The Amber Witch

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She shook like an aspen leaf when he bound her hands and feet; and when he
was about to bind over her sweet eyes a nasty old filthy clout wherein my
maid had seen him carry fish but the day before, and which was still all
over shining scales, I perceived it, and pulled off my silken neckerchief,
begging him to use that instead, which he did. Hereupon the thumb-screw
was put on her, and she was once more asked whether she would confess
freely, but she only shook her poor blinded head and sighed with her dying
Saviour, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" and then in Greek, "Thee mou, Thee
mou, iuati me egkatelipes"; Whereat _Dom. Consul_ started back, and made
the sign of the cross (for inasmuch as he knew no Greek, he believed, as
he afterwards said himself, that she was calling upon the devil to help
her), and then called to the constable with a loud voice, "Screw!"

But when I heard this I gave such a cry that the whole vault shook; and
when my poor child, who was dying of terror and despair, had heard my
voice she first struggled with her bound hands and feet like a lamb that
lies dying in the slaughter-house, and then cried out, "Loose me, and I
will confess whatsoe'er you will." Hereat _Dom. Consul_ so greatly
rejoiced, that while the constable unbound her, he fell on his knees, and
thanked God for having spared him this anguish. But no sooner was my poor
desperate child unbound, and had laid aside her crown of thorns (I mean my
silken neckerchief), than she jumped off the ladder, and flung herself
upon me, who lay for dead in a corner in a deep swound.

This greatly angered the worshipful court, and when the constable had
borne me away, _Rea_ was admonished to make her confession according to
promise. But seeing she was too weak to stand upon her feet, _Dom. Consul_
gave her a chair to sit upon, although _Dom. Camerarius_ grumbled thereat,
and these were the chief questions which were put to her by order of the
most honourable high central court, as _Dom. Consul_ said, and which were
registered _ad protocollum_.

_Q_. Whether she could bewitch?

_R_. Yes, she could bewitch.

_Q_. Who taught her to do so?

_R_. Satan himself.

_Q_. How many devils had she?

_R_. One devil was enough for her.

_Q_. What was this devil called?

_Illa_ (considering). His name was _Disidaemonia_.

Hereat _Dom. Consul_ shuddered, and said that that must be a very terrible
devil indeed, for that he had never heard such a name before, and that she
must spell it, so that _Scriba_ might make no _error_; which she did, and
he then went on as follows:--

_Q_. In what shape had he appeared to her?

_R_. In the shape of the Sheriff, and sometimes as a goat with terrible
horns.

_Q_. Whether Satan had re-baptized her, and where?

_R_. In the sea.

_Q_. What name had he given her?

_R_.--.

_Q_. Whether any of the neighbors had been by when she was re-baptized,
and which of them?

_R_. Hereupon my matchless child cast up her eyes towards heaven, as
though doubting whether she should file old Lizzie or not, but at last she
said, "No."

_Q_. She must have had sponsors; who were they? and what gift had they
given her as christening money?

_R_. There were none there save spirits; wherefore old Lizzie could see no
one when she came and looked on at her re-baptism.

_Q_. Whether she had ever lived with the devil?

_R_. She never had lived anywhere save in her father's house.

She did not choose to understand. He meant whether she had ever played the
wanton with Satan, and known him carnally? Hereupon she blushed, and was
so ashamed that she covered her face with her hands, and presently began
to weep and to sob: and as, after many questions, she gave no answer, she
was again admonished to speak the truth, or that the executioner should
lift her up on the ladder again. At last she said, "No!" which, howbeit,
the worshipful court would not believe, and bade the executioner seize her
again, whereupon she answered, "Yes!"

_Q_. Whether she had found the devil hot or cold?

_R_. She did not remember which.

_Q_. Whether she had ever conceived by Satan, and given birth to a
changeling, and of what shape?

_R_. No, never.

_Q_. Whether the foul fiend had given her any sign or mark about her body,
and in what part thereof?

_R_. That the mark had already been seen by the worshipful court.

She was next charged with all the witchcraft done in the village, and
owned to it all, save that she still said that she knew nought of old
Seden his death, _item_, of little Paasch her sickness, nor, lastly, would
she confess that she had, by the help of the foul fiend, raked up my crop
or conjured the caterpillars into my orchard. And albeit they again
threatened her with the question, and even ordered the executioner to lay
her on the bench and put on the thumb-screw to frighten her, she remained
firm and said, "Why should you torture me, seeing that I have confessed
far heavier crimes than these, which it will not save my life to deny?"

Hereupon the worshipful court at last were satisfied, and suffered her to
be lifted off the torture-bench, especially as she confessed the
_articulus principals_; to wit, that Satan had really appeared to her on
the mountain in the shape of a hairy giant. Of the storm and the frog,
_item_, of the hedgehog, nothing was said, inasmuch as the worshipful
court had by this time seen the folly of supposing that she could have
brewed a storm while she quietly sat in the coach. Lastly, she prayed that
it might be granted to her to suffer death clothed in the garments which
she had worn when she went to greet the King of Sweden; _item_, that they
would suffer her wretched father to be driven with her to the stake, and
to stand by while she was burned, seeing that she had promised him this in
the presence of the worshipful court.

Hereupon she was once more given into the charge of the tall constable,
who was ordered to put her into a stronger and severer prison. But he had
not led her out of the chamber before the Sheriff his bastard, whom he had
had by the housekeeper, came into the vault with a drum, and kept drumming
and crying out, "Come to the roast goose! come to the roast goose!"
whereat _Dom. Consul_ was exceeding wroth, and ran after him, but he could
not catch him, seeing that the young varlet knew all the ins and outs of
the vault. Without doubt it was the Lord who sent me the swound, so that I
should be spared this fresh grief; wherefore to Him alone be honour and
glory. Amen.

_The Twenty-fourth Chapter_

HOW IN MY PRESENCE THE DEVIL FETCHED OLD LIZZIE KOLKEN

When I recovered from my above-mentioned swound, I found my host, his
wife, and my old maid standing over me, and pouring warm beer down my
throat. The faithful old creature shrieked for joy when I opened my eyes
again, and then told me that my daughter had not suffered herself to be
racked, but had freely confessed her crimes and filed herself as a witch.
This seemed pleasant news to me in my misery, inasmuch as I deemed the
death by fire to be a less heavy punishment than the torture. Howbeit when
I would have prayed I could not, whereat I again fell into heavy grief and
despair, fearing that the Holy Ghost had altogether turned away His face
from me, wretched man that I was. And albeit the old maid, when she had
seen this, came and stood before my bed and began to pray aloud to me; it
was all in vain, and I remained a hardened sinner. But the Lord had pity
upon me, although I deserved it not, insomuch that I presently fell into a
deep sleep, and did not awake until next morning when the prayer-bell
rang; and then I was once more able to pray, whereat I greatly rejoiced,
and still thanked God in my heart, when my ploughman Claus Neels came in
and told me that he had come yesterday to tell me about my oats, seeing
that he had gotten them all in; and that the constable came with him who
had been to fetch old Lizzie Kolken, inasmuch as the honourable high court
had ordered her to be brought up for trial. Hereat the whole village
rejoiced, but _Rea_ herself laughed, and shouted, and sang, and told him
and the constable by the way (for the constable had let her get up behind
for a short time), that this should bring great luck to the Sheriff. They
need only bring her up before the court, and in good sooth she would not
hold her tongue within her teeth, but that all men should marvel at her
confession; that such a court as that was a laughing-stock to her, and
that she spat, _salva venia_, upon the whole brotherhood, _et cet_.

Upon hearing this I once more felt a strong hope, and rose to go to old
Lizzie. But I was not quite dressed before she sent the impudent constable
to beg that I would go to her with all speed and give her the sacrament,
seeing that she had become very weak during the night. I had my own
thoughts on the matter, and followed the constable as fast as I could,
though not to give her the sacrament, as indeed anybody may suppose. But
in my haste, I, weak old man that I was, forgot to take my witnesses with
me; for all the misery I had hitherto suffered had so clouded my senses
that it never once came into my head. None followed me save the impudent
constable; and it will soon appear how that this villain had given himself
over body and soul to Satan to destroy my child, whereas he might have
saved her. For when he had opened the prison (it was the same cell wherein
my child had first been shut up), we found old Lizzie lying on the ground
on a truss of straw, with a broom for a pillow (as though she were to fly
to hell upon it, as she no longer could fly to Blockula), so that I
shuddered when I caught sight of her. Scarce was I come in when she cried
out fearfully, "I'm a witch, I'm a witch! Have pity upon me, and give me
the sacrament quick, and I will confess everything to you!" And when I
said to her, "Confess, then!" she owned that she, with the help of the
Sheriff, had contrived all the witchcraft in the village, and that my
child was as innocent thereof as the blessed sun in heaven. Howbeit that
the Sheriff had the greatest guilt, inasmuch as he was a warlock and a
witch's priest, and had a spirit far stronger than hers, called Dudaim,
which spirit had given her such a blow on the head in the night as she
should never recover. This same Dudaim it was that had raked up the crops,
heaped sand over the amber, made the storm, and dropped the frog into my
daughter her lap; _item_, carried off her old goodman through the air.

And when I asked her how that could be, seeing that her goodman had been a
child of God until very near his end, and much given to prayer; albeit I
had indeed marvelled why he had other thoughts in his last illness; she
answered that one day he had seen her spirit, which she kept in a chest,
in the shape of a black cat, and whose name was Kit, and had threatened
that he would tell me of it; whereupon she, being frightened, had caused
her spirit to make him so ill that he despaired of ever getting over it.
Thereupon she had comforted him, saying that she would presently heal him
if he would deny God, who, as he well saw, could not help him. This he
promised to do; and when she had straight-way made him quite hearty again,
they took the silver which I had scraped off the new sacrament cup, and
went by night down to the seashore, where he had to throw it into the sea
with these words: "When this silver returns again to the chalice, then
shall my soul return to God." Whereupon the Sheriff, who was by,
re-baptized him in the name of Satan, and called him Jack. He had had no
sponsors save only herself, old Lizzie. Moreover, that on St. John's Eve,
when he went with them to Blockula for the first time (the Herrenberg was
their Blockula), they had talked of my daughter, and Satan himself had
sworn to the Sheriff that he should have her. For that he would show the
old one (wherewith the villain meant God) what he could do, and that he
would make the carpenter's son sweat for vexation (fie upon thee, thou
arch villain, that thou couldst thus speak of my blessed Saviour!).
Whereupon her old goodman had grumbled, and as they had never rightly
trusted him, the spirit Dudaim one day flew off with him through the air
by the Sheriff's order, seeing that her own spirit, called Kit, was too
weak to carry him. That the same Dudaim had also been the woodpecker who
afterwards 'ticed my daughter and old Paasch to the spot with his cries,
in order to ruin her. But that the giant who had appeared on the
Streckelberg was not a devil, but the young lord of Mellenthin himself, as
her spirit, Kit, had told her.

And this she said was nothing but the truth, whereby she would live and
die; and she begged me, for the love of God, to take pity upon her, and,
after her repentant confession, to speak forgiveness of her sins, and to
give her the Lord's Supper; for that her spirit stood there behind the
stove, grinning like a rogue, because he saw that it was all up with her
now. But I answered, "I would sooner give the sacrament to an old sow than
to thee, thou accursed witch, who not only didst give over thine own
husband to Satan, but hast likewise tortured me and my poor child almost
unto death with pains like those of hell." Before she could make any
answer, a loathsome insect, about as long as my finger, and with a yellow
tail, crawled in under the door of the prison. When she espied it she gave
a yell, such as I never before heard, and never wish to hear again. For
once, when I was in Silesia, in my youth, I saw one of the enemy's
soldiers spear a child before its mother's face, and I thought that a
fearful shriek which the mother gave; but her cry was child's play to the
cry of old Lizzie. All my hair stood on end, and her own red hair grew so
stiff that it was like the twigs of the broom whereon she lay; and then
she howled, "That is the spirit Dudaim, whom the accursed Sheriff has sent
to me--the sacrament, for the love of God, the sacrament!--I will confess
a great deal more--I have been a witch these thirty years!--the sacrament,
the sacrament!" While she thus bellowed and flung about her arms and legs,
the loathsome insect rose into the air, and buzzed and whizzed about her
where she lay, insomuch that it was fearful to see and to hear. And this
she-devil called by turns on God, on her spirit Kit, and on me, to help
her, till the insect all of a sudden darted into her open jaws, whereupon
she straightway gave up the ghost, and turned all black and blue like a
blackberry.

I heard nothing more save that the window rattled, not very loud, but as
though one had thrown a pea against it, whereby I straightway perceived
that Satan had just flown through it with her soul. May the all-merciful
God keep every mother's child from such an end, for the sake of Jesus
Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour! Amen.

As soon as I was somewhat recovered, which, however, was not for a long
time, inasmuch as my blood had turned to ice, and my feet were as stiff as
a stake; I began to call out after the impudent constable, but he was no
longer in the prison. Thereat I greatly marvelled, seeing that I had seen
him there but just before the vermin crawled in, and straightway I
suspected no good, as, indeed, it turned out; for when at last he came
upon my calling him, and I told him to let this carrion be carted out
which had just died in the name of the devil, he did as though he was
amazed; and when I desired him that he would bear witness to the innocence
of my daughter, which the old hag had confessed on her death-bed, he
pretended to be yet more amazed, and said that he had heard nothing. This
went through my heart like a sword, and I leaned against a pillar without,
where I stood for a long time: but as soon as I was come to myself I went
to _Dom. Consul_, who was about to go to Usedom and already sat in his
coach. At my humble prayer he went back into the judgment-chamber with the
_Camerarius_ and the _Scriba_, whereupon I told all that had taken place,
and how the wicked constable denied that he had heard the same. But they
say that I talked a great deal of nonsense beside; among other things,
that all the little fishes had swam into the vault to release my daughter.
Nevertheless, _Dom. Consul_, who often shook his head, sent for the
impudent constable, and asked him for his testimony. But the fellow
pretended that as soon as he saw that old Lizzie wished to confess, he had
gone away, so as not to get any more hard words, wherefore he had heard
nothing. Hereupon I, as _Dom. Consul_ afterwards told the pastor of Benz,
clenched my fists and answered, "What, thou arch-rogue, didst thou not
crawl about the room in the shape of a reptile?" whereupon he would
hearken to me no longer, thinking me distraught, nor would he make the
constable take an oath, but left me standing in the midst of the room, and
got into his coach again.

Neither do I know how I got out of the room; but next morning when the sun
rose, and I found myself lying in bed at Master Seep his ale-house, the
whole _casus_ seemed to me like a dream; neither was I able to rise, but
lay a-bed all the blessed Saturday and Sunday, talking all manner of
_allotria_. It was not till towards evening on Sunday, when I began to
vomit and threw up green bile (no wonder!), that I got somewhat better.
About this time _Pastor Benzensis_ came to my bedside, and told me how
distractedly I had borne myself, but so comforted me from the word of God,
that I was once more able to pray from my heart. May the merciful God
reward my dear gossip, therefore, at the day of judgment! For prayer is
almost as brave a comforter as the Holy Ghost himself, from whom it comes;
and I shall ever consider that so long as a man can still pray, his
misfortunes are not unbearable, even though in all else "his flesh and his
heart faileth" (Psalm lxxiii.).

_The Twenty-fifth Chapter_

HOW SATAN SIFTED ME LIKE WHEAT, WHEREAS MY DAUGHTER WITHSTOOD HIM RIGHT
BRAVELY

On Monday I left my bed betimes, and as I felt in passable good case, I
went up to the castle to see whether I might peradventure get to my
daughter, but I could not find either constable, albeit I had brought a
few groats with me to give them as beer-money; neither would the folks
that I met tell me where they were; _item_, the impudent constable his
wife, who was in the kitchen making brimstone matches. And when I asked
her when her husband would come back, she said not before to-morrow
morning early; _item_, that the other constable would not be here any
sooner. Hereupon I begged her to lead me to my daughter herself, at the
same time showing her the two groats; but she answered that she had not
the keys, and knew not how to get at them: moreover, she said she did not
know where my child was now shut up, seeing that I would have spoken to
her through the door; _item_, the cook, the huntsman, and whomsoever else
I met in my sorrow, said they knew not in what hole the witch might lie.

Hereupon I went all round about the castle, and laid my ear against every
little window that looked as though it might be her window, and cried,
"Mary, my child, where art thou?" _Item_, at every grating I found I
kneeled down, bowed my head, and called in like manner into the vault
below. But all in vain; I got no answer anywhere. The Sheriff at length
saw what I was about, and came down out of the castle to me with a very
gracious air, and, taking me by the hand, he asked me what I sought? But
when I answered him that I had not seen my only child since last Thursday,
and prayed him to show pity upon me, and let me be led to her, he said
that could not be, but that I was to come up into his chamber, and talk
further of the matter. By the way he said, "Well, so the old witch told
you fine things about me, but you see how Almighty God has sent his
righteous judgment upon her. She has long been ripe for the fire; but my
great long-suffering, wherein a good magistrate should ever strive to be
like unto the Lord, has made me overlook it till _datum_, and in return
for my goodness she raises this outcry against me." And when I replied,
"How does your Lordship know that the witch raised such an outcry against
you?" he first began to stammer, and then said, "Why, you yourself charged
me thereon before the judge. But I bear you no anger therefor, and God
knows that I pity you, who are a poor, weak old man, and would gladly help
you if I were able." Meanwhile he led me up four or five flights of
stairs, so that I, old man that I am, could follow him no further, and
stood still gasping for breath. But he took me by the hand and said,
"Come, I must first show you how matters really stand, or I fear you will
not accept my help, but will plunge yourself into destruction." Hereupon
we stepped out upon a terrace at the top of the castle, which looked
toward the water; and the villain went on to say, "Reverend Abraham, can
you see well afar off?" and when I answered that I once could see very
well, but that the many tears I had shed had now peradventure dimmed my
eyes, he pointed to the Streckelberg, and said, "Do you, then, see nothing
there?" _Ego_. "Nought save a black speck, which I cannot make out."
_Ille_. "Know, then, that that is the pile whereon your daughter is to
burn at ten o'clock to-morrow morning, and which the constables are now
raising." When this hell-hound had thus spoken, I gave a loud cry and
swounded. Oh, blessed Lord! I know not how I lived through such distress;
thou alone didst strengthen me beyond nature, in order, "after so much
weeping and wailing, to heap joys and blessings upon me; without thee I
never could have lived through such misery: therefore to thy name ever be
all honour and glory, O thou God of Israel!"

When I came again to myself I lay on a bed in a fine room, and perceived a
taste in my mouth like wine. But as I saw none near me save the Sheriff,
who held a pitcher in his hand, I shuddered and closed mine eyes,
considering what I should say or do. This he presently observed, and said,
"Do not shudder thus; I mean well by you, and only wish to put a question
to you, which you must answer me on your conscience as a priest. Say,
reverend Abraham, which is the greater sin, to commit whoredom, or to take
the lives of two persons?" and when I answered him, "To take the lives of
two persons," he went on, "Well, then, is not that what your stubborn
child is about to do? Rather than give herself up to me, who have ever
desired to save her, and who can even yet save her, albeit her pile is now
being raised, she will take away her own life and that of her wretched
father, for I scarcely think that you, poor man, will outlive this sorrow.
Wherefore do you, for God his sake, persuade her to think better of it
while I am yet able to save her. For know that about ten miles from hence
I have a small house in the midst of the forest, where no human being ever
goes; thither will I send her this very night, and you may dwell there
with her all the days of your life, if so it please you. You shall live as
well as you can possibly desire, and to-morrow morning I will spread a
report betimes that the witch and her father have run away together during
the night, and that nobody knows whither they are gone." Thus spake the
serpent to me, as whilom to our mother Eve; and, wretched sinner that I
am, the tree of death which he showed me seemed to me also to be a tree of
life, so pleasant was it to the eye. Nevertheless I answered, "My child
will never save her miserable life by doing aught to peril the salvation
of her soul." But now, too, the serpent was more cunning than all the
beasts of the field (especially such an old fool as I), and spake thus:
"Why, who would have her peril the salvation of her soul? Reverend
Abraham, must I teach you Scripture? Did not our Lord Christ pardon Mary
Magdalene, who lived in open whoredom? and did he not speak forgiveness to
the poor adulteress who had committed a still greater _crimen?_ nay, more,
doth not St. Paul expressly say that the harlot Rahab was saved, Hebrews
xi.? _item_, St. James ii. says the same. But where have ye read that any
one was saved who had wantonly taken her own life and that of her father?
Wherefore, for the love of God, persuade your child not to give herself
up, body and soul, to the devil, by her stubbornness, but to suffer
herself to be saved while it is yet time. You can abide with her, and pray
away all the sins she may commit, and likewise aid me with your prayers,
who freely own that I am a miserable sinner, and have done you much evil,
though not so much evil by far, reverend Abraham, as David did to Uriah,
and he was saved, notwithstanding he put the man to a shameful death, and
afterwards lay with his wife. Wherefore I, poor man, likewise hope to be
saved, seeing that my desire for your daughter is still greater than that
which this David felt for Bathsheba; and I will gladly make it all up to
you twofold as soon as we are in my cottage."

When the tempter had thus spoken, methought his words were sweeter than
honey, and I answered, "Alas, my lord, I am ashamed to appear before her
face with such a proposal." Whereupon he straightway said, "Then do you
write it to her; come, here is pen, ink, and paper."

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