{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_59751/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_59751","id":"gutenberg_59751","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/59751","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Adventure","Category: Historical Novels","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Legends -- Switzerland -- Juvenile literature","Sempach, Battle of, Switzerland, 1386 -- Juvenile literature","Winkelried, Arnold von -- Juvenile literature"],"text":"Produced by D A Alexander, Stephen Hutcheson, and the\nOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net\n(This file was produced from images generously made\navailable by the Library of Congress)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n                 [Illustration: _The Winkelried statue_\n               (_After a photograph by Guccione, Rome_)]\n\n                    _Life Stories for Young People_\n\n\n\n\n                          ARNOLD OF WINKELRIED\n                          THE HERO OF SEMPACH\n\n\n                     _Translated from the German of\n                             Gustav H\u00f6cker_\n\n                                   BY\n                            GEORGE P. UPTON\n                    _Translator of \u201cMemories,\u201d etc._\n\n                        WITH THREE ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n                  [Illustration: A. C. McCLURG & CO.]\n\n                                CHICAGO\n                          A. C. McCLURG & CO.\n                                  1908\n\n                               Copyright\n\n                          A. C. McClurg & Co.\n                                  1908\n                       Published August 22, 1908\n\n                THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.\n\n\n\n\n                          Translator\u2019s Preface\n\n\nThe story of Arnold of Winkelried, the famous hero of Switzerland, and\nof his heroic death in the battle of Sempach, will never lose its\ninterest. The learned iconoclasts, having the advantage of the obscurity\nof fourteenth-century history, may continue to declare that he is only a\nlegendary hero, as they have asserted of William Tell, but Winkelried,\nlike Tell, still lives in the hearts of the Swiss people as the actual\nembodiment of patriotic devotion, love of freedom, and love of humanity,\nand thus he will remain in the hearts of men for all time. The narrative\nin this little volume might be called a collection of short sketches\nillustrating the great events of the thirteenth and fourteenth\ncenturies, with Winkelried as their dominant figure and connecting link.\nThe author tells us the legends which cluster around Pilatus, and good\nfather Vincentius\u2019s thrilling story of the battle of Morgarten. He shows\nus how a mystery play was performed. The ravages of the Black Death are\nvividly set forth. Then he tells us of the robber knights and Duke\nLeopold\u2019s tournament at Basle. He describes in detail the curious\nmethods employed in storming a castle, introduces Winkelried in his\ndaring adventure as a beggar monk, and closes the graphic story with a\nthrilling account of the famous Sempach battle and the way in which\nWinkelried gave himself to death by making a passage for the\nConfederates through the forest of Austrian spears. There is no nobler\nexample of patriotic devotion and sublime courage in history.\n\n                                                                G. P. U.\n\nChicago, May 1, 1908.\n\n\n\n\n                                Contents\n\n\n  Chapter                                                           Page\n  I Knight Schrutan and the Pilatus                                   11\n  II The Battle of Morgarten                                          31\n  III The Mystery Play at Engelberg                                   50\n  IV The Black Death                                                  58\n  V The Robber Knights                                                72\n  VI The Tournament at Little Basle                                   94\n  VII Storming of a Lithuanian Castle                                108\n  VIII The Beggar Monk                                               119\n  IX Winkelried\u2019s Heroic Death                                       131\n    Appendix                                                         140\n\n\n\n\n                             Illustrations\n\n\n  The Winkelried statue                                   _Frontispiece_\n  Monument commemorating the Battle of Sempach                        54\n  Winkelried\u2019s heroic death at the Battle of Sempach                 122\n\n\n\n\n                          Arnold of Winkelried\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter I\n                    Knight Schrutan and the Pilatus\n\n\nThe Lake of the Four Forest Cantons, lying amidst the four cantons, Uri,\nUnterwalden, Schwyz, and Lucerne, from which it derives its name,\nsurpasses all other Swiss lakes in the grandeur of its natural beauty\nand in the wealth of its historical associations.\n\nIn the year 1315, which is about the period in which the events of this\nstory occurred, there was upon this lake a little flotilla, which seems\ninsignificant enough when compared with the powerful fleets of the\npresent day. At that time the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden\nwere frequently engaged in hostilities with their neighbor Lucerne,\nwhich still adhered to Austria. Their encounters took place on skiffs\nand boats and clumsy vessels along the shores of the lake. One big,\nsharp-pointed, oaken craft, called the \u201cGoose,\u201d was the flagship of the\nLucerne fleet. The \u201cFox\u201d was the flagship of Uri. One day the Lucerne\nflagship ventured too near the shore and was struck by a millstone which\nthe Unterwaldeners hurled down upon it from a watch-tower, and which so\ndisabled it that Lucerne\u2019s naval power was virtually destroyed.\n\nAt the point where the lake makes a wide bend to the south into the very\nheart of the Alps lies Unterwalden, among precipitous cliffs and\nmountain pastures. It is a majestic sight when the mists clear away on a\nbright summer\u2019s morning and the Rigi, Pilatus, the rocky summits of\nSchwyz, and the range of mountain-peaks extending even to the distant\ndazzling Jungfrau and the Black Monk are revealed in the brilliant\natmosphere. The name \u201cUnterwalden\u201d was applied to this picturesque\nregion in modern times. It is not known what it was called in ancient\ntimes, but there can be no doubt that it was inhabited, as it contains\nunusually rich pasturage for animals and offers favorable opportunities\nfor hunting and fishing.\n\nNot far away from the lake is the little city of Stans, situated in a\nluxuriant garden, whose fruitfulness is unimpaired, although from the\nmiddle of November until the beginning of February the sun is visible\nonly in the morning between Briefenberg and the Staufer Horn, and in the\nafternoon never gilds the roofs of the little place.\n\nAt the eastern extremity of the city stands, even to this day, the\nWinkelried house, to which we shall now introduce our readers. They must\nimagine themselves in the middle of the fourteenth century. Although it\nhad ample sleeping-rooms, spacious closets, and large, gayly colored\nchests in which the linen and garments were kept, as well as other\nconveniences, a single room was the family\u2019s living apartment. A long\nwooden bench stood against the wall, in front of which was a large oaken\ntable with massive feet. Some wooden chairs and a leathern arm-chair\ncompleted the furniture. Tankards, dishes, and glasses were arranged on\nshelves, and some silver vessels were enclosed in a beautifully carved\ncabinet. A holy-water ewer was fastened near the door, and a crucifix\nhung between the windows. Instead of a stove there was an open coal\nfire, into which thyme was sprinkled to diffuse a pleasant odor\nthroughout the room. Several tiny cages were suspended from the low\nceiling. The sprightly little singers which occupied them were quiet\nnow, having gone to sleep with their heads tucked under their wings, for\nit was evening and the room had grown dark.\n\nA woman of middle age was seated in the easy-chair absorbed in\nmeditation. A boy sat in her lap, and as he tenderly embraced his mother\nhis eyes turned to the window through which he saw the moon rising over\nthe peaks of Pilatus and the summit of the Felsenhorn, outlined like a\nsharp black shadow against the sky.\n\n\u201cLittle mother,\u201d said the boy, breaking the silence, \u201cwhy is that\nmountain called \u2018Pilatus\u2019? That is the name of the Roman governor who\ndelivered our Saviour to the Jews.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou are right, my Arnold. The mountain was named for him,\u201d replied his\nmother.\n\n\u201cWhy?\u201d asked Arnold.\n\n\u201cPontius Pilate, who was the Governor of Judea, administered the affairs\nof the province so corruptly that the Emperor Tiberius recalled him to\nRome and shut him up in prison,\u201d said his mother. \u201cRather than suffer\nthis disgrace, Pilate took his own life. As he was a self-murderer his\nbody was thrown into the Tiber. A terrible tempest of rain and hail at\nonce swept down upon Rome. For weeks the thunder crashed and shook the\ncity. The people at last decided that the storm was caused by the dead\nPilate, so they took the body from the river and carried it away. But\nwherever they deposited it\u2014in the Rhone or in other rivers\u2014violent\nstorms and tempests raged, as they had done in Rome. At last they\nbrought the body here and threw it into the little solitary lake near\nthe top of yonder lofty, rugged, and almost inaccessible mountain. It\nwas then called the Pilatus Lake and at a later day the name was also\ngiven to the mountain. Before that the mountain was called Fracmont,\nwhich comes from a Latin word signifying its jagged appearance. The lake\nhas neither inlet nor outlet. It is not increased by the rain or the\nsnow, nor does the most intense Summer heat lower it. It does not freeze\nin Winter. The wind does not agitate its dark surface, but when its\nquiet is disturbed by human hands frightful tempests arise.\u201d\n\n\u201cDoes the dead Pontius Pilate who is buried there make these storms?\u201d\nsaid Arnold.\n\n\u201cYes, my child. At times he rises from the lake and sits upon a\nmountain-peak, and from thence stirs up the storms which spread such\ndevastation over the country. But once there came a wandering scholar\u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat kind of persons are those?\u201d asked the lad.\n\n\u201cThey are scholars who go from one school to another, pursuing their\nstudies, now in this one, now in that. They are poor, and the\necclesiastics and other religious people whom they visit in their\nwanderings support them. Last Summer one of them ate at our table.\u201d\n\n\u201cWas he a scholar?\u201d asked Arnold, in great surprise; \u201cwhy, he was as big\nas father, and had a long beard, besides.\u201d\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d replied his mother, with a smile; \u201cit is not unusual for these\nlearned beggars to remain in the schools until their thirtieth year,\nwhen they sometimes get positions as under-teachers.\u201d\n\n\u201cOne of these travelling scholars came, you were saying,\u201d said Arnold,\nthus recalling to his mother the interrupted story.\n\n\u201cYes, one of them came into our neighborhood who knew how to exorcise\nevil spirits, and the valley people promised to pay him well if he would\nquiet Pilate. The student betook himself to the lake and hurled such\npowerful incantations at him that he promised to rest quietly in the\nlake upon condition that he might rise from his watery grave one day in\neach year. Since that time, upon every Good Friday, Pilate leaves the\nlake and sits in his red robes of office as he used to do. During the\nremainder of the year he is quiet and invisible. But when he becomes\nprovoked by unusual noises in the vicinity of the lake, or stones are\nthrown into it, then the clouds gather about the mountains, terrible\nstorms break loose, and the lake emits fiery exhalations. On this\naccount people are forbidden to go near the lake lest some one may\nignorantly or maliciously provoke him and thereby endanger this region\nas well as himself.\u201d\n\nThe mother ceased. The boy gazed steadily at the mysterious mountain, at\nthat instant illuminated by the rising moon and gleaming like silver in\nits snowy drapery.\n\n\u201cDo you know anything more about Pilatus?\u201d he asked, after a little.\n\n\u201cNo, my darling, I have told you all that people say about it.\u201d\n\nThe story greatly excited Arnold. He wanted to hear more of the same\nthrilling kind. A dim recollection of an extraordinary adventure\nconnected with his own family rose in his mind.\n\n\u201cLittle mother,\u201d he said, \u201cwhat was that horrible animal which once\nlived in this region? I heard you tell about it once, but I have\nforgotten most of the story. I know that a knight called Winkelried\nkilled it.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat was Henry of Winkelried, your grandfather, usually called\n\u2018Schrutan.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy Schrutan?\u201d\n\n\u201cThe name was probably given to him by his companions in the\ntournaments; for like all knights he was fond of tilting.\u201d\n\n\u201cIf my grandfather was a knight, why are there no knights now?\u201d asked\nArnold, raising his head from his mother\u2019s shoulder and gazing at her\nearnestly.\n\n\u201cThe times have greatly changed,\u201d she replied. \u201cOnce the powerful family\nof Hohenstaufen[1] ruled over the German Empire. It occupied the throne\nmore than a hundred years. The emperors fought many great battles, and\nthe Winkelrieds, who were in their service, were elevated to knighthood.\nBut when the Hohenstaufens ceased to rule, an evil time ensued. As it\nwas no longer an honor to be a knight, the Winkelrieds discarded\nknighthood and lived like plain country people.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd what is it about the terrible animal and my grandfather who was\ncalled Knight Schrutan?\u201d said Arnold.\n\n\u201cListen,\u201d said his mother, as she began to tell him the story once more.\n\u201cYou know the little village of Odwylen, between Stans and the Kernwald.\nIn the mountains near it there is a vast cavern which is said to have\nbeen occupied by heathens in the ancient days. Perhaps they were the old\nRomans who took refuge there because they had committed crimes and been\nbanished from their own country. About a century ago a huge dragon had\nits lair in this cavern. It killed both men and beasts. The people of\nthe little village, which is called Wylen to this day, had to flee, and\nas it was forsaken and desolate it took the name of Odwylen.[2] Along\nthe roads which lead across the moors and meadows between Stans and\nSarnen to the little village, not a person could be seen, nor were any\nanimals pastured there, for the dragon concealed itself in the swamps\nand attacked every living thing. To be safe from the monster they laid\nout new roads, traces of which are visible even to-day. The people of\nUnterwalden sometimes undertook to attack the dragon, but it was always\non the alert, and as soon as it discovered its enemies it retreated to\nthe mountain cavern or some other place where it could defy pursuit. It\nwas so agile that it could run up the steepest mountain-side as swiftly\nas a lizard and as easily as if it were on level ground. Knight Schrutan\nheard about this dragon. He was no longer in his own country, for in his\nwrath he had slain an Unterwaldener who had wronged him, and he had been\nbanished for it. He requested permission to attack the dragon, asking no\nother compensation than the remission of his penalty of exile. Being a\nvaliant knight, the Unterwaldeners granted his petition and allowed him\nto return home. The knight made a long spear with a sharp spike for its\ntip, and at once sought the dragon, which he was not long in finding.\nWhen the monster saw that it had to deal with but one man, it rushed\nupon him with open jaws. Knight Schrutan hurled the spear with all his\nstrength into its throat, where the spike held it securely. Then he drew\nhis sword and smote the dragon until, bleeding from numerous wounds, it\ndied in terrible convulsions.\u201d\n\nArnold scarcely breathed during the story, so spellbound was he. At last\na deep sigh escaped him. He slid down from his mother\u2019s lap and stood\nbefore her with his arms crossed, impatiently awaiting her next words,\nfor he knew the story was not yet finished. He was sure there was\nsomething else, but could not remember what it was. His mother\ncontinued:\n\n\u201cWhen the knight saw that his task was complete and successful he raised\nboth arms and praised God for His personal assistance. But, alas! he\nkept his sword in his hand and the poisonous blood of the dragon dripped\nupon the unprotected parts of his body. A few days afterwards the\nvaliant hero died, mourned by all the people of that region, whom he had\nrescued from the ravages of the cruel monster.\u201d\n\nArnold stood lost in thought as his mother brought the story to an end.\nHad his brave ancestor gone forth to battle, and had he returned\nvictorious, and been overwhelmed with gold and honors by the grateful\nUnterwaldeners it would not have been half so inspiring to the lad as\nthis tragic fate of the hero who paid for his brave deed with his life.\nYoung as he was, he too longed to achieve something great and bequeath\nto others a legacy of glorious memories. The spark of self-sacrifice was\nkindled at that instant in the boy\u2019s breast, not to be extinguished\nexcept with his last breath.\n\n\u201cLittle mother,\u201d cried Arnold, with glowing cheeks, \u201cI will be such a\nknight!\u201d\n\nHis mother smiled, but made no reply. She knew the Winkelrieds\u2019 love of\nfreedom. She knew, also, how different it was from the conceptions of\nfreedom in the days of chivalry, and she was sure that Arnold\u2019s was the\ntrue Winkelried love. She had long been aware of the boy\u2019s heroic\nspirit, but she had never thought of him as an armed warrior in the\nfield.\n\nThat night Arnold dreamed of nothing but Pilatus, the Knight Schrutan,\nand the dragon, and they were mingled together in the strangest manner.\nHe dreamed he was on Lake Pilatus and saw the knight engaged in a\ndesperate struggle with the dragon. Nearer and more near the hero forced\nthe monster to the water\u2019s edge, and with one last desperate effort he\ndrove it into the gloomy lake, which rose high above the sinking\nreptile. The sky was instantly overspread with black clouds. The region\nwas enveloped in darkness, and, accompanied by deafening crashes of\nthunder, Pilate rose from the lake in his red robes, holding in his hand\na spear set with sharp spikes, and making menacing gestures at the\nknight. Schrutan plunged into the lake without hesitation, and\nnotwithstanding his heavy armor, breasted the waves with strong arms,\nprepared to struggle with the evil spirit. Before he could reach him,\nhowever, the water changed to dragon\u2019s blood in which the knight was\noverwhelmed.\n\nOn the next day, Florian H\u00e4bli, Arnold\u2019s friend and playmate, came to\nsee him. Notwithstanding Florian\u2019s father was poor and had to earn a\nliving for his large family by fishing and felling trees, Arnold\npreferred him to all the other boys, and admired his courage, though\nFlorian sometimes was bolder in words than in action. The two boys at\nfirst indulged in a vigorous snowball fight. Then they made a snow man,\nand when it was finished Arnold placed a hat upon its head. As this\nreminded him of the cloud caps which at times covered the summit of\nPilatus, he called the snow man the wicked Pontius Pilate, and bade\nFlorian help him to destroy Pilate. Both lads began a fierce bombardment\nof the snow man, and kept it up until it was reduced to a shapeless\nmass. Then Arnold told Florian about Schrutan and his adventure; and he\nsaid he would like to encounter a dragon, but unfortunately there were\nno more of them in that neighborhood.\n\n\u201cDo you really mean to say that you, such a little fellow, would really\nfight a dragon?\u201d rather contemptuously replied Florian, who was half a\nhead taller than Arnold. \u201cWhy, it would bury you in the cavity of one of\nits teeth.\u201d\n\nArnold, with equal contempt, answered back: \u201cYou shall yet see what I\nwill do. And I shall not kill a dragon,\u201d he said, with a glance at the\nfragments of the snow man. \u201cThe wicked Pilate is up there in the lake.\nHe sends storms over the land, which destroy the crops just as the\ndragon killed men and beasts. He rises from the lake every Good Friday,\nand then we can attack him.\u201d\n\n\u201cHave you the courage to do it?\u201d said Florian, incredulously.\n\n\u201cYes, I have,\u201d replied Arnold, in a manner so serious that Florian was\ndeeply impressed. He stated the perils of such an undertaking to his\ncompanion, and also informed him that no one was allowed to go near the\nbanks of the lake. But Arnold was not to be dissuaded from his purpose.\nHe replied by setting forth with such enthusiasm the duty of some one to\nperform the heroic deed of ridding the region of the evil spirit that\nFlorian resolved not to be outdone by his brave comrade. He decided on\nthe spot to accompany him on his dangerous expedition, and to help him\nto overcome Pilate. The two lads talked of nothing else from day to day,\nand carefully guarded their secret. Florian agreed to all the details of\nthe plan and worked them out assiduously. Most of his time was spent in\ndevising the weapons they should use. He was eager to construct a\ncatapult, like those used to batter down the walls of fortresses, but\nfound it impossible. Then he considered other methods of attack. He\nthought of Greek fire, but he did not know how to make it. At last he\nthought of a thunder-machine, for he had heard that these machines, by\nsome mysterious force, could hurl great iron balls. But as all his plans\nproved impracticable, he next began to devise methods of protection\nagainst the enemy\u2019s attack which would make up for the lack of these\nterrible weapons,\u2014such as an invulnerable coat of mail, or some\nwonderful ointment which could be rubbed on the body from head to foot,\nand make the skin as hard as horn.\n\nArnold listened to all of Florian\u2019s suggestions without making any\nreply. He had long since settled the whole matter himself. His courage\nwas sufficient armor for him, and his weapon was the simple sling, with\nwhich David smote the giant Goliath. He was sure he could overcome\nPilate if he had a fair chance, and to make sure of it he practised with\nthe sling until he became so expert that he could hit any mark within\nstone\u2019s throw.\n\nThe two little adventurers impatiently awaited the spring-time, which\nwould bring Holy Week and the eventful day. The mountains took on fresh\ntints. The sky was gorgeously colored, and the atmosphere so transparent\nthat the most distant mountains seemed near by. There was a certain\nrelaxation in the air and a peculiar rustle in the woods. The dwellers\nin the valley went around anxiously and extinguished the fire on every\nhearth, for these manifestations of nature were the harbingers of the\nviolent F\u00f6hn. This dreadful wind (the F\u00f6hn) sweeps down from the\nmountains upon the valleys, but gentle Spring follows in its train. The\nF\u00f6hn melts the Winter snows even more rapidly than the sun, on which\naccount it is called the \u201csnow-eater,\u201d and its warm breath imparts new\nlife to the grasses and buds.\n\nThe valley was already clothed in tender green when Good Friday came. On\nthat eventful morning, armed only with his sling, Arnold and his\ncompanion-at-arms set out for Lake Pilatus. Arnold did not know the way,\nbut Florian was familiar with it. His godfather, Peter Ruttimer, whose\nduty it was to keep strangers away from it, had sometimes taken Florian\nwith him, so that he knew the road, and now and then had even been near\nthe lake.\n\nAfter a troublesome and painful tramp of several hours, climbing up\nsteep places on all fours, and frequently stopping to rest, the\nventuresome lads reached the accursed water, enclosed all round with\ngloomy forests. Florian would have greatly preferred to abandon the\nexpedition, of which he was growing very tired, and visit his godfather;\nbut Arnold\u2019s cool contempt of every danger deeply impressed him and\nstrengthened his wavering courage.\n\nThere was not a ripple on that gloomy water; not a trace of Pilate, who\nshould have been sitting there in his official robes, was to be seen.\nFlorian, after all, was right when he said that Pilate would not allow\nany one to see him.\n\n\u201cYou see, he does not come,\u201d whispered Florian, after they had waited a\nlong time.\n\n\u201cHe will come yet,\u201d replied Arnold; and to expedite the wished-for\nmoment he picked up a large stone, and before Florian could stop him,\nhurled it into the lake with all his might. It struck with a great\nsplash. With a loud outcry, brave Florian took to his heels and ran away\nas fast as he could.\n\nArnold, however, was not in the least disturbed. After waiting a little\nwhile, he sent Pilate a second invitation. He repeated it a dozen times,\nmaking longer pauses between the throws so as to give him time to\nconsider it. His efforts were useless. He could not even rouse the\nsluggish water into activity again. But he did not mind that, for he was\ncertain that Pilate was in the lake. At last he decided that more\nenergetic measures were necessary to entice him to the surface. He\narranged for a general bombardment by collecting a veritable arsenal of\nstones. When he had piled them up in a small pyramid he began\noperations. He hurled one stone after another into the lake and kept up\nthe assault with such vigor that the sweat poured down his face. But\nPilate treated these unprecedented insults with silent contempt. While\nArnold was making preparations to renew the bombardment, for which he\nwas collecting fresh ammunition, he heard footsteps rapidly approaching.\nTurning round, he saw the powerful figure of Peter Ruttimer, and\nFlorian, who had turned informer, by his side.\n\nThe guardian of Pilatus had already thrown up his hands in dismay when\nhe noticed that the water of the lake had been disturbed by some one\nthrowing stones. White with rage, he rushed after the malefactor. Little\nhe cared that that malefactor\u2019s ancestor was a knight. He would have\nliked to give him a sound whipping on the spot, but refrained, fearing\nthat Arnold would make an outcry which would only add another offence to\nhis disobedience of orders; so he contented himself by hissing out the\nmaledictions which herdsmen employ when their animals are refractory,\nafter which he drove both boys down the mountain. He would have had the\nlegal penalty imposed upon Arnold had not his godson also been concerned\nin the offence.\n\nNearly two hundred and fifty years later, imitators of these boys went\nto the lake. Johann M\u00fcller, the Lucerne magistrate, climbed to the\nnotorious spot with many others. They shouted to Pilate to arise from\nhis watery grave, and they threw stones into the lake; but neither\nPilate nor the tempest appeared. Some walked into the water to see if it\nwas bottomless or would emit fiery exhalations, as was the general\nbelief. Several years later the lake was drained,\u2014only an ugly and\ndangerous morass remaining. The herdsmen, however, did not give up their\nbelief in the legend. For a long time an old custom prevailed among them\nof shouting an incantation every evening through their milk-funnels to\nprevent Pilate from harming them or their animals during the night.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter II\n                        The Battle of Morgarten\n\n\nAbout ten miles distant from Stans, and high above the glistening Lake\nof the Four Forest Cantons, is a somewhat long valley, about three miles\nin width, surrounded by huge mountains, among which the Titlis is the\nloftiest. A pastoral village occupies the right bank of the Aar,[3]\nwhich furnishes it with fresh spring water. Both the valley and the\nvillage take the name of Engelberg[4] from the Benedictine monastery,\nestablished there in 1120. Its founder was the wealthy and childless\nBaron Conrad of Seldenb\u00fcren. He gave the valley, which was one of his\npossessions, to the monastery, besides endowing it with valuable\nproperty in Zurichgau. \u201cEngelberg\u201d is the equivalent of the Latin name,\n\u201cMons Angelorum,\u201d which Pope Calixtus the Second gave to the monastery.\n\nThe entire valley was tributary to the monastery. Every household had to\nfurnish it a Shrovetide fowl or thirty eggs. When a valley person died,\nhis heir had to give the monastery the best pair of cattle left by the\ndeceased, as well as the clothes he last wore to church. Twice a year\nthe Abbot went to the castle at Zurichgau, belonging to the monastery,\nto administer justice. Eight days previous to the journey, those of the\nsame rank and fief, and belonging to the same order, between the Reuss\nand the Rhine, were invited to accompany him. The Abbot, on these\njourneys also took his chaplain, a provost, a priest in ordinary, and a\nknight with three hounds and a hawk. When the Abbot stopped at a house,\nthe housewife had to receive him at her door, with a loaf in one hand\nand a fowl in the other, the fowl being for the hawk and the loaf for\nthe hounds. She must also provide a roast, a sufficient number of fowls,\nand enough of good Alsatian wine for the dinner of the Abbot and his\ncompany, and if he remained over night, the farm attached to the place\nhad also to furnish fowl.\n\nBerthold of Winkelried was abbot at the time of our story, and his two\nsisters, Adelheid and Elspeth, were in charge of the convent, which was\nalso located in the valley. As the brother and sisters were near\nrelatives of Arnold, our hero, he was sent to the famous school of the\nBenedictine monastery to acquire his education and to become thoroughly\nacquainted with the history of the fatherland, and thereby acquire the\ninspiration of its struggles and heroic deeds.\n\nThe original sources of this history are lost in the traditions of the\npast. The first inhabitants of Switzerland probably were the R\u00e6tians.\nThey were followed by the Helvetians, a Celtic tribe which occupied the\nplains, leaving the R\u00e6tians only the mountains. Both these tribes were\nsubjugated by the Romans in the first century of our era, who laid out\nthe first roads and established settlements. Eastern Switzerland was\nassigned to the R\u00e6tians, who belonged to Italy, and western to the\nGauls. The name \u201cHelvetia\u201d disappeared in the third century. When the\ngreat migrations occurred, which built up new empires and pulled down\nold ones, the fierce Huns first invaded the country. Following them, the\nBurgundians conquered the western part, whereupon the Ostrogoths took\npossession of the southern and the Alamanni of the northern part. All\nthese tribes in turn were subjugated by the Franks,[5] who not only\noverran the country, but established Frankish advowsons there. Although\nthe Alpine people were subject to them yet they retained a certain\nindependence, and Charles the Great granted them many privileges, for\nthey had rendered him important service in his Italian wars. After the\ndissolution of the great Frankish empire the eastern part of Switzerland\nwas acquired by the Duchy of Swabia and the western by the newly\norganized kingdom of Burgundy. Subsequent to this, the German sovereigns\ntook over the country and permitted the house of Z\u00e4ringen to administer\nit. During the reign of the Emperor Frederick the Second (1215-1250) the\nSwiss were subordinate to the Empire and free from the exactions of the\nlandowners, but after the extinction of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, the\nimperial power declined. Ecclesiastics and non-ecclesiastics, counts,\nand princes sought to increase their possessions and revenues at the\nexpense of their neighbors; and the Swiss cities, as well as the country\npeople, who had previously resisted thraldom, were forced to protect\nthemselves by making individual alliances with their oppressors. Thus it\nhappened that Zurich and Uri united with the counts of Hapsburg. Schwyz\nmade another alliance. When Count Rudolph of Hapsburg[6] was elected to\nthe imperial throne, 1273, he endeavored to enlarge his possessions.\nSeveral Swiss cities which had been loyal to the Hapsburgs and had\nfought so stoutly in Rudolph\u2019s campaigns began to fear for their own\nsecurity; but in the last year of Rudolph\u2019s life (1291) the men of\nSchwyz, Uri, and Unterwalden met and organized \u201cthe Everlasting League,\u201d\nunder the provisions of which they agreed to protect each other from a\ncommon enemy. They also agreed to recognize no local officials who had\nbought their positions or who were strangers in the country. Following\ntheir example, the people of every valley and community made the same\nagreement.\n\nWhat the death of the Emperor Rudolph had prevented him from\naccomplishing, Albert, his son and successor, sought to carry out. He\naimed to dominate the country and make its free people his vassals. When\nat last his tyranny was too severe for endurance, three men from the\nthree cantons, Werner Stauffacher of Schwyz, Walter F\u00fcrst of Uri, and\nArnold of Melchthal, and thirty more with them, met at the R\u00fctli,[7] and\nrenewed the League of 1291. Two months after this, the tyrannical\ngovernors were expelled, their brutal rule was ended, and the country\nwas free.\n\nDuke Albert, thirsting for revenge, sought to destroy the League, but\nwhile striving to accomplish that purpose he was murdered by his nephew,\nDuke John of Swabia. The German imperial power was supplanted by that of\nthe Austrian dukes. Henry, the next emperor, was chosen from the\nLuxembourg and Bavarian family. He recognized the League and confirmed\nthe people in all their rights and privileges, which subjected him to\nthe ill-will of Albert\u2019s sons and grandsons. After Henry\u2019s death Louis\nof Bavaria was elected Emperor over Frederick of Austria. The Forest\nCantons paid allegiance to him because they knew they had nothing good\nto expect from Austria. Thereupon Leopold, Frederick\u2019s brother, decided\nto retaliate, and nearly all the nobles of Swabia and German Switzerland\njoined him.\n\nThe events now to be related, which took place in 1315, Arnold learned\nfrom the lips of an aged monk in the Engelberg monastery, who had been a\nparticipant in them. This still vigorous old man, Father Vincentius, was\nknown throughout the valley as the \u201cone-eyed,\u201d for he had lost his left\neye. He was not a man of great erudition, but having had experience in\nthe art of healing he knew how to compound medicines for the sick, and\nto treat wounds and broken limbs. He was reverenced and loved by the\npastoral folk of the valley, for many of them owed their good health and\ntheir lives to his skill. As he was always ready, by day or by night, in\ngood or in bad weather, to visit sick-beds, he was looked upon as an\nangel of mercy. Father Vincentius had been wild and reckless in his\nyouth, but in his later years he returned to the Church and consecrated\nhimself as a Benedictine monk to the service of suffering humanity.\nArnold was very fond of the monk, and his devotion was returned by\nFather Vincentius, who occasionally took the lad with him on his visits\nto the sick. Upon one of these visits, which took them to the end of the\nvalley, the monk told him about the war which Leopold waged against the\nthree cantons.\n\n\u201cIn November of the year 1315,\u201d he began, \u201cLeopold assembled a large\nforce at Zug, composed of the flower of the nobility and his own\nhorsemen. There were also many foot soldiers from Lucerne, Entlebuch,\nAargau, Oberhasli, Frutigen, and other places in the hill country. His\nplan was to have the entire cavalry and part of the infantry make the\nmain attack upon Schwyz. This force numbered fifteen thousand men, and\nthe Duke himself was leader. The remaining infantry, six thousand\nstrong, commanded by the Austrian marshal, Count Otto of Strasburg, was\nto invade Unterwalden\u2014one division attacking the Nidwald by land and\nwater, the other the Obwald,[8] so as to divide and weaken their\nopponents as much as possible.\n\n\u201cTwo highroads led from Zug to Schwyz, but the Schwyzers were uncertain\nwhich of them the Duke\u2019s army would take. When they found at last that\nthey were menaced by such an overpowering force they became somewhat\nalarmed. They had made tenders of peace to Leopold through Count\nFrederick of Toggenburg, who was well disposed toward them, but the\nfurious Leopold would not consider the offers, so that no alternative\nwas left them but to defend themselves to the last drop of their blood.\nThey summoned all their people to arms and fortified the principal\npasses and roads of their little country. They thoroughly strengthened\nArth, a post station at the southeast corner of the Lake of Zug, where\nit makes a bend, for at that point, as at Lucerne, they might be\nattacked by land and water. They constructed strong and well protected\nentrenchments, extending from the Rossberg to the Rigi. If the enemy\nshould break through at any one point the entire defence might be lost,\nso particular care was paid to the entrenchments. As there were frequent\nskirmishes between the Schwyzers and the Austrians at Saint Adrian, it\nwas thought the main attack would be made there, and that Leopold\u2019s army\nmight be expected on the road to Arth. These skirmishes proved to be the\nfirst step toward the subsequent success of the Confederates. Among the\nAustrian liegemen from Lucerne and Zug there were many who sympathized\nwith their neighbors and who were serving in the Duke\u2019s army under\nconstraint. One of these was Henry of H\u00fcnenberg, who had friends and\nrelatives among the Schwyzers. He determined to give his old friends\nsome valuable information. A favorable chance offered itself in one of\nthese encounters. During its progress he rushed up to the entrenchment\nand shot an arrow over it, which lodged in a tree. A Schwyzer, noticing\nthat a paper was wrapped round it, pulled it out. The paper contained\nthe brief but significant message, \u2018Defend yourselves at Morgarten.\u2019\n\n\u201cNow they were sure where the attack would be made. The Duke chose for\nhis advance that one of the two roads that leads to the rocky ridge\nknown as the Morgarten, and by way of Stein directly to Schwyz. Every\neffort was made to give the enemy a vigorous reception. The Morgarten is\na natural defence of itself. At the upper part of it extends a plain\ncalled the \u2018Alte Matte,\u2019 intersected by a mountain ridge. This runs to\nthe Morgarten and presents an admirable opportunity for attacking an\narmy approaching through the pass upon the flank, or to cut him off\nentirely. In making their plans, they followed the counsels of Rudolf\nReding, who had fought in many of his country\u2019s battles in his younger\nlife, and now had the valuable experience of seventy years.\n\n\u201cOn the evening of November fifteenth their companions from Uri and\nUnterwalden arrived in Schwyz. Their numbers all told were thirteen\nhundred\u2014six hundred from Schwyz, four hundred from Uri, and three\nhundred from Unterwalden. The rest of their men were engaged in holding\nimportant places among the passes. As night came on, the little army\ntook up its march to Morgarten, determined to conquer, or, like Leonidas\nand his Spartans, die for freedom and the fatherland.\n\n\u201cOn the following day Duke Leopold left Zug with his fifteen thousand\nmen early in the morning. After a council with his leaders at the\nvillage church of Ober \u00c4geri on the way, he decided to make the attack\nthe next morning. The Confederates in the meantime, following Reding\u2019s\nadvice, did not remain on the mountain ridge, but crossed the Alte Matte\nto Haslern, so that Morgarten was on their right and the little Lake\n\u00c4geri, extending to the southeastern slope of Morgarten, on their left.\n\n\u201cThe Confederates suddenly found an unexpected and even unwelcome\nreinforcement, though it was but a mere handful of men.\u201d\n\nFather Vincentius paused in his story, apparently absorbed in a reverie,\nwhich his little auditor did not venture to disturb though he longed to\nknow how the impending battle came out. The old man muttered a few\ninaudible words to himself and nodded his head twice. At last he\nresumed:\n\n\u201cYou must know, my son, that the government of the Confederates was\nsevere in its administration of law and authority. Whoever disobeyed the\nlaw or disturbed the public peace in any way was severely punished. It\nis so now, and it has always been so. There were some young, hot-headed\nfellows who thought it was their mission to reform the world, and as one\nalone could not do it, they formed societies for that purpose, which\nbecame dangerous political parties to the State and the community. Such\nfellows as these were always expelled from the country. Just about the\ntime of which I am talking a number of young men had suffered this\npenalty for violation of the law; but when they heard of the danger\nwhich threatened the fatherland, the old home-love was aroused, and\nfifty of them started for the Schwyz frontier to serve their country.\nThey sent messengers to the Confederates, asking permission to serve in\nthe ranks of their countrymen, but their service was declined and the\nmessengers were rudely dismissed. I can confirm this, for I was one of\nthose messengers. Yes, my son, I was one of the exiles. I was one of\nthose heaven-stormers, before I became Father Vincentius. Although our\noffer of help was rejected we still loved the fatherland, and so we\nfifty determined to fight for it by ourselves. We knew where to find the\nenemy, and, unknown to any one, we went to the Morgarten and took up a\nposition on the ridge to the right, called Mattlig\u00fctsch\u2014it was early in\nthe morning of November sixteenth. In very early times a slide had been\nmade there for sending down the firewood cut for the Winter. There were\nplenty of logs at hand, which could be rolled down upon the passing\nenemy with terrible effect, and we also collected an ample supply of\nrocks and boulders. A dense fog hung over Lake \u00c4geri and its shores,\nthrough which we suddenly heard drum-beats and trumpet-calls in the\ndistance. Leopold\u2019s army was approaching, with the fifteen hundred\nnobles of Swabia, Alsatia, Aargau, and Thurgau, heavily armed, led by\nDuke Leopold himself, and Count Henry of Montfort-Tettnung in the\nadvance, the infantry bringing up the rear.\n\n\u201cJust then the fog lifted and the sun rose. Brightly gleamed the\npolished steel armor and helms gayly adorned with many-colored plumes,\nand the dense forest of spears flashed in the dazzling light. It was a\nfascinating and awe-inspiring spectacle, but it only strengthened our\ncourage all the more. We calmly awaited our opportunity, entirely\nunobserved by the enemy. As the cavalry, little recking of any danger,\nadvanced through the narrow pass between the Mattlig\u00fctsch and Lake \u00c4geri\nwe let loose a tremendous avalanche of logs and tree trunks, followed by\na hail-storm of rocks. They were at once plunged into frightful\ndisorder. Many men and horses were felled to the earth and crushed. The\nterrified steeds, almost as heavily weighed down as their riders, reared\nand threw them. Count Montfort and other leaders attempted to restore\norder and resume the march, but we gave them no time. We hurled rocks\nand logs into their ranks incessantly and their panic increased every\nmoment. Though barely able to extricate themselves, some rode back and\nurged the rear ranks forward. But the enemy was overcome with terror.\nThreats and imprecations mingled with groans and screams on all sides.\nThe commands of their leaders were not even respected.\n\n\u201cIn the first moment of their rage at this unexpected obstruction to\ntheir march, several horsemen made a rash attempt to ride along the\nHaselmatt, where they thought they would be least exposed to our\nassault, and a part of the vanguard followed them. Observing this\nmovement we redoubled our exertions, and most of them were crushed as\nthey were toilsomely ascending. We charged upon those who escaped, and\nit was then my eye was put out by the thrust of a lance.\n\n\u201cThe thirteen hundred confederates at Haslern, who had heard the tumult\nand din of arms, suddenly came up and attacked the cavalry. Their clubs,\nspears, and swords made frightful havoc, and they dealt such stout blows\nwith their halberds that even the heaviest armed foe could not have\nwithstood them. Hundreds struggled in the stream of blood, filled with\ndemoniac rage, and many were wounded by them in their blind fury or were\ntrampled upon by their horses. Some were so paralyzed by fear that they\nmade no attempt to defend themselves, and were killed. Those who managed\nto extricate themselves took to flight. Several dived into Lake \u00c4geri,\nwhere most of them were drowned because of their heavy armor. Leopold\u2019s\nhorsemen, who rode along so gallantly and proudly only a short time\nbefore were now killed or fugitives. While the great battle-horns of Uri\nand Unterwalden were sounding their blasts of victory, the flying\nhorsemen encountered the foot-soldiers just coming up. As they did not\nturn aside quickly enough, the latter were trodden underfoot by the wild\nhorses. Among the fugitives were the Count of Montfort and Leopold. The\nDuke, usually a brave soldier, furiously galloped miles away to\nWinterthur,[9] although no one was pursuing him; such was his\nconsternation over his surprising defeat.\n\n\u201cAt last we met the terrified and panic-stricken ranks of the\nfoot-soldiers, but among them were men from Zurich and Zug, who fought\nlike lions. But they were doomed, for who could withstand the\nimpetuosity of the Schwyzers, whose like was only to be found among the\nold German conquerors of the Romans. Like grass before the scythe these\npicked men of Zurich and Zug fell in heaps where they stood. Surely,\nheroism like this was worthy of a better cause! The other foot-soldiers\nfled to the adjacent mountains, and at nine o\u2019clock the battle of\nMorgarten was over.\n\n\u201cThe victors could not afford to follow the fugitives, for during the\nbattle messengers had been sent from Unterwalden calling for help. In\npursuance of their plan of battle Count Otto of Strasburg had made the\nattack on Unterwalden with his six thousand men. Our division made its\napproach in boats on the Lake of the Four Forest Cantons, and as the few\ndefenders of the shore-line were powerless to prevent them, they\ndestroyed everything in their way throughout the entire Nidwald. The\nother division, led by the Count, invaded the Obwald and ravaged it with\nthe rapacity of a flock of wolves. After the enemy\u2019s main force had been\nrouted at Morgarten, the Unterwaldeners went at once to the relief of\ntheir own hard pressed countrymen and hundreds of stout Schwyzers\naccompanied them. They first rescued the Nidwaldeners from their\nunbidden guests, recovered the spoils, and drove them to their boats in\nsuch haste that many of them fell into the water and were drowned. Then\nthey moved against the Strasburg force, which they found at Alpnach. As\nthe Austrian count saw the Unterwaldeners approaching he was seized with\na panic, which spread through his entire army; for he knew that the\nUnterwaldeners were at Morgarten and rightly concluded that the Duke\u2019s\narmy had been defeated. The Strasburgers lost courage and began\nretreating without even offering resistance. But some of them failed to\nescape, for the rear column was overtaken and several hundred were\nkilled.\n\n\u201cThus in one day the Confederates achieved a three-fold victory over an\narmy which was sixteen times as strong as their own, and which lost\nfifteen hundred horsemen and as many foot-soldiers. The loss of the\nConfederates was small, but three of their bravest leaders were found\namong the dead. Horses, costly weapons, rider and horse equipment, ten\nbanners, many decorated helmets such as the nobility wear to distinguish\nthem from others, were among the rich spoils captured. Permission was\ngranted to those among the enemy who had dead relatives on the field to\ntake their bodies home. The rest were buried on the spot. The wounded\nwere treated with special kindness. We who had made the first assault\nand prepared the way for victory were allowed to remain in the homeland,\nand it was sacred to us ever after.\u201d\n\nSuch is the story of the battle at Morgarten as the monk, who had\nparticipated in the events of that memorable day, related it to the lad.\nArnold gazed with admiration upon this old man who had once fought so\nstoutly and now went about in his sandals and black cowl as a messenger\nof peace. He looked with a kind of reverential awe at the blinded eye,\nand the scar seemed to him a mark of honor and victory.\n\nArnold had always loved his country, but now he was deeply moved by a\nfeeling of pride as he thought of the skill and courage which had\ncharacterized the deeds of his countrymen, and his heart glowed with the\nfire of patriotism. His most ardent wish was to distinguish himself by\nhis devotion to home and freedom, to swing the halberd in the hot fight,\nand to drive the enemy from the fatherland. He no longer wished to be a\nknight.\n\n\n\n\n                              Chapter III\n                     The Mystery Play at Engelberg\n\n\nThe monasteries in those days were the nurseries of the arts and\nsciences. The German stage also owes its origin to them. The so-called\n\u201cmystery plays\u201d originated in church ceremonials representing the\nPassion of Christ, and were intended to familiarize the people with the\nevents narrated by the Evangelists. They were given in a semi-musical\nway by various ecclesiastics. One spoke the narrative parts, another the\nwords of the Saviour, a third all the words of the remaining personages,\nand the chorus recited those of the people and priests. These plays were\nperformed at the monastery of Engelberg, where young Arnold was\nstudying, with all the scenic display possible at that time.\n\nAs the Easter festival drew nigh the men of the valley came with hammers\nand hatchets and built a large stage upon an open place near the\nmonastery, where the life of the Saviour from His birth to His\nresurrection was to be represented before a vast concourse of spectators\nassembled from far and near. The stage was open on all sides, for they\nknew nothing about wings or curtains in those days. The play lasted an\nentire day. The players were monks and students; but as their number was\ntoo small because bystanders and crowds of people were necessary to the\nperformance, intelligent outsiders were called in to help. Upon this\naccount German was generally used in place of the earlier Latin text.\n\nWhen everything was in readiness the performers entered and occupied a\nlarge semicircle of seats, after which the customary blessing was\ninvoked. The man chorus pronounced the \u201cVeni sancte Spiritus,\u201d after\nwhich two students sang the \u201cEmitte Spiritum.\u201d They were dressed to\nrepresent angels, with wings on their shoulders; and in this guise the\nlittle Arnold, the great war hero of after days, took part in the sacred\nperformance.\n\nThe angels as well as Christ and his apostles wore the medi\u00e6val costumes\nof that time. The risen Christ was clad in the official garments of a\nbishop\u2014the dalmatic and the red chasuble. He also wore a crown and\ncarried a cross and banner. This costume was intended to express the\nperpetuity of His episcopal authority as supreme head of the church.\nNext appeared Saint Augustine as herald or narrator. He called the\nassemblage to order, pointed out the persons sitting around, explaining\nwho each one was, and introduced the play with a pious address. In the\ncourse of his remarks he interested the audience with digressions from\nthe story and explanations of the significance of individual events.\n\nWhenever a player was to appear in a scene he rose from his seat, but\nreturned to it as soon as he had finished. For instance, Jesus went to\nJohn to be baptized and then took His seat again. Nearly all the events\nof the life and passion of the Saviour were represented in this way, and\neach important scene was followed by the chorus, in Latin. King Herod\u2019s\nfollowers were in his immediate vicinity and behind them stood the\nservants who led John the Baptist to prison. At first the apostles were\ndistributed about the stage, and the Master was obliged to go from one\nto the other and gather them together when He ordered them to follow\nHim. The Jewish people and their priests occupied a place set apart for\nthem; and whenever Jesus wished to communicate with them, or to instruct\nthem how to heal the blind, the dumb, the lepers, and the cripples, He\nhad to go to them. Upon the awakening of Lazarus, at Jesus\u2019s entrance\ninto Jerusalem, and in some other scenes the people flocked to Him.\n\nAll the women mentioned in the sacred story were represented by monks\nand students. Various services were required of the angels. They had to\ndemand order with the words \u201cSilentium habete,\u201d to perform many\ninterpolated sacred songs, and to sing certain strophes explaining\nscenes that had not been described by the narrator, but which were\narranged for music. It was also part of their duty to make changes\nnecessitated by the stage conditions, and to explain the situation\nclearly. The palsied man was in bed, and when Jesus bade him arise he\ntook his bed with him. The severed head of John was brought upon the\nstage. The foot-washing was literally represented. When the Saviour\nentered Jerusalem, both the ass upon which He rode and the palm-branches\nwhich the people strewed along the way, were provided. Everything\nconnected with the death of Jesus, from the purple mantle and crown of\nthorns to the lance and the sponge, was used. The crowing of the cock,\nwhen Peter denied his Master, was imitated, as well as the thunder and\nthe rising of the dead. A table covered with food and drink served for\nHerod\u2019s banquet, before which the boy who represented Herodias danced;\nit served also for the supper at Simon\u2019s, when the repentant Magdalen\ncame to the Saviour, and for the Last Supper. The tombs of Lazarus and\nChrist, John\u2019s prison, and the house of Martha and Lazarus were\nrepresented, as well as the pinnacle of the temple to which Satan led\nour Lord, and the Mount of Olives, set with exotic plants.\n\nWhile the Chorus sang, living pictures were exhibited. They represented\nold Biblical events relating to the preceding scenes, so as to show the\nclose connection of Old and New Testament occurrences. Sometimes events\nwere artistically interwoven: While Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives,\nJudas was making his treacherous bargain with the priests; and while\nPontius Pilate was conducting the trial of Jesus, in another scene Peter\nwas denying the Lord.\n\n     [Illustration: _Monument commemorating the Battle of Sempach_]\n\nTo relieve the serious treatment of the subject, pleasant interludes\nwere devised for the entertainment of the audience, showing various\ncontrasts of life, so that smiles might follow tears. Satan appeared\nclad in a wolf-skin, with mighty horns and long tail, and must have\npresented a ludicrous sight. A merry fellow announced the arrival of the\nthree wise men sent by Herod, and made fun of the timid sovereign who\nwas afraid of a Child. Then he entered again with the derisive\nannouncement that the three wise men would not go back, and a third time\nto say that the Holy Child would be represented in the temple. Every\ntime he came in Herod would get enraged and threaten to hang him for\nmaking fun of a king. Another curious scene was that in which Peter\nsmote off Malchus\u2019s ear after the seizure of Christ. Malchus wofully\nexclaims: \u201cAlas! what an outrage; what a shame! I have lost my ear. They\nwill call me a fool.\u201d\n\nThereupon Christ said to Peter: \u201cPut up your sword, or you will not be\nsafe, for those who seek revenge with the sword will perish by it.\u201d Then\nHe turned to the Jews and said: \u201cBring the man to me. I will replace his\near.\u201d\n\nAfter Malchus\u2019s ear was put on, he said to one of his friends: \u201cTell me\ntruly about my ear. See if it is on securely, for it aches very badly.\u201d\n\nAfter examining it carefully, the friend assured him it was all right.\n\nThen Malchus expressed his gratitude to the Lord, after remarking:\n\u201cJesus is a very good man; He knows how to put on ears.\u201d\n\nBefore the three Marys went to the sepulchre a man entered, dressed in\nthe ordinary costume of the time, who was a familiar figure at fairs and\nmarkets. This was the travelling quack. With the words, \u201cGod greet you,\ngentlemen all, as the fox said when he peeped into the goose-pen,\u201d he\nintroduced himself, and stated that he was in need of a helper. Rubin,\nthe merry fellow, applied for the situation, and after considerable\nhaggling they agreed upon a price. Rubin then opened out the quack\u2019s\nstock, helped to prepare the medicines, and explained their virtues to\nthe crowd. At last he decided he would also have helpers. A second\nbuffoon, called Purterbalk, and a third named Listerbalk, who was\nhunchbacked, applied; and while they were squabbling together a strophe\nof the three Marys\u2019 song was heard, as they were on their way to the\nsepulchre. The three wags advanced to the front of the stage and began\nselling the medicines, and when the quack thought they were selling them\ntoo cheap, Rubin sharply reprimanded him. While the three Marys were\nstill on their way the quack lay down and went to sleep; whereupon Rubin\nmade off with his entire stock. His awakening and wrathful imprecations\nended the humorous interlude. The three Marys were seen at the sepulchre\nand the angel announced to them the resurrection of the Lord.\n\nThe effect of this drama was so overpowering that reverence for the\nsacred associations was not affected in the least by these merry\ninterludes, which were peculiarly adapted to the childish sentiment of\nthe people. The denouement of the play represented the arrival of the\nSaviour in Heaven with a number of the elect, and God the Father,\nsitting in His majesty, welcoming them.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter IV\n                            The Black Death\n\n\nWhile Arnold was staying at the monastery and approaching young manhood,\na terrible calamity visited the world and made its way into the peaceful\nlittle valley. Year after year reports had come that a frightful\npestilence was raging in the eastern part of Asia and spreading from\ncountry to country. Ships laden with rich cargoes were found at sea,\ndrifting about and their crews all dead.\n\nThe trade route from China led through central Asia to the Tauric\ncoast,[10] whence the products of the Orient were transported to\nConstantinople, at that time the emporium for the three divisions of the\nearth. Over this route the plague spread into all lands. The terrible\ndisease first appeared in Europe in the maritime cities of Italy,\nFrance, and Spain, and in the course of three years gradually but surely\nspread all over central Europe, Poland, and Russia, climbed the chalk\ncliffs of England, and ascended to the extreme northern part of\nScandinavia. It was attended by strange manifestations, unknown up to\nthat time, such as cramps, heart palpitation, lethargy, and in some\ncases delirium. Swellings as large as eggs appeared under the arms and\nknees. Black or blue spots came on various parts of the body, sometimes\nlarge and single, sometimes in small groups. At first it was denied that\nthe disease was a pestilence, but when the strange malady spread so\nrapidly it was recognized as an actual pestilence. There was no other\nname for it.\n\nSeveral causes were assigned for it. It was variously attributed to the\njust wrath of God at the wickedness of humanity; to the influences of\nthe heavenly bodies; to the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter; to\nunusual convulsions of nature which had either preceded or followed it.\nReports had long before come from China of great earthquakes, sunken\nmountains, droughts, floods, crop failures, and subsequent famines.\nSyria and Egypt also had been visited by earthquakes. The same\nmanifestations, followed by raging storms and floods, had also appeared\nin Cyprus and in Naples and other cities. Similar convulsions had been\nexperienced in Germany. Many houses had been hurled into the Rhine by a\ngreat earthquake at Basle. In Carinthia, cities and castles had been\ndestroyed. As the excited imagination of the people connected these\nevents with the dreadful disease, it was natural for them to consider\nthese manifestations as the cause, and crop failures and famines as the\nresult. The pestilence, which so readily found victims among people\ncondemned to want, wretchedness, and despair, came to be known as the\nBlack Death. When it attacked a household it was not contented with one\nvictim. Almost every well person who breathed the same air as the sick\none, or who had even touched his clothing, was stricken with it. Human\nscience and medical skill were of no avail. It was in vain that cities\nwere cleansed of filth and offal, and that infected persons were\nforbidden to enter them. Sanitary measures were of no avail. Flight was\nuseless, for the terrible malady overtook the fleetest and spared\nneither the distinguished nor the insignificant, neither the strong nor\nthe weak, neither the layman nor the priest. It was in vain that the\nchurch framed three prayers, to be offered at daybreak, midday, and\nevening, at the summons of the church bells. The mass which Pope Clemens\nthe Sixth, who resided at Avignon, arranged for the supplication of\ndivine mercy was fruitless. The head of Christendom himself withdrew\nfrom contact with the outside world, behind a perpetually burning fire\nof coals. Ceremonial processions were also arranged to avert the evil.\nThe people joined them in multitudes. Many women walked barefooted, clad\nin sackcloth. Ecclesiastics, brotherhoods carrying lighted tapers, and\nguilds bearing banners and singing prayers and the litany also marched.\nSuddenly it was discovered that the number of victims was increasing\nbecause of the densely crowded throngs watching these processions. In\nthe large cities people died by hundreds; in the smaller ones, by\nscores. The closest family ties were dissipated like spiders\u2019 webs.\nBrothers forsook brothers, wives their husbands. Parents forbore\nvisiting their sick children. The best of friends avoided each other on\nthe streets.\n\nThe sick were deserted save by their attendants, and the service of the\nlatter was so difficult to procure, except at very high prices,\u2014for\nnurses\u2019 lives were in constant danger,\u2014that many of the poor died\nabsolutely alone. Depositing the dead in the church vaults and keeping\nthem over night in the houses where they had died were strictly\nforbidden. It was ordered that they should be interred at once; and as\nthe churchyards in the cities were not large enough to accommodate them,\nthey were buried by thousands in great trenches. Every one expected the\nBlack Death any moment. Trade and commerce were paralyzed. Merchants\ncared no longer for the valuables for which they had worked so hard;\nchurches and schools were closed; the administration of justice ceased.\nThere were no sounds in the factories, no rattle of carriages or cries\nof venders in the streets. The fields were left untilled. There was\nhardly one among the few who stole through the empty streets who did not\nshow some sign of the awful visitation. Fear, sorrow, and despair were\nmanifest in every face. If one wore a beard it was unkempt and the hair\nwas long and straggling, for no one cared for his looks. Some held small\nmetallic discs containing medicated sponges to their noses, hoping in\nthis way not to inhale the tainted air. The few who recovered from the\nplague were regarded as a specially privileged class. They went about\nfreely and fearlessly amid dangers, for it was something unheard of to\nhave the disease twice. But among those who were liable to be attacked\nany instant there were some who were determined to do all they could at\nthis time of universal gloom. Compassion and love were stronger in their\nhearts than ever before, and wherever they could be of help they were\nready with word and deed.\n\nThe plague invaded Switzerland also, and raged more violently in its\nmountain regions than it did in the lowlands. The clear, healthy\natmosphere of the high lying valley of Engelberg did not save it from\nthe visitation of this gruesome guest, but it only met faces full of\nspiritual illumination in the death shadows which followed its track.\nStrengthened by holy love and despising danger, the Benedictines went\namong the sick and those struggling with death, to help the one and\nadminister consolation to the other. Upon this small spot of earth the\nplague carried off sixteen victims in a single day and in four months\ntwenty homes were devastated.\n\nNo one in those days of gloom and despair set a brighter example of\ncourage and self-sacrificing love than Father Vincentius. It had always\nbeen his desire to give his life for his neighbors, and now the\nopportunity was granted him. Wherever there was sickness he was found\nperforming every needful service; and Arnold, a faithful, courageous\nhelper, was by his side. The youth had nothing more to lose, for both\nhis parents were victims of the plague. He had closed the eyes of his\nuncle Berthold, abbot of Engelberg, after his two sisters, Adelheid and\nElspeth, had passed away. Amid these dreadful scenes he had no other\nfeeling than one of the deepest sympathy for those whom he visited\ndaily; and death, even in its most terrible shapes, had no terrors for\nhim. It was thus he strengthened himself for the heroic deed which was\nto perpetuate the name of Winkelried in the memory of the fatherland.\nSide by side with Father Vincentius he encountered the plague and often\nwondered why he kept so strong and well. He endured these extraordinary\nexertions, which kept him up day and night, because of his youthful\nvigor; but the old Benedictine felt his strength failing more and more\nevery day. His once upright frame was bowed and his face grew thin and\nsunken. Spiritual strength alone sustained his exhausted body.\n\nWhile returning to the monastery one evening with Arnold, he felt a\ndepression, weariness in his feet, and difficulty in breathing, which he\nattributed to the day\u2019s exertions. In the night he was visited by\nunpleasant dreams. In one of these he fancied he was in a great crowd of\nmen with gray, faded, sightless faces. As they pressed against him, his\nnearest neighbor pushed his elbow into his side causing such a stinging\npain that he awoke. His heart was beating violently. There was a ringing\nin his ears, severe pain in his limbs, and his whole body seemed on\nfire. He placed his hand upon the stinging spot\u2014there was a great\nswelling!\n\nFather Vincentius was not alarmed. \u201cThe Lord calls me,\u201d he murmured, and\nclasped his hands in prayer.\n\nWhen Arnold entered his cell the next morning and found him in bed, he\nrecognized the signs of the disease the instant he saw him. He knew, as\nwell as any physician, the remedies which should be given and he applied\nthem all. With quiet resignation the monk awaited dissolution; but as\nthe disease was making rapid progress, it became necessary for him to\nspeak at once so that he should be clearly understood.\n\n\u201cPraised be the Lord for his justice! Praised be the Lord in healing as\nin death,\u201d he said to himself. Then, turning to Arnold, he continued:\n\u201cMany are called, but few are chosen. God has sent the Black Death to\nmankind to reserve a chosen few among its survivors who shall grow\nbetter by sorrow and nobler by gratitude, and find to their great joy\nwhat an inestimable boon life is. Devote it to good works and offer them\nto Him. You have learned this, my son. You have accomplished it. May God\ngraciously guide you with His strong hand through these troubles, so\nthat the lofty purpose and noble courage which you have displayed so\nsplendidly in this narrow sphere of action may be devoted hereafter to\nthe welfare of your fatherland. It needs just such men as you have\nalready shown yourself to be.\u201d Father Vincentius then gave Arnold his\nblessing and asked for the last sacrament which was administered by one\nof the brothers of the order.\n\nToward evening his sufferings ended, and that night the stars shone upon\nhis grave, where Arnold lamented the last dear friend he had. But he\nmust live on. So he still breathed the tainted air, still waited upon\nthe sick, still placed the dead in their coffins; but the plague did not\nattack him. None of the brothers except his uncle and Father Vincentius\ndied, but five students fell victims, and one hundred and sixty nuns\nwere carried from the women\u2019s cloisters to the grave in four months.\n\nOne day a young wanderer called at the monastery and begged for\nbreakfast and a little money. It was Florian H\u00e4bli, Arnold\u2019s old-time\nplaymate. His father, mother, and sisters had perished, and the orphan\nwas forced out into the world to look out for himself.\n\nWe have not yet reached the close of these terrible scenes. As if\nvictims of the plague itself were too few, the despised and hated Jews,\nwho lived near the Christians in the large cities, were accused by\nsuperstitious persons of poisoning the water in order to spread the\nplague and exterminate their enemies. These accusations were all the\nmore readily believed when it was noticed that the Jews abstained from\nwater and were less liable to take the disease than the Christians. It\nmattered not to their accusers that it was the Jews\u2019 foresight which led\nthem to avoid drinking water and that their greater moderation in living\nhelped to protect them. And yet so many Jews died in Goslar and Vienna\nthat their burial places were insufficient, and in cities like Leipsic\nand Magdeburg where no Jews resided the plague was as fatal as in other\nplaces. The popular clamor, however, increased. City authorities who\nharbored Jews were urged to adopt most cruel measures. The Jews were\nplaced upon the rack and forced to confess crimes of which they were not\nguilty, and were banished from cities after their property had been\nconfiscated. And this was not the worst. Every appeal of humanity was\nstifled by the unchristian and bitter hatred of the people. Only a few\nescaped with the penalty of exile and loss of property. Very many must\nhave perished by fire. In almost all the Rhine cities and in some others\nalso, not only in Germany but in neighboring countries, they were burned\nwithout trial or even examination. In utter despair they submitted to\ntheir terrible fate and even anticipated it. Six thousand Jews burned\nthemselves in their own houses; and at Esslingen, Worms, and Speier they\nassembled in their synagogues and then fired them.\n\nStill the plague did not cease, and the people soon decided that it was\nnot caused by human agencies. The conviction became universal that it\nwas the divine penalty for the prevailing immorality. Reconciliation\nwith God became the watchword. It must be secured by expiation. The\nbetter classes sought for it by adopting a pious course of life. Parents\ntaught their children to pray and to submit to the divine will. Others\nsought to propitiate God with gifts to the Church. Many others believed\nthat the sins of their past wanton lives could be atoned for by physical\nsuffering only, and castigated themselves relentlessly. This gave rise\nto the brotherhood of the Flagellants. They increased by hundreds and\nthousands all over Germany, and each brotherhood had its own head and\nregulations. One of these marched behind a cross. A red cross was also\nfastened upon the cloak and the hat of each Flagellant, and at his side\nhung the scourge\u2014a short stick, with three stout thongs tied at the ends\nin a hard knot, in which were inserted two sharp iron prongs set\ncrosswise. When the procession approached any place several Flagellants\nwith showy banners of costly purple velvet or embroidered silk, waxen\ntapers flickering among them, assembled behind the cross-bearer. The\nrest marched two by two, with hats pulled down and looking before them\nsilently and sorrowfully. Singing expiatory songs, they entered the\nplace, greeted and accompanied by the tolls of the church bells. Great\ncrowds of serious-faced persons followed the strange procession to the\nchurch, where the Flagellants prostrated themselves several times before\nthe altar. On the next morning they formed their procession in the same\norder as on the day before and, followed by all the people, marched to\nthe place of scourging. There they took off their shoes and removed\ntheir outer garments, leaving the upper part of the body nude. Then they\nadvanced in the shape of a wide cross and prostrated themselves. Each\none announced the offence for which he desired to make expiation. The\nperjurers rested upon one side, with three fingers raised above the\nhead; liars stretched their hands out before them; drunkards placed\ntheir hands upon their mouths. Those who were not guilty of any\nparticular offence lay with their arms outstretched on the ground in the\nshape of a cross. Then the leader, or master, arose, made a short\naddress, and struck each with the scourge. The brothers arose in turn\nand imitated the master. The best singers then advanced, and while they\nsang with subdued voices, the Flagellants lashed each other with the\niron thongs until blood streamed down their backs.\n\nIn the meantime the thousands of spectators stood in a profound silence,\nbroken only by occasional sighs or loud weeping. Others imitated what\nthey saw; and then followed the reading of a document which was said to\nbe a direct message from God to sinful humanity. The Flagellants seldom\nleft a place without gaining new members. A hundred of them went from\nBasle to Avignon and scourged themselves in the presence of the Pope. He\ndid not believe, however, that God was pleased with such acts, and\nissued a bull forbidding Christians to perform flagellation in public,\nunder penalty of excommunication.\n\nNeither Jewish persecutions nor flagellation were of any avail in\nchecking the plague. It spread through the terrified world. A fourth\npart of the population of Europe perished. After it subsided, the old\nworldly pleasures were resumed above those countless graves; but there\nwere many who, in those terrible years of trial, had returned to the\ndivine allegiance, and who consecrated the precious gift of life to that\nexercise of Christian love which Father Vincentius, before his\ndeparture, characterized as the noblest fruit of the divine justice.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter V\n                           The Robber Knights\n\n\nZurich, which had long been a free imperial city, held an important\nposition among the municipalities. Its trade and commerce flourished,\nnor was it lacking in intellectual activity. It was enjoying a rest from\nthe domination of the great property-holders and nobles, known as the\npatricians. The guilds had now grown strong enough to assert their\nopinions. Under the new constitution the Council was composed of\nthirteen patricians and thirteen members of the guilds. An able and\njudicious man named Rudolph Brun, leader in the revolt, was appointed\nburgomaster, and administered his office with a strong, sure hand.\n\nIt was natural that the patricians, who had exercised such absolute\nauthority, should not relish the new order of things. They had a\nnumerous following among the nobles outside the cities. These nobles\nscrupled not to attack and rob city merchants travelling in the mountain\nregions and levy tribute upon them. They were not on good terms with the\ncities. Life in the castles grew constantly quieter and more lonesome;\nthe attendants demanded higher remuneration, and if their demands were\nnot granted they would take themselves off and seek shelter behind the\ncity walls, where they were protected and had greater freedom and more\nprivileges than in the castles. For these reasons the nobles were\nnaturally incensed at the cities, which were continually growing\nstronger, while the castle power was continually growing less.\n\nCastle Reienstein had experienced these depressing changes. It had been\nleft in a wretched plight to the young nobleman J\u00f6rgel, by his father.\nWe behold him sitting one day at a window which commanded a wide\nprospect, engaged in fitting a new leash for his falcon. \u201cYou accursed\nbird,\u201d he growled, \u201cI feel like flinging you away for your obstinacy. If\nyou go hungry for a time and have to look out for yourself perhaps you\nwill come to your senses.\u201d\n\nWith these words he threw the hood over the falcon\u2019s head and went to an\ninner apartment, the only one which was fit for occupancy in his present\ncircumstances, and which served alike for kitchen and sleeping room.\n\n\u201cJ\u00f6rgel, come to table,\u201d said Brigitte, his old aunt, who shared with\nhim the poverty of castle Reienstein. After removing several things\nwhich littered up the rickety old table, she placed upon it a mess of\nlentils in a not over clean dish, and brought two plates and rusty\nknives and forks from a shelf. J\u00f6rgel reluctantly seated himself and\nsniffed at the little piece of sausage which his aunt fished out of the\nlentils and divided with him.\n\n\u201cA feast for the gods,\u201d growled J\u00f6rgel. \u201cI tell you, Aunt, I can\u2019t stand\nthis kind of thing much longer.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou are always complaining about your lot,\u201d replied Brigitte, as she\npoked the lentils with her fork. \u201cIt would be more reasonable if you\nwould try to better it. Fine chances are open to you. Why do you not\nopen your eyes like other folks?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat can help such a poor devil as I am?\u201d replied J\u00f6rgel. \u201cThe\nM\u00f6rspergers and Waltihofners have fast, stout horses which can make ten\nmiles on the road without hurting a hoof; my nag can scarcely go from\nhere to Zurich in a day, and if I hurry him he is winded. All my\nneighbors have money and can pay handsomely for service, but I have to\nput up with a ragged, ignorant journeyman, as you well know. When we\ncome to divide, I get the leavings. I must get about in all kinds of\nweather, attend to affairs, and go half starved, while others who are\nnot a whit more deserving can live in clover. I am sick of such\ninjustice, plague upon it.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou are very hard to satisfy, J\u00f6rgel, and a lazy lout besides,\u201d said\nBrigitte. \u201cThink of others who are no better off than you are, and yet\nhave wives and children to look after, while you are single, and have a\ncareful, economical aunt to run your house! You can go and come when you\nplease, and always find something to eat and sometimes an abundance, for\nyour affairs do not always turn out badly. When the highways fail you,\nthe forests supply plenty of game. At home you can stretch out on your\nstraw bed, or train your falcon, or fix things when they need it. You\nhave always something to wear, so\u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cHave I? Just take a look at my coat,\u201d interrupted J\u00f6rgel. \u201cThere is a\nhole in the elbow of the right sleeve.\u201d\n\n\u201cIs that so?\u201d said Brigitte. \u201cHand me my needle and thread from the\nwindow shelf, and I will soon fix that.\u201d\n\nJ\u00f6rgel betook himself to a small grindstone in a corner of the room to\nsharpen his hunting-knife. \u201cI tell you what, Aunt, sing me a song to\ndrive away the blues and make the stone turn more easily.\u201d\n\n\u201cCertainly, my J\u00f6rgel,\u201d assented Brigitte. She hung the mended coat upon\na hook in the wall, and after giving the cat the scanty bits left from\nthe meal, she sang, while clearing up the dishes, a ballad about Count\nRudolf of Hapsburg\u2014how he besieged the city of Glanzenburg and floated\nhuge wine-casks down the Rhine, out of which armed men suddenly sprang;\nand how the Count took advantage of the confusion of the people to storm\nthe unprotected walls.\n\nAfter she had finished singing, the old woman remarked: \u201cThe cat has\nscratched herself several times behind the ear and my nose itches all\nthe time. These things betoken a visitor.\u201d\n\n\u201cI hope it is not an unwelcome one,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel, \u201cthat Waltihofener\nwhom I still owe ten shillings lost at dice, or that laborer whose hay I\ncarried off from his rick, or\u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cHave no fears on that account, J\u00f6rgel,\u201d replied his aunt. \u201cYou can get\nrid of the Waltihofener with fine words, and you can pitch the laborer\ndownstairs. Now, my left hand begins to itch, and that means good luck,\nor money, which amounts to the same thing.\u201d\n\nJ\u00f6rgel\u2019s wheel flew so fast that it emitted sparks, and the falcon upon\nits perch fluttered its feathers in affright. Suddenly a young man, who\nlived in the lower part of the tumble-down building, called out at the\ndoor: \u201cNoble sir, my father bids me tell you that a gentleman from\nM\u00f6rsperg has just arrived, and is even now putting his horse in the\nstall.\u201d\n\n\u201cDid I not prophesy rightly?\u201d triumphantly exclaimed Brigitte. \u201cAll the\nsigns pointed to a visit, and the itching of my left hand meant good\nluck.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe shall see,\u201d replied J\u00f6rgel. He rose from his rough wooden seat, drew\non his boots, and put on his waistcoat. His aunt hastily set things in\norder, and had hardly finished when steps were heard on the stairs, and\nthe herculean figure of Veit of M\u00f6rsperg entered and saluted them with a\nroaring \u201cGood day!\u201d He shook J\u00f6rgel\u2019s hand and roughly slapped Brigitte\non her bent back.\n\n\u201cI bring you good news,\u201d he said, stroking his great beard.\n\nJ\u00f6rgel\u2019s face brightened up. \u201cYou look as happy as if you were breaking\ninto some rich merchant\u2019s treasure box,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel, with difficulty\nrestraining his curiosity.\n\n\u201cIt is something better than that,\u201d said Veit, as he sat down upon the\nbed. \u201cThe Zurich oligarchy has come to an end.\u201d\n\n\u201cIs that true?\u201d shouted J\u00f6rgel. \u201cThen the mob of the workshops may be in\nthe Council.\u201d\n\n\u201cSeven hundred patricians have united against the aristocratic city\nregime,\u201d replied Veit.\n\n\u201cThey are few compared with the crowds in the guilds and corporations,\u201d\nsaid Brigitte.\n\n\u201cBe patient! I know still more,\u201d said Veit. \u201cThe patricians have very\nwisely united with the counts of Rupperschwyl, who will invade the city;\nand other knights near by are to join them.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd I fancy that you will have the same honor,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel.\n\n\u201cYou are right,\u201d replied Veit; \u201cand as I am going to join, I advise you\nto do the same.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is very good of you,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel, \u201cbut if this movement is intended\nmerely to help the patricians to regain their seats in the Council, I\nhave no desire to risk my head.\u201d\n\n\u201cBlockhead!\u201d shouted Veit. \u201cDo you suppose that I am going to help pull\nchestnuts out of the fire for others without making sure of a good slice\nfor myself? I intend to profit by the confusion of the others.\u201d\n\n\u201cAh! now I understand,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel, with a cunning laugh. \u201cGo ahead! I\nam with you. But when will the dance begin?\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the clock strikes ten to-morrow the gates will be secretly opened\nand the Rupperschwyls and their following will enter the city and fall\nupon their opponents, who little dream what is in store for them. In the\nmeantime, friend J\u00f6rgel, we shall have been waiting our chance. We shall\nleave our armor at home so as not to arouse suspicion. A good dagger\nwill be enough for our purpose. But we must be off at once, for your nag\nneeds plenty of time for a ride to Zurich.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor Heaven\u2019s sake, be off,\u201d muttered Aunt Brigitte, as she went to a\ncorner of the room and took down J\u00f6rgel\u2019s riding cloak, which ordinarily\nserved to conceal Brigitte\u2019s old and torn best dress.\n\nJ\u00f6rgel girded on his rapier belt, stuck his dagger in it, put on his cap\nand plume, and threw the cloak over his shoulder. Then he took a hasty\nleave of his aunt, and promised her a new dress if everything went well.\nWhereupon she invoked the blessing of all the saints upon him. When\neverything was in readiness the two robber knights set off for the city\nat an easy trot.\n\nUpon the following day we behold Veit striding into the smithy of an\narmorer which resounds with the lusty hammering of his workmen. The\nbellows groans, the hammers ring, and songs in Swiss, Swabian, and\nBavarian dialects are heard on all sides. One is piling coal upon the\nfire; another cooling the glowing metal in water from which clouds of\nsteam ascend; others are polishing the steel smooth and bright, while\nthe apprentice is riveting a neckband. In the midst of the busy crowd\nstands the stately master, examining a steel headpiece, just finished.\nSeeing Veit, who was one of his customers, he came forward and asked\nwhat he wished.\n\nVeit drew a dagger from his cloak. \u201cHere, Master Hildprand,\u201d said he,\n\u201cthe hilt of my dagger needs fastening. Fix it and send it as soon as it\nis done to the Rebstock, but be sure to send it to-day, for I must\nreturn home before night.\u201d\n\nMaster Hildprand took the dagger and promised to do his utmost to\naccommodate him, although his work was very pressing.\n\n\u201cThat is fine work,\u201d said the knight with a well pleased glance at the\nheadpiece in the master\u2019s hand.\n\n\u201cThis kind is coming more and more into use, and is replacing the\nhelmet,\u201d said the smith.\n\n\u201cBut I still stick to the helmet,\u201d replied Veit. \u201cIt is better fitted\nfor resistance. I have no use for these new-fangled inventions.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd yet we are still far behind the times,\u201d said the master with a\nsmile. \u201cWhen I was working in France they had already gone over to\nsteel. There is no longer any chain armor.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut how do the French protect the shoulders?\u201d\n\n\u201cWith a broad iron band reaching from the neck to the upper part of the\narm. That enables the wearer to move the head more freely, which he\ncould not do with the old, awkward style of armor.\u201d\n\n\u201cZounds! There is no end to these improvements,\u201d blurted out Veit. \u201cIt\nmust take all of ten years to make a new suit of armor now. One needs to\nbe as rich as Cr\u0153sus to keep up with them.\u201d\n\n\u201cSome of the wealthy gentlemen are just beginning to wear the cuirass.\u201d\n\n\u201cDesist, Master Hildprand,\u201d said the knight, \u201celse I shall have to stop\nmy ears.\u201d\n\nWith these words Veit turned to several of the workmen and watched them\na short time. Then he stepped up to the apprentice, who was engaged in\npolishing a headpiece.\n\n\u201cThis kind of headpiece is also fast disappearing,\u201d said the master.\n\u201cThey are now replacing it with the brigantine, which gives much better\nservice.\u201d\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t trouble yourself to explain, Master Hildprand! You can\u2019t make me\nbelieve in your improvements,\u201d replied Veit. \u201cBut be sure that I get my\ndagger before night at the Rebstock, do you hear?\u201d\n\n\u201cMy boy shall take it to you. Do you know where the Rebstock is,\nFlorian?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes! that is where the baker\u2019s boy was killed,\u201d said the apprentice.\n\n\u201cIt is not my usual resort,\u201d said Veit, vexed at the remark which was\nfar from complimentary to the knight\u2019s choice of lodging, \u201cbut I am\nvisiting an old acquaintance there.\u201d Giving the apprentice a smart slap\non the shoulder, he added: \u201cYou seem to have a glib tongue of your own,\nmy boy, but you do good work, I see, and you are quick about it too.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh, he can polish that kind much better than the old-fashioned ones,\u201d\nsaid the smith, with a glance of pride at the lad. \u201cHe is my sainted\nsister\u2019s son and was born at Stans. He lost his father, mother, and all\nsix sisters by the plague.\u201d\n\n\u201cAh! that evil plague,\u201d sighed Veit; \u201cit found victims in our family\nalso. Now, good-bye, Master Hildprand.\u201d\n\n\u201cWait a moment, noble sir,\u201d said the smith. \u201cI will show you some more\nnew things, among them a movable arrangement turning upon a pivot under\nthe vizor. It protects the chin and neck, and will\u2014\u201d\n\n\u201cCurse you and your improvements. I have heard enough about them\nalready,\u201d said the knight as he hurried away.\n\nThe Rebstock stood in a blind alley, obscured by overhanging buildings.\nThe reputation of the place was none of the best. It was patronized by\nthe lower classes, and it was reported that its keeper received and sold\nthe plunder stolen by the robber knights of that vicinity. In a little\nroom which gave upon the narrow back yard, and was reserved for noble\nguests, sat Veit and J\u00f6rgel with a third companion. The latter was the\nyoung nobleman, Conrad of Waltihof, who is already known to us by name\nand who was invited to come there by Veit and participate in their plans\nduring the great surprise which was to happen in the good city of Zurich\nthat day.\n\nIt was already dark. A pair of tallow candles shed a feeble light upon a\ntable near the window on which were some glasses of Alsatian wine and at\nwhich the three were passing away the time throwing dice. The faces of\nthe players were flushed with the excitement of the game and their\nvarying luck rather than by the effects of the wine, of which each could\ncarry a heavy load. They disputed several times, gave vent to curses,\nand gesticulated as if they were about to fly at each others\u2019 throat,\nbut their quarrels invariably ended in words, not blows. J\u00f6rgel at first\nhad won many times the ten shillings he owed Conrad, but he also\nfrequently lost, and at last his losses increased so fast that his debt\nwas very large. He cursed the caprices of the fickle goddess of fortune\nbut consoled himself with the thought that these losses were trifling\ncompared with the treasures he would soon acquire. \u201cHa! ha!\u201d he roared,\n\u201cthere will soon be such a game as Zurich has never seen before.\u201d\n\n\u201cRestrain yourself and don\u2019t shout in that way,\u201d said Veit, laying the\ndice aside. \u201cIt is a long time yet before the clock will strike ten and\nthe gates open to the Rupperschwyls.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey ought to be all around the city before this time,\u201d said Conrad.\n\n\u201cAll my ten fingers are itching for our work,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel, \u201cbut it is\ntoo bad we cannot get at the rich goods of the merchants.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe ought to have had wagons to carry the plunder to our castles,\u201d said\nConrad.\n\n\u201cWorse than that, we are expected to divide with the landlord,\u201d said\nVeit, \u201cand the thought does not please me. Therefore I think it would be\nbetter for us to take the money to the nearest bankers. And mark what I\ntell you: if any one interferes with us we can then swear we have clean\nhands. The Rupperschwyls and patricians can look after the slaughter,\nfor they will kill Burgomaster Brun and the entire new Council.\u201d\n\n\u201cDid you hear that?\u201d said Conrad, laughing. \u201cJust think, J\u00f6rgel, of\nVeit\u2019s tender conscience. It is as easy as if he had never\u2014\u201d\n\nConrad suddenly ceased talking. A deep sigh was heard which did not come\nfrom any of the three. They sprang from their seats and looked about\nthem. J\u00f6rgel had the most acute hearing of them all. He traced the\nunaccountable sound to the vicinity of the door and soon found a figure\nseated in a chair in a dark corner which the candles failed to light.\nUttering a terrible curse he dragged the witness of their conspiracy\ninto the light.\n\n\u201cBoy, you must die,\u201d he cried furiously, at the same time holding his\nvictim by the throat so tightly that he could only emit a feeble groan.\n\n\u201cFirst let him tell how he came here, and let him say his prayers before\nhe dies,\u201d said Veit.\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said Conrad, \u201cno mercy to a spy.\u201d In his wrath he drew his dagger,\nbut he weakened some when he saw a dagger flashing in the uplifted hand\nof the boy.\n\n\u201cHold there!\u201d exclaimed Veit. \u201cThis is Master Hildprand\u2019s apprentice.\nLet him loose, J\u00f6rgel, let him loose, or I will release the poor\nfellow.\u201d As Veit\u2019s hand was already upon his weapon, and he was in no\nmood to be refused, J\u00f6rgel obeyed.\n\n\u201cNow, confess,\u201d said Veit to the boy in a severe tone. \u201cYour master sent\nyou here with my dagger, but surely not to play the spy. Speak,\nyoungster!\u201d\n\nFlorian H\u00e4bli threw himself at the knight\u2019s feet and protested his\ninnocence. He said he was brought to the room by the landlord, and when\nhe entered the gentlemen were so excited over the dice that they did not\nnotice him. Then their furious dispute frightened him. He dared not\nadvance, and was so terrified that he took the seat in the corner. He\nwas speedily overcome by sleep, for he had been up all the previous\nnight and was deadly sleepy. When or how he awoke he could not say.\n\n\u201cWhat have you heard of our talk?\u201d said Veit, harshly.\n\nFlorian did not instantly reply, but at last said: \u201cNothing, not the\nslightest thing.\u201d\n\n\u201cHe is a lying knave,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel. \u201cDo you not see how he reddens at\nevery word?\u201d\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s make an end of him,\u201d said Conrad, seizing him by the throat.\n\n\u201cTake your hand away,\u201d said Veit. \u201cThis lad is Master Hildprand\u2019s\napprentice and his favorite sister\u2019s son, of whom he is very fond. We\nmust do nothing that will hurt the master, for we all need him. He knows\nwhere he sent the boy, and if he does not return he will know where to\nlook for him. Supposing we kill the lad, how can we conceal his body\nwithout taking the landlord into our confidence and placing ourselves\ncompletely in his power?\u201d\n\n\u201cSupposing, then, we shut him up until everything is over,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel.\n\n\u201cThen he will raise an alarm,\u201d replied the knight.\n\n\u201cWe can keep him here if we bind and gag him,\u201d suggested Conrad.\n\n\u201cBut we cannot keep him without the knowledge of the landlord,\u201d objected\nVeit. \u201cI would rather trust the lad than that throat-cutter.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat, then, shall we do?\u201d asked the two conspirators.\n\n\u201cLet the boy take an oath that he will not reveal anything he has\nheard.\u201d\n\nThe other two laughed derisively. \u201cHow will an empty oath help us?\u201d said\nConrad.\n\n\u201cSilence!\u201d said Veit. \u201cAn oath is sacred to this lad.\u201d\n\nHe held his dagger hilt as a cross before the apprentice and recited the\nwords of the oath. He was to promise in the name of God and all the\nsaints, and as he valued his own soul, never to reveal to any one what\nhe had heard. He would call down upon himself terrible punishment in\nthis world and everlasting damnation in the next if he violated his\noath.\n\nWith visible emotion the boy repeated the words after him. Veit\nexpressed his satisfaction and let him go, with the injunction to return\nto the smithy without delay.\n\nWhen Florian found himself in the street once more his experience seemed\nlike a feverish dream, yet he remembered all that the three men had\nsaid, notwithstanding he had denied it when death threatened him. The\ndanger which was hovering over the city and the fate of the people\nweighed heavily upon his spirit. And yet his lips were sealed by a\nterrible vow not to make any disclosures, even to a priest, without\nbringing eternal condemnation upon himself. As he went homeward,\nsuffering with this agony of soul, his comrades were returning joyfully\nfrom their work, and fathers were sitting upon the doorsteps with their\nfamilies, enjoying the beautiful moonlight. On this very day, in a few\nhours, this peaceful scene would give place to murder and pillage and\nthe horrible work of bloody hands.\n\nHe was soon in front of the cathedral. It was still open, inviting the\nrepentant and suffering, and involuntarily he entered. Not a soul was to\nbe seen in the vast interior. The moon shone through the tall windows\nupon the high altar. Seized by a sudden impulse, Florian knelt upon the\naltar steps and prayed to God for help for the endangered city and\nconsolation for himself. After a fervent prayer he started to leave the\nsacred place. As he did so, his ear caught the sound of low voices, and\nlooking in the direction from which it proceeded, he perceived a soft\ngleam of light. He advanced unheard to the confessional. A dark figure,\nwhether man or woman he could not distinguish, was kneeling before it\nand whispering confession to the priest, who after a few questions said\nsomething in response. The white statue of a saint stood near the\nconfessional. An idea flashed through the boy\u2019s mind like lightning. He\nknelt before the statue, stretched out his arms imploringly and loudly\nexclaimed: \u201cOh, thou blessed image, the greatest danger threatens the\ncity. The patricians have sworn to kill the burgomaster and Council, and\nat ten o\u2019clock the gates will open to the Rupperschwyls and their\nfollowers. I am vowed to silence. I have sworn not to reveal this to any\none, but I can keep the secret no longer. Therefore I confide it to\nthee, and if God, the Lord, does not perform a miracle and open thy\nmouth, then my words will fall upon deaf ears. But God is my witness\nthat all I have said is true. Amen.\u201d Florian noticed that the whispers\nhad ceased. He arose and hastened out of the church.\n\nThe night wore on and the streets grew more deserted and silent. The\nthree robber knights in the back room of the Rebstock were dicing again,\nand in the excitement of the game had forgotten all about the smith\u2019s\napprentice. A bell sounded in a neighboring tower and all three counted\nits strokes.\n\n\u201cNine o\u2019clock,\u201d said Veit; \u201conly one hour more and the devil will be\nloose.\u201d\n\nThey resumed their dice-throwing, but suddenly the bell was heard again.\nIts strokes followed in rapid succession, and now all the other bells in\nthe city began to ring. From the summits of the towers the watchmen\u2019s\nhorns sounded clear and loud. The storm was about to break. The terrible\nnews spread all over the city that it would be attacked at ten o\u2019clock\nand given over to fire and sword. There was excitement in every house,\nand lights suddenly flashed in the windows. The glare of pitchy torches\nmade the streets light as day. The soldiers\u2019 quarters resounded with the\nshrill din of trumpets, and the guilds in armor marched under their\nbanners to make such resistance as they could. At last the enemy poured\nthrough the gates, but the Zurich nobles and their Rupperschwyl allies\nwent down in defeat.\n\nOur three robber knights meanwhile had been warned by the signals and\nwisely remained at the Rebstock, which they did not venture to leave for\nseveral days. At last they returned empty-handed to their castles. At\nfirst they swore they would kill the apprentice, for they had no doubt\nthat he was the traitor, notwithstanding his oath. The truth, however,\ngradually dawned upon them and relieved Florian from suspicion. It was\neverywhere related that the wife of one of the patricians had become\nconscience-stricken and confided the secret to a priest, and that in\nthis way the burgomaster was warned of the approaching danger.\n\nAs the outcome of the \u201cmurder night,\u201d Zurich joined the League. Lucerne\nhad already done so, and Berne, Zug, and Glarus soon followed, so that\nthe League spread to the confines of Burgundy and became very powerful.\nThus Uri, Schywz, Unterwalden, Lucerne, Zurich, Zug, Glarus, and Berne\nwere united in an offensive and defensive alliance. These are the eight\nold cantons.\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter VI\n                     The Tournament at Little Basle\n\n\nAt the time the League had grown so strong, Duke Albrecht the Second\nruled in Austria and enjoyed the friendship of the Emperor Charles the\nFourth, of the house of Luxemburg. In preparing for a struggle with the\nLeague he had strengthened his castles and cities and had assured\nhimself of the loyal service of his vassals. The war, however, was\nconfined to pillaging expeditions and petty encounters which did the\nLeague little harm, and at last an unconditional peace was made between\nthe two parties. After Albrecht\u2019s death, his oldest son, Rudolph the\nFourth, succeeded. This prince, the first of his house to receive the\ntitle of archduke, had the hereditary Hapsburg spirit and strove to the\nutmost to extend the supremacy of the empire. Notwithstanding the\nEmperor Charles was his father-in-law, he opposed him by every kind of\nartifice and continually interfered with his plans. He strengthened\nhimself by alliances with neighboring powers, especially with Basle and\nother imperial cities, and weakened the Emperor\u2019s power in Italy. By the\nmarriage of his brother Leopold to the daughter of Bernabo Visconti of\nMilan he secured the adherence of many noble Italian families. He\nappointed Brun, the Zurich burgomaster, a member of his privy council\nand thus attached him to his interests. He drove in a wedge between Lake\nZurich and Schwyz, by the purchase of territory, and to secure control\nof the commercial highway from Italy to Germany he built a bridge across\nthe lake upon the pretext of shortening the route for pious pilgrims on\ntheir way to retreats. While engaged in these various enterprises the\nprince died in his twenty-sixth year and was succeeded by his brother\nLeopold, in 1365.\n\nLeopold, although inclined to mysticism, was of martial spirit and\nhandled the lance at tournaments in a masterly way. Hardly a year of his\nlife had passed without finding him engaged in war. While he had a\nnumerous following of knights and nobles, his devoutness and\nstraightforwardness also commended him to the favor of the people, among\nwhom many stories of his acts of generosity were told, like those\nreported later about his Uncle Maximilian, \u201cthe last of the knights.\u201d\n\nLeopold took such advantage of the quarrels between the petty princes in\nupper Italy that he soon checked the designs of the powerful republic of\nVenice. His father-in-law Visconti was of great service to him in this.\nThe predecessors of Visconti had established their power when the\nLombardy League was swallowed up in a multitude of petty sovereignties.\nThe masters of Milan at this time, Bernabo and his brother Galeazzo the\nSecond, needing brave soldiers for their wars of conquest, many young\nmen of the mountain country organized into troops which were granted\nspecial privileges because of their loyalty to the Viscontis. The two\nMilan lords were excellent army leaders but tyrannical toward their\nsubjects. At last they became so bold as to take up arms against Pope\nGregory the Eleventh, for which they were excommunicated. At the same\ntime the Pope forbade these young mountaineers to render service to\nthem. They recognized the papal authority and most of them returned to\ntheir homes.\n\nAmong them was Arnold of Winkelried. His home possessions were\ninsignificant. We have already seen that even as a boy he had shown a\nwarlike spirit in numerous ways. He had practised all the feats of arms\nwith indefatigable activity, and had been well instructed in them, but\nas there were few opportunities for their use at home he had taken\nservice at Milan. He fought for strangers to learn how to fight for his\nfatherland whenever it should need his help. He had participated in\nnumerous encounters, had been wounded several times, and had won such\ndistinction that he was admitted to knighthood.\n\nIn the beginning of the year 1370 Arnold of Winkelried once more stood\nupon his native soil. He was tall, powerful, and in the very prime of\nhis manhood. He vainly sought for the opportunity to perform active\ndeeds. Peace and quiet prevailed all over the country. His restless\nspirit was not satisfied with managing the small home affairs. He longed\nfor the tumult of battle and the strenuous life of the soldier, to which\nhe had been accustomed of late. He endured the quiet of Stans for a few\nweeks only, after which notwithstanding the inclement season of the year\nhe undertook a journey to the larger cities of the League, to see and\nhear what was going on. It was not mere chance that took him to Zurich.\nHe had been told at Stans that his old-time playmate, Florian H\u00e4bli,\nwhom he met as a houseless wanderer at the monastery of Engelberg and\nhad helped to the utmost of his ability, was living with a famous\narmorer at Zurich. He sought him there to have a talk over old times,\nand found him in the midst of a crowd of workmen in the same place where\nwe have seen him as Master Hildprand\u2019s apprentice. The meeting was a\ncordial one. When the old-time fisherman and woodcutter\u2019s son began by\naddressing Arnold as \u201csir knight\u201d and \u201cnoble sir,\u201d he was firmly bidden\nto use the familiar \u201cthou.\u201d\n\nAs they had much to talk about, the armorer entertained his\ndistinguished visitor in his own house. Florian\u2019s uncle was childless,\nand as he was comfortably off and wished to live quietly in his old age,\nhe had transferred his prosperous business to his nephew, who was\nconducting it with like success. In the meantime Florian had gone about\nthe world considerably, and had worked in many a famous city. He had\nbeen in Strasburg, where for more than three centuries they had been\nbuilding a magnificent cathedral, the spire of which was just beginning\nto rise. He had also stood before a mighty cathedral in Cologne, which\nwas begun a century before, but in late times the work had stopped. In\nno city, however, had he seen so much activity as at Prague. The Emperor\nCharles had laid out an entirely new section of the city in which\nnumerous churches and monasteries were going up, and a great stone\nbridge was built over the Moldau. The finest structure, however, was the\ntraining school, the scholars in which were called students. Florian had\nalso worked for a time at Frankfort-on-the-Main, and he could hardly\nfind words to describe the fair which was held there twice a year. It\nwas to this fair that the large cities on the Rhine, from Basle to\nCologne, sent their merchandise; and heavily laden vessels brought goods\nthere from France. Fur dealers from the Hanse towns, linen and lace\ndealers from the cities of Flanders, and goldsmiths from Burgundy met\nthere. England\u2019s steel wares as well as the various products of Wales\nwere exhibited. Every building was packed with people and goods to the\nroof, great multitudes thronged the streets, and as the city could not\naccommodate all the strangers, many of them had to live in tents. It was\none of the grandest of spectacles. Florian had seen an ostrich and an\nelephant there for the first time; and one of the numerous pickpockets\nhad made off with his purse. He talked long about his adventures in\nother cities, but he made no mention of his exciting experiences at the\nRebstock, for he still respected his oath. He felt a quiet satisfaction\nat having saved Zurich, and attributed to it all the blessings which had\nbeen so generously bestowed upon him within its walls.\n\nArnold talked of his war adventures in Italy, and as he came to the end\nhe said: \u201cBut now my sword and armor are rusting. I vainly look for any\nplace in the world where war is going on and glory can be found. I am\nsick of these peaceful times.\u201d\n\nMaster Florian significantly placed his forefinger upon his nose. He\ncould give him some information. There was a region in northern Prussia\nwhere the clash of arms never ceased. The pagan Prussians were not yet\nconquered, and there was always plenty of fighting in the adjacent\nLithuania. Many a one who had been told this by Florian had been there\nand had brought back dreadful news about the country and its savage\ninhabitants.\n\nArnold was at last satisfied. The greater the danger the greater the\nglory, especially when gained in fighting for the spread of\nChristianity. Nothing would suit him better than to go to that northern\ncountry. It increased his delight when Florian told him there was an\nopportunity for him to go with a goodly company. Duke Leopold had\narranged an expedition for that very purpose. It was said he had already\nassembled a thousand knights from Austria, Swabia, and other German\ncountries. They were to meet at Basle, and the Duke was to hold a grand\ntournament there on Shrove Tuesday, and then leave at once for\nMarienburg, the castle of the Teutonic Order.\n\nArnold decided on the instant to join the expedition, but he was also\nanxious to show his prowess at the tournament, so that he should not be\na stranger in this array of famous knights and nobles. But Shrove\nTuesday was only a few days off, and as he must return to Stans, the\ntime was too short to allow of his getting to Basle in good season. He\nexplained the situation to Florian, who replied: \u201cIf it is your armor\nthat delays you, as I surmise, the journey to Stans is unnecessary. You\nneed armor and a horse. As far as armor and weapons are concerned, I\nhave everything you want and you are welcome to use it; and as far as\nthe horse is concerned, I have a friend here who has several fine ones,\nwhich even Duke Leopold himself would not be ashamed to ride. He will\nlet you have one on my security, and all you have to do is to make your\nchoice.\u201d\n\nArnold cordially shook Florian\u2019s hand and thanked him for his friendly\nassistance, of which he should certainly avail himself. \u201cBut you know,\nFlorian,\u201d he said with a smile, \u201cthat horse and armor belong to the\nknight who unseats his opponent. Supposing I should be the unfortunate\none!\u201d\n\n\u201cI am not afraid of that,\u201d said Florian, regarding him with a look of\npride. \u201cI know my hero of Pilatus.\u201d\n\nArnold soon made a choice of armor and weapons from the young master\u2019s\nlarge stock. He selected a snow-white battle-horse which combined\nstrength and suppleness of limb with a fiery nature. Thus equipped and\nwell mounted, Arnold rode off one day to Basle, after taking a cordial\nfarewell of Florian.\n\nThe free city of Basle is situated upon the Rhine. Great Basle is upon\none bank and Little Basle upon the other. On the morning of Shrove\nTuesday the city was crowded with a multitude of persons who had come on\nfoot and horse, some to participate in the merry-makings of the city,\nand others to attend the tournament. The tilting-field was oval in\nshape, and surrounded by gayly decorated lists. The stands filled\ngradually. The marshals of the tournament, staves in hand, took their\nseats with their halberds placed before them. The referees sat below\nthem, and the herald stood in front, clad in glistening mail, adorned\nwith the heraldic symbols.\n\nSuddenly there was a jubilant outburst from the musicians\u2019 gallery as\nDuke Leopold appeared upon his proudly prancing steed, attended by a\nbrilliant retinue of pages and squires. After he had dismounted, the\nDuke seated himself under a canopy, with his attendants stationed about\nhim in a circle. He waved a white handkerchief as the signal for the\ntournament to begin. The gates were opened, and accompanied by strains\nof music the combatants rode around the lists with lances at rest. Six\nof them went to six tents at the north end of the arena. There they\ndismounted, leaving their steeds to the care of servants, and each went\nto his tent, upon which was suspended his escutcheon. These were the six\nchallenging knights.\n\nAt a signal from the trumpet the herald rode to the centre of the arena\nand proclaimed the regulations so that all might hear. Then there was a\nsudden commotion at the south end, caused by the rush of knights who\nwere to contest with the challengers. Only six could be chosen, and\nthese were selected by lot. Each one of these touched the escutcheon of\nthe one with whom he was to contend, with his lance, doing it with the\nblunt end and not the point, which signified that the contest was not a\nlife and death one, but a test of skill and strength on each side.\n\nWhen the six knights had ridden back and formed in line, the six\nchallengers mounted their steeds and took their places a short distance\naway from the others. At the sound of the trumpet both parties rushed at\neach other. The challengers were apparently sure of success. Five of\ntheir opponents were unhorsed at the first onset, but the sixth knight\nkept his saddle. Both his own lance and that of his opponent were\nshivered at the same time, so that neither was victor. Amid the shouts\nof the crowd and the din of trumpets the challengers rode back to their\ntents, and the vanquished ones picked themselves up and disappeared from\nthe arena. The contest was soon resumed. After many others had been\ndefeated there was a pause. It seemed as if no one cared to enter the\nlists.\n\nSuddenly a trumpet sounded at the southern end of the arena, and the\ncrowd beheld a knight of stately figure riding up to the six tents at\nthe northern end upon a milk-white steed. He halted, and his lance\ntouched an escutcheon which was decorated with a tree and two ravens\nhovering over it. There was universal astonishment, for the owner of\nthis escutcheon was the most dexterous and powerful of all the\nchallengers. He instantly came from his tent to ascertain who his\nopponent was. The latter lifted his visor and disclosed the face of\nArnold of Winkelried, as the reader probably has anticipated. The other,\ntaking Arnold\u2019s courtesy for an expression of scorn, also lifted his\nvisor and disclosed the stern features of Veit of M\u00f6rsperg.\n\n\u201cYour steed pleases me. It looks to me as if it might soon have another\nstall, and I have one which will suit him, and there is plenty of room\nin my armor chamber for that mail of yours,\u201d scornfully said Veit, as he\ngloated over the prizes of the contest, which he was sure were his.\n\n\u201cMany thanks for your warning,\u201d replied Arnold, \u201cbut if you expect to\nsecure the prize, I would advise you to take a fresh horse and new\nlance, for you are sadly in need of both.\u201d\n\nHardly had the trumpet sounded when the two dashed from their places\nwith lightning speed and met in the centre of the arena with such force\nthat both their lances were shattered and the horses sank upon their\nhaunches, but by the help of bridle and spurs they were soon up again.\nFire flashed from Veit\u2019s eyes as he looked at his opponent. Both went\nback for new lances. They rushed at each other again at the sound of the\ntrumpet. Veit aimed a thrust at Arnold\u2019s head, which would have been\ndangerous had it succeeded, but Arnold evaded it and thereupon struck\nVeit\u2019s shield such a powerful blow in the centre that his opponent\nwavered in the saddle and the lance was shattered. After Arnold had\nsecured another lance the two knights made the third attack. This time\nthe order was reversed. It was now the M\u00f6rsperger\u2019s lance which struck\nArnold\u2019s shield in the centre. Arnold wavered for a second, for the\nthrust was so powerful that the splinters flew far and wide; but at the\nsame instant, Arnold with well directed aim had struck Veit\u2019s helmet\nwith such force that he was unhorsed and fell backwards. A cloud of dust\nhid them while the multitude were enthusiastically hailing the victor.\nWhen it cleared away, horse and rider were already up, and Veit,\nbleeding from a wound in the face, snarled at his conqueror, \u201cWe shall\nmeet again.\u201d\n\n\u201cThere will be ample opportunity on our way to the North, I hope,\u201d\nreplied Arnold. Veit made no reply. He had no intention of going there,\nfor there was not sufficient plunder among the savages to tempt him. The\nmeeting, however, took place at another time, as we shall see.\n\nArnold, who had come to Basle with borrowed armor, won not less than\nfive prizes that day. When the tournament was finished he sent back his\nsteed and armor to their owners at Zurich and took for himself only\nthose which he had won from Veit. He declined the rest as well as the\nmoney with which by the rules of the tournament the vanquished might\nredeem their property.\n\n\n\n\n                              Chapter VII\n                    Storming of a Lithuanian Castle\n\n\nFollowed by a brilliant array of fifteen hundred knights and horsemen,\namong whom was Arnold of Winkelried, Duke Leopold set out from Little\nBasle to co\u00f6perate with the forces of the Teutonic Order in the far\nNorth. Moving from eight to ten hours a day, the march being\noccasionally interrupted by military exercises, the army passed through\nseveral small countries, territories of the Church, and free imperial\ncities, until it reached Marienburg, the seat of the Order.\n\nAfter the subjugation of the Prussians still worse heathen remained.\nThese were the Lithuanians, who had extended their domain to the Black\nSea by repeated conquests from Russia. Their country was flat and\ncovered with marshes, steppes, and sand dunes. In its impenetrable\nprimeval forests, filled with gigantic trees, whose branches closely\ninterlaced, roamed bears and wolves, elks and buffaloes.\n\nIt was not the purpose of the Order to subjugate the Lithuanian people,\nbut to restore quiet in the Order\u2019s own territory and protect it from\ncontinual ravages by pillaging hordes. A strong boundary wall had been\nconstructed to prevent their incursions, but as this had proved\ninsufficient it was determined they should be attacked in their own\ncountry.\n\nThe leaders of the Lithuanians at that time were the brothers Kynstutt\nand Olgjerd. Kynstutt was an enemy not to be despised; his restless\nenergy had long kept the Order busy. The heathen army was between thirty\nand forty thousand strong, and among them were Russian auxiliaries and\nexcellent archers. The Lithuanians carried heavy battle axes, though\ntheir principal weapons were the pike and shield, and they also had many\nhorsemen. Notwithstanding their numbers, they were not the equals of the\nOrder in military skill, whether in siege or field. Kynstutt knew this\nvery well and for that reason would not risk battle in the open. He\nconducted his pillaging expeditions over as wide an area as possible. At\none time he would swiftly and suddenly fall upon the Order\u2019s supply\ntrains and slaughter the guards; at others he would burn castles and\nseek by every means in his power to prevent the building of new ones. He\nerected castles himself, and as fast as they were destroyed by the\nknights he would rebuild them. The three most important of these castles\nwere those of Wielun, Pisten, and Kauen. The last was the most remote\nand was the strongest, being built of stone.\n\nWinrich of Kniprode, grand master of the Order, was completing his plans\nfor the destruction of this castle, when Duke Leopold of Austria arrived\nat Marienburg with his brilliant array of knights\u2014a strong and welcome\nreinforcement. The route of the army took them past both the castles of\nWielun and Pisten, which were left unmolested. A landing was effected\nupon the island of Kauen, and a camp was established in which all the\nsupplies were stored. A bridge of boats was also constructed to the\nright bank of the Niemen, where the castle stood upon a tongue of\nland\u2014upon the spot where now stands the city of Kovno.[11] The building\nof this bridge took three days, and before it was finished Kynstutt\nappeared with an army for the relief of the castle. He fell back,\nhowever, after a brief encounter and occupied the heights on the land\nside, east of the castle. To prevent him from making a sudden descent\nupon the camp, a breastwork of stone and wooden stakes was made,\nstretching in the shape of a bow from the Vilia to the Niemen. The\nflower of the army was placed in this intrenched camp. Another part was\nassigned to guard the supplies, and the remainder occupied themselves\nwith the management of the siege machines. Missiles from the castle\ncould not reach far enough to disturb the work, which progressed under\nthe direction of a master smith and carpenter.\n\nThe part of the castle called \u201cthe house\u201d was built of wood. The\nfortified part consisted of high, strong walls, constructed in a\nparallelogram about the house. The garrison was amply provided with\nmeans of defence. Waydott, son of Kynstutt, was chief in command, and in\nhis garrison were forty boyars, who were warriors of unusual distinction\nand wealth. There were also many Russian archers. The garrison in all\nnumbered between four and five thousand men.\n\nAfter all the preparations were made, an advance was ordered from the\ntwo rivers for assault at the main point, where the _tumler_ was already\nat work. The principal feature of this machine was a huge tree-trunk, a\nhundred feet in length, suspended by chains. It was drawn back by hand\nand then propelled against the wall with terrific force. At the head of\nit was a sickle-shaped iron, for tearing away dislodged stones. As the\n_tumler_ could only be used in the immediate vicinity of the enemy, its\noperators were protected by a low building called \u201cthe cat.\u201d It had\nstrong sides and a roof to which the chains were attached. The whole\nrested upon wooden block wheels by which it could be pushed up to the\nwalls.\n\nAn assault was directed against a tower by the outer gate. Its defenders\nwere by no means inactive. They hurled huge rocks from the wall upon the\nroof of \u201cthe cat,\u201d and tried to tear it to pieces with long, hooked\npoles. They also poured burning pitch upon it, but as the roof was\ncovered with wet, undressed skins, it resisted the fire. At last the\nouter gate tower gave way before the continuous concussion and fell in a\nmass of ruins.\n\nFollowing up this first success, the besiegers prepared for an attack\nupon the wall itself. For this purpose the _helepolis_ was employed.\nThis machine was also called the _ebenh\u00f6he_ because it had to be of even\nheight with the wall. The colossus was made of stout beams and rested\nupon a base forty feet square. It consisted of three stories. The first\nwas occupied by the men who moved the machine forward on rollers. The\nsecond was arranged as a drawbridge, which could be connected with the\nwall when needed. The uppermost was for use by soldiers, who by means of\nthe drawbridge might drive the enemy from the wall. Like the _tumler_,\nthe _helepolis_ was protected from fire by wet skins.\n\nOne of these formidable machines was employed on both sides against the\ncastle. At one side, the garrison fired burning pitch-besmeared arrows\nupon the monster, and tried to prevent the use of the drawbridge with\nlong poles; but a whole section of wall upon which they were standing\ngave way, and they were buried in the ruins. Some of the besiegers also\nwere killed.\n\nIn the meantime Olgjerd arrived with a force of boyars and stationed\nthem along the Vilia, his brother Kynstutt still occupying the heights.\nThe latter had an interview with the Grand Master by arrangement. He\nhoped to intimidate him by threatening to join Olgjerd, and boasted that\nhe could annihilate his army. The Grand Master offered him battle, but\nKynstutt only pointed contemptuously to the well-fortified camp of the\nChristians. He then offered to level the breastworks, but Kynstutt made\nno reply to him.\n\nAt last the Christians advanced for general assault, intending to take\nadvantage of the numerous breaches in the wall. The Lithuanians,\nhowever, had erected strong barricades behind them, and the archers sent\nsuch a deadly shower of arrows into their ranks that they met with\nserious losses and had to fall back.\n\nIt was already the fourteenth day of the siege. The _tumler_ was kept\nsteadily at work making breaches in the walls, but the garrison as\nsteadily erected new barricades. The _helepolis_ was moved up to one of\nthese breaches. The garrison greeted it with fiery arrows and hurled\nburning bunches of fagots upon it. The wet skins this time were of no\navail. The flames mounted high, but while the occupants were seeking to\nmake their escape the two managers of the machine seized the burning\nbunches, one by one, with hooks, and hurled them back, which fired the\ngarrison\u2019s barricades and destroyed them before they could extinguish\nthe flames. The burning machine was replaced by another. The attack upon\nit had just commenced when the wall suddenly began to waver. Those upon\nit had barely time to escape when it fell. The troops raised a\ntriumphant shout and could not be prevented from rushing through the\nwide breach. The Grand Master ordered them back, but it was too late,\nand the passion of battle, which had become all the more furious as the\nnews of this fresh success spread, could not be curbed. In an army\ncomposed of various nationalities each wanted the honor of being first\nto lead the way. The English contingent claimed it because they carried\nthe standard of Saint George, but in all their wars with the heathen the\nGermans carried it also; and as Duke Leopold of Austria was the most\ndistinguished among the latter, the Grand Master assigned the leadership\nto him. As the Duke raised the sacred symbol, the gate which led out of\nthe castle to the Vilia was suddenly opened, and a part of the garrison\nmade a bold rush with the intention of cutting their way through.\nLeopold and his knights hurled themselves upon the desperate enemy.\nArnold of Winkelried was one of the first to follow him. While engaged\nin a fearful hand to hand contest, Arnold noticed a Lithuanian furiously\naiming a blow with his battle axe at the helmet of the princely\nstandard-bearer. With lightning swiftness he swung his sword and clove\nthe heathen\u2019s skull.\n\nThe Lithuanians were forced back and the massacre began. The infuriated\nheathen set fire to great piles of fagots smeared with pitch; the flames\nspread to the interior of the castle, and many Christians as well as\nheathen were burned to death. Blinded with rage, the combatants strove\nwith each other in the fire and smoke, man with man. The Lithuanian\npikes had little effect upon the mail of the knights, who swept\neverything before them with their swords, but battle axes found their\nway through the mail and many a fallen heathen was avenged. Mercilessly\nsteel clashed against steel. Terrible scenes were enacted, but at last\nthe banner of Saint George flew from the turret of the castle,\nannouncing the victory of the Christians. Kynstutt and Olgjerd witnessed\nthe assault from the neighboring heights, but made no effort to come to\nthe help of the garrison; for during the battle a considerable force of\nthe Grand Master\u2019s army was held in reserve to give the two brothers a\nhot reception if they advanced.\n\nThe Christian army celebrated its victory by singing the hymn, \u201cChrist\nis Arisen,\u201d and closed with the chorale, \u201cLet us all be joyous for the\nheathen have been punished.\u201d On the next day it was already Easter, and\nhigh mass was celebrated, at which the Bishop of Samland officiated.\nAbout two hundred Christians, among them seven brethren of the Order,\nwere killed during the siege. Many a one of Leopold\u2019s army never\nreturned home, but was buried in unconsecrated heathen soil. The\nLithuanians lost two thousand men, some of whom were burned in the\ncastle fire. The rest were taken prisoners, except Waydot, Kynstutt\u2019s\nson, who made his escape with thirty-six boyars. He embraced\nChristianity later and received the baptismal name of Henry, after which\nhe went to the palace of the Emperor Charles the Fourth at Prague, where\nhe was very kindly received, and remained many years. Before the army\nleft Kauen the castle was completely demolished.\n\nDuke Leopold wishing to thank the knight who had saved him from the axe\nof the murderous heathen, summoned all his men and requested the unknown\nknight to declare himself, but Arnold of Winkelried, caring little for\nprincely favor, paid no attention to the Duke\u2019s request. He had saved\nthe Duke\u2019s life, little dreaming that he himself would die a heroic\ndeath fighting against him at a later time. The Duke returned to his\nhome filled with proud satisfaction at the victory, and Arnold was no\nless satisfied. The song of victory, \u201cLet us all be joyous,\u201d continually\nrang in his ears. He often recalled Father Vincentius\u2019s advice that man\nshould devote the inestimable boon of life to good works as an offering\nto God. Since his own life had been preserved amid these terrible scenes\nby the divine goodness, he resolved to devote it henceforth to the\nservice of humanity and the fatherland. Mail and sword might rust, but\nhis purpose should be maintained; and when the fatherland needed him he\nwould again seize his arms to fight in the ranks of the people, not as a\nmurderous knight, but as a plain, dutiful citizen.\n\nAfter Arnold\u2019s return to his native Stans he spent his days in managing\nhis little property. Soon he married a gentle, lovely woman, who brought\njoy into his life and relieved his anxieties. In the course of the years\nbeautiful children came to them; and the aforetime restless warrior\nfound his greatest happiness in peaceful family life.\n\n\n\n\n                              Chapter VIII\n                            The Beggar Monk\n\n\nThe Emperor Charles the Fourth died in the year 1378 and was succeeded\nby his son Wenzel. Duke Leopold was made governor of Upper and Lower\nSwabia, which gave him great power among the nobles and the cities. The\nrelations between the latter meanwhile had grown more and more strained.\nThe attendants of the knights flocked to the cities in ever increasing\nnumbers and were cordially welcomed. As their privileges continued to\ndiminish, the knights organized against the cities, and Duke Leopold\nencouraged them in their action.\n\nThe Duke knew that the nobles were on his side to a man. He regarded it\ntherefore as a favorable time to break up the League and restore the old\nauthority of Austria. The warning voices of some well-meaning\ncounsellors were stifled by the embittered nobles of Aargau and Thurgau\nand those aggrieved knights who had suffered so much at the hands of the\nLeague.\n\nIn June, 1386, Duke Leopold went to Baden, where he was assembling an\narmy of knights. Besides his own vassals, knights came from adjoining\ncountries with their horsemen, as well as the Margrave of Baden and the\ncounts of W\u00fcrtemberg. The army was nine thousand strong, including a\nlarge contingent of foot soldiers. The League naturally armed its\nfollowers and barricaded the cities. Zurich was the first point\nthreatened. It was only a few miles from Baden and was the bulwark of\nthe League. Its people soon learned that the Baron of Bonstetten, one of\nthe ablest of the Austrian generals, was advancing against the city to\nlay siege to it. Although Zurich at that time was supplied with good\nwalls and gates, it had not sufficient fighting men to withstand a siege\nany great length of time, and so had to send to the Four Forest Cantons\nfor help. As soon as the request was received fourteen hundred men were\nsent. Rather than remain in idleness the League\u2019s auxiliaries undertook\nexpeditions into Kiburg and Thurgau and captured supplies in these\nunfriendly places, which would be needed during the siege.\n\nNot far from Zurich and a little off the road leading to Baden, there\nwas a wretched inn which served as a lodging house for all kinds of\nlawless adventurers and a rendezvous for the robber knights of the\nneighborhood. On the night of June third, during a fearful thunder storm\nwhich had raged for hours, there was a knock upon its rickety window.\nThe hostess, an ill-favored old woman, opened the door and found two\nknights dismounting from their horses.\n\n\u201cPut our steeds in your stable, Mother Ruschen, and give them some\nfodder,\u201d said one of them, addressing her familiarly. He and his\ncompanion then entered the apartment, whose entire furnishings consisted\nof a few wooden tables and benches, and shelves upon which were filthy\nbottles and glasses. The two newcomers were our old acquaintances,\nJ\u00f6rgel of Reienstein and Conrad of Waltihof.\n\n\u201cHe has not come yet,\u201d said the latter, glancing around the miserable\nplace which was so dimly lighted by a half burned candle that only\nobjects close at hand could be discerned. \u201cI begin to think we have come\ntoo late.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis beastly storm may have detained him, as it did us,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel.\n\n\u201cNo storm could stop him, even if it rained rocks and poured down fire\nfrom the sky,\u201d replied Conrad. \u201cI am afraid he was angry at our delay\nand has gone on his way home alone.\u201d\n\n\u201cMother Ruschen,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel to the old woman, who had just come in,\n\u201chas the M\u00f6rsperger been here?\u201d She replied in the negative. \u201cThen bring\nus some wine, the best you have,\u201d said J\u00f6rgel.\n\n\u201cAnd the dice,\u201d added Conrad.\n\nThe old woman set a bottle of wine and two glasses on the table at which\nher guests were seated, and brought the dice; whereupon the two began\nplaying and soon forgot everything else, while the old woman, as was her\nusual practice, sat by the fireplace and dozed. Suddenly she awoke. The\nquarrelling of the two players, and their shouts of exultation or\ncurses, as one lost and the other won, had not disturbed her in the\nleast, but the tramp of horses outside, which the excited players had\nnot noticed, the old woman heard plainly. She arose and notified them\nthat the man they were expecting had come. She then left the room, found\nVeit and his attendants just dismounting, and informed him his friends\nwere waiting for him.\n\n\u201cGood,\u201d said Veit. \u201cI cannot stay long with you this time. Just give the\nhorses a bundle of hay; and a good stout drink to the men.\u201d\n\n  [Illustration: _Winkelried\u2019s Heroic Death at the Battle of Sempach_\n                  (_From a painting by Karl Jauslin_)]\n\nAs the men were leading the horses to the stable the old woman noticed\nthat one of them was very lame. Veit went inside and was greeted by both\nthe young men. They were still under the excitement of play and prepared\nto resume it.\n\n\u201cPut up your dice,\u201d exclaimed Veit, harshly. \u201cA pest upon it! Do you not\nknow I have come straight from Baden, and that, too, on matters of\nimportance, and here you two fools are courting the wench Fortune? I am\nbringing great news.\u201d\n\nThe two laid aside the dice. Veit sat down on the bench and replied to\ntheir questioning glances: \u201cThe day after to-morrow we must join the\narmy.\u201d The news did not seem to surprise either of them. J\u00f6rgel, indeed,\nsaid with a yawn, \u201cIt\u2019s an infernally doubtful pleasure, this going to\nZurich!\u201d\n\n\u201cThere is nothing in it for us,\u201d said Conrad.\n\n\u201cBlockheads!\u201d said Veit, with a twinkle in his eye. Then he resumed in a\nlower tone: \u201cThe siege is only a sham man\u0153uvre, if you must know.\nBonstetter\u2019s plan is simply to keep the Zurichers busy and to decoy the\nWaldst\u00e4tters, who have been running all over Kiburg and Thurgau, back\ninto the city.\u201d\n\nJ\u00f6rgel and Conrad looked at each other. \u201cAnd the Duke?\u201d they asked, in\none voice.\n\n\u201cWait! Here is the real business,\u201d said Veit. \u201cWith the large part of\nthe army and the flower of the nobles, among whom we shall be, the Duke\nwill secretly and quietly march past Wellingen and Bremgarten to\nSempach, on the left bank of the Reuss, and afterwards advance upon\nLucerne, to give the burghers a needed chastising, and set the League a\nterrible example. He will deal lightly with the peasant rabble, but\nZurich will have to make the best bargain it can.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe will be there,\u201d exclaimed J\u00f6rgel.\n\n\u201cA masterpiece of generalship,\u201d said Conrad.\n\n\u201cPst!\u201d warned Veit, for the old woman was returning. She was about to\nprovide them with wine, but Veit beckoned to her and said: \u201cWe have no\nwish for a carousal this time, Mother Ruschen. I will quench my thirst\nwith a good drink from my own cellar, and don\u2019t care to spoil the taste\nof it now.\u201d Turning to his companions, he added: \u201cYou shall be my guests\nto-night. We must leave for home to-morrow at an early hour. We will\nmake preparations for a little ride; it is bad luck that I cannot ride\nthe black horse. The beast went suddenly lame, and that is why I wait\nhere so long. It must have been bewitched.\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, yes!\u201d said J\u00f6rgel, \u201cI have no doubt witchery is back of it. I\nwonder who could have done it!\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat is bewitched once is likely to be bewitched again,\u201d said Conrad.\n\n\u201cThat is what is troubling me,\u201d said the knight.\n\n\u201cWhy not depend upon the church\u2019s ban and consult your chaplain? The\npriests understand this witchery business.\u201d\n\n\u201cTo be sure! I never thought of that,\u201d said the old woman, who had\nlistened to the conversation. \u201cI know a pious father who can help your\nhorse, noble sir.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhere is he?\u201d all three exclaimed together.\n\nMother Ruschen pointed to a dark corner of the room. They went there and\nfound a figure stretched out on the bench apparently sound asleep.\n\n\u201cHo! wake up, reverend father,\u201d cried the old woman, shaking him\nroughly. As he raised himself and looked up, the knights forgot all\nabout the horse, and with furious execrations dragged him to his feet.\nHis face was half hidden in a cowl.\n\n\u201cWho are you? and how did you come here?\u201d thundered Veit.\n\n\u201cYou ought to know who I am by my attire,\u201d was the quiet answer. \u201cI\nbelong to the Dominican beggar order, and wander round seeking alms for\nthe poor. The storm overtook me and I came to this place and found\nshelter by chance.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe have had bad luck with our secrets lately,\u201d said Veit, with a\nsignificant glance at his companions.\n\n\u201cWhy should we care whether he lay there with open ears, or slept like a\nmarmot?\u201d said J\u00f6rgel.\n\n\u201cWe will not let this one off with an oath,\u201d said Conrad, gesticulating\nfuriously.\n\n\u201cNo, that will not do this time,\u201d said Veit, grimly. With that he tore\noff the monk\u2019s cowl and looked him sharply in the face. \u201cI think I have\nseen this pious man before. I cannot tell where or when. It may have\nbeen some time ago, but we have met before, and it could not have been a\nvery pleasant meeting, I fancy, from the effect your face has upon me.\nNevertheless, good father, you must go along with us. As foresight is\nthe parent of wisdom, I will find a safe and cosy place for you in my\ncastle, where you can remain until the storm of war has subsided and\nDuke Leopold is once more established in the land which rightfully\nbelongs to him. Pray fervently that it may be soon accomplished, for you\nwill not see the sun again until it is. You understand me.\u201d\n\nDuring these words the monk, who was tall and powerful, quickly glanced\nat the speaker and his companions and assumed an air of defiance. A wild\ngleam of wrath shot from his eyes, and he appeared as if about to attack\nthem; but prudence prevailed, for the struggle would have been too\nuneven. He offered no resistance when they took him from the house. The\nhorses were brought out and mounted. Veit rode ahead and the monk\nbetween the other two. The attendants brought up the rear, leading the\nlame horse slowly along.\n\nThe storm had ceased, but the sky was still overcast with dark clouds.\nTwo hours later they reached castle M\u00f6rsperg and entered by a drawbridge\nlowered across a deep moat. The keep was below the watchtower, and an\nopening with a grated door, which also served as window, led into it.\nThe monk was placed in this dungeon without further ado, and the robber\nknights betook themselves to the principal castle apartment, where the\nlady of M\u00f6rsperg had spread a repast of roasted venison.\n\nGreatly as Veit was feared on the highroads, and careful as his best\nfriends were not to anger him, this barbarian was little respected in\nhis own castle. His energetic spouse managed things there to suit\nherself. Of late he had been forced to submit humbly to her strong\nsceptre. He was under the minor ban of the Church for his evil doings.\nThe bishop had kept him subject to it for three years; and the noble\nlady, who sought to make reparation for his wickedness by her own piety,\nsuffered even more than if she had been under the ban herself, for the\nchaplain who used to perform service there came no longer. Since that\nhad happened, Veit hardly dared look his wife in the face and meet her\ninjured, reproachful expression. He had also felt her displeasure in\nother ways. He was restrained in eating and drinking when guests were at\nthe castle, and she strictly forbade dicing. But to-day the mistress\u2019s\nflinty heart apparently relented. She lavished the best wine in the\ncellar upon the guests, and even brought the dice for them. The\nastonished husband attributed this change to his approaching departure,\nbut there was an entirely different reason for it.\n\nThe noble lady had heard of the monk\u2019s imprisonment from the servants.\nShe could not endure such an indignity to a servant of the Church. She\nwas not actuated by piety so much as by the fear that the ban would be\nprolonged by this new outrage, should it become known. She had played\nthe part of a generous housewife only to divert the attention of her\nhusband, and as soon as Veit and his companions were absorbed in\ngormandizing, she took a huge bunch of keys and hastened to the dungeon.\n\nThe monk had heard of the ban resting upon the castle, and when the lady\nimplored him to celebrate mass and hear confession, from which she had\nalready been barred a year and a day, he became embarrassed. \u201cI dare not\nviolate the stern decree of the Church. You know you have no right to\nask for any of its sacred offices, and I have no right to perform them,\u201d\nwas his answer.\n\n\u201cCan I not enter the chapel just once, for brief devotion? It would not\nbe wrong for you to pray for me. I can set you free, and it shall be\ndone this very night if you will not refuse me this consolation. The\nattendant who keeps the watch is a pious soul, and is entirely devoted\nand obedient to me. At my command he will open the gate and let down the\nbridge for you.\u201d\n\nAt these words the monk\u2019s scruples vanished, for great results depended\nupon his speedy release. He gladly followed her into the desolate little\nchapel, which was directly over the dungeon. Half an hour later he\nbreathed the air of freedom and was greeted by the morning star in a\ncloudless sky. With flying steps he rushed back over the same course he\nhad come, past Mother Ruschen\u2019s wretched inn, and thence through a\nnarrow pass to the highroad which led to Zurich. It was broad daylight\nwhen the monk entered the city, but without stopping to rest, he\nhastened to the shop of Florian H\u00e4bli, the smith.\n\n\u201cWhy, Arnold!\u201d exclaimed Florian, in surprise at the sudden appearance\nof the supposed monk. \u201cI have been very anxious about you,\u201d he added.\n\u201cGod be praised that you are safe back from your daring journey. I did\nnot expect you so soon.\u201d\n\n\u201cI have not been far,\u201d replied Arnold. \u201cA thunder storm drove me to an\ninn on the way, and there I learned all the plans of the Duke without\nthe trouble of going to Baden. I have been very fortunate. I will tell\nyou the rest another time. Now procure me a fast steed while I take off\nthis mummery and leave it with you. I must summon all our people back\nfrom Thurgau. Every hour\u2019s delay is dangerous. The fate of the League\nhangs upon a hair.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n                               Chapter IX\n                       Winkelried\u2019s Heroic Death\n\n\nOn the eighth of July, Duke Leopold appeared before the little city of\nSempach with fourteen hundred knights and horsemen and several thousand\nfoot-soldiers. He pitched his camp at the edge of a forest on a height\nfacing the city. Before subduing Lucerne, he had resolved to teach\nSempach a terrible lesson and punish it for its rebellious spirit. For\nuse in the forthcoming attack he had brought with him huge machines, the\nfirst to throw heavy missiles. Partly to find a place where they could\nbe set up, and partly to cut off the supplies of the besieged, he sent\nhis infantry to drive off the peasants, after compelling them to cut\ntheir ripening corn. The nobles took great delight in mistreating the\nharvesters and jeering at the besieged. Veit of M\u00f6rsperg would ride up\nto the walls and contemptuously order them to bring out breakfast for\nthe harvesters; and J\u00f6rgel would point to the loaded wagons, with the\nthreat that all of them should be hanged.\n\nHow those in Thurgau learned Duke Leopold\u2019s plans is no secret to the\nreader. They quickly left for their menaced homes, marched day and\nnight, and on the way were assured of the good-will of Zug, Glarus, and\nother places. On the morning of July ninth they reached a wood, called\nthe Meierholz, and there occupied a strong position. Just as Duke\nLeopold had issued orders for the attack upon Sempach to begin in\nearnest, he was surprised by the news of the arrival of the\nConfederates, whom he supposed to be far away from there. He called a\ncouncil of war to decide whether battle should be given at once or be\ndeferred. The older and more experienced knights, who knew the courage\nand iron resolution of the Confederates, voted for the latter plan, and\nadvised the Duke first of all to get into communication with\nBonstetten\u2019s division. The young hot-heads outvoted them, however, and\nthe Duke made the fatal decision to give battle at once. He took up his\nposition on a piece of meadow land, gently sloping toward Sempach. At\nthe request of those knights who were so certain of victory, and who\nwanted to secure the honor of the day for themselves alone, the\nfoot-soldiers were placed in the rear near the baggage trains. The\nlarger part of the horsemen were formed in three divisions, and as each\ncame into action they were to dismount and fight on foot. The first of\nthese divisions was formed in a square, twenty or thirty ranks deep, and\narmed with harpoon-shaped spears, about five metres in length, so\narranged that one overlapped the next, thus apparently making the square\nimpenetrable.\n\nIt was now midday. The sun beat fiercely down upon the heavily armored\nknights. Some in the middle ranks fainted; some died from suffocation.\nIn all other ways the Austrian position was advantageous, for they\noccupied the higher point and could hurl themselves down upon the enemy.\nThe Confederates, fearing the arrival of Bonstetten, rested a brief\nspell in the Meierholz and then advanced for immediate attack. They were\nbetween fifteen and sixteen hundred strong and were armed with swords,\npikes, and halberds. Their leader, Schultheiss of Gundoldingen, formed\nthem in wedge shape, the point toward the enemy. In this order they fell\nupon their knees and implored divine help. The haughty knights,\nsupposing that they were begging for mercy, taunted them. They soon\ndiscovered their mistake, for hardly had they risen to their feet,\nbefore they rushed forward with a mighty shout and the fearful blasts of\ntheir battle-horns. The Lucerners formed the point of the wedge and\nattempted to force a way through the enemy, but the Austrians stood as\nimmovable as a wall, helm to helm, mail to mail, shield to shield, and\nbetween the shields a forest of spears, which resisted the attack. The\nUrners next advanced. \u201cBreak down their spears; they are hollow!\u201d\nshouted their leader; but the broken spears were replaced by those\nbehind them, and the Urners gave way as the Lucerners had done. The\nbrave Schwyzers fared no better, and in falling back suffered severe\nloss from the showers of arrows shot at them from behind hedges and\nbushes.\n\nThe knights felt sure of victory, and the Confederates were losing\nconfidence. More than sixty of their bravest, among them their leader,\nwere lying dead on the field; the knights had not yet lost a man, and\ntheir position remained unbroken. Every one in the Confederate ranks\nrealized that it was a critical moment, and none more fully than Arnold\nof Winkelried, who led the men of the Nidwald. A decision must be made\ninstantly, or Confederate blood would be uselessly shed and the fruits\nof the glorious victory of Morgarten would be wasted. Thus thought\nArnold, and he made the decision at once. There are things more\nimportant than life. He had not shrunk from the poisonous breath of the\nplague. He had looked death in the face countless times in foreign wars.\nThe time had now come for him to offer himself up for freedom and the\nfatherland.\n\n\u201cBrethren in arms!\u201d he loudly shouted, \u201ccare for my wife and children. I\nwill open a path for you. Follow me.\u201d\n\nWith inevitable death before him he dashed forward, threw himself upon\nthe enemy\u2019s lances, and bent them down to the earth by the weight of his\nbody. Pierced and gashed in every limb, he yielded up his heroic soul.\nHis followers rushed into the gap and slashed right and left with their\nswords and halberds. In vain the knights attempted to close up, for\nother Confederates were constantly widening the gap. Strokes fell thick\nand fast; helmets and heads were split at a blow, and the victims fell\nand were trodden underfoot. Amidst this terrible slaughter the\nConfederates\u2019 wedge steadily forced its way deeper and deeper into the\nsquare. It was soon in confusion. The victors forced their way through\nto the enemy\u2019s standard. The Urners captured the Hapsburg lions; and the\nLucerners, the standards of Alsace and Tyrol. As the Austrian\nstandard-bearer fell, the standard was seized by Ulrich of Aarburg, who\ndefended it with his life. \u201cAustria to the rescue!\u201d were his last words,\nas he fell bleeding from many wounds. The words reached the ear of\nLeopold, who was in command of the second division. No one could\nrestrain him from plunging into the thick of the fight. \u201cBetter die with\nhonor than live in dishonor,\u201d he replied to those who were entreating\nhim to save himself. He rushed forward, seized the blood-sprinkled\nbanner and waved it high in air as the slaughter went on around him. In\nthe midst of it he fell dead.\n\nWhen the knights saw their leader fall, they gave up all hope and\nrushed, panic-stricken, to their horses; but their attendants had\nalready mounted them and fled. The third division was not in the battle,\nand had made its escape when it realized all was lost. The foot-soldiers\nwere driven in every direction by the Confederates. Thus was the great\nbattle fought by the little army of the Four Cantons against this strong\narmy of knights and nobles.\n\nThe battle had lasted all day, and the Confederates were too exhausted\nto pursue the defeated enemy. After kneeling on the field and giving\nthanks for the victory, they took possession of the enemy\u2019s camp.\nSplendid arms and equipments fell into their hands, as well as eighteen\nstandards. Victors and vanquished lost famous warriors, and among them\nnearly all their leaders. One hundred and twenty of the Confederates\nwere killed, but the Austrian loss was much heavier, nearly two thousand\nhaving been slain. Besides Duke Leopold, three hundred and fifty\nprinces, counts, great barons, and nobles had fallen, among them the\nMargrave of Baden-Hochberg, the count palatine of W\u00fcrtemberg and Teck,\nand the counts of Hohenzollern, F\u00fcrstenberg, Aarberg, Schwartzenberg,\nand Thierstein. Several noble families were almost wiped out.\n\nFollowing the old practice, the victors remained three days upon the\nfield. The third day was devoted to the burial of the dead. Duke Leopold\nand twenty-seven knights and nobles were interred in the Church of the\nmonastery of K\u00f6nigsfeld in Aargau. The bodies of other nobles were\nremoved to their homes, and the rest of the dead were buried in a great\ntrench.\n\nA simple chapel was erected on the spot where Leopold\u2019s body was found,\nwhich was dedicated July fifth, 1387. The titles and coats-of-arms of\nthe nobles were placed upon the walls. In the centre stood a cross\nbetween two memorials, one representing Duke Leopold, the other the\nLucerne leader, both in the act of prayer. A picture over the door\ncommemorated Winkelried\u2019s deed.\n\nHans Halbfutter of Lucerne, an eye-witness of the battle of Sempach,\ncommemorated the victory in a poem, wherein Arnold of Winkelried\u2019s\nheroic death is described. In the learned world it is still questioned\nwhether he performed this deed; some historians have even denied the\nexistence of William Tell and relegated him to the realm of legend. But\nthe name of Arnold of Winkelried, the savior of his fatherland, still\nlives in the hearts of the Swiss people. A statue has been erected near\nthe fountain in the market place of Stans which represents him at the\nmoment of grasping the enemy\u2019s spears. His birthplace and coat of mail\nare also shown in Stans, and a chapel has been erected to his memory.\n\nOn the ninth of July, 1886, five hundred years after the battle of\nSempach, the Swiss held a national festival in honor of Arnold of\nWinkelried, the hero who exhibited a manly courage, self-devotion, and\nlove of fatherland which secured the victory of the Confederates over\ntheir strongest enemy, and raised Switzerland to the position of a\npowerful Commonwealth.\n\n\n\n\n                               Footnotes\n\n\n[1]The Hohenstaufens were a princely German family, whose castle was at\n   Hohenstaufen in W\u00fcrtemberg. It furnished sovereigns to Germany and\n   Sicily in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The last of them was\n   Conradin, who was executed in 1268.\n\n[2]\u201cOde,\u201d in German, signifies a desert or wilderness.\n\n[3]The Aar, or Aare, rises in the Bernese Oberland and flows into the\n   Rhine. Its length is about 170 miles.\n\n[4]Engelberg is now a health resort in the Canton of Unterwalden,\n   Switzerland, south of Lucerne. It still has a Benedictine Abbey.\n\n[5]R\u00e6tia was a province of the Roman Empire, and its inhabitants were\n   mountaineers. It was conquered by Tiberius in 15 B. C. The Helvetians\n   were a Celtic tribe living near Lake Geneva, and were conquered by\n   C\u00e6sar. The Huns were a Mongolian race which invaded Europe in the\n   fourth century. Their greatest leader was Attila. The Ostrogoths were\n   the Eastern branch of the Gothic race, and were subjugated by the\n   Huns. The Alamanni were a German race, whose territory in the third\n   century included Alsace and part of Eastern Switzerland. \u201cFranks\u201d was\n   a name assumed by a confederation of German tribes.\n\n[6]Rudolph the First was the son of Albert the Fourth, Count of\n   Hapsburg. He succeeded his father in 1239, and was elected German\n   King in 1273, being the first of the Hapsburg line.\n\n[7]The R\u00fctli was a meadow in the mountains of Uri, fifteen miles\n   southeast of Lucerne.\n\n[8]Nidwald is the northern part of the Canton of Unterwalden; Oberwald\n   is the southern part.\n\n[9]Winterthur, one of the chief manufacturing towns in Switzerland,\n   about thirteen miles northeast of Zurich.\n\n[10]The Crimea.\n\n[11]Kovno is the capital of the government of Kovno, at the junction of\n   the Vilia and Niemen rivers in Russia.\n\n\n\n\n                                Appendix\n\n\nThe following is a chronological statement of the principal events in\nSwiss-Austrian history connected with this narrative:\n\n    1273     Rudolph elected Emperor.\n    1291     Rudolph\u2019s death.\n    1291     Formation of the Everlasting League.\n    1292     Adolph elected Emperor.\n    1298     Albert of Hapsburg elected Emperor.\n    1308     Murder of Alfred.\n    1308     Henry of Luxemburg elected Emperor.\n    1313     Death of Henry.\n    1315     Austrian defeat at Morgarten.\n    1315     Everlasting League renewed.\n    1336     Civic War at Zurich.\n    1336     Rudolph Brun made burgomaster of Zurich.\n    1351     Everlasting League enlarged.\n    1386     Austrian defeat at Sempach.\n    1386     Death of Winkelried.\n    1389     The Seven Years\u2019 peace.\n\n\n\n\n                     LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE\n\n                    _Translated from the German by_\n                           _GEORGE P. UPTON_\n\n                           _20 Volumes Ready_\n\n  Beethoven\n  Mozart\n  Bach\n  Haydn\n  Maid of Orleans\n  The Little Dauphin\n  Marie Antoinette\u2019s Youth\n  Frederick the Great\n  Maria Theresa\n  Arnold of Winkelried\n  William of Orange\n  Barbarossa\n  William Tell\n  The Swiss Heroes\n  Herman and Thusnelda\n  Undine\n  Gudrun\n  The Nibelungs\n  The Frithiof Saga\n  The Duke of Brittany\n\n                   _Each, illustrated, 60 cents net_\n                      A. C. McCLURG & CO., CHICAGO\n\n\n\n\n                          Transcriber\u2019s Notes\n\n\n--Copyright notice provided as in the original\u2014this e-text is public\n  domain in the country of publication.\n\n--In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the\n  HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.)\n\n--Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and\n  dialect unchanged.","title":"Arnold of Winkelried, the Hero of Sempach","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":26273}