Maximilian served the mass
in his royal character as sub-deacon. He was fond of so doing,
either from humility, or love of incongruity, or both. No one,
however, communicated except the clergy and the parties concerned--
Dankwart first, as being monk as well as knight, then Eberhard and
his mother; and then followed, interposed into the rite, the oath of
pardon, friendship, and brotherhood administered by the abbot, and
followed by the solemn kiss of peace. There was now no recoil;
Eberhard raised himself to meet the lips of his foe, and his heart
went with the embrace. Nay, his inward ear dwelt on Friedmund's song
mingling with the concluding chants of praise.
The service ended, it was part of the pledge of amity that the
reconciled enemies should break their fast together, and a collation
of white bread and wine was provided for the purpose. The Emperor
tried to promote free and friendly talk between the two adversaries,
but not with great success; for Dankwart, though honest and sincere,
seemed extremely dull. He appeared to have few ideas beyond his
Prussian commandery and its routine discipline, and to be lost in a
castle where all was at his sole will and disposal, and he caught
eagerly at all proposals made to him as if they were new lights.
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