re still resting in their beds.
My whole street, in every direction, was full of the turmoil of horses
and riders; just as if some one had taken pains to show them my house.
I and my wife were taken prisoners five times in one hour; when I was
released from one, I was taken by another. Then I took them into my
room and cellar, that they might themselves seek what they required. At
last they went off, leaving me alone in the house; yet my terror and
anguish were so great that I never thought of my ready money, which I
might have saved ten times over, if I had had sufficient confidence to
take it with me. But all the houses and streets were full of horsemen;
and if I had taken my Mammon with me, it might so have happened that I
should have been caught. But in my dismay I thought not of money. Many
men and women were convoyed out of the town by an escort of Hasisch
horsemen, who had been quartered there. I then returned to my wife and
children; we betook ourselves to the nearest wood towards Hellingen;
there old and young, ecclesiastics and laymen, remained day and night.
Our chief sustenance was black juniper berries. Now certain of the
citizens ventured into the town, and brought back with them food and
other things that they required. I thought, ah! if thou also couldst go
to thy house and get hold of thy small cash in pence, and therewith
support thyself and thy children! I ventured it, slipped in, and went
through the Spittel Gate to the Muehl Gate, which was closed in with
palisades. Within, there were some who caught me by surprise, as a cat
does a mouse; they bound me with new cords so that I could neither help
myself with hands or feet, and must either give money, or betray rich
people to them. The thieves obliged me to toss the fodder for their
horses at the Herrnhof, to lead them to drink, and other odd work. Then
imagining myself more at liberty, I ran from thence, being unaware that
a whole troop of soldiers were standing at the gate of the courtyard,
so I ran into their arms. They beat me well with their swords and
bandoliers, kept me still more strictly with cords, led me from house
to house, that I might tell them to whom this or the other house
belonged. Thus I was also led to my own house, there I saw the copper
water-can lying on the floor, in which had been placed my ready money,
three hundred thalers, and I thought, hadst thou known that the birds
and the foxes were in the way, thou wouldst have remained