_How we journeyed to Wolgast, and made good barter there._
Two days after, so says my daughter, but old Ilse thinks it was
three (and I myself know not which is true), we at last went to
the town, seeing that Master Rothoog had not got the box ready
before. My daughter covered it over with a piece of my departed
wife her wedding gown, which the Imperialists had indeed torn to
pieces, but as they had left it lying outside, the wind had blown
it into the orchard, where we found it. It was very shabby before,
otherwise I doubt not they would have carried it off with them. On
account of the box we took old Ilse with us, who had to carry it,
and as amber is very light ware, she readily believed that the box
held nothing but eatables. At daybreak, then, we took our staves
in our hands, and set out with God. Near Zitze, [Footnote: A
village half way between Coserow and Wolgast, now called
Zinnowitz.] a hare ran across the road before us, which they say
bodes no good. Well-a-day!--When we came near Bannemin I asked a
fellow if it was true that here a mother had slaughtered her own
child, from hunger, as I had heard. He said it was, and that the
old woman's name was Zisse; but that God had been wroth at such a
horrid deed, and she had got no good by it, seeing that she
vomited so much upon eating it that she forthwith gave up the
ghost. On the whole, he thought things were already going rather
better with the parish, as Almighty God had richly blessed them
with fish, both out of the sea and the Achterwater. Nevertheless a
great number of people had died of hunger here also. He told us
that their vicar, his reverence Johannes Lampius, [Footnote: The
present parish archives contain several short and incomplete
notices of his sufferings during these dreadful wars.] had had his
house burnt down by the Imperialists, and was lying in a hovel
near the church. I sent him my greeting, desiring that he would
soon come to visit me (which the fellow promised he would take
care to deliver to him), for the reverend Johannes is a pious and
learned man, and has also composed sundry Latin
_Chronosticha_ on these wretched times, in _metrum
heroicum_, which, I must say, pleased me greatly. [Footnote:
The old vicar has introduced them among the still existing
parochial accounts, and we will here give a specimen of them:--
For 1620.
VsqVe qVo Do MIne IrasCerls, sIs nobIs pater!
For 1628.
InqVe tVa DeXtra fer operaM tV ChrIste benIgne!]
When we had crossed the ferry we went in at Sehms his house, on
the castle green, who keeps an ale-house; he told us that the
pestilence had not yet altogether ceased in the town; whereat I
was much afraid, more especially as he described to us so many
other horrors and miseries of these fearful times, both here and
in other places, _e.g._, of the great famine in the island of
Rügen, where a number of people had grown as black as Moors from
hunger; a wondrous thing if it be true, and one might almost
gather therefrom how the first blackamoors came about. [Footnote:
Micrælius also, in his "Ancient Pomerania" (vol. Ixxi. 2),
mentions this circumstance, but only says:--"Those who came over
to Stralsund were quite black from the hunger they had suffered."
This accounts for the strange exaggeration of mine host, and the
still stranger conclusion of our author.] But be that as it may.
_Summa_. When Master Sehms had told us all the news he had
heard, and we had thus learnt to our great comfort that the Lord
had not visited us only in these times of heavy need, I called him
aside into a chamber and asked him whether I could not here find
means to get money for a piece of amber, which my daughter had
found by the sea. At first he said "No;" but then recollecting, he
began, "Stay, let me see, at Nicolas Graeke's, the inn at the
castle, there are two great Dutch merchants, Dieterich von Pehnen
and Jacob Kiekebusch, who are come to buy pitch and boards,
_item_, timber for ships and beams; perchance they may like
to cheapen your amber too; but you had better go up to the castle
yourself, for I do not know for certain whether they still are
there." This I did, although I had not yet eaten anything in the
man's house, seeing that I wanted to know first what sort of
bargain I might make, and to save the farthings belonging to the
church until then. So I went into the castle yard. Gracious God!
what a desert had even his princely Highness' house become within
a short time! The Danes had ruined the stables and hunting-lodge,
anno 1628; _item_, destroyed several rooms in the castle; and
in the _locamentum_ of his princely Highness Duke Philippus,
where, anno 22, he so graciously entertained me and my child, as
will be told further on, now dwelt the innkeeper Nicolas Graeke;
and all the fair tapestries, whereon was represented the
pilgrimage to Jerusalem of his princely Highness Bogislaus X.,
were torn down, and the walls left grey and bare. [Footnote:
Compare Heller's "Chronicle of the Town of Wolgast," p. 42, &c.
The riots were caused by the successor of Philippus Julius (d. 6th
Feb. 1625), who was also the last Duke of Pomerania, Bogislaus
XIV., choosing to reside in Stettin. At the present time the
castle is a mere ruin, and only several large vaulted cellars
remain, wherein some of the tradesmen of the present day keep
their shops.] At this sight my heart was sorely grieved; but I
presently inquired for the merchants, who sat at the table
drinking their parting cup, with their travelling equipments
already lying by them, seeing that they were just going to set out
on their way to Stettin; straightway one of them jumped up from
his liquor, a little fellow with a right noble paunch, and a black
plaster on his nose, and asked me what I would of them? I took him
aside into a window, and told him I had some fine amber, if he had
a mind to buy it of me, which he straightway agreed to do. And
when he had whispered somewhat into the ear of his fellow, he
began to look very pleasant, and reached me the pitcher before we
went to my inn. I drank to him right heartily, seeing that, as I
have already said, I was still fasting, so that I felt my very
heart warmed by it in an instant. (Gracious God! what can go
beyond a good draught of wine taken within measure!) After this we
went to my inn, and told the maid to carry the box on one side
into a small chamber. I had scarce opened it and taken away the
gown, when the man (whose name was Dieterich von Pehnen, as he had
told me by the way), held up both hands for joy, and said he had
never seen such wealth of amber, and how had I come by it? I
answered that my child had found it on the sea-shore; whereat he
wondered greatly that we had so much amber here, and offered me
300 florins for the whole box. I was quite beside myself for joy
at such an offer, but took care not to let him see it, and
bargained with him till I got 500 florins, and I was to go with
him to the castle, and take the money forthwith. Hereupon I
ordered mine host to make ready at once a mug of beer, and a good
dinner for my child, and went back to the castle with the man, and
the maid who carried the box, begging him, in order to avoid
common talk, to say nothing of my good fortune to mine host, nor
indeed to any one else in the town, and to count out the money to
me privately, seeing that I could not be sure that the thieves
might not lay in wait for me on the road home if they heard of it.
And this the man did; for he whispered something into the ear of
his fellow, who straightway opened his leathern surcoat,
_item_, his doublet and hose, and unbuckled from his paunch a
well-filled purse which he gave to him. _Summa_.--Before long
I had my riches in my pocket, and, moreover, the man begged me to
write to him at Amsterdam whenever I found any more amber, the
which I promised to do. But the worthy fellow, as I have since
heard, died of the plague at Stettin, together with his
companion--truly I wish it had happened otherwise. [Footnote:
Micrælius mentions these Dutch merchants, p. 171, but asserts that
the cause of their death was doubtful, and that the town
physician, Dr. Laurentius Eichstadius, in Stettin, had written a
special medical paper on the subject. However, he calls one of
them Kiekepost, instead of Kiekebusch.] Shortly after, I was very
near getting into great trouble; for, as I had an extreme longing
to fall on my knees, so that I could not wait until such time as I
should have got back to my inn, I went up three or four steps of
the castle stairs, and entered into a small chamber, where I
humbled myself before the Lord. But the host, Nicolas Graeke,
followed me, thinking I was a thief, and would have stopped me, so
that I knew not how to excuse myself but by saying that I had been
made drunken by the wine which the strange merchants had given to
me (for he had seen what a good pull I had made at it), seeing I
had not broken my fast that morning, and that I was looking for a
chamber wherein I might sleep a while, which lie he believed (if
in truth it were a lie, for I was really drunken, though not with
wine, but with love and gratitude to my Maker), and accordingly he
let me go.
But I must now tell my story of his princely Highness, as I
promised above. Anno 22, as I chanced to walk with my daughter,
who was then a child of about twelve years old, in the castle
garden at Wolgast, and was showing her the beautiful flowers that
grew there, it chanced that as we came round from behind some
bushes we espied my gracious lord the Duke Philippus Julius, with
his princely Highness the Duke Bogislaff, who lay here on a visit,
standing on a mount and conversing, wherefore we were about to
return. But as my gracious lords presently walked on towards the
drawbridge, we went to look at the mount where they had stood; of
a sudden my little girl shouted loudly for joy, seeing that she
found on the earth a costly signet-ring, which one of their
princely Highnesses doubtless had dropped. I therefore said,
"Come, and we will follow our gracious lords with all speed, and
thou shalt say to them in Latin: _Serenissimi principes, quis
vestrum hunc annulum deperdidit_? (for, as I have mentioned
above, I had instructed her in the Latin tongue ever since her
seventh year), and if one of them says _Ego_, give to him the
ring. _Item_, should he ask thee in Latin to whom thou
belongest, be not abashed, and say: _Ego sum filia pastoris
Coserowiensis_; for thou wilt thus find favour in the eyes of
their princely Highnesses, for they are both gracious gentlemen,
more especially the taller one, who is our gracious ruler
Philippus Julius himself." This she promised to do; but as she
trembled sorely as she went, I encouraged her yet more and
promised her a new gown if she did it, seeing that even as a
little child she would have given a great deal for fine clothes.
As soon, then, as we were come into the courtyard, I stood by the
statue of his princely Highness Ernest Ludewig, [Footnote: The
father of Philippus Julius, died at Wolgast 17th June 1592.] and
whispered her to run boldly after them, as their princely
Highnesses were only a few steps before us, and had already turned
toward the great entrance. This she did, but of a sudden she stood
still, and would have turned back, because she was frightened by
the spurs of their princely Highnesses, as she afterwards told me,
seeing that they rattled and jingled very loudly.
But my gracious lady the Duchess Agnes saw her from the open
window wherein she lay, and called to his princely Highness, "My
lord, there is a little maiden behind you, who, it seems, would
speak with you," whereupon his princely Highness straightway
turned him round, smiling pleasantly, so that my little maid
presently took courage, and, holding up the ring, spoke in Latin
as I had told her. Hereat both the princes wondered beyond
measure, and after my gracious Duke Philippus had felt his finger,
he answered, "_Dulcissima puella, ego perdidi_;" whereupon
she gave it to him. Then he patted her cheek, and again asked,
"_Sed quoenam es, et unde venis_?" whereupon she boldly gave
her answer, and at the same time pointed with her finger to where
I stood by the statue; whereupon his princely Highness motioned me
to draw near. My gracious lady saw all that passed from the
window, but all at once she left it. She, however, came back to it
again before I had time even humbly to draw near to my gracious
lord, and beckoned to my child, and held a cake out of the window
for her. On my telling her she ran up to the window, but her
princely Highness could not reach so low nor she so high above her
as to take it, wherefore my gracious lady commanded her to come up
into the castle, and as she looked anxiously round after me,
motioned me also, as did my gracious lord himself, who presently
took the timid little maid by the hand and went up with his
princely Highness the Duke Bogislaff. My gracious lady came to
meet us at the door, and caressed and embraced my little daughter,
so that she soon grew quite bold and ate the cake. When my
gracious lord had asked me my name, _item_, why I had in so
singular a manner taught my daughter the Latin tongue, I answered
that I had heard much from a cousin at Cologne of Maria Schurman,
[Footnote: Anna Maria Schurman, born at Cologne on the 5th Nov.
1607, died at Wiewardin the 5th May 1678, was, according to the
unanimous testimony of her contemporaries, a prodigy of learning,
and perhaps the most learned woman that ever lived. The Frenchman
Naudé says of her, "You find in her alone all that the hand can
fashion or the mind conceive. No one paints better, no one works
better in brass, wax, and wood. In needlework she excels all women
past or present. It is impossible to say in what branch of
knowledge she is most distinguished. Not content with the European
languages, she understands Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, and writes
Latin so well that no one who has devoted his whole life to it can
do it better." The celebrated Netherlander Spanheim calls her a
teacher of the Graces and the Muses; the still more celebrated
Salmasius confesses that he knows not in which branch of learning
to say she excels: and the Pole Rotyer calls her "The sole example
of all wondrous works in one single learned person, and a perfect
_monstrum_ of her sex, yet without fault or blame." For, in
truth, with all her extraordinary knowledge she was marvellously
humble, although she herself confesses that the immoderate praises
of the learned even yet at times blinded her to her own defects.
In her later years she went over to the sect of the Labadists,
which appears to have some points in common with that of the
Muckers. She died unmarried, as an early love affair in her
fifteenth year with the Dutchman Caets had been broken off. It is
related of her, as a strange fancy, that she liked to eat spiders.
The celebrated Spanheim was the first to publish an edition of her
works under the title of _Annæ Mariæ a Schurman Opuscula_.
Leyden, 1648.] and as I had observed a very excellent
_ingenium_ in my child, and also had time enough in my lonely
cure, I did not hesitate to take her in hand, and teach her from
her youth up, seeing I had no boy alive. Hereat their princely
Highnesses marvelled greatly, and put some more questions to her
in Latin, which she answered without any prompting from me.
Whereupon my gracious lord Duke Philippus said in the vulgar
tongue, "When thou art grown up and art one day to be married,
tell it to me, and thou shalt then have another ring from me, and
whatsoever else pertains to a bride, for thou hast this day done
me good service, seeing that this ring is a precious jewel to me,
as I had it from my wife." Hereupon I whispered her to kiss his
princely Highness' hand for such a promise, and so she did.
(But alas, most gracious God, it is one thing to promise and quite
another to hold! Where is his princely Highness at this time?
Wherefore let me ever keep in mind that "Thou only art faithful,
and that which Thou hast promised Thou wilt surely hold." Ps.
xxxiii. 4. Amen. [Footnote: Luther's version.]) _Item_.--When
his princely Highness had also inquired concerning myself and my
cure, and heard that I was of ancient and noble family, and my
_salarium_ very small, he called from the window to his
chancellor, D. Rungius, who stood without, looking at the
sun-dial, and told him that I was to have an addition from the
convent at Pudgla, _item_, from the crownlands at Ernsthoff,
as I mentioned above; but, more's the pity, I never have received
the same, although the _instrumentum donationis_ was sent me
soon after by his princely Highness' chancellor.
Then cakes were brought for me also, _item_, a glass of
foreign wine in a glass painted with armorial bearings, whereupon
I humbly took my leave, together with my daughter.
However, to come back to my bargain, anybody may guess what joy my
child felt when I showed her the fair ducats and florins I had
gotten for the amber. To the maid, however, we said that we had
inherited such riches from my brother in Holland, and after we had
again given thanks to the Lord on our knees, and eaten our dinner,
we bought in a great store of bread, salt, meat, and stock-fish:
_item_, of clothes, seeing that I provided what was needful
for us three throughout the winter from the cloth-merchant.
Moreover, for my daughter I bought a hair-net and a scarlet silk
bodice, with a black apron and white petticoat, _item_, a
fine pair of earrings, as she begged hard for them; and as soon as
I had ordered the needful from the cordwainer we set out on our
way homewards, as it began to grow very dark; but we could not
carry nearly all we had bought. Wherefore we were forced to get a
peasant from Bannemin to help us, who likewise was come into the
town, and as I found out from him that the fellow who gave me the
piece of bread was a poor cotter called Pantermehl, who dwelt in
the village by the roadside, I shoved a couple of loaves in at his
house-door without his knowing it, and we went on our way by the
bright moonlight, so that by the help of God we got home about ten
o'clock at night. I likewise gave a loaf to the other fellow,
though truly he deserved it not, seeing that he would go with us
no further than to Zitze. But I let him go, for I, too, had not
deserved that the Lord should so greatly bless me.