De captivitate prima fratris Lodewici de Libencele.
The Noble Knight and His Captivity
Brother Ludwig of Libentzel, a noble and battle-tested knight, is captured and brought before Scumandus, who admires his boldness and takes him to a gathering of Sudovian chieftains.
Brother Ludwig of Libentzel, a nobleman trained in military affairs from his youth, performed remarkable deeds in his life, which will appear further on. When he was captured, he was brought before Scumandus, who, because he was like him in boldness, greatly admired him. As a result, it happened that he took him, still held in captivity, along with him to a place where the chief men of the land of Sudovia had gathered for a drinking feast.1
Provocation at the Feast
At the drinking feast, a powerful noble provokes Brother Ludwig with insults until Ludwig protests to Scumandus about the abuse.
At this feast, a certain noble and powerful man provoked Brother Ludwig with insults and brawls to the point of agitation of spirit. So he said to Scumandus: 'Did you bring me here so that this man might torment my heart with his abusive words?'2
Boldness Rewarded and Freedom Won
Scumandus encourages Ludwig to avenge the insult; Ludwig kills his rival with a sword and is subsequently freed from captivity by a servant of Scumandus and returned to his brothers.
To him Scumandus replied: 'I am troubled by your distress, and if you dare, avenge the wrong done to you — I will back you.' Hearing this, Brother Ludwig was emboldened and killed his rival with a sword. Afterward, Brother Ludwig was freed from captivity through a certain servant of the said Scumandus and was brought back to the brothers.
Read the original Latin
Frater Lodewicus de Libencele, vir nobilis et in rebus bellicis ab adolescencia exercitatusb, mira gesta fecit in vita sua, que inferius apparebunt. Hic dum captus esset, presentatus fuit Scumando, qui, quia similis ei fuit in audacia, multum dilexit eum, unde accidit, quod ipsum adhuc in captivitate positum duxit secum ad locum, ubi pociores terre Sudowie convenerant ad potandum. In hac potacione quidam vir nobilis et potens fratrem Lodewicum contumeliis et jurgiisc ad turbacionem animi provocavit. Unde ait ad Scumandum: duxisti me huc, ut iste cor meum injuriosis affligeret verbis suis? Cui respondit Scumandus: doleo de turbacione tua, et si audes, vindica injuriam tibi factam, ego te juvabo. Hoc audito frater'1 Lodewicus animatus fuit, et emulum suum gladio interfecit. Postea frater Lodewicus per quendam famulum dicti Scumandi liberatus fuit a captivitate et ad fratres reductus'.
Notes
- 1 ↩ad potandum rendered 'for a drinking feast' — the gerundive of purpose conveys a social gathering centered on drinking, not merely a casual drink.
- 2 ↩ut + subjunctive in a rhetorical question — Ludwig is not asking about purpose but expressing indignation: 'so that he might…?' The ut-clause carries the force of an accusatory question.
Chronicon Terrae Prussiae (Chronicle of the Prussian Land) companion
Keep reading the sources for yourself
The full 428-chapter chronicle — and 78+ other historic works — readable daily in the free Chosen Portion iOS app
The knights kept fixed daily hours of prayer alongside their campaigns; Chosen Portion keeps the fixed daily reading and drops the campaigning.
- The complete chronicle in modern English, in portions under 5 minutes
- Pericope headings that let you navigate 428 chapters by theme
- A daily reading habit that outlasts the 5-week course