dren to Poppenhausen, and my wife prepared him a good invalid bed.
For my parsonage house had been filled with all kinds of furniture left
by noblemen and magistrates in their flight; and although pilferers had
been there, there was enough still left. The following day a whole
troop of horsemen came to the parsonage, examined my belongings, but
let them alone because there was one there who was wounded: they
ordered supper and went out to plunder, and returned towards evening,
bringing all kinds of booty; then it was necessary to boil and roast,
and the neighbouring women helped thereto with good will. When the
horsemen were about to depart, they advised my father-in-law not to be
too confident, as this tumult would last yet eight days, and as the
road led past there, he and his daughter might suffer violence, and as
the neighbouring villages were Popish, he had better remove to a
Protestant one. This my father-in-law did, and went at night in the fog
for security to Gleichmuthrusen; but the ungodly neighbours screamed
out that the horsemen wished to burn and slay the Lutherans, but they
did it for their advantage, as the Papists had gone with the troopers
into our villages and houses and stolen as much as others. Then my
father-in-law did not like to remain there any longer, he went with his
belongings to Einoeder wood and remained there day and night. He
occasionally went forth to examine the road between Heldburg and
Einoeder. When therefore one day he saw no one especial on the road,
either travelling or riding, and heard the little bell which was wont
to be sounded when children were baptized, he thought, such being the
case, he might creep nearer the town, and see whether there was any
hindrance along the road. As soon as he came to the town his steps were
watched. Then a whole body of camp followers came and took him, my
mother-in-law, and my wife to the house of Herr Goeckel. Ah! there was
banqueting and revelling! Being now urged to give money and making
various excuses, they singed and smeared his eyes, beard, and mouth
with tallow candles, and endeavoured shamelessly to maltreat my wife in
the room before every one, but she screamed so that her mother sprang
violently into the room and drew her out through the door, which indeed
was fastened, but the under panel had been ingeniously covered with
list, and was fractured. Then the cook had compassion upon her, and
brought her out of the house; and when my wife ga