De edificacione Cristmemel.
The Building of Christmemel
In 1316, the Teutonic master Karl builds Christmemel on the Memel, bridging the river with ships, and dedicates its church with relics and solemn Mass.
In the year of the Lord 1316, at the Easter feast, brother Karl, the master, for the praise and glory of God and of his mother and for the extension of the borders of Christians, having gathered all the strength of his army, built the castle of Christmemel on the bank of the Memel above Ragnit, more than six leagues beyond. So great was the multitude of ships in that same place that a bridge was made over the Memel from them, which anyone could cross without danger all the way to the shore of the infidels; and the Lithuanians were more astonished at that bridge than at all the deeds of the Christians that they had seen in their lives. When the building was finished, with the clergy following and the people attending, they carried the relics to the church in a solemn procession, celebrating Mass there with solemnity.
Shipwreck and Steadfastness
Four hundred brothers drown when supply ships are wrecked, yet the loss does not delay the Lord's work, as God permits the trial to teach steadfastness.
And this should not be passed over: by God's permission, several ships of the brothers, which had been loaded with provisions and other things necessary for building castles, perished in a shipwreck at sea, and four hundred brothers and men were drowned. The Lord allowed this trial — as it is said of Job — to happen for this reason: so that an example of steadfastness might be given to those who came after, because although this serious loss struck the brothers, it by no means delayed the work of the Lord that had been begun.
The Devil's Rebuke at Ragnit
A Bavarian archer is bitten by the devil at night for making the sign of the cross too briefly; when questioned, the devil confesses, and the man resolves to make the cross fully from head to toe.
At this time there was a certain archer from Bavaria in the castle of Ragnit, who, while making the sign of the cross, lay down in his bed at night and was about to sleep when the devil came and bit him, especially in his foot. But he, suffering from the extreme injury, cried out in a loud voice, saying: 'Who is it who bit me?' But he said: 'I am the devil.' And why did you do that? The devil answered: because when you settle yourself to sleep, you make your crosses too short. The following day, when he was telling this story in the presence of the brothers and others, they asked him whether it had really happened that way — about the shortness of the cross. He answered: truly, it was so. But from now on I'll be more careful. For I'll make crosses that reach from the sole of the foot all the way to the top of the head — and beyond.
Read the original Latin
_22 Anno domini mcccxhi in fosto pasche frater Karolus magister ad laudem et gloriam dei et matris sue et dilatacionem finium Cristianorum, congregata omni virtute exercilus sui edificavit castrum Cristmemelam in litore Memele supra Raganitam ultra sex leucas. Tanta fuit ibidem multitudo navium, quod factus fuit pons super Memelam de ipsis, quem quilibet sine periculo poterat pertransire usque ad litus infidelium, de quo ponte Lethowini plus ammirabantur, quam de omnibus factis Cristianorum, que viderant in vita sua. Consummato edificio clerici sequente populo cum solempni processione reliquias ad ecclesiam portaverunt, missam ibi solempniter celebrantes. Nec hoc pretereundum est, quod ex permissione dei plures naves fratrum, que cum victualibus et aliis, que ad edificacionem castrorum sunt necessaria, fuerant onerate, in mari naufragio perierunt, et fratres im et viri quadringenti" sunt submersi. Hane temptacionem, sicut dicitur de Job, permisit dominus ideo fieri, ut daretur posteris exemplum constancie, quia licet hoc grave damnum fratribus occurreritb, nequaquam tarnen inceptum opus domini retardavit. Hoc tempore quidam de Bavaria sagittarius in Castro Raganita fuit, qui dum facto crucis signo jaceret in stratu suo noctis tempore, et vellet dormire, venit dyabolus et momordit eum maxime in pedicam suam. Iste autem de nimia lesione dolens clamavit alta voce dicensc: quis est, qui me momordit? At ille inquit: ego sum dyabolus.
Et quare fecisti? Respondit dyabolus: quia cum reponis te ad dormiendum, faciscrucesd nimisc breves. Sequenti autem die cum hujusmodi factum coram fratribus et aliis publicaret, quesiverunt ab eo, utrum sic fuisset de brevitate crucis. Re spondit: vere ita erat; sed de cetero cavebo; faciam enim cruces, que protendent sef a planta pedis usque ad verticem et ultra.
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