Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/741

 Rh not only did not censure the voevoda and the men of Sieradz, but praised their valor, saying that they had captured the castle and the brave garrison quickly. Matsko and Zbyshko were able then to gaze at the chiefs commanding in the kingdom, for, besides the king and the princes of Mazovia, were present the two leaders of all the legions: Vitold, who had brought up the troops of Lithuania, Jmud, Rus, Bessarabia, Wallachia, and the Tartars, and Zyndram of Mashkovitse, with his escutcheon "The same as the sun," the sword-bearer of Cracow, and supreme manager of the Polish forces, who surpassed all in his knowledge of military science. Besides him there were in that council many warriors and statesmen; for instance: the castellan of Cracow, Krystin of Ostrov, the voevoda of Cracow, Yasko of Tarnov, the voevoda of Posnan, Sendzivoi of Ostorog and Sandomir, Mikolai Mihalovitse and the parish priest of Saint Florian, and the vice chancellor Mikolai Tromba, and the marshal of the kingdom, Zbigniev of Brezie, and Peter Shafranyets, the chamberlain of Cracow, and finally Ziemovit, son of the Prince of Plotsk, the only young man among them, but a man wonderfully "wise in war," and whose opinion the great king himself esteemed highly.

But in the adjoining roomy chamber the greatest knights were waiting so as to be at hand and in case of inquiry give aid with counsel. The fame of these men sounded widely throughout Poland and in foreign kingdoms. So Matsko and Zbyshko saw there Zavisha Charny and his brother Farurey, and Skarbek Abdank, and Dobko of Olesnitsa, who on a time had unhorsed twelve German knights in Torun in a tournament, and the gigantic Pashko Zlodye, and Povala of Tachev, who was their good friend, and Kron of Koziglove, and Martzin of Vrotsimovitse, who carried the grand banner of the kingdom, and Florian Yelitchik, and Lis of Targovisko, who was terrible in hand-to-hand conflict, and Stashko of Harbimovitse, who in full armor could leap over two horses.

There were many other famous knights who marched before the banner from various lands, and from Mazovia, who were called "men before the banner" because they went in the front ranks to battle.

Their acquaintances and especially Povala greeted Matsko and Zbyshko with gladness, and began to converse of former times and events with them.

"Hei!" said Povala to Zbyshko. "Thou hast heavy