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Ebook has 113 lines and 8922 words, and 3 pages
Translator: Jeremiah Curtin
Produced by: Charles Bowen
Transcriber's Notes:
THE DELUGE.
THE WORKS OF HENRYK SIENKIEWICZ.
LIBRARY EDITION.
Historical Romances.
With Fire And Sword. 1 vol. The Deluge. 2 vols. Pan Michael. 1 vol.
"Quo Vadis." 1 vol.
Novels of Modern Poland.
Children of the Soil. 1 vol. Without Dogma. 1 vol.
Short Stories.
Hania, and Other Stories. 1 vol. Sielanka, a Forest Picture, and Other Stories. 1 vol.
On the Bright Shore. 1 vol. Let Us Follow Him. 1 vol.
Yanko the Musician, and Other Stories, 1 vol. Lillian Morris, and Other Stories, 1 vol.
THE DELUGE.
An Historical Novel
POLAND, SWEDEN, AND RUSSIA.
A SEQUEL TO
"WITH FIRE AND SWORD."
HENRYK SIENKIEWICZ.
JEREMIAH CURTIN.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
BOSTON: LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1915.
Printers S. J. Parkhill & Co., Boston, U.S.A.
TO HON. CHARLES A. DANA,
Editor of "The Sun," New York.
Sir,--I beg to dedicate to you this translation of a remarkable work, touching a period eventful in the history of the Poles, and the Slav race in general. You will appreciate the pictures of battle and trial contained in these volumes, for you know great events not from books merely but from personal contact. You receive pleasure from various literatures, and from considering those points of character by which nations and men are distinguished; hence, as I think, THE DELUGE will give you some mental enjoyment, and perhaps turn your attention to a new field of history.
JEREMIAH CURTIN.
Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of Ethnology, November 25, 1891.
INTRODUCTION.
The wars described in THE DELUGE are the most complicated and significant in the whole career of the Commonwealth, for the political motives which came into play during these wars had their origin in early and leading historical causes.
The policy of the Teutonic Knights gave the first of its final results in the war of 1655, between Sweden and Poland, since it made the elector independent in Prussia, where soon after, his son was crowned king. The war with Great Russia in 1654, though its formal cause came, partly at least, from the struggle of 1612, in which the Poles had endeavored to subjugate Moscow, was really roused by the conflict of Southern Russia with Poland to win religious and material equality.
The two fundamental events of Polish history are the settlement of the Teutonic Knights in Prussia, through the action of the Poles themselves; and the union of Poland with Lithuania and Russia by the marriage of Yadviga, the Polish princess, to Yagyello, Grand Prince of Lithuania.
Before touching on the Teutonic Knights, a few words may be given to the land where they began that career which cut off Poland from the sea, took from the Poles their political birthplace, and gave its name and territory to the chief kingdom of the new German Empire, the kingdom which is in fact the creator and head of that Empire.
Prussia in the thirteenth century extended from the Vistula eastward to the Niemen, and from the Baltic southward about as far as it does at present. In this territory lived the Prussians. East of the Niemen lived the Lithuanians, another division of the same stock of people. West of the Vistula lay Pomorye, now Pomerania, occupied at that time exclusively by Slavs under Polish dominion.
The Prussians, a people closely related to the Slavs, were still Pagans, as were also the Lithuanians; and having a more highly developed religion than either the pre-Christian Slavs or the Germans, their conversion was likely to be of a more difficult nature.
At the end of the tenth and in the beginning of the thirteenth centuries attempts were made to convert the Prussians; but the only result was the death of the missionaries, who seem to have been too greatly filled with zeal to praise their own faith and throw contempt on that of the people among whom they were really only guests and sojourners.
Christian returned from Rome with renewed zeal; but instead of being helped he was hindered, for tribute and labor were imposed on his converts by the secular power. Since the new religion was coupled with servitude, the Prussians were roused greatly against it.
Christian strove to obtain relief for his converts, but in vain. Then, taking two native followers, he made a second journey to Rome, was created first Bishop of Prussia, and returned again to the field.
The great body of Prussians now considered all converts as traitors. The priests of the native religion roused the people, and attacked those persons as renegades who had deserted the ancient faith and were bringing slavery to the country. They went farther and fell upon Mazovia, whence the propaganda had issued. Konrad, unable to defend himself, bought them off with rich presents. The newly made converts were killed, captured, or driven to deep forests.
Christian turned to the Pope a third time, and implored him to direct against Prussia those Poles who were going to the Holy Land.
The Archbishop of Gnezen was instructed from Rome to make this change, and the Poles were summoned against Prussia for the following year. The crusade was preached also in Germany.
Warriors arrived from both countries in fairly large numbers, and during their presence ruined villages and churches were rebuilt in the district of Culm, where the conversions had taken place mainly. In a couple of seasons the majority of the warriors found their way home again. A second crusade was proclaimed, and men responded freely. All these forces were simply guarding the missionaries and the converts,--a position which could not endure.
Christian, seeing this, formed the plan of founding an order of armed monks in Poland like the Knights of the Sword in Livonia. Konrad gave his approval at once.
The Bishop of Modena, at that time papal legate in Poland, hastened the establishment of the order; for to him it seemed the best agent to bend the stiff necks of idolaters. Permission to found the order was obtained from the Pope, and a promise of means to maintain it from Konrad.
Christian labored so zealously that in 1225 he consecrated twenty-five superior knights in his new order, which received the same rules as the Livonian Knights of the Sword,--that is, the rules of the Templars.
The new knights were called Brothers of Dobjin, from the castle of Dobjin, which Konrad gave them as a residence, adding the district of Leslin near Inovratslav as a means of support.
As soon as the Brothers had settled in their castle, they attacked the Prussians, ruined villages, and brought in plunder. The enraged Prussians collected large forces, and attacked the land of Culm, with the intent to raze Dobjin. On hearing this, Konrad with his own troops and a general levy hastened to the relief of the order.
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