Anne of Geierstein; Or, The Maiden of the Mist. Volume 1 (of 2)

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER VIII.

  They saw that city, welcoming the Rhine, As from his mountain heritage he bursts, As purposed proud Orgetorix of yore, Leaving the desert region of the hills, To lord it o'er the fertile plains of Gaul. _Helvetia._

  The eyes of the English travellers, wearied with a succession of wildmountainous scenery, now gazed with pleasure upon a country stillindeed irregular and hilly in its surface, but capable of highcultivation, and adorned with cornfields and vineyards. The Rhine, abroad and large river, poured its grey stream in a huge sweep throughthe landscape, and divided into two portions the city of Bale, whichis situated on its banks. The southern part, to which the path of theSwiss deputies conducted them, displayed the celebrated cathedral, andthe lofty terrace which runs in front of it, and seemed to remind thetravellers that they now approached a country in which the operationsof man could make themselves distinguished even among the works ofnature, instead of being lost, as the fate of the most splendidefforts of human labour must have been, among those tremendousmountains which they had so lately traversed.

  They were yet a mile from the entrance of the city, when the party wasmet by one of the magistrates, attended by two or three citizensmounted on mules, the velvet housings of which expressed wealth andquality. They greeted the Landamman of Unterwalden and his party in arespectful manner, and the latter prepared themselves to hear, andmake a suitable reply to, the hospitable invitation which theynaturally expected to receive.

  The message of the community of Bale was, however, diametricallyopposite to what they had anticipated. It was delivered with a gooddeal of diffidence and hesitation by the functionary who met them, andwho certainly, while discharging his commission, did not appear toconsider it as the most respectable which he might have borne. Therewere many professions of the most profound and fraternal regard forthe cities of the Helvetian League, with whom the orator of Baledeclared his own state to be united in friendship and interests. Buthe ended by intimating, that, on account of certain cogent and weightyreasons, which should be satisfactorily explained at more leisure, theFree City of Bale could not, this evening, receive within its wallsthe highly respected deputies, who were travelling, at the command ofthe Helvetian Diet, to the court of the Duke of Burgundy.

  Philipson marked with much interest the effect which this mostunexpected intimation produced on the members of the embassage.Rudolph Donnerhugel, who had joined their company as they approachedBale, appeared less surprised than his associates, and, while heremained perfectly silent, seemed rather anxious to penetrate theirsentiments than disposed to express his own. It was not the first timethe sagacious merchant had observed that this bold and fiery youngman could, when his purposes required it, place a strong constraintupon the natural impetuosity of his temper. For the others, theBanneret's brow darkened; the face of the Burgess of Soleure becameflushed like the moon when rising in the north-west; the grey-beardedDeputy of Schwitz looked anxiously on Arnold Biederman; and theLandamman himself seemed more moved than was usual in a person of hisequanimity. At length he replied to the functionary of Bale, in avoice somewhat altered by his feelings:--

  "This is a singular message to the deputies of the Swiss Confederacy,bound as we are upon an amicable mission, on which depends theinterest of the good citizens of Bale, whom we have always treated asour good friends, and who still profess to be so. The shelter of theirroofs, the protection of their walls, the wonted intercourse ofhospitality, is what no friendly state hath a right to refuse to theinhabitants of another."

  "Nor is it with their will that the community of Bale refuse it,worthy Landamman," replied the magistrate. "Not you alone, and yourworthy associates, but your escort, and your very beasts of burden,should be entertained with all the kindness which the citizens of Balecould bestow--But we act under constraint."

  "And by whom exercised?" said the Banneret, bursting out into passion."Has the Emperor Sigismund profited so little by the example of hispredecessors"----

  "The Emperor," replied the delegate of Bale, interrupting theBanneret, "is a well-intentioned and peaceful monarch, as he has beenever; but----there are Burgundian troops, of late marched into theSundgaw, and messages have been sent to our state from Count Archibaldof Hagenbach."

  "Enough said," replied the Landamman. "Draw not farther the veil froma weakness for which you blush. I comprehend you entirely. Bale liestoo near the citadel of La Ferette to permit its citizens to consulttheir own inclinations. Brother, we see where your difficulty lies--wepity you--and we forgive your inhospitality."

  "Nay, but hear me to an end, worthy Landamman," answered themagistrate. "There is here in the vicinity an old hunting-seat of theCounts of Falkenstein, called Graffs-lust,[3] which, though ruinous,yet may afford better lodgings than the open air, and is capable ofsome defence--though Heaven forbid that any one should dare to intrudeupon your repose! And hark ye hither, my worthy friends;--if you findin the old place some refreshments, as wine, beer, and the like, usethem without scruple, for they are there for your accommodation."

  "I do not refuse to occupy a place of security," said the Landamman;"for although the causing us to be excluded from Bale may be only donein the spirit of petty insolence and malice, yet it may also, for whatwe can tell, be connected with some purpose of violence. Yourprovisions we thank you for; but we will not, with my consent, feed atthe cost of friends who are ashamed to own us unless by stealth."

  "One thing more, my worthy sir," said the official of Bale--"You havea maiden in company, who, I presume to think, is your daughter. Thereis but rough accommodation where you are going, even for men;--forwomen there is little better, though what we could we have done toarrange matters as well as may be. But rather let your daughter gowith us back to Bale, where my dame will be a mother to her, till nextmorning, when I will bring her to your camp in safety. We promised toshut our gates against the men of the Confederacy, but the women werenot mentioned."

  "You are subtle casuists, you men of Bale," answered the Landamman;"but know, that from the time in which the Helvetians sallied forth toencounter Caesar down to the present hour, the women of Switzerland, inthe press of danger, have had their abode in the camp of theirfathers, brothers, and husbands, and sought no further safety thanthey might find in the courage of their relations. We have enough ofmen to protect our women, and my niece shall remain with us, and takethe fate which Heaven may send us."

  "Adieu, then, worthy friend," said the magistrate of Bale; "it grievesme to part with you thus, but evil fate will have it so. Yonder grassyavenue will conduct you to the old hunting-seat, where Heaven sendthat you may pass a quiet night; for, apart from other risks, men saythat these ruins have no good name. Will you yet permit your niece,since such the young person is, to pass to Bale for the night in mycompany?"

  "If we are disturbed by beings like ourselves," said Arnold Biederman,"we have strong arms, and heavy partisans; if we should be visited, asyour words would imply, by those of a different description, we have,or should have, good consciences, and confidence in Heaven.--Goodfriends, my brethren on this embassy, have I spoken your sentiments aswell as mine own?"

  The other deputies intimated their assent to what their companion hadsaid, and the citizens of Bale took a courteous farewell of theirguests, endeavouring, by the excess of civility, to atone for theirdeficiency in effective hospitality. After their departure, Rudolphwas the first to express his sense of their pusillanimous behaviour,on which he had been silent during their presence. "Coward dogs!" hesaid; "may the Butcher of Burgundy flay the very skins from them withhis exactions, to teach them to disown old friendships, rather thanabide the lightest blast of a tyrant's anger!"

  "And not even their own tyrant either," said another of the group--forseveral of the young men had gathered round their seniors, to hear thewelcome which they expected from the magistrates of Bale.

  "No," replied Ernest, one of Arnold Biederman's sons, "they do notpretend that thei
r own prince the Emperor hath interfered with them;but a word of the Duke of Burgundy, which should be no more to themthan a breath of wind from the west, is sufficient to stir them tosuch brutal inhospitality. It were well to march to the city, andcompel them at the sword's point to give us shelter."

  A murmur of applause arose amongst the youth around, which awakenedthe displeasure of Arnold Biederman.

  "Did I hear," he said, "the tongue of a son of mine, or was it thatof a brutish Lanzknecht,[4] who has no pleasure but in battle orviolence? Where is the modesty of the youth of Switzerland, who werewont to wait the signal for action till it pleased the elders of thecanton to give it, and were as gentle as maidens till the voice oftheir patriarchs bade them be bold as lions?"

  "I meant no harm, father," said Ernest, abashed with this rebuke, "farless any slight towards you; but I must needs say"----

  "Say not a word, my son," replied Arnold, "but leave our campto-morrow by break of day; and, as thou takest thy way back toGeierstein, to which I command thine instant return, remember, that heis not fit to visit strange countries who cannot rule his tonguebefore his own countrymen, and to his own father."

  The Banneret of Berne, the Burgess of Soleure, even the long-beardedDeputy from Schwitz, endeavoured to intercede for the offender, andobtain a remission of his banishment; but it was in vain.

  "No, my good friends and brethren, no," replied Arnold. "These youngmen require an example; and though I am grieved in one sense that theoffence has chanced within my own family, yet I am pleased in anotherlight, that the delinquent should be one over whom I can exercise fullauthority, without suspicion of partiality.--Ernest, my son, thou hastheard my commands: Return to Geierstein with the morning's light, andlet me find thee an altered man when I return thither."

  The young Swiss, who was evidently much hurt and shocked at thispublic affront, placed one knee on the ground, and kissed hisfather's right hand, while Arnold, without the slightest sign ofanger, bestowed his blessing upon him; and Ernest, without a word ofremonstrance, fell into the rear of the party. The deputation thenproceeded down the avenue which had been pointed out to them, and atthe bottom of which arose the massy ruins of Graffs-lust; but therewas not enough of daylight remaining to discern their exact form. Theycould observe as they drew nearer, and as the night became darker,that three or four windows were lighted up, while the rest of thefront remained obscured in gloom. When they arrived at the place, theyperceived it was surrounded by a large and deep moat, the sullensurface of which reflected, though faintly, the glimmer of the lightswithin.

  FOOTNOTES:

  [3] Graffs-lust--_i. e._, Count's-delight.

  [4] A private soldier of the German infantry.