The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical RomanceSienkiewicz, Henryk
History
The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
Sienkiewicz, Henryk
Poland -- History -- Jagellons, 1386-1572 -- Fiction; Teutonic Knights -- History -- Fiction
All eyes now turned toward him, and at all the windows and from all the
balconies, women's heads protruded. Zbyszko was dressed in his white
"_jaka_," embroidered with golden griffins and ornamented with gold
galoon; in these magnificent clothes he looked like a young prince, or
the page of a wealthy court. His broad shoulders and chest and his
powerful haunches indicated that he was already a full-grown man; but
above that strong figure of a man, appeared a childish face with down on
the upper lip. It was a beautiful face like that of a king's page, with
golden hair cut evenly over the eyebrows and falling on the shoulders. He
walked erect, but was very pale. From time to time he looked at the crowd
as if he was dreaming; he looked at the church towers, toward the flocks
of jackdaws, and at the bells, ringing his last hour; then his face
expressed amazement when he realized that the sobbing of the women, and
all this solemnity was for him. Finally, he perceived the scaffold and
the executioner's red figure standing on it. Then he shivered and made
the sign of the Cross; the priest gave him the crucifix to kiss. A few
steps further, a bouquet of roses thrown by a young girl, fell at his
feet. Zbyszko stooped, picked up the bouquet and smiled at the girl who
began to cry. But evidently he thought that, amidst these crowds and in
the presence of these women, waving their kerchiefs from the windows, he
must die courageously and at least leave behind him the reputation of "a
brave man;" therefore he strained his courage and will to the utmost.
With a sudden movement, he threw his hair back, raised his head still
higher and walked proudly, almost like a conqueror, whom, according to
knightly custom, they conduct to get the prize. The procession advanced
slowly, because the crowd was dense and unwillingly made way. In vain the
Lithuanian guard, marching in front, shouted: "_Eyk szalin! Eyk szalin!_
go away!" The people did not wish to understand these words, and
surrounded the soldiers more closely. Although about one-third of the
burghers of Krakow were Germans, still there were heard on all sides,
threats against the Knights of the Cross: "Shame! Shame! May they perish,
those wolves! Must they cut off children's heads for them! Shame on the
king and on the kingdom!" The Lithuanians seeing the resistance, took
their crossbows from their shoulders, and menaced the crowd; but they did
not dare to attack without orders. The captain sent some men to open the
way with their halberds and in that manner they reached the knights
standing around the scaffold.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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