he sent me a message yesterday, saying that as he wished to pray to our
holy relics, he would pay a visit to Tyniec."

Having heard this, the princess began to complain again:

"The people say--and I am sure rightly--that there will soon be a great
war, in which on one side will be the kingdom of Poland and all the
nations speaking a language similar to the Polish tongue, and on the
other side will be all the Germans and the Order. There is a prophecy
about this war by some saint."

"Bridget," interrupted the scholarly abbot; "eight years ago she was
canonized. The pious Peter from Alvastra and Matthew from Linkoeping have
written her revelations, in which a great war has been predicted."

Zbyszko shuddered at these words, and not being able to restrain himself,
asked:

"How soon will it be?"

But the abbot being occupied with the princess, did not hear, or probably
did not wish to hear, the question.

The princess spoke further:

"Our young knights are glad that this war is coming, but the older and
prudent ones speak thus: 'We are not afraid of the Germans, although
their pride and power are great, but we are afraid of their relics,
because against those all human might is powerless.'"