The next morning Alf stepped into the apartment of his kinsman, Gerhard
Kippenbrock, to salute him. The good old man, a worthy butcher by
calling, had by the overthrow of all established customs been made
second burgomaster of the imperial free city of Munster, without
clearly knowing how that precise result had been attained. He advanced
to meet the new comer, uncommonly magnificent in his black official
dress, with the lace collar and golden chain of honor, and introduced
him to a large, raw-boned, meagre man, in a similar dress, who sat at
the table staring on vacancy with half-extinguished eyes, in which the
flashes of a quiet insanity were occasionally playing.
'Thou hast here the best opportunity to recommend thyself to the favor
of our first burgomaster, of brother Bernd Knipperdolling,' said the
elder Kippenbrock to the youth. Alf bowed himself low before the
singular man, whose appearance affected him disagreeably, and stammered
some expressions of respect.
Knipperdolling cast upon him a searching glance, and then said in a
hollow and monotonous voice, 'a well formed vessel for the spirit!--thy
kinsman, my brother? He may become a bailiff of the city of Zion.'
'God preserve me, revered sir burgomaster!' protested Alf. 'I by no
means understand all that the office requires, and should disgrace my
undeserved promotion.'
'Whoever hath the spirit,' said Knipperdolling, decisively, 'needs no
earthly wisdom.'
'I have taken upon myself a holy duty!' exclaimed the youth with
anxiety, shuddering at the burthen of the proffered dignity. 'I have
promised to the unfortunate Trutlinger on his death-bed, to take upon
myself the care of his two nieces, whom he left unprotected. I shall
have plenty to do,--for six journeymen are employed in the workshop of
the orphans, and much work is ordered.'
'Let him have his will,' entreated the elder Kippenbrock of his
colleague. 'I have known him from his youth up; his head is not equal
to the governing of lands and people, but he is a capable armorer, whom
we much need in these times when our all rests upon the points of our
swords.'
'Have you already been baptised?' asked Knipperdolling.
'Your faith became mine at Amsterdam,' answered Alf, but I have
postponed being baptised until I could receive that holy ordinance
here, in my native city.'
'Our orator, brother Rothman, will prepare you for it,' said
Knipperdolling.
'I hope this brother has already laid a good ground,' said a man in a
black ministerial robe, with a cunning, bold, peaked face. 'I shall
hold a great baptizing one of these days at the river Aa, and shall
expect to see the catechumen previously at my house.'
'We will be his witnesses on that holy occasion,' said Knipperdolling,
with a gracious nod of his head, 'I and my colleague Kippenbrock.'
The candidate for baptism stammered his thanks for the unexpected
honor, when the door of the room was thrown open with violence, and a
young man of Alf's age strode fiercely in. His countenance might have
been considered handsome, had it not been for the deathlike paleness
and distortion which disfigured it. His large and restlessly rolling
eyes--his dishevelled, bristling hair--his loose coarse garments, which
scarcely covered the nakedness of his body--all these gave to his
figure a frightful appearance; and Alf was thereby reminded, with a
secret shudder, of the altar-piece of a church, where he had seen the
adversary represented as tempting our Savior in the wilderness. All
present rose reverently at his entrance, and, with their hands crossed
upon their breasts, bowed low before the youth.
'Thus speaks the spirit by the mouth of your prophets,' cried he with
singular gestures. 'Make outcry in all the streets of Zion, that every
one bring all his wealth in gold, silver and jewels, and lay it at the
feet of the great prophet, Matthias. There must no longer be rich or
poor in the community which the Lord has chosen for himself. Let all
belong to all!'
'So mote it be,' cried the hearers, and a gentle sigh from the rich
butcher accompanied the response.
'A true christian needs no erudition,' continued he prophet. 'The
internal word is of more value than the outward. All books written with
the insolent wisdom of men are fruitless and unprofitable, if the
doctrines they contain are already proved in the holy scriptures,--
ungodly, if they are opposed to them. Wherefore you must bring all
books, except the bible, out of Zion, and collect them at the market
before St. Lambert's church, and cause them to be consumed by fire, a
burnt offering to the Lord.'
'So mote it be!' again submissively repeated all mouths.
'Whoever sins against one of these commands, roared the prophet, with
wild flashing eyes, 'shall die the death!'
'Amen!' said the trembling chorus, and the prophet stalked haughtily
out of the door.
'Who was that!' Alf timidly asked his kinsman. 'Johannes Bockhold, our
second prophet,' answered he, dejectedly, 'the right hand of the great
Matthias.'
'All the books!' sighed the orator Rothman.
'All the gold and silver!' sighed the worthy Kippenbrock, after him,
involuntarily raising his hand to his head, as if for the purpose of
scratching it, but recollecting in season that this movement was rather
unseemly for a new burgomaster, he quickly let it fall again.
'The Lord wills it, and his servants must be obedient,' said
Knipperdolling to Kippenbrock. 'Let the commands of the prophet be
proclaimed, my brother. I have yet much to do with recording the
estates of the exiles, which have become forfeit to the community!'
He departed, and Rothman followed him. 'All the gold and silver!'
repeated the elder Kippenbrock sorrowfully, yet once more, and he went
after them.
'God forgive me if this feeling be a sin,' cried Alf, when he saw
himself alone; 'but these prophets appear horrible to me, and I shall
never be able to reconcile my heart to them.'