The inmates of Axelhuus appeared to feel sufficiently secure to despise
these disturbances which had commenced, though in a less degree, some
days before.
The bishop's well-fortified castle was situated on an island, the
ferry-boats that usually plied there lay, during these commotions, in
the harbour, under the high walls of the castle, by which means all
communication between the town and the castle Island was cut off. The
distance from the town, however, was not so great, but that Axelhuus
might be reached from the strand by arrows, and especially by balista,
when these dangerous engines of war were worked with proper skill. In
the upper hall at Axelhuus, sat the spiritual and temporal ruler of the
town, the little authoritative bishop Johan of Roskild, in solemn
council, between his guests Archbishop Grand and Cardinal Isarnus. At
the archbishop's right hand sat his faithful friend, the haughty abbot
from the forest monastery. Grand's agent, the canon Nicholas from
Roskild, was also present, as well as the canon Hans Rodis, who had
assisted his flight from Sjoeberg. At the great hall table sat also the
cardinal's famulus and his secretary, with two Italian ecclesiastics
belonging to his train. For the convenience of the foreign cardinal,
the conversation was chiefly carried on in Latin. The lord of the
castle, the little bishop Johan, seemed to have assumed a determined
and authoritative deportment in imitation of the archbishop, by whose
side, however, he appeared wholly insignificant, although he now acted
as the protector both of the powerful Grand, and of the cardinal. He
now and then cast an observant glance out of the window towards the
town and the increasing crowd on the strand, yet without betraying fear
or uneasiness. Archbishop Grand had not yet overcome the consequences
of his severe imprisonment. He rested his swollen feet on a soft
stuffed foot-stool. There was a look of gloomy asperity on his pale,
emaciated countenance. Every movement appeared to cost him an effort,
while all his vital energy seemed as if concentrated in his large
flashing eye. He sat lost in reverie, gazing before him in silence,
while the cardinal, with a lurking smile in his small crafty eye,
perused a document which his secretary had just drawn up.
"Trust him not, venerable brother," whispered the abbot from the forest
monastery in the archbishop's ear; "he secretly sides with the king: I
know it; he aims at your archbishopric."
Grand changed colour and clenched his hands convulsively, but was
silent, and cast a searching look at the papal nuncio.
"In the name and on the behalf of the holy father!" commenced the
cardinal, in Latin, ridding himself of the red cap which covered his
tonsure; "ere the royal ambassadors come into our presence, I once more
counsel my aggrieved brother to submission and a wise resignation. In
this treaty which I have here caused to be cursorily drawn up, and the
contents of which you already know Archbishop Grand! I have at your own
request, according to the strict principles of ecclesiastical law,
enjoined the King of Denmark to make such a considerable compensation
for towns, villages, castles, and temporal offices, that I see
beforehand he will reject the negociation."
"I now reject it also, even on these conditions," answered the
Archbishop impetuously, "That in which King Eric hath sinned against me
and my holy office, he can never fully atone for, even with the loss of
his--crown!"
"You surely would not, however, strain the bow still tighter, venerable
brother! and at last insist on your king being punished by loss of
honour, life, and possessions, like a criminal by temporal justice?"
asked the cardinal, with a crafty smile on his unruffled countenance,
"in the matter of soul and salvation, you have dealt as hardly with him
as possible. Forget not, my venerable brother! That your opponent is a
crowned and anointed monarch, at the head of a brave and loyal people,
and with many mighty princes for his friends! Every spiritual decree to
which a temporal potentate will not _voluntarily_ submit out of
christian piety and humility, will be ineffectual, and become the scoff
of the children of this world, especially here in the north, where even
the holy lightnings, as I perceive, fall somewhat cooled and weakened.
The king's charges against my venerable brother in Christ are, besides,
very grave and heavy, and," added the Cardinal with a thoughtful look,
"if the royal advocate in Rome can but prove the half of what is
alleged, you will assuredly act most wisely in lowering your demands
somewhat, and will even desire yourself that the whole unhappy affair
should be hushed up. This, at all events, is my brotherly counsel, and
if you could master yourself so far as to follow it, an honourable
treaty will doubtless be possible. It is my heartfelt wish, as well for
your peace as that of the church, and to prevent all scandal and
dissension for the future--that you, with consent of the holy father,
should exchange the archbishopric of Lund for another (perhaps of more
importance, and more worthy of your merits) without these northern
lands, where your personal misunderstanding with temporal authorities
will hardly ever be wholly removed. I say this with kindly concern for
my excellent brother's peace and safety. Even at this moment we are
both, in some sort, in the power of the temporal ruler, of whose
impetuosity you have had such sensible proofs."
"Ay indeed, your eminence!" exclaimed Grand in the greatest
exasperation, as he kicked the footstool from him, and rose, "Speak ye
now to me in this tone? Was it for this you summoned me from my secure
Hammershuus, and bade me trust to the passport of my deadly foe? You
think, perhaps, to have trapped me into a snare I cannot escape from!
You imagine, perhaps, that my pious colleague, our mutual and venerable
host, who here sways town and castle, will, out of base and cowardly
fear, betray his friend and guest, and lawful archbishop, to flatter
the temporal tyrant, who already, as I perceive, hath rendered a papal
nuncio his spiritual slave? No, lord Cardinal! In that case, you know
neither me, nor the meritorious servant of the Lord here, at our side.
If he hath already for my sake, and that of the church, with courageous
energy exposed himself to the tyrant's wrath, and even to tumult and
sedition in his own town, he will surely not now stoop to degrade
himself by an act of treachery which would brand him as a dastardly
traitor. My safety and freedom are provided for; any moment I please I
can embark, and neither the king nor the seditious burgher-pack shall
forbid me to wend free from hence, and seek justice before St. Peter's
judgment seat. Here I dare speak out freely that which I deem of you,
as well as of that presumptuous and ungodly king. You have not
fulfilled your duty here as papal nuncio.--Instead of confirming ban
and interdict with the holy Father's authority----"
"That is my own affair, my brother!" interrupted Isarnus, with cool
calmness, "Since your own counsellors have enforced the interdict
according to the constitution of Veile no confirmation was needed. We
speak now only of the king, and whether you will be reconciled to him
and recall the ban."
"No, never! To all eternity!" cried Grand, impetuously; "and I laugh at
his accusations: that which I once spoke of his father's murder, and
which he now makes the plea for his tyrannical conduct, I dare repeat
here, and before the highest judgment seat. If the king's murder was
_destined_ to take place, it was unfortunate that it did _not_ take
place sixteen years before, then that wretched monarch would have left
no posterity behind him, and the descendants of Eric Glipping would
never have dishonoured Denmark's throne. Yes! I made that intrepid
speech, and I repeat it now; but I deny all share in the tyrant's
murder, and all connection with Duke Valdemar and the outlaws. It
matters not to me, henceforth, who reigns in Denmark, be it Duke
Valdemar or a Jew, a Saracen or a heathen, or--the devil himself, if
only King Eric and his wretched brother may never be obeyed here as
kings and lieges."
"Will you also defend what you _now_ say, before the highest judgment
seat? venerable brother!" asked Isarnus, with unruffled calmness, and
with an almost imperceptible smile. "Your bodily weakness is, however,
reasonable excuse for your not being always master of your mind and
tongue. Now I have heard your declaration, despite the exaggeration of
feeling it betrays, it still in some sort agrees, both with the will of
the Holy Father and of the king. Your cause immediately depends upon
the papal see; nevertheless, let the king's ambassadors appear, my
worthy brother!" he said to Bishop Johan, who instantly rose and left
the hall.
There was a silence of a few moments. Grand had resumed his seat; he
rested his long chin upon his clenched hand, and seemed angry, both at
his own vehemence, and the calmness of the cardinal. Shortly afterwards
Bishop Johan entered, accompanied by two ecclesiastics. They were the
king's ambassadors; the provincial prior of the Dominicans, the
venerable Master Olaus, with his handsome snow-white head, and Esger
Iuul, the canon of Ribe--a young priest, well versed in law, and of a
bold, intelligent countenance. They had been waiting for admission some
hours in an antechamber. They now greeted the prelates with reverence,
and the cardinal half rose from his seat to return their salutation;
but the Archbishop remained seated in gloomy reverie. Bishop Johan
requested the king's plenipotentiaries to seat themselves. The
provincial prior sat down, but the canon remained standing, and began,
"Pardon me, your eminence! and you, most learned lord archbishop! and
all ye reverend ecclesiastics! if I am here necessitated to say what
displeases you I stand forth here, not as the church's, but as the
king's, my temporal master's, servant and spokesman. What he hath
ordered me to propound, I must utter, even though I may not dare to
attribute to myself the thoughts and opinions which I have taken on
myself to expound."
"Speak boldly, brother Canonicus! I have been advised of your
authority," interrupted the cardinal, with a gracious nod, and the
canon continued, "My lord and king hath three hours ago arrived at his
royal castle here in the village of Sorretslov, without the town of
Copenhagen, in order personally to confirm and sign what may be here,
with his consent, agreed upon; and, in case of need, with his royal
power and authority to hinder the breach of the public peace, with
which state and kingdom are threatened by the presence of Bishop Grand,
and the enforcement of the interdict. He desires not to see _that_ man
in his presence whom he considers as an accomplice in the murder of his
royal father of blessed memory, and who hath also dared to pronounce
the church's ban on his own royal head; but the peace and safe conduct
he hath promised his opponent, he will honourably and chivalrously
observe. The King hath expressly enjoined me to declare, that he comes
hither in no wise to excuse and defend that, which, compelled by
necessity, he hath been forced to enact against canonical law and the
constitution of Veile, by the personal imprisonment of Archbishop
Grand. This affair he confidently trusts to justify before the highest
tribunal in Christendom; but he comes hither as lord of the land, for
the restoration of public peace, and as the accuser of the fugitive
archbishop before his eminence the papal nuncio. All reconciliation in
this kingdom with this prelate, charged as he is with treason, my
liege, the king, decidedly rejects; but he promises him free and safe
departure for Rome, whither he hath already expedited his ambassadors,
and whence he awaits a righteous sentence upon the accused. Till this
sentence is awarded, he demands to be freed from the unlawful ban
pronounced upon him by a prisoned traitor. (These are not my words, but
the king's.) He demands likewise that the kingdom be freed from the
interdict, which the councils of Veile, Roskild, and Lund, have
announced to his loyal and innocent people. Against the right of the
councils and bishops therein assisting, to take this step without
consent of their chapter and the rest of the clergy, the chapter of the
cathedral of Roskild hath solemnly protested--and the provincial prior
of the Dominicans, the venerable Master Olaus, is here present in
person to confirm the protest."
The aged provincial prior now rose--"In the name of my holy order, and
that of the chapter of Roskild cathedral, I declare the conduct of the
councils in this matter to be unlawful and invalid," he said in a clear
and calm voice, "I consider not the chapters and the Danish clergy to
be under the necessity of giving up the performance of divine worship,
and I require you, Bishop Johan of Roskild! as speedily as possible to
recall the unhappy church interdict, which hath already caused such
great disturbance here in the town, where you, yourself, meanwhile,
bear rule. If God's service is to cease, Satan's service will soon
commence, with all manner of dissoluteness and profligacy; of discord
and variance between the shepherd and his flock; spiritual, as well as
all temporal peace and security will be at an end, and no priest will
be sure of his life. Enthusiasts and sectarians, atheists and Leccar
brothers, will inundate the land, and mislead the people; laymen and
drunken guild-brethren will preside in the congregation, as they have
already begun to do here. Neither the church nor the holy father can
desire that we, to maintain the stern and impracticable constitution of
Veile, should overthrow all order and fear of God in Denmark, and
suffer the people to fall into barbarism, and into the greatest
errors--ay, even into heathenism and devil-worship. In the name of the
Danish clergy, I solemnly protest against the interdict; but in thus
protesting against it, I consider that I in nowise encroach on the
churches freedom, or attack you, most learned archbishop!--or any other
spiritual authority. The church but uses its freedom and power in such
wise, that we, its servants, should not corrupt and destroy the souls
entrusted to us, instead of leading them to the peace of God and
eternal salvation! Dixi et liberavi animam. Now act as you can answer
to God and your conscience, venerable sirs! but you will be responsible
in this world and the next for the consequences! They might prove
bloody and terrible."
He hardly finished speaking, ere a shower of stones and arrows struck
against the wall with great noise, forced in the windows, and poured
into the midst of the hall, among the dismayed ecclesiastics, who
started from their seats, and sought safety between the massive window
pillars, and behind the thick walls of the hall; the cardinal also
quitted his seat, but the archbishop remained seated with an air of
defiance.
"Doth he break his promise of safe conduct? the godless king of
Belial!" cried Grand. "Shall I and my faithful friends be stoned here
like prophets and martyrs, that our blood may cry to Heaven and call
down the lightnings of eternal damnation upon his head?"
"I witness before the Lord and our Holy Lady! The king hath no share in
this attack," resumed the provincial prior, who remained standing.
"When he hears of it, he will assuredly highly disapprove this unlawful
and presumptuous breach of peace: but here, venerable sirs! you already
see the consequences of the interdict; the whole town is in uproar; the
mob was storming against the closed churches of St. Peter and Our Lady,
as we were on our way hither, and threatened with fire and sword. If
you do not now yield to necessity. Bishop Johan! Axelhuus will be
perhaps taken by storm, or laid in ashes ere midnight."
A fresh shower of stones and arrows interrupted the provincial prior's
speech; he crossed himself and retreated. A large stone from a balista
fell just before the archbishop's face, and split the table. Grand
arose, with a look which flashed fire, and quitted his dangerous
position.
"Follow me, my guests!" said the little Bishop Johan in a squeaking
voice, and hastily opening a door,--"Could we but pass unharmed through
the north corridor to the tower, no arrow or balista stone shall reach
us. The castle can stand both siege and storm. I will show you that I
suffer not myself to be thus mastered by my rebellious flock; but we
must hasten--here we are still exposed to the greatest danger." So
saying, he himself quitted the hall in great trepidation; all followed
him through a long corridor to a more secure retreat. Meanwhile, the
attack upon the castle increased in vigour every moment, and the
whole northern wing, which looked upon the town, was everywhere
exposed to arrows and showers of stones. Some exclaimed that they were
wounded--they rushed forward headlong, and jostled each other without
ceremony. Care for personal safety had nearly chased away all regard to
rank and position and decorum--most of the ecclesiastics ran past the
archbishop and the cardinal. The papal nuncio, however, passed hastily
and unharmed through the corridor, accompanied by the provincial prior
and Esger Iuul. Grand's slow and laboured step was alone supported by
the abbot from the forest monastery, whose heavy-built person permitted
him not to haste. The long corridor, through the whole length of which
they were forced to pass, had, on the one side, open gothic arches over
a walled parapet. Here at every moment poured in a number of arrows and
stones, which forced the fugitive prelates to pursue their way,
stooping, and almost creeping under the parapet.
"God's judgment upon the presumptuous, and upon their traitorous king!"
panted forth the archbishop. "It is his creatures who stir up the
people. Now he rejoices over our distress, and would make use of it for
our humiliation."
"St. Bent and St. Peter assist us! Stoop your head!" cried the heavy
Abbot, creeping under the parapet. "Yonder comes another balista stone!
Merciful heaven, what a swarm of people!" he continued, looking out
cautiously towards the town. "Hear how they bluster! They utter your
name, venerable brother, with ungodly oaths; they are busy with
boats--they are dragging more balista forward. I see one of the king's
halberdiers among them."
"Mark! _he_ is the ring-leader, the faithless despot!" cried the
archbishop, "from him comes all our tribulation, and the country's
misery! Send forth thy destroying angel, righteous Lord! root out the
perjurer! Pluck him up by the roots!"
"This way, venerable sirs! and ye are safe!" said a hollow voice from
the end of the corridor, and a tall manly form with a wild pallid
countenance, appeared at the door; he was clad like a German pepper
'prentice, and had a large red scar on his forehead.
"My guest of the sanctuary! your persecuted friend and avenger!"
whispered the abbot from the forest monastery. "St. Peter and St. Bent
be thanked--the All-righteous hath heard your prayer, the destroying
angel is come."
The tall form in the door-way laid his finger on his lips, and
disappeared with the two prelates, while the door of the corridor
closed after them.