"And he is a prince, by all report, likely to keep such a vow," said Quentin; "so the men of Liege will probably beware how they give him occasion."
"It were to be so hoped," said the Prior; "and such are the prayers of the godly in the land, who would not that the blood of the citizens were poured forth like water, and that they should perish, even as utter castaways, ere they make their peace with Heaven. Also the good Bishop labours night and day to preserve peace, as well becometh a servant of the altar; for it is written in holy scripture, Beati pacifici. But" – here the good Prior stopped, with a deep sigh.
Quentin modestly urged the great importance of which it was to the ladies whom he attended, to have some assured information respecting the internal state of the country, and what an act of Christian charity it would be, if the worthy and reverend Father would enlighten them upon that subject.
"It is one," said the Prior, "on which no man speaks with willingness; for those who speak evil of the powerful, etiam in cubiculo, may find that a winged thing shall carry the matter to his ears. Nevertheless, to render you, who seem an ingenuous youth, and your ladies, who are devout votaresses accomplishing a holy pilgrimage, the little service that is in my power, I will be plain with you."
He then looked cautiously round, and lowered his voice, as if afraid of being oveheard.
"The people of Liege," he said, "are privily instigated to their frequent mutinies by men of Belial, who pretend, but, as I hope, falsely, to have commission to that effect from our most Christian King; whom, however, I hold to deserve that term better than were consistent with his thus disturbing the peace of a neighbouring state. Yet so it is, that his name is freely used by those who uphold and inflame the discontents at Liege. There is, moreover, in the land, a nobleman of good descent, and fame in warlike affairs; but otherwise, so to speak, Lapis offensionis et petra scandali, – a stumbling-block of offence to the countries of Burgundy and Flanders. His name is William de la Marck."
"Called William with the Beard," said the young Scot, "or the Wild Boar of Ardennes?"
"And rightly so called, my son," said the Prior; "because he is as the wild boar of the forest, which treadeth down with his hoofs, and rendeth with his tusks. And he hath formed to himself a band of more than a thousand men, all, like himself, contemners of civil and ecclesiastical authority, and holds himself independent of the Duke of Burgundy, and maintains himself and his followers by rapine and wrong, wrought without distinction, upon churchmen and laymen. Imposuit manus in Christos Domini, – he hath stretched forth his hand upon the anointed of the Lord, regardless of what is written, – 'Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no wrong.' – Even to our poor house did he send for sums of gold and sums of silver, as a ransom for our lives, and those of our brethren; to which we returned a Latin supplication, stating our inability to answer his demand, and exhorting him in the words of the preacher, Ne moliaris amico tuo malum, cum habet in te fiduciam. Nevertheless, this Gulielmus Barbatus, this William de la Marck, as completely ignorant of humane letters as of humanity itself, replied, in his ridiculous jargon, 'Si non payatis, brulabo monasterium vestrum.'"[31]
"Of which rude Latin, however, you, my good father," said the youth, "were at no loss to conceive the meaning?"
"Alas, my son," said the Prior, "Fear and Necessity are shrewd interpreters; and we were obliged to melt down the silver vessels of our altar to satisfy the rapacity of this cruel chief – May Heaven requite it to him seven-fold! Pereat improbus – Amen, amen, anathema esto!"