d, and be left behind, that she might return home to Ofen. When she
had received her wages she came to me, and told me that she had seen a
curious thing lying before the stove, and did not know what it might
be. I was much alarmed at this, for I saw plainly that it was part of
the case in which the holy crown had been kept; and I did my best to
persuade her not to believe her own eyes; but I went secretly to the
stove, and threw the fragments that I found into the fire, that they
might be entirely burnt; and I took the woman with me on the journey.
Every one was surprised at my doing this; but I said that I intended
asking my honoured lady for a benefice at St. Martins at Vienna for
her, which I afterwards did.

"When the maidens and the retinue were ready to depart, my confederate
took the cushion in which the holy crown was concealed, and commanded
his servant to carry it from the house to the sledge on which he and I
were to sit. Then the good fellow took the cushion on his shoulders,
and threw over it an old cowhide with the tail on, which hung down
behind, and every one who saw it began to laugh.

"When we arrived in the market-place we would gladly have had something
to eat, but could find nothing except herrings. When we had eaten a
little, and assisted at the usual mass in the Church, the day was far
advanced, and we had to go that day from the Plintenburg to Komorn,
which was full twelve German miles off. On mounting the sledge I took
great care not to sit on the corner of the cushion in which the holy
crown was concealed, and thanked God Almighty for all his mercies; yet
I often turned round to see if any one followed us; and there was no
end to my anxiety, for my thoughts troubled me much.

"On arriving at the inn where we intended to dine, the faithful servant
to whom the care of the cushion was intrusted carried it into the
chamber, and laid it on a table before me, so that it was under my eye
the whole time that we were eating; and before starting, the cushion
was replaced. We journeyed onwards, and about dark arrived at the
Danube, which was still frozen over, but the ice in some places was
very thin. When we were half way across the river the ice gave way
under the carriage in which the maidens were, and it was upset; they
raised a great cry, for it was so dark they could not see each other. I
was in great fear that we, with the holy crown, should be lost in the
Danube; but God was our help, so that no