Station: [9] The peasants of Merzdorf in a turmoil
Ludwig:
We really showed ‘em, eh, men?
Martin:
Who’d have thought those aristos would give in that easily?
Ludwig:
“Her ladyship” was shaking like a leaf –! “Oh my god, Heinrich, what are we to do?”, “Why don’t you do something, Heinrich!”
Martin:
That’s a question she should have been asking last winter, when we were starving after the great drought.
Ludwig:
Or when Gottfried’s widow was left all on her own with her seven little ones after his accident. While at the manor house, they were throwing one party after another!
Martin:
We did the right thing, marching to the manor. My lord signed the declaration.
Ludwig:
What shall we drink to?
Martin:
Here’s to an end to all compulsory labour, men – up the corvée! [spuckt aus]
Ludwig:
If I think of all the times I did guard duty at night, during storms and rain, and in the bitter cold. All that’s over and done with. I’ll drink to that, and also to being able to hunt again, and keep the game away from our fields.
Martin:
I wasn’t able to sell my grain harvest, but I still had to pay the levy, because my lord wouldn’t accept payment in kind. Absolutely merciless, that aristo was!
Ludwig:
That’s all over and done with too, Martin!
Martin:
Finally, they’ll even be paying those in servitude. And the cherry on the cake, men – we made that lord of ours shell out for beer and brandy – this one time, anyway. We’ve got that in black and white!
Martin:
Ludwig, another round! Cheers, men!
Ludwig:
Look there, Georg has just arrived! Georg, come and have a drink with us!
Martin:
Why are you puffing and blowing? And why so grim?!
Georg:
I’ve just come from the town. Riesa is swarming with soldiers. Some of the farmers are in custody. In Hirschstein, they’re even said to have shot someone!
Ludwig:
My God! Seems we got ahead of ourselves with the partying!
Martin:
I knew it. I knew this wouldn’t end well!
Ludwig:
Go on, Georg! What did you see?
Georg:
Our brothers in Riesa have had soldiers quartered in their houses, some as many as 50, even though they themselves haven’t got enough to eat. The soldiers have stripped the fields bare and slaughtered every last chicken!
Ludwig:
Oh, no! It’s all over!
Martin:
They’ll be coming here to Merzdorf, next. We’ve got no chance against the military.
Ludwig:
We haven’t even got proper weapons!
Martin:
We’ll get nowhere with pikes and pitchforks!
Georg:
What are we to do?
Ludwig:
What’s to become of our wives and children if they drag us off to the fortress?
Martin:
We need to go and talk to his lordship, try to calm him down!
Georg:
Yes, we should beg him for mercy!
Ludwig:
You think that’ll stop the soldiers hunting us down?
Martin:
We must beg the lord’s pardon and swear obedience…
Georg:
… and take back all our demands!
Ludwig:
Then we’ll be living a life of misery forever!
Georg:
Then that will be our fate – or do you all want to die?
Martin:
Our children will do better. Don’t give up hope, men!
Ludwig:
Who’s going to go to his lordship and let him know?
Georg:
I will. I was the only one who didn’t speak up when we issued our demands. Perhaps we can still avert this disaster. God be with us!
Ludwig:
Best of luck, Georg!
Georg:
Go back to your farms, men, to your wives and children, and pray God that our lord responds to our request!