At the fair of Skanor a great number of persons of all classes were
assembled. It was thronged with skippers and merchants from every part
of the world, but especially from Hamburgh, Lubeck, Rostock, Deventer,
and Overyssel. These last were chiefly dealers in spices. They brought
hither the most costly groceries to market from Venice and Genoa: wares
were here to be seen even from India, Persia, and Egypt, which these
enterprising traders had brought down the Rhine, and with which they
journeyed to northern lands. Here lay many English vessels laden with
wine; but what especially struck the eye were the splendid assortments
of cloths, of all colours, which waved like flags from the vessels in
the harbour, and lay in large bales in the streets under tents or
wooden sheds.
The situation of Skanor was advantageous for trade. The town extended
quite to the shore of the coast of Skania, between Falsterbo and
Malmoe. It lay to the north of Falsterbo, and was both larger and much
more ancient than that town. Over the gate of the place was a stone
with an inscription, in the ancient Scanian language, which bore
witness to the antiquity of the town, and which afterwards ran thus in
more modern rhyme:
"Lund and Skanor throve apace,
When Christ appeared to bring us grace."
The great fairs of the town were particularly famed, and, during
fair-time, many persons crossed over from Zealand. On the whole the
intercourse between Scania and the Danish provinces was far more
frequent than in aftertime, when this beautiful province, which bore
the closest affinity to Zealand, was dismembered from the kingdom. Amid
the crowd of visitors at the fair were seen knights, monks, and
burghers of towns, both from Zealand and Scania, among peasants,
knights' ladies, and gaily-attired dairy and kitchen maids from the
nearest lordly castles, as well as ragged beggars and pretty country
maidens, in the national costumes of Scania and Halland. The fair was
thronged with musicians and jugglers of all kinds. Rosaries and little
images of saints were exposed for sale by the side of every description
of worldly wares and foreign luxuries.
Over the two best stocked and most frequented booths at the fair, waved
Henrik Gullandsfar's and Berner Kopmand's well-known flag and sign--a
griffin and a dragon, with a bundle of lances tied together, and with
the Lubek charter in their claws, defending their treasures against a
troop of robbers in knightly attire, and ridiculously caricatured.
These great merchants who had their agents, or resident grocers'
apprentices, in the town, did not attend the sale of their goods in
person, but were present at the unloading of their ships, to watch that
no toll was demanded, contrary to the privileges of trade. The sound of
music and dancing was heard in the taverns, and all places of
entertainment. German ale and wine were poured out in abundance for the
rich guests at the fair, while the poorer were content with Scanian and
Zealand ale. Towards evening many drunken persons were to be seen; here
and there disputes and fights occurred, and the provost with the
watchmen and armed constables of the town were often forced to
interfere.
What attracted most attention at Skanor fair at this time was a booth
hung with coloured lamps, close to the quay, where fireworks were
exhibited, together with many new and curious sights, at which the
spectators wondered and crossed themselves as though they beheld the
delusions of the evil one. Here the learned Master Thrand had erected
his optical theatre. He stood himself on a raised platform and
harangued the mob on the excellence of his masterpieces, and their
great superiority over all the relics, amulets, and false panacea with
which people suffered themselves to be imposed upon by unlearned
mountebanks and jugglers. He chiefly extolled his arts as being
innocent, and grounded on the principles of nature; and invited the
unprejudiced and sensible public to draw nearer, and attend to what he
(rather, he said, for the sake of science and truth, than for worldly
gain) was about to expound and exhibit. His admirer, the young Master
Laurentius, who, in his red lay-mantle, was not suspected to be an
ecclesiastic, zealously assisted him as an amanuensis, and collected
from time to time in his hat, money from the spectators, but in a
manner which showed that he was ashamed of this employment; to which,
however, he had doubtless (though with another and more pious aim) been
accustomed, when on the anniversaries of the dedication of St. Olaf's
church at Nidaros, he had, as p[oe]nitentarius, collected alms for the
treasury of the church.
Close by the booth of the distinguished and learned mountebank stood a
light, under the image of the Madonna, in a little stone-walled chapel,
where was also an iron-bound poor-box nailed fast upon a block. No
merchant or skipper went to or from his ship without first kneeling
here and depositing a piece of money in the box for the poor, and for
the treasury of the Holy Virgin. In the evening there stood by this
chapel, which went by the name of the Quay Chapel, Sir Helmer Blaa,
who, with the Drost's squire Canute of Fyen, and some young knights of
Aage's train, kept a sharp look out on every one who came up from the
quay. The wind had been contrary all day, and the merchants were just
come on shore. Berner Kopmand's Rostock vessel lay at anchor before
them in the harbour. It had reached Skanor with a fair wind ere
day-break. The indefatigable owner of the vessel had been on board the
whole day superintending the unlading of the cargo, and ere it was
dark, Sir Helmer thought he saw the outlawed fugitive on deck by his
side. In case of the criminal's venturing to land preparations had been
made for his seizure, with the knowledge of the provost; but the
fugitive seemed not to purpose quitting his place of refuge. After
vespers, however, Berner Kopmand and Henrik Gullandsfar landed with
great parade, and a considerable train of armed seamen. They omitted
not to cross themselves at the chapel, and to throw a loud-chinking
offering into the poor-box, as they passed by the knights with an air
of proud defiance.
"How many false silver coins think ye are now in that box?" said Sir
Helmer, aloud. The heavy Rostocker turned towards him with a look of
rage; but Gullandsfar nudged his elbow with a grave look, and they
passed on. Helmer and the other young knights followed them, and seemed
to have a great desire to chastise their arrogance.
Drost Aage had not neglected to attend Thrand Fistlier's performances,
and the optic theatre with which he entertained the astonished visitors
at the fair. He had bought of the artist some of his most remarkable
and valuable inventions, and gained information of their application
and use. He could not refuse his admiration to what he here saw of the
famous discoveries of Roger Bacon, and observed the whole exhibition
with attention. It consisted chiefly of small optical cases in which
the powers of the magnifying glass were applied in a manner hitherto
unknown in the North, and by which the artist excited great
astonishment. What was seen in these boxes was not only the
transformation of small animals into monsters, but even a figurative
metamorphosis of the world in Master Thrand's own taste:--saints and
martyrs, miraculous sights, and legendary pictures, processions of
monks with the Host, the banners of the Madonna, and crucifixes, were
represented in a ridiculous manner by the side of all the Grecian and
Roman gods with their profanest love adventures. All this passed in dim
caricature before the eyes of the spectators, and gave place at last to
a number of dazzling allegorical figures, intended to represent Wisdom,
Philosophy, Freedom, Burgher Commerce, Political Economy, The Study of
Nature, and other subjects of the same kind. As soon as it grew
sufficiently dark for the purpose, Master Thrand exhibited small
burning wheels, stars, and suns with many-coloured rays, which flew
with a clear light into the air, and suddenly exploded with a slight
report.
The Drost considered this last exhibition both beautiful and
remarkable; all these things, however, were but trifles compared with
what Master Laurentius had related of the matchless and wondrous feats
which this mountebank was capable of performing. The sight of the small
stars and suns which flew up over the sea and burst in the calm evening
sky, afforded endless amusement to the spectators, to whom it seemed an
entirely novel and incomprehensible phenomenon; but the people's
admiration of this dazzling diversion as well as the beautiful
fantastic spectacle itself in its aerial theatre, threw Aage into a
singularly pensive mood.
This glimpse of a new and secret art, whose vast and hidden workings he
had already heard mentioned, struck him as being the forerunner of that
new era announced by the mysterious artist, in which all opinions and
ideas should be reformed and enlarged, and all that was ancient should
vanish like the mimic suns and stars now waning and disappearing over
the sea. Aage could not forget the strange conversations he had heard
between the artist and his pupil, of the delusive dream in which the
whole Christian world was wandering. In the learned Master Thrand's
peculiar conception of the doctrine of the notorious Leccar Brethren he
saw but a haughty and contumacious insanity, which, should it ever
become dominant, would subvert all that was beautiful and true, and
sacred upon earth; his own dream of the petrified world was still
fearfully present to his recollection. The noise and joyousness of the
crowd became almost painful to him. At last he sought relief and
freedom from these distressing thoughts in the little chapel of the
quay. He bent his knee before the painted wooden image of the Madonna,
who was here represented as usual with the child in her arms, and the
globe of the world with a cross upon it, like a ball and sceptre in the
child's hand. Aage had folded his hands in prayer, but as he turned his
eyes on the image, it was suddenly illuminated by a ball of fire sent
up from the artist's booth. The Madonna's image appeared to him in the
vivid flash of light like a horribly grinning idol--at the same moment
he heard a loud report in the air, resembling a clap of thunder,
followed by shrieks of terror from women and children. The little
chapel shook; the ancient worm-eaten image of the Virgin tottered, and
fell down at his feet. He started up, and rushed out of the chapel. The
joyousness of the people was changed to fear and wrath. Some women had
fainted; the life of one had been seriously endangered; a Capuchin's
beard had been singed by the explosion. "Witchcraft! Sorcery!" was
re-echoed in the crowd. "Stone him!--Burn him! the accursed wizard! He
is a heretic!" cried some. "He hath said he will draw off all
worshippers from our Lady and the saints--he saith he will match his
thunders against the Lord's himself.--Stone him! Burn him! Cast him
upon the beach! Tear down the wizard's house!"
Amid all this commotion the enraged mob rushed upon the pyrotechnist's
booth. The hapless little artist had hid himself with his amanuensis
among some large boxes in an adjacent booth. Two of the enraged mob and
a lay brother drew them forth from under the planks of the broken-down
booth to give them up to the maltreatment of the mob. The provost and
constables vainly strove to hinder these acts of violence. At last
Drost Aage stepped forth, and cried in an authoritative voice, "Stop
there, countrymen! Peace here, in the king's name! Secure these
jugglers, but injure not a hair of their heads. They shall be judged
and punished according to the law of the land if they cannot give
account of themselves. What they have shewn us was done by natural
means, my friends! These people know more than we do of the powers of
nature; but they abuse their wisdom by boasting and juggling, and by
scoffing at sacred things."
As soon as they heard the name of the king, and recognised his and the
nation's favourite, the enraged mob was pacified. Thrand Fistlier and
his amanuensis were instantly seized by the constables and conducted to
the quay, with all their effects; followed by a great throng of people.
Drost Aage followed them himself on board a royal vessel, which was to
sail next day to Helsingborg, and the captain, with his armed seamen,
received orders to protect the captives from all injury.
As soon as the captive mountebank heard he was in safety, but was to be
taken as a prisoner to a fortress, he looked around him with a proud
smile, "My noble persecuted master was right," he said. "The age is not
sufficiently matured for us and our compeers. It is dangerous to be
wise among fools; even the least glimpse of the light which is to
appear is, as yet, too strong for these weak-sighted barbarians. It is
not the first time a great genius hath appeared a century too soon!"
"Silence, wretched juggler!" said Aage. "The great man whom thou
dishonourest, by calling thy master, was a wise and pious monk, I have
been told, but no juggler and self-appointed priest. Thank the holy
Virgin and her Son, whom thou deniest, for thy life to-day! It is not
for thy wisdom, but for thy folly, and the confusion thou wouldest
spread among the people, that I have caused thee to be bound."
Ere Aage quitted the vessel he took Master Laurentius aside, and gazed
on him with a look of thoughtful interest. "You are too good to be this
juggler's attendant and apprentice," he said; "your blind admiration
for his knowledge of the perishing things of time, hath caused you to
deny and dishonour your own holy calling, and the high vocation to
which you are dedicated. St. Olaf, and the souls entrusted to you, you
have deserted for this deformed artificer of hell-fire. From want and
need you shall no longer be necessitated thus to degrade yourself. The
captain of the vessel hath orders to care for your requirements; at
Helsingborg he will provide you with suitable priest's attire, and
money for your journey. To save your life, Master Laurentius, I have
been forced to use you more hardly than I wished. When you arrive at
Helsingborg, you are free and your own master; but your suspicious
companion must, as a state prisoner, tarry the king's coming, and
justify himself before him, if he can do so. It is known to me that he
is a Leccar brother; as such it is forbidden to him to rove the country
at large and mislead the people. I know, also, he wishes you to join
his sect; but, I conjure you by that Almighty Lord and Master you have
been near betraying--draw back, good Master Laurentius, and preserve
your immortal soul! It hath assuredly a higher and a worthier calling,
if your countenance and warm enthusiasm for what is beautiful and true
have not deceived me. The Lord be with you! farewell!" Aage quitted the
ship without awaiting an answer from the deeply agitated youth, whose
eyes were suffused with tears, and who vainly strove to reach him his
fettered hand.
The Drost rowed back to Skanor. It was dark night, and there was a
great stir and tumult on the quay. A quarrel and serious affray had
arisen between the Drost's knights and the Hanseatic merchants, who had
been chased from the inn and had taken flight towards the harbour.
Berner Kopmand and Henrik Gullandsfar, with their armed seamen, laid
furiously about them, but could not compete in the dexterous use of
their weapons with Sir Helmer and the other incensed young knights, who
were supported by the Skanor burghers. "Cut the forgers down! The
cheats! The overbearing dogs!" they shouted. "They have brought false
coin here to the fair--they have outlaws on board!" The affray was
serious and bloody. The Hanseatics withdrew, fighting, to their boats.
It was impossible for Aage to restore peace. The foreign merchants and
the greater part of their seamen at last escaped to their ships, under
cover of the night. They instantly hoisted sail. It was not until they
were in the open sea that the knights missed Sir Helmer and the Drost's
most active squire, Canute of Fyen.