



Produced by Charles Bowen, from page scans provided by the Web Archive






Transcriber's Notes:

   1. Page scan source:
      http://www.archive.org/details/kingericandoutl00chapgoog

   2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].




                               KING ERIC

                                  AND

                              THE OUTLAWS.

                                VOL. II.






                                London:
                       Printed by A. Spottiswoode,
                           New-Street-Square.






                               KING ERIC

                                  AND

                              THE OUTLAWS;

                                  OR,

                THE THRONE, THE CHURCH, AND THE PEOPLE,

                       IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY.



                                   BY
                                INGEMANN


                     TRANSLATED FROM THE DANISH BY
                         JANE FRANCES CHAPMAN.



                              *  *   *   *
                           IN THREE VOLUMES.
                                VOL. II.
                             *   *   *   *



                                LONDON:
                   LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS,
                            PATERNOSTER-ROW.
                                 1843.






                               CHAPTER I.


When the king reached Kallundborg castle, and beheld the drawbridge
raised, and the well fortified castle in a complete state of defence, a
flush of anger crossed his cheek, his hand involuntarily clenched the
hilt of his sword, and for an instant he was near forgetting his
promise, and drawing it out of the scabbard. Count Henrik reined in his
war horse impatiently before the outermost fortification, awaiting an
answer to the message he had shouted, in the king's name, to the
nearest warder. "Matchless presumption!" exclaimed the king; "know they
I am here myself? and do they still tarry with an answer, when they
have but to be silent and to obey?"

"They take their time, my liege!" answered Count Henrik. "It is
unparalleled impudence.--If you command, the trumpet shall be instantly
sounded for storm; the sword burns in my hand."

"Not yet!" answered the king, and took his hand from the hilt of his
sword.

At this moment a trumpet sounded from the outer rampart, and a tall
warrior in armour, with closed visor, stepped forth on the battlement.

"The castle opens not to any armed man!" he shouted in a rough tone,
which however appeared assumed and tremulous; "it will be defended to
the last, against every attack; this is our noble junker's strict order
and behest."

"Madman!" exclaimed Eric; and Count Henrik seemed about to give an
impetuous reply.

"Not a word more!" continued the king, with a stern nod.--"We stoop not
to further parley with rebels and traitors.--You will beleaguer the
castle on all sides, and get all in readiness for a storm; until
twenty-four hours are over, no spear must be thrown--if the rebels dare
to enact their impudent threats against the town, we shall have to
think but of saving it and quenching the flames. If aught chances here,
I must know it instantly; you will not fail to find me at the
Franciscan monastery." So saying, the king turned his horse's head, and
rode with a great part of his train into the large monastery, close to
the castle. Here stood the guardian and all the fraternity with their
shaven heads uncovered, in two rows before the stone steps in the yard
of the monastery. The aged guardian, in common with the rest of his
fraternity, wore an ashen grey cloak with a cowl at the back, and a
thick cord round the waist. Despite the winter cold, they were all
without shoes and stockings, with wooden sandals under their bare feet.
They received the king with manifest signs of alarm and uneasiness.

"Be easy, ye pious men," said the king, in a mild voice, as he sprang
from his horse, and acknowledged their greeting and the guardian's
pious address in a friendly manner; "I come to you as your friend and
protector. If it please God and our Lady, no evil shall happen to your
monastery or our good and loyal town. It is not your fault that our
brother the junker hath appointed a madman to be his commandant; for we
trust in the Lord and the mighty Saint Christopher, that our dear
brother hath not himself lost his wits. I will await him here, until he
can receive the news of my coming, and give explanation in person of
this matter. If there is danger astir, I will share it with you; at
present I wish but to see whether your guest-house and refectory can
stand this unexpected visitation; meanwhile it shall be recompensed
beforehand to the monastery."

"Noble sovereign," answered the guardian, "destroy not by any worldly
compensation the pleasure which you now bestow on us, in our fear and
trembling: poverty is, as you know, the first rule of our holy order.
If you will vouchsafe to share the indigence of the penitent, gracious
king, doubt not then our willingness to give, and share without
recompence; and tempt us not to accept what the holy Franciscus himself
hath strictly forbid us to touch."

"Well, the rule is surely not so strictly kept here," said the king,
with a good-natured smile, as he entered into the large guest-house of
the monastery, and saw the door standing open to the refectory, where a
table, with fasting fare, was spread for the monks, but a larger, with
flasks of wine and dishes of substantial meat, was prepared for the
entertainment of the distinguished worldly guests. "Here, however, we
shall