Volume I Part 61 (1/2)
The markgrave came to the church with his sergeants. Seeing the populace a.s.sembled, he exhorted them to leave the church, but so feebly that only a few went away; the others said:
”First we want to hear the canons singing vespers in honour of Mieke.”
The markgrave replied:
”There shall be no singing.”
”We will sing ourselves,” answered the ragged strangers.
Which they did in the naves and near the porch of the church. Some played at Krieke-steenen, at cherry-stones, and said: ”Mieke, you never game in paradise and you are bored there; play with us.”
And insulting the statue without ceasing, they cried out, hooted and whistled.
The markgrave pretended to be afraid and departed. By his orders all the doors of the church were shut save one.
Without the populace having any hand in it, the ragtag and bobtail of the strangers became bolder and shouted more and more. And the roofs reechoed as though to the din of a hundred cannon.
One of them, he of the face like a burned onion, appearing to have some authority among them, got up into a pulpit, made a sign with his hand to them, and began to preach:
”In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” said he: ”the three making but one, and the one making three, G.o.d keep us in paradise from arithmetic; this day the twenty-ninth of August, Mieke went forth in great pomp of array to show her wooden face to the signorkes and pagaders of Antwerp. But Mieke, in the procession met the devil Satanas. And Satanas said to her, mocking her: 'There you are, high and mighty, prinked up like a queen, Mieke, and borne by four signorkes, and you will not look now at the poor pagader Satanas that makes his way on foot.' And Mieke answered: 'Begone, Satanas, or I bruise thy head still more than ever, foul serpent!' 'Mieke,' said Satanas, 'that is the task in which you have been spending your time for fifteen hundred years, but the Spirit of the Lord, your master, hath delivered me. I am stronger than you are; you shall not walk over my head any more, and I am going to make you dance now.' Satanas took a great whip, sharp and cutting, and started to flog Mieke, who dared not cry out for fear of showing her terror, and then she began to run as hard as she could, forcing the signorkes that were carrying her to run, too, so as not to let her fall with her gold crown and her jewels among the poor common folk. And now Mieke stays as stiff and as still as a frightened mouse in her niche, watching Satan, who is seated up at the top of the pillar under the little dome, and who says to her, still grasping his whip and grinning, 'I will make you pay for the blood and tears that flow in your name! Mieke, how goes your virgin birth? This is the time to flit. You shall be cut in twain, evil statue of wood, for all the statues of flesh and bone that were burned in your name, burned, hanged, buried alive without pity.' So spake Satanas; and he spoke well. And thou must come down from thy niche, b.l.o.o.d.y Mieke, Mieke the cruel, that wast in no way like thy son Christus.”
And all the band of the strangers, hooting and crying out, shouted: ”Mieke! Mieke! it is time to come out! Are you wetting your linen for fear in your niche? Up Brabant for the good Duke. Away with the wooden saints! Who will have a bath in the Scheldt! Wood swims better than fishes.”
The populace listened to them without saying a word.
But Ulenspiegel, getting up into the pulpit, threw down the stair by main force the one that was haranguing.
”Fools fit to tie,” he said, speaking to the populace; ”lunatic fools, idiot fools, who see no further than the end of your dirty noses, do ye not see that all this is the work of traitors? They mean to make you commit sacrilege and pillage that they may declare you rebels, empty your coffers, cut off your heads, and burn you alive! And the king will inherit. Signorkes and pagaders, do not believe in the speeches of these artificers of woes: leave Notre Dame in her niche, live stoutly, working happily, spending your earnings and profits. The black devil of ruin has his eye upon you, and it is through sackings and destruction that he will call up the army of your foes to treat you as rebels and make Alba reign over you with dictators.h.i.+p, inquisition, confiscation, and death.”
”And he will inherit!”
”Alas,” said Lamme, ”do not pillage anything, signorkes and pagaders; the king is already very angry. The daughter of the embroideress told my friend Ulenspiegel so. Do not indulge in pillage, sirs!”
But the populace would not give ear to them.
The unknown kept shouting:
”Sack and turn out! Sack Brabant for the good Duke! To the river with wooden saints! They swim better than fishes!”
Ulenspiegel, still in the pulpit, cried in vain:
”Signorkes and pagaders do not suffer pillage! Do not call down ruin upon the town!”
He was plucked away from there all torn, face, doublet, and breeches, though he avenged himself with both feet and hands. And all bleeding he never ceased to cry out:
”Do not suffer pillage!”
But it was in vain.