Publisher's Synopsis
It was in 1590-winter. Austria was far away from the world, and asleep; it was still theMiddle Ages in Austria, and promised to remain so forever. Some even set it away backcenturies upon centuries and said that by the mental and spiritual clock it was still the Ageof Belief in Austria. But they meant it as a compliment, not a slur, and it was so taken, andwe were all proud of it. I remember it well, although I was only a boy; and I remember, too, the pleasure it gave me.Yes, Austria was far from the world, and asleep, and our village was in the middle of thatsleep, being in the middle of Austria. It drowsed in peace in the deep privacy of a hilly andwoodsy solitude where news from the world hardly ever came to disturb its dreams, andwas infinitely content. At its front flowed the tranquil river, its surface painted with cloudforms and the reflections of drifting arks and stone-boats; behind it rose the woody steepsto the base of the lofty precipice; from the top of the precipice frowned a vast castle, its longstretch of towers and bastions mailed in vines; beyond the river, a league to the left, was atumbled expanse of forest-clothed hills cloven by winding gorges where the sun neverpenetrated; and to the right a precipice overlooked the river, and between it and the hillsjust spoken of lay a far-reaching plain dotted with little homesteads nested among orchardsand shade trees.The whole region for leagues around was the hereditary property of a prince, whoseservants kept the castle always in perfect condition for occupancy, but neither he nor hisfamily came there oftener than once in five years. When they came it was as if the lord ofthe world had arrived, and had brought all the glories of its kingdoms along; and when theywent they left a calm behind which was like the deep sleep which follows an orgy.Eseldorf was a paradise for us boys. We were not overmuch pestered with schooling.Mainly we were trained to be good Christians; to revere the Virgin, the Church, and thesaints above everything. Beyond these matters we were not required to know much; and, infact, not allowed to. Knowledge was not good for the common people, and could make themdiscontented with the lot which God had appointed for them, and God would not endurediscontentment with His plans. We had two priests. One of them, Father Adolf, was a veryzealous and strenuous priest, much considered.There may have been better priests, in some ways, than Father Adolf, but there wasnever one in our commune who was held in more solemn and awful respect. This wasbecause he had absolutely no fear of the Devil. He was the only Christian I have ever knownof whom that could be truly said. People stood in deep dread of him on that account; forthey thought that there must be something supernatural about him, else he could not be sobold and so confident. All men speak in bitter disapproval of the Devil, but they do itreverently, not flippantly; but Father Adolf's way was very different; he called him by everyname he could lay his tongue to, and it made everyone shudder that heard him; and often he would even speak of him scornfully and scoffingly; then the people crossed themselvesand went quickly out of his presence, fearing that something fearful might happen.Father Adolf had actually met Satan face to face more than once, and defied him. Thiswas known to be so. Father Adolf said it himself. He never made any secret of it, but spokeit right out. And that he was speaking true there was proof in at least one instance, for onthat occasion he quarreled with the enemy, and intrepidly threw his bottle at him; andthere, upon the wall of his study, was the ruddy splotch where it struck and broke