Olympia Morata - Part 3

But the terrors of war became worse and worse. The enemy outside were angered by the bravery of the defenders. A rain of fire seemed to descend on the town at night. The houses afforded no safety for the inmates. They were compelled to seek refuge in the bowels of the earth. Olympia, with her husband and brother, spent several weeks in the depth of an obscure cave, afraid to go out. Finally, the Margrave, seeing defeat before him, suddenly evacuated the town in the middle of the night. The enemy came in, but the citizens found that they brought no relief, only worse oppressions. For they pillaged the town and set it on fire. Fearful were the scenes in the town. The people pressed to the gates to escape, only to be driven back and condemned to perish. Some made their own funeral preparations in their homes. Some fell on their knees, trying to soften the hard, cruel hearts of the enemy, but in vain. Others ran toward the church as the asylum of safety, only to perish in the building, as it fell in the conflagration. Olympia and her family were drawn into the crowd that was surging toward the church, where they would have perished, when a soldier bade them flee or they would be burried under the ashes of the town. They followed this mysterious guide sent from heaven to save them, and he led them by a circuitous route beyond the walls. As they looked back, they saw the flames mounting up to heaven and the houses crackling under the heat. They hurried on and began to think themselves safe, when they were attacked by a band of soldiers, plundered of all they had, and her husband was taken away a prisoner. In her great distress she cried unto the Lord, "Help me, help me, for the love of Thy name." Exceedingly sad was her condition when she escaped from this danger. She had lost her shoes, her hair was dishevelled, and her clothes in tatters, with hardly a garment to cover her. During that aweful night she traveled more than ten miles. She arrived at the village of Hamelburg, comparing herself to the "queen of beggars," for she entered it with a borrowed dress, pale, emaciated and sick with the fever. The citizens of Hamelburg did not dare keep them long, for fear of the enemy. So, although she was so ill that she was hardly able to walk, she was compelled to leave. As they followed the banks of the river, the gravel and stones cut her bare feet, until she cried out in agony, "I can go no further. I am dying. Lord, if Thou wilt, save me; command Thine angels to bear me on their wings." At the next town she came to, the leutenant had been ordered to put all the refugees to death. But as the bishop happened to be absent, he gave them a little respite, till he returned, meanwhile keeping them in suspense between life and death. He finally let them go.

Then the favor of heaven began again to shine on them. An unknown nobleman, touched with their sufferings, gave them fifteen gulden of gold. With it they were able to work their way to Erbach in the Palatinate, whose count was so pious that a minister in the neighboring town declared that he learned more in a few days than in six years at Wittenburg University. When at last she found a safe asylum, Olympia broke down completely. She was crushed. At one blow she had lost her husband's fortune, and also the books, which had been brought at great expense from Italy, all of which fell prey to the flames at Schweinfurth. The fever which had been in her, now burst forth at its height. She was, however, very tenderly cared for by one of the noble families of the Palatinate, the Count of Erbach. The countess gave to her the care of a sister, and when she again became convalescent, she was greatly pleased to find that her brother was now opening his heart to the Reformed faith. She found a religious atmosphere in that noble family, as the Count had family worship in his home, and daily visited his people, exhorting them to piety. The Count used his influence to have her husband, who had arrived there safely, too, appointed as a professor at Heidelberg. He succeded in having him appointed by the Elector of the Palatinate, and they left Erbach for Heidelberg.