Johann August Apel

“ Sir Baldwin was instantly acknowledged the knight’s accepted son; and Bertha, without the sacrifice of Sir Thimo’s fortune, wore the bridal ornaments on her wedding day. But before that period, on the first night Sir Baldwin passed in her father’s castle, a gentle voice stole on his ear as he was endeavouring to compose himself to sleep—“Thanks, noble knight,” it breathed, “thanks for your dauntless courage! I am the spirit of the redeemed Urilda: seek my body in the cavern under the castle of Frankenberg, and give it a tomb in the vaults of my ancestors. Farewell, noble knight! ”

“ When my good ancestress awoke in the morning, she was very well disposed to consider the whole as a dream, till the sight of the casket staring her in the face convinced her there was no delusion. Her husband was delighted with the present, for the blessing promised by the Mountain-Queen was fulfilled to the letter; the family grew immensely rich and prosperous, and there was not a town in Germany where an Aarburg had not a castle. But since the jewels have been lost, we have gone rapidly to decay. One Aarburg has died childless after another, and I, the last, have no offspring save Bertha. ”

“ Sir Baldwin’s courage rose at these words—it had already been considerably elevated by the quantity of wine which he had drunk; he did not hesitate as to how he should begin his speech, but commenced the attack straight-forward: “Father Thimo,” said he, “what hinders you from making me your son?—Give me your daughter, the beautiful Bertha, to wife, and let us dwell in one of your castles, or, if it please you better, here at Aarburg: you shall have children and grandchildren to your heart’s content.” ”

“ To Sir Baldwin this speech appeared extremely ridiculous, though he took care not to declare this as his particular opinion; on the contrary, he affected to treat the thing in a very different manner. “Sir Thimo,” he began gravely, throwing a most sentimental expression into his face, and placing his right hand pathetically upon his heart, “surely you cannot imagine that I have any wish for these vanities and superfluous treasures; keep them all, I beseech you, for ever: it is Bertha herself alone I covet; is not her beauty a richer jewel than—” “Pshaw!” ”

“ Besides, I have, like all rich people, my whims, which all your eloquence will not make me resign: he who wins the hand of my Bertha must be rich in castles and lands, in order that she may not live in less splendour as a wife than she did as a maiden. I can add nothing as a fortune, for all I possess will be spent in the purchase of bridal ornaments, magnificent as those which a spirit once bestowed upon our family, and which, since that period, have unfortunately been lost. For this reason my son-in-law must be a rich man. ”

“ Here many beautiful forms of men and women, but all proportionably small, met the countess and her companion, and respectfully saluting them, conducted them through many royal saloons, glittering with gold and silver, to one more superb than any of the rest, in which were a pair of golden folding-doors communicating with another chamber. These suddenly flew open, and another female advancing, took the countess by the hand, and saying that the Mountain-Queen longed for her impatiently, conducted her into the apartment. ”

“ The warder stood night and day upon the watch-tower, gazing about for knights, pilgrims, or other strangers; and when lucky enough to discover one approaching, upon sounding a flourish on his cheerful horn, by way of welcome, the gates creaked, the drawbridges rattled, the horses stamped, and the men-at-arms rode out to meet the traveller, and courteously invite him to refreshment and a night’s comfortable rest. ”

“ Sir Baldwin instantly recollected himself, leaped up lightly from his bed, seized his sword in his right hand, and with his left deposited the goblet with the infernal punch upon the table. “Whoever you may be,” he then exclaimed in a firm and powerful tone of voice, “how dare you challenge an honourable knight to partake of your cheer, whilst you thus oppress weak maidens, like midnight murderers and robbers? If you are human, then meet me fairly, and let us fight it out, firmly and gallantly ”

“ The last person who wore them was the Lady Urilda, the sole child and heiress of the then Baron von der Aarburg, and hers is a fearful history. She loved a knight, who was as poor, though not so honest, as Baldwin there; and upon her father’s refusal to permit the match, she, on the suggestion of her admirer, murdered the poor old man, and, dressing herself in the bridal ornaments, waited at midnight for her lover to carry her off. ”

“ I intend to set out for the emperor’s army, and endeavour to gain fame and fortune by valour. Buy my castle of me: you may give me for it what you think proper.” The Baron of Aarburg did so (for between honest men bargains are soon struck) , though he was sincerely grieved at the prospect of Baldwin’s departure. He gave, however, a noble feast in his honour; allowed him to sit, for the last time, next to the beautiful Bertha: furnished him with letters to all his castellans in the different parts of Germany, commanding them to treat the knight as himself during the time he should stay there ”

“ The greatest treasure in the Castle of Aarburg was the knight’s only daughter, celebrated throughout all Germany by the name of “the Beautiful Bertha.”—Princes, counts, and knights, came from the four quarters of the earth to admire her and humbly solicit her love—but she was not to be pleased so easily: this knight she found too dull, that too presuming, and a third was splenetic—Frenchmen, Britons, and Italians, all shared the same fate. “He who shall gain this bride,” quoth gossip Rumour, “will be fortune’s greatest favourite ”

“ On one occasion (the acquisition of a rich lordship) , when his friends and guests wished him joy in full bumpers, he placed his cup gloomily upon the table before him, and would not accept their congratulations. “Of what use is it all to me?” said he; “you know I have no heir, to whom to leave my property and possessions.” “No,” replied one of the guests; “but have you not a lovely daughter, who can give you just such a son-in-law as your heart would desire?” “True,” replied the knight of Aarburg, sighing ”

“ She, however, shall retrieve the fortunes of our family: one jewel I have in my possession which came to me by inheritance, and if the Mountain-Queen is to be believed, will communicate its virtues to all the other articles made to match it. ”