Know that the sword that thou bearest is the sword of robbery and
murder; thou art a rebel and no warrior of the just God. Thine end
upon earth is the wheel and the gallows, and thine end hereafter is
that condemnation which threateneth the worker of evil and impiety.

"Wittenberg.
"MARTIN LUTHER."

In the Castle of Luetzen Kohlhaas was meditating, in his diseased mind,
a new plan for reducing Leipzig to ashes, paying no attention to the
notice set up in the villages, that Squire Wenzel was in Dresden,
because it had no signature, though he had required one of the
magistrates; when Sternbald and Waldmann perceived with the greatest
astonishment the placard that had been set up by night against the
gateway of the castle. In vain did they hope for many days that
Kohlhaas, whom they did not wish to approach for the purpose, would see
it. Gloomy and brooding in his own thoughts, he merely appeared in the
evening to give a few short commands, and saw nothing, and hence one
morning, when he was about to hang up two of his men, who had been
plundering in the neighbourhood against his will, they resolved to
attract his attention. He was returning from the place of judgment,
with the pomp to which he had accustomed himself since his last
mandate, while the people timidly made way on both sides. A large
cherub-sword on a red leather cushion, adorned with gold tassels was
carried before him, and twelve servants followed him with burning
torches. The two men, with their swords under their arms, walked round
the pillar to which the placard was attached, so as to awaken his
surprise. Kohlhaas, as with his hands locked behind him, and sunk deep
in thought, he came under the portal, raised his eyes and started; and
as the men timidly retired from his glance, witnessing the confusion,
he approached the pillar with hurried steps. But who shall describe
the state of his mind, when he saw upon it the paper which accused him
of injustice, signed with the dearest and most revered name that he
knew--the name of Martin Luther? A deep red overspread his face;
taking off his helmet he read it twice from beginning to end; then with
uncertain looks stepped back among his men as if about to say
something, and yet said nothing; then took the paper from the wall,
read it once more, and cried as he disappeared: "Waldmann get my horses
saddled, Sternbald follow me into the castle!" More than these few
words was not wanted to disarm him