The regimental chest, and undergoing
Examination, and in mighty trouble.
But what was that to him? As I was dancing,
He cried behind me ‘Thief!’ the noblemen,
‘Hurrah!’ They wronged me; what then? In my claws
This wretched nobleman has fall’n. I said,
‘Eh! what! Dobrzynski, eh! “The goat has come
Unto the wagon.” ’ What, Dobrzynski, now?
Thou seest it may come unto a flogging!”
Then to the Judge he whispered in his ear,
“Judge, if you wish the affair to pass off well,
For every head pay down a thousand roubles223
In ready cash; a thousand roubles, Judge.
That’s the last word.” The Judge to bargain tried;
The Major would not hear; about the room
He walked, and belched thick smoke, as does a squib
Or rocket; while the women followed him,
Weeping and praying. “Major,” said the Judge,
“What will you gain, if you do summon us?
There here has been no bloody fight, there were
None wounded; as they ate the hens and geese,
According to the statute, they must pay
Full compensation. I’ll bring no complaint
Against the Count; that only was a common
Quarrel of neighbours.” “Judge,” the Major said,
“Have you yet read the Yellow Book?”—“What is
The Yellow Book?”224 the Judge inquired.—“A book,”
The Major answered, “better than your statutes;
For every other word therein is, ‘ropes,
Siberia, knout!’ the book of martial law,
Proclaimed now through all Litva; your tribunals
Are now beneath the table.225 For a trick
Like this, according to our martial law,
You’ll get hard labour in Siberia
At least.”—“I will appeal,” the Judge replied,
“Unto the governor.”—“Appeal,” said Plut,
“Even to the Emperor. You know that when
The Emperor confirms a ukase, often
He through his clemency the penalty
Increases twofold. You appeal; perhaps
I’ll find out in necessity, Sir Judge,
A good hook ev’n for you! For that spy, Jankiel,
Whom long the government has watched, he is
Your servant, dwelling in your tavern. Now
I can arrest you all together.”—“Me!”
The Judge exclaimed; “arrest me! How will you
Dare without orders?” And the quarrel grew
Ever more violent, when at once arrived
A new guest in the courtyard. A tumultuous
Arrival ’twas. First as some wondrous courier,
A monstrous black ram entered; with four horns
His head was bristling, whereof two like arches
Were twisted round his ears, and decked with bells,
And two, whose ends protruded from his brows,
Shook balls, round, brazen, clattering. After him
Came oxen, and a flock of sheep and goats;
Behind the beasts four heavy laden wains.
All guessed it was the entrance of the friar.
The Judge, who knew the duties of a host,
Stood on the threshold to salute his guest.
The priest upon the foremost carriage rode;
The hood half hid his visage, but they quickly
Did know him, for as he the prisoners passed,
He turned his face to them, and beckoning made.
The driver of the second car likewise
They knew; old Matthew ’twas, the Rod, disguised
In peasant garments; soon as he appeared
The nobles raised a shout. He said, “Ye fools!”
And with his hand commanded them be still.
The third the Prussian bore in ragged coat,
And Zan and Mickiewicz were in the fourth.
Meanwhile Podhajscy and Isajewicze,
Birbasze, Wilbikowie, Biergiele,
Kotwicze, seeing the Dobrzynski nobles
In this harsh slavery, began to cool
Down from their former anger by degrees;
For Poland’s nobles, though most quarrelsome,
And very quick to fight, are not vindictive.
So they for counsel to old Matthew haste.
He stations the assembly round the cars,
And orders them to wait. The Bernardine
Then entered in the room; they hardly knew him,
Although not changed in dress, for he had taken
Upon him such a different mood. By custom
Gloomy and thoughtful, now he raised his head,
And with a cheerful mien, like jovial friar,
Ere he began to speak, laughed loud and long.
“Ha! ha! ha! I salute you, ha! ha! ha!
Most excellent! first-rate! Sir officers,
Whoever hunts by day, you hunt by night.
Good hunting! I have seen the game. Ay, ay!
Pluck, pluck the nobles, strip ’em of their husks!
Ay, put a bit on ’em, for they are skittish!
I must congratulate you, Major, on
Catching the little Count. ’Tis a fat morsel,
Rich, and a young lord from his ancestors.
Don’t let him from the cage, without you get
Three hundred ducats, and when you have got it,
Give some three farthings to the convent, and
To me, for I’ll pray always for your soul;
As I’m a Bernardine, I often think
About your soul. Death seizes by the ears
Even staff-officers. Well Baka wrote,226
‘Death lurks behind the executioner
In scarlet, and not seldom soundly knocks
Upon the coat, and smites on linen as
Upon a hood, on frizzled locks as on
The uniform.’ Says Baka: ‘Mother Death
Is like an onion, since she forces tears
Where’er she presses; but unto her breast
She folds alike the child that will be lulled,
And the roaring bully.’ Ah! ah! Major, we
Do live to -day, to-morrow die. That only
Is ours that we to-day may eat and drink.
Sir Judge, perhaps it’s time for breakfast now?
I’ll sit at table, and beg all to sit
With me. Some zrazy,227 Major? Sir lieutenant,
What think you? If we had a bowl of punch?”
“True, father,” both the officers replied,
“ ’Tis time to eat, and drink the Judge’s health.”
The household wondered, as they gazed on Robak,
Whence he derived such mien, and merriment.
The Judge then gave these orders to the cook:
Bowl, sugar, bottle, zrazy. All were brought.
Rykow and Plut did labour with such will,
Devoured so eagerly, and drank so deep,
In half-an-hour of zrazy twenty-three
They ate, and emptied half a mighty punch-bowl.
The Major, satiate and merry, hurled
Himself into an arm-chair, drew his pipe out,
And lit it with a bank-note; with a napkin
He wiped his breakfast from his lips, and turned
A laughing look upon the women, saying,
“I like you, pretty ladies, as dessert;
And, by my epaulettes of Major, when
A man has eaten breakfast, after meat
The nicest relish is a talk with ladies,
Pretty as you, fair ladies! I know what.
Let’s play at cards, at welba-cwelba,228 whist,
Or—a mazurka! ha! three hundred devils!
Am I not best mazurist in the first
Regiment of Jägers.” Therefore to the ladies
He bent half double, and by turns blew out
Tobacco-smoke and compliments. “A dance!”
Cried Robak; “as I
