De Castro Balga.
Grief Tempered by the Example of David
The master, overwhelmed by grief at the report of his brothers' deaths, recalls David's rebuke to Joab and exhorts his warriors to destroy the invaders of the kingdom.
When the master heard this mournful report, he was disturbed beyond what can be believed. But he set before himself the example of David, who, rebuking Joab, the commander of his army, for grieving excessively over the deaths of his men, said as if in reproof: "Let this thing not move you; the outcome of war is varied — now one, now the other is struck down by the sword."✦ "Strengthen your warriors, and exhort them to destroy the invaders of the kingdom."✦
The Storming of Balga
The master sends a great army by ship, and with the cooperation of Codruno, they storm the Prussian fortress of Balga, capturing and slaughtering its defenders.
At last, having composed himself, he sent a great army by ship to avenge the wrong done to those who had been killed. They set sail and brought their ships up to the walls of the Prussian fortress mentioned above. With Codruno, the captain of the besieged, cooperating with them, they manfully stormed the stronghold and took it by force, capturing some of the men and slaughtering others.
Thanksgiving and the Battles of the Lord
The brothers give thanks to God and inhabit the castle of Balga in 1239, fighting the battles of the Lord God of hosts against the Prussians.
When this was done, the brothers, giving thanks to God, took up residence in the castle mentioned above in the year of our Lord 1239 with their men-at-arms, and there they fought the battles of the Lord God of hosts against the Prussians more gloriously.✦
Read the original Latin
Audita hac lugubri legacione magister ultra id, quod credi potest, fuerat perturbatus, sed proposito sibi exemplo David, qui principem milicie sue Joab nimis dolentem de morte suorum quasi increpansc ait: non te moveat res ista, varius est eventus belli, nunc istum, nunc illum occidit gladius. Conforta bellatores tuos, et exhortare eos, ut destruant regni invasores. Tandem consolatus misit exercitum magnum navigio ad vindicandam injuriam occisorum, qui velisque applicatis ad menia, dictum castrum Pruthenorum viriliter sunt aggressi, et cooperante ipsis d Codruno capitaneo obsessorum, violenter expugnaverunt, partim hominibus captis, aliise trucidatis. Quo facto, fratres deo gracias referentes dictum castrum anno domini mccxxxix cum suis armigeris inhabitabant, et ibi contra dictos Pruthenos prelia domini dei exercituum gloriosius preliabantur.
Scripture echoes
- ↩2Sam.19.5-2Sam.19.7 — And the king covered his face, and the king cried out with a great voice, 'My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!' 2Sam.19.6 — And Joab came to the king in the house and said, "You have put to shame today the faces of all your servants who saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and your daughters, and the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines." 2Sam.19.7 — to love your enemies and to hate your friends; for you have made it known today that you have no regard for your princes and your servants. For I know today that if only Absalom were alive and all of us today were dead, then it would be right in your eyes.
- ↩2Sam.19.7 — to love your enemies and to hate your friends; for you have made it known today that you have no regard for your princes and your servants. For I know today that if only Absalom were alive and all of us today were dead, then it would be right in your eyes.
- ↩1Sam.17.45 — Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
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