Chapter 67 Chapter Thirty-Three

The Grand Master, with his attendants and Polish knights, passed through Herme and walked along the hard road to Grugaz.They stayed a day and a night in Grugaz, where the Grand Master had to deal with fishing matters between the crusader knights, the castle consuls, and the local noble landowners near the Vistula.From here they took the flat-bottomed boat of the Crusader Knights and sailed straight to Marlborough.Sentram from Mashikovic, Povara from Tachev, and Zbyszko have always been by the Grand Master's side. What impression will there be.The reason why the Grand Master was particularly concerned about this matter was because he knew that Centrum was not only a very strong and fearsome knight in a duel, but also an extremely experienced fighter.In all the kingdom, there is no one who knows how to lead a large army, form a formation, build and destroy castles, and build bridges over great rivers, because he knows the armaments of various countries and is familiar with all kinds of battles. method.The head of the regiment knew that this man was extraordinary and had a great influence on the king, and many things depended on him.Therefore, it is believed that if the wealth and military strength of the Knights can be shown to him and given him a warning, then the war can be delayed for a long time.The sight of Marburg chills the heart of any Pole.Because that fortress, including the upper, middle and lower castles, can be said to be unique in the world.

The knights were driving on the Nogut River, and from afar they could see the outlines of those strong towers rising in the sky.It was a fine day, and they could see quite well; and after a while the ship drew near, and they saw the gleaming roof of the church in the upper castle, and the great walls rising one upon another.Only some of the bricks on these high walls are not painted, but most of them are painted with a layer of light gray. Only the masons of the Crusader Knights know how to make this famous light gray.That kind of grandeur is really something Polish knights have never seen before.It seems that the houses are stacked one on top of the other, as if they have been piled up into a big mountain. Its peak is the old castle, and on the slope is the middle castle and scattered fortifications.Even the gloomy face of the Grand Master brightened at the sight of the large and very fortified lair of the priests in arms.

"Marburg is made of mud," said the Grand Master, turning to Centrum, "but that kind of mud cannot be destroyed by human forces." Centrum did not answer, but looked silently at all the towers and the great walls, all with great battlements. After a short silence, Conrad von Jungingen continued: "Knight, you have rich experience in fortresses, what do you think of this fortress?" "I think it is an impregnable fortress," replied the Polish knight, as if in thought, "but..." "But what? Do you find any faults in it?" "However, each fortress can be changed by the king."

The head of the regiment frowned when he heard this. "Why do you think so, please?" "God's judgments and decisions are invisible to human eyes." Then he looked again thoughtfully at the wall.At this moment Povara translated to Zbyszko Sentram's decent answer, and Zbyszko looked at him with wonder and gratitude. Then it occurred to Zbyszko the similarity between Sintram and Skovoro, the leader of the Zemuds; both had large heads, which seemed to be thrust between broad shoulders; Both had strong chests, and both had short, stubby legs. The grand master, because he did not want the Polish knights to gain the upper hand, added:

"It is said that our Marburg is five times larger than Wawel." "It's on a rock, and it's a smaller place than here on the plain," Lord Masikowitz disagreed, "but we Wawels have a big heart." Conrad raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I do not understand what you were saying." "What is the heart of any castle if there is no cathedral? Our cathedral is three times bigger than yours." He pointed to the castle's chapel, whose dome was inlaid with a golden statue of the Virgin. The topic changed like this, and the head of the group felt dissatisfied again.

"Your answer, sir, is curious, though astute," he said. By this time they had reached their destination.It appeared that the chosen guards of the Knights of the Crusader had arrived at the castle and town before the Grand Master; there were already some local mages and trumpeters waiting at the ferry, and they would blow and beat whenever the Grand Master made his transition.On the other side, the horses were ready; the Grand Master mounted his horse and, surrounded by his retinue, went to the town, passed through the shoemaker's gate, followed the sparrow tower, and came to the front of the castle.At the gate the Grand Master was greeted by the Grand "Comto" Wilm von Helfenstein, who was acting only temporarily for the title, which had been taken over by Kunno von Helfenstein, now in England. Huttenstein served for several months; then there was Conrad Lichtenstein, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller and kinsman of Quinnor; Lumbenham, deacon of the sacristy; De von Volpezke; and finally the little "Commotor" who managed the workshop and the administration of the castle.Besides these high officials, stood a dozen or so priests who had been directing the affairs of the Prussian churches, and were doing everything possible to oppress other monasteries, as well as married priests, and force them to build roads, Crack the ice; and with them a company of unordained mages, knights who are not bound by prayer times.With their burly stature and physical strength (the crusaders don't want those who are not strong), their broad shoulders, bushy beards and fierce faces, they look more like Germanic murderous robber knights than they are. Priest.Their eyes express audacity, arrogance, and infinite pride.They did not like Conrad because he dared not declare war on Achaean.They publicly accused him of cowardice at the meeting of the priesthood.They drew pictures on the wall to mock him, and taught clowns to laugh at him to his face.But they bowed their heads very humbly in his presence, especially since the Grand Master had come with three foreign knights; so they all rushed forward and took hold of his bridle and stirrups.

①The big "comto" is the highest consul under the head of the Crusader Knights, equivalent to the prime minister or commander. ② Prayer times are seven times a day according to canon rules. The grand master got off his horse, and immediately turned to Helfenstein and asked: "Any news from Werner von Deddingen?" Werner von Döttingen was the Grand Marshal, that is, the commander in chief of the armed forces of the Knights of the Crusaders, who was at the time of the expedition, Duke of Mud and Wittout. "Nothing of importance," answered Helfenstein, "but some losses. Those savages set fire to the village near Ragnati and other towns near the castle."

"Trust God, and one great battle will crush their malice and obstinacy," replied the Grand Master. So he raised his eyes, squirmed his lips, and prayed for the victory of the Knights for a while. Then he pointed to the three Polish knights and said: "These are the envoys of the King of Poland, the knights of Masikowicz, Tachev, and Bogdaniec, who have come to exchange prisoners with us. They prepare guest houses and receive them according to the etiquette." After hearing this, the monastic knights looked curiously at the three envoys, especially Povararun who looked at Tachev, because some crusader knights had heard the name of this famous knight.Those who had never heard of his exploits in Burgundy, the Czech Republic, and Cracow were amazed at his massive figure and his great horse; both his figure and his horse were exceptionally tall , Such tall war horses made the old travelers who visited the Holy Land and Egypt in their early years involuntarily think of camels and elephants.

Some of the knights also knew Zbyszko, for he had fought in the Marburg tournament.All these people greeted Zbyszko kindly.They remembered his friendship with the Grand Master's brother, Ulrich von Jungingen, who showed him genuine kindness.They paid the least attention to the man who was destined to inflict the most terrible blows on the order in the near future, that man was Sentram of Masikowitz, for when he dismounted he looked, from his peculiar stature, like is a hunchback.His arms were too long, his legs were short, and his knees were slightly bent inward, which caused the ridicule of some young priests in the order.One of the well-known jesters, who was about to say something teasing, even went up to Sentralm, intending to touch him, but seeing Lord Maschkovich's eyes, the priest was offended. I couldn't think of a joke, so I backed away silently.

At this time the "comto" of the castle has already brought the guests to the small courtyard, where besides the school, the old warehouse and the harness workshop, there is also a small church of St. Nicholas.They walked along the Nikolai Bridge and walked through the fortifications in front of the castle.This "Komto" led them for a while among the fortified city walls, which were surrounded by school castles, large and small, as barriers.Sentram of Mashikovic watched everything carefully.The guide was eager to show his guests all the buildings without even being asked, as if he was anxious to make them see everything clearly.

"You see the big house on the left is our stable. We are poor priests, but the people tell us that nowhere else can knights live in a stable like this." "The common people don't think you are poor," Povara replied. "But in this building, besides the stables, there must be other things, because this building is very tall, you will not lead the horse upstairs." "The lower part is the stable, with a total of 400 horses, and the upper part is the warehouse, which has stored enough grain for ten years. This place will never be besieged, but if we are besieged, we will never go hungry.", As he spoke, he led them to the right, passed the bridge between the two towers of St. Wavrezinez and Panzana, and entered another large courtyard. "Attention, my lords," said the German, "from here to the north, thank God, is impregnable; but this is only fortresses, and these forts, in terms of strength, I will now show you The Middle Castle is nothing compared to it; let alone the Upper Castle." A moat and a drawbridge separated the middle castle from the courtyard; before they reached the high gate of the castle, the three knights looked back under the guidance of this "comto" and saw Fang Zheng again. There is a large area of ​​fortifications protecting the castle.There, one house is higher than the other.It seemed to Centrum that he saw the whole town.There were countless piles of timber as high as houses, blocks of stone as high as pyramids, cemeteries, hospitals, and warehouses.A little further, beside the pond in the center of the fortification, is a fortified "sanctuary" with red walls, a large storehouse for hired hands and servants.To the north is another row of stables, where the horses of the knights and the steeds of the grand master are kept.Along the mill dam stood the barracks where the squires and foreign mercenaries lived, opposite the square houses housing the various administrators and officers of the order, and then more shops, warehouses, bakeries, tailors , foundry, a huge armory, a prison and old weapons workshop.Every house was so well built and defended that in case of attack the occupants could defend it as if they were in a fortress.Every building is surrounded by a city wall and numerous strong school castles. Behind the city wall is a moat, and behind the moat are large wooden piles.Beyond the gates to the west were the yellow rolling waves of Nogut, to the north and east gleamed deep pools, and to the south stood the stronger middle and upper castles. It is a terrible lair, a source of ruthless power.Here gathered the two greatest powers known in the world at that time, the power of religion and the power of the sword; and whoever opposed one of these powers would be crushed by the other.Anyone who dares to oppose these two forces will be counterattacked by all Catholic countries, saying that he opposes the cross. At that time, knights will come from all directions to help the knights.So that nest was always crowded like a hive with men and soldiers of all walks of life.In front of the building, in the back of the people, by the gate and in the workshop, it is often bustling like a market.The hammer and chisel of the stone-ball-making, the noise of the workshop, the treadmill, the neigh of the horse, the horn and whistle, the calls and orders, went on and on.In each courtyard, you can hear all the languages ​​​​of the world, and you can meet soldiers of various nationalities; English archers are perfect archers, and they can shoot pigeons tied to poles within a hundred paces. Shoot through a chain mail as easily as through a commoner; there are also terrible Swiss infantry, fighting with swords in both hands; strong Danes, who are strong, but eat and drink little; And the taciturn Spanish knights; the excellent Italian knights, expert swordplayers in velvet, and in war wearing invulnerable armor of Venice, Milan, and Florence; there were the Burgundian knights.There are Frisian knights; besides, there are Germans from all parts of Germany.In this colorful crowd, there is an endless stream of knights in white cloaks as masters and officers. "The tower is full of gold," it was true; and a single house built across from the Grand Master's house in the Upper Castle was indeed full of coins and bars of gold, silver, and the like.The knights used this money to entertain "guests", to hire large numbers of soldiers, send them out to fight, or go to the various castles to be under the command of the consul and "Commuter".In this way, with the power of the sword and the power of the cross, great wealth was accumulated.At the same time, the iron discipline which had by that time been broken in the provinces by the knights of the crusaders who were arrogant and intoxicated with their power, was maintained in Marburg according to the old tradition.Kings come here not only to fight heathens, or to borrow money, but also to learn the art of ruling; knights flock here to learn the art of war, because in the whole world, no one can compare with the crusaders The Knights are so good at ruling and fighting. In the past, when the Knights first came to these regions, there was not even an inch of land except a small piece of land and a few castles gifted to the Knights by the rash Duke of Poland. Duchies are even bigger, with fertile lands, mighty cities, and impregnable castles.The rule and protection of this land by the Knights is like a spider stretching out countless spider threads from the center of the web, and it can be controlled in an orderly manner.So from this lofty palace, from this upper castle, from the grand master and the white tent, the courier dispatches orders in all directions, to the fiefdoms, the town council, the mayor, to the consuls and the hired men. to the captains of the soldiers, to carry out the orders drawn and decided here;Here money flows from all over the country; grain and provisions of every kind are brought here; tribute is brought here by men moaning under the cruel servitude of the lay priests and the oppression of other monasteries (which the Knights turned a blind eye to).In the end, the arms of insatiable greed stretched out from here to all neighboring countries and people. Countless Lithuanian-speaking Prussian tribes had long since been swept from the face of the earth.Not so long ago, Lithuania was trampled upon by the iron hooves of the Knights, so heavily trampled on its chest that almost every breath brought blood from its heart.Although Poland was victorious in the terrible Plovtsy War, it lost the upper lands on the left bank of the Vistula in the time of Logedek, including Gdańsk, Tsheva, Gniew, and Svetsy.The influence of the Knights of Evland has been extended to Russia.Both orders swept forward like the first great tides of the Germanic seas, gradually increasing in size until they flooded the entire territory of the Eastern Slavic peoples. Suddenly dark clouds obscured the invincible light of the Germanic Crusader Knights.The Lithuanians followed the Poles to Catholicism, and Achail took the throne of Cracow, which he had inherited from a foreign princess.After this transformation, the Knights did not lose even a piece of territory or a castle, but the Knights felt that now there was a force of resistance, and it had lost the goal it had originally pursued in Prussia. After the Lithuanians believed in Catholicism, the Knights of the Crusaders had no mission but to return to Palestine to take care of the groups of pilgrims who came to visit the holy city.But to go back to Palestine would mean to give up wealth, power, power, cities, lands, and whole kingdoms, and the Knights, like a dreadful dragon with an arrow in the side, went into a rage. Grandmaster Konrad dared not risk everything; the thought of fighting the ruler of Poland, Lithuania, and the vast Russian lands that Oljeda had wrested from the Tatars made it impossible to fight this man. Great kings are afraid to fight, but most of the knights of the crusaders are inclined to war; The world would come to their aid, and the Pope would not send his thunderbolt upon their lair, which now exists not by the preaching of Catholicism, but by the maintenance of paganism. At the same time they accuse Achaia and Lithuania in all nations and courts of pretending to accept the Archbishop, and assert that what the Knights of the Crusaders have failed to achieve by force for a hundred years, they will never be able to do it again. realized within.They conspired against Poland and its rulers and knights as protectors and defenders of paganism.These accusations were believed everywhere except Rome, and the result was a steady stream of dukes, earls, and knights from the south and west to Marlborough.The Knights were encouraged and felt strong.Marlborough, with its astonishing castle and fortifications, inspired the peoples as never before, dazzled the eyes and ears with its power, and made the whole order think that it was so powerful that it could never be destroyed.Not a duke, not a knight (guest of the order), not even a crusader, except the grand master, knew that since the baptism of Lithuania, such a thing would happen,—as if the waves of Nogut, Outwardly defending the strong fortress of Marlborough, it secretly and ruthlessly undermines its foundations.No one understands that although the huge body still maintains its strength, the soul has left the body.A person who arrives here for the first time, looking at the city that rose from the mud - Marlborough, looking at the walls, towers, black crosses on the gates, houses and clothing, the first thought must be: even if the hell Nor can the gate surpass the capital of this cross of God. Not only Povara of Tachev and Zbyszko, who had been here before, thought this way when they saw this fortified city, but even the sharper-eyed Sentram of Mahikovich felt this way. idea.Looking at the armed soldiers swarming in the bastion and the huge buildings, his face became gloomy, and he couldn't help thinking of the arrogant words said by the crusader knights when they threatened King Kazimis. "We are better than you, and if you don't back down—then we'll take up the sword and drive you all the way to Cracow." At this time the "Comto" of the castle continued to lead the three knights to the house on the east side of the middle castle, where rooms were prepared for the Polish visitors.