Robert Henderson Mackenzie Kenneth - The Marvellous Adventures and Rare Conceits of Master Tyll Owlglass

When that the priest again awoke he did rub his eyes with his fingers, and spake unto Owlglass, saying: “Where stood we, my son?” Then answered Owlglass, and said unto the priest: “We stood at the eighth commandment, father.” Then said the priest: “Speak on, my son; fear not, nor in any wise conceal what lieth upon thy conscience.” Then continued Owlglass, saying: “Alas! holy father, on a time I did steal a silver box from a person, and I will now give it unto thee.” Then said the priest: “Nay, my son, stolen goods will I not have; give the box unto him that owneth it.” “That would I already do,” answered Owlglass; “but he refused me, saying that he would not receive it.” Thereat spake the priest, and said: “Then canst thou keep it with a good conscience; go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee.”

Then Owlglass departed, and sold the box unto a Jew for several pieces of silver. But the priest slept not again in confession; and thus Owlglass gat for others more sins forgiven than before, which did great good unto all men.

In the land of Lunenburg, near unto Zell, did Owlglass work some great knavery on a time. Therefore did the Duke of Lunenburg forbid him the land; and he gave commandment to his servants, if that Owlglass should be found therein they should seize him, and, without any mercy or shrift, hang him up. Yet did not Owlglass in any manner forsake the land, or in his journeyings avoid it, so as to come round through any other country; but when that it came in his way to be convenient to pass through Lunenburg, did he nevertheless ride or walk through it when he would.

Thus it came to pass on a time, that Owlglass had much reason to ride through Lunenburg, and it fortuned that as he was riding along, he saw the duke with many folk riding the same way. Then thought he within himself: “Lo! it is the duke; and if that thou dost hasten away to fly from before his face, then with their horses will they soon come up with thee, and they will take thee; then will the duke with great anger come and command them to hang thee up unto a tree.” Then did he confer within himself what thing it were best that he should do; and he gat him down from his horse, and took a knife, and quickly cut open the horse’s belly, casting forth the entrails, and then gat he in and stood within the four legs in the midst. Then when the duke came riding by with his horsemen, and gat to the place where sat Owlglass in his horse’s belly, then the servants of the duke spake unto him, saying: “Behold, gracious lord, here sitteth Owlglass within his horse.” Thereat did the duke ride up to Owlglass, and say unto him: “Art thou there, Owlglass? What bringeth thee into my country when that I did warn thee with great punishment not to come thither? Did I not say, if ye came therein I would have thee hanged on a tree?” Then said Owlglass to the duke: “Noble and gracious lord, I pray thee that thou wilt be pleased to spare my life, for I have not done so evilly as to be punished with death.” Then said the duke unto Owlglass: “Come thee hither unto me, and do thou make thy innocence plain unto me, or what meanest thou that thou dost so stand in the belly of thy horse?” And Owlglass answered, and said: “Most high and gracious lord! have I not heard it always said of all that from old time between his own four posts is a man safe? Now do I stand in such wise between my four posts, as ye can see; for I feared the displeasure with the which I knew in my heart that ye would visit me,” Then did the duke laugh right merrily, and said unto Owlglass: “Yea, this time will I excuse thee. But wilt thou henceforward stay far away from my land, nor enter it at any time?” And Owlglass answered and said: “Gracious lord, so mote it be as ye would have.” Thereat rode the duke away from him, saying: “Stay as ye now be.” But Owlglass leaped quickly forth from his horse’s skin, and spake unto the dead horse: “I thank thee, my good beast, for thou hast preserved my neck from great danger of the halter, and through thy death am I made alive. From a hunted donzel hast thou changed me into a gentleman; therefore, lie thou there, for it is better that the crows eat thee than that they should tear me.” Then departed he out of the land on foot.

In no long time thereafter came Owlglass again into the land of Lunenburg, and he tarried in a village near unto Zell, until the time came in the which the Duke should again ride that way. And it came to pass that a boor did come by Owlglass as he went along to plough his land. And by that time had Owlglass gotten him another horse, and a cart therewith, and he came unto the boor, and spake unto him, saying: “Whose land is this that thou ploughest?” Then answered the boor and said: “Truly is it mine, and I did have it in inheritance from my forbears.” Thereat said Owlglass unto the boor: “What money wilt thou have for as much earth as would fill my cart?” Then said the boor: “Truly will I have a shilling therefor.” And Owlglass gave unto him what he demanded, and filled his cart therewith, and crept into it, and drove his cart into Zell unto the castle there, unto the Aller water. And when that it came to pass that the duke rode by, did he behold Owlglass as he sate in the cart with the earth up to his shoulders. Then spake the duke unto Owlglass, and said unto him: “How comest thou here again? Have I not forbidden thee to come into my land, and did not I say thou shouldst suffer death? And now, after that I pardoned thee when thou didst stand in thy horse, thou dost again tempt my wrath with thee?” Then spake Owlglass unto the duke in answer, saying: “My gracious lord, I am not in your land but in mine own, wherein do I sit; and I bought it of a boor for a shilling, and rightfully could he sell it, for from his forbears hath he inherited it. So is this truly my land.” Then spake the duke, and laughed the while: “Depart ye now straightway with thy land out of my land, and come not again, or will I have thee hung up, with thy horse and thy cart beside.” Then leaped Owlglass on to his horse from out of the cart, and left the cart with his land standing before the castle.

Many marvellous things did Owlglass bring to pass in the land of Hessen. After that he had journeyed up and down in the country of Saxony, and his fame had spread so abroad that no longer dare he work his knaveries and beguilings in that land, came our worshipful Master forth from Saxony, and did enter into the land of Hessen, and came therein unto Marburg, unto the Landgrave where that he kept his court. Then inquired the landgrave of Owlglass, what manner of man he was and what he could do. Then answered Owlglass, and said: “Lord, I know the arts, and that manner of man am I, and your humble servant.” Thereat rejoiced the landgrave greatly, for he thought that Owlglass was an alchymist, and in alchymy had the landgrave much delight. Then spake he unto him, saying: “Art thou an alchymist?” And Owlglass answered: “Nay, that am I not, in good sooth, for of dross make not I gold, but rather quite the other thing. Yet am I a painter, the equal unto whom can be nowhere found in any country, for my work is far better than the work of any other painter.” Then said the landgrave: “Come, let us now look upon some of thy work.” And Owlglass said: “Yea, my lord.” And he had with him some paintings cunningly devised, the which he had brought out of Flanders. These took he from his wallet, and displayed them before that prince. These pleased the lord much, and he said unto Owlglass: “Worshipful sir painter, what money will ye have if that ye would paint on the wall of our castle hall the story of the family of the landgraves of Hessen, and how that through them I became friendly unto and with the King of Hungary, and other lords and princes, and how long the land of Hessen hath been established? And that must ye tell me in the wise that will be most costly and precious.” Then answered Owlglass: “Behold, most gracious prince, if that ye would have it so rarely done, it might truly cost not less than four hundred marks.” Then answered the landgrave, and said unto Owlglass: “Master, an if you do but make it rarely, the money shall not fail, nor will we forget to reward thee as ye shall deserve.” Then did Owlglass consent to become the painter of the picture; and thereat gave the landgrave unto Owlglass one hundred marks so that he might buy colours therewith.