The Censer the Thief Gave Back

When, after the fall of Přemysl Otakar II, Otto of Brandenburg ruled in Prague, he sent his mercenaries and some knights into the cathedral of Saint Vitus to search for money which many had deposited there for safekeeping during the past disturbances. The mercenaries first searched the sacristy and broke open cupboards and chests with axes and chisels. When the priests, aghast at such a profanation of the sanctuary, called aloud upon God for help, the Germans flared up in anger, abused the priests in word and deed — shaking their fists under the chin of some, it is said, beating others and dragging them this way and that — and drove them out of the sacristy; they took the keys from the sacristan by force, locked the door and set guards at it. Then they went into the chapel of Saint Wenceslas and searched everything about his tomb without reverence, but did not find the money they sought. The sanctity of the place nevertheless worked upon at least one of them, who meant to steal a silver censer in the chapel: fear came over him and he gave it back to the priests. From there they went to the crypt of Saints Cosmas and Damian, ran over everything from corner to corner, counted and weighed the chests of treasure and carefully noted them down, so that heavier ones could not be exchanged for lighter; and they departed with the keys of the chapel, the crypt and the sacristy, to hand them over to the margrave. Two days later the margrave's servants came again, opened the doors and took out all the money deposited in the church.