out furiously: - -"I, too, I thirst and am sleepy. Why do you give her to drink? Why -do you leave her to sleep?" - -"She is weak, a woman, and out of her wits," replied the bailiff. - -"Her madness is a game," said Joos Damman, "she is a witch. I want -to drink, I want to sleep!" - -And he shut his eyes, but the tormentor's knechts struck him on -the face. - -"Give me a knife," he shouted, "till I cut these clowns to pieces: -I am a man of rank, and I have never been struck in the face. Water, -let me sleep, I am innocent. It was not I that took the seven hundred -carolus, it was Hilbert. Give me to drink! I never committed sorceries -or incantations. I am innocent. Let me go. Give me to drink!" - -The bailiff then: - -"How," he asked, "hast thou spent thy time since thou didst leave -Katheline?" - -"I know not Katheline; I have never left her," said he. "Ye question -me on matters foreign to the case. I need not answer you. Give me to -drink; let me sleep. I tell you it was Hilbert that did all." - -"Untie him," said the bailiff. "Take him back to his prison. But let -him thirst and have no sleep until he hath confessed his sorceries -and incantations." - -And that was a cruel torture to Damman. He cried out in his cell: -"Give me to drink! Give me to drink!" so loud that the people heard -him, but without any pity. And when his guardians struck him in the -face as he was falling with sleep, he was like a tiger and cried: - -"I am a man of rank and will kill you, ye clowns. I will go to the -king, our head. Give me to drink." But he confessed nothing, and they -left him alone. - - - - - -VI - -They were then in May, the lime tree of justice was green; green, -too, were the turf seats upon which the judges placed themselves; -Nele was called as witness. On this day sentence was to be pronounced. - -And the people, men, women, townsfolk, and artisans were all round -about in the field; and the sun shone bright. - -Katheline and Joos Damman were brought before the tribunal; and Damman -appeared paler than ever by reason of the torture of the thirst and -the nights spent without sleep. - -Katheline, who could not maintain herself on her shaking legs, said, -pointing to the sun: - -"Take away the fire; my head burns!" - -And she looked on Joos Damman with tender love. - -And he looked at her with hate and contempt. - -And the lords and gentlemen his friends, having been summoned to Damme, -were all present as witnesses before the tribunal. - -Then the bailiff spake and said: - -"Nele, the girl who defends her mother Katheline with such great and -courageous affection, found in the pocket stitched in her mother's -jacket, a jacket for feast days, a note signed 'Joos Damman.' Among -the belongings taken from the corpse of Hilbert Ryvish I found in -the dead man's satchel another letter addressed to him by the said -Joos Damman, the defendant here present before you. I have kept both -these letters in my custody, in order that at the appropriate moment, -which is the present, you might judge of this man's obstinacy and -acquit or condemn him in accordance with law and justice. Here is -the parchment found in the satchel; I have never touched it, and know -not whether it is legible or not." - -The judges were then in great perplexity. - -The bailiff endeavoured to undo the parchment ball; but it was in vain, -and Joos Damman laughed. - -An alderman said: - -"Let us put the ball in water, and then before the fire. If there is -in it any secret of adhesion, the fire and the water will melt it." - -The water was brought; the executioner lit a great fire of wood in -the field; the smoke rose up blue into the clear sky through the -verdurous branches of the lime tree of justice. - -"Do not put the letter in the basin," said an alderman "for if it -is written with sal ammoniac dissolved in water, you will efface -the characters." - -"Nay," said the surgeon, who was there, "the characters will not be -effaced; the water will soften only the point that keeps the magic -ball from opening up." - -The parchment was dipped in the water and being softened, was unfolded. - -"Now," said the surgeon, "put it before the fire." - -"Aye, aye," said Nele, "put the paper before the fire; master surgeon -is on the road to the truth, for the murderer grows pale and trembles -in his limbs." - -Thereupon, Messire Joos Damman said: - -"I neither grew pale nor trembled, thou little common harpy that -art fain of the death of a man of rank; thou shalt never succeed; -this parchment must needs be rotten, after sixteen years' sojourning -in the earth." - -"The parchment is not decayed," said the sheriff, "for the satchel -was lined with silk; silk is not consumed in the earth, and the worms -have not gone through the parchment." - -The parchment was put in front of the fire. - -"Monseigneur Bailiff, Monseigneur Bailiff," said Nele, "there is the -ink appearing before the fire; give orders that the writing be read." - -As the surgeon was about to read it, Messire Joos Damman would have -stretched out his arms to seize the parchment; but Nele flung herself -upon his arm quick as the wind and said: - -"Thou shalt not touch it, for thereon is written thy death or the -death of Katheline. If now thy heart bleeds, murderer, there are -fifteen years through which ours have been bleeding; fifteen years -that Katheline suffers; fifteen years she had her brain in her head -burned by thee; fifteen years that Soetkin is dead by consequence -of the torture; fifteen years that we are needy, ragged, and live in -abject want, but proudly. Read the paper, read the paper! The judges -are God upon earth, for they are Justice; read the paper!" - -"Read the paper!" cried the men and women, weeping. "Nele is a brave -lass! read the paper! Katheline is no witch!" - -And the clerk read: - - - "To Hilbert, son of Willem Ryvish, Esquire, Joos Damman, greeting. - - "Blessed friend, lose thy money no more in gambling dens, at - dice, and other follies. I will tell thee how it can be won for - very certain. Let us make us devils, handsome devils, beloved of - women and of girls. Let us take the fair and rich, let us leave - the ugly and poor; let them pay for their pleasure. I made, - at this trade, in six months five thousand rixdaeldars in the - country of Germany. Women will give their petticoat and chemise - to their man when they love him; flee from the miserly ones with - pinched up nose that take time to pay for their pleasures. For - thy own affair, and to appear goodly and a true devil, an incubus, - if they accept thee for the night, announce thy coming by crying - like a night bird. And to make thee a veritable devil's face, - of a terrifying devil, rub thy visage with phosphorus, which is - luminous in spots when it is damp. Its odour is disagreeable, - but they will believe that it is the odour of hell. Slay what is - in thy way, man, woman, or beast. - - "We shall soon go together to the house of Katheline, a fine - good-natured wench; her daughter Nele, a child of my own, if - Katheline was faithful to me, is comely and pretty; thou wilt - take her easily; I give her to thee, for I care but little for - these bastards that cannot for certain be recognized as one's - own offspring. Her mother gave me already more than twenty-three - carolus, all she possessed. But she hath a treasure hidden, - which is, unless I be a fool, the inheritance of Claes, the - heretic burned at Damme: seven hundred florins carolus liable to - confiscation, but the good King Philip, who had so many of his - subjects burned to inherit after them, could never lay his claw - on this sweet treasure. It will weigh more in my pouch than in - his. Katheline will tell me where it is; we shall divide. Only - thou must leave me the greater part for the discovery. - - "As for the women, being our gentle handmaids and slaves in love, - we shall take them to the land of Germany. There we shall teach - them to become female demons and succubae, drawing the love of - all the rich burgesses and men of birth; there we shall live, they - and we, upon love paid for with good rixdaeldars, velvets, silk, - gold, pearls, and jewels; we shall thus be rich without fatigue, - and, unknown to the succubae devils, beloved by the most lovely, - always exacting payment besides. All women are fools and ninnies - for the man that can light the fire of love that God set beneath - their girdles. Katheline and Nele will be more so than others, - and believing us to be devils, will obey us in all things: thou, - do thou keep thy forename, but never give the name of thy father, - Ryvish. If the judge seizes the women, we shall depart without - their knowing us or being able to denounce us. To the rescue, - my trusty comrade. Fortune smiles on the young, as was wont to - say his late Sainted Majesty Charles the Fifth, past master in - affairs of love and of war." - - -And the clerk, making an end of reading, said: - -"Such is this letter, and it is signed, 'Joos Damman, esquire'." - -And the people shouted: - -"To the death with the murderer! To the death with the sorcerer! To -the fire the turner of women's wits! To the gallows with the robber!" - -The bailiff said then: - -"People, keep silence, that in all freedom we may judge this man." - -And speaking to the aldermen: - -"I will," said he, "read to you the second letter, found by Nele in -the pocket of Katheline's festal jacket; it is conceived as follows: - - - "Darling Witch, here is the recipe of a compound sent me by the - very wife of Lucifer: by the help of this compound thou wilt be - able to transport thyself to the sun, the moon, and the stars, - converse with the elemental spirits that carry the prayers of - men unto God, and to traverse all the towns and burgs and rivers - and fields of the whole universe. Thou art to bruise together - in equal quantities: stramonium, sleep-solanum, henbane, opium, - the fresh tips of hemp, belladonna, and datura. - - "If thou wilt, we shall go this night to the sabbath of the - spirits: but thou must love me better and not be miserly again - like the other night, when thou didst refuse me ten florins, - saying thou didst not have them. I know that thou dost hide a - treasure and wilt not tell me of it. Dost thou love me no longer, - my sweetheart?" - - "Thy cold devil, - - "Hanske." - - -"To the death with the sorcerer!" cried the people. - -The bailiff said: - -"We must compare the two writings." - -This being done, they were adjudged to be similar. The bailiff then -said to the lords and gentlemen there present: - -"Do ye recognize this man for Messire Joos Damman, son of the alderman -of La Keure of Ghent?" - -"Aye," said they. - -"Did ye know," said he, "Messire Hilbert, son of Willem Ryvish, -Esquire?" - -One of the gentlemen, who was called Van der Zickelen, spoke and said: - -"I am from Ghent; my house is in St. Michael's Place; I know Willem -Ryvish, Esquire, sheriff of La Keure of Ghent. He lost, fifteen years -past, a son of twenty-three years of age, debauched, a gamester, an -idler; but everyone forgave it him because of his youth. Since that -time no man has had news of him. I ask to see the sword, the poignard, -and the satchel of the dead man." - -Having them before him, he said: - -"The sword and the poignard carry on the pommel of the hilt the arms -of the Ryvishes, which are three silver fish on an azure field. I -see the same arms reproduced on a gold shield between the meshes of -his pouch. What is that other poignard?" - -The bailiff speaking: - -"It is that poignard," said he, "which was found planted in the body -of Hilbert Ryvish, the son of Willem." - -"I recognize on it," said the lord, "the arms of the Dammans; the -tower gules on a silver field. So keep me God and all his saints." - -The other gentlemen also said: - -"We recognize the aforesaid arms for those of Ryvish and of Damman. So -keep us God and all his saints." - -Then the bailiff said: - -"From the evidence heard and read by the tribunal of aldermen, Messire -Joos Damman is the sorcerer, a murderer, a seducer of women, a robber -of the king's goods, and as such guilty of the crime of treason human -and divine." - -"You say so, Messire Bailiff," rejoined Joos, "but you will not condemn -me, lacking sufficient proofs: I am not nor ever was a sorcerer; -I did but play at the game of being a devil. As for my shining face, -you have the recipe for it and that for the unguent, the which, while -containing henbane, is merely soporific. When this woman, a real witch, -used it, she fell in a trance, and thought she went to the sabbath and -there danced in the ring with her face to the outside of the circle, -and adored a devil with the shape of a goat, set upon an altar. - -"The dance being over, she thought she went and kissed him under -the tail, as sorcerers do, to give herself up thereafter with me, -her friend, to strange copulations pleasing to her perverted mind. If -I had, as she says, cold arms and cool body, it was a mark of youth, -not of sorcery. In the works of love coolness doth not endure. But -Katheline would fain believe what she desired, and take me for a -devil notwithstanding that I am a man of flesh and bone, in everything -as yourselves that look at me. She alone is guilty: taking me for a -demon and receiving me in her bed, she sinned both in intention and -deed against God and the Holy Spirit. It is therefore she, and not I, -that committed the crime of sorcery; it is she that is to be made to -pass through the fire, as a furious and malignant witch that seeks -to make herself pass for a madwoman, in order to hide her cunning." - -But Nele: - -"Do ye hear him," said she, "the murderer? He hath, like a girl for -sale, with the armlet on her arm, made a trade and merchandise of -love. Do ye hear him? He means, to save himself, to have her burned -that gave him all." - -"Nele is bad," said Katheline, "do not listen to her, Hans, my -beloved." - -"Nay," said Nele, "nay, thou art no man: thou art a cowardly cruel -devil." And taking Katheline in her arms: "Messieurs Judges," exclaimed -she, "listen not to this pale evil one: he hath but one wish, to see -my mother burn, she that did no other crime but to be smitten by God -with madness, and to believe the phantoms of her dreams real. She -hath already suffered much in her body and in her mind. Do not put -her to death, Messieurs the Judges. Leave the innocent to live out -her sad life in peace." - -And Katheline said: "Nele is bad; thou must not believe her, Hans -my lord." - -And among the common folk the women were weeping and the men said: -"Pardon for Katheline." - -The bailiff and the aldermen gave their sentence on Joos Damman, upon a -confession which he made after being tortured afresh: he was condemned -to be degraded from his noble estate and burned alive in a slow fire -until death ensued, and suffered the penalty the next day before -the doors of the Townhall, still saying: "Put the witch to death; -she alone is guilty! Cursed be God! my father will slay the judges." - -And he rendered up the ghost. - -And the people said: "See him cursing and a blasphemer: he dies like -a dog." - -Next day the bailiff and the aldermen gave their sentence upon -Katheline, who was condemned to undergo the trial by water in the -Bruges Canal. Floating, she should be burned as a witch; going to the -bottom and dying, she should be regarded as dying like a Christian, -and as such should be interred in the garden of the church, which is -the graveyard. - -The day after, Katheline, holding a wax taper in her hand, barefooted -and clad in a chemise of black linen, was brought to the bank of -the canal, all along by the trees, in grand procession. Before her -marched, singing the prayers for the dead, the dean of Notre Dame, -his vicars, the beadle carrying the cross; and behind, the bailiffs -of Damme, the aldermen, the clerks and recorders, the constables of -the commune, the provost, the executioner and his two assistants. Upon -the banks there was a great crowd of women weeping and men growling, -in pity for Katheline, who walked as a lamb suffering herself to be -led she knew not whither, and always saying: "Take away the fire, -my head burns! Hans, where art thou?" - -In the midst of the women Nele cried: "I want to be thrown in with -her." But the women did not suffer her to come near to Katheline. - -A sharp wind blew from the sea; from the gray sky a fine hail was -falling into the water of the canal; a bark was there, which the -executioner and his men seized in the name of His Majesty the king. At -their command, Katheline went into it; the executioner was seen, -standing in it, and at the signal of the provost lifting his wand -of justice, he cast Katheline into the canal: she struggled, but not -for long, and went to the bottom, having cried out: "Hans! Hans! help!" - -And the people said: "This woman is no witch." - -Men plunged into the canal and pulled Katheline out from it, -unconscious and rigid as a corpse. Then she was brought into a tavern -and placed before a great fire; Nele took off her clothes and her wet -linen, to give her others; when she came back to herself, she said, -trembling and chattering her teeth: - -"Hans, give me a woollen cloak." - -And Katheline could not get back her warmth. And she died on the -third day. And she was interred in the garden of the church. - -And Nele, orphaned, departed to the land of Holland, to Rosa van -Auweghen. - - - - - -VII - -Upon the hulls of Zealand, on boyers, on crousteves, away goes Thyl -Claes Ulenspiegel. - -The free sea wafts the valiant flyboats on which are eight, ten or -twenty guns all of iron: they belch forth death and massacre on the -traitor Spaniards. - -He is an expert gunner, Thyl Ulenspiegel, son of Claes, lo how he aims -straight and true, and pierces like a wall of butter the carcases of -the butchers. - -In his hat he wears the silver crescent, with this legend: "Liever -den Turc als den Paus": "Rather to serve the Turk than the Pope." - -The sailors that see him climb up upon their ships, agile as a cat, -supple as a squirrel, singing some song or other, with some gay jest -in his mouth, would ask him curiously: - -"Whence is it, little man, that thou hast so young a mien, for they -say thou wert born long ago at Damme?" - -"I am no body, but a spirit," said he, "and Nele, my sweetheart, -is like me. Spirit of Flanders, love of Flanders, we shall never die." - -"And yet," said they, "when thou art cut, thou dost bleed." - - -"Ye see but the appearance of it," answered Ulenspiegel, "it is wine -and not blood." - -"We will broach thy belly, then!" - -"I would be the only one to drain it," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"Thou art mocking us." - -"He that beats the case will hear the drum," answered Ulenspiegel. - -And the embroidered banners of the Roman Catholic processions floated -from the masts of the ships. And clad in velvet, in brocade, in silk, -in cloth of gold and of silver, such as abbots wear at solemn masses, -bearing mitre and crozier, drinking the monks' wine, the Beggars kept -guard on their ships. - -And it was a strange sight to behold appearing from out of these -rich vestments those coarse hands that held arquebus or arbalest, -halberd or pike, and all men of hard physiognomy, girt about with -pistols and cutlasses gleaming in the sun, and drinking from golden -chalices the abbots' wine that had become the wine of liberty. - -And they sang and they shouted: "Long live the Beggar!" and thus they -scoured the ocean and the Scheldt. - - - - - -VIII - -At this time the Beggars, among whom were Lamme and Ulenspiegel, took -Gorcum. And they were commanded by Captain Marin: this Marin, who had -been a workman on the dykes, disported himself with great haughtiness -and sufficiency, and signed with Gaspard Turc, the defender of Gorcum, -a capitulation whereby Turc, the monks, burgesses, and soldiers shut -up in the citadel were to come forth freely, bullet in mouth, musket -on shoulder, with all that they could carry, save that the goods of -the Church should be left to the assailants. - -But Captain Marin, upon an order from Messire de Lumey, held the -nineteen monks as prisoners, and let the soldiers and the citizens -go free. - -And Ulenspiegel said: - -"The word of a soldier should be a word of gold. Why doth he fail -of his?" - -An ancient Beggar made answer to Ulenspiegel: - -"The monks are sons of Satan, the leprosy of nations, the shame of -countries. Since the coming of the Duke of Alba, these fellows lifted -up their noses high in Gorcum. There is among them one, the priest -Nicolas, prouder than a peacock and fiercer than a tiger. Every time -he passed in the street with his pyx in which was his host made with -dog's fat, he would look with eyes full of fury at the houses from -which the women did not come and kneel, and would denounce to the -judge all that did not bend the knee before his idol of dough and -gilded brass. The other monks imitated him. That was the cause of -many great oppressions, burnings, and cruel punishments in the town of -Gorcum. Captain Marin does well to keep prisoner the monks who would -else go off with their likes into villages, burgs, towns, and townlets, -to preach against us, stirring up the populace and causing the poor -reformers to be burned. Mastiffs are put on the chain until they die: -to the chain with the monks; to the chain with the bloed-honden, -the duke's blood-hounds; to the cage with the butchers. Long live -the Beggar!" - -"But," said Ulenspiegel, "Monseigneur d'Orange, our prince of liberty, -wills that we should respect, among those who surrender, the property -of individuals and freedom of conscience." - -The ancient Beggars replied: - -"The admiral wills it not for the monks: he is master; he took -Briele. To the cage with the monks!" - -"Word of a soldier, word of gold! why does he fail of it?" answered -Ulenspiegel. "The monks kept in prison suffer a thousand insults." - -"The ashes beat no longer upon thy heart," said they: "a hundred -thousand families, in consequence of the edicts, have taken over -yonder, to the north-west, to the land of England, the trades, the -industry, the wealth of our country; bemoan then those that wrought -our ruin! Under the Emperor Charles the Fifth, Butcher the First, -under this one, the king of Blood, Butcher the Second, one hundred -and eighteen thousand persons have perished by execution. Who carried -the taper of the obsequies in murder and in tears? Monks and soldiers -of Spain. Dost thou not hear the souls of the dead lamenting?" - -"The ashes beat upon my heart," said Ulenspiegel. "Word of a soldier, -'tis word of gold." - -"Who then," said they, "would by excommunication have put the country -under the ban of all nations? Who would have armed against us, had -it been possible, earth and sky, God and the devil, and their serried -ranks of saints, both male and female? Who made the sacred host bleed -with the blood of an ox, who made wooden statues weep? Who had the De -Profundis sung in the land of our fathers, if not this accursed clergy, -these hordes of lazy monks, in order that they might keep their riches, -their influence over idol worshippers, and reign over the poor country -by ruin, blood, and fire. To the cage with the wolves that rush upon -men on earth; to the cage with the hyaenas! Long live the Beggar!" - -"Word of a soldier, word of gold," said Ulenspiegel. - -The next day a message came from Messire de Lumey, with orders to -transfer from Gorcum to Briele, where the admiral was, the nineteen -monks that were prisoners. - -"They will be hanged," said Captain Marin to Ulenspiegel. - -"Not while I am alive," replied he. - -"My son," said Lamme, "speak not thus to Messire de Lumey. He is -fierce, and will hang thee with them without mercy." - -"I shall speak according to the truth," replied Ulenspiegel; "word -of a soldier, word of gold." - -"If thou canst save them," said Marin, "take their boat to Briele. Take -with thee Rochus the pilot and thy friend Lamme if thou wilt." - -"I do wish it," answered Ulenspiegel. - -The boat was moored at the Green quay; the nineteen monks entered -into it; Rochus the timid was set at the helm; Ulenspiegel and Lamme, -well armed, took their place at the prow of the ship. Certain rascal -troopers that had come among the Beggars for pillage were beside the -monks, who were hungry. Ulenspiegel gave them drink and food. "That -one is going to turn traitor!" said the rascal troopers. The nineteen -monks, seated amidships, were all gaping and shivering, though it -was July, and the sun was bright and hot, and a gentle breeze filled -out the sails of the ship as she glided massive and bulging over the -green waves. - -Father Nicolas then spake and said to the pilot: - -"Rochus, are we being brought to the Gallows Field?" - -Then turning towards Gorcum: "O town of Gorcum!" said he, standing -and stretching out his hand, "town of Gorcum! how many woes hast thou -to suffer: thou shalt be accursed among cities, for thou hast grown -within thy walls the grain of heresy! O town of Gorcum! And the angel -of the Lord shall watch no longer at thy gates. He will have no more -care of thy virgins' modesty, the courage of thy men, the fortune of -thy merchants! O town of Gorcum! thou art accursed, unfortunate!" - -"Accursed, accursed," answered Ulenspiegel, "accursed as the comb that -hath passed through and taken away the Spanish lice, accursed as the -dog breaking his chain, as the proud horse shaking a cruel rider from -off his back! Accursed thyself, booby preacher, who findest ill that -the rod should be broken, were it an iron rod upon the tyrants' back!" - -The monk held his tongue, and lowering his eyes, appeared steeped in -holy hate. - -The rascal soldiers that had come among the Beggars for the sake of -pillage were close by the monks, who soon were hungry. Ulenspiegel -asked biscuit and herrings for them; the ship master answered: - -"Let them be thrown into the Meuse, they can have fresh herring to -eat then." - -Ulenspiegel then gave the monks all the bread and sausage he had for -himself and for Lamme. The ship-master and the rascal Beggars said -one to another: - -"This one is a traitor, he is feeding the monks; we must denounce him." - -At Dordrecht the ship stopped in the Harbour at the Bloemen-Key, -the Flower quay; men, women, lads, and lasses ran up in crowds to see -the monks, and said to one another pointing at them with a finger or -threatening them with their fist: - -"Look at those clowns, manufacturers of Bons Dieux that bring men's -bodies to the stake and their souls to the fire everlasting; look at -the fat tigers and big-bellied jackals." - -The monks hung their heads and dared not speak. Ulenspiegel saw them -trembling once more. - -"We are hungry again," said they, "compassionate soldier." - -But the ship master: - -"What is always drinking? Dry sand. Who eats without ceasing? The -monk." - -Ulenspiegel went up the town to find bread for them, ham, and a great -jug of beer. - -"Eat and drink," said he; "ye are our prisoners, but I shall save -you if I can. Word of a soldier, word of gold." - -"Why dost thou give them that? They will never pay you," said the -rascal Beggars; and talking among themselves they whispered these -words in each other's ears: "He has promised to save them; let us -keep good watch upon him." - -At dawn they came to Briele. The gates having been opened to them, -a voet-looper, a courier, went to inform Messire de Lumey of their -coming. - -As soon as he had the news, he came on horseback, having just put -on his clothes, and accompanied by some horsemen and foot-soldiers, -with their weapons. - -And Ulenspiegel could see once more the fierce admiral clad like a -proud lord living in opulence. - -"Hail and greeting," said he, "Messires the monks. Lift up your -hands. Where is the blood of Messieurs d'Egmont and de Hoorn? Ye show -me clean white paws; 'tis well for you." - -A monk called Leonard answered: - -"Do with us as thou wilt. We are monks; no one will claim us." - -"He hath well said," said Ulenspiegel; "for the monk having broken with -the world, which is father and mother, brother and sister, spouse and -lover, finds at the hour of God no soul that claims him. And yet, -Your Excellency, I will do so. Captain Marin, when he signed the -capitulation of Gorcum, agreed that these monks should be free as all -those that were taken in the citadel, and who came out from it. And -yet they were held prisoner without cause; I hear it said they shall be -hanged. Monseigneur, I address myself humbly to you, speaking to you on -their behalf, for I know that the word of a soldier is word of gold." - -"Who art thou?" asked Messire de Lumey. - -"Monseigneur," answered Ulenspiegel, "Fleming am I from the goodly -land of Flanders, clown, nobleman, all at once, and through the -world in this wise I go wandering, praising things good and lovely, -and mocking folly without stint. And I will praise you if you keep -to the promise made by the captain: word of a soldier, word of gold." - -But the rascally Beggars that were upon the ship: - -"Monseigneur," said they, "that fellow is a traitor: he hath promised -to save them; he hath given them bread, ham, sausages, and beer, -and to us nothing." - -Messire de Lumey said then to Ulenspiegel: - -"Fleming gadabout and monk feeder, thou shalt be hanged with them." - -"I have no fear," answered Ulenspiegel, "word of a soldier, word -of gold." - -"Thou carriest thy comb high," said de Lumey. - -"The ashes beat upon my heart," said Ulenspiegel. - -The monks were brought into a barn, and Ulenspiegel with them: there -they would fain have converted him by theological disputations; -but he fell asleep listening to them. - -Messire de Lumey being at table, full of wine and meat, a messenger -arrived from Gorcum, from Captain Marin, with a copy of letters from -the Silent, Prince of Orange, "commanding all governors of cities -and other places to hold the ecclesiastics in like safeguard, safety, -and privilege as the rest of the people." - -The messenger asked to be brought before de Lumey to give the copy -of the letters into his own hands. - -"Where is the original?" de Lumey asked him. - -"With my master," said the messenger. - -"And the clown sends me the copy!" said de Lumey. "Where is thy -passport?" - -"Here it is, Monseigneur," said the messenger. - -Messire de Lumey read it in a loud voice: - -"Monseigneur and master Marin Brandt enjoins upon the ministers, -governors, and officers of the republic that they suffer to pass -safely," etc. - -De Lumey, striking his fist on the table and tearing up the passport: - -"God's blood!" said he, "what is he meddling with, this Marin, this -trash, who had not, before the taking of Briele, the backbone of a -red herring to put between his teeth? He dubs himself monseigneur -and master, and sends me his order. He enjoins and ordains! Tell thy -master that since he is so much captain and monseigneur, and so much -bidding and forbidding, the monks shall be hanged high and short at -once, and thou with them if thou dost not take thyself off." - -And fetching him a kick, he sent him out of the chamber. - -"Give me to drink," he cried. "Have you seen the insolence of this -Marin? I could spit out my breakfast with rage. Let them hang the -monks immediately in their barn, and bring me their Flemish conductor, -after he has seen their execution. We shall see if he will dare -to tell me I have done wrong. God's blood! what are these jugs and -glasses wanted here for still?" - -And he broke with a great crashing the cups and dishes, and no man -dared speak to him. The servants would have picked up the pieces; -he did not allow them, and drinking out of the flasks immoderately, -he became more and more angry, striding about and crushing the bits -and trampling on them furiously. - -Ulenspiegel was brought before him. - -"Well!" said he, "dost thou bring tidings of thy friends the monks?" - -"They are hanged," said Ulenspiegel; "and a cowardly executioner, -killing them for hire, opened the belly and sides of one of them after -death, like a disembowelled pig, to sell the fat to an apothecary. Word -of a soldier is no longer word of gold." - -De Lumey, trampling among the broken crockery: - -"Thou bravest me," said he, "four-foot rascal, but thou, too, shalt -be hanged, not in a barn, but ignominiously on the open square, -in the eyes of everybody." - -"Shame upon you," said Ulenspiegel, "shame upon us: word of a soldier -no longer word of gold." - -"Wilt thou hold thy tongue, mule!" said Messire de Lumey. - -"Shame upon thee," said Ulenspiegel; "word of a soldier is no more -word of gold. Punish rather the rascally vendors of human fat." - -Then Messire de Lumey, rushing on him, raised his hand to strike him. - -"Strike," said Ulenspiegel; "I am thy prisoner, but I have no fear -of thee; word of a soldier is no more word of gold." - -Messire de Lumey then drew his sword and would certainly have -slain Ulenspiegel if Messire de Tres-Long, holding back his arm, -had not said: - -"Have pity! he is brave and valiant; he hath committed no crime!" - -De Lumey, then controlling himself: - -"Let him ask pardon," said he. - -But Ulenspiegel, remaining upright: - -"I will not," said he. - -"Let him say at least that I was not wrong," cried de Lumey, becoming -furious. - -Ulenspiegel made answer: - -"I do not lick the boots of lords: word of a soldier is no more word -of gold." - -"Let them erect the gallows," said de Lumey, "and let them bring him -to it; that will be a hempen word for him." - -"Aye," said Ulenspiegel, "and I shall cry out in the presence of all -the people: 'Word of a soldier is no more word of gold!'" - -The gallows was set up on the great marketplace. The news ran swiftly -about the town that they were about to hang Ulenspiegel, the valiant -Beggar. And the people were moved with pity and compassion. And they -ran together in a crowd to the great market; Messire de Lumey came -thither also on horseback, wishing himself to give the signal for -the execution. - -He looked with no mildness upon Ulenspiegel on the ladder, arrayed -for death, in his shirt, his arms tied to his body, his hands folded, -the rope about his neck, and the executioner ready to do his work. - -Tres-Long said to him: - -"Monseigneur, pardon him; he is no traitor, and no one ever saw a -man hanged because he was sincere and merciful." - -And the men and women of the people, hearing Tres-Long speak, cried: -"Pity, Monseigneur, grace and pity for Ulenspiegel." - -"That mule-headed fellow braved me," said de Lumey: "let him repent -and say I did right." - -"Wilt thou repent and say that he did right?" said Tres-Long to -Ulenspiegel. - -"Word of a soldier is no more word of gold," replied Ulenspiegel. - -"Put on the rope," said de Lumey. - -The executioner was about to obey; a young girl, all clad in white -and garlanded with flowers, ran up the stairs of the scaffold, leaped -on Ulenspiegel's neck, and said: - -"This man is mine; I take him for my husband." - -And the people applauded and the women cried out: - -"Long live, long live the girl who is Ulenspiegel's saviour!" - -"What is this?" asked Messire de Lumey. - -Tres-Long answered: - -"After the use and custom of the town, it is by right and law that -a young maiden and unmarried woman can save a man from the rope by -taking him for husband at the foot of the gallows." - -"God is with him," said de Lumey; "untie him." - -Then riding up to the scaffold, he saw the girl prevented from cutting -Ulenspiegel's ropes and the executioner seeking to oppose her efforts -and saying: - -"If you cut them, who will pay for them?" - -But the girl paid no heed to him. - -Seeing her so light, so loving, and so subtle, he was touched. - -"Who art thou?" said he. - -"I am Nele, his betrothed," said she, "and I come from Flanders to -seek him." - -"Thou didst well," said de Lumey in a naughty voice. - -And he went away. - -Tres-Long then coming up: - -"Little Fleming," said he, "once thou art married wilt thou be a -soldier still in our ships?" - -"Aye, Messire," answered Ulenspiegel. - -"And thou, girl, what wilt thou do without thy man?" Nele answered: - -"If you are willing, Messire, I will be fifer in his ship." - -"I am willing," said Tres-Long. - -And he gave her two florins for the wedding feast. - -And Lamme, weeping and laughing with pleasure, said: - -"Here are three florins more: we shall eat it all; I am paying. Let -us go to the Golden Comb. He is not dead, my friend. Long live the -Beggar!" - -And the people applauded, and they went off to the Golden Comb, where -a great feast was ordered: and Lamme threw deniers to the people out -of the windows. - -And Ulenspiegel said to Nele: - -"Darling beloved, there thou art then beside me! Hurrah! She is here, -flesh, heart, and soul, my sweet friend. Oh! the sweet eyes and lovely -red lips whence there came never aught but kind words! She saved -my life, the dear beloved! Thou shalt play the fife of deliverance -on our ships. Dost thou remember ... but no.... Ours is the present -hour full of gladness, and mine thy face sweet as June flowers. I am -in paradise. But," said he, "thou art weeping...." - -"They have killed her," said she. - -And she told him the tale of mourning. - -And, looking on one another, they wept with love and grief. - -And at the feast they drank and ate, and Lamme looked on them woefully, -saying: - -"Alas! my wife, where art thou?" - -And the priest came and married Nele and Ulenspiegel. - -And the morning sun found them one beside the other in their bridal -bed. - -And Nele lay with her head on Ulenspiegel's shoulder. And when she -awoke in the sunshine, he said: - -"Fresh face and sweet heart, we shall be the avengers of Flanders." - -She, kissing him on the mouth: - -"Wild head and stout arms," said she, "God will bless the fife and -the sword." - -"I will make thee a soldier's garb." - -"At once?" said she. - -"At once," replied Ulenspiegel; "but who said that strawberries are -good in the morning? Thy mouth is far better." - - - - - -IX - -Ulenspiegel, Lamme, and Nele had, like their friends and comrades, -taken from the convents the wealth gotten from the people by the help -of processions, feigned miracles, and other Roman mummeries. This -was against the orders of the Silent, the prince of liberty, but the -money helped with the charges of the war. Lamme Goedzak, not content -with providing himself with money, looted from out the convents hams, -sausages, flasks of beer and wine, and came back from them joyously -carrying across his breast a baldric of fowls, geese, turkeys, capons, -hens and pullets, and leading behind him on a rope certain monastical -calves and pigs. And this by right of war, said he. - -Rejoicing in each prize, he fetched it to the ship that there might -be revel and feast, but lamented all the same that the master cook -was so ignorant in the science of sauces and fricassees. - -Now on that day the Beggars, having looked victoriously upon the cup, -said to Ulenspiegel: - -"Thou hast thy nose always in the wind to smell out news of terra -firma; thou knowest all the adventures of the war: sing them to -us. And Lamme shall beat the drum the while and the pretty little -fifer shall squeal to the measure of thy song." - -And Ulenspiegel said: - -"One bright cool day in May, Ludwig of Nassau, thinking to enter into -Mons, finds not his footmen nor his horse. A few trusty men held a -gate open and a drawbridge down, that he might have the town. But the -citizens seized the gate and the drawbridge. Where are the soldiers -of Count Louis? The citizens are about to hoist up the bridge. Count -Louis winds his horn." - -And Ulenspiegel sang: - - - "Where are thy footmen and thy horse? - They are in the woods, treading all down: - Dry twigs, and lily of the valley in bloom. - Master Sun makes all shine, - Their ruddy warrior faces, - The polished rumps of their horses; - Count Ludwig winds his horn: - They hear it. Softly beat the drum. - - "Full trot, bridle loose! - Speed of the lightning, speed of the cloud: - Water spout of clinking iron; - They fly, the heavy horsemen! - Haste! haste! to the rescue! - The bridge rises.... Send the spur - Into the chargers' bloody flanks. - The bridge rises: The town is lost! - - "They are before it. Is it too late? - Ride like the wind! Bridle loose! - Guitoy de Chaumont on his Spanish steed - Leaps on the bridge that falls again. - The town is won! Do ye hear - Along the paven streets of Mons - Speed of the lightning, speed of the cloud, - Waterspout of clinking iron! - - "Hurrah for Chaumont and his Spanish steed! - Sound the clarion of joy, beat upon the drum: - 'Tis the hay month, fragrant are the meadows; - The lark mounts up, singing in the sky: - Long live the bird of freedom! - Beat upon the drum of glory. - Hurrah for Chaumont and the Spanish steed. - Hey there. Drink up there. - The town is won!... Long live the Beggar!" - - -And the Beggars sang on the ships: "Christ look down upon thy -soldiers. Furbish our weapons, Lord. Long live the Beggar!" - -And Nele, smiling, made the fife squeal amain, and Lamme beat the -drum, and aloft, towards the sky, God's temple, there were raised -golden cups and hymns of liberty. And the waves, like sirens, bright -and cool about the ships, murmured in harmony. - - - - - -X - -One day in the month of August, a hot and heavy day, Lamme was plunged -in melancholy. His jolly drum was dumb and sleeping, and he had thrust -the drumsticks into the mouth of his satchel. Ulenspiegel and Nele, -smiling with amorous delight, were warming themselves in the sun: -the look-out men stationed in the tops were whistling or singing, -searching over the wide ocean if they could not see some prey on -the horizon. Tres-Long kept questioning them; they still replied: -"Niets," nothing. - -And Lamme, pale and broken down, sighed piteously. And Nele said -to him: - -"Whence cometh it, Lamme, that thou art so woebegone?" - -And Ulenspiegel said to him: - -"Thou art growing thin, my son." - -"Aye," said Lamme, "I am woebegone and thin. My heart loses its gaiety -and my jolly face its freshness. Aye, laugh at me, ye that have found -one another again through a thousand perils. Mock you at poor Lamme, -who lives a widower, being married, while she," said he, pointing -to Nele, "must needs tear her man away from the kisses of the rope, -his last lover. She did well, God be praised; but let her not laugh -at me. Aye, thou must not laugh at poor Lamme, Nele, my dear. My -wife laughs enough for ten. Alas, ye females, ye are cruel towards -others' woes. Aye, I have a grieved heart, stricken with the sword -of desertion, and nothing will ever comfort it, if not she." - -"Or some fricassee," said Ulenspiegel. - -"Aye," said Lamme, "where is the meat in this miserable ship? On the -king's vessels, they have meat four times a week, if there be no fast, -and fish three times. As for the fish, God destroy me if this tow--I -mean their flesh--does anything but kindle my blood for nothing, -my poor blood that will go to water before long. They have beer, -cheese, soup, and good drink. Aye! they have everything for the -comfort of their stomachs: biscuit, rye bread, beer, butter, smoked -meat, yea, all, dried fish, cheese, mustard seed, salt, beans, peas, -barley, vinegar, oil, tallow, wood, and coal. We, we have just been -forbidden to take the cattle of any so-ever, be he citizen, abbot, or -gentleman. We eat herrings and drink small beer. Alas! I have nothing -left now: neither love of women, nor good wine, nor dobbele-bruinbier, -nor good food. Where are our joys here?" - -"I will tell thee, Lamme," answered Ulenspiegel. "Eye for eye, tooth -for tooth: at Paris, on Saint Bartholomew's night, they killed ten -thousand free hearts in Paris city alone; the king himself shot at -his folk. Awake, Fleming; seize the axe without mercy: there are our -joys; smite the Spaniard and Roman enemy wherever thou shalt find -him. Let be thy eatables. They have taken the dead or living victims -to their rivers, and by full cartloads, and have flung them in the -water. Dead or alive, dost thou hear, Lamme? The Seine ran red for -nine days, and the ravens settled down in clouds upon the town. At -La Charite, at Rouen, Toulouse, Lyons, Bordeaux, Bourges, Meaux, -terrible was the massacre. Seest thou the troops of dogs satiate with -eating, lying beside the bodies? Their teeth are tired. The flight -of the ravens is heavy, so laden are their stomachs with the flesh -of the victims. Hearest thou, Lamme, the voice of their spirits -crying vengeance and pity? Awake, Fleming! Thou dost speak of thy -wife. I do not believe her unfaithful, but bereft of her wits, and -she loveth thee still, poor friend of mine: she was not among those -court ladies who on the very night of the massacre stripped the bodies -with their fine hands to see how great or how small were their carnal -members. And they laughed, these ladies great in lewdness. Rejoice, my -son, notwithstanding thy fish and thy small beer. If the after taste -of the herring is insipid, more insipid still is the smell of this -foulness. Those that slew took their meals, and with ill-washen hands -carved fat geese to offer the wings, legs, and rump to the charming -Paris damozels. They had but lately felt other meat, cold meat." - -"I will complain no more, my son," said Lamme, rising up: "the herring -is ortolan; malvoisie is small beer to free hearts." - -And Ulenspiegel said: - - - "Long Live the Beggar! Let us not weep, brothers. - In ruins and blood - - "Flowers the rose of liberty. - If God is with us, who shall be against? - - "When the hyaena triumphs, - Comes the lion's turn, - With one stroke of his paw he flings him, disbowelled, on the - ground. - Eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Long live the Beggar!" - - -And the Beggars on the ship sang: - - - "The Duke keeps the same fate for us. - Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, - Wound for wound. Long live the Beggar!" - - - - - -XI - -On a black night the tempest growled in the depths of the -clouds. Ulenspiegel was on the deck of the ship with Nele, and said: - -"All our lights are out. We are foxes, watching by night for the -passing of the Spanish poultry, which is to say their two and twenty -assabres, rich ships with lanterns burning, that will be to them -stars of ill fortune. And we shall rush upon them." - -Nele said: - -"This night is a witches' night. This sky is black as the mouth of -hell; these lightnings gleam like the smile of Satan; the distant -thunderstorm is growling dully; the sea-mews pass, uttering loud cries; -the sea rolls its phosphorescent waves like silver serpents. Thyl, -my beloved, come into the world of the spirits. Take the powder -of vision." - -"Shall I see the Seven, my darling?" - -And they took the powder of vision. - -And Nele shut Ulenspiegel's eyes, and Ulenspiegel shut Nele's eyes. And -they beheld a cruel spectacle. - -Heaven, earth, sea were full of men, of women, of children, toiling, -wandering, journeying, or dreaming. The sea cradled them; the earth -carried them. And they swarmed like eels in a basket. - -Seven men and women were in the middle of the firmament, seated upon -thrones, their brows girt with a brilliant star, but they were so -shadowy that Nele and Ulenspiegel could see only their stars with -any distinctness. - -The sea rose up to the sky, tumbling in its foam the innumerable -multitude of ships whose masts and rigging clashed together, -interlocked, broke one another, crushed each other, following the -tempestuous moving of the waves. Then one ship appeared in the midst -of all the others. Its bottom was of flaming iron. Its keel was made of -steel shaped and sharpened like a knife. The water cried out, groaning, -when it went through. Death was upon the stern of the ship, seated, -grinning, holding his scythe in one hand and in the other a whip which -he smote upon seven personages. One was a man woebegone, thin, haughty, -silent. He held in one hand a sceptre and in the other a sword. Beside -him, mounted upon a goat, there was a ruddy girl, with bared breast, -her robe open, and a sprightly eye. She was stretched out lasciviously -beside an old Jew picking up bits of rubbish and a big bloated fellow -that fell down every time she set him on his feet, while a thin and -angry woman beat them both. The big man never avenged himself nor -did his red-faced she-companion. A monk in their midst was eating -sausages. A woman lying on the earth, was crawling like a serpent -among the others. She bit the old Jew because of his old rubbish, -the bloated man because he was too comfortable, the red woman for -the dewy brightness of her eyes, the monk for his sausage, and the -thin man because of his sceptre. And soon all of them fell a-fighting. - -When they passed, the battle was horrible on the sea, in the sky, -and on the earth. It rained blood. The ships were broken with blows -of axes, arquebuses, and cannon shot. The shattered fragments flew -into the air in the midst of the powder smoke. On the earth armies -clashed together like walls of bronze. Towns, villages, harvests -burned amid cries and tears: tall spires, stone lace-work, held up -their proud silhouettes in the midst of the fire, then fell down -with a crash like oak trees laid low. Black horsemen, numerous and -close arrayed as bands of ants, sword in hand, pistol in hand, were -smiting men, women, children. Some made holes in the ice and buried -old men alive in them; others cut off women's breasts and sprinkled -pepper on the place; others hanged children in the fireplaces. Those -who were tired of killing violated some girl or some woman; drank, -played dice, and tossing over piles of gold, the fruit of pillage, -dabbled their red fingers in it. - -The Seven, crowned with stars, cried: "Pity for the poor world!" - -And the phantoms grinned with laughter. And their voices were as the -voices of a thousand sea-eagles crying together. And Death brandished -his scythe. - -"Dost thou hear them?" said Ulenspiegel; "they are the birds of prey -of poor mankind. They live on small birds, which are the simple and -the good." - -The Seven, crowned with stars, cried: "Love, justice, compassion!" - -And the Seven phantoms laughed loudly. And their voices were like -the voices of a thousand sea-eagles crying all together. And Death -struck them with his whip. - -And the ship passed over the sea, cutting in two boats, vessels, men, -women, children. On the sea reechoed the plaints of the victims crying: -"Pity!" - -And the red ship passed over them all, while the phantoms, laughing, -cried like sea-eagles. - -And Death, laughing loud, drank the water that was full of blood. - -And the ship having disappeared in the mist, the battle ceased, -and the Seven crowned with stars vanished away. - -And Ulenspiegel and Nele saw nothing now save the black sky, the -surging sea, the dark clouds coming forward on the phosphorescent sea, -and close at hand, red stars. - -These were the lanterns of the two and twenty assabres. The sea and -the thunder were growling dully and faintly. - -And Ulenspiegel rang the bell for the wacharm softly, and cried: -"The Spaniard, the Spaniard! He is sailing for Flessingue!" And the -cry was repeated throughout the whole fleet. - -And Ulenspiegel said to Nele: - -"A gray hue is spreading over the sky and over the sea. The lanterns -burn now but feebly; the dawn lifts, the wind is freshening, the -waves throw their spume over the decks of the ships; a thick rain -is falling and speedily ceases; the sun rises radiant, gilding the -crest of the waves: it is thy smile, Nele, fresh as the morning, -sweet as the sun's ray." - -The two and twenty assabres pass: on the ships of the Beggars the -drums are beating, the fifes are squealing: de Lumey cries: "In the -Prince's name, to the chase!" Ewout Pietersen Wort, sub-admiral, -cries: "In the name of Monseigneur d'Orange and the admiral, to the -chase!" On all the ships, the Johannah, the Swan, Anne-Mie, the Beggar, -the Compromise, the d'Egmont, the de Hoorn, on the Willem de Zwyger -(the William the Silent,) all the captains cry: "In the name of -Monseigneur d'Orange and the admiral!" - -"To the chase! Long live the Beggar!" cry the soldiers and -sailors. Tres-Long's houlque, on which are Lamme and Ulenspiegel, -and called Briele, followed closely by the Johannah, the Swan, and -the Beggar, take four assabres. The Beggars fling everything Spanish -into the sea, make the inhabitants of the Low Countries prisoners, -empty the ships like eggshells, and leave them to float without masts -or sails in the roadstead. Then they pursue the other eighteen. The -wind blows violently; coming from Antwerp, the sides of the swift -ships bend over in the water of the river beneath the weight of -the sails swollen like a monk's cheeks in the wind that comes from -kitchens; the assabres go swiftly; the Beggars pursue them into the -very roadstead of Meddleburg under the fire from the forts. There a -bloody battle joins: the Beggars carrying axes rush on the decks of -the ships, soon strewn with lopped-off arms and legs, that have to be -thrown into the waves after the combat ends. The forts fire on them: -they take no heed, and to the shout of "Long live the Beggar!" take -from out the assabres powder, artillery, bullets, and corn; burn -the boats when they have emptied them; and make off to Flessingue, -leaving them smoking and flaming in the roadsteads. - -From there they will send squadrons to pierce the dykes of Zealand and -Holland, to help in the construction of fresh ships, and notably of -flyboats of one hundred and forty tons carrying up to twenty cannon -of cast iron. - - - - - -XII - -On the ships it is snowing. The air is all white as far as eye can -see, and the snow falls without ceasing, falls softly upon the black -water where it melts. - -On the earth it is snowing: all white are the roadways, all white -the black silhouettes of the trees bereft of their leaves. No sound -but the distant bells of Haarlem striking the hour, and the gay chime -sending its muffled notes through the thick air. - -Bells, ring not; bells, play not your sweet and simple airs: Don -Frederic draws near, the dukeling of blood. He is marching upon thee, -followed by thirty-five companies of Spaniards, thy mortal foes, -Haarlem, O thou city of liberty; twenty-two companies of Walloons, -eighteen companies of Germans, eight hundred horse, a powerful -artillery, all follow in his train. Hearest thou the clang of this -murderous iron on the wagons? Falconets, culverins, big-mouthed -mortars, all that is for thee, Haarlem. Bells, ring not; chimes, -fling not your gladsome notes into the air thickened with snow. - -"Bells, we the bells, shall ring; I, the chime, I shall sing, flinging -my bold notes into the air thick with snow. Haarlem is the town of -hardy hearts, of brave women. Undaunted she sees, from her topmost -towers, the black masses of the butchers undulating like troops of -ants: Ulenspiegel, Lamme, and a hundred sea Beggars are within her -walls. Their fleet is cruising in the lake." - -"Let them come!" say the inhabitants; "we are but citizens, fishermen, -sailors, and women. - -"The son of the Duke of Alba wanteth, he declares, no other keys to -come into our house than his cannon. Let him open, if he can, these -weak gates; he will find men behind them. Ring out, bells; chimes, -launch your glad notes into the air thick with snow. - -"We have but weak walls and old-fashioned ditches. Fourteen guns -belch out their balls of forty-six pound on the Cruys-poort. Put men -where stones are lacking. Night comes, every man toileth, it is as -though the cannon had never been there. On the Cruys-poort they have -hurled six hundred and eighty shot; on St. John's Gate six hundred -and seventy-five. These keys do not open, for there, behind, rises -a new rampart. Ring out, bells; chimes, hurl into the thick air your -merry notes. - -"The cannon beat, beat, beat ever on the walls; the stones fly, the -walls crumble. Wide enough is the breech to let a company pass in -abreast. The assault! 'Kill! Kill!' they cry. They mount, they are -ten thousand; suffer them to pass the moats with their bridges, with -their ladders. Our cannon are ready. Lo, there the flag of those that -are to die. Salute them, cannon of liberty! They salute: chain shot, -balls of flaming tar flying and hissing, pierce, cut, kindle, blind -the assailing masses that fall back and flee in disorder. Fifteen -hundred dead lie in the ditch. Ring out, bells; and ye, chimes, -fling into the thickened air your merry notes. - -"Come back to the assault! They dare not. They fall to shooting -and sapping. We, too, we know the arts of the mine. Beneath them, -beneath them light the train; run, we shall see a goodly sight. Four -hundred Spaniards blown into the air. This is not the road of eternal -fires. Oh! the goodly dance to the silver sound of our bells, to the -merry music of our chimes! - -"They never suspect that the prince is watching over us; that every day -there come to us by ways well guarded sledges of corn and gunpowder; -the corn for us, the powder for them. Where are their six hundred -Germans that we slew and drowned in the Haarlem Wood? Where are the -eleven ensigns we have taken from them, the six pieces of artillery, -and the fifty oxen? We had one girdle of walls; now we have two. Even -the women fight, and Kennan leads their valiant band. Come, butchers, -march down our streets; the children will hamstring you with their -little knives. Ring out, bells; and ye, chimes, fling into the -thickened air your merry notes! - -"But fortune is not with us. The Beggars' fleet is beaten in the -lake. They are beaten, the troops Orange had sent to our help. It -freezes, it freezes bitterly. No more help now. Then for five months, -a thousand against ten thousand, we hold out. Now we must needs -come to terms with the butchers. Will he listen to any terms, this -bloody dukeling who hath sworn our destruction? Let us send out all -our soldiers with their arms: they will pierce the enemy bands. But -the women are at the gates, fearing lest they be left to guard the -town alone. Bells, ring out no more; chimes, fling no more into the -air your merry notes. - -"Here is June; the hay is fragrant, the corn grows golden in the sun, -the birds are singing: we have been hungry for five months; the town -is in mourning; we shall all go forth from Haarlem, the musketeers at -the head to open up the way, the women, the children, the magistrates -behind, guarded by the infantry that watches at the breech. A letter, -a letter from the dukeling of blood! Is it death he announces? Nay, -it is life to all that are in the town. O unlooked-for clemency; O -lie, mayhap! Wilt thou still sing, O merry chime? They are entering -the town." - -Ulenspiegel, Lamme, and Nele had donned the costume of the German -soldiers shut up with them, to the number of six hundred, in the -cloister of the Augustines. - -"We shall die to-day," said Ulenspiegel in a low tone to Lamme. - -And he clasped to his breast the dainty form of Nele all shivering -with fear. - -"Alas! my wife, I shall never see her more," said Lamme. "But perhaps -our costume as German soldiers will save our lives?" - -Ulenspiegel nodded his head to show he believed in no hope of grace. - -"I hear no noise of pillage," said Lamme. - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"By the terms, the townsfolk redeemed their lives, and the town from -pillage, for the sum of two hundred and forty thousand florins. They -must pay one hundred thousand florins down in twelve days, and the rest -three months after. The women have been ordered to retire into the -churches. They are about to begin the massacre, beyond a doubt. Dost -thou hear them nailing up the scaffolds and erecting the gallows?" - -"Ah! we are to die!" said Nele; "I am hungry." - -"Aye," said Lamme low to Ulenspiegel, "the dukeling of blood has said -that being famished we shall be more docile when we are brought out -to die." - -"I am so hungry!" said Nele. - -That night soldiers came and distributed bread enough for six men. - -"Three hundred Walloon soldiers have been hanged in the marketplace," -said they. "It will soon be your turn. There was always a matrimony -between the Beggars and the Gallows." - -The next night they came again with their bread for six men. - -"Four high burgesses," said they, "have been beheaded. Two hundred -and forty-nine soldiers have been bound together two by two and cast -into the sea. The crabs will be fat this year. You do not look well, -you folk, since the seventh of July that saw you come here. They -are gluttons and drunkards, these dwellers in the Low Countries; -we Spaniards, we have enough with two figs for our supper." - -"That is why, then," replied Ulenspiegel, "you must needs, everywhere -in the townsfolks' houses, have four meals of meats, poultry, creams, -wines, and preserves; that ye must have milk to wash the bodies of -your mustachos and wine to bathe your horses' feet?" - -On the eighteenth of July, Nele said: - -"My feet are wet; what is this?" - -"Blood," said Ulenspiegel. - -At night the soldiers came again with their bread for six. - -"Where the rope is no longer enough," said they, "the sword does the -work. Three hundred soldiers and twenty-seven burghers who tried to -flee out of the town are now walking about the streets of hell with -their heads in their hands." - -The next day the blood came again into the cloister; the soldiers -came not to bring the bread, but merely to contemplate the prisoners, -saying: - -"The five hundred Walloons, Englishmen, and Scotsmen that were -beheaded yesterday looked better. These are hungry, no doubt, but -who then should die of hunger if not the Beggar!" - -And indeed, they were like phantoms, all pale, haggard, broken, -trembling with cold ague. - -On the sixteenth of August, at five in the evening, the soldiers came -in laughing and gave them bread, cheese, and beer. Lamme said: - -"It is the feast of death." - -At ten o'clock four companies came; the captains had the doors of the -cloister opened, ordering the prisoners to march four abreast behind -fifes and drums, to the place where they would be told to halt. Certain -streets were red, and they marched towards the Gallows Field. - -Here and there shallow pools of blood defiled the meadows; there was -blood all about the walls. The ravens came in clouds on every hand; -the sun hid in a bed of mists; the sky was still clear, and in its -depths awoke the shy stars. Suddenly they heard lamentable howlings. - -The soldiers said: - -"They that are crying there are the Beggars of the Fuycke Fort, -without the town; they are being left to die of hunger." - -"We, too," said Nele, "we are going to die." And she wept. - -"The ashes beat upon my heart," said Ulenspiegel. - -"Ah!" said Lamme in Flemish--for the soldiers of the escort understood -not that proud speech--"Ah!" said Lamme, "if I could catch that -duke of blood and make him eat, until his skin burst, each and all -ropes, gallows, torture benches, wooden horses, weights, and boots; -if I could make him drink the blood he has shed, if there came out -of his torn skin and opened bowels splinters of wood and pieces of -iron, and still he did not give up the ghost, I would tear out his -heart from his breast and make him eat it raw and poisoned. Then for -certain would he fall from life to death into the sulphur pit, where -may the devil make him eat it and eat it again without ceasing. And -thus through all long eternity." - -"Amen," said Ulenspiegel and Nele. - -"But dost thou see naught?" said she. - -"Nay," said he. - -"I see in the west," she said, "five men and two women seated in a -circle. One is clad in purple and wears a crown of gold. He seems -the chief over the rest, all ragged and tattered. I see from the east -another band of seven coming: one commands them also who is clad in -purple, without a crown. And they come against those of the west. And -they fight against them in the clouds, but I see nothing more now." - -"The Seven," said Ulenspiegel. - -"I hear," said Nele, "near by us in the foliage, a voice like a breath -of wind saying: - - - "By war and fire - By pikes and swords - Seek; - In death and blood - Ruins and tears. - Find." - - -"Others than we shall deliver the land of Flanders," replied -Ulenspiegel. "Night grows black, the soldiers are lighting torches. We -are near the Gallows Field. O sweet beloved, why didst thou follow -me? Dost thou hear nothing more, Nele?" - -"Aye," said she, "a noise of arms among the corn. And there, above -that ridge, surmounting the way in which we are entering, seest thou -the red light of the torches gleam upon steel? I see sparks of fire -gleaming upon the matches of arquebuses. Are our guardians asleep, -or are they blind? Dost thou hear that clap of thunder? Seest thou -the Spaniards fall pierced with bullets? Hearest thou 'Long live the -Beggar!'? They climb the path running, musket in hand; they come down -with axes all along the slope. Long live the Beggar!" - -"Long live the Beggar!" cry Lamme and Ulenspiegel. - -"Lo," said Nele, "here are soldiers that give us arms. Take, Lamme, -take, my beloved. Long live the Beggar!" - -"Long live the Beggar!" cry the whole troop of prisoners. - -"The arquebuses cease not from firing," said Nele, "they fall like -flies, lit up as they are by the light of the torches. Long live -the Beggars!" - -"Long live the Beggar!" cry the band of rescuers. - -"Long live the Beggar!" cry Ulenspiegel and the prisoners. "The -Spaniards are in a ring of fire. Kill! kill! There is not one left -on his feet. Kill! no pity, war without mercy. And now let us be off -and run to Enckhuyse. Who hath the butchers' clothes of cloth and -silk? Who hath their weapons?" - -"All! all!" they cry. "Long live the Beggar!" - -And indeed, they went off for Enckhuyse by boat, and there the Germans -delivered with them remained to guard the town. - -And Lamme, Nele, and Ulenspiegel found their ships again. And lo once -more they are singing upon the free sea: "Long live the Beggar!" - -And they cruise in the roadstead of Flessingue. - - - - - -XIII - -There once again was Lamme joyous. He was always ready to go on shore, -hunting oxen, sheep, and fowl like hares, stags, and ortolans. - -And he was not alone in this nourishing hunting. Good was it then to -see the huntsmen return, Lamme at their head, dragging the big beasts -by the horns, driving the small cattle before them, directing flocks -of geese with long wands, and carrying slung from their boathooks hens, -pullets, and capons in spite of their struggling. - -Then it was revel and feasting on the ships. And Lamme would say: -"The fragrance of the sauces mounts up to the very sky, there -delighting their worships the angels, which say: ''Tis the best part -of the meat'." - -While they were cruising there came a fleet of merchantmen from Lisbon, -whose commander knew not that Flessingue had fallen into the hands of -the Beggars. It is ordered to cast anchor; it is hemmed round. Long -live the Beggar! Drums and fifes sound the signal for boarding; -the merchants have guns, pikes, hatchets, arquebuses. - -Musket balls and cannon balls rain from the ships of the Beggars. Their -musketeers, entrenched round about the main mast in their wooden -forts, fire with deadly aim, without any danger. The merchants fall -like flies. - -"To the rescue!" said Ulenspiegel to Lamme and to Nele, "to the -rescue! Here be spices, knicknacks, precious dainties, sugar, -nutmegs, cloves, ginger, reals, ducats, moutons d'or all bright -and shining. There are more than five hundred thousand pieces in -coin. The Spaniard will pay the cost of the war. Drink ho! Let us -sing the Beggars' Mass, which is battle!" - -And Ulenspiegel and Lamme rushed everywhere like lions. Nele played the -fife, sheltered in the wooden castle. The whole of the fleet was taken. - -The dead were counted and these were a thousand on the side of the -Spaniards, three hundred on the side of the Beggars: among them was -the master cook of the fly boat La Briele. - -Ulenspiegel asked to be allowed to speak before Tres-Long and the -sailors: this Tres-Long granted with a good will. And he said to them -as follows: - -"Master captain and ye comrades, we have but now inherited much spices, -and here is Lamme, the good belly, who findeth that the poor dead -man there, God have him in joy, was in no wise a doctor great enough -in fricassees. Let us name him in the place of the dead. And he will -prepare you divine stews and paradisaic soups." - -"We will," said Tres-Long and the others; "Lamme shall be the master -cook of the ship. He shall bear the great wooden ladle to skim the -froth off his sauces." - -"Messire Captain, comrades and friends," said Lamme, "ye behold me -weeping with joy, for I deserve not so great honour. Nevertheless, -since ye deign to call upon my worthlessness, I accept the noble -functions of master of arts in fricassees upon the stout fly boat La -Briele, but with a humble prayer to you that ye invest me with the -supreme command of the kitchen work, in such fashion that your master -cook--the which will be myself--may by right law and might be empowered -to prevent anyonesoever from coming and eating another's share." - -Tres-Long and the others cried out: - -"Long live Lamme! thou shalt have right, law, and might." - -"But," said he, "I have another prayer to make before you in all -humility: I am a fat man, big and strong; deep is my paunch, deep my -stomach; my poor wife--may God restore her to me--always gave me two -portions instead of one: accord me this same favour." - -Tres-Long, Ulenspiegel, and the sailors said: - -"Thou shalt have the two portions, Lamme." - -And Lamme, suddenly fallen melancholy, said: - -"My wife, my sweet darling! if anything can console me for thy absence, -it will be to bring again to mind in my duties thy heavenly cooking -in our sweet home." - -"You must take the oath, my son," said Ulenspiegel. "Let the great -wooden ladle and the great copper caldron be brought hither." - -"I swear," quoth Lamme, "by God, may he be here my helper, I swear -fidelity to Monseigneur the Prince of Orange, called the Silent, -governing the provinces of Holland and Zealand for the king; fidelity -to Messire de Lumey, the admiral commanding our gallant fleet, and -to Messire Tres-Long, vice-admiral and captain of the good ship La -Briele; I swear to dress at my poor best, according to the use and -wont of the great cooks of old, which have left behind them noble -books with cuts upon the great art of cookery, what flesh and fowl -Fortune shall accord to us; I swear to feed the said Messire Tres-Long, -our captain, his second in command, which is my friend, Ulenspiegel, -and all you, master mariner, pilot, boatswain, companions, soldiers, -gunners, captain's page, chirurgeon, trumpeteer, sailors, and all -others. If the roast is too underdone, the fowl unbrowned; if the -soup sends up an insipid fragrance, inimical to all good digestion; -if the steam of the sauces doth not entice you all to rush into the -kitchen--always with my good will; if I make you not all sprightly -and well favoured, I will resign my noble functions, judging myself -unfit longer to occupy the throne of the kitchen. So may God help me -in this life and in the next." - -"Long live the master cook," said they, "the king of the kitchen, -the emperor of fricassees. He shall have three portions instead of -two on Sundays." - -And Lamme became master cook of the ship La Briele. And while the -succulent soups were simmering in the saucepans, he stood at the door -of the galley, proudly holding his great wooden ladle like a sceptre. - -And he had his treble rations on Sundays. - -When the Beggars came to grips with the enemy, he would stay preferably -in his sauce laboratory but would come out every now and then to run -up on the deck and fire a few rounds. Then he would hurry down again -at once to keep an eye to his sauces. - -Thus being trusty cook and valiant soldier, he was well beloved of all. - -But no one must penetrate the sanctuary of his galley. For then he was -even like a devil and with his wooden ladle he smote them pitilessly -hip and thigh. - -And thenceforth he was called Lamme the Lion. - - - - - -XIV - -On the ocean, on the Scheldt, in sunshine, in rain, in snow, in hail, -winter and summer, glided the ships of the Beggars to and fro. - -All sails out like mantling swans, swans of white freedom. - -White for freedom, blue for great heart, orange for the prince, -'tis the standard of the proud ships. - -All sails set! all sails set, the stout ships; the billows beat upon -them, the waves besprinkle them with foam. - -They pass, they run, they fly along the river, their sails in the -water, swift as clouds in the north wind, the proud ships of the -Beggars. Hear you their prows cleaving the wave? God of freemen! Long -live the Beggar! - -Hulks, flyboats, boyers, crousteves, swift as a wind big with tempest, -like the cloud that bears the thunderbolt. Long live the Beggar! - -Boyers and crousteves, flat-bottomed boats, slide along the river. The -waters groan as they are cloven through, when the ships go straight -on face forwards with the deadly mouth of their long culverin on the -point of the bows. Long live the Beggar! - -All sail out! all sail out, the gallant ships, the waves toss them, -sprinkle them with foam. - -Night and day, through rain, hail, and snow, they go on their -way! Christ smileth on them in cloud, in sun, in starshine. Long live -the Beggar. - - - - - -XV - -The king of blood learned the news of their victories. Death was -already gnawing at the murderer and his body was full of worms. He -would walk about the corridors of Valladolid, sullen and savage, -dragging heavily his swollen feet and leaden legs. He never sang, -the cruel tyrant; when the day came, he never laughed, and when the -sun lighted up his empire like a smile from God he felt no joy in -his heart. - -But Ulenspiegel, Lamme, and Nele sang like birds, risking their hide, -that is to say Lamme and Ulenspiegel, their white skin, to wit Nele, -living from day to day, and finding more joy in one death fire quenched -by the Beggars than the dark king had in the burning of a town. - -At this time, too, William the Silent, Prince of Orange, broke from -his rank as admiral Messire de Lumey de la Marck, by reason of his -great cruelties. He appointed Messire Bouwen Ewoutsen Worst in his -stead. He took measures also to pay for the grain taken by the Beggars -from the peasants, to restore the forced contributions levied upon -them, and to grant the Roman Catholics, like all others, the free -exercise of their religion, without either persecution or insult. - - - - - -XVI - -On the ships of the Beggars, under the dazzling sky, over the shining -waves, squealed the fifes; droned bagpipes, gurgled flasks, chimed -glasses, and shone the steel of weapons and armour. - -"Ho!" said Ulenspiegel, "let us beat the drum of glory, let us beat -the drum of joy. Long live the Beggar! Spain is conquered; the ghoul is -beaten down. Ours is the sea, Briele is taken. Ours the coast as far as -Nieuport, beyond Ostende and Blanckenberghe, the islands of Zealand, -the mouths of the Scheldt, the mouths of the Meuse, the Rhine mouths -as far as Helder. Ours are Texel, Vlieland, Ter-Schelling, Ameland, -Rottum, Borkum. Long live the Beggar! - -"Ours are Delft, and Dordrecht. 'Tis a trail of powder. God holdeth -the linstock. The murderers abandon Rotterdam. Free conscience, like -a lion with teeth and claws of justice, seizes the county of Zutphen, -the towns of Deutecom, Doesburg, Goor, Oldenzeel, and on the Welnuire, -Hattem, Elburg, and Harderwyck. Long live the Beggar! - -"'Tis lightning, 'tis a thunder bolt: Campen, Zwol, Hassel, Sheenwyck -fall into our hands with Oudewater, Gouda, Leyden. Long live the -Beggar! - -"Ours are Bueren, Enckhuyse! Not yet have we Amsterdam, Schoonhoven, -or Middelburg. But all cometh in time to patient blades. Long live -the Beggar! - -"Drink we the wine of Spain. Drink from the chalices whence they -drank the blood of the victims. We shall go by way of the Zuyderzee, -by rivers, streams, canals; we have North Holland, South Holland, -and Zealand; we shall take East and West Frisia; La Briele shall -be the refuge for our ships, the nest of the hens that hatch out -liberty. Long live the Beggar! - -"Hearken in Flanders, our beloved land, how there bursts forth the -cry of avenging. Armour is polishing, the swords are a-whetting. All -are astir, athrill like the strings of a harp in the warm breeze, -the breath souls that cometh from grave pits, from torture fires, -from the bleeding corpses of the victims. All, Hainaut, Brabant, -Luxembourg, Namur, Liege the free city, all! Blood sprouts and springs -up. The harvest is ripe for the sickle. Long live the Beggar. - -"Ours the Noord-Zee, the wide North Sea. Ours are good guns, -proud ships, the bold band of redoubted seamen: rogues, robbers, -soldier-priests, gentlemen, townsfolk, and artisans fleeing -persecution. Ours to all of us joined together for the work of -freedom! Long live the Beggar! - -"Philip, king of blood, where art thou? D'Alba, where art thou? Thou -dost cry out and curse and blaspheme, thou with the holy hat, the Holy -Father's gift. Beat the drums of joy. Long live the Beggar! Drink all! - -"The wine flows into the golden cups. Drain it with glee. Priestly -robes on the backs of rough men are flooded with the red liquor; -banners, ecclesiastic and Roman, wave in the wind. Eternal music! To -you, fifes squealing, bagpipes droning, drums beating, peals of -glory. Long live the Beggar!" - - - - - -XVII - -The world was then in the wolf month, which is the month of December. A -thin sharp rain was falling like needles upon the sea. The Beggars -were cruising in the Zuyderzee. Messire the Admiral summoned by -trumpet the captains of houlques and flyboats on board his ship, -and with them Ulenspiegel. - -"Now," said the Admiral, addressing himself first of all to -Ulenspiegel, "the Prince is minded to recognize thy good devoirs -and trusty services, and names thee as captain of the ship La -Briele. Herewith I hand thee the commission engrossed upon parchment." - -"All thanks to you, Messire Admiral," replied Ulenspiegel: "I shall -be captain with all my little power, and thus captaining I have great -hope, if God help me, to uncaptain Spain from the lands of Flanders -and Holland: I mean from the Zuid and the Noord-Neerlande." - -"That is well," said the admiral. "And now," he added, speaking to -them all, "I will tell you that the folk of Catholic Amsterdam are -going to besiege Enckhuyse. They have not yet come out from the Y -canal; let us cruise about in front that they may stay inside there -and fall on each and all of their ships that may show their tyrannical -carcases in the Zuyderzee." - -They made answer: - -"We will knock holes in them. Long live the Beggar!" - -Ulenspiegel, returned to his ship, called his soldiers and his sailors -together on the deck, and told them what the admiral had decided. - -They replied: - -"We have wings, the which are our sails; skates, which are the keels of -our ships; and giant hands, which are the grapples for boarding. Long -live the Beggar!" - -The fleet set forth and cruised in front of Amsterdam a sea league -away, in such a sort that none could enter or come out against -their will. - -On the fifth day the rain ceased; the wind blew sharper in the clear -sky; the Amsterdam folk made no stir. - -Suddenly Ulenspiegel saw Lamme come up on deck, driving before him -with great blows of his wooden ladle the ship's truxman, a young man -skilful in the French and Flemish tongues, but more skilful still in -the science of the teeth. - -"Good-for-naught," said Lamme, beating him, "didst thou deem thou -couldst scatheless eat my fricassees before their due time? Go up to -the masthead and see if aught budges on the ships of Amsterdam. Doing -this thou wilt do well." - -But the truxman answered: - -"What will you give me?" - -"Dost thou think," said Lamme, "to be paid without doing the -work? Thieves' spawn, if thou dost not climb, I shall have thee -flogged. And thy French shall not save thee." - -"'Tis a beauteous tongue," said the truxman, "a tongue for love -and war." - -And he climbed the mast. - -"Well! lazybones?" asked Lamme. - -The truxman answered: - -"I see naught in the town nor on the ships." And descending: - -"Now pay me," said he. - -"Keep what thou hast stolen," replied Lamme; "but such gains are no -profit; thou wilt doubtless vomit it up." - -The truxman, climbing again to the masthead, cried out suddenly: - -"Lamme! Lamme! there is a thief going into the galley." - -"I have the key in my pouch," rejoined Lamme. - -Ulenspiegel then, taking Lamme apart, said to him: - -"My son, this great tranquillity of Amsterdam affrights me. They have -some hidden project." - -"I thought of that," said Lamme. "The water is freezing in the jugs in -the cupboard; the fowl are like wood; hoar frost whitens the sausages; -the butter is a stone, the oil is all white, the salt is dry as sand -in the sun." - -"'Tis a frost at hand," said Ulenspiegel. "They will come in great -numbers to attack us with artillery." - -Going on board the admiral's ship, he told his fear to the admiral, -who answered him: - -"The wind blows from England: there will be snow, but it will not -freeze: go back to your ship." - -And Ulenspiegel went away. - -That night heavy snow fell; but soon, the wind blowing out of Norway, -the sea froze and was like a floor. The admiral beheld the sight. - -Then fearing lest the Amsterdam folk might come over the ice to burn -the ships, he bade the soldiers make ready their skates, in case they -might have to fight around and away from the ships, and the gunners -of the iron guns and the brass to pile up heaps of cannon-balls by -the gun carriages, to load the pieces, and to keep the portfires -always well lighted. - -But the Amsterdam folk never came. - -And so it was for seven days. - -Towards evening on the eighth day Ulenspiegel gave orders that a good -feast should be served to the sailors and men at arms, to make them -a cuirass against the sharp wind that was blowing. - -But Lamme said: - -"There is nothing at all left now but biscuit and small beer." - -"Long live the Beggar!" said they. "'Twill be Lenten revelry until -the hour of battle." - -"Which will not strike soon," said Lamme. "The Amsterdammers will -come to burn us our ships, but not on this night. First they must -needs assemble themselves together around fires, and there drink -many a measure of wine mulled with Madeira sugar--may God give us -thereof--then having talked till midnight with patience, logic, and -full stoups, they will decide that there are grounds for coming to a -decision to-morrow as to whether they shall attack or not attack next -week. To-morrow, again drinking wine mulled with Madeira sugar--may -God give you thereof--they will decide anew with calm, patience, -and full stoups, that they must assemble together another day, to -the end that they may know if the ice can or cannot bear a great band -of men. And they will have it proved and essayed by men of learning, -who will lay down their conclusions upon parchment. Having received -which, they will know that the ice is half an ell in thickness, -and that it is solid enough to bear some hundreds of men with field -guns and artillery. Then assembling themselves together once more -to deliberate with calm, patience, and many stoups of mulled wine, -they will debate whether, by reason of the treasure seized by us -from the men of Lisbon, it is more suitable to assault or to burn -our ships. And being thus perplexed, but temporizers, they will -none the less decide that they must capture and not burn our ships, -notwithstanding the great wrong and hurt they would do us by that." - -"You say well," replied Ulenspiegel; "but see you not those fires -kindle up within the town, and folk bearing lanterns running busily -about there?" - -"'Tis because they are cold," said Lamme. - -And he added, sighing: - -"Everything is eaten. No more beef, pork, nor poultry; no more wine, -alas! nor good dobbel-bier, nothing but biscuit and small beer. Let -who loves me follow me!" - -"Whither goest thou?" said Ulenspiegel. "No man may go from the ship." - -"My son," said Lamme, "thou art captain and master as now. I will -never go from the ship if thou dost forbid it. Yet deign to consider -that we ate the last of our sausage on the day before yesterday: -and that in this stern weather the fire of the kitchen is the sun of -good companions. Who would not fain smell here the odour of sauces; -sniff up the fragrant bouquet of the divine drink made of those -joyous blossoms that are gaiety, laughter, and good will to every -man? And so, captain and trusty friend, I dare say this: I devour -my very soul, since I eat naught, I who, though loving but repose, -never slaying by my will, save it were a tender goose, a fat chicken, -a succulent turkey, follow thee amid fatigue and battles. See from -here the lights in that rich farm well furnished of big and little -cattle. Knowest thou who it is that dwelleth there? It is the boatman -of Frisia, that betrayed Messire Dandelot and furthermore brought to -Enckhuyse, while it was still in D'Alba's hand, eighteen poor lords -our friends, the which, of his doing, were beheaded on the Horse -Market at Brussels. This traitor, who hath to name Slosse, got from -the duke two thousand florins for his treachery. With the price of -that blood, a very Judas, he purchased the farm thou seest there, -and his great cattle and the fields around about, which bearing fruit -and increasing, I mean land and herds, make him rich as now." - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"The ashes beat upon my heart. Thou makest the hour of God to strike." - -"And," said Lamme, "the hour of food in like wise. Give me twenty lads, -valiant soldiers and sailors; I will go and seek out the traitor." - -"I will be their leader," said Ulenspiegel. "Who loves justice -let him follow me. Not all of you, dear friends and trusty; there -must be twenty only, else who would keep the ship? Draw lots by the -dice. Ye are twenty, come. The dice speak well. Put your skates on -your feet and glide towards the star of Venus burning bright above -the treachour's farm. - -"Guiding yourselves by the clear beam, come, ye twenty, skating and -sliding, axe on shoulder. - -"The wind whistles and drives white whirls of snow before it on the -ice. Come, brave men! - -"Ye sing not, nor speak; ye go straight on, in silence, towards the -star; your skates make the ice complain. - -"He that falls picks himself up at once. We touch the shore; no -human shape on the white snow, not a bird in the icy air. Take off -the skates from your feet. - -"Here we are on land; here are the meadows; put on your skates -again. We are round about the farm, holding our breath." - -Ulenspiegel knocks on the door; dogs bark. He knocks again, a window -opens and the baes says, sticking out his head: - -"Who art thou?" - -He sees but Ulenspiegel only: the others are concealed behind the keet, -which is the washhouse. - -Ulenspiegel makes answer: - -"Messire de Boussu bids thee betake thee to him at Amsterdam upon -the instant." - -"Where is thy safe-conduct?" said the man, coming down and opening -the door to him. - -"Here," replied Ulenspiegel, showing him the twenty Beggars who hurl -themselves behind him into the opening. - -Ulenspiegel then says to him: - -"Thou art Slosse, the traitor boatman that brought into an ambuscade -Messires Dandelot, de Battenberg, and other lords. Where is the price -of their blood?" - -The farmer replies, trembling: - -"Ye are the Beggars; grant me a pardon; I knew not what I did. I have -no money here within; I will give all I have." - -Lamme said: - -"It is black dark; give us candles of tallow or of wax." - -The baes replies: - -"The tallow candles are hanging there." - -A candle being lit, said one of the Beggars, in the hearthplace: - -"It is cold; let us kindle a fire. Here are proper faggots." - -And he pointed out upon a shelf flower pots in which withered and -dried plants might be seen. - -He took one by the stalk and shaking it with the pot, the pot fell, -scattering over the ground ducats, florins, and reals. - -"There is the treasure," said he, pointing to the other flower pots. - -In very deed, having emptied them, they found ten thousand florins. - -Seeing which, the baes cried out and wept. - -The farm servants, both men and maids, came to the cries, in shirts -and smocks. The men wishing to avenge their master, were bound. Soon -the shamefaced women, and especially the younger, hid behind the men. - -Then Lamme went forward and said: - -"Traitor farmer, where are the keys of the cellar, the stables, -the cowshed, and the sheep-pens?" - -"Infamous pillagers," said the baes, "ye shall be hanged until ye -are dead." - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"It is the hour of God; give up the keys!" - -"God will avenge me," said the baes, handing them over to him. - -Having emptied the farm, the Beggars departed skating towards the -ships, those light dwelling places of freedom. - -"Master cook am I," said Lamme, guiding them; "Master cook am I. Push -along the gallant sledges laden with wines and beer; drive on before -you, by their horns, or by anything, horses, oxen, swine, sheep, and -flocks singing their native songs. The pigeons coo in the baskets; -the capons, stuffed with crumb, are astonied in their wooden cages -wherein they cannot budge. I am master cook. The ice cries out beneath -the steel of the skates. We are at the ships. To-morrow there will be -kitchen music. Let down the pulleys; put girths on the horses, cows, -and oxen. 'Tis a noble sight to see them thus pendent by their bellies; -to-morrow we shall be hanging by the tongue to fat fricassees. The -crane hoists them up into the ship. These be carbonadoes. Throw me -them pell mell into the hold, hens, geese, ducks, capons. Who will -wring their necks? The master cook. The door is locked, I have the key -in my satchel. Praised be God in the kitchen! Long live the Beggar!" - -Then Ulenspiegel went on board the admiral's ship taking with him -Dierick Slosse and the other prisoners, moaning and weeping for terror -of the rope. - -Messire Worst came at the noise: perceiving Ulenspiegel--his companions -lit up by the red glare of the torches: - -"What would you of us?" said he. - -Ulenspiegel replied: - -"This night we took, in his farm, the traitor Dierick Slosse, that -brought the eighteen into an ambuscade. This is the man. The others -are innocent menservants and maidservants. Then handing him a satchel: - -"These florins," said he, "were flourishing in flower pots in the -traitor's house: there are ten thousand." - -Messire Worst said to them: - -"Ye did ill to leave your ship; but because of your good success -pardon shall be granted to you. Welcome be the prisoners and the -satchel of florins, and ye, gallant men, to whom I assign, after -the laws and customs of the sea, a third of the prize: the second -will be for the fleet, and another third for Monseigneur d'Orange; -string me up the traitor incontinent." - -The Beggars having obeyed, they opened afterward a hole in the ice -and threw the body of Dierick Slosse into it. - -Messire Worst then said: - -"Has grass sprung up around the ships that I hear hens cackling, -sheep bleating, cows and oxen lowing?" - -"These are the prisoners of our teeth," answered Ulenspiegel; -"they will pay ransom of fricassees. Messire Admiral shall have -the choicest." - -"As for these folk, the knaves and the maidservants, among whom are -sprightly and pretty women, I will fetch them back aboard my ship." - -Having done so, he addressed them as follows: - -"Goodfellows and goodwives, ye are here upon the best ship in the -world. Here we pass our time in jollity, feast, and revel without -end. If it please you to depart herefrom, pay ransom; if it please you -to stay here, ye shall live like us, toiling hard and eating well. As -for these dear women, I accord them, with the admiral's sanction, -full freedom of their persons, giving them to know that it is all one -to me whether they are fain to keep to their lovers that came upon -the ship with them or to make their choice of some stout Beggar here -present in order to bear him conjugal company." - -But the fair women were all faithful to their lovers, save only one, -who, smiling and looking upon Lamme, asked him if he would have her. - -"All thanks, dear one," said he, "but I am otherwise bound." - -"He is married, poor fellow," said the Beggars, seeing the girl vexed. - -But she, turning her back on Lamme, chose another who like him had -a good round belly and a good round face. - -That day and the following days there were great revels and feastings -on board with wines, fowl, and meats. And Ulenspiegel said: - -"Long live the Beggar! Blow, sharp wintry winds, we will warm the air -with our hot breath. Our heart is afire for freedom of conscience; -our stomachs on fire for the enemy's meats. Drink we wine, the milk -of men. Long live the Beggar!" - -Nele, too, drank from a great golden tankard, and ruddy in the breath -of the wind, played the shrill fife. And for all the cold, the Beggars -ate and drank rejoicing on the deck. - - - - - -XVIII - -Suddenly the whole fleet perceived upon the bank a black troop among -which torches shone and the gleaming of arms; then the torches were -put out, and a great darkness reigned. - -The admiral's orders being sent round, the alarm was given on the -ships, and all fires were quenched; sailors and soldiers lay flat on -the decks, armed with axes. The gallant gunners, linstock in hand, -watched by the guns loaded with bags of bullets and with chain -shot. As soon as the admiral and the captains should call out "A -hundred paces!"--which denoted the enemy's distance, they were to -fire from the bows, the poop, or the broadside, according to their -position in the ice. - -And Messire Worst's voice was heard saying: - -"Death to whoever speaks aloud!" - -And the captains said after him: - -"Death to whoever speaks aloud!" - -The night was moonless, filled with stars. - -"Dost thou hear?" said Ulenspiegel to Lamme, in a voice like a -whispering ghost. "Hearest thou the voices of the Amsterdammers, and -the steel of their skates ringing over the ice? They come swiftly. We -can hear them speak. They are saying 'The lazy Beggars are asleep. Ours -is the Lisbon treasure!' They are lighting torches. Seest thou their -ladders for the assault, their ugly faces, and the long line of their -band deployed for the attack? There are a thousand of them, and more." - -"A hundred paces!" cried Messire Worst. - -"A hundred paces!" cried the captains all. - -And there was a great noise like thunder, and lamentable outcries -upon the ice. - -"Eighty guns are thundering all together!" said Ulenspiegel. "They -are fleeing! Seest thou the torches vanishing away?" - -"Pursue them!" said Admiral Worst. - -"Pursue them!" said the captains. - -But the pursuit did not last long, the fugitives having a start of -a hundred paces, and the legs of frightened hares. - -And on the men that were crying out and dying on the ice were found -gold, jewels, and ropes for the Beggars. - -And after this victory the Beggars said one to another: "Als God -met ons is, wie tegen ons zal zijn. If God is with us, who shall be -against us? Long live the Beggar!" - -Now on the morning of the third day thereafter Messire Worst was -uneasy, and looked for a fresh attack. Lamme leaped upon the deck -and said to Ulenspiegel: - -"Fetch me to this admiral that would not listen to you when you -prophesied a frost." - -"Go without any fetching you?" said Ulenspiegel. - -Lamme departed, first locking the door of his galley. The admiral -was on deck, straining his eyes to see if he did not perceive some -movement from the city. - -Lamme came up to him. - -"Monseigneur Admiral," said he, "may a humble master cook give you -a rede?" - -"Speak, my son," said the admiral. - -"Monseigneur," said Lamme, "the water is thawing in the jugs; the fowl -grow soft again; the sausage is laying aside its mildew of hoar frost; -the butter becomes unctuous, the oil liquid; the salt is weeping. It -will rain before long, and we shall be saved, Monseigneur." - -"Who art thou?" asked Messire Worst. - -"I am Lamme Goedzak," he replied, "the master cook of the ship -La Briele. And if all those great savants that boast themselves -astronomers read in the stars as true as I read in my sauces, they -could tell us that to-night there will be a thaw with a great hubbub -of storm and hail: but the thaw will not last." - -And Lamme went back to Ulenspiegel, to whom he said, towards noon: - -"I am a prophet already; the sky grows black, the wind breathes -stormily: a warm rain is falling; already there is a foot of water -upon the ice." - -At night he cried, rejoicing: - -"The North Sea is swollen: 'tis the hour of the flood tide; the high -waves rolling into the Zuyderzee break up the ice, which splinters -in great fragments and leaps up on the ships; it flashes sparkles -of light; here comes the hail. The admiral bids us to withdraw from -before Amsterdam, and that with as much water as our greatest ship -can draw. Here we are in the harbour of Enckhuyse. The sea is freezing -afresh. I am a fine prophet, and it is a miracle from God." - -And Ulenspiegel said: - -"Drink we to Him, and blessings on Him." - -And the winter passed, and summer came. - - - - - -XIX - -In mid-August, when hens, fed full with grain, remain deaf to the -call of the cock trumpeting his loves, Ulenspiegel said to his sailors -and soldiers: - -"The duke of blood, being at Utrecht, dares there to issue a blessed -edict, promising among other gracious gifts, hunger, death, ruin -to the inhabitants of the Low Countries who might be unwilling to -submit. Everything that still remains whole, saith he, shall be -exterminate, and His Majesty the king will people the country with -strangers. Bite, duke, bite! The file breaketh the viper's tooth; -we are files. Long live the Beggar! - -"Alba, blood maketh thee drunk! Deemest thou that we would fear thy -threats or believe in thy clemency? Thy famous regiments whose praises -thou didst sing throughout the whole world, thy Invincibles, thy -Tels Quels, thy Immortals, remained seven months bombarding Haarlem, -a feeble city defended by mere citizens; like mortal common men they -danced in air the dance of the bursting mines. Mere citizens besmeared -them with tar; in the end they were glorious victors, slaughtering the -disarmed. Hearest thou, murderer, the hour of God that striketh now? - -"Haarlem hath lost her splendid defenders, her stones sweat blood. She -hath lost and expended in her siege twelve hundred and eighty thousand -florins. The bishop is reinstated there; with light hand and joyful -countenance he blesses the churches; Don Frederick is present at -these consecrations; the bishop washes for him those hands that in -God's eyes are red and he communicates in two kinds, which is not -permitted to the poor common herd. And the bells ring out and the -chime flings into the air its calm, harmonious notes; it is like the -singing of angels over a cemetery. An eye for an eye! A tooth for a -tooth! Long live the Beggar!" - - - - - -XX - -The Beggars were then at Flushing, where Nele caught fever. Forced -to leave the ship, she was lodged at the house of one Peeters, of -the Reformed faith, at Turven-Key. - -Ulenspiegel, deeply grieving, was yet rejoiced, thinking that in this -bed where she would doubtless be healed the Spanish bullets could -not reach her. - -And with Lamme he was always beside her, tending her well and loving -her better. And there they used to talk together. - -"Friend and true comrade," said Ulenspiegel one day, "dost thou not -know the news?" - -"Nay, my son," said Lamme. - -"Seest thou the flyboat that but late came to join our fleet, and -knowest thou who it is upon it that twangs the viol every day?" - -"Through the late colds," said Lamme, "I am as one deaf in both -ears. Why dost thou laugh, my son?" - -But Ulenspiegel, continuing: - -"Once," he said, "I heard her sing a Flemish lied and found her voice -was sweet." - -"Alas," said Lamme, "she, too, sang and played upon the viol." - -"Dost thou know the other news?" went on Ulenspiegel. - -"I know naught of it, my son," said Lamme. - -Ulenspiegel made answer: - -"We have our orders to drop down the Scheldt with our ships as far -as Antwerp, to find there the enemy ships to take or burn. As for -the men, no quarter. What thinkest thou of this, big paunch?" - -"Alas!" said Lamme, "shall we never hear aught else in this -distressful land save burnings, hangings, drownings, and other ways -of exterminating poor men? When then will blessed peace come, that -we can in quiet roast partridges, fricassee chickens, and make the -puddings sing in the pan among the eggs? I like the black ones best; -the white are too rich." - -"This sweet time will come," replied Ulenspiegel, "when in the -orchards of Flanders we see on apple, plum, pear trees and cherry -trees, a Spaniard hanged on every bough." - -"Ah!" said Lamme, "if only I could find my wife again, my so dear, -so sweet, beloved soft darling faithful wife! For know it well, -my son, cuckold I was not nor shall ever be; she was too sober and -calm in her ways for that; she eschewed the company of other men; -if she loved fair and fine array, it was but for woman's need. I was -her cook, her kitchenman, her scullion, I am glad to say it, why am -I it not once more? but I was her master as well and her husband." - -"Let us end this talk," said Ulenspiegel. "Hearest thou the admiral -calling: 'Up anchors!' and captains after him calling the same? We -must needs weigh soon." - -"Why dost thou go so quickly?" said Nele to Ulenspiegel. - -"We are going to the ships," said he. - -"Without me?" she said. - -"Aye," said Ulenspiegel. - -"Dost thou not think," said she, "how lying here I shall be distressed -for thee?" - -"Dearest," said Ulenspiegel, "my skin is made of iron." - -"Thou art mocking," said she. "I see nothing on thee but thy doublet, -which is cloth, not iron; beneath it is thy body, made of bone and -flesh, like my own. If they wound thee, who will heal thee? Art thou -to die all alone in the midst of the fighters? I shall go with thee." - -"Alas!" said he, "if the lances, balls, swords, axes, maces, sparing -me, fall on thy dear body, what shall I do--I, good for naught without -thee in this vile world?" - -But Nele said: - -"I would fain follow thee; there will be no peril; I will hide in -the wooden forts where the arquebusiers are." - -"If thou dost go, I stay, and they will hold thy friend Ulenspiegel -traitor and coward; but listen to my lay: - - - "My hair is steel, as casque set there; - An armour forged by Nature's hand - My skin the first is buff well tanned, - And steel the second skin I wear. - - "In vain to catch me in his snare - Death, grinning monster, takes his stand; - My skin the first is buff well tanned, - And steel the second skin I wear. - - "My standards 'Live' as motto bear, - Live ever in a sunshine land: - My skin the first is buff well tanned, - And steel the second skin I wear." - - -And he went off singing, not without having kissed the shaking mouth -and the lovely eyes of Nele sunk in fever, smiling and weeping all -together. - -The Beggars are at Antwerp; they take the ships of Alba even in the -very harbour. Entering the city, in broad day, they set free certain -prisoners, and make others prisoner to bring ransom. By force they -make the citizens rise, and some they constrain to follow them, -on pain of death, without uttering a word. - -Ulenspiegel said to Lamme: - -"The admiral's son is detained at the Ecoutete's: we must deliver him." - -Going into the house of the Ecoutete, they see the son they sought -in the company of a big monk with a noble belly, who was preaching -wrathfully to him, fain to make him return to the bosom of our Mother -Holy Church. But the lad would by no means consent thereto. He departed -with Ulenspiegel. Meanwhile Lamme, seizing the monk by the cowl, -made him walk before him in the streets of Antwerp, saying: - -"Thou art worth a hundred florins ransom: pack up and march on. Why -dost thou hang back? Hast thou lead in thy sandals? March, bag of lard, -victual press, soup belly!" - -"I march, Master Beggar, I march; but saving the respect due to -your arquebuse, you are as big in the belly as myself, a paunchy, -vasty fellow." - -Then Lamme, pushing him on: - -"Dost thou dare indeed, foul monk," said he, "to liken thy cloistral, -useless, lazy grease to my Fleming fat honourably sustained and fed -by toils, fatigues, and battles? Run, or I shall make thee go like -a dog, and that with the spur at the end of my boot-sole." - -But the monk could not run, and he was all out of breath, and Lamme -the same. And so they came to the ship. - - - - - -XXI - -Having taken Rammekens, Gertruydenberg, Alckmaer, the Beggars came -back to Flushing. - -Nele, now hale and cured, was waiting for Ulenspiegel at the harbour. - -"Thyl," said she, "my love, Thyl, art thou not wounded?" - -Ulenspiegel sang: - - - "My standards 'Live' as motto bear, - Live ever in a sunshine land; - My skin the first is buff well tanned - My second skin is forged of steel." - - -"Alas!" said Lamme, dragging a leg, "the bullets, grenades, chain -shot rain around him; he feels but the wind of them. Thou art without -doubt a spirit, Ulenspiegel, and thou, too, Nele, for I behold thee -ever brisk and young." - -"Why dost thou drag thy leg?" asked Nele of Lamme. - -"I am no spirit and never will be," said he. "And so I took an axe -stroke in the thigh--how round and white my wife's was!--see, I am -bleeding. Alas! why have I her not here to tend me!" - -But Nele, angry, replied: - -"What need hast thou of a wife forsworn?" - -"Say naught ill of her," replied Lamme. - -"Here," said Nele, "here is balsam; I was keeping it for Ulenspiegel; -put it upon the wound." - -Lamme, having dressed his wound, was joyous, for the balsam put an -end to the keen anguish; and they went up again to the ship all three. - -Seeing the monk who was walking to and fro there with his hands bound: - -"Who is that one?" she said. "I have seen him already and I think I -know him." - -"He is worth a hundred florins ransom," replied Lamme. - - - - - -XXII - -That day aboard the fleet there was a feast. In spite of the sharp -December wind, despite the rain, despite the snow, all the Beggars -of the fleet were on the decks of the ships. The silver crescents -gleamed lurid upon the bonnets of Zealand. - -And Ulenspiegel sang: - - - "Leyden is delivered: the bloody duke leaves the Low Countries: - Ring out, ye bells reechoing: - Chimes, fling your songs into the air: - Clink, ye glasses and bottles, clink. - - "When the mastiff slinks away from blows, - His tail between his legs, - With bloodshot eye - He turns upon the cudgels. - - "And his torn jaw - Shivers and pants - He has gone, the bloody duke; - Clink bottle and glass. Long live the Beggar! - - "Fain would he bite himself, - The cudgels broke his teeth. - Hanging his puff-jowled head - He thinks of the days of murder and lust. - He is gone, the bloody duke: - Then beat upon the drum of glory, - Then beat upon the drum of war! - Long live the Beggar! - - "He cries to the devil: 'I will sell thee - My doggish soul for one hour of might.' - 'Thy soul it is no more to me,' - Said the devil, 'than a herring is.' - The teeth meet no longer now. - They must avoid hard morsels. - He hath gone, the bloody duke: - Long live the Beggar! - - "The little street dogs, crooklegged, one-eyed, full of mange, - That live or die on rubbish heaps. - Heave up their leg one by one - On him that killed for love of slaughter.-- - Long live the Beggar. - - "He loved not women, nor friends, - Nor gayness, nor sun, nor his master, - Nothing but Death, his betrothed, - Who broke his legs - As prelude to the betrothal, - For she loves not men hale and whole; - Beat upon the drum of joy, - Long live the Beggar! - - "And the little street dogs, crooklegged, - Limping, one-eyed, full of mange, - Heave their leg up once again - In a hot and salty fashion. - And with them greyhounds and mastiffs, - Dogs of Hungary, of Brabant, - Of Namur and Luxembourg, - Long live the Beggar! - - "And, miserably, with foaming mouth, - He goes to die beside his master, - Who fetches him a sounding kick, - For not biting enough. - "In hell he weddeth Death. - She calleth him 'My Duke'; - He calleth her 'My Inquisition.' - Long live the Beggar! - - "Ring out ye bells reechoing: - Chimes, fling your songs into the air; - Clink, glasses and bottles, clink: - Long live the Beggar!" - - - - - - -BOOK V - - -I - -The monk that Lamme captured, perceiving that the Beggars did not -desire to have him dead, but paying ransom, began to lift up his nose -on board the ship: - -"See," quoth he, marching and wagging his head furiously, "see in what -a gulf of vile, black, and foul abominations I have fallen in setting -foot on this wooden tub. Were I not here, I whom the Lord anointed...." - -"With dog's grease?" asked the Beggars. - -"Dogs yourselves," replied the monk, continuing his discourse, "aye, -mangy dogs, strays, defiled, starveling, that have fled out of the rich -pathway of our Mother the Holy Roman Church to enter upon the parched -highway of your tattered Reformed Church. Aye! if I were not here in -your wooden shoe, your tub, long since would the Lord have swallowed -it up in the deepest gulfs of the sea, with you, your accursed arms, -your devils' cannon, your singing captain, your blasphemous crescents, -aye! down to the very deeps of the unfathomable bottom of Satan's -kingdom, where ye will not burn, nay, but where ye shall freeze, shall -shiver, shall die of cold throughout all long eternity. Yea! the God -of heaven will thus quench the fire of your impious hate against our -sweet Mother the Holy Roman Church, against messieurs the saints, -messeigneurs the bishops and the blessed edicts that were so mildly -and so ripely devised. Aye! and I should see you from the peak of -paradise, purple as beetroots or white as turnips so cold ye should -be. 'T sy! 't sy! 't sy! So, so, so, so be it." - -The sailors, soldiers, and cabin boys jeered at him, and shot dried -peas at him through peashooters. And he covered his face with his -hands against this artillery. - - - - - -II - -The duke of blood having quitted the country, Messires de Medina-Coeli -and De Requesens governed it with less cruelty. Then the States -General ruled them in the name of the king. - -Meanwhile, the folk of Zealand and of Holland, most lucky by reason -of the sea and their dykes, which are natural ramparts and fortresses -to them, opened free temples to the God of free men; and the murderous -Papists might sing their hymns beside them; and Monseigneur the Silent -of Orange refrained from founding a royal dynasty of stadtholders. - -The Belgian country was ravaged by the Walloons who were dissatisfied -by the peace of Ghent, which, men said, was to quench all hatreds. And -these Walloons, Pater-noster knechter, wearing upon their necks big -black rosaries, of which there were found two thousand at Spienne in -Hainaut, stealing oxen and horses by twelve hundred, two thousand at -a time, choosing out the best, carrying off women and girls by field -and by marsh; eating and never paying, these Walloons used to burn -within their farmsteads the armed peasants that tried to prevent the -fruit of their hard toil from being carried away. - -And the common folk would say to one another: "Don Juan is soon to -come with his Spaniards, and his Great Highness will come with his -Frenchmen, not Huguenots but Papists: and the Silent, desiring to -rule in peace over Holland, Zealand, Gueldre, Utrecht, Overyssel, -cedes in a secret treaty the lands of Belgium, for Monsieur d'Anjou -to make himself a king therein." - -Some of the commonalty were still confident. "The States," said they, -"have twenty thousand well-armed men, with plenty of cannon and good -cavalry. They will repel all foreign soldiery." - -But the thoughtful ones said: "The States have twenty thousand men -on paper, but not in the field; they lack cavalry and let their -horses be stolen within a league of their camps by the Pater-noster -knechten. They have no artillery, for while needing it at home, -they decided to send one hundred cannon with powder and shot to Don -Sebastian of Portugal; and no man knoweth whither has gone the two -million crowns we have paid on four occasions by way of taxes and -contributions; the citizens of Ghent and Brussels are arming, Ghent -for the Reformation, and Brussels even as Ghent; at Brussels the women -play the tambourine while their men toil at the ramparts. And Ghent -the Bold is sending to Brussels the Gay powder and cannon, the which -she lacketh for her defence against the Malcontents and the Spaniards." - -And man by man in the towns and the flat country, in 't plat landt, -sees that trust cannot be placed either in the lords or in many -another. "And we citizens and common folk are sore at heart for that -giving our money and ready to give our blood, we see that nothing goes -forward for the good of the country of our sires. And the Belgian land -is cowed and angered, having no trusty chiefs to give it the chance -of battle and to give it victory, through great effort of arms all -ready against the foes of liberty." - -And the thoughtful folk said among themselves: - -"In the Peace of Ghent, the lords of Holland and of Belgium swore -the abolishment of hate, mutual help between the Belgian Estates and -the Estates of the Netherlands; declared the edicts null and void, -the confiscations cancelled, peace between the two religions; promised -to raze each and every column, trophy, inscription, and effigy set up -by the Duke of Alba to our dishonour. But in the hearts of the chiefs -the hatreds are still afoot; the nobles and the clergy foment division -between the States of the Union; they receive money to pay soldiers, -they keep it for their own gluttony; fifteen thousand law suits for -the recovery of confiscated property are suspended; the Lutherans and -Romans unite against the Calvinists; lawful heirs cannot succeed in -driving the despoilers from out their inheritance; the duke's statue -is on the ground, but the image of the Inquisition is enshrined within -their hearts." - -And the poor commonalty and the woeful burgesses waited ever for the -valiant and trusty chief that would lead them to battle for freedom. - -And they said among themselves: "Where are the illustrious signatories -to the Compromise, all united, so they said, for the good of the -country? Why did these two-faced men make such a 'holy alliance,' -if they were to break it at once? Why meet together with so much -commotion, rouse the king's wrath, to dissolve like cowards and -traitors after? Five hundred as they were, great lords and low lords -banded like brothers, they saved us from the fury of Spain; but they -sacrificed the welfare of the land of Belgium to their own profit, -even as did d'Egmont and de Hoorn. - -"Alas!" said they, "see Don Juan come now, handsome and ambitious, -the enemy of Philip, but more the enemy of his country. He is coming -for the Pope and for himself. Nobles and clergy are traitors." - -And they began a semblance of war. Upon the walls along the main -streets and the little streets of Ghent and Brussels, nay even upon the -masts of the Beggars' ships, were then to be seen posted up the names -of traitors, army chiefs, and commanders of fortresses: the names -of the Count of Liederkerke, who did not defend his castle against -Don Juan; of the provost of Liege, who would have sold the city to -Don Juan; of Messieurs d'Aerschot, de Mansfeldt, de Berlaymont, de -Rassenghien; the name, of the Council of State, of Georges de Lalaing, -governor of Frisia, that of the army leader the seigneur de Rossignol, -an emissary of Don Juan, the go-between for murder between Philip and -Jaureguy, the clumsy assassin of the Prince of Orange; the name of the -Archbishop of Cambrai, who would have given the Spaniards entry into -the town; the names of the Jesuits of Antwerp, offering three casks -of gold to the States--that was two million florins--not to demolish -the castle and to hold it for Don Juan; of the Bishop of Liege; of -Roman preachers defaming and abusing the patriots; of the Bishop of -Utrecht, whom the citizens sent elsewhere to pasture on the grass of -treachery; the orders of begging friars, which intrigued and plotted -at Ghent in favour of Don Juan. The folk of Bois-le-Duc nailed on the -pillory the name of Peter the Carmelite, who helped by their bishop -and his clergy, undertook to hand over the town to Don Juan. - -At Douai they did not indeed hang the rector of the university in -effigy, a man no less Spaniardized; but upon the ships of the Beggars -were seen on the breast of mannikins hanging by their necks the -names of monks, abbots, and prelates, of eighteen hundred rich women -and girls of the nunnery of Malines who with their money sustained, -gilded, and beplumed the country's butchers. - -And on these mannikins, the pillories of traitors, were to be read -the names of the Marquis d'Harrault, the commander of the fortress -of Philippeville, wasting and squandering munitions of war and food -uselessly in order to give up the place to the enemy under pretence of -a lack of provisions; the name of Belver, who surrendered Lembourg, -when the town might have held out another eight months; that of the -President of the Council of Flanders; of the magistrate of Bruges, -of the magistrate of Malines, holding their towns for Don Juan, -of the members of the Exchequer Council of Guelderland, closed by -reason of treachery; of those of the Council of Brabant, of the -Chancellery of the Duchy; of the Privy Council and the Council of -Finance; of the Grand Bailiff and the Burgomaster of Menin; and of -the ill neighbours of Artois, who gave passage without let to two -thousand Frenchmen bent upon pillage. - -"Alas!" said the city folk among themselves, "here is the Duke of Anjou -with a footing in our country: he would fain be king among us; did ye -behold him entering into Mons, a little man, with fat hips, big nose, -a yellow phiz, a fleering mouth? 'Tis a great prince, loving loves -out of the common; he is called, that he may have in his name woman's -grace and man's force, Monseigneur monsieur Sa Grande Altesse d'Anjou." - -Ulenspiegel was pensive. And he sang: - - - "Blue are the skies, the clear bright skies; - Cover the banners all in crepe, - With crepe the handle of the sword; - Hide every gem; - Turn the mirrors over; - I sing the song of Death, - The traitors' song. - - "They have set foot upon the belly - And on the bosom of the proud lands - Of Brabant, Flanders, Hainault, - Antwerp, Artois, Luxembourg. - Nobles and clergy are traitors; - The bait of reward allures them. - I sing the traitors' song. - - "When the foe sacks everywhere, - When the Spaniard enters Antwerp, - Abbes, prelates, and army chiefs - Go through the streets of the town, - Clad in silk, bedecked with gold, - Their faces shining with good wine, - Displaying thus their infamy. - - "And through them, the Inquisition - Will wake again in high triumph, - And new Titelmans - Will arrest the deaf and dumb - For heresy. - I sing the traitors' song. - - "Signatories to the Compromise. - Coward signatories, - Be your names all accursed! - Where are ye in the hour of war? - Ye march like corbies - In the Spaniards' train. - Beat upon the drum of woe. - - "Land of Belgium, future years - Will condemn thee for that thou, - All in arms, didst let thyself be pillaged. - Future, hasten not; - See the traitors labouring: - There are twenty, a thousand, - Filling every post, - The great give them to the little. - - "They have plotted and agreed - That they might fetter all defence, - With discord and sloth, - Their treacherous devices. - Cover the mirrors with crepe - And the hilts of the swords. - 'Tis the traitors' song. - - "They declare rebels - All Spaniards and malcontents; - Forbid to help them - With bread or shelter, - With lead or powder. - If any are taken to be hanged, - To be hanged, - They release them at once. - - "'Up!' say the men of Brussels, - 'Up!' say the men of Ghent - And the Belgian commons, - Poor men, they mean to crush you - Between the king - And the Pope who launches - The crusade against Flanders. - - "They come, the hirelings, - At the smell of blood; - Bands of dogs, - Of serpents and hyaenas. - They hunger, they are athirst. - Poor land of our sires, - Ripe for ruin and death. - - "'Tis not Don Juan - That makes ready the task - For Farnese, the Pope's minion. - But those thou didst load - With gold and distinctions, - Who confessed thy women - Thy girls and thy children! - - "They have flung thee to ground - And the Spaniard holds - The knife at thy throat; - They jeer at thee, - Feasting at Brussels - The coming of Orange. - - "When on the canal were seen - So many fireworks - Exploding their joy, - So many triumphing boats, - Paintings, tapestries, - They were playing, O Belgium, - The old tale of Joseph - Sold by his brothers." - - - - - -III - -Seeing that he was allowed to say what he pleased, the monk lifted -up his nose on board the ship; and the sailors and soldiers, to make -him the more ready and eager to preach, slandered Madame the Virgin, -Messieurs the Saints, and the pious practices of the Holy Roman Church. - -Then, becoming enraged, he vomited out a flood of abuse against them. - -"Aye!" he cried, "aye, here am I then in the den of the Beggars! Yea, -these are indeed those accursed devourers of the land! Yea. And -they say that the Inquisitor, that holy man, has burned too many of -them! Nay: there is still some of the filthy vermin left. Aye, on -these goodly and gallant ships of our Lord the King, once so clean -and well scoured, now can be seen the vermin of the Beggars, aye, -the stinking vermin. Aye, they are vermin, foul, stinking, infamous -vermin, the singing captain, the cook with his belly filled with -impiety, and all of them with their blasphemous crescents. When the -king will have his ships scoured with the suds of artillery, it will -need more than a hundred thousand florins' worth of powder and cannon -shot to clear away this filthy, beastly stinking infection. Aye, -ye were all born in Madame Lucifer's alcove, condemned to dwell -with Satanas between walls of vermin, under curtains of vermin, on -mattresses of vermin. Yea, and there it was that in their infamous -loves they begat and conceived the Beggars. Aye, and I spit upon you." - -At this word the Beggars said to him: - -"Why do we keep here this idle rascal, who is good for nothing but -to spew up insults? Let us hang him rather." - -And they set about doing it. - -The monk, seeing the rope ready, the ladder propped against the mast, -and that they were about to bind his hands, said woefully: - -"Have pity upon me, Messieurs the Beggars, it is the demon of anger -that speaks in my heart and not your humble captive, a poor monk that -hath but one only neck in this world: gracious lords, have mercy: -shut my mouth if ye will with a choke-pear; 'tis a bitter fruit, -but hang me not." - -But they, without giving heed, and despite his furious struggles, -were dragging him towards the ladder. He cried then so shrill and -loud that Lamme said to Ulenspiegel, who was with him and tending -him in the cook's galley: - -"My son! my son! they have stolen a pig from the stable, and they -are making off. Oh, the robbers! if I could but rise!" - -Ulenspiegel went up and saw nothing but the monk. And he, catching -sight of Ulenspiegel, fell upon his knees, with his hands outstretched -to him. - -"Messire Captain," said he, "captain of the valiant Beggars, -redoubtable on land and on sea, your soldiers are fain to hang me -because I have transgressed with my tongue: 'tis an unjust punishment, -Messire Captain, for so must all advocates, procurators, preachers, -and women, be given a hempen collar, and the world would be unpeopled; -Messire, save me from the rope. I shall pray for you; you will never -be damned: grant me pardon. The devil of prating carried me away and -made me speak without ceasing: 'tis a mighty misfortune. My poor bile -soured then and made me say a thousand things I never think. Grace, -Messire Captain, and you, Messieurs, intercede for me." - -Suddenly Lamme appeared on the deck in his shirt and said: - -"Captain and friends, 'twas not the pig but the monk that was -squealing; I am overjoyed. Ulenspiegel, my son, I have conceived a -high design with regard to His Paternity; give him his life, but leave -him not at liberty, else will he do some ill trick upon the ship: -rather have a cage built for him on the deck, a strait cage well -opened and airy, where he can do no more than sit down and sleep; -such a one as they make for capons; let me feed him, and let him be -hanged if he does not eat as much as I will." - -"Let him be hanged if he will not eat," said Ulenspiegel and the -Beggars. - -"What dost thou mean to do with me, big man?" said the monk. - -"Thou shalt see," replied Lamme. - -And Ulenspiegel did as Lamme wished, and the monk was put in a cage, -and all could contemplate him at their leisure. - -Lamme had gone down into his galley; Ulenspiegel followed and heard -him disputing with Nele: - -"I will not lie down," he was saying, "no, I will not lie down to -have others groping and fumbling with my sauces; no, I will not stay -in my bed, like a calf!" - -"Do not be angry, Lamme," said Nele, "or your wound will reopen and -you will die." - -"Well," said he, "I will die: I am tired of living without my wife. Is -it not enough for me to have lost her, without your trying furthermore -to prevent me, me the master cook of this place, from myself keeping -watch over the soup? Know ye not that there is a health inherent in -the steam of sauces and fricassees? They even nourish my spirit and -armour me against misfortunes." - -"Lamme," said Nele, "thou must needs hearken to our counsel and let -thyself be healed by us." - -"I am fain to let myself be healed," said Lamme: "but rather than -another should enter here, some ignorant good-for-naught, a frowsy, -ulcerous, blear-eyed, dropping nosed fellow, and come to king it as -master cook in my place, and paddle with his filthy fingers in my -sauces, I would rather kill him with my wooden ladle, which would be -iron for that task." - -"All the same," said Ulenspiegel, "thou must have an assistant; -thou art sick...." - -"An assistant for me," said Lamme, "for me, an assistant! Art thou then -stuffed with naught but ingratitude, as a sausage is full of minced -meat? An assistant, my son, and 'tis thou that dost say so to me, thy -friend, who have nourished thee so long time and so succulently! Now -will my wound reopen. False friend, who then would dress thy food -like me? What would ye do, ye two, if I were not there to give thee, -chief-captain, and thee, Nele, some dainty stew or other?" - -"We will work ourselves in the galley," said Ulenspiegel. - -"Cooking," said Lamme: "thou art good to eat of it, to smell it, to -sniff it up, but to perform it, no: poor friend and chief-captain, -saving your respect, I could make thee eat leather wallets cut up -into ribbons, and thou wouldst take it for toughish tripe: leave me, -my son, to be still the master cook of here, else I shall dry up, -like a lathstick." - -"Remain master cook then," said Ulenspiegel; "if thou dost not heal, -I will shut up the galley and we shall eat naught save biscuits." - -"Ah! my son," said Lamme, weeping for joy, "thou art good and kind -as Notre Dame herself." - - - - - -IV - -And in any case he appeared to be healing. - -Every Saturday the Beggars saw him measuring the monk's waist girth -with a long leather thong. - -The first Saturday he said: - -"Four feet." - -And measuring himself, he said: - -"Four feet and a half." - -And he seemed melancholy. - -But, speaking of the monk, on the eighth Saturday he was full of joy -and said: - -"Four feet and three quarters." - -And the monk, angry, when he took his measure, would say to him: - -"What do you want with me, big man?" - -But Lamme would put out his tongue at him without a word. - -And seven times a day, the sailors and soldiers saw him come with a -new dish, saying to the monk: - -"Here be rich beans in Flemish butter: didst thou eat the like in -thy monastery? Thou hast a goodly phiz; there is no starving on this -ship. Dost thou not feel cushions of fat coming on thy back? Before -long thou wilt have no need of a mattress to lie on." - -At the monk's second meal: - -"Here," he would say, "there are koeke-bakken after the Brussels -fashion; the French folk call them crepes, for they wear crapes on -their kerchiefs for a sign of mourning: these are not black, but -fair of hue and golden browned in the oven: seest thou the butter -streaming off them? So shall it be with thy belly." - -"I have no hunger," the monk would say. - -"Thou must needs eat," was Lamme's answer. "Dost thou deem that -these are pancakes of buckwheat? 'tis pure wheat, my father, father -in grease, fine flour of the wheat, my father with the four chins: -already I see the fifth one coming, and my heart rejoices. Eat." - -"Leave me in peace, big man," said the monk. - -Lamme, becoming wrathful, would reply: - -"I am the lord and disposer of thy life: dost thou prefer the rope -to a good bowl of pea soup with sippets, such as I am about to fetch -thee presently?" - -And coming with the bowl: - -"Pea soup," quoth Lamme, "loves to be eaten in company: and therefore -I have just added thereto knoedels of Germany, goodly dumplings of -Corinth flour, cast all alive into boiling water: they are heavy, -but make plenteous fat. Eat all thou canst; the more thou dost eat -the greater my joy: do not feign disgust; breathe not so hard as -if thou hadst over much: eat. Is it not better to eat than to be -hanged? Let's see thy thigh! it thickens also; two feet seven inches -round about. Where is the ham that measureth as much?" - -An hour after he came back to the monk: - -"Come," said he, "here are nine pigeons: they have been slaughtered for -thee, these innocent beasts that wont to fly unfearing above the ships: -disdain them not; I have put into their bellies a ball of butter, -breadcrumbs, grated nutmeg, cloves pounded in a brass mortar shining -like thy skin: Master Sun rejoices to be able to admire himself in -a face as bright as thine, by reason of the grease, the good grease -I have made for thee." - -At the fifth meal he would fetch him a waterzoey. - -"What thinkest thou," quoth he, "of this hodgepodge of fish? The sea -carries thee and feedeth thee: she could do no more for the King's -Majesty. Aye, aye, I can see the fifth chin visibly a-coming a little -more on the left side than on the right side: we must fatten up this -side that is neglected, for God saith to us: 'Be just to each.' Where -would justice be, if not in an equitable distributing of grease? I will -bring thee for thy sixth repast mussels, those oysters of the poor, -such as they never served thee in thy convent: ignorant folk boil -them and eat them so; but that is but the prologue to the fricassee; -they must next be stripped of their shells, and their gentle bodies -put in a pan, then stewed delicately with celery, nutmeg, and cloves, -and bind the sauce with beer and flour, and serve them with buttered -toast. I have done them in this fashion for thee. Why do children -owe so great a gratitude to their fathers and mothers? Because they -have given them shelter and love, but beyond all things, food: thou -oughtest then to love me as thy father and thy mother, and even as -to them thou owest me the gratitude of thy stomach: roll not against -me then such savage eyes. - -"Presently I shall bring thee a soup of beer and flour, well sweetened -with cinnamon a-plenty. Knowest thou for why? That thy fat may -become translucent and shiver upon thy skin: such it is seen when -thou movest. Now here is the curfew ringing: sleep in peace, taking -no thought for the morrow, certain to find thy succulent repasts once -more, and thy friend Lamme to give them thee without fail." - -"Begone and leave me to pray to God," said the monk. - -"Pray," said Lamme, "pray with the cheerful music of snoring: beer -and sleep will make grease for thee, goodly grease. For my part, -I am glad of it." - -And Lamme went off to put himself in bed. - -And the sailors and soldiers would say to him: - -"Why, then, do you feed so richly this monk that wishes thee no good?" - -"Let me alone," said Lamme, "I am accomplishing a mighty work." - - - - - -V - -December was come, the month of long dark nights. Ulenspiegel sang: - - - "Monseigneur Sa Grande Altesse - Takes off his mask, - Eager to reign over the Belgian land. - The Estates Spaniardized - But not Angevined - Deal with the taxes. - Beat upon the drum - Of Anjou's thwarting. - - "They have within their power - Domains, excise, and funds, - Making of magistrates - And offices as well. - He hateth the Reformed - Monsieur Sa Grande Altesse, - An atheist in France - Oh! Anjou's thwarting. - - "For he would fain be king - By the sword and by force, - King absolute in all. - This Monseigneur, this Grande Altesse; - Fain would he foully seize - Many fair towns, yea, Antwerp, too; - Signorkes and pagaders rise early, - Oh! Anjou's thwarting! - - "'Tis not upon thee, France, - That this folk rushes, mad with rage; - These deadly weaponed blows - Fall not upon thy noble body; - And they are not thy offspring - Whose corpses in great heaps - Choke the Kip-Dorp Gate. - Oh! the thwarting of Anjou! - - "No, these are no sons of thine - The people fling from the ramparts. - 'Tis the High Highness of Anjou, - The passive libertine Anjou, - Living, France, on thy very blood, - And eager to drink ours; - But 'twixt the cup and lip.... - Oh! the thwarting of Anjou. - - "Monsieur Sa Grande Altesse. - In a defenceless town - Cried, 'Kill! kill! Long live the Mass!' - With his handsome minions, - With eyes wherein gleams - The shameful fire, impudent, restless, - Lust without love. - Oh! the thwarting of Anjou! - - "'Tis they that are smitten, not thee, poor folk, - On whom they weigh with tax, - Salt tax, poll tax, deflowering, - Contemning thee, making thee give - Thy corn, thy horses, thy wains, - Thou that art a father to them. - Oh! the thwarting of Anjou! - - "Thou that art a mother to them, - Suckling the misbehaviour - Of these parricides that sully - Thy name abroad, France, that dost feast - On the savours of their glory - When they add by savage feast. - Oh! the thwarting of Anjou! - - "A floret to thy soldier crown, - A province to thy territory. - Give the stupid cock 'Lust and battle' - Thy foot on the neck. - People of France, people of men, - The foot that treads them down! - And all the peoples will love thee - For the thwarting of Anjou." - - - - - -VI - -In May, when the peasant women of Flanders by night throw backwards -slowly over their heads three black beans to keep them from sickness -and death, Lamme's wound opened again: he had a high fever and asked -to be laid on the deck of the ship, over against the monk's cage. - -Ulenspiegel was very willing; but for fear lest his friend might fall -into the sea in a fever fit, he had him strongly fastened down upon -his bed. - -In his interludes of reason, Lamme incessantly enjoined on them not -to forget the monk: and he thrust out his tongue at him. - -And the monk said: - -"Thou dost insult me, big man." - -"Nay," replied Lamme, "I am fattening thee." - -The wind blew soft, the sun shone warm; Lamme in his fever was securely -tied on his bed, so that in his witless spasms of leaping he might -not jump over the side of the ship; and deeming himself still in his -galley, he said: - -"This fire is bright to-day. Soon it will rain ortolans. Wife, spread -snares in our orchard. Thou art lovely thus, with thy sleeves rolled -up to the elbow. Thy arm is white, I would fain bite it, bite with -my lips that are teeth of live velvet. Whose is this lovely flesh, -whose those lovely breasts showing beneath thy white jacket of -fine linen? Mine, my sweet treasure. Who will make the fricassee of -cock's comb and chickens' rumps? Not too much nutmeg, it brings on -fever. White sauce, thyme, and laurel: where are the yolks of eggs?" - -Then making a sign for Ulenspiegel to bring his ear close to his mouth, -he said to him in a low voice: - -"Presently it will rain venison; I shall keep thee four ortolans more -than the others. Thou art the captain; betray me not." - -Then hearing the sea beat softly on the ship's side: - -"The soup is boiling, my son; the soup is boiling, but how slow is -this fire to heat up!" - -As soon as he recovered his wits, he said, speaking of the monk: - -"Where is he? doth he grow in grease?" - -Seeing him then, he put out his tongue at him and said: - -"The great work is being accomplished; I am content." - -One day he asked to have the great scales set up on the deck, and -to be set in it, he on one pan, the monk on the other: scarcely -was the monk in place than Lamme soared like an arrow in the air, -and rejoicing, he said, looking at him: - -"He weighs it down! he weighs it down! I am a weightless spirit beside -him: I will fly in the air like a bird. I have my idea: take him -away that I may come down; now put on the weights. Put him back. What -does he weigh? Three hundred and fourteen pounds. And I? Two hundred -and twenty." - - - - - -VII - -The night of the day after this, when the dawn was rising gray, -Ulenspiegel was awakened by Lamme crying: - -"Ulenspiegel! Ulenspiegel! help, rescue, keep her from going away. Cut -the cords! cut the cords!" - -Ulenspiegel came up on the deck and said: - -"Why dost thou call out? I see naught." - -"'Tis she," replied Lamme, "she, my wife, there, in that skiff rounding -that flyboat; aye, that flyboat whence there came the sound of singing -and the viol strings." - -Nele had come up on deck. - -"Cut the cords, my dear," said Lamme. "Seest thou not that my wound is -cured, her soft hand hath healed it; she, aye, she. Dost thou see her -standing up in the skiff? Dost thou hear? she is singing still. Come, -my beloved, come; flee not from thy poor Lamme, who was so lonely in -the world without thee." - -Nele took his hand, touched his face. - -"He hath the fever still," she said. - -"Cut the cords," said Lamme; "give me a skiff! I am alive, I am happy, -I am healed!" - -Ulenspiegel cut the cords: Lamme, leaping from his bed in breeches -of white linen, without a doublet, set to work himself to lower away -the skiff. - -"See him," said Nele to Ulenspiegel: "his hands tremble with impatience -as they work." - -The skiff ready, Ulenspiegel, Nele, and Lamme went down into it -with an oarsman, and set off towards the flyboat anchored far off in -the harbour. - -"See the goodly flyboat," said Lamme, helping the oarsman. - -On the fresh morning sky, coloured like crystal gilded by the rays -of the young sun, the flyboat showed up her hull and her elegant masts. - -While Lamme rowed: - -"Tell us now how didst find her again," asked Ulenspiegel. - -Lamme replied, speaking in jerks: - -"I was sleeping, already much better. All at once a dull noise. A -piece of wood struck the ship. A skiff. A sailor hurries up at the -noise: 'Who goes there?' A soft voice, her voice, my son, her voice, -her sweet voice: 'Friends.' Then a deeper voice: 'Long live the -Beggar: the commander of the flyboat Johannah to speak with Lamme -Goedzak.' The sailor drops the ladder. The moon was shining. I see a -man's shape coming up on to the deck: strong hips, round knees, wide -pelvis; I say to myself: 'a pretended man': I feel as it might be -a rose opening and touching my cheek: her mouth, my son, and I hear -her saying to me, she--dost thou follow?--herself, covering me with -kisses and with tears: 'twas liquid perfumed fire falling on my body: -'I know I am sinning; but I love thee, my husband! I have sworn before -God: I am breaking my oath, my man, my poor man! I have come often -without daring to come nigh thee; the sailor at last allowed me: -I dressed thy wound, thou knewest me not; but I have healed thee; -be not wroth, my man! I have followed thee, but I am afraid; he is -upon this ship, let me go; if he saw me he would curse me and I should -burn in the everlasting fire!' She kissed me again, weeping and happy, -and went away in spite of me, despite my tears: thou hadst bound me -hand and foot, my son, but now...." - -And saying this he bent mightily to his oars: 'twas like the taut -string of a bow that launches the arrow forthright. - -As they approached the flyboat, Lamme said: - -"There she is, upon the deck, playing the viol, my darling wife with -her hair of golden brown, with the brown eyes, the cheeks still fresh -and young, the bare round arms, the white hands. Leap onward, skiff, -over the sea!" - -The captain of the flyboat, seeing the skiff coming up and Lamme -rowing like a demon, had a ladder dropped from the deck. When Lamme -was by it, he leapt from the skiff on to the ladder at the risk of -tumbling into the sea, thrusting the skiff three fathoms behind him -and more; and climbing like a cat up to the deck, ran to his wife, -who swooning with joy, kissed and embraced him, saying: - -"Lamme! come not to take me: I have sworn to God, but I love -thee. Ah! dear husband!" - -Nele cried out: - -"It is Calleken Huybrechts, the pretty Calleken." - -"'Tis I," said she, "but alas! the hour of noon has gone by for -my beauty." - -And she seemed wretched. - -"What hast thou done?" said Lamme: "what became of thee? Why didst -thou leave me? Why wilt thou leave me now?" - -"Listen," said she, "and be not wroth; I will tell thee: knowing -that all monks are men of God I confided in one of them: his name -was Broer Cornelis Adriaensen." - -Hearing which Lamme: - -"What!" said he, "that wicked hypocrite who had a sewer mouth, full -of filth and dirt, and spoke of naught but spilling the blood of the -Reformed; what! that praiser of the Inquisition and the edicts! Ah, -it was a blackguardly good-for-naught rascal!" - -Calleken said: - -"Do not insult the man of God." - -"The man of God!" said Lamme, "I know him; 'twas a man of filth -and foulness. Wretched fate! my beautiful Calleken fallen into the -hands of this lascivious monk! Come not near me, I will kill thee: -and I that loved her so much! my poor deceived heart that was all -her own! What dost thou come hither for? Why didst thou tend me? thou -shouldst have left me to die. Begone, thou; I would see thee no more, -begone, or I fling thee in the sea. My knife!..." - -She, embracing him: - -"Lamme," said she, "my husband, weep not: I am not what thou deemest: -I have not belonged to this monk." - -"Thou liest," said Lamme, weeping and grinding his teeth both at the -same time. "Ah! I was never jealous, and now I am. Sad passion, anger, -and love, the need to slay and embrace. Begone, thou! no, stay! I -was so good to her! Murder is master in me. My knife! Oh! this burns, -devours, gnaws; thou laughest at me.... - -She embraced him weeping, gentle and submissive. - -"Aye," said he, "I am a fool in my anger: aye, thou didst guard -my honour, that honour a man is mad enough to hang on a woman's -skirts. So it was for that thou wast wont to pick out thy sweetest -smiles to ask me leave to go to the sermon with thy she-friends." - -"Let me speak," said the woman, embracing him. "May I die on the -instant if I deceive thee!" - -"Die, then," said Lamme, "for thou art going to lie." - -"Listen to me," said she. - -"Speak or speak not," said he, "'tis all one to me." - -"Broer Adriaensen," she said, "passed for a good preacher; I went to -hear him: he set the ecclesiastic and celibate estate above all others -as being more proper to win paradise for the faithful. His eloquence -was great and fiery: several wives of good repute, of whom I was one, -and in especial a goodly number of widow women and girls, had their -minds troubled by it. The estate of celibacy being so perfect, he -enjoined upon us to dwell therein: we swore thenceforward no longer -to be spouses...." - -"Save to him, no doubt," said Lamme, weeping. - -"Be silent," said she, angry. - -"Go to," said he, "finish: thou hast fetched me a bitter blow; -I shall never be whole of it." - -"Yea," said she, "my man, when I shall be always with thee." - -And she would fain have embraced and kissed him, but he repulsed her. - -"The widows," said she, "swore between his hands never to marry again." - -And Lamme listened to her, lost in his jealous musing. - -Calleken, shamefaced, went on: - -"He desired," she said, "to have no penitents save young and beauteous -wives or maids: the others he sent back to their own cures. He -established an order of devotees, making us all swear to have no other -confessors but himself only: I swore it; my companions, more initiate -than I, asked me if I was fain to be instructed in the Holy Discipline -and the Holy Penance: I wished it. There was at Bruges, at the Stone -Cutters' Quay, by the convent of the Franciscan friars, a house dwelt -in by a woman called Calle de Najage, who gave girls instruction -and lodging, for a gold carolus by the month: Broer Cornelis could -enter her house without being seen to leave his cloister. It was to -this house I went, into a little chamber where he was alone: there -he ordered me to tell him all my natural and carnal inclinations: at -first I dared not; but in the end I gave way, wept, and told him all." - -"Alas!" wept Lamme, "and this swine monk thus received thy sweet -confession." - -"He still told me, and this is true, my husband, that above earthly -modesty is a celestial modesty, through which we make unto God -the sacrifice of our earthly shames, and that thus we avow to our -confessors all our secret desires, and are then worthy to receive -the Holy Discipline and the Holy Penance. - -"In the end he made me strip naked before him, to receive upon my body, -which had sinned, the too-light chastisement of my faults. One day -he made me unclothe myself; I fainted when I must let my body linen -fall: he revived me with salts and flasks.--''Tis well for this time, -daughter,' said he, 'come back in two days' time and bring a rod.' That -went on for long without ever ... I swear it before God and all his -saints ... my man ... understand me ... look at me ... see if I lie: -I remained pure and faithful ... I loved thee." - -"Poor sweet body," said Lamme, "O stain upon thy marriage robe!" - -"Lamme," said she, "he spoke in the name of God and of our Holy -Mother Church; was I not to listen to him? I loved thee always, -but I had sworn to the Virgin, by dreadful oaths, to deny myself to -thee: yet I was weak, weak to thee. Dost thou recall the hostelry -of Bruges? I was at the house of Calle de Najage thou didst pass by -upon thine ass with Ulenspiegel. I followed thee; I had a goodly sum -of money; I spent nothing ever for myself. I saw thee an hungered: -my heart pulled towards thee, I had pity and love." - -"Where is he now?" asked Ulenspiegel. - -Calleken replied: - -"After an inquiry ordered by the magistrate and an investigation -of evil men, Broer Andriaensen must needs leave Bruges, and took -refuge in Antwerp. They told me on the flyboat that my man had made -him prisoner." - -"What!" said Lamme, "this monk I am fattening is...." - -"He," answered Calleken, hiding her face. - -"A hatchet! a hatchet!" said Lamme, "let me kill him, let me auction -his fat, the lascivious he-goat! Quick, let us back to the ship. The -skiff! where is the skiff?" - -Nele said to him: - -"'Tis a foul cruelty to kill or to wound a prisoner." - -"Thou lookest on me with a cruel eye; wouldst thou prevent me?" said -he. - -"Aye," said she. - -"Well, then," said Lamme, "I will do him no hurt: let me only fetch -him out from his cage. The skiff! where is the skiff?" - -They climbed down into it speedily; Lamme made haste to row, weeping -the while. - -"Thou art sad, husband?" said Calleken to him. - -"Nay," said he, "I am glad: doubtless thou wilt never leave me again?" - -"Never!" said she. - -"Thou wast pure and faithful, thou sayest; but, sweet, my darling, -beloved Calleken, I lived but to find thee, and lo, now, thanks to this -monk, there will be poison in all our happiness, poison of jealousy -... as soon as I am sad or but only tired, I shall see thee naked, -submitting thy lovely body to that infamous flagellation. The spring -time of our loves was mine, but the summer was for him; the autumn -will be gray, soon will come the winter to bury my faithful love." - -"Thou art weeping?" said she. - -"Aye," quoth he, "what is past can never come again." - -Then Nele said: - -"If Calleken was faithful, she ought to leave thee alone for thy -ill words." - -"He knoweth not how I love him," said Calleken. - -"Dost thou say true?" cried Lamme; "come, darling; come, my wife; -there is no longer gray autumn nor winter that diggeth graves." - -And he seemed cheerful, and they came to the ship. - -Ulenspiegel gave Lamme the keys of the cage, and he opened it; he -tried to pull the monk out on the deck by the ear, but he could not; -he tried to fetch him out sideways, he could not do that, either. - -"We must break all; the capon is fattened," said he. - -The monk then came forth, rolling about big daunted eyes, holding -his paunch with both hands, and fell down on his seat because of a -great wave that passed beneath the ship. - -And Lamme, speaking to the monk: - -"Wilt thou still say, 'big man'? Thou art bigger than I. Who made -thee seven meals a day? I. Whence cometh it, bawler, that now thou -art quieter, milder towards the poor Beggars?" - -And continuing further: - -"If thou dost stay another year encaged, thou wilt not be able to -come out again: thy cheeks quiver like pork jelly when thou dost move: -thou criest no longer already; soon thou wilt not be able to breathe." - -"Hold thy peace, big man," said the monk. - -"Big man," said Lamme, becoming furious; "I am Lamme Goedzak, thou art -Broer Dikzak, Vetzak, Leugenzak, Slokkenzak, Wulpszak, the friar big -sack, grease sack, lying sack, cram sack, lust sack: thou hast four -fingers deep of fat under thy skin, thy eyes can be seen no longer: -Ulenspiegel and I would both lodge comfortably within the cathedral -of thy belly! Thou didst call me big man; wilt thou have a mirror -to study thy Bellyness? 'Tis I that fed thee, thou monument of flesh -and bone. I have sworn that thou wouldst spit grease, sweat grease, -and leave behind thee spots of grease like a candle melting in the -sun. They say that apoplexy cometh with the seventh chin; thou hast -five and a half by now." - -Then to the Beggars: - -"Look at this lecher! 'tis Broer Cornelis Adriaensen Rascalsen, -of Bruges: there he preached the new modesty. His grease is his -punishment; his grease is my work. Hear now, all ye sailors and -soldiers: I am about to leave you, to leave thee, thee, Ulenspiegel, -to leave thee, too, thee, little Nele, to go to Flushing where I have -property, to live there with my poor wife that I have found again. Of -yore ye took an oath to grant me all that I might ask of you...." - -"On the word of the Beggars," said they. - -"Then," said Lamme, "look on this lecher, this Broer Adriaensen -Rascalsen of Bruges; I swore to make him die of fatness like a hog; -construct a wider cage, force him to take twelve meals a day instead of -seven; give him a rich and sugared diet: he is like an ox already; see -that he be like an elephant, and ye will soon see him fill the cage." - -"We shall fatten him," said they. - -"And now," went on Lamme, speaking to the monk, "I bid thee also adieu, -rascal, thee whom I cause to be fed monkishly instead of having thee -hanged: grow in grease and in apoplexy." - -Then taking his wife Calleken in his arms: - -"Look, growl or bellow, I take her from thee; thou shalt whip her -never more." - -But the monk, falling in a fury and speaking to Calleken: - -"Thou art going away then, carnal woman, to the bed of lust! Aye, -thou goest without pity for the poor martyr for the word of God, that -taught thee the holy, sweet, celestial discipline. Be accursed! May no -priest give thee absolution; may earth be burning underneath thy feet; -may sugar be salt to thee; may beef be as dead dog to thee; may thy -bread be ashes; may the sun be ice to thee, and the snow hell fire; -may thy child-bearing be accursed; may thy children be detestable; -may they have the bodies of apes, pigs' heads greater than their -bellies; mayst thou suffer, weep, moan in this world and in the other, -in the hell that awaits thee, the hell of sulphur and bitumen kindled -for females such as thou art. Thou didst refuse my fatherly love: -be thrice accursed by the Blessed Trinity, seven times accursed by -the candlesticks of the Ark; may confession be to thee damnation; -may the Host to thee be mortal poison, and may every paving stone in -the church rise up to crush thee and say to thee: 'This woman is the -fornicator, this woman is accursed, this woman is damned'." - -And Lamme, rejoicing, jumping for joy, said: - -"She was faithful; he said it, the monk: hurrah for Calleken!" - -But she, weeping and trembling: - -"Remove it," she said, "my man, remove this curse from over me. I -see hell! Remove the curse!" - -"Take off the curse," said Lamme. - -"I will not, big man," rejoined the monk. - -And the woman remained all pale and swooning, and on her knees with -hands folded she besought Broer Adriaensen. - -And Lamme said to the monk: - -"Take off thy curse, else thou shalt hang, and if the rope breaks -because of thy weight, thou shalt be hanged again and again until -death ensues." - -"Hanged and hanged again," said the Beggars. - -"Then," said the monk to Calleken, "go, wanton, go with this big man; -go, I lift my curse from thee, but God and all the saints will have -their eyes upon thee; go with this big man, go." - -And he held his peace, sweating and puffing. - -Suddenly Lamme cried out: - -"He puffs, he puffs! I see the sixth chin; at the seventh 'tis -apoplexy! And now," said he to the Beggars: - -"I commend you to God, thou Ulenspiegel; to God, you all my good -friends, to God, thou Nele; to God the holy inspirer of liberty: -I can do no more for her cause." - -Then having given all and taken from all the kiss of parting, he said -to his wife Calleken: - -"Come, it is the hour for lawful loves." - -While the boat was slipping over the water, carrying off Lamme and -his beloved, he in the stern, soldiers, sailors, and cabin boys all -called out, waving their caps: "Adieu, brother; adieu, Lamme; adieu, -brother, brother and friend." - -And Nele said to Ulenspiegel, taking a tear from out the corner of -his eye with her dainty finger: - -"Thou art sad, my beloved?" - -"He was a good fellow," said he. - -"Ah!" said she, "this war will never end; shall we be forced to live -forever in blood and in tears?" - -"Let us seek out the Seven," said Ulenspiegel: "it draws nigh, the -hour of deliverance." - -Following Lamme's behest, the Beggars fattened the monk in his -cage. When he was set at liberty, in consideration of ransom, -he weighed three hundred and seventeen pounds and five ounces, -Flemish weight. - -And he died prior of his convent. - - - - - -VIII - -At this time the States General assembled at The Hague to pass -judgment upon Philip, King of Spain, Count of Flanders, of Holland, -etc., according to the charters and privileges consented to by him. - -And the clerk of the court spake as follows: - -"It is to all men of common knowledge that a prince of any land so -ever is established by God as sovereign and chief of his subjects that -he may defend them and preserve them from all wrong, oppression, and -violence, even as a shepherd is ordained for the defence and keeping of -his sheep. It is in like manner known that subjects are not created by -God for the use of the prince, to be obedient unto him in whatsoever -he commandeth, be it seemly or unseemly, just or unjust, nor to serve -in the manner of slaves. But the prince is a prince for his subjects, -without which he could not be, to govern them in accordance with right -and reason, to maintain and love them as a father doth his children, -as a shepherd doth his sheep, hazarding his life to defend them; if he -doth not so, he must needs be held for no prince but a tyrant. Philip -the king hath launched upon us, by calling up of soldiers, by bulls of -crusade and of excommunication, four armies of foreigners. What shall -be his punishment, by virtue of the laws and customs of the country?" - -"Let him be deposed," replied the States. - -"Philip hath played false to his oaths: he hath forgot the services -we rendered him, the victories we aided him to win. Seeing that we -were rich, he left us to be pillaged and put to ransom by the Council -of Spain." - -"Let him be deposed as ungrateful and a robber," replied the States. - -"Philip," the clerk went on, "placed in the most powerful cities -of these countries new bishops, endowing and presenting them with -the goods of the greatest abbeys; and by the help of these men he -introduced the Spanish Inquisition." - -"Let him be deposed as a murderer, the squanderer of others' wealth," -replied the States. - -"The nobles of these countries, seeing this tyranny, presented in the -year 1566 a request wherein they entreated the sovereign to moderate -the rigour of his edicts and in especial those which concerned the -Inquisition: he consistently refused this." - -"Let him be deposed as a tiger abandoned and obstinate in his cruelty," -replied the States. - -The clerk continued: - -"Philip is strongly suspected of having, through the intermediary -of his Council of Spain, secretly inspired the image-breakings and -the sacking of churches, in order to be able, under the pretext -of suppressing crime and disorder, to send foreign armies to march -against us." - -"Let him be deposed as an instrument of death," replied the States. - -"At Antwerp Philip caused the inhabitants to be massacred, ruined -the Flemish merchants and the foreign merchants. He and his Council -of Spain gave a certain Rhoda, a notorious scoundrel, the right by -secret instructions to declare himself the head of the pillagers, to -harvest the booty, to employ his name, the name of Philip the king, to -counterfeit his seals and counterseals, and to comport himself at his -governor and his lieutenant. The royal letters, which were intercepted -and are in our hands, prove this to be the fact. All took place with -his consent and after deliberation in the Council of Spain. Read his -letters; therein he praises the feat of Antwerp, acknowledges that he -hath received a signal service, promises to reward it, enjoins Rhoda -and the other Spaniards to continue to walk in this path of glory." - -"Let him be deposed as a robber, pillager, and murderer," replied -the States. - -"We ask for nothing more than the maintenance of our privileges, a -sincere and assured peace, a moderate freedom, especially with regard -to religion which principally concerns God and man's own conscience: -we had nothing from Philip but deceitful treaties serving to sow -discord between the provinces, to subdue them one after another and -to treat them in the same way as the Indies, by pillage, confiscation, -executions, and the Inquisition." - -"Let him be deposed as an assassin premeditating the murder of a -country," replied the States. - -"He made the country bleed through the Duke of Alba and his catchpolls, -through Medina-Coeli, Requesens, the traitors of the Councils of State -and of the provinces; he enjoined a vigorous and bloody severity upon -Don Juan and Alexander Farnese, Prince of Parma (as may be seen by his -intercepted letters); he set the ban of the empire upon Monseigneur -d'Orange, paid the hire of three assassins before paying a fourth; -erected castles and fortresses among us; had men burned alive, women -and girls buried alive; inherited their goods, strangled Montigny, -de Berghes, and other lords, despite his kingly word; killed his -son Carlos; poisoned the Prince of Ascoly, whom he made espouse -Dona Eufrasia, with child by himself, in order to enrich with his -estates the bastard that was to come; launched an edict against us -that declared us all traitors, that had forfeited our bodies and -our wealth, and committed the crime unheard of in a Christian land, -of confounding innocent and guilty." - -"By all laws, rights, and privileges, let him be deposed," replied -the States. - -And the king's seals were broken. - -And the sun shown on land and sea, gilding the ripened ears, mellowing -the grape, casting pearls on every wave, the adornment of the bride -of the Netherlands, Liberty. - -Then the Prince of Orange, being at Delft, was stricken down by -a fourth assassin, with three bullets in his breast. And he died, -following his motto: "Calm amid the wild waves." - -His enemies said of him that to thwart King Philip, and not hoping -to rule over the Southern Low Countries, which were Catholic, he had -offered them by a secret treaty to Monseigneur Monsieur Sa Grande -Altesse of Anjou. But Anjou was not born to beget the babe Belgium -upon Liberty, who loveth not perverse amours. - -And Ulenspiegel left the fleet with Nele. - -And the fatherland Belgium groaned beneath the yoke, fast bound -by traitors. - - - - - -IX - -They were then in the month of the ripened grain; the air was heavy, -the wind was warm: the reapers, both men and women, could gather in -at their ease in the fields, under the free sky, upon a free soil, -the corn they had sown. - -Frisia, Drenthe, Overyssel, Guelderland, North Brabant, North and South -Holland, Walcheren, North and South Beveland; Duiveland and Schouwen -that make up Zealand; all the shores of the North Sea from Knokke to -Helder; the islands of Texel, Vieland, Ameland, Schiermonk-Oog, were, -from the western Scheldt to the eastern Ems, about to be freed from the -Spanish yoke; Maurice, the son of the Silent, was continuing the war. - -Ulenspiegel and Nele, having their youth, their strength, and their -beauty, for the love and the spirit of Flanders grow never old, were -living snugly in the tower of Neere, waiting till, after many hard -trials, they could come and breathe the air of freedom upon Belgium -the fatherland. - -Ulenspiegel had asked to be appointed commandant and warden of the -tower, saying that having an eagle's eyes and a hare's ears, he could -see if the Spaniard would not attempt to show himself once more in -the delivered countries, and that in that case he would sound wacharm, -which is the alarm in the speech of Flanders. - -The magistrate did as Ulenspiegel wished: because of his good service -he was given a florin a day, two quarts of beer, beans, cheese, -biscuit, and three pounds of beef every week. - -Thus Ulenspiegel and Nele lived very well by themselves two: seeing -from afar, with rejoicing, the free isles of Zealand: near at hand, -woods, castles, fortresses, and the armed ships of the Beggars guarding -the coasts. - -At night they often climbed up on the tower, and there, sitting on the -platform, they talked of hard battles and goodly loves past and to -come. Thence they beheld the sea, which in this time of heat surged -and broke upon the shore in luminous waves, casting them upon the -islands like phantoms of fire. And Nele was affrighted to see the -jack o'lanterns in the polders, for, said she, they are the souls -of the poor dead. And all these places had been battle-fields. The -will o' the wisps swept out from the polders, ran along the dykes, -then came back into the polders as though they had no mind to abandon -the bodies whence they had issued. - -One night Nele said to Ulenspiegel: - -"See how thick they are in Duiveland and how high they fly: 'tis by the -isle of birds I see the most. Wilt thou come thither, Thyl? We shall -take the balsam that discloseth things hid from the eyes of mortals." - -Ulenspiegel answered her: - -"If it is the same balsam that wafted me to that great sabbath, -I trow in it no more than a hollow dream." - -"Thou must not," said Nele, "deny the potency of charms. Come, -Ulenspiegel." - -"I shall come." - -The next day he asked the magistrate that a clear-sighted and trusty -soldier should take his place, to guard the tower and keep watch over -the country. - -And with Nele he went his way to the isle of birds. - -Going across fields and dykes, they beheld little green lush islets, -between which ran the sea water; and upon the slopes of green sward -that came down to the very dunes an immense concourse of plovers, of -sea mews and sea swallows, that stayed motionless and made the islets -all white with their bodies; overhead circled and flew thousands -of the same. The ground was full of nests: Ulenspiegel, stooping -to pick up an egg upon the way, saw a sea mew come flitting to him, -uttering a cry. At his appeal there came more than a hundred others, -crying with grief and fear, hovering above Ulenspiegel and over the -neighbour nests, but they did not venture to come close to him. - -"Ulenspiegel," said Nele, "these birds beg grace for their eggs." - -Then falling a-tremble, she said: - -"I am afeared; there is the sun setting; the sky is white, the stars -awaken; 'tis the spirits' hour. See these red exhalations, gliding -along the earth; Thyl, my beloved, what monster of hell is thus opening -his fiery mouth in the mist? See from the side of Philip's land, where -the butcher king twice for his cruel ambition slaughtered so many poor -men, see the dancing will-o'-the-wisps: 'tis the night when the souls -of poor folk slain in battle quit the cold limbo of purgatory to come -and be warmed again in the soft air of the earth: 'tis the hour when -thou mayst ask aught of Christ, who is the God of good magicians." - -"The ashes beat upon my heart," said Ulenspiegel. "If Christ could -show me these Seven whose ashes cast to the wind were to make Flanders -and the whole world happy!" - -"Man of little faith," said Nele, "thou wilt see them by virtue of -the balsam." - -"Perchance," said Ulenspiegel, pointing to Sirius with a finger, -"if some spirit descends from the cold star." - -At his movement a will-o'-the-wisp flitting about him perched on his -finger, and the more he sought to be rid of it, the tighter it clung. - -Nele trying to set Ulenspiegel free, she, too, had her will-o'-the-wisp -on the tip of her hand. - -Ulenspiegel, striking at his, said: - -"Answer! art thou the spirit of a Beggar or of a Spaniard? If thou be -the soul of a Beggar, depart into paradise; if the soul of a Spaniard, -return into hell whence thou comest." - -Nele said to him: - -"Do not insult souls, were they even the souls of butchers." - -And making the will-o'-the-wisp dance on her finger tip: - -"Wisp," said she, "dear wisp, what tidings dost thou bring us from -the country of souls? What are they employed in over there? Do they -eat and drink, since they have no mouths? for thou hast none, darling -wisp! or do they indeed take human shape only in the blessed paradise?" - -"Canst thou," said Ulenspiegel, "waste time in this fashion conversing -with this wretched flame that hath neither ears to hear thee with -nor mouth to answer thee withal?" - -But without heeding him: - -"Wisp," said Nele, "reply by dancing, for I will ask thee three times: -once in the name of God, once in the name of Madame the Virgin, -and once in the name of the elemental spirits that are messengers -'twixt God and man." - -And she did so, and the wisp danced three times. - -Then Nele said to Ulenspiegel: - -"Take off thy clothes; I shall do the same: here is the silver box -in which is the balsam of vision." - -"'Tis all one to me," said Ulenspiegel. - -Then being unclad and anointed with the balsam of vision, they lay -down beside each other naked on the grass. - -The sea mews were plaining; the thunder was growling dull in the -cloud where the lightning gleamed; the moon scarce displayed between -two clouds the golden horns of her crescent; the will-o'-the-wisps on -Ulenspiegel and Nele betook themselves off to dance with the others -in the meadow. - -Suddenly Ulenspiegel and Nele were caught up in the mighty hand -of a giant who threw them into the air like children's balloons, -caught them again, rolled them one upon the other and kneaded them -between his hands, threw them into the water pools between the hills -and pulled them out again full of seaweed. Then carrying them thus -through space, he sang with a voice that woke all the sea mews -underneath with affright: - - - "That vermin, crawling, biting, - With squinting glances tries - To read the sacred writing - We hide from all men's eyes. - - "Read, flea, the secret rare; - Read, louse, the sacred term - That heaven, earth and air - With seven nails hold firm." - - -And in very deed, Ulenspiegel and Nele saw upon the sward, in the -air and in the sky, seven tablets of shining brass fastened thereto -by seven flaming nails. - -Upon the tablets there was written: - - - Amid the dung May saps arise; - If Seven's ill, yet Seven's well; - The diamond came from coal, they tell; - From foolish teachers, pupils wise-- - If Seven's ill, yet Seven's well. - - -And the giant walked on followed by all the will-o'-the-wisps, which -said, chirping and singing like grasshoppers: - - - "Look well at him, 'tis their Grand Master. - The Pope of popes and Lord of lords, - Can change great Caesar to a pastor: - Look well at him, he's made of boards." - - -Suddenly his features changed; he seemed thinner, sadder, taller. In -one hand he held a sceptre and a sword in the other. And his name -was Pride. - -And casting Nele and Ulenspiegel down upon the ground he said: - -"I am God." - -Then close by him, riding on a goat, there appeared a ruddy girl, -with bared bosom, her robe open, and a lively sparkling eye: her -name was Lust; came then an old Jewess picking up the shells of -sea mews' eggs: she had Avarice to name; and a greedy, gluttonous -monk, devouring chitterlings, stuffing sausages, and champing his -jaws continually like the sow upon which he was mounted: this was -Gluttony; next came Idleness dragging her legs, pallid and puffy, -with dulled eyes, and Anger driving her before her with strokes of -a goad. Idleness, woebegone, was bemoaning herself, and all in tears -fell down upon her knees; then came lean Envy, with a viper's head and -pike's teeth, biting Idleness because she was too much at her ease, -Anger because she was too vivacious, Gluttony because he was too well -stuffed, Lust because she was too red, Avarice for the eggshells, -Pride because he had a purple robe and a crown. And all around danced -the will-o'-the-wisps. - -And speaking with the voices of men, of women, of girls and plaintive -children, they said, moaning and groaning: - -"Pride, father of ambition, Anger, spring of cruelty, ye slew us on -the battle-field, in prisons and with torments, to keep your sceptres -and your crowns! Envy, thou didst destroy in the bud many high and -useful ideas; we are the souls of persecuted inventors: Avarice, -thou didst coin into gold the blood of the poor common folk; we -are the souls of thy victims; Lust, thou mate and sister of murder, -that didst give birth to Nero, to Messalina, to Philip King of Spain, -thou dost buy virtue and pay for corruption; we are the souls of the -dead: Idleness and Gluttony, ye befoul the world, ye must be swept -from out of it; we are the souls of the dead." - -And a voice was heard saying: - - - "Amid the dung May saps arise; - If Seven's ill, yet Seven's well; - For foolish teachers, pupils wise; - To win the coal and ashes, too, - What is the wandering louse to do?" - - -And the will-o'-the-wisps said: - -"The fire, 'tis we, vengeance for the bygone tears, the woes of the -people; vengeance for the lords that hunted human game upon their -lands; vengeance for the fruitless battles, the blood spilt in prisons, -men burned and women and girls buried alive; vengeance for the fettered -and bleeding past. The fire, 'tis we: we are the souls of the dead." - -At these words the Seven were changed to wooden statues, while keeping -every point of their former shape. - -And a voice said: - -"Ulenspiegel, burn the wood." - -And Ulenspiegel turning towards the will-o'-the-wisps: - -"Ye that are fire," said he, "perform your office." - -And the will-o'-the-wisps in a crowd surrounded the Seven, which -burned and were reduced to ashes. - -And a river of blood ran down. - -And from out the ashes rose up seven other shapes; the first said: - -"Pride was I named; I am called Noble Spirit." The others spake in the -same fashion, and Ulenspiegel and Nele saw from Avarice come forth -Economy; from Anger, Vivacity; from Gluttony, Appetite; from Envy, -Emulation; and from Idleness, the Reverie of poets and sages. And Lust -upon her goat was transformed to a beautiful woman whose name was Love. - -And the will-o'-the-wisps danced about them in a happy round. - -Then Ulenspiegel and Nele heard a thousand voices of concealed men -and women, sonorous and laughing voices that sang with a sound as -of castanets: - - - "When over land and sea shall reign - In form transfigured all these seven, - Men, boldly raise your heads to heaven; - The Golden Age has come again." - - -And Ulenspiegel said: "The spirits mock us." - -And a mighty hand seized Nele by the arm and hurled her into space. - -And the spirits chanted: - - - "When the north - Shall kiss the west, - Ruin shall end: - The girdle seek." - - -"Alas!" said Ulenspiegel: "north, west, and girdle. Ye speak obscurely, -ye Spirits." - -And they sang, laughing: - - - "North, 'tis the Netherland: - Belgium is the west; - Girdle is alliance - Girdle is friendship." - - -"Ye are nowise fools, Messieurs the Spirits," said Ulenspiegel. - -And they sang once more, grinning: - - - "The girdle, poor man - Between Netherlands and Belgium - Will be good friendship - And fair alliance. - - "Met raedt - En daedt; - Met doodt - En bloodt. - - "Alliance of counsel - And of deeds, - Of death - And blood - - "If need were, - Were there no Scheldt, - Poor man, no Scheldt." - - -"Alas!" said Ulenspiegel, "such then is our life of anguish: men's -tears and the laughter of destiny." - - - "Alliance of counsel - And of death, - Were there no Scheldt." - - -replied the spirits, grinning. - -And a mighty hand seized Ulenspiegel and hurled him into space. - - - - - -X - -Nele, as she fell, rubbed her eyes and saw naught save the sun rising -amid gilded mists, the tips of the blades of grass all golden also -and the sunrays yellowing the plumage of the sea mews that slept, -but soon awakened. - -Then Nele looked on herself, perceived that she was naked, and clothed -herself in haste; then she beheld Ulenspiegel naked also and covered -him over; thinking him asleep, she shook him, but he moved no more than -a man dead; she was taken with terror. "Have I," she said to herself, -"have I slain my beloved with this balsam of vision? I will die, -too! Ah! Thyl, awaken! He is marble cold." - -Ulenspiegel did not awake. Two nights and a day passed by, and Nele, -fevered with anguish, watched by Ulenspiegel her beloved. - -It was the beginning of the second day, and Nele heard the sound of -a bell, and saw approaching a peasant carrying a shovel: behind him, -wax taper in hand, walked a burgomaster and two aldermen, the cure -of Stavenisse, and a beadle holding a sunshade over him. - -They were going, they said, to administer the holy sacrament of extreme -unction to the valiant Jacobsen who was a Beggar by constraint and -fear, but who, now the danger was past, returned into the bosom of -the Holy Roman Church to die. - -Presently they found themselves face to face with Nele weeping, -and perceived the body of Ulenspiegel stretched out upon the turf, -covered with his clothes. Nele went upon her knees. - -"Daughter," said the burgomaster, "what makest thou by this dead man?" - -Not daring to lift her eyes she replied: - -"I pray for my friend here fallen as though smitten by lightning: -I am all alone now and I am fain to die, too." - -The cure then puffing with pleasure: - -"Ulenspiegel the Beggar is dead," he said, "God be praised! Peasant, -make haste and dig a grave; strip off his clothes before he be buried." - -"Nay," said Nele, standing straight up, "they are not to be taken -from him, he would be cold in the earth." - -"Dig the grave," said the cure to the peasant who carried the shovel. - -"I consent," said Nele, all in tears; "there are no worms in sand that -is full of chalk, and he will remain whole and goodly, my beloved." - -And all distraught, she bent over Ulenspiegel's body, and kissed him -with tears and sobbing. - -The burgomaster, the aldermen, and the peasant were filled with pity, -but the cure ceased not to repeat, rejoicing: "The great Beggar is -dead, God be praised!" - -Then the peasant digged the grave and placed Ulenspiegel therein and -covered him with sand. - -And the cure said the prayers for the dead above the grave: all kneeled -down around it; suddenly there was a great upheaving under the soil -and Ulenspiegel, sneezing and shaking the sand out of his hair, -seized the cure by the throat: - -"Inquisitor!" said he, "thou dost thrust me into the earth alive in -my sleep. Where is Nele? hast thou buried her, too? Who art thou?" - -The cure cried out: - -"The great Beggar returneth into this world. Lord God! receive -my soul!" - -And he took to flight like a stag before the hounds. - -Nele came to Ulenspiegel. - -"Kiss me, my darling," said he. - -Then he looked round him again; the two peasants had fled like the -cure, and had flung down shovel and chair and sunshade to run the -better; the burgomaster and the aldermen, holding their ears with -fright, were whimpering on the turf. - -Ulenspiegel went up to them, and shaking them: - -"Can any bury," said he, "Ulenspiegel the spirit and Nele the heart -of Mother Flanders? She, too, may sleep, but not die. No! Come, Nele." - -And he went forth with her, singing his sixth song, but no man knoweth -where he sang the last one of all. - - - - THE END - - - THE LYRICS IN THIS VERSION OF ULENSPIEGEL HAVE BEEN SPECIALLY - TRANSLATED BY MR. JOHN HERON LEPPER - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Legend of Ulenspiegel, Vol. II (of -2), by Charles de Coster - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LEGEND OF ULENSPIEGEL, VOL II *** - -***** This file should be named 40004.txt or 40004.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/0/0/40004/ - -Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project -Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously -made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |