CHAPTER XIX.
"'The story that I am going to tell now happened here in Hermannsburg.'"
"A great many things seem to have happened in Hermannsburg," Floraremarked.
"Yes. Just think what it must be to live in a village with a history.
"'It is, for one thing, a beautiful story for passion week; and then itgives a lovely picture of the relation in which princes and theirvassals at that time stood to one another. The Thirty Years' War hadbrought frightful misery over our country. Havoc and devastation hadcome even into the churches. So, for example, in this place; theimperial troops had not only plundered the church and carried awayeverything that was of value; for to be sure the people here wereLutheran heretics; but they had even broken to pieces all the bells inthe tower, and driven off no less than five baggage waggons full ofbrass metal, to be recast for cannon. And the last one, the big bell,was broken up and about to be carried away by the Croats; the horseswere even put to the waggon; when suddenly the blast of trumpets and thebattle-cry, "_God with us!_" announced the coming of Lutheran troops,and scared the Croats away. So the metal was left behind. After theThirty Years' War, gradually the people gathered together again; but thenumber of them was very small, and many a farm had to lie waste for wantof both farmer and farming stock. There are said to have been at firstonly ten families come back to our parish village, with four oxen andtwo cows. Besides all that, towards the end of the war epidemics wereconstantly prevailing, so that, for example, in this parish, in thethirty years from 1650 to 1680, three pastors died one after another ofcontagious epidemics; namely, Andreas Kruse'" (that was the fellow whostood out so for his church vessels), "Paulus Boccatius, JohannesBuchholz; and the fourth Justus Theodor Breyhan, who died in 1686, wasthree times at death's door. Those were troubled times!
"'This Breyhan was a childlike good man, whom his parish held in greatlove and honour, for both in spiritual and in material things there wasno better counsellor for them. Like a true father he stood by thebedside of the sick and the dying, to show them how to die happy, andlike a good father he comforted the survivors, and by the live andpowerful words of his preaching, poured new strength and fresh courageof faith into all hearts. With all that, this man was a singular loverof the _sound of the bell_. In his opinion it was a remarkable thing,that the heavenly King would allow his bells to be cast of the samemetal in which earthly princes cast their guns; and his highest wishwas, to get a great church bell again. The metal indeed was still onhand; but who would have it cast? There was only a little bell stillhanging up in the tower, which was called the Bingel bell, and datedback to the year 1495 (it is there still) and had been too insignificantto tempt the Croats. With that on Sundays people must be rung to church,and with that the tolling for the dead must be done at funerals. It did,it is true, give out a fine, lovely, clear note; but the good dearBreyhan often wept great tears when he heard the sound of it; it seemedto him that it was too disrespectful to the great King in heaven, thathe should have no better bell than that. He could hardly sleep at lastfor thinking of it. Especially at the high festival days and in Passionweek, and on occasion of funerals, he was in great uneasiness. Then itwas in the fast season of the year 1680, he was again sick unto death,and in his fevered fancies he was continually praying to the dear Lordthat He would not let him die before he could have the bell properlytolled at his burying. He recovered, and on Good Friday was again ableto preach. The congregation wept for joy at having their beloved pastoramong them again, and never perhaps have more ardent thanks gone up toGod from the parish than did that day. The time of the Easter festivalpassed by, and they rejoiced with one another over the gloriousresurrection of the Lord Jesus. The third day of the Easter festival (atthat time there were still always three feast days), he told thecongregation that they must pray for him faithfully; for the next day hewas going on a journey after a bell which in his illness he had promisedto the Lord.
"'The next morning his honest old parish farmer Ebel was at the doorwith a little farm waggon, and asked him where they were to go? andwhether it was to be a long or a short journey? You must know the manwas under obligation to take several long journeys for his pastor,lasting some days, and several short expeditions of a day only each. "Itshall be a short one for to-day," the pastor answered. "I think withGod's help to ride to Zelle." So after Ebel had attended morning worshipin the parsonage, for he would not willingly have missed that, Breyhanmounted into the waggon, set himself down upon a spread of straw, tookhis hat off and said reverently--"In God's name!"--and then they wentforward, step by step, as the manner was then; for in those days peoplewere not in such a hurry as they are now. Before the city they stopped,and with prayer and thanksgiving ate the breakfast they had broughtalong with them. Then Breyhan took his vestments out of a clean linencloth and put them on, and one could see by his lips that he wasspeaking to himself or praying. Good Ebel felt himself growing quitedevotional at the sight, and he drove into the city with twice thespirit he had had before, because now everybody might see that he had apastor in his waggon.'"
Meredith paused a moment to glance up at the river and hills opposite,and Maggie broke forth,
"The people in that country seem to be very unlike the people in thiscountry?"
"You mean, nobody here would care so much about carrying a minister inhis waggon," said Meredith laughing.
"Well--he wouldn't, would he?"
"I am afraid not. More's the pity."
"Why, Ditto?" said his sister. "What are ministers so much more thanother people?"
"They are the King's ambassadors," said Mr. Murray, taking the answerupon himself. "And you know, Miss Flora, the ambassador of a king isalways treated as something more than other people."
Flora looked at him. "Mr. Murray," she said, "ministers do not seem likethat?"
"When they are the true thing, they do."
"But then besides," Maggie went on,--"how could anybody, how could thatgood man care so much about a _bell_? What difference did it makewhether the bell was big or little?"
"Superstition"--said Flora.
"No, not exactly," responded Mr. Murray.
"That other man cared so much about his silver service, and this oneabout his bell--they were both alike, but I don't understand it," saidMaggie.
"How would you like your father to have his table set with pewterinstead of silver?"
"O Uncle Eden! but that--"
"Or to drive a lame horse in his carriage?"
"But, Uncle Eden--"
"Or to wear a fustian coat?"
"But that's different, Uncle Eden."
"Yes, it is different. This concerns our own things; those matters ofthe vessels and the bell concerned God's things."
"Then you approve of building very costly churches, sir?" askedMeredith, whose head was running on churches lately.
"No, I do not."
"How then, Mr. Murray?" said Flora curiously.
"Because _the_ temple of the Lord, the only one He cares much about, isnot built yet. I hold it false stewardship to turn aside the Lord'smoney into brick and mortar and marble channels, while His poor have nocomfortable shelter, His waifs want bread, and a community anywhere inthe world are going without the light of life and the word ofsalvation."
"What do you mean by _the_ temple of the Lord, Uncle Eden?" said Maggie."I thought there was no temple of the Lord now?"
Mr. Murray pulled out his Bible from his pocket, opened and found aplace.
"'Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, butfellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and arebuilt upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christhimself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building, fitlyframed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom yealso are builded together, for an habitation of God through theSpirit.'"
"How lovely!"--said Meredith.
"I didn't know that was in the Bible," said Flora.
"The literal Jewish temple was in
part a type of this spiritual one. Andas in Solomon's building, 'the house was built of stone made readybefore it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer, noraxe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building,'but the walls rose silently,--so it is in this temple. The stones aresilently preparing, 'polished after the similitude of a palace;'silently put in place; 'lively stones built up a spiritual house;' sothe Lord says, 'He that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the templeof my God.'"
There was silence for a few moments, when Mr. Murray added, "_That_ isthe temple, Meredith, that I think the Lord wants us to build and helpbuild. I think any diversion of the money or strength needed for this, asad, sad waste; and no honour to the Lord of the temple, though it maybe meant so. Come, go on with Pastor Breyhan; I like him. His was atrue-souled care for God's honour. I hope he got his bell."
Meredith went on.
"'To Ebel's question, "where he should drive to?" the answer was, "Tothe Stechbahn;" that was a road which lay opposite the ducal castle.Ebel's wonderment grew greater and greater, but Breyhan kept still,slowly dismounted, gave orders to Ebel that he should drive to the inn,but he himself went straight on to the ducal castle. As he had expected,for it was just eleven o'clock, he found the duke sitting in front ofthe entrance to the castle. For about this hour the duke was wont to sitthere and allow everybody, even the lowest of his vassals, to have freeaccess and speech of him. If there were no petitions, or complaints, orthe like on hand, he would converse in the kindest and most affable waywith everybody, and many a peasant could boast that in allsimple-heartedness he had shaken hands with his liege lord. Breyhanfound the duke (it was George William) surrounded by a number of people.However there can have been nothing of consequence going on, for whenthe duke saw the pastor approaching, he signed him immediately to comenear. Breyhan presented himself; and related simply and in childlikewise how things stood in Hermannsburg, and how the people had not yetbeen able to get their affairs rightly under way since the terrible war.George William listened kindly, and many a tear came into his mild eyesas Breyhan told him of the sick beds and the dying beds.
"'"You want to ask some help in your need?" demanded the duke.
"'"No," was the answer; "we can manage as yet to get along with theseearthly troubles. But we have a spiritual trouble, that we feel morekeenly, and which we cannot deal with by ourselves, and in that you musthelp us, my lord duke; this is what I have come for to-day." He told himnow all that he had on his heart respecting the bell; how that thebeautiful metal was there yet, but no means to get it cast, and thatthat was for the duke to do. The duke was delighted with the childlike,honest nature of the man, and his hearty confidence that the duke's helpwas certain; and he could not help putting Breyhan's faith a little tothe test.
"'"Dear pastor," said he, "you are suffering in a small way from theafter effects of the Thirty Years' War; on the other hand, I amsuffering the same thing on a great scale. Your village treasury isempty, my castle treasury is empty, and the country's treasury to boot.So I cannot shake down the money for you out of my sleeves. If all thepeople in the land came to me to get their bells cast for them, whatwould be the end of it?"
"'Breyhan was of opinion that the case was somewhat different withHermannsburg. Since one of the duke's ancestors had founded the churchthere, one of the descendants might well have a bell cast for it. Theduke, however, would not yet give in, but teased the petitioner with allsorts of objections, just to see what he would answer; he loved cleverand witty speeches. Breyhan did what he could to satisfy the duke'sobjections. At last it got to be too much of a good thing, and he said,"My lord duke, I have now been a good while asking a boon of you, as ahumble vassal may ask his prince; but as asking does no good, I will now_order_ you to have the bell cast. Perhaps you are not aware that I amlord of the manor to you, and that you are my liegeman. A liegeman muststand by his feudal lord with his goods and with his blood, with lifeand honour. The bell we must have; it is needful for our holding ofdivine service. You are not obliged to give us the whole bell; you areonly to have it cast. Now it does not indeed stand in your title-deedthat you must have a bell cast for us; therefore I cannot put you out ofyour farm for not doing it. But it does stand therein written that youmust make hay for me three days in every year, and do a day's work forme in every week, for which service each time you are to get a halfgallon of beer. Hitherto your bailiff has put a man to do it, and I haveconsented; but if you do not have the bell cast, then you must comeyourself and make hay and cut wood."
"'You should have seen the duke then. "My dear pastor," said he, "thatis something I did not know before, that you are my lord of the manor;in that case, I must take shame to myself that I have let you stand hereall this while. Come into the castle with me." He seized his hand andled him into the house, sent for his wife, and said in a solemn voice,"See here, my dear wife, until now I have supposed that I was the firstman in the country; and now to-day I have come to know that theHermannsburg pastor stands highest, for he is lord of the manor to me.Let preparation be made for his dining with us." While the servants madeready, the duke sought better information, and learned now that heactually held a farm in Hermannsburg from the Hermannsburg benefice, thecontract for which on every occasion of the coming of a new pastor, orof a new duke's assuming the government, must be ratified over a cup ofwine, and upon which, besides the yearly service money, the aboveobligations rested. The duke was so delighted at this, that he not onlypromised Breyhan to yield obedience and have the bell cast, but hebegged him in the humblest manner that he would spare him in the matterof the hay-making and wood-cutting, for he was not exactly in practicein the matter of those two exercises; then jestingly he begged his wifeto apply to the pastor herself for him, to let grace take the place ofright. And as he was not slow to do this, all was soon settled. At tableBreyhan was requested to make the prayer, and the conversation went onmost charmingly about things of God's word.
"'The faithful carter Ebel meanwhile did not know at all where hispastor could be staying so long; and as he certainly understood so muchas that the duke had taken him into the castle, he got into suchtrouble, because he thought something evil had befallen him, that he raninto the castle and demanded to have his pastor back; not a littlewondering when he found him sitting at table with the duke. Still morewas he comforted, when from the duke's table itself a draught of beerwas given him.
"'After the meal was over, Breyhan drove joyfully back to Hermannsburg.The duke had not only granted his petition, but also declared that hewould come to the consecration of the bell, and would be a guest withhis lord of the manor. Breyhan promised him a friendly reception, butmade the stipulation that he should bring only his lady duchess alongwith him, for his house was not prepared for entertaining guests. Andnow the business went forward according to his wish. The bell was castin Hannover, and was, as Breyhan had desired that it might be, ready bythe fast time of 1689. It was adorned with a threefold inscription. Atthe top stood:
"'"PRAISE HIM UPON THE LOUD CYMBALS; PRAISE HIM UPON THE HIGH-SOUNDINGCYMBALS. LET EVERYTHING THAT HATH BREATH PRAISE THE LORD. Ps. cl."
"'In the middle of the side stood:
"'"George William, by the grace of God duke of Brunswick and Lueneburg,patron of our churches."
"'And below (this is a verse--I will translate it as well as I can):
"'"_Through the grace of God I am alive again, and give you the call tochurch by my voice. Come willingly, be brisk and ready, then will I alsospeak out gloriously when you are going to the grave._"
"'"_Anno 1681, Nicholas Greue in Hannover cast me._"
"'Our ringing is still done with this bell, which has a very fine tone,and whoever likes can still at the present day read on it the aboveinscription.
"'The Friday before Palm Sunday was fixed for the consecration of thebell; the duke arrived the day before with his wife; spent the nightwith his lord of the manor, attended the evening and morning worship andthe preaching on Friday the fast day,
and was present at theconsecration of the bell, which took place immediately after divineservice. When the bell was drawn up into the tower, and hung upon itsscaffolding, ready for its first ringing, and when the first strokesoftly sounded, then Breyhan and the duke and duchess beside him, thenobleman of Hermannsburg, who was called Von Haselhorst, and thebailiff, whose name was Pingeling, together with the whole congregation,fell upon their knees in the churchyard; and while the bell continued tobe softly rung, the prayer of consecration was spoken. After thePaternoster, the full, sonorous notes of the bell pealed out, and therewas not an eye but had tears in it as the long-missed tones floated offso gloriously through the air. The dear Breyhan's heart was bounding,and full of joy he spoke out--"Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant departin peace." The afternoon they spent at home, only the duke could notrefrain from making a trial at the wood-cutting, which however did notsucceed very well; whereupon then the pastor magnanimously promised thathe would content himself with the observance hitherto rendered, andnever demand of the duke personally that he should make hay or do days'works. Then the duke requested that for his sake the evening worshipmight be held earlier to-day, for he wished to get back again to Zelle.
"'From that time he came again once every year, either for Good Fridayor for Easter; and in the year 1686 he followed to the grave the remainsof Pastor Breyhan, who died in the thirty-fourth year of his age. Theevening of Wednesday before the sixth Sunday after Trinity (the date isnot given in the church book), when he felt his end drawing near, he hadthe great bell rung once more; and while it was ringing, at which timethe greater portion of the parish, either in their homes or standing infront of the house, were in prayer, with a glad gesture he fell asleep.His dying lips prayed, "Christ, Thou Lamb of God, who takest away thesin of the world, have mercy on me, and give me Thy peace, O Jesus.Amen."
"'The funeral was on Saturday. And as often as I hear the bell ring, Icannot help thinking of the dear, good Breyhan and the kindly dukeGeorge William, and the saying recurs to me--"The memory of the just isblessed."
"'Finally, I remark once more, that from this story I have taken up athorough disgust for the new-fashioned _law of redemptions_. By this lawthe above-mentioned farm has lately been detached from the benefice.Before that, I was the most distinguished man in the kingdom ofHannover, for the king was my parochial tenant and I was lord of themanor to him; _now_ I am an insignificant country pastor and such, it iswell known, have neither form nor beauty.'"