King Eric and the Outlaws, Vol. 1 Read online

  CHAP. II.

  At sunrise next morning, the brisk broad-shouldered cook, with a largeclub in his hand, took his way through the wood skirting Esrom Lake[7],accompanied by two other wanderers. It was a foggy morning; largeflocks of wild geese flew with shrill cries over the lake, and thefallen leaves of the forest were swept along the path by the sharpmorning breeze. The cook and his companions proceeded in silence andwith hasty steps; and it was not until the sun began to disperse thecold mists of morning, that Morten cleared his throat, and sang a merryballad. His companions were two strong broad-shouldered fellows, withred wadmal cloaks, over dirty leathern breeches, and with broad swordsand daggers in their thickly padded belts, which also appeared to servethem as purses. They had the appearance of deserters or dismissedmen-at-arms; they both wore beards in the fashion of king's horsemen,but seemed to have long neglected all attention to cleanliness andpersonal neatness. Their unwashed faces betokened want of sleep andfitting rest. The heads of a couple of flails served them as walkingstaves. They bore on their backs large bundles of rich attire, fromwhich pieces of smoked meat and other provisions protruded. Their longuncombed hair hung about their shoulders; the skin and hair of bothwere so dark, and their countenances had so little of a Danish cast,that they would have passed for foreigners, had not their dialectproclaimed them to be peasants from Lolland; who, at any rate, couldnot prove their evidently Vandal extraction in the first generation.The taller of the two had lost an eye, and the other had a huge scarbetween his nose and mouth, which looked like a hare lip, and his sharpprojecting teeth gave him a ferocious appearance, resembling that of awild boar.

  The three wanderers occasionally looked behind them, as if theyapprehended a pursuit; but they only beheld the white gable ends ofEsrom monastery, which they had passed a short time before.

  "Now, thanks for good companionship," said Morten, as he halted at across road in the forest. "It were best we part company for thepresent; ye understand what I said to you--ye are to hide yourselves atGilleleie, and watch every night, until ye see the skiff with the blackpennant, then push off with Jeppe's boat, and set me on shore:meanwhile watch narrowly all that goes on here, and who goes in and outof the castle. What Niels Brock and the archbishop have promised, youmay make sure of. But then ye must not be self-willed; ye will never beable to get him out by force, and if the king and Marsk Oluffsen comehither to-day or to-morrow, ye might lightly get hanged and ruin everything."

  "Leave that to us, sly Morten," said the man with the one eye. "JohanKyste well knows what he is about. I committed but one folly in mylife; 'twas on that Easter eve I deserted from the Marsk, and took thepalfrey from the pious clerk; I did but knock a little hole in hisskull, but it was large enough for his bit of a soul to slink out of:one should let holy men go their way in peace; for this, I am nowforced to put up with one eye. I vowed, therefore, to our Lady and St.Joseph, to become pious and God-fearing from that very hour, and nevermore to lay my hand on other than laymen."

  "A pious resolve," said Morten: "wert thou not such a bloodhound andcut-throat, I could almost believe thy soul might be saved as yet, evenshouldst thou steal and rob in a small way at times."

  "It bids fair to be so," answered the one-eyed. "I have a letter ofabsolution from the archbishop, within my woollen jerkin, that willstand me in good stead when all the world besides marches to hell.Truly I served the learned Master Grand faithfully by night and daythese many years, therefore hath the pious archbishop given me freedomfrom fasting, and absolution for sins for ten whole years: he hath notspared his silver pieces either; and shall I now suffer them to shut upsuch a man, and thereby rob so many honest fellows of a living? Whatsayest thou, Ole Ark? Shall we suffer it any longer? hath Master Granddeserved it of us?"

  "Pshaw! Kyste; who says thou art to suffer it, and leave him in thelurch?" interrupted Morten. "We all want to have him out; but we wouldnot be as fools, trying to burst open the doors with their own thickskulls. Force will not help us here--do but as I bid thee, and keep thycourage until we want it."

  "Morten is right, Kyste," began the other Lollander, with a hideousgrin, which displayed his projecting teeth. "Thou art a mad bull, andart ever ready to push with thy horns. Why haste so desperately to gethim out? he was a good and generous man of God while he was in power,'tis true, but since he hath lain in Sjoeborg we have heard no greatthings of him, and have not been blessed with the sight of a stiverfrom his hand."

  "Dull cod-fish!" replied Johan Kyste, hastily; "believest thou not whathonest Morten hath vowed and promised us in the bishop's name? As soonas we get him out we are his steersmen at Bornholm, and get leave tocatch what we can throughout the king's dominions."

  "Hold, comrade," said Morten, correcting him. "It is only so long asthe breach lasts between the king and the archbishop, that he gives youleave to drive that trade: it is only in the service of the church, andthe pious bishop, that it may be lawful and Christian for a time;afterwards ye must content yourselves with what he gives you of hisown, and lead quiet lives: but ere this day twelvemonth, you mayfeather your nests finely. Now begone, and neglect not what ye havetaken upon ye, for the sake of other desperate pranks! I will not haveyou longer with me: if any one caught me in such fair company, theymight take a fancy to hang me up by the side of you, for honestcompanionship's sake."

  "Ho! ho! wouldst _thou_ play the lordling, Morten?" said the one-eyed;"what higher honour couldst _thou_ look for, thou turnspit!--But hark!what was that? are there hunters in the wood so early?"

  The sound of hunting-horns, the tramp of horses, and the baying ofhounds, was heard in the neighbourhood: the three wanderers hastenedforward a few paces, but soon suddenly sprang aside in differentdirections.

  "S'death! the king and all his courtiers!" exclaimed Morten, shelteringhimself behind a large beech tree by the road side, while both hissuspicious-looking comrades hid themselves among the thick brushwood.

  A numerous hunting train drew near; at the head rode the young king,between the Drost and the Marsk: it was a noble sight to see the youngchivalrous King Eric on horseback. He rode a tall milk-white horse,which seemed proud of its burden, and often fell into the artificialdancing-pace to which it was used in the tilt and tournay. Its bridleand saddle accoutrements glittered with gold and precious stones: thesilken rein with which the king managed his steed was the onlycompulsory means to which it would submit; the slightest touch of thegolden rowel in the king's spur caused it to rear almost upright, andfor any other than the king it seemed rash and dangerous to bestridethe proud animal. The king himself was a noble-looking youth, with amanly and determined, almost a stern, cast of countenance; but his longfair locks imparted a softness to this expression, which, in Eric'smilder moods, called to mind the portraits of the Saviour's bestbeloved Apostle, leaning his head on his Master's breast. The youngking had a dignified and chivalrous deportment, the effect of which washeightened by the almost dazzling splendour of his attire, whichappeared indeed unsuited to a hunting party. The tall white plume inhis hat sparkled with small silver stars; and the green hunting dress,bordered with ermine, was so richly broidered with silken lions, andgolden hearts, that it resembled a shining suit of armour.

  The splendour in which the young king appeared to delight was alsoconspicuous in his train. Drost Aage, who rode at the king's righthand, was of the same age with King Eric, and had not yet attained histwenty-second year. He had been the king's playmate and confidant fromchildhood upwards, and now possessed his entire confidence and favour.There was a mild but almost melancholy seriousness in the expression ofDrost Aage's countenance, which gave him the appearance of being olderthan the king. He had thrown his dark blue mantle over the back of hissmoking palfrey, by way of covering; and his rich silken dress wasbesprinkled with the foam of the king's restless and chafing steed,upon which he appeared to keep a watchful eye.

  Marsk Niels Oluffsen, who rode at the king's left hand, was a tallstrong-built man, of about thirty year
s and upwards, with a sharp,rough, warrior-like countenance, and stiff deportment. Next to DrostAage, he was the king's most indispensable counsellor, and was anexceedingly brave and doughty knight; but there was a tinge ofhaughtiness and severity in his looks and manner which frequentlyaroused the feelings of independence, and wounded the self-love, of hisinferiors. Even the king and Drost Aage, who were fully his equals inknightly prowess, and far surpassed him in tact and talent, often feltunpleasantly repulsed by his rough and blunt bearing, of which he washimself so unconscious that nothing astonished him more than wheneverhis uncouth roughness and self-confidence drove friends as well asenemies from him.

  Among others of the king's train were two celebrated Germanminstrels--Master Rumelant, from Swabia, and Master Poppe the Strong,who, in their national dress of German minstrels, attracted muchattention. Master Rumelant's stature was insignificant, but he had alively and enthusiastic expression of countenance; he was a lover ofargument, into which he was ever ready to enter with warmth andvehemence, especially on theological subjects, on which he entertainedhis own very peculiar opinions. His countryman, Poppe the Strong, welldeserved his cognomen: he was a gigantic figure, with long coal-blackhair and beard. His appearance often terrified old women and children,by whom he was even sometimes taken for a wizard. He spoke in atone of emphatic decision, which would have better beseemed acommander-in-chief. He rode a lean grey horse, and always wore a blackfeather in his hat, in token of a sorrow he desired should be noticedand respected by others. These two strangers had been for some time thehonoured guests of the young Danish monarch, who himself possessed aknowledge of the arts, and showed special favour to talented artistsand men of learning. The king was also attended on this excursion bythe famous Danish philosopher, Petrus de Dacia, who was accounted thegreatest astronomer and arithmetician of his time, and was as renownedfor his theological learning as for his eloquence and profoundknowledge of Greek and Latin philology. Clad in his black canon'sdress, he rode a quiet palfrey, between the two German minstrels; andalways acted as mediator when, in the heat of argument, they becamevehement, and seemed disposed to exchange hard words. He was still inthe prime of life: on his journey through Germany he had becomeacquainted, at Cologne, with Christine Stambel, the nun, so renownedfor her sanctity; and the enthusiasm with which he always spoke of thislady would have subjected him to the suspicion of a secret passion, hadhe not in his writings, as well as in his conversation, lauded withstill greater enthusiasm the blessed Virgin Mary, as preeminent inbeauty and sanctity, and exalted her to supreme rank among the saintsin the calendar. He had proved, with irresistible eloquence, that thegracious confidence the Lord showed to St. Peter, in intrusting himwith the care of his flock, was even vouchsafed in a far higher degreeto St. John, the beloved apostle, who, as the Lord's best-loveddisciple, was appointed the protector and guardian of the blessedVirgin.

  His vehement theological controversy on this point with the learned andfamous Aldobrandino Papparonus Venensis, of the Dominican order, was ina great measure the foundation of the esteem in which he was held bythe learned. It was only when the conversation turned on this hisfavourite theme that his equanimity was ever disturbed; excepting whenthis occurred, his discourse was calm, clear, and collected. The latentenergy which lay in his full and ardent eye, with its expression ofsomewhat visionary enthusiasm, was calculated to inspire kindlyattention and confidence, and (what was a phenomenon among the learnedof his time) he was altogether free from pedantry and pride.

  The king and his train now approached the cross road and the treebehind which Morten had concealed himself: from this spot opened thefinest view on Esrom lake. "Halt!" said the king, springing from hishorse: "this is a lovely spot; we will tarry here and take our repast.They will surely come this way from Elsinore."

  "No doubt they will, my liege," answered Marsk Oluffsen, while he andthe Drost dismounted at the same time from their horses, and gave theminto the charge of the king's groom. "Here lies the high road to Esromand Sjoeborg. But, if I know the margrave right, he will not ridethrough Elsinore ere all the pretty maidens are awake and can admirehis fair presence and horsemanship. As yet, his head is full of noughtbut love adventures and such nonsense."

  "Call you love 'nonsense,' my brave Marsk?" interrupted the king. "Doyou forget I am a bridegroom? and I trust not one of the coldest."

  "Bridegroom, my liege?" answered the Marsk: "in Danish we call no man abridegroom until his marriage day, and much must be done ere that daycomes."

  "Much?" rejoined the king, and his joyous animated countenance becamesuddenly stern and grave--"well! much may be done in a short time, butif they make the time too long, the day I long for may come when Iwill."

  "The Lord and our blessed Lady forbid!" said Drost Aage, in an undertone, casting a glance at the king, full of anxious and heartfeltsympathy.

  "Let the horns play, Aage," said the king, as if desirous to preventmore exclamations of this kind, which seemed to displease him. "The daywill be fine: we will begin it joyously."

  At a signal from the Drost, the musicians, who followed the huntingtrain, struck up the air of the well-known ancient ballad of "AxelThordson and Fair Valborg,"[8] which they knew was a favourite with theking.

  "Well, this is sweet music if it be not lively," said Eric: "where areRumelant and Poppe? 'tis pity they cannot sing Danish; their skilfullays are but ill-suited to these tones."

  "They are disputing again on spiritual matters," said the Marsk. "Theyare better fitted for a council of clerks than a hunting party."

  "Let us listen," said the king: "I dare wager Master Poppe is in theright; but Master Rumelant nevertheless will be victor in thecontroversy."

  While the music continued, and the attendants converted a low pile ofwood into a table for the repast, the king's attention was attracted bythe dispute of the two eager minstrels: each stood with the bridle ofhis horse in his hand, and spoke in a loud tone, while the grave MasterPetrus sat calm and attentive on his palfrey, gazing on the lake.

  "I will defend my opinion before the whole body of clerks, and all truebelievers in Christendom," said the vehement little Rumelant, strikinghis saddle with the handle of his whip as he spoke: "our sinfulnessis assuredly better security for our salvation than all our paltryvirtue--that is as true as that our blessed Lady's prayers avail inheaven, and she shows us no _favour_ when she obtains grace for us; sheshows us love and _gratitude_, which she is downright owing us for oursin's sake, for it is not the world's virtue, but its sin alone, shehath to thank for all her honour and glory."

  "What are you driving at, my good Master Rumelant?" shouted thegigantic Master Poppe. "How is the holy Virgin honoured by our being aset of sinful scoundrels? that is no honour to us, or any one else."

  "Not so, my self-sufficient sir!" shouted his opponent; "truly the caseis clearer than the sun: it is assuredly not of our perfection weshould boast, but, on the contrary, of our weakness. Would our dearblessed Lady ever have become that she became, had not Adam and Evesinned, and all of us sinned too in them?"

  "No, assuredly not, my dear friend: but how the devil----"

  "Ergo, she hath man's sin to thank for her honour and glory! and ergo,she would be most ungrateful were she not to protect sinners, and bringus all likewise to honour and glory for our sin's sake."

  "You drive me mad. Master Rumelant," shouted Master Poppe, stamping inwrath; "I know not what to answer you, but you are wrong, by my soul!as I will, like an honest German, show you with my good sword if youdesire it. What if I should now commit the sin of slaying you on thespot, would the blessed Virgin bring me to honour and glory because _ofthat_? or would it be so small a sin that it could not be imputed to meas a great merit?"

  "Worthy sirs," interrupted Master Petrus, gravely, "talk not ofspiritual things with sophistry, or in an angry spirit; least of all ofour blessed Lady, who is truth and heavenly calm itself. You exchangespiritual for temporal weapons, Master Poppe; and you darken thefountain of light, Master Rumelant,
when you would make grace toproceed from sin on earth, instead of from incomprehensible love andmercy in God's kingdom."

  "It seems to me it is of sin and grace those learned disputants aretalking," said the king, seating himself by the side of Drost Aage onthe trunk of a tree at a little distance. "Well, that is a never-endingchapter, and truly one I ought to reflect on when I wend to Sjoeborg."

  "Most certainly, my liege," answered Aage, looking with glad sympathyon the king's noble countenance. "When we think on the great mercy weall need, we should wish rather to be able to forgive our enemies thanto execute the most lawful sentence upon them."

  "_Him_ thou meanest will I not forgive throughout all eternity!" burstforth the king impetuously. "He sat chief in council among my father'smurderers, he ought to sit lowest among criminals in my kingdom. If thepope will not condemn him, _I_ will. His blood I ask not, but outlawedand dishonoured shall he remain all the days of his life."

  "The pope, however, hath alone the right to pass sentence on him, myliege," observed Aage. "So long as he remains captive here he cannotdefend his cause before his lawful tribunal, therefore it seems to mebut reasonable----"

  "No, Aage!" interrupted the king, "neither just nor reasonable would itbe to let loose the captive murderer, that he may perjure himself, togo forth free and honoured among his equals; but it were _wise_ perhapsfor my own peace and happiness."

  "And perhaps for state and kingdom also," replied Aage. "This much iscertain, my liege: so long as that dangerous man is detained captive atSjoeborg, neither Drost Hessel nor Counsellor Jon can obtain thedispensation for your marriage; and if I understood the wily Isarnusaright, he is already privately empowered by the pope to enforce theunhappy constitution of Veile against both you and the kingdom."

  "And were it so," said the king, rising, "think'st thou I and thekingdom would be really harmed by it? Would Denmark's bishops andpriests dare to excommunicate their king, and all their countrymen?Hast thou not thyself, because of thy love to me, been for two yearsalready under the ban of the archbishop? And art thou not well andsound notwithstanding? Hath any priest in Denmark dared to shut thechurch door against thee when thou camest by my side, or to deny theethe holy sacrament in my presence?"

  "My sentence is not yet confirmed by the holy father," said Aage; "andyet, my liege! I shudder, notwithstanding, to think of it--many of mynoble countrymen regard me with looks which sadden and well nigh dismayme. The thunderbolts of the church are dreadful even in the hand of thechained criminal---they would have crushed me to the earth, did I noteven yet hope that the ban, which a regicide hath proclaimed againstme, is not accounted of by the merciful Lord in heaven. The holy fatheralso will surely be moved by the righteousness of my cause, and by yourintercession in my behalf, to recall it."

  "He shall, he must do so," answered the king with warmth, "or I willteach thee to defy the might of injustice--perhaps also, my faithfulAage, I and all Denmark may have to share thy fate! but, with the helpof the Lord and our blessed Lady, we will not therefore be cast down,or stoop to humiliation. I stake my life and crown upon it!"

  "For heaven's sake, my liege!" exclaimed Aage, in alarm; but what hewas about to utter was suddenly cut short by a significant look fromthe king, who, at that moment, had caught a glimpse of a round ruddyface, peering forth with a look of rapt attention from behind the treebeside which they were standing. "Who is that?" asked the king. "It isnone of our huntsmen--art thou playing the spy, countryman?"

  "A stranger!" exclaimed Aage; "come hither; who art thou?"

  "Would ye aught with me, good sirs?" said Morten, the cook, steppingforward. "I thought ye spoke to me. I am deaf, ye must know; if ye haveany commands, ye must shout at the top of your lungs."

  "Who art thou?" asked Aage, raising his voice, while he gazed on himwith a searching look. "What wouldst thou here?"

  "_Fear_?" said the cook, assuming a simple look. "I will not deny I wassomewhat afraid of your horses, and cared not to meet them on a fastingstomach."

  "A poor crazy fellow," said the king, "let him go his way in peace,Aage; had he even heard what we spoke of, what would it signify?"

  "Yes, by my troth, horses do signify something!" said Morten, lookingat Eric with evident interest. "The white horse signifies victory andspeedy judgment on the Lord's enemies--says Father Gregory."

  "So much the better!" said the king, gaily, giving him a couple of goldpieces. "Go thy way in peace, I would fain hope thou hast spoken truthin thy simplicity. The white horse is mine."

  "But the dark red signifies rebellion and the yellow pestilence,"continued Morten, seemingly touched, as he received the king's gift,and kissed his hand. "Mark, it was therefore I got frighted, when I sawye between those two beasts. I am otherwise a poor sinner, at yourservice. I am going a pilgrimage for my own and other folks' sins. Iwill now pray for a blessing on you, noble sir!"--so saying, he strodehastily across the road, and disappeared in the wood.

  "How would he interpret the red and the yellow horse?" said the king,gravely. "Those pious men of the cloister fill our country and peoplefull of superstition."

  "The fellow perhaps was neither deaf nor half-witted," answered Aage;"to you he naturally said fair words, in order to escape. Our sternMarsk is not liked by vagrants; the bay horse he rides to-day isone he lately got in exchange from your brother Junker Christopher. Mycream-coloured horse is well known, and since I fell under the church'sban the people look on me as the emblem of pestilence and misfortune byyour side."

  These serious comments on the cook's words were now interrupted by thesudden baying of the hounds, which dashed forward in couples towards athick bush of white thorn, in full cry.

  "Game! game!" shouted the huntsman; but, instead of the supposed deer,the two concealed wanderers sprang out of the bush: they had cast asidetheir peasants' mantles and their bundles, in order the more easily tosave themselves by flight in their light cuirasses, but by so doingthey had betrayed themselves, and awakened suspicion. By order of theMarsk they were instantly seized, and brought before the party ofhunters.

  "What means this?" called the king in surprise: "we are not come hitherto hunt men."

  "A couple of deserters from your Lolland horsemen, my liege," answeredMarsk Oluffsen. "I know them; we have long been on the look-out forthem; it is they whom the Count of Lolland hath sought after as robbersand murderers."

  "Then send them to Flynderborg[9] to await their doom!" commanded theking. "What would they here! they shall be strictly brought toaccount."

  The captured deserters were instantly led off to be bound and conductedto the fortress. They had until now stood still and downcast, likeconvicted criminals; but, on finding they were to be bound, theysuddenly started forward and defended themselves with all thedesperation of despair. They wounded three of the king's huntsmen withtheir daggers, and, amid the confusion and tumult occasioned by theirunexpected onset, contrived to tear themselves loose, and instantlyplunged into the lake. Some hunters pursued them on horseback, and acouple of hounds, trained to hunt the wild-duck, were let loose afterthem; but the fugitives dived and swam with such skill and vigour thatnone could see them until they landed on the opposite shore of thelake, where they quickly disappeared in the brushwood.

  The king and his train had gone down to the water's edge to look atthis singular sight. Some hunters were ordered to ride round the lake,in order if possible to overtake the fugitives. Drost Aage would alsohave despatched some one after the pretended deaf man, whom he nowbelieved to be in league with the deserters.

  "No!" said the king, "he shall not be pursued. I use not to put goldinto a man's hand one hour, and fasten iron round it the next."

  The party now returned to partake of the repast which was spreadfor them. As soon as they had refreshed themselves they mountedtheir horses, and were about to proceed further, but the sound ofhunting-horns was now heard on the road from Elsinore, and three ridersin rich attire, with several knights and huntsmen, approached at fullgallop. It was the
king's brother, Junker Christopher, with the youngMargrave Waldemar of Brandenborg, who was at this time the king'sguest, and the brave Count Henrik of Mecklenborg, who had latelyentered the king's service as commander of the army. They had been atElsinore, where Prince Christopher had received a Swedish royal embassyon the part of the king. The margrave, it was said, had accompanied himfor his amusement, and to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Elsinore, buthad in reality joined the expedition at the request of PrinceChristopher, who anxiously courted the young margrave's friendship. Theprince seemed inseparable from him, and generally contrived to securehis companionship whenever he was charged with any important mission bythe king, that it might give him opportunities, which he eagerlysought, of raising his consequence in the eyes of the people.

  Prince Christopher, or the Junker, as he was generally called, was twoyears younger than the king. Though tall and strongly built, his figurewas far from being so well proportioned as his brother's. His largefeatures and long visage, shaded by coarse long black hair, had agloomy and sinister expression, which reminded the people but too muchof his detested father. His brother, the king, on the contrary, bore agreater resemblance to his mother, the fair and talented Queen Agnes,who, during the king's minority, had been for the most part at the headof state affairs, but who now led a happy private life with her secondconsort, Count Gerhard of Holstein, at the castle of Nykjoeping. Thepopularity which the chivalrous King Eric had enjoyed from hischildhood appeared little pleasing to his brother, and many believedthat the prince secretly exerted himself to form a powerful party ofhis own in the country. In the event of the throne becoming vacant, hewas in fact the member of the royal house who might first expect to becalled to the crown, but of this there was no reasonable prospect.Notwithstanding that some differences had existed between the brotherson the affair of the archbishop's imprisonment, King Eric was so farfrom showing any mistrust of his brother, that he even promoted hisconsequence by investing him with considerable fiefs in the country.But Drost Aage strongly suspected the prince of entertaining ambitiousand treacherous projects, and the Drost's suspicions of Christopherwere rather increased than diminished by the zeal with which, theprince seemed to enter into the negociations respecting the king'smarriage. As well on this subject, of such moment to the king, as onthat of the Swedish King Birger's marriage with the king's andChristopher's sister Merete, there were at this time frequentcommunications between the Swedish and Danish court. The young King ofSweden was only in his sixteenth year, and wholly dependent on hisstate council, which was composed of men of very opposite opinions, andDrost Aage feared that Prince Christopher's object in receiving theembassy was to increase if possible the obstacles to this doublealliance. Aage was, however, deterred from imparting his doubts to theking by the fear of occasioning a dangerous misunderstanding betweenthe brothers; and Eric was so far from suspecting his brother of anydishonourable design, that he considered his anxiety to meet theSwedish embassy as a proof of fraternal affection. The young kingwelcomed both Christopher and the margrave with much friendliness; andas soon as he had greeted them, and the gay Count Henrik, turnedtowards the Swedish ambassadors, who, with some Danish knights,followed the princely comers. In the most dignified of the two Swedishnobles Eric joyfully recognised King Birger's faithful counsellor, theSwedish regent and Marsk, Sir Thorkild Knudson, a tall middle-aged man,of a grave and noble countenance; but it was not without a feeling ofuneasiness that the king beheld his companion, a withered shrunkenfigure, whose cold and wily countenance wore a perpetual smile, andwhose grey, staring ostrich-like eye had an expression of sinisterscrutiny. It was the Swedish statesman and Drost, Sir Johan Bruncke,who, next to Thorkild Knudson, was the most influential statesman inSweden, and appeared to stand as high in favour with the weak KingBirger as with his ambitious brothers, while he gained a knowledge ofthe individual foibles of each, and well knew how to work upon them forhis own advantage.

  When the king had greeted the strangers, he proceeded with hisaugmented train to Esrom monastery, where he conversed with theambassadors, and received letters from King Birger, Princess Ingeborg,and his sister Merete, who, according to an earlier agreement, had beenbrought up, as the future Queen of Sweden, at the Swedish court. Ericseemed unusually joyous and animated after he had perused theseletters. His anxiety to hasten his marriage, and to have it fixed forthe ensuing summer, had met with the entire approbation of the royalhouse of Sweden, and Princess Ingeborg's letter breathed the mosttender and devoted affection.

  The difficulties and objections stated by the ambassador principallyregarded the misunderstanding with the court of Rome, and thedispensation which was yet withheld, to which the king, misled by theardour of his feelings, did not attach the importance it deserved.

  He invited the ambassadors to be his guests for some weeks, as he hopedvery shortly to remove all difficulties. The afternoon was spentpleasantly in hunting, and in the evening the king, with the whole ofhis train, repaired to Sjoeborg, where several cars, conveying the cooksof the royal kitchen, and domestics of every description, had arrivedduring the day.