The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 2 — John Shaqi
The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 2Sienkiewicz, Henryk
History
The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 2
Sienkiewicz, Henryk
Historical fiction; Poland -- History -- John II Casimir, 1648-1668 -- Fiction
The Swedish army dug new trenches in haste, filled baskets with earth,
planted cannon; insolent soldiers pushed forward to within half a
musket-shot of the walls. They threatened the church, the defenders;
half-drunken soldiers shouted, raising their hands toward the walls,
“Surrender the cloister, or you will see your monks hanging!”
Others blasphemed terribly against the Mother of God and the Catholic
faith. The besieged, out of respect to the life of the fathers, had to
listen with patience. Rage stopped the breath in Kmita’s breast. He
tore the hair on his head, the clothing on his breast, and wringing his
hands, said to Charnyetski,—
“I asked, ‘Of what use is negotiation with criminals?’ Now stand and
suffer, while they are crawling into our eyes and blaspheming! Mother
of God, have mercy on me, and give me patience! By the living God, they
will begin soon to climb the walls! Hold me, chain me like a murderer,
for I shall not contain myself.”
But the Swedes came ever nearer, blaspheming more boldly.
Meanwhile a fresh event brought the besieged to despair. Stefan
Charnyetski in surrendering Cracow had obtained the condition of going
out with all his troops, and remaining with them in Silesia till the
end of the war. Seven hundred infantry of those troops of the royal
guard, under command of Colonel Wolf, were near the boundary, and
trusting in stipulations, were not on their guard. Count Veyhard
persuaded Miller to capture those men.
Miller sent Count Veyhard himself, with two thousand cavalry, who
crossing the boundary at night attacked those troops during sleep, and
captured them to the last man. When they were brought to the Swedish
camp, Miller commanded to lead them around the wall, so as to show the
priests that that army from which they had hoped succor would serve
specially for the capture of Chenstohova.
The sight of that brilliant guard of the king dragged along the walls
was crushing to the besieged, for no one doubted that Miller would
force them first to the storm.
Panic spread again among the troops of the cloister; some of the
soldiers began to break their weapons and exclaim that there was help
no longer, that it was necessary to surrender at the earliest. Even the
hearts of the nobles had fallen; some of them appeared before Kordetski
again with entreaties to take pity on their children, on the sacred
place, on the image, and on the Congregation of monks. The courage of
the prior and Pan Zamoyski was barely enough to put down this movement.
But Kordetski had the liberation of the imprisoned fathers on his mind
first of all, and he took the best method; for he wrote to Miller that
he would sacrifice those brothers willingly for the good of the church.
Let the general condemn them to death; all would know in future what to
expect from him, and what faith to give his promises.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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