The Legend of the Glorious Adventures of Tyl Ulenspiegel in the land of Flanders Part 43

"You can have four wagons if need be," said Thomas Utenhove, "and by that means we should be able to convey as many as five-and-twenty men."

"The Duke will be nicely fooled," said Ulenspiegel.

"And the Prince's fleet will gain the service of some fine soldiers,"

added Thomas Utenhove.

Then he caused a bell to be rung to summon his footman and his servants, and when they were all a.s.sembled he said to them:

"All you that are from the land of Zeeland, women as well as men, listen now to me. Ulenspiegel, who is. .h.i.ther come from Flanders, has a plan to convey you through the enemy's lines, disguised as the followers in a wedding procession."

And thereat the men and women of Zeeland cried out with one accord:

"We are ready, even unto the death!"

And the men said one to another:

"What joy it will be to exchange this land of slavery for the freedom of the sea!"

And the women and girls said likewise:

"Let us follow our husbands and our lovers; we belong to Zeeland and there we shall find asile!"

Now Ulenspiegel had noticed a young and pretty maid, and he addressed her jokingly:

"I would you were my wife!"

But she blushed and answered him:

"I would have thee for my husband--but at the church only, remember!"

The women laughed and said among themselves:

"She is in love with Hans Utenhove, the master's son. He will go along with her, doubtless."

"You say truly," Hans replied.

And his father said:

"You have my permission."

Then all the men put on their best clothes, their doublets and hose of velvet, and the great opperst-kleed over all. As for the women, they wore black petticoats and pleated shoes. Round their necks they wore a white ruff, their bodices were embroidered in gold, scarlet, and blue; their skirts were of black wool with broad stripes of black velvet thereon, and their stockings were of black wool, and their shoes of velvet with silver buckles.

Thereupon Thomas Utenhove went to the church and put into the hands of the priest a couple of rycksdaelders, asking him at the same time to join in marriage Thylbert the son of Claes (that is Ulenspiegel) and Tannekin Pieters. And this the cure consented to do.

Ulenspiegel then went to church, followed by the wedding procession. And there, in the presence of the priest, Tannekin was made his wife.

And she looked so pretty and so sweet, so complaisant and so tender, that right willingly would he have eaten her up as she had been a ripe apple of love. And he told her so, not daring to do more for the respect he felt for her gentle loveliness. But she pouted her lips, and bade him leave her alone, for that Hans was watching him and would kill him without a doubt.

And a certain damsel was jealous, and said to Ulenspiegel:

"Seek elsewhere for a lover. Do you not see that she is afraid of her own man?"

Lamme clapped his hands together and cried:

"You cannot have them all, you rascal!"

So Ulenspiegel, making the best of his misfortune, returned to the farm with the wedding guests. And there he drank and sang and made merry, clinking many a gla.s.s with the damsel that was jealous. And at this Hans was glad, but not so Tannekin, nor yet the youth that was betrothed to the damsel.

At noon, while the sun shone down from a clear sky and a fresh breeze was blowing, the wedding carriages started off. They were decorated with flowers and every kind of greenery, with flags flying, and drums and fifes, bagpipes and shawms playing most joyfully.

Now it happened that in the camp of the Duke of Alba there was another fete in progress; and the sentries of the guard, having sounded the alarm, ran to the Duke, crying:

"The enemy is at hand. We have heard the noise of drums and fifes, and we have seen their banners in the distance. There is a strong force of cavalry that is hoping to draw you into some ambush. The main body, doubtless, is not far off."

The Duke at once sent to warn the colonels and captains, and himself ordered the army to be ma.s.sed in battle array, and dispatched certain scouting parties on reconnaissance.

Then it was that there came on the scene the four carriages, making straight for the Duke's gunners. And in the chariots were none but men and women dancing and drinking and playing most joyously on fifes and drums and bagpipes and shawms. And wondrous was the din that came from all those instruments.

When the procession had been brought to a halt, the Duke himself came up, attracted by the noise, and he saw the newly married bride where she stood in one of the four chariots; and beside her was Ulenspiegel, the bridegroom, covered with flowers; and all the other peasants, both men and women, who had by now got down from the chariots and were dancing all round them and offering drink to the soldiers.

The Duke and his friends were much astonished at the simplicity of these peasants who sang and made merry when all around them was an army ready to do battle.

And now they that remained in the chariots were giving all the wine to the soldiers, and they in their turn were feted by them and made much of; till at last, when the wine began to run out, the peasants continued on their way again. The drums and fifes and bagpipes struck up once more and the cavalcade moved off without any let or hindrance. And the soldiers, in high good humour, let off a volley from their guns in honour of the festal occasion.

And thus they came to Maestricht, where Ulenspiegel took counsel with the agents of the Reformers as to the best way of sending s.h.i.+ps loaded with arms and munitions to the a.s.sistance of the Prince's fleet.

And from there they went to Landen and to other places, disguised as working men.

The Duke was not long in learning the trick that had been played on him, and there came into his hands a lampoon which was in circulation at the time, with this refrain:

b.l.o.o.d.y Duke, Silly Duke, Hast thou seen the Bride?

And every time that the Duke made a mistake in his general-s.h.i.+p the soldiers would sing:

The Duke he can't see clearly; He has seen the Bride!

XXII

Now in those days the Duke divided his army into two parts, one of which he ordered to march towards the Duchy of Luxemburg and the other to the Marquisate of Namur.