Margrave!" answered the king, solemnly, and in a low tone, while his
gaze dwelt on the beautiful winter landscape which lay outstretched
before him. The sun beamed brightly on ford and town. The castle rose
proudly, with its round towers and high battlements, behind the shining
copper roof of the Franciscan monastery. Esbern Snare's five Gothic
church spires pointed boldly towards the heavens from the ancient
church of St. Mary, while furthermost, and near the ford, the sea tower
proudly reared its head. "If my brother can justify himself," continued
the king, "he will surely now not shun my sight, but come to greet me
according to duty and fealty."
"But he surely expects you not--he is perhaps out hunting, or roving
from one domain to another," said the margrave. "The noble junker's
blood is thick.--I have counselled him to be ever on the move, in order
to drive away melancholy fancies. I have often deplored that his
magnanimous hankering after action and distinction hath as yet no
decided object, and so often disturbs the balance of his princely mind,
giving occasion to even his nearest friends and kindred to misjudge
him."
"If I see aright, noble king!" said Count Henrik, shading his eyes with
his hand from the sunshine, "yonder comes a crowd of people towards us
from the town. It must be the burghers, who would show you their
loyalty and devotion."
"Hum! they were also leagued against the Marsk," said the king. "The
people are loyal to me personally--this I know, that were I to pass
through the country as a leprous beggar, no burgher or peasant would
shut his door upon me. In the eyes of many, no doubt, I seem a leper,
since the bishop's ban," he added; "yet I am every where met with
affection. It is only my brother who turns his back upon me, and
refuses me obedience in this time of need."
"The noble junker is surely not here," resumed the margrave, "or he
would certainly never delay to crave your pardon for his commandant's
rashness, and to lead us to his well-appointed table--he hath put the
fortifications of the castle in excellent repair, I perceive--were I in
your grace's place I would thank him for that," he continued.
"Kallundborg is an important spot in time of war, and a good harbour
for your fleet."
"For that very reason no vassal should presume to shut the castle on
the lawful ruler of the land, or his generalissimo," answered the king.
"I cannot but commend your endeavours to excuse my erring brother, Sir
Margrave," he added, abruptly; "and be assured, if he can be
acquitted,--if he can only give me his princely word that he hath had
no share in this contumacy,---he needs not that a stranger should plead
for him, where a brother is his liege and judge."
The margrave bowed courteously, and was silent, while he passed his
hand over his brow, and appeared desirous to hide a look of annoyance.
"Will your grace speak to the burghers now?" asked Count Henrik; "they
seem timidly waiting for permission to approach you."
"They have it of course, count; let them come hither."
Count Henrik rode to meet the lingering burgher crowd, and soon
returned to the king, accompanied by the burgomaster, and twelve of the
oldest burghers of the town, who, clad in their holiday attire, and
with their heads uncovered, reverently greeted their sovereign. After
several salutations, the burgomaster somewhat bashfully and humbly
began his address. "Most mighty liege and sovereign! your grace's
august presence--this poor town's joy at seeing your most royal
grace----"
"Is not very great," interrupted the king; "say it out at once,
burgomaster, and speak without a long-winded preamble! You fear there
may be bounds to my most royal grace this time, and that I mean to call
you to strict account for the reception my Marsk hath met with here."
"Your princely brother, our strict master, the junker, had ordered his
commandant at the castle"--stammered the burgomaster.
"I speak not now of what he hath or hath not commanded his servants,"
interrupted the king. "Such contumacy he himself, or his commandant,
shall answer for. But who enjoined you to refuse obedience to my
ambassadors?"
"The commandant, in the junker's name, and in your own, my liege,"
answered the burgomaster--"although we could not consider the behest as
lawful, or obey it, when the Marsk, with your authority, enjoined us
the reverse, after a short demur, what he demanded was even granted
him, and his people, though it came to cost us all dear."
"What!" interrupted the king, with vehemence, "have ye since been
chastised because you obeyed my orders?"
"We complain not, my liege, and least of all of your august kindred,
and the ruler you have given us--whatever injustice we have suffered is
but trifling, in comparison of our sorrow and shame if we have brought
upon us the displeasure of our noble liege and sovereign."
"You have suffered injustice for your loyalty to me--could I then be
wroth with you, brave burghers?" said the king, with sudden emotion.
"By all the holy men! were I so, I should not longer deserve one loyal
and devoted heart among ye. The injustice ye have suffered shall be
atoned for--we are come hither to call to account for what here hath
been done--where is the junker?"
"We know not, most mighty king!"
"Where is his commandant, then? Why comes he not hither to receive us?"
"He affirms he hath received commands, my liege, which are so hard to
believe that we dare not name them."
"What! Who dares command here when I am present?" exclaimed the king,
with vehemence. "Yet, no; it is impossible," he added, more calmly, and
restrained his impatience. "The man must be sick or mad. Ride to the
castle, Count Henrik, and announce my coming! I will stay the night
here with my knights and an hundred men--you will care for the rest of
the men-at-arms, burgomaster!"
Count Henrik was instantly in motion, and rode down with a small train
towards the castle.
"Mighty king!" resumed the burgomaster, in a timid tone; "my life, and
the lives and property of my fellow burghers are at your service and
the country's; but be not wrath with us, my liege, for what it lay not
in our power to hinder! The castle gate is locked, the draw-bridge
raised, men-at-arms and balista are posted on the outer walls, and the
commandant hath announced to us that he hath orders to fire the town
with burning stones within twenty-four hours from the moment it is
beleaguered by your men-at-arms."
"Doth he rave?" exclaimed the king. "Well, then, away with all grace
and mercy--we will see who is master here.--To horse, my men! You stand
under our royal protection, brave burghers!" he said to the burgomaster
and elders of the town. "If a straw is scorched over your heads for my
sake it shall dearly be atoned for! Every rebel and traitor I will
strictly punish, however high he may carry his head."
"Honour to the king! to Eric, the youthful king!" shouted the
burgomaster, waving his hat; and this well known acclamation (derived
from a national ballad) was re-echoed by the whole burgher troop, amid
the waving of caps and hats.
"Now place, good people!" ordered the king, reining in his steed. "I
will see who dares to lock the gate through which we would enter."
"Permit me to detain your grace one moment," said the Margrave of
Brandenborg, who had again vaulted into his saddle, and now rode
hastily up to the king, with his head uncovered. "Ere you take any
compulsory step, I wish, as an impartial friend both of yours and your
princely brother, to have a minute's conversation with you without
witnesses."
"Well, that shall not be denied you. Sir Margrave--Aside, my friends!"
All withdrew to some distance and the margrave remained in the same
respectful attitude, with his high-plumed hat in his hand. "Your noble
brother hath honoured me with a confidence and friendship which makes
it my duty to plead his cause in his absence--what hath already been
done, and hereafter may be done, against your will, hath undoubtedly
the appearance of contumacy and treason: but it is impossible it should
be according to your noble brother's wish or order, for that,--(pardon
me this expression,)--for that I count him to be at least too _wise_.
Of our inmost heart and mind, He who knoweth the heart of man alone can
judge--I will stand security for Prince Christopher in this matter,
until he can stand forth in person before you to justify himself. I
offer my services to seek him out, and bring him to you. He must
certainly be at Holbek castle, or at Samsoee--Will you promise me so
long to delay every compulsory measure, and at the utmost only to
beleaguer the castle?"
"Well, Sir Margrave! for twenty-four hours I will await him, but not an
hour longer. Till to-morrow at this time I will restrain my just wrath,
and with sheathed sword wait without the gate which hath been
presumptuously shut before mine eyes. But ere I hear another ave from
the pious Franciscans here--the castle shall be in my power; that I
vow, by all the holy men! as surely as I am lord here, and would be
called king in Denmark."
"It is agreed, then, your grace!" answered the margrave, with spirit,
after a moment's deliberation. "If I stand not within twenty-four hours
with your brother acquitted before your sight--then let yon fair castle
mount up in smoke and flames--or take it with a storming hand! Count
Henrik hath no doubt a strong desire to show you his prowess and
generalship. Then I shall have done what lay in my power, and shown you
both, as I trust, that you have had a friend for your guest."
"You have my word for it, Sir Margrave! I shall owe you thanks if your
good purpose succeed. See you how the shadow yonder falls from the
middle spire upon the cloister roof--It marks the bounds of my patience
to-morrow. The Lord and our holy Lady be with us all!" So saying, Eric
waved his right hand, and saluted the margrave, as he spurred his
horse, and rode forward at the head of his troop of warriors. The king
and his knights now rode down the hill in the direction of the castle,
while Margrave Waldemar, with his little train of German and Danish
men-at-arms, proceeded at full gallop on the road to Holbek.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1: "Marsk," a military title, corresponding in some degree to
our field marshal. This office, however, comprises civil as well as
military duties, the marsk being also one of the principal ministers of
state.]
[Footnote 2: The private wrongs committed by Eric the Seventh, surnamed
Glipping, against his Marsk, Stig, a nobleman of high rank, had
rendered him his deadly foe. Stig headed a band of conspirators on the
22d of November, 1286, disguised as Franciscan monks, and murdered him
while asleep in a barn at the village of Finnerup, where he had taken
refuge from their pursuit. The king's chamberlain, a kinsman of Marsk
Stig, conducted the assassins to the place where the king lay
concealed.--_Translator's Note_.]
[Footnote 3: Waldemar the Victorious was Eric Menved's
great-grandfather.]
[Footnote 4: Drost, the prime minister of state in Denmark in the
middle ages; all state ministers however, in that age, were required to
serve in the field as well as in council. When the Drost was present,
he superseded the Marsk in the command of the army.--_Translator's
Note_.]
[Footnote 5: Junker (pronounced Yunker) was the title of the sons of
the kings of Denmark in the middle ages, corresponding to that of
Infant in Spain.--_Translator's Note_.]
[Footnote 6: Baron Holberg supposes that the word "carline" (kierlinge
in Danish) had its origin in the easy victories obtained by the
Northmen over the French, or Carlines, the subjects of Charles the
Bald: the word carline or kierlinge now signifying in Danish an old
woman, and applied in derision to the fainthearted of the other
sex.--_Translator_.]
[Footnote 7: Esrom Lake, situated about eight English miles from
Elsinore, is a fair specimen of the placid lake scenery of Zealand. The
monastery is still in part in a habitable state.]
[Footnote 8: "Axel and Valborg," one of the gems of Scandinavian
poetry. The interest of the poem turns on the separation of the hero
and heroine (who had been betrothed from childhood) by an interdict of
the church, on the plea of the parties standing within a forbidden
degree of affinity to each other. This affinity, however, consisted
merely in having one common godmother. Circumstances like these,
however trivial, were frequently made available by the church for the
extension of its power, and the furtherance of its secular interests.]
[Footnote 9: Flynderborg, the castle at Elsinore, of which no vestiges
now remain. Its site was not far from that of the present castle of
Cronberg.]
[Footnote 10: At this period the Hanseatic merchants were absolute
masters of the whole trade of the Baltic. The Danish fleet was in a
reduced state, and the Hanse were therefore under the necessity of
guarding the seas themselves, for the security of their trade. This was
peculiarly the case during the disturbed reign of Eric Glipping, when
the northern pirate, Alf Erlingsen, infested the Danish seas. This is
the subject of a ballad still preserved among the Danish peasantry,--
"The German men they sailed up the sound,
With meal and with malt sailed they,
But Erlingsen's ships there to meet them they found,
And theirs he took all for his prey."
In the time of Eric Glipping the Hanse had no less than thirty armed
vessels stationed in the sound at Elsinore.--_Translator's Note_.]
[Footnote 11: Carl the German.]
[Footnote 12: The Kareles were a heathen tribe of Livonia, conquered by
the Swedes, under the command of Marsk Torkild Knudson.]
[Footnote 13: A characteristic exclamation of King Eric, who according
to Holberg, scrupled making use of a stronger expression, even in
confirmation of the most solemn engagements.--_Translator's Note_.]
[Footnote 14: In the early ages of Denmark the people bore an important
part in the affairs of government, a fact of which there are traces at
this day in the Norwegian constitution, in which the peasantry as a
class are represented. The people at large decided on war or peace, nor
was any royal decree considered valid until it had obtained their
consent. Every town had its own "Ting," or place of assembly, in the
open air; a large flat stone, placed in the centre of a circle of
upright ones, served as a platform for the speakers. In these
assemblies the peasants discussed, not only public affairs, but decided
on all private differences, &c. Saxo Grammaticus blames King Svend
Grathe for neglecting to attend these meetings of the people. In such
assemblies the king was not permitted to take his leave until he had
greeted even the meanest of his subjects, and sent a friendly greeting
to his family. The English reader may perhaps require to be reminded of
these facts, in order fully to perceive that Jeppe is a representative
of his class in that age.--_Translator's Note_.]
[Footnote 15: Dyrendal, the name of Roland's sword, afterwards used for
swords in general by the Danes. Scandinavian warriors esteemed their
swords above all other treasures. If a sword had done good service, it
was distinguished by some epithet expressive of the deeds it had
achieved. The sword of King Hagen of Norway was called "quaern bider,"
or mill-stone biter, from having cut through a mill-stone. If the owner
of such a sword had no immediate descendants, it was buried beside him
in his grave.--_Translator's Note_.]
[Footnote 16: King Glipping, so called from his twinkling eye.]
[Footnote 17: Fragment of an old Danish ballad.]
[Footnote 18: A valuable collection of historical documents made by
King Eric, called Congesta Menvedi.]
[Footnote 19: Sveno Agonis, a Danish historian contemporary with Saxo
Grammaticus.]
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
London:
Printed by A. Spottiswoode,
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