Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/59

Rh A moment of silence followed, after which was heard the voice of Mikolai, surnamed Obuh, a man of experience and training.

"I was in captivity among the Knights," said he, "and I saw processions at which that great sacred relic was carried. But besides, there is in the cloister at Oliva a number of others most important, without which the Order would not have risen to such power."

At this the Benedictines stretched their necks toward the speaker, and asked with great curiosity,—

"Will you tell us what they are?"

"There is a border from the robe of the Most Holy Virgin, there is a back tooth of Mary Magdalen, and branches from the fiery bush in which God the Father appeared to Moses; there is a hand of Saint Liberius; and as to bones of other saints, a man could not count them on his toes and fingers."

"How war with them?" repeated the princess, with a sigh.

The abbot wrinkled his lofty forehead, stopped for a moment, then said,—

"It is difficult to war with them, if only for the reason that they are monks and bear the cross on their mantles; but if they have exceeded the measure in sin, residence among them may become hateful to those relics, and in that hour not only will the relics not add, but they will detract from them, so as to fall into more pious hands. May God spare Christian blood, but should a great war come there are relics also in our kingdom which will act on our side. The voice in the vision of Saint Bridget said: 'I have placed them as bees of usefulness and fixed them on the border of Christian lands. But behold they have risen against me, they care not for souls and spare not the bodies of people who, out of error, turned to the Catholic faith, and to me. They have made slaves of these people and fail to teach them God's commands; depriving them of the holy sacraments, they condemn them to greater torments of hell than if they had remained in paganism. And they make war to satisfy their greed.' Therefore have confidence in God, gracious lady, for their days are numbered rather than yours; but meanwhile receive with thankful heart this tube here, in which is a toe of Saint Ptolomeus, one of our patrons."

The princess stretched forth her hand trembling from delight, and on her knees received the tube, which she pressed to her lips immediately. The delight of the lady was shared