And now Gerard suddenly remembered that this was a very good way to Rome, but not to Burgundy."Oh, Denys," said he, with an almost alarmed look, "this is not your road.""I know it," said Denys quietly; but what can I do? I cannot leave thee till the fever leaves thee; and it is on thee still, for thou art both red and white by turns; I have watched thee.I must e'en go on to Cologne, I doubt, and then strike across.""Thank Heaven," said Gerard joyfully.He added eagerly, with a little touch of self-deception, "'Twere a sin to be so near Cologne and not see it.Oh, man, it is a vast and ancient city such as I have often dreamed of, but ne'er had the good luck to see.Me miserable, by what hard fortune do I come to it now? Well then, Denys," continued the young man less warmly, "it is old enough to have been founded by a Roman lady in the first century of grace, and sacked by Attila the barbarous, and afterwards sore defaced by the Norman Lothaire.And it has a church for every week in the year forbye chapels and churches innumerable of convents and nunneries, and above all, the stupendous minster yet unfinished, and therein, but in their own chapel, lie the three kings that brought gifts to our Lord, Melchior gold, and Gaspar frankincense, and Balthazar the black king, he brought myrrh; and over their bones stands the shrine the wonder of the world; it is of ever-shining brass brighter than gold, studded with images fairly wrought, and inlaid with exquisite devices, and brave with colours; and two broad stripes run to and fro, of jewels so great, so rare, each might adorn a crown or ransom its wearer at need;and upon it stand the three kings curiously counterfeited, two in solid silver, richly gilt; these be bareheaded; but he of Aethiop ebony, and beareth a golden crown; and in the midst our blessed Lady, in virgin silver, with Christ in her arms; and at the corners, in golden branches, four goodly waxen tapers do burn night and day.Holy eyes have watched and renewed that light unceasingly for ages, and holy eyes shall watch them in saecula.Itell thee, Denys, the oldest song, the oldest Flemish or German legend, found them burning, and they shall light the earth to its grave.And there is St.Ursel's church, a British saint's, where lie her bones and all the other virgins her fellows; eleven thousand were they who died for the faith, being put to the sword by barbarous Moors, on the twenty-third day of October, two hundred and thirty-eight.Their bones are piled in the vaults, and many of their skulls are in the church.St.Ursel's is in a thin golden case, and stands on the high altar, but shown to humble Christians only on solemn days.""Eleven thousand virgins!" cried Denys."What babies German men must have been in days of yore.Well, would all their bones might turn flesh again, and their skulls sweet faces, as we pass through the gates.'Tis odds but some of them are wearied of their estate by this time.""Tush, Denys!" said Gerard; "why wilt thou, being good, still make thyself seem evil? If thy wishing-cap be on, pray that we may meet the meanest she of all those wise virgins in the next world, and to that end let us reverence their holy dust in this one.And then there is the church of the Maccabees, and the cauldron in which they and their mother Solomona were boiled by a wicked king for refusing to eat swine's flesh.""Oh, peremptory king! and pig-headed Maccabees! I had eaten bacon with my pork liever than change places at the fire with my meat.""What scurvy words are these? it was their faith.""Nay, bridle thy choler, and tell me, are there nought but churches in this thy so vaunted city? for I affect rather Sir Knight than Sir Priest.""Ay, marry, there is an university near a hundred years old; and there is a market-place, no fairer in the world, and at the four sides of it houses great as palaces; and there is a stupendous senate-house all covered with images, and at the bead of them stands one of stout Herman Gryn, a soldier like thyself, lad.""Ay.Tell me of him! what feat of arms earned him his niche?""A rare one.He slew a lion in fair combat, with nought but his cloak and a short sword.He thrust the cloak in the brute's mouth, and cut his spine in twain, and there is the man's effigy and eke the lion's to prove it.The like was never done but by three more, I ween; Samson was one, and Lysimachus of Macedon another, and Benaiah, a captain of David's host.""Marry! three tall fellows.I would like well to sup with them all to-night.""So would not I," said Gerard drily.
