And among other things I remember the night of the Duke Casimir's famous ride, when he took Plassenburg, because there was scarce a sober man within the walls." "And his Highness the Prince Karl away on Baltic side with his men, else had Casimir never set foot within the city!" cried the High Chancellor.
"Ah, like enow," said the woodman, "I ken naught of that.

But this I do know, Plassenburg was taken with much slaughter and grievous loss of goodly gear.

They captivated many noble prisoners also, and, because I slept in the stables, they took me to help lead the horses.

Yet I was not ill-treated, save that I had to keep pace with the horsemen upon my feet.
But I saw the Prince--" "Which Prince?
Speak plainly," said the High Councillor, gruffly.
"Why, the Prince Dietrich Hohenfriedberg of Plassenburg," said the man.
"He, as your well-born Wisdom remembers, was then the only Prince in these parts--a good man, and born of the noblest, though not of the capacity of his present Highness the Prince Karl." "Proceed somewhat faster.

Yon move as slowly as one of your own forest oxen at the wood-hauling," cried the well-born Councillor in a testy tone.
"We were long in riding over to Thorn--two days and nights upon the way.
It was a terrible time, and all the while those condemned beasts of the Wolfmark, Casimir's Black Riders, driving us with their spears like prick-goads, till our backs were all bleeding, gentle and simple alike.
So at midnight of the third day we came to the city of Thorn, and up through the streets to the Wolfsberg.