THEOBALD'S ACCOUNT OF HIS CONFLICT WITH ARNOLD THE LION--HATRED OP
ENEMIES--DISTRESS OF THE FAMILY.
"You are pious people," said the chevalier to Gottfried, in the
afternoon of the same day, and while Erard was present. "Religion is a
good thing."
"One who loves Jesus is always happy," said the child.
"Let them love Jesus!" replied the warrior. "But this is what I heard
last evening, when I was about to fight the Lion."
"I pray you," said Gottfried, do not talk any more now; it will increase
your sufferings."
"I do not suffer," replied the chevalier, "This leg is very painful, it
is true; but it is only a leg," added he, smiling. "Ought I to make
myself uneasy about it?"
"You fought with a lion, then, last evening?" asked Erard, with
curiosity, "Was he very large and strong?"
Gottfried would have sent Erard away, for he feared for him the story of
the chevalier; but the latter asked that he might be allowed to remain.
"Erard must become a man," added he. "My children know what a battle is.
Let Erard then not be afraid at what I am about to say.
"My name is Theobald," continued the chevalier, "and from my earliest
youth I was surnamed _the iron-hearted_, because I never cried at pain,
and never knew what it was to be afraid. My father, one of the powerful
noblemen of Bohemia, accustomed me, from my earliest years, to despise
cold, hunger, thirst and fatigue; and I was scarcely Erard's age when I
seized by the throat and strangled a furious dog that was springing upon
one of my sisters.
"War has always been my life. This has now lasted nearly four years, and
my sword has not been idle. The Hussites and the Calixtans[2] have felt
it."
At these words Erard, who was sitting beside the bed of the chevalier,
rose and went to a window, at the farther end of the room.
"I had spent some weeks with my family, when I learned that the enemy
was approaching, and that one of their principal chiefs had just joined
them. This chief was the Lion."
_Erard, rising_. Grandpapa, perhaps it was----.
"Be silent, my son," said Gottfried.
"Our camps had been in sight of each other two days," continued
Theobald, "when we decided at last to attack them; and last evening the
combat took place.
"It had lasted more than three hours, when I caused a retreat to be
sounded, in order to suspend, if possible, the conflict, and myself to
terminate the day by a single combat with the most valiant of the
enemy's chieftains.
"Our troops stopped, retired, and I challenged the Lion, who, without
delay, left the ranks and advanced alone to meet me." (_Gottfried leans
against a table, and rests his head on his hand_.)
He was a man younger than myself, and of noble appearance. His sword
was attached to a scarf of silver and azure, and from beneath his
casque, the visor of which was raised, escaped curls of light hair.
"Grandpapa!" exclaimed Erard, running towards Gottfried, "was it not--?"
"Be quiet, Erard," said his grandfather, ordering him to sit down.
"Should a child interrupt an older person who is speaking?"
"This chevalier," resumed Theobald, "advanced towards me, who had also
left the ranks, and when all was ready, stopped his horse, and said to
me, mildly, but with a deep and manly voice, 'Jesus has shed his blood
for us: why would you shed mine? I will defend myself,' added he,
pulling down his visor and holding out his shield, 'but I will not
strike.'"
"These words affected me, I confess, and I was on the point of
withdrawing, when, fixing my eyes on the shield which he presented, I
saw that golden chalice."
"It was he! yes, it was he!" exclaimed Erard, sobbing and flying from
the room.
"This boy," said Theobald, "is still a child, and the idea of bloodshed
inspires him with fear."
"Ah!" said Gottfried, "his father is also in the army, and this
narrative gives him anxiety on his account. You did not then spare this
warrior?"
"I have told you: the sight of the chalice awoke my fury, and
exclaiming, Defend thyself, I took my sword with both hands, and with a
single blow dashed aside his shield and cleft his helmet.
"But my sword broke; and at the moment when the Lion fell----"
_Gottfried, with terror_. Did Arnold then fall? Was Arnold killed?
"So perish all who hate the Holy Church! (_Gottfried conceals his face
in his hands_.) But as soon as I had struck him, his soldiers
precipitated themselves upon ours, and five of their chevaliers threw
themselves upon me and surrounded me. I had no arms: I had laid down my
lance to combat with the Lion, and my sword was broken. I could yet,
with the fragment that remained, repulse and strike down three men; but
I was alone, my people were themselves surrounded, and I saw that I must
perish. It was then that I fled. (O, how I regret it! But the cowards!
they did not give me even a sword!) Yes, I fled towards the forest,
hoping to find there a branch with which I could arm and defend myself;
but my horse stumbled over the roots, in consequence of which I fell
and fainted.
"The rest you know. I owe my life to you; and you have taken care of me
like a father."
"Arnold is then dead!" cried Gottfried, without perceiving that the
chevalier had finished his narrative.
"Do not regret it," replied Theobald. "He was an enemy of our faith; one
of those ferocious Taborites,[3] who deny the Holy Father and demolish
sacred places."
"And it was you," continued Gottfried, "it was you yourself who struck
him, when he refused to draw his sword against you!"
"It was not I, it was the Holy Virgin, who overthrew him! It was she to
whom I had devoted my sword, and it was in her service that it was
broken. It is thus she consecrated it. May she bless you also,--you who,
for love of her, receive me as a son!"
Gottfried had nothing to say in reply. He wished to pour out his tears
before the Lord, and left the chevalier, to whom he sent the faithful
and prudent Ethbert.
"Sit down," said Theobald to the domestic, and tell me who is this
Prince of peace, of whom you spoke to me, last night. "Was it not you
who bore me hither with another servant, and who, leaning towards me,
when we passed the threshold of this house, said to me: May the Prince
of peace himself receive you? Who is this Prince? Is it thy master, this
venerable and mild old man?"
"Jesus is the Prince of peace," replied Ethbert; "for he is love, and
love does not war against any one."
"Jesus! did you say, is the Prince of peace! But is he not with us who
support his cause, and who yet fight valiantly?"
_Ethbert_. The cause of Jesus is the gospel of his grace. His cause is
not supported by the sword and lance; but is defended by truth and love.
_Theobald, surprised_. Your words, Ethbert, are sermons. Where do they
come from?
_Ethbert_. He who is acquainted with God speaks the word of God; and God
is love. God will not revenge and kill with hatred. God pardons and
bestows grace.
_Theobald, agitated_. You would say, perhaps, that God is not with me,
because I avenge myself of my enemies. Have they not deserved my
hatred?
_Ethbert_. "Love your enemies," saith God to those who know him. "Avenge
not yourselves," he says again to his beloved.
_Theobald, still more astonished_. Your words trouble me. Is it then a
crime to destroy an adversary?
_Ethbert_. Cain rose up against his brother Abel; and it was because the
works of his brother were good, but his own were evil. The Christian
does not hate. The Christian does not avenge himself.
_Theobald_. Am I then not a Christian?
_Ethbert, mildly and respectfully_. He who is of Christ, walks as Christ
himself walked. Christ went from place to place doing good; and it is
Christ himself, who says to his Church: "Love one another. He who
loveth is of God."
Theobald was silent. These words: "He who loveth is of God," had touched
his heart, and he was affected and humbled. Ethbert was also silent,
secretly asking of God to enlighten and soften the heart of the
chevalier, for which Matthew and himself had already prayed more than
once.
At last Theobald said, slowly, "It is not, then, like Christians, for
men to hate and war with each other? And yet these impious men deserve
to be burned; and are not those who imitate them the enemies of God and
of the Church?"
"It is no Christian," replied Ethbert, "who kindles the fire that
consumes a friend of Jesus; and this Huss and Jerome, who were delivered
to the flames, loved Jesus."
_Theobald_. But did they not blaspheme the Holy Church?
_Ethbert_. He who loves Jesus does not blaspheme his name; and the name
of Jesus is written on the Church of Jesus. No, no: the Christian does
not hate or revenge himself; and he blasphemes neither his God nor the
Church of God!
"It is enough!" said Theobald to the servant. "Leave me--I have need of
repose and silence:" and the servant went out.
Meanwhile Gottfried had retired into his room, and, like David, wept and
sobbed before the Lord, repeating, with bitterness, "Arnold! my son
Arnold! Thou art no more! thy father will never more see thee on earth!"
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 2: Those who followed the doctrine of John Huss against the
Church of Rome. The Calixtans, in particular, maintained that in the
sacrament the cup or _chalice_ should be given to the people.]
[Footnote 3: A name assumed by the Hussites, under the command of John
Ziska, after having built a fortress which they called Tabor, near the
city of Bechin, in Bohemia.]