PART FIRST: CHAPTER VI
An event now happened, compared with which all other affairs lost their
importance. Toward evening of the twenty-first of June, the news of the
queen's sudden illness spread throughout the castle. Bishop Wysz and the
other doctors remained in her room the whole night. It was known that the
queen was threatened with premature confinement. The castellan of Krakow,
Jasko Topor of Tenczyn, sent a messenger to the absent king that same
night. The next day the news spread throughout the entire city and its
environs. It was Sunday, therefore the churches were crowded. All doubt
ceased. After mass the guests and the knights, who had come to be present
at the festivals, the nobles and the burghers, went to the castle; the
guilds and the fraternities came out with their banners. From noontide
numberless crowds of people surrounded Wawel, but order was kept by the
king's archers. The city was almost deserted; crowds of peasants moved
toward the castle to learn some news about the health of their beloved
queen. Finally there appeared in the principal gate, the bishops and the
castellan, and with them other canons, king's counselors and knights.
They mingled with the people telling them the news, but forbidding any
loud manifestation of joy, because it would be injurious to the sick
queen. They announced to all, that the queen was delivered of a daughter.
This news filled the hearts of all with joy, especially when they
learned, that, although the confinement was premature, there was now no
danger, neither for the mother nor for the child. The people began to
disperse because it was forbidden to shout near the castle and everybody
wished to manifest his joy. Therefore, the streets of the city were
filled immediately, and exulting songs and exclamations resounded in
every corner. They were not disappointed because a girl had been born.
"Was it unfortunate that King Louis had no sons and that Jadwiga became
our queen? By her marriage with Jagiello, the strength of the kingdom was
doubled. The same will happen again. Where can one find a richer heiress
than our queen. Neither the Roman emperor nor any king possesses such
dominion, nor so numerous a knighthood! There will be great competition
among the monarchs for her hand; the most powerful of them will bow to
our king and queen; they will come to Krakow, and we merchants will
profit by it; perhaps some new domains, Bohemian or Hungarian, will be
added to our kingdom."
Thus spoke the merchants among themselves, and their joy increased every
moment. They feasted in the private houses and in the inns. The market
place was filled with lanterns and torches. Almost till daybreak, there
was great life and animation throughout the city.
During the morning, they heard more news from the castle.
They heard that the _ksiondz_ Bishop Peter, had baptized the child during
the night. On account of this, they feared that the little girl was not
very strong. But the experienced townswomen quoted some similar cases, in
which the infants had grown stronger immediately after baptism. Therefore
they comforted themselves with this hope; their confidence was greatly
increased by the name given to the princess.
"Neither Bonifacius nor Bonifacia can die immediately after baptism; the
child so named is destined to accomplish something great," they said.
"During the first years, especially during the first weeks, the child
cannot do anything good or bad."
The next day, however, there came bad news from the castle concerning the
infant and the mother, and the city was excited. During the whole day,
the churches were as crowded as they were during the time of absolution.
Votive offerings were very numerous for the queen's and princess' health.
One could see poor peasants offering some grain, lambs, chickens, ropes
of dried mushrooms or baskets of nuts. There came rich offerings from the
knights, from the merchants and from the artisans. They sent messengers
to the places where miracles were performed. Astrologers consulted the
stars. In Krakow itself, they ordered numerous processions. All guilds
and fraternities took part in them. There was also a children's
procession because the people thought that these innocent beings would be
more apt to obtain God's favor. Through the gates new crowds were coming.
Thus day after day passed, with continual ringing of bells, with the
noise of the crowds in the churches, with processions and with prayers.
But when at the end of a week, the beloved queen and the child were still
living, hope began to enter the hearts of the people. It seemed to them
impossible, that God would take from the kingdom the queen who, having
done so much for it, would thus be obliged to leave so much unfinished.
The scholars told how much she had done for the schools; the clergy, how
much for God's glory; the statesmen, how much for peace among Christian
monarchs; the jurisconsults, how much for justice; the poor people, how
much for poverty. None of them could believe that the life so necessary
to the kingdom and to the whole world, would be ended prematurely.
In the meanwhile on July thirteenth, the tolling bells announced the
death of the child. The people again swarmed through the streets of the
city, and uneasiness seized them. The crowd surrounded Wawel again,
inquiring about the queen's health. But now nobody came out with good
news. On the contrary, the faces of the lords entering the castle, or
returning to the city, were gloomy, and every day became sadder. They
said that the _ksiondz_ Stanislaw of Skarbimierz, the master of liberal
sciences in Krakow, did not leave the queen, who every day received holy
communion. They said also, that after every communion, her room was
filled with celestial light. Some had seen it through the windows; but
such a sight frightened the hearts devoted to the lady; they feared that
it was a sign that celestial life had already begun for her.
But everybody did not believe that such a dreadful thing could happen;
they reassured themselves with the hope that the justice of heaven would
be satisfied with one victim. But on Friday morning, July seventeenth,
the news spread among the people that the queen was in agony. Everybody
rushed toward Wawel. The city was deserted; even mothers with their
infants rushed toward the gates of the castle. The stores were closed;
they did not cook any food. All business was suspended; but around Wawel,
there was a sea of uneasy, frightened but silent people.
At last at the thirteenth hour from noontime, the bell on the tower of
the cathedral resounded. They did not immediately understand what it
meant; but the people became uneasy. All heads and all eyes turned toward
the tower in which was hung the tolling bell; its mournful tones were
soon repeated by other bells in the city: by those at Franciscans, at
Trinity, and at Panna Marya. Finally the people understood; then their
souls were filled with dread and with great grief. At last a large black
flag embroidered with a death's head, appeared on the tower. Then all
doubt vanished: the queen had rendered her soul to God.
Beneath the castle walls resounded the roar and the cries of a hundred
thousand people and mingled with the gloomy voices of the bells. Some of
the people threw themselves on the ground; others tore their clothing or
lacerated their faces; while others looked at the walls with silent
stupefaction. Some of them were moaning; some, stretching their hands
toward the church and toward the queen's room, asked for a miracle and
God's mercy. But there were also heard some angry voices, which on
account of despair were verging toward blasphemy:
"Why have they taken our dear queen? For what then were our processions,
our prayers and our entreaties? Our gold and silver offerings were
accepted and we have nothing in return for them! They took but they gave
us nothing in return!" Many others weeping, repeated: "Jesus! Jesus!
Jesus!" The crowds wanted to enter the castle, to look once more on the
face of their queen.
This they were not permitted to do; but were promised that the body would
soon be placed in the church where everyone would be allowed to view it
and to pray beside it. Consequently toward evening, the sorrowing people
began to return to the city, talking about the queen's last moments,
about the future funeral and the miracles, which would be performed near
her body and around her tomb. Some also said that immediately after her
burial, the queen would be canonized, and when others said that they
doubted if it could be done, many began to be angry and to threaten to go
to the pope in Avignon.
A gloomy sorrow fell upon the city, and upon the whole country, not only
on the common people, but on everybody; the lucky star of the kingdom was
extinguished. Even to many among the lords, everything looked black. They
began to ask themselves and others, what would happen now? whether the
king had the right to remain after the queen's death and rule over the
country; or whether he would return to Lithuania and be satisfied with
the throne of the viceroy? Some of them supposed--and the future proved
that they thought correctly--that the king himself would be willing to
withdraw; and that, in such an event the large provinces would separate
from the crown, and the Lithuanians would again begin their attacks
against the inhabitants of the kingdom. The Knights of the Cross would
become stronger; mightier would become the Roman emperor and the
Hungarian king; and the Polish kingdom, one of the mightiest until
yesterday, would be ruined and disgraced.
The merchants, for whom waste territories in Lithuania and in Russia had
been opened, forseeing great losses, made pious vows, hoping that
Jagiello might remain on the throne. But in that event, they predicted a
war with the Order. It was known that the queen only could restrain his
anger. The people recollected a previous occasion, when being indignant
at the avidity and rapacity of the Knights of the Cross, she spoke to
them in a prophetic vision: "As long as I live, I will restrain my
husband's hand and his righteous anger; but remember that after my death,
there will fall upon you the punishment for your sins."
In their pride and folly, they were not afraid of a war, calculating,
that after the queen's death, the charm of her piety would no longer
restrain the wish for affluence of volunteers from eastern countries, and
that then thousands of warriors from Germany, Burgundia, France and other
countries, would join the Knights of the Cross.
The death of Jadwiga was an event of such importance, that the envoy
Lichtenstein, could wait no longer for the answer of the absent king; but
started immediately for Marienburg, in order to communicate as soon as
possible to the grand master and to the chapter the important, and in
some ways, threatening news.
The Hungarian, the Austrian and the Bohemian envoys followed him or sent
messengers to their monarchs. Jagiello returned to Krakow in great
despair. At first he declared to the lords, that he did not wish to rule
without the queen and that he would return to Litwa. Afterward, on
account of his grief, he fell into such a stupor, that he could not
attend to any affairs of state, and could not answer any questions.
Sometimes he was very angry with himself, because he had gone away, and
had not been present at the queen's death to bid her farewell and to hear
her last words and wishes. In vain Stanislaw of Skarbimierz and Bishop
Wysz explained to him that the queen's illness came suddenly, and that
according to human calculations he would have had plenty of time to go
and return if the confinement had occurred at the expected time. These
words did not bring him any consolation; did not assuage his grief. "I am
no king without her," he answered the bishop; "only a repentant sinner,
who can receive no consolation!" After that he looked at the ground and
no one could induce him to speak even one word.
Meanwhile preparations for the queen's funeral occupied all minds. From
all over the country, great crowds of lords, nobles and peasants were
going to Krakow. The body of the queen was placed in the cathedral on an
elevation, so arranged that the end of the coffin in which the queen's
head rested, was much higher than the other end. It was so arranged
purposely, to enable the people to see the queen's face. In the cathedral
continual prayers were offered; around the catafalque thousands of wax
candles were burning. In the glare of the candles and among the flowers,
she lay quiet and smiling, looking like a mystic rose. The people saw in
her a saint; they brought to her those possessed with devils, the
crippled and the sick children. From time to time there was heard in the
church, the exclamation of some mother who perceived the color return to
the face of her sick child; or the joyful voice of some paralytic man who
at once was cured. Then human hearts trembled and the news spread
throughout the church, the castle, and the city, and attracted more and
more of such human wretchedness as only from a miracle could expect help.
Content of PART FIRST: CHAPTER VI [Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel: The Knights of the Cross]
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