"'The story that I am going to tell now happened here in Hermannsburg.'"
"A great many things seem to have happened in Hermannsburg," Flora
remarked.
"Yes. Just think what it must be to live in a village with a history.
"'It is, for one thing, a beautiful story for passion week; and then it
gives a lovely picture of the relation in which princes and their
vassals at that time stood to one another. The Thirty Years' War had
brought frightful misery over our country. Havoc and devastation had
come even into the churches. So, for example, in this place; the
imperial troops had not only plundered the church and carried away
everything that was of value; for to be sure the people here were
Lutheran heretics; but they had even broken to pieces all the bells in
the tower, and driven off no less than five baggage waggons full of
brass metal, to be recast for cannon. And the last one, the big bell,
was broken up and about to be carried away by the Croats; the horses
were even put to the waggon; when suddenly the blast of trumpets and the
battle-cry, "_God with us!_" announced the coming of Lutheran troops,
and scared the Croats away. So the metal was left behind. After the
Thirty Years' War, gradually the people gathered together again; but the
number of them was very small, and many a farm had to lie waste for want
of both farmer and farming stock. There are said to have been at first
only ten families come back to our parish village, with four oxen and
two cows. Besides all that, towards the end of the war epidemics were
constantly prevailing, so that, for example, in this parish, in the
thirty years from 1650 to 1680, three pastors died one after another of
contagious epidemics; namely, Andreas Kruse'" (that was the fellow who
stood out so for his church vessels), "Paulus Boccatius, Johannes
Buchholz; and the fourth Justus Theodor Breyhan, who died in 1686, was
three times at death's door. Those were troubled times!
"'This Breyhan was a childlike good man, whom his parish held in great
love and honour, for both in spiritual and in material things there was
no better counsellor for them. Like a true father he stood by the
bedside of the sick and the dying, to show them how to die happy, and
like a good father he comforted the survivors, and by the live and
powerful words of his preaching, poured new strength and fresh courage
of faith into all hearts. With all that, this man was a singular lover
of the _sound of the bell_. In his opinion it was a remarkable thing,
that the heavenly King would allow his bells to be cast of the same
metal in which earthly princes cast their guns; and his highest wish
was, to get a great church bell again. The metal indeed was still on
hand; but who would have it cast? There was only a little bell still
hanging up in the tower, which was called the Bingel bell, and dated
back to the year 1495 (it is there still) and had been too insignificant
to tempt the Croats. With that on Sundays people must be rung to church,
and with that the tolling for the dead must be done at funerals. It did,
it is true, give out a fine, lovely, clear note; but the good dear
Breyhan often wept great tears when he heard the sound of it; it seemed
to him that it was too disrespectful to the great King in heaven, that
he should have no better bell than that. He could hardly sleep at last
for thinking of it. Especially at the high festival days and in Passion
week, and on occasion of funerals, he was in great uneasiness. Then it
was in the fast season of the year 1680, he was again sick unto death,
and in his fevered fancies he was continually praying to the dear Lord
that He would not let him die before he could have the bell properly
tolled at his burying. He recovered, and on Good Friday was again able
to preach. The congregation wept for joy at having their beloved pastor
among them again, and never perhaps have more ardent thanks gone up to
God from the parish than did that day. The time of the Easter festival
passed by, and they rejoiced with one another over the glorious
resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The third day of the Easter festival (at
that time there were still always three feast days), he told the
congregation that they must pray for him faithfully; for the next day he
was going on a journey after a bell which in his illness he had promised
to the Lord.
"'The next morning his honest old parish farmer Ebel was at the door
with a little farm waggon, and asked him where they were to go? and
whether it was to be a long or a short journey? You must know the man
was under obligation to take several long journeys for his pastor,
lasting some days, and several short expeditions of a day only each. "It
shall be a short one for to-day," the pastor answered. "I think with
God's help to ride to Zelle." So after Ebel had attended morning worship
in the parsonage, for he would not willingly have missed that, Breyhan
mounted into the waggon, set himself down upon a spread of straw, took
his hat off and said reverently--"In God's name!"--and then they went
forward, step by step, as the manner was then; for in those days people
were not in such a hurry as they are now. Before the city they stopped,
and with prayer and thanksgiving ate the breakfast they had brought
along with them. Then Breyhan took his vestments out of a clean linen
cloth and put them on, and one could see by his lips that he was
speaking to himself or praying. Good Ebel felt himself growing quite
devotional at the sight, and he drove into the city with twice the
spirit he had had before, because now everybody might see that he had a
pastor in his waggon.'"
Meredith paused a moment to glance up at the river and hills opposite,
and Maggie broke forth,
"The people in that country seem to be very unlike the people in this
country?"
"You mean, nobody here would care so much about carrying a minister in
his waggon," said Meredith laughing.
"Well--he wouldn't, would he?"
"I am afraid not. More's the pity."
"Why, Ditto?" said his sister. "What are ministers so much more than
other people?"
"They are the King's ambassadors," said Mr. Murray, taking the answer
upon himself. "And you know, Miss Flora, the ambassador of a king is
always treated as something more than other people."
Flora looked at him. "Mr. Murray," she said, "ministers do not seem like
that?"
"When they are the true thing, they do."
"But then besides," Maggie went on,--"how could anybody, how could that
good man care so much about a _bell_? What difference did it make
whether the bell was big or little?"
"Superstition"--said Flora.
"No, not exactly," responded Mr. Murray.
"That other man cared so much about his silver service, and this one
about his bell--they were both alike, but I don't understand it," said
Maggie.
"How would you like your father to have his table set with pewter
instead of silver?"
"O Uncle Eden! but that--"
"Or to drive a lame horse in his carriage?"
"But, Uncle Eden--"
"Or to wear a fustian coat?"
"But that's different, Uncle Eden."
"Yes, it is different. This concerns our own things; those matters of
the vessels and the bell concerned God's things."
"Then you approve of building very costly churches, sir?" asked
Meredith, whose head was running on churches lately.
"No, I do not."
"How then, Mr. Murray?" said Flora curiously.
"Because _the_ temple of the Lord, the only one He cares much about, is
not built yet. I hold it false stewardship to turn aside the Lord's
money into brick and mortar and marble channels, while His poor have no
comfortable shelter, His waifs want bread, and a community anywhere in
the world are going without the light of life and the word of
salvation."
"What do you mean by _the_ temple of the Lord, Uncle Eden?" said Maggie.
"I thought there was no temple of the Lord now?"
Mr. Murray pulled out his Bible from his pocket, opened and found a
place.
"'Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but
fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building, fitly
framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye
also are builded together, for an habitation of God through the
Spirit.'"
"How lovely!"--said Meredith.
"I didn't know that was in the Bible," said Flora.
"The literal Jewish temple was in part a type of this spiritual one. And
as in Solomon's building, 'the house was built of stone made ready
before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer, nor
axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building,'
but the walls rose silently,--so it is in this temple. The stones are
silently preparing, 'polished after the similitude of a palace;'
silently put in place; 'lively stones built up a spiritual house;' so
the Lord says, 'He that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple
of my God.'"
There was silence for a few moments, when Mr. Murray added, "_That_ is
the temple, Meredith, that I think the Lord wants us to build and help
build. I think any diversion of the money or strength needed for this, a
sad, sad waste; and no honour to the Lord of the temple, though it may
be meant so. Come, go on with Pastor Breyhan; I like him. His was a
true-souled care for God's honour. I hope he got his bell."
Meredith went on.
"'To Ebel's question, "where he should drive to?" the answer was, "To
the Stechbahn;" that was a road which lay opposite the ducal castle.
Ebel's wonderment grew greater and greater, but Breyhan kept still,
slowly dismounted, gave orders to Ebel that he should drive to the inn,
but he himself went straight on to the ducal castle. As he had expected,
for it was just eleven o'clock, he found the duke sitting in front of
the entrance to the castle. For about this hour the duke was wont to sit
there and allow everybody, even the lowest of his vassals, to have free
access and speech of him. If there were no petitions, or complaints, or
the like on hand, he would converse in the kindest and most affable way
with everybody, and many a peasant could boast that in all
simple-heartedness he had shaken hands with his liege lord. Breyhan
found the duke (it was George William) surrounded by a number of people.
However there can have been nothing of consequence going on, for when
the duke saw the pastor approaching, he signed him immediately to come
near. Breyhan presented himself; and related simply and in childlike
wise how things stood in Hermannsburg, and how the people had not yet
been able to get their affairs rightly under way since the terrible war.
George William listened kindly, and many a tear came into his mild eyes
as Breyhan told him of the sick beds and the dying beds.
"'"You want to ask some help in your need?" demanded the duke.
"'"No," was the answer; "we can manage as yet to get along with these
earthly troubles. But we have a spiritual trouble, that we feel more
keenly, and which we cannot deal with by ourselves, and in that you must
help us, my lord duke; this is what I have come for to-day." He told him
now all that he had on his heart respecting the bell; how that the
beautiful metal was there yet, but no means to get it cast, and that
that was for the duke to do. The duke was delighted with the childlike,
honest nature of the man, and his hearty confidence that the duke's help
was certain; and he could not help putting Breyhan's faith a little to
the test.
"'"Dear pastor," said he, "you are suffering in a small way from the
after effects of the Thirty Years' War; on the other hand, I am
suffering the same thing on a great scale. Your village treasury is
empty, my castle treasury is empty, and the country's treasury to boot.
So I cannot shake down the money for you out of my sleeves. If all the
people in the land came to me to get their bells cast for them, what
would be the end of it?"
"'Breyhan was of opinion that the case was somewhat different with
Hermannsburg. Since one of the duke's ancestors had founded the church
there, one of the descendants might well have a bell cast for it. The
duke, however, would not yet give in, but teased the petitioner with all
sorts of objections, just to see what he would answer; he loved clever
and witty speeches. Breyhan did what he could to satisfy the duke's
objections. At last it got to be too much of a good thing, and he said,
"My lord duke, I have now been a good while asking a boon of you, as a
humble vassal may ask his prince; but as asking does no good, I will now
_order_ you to have the bell cast. Perhaps you are not aware that I am
lord of the manor to you, and that you are my liegeman. A liegeman must
stand by his feudal lord with his goods and with his blood, with life
and honour. The bell we must have; it is needful for our holding of
divine service. You are not obliged to give us the whole bell; you are
only to have it cast. Now it does not indeed stand in your title-deed
that you must have a bell cast for us; therefore I cannot put you out of
your farm for not doing it. But it does stand therein written that you
must make hay for me three days in every year, and do a day's work for
me in every week, for which service each time you are to get a half
gallon of beer. Hitherto your bailiff has put a man to do it, and I have
consented; but if you do not have the bell cast, then you must come
yourself and make hay and cut wood."
"'You should have seen the duke then. "My dear pastor," said he, "that
is something I did not know before, that you are my lord of the manor;
in that case, I must take shame to myself that I have let you stand here
all this while. Come into the castle with me." He seized his hand and
led him into the house, sent for his wife, and said in a solemn voice,
"See here, my dear wife, until now I have supposed that I was the first
man in the country; and now to-day I have come to know that the
Hermannsburg pastor stands highest, for he is lord of the manor to me.
Let preparation be made for his dining with us." While the servants made
ready, the duke sought better information, and learned now that he
actually held a farm in Hermannsburg from the Hermannsburg benefice, the
contract for which on every occasion of the coming of a new pastor, or
of a new duke's assuming the government, must be ratified over a cup of
wine, and upon which, besides the yearly service money, the above
obligations rested. The duke was so delighted at this, that he not only
promised Breyhan to yield obedience and have the bell cast, but he
begged him in the humblest manner that he would spare him in the matter
of the hay-making and wood-cutting, for he was not exactly in practice
in the matter of those two exercises; then jestingly he begged his wife
to apply to the pastor herself for him, to let grace take the place of
right. And as he was not slow to do this, all was soon settled. At table
Breyhan was requested to make the prayer, and the conversation went on
most charmingly about things of God's word.
"'The faithful carter Ebel meanwhile did not know at all where his
pastor could be staying so long; and as he certainly understood so much
as that the duke had taken him into the castle, he got into such
trouble, because he thought something evil had befallen him, that he ran
into the castle and demanded to have his pastor back; not a little
wondering when he found him sitting at table with the duke. Still more
was he comforted, when from the duke's table itself a draught of beer
was given him.
"'After the meal was over, Breyhan drove joyfully back to Hermannsburg.
The duke had not only granted his petition, but also declared that he
would come to the consecration of the bell, and would be a guest with
his lord of the manor. Breyhan promised him a friendly reception, but
made the stipulation that he should bring only his lady duchess along
with him, for his house was not prepared for entertaining guests. And
now the business went forward according to his wish. The bell was cast
in Hannover, and was, as Breyhan had desired that it might be, ready by
the fast time of 1689. It was adorned with a threefold inscription. At
the top stood:
"'"PRAISE HIM UPON THE LOUD CYMBALS; PRAISE HIM UPON THE HIGH-SOUNDING
CYMBALS. LET EVERYTHING THAT HATH BREATH PRAISE THE LORD. Ps. cl."
"'In the middle of the side stood:
"'"George William, by the grace of God duke of Brunswick and Lueneburg,
patron of our churches."
"'And below (this is a verse--I will translate it as well as I can):
"'"_Through the grace of God I am alive again, and give you the call to
church by my voice. Come willingly, be brisk and ready, then will I also
speak out gloriously when you are going to the grave._"
"'"_Anno 1681, Nicholas Greue in Hannover cast me._"
"'Our ringing is still done with this bell, which has a very fine tone,
and whoever likes can still at the present day read on it the above
inscription.
"'The Friday before Palm Sunday was fixed for the consecration of the
bell; the duke arrived the day before with his wife; spent the night
with his lord of the manor, attended the evening and morning worship and
the preaching on Friday the fast day, and was present at the
consecration of the bell, which took place immediately after divine
service. When the bell was drawn up into the tower, and hung upon its
scaffolding, ready for its first ringing, and when the first stroke
softly sounded, then Breyhan and the duke and duchess beside him, the
nobleman of Hermannsburg, who was called Von Haselhorst, and the
bailiff, whose name was Pingeling, together with the whole congregation,
fell upon their knees in the churchyard; and while the bell continued to
be softly rung, the prayer of consecration was spoken. After the
Paternoster, the full, sonorous notes of the bell pealed out, and there
was not an eye but had tears in it as the long-missed tones floated off
so gloriously through the air. The dear Breyhan's heart was bounding,
and full of joy he spoke out--"Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant depart
in peace." The afternoon they spent at home, only the duke could not
refrain from making a trial at the wood-cutting, which however did not
succeed very well; whereupon then the pastor magnanimously promised that
he would content himself with the observance hitherto rendered, and
never demand of the duke personally that he should make hay or do days'
works. Then the duke requested that for his sake the evening worship
might be held earlier to-day, for he wished to get back again to Zelle.
"'From that time he came again once every year, either for Good Friday
or for Easter; and in the year 1686 he followed to the grave the remains
of Pastor Breyhan, who died in the thirty-fourth year of his age. The
evening of Wednesday before the sixth Sunday after Trinity (the date is
not given in the church book), when he felt his end drawing near, he had
the great bell rung once more; and while it was ringing, at which time
the greater portion of the parish, either in their homes or standing in
front of the house, were in prayer, with a glad gesture he fell asleep.
His dying lips prayed, "Christ, Thou Lamb of God, who takest away the
sin of the world, have mercy on me, and give me Thy peace, O Jesus.
Amen."
"'The funeral was on Saturday. And as often as I hear the bell ring, I
cannot help thinking of the dear, good Breyhan and the kindly duke
George William, and the saying recurs to me--"The memory of the just is
blessed."
"'Finally, I remark once more, that from this story I have taken up a
thorough disgust for the new-fashioned _law of redemptions_. By this law
the above-mentioned farm has lately been detached from the benefice.
Before that, I was the most distinguished man in the kingdom of
Hannover, for the king was my parochial tenant and I was lord of the
manor to him; _now_ I am an insignificant country pastor and such, it is
well known, have neither form nor beauty.'"