knees with my little daughter, and follow the example of the king. And God knoweth, never in my life have I prayed so fervently as this even, whereon the Lord manifested unto us such a marvellous sign, in that the deliverer of his poor Christian people, should arrive on the very day wherein they were crying unto him upon their knees, with tears and supplications in all places, for his mercy and help against the murder and subtlety of the pope and the devil. Neither could I sleep that night for joy, but very early on the morrow I went to Damerow, where something had befallen Vithen's lad. I was ready to believe it to be the work of witchcraft also; but at this time it was not so, seeing that the lad had eaten something bad in the wood. What kind of berries they had been, he could no longer say; howbeit the Malum, that turned his skin quite red as scarlet, speedily passed over. Wherefore as I was presently after going on my way homeward, I met a messenger from Peenemunde, sent by His Majesty, the high and mighty king, Gustavus Adolphus to the Amtshauptmann, that on the 29th June, at ten o'clock in the morning, he would appoint three guides to be ready waiting at Coserow, to lead his Majesty through the woods to Swine, where the Imperialists had entrenched. Item, he related that His Majesty had yesterday already taken the fortress of Peenemunde (which possibly may account for the firing we heard the evening before) and that the Imperialists had all speedily dispersed, and rightly played the part of bush-troopers. For after they set their camp on fire, they sprang into the bush in order to escape part toward Wolgast and part toward Swine.

In my joy I forthwith determined to prepare a carmen gratulatorium for his majesty, if with the help of Al* A congratulatory poem.

mighty God I should see him, which my little daughter might present into his hands.

Wherefore, after I had come home, I immediately made the proposal to her; whereat for joy she clung round my neck, and then began to dance about the room. But after she had considered a little she thought that her dress was not good enough therein to wait upon his majesty; wherefore, I should buy her another blue silk dress with a yellow apron, as this was the Swedish colour, and would, doubtless, be well-pleasing to his majesty. But I could not make up my mind for a long while, for as much as I hated such pride of life, but she coaxed me so long with her sweet words and kisses that I, old fool, said yes, and commanded my husbandman to ride that very day with her to Wolgast to buy the stuff. Wherefore I consider that the righteous God, who resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble, justly chastised me because of this pride. For I myself had a sinful joy, when she came back with two women, who were to help her to sew, and shewed me the stuff. On the morrow the needle work began with the break of day, while I prepared my carmen; but had not gotten far when the young nobleman, Rudiger of Nienkerken, came riding up to enquire, as he said whether his majesty would in troth pass through Coserow. And as I told him what I knew thereof, item, communicated to him our purpose, he commended the same exceedingly, and instructed my little daughter (who looked on him more friendly to-day, than pleased me) how the Swedes speak latin, as: ratscho for ratio uct for ut, shis for scis, etc., that she might not be short coming for an answer to his majesty. Moreover he had had frequent intercourse with Swedes in Wittenberg

and wherefore, if she thought good, he would try a little colloquium, and he himself would represent the king.

Hereupon he seated himself upon the bench before her, and forthwith they began their babbling, which very sorely vexed me, specially when I saw, that she bestirred herself not with her needle, but tell me I pray, what could I do in this matter?-Wherefore I went on with my own business and let them prate till noon, when the younker at last arose again. Howbeit he promised that on Tuesday if the king came he would also come back again, and thought that the whole island would then be flocking together to Coserow. When he was gone, and, as may easily be guessed, my vena poetica* was stopped, I bade my waggon to be got ready, and rode through the whole parish, exhorting the folk in all the villages, that on Tuesday at 9 o'clock they should assemble themselves together at the hen-gate of Coserow, and that there they should all fall down upon their knees when they saw the king coming, and that I would fall upon my knee; item, to join in singing the Ambrosian hymn, as soon as the bells begin to ring and I start the tune. This they all promised to do, and after I had exhorted them once more thereunto on the Sunday at church, and most heartily prayed unto the Lord for his majesty, we could hardly await the blessed Tuesday for exceedinggreat joy.

*Poetic vein.

CHAPTER XV.

Of the arrival of the high and mighty king GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS, and what other things happened at that time.

*

In the mean time I had finished my Carmen in metro elegiaco, which my little daughter copied (forasmuch as her handwriting is more excellent than mine) and committed well to memory in order to recite it to his Majesty. Item, the clothes were gotten ready, the which befitted her very well, and the Monday before she went to the Streckelberg, notwithstanding there being so great a heat that the crow upon the wall gasped for breath. She would gather flowers for a wreath which she thought to put on, and which were to be blue and yellow. And in troth towards even she came back with an apron full of flowers of divers sorts; albeit her hair was quite wet and hung quite shaggy and clammy about her shoulders. (O God, God! thus to me, poor man, did all things work together to my ruin !) Wherefore I inquired of her where she had been, that her hair was thus dishevelled, whereto she answered that from the Kölpin,† where she had been plucking flowers; she had gone to the strand and bathed in the sea there, because of the great heat, but nobody had seen her. Now in troth, appear on the

as she continued pleasantly, could she

morrow as a pure virgin in the presence of his Majesty.

* In elegiac metre. A small lake near the sea.

I did not like this exactly, so I looked grave and said nothing.

On the morrow the folk, men, women, and children, Summa: whomsoever could go were all already assembled, at the sixth hour, about the hen-gate; and at length my little daughter likewise was already quite festively arrayed; namely, in a blue silk vesture, yellow apron, little yellow neckerchief, and a yellow hood, whereon she placed the little wreath of blue and yellow flowers. It lasted not long, when my younker also arrived, in like manner as neat and smartly rigged out as beseemeth a nobleman, saying that he should like to know when I purposed going with my little daughter to the gate, seeing that his father, Hans von Nienkerken, item, Wittich Appelman, as also the Lepels of Gnitze, were likewise coming; furthermore a great multitude of people were running about everywhere on the highway, as if a fair was to be held here to-day. But I was well aware that his only aim was the damsel, forasmuch as he was soon busy with her again, and thus soon began his Latin colloquium. He made her repeat her carmen to his Majesty, whereat, playing the part of the king, he answered: Dulcissima et venustissima puella, quae mihi in coloribus coeli, ut augelus domini appares, utinam semper mecum esses, nunqua mihi male cederet!* At these words she blushed, nor went it with me much otherwise, albeit with vexation, as may easily be guessed. Wherefore I besought his Worship that he would be pleased to arise and go to the gate, seeing that my little daughter had yet to help me to put on my robe,

*Thou sweetest and most charming maid, who appearest to me as an angel of the Lord, in the colours of heaven, wert thou but ever about me, then would no evil ever happen unto me.