Zawis and Kunigunde/Chapter 24
CHAPTER XXIV.
INNOCENCE OF ZAWIS PROVED.
Scarcely had the amnesty published by King Wenzel assured security when Agaphia Brzava transferred to Nicolas Jaroslav the key and chain she had obtained. Nicolas on his side debated long with himself as to the use he should make of the power now in his hands. He felt the necessity, however, of exhibiting his own fidelity in his calling; and he knew that any uncertainty or taint of suspicion cast on his acts as notarius must involve interests too serious to permit any trifling. He accordingly watched a favorable opportunity to unlock the great chest which he knew contained many revelations of state importance. The confusion created in the kingdom, since the death of the great Otakar, resulting from that sovereign’s pre-eminently commanding character, and his compulsory union of the branches of, administration in his own person, enabled designing persons to remove, or conceal, or destroy archives almost at their pleasure.
Among other documents Nicolas discovered the official decree, formally subscribed and engrossed, creating Nicolas son of Otakar, Duke of Troppau, and conferring upon him the revenues of that duchy. “This,” thought Nicolas, “is worth a thousand fold its weight in gold. I know that the right of Nicolas to enjoy those revenues, and even that title, is being disputed and will come up in council.” With some difficulty Jaroslav also discovered securely wrapped in other documents, as if for the purpose of close concealment, the partially mutilated decree of Otakar conferring on Queen Kunigunde, as her own property, the sum of fifty thousand marks drawn from the revenues of Grätz. Nicolas also acquired both the information and the possession of documents whereby Tobias and Duke Nicolas had attempted to throw suspicion on the marriage of King Otakar and Queen Kunigunde. He knew that such doubts had been laid before Rudoph; but no document on the subject had previously been suspected to exist. Now became evident the explanation of the veiled woman’s possession of those documents and of that chest. In the days of the unhappy Queen Margaret the veiled woman, then the most attractive person at court, enjoyed the largest share of the king’s confidence, and became in fact custodian of many state archives. Hence the golden key and chain.
The mutilation of the king’s grant to his queen created extreme perplexity. Only the letters “Ota” remained, the last being imperfect and divided between the shreds still remaining on the edge of the parchment and the corresponding shreds on the torn piece.
During the siege of Hluboka, Agaphia had been obliged to tear up many portions of her store of garments, to be used as bandages. During this hurried process the closely wrapped slip picked up at Prague came to her hand. By the faithful agency of Sambor it was conveyed to Prague on the return of the troops; and by him on the first opportunity presented to Nicolas Jaroslav.
In addition to these papers came to light in the great chest many items relating to Queen Kunigunde’s expenditure, public accounts, decrees long missing and now greatly needed; and above all, a written promise purporting to have been executed by Otakar to recognize his son Nicolas, and qualify him as successor to the throne, in case of the failure of heirs of Queen Kunigunde. By this paper a bright light fell on the history of young Wenzel; his cruel neglect; the abandonment of his education; the failure to furnish him even with necessary food; and the apparent attempt to wear out his life without actual violence.
On this revelation Jaroslav determined to obtain a private audience with King Wenzel.
Only by seizing an unexpected opportunity could it be obtained.
Jaroslav read these documents to the king.
“Your highness is already aware,” he said, “of the personality of the veiled woman. She was the mother of Duke Nicolas; and the, great efforts and successful courage of Lord Zawis enabled your highness’ loyal supporters to protect your throne at a moment when Bohemia had sunk to prostration under accumulated misfortunes. Your highness can now perceive how grossly you have been deceived.
“My own share in these events, merely clerical, is also corroborated, and the official entries sustained by further evidence at hand.
“Your highness perceives the widely different usage these too portions of the same document have under gone; one clean, fresh, and uncreased; the other soiled, bruised, and worn. One has lain almost untouched, the other has been concealed, either for protection, or misuse. Place them together, and the rough edges correspond even to the minutest thread. Your illustrious father’s signature is perfect and the name and probity of his excellent queen, Kunigunde, have been vindicated by the most official proofs.
“Permit me to add that these documents all attest a deep and foul conspiracy to remove, by cruel and crafty violence, the one man whose honor and fidelity have hereby received absolute demonstration. Those fifty thousand marks did appertain by right to the personal estate of the queen; and a gross wrong has been committed against a true subject as well as against the whole kingdom of Bohemia.”
Jaroslav also read to the king many entries of royal estates recovered, of crown property restored, of rents alienated, much of the sum not yet paid by the unlawful possessors, and one most serious item of large tracts of land forcibly seized by the community of the Thorn Crown, at the moment of the king’s fall.
Above all. Jaroslav read the official entry recording the birth of Wenzel and the corresponding annexncement entitling him sole heir to the throne of the Bohemian dominions. Wenzel well understood the meaning of this phraseology. He was born heir of a kingdom that extended from the Baltic to the coast and islands of Dalmatia.
The production of these archives required the assembling of the royal council. Many of the most perplexed questions of administration obtained full solution. Respecting the documents affecting the Duke Nicolas as duke of Troppau, and Lord Zawis, the king authorized Jaroslav to present them in such manner as he thought best.
Impelled by a sense of wounded honor, and by a just resentment, Jaroslav first read the official entry in his own handwriting, recording che royal grant.
“But,” said Duke Nicolas sharply, “that entry is unsupported by any royal decree. Without such document the council must decide that your entry is a forgery.”
“His highness the king, and the lords present,” replied Jaroslav, impressively, “can at once recall the sentence of imprisonment inflicted on myself in connection with this subject. Events equally startling and opportune have furnished me with the necessary vindication. During the recent struggle, although brief, before Hluboka, two women, one of them closely veiled, were observed to watch with evident anxiety the movements of Duke Nicolas here present. They briefly addressed and encouraged the wounded, and were permitted to move as they chose. The person of the duke attracted missiles, and two of these aimed together struck and slew with a dreadful disfigurement the two women on the instant. A soldier present, on invitation specially uttered, and on safe conduct specifically pronounced, recognized the veiled woman as the mother of the Duke Nicolas, then standing before the mutilated corpse.
“From the same veiled body that soldier drew this chain and key that he had long searched for. With that key came to light the concealed document this honorable council had demanded. Whether the document remained hidden with the full knowledge of Nicolas Duke of Troppau may be gathered from the challenge of the duke to produce such a document. He knew such record existed, for his own signature is attached to it, and he knew that his mother formerly kept the golden key of the receptacle where that record lay for safety. The duke’s mother was supposed to have disappeared from the palace at the time of King Otakar’s marriage.
“Does the duke challenge the authenticity of this parchment?” boldly inquired Nicolas.
“It is preserved with the same caution, found in the same enclosure, guarded by the same mother’s care as the equally secured and authentic document conferring upon him the revenues of the dukedom of Troppau.
“The subscription is the same, the witnesses are the same, as my Lord Benes will certify, for his name also occurs in both.”
The king here presented both parchments to Benes and Nicolas, and as neither uttered a syllable Jaroslav continued:
“Let the shame, then, of this conspiracy fall on the heads of those who are guilty of it.
“A good knight has gone down to a new and atrocious death in order to forward the guilty ambition of traitors and deceivers, and those who knew the crime they committed exult in their infamous success.”
At this point the queen and Bishop Tobias, wholly uninformed of the revelations now presented, entered the council.
The bishop at once requested opportunity to present to the king in council for official ratification the decree already authorized but not yet executed setting apart a tract of rich land, and specific donations from the treasury, for the erection and maintenance of the new Cistercian Monastery which the king had vowed to erect at his own charge, in memory of his victory over the Lord Zawis.
“In imitation of the glorious example of our pious and illustrious father,” the decree said, “who perpetuated the glory of his arms and his zeal for the Christian faith by erecting and endowing houses of God to promote the interests and protect the rights and liberties of the church, and in recognition of special grace accorded to us in the punishment of a rebel and plunderer of our treasury, we do hereby authorize the erection and perpetual endowment of the holy house to be named ‘Aula Regia,’ at Zbraslaw, for the brethren of the Cistercian order, and we decree the same accordingly.”
“We have this day presented to us, Lord Bishop,” said the king, “authentic and indubitable proofs that at least in the one matter of the fifty thousand marks the Lord Zawis expressed the strict truth, and his probity has been vindicated. I fear that rashness and abitrary haste have marked the proceedings that have recently occurred. Personally I feel a deep regret at the result.”
Tobias took the documents and explained their purport to the queen. After a brief conference Tobias said: “The queen’s highness reminds the council of a most happy escape from the machinations and magical devices of the guilty conspirator, whose poisoned gift threatened the queen’s highness and the king with the fatal results of their diabolical effects. No deliverance could be more providential, no intervention of holy powers could be more gracious, than the auspicious discovery of the malignant purposes of the heretical culprit who has justly suffered. Such an interposition merits our most grateful acknowledgment. Surely no memorial could be more just, and no pious work more suitable than the erection and endowment of this holy house that shall preserve the memory of this fortunate event.”
Here Benes interposed. He possessed acuteness and observation. “The reverend bishop has assumed that the gift from the Lady Judith contained the venom of poison magic. The reverend bishop is aware that the Lady Judith had entered into vows in holy church, and had exhibited exemplary devotion and faith. Such profession and life are not favorable to the belief that the Lady Judith could or would have encouraged any communion with the black arts of devotees of the evil one. No proof has been offered that the gift in question had ever been exposed to the influence of any hands but those of the Lady Judith herself. For my part, l am now convinced that the reverend bishop’s apprehensions arise from a commingling of pious fear and intentional policies, both resulting in a purpose to discredit the marriage of the Queen Kunigunde, and the king’s right to the throne of his fathers. I am of opinion that the queen’s highness has been the dupe of more experienced plotters who have employed the cry of magic to disquiet her young mind for purposes adverse to the king’s interests.”
“I have pledged my royal word,” said Queen Judith in some alarm, “that the king’s consent would erect and endow the kœnigsaal for the brethren of the Cistercian order; and I therefore appeal to his highness in council to sustain my promise by issuing tie decree required.”
“I may pledge the brethren beforehand,” said Tobias, “to faithfully preserve the record as it shall be delivered to them of the recent events to which they owe their foundation; and I doubt not that their zeal will supply any defects that may be found in existing report on the subject. Their house shall not want well attested stateinents justifying their community, and furnishing all needful details of the long continued wickedness, and merited death of that servant of evil who forfeited his life for his crimes.”
“His memory,” said Benes, “is acquitted of all malversation in office, and misappropriation of crown property; and his eminent services to the crown are recorded in the authentic documents now before us.”
“The brethren are even now proceeding with their work,” responded Tobias, “in reliance on the king’s encouragement.”
“Let the house named Aula Regia be constructed and endowed,” said Wenzel. “But whatever details the records of that institution may afford, let it be remembered that all will be based on their own interest and the necessity of presenting an apparent justification of their foundation. The excellent Bishop Tobias has found himself deceived; and if the brethren present the same reasons that he has done weshall have only another instance of rumor mistaken for fact, of pious imagination interpreted as well informed judgment, and of zealous wishes becoming the suggestive origin of positive assertions.”
“The notarius will authenticate the records,” finally declared the king. “He will also adopt such measures as will present a correct memorial of recent unhappy events; and such as will convey the true spirit, and disclosed motives that have governed the actors in the recent tragedy at Hluboka.”