Part 34 (1/2)
His eyes met Albert's with a most pitiable look, and he then glanced upwards, as much as to say, ”it is all over with me.” Near him stood other men: one of whom, tall and meagre, he thought to have seen before. The prisoners were guarded by Peter, the brave Magdeburger, and Staberl of Vienna. They stood at their post with outstretched legs, their halberds resting on the floor, upright as candles.
”I say, we have important business at present,” continued the Duke; ”but why do you look so intent upon him with the rose-coloured gown? he is a hardened sinner; the sword is being sharpened for his neck!”
”Will your highness allow me but one word,” replied Albert. ”I know that man, and would stake all I possess in the world, that he is a peaceable subject; and positively not a criminal who deserves death.”
”By Saint Hubertus, that is a bold speech! You have changed your nature, methinks: my chancellor, the worthy jurist, has put himself forward like a young warrior; and you, my young soldier, would a.s.sume the advocate. What say you to that, Ambrosius Bolland?”
”Hi! hi! I adorned my person by way of letting your highness have a joke, for I know, of old date, you are fond of a little fun; and our dear good Sturmfeder, for the sake of adding to it, plays the part of a jurist. Hi! hi! hi! but all he may say or do, he cannot save him in the rose-coloured gown. High treason! he must lose his head, poor fellow!”
”Mr. Chancellor,” cried Albert, glowing with anger, ”the Duke can witness, that I was never accustomed to play the buffoon. I don't wish to rival any person in this sort of character; but I never play or make sport with the life of a fellow creature! I am seriously in earnest, when I pledge my life for the n.o.ble Dieterich von Kraft, scribe to the council of Ulm, now present before you. I hope my bail will be taken.”
”How?” said Ulerich, ”is he the elegant gentleman, your host in Ulm, of whom you have often spoke to me. I regret that he committed himself so far as to be taken in the act of creating an insurrection, under very suspicious circ.u.mstances.”
”Certainly,” croaked Ambrosius, ”a _crimen lesae majestatis!_”
”Permit me, sir, to speak,” said Albert. ”I have studied law long enough to know, that in this case it is absurd to talk of treason. The governor and council of the League were still in the town last night, consequently Stuttgardt was in the power of the enemy, and the scribe, who is in no wise a subject of his highness, did not act differently from any other Leaguist soldier, who takes the field against the Duke by the orders of his superiors.”
”Ei, youth, youth! How nicely it accommodates itself to circ.u.mstances!”
said the chancellor; ”but my worthy friend, you must know that so soon as the Duke summoned the town, and had the _animum possidentis_, every thing within its walls belonged to him. Therefore, any conspiracy against his royal person, becomes high treason immediately. The prisoner Dieterich von Kraft held very dangerous language to the people.”
”Impossible! it is quite contrary to his manner and principles. My Lord Duke, it cannot be!”
”Albert!” said the Duke in earnest, ”we have had much patience in hearing what you have to say; but it can do your friend no good. Here is the protocol. The chancellor had examined witnesses before I came, and every thing is proved as clear as day. We must make an example. The chancellor is perfectly right; therefore I cannot hold out any act of grace in the prisoner's favour.”
”But allow me to ask him and the witnesses one question--only a few words,” said Albert.
”That is against all forms of justice,” said the chancellor; ”I must protest against it; it is an infringement on my office.”
”Let it be, Ambrosius,” said the Duke. ”He may ask a question, with all my heart, of the poor sinner, who has no chance of escape.”
”Dieterich von Kraft,” said Albert, addressing the prisoner, ”how came you to be in Stuttgardt?”
The forlorn scribe, whom death seemed already to have made his prey, turning his eyes towards him, his teeth chattering from fear, was scarcely able to mutter a word in answer. ”I was sent here by the council of Ulm, as secretary to the governor.”
”How was it that you appeared before the burghers of Stuttgardt, yesterday evening?” said Albert.
”The governor ordered me to remind them of their duty and oath, should there, perchance, be an insurrection against the League.”
”Don't you perceive, he was only acting under orders?” said Albert, turning to the Duke. ”Who took you prisoner?” he continued with the examination.
”The man standing beside you.”
”Did you take this gentleman into custody? then you must have heard what he said; what did he say?” said Albert to the man.
”Yes, I heard what he said,” answered the burgher; ”he had spoken but six words, when burghermaster Hartmann threw him down from the bank. I remember what they were, namely: 'Recollect, my friends, what will the ill.u.s.trious council of the League say!' That was all, and then Hartmann took him by the collar. But there stands Doctor Calmus, who made a longer speech.”
The Duke roared with laughter, first looking at Albert and then at the chancellor, who turned pale, and was so disconcerted, that he could scarcely muster up courage to join in his master's hilarity. ”Were those all the dangerous words he spoke--is this the charge of high treason--'What would the council of the League say?' Poor Kraft! These few words have brought your neck within a hair's breadth of the executioner's sword. We have often heard our friends say, 'What will folks think, when they hear the Duke is in the country again?'
therefore, I will not punish him. What think you of it, Sturmfeder?”
”I know not what reason you could have had,” said Albert, addressing the chancellor, with anger beaming in his eyes, ”to have pushed the case to such lengths, and advised the Duke to these harsh measures; which, instead of healing past grievances, would only cause the cry of 'tyrant' to be raised everywhere against him. If you have acted from an overheated zeal of duty, you have this once surpa.s.sed the bounds of discretion.”