Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-31
XVII.
On my Grail Burg. After many years.

l., e,
that laid into the casket on the night Vi
INV VOYAGE across the Alpine seattle book
that was found by Judica In the open
casket the book that Judica read. l lett
the casket unlocked that JudIca might ma
the book and read 1t. And l knew II she
read the book she. to whom was poulo
by indissoluble bonds would go voluntarily
to her death in order to free me OF her.
And I Knew this, too: She would go In
such a way that none could charge that l,
the king had driven her into her death.
Her last wish on earth was to spare me
the knowledge of her deed. l was TO wear
the crown and make the beautiful woman
of nv passion my wife. without falling into
sin and guilt before the world and myself
With a peaceful conscience was to be able
to reign.
She let no human soul know that she had
found the book and read 1T. When-alter
wears that | will not COUNT found the
casket among my belongings accidentally
1t was locked and the key, that had Deen
fastened to It with chain of gold, hao
disappeared. Had l not known only 100
we'll that | had left the casket open pur-
posely / could have believed that 1 had
locked it myself and lost the key,
But not only her death BETRAYED 10 a,.e
that she had read the book: there We're
marks in 1t that proved it, Ihey were 'he
traces of tears
And she had not wept at those passages
and nv burning passion for another; she
wept bitterly there where | wrote down my
bitter lonely pain, my grim fight against
the dark powers within me, my battle with
myself my sorrow and my torture
Continuing in this book the history of my
unblessed being, !, the king, Will write
words now that shall remain on the paper
as on an iron tablet, graved into 1t with
undying script of flame.
What they call madness in me is not the
especially malady of a man-it Is the WICK WICK,
to Nv madness
in me. They give the thing its other name
only IN order not to call 1t by its right
name I.
The only good and pure one among us
was my dead brother, whom l stigmatized
as weak and unkingly. l have arrived at
this knowledge in the years that VIII not
count.
But now 1 will record how I reached an
other knowledge and how. through 1t, l
still succeeded despite all, in making my
land great and my people happy.
That was voyage! In starless black
night and with a mighty storm, through the
ice of the Alpine sea. 1t was true KING
voyagei
With iron tipped pixies they had to defend
the boat against the driving foes with
axes they had to break a way for u.s. l
stood in the bow beside the flaming pitch
torch. drove the boatmen and struck at the
ice with an ak myself until the splinters
SPRAYED around me like pale sparks.
Whenever I looked backward. my glance
met that of the beautiful woman with the
white face and flaming eyes, which she kept
fixed on me INCREASINGLY, and with which
she drove me forward; irresistibly. nightly,
through terror and death to the throne OF a
king.
BE strong and maintain your right; be
strong and demand your inheritance; be
strong and seize the crown If they should
deny you. Then l will be yours, only them
So her eyes spoke to me. And mine replied:
II will be strong, for will that you shall
be mine"
And from all sides Numbered the ava
lanches Never before had ruler gone
such Il road to climb the steps of throne
If only our progress We're not so unen-
durably slow! We crept along. While we
were forcing our way inch by inch, the king
might draw his last breath, the other sue
cessor. the false and wrong one, might
arrive and be proclaimed as king. Driving
the boatmen to new exertions, listening to
the of the avalanches and holding
silent converse with the countess, l COM
manded my brother in the spirit:
You must live till l arrive! You must
not die before! Do you hear? You must
hotv'
And I knew that my mighty wish and
will would hold death back from him until
! arrived. =.
In the dawn reached the capital without
the countess, who had separated from me.
! drove toward the palace in common
hired vehicle. The streets still were entirely
deserted. deathly quiet ruled. 1t rained
in streams.
When 1 came near the palace. the wagon
stopped. asked the reason. The coachman
said that he could not drive on because de-
spite the early hour, a vast crowd stood be-
fore the palace The king was Ill to death
and the people were waiting for the news
that he had passed.
Then the king still lived knew it.
l left the carriage, threw coin to the
driver and walked on. A turn of the street
and-in the CHASTITY dawn the palace lay be-
fore
Pressed shoulder to shoulder stood the
people. They stood as in church when
listening to the priests blessing. Silently
they waited for the news of the kings
ieath, There was no sound except the beat
ing OF the rain.
The waiting throng prevented me- the
new king, from reaching the death bed of
my brother and the steps Of my throne. 1t
was impossible to force a way. Besides, 1t
nauseated me to think of touching the herd
q herd that waited with fear for the death
of a ruler that it had not loved in LIE.
Then l observed officer who was hur-
rying into the palace. The people made
way for him, silently. respectfully; the
officer was going to his dying king l man
aged to approach him. called to him. whis-
pered few words to him and Instructed
him TO go ahead without saluting me. and
open the way.
1 found an indescribable confusion in the
palace. Before all gates and doors stood
sentres: on all faces was fright and trou-
BILE. Everywhere was the silence of death
Whoever recognized me appeared to be
frightened at my appearance as If 1t were
my ghost.
Straight ! went there where my place
was; straight to the kings deathbed. On
the way saw the presence everywhere Of
the mightiest ruler of earth who was hold
Ing triumphant entrance into the house of
my fathers, In which in q few moments l
might be the last, to step into my in
heritance by virtue of my right and my
strength.
Led by my genius that foated over me
when L hung on the cliff in the night of
storm. reached the kings rooms. They
were closed and two officers of the BODY
guard held watch there; they had strict
orders TO admit no one. But / beckoned
and the doors flew open. The guards sa-
luted their new master and l strobe in
Only few candles burned in these rooms
The weak light fought with the light of
dawn, and the dull silence OF the house
was broken by hollow murmurs They
were the monks muttering the PRAYERS for
the dying by the side of my brother
l stepped into the kings work room On
the writing table stood a burning Candida
bra and again two officers stood on guard
They were young, handsome men, who did
not move even when they saw me-
| a No