them for amusement, or the like. They had about as much sympathy
for these men of peace as the pike for the roach--they only thought
them excellent eating.

As for the knight--he was a knight, and must be treated as such,
although an enemy. As for the burgher--well, we have discussed the
case. As for the friar--they did not like to meddle with the
Church. They dreaded excommunication, men of Belial though they
were.

The knight was confined in a chamber high up in the tower, from
whence he could see:

The forest dark and gloomy,

And under poetic inspiration compose odes upon liberty. The burgher
and friar were taken downstairs to gloomy dungeons, adjacent to
each other, where they were left to solitude and silence.

Solitary confinement! it has driven many men mad: to be the inmate
of a narrow cell, without a ray of light, groping in one corner for
a rotten bed of straw, groping in the other for a water jug and
loaf of black bread, feeling unclean insects and reptiles struggle
beneath one's feet: oh, horrible!

And such was our Martin's fate.

But he was not alone, his God was with him, as with Daniel in the
lion's den, and he never for one moment gave way to despair. He
accepted the trial as best he might, and bore the chilling