The Legend of Ulenspiegel Volume Ii Part 50

VIII

At this time the Beggars, among whom were Lamme and Ulenspiegel, took Gorc.u.m. And they were commanded by Captain Marin: this Marin, who had been a workman on the d.y.k.es, disported himself with great haughtiness and sufficiency, and signed with Gaspard Turc, the defender of Gorc.u.m, 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 a.s.sailants.

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 Gorc.u.m. There is among them one, the priest Nicolas, prouder than a peac.o.c.k and fiercer than a tiger. Every time he pa.s.sed 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 bra.s.s. The other monks imitated him. That was the cause of many great oppressions, burnings, and cruel punishments in the town of Gorc.u.m. 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, G.o.d 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 wors.h.i.+ppers, 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 Gorc.u.m 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 s.h.i.+p. 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 amids.h.i.+ps, were all gaping and s.h.i.+vering, though it was July, and the sun was bright and hot, and a gentle breeze filled out the sails of the s.h.i.+p as she glided ma.s.sive 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 Gorc.u.m: "O town of Gorc.u.m!" said he, standing and stretching out his hand, "town of Gorc.u.m! 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 Gorc.u.m! 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 Gorc.u.m! thou art accursed, unfortunate!"

"Accursed, accursed," answered Ulenspiegel, "accursed as the comb that hath pa.s.sed 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, b.o.o.by 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 s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p-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 s.h.i.+p stopped in the Harbour at the Bloemen-Key, the Flower quay; men, women, lads, and la.s.ses 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, "compa.s.sionate soldier."

But the s.h.i.+p 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 hors.e.m.e.n 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 G.o.d no soul that claims him. And yet, Your Excellency, I will do so. Captain Marin, when he signed the capitulation of Gorc.u.m, 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."