CCCCCCCC
(CC
48555
(CS
DD SD
LAL
CCCCCCCC
K
CCCCCCCC
18
CCCEERAN
KUL
Certe
HD.COM
(AGECREAK
CCCCCCES
ESC
(CCESO
DA
COLOROICE
GECA
(REERICCCC
CCCCC
SAD
LCE
ATGCTICE
(CEGO
CECER KELECIALIS
RECEO
DDDDDI
OCTARY
SCCCCCCE
COCOCCC
CCCCCCC
CCCCCCC
(CCCCC
TAGRACCE
SOCLES
CCCCCCCCCCCC
RECE
D
NCOUNCER
CSS
LKATALACE
GA
A
R
TAC8
(CLE
CCT
CEOCC
SICUMER
DD
TECEN
ELECGC
CCCCC
CCCCCCCC
पर


48555.188
Harvard College
Library

AVERT
FROM THE FUND OF
HARRIET J. G. DENNY
OF BOSTON








THE AMBER WITCH.





THE
A MBER WITCH:
The most interesting Trial for Witchcraft cver known.
EDITED FROM A DEFECTIVE MANUSCRIPT OF HER FATHER,
ABRAHAM SCHWEIDLER,
PASTOR OF COSE ROW, IN USEDOM.
BY
W. MEINHOLD,
DOCTOR OF DIVINITY, AND PASTOR, ETC.
" Ordinary minds make every thing in the trials of witchcraft
to be the work of imagination. But he who has read many such
trials finds that impossible."-JEAN PAUL.
TRANSLATED FROM TJIE GERMAN,
BY
E. A. FRI E DLÆNDER,
LONDON:
H. G. CLARKE AND CO., 66, OLD BAILEY
1844.


4855s.18.3
CARIVARD COLLEGE
FEB 2 1910
LIBRARY
Tulumtuled for Gofy love
Genne und)


PRE FACE.
In submitting to the public this deeply affecting and
very romantic trial of witchcraft, which in the fore-
going title-page, I have probably not unjustly called
“the most interesting hitherto known,” I offer in the
first place, the following account respecting the history
of the manuscript
In Coserow, upon the Island Usedom, in my former
parish and the same, over which upwards of two hun-
dred years ago our venerable author presided, there
was under the singers' seat of the parish church, and
almost level with the ground, a sort of niche or closet,
in this I had often seen a number of written papers ly-
ing about, which on account of my short-sightedness,
and the darkness of the place, I took for old hymn-
books. One day however, when engaged in instruct-
ing the children at the church, I was seeking for a


PREFACE.
paper-mark in the catechism of one of the boys, and
not being able to find it immediately, my old Sexton,
more than eighty years of age, (who was called Appel-
mann, but altogether unlike his namesake in our bio-
graphy, and although poor was yet a very excellent
man), went under the choir and returned with a folio
book, which I had never seen before, and out of which he
without any more ado, tore a strip of paper and handed
it to me. I immediately laid hold of the book, and I
cannot say whether after a few minutes I was more
astonished or provoked at the treasure I had found.
This manuscript bound in pig's-leather was not only
defective at the beginning and at the end, but, I am
sorry to say, there were also in the middle here and
there some leaves torn out. I gave the old man such
a sound talking to, as I had never done before; but
he excused himself by saying that one of my predeces-
sors had given him the manuscript for waste paper,
as it had been lying about since time immemorial, and
that he had often been at a loss for a little paper to
wrap round the altar tapers, etc. The gray headed
half-blind pastor must have taken it for old church.
accounts, which were of course no longer of any use.*
Scarcely arrived at home I set about deciphering
* In the original a few accounts in fact occur which at first
sight might very easily lead to this error, and the nandwriting


PREFACE.
vii.
my new found treasure, and after I had with much
difficulty read through the book, I was powerfully ex-
cited by the matters recorded therein.
I soon felt the want of more light respecting the
nature and circumstances of these trials for witchcraft,
and indeed respecting the whole period, in which such
proceedings took place. But the more I read of these
truly astonishing histories, the more I became lost in
amazement, and neither the trivial Beeker (Die bezau-
berte Welt, the enchanted world), nor the more cau-
tious Forst (Zauber-bibliothek; magic-library) and
other works of the kind to which I had referred, were
able to relieve my embarrassment but only served to in-
crease it.
There runs not merely so deep a demoniac feature
through most of these shuddering histories as fills the
attentive reader with horror and dismay; but even the
eternal and unchangeable laws which govern our feel.
ings and actions, are also frequently interrupted in such
a violent manner as to bring the understanding in the
proper sense of the word to a stand still; as for instance,
in one of the original trials, which a legal friend in our
province had picked up, the relation is found, that a
mother, after slie had already endured the rack, par-
moreover is very difficult to read, and in several parts turned
quite yellow and rotten.


viil.
PREFACE.
taken of the Sacrament, and was about mounting the
scaffold, so greatly set aside all maternal feeling, as to
feel herself in conscience bound to accuse her only
tenderly beloved daughter, a girl of fifteen years,
against whom nobody cherished any suspicion, of being
also a witch, in order, as she said, to save her poor
soul. The court justly astonished at this probably
unparallelled case, caused her state of health to be in-
vestigated by ministers and the physicians, whose
original testimonies are still found among the legal
documents, and report favourable throughout. The
unfortunate daughter who singularly enough was called
Wise Elizabeth Hegel, was in consequence of this ma-
ternal declaration really exccuted.
It is by no means sufficient to explain these pheno-
mena according to the notions of the most modern
times, as of the nature of animal magnetism. How, for
instance, would this account for the deep, demoniac
nature of old Lise Kolken, which is incomprehensible,
and renders it quite clear, that the old pastor in spite
of the horrible deception played upon him and his
daughter, remained as firm in his belief of the exist-
ence of witchcraft as in that of the gospel.
The earlier centuries of the middle age knew little or
• This trial likewise I intend yet to publish, because of its
uncommon psychological interest.


PREPACE.
nothing of witches. The crime of witchery where once
it occurred was punished with lenity. Thus, for in-
stance, the council of Ancyra (314) made the whole
punishment of those women to consist in mere excom-
munication from Christian fellowship; the West-Gothas
punished them with scourging, and Charles the Great,
on the advice of his bishops, caused them to be kept
in prison until they did sincere penance. Only a short
time before the reformation, Ignatius VIII. laments
that the complaints of all Christendom about the
nuisance of these women were becoming so generally
clamorous, and to such a degree, that some most
decided step must be taken against them; and at the
end of 1489, he caused the most notorious Witch-
hammer (malleus malleficarum) to be prepared, ac-
cording to which inquisition was made not only in all
Catholic, but especially also in Protestant Christendom,
which in all respects abominated everything savouring
of Catholicism; and, in fact, with such fanatic zeal
that the Protestants far outrivalled the Catholics in
cruelty, until on the part of the Catholics, the noble
Jesuit, J. Spee, and on that of the Protestants, although
not until seventy years later, the excellent Thomasius,
gradually put a check to this nuisance.
* Horst's Zauberbibliothek,


PREFACE.
Alter a close investigation of the subject of witch-
craft, I soon perceived, that among all these somewhat
daring, adventurous histories, not one would excel
in lively interest my “ Amber-Witch," and I deter-
mined to throw its fates into the form of a novel.
Luckily, however, I soon said to myself: “Why should
I do so? Is not the history itself the most interesting
novel ? Leave it perfectly in its original form ;
throw out what to the present reader no longer is of
any interest, or is otherwise generally known, and
though indeed you may not be able to restore the
missing commencement and the missing end, see if the
context will render it possible for you to supply the
missing leaves from the middle, and then go on in the
same strain and language of your ancient biographer, so
that at least the difference of the representation and
the insertions made do not immediately strike
the eye.
This, then, with much trouble, and after many fruit-
less attempts, I have done, but silently pass over the
places in which the scenes have taken place, in order
not to cloud the interest of the greatest number of
my readers. For to criticism, which, however, has
never attained to a more admirable height than in our
time, such a confession would here be perfectly super.
fluous, since without this it will very easily distinguish


PREFACE.
where Pastor Schweidler and where Pastor Meinhold
is the speaker.
Of that, however, which I have omitted, I owe the
public a more particular notice. To these pertain :
1. Long prayers, in as much as they were not dis-
tinguished by Christian unction.
2. Generally known histories of the thirty years war.
3. Miraculous signs in the clouds, said to have hap-
pened here and there, and which other writers of
Pomerania on this age of terror also report; as, for in-
stance, Micraelius; † such statements, however, as
stood in connection with the whole ; for instance, the
cross upon the Streckelberg, and, therefore, I have of
course let them remain.
4. The specification of the whole income of the
church of Coserow before and during the reign of
terror of the thirty years war.
5. The account of the number of dwellings which
after the devastation of the enemy had remained stand-
ing in every village belonging to the parish.
6. The statement of the places whither this or that
member of the church had emigrated.
* There were already preliminary specimens in the Christo.
terpe, 1841 and 1842.
+ Of ancient Pomerania.


xii.
PREFACE.
7. A ground plan and a description of the old par-
sonage, etc.
In the language, too, I have taken the liberty of here
and there making a few alterations, my author himself
not being very consistent in language and ortho-
graphy. The latter I have retained, with but few ex-
ceptions.
And now I submit to the gentle reader this work,
glowing with the fire of heaven and of hell.
Meinhold.


THE AMBER WITCH.
INTRODUCTION.
The descent of our biographer cannot, on account of
the beginning of his work being lost, be any longer
determined with accuracy. At all events, he appears
not to have been a Pomeranian; for at one time he
speaks of Silesia, where he had been in his youth ;
then he mentions far-dispersed relatives, not only in
Hamburg and Cologne, but even in Antwerp, and
betrays principally by his Southern German language
his foreign origin. I have remarked especially the
expressions, such as eim for einem ; and the peculiar
derivation of many adjectives, viz.: tanein from
Tanne ; seidin from Seide ; a kind of dialect, which,
as far as I know, has never been used in Pome-
rania, but rather in Swabia. Yet at the period of
the composition of his work, he must have already
lived a long time in Pomerania, because he still more
frequently intermixes low German expressions, (platt
deutsche) in every respect, just as native Pomeranian
writers of that time were wont to do.
As, according to his own statements on various oc-
casions, he is of ancient and noble descent, it is pro-
bable that some further particulars may be found in
the records of the nobles of the seventeenth century,
respecting the family of the Schweidlers, and conse-


14
THE AMBER WITCH.
quently also respecting his probable fatherland; but I
have searched in vain among all the sources accessible
to me, for that name, and should therefore conjecture that
our author, as has so frequently been done, has put off his
title and changed his name on his becoming a pastor.
But enough, I will not here venture on further conjec-
tures. Qui manuscript, in which the large number of
six chapters are wanting, and which on the immediate
foregoing leaves indisputably comprehended the out-
break of the thirty years' war on the island Usedom,
begins with the words : “ Imperials (soldiers) quartered
at my house," and then proceeds as follows:
* Trunks, drawers, cupboards, were
altogether broken open and knocked to pieces; my
priest-gown was torn to atoms, so that I was in the
greatest distress and tribulation. Howbeit they had not
found my poor little daughter, for as much as I had
hidden her in a stable where it was dark, or else I
fear they would have inflicted on me still more sorrow
of heart. These scabby dogs wanted already to begin
with old Ilse, a woman nearly fifty years of age, had
not an old cornet bidden them to let her alone.
I therefore thanked my Maker when these wild guests
were off, that I at least had saved my poor child from
their clutches, although not a particle of flour, nor the
smallest grain of corn, nor a bit of meat the length of
a finger was left; and I wot not how to keep myself
and my poor child alive. Item, thanked God that I had
hidden the vasa sacra, which, with my two church-
wardens-Henrich Seden and Clans Bulken, of Usteritz
-I had hidden in the church in front of the altar,
committing them to God's care. But, as aforesaid, I


THE AMBER WITCH.
15
suffered bitter hunger, so wrote I to his worship the
chief-justice of the district, Wittich von Appelmann,
of Pudgla,* that for the sake of God and his holy
gospel he would, in such my heavy need and tribula-
tion, grant me what His grace the Prince Philippus
Julius, had laid by for me out of the prestanda of the
Convent of Pudgla; to wit, 30 bushels of barley and
25 marks of silver, but which his worship had tarried
to pay me even until now. (For he was a very hard
and inhuman man, inasmuch as he despised the holy
gospel and the preaching of the word, and openly and
without shame made a mock of the servants of God,
saying, that they were unprofitable gormandizers, and
that Luther had but half purged away the hogsties of
the churches.-May God make it better !)-But he
answered me not, and I should have sheer perished if
Henrich Seden had not made intercession for me to the
parish. God reward the honest fellow in eternity!
He was the while already getting old, and was sorely
tormented by his wicked wife, Lise Kolken. It be-
thought me when I married them, that it would not
go over well with them, seeing that by common report
she had lived in unchastity with Wittich Appelmann,
who ever was a notorious arch deceiver, and above all
a terrible monger, for such the Lord never blesses.
The same Seden brought me five loaves, two sausages,
and a goose, of which the good wife of Loddin had
made him a present; item, a side of bacon from llans
Tewert the farmer. The good man must, however,
take care not to let his wife know, who wanted to keep
* A castle in Usedom, formeriy a famous convent.


16
THE AMBER WITCH.
half for herself, and when he refused it, cursed him
and wished him a racking head-ache,* whereat he
immediately felt a swelling in the right cheek which
grew thereafter very hard and troublesome. At such
terrible tidings I waxed wroth, as becometh a good
pastor, and asked him, whether peradventure he
thought she had any wicked fellowship with that
abominable Satan, and was a witch? But he was silent
and shrugged up his shoulders. I bade him therefore
call old Lise, who was a tall meagre hag about sixty
years old, with glowing eyes, which never could look
anybody straight in the face, item, with red hair such
as her old man had also. But although I admonished
her diligently out of God's word, yet she let not her
voice be heard, and when firmly I said: “Wilt thou
unbewitch thy old fellow (for I saw him in the street
through the window raving already like a madman) or
wilt thou that I inform of thee to the magistracy,” she at
last gave in and promised that he should soon be
better ; (and so indeed he was,) item, she besought that
I would let her have a little bacon and bread, since she
for three days had had nothing between her teeth
save her tongue. Accordingly my dear daughter gave
her half a loaf and a piece of bacon of about two
hands breadth; but this she did not consider enough, but
muttered between her teeth, whereupon my little
daughter said; “ If thou a’nt content, thou old witch,
(sack), then be off and look first after thy old man;
look how he has laid his head over Zabel's fence and
is kicking his legs about with very pain!" ....
Whereupon she went away, but again muttering between
her teeth ; “ Yes, I will look after him and you too!".
* In the original Kopf-yicht literally signifies head-gout.


12
CHAPTER VIS.
How the Imperialists robbed me of everything ; item, broke
into the church, and took the vasa sacra; also what other
things happened.
After a few days when our provision was almost con-
sumed, my last cow also perished, (the others, the
wolves as above said, had already devoured), not with-
out particular suspicion that Lise had done something
to her, seeing that she had eaten bravely the day be-
fore. But I will let that pass as it liketh me not to
backbite anybody; it might also have happened
through the visitation of the righteous God, whose
anger I have doubtless deserved - Summa: I was again
in great tribulation, and my little daughter Maria rent
my heart yet more by her sighing and groaning, when
a shout was raised that again a troop of Imperialists
had come to Uekeritze, and had been marauding yet
more terribly than the first, and hadalso set half the vil-
lage on fire. Wherefore I thought me no longer safe in my
hut; but after I had commended everything to the Lord
in fervent prayer, I rose and went with my little daughter
and old Ilse into the Streckelberg*, where I had sought
us out a hole, like unto a cave, and overgrown with
bramble bushes, where we might take refuge if perse-
cution should drive us away. We, therefore, took with
us whatever remained to us of the necessaries of life,
and ran with lamentation and weeping into the wood,
• A considerable mountain situated at the sea side neas Coserow.


THE AMBER WITCH.
whither, however, the old men and women-folk with
their children, followed us, raising the while a great
cry of starvation. For seeing that my little daughter
sat down upon a stump, and eat a piece of meat and
bread, therefore the little worms came running with
their outstretched little hands, and screaming : “ Me
have some too, me have some too !" Wherefore since
such great sorrow justly grieved me, I restrained not
my little daughter from dividing all the bread and
meat which was left among the hungry little children.
But first made them pray: “The eyes of all wait upon
thee,” etc.*, on which words I then delivered a com-
forting address to the people, that the Lord who had
now fed their little ones would also know how to fill
their own bellies, if they would only not become weary
of trusting in Him.
But such consolation endured not long. For after
we had encamped in and around the cave near upon
two hours, the bells in the village began to toll so dole-
fully that it almost broke every one's heart, seeing also
the while a loud sound of shooting was heard; a scream-
ing of people, and barking of dogs, so that we readily
concluded that the enemy was in the midst of the
village. I had, therefore, enough to do to quiet the
women, that they might not by their thoughtless
lamentations and wailings betray our hiding-place to
the furious enemy, especially as it began to smell
smoky, and soon after the bright flame glimmered
through the trees. Wherefore I sent old Paasch up to
the mountain, that he should see how matters stood,
but to take good cure that they did not spy him out in
ile Psalm cxlv., 15. 10.


THE AMBER WITCH.
19
the village, seeing that it only began to glimmer.
The same he promised, and soon came back with the
tidings, that about twenty troopers had been gallopping
out of the village against Damerow, but that half of
the village was in red flames. He said that by the
rare providence of God, very many birds had made
their appearance in the juniper bushes and elsewhere,
and he thought if they could only be caught that they
would yield excellent food for us. Then I ascended upon
the mountain myself, and after I had found everything
thus, likewise perceived that through the help of the
merciful God the fire in the village had abated; that my
little hut also, contrary to my desert and worthiness, was
yet standing. I thenceforth descended,comforted the peo-
ple, and said: “The Lord hath given us a sign, and will
feed us, as aforetime he fed the children of Israel in the
wilderness : for he has sent us an excellent flock of
fieldfares over the desolate sea, which twitter forth out
of every bush, as one goes near to it. Who among
you will now run into the village and cut off the hair
from the mane and the tail of my perished cow, which
lies behind in the cow-house ?” (For horse-- hair there
was none in the whole village, forasmuch as all the horses
had already long since been taken or killed by the
enemy.) But there was nobody to be found ; seeing
that their fear was still greater than their hunger,
when my old Ilse lifted up her voice and said: “ Then
I will go; for I fear not, while I am in God's ways;
only give me a good staff.” Now when old Paasch
had reached to her his staff, she began to sing to her-
self: “God the father us do help !" and soon ran into
the wood out of our sight. In the meantime I ex-
horted the folk to begin the work by cutting little


20
THE AMBER WITCH.
rods for the springes and to gather berries, while it was
moonlight, and there were a great many elder and
ash trees upon the mountain. But I and my Maria
watched over the little children, while the country was
not safe for fear of wolves. Wherefore we made a
brisk fire, around which we seated ourselves and ex-
amined the little folk in the ten commandments, when,
lo, we heard a creaking and a crackling behind
us, and my little daughter jumped up and ran into the
cave with the words: proh dolor, hostis !* But it hap-
pened to be only the expeditious churl that remained
in the village, and now came to bring us tidings of the
state of things there. Wherefore I immediately called
to her: emergas, amici ! + whereupon she also jumped
forth again with great joy, and sat herself down by us
near the fire. Then began my church-warden, Henrich
Seden, to recount what had happened meanwhile, and
how he had saved his life solely through his wife, Lise
Kolken. Jurgen Flatow, Chim Burse, Claas Peer, and
Chim Seideritz, however had been slain, and the last
of them lay right across the church font. These
ferocious incendiaries had reduced to ashes twelve
houses, and it would not have been their fault that
the whole village was not consumed; the wind was not
favourable to them. Furthermore, for derision and
mockery they even had tolled the bells, and when he
and the three other young fellows had come rushing
forth they had fired off their muskets at them, but
with the help of the great God had hit nobody. There-
* Oh, what a calamity, the enemy is at hand!-Respecting the
wonderful training of the girl, our author explains himself in
the subsequent part of his history.
Don't be afraid-come forth again--they are friends!


THE AMBER WITCH.
21
upon his companions had jumped over the fence, but
him they bad caught, and already levelled a blunder-
buss at him, when his wife, Lise Kolken, had stepped
forth out of the church with another troop, and beckoned
to them so that he was let alone. Lene Hebers, how-
erer, had they stabbed in her child-bed, speared the
little babe, and thrown it over Claas Peer's wall among
the nettles, where it was as yet lying, when they ran
away. Whence there was now in all the village not a
living soul, and what was more grievous still, not a
morsel of bread, so that if the Lord had not compas-
sion of their distress, they would all have to perish
miserably with hunger.
(Well, did ever any body hear the like--and be those
Christian-men!)
I now asked, when he was silent (not, however,
without much groaning and lamenting, as one may
easily guess) about my hut, of which albeit they
knew nothing, except that it was standing; therefore
I thanked the Lord, groaning in spirit, and forthwith
asking old Seden what his wife had done in the church.
I was ready to perish with great trouble, when I heard
that the knaves, as they walked out, had carried away
both the cups, together with the patins in their hands.
Wherefore I spoke very wrathfully to old Lise, who
now came sneaking along through the bushes, but
whereupon she frowardly answered, that the foreign
folk had constrained her to unlock the church, since
her old fellow (husband) had verily crept behind
the wall and nobody else had been there. The
same had forthwith trodden before the altar, and as a
stone had not well been fitted together (the which,
however, was an arch lie) they then began to dig with


22
THE AMBER witch
their swords, until they found the cups and the patins.
Peradventure some other body bad betrayed the spot
to them. Therefore I ought not always to impute the
trespass to her and snarl at her so violently,
Meanwhile came also the old men and women with
very many berries ;-item, my old maid with the cowtail
and the mane, who told that the whole house had been
ransacked, the windows all broken to pieces, the books
and writings thrown into the street and trampled in the
dirt, and the door lifted off the hinges. These things,
however, were a less trouble to my mind than the cups,
wherefore I only exhorted the folk to make bows and
snares, in order that we might the next morning with
the merciful God's help perform our hunting-work.
Therefore I clave the rods myself till midnight, and
when we had prepared a goodly number, I bade old
Henrich Seden to offer up the evening prayers, to
which we all gave ear, kneeling upon our knees; where-
upon I finally offered up another prayer, and then ex-
horted the folk to shelter themselves, the men apart,
and the women likewise apart, from the cold, (for it
was already in the month of September, and was blow-
ing very keenly from the sea-coast) among the bushes.
I myself, however, went with my little daughter and
the maid into the cave, but had not slumbered long
before I heard old Seden whining very sorely,
having been seized by the cholic, as he complained. I
therefore rose up again and gave him my place, and
seated myself again near the fire and cut springes, till I
fell asleep for half an hour, and the morning dawned,
whereupon he had become better, and I now forth with
got up and roused the folk to meet together for the
morning worship. This time old Paasch offered up


THE AMBER WITCH.
23
the prayer, but could not rightly get into the spirit of
it, wherefore I was obliged to help him out. Whether
he had forgotten it, or it arose from fear, I will not say.
Summa: after weall had prayed right heartily, we rose up,
and forthwith went to our work; I knocked the springes
into the trees, and hung them over with berries, whilst
my dear daughter was watching over the children and
gathering bramble-berries for their breakfast. But
now should it be known, that we beat our way right
across the bush on the way going to Uekeritze, and
there (observe again the marvellous gracious provi-
dence of the merciful God.) For, when I with the
hatchet in my hand, (it was Seden his batchet that he
had fetched early out of the village,) trod upon the
aforesaid way, I perceived upon the earth a loaf, about
the length of my arm, whereat a raven was pecking,
and which, without doubt, an imperial trooper had the
day before lost out of his knapsack, for there were yet
fresh horse prints by it in the sand. I buttoned it
therefore privily under my waist, so that nobody
could mark anything, albeit as aforesaid Paasch strode
close behind me; item, all the rest following him at not
a very great distance. When we had thus set the snares
very early in the morning, there were already towards
the blessed dinner-time so great a number of birds in
them, that Kate Berow, who strode by the side of me,
when I loosened them, could not hold them all in her
apron, and at the other end old Pagels drew forth not
many less from his side and coat pockets. My little
daughter sat down therefore with the other women-
folk to pluck the birds, and as there was a lack of salt,
(for the most of us had not tasted any for a long time),
she exhorted a couple of men to go towards the sea,


21
THE AMBER WITCII.
and in an iron pot which had yet been hidden by
Staffer Zuter, to fetch a little salt water, which accord.
ingly they did. In this water then we now dipped the
little birds, and thereafter roasted them by a large fire,
whereby already from the sweet savour all our mouths
began to water, as we had not tasted any food for so
long a time.
Quoth I then, when all was ready, and the people were
all seated on the ground: “ Behold, now, how the Lord
yet feedeth his people Israel in the wilderness with
fresh quails; should he even do more, and send us also
a little bit of manna bread from heaven ; what think
ye? Would ye ever be weary in believing, and not •
the rather be willing to endure all manner of distress
and tribulation, thirst and hunger, that he may here-
after lay upon you according to his gracious will ?
Whereupon they all answered and said; “ Yea,
verily.” Ego: “Will ye faithfully promise me this?”
Whereupon they again said : " Yea, that will we!”
Then drew I forth with tears the bread from my
pocket, lifted it up on high, and cried : “ Now see,
thou poor believing little Rock, what sweet manna
bread thy faithful Redeemer has sent thee by me."
Whereat they all shrieked out, groaned, and wept ; and
the little children, too, came jumping up, and stretched
out their little hands, crying: “Me bread, me bread!"
But when I for trouble of mind could not pray myself,
I bade Paasch's little girl say the gratias, the while
my Maria cut up the loaf and gave every one his por-
tion. And now we all joyously sat down to the bles-
sed God's meal in the wilderness.
Meanwhile I was constrained, that I should here
recount the manner in which I found the precious


THE AMBER WITCH.
25
manna bread, whereby I did not neglect to exhort them
again, that they would ponder in their hearts on the
great miraculous sign, which the merciful God hath
done to them as he did in the days of his servant the
prophet Elijah of old, seeing that in the great famine a
raven brought him bread in the wilderness, likewise
hath the Lord sent me this bread by a raven, so that
it should come to pass that I should find it, for had not .
the Lord opened mine eyes, I should have passed by it
and never seen it by the way.
As we had finally filled our stomachs with the neces-
sary food, I held forth a thanksgiving sermon on Luke
xii. v. 24, where the Lord speaks: “consider the
ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither
have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them; how
much more are ye better than the fowls ?” But our
sins rose as a loathsome savour before the Lord. For
as that old Lise, as I soon found out, had not eaten her
birds, because they were not savoury enough for her,
but had thrown the same into the juniper-bushes, his
wrath waxed sore against us, as against the children
of Israel of old ; and at night we had only seven birds
in our snares, and the morrow only twain, also no
raven came again to show us any bread. Wherefore
rebuked I old Lise, and admonished the people to take
upon them patiently the righteous chastisement of the
Most High God, and to pray diligently and fervently
that he would return into his forsaken tabernacles, and
to see if haply the heart-blessed God would vouchsafe
more unto them upon the sea. I also would call upon
him in my prayer day and night; albeit I tarried yet
awhile with my little daughter and the maid in the cave
and watched the springes, if haply his wrath might


THE AMBER WITCH.
be turned away. Meanwhile they were to make ready
my parsonage again with all diligence, so that I might
soon be able to remove thither again, seeing that the
cold troubled me sorely. Such they also vowed to do
and departed thence with lamentation. What a little
flock !--found only yet twenty-five heads, whereas there
had been formerly above eighty: all the rest had perished
by hunger, the sword and the pestilence.* I tarried
therefore yet in prayer before God for a time, lonely
and dreary in the cave, and only sent my little daughter
and the maid to the village, that they should look about
and see how things stand in the parsonage ;--item, to
gather up again the writings and books, and also to
bring me tidings whether Hinze, the carpenter, whom
I sent back forthwith into the village, had nailed up
the coffins for the poor carcasses, that I might bury
them the next day. Thereupon went I to the springes,
but there seemed only one single bird in them, where-
from I then marked that the wrath of God was not yet
overpast. I met, however, with a goodly bramble-ber..
ry..bush, wherefrom I plucked about a Metzet of ber-
ries, put them with the bird into Staffer Zuter's iron
pot, which the good fellow had yet left with us, and set
them upon a fire for our supper, when my child would
come back with the maid. It was not long before they
broke through the bush and recounted of the abomi-
nation of the desolation which Satan with permission
* Which took place in the year 1628, and increased the misery
of the thirty years' war on the island here in the most intolerable
manner. Pity that the description of the venerable pastor,
which he had no doubt given in the foregoing pages, is lost.
** The sixteenth part of a German bushel.


THE AMBER WITCH.
27
of the righteous God had wrought in the village and
the parsonage. My little daughter had yet gathered
up a few books which she carried with her, among
others a Virgilium and a Greek Bible. And when
thereupon she said that the carpenter would not be
ready till the morrow, as soon as we had satisfied our
craving appetite I made her read to me once more for
the strengthening of my faith, the locum of the blessed
ravens, Luke c. xii. from the Greek ;--item, the fine lo-
cum parallelum Matt. c. vi. whereupon the maid offered
up the evening prayers, and we betook ourselves to the
cave to rest for the night. As on the morrow I awoke
just when the blessed sun broke forth from the sea and
looked over the mountain, I heard that my poor hungry
little daughter stood already before the cave and re-
cited the sweet little song of the joys of paradise,which
St. Augustinus had written and I had taught her*. She
sobbed woefully as she spake those words:
“ Uno pane vivunt dives utriusque patriæ
avidi et semper pleni, quod habent, desiderant
non sacietas fastidit, neque fames cruciat
inhiantes semper edunt, et edentes inhiant
flos perpetuus rosarum ver agit perpetuum,
Candent lilia rubescit crocus, sudat balsamum,
virent prata, vernant sata, rivi mellis influunt
pigmentorum spirat odor liquor et aromatum,
pendent poma floridorum non lap sura nemorum
non alternat luna vices, sol vel cursus syderum
agnus est fælicis urbis lumen inocciduum."
At these words I myself became deeply moved, and
* This is an error. The following song is composed by the
Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia, Peter Damianus (23rd Feb. 1072) after
the prose version of St. Augustin,


28
THE AMBER WITCH.
when she was silent I asked: “What art thou doing
there, my dear daughter ?” whereupon she answered:
“I am eating, father," which then drew forth my tears
the more earnestly, so that I began to praise her for
what she would feed her poor soul, seeing that she
could not do so to her poor body. I had, however,
not spoken much, when she cried aloud that I should
but come and behold the great marvellous work which
was arising out of the sea, and was breaking in already
upon the cave. For lo! a cloud formed quite like a
cross, came over us, and let thick heavy drops of the
size of a large pea and more fall down upon us, where-
upon it forthwith sank behind the hedge. Wherefore
I immediately rose up and ran with my dear daughter
speedily up the mountain to look after it. It moved
towards the Achter-water,* where it widely parted,
and forthwith formed thitherwards a great blue streak,
which the sun wondrously shone upon, so that it
almost was to look upon“ like a golden bridge," as my
little daughter said, "whereon the blessed angels dan-
ced.” Whence I instantly fell upon my knees with her
and praised the Lord that our cross had overpast; but,
ah! our cross was only just going to commence, as we
shall read further.
* A gulf, which the river Peene forms near there.


29
CHAPTER VIII.
How our distress becomes yet greater; I send old Ilse
with another epistle toward Pudgla ; and what greater
sorrow yet ariseth to me therefrom.
As I the next day with the common outcry of the
whole village buried the miserable carcasses--(mark,
there, where the linden* shades over the wall, are they
all buried.) I heard with many groanings that neither
the sea nor the Achter-water would yield anything.
This lasted about ten days, the poor people could not
catch sight of even a fish's eye. I went therefore into
the field and meditated how the anger of the righteous
God might be turned away from us; while that the
sharp winter was at the door, and neither corn, fish,
fruit, nor meat was any longer to be found, neither in
the village nor in the whole parish. Albeit of venison
there was sufficient in the forests of Coserow and Ue-
keritze; but the old forester Zabel Nehring had died
last year of the pestilence, and there was no new one
there yet. Moreover there was not to be found in all
the parish a single musket or any powder, for the ene-
my had plundered and broken every thing. Wherefore
we were constrained to see every day, how the stags,
roes, hares, boars, etc. were jumping past us, while we
had liev had them in our stomachs, but in our help-
lessness were not able to get them ; neither would they
* Now no longer in existence.


THE AMBER Witch.
let themselves be taken in pits. Albeit, Claus Peer
had caught å roe in one, and honoured me with
a piece of it, for which may God reward him. Item,
of tame beasts there was almost nothing at all left in
the parish, neither a dog, nor a cat, which the people
in the sore famine had in part eaten, but in part also
long before killed or drowned. Old farmer Paasch,
however, had yet two cows,-item, another old man in
Uekeritze was said to have had a little pig, which was
all. Wherefore all the folk almost lived on bramble and
other wood-berries, which, however, also began to be-
come scarce, as one may easily guess. Also a boy
about fourteen years old (old Labahn's boy) had lost
himself, and never anything was again heard of him, so
that I am almcst afraid that the wolves have devoured
him.
Herefrom a Christian heart may judge for itself, in
what sorrow and tribulation I had taken my staff, see-
ing that my little daughter wasted away to a shadow for
very hunger ; albeit, I myself, as an old corpus, through
the grace of the merciful God, did not yet feel any par-
ticular diminution of my strength. The while I thus
went in constant groaning to the Lord, perceived I on
the way toward Uekeritze, which I had taken, a beggar;
the same sat with his knapsack upon a stone eating a
small piece of rare God's gift, that is to say, a small piece
of bread. Ah, me then, poor man, my cheeks ran so
full of water, that I was constrained to stoop first, and
let it run down to the ground before I could ask: “Who
art thou ? and whence comest thou, that thou hast
bread ?” whereupon he answered: “that he was a
poor man, from Bannemin, from whom the enemy had
taken everything, and as he got to know that the


THE AMBER WITCH.
31
Lieper corner had had peace for a long time, he had
set out to go and beg there.”—“ Then!” said I; “ thou
poor beggar-man, give to an afflicted servant of Christ,
who is poorer than thou, only a small cut of bread for
his little daughter, for thou shouldst know that I am
the parson of the village here, and my child is ready
to die of hunger. I adjure thee by the living God
that thou wilt not let me go except thou hast compas-
sion on me as thou hast had compassion shown unto
thee.” But the beggar-man would not give me any
thing, whilst he spake: “thai he himself had a wife
and four children that were in like manner tottering to
a bitter death by hunger, seeing the distress is yet
much greater in Bannemin than here, where we had
berries at least; and if I had not heard that a few days
ago a woman there (calling her also by name, but the
which, stricken with horror, I did not then regard, had
killed her own child, and devoured it for hunger ?*
Wherefore He could not help me, and said I had better
go myself to the Lieper angle.”
I shuddered at this speech, as may easily be ima-
gined, not having heard any thing thereof in our
misery; also there being little or no moving to and
fro from one village to another, and remembering
Jerusalem,** and almost despairing lest the Lord
was visiting us as he did of old this godless city ;
albeit, we had neither betrayed nor crucified him, I
almost forgat my misery and set down my staff in order
to go onward. But scarcely had I gone a few yards,
when lo, the beggar-man called after me, that I should
* This revolting occurrence is also mentioned loy Micraelius in
his History of Pomerania.
** Where according to Josephus the same occurred.


32
THE AMBER WITCH.
stay. Wherefore I turned me round again, when he came
up towards me with a good cut of bread, the which he
had fetched out of his wallet and spake: “There ! for
this pray also for me that I may get home safe, for were
any of them to get to know anywise that I had some
bread, even my own brother would slay me, that you may
believe.” The same I promised joyfully, and speedily
turned round in order to bring to my dear daughter
the holy Christ,* the which I had hidden in my pocket.
But lo, as I came on the way as thou goest to Loddin
(in my trouble I had not seen it before), I could hardly
trust mine own eyes, when I there saw my field, circa
seven bushels large, ready plowed, harrowed, sown
and formed into blades; so that the blessed rye-seed
was already shot up delightfully a finger's length. I
could not believe otherwise than that the very Satan
had thereby been beguiling me; albeit how much
soever I rubbed my eyesmit was rye and rye it re-
mained. And while old Paasch's piece of land which
bordered so near to it, was sown in like manner, and
the little blades were shooting up to the like height as
mine, I could very readily judge therefrom, that the
good fellow had done it, seeing that the other pieces
were altogether lying waste. Wherefore I forgive him
gladly for not knowing how to offer up the morning
prayer, and thanking the Lord for so much love among
my parish flock, and fervently supplicating him;
“that he would vouchsafe me strength and faith
thenceforth to continue among them without weariness
even to the end, and willingly to endure all the afflic.
tions and tribulations which according to his heart-
* A term used among children in Germany for Christmas box.


THE AMBER WITCH.
33
gracious will, he may further please to lay upon us, I
ran rather than walked back to the village, and in
old Paasch's court, where I found him cutting up his
cow, the which for grim hunger he had now also
slaughtered. “God bless thee!” said I, “ thou godly
man, in that thou hast husbanded my field! How
am I to reward thee forit ?" But the old man answered,
“never heed that, only pray for us!" And when I
gladly promised the same, and asked him; “how
he had hidden his corn from the destroying enemy,"
he recounted to me; that he had privily put it in the
cave in the Streckelberg, but that now also all his store
was consumed. In the meantime he also cut a goodly
piece of meat, the best part out of the loin, and spake:
“There is something for thee too, and when that is
eaten, thou canst come again.” When I was now going
away with much thankfulness, his little Marie laid
hold of me by the hand, a little child circa seven years,
that had prayed the Gratias in the Streckelberg and
would go to my daughter to school. The while there
as aforesaid my custos in the time of the pestilence had
also blessed these temporal things, she was constrained
to instruct the few little children in the village, the which
however, had been neglected very long. I would not
for this reason forbid her do so, albeit I the while feared
that my dear daughter would divide the bread with
her, seeing that she greatly loved the little damsel, as
she was her god-child. And so verily it came to pass.
For as the child saw, that I reached forth the bread she
shouted at that moment for joy, and began to jump
upon the bench. Wherefore she received part of the
cut, our maid another part, and the third part my little
daughter put into her mouth, as I would not have


34
THE AMBER WITCH.
anything, but said: “I feel no hunger and would wait
until she had cooked the meat” which I now threw
upon the bench. Then should one have seen what joy
my poor child felt; moreover when I told her also of the
rye she fell upon my neck, wept, sobbed, then lifted up
the little damsel in her arms, danced with her in the
room, and thereupon recited after her wise all manner
of Latin versus which she knew. Now would she verily
make ready a right goodly supper, as in a meat-cask
that the Imperials had broken, a little salt clave yet to
the bottom. Wherefore I let her go on in her own
wise, and scraped a little soot from out the chimney the
which I mingled with water, then rent a very white
leaf out of the Virgilio, and wrote to the pastorem Lie-
pensem, Rev. Abraham Tiburtius : “ Thąt for God's
sake he would take to heart our distress, and exhort
bis parishioners to save us from the cruel death of
hunger, and charitably send us some food and drink,
which the heart-gracious God had saved for them,
seeing that a beggar-man has recounted to me that they
had had peace for a long time from the terrible enemy,
but I wot not wherewith to seal the letter, when lo! in the
church I found a little wax by one of the wooden altar
candle-sticks, the which the Imperials did not think
worthy to take up, and only carried away with them
the brass candlesticks. With this letter three churls
and the warden Henrich Seden had to get into a boat
and set forth to Liepe.
But before that I communed with my old Ilse, the
same being born in Liepe if she would not rather go
along with them to her own home, forasmuch as she
saw how we were placed, and that I could not yet
awhile give her a mite of wages. (Mark: she had


THE AMBER WITCH.
35
saved together a goodly little sum, seeing that she had
been more than twenty years with me in service, but
the war-folk had taken everything from her.) But I
could not prevail upon her, but she wept bitterly and
entreated that I should only let her stay with the good
young mistress that she had known from her very
cradle. She would willingly hunger with us, if needs
be, would I only not thrust her out. Wherefore I let
her abide with us, and the others went forth alone.
In the mean time the soup was ready. But hardly had we
prayed the gratias and wanted to take something, when
lo! all the little children out of the village circa, seven
in number, came in at the door and would have the
bread whereof they had heard from my daughter's
little god-child. Then her heart melted again, and
though I prayed her to harden herself, she nevertheless
comforted me with the Lieper message, and poured out
to each little child her portion of soup upon a wooden
platter (for these the enemy regarded not) and put also
a bit of meat in their little hands so that our provision
was consumed at once. Wherefore we remained fasting
till the morrow noon, when the whole village assembled
in the field by the sea-shore, at which time the boat
came back. But, God have mercy upon us !-our
hopes were quite in vain ! — only six loaves and
a sheep-item, a quartern of baking-apples was all that
they had. For Rev. Abraham Tiburtius wrote to me
after the rumour of their wealth had spread over the
whole island, so many beggar-folk had run about among
them that they could not possibly do justice to them,
seeing that they themselves wot not how it would go
with them in the end in this troublesome time. Albeit
he would see, if happily he might raise yet more.


THE AMBER WITCH.
Then I bade them carry the little provision into the
parochial ground, and although two loaves, as Pastor
Liepensis wrote, should be for me alone, nevertheless I
gave them along with the division, wherewith also all
were perfectly satisfied, excepting old Seden's gloar-
eyed wife, who wanted something besides for her hus-
band's journey, which, however, as may readily be
imagined, was not done; wherefore she again, as she
went away, mumbled a few words between her teeth,
but the which nobody understood. It was a very
wicked woman that would not suffer the word of God
to come nigh her.
But now it may readily be judged, that such pro-
vision did not hold out long. Whereas now at the
same time a fervent desire also after spiritual food was
perceived among all the parishioners, and I and the
wardens could only raise eight wittes* in the parish,
the which did not suffice therewith to get bread and
wine, the thought came into my mind to report our
distress again to the Amtshauptmann(the chief governor).
With what a heavy heart I did this, may be readily
judged. But necessity knows no law. Whence I tore
out a leaf from the end of the Virgilio, and prayed, for
the blessed Holy Trinity's sake, that his worship would
take to heart mine and the common distress of the
whole parish, and give forth a little money for the holy
sacrament, for the comfort of the afflicted souls; also, if
possible, to buy a cup, even were it only of pewter,
seeing that the enemy had stolen the one we had; as I
otherwise should be compelled to consecrate the holy
communion in a pot. Item, that he would have com -
* About twopence.


THE AMBED WITCH.
37
passion also on our bodily necessity, and at length give
up to me my money outstanding since so many years ;
I wanted it not for myself alone, but would gladly
divide it with all the parish, until the infinite gracious
God would vouchsafe to give us more.
While I was writing thus, a considerable blot drop-
ped upon the paper, for, as the windows were blocked
up with boards, the room was dark, and only a little
light came in through two small pains of glass, which
I had taken out of the church and put in, such might
probably be the cause that I did not take better heed.
But seeing that I could not raise another morsel of
paper I let it pass, and charged the maid, the same
that I sent with the little epistle to Pudgla, to have me
excused for this to his worship, the Lord Chief
Governor; the which she also promised to do; seeing
that I myself could not add thereunto the least word
upon the paper, which was all full written ; and I
sealed it, as aforesaid.
But this pour person returned trembling with fear
and weeping, and spake thus : that his worship had
kicked her with his foot out of the castle-gate, and
threatened to have her put in the pillory, if she shewed
her face before him again. Did the priest think he was
so flush of money, as he was with the ink; he surely had
water enough to administer the sacrament. For if the
Son of God had once changed water into wine, he
might indeed often do it. If I had no cup, I should give
my sheep to drink out of a trough, as he did ; and what
more there were of such like blasphemies, the which
he afterwards also wrote himself to me, and whereat,
as may readily be guessed, I was sorely grieved. .
In such my great trouble of body and soul the


38
THE AMBER WITC !.
blessed Sunday drew nigh, whereon almost all the
congregation willed to go to the table of the Lord, but
could not. Wherefore I spake on those words of St.
Augustinus: crede et manducasti ;* whereby I explained
to them, that the fault was not mine, and faithfully re-
counted how my maid had fared in Pudgla, hiding at
the same time much of what had happened from them,
and only prayed to God that he would awaken the
heart of the civil authority to the wisdom of the just.
It may indeed be true, that I had spoken stronger
than I ought, but what I no longer know, for I spake
what was in my heart. At the conclusion all the
congregation were constrained to fall on their knees
for the space of an hour, and call upon the Lord for
his holy sacrament;-item, for the relief of their bodily
necessity, the which had in like manner been hitherto
done every Sunday, and commonly in the daily hours
of worship, which I had been wont to hold during the
troublous time of the plague. Finally I gave out that
precious hymn: “ When in the greatest need we are,”
which was no sooner ended than my new warden,
Claus Bulk, of Uekeritze, that aforetime had been
a trooper to his worship, and whom he had now
installed as a farmer, ran toward Pudgla and told him
what had taken place in the church. This vexed his
worship sorely, insomuch that he called together the
whole parish, yet circa 150 heads, not reckoning in the
children, and ad protocollum wrote down what they had
retained of the sermon, as he was minded to inform his
princely Highness the Duke of Pomerania what
blasphemous lies I had railed forth against him,
whereat every christian heart must be shocked ; item,
* Believe, and thou hast eaten.


THE AMBER WITCH.
39
what a covetous man I was, that I was for ever troubling
him for money, and in this grievous and troublous
time, was, so to speak, daily assailing him with filthy
letters, while he himself had nothing to eat. This was
to break the priest's neck, for that his princely High-
ness did everything that he proposed and needed
never man in the parish to give me henceforth anything
more, but if they would only turn me out, he would
take care, never fear, that they should have a better
priest given to them than I was.
(But I should truly like to see that man that would
be prepared to run into such a calamity.) These
tidings were brought to me even that self-same night,
whereat I was very sorely dismayed, forasmuch as I
well perceived that I had now gotten me, not a gracious
Lord in his Worship, but should have for the time of
my miserable life, if verily I should be able to prolong
it, an unmerciful tyrant. Nevertheless soon a some-
thing comforted me, when Chim Kruger, of Uekeritze,
the same that privily brought me these tidings, drew
forth a little piece of his young pig out of his pocket,
wherewith he presented me. Thereat came also old
Paasch, saying the same thing and reached forth a
piece more of his old cow;-item, my other warden,
Henrich Seden, with a cut of bread, with a braxen*
that he had in his wicker-basket, all of them saying
that they wanted no better priest than I, and that I
need only pray that the merciful God would vouchsafe
to give them more, and I should also have lack of
nothing; but in the mean time I should be still and
not betray them. All this I vowed to do, and my little
daughter Maria forthwith lifted up the blessed God's-
* A species of carp.


40
THE AMEER WITCH.
gift from the table and carried it into the room. But,
O, the sorrow! on the morrow, as she was a going to
put the meat into the pot, lo! all was gone. I wot not
who has prepared me this new heart's sorrow, but
I verily believe that Henrich Seden's wicked wife had
done it, forasmuch as he cannot hold his tongue, and
tells her, as I verily believe, every thing. Also his -
litttle damsel Paasch had seen that she had meat in the
pot for the morrow's dinner,-item, that she had striven
with her husband, and thrust at him with the fish-
board, whereunto fresh fish scales were yet cleaving;
but had recollected herself on getting sight of them.
(Fye upon thee, thou old hag !-it may be true enough!)
Wherefore nothing was remaining to us than to feed
our poor souls with God's word. But they also were
so cast down, that they, like our stomachs, would re-
ceive nothing more. For my poor dear daughter in
particular, became from day to day paler, greyer,
and yellower, and ever vomited her food again, as she
had taken every thing without salt and bread. For
a long time the bread that I had from Liepe never
came to an end: but I had had a little piece thereof
every day to my dinner until now. I had oftentimes
asked, “whence gettest thou evermore this blessed
bread; peradventure thou savest all for me alone, neither
takest thou a morsel unto thyself, nor givest any thereof
unto the maid.” Then the twain ever took up a little
piece of fir-bark, the which they had cut ready, and
laid before their plates, and as it was dark in the room,
I did not mark the deception, but thought they also
were eating bread. But at last the maid came and told
me of this thing, and that I ought not to suffer her to
do so any longer, for my little daughter would not


THE AMBER WITCH.
41
hearken to her. Let a man judge from this how I felt
at my heart, as I saw my poor child lying upon her
moss-bed and wrestling with grim hunger. But sorer
things yet were appointed unto me, for the Lord would
dash me to pieces like a potter's vessel in his sore dis-
pleasure. For behold, at eventide of the self-same
day, cometh old Paasch, running, and lamenting that
all his corn and mine in the field had been cut down
and miserably destroyed, and this none other could
have done but Satan himself, forasmuch as there was
not a mark to be seen of the feet of an ox, or of a
horse; whereat my poor child cried aloud, and fell
down fainting. Wherefore I would have sprung to her
help, but for horrible woe I myself fell to the ground.
True, we came to ourselves again, when the maid and
old Paasch raised a great scream, but nevertheless
I could no longer lift up myself from the earth, thus
sorely had the Lord broken my bones. Wherefore
I prayed, as they hastened to my help, that they would
only suffer me to lie, and seeing that they refused to
do this, I cried that I must needs still remain on the
ground to pray, if they would only all go out of the
chamber, saving my little daughter.
This did they, but I could not rightly pray. I fell
into bitter unbelief and despair, and murmured against
the Lord for tormenting me more grievously than Laza-
rus and Job. “ For,” cried I, wretched man that I was,
" to Lazarus thou didst leave the crumbs that fell from
the table, and the pitiful dogs; but to me hast thou
left nothing, and I am even esteemed worse before thee
than a dog : and Job thou didst not afflict until thou
hadst mercifully taken his children from him, but to me
thou leavest my poor little daughter, that her sorrows


42
THE ANBER WITCH,
may increase my own yet a thousand fold. Wherefore,
I can pray to thee for nothing more, than that thou
wouldst speedily take her away from this earth, that
my grey head may joyfully go down after her into the
grave! Woe is me, wicked father! What have I
done? I have eaten bread, and left my child an
hungered! O Lord Jesus, thou that hast said: "What
man is there of you that if his children ask bread will give
them a stone ? Lo, I am that man! Behold, I am
this wicked father! I have eaten bread, and given my
daughter wood. Punish me, I will patiently bear thy
just chidings! O my righteous Jesus! I have eaten
bread and given my daughter wood !"—As I did not
speak this, but cried it out aloud, wringing the while
my hands, my dear daughter fell sobbing round my
neck, and rebuked me for murmuring against the Lord,
seeing that she herself, only a weak and frail woman,
did not faint in believing in his mercy, so that I soon
came to myself with confusion of face and repentance
of heart, and humbled myself before the Lord, because
of this my trangression.
In the meantime, however, the maid-ran with a great
cry into the village to see if she could get a little for
her poor mistress. But the folk had already consumed
their dinner, and were for the most part upon the sea
to seek for themselves some blessed food for the night,
wherefore she could get nothing, seeing that old Seden's
wife, who alone had yet some provision, would not
give her any thereof; albeit, she had begged the same
for Jesus' wounds' sake.
While she was recounting this we heard a racketing
noise in the chamber, and forthwith her good old hus-
band, that had privily climbed into the window, brought


THE AMBER WITCH.
43
.
us a pot of nourishing soup, the which he had taken
off the fire from his wife, who had only gone awhile
into the garden. He wist well, that his wife would
repay him for this smartly, but that should not trouble
him, and he prayed that the virgin would only drink,
-it was made ready with salt, and quite savoury. He
would only immediately hasten back through the
window, and get into the house before his wife, that
she might not mark where he had been. But my dear
daughter would not take the pot, which vexed him ex-
ceedingly, so that he sat it down, cursing, on the ground,
and ran back again into the chamber. Not long afterwards
entered also his glowering-eyed wife at the front door,
and as she saw the pot upon the ground yet smoking,
cried she: “ Thou thief! thou accursed thievish raven !”
and wanted to lay hold of my maid's cap. Wherefore
I threatened her, and told to her what had happened;
if she would not believe it, then might she go into the
chamber and look through the window, where she
might perhaps yet see her husband running along; the
which she also did, and we then heard her screaming
after him : “Wait, the devil shall rend out thy arms
if thou only comest to me again into the house !"
whereupon she again came in, and muttering, lifted
up the pot from the ground. I prayed her for God's
sake that she would let my little daughter have a little,
but she mocked me, and said : "troth, ye can preach
something to her the like you have to me,” and went
with the pot to the door. Albeit, my dear daughter
prayed me that I should let her go, but I could not
forbear calling after her: “for God's sake only one
good drink, for if thou doest it not, my poor child must
give up the ghost; wilt thou, that God should have


44
THE AMBER WITCH.
mercy upon thee at the last day, then have thou mercy
to-day on me!" But she mocked us again, and called
out, “troth, ye can cook some bacon for ye,” and went
forth out of the door. Wherefore I sent the maid after
her with the hour-glass, the which stood before me
upon the table, that she would offer her this for a good
drink out of her pot. But the maid came back with
the hour-glass, and said she would not have it. Ah!
how cried and sighed I now again, when my poor
starving child hid her head again with a loud sigh in
the moss.
But the merciful God was more gracious than I
deserved for my unbelief. For, as the hard-hearted
woman had given a litile soup to old Paasch her neigh-
bour, he brought it at once to my little daughter, for he
knew from the maid how she stood, and I look upon it
that this soup, through God, had alone preserved her
soul alive; for from thence she again held up her head,
and, an hour after she had taken it, she could go
about the house again. God reward the honest fellow !
Wherefore I yet had to-day great joy in my distress;
but when I sate down at eve by the chimney-fire, and
thought of the trouble that yet awaited me, my sorrow
broke forth again, and I now resolved to run away from
my house and my parsonage, and wander as a beggar,
with my daughter, through the wide world. Of reasons
for this there were room enough as one may think. For
whereas now all hope was woefully removed from me,
moreover my wholefield was ruined, and the Amtshaupt-
man had become my bitterest enemy, also I had not had
within five years, one wedding ;-item, within one year
only two christenings, I saw my death and my child's
clearly before my eyes, inasmuch as I could not foresee,


THE AMBER WITCH.
45
that things would better in awhile. For through God's
marvellous mercy they already began to make many
a good draught both in the sea and in the Achter-
water, and many had had salt, bread, grits, etc, given to
them by the folk coming from Anklamm and Lass,
from off their Polten and Quatzen* for their fish, ne-
vertheless they brought me nothing, for they feared
that the rumour thereof might reach Pudgla, and
their ungracious master. Wherefore I beckoned my
little daughter to come to me, and revealed to her
what was in my thoughts, verily the infinite gracious
God, said I, could still vouchsafe to me another flock
should I be found worthy of such favour before him,
seeing that this time of plague and war had called
off many a servant of his word; item, I did not run
away like an hireling from his flock, but had till dato,
shared tribulation and death with it. Then I asked
her if she would be able to wander one or two milest
a day? for then would we beg our way on to Ham-
burg to my wife, (God rest her soul) her step-brother
Martin Behring, who is a great merchantman there.
Thereat she marvelled at the first, seeing that she
had come so little out of our parish, and her blessed
mother and little brother lay in our church yard.
“Who," said she, “should then make up her grave
and bedeck it with flowers ?"—item, as the Lord had
given her a smooth face, what I would do, if in this
wild wrathful time, she should be fallen upon on the
• A people, who to this hour daily navigate the Achter-water
in little boats (Polten and Quatzen) and purchase the capture of
fish from the peasants.
+ A German mile about four or five English.


46
THE AMBER WITCH.
.
high road by roving troopers and other knaves,
seeing that I was a weak man, and could not shield
her,-item, wherewith were we to shelter ourselves as
winter was coming on, and the enemy had robbed us
of our clothes, so that we had not wherewithal to cover
our nakedness?"
All this I had not thought of, wherefore I was con-
strained to say she was right, and after much disput-
ing that at night we would bring the thing before the
Lord, and whatsoever he should put into our hearts
on the morrow, that would we do. Albeit, we well saw
that we could in no wise keep the old maid any longer.
Wherefore I called her out of the kitchen, and shewed
unto her that she must arise on the morrow bythe break of
day and go to Liepe, whilst there was yet something left
to eat, for she would perish with hunger here, seeing
that we ourselves, on the morrow, peradventure, would
have fled from the parish and the country; I thanked
her also for the love and faithfulness she had shown
unto us, and prayed her at the last, amid the loud sob.
bing of my poor daughter, that she would go away
privily forthwith, and not make both our hearts the
heavier by her departure; for old Paasch would go
a fishing, on the Achter-water, that night, as he had
told me, and would assuredly right willingly set her on
shore in Gruszow, where, in troth, she had her friends,
and could eat and be satisfied. But she could bring
forth never a word for much weeping ; nevertheless,
seeing that it was my earnest wish, she went out of
the room. Not long after, we heard the house-door-
latch shut too, whereat my dear daughter whim-
pered, “ she goeth already,” and speedily ran to the
window, to look after her: “ Yes," cried she, as she


THE. AMBER WITCH.
47
peered through the little pane of glass, "she goeth
already!” and wrung her hands, and would not be
comforted. At length, however, she resigned herself,
when I came to speak to her of the maid Hagar, that
Abraham also had thrust out, and of whom the Lord,
notwithstanding, had had compassion in the wilder-
ness, and thereupon we committed ourselves unto
the Lord, and lay down upon our moss-couch.


CHAPTER IX
How the Old Maid humbled me with her faith, and the
Lord, nevertheless, blessed me, his unworthy Servant.
“ Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless
his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all
his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all
thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who
crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies."-
Psalm 103, i.-iv.
Ah, poor wretched man that I am, how shall I
understand all the loving kindness and mercy which
the Lord did shew unto me, even on the morrow. I
cried out for joy, as aforetime, for sorrow; and my little
daughter danced in the room like a young roe, and
would not go to bed ; she could only weep and dance,
as she said, and then pray the 103rd psalm, and then
again weep and dance until the break of morn. But
as she was yet very weak, I forbid her this presump-
tion, seeing that this was also tempting the Lord.
And now mark what happened:
After we had both awoke with great sighing in the
morning, and called upon the Lord, that he would re-
veal unto our hearts what we should do, we, neverthe-
less, could not come to a determination; wherefore my
child thought, that if indeed she should feel so much
strength within her, as to leave her bed and throw fuel
in the oven,* our maid being gone, then would we
* The Saxon word for stove.


THE AMBER WITCH.
further consider the matter. Accordingly she arose,
but hastily returned, with a shout of joy, that the maid
nad again stolen into the house, and already made a
fire in the oven. Wherefore I bade her come to my
bedside, and marvelled at her disobedience; what
could she want here any longer, but to torment me and
my little daughter yet more; and why she did not go
away yesterday with old Paasch? But she lamented and
groaned so, that she could hardly speak, and I only
understood thus much : that as she had eaten with us,
therefore would she also starve with us; and if I would
not thrust her out, she never more should leave the
dear mistress that she had known from her cradle.
Such love and faithfulness so moved my bowels of com-
passion, that with very tears I said : “ But hast thou
not heard that my dear daughter and I are purposed to
wander about the country as beggars ? where wilt thou
then abide ?” Hereupon she gave answer: that she
would not go a begging ; albeit, it was more seemly for
her, than for us; but she did not see wherefore I should
go into the wide world. If I had already forgotten
that in my sermon I had said : that I would abide by
my flock in tribulation and death.-Wherefore I ought
yet to tarry awhile, and send her to Liepe, where she
hoped that she would get something good for us among
her friends and kinsfolk, or elsewhere. This speech,
particularly about my introductory sermon, fell heavily
upon my conscience, and I was ashamed at my un-
belief, seeing that not only my little daughter, but like-
wise my maid servant had a stronger faith than I, who
would fain be accounted a minister of the word.
Whence I judged that the Lord, in order to hold me, a
poor, timorous hireling back, and likewise to humble


50
THE AMBER WITCH.
me, had raised up this poor maid to tempt me, as afore-
time the maid in the palace of the High Priest did the
timorous St. Petro. Wherefore I turned my face like
Hiskias towards the wall, and humbled myself before
the Lord, which I had scarcely done when my little
daughter again came running in at the door with a
scream of joy. Behold, a Christian heart had in the
night privily entered into the house, and set down for
us in the chamber two loaves, a large piece of flesh, a
bag of grits-itèm, a bag of salt circa a metze. One
may judge what a shout of joyfulness we all raised to-
gether. And I was not ashamed to confess my sins
before my maid servant; and in our morning family
prayer, which we offered up devoutly kneeling upon
our knees, we renewed our vows unto the Lord that we
would be henceforth more obedient and faithful unto
him. Thereupon this morning we had a delicious
breakfast, and moreover sent some of it to old Paasch ;
item, my dear daughter (before any one could speak a
word) let all the children come again, and fed them
with our provision; and as my heart of little faith sighed
thereat, though I spake not, she smiled and said :
“ Take, therefore, no thought for the morrow, for the morrow
shall take thought for the things of itself.” (Matt. vi. 34.)
This prophecy spake the Holy Ghost by her, as I
cannot believe otherwise, nor thou either, my dear
reader, for mark what came to pass : After mid-day
she, that is to say, my dear daughter, had gone to the
Streckelberg to seek bramble-berries, because old
Paasch had sent word to her by the maid, that there
were a few bushes yet remaining there. The maid
hacked wood in the court, whereto she had borrowed
for herself old Paasch's axe, for mine had the Imperial


THE AMBER WITCH.
51
robbers taken away, as it was nowhere to be found ;
but I, myself, wandered to and fro in the room, and
planned out my sermon,-when my dear daughter came
speedily again running in at the door with a long apron,
and quite ruddy, and with sparkling eyes, but could
not for joy say more than : “Father! father! what have
I ?”—“Well," answered I, “what hast thou then, my
child ?” Whereupon she opened the apron, and I
scarcely trusted mine eyes, when I, in the stead of the
bramble-berries, the which she had gone to fetch, saw
therein two pieces of amber glittering, each almost as
large as a man's head, not reckoning the small bits,
whereof some also were of the length of my hand, and
God knows I have not a very small one. Wherefore I
cried : “ Thou child of my heart, how camest thou by
this, God's boon ?" whereupon she, as she gradually
recovered breath, recounted as follows:
That whilst seeking for the berries in a Schlucht*
near to the Strand, she had seen something glisten in
the sun, and when she went up to it, she had found
this wonderful prize, seeing that the wind had driven
off the sand from a black amber-vein.t Therefore had
she broken off these pieces with a little stick, and there
was yet great abundance thereof, seeing that it rattled
about under the stick as she had stuck it into the sand,
* A deep dale between two hills; defile.
+ A case by no means of rare occurrence, and which the
Editor himself has met with. The small black vein, however,
contained only a few pieces of amber mixed with charcoal ; the
latter a sure sign of its vegetable origin, of which, by the way,
there is scarcely any doubt prevailing at present, since in Prussia,
whole amber trees have even been found, and preserved in the
museum at Konigsberg.


52
THE AMBER WITCH.
the same also she could not thrust in deeper than a
shoe's depth. Item, she recounted that she had heaped
the place over with sand, and afterwards winnowed it
with her apron, so that no sign might remain.
For the rest, no stranger would lightly come thither
seeing that no bramble-berries grew nigh thereto,and she
had gone that way more out of curiosity and to look
over the sea, than out of need. But she herself never
feared to find the place again, for she had marked the
same herself with three little stones. What bad been
our first deed, after that the infinitely gracious God
had taken us out of such distress, yea, as it seemed,
begifted us with great riches, every man may imagine
for himself. As we finally again arose from our knees,
my little daughter would at the first run to the maid
and tell her our oyous tidings. But I interdicted her
doing that, seeing that we could not know, but the
maid might tell it again to her friends, albeit, otherwise
she was a faithful and God-fearing woman. But if
she did this, then doubtless would the Amtshauptmann
get to know it, and take our treasure for his grace the
duke-I should say for himself-and then nothing
would remain for us, saving to see it all taken from us,
and thence our distress would soon begin over again.
Wherefore we said, if any man should ask us concerning
our blessing, we would say that my brother (blessed in
heaven) who had been a counsellor in Rotterdam, had
left us an inheritance of a good portion of money;
this also was true, for a year ago I had inherited from
him circa 200 Fl., but which the war-folk, as aforesaid,
had cruelly taken away from me. Item, I would myself go
the morrow to Wolgast, and sell the little pieces as well
as it was possible, saying tha: thou hadst found them on


THE AMBER WITCH.
53
the sea-shore; this for my part, canst thou also say to
the maid, and shew them unto her, but the great pieces
thou shalt not shew to any man, the same will I send
to thy uncle in Hamburg to convert into money for us.
Haply I may also sell one thereof in Wolgast, if I find
a convenient season, in order to provide for me and
thee the needful things for the body through the winter;
wherefore thou mayest go with me. The tithes, the
which the parish had brought together, will we first take
for our fare, and thou canst order the maid to come
after us toward even-tide, and tarry for us at the
ferry, in order to carry the aliments. All this she pro-
mised to do, but thought, we might first break more
amber, so that we might get something seemly in Ham-
burgh; the which also I did, and abode at home yet
another day, seeing that as yet we lacked not of food,
and my little daughter as well as I would first
thoroughly recruit ourselves ere we entered upon our
journey ;-item, we also bethought us that the old
master carpenter Rothoog in Loddin, would soon
knock together a little chest whereinto to lay the
amber; wherefore after mid-day I sent the maid to
him whiles we ourselves went to the Streckelberg,
where I, with my pooket-knife that I had hidden from
the enemy, cut off a piece of fir-tree, and formed it
like unto a spade, that therewith I might the better
get to the bottom. But before this we looked well
around us upon the mount, and as we saw no man, my
little daughter went right onwards to the place, which
she also forthwith found again. Great God what am-
ber there was there ! The vein went circa twenty
feet in length, as far as I could feel, but the depth I
could not fathom. Yet we broke to-day besides four


54
THE AMBER WITCH.
considerable pieces, albeit not so great as those yester-
day, little scrapings, not much larger than what the
apothecaries pound down for incense, (or smelling)
powder. After we had again most heedfully covered
and winnowed over the place a great mishap might
soon have befallen us. For Witthausch's little wench
that was seeking bramble-berries, met us, and as she
asked what my little daughter carried in the apron,
and she became red and hesitated, our secret would
soon have been betrayed, had I not collected myself,
and said, “what is that to thee, she beareth cones,
wherewithal to make a fire," the which also she be-
lieved. Wherefore we resolved in future to ascend
the mount only by night and by moonlight, and come
home even before the maid, and hide our treasure in the
bedstead, that she might not observe it.


55
CHAPTER X.
How we journeyed to Wolgast and made a good market
there.
Two days afterwards said my little daughter, (but
old Ilse thinks three days, and I wot not which is
true) went we at length to the city, seeing that Master
Rothoog had not the chest ready before. My dear
daughter decked it over with a piece of my blessed wife's
bridal garment, which the Imperials, faith, had made
havock of, howbeit as they had left it on the outside,
it was driven by the wind into the parsonage fence,
where we found it again. It must have been spoilt
before, or else I trow they would have taken it along
with them. But for the sake of the chest we took old
Ilse with us forthwith, the which she had to carry, and
as amber is a very light ware, she easily believed that
a little eatables only were contained in the same.
Wherefore at break of day, with God's help, we set our
wandering staff before us. Near Zitze, * a hare ran
be pre us across the way, the which is said to be no
good omen; ah, yea, -when we came to Bannemin, I
asked a peasant if it were true, that a mother had
slaughtered a child for hunger there, as I had heard. He
said, “ Yea, verily,” and called the old woman Zisch.
“But the blessed God had waxed wroth at such abomi.
nation, and it had not availed her, seeing that she spat
* A village half-way between Coserow and Wolgast, now
called Zinnowitz.


56
THE AMBER WITCH.
so much with eating thereof, that she gave up the
Ghost. As for the rest, he thought things were in
the parish in a better standing, the while the blessed
God had blessed them abundantly with fishes as well
in the sea as in the Achter-water. Albeit many folk
were also starved with hunger. Of his parish priest,
Rev. Johannes Lampius,* he related that his house was
burned down by the Imperials, and that he now lay in
a church-booth. I bade him greet him from me and
bid him ere long arise and come to me (the which the
man also promised to perform) for Rev. Johannes is a
learned, godly man, and also composed manifold Latin
Chronosticha on this miserable time in metro heroico,
the which pleased me much, I must sayt.
As we now came over the ferry, we turned in the
Castle-square at Sehms, the same that is a tapster, and
who told me, that the plague had not quite abated in
the city yet, whereat I became very much affrighted,
seeing that he moreover brought before mine eyes
many other abominations and sorrows of this time of
affliction; e. g., of the great famine in the land of
Rugen, where many folk had become black as moors
for hunger; a marvellous thing, so it be true, and one
might almost guess therefrom how the first moors had
* In the parish records of this place, there are still a few,
although very brief and incomplete notifications existing, re-
specting his sorrowful days during that war of terror.
+ The old gentleman has even placed them among the still
existing church accounts, a few of which may stand here as a
specimen
For 1620,
Vsqve qvo DoMIne TrasCeris, sis nobis pater!
For 1628,
Vet Inq Va DeXtra fer operaM tv Christe benigne !


THE AMBER WITCH.
57
arisen.* But that we will now leave for what it is
worth. Summa: when Master Sehms recounted to us
whatsoever news he wot of, and we thereby saw to our
comfort, that the Lord had not visited us alone in this
grievous time, I called him into a chamber, and asked
him, if anywhere here there was not a place in which
to convert a piece of amber into money, the which my
little daughter had found by the sea-shore. But he said
firstly, “No,” but then, bethinking himself, he said:
“Stop, let us see! For there are two great Flemish
merchant-men abiding at the Castle Inn with Niclas
Grecke, namely, Dietrich von Pehne and Jacob
Kiekebusch; the same buy tar and planks ; item,
timber and rafters ; peradventure they will also bargain
for your amber; howbeit go yourself to the Castle, for
I wot not surely if yet they be here to day.”
This also I did : albeit I had not yet spent anything
with the man, seeing that I would first wait the issue
of the traffic, and save the church-rates till then.
Then I came into the castle court. But, merciful God,
how was also this His Grace's house become in a
short time a very wilderness. The Marstallt and the
hunting-house the Danes had destroyed, anno 1628 ;
item, ruined many rooms in the castle, and in the
castle of His Grace the Duke Philippi Locoment, where,
* Micraelius, also, in his Ancient Pomerania, v. 171, 12.,
mentions this circumstance, but merely says: “Those who ran
over to Stralsund were quite black to look upon from the hunger
they endured." Hence probably the strange exaggeration of
the landlord, and the still more strange conclusion of our
author.
Stable for the prince's horscs.


THE AMBER WITCH
anno 22, he had so graciously treated me and my little
daughter, as will be read further on, now dwelt the
Host Niclas Grecke, and all the fine tapestry whereon
the pilgrimage of His Grace the late Bagislai X. to
Jerusalem had been portrayed, was torn out, and the
walls left grey and marred.* This I saw with sorrowful
heart; then I asked forthwith after the merchantmen,
that sate behind the table, holding already their fare.
well-reckoning, while their luggage lay ready around
them for their departure to Stettin. As now one of
them sprang up from the reckoning, a little churl, with
a very shapely waist, and a black plaister over his
nose, asked me, what I wanted ? I took him aside to
a window, and said, that I had some fine amber, if he
was minded to buy it of me; the which he forth with
promised to do. And after he had muttered something
into the ear of his companion, he looked quite
pleasantly upon me, and first reached me the tankard
before we went into my lodging. Wherefore I drank
right bravely, seeing that I, as aforesaid, was yet
sober, so that I felt quite comfortable about my heart.
(Thou blessed God, what is better than a good drink,
if taken with moderation.) Thereupon went we into my
lodging, and the maid carried the chest aside into a
little chamber. Howbeit, scarcely had I opened the
same, and drawn off the garment, when the man
(namely Dietrich von Pehnen, as he had told me by the
* Comp. Hellier's Chronicles of the city of Wolgast p. 42, et
reg.--This confusion originated probably from the successor of
Philippus Julius (16th February, 1625), and at the same time
the last Pomeranian Duke, Bogislaus XIV. having resided at
Stettin. At present the castle is a complete ruin, and several
large cross-vaulted cellars only are still remaining, in which the
merchante there partly had their depot of goods.


THE AMBER WITCH.
59
way) lifted up his hands on high for joy, and said :
that he had never seen such a blessing in amber; and
how had l come thereby? Wherefore I answered,
that my little daughter had found it by the sea shore;
whereat he marvelled greatly that there was so much
amber here, and forthwith bid me 300A. for the whole
chest. I was beside me for joy at such a bid, howbeit
I did not let him mark it, but haggled with him for 500f.,
and he prayed me I would but come with him into the
castle, and have my money there forthwith. Then ordered
I a tankard of beer from the host, and a good dinner for
my little daughter, and arose and went with the man and
the maid that carried the chest into the castle again,
praying: that he would not, lest the people should won-
der, say ought of my great blessing to the host, or any
man here in the city, and count down the money for me
privily, as I wot not but that robbers might lurk for
me on the way, if they got to know this; the which
also the man did. For he muttered forthwith some-
thing into his companion's ear again, whereupon the
same opened his leathern coat; item, his waist and his
hose, and unclasped a Katze* from his waist, which
was well filled, and reached it to him. Summa : it
was not long before I had my riches in my pocket, and
the man prayed, moreover, if I had amber again, I
should by all means write to him to Amsterdam; the
which also I promised to do. But the good churl
died, as hereafter I learned, at Stettin, of the plague,
with his companion; the which I did not wish him.t
* A leathern money-girdle, worn to this day by the lower class
of German travellers for greater security's sake.
+ Micraelius also mentions these Dutch merchants, a. a. 0. V.


60
THE AMBER WITCH.
Therefore I had nigh got into great trouble ; for as I
longed to fall upon my knees, and could not await the
time until I reached my lodging, I ran up the castle
stairs circa four steps, and went into a little chamber,
where I humbled myself before the Lord. But the
Host Niclas Grecke followed at my heels, and thought
that I was a thief, and would hold me fast; wherefore
I wot not how to get loose, having by giving forth that
I had become drunken with the wine, wherewith the
strange merchantmen had treated me (for he had seen
what an excellent draught I had taken) seeing that this
morning I was still sober, and that I was seeking a little
room, for to slumber awhile; the which lie he also be-
lieved (if so be that it was a lie ; for yea, troth I was
drunken, albeit not with wine, but with thankfulness
and devotion to my Creator), and therefore he let me
go.
But now I must first recount my history with
His princely Grace, as afore I proposed to myself.
When in anno 22, I was haply taking a walk with my
little daughter, then a child circa 12 years, here in
Wolgast, in the castle garden, and shewed her the
lovely flowers that were springing forth therein, it came
to pass, that as we were turning round a bush, that we
saw my Gracious Lord, Duke Philippum Julium, stand-
ing on a hillock, and disputing with his princely
Grace the Duke of Bogislaff, the same that was here
on a visit; whence we would forthwith have turned
back. But as my gracious Lords soon after walked
p.171 ; but mentions that the cause of their death had been doubt-
ful, and the town physician, Dr. Laurentius Eichstadius in Stet-
tin had written a peculiar medicinal discourse on the subject.
Yet one of them he calls Kiekepost instead of Kiekebush.


THE AMBER WITCH.
61
toward the castle bridge, we went to see the hillock
whereon they were standing, and speedily my little
damsel lifted up her voice and shouted aloud for joy,
forasmuch as she had seen a precious seal-ring lying
on the earth, the same which his princely Grace
doubtless had lost. Then said I, come, we will quite hastily
go after our gracious Lords, and thou shalt say in Latin,
Serenissimi principes quis vestrum hunc annulum deper-
ditit ?* (For, as aforesaid, I had taught her the Latin
tongue since her seventh year), and if one says ergo,
(1), then give the ring to him. Item, if he should ask
thee in Latin whose child thou art, be not then
abashed, and speak, ego sum filia pastoris Coserowiensis;t
then shalt thou find favour in the sight of their princely
Graces, forasmuch as they are both friendly men, but
specially the greater, the same being our gracious ru.
ler of the land Philippus Julius himself.
The like she promised to do; but seeing that she,
in going further, quaked, I exhorted her yet more, and
promised to her a new garment if she did it; seeing that
from a very little child she greatly esteemed goodly
raiment. Wherefore coming to the castle-court, I
halted by the statue of His princely Grace, the Duke
Ernst Lewis, I and whispered to her, now to run
boldly after them, as they walked only a few steps be-
fore us, and already wended themselves towards the
great main-door, the which also she did, but halted
suddenly, and was about turning round again, because
she became affrighted at the spurs of their princely
* Worshipful princes, which of you has lost this ring?
+ I am the daughter of the pastor of Coserow
The father of Philippus Julius, at Wolgast, June 17, 1592.


62
THE AMBER WITCH.
Graces, as she afterwards said, specially as they had
rattled and jingled very monstrously.
Howbeit my gracious lady, the Duchess Agnes saw
this out of the open window, in the which she lay and
called unto His princely Grace, “behold, my lord,
there is a damsel behind thee, the same would speak
to thee, as it seemeth to me,” whereupon His princely
Grace directly turned himself round, smiling, so that
my little damsel's courage speedily returned, and hold-
ing the ring on high, said, in Latin, as I had bidden
her. Thereat both the princes marvelled very exceed-
ingly; and after that His princely Grace, my gracious
Duke Philippus had felt on his finger, he answered,
Dulcissima puella ego perdidi !* Whereupon she reached
to him the same. For this he stroked her cheeks and
asked furthermore, Sed quaenam es et unde venis ?t
whereupon she boldly made her answer, and therewith
pointed with her finger toward me at the statue, where-
upon His princely Grace beckoned unto me to come
nearer. All this my gracious lady had likewise be-
holden out of the window, but was gone in the twink-
ling of an eye. Howbeit she had already come back,
ere I had yet meekly approached unto my gracious
lord, then she beckoned unto my little daughter, and held
Blinscher out of the window for her. As I exhorted
her to go, she ran up, but her princely Grace could not
reach down so low, neither could she so high above
her for to lay hold of the same, wherefore my gracious
lady bade her come into the castle, and as she looked
* My sweet damsel, I have lost it.
+ But who art thou, and whence comest thou?
Probably Plinze, a sort of thin fritter or cheesecake.


THE AMBER WITCH.
63
around after me, timorously, and also beckoned to
me to come to her, as did my gracious lord himself,
who forthwith took hold of the little shy maid by the
hand and walked up with His princely Grace, the
Duke Bogislaff. But my gracious Lady came al-
ready to meet us at the door, caressed and embraced
my little daughter so that she soon became undaunted
and took the Blinsche. Now after my gracious Lord
had asked me what was my name, item, wherefore I
had in so strange a wise taught my little daughter the
Latin language; I answered: that I had heard very
great things through a cousin of mine in Cologne, of a
certain woman called Schurmann,* and perceiving a
* Anna Maria Schurmann-born at Cologne on the 5th Nov.,
1607, died at Wiewardin, the 5th May, 1678--was, according to
the unanimous testimony of her contemporaries, a prodigy of
erudition, and perhaps the most learned female that ever lived
upon earth. Mande, the Frenchman, in passing his judgment
of her, says: “whatever the hand can form and the mind com-
prehend is met with in her, all concentrated in one person.
None excels her in painting, none produces superior workman-
ship in ore, wax and wood. In embroidery she surpasses all
ancient and modern artificers of her sex. It is difficult to say
in which department of learning she has distinguished herself
most. Not contented with the European languages, she under-
stands Hebrew, Arabic, Syric, and writes Latin, such as no man,
who has devoted all his life to it, is better able to do." The cele-
brated Belgian Spanheim calls her "an instructor of the Graces
and Muses.” The still more famous Salmasius acknowledges,
"he was at a loss to know, in which branch of learning he
should give her the preference; and Pole Rotyer calls her even
“the only exemplar of all wonders in a learned person, and a
complete Monstrum of her sex, but without faults or blemish."
For, with all her extraordinary knowledge, she maintained in.
deed an admirable humility, although she herself confesses that


64
TIIE AMBER WITCH.
very excellent ingenium in my child, also having had
sufficient time in my lonely parsonage, I delayed not
to take her underhand and to instruct her, seeing that
I had no little lads alive. Thereat marvelled they all,
and put forth a few more Latin queries to her, the
which also she answered, without my whispering any-
thing to her, whereupon my gracious Lord Duke
Philippus said in German: “ when thou art waxed
great and wilt wed, then tell me thereof for then shalt
thou have a ring again from me, and whatsoever things
more pertaineth unto a bride ; for thou hast this day
done me a good service, seeing that this ring is greatly
prized by me, in that I received it from my wife."
Then I whispered to her to kiss his princely Grace's
hand for this promise, the which she also did.
But ah, thou most blessed God !--promising and
keeping are two very different things ? Where is now
His princely Grace? Wherefore let me ever remem-
ber; "thou and thou only art true, and whatsoever thou
promisest thou dost surely fulfil."- Psalm xxxiii., 4.*
Amen!
Item, when Her princely Grace furthermore also in-
quired after me and my parish, and heard that I was of
old and noble family, and my Salarium was much too
the immoderate eulogies of the learned had sometimes lead her
to peculiar self-satisfaction. In later years she went over to the
church of the Labadists, which seems in many respects to have
resembled the modern Muckers, but died unmarried, on account
of an early attachment (already in her 15th year) with Caels,
the Dutchman, having been broken off. As a singular fact, it
is stated of her that she had been fond of eating spiders. Her collec-
tive works were first edited by the celebrated Spanheim, under
the title of Annae Marian Schurmann opuscula : Leyden, 1648.
* Luther's Version.


THE AMBER WITCH.
65
poor, she called unto her Chancellor Dr. Rungium, the
same that stood without at the sun-dial and looked out
of the window, and commanded him that I should have
an addition from the convent at Pudgla, item, from the
domain Ernsthoff, as aforesaid. But God only knows
that I have never received the same; albeit the instru-
mentum donationis* was soon afterward sent to me by
His princely Grace's Chancellor.
Then were there also some Blinsche's for me, item,
a glass of Italian wine out of a glass with the coat of
arms painted thereon, whereafter I humbly took my
departure with my little daughter.
But to come back to my bargain, every one may eas
sily judge what joy my child felt, as I showed her the
pretty Ducats and Guilders the which I had gotten for
the Amber. Howbeit, to the maid we said, that we
inherited the blessing from my brother in Holland, and
after we had thanked the Lord upon our knees, and
eaten our dinner, we made a good market of meat,
bread, salt, stockfish-item, of clothes, seeing that I
provided from the tailor for us three, the needful for the
winter. But for my dear daughter I bought more-
over a knitted cap and red silken bodice, with a black
apron-piece and white skirt, item, a pair of fine ear.
rings, as she besought me earnestly therefor, and after
that I had also ordered the needful with the shoemaker
we finally arose, as it was very near dark, to go on our
way homeward, but could hardly carry all we bought.
Wherefore a boor from Bannemin that had also been in
the city helped us, and when I got to know from him
that the churl that had given me the slice of bread was
a man of the name of Pantermehl, and dwelt in a vil.
* Deed of Gift or Donation.


THE AMBER WITCH.
lage on the way, I thrust in two loaves for him at his
house door, as we passed by it, without his perceiving
it, and then went further on our way by clear moon-
light, so that with the help of God we arrived at home,
circa, 10 o'clock at even. To the other churl I also
gave a loaf for his trouble, albeit he did not deserve it.
seeing that he would not go any further with us than to
Zitze. But I let him go, and verily I did not deserve
to have been blessed thus !


67
CHAPTER XI.
How I fed all the flock, item, how I journeyed to Gutzkow
to the horsemarket, and what happened to me there.
The next morning my dear daughter divided the
blessed bread, and sent every one in the village a good
large slice. But seeing that our provision would soon
be running down, I sent the maid again with a wheel.
barrow, the which I had bought of Adam Lempken, to
Wolgast, to fetch more bread; which also she did.
Item, I sent notice around to all the parish, that on
Sunday I would administer the Holy Sacrament; and
in the mean time I bought all the large fish in the
village which had been caught. When at last the
blessed Sunday came, I firstly held a confession of all
the congregation, and thereupon a sermon on Matthew
xv., 32, “I have compassion on the multitude ....
for they have nothing to eat.” In the first place I
explained this only as a spiritual food, and there arose
a great sighing and groaning among men and women,
when, coming to the end, I pointed at the altar, whereon
stood the blessed food for the soul, and repeated the
words : "I have compassion on the people .... for
they have nothing to eat.” (N.B.- I borrowed a
pewter cup in Wolgast, and for the patine I bought a
little earthen plate, till the time that Master Bloom
should have got ready the silver cup and patine I had
ordered.) When I had thereupon consecrated and
administered the Holy Sacrament-and spoken the


68
THE AMBER WITCH.
U
last blessing, and every one was quietly praying his
“paternoster," in order to go out of the church-I
stepped forth again from the confessional, and beck-
oned to the people to tarry yet awhile, since the blessed
Saviour would not only feed their souls but also their
bodies, seeing that his compassion for his people re-
maineth the same to this day as it was with his people
of old by the sea of Galilee; the which they should
see. Then I went into the tower and fetched out two
baskets which our maid had bought at Wolgast and I
had caused to be privily put away, put them down be-
fore the altar and took off the cloth wherewith they
were covered, whereupon there was a loud outcry,
inasmuch as they saw the one full of broiled fish and
the other full of bread, which we had secretly put in.
Thereupon I did as my master, the Saviour: I gave
thanks and broke it, and gave it to my churchwarden,
Henrich Seden, for him to hand to the men; and to my
daughter to carry round to the women; whereupon I
applied the text: “ I have compassion on the people
.... for they have nothing to eat” also bodily, and
going up and down the church, I exhorted them,
amidst a general cry, to trust in the mercy of the
Lord for ever, to pray without ceasing, and diligently
to labour, working with their hands, and not to indulge
in any sin. That which was remaining over and
above, they had to take home with them for their
children and old people, who had stayed at home.
After church, and when I had scarcely put off my
surplice, came Henrich Seden's gloare-eyed wife, and
frowardly asked for some more for her husband to take
with him on his journey to Liepe; moreover, she her-
self had received nothing as yet, seeing that she had


THE AMBER WITCH.
69
not been at church to-day. I became almost wrathful
thereat, and I said to her: “Wherefore hast thou not
been at church? Nevertheless, hadst thou come hum-
bly, thou shouldest even now have gotten something,
but now that thou comest so impudently, I will give
thee nothing. Remember what thou hast done to me
and to my child.” But she kept standing at the door,
and glowering impudently round the room, till my
dear daughter took her by the arm, saying: “Hearest
thou ? thou shalt first come again, humbly, before thou
gettest anything; but comest thou so, then shalt thou also
have thy portion, and we will no longer reckon with thee
an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth ;' that the Lord
may do if it pleaseth him, but we will readily forgive
thee !" Hereupon she went at last out of the door,
muttering, as she was wont, to herself, but she spat at
different places in the street, as we saw through the
little window.
Soon thereafter I purposed to myself taking a young
man circa twenty years old, named Claus Neels, into
my service, and seeing that old Neel's, in Loddin, his
father, entreated me very exceedingly to take him, and
the lad also pleased me well in manners and otherwise.
And as there was a good harvest this year, I resolved
moreover to buy me two horses, and to sow my land
again ; for though it was already late in the year, never-
theless I thought that the infinitely gracious God might
yet bless the same, if it seemed good in his sight.
Neither was I greatly troubled about fodder for the
horses, seeing that there was a great abundance of hay
in the parish for as much as all the cattle, as aforesaid,
had been stricken or driven away. Wherefore I pur-
posed in the name of God to go with my tillersman to-


70
THB AMBER WITCH,
ward Gutzkow, whither many Mecklingburg horses
had gone to the Jahrmarket, * seeing that so far times
were better there.t But, in the meantime, I went with
my little daughter sundry times to the Streckelberg in
the night season, and at moonlight, but found nought to
speak of, so that we believed our blessing to be at an
end, when in the third night we broke off great pieces
of amber, far greater than the two Hollanders bought.
The same I now resolved to send to my brother-in-law,
Martin Behring, to Hamburg, for as much as skipper
Wulff of Wolgast, as I had heard, would sail thither
this autumn to carry over tar and timber. Wherefore
I packed all into a well made chest, and took the same
with me to Wolgast, where I went with my husband-
man toward Gutzkow.
Of this journey I will only recount thus much: that
in that place there were many horses, but few buyers.
Then bought I two fine black horses at twenty fl. each;
item, a waggon at five A.; item, twenty-five Scheffelt of
rye, the which had also been brought from Mecklen-
burg at one fl., as there was no more to be picked up in
Wolgast, and it would then cost niore than three fl.
Wherefore I might have made a good business here in
rye, if that had been my vocation; neither did I fear
that the little robbers, which had greatly multiplied in
this grievous time, would have taken away my corn
from me, and perchance moreover evil-entreated me, as
they had done to others. For such robberies were,
specially at this time, carried on at Gutzkow, in the
* Annual Pairs in small towns of Germany.
+ Wallenstein having been enfeoffed with Mecklenburg by the
Emperor, spared the country as much as possible,
A bushel, equal *o a sack English nearly.


THR AMBER WITCH.
71
forest of Btrellin, with many stories about ghosts and
apparitions; but with the righteous God's help it was
just brought to the blessed light of day, at the very
time that I had journeyed thither with my boor-lad to
the fair, and this will I here yet make mention of.
Several months ago a fellow had been racked on the
wheel in Gutzkow, because he had been tempted by that
wicked Satan to slay a wandering handicraftsman. But
the same thenceforth began to haunt the place so
terribly, that even in the night time he sprang down
from the wheel with his Sunderkittel® whensoever a
waggon passed by the gallows, which stands on the way
going toward Wolgast, sat himself behind the people,
which made them drive on their horses with much
horror and dismay, so that it made a great noise in the
billet dam which leads from the gallows into a little
wood called Kraulin. And a wondrous thing it was,
that in the same night the wayfaring men were almost
all plundered or murdered. Wherefore the magistrates
caused the fellow to be taken down from the wheel, and
buried him under the gallows, in hope the ghost
would rest. But he still sat on the wheel at night time,
snow-white as before, so that never man would hence-
forth go that way to Wolgast. Then it came to pass,
that in the aforesaid fair, toward night time, the young
Rudiger of Nienkerken, laying betwixt Mellenthin
and Usedom, the same that had studied in Wittenberg
and elsewhere, now wishing to return home with his
carriage, went this way. I had, myself, exhorted him
shortly before in the inn, that on account of the ghost,
he would tarry that night in Gutzkow, and go
Literally signifying sinner's smock frock; properly Sunder-
hemd, dress of a sentenced malcfactor.


THE AMBER WITCH.
with me on the morrow, which however, he refused to
do. Now as the same younker came riding along the
way, he forthwith beheld the ghost again sitting upon
the wheel, and hardly had he passed by the gallows,
when the ghost sprang down and set after him. The
driver became mightily dismayed, and did as all others,
whipped the horses on, the which had become very
shy, and voided for fright, and began to run furiously
with a great noise over the billet-dam. But in the
mean time the younker marked by the moonlight, that
the ghost had trodden flat a horse-dung-ball, over
which he was running, and forthwith concluded that
this was no ghost. Wherefore he called the driver to
halt, and as he did not hear him, he sprang from the
waggon, unsheathed his thrusting sword, and ran up
to the ghost. When the ghost perceived this, he wished
to turn back; but the younker smote him with his
fist in the neck, so that he fell to the ground and raised
a loud wailing. Summa, after that the younker called his
coachman, he then speedily brought the ghost back,
dragged him into the city, and thus it was seen that
the same was a shoemaker, named Schwelm. (This
Schelm* has had the w well patched in by the devil!)
So then with the great throng I also ran up with the
rest and saw the fellow. He quaked like an aspen leaf,
and when he was sharply exhorted, that he would of
his own will confess, seeing that he might then perad-
venture save his life, if it should be found that he had
not slain any man, he also confessed, that he had a
malefactor's dress made for him by his wife, arrayed
himself therein, and seated himself at night (and
specially when he had heard that there was a waggon
going to Wolgast), before the fellow upon the wheel,
* Knave, scoundrel.


THE AMBER WITCH.
73
where in the darkness and distance it could not be seen
that they were sitting together there. Now when a
waggon came, and he sprang down and ran after it, all
were forthwith dismayed, and no longer had their
eye-mark upon the gallows, but on him only, and
whipped on the horses and drove them over the billet-
dam. But his companions in Strellin and Dambeck
(two villages about three quarters of a mile apart)
heard thereof, and held themselves ready to take off
the horses of the wayfarers, after they had come up to
them, and plunder them. When by and bye they had
buried the fellow, this ghost-acting was easier
still, etc. All this was the truth and nothing but
the truth, and he himself had never taken ought
from any man, nor slain any man; wherefore he
prayed that they would forgive him, the while he was
quite guiltless, and whatever had come to pass of
robberies and murder had been done by his com-
panions alone. Ay, thou cunning (Schelm) knave, the
devil has not patched in the w for thee for nought !
For as I afterwards learned, he, together with all his
companions, were put to the rack on the wheel again,
as they righteously deserved.
But to return to my journey, the younker now tarried
with me over night in the inn, and early on the
morrow we both rose up, and as we made good ac-
quaintance with one another, I got into his coach as
he had bidden me, to hold converse together on the
way, and my Claas got up behind. But I very soon
remarked that he was a fine, respectable, well-informed
young man ; seeing that he not only despised the wild
student's life and rejoiced that he had now escaped the
wicked drinking-bout, but spake Latin also fluently.
Wherefore I had a good deal of pastime on the way


74
TIL AMBER WITCH.
with him. Howbelt at Wolgast the rope of the ferry-
boat brake In twain, so that the stream bare us down to
Zeuzin and we at length reached the shore not with-
out great trouble. In the mean time it had become
very late, and we did not arrive in Coserow before nine
o'clock, when I besought the younker to take up his
abode with me that night, whereto he consented. My
little daughter sate before the fire, and stitched for her
little god-child, a small vesture out of her old gar-
ments. Wherefore she became greatly affrighted and
blushed, as she beheld the younker entering in with me,
and heard that he would tarry there over the night, see-
ing that we hitherto had no more beds than what we need.
ed and bought of old Zabel Mering, the forester's wi.
dow at Uekeritze. Wherefore she took me aside directly,
asking, what is to be done? My bed had been so put
out of order to-day by her little god-child, that she
laid thereon, and in her's she could not possibly let the
younker lay, even did she herself willingly creep into
the maid's bed. And when I asked her, wherefore not ?
she blushed again like a red cloth, and began to weep,
neither did she show her face again the whole evening,
so that the maid had to look after everything, and at
length to cover afresh her, namely, my little daughter's
bed with white sheets for the younker, as she herself
would not do it. I here mention this, in order that one
may see what is the manner of virgins. For on the
morrow she entered into the room with her red silken
waist, with the hood and the apron, summa, arrayed
with all that I had bought her in Wolgast, so that the
younker was amazed and conversed much with her at
breakfast, whereupon he then took his farewell and
besought me to pay him a visit some day at his castle.
* Now Sauzin.


75
CHAPTER XII.
What joyous and grievous things further heppened ; ITEM,
how Wittich Appelmann rides toward Damerow to the
wolf-hunt, and what he insinuated to my little daughter
The Lord blessed my parish-flock marvellously this
winter, seeing that they not only caught and sold a
good quantity of fish, but the men of Coserow also
slew four sea-dogs ;* item, the great tempest of the 12th
Decembris, driving a tolerable good deal of amber to the
strand, many people now also found amber, albeit not
of special magnitude, and began again to buy for
themselves cattle, such as cows and sheep, at Liepe
and other places, as I myself also got two cows more.
Item, my bread-corn, one half whereof I scattered upon
my field and the other half upon old Paasch's, increased
yet quite delightfully and charmingly, as the Lord had
hitherto given us an open winter; but as soon as it had
sprung up circa a finger's length, it lay one morning trod-
den down again and destroyed by some evil spirit, be-
cause now as before, no mark of an ox or horse in the field
was to be seen. But may the righteous God bring him
to judgment, as verily now also it came to pass. Amen!
But in the mean time something strange happened,
For as Lord Wittich, according to what I heard, espied
one morning out of his window the little daughter of
his fisher, a child circa sixteen years, that he diligently
way-laid as she was going into the bush to gather dry
* Seals.


76
THE AMBER WITCH.
wood, he instanly arose.-why ?-will I not say, but
let every one judge for himself. Howbeit when for a
while he had walked up the cloister-dam and cometh
to the first bridge, where standeth the service-tree, he
beheld two wolves running up to him, and as he carried
not weapons of defence about him, saving a stick, he
forthwith climbed up a tree,' whereupon the wolves
trotted around the same, blinking at him with their
eyes, putting forth their tongues, and at length lifting
on high their fore-paws against the tree and biting it,
when he perceived that the one wolf which was a male,
and had been the terror of the country, had only one eye.
Whereupon in his anguish he began to cry, that the
great, long-suffering, and merciful God would deliver
him once more ; albeit he became not wise thereby.
For the damsel, that had crept under a juniper bush
in the field, seeing the younker coming, ran back to
the castle, whereupon much folk speedily mustered
together, drove away the wolves, and delivered the
younker. The same therefore proclaimed a great
wolf-hunt to take place on the morrow, and whosoever
would bring unto him the one-eyed scourer, dead or
alive, the same should have a cask of beer for his
recompense. Howbeit they did not catch him, though
they found this day circa four wolves in their nets, and
slew them. Wherefore he caused the wolf-chase to be
proclaimed again even in my parish. Albeit when the
churl cometh, to ring the bell in the tower, he ceased
not at all, as is the wont on the occasion of a wolf-
chase, but shake the bell sine mora* ever bravely on,
so that every one believed that a fire had arisen and
sprang forth from their houses crying aloud. Thus my
* Without pausing.


THE AMBER WITCH.
77
little daughter also ran up (for I myself had ridden to
a sick man, to Zempin, seeing that walking had already
become somewhat troublesome to me, and for as much
as I now, troth, could do better), but had not long
stood and enquired after the cause, when the
Amtshauptmann himself came gallopping up on his white
horse, with three waggon loads of hunting-furniture
behind him, and commanded the people to arise in-
stantly, and go to the wood to rouse the wolf. Saying
this he was already about to ride off with his hunts-
men and others picked up from the multitude, in order
to post his men behind Damerow, forasmuch as the
island there is particularly small,* and the wolf shuns
the water; when he got sight of my little daughter,
turning his horse round again, he seized her under
the chin, and pleasantly asked her who she was, and
whence she came ? On finding out this, he said, that
she was almost as lovely as an angel, and that he had
no idea at all that the priest here had such a beautiful
damsel. Thereupon he rode off, looking round to her
twice or thrice, and soon found the one-eyed wolf; the
which had lain in one of the nets, among the bulrushes,
by the sea shore, as they immediately spied out. For
the male wolf ever voids upon a stone, but the female
on the middle of the road; besides it is plashy, whereas
his is ever very solid. This greatly delighted the
younker, and he made the huntsmen fetch him forth
out of his retreat, and secure him with iron hooks; where-
upon, for about an hour, he deliberately and cruelly
tortured him to death, amid great laughter-a prognosti-
con of the wise in which he afterward treated my poor
* The breadth, which is gradually diminishing, scarcely ex-
tends at present beyond a gun shot.


78
THE AMBER WITCH.
child, for wolf or lamb were both alike to this wicked
servant. Ah, thou righteous God !-Howbeit, I will
not speak before the time of that matter.
On the morrow cometh old Seden's gloaring-eyed
wife, just as a lame dog threatens with his hind part,
and asked my little daughter if she was not desirous of
entering the Amtshauptmann's service, praising him as
godly and virtuous, and saying: all wherewith the world
backbite him were stinking lies, whereof she herself
could bear witness, seeing that she had been more than
ten years in his service. Item, praised the food she had
there, and the pretty Bier-geld* the which great lords
that often tarry awhile there, gave for their being
waited npon, as she herself had more than once gotten
from His princely highness, the Duke Ernst Louis, a
rose-noble.f Moreover it was wont to be frequented
by many goodly young men, so that it might prove a
lucky thing for her, forasmuch as she was a fair young
woman, and only had to choose whom she would mar-
ry; but that at Coserow she might be sitting till she
was crooked and stupid, before she got married, etc,
Thereat my little daughter waxed wroth mightily and
answered; “Aye, thou old hag, who hath told thee
that I wish to go to service, in order to get married.
Be off, and never come into our house again, for I have
nothing to do with thee!" whereupon she directly went
away again, muttering all the while to herself.
But scarcely had a few days passed over, and I was
* Literally beer-money, the common expression among Ger-
mans for menial fees or perquisites.
+ An old English coin, in value anciently sixteen shillings.
The succeeding kings coined rose-nobles and double rose-nobles,
Camden.


THE AMBER WITCH.
standing with the glazier that had been putting in new
windows for me, when I heard my little daughter
screaming in the chamber near to the kitchen. Where-
fore I immediately ran in, and was solely afraid on be.
holding the Amtshauptmann himself in the corner, hold-
ing my child clasped round the neck. Howbeit, he
directly let her go again, and said : “Aye, Reverend
Abraham, what a shy little silly thing your daughter
is !" When, after my wise, I wished to give her a wel-
come kiss, she resisted and shrieked, as if a foolish
youth had stolen upon her, whereas I might have
been her father. As hereupon I was silent, he began
to say, that he wanted to have inspired her with confi.
dence, for as much as I knew, that he desired to have
her in his service; and many other things which he
mentioned, but which I have forgotten. Thereupon I
invited him into the room, for that he was my magis-
trate appointed by God, and asked humbly: what his
worship desired of me? Whereupon he mildly an-
swered: that he might, indeed, justly be sore displeased
at me, seeing that I had rebuked him from the pulpit
before all the congregation, but that he would not, and
providing I would do his will, he would withdraw the
accusatory libel contra me (against me), which he had
already sent to Stettin to his princely highness, and
which might easily cost me my situation. And when
I asked: What his worship’s will was, and excused
myself as much as I could respecting the sermon, he
answered: that he was greatly in need of a faithful
stewardess to set over the other women-folk; and as he
had learned that my little daughter was a faithful and
honest person, I must let her go into his service.
“ Behold!" quoth he, and tapped her on the cheek,


80
THE AMBER WITCH.
thus will I raise thee to honour, albeit thou art so
young; and notwithstanding thou screamest as if I
would bring thee to dishonour. Fie, shame upon
thee !” (My daughter knows all this, yet verbotenus ;*
in troth I might have forgotten it a hundred times over,
for all the woe I had afterward endured.) But she
manifested her displeasure at this by springing up from
the bench, and briefly answered: “I thank you for the
honour, but I will only superintend my father's house-
hold, the same will be greater honour to me !" Where-
upon the younker wended himself to me, asking what
I said thereto? But I must confess that I was in no
little dismay, for as much as I thought of the time to
come, and of the respect in which the younker was
held by his princely highness. Wherefore I humbly
answered: that I could not compel my daughter,
neither did I wish to part with her, seeing that my
blessed housewife had already departed this life during
the sore plague, and I had no other child than she
alone. Wherefore I prayed that his worship would not
be ungracious if I could not send her into his service.
This sore displeased him; and after he had disputed
yet awhile in vain, he took his leave, albeit not with-
out threatening me that he should remember me for
this. Item, my servant, that had been in stable,
heard, that on his going round the corner, he said: “I
shall be sure to catch them.”
This made me again quite faint. hearted, when the
Sunday after, his forester, named Johannes Kurt, a
tall, comely churl, and well-dressed, came to me with a
roebuck tied before him on his horse, and said that his
Worship had honoured me therewith, in the hope that
* Word for word.


THE AMBER WITCH.
I would reconsider the matter in question, seeing that
he had ever since in vain been looking out everywhere
for a stewardess. His worship would likewise,
providing I would so decide, intercede for me
with His princely Highness that the donation of the
Duke Philippi Julii should be delivered up to me out of
the princely ærario, * etc. Howbeit the young man
received the same answer as did his master himself,
and I besought him that he would be so good as to
take the roebuck back again. But this he refused to
do; and as I had perchance told him aforetime, that
venison was my most favourite eating, he promised to
supply me therewith in time to come abundantly, for-
asmuch as there was very much game in the forest,
that he oftentimes went to shoot deer here in the
Streckelberg, and he had a special liking to (I was
agoing to say--my daughter) me, seeing that I would
not do his master's will, who, (in confidence be it
spoken) lets no maiden have any peace, and would
therefore not let my virgin alone. Although I now
refused his venison, he nevertheless brought some, and
came within three weeks four or five times, and be-
came more and more friendly toward my little daughter.
He talked at length also much about his excellent
place, and that he was looking out for a good house-
mistress for himself, when we soon marked whence the
wind blew. Ergof my little daughter answered him,
if verily he was seeking for a housewife, she was sur-
prised that he should lose the time for nought in
riding to Coserow, for here she knew of no housewife
for him; which very sorely displeased him, and he
never came again.
* Treasury.
+ Therefore.


82
THE AMBER WITCH.
.
Now every body would have thought that the Amts-
hauptmann also would have smelled this rat, but never-
theless he soon thereafter came riding up again, and now
freely wooed my little daughter for his forester. He
promised also he would build her a house in the forest;
item, send her pots, dishes, beds, etc., seeing that he
had brought the young fellow up from the time of his
holy baptism, and that he had been well rewarded for
his no less than seven years' honest services. To this my
little daughter answered, that his Worship had already
heard that she only wished to manage her father's
household; that moreover she was much too young
to fill the situation of housekeeper.
But he seemed not displeased thereat; but after he
had in vain discoursed a good while, he went away
friendly as a cat, the which also feigns to leave the
mouse, and creeps into corners, not being in earnest,
and soon springs forth again. So he doubtless saw
that he managed his business very stupidly; therefore
went away to go better about it; and Satan went with
him as he did aforetime with Judas Iscariot.


CHAPTER XIII.
What else took place during this winter; item, how in the
spring, Witchcraft began in the village.
Nothing remarkable had taken place this winter,
excepting that the merciful God gave an abundant
blessing on the Achter-water as well as on the sea, and
good provision came again into the parish, so that of us
it might also have been said, as it is written: “For a
small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mer.
cies will I gather thee."* Wherefore also we became not
weary of praising the Lord for his goodness; while the
congregation of the people did much good to the
church; buying also a new pulpit and altar-cloth, as
the enemy had stolen the other; item, would give me
the money back for the new ones, the which however I
did not accept
Nevertheless about ten peasants in the parish had
yet not been able to get seed-corn for the spring, seeing
that they had spent their gain in cattle and the blessed
bread-corn. Wherefore I made an agreement with
them that I would advance them money for the same,
and if they could not raise sufficient wherewith to pay
me this year, then might it stand over to the next; the
which offer they also accepted thankfully, and thus we
sent circa seven waggons towards Friedland in Meck-
lenburg, to fetch seed-corn for us all. For my dear
brother-in-law Martin Behring, in Hamburg, had
* Isaiah liv. 7.


84
THE AMBER WITCH.
ready transmitted to me per the skipper Wulf, who had
sailed back here at Christmas, 700A. for the amber;
and may the Lord bless him for it.
Furthermore, this winter old Thiemke of Loddin
died, who had been a midwife to the parish, and
specially to my little daughter. But in the latter
time she had little work, forasmuch as I have only
baptized two children this year, as namely, Yung, his
son of Uekeritz, and Lene Heber's little daughter,
the same that the Imperialists had speared. Item, it
is nearly five years since I wedded the last couple.
Whence every one may easily guess that I might have
starved to death, if the righteous God had not other-
wise remembered me for good, and blessed me. To
Him alone therefore be all the glory! Amen!
In the mean time it came to pass not long after that
the Amtshauptmann had been there the last time that
witchcraft began in the village.
I was just sitting and reading with my little daughter
Virgilium, in the second book of the horrible desola-
tion of the city of Troy, the which had been yet more
fearful than ours, when the cry came that our neigh-
bour Zabel's red cow, that he had bought a few days
ago, lay stretched all fours and was about to die, and
that this was a strange thing, seeing that she had been
eating heartily even only half an hour ago. They
prayed my little daughter would come and pluck
three hairs out of her tail and bury the same
under the threshold of the stable ; for they had
heard that, if this be done by a pure virgin that the
cow would get better. Whereupon my little daughter
conformed to their will, for as much as she is the only
virgin in the village (for all the rest were yet chil.


THB AMBER WITCH.
dren) and it was healed also from the self-same hour,
so that every one marvelled. But it dured not long
when something also happened to Witthahn's swine,
whilst eating and in full health. Wherefore she came
running that my little daughter would for God's sake
have compassion and use means also for the cure of
her swine, as wicked men had done something to it.
Wherefore she also had compassion, and it availed
immediately, as at the first time. Notwithstanding
the woman being gravida, travailed from the freight;
and hardly had my little daughter come out of the
stable when she went moaning by, holding and prop-
ping herself against every wall, into her booth, calling
together at the same time, all the women round about,
as the true midwife, as aforesaid, had died, and it lasted
not long when something shot forth from under her on
to the ground. Howbeit when the women stooped
down to see thereafter, there arose from the ground a
devil's-spectre, having wings like a flitter-mouse,
which hummed and rattled about the room, and then
darted with a great noise through the window, so that
the glass jingled into the street. Albeit, as they were
looking after it, it vanished. Now one may sufficiently
judge within one's self what a wide-spread rumour
arose therefrom. And almost the whole village judged,
that no one had wrought this devil's-work saving old
Seden's gloaring-eyed wife.
But the parish soon became perplexed in this their
belief. For the same woman's cow was soon taken in
like manner as all their other cows. Wherefore she
also came running up wailing, that my little daughter
would have compassion on her as she had had com-
passion on others, and for God's sake help her poor


86
THE AMBER WITCH.
cow. She had rebuked her for that she said something
to her touching her service with the Amtshauptmann, but
verily it had been done from a kind heart, etc. Summa:
she persuaded my unlucky child, so that she went with
her and helped her cow also.
In the mean time, every Sunday, 1, and all the con-
gregation, earnestly entreated the Lord, upon our
knees, that he would not suffer that wicked Satan to
take from us again whatsoever his gracious goodness
hath been pleased to vouchsafe unto us after such
manifold tribulation; item, that he would bring the
auctorem of such devil's-work to the light of day, to
recompense him according to his deeds. But all was
of none avail. For, first a few days had passed over,
when something also befel Staffer Zuter, his speckled
cow, and he came running to my little daughter, like
all the rest. Wherefore she also went thither, but it
availed not, and the beast perished almost under her
hands.
Item, Kate Berow had bought unto herself with the
spinning-money, which she had received from my little
daughter this winter, a little pig, the which the poor
wench treated like a child, and had it running about
the room with her. To the same little pig it also hap-
pened like unto the others; howbeit, as my little
daughter was called to it, it likewise proved of none
avail, but it also perished under her hands, and the
poor wench lifted up a great cry, and plucked off her
hair for very anguish, so that my child's bowels of
compassion were moved and she promised her another
little pig as soon as my sow brought forth her young.
In the mean time, well nigh another week passed
øver, while J and all the congregation continued,


THE AMBER WITCH.
877
albeit in vain, to call upon the Lord to vouchsafe unto
us His gracious succour, when something also befel
Seden's little pig; wherfore she ran again with a great
cry to my little daughter, and albeit she told her, that
she assuredly must see, that the means she employed
for the cure of the cattle was no longer of any avail,
nevertheless she ceased not to entreat her with great
wailing and lamentation, till she again arose to succour
her with God's help. But it was also in vain, seeing
that the little pig perished before she left the stall.
But what did now this devil's-whore ?- After that she
had run with much noise about the village, she said,
now in troth every one could see that my little daughter
was no longer a virgin; wherefore else should her means
now no longer be availing, the which had availed
heretofore? Doubtless she had left her virginity in
the Streckelberg, whither this year she had so diligently
trotted, and Heaven knows who may have gotten it!
Howbeit she said nothing more as yet, and all this
came not to our ears till afterwards. And true it is
that my little daughter had, this spring, walked with
and without me into the Streckelberg to gather flowers
for herself and to survey the sea, at which time she
had, according to her wise loudly recited those versus
out of the Virgilio, that pleased her best, for whatsoever
she read a few times, the same she also remembered.
And such walks I also forbade her not; for there were
no longer any wolves in the Streckelberg, and if perad-
venture there had been one found therein, he would have
Aed from the face of man in the time of summer. How-
beit I forbade her to dig for amber; for as now it was
lying too deep, and we wot not what to do with the
abundance of earth dug us, so as not to be bewrayed


88
THE AMBER WITCH.
thereby, I therefore resolved not to tempt the Lord,
but to wait till my stock of money should be getting low,
before that we dug again.
But this she did not, albeit she had promised to do
it, and from this disobedience arose all our misery.
(Ah, thou blessed God, what a serious thing is thy holy
fourth commandment!) For, as Rev. Johannes Lampius
of Crummin, the same that had visited me in the spring,
told me, that the Cantor in Wolgast wished to sell his
opp. St. Augustini,* and I said in her presence that
for my life dearly would I have liked to have bought
them, but had not the money to spare, she arose in
the night, without my knowledge, to dig for amber,
to convert the same into money as well as she could,
and at my birth-day, which falleth on the 28th mensis
Augusti,t privily to present me with the opp. St. Augustini.
But the up-dug earth she had always covered over with
fir-twigs, wherein the heath abounded, that no man
might mark anything.
Howbeit in the mean time it came to pass that the
young Nobilis Rudiger of Nienkerken came riding up
one day to get some information touching the great
witchery, that was reported to be going on in the
village here. When I had recounted to him thereof
he shook his head in unbelief, and thought that all
witchcraft was very lies and fraud, whereat I was sorely
afraid, seeing that I had regarded the young lord as
a wiser man, but now I saw that he was an Atheist.
Perceiving this he asked smiling, whether I had ever
read Johannem Witrum,t who would have nothing to
* The works of St. Augustin. Of the month of August.
1 A Netherlandish physician, who long before Spee and Tho-


THB AMBER WITCH.
89
do with witchcraft, and argued that all witches were
melancholy persons, who only fancy to themselves that
they had formed a pactum with the devil, and seemed
to him more worthy of pity-than of punishment ?
Hereupon I answered, that in troth I had not read the
same; (for say, who can read all that fools write ?)
but our own eyes verily showed here, and in all places
that it was a monstrous error, to deny the existence of
witchcraft, inasmuch as one might as well also deny
that there was any murder, adultry, or theft in the
world.
But this argumentum he called a dilemma, and after
that he had disputed much about the devil, the which
I have forgotten, for as much as it strongly savoured
of heresy, he said that he would recount to me one
case of witchcraft that happened in Wittenberg, and
whereof he himself had been an eye-witness.
When, namely, an Imperial Captain there had one
morning mounted his good steed at the Elster-gate,
to inspect his little flag, it immediately began to rage
so furiously, rear, shake its head, snort, roar, and run,
not as horses are wont to do, in that they neigh, but
this sounded as if the voice came from a human throat,
so that everybody marvelled and regarded the horse as
masius attacked the nuisance of the belief in witchery of his
time in a work entitled Confutatio Opinionum de Magorum Dae-
monomia, Frankfurth, 1590. He himself, however, was down-
cried by Bodinus and others, as the worst of all Wizards. And
certainly it is strange that the same free-thinking man had in a
previous work, De Praestigiis Daemonum, treated at large of the
doctrines of exorcisms of the spirits, and therein set forth the
whole of hell, with the names and surnames of its 572 princes of
devils


90
THE AMBER WITCH.
bewitched. Indeed it threw the captain off forthwith,
and as he lay on the ground it trod on his skull with its
hoof, kicked violently, and would have done more mis-
chief had not a trooper fired off his pistol at the bewitch-
ed steed, so that it instantly dropped down dead. He
went up also with the rest; for inasmuch as the colone
had forthwith given orders to the field-surgeon to cut
open the steed, for to see how it was within. But all
was right, and both field-surgeon and field-physician
testified that it was a thoroughly sound horse ; where-
fore all the people clamoured yet more grievously
against witchcraft. In the mean time, however, he
himself (understand; the young Nobilis) had seen that
a fine smoke issued from the nostrils of the steed, and
as he stooped down, he had immediately pulled forth a
lunt, almost of a finger's length, the which was yet
burning, and which a knave had privily poked into his
nostrils with a needle. Then all the witchery vanished
in the twinkling of an eye, and they sought for the
evil-doer, who was also soon found, namely, the groom
of the captain himself. For his master having given
him a sound thrashing, he took an oath, which the
provost had heard himself, who chanced to be standing
by the stall, that he would make him pay for it:
item, another groom testified that he had seen how the
fellow had cut off a piece of the lunt, shortly before he
brought out the horse for his master.—Thus in like
manner, thought the young nobleman, was it with all
witchcraft, if searched into the ground thereof; as in
troth I had myself also seen in Gutzkow, where the
devil's-spectre had been a shoemaker, and so would it
doubtless likewise be in the village here. Because of


THE AMBER WITCH.
91
this speech, however, my heart turned away from the
younker from that very hour, as from an atheist; albeit,
in after-time, I saw to my sorrow that he had been
quite right, for had it not been for the younker, verily,
what would have become of my child ?
Howbeit I will not anticipate.-Summa: I walked
about the room exceedingly troubled at these words,
and now the younker began to dispute with my little
daughter touching witchcraft, first in German, then in
Latin, whatsoever came to his tongue first, and then
called upon her to give her opinion likewise. But she
answered that she was a stupid thing, and could have
no opinion; but that nevertheless she believed that
the ghost here in the village must have something to
do with witchcraft. Hereat the maid called me aside
(I no longer remember what she wanted), but when I
came into the room again, my little daughter was as
red as scarlet, and the younker stood right before her.
Wherefore I asked her, as soon as he had ridden off,
whether anything had happened; the which, however,
she at first denied, but (not until) afterwards confessed :
that in my absence he had said that he only knew one
person that could bewitch ; and when she asked him who
the same person was, he had seized her hand and said :
“ It is thou, thyself, dear virgin; for I feel thou hast
wrought something in my heart." But more than this
he did not say, only be, at the same time, stared her
in the face with such glowing eyes, that therefore she
had thus blushed.
But such is the wise of maidens; they ever have
their secrets, whensoever one's back is turned, and
true is the proverb:


92
THB AMBER WITCH.
Matens to hoden
Un Kucken to moten
Sall den Duwel sulfst vertreten !*
As also it will be found by and by.
* i.e. To have to watch over girls and chickens is enough to
provoke the very devil himself; at the same time it ought to be
observed that the picturesque word moten has no equivalent term
in the English language to express it, and which properly signi-
fies : to guard or protect, with outstretched arms, the corn, or
any other alluring object, from the intrusion of animals,


93
CHAPTER XIV.
How old Seden suddenly, vanished; item, the great Gustavus
Adolphus afterward cometh to Pomerania, and taketh
possession of the fortress of Peenemunde.
As touching witchcraft, every thing was now quiet for
a good while, saving the caterpillars, that lamentably
ruined my orchard, and the which assuredly was a
strange thing. For the trees all blossomed so lovely
and sweet, that my dear daughter one day said, as we
walked about under them, and praised the almighty
power of the merciful God: "if the Lord be pleased to
vouchsafe his blessing unto us furthermore, then will it
be heiliger Christ (Christmas) with us all the winter!"
But the Lord had ordained it otherwise. For, on
looking around, there were found so many caterpillars
(great and small, also of all manner of colour and
shade) upon the trees, that one might have meted
them almost with bushels; and it lasted not long, ere
my poor little trees looked altogether like unto besom-
twigs, and the precious fruit hanging thereon fell off,
and was hardly befitting my pig to eat. I will not
hereby think evil of any one, albeit I thenceforth had
my own thoughts thereon, and have them yet. As for
the rest, my barley-corn, whereof I had scattered, circa
3 Sheffels in the fenced ground, stood very well. But
I had not sowed anything in the field, seeing that I
feared the wickedness of that abominable Satan. But


THE AMBER WITCH.
the parish-folk had no great blessing of corn this year,
forasmuch as they, in a great measure from sore dis-
tress, had not sown any winter-seed, and the summer-
seed would not thrive well. Otherwise, of fishes
caught, they had, by the blessing of God, in all villages
a great abundance, specially of herrings, the which,
however, are cheap. Likewise they slew many a sea-
dog, and I myself slew one about Whitsuntide, as I
was walking by the sea-shore with my little daughter.
The same lay upon a stone, close to the water, and
snoared like unto a man. Wherefore I took off my
shoes from off my feet, and sneaked up to him unawares,
whereupon I smote him with my staff, in such a man-
ner, over the nose (for he can bear little thereon), that
he directly tumbled into the water. Stunned by the
blow, I could easily dispatch him. It was a fat beast,
albeit not very large, and we extracted well nigh forty
pots of train-oil out of him, which we determined to
preserve for winter use.
In the meantime, however, it came to pass, that
something suddenly happened to old Seden, insomuch
that he desired to have the holy sacrament adminis-
tered unto him. He could give no reason, when I
came unto him, but I rather think that he would not do
so, for fear of his old Lise, who, with her gloaring eyes,
ever watched him, and never went out of the room.
Besides, Zuter, his little maid, a child circa twelve years,
is said to have heard at the garden-fence in the street
where she was plucking grass for the cattle, that the
man and his wife had a few days before been quar-
relling together again, and that the old man told her
that he had now positively ascertained that she had an
evil spirit, and he would forthwith go to the priest and


THE AMBER WITCH.
96
tell it unto him. Although these are only childish
stories, they may, nevertheless, be true, seeing that
children and fools, as they say,generally speak the truth.
Howbeit I leave this for what it is worth. Summa :
matters got ever worse with my old churchwarden; and
when I, as is my wont with the sick, visited him every
morn and eve for to pray with him, and oftentimes,
indeed, marked that he had as yet something on his
mind, he nevertheless could not bring forth anything,
seeing that old Lise ever stood at her post.
Thus things remained for a time, when he one day
about noon sent to me, saying, “ that he wished I
could scrape him a little silver out of the communion
cup, for as much as he had been counselled that then
he should get better if he took the same with hen-dung.
I would not go about it for a long time, seeing that I
directly suspected that there was some devil's work at
the bottom of it, but he teased me so long, that I let
him have his will.
And, lo! it made him whole from that very hour, so
that at eve, when I came to pray with him, he was
already sitting upon the bench with a pot betwixt his
knees, whereout he sipped his soup. Howbeit he would
not pray (a marvellous thing, for that at other times he
would lief have prayed, and oftentimes could hardly
await till I came, so that he sent for me weil unto twice
or thrice, if it so happened that I was not instantly at
hand, or had some business elsewhere), but said, he
had already prayed; and that for my trouble he would
give me the cock for my Sunday's soup, whereof he had
taken the dung, as he had nothing better. And the
hens were already at roost; he went up to the roost,
the which he kept in the room behind the stove, and


96
THE AMBER WITCH.
reached down the cock, and put it under the arm of my
maid, who had come to call me away.
I would not have eaten the cock for anything in the
world, so I set him adrift. As I was going away, I
asked him again whether I should return thanks unto
God on the Sunday for his late mercy vouchsafed unto
him; whereupon, however, he answered, that I might
do as I pleased about that. Wherefore I left his house,
shaking my head, and resolved to send for him directly
I got to know that his old Lise was not at home, (for she
oftentimes went to the Amtshauptmann to fetch flax to
spin. But behold what happened already a few days
after! There was a rumour that old Seden was mis.
sing, and no man knew what had become of him. His
wife thought he had gone to the Streckelberg; where-
fore, this accursed hag came running to me with great
howling, and enquired of my little daughter whether
she had not seen her old man running about there,
forasmuch as she went unto the berg (mount) every day.
My little daughter said, no; howsoever, to God be my
complaint, she was to hear enough of him. For as
she one morning, ere the sun had yet arisen, came
back from her forbidden digging-work, and descended
into the forest, she suddenly heard on one side a green-
speck(the which assuredly had been old Lise herself)
crying so lamentably, that she went into the bushes
to see what was the matter. Thus sate this wood-
pecker upon the ground, before a tuft of hair, as red,
and altogether like old Seden's, but on getting sight
of her he made a great noise with his bill, and forth-
with crept into a knot-hole. While my little daughter
yet stood looking at this devil's--spectre, came old
Paasch, who had also heard the noise, and had been


THE AMBER WITCH.
hewing wood for himself and with his lad Shingles in
the mount, also running up, and became affrighted in
like manner, on beholding the hair on the ground.
At first they thought that a wolf had devoured him ;
then they looked about all over, but found not so much
as one little bone. But on looking on high it appeared
unto them as if on the top of the tree above, there
was also something red glimmering; wherefore they
made the lad climb up the tree, where presently he
cried out that here also there was a good deal of red
hair lying upon some leaves, the which had been cleav-
ing together with the leaves, as with pitch. But it
was no pitch; it looked red and white, speckled like
the entrails of fishes. Item, the leaves round about,
where, there was no hair, were of divers colours, and
speckled, and full of horrible stench. Whence the
lad at the bidding of his master, threw down the clot-
ted twig, and at the same time called down to them
both, that he was sure that this was old Seden's hair
and brain, and that the devil had taken him alive, be-
cause he would not pray and thank the Lord for re-
storing him from his sickness. This I also believed
myself, and represented it likewise to my congregation
on the Sunday. But by and by it will be seen that the
Lord had had other causes to give him up into the
hands of the wicked Satan, seeing that he had suffered
himself to be persuaded by his wicked wife to depart
from his Creator only to get better again. For the pre-
sent, however, this devil's-whore feigned yet, as if the
greatest calamity had befallen her, forasmuch as she
plucked out her red hair by whole handfuls, as soon
as she heard of the green-speck through my daughter
and old Paasch, and lamented that she was now left a


98
THE AMBER WITCH.
poor widow, and who would provide for her in time
to come, etc.
In the mean time we celebrated, even at this deso-
late coast, (as well as we could) the 25th day mensis
Junii, with the whole protestant church, when now
one hundred years ago, the states of the holy Roman
Empire Jaid their Augsburg Confession before the
high and mighty Emperor, Carolo V.; and I delivered
a sermon on Matth. x. 32, of the right confession of
our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ; whereafter the
whole congregation partook of the sacrament. How-
ever toward even of the self-same day, as I was walk-
ing with my little daughter toward the sea, we saw
about Ruden, many hundred masts of great and small
ships, and also heard a notable firing, and forthwith
concluded that it might be the high and mighty King,
Gustavus Adolphus, who had now come according to his
promise, to the help of poor enthralled Christendom.
But whiles thus judging, a boat from Oie* came sailing
up, wherein sate Kate Berow's son, the same that is a
boor, and wished to visit his old mother. The same
recounted that it verily was the king, who had this
morning run up to Ruden with his feet from Rugen,
whereat a few Oier folk, who were fishing, saw that
he forthwith had landed with his officers, and then
fallen on his knees with uncovered head. +
Ah! thou righteous God, then had I, thy unworthy
servant, on that blessed even, a ģet greater joy of ju-
bilee, than on the blessed morn, and one may readily
guess that I lingered not forthwith to fall upon my
* Ruden and Oie, two little islands between Usedom and
Rugen.
See also The Atrum Europæum. J. 226 A.


THE AMBER WITCA.
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 mur-
der 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 be-
fallen Vithen's lad. I was ready to believe it to be the work
of witchcraft also; but at this time it was not so, see-
ing 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 Amts-
hauptmann, that on the 29th June, at ten o'clock in the
morning, he would appoint three guides to be ready wait-
ing 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.


100
THE AMBER WITCH.
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 right-
eous 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 Cose-
row. 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
uet 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


THE AMBER WITCH.
101
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 Cose-
row, 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 Sun-
day at church, and most heartily prayed unto the Lord
for his majesty, we could hardly await the blessed
Tuesday for exceedinggreat joy.
* Poetic vein.


102
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 (foras-
much 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,t 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,
as she continued pleasantly, could she appear on the
morrow as a pure virgin in the presence of his Majesty.
* In elegiac metre. A small lake near the sea.


THE AMBER WITCH.
103
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 assem-
bled, 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 venus-
tissima 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.


104
THE AMBER WITCH.
whereat, however, he answered, that he would wait so
long in the room, and that we might walk together,
Summa: I excused myself again before this younker,
but what availed it ? As he would not go away, I was
obliged to wink at it, and soon thereafter we went
together to the gate, where first of all I picked three
hearty churls out of the crowd, that they should go
to the tower and begin to ring the bells as soon as they
should see me upon the rock and waving my handker-
chief. This they promised to do, and forthwith went away,
whereupon I seated myself with my little daughter
upon the rock, and assuredly thought the younker
would maintain his dignity, but he did it not, but sate
himself with us upon the rock. Thus sat we three,
quite alone there, and all the people stared at us; how-
beit no one came near to behold my little daughter's
attire, not even the young damsels, who were wont to
do so at other times, which did not strike me till after-
ward, when I ascertained how matters already stood
with us at that time. About nine of the clock came
Hans von Nienkerken and Wittich Appelman, gallop-
ping up, and forthwith old Nienkerken called his son
away, in a violent tone, and as he did not hear directly,
he sprang up to us near to the rock, and cried so loud,
that all the world might hear: “ Canst thou not hear,
lad, when thy father calls thee ! ” whereupon he fol-
lowed him loathly, and from the distance we saw that
he threatened his son, and spat out at him. Howbeit
we wot not yet what this meant, but soon, alas, we were
to find it out from painful experience. Presently,
thereafter, came also the two Lepels, of Gnitze,* from the
way of Damerow, and the noblemen greeted each other
upon the green sward, close by us, albeit without look-
* A small peninsula in Usedom,


THE AMBER WITCH.
-
103
ing at us. And I heard the Lepels, that had come
that way, say, that there was no appearance as yet of
his Majesty; but the Scheren-fleet* about Ruden be-
gan already to move, and came sailing along, many
hundred ships in number. As many had heard this,
all the people forthwith rushed to the sea (which is
only a very little way from the rock) and even the
noblemen rode up, saving Wittich, who had dismounted
from his horse, and.seeing that I sent old Paasch, his
boy, into a high oak, to look out for the King, he again
made up to my little daughter, who sate quite alone
upon the rock, asking her: “ Wherefore did she not
take his huntsman, and whether she would not consider
the matter over again, and take him yet, or otherwise
enter into his (the Amtshauptmaun's) service; for if
she refused to do so, he thought that she might have to
repent of it.” Whereat she, as she said, answered him ;
that she was only sorry for one thing, and that was, that
His Worship should give himself so much trouble
about it, and saying this, she hastily rose up, and came
to me by the tree, where I was looking after the boy,
as he was climbing up. But our old Ilse said, that he
uttered a great curse when my little daughter turned
her back on him, and forthwith went into the alder-
wood, that runneth up close to the highway, and where
the old hag, Lise Kolken, was also standing.
Meanwhile, however, I also went with my little
daughter to the sea-side, and found it to be true that
the whole fleet was coming over from Ruden and Oie,
and steering toward Wolgast; many ships also passed
so close by us, that we could see the soldiers upon
them, and their weapons glitter. Item, we heard the
horses neigh, and the war-folk laugh. On one of them
* A fleet composed of small Swedish ships.


106
THE AMBER WITCHI.
we heard the drums beat, and upon another sheep and
cows bleat. But whiles thus looking on, we presently
perceived some smoke issuing from one of the ships,
followed by a great crack, so that we soon after saw the
ball running along the surface of the water, whereby it
foamed and spouted round about, and coming direct
upon us. Wherefore the people dispersed in all direc-
tions, whereat we clearly heard the troops upon the
ships laugh heartily. But the ball forthwith rose on
high, and struck an oak close by Paasch's lad, so that
about two fuders of shrubs fell to the ground, with a
tremendous crash by the blow, and overstrewed the
way, where his majesty had to come. Then the lad
would no longer abide on the tree, howmuchsoever I
exhorted him thereto, but cried whiles climbing down,
that a great multitude of troops were now coming out
of the wood of Damerow, and that this verily might be
the king. Wherefore the Amtshauptmann speedily com-
manded the way to be cleared, and this lasted some
time, forasmuch as the thick branches and twigs had
got fastened among the trees all round; the noblemen
purposed, when all was ready, to ride off to meet his
Majesty, but halted upon the little sward, seeing that
close before us, in the wood, a great sound of vehicles,
horses, and voices were heard.
Nor did it last long before the cannons appeared
with the three guides seated thereon. As I knew one
of them, who was Stoffer Krauthahn of Peenemunde,
I went up and besought him to tell me, when the king
was coming. But he answered, that he was going
further with the cannons, even to Coserow, and that
I need only have my eye upon the tall dark man, having
on his head a hat with a feather, and a golden chain


THE AMBER WITCH.
107
about his neck, for the same was the king, who was
riding immediately behind the main-flag, whereon was
the golden lion. Wherefore I watched the train
narrowly as it broke forth out of the wood. Thus came
after the artillery, first the Finlandish and Laplandish
archers, who in the middle of the summer, to my
astonishment, trotted along yet clad in pelts. There-
after came much folk, the which I did not get to know
what they were. Then presently I saw over the hazel-
bush, which stood in my way so that I could not ob-
serve everything at once as it came past the bush, the
great head-flag with the lion, and behind the same
also the head of an exceeding dark man with a chain of
gold about his neck, so that I concluded that this must
be the king. Wherefore I waved my kerchief toward
the tower, whereat the bells immediately struck up,
and whiles the dark man rode nearer to us, I pulled
off my little cap, fell upon my knee and began to sing
the Ambrosian hymn, wherein all the folk joined me,
also took off their hats from their heads, and sunk down
on all sides singing upon the earth, men, women, and
children, saving the noble folk, that quietly halted on
the little grassy hill, and not until they saw that his
Majesty stopped his horse (a coal black stead and just
halted with his forefeet on the piece of ground where
I was, the which I considered as a token for good)
took they also their hats off and demeaned themselves
with great humility. After we had finished, the
Amtshauptmann dismounted speedily from his horse and
would go with his three guides, that walked behind him,
to the king; item, I had taken my little daughter by
the hand and would also go to the king. Then his
Majesty beckoned to the Amtshauptmann to go aside,


108
THE AMBER WITcн.
whereupon I saluted his majesty in latin and extolled
his generous heart, in that he would visit the German
soil for the defence and help of poor oppressed Chris-
tendom, and that I considered as a sign from God,
that this should just happen at the very jubilee of our
poor church. Furthermore that his majesty would
be graciously pleased to accept of something which my
little daughter thought of presenting to him ; where-
upon his Majesty looked at her with a pleasant smile.
This friendly demeanour inspired her again with con-
fidence, as before this she had evidently trembled, and
she answered, whiles handing to him a blue and yellow
wreath, whereon lay the carmen :-accipe hanc vilem
coronam et haec ;* whereupon she began to offer up the
carmen. Meanwhile his Majesty became more and more
pleased, looked at her and at the carmen, and nodded
kindly with his head when coming to the conclusion,
the which was as follows:--
“ tempus erit, quo tu reversus hostibus ultor
intrabis patriæ libera regna meæ ;
tunc meliora student nostræ tibi carmina musæ
tunc tua, maxime rex, Martia facta canam
tu modo versiculis ne spernas vilibus ausum
auguror et res est ista futura brevi!
six fælix, fortisque diu, vive optime princeps,
omnia, et ut possis vincere, dura. Vale! +
When she left off speaking His Majesty said: pro-
* Accept this trivial wreath, and this.
+ A time will come, when thou from vanquished foes,
Shalt bring our country Freedom and Repose,
Then shall my Muse in loftier numbers sing,
Thy deeds of martial prowess, mighty king.
Despise not thou this poor and feeble lay,
And soon, I trust, shall dawn that brighter day.
Farewell, best Prince-Life, Valour, Fortune, still
Be thine, triumphant o'er opposing ill,


THE AMBER WITCH.
109
prius accedas patria virgo, ut te osculer ! * whereupon
she stepped up to him blushing at the side of his horse.
Then methought, he would only kiss her on the fore-
head as the potentates are wont to do, but no! he
kissed her straight on her lips, so that it smacked, and
his long hat-feathers hung down upon her neck, so as
to make me feel quite uneasy about her. Howbeit he
soon raised himself up again, took off his golden-chain,
whereto his portrait was attached, and hung it about
the neck of my little daughter, with these words:
hocce tuæ pulchritudini! et si favente deo redux fuero
victor, promissum carmen et præterea duo oscula exspectot
Hereupon the Amtshauptmann came up again with his
three churls and bowed himself to the ground before
His Majesty. But as he did not know latin, item, nor
Italian or French, I forthwith played the interpreter.
For His Majesty asked how far it was to Swine, and
whether there were many foreign troops there? And
the Amtshauptmann thought that there were still two
hundred life guards encamped there; whereupon His
Majesty gave the spur to his steed, and with a friendly
nod, exclaimed : valete !!
Now troth came forth the other troops, circa three
thousand strong, out of the bush, which also looked
well and played no tricks, as is their wont generally,
whiles they passed our crowd and the women and
walked along very comely to behold. Then followed
we the train even beyond Coserow as far as the wood,
where we commended them to the keeping of the Al-
mighty, and every man went his way home again.
* Come nearer, patriotic maiden, that I may kiss thee.
+ This for thy beauty, and should I with God's help return vic-
torious, I shall expect the promised poem and two kisses besides
I Fare ye well!


110
CHAPTER XVI.
How little Maria Paasch becometh sorely tormented by
the Devil, and all my Flock forsaketh me.
Before I go any further I will first mention that His
most gracious Highness, King Gustavus Adolphus, (as
the news soon reached us,) had cut down circa three
hundred life-guardsmen, and after that set sail for
Stettin. God be gracious unto him evermore. Amen!
But now my troubles increased from day to day,
seeing that the devil became as busy as he had ever
been before. I verily believed that God had inclined
his ear to our fervent supplications, albeit it pleased
him to visit us yet with greater afflictions. For a few
days after the arrival of his most gracious Highness
King G. A., it was rumoured that my daughter's little
god-child was possessed and grievously tormented of
the devil, so that no man could keep her in bed at
home. Wherefore my little daughter forthwith arose and
went to her little god-child, but soon returned weeping,
that old Paasch would not suffer her to see her, but
spake sharply to her and said, she should never come
into his house again, forasmuch as his child had got-
ten it from the wheat-bread l had given her in the
morning. And it is true that my little daughter had
given her some, as the maid the day before had been
in Wolgast, and brought back a cloth full of little
wheaten loaves.
These tidings vexed ine very sorely, and after I had


THE AMBER WITCH.
111
put on my priest-gown I arose and went to old Paasch
to cast out that abominable Satan, and to turn away
this reproach from my child. Whence I found the old
man upon the floor weeping, and after that I had said
“the peace of God," I asked him first, whether he
verily believed that his little Marie had gotten it from
the wheaten bread, the which my little daughter had
given unto her, he said : yes! and when thereat I
answered: that then I myself must have gotten it; item,
Pagel's little maid, seeing that we also had eaten of the
wheaten bread, he was silent, and then asked with a
sigh: if I would not go into the room, and see how it
was. As I then entered in “with the peace of God”
there were about six persons standing round little
Marie's bed; she had her eyes closed, and was as stift
as a board; wherefore Stoffer Wels (being a young and
strong fellow) took hold of the child by one leg,
stretched it out like a stake, that I might see how the
devil tormented it. As I now began to pray, and Satan
perceived that a servant of Christ had come, he began
to make such a dreadful noise in the child, that it was
grievous to look upon. For she struck about with her
hands and feet in such a manner that scarcely four men
could hold her ; item, her belly heaved up and down as
violently as if a living creature moved therein, so that
old hag Lise Kolken at length seated herself thereon.
As it became a little better, I called upon the child to
say the belief* in order to see whether it was really the
devil wherewith she was possessedt, but it became even
* The Apostolic Creed.
+ it was supposed in that terrible time, that, if the sick could
repeat the three Articles, and in addition thereto, a few texts of
scripture having immediate reference to the work of redemption,


112
THE AMBER WITCR.
worse than before, seeing she began to gnash with her
teeth, to turn up her eyes, and to knock about so
awfully with her hands and feet as to throw her father,
who held one of her legs, almost into the middle of the
room, and then so bruised her leg against the bedstead,
that the blood gushed forth; item, Lise Kolken rose
up and down on her little belly, like unto a man sitting
in a swing. And when after this I ceased not to ad-
jure Satan to come out of her, she first began to howl
and then to bark like unto a dog, item, to laugh, and at
last spake with a gruff bass voice like unto that of an
old man; “I shall not go away!" But, troth, he should
have gone away, if father and mother had not adjured
me by God's Sacrament to let their poor child be in
peace, seeing that surely it availed nothing, but rather
grew worse and worse with her. Wherefore of neces-
sity I ceased from my purpose, and only exhorted the
parents that they, like unto the woman of Canaan,
should seek for help in true repentance and instant
prayer, and with her also cry evermore in faith : 0 *
Lord, thou son of David, have mercy on me; my daughter
isgrievously vexed with a devil,* then would the Saviour's
heart soon be moved with compassion, so that he would
have mercy on her little daughter, and command Satan
to depart from out of her. Item, I promised to pray for
her on Sunday with all the congregation, and entreated
them, if any wise possible, to carry her into the
church, considering that a fervent prayer of the church
passeth through the clouds and entereth into the ears
of the Lord God of Sabaoth. This she promised to
he could not be possessed, forasmuch as “no man can say, that
Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1 Cor. xii. 3.
* Matth. xv. 22.


THE AMBER WITCH.
113
do, and now I went home sorrowful, but soon heard
that she was getting a little better, whence it was
again verified, that Satan hateth nothing more, (ex-
cepting the Lord Jesus,) than the servants of the gospel.
But stay, he shall yet bruise thy head,* whatsoever
thou mayest do!
Howbeit, even before the blessed Sunday came, I
perceived that every one went out of my way in the
village, as well as in all the parish, where I visited the
sick. When, specially as I went to the young Tittel-
witz in Uekeritz, it happened to me, as follows: Clas
Pieper, the boor, was standing in his court cleaving
wood, but on getting sight of me he forthwith threw
away his axe, so that it stuck into the earth, and ran in-
to his swine-stall, whilst he crossed himself. Where-
fore I beckoned unto him that he should stop, and
asked him: Wherefore he ran away from me, his
confessor? whether he thought that my little daughter
had bewitched her little god-child ?
Ille :f Yes' that he verily believed, forasmuch as all
the parish believed it.
Ego: Wherefore then had she been so kind to her
aforetime, and in the most grievous famine treated her
like unto a little sister!
Ille: She had doubtless wrought more than this.
Ego: What then had she wrought ?
Ille: That signifies nought.
Ego : He must tell it unto me, or I would deliver
him up to the judge.
Ille: I ought to do that by all means, and then went
his way in defiance.
* Gen. iii. 15. + He, the former.


114
THE AMBER WITCH.
And now it may easily be guessed that I neglected
nothing in finding out what it was that the folk thought
my little daughter had wrought, but no man would tell
me anything, so that I might have vexed and grieved
myself to death because of this false and evil report.
Neither came any child all this week to my little
daughter to school, and when I sent out my maid to
know the cause thereof, she came back with the report,
that the little children were either sick, or the parents
would keep them at home to work. Wherefore I
guessed and guessed, but all of no avail, till the
blessed Sunday came, when I thought I would ada
minister the Holy Sacrament to all the people, seeing
that many of them had already given notice before
to come to the Lord's table. Howbeit it seemed strange
to me that I saw none standing in the church-yard,
as heretofore they were wont to do; but I thought they
had gone into their houses. When, however, I came
into the church with my little daughter, there were
only six persons assembled, with Lise Kolken in the
midst, and no sooner this cursed hag saw my little
daughter coming after me, then forthwith she crossed
herself and ran out of the church again, whereupon the
remaining five, together with my only warden, Claus
Bulken, (for I had not as yet taken one in the room of
old Seden,) followed her. I waxed wroth so that my
blood began to boil within me, and I shook in such a
manner that I fell with my shoulder against the con-
fessional. Wherefore my little daughter, to whom I
had not yet told anything, to spare her feelings,
inquired : “Father, what aileth the folk?-perchance
they are also possessed ?” Whereat I came to myself
again and went into the church-yard to look after them.


THE AMBER WITCH.
115
But they were all gone, saving my warden, Claus
Bulken, who was standing nigh to a linden-tree, and
whistling a hymn to himself. Then went I up to him
and asked what had come to the people? Whereat
he answered, that he wot not. And when again I asked,
wherefore then he himself had run away ?--he said:
what should he have done in the church alone, seeing
that the Kling-beutel* could not have gone round.
Whence I conjured bim to tell me in troth, what
horrible suspicion against me had gotten among the
people? But he answered; I should soon find it out
myself, and sprang over the wall, and went into old
Lise's house, the which stood close by the church-yard.
My dear daughter had prepared veal broth for dinner,
which at other times I preferred to everything, never.
theless I could not swallow a spoonful, but sat leaning
my head on my hand, and pondering whether I should
reveal to her the matter or not. In the mean time
came in the old maid, quite ready for a journey, and
with a cloth full of things in her hand, beseeching me,
weeping, “ that I should send her away." My poor
child waxed pale like unto a corpse, and asked her,
astounded, “what had come to her ?” But she merely
answered: “Nothing !” and wiped her eyes with her
apron. When I had regained my speech, that had nigh
left me, forasmuch as I saw that this old faithful woman
had also turned against me, I began to examine her,
wherefore she would go away, seeing that she had
abidden with me so long, neither would leave us even
in the sore famine, but faithfully endured ; verily more-
* More properly Klingel-beutel, a purse with a bell, with which
the Church wardens go about the church during the service and
collect alms from the congregation.


116
THE AMBER WITCH.
over had confounded and humbled me with her faith,
and exhorted us steadfastly to endure to the end,--all
which acts that she had done should never be forgotten
while I had my being. Hereupon she began to cry,
to weep, and to sob the more bitterly, and at length
broke forth : “ That she had yet a mother about eighty
years old, abiding in Liepe, and she would go thither to
comfort the same to her life's end.” Whereupon my
little daughter sprang up and answered, weeping:
“Ah, old Ilse, wilt thou therefore go away? surely not,
for troth thy aged mother is with thy brother; tell me
then, I pray thee, wherefore it is that thou wilt leave
us, and what I have done unto thee, that I may make
peace between us again ?” But she hid her face in her
apron and sobbed, without uttering a word; whence
my little daughter would draw away her apron and
stroke her cheeks to make her speak. Howbeit when
she saw this, she struck at my poor child's hand,
crying: “Fie!" and spat out before her, and forthwith
went out of the door. The like she had never done
before since my dear daughter was a little child ; and
we both were so sore vexed that we could not speak,
nay, never a word.
Howbeit it lasted not long before my poor child
lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and threw herself
on the seat and wept, evermore calling out, " what is
the matter? What has happened ?" Wherefore I
thought I must tell her what I had heard, namely,
that she was regarded by the people as a witch, whereat
she began to smile instead of to weep the more bit-
terly, and ran out of the door for to overtake the maid
that had already left the house, as we had seen. How-
ever after an hour's time she came back with a great


THE AMBER WITCI.
117
cry, that all the people in the village had run away
from her, when she wished to enquire of them whither
the maid was gone to. Item, all the little children that
she taught in her school, screamed, and ran away and
hid themselves for fear of her, neither did any man
answer her so much as a word, but spat at her, in like
manner as did the maid. Nevertheless on the way home
she heard that a boat was already on the water, then she
ran speedily down to the water side, and cried with all
her might after old Ilse, who was already being seated
in the boat. But she never heeded any thing, neither
did she even once turn round to look, but beckoned
with her hand for her to go away.
And now continued she to weep and to sob all the
day and all the night long, so that I was more wretched
than aforetime in the sore famine. Howbeit greater
sorrows were yet appointed unto me, as will be seen
in the following chapter.


.
118
118
CHAPTER XVII.
How my poor child is apprehended as a Witch, and led
away to Pudgla.
The day after, Monday the 12th July, in the morn-
ing about eight of the clock, whiles sitting and talking
over our troubles (and who could have wrought for us
these sorrows of heart? we soon agreed that it had been
none other than that accursed hag Lise Kolken,) a
carriage with four horses came driving up before my
house, whereon sat six churls, who instantly sprang
down. Twain of them went to take their stand at the
fore-door, other twain at the back or Achter-door, and
twain again (one of these being Jacob Knake, the bea-
dle) came into the room and gave me an open writing
from the Amtshauptmann, that my little daughter being
commonly reported to be a notorious witch, should, by
act of the penal laws, be taken and examined. Now
every one will easily conceive for himself, how I must
have felt in my heart when I read this. I fell to the
ground like a hewn-down tree, and did not come to
myself again till my little daughter threw herself upon
me with a great cry, and her tears flowed down warm
upon my face. But when she saw that I came to my-
self again, she began to praise God for it with a loud
voice, also sought to comfort me, seeing that verily she
was guiltless and had a conscience void of offence
toward all men, wherewith she could appear before her
judge; item, quoted she to me that sweet little text-


THE AMBER WITCH.
119
Matth. v. 11. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile
you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely for my sake.”
Then she besought me that I would but arise and
put on my coat and come with her, for without me she
would not consent to be brought before the Amtshaupt-
mann. In the mean time, however, all the village folk,
men, women, and children, had rushed up to the door
but behaved themselves quietly, and only looked in at
the windows as if they would look through the house.
When we had both made ourselves ready, and the beadle
who at first would not take me with him, but recon-
sidered the matter on seeing the Trink-geld," the which
my little daughter had put into his hand, we went to
the carriage, but I was so powerless that I could not
get up.
Then old Paasch, seeing this, came and helped me
into the carriage, saying: “God comfort ye !-what
sorrows have ye to live to see on yen own child !" and
kissed my hand whiles bidding me farewell.
Other folk came up to the carriage, wishing to follow
it, but I besought them that they would not make my
heart heavier still, and only have a christian eye to my
house and the things pertaining thereunto, until my
return. Item, that they would continue steadfast in
prayer for me and my little daughter, that that abomi-
nable satan, who for so long a time had been going
about in our village as a roaring lion, and is now
threatening to devour me, even myself, might not ac-
complish his will, but leave me and my child, as he did
the spotless Saviour in the wilderness. But to this
* Literally drinking-money, fee to servants and other subor-
dinates; sometimes also a bribe.


120
THE AMBER WITCH.
no man answered a word, but as we rode off, I very
well heard that many behind us spat out, and one said
(my little daughter thought it had been the voice of
the woman Berow), “ We would liever set fire to yen
coat than pray for ye!"-We were yet sighing at these
words when we came up to the church-yard, where the
accursed hag Lise Kolken, sate at her house-door with
her hymn-book before her and croaked out aloud that
Hymn: “God the father with us be,” as we drove by;
which so grieved my poor little daughter that she
fainted and fell upon me as if she were dead, wherefore
I besought the driver to halt, and called to old
Lise, that she should bring us a pitcher of water; but
she seemed as one that could not hear, and con-
tinued to sing so loud as to fill the air with the sound
thereof. Then the beadle sprang off and ran, as I
desired him, back into my house to fetch a pitcher of
water; soon he returned with the pitcher, and all the
people after him, who now began loudly to declare that
it was an evil conscience that had smitten my child,
and that she had already bewrayed herself. Where-
fore I thanked God when she came to life again, and
we got out of the village. But neither was a better
lot awaiting us in Vekeritz, for there also all the folk
gathered themselves together, and stood on the sward
before Labahn's court, as we arrived.
These, however, behaved themselves tolerably quiet,
as we passed by, saving a few who cried; “How is it
possible! How is it possible !” but I heard nothing
more. But in the wood by the watermill, the miller
broke forth with all his Knappen" and cried, laughing ;
“ look at the witch, look at the witch !" whereat one
* Journeymerr millers, etc.


THB AMBER WITCH.
121
of the men hit my poor child with a flour-bag, the
which he had in his hand, so that she became quite
white, and the flour rose like a cloud around the car-
riage. At my rebuke, the wicked rascal laughed and
said : that, if she should never get any other smoke
than this into her nose, it could do her no harm. Item
it became very much worse in Pudgla, than at the
mill. The people stood so thickly crowded upon the
hill before the castle, that we could hardly get through,
and the Amtshauptmann moreover as an Aviso, caused
the arme Sunder-glocke* to be rung in the castle tower,
whereupon the people came flocking up more and more
from out of the beer-houses, and their own. Some cried,
“is that the witch !" Some, “ look at the priest-witch,"
and many things more, the which I do not like to re-
cord here for very shame; they likewise gathered up
mud out of the gutter, the which runneth from the
castle-kitchen, and threw it upon us, item, a large stone,
albeit the same fell upon a horse, so that it became res..
tiff thereby, and would perchance have overthrown the
waggon, had not a churl sprung up to it and held it in.
All this happened before the castle-gate, whereat the
Amtshauptmann with an heron feather in his gray hat
stood smiling and looking at us. Howbeit when the
horse was quiet again, he came up to the waggon and
spake mockingly to my little daughter: "behold young
woman! thou wouldst not come to me, and now troth
thou comest after all !" whereat she answered, yea I
come; and may'st thou one day come to thy judge, as
I to thee !" whereat I said: “Amen!" and asked him
* The bell appointed to be rung previous to the execution of
any malefactor.


122
THE AMBER WITCH.
how his worship would justify himself before God and
man for what he was doing to me, a poor man, and my
child. But he asked, wherefore had I come hither
with her ? and when I recounted to him the naughti-
ness of the people ; item of the wickedness of the mil.
ler's men, he thought that was not his fault, threatened
also the people round about with his fist, who were
making a great tumult. Then commanded my little
daughter to dismount and to follow him, whiles leading
the way into the castle: beckoning to the beadle who
would have gone along with us, to tarry at the foot of
the stairs, and began to ascend the winding staircase
leading to the upper chambers with my child alone. How-
beit she privily whispered to me: “Father, leave me
not !" wherefore I soon followed softly after them, and
heard from the sound of their voices in what chamber
they were, and laid my ear against the door to hearken.
Then heard I the villain say unto her, that if she would
love him, none of all those things should harm her,
seeing that he had the power in his hands to save her
from the people; but if she would not-then should
she be brought to judgment on the morrow, and she
might conclude for herself what would be her doom,
forasmuch as she, according to the testimony of many,
had wrought fornication even with Satan himself, and
suffered herself to be kissed by him. Hereat she
was silent and only sobbed, which the arch-knave
thought a good sign and proceeded : “hast thou loved
Satan, then canst thou also love me, never fear!" and
went nearer to her to embrace her, as I marked. For
she gave a loud cry and would have rushed out of the
door, but he held her fast and entreated and threatened
according to the suggestions of the devil. And already


THE AMBER WITCH.
123
it was in my thoughts to go in, when I heard, that with
those words : "depart from me Satan!" she smote him
on the cheek, so that he let her go. Whereupon, ere
he was aware, she sprang out at the door, so that she
threw me to the ground, and with a loud cry fell even
over me. Hereat the Amtshauptmann who had followed
her became horribly affrighted, but soon began to cry:
“Wait priest, I'll teach thee to hearken again !" and
ran down and beckoned to the beadle that was standing
at the foot of the stairs. The same he charged to clap
me into prison for the night, then to come again and
put my little daughter into another dungeon. But he
bethought himself again, as we were going down the
winding staircase and said : he would forgive me this
once, the beadle should send me about my business,
and put my little daughter into the strong ward,
then give the keys to him, seeing that she was a stiff-
necked, hardened person, as he had found out at the
very first examination of her.
Hereupon my poor child was torn from me and I
fainted on the stairs, neither wist I how I came down,
but when I came to myself again, I was in the beadle's
room, and his wife sprinkled water upon my face.
There I tarried sitting all night upon a chair and sor-
rowed more than I prayed, seeing that my faith had
become very weak, and the Lord came not to strengthen
it.


124
CHAPTER XVIII.
Of the First Trial, and the consequences thereof.
On the morrow, as I was walking to and fro in the
fore-court, having many times, albeit in vain, en-
treated the beadle to lead me to my dear daughter,
(but he would not even tell me where her ward was),
and at last run about there for very disquietude, there
arrived towards 6 o'clock a carriage from Uzdom, *
wherein sat his worship, Herr Samuel Pieper Consul
dirigenst; item, the Camerarius, Gebhard Wenzel, and
a Scribai, whose name I heard, but have forgotten
again. My little daughter also has forgotten it, not.
withstanding she has in general a very excellent me-
mory, and dictated to me the most of what henceforth
follows ; for my old head was ready to split, so that I
myself remembered but little thereof. Then I forth,
with went up to the carriage and prayed, that the
honourable council would grant me the permission to
be present at the trial, seeing that my little daughter
was not yet of age, the which, albeit the Amtshauptmann,
(who in the meantime had stepped up to the carriage,
having overlooked all from the window), would not
• Or Usedom, a small town, from which the whole Island takes
its name.
t i. e. Chlef burgomaster, or Mayor,
* Recorder.


THE AMBER WITCH.
126
allow. Howbeit his worship, Herr Samuel Pieper-
the same being a little, short manniken, with a fat
little belly, and a beard mingled with grey, hanging
down to his girdle-reached me straightway his hand,
and comforted me like a Christian in my tribulation,
saying, I ought in God's name to come into the judg-
ment-hall, and he wished with all his heart that all
might be proved to be but foul lies that had been raised
against my little daughter. But I had yet patiently to
endure tarrying two hours, ere the judges came down
the winding staircase again. At length toward 9
o'clock, I heard the beadle moving the chairs and
benches in the court, and thinking that the time had
now come, I went in and seated myself upon a bench.
Howbeit there was never a man there as yet, saving
the beadle and his little daughter, who was wiping the
table, and held a little rose betwixt her lips. This I
begged her to give me to smell thereon; and verily I
believe that they would have carried me dead out of
the place that day had I not had it. Such are the
ways of God, who maketh even a poor little flower the
instrument in his hand wherewith to preserve a soul
alive, whensoever he pleaseth
At length came the ministers of justice and seated
themselves around the table, whereafter Dn. Consul* first
beckoned unto the beadle, and ordered him to fetch
my little daughter. In the meantime he asked the
Amtshauptmann, whether he had kept the Reat in
bonds ? and when he said : no! he rebuked him
sharply, so that it entered into my very bones and
* i.e. Dominus Consul, or Lord Mayor.
The defendant


126
THE AMBER WITCH.
marrow. But the Amtshauptmann excused himself by
saying; that, in consideration of her rank he had not
done so, albeit he had her put into safe ward, where-
from it was impossible to escape; whereupon
Dn. Consul answered: that many things were
possible to the devil, and that they would then have to
answer for it if Rea should happen to get away. This
thing provoked the Amtshauptmann to anger, who said :
he thought that if the devil could take her through the
prison walls, which were circa 7 feet in thickness, and
had three doors, he could very easily break off her
bonds ; whereat Dn. Consul answered : that he would
by-and-bye go and inspect the prison himself. And
methinks that the Amtshauptmann would not have been
so kind, had he not still hoped (as will be seen after-
ward) to induce my little daughter to yield to his will,
The door, however, now opened, and my poor child
entered with the beadle, albeit walking backwards*
and without shoes, the which she had to leave outside.
The fellow seized her by her long hair and led her
thus to the bar, whereafter, and not until then, was
she allowed to turn round and to look at the judges.
During all this he had much to say, and was in all re-
spects an audacious and malicious knave, as we shall
soon hear further. After Dn. Consul had heaved a
deep sigh, and inspected her from head to foot, he first
asked : what was her name, and how old she was;
item, if she knew wherefore she had been brought
here? To the latter question she answered: that the
* This ridiculous procedure was generally adopted in the case
of the first trial of a witch, from an erroneous supposition, that
on her very first entrance she might at once bewitch the judges
with her looks. Here the case might certainly have been
possible.


THE AMBER WITCH.
127
Amtshauptmann had already informed her father
hereof, and though she would not wrong any man, she
nevertheless believed that the Amtshauptmann himself
had been the chief cause of her being cried down as a
witch, in order to bring her over to the fulfilment of
his lustful desires. Hereupon she recounted his
conduct towards her from the beginning, his desiring
by all means to have her for his stewardess. But seeing
that she would not do this, albeit he himself had at
sundry times come into her father's house, he had at one
time, when going out of the door, muttered to himself:
“I shall catch thee yet, never fear!" These words
had been overheard by the husbandman, Claus Neels,
in the stable, where he was then standing. And this
he had forthwith sought to accomplish, in that he had
conversed much with a wicked woman, called Lise
Kolken, the same that had aforetime been in his ser-
vice. This same woman had doubtless played these
tricks of witchery which were imputed to her ; albeit
she herself knew nothing of witchcraft. Item, she re-
counted: what the Amtshauptmann had done to her
yesterday even, when she had hardly arrived, and that
he had now again made fresh advances, in that he be-
lieved to have her in his power. Yea, this very night,
moreover, had he come to her again into the prison,
and again proposed to her to commit fornication ; for
then would he take care that she should be free again,
if she would yield to his carnal purpose. But seeing
that she thrust him from her, he wrestled with her,
whereon she raised a loud shriek and scratched his
nose, as might yet be seen ; and then he let her go.
Wherefore she could not acknowledge the Amtshaupt-
mann as her judge, and hoped to God that he would


128
THE AMBER WITCH.
save her from the hands of her enemies, as he had de..
livered the chaste Susanna of old.
When hereupon she left off speaking for loud sob-
bings, Dn. Consul, after looking at the Amtshauptmann's
nose, as we all had done, and finding there, in troth,
the scar, sprang up from his seat and cried out as if
confounded : “Speak, for God's sake speak, what am I
to hear from his worship ?"'-- whereat the Amtshaupt..
mann, without blushing, answered : that albeit he had
no need to speak before this honourable council, seeing
that he himself was the head of the court, and that it
goeth forth from innumerable indiciis, that Rea is a
wicked witch and therefore no testimony against him
could be borne by any man, nevertheless, not to give
any offence to the court, he would answer for himself.
All the accusations, namely, which that person had
brought forward against him, were vile and foul lies.
Howbeit he would not deny that he had been desirous
to hire her for his stewardess, inasmuch as he greatly
needed such an one, as his old housekeeper was already
getting too infirm. In like manner had he, it is true,
yesterday privily examined her, for the purpose of
kindly inducing her to a confession, that thereby her
punishment might be mitigated, seeing that he had
pity on her youthfulness, but never said an unbecom-
ing word to her ; neither did he come to her at night,
but the scar had been made by his little lap-dog,
Below, with which he was playing this morning. All
this his housekeeper could testify, and that subtle
witch had directly made use of this to set the court at
variance, and thereby, with the devil's help, avail her-
self of her advantage ; seeing that she is a crafty creature
as the court will verily soon find on further scrutiny.
But now I also gathered courage, and represented


THE AMBER WITCH.
12)
:
that everything was verity and truth as mylittle daughter
stated, and that I myself had yesterday bearkened a
the door, and heard his Worship inake offers to her and
try all manner of stratagems with her; item, that in
Coserow eyen he had once tried to kiss her ; item, how
his Worship had evil entreated me also wise, on accoun:
of the money owing me for manure.
But the Amtshauptmann forth with cried me down and
said: “ If, as an innocent man, I had spoken evil o
him from the pulpit in my church, as all the congre-
gation could testify, it would be an easy matter for me
to do so here before the Court, irrespective of the
further consideration, that no father can bear witness
for his child."
But Dn. Consul became as if quite confounded, and
was silent, and leaned his head on the table in deep
thought. In the mean time, however, the audacious
beadle began by putting his arm through his to finger
his beard, and Dn. Consul doubtless thought it was a
fly, and struck at it with his hand without looking up.
But as his hand hit the beadle, he lifted hiirself up,
and asked what he wanted ? Whereat the fellow
answered: “Oh, it was only an insect that was crawl-
ing upon you, the which I wished to catch."
This audacity so sorely vexed his Worship that he
gave him a sound box on the ear, and threatened to
punish him severely if he ever ventured to come nearer
to him again than the door.
Hereupon he turned himself to the Amtshauptmann
and cried wrathfully: “What the deuce does this mean;
is this the sort of respect which his Worship trains his
beadle to? Moreover all these things seem a mystery
to me, which I cannot unravel!”


130
THE AMBER WITCII.
But the Amtshauptmann answered: “Can you not?
Can you not make it out, when you think of the eels ?”
Hereupon Dn. Consul all at once turned quite pale,
so that he began to quake, as it appeared to me, and
he called the Amtshauptmann aside into another room. I
have never been able to find out what was the meaning
of the eels, whereof he spake.
In the meantime, however, sate Dominus Camerarius
Gebhard Weuzel, biting a pen, and gazed the while
with great wrath, first on me, then on my little
daughter, but without uttering a single word, neither
answered he the Scriba anything, who often whispered
something into his ear, but only grumbled. At length
the two gentlemen came in again, and Dn. Consul
began, after he and the Amtshauptmann had seated them-
selves again, to speak very sharply to my child, that
she had tried to impeach a worthy Judge, forasmuch as
his Worship had shewn to him the little dog himself
that had scratched him, which had also been testified
by his old stewardess. (Yea, troth, neither would she
bewray him; for the old slut had played her part with
him these many years and had had moreover a lad by
him, now half up-grown, as will be seen by-and-by!)
Item, said he, there are so many indicia of her evil
doings, that it was impossible to give credence to any
of her statements; wherefore she should give glory to
God, and in all things honestly confess, in order to
mitigate her punishment; for then might she yet, on
account of her youth, come off with her life, etc.
Hereupon he put on his spectacles and began to ex-
amine her, from a paper which he held in his hand,
for the space of four hours. And these are about the
principal points, which both of us have retained
thereof:


THE AMBER WITCH.
131
Questio.-Whether she could bewitch?
Responsio.-No; she knew nothing of witchcraft.
Q.-Whether she could unbewitch ?
R.That was in like manner unknown to her.
Q.-Whether she had at any time been on the
Blocksberg ?
R.–The same had been too far off for her, and she
knew but little of other mounts, saving the Streckel-
berg, where she had oftentimes been.
Q.-What she had wrought there?
R.-She had looked over the sea or plucked flowers,
item, sometimes fetched an apron full of withered
brushwood.
Q. Whether she had there invoked the devil ?
R.-The like had never entered her thoughts.
Q.-Whether then the devil had there appeared
unto her without invocation ?
R.—God forbid !
Q.--So then she cannot bewitch?
R.-No!
Q.—What then had come to Staffer Zuter, his
speckled cow, the which had perished in her sight?
R.—That she did not know, and was moreover an
odd question.
Q.—Then it would in like manner be an odd ques-
tion, I trow, wherefore Kate Berow's little pig had
perished ?
R.- Assuredly; she wondered at those things whereof
she is accused.
Q.--Then had she not bewitched this either ?
R.-No, God forbid !
Q.---But wherefore, seeing that she was guiltless,
had she promised another pig when her father's sow
brought forth her young ?


132
FILE AMBER WITCH.
R.--This had she done out of a good heart. Here.
upon she began to weep sorely, and said : she saw
well that she had to thank old Lise Kolken for all
this, the same having oftentimes threatened her, when-
soever she would not fulfil her wishes, for that shie
lusted after every thing that came before her eyes.
The same also had gone among the folk, when the
cattle in the village were bewitched, and told them
that if a pure virgin would only pluck a few hairs out
of the tail of any cow, the same would be better. So
then she had compassion and went thither, seeing that
she knew her: elf to be a pure virgin ; the which also
availed sundry times, albeit not latterly.
Q.--In what case was it availing ?
R.-In Zabel's red cow; item, Witthahn's swine ;
also old Lise's own cow.
Q.—Wherefore was it not availing in aftertimes ?
R.—That she did not know, but thought, though she
would not trouble any one, that old Lise Kolken, the
same that had been commonly reported as a witch, had
wrought all this, and bewitched the cattle in her name,
and also unbewitched them, as she pleased, for nought
but to bring her into trouble.
Q.-Wherefore then had old Lise bewitched even
her own cow, item, let her own little pig perish, if she
had raised the rumour in the village and really could
bewitch?
R.—That she did not know; but there might be
some one (then she gazed at the Amtshauptmann) that
would recompense her double for all.
Q.-Invain sought she to ward off the guilt from her-
self, for had she not bewitched old Paasch's, yea,
her own father's crop, and had it destroyed by the


THE AMSER WITCH.
133
devil; item, brought the caterpillars into her father's
orchard ?
R.-- The question was almost as monstrous as the
very deed. There sat her father. His worship might
ask him himself if ever she had shewn herself wicked
towards him.-Here I wished to rise and begin to
speak, but Dn. Consul would not let me say a word,
but went on with his examination, wherefore I sat
down, still and confounded.
Q.-Whether furthermore she denied having been
the cause whereof the woman Witthahn brought forth a
devil's-monster into the world, that forthwith arose
and flew through the window, and afterward when
the midwife looked after it, it had vanished.
R.-Yea verily, she had rather done good to the folk
all her life-time, than harmed them, and oftentimes taken
bread out of her own mouth, even in the time of the
sore famine and parted it with others, specially with
the little children. This the whole parish would testify
if called upon. But as wizards and witches always
did evil, and never good to men, as our Lord Jesus
taught, (Matth. xii.), where the pharisees had also blas-
phemed him for casting out devils by Beelzebub ; his
Worship might thence judge, whether in troth she can
be a witch.
Q.—He would soon shew forth her blasphemies ; he
could very well see that she had a fine tongue, and she
must only answer the questions that may be put to
her. For the question here is not about what good she
had done to the poor, but wherewith this had been
done. Wherefore he desired that she would declare
how she and her father had so suddenly attained to
such riches, as to strut about proudly in silk garments,
seeing that they had been quite poor before ?


134
THE AMBER WITCH.
Hereat she looked at me and said: “Father, shall I
tell?” Whereupon I answered, “ Yea, my dear daughter,
now must thou tell all plainly and fairly, even were we
thereby to become miserably poor again.” She declared
therefore how first of all, in our great need, we found
the amber, and what we had gotten for it of the two
Dutch merchants.
Q.-What were the names of those merchants ?
R.—Diterich von Pehnen and Jacob Kiekebush,
who, however, as we had heard from a skipper, died of
the plague in Stettin.
Q.- Wherefore had we concealed this discovery?
R.- For fear of our enemy, the Amtshauptmann, who,
according to all appearance, would have let us perish
of hunger, forasmuch as he forebade the parish, on the
penalty of severe punishment, to give us any thing,
and said that he would take care that they should be
supplied with a better priest.
Hereat Dn. Consul again looked the Amtshauptmann
hard in the face, who answered, that he certainly had
said so, seeing that the priest had railed against and
rebuked him from the pulpit, but that he also knew
very well that they were in no danger of starvation.
Q.-Whence came so much amber in the Streckel-
berg ? she had better confess at once that the devil
had brought it thither for her.
R.—Thereof she knew nothing ; howbeit, there was
a large vein of amber there, the which she could point
out even unto this day; she had broken pieces
therefrom, and covered the hole carefully over again
with fir-twigs, so that no man might find it.
Q.—When had she gone to the mount-by day or
by night?


THE AMBER WITCH.
135
Hereat she blushed and was silent for a moment,
and then answered : “Sometimes by day, and some-
times at night !"
Q.-Wherefore did she falter? She had better freely
confess, that her punishment might be lighter. Had she
not given up old Seden to Satan, who had carried him
off through the air, so that part of his brains and his
hair were still cleaving on the top of an oak-tree ?
R.-She wist not whether it was his hair and brains,
neither how such had come there; but having one
morning heard a wood-pecker shriek so mournfully, she
went up to the tree; item, old Paasch also hearing this
noise, straightway followed her with his axe.
Q.-Whether the wood-pecker was not the devil,
who himself had come to fetch old Seden? .
R.—That wist she not; but he must have been long
dead, inasmuch as the brains and blood, which the
young man brought down from the tree, were quite dry.
Q.-How, and when did he come by his death ?
R.—That, God Almighty knows; but Zuter's little
maid had said that, one day as she was plucking nettles
for her cow against Seden's bedge, she had heard that
the old man threatened his gloaring-eyed wife; that
he would tell the priest, that she, as he now certainly
knew, had an evil spirit;-whereupon the old man had
soon disappeared. Howbeit, these might be children's
tales; she wished to bring no one into trouble therewith.
Hereupon Dn. Consul again looked at the Amtshaupt-
mann full in the face, and said : “old Lise Kolken must
be overtaken and brought hither this very day.” But
as the Amtshauptmann gave no answer to this, he pro-
ceeded :
Q,-Whether then she meant to abide by her decla-
ration, that she knew nothing of the devil ?


136
THE AMBER WITCH.
R.-She would affirm it again and again, and abide
by it to her blessed end.
Q.---And yet had she, as eye witnesses will testify,
suffered herselt to be baptized by him in the sea.
Here she changed colour for a moment, and was
silent.
Q.-Why did she change colour again ?-wherefore,
she ought for God's sake to think of her salvation, and
confess the truth.
R. She had bathed in the sea, seeing that it was a
very hot day: “that was the whole truth."
Q.-“What chaste virgin, troth, would ever bathe
in the open sea ? Thou liest! Wilt thou still deny
that thou hast bewitched old Paasch's little maid with
a cake ?"
R.—" Ah, me! ah, me! yea, verily.”—For she loved
the child as her own dear little sister; she had not only
instructed her in everything without recompense, but
also in the sore famine she had oftentimes taken the
bit out of her own mouth and put it into her's, how
then could she have inflicted this evil upon her ?
Q.-Wilt thou still persist in denying the truth?
Rev. Abraham, what a hardened child is this of yours ! -
Look here, then, is this no witch's salve*, which the
beadle took out of thy coffer last night ?- Is this no
witch's salve, eh ?
R.-It was only a little salve for the skin, which
maketh it white and soft, as the apothecary in Wolgast,
of whom she had bought it, had told her.
Hereupon he shook his head and proceeded :
# It was supposed that the devil gave the witches a salve, by
the use of which they might render themselves invisible,
transform themselves into animals, pass through the air, etc.


THE AMBER WITCH
137
Q.-What! Wilt thou, then, last of all, deny that
this last Saturday, the 10th July, about midnight, thou
callest upon thy lover, the devil, in the Streckelberg
with awful words; that thereafter a great and hairy
giant appeared unto thee, and embraced and hugged
thee?
At these words she turned paler than a corpse, and
began to tremble so violently, that she was obliged to
hold fast by a chair. When I, wretched man that I am,
who would have sworn for her to my death, saw and
heard this, I was bereft of my senses ; so that I fell
from the bench, and Dn. Consul was obliged to call in
the beadle to help me up again.
When I came to myself a little, and the audacious
fellow saw our general confusion, he cried out grinning
at the court: “ Is’t out? is't out ? has she confessed ?”
whereupon Dn. Consul shewed him the door again with
many chiding words, as one may easily guess. This
rascal presumed on being his pander, or else, I trow,
he would not have been so forward.
Summa: I should have perished in my misery had I
not had the little rose, which, with the blessing of
God, strengthened me greatly; now all the court arose
and adjured my drooping child by the living God, and
the salvation of her soul, to lie no longer, but to have
compassion on herself, and on her father, and confess
the truth.
Hereupon she heaved a great sigh, and became as
red as she had been pale, so that her hand upon the
chair looked like scarlet, and she could not lift up her
eyes from the ground.
R.-She would now verily confess the whole truth, as
she saw that wicked people had stolen after her at night


133
THE AMBER WITCH.
and watched her. She was getting some amber from
the mount, and whiles thus working had after her wise,
and to banish her fears recited the Latin carmen which
her father had composed for His Highness King
Gustavus Adolphus, when the young Rudiger of Nien-
kerken, who had oftentimes come to her father's house
and made love to her, stepped forth from the bush, and
as she shrieked out for fright, had spoken to her in
Latin, and taken her in his arms. The same had a great
wolf's pelt on, that the people might not know him if
haply they should meet him, and tell it unto his father
that he had been on the mount in the night-season.
At such her confession my anger was kindled, and in
my fury I cried out: “O, thou godless and disobedient
child, it seemeth then that after all thou hast a lover!
Did I not forbid thee to go to the mount by night?
What hast thou to do on the mount by night? And I
began to weep and to wail, and to wring my hands, in
so much that even Dn. Consul's bowels of compassion were
moved, and he came near to me to comfort me. Mean-
while, however, she too came up to me, and began to
defend herself with many tears: that she had gone to the
mount against my orders, only to get as much amber
as wherewith to buy secretly the Opera Sancti Augustini,
which the Cantor of Wolgast offered to sell, and to pre-
sent them to me on my birth-day. She was not aware
of the younker's design in way-laying her by night on
the mount; albeit, she would swear by the living God
that nothing unseenly had taken place there, and that
she was unto this day a pure virgin.
Thus ended the first hearing; for after Dn. Consul
had whispered something into the ears of the sheriff,
he called in the beadle again, and commanded him to


THE AMBER WITCH.
139
give a watchful eye to the prisoner ; item, not to let her
go about the prison free, but put her in bonds. These
words pierced my very heart, and I conjured his
worship for the sake of my rank, and my ancient noble
family, not to clothe me with such shame as to have my
little daughter put in bonds. I would be surety with
the honourable court, even at the peril of my life, that
she should not run away, whereupon Dn. Consul, after he
bad gone out and overlooked the prison, granted me my
request, and charged the beadle to leave her as before


140
CHAPTER XIX.
llow that hateful Satan, under the sufferance of the
righteous God, deligently studied utterly to oppress
us; and how all hope forsook us.
On the selfsame day, about three o'clock in the
afternoon, as I went to the beer-house, kept by Con-
rad Seep, to get a little refreshment, forasmuch as I
had not tasted anything for two days, saving my tears,
and the same having set before me a little bread and
sausage, item, a can of beer, the beadle came into the
room, without even taking his hat off, and said; the
Amtshauptmann sendeth greeting, and desireth to
know whether I would not dine with his worship, and
hoped to be excused for not having thought of it be-
fore, but that I might not yet have broken my fast be-
cause of the long hearing. Hereupon I sent my
answer by the beadle, that I had my dinner already
ordered before me, as he saw, and returned thanks to
his worship. Thereat the fellow seemed astounded,
and answered: Did I not see how well his worship’s
thoughts are toward me, notwithstanding I had reviled
and rebuked him from the pulpit like a Turk. Whatever
I did, I should at all events think of my daughter, and
yield to his worship’s will, for then, peradventure, all
might yet have a happy issue. For his worship was
not such an uncouth ass as Dn. Consul, and was favour-
ably minded towards me and my child, as beseemeth an
honourable magistrate.


THE AMBER WITCH.
111
When, after much trouble, I had ridden myself of
this audacious fox, I tried to partake of a little refresh-
ment, but I could not swallow anything, saving a little
beer. Then began I to think again, whether I should
take up my lodging with Conrad Seep, that I might
ever be near my child ; item, whether I had not better
give up my poor wandering flock to M. Vigelio, the
pastor of Beuz, so long as the Lord kept me in the
furnace of affliction. After an hour's time, I perceiveil
through the window that an empty carriage came
driving up before the castle, into which forthwith the
Amtshauptmann and Dn. Consul stepped, with my little
daughter; item, the beadle, who got up behind. Then
left I all standing and lying, and ran up to the carriage,
humbly asking: whither they thought of taking my
child ? And when I heard that they would go to the
Streckelberg, to look after the amber, I besought them
that they would take me with them, and suffer me to
sit by my child; for who could know, how much
longer I might have her to sit with. This request was
granted unto me, and on the way the Amtshauptmann
proposed that I should take up my abode with him in
the castle, and eat at his table, as long as I liked, and
he would also send some food every day to my little
daughter. For he had a Christian heart, and knew
very well that we ought to forgive our enemies. I
humbly thanked him for this friendship, as did also my
little daughter ; but we were not so poor yet, as not to
be able to keep ourselves. On passing by the water-
mill, the godless miller's man again thrust his head out
of a hole, and made a wry face at my little daughter.
But, my dear reader, it was ordained that he should be
recompensed for it!


142
THE AMBER WITCH.
For the Amtshauptmann beckoned unto the beadle
that he should bring the rascal out, and after he had
reproved him for his twofold vile tricks that he had
played upon my child, he bade the beadle take the
whip from the coachman and to give him fifty
lashes, the which, God knows, were not milk and
water. He roared at last like an ox, but from the noise
of the wheels no one could hear in the mill, and as he
pretended not to be able to walk, we let him lie on the
ground, and went on our way.
In Uekeritz there was also a great concourse of peo-
ple as we passed through, but they behaved themselves
tolerably quiet, saving one man, who salva venia strutted
in the way as he saw us coming.* The beadle again
sprang down and ran after him, but could not overtake
him, and the rest would not bewray him, but declared :
that they had only been looking at our carriage and
had not noticed it. This may indeed be true! when
I trow it might have been Satan himself incarnate,
come to mock at us ; for mark, for God's sake, what
happened unto us in the Streckelberg! Ah, we could
not find the place again, where we had dug up the
amber, forasmuch as Satan, the wicked enemy, had
blinded us. For where we thought it ought to be,
there was a great heap of sand, as if drifted together
by a tempest, and moreover the fir-twigs, which my
little daughter had strewed over it, were gone. She
was nigh fainting on seeing this, and wrung her hands
and cried out like her Redeemer : “My God! my
God! why hast thou forsaken me !"
* Either perhaps to express his contempt, or from some super-
stitious motive.


THE AMBER WITCH.
143
Meanwhile, however, the beadle and the coachman
had to dig. But not one piece of amber was found,
no, not even as big as a grain of corn ; whereupon Dn.
Consul shook his head and sharply rebuked my poor
child. And when I answered: that that hateful Satan
had, as it seemed, filled up the pit for to get us alto-
gether into his power, he made the beadle fetch a long
pole out of the bush for to dig yet deeper therewith.
Notwithstanding there was nowhere a hard objectum
to feel; albeit the Amtshauptmann, Dn. Consul, and
even I myself, in my fear, tried all over with the pole.
Then besought my little daughter the judges to come
with her to Coserow, where as yet she had a great deal
of amber in her coffer, the which she had found here.
For, were all this the work of the devil, then would
that also be transformed, forasmuch as she heard that
all presents which the devil is wont to give unto witches,
forthwith transform themselves into dung or coals.
But, God 'a' mercy, God 'a' mercy! as we, to my
astonishment, arrived again in Coserow, and my little
daughter went to her box, all her apparel therein was
torn to pieces, and the amber gone. Thereat she cried
out so loud as that it might have melted a stone, say-
ing: “that wicked beadle has done this ! for when he
took the salve out of the box, he also took the amber
from me, wretched maid that I am !” But the beadle
who stood by, seized her by her hair and cried : “thou
witch, thou accursed witch, is it not enough that thou
speakest evil of my master, wilt thou also bring a false
accusation against me?” Howbeit, Dn. Consul inter-
posed, and forbade him to molest her. Item, all her
money that she had saved together, from the amber
privily sold, which, she trowed, amounted already to
10Fl., was gone.


14
TIE AMBER WITCII.
But her garment, which she had worn on the arrival
of His Highness, King Gustavus Adolphus, as also
the golden chain with his likeness, whereof he had
made her a present, I had locked away as a sacred
treasure in my church box, with the altar and pulpit
cloths, and found it yet as it was. But when I excused
this by saying : that I intended to keep it here for her
unto her wedding-day, she stared into the box and
cried : “ Yes, when I shall be burnt, 0, Jesu, Jesu,
Jesu !"-
Here Dr. Consul shuddered and said : “See, how
thou ever and anon smitest thyself with thine own
words! For God and thy salvation's sake confess;
for if thou art without offence, how canst thou think
that thou shalt burn?”
How beit she continued to look him stedfastly in
the face and began to exclaim in Latin : innocentia,
quid est innocentia ? ubi libido dominatur innocentiæ leve
præsidium est.*
Here Dn. Consul again shuddered so that his very
beard shook, and spake; “What, knowest thou Latin
in troth ?” And when I had answered him this ques.
tion as well as for sobbing I was able, he shook his
head and said: “never in my life have I heard the
like, that a woman should know Latin.” Saying this,
he fell upon his knees before her box, and thoroughly
ransacked everything contained therein; then moved
it from the wall, and finding nothing, he went to her
bed, doing the same therewith. This at last vexed
the Amtshauptmann, who asked him: whether they had
* Innocence, what is Innocence? Wherever wantenness
rules, there innocence has but a weak safe-guard.--A quotation
from Cicero, if I mistake not.


THE AMBER WITCH.
145
not better return, seeing that night was fast drawing
on? But he answered : “ No! I must first have the
compact-paper* that Satan has given her;" and con-
tinued to rummage about all over until it was quite
dark. But they found nothing, albeit Dn. Consul and
the beadle had not spared to search every crack and
corner in the kitchen and in the cellar. Thereupon
he stepped grumbling into the carriage again, and or-
dered my little daughter to seat herself so that she
could not look at him.
And now we had the same spectalum again with that
accursed hag, old Lise Kolken, seeing that she sat
again before her door as we rode by, and began to sing
with all her might: “ Thee, O Lord, do we adore !"
Howbeit, she squeaked like a stuck calf, so that Dn.
Consul marvelled at it, and after he had heard who she
was, he asked the Amtshauptmann whether he would not
have her instantly taken up by the beadle and tied to
the carriage, to run after it, as we had no room for her.
For he had often heard, that all old women that had
red gloaring eyes and a pimpled throat were also
witches, irrespective of that which Rea declares of her of
a suspicious nature. But he answered, that he could
not do that, because old Lise was a blameless and
godly woman, as Dn. Consul himself might have heard.
Nevertheless he summoned her to appear on the mor-
row with the rest of the witnesses.
Yea, verily, a pretty godly woman !—for hardly had
we got out of the village when such a storm arose
accompanied by thunder and lightning, tempest and
* Arising from an erroneous opinion that as man pledges
himself to the devil, so also the devil pledges himself to man
in writing.


146
THE AMBER WITCH.
bail-stones, that the corn round about was levelled to
the ground, as by a reaper, and the horses in our
carriage became affrighted; albeit this was of short
duration. Nevertheless my poor little daughter was
again obliged to bear the blame thereof;* forasmuch as
Dn. Consul trowed that not old Lise, (though this was
as clear as the sun), but my poor child had caused this
storm. For pray tell me of what avail could this have
been to her, even had she understood the craft? But
this Dn. Consul did not see, and that abominable Satan
was, by the righteous God, permitted to inflict upon
us greater evils still. For no sooner had we come to
the Herrendamm,t than he came riding over us like an
Aderbar, I and threw down from above a Pogges with
so exact an aim that it fell into my little daughter's
lap. She cried out aloud, but I whispered to her to sit
still, and that I would privily throw it away with my
fuot.
But the beadle saw it and cried : “Lord, O Lord! look
at that accursed witch; look what the devil has thrown
into her lap !" Whereat the Amtshauptmann and Dn.
Consul looked round and found a toad crawling in her
lap, the which the beadle first blew at thrice before he
took it up and shewed it unto his Jords. On seeing
this Dn. Consul was seized with vomiting, and com-
manding the coachman, after it was over, to halt, went
out of the carriage and said: we should straightway
ride home, and, as he felt sick, he would follow on foot,
* For the origin of the like sudden storms was also ascribed
to witches.
+ So called to this very day, being distant about a quarter of a
mile (German) from Coserow.
1 A stork. $ Low German for frog or toad.


THE AMBER WITCH.
147
and see if thereby he would get the better of it. But
before this he whispered privily into the beadle's ear
(which we, however, clearly understood,) that as soon
as he came home he should forthwith bind my poor child
hand and foot, however sorely she might weep and sob.
But the Amtshauptmann also had heard what he said,
and as we could not see him any longer, he began to
stroke my little daughter's cheeks from behind: she
might make herself easy, as he also had something to
say in the matter, and the beadle should not bind her
yet. But then she should cease to demean herself so
coldly towards him, as she had done hitherto, and come
and sit beside him, that he might give her secret counsel
what was to be done. Hereupon she answered, with
many tears; she would keep her seat by the side of hier
father, inasmuch as she did not know how long she
might have to sit by him, and she entreated his Wor-
ship for this one thing only to let her remain in peace.
But this he did not, but pressed her with his knees
into her back and sides, and seeing that she patiently
endured this, in that she could not do otherwise, he
waxed bolder and took this for a good sign.
Meanwhile Dn. Consul cried out close behind us :
(for being horribly afraid, he trotted close behind the
carriage) “Beadle ! beadle! come quickly hither ; here
lieth a hedge-hog in the midst of the way!" whereat
the beadle sprang from the carriage.
But this made the Amtshauptmann more daring still,
and at length my little daughter rose up and said :
“ Father, we also will go on foot, I can no longer keep
myself safe from him behind !" But he pulled her
down again by her garment, and cried wrathfully:
"wait, thou malicious witch! I'll help thee to go on


148
THE AMBER WITCH.
foot if thou wilt, for in troth shalt thou this very night
be put to the rack!” whereat she answered : “ do what-
ever thou canst not leave undone; the God, that
judgeth righteously, will one day also do with thee,
what he cannot leave undone !
In the meantime, however, we arrived at the castle,
and hardly had we got out of the carriage, when Dn.
Consul, who had run himself into a great sweat, also
arrived with the beadle, and forthwith delivered over my
child into his hands, so that I had hardly time to say
farewell to her. Wherefore I remained wringing
my hands and standing in the dark on the floor to
hearken whither they went, for I had not the courage
to follow them, when Dn. Consul, who had gone into a
room with the Amtshauptmann, looked out of the door
again, and called after the beadle to bring hither Rea
once more. And when he had done so, and I went in with
her into the room, Dn. Consul held a letter in his hand,
and after he spat out three times, he began : “Wilt
thou still deny, thou hardened witch ? Only hearken,
what the old knight, Hans von Nienkerken writes to the
court!" And herewith he read aloud to us : “ that
his son is sore grieved touching the thing which
the accursed witch had wrought on him, so that
from that very hour he had fallen sick, and he, the
father, was not a wit better. His son Rudiger, it is
true, had at sundry times, when his way led him
hitherward, turned in at Pastor Schweidler's, with whom
he had become acquainted whiles on a journey, but
wished he might become black, if ever he had sported
or played any foolish tricks with that accursed devil,
his daughter, much less been on the mount at night-
time, and there embraced her.”


THE AMBER WITCH.
149
At such horrible tidings we both dropped down
(understand, my daughter and I) fainting together,
seeing that we had till then placed our last hope on the
younker, and I wot not what further they did with me.
For on coming to myself again, the innkeeper, Conrad
Şeep, stood over me and held a funnel between my
teeth, into which he poured some bier-suppe ;* never
in my life was I more wretched. Whereupon Master
Seep had also to take off my clothes for me, like a little
child, and carry me to bed.
* A beverage made by boiling beer or ale with spice, sugar and
sops of bread.


.
:
150
150
CHAPTER XX.
Of the maliciousness of the Amtshauptmann and old Lise ;
item, of the hearing of the witnesses.
On the morrow my hair, that hitherto was mingled
with grey, was as white as snow, albeit in many things
the Lord blessed me marvellously. For at break of
day there came a nightingale into the elder-bush under
my window, and sang so sweetly, that I verily believed
it to be a good angel. For after I had listened to it
for a while, I found the spirit of prayer and of suppli-
cation as it were return to me all at once, as if poured
out upon me from on high, for I could again pray, the
which I could not since last Sunday. And as the spirit
of our Lord Jesus Christ began to cry in my heart:
“ Abba, father ?''* I took good courage thereby; that
God would again graciously receive me, his wretched
child ; and after offering up my thanksgivings unto
Him for so many mercies, I after a while enjoyed such
a refreshing repose that the blessed sun stood already
high in the firmament when I awoke.
While I yet felt this confidence in my heart I raised
myself up in bed, and sang with a loud voice: “ Fear
not thou, O little flock !" etc., whereupon Master Seep
entered into the chamber, trowing that I had called
him. Howbeit he devoutly waited until I had finished,
and after he had first declared his astonishment at my
snow-white hair, he informed me that it was already
* Gal. iv, 6.


THE AMBER WITCH.
151
seven o'clock; item, that half of my parishioners were
already assembled here at his house, to appear as wit-
nesses this day, among which number was also my
husbandman, Claus Neels. When I heard this I made
the tapster send him forthwith to the castle to enquire
when the trial would begin; whereupon he returned
with the message that they could not tell him ; foras-
much as Dn. Consul had this morning left for Mellen-
thin, whither he had gone to old Nienkerken, but had
not returned yet. This message cheered my spirits
again, and I asked the lad: whether he had also come
to bear witness against my poor child ? Thereupon he
said: “No! I know nothing of her but what is good,
and verily I should like to let those fellows know it.”
At this saying I marvelled greatly, and I very
strongly urged him to open his heart to me. But he
began to weep and at last said : he knew nothing.
Ah, he knew but too much, and might now have saved
my poor child, if he would. From fear of the rack he was
silent, as he afterwards confessed. And here will I at
once insert what had happpened to him this morning.
As soon as the cock crew this morning, he came out
of his house with his bride alone, who went with him
a little way (she is Steffen's daughter, of Zempin; but
understand, not the boor, but the lame gouty Steffen)
and arrived at Pudgla by five o'clock, but found no
one at the beer-house, save old Lise Kolken, who
straightway however waddles off to the castle. And
as his bride returned home again, the time seemed long
to him and he gat over the tapster's-wall into the cas-
tle garden, where he throweth himself beneath a bush
upon his belly for to sleep. But not long after cometh
the Amtshauptmann, with old Lise, and after they had


152
THE AMBER WITCH.
looked about and saw no one, they went to a bower
just before him, and carried on a conversation as
follows:
Ille*.-Now they were both quite alone; what was
the thing she desired of him?
Illa -She came to receive the money for the witch-
craft she had wrought in the village.
Ille. Of what avail was all this witchcraft to him ?
My little daughter would not be moved nor dismayed,
but waxed more stubborn and daring; neither could
he believe that he should ever get her for the accom-
plishment of his purpose.
Illa.—He need only have patience; when once she
got a taste of the rack, her copul desire would soon
come on, never fear.
Ille.—That might be possible, but not until then
should she have any money ?
Illa.—What? Should she do anything to his
cattle ?
Ille.—Yes it her podex was starving, she might do so.
In troth, he thought that she had already done some-
thing to his own person, seeing that he felt such a
burning lust to the priest's daughter, as he had never
felt before.
Illa (laughing).—The same thing had he said thirty
years hence, when for the first time he made up
to her.
Ille.--Fye, thou old slut! don't tell me of this, but
only see that thou gettest three witnesses, as I told
thee the last time, for if thou dost not, I fear after
all they'll stretch thy old lame limbs for thee.
Ma.--She had gotten the three witnesses, and for
* He.
She.


THE AMBER WITCH.
153
the rest she relied on him. For if she should be racked,
she would disclose every thing that she knew.
Ille.—She might hold her long tongue, and go to the
deyil.
Illa.--Yes; but first she would have her money.
Ille.—She should get no money until she brought
my little daughter to yield to his will.
Illa.—Then should he at least first pay her for the
little pig; the which she herself bewitched to death
purposely not to get out of favour.
Ille.Well, she might pick out another, when bis
swine were breeding, and all she need to say was, that
she had paid him for it.
Herewith, said my servant-lad, the swine were
already breeding, and one of them ran into the garden,
as the gate was open, and seeing that the swine-herd
followed after it, they both separated, albeit the witch
muttered yet something to herself: “Now help, devil ;
help that I'_;" but more he could not understand.
All this that timorous lad kept secret, as aforesaid,
and only said, with tears: he knew nothing. Where-
fore I believed him, and seated myself before the
window, to look out, when Dn. Consul should come
home again. And seeing this I arose, and straight-
way went into the castle, where, in the judgment-hall,
the beadle already met me, with my little daughter, that
he had brought in. Ah, she looked happier than I had
seen her for a long time, and smiled at me with her
lovely little mouth ; but as she perceived my snow-
white hair, she uttered a shriek, so that Dn. Consul threw
open the court doors, and called out: “ Ha, ha! thou
surmisest already, I trow, what manner of tidings I
bring thee; only come in, thou hardened child of the


154
THE AMBER WITCH.
devil!” Whereupon we entered, and he began tu
address himself to me, after he had sat down with the
Amtshauptmann, who was then present.
After he had had me conveyed yester-night, like a
dead man, to Master Seep (said he), and restored this my
hardened child to life again, he had again adjured her
with all the entreaties in his power no longer to lie
unto the living God, but to confess the truth, where-
upon, however, she waxed quite wild, wrang her hands,
wept and sobbed, and at last answered: that the young,
Nobilis could not possibly have said such things, but
that his father had written this, who is disaffected to.
wards her, as she well marked, when the Swedish king
was in Cuserow. This, her statement, Dn. Consul had
immediately doubted, but, as a righteous judge, he
together with the Scriba, had gone over toward Mel-
lenthin, early this morn, in order to examine the
younker.
And now I might judge of myself what horrible
wickedness reigneth in the heart of my child. For the
old Knight had taken him to the bedside of his son,
who as yet was lying sick with sheer vexation, and he
had confirmed all things whatsoever the father had
written, and cursed the infamous fiend (as he called my
child) in that she would rob him of his noble reputa-
tion.--"What sayst thou now," continued he, “wilt
thou still deny tliy evil deeds ? Behold here the Proto-
collum, the which the younker has subscribed manu
propria !"-But the wretched maid had in the mean
time fallen down again, and t!ie beadle no sooner saw
this than he ran into the kitchen and came back with
a burning brimstone match, the which he would hold
to her nose.


THE AMBER WITCH..
155
But I forbade him, and sprinkled a pitcher of water
over her face, so that she again opened her eyes, and
raised herself up whiles holding on a table. Howbeit
she now stood a great while without uttering a word
or regarding my woefulness; then she began to smile
at me, and to speak in this manner: She saw very well
how truly saith the Holy Ghost—"Cursed be the man
that trusteth in man!"* and the unfaithfulness of the
younker towards her would assuredly have broken her
heart, if the merciful God had not graciously prevented
her and given unto her a dream in the night, which
she would recount, not to persuade the judge, but to
uplift the hoary head of her poor father.
“ After I had been sitting and watching the whole
night,” said she, “I heard toward the break of day a,
nightingale singing very sweetly in the castle-garden,
whereupon my eyelids closed and I fell asleep. Presently
it seemed unto me as if I were a little lamb, and was
quietly pasturing in my bleach-yard in Coserow.
Then leaped the Amtshauptmann over the fence, but
transformed himself into a wolf, that took me in his
mouth and ran with me up the Streckelberg, where he
had his lair. I, poor little lamb, quaked and bleated
in vain, and saw death before mine eyes, when he set
me down before his lair, where his mate lay with her
young. But lo, a hand like unto the hand of a man
instantly stretched itself forth out of the bush, and
seized the wolves, each one of them with a finger, and
shattered them, so that nothing was remaining of them
saving a grey powder. Thereupon the hand took me
up and carried me again to my pasture.”
Dear reader, canst thou conceive how I now felt
* Jer. xvii. 5.


156
THE AMBER WITCH. .
within me, when I heard all this, and also about the
sweet nightingale, whence I trow that thou also wilt no
longer doubt, that she was a servant of the Most High
God. I instantly embraced my dear little daughter
with a thousand tears and recounted to her how things
had gone with me, and we both gained such courage
and confidence as we had never had before, insomuch as
Dn. Consul greatly marvelled, whiles the Amtshauptmann
waxed pale as a sheet, when now she went up to the
two Domini and spake: “Now do ye with me whatso-
ever ye list; the little lamb feareth none of those
things that ye can do, for it standeth upholden by the
hand of the Good Shepherd !"
Meanwhile Dominus Camerarius entered in with the
Scriba, but became affrighted as the hem of his garment
chanced to touch my little daughter's apron, and stood
scraping at his garment, like unto a woman scraping fish.
At length, after he had first spat out thrice, he spake
unto the judge asking: whether they would not begin
to take the oaths from the witnesses, seeing that all the
people had long since assembled in the Castle and at
the Inn. This proposition was gladly received, and
the beadle was ordered to keep my child in ward until
the court should send for her.
Wherefore I went with her; howbeit we were sorely
tormented by that daring knave, forasmuch as he was
not ashamed to lay his arm on my little daughter's
shoulder and in mea praesentia ask a kiss from her.
But before I could even utter a word, she tore away
from him and cried : “Ay, thou wicked servant, shall
I accuse thee unto the judges ? hast thou forgotten
what thou hast already to answer for ?” Whereupon,
however, he answered: “ Lawk, lawk, how modest!"


THE AMBER WITCH.
157
and then continued to persuade her that she should be
more complying and not forget her own advantage
thereby; for his intentions towards her were as good
as his master's, she may believe it or not; and more
of scandalous things, which I overheard. For I took
my little daughter on my lap and laid my head on her
neck, and thus sate we still and wept.


158
CHAPTER XXI.
De confrontatione testium. *
When we were called up again the whole court was
full of people, and some shuddered as they beheld us;
others grinned. My little daughter's declaration was
just as before mentioned. But when our old Ilse was
called up, that was sitting behind upon a bench, so that
we could not see her, all the strength, wherewith the
Lord had clothed her, was gone again and she repeated
the Saviour's words: “He that eateth bread with me
hath lifted up his heel against me,”+ and supported
herself by holding fast to my chair. Neither could
old Ilse stand upright for sorrow of heart, neither again
could she utter a word for tearful sobbings, but wrang
and writhed before the judges like a woman in travail.
But when Dn. Consul threatened her that the beadle
would soon make her open her lips, she testified that
my child had very often arisen in the night season
when all men were asleep and loudly called upon the
wicked enemy.
Q. Whether she had heard that Satan answered her.
R.--That she had never heard.
Q. Whether she had discovered that Rea had an
evil spirit, and in what form? She should think of her
oath and speak the truth.
R.—That she had never discovered.
* Of the confronting of the witnesses.
+ John xiii. 18.


THE AMBER WITCH.
159
Q.--Whether she had heard that she has flown out of
the chimney?
R.-No, she had always gone privily out of the door.
Q.--Whether in the morning she had never missed a
broom-stick, or an oven-fork ?
R.-Once she missed her besom, but she found it
again behind the baking-oven, and it might be that
she herself had set it there in thoughtlessness.
Q.-Whether she had never heard that Rea had had
some doings with witchcraft, or bewitched this or that
person?
R.—No, never; but her thoughts and wishes towards
her neighbours were only for good continually; also in
the sore famine she had taken the last bit out of her
own mouth and given it unto others.
Q. Whether then she had no knowledge also of
this salve that had been found in Rea's coffer?
R.— yes, the young mistress had brought it home
with her from Wolgast, wherewith to rub her skin;
she had also given her some thereof, when once she
had chapped hands, and it had cured them famously.
Q.—Whether she had anything else yet to say ?
R.—No, nothing; saving all good things.
Hereupon my servant-lad, Claus Neels, was called up.
The same also came forward weeping, but answered all
questions with—“No!” and at last testified that he
had never seen nor heard anything wrong of my little
daughter, neither was he aware of her walking out at
night, seeing that he slept in the stable with the horses,
and assuredly believed that malicious people (whereby
he looked at old Lise) had brought about this heart-
rending mischievous work, and that she was quite
innocent.


160
THE AMBER WITCH.
When now the turn came to this old tool of the
Devil, to perform the part of a principal witness, my
little daughter again declared that she would not ac-
cept the testimony of that old Lise, and called upon
the court for justice, for that from a child she had borne
a hatred against her, and had been longer decried as a
witch than she had herself.
But that old hag cried : “God forgive thee thy sins !
all the village knoweth me to be a godly woman, fear-
ing and serving my God as becometh me!" Where-
upon she called upon old Zuter Witthahn and my
warden, Claus Bulk, who were also to bear witness unto
her. But old Paasch stood and shook his head ; how-
beit when my dear daughter said : “ Paasch, wherefore
shakest thou thine head ?” he started and answered :
“Oh! nothing !"
But Dn. Consul seeing this, asked him: whether he
had any naughtiness to bring forward against old Lise,
for then he should give glory unto God and confess it;
item, every one was at liberty to do so; yea, the court
commanded him to speak, if he knew aught.
But for fear of that old dragon they all remained as
still as mice, so that one could hear a fly buzzing about
the inkstand. Then I, wretched man that I am,
arose and stretched forth my arms over my timorous
and dismayed flock, and said: can you crucify me thus
with my poor child ? Have I deserved this at your
hands? Speak then !-ah! will no one speak? How-
beit I heard some howl, but never a one speak, and
now my poor little daughter saw nothing left for her
but patiently to endure.
Moreover, so great was the wickedness of that old
hag that she not only accused my child of the most


THE AMBER WITCH.
161
horrible deeds of witchcraft, but declared even to know
the exact time when she had given herself up to that
hateful Satan, whereby to rob her at the same time of
her virgin fame ; seeing that she maintained, that at
that time Satan doubtless had taken her virginity from
her, when she could no longer heal the cattle; but they
had died. Ilowbeit, to this my dear daughter said
nothing, but only cast down her eyes and blushed at
such lewdness, and to the other railing accusations,
which that wretch vented with many tears, namely:
that she had delivered her husband alive into the hands
of Satan-she answered as afore-mentioned. But when
the hag came to speak of her fresh baptism in the sea,
and pretended that she had been seeking strawberries
among the bushes, whereupon she forth with recognised
my little daughter's voice, and had come up softly un-
awares to her and thus discovered the devil's-work-
she interrupted her smiling, and answered : “ay, thou
wicked woman, how could'st thou hear my voice on
the top of the mount in the wood, when I spake by the
sea-shore? Verily thou liest: for the murmuring of
the waves rendered it impossible for thee!" This
vexed the old dragon, and wishing to mend the matter,
she made it still worse, by saying: “surely thou didst
move thy lips as I could see, and thence have I con.
cluded that thou didst call upon the devil, thy para.
mour.”
My dear daughter instantly replied: "Othou god,
less woman, thou sayest that thou wast in the wood
when thou heardest my voice; how then couldest thou
see in the wood whether I was moving my lips near
the water below or not?”
Such contradiction also astounded Dn. Consul, and


162
THE AMBER WITCH.
he began to threaten the old hag that after all, her end
would be the rack if she brought forward such lies,
whereat she answered and said : “ see then if I lie !"
When she went naked into the water she had no mark
yet about her body, whereas when she came out of the
water again, I saw that she had a mark between her
breast of the size of a Witten,* whence I judged that
the devil must have given her it ; albeit I did not see
him about her, nor any other spirit or child of man,
but it seemed that she was quite alone.
Hereupon the Amtshauptmann sprang from his seat
and cried: that this thing should be examined ;
whereat Dn. Consul answered : yea, but not by us, but
by two honourable women; for he regarded not my
daughter saying: that it was a mole, and that she had
it from the day of her birth. Wherefore the beadle's
wife came, into whose ear Dn. Consul whispered some-
thing, and as no entreaties nor weeping availed, my
little daughter was obliged to go with her. Howbeit
this was granted unto her: that Lise Kolken should not
follow her, as she in troth wanted, but our maid, old
Ilse. And in my grief I also went with them, foras-
much as I did not know what the women would do
with her. She wept bitterly as they took off her
clothes, and held her hand before her eyes for shame.
Ah, God! she was just as white about her body as my
blessed wife, now in heaven, while that in her youth,
as far as I can remember, she looked quite yellow, and
I saw to my astonishment the spot between her breasts,
of the which I had before known nothing. But pre.
sently she shrieked out violently and sprang back,
* A silver sixpence.


THE AMBER WITCH.
163
seeing that the beadle's wife, when nobody perceived,
had thrust a needle into the spot, so that the red blood
ran over her breasts. Thereat my wrath was mightily
kindled within me and I rebuked the woman, who de-
fended herself by saying : that she had done according
to the injunction of the judge, * as verily it was the
case. For when we came into the court again, and the
Amtshauptmann asked how the matter stood, she testi-
fied that there certainly was a mark found there of the
size of a Gulden, t and looking yellow, but that there
was feeling in it, for that Rea had cried out aloud when
she had pricked it unawares. In the meantime how-
ever, Dn. Camerarius suddenly sprang up and went to
my little daughter and lifted up her eyelids, whereupon
he began to tremble and exclaimed: “behold here the
mark whichis ever infallible !'' whereupon all the judges
sprang up and inspected the little spot which showed it.
selfunder the right eyelid thathad proceeded from a stye,
but which no one would believe. Dn. Consul then said :
“Behold, Satan has marked thee both on body and
soul; and notwithstanding thou continuest to lie unto
the Holy Ghost; but it will avail thee nothing, and
thou only makest thy condemnation to be the sorer!
O, thou shameless woman, wilt thou not receive old
Lise's witness, neither the witness of these people who
have all heard thee on the mount calling on thy lover,
the devil, whereupon he appeared unto thee as a hairy
giant, and hugged thee and kissed thee?
* It was supposed that such like spots on witches then were
indubitable marks of the devil when they had no feeling; and
this procedure was adopted with every person suspected of
witchcraft.
+ A silver coin value from Is. 6d. to 28.
See among others Delrio disquisit magicae lib. V. Tit. xiv. 63.


164
THE AMBER WITCH.
Hereupon old Paasch, Witthahn, and Zuter, came
forward and testified that this happened at midnight,
and that they would live and die with this confession
on their lips. Old Lise had roused them on Saturday
night by 11 o'clock, put before them a pot of beer, and
persuaded them secretly to go after the priest's daughter
for to see what she was doing on the mount. That at
first they refused to go, but in order to get at the bottom
of the work of witchcraft going forward in the village
they had at length, after offering up a devout prayer,
consented and followed her in God's name.
They were not long before they saw the witch through
the bushes in the moonlight, where she seemed as if
she were digging, and talked loud in a strange lan-
guage, whereupon the grim arch-fiend suddenly ap-
peared and clasped her round the neck. Then they
ran away with horror and dismay, and with the help
of Almighty God, in whom they ever trusted, were
also happily preserved and protected from the power
of the wicked enemy. For albeit, he had looked about
after them, when it rustled in the bush, nevertheless
he was not suffered to harm them.
At length it was also interpreted as a Crimen against
my poor daughter, that she had fainted when she was
led away from Coserow towards Pudgla, and again no
one would believe her that this arose from grievous
vexation at old Lise's singing, and not from an evil
conscience as the judge given it out.
Now, when all the witnesses were examined, Dn.
Consul asked her yet: whether she had caused the
storm ; item, what was the meaning of the frog that
had fallen into her lap; item, the hedge-hog that
was lying before him in the way? Whereupon she


TAE AMBER WITCH.
165
answered: that she had done the one as little as she
knew about the other ; but at this Dn. Consul again
shook his head, and finally asked her: If she would
have an Advocate, or commit every thing to the best
judgment of the court? whereupon she answered: that
she by all means desired to have an Advocate. Where-
fore I sent my servant-lad, Claus Neels, on the morrow
to Wolgast to fetch the Syndicus Michelsen, who was a
pious man, and with whom I put up at sundry times
when I rode to the town, forasmuch as he courteously
invited me.
I must yet observe that my old Ilse now returned into
our service, for after the witnesses were gone away she
remained yet alone in the court, and came up to me
earnestly entreating me that she might be allowed to
attend again on her old master, and her dear young
mistress. For now she had saved her poor soul, and
revealed everything that she knew. Wherefore she
could no longer endure to see her old family in such a
sad state, not having even a mouthful to eat, seeing
that she heard that old Seep's wife, that hitherto
made ready the food for me and my child, had often
let the grits burn; item, oversalted the fish and other
food. Also, that I was so weak with old age and
trouble, that I must bave succour, and that she would
faithfully render such unto me, and would even sleep
in the stable, if needs be. As for wages, she desired
none, would I only not reject her. Such goodness of
heart melted my little daughter even unto tears, and
she said unto me: “Lo, father, the good among the
people are already coming to us again, would the good
angels then forsake us for ever?" "I thank thee, old
Ilse, yea, verily thou shalt make ready my food for


166
THE AMBER WITCH.
me, and even bring it unto me to the prison door, if
thou mayest not go any further, and then mark well
what the beadle doeth therewith, hearest thou ?".
This the maid promised to do, and from thenceforth
she took up her night's lodging in the stable. May
God reward her at the judgment day for all she had
done for me and my poor child !


167
CHAPTER XXII.
How the Syndicus Dn. Michelsen arrived, and ordered his
defence for my poor little daughter.
On the morrow about three o'clock in the afternoon came
Dn. Syndicus riding in his chariot, and alighted at my
inn. He had a great sack of books with him ; albeit
he was not so friendly as I was wont to see him before,
but looked grave and reserved. And when he saluted
me in my room, and asked how it was possible for such
a calamity to befal my child, I recounted to him the
whole of the procedures, whereat, however, he only
shook his head. On my question, whether he was
minded to go to my daughter this day, he answered :
No! but that he would first study the acts. After that
he had partaken of a little wild duck, the which my
old Ilse had roasted for him, he lingered not awhile but
straightway went to the castle, from whence he did not
return until the following afternoon. But he was not
more friendly then than he was at his arrival, and I
followed him sighing, when he invited me now to go
with him to my little daughter. As we entered with
the beadle, and I for the first time saw my poor child,
who in all her life had never harmed the smallest worm,
fettered in chains before me, I verily could have again
given up the Ghost for bitter sorrow of heart. How-
beit she smiled, and called to Dn. Syndicus : “ Art
thou that angel who will deliver me from my bonds as


168
THE AMEER WITCH.
aforetime St. Petrum ???m whereat he replied with a sigh
“God Almighty grant it!” And as there was no other
chair in the prison (the which was a filthy and stinking
hole, more full of wood-lice than I had ever seen
in my life), than the one she sat on against the wall.
Dn. Syndicus, and I, seated ourselves upon her bed,
which on my entreaty they suffered her to have, and
he charged the beadle now to go about his business
until he should call for him. Hereupon he asked my
little daughter what she would bring forward for her
defence, and she had not got far, when, by the shadow
that moved at the door, I concluded some one must be
standing before the same. Wherefore I hastily went to
the door which stood half open, and hit upon the auda-
cious beadle, who had kept standing there to listen.
This so vexed Dn. Syndicus, that he took up his stick
to give him a farewell remembrance ; but the arch-
knave speedily ran away as soon as he perceived this.
My little daughter embraced this opportunity to inform
her Dn. Defensori what she had endured of this rude
fellow, and that another jailor ought to be given unto
her, forasmuch as he in the last night had come to
her with wicked intentions, so that she at last cried out
aloud, and struck him on the head with her chains,
whereupon he at length departed from her. This Dn.
Syndicus promised to attend to, but as touching her
defence, which she now proceeded with he thought that it
would be better if no further mention was made of the
impetust which the Amtshauptmann tried upon her chas-
tity. “ For," said he, “ as the princely high court of
justice in Wolgast has to pass judgment upon thee, hence
such declarations would injure thee more than profit
thee seeing that the Praeses of the same is a cousin of
* Acts xii. 7.
+ Attack.


170
THE AMBER WITCH.
fence in Latin if she could. And now she began to
carry on the same for a quarter of an hour and above,
insomuch that not only Dn. Syndicus, but I myself mar-
velled at her, seeing that she was not short-coming,
nay, not so much even as a single little word, saving
the word “hedge-hog," which for the moment, troth,
neither of us knew when she asked us for it. Summa :
Dn. Syndicus waxed more friendly in a great measure
when she ended her oration, and took leave of her with
the promise forthwith to set about his work.
From that time I did not see his face again until ten
o'clock on the morn of the third day, seeing that he
was working in a room in the castle, the which the
Amtshauptmann had given up to him, wherein he had
also eaten, as he had sent me word by old Ilse, when
on the morrow she brought unto him his breakfast.
But at the above mentioned time he sent for me by
the new beadle, who had already arrived from Usedom
at his intercession. For the Amtshauptmann had waxed
exceedingly wrath, when he heard that daring fellow
had attempted my child in prison, and exclaimed in his
anger: “ Zounds, I'll teach thee to caress !” whereupon
he soundly scourged his back till it turned black and
blue, so that she would now have some peace from him,
I trow.
Howbeit the new beadle was almost worse than the
old one, as alas, we shall soon hear. He was called
Master Köppner, and was a tall fellow with a cruel
countenance, and so great a mouth, that at every word
he spoke the spittle ran out at the sides and clave to
his long beard like soap-Jallier, insomuch that my little
daughter dreaded the very sight of him. Also at every
occasion he did as if he laughed one to scorn, as was


THE AMBER WITCH,
171
the case when he opened the prison doors for us, and
saw my poor child sitting in her misery. Howbeit he
went his way forthwith even unasked, whereupon Dn.
Syndicus drew his defence out of his pocket in order to
read it to us. And hereof we have only retained the
principal clauses, which I will here mention, albeit we
have forgotten most of the Autores.
1. He began : that my daughter had hitherto been
in good repute, as not only the whole village, but
my servants testified, ergo, she cannot be a witch, for
as much as the Saviour hath said: “a good tree can-
not bring forth evil fruit."-(Matt. vii.)
2. As touching the witchcraft in the village, such
might well have been wrought by old Lise, seeing that
she bore a hatred toward Rea, and had long been
evil reported, and that the people of the parish were not
willing to declare the truth only for fear of this old
witch. Wherefore Zuter's little maid must of necessity
be examined yet, forasmuch as she had heard that her
own wedded husband said to old Lise: she had an evil
spirit, and that he would tell it unto the priest. For
albeit the same was as yet a child, it is nevertheless
written, (Psalm viii.) “Out of the mouths of babes
and sucklings hast thou ordained strength," and the
Saviour himself had appealed unto the testimony of
such children.-Matt. xxi.
3. Hence old Lise might well also have bewitched
the piece of land ; item, the fruit-trees, seeing that it
could not be admitted, that Rea, who hitherto had ma-
nifested herself as a dutiful child, should have be-
witched her own father's corn, or conjured up cater-
pillars for him ; for the Scripture saith, “ No man can
serve two masters,” Matt. vi. 24.


172
THE AMBER WITCH.
4. Item, she might in like inanner have been the
green-speck (wood-pecker) that Rea and old Paasch
met in the Streckelberg, and for fear of the priest
herself delivered her own wedded husband to the wicked
enemy, considering how Spitzel taught de expugnatione
Orci ; item, the malleus maleficarum * placed it beyond
doubt that the accursed children of Satan oftentimes
transformed themselves into all manner of beasts, no
less than that hateful fiend himself had done even in
paradise, where he beguiled our first parents under the
similitude of a serpent. (Gen. iii.)
5. Hence might old Lise also have raised the storm
when Dr. Consul was coming with Rea from the Streck-
elberg; inasmuch as it was impossible for this to have
been Rea, seeing that she was sitting in the carriage;
and the witches, whenever they raise a storm, always
stand in water and throw the same backwards over their
heads; item, beat the stones soundly with a stick as
Haunold maintains. Whence she may also best know
about the frog and the hedge-hog.
6. It hath been erroneously interpreted as a crimen
of Rea which must necessarily redound to her justifi.
cation, namely-her sudden wealth. For the malleus
maleficarum says expressly that a witch never waxeth
rich, but that Satan to dishonour God always buyeth
them at a dead bargain, that they might not by such
riches bewray themselves* but as Rea had waxed
* The celebrated code of laws for trials of witches by Inno-
centius VIII. that appeared 1489, and which prescribed the
course of procedure to be observed in the trials of witches.
* The original words of the code Tom. I. quaest 18, on the
question : cur maleficae non ditentur run thus : ut juxta com-
placentiam daemonis in contumelian creatoris, quantum possi-
bile est, pro vilissimo pretio emantur, et secundo, ne in divitis
notentur.


THE AMBER WITCH.
173
rich, she could not have gotten her property by the
accursed arch-fiend, but verily found the amber
in the mount. That the vein, however, was not
to be found might likewise have been done by the
witchcraft of old Lise, or the sea also might have washed
over the foot of the mount as had often been the case,
so as to have filled up the place, thus a mere miraculum
naturale had happened. The proof which he brought
forward from Scripture we have forgotten, as it was not
particularly striking.
7. As touching her fresh baptism, the old slut had
said herself that she had not seen either the devil or
any spirit or man about Rea, wherefore she may well
have bathed naturally for to greet the Swedish king on
the morrow, seeing that it was hot weather, and
such a thing is not contrary to the mudesty of a virgin.
For that any one could see her she would have as
little suspected as Bath-sheba the daughter of Eliam,
the wife of Uriah the Hittite, who had also bathed, as
is written, ii. Sam. xi. 2, 3, without knowing that David
saw her. Neither can her mole be a mark of Satan for-
asmuch as there was a feeling in it, ergo, it was a
natural mark, and false that she had not had it before
she bathed. Moreover that the old doxy was not to
be trusted in this point, as she the while had contra-
dicted herself time after time, as the Acta say.
8. Item, the witchcraft with Paasch's little maid
cannot in like manner be justly imputed to Rea. For,
as old Lise had also been going in and out of the room,
yea, bad seated herself upon the little maid's belly,
when the Pastor visited her, this wicked woman, who
ever bore great hatred and ill will toward Rea might
well and truly by permission of the righteous God have


174
THE AMBER WITCH.
wrought this work of witchcraft through the power of
the evil one. “ For Satan is a liar, and the father of it,"
as our Lord Christ said John viii. 44.
9. Now as touching the spectre of the hateful repro-
bate, who appeared on the mount in the form of a hairy
giant, this certainly would be the most ponderous
Gravamen, inasmuch as not only old Lise, but also
three witnesses of good report had seen her. But who
could tell whether old Lise had not also called up this
devil's spectre for the utter destruction of her enemy.
For albeit the younker had not been this ghost, as Rea
declared, nevertheless it was very possible that she
had not spoken falsely, but regarded Satan, who had
assumed the form of the younker, for the same. Exem-
plum, are even recorded in Scripture. For all the
Theologi of the united Protestant churches agreed in
this, that the apparition which the witch of Endor
shewed unto King Saul had not been Samuel in troth,
but that hateful Satan. Nevertheless Saul had taken
him for Samuel. Thus may that old hag in like man-
ner have called up that accursed devil, without that
she perceived it was not the younker, but Satan, who had
only assumed the form of the younker to lead her astray.
For as Rea is a fair woman, it was not to be wondered that
the devil should give himself more trouble about her
than for an old withered doxy, seeing that he had ever
lusted after fair women to lie with him. (Gen. vi. 2.)
Finally, he offered : that Rea was not even marked
as a witch, having neither a crooked nose nor gloaring
eyes; whilst old Lise had both, which Theophrastus
Paracelsus declares as an infallable characteristic of a
witch, saying, “nature never marks any man thus
except it be a miscreate ; and these are the main marks


176
CHAPTER XXIII.
How my poor little daughter is to be laid on the rack.
After the Acta had been sent in to the High Court of
Justice it lasted well nigh unto fourteen days before
that an answer came. And bis Worship the Amts-
hauptmann was particularly friendly toward me; granted
me also, as the court had broken up, that I could see
my little daughter as often as I desired; whence I was
most of the day about her. And when the beadle
waxed tired of waiting so long for me, I gave him
a Trink-geld, and made him lock me up with my
child, Also the merciful God was 'gracious unto
us, in that He inclined our hearts to frequent prayer.
For we again had a strong hope, and thought that the
affliction we had seen, would soon have passed over
and the grim wolf would get his reward if an honor-
able court would look into the Acta and listen to the
excellent defence which Dn. Syndicus had prepared for
my child. Whence I began to cheer up again, specially
when I saw that my little daughter's cheeks were
waxing lovely red. However on Thursday, the 28th,
Meusis Augusti about noon, the ministers of justice
again returned to the Castle court, as I after my wise
was again sitting in prison with my child and old lise
brought us our food, who, however conld not tell us
these tidings for tears. But the great beadle looked in
at the door and cried : “Ho, ho, now they are here;


TIIE AMBER WITCH.
177
now the tickling, I trou, will begin” whereat my poor
child shuddered, albeit, more at the fellow than at the
tidings. And hardly had he gone away, when he returned
to take off her fetters and to fetch her. Wherefore I
followed her into the Hall where Dn. Consul read aloud
the sentence of a worthy court, that she should once
more be questioned by conciliatory means touching the
framed articles, and should she remain stubborn, she
was to be subjected to the tortures of the rack, for the
defence brought forward does not clear away, but there
were indicia legitima, praegnantia et sufficientia ad torturam
ipsam*mas:
1. Mala famat
2. Maleficium, publice commissumt
3. Apparitio Daemonis in montell
Whereat the High worthy Court cited circa 20 Auctores,
whereof however we remember little. When Dn.
Consul had read this to my little daughter, he again
began to exhort her with many words, that she would
of her own free will confess, for the truth would now
surely be brought to light.
Hereupon she steadfastly answered: that albeit she
had verily hoped for a better judgment from the defence
of Dn. Syndicus; nevertheless, seeing that it pleaseth
God to try and to prove her yet more sorely, she would
commit herself wholly into His gracious hand; and that
she could not confess otherwise than she had done
before, namely, that she was innocent, and that wicked
men had brought her into this trouble. Hereupon
Dn. Consul beckoned unto the beadle, who, from a
* Lawful, preponderating, and sufficient grounds for the rack.
Evil report. Witchcraft publicly committed.
1 The appearance of the devil on the mount.


178
THE AMBER WITCH.
side room, let Pastorem Benzensem* enter in his surplice,
the same being appointed by the court to exhort and
admonish her the better out of God's word. The same
groaned deeply and spake: “Maria, Maria, how must
I see thee again!" whereupon she began to weep very
bitterly and again to protest her innocency. But he
took no heed of her wailings and lamentations, but
after he had made her pray the “ Paternoster ;"F" the
eyes of all wait upon thee,” and “God the father with
us be,” he began to show forth unto her the abomina-
tion with which the living God looks down upon all
witches, seeing that they were condemned to the judg-
ment of hell-fire, not only in the Old Testament, but
the Holy Ghost in the New Testament also plainly
declared: Gal. v: “that no workers of witchcraft shall
inherit the kingdom of heaven," but: “shall have
their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death."-(Rev. xxi.)
Wherefore, knowing this, she ought not to be rebellious,
neither impute the fault unto the court, if she were
thus tormented, for all this was done from Christian
charity, and to save her poor soul. Then should she
for God and her salvation's sake no longer put off her
repentance, cause her body to be tortured, and give up
her poor soul unto Satan, who would after all not give
her in hell what he had promised here upon earth ; for,
"he was a murderer from the beginning and the father
of lies.''-(John viii.)
“O, Maria," exclaimed he, “my dear cnild, thou
wno last so often sat upon my knee, and for whom I
now every morning and every evening cry unto my
God, wilt thou have no pity on thyself and on me,
* The minister of Benz, a village situate not far from Pudgla.
+ The Lord's prayer.


THE AMBER WITCH.
179
then have thou pity on thy righteous father, whom I
cannot look upon for tears, seeing that his hair bath
waxed white as snow in so few days, and save thy soul,
my child, and confess! Behold thy heavenly Father
sorroweth at this time over thee no less than thine
earthly father, yea, even the holy angels cover their
eyes before thee, that thou, who wast once their dear
little sister, hast now become a sister and bride of that
hideous Satan. Wherefore turn thee and repent !
Thy Saviour calleth unto thee, his wandering lamb,
this day to return to his fold. Should not she be
loosed, who verily is a daughter of Abraham, from the
bonds with which Satan has bound her ?-saith his
gracious word, Luke xiii; item, "return, thou back-
sliding daughter of Israel, and I will not cause mine
anger to fall upon thee ; for I am merciful and will not
keep anger for ever ; only acknowledge thine iniquity.”
Jer. iii.—“Return then, thou backsliding soul, unto
the Lord thy God !”'_ That God, who heard the peni-
tent prayer of an idolatrous Manasseh ; for, “when
he was in amfiction he besought the Lord his God and
humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers
and prayed unto him, he was entreated of him and
heard his supplication.”--2 Chron. xxxiii. 12, 13. “ He
who had graciously received the exorcists at Ephesus,
at the hand of Paul."--Acts xix. The same merciful God
calleth unto thee now, as aforetime to the angels, (that
is, the ministers) of the churches of Ephesus: “Re-
member therefore from whence thou art fallen, and re-
pent."- Rev. ii. Oh, Maria, Maria, remember from
whence thou art fallen, my little daughter, and repent!"
When hereupon he was silent, it lasted a very long
time before, for tears and sobbings, she could bring


180
TIIE AMBER WITCH.
forth even the least word, till at length she answered:
“ If lies are not less an abomination unto God, than
witchcraft, then neither dare I lie, but must for God's
sake protest, as I have ever protested, that I am
innocent."
Hereat the anger of the Dn. Consul kindled within
him and his countenance fell with sore displeasure, and
he asked the great beadle, whether all things were
ready ; item, the women at hand for to strip Rea ?
whereupon he answered in his wise, laughing : “Ay,
ay, I am always ready and at hand, and, troth, shall
not be far off and missing to-day. I'll tickle her con-
fession out of her, ne'er fear !"
After he had said this, Dn. Consul turned himself to
my little daughter again and spake : “ Thou art a
stupid thing, and knowest not the torture that awaiteth
thee, therefore it is that thou art and remainest stub-
born. But now follow me into the torture-chamber
that the executioner may shew thee the instrument,
if haply thou mightest change thy mind, when once
thou hast seen the purport of the rack.
Hereupon he led the way into another apartment
and the beadle followed him with my child. Howbeit
when I would go after them, Pastor Benzensis held me
fast and conjured me with many tears, not to do this
thing but to remain here. But I hearkened not unto
him, but tore myself from him, and swore at the same
time that as long as I had a vein and a sinew in my
poor body, I would not leave my child. Then I went
into the other room and from thence down into a cellar
were the torture-chamber was, but in the which there
was no window, so that no man might hear the cries
of the tortured from without Wherefore two torches


THE AMBER WITCH.
181
were already burning here, when I entered, and albeit
Dn. Consul would at first thrust me back, he was at
length moved to compassion and suffered me to remain.
And now this hellish hound, the beadle, stepped forth
and showed my poor child with fiendish joy, first the
rack, saying: "See, thereupon wilt thou first be laid
and thy hands and feet be bound. Then thou gettest
the thumb-screws fastened on, wherefrom the blood
will instantly squirt out from thy finger-ends, as thou
mayest see it, yet red with the blood of the old woman,
Gust Biehlk, who was burnt a year ago and would not
confess at first. Wilt thou then not confess, then I'll
put thee on the Spanish boots, and should they be too
large for thee, then I'll knock a wedge in for thee, so
that the calf from behind cometh to be before, and the
blood the while shooteth out of thy feet as if thou wert
pressing bramble-berries through a bag."
"Wilt thou then not confess-holla !” he now roared
and kicked with his foot against a door behind him so
that the whole vault shook again, and my poor child
fell upon her knees with horrible dread. Not long
after two women brought a caldron in which glowing
pitch and brimstone bubbled; then the hellish dog
bade them set the caldron upon the ground, pulled
forth from under his red mantle, that he had about him,
a Flederwish whereout he pulled about six quills and
then dipped the same into the glowing brimstone.
After this was done and he had holden it for a time
in the caldron, he threw them upon the ground, where-
upon they moved to and fro, and spirted the brimstone
out again. He then again called unto my poor child
* A goose-wing, used for dusting among the common people
in the place of a hand-broom.


182
THE AMBER WITCH.
“behold! these feathers will I then throw upon thy
white loins and forthwith the glowing brimstone will
eat up thy flesh to the bones, that thou mayst get a
foretaste of the pleasures of the hell that awaiteth thee."
As he had spoken thus much with scornful laughter,
I was suddenly seized with great indignation, so that
I sprang forth from the corner, where I had supported
my limbs by clinging to an old cask and cried : “O
thou hell-hound, speakest thou this of thine own self,
or have others bidden thee do it;" for which however
the fellow gave me a thrust on my breast, so that I fell
back against the wall, and Dn. Consul cried out in
great rage; “Old fool, seeing thou wouldest by all
means remain here, then let my beadle alone, other-
wise I'll soon have thee turned out of the room. What
the beadle has said, is his duty, and thus will it be done
unto thy daughter, if she does not confess, and it
might be supposed that the hellish-fiend would give
her something against the torture."'*
Hereupon the hell-hound turned himself again to
my poor little daughter and said, without taking any
further notice of me, than laughing at me in the face :
“See, when now thy wool has been taken off thee,-ho,
no, ho,—then I'll draw thee by these two rings below
unto the earth, and above unto the ceiling on high, and
stretch thine arms out and bind them above unto
* It was erroneously supposed, that, when the witch endured
the torture with uncommon patience, or moreover fell asleep by
it, as it often mysteriously happened, the devil had given them
this insensibility through an Amulet, (a sort of physical compo-
sition or charm to wear about the person, as a preservative
against plague, poison, enchantment, or to remove diseases etc.)
which they kept concealed about some private parts of their body.
See Zedler's Universal-lexicon, vol. 44. under the article Torture.


THE AMBER WITCII.
183
the roof; then I'll take these two torches and hold
them under thy shoulders, so that thy skin forthwith
waxeth like unto a sward of bacon, that hath been
hanging in the smoke. Then thy hellish lover will no
longer succour thee, and thou'lt confess the truth I'll
promise thee. Now then thou hast seen and heard
all what in the name of God and the judicial authority
I'll do with thee.
Now Dn. Consul again came forward and exhorted
her again to confess the truth. But as she remained
firm to her declaration, he delivered her up unto the
women that brought the caldron, that they should
strip her as naked as she had come into the world and
then put on her the black torture-shirt, and then once
more lead her up the stairs barefooted before the wor-
thy court. But as one of those women was the Amts-
hauptmann's stewardess (the other was the beadle's wife)
my little daughter said that she would not suffer her-
self to be touched saving by honourable women, and
not by that stewardess; and Dn. Consul should send for
her maid who was no doubt yet sitting in prison reading
her bible, if so be that he knew of no woman of good
report in the neighbourhood. Hereupon the stew-
ardess began to give way to her tongue, and to rail and
to revile her shamefully ; but this Dn. Consul forbade,
and my little daughter said: that she hoped he would
indulge her in this matter also and only send the
daring beadle's wife for to bring the maid hither from
prison. After he had given his orders he took hold of
me by the arm and entreated me so much to go up
with him, for no harm should yet be done to my little
daughter, till I consented thereunto.
But not long afterwards she herself came up bare-


184
TIE AMBER WITCH.
footed, and in the black vesture of those condemned to
the rack, with the two women, albeit so pale, that I
myself hardly knew her again. The abominable bea-
dle, however, who went close behind her, seized her
by the hand and placed her before the honourable
court.
This being done the exhortations again began, and
Dn. Consul said: she should only look down upon the
brown spots on the vesture. These were yet the blood-
stains of the old woman Biellk; wherefore she should
consider that in a few minutes her own blood would
gush forth through it.
Hereupon, however, she answered: “I will consider
this, nevertheless I hope that my faithful Saviour, who
subjects me to this torture, will in like manner also
help me to bear it, as he did the holy martyrs. For if
they with God's help have overcome the torments in
true faith, which the blind heathen inflicted on them,
then shall I also overcome the torments which blind
heathens inflict on me, who feign to be Christian, but
are more cruel than those of old. For the ancient
heathens verily have caused holy virgins to be torn to
pieces by furious beasts; but ye, who have the new
commandment: 'that ye love one another as your Saviour
has loved you, that by this all men may know that ye are
his disciples, *' ye yourselves would act the part of those
ferocious beasts and rend alive the body of an innocent
virgin, who is your sister and has never done you
any harm. Then do whatsoever ye list, according
as ye will have to answer for it before your Highest
Judge. Again, I say: the little lamb feareth none of
* John xiii., 34, 35.


156
THE AMBER WITCH.
up in a room; whereupon, however, I tore myself
away, fell at his feet, and conjured him by the wounds
of Jesus Christ that he would not rend me away from
iny dear little daughter. Such favour and kindness I
promised him I should never forget, but pray for him
day and night, yea even intercede for him with God
and his holy angels at the last judgment-day if he
would suffer me to go with her. Also that I would keep
myself quite still, and not say a single word, but go
with her I must, etc.
This so moved the good man to compassion, that he
burst out into tears, and so trembled with commise-
ration for me, that the hour-glass dropped out of his
hand and rolled to the Amtshauptmann's feet, as if our
blessed God had given him a sign unto himself, that
his would soon run down. And well did he under-
stand it; for he waxed pale like chalk as he took it
up and restored it unto Dn. Consul. He at length re-
lented, saying: that this day would make him ten
years older, but commanded the beadle, who also went
with them, to take me away, if I should make an up-
roar amidst the torture. And now the judges descended,
albeit without the Amtshauptmann, who said, that his
head ached, and he believed that his old malum, the
gout, was coming on again, whence he retired into an
adjoining room.
Below in the cell the beadles in the first place
brought tables and chairs; whereupon the judges seated
themselves, and Dn. Consul also pushed a chair to me;
howbeit I did not sit down, but had thrown myself
upon my knees in a corner. This being done, those
awful exhortations again began, but as my little
daughter, like unto her innocent Saviour, answered


THE AMBER WITCH.
187
her unrighteous judges never a word, Dn. Consul arose
and commanded the tall beadle to put her on the rack
forthwith.
She trembled like unto an aspen leaf as he was bind-
ing her hand and foot, and when now he was about
tying an old dirty and filthy cloth, wherein he had
carried fish, as my maid had seen, and whereon the
bright scales were yet sticking by handsful about her
lovely little eyes, I had perceived it and took off my
silk neckerchief, praying he would take this, the
which also he did. Hereupon the thumb screws were
fastened on her, and she was asked again kindly ; but
she only shook her blinded head, and with her dying
Saviour cried with a loud voice: Eli, Eli, lama sabach-
thani, and then in Greek: gcé is gećue 'iva ciue
tykuTÉRITES* Thereupon Dn. Consul started back and
crossed himself (for not understanding Greek he be-
lieved, as he afterward himself confessed, that she had
called upon the devil to help her), and now cried with
a loud voice unto the beadle: SCREW!
But when I heard this, I gave such a dreadful shriek,
that all the vault trembled again ; whereupon my poor
child, dying with agony and despair, as she recognized
my voice, first moved her fettered hands and feet, like
a lamb upon the slaughter-bench, that is about to expire,
and then cried : " unloose me, and I will confess all
that ye list.” This so greatly rejoiced Dn. Consul,
that, whiles the beadle was unloosing her, he fell upon
his knees, and thanked God that he had delivered him
from this trouble. Howbeit, no sooner was my child
unloosed, and had put off her thorn-crown (to wit, my
* That is to say: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me! Matthew xxvii. 46.


188
THE AMBER WITCH.
silk neckerchief), when she sprang down from the rack,
and rushed upon me, who, as a dead man, was lying
in a deep swoon, in a corner.
This sorely vexed the honourable judges; and, after
the two beadles had carried me away, Rea was exhorted
to make her confession, as she had promised. But she,
being too weak to stand upon her legs, (and, albeit
Dn. Camerarius had grumbled,) Dn. Consul, notwith-
standing, gave her a chair, upon which she seated her-
self. And these were the principal questions which, as
Dn. Consul said, were put to her, by command of the
judges, and taken ad protocollum :
Q. Whether she could bewitch ?
R.-Yes, she could bewitch.
Q.--Who had taught her this?
R.-Accursed Satan himself.
Q. How many devils had she ?
R.-She had enough of one.
Q.-What was the name of that devil?
Illa (reflecting).-His name was DISIDAEMONIA.
Hereupon Dn. Consul shuddered, and said, that must
be a very awful devil, as he had never heard such a
name before in all his life. She must spell it, that the
Scriba might not make an error ; which verily she did,
and then he continued as follows:
Q.-In what form he had appeared unto her.
R.--In the form of the Amtshauptmann, oftentimes
also in the similitude of a buck with grim horns...
Q. Whether and where Satan had re-baptised her ?
R.-In the sea.
Q. What name he had given her.
* In Greek, and according to the pronunciation of Erasmus,
DEISIDAIMONIA, I. e., bigotry What a wonderful woman!


THE AMBER WITCH.
189
R.-
Q. Whether any of her neighbours had been pre-
sent on her baptism, and who they were ?
Here my incomparable child raised her little eyes
toward heaven, remained silent awhile, as if she was
considering whether she should give in the name of old
Lise, or not, and at length said : Noi
Q.-She must have had sponsors! Who were they,
and what did they put into her Pathen-brief.+
R.-There were only spirits present, whence also
old Lise had not seen anything, when she had come up
to the baptism.
.-Whether the devil had been livingt with her ?
H.---She had never lived with any one, saving her
father.
R. She doubtless would not understand. Whether
she had not committed fornication with that hateful
Satan, and had fleshly intercourse with him?
Here she so blushed with shame, that she held her
eyes closed with both her hands, and then began to
weep and to scb, and as after many questions she gave
no utterance to her voice, she was exhorted to speak
the truth, or upon the failure thereof, the executioner
should lift her again upon the rack. Howbeit she at
length said “no !" which however the honourable
judges did not believe, but gave her up to the execu.
tioner again, whereupon she answered “yes!”
* This name cannot possibly be deciphered in the manuscript.
† A kind of paper, printed with symbols, &c., in which the
present for a god-child is put at its christening.
I The word rendered licing here, beiwohnen, has a twofold
signification, implying also to cohabi with.


190
TUIE AMBER WITCII.
R. That she no longer could recollect.
Q. Whether she had become gravidatus by the devil,
or begotten an oaf, and in what form?
R. No that had never happened.
Q. Whether the evil spirit had not given her some
mark or sign about her body, and where?
R. The mole the honourable judges had already seen
Now all the witchcraft in the village was brought up
again, which she confessed. Howbeit she would not
acknowledge any thing touching Seden's death; item,
about the little Paasch, her sickness, was lastly, that
with the power of the wicked enemy she had cut down
my field, and made caterpillars to come forth in my
orchard. And, albeit, she was again threatened with
the rack, and the executioner was obliged to lay her
upon the bench, and put on the thumb-screws, whiles
feigning to be in earnest, she nevertheless remained
firm, and said: wherefore would ye torture me, seeing
that I have confessed far more heinous crimes than
these are, which it will not save my life if I deny.
This verily the honourable judges at last perceived,
and caused her to be taken off the rack, specially as
she has confessed the articulum principalum, f that Satan
hath verily and truly appeared unto her as a giant, on
the mount. Howbeit, of the weather and the frog,
item, the hedge-hog, no further mention was made,
forasmuch as the honourable court itself had seen the
folly, I trow, of believing that she could have conjured
* This horrible question I can only give in Latin : "numse men
Dacmonis calidum fuerit att frigidum." This question in fact
occurs in all trials of witchcraft, and is, mysteriously, always
answered with frigidum,
+ The principal article.


THE AMBER WITCH.
191
up the storm while she was calmly sitting in the
carriage. Finally, she yet prayed, that they would
grant unto her, that whensoever she should be brought
to suffer death, she might do so in the same garment
that she had on when she saluted the Swedish King;
item, to grant unto her wretched father that he might
go with her to the pile, and to stand by, at what time
soever she should be burned, as, in troth, she had pro-
mised liim in the presence of the honorable court.
Thereupon she was again delivered up unto the tall
beadle, who received the charge to put her into another
and a worse prison, Howbeit, ere he had gone out of
the room with her, ihe Amtshauptmann's bastard, that he
had begotten of the housekeeper, came down into the
cell with a drum, drumming as hard as he could, and
crying: “Come to the goose-roasting! come to the
goose-roasting !" so that Dn. Consul's wrath was kindled
thereat, and he ran after him. Howbeit he was not
able to catch him, for that he well knew all the ins
and outs of this the cellar. And, doubtless, the Lord
sent me into this swoon, that I might not have to feel
this fresh sorrow of heart. Wherefore, to Him alone
be the glory. Amen


132
CHAPTER XXIV.
How the devil taketh old Lise Kolken in my presence.
When I had come to myself again after my aforesaid
swoon the tapster's wife stood over me with my old
maid, and poured some bier-suppe down my throat.
That faithful old woman cried aloud for joy, when
again I opened mine eyes, and then recounted to me
on my enquiry that my little daughter did not let her-
self be racked again, but had freely confessed her ini.
quity, and given herself out for a witch. Such tidings
were almost refreshing unto me in my state of woeful-
ness, seeing that I regarded the fire a less punishment
than the rack. But when I would begin to pray, I
found I could not rightly; whereat I again fell into
great sadness and doubtings, and believed that the
Holy Ghost had turned away his face utterly from me,
wretched man that I am. And albeit the old maid,
when she perceived this, placed herself by my bed, and
sought to stir up my spirit unto prayer, in that she
began to pray first; it was nevertheless of no avail,
and I was and remained a hardened sinner. Notwith-
standing, the Lord had compassion on me, without
any merit and worthiness of my own; forasmuch as I
soon fell into a profound sleep, and did not wake again
until the next morn, about the time the prayer-bells
were ringing, when I could again pray, yea and even
exult in my heart at this grace of God. Then my ser-
vant-lad, Claus Neels, entered in at the door and re-


THE AMBER WITCH.
193
counted that he had come yesterday to report unto me
as touching my oats, for that he had now gathered in
all, and the beadle that went to take old Lise Kolken,
by orders of the High Court, as he gave it out, had
also come with him. And thereat all the village was
rejoiced; but Rea also had sung and jubileed, and on
the way said to them and the beadle, (for the beadle
had allowed her to get up a little behind) this will be
a pretty thing for the Amtshauptmann. Let her only
once come before the court, then troth she'll never fear
to open her lips and speak out plainly, and everybody
shall marvel at what she'll bring forward. Such a
court, verily, was something ridiculous to her, and she
proudly railed salva venia against the whole frater-
nity, etc.
When I heard this I again formed a strong hope
and arose for to go to old Lise. Howbeit, I had not
quite finished putting on my clothes, when she herself
even sent the insolent beadle, praying that I would
come to her with all speed, and administer the sacra-
ment unto her, forasmuch as she had waxed very weak
this night. I thought much about it to myself and
followed the beadle in haste, albeit not to administer
the sacrament as every one may easily guess. But I,
old weak man, forgot to take witnesses with me at the
same time. For all the bitter sorrows that I had
hitherto endured had so beclouded my senses, that
none of these things ever entered my thoughts. The
villainous beadle only followed me, and further we
shall hear, how this knave had sold himself, body and
soul, unto Satan, to sacrifice my child, when he might
have saved her. For when he opened the prison (it
was the same hole where my little daughter had


194
THE AMBER WITCH.
hitherto been sitting) saw we old Lise lying upon the
earth on a bundle of straw, and a besom for her pillow
(as if thereon she would now ride down into hell, as
she no longer could ride thereupon to the Blocksberg)
so that I shuddered when I got sight of her.
And scarcely had I entered when she fearfully cried
out: “I am a witch, I am a witch, have compassion
on me and quickly give me the sacrament, and verily
I will confess all unto you!" And when I called unto
her “confess then !” she said that she herself had
wrought all the witchcraft in the village with the
Amtshauptmann, and that my little child was as inno-
cent of it as the sun in the firmament of heaven.
Howbeit the Amtshauptmann was most guilty, seeing
that he was a witch-priest, and had a much stronger
spirit than she, which is called Dudaim,* and had this
night given her a thrust in the neck, so that she never
could recover from it again. The same spirit it was
that had trodden down the field; covered over the am-
ber, wrought the tempest; cast the frog upon my
little daughter's lap ; item, carried off her old wedded
husband from thence through the air.
* This remarkable word occurs in Gen. xxx, 15, (in the
Hebrew and also in Luther's version, but in the English under
the term mandrake) as the name of a plant exciting female pro-
lification . commentators, however, have at all times differed in
their opinions respecting the essence and nature of it. The
LXX render it by mandragoras, and it has been understood by
the most authentic ancient and modern divines as the mandrake-
root, so notorious in the history of witchcraft. Moreover,
strange to say, the devils always assume Christian names;
whence the spirit of old Lise was soon afterwards called Stoffer,
i. e. Christopher.


THE AMBER WITCH.
195
And when I asked how that could have been possible
as the old man had almost to his very end been a child
of God, and greatly delighted in prayer, albeit, I had
wondered that suddenly in his last sickness he had
gotten other thoughts, she answered: that he had one
day seen her spirit, which she had in her box in the
shape of a black cat and was called Stoffer, and as he
threatened to tell these things unto me she became
afraid, and she had caused him to be made so sick by
her spirit, that he despaired of his recovery. Then
had she beguiled him with the fair hope that she would
forthwith heal him again of his sickness if he would
renounce God, who could not help him, as he well saw.
This he had promised to do, and as she had quickly
made him hearty again, they had both gone down with
the silver, that I had scraped off for him from the com-
munion cup, at midnight to the strand, where he had
to throw it into the sea with those words : “ as little as
this silver will come again to its cup as little may my
soul come to God;" whereupon the Amtshauptmann
that had also been there baptized him in the name of
Satan, and called him Hans. Witnesses he had none
excepting me, (that is to say, old Lise) alone. But
when on the eve of St. John's, he was for the first time
with them on the Blocksberg, (howbeit it was the
Herrenberg* their Blocksberg) they had been talking
* A hill near Coserow. In almost every trial of witchcraft
hills of this kind are mentioned near the residence of the persons
concerned in it, where the devil on the night of Walpurgis, t and
St. John's day feasts, dances and carries on all manner of lewd-
ness with them; the witch priests also practising the Satanic
Sacraments, being a mimicry of the Divine.
of Walpurgis is a female Saint to whom the 1st May is dedi-
cated.


196
THE AMBER WITCH.
of my little daughter, and Satan himself had sworn
unto the Amtshauptmann that he should have her. He
would let the old one (by which the wretch meant
God) see what he could do, and the carpenter's-lad's
courage should sink into his hose for vexation, (fie,
thou arch wicked one, to speak thus of my Redeemer !)
Hereat the old man murmured, and as she had never
rightly trusted him, the spirit Dudaim one day carried
him through the air at the bidding of the Amtshaupt-
mann, because her spirit, called Stoffer, had been too
weak to carry him. The same Dudaim was the very
wood-pecker that had attracted first my little daughter
and then old Paasch with its cry for to ruin her. How-
beit the giant that appeared on the Streckelberg was no
devil, but as her spirit, Stoffer said, the younker,
of Mellenthin himself.
And all this, said she, was the perfect truth, where-
upon she would live and die. Wherefore she entreated
me for God's sake, that I would have compassion
upon her, and on this her penitent confession, grant
her absolution from her sins, and administer the sa-
crament unto her, for the spirit stood at the oven there
and laughed like a knave now that it was all over with
her. But I answered: “I would liever administer the
sacrament to an old cow than to thee, thou accursed
witch, who hast not only delivered up thine own wedded
husband into the hands of Satan, but tortured me and
my poor child to death with the pains of hell.” But before
that she could answer me, it came to pass, that a worm
about a finger's length, and yellow at the tail, came
crawling in at the prison-dvor. When she saw this,
she raised a shriek, the like whereof I never before
heard, neither wish to hear again. For, when in the


THE AMBER WITCH.
197
days of my youth I saw in Silesia how a hostile sol-
dier speared a child in the presence of its mother, I
thought that was a dreadful shriek that the mother
raised ; but this shriek was a mere nothing compared
with the shriek of old Lise. All my hair stood on end,
as also her red hair waxed as stiff as the brushwood of
the besom she was lying on. Item, she roared in like
manner : "that is the spirit Dudaim, which the ac-
cursed Amtshauptmann sendeth me—the sacrament!-
for God's sake the sacrament,I have a great deal
more that I wish to confess yet—I have been a witch
these thirty years !--the sacrament, the sacrament !"
Thus roaring she struck about her with hands and feet,
because that the nasty worm raised itself, hummed
and drummed about her where she lay, so that it was
horrible to look upon and to hear. And this fiendish
woman called upon God, then upon her spirit Stoffer,
and soon upon me to come to her help, till the worm
all at once ran down her open jaws, whereupon she
instantly gave up the ghost, and became black and
blue like unto a bramble-berry.
Thereupon I heard nothing more, than that the
window jingled, albeit not very hard, but as if a pea
had been thrown against it; whence I could readily
conclude that Satan had passed through it with her
soul. Oh, may the merciful God preserve every mother's
child from such an end, for Jesus Christ our blessed
Lord and Saviour's sake. Amen!
After I had come to myself again a little, which
albeit was not till sometime after, forasmuch as my
blood had chiiled into ice and my feet were like stone,
I began to call out for the rascally beadle, who, how-
ever, was no longer in the prison. Thereat I won-


198
THE AMBER WITCH.
dered, for that I had but shortly before seen him, ere
the worm came, whence I instantly had forebodings of
no good. And so verily it was. For when, on my
calling, he at last came in, and I said : he should let
the carcase be carried upon a barrow, that she had
perished in the name of the devil, he feigned to be
quite astounded ; and when I gave him to understand
that I should expect him to bear witness of my daugh-
ter's innocence, which the old hag had confessed upon
her death-bed, he feigned to be yet the more astounded,
and said : that he had not heard anything. This went
into my heart like a sword, and I fell against a pillar
outside, where methinks I must have stood a long
while. But on coming to myself again I went to Dn.
Consul, who was about departing for Usedom, and sat
already in the carriage. On my humble supplication,
however, he came again into the private court cham-
ber with the Camerario and Scriba. Then recounted I
unto them everything that had come to pass, and how
that the wicked beadle denied having also heard it.
In my warmth, however, I had spoken a good deal of
confused stuff, and among other things said: that the
little fishes had all come swimming to my little daugh.
ter into the cellar, for to deliver her. Nevertheless,
Dn. Consul, who oftentimes shook his head, sent for the
impudent beadle and asked him for his testimony.
But the fellow said that he had gone away the moment
he heard that old Lise wished to confess, that he might
not be snarled at again; wherefore he had not heard
anything. Hereupon I, as Dn. Consul afterwards told
the Pastor of Benz, had clenched my fists and answered:
“ What! thou arch knave, didst thou not creep. about
the room like a worm ?" Hence, regarding me as a


THE AMBER WITCII.
199
madman, he would not listen to me any longer, neither
take an oath from the beadle, but left me standing in
the room and stepped into his carriage again.
Neither wot 1 how I had come out; and on the
morrow, when the sun arose, and I was laying in my
bed, at Master Seep's, the tapster, the whole casus,
seemed to me like a dream. Neither could I rise, but
was constrained to lie still all the blessed Saturday
and Sunday, when I talked and raved much in my
sleep ; and not until Sunday, toward the going down
of the sun, when I had began to vomit, and brought
up green gall, (no wonder !) did it get any better with
me. About that time Pastor Benzensis came to my
bed-side, and told me how wildly I had acted, but he
so refreshed me, through the word of God, that I
could pray rightly again from my heart, for which
I hope the merciful God will reward him in the day of
judgment. For prayer is almost as hearty a comforter
as the Holy Ghost himself, from whom it cometh ; and
I am convinced, that so long as a man can pray, he
cannot be in the uttermost distress, though even
“ his flesh and his heart should fail.”—Psalm lxxiii.
verse 25.


200
CHAPTER XXVIII.
How Satan sifteth me as wheat, but my little daughter
firmly resisteth him.
On Monday, I arose in good time from my couch,
and as I felt myself somewhat hearty again, I went
into the castle, if haply I might get to see my little
daughter. Howbeit I could not find any beadle, for
whom I had taken a few Schreckensbergers, * as a Bier-
geld. All the folk that I met, would not tell me where
she was, neither, item, the insolent beadle's wife, that
stood in the kitchen, making match-threads. And
when I asked her: when her husband would return ?
she thought, perchance, not before the morrow morn;
neither, item, would the other beadle come back any
sooner. Then bescught I her that she would herself
lead me to my little daughter, shewing her the while
the two Schreckensbergers ; but she answered, that she
had not the keys, neither did she know how to get
them. In like manner she pretended not to know
where my little daughter's ward now was, that I might
have spoken to her through the door. Item, the cook,
the forester, and whoever else I met in my trouble,
said, they wist not in what hole the witch might
be sitting.
Wherefore I went all round the castle, and laid my
ear against every little window, that seemed to me
* An ancient Saxon silver coin with the effigy of an angel, in
value about four-pence.


THE AMBER WITCH.
201
likely to be her window, and called : “ Maria, my dear
daughter, where art thou ?" item, wheresoever I found a
lattice, I fell upon my knees, bowed down my head,
and called in like manner into the cellars. Neverthe-
less all was in vain; nowhere received I an answer.
This the Amtshauptmann at last saw, and came up to
me, with a very friendly mien, from out of the castle,
and took hold of me by the hand, and asked me what
I desired ? And when I answered him: that I had
not seen my only child since the by-gone Thursday,
and that he should be merciful unto me, and suffer me
to be led to her, he said : that that was impossible,
nevertheless I should come with him to his own room,
to speak further on the matter. On the way, he said ;
" that the old hag, I trow, has told you some pretty
things about me, but you see how the Almighty God
hath taken her away in his righteous judgment. She
has long since been ripe for the fire, but my great
longsuffering, wherein a good magistrate must ever
strive to imitate the example of the Lord, hath over-
looked it hitherto; and now, in thanks thereof, she
clamoured against me, and spread such evil reports.”
And when I rejoined : “how knoweth his worship that
that old witch hath spread such a rumour ?” he first
began to stammer, and then said : “aye, verily, you
yourself have informed the judge thereof, but, never-
theless, I am not angry against you, but God in heaven
knoweth that my bowels are moved with compassion
towards you, poor weak old man, and would willingly
and gladly help you, if I could. Meanwhile he led
me up four or five stairs, so that I, old man, at last
could no longer follow him, and stood still gasping for
breath. But he took me by the hand, and said :


THE AMBER WITCH.
203
wherefore I will put a question to you, which ye shall
answer me on your conscience as a priest. “Say
Father Abraham which is the greater sin: to commit
fornication, or take the life of two men ?' And when
I answered him "to take the life of two men !” he con-
tinued, “aye, now see, this very thing will your stub-
born child do ! rather than give herself up to me, who
was ever willing to save her, and can do it, even this
very day, notwithstanding her funeral pile is already
prepared, she will take her own life and not even save
that of her unhappy father; for I verily believe that
you will hardly overcome this affliction. Wherefore,
for Heaven's sake, persuade; her to come to a better
consideration of the matter, as long as it is yet in my
power to rescue her. “Behold, I have a little house
about two miles hence, situate in the midst of the forest,
whither no man can come; thither will I have her
brought this very night, and there may you abide with
her all the days of your life; if it pleaseth you, you shall
have of the best of the land, and all things whatsoever
your heart lusteth after, and on the morrow in the morn-
ing will I cause an outcry to be made: that the witch
hath run away in the night with her father, and no man
knew whither she had escaped.”
Thus spake the serpent to me, as to our grandmother
Eve of old, and to me wretched sinner it verily seemed
as if the tree of death, which he shewed unto me, was
a tree of life, thus lovely and pleasant was it to look
upon. Nevertheless I answered: “ This my little
daughter will never do, and give up the salvation of
her soul to save her life." But even then again "the
serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field,”!
(understand-me, old fool, especially,) and said : “Aye,


201
THE AMBER WITCH.
who sayeth then, that she should give up the salvation
of her soul? Rev. Abraham, must I teach you the
scripture ? Did not our Lord Christ graciously receive
Mariam Magdalenam, who verily lived in open fornica-
tion, and proclaimed forgiveness of sins to the poor
adulteress, who verily had committed a far greater
crimen ; yea, saith not St. Paul plainly, that Rahab
the harlot was saved.-Heb. xi.; item, St. James ii.,
the same thing? But where do you read, that a man
has been saved who hath taken his own life and that of
his father wittingly? Wherefore, for God's sake, per-
suade your child, that in the hardness of her heart she
may not willingly give herself up body and soul unto
the devil, but consent to be delivered whiles there is
yet time. Behold, you can remain with her, and by
prayer obtain pardon for whatsoever sins she may
commit, and be ready likewise with your counsel to me,
who gladly confess, that I am a poor sinner, and have
grievously afflicted you ; howbeit, (by a long way) not
so grievously, Rev. Abraham, as David did Uriae, who,
notwithstanding, was saved though he had shamefully
taken the life of the man and afterward lay with his
wife. Wherefore, I, poor man, also hope to be saved,
who, if it be possible, have a yet greater lust after
your daughter than this David after Bathsheba, and
gladly will I recompense you doubly for all, when
once only we get into the hut.”
As the tempter spake this, his words seemed unto
me sweeter than honey, and I answered : " Ah, your
Worship, I am ashamed to appear before her with such
a proposal;" whereupon he instantly said : “then
write it to her; come, here is paper, pen, and ink!"
Then took I, like Eve, of the fruit, and did eat, and


THE AMBER WITCI.
205
gave it to my little daughter, that she also should eat;
I would say I recapitulated everything on the paper that
Satan suggested to me, albeit in Latin, for that I was
ashamed to write it in German, and conjured her in
conclusion not to sacrifice her own life and mine, but
to submit to God's wondrous appointments. Neither
were mine eyes open whiles I was eating, (i.e., writing),
nor perceived I, that not honey, but gall was under the
ink; moreover I translated the purport thereof to the
Amtshauptmann, even smiling like a drunken man,
(forasmuch as he understood not Latin) whereupon he
tapped me on the shoulder, and after I had sealed the
letter with his signet, he called his gamekeeper, and
gave it to him to carry to my little daughter; item, he
sent paper, pen, and ink, together with the signet, that
she might answer me directly.
In the mean time he was very pleasant to talk with ;
commended me and my child, and ever and anon I was
obliged to piedge him out of his great tankard, wherein
he had a very delicious wine ; then went he to a closet,
and handed me some sweet cakes, to eat with the
wine, saying: thus should I have it from henceforth,
even all the days of my life. But when, after about
half-an-hour, the gamekeeper returned with her
answer, and I had read it, it came to pass that mine
eyes were opened at once, and I knew how to discern
between good and evil. Had I had a fig-leaf, surely
I would in like manner have covered my shame there-
with, but, as it was, I held my hand before me, and
wept so bitterly, that the Amtshauptmann's wrath sorely
kindled against me, and he commanded me, with an
oath, to tell him what she had written. Wherefore I
interpreted the letter to him; which I here insert, that


206
THE AMBER WITCH
men may learn, therefore, my foolishness, and
mv little daughter's wisdom. The same runneih
thus ;*
JESVS!
Pater infelix !
Ego cras non magis pallebo rogum aspectura, et
rogus non magis erubescet, me suscipiens, quam pallui
et iterum erubescui, literas tuas legens. Quid ? et te
pium patrem, pium servum Domini, ita Satanas solli.
citavit, ut communionem gacias cum inimicis meis et
non intelligas: in tali vita esse mortem, et in tali
morte vitam? Scilicet si clementissimus Deus Mariae
Magdalenae aliisque ignovit, ignovit, quia resipiscerent
ob carnis debilitatem, et non iterum peccarent. Et
ego peccarem cum quavis destatione carnis et non
semel, sed iterum atque iterum sine reversione usque ad
mortem ? Quomodo clementissimus Deus hoc sceleratis-
sima ignoscere posset ? infelix pater! recordare, quid
mihi dixisti de sanctis Martyribus et virginibus Domini,
quae omnes mallent vitam quam pudicitiam perdere.
His et ego sequar, et sponsus meus, Jesus Christus, et
mihi, miserae, ut spero, coranam aeternam dabit, quam-
vis eum non minus offendi ob debilitatem carnis ut
Maria, et me sontem declaravi, cum insons sum. Fac
igitur, ut valeas et ora pro me apud Deum et non apud
* It is evidently written by a female hand, and most probably
the original hand-writing. But there seems to be no mark of
any sealing-wax, or wafer, about it; whence I should suppose
that it had been delivered open; which indeed might have been
very safely done, on account of its foreign contents. Besides, I
purposely leave the few grammatical errors that it contains
standing as they are, as every correction of this gem would
appear to me as an act of treason on the character of this incom-
parable woman.


THE AMBER WITCH.
207
Satanam, ut et ego mox coram Deo pro te orare
possim.
Maria S.,
Captiva.*
When the Amtshauptmann heard this, he threw down
the pitcher that he yet held in his hand, with such force,
that it broke, and cried out: that accursed devil! well,
the beadle shall make her pipe for a whole hour for
*TRANSLATION
JESU!
My unhappy father!
I shall not turn more pale to-morrow when at point to behold
the pile, nor will the pile blush more fiery red on receiving me
than did I, pale and then red again, on reading thy letter.
What? thoil-even thou-a loving father and loving servant of
the Lord-so ensnared by Satan as to make common cause with
mine enemies ! not conceiving that there is death in such a life,
and life in such a death? Of a truth, if God in his great pity
did pardon Mary Magdalene and others, he pardoned them, for
that they repented the weakness of the flesh, and sinned not
again. And wouldest thou that I, howsoever detesting the
flesh, should sin, and that not once only, but again and again,
without return even until death? How should God-even the
most pitiful-pardon mine utter wretchedness in this ? Call to
mind, O my unhappy father, remember what thou hast told me
of the holy martyrs and virgins of the Lord--how they all had
liefer forfeit life than purity. Them will I follow, and Jesus
Christ, my Spouse, will vouchsafe, as I hope, an everlasting crown
ven to a wretch like me; albeit I have offended him through
weakness of the flesh, no less than did Mary; and have avouched
me guilty, when I am guiltless.
Take good heed to thy health, and pray for me, unto God and
not unto the Evil One, that I soon may be likewise able in the
presence of God to pray for thee.
MARIA S.
In bonda.


208
THE AMBER WITCH.
that! and many other things that he spake in wrath,
and that I have forgotten. Howbeit, he soon seemed
pleasant again, and said: “She is foolish, go yourself to
her, if peradventure you may persuade her to your, and
her own advantage; my forester shall let you in; and if
the fellow should listen, then instantly give him a couple
of boxes on the ear, in my name; do you hear, father
Abraham! Go quickly, and bring me back an answer,
as soon as possible !” So then I followed the forester,
who lead me into a cellar, whereinto as much light fell
from a hole, as about the size of a Gulden,* and where
my little daughter sat upon her bed, and wept; and it
may easily be supposed, that I too forthwith began,
and could do nothing else. Thus lay we for a long
while mute in each other's arms, till I at last asked her
forgiveness, on account of my letter; but of the
Amtshauptmann's proposal, I told her nothing, as was
my purpose from the first. But it lasted not long, when
we heard him calling down from the top of the cellar
himself: “what (here he cursed and swore horribly) are
you doing so long there? This moment come up
Rev. Abraham!” so that I had scarcely time to give
her a kiss, when the forester was already at hand with
his keys, and we were obliged to separate, albeit we
had not spoken of any thing, saving what I had briefly
recounted to her of what had happened to old Lise.
And scarcely could one believe with what furious wrath
the Amtshauptmann was filled, when I told him: my
little daughter remained steadfast and immoveable, and
would give no ear unto him. He pushed me on the
breast, and cried : “then go to the devil, thou infernal
priest!” And, as I turned to go away, he dragged me
back again, and said: “ now mark, if thou sayest one
* Or an English Shilling.


THE AMBER WITCH.
209
word of all our doings, lo, then I'll have thee burnt
likewise, thou gray old witch begetter, whereupon I
took courage unto myself, and answered: “ that, that
would be a great pleasure to me, especially if that
could be done on the morrow along with my little
daughter!” howbeit he answered never a word, but
clapped the door to after me. Aye, clap away; the
righteous God, I fear, will one day also clap the door
of the kingdom of heaven in thy face!


212
THE AMBER WITCH.
whereupon the rat vanished, and then the rest took
courage again. So did the man relate unto me, and
one may readily guess that this was in troth Satan,
that had run down the jaws of the old hag, and taken
the form of a rat; albeit, I marvel what he could have
been doing so long in the carcass, except it be that
evil spirits love whatsoever things are filthy, as much
as the angels of God whatsoever things are pure and
lovely. Be this however as it may; Summa: I was
not a little dismayed at his report, and enquired of him
what he now thought of the Amtshauptmann? Hereat
he shrugged his shoulders and said: "He, as long as
he could remember, had ever been a vile fellow, nei-
ther had he received his dues from him for the last ten
years; but that he was a wizard, as old Lise said, he
did not believe. For albeit he had never yet joined
the table of the Lord with him; he had nevertheless
heard, that in Stettin he had oftentimes gone up with His
princely Grace, the Duke, which the court-chaplain there
himself had proved to him by his communion-book.
Hence he could not possibly believe that he would
plunge my little daughter innocently into destruction,
as that hag said Moreover my little daughter had
even of her own will given herself out for a witch.”-
Hereupon I answered: that she had done it from fear
of the torture: otherwise, as concerning her death,
she dreadeth not the same; whereupon 1 informed
him, with many sighs, how the Amtshauptmann had
yesterday tempted me, miserable and unbelieving ser-
vant, to evil; that I was nigh minded to sell my
only child to him and to Satan, and was not worthy to
receive the sacrament this day; but how my dear
little daughter had a much stronger faith than I,


THE AMBER WITCH.
213
?
which he might see from her letter, that I had yet
in my pocket. Then I gave it into his hands, and
after he had read it, he sighed, and said: “were it
possible, I could sink into the earth for anguish !
but come, come, my brother, that I myself may behold
her faith.”
And now we went towards the castle ; howbeit on the
way upon the grassy hill before the forester's house ; item,
around the castle, all was full of people already, which
as yet kept themselves quiet as we passed by. Then
announced we ourselves again to the forester (his name
I have never been able to remember for he was a Pole,
albeit not the same man, that my little daughter was
to have wedded, and whom the Amtshauptmann had
driven away) who, troth, forthwith conducted us into a
fine large apartment whither my little daughter had
already been fetched from prison. The maid also had
dressed her, and she was as fair to look upon as an
angel. She had the golden chain with the miniature
likeness of the King again about her neck; item, the
wreath in her hair, and smiled as we entered, saying :
“ I am ready!"--Hereat, however, Rev. Martinus was
affrighted and spake: “aye, thou godless woman; let
no man henceforth speak unto me of thine innocence !
Thou wilt go to the sacrament and afterward to death,
and thou paradest about as a child of the world that
trotteth about in the ball-room ?”
Hereupon she answered: “Blame me not Herr Pate
(godfather) that, in the same dress that I lately ap-
peared before the kind Swedish King, I also wish to
appear in the presence of my kind Heavenly King.
This strengthens my weak and timorous flesh, seeing
that I hope, that the faithful Saviour will also take me


214
THE AMBER WITCH.
to his heart and hang his image around me, when
humbly I stretch forth my hands to him, and repeat my
carmen to him, namely: "O Lamb of God, innocently
slain upon the tree of the cross, give me thy peace, O
Jesu !"
This moved my dear brother with compassion and
he said : “ah, my daughter, my daughter, I would be
angry with thee, and lo, thou constrainest me to weep
with thee ; art thou then innocent ?".
“Yes!” answered she, “ to you Herr Pate I may
venture to say it; I am truly innocent, so God help
me in my last anguish, through Jesus Christ. Amen.”
When the maid heard this, she shrieked out so loud
that I repented of having taken her with me, and we
all had enough to do in comforting her out of the word
of God, till she became somewhat quiet again. And
when this was over, my dear brother said: "if thou
so strongly avouchest thine innocence, I must first
inform the court thereof on my priestly conscience :"
and he would have rushed out of the door.
But she held him fast and fell to the ground and
clung to his feet and said: “I implore you for Jesu's
wounds' sake, that ye be silent. They will stretch me
upon the rack and put me to shame, and I wretched
weak woman, shall in such torture confess all that they
list, especially if my father will be present at it, and
thus shall I be tortured both in body and soul. Where-
fore, stay, stay! Is it a misfortune then to die innocent,
is it not better to die innocent, than guilty ?”
This my dear brother at length promised, and after he
had stood awhile and prayed to himself, he wiped off his
tears and then began the exhortation for the confes-
sion from Isaiah xiiii. 1, 2: “ Fear not; for I have


THE AMBER WITCH.
215
redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou
art mine! when thou walkest through the fire, thou
shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon
thee; for I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One in
Israel, thy Saviour!”
And when he had ended his comforting address, and
then asked her whether she would willingly bear the
cross which the merciful God would lay upon her,
according to his unsearchable wisdom, unto her last
dying hour, she uttered such sweet words, whereof my
brother afterwards said, that he should never forget
them as long as he lived, forasmuch as he had never
seen a countenance so full of faith and joy, and yet so
truly sorrowful.
But she said: "O holy cross, which my Jesus hath
sanctified with his sufferings; O blessed cross, awarded
unto me by the hand of a gracious father; O glorious
cross, by which I am conformed to the likeness of my
Jesus, and an entrance is ministered unto me abundantly
to the everlasting glory and felicity of the Kingdom of
my Lord and Saviour !-wherefore should I not be wil.
ling to bear thee, thou sweet cross of my Bridegroom
and Brother?"
Scarcely had Rev. Johannes thereupon absolved us
and then administered unto us the Holy Sacrament,
with many tears, when we already heard a great tumult
in the porch ; and immediately after, the insolent Beadle
looked in at the door and asked : whether we were ready,
as the honourable court was waiting for us. And when
she heard this, my little daughter would first bid me
farewell, which, however, I restrained her from, and
said: “ Nay, not so; thou knowest what thou hast
promised me : whither thou goest, I will go; where


THE AMEER WITCH.
217
entered in, amid a great tumult of the people, bearing
a glittering sharp sword in his hand, bowed it three
times before my little daughter and cried : “ Death to
the accursed witch, Maria Schweidler, for departing
from the living God!" and all the people in the hall
and on the outside cried after him as loud as they could :
Death to the accursed witch !"
Hereupon he said: “Maria Schweidler, come before
the high criminal court!” whereupon she followed him
with us two wretched men (for Pastor Benzensis was no
less stricken than I myself;) the old maid, however,
remained lying on the ground like one dead.
And when with great trouble we had passed through
the multitude, the beadle remained standing at the
entrance of the public judgment-hall, again lowered
his sword before my little daughter, and cried for the
third time: “Death to the accursed witch, Maria
Schweidler, for departing from the living God !" and
all the people, as well as the cruel judges themselves,
cried after them, as loud as they could, “Death to the
accursed witch !"
As we then entered the court Dn. Consul first asked
Pastor Benzensis, whether the witch had remained
steadfast to her free-will confession in the Beichte ;*
whereupon after a short reflection he answered: "let
her answer for herself, for there she is. The same,
therefore, taking a paper into his hand that lay upon
the table before him, spake:
“ Maria Schweidler, after thou hast made thy Beichte,
and received the high and holy Sacrament of the
* Confession to the priests; a practice maintained to this pre-
sent day in the Lutheran churches, previous to the administra-
tion of the Sacrament,


218
THE AMBER WITcн.
Supper of the Lord, give me once more thy answer to
the questions I am now about to put to thee.
1. Is it true that thou hast departed from the living
God, and given thyself up unto Satan?
2. Is it true that thou hast had a spirit called
Disidaemonia, who baptized thee anew, and with whom
thou hast had unnatural contamination ?
3. Is it true that thou hast wrought all manner of
evil unto the cattle ?
4. Is it true that Satan appeared unto thee, on the
Streckelberg, as a hairy giant ?
When with many sighs she affirmed all this, he
arose, took his staff in one hand, and a second paper
in the other, also placed his spectacles upon his nose
and spake: then hear now thy sentence:
(This sentence I have afterward copied; but the
other Acta he would not let me have, but pretended
that it was lying in Wolgast; the same then runneth
thus, word for word :)
“We, the appointed Sheriffs and Judges of the High
Criminal Court:
“After Maria Schweidler, daughter of Pastor Abraham
Schweidleri, of Coserow, had, on an instituted inquisi-
tion repeatedly made the free-will confession; that she
had a devil called Disidaemonia, who had baptized her
anew in the sea, and with whom she had had unnatural
contamination; item, that she had done injury to the
cattle by means of the same, and he also appeared
unto her on the Streckelberg as a hairy giant: justly
judge and pass sentence: that Reli, (as a well-merited
punishment to her and a just example to others), be
branded with red-hot iron tongs on the breast, in four
places, and afterward put to death by fire. But as we,


THE AMBER WITCH.
219
in consideration of her age, are willing graciously to
exempt her from being branded with hot irons, she
shall only be put to death by the simple punishment of
fire. Accordingly, then, she is hereby condemned and
sentenced thereto by the penal laws.
" Publicatum at the Castle of Pudgla, the 30th. mensis
Augusti, anno salutis, 1630."'*
As he pronounced the last words, he broke his,
staff, and threw the pieces at the feet of my innocent
little lamb, saying to the beadles: “now do your
duty !" But there was such a rush of folk, both of
men and women, to pick up the pieces from the ground
(for it was said to be good for the gout: item, for cat-
tle troubled with vermin), that the beadle fell over a
woman that was on her knees before him, and thus his
near death was at the same time prefigured before
him, by the God that judgeth righteously. This same
also happened unto the Amtshauptmann a second time;
for as the Court now broke up, and overthrew tables,
chairs, and benches, a table, by reason of two boys that
were sitting under it, and fighting for a piece of the
staff, fell upon his foot, so that he waxed wrath ex-
* Readers, who are unacquainted with the abominable mal-
administration of justice at that time will wonder at this hasty
and arbitrary procedure. But there are authentic trials of witch-
craft lying before me, in which a simple notary nad, without any
further ado, sentenced to the rack and to death; and it is already.
to be regarded as a mark of humanity whenever the acts are sent
in to a University or any strange court of sheriffs for the settlement
of the capital question of the rack. The sentence of death appears,
on the contrary, almost always to have been pronounced by the
inferior courts of judicature, at which the case of an appeal was
never to be thought of; and it is almost incredible the haste and
speed with which those gentlemen dispatched such matters.


220
THE AMBER WITCH.
ceedingly, and threatened the people with his fist, and
that every one should have fifty lashes upon their
podicis, both men and women, if they were not quiet
and left the Court that very instant. This put them
in fear, and after the folk had run into the street, the
beadle pulled a rope out of his pocket, wherewith he
bound my poor little lamb's hands together behind her
back, so that she began to scream aloud; but seeing
how it pierced my heart again, she forthwith took
courage, and said: “ah, father! remember, that even
the blessed Saviour was no better treated !" But as
my dear brother, who stood behind her, saw that her
little hands, and specially her nails turned black and
blue, he interceded for her with the honourable judges;
whereupon, however, the hateful Amtshauptmann an-
swered : "aye, only let her alone, she must feel what
a grievous and bitter thing it is to depart from the
living God!" Howbeit Dn. Consul was more moderate,
forasmuch as he charged the beadle, after he himself
had felt of the ropes, to bind her humanely, and to
slacken a little, which now verily he was obliged to do.
Herewith, however, my dear brother was not satisfied,
but entreated that she might be placed in the carriage,
so that she might be able to use her hymn-book, for he
had ordered all the school children to assemble and
sing a spiritual hymn on the way for her comfort, and,
as he was minded to go with her, he would stand surety
she should not escape from the carriage ; besides, strong
men were wont to encompass the carriage of the
wretched malefactors with hay-forks, and specially
when these were witches. But this the cruel Ampts-
hauptmann would not suffer, whence it remained as it
was, whiles the insolent beadle immediately seized her


THE AMBER WITCH.
221
by the arm and lead her out of the Court. In the
porch, however, there was a great Scandalum, which
again rent my heart; for the stewardess and the
beadle's wife strove together for my little daughter's
bed, as well as her every-day garments, which the
stewardess liad taken unto herself, but the other wo-
man also wished to have them.
The same now instantly called her husband to help
her, who forthwith let my little daughter go, and so
smote the stewardess with his fist upon her mouth,
that the blood gushed out of it, and she raised an aw-
ful shriek towards the Amtshaupimann, who followed us
with the judges. The same threatened them both in
vain, and said, that afterward when he should return,
he would look into the matter and give each his por-
tion. To this, however they would not hearken, till
my little daughter asked Dn. Consul whether every
one that dieth (even a poor malefactor), had power to
leave all that he had to whatever person he listeth ? and
when he answered :"yea, all, saving the garments which
pertain to the executioner !”—she said: “ well, then,
the beadle may take my garments, but my bed no one
shall have, excepting my old faithful maid, called Ilse !"
Hereupon the stewardess raised aloud her voice,
cursing and swearing at my child, who, however, took
no notice of it, but went forth out of the door unto the
waggon, where there was such a concourse of people
that one could see nothing but their heads. And soon
the multitude thronged together about us with such
tumult, that the Amtshauptmann, who meanwhile had
mounted a grey horse, began to cut at the people's
faces with his whip right and left, and notwithstanding
they would scarcely give way. And when at length I


223
CHAPTER XXVII.
What had befallen us on the way : item, of the fearful death
of the Amtshauptmann, near the mill.
We had many wonders by the way, and also great
sorrow of heart; for directly we came to the bridge
that leadeth over the brook which floweth into the
Schmollen*, stood the stewardess's hateful lad again,
drummed and cried as loud as he could: “Now for the
goose roasting, now for the goose roasting !" whereat
the people immediately raised a great laugh, and called
after him: “Yea verily, away to the goose-roasting,
away to the goose roasting !"
Howbeit when Master Krekow began to sing the
second verse they were somewhat quiet again, for the
most helped him to sing out of their hymn-books,
which they had brought with them. But when he
thereafter pausec a little, the noise broke forth afresh.
Some cried, “ the devil had given her the clothes, and
arrayed her thus;" whence, and because the Amtshaupt-
mann had been riding foremost, came they around our
waggon and felt of her garments, especially the women
and young maidens; others again cried after the lad:
“ to the goose roasting, to the goose roasting !" where-
upon one fellow answered: “she'll not let herself be
roasted yet, mark me if she does not p- the fire out."
This and many other profligate words, but which for
shame I will not note, were we obliged to hearken to,
*A lake near Pudgla.


224
THE AMBER WITCH.
and it cut me to the heart when one fellow swore that
he would have some of her ashes, as he had not gotten
any of the staff, for there was scarcely anything
· better for fever and the gout than witch-ash. Where-
fore I beckoned to the custodi to begin again, and they
kept quiet for a time, i. e. as long as the verse lasted, but
afterwards went on much worse than before. But as
we were now near the fields, and my little daughter be-
held the pretty little flowers that grew about the dikes,
she fell into profound thought, and began again to re-
cite part of the splendid hymn of St. Augustini, as fol.
lows:
flos perpetuus rosarum ver agit perpetuum,
candent lilia, rubescit crocus, sudat balsamum,
virent prata, vernant sata, rivi mellis influunt,
pigmentorum spirat odor liquor et aromatum,
pendent poma fioridorum non lapsura nemorum
non alternat luna vices, sol vel cursus syderum
agnus est foelicis urbis lumen inocciduum.*
By this Casus we gained the advantage that all the
people ran away cursing from the waggon, and trotted
* There the ever-blooming roses everlasting spring bestow,
There the snow-white lilies glisten with the saffron's ru
affron’s ruddy
glow;
Ev'ry shrub with balm distilleth - em'rald meadows softly
gleam-
Richly wave the golden harvests - honey flows in luscious
stream-
Od'rous essence there exhaleth - fragrant spices scent the
breeze-
Clusters of eternal fruitage breed the never-fading trees;
There the sun by day they need not-stars nor changing moon
by night;
For the Lamb on that blest city pours his own unceasing light.


THE AMBER WITCH,
225
on behind about a furlong from us, for as much as they
believed that my little daughter was calling upon that
hateful Satan for help. One fellow only circa twenty-
five years, but whom I did not know, kept a few paces ..
behind the waggon, till his father came, and as he would
not go away with good words he pushed him into the
dike, so that he sank down to his waist in the water.
Hereat even my poor little daughter was constrained
to smile, and asked me, if I did not know more Latin
hymns, to keep the rude and stupid folk further from
us. But how, at such a time could I have recited any
Latin hymns, even had I known them; Howbeit my
Confrater Rev. Martinus remembered one, though in
troth it was an heretical one; notwithstanding seeing
that it pleased my little daughter above measure,
he repeated many verses to her three or four times,
till she could say them after him, I said nothing,
though I have ever been very rigid against heresies,
for I comforted myself with the thought, that our gra-
cious Lord God would forgive her simplicity; the first
line thereof ran thus: dies irae, dies ille.* More espe-
cially was she pleased with these two verses, which
she often repeated greatly to her edification, and which
I therefore will here insert:-
judex ergo, cum sedebit,
quidquid latet, apparebit
nil inultum remanebit. +
* “ Day of wrath, that dreadful day,” etc.-one of the most
sublime of catholic hymns.
+ When the Judge ascends His throne
Every secret shall be known;
All shall reap as they have sown.


226
THE AMBER WITCH.
Item :
rex tremendae majestatis
qui salvandos salvas gratis
salva me, fons pietatis !--*
But when the men that guarded the waggon heard
this and at the same time a great tempest arose over
the Achter-gulf they thought nothing less than that
my little daughter had wrought this, and as the people
that were following at a distance also cried : “that's
the witch's doing, that the accursed witch hath done !"
all the ten, unto one man, leaped over the dike and
ran away. But this Dn Consul, who was riding with
the honourable justices behind us, no sooner saw, than
he called unto the beadle asking : “what was the mean-
ing of all this?” and the beadle called out to the
Amtshauptmann, who was a little way before, who forth-
with turned round, and after he had learned the cause,
shouted after the men, that he would hang then all
upon the very first tree they came to, and feed his falcons
with their flesh, if they did not instantly return to their
post and duty. This prevailed with them, and when
they came back, he gave to every man of them about
six lashes with his whip, whereupon they remained,
albeit they kept as far off the waggon as they could for
the dike.
In the meantime, however, the tempest from the
South came nearer, with thunder, lightning, hail, and
storm-winds, as if the righteous God would manifest
his wrath against those ruthless murderers; and the
tops of the high beech trees were snapped off like
rotten wood, so that our waggon was quite covered
with leaves as with hail, and no one could hear himself
* King of awful Majesty,
Of thy saints the Saviour free,
Fount of love! deliver me.


228
THE AMBER WITCH.
before us into the water, which was followed by a clap
of thunder so sudden and awful, that the whole bridge
shook therewith: and the Amtshauptmann's horse (our
horses became quiet) recoiled, and plunging a few
paces, lost its footing, and with its rider darted head-
long down upon the great mill-wheel. A fearful cry
arose from all the folk that stood behind us on the
bridge, and for a time there was nothing to be seen
for the white foam, until the Amtshauptmann's legs came
on high with the wheel, and then also the trunk; but
the head stuck betwixt the paddles of the wheel, and,
terrible to behold, he was whirling round and round
with the same. His steed, however, ailed nothing;
but swam behind in the mill-pond. When I saw this
I took the hand of my little lamb, and cried : “ seest
thou now, Maria, our Lord God liveth and rideth upon
the cherub, unto this day, and flieth; yea, He flieth
upon the wings of the wind. He will beat our enemies
small as the dust before the wind, and cast them out
as the dirt in the streets !* Look down now, and be.
hold what the Almighty hath done.” As she hereupon
lifted up her eyes, sighing towards heaven, we heard
Dn. Consul behind us crying as loud as he could; but
as no one could understand him for the awful tempest,
and the noise of the water, he sprang from the carriage
and would go over the bridge on foot, but he also fell
upon his face, so that the blood gushed out; he then
crept back again upon his hands and knees, and presently
held a long consultation with Dn. Camerario, who, how-
ever, never moved in the carriage. In the meantime
the beadle and the driver having taken out the horse,
dragged it away from the bridge and tied it up; they
* Psalm xviii., 10, 42.


THE AMBER WITCH.
229
then came back to the carriage and bade us step out
and cross the bridge on foot, which also we did; whiles
the beadle with many cursings and railings unloosed
my little daughter, threatening at the same time to
repay her for her maliciousness by roasting her till late
in the evening. (Nor could I altogether blame him,
for verily and in troth it was a strange thing!) Albeit,
she herself came well over it; we both fell, to wit,
Rev. Martinus and I, as did all the rest to the ground
about three times, but at length, through God's mercy,
we reached the miller's house in safety, where the
beadle committing my little daughter to the charge of
the miller, not to let her escape at the peril of his life,
and ran down to the mill-pool to save the Amtshaupt-
mann's horse. He charged the driver in the meantime
to remove the carriage and the other horses away from
the bewitched bridge.
But we had not been standing long under a tall oak
tree before the miller's house, when Dn. Consul with the
honourable justices, and all the people, came riding
over the little bridge, which was only a few yards from
the first, and scarcely could he restrain the people from
seizing my child and worrying her alive, seeing that
all, even Dn. Consul himself, believed that no other
than she had raised the storm, also bewitched the bridge,
(especially as she herself had not fallen thereon,) and
caused the death of the Amtshauptmann, which, however,
was altogether false, as we shall hear presently. He then
called her an accursed fiend, who after having made
a confession and partaken of the Holy Sacrament, had
not yet renounced that hateful Satan. But none of
these things should at all avail her; she should soon
receive her reward. Seeing that she held her peace,


230
THE AMBER WITCH.
I hereupon asked: whether he did not see that the
righteous God had so ordained it, that the Amts.
hauptmann, who thought to deprive my innocent child
of honour and of life had, as a terrible example to.
others, lost his own life. Howbeit it had no effect;
for he thought: any child could clearly perceive that
God nad not caused this tempest, or bewitched the
bridge ? wherefore then he prayed, I would leave off
justifying my wicked child, and the rather admonish
her ; forasmuch as this was the second time that she
had raised a storm, and what reasonable man would
believe what I said, etc.
In the meantime, however, the miller had stopped
the mill; item, stemmed the water, and about four or
five men with the beadle stepped down upon the great
wheel to draw the Amtshauptmann, who had until then
continued to whirl round, out of the paddles. This,
however, they could not do till they had first sawed off
one paddle, and when they at length brought him to
land, it was found that his neck was broken, and he
was as blue as a blue-bottle. His neck also was flayed,
and the blood yet ran out of his mouth and nose.
But if the people had never reviled my little daughter
before, they did so now, and would have cast dirt and
stones at her, if the honourable judges had not
restrained them with all their might, saying : wherefore
should they do so now, seeing that she would soon
receive her well-merited punishment.
My dear Confrater, Rev. Martinus, now also came into
the carriage again, as the storm had somewhat abated,
60 that his voice could be heard, and exhorted the
people not to anticipate the authorities. And, as they
were quieted a little, Dn. Consul delivered the dead


THE AMBER WITCH.
231
body of the Amtshauptmann to the miller, until he
should return; item, he ordered the grey steed to be
tied the while to the oak, forasmuch as the miller swore
that he had no room in the mill for it, and his stable
being full of straw; howbeit, he would give the horse
some hay, and have an eye to it. And now we,
wretched men, after the unsearchable God had again
frustrated our hopes, were obliged to get into the
waggon again, and the beadle gnashed his teeth with
rage, as he drew the chords from his pocket, to bind
my poor little daughter once more to the rail.
Wherefore, as I could easily perceive his thoughts, I
took two Schreckensbergers out of my pocket, and
whispered into his ear: “ seeing that she cannot pos-
sibly run away from you, deal mercifully with her, and
afterward help her to a speedy death, then shalt thou
receive other ten Schreckensbergers from me!” This
proved availing; and, albeit he feigned unto the people
as if he pulled tightly, forasmuch as the people cried
with all their might: “pull away, pull hard !” he,
nevertheless, did not bind her little hands so tight as
before, nor fasten her to the rail. He then again got
up behind us with his naked glittering sword, and, after
Dn. Consul had loudly sung the hymn, “ God the
Father, with us be;" also the Custos had started a fresh
hymn (I no longer remember what he sung, neither
knoweth my little daughter), we, according to the will
of the unsearchable God, went forward, and the honor.
able judges proceeded before us, but all the people, to
our joy, remained behind; the Amtshauptmann being
dead, the men also with hayforks now followed us at a
distance.


232
CHAPTER XXVIII
How my little daughter was at length delivered through the
help of the all-merciful, yea, the all-merciful God.
In the meantime, however, I had become so weak
by reason of the unbelief wherewith Satan again
tempted me, that I was constrained to support my
back against the beadle's knees, and never thought I
should live to see the end, or arrive at the mount. For
now even the last hope that I had vanished, and I saw
that this was the case also with my poor innocent
little lamb. Added to this, Rev. Martinus rebuked
her, as Dn. Consul had done, and said: now he himself
saw that all her protestations had been lies, for she
in verity and troth could raise storms. Hereat she
answered even smiling (albeit she was as white as a
sheet to look upon): “Aye, Herr Pate, do you think
that God no longer sendeth storms? Are tempests,
then, about this season of the year of so rare occurrence,
that the wicked enemy only could produce them ? No,
I have not broken that covenant of baptism, which ye
once made for me, and never will, so may God be merci-
ful to me in my last short hour, which is now at hand!”
But Rev. Martinus shook his head in unbelief, and said:
“ The Devil must have promised thee much, that thou
remainest thus hardened unto thy last end, and blas-
phemest the Lord thy God, but wait! thou wilt soon
find out with fearful certainty, that he is the father of
lies.” As he finished speaking, we arrived in Uekeritz,


THE AMBER WITCH.
233
where all the people, great and small, again rushed out
of their houses, and among the rest also Jacob Schwar-
ten’s wife, who (as we understood) had been delivered
only the night before. In vain her good man came
running out to prevent her; she said : he was a fool, for
it was such a long time since, for her to have recovered
strength, that if she should even have to creep up the
mount upon her knees, she was determined to see the
end of that priest-witch too. She had long rejoiced in
expectation thereof, and if he would not let her go, she
would give him a slap on the face, etc.
Thus the rude and barbarous people demeaned
themselves around our carriage, and as they wist not
what had happened to us by the way, they ran so close
up to us that one of the carriage wheels went over a
lad's leg; then came they, and especially the young
girls, near to us again, and felt of my little daughter's
clothes, and would even see her shoes and stockings,
and asked her how she felt at heart; item, one fellow:
if she would have a glass ? and they used all manner
of mockery, so that at last, when some came and asked
for her wreath and the golden chain, she turned her
head to me smiling, and said: “ Father, I see I shall
have to speak Latin again, or else I shall have no
peace from the people !" But at this time it was not
necessary; for when our guards, with their hay forks,
came up to the hindmost of them, and doubtless related
what had happened, we presently heard a great call-
ing out hehind us : “that for God's sake they would
come away, ere the witch did something to them, and
as Jacob Schwarten’s wife took no heed thereunto, but
continued plaguing my little daughter , that she should
give her her apron for a little christening garment for


234
THE AMBER WITCH.
her child, as it would only be burnt; her man smote
her at last with a cudgel that he got out of a fence, in
such a manner, across her nape, that she fell down
with a great cry, and as he was lifting her up again,
she dragged him down by his hair, and, as Rev. Mar-
tinus said, now after all fulfilled what she had promised
him, seeing that she even smote him with her fist with
all her might upon his nose, till the other folk came
running up and parted them. Meanwhile, however,
the storm had almost passed over, and moved toward
the sea.
When we had passed the little wood, we suddenly saw
the Streckelberg before us, with a multitude of people,
and the pile on its summit: whereupon the tall beadle,
beholding our arrival, sprang up and waved his cap.
Hereat, however, my senses forsook me, and my little
lamb was no better; for she reeled to and fro like a
reed, and stretching forth her little hands toward hea-
ven, she again exclaimed :-
Rex tremendæ majestatis !
Qui salvandos salvas gratis,
Salva me fons pietatis.-*
And lo! scarcely had she uttered those words, when
the blessed sun again shone forth, forming a rainbow
in the vault of heaven, right over the mount, so that
it was lovely to look upon. This was evidently a token
from the merciful God, such as he is oftentimes wont
to give us; though we, blind and unbelieving crea-
tures, give no heed thereto. Neither did she regard it:
* King of awful majesty!
Of thy saints the Saviour free
Fount of love! deliver me.


236
THE AMBER WITCH.
manded the driver to go on at full speed, though the
horses should perish. But the villainous beadle behind
us cried to him : " it's not the Amtshauptmann but the
younker of Neinkerken, who assuredly will rescue the
witch--shall I therefore strike off her head at once
with the sword ?" It was only at these frightful words
that my little daughter and myself came fully to our-
selves again, and as Dn. Consul gave him a sign, and the
fellow already lifted up his glittering naked sword,
aiming to strike at her, when my dear Confrater, who
perceived it, (God reward him for it in that day, for I
never can), dragged my little daughter backward with
all his might upon his lap. And now would the wretch
have stabbed her even there; but the younker was
already at hand, and when he saw this, he ran the
javelin that he held in his hand into him betwixt his
shoulders, so that he instantly fell head foremost to the
ground, while his own sword, directed by the righteous
God, pierced his side and came out at the other. There
he lay and groaned, and the younker never heeding
him, said to my little daughter: “Young maid, my
dear young maid, God be thanked that thou art
saved !" But seeing her little hands were bound, he
gnashed with his teeth, and cursing her judges, sprang
from his horse, and with his sword cut through the
cord; then took he hold of her hand and said : “Ah,
dear maid, how greatly have I been grieved and sorrowed
about thee, but I could not save thee, forasmuch as I
myself, like thee, have lain bound in fetters, as thou
thyself mayest see.”
My little daughter could not answer him a word, but
fainted for joy; howbeit she soon came to her.
self again, as my dear Confrater had yet a little wine


THE AMBER WITCH,
237
left. Meanwhile, however, the dear younker did me an
injustice, but which I gladly forgave him, for he rebuked
me and called me an old woman, that could do nothing
but howl and wail. Wherefore, said he, did I not
instantly follow the Swedish King ? or come to Mellen-
thin myself for his testimony, seeing that I knew
what he thought of witches ?
(Good God in heaven, how could I do otherwise than
believe the judge who had been there. Yea, methinks
other folk beside old women would have done the same;
item, but of the Swedish king I never once thought, and
how could I have gone to him and left my own dear child
behind! But these things young folks never consider,
as they wist not what a father's feelings are).
But now Dn. Camerarius, when he heard that it was,
the younker, crept forth again from under the straw;
item, Dn. Consul leaped from the waggon, and came
running up, loudly rebuking the younker, and asking
him : by what power and authority he did these things,
seeing he himself had condemned this wicked witch ?
But the younker pointed with his sword at the men
who, about eighteen in number, now came riding forth
with swords, javelins, and muskets out of the bush, and
said: behold there is my power, and I would here in-
stantly give thee something on thy podex, wist I not
that thou art a stupid ass. At what time didst
thou ever receive testimony from me touching this
righteous maiden ?-Thou liest, if thou maintainest
this !” And when Dn. Consul now stood and forswore
himself, the younker recounted, to the amazement of
all, as follows:
After he had heard of the calamity that had befallen
me and my child, he forthwith ordered his horse to be


THE AMBER Witch.
239
disguised himself in a wolf's pelt. But he had spent
two nights there before the maiden came, and in the
third he saw that she was only digging for amber in the
mount, not calling upon Satan, but repeating to herself
a Latin Carmen. This verily he was desirous to testify
in Pudgla, but could not for the aforesaid reason; but
his father had caused his cousin Claas von Nienkerken,
that was visiting him, to be put to bed in his stead, and
a false testimony to be given. For, as Dn. Consul
had not seen him (to wit, the younker) for many years,
inasmuch as he had studied at foreign universities,
his father thought that he might easily be deceived,
as in troth was the case.
When the righteous younker testified these things in
the presence of Dn. Consul, and before all the people,
who again came flocking together in crowds, on hear-
ing that the younker was no ghost, it was as if a
mill-stone had been removed from my heart, and hav-
ing dragged forth the beadle from under the waggon,
the people crowded around him like a swarm of bees,
and called out to me that he was dying, and wished to
reveal something to me. I sprang as light as a youngster
from the waggon, and forthwith called Dn. Consul
and the younker to come with me, as I could easily
guess what he had upon his mind. He sate upon a
stone, and the blood spouted in a stream from his side,
(for they had drawn out the sword): he whimpered
when he saw me, and said: that he had in troth heard
every thing behind the door whatsoever old Lise con-
fessed to me, to wit, that she herself with the Amts-
hauptmann, had wrought all the witchcraft on men and
beasts, to frighten my poor child, and thus to make her
out to be an harlot. Howbeit he had been silent about


THE AMBER WITCH.
24!
Volkes Gunst:
Ein blauer Dunst!*
My dear Confrater also continued caressing my little
daughter, holding her upon his knee, and weeping
like a father (tor I could not weep more than he did.)
She herself, however, wept not, but besought the
younker, who had come up to the waggon again, to
send a rider to her old faithful maid toward Pudgla to
tell her what had happened, which he forthwith did to
oblige her. Howbeit the worthy justices (for now
Dn. Camerarius and the Scriba had taken courage again
and came down from the waggon) were not yet satis-
fied ; seeing that Dn. Consul began to tell the younker
about the bewitched bridge, which none other could
have bewitched excepting my little daughter. Here-
upon the younker answered : " that this in truth was a
marvellous thing, inasmuch as his own horse had
broken its leg upon it, and he had, therefore, taken the
Amtshauptmann's stead, that he had seen tied to a tree
by the mill. But he did not believe that this was to be
imputed to the maid, but that it was quite a natural
occurrence, as he had already in part perceived, but
had not had time to search into it. Wherefore he
would beg that the worthy sheriffs, and all the people,
as well as my little daughter herself, would return again
to wash her with God's help clean from this suspicion,
and to testify of her perfect innocence before all the
world.
To this proposal the honourable judges consented,
* The people's ha'e
'S a cutting yoke,
The people's favour
Mere blue smoke.


242
THE AMBER WITCH.
and as the younker had given the Amtshauptmann's grey
stead to my servant-lad to convey the dead body, that
they laid across its back towards Coserow, the younker
got into our waggon, but did not sit down by the side of
my little daughter but behind with my dear Confrater,
and commanded that not the old coachman, but one of
his own people should drive our waggon, and thus we
turned back in God's name. Custos Benzensis, who had
also ran with the children among the vetches that were
growing by the way side, (my former Custos would not
have been such a coward), came forward again with his
young flock, and at the bidding of his pastor, began to
sing the Ambrosian Hymn of praise, which mightily
melted our hearts, especially my little daughters, so that
her book was wet with tears, and she at length laid it
aside and said : “ How shall I thank God and you, for
what you have done for me?" whereupon the younker
replied: “I have more reason to thank God than you
dear maid, seeing that you have suffered innocently in
prison, but I have suffered being guilty, inasmuch as
by my thoughtlessness I have caused your misfortune.
Believe me, when I heard this morning for the first
time the arme Sunder-bell toll in my dungeon I verily
should have gone mad with anguish, had not the Al.
mighty God so ordained it, that almost on that self-
same moment my strange father should be deprived of
life that you might be saved by me. Wherefore I have
vowed in my mind to build a new tower to the blessed
house of God, and whatsoever things more that may be
desirable; for nothing more bitter upon earth could
have happened unto me than your death, dearest
maiden, and nothing sweeter than your life !"
But ny little daughter oniy wept and sighed at these


THE AMBER WITCH.
243
words, and when he looked at hier she looked down
trembling upon her lap, so that I soon argued my sur-
rows were not yet ended, but only another source of
tears was about to be opened, as verily it came to pass.
For that ass of a Custos, after he had finished the Te Deum
and we had not reached our goal, forth with began the fol-
lowing hymn, which was a funeral hymn, to wit:“Now
let us the body bury,” (God be thanked that this hath
betoken no evil yet,) my dear Confrater snarled at him
not a little, and as a punishment for his stupidity, said
he should not have the money for the shoes that he
had already promised him out of the church collections.
But my little daughter comforted him, and promised
him a pair of shoes from her own purse, seeing that
it would peradventure be better, if he sung first a
funeral and then a joyous hymn.
This displeased the younker, and he said: “aye
dearest maiden, you wist not how to thank God and me
for your deliverance, and yet speak you thus ?" she an-
swered with a sad smile; she had only said so to pacify
the poor Custodem. Howbeit I soon perceived that she
was in earnest, for as much as she had now felt within
herself, that albeit she had been saved out of one fire
she had nevertheless fallen into another.
In the meantime we arrived at the bridge again, and
all the people stared with their mouths wide open, as
the younker sprang from the carriage, and after he had
first stabbed his own horse that was yet lying upon the
bridge kicking, fell upon his knee and felt to and
fro upon the ground, then called to the worthy justices
to come hither for that he had found out the witchcraft.
But no one would follow him, save Dn. Consul, and two
or three churls out of the crowd, among whom was old


244
THE AMBER WITCII.
Paasch; item, I and my dear Confrater, and now the
younker showed us a little piece of tallow of the size of
a nut, that lay upon the ground, and wherewith the
whole bridge was daubed over, so that it was almost
white, but which in the fright every one took for flour
dust from the mill; item, with another materia the
which however we could not find out what it was.
Soon thereafter one man found another piece of tallow
and showed it to the people, whereupon I exclaimed :
“ aha! this no other man hath done than that godless
miller's man in return for the flogging the Amtshauptmann
gave him for reviling my little daughter; and I now
recounted the occurrence, whereof Dn. Consul had also
heard, and therefore forthwith sent for the miller.
Howbeit the same behaved as if he knew nothing of
it, and only stated, that his miller's-man had left him
an hour ago. Nevertheless, a little maid, the miller's
servant, said that when she arose this morning, before
the break of day, to let out the cattle, she saw the man
lying upon the bridge rubbing and scouring it. She took
no further notice of it, but went and lay down to sleep
again for an hour. But whither the wicked rascal had
wandered, she knew as little as the miller. When the
younker heard these things he stepped into the carriage,
and began to exhort the people no longer to believe in
witchcraft,forasmuch as they saw how much of truth there
was in witchcraft. When I heard this I waxed wrath,
as in my priestly conscience seemed right to me, and
got up upon the carriage wheel and whispered to him
that he should for God's sake cease from speaking
unto the people of this matter, for the people, if they no
longer feared the devil, would no longer fear God !*
* Perhaps a profound truth!


THE AMBER WITCH.
245
Thereunto the dear younker then instantly consented
to oblige me, and the people only asked this one thing :
whether they now declared my little daughter as per-
fectly innocent ? And after they had said “Yea!".
he besought them now to go home quietly and to thank
God for having saved innocent blood. He himself
also would now return, and he hoped that no man would
molest me and my little daughter, if he should after-
wards let them ride home to Coserow alone. Hereupon
he turned himself hastily to her, gave her his hand
and said: “ Farewell, dear maid, I hope soon also to
clear your character before the world, and for this thank
not me, but God !” Thus did he also to me, and the
same to my dear Confrater, whereupon he sprang from
the waggon and went in to sit with Dn. Consul in his
carriage. The same had already said something to the
people, also called upon me and my child for our for-
giveness (and to his honour be it spoken, his tears the
while rolled down his cheeks), but was so greatly urged
by the younker that he was constrained to break off,
and both, without ever once looking round, drove off over
the little bridge. Dn. Consul only looked round once
more, and called to me: that in his haste he had for-
gotten to inform the executioner that there would be
no burning to day; wherefore he desired that I would
send my warden in his name to Uekeritz unto the
mount and make this known to him; the which also I
did. And that bloodhound had in troth yet remained
on the mount ; albeit he had long since heard what
had happened, he had nevertheless began to curse so
dreadfully when the sheriff's-officer delivered unto him
the message from the worthy judges, as that it would
have moved a stone ; also he tore off his cap, and


THE AMBER WITCH
247
people reviled you on the way, and I wot not, whether
you would be safe from them at present.” Hereupon
he bid old Paasch to make haste, and as the kicking
that he tried would not bring the horses into a good
trot, he ever and anon struck the saddle horse with the
flat sword across the back, so that in a very short time
we got into the village and before the parsonage. But
when I asked him to dismount for a while, he would
not, but excused himself, having this very day to journey
towards Anclam, via Usedom, but charged old Paasch,
who was a Schulze* among us, to protect my little
daughter at the peril of his head, and as soon soever
anything particular should occur, he had nothing else to
do but forth with report it to the exchequer in Pudgla or
Dn. Consul in Usedom, whereupon, as the man promised
to do this, he waved his hand to us and rode off again
as fast as he could.
But scarcely had he got round the corner by Pagel's
than he turned back a third time, and when we won-
dered thereat, he said: we must forgive him for being
so short of memory to-day.
I had at some former occasion told him that I had
my patent of nobility yet, wherefore he besought me
to lend him the same for a time. Hereupon I answered:
that I should have to seek it up first, wherefore he had
better dismount from his horse a little. Yet he would
not, but excused himself again, saying that he had not
time. He therefore halted at the door till I brought
him the letter, whereupon he thanked me and said
“Marvel not hereat, you shall soon see what I purpose
in my mind !" Saying this, he set spurs to his horse,
and returned not again.
* Petty magistrates, in most villages of Germany.


248
CHAPTER XXIX.
Of our great repeated tribulation and ultimate joy.
Well might we now have been at rest, and prais-
ing God upon our knees day and night; for, even
setting aside the consideration of His having delivered
us from so great a tribulation ; He also turned the
hearts of my dear Beicht children,* so that they did not
know what to do to serve and benefit us. Every day
they brought fish, flesh, eggs, sausages, and many other
things, which they presented to me, more than I can
remember. Likewise on the Sunday following, they
all, both great and small, save the woman Klien, in
Zempin, who meanwhile had had a male child, and
kept her bed as yet) came to church, where I delivered
a thanksgiving-sermon on Job v., 17, 18, 19:— Behold,
happy is the man whom God correcteth : therefore despise
not thou the chastening of the Almighty : for he maketh sore
and bindeth up, he woundeth and his hands make whole.
He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea, in seven there
hall no evil touch thee :-during which they wept so
much that I had oftentimes to pause a little, that they
might recover themselves. And verily I might well
have now compared myself unto Job, after the Lord
had graciously delivered him out of his tribulation,
had it not been for my little daughter, who again af-
flicted my soul.
She cried when the younker would not dismount from
* Penitents.


THE AMBER WITCH.
251
been slain, her grief again overwhelmed her, so that I
had to send my servant-lad to Mellenthin, to get some
tidings about him. And well unto twenty times after
he went did she look out at the door, and over the
hedges for his return, and even ran to the corner
against Pagel's to meet him, when at last she saw him
coming. But ah, thou blessed God, he brought more
evil tidings than the rumour that reached our ears
before, saying: the castle folk had told him that
their young lord had ridden off, even that self-same
day whereon he had saved the young maiden; and
albeit, he had returned after three days to the burial of
his father, yet he immediately after rode off again, and
now five weeks had passed and they had not heard
anything of him, neither wist they whither he had
gone, and thought some wicked highwaymen must
have slain him.
And now my sorrow waxed greater than ever; for,
patient and resigned to God as she had heretofore
shewn herself, (so that no female martyr could have
gone to meet her death with stronger faith in God and
Christ,) so much the more impatient and despairing
was she now. Giving up all hope, she firmly main-
tained that in this perilous time of war, the robbers
had slain the younker. Nothing would avail, nay,
not even prayer ; for when kneeling with her I called
upon the Lord, she always began to wail and lament
so dreadfully, that the Lord had rejected her, and that
she was only to be wretched upon earth, so that it ran
through my heart like a knife, and my thoughts and
speech forsook me. Also in the night-season, she lay
and whined like a crane or a swallow, and mourned
like a dove, and her eyes failed her with looking up-


252
THE AMBER WITCH.
ward,* for no sleep would visit them. If then I called
unto her from my bed : “my dear little daughter, wilt
thou not yet cease-oh, I beseech thee, close thine
eyes and sleep !" she answered: “only sleep thou my
dearest father ;-I shall never sleep till I sleep the
sleep of death ; ab, my father, wherefore was I not
burnt ?” But how could I sleep when she could
not; albeit, not to disquiet her, I every morning
said : that I had slept a little: but it was not so, in
troth, but like David, “All the night made I my bed
to swim, I watered my couch with my tears.t I also
again fell into great unbelief, so that I neither could
nor would pray. Howbeit the Lord “ dealt not with
me after my sins, nor rewarded me according to mine
iniquities ;" for as the heaven is high above the earth,
so great was his mercy soon to be toward me, his un-
worthy servant !
For what happened on the coming Saturday? Be-
hold our old maid came rushing in at the door, breath-
less, crying out: that a rider was galloping over the
Herrenberg, having a great plume waving on his hat,
and she verily believen it was the young lord. When
my little daughter, who sat upon the bench dressing
her hair, heard this, she uttered such a shriek of joy,
as would have moved a stone under the ground, and ran
immediately out of the room to look over the hedge.
Then quickly she came running back again, fell upon
my neck, and cried all in a breath: “the younker, the
younker!" She then would have rushed out again,
but I prevented her, saying she had better finish
dressing her hair, which she also perceived to be right,
and laughing, weeping, and praying, forthwith put up
* Isaiah xxxviii., 14. Psalm vi., 6.


THE AMBER WITCII.
253
her long hair. But by this time the young lord already
came gallopping round the corner, having a green
velvet doublet, with red silken sleeves, and a grey hat
with a heron feather: summa,-was festively arrayed
as beseemeth a bridegroom. And as we now run out
of doors, he, though at a distance, called out to my
little daughter, in Latin :
“ Quo modo stat ducissima virgo ?* Whereupon she
answered:
“ Bene, te aspecto.t
Then smiling he sprang from his horse, and giving
it to my servant-lad, who had come up with the maid,
to take care of it, he was greatly alarmed on beholding
my little daughter so pale, and taking her by the hand,
said, in German: “My God! what aileth thee dear
maiden? Verily thou lookest paler than when about
to go to the stake!" Whereupon she answered :
" J have in troth gone to it every day, since thou hast
left us, dear lord, without either turning in to us or
sending us any tidings of the place whither thou wast
gone, or where abiding.”
This pleased him, and he said: “First let us go into
the room and then shalt thou know all.” And after he
had wiped the sweat from his brow and seated himself
upon the bench by the side of my little daughter, he
related as follows: According to the promise he had
from the very first given her, that he would before all
things see her reputation cleared from reproach before
all the world, he had that very day when he had left us,
made the court furnish him with a brief testimonial of
all the circumstances and occurrances of the case, but
especially of the confession of the wicked beadle ; item,
* How goes it sweet maid? Well, since I got sight of thee


TIIE AMBER WITCII.
255
to my God and Saviour, you are the most dear to me;
not only now have you saved my life, but snatched my
heart from the pyre, upon which, without you, it would
have burnt all the days of my life!" Hereupon she
wept for joy, and when he drew her down upon his lap
she put both her little hands round his neck.
Thus then they sate and caressed awhile, till the
young lord got sight of me again and said: “Wliat
say you to this, I suppose it is your will too, Rev.
Abraham ?”
Aye, pray what could I say to it than all that was good ?
For verily I myself wept for joy, like my child, and
therefore answered:
"Wherefore should it not be my will, seeing that it
is God's will ? but have you, my worthy young lord,
considered also that you would stain your nobility, by
taking my little daughter unto yourself for a wife, wlio
has been reputed as a witch, and nigh being burnt at
the stake?”
Hereupon he said: Not at all; all this he was aware
of and provided against, and then proceeded to tell
us, how he had gone about the matter, to wit: His
princely Higliness had promised to have all the scripta,
that he desired ready within four days, by which
time he hoped to return from the burial of his father;
wherefore he had immediately set out again toward
Mellenthin, and after he had paid unto his father the
last respect, he had also forthwith arisen again and
found his princely Highness had in the meantime kept
his word. With these Scriptis he had departed toward
Vienna, and albeit, he had suffered much affliction,
trouble, and danger on the way (that he promised to
tell us another time) he had after all at length happily


256
THE AMBER WITCH.
arrived in that city. But chere ne had perchance met
with a Jesuit, with whom he had once as Studiosus,
lodged a few days in Prague, and the same answered
him on his request: to be of good courage, seeing that
his Majesty needed money in these grievous times of
war, and he, the Jesuit, would do all the business.
This verily was done, and his imperial Majesty had
not only renewed my Patent of Nobility, but also con-
firmed the amend honourable of his princely Highness
the Duke, so that he could now maintain the honour
of his bride, as afterwards that of his wife. And
then drawing out the Acta of his breast pocket and
giving the same into my hand he said. “but now
you also must do me a favour, Rev. Abraham, namely
to publish the banns of matrimony between me and your
little daughter once for all to-morrow, when I hope
to go to the supper of the Lord, and then to wed us
already the day after to-morrow. Do not say nay to
this, for my pastor Rev. Philippus saith, that this is not
unusual among the nobility of Pomerania; whence I
have already announced the wedding to take place the
day after to-morrow in my castle whither we will all
go, and where I purpose holding my nuptials. Against
this request I had many objections to make, especially
that in honour of the Holy Trinity, he would have himself
called out three times at church, and yet wait awhile
with his wedding, but as I could see in the countenance
of my little daughter that she also was very anxious to
be speedily wedded, forasmuch as she sighed and looked
as red as scarlet, I could not deny it them, but pro-
mised to do all that they desired. Hereupon I ex-
horted them unto prayer, and after I had laid my
hands upon their heads I thanked the Lord as fervently


258
THE AMBER WITCH.
And now a strange thing came to pass with the maid,
the which I will get note here. For when the faithful old
soul had heard what had taken place, she was beside
herself for joy, danced and clapped her hands, and at
last said to my child: “ Henceforth assuredly you
will no longer weep, seeing that the younker would
lie in your bed !” whereat she blushed for shame and
ran out of the room, and when the younker would
know what she meant therewith, she told him that he
had already once slept in my little daughter's bed, as
we came together from Gutzkow, whereupon he had
much mirth with her for the whole of the evening after
that she was come back again. Unto the maid, how-
ever, he promised that as she had already once made
my little daughter's bed for him, she should make it
also again, and that on the day after to-morrow she
and my servant-lad should go with us to Mellenthin,
so that masters and servants might all rejoice together
after so many trials and tribulations.
And as the dear younker would tarry with us over
the night, I made him sleep with me in the little
chamber toward the river (for in troth I could not know
what might happen.) He soon slept like a top, but no
sleep came into my eyes for joy, and I continued in
prayer all the livelong blessed night, or meditated on
my sermon. Not until the break of day began I to
slumber a little, and when I rose the younker already
sate in the front-room with my little daughter, who
moreover had the black silken vesture on, that he had
brought her, and, strange to say, looked fresher even
than when the Swedish king came, so that in all my
life I never saw her look fresher or fairer. Item, the
younker had already his black waist on and picked out


THE AMBER WITCH.
259
for her the best myrtle twigs for the wreath she was
entwining. Howbeit as soon as she saw me coming,
she straightway laid the wreath beside her on the
bench, folded her little hands, and offered up (as she
was ever wont to do) the morning prayers, which
humility rejoiced the younker greatly, and he prayed
that furthermore she would also do the like with him,
the which she also promised to do.
Soon afterward we went to the blessed church to
confession, and seeing that the younker had led my
little daughter on his arm, all the folk stood still
wondering, and gaping, and staring with their mouths
wide open. But they wondered still more, when after
the sermon I read to them the honourable amends to
my little daughter from his princely Highness, together
with the confirmation of the same by his Imperial
Majesty : after that my patent of nobility ; and lastly
began to publish the banns between my dear child and
the young lord. Then, oh what a murmur arose in
the church-like unto the buzzing of a swarm of bees.
(N.B.-Howbeit these Scripta were burnt in the fire
that a year ago broke out in the castle, as I shall after-
ward record, wherefore I cannot insert them here in
origine.)
Hereupon my dear children went together with
much people to the Lord's table, and after church
nearly all the folks crowded around, and wished them
luck. Item, old Paasch came to our house again
that afternoon, and once more besought my dear
daughter's forgiveness, for having unwittingly offended
her; that he would gladly have given her a wedding
gift, but that he now had nothing wherewithal to pre-
sent her; howbeit his wife should set one of her hens


262
THE AMBER WITCH.
golden chain of inestimable value. Some twenty years
ago the proprietor of Mellenthin, who by his unheard
of extravagance had reduced himself to the verge of
beggary, attempted to open the coffin, in order to take
away this precious jewel, but he was not able ; as if by
some powerful magic influence its joints held fast
together, and has remained unopened even to this
present day. May it remain so even unto the last
great day, and may the wanton hand of avarice or
curiosity never desecrate these holy ashes of holy men!
FINS.
H. G. Clarke & Co. Printers, 66, Old, Bailey















48555.18.3
The amber witch
Widener Library
003364116
3 2044 087 177 788
DU
D
D