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diff --git a/43601-8.txt b/43601-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d871c3c..0000000 --- a/43601-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11490 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Freaks of Fanaticism, by Sabine Baring-Gould - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Freaks of Fanaticism - and Other Strange Events - -Author: Sabine Baring-Gould - -Release Date: August 30, 2013 [EBook #43601] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FREAKS OF FANATICISM *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Julia Neufeld and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - FREAKS OF FANATICISM - AND - OTHER STRANGE EVENTS - - - - - FREAKS OF FANATICISM - - AND - - OTHER STRANGE EVENTS - - BY - - S. BARING-GOULD, M.A. - - AUTHOR OF "MEHALAH," "OLD COUNTRY LIFE," "HISTORIC ODDITIES," - "SONGS OF THE WEST," ETC. - - - Methuen & Co. - - 18, BURY STREET, LONDON, W.C. - 1891 - - - - -PREFACE. - - -This Volume, that originally appeared as a Second Series to -"Historic Oddities and Strange Events," is now issued under a new -title which describes the peculiar nature of the majority of its -contents. Several of the articles are concerned with the history of -mysticism, a phase of human nature that deserves careful and close -study. Mysticism is the outbreak in man of a spiritual element -which cannot be ignored, cannot be wholly suppressed, and is man's -noblest element when rightly directed and balanced. It is capable -of regulation, but unregulated, it may become even a mischievous -faculty. - -When the Jews are being expelled from Russia, and are regarded with -bitter hostility in other parts of Eastern Europe, the article on -the accusations brought against them may prove not uninstructive -reading. - -There is political as well as religious and racial fanaticism, and -the story of the "Poisoned Parsnips" illustrates the readiness -with which false accusations against political enemies are made -and accepted without examination. "Jean Aymon" exhibits the same -unscrupulousness where religious passions are concerned. The curious -episode to "The Northern Raphael" shows the craving after notoriety -that characterises so much of sentimental, hysterical piety. - - S. BARING GOULD. - - LEW TRENCHARD, DEVON, - _September 1st, 1891_. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - A SWISS PASSION PLAY 1 - - A NORTHERN RAPHAEL 39 - - THE POISONED PARSNIPS 67 - - THE MURDER OF FATHER THOMAS IN DAMASCUS 86 - - SOME ACCUSATIONS AGAINST JEWS 107 - - THE COBURG MAUSOLEUM 120 - - JEAN AYMON 129 - - THE PATARINES OF MILAN 146 - - THE ANABAPTISTS OF MÜNSTER 195 - - - - -FREAKS OF FANATICISM. - - - - -A Swiss Passion Play. - - -We are a little surprised, and perhaps a little shocked, at the -illiberality of the Swiss Government, in even such Protestant -cantons as Geneva, Zürich, and Berne, in forbidding the performances -on their ground of the "Salvation Army," and think that such -conduct is not in accordance with Protestant liberty of judgment -and democratic independence. But the experiences gone through in -Switzerland as in Germany of the confusion and mischief sometimes -wrought by fanaticism, we will not say justify, but in a measure -explain, the objection the Government has to a recrudescence of -religious mysticism in its more flagrant forms. The following story -exemplifies the extravagance to which such spiritual exaltation runs -occasionally--fortunately only occasionally. - -About eight miles from Schaffhausen, a little way on one side of -the road to Winterthür, in a valley, lies the insignificant hamlet -of Wildisbuch, its meadows overshadowed by leafy walnut trees. The -hamlet is in the parish of Trüllikon. Here, at the beginning of this -century, in a farmhouse, standing by itself, lived John Peter, a -widower, with several of his children. He had but one son, Caspar, -married in 1812, and divorced from his wife; he was, however, -blessed with five daughters--Barbara, married to a blacksmith in -Trüllikon; Susanna, Elizabeth, Magdalena married to John Moser, a -shoemaker; and Margaretta, born in 1794, his youngest, and favourite -child. Not long after the birth of Margaretta, her mother died, -and thenceforth the child was the object of the tenderest and most -devoted solicitude to her sisters and to her father. Margaretta grew -up to be a remarkable child. At school she distinguished herself by -her aptitude in learning, and in church by the devotion with which -she followed the tedious Zwinglian service. The pastor who prepared -her for confirmation was struck by her enthusiasm and eagerness to -know about religion. She was clearly an imaginative person, and to -one constituted as she was, the barnlike church, destitute of every -element of beauty, studiously made as hideous as a perverse fancy -could scheme, and the sacred functions reduced to utter dreariness, -with every element of devotion bled out of them, were incapable of -satisfying the internal spiritual fire that consumed her. - -There is in every human soul a divine aspiration, a tension after -the invisible and spiritual, in some more developed than in others, -in certain souls existing only in that rudimentary condition in -which, it is said, feet are found in the eel, and eyes in the -oyster, but in others it is a predominating faculty, a veritable -passion. Unless this faculty be given legitimate scope, be -disciplined and guided, it breaks forth in abnormal and unhealthy -manifestations. We know what is the result when the regular action -of the pores of the skin is prevented, or the circulation of the -blood is impeded. Fever and hallucination ensue. So is it with the -spiritual life in man. If that be not given free passage for healthy -discharge of its activity, it will resolve itself into fanaticism, -that is to say it will assume a diseased form of manifestation. - -Margaretta was far ahead of her father, brother and sisters in -intellectual culture, and in moral force of character. Susanna, -the second daughter of John Peter, was an amiable, industrious, -young woman, without independence of character. The third daughter, -Elizabeth, was a quiet girl, rather dull in brain; Barbara was -married when Margaretta was only nine, and Magdalena not long after; -neither of them, however, escaped the influence of their youngest -sister, who dominated over their wills almost as completely as she -did over those of her two unmarried sisters, with whom she consorted -daily. - -How great her power over her sisters was may be judged from what -they declared in after years in prison, and from what they endured -for her sake. - -Barbara, the eldest, professed to the prison chaplain in Zürich, in -1823, "I am satisfied that God worked in mighty power, and in grace -through Margaret, up to the hour of her death." The father himself -declared after the ruin of his family and the death of two of his -daughters, "I am assured that my youngest daughter was set apart by -God for some extraordinary purpose." - -When Margaret was six, she was able to read her Bible, and would -summon the family about her to listen to her lectures out of the -sacred volume. She would also at the same time pray with great -ardour, and exhort her father and sisters to lead God-fearing -lives. When she read the narrative of the Passion, she was unable -to refrain from tears; her emotion communicated itself to all -assembled round her, and the whole family sobbed and prayed aloud. -She was a veritable "ministering child" to her household in all -things spiritual. As she had been born at Christmas, it was thought -that this very fact indicated some special privilege and grace -accorded to her. In 1811, when aged seventeen, she received her -first communion and edified all the church with the unction and -exaltation of soul with which she presented herself at the table. -In after years the pastor of Trüllikon said of her, "Unquestionably -Margaretta was the cleverest of the family. She often came to thank -me for the instructions I had given her in spiritual things. Her -promises to observe all I had taught her were most fervent. I had -the best hopes for her, although I observed somewhat of extravagance -in her. Margaretta speedily obtained an absolute supremacy in her -father's house. All must do what she ordered. Her will expressed by -word of mouth, or by letter when absent, was obeyed as the will of -God." - -In personal appearance Margaretta was engaging. She was finely -moulded, had a well-proportioned body, a long neck on which her head -was held very upright; large, grey-blue eyes, fair hair, a lofty, -well-arched brow. The nose was well-shaped, but the chin and mouth -were somewhat coarse. - -In 1816, her mother's brother, a small farmer at Rudolfingen, -invited her to come and manage his house for him. She went, and was -of the utmost assistance. Everything prospered under her hand. Her -uncle thought that she had brought the blessing of the Almighty on -both his house and his land. - -Whilst at Rudolfingen, the holy maiden was brought in contact with -the Pietists of Schaffhausen. She attended their prayer-meetings and -expositions of Scripture. This deepened her religious convictions, -and produced a depression in her manner that struck her sisters -when she visited them. In answer to their inquiries why she was -reserved and melancholy, she replied that God was revealing Himself -to her more and more every day, so that she became daily more -conscious of her own sinfulness. If this had really been the case -it would have saved her from what ensued, but this sense of her own -sinfulness was a mere phrase, that meant actually an overweening -self-consciousness. She endured only about a twelve month of the -pietistic exercises at Schaffhausen, and then felt a call to preach, -testify and prophesy herself, instead of sitting at the feet of -others. Accordingly, she threw up her place with her uncle, and -returned to Wildisbuch, in March, 1817, when she began operations as -a revivalist. - -The paternal household was now somewhat enlarged. The old farmer had -taken on a hand to help him in field and stable, called Heinrich -Ernst, and a young woman as maid called Margaret Jäggli. Ernst was a -faithful, amiable young fellow whom old Peters thoroughly trusted, -and he became devoted heart and soul to the family. Margaret -Jäggli was a person of very indifferent character, who, for her -immoralities, had been turned out of her native village. She was -subject to epileptic fits, which she supposed were possession by the -devil, and she came to the farm of the Peter's family in hopes of -being there cured by the prayers of the saintly Margaretta. - -Another inmate of the house was Ursula Kündig, who entered it at the -age of nineteen, and lived there as a veritable maid-of-all-work, -though paid no wages. This damsel was of the sweetest, gentlest -disposition. Her parish pastor gave testimony to her, "She was -always so good that even scandal-mongers were unable to find -occasion for slander in her conduct." Her countenance was full of -intelligence, purity, and had in it a nobility above her birth and -education. Her home had been unhappy; she had been engaged to be -married to a young man, but finding that he did not care for her, -and sought only her small property, she broke off the engagement, -to her father's great annoyance. It was owing to a quarrel at home -relative to this, that she went to Wildisbuch to entreat Margaretta -Peter to be "her spiritual guide through life into eternity." -Ursula had at first only paid occasional visits to Wildisbuch, but -gradually these visits became long, and finally she took up her -residence in the house. The soul of the unhappy girl was as wax in -the hands of the saint, whom she venerated with intensest admiration -as the Elect of the Lord; and she professed her unshaken conviction -"that Christ revealed Himself in the flesh through her, and that -through her many thousands of souls were saved." The house at -Wildisbuch became thenceforth a great gathering place for all the -spiritually-minded in the neighbourhood, who desired instruction, -guidance, enlightenment, and Margaretta, the high priestess of -mysticism to all such as could find no satisfaction for the deepest -hunger of their souls in the Zwinglian services of their parish -church. - -Man is composed of two parts; he has a spiritual nature which he -shares with the angels, and an animal nature that he possesses in -common with the beasts. There is in him, consequently, a double -tendency, one to the indefinite, unconfined, spiritual; the other -to the limited, sensible and material. The religious history of -all times shows us this higher nature striving after emancipation -from the law of the body, and never succeeding in accomplishing -the escape, always falling back, like Dædalus, into destruction, -when attempting to defy the laws of nature and soar too near to -the ineffable light. The mysticism of the old heathen world, the -mysticism of the Gnostic sects, the mysticism of mediæval heretics, -almost invariably resolved itself into orgies of licentiousness. God -has bound soul and body together, and an attempt to dissociate them -in religion is fatally doomed to ruin. - -The incarnation of the Son of God was the indissoluble union of -Spirit with form as the basis of true religion. Thenceforth, Spirit -was no more to be dissociated from matter, authority from a visible -Church, grace from a sacramental sign, morality from a fixed law. -All the great revolts against Catholicism in the middle-ages, were -more or less revolts against this principle and were reversions to -pure spiritualism. The Reformation was taken advantage of for the -mystic aspirations of men to run riot. Individual emotion became -the supreme and sole criticism of right and wrong, of truth and -falsehood, and sole authority to which submission must be tendered. - -In the autumn of 1817, Margaretta of Wildisbuch met a woman who -was also remarkable in her way, and the head of another revivalist -movement. This was Julianne von Krüdner; about whom a word must now -be said. - -Julianne was born in 1766, at Riga, the daughter of a noble and -wealthy family. Her father visited Paris and took the child with -him, where she made the acquaintance of the rationalistic and -speculative spirits of French society, before the Revolution. -In a Voltairean atmosphere, the little Julianne grew up without -religious faith or moral principle. At the age of fourteen she was -married to a man much older than herself, the Baron von Krüdner, -Russian Ambassador at Venice. There her notorious immoralities -resulted in a separation, and Julianne was obliged to return to her -father's house at Riga. This did not satisfy her love of pleasure -and vanity, and she went to St. Petersburg and then to Paris, -where she threw herself into every sort of dissipation. She wrote -a novel, "Valérie," in which she frankly admitted that woman, when -young, must give herself up to pleasure, then take up with art, and -finally, when nothing else was left her, devote herself to religion. -At the age of forty she had already entered on this final phase. -She went to Berlin, was admitted to companionship with the Queen, -Louise, and endeavoured to "convert" her. The sweet, holy queen -required no conversion, and the Baroness von Krüdner was obliged to -leave Berlin. She wandered thenceforth from place to place, was now -in Paris, then in Geneva, and then in Germany. At Karlsruhe she met -Jung-Stilling; and thenceforth threw herself heart and soul into the -pietistic revival. Her mission now was--so she conceived--to preach -the Gospel to the poor. In 1814 she obtained access to the Russian -Court, where her prophecies and exhortations produced such an effect -on the spirit of the Czar, Alexander I., that he entreated her to -accompany him to Paris. She did so, and held spiritual conferences -and prayer meetings in the French capital. Alexander soon tired of -her, and she departed to Basel, where she won to her the Genevan -Pastor Empeytaz and the Basel Professor Lachenal. Her meetings for -revival, which were largely attended, caused general excitement, -but led to many domestic quarrels, so that the city council gave -her notice to leave the town. She then made a pilgrimage along the -Rhine, but her proceedings were everywhere objected to by the police -and town authorities, and she was sent back under police supervision -first to Leipzig, and thence into Russia. - -Thence in 1824 she departed for the Crimea, where she had resolved -to start a colony on the plan of the Moravian settlements, and there -died before accomplishing her intention. - -It was in 1817, when she was conducting her apostolic progress along -the Rhine, that she and Margaretta of Wildisbuch met. Apparently the -latter made a deeper impression on the excitable baroness than had -the holy Julianne on Margaretta. The two aruspices did not laugh -when they met, for they were both in deadly earnest, and had not -the smallest suspicion that they were deluding themselves first, and -then others. - -The meeting with the Krüdner had a double effect. In the first -place, the holy Julianne, when forced to leave the neighbourhood -by the unregenerate police, commended her disciples to the blessed -Margaret; and, in the second place, the latter had the shrewdness -to perceive, that, if she was to play anything like the part of -her fellow-apostle, she must acquire a little more education. -Consequently Margaret took pains to write grammatically, and to -spell correctly. - -The result of the commendation by Saint Julianne of her disciples -to Margaret was that thenceforth a regular pilgrimage set in to -Wildisbuch of devout persons in landaus and buggies, on horse and on -foot. - -Some additional actors in the drama must now be introduced. - -Magdalena Peter, the fourth daughter of John Peter, was married to -the cobbler, John Moser. The influence of Margaret speedily made -itself felt in their house. At first Moser's old mother lived with -the couple, along with Conrad, John Moser's younger brother. The -first token of the conversion of Moser and his wife was that they -kicked the old mother out of the house, because she was worldly and -void of "saving grace." Conrad was a plodding, hard-working lad, -very useful, and therefore not to be dispensed with. The chosen -vessels finding he did not sympathise with them, and finding him too -valuable to be done without, starved him till he yielded to their -fancies, saw visions, and professed himself "saved." Barbara, also, -married to the blacksmith Baumann, was next converted, and brought -all her spiritual artillery to bear on the blacksmith, but in vain. -He let her go her own way, but he would have nothing himself to say -to the great spiritual revival in the house of the Peters. Barbara, -not finding a kindred soul in her husband, had taken up with a man -of like soaring piety, a tailor, named Hablützel. - -Another person who comes into this story is Jacob Ganz, a tailor, -who had been mixed up with the movement at Basel under Julianne the -Holy. - -Margaret's brother Caspar was a man of infamous character; he was -separated from his wife, whom he had treated with brutality; had -become the father of an illegitimate child, and now loafed about the -country preaching the Gospel. - -Ganz, the tailor, had thrown aside his shears, and constituted -himself a roving preacher. In one of his apostolic tours he had made -the acquaintance of Saint Margaret, and had been deeply impressed by -her. He had an elect disciple at Illnau, in the Kempthal, south of -Winterthür. This was a shoemaker named Jacob Morf, a married man, -aged thirty; small, with a head like a pumpkin. To this shoemaker -Ganz spoke with enthusiasm of the spiritual elevation of the holy -Margaret, and Morf was filled with a lively desire of seeing and -hearing her. - -Margaretta seems after a while to have wearied of the monotony of -life in her father's house, or else the spirit within her drove her -abroad to carry her light into the many dark corners of her native -canton. She resolved to be like Ganz, a roving apostle. Sometimes -she started on her missionary journeys alone, sometimes along with -her sister Elizabeth, who submitted to her with blind and stanch -obedience, or else with Ursula Kündig. These journeys began in 1820, -and extended as far Zürich and along the shores of that lovely lake. -In May of the same year she visited Illnau, where she was received -with enthusiasm by the faithful, who assembled in the house of a -certain Ruegg, and there for the first time she met with Jacob Morf. -The acquaintance then begun soon quickened into friendship. When -a few weeks later he went to Schaffhausen to purchase leather, he -turned aside to Wildisbuch. After this his visits there became not -only frequent, but were protracted. - -Margaret was the greatest comfort to him in his troubled state of -soul. She described to him the searchings and anxieties she had -undergone, so that he cried "for very joy that he had encountered -one who had gone through the same experience as himself." - -In November, 1820, Margaret took up her abode for some time in the -house of a disciple, Caspar Notz, near Zürich, and made it the -centre whence she started on a series of missionary excursions. Here -also gathered the elect out of Zürich to hear her expound Scripture, -and pray. And hither also came the cobbler Morf seeking ease for his -troubled soul, and on occasions stayed in the house there with her -for a week at a time. At last his wife, the worthy Regula Morf, came -from Illnau to find her husband, and persuaded him to return with -her to his cobbling at home. - -At the end of January in 1821, Margaret visited Illnau again, and -drew away after her the bewitched Jacob, who followed her all the -way home, to Wildisbuch, and remained at her father's house ten days -further. - -On Ascension Day following, he was again with her, and then she -revealed to him that it was the will of heaven that they should -ascend together, without tasting death, into the mansions of the -blessed, and were to occupy one throne together for all eternity. -Throughout this year, when the cobbler, Jacob, was not at -Wildisbuch, or Saint Margaretta at Illnau, the pair were writing -incessantly to each other, and their correspondence is still -preserved in the archives of Zürich. Here is a specimen of the style -of the holy Margaret. "My dear child! your dear letter filled me -with joy. O, my dear child, how gladly would I tell you how it fares -with me! When we parted, I was forced to go aside where none might -see, to relieve my heart with tears. O, my heart, I cannot describe -to you the distress into which I fell. I lay as one senseless for -an hour. For anguish of heart I could not go home, such unspeakable -pains did I suffer! My former separation from you was but a shadow -of this parting. O, why are you so unutterably dear to me, &c.," and -then a flow of sickly, pious twaddle that makes the gorge rise. - -Regula Morf read this letter and shook her head over it. She had -shaken her head over another letter received by her husband a month -earlier, in which the holy damsel had written: "O, how great is my -love! It is stronger than death. O, how dear are you to me. I could -hug you to my heart a thousand times." And had scribbled on the -margin, "These words are for your eye alone." However, Regula saw -them, shook her head and told her husband that the letter seemed -to her unenlightened mind to be very much like a love-letter. -"Nothing of the sort," answered the cobbler, "it speaks of spiritual -affection only." - -We must now pass over a trait in the life of the holy maid which -is to the last degree unedifying, but which is merely another -exemplification of that truth which the history of mysticism -enforces in every age, that spiritual exaltation runs naturally, -inevitably, into licentiousness, unless held in the iron bands of -discipline to the moral law. A mystic is a law to himself. He bows -before no exterior authority. However much he may transgress the -code laid down by religion, he feels no compunction, no scruples, -for his heart condemns him not. It was so with the holy Margaret. -Her lapse or lapses in no way roused her to a sense of sin, but -served only to drive her further forward on the mad career of -self-righteous exaltation. - -She had disappeared for many months from her father's house, along -with her sister Elizabeth. The police had inquired as to their -whereabouts of old John Peter, but he had given them no information -as to where his daughters were. He professed not to know. He was -threatened unless they were produced by a certain day that he would -be fined. The police were sent in search in every direction but the -right one. - -Suddenly in the night of January 11th, 1823, the sisters -re-appeared, Margaret, white, weak, and prostrate with sickness. - -A fortnight after her return, Jacob Morf was again at Wildisbuch, -as he said afterwards before court, "led thither because assured by -Margaret that they were to ascend together to heaven without dying." - -From this time forward, Margaretta's conduct went into another -phase. Instead of resuming her pilgrim's staff and travelling round -the country preaching the Gospel, she remained all day in one room -with her sister Elizabeth, the shutters closed, reading the Bible, -meditating, and praying, and writing letters to her "dear child" -Jacob. The transgressions she had committed were crosses laid on her -shoulder by God. "Oh! why," she wrote in one of her epistles, "did -my Heavenly Father choose _that_ from all eternity in His providence -for me? There were thousands upon thousands of other crosses He -might have laid on me. But He elected that one which would be -heaviest for me, heavier than all the persecutions to which I am -subjected by the devil, and which all but overthrow me. From the -foundation of the world He has never so tried any of His saints as -He has us. It gives joy to all the host of heaven when we suffer to -the end." Again, "the greater the humiliation and shame we undergo, -and have to endure from our enemies here below"--consider, brought -on herself by her own scandalous conduct--"the more unspeakable our -glorification in heaven." - -In the evening, Margaretta would come downstairs and receive -visitors, and preach and prophesy to them. The entire house -was given over to religious ecstasy that intensified as Easter -approached. Every now and then the saint assembled the household -and exhorted them to watch and pray, for a great trial of their -faith was at hand. Once she asked them whether they were ready to -lay down their lives for Christ. One day she said, in the spirit of -prophecy, "Behold! I see the host of Satan drawing nearer and nearer -to encompass me. He strives to overcome me. Let me alone that I may -fight him." Then she flung her arms about and struck in the air with -her open hands. - -The idea grew in her that the world was in danger, that the devil -was gaining supremacy over it, and would carry all souls into -captivity once more, and that she--and almost only she--stood in his -way and was protecting the world of men against his power. - -For years she had exercised her authority, that grew with every -year, over everyone in the house, and not a soul there had thought -of resisting her, of evading the commands she laid on them, of -questioning her word. - -The house was closed against all but the very elect. The pastor of -the parish, as "worldly," was not suffered to cross the threshold. -At a tap, the door was opened, and those deemed worthy were -admitted, and the door hastily barred and bolted behind them. -Everything was viewed in a spiritual light. One evening Ursula -Kündig and Margaretta Jäggli were sitting spinning near the stove. -Suddenly there was a pop. A knot in the pine-logs in the stove had -exploded. But up sprang Jäggli, threw over her spinning-wheel, and -shrieked out--"Hearken! Satan is banging at the window. He wants -me. He will fetch me!" She fell convulsed on the floor, foaming -at the mouth. Margaret, the saint, was summoned. The writhing -girl shrieked out, "Pray for me! Save me! Fight for my soul!" and -Margaretta at once began her spiritual exercises to ban the evil -spirit from the afflicted and possessed servant maid. She beat with -her hands in the air, cried out, "Depart, thou murderer of souls, -accursed one, to hell-fire. Wilt thou try to rob me of my sheep that -was lost? My sheep--whom I have pledged myself to save?" - -One day, the maid had a specially bad epileptic fit. Around her bed -stood old John Peter, Elizabeth and Susanna, Ursula Kündig, and John -Moser, as well as the saint. Margaret was fighting with the Evil One -with her fists and her cries, when John Moser fell into ecstasy and -saw a vision. His account shall be given in his own words: "I saw -Christ and Satan, and the latter held a book open before Christ and -bade Him see how many claims he had on the soul of Jäggli. The book -was scored diagonally with red lines on all the pages. I saw this -distinctly, and therefore concluded that the account was cancelled. -Then I saw all the saints in heaven snatch the book away, and tear -it into a thousand pieces that fell down in a rain." - -But Satan was not to be defeated and driven away so easily. He -had made himself a nest, so Margaret stated, under the roof of -the house, and only a desperate effort of faith and contest with -spiritual arms could expel him. For this Armageddon she bade all -prepare. It is hardly necessary to add that it could not be fought -without the presence of the dearly beloved Jacob. She wrote to him -and invited him to come to the great and final struggle with the -devil and all his host, and the obedient cobbler girded his loins -and hastened to Wildisbuch, where he arrived on Saturday the 8th -March, 1823. - -On Monday, in answer, probably, to her summons, came also John Moser -and his brother Conrad. Then also Margaret's own and only brother, -Caspar. - -Before proceeding to the climax of this story we may well pause to -ask whether the heroine was in her senses or not; whether she set -the avalanche in motion that overwhelmed herself and her house, -with deliberation and consciousness as to the end to which she was -aiming. The woman was no vulgar impostor; she deceived herself to -her own destruction. In her senses, so far, she had set plainly -before her the object to which she was about to hurry her dupes, but -her reason and intelligence were smothered under her overweening -self-esteem, that had grown like a great spiritual cancer, till -it had sapped common-sense, and all natural affection, even the -very instinct of self-preservation. Before her diseased eyes, the -salvation of the whole world depended on herself. If she failed in -her struggle with the evil principle, all mankind fell under the -bondage of Satan; but she could not fail--she was all-powerful, -exalted above every chance of failure in the battle, just as she was -exalted above every lapse in virtue, do what she might, which to -the ordinary sense of mankind is immoral. Every mystic does not go -as far as Margaret Peter, happily, but all take some strides along -that road that leads to self-deification and _anomia_. In Margaret's -conduct, in preparation for the final tragedy, there was a good -deal of shrewd calculation; she led up to it by a long isolation -and envelopment of herself and her doings in mystery; and she -called her chosen disciples to witness it. Each stage in the drama -was calculated to produce a certain effect, and she measured her -influence over her creatures before she advanced another step. On -Monday all were assembled and in expectation; Armageddon was to be -fought, but when the battle would begin, and how it would be carried -through, were unknown. Tuesday arrived; some of the household went -about their daily work, the rest were gathered together in the room -where Margaret was, lost in silent prayer. Every now and then the -hush in the darkened room was broken by a wail of the saint: "I am -sore straitened! I am in anguish!--but I refresh my soul at the -prospect of the coming exaltation!" or, "My struggle with Satan is -severe. He strives to retain the souls which I will wrest from his -hold; some have been for two hundred, even three hundred years in -his power." - -One can imagine the scene--the effect produced on those assembled -about the pale, striving ecstatic. All who were present afterwards -testified that on the Tuesday and the following days they hardly -left the room, hardly allowed themselves time to snatch a hasty -meal, so full of expectation were they that some great and awful -event was about to take place. The holy enthusiasm was general, and -if one or two, such as old Peter and his son, Caspar, were less -magnetised than the rest, they were far removed from the thought -of in any way contesting the will of the prophetess, or putting -the smallest impediment in the way of her accomplishing what she -desired. - -When evening came, she ascended to an upper room, followed by the -whole company, and there she declared, "Lo! I see Satan and his -first-born floating in the air. They are dispersing their emissaries -to all corners of the earth to summon their armies together." -Elizabeth, somewhat tired of playing a passive part, added, "Yes--I -see them also." Then the holy maid relapsed into her mysterious -silence. After waiting another hour, all went to bed, seeing that -nothing further would happen that night. Next day, Wednesday, she -summoned the household into her bedroom; seated on her bed, she bade -them all kneel down and pray to the Lord to strengthen her hands for -the great contest. They continued striving in prayer till noon, and -then, feeling hungry, all went downstairs to get some food. When -they had stilled their appetites, Margaret was again seized by the -spirit of prophecy, and declared, "The Lord has revealed to me what -will happen in the latter days. The son of Napoleon" (that poor, -feeble mortal the Duke of Reichstadt) "will appear before the world -as anti-Christ, and will strive to bring the world over to his side. -He will undergo a great conflict; but what will be the result is -not shown me at the present moment; but I am promised a spiritual -token of this revelation." And the token followed. The dearly-loved -Jacob, John Moser, and Ursula Kündig cried out that they saw two -evil spirits, one in the form of Napoleon, pass into Margaret -Jäggli, and the other, in that of his son, enter into Elizabeth. -Whereupon Elizabeth, possessed by the spirit of that poor, little, -sickly Duke of Reichstadt, began to march about the room and assume -a haughty, military air. Thereupon the prophetess wrestled in spirit -and overcame these devils and expelled them. Thereat Elizabeth gave -up her military flourishes. - -From daybreak on the following day the blessed Margaret "had -again a desperate struggle," but without the assistance of the -household, which was summoned to take their share in the battle in -the afternoon only. She bade them follow her to the upper chamber, -and a procession ascended the steep stairs, consisting of Margaret, -followed by Elizabeth and Susanna Peter, Ursula Kündig and Jäggli, -the old father and his son, Caspar, the serving-man, Heinrich Ernst, -then Jacob Morf, John Moser, and the rear was brought up by the -young Conrad. As soon as the prophetess had taken her seat on the -bed, she declared, "Last night it was revealed to me that you are -all of you to unite with me in the battle with the devil, lest he -should conquer Christ. I must strive, lest your souls and those -of so many, many others should be lost. Come, then! strive with -me; but first of all, kneel down, lay your faces in the dust and -pray." Thereupon, all prostrated themselves on the floor and prayed -in silence. Presently the prophetess exclaimed from her throne on -the bed, "The hour is come in which the conflict must take place, -so that Christ may gather together His Church, and contend with -anti-Christ. After Christ has assembled His Church, 1260 days will -elapse, and then anti-Christ will appear in human form, and with -sweet and enticing words will strive to seduce the elect; but all -true Christians will hold aloof." After a pause, she said solemnly, -"In verity, anti-Christ is already among us." - -Then with a leap she was off the bed, turning her eyes about, -throwing up her hands, rushing about the room, striking the chairs -and clothes-boxes with her fists, crying, "The scoundrel, the -murderer of souls!" And, finding a hammer, she began to beat the -wall with it. - -The company looked on in breathless amaze. But the epileptic Jäggli -went into convulsions, writhed on the ground, groaned, shrieked and -wrung her hands. Then the holy Margaretta cried, "I see in spirit -the old Napoleon gathering a mighty host, and marching against me. -The contest will be terrible. You must wrestle unto blood. Go! fly! -fetch me axes, clubs, whatever you can find. Bar the doors, curtain -all the windows in the house, and close every shutter." - -Whilst her commands were being fulfilled in all haste, and the -required weapons were sought out, John Moser, who remained behind, -saw the room "filled with a dazzling glory, such as no tongue could -describe," and wept for joy. The excitement had already mounted to -visionary ecstasy. It was five o'clock when the weapons were brought -upstairs. The holy Margaretta was then seated on her bed, wringing -her hands, and crying to all to pray, "Help! help! all of you, that -Christ may not be overcome in me. Strike, smite, cleave--everywhere, -on all sides--the floor, the walls! It is the will of God! smite on -till I bid you stay. Smite and lose your lives if need be." - -It was a wonder that lives were not lost in the extraordinary scene -that ensued; the room was full of men and women; there were ten of -them armed with hatchets, crowbars, clubs, pick-axes, raining blows -on walls and floors, on chairs, tables, cupboards and chests. This -lasted for three hours. Margaret remained on the bed, encouraging -the party to continue; when any arm flagged she singled out the -weary person, and exhorted him, as he loved his soul, to fight more -valiantly and utterly defeat and destroy the devil. "Strike him! -cut him down! the old adversary! the arch-fiend! whoso loseth his -life shall find it. Fear nothing! smite till your blood runs down -as sweat. There he is in yonder corner; now at him," and Elizabeth -served as her echo, "Smite! strike on! He is a murderer, he is the -young Napoleon, the coming anti-Christ, who entered into me and -almost destroyed me." - -This lasted, as already said, for three hours. The room was full -of dust. The warriors steamed with their exertions, and the sweat -rolled off them. Never had men and women fought with greater -enthusiasm. The battle of Don Quixote against the wind-mills was -nothing to this. What blows and wounds the devil and the young -Duke of Reichstadt obtained is unrecorded, but walls and floor and -furniture in the room were wrecked; indeed pitchfork and axe had -broken down one wall of the house and exposed what went on inside to -the eyes of a gaping crowd that had assembled without, amazed at the -riot that went on in the house that was regarded as a very sanctuary -of religion. - -No sooner did the saint behold the faces of the crowd outside than -she shrieked forth, "Behold them! the enemies of God! the host of -Satan, coming on! But fear them not, we shall overcome." - -At last the combatants were no longer able to raise their arms or -maintain themselves on their feet. Then Margaret exclaimed, "The -victory is won! follow me!" She led them downstairs into the common -sitting-room, where close-drawn curtains and fastened shutters -excluded the rude gaze of the profane. Here a rushlight was kindled, -and by its light the battle continued with an alteration in the -tactics. - -In complete indifference to the mob that surrounded the house and -clamoured at the door for admission, the saint ordered all to throw -themselves on the ground and thank heaven for the victory they had -won. Then, after a pause of more than an hour the same scene began -again, and that it could recommence is evidence how much a man can -do and endure, when possessed by a holy craze. - -It was afterwards supposed that the whole pious community was drunk -with schnaps; but with injustice. Their stomachs were empty; it was -their brains that were drunk. - -The holy Margaret, standing in the midst of the prostrate -worshippers, now ordered them to beat themselves with their fists -on their heads and breasts, and they obeyed. Elizabeth yelled, "O, -Margaret! Do thou strike me! Let me die for Christ." - -Thereupon the holy one struck her sister repeatedly with her -fists, so that Elizabeth cried out with pain, "Bear it!" exclaimed -Margaret; "It is the wrath of God!" - -The prima-donna of the whole comedy in the meanwhile looked well -about her to see that none of the actors spared themselves. When -she saw anyone slack in his self-chastisement, she called to him to -redouble his blows. As the old man did not exhibit quite sufficient -enthusiasm in self-torture, she cried, "Father, you do not beat -yourself sufficiently!" and then began to batter him with her own -fists. The ill-treated old man groaned under her blows, but she -cheered him with, "I am only driving out the old Adam, father! It -does not hurt you," and redoubled her pommelling of his head and -back. Then out went the light. - -All this while the crowd listened and passed remarks outside. No -one would interfere, as it was no one's duty to interfere. Tidings -of what was going on did, however, reach the amtmann of the parish, -but he was an underling, and did not care to meddle without higher -authority, so sent word to the amtmann of the district. This latter -called to him his secretary, his constable and a policeman, and -reached the house of the Peter's family at ten o'clock. In his -report to the police at Zürich he says: "On the 13th about 10 -o'clock at night I reached Wildisbuch, and then heard that the noise -in the house of the Peter's family had ceased, that all lights were -out, and that no one was stirring. I thought it advisable not to -disturb this tranquillity, so left orders that the house should -be watched," and then he went into the house of a neighbour. At -midnight, the policeman who had been left on guard came to announce -that there was a renewal of disturbance in the house of the Peters. -The amtmann went to the spot and heard muffled cries of "Save us! -have mercy on us! Strike away! he is a murderer! spare him not!" -and a trampling, and a sound of blows, "as though falling on soft -bodies." The amtmann knocked at the window and ordered those within -to admit him. As no attention was paid to his commands, he bade -the constable break open the house door. This was done, but the -sitting-room door was now found to be fast barred. The constable -then ascended to the upper room and saw in what a condition of -wreckage it was. He descended and informed the amtmann of what he -had seen. Again the window was knocked at, and orders were repeated -that the door should be opened. No notice was taken of this; -whereupon the worthy magistrate broke in a pane of glass, and thrust -a candle through the window into the room. - -"I now went to the opened window, and observed four or five men -standing with their backs against the door. Another lay as dead on -the floor. At a little distance was a coil of human beings, men and -women, lying in a heap on the floor, beside them a woman on her -knees beating the rest, and crying out at every blow, 'Lord, have -mercy!' Finally, near the stove was another similar group." - -The amtmann now ordered the sitting-room door to be broken open. -Conrad Moser, who had offered to open to the magistrate, was rebuked -by the saint, who cried out to him: "What, will you give admission -to the devil?" - -"The men," says the magistrate in his report, "offered resistance -excited thereto by the women, who continued screaming. The holy -Margaret especially distinguished herself, and was on her knees -vigorously beating another woman who lay flat on the floor on her -face. A second group consisted of a coil of two men and two women -lying on the floor, the head of one woman on the body of a man, -and the head of a man on that of a girl. The rest staggered to -their feet one after another. I tried remonstrances, but they were -unavailing in the hubbub. Then I ordered the old Peter to be removed -from the room. Thereupon men and women flung themselves upon him, -in spite of all our assurances that no harm would be done him. With -difficulty we got him out of the room, with all the rest hanging -on him, so that he was thrown on the floor, and the rest clinging -to him tumbled over him in a heap. I repeated my remonstrance, and -insisted on silence, but without avail. When old Peter prepared to -answer, the holy Margaret stayed him with, 'Father, make no reply. -Pray!' All then recommenced the uproar. Margaret cried out: 'Let us -all die! I will die for Christ!' Others called out, 'Lord, save us!' -and others, 'Have mercy on us!'" - -The amtmann gave orders that the police were to divide the party -and keep guard over some in the kitchen, and the rest in the -sitting-room, through the night, and not to allow them to speak to -each other. The latter order was, however, more than the police -could execute. In spite of all their efforts, Margaretta and the -others continued to exhort and comfort one another through the night. - -Next morning each was brought before the magistrate and subjected -to examination. All were sullen, resolute, and convinced that they -were doing God's will. As the holy Margaretta was led away from -examination, she said to Ursula and the servant Heinrich, "The world -opposes, but can not frustrate my work." - -Her words came true, the world was too slow in its movements. The -amtmann did not send in his report to the authorities of Zürich till -the 16th, whereupon it was taken into consideration, and orders were -transmitted to him that Margaret and Elizabeth were to be sent to an -asylum. It was then too late. - -After the investigation, the amtmann required the cobbler, John -Morf, to march home to Illnau, John and Conrad Moser to return to -their home, and Ursula Kündig to be sent back to her father. This -command was not properly executed. Ursula remained, and though -John Moser obeyed, he was prepared to return to the holy Margaret -directly he was summoned. - -As soon as the high priestess had come out of the room where she had -been examined by the amtmann, she went to her own bed-chamber, where -boards had been laid over the gaps between the rafters broken by the -axes and picks, during the night. Elizabeth, Susanna, Ursula, and -the maid sat or stood round her and prayed. - -At eight o'clock, the father and his son, Caspar, rejoined her, also -her eldest sister, Barbara, arrived from Trüllikon. The servant, -Heinrich, formed one more in the re-assembled community, and the -ensuing night was passed in prayer and spiritual exercises. These -were not conducted in quiet. To the exhortations of Margaret, -both Elizabeth and the housemaid entreated that the devil might be -beaten out of them. But now Ursula interfered, as the poor girl -Elizabeth had been badly bruised in her bosom by the blows she had -received on the preceding night. When the Saturday morning dawned, -Margaret stood up on her bed and said, "I see the many souls seeking -salvation through me. They must be assisted; would that a sword were -in my hand that I might fight for them." A little later she said, -with a sigh of relief, "The Lamb has conquered. Go to your work." - -Tranquillity lasted for but a few hours. Magdalena, Moser's wife, -had arrived, together with her husband and Conrad. The only one -missing was the dearly beloved Jacob, who was far on his way -homeward to Illnau and his hardly used wife, Regula. - -At ten o'clock, the old father, his five daughters, his son, the two -brothers, John and Conrad Moser, Ursula Kündig, the maid Jäggli, and -the man Heinrich Ernst, twelve in all, were assembled in the upper -room. - -Margaret and Elizabeth sat side by side on the bed, the latter -half stupified, looking fixedly before her, Margaret, however, in -a condition of violent nervous surrexitation. Many of the weapons -used in wrecking the furniture lay about; among these were the -large hammer, and an iron wedge used for splitting wood. All there -assembled felt that something extraordinary was about to happen. -They had everyone passed the line that divides healthy common-sense -from mania. - -Margaretta now solemnly announced, "I have given a pledge for many -souls that Satan may not have them. Among these is the soul of my -brother Caspar. But I cannot conquer in the strife for him without -the shedding of blood." Thereupon she bade all present recommence -beating themselves with their fists, so as to expel the devil, and -they executed her orders with wildest fanaticism. - -The holy maid now laid hold of the iron wedge, drew her brother -Caspar to her, and said, "Behold, the Evil One is striving to -possess thy soul!" and thereupon she began to strike him on head -and breast with the wedge. Caspar staggered back; she pursued him, -striking him and cutting his head open, so that he was covered with -blood. As he afterwards declared, he had not the smallest thought of -resistance; the power to oppose her seemed to be taken from him. At -length, half stunned, he fell to the ground, and was carried to his -bed by his father and the maid Jäggli. The old man no more returned -upstairs, consequently he was not present at the terrible scene -that ensued. But he took no steps to prevent it. Not only so, but -he warded off all interruption from without. Whilst he was below, -someone knocked at the door. At that moment Susanna was in the room -with him, and he bade her inquire who was without. The man gave his -name as Elias Vogal, a mason, and asked leave to come in. Old Peter -refused, as he said the surgeon was within. Elias endeavoured to -push his way in but was resisted, and the door barred against him. -Vogel went away, and meeting a policeman told him what had taken -place, and added that he had noticed blood-stains on the sleeves of -both old Peter and Susanna. The policeman, thinking that Peter's -lie was truth, and that the surgeon was really in the house, and had -been bleeding the half-crazy people there, took no further notice of -what he had heard, and went his way. - -Meanwhile, in the upper room the comedy had been changed into a -ghastly tragedy. As soon as the wounded Caspar had been removed, the -three sisters, Barbara, Magdalena, and Susanna left the room, the -two latter, however, only for a short while. Then the holy Margaret -said to those who remained with her, "To-day is a day of great -events. The contest has been long and must now be decided. Blood -must flow. I see the spirit of my mother calling to me to offer up -my life." After a pause she said, "And you--all--are you ready to -give your lives?" They all responded eagerly that they were. Then -said Margaret, "No, no; I see you will not readily die. But I--I -must die." - -Thereupon Elizabeth exclaimed, "I will gladly die for the saving of -the souls of my brother and father. Strike me dead, strike me dead!" -Then she threw herself on the bed and began to batter her head with -a wooden mallet. - -"It has been revealed to me," said Margaret, "that Elizabeth will -sacrifice herself." Then taking up the iron hammer, she struck her -sister on the head. At once a spiritual fury seized on all the -elect souls, and seizing weapons they began to beat the poor girl -to death. Margaret in her mania struck at random about her, and -wounded both John Moser and Ursula Kündig. Then she suddenly caught -the latter by the wrist and bade her kill Elizabeth with the iron -wedge. Ursula shrank back, "I cannot! I love her too dearly!" "You -must," screamed the saint; "it is ordained." "I am ready to die" -moaned Elizabeth. "I cannot! I cannot!" cried Ursula. "You must," -shouted Margaret. "I will raise my sister again, and I also will -rise again after three days. May God strengthen your arm." - -As though a demoniacal influence flowed out of the holy maid, and -maddened those about her, all were again seized with frenzy. John -Moser snatched the hammer out of her hand, and smote the prostrate -girl with it again, and yet again, on head and bosom and shoulders. -Susanna brought down a crow-bar across her body, the servant-man -Heinrich belaboured her with a fragment of the floor planking, -and Ursula, swept away by the current, beat in her skull with the -wedge. Throughout the turmoil, the holy maid yelled: "God strengthen -your arms! Ursula, strike home! Die for Christ, Elizabeth!" The -last words heard from the martyred girl were an exclamation of -resignation to the will of God, as expressed by her sister. - -One would have supposed that when the life was thus battered out -of the unfortunate victim, the murderers would have come to their -senses and been filled with terror and remorse. But it was not so. -Margaret sat beside the body of her murdered sister, the blaze of -spiritual ecstasy in her eyes, the blood-stained hammer in her -right hand, terrible in her inflexible determination, and in the -demoniacal energy which was to possess her to the last breath she -drew. Her bosom heaved, her body quivered, but her voice was firm -and her tone authoritative, as she said, "More blood must flow. I -have pledged myself for the saving of many souls. I must die now. -You must crucify me." John Moser and Ursula, shivering with horror, -entreated, "O do not demand that of us." She replied, "It is better -that I should die than that thousands of souls should perish." - -So saying she struck herself with the hammer on the left temple. -Then she held out the weapon to John Moser, and ordered him and -Ursula to batter her with it. Both hesitated for a moment. - -"What!" cried Margaret turning to her favourite disciple, "will you -not do this? Strike and may God brace your arm!" Moser and Ursula -now struck her with the hammer, but not so as to stun her. - -"And now," said she with raised voice, "crucify me! You, Ursula, -must do the deed." - -"I cannot! I cannot!" sobbed the wretched girl. - -"What! will you withdraw your hand from the work of God, now the -hour approaches? You will be responsible for all the souls that will -be lost, unless you fulfil what I have appointed you to do." - -"But O! not I--!" pleaded Ursula. - -"Yes--you. If the police authorities had executed me, it would not -have fallen to you to do this, but now it is for you to accomplish -the work. Go, Susan, and fetch nails, and the rest of you make ready -the cross." - -In the meantime, Heinrich, the man-servant, frightened at what had -taken place, and not wishing to have anything more to do with the -horrible scene in the upper chamber, had gone quietly down into -the wood-house, and was making stakes for the vines. There Susanna -found him, and asked him for nails, telling him for what they were -designed. He composedly picked her out nails of suitable length, and -then resumed his work of making vine stakes. Susanna re-ascended to -the upper room, and found Margaret extended on the bed beside the -body of Elizabeth, with the arms, breast, and feet resting on blocks -of wood, arranged, whilst Susanna was absent, by John Moser and -Ursula, under her in the fashion of a cross. - -Then began the horrible act of crucifixion, which is only -conceivable as an outburst of religious mania, depriving all who -took part in it of every feeling of humanity, and degrading them -to the level of beasts of prey. At the subsequent trial, both -Ursula and John Moser described their condition as one of spiritual -intoxication. - -The hands and feet of the victim were nailed to the blocks of wood. -Then Ursula's head swam, and she drew back. Again Margaret called -her to continue her horrible work. "Go on! go on! God strengthen -your arm. I will raise Elizabeth from the dead, and rise myself in -three days." Nails were driven through both elbows and also through -the breasts of Margaret; not for one moment did the victim express -pain, nor did her courage fail her. No Indian at the stake endured -the cruel ingenuity of his tormentors with more stoicism than did -this young woman bear the martyrdom she had invoked for herself. -She impressed her murderers with the idea that she was endowed with -supernatural strength. It could not be otherwise, for what she -endured was beyond the measure of human strength. That in the place -of human endurance she was possessed with the Berserker strength -of the _furor religiosus_, was what these ignorant peasants could -not possibly know. Conrad Moser could barely support himself from -fainting, sick and horror-struck at the scene. He exclaimed, "Is -not this enough?" His brother, John, standing at the foot of the -bed, looked into space with glassy eyes. Ursula, bathed in tears, -was bowed over the victim. Magdalena Moser had taken no active part -in the crucifixion; she remained the whole time, weeping, leaning -against a chest. - -The dying woman smiled. "I feel no pain. Be yourselves strong," she -whispered. "Now, drive a nail or a knife through my heart." - -Ursula endeavoured to do as bidden, but her hand shook and the knife -was bent. "Beat in my skull!" this was the last word spoken by -Margaret. In their madness Conrad Moser and Ursula Kündig obeyed, -one with the crowbar, the other with the hammer. - -It was noon when the sacrifice was accomplished--dinner-time. -Accordingly, all descended to the sitting-room, where the meal that -Margaret Jäggli had been in the meantime preparing was served and -eaten. - -They had scarce finished before a policeman entered with a paper for -old Peter to sign, in which he made himself answerable to produce -his daughters before the magistrates when and where required. -He signed it with composure, "I declare that I will cause my -daughters, if in good health, to appear before the Upper Amtsmann in -Andelfingen when so required." Then the policeman departed without -a suspicion that the two girls were lying dead in the room above. -On Sunday the 16th, the servant Heinrich was sent on horseback to -Illnau to summon Jacob Morf to come to Wildisbuch and witness a -great miracle. Jacob came there with Heinrich, but was not told the -circumstances of the crucifixion till he reached the house. When he -heard what had happened, he was frightened almost out of his few -wits, and when taken upstairs to see the bodies, he fainted away. -Nothing--no representations would induce him to remain for the -miraculous resurrection, and he hastened back to Illnau, where he -took to his bed. In his alarm and horror he sent for the pastor, and -told him what he had seen. - -But the rest of the holy community remained stead-fast in their -faith. On the night of Sunday before Monday morning broke, Ursula -Kündig and the servant man Heinrich went upstairs with pincers and -drew out the nails that transfixed Margaretta. When asked their -reason for so doing, at the subsequent trial, they said that they -supposed this would facilitate Margaretta's resurrection. _Sanctus -furor_ had made way for _sancta simplicitas_. - -The night of Monday to Tuesday was spent in prayer and -Scripture-reading in the upper chamber, and eager expectation of the -promised miracle, which never took place. The catastrophe could no -longer be concealed. Something must be done. On Tuesday, old John -Peter pulled on his jacket and walked to Trüllikon to inform the -pastor that his daughter Elizabeth had died on the Saturday at 10 -a.m., and his daughter Margaretta at noon of the same day. - -We need say little more. On Dec. 3rd, 1823, the trial of all -incriminated in this frightful tragedy took place at Zürich and -sentence was pronounced on the following day. Ursula Kündig was -sentenced to sixteen years' imprisonment, Conrad Moser and John -Peter to eight years, Susanna Peter and John Moser to six years, -Heinrich Ernst to four years, Jacob Morf to three, Margaret Jäggli -to two years, Barbara Baumann and Casper Peter to one year, and -Magdalena Moser to six months with hard labour. The house at -Wildisbuch was ordered to be levelled with the dust, the plough -drawn over the foundation, and that no house should again be erected -on the spot. - -Before the destruction, however, a pilgrimage of Pietists and -believers in Margaret Peter had visited the scene of her death, and -many had been the exclamations of admiration at her conduct. "Oh, -that it had been I who had died!" "Oh, how many souls must she have -delivered!" and the like. _Magna est stultitia et prævalebit._ - -At a time like the present, when there is a wave of warm, mystic -fever sweeping over the country, and carrying away with it -thousands of ignorant and impetuous souls, it is well that the -story--repulsive though it be--should be brought into notice, as -a warning of what this spiritual excitement may lead to--not, -indeed, again, maybe, into bloodshed. It is far more likely to lead -to, as it has persistently, in every similar outbreak, into moral -disorders, the record of which, in the case of Margaretta Peter, we -have passed over almost without a word. - - Authority: Die Gekreuzigte von Wildisbuch, von J. Scherr, 2nd - Edit., St. Gall. 1867. Scherr visited the spot, collected - information from eye-witnesses, and made copious extracts from - the records of the trial in the Zürich archives, where they are - contained in Vol. 166, folio 1044, under the heading: "Akten - betreffened die Gräuel--Scenen in Wildisbuch." - - - - -A Northern Raphael. - - -Here and there in the galleries of North Germany and Russia may -be seen paintings of delicacy and purity, delicacy of colour and -purity of design, the author of which was Gerhard von Kügelgen. -The majority of his paintings are in private hands; but an Apollo, -holding the dying Hyacinthus in his arms, is in the possession of -the German Emperor; Moses on Horeb is in the gallery of the Academy -of Fine Arts at Dresden; a St. Cæcilia and an Adonis, painted in -1794 and 1795, were purchased by the Earl of Bristol; a Holy Family -is in the Gallery at Cassel; and some of the sacred subjects have -found their way into churches. - -In 1772, the wife of Franz Kügelgen, a merchant of Bacharach on the -Rhine, presented her husband with twin sons, the elder of whom by -fifteen minutes is the subject of this notice. His brother was named -Karl. Their resemblance was so great that even their mother found a -difficulty in their early childhood in distinguishing one from the -other. - -Bacharach was in the Electorate of Cologne, and when the -Archbishop-Elector, Maximilian Franz, learned that the twins were -fond of art, in 1791 he very liberally gave them a handsome sum -of money to enable them to visit Rome and there prosecute their -studies. - -Gerhard was at once fascinated by the statuary in the Vatican, and -by the pictures of Raphael. The ambition of his life thenceforward -was to combine the beauty of modelling of the human form that he -saw in the Græco-Roman statues with the beauty of colour that he -recognised in Raphael's canvases. Karl, on the other hand, devoted -himself to landscapes. - -In 1795 the brothers separated, Gerhard that he might visit Munich. -Thence, in the autumn, he went to Riga with a friend, and there he -remained rather over two years, and painted and disposed of some -fifty-four pictures. Then he painted in St. Petersburg and Revel, -and finally settled into married life and regular work at Dresden -in 1806. There he became a general favourite, not only on account -of his artistic genius, but also because of the fascination of -his modest and genial manner. He was honoured by the Court, and -respected by everyone for his virtues. Orders flowed in on him, and -his paintings commanded good prices. The king of Saxony ennobled -him, that is to say, raised him out of the bürger-stand, by giving -him the privilege of writing a _Von_ before his patronymic. - -Having received an order from Riga for a large altar picture, he -bought a vineyard on the banks of the Elbe, commanding a charming -prospect of the river and the distant blue Bohemian mountains. Here -he resolved to erect a country house for the summer, with a large -studio lighted from the north. The construction of this residence -was to him a great pleasure and occupation. In November, 1819, -he wrote to his brother, "My house shall be to us a veritable -fairy palace, in which to dwell till the time comes, when through -a little, narrow and dark door we pass through into that great -habitation of the Heavenly Father in which are many mansions, and -where our whole family will be re-united. Should it please God to -call me away, then Lily (his wife) will find this an agreeable -dower-house, in which she can supervise the education of the -children, as the distance from the town is only an hour's walk." - -The words were written, perhaps, without much thought, but they -foreshadowed a terrible catastrophe. Kügelgen would pass, before his -fairy palace was ready to receive him, through that little, narrow -door into the heavenly mansions. - -The holy week of 1820 found him in a condition of singularly deep -religious emotion. He was a Catholic, but had, nevertheless, allowed -his son to be confirmed by a Protestant pastor. The ceremony had -greatly affected him, and he said to a friend, who was struck at the -intensity of his feeling, "I know I shall never be as happy again -till I reach Heaven." - -On March 27th, on the very day of the confirmation, he went in -the afternoon a walk by himself to his vineyard, to look at his -buildings. He invited one of his pupils to accompany him, but the -young man had some engagement and declined. - -At 5 p.m. he was at the new house, where he paid the workmen, gave -some instructions, and pointed out where he would do some planting, -so as to enchance the picturesqueness of the spot. At some time -between six and seven he left, to walk back to Dresden, along the -road from Bautzen. - -Every one who has been at the Saxon capital knows that road. The -right bank of the Elbe above Dresden rises in picturesque heights -covered with gardens and vineyards, from the river, and about a -mile from the bridge is the Linkes Bad, with its pleasant gardens, -theatre, music and baths. That road is one of the most charming, -and, therefore, the most frequented outside the capital. On the -evening in question the Easter moon was shining. - -Kügelgen did not return home. His wife sent his son, the just -confirmed boy, aged 17 years, to the new house, to inquire for her -husband. The boy learned there that he had left some hours before. -He returned home, and found that still his father had not come -in. The police were communicated with, and the night was spent in -inquiries and search, but all in vain. On the following morning, -at 9 a.m., as the boy was traversing the same road, along with a -gensdarme, he deemed it well to explore a footpath beside the river, -which was overflown by the Elbe, and there, finally, amongst some -reeds they discovered the dead body of the artist, stripped of his -clothes to his shirt and drawers, lying on his face. - -Gerhard von Kügelgen had been murdered. His features were cut and -bruised, his left temple and jaw were broken. Footsteps, as of two -persons, were traceable through the river mud and across a field -to the highway. Apparently the artist had been murdered on the -road, then carried or dragged to the path, stripped there, and then -cast among the rushes. About twenty-four paces from where he lay, -between him and the highway, his cap was found. - -The excitement, the alarm, aroused in Dresden was immense. Not only -was Kügelgen universally respected, but everyone was in dismay at -the thought that his own safety was jeopardised, if a murder such as -this could be perpetrated on the open road, within a few paces of -the gates. Indeed, the place where the crime was committed was but a -hundred strides from the Linkes Bad, one of the most popular resorts -of the Dresdeners. - -It was now remembered that only a few months before, near the -same spot, another murder had been committed, that had remained -undiscovered. In that case the victim had been a poor carpenter's -apprentice. - -On the same day as the body of Kügelgen was found, the Government -offered a sum equal to £150 for the discovery of the murderer. A -little later, some children found among the rubbish, outside the -Black Gate of the Dresdener Vorstadt, a blue cloth cloak, folded -up and buried under some stones. It was recognised as having -belonged to Kügelgen. Moreover, in the pocket was the little -"Thomas-à-Kempis" he always carried about with him. - -It was concluded that the murderer had not ventured to bring all -the clothing of Kügelgen into the town, through the gate, and had, -therefore, hidden portions in places whence he could remove them one -by one, unobserved. The murderer was, undoubtedly, an inhabitant of -the city. - -From March 29th to April 4th the police remained without any clue, -although a description of the garments worn by the murdered man, and -of his watch, was posted up at every corner, and sent round to the -nearest towns and villages. - -The workmen who had been engaged on Kügelgen's house were brought -before the police. They had left after his departure, and had -received money from him; but they were discharged, as there was no -evidence against them. - -As no light seemed to fall on this mysterious case, the police -looked up the circumstances of the previous murder. On December -29th, 1819, a carrier on the highroad had found a body on the way. -It was ascertained to be that of a carpenter's apprentice, named -Winter. His skull had been broken in. Not a trace of the murderer -was found; not even footprints had been observed. However, it was -learned that the wife of a labourer had been attacked almost at the -same spot, on the 28th December, by a man wearing a military cap and -cloak; and she had only escaped him by the approach of a carriage, -the sound of the wheels having alarmed him, and induced him to fly. -He had fled in the direction of the Black Gate and the barracks. - -The anxiety of the Dresdeners seemed justified. There was some -murderous ruffian inhabiting the Vorstadt, who hovered about the -gates, waylaying, not wealthy men only, but poor charwomen and -apprentices. - -The military cloak and cap, the direction taken by the assailant in -his flight, gave a sort of clue--and the police suspected that the -murderer must be sought among the soldiers. - -On April 4th two Jewish pawnbrokers appeared before the police, and -handed over a silver watch which had been left with them at 9 a.m. -on the 20th March--that is to say on the morning after the murder -of Kügelgen--and which agreed with the advertised description of -the artist's lost watch. It was identified at once. The man who had -pawned it, the Jews said, wore the uniform of an artillery soldier. - -At the request of the civil authorities, the military officers held -an inquisition in the barracks. All the artillery soldiers were made -to pass before the Jew brokers, but they were unable to identify the -man who had deposited the watch with them. Somewhat later in the day -one of these Jews, as he was going through the street, saw a man in -civil dress, whom he thought he recognised as the fellow who had -given him the watch. He went up to him at once and spoke about the -watch. The man at first acknowledged that he had pawned one, then -denied, and threatened the Jew when he persevered in clinging to -him. A gendarme came up, and hearing what the controversy was about, -arrested the man, who gave his name as Fischer, a gunner. - -Fischer was at once examined, and he doggedly refused to allow that -he had given up a watch to the Jew. - -Suspicion against him was deepened by his declaring that he -had heard nothing of the murder--a matter of general talk in -Dresden--and that he had not seen the notices with the offer of -reward for the discovery of the murderer. On the following day, -April 5th, however, he admitted having pawned the watch, which he -pretended to have found outside the Black Gate. A few hours later he -withdrew this confession, saying that he was so bewildered with the -questions put to him, and so alarmed at his arrest, that he did not -well know what he said. It was observed that Fischer was a man of -very low intellectual power. - -The same day he was invested in his uniform, and presented before -the pawnbrokers. Both unanimously declared that he was _not_ the man -who had entered their shop and deposited the watch with them. They -both declared that though Fischer had the same height and general -build as the man in question, and the same fair hair, yet that the -face was different. - -With this, the case against Fischer broke down; nevertheless, though -he had been handed over by the military authorities to the civil -power, he remained under arrest. The public was convinced of his -guilt, and the police hoped by keeping him in prison to draw from -him later some information which might prove serviceable. - -And, in fact, after he had been a fortnight under arrest, he -volunteered a statement. He was conducted at once before the -magistrate, and confessed that he had murdered Von Kügelgen. He, -however, stoutly denied having laid hands on the carpenter Winter. -Nevertheless, on the way back to his cell he told his gaoler that -he had committed this murder as well. Next day he was again brought -before the magistrate, and confessed to both murders. He was taken -to the spots where the two corpses had been found, and there he -renewed his confession, though without entering into any details. - -But on the next morning, April 21, he begged to be again heard, and -he then asserted that his former confessions were false. He had -confessed merely because he was weary of his imprisonment and the -poor food he was given, and decided to die. When spoken to by the -magistrates seriously, and remonstrated with for his contradictions, -he cried out that he was innocent. Let them torture him as much as -they pleased, he wished to die. - -But hardly was he back in his prison than he told the gaoler that it -was true that he was the murderer of both Kügelgen and Winter. Again -he confessed before the magistrate, and again, on the 27th, withdrew -his confession and protested his innocence. - -On the 21st April a new element in the case came to light, that -perplexed the question not a little. - -A Jewish pawnbroker, Löbel Graff, announced that on February 3, -1820, he had received from the gunner Kaltofen, a green coat, and -on the 4th April a dark-blue cloth coat, stained with spots of -oil, also a pair of cloth trousers. As both coats seemed to him -suspicious, and to resemble those described in the advertisements, -he had questioned Kaltofen about them, but had received equivocal -answers, and Kaltofen at last admitted that he had bought them from -the gunner Fischer. - -John Gottfried Kaltofen was a young man of 24 years, servant to -one of the officers, and therefore did not live in the barracks. -He was now taken up. His manner and appearance were in his favour. -He was frank, and at once admitted that he had disposed of the -two coats to Graff, and that he had bought them of Fischer. On -confrontation with the latter he repeated what he had said. Fischer -fell into confusion, denied all knowledge of Kaltofen, protested his -innocence, and denied the sale of the coats, one of which had in the -meantime been identified as having belonged to Winter, and the other -to Kügelgen. - -On April 27th a search was made in the lodgings of Kaltofen, and -three keys were found there, hidden away, and these proved to have -belonged to Kügelgen. At first Kaltofen declared that he knew -nothing of these keys, but afterwards said that he remembered on -consideration that he had found them in the pocket of the blue -coat he had purchased from Fischer, and had put them away before -disposing of the coat, and had given them no further thought. Not -many minutes after Fischer had been sent back to prison, he begged -to be brought before the magistrate again, and now admitted that it -was quite true that he had sold both coats to Kaltofen. - -Whilst this confession was being taken down, however, he again -hesitated, broke down, and denied having sold them to Kaltofen, or -any one else. "I can't say anything more," he cried out; "my head is -dazed." - -By this statement he remained, protesting his innocence, and he -declared that he had only confessed his guilt because he was -afraid of ill-treatment in the prison if he continued to assert -his innocence. It must be remembered that the gaolers were as -convinced of his guilt as were the public of Dresden; and it is -noticeable that under pressure from them Fischer always acknowledged -his guilt; whereas, when before the magistrates he was ready to -proclaim that he was innocent. At this time it was part of the duty -of a gaoler, or was supposed to be such, to use every possible -effort to bring a prisoner to confession. And now, on April 27th, -a third gunner appeared on the scene. His name was Kiessling, and -he asked the magistrate to take down his statement, which was to -the effect that Kaltofen, who had been discharged, had admitted -to him that he had murdered Kügelgen with a cudgel, and that he -had still got some of his garments hidden in his lodgings. But--so -said Kiessling--Kaltofen had jauntily said he would lay it all on -Fischer. Kiessling, moreover, produced a pair of boots, that he said -Kaltofen had left with him to be re-soled, as he was regimental -shoemaker. And these boots were at once recognised as having been -those worn by Kügelgen when he was murdered. - -Kaltofen was at once re-arrested, and brought into confrontation -with Kiessling. He retained his composure, and said that it was -quite true that he had given a pair of boots to Kiessling to -re-sole, but they were a pair that he had bought in the market. But, -in the meantime, another investigation of his lodgings had been -made, and a number of articles found that had certainly belonged -to the murdered men, Winter and Kügelgen. They were ranged on the -table, together with the pair of boots confided to Kiessling, and -Kaltofen was shown them. Hitherto, the young man had displayed -phlegmatic composure, and an openness of manner that had impressed -all who saw him in his favour. His intelligence, had, moreover, -contrasted favourably with that of Fischer. But the sight of all -these articles, produced before him, staggered Kaltofen, and, losing -his presence of mind, he turned in a fury upon his comrade, the -shoemaker, and swore at him for having betrayed his confidence. Only -after he had poured forth a torrent of abuse, could the magistrate -bring him to say anything about the charge, and then--still hot -and panting from his onslaught on Kiessling--he admitted that he, -not Fischer, was the murderer in both cases. Fischer, he said, was -wholly innocent, not only of participation in, but of knowledge of -the crimes. The summary of his confession, oft repeated and never -withdrawn, was as follows:--Being in need of money, he had gone -outside the town thrice in one week, at the end of December, 1819, -with the intent of murdering and robbing the first person he could -attack with security. For this purpose, he had provided himself -with a cudgel under his cloak. On the 29th December he selected -Winter as his first victim. He allowed him to pass, then stole -after him, and suddenly dealt him a blow on the back of his head, -before the young man turned to see who was following him. Winter -dropped, whereupon he, Kaltofen, had struck him twice again on the -head. Then he divested his victim of collar, coat, hat, kerchief, -watch, and a little money--not more than four shillings in English -coins, and a few tools. He was engaged on pulling off his boots and -trousers, when he was alarmed by hearing the tramp of horses and the -sound of wheels, and he ran off across the fields with his spoil. -He got Kiessling to dispose of the hat for him, the other articles -he himself sold to Jews. Whether it was he also who assaulted the -poor woman we are not informed. In like manner Kaltofen proceeded -with Kügelgen. He was again in want of money. He had been gambling, -and had lost what little he had. On the Monday in Holy Week, 1820, -he took his cudgel again and went out along the Bautzen Road. The -moon shone brightly, and he met a gentleman walking slowly towards -Dresden, in a blue cloak. He allowed him to pass, then followed -him. As a woman was walking in the same direction, but at a quicker -rate, he delayed his purpose till she had disappeared behind the -first houses of the suburb. Then he hastened on, walking lightly, -and springing up behind Kügelgen, struck him on the right temple -with his cudgel from behind. Kügelgen fell without uttering a -cry. Kaltofen at once seized him by the collar and dragged him -across a field to the edge of the river. There he dealt him -several additional blows, and then proceeded to strip him. Whilst -thus engaged, he remembered that the dead man had dropped his -walking-stick on the high road when first struck. Kaltofen at once -desisted from what he was about, to return to the road and recover -the walking-stick. On coming back to his victim, he thought there -was still life in him; Kügelgen was moving and endeavouring to rise. -Whereupon, with his cudgel, Kaltofen repeatedly struck him, till all -signs of life disappeared. He now completed his work of spoliation, -pulled off the boots, untied the neckerchief, and ransacked the -pockets. He found in addition to the watch the sum of about -half-a-guinea. He then stole away among the rushes till he reached -the Linkes Bad, where he returned to the main road. He concealed -the cloak at the Black Gate, but carried the rest of his plunder to -his lodgings. - -His confession was confirmed by several circumstances. Kiessling was -again required to repeat what he had heard from Kaltofen, and the -story as told by him agreed exactly with that now confessed by the -murderer. Kiessling added that Kaltofen had told him he was puzzled -to account for Fischer's self-examination, as he knew that the man -had nothing to do with the murder. A third examination of Kaltofen's -lodgings resulted in the discovery of all the rest of the murdered -man's effects. Moreover, when Kaltofen was confronted with the two -Jews who had taken the silver watch on the 24th, they immediately -recognised him as the man who had disposed of it to them. - -Finally, he confessed to having been associated with Kiessling in -two robberies, one of which was a burglarious attack on his own -master. - -The case was made out clearly enough against Kaltofen, and it -seemed equally clear that Fischer was innocent. Moreover, from the -24th April onwards, Fischer never swerved from his protestation of -complete innocence. When questioned why he had confessed himself -guilty, he said that he had been pressed to do so by the gaoler, who -had several times fastened him for a whole night into the stocks, -and had threatened him with severer measures unless he admitted -his guilt. The gaoler admitted having so treated Fischer once, but -Fischer insisted that he had been thus tortured on two consecutive -nights. - -It was ascertained that Fischer had not only known about the murder -of Kügelgen, but had attended his funeral, and yet he had pretended -entire, or almost entire, ignorance when first arrested. When asked -to explain this, he replied that he was so frightened that he took -refuge in lies. That he was a dull-minded, extremely ignorant man, -was obvious to the judges and to all who had to do with him; he was -aged thirty, and had spent thirteen years in the army, had conducted -himself well, but had never been trusted with any important duties -on account of his stupidity. He had a dull eye, and a heavy -countenance. Kaltofen, on the other hand, was a good-looking, -well-built young fellow, of twenty-four, with a bright, intelligent -face; his education was above what was ordinary in his class. It -was precisely this that had excited in him vanity, and craving for -pleasures and amusements which he could not afford. His obliging -manners, his trimness, and cheerfulness, had made him a favourite -with the officers. - -As already intimated, he was fond of play, and it was this that had -induced him to commit his murders. He admitted that he had felt -little or no compunction, and he said frankly that it was as well -for society that he was taken, otherwise the death of Kügelgen -would have been followed by others. He spoke of the crimes he had -committed with openness and indifference, and maintained this -condition of callousness to the end. It seems to have been customary -on several occasions for the Lutheran pastors who attended the last -hours of criminals to publish their opinions as to the manner in -which they prepared for death, and their ideas as to the motives -for the crimes committed, an eminently indecent proceeding to -our notions. In this case, the chaplain who attended on Kaltofen -rushed into the priest after the execution. He said, "Play may have -occasioned that want of feeling which will commit the most atrocious -crime, without compunction, for the gratification of a temporary -requirement. Kaltofen, without being rude and rough towards his -fellows, but on the contrary obliging and courteous, came to regard -them with brutal indifference." Only twice did he feel any twinge -of conscience, he said, once before his first murder, and again at -the funeral of his second victim, which he attended. The criminal -was now known, had confessed, and had confessed that he had no -accomplice. Moreover, he declared that Fischer was wholly innocent. -Not a single particle of evidence was forthcoming to incriminate -Fischer, apart from his own retracted confessions. Nevertheless he -was not liberated. - -The police could not believe that Kaltofen had been without an -accomplice. There were stabs in the face and body of Kügelgen, and -Kaltofen had professed to have used no other weapon than a cudgel. -The murderer said that he had dragged the body over the field to -the rushes, and it was agreed that there must have been evidence of -this dragging. Some witnesses had, indeed, said they had seen such, -but others protested that there were footprints as of two men. This, -however, could be explained by Kaltofen's admission that he had gone -back to the road for the walking-stick. - -Then, again, Fischer, when interrogated, had given particulars which -agreed with the circumstances in a remarkable manner. He was asked -to explain this. "Well," said he, "he had heard a good deal of talk -about the murders, and he was miserable at the thought of spending -long years in prison, and so had confessed." When asked how he knew -the particulars of the murder of Winter, he said that he had been -helped to it by the gaoler. He had said first, "I went to his left -side"--whereupon the gaoler had said, "Surely you are wrong, it was -on the right," thereat Fischer had corrected himself and said, "Yes, -of course--on the right." - -The case was now ready for final sentence, and for this purpose -all the depositions were forwarded on September 12th to the -Judicial Court at Leipzig. But, before judgment was pronounced, -the depositions were hastily sent for back to Dresden--for, in the -meantime, the case had passed into a new phase. On October 5th, -the gaoler--the same man who had brought about the confession of -Fischer--announced that Kaltofen had confided to him that Fischer -really had been his accomplice in both the murders. Kaltofen at -once was summoned before the magistrate, and he calmly, and with -emphasis, declared that Fischer had assisted him on both occasions, -and that he had not allowed this before, because he and Fischer -had sworn that neither would betray the other. Fischer had never -mentioned his name, and he had accordingly done his utmost to -exculpate Fischer. - -According to his account, he and Fischer had been walking together -on the morning of March 26th, between 9 and 10, when they planned a -murder together for the following day. However, there was rebutting -evidence to the effect that on the morning in question Fischer had -been on guard, at the hour named, before the powder magazine; he had -not been released till noon. Other statements of Kaltofen proved to -be equally untrue. - -What could have induced Kaltofen to deliberately charge a comrade in -arms with participation in the crime, if he were guiltless? There -was no apparent motive. He could gain no reprieve by it. It did not -greatly diminish his own guilt. - -It was necessary to enter into as close investigation as was -possible into the whereabouts of Fischer at the time of the two -murders. It was not found possible to determine where he was at -the time when Winter was killed, but some of his comrades swore -that on March 27th he had been present at the roll-call at 6 p.m., -and had come into barrack before the second roll-call at half-past -eight. The murder of Kügelgen had taken place at eight o'clock, and -the distance between the barrack and the spot where it had been -committed was 3487 paces, which would take a man about 25 minutes to -traverse. If, as his comrades asserted, Fischer had come in shortly -after eight, then it was quite impossible that he could have been -present when Kügelgen was murdered; but not great reliance can -be placed on the testimony of soldiers as to the hour at which a -comrade came into barrack just seven months before on a given day. - -The case was perplexing. The counsel for Fischer--his name was -Eisenstück--took a bold line of defence. He charged the gaoler -with having manipulated Kaltofen, as he had Fischer. This gaoler's -self-esteem was wounded by the discovery that Kaltofen and not -Fischer was the murderer, and his credit was damaged by the -proceedings which showed that he had goaded an unhappy man, confided -to his care, into charging himself with a crime he had never -committed. Eisenstück asserted that this new charge was fabricated -in the prison by the gaoler in concert with Kaltofen for his own -justification. But, whatever may be thought of the character and -conduct of this turnkey, it is difficult to understand how he could -prevail on a cool-headed man like Kaltofen thus to take on himself -the additional guilt of perjury, and such perjury as risked the life -of an innocent man. Kaltofen never withdrew this assertion that -Fischer was an accomplice. He persisted in it to his last breath. - -The depositions were again sent to the faculty at Leipzig, on Dec. -18th, to give judgment on the following points. - - 1. The examination of the body of Kügelgen had - revealed stabs made with a sharp, two-edged instrument, as well - as blows dealt by a blunt weapon. Kaltofen would admit that he - had used no other instrument than a cudgel. - - 2. It would have been a difficult matter for one man to drag a - dead body from the road to the bed of rushes, without leaving - unmistakable traces on the field traversed; and such were not, - for certain, found. It was therefore more probable that the - dead man had been carried by two persons to the place where - found. - -It must be observed that crowds poured out of Dresden to see the -place where the body lay as soon as it was known that Kügelgen had -been discovered, and consequently no accurate and early examination -of tracks across the field had been made. - - 3. That it would have been difficult for Kaltofen alone to strip - the body. This may be doubted; it would be difficult possibly, - but not impossible, whilst the body was flexible. - - 4. A witness had said that she had met two men outside the Black - Gate on the evening of the 27th March, of whom one was wrapped - in a cloak and seemed to be carrying something under it. We - should much like to know when the woman gave this evidence. - Unfortunately, that is what is not told us. - - 5. Kaltofen, in a letter to his parents, had stated that he had - an accomplice, but had not named him. - -These were the points that made it appear that Kaltofen had an -accomplice. An accomplice in some of his crimes he had--Kiessling. - -There were other points that made it appear that Fischer had -assisted him in the murders. - - 6. Fischer's denial that he knew anything about the murder of - Kügelgen when he was arrested, whereas it was established that - he had attended the funeral of the murdered man. - - 7. His repeated confessions that he had assisted at the - murders, and his acquaintance with the particulars and with the - localities. - - 8. Kaltofen's asseverations that Fischer was his associate in - the murders. - -In favour of Fischer it may be said that his conduct in the army had -for thirteen years been uniformly good, and there was no evidence -that he had been in any way guilty of dishonesty. Nor was he a -man of extravagant habits like Kaltofen, needing money for his -pleasures. He was a simple, inoffensive, and very stupid man. His -confessions lose all their effect when we consider how they were -extorted from him by undue influence. - -Against Kaltofen's later accusation must be set his repeated -declaration, during six months, that Fischer was innocent. Not -only this, but his assertion in confidence to Kiessling that he -was puzzled what could have induced Fischer to avow himself guilty -of a crime, of which he--Kaltofen--knew him to be innocent. When -Kiessling gave this evidence on April 24th, Kaltofen did not deny -that he had said this, but flew into a paroxysm of fury with his -comrade for betraying their private conversation. - -Again, not a single article appertaining to either of the murdered -men was found with Fischer. All had been traced, without exception, -to Kaltofen. It was the latter who had concealed Kügelgen's coat, -and had given his watch to the Jews. It was he who had got Kiessling -to dispose of Winter's hat for him, and had given the boots of the -last victim to Kiessling to be repaired. - -On January 4th, 1821, the Court at Leipzig issued its judgment; -that Kaltofen, on account of two murders committed and confessed, -was to be put to death on the wheel; "but that John George Fischer -be discharged on account of lack of evidence of complicity in the -murders." The gaoler was discharged his office. - -Kaltofen appealed against the sentence, but in vain. The sentence -was confirmed. The ground of his appeal was, that he was not alone -guilty. The King commuted the penalty of the wheel into execution by -the sword. - -The sentence of the court produced the liveliest commotion in -Dresden. The feeling against Fischer was strong and general; the -gaoler had but represented the universal opinion. Fischer--who -had confessed to the murder--Fischer, whom Kaltofen protested was -as deeply stained in crime as himself, was to go scot free. The -police authorities did not carry out the sentence of discharge in -its integrity; they indeed released him from prison, but placed him -under police supervision, and he was discharged from the Artillery -on the plea that he had forsworn himself. The pastor Jaspis was -entrusted with the preparation of Kaltofen for death; and we -know pretty well what passed between him and the condemned man, -as he had the indecency to publish it to the world. Jaspis had, -indeed, visited him in prison when he was first arrested, and then -Kaltofen had asserted that he had committed the murders entirely -unassisted. On Jaspis remarking to him in April, 1820, that there -were circumstances that rendered this eminently improbable, Kaltofen -cut him short with the answer, "I was by myself." Afterwards, -when he had changed his note, Jaspis reminded him of his previous -declaration, but Kaltofen pretended not to remember ever having -made it. - -Towards the end of his days, Kaltofen was profoundly agitated, -and was very restless. When Jaspis gave him a book of prayers and -meditations for such as were in trouble, he put it from him, and -said the book was unsuitable, and was adapted only to the innocent. -He had visitors who combined piety with inquisitiveness, and came -to discuss with him the state of his soul. Kaltofen's vanity was -inflamed, and he was delighted to pose before these zealots. When he -heard that Jaspis had preached about him in the Kreuz Kirche on the -Sunday before his execution, he was greatly gratified, and said, "He -would really like to hear what had been said about him." - -Jaspis thereupon produced his sermon, and read it over to the -wretched man--but tells us that even the most touching portions of -the address failed to awake any genuine compunction in his soul. -Unless he could play the saint, before company, he was cold and -indifferent. His great vanity, however, was hurt at the thought that -his assertion was disbelieved, that Fischer was his associate in his -crimes. He was always eager and inquisitive to know what rumours -circulated in the town concerning him, and was gratified to think -that he was the topic of the general conversation. - -On the night before his execution he slept soundly for five -hours, and then lit his pipe and smoked composedly. His condition -was, however, not one of bluntness of sense, for he manifested -considerable readiness and consciousness up to the last. He had -drawn up a dying address which he handed to pastor Jaspis, and on -which he evidently placed great importance, as when his first copy -had caught fire when he was drying it, he set to work to compose a -second. He knew his man--Jaspis--and was sure he would publish it -after the execution. The paper was a rigmarole in which he posed to -the world. - -On reaching the market-place where the execution was to take place, -he repeated his confession, but on this occasion without mention -of a confederate. His composure gave way, and he began to sob. -On reaching the scaffold, however, the sight of the vast crowd -assembled to see him die restored to him some of his composure, -as it pleased his vanity; but he again broke down, as he made his -last confession to the Lutheran pastor. His voice trembled, and the -sweat broke out on his brow. Then he sprang up and shouted, so that -all could hear--"Gentlemen, Fischer deserved the same punishment as -myself." In another moment his head fell from his body. - -The words had been audible throughout the market-place by everyone. -Who could doubt that his last words were true? - -Fischer happened that very day (July 12th) to be in Dresden. He had -been seen, and had been recognised. - -He had come to Dresden to see his counsel, and ask him to use his -influence to obtain his complete discharge from police supervision, -and restoration to his rights as an honest man and a soldier, with a -claim to a pension. - -A vast crowd of people rolled from the place of execution to the -house of Eisenstück, shouting, and threatening to tear Fischer to -pieces. - -But Eisenstück was not the man to be terrified. He summoned a -carriage, entered it along with Fischer, and drove slowly, with the -utmost composure, through the angry crowd. - -On August 26th, 1822, by command of the king, Fischer's name was -replaced in the army list, and he received his complete discharge -from all the consequences of the accusations made against him. He -was guaranteed his pension for his "faithful services through 16 -years, and in the campaigns of 1813, 1814, and 1815, in which he had -conducted himself to the approval of all his officers." - -How are we to explain the conduct of Kaltofen? The simplest way is -to admit that he spoke the truth; but against this is to be opposed -his denial that Fischer was guilty during the first six months -that he was under arrest. And it is impossible to believe that -Fischer was guilty, on the sole testimony of Kaltofen, without any -confirmatory evidence. - -It is rather to be supposed that the inordinate vanity of the young -culprit induced him to persist in denouncing his innocent brother -gunner, so as to throw off his own shoulders some of the burden -of that crime, which, he felt, made him hateful in the eyes of -his fellow-citizens, and perhaps to induce them to regard him as -misled by an older man, more hardened and experienced in crime, thus -arousing their pity and sympathy in place of their disgust. - -Jaspis, the pastor, did not himself believe in the criminality of -Fischer, and proposes a solution which he gives conjecturally only. -He suggests that Kaltofen was misled by the confession of Fischer -into the belief that he really had committed a murder or two, -though not those of Winter and Kügelgen, and that when he declared -on the scaffold that "Fischer deserved to die as much as himself," -he spoke under this conviction. This explanation is untenable, for -the miserable man had repeatedly charged Fischer with assisting -him in committing these two particular crimes. The explanation -must be found in his self-conceit and eagerness to present himself -in the best and most affecting light before the public. And he -gained his point to some extent. The mob believed him, pitied him, -became sentimental over him, wept tears at his death, and cursed -the unfortunate Fischer. The apparent piety, the mock heroics, the -graceful attitudes, and the good looks of the murderer had won their -sympathies, and the general opinion of the vulgar was that they had -assisted at the sublimation of a saint to the seventh heaven, and -not at the well-deserved execution of a peculiarly heartless and -brutal murderer. - -A month had hardly passed since Kaltofen's execution before Dresden -was shocked to hear of another murder--on this occasion by a young -woman. On August 12th, 1821, this person, who had been in a state -of excitement ever since the edifying death of Kaltofen, invited to -her house a young girl, just engaged to be married, and deliberately -murdered her; then marched off to the police and confessed her -crime--the nature of which she did not disguise. She desired to make -the same affecting and edifying end as Kaltofen. Above all, she -wanted to get herself talked about by all the mouths in Dresden. The -police on visiting her house found the murdered girl lying on the -bed. On the door in large letters the murderer had inscribed the -date of Kaltofen's martyrdom, July 12th, and she had committed her -crime on the same day one month after, desirous to share his glory. - -Such was one consequence of this execution. A small farce also -succeeded it. Influenced by the general excitement provoked by the -murder of Kügelgen, the Jews had assembled and agreed, should any -of them be able to discover the murderer, that they would decline -the £150 offered by Government for information that might lead to -the apprehension of the guilty. But Hirschel Mendel, the Jew who had -produced the watch, put in his claim; whereupon Löbel Graff, who had -produced the coat, put in a counter claim. This occasioned a lawsuit -between the two Jews for the money. A compromise was finally patched -up, by which each received half. - -Gerhard von Kügelgen had been buried in the Catholic cemetery at -Dresden on Maundy Thursday evening by moonlight. A great procession -of art students attended the funeral cortège with lighted torches, -and an oration was pronounced over his grave by his friend -Councillor Böttiger. - -His tomb may still be seen in the cemetery; on it is inscribed:-- - - FRANZ GERHARD VON KÜGELGEN. - Born 6 Feb., 1772. - Died 27 March, 1820. - -On the other side is the text, St. John xiv. 27. - -Kügelgen left behind him two sons and a daughter. The eldest son, -Wilhelm, pursued his father's profession as an artist, and the -Emperor of Russia sent an annual grant of money to assist him in his -studies. There is a pleasant book, published anonymously by him, "An -Old Man's Youthful Reminiscences," the first edition of which was -issued in 1870, and which had reached its eighth edition in 1876. - -Kügelgen's twin brother, Karl Ferdinand, after spending some years -in St. Petersburg and in Livonia, settled at Reval, and died in -1832. He was the author of a "Picturesque Journey in the Crimea," -published in 1823. - - Authority:--F. Ch. A. Hasse: Das Leben Gerhards von Kügelgen. - Leipzig, 1824. He gives in the Supplement an excerpt from the - records of the trial. As frontispiece is a portrait of the - artist by himself, very Raphaelesque. - - - - -The Poisoned Parsnips. - - -At the time when the banished Bourbons were wandering about -Europe seeking temporary asylums, during the period of Napoleon's -supremacy, a story circulated in 1804 relative to an attempt made -in Warsaw, which then belonged to Prussia, upon the life of the -Royal Family then residing there. It was said that a plot had been -formed, that was well nigh successful, to kill Louis XVIII., his -wife, the Duke and Duchess of Angoulême, and such of the Court as -sat at the Royal table, with a dish of poisoned parsnips. It was, -moreover, whispered that at the bottom of the plot was no other than -Napoleon himself, who sought to remove out of his way the legitimate -claimants to the Gallic throne. - -The article in which the account of the attempt was made public was -in the _London Courier_ for August 20th, 1804, from which we will -now take the leading facts. - -The Royal Family was living in Warsaw. Napoleon Bonaparte employed -an agent of the name of Galon Boyer at Warsaw to keep an eye on -them, and this man, it was reported, had engaged assassins at the -instigation of Napoleon to poison Louis XVIII. and the rest of -the Royal Family. The _Courier_ of August 21st, 1804, says: "Some -of the daily papers, which were not over anxious to discredit the -conspiracy imputed to Mr. Drake,[1] affect to throw some doubt -upon the account of the attempt upon the lives of the Royal Family -at Warsaw. They seem to think that had Bonaparte desired such a -plan, he could have executed it with more secrecy and effect. -Undoubtedly his plans of assassination have hitherto been more -successful, because his hapless victims were within his power--his -wounded soldiers at Jaffa, Toussaint L'Ouverture, Pichegru, and -the Duke D'Enghien. He could send his bloodhounds into Germany to -seize his prey; but Warsaw was too remote for him; he was under -the necessity of having recourse to less open means of sending his -assassins to act secretly. But it is deemed extraordinary that the -diabolical attempt should have failed. Why is it extraordinary that -a beneficent Providence should interpose to save the life of a just -prince? Have we not had signal instances of that interposition -in this country? For the accuracy of the account we published -yesterday, we pledge ourselves[2] that the fullest details, -authenticated by all Louis XVIII.'s Ministers--by the venerable -Archbishop of Rheims--by the Abbé Edgeworth, who administered the -last consolation of religion to Louis the XVI., have been received -in this country. All those persons were present when the poisoned -preparation was analysed by very eminent physicians, _who are the -subjects of the King of Prussia_. - - [1] Drake was envoy of the British Government at Munich; he and - Spencer Smith, Chargé d'Affaires at Würtemberg, were accused by - Napoleon of being at the bottom of a counter revolution, and an - attempt to obtain his assassination. It was true that Drake and - Smith were in correspondence with parties in France with the - object of securing Hagenau and Strassburgo and throwing discord - among the troops of the Republic, but they never for a moment - thought of obtaining the assassination of the First Consul, as - far as we can judge from their correspondence that fell into the - hands of the French police. - - [2] Unfortunately the British Museum file is imperfect, and does - not contain the Number for August 20th. - -"The two wretches who attempted to corrupt the poor Frenchman were -openly protected by the French Consul or Commercial Agent. - -"The Prussian Governor would not suffer them to be arrested in order -that their guilt or innocence might be legally investigated. Is it -to be believed that had there been no foundation for the charge -against them, the French agent would have afforded them less open -protection, and thereby strengthened the charge brought against -them? If they were protected and paid by the French agent, is it -probable that he paid them out of his own pocket, employed them in -such a plot of his own accord, and without order and instructions -from his own Government, from Bonaparte? Besides, did not the -President Hoym acknowledge his fears that some attempt would be made -upon the life of Louis the XVIII.? - -"The accounts transmitted to this country were sent from Warsaw one -hour after the king had set out for Grodno." - -The _Courier_ for August 24th, 1804, has the following note:--"We -have another strong fact which is no slight evidence in our minds -of Bonaparte's guilt. The plot against Louis the XVIII. was to be -executed at the end of July--it would be known about the beginning -of August. At that very period Bonaparte prohibits the importation -of all foreign journals without exception--that is, of all the means -by which the people could be informed of the diabolical deed. Why -does he issue this prohibition at the present moment, or why does -he issue it at all? Fouché says in his justification of it that it -is to prevent our knowing when the expedition sails. Have we ever -received any news about the expedition from the French papers? No, -no! the prohibition was with a view to the bloody scene to be acted -at Warsaw." - -The _Courier_ of August 22nd contained full particulars. We will now -tell the whole story, from beginning to end, first of all as dressed -out by the fancy of Legitimists, and then according to the real -facts of the case as far as known. - -Napoleon, it will be remembered, had been appointed First Consul for -life on August 2nd, 1802, but the Republic came to an end, and the -French Empire was established by the Senate on May 18th, 1804. - -It was supposed--and we can excuse the excitement and intoxication -of wrath in the minds of all adherents of the Bourbons which could -suppose it--that Napoleon, who was thus refounding the Empire of -Charlemagne, desired to secure the stability of this new throne by -sweeping out of his way the legitimate claimants to that of France. -The whole legend of the attempt to assassinate Louis XVIII. by means -of a dish of poisoned parsnips is given us in complete form by the -author of a life of that prince twenty years after the event.[3] It -is to this effect: - -When the King (Louis XVIII.) was preparing for his journey from -Warsaw to Grodno an atrocious attempt to assassinate him was brought -to light, which leaves no manner of doubt that it was the purpose -of those who were the secret movers in the plot to remove by poison -both the King and Queen and also the Duke of Angoulême and his wife. -Two delegates of Napoleon had been in Warsaw seeking for a man who -could execute the plan. A certain Coulon appeared most adapted to -their purpose, a man indigent and eager for money. He had previously -been in the service of one of the emigré nobles, and had access to -the kitchen of the Royal Family. - - [3] A. de Beauchamp, Vie de Louis XVIII. Paris, 1824. - -The agents of Napoleon gave Coulon drink, and as he became friendly -and lively under the influence of punch, they communicated to him -their scheme, and promised him money, the payment of his debts, and -to effect his escape if he would be their faithful servant in the -intrigue. Coulon pretended to yield to their solicitations, and a -rendezvous was appointed where the plans were to be matured. But -no sooner was Coulon at liberty than he went to his former master, -the Baron de Milleville, master of horse to the Queen, and told him -all. The Baron sought the Duc de Pienne, first gentleman of the -Royal household, and he on receiving the information communicated -it to the Count d'Avaray, Minister of Louis XVIII. Coulon received -orders to pretend to be ready to carry on the plot. He did this -with reluctance, but he did it. He told the agents of Napoleon that -he was in their hands and would blindly execute their orders. They -treated him now to champagne, and revealed to him the details of -the attempt. He was to get into the kitchen of the Royal household, -and was to pour the contents of a packet they gave him into one of -the pots in which the dinner for the Royal table was being cooked. -Coulon then demanded an instalment of his pay, and asked to be given -400 louis d'or. One of the agents then turned to the other and asked -if he thought Boyer would be disposed to advance so much--this was -Galon Boyer, the head agent sent purposely to Warsaw as spy on the -Royal Family, and the principal mover in the attempt. - -The other agent replied that Boyer was not at the moment in Warsaw, -but he would be back in a couple of days. Coulon stuck to his point, -like a clever rascal, and refused to do anything till he felt gold -in his palm, and he was bidden wait till Boyer had been communicated -with. He was appointed another meeting on the moors at Novawies -outside the city. - -As, next evening, Coulon was on his way to the place named, he -observed that he was followed by a man. Suddenly out of the corn -growing beside the road started a second. They were the agents. -They paid him a few dollars, promised to provide handsomely for -him in France, by giving him 400 louis d'or and a situation under -Government; and handed him a bottle of liquor that was to stimulate -his courage at the crucial moment, and also a paper packet that -contained three parsnips, that had been scooped out and filled with -poison. These he was to insinuate into one of the pots cooking for -dinner, and induce the cook to overlook what he had done, and serve -them up to the Royal Family. - -The King then lived in a chateau at Lazienki, about a mile out of -Warsaw. Thither hastened Coulon as fast as his legs could carry -him, and he committed the parsnips to the Baron de Milleville. The -Count d'Avaray and the Archbishop of Rheims put their seals on the -parcel; after that the parsnips had first been shown to the Prussian -authorities, and they had been asked in all form to attest the -production of the poisoned roots, and to order the arrest of the -two agents of Napoleon, and to confront them with Coulon--and had -declined. Louis, when informed of the attempt, showed his wonted -composure. He wrote immediately to the Prussian President, Von Hoym, -and requested him to visit him at Lazienki, and consult what was to -be done. - -Herr Von Hoym did not answer; nor did he go to the King, but -communicated with his superiors. Finally there arrived a diplomatic -reply declining to interfere in the matter, as it was the concern -of the police to investigate it, and it should be taken up in the -ordinary way. - -Thereupon the King requested that Coulon and his wife should be -secured, and that specialists should be appointed who, along with -the Royal physician, might examine the parsnips alleged to be -poisoned. - -But the Prussian Courts declined again to take any steps. The policy -of the Prussian Cabinet under Count Haugwitz was favourable to a -French alliance, and the King of Prussia was among the first of the -greater Powers which had formally recognised the French Emperor. -On condition that the French troops occupying Hanover should not -be augmented, and that war, if it broke out with Russia, should -be so carried on as not to inconvenience and sweep over Prussian -territory, Prussia had undertaken to observe a strict neutrality. -In return for these concessions, which were of great moment to -Napoleon, he openly proclaimed his intention to augment the strength -of Prussia, and it was hoped at Berlin that the price paid would be -the incorporation of Hanover with Prussia. - -At this moment, consequently, the Prussian Government was most -unwilling to meddle in an investigation which threatened to lead to -revelations most compromising to the character of Napoleon, and most -inconvenient for itself. - -As the Prussian courts would not take up the matter of the parsnips, -a private investigation was made by the Count d'Avaray, with -the Royal physician, Dr. Lefèvre, and the Warsaw physician, Dr. -Gagatkiewicz, together with the Apothecary Guidel and a certain Dr. -Bergozoni. The seals were broken in their presence, and the three -roots were examined. It was ascertained that they were stuffed -with a mixture of white, yellow, and red arsenic. This having been -ascertained, and a statement of the fact duly drawn up, and signed, -the president of the police, Herr von Tilly, was communicated with. -He, however, declined to interfere, as had the President von Hoym. -"Thus," says M. Beauchamp, "one court shuffled the matter off on -another, backwards and forwards, so as not to have to decide on the -matter, a specimen of the results of the system adopted at this time -by the Prussian Cabinet." - -No other means of investigation remained but for Count d'Avaray -to have the matter gone into by the court of the exiled King. They -examined Coulon, who held firmly to his story as told to the Baron -de Milleville, and all present were convinced that he spoke the -truth. - -As the King could obtain no justice from the hands of Prussia, he -suffered the story to be made public in order that the opinion of -all honourable men in Europe might be expressed on the conduct of -both Napoleon and of the Prussian Ministry. "The impression made," -says M. Beauchamp, "especially in England, was deep. Men recalled -Bonaparte's former crimes that had been proved--the poisoning at -Jaffa, the--at the time--very fresh indignation provoked by the -murder of the Count de Frotté, of Pichegru, of Captain Wright, of -the Duke d'Enghien, of Toussaint l'Ouverture; they recalled the lack -of success he had experienced in demanding of Louis XVIII. a formal -renunciation of his claims, and weighed well the determination of -his character. Even the refusal of the Prussian courts to go into -the charge (for if it had been investigated they must needs have -pronounced judgment on it)--encouraged suspicion. Hardly an English -newspaper did not condemn Napoleon as the instigator of an attempt -that providentially failed." - -Such is the legend as formulated by M. de Beauchamp. Fortunately -there exists documentary evidence in the archives of the courts at -Berlin that gives an altogether different complexion to the story, -and entirely clears the name of Napoleon from stain of complicity in -this matter. It throws, moreover, a light, by no means favourable, -on those of the Legitimist party clustered about the fallen monarch. - -Louis XVIII., obliged to fly from one land to another before the -forces of Napoleon, was staying for a while at Warsaw, in the year -1804, under the incognito of the Count de l'Isle. His misfortunes -had not broken his spirit or diminished his pretensions. He was -surrounded by a little court in spite of his incognito; and as -this little court had no affairs of State to transact, it played a -niggling game at petty intrigue. This court consisted of the Count -d'Avaray, the Archbishop of Rheims, the Duke de Pienne, the Marquis -de Bonney, the Duke d'Avré de Croy, the Count de la Chapelle, the -Counts Damas Crux and Stephen de Damas, and the Abbés Edgeworth and -Frimont. Louis had assured Napoleon he would rather eat black bread -than resign his pretensions. At Warsaw he maintained his pretensions -to the full, but did not eat black bread; he kept a very respectable -kitchen. The close alliance between Prussia and France forced him to -leave Warsaw and migrate into Russia. - -At this time there lived in Warsaw a certain Jean Coulon, son of -a small shopkeeper at Lyons, who had led an adventurous life. At -the age of nine he had run away from home and attached himself -to a wandering dramatic company; then had gone into service to -a wigmaker, and had lived for three years at Barcelona at his -handicraft. But wigs were going out of fashion, and he threw up an -unprofitable trade, and enlisted in a legion of emigrés, but in -consequence of some quarrel with a Spaniard was handed over to the -Spanish authorities. He purchased his pardon by enlisting in the -Spanish army, but deserted and joined the French Republican troops, -was in the battle of Novi, ran away, and joined the corps raised at -Naples by Cardinal Ruffo. When this corps was dispersed, he went -back to Spain, again enlisted, and was shipped for St. Lucia. The -vessel in which he was, was captured by an English cruiser, and -he was taken into Plymouth and sent up to Dartmoor as prisoner of -war. After two years he was exchanged and was shipped to Cuxhaven. -Thence he went to Altona, where he asked the intervention of the -Duke d'Avré in his favour. The Duke recommended him to the Countess -de l'Isle, and he was taken into the service of her master of horse, -the Baron de Milleville, and came to Warsaw in September, 1803. -There he married, left his service and set up a café and billiard -room that was frequented by the retainers and servants of the emigré -nobility that hovered about the King and Queen. He was then aged -32, could speak Italian and Spanish as well as French, and was a -thorough soldier of fortune, impecunious, loving pleasure, and -wholly without principles, political or religious. - -The French Chargé d'Affaires at Warsaw was Galon Boyer; he does -not appear in the documents relative to the _Affaire Coulon_, not -because the Prussian Government shirked its duty, but because he -was in no way mixed up with the matter of the parsnips. It is quite -true that, as M. de Beauchamp asserts, the Court of Louis XVIII. did -endeavour to involve the Prussian authorities in the investigation, -but it was in such a manner that it was not possible for them to -act. On July 23rd, when the Count de l'Isle was determined to leave -Warsaw, Count d'Avaray called on the President von Hoym, and told -him in mysterious language that he was aware of a conspiracy in -which were involved several Frenchmen and as many as a dozen Poles -that sought the life of his august master. Herr von Hoym doubted. -He asked for the grounds of this assertion, and was promised -full particulars that same evening at eight o'clock. At the hour -appointed, the Count appeared breathless before him, and declared -that now he was prepared with a complete disclosure. However, he -told nothing, and postponed the revelation to 10 o'clock. Then -Avaray informed him that the keeper of the Café Coulon had been -hired by some strangers to meet him that same night on the road -to Novawies, to plan with him the murder, by poison, of the Count -de l'Isle. The whole story seemed suspicious to von Hoym. It was -now too late for him to send police to watch the spot where the -meeting was to take place, which he might have done had d'Avaray -condescended to tell him in time, two hours earlier. He asked -d'Avaray where Coulon lived that he might send for him, and the -Count professed he did not know the address. - -Next day Count d'Avaray read to the President von Hoym a document, -which he said had been drawn up by members of the court of the Count -de l'Isle, showed him a paper that contained twelve small parsnips, -and requested him to subscribe the document and seal the parcel of -parsnips. Naturally, the President declined to do this. He had not -seen Coulon, he did not know from whom Coulon had received the -parcel, and he mistrusted the whole story. However, he requested -that he might be furnished with an exact description of the two -mysterious strangers, and when he had received it, communicated with -the police, and had inquiry made for them in and about Warsaw. No -one had seen or heard of any persons answering to the description. - -Presently the Marquis de Bonney arrived to request the President, in -the name of the Count de l'Isle, to have the parsnips examined by -specialists. He declined to do so. - -On July 26th, the Count d'Avaray appeared before the head of the -Police, the President von Tilly, and showed him an attestation -made by several doctors that they had examined three parsnips that -had been shown them, and they had found in them a paste composed -of arsenic and orpiment. Von Tilly thought the whole story so -questionable that he refused to meddle with it. Moreover, a notary -of Warsaw, who had been requested to take down Coulon's statement, -had declined to testify to the genuineness of the confession, -probably because, as Coulon afterwards insinuated, he had been -helped to make it consistent by those who questioned him. - -Louis XVIII. left Warsaw on July 30, and as the rumour spread -that Coulon's wife had bought some arsenic a week before at an -apothecary's shop in the place, the police inspector ordered her -arrest. She was questioned and declared that she had, indeed, bought -some rat poison, without the knowledge of her husband. Coulon was -now taken up and questioned, and he pretended that he had given -his wife orders to buy the rat poison, because he was plagued with -vermin in the house. - -Then the authorities in Warsaw sent all the documents relating to -this matter, including the _procès verbal_ drawn up by the courtiers -of Louis XVIII., to Berlin, and asked for further instructions. - -According to this _procès verbal_ Coulon had confessed as follows: -On the 20th July two strangers had entered his billiard room, and -had assured him that, if he were disposed to make his fortune, they -could help him to it. They made him promise silence, and threatened -him with death if he disclosed what they said. After he had sworn -fidelity and secrecy, they told him that he was required to throw -something into the pot in which the soup was being prepared for -the King's table. For so doing they would pay him 400 louis d'or. -Coulon considered a moment; then the strangers promised they would -provide a situation for his wife in France. After that one of them -said to his fellow in Italian, "We must be off. We have no time -to lose." Next day, in the evening, a third stranger appeared at -his door, called him forth into the street, walked about with him -through the streets of old and new Warsaw, till he was thoroughly -bewildered, and did not know where he was, and, finally, entered -with him a house, where he saw the two strangers who had been with -him previously. Champagne was brought on the table, and they all -drank, and one of the strangers became tipsy. When Coulon promised -to do what was required of him, he was told to secure some of the -mutton-chops that were being prepared for the Royal table, and to -manipulate them with the powder that was to be given him. That the -cook might not notice what he was about, he was to treat him to -large draughts of brandy. Coulon agreed, but asked first to touch -the 400 louis d'or. Then the tipsy man shouted out, "That is all -right, but will Boyer consent to it?" The other stranger tried to -check him, and said, "What are you saying? Boyer is not here, he has -gone out of town and will not be back for a couple of days." After -Coulon had insisted on prepayment, he had been put off till the next -evening, when he was to meet the strangers at 11 o'clock on the road -to Novawies. There he was to receive money, and the powder for the -King. He was then given one ducat, and led home at one o'clock in -the morning. On the following night, at 11 o'clock, he went on the -way to Novawies, and then followed what we have already given from -the story of the man, as recorded by M. de Beauchamp. He received -from the men a packet containing the parsnips, and some money--only -six dollars. They put a kerchief under the earth beneath a tree, -and bade him, if he had accomplished his task, come to the tree and -remove the kerchief, as a token to them; if, however, he failed, -the kerchief was to be left undisturbed. The tree he had marked -well, it was the forty-fifth along the road to Novawies. A small end -of the kerchief peeped out from under the soil. The strangers had -then given him a bottle of liqueur to stimulate his courage for the -undertaking. - -After that Coulon was left alone, he said that he staggered -homewards, but felt so faint that he would have fallen to the ground -had not a Prussian officer, who came by, noticed his condition and -helped him home. At the conclusion of the _procès verbal_ came -an exact description of the conspirators. Such was the document -produced originally by the Count d'Avaray, and we can hardly wonder -that, on hearing it, the Prussian civil and police authorities had -hesitated about taking action. The so-called confession of Coulon -seemed to them to be a rhodomontade got up for the purpose of -obtaining money out of the ex-King and his Court. - -From Berlin orders were sent to Warsaw to have the matter thoroughly -sifted. Coulon and his wife were now again subjected to examination. -He adhered at first to his story, but when he endeavoured to explain -the purchase of the arsenic, and to fit it into his previous tale, -he involved himself in contradictions. - -The President at this point addressed him gravely, and warned -him of the consequences. His story compromised the French chargé -d'affaires, M. Galon Boyer, and this could not be allowed to -be passed over without a very searching examination that must -inevitably reveal the truth. Coulon was staggered, and hastily -asked how matters would stand with him if he told the truth. Then, -after a little hesitation, he admitted that "he thought before the -departure of the Count de l'Isle he would obtain for himself a sum -of money, with which to escape out of his difficulties. He had -reckoned on making 100 ducats out of this affair." He now told quite -a different tale. With the departure of the court of the emigrés, -he would lose his clientelle, and he was concerned because he owed -money for the café and billiard table. He had therefore invented -the whole story in hopes of imposing on the court and getting from -them a little subvention. But he said he had been dragged on further -than he intended by the Count d'Avaray, who had swallowed his lie -with avidity, and had urged him to go on with the intrigue so as to -produce evidence against the conspirators. - -That was why he had made up the figment of the meeting with the -strangers on the road and their gift to him of the parsnips, which -he admitted that he had himself scooped out and filled with the rat -poison paste he had bought at the apothecary's. - -So far so good. What he now said was precisely what the cool heads -of the Prussian authorities had believed from the first. But Coulon -did not adhere to this second confession. After a few days in prison -he professed his desire to make another. He was brought before the -magistrate, and now he said that the whole story was got up by the -Count d'Avaray, M. de Milleville, and others of the surroundings -of the exiled King, for the purpose of creating an outbreak of -disgust in Europe against Napoleon, and of bringing about a revolt -in France. He declared that he had been promised a pension of six -ducats monthly, that when he gave his evidence M. de Milleville had -paid him 35 ducats, and that he had been taken into the service, -along with his wife, of the ex-Queen, as reward for what he had done. - -There were several particulars which gave colour to this last -version of Coulon's story. It was true that he had been given some -money by Milleville; it was perhaps true that in their eagerness to -prove a case of attempted assassination, some of those who conducted -the inquiry had helped him to correct certain discrepancies in his -narrative. Then, again, it was remarkable that, although the Count -d'Avaray knew about the projected murder, he would not tell the -Prussian President the facts till 10 o'clock at night, when it was -too late to send the police to observe the pretended meeting on the -Novawies road; and when Herr von Hoym asked for directions as to -where Coulon lived that the police might be sent to arrest him on -his return, and during his absence to search the house, the Count -had pretended to be unable to say where Coulon lived. It was also -true that de Milleville had repeatedly visited Coulon's house during -the course of the intrigue, and that it was immediately after Coulon -had been at Milleville's house that his wife was sent to buy the rat -poison. - -Coulon pretended to have heard M. de Milleville say that "This -affair might cause a complete change in the situation in France, -when tidings of what had been done were published." Moreover, he -said that he had been despatched to the Archbishop of Rheim's with -the message "Le coup est manqué." - -But it is impossible to believe that the emigré court can have -fabricated such a plot by which to cast on the name of Napoleon the -stain of attempted assassination. The whole story reads like the -clumsy invention of a vulgar adventurer. Coulon's second confession -is obviously that of his true motives. He was in debt, he was losing -his clientelle by the departure of the Count, and it is precisely -what such a scoundrel would do, to invent a lie whereby to enlist -their sympathies for himself, and obtain from them some pecuniary -acknowledgment for services he pretended to have rendered. The -little court was to blame in its gullibility. Its blind hatred of -Napoleon led it to believe such a gross and palpable lie, and, if -doubts arose in any of their minds as to the verity of the tale told -them, they suppressed them. - -Coulon was found guilty by the court and was sentenced to five -years' imprisonment. The judgment of the court was that he had acted -in concert with certain members of the retinue of the Count de -l'Isle, but it refrained from naming them. - - - - -The Murder of Father Thomas in Damascus. - - -The remarkable case we are about to relate awoke great interest -and excitement throughout three quarters of the world, and stirred -up that hatred of the Jews which had been laid asleep after the -persecutions of the Middle Ages, just at the time when in all -European lands the emancipation of the Jew was being recognised as -an act of justice. At the time the circumstances were imperfectly -known, or were laid before the public in such a partial light that -it was difficult to form a correct judgment upon them. Since then, -a good deal of light has been thrown on the incident, and it is -possible to arrive at a conclusion concerning the murder with more -unbiased mind and with fuller information than was possible at the -time. - -The Latin convents of Syria stand under the immediate jurisdiction -of the Pope, and are, for the most part, supplied with recruits -from Italy. They are very serviceable to travellers, whom they -receive with genial hospitality, and without distinction of creed. -They are nurseries of culture and of industry. Every monk and friar -is required to exercise a profession or trade, and the old charge -against monks of being drones is in no way applicable to the busy -members of the religious orders in Palestine. - -In the Capuchin Convent at Damascus dwelt, in 1840, a friar named -Father Thomas, a Sardinian by birth. For thirty-three years he had -lived there, and had acted as physician and surgeon, attending to -whoever called for his services, Mussulman or Christian, Turk, Jew -or Frank alike. He set limbs, dosed with quinine for fever, and -vaccinated against smallpox. Being well known and trusted, he was -in constant practice, and his practice brought him, or, at all -events, his order, a handsome annual income. His manners were, -unfortunately, not amiable. He was curt, even rude, and somewhat -dictatorial; his manners impressed as authoritative in the sickroom, -but were resented in the market-place as insolent. - -On February 5th, 1840, Father Thomas disappeared, together with his -servant, a lay brother who always attended him. This disappearance -caused great commotion in Damascus. - -France has been considered in the East as the protector of -Christians of the Latin confession. The French Consul, the Count -Ratti-Menton, considered it his duty to investigate the matter. - -Father Thomas had been seen to enter the Jews' quarter. Several -Israelites admitted having seen him there. No one saw him leave it: -consequently, it was concluded he had disappeared, been made away -with, there. As none but Jews occupied the Ghetto, it was argued -that Father Thomas had been murdered by Israelites. That was settled -as a preliminary. But in the meantime the Austrian Consul had been -making investigation as well as the Count Ratti-Menton, and he had -obtained information that Father Thomas and his servant had been -noticed engaged in a violent quarrel and contest of words with some -Mohammedans of the lowest class, in the market-place. No weight was -attached to this, and the French Consul pursued his investigations -in the Jews' quarter, and in that quarter alone. - -Sheriff Pacha was Governor of Syria, and Count Ratti-Menton required -him to allow of his using every means at his disposal for the -discovery of the criminal. He also requested the Austrian Consul to -allow a domiciliary visitation of all the Jews' houses, the Austrian -Government being regarded as the protector of the Hebrews. In both -cases consent was given, and the search was begun with zeal. - -Then a Turk, named Mohammed-el-Telli, who was in prison for -non-payment of taxes, sent word to the French Consul that, if he -would obtain his release, he would give such information as would -lead to the discovery of the murderer or murderers. He received -his freedom, and denounced, in return, several Jews' houses as -suspicious. Count Ratti-Menton at the head of a troop of soldiers -and workmen, and a rabble assembled in the street, invaded all these -houses, and explored them from attic to cellar. - -One of the first names given by Mohammed-el-Telli was that of a -Jewish barber, Negrin. He gave a confused and contradictory account -of himself, but absolutely denied having any knowledge of the -murder. In vain were every means used during three days at the -French Consulate to bring him to a confession; after that he was -handed over to the Turkish authorities. They had him bastinadoed, -then tortured. During his torture, Mohammed-el-Telli was at his -side urging him to make a clean breast. Unable to endure his -sufferings longer, the barbar declared his readiness to tell all. -Whether what he said was based on reports circulating in the town, -or was put into his mouth by his tormentors, we cannot tell. -According to his story, on the evening of February the 5th a servant -of David Arari summoned him into his house. He found the master of -the house along with six other Israelitish rabbis and merchants, to -wit, Aaron and Isaac Arari, Mussa Abul Afia, Moses Salonichi, and -Joseph Laniado. In a corner of the room lay or leaned against the -wall Father Thomas, gagged and bound hand and foot. The merchants -urged Negrin to murder the Capuchin in their presence, but he -stedfastly refused to do so. Finally finding him inflexible, they -bought his silence with 600 piastres (hardly £6) and dismissed him. - -Thereupon, the governor ordered the arrest of David Arari and the -other Jews named, all of whom were the richest merchants in the -town--at all events the richest Jewish merchants. They, with one -consent, solemnly protested their innocence. They, also, were -subjected to the bastinado; but as most of them were aged men, and -it was feared that they might succumb under the blows, after a few -lashes had been administered, they were raised from the ground and -subjected to other tortures. For thirty-six hours the unhappy men -were forced to stand upright, and were prevented from sleeping. They -still persisted in denial, whereupon some of them were again beaten. -At the twentieth blow they fainted. The French Consul complained -that the beating was inefficient--so the Austrian Consul reported, -and at his instigation they were again bastinadoed, but again -without bringing them to confession. - -In the meantime, David Arari's servant, Murad-el-Fallat, was -arrested, the man who was said to have been sent for the barber. -He was dealt with more sharply than the others. He was beaten most -cruelly, and to heighten his pain cold water was poured over his -bruised and mangled flesh. Under the anguish he confessed that he -had indeed been sent for the barber. - -That was an insufficient confession. He was threatened with the -bastinado again, and promised his release if he would reveal all he -knew. Thereupon he repeated the story of the barber, with additions -of his own. He and Negrin, said he, had by command of the seven rich -merchants put the Father to death, and had then cut up the body and -hidden the remains in a remote water conduit. - -The barber, threatened with fresh tortures, confessed to the murder. - -Count Ratti-Menton explored the conduit where the two men pretended -the mutilated body was concealed, in the presence of the servant and -barber, both of whom were in such a condition through the barbarous -treatment to which they had been subjected, that they could not -walk, and had to be carried to the spot. And actually there some -bones were found, together with a cap. A surgeon pronounced that -these were human bones. It was at once concluded that these were the -remains of Father Thomas, and as such were solemnly buried in the -cemetery of the Capuchin Convent. - -David Arari's servant. Murad-el-Fallet, had related that the blood -of Father Thomas had been collected in a copper vessel and drawn -off and distributed among the Jews for religious purposes. It was -an old and favourite belief among the ignorant that the Jews drank -the blood of Christians at Easter, or mingled it with the Paschal -unleavened dough. At the same time the rumour spread that the rich -Hebrew Picciotto, a young man, nephew of the Austrian Consul at -Aleppo, had sent his uncle a bottle of blood. - -The seven merchants were led before the bones that had been -discovered. They persisted in the declaration of their innocence. -From this time forward, all scruple as to their treatment vanished, -and they were tortured with diabolical barbarity. They received the -bastinado again, they were burned where their flesh was tenderest -with red hot pincers. Red hot wires were passed through their flesh. -A German traveller, present at the time, declares that the first -to acknowledge the truth of the charge was brought to do so by -immersing him after all these torments for several hours in ice cold -water; after which the other six were lashed with a scourge made of -hippopotamus hide, till half unconscious, and streaming with blood, -they were ready to admit whatever their tormentors strove to worry -out of them. - -The Protestant missionary, Wildon Pieritz, in his account enumerates -the sufferings to which these unhappy men were subjected. - -They were, 1st, bastinadoed. - - 2nd. Plunged in large vessels of cold water. - - 3rd. Placed under pressure till their eyes started out of their - sockets. - - 4th. Their flesh, where most sensitive, was twisted and nipped - till they went almost mad with agony. - - 5th. They were forced to stand upright for three whole days, - and not suffered even to lean against a wall. Those who fell - with exhaustion were goaded to rise again by the bayonets of the - guard. - - 6th. They were dragged about by their ears, so that they were - torn and bled. - - 7th. Thorns were driven up the quick of their nails on fingers - and toes. - - 8th. Their beards were singed off, so that the skin was scorched - and blistered. - - 9th. Flames were put under their noses so as to burn their - nostrils. - -The French Consul--let his name go down to posterity steeped in -ignominy--Count Ratti-Menton, was not yet satisfied. He was bent -on finding the vials filled with the blood. Each of the seven -questioned said he had not got one, but had given his vial to -another. The last, Mussa Abul Afia, unable to endure his torments -any longer, gave way, and professed his willingness to turn -Mussulman. Nevertheless, he was again subjected to the scourge, -and whipped till he named another confederate--the Chief Rabbi -Jacob Antibi, as the man to whom the blood had been committed. -Mussa's confession, committed to writing, was as follows:--"I am -_commanded_ to say what I know relative to the murder of Father -Thomas, and why I have submitted to become a Mussulman. It is, -therefore, my duty to declare the truth. Jacob Antibi, Chief -Rabbi, about a fortnight before the event, said to me--'You know -that according to our religion we must have blood. I have already -arranged with David Arari, to obtain it in the house of one of -our people, and you must be present and bring me the blood.' I -replied that I had not the nerve to see blood flow; whereupon, -the Chief Rabbi answered that I could stand in the ante-chamber, -and I would find Moses Salonichi and Joseph Laniado there. I then -consented. On the 10th of the month, Achach, about an hour and a -half before sun-down, as I was on my way to the synagogue, I met -David Arari, who said to me: 'Come along to my house, you are -wanted there.' I replied that I would come as soon as I had ended -my prayers. 'No, no--come immediately!' he said. I obeyed. Then he -told me that Father Thomas was in his house, and that he was to be -sacrificed that evening. We went to his house. There we entered a -newly-furnished apartment. Father Thomas lay bound in the midst of -all there assembled. After sunset we adjourned to an unfurnished -chamber, where David cut the throat of the monk. Aaron and Isaac -Arari finished him. The blood was caught in a vat and then poured -into a bottle, which was to be taken to the Chief Rabbi Jacob. I -took the bottle and went to him. I found him in his court waiting -for me. When he saw me enter, he retreated to his cabinet, and I -followed him thither, saying, 'Here, I bring you what you desired.' -He took the bottle and put it behind a book-case. Then I went home. -I have forgotten to say that, when I left Arari's house, the body -was undisturbed. I heard David and his brother say that they had -made a bad choice of a victim, as Father Thomas was a priest, and -a well-known individual, and would therefore be sought for, high -and low. They answered that there was no fear, no one would betray -what had taken place. The clothing would be now burnt, the body cut -to pieces, and conveyed by the servants to the conduit, and what -remained would be concealed under some secret stairs. I knew nothing -about the servant of Father Thomas. The Wednesday following, I met -David, Isaac, and Joseph Arari, near the shop of Bahal. Isaac asked -David how all had gone on. David replied that all was done that was -necessary, and that there was no cause for fear. As they began to -talk together privately, I withdrew, as I was not one who associated -with the wealthiest of the Jews, and the Arari were of that class. -The blood is required by the Jews for the preparation of the Paschal -bread. They have been often accused of the same, and been condemned -on that account. They have a book called Serir Hadurut (no such a -book really exists) which concerns this matter; now that the light -of Islam has shone on me, I place myself under the protection of -those who hold the power in their hands." - -Such was his confession. The French Consul, unable to find the -blood, was bent on discovering more criminals; and the servant of -David Arari, after further pressure, was ready to give further -particulars. He said that, after the Father had been murdered, -he was sent to a rich Israelite, Marad Farhi, to invite him to -slaughter the servant of the Capuchin friar in the same way as his -master had been slaughtered. When he took the message, he found the -young merchant, Isaac Picciotto, present, and delivered his message -before him. Next day this Picciotto and four other Jews, Marad -Farhi, Meir, and Assan Farhi, and Aaron Stamboli, all men of wealth, -came to his master's house, and informed David Arari that they had -together murdered the Capuchin's serving-man in the house of Meir -Farhi. On another occasion this same witness, Murad-el-Fallat, said -that the murder of the servant took place in the house of David -Arari; but no importance was attached in this remarkable case to -contradictions in the evidence. - -Picciotto, as son of a former Austrian Consul, a nephew of the -Consul at Aleppo, was able to take refuge under the protection of -Merlato, the Austrian Consul at Damascus. On the demand of Count -Ratti-Menton, he was placed on his trial, but proved an _alibi_; -on the evening in question, he and his wife had been visiting an -English gentleman, Mr. George Macson. - -Arari's servant now extended his revelations. He said that he had -been present at the murder of the attendant on the Capuchin. This -man had been bound and put to death by seven Jews, namely, by the -four already mentioned, young Picciotto, Jacob Abul Afia, and Joseph -Menachem Farhi. - -The French Consul was dissatisfied that Picciotto should escape. He -demanded of the Austrian Consul that he should be delivered over to -the Mussulman Court to be tortured like the rest into confession. -The Austrian Consul was in a difficult position. He stood alone over -against a fanatical Christian and an embittered Mohammedan mob, and -in resistance to the Egyptian Government and the representative -of France. But he did not hesitate, he absolutely refused to -surrender Picciotto. The general excitement was now directed -against the Consul; he was subjected to suspicion as a favourer of -the murderers, as even incriminated in the murder. His house was -surrounded by spies, and every one who entered or left it was an -object of mistrust. - -All Damascus was in agitation; everyone sought to bring some -evidence forward to help on the case against the Jews. According to -one account, thirty-three--according to the report of the Austrian -Consul, sixty-three Jewish children, of from four to ten years -old, were seized, thrown into prison and tortured, to extract -information from them as to the whereabouts of their parents and -relations--those charged with the murder of the servant, and who -had fled and concealed themselves. Those witnesses who had appeared -before the court to testify to the innocence of the accused, were -arrested, and treated with Oriental barbarity. Because Farach -Katasch and Isaac Javoh had declared that they had seen Father -Thomas on the day of the murder in another quarter of the town than -the Ghetto, they were put to the torture. Isaac Javoh said he had -seen Father Thomas on the road to Salachia, two miles from the Jews' -quarter, and had there spoken to him. He was racked, and died on the -rack. - -A boy admitted that he had noticed Father Thomas and his servant in -another part of the town. For so saying, he was beaten with such -barbarity that he died twenty-four hours after. A Jewish account -from Beyrut says: "A Jew dedicated himself to martyrdom for the -sanctity of the ever-blessed Name. He went before the Governor, -and said to him, 'Is this justice you do? It is a slander that we -employ blood for our Paschal bread; and that it is so is known -to all civilized governments. You say that the barber, who is a -Jew, confessed it. I reply that he did so only under the stress of -torture. Very likely the Father was murdered by Christians or by -Turks.' The Governor, and the dragoman of the French Consul, Baudin -by name, retorted, 'What! you dare to charge the murder on Turks or -Christians?' and he was ordered to be beaten and tortured to death. -He was barbarously scourged and hideously tormented, and urged all -the while to confess the truth. But he cried ever, 'Hear, O Israel! -The Lord thy God is one Lord!' and so crying he died." - -As the second murder, according to one account, was committed in the -house of Meir Farhi, Count Ratti-Menton had the water conduits and -drains torn up all round it, and in the drain near them was found a -heap of bones, a bit of flesh, and a fragment of leather--according -to one account a portion of a shoe, according to that of the -Austrian Consul, a portion of a girdle. It had--supposing it to -have belonged to the murdered man--been soaking for a month in the -drain, nevertheless, the brother of the servant who had disappeared -identified it as having belonged to the murdered man! Dr. Massari, -Italian physician to Sheriff Pacha, and Dr. Rinaldo, a doctor -practising in Damascus, declared that the bones were human remains, -but they were examined by Dr. Yograssi, who proved them to be--sheep -bones. One may judge from this what reliance can be placed on the -assumption that the first collection of bones that were given -Christian burial were those of a man, and of Father Thomas. As for -the bit of flesh, it was thought to be a piece of liver, but whether -of a human being or of a beast was uncertain or unascertained. The -Jews' houses were now subjected to search. Count Ratti-Menton swept -through the streets at the head of twenty sbirri, entering and -ransacking houses at his own caprice, the Jews' houses first of all, -and then such houses of Christians as were supposed to be open as a -harbour of shelter to the persecuted Israelites. Thus one night he -rushed not only into the house of, but even the women's bedrooms of -a merchant, Aiub, who stood under Austrian protection, hunting after -secreted Jews, an outrage, in popular opinion, even in the East. - -The Jews charged with the murder of the servant had not been -secured. The greater number of the well-to-do Hebrews had fled -the town. A hue-and-cry was set up, and the country round was -searched. Their families were taken up and tortured into confessing -where they were. A German traveller then in Damascus says that the -prisons were crowded with unfortunates, and that the pen refuses -to detail the torments to which they were subjected to wring from -them the information required. The wife of Meir Farhi and their -child were imprisoned, and the child bastinadoed before its mother's -eyes. At the three hundredth blow the mother's heart gave way, and -she betrayed the hiding-place of her husband. He was seized. The -hippopotamus scourge was flourished over his head, and knowing -what his fellows had suffered, he confessed himself guilty. Assan -Farhi, who was caught in his hiding-place, was imprisoned for a -week in the French Consulate, and then delivered over to Turkish -justice. Bastinado and the rack convinced him of his guilt, but he -found means to despatch from his dungeon a letter to Ibrahim Pacha -protesting his innocence. - -It is as impossible as it is unnecessary to follow the story of the -persecution in all its details. The circumstances have been given -by various hands, and as names are not always recorded, it is not -always possible to distinguish whether single cases are recorded -by different writers with slight variations, or whether they are -reporting different incidents in the long story. - -The porter of the Jews' quarters, a man of sixty, died under -bastinado, to which he was subjected for no other crime than not -confessing that he had seen the murdered men enter the Ghetto. - -In the meantime, whilst this chase after those accused of the second -murder was going on, the seven merchants who had confessed to the -murder of the Father had been lying in prison recovering from their -wounds and bruises. As they recovered, the sense of their innocence -became stronger in them than fear for the future and consideration -of the past. They withdrew their confessions. Again were they -beaten and tormented. Thenceforth they remained stedfast. Two of -the seven, David Arari, aged eighty and Joseph Laniado, not much -younger, died of their sufferings. Laniado had protested that he -could bring evidence--the unimpeachable evidence of Christian -merchants at Khasbin--that he had been with them at the time when it -was pretended he had been engaged on the murder. But he died before -these witnesses reached Damascus. Then Count Ratti-Menton pressed -for the execution of the rest. - -So stood matters when Herr von Hailbronner, whose report on the -whole case is both fullest and most reliable, for the sequence of -events, arrived in Damascus. He took pains to collect all the most -authentic information he could on every particular. - -Damascus was in the wildest commotion. All classes of the people -were in a condition of fanatic excitement. The suffering caused by -the pressure of the Egyptian government of Mohamed Ali, the threat -of an Oriental war, the plague which had broken out in Syria, the -quarantine, impeding all trade, were matters that were thrust into -the background by the all-engrossing story of the murder and the -persecution of the Jews. - -The condition of the Hebrews in Damascus became daily more -precarious. The old antagonism, jealousy of their riches, hatred -caused by extortionate usury, were roused and armed for revenge. -The barber, though he had confessed that he was guilty of the -murder, was allowed to go scot-free, because he had betrayed his -confederates. What an encouragement was offered to the rabble to -indulge in false witness against rich Jews, whose wealth was coveted! - -Mohamed Ali's government desired nothing better than the -confiscation of their goods. A pack of ruffians sought occasion to -extract money out of this persecution by bribes, or to purchase -pardon for past offences by denouncing the innocent. - -It is well at this point to look a little closer at the French -Consul, the Count Ratti-Menton. On him rests the guilt of this -iniquitous proceeding, rather than on the Mussulman judges. He -had been twice bankrupt when French Consul in Sicily. Then he -had been sent as Consul to Tiflis, where his conduct had been so -disreputable, that on the representation of the Russian Government -he had been recalled. He had then been appointed Consul at Damascus. -In spite of all this, and the discredit with which his conduct with -regard to the Jews, on account of the murder of Father Thomas, had -covered him, his part was warmly taken up by the Ultramontane Press, -and the French Government did its utmost to shield him. M. Thiers -even warmly defended him. The credit of France was thought to be at -stake, and it was deemed advisable to stand by the agent of France, -and make out a case for him as best might be. - -It is quite possible, it is probable, that he was thoroughly -convinced that the Jews were guilty, but that does not justify his -mode of procedure. It is possible also that bribes may--as was -said--have been offered him by the Jews if he would desist from his -persecution, but that he refused these bribes shows that he was -either not an unredeemed rascal, or that he conceived he had gone -too far to withdraw. - -The Turkish and Egyptian authorities acted as always has been and -will be their manner, after their nature, and in their own interest. -We expect of them nothing else, but that the representative of -one of the most enlightened nations of Europe, a man professing -himself to be a Christian, and civilized, a member of a noble house, -should hound on the ignorant and superstitious, and give rein to -all the worst passions of an Oriental rabble, against a helpless -and harmless race, that has been oppressed, and ill-treated, and -slandered for centuries, is never to be looked over and forgiven. -The name of Ratti-Menton must go down branded to posterity; and -it is to be regretted that M. Thiers should have allowed his love -of his country to so carry him away as to induce him to throw -the shield over a man of whose guilt he must have been perfectly -aware, having full information in his hands. This shows us to what -an extent Gallic vanity will blind the Gallic eye to the plain -principles of truth and right. - -Ratti-Menton had his agents to assist him--Baudin, chief of his -bureau at the Consulate; Francois Salins, a native of Aleppo, who -acted as interpreter, spy, and guard to the Consulate; Father Tosti, -a French Lazarist, who, according to the Austrian Consul, "seemed to -find in this case an opportunity for avenging on the race the death -of his Divine Master; also a Christian Arab, Sehibli Ayub, a man of -bad character, who was well received by Ratti-Menton, because of his -keenness as spy, and readiness as denunciator. - -What followed now passes all belief. After that countless poor Jews -had been accused, beaten, tortured, and killed, it occurred to the -judges that it would be as well to ascertain the motive for the -crime. It had been said by those who had confessed that the Pater -and his servant had been put to death in order to obtain their blood -to mingle with the dough for the Paschal wafer. The disappearance -of the two men took place on February 5th. Easter fell that year on -April 18th, so that the blood would have to be preserved two months -and a half. That was an inconsequence which neither the French -Consul nor the Egyptian authorities stooped to consider. Orders were -issued that the Talmud and other sacred books of the Jews should -be explored to see whether, or rather where in them, the order was -given that human blood should be mingled with the Paschal dough. -When no such commands could be discovered, it was concluded that the -editions presented for examination were purposely falsified. - -Now, there were distinct indications pointing in quite another -direction, which, if followed, might have elucidated the case, and -revealed the actual criminals. But these indications were in no -case followed. Wildon Pieritz, an Evangelical Missionary, then in -Damascus, as well as the Austrian Consul, agree in stating that -three days before the disappearance of Father Thomas he was seen in -violent altercation with a Turkish mule-driver, who was heard to -swear he would be the death of the priest. The altercation was so -violent that the servant of Father Thomas seized the mule-driver by -the throat and maltreated him so that blood flowed--probably from -his nose. Father Thomas lost his temper and cursed the mussulman -and his religion. The scene created great commotion, and a number -of Turks were very angry, amongst them was one, a merchant, Abu -Yekhyeh, who distinguished himself. Wildon Pieritz in a letter -to the _Journal de Smyrne_ on May 14th, 1840, declares that when -the news of the disappearance of Father Thomas began to excite -attention, this merchant, Abu Yekhyeh, hanged himself. - -We may well inquire how it was that none of these facts came to be -noticed. The answer is to hand. Every witness that gave evidence -which might exculpate the accused Jews, and turn attention in -another direction, was beaten and tortured, consequently, those who -could have revealed the truth were afraid to do so. - -Even among the Mohammedans complaints arose that the French Consul -was acting in contravention to their law, and a feeling gradually -grew that a great injustice was being committed--that the Jews -were innocent. Few dared allow this in the first fever of popular -excitement, but nevertheless it awoke and spread. - -At first the Austrian Consul had been subjected not to annoyance -only, but to danger of life, so violent had been the popular feeling -against him because of the protection he accorded to one of the -accused. Fortunately Herr Merlato was a man of pluck. He was an -old soldier who had distinguished himself as a marine officer. -He not only resolutely protected young Picciotto, but he did his -utmost to hinder the proceedings of Ratti-Menton; he invoked the -assistance of the representatives of the other European Powers, and -finally every Consul, except the French, agreed to unite with him in -representations to their governments of the iniquitous proceedings -of Ratti-Menton, and to use their influence with the Egyptian -authorities to obtain the release of the unhappy accused. - -The bastinadoes and tortures now ceased. Merlato obtained the -release of several of those who were in confinement; and finally -the only Jews who remained in prison were the brothers Arari, Mussa -Salonichi, and the renegade Abul Afia. Of the supposed murderers of -the servant only the brothers Farhi were still held in chains. - -Matters were in this condition when the news of what had taken place -at Damascus reached Europe and set all the Jews in commotion. Every -effort was made by them, in Vienna, Leipzig, Paris and London, -indeed in all the great cities of Europe, to convince the public -of the absurdity of the charge, and to urge the governments to -interfere in behalf of the sufferers. - -Finally all the representatives of the European governments at -Alexandria, with the exception of the French, remonstrated with -Mohamed Ali. They demanded that the investigation should be begun -_de novo_; the French Consul-General, M. Cochelet, alone objected. -But the action of the Jews of Europe had more influence with -Mohamed Pacha than the representations of the Consuls. The house of -Rothschild had taken the matter up, and Sir Moses Montefiore started -from London, and M. Cremieux from Paris as a diplomatic embassy to -the Viceroy at Alexandria to convince him, by such means as is most -efficacious to an Oriental despot, of the innocence of the accused -at Damascus. - -The arguments these delegates employed were so extremely -satisfactory to the mind of Mohamed Pacha, that he quashed the -charges against the Jews of Damascus, in spite of the vehement -protest of M. Cochelet, the representative of France. When the -Viceroy issued a firman ordering the incarcerated Jews to be -discharged as innocent and suffered to abide in peace, M. Cochelet -strove in vain to have the firman qualified or altered into a pardon. - -Thus ended one of the most scandalous cases of this century. -Unfortunate, innocent men were tortured and put to death for a crime -that had never been proved. That the two Europeans had been murdered -was merely matter of conjecture. No bodies had been found. There -was no evidence worth a rush against the accused, and no motive -adduced deserving of grave consideration. "What inhumanities were -committed during the eight months of this persecution," wrote Herr -Von Hailbronner, "will never be wholly known. But it must call up a -blush of shame in the face of an European to remember that Europeans -provoked, favoured and stimulated it to the last." - - Authorities: "Morgenland and Abendland," by Herr Von - Hailbronner,--who, as already mentioned, was present in Damascus - through part of the time. "Damascia," by C. H. Löwenstein, - Rödelheim, 1840. Reports and debates in the English Parliament - at the time. The recently published Diaries of Sir Moses - Montefiore, 2 vols., 1890; his Centenal Biography, 1884, vol. - I., p. 213-288; and the article summing up the whole case in - "Der Neue Pitaval," by Dr. J. C. Hitzig and Dr. W. Häring, 1857, - Vol. I. - - - - -Some Accusations against Jews. - - -The story just given of the atrocious treatment of the Jews of -Damascus on a false accusation naturally leads to a brief sketch of -their treatment in the Middle Ages on similar charges. Not, indeed, -that we can deal with all of the outrages committed on the sons of -Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--that would require volumes--but only -notice some of those which they have had to suffer on the same or -analogous false charges. - -These false accusations range under three heads:-- - -1. They have been charged with poisoning the wells when there has -been an outbreak of plague and malignant fever. - -2. They have been charged with stealing the Host and with stabbing -it. - -3. Lastly, with having committed murders in order to possess -themselves of Christian blood, to mingle with the dough wherewith to -make their Paschal cakes. - -We will leave the first case on one side altogether, and as we have -already considered one instance--not by any means the last case of -such an accusation levied against them in Europe--we will take it -before we come to the instances of their being accused of stealing -the Host. - -But _why_ should they be supposed to require Christian blood? One -theory was that by common participation in it, the Jewish community -was closer bound together; another, that it had a salutary medicinal -effect. That is to say, having made up their minds in the Middle -Ages that Jews did sacrifice human beings and drink their blood, -they beat about for the explanation, and caught at any wild theory -that was proposed.[4] - - [4] Antonius Bonfinius: Rer. Hungaricarum Dec., v. 1., 3, gives - _four_ reasons. Thomas Cantipratensis, Lib. II., c. 29, gives - another and preposterous one, not to be quoted even in Latin. - -John Dubravius in his Bohemian History, under the year 1305, -relates: "On Good Friday the Jews committed an atrocious crime -against a Christian man, for they stretched him naked to a cross -in a concealed place, and then, standing round, spat on him, beat -him, and did all they could to him which is recorded of their -having done to Christ. This atrocious act was avenged by the people -of Prague upon the Jews, with newly-invented punishments, and of -their property that was confiscated, a monument was erected." But -there were cases earlier than this. Perhaps the earliest is that -of S. William of Norwich, in 1144; next, S. Richard of Paris, -1179; then S. Henry of Weissemburg, in Alsace, in 1220; then S. -Hugh of Lincoln, in 1255, the case of which is recorded by Matthew -Paris. A woman at Lincoln lost her son, a child eight years old. -He was found in a well near a Jew's house. The Jew was arrested, -and promised his life if he would accuse his brethren of the -murder. He did so, but was hanged nevertheless. On this accusation -ninety-two of the richest Jews in Lincoln were arrested, their -goods seized to replenish the exhausted Royal exchequer; eighteen -were hung forthwith, the rest were reserved in the Tower of London -for a similar fate, but escaped through the intervention of the -Franciscans, who, says Matthew Paris, were bribed by the Jews of -England to obtain their release. On May 15th, 1256, thirty-five of -the wretched Jews were released. We are not told what became of the -remaining thirty-nine, whether they had been discharged as innocent, -or died in prison. The story of little Hugh has been charmingly told -in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. - -A girl of seven years was found murdered at Pforzheim, in 1271; -the Jews were accused, mobbed, maltreated, and executed. In 1286, -a boy, name unknown, disappeared in Munich, with the same results -to the Jews. In 1292, a boy of nine, at Constance--same results. In -1303 "the perfidious Jews, accustomed to the shedding of Christian -blood," says Siffrid, priest of Meisen, in 1307, "cruelly murdered -a certain scholar, named Conrad, son of a knight of Weissensee, in -Thuringia, after that they had tortured him, cut all his sinews, and -opened his veins. This took place before Easter. The Almighty, who -is glorious in His Saints, however did not suffer the murder of the -innocent boy to remain concealed, but destroyed the murderers, and -adorned the martyrdom of their innocent victim with miracles. For -when the said Jews had taken the body of the lad to many places in -Thuringia to bury it secretly, by God's disposition they were always -foiled in their attempt to make away with it. Wherefore, returning -to Weissensee, they hung it to a vine. Then the truth having been -revealed, the soldiers rushed out of the castle, and the citizens -rose together with the common people, headed by Frederick, son of -Albert Landgrave of Thuringia, and killed the Jews tumultuously." - -The story of St. Werner, the boy murdered by the Jews in 1287, at -Wesel, on the Rhine, and buried at Bacharach, is well known. The -lovely chapel erected over his body is now a ruin. But Werner was -not the only boy martyred by the Jews on the Rhine. Another was St. -Johanettus of Siegburg. - -St. Andrew of Heiligenwasser, near Innsbrück, is another case, in -1462; St. Ludwig of Ravensburg, in 1429, again another. Six boys -were said to have been murdered by Jews at Ratisborn, in 1486; and -several cases come to us out of Spanish history. In Poland, in 1598, -in the village of Swinarzew, near Lositz, lived a peasant, Matthias -Petrenioff, with his wife, Anna. They had several children, among -them a boy named Adalbert. One day in Holy Week the boy was in -the fields ploughing with his father. In the evening he was sent -home, but instead of going home directly, he turned aside to visit -the village of Woznik, in which lived a Jew, Mark, who owned a -pawnshop, and had some mills. The son of Mark, named Aaron, and the -son-in-law, Isaac, overtook the boy as they were returning to Wosnik -in their cart and took him up into it. - -As the child did not return home, his father went in search of him, -and hearing that he had been seen in the cart between the two Jews, -he went to the house of Mark and inquired for him. Mark's wife -said she had not seen him. The peasant now became frightened. He -remembered the stories that floated about concerning the murder of -Christian children by Jews, and concluded that his boy had been put -to death by Mark and his co-religionists. At length the body of the -child was discovered in a pond, probably gnawed by rats--but the -marks on the body were at once supposed to be due to the weapons of -the Jews. Immense excitement reigned in the district, and finally -two servants of the Jews, both Christians, one Athanasia, belonging -to the Greek Church, and another, Christina, a Latin, confessed -that their masters had murdered the boy. He had been concealed in -a cellar till the eve of the Passover, when the chief Jews of the -district had been assembled, and the boy had been bled to death -in their presence. The blood was put into small phials and each -Jew provided with one at least. This led to a general arrest of -the Jews, when the rack produced the requisite confession. Isaac, -son-in-law of Mark, in whose house the butchery was said to have -taken place, declared under torture that the Jews partook of the -blood of Christians in bread, and also in wine, but he professed to -be unable to account for the custom. Filled, however, with remorse -for having thus falsely accused his people and his relatives, he -hung himself in prison. Mark and Aaron were condemned to be torn -to pieces alive; and, of course, the usual spoliation ensued. We -have the account of this atrocious judicial murder from the pen of -a Jesuit, Szembeck, who extracted the particulars from the acts of -the court of Lublin, in which the case was tried, and from those -drawn up by order of the bishop of the diocese of Luz, in which the -murder occurred, and who obtained or sanctioned a canonization of -the boy-martyr. - -Another still more famous case is that of S. Simeon, of Trent, in -1475, very full details of which are given in the Acta Sanctorum -of the Bollandists, as the victim was formally canonized by Pope -Benedict XIV., and the Roman Martyrology asserts the murder by the -Jews in these terms:-- - -"At Trent (on March 24th) the martyrdom of S. Simeon, a little -child, cruelly slain by the Jews, who was glorified afterwards by -several miracles." - -The story as told and approved at the canonization was as follows: -On Tuesday, in Holy Week, 1475, the Jews met to prepare for -the approaching Passover, in the house of one of their number, -named Samuel; and it was agreed between three of them, Samuel, -Tobias, and Angelus, that a child should be crucified, as an act -of revenge against the Christians who cruelly maltreated them. -Their difficulty, however, was how to get one. Samuel sounded his -servant Lazarus, and attempted to bribe him into procuring one, -but the suggestion so scared the fellow that he ran away. On the -Thursday, Tobias undertook to get the boy, and going out in the -evening, whilst the people were in church, he prowled about till -he found a child sitting on the threshold of his father's door, -aged twenty-nine months, and named Simeon. The Jew began to coax -the little fellow to follow him, and the boy, after being lured -away, was led to the house of Samuel, whence during the night he was -conveyed to the synagogue, where he was bled to death, and his body -pierced with awls. - -All Friday the parents sought their son, but found him not. The -Jews, alarmed at the proceedings of the magistrates, who had taken -the matter up, consulted together what was to be done. It was -resolved to put the body back into its clothes and throw it into the -stream that ran under Samuel's window, but which was there crossed -by a grating. Tobias was to go to the bishop and magistrates and -inform them that a child's body was entangled in the grate. This was -done. Thereupon John de Salis, the bishop, and James de Sporo, the -governor, went to see the spot, had the body removed, and conveyed -to the cathedral. As, according to popular superstition, blood was -supposed to flow from the wound when a murderer drew near, the -officers of justice were cautioned to observe the crowds as they -passed. - -It was declared that blood exuded as Tobias approached. On the -strength of this, the house of Samuel and the synagogue were -examined, and it is asserted that blood and other traces of the -butchery were found. The most eminent physicians were called to -investigate the condition of the corpse, and they pronounced that -the child had been strangled, and that the wounds were due to stabs. -The popular voice now accusing the Jews, the magistrates seized on -them and threw them into prison, and on the accusation of a renegade -more than five of the Jews were sentenced to death. They were broken -on the wheel and then burnt. The body of the child is enshrined -at Trent, and a basin of the blood preserved as a relic in the -cathedral. - -This must suffice for instances of accusations of murder for -religious purposes brought against the Jews, in every case false. -Another charge brought against them was Sacrilege. Fleury in his -Ecclesiastical History gives one instance. "In the little town of -Pulca, in Passau, a layman found a bloody Host before the house of -a Jew, lying in the street upon some straw. The people thought that -this Host was consecrated, and washed it and took it to the priest, -that it might be taken to the church, where a crowd of devotees -assembled, concluding that the blood had flowed miraculously from -wounds dealt it by the Jews. On this supposition, and without any -other examination, or any other judicial procedure, the Christians -fell on the Jews, and killed several of them; but wiser heads -judged that this was rather for the sake of pillage than to avenge -a sacrilege. This conjecture was justified by a similar event, that -took place a little while before at Neuburg, in the same diocese, -where a certain clerk placed an unconsecrated Host steeped in blood -in a church, but confessed afterwards before the bishop that he -had dipped this Host in blood for the purpose of raising hostility -against the Jews."[5] - - [5] Fleury, Hist. Eccl., vi. p. 110. - -In 1290, a Jew named Jonathan was accused in Paris of having thrown -a Host into the Seine. It floated. Then he stabbed it with his -knife, and blood flowed. The Jew was burnt alive, and the people -clamored for a general persecution of the Hebrews. - -In Bavaria, in 1337, at Dechendorf, some Hosts were discovered which -the Jews had stabbed. The unhappy Hebrews were burnt alive. - -In 1326, a Jew convert, a favourite of Count William the Good, of -Flanders, was accused of having struck an image of the Madonna, -which thereupon bled. The Jew was tortured, but denied the -accusation. Then he was challenged to a duel by a fanatic. He, -wholly unaccustomed to the use of weapons, succumbed. That sufficed -to prove his guilt. He was burnt. - -In 1351, a Jew convert was accused, at Brussels, of having -pretended, on three occasions, to communicate, in order that he -might send the Hosts to his brethren at Cologne, who stabbed them, -and blood flowed. - -The traveller who has been in Brussels must certainly have noticed -the painted windows all down the nave of S. Gudule, in the side -aisles, to left and right. They represent, in glowing colours, the -story of the miraculous Hosts preserved in the chancel to the north -of the choir, where seven red lamps burn perpetually before them. - -The story is as follows: In 1370, a rich Jew of Enghien bribed a -converted Hebrew, named John of Louvain, for 60 pieces of gold, to -steal for him some Hosts from the Chapel of S. Catherine. Hardly, -however, had the Jew, Jonathan, received the wafers, before he was -attacked by robbers and murdered. His wife, alarmed, and thinking -that his death was due to the sacrilege, resolved to get rid of -the wafers. It may have been remarked in the stories of murders -by Jews, that they were represented as finding great difficulty -in getting rid of the dead bodies. In these stories of sacrilege, -no less difficulty was encountered in causing the disappearance -of the Hosts. Moreover, the Jews invariably proceeded in the most -roundabout and clumsy way, inviting discovery. The widow of the -murdered Jonathan conveyed the Hosts to the synagogue at Brussels. -There, on Good Friday, the Jews took advantage of the Hosts to stab -them with their knives, in mockery of Christ and the Christian -religion. But blood squirted from the transfixed wafers. In terror, -they also resolved to get rid of the miraculous Hosts, and found -no better means of so doing than bribing a renegade Jewess, named -Catharine, to carry them to Cologne. They promised her twenty -pieces of gold for her pains. She took the Hosts, but, troubled in -conscience, revealed what she had undertaken to her confessor. The -ecclesiastical authorities were informed, Catherine was arrested, -imprisoned, and confessed. All the Jews dwelling in Brussels were -taken up and tortured; but in spite of all torture refused to -acknowledge their guilt. However, a chaplain of the prince, a man -named Jean Morelli, pretended to have overheard a converted Jew say, -"Why do not these dogs make a clean breast? They know that they -are guilty." This man was that John of Louvain who had procured -the theft of the wafers. He was seized. He at once confessed his -participation in the crime. That sufficed. All the accused, he -himself included, were condemned to death. They were executed with -hideous cruelty; after having had their flesh torn off by red-hot -pinchers, they were attached to stakes and burnt alive, on the Vigil -of the Ascension, 1370. Every year a solemn procession of the Saint -Sacrement de Miracle commemorates this atrocity, or the miracle -which led to it. - -Unfortunately, there exists no doubt whatever as to the horrible -execution of the Jews on the false charge of having stolen the -Hosts, but there is very good reason for disbelieving altogether the -story of the miracle of the bleeding Hosts. - -Now, it is somewhat remarkable that not a word is said about this -miracle before 1435, that is to say, for 65 years, by any writer of -the period and of the country. The very first mention of it is found -in a Papal bull of that date, addressed to the Dean and Chapter -of S. Gudule, relative to a petition made by them that, as they -wanted money for the erection of a chapel to contain these Hosts, -indulgences might be granted to those who would contribute thereto. -The Pope granted their request. - -Now, it so happens that the official archives at Brussels contains -two documents of the date, 1370, relative to this trial. The first -of these is the register of the accounts of the receiver-general -of the Duke of Brabant. In that are the items of expenditure for -the burning of these Jews, a receipt, and the text is as follows: -"Item, recepta de bonis dictorum judeorum, postquam combusti fuerant -circa ascensionem Domini lxx, quæ defamata fuerant de sacramentis -punicè et furtivè acceptis." That is to say, that a certain sum -flowed into the Duke's exchequer from the goods of the Jews, burnt -for having "guiltily and furtively obtained the Hosts." "Punice" is -an odd word, but its signification is clear enough. Now, in 1581, -on May 1st, the magistrates of Brussels forbade the exercise of -the Catholic religion, in a proclamation in which, when mentioning -certain frauds committed by the Roman Church, they speak of "The -Sacrament of the Miracle, which," say they, "by documentary evidence -can be proved never to have bled nor to have been stabbed." No -question--they had seen this entry in which no mention is made of -the stabbing--no allusion made to the bleeding. Moreover, in the -same archives is the contemporary episcopal letter addressed to the -Dean of S. Gudule on the subject of these Hosts. In this document -there is no mention made by the bishop of the stabbing or of the -miracle. It is stated that the Hosts were obtained by the Jews in -order that they might insult and outrage them. It is curious that -the letter should not specify their having done this, and done it -effectually, with their knives and daggers. Most assuredly, also, -had there been any suspicion of a miracle, the bishop would have -referred to it in the letter relative to the custody of these very -Hosts. - -After the whole fable of the stabbing and bleeding had grown up, no -doubt applied to these Hosts from a preceding case of accusation -against Jews, that of 1351, less than thirty years before, it was -thought advisable, if not necessary, to produce some evidence in -favour of the story; but as no such evidence was obtainable, it was -manufactured in a very ingenious manner. The entry in the register -of accounts was published by the Père Ydens, after a notary had -been required to collate the text. This notary--his name was Van -Asbroek--gave his testimony that he had made an exact and literal -transcript of the entry. What he and the Père Ydens gave as their -exact, literal transcript was "recepta de bonis dictorum Judoeorum -... quæ defamata fuerant de sacramen_to puncto_ et furtive -accep_to_." Ingenious, but disingenuous. In the first place they -altered "sacramentis" from plural into singular, and then, the -adverb _punicè_, "guiltily," into _puncto_, stabbed. - -Subsequently, Father Ydens and his notary have been quoted and -requoted as authoritative witnesses. However, the document is -now in the Archives at Brussels, and has been lithographed from -a photograph for the examination of such as have not the means -of obtaining access to the original.[6] The last jubilee of this -apocryphal miracle was celebrated at Brussels in July, 1870. - - [6] Le Jubilé d'un faux Miracle (extrait de la Revue de - Belgique), Bruxelles 1870. - - - - -The Coburg Mausoleum. - - -At the east end of the garden of the Ducal residence of Coburg is a -small, tastefully constructed mausoleum, adorned with allegorical -subjects, in which are laid the remains of the deceased dukes. Near -the mausoleum rise a stately oak, a clump of rhododendron, a cluster -of acacias, and a group of yews and weeping-willows. - -The mausoleum is hidden from the palace by a plantation of young -pines. - -The Castle of Coburg is one of the most interesting and best -preserved in Germany. It stands on a height, above the little town, -and contains much rich wood-carving of the 15th and 16th centuries. -Below the height, but a little above the town, is the more modern -residence of the Dukes Ehrenburg, erected in 1626 by the Italian -architect Bonallisso, and finished in 1693. It has that character -of perverse revolt against picturesqueness that marked all the -edifices of the period. It has been restored, not in the best style, -at the worst possible epoch, 1816. The south front remains least -altered; it is adorned with a handsome gateway, over which is the -inscription, "Fried ernährt, Unfried verzehrt"--not easily rendered -in English:-- - - "Peace doth cherish-- - Strife makes perish." - -The princes of Coburg by their worth and kindly behaviour have for -a century drawn to them the hearts of their subjects, and hardly a -princely house in Germany is, and has been, more respected and loved. - -Duke Franz died shortly after the battle of Jena. During his reign, -by his thrift, geniality, and love of justice he had won to his -person the affections of his people, though they resented the -despotic character of his government under his Minister Kretschmann. -He was twice married, but left issue only by the second wife, -Augusta, a princess of Reuss, who inherited the piety and virtues -which seem to be inrooted in that worthy house. - -Only a few weeks after her return from Brussels, where she had seen -her son, recently crowned King of the Belgians, did the Duchess -Augusta of Sachsen-Coburg die in her seventy-sixth year, November -16th, 1831. The admiration and love this admirable princess had -inspired drew crowds to visit the body, as it lay in state in the -residence at Coburg, prior to the funeral, which took place on the -19th, before day-break, by the light of torches. The funeral was -attended by men and women of all classes eager to express their -attachment to the deceased, and respect for the family. A great -deal was said, and fabled, concerning this funeral. It was told -and believed that the Dowager Duchess had been laid in the family -vault adorned with her diamond rings and richest necklaces. She was -the mother of kings, and the vulgar believed that every royal and -princely house with which she was allied had contributed some jewel -towards the decoration of her body. - -Her eldest son, Ernst I., succeeded his father in 1806 as -Duke of Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld, and in 1826 became Duke of -Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha. The second son, Ferdinand, married in 1816 -the wealthiest heiress of Hungary, the Princess Rohary, and his -son, Ferdinand, became in 1836 King of Portugal, and his grandson, -Ferdinand, by his second son, is the present reigning Prince of -Bulgaria. - -The third son, Leopold, married Charlotte, only daughter of George -IV. of England, and in 1831 became King of the Belgians. Of the five -daughters, the eldest was married to the Grand-Duke Constantine of -Russia, the second married the Duke of Kent, in 1818, and was the -mother of our Queen, Victoria. The third married Duke Alexander of -Würtemberg. - -Among those who were present at the funeral of the Duchess Augusta -was a Bavarian, named Andreas Stubenrauch, an artisan then at -Coburg. He was the son of an armourer, followed his father's -profession, and had settled at Coburg as locksmith. He was a -peculiarly ugly man, with low but broad brow, dark-brown bristly -hair, heavy eyebrows and small cunning grey eyes. His nose was a -snub, very broad with huge nostrils, his complexion was pale; he had -a large mouth, and big drooping underlip. His short stature, his -lack of proportion in build, and his uncomely features, gave him -the appearance of a half-witted man. But though he was not clever -he was by no means a fool. His character was in accordance with his -appearance. He was a sullen, ill-conditioned, intemperate man. - -Stubenrauch had been one of the crowd that had passed by the bed on -which the Duchess lay in state, and had cast covetous eyes at the -jewellery with which the body was adorned. He had also attended the -funeral, and had come to the conclusion that the Duchess was buried -with all the precious articles he had noticed about her, as exposed -to view before the burial, and with a great deal more, which popular -gossip asserted to have been laid in the coffin with her. - -The thought of all this waste of wealth clung to his mind, and -Stubenrauch resolved to enter the mausoleum and rob the body. The -position of the vault suited his plans, far removed and concealed -from the palace, and he made little account of locks and bars, which -were likely to prove small hindrances to an accomplished locksmith. - -To carry his plan into execution, he resolved on choosing the night -of August 18-19, 1832. On this evening he sat drinking in a low -tavern till 10 o'clock, when he left, returned to his lodgings, -where he collected the tools he believed he would require, a candle -and flint and steel, and then betook himself to the mausoleum. - -In the first place, he found it necessary to climb over a wall of -boards that encircled the portion of the grounds where was the -mausoleum, and then, when he stood before the building, he found -that to effect an entrance would take him more time and give him -more work than he had anticipated. - -The mausoleum was closed by an iron gate formed of strong bars eight -feet high, radiating from a centre in a sort of semicircle and armed -with sharp spikes. He found it impossible to open the lock, and he -was therefore obliged to climb over the gate, regardless of the -danger of tearing himself on the barbs. There was but a small space -between the spikes and the arch of the entrance, but through this -he managed to squeeze his way, and so reach the interior of the -building, without doing himself any injury. - -Here he found a double stout oaken door in the floor that gave -access to the vault. The two valves were so closely dovetailed -into one another and fitted so exactly, that he found the utmost -difficulty in getting a tool between them. He tried his false keys -in vain on the lock, and for a long time his efforts to prise the -lock open with a lever were equally futile. At length by means of -a wedge he succeeded in breaking a way through the junction of the -doors, into which he could insert a bar, and then he heaved at one -valve with all his might, throwing his weight on the lever. It took -him fully an hour before he could break open the door. Midnight -struck as the valve, grating on its hinges, was thrown back. But -now a new and unexpected difficulty presented itself. There was no -flight of steps descending into the vault, as he had anticipated, -and he did not know the depth of the lower pavement from where he -stooped, and he was afraid to light a candle and let it down to -explore the distance. - -But Stubenrauch was not a man to be dismayed by difficulties. He -climbed back over the iron-spiked gates into the open air, and -sought out a long and stout pole, with which to sound the depth, so -as to know what measures he was to take to descend. Going into the -Ducal orchard, he pulled up a pole to which a fruit tree was tied, -and dragged it to the mausoleum, and with considerable difficulty -got it through the gateway, which he again surmounted with caution -and without injury to himself. - -Then, leaning over the opening, holding the pole in both hands, he -endeavoured to feel the depth of the vault. In so doing he lost his -balance, and the weight of the pole dragged him down, and he fell -between two coffins some twelve feet below the floor of the upper -chamber. There he lay for some little while unconscious, stunned by -his fall. When he came to himself, he sat up, felt about with his -hands to ascertain where he was, and considered what next should be -done. - -Without a moment's thought as to how he was to escape from his -position, about the possibility of which he was not in the smallest -doubt, knowing as he did his own agility and readiness with -expedients, he set to work to accomplish his undertaking. With -composure Stubenrauch now struck a light and kindled the candle. -When he had done this, he examined the interior of the vault, and -the coffins he found there, so as to select the right one. Those of -the Duchess Augusta and her husband the late Duke were very much -alike, so much so that the ruffian had some difficulty in deciding -which was the right one. He chose, however, correctly that which -seemed freshest, and he tore off it the black cover. Under this -he found the coffin very solid, fastened by two locks, which were -so rusted that his tools would not turn in them. He had not his -iron bar and other implements with him now; they were above on the -floor of the upper chamber. With great difficulty he succeeded at -length in breaking one of the hinges, and he was then able to snap -the lower lock, whereas that at the top resisted all his efforts. -However, the broken hinge and lock enabled him to lift the lid -sufficiently for him to look inside. Now he hoped to be able to -insert his hand, and remove all the jewellery he supposed was laid -there with the dead lady. To his grievous disappointment he saw -nothing save the fading remains of the Duchess, covered with a -glimmering white mould, that seemed to him to be phosphorescent. The -body was in black velvet, the white luminous hands crossed over the -breast. Stubenrauch was not the man to feel either respect for the -dead or fear of aught supernatural. With both hands he sustained the -heavy lid of the coffin as he peered in, and the necessity for using -both to support the weight prevented his profane hand from being -laid on the remains of an august and pious princess. Stubenrauch did -indeed try more than once to sustain the lid with one hand, that -he might grope with the other for the treasures he fancied must be -concealed there, but the moment he removed one hand the lid crashed -down. - -Disappointed in his expectations, Stubenrauch now replaced the -cover, and began to consider how he might escape. But now--and now -only--did he discover that it was not possible for him to get out of -the vault into which he had fallen. The pole on which he had placed -his confidence was too short to reach to the opening above. Every -effort made by Stubenrauch to scramble out failed. He was caught in -a trap--and what a trap! Nemesis had fallen on the ruffian at once, -on the scene of his crime, and condemned him to betray himself. - -Although now for the first time deadly fear came over him, as he -afterward asserted, it was fear because he anticipated punishment -from men, not any dread of the wrath of the spirits of those into -whose domain he had entered. When he had convinced himself that -escape was quite impossible, he submitted to the inevitable, lay -down between the two coffins and tried to go to sleep; but, as he -himself admitted, he was not able to sleep soundly. - -Morning broke--it was Sunday, and a special festival at Coburg, for -it was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the accession of the Duke, so -that the town was in lively commotion, and park and palace were also -in a stir. - -Stubenrauch sat up and waited in hopes of hearing someone draw near -who could release him. About 9 o'clock in the morning he heard steps -on the gravel, and at once began to shout for assistance. - -The person who had approached ran away in alarm, declaring that -strange and unearthly noises issued from the Ducal mausoleum. The -guard was apprised, but would not at first believe the report. At -length one of the sentinels was despatched to the spot, and he -returned speedily with the tidings that there certainly was a man -in the vault. He had peered through the grating at the entrance and -had seen the door broken open and a crowbar and other articles lying -about. - -The gate was now opened, and Stubenrauch removed in the midst of an -assembled crowd of angry and dismayed spectators. He was removed to -prison, tried, and condemned to eighteen months with hard labour. - -That is not the end of the story. After his discharge, Stubenrauch -never settled into regular work. In 1836 he was taken up for theft, -and again on the same charge in 1844. In the year 1854 he was -discovered dead in a little wood near his home; between the fingers -of his right hand was a pinch of snuff, and in his left hand a -pistol with which he had blown out his own brains. In his pockets -were found a purse and a brandy bottle, both empty. - - - - -Jean Aymon. - - -Jean Aymon was born in Dauphiné, in 1661, of Catholic parents. -He studied in the college of Grenoble. His family, loving him, -neglected nothing which might contribute to the improvement of his -mind, and the professors of Grenoble laboured to perfect their -intelligent pupil in mathematics, languages, and history. - -From Grenoble, Aymon betook himself to Turin, where he studied -theology and philosophy. But there was one thing neither parents nor -professors were able to implant in the young man--a conscience. He -was thoroughly well versed in all the intricacies of moral theology -and the subtleties of the school-men; he regarded crime and sin as -something deadly indeed, but deadly only to other persons. Theft -was a mortal sin to every one but himself. Truth was a virtue to be -strictly inculcated, but not to be practised in his own case. - -His parents, thinking he would grow out of this obliquity of moral -vision, persisted in their scheme of education for the lad--probably -the very worst which, with his peculiar bent of mind, they could -have chosen for him. Having finished his studies at Turin, his evil -star led him to Rome, where his talents soon drew attention to him, -and Hercules de Berzet, Bishop of Saint Jean de Maurienne, in Savoy, -named him chaplain, and had him ordained, by brief of Innocent -XI., before the age fixed by the Council of Trent, "because of the -probity of his life, his virtues and other merits!"--such were the -reasons. - -Shortly after his installation as chaplain to the bishop, his patron -entrusted him with a delicate case. De Berzet had lately been deep -in an intrigue to obtain a cardinal's hat. He had been disappointed, -and he was either bent on revenge, or, perhaps, hoped to frighten -the Pope into giving him that which he had solicited in vain. He -set to work, raking up all the scandal of the Papal household, and -acting the spy upon all the movements of the familiars of the court. -After a very little while, this worthy prelate had succeeded in -gathering together enough material to make all the ears in Europe -tingle, and this was put into the hands of the young priest to work -into form for publication. - -As Aymon looked through these scandalous memoirs, he made his -own reflections. "The publication of this will raise a storm, -undoubtedly; but the first who will perish in it will be my patron, -and all who sail in his boat." Aymon noticed that M. de Camus, -Bishop of Grenoble, was most compromised by the papers in his hands, -and would be most interested in their suppression. Aymon, without -hesitation, tied up the bundle, put it in his pocket, and presented -himself before the bishop, ready to make them over to him for a -consideration. He was well received, as may be supposed, and in -return for the papers was given a living in the diocese. But this -did not satisfy the restless spirit of Aymon; he had imbibed a -taste for intrigue, and there was no place like the Eternal City -for indulging this taste. He was, moreover, dissatisfied with his -benefice, and expected greater rewards for the service he had done -to the Church. Innocent XI. received him well, and in 1687 appointed -him his protonotary. Further he did not advance. At the Papal Court -he made his observations, and whether it was that he was felt to be -somewhat of a spy, or through some intrigue, his star began to set, -when Aymon, too well aware that a falling man may sink very low, -suddenly fled from Rome, crossed the border into Switzerland, and in -a few days was a convert to the straitest sect of the Calvinists. -But the Swiss are poor, and their ministers are in comfortable, -though not lucrative positions. Holland was the paradise of -Calvinism, and to Holland Aymon repaired. Here he obtained a cure of -importance, and married a lady of rank. - -But even now, Aymon was not satisfied. Among the Protestants of -the Low Countries there are no bishops, and no man can soar higher -than the pulpit of a parish church. Aymon was convinced that he had -climbed as high as he could in the Church of Calvin, and that he had -a soul for something higher still. His next step was extraordinary -enough. He wrote in December, 1705, to M. Clement, of the -Bibliothèque du Roi, at Paris, stating that he had in his possession -the "Herbal" of the celebrated Paul Hermann, in forty folio volumes, -and that he offered it to the King for 3200 livres, a trifle over -what it had cost him. He added that he was a renegade priest, who -had sought rest in Protestantism, but had found none--nay! he had -discovered it to be a hot-bed of every kind of vice, and that he -yearned for the Church of his baptism. He hinted that he had made -some discoveries of the utmost political importance, and that he -would communicate them to the King if he could be provided with a -passport. - -Clement made inquiries of the superintendent of the Jardin-Royal as -to the expediency of purchasing the "Herbal," and received a reply -in the negative. - -Aymon wrote again, saying little more of the "Herbal," and -developing his schemes. He said that he had State secrets to confide -to the Ministers of the Crown, besides which, he volunteered to -compose a large and important work on the state of Protestantism, -"full of proofs so authentic, and so numerous, that, if given to the -light of day, as I purpose, it would probably not only restrain all -those who meditate seceding from the Roman Church, but also would -persuade all those, who are not blinded by their passions, to return -to the Catholic faith." - -Clement, uncertain what to answer, showed these letters to some -clergy of his acquaintance, and, acting on their advice, he -presented them to M. de Pontchartrain, who communicated the proposal -of Aymon to the King. - -A passport was immediately granted, and Aymon left Holland, -assuring his congregation that he was going for a little while to -Constantinople on important matters of religion. - -On his arrival in Paris, he presented himself before M. Clement, -to assure him of the fervour of his zeal and the earnestness of -his conversion. Clement received him cordially, and took him to -Versailles to see M. de Pontchartrain. In this interview Aymon made -great promises of being serviceable to the Church and to the State, -by the revelations he was about to make; but M. de Pontchartrain -treated his protestations very lightly, and handed him over to the -Cardinal de Noailles, Archbishop of Paris. - -The conference with the cardinal was long. The archbishop addressed -a homily to the repentant sinner, who listened with hands crossed -on his breast, his eyes bent to earth, and his cheeks suffused -with tears. Aymon sighed forth that he had quitted the camp of the -Amalekites for ever, and that he was determined to turn against them -their own weapons. Clement, who was present, now stepped forward -and reminded the prelate that Aymon had abandoned a lucrative -situation, at the dictates of conscience, and that though he might, -of course, expect to be rewarded hereafter, still that remuneration -in this life would not interfere with these future prospects. The -cardinal quite approved of this sentiment, and promised to see what -he could do for the convert. In the meantime, he wished Aymon to -spend a retreat in some religious house, where he could meditate on -the error of his past life, and expiate, as far as in him lay, his -late delinquencies by rigorous penances. Aymon thanked the cardinal -for thus, unasked, granting him the request which was uppermost in -his thoughts, and then begged to be allowed the use of the Royal -Library, in which to pursue his theological researches, and to -examine the documents which were necessary for the execution of his -design of writing a triumphant vindication of the Catholic faith, -and a complete exposure of the abominations of Protestantism. M. -Clement readily accorded this, at the request of the archbishop, and -Jean Aymon was sent to the seminary of the Missions Etrangères. - -Aymon now appeared as a model penitent. He spent a considerable -part of the night in prayer before the altar, he was punctual in -his attendance on all the public exercises of religion, and his -conversation, morning, noon, and night, was on the errors and -disorders of the Calvinist Church. When not engaged in devotions, he -was at the library, where he was indefatigable in his research among -manuscripts which could throw light on the subject upon which he was -engaged. Indeed, his enthusiasm and his zeal for discoveries wearied -the assistants. Clement himself was occupied upon the catalogues, -and was unable to dance attendance on Aymon; and the assistants soon -learned to regard him as a bookworm who would keep them on the run, -supplying him with fresh materials, if they did not leave him to do -pretty much what he liked. - -Time passed, and Aymon heard no more of the reward promised by the -cardinal. He began to murmur, and to pour his complaints into the -reluctant ear of Clement, who soon became so tired of hearing them, -that the appearance of Aymon's discontented face in the library was -a signal for him to plead business and hurry into another apartment. -Aymon declared that he should most positively publish nothing till -the king or the cardinal made up to him the losses he had endured -by resigning his post in Holland. - -All of a sudden, to Clement's great relief, Aymon disappeared from -the library. At first he was satisfied to be freed from him, and -made no inquiries; but after a while, hearing that he had also left -the Missions Etrangères, he made search for the missing man. He was -nowhere to be found. - -About this time Aymon's congregation at the Hague were gratified by -the return of their pastor, not much bronzed by exposure to the sun -of Constantinople, certainly, but with his trunks well-stocked with -valuable MSS. - -A little while after, M. Clement received the following note from a -French agent resident at the Hague:-- - -"Information is required relative to a certain Aymon, who says -that he was chaplain to M. le Cardinal de Camus, and apostolic -protonotary. After having lived some while at the Hague, whither -he had come from Switzerland, where he had embraced the so-called -Reformed religion, he disappeared, and it was ascertained that he -was at Paris, whither he had taken an Arabic Koran in MS., which -he had stolen from a bookseller at the Hague. He has only lately -returned, laden with spoils--thefts, one would rather say, which -he must have made at Paris, where he has been spending five or -six months in some publicity.... He has with him the Acts of the -last Council of Jerusalem held by the Greeks on the subject of -Transubstantiation, and some other documents supposed to be stolen -from the Bibliothèque du Roi. The man has powerful supporters in -this country.--March 10, 1707." - -The "Council of Jerusalem" was one of the most valuable MSS. of -the library--and it was in the hands of Aymon! Clement flew to the -cabinet where this inestimable treasure was preserved under lock and -key. The cabinet was safely enough locked--but alas! the MS. was no -longer there. - -A few days after, Clement heard that Aymon had crossed the frontier -with several heavy boxes, which, on inquiry, proved to be full of -books. What volumes were they? The collections in the Royal Library -consisted of 12,500 MSS. The whole had to be gone through. It was -soon ascertained that another missing book was the original Italian -despatches and letters of Carlo Visconti, Apostolic Nuncio at the -Council of Trent. - -There was no time to be lost. Clement wrote to the Hague to -claim the stolen volumes, and to institute legal proceedings for -their recovery, before the collection could be dispersed, and he -appointed, with full powers, William de Voys, bookseller at the -Hague, to seize the two volumes said to be in the possession of -Aymon. - -A little while after some more MSS. volumes were missed; they were -"The Italian Letters of Prospero S Croce, Nuncio of Pius IV," "The -Embassy of the Bishop of Angoulême to Rome in 1560-4," "Le Registre -des taxes de la Chancellerie Romaine," "Dialogo politico sopra i -tumulti di Francia," nine Chinese MSS., a copy of the Gospels of -high antiquity in uncial characters, another copy of the Gospels, -no less valuable, and the Epistles of S. Paul, also very ancient. - -Shortly after this, two Swiss, passing through the Hague, were -shown by Aymon some MSS. which agreed with those mentioned as lost -from the Royal Library; but besides these, they saw numerous loose -sheets, inscribed with letters of gold, and apparently belonging to -a MS. of the Bible. Clement had now to go through each MS. in the -library and find what had been subtracted from them. Fourteen sheets -were gone from the celebrated Bible of S. Denys. From the Pauline -Epistles and Apocalypse, a MS. of the seventh century, and one of -the most valuable treasures of the library, thirty-five sheets had -been cut. There were other losses of less importance. - -Whilst Clement was making these discoveries, De Voys brought an -action against Aymon for the recovery of the "Council of Jerusalem" -and the "Letters of Visconti." - -Jean Aymon was not, however, a man to be despoiled of what he had -once got. He knew his position perfectly, and he knew the temper -of those around him. He was well aware that in order to gain his -cause he had only to excite popular passion. His judges were enemies -to both France and Catholicism, he had but to make them believe -that a plot was formed against him by French Papists for obtaining -possession of certain MSS. which he had, and which contained a -harvest of scandals and revelations overwhelming to Catholics, and -he knew that his cause was safe. - -He accordingly published a defence, bearing the following -title:--"Letter of the Sieur Aymon, Minister of the Holy Gospel, to -M. N., Professor of Theology, to inform people of honour and savants -of the extraordinary frauds of certain Papistical doctors and of -the vast efforts they are now making, along with some perverted -Protestants, who are striving together to ruin, by their impostures, -the Sieur Aymon, and to deprive him of several MSS., &c."--La Haye, -dated 1707. Aymon in his pamphlet took high moral ground. He was -not pleading his own cause. Persecuted, hunted down by Papists, by -enemies of the Republic and of the religion of Christ, he scorned -their calumnies and despised their rage. He would bow under the -storm, he would endure the persecution cheerfully--for "Blessed -are those that are persecuted for righteousness' sake;" but higher -interests were at stake than his own fair fame. For himself he cared -little; for the Protestant faith he cared everything. If the Papists -obtained their suit, they would wrest from his grasp documents most -compromising to themselves. They would leave no stone unturned to -secure them--they _dare not_ leave them in the hands of a Protestant -pastor. Their story of the "Acts of the Council of Jerusalem" was -false. They said that it had been obtained by Olier de Nanteuil, -Ambassador of France at Constantinople, in 1672, and had been -transmitted to Paris, where Arnauld had seen and made use of it in -preparing his great work on the "Perpetuity of the Faith." They -further said that the Bibliothèque du Roi had obtained it in 1696. -On the other hand, Aymon asserted that Arnauld had falsified the -text in his treatise on the "Perpetuity of the Faith," and that, -not daring to let his fraud appear, he had never given the MS. to -the Royal Library, but had committed it to a Benedictine monk of S. -Maur, who had assisted him in falsifying it and making an incorrect -translation. This monk would never have surrendered the MS. but -that conscience had given him no rest till he had transmitted it to -one who would know how to use it aright. He, Aymon, had solemnly -promised never to divulge the name of this monk, and even though he -and the Protestant cause were to suffer for it, that promise should -be held sacred. He challenged the library of the King to prove its -claim to the "Council of Jerusalem!" All books in the Bibliothèque -du Roi have the seal of the library on them. This volume had three -seals--that of the Sultan, that of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and -that of Olier de Nanteuil; but he defied any one to see the library -mark on its cover, or on any of its sheets. Aymon wound up his -audacious pamphlet by prophesying that the Papists of France would -not be satisfied with this claim, but would advance many others, for -they knew that in his hands were documents of the utmost importance -to them to conceal. Aymon was too clever for Clement: he had mixed -up truth with fiction in such a way that the points which Clement -had to admit tended to make even those who were not bigoted hesitate -about condemning Aymon. - -Clement replied to this letter by stating the whole story of Aymon's -deception of the Cardinal de Noailles and others. With regard to -the "Council of Jerusalem," it was false that it had ever been -in a Benedicient monastery. "It is true," he said, "that in the -Monastery of S. Germain-des-Prés there are documents relating to -the controversies between the Catholics and Greek schismatics, but -they are all in French." He produced an attestation, signed by -the prior, to the effect that the MS. in question had never been -within the walls of his monastery. Clement was obliged to allow -that a Benedictine monk had been employed by Arnauld to translate -the text of the Council; he even found him out, his name was Michel -Foucquère; he was still alive, and the librarian made him affirm -in writing that he had restored the volume, on the completion of -his translation, to Dom Luc d'Achery. Clement sent a copy of the -register in the library, which related how and when the volume had -come into the possession of the King. It was true that it bore no -library seal, but that was through an oversight. - -Aymon wrote a second pamphlet, exposing Clement more completely, -pointing out the concessions he was obliged to make, and finally, -in indignant terms, hurling back on him the base assertion made to -injure him in the eyes of an enlightened Protestant public, that he -had ever treated with the government or clergy of Paris relative to -a secession to the ranks of Popery. But that he had been to Paris; -that he had met the Cardinal Archbishop, he admitted; but on what -ground? He had met him and twenty-four prelates besides, gathered in -solemn conclave, and had lifted up his voice in testimony against -them; had disputed with them, and, with the Word of God in his -mouth, had put them all to silence! No idea of his ever leaving -the reformed faith had ever entered his head. No! he had been on a -mission to the Papists of France, to open their eyes and to convert -them. - -The news of the robbery had, however, reached the ears of the King, -Louis XIV., and he instructed M. de Torcy to demand on the part of -Government the restitution of the stolen MSS. M. de Torcy first -wrote to a M. Hennequin at Rotterdam, who replied that Aymon had -justified himself before the Council of State from the imputations -cast upon him. He had been interrogated, not upon the theft -committed in Paris, but on his journey to France. Aymon had proved -that this expedition had been undertaken with excellent intentions, -and had been attended with supreme success, since he had returned -laden with manuscripts the publication of which would cause the -greatest confusion in the Catholic camp. Hennequin added, that after -having been deprived of his stipend, as suspected, on it having been -ascertained that he had visited Paris instead of Constantinople, -Aymon, having cleared his character, had recovered it. Such was the -first result of the intervention of Louis XIV. in this affair. - -"The stamp of the Royal Library is on all the MSS., except the -'Council of Jerusalem,'" said Clement. "Let the judges insist on -examining the books in the possession of Aymon, and all doubt as to -the theft will be removed." - -But this the judges refused to do. - -It was pretended that Aymon was persecuted; it was the duty of the -Netherland Government to protect a subject from persecution. He had -made discovries, and the Catholics dreaded the publication of his -discoveries, therefore a deep plot had been laid to ruin him. - -Aymon had now formed around him a powerful party, and the Calvinist -preachers took his side unanimously. It was enough to read the -titles of the books stolen to be certain that they contained curious -details on the affairs which agitated Catholics and Protestants from -the sixteenth century. - -All that the Dutch authorities cared for now was to find some excuse -for retaining these important papers, and the inquiry was mainly -directed to the proceedings of Aymon in France. If, as it was said, -he had gone thither to abjure Calvinism and betray his brethren, he -deserved reprimand, but if, on the other hand, he had penetrated the -camp of the enemy to defy it, and to witness a good confession in -the heart of the foe, he deserved a crown. Clement, to display Aymon -in his true colours, acting on the advice of the Minister, sent -copies of Aymon's letters. It was not thought that the good faith -of the French administration would be doubted. Aymon swore that the -letters were not his own, but that they had been fabricated by the -Government; and he offered to stake his head on the truth of what he -said. At the same time he dared De Torcy to produce the originals. - -He had guessed aright: he knew exactly how far he could go. The -Dutch court actually questioned the good faith of these copies, and -demanded the originals. This, as Aymon had expected, was taken by De -Torcy as an insult, and all further communication on the subject -was abruptly stopped. It was a clever move of Aymon. He inverted by -one bold stroke the relative positions of himself and his accuser: -the judges at the Hague required M. de Torcy to re-establish his own -honour before proceeding with the question of Aymon's culpability. -In short, they supposed that one of the Ministers of the Crown, for -the sake of ruining a Protestant refugee, had deliberately committed -forgery. - -The matter was dropped. After a while Aymon published translations -of some of the MSS. in his possession, and those who had expected -great results were disappointed. In the meantime poor Clement died, -heart-broken at the losses of the library committed to his care. - -At last the Dutch Government, after the publication of Aymon's book, -and after renewed negotiation, restored the "Council of Jerusalem" -to the Bibliothèque du Roi. It still bears traces of the mutilations -and additions of Aymon. - -In 1710, the imposter published the letters of Prospero S. Croce, -which he said he had copied in the Vatican, but which he had in fact -stolen from the Royal Library. In 1716 he published other stolen -papers. Clement was succeeded by the Abbé de Targny, who made vain -attempts to recover the lost treasures. The Abbé Bignon succeeded -De Targny, and he discovered fresh losses. Aymon had stolen Arabic -books as well as Greek and Italian MSS. There was no chance of -recovering the lost works through the courts of law, and Bignon -contented himself with writing to Holland, England, and Germany to -inquire whether any of the MSS. had been bought there. - -The Baron von Stocks wrote to say that he had purchased some leaves -of the Epistles of S. Paul, some pages of the S. Denis Bible, and an -Arabic volume from Aymon for a hundred florins, and that he would -return them to the library for that sum. They were recovered in -March, 1720. - -About the same time Mr. Bentley, librarian to the King of England, -announced that some more of the pages from the Epistles of S. Paul -were in Lord Harley's library; and that the Duke of Sunderland had -purchased various MSS. at the Hague from Aymon. In giving this -information to the Abbé Bignon, Mr. Bentley entreated him not to -mention the source of his information. M. de Bozé thereupon resolved -to visit England and endeavour to recover the MSS. But he was -detained by various causes. - -In 1729, Earl Middleton offered, on the part of Lord Harley, to -return the thirty-four leaves of the Epistles in his possession, -asking only in return an acknowledgment sealed with the grand seal. -Cardinal Fleury, finding that the Royal signature could hardly be -employed for such a purpose, wrote in the King's name a letter to -the Earl of Oxford of a flattering nature, and the lost MSS. were -restored in September, 1729. - -Those in the Sunderland collection have not, I believe, been -returned. - -And what became of Aymon? In 1718 he inhabited the Chateau of -Riswyck. Thence he sent to the brothers Wetstein, publishers at -Amsterdam, the proofs of his edition of the letters of Visconti. -It appeared in 1719 in two 12mo volumes, under the title "Lettres, -Anecdotes, et Mémoires historiques du nonce Visconti, Cardinel -Préconisé et Ministre Secret de Pie IV. et de ses créatures." The -date of his death is not known. - - Authority: Hauréau, J. Singularités Historiques et Litéraires. - Paris, 1881. - - - - -The Patarines of Milan. - - -I. - -In the eleventh century, nearly all the clergy in the north of Italy -were married.[7] It was the same in Sicily, and it had been the same -in Rome,[8] but there the authority and presence of the Popes had -sufficed to convert open marriage into secret concubinage. - - [7] "Cuncti fere cum publicis uxoribus ... ducebant vitam." "Et - ipsi, ut cernitur, sicut laici, palam uxores ducunt."--_Andr. - Strum. "Vit. Arialdi."_ "Quis clericorum non esset uxoratus vel - concubinarius?"--_Andr. Strum. "Vit. S. Joan. Gualberti."_ - - [8] "Coeperunt ipsi presbyteri et diacones laicorum more uxores - ducere suscepsosque filios hæredes relinquere. Nonnulli etiam - episcoporum verecund â omni contemptâ, cum uxoribus domo simul in - unâ habitare."--_Victor Papa "in Dialog."_ - -But concubinage did not in those times mean exactly what it means -now. A _concubina_ was an _uxor_ in an inferior degree; the woman -was married in both cases with the ring and religious rite, but the -children of the concubine could not inherit legally the possessions -of their father. When priests were without wives, concubines were -tolerated wives without the legal status of wives, lest on the death -of the priest his children should claim and alienate to their own -use property belonging to the Church. In noble and royal families -it was sometimes the same, lest estates should be dismembered. On -the death of a wife, her place was occupied by a concubine, and -the sons of the latter could not dispute inheritance with the sons -of the former. Nor did the Church look sternly on the concubine. -In the first Toledian Council a canon was passed with regard to -communicating those who had one wife or one concubine;--such were -not to be excluded from the Lord's Table,[9] so long only as each -man had but one wife or concubine, and the union was perpetual. - - [9] "Qui unius mulieris, aut uxoris, aut concubinæ (ut ei - placuerit) sit conjunctione contentus."--1st Conc. of Toledo, - can. 17. "Hæ quippe, licet nec uxoribus, nec Reginarum decore - et privilegiis gaudebant, erant tamen veræ uxores," say the - Bollandist Fathers, and add, that it is a vulgar error "Concubinæ - appellationem solis iis tribuere, quæ corporis sui usum uni viro - commodant, nullo interim legitimo nexu devinctæ."--Acta SS., Jun. - T. L. p. 178. - -But, though concubinage was universal among the clergy in Italy, at -Milan the priests openly, boldly claimed for their wives a position -as honourable as could be accorded them; and they asserted without -fear of contradiction that their privilege had received the sanction -of the great Ambrose himself. Married bishops had been common, and -saintly married prelates not unknown. St. Severus of Ravenna had a -wife and daughter, and though the late biographer asserts that he -lived with his wife as with a sister after he became a bishop, this -statement is probably made to get over an awkward fact.[10] When he -was about to die, he went to the tomb where his wife and daughter -lay, and had the stone removed. Then he addressed them thus--"My -dear ones, with whom I lived so long in love, make room for me, for -this is my grave, and in death we shall not be divided." Thereupon -he descended into the grave, laid himself between his wife and -daughter, and died. St. Heribert, Archbishop of Milan, had been a -married man with a wife esteemed for her virtues.[11] - - [10] It is the same with St. Gregory, Nyssen, Baronius, Alban, - Butler, and other modern Hagiographers make this assertion - boldly, but there is not a shadow of evidence, in any ancient - authorities for his life, that this was the case. - - [11] "Hic Archiepiscopus habuit uxorem nobilem mulierem; quæ - donavit dotem suam monasterii S. Dionysii, quæ usque hodie Uxoria - dicitur."--_Calvaneus Fiamma, sub ann. 1040._ - -By all accounts, friendly and hostile, the Lombard priests were -married openly, legally, with religious rite, exchange of ring, and -notarial deed. There was no shame felt, no supposition entertained -that such was an offence.[12] - - [12] "Nec vos terreat," writes St. Peter Damiani to the wives of - the clergy "quod forte, non dicam fidei, sed perfidiæ vos annulus - subarrhavit; quod rata et monimenta dotalia notarius quasi - matrimonii jure conscripserit: quod juramentum ad confirmandam - quodammodo conjugii copulam utrinque processit. Ignorantes quia - pro uniuscujusque fugaci voluptate concubitus mlle annorum - negotiantur incendium." - -How was this inveterate custom to be broken through? How the open, -honest marriage to be perverted into clandestine union? For to -abolish it wholly was beyond the power of the Popes and Councils. It -was in vain to appeal to the bishops, they sympathised with their -clergy. It was in vain to invoke the secular arm; the emperors, -the podestas, supported the parish-priests in their contumacious -adherence to immemorial privilege. - -To carry through the reform on which they were bent, to utterly -abolish the marriage of the clergy, the appeal must be made to the -people. - -In Milan this was practicable, for the laity, at least the lower -rabble, were deeply tinged with Patarinism, and bore a grudge -against the clergy, who had been foremost in bringing the luckless -heretics to the rack and the flames; and one of the most cherished -doctrines of the Patarines was the unlawfulness of marriage. What -if this anti-connubial prejudice could be enlisted by the strict -reformers of the Church, and turned to expend its fury on the clergy -who refused to listen to the expostulations of the Holy Father? - -The Patarines, whom the Popes were about to enlist in their cause -against the Ambrosian clergy, already swarmed in Italy. Of their -origin and tenets we must say a word. - -It is a curious fact that, instead of Paganism affecting -Christianity in the earliest ages of the Church, it was Christianity -which affected Paganism, and that not the Greek and Roman idolatry, -which was rotten through and through, but the far subtler and more -mystical heathenism of Syria, Egypt, Persia, and Mesopotamia. -The numerous Gnostic sects, so called from their claim to be the -possessors of the true _gnosis_, or knowledge of wisdom, were not, -save in the rarest cases, of Christian origin. They were Pagan -philosophical schools which had adopted and incorporated various -Christian ideas. They worked up Biblical names and notions into the -strange new creeds they devised, and, according as they blended -more or less of Christian teaching with their own, they drew to -themselves disciples of various tempers. Manes, who flourished in -the middle of the third century, a temporary and nominal convert -to the Gospel, blended some of these elder Gnostic systems with -the Persian doctrines of Zoroaster, added to a somewhat larger -element of Christianity than his predecessors had chosen to adopt. -His doctrines spread and gained an extensive and lasting hold on -the minds of men, suppressed repeatedly, but never disappearing -wholly, adopting fresh names, emerging in new countries, exhibiting -an irrepressible vitality, which confounded the Popes and Churchmen -from the third to the tenth centuries. - -The tradition of Western Manicheism breaks off about the sixth -century; but in the East, under the name of Paulicians, the -adherents of Manichean doctrines endured savage persecutions during -two whole centuries, and spread, as they fled from the sword and -stake in the East, over Europe, entering it in two streams--one by -Bulgaria, Servia, and Croatia, to break out in the wild fanaticism -of the Taborites under Zisca of the Flail; the other, by way of the -sea, inundating northern Italy and Provence. In Piedmont it obtained -the name of Patarinism; in Provence, of Albigensianism. - -With Oriental Manicheism, the Patarines and Albigenses of the West -held that there were two co-equal conflicting principles of good and -evil; that matter was eternal, and waged everlasting war against -spirit. Their moral life was strict and severe. They fasted, dressed -in coarse clothing, and hardly, reluctantly suffered marriage to the -weaker, inferior disciples. It was absolutely forbidden to those -who were, or esteemed themselves to be, perfect. - -Already, in Milan, St Heribert, the married archbishop, had kindled -fires, and cast these denouncers of wedlock into them. In 1031 the -heretics held the castle of Montforte, in the diocese of Asti. They -were questioned: they declared themselves ready to witness to their -faith by their blood. They esteemed virginity, and lived in chastity -with their wives, never touched meat, and prayed incessantly. They -had their goods in common. Their castle stood a siege. It was at -length captured by the Archbishop. In the market-place were raised -a cross on one side, a blazing pyre on the other. The Patarines -were brought forth, commanded to cast themselves before the cross, -confess themselves to be heretics, or plunge into the flames. A few -knelt to the cross; the greater number covered their faces, rushed -into the fire, and were consumed.[13] - - [13] Landulf Sen. ii. c. 27. - -St. Augustine, in his book on Heresies, had already described these -heretics. He, who had been involved in the fascinating wiles of -Manicheism, could not be ignorant of them. He calls them Paternians, -or Venustians, and says that they regarded the flesh as the work of -the devil--that is, of the evil principle, because made of matter. - -In the eleventh century, in Lombardy, they are called Patarines, -Patrins, or Cathari. Muratori says that they derived their name -from the part of the town of Milan in which they swarmed, near the -Contrada di Patari; but it is more probable that the quarter was -called after them. - -In 1074 Gregory VII. in solemn conclave will bless them altogether, -by name, as the champions of the Holy See, and of the Truth; in -1179 Alexander III. will anathematise them altogether, as heretics -meet to be burned. Frederick II., when seeking reconciliation with -Honorius III. and Gregory IX., will be never weary of offering -hecatombs of Patarines, in token of his orthodoxy. - -Ariald, a native of Cuzago, a village near Milan, of ignoble birth, -in deacon's orders, was chosen for the dangerous expedient of -enlisting the Patarine heretics against the orthodox but relaxed -clergy of that city. Milan, said a proverb, was famous for its -clergy; Ravenna for its churches. In morals, in learning, in exact -observance of their religious duties, the clergy of Milan were -prominent among the priests of Lombardy. But they were all married. -The Popes could expect no support from the Archbishop, Guido -Vavasour; none from the Emperor Henry IV., then a child. Ariald -was a woman-hater from infancy, deeply tinged with Patarinism. We -are told that even as a little boy the sight of his sisters was -odious to him.[14] He began to preach in Milan in 1057, and the -populace was at once set on fire[15] by his sermons. They applauded -vociferously his declaration that the married clergy were no longer -to be treated as priests, but as "the enemies of God, and the -deceivers of souls." - - [14] For authorities we have Andrew of Vallombrosa, _d._ A.D. - 1170, a disciple of Ariald. He was a native of Parma. He - afterwards went to Florence, where he was mixed up with the riots - occasioned by St. John Gualberto in 1063. He joined the Order of - Vallombrosa, and became Abbot of Strumi. At least, I judge, and - so do the Bollandists, that Andrew of Vallombrosa and Andrew of - Strumi are the same. - - [15] "Plebs fere universa sic est accensa." - -Then up rose from among the mob a clerk named Landulf, a man of -loud voice and vehement gesture, and offered to join Ariald in his -crusade. The crowd, or, at least, a part of it, enthusiastically -cheered; another part of the audience, disapproving, deeming it an -explosion of long-suppressed Manicheism, which would meet with stern -repression, thought it prudent to withdraw. - -A layman of fortune, named Nazarius, offered his substance to -advance the cause, and his house as a harbour for its apostles. - -The sermon was followed by a tumult. The whole city was in an -uproar, and the married clergy were threatened or maltreated by -the mob. Guido Vavasour de Velati, the Archbishop, was obliged -to interfere. He summoned Ariald and Landulf before him, and -remonstrated. "It is unseemly for a priest to denounce priests. It -is impolitic for him to stir up tumult against his brethren. Let -not brothers condemn brothers, for whose salvation Christ died." -Then turning to Landulf, "Why do not you return to your own wife and -children whom you have deserted, and live with them as heretofore, -and set an example of peace and order? Cast the beam out of thine -own eye, before thou pluckest motes out of the eyes of thy brethren. -If they have done wrong, reprove them privately, but do not storm -against them before all the people." He concluded by affirming the -lawfulness of priests marrying, and insisted on the cessation of -the contest.[16] Ariald obstinately refused to desist. "Private -expostulation is in vain. As for obstinate disorders you apply fire -and steel, so for this abuse we must have recourse to desperate -remedies." - - [16] "Hæc cum Guido placide dixisset; eo finem orationis dixerit, - ut sacerdotibus fas esset dicere uxores ducere."--_Alicatus, - "Vit. Arialdi."_ - -He left the Archbishop to renew his appeals to the people. But -dreading lest Guido should use force to restrain him, Ariald invoked -the support of Anselm de Badagio, Bishop of Lucca, and received -promise of his countenance and advocacy at Rome. - -Guido Vavasour had succeeded the married Archbishop Heribert in -1040. His election had not satisfied the people, who had chosen, -and proposed for consecration, four priests, one of whom the nobles -were expected to select. But the nobles rejected the popular -candidates, and set up in their place Guido Vavasour, and his -nomination was ratified by the Emperor and by the Pope. He was -afterwards, as we shall see, charged with having bribed Henry III. -to give him the See, but was acquitted of the charge, which was -denounced as unfounded by Leo IX. in 1059. The people, in token -of their resentment, refused to be present at the first mass he -sang. "He is a country bumpkin," said they. "Faugh! he smells of -the cow-house."[17] Consequently there was simmering discontent -against the Archbishop for Ariald to work upon; he could unite the -lower people, whose wishes had been disregarded by the nobles, with -the Patarines, who had been haled before ecclesiastical courts for -their heresy, in one common insurrection against the clergy and the -pontiff. - - [17] Arnulf., Gesta Archiepisc. Mediol. ap. Pertz, x. p. 17. - -According to Landulf the elder, a strong partisan of the Archbishop, -another element of discontent was united to those above enumerated. -The clergy of Milan had oppressed the country people. The Church had -estates outside of Milan, vine and olive yards and corn-fields. The -clergy had been harsh in exacting feudal rights and legal dues. - -Ariald, as a native of a country village, knew the temper of the -peasants, and their readiness to resent these extortions. Ariald -worked upon the country-folk; Landulf, rich and noble, and eloquent -in speech, on the town rabble; and the two mobs united against the -common enemy. - -Anselm de Badagio, priest and popular preacher at Milan, had been -mixed up with Landulf and Ariald in the controversy relative to -clerical marriage; but to stop his mouth the Archbishop had given -him the bishopric of Lucca, in 1057, and had supplied his place -as preacher at Milan by seven deacons. Landulf the elder relates -that these deacons preached with such success that Anselm, in a -fit of jealousy, returned to Milan to listen to their sermons, and -scornfully exclaimed, "They may become preachers, but they must -first put away their wives." - -According to the same authority, Ariald bore a grudge against the -Archbishop for having had occasion to rebuke him on account of some -irregularity of which he had been guilty. But Landulf the elder is -not to be trusted implicitly; he is as bigoted on one side as is -Andrew of Strumi on the other. - -In the meantime the priests and their wives were exposed to every -sort of violence, and "a great horror fell on the Ambrosian clergy." -The poor women were torn from their husbands, and driven from the -city; the priests who refused to be separated from their companions -were interdicted from the altar.[18] - - [18] "Sic ab eodem populo sunt persecuta et deleta (clericorum - connubia) ut nullus existeret quin aut cogeretur tantum nefas - dimittere, vel ad altare non accedere."--_Andr. Strum._ - -Landulf was sent to Rome to report progress, and obtain confirmation -of the proceedings of the party from the Pope. He reached Piacenza, -but was unable to proceed farther; he was knocked down, and finding -the way barred by the enemies of his party, returned to Milan. -Ariald then started, and eluding his adversaries, arrived safely at -Rome. He presented himself before Pope Stephen X., who was under the -influence of Hildebrand, and, therefore, disposed to receive him -with favour. Stephen bade him return to Milan, prosecute the holy -war, and, if need be, shed his blood in the sacred cause. - -The appeal to Rome was necessary, as the Archbishop and a large -party of the citizens, together with all the clergy, had denounced -Ariald and Landulf as Patarines. The fact was notorious that the -secret and suspected Manichees in Milan were now holding up their -heads and defying those who had hitherto controlled them. The -Manichees suddenly found that from proscribed heretics they had -been exalted into champions of orthodoxy. It was a satisfactory -change for those who had been persecuted to become persecutors, and -turn their former tyrants into victims. But now, to the confusion -and dismay of the clergy, they found themselves betrayed by the -Pope, and at the mercy of those who had old wrongs to resent. -Fortified with the blessing of the Pope on his work, his orthodoxy -triumphantly established by the supreme authority, Ariald rushed -back to Milan, accompanied by papal legates to protect him, -and proclaim his mission as divine. He was unmeasured in his -denunciations. Dissension fast ripened into civil war. Ariald, at -the head of a roaring mob, swept the clergy together into a church, -and producing a paper which bound all of them by oath to put away -their wives, endeavoured to enforce their subscription. - -A priest, maddened to resentment, struck the demagogue in the mouth. -This was the signal for a general tumult. The adherents of Ariald -rushed through the streets, the alarm bells pealed, the populace -gathered from all quarters, and a general hunting down of the -married clergy ensued. - -"How can the blind lead the blind?" preached Landulf Cotta. "Let -these Simoniacs, these Nicolaitans be despised. You who wish to have -salvation from the Lord, drive them from their functions; esteem -their sacrifices as dogs' dung (_canina stercora_)! Confiscate their -goods, and every one of you take what he likes![19] We can imagine -the results of such license given to the lowest rabble. The nobles, -over-awed, dared not interfere. - - [19] Arnulf., _Gesta Ep. Mediol._ ap. Pertz, x. p. 18. It is - necessary not to confound Landulf Cotta, the demagogue, with - Landulf the elder, the historian, and Landulf the younger, the - disciple and biographer of Ariald. - -Nor were the clergy of the city alone exposed to this popular -persecution. The preachers roved round the country, creating riots -everywhere. This led to retaliation, but retaliation of a feeble, -harmless sort. A chapel built by Ariald on his paternal estate was -pulled down; and the married clergy resentfully talked of barking -his chestnut trees and breaking down his vines, but thought better -of it, and refrained. - -A more serious attempt at revenge was the act of a private -individual. Landulf Cotta was praying in a church, when a priest -aimed at him with a sword, but without seriously hurting him. A -cripple at the church door caught the flying would-be assassin; a -crowd assembled, and Landulf with difficulty extricated the priest -alive from their hands. - -Ariald and Cotta now began to denounce those who had bought their -cures of souls, or had paid fees on their institution to them. They -stimulated the people to put down simony, as they had put down -concubinage. "Cursed is he that withholdeth his hand from blood!" -was the fiery peroration of a sermon on this subject by Ariald. - -"Landulf Cotta," says Arnulf, "being master of the lay folk, made -them swear to combat both simony and concubinage. Presently he -forced this oath on the clergy. From this time forward he was -constantly followed by a crowd of men and women, who watched around -him night and day. He despised the churches, and rejected priests -as well as their functions, under pretext that they were defiled -with simony. They were called Patari, that is to say, beggars, -because the greater part of them belonged to the lowest orders."[20] - - [20] Ap. Pertz, l.c., pp. 19, 20. - -"What shall we do?" asked a large party at Milan. "This Ariald -tells us that if we receive the Holy Sacrament from married or -simoniacal priests, we eat our own damnation. We cannot live without -sacraments, and he has driven all the priests out of Milan." - -The parties were so divided, that those who held with Ariald would -not receive sacraments from the priests, the heavenly gift on their -altars they esteemed as "dogs' dung;" they would not even join with -them, or those who adhered to them, in prayer. "One house was all -faithful," says Andrew of Strumi; "the next all unfaithful. In the -third, the mother and one son were believing, but the father and the -other son were unbelieving; so that the whole city was a scene of -confusion and contention." - -In 1058 Guido assembled a synod at Fontanetum near Novara, -and summoned Ariald and Landulf Cotta to attend it. The synod -awaited their arrival for three days, and as they did not come, -excommunicated them as contumacious. - -Landulf the younger, the biographer of Ariald, says that Pope -Stephen X. reversed the sentence of the synod; but this account -does not agree with what is related by Arnulf. Landulf the elder -confounds the dates, and places the synod in the reign of Alexander -II., and says that the Pope adopted a middle course, and sent -ambassadors to Milan to investigate the matter. Bonizo of Sutri says -the same. All agree that Hildebrand was one of these commissioners. -Hildebrand was therefore able to judge on the spot of the results -of an appeal to the passions of the people. It is the severest -condemnation to his conduct in 1073, to know for certain that he had -seen the working of the power he afterwards called out. He then saw -how great was that power; he must have been cruelly, recklessly, -wickedly indifferent to the crimes which accompanied its invocation. -Landulf the elder says that the second commissary was Anselm of -Lucca, whilst Bonizo speaks indifferently of the "bishops _a -latere_" as constituting the deputation. Guido was not in Milan when -it arrived, he did not dare to venture his person in the midst of -the people. The ambassadors were received with the utmost respect; -they took on themselves to brand the Archbishop as a simoniac and a -schismatic, and, according to Landulf, to do many other things which -they were not authorised by the Pope to do; so that the dissension, -so far from being allayed by their visit, only waxed more furious. - -At the end of the year 1058, or the beginning of 1059, the Pope -sent Peter Damiani, the harsh Bishop of Ostia, and Anselm, Bishop -of Lucca, on a new embassy to Milan.[21] They were received with -respect by the Archbishop and clergy; but the pride of the Milanese -of all ranks was wounded by seeing the Bishop of Ostia enthroned in -the middle, with Anselm of Lucca, the suffragan of Milan, upon his -right, and their Archbishop degraded to the left of the Legate, and -seated on a stool at his feet. Milan assembled at the ringing of the -bells in all the churches, and the summons of an enormous brazen -trumpet which shrieked through the streets. The fickle people asked -if the Church of St. Ambrose was to be trodden under the foot of the -Roman Pontiff. "I was threatened with death," wrote Peter Damiani to -Hildebrand, "and many assured me that there were persons panting for -my blood. It is not necessary for me to repeat all the remarks the -people made on this occasion." - - [21] We have a full account of this embassy in a letter of St. - Peter Damiani to the Archdeacon Hildebrand (Petri Dam. _Opp._ - iii; _Opusc._ v. p. 37), besides the accounts by Bonizo, Arnulf, - and Landulf the elder. - -But Peter Damiani was not the man to be daunted at a popular -outbreak. He placidly mounted the ambone, and asserted boldly the -supreme jurisdiction of the chair of St. Peter. "The Roman Church -is the mother, that of Ambrose is the daughter. St. Ambrose always -recognised that mistress. Study the sacred books, and hold us as -liars, if you do not find that it is as I have said." - -Then the charges against the clergy were investigated by the -legates, and not a single clerk in Milan was found who had not paid -a fee on his ordination; "for that was the custom, and the charge -was fixed," says the Bishop of Ostia. Here was a difficulty. He -could not deprive every priest and deacon in Milan, and leave the -great city without pastors. He was therefore obliged to content -his zeal with exacting from the bishops a promise that ordination -in future should be made gratuitously; and the Archbishop was -constrained to deposit on the altar a paper in which he pronounced -his own excommunication, in the event of his relaxing his rigour -in suppressing the heresy of the Simoniacs and Nicolaitans, by -which latter name those who insisted on the lawfulness of clerical -marriage were described. - -To make atonement for the past, the Archbishop was required to -do penance for one hundred years, but to pay money into the -papal treasury in acquittal of each year; which, to our simple -understanding, looks almost as scandalous a traffic as imposing a -fee on all clergy ordained. But then, in the one case the money went -into the pocket of the bishops, and in the other into that of the -Pope. - -The clergy who had paid a certain sum were to be put to penance for -five years; those who had paid more, for ten (also to be compensated -by a payment to Rome!), and to make pilgrimages to Rome or Tours. -After having accomplished this penance they were to receive again -the insignia of their offices. - -Then Peter Damiani re-imposed on the clergy the oaths forced on them -by Ariald, and departed. - -The Milanese contemporary historian, Arnulf, exclaims, "Who has -bewitched you, ye foolish Milanese? Yesterday you made loud -outcries for the priority of a see, and now you trouble the whole -organisation of the Church. You are gnats swallowing camels. You -say, perhaps, Rome must be honoured because of the Apostle. Well, -but the memory of St. Ambrose should deliver Milan from such an -affront as has been inflicted on her. In future it will be said -that Milan is subject to Rome."[22] - - [22] Pertz, x. p. 21. - -Guido attended a council held in Rome (April 1059), shortly after -this visitation. Ariald also was present, to accuse the Archbishop -of favouring simony and concubinage. The legates had dealt too -leniently with the scandal. Guido was defended by his suffragans of -Asti, Novara, Turin, Vercelli, Alba, Lodi, and Brescia. "Mad bulls, -they," says Bonizo; and Ariald was forced to retire, covered with -confusion. The Council pronounced a decree that no mercy should be -shown to the simoniacal and married clergy.[23] An encyclical was -addressed by Nicholas II. to all Christendom, informing it that the -Council had passed thirteen canons, one of which prevented a layman -from assisting at a mass said by a priest who had a concubine or a -_subintroducta mulier_. Priests, deacons, and sub-deacons who should -take "publicly" a concubine, or not send away those with whom they -lived, were to be inhibited from exercising all ministerial acts and -receiving ecclesiastical dues. - - [23] "Nulla misericordia habenda est." - -On the return of the bishops to their sees, one only of them, -Adelmann of Brescia, ventured to publish these decrees. He was -nearly torn to pieces by his clergy; an act of violence which -greatly furthered the cause of the Patarines.[24] - - [24] Bonizo. It is deserving of remark that Bonizo, an ardent - supporter of Hildebrand and the reforming party, calls that Papal - party by the name of _Patari_, thus showing that it was really - made up of the Manichean heretics. - -In the same year Pope Nicholas sent legates into different countries -to execute, or attempt to execute, the decrees passed against simony -and concubinage--as clerical marriage was called. Peter Damiani -travelled through several cities of Italy to exhort the clergy to -celibacy, and especially to press this matter on the bishops. Peter -Damiani was not satisfied with the conduct of the Pope in assuming -a stern attitude towards the priests, but overlooking the fact that -the bishops were themselves guilty of the same offence. A letter -from him to the Pope exists, in which he exhorts him to be a second -Phinehas (Numb. xxv. 7), and deal severely with the bishops, without -which no real reform could be affected.[25] - - [25] _Opp._ t. iii.; _Opusc._ xiii. p. 188. - -Anselm de Badagio, Bishop of Lucca, the instigator of Landulf and -Ariald, or at least their staunch supporter, was summoned on the -death of Nicholas to occupy the throne of St. Peter, under the title -of Alexander II. But his election was contested, and Cadalus, an -anti-Pope, was chosen by a Council of German and Lombard prelates -assembled at Basle. The contests which ensued between the rival -Pontiffs and their adherents distracted attention from the question -of clerical marriage, and the clergy recalled their wives. - -In 1063, in Florence, similar troubles occurred. The instigator of -these was St. John Gualberto, founder of the Vallombrosian Order. -The offence there was rather simony than concubinage. - -The custom of giving fees to those who appointed to benefices -had become inveterate, and in many cases had degenerated into the -purchase of them. A Pope could not assume the tiara without a lavish -largess to the Roman populace. A bishop could not grasp his pastoral -staff without paying heavy sums to the Emperor and to the Pope. The -former payment was denounced as simony, the latter was exacted as -an obligation. But under some of the Emperors the bishoprics were -sold to the highest bidder. What was customary on promotion to a -bishopric became customary on acceptance of lesser benefices, and no -priest could assume a spiritual charge without paying a bounty to -the episcopal treasury. When a bishop had bought his throne, he was -rarely indisposed to sell the benefices in his gift, and to recoup -a scandalous outlay by an equally scandalous traffic. The Bishop -of Florence was thought by St. John Gualberto to have bought the -see. He was a Pavian, Peter Mediabardi. His father came to Florence -to visit his son. The Florentines took advantage of the unguarded -simplicity of the old man to extract the desired secret from him.[26] - - [26] "Cui Florentini clam insidiantes tentando dicere coeperunt," - &c.... "ille utpote simplicissimus homo coepit jurejurando - dicere," &c.--_Andrew of Genoa_, c. 62. - -"Master Teulo," said they, "had you a large sum to pay to the King -for your son's elevation?" - -"By the body of St. Syrus," answered the father, "you cannot get a -millstone out of the King's house without paying for it." - -"Then what did you pay?" asked the Florentines greedily.[27] - - [27] "Alacres et avidi rem scisitari." - -"By the body of St. Syrus!" replied the old man, "not less than -three thousand pounds." - -No sooner was the unguarded avowal made, than it was spread through -the city by the enemies of the bishop.[28] - - [28] For the account of what follows, in addition to the - biography by Andrew of Strumi, we have the _Dialogues_ of - Desiderius of Monte Cassino, lib. iii. - -St. John Gualberto took up the quarrel. He appeared in Florence, -where he had a monastery dedicated to St. Salvius, and began -vehemently to denounce the prelate as a simoniac, and therefore a -heretic. His monks, fired by his zeal, spread through the city, and -exhorted the people to refuse to accept the sacramental acts of -their bishop and resist his authority. - -The people broke out into tumult. The bishop appealed to the secular -arm to arrest the disorder, and officers were sent to coerce the -monks of St. Salvius. They broke into the monastery at night, -sought Gualberto, but, unable to find him, maltreated the monks. -One received a blow on his forehead which laid bare the bone, and -another had his nose and lips gashed with a sword. The monks were -stripped, and the monastery fired. The abbot rolled himself in an -old cloak extracted from under a bed, where it had been cast as -ragged, and awaited day, when the wounds and tears of the fraternity -might be exhibited to a sympathising and excitable people. Nor were -they disappointed. At daybreak all the town was gathered around the -dilapidated monastery, and people were eagerly mopping up the sacred -blood that had been shed, with their napkins, thinking that they -secured valuable relics. Sympathy with the injured was fanned into -frenzied abhorrence of the persecutor. - -St. John Gualberto appeared on the scene, blazing with the desire -of martyrdom,[29] and congratulated the sufferers on having become -confessors of Christ. "Now are ye true monks! But why did ye suffer -without me?" - - [29] "Martyrii flagrans amore."--_Andr. Strum._ - -The secular clergy of Florence were, it is asserted, deeply tainted -with the same vice as their bishop. They had all paid fees at their -institution, or had bought their benefices. They lived in private -houses, and were for the most part married. Some were even suspected -to be of immoral life.[30] - - [30] "Quis clericorum propriis et paternis rebus solummodo non - studebat? Qui potius inveniretur, proh dolor! qui non esset - uxoratus vel concubinarius? De simoniâ quid dicam? Omnes pene - ecclesiasticos ordines hæc mortifera bellua devoraverat, ut, qui - ejus morsum evaserit, rarus inveniretur."--_Andr. Strum._ - -But the preaching of the Saint, the wounds of the monks, converted -some of the clergy. Those who were convinced by their appeals, and -those who were wearied of their wives, threw themselves into the -party of Gualberto, and clubbed together in common life.[31] - - [31] "Exemplo vero ipsius et admonitionibus delicati clerici, - spretis connubiis, coeperunt simul in ecclesiis stare, et - communem ducere vitam."--Atto Pistor., _Vit. S. Joan. Gualb._ - -The Vallombrosian monks appealed to Pope Alexander II. against the -bishop,[32] their thirst for martyrdom whetted not quenched.[33] -If the Pope desired it, they would try the ordeal of fire to prove -their charge. Hildebrand, then only sub-deacon, but a power in -the councils of the Pope, urged on their case, and demanded the -deposition of the bishop. But Alexander, himself among the most -resolute opponents of simony, felt that there was no case. There -was no evidence, save the prattle of an old man over his wine-cups. -He refused the petition of the monks, and was supported by the vast -majority of the bishops--there were over a hundred present.[34] - - [32] For what follows, in addition to the above-quoted - authorities, we have Berthold's _Chronicle_ from 1054 to 1100; - Pertz, _Mon. Sacr._ v. pp. 264-326. - - [33] "Securiores de corona, quam jam gustaverant, - martyrii."--_Andr. Strum._ - - [34] "Favebat enim maxima pars Episcoporum parti Petri, et omnes - pene erant monachis adversi."--_Andr. Strum._ - -Even St. Peter Damiani, generally unmeasured in his invectives -against simony, wrote to moderate the frantic zeal of the -Vallombrosian monks, which he denounced as unreasonable, -intemperate, unjust. - -But the refusal of the Pope to gratify their resentment did not -quell the vehemence of the monks and the faction adverse to the -bishop. The city was in a condition of chronic insubordination -and occasional rioting. Godfrey Duke of Tuscany was obliged to -interfere; and the monks were driven from their monastery of St. -Salvi, and compelled to retire to that of St. Settimo outside of the -gates. - -Shortly after, Pope Alexander visited Florence. The monks piled up -a couple of bonfires, and offered to pass between them in proof of -the truth of their allegation. He refused to permit the ordeal, and -withdrew, leaving the bishop unconvicted, and therefore unrebuked. - -The clergy of Florence now determined to demand of the bishop that -he should either go through the ordeal himself, or suffer the monks -to do so. As they went to the palace, the people hooted them: "Go, -ye heretics, to a heretic! You who have driven Christ out of the -city! You who adore Simon Magus as your God!" - -The bishop sullenly refused; he would neither establish his -innocence in the fire, nor suffer the monks to convict him by the -ordeal. - -The Podesta of Florence then, with a high hand, drove from the town -the clergy who had joined the monastic faction. They went forth -on the first Saturday in Lent, 1067, amidst a sympathising crowd, -composed mostly of women,[35] who tore off their veils, and with -hair scattered wildly over their faces, threw themselves down in the -road before the confessors, crying, "Alas! alas! O Christ, Thou art -expelled this city, and how dost Thou leave us desolate? Thou art -not tolerated here, and how can we live without Thee? Thou canst -not dwell with Simon Magus. O holy Peter, didst thou once overcome -Simon? and now dost thou permit him to have the mastery? We deemed -him bound and writhing in infernal flames, and lo! he is loose, and -risen again to thy dishonour." - - [35] "Maxime feminarum." - -And the men said to one another, "Let us set fire to this accursed -city, which hates Christ."[36] - - [36] "Et nos, viri fratres, civitatem hanc incendamus atque cum - parvulis et uxoribus nostris, quocumque Christus ierit, secum - camus. Si Christiani sumus, Christum sequamur."--_Andr. Strum._ - -The secular clergy were in dismay; denounced, deserted, threatened -by the people, they sang no psalms, offered no masses. Unable to -endure their position, they again visited the bishop, and entreated -him to sanction the ordeal of fire. He refused, and requested the -priests not to countenance such an unauthorised venture, should it -be made. But the whole town was bent on seeing this ordeal tried, -and on the Wednesday following, the populace poured to the monastery -of St. Settimo. Two piles of sticks were heaped near the monastery -gate, measuring ten feet long by five wide, and four and a half feet -high. Between them lay a path the length of an arm in width. - -Litanies were chanted whilst the piles were reared, and then the -monks proceeded to elect one who was to undergo the fire. The lot -fell on a priest named Peter, and St. John Gualberto ordered him at -once to the altar to say mass. All assisted with great devotion, the -people crying with excitement. At the _Agnus Dei_ four monks, one -with the crucifix, another with holy water, the third with twelve -lighted tapers, the fourth with a full censer, proceeded to the -pyres, and set them both on fire. - -This threw the people into an ecstasy of excitement, and the voice -of the priest was drowned in the clamour of their tongues. The -priest finished mass, and laid aside his chasuble. Holding the -cross, in alb and stole and maniple, he came forth, followed by St. -John Gualberto and the monks, chanting. Suddenly a silence fell -on the tossing concourse, and a monk appointed by the abbot stood -forth, and in a clear voice said to the people, "Men, brethren, and -sisters! we do this for the salvation of your souls, that henceforth -ye may learn to avoid the leprosy of simony, which has infected -nearly the whole world; for the crime of simony is so great, that -beside it every other crime is as nothing." - -The two piles were burning vigorously. The priest Peter prayed, -"Lord Christ, I beseech Thee, if Peter of Pavia, called Bishop of -Florence, has obtained the episcopal throne by money, do Thou assist -me in this terrible ordeal, and deliver me from being burned, as -of old Thou didst deliver the three children in the midst of the -burning furnace." Then, giving the brethren the kiss of peace, he -stepped fearlessly between the burning pyres, and came forth on the -farther side uninjured. - -His linen alb, his silken stole and maniple, were unburnt. He -would have again rushed through the flames in the excess of his -confidence, but was prevented by the pious vehemence of the people, -who surrounded him, kissed his feet, clung to his vestments, and -would have crushed him to death in their eagerness to touch and see -him, had he not been rescued by the strong arms of burly monks. - -In after years he told, and talked himself into believing, that as -he passed through the fire, his maniple fell off. Discovering his -loss ere he emerged, he turned back, and deliberately picked it up. -But of this nothing was said at the time.[37] - - [37] It is not mentioned in the epistle of the Florentines to the - Pope, narrating the ordeal and supposed miracle, which is given - by Andrew of Strumi and Atto of Pistoja. - -A letter was then drawn up, appealing to the Pope in the most -vehement terms, to deliver the sheep of the Florentine flock -from the ravening wolf who shepherded them, and urging him, not -obscurely, to use force if need be, and compel by his troops the -evacuation of the Florentine episcopal throne. Peter of Pavia, the -bishop, a man of gentle character, yielded to the storm. He withdrew -from Florence, and was succeeded by another Peter, whom the people -called Peter the Catholic, to distinguish him from the Simoniac. But -Muratori adduces evidence that the former continued to be recognised -by the Pope some time after his supposed degradation. Thus ended -the schism of Florence in the entire triumph of the Patarines. -Hildebrand was not unobservant; he proved afterwards not to be -forgetful of the lesson taught by this schism,--the utilization of -the rude mob as a powerful engine in the hands of the fanatical or -designing. It bore its fruit in the canons of 1074. - - -II. - -Anselmo de Badagio, Bishop of Lucca, had succeeded Nicholas II. to -the Papal throne in 1061. Cadalus of Parma had been chosen by the -German and Lombard prelates on October 28th, and he assumed the name -of Honorius II. But no Roman Cardinal was present to sanction this -election. Cadalus was acknowledged by all the simoniacal and married -clergy, when he entered Italy; but the Princess Beatrice and the -Duke of Tuscany prevented him from advancing to Rome. From Parma -Cadalus excommunicated Alexander, and from Rome, Alexander banned -Honorius. The cause of Alexander was that of the Patarines, but the -question of marriage and simony paled before the more glaring one, -of which of the rival claimants was the actual Pope. - -The voice of Landulf Cotta was silenced. A terrible cancer had -consumed the tongue which had kept Milan for six years in a blaze -of faction. But his room was speedily filled by a more implacable -adversary of the married clergy--his brother, Herlembald, a stern, -able soldier. An event in Herlembald's early life had embittered his -heart against the less rigid clergy. His plighted bride had behaved -lightly with a priest. He was just returned from a pilgrimage to -Jerusalem, his zeal kindled to enthusiasm. He went to Rome, where he -was well received by Alexander II. He came for authority to use his -sword for the Patarines. The sectaries in Milan had said to him, "We -desire to deliver the Church, besieged and degraded by the married -priests; do thou deliver by the law of the sword, we will do so by -the law of God." Alexander II., in a public consistory, created -Herlembald "Defender of the Church," gave him the sacred banner of -St. Peter, and bade him go back to Milan and shed blood--his, if -necessary, those of the anti-Patarines certainly--in this miserable -quarrel. - -The result was that the Patarines were filled with new zeal, -and lost all compunction at shedding blood and pillaging houses. -Herlembald established himself in a large mansion, which he -fortified and filled with mercenaries; over it waved the consecrated -banner of St. Peter. From this stronghold he issued forth to -assail the obnoxious clergy. They were dragged from their altars -and consigned to shame and insult. The services of the Church, the -celebration of the sacraments, were suspended, or administered only -by the one or two priests who adhered to the Patari. It is said -that, in order to keep his rude soldiery in pay, Herlembald made -every clerk take a solemn oath that he had ever kept innocence, -and would wholly abstain from marriage or concubinage. Those who -could not, or would not, take this oath were expelled the city, and -their whole property confiscated to support the standing corps of -hireling ruffians maintained by the Crusader. The lowest rabble, -poor artisans and ass-drivers, furtively placed female ornaments -in the chambers of the priests, and then, attacking their houses, -dragged them out and plundered their property. By 1064, when a synod -was held at Mantua by the Pope, Milan was purged of "Simoniacs and -Nicolaitans," and the clergy who remained were gathered together -into a house to live in common, under rule. - -Guido of Milan and all the Lombard prelates attended that important -synod, which saw the triumph of Alexander, his reconciliation with -the Emperor, and the general abandonment of the anti-Pope, Cadalus. - -In the following year, Henry IV. was under the tutelage of Adalbert -of Bremen; he had escaped from Anno, Archbishop of Cologne, who -had favoured the strict faction and Alexander II. The situation in -Lombardy changed simultaneously. Herlembald had assumed a power, -an authority higher than that of the archbishop, whom he refused -to recognise, and denounced as a heretic. Guido, weary of the -nine years of strife he had endured, relieved from the fear of -interference from Germany, resolved on an attempt to throw off the -hateful yoke. The churches of Milan were for the most part without -pastors. The married clergy had been expelled, and there were none -to take their place. The Archbishop had been an obedient penitent -for five years, compromising his one hundred years of penitence by -payments into the Papal treasury; but as the cause of Alexander -declined, his contrition languished, died out; and he resumed his -demands for fees at ordinations and institutions, at least so -clamoured Ariald and Herlembald in the ears of Rome. - -A party in Milan had long resented the despotism of the "Law of -God and the law of the sword" of Ariald and Herlembald, and an -effort was made to break it, with the sanction, no doubt, of the -Archbishop. A large body of the citizens rose, "headed," says Andrew -of Strumi, "by the sons of the priests," and attacked the church and -house of Ariald, but, unable to find him, contented themselves with -wrecking the buildings. Thereupon Herlembald swept down at the head -of his mercenaries, surrounded the crowd, and hewed them to pieces -to the last man, "like the vilest cattle."[38] - - [38] Hæc ut nobilis Herembaldus ceterique Fideles audiere, - sumptis armis, in audacem plebem et temerariam irruere; - quos protinus exterminavere omnes, quasi essent vilissimæ - pecudes,"--_Andr. Strum._ - -Guido, the Archbishop, now acted with resolution, and boldly took up -the cause of the married clergy. Having heard that two priests of -Monza, infected with Patarinism, had turned their wives out of their -houses, he ordered the arrest of the priests, and punished them with -imprisonment in the castle of Lecco. On hearing this, the Patarines -flew to arms, and swarmed out of Milan after Ariald, who bore the -banner of St. Peter, as Herlembald was absent at Rome. They met the -mounted servants of the Archbishop near Monza, surprised them, and -wrested from them a promise to surrender the priests. Three days -after, the curates were delivered up. Ariald, at the head of the -people, met them outside the gates, received them with enthusiasm, -crying, "See, these are the brave martyrs of Christ!" and escorted -them to a church, where they intoned a triumphant _Te Deum_. - -Herlembald returned from Rome to Milan with a bull of -excommunication fulminated by the Pope against the Archbishop. Guido -summoned the Milanese to assemble in the cathedral church on the -vigil of Pentecost. - -In the meantime the Patarines were torn into factions on a subtle -point mooted by Ariald. That demagogue had ventured to assail in a -sermon the venerable custom of the Milanese, which required them to -fast during the Rogation days. Was he greater than St. Ambrose? Did -he despise the authority of the great doctor? On this awful subject -the Patarines divided, and with the division lost their strength. - -Neither Herlembald nor Ariald seems to have been prepared for the -bold action of the Archbishop. On the appointed day the cathedral -was filled with substantial citizens and nobles. Herlembald missed -the wolfish eyes, ragged hair, and hollow cheeks of his sectaries, -and, fearing danger, leaped over the chancel rails, and took up his -position near the altar. The Archbishop mounted the ambone with the -bull of excommunication in his hand. "See!" he exclaimed, "this -is the result of the turbulence of these demagogues, Ariald and -Herlembald. This city, out of reverence to St. Ambrose, has never -obeyed the Roman Church. Shall we be crushed? Take away out of the -land of the living these disturbers of the public peace who labour -day and night to rob us of our ancient liberties." - -He was interrupted by a shout of "Let them be killed." Guido paused, -and then cried out, "All who honour and cleave to St. Ambrose, leave -the church, that we may know who are our adversaries." Instantly -from the doors rolled out the dense crowd, seven hundred in number, -according to the estimation of Andrew, the biographer of Ariald. -Only twelve men were left within who stood firm to the Patarine -cause. Ariald had, in the meantime, taken refuge in the choir beside -Herlembald. The clergy selected Ariald, the laity Herlembald, for -their victims. Ariald was dragged from the church, severely wounded. -Herlembald escaped better; using his truncheon, he beat off his -assailants till he had climbed to a place of safety, whence he -could not be easily dislodged. - -As night fell, the Patarines gathered, stormed, and pillaged the -palace of the Archbishop, and, bursting into the church, liberated -Herlembald. Guido hardly escaped on horseback, sorely maltreated in -the tumult. His adherents fled like smoke before the tempest. Ariald -was found bleeding and faint, and was conveyed by the multitude in -triumph to the church of St. Sepolcro. Then Herlembald called to the -roaring mob to be still. "Let us ask Master Ariald whose house is to -be first given up to sack." - -But Ariald earnestly dissuaded from further violence, and entreated -the vehement dictator to spare the lives and property of their -enemies. - -The surprise to the Archbishop's party was, however, temporary only. -By morning they had rallied, and the city was again in their hands. -Guido published an interdict against Milan, which was to remain in -force as long as it harboured Ariald. No mass was said, no bells -rang, the church doors were bolted and barred. Ariald was secretly -removed by some of his friends to the village of St. Victor, where -also Herlembald had been constrained to take refuge with a party -of mercenaries. Thence they made their way to Pavia and to Padua, -where they hoped to obtain a boat, and escape to Rome. But the -whole country was up against them, and Herlembald was obliged to -disband his soldiers, and attempt to escape in disguise. Ariald -was left with a priest whose acquaintance Herlembald had made in -Jerusalem. But a priest was the last person likely to secrete the -tyrant and persecutor of the clergy. He treacherously sent word to -the Archbishop, and Ariald was taken by the servants of Olivia, the -niece of Guido, and conveyed to an island on the Lago Maggiore. He -was handed over to the cruel mercies of two married priests, who -directed his murder with cold-blooded heartlessness, if we may trust -the gossips picked up later. His ears, nose and lips were cut off. -He was asked if he would acknowledge Guido for archbishop. "As long -as my tongue can speak," he replied, "I will not." The servants -of Olivia tore out his tongue; he was beaten by the two savage -priests, and when he fainted, was flung into the calm waters of -the lovely lake. Andrew of Vallombrosa, or Strumi, followed in his -trace, and hung about the neighbourhood till he heard from a peasant -the awful story. He sought the mangled body.[39] It was found and -transported to Milan on the feast of the Ascension following. For -ten days it was exposed in the church of St. Ambrose, that all -might venerate it, and was finally disposed in the convent of St. -Celsus. In the memory of man, never had such a crowd been seen. The -Archbishop deemed it prudent to retire, and Herlembald profited -by his absence to recover his power, and make the people swear to -avenge the martyr, and unite to the death for the "good cause." -The events in Milan had their counterpart in the other cities of -Lombardy, especially at Cremona, where the bishopric had been -obtained by Arnulf, nephew of Guido of Milan. In that city, twelve -men, headed by one Christopher, took the Patarine oath to fight the -married clergy; the people joined them, and forced their oath on -the bishop-elect before he was ordained. But, as in 1067, he seized -a Patarine priest, a sedition broke out, in which the bishop was -seriously injured. The inhabitants of Cremona, after Easter, sent -ambassadors to the Pope, and received from him a reply, given by -Bonizo, exhorting them not to allow a priest, deacon or sub-deacon, -suspected of concubinage or simony, to hold a benefice or execute -his ministry. The consequence of this letter was that all suspected -clerks were excluded from their offices; and shortly after, the same -course was followed at Piacenza. Asti, Lodi, and Ravenna also threw -in their lot with the Patarines. - - [39] Ariald was murdered on June 27, 1065. Andrew of Strumi says - 1066; but he followed the Florentine computation--he had been a - priest of Florence--which made the year begin on March 25. - -In 1067, Alexander II. sent legates to Milan to settle the -disturbances therein. Adalbert of Bremen had fallen, and again the -Papal party were in the ascendant. The fortunes of Milan fluctuated -with the politics of those who held the regency in the minority of -Henry IV. - -Guido, now advanced in years, and weary of ruling so turbulent -a diocese, determined to vacate a see which he had held for -twenty-seven years; the last ten of incessant civil war. He burdened -it with a pension to himself, and then made it over to Godfrey, the -sub-deacon, along with the pastoral staff and ring. Godfrey crossed -the Alps, took the oath of allegiance to the Emperor, promised to -use his utmost endeavours to exterminate the Patarines, and to -deliver Herlembald alive into the hands of the Emperor, laden with -chains. Friend and foe, without scruple, designate the followers -of the Papal policy as Patarines; it is therefore startling, a -few years later, when the Popes had carried their point, to find -them insisting on the luckless Patarines being given in wholesale -hecatombs to the flames, as damnable heretics. It was an ungracious -return for the battle these heretics had fought under the banner of -St. Peter. - -But Herlembald refused to acknowledge Godfrey, he devastated the -country with fire and sword wherever Godfrey was acknowledged, and -created such havoc that not a day passed in the holy Lenten fast -without the effusion of much Christian blood. Finally, Herlembald -drove the archbishop-elect to take refuge in the strong fortress -of Castiglione. Guido, not receiving his pension, annulled his -resignation, and resumed his state. But he unwisely trusted to -the good faith of Herlembald; he was seized,[40] and shut up in a -monastery till his death, which took place August 23, 1071. - - [40] "Gloriosus hac vice delusus," says Arnulf. - -The year before this, 1070, Adelheid, Margravine of Turin, -mother-in-law of the young Emperor, attacked the Patarines, and -burnt the cities of Lodi and Asti. On March 19, 1071, as Herlembald -was besieging Castiglione, a terrible conflagration broke out in -Milan, and consumed a great part of the city and several of the -stateliest churches. Whilst the army of Herlembald was agitated -by the report of the fire, Godfrey burst out of Castiglione, and -almost routed the besiegers. Before the death of Guido, Herlembald, -with the sanction of the Pope, had set up a certain Otto to be -Archbishop, nominated by himself and the Papal legate, without -consulting the electors of Milan or the Emperor, January 6, A.D. -1072. - -Otto was but a youth, just admitted into holy orders, likely to -prove a pliant tool in the strong hand of the dictator. It was the -Feast of the Epiphany, and the streets were thronged with people, -when the news leaked out that an archbishop had been chosen, -and was now holding the customary banquet after election in the -archiepiscopal palace. - -The people were furious, rose and attacked the house, hunted the -youthful prelate out of an attic, where he had taken refuge, dragged -him by his legs and arms into the church, and compelled him to swear -to renounce his dignity. The Roman legate hardly escaped with his -robes torn. - -Herlembald, who had been surprised, recovered the upper hand in -Milan on the morrow, but not in the open country, which was swept -by the imperial troops. The suffragan bishops of Lombardy assembled -at Novara directly they heard of what had taken place in Milan, and -consecrated Godfrey as their archbishop. - -Otto appealed to Rome (January, 1072), and a few weeks later the -Pope assembled a synod, and absolved Otto of his oath extorted from -him at Milan, acknowledged him as archbishop, and struck Godfrey -with interdict. Alexander II. died April 21, 1073, and the tiara -rested on the brows of the great Hildebrand. - -On June 24, Hildebrand, now Gregory VII., wrote to the Margravine -Beatrice to abstain from all relations with the excommunicated -bishops of Lombardy; on June 28, to William, Bishop of Pavia, to -oppose the usurper, the excommunicate Godfrey of Milan; on July -1, to all the faithful of Lombardy to refrain from that false -bishop, who lay under the apostolic ban. From Capua, on September -27, he wrote to Herlembald, exhorting him to fight valiantly, and -hold out Milan against the usurper Godfrey. Again, on October 9, -to Herlembald, bidding him be of good courage; he hoped to detach -the young Emperor from the party of Godfrey, and bade him receive -amicably those who, with true sentiments of contrition, came over to -the Patarine, that is, the Papal side. - -On March 10, 1074, Gregory held one of the most important synods, -not of his reign only, but ever held by any Pope. The acts of this -assembly have been lost or suppressed, but its most important -decisions were summed up in a letter from Gregory to the Bishop -of Constance. This letter has not been printed in the Registrum; -but fortunately it has been preserved by two contemporary writers, -Paul of Bernried, and Bernold of Constance, the latter of whom has -supplied a detailed apology for the law of celibacy promulgated in -that synod. Gregory absolutely forbade all priests sullied with the -_crimen fornicationis_, which embraced legitimate marriage, either -to say a mass or to serve at one; and the people were strictly -enjoined to shun their churches and their sacraments; and when the -bishops were remiss, he exhorted them themselves to enforce the -pontifical sentence.[41] - - [41] "Audivimus quod quidam Episcoporum apud vos commorantium, - aut sacerdotes, et diaconi, et subdiaconi, mulieribus - commisceantur aut consentiant aut negligant. His præcipimus vos - nullo modo obedire, vel illorum præceptis consentire, sicut - ipsi apostolicæ sedis præceptis non obediunt neque auctoritati - sanctorum patrum consentiunt." "Quapropter ad omnes de quorum - fide et devotione confidimus nunc convertimur, rogantes vos et - apostolicâ auctoritate admonentes ut quidquid Episcopi dehinc - loquantur aut taceant, vos officium eorum quos aut simoniace - promotos et ordinatos aut in crimine fornicationis jacentes - cognoveritis, nullatenus recipiatis."--Letter to the Franconians - (Baluze, _Misc._ vii. p. 125). - -The results shall be described in the words of a contemporary -historian, Sigebert of Gemblours. "Many," says he, "seeing in this -prohibition to hear a mass said by a married priest a manifest -contradiction to the doctrine of the Fathers, who believed that the -efficacy of sacrament, such as baptism, chrism, and the Body and -Blood of Christ, is independent of the dignity of the minister, -thence resulted a grievous scandal; never, perhaps, even in the time -of the great heresies, was the Church divided by a greater schism. -Some did not abandon their simony, others disguised their avarice -under a more acceptable name; what they boasted they had given -gratuitously, they in reality sold; very few preserved continence. -Some through greed of lucre, or sentiments of pride, simulated -chastity, but many added false oaths and numerous adulteries to -their debaucheries. The laity seized the opportunity to rise against -the clerical order, and to excuse themselves for disobedience to -the Church. They profaned the holy mysteries, administering baptism -themselves, and using the wax out of their ears as chrism. They -refused on their death-beds to receive the _viaticum_ from the -married priests; they would not even be buried by them. Some went -so far as to trample under foot the Host, and pour out the precious -Blood consecrated by married priests."[42] - - [42] Pertz, viii. p. 362. - -The affairs of the church of Milan continued in the same -unsatisfactory condition. The contest between the Patarines and -their adversaries had taken greater dimensions. The question which -divided them was now less that of the marriage of the clergy than -which of the rival archbishops was to be acknowledged. Godfrey was -supported by the Emperor, Otto by the Pope. The parties were about -even; neither Godfrey nor Otto could maintain himself in Milan; -the former fortified himself in the castle of Brebbio, the latter -resided at Rome. Henry IV., in spite of all the admonitions of the -Pope, persisted in supporting the cause of Godfrey. Milan was thus -without a pastor. The suffragan bishops wished to execute their -episcopal functions in the city, and to consecrate the holy oils for -the benediction of the fonts at Whitsuntide. Herlembald, when one of -the bishops had sent chrism into the city for the purpose, poured it -out on the ground and stamped on it, because it had been consecrated -by an excommunicated prelate. - -In March, 1075, another conflagration broke out in the city, and -raged with even greater violence than the fire of 1071. Herlembald -had again poured forth the oils, as he had the year before; and -had ordered Leutprand, a priest, as Easter came, to proceed to the -consecration of chrism. This innovation roused the alarm of the -Milanese; the subsequent conflagration convinced them that it was -abhorrent to heaven. All the adversaries of the Patarines assembled -outside the city, and swore to preserve intact the privileges of -St. Ambrose, and to receive only the bishop nominated or approved -by the King. Then, entering the city, they fell unexpectedly on the -Patarines. Leutprand was taken and mutilated, his ears and nose were -cut off. The standard of St. Peter was draggled in the dust, and -Herlembald fell with it, cut down by a noble, Arnold de Rauda. Every -insult was heaped on the body of the "Defender of the Church," and -the sacred banner was trampled under foot. - -Messengers were sent to Henry IV. to announce the triumph, and to -ask him to appoint a new Archbishop of Milan. Henry was so rejoiced -at the victory, that he abandoned Godfrey, and promised the Milanese -a worthy prelate. His choice fell on Tebald, a Milanese sub-deacon -in his Court. - -Pope Urban II. canonised Herlembald. Ariald seems never to have -been formally enrolled among the saints, but he received honours -as a saint at Milan, and has been admitted into several Italian -Martyrologies, and into the collection of the Bollandists. Baronius -wisely expunged Herlembald and Ariald from the Roman Martyrology; -nevertheless, the disgraceful fact remains, that the ruffian -Herlembald has been canonised by Papal bull. - -The seeds of fresh discord remained. Leutprand, or Liprand, the -priest, was curate of the Church of St. Paul;[43] having suffered -mutilation in the riot, he was regarded in the light of a Patarine -confessor. But no outbreak took place till the death of Anselm IV., -Archbishop of Milan (September 30, 1101), at Constantinople, where -he was on his way with the Crusaders to the Holy Land. His vicar, -the Greek, Peter Chrysolaus, Bishop of Savonia, whom the Lombards -called Grossulani, perhaps because of the coarse habit he wore (more -probably as a corruption for Chrysolaus), had been left in charge -of the see of Milan. On the news of the death of the Archbishop -reaching that city, the Primicerius convoked the electors to choose -a successor. The vote fell on Landulf, Ordinary of Milan; but he was -not yet returned from Jerusalem, whither he had gone as a crusader. -Grossulani declared the election informal. Thereupon the Abbot of -St. Dionysius, at the head of a large party of the electors, chose -Peter Grossulani. There is no evidence of his having used bribery in -any form; but he may have acted unjustly in cancelling the election -of Landulf. It is, however, fair to observe that Landulf, on his -return, supported Grossulani; consequently, it is probable that the -latter acted strictly in accordance with law and precedent. - - [43] The life of Liprand was written by Landulf the younger, his - sister's son, in his _Hist. Mediolan._ 1095-1137. - -But the election displeased Liprand and the remains of the -Patarines. They appealed to Rome, but Grossulani, supported by the -Countess Matilda and St. Bernard, abbot of Vallombrosa, overcame -their objections. Pope Paschal II. ratified the election, and sent -the pall to the Archbishop. Ardericus de Carinate had been sent to -Rome on behalf of Grossulani. The people came out of the gates, -on his approach, to learn the result. Ardericus, hanging the pall -across his umbrella (_protensi virga_), waved it over his head, -shouting, "Ecco la stola! Ecco la stola!" (Here is the pall!) and -led the way into the cathedral, whither Grossulani also hastened, -and ascending the pulpit in his pontifical habit, placed the coveted -insignia about his neck. - -Liprand was not satisfied. By means of private agitation, he -disturbed the tranquillity of public feeling, and the Archbishop, to -calm the minds of the populace, was obliged to convoke a provincial -synod at Milan (1103), in which, in the presence of his suffragans, -the clergy and the people, he said, "If anyone has a charge to make -against me, let him speak openly at the present time, or he shall -not be heard." - -Liprand would not appear before the council and formally make -charge, but he mounted the pulpit in the Church of St. Paul and -preached against the Archbishop as a simoniac. He declared his -readiness to prove his charge by the ordeal of fire. The bishops -assembled in council refused to suffer the attempt to be made. - -However, Liprand was not deterred. "Look at my amputated nose and -ears!" he cried, "I am a confessor for Christ. I will try the ordeal -by fire to substantiate my charge. Grossulani is a simoniac, by -gift of hand, gift of tongue, and gift of homage." And he gave -his wolf-skin cloak and some bottles of wine in exchange for wood, -which the crowd carried off and heaped up in a great pile against -the wall of the monastery of St. Ambrogio. The Archbishop sent his -servants, and they overturned the stack, and scattered the wood. -Then the crowd of "boys and girls, men and women," poured through -the main streets, roaring, "Away with Grossulani, away with him!" -and clamoured around the doors of the archiepiscopal palace, so -that Grossulani, fearing for his life, said, "Be it so, let the -fellow try the fire, or let him leave Milan." His servants with -difficulty appeased the people, by promising that the ordeal should -be undergone on the following Palm Sunday evening. "I will not leave -the city," said Liprand; "but now I have no money for buying wood, -and I will not sell my books, as I keep them for my nephew Landulf, -now at school." So the magistrates of the city prepared a pile of -billets of oak wood. - -On the appointed day Liprand, barefooted, in sackcloth, bearing a -cross, went to the Church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius and sung -mass. Grossulani also, bearing a cross, entered the same church and -mounted the pulpit, attended by Ariald de Marignano, and Berard, -Judge of Asti. Silence being made, and Liprand having taken his -place barefooted "on the marble stone at the entrance to the choir, -containing an image of Hercules," Grossulani addressed the people; -"Listen, and I will silence this man in three words." Then turning -to Liprand, he asked, "You have charged me with being a simoniac. To -whom have I given anything? Answer me." - -Liprand, raising his eyes to the pulpit, pointed to those who -occupied it and said, "Look at those three great devils, who think -to confound me by their wit and wealth.[44] I appeal to the judgment -of God." - - [44] "Proposuisti quod ego sum simoniacus per munus a manu. Modo - die: cui dedi; Tunc presbyter super populum oculos aperuit, et - digitum ad eos, qui stabunt in pulpito, extendit, dicens, Videte - tres grandissimos diabolos, qui per ingenium et pecuniam suam - putant me confundere." - -Grossulani said, "But I ask what act of simony do you lay to my -charge?" - -Liprand answered, "Do you answer me, What is the lightest form of -simony?" - -The Archbishop, after some consideration, answered, "To refrain from -deposing a simoniac." - -"And I say that is simony which consists in deposing an abbot from -his abbacy, a bishop from his bishopric, and an archbishop from his -archbishopric."[45] - - [45] It is very evident from this discussion that Grossulani was - innocent of true simony; the whole charge against him was due to - his having quashed the election of Landulf, and thus of having - deposed, after a fashion, "an archbishop from his archbishopric." - -The people became impatient, and began to shout, "Come out, come -out to the ordeal!" Then Liprand "jumped down from the stone, -containing the image of Hercules," and went forth accompanied by the -multitude to the field where the pyre was made. There arose then -a difficulty about the form of oath to be administered. Liprand, -seeing that there was some hesitation, said, "Let me manage it, and -see if I do not satisfy you all!" Whereupon he took hold of the hood -of the Archbishop and shook it, and said in a loud voice, "That -Grossulani, who is under this hood, he, and no other, has obtained -the archbishopric of Milan simoniacally, by gift of hand, gift of -tongue, and gift of service. And I, who enter on this ordeal, swear -that I have used no charm, or incantation, or witchcraft." - -The Archbishop, unwilling to remain, remounted his horse and rode -to the Church of St. John "ad concham," but Ariald of Marignano -remained to see that the ordeal was rightly carried out. When -the pile was lighted, he said to the priest, "In heaven's name, -return to your duty, and do not rush on certain death." But Liprand -answered, "Get thee behind me, Satan," and signing himself, and -blessing the fire with consecrated water, he rushed through the -flames, barefooted, in sackcloth cassock and silk chasuble. He came -out on the other side uninjured; a sudden draught had parted the -flames as he entered, and when he emerged his feet were not burnt, -nor was his silk chasuble scorched. - -The people shouted at the miracle, and Grossulani was obliged to fly -from the city. - -It was soon rumoured, however, that Liprand was suffering from a -scorched hand and an injured foot. It was in vain for his friends to -assure the people that his hand had been burnt when he was throwing -the holy water on the flames before he entered them, and that his -foot was injured not by the fire, but by the hoof of a horse as -he emerged from the flames. One part of the mob began to clamour -against Liprand that he was an impostor, the other to exalt him as -a saint, and the streets became the scene of riot and bloodshed. -At this juncture Landulf of Vereglate, who had been just elected -to the vacant see, arrived from Jerusalem, and finding that the -Archbishop had fled the city, he appealed to the people to cease -from their riots, and promised to have Grossulani deposed, or at -least the charges brought against him properly investigated at -Rome. The tumults were with difficulty allayed, and the Archbishop, -Landulf, and Liprand went to Rome (A.D. 1103). A Synod was convened -and Liprand brought his vague accusations of simony against the -Archbishop. Landulf refused to support him, so that it is hardly -probable that he can have felt himself aggrieved by the conduct of -Grossulani. Liprand, being unable to substantiate his charge of -simony, was obliged to change the nature of his accusation, and -charged the Archbishop with having forced him to submit to the -ordeal of fire. The Pope and the Synod required the Archbishop -to clear himself by oath; accordingly Grossulani did so, in the -following terms: "I, Grossulani, by the grace of God Archbishop, -did not force Liprand to enter the fire." Azo, Bishop of Acqui, and -Arderic, Bishop of Lodi, took the oath with him; at the same time -the pastoral staff slipped from the hands of the Archbishop and -fell on the floor, a sign, the biographer of Liprand says, that he -forswore himself.[46] - - [46] It is evident from the account of Landulf the younger - himself, that the Archbishop did not force the priest to enter on - the ordeal. - -The Archbishop withdrew his authority confirmed by the Holy See, and -he returned to Milan, where he was well received. - -The Archbishop took an unworthy opportunity, in 1110, of ridding -the city of the presence of Liprand for that priest having taken -into his house and cured a certain Herebert of Bruzano, an enemy -of the Archbishop, who was ill with fever. Grossulani deprived -Liprand of his benefice, and the priest retired into the Valteline. -Troubles broke out in Milan between the two parties, which produced -civil war, and the Archbishop was driven out of the city, whereupon -Liprand returned to it. The friends of Grossulani persuaded him to -visit Jerusalem, and he started, after having appointed Arderic, -Bishop of Lodi, his vicar (A.D. 1111). During his absence both -parties united to reject him, and they elected Jordano of Cliva -in his room (Jan. 1, A.D. 1112). Mainnard, Archbishop of Turin, -hastened to Rome, and received the pall from the Pope, on condition -that it should not be worn for six months. But the rumours having -spread that Grossulani was returning from Jerusalem, Mainnard came -to Milan, and placed the pall on the altar of St. Ambrose, whence -Jordano took it and laid it about his shoulders. - -On the return of Grossulani, civil war broke out again between -the two factions, which ended in both Archbishops being summoned -to Rome in 1116; and the Pope ordered Grossulani to return to his -bishopric of Savonia, and confirmed Jordano in the archbishopric -of Milan. But before this Liprand had died 3rd January, 1113. His -sanctity was almost immediately attested by a miracle, in spite of -the disparagement of his virtues by the party of the Archbishop -Grossulani; for a certain knight of Piacenza, having swallowed a -fish-bone which stuck in his throat, in sleep saw the priest appear -to him and touch his throat, whereupon a violent fit of coughing -ensued, in which the bone was ejected; this was considered quite -sufficient to establish the claim of Liprand to be regarded as a -saint. - - - - -The Anabaptists of Münster. - - -To the year 1524 Münster, the capital of Westphalia, had remained -faithful to the religion which S. Swibert, coadjutor of S. -Willibrord, first Bishop of Utrecht, had brought to it in the 7th -century. But then Lutheranism was introduced into it. - -Frederick von Wied at that time occupied the Episcopal throne. He -was brother to Hermann, Archbishop of Cologne, who was afterwards -deprived for his secession to Lutheranism. - -The religious revolution in the Westphalian capital at its -commencement presents the same symptoms which characterised the -beginning of the Reformation elsewhere. The town council were -prepared to hail it as a means of overthrowing the Episcopal -authority, and establishing the municipal power as supreme in the -city. - -Already the State of Juliers had embraced the new religion, and -faith had been shaken in Osnabrück, Minden, and Paderborn, when the -first symptoms appeared in Münster. - -Four priests, the incumbents of the parishes of St. Lambert, St. -Ludger, St. Martin, and the Lieb-Frau Church, commonly called -Ueberwasser, declared for the Reform. The contemporary historian, -Kerssenbroeck, an eye-witness of all he describes, says of them, -"They indulged in the most violent abuse of the clergy, they cursed -good works, assured their auditors that such works would not receive -the smallest recompense, and permitted every one to give way to all -the excesses of so-called Evangelical liberty."[47] They stirred up -their hearers against the religious orders, and the people clamoured -daily at the gates of the monasteries and nunneries, insisting on -being given food; and the monks and nuns were too much frightened -to refuse those whom impunity rendered daily more exacting.[48] On -the night of the 22nd March, 1525, they attacked the rich convent -of nuns at Nizink, with intentions of pillaging it. They failed -in this attempt, and the ringleaders were seized and led before -the magistrates, followed by an excited and tumultuous crowd of -men and women, "evangelically disposed," as the chronicler says. -Hoping to ally the effervescence, the magistrates asked the cause -of complaint against the nuns of Nizink, and then came out the -true reason, for which religious prejudice had served as a cloak. -They complained that the monks and nuns exercised professions to -the prejudice of the artisans; and they demanded of the magistracy -that their looms should be broken, the religious forbidden to work -at trades, and their superabundant goods to be distributed among -the poor. The orators of the band declared in conclusion "that if -the magistrates refused to grant these requests, the people would -disregard their orders, displace them by force of arms, and put in -their stead men trustworthy and loyal, and devoted to the interests -of the citizens."[49] Alarmed at these threats, the magistrates -yielded, and promised to take every measure satisfactory to the -insurgents.[50] On the 25th May, accordingly, the Friars of St. -Francis and the nuns of Nizink were ordered to give up their looms -and accounts. The friars yielded, but the ladies stoutly refused. -The magistrates, however, had all the looms carried away, whilst a -mob howled at the gates, and agitators, excited by the four renegade -priests, ran about the town stirring up the people against the -religious. "All the worst characters," says the old chronicler, -"joined the rioters; the curious came to swell the crowd, and people -of means shut themselves into their houses."[51] For Johann Groeten, -the orator of the band, now proclaimed that having emptied the -strong boxes of the monks and nuns, they would despoil all those -whose fortunes exceeded two thousand ducats. - - [47] Kerssenbroeck, p. 114. - - [48] _Ibid._ p. 115. - - [49] Kerssenbroeck, p. 116. - - [50] _Ibid._ p. 117. - - [51] _Ibid._ p. 120. - -The rioters next marched to the town hall, where the senators -sat trembling, and they demanded the immediate confirmation of a -petition in thirty-four articles that had been drawn up for them by -their leaders. At the same time the mob announced that unless their -petition was granted they would execute its requirements with their -own hands. - -It asked that the canons of the cathedral should be required to pay -the debts of the bishop deceased; that criminal jurisdiction should -be withdrawn from the hands of the clergy; that the monks and nuns -should be forbidden to exercise any manufacture, to dry grain, make -linen, and rear cattle; that the burden of taxation should be shared -by the clergy; that rectors should not be allowed to appoint or -dismiss their curates without consent of the parish; that lawsuits -should not be allowed to be protracted beyond six weeks; that beer -licences should be abolished, and tolls on the bridges done away -with; that monks and nuns should be allowed free permission to -leave their religious societies and return to the world; that the -property of religious houses should be sold and distributed amongst -the needy, and that the municipality should allow them enough for -their subsistence; that the Carmelites, the Augustinians, and the -Dominicans should be suppressed; that pious foundations for masses -for the repose of souls should be confiscated; and that people -should be allowed to marry in Lent and Advent. The magistrates -yielded at once, and promised to endeavour to get the consent of the -other estates of the diocese to the legalising of these articles.[52] - - [52] Kerssenbroeck, p. 126. - -On the morrow of the Ascension, 1525, the magistrates closed the -gates of the town, and betook themselves to the clergy of the -chapter to request them to accept the thirty-four articles. The -canons refused at first, but, in fear of the people, they consented, -but wrote to the bishop to tell him what had taken place, and to -urge him to act with promptitude, and not to forget that the rights -and privileges of the Church were in jeopardy. - -It was one of the misfortunes in Germany, as it was in France, -that the clergy were exempt from taxation. This precipitated the -Revolution in France, and aroused the people against the clergy; -and in Germany it served as a strong motive for the adoption of the -Reformation. - -The canons now fled the town, protesting that their signatures -had been wrested from them by violence, and that they withdrew -their consent to the articles. The inferior clergy remained at -their post, and exhibited great energy and decision. They deprived -Lubert Causen, minister of St. Martins, one of the most zealous -fautors of Lutheranism in Münster, and the head of the reforming -party. When his parishioners objected, a packet of love-letters -he had written to several girls in the town, and amongst others -some to a young woman of respectable position whom he had seduced, -came to light, and were read in the Senate. The reformer had in -his letters used scriptural texts to excuse and justify the most -shameless libertinage.[53] Johann Tante, preacher at St. Lambert, -and Gottfried Reining, of Ueberwasser, were also deprived. As for -the Lutheran preacher at St. Ludger, Johann Fink, "his mouth was -stopped by the gift of a fat prebendal stall, and from that moment -he entirely lost his zeal for the gospel of Wittenberg, and never -uttered another word against the Catholic religion."[54] - - [53] Kerssenbroeck, p. 128. - - [54] _Ibid._ - -By means of the mediation of the Archbishop of Cologne, a -reconciliation was effected. The articles were abolished and the -signatures annulled, and the members of the chapter returned to -Münster, which had felt their absence by the decrease in trade, and -the inconstant people "showed at least as much joy at their return -as they had shown hatred at their departure."[55] - - [55] _Ibid._ p. 138. - -There can be no question but that the Reformation in Germany was -provoked to a large extent by abuses and corruptions in the Church. -To a much larger extent it was a revolt against the Papacy which had -weakened and numbed the powers of the Empire throughout the Middle -Ages from the time of the Emperor Henry IV. But chiefly as a social -and political movement it was the revolt of municipalities against -the authority of collegiate bodies of clergy and the temporal -jurisdiction of prince-bishops, or of grand dukes and margraves and -electors favouring the change because it allowed them at a sweep -to confiscate vast properties and melt down tons of chalices and -reliquaries into coin. - -In Münster lived a draper, Bernhard Knipperdolling by name, who -assembled the malcontents in his house, or in a tavern, and poured -forth in their ears his sarcasms against the Pope, the bishops, -the clergy and the Church. He was well known for his dangerous -influence, and the bishop, Frederic von Wied, arrested him as -he passed near his residence at Vecht. The people of Münster, -exasperated at the news of the captivity of their favourite, obliged -the magistrates and the chapter to ask the bishop to release him. -Frederick von Wied yielded with reluctance, using these prophetic -words, "I consent, but I fear that this man will turn everything -in Münster and the whole diocese upside down." Knipperdolling left -prison, after having taken an oath to keep the peace; but on his -return to Münster he registered a vow that he would terribly revenge -his incarceration and would make the diocese pay as many ducats as -his captivity had cost him hellers.[56] - - [56] Kerssenbroeck, p. 143. - -There was another man in Münster destined to exercise a fatal -influence on the unfortunate city. This was a priest named Bernard -Rottmann.[57] As a child he had been chorister at St. Maurice's -Church at Münster, where his exquisite voice had attracted notice. -He was educated in the choir school, then went to Mainz, where -in 1524 he took his Master's degree, and returning to Münster, -was ordained priest in 1529. He was then given the lectureship of -the church in which, as a boy, he had sung so sweetly. He shortly -exhibited a leaning towards Lutheranism, and the canons of St. -Maurice, who had placed great hopes on the young preacher, thinking -that he acted from inexperience and without bad intent, gave him -a paternal reprimand, and provided him with funds to go to the -University of Cologne, and study there dogmatic and controversial -theology; at the same time undertaking to retain Rottmann in the -receipt of his salary as lecturer, and to this they added a handsome -pension to assist him in his studies. - - [57] _Ibid._ 148; Latin edition, p. 1517-9; Dorpius, f. 391 a. - -The young man received this money, and then, instead of going to -Cologne, betook himself to Wittenberg, where he attached himself -to Melancthon. On his return to Münster, the canons, unaware of -the fraud that had been played upon them, reinstated Rottmann in -the pulpit. He was too crafty to publish his new tenets in his -discourses, and thus to insure the loss of his situation, but he -employed his secret influence in society to spread Lutheranism. -After a while, when he considered his party strong enough to support -him, he threw off the mask, and preached boldly against the priests -and the bishops, and certain doctrines of the Catholic Church. -The more violent he became in his attacks, the more personal and -caustic in his language, the greater grew the throng of people to -hear him. Then he preached against Confession, which he called "the -disturber of consciences," and contrasted it with Justification by -Faith only, which set consciences at ease; he preached against good -works, against the obligation to observe the moral law, and assured -his hearers that grace was freely imputed to them, live as they -liked, and that the Gospel afforded them entire freedom from all -restraints. "The shameless dissolution which now began to spread -through the town," says Kerssenbroeck, "proved that the mob adopted -the belief in the impunity of sin; all those who were ruined in -pocket, hoping to get the possessions of others, joined the party of -innovators, and Rottmann was extolled by them to the skies."[58] - - [58] Kerssenbroeck, p. 152. - -The Senate forbade the citizens to attend Rottmann's sermons, but -their orders were disregarded. The populace declared that Master -Bernard was the only preacher of the true Gospel, and they covered -with slander and abuse those who strove to oppose his seductive -doctrine. "Some of the episcopal councillors, however," says the -historian, "favoured the innovator. The private secretary of the -bishop, Leonhard Mosz, encouraged him secretly, and promised him his -support in the event of danger."[59] - - [59] Kerssenbroeck, p. 152. - -But the faithful clergy informed the bishop of the scandal, and -before Mosz and others could interfere, a sentence of deprivation -was pronounced against him. - -Rottmann, startled by this decisive measure, wrote a series of -letters to Frederick von Wied, which have been preserved by -Kerssenbroeck, in which he pretended that he had been calumniated -before "the best and most just of bishops," and excused himself, -instead of boldly and frankly announcing his secession from the -Catholic Church. In reply, the bishop ordered him to quit Münster, -and charged his councillors to announce to him that his case -would be submitted to the next synod. Rottmann then wrote to the -councillors a letter which exhibits his duplicity in a clearer -light. Frederick von Wied, hearing of this letter, ordered the -recalcitrant preacher to quit the convent adjoining the church -of St. Maurice, and to leave the town. Rottmann thereupon took -refuge in the house of Knipperdolling and his companions. Under the -protection of these turbulent men, the young preacher assumed a -bolder line, and wrote to the bishop demanding a public discussion, -and announcing that shortly his doctrine would be published in a -pamphlet, and thus be popularised. - -On the 23rd of January, 1532, Rottmann's profession of faith -appeared, addressed in the form of a letter to the clergy of -Münster.[60] Like all the professions of faith of the period, it -consisted chiefly of a string of negations, with a few positive -statements retained from the Catholic creed on God, the Incarnation, -&c. He denied the special authority of the priesthood, reduced the -Sacraments to signs, going thereby beyond Luther; rejected doctrines -of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, Purgatory, the intercession of saints, -and the use of images, pilgrimages, vows, benedictions, and the -like. It would certainly have been more appropriately designated -a Confession of Disbelief. This pamphlet was widely circulated -amongst the people, and the party of Lutheran malcontents, headed -by Knipperdolling, and Herman Bispink, a coiner and forger of -title-deeds, grew in power, in numbers, and in audacity. - - [60] Kerssenbroeck, p. 165 _et seq._; Latin edition, Mencken, p. - 1520-8: Sleidan, French tr., p. 406. - -On the 23rd of February, 1532, Knipperdolling and his associates -assembled the populace early, and carried Rottmann in triumph to -the church of St. Lambert. Finding the doors shut, they mounted the -preacher on a wooden pulpit before the bone-house. The Reformer then -addressed the people on the necessity of proclaiming evangelical -liberty and of destroying idolatry; of overthrowing images and the -Host preserved in the tabernacles. His doctrine might be summed -up in two words: liberty for the Evangelicals to do what they -liked, and compulsion for the Catholics. The sermon produced a -tremendous effect; before it was concluded the rioters rushed -towards the different churches, burst open the doors, tore down the -altars, reliquaries, statues; and the Sacrament was taken from the -tabernacles and trampled under foot. The cathedral alone, defended -by massive gates, escaped their fury.[61] - - [61] Kerssenbroeck, p. 185; Bullinger, "Adversus Anabaptist." - lib. ii. c. 8. - -Proud of this achievement, the insurgents defied all authority, -secular and ecclesiastical, and installed Bernhard Rottmann as -preacher and pastor of the Evangelical religion in St. Lambert's -Church. "Thenceforth," says the Münster contemporary historian, "it -may well be understood that they did not limit themselves to simple -tumults, but that murders, pillage, and the overthrow of all public -order followed. The success of this first enterprise had rendered -the leaders masters of the city." - -Bishop Frederick von Wied felt that his power was at an end. He -was a man with no very strong religious zeal or moral courage. -He resigned his dignity in the sacristy of the church of Werne, -reserving to himself a yearly income of 2,000 florins. Duke Eric -of Brunswick, Prince of Grubenhagen, Bishop of Paderborn and -Osnabrück, was elected in his room. The nomination of Eric irritated -the Lutheran party. He was a man zealous for his religion, and -with powerful relations. Rottmann at once sent him his twenty-nine -articles, and the artisans of Münster, who had embraced the cause -of Rottmann, handed in a petition to the magistrates (April 16th, -1532) to request that compulsion might be used to force every one -to become Lutheran, "because it seems to us," said they, "that -this doctrine is in all points and entirely conformable to the -Gospel, whilst that which is taught by the rest of the clergy is -absurd, and ought to be rejected."[62] The bishop-elect wrote to the -magistrates, insisting on the dismissal of Rottmann, but in their -answer they not only declined to obey, but offered an apology for -his conduct. - - [62] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 189-90. - -The bishop wrote again, but received no answer. Wishing to use every -means of conciliation, before adopting forcible measures, he sent a -deputation to Münster to demand the expulsion of the preacher, but -without success. - -The people, becoming more insubordinate, determined to take -possession of other churches. One of the most important is the -church of Unsere Lieb-frau, or Ueberwasser, a church whose -beautiful tower and choir attract the admiration of the traveller -visiting Münster. This church and parish depended on the convent of -Ueberwasser; the rector was a man of zeal and power, a Dr. Martin, -who was peculiarly obnoxious to the Lutheran party. A deputation -was sent to the abbess, Ida von Merfelt, to insist on the dismissal -of the rector and the substitution of an Evangelical preacher.[63] -The lady was a woman of courage; she recommended the deputation -to return to their shops and to attend to their own business, and -announced that Dr. Martin should stay at his post; and stay he did, -for a time. - - [63] _Ibid._ p. 203. - -The bishop was resolved to try force of arms, when suddenly he died, -May 9th, 1532, after having drunk a goblet of wine. Several writers -of the period state that it was poisoned. A modern historian says he -died of excess of drink--on what authority I do not know.[64] He had -brought down upon himself the dislike of the Lutherans for having -vigorously suppressed the reforming movement in Paderborn. The -history of that movement in this other Westphalian diocese is too -suggestive to be passed over. In 1527 the Elector John Frederick of -Saxony passed through Paderborn and ordered his Lutheran preachers -to address the people in the streets through the windows of the -house in which he lodged, as the clergy refused them the use of the -churches. Next year the agitation began by a quarrel between some -of the young citizens and the servants of the chapter, and ended in -the plundering and devastation of the cathedral and the residences -of the canons. The leader of the Evangelical party in Paderborn was -Johann Molner of Buren, a man who had been expelled from the city -in 1531 for murder and adultery; he left, taking with him as his -mistress the wife of the man he had murdered, and retired to Soest, -"where," says a contemporary writer, Daniel von Soest, "he did not -remain satisfied with this woman only." He returned to Paderborn as -a burning and shining gospel light, and led the iconoclastic riot. -Duke Philip of Grubenhagen supported his brother, and the town was -forced to pay 2,000 gulden for the damage done, and to promise to -pay damages if any further mischief took place, and this so cooled -the zeal of the citizens of Paderborn for the Gospel that it died -out.[65] - - [64] Stürc, "Gerchichte v. Osnabrück." Osnab. 1826, pt. iii. p. - 25. - - [65] Vehse, "Geschichte der Deutschen Höfe." Hamburg, 1859, vol. - xlvii. p. 4-6. Bessen, "Geschichte v. Paderborn"; Paderb. 1820, - vol. ii. p. 33. - -The chapter retired to Ludwigshausen for the purpose of electing -the successor to Bishop Eric, who had only occupied the see three -months; their choice fell on Francis von Waldeck, Bishop of Minden, -and then of Osnabrück. The choice was not fortunate; it was dictated -by the exigencies of the times, which required a man of rank and -power to occupy the vacant throne, so as to reduce the disorder by -force of arms. Francis of Waldeck was all this, but the canons were -not at that time aware that he had himself strong leanings towards -Lutheranism; and after he became Bishop of Münster he would have -readily changed the religion of the place, had it not been that such -a proceeding would, under the circumstances, have involved the loss -of his income as prince-bishop. Later, when the disturbances were at -an end, he proposed to the Estates the establishment of Lutheranism -and the suppression of Catholicism, as we shall see in the sequel. -He even joined the Smalkald union of the Protestant princes against -the Catholics in 1544. - -With sentiments so favourable to the Reform, the new bishop would -have yielded everything to the agitators, had they not assumed a -threatening attitude, and menaced his temporal position and revenue, -which were the only things connected with the office for which he -cared. - -The inferior clergy of Münster wrote energetically to him on his -appointment, complaining of the innovations which succeeded each -other with rapidity in the town. "The Lutheran party," said they in -this letter, "are growing daily more invasive and insolent," and -they implored the bishop to protect their rights and liberty of -conscience against the tyranny of the new party, who, not content -with worshipping God in their own way, refused toleration to others, -outraged their feelings by violating all they held most sacred, and -disturbed their services by unseemly interruptions. - -Francis of Waldeck renewed the orders of his predecessor. The senate -acknowledged the receipt of his letter, and promised to answer it on -a future occasion. - -However, the warmest partisans of Rottmann were resolved to carry -matters to a climax, and at once to overthrow both the episcopal and -the civil authority. Knipperdolling persuaded the butcher Modersohn -and the skinner Redekker that, as provosts of their guilds, they -were entitled to convene the members of their trades without the -intervention of the magistrates. These two men accordingly convoked -the people for the 1st July.[66] The assembly was numerously -attended, and opened tumultuously. When silence was obtained, a -certain Johann Windemuller rose and proclaimed the purpose of the -convention. "The affair is one of importance," said he; "we have to -maintain the glory of God, our eternal welfare, the happiness of all -our fellow-citizens, and the development of our franchises; all -these things depend on the sacred ecclesiastical liberty announced -to us by the worthy Rottmann. We must conclude an alliance against -the oppressors of the Gospel, that the doctrine of Rottmann, which -is incontestably the true one, may be protected." These words -produced such enthusiasm, that the audience shouted with one voice -that "they would defend Rottmann and his doctrine to their last -farthing, and the last drop of their blood." Some of those present, -by their silence, expressed their displeasure, but a draper named -Johann Mennemann had the courage to raise his voice against the -proposal. A furious band at once attacked him with their fists, -crying out that the enemies of the pure Gospel must be destroyed; -"already the bold draper was menaced with their daggers, when one -of his friends succeeded in effecting his escape from the popular -rage." However, he was obliged to appear before the heads of the -guilds and answer for his opposition. Mennemann replied, that -in weighty matters concerning the welfare of the commonwealth, -tumultuous proceedings were not likely to produce good resolutions, -and that he advised the separation of the corporations, that the -questions might be maturely considered and properly weighed.[67] - - [66] Kerssenbroeck, p. 207; Dorpius, f. 391 b. 392. - - [67] _Ibid._ p. 208. - -The corporations of trades now appointed twenty-six individuals, in -addition to the provosts, to decide on measures adapted to carry -out the resolution. This committee decided "that one religion alone -should be taught in the town for the future and for ever after;" -and that "if any opposition was offered by the magistrates, the -whole body of the citizens should be appealed to."[68] - - [68] Kerssenbroeck, p. 209. - -These decisions were presented to the senate on the 11th July, which -replied that they were willing not to separate themselves from -evangelical truth, but that they were not yet satisfied on which -side it was to be found, and that they would ask the bishop to send -them learned theologians who should investigate the matter. - -This reply irritated Rottmann, Knipperdolling, and their followers. -On the 12th July fresh messengers were sent to the Rath (senate) to -know whether it might be reckoned upon. The answer was equivocal. -A third deputation insisted on an answer of "Yes" or "No," and -threatened a general rising of the people unless their demands were -acceded to.[69] The magistrates, in alarm, promised their adhesion -to the wishes of the insurgents, who demanded at once that "sincere -preachers of the pure Gospel" should be installed in every church of -Münster. The councillors accordingly issued orders to all the clergy -of the city to adopt the articles of Bernard Rottmann, or to refute -them by scriptural arguments, or they must expect the Council to -proceed against them with the extremest rigour of the law. - - [69] _Ibid._ pp. 210, 211. - -Then, to place the seal on their cowardly conduct, they wrote to -the prince-bishop on the 25th, to excuse themselves of complicity -in the institution of Rottmann, but at the same time they undertook -the defence of the Reformer, and assured the bishop that his -doctrine was sound and irrefutable. At the same time they opened -a communication with the Landgrave Philip of Hesse, asking that -bulwark of the Reformation to protect them. Philip wrote back, -promising his intervention, but warning them not to make the Gospel -an excuse for revolt and disorder, and not to imagine that Christian -liberty allowed them to seize on all the property of the Church. At -the same time he wrote to the prince-bishop to urge upon him not to -deprive the good and simple people of Münster of their evangelical -preachers.[70] - - [70] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 213-23. - -In the meantime the seditious members of the town guilds grew -impatient; and on the 6th August they sent a deputation to the town -council reminding it of its promise, and insisting on the immediate -deprivation of all the Catholic clergy. The magistrates sought -to gain time, but the deputation threatened them with the people -taking the law into their own hands, rejecting the authority of the -council, and electing another set of magistrates. - -"The Rath, on hearing this," says Kerssenbroeck, "were filled with -alarm, and they considered it expedient to yield, in part at least, -to the populace, and to deprive the clergy of their rights, rather -than to expose themselves rashly to the greatest dangers."[71] - - [71] _Ibid._ p. 272. - -They resolved therefore to forbid the Catholic clergy the use of -the pulpits of the churches, and to address the people in any form. -This was done at once, and all ceremonies "contrary to the pure word -of God" were abolished, and the faithful in the different parishes -were required to receive and maintain the new pastors commissioned -by the burgomaster and corporation to minister to them in things -divine. - -On the 10th August, a crowd, headed by Rottmann, the preacher -Brixius, and Knipperdolling, fell upon the churches and completed -the work of devastation which had been begun in February. The -Cathedral and the Church of Ueberwasser alone escaped their -Vandalism, because the fanatics were afraid of arousing too strong -an opposition. The same day the celebration of mass and communion in -one kind were forbidden under the severest penalties; the priests -were driven out of their churches, and Rottmann, Brixius, Glandorp, -Rolle, Wertheim, and Gottfried Ninnhoven, Lutheran preachers, were -intruded in their room.[72] - - [72] _Ibid._ pp. 228-34. - -The peace among these new apostles of the true Gospel was, however, -subject to danger. Pastor Brixius had fallen in love with the sister -of Pastor Rottmann, and the appearance of the girl proved to every -one that the lovers had not waited for the ceremony of marriage. -Rottmann insisted on this brother pastor marrying the young woman to -repair the scandal. But no sooner was the bride introduced into the -parsonage of St. Martin, of which Brixius was in possession, than -the first wife of the evangelical minister arrived in Münster with -her two children. Brixius was obliged to send away the new wife, but -a coldness ensued between him and Rottmann; "however, fearing to -cause dissension amongst their adherents by an open quarrel, they -came to some arrangement, and Brixius retained his situation."[73] - - [73] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 228, 229. - -These acts of violence and scandals had inspired many of the -citizens with alarm. Those who were able sent their goods out of -the town; the nuns of Ueberwasser despatched their title-deeds -and sacred vessels to a place of safety. Several of the wealthy -citizens and senators, who would not give up their religion, -deserted Münster, and settled elsewhere. The two burgomasters, -Ebroin Drost and Willebrand Plonies, resigned their offices and -left the city never to return.[74] The provosts of the guilds next -insisted on the severe repression of all Catholic usages and the -performance of sacraments by the priests; they went further, and -insisted on belief in the sacrifice of the altar and adoration of -the Host being made penal. The clergy wrote to the bishop imploring -his aid, and assuring him that their position was daily becoming -more intolerable; but Francis of Waldeck recommended patience, and -promised his aid when it lay in his power to assist them. - - [74] _Ibid._ p. 230. - -On the 17th September, 1532, he convoked the nobles of the -principality at Wollbeck, gave them an account of the condition -of Münster, and conjured them to assist him in suppressing the -rebellion.[75] The nobles replied, that before adopting violent -measures, it would be advisable to attempt a reconciliation. Eight -commissioners were chosen from amongst the barons, who wrote to the -magistrates, and requested them to send their deputies to Wollbeck -on Monday, September 23rd, "so as to come to some decision on what -is necessary for the welfare of the republic." The envoys of the -city appeared, and after the opening of the assembly, the grand -marshal of the diocese described the condition of the city, and -declared that if it pursued its course of disobedience, the nobility -were prepared to assist their prince in re-establishing order. The -delegates were given eight days to frame an answer. The agitation -in Münster during these days was great. The evangelical preachers -lost no time in exciting the people. The deputies returned to the -conference with a vague answer that the best way to settle the -differences would be to submit them to competent and enlightened -judges; and so the matter dropped. - - [75] _Ibid._ p. 248 _et seq._ - -The bishop's officers now captured a herd of fat cattle belonging to -some citizens of Münster, which were on their way to Cologne, and -refused to surrender them till the preachers of disaffection were -sent away.[76] - - [76] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 268-9. - -The party of Rottmann and Knipperdolling now required the town -council to raise 500 soldiers for the defence of the town, should -it be attacked by the prince-bishop--to strike 2000 ducats in -copper for the payment of the mercenaries, such money to circulate -in Münster alone--to order the sentinels to forbid egress to the -Catholic clergy, should they attempt to fly--and to impose on the -Catholic clergy a tax of 4000 florins a month for the support of -the troops. As the clergy had been deprived of their benefices, -forbidden to preach and minister the sacraments, this additional -act of persecution was intolerable in its injustice. The senate -accepted these requisitions with some abatement--the number of -soldiers was reduced to 300.[77] - - [77] _Ibid._ p. 279 _et seq._ - -The bishop, finding that the confiscation of the oxen had not -produced the required results, adopted another expedient which -proved equally ineffectual. He closed all the roads by his cavalry, -declared the city in a state of blockade, and forbade the peasantry -taking provisions into Münster. The artizans then marched out and -took the necessary food; they paid for it, but threatened the -peasants with spoliation without repayment, unless they frequented -the market with their goods as usual. This menace produced its -effect; Münster continued to be provisioned as before.[78] - - [78] _Ibid._ p. 283 _et seq._ - -Proud of their success, the innovators attacked Ueberwasser Church, -and ordered the abbess to dismiss the Catholic clergy who ministered -there, and to replace them by Gospel preachers. She declined -peremptorily, and the mob then drove the priests out of the church -and presbytery, and instituted Lutherans in their place.[79] - - [79] _Ibid._ pp. 284, 285. - -Notwithstanding the decrees of the senate, the priests continued -their exhortations and their ministrations in such churches as the -Evangelicals were unable to supply with pastors, of whom there was -a lack. Brixius, the bigamist minister of St. Martin's, having -found in one of them a monk preaching to a crowd of women, rushed -up into the pulpit, crying out that the man was telling them -lies; "but," says Kerssenbroeck, "the devotees surrounded the -unfortunate orator, beat him with their fists, slippers, wooden -shoes and staves, so that he fled the church, his face and body -black and blue." Probably these women bore him a grudge also for his -treatment of Rottmann's sister, which was no secret. "Furious at -this, he went next day to exhibit the traces of the combat to the -senate, entreating them to revenge the outrage he had received--he -a minister of the Holy Gospel; but, for the first time, the -magistrates showed some sense, and declared that they would not -meddle in the matter, because the guilty persons were too numerous, -and that some indulgence ought to be shown to the fair sex."[80] - - [80] Kerssenbroeck, p. 330. - -The town council now sent deputies to the Protestant princes, Dukes -Ernest and Francis of Lüneburg, the Landgrave Philip of Hesse, and -Count Philip of Waldeck, brother of the prince-bishop, to promise -the adhesion of the city to the Smalkald union, and to request -their assistance against their bishop. The situation was singular. -The city sought assistance of the Protestant union against their -prince, desiring to overthrow his power, under the plea that he -was a Catholic bishop. And the bishop, at heart a Lutheran, and -utterly indifferent to his religious position and responsibilities, -was determined to coerce his subjects into obedience, that he -might retain his rank and revenue as prince, intending, when the -city returned to its obedience, to shake off his episcopal office, -to Lutheranize his subjects, and remain their sovereign prince, -and possibly transform the ecclesiastical into a hereditary -principality, the appanage of a family of which he would be the -founder. He had already provided himself with a concubine, Anna -Pölmann, by whom he had children. - -Whilst the senate was engaged in treating with the Protestant -princes, negotiations continued with the bishop, at the diets -convoked successively at Dulmen and Wollbeck, but they were as -fruitless as before. The deputies separated on the 9th December, -agreeing to meet again on the 21st of the same month. - -At this time there arrived in Münster a formal refutation of -the theses of Rottmann, by John of Deventer, provincial of the -Franciscans at Cologne.[81] The magistrates had repeatedly -complained that "the refusal of the Catholics to reply to Bernard -Rottmann was the sole cause of all the evil." At the same time they -had forbidden the Catholic clergy to preach or to make use of the -press in Münster. This answer came like a surprise upon them. It was -carried by the foes of the clergy to the magistrates. The news of -the appearance of this counterblast created the wildest excitement. -"The citizens, assembled in great crowds, ran about the streets to -hear what was being said. Some announced that the victory would -remain with Rottmann, others declared that he would never recover -the blow." - - [81] Kerssenbroeck, p. 332. - -The provosts of the guilds hastily drew up a petition to the senate -to expel the clergy from the town, and to confiscate their goods; -but the magistrates refused to comply with this requisition, which -would have at once stirred up civil war.[82] - - [82] _Ibid._ pp. 335-7. - -Rottmann mounted the pulpit on St. Andrew's day, and declared that -on the following Sunday he would refute the arguments of John of -Deventer. Accordingly, on the day appointed, he preached to an -immense crowd, taking for his text the words of St. Paul (Rom. xiii. -12), "The night is far spent, the day is at hand." The sermon was -not an answer to the arguments of John of Deventer, but a furious -attack upon the Pope and Catholicism. Knipperdolling also informed -the people that he would rather have his children killed and cooked -and served up for dinner than surrender his evangelical principles -and return to the errors of the past.[83] - - [83] _Ibid._ p. 338. - -On the 21st December, 1532, Francis of Waldeck assembled the diet -of the principality, and asked its advice as to the advisability -of proclaiming war against Münster, should the city persist in its -obstinacy.[84] The clergy and nobles replied that, according to -immemorial custom, the prince must engage in war at his own cost, -and that they were too heavily burdened with taxes for the Turkish -war to enable them to undertake fresh charges. Francis of Waldeck -reminded them that he was obliged to pay a pension of 2000 florins -to his predecessor, Frederick von Wied, and he affirmed that he also -was not in a condition to have recourse to arms. - - [84] _Ibid._ p. 340 _et seq._ - -Whilst the prince, his barons and canons were deliberating, Rottmann -had assumed the ecclesiastical dictatorship in the cathedral city, -and had ordered, on his sole authority, the suppression of the -observance of fast-days. - -The spirit of opposition and protestation that had been evoked -already manifested itself in strange excesses. "Some of the -Evangelicals refused to have the bread put into their mouths at -Communion," says Kerssenbroeck, "but insisted on helping themselves -from the table, or they stained themselves in taking long draughts -at the large chalices. It is even said that some placed the bread -in large soup tureens, and poured the wine upon it, and took it out -with spoons and forks, so that they might communicate in both kinds -at one and the same moment."[85] - - [85] Kerssenbroeck, p. 347. - -The Reformer of Münster began to entertain and to express doubts as -to the validity of the baptism of infants, which he considered had -not the warrant of Holy Scripture. Melancthon wrote urgently to him, -imploring him not to create dissensions in the Evangelical Church by -disturbing the arrangement many wise men had agreed upon. "We have -enemies enough," added Melancthon; "they will be rejoiced to see us -tearing each other and destroying one another.... I speak with good -intention, and I take the liberty of giving my advice, because I am -devoted to you and to the Church."[86] - - [86] _Ibid._ p. 348. - -Luther wrote as well, not to Rottmann, but to the magistrates -of Münster, praising their love of the Gospel, and urging them -to beware of being drawn away by the damnable errors of the -Sacramentarians, Zwinglians, _aliorumque schwermerorum_.[87] The -senators received this apostolic epistle with the utmost respect -and reverence imaginable; they communicated it to Rottmann and -his colleagues, and ordered them to obey it. But the senate had -long lost its authority; and this injunction was disregarded.[88] -"Disorder and infidelity made progress; the idle, rogues, -spendthrifts, thieves, and ruined persons swelled the crowd of -Evangelists."[89] - - [87] _Ibid._ p. 349. - - [88] Kerssenbroeck, p. 351. - - [89] _Ibid._ p. 351. - -However, it was not enough to have introduced the new religion, to -satisfy the Evangelicals the Catholics must be completely deprived -of the exercise of their religion. In spite of every hindrance, -mass had been celebrated every Sunday in the cathedral. All the -parish churches had been deprived of their priests, but the minster -remained in the hands of the Catholics. As Christmas approached, -many men and women prepared by fasting, alms, and confession, -to make their communion at the cathedral on the festival of the -Nativity. - -The magistrates, hearing of their design, forbade them -communicating, offering, as an excuse, that it would cause scandal -to the partisans of the Reform. They also published a decree -forbidding baptisms to be performed elsewhere than in the parish -churches; so as to force the faithful to bring their children to the -ministrations of men whom they regarded with aversion as heretics -and apostates.[90] - - [90] _Ibid._ p. 353. - -No envoys from the capital attended the reunion of the chambers at -Wollbeck on the 20th December. But Münster sent a letter expressing -a hope that the difference between the city and the prince might be -terminated by mediation. - -This letter gave the diet a chance of escaping from its very -difficult position of enforcing the rule of the prince without -money to pay the soldiers. The diet undertook to lay the suggestion -before the prince-bishop, and to transmit his reply to the envoys of -Münster. - -Francis of Waldeck then quitted his diocese of Minden, and betook -himself to Telgte,[91] a little town about four miles from Münster, -where he was to receive the oath of allegiance and homage of his -subjects in the principality. The estates assembled at Wollbeck, and -all the leading nobles and clergy of the diocese hastened to Telgte -and assembled around their sovereign on the same day. A letter was -at once addressed to the senate of Münster by the assembled estates, -urging it to send deputies to Telgte, the following morning, at -eight o'clock, to labour together with them at the re-establishment -of peace. - - [91] _Ibid._ p. 354 _et seq._ Sleidan, French tr. p. 407. - -The deputies did not appear; the senate addressed to the diet, -instead, a letter of excuses. The estates at once replied that in -the interest of peace, they regretted the obstinacy with which the -senate had refused to send deputies to Telgte; but that this had -not prevented them from supplicating the bishop to yield to their -wishes; and that they were glad to announce that he was ready to -submit the mutual differences to the arbitration of two princes of -the Empire, one to be named by himself, the other by the city of -Münster. And until the arbitration took place, the prince-bishop -would provisionally suspend all measures of severity, on condition -that the ancient usages should be restored in the churches, the -preachers should cease to innovate, and that the imprisoned vassals -of the bishop should be released. - -This missive was sent into the town on the 25th; the magistrates -represented to the bearer "that it would be scandalous to occupy -themselves with temporal affairs on Christmas-day," and on this -pretext they persuaded him to remain till the morrow in Münster. -Then orders were given for the gates of the town to be closed, and -egress to be forbidden to every one. - -Having taken these precautions, the magistrates assembled the -provosts of the guilds, and held with them a conference, which -terminated shortly before nine o'clock the same evening; after which -the subaltern officers of the senate were sent round to rap at every -door, and order the citizens to assemble at midnight, before the -town-hall. A nocturnal expedition had been resolved upon; but the -movement in the town had excited the alarm of the Catholics, who, -thinking that a general massacre of those who adhered to the old -religion was in contemplation, hid themselves in drains and cellars -and chimneys. - -Arms were brought out of the arsenal, cannons were mounted, waggons -were laden with powder, shot, beams, planks and ladders. At the -appointed hour, the crowd, armed in various fashions, assembled -before the Rath-haus.[92] The magistrates and provosts then selected -six hundred trusty Evangelicals, and united them to a band of three -hundred mercenaries and a small troop of horse. The rest were -dispersed upon the ramparts and were recommended to keep watch; -then it was announced to the party in marching order that they were -to hasten stealthily to Telgte and capture the prince-bishop, his -councillors, the barons, and all the members of the estates then -assembled in that little town. - - [92] Kerssenbroeck, p. 358 _et seq._ Sleidan, French tr. p. 408. - Sleidan also gives the number as 900; Dorpius, f. 392 b. - -However, the diet, surprised at not seeing their messenger return, -conceived a slight suspicion. Whether he feared that his person was -in danger so near Münster is not known, but fortunately for himself, -the prince, that same evening, left Telgte for his castle of Iburg. -The members of the diet, after long waiting, sent some men along the -road to the capital to ascertain whether their messenger was within -sight. These men returned, saying that the gates of Münster were -closed and that no one was to be seen stirring. - -The fact was singular, not to say suspicious, and a troop of horse -was ordered to make a reconnaissance in the direction of Münster. It -was already late at night, so, having given the order, the members -of the diet retired to their beds. The horse soldiers beat the -country, found all quiet, withdrew some planks from a bridge over -the Werse, between Telgte and Münster, to intercept the passage, and -then returned to their quarters, for the night was bitterly cold. On -surmounting a hill, crowned by a gibbet, they, however, turned once -more and looked over the plain towards the city. A profound silence -reigned; but a number of what they believed to be will-o'-the-wisps -flitted here and there over the dark ground. As, according to -popular superstition in Westphalia, these little lights are to be -seen in great abundance at Yuletide, the horsemen paid no attention -to them, but continued their return. These lights, mistaken for -marsh fires, were in fact the burning matches of the arquebuses -carried by those engaged in the sortie. On their return to Telgte, -the horse soldiers retired to their quarters, and in half-an-hour -all the inhabitants of the town were fast asleep. - -Meanwhile, the men of Münster advanced, replaced the bridge over -the Werse, traversed the plain, and reached Telgte at two o'clock -in the morning. They at once occupied all the streets, according to -a plan concerted beforehand, then invaded the houses, and captured -the members of the diet, clergy, nobles and commons. Three only of -the cathedral chapter escaped in their night shirts with bare feet -across the frozen river Ems. The Münsterians, having laid their -hands on all the money, jewels, seals, and gold chains they could -find, retreated as rapidly as they had advanced, carrying off with -them their captives and the booty, but disappointed in not having -secured the person of the prince. They entered the cathedral city -in triumph on the morning of the 26th December, highly elated at -their success, and nothing doubting that with such hostages in -their hands, they would be able to dictate their own terms to the -sovereign. - -But the expedition of Telgte had made a great sensation in the -empire. Francis of Waldeck addressed himself to all the members of -the Germanic body, and appealed especially to his metropolitan, the -Elector of Cologne, for assistance, and also to the Dukes of Cleves -and Gueldres. The elector wrote at once to Münster in terms the -most pressing, because some of his own councillors were among the -prisoners. He received an evasive answer. The Protestant princes of -the Smalkald league even addressed letters to the senate, blaming -energetically their high-handed proceeding. Philip Melancthon also -wrote a letter of mingled remonstrance and entreaty.[93] The only -result of their appeals was the restoration to the prisoners of -their money and the jewels taken from them. - - [93] Kerssenbroeck, p. 368. - -John von Wyck, syndic of Bremen, was despatched by the senate of -Münster to the Landgrave Philip of Hesse, to ask him to undertake -the office of mediator between them and their prince. The Landgrave -readily accepted the invitation, and Francis of Waldeck was -equally ready to admit his mediation, as he was himself, as has -been already stated, a Lutheran at heart. The people of Münster, -finding that the bishop was eager for a pacific settlement, insisted -on the payment of the value of the oxen he had confiscated, as a -preliminary, before the subject of differences was entered upon. The -prince-bishop consented, paid 450 florins, and allowed the Landgrave -of Hesse to draw up sixteen articles of treaty, which met with the -approval of both the senate and himself. - -The terms of the agreement were as follows:[94]-- - -I. The prince-bishop was to offer no violence to the inhabitants of -Münster in anything touching religion. "The people of Münster shall -keep the pure Word of God," said the article; "it shall be preached -to them, without any human additions by their preachers, in the six -parish churches. These same preachers shall minister the sacraments -and order their services and ceremonies as they please. The citizens -shall submit in religious matters to the judgment of the magistrates -alone, till the questions at issue are decided by a General Council." - - [94] _Ibid._ p. 392 _et seq._ - -II. The Catholics were to exercise their religion freely in the -cathedral and in the capitular churches not included in the -preceding article, _until Divine Providence should order otherwise_. -The Lutheran ministers were forbidden to attack the Catholics, their -dogmas and rights, _unless the Word of God imperiously required -it_;--a clause opening a door to any amount of abuse. As the -speciality of Protestantism of every sort consists in negation, it -would be impossible for an Evangelical pastor to hold his position -without denouncing what he disbelieved. - -Article III. interdicted mutual recriminations. Article IV., in -strange contradiction with Article I., declared that the town of -Münster should obey the prince-bishop as legitimate sovereign in -matters spiritual and temporal. The bishop in the Vth Article -promised to respect the privileges of the subject. - -The VIth Article forbade any one making an arbitrary use of the Word -of God to justify refusal of obedience to the magistrates. Article -VII. reserved to the clergy their revenues, with the exception of -the six parish churches, of which the revenues were to be employed -for the maintenance of the Evangelical pastors. By the VIIIth -Article the senate promised not to interfere with the collation to -benefices not in their hands by right. The IXth Article allowed the -citizens to deprive their pastors in the Lutheran churches, without -the intervention of the bishop. The rest of the Articles secured a -general amnesty, permission to the refugees to return, and to the -imprisoned members of the diet to obtain their freedom. - -This treaty was fair enough in its general provisions. If, as was -the case, a large number of the citizens were disposed to adopt -Lutheranism, no power on earth had any right to constrain them, and -they might justly claim the free exercise of their religion. But -there were suspicious clauses inserted in the 1st and 2nd Articles -which pointed to the renewal of animosity and the re-opening of the -whole question. - -This treaty was signed on the 14th February, 1533, by Philip of -Hesse, as mediator, Francis, Count of Waldeck, Prince and Bishop of -Münster, the members of chapter, the representatives of the nobles -of the principality, and the burgomasters and senators of Münster, -together with those of the towns of Coesfeld and Warendorf, in -their own name and in behalf of the other towns of the diocese. -The captive estates were liberated on the 18th February. How the -magistrates and town kept the other requirements of the treaty we -shall soon see. - -The senate having been constituted supreme authority in spiritual -things by the Lutheran party, now undertook the organisation of the -Evangelical Church in the city; and a few days after the treaty had -been signed, it published an "Evangelical Constitution," consisting -of ten articles, for the government of the new Church.[95] - - [95] Kerssenbroeck, p. 398 _et seq._ - -The 8th article had a threatening aspect. "The ministers of the -Divine Word shall use their utmost endeavours to gain souls to the -true faith, and to direct them in the ways of perfection. _As for -those who shall refuse to accept the pure doctrine_, and those who -shall blaspheme and be guilty of public crimes, the senate will -employ against them all the rigour of the laws, and the sword of -justice." - -Rottmann was appointed by the magistrates Superintendent of the -Lutheran Church in Münster, a function bearing a certain resemblance -to that of a bishop.[96] Then, thinking that a bishop should be the -husband of one wife at least, Rottmann married the widow of Johann -Vigers, late syndic of Münster. "She was a person of bad character," -says Kerssenbroeck, "whom Rottmann had inspired during her husband's -life with Evangelical principles and an adulterous love."[97] It is -asserted, with what truth it is impossible at this distance of time -to decide, that Vigers was drowned in his bath at Ems, in a fit, -and that his wife allowed him to perish without attempting to save -him. Anyhow, no sooner was he dead, than she returned full speed to -Münster and married her lover.[98] - - [96] _Ibid._ p. 402. - - [97] _Ibid._ p. 403. - - [98] _Ibid._ p. 404. - -The reformer and his adherents had been given their own way, and -the senate hoped they would rest satisfied, and that tranquillity -would be re-established in the city. But their hopes were doomed -to disappointment. Certain people, if given an inch, insist on -taking an ell; of these people Rottmann was one. Excited by him, -the Evangelicals of the town complained that the magistrates had -treated the Papists with too great leniency, that the clergy had -not been expelled and their goods confiscated according to the -original programme. It was decided tumultuously that the elections -must be anticipated; and on the 3rd March, the people deposed the -magistrates and elected in their room the leaders of the extreme -reforming party.[99] Knipperdolling was of their number; only four -of the former magistrates were allowed to retain office, and these -were men whom they could trust. Hermann Tilbeck and Kaspar Judenfeld -were named burgomasters; Heinrich Modersohn and Heinrich Redekker -were chosen provosts or tribunes of the people.[100] - - [99] Kerssenbroeck, p. 404. - - [100] _Ibid._ p. 405. - -Next to the senate came the turn of the parishes. On the 17th March, -under the direction of Rottmann, the people proceeded to appoint -the ministers to the churches in the town. Their choice was not -happy; it fell on those most unqualified to exercise a salutary -influence, and restrain the excitement of a mob already become -nearly ungovernable.[101] - - [101] _Ibid._ p. 406. - -The new senate endeavoured to strengthen the Evangelical cause -by uniting the other towns of the diocese in a common bond of -resistance. They invited these towns to send their deputies to meet -those of the capital at a little inn between Münster and Coesfeld, -on the 20th March. The assembly took place; but so far from the -other cities agreeing to support Münster, their deputies read those -of the capital a severe lecture, and refused to throw off their old -religion and their allegiance to the bishop.[102] - - [102] Kerssenbroeck, p. 407 _et seq._ - -On the 24th March, 1533, the burgomaster Tilbeck, accompanied by the -citizen Kerbink, went to Ueberwasser, summoned the abbess before -him, and ordered her to maintain at the expense of the abbey the -preachers lately appointed to the church in connection with the -convent. She was forced to submit.[103] - - [103] _Ibid._ p. 413. - -On the 27th of the same month one of the preachers invaded the -church of St. Ledger, still in the hands of the Catholics, at the -head of his congregation, broke open the tabernacle, drew out the -Host, broke it, and blowing the fragments into the air, screamed to -the assembled multitude, "Look at your good God flying away." - -The same day the treaty was violated towards the Franciscans. Some -of the senators ordered them to quit their convent, their habit, -and their order, unless they desired still more rigorous treatment, -"because the magistrates were resolved to make the Church flourish -again in her ancient purity, and because they wanted to convert the -convent into a school."[104] - - [104] _Ibid._ p. 413. - -The superior replied that he and his brethren followed strictly -the rule of their founder, and that this house belonged to them by -right of succession, and that they were no charge to the town. He -said that if a building was needed for an Evangelical school, he -was ready to surrender to the magistrates a portion of the convent -buildings; all he asked in return was that he and his brethren -should be allowed to live in tranquillity. This proposal saved the -Franciscans for a time. The Evangelical school was established -in their convent, "but at the end of a month it had fallen into -complete disorder, whereas the old Papist school had not lost one of -its pupils, and was as flourishing as ever."[105] - - [105] Kerssenbroeck, p. 415. - -Whilst the senators menaced the monasteries, Knipperdolling and his -friend Gerhardt Kibbenbroeck pillaged the church of S. Lambert. -Scarcely a day now passed without some fresh act of violence done to -the Catholics, or Vandalism perpetrated on the churches. - -On the 5th April the prior and monks of Bispinkhoff were forbidden -by the magistrates to hear confessions in their own church. The -same day the Lutherans broke the altar and images in the church of -Ueberwasser, and scraped the paintings off the walls. - -On Palm Sunday, April 6th,[106] at Ueberwasser, some of the nuns, -urged by the preachers in their church, cast off their vows, and -joining the people, chanted the 7th verse of the 124th Psalm -according to Luther's translation-- - - "Der Strich ist entzwei, - Und wir sind frei." - - [106] _Ibid._ p. 416. - -"The snare is broken, and we are delivered;" and then they received -Communion with the pastors. - -On the 7th the mob pillaged the church of the Servites, and defaced -it. Next day the Franciscans, who had made the wafers for the Holy -Sacrament for the churches in the diocese, were forbidden to make -them any more. On the 9th Knipperdolling, heading a party of the -reformed, broke into the cathedral during the celebration of the -Holy Eucharist, rushed up to the altar, and drove away the priest, -exclaiming, "Greedy fop, haven't you eaten enough good Gods yet?" -Two days later the magistrates ordered the chapter to surrender -into their hands their title deeds and sacred vessels. On the 14th, -Belkot, head of the city tribunal of Münster, entered the church of -S. Ledger, and carried off all its chalices, patens, and ciboriums, -whilst others who accompanied him destroyed the altars, paintings, -and statuary, and profaned the church in the most disgusting manner. -The unhappy Catholics, unable to resist, uttered loud lamentations, -and did not refrain from calling the perpetrators of the outrage -"robbers and sacrilegious," for which they were summoned before -the magistrates, and threatened with imprisonment unless they -apologised.[107] - - [107] Kerssenbroeck 417. - -As the news of the conversion of the city of Münster to the Gospel -spread, strangers came to it from all parts, to hear and to learn, -as they gave out, pure Evangelical truth. - -Amongst these adventurers was a man destined to play a terribly -prominent part in the great drama that was about to be enacted at -Münster. This was John Bockelson, a tailor, a native of Leyden, in -Holland. He had quitted his country and his wife secretly to hear -Rottmann. He entered Münster on the 25th July, and lodged with a -citizen named Hermann Ramers. Having been instructed in the Gospel -according to Luther, he went to preach in Osnabrück, but from thence -he was driven. He then returned to his own home. There he became an -Anabaptist, under the instruction of John Matthisson, who sent him -with Gerrit Buchbinder as apostles of the sect to Westphalia in the -month of November, 1533. - -The time had now arrived when the Lutheran party, which had so -tyrannically treated the Catholics in the city of Münster, was -itself to be despotically put down and trampled upon by a sect which -sprang from its own womb. - -Rottmann had for some while been wavering in his adhesion to -Lutheranism.[108] He doubted first, and then disbelieved in -the Real Presence, which Luther insisted upon. He thought that -the reformation of the Wittenberg doctor was not sufficiently -thoroughgoing in the matter of ceremonial; then he doubted the -scriptural authority for the baptism of infants. Two preachers, -Heinrich Rott and Herman Strapedius, fell in with his views. The -former had been a monk at Haarlem, but had become a Lutheran -preacher. He regarded the baptism of infants as one of those things -which are indifferent to salvation. Strapedius was more decided; -he preached against infant baptism as an abomination in the sight -of God. He was named by the people preacher at S. Lambert's, -the head church of the city, in spite of the opposition of the -authorities.[109] - - [108] Kerssenbroeck, p. 429 _et seq._; Sleidan, French tr. p. - 409; Bullinger, "Adv. Anabapt.," 116, ii. c. 8. - - [109] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 431, 432; Dorp., f. 322-3. - -The Lutheran senate of Münster, which a few months previously had -been elected enthusiastically by the people, now felt that before -these fiery preachers, drifting into Anabaptism, their power was -in as precarious a position as was that of those whom they had -supplanted. Alarmed at the rapid extension of the new forms of -disbelief, they twice forbade Rottmann to preach against the baptism -of infants and the Real Presence, and ordered him to conform in his -teaching to authorised Lutheran doctrine. He treated their orders -with contempt. Then they summoned him before them: he appeared, but -on leaving the Rath-haus, preached in the square to the people with -redoubled violence. - -The senate, at their wits' end, ordered a public discussion between -Rottmann and the orthodox Lutherans, represented by Hermann Busch. -The discussion took place before the city Rath, and the senate -decided that Busch had gained the day, and they therefore forbade -all innovation in the administration of baptism and the Lord's -Supper. - -Rottmann and his colleague disregarded the monition, and continued -their sermons against the rags of Popery which still disfigured -the Lutheran Church. Several of the ministers in the town, whether -from conviction or from interest, finding that their congregations -drained away to the churches where the stronger-spiced doctrine was -preached, joined the movement. It was simply a carrying of negation -beyond the pillars of Hercules planted by Luther. Luther had denied -of the sum total of Catholic dogmas, say ten, and had retained -ten. The Anabaptist denied two more, and retained only eight. On -the 10th August a tumultuous scene took place in the church of S. -Giles.[110] A Dutch preacher began declaiming against baptism of -children. Johann Windemoller, ex-senator, a vehement opponent of -Anabaptist disintegration of Lutheran doctrine, who was in the -congregation, rushed up the pulpit stairs, and pulled the preacher -down, exclaiming, "Scoundrel! how dare you take upon you the -office of preacher--you who, a few years ago, were thrust into the -iron-collar, and branded on the cheek for your crimes? Do you think -I do not know your antecedents? You talk of virtue, you gibbet-bird? -You who are guilty of so many crimes and impieties? Go along with -you, take your doctrine and your brand elsewhere." - - [110] Kerssenbroeck, p. 434. - -Windemoller was about to turn the pastor out of the church, when a -number of women, who had joined the Anabaptist party, fell, howling, -upon Windemoller, crying that he wanted to deprive them of the -saving Gospel and Word of Truth, and they would have strangled him -had he not beat a precipitate retreat. The same afternoon, some -citizens who brought their children to this church to be baptized -were driven from the doors with shouts of derision. - -The magistrates played a trump card, and ordered Rottmann to -leave the town, together with the ministers who followed his -teaching.[111] Bernard Rottmann replied much in the same strain as -he had answered the bishop, stating that his doctrine was strictly -conformable to the pure word of God, and that he demanded a public -discussion, in which his doctrines might be tested by Scripture -alone, without human additions. Finally he protested that he would -not abstain from preaching, nor desert his flock, whether the senate -persisted in its sentence or not. Five ministers signed this defiant -letter--Rottmann, Johann Clopris, Heinrich Roll, Gottfried Strahl, -and Denis Vinnius. These men at once hastened to collect the heads -of the corporations and provosts together, and urge them to take -their part against the Rath. They were quite prepared to do so, and -the magistrates yielded on condition that Bernard and his following -of preachers should abstain from speaking on the disputed questions -of infant baptism and the Eucharist. Rottmann consented, in his -own name and in that of his friends, in a paper dated October 3rd, -1533.[112] The senate was, however, well aware that its power was -tottering to its fall, and that the preachers had not the remotest -intention of fulfilling their engagement. They saw that these men -were gradually absorbing into themselves the supreme authority in -the city, and that a magistracy which opposed them could at any -moment be by them dismissed their office. In alarm they wrote to -the prince-bishop, and sent him messengers to lay before him the -precarious condition of the affairs in the capital, imploring him -to consider the imminence of the peril, and to send them learned -theologians who could combat the spread of erroneous doctrine, and -introduce those conformable to the pure word of God.[113] - - [111] _Ibid._ p. 436. - - [112] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 437-9. - - [113] _Ibid._ p. 441. - -It was a singular state of affairs indeed. The magistrates had -appealed to the pure word of God, as understood by Luther, against -Catholicism, and now the Anabaptists appealed to the same oracle, -with equal confidence against Lutheranism; the two parties leaned on -the same support--who was to decide which party Scripture upheld? - -The answer of Francis of Waldeck was such as might have been -expected from a man endowed with some common sense. He reminded the -magistrates that it was their own fault if things had come to such -a pass; he feared that now the evil had gained the upper hand, and -that gentleness was out of place; a decided face could alone secure -to the magistrates moral authority. He was ready to support them -if they would maintain their allegiance for the future. He would -send them a learned theologian, Dr. Heinrich Mumpert, prior of the -Franciscans of Bispinkhoff, to preach against error in the cathedral. - -The senate was in a dilemma. They had no wish to return to -Catholicism, and they dreaded the progress of schism. They stood on -an inclined plane. Above was the rock of an infallible authority; -below, faith shelved into an abyss of negation they shrank from -fathoming. If they looked back, they saw Catholicism; if they -looked forward, they beheld the dissolution of all positive belief. -Like all timorous men they shrank from either alternative, and -attempted for a little longer to maintain their slippery position. -They declined the offer of the Catholic doctor, and turned to the -Landgrave Philip of Hesse for assistance. The Landgrave at once -acceded to the request of the magistrates, and sent them Theodore -Fabricius and Johann Melsinger, guaranteeing to their senate their -orthodoxy.[114] - - [114] Kerssenbroeck, p. 443; Sleidan, p. 410; Dorpius, f. 393 b. - -While these preachers were on their way, disorder increased in -Münster. The faction of Rottmann grew apace, and spread into the -Convent of Ueberwasser, where the nuns were daily compelled to -hear the harangues of two zealous Evangelical pastors, who exerted -themselves strenuously to demolish the faith of the sisters down -to the point fixed as the limit of negation by Luther. But these -pastors having become infected with Rottmann's views, continued the -work of destruction, and lowered the temple of faith two additional -stages. - -The result of these sermons on the excitable nuns was that the -majority broke out into revolt, and refused to observe abstinence -and practise self-mortification; and proclaimed their intention -of returning to the world and marrying. The bishop wrote to them, -imploring them to consider that they were all of them members of -noble families, and that they must be careful in no way to dishonour -their families by scandalous behaviour. The mutineers seemed -disposed to yield, but we shall presently see that their submission -was only temporary.[115] - - [115] Kerssenbroeck, p. 443. - -On the 15th October, the senate wrote to the bishop, and informed -him that they would not permit the prior Mumpert to preach in the -cathedral.[116] They acknowledged that according to the treaty -of Telgte, the city had consented to allow the Catholics the -use of the cathedral, "until such time as the Lord shall dispose -otherwise," but, they said, at the time of the conclusion of the -treaty, there was no preacher at the minster; which was true, for -the Catholic clergy had been forbidden the use of the pulpit; and -they declared that "in all good conscience, they could not permit -the institution of one whose doctrine and manner of life were not -conformable to the gospel." - - [116] _Ibid._ p. 444. - -Francis of Waldeck, without paying attention to this refusal, -ordered Mumpert to preach and celebrate the Eucharist in the -cathedral church, on Sunday, 26th October, 1533. The prior obeyed. -The fury of the Evangelicals was without limits; and in a second -letter, more insolent than the first, the magistrates told the -bishop that "they would not suffer a fanatical friar to come and -teach error to the people." The bishop's sole reply was a command to -the prior to continue his course. - -At this moment the learned divines sent by Philip of Hesse arrived -in the city, and hearing of the sermons in the minster, to which the -people flocked, and which were likely to produce a counter current -in a Catholic direction, they insisted, as a preliminary to their -mission, that the mouth of the Catholic preacher should be stopped. -"We pray you," said they to the magistrates, "to forbid this man -permission to reside in the town, lest our pure doctrine be choked -by his abominable sermons. An authority claiming to be Christian -should not tolerate such a scandal." - -The senate hastened to satisfy the Hessian theologians, by not -merely ordering the Catholic preacher to leave the city, but by -outlawing him, so that he was obliged in haste to fly a place -where his life might be taken by any unscrupulous persons with -impunity.[117] - - [117] Kerssenbroeck, p. 444 _et seq._ - -Francis of Waldeck, justly irritated, wrote to Philip of Hesse, -remonstrating at the interference of his commissioners in the -affairs of another man's principality.[118] The Landgrave replied -that, so far from deserving reproach, he merited thanks for -having sent to Münster two divines of the first class, who would -preach there the pure Word of God, and would strangle the monster -of Anabaptism. With the outlawry of the Catholic preacher, the -struggle between Catholicism and Lutheranism closed; the struggle -for the future was to be between Lutheranism and Anabaptism; a -struggle desperate on the part of the Lutherans, for what basis -had they for operation? The Catholics had an intrenched position -in the authority of a Church, which they claimed to be invested -with divine inerrancy, by commission from Christ; but the Lutheran -and Anabaptist fought over the pages of the Bible, each claiming -Scripture as on his side. It was a war within a camp, to decide -which should pitch the other outside the rampart of the letter. - - [118] _Ibid._ p. 457 _et seq._ - -Fabricius and Melsinger fought for Infant Baptism and the Real -Presence, Rottmann and Strapedius against both. "Do you call this -the body and blood of Christ?" exclaimed Master Bernard one day, -whilst he was distributing the Sacrament; and flinging it on the -ground, he continued, "Were it so, it would get up from the ground -and mount the altar of itself without my help. Know by this that -neither the body nor blood of Christ are here."[119] - - [119] Dorpius, f. 394. - -Peter Wyrthemius, a Lutheran preacher, was interrupted, when he -attempted to preach, by the shouts and jeers of the Anabaptists, and -was at last driven from his pulpit. - -Rottmann kept his promise not to preach Anabaptist doctrine in -the pulpit, but he printed and circulated a number of tracts and -pamphlets, and held meetings in private houses for the purpose of -disseminating his views.[120] His reputation increased rapidly, and -extended afar. Disciples came from Holland, Brabant, and Friesland, -to place themselves under his direction; women even confided to him -the custody of their children. - - [120] Kerssenbroeck, p. 448. - -The most lively anxiety inspired the senate to make another attempt -to regain their supremacy in the direction of affairs. - -On the 3rd or 4th November, the heads of the guilds and the provosts -and patricians of the city were assembled to deliberate, and it -was resolved that Rottmann and his colleagues should be expelled -the town and the diocese; and to remove from them the excuse that -they feared arrest when they quitted the walls of Münster, the -magistrates obtained for them a safe-conduct, signed by the bishop -and the upper chapter.[121] - - [121] _Ibid._ p. 449. - -Next day, the magistrates and chief citizens reassembled in the -market square, and voted that "not only should the Anabaptist -preachers be exiled, but also those of the magistrates who had -supported them; and that this sentence should receive immediate -execution."[122] - - [122] Kerssenbroeck, p. 450 _et seq._ - -This was too sweeping a measure to pass without provoking -resistance. The burgomaster, Tilbeck, who felt that the blow was -aimed at himself, exclaimed, angrily: "Is this the reward I receive -for having prudently governed the republic? But we will not suffer -the innocent to be oppressed, and we shall treat you in such a -manner as will calm your insolence." - -These words gave the signal for an open rupture. - -Knipperdolling and Hermann Krampe, both members of the senate, drew -their swords and ranged themselves beside the burgomaster, calling -the people to arms. The mob at once rushed upon the senators. The -servants of the chapter and the clergy in the cathedral close, -hastened carrying arms to the assistance of the magistrates. Both -parties sought a place of defence, each anticipating an attack. -The Lutherans occupied the Rath-haus and barricaded the doors. The -Anabaptists retired behind the strong walls of the cemetery of St. -Lambert. The night was spent by both parties under arms, and a fight -appeared imminent on the morrow. Then the syndic Johann von Wyck -persuaded the frightened senate to moderate their sentence, and -hurrying to the Anabaptists, he urged them to be reconciled to the -magistrates. An agreement was finally concluded, whereby Rottmann -was forbidden for the future to preach, and every one was to be -allowed to believe what he liked, and to disbelieve what he chose. - -Master Bernard, however, evaded his obligation by holding meetings -in private houses at night, to which his followers were summoned by -the discharge of a gun.[123] Considering that it was now necessary -that his adherents should have their articles of belief, or rather -of disbelief, as a bond of union and of distinction between -themselves and the Lutherans, he drew up a profession of faith in -nineteen articles. That which he had published nine months before -was antiquated, and represented the creed of the Lutheran faction, -against which he was now at variance. - - [123] Kerssenbroeck, p. 453 _et seq._ - -This second creed contained the following propositions:-- - -The baptism of children is abominable before God. - -The habitual ceremonies used at baptism are the work of the devil -and of the Pope, who is Antichrist. - -The consecrated Host is the great Baal. - -A Christian (that is, a member of Rottmann's sect) does not set foot -in the religious assemblies of the impious (_i.e._, of the Catholics -and Lutherans). - -He holds no communication and has no relations with them; he is not -bound to obey their authorities; he has nothing in common with their -tribunals; nor does he unite with them in marriage. - -The Sabbath was instituted by the Lord God, and there is no -scriptural warrant for transferring the obligation to the Sunday. - -Papists and Lutherans are to be regarded as equally infamous, and -those who give faith to the inventions of priests are veritable -pagans. - -During fourteen centuries there have been no true Christians. Christ -was the last priest; the apostles did not enjoy the priestly office. - -Jesus Christ did not derive His human nature from Mary.[124] - - [124] This is corroborated by the Acta, Handlungen, &c., fol. - 385. "_The Preachers_: Do you believe that Christ received His - flesh off the flesh of Mary, by the operation of the Holy Ghost? - _John of Leyden_: No; such is not the teaching of Scripture." And - he explained that if the flesh had been taken from Mary, it must - have been sinful, for she was not immaculate. - -Every marriage concluded before re-baptism is invalid. - -Faith in Christ must precede baptism. - -Wives shall call their husbands lords. - -Usury is forbidden. - -The faithful shall possess all things in common. - -The publication of this formulary of faith, if such it may be -called, which is a string of negative propositions, increased the -alarm of the more sober citizens, who, feeling the insecurity of -property and life under a powerless magistracy, prepared to leave -the town. Many fled and left their Lutheranism behind them. Lening, -one of the preachers sent by the Landgrave of Hesse, ran away. - -Fabricius had more courage. He preached energetically against -Rottmann, assisted by Dr. Johann Westermann, a Lutheran theologian -of Lippe.[125] - - [125] Kerssenbroeck, p. 456; Sleidan, p. 411. - -According to Kerssenbroeck, however, half the town followed by the -Anabaptist leader, and brought their goods and money to lay them at -his feet. Those who had nothing of their own, in a body joined the -society which proclaimed community of goods. - -The bishop again wrote to the magistrates, urging them to permit -the Catholic preacher, Mumpert, the use of the cathedral pulpit, -but the senate refused, and continued their vain efforts to build -their theological system on a slide. At their request, Fabricius -and Westermann drew up (November 28, 1533) a symbol of belief in -opposition to that formulated by Rottmann, and it was read and -adopted by the Lutherans in the Church of St. Lambert. A large -number of the people gave in their adhesion to this last and newest -creed, and the magistrates, emboldened thereby, made a descent upon -the house of the ex-superintendent, and confiscated his private -press, with which he had printed his tracts.[126] - - [126] _Ibid._ p. 456. - -It was then that the two apostles, Buchbinder and Bockelson, sent -by Matthisson into Westphalia, appeared in the city. They remained -there only four days, during which they re-baptised the preachers -and several of their adepts, and then retired prophesying their -speedy return and the advent of the reign of grace. - -Rottmann, highly exasperated against Fabricius for having drawn up -his counter-creed, went on the 30th November to the churchyard of -St. Lambert, and standing in an elevated situation, preached to the -people on his own new creed, whilst Fabricius was discoursing within -to his congregation on his own profession of faith. - -When service was over Fabricius came out, and was immediately -attacked by Rottmann with injurious expressions, which, however, so -exasperated the congregation of the Lutheran, that they fell upon -the late superintendent of the Evangelical Church, and threatened -him with their sticks and fists. - -On the 1st December, Fabricius complained in the pulpit of the -insult he had received, and appealed to the people to judge between -his doctrine and that of Master Bernard by the difference there was -between their respective behaviour.[127] - - [127] Kerssenbroeck, p. 461. - -A new Anabaptist orator now appeared on the stage; he was a -blacksmith's apprentice, named Johann Schroeder. On the 8th December -he occupied the position in the cemetery of St. Lambert from which -Rottmann had been forced to fly, and defied the Lutherans to -oppose him with the pure Word of God. He denounced them as still -in darkness, as wrapped in the trappings of Popery, and as enemies -to the Gospel of Christ and Evangelical liberty. Then he dared -Fabricius to meet him in a public discussion, and prove his doctrine -by the text of Scripture.[128] - - [128] _Ibid._ p. 461. - -The magistrates resolved on one more attempt to arrest the disorder. -On the 11th November they informed Rottmann that, unless he -immediately left the city, they would decree his outlawry. Rottmann -sent a message to them in reply, "That he would not go; that he was -not afraid; and that exile was to him an empty word, for, wherever -he was, the heavenly Father would cover him with His wings." He took -no further notice of the order, except only that he instituted a -bodyguard of armed citizens to accompany him wherever he went. On -the Sunday following, December 14th, he betook himself, surrounded -by his guard, to the church of the Servites, where he intended to -preach. But finding the doors locked, he placed himself under a -lime-tree near the building and pronounced his discourse, without -any one venturing to lay a hand upon him.[129] - - [129] Kerssenbroeck, p. 163; Dorpius, f. 394 a. - -The magistrates were equally unsuccessful in silencing the -blacksmith Schroeder. This man, having preached again on the 15th -December, was taken by the police and thrown into prison. Next day -the members of the Blacksmiths' Guild marched to the Rath-haus, -armed with their hammers and with bars of iron, to demand the -release of their comrade. A violent dispute arose between the -senators and the exasperated artisans. The former declared that -Schroeder, whose trade was to shoe horses and not to preach, had -deserved death for having incited to sedition. The reply of the -blacksmiths was very similar to that made by the senate to the -bishop when he ordered the expulsion of Rottmann. "Schroeder," said -they, "has been urged on by love of truth, and he has preached with -so much zeal that he has made himself hoarse. He has been guilty -neither of murder nor of any crime worthy of death. How dare you -maltreat this one who has given edifying instruction to his fellow -citizens? Must nothing be done without your authorisation?" Upon the -heels of the arguments came menaces. The senate yielded again, and -promised to release Schroeder on the morrow. - -"Not to-morrow," shouted the blacksmiths; "restore our comrade to us -immediately, or we will burst open the prison doors." - -The magistrates bowed to the storm, taking, however, the worse than -useless precaution of making Schroeder swear, before they knocked -off his chains, that he would not attempt to revenge on them his -captivity.[130] - - [130] Kerssenbroeck, p. 464. - -On the 21st December, Rottmann resumed the use of his pulpit in -the church of the Servites, treating the orders of the senate with -supreme contempt. Westermann, tired of a struggle with the swelling -tide, deserted Münster, leaving Fabricius alone to fight against the -growing power of the Anabaptists. - -The year 1534 opened under gloomy auspices at Münster. In the first -few days of January, the new sect dealt the Lutherans the same -measure these latter had dealt the Catholics a twelvemonth before. -They invaded their churches and disturbed divine worship. - -Fabricius attacked Rottmann violently in a sermon preached on the -4th January, and offered to have a public discussion with him on the -moot points of doctrine. The senate accepted the proposition with -transport, but Rottmann refused. "Not," said he, "that I am afraid -of entering the lists against this Lutheran, but that men are so -corrupt that they would certainly condemn that side which had for -its support right and the word of Scripture."[131] - - [131] _Ibid._ pp. 466, 467. - -On the same day that Rottmann sent in his refusal, a band of women -tumultuously entered the town-hall and demanded that "the miserable -foreign vagabond Fabricius, who could not even speak the dialect -of the country, and who, inspired by an evil spirit, preaches all -kinds of absurdities in a tongue scarcely intelligible, should be -driven out of the city. Set in his place the worthy Rottmann," said -the women; "he is prudent, eloquent, instructed in every kind of -knowledge, and he can speak our language. Grant us this favour, -Herrn Burgmeistern, and we will pray God for you." The burgomasters -requested the ladies not to meddle with matters that concerned them -not, but to return to their families and kitchens. This invitation -drove them into a paroxysm of rage, and they shouted at the top -of their shrill voices: "Here are fine burgomasters! They are -neglecting the interests of the town! Here are tender fathers of -their country who attend to nothing! You are worse than murderers, -for _they_ kill the body, but _you_ assassinate souls by depriving -them of the Evangelical Word which is their nourishment." The women -then retired, but returned next day reinforced by others, and among -them were six nuns who had deserted the convent of Ueberwasser and -exhibited greater violence than the rest. - -The women entered the hall where the senators were sitting and -demanded peremptorily that Rottmann should be instituted to the -church of St. Lambert. They were turned out of the hall without much -ceremony, but they waited the exit of the magistrates when their -session was at an end; then they bespattered them with cow and horse -dung, and cursed them as Papists. "At first you favoured our holy -enterprise, but you have returned to Popery like dogs to their -vomit. Since you have devoured the good Hessian God which Fabricius -offers you in communion, you oppress the pure Word of God. To the -gallows, to the gallows with you all!" The senators fled to their -houses, pursued by the women, covered with filth, and deafened by -their yells.[132] - - [132] Kerssenbroeck, p. 468. - -Rottmann and his colleagues exercised an extraordinary influence -over the people; they persuaded the rich ladies and citizens' wives -of substance to sell their goods, give up their jewels, and cast -everything they had into a common fund. The prompt submission of so -many proves that the number of fanatics who were sincere in their -convictions was considerable. These proceedings led to estrangement -in families. Kerssenbroeck relates that the wife of one of the -senators, named Wardemann, having been rebaptised by Rottmann, "was -so vigorously confirmed in her faith by her husband, who had been -informed by a servant maid of the circumstance, that she could -not walk for several weeks." Other women, who had given up their -jewels and money to Rottmann, were also severely chastised by their -husbands.[133] - - [133] _Ibid._ p. 472. - -The magistrates, afraid to touch Rottmann's person, hoped to -weaken him by dismissing his assistants. They therefore, on the -15th January, 1534, ordered their officers to take the Anabaptist -preachers, Clopris, Roll, and Strahl, and to turn them out of -the town, with orders never to re-enter it. The mandate was -executed; but the ministers returned by another gate, and were -conducted in triumph to their parsonages by the whole body of the -Anabaptists.[134] - - [134] Kerssenbroeck, p. 473. - -The fugitive nuns of Ueberwasser, to the number of eight, were -re-baptised by Rottmann on the 11th January, and became some -of his most devoted adherents. Their conduct in the sequel was -characterised by the most shameless lubricity. - -The prince-bishop at this time published a decree against the -Anabaptists, outlawed Rottmann and five other preachers of that sect -in Münster, and ordered his officers to check the spread of the -schism through the other towns of his principality. - -On the 23rd January, Rottmann having noticed some Catholics and -Lutherans amongst his audience in the church of the Servites, -abruptly stopped his sermon, saying that it was not meet to cast the -pearls of the new revelation before swine.[135] Then he descended -from the pulpit, and refused to remount it again. But probably -the real cause of this sudden cessation was, that the views of -the leader were undergoing a third change, and he was unwilling -to announce his new doctrine to an audience of which all were not -prepared to receive it. He continued to assemble the faithful in -private houses, and to hold daily assemblies, in which they were -initiated into the further mysteries of his revelation. In every -parish a house was provided for the purpose, and none were admitted -without a pass-word. In these gatherings the mystic was able to -give full development to his views without the restraint of an only -partially sympathising audience. - - [135] _Ibid._ p. 476. - -On the evening of the 28th January, at seven o'clock, the -Anabaptists stretched chains across the streets, assembled in -armed bands, closed the city gates, and placed sentinels in all -directions. A terrible anxiety reigned in the city. The Lutherans -remained up and awake all night, a prey to fear, with their doors -and windows barricaded, waiting to see what these preparations -signified. The night passed, broken only by the tramp of the -sectarian fanatics, and lighted by the glare of their torches. - -Dawn broke and nothing further had taken place, when suddenly two -men, dressed like prophets, with long ragged beards, ample garments, -and flowing mantles, staff in hand paced through the town solemnly, -up one street and down another, raising their eyes to heaven, -sighing, and then looking down with an expression of compassion on -the multitude, which bowed before them and saluted them as Enoch and -Elias. After having traversed the greater part of the town, the two -men entered the door of Knipperdolling's house.[136] - - [136] Kerssenbroeck, p. 476. - -The names of these prophets were John Matthisson and John Bockelson. -The first was the chief of the Anabaptist sect in Holland. The -part which the second was destined to play in Münster demands -that his antecedents should be more fully given. Bockelson was -the bastard son of Bockel, bailiff of the Hague, and a certain -Adelhaid, daughter of a serf of the Lord of Zoelcken, in the diocese -of Münster. This Adelhaid purchased her liberty afterwards and -married her seducer. John was brought up at Leyden, where he was -apprenticed to a tailor. He visited England, Portugal, and Lubeck, -and returned to Leyden in his twenty-first year. He then married the -widow of a boatman, who presented him with two sons. John Bockelson -was endowed by nature with a ready wit and with a retentive memory. -He amused himself by learning nearly the whole of the Bible by -heart, and by composing obscene verses and plays. In addition to his -business of tailoring, he opened a public-house under the sign of -"The Three Herrings," which became a haunt of women of bad repute. -The passion for change came over Bockelson after leading this sort -of life for a while, and he visited Münster in 1533, as we have -already seen, and thence passed to Osnabrück, from which place -he was expelled. After wandering about Westphalia for a while he -returned to Leyden. Next year, in company with Matthisson, the head -of the Anabaptists, he visited Münster, which the latter declared -prophetically was destined to be the new Jerusalem, the capital of a -regenerate world, where the millennial kingdom was to be set up.[137] - - [137] Kerssenbroeck, part ii. p. 51 _et seq._; Heresbach, p. 31; - Hast, p. 324. - -The two adventurers reached their destination on the 13th January, -and Knipperdolling received them into his house. Some of the -preachers were informed of their arrival, but were required to keep -the matter secret till the time ordained of God should come for -their revealing themselves to the world. - -A council was being held in the house of Knipperdolling, when the -prophets entered it after having finished their peregrination of -the town. Rottmann, Roll, Clopris, Strapedius, Vinnius, and Strahl -were engaged in a warm discussion. Some of the party were of opinion -that the moment had arrived, now that all the Anabaptists were under -arms, for a general purification of the city by the massacre or -expulsion of Catholics and Lutherans; the others thought that the -hour of vengeance had not yet struck, and that the day of the Lord -must not be antedated. The quarrel was appeased by the appearance of -the two prophets, who were hailed as messengers sent from heaven to -announce the will of God. Then Matthisson and his companion knelt -down and wept, and having meditated some moments, they uttered -their decision in voices broken by sobs. "The time for cleansing -the threshing-floor of the Lord is not yet come. The slaughter of -the ungodly must be delayed, that souls may be gathered in, and -that souls may be formed and educated in houses set apart, and not -in churches which were lately filled with idols. But," said they in -conclusion, "the day of the Lord is at hand." - -These words reconciled the council. On the evening of the 29th, the -Anabaptists laid aside their arms and returned to their homes.[138] -The events of the night had utterly dispelled the last traces of -courage in the magistrates; they did not venture to notice the -threatening aspect of the armed fanatics, or to remonstrate with -them for barricading the streets. To avert all possible danger from -themselves was their only object; and to effect this they published -an act of toleration, permitting every man to worship God and -perform his public and private devotions as he thought proper. - - [138] Kerssenbroeck, part i. p. 477 _et seq._ - -The power of Rottmann had become so great, through the events -just recorded, that a false prophecy did not serve to upset his -authority. On the 6th February, at the head of a troop of his -admirers, he invaded the Church of Ueberwasser, "to prevent the -Evangelical flame kindled in the hearts of the nuns from dying -out."[139] Having summoned all the sisters into the church, he -mounted the pulpit and preached to them a sermon on matrimony, in -which he denounced convents and monasteries, in which the most -imperious laws of nature were left unfulfilled, and "he urged the -nuns to labour heartily for the propagation of the human race;" -and then he completely turned the heads of the young women, by -announcing to them with an inspired air, that their convent would -fall at midnight, and would bury beneath its ruins every one who was -found within its walls. "This salutary announcement has been made to -me," said he, "by one of the prophets now present in this town, and -the Heavenly Father has also favoured me with a direct and special -revelation to the same effect."[140] - - [139] Kerssenbroeck, p. 479. - - [140] Hast, p. 329 _et seq._ - -This was enough to complete the conversion of the nuns, already -shaken in their faith by the sermons they had been compelled to -listen to for some time past. In vain did the Abbess Ida and two -other sisters implore them to remain and despise the prophecy. -The infatuated women, in paroxysms of fear and excitement, fled -the convent and took refuge in the house of Rottmann, where they -changed their clothes, and then ran about the town uttering cries of -joy. - -The prophecy of Rottmann had been repeated by one to another -throughout Münster. No one slept that night. Crowds poured down the -streets in the direction of Ueberwasser, and the square in front of -the convent was densely packed with breathless spectators, awaiting -the ruin of the house. - -Midnight tolled from the cathedral tower. The crowd waited another -hour. It struck one, and the convent had not fallen. Master -Bernard was not the man to be disconcerted by so small a matter. -"Prophecies," cried he, "are always conditional. Jonah foretold that -Nineveh should be destroyed in forty days, but since the inhabitants -repented, it remained standing. The same has taken place here. -Nearly all the nuns have repented, have quitted their cloister -and their habit, have renounced their vows--thus the anger of the -Heavenly Father has been allayed."[141] - - [141] Kerssenbroeck, p. 479. - -The preacher Roll was next seized with prophetic inspiration. He ran -through the town, foaming at the mouth, his eyes rolling, his hair -and garments in disorder, his face haggard, uttering at one moment -inarticulate howls, and at another, exhortations to the impenitent -to turn and be saved, for that the day of the Lord was at hand.[142] - - [142] Dorpius, p. 394. - -A young girl of eighteen, the daughter of a tailor named Gregory -Zumberge, was next seized. "On the 8th February she was possessed -with a sort of oratorical fury, and she preached with fire and -extraordinary volubility before an astonished crowd." - -The same day the spirit fell on Knipperdolling and Bockelson; they -ran about the streets with bare heads and uplifted eyes, repeating -incessantly in shrill tones, "Repent, repent, repent, ye sinners; -woe, woe!" Having reached the market-place, they fell into one -another's arms before a crowd of citizens and artizans who ran -up from all directions. At the same moment, the tailor, Gregory -Zumberge, father of the preaching damsel, arrived with his hair -flying, his arms extended, his face contorted, and a wild light -playing in his eyes, and cried, "Lift up your heads, O men, O dear -brothers! I see the majesty of God in the clouds, and Jesus waving -the standard of victory. Woe to ye impious ones who have resisted -the truth! Repent, repent! I see the Heavenly Father surrounded by -thousands of angels menacing you with destruction! Be converted! the -great and terrible day of the Lord is come.... God will truly purge -His floor, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.... Renounce -your evil ways and adopt the sign of the New Convenant, if you wish -to escape the wrath of the Lord." - -"It is impossible," says the oft-quoted writer, who was eye-witness -in the town of all he describes, "impossible to imagine the -gestures and antics which accompanied this discourse. Now the -tailor leaped about on the stones and seemed as though about to -fly; then he turned his head with extraordinary rapidity, beating -his hands together, and looking up to heaven and then down to -earth. Then, all at once, an expression of despair came over his -face, and he fell on the pavement in the form of a cross, and -rolled in the mud. A good number of us young fellows were there," -continues Kerssenbroeck, "much astonished at their howling, and -looking attentively at the sky to see if there really was anything -extraordinary to be seen there; but not distinguishing anything we -began to make fun of the illuminati, and this decided them to retire -to the house of Knipperdolling."[143] - - [143] Kerssenbroeck, p. 483. - -There a new scene commenced. The ecstatics left doors and windows -wide open, that all that passed within might be seen and heard by -the dense crowd which packed the street without. Those in the street -saw Knipperdolling place himself in a corner, his face to the wall, -and carry on in broken accents a familiar conversation with God -the Father. At one moment he was seen to be listening, then to be -replying, making the strangest gestures. This went on for some time, -till another actor appeared. This was a blind Scottish beggar, very -tall and gaunt--a zealous Anabaptist. He was fantastically dressed -in rags, and wore high-heeled boots to add to his stature. Although -blind, he ran about exclaiming that he saw strange visions in the -sky. This was enough to attract a crowd, which followed him to the -corner of the König's Strasse, when, just as he was exclaiming, -"Alas, alas! Heaven is going this instant to fall!" he tumbled over -a dung-heap which was in his way. This accident woke him from his -ecstasy, and he picked himself up in great confusion, and never -prophesied again.[144] - - [144] _Ibid._ p. 479. - -But his place was speedily supplied by another man named Jodocus -Culenburg, who, in order to convey himself with greater rapidity -whither the Spirit called him, rode about the town on a horse, -announcing in every street that he heard the peal of the Last -Trumpet. Several women also were taken with the prophetic spirit, -and one, named Timmermann, declared that "the King of Heaven was -about to appear like a lightning-flash, and would re-establish -Jerusalem." Another woman, whose cries and calls to repentance had -caused her to lose her voice, ran about with a bell attached to her -girdle, urging the bystanders with expressive gestures to join the -number of the elect and be saved.[145] - - [145] Kerssenbroeck, p. 484. - -These fantastic scenes had made a profound impression on many of -the citizens of Münster. A nervous affection accompanying mystic -excitement is always infectious. The agitation of minds and -consciences became general; men and women had trances, prayed in -public, screamed, had visions, and fell into cataleptic fits. In -those days people knew nothing of physical and psychological causes; -the general excitement was attributed by them to supernatural -agency. It was simply a question whether these signs were produced -by the devil or by the Spirit of God. The Catholics attributed -the signs to the agency of Satan; the Lutherans were in nervous -uncertainty. Were they resisting God or the devil? Fear lest they -should be found in the ranks of those fighting against the Holy -Spirit drew off numbers of the timorous and most conscientious to -swell the ranks of the mystical sect. Münster was exhibiting on a -large scale what is reproduced in our own land in many a Wesleyan -and Ranter revival meeting. - -The time had now come, thought Rottmann, for the destruction -of the enemies of God. Secret notice was sent to the different -Anabaptist congregations to be prepared to strike the blow on the -9th of February. Accordingly, early in the morning, 500 fanatics -seized on the gates of the city, the Rath-haus, and the arms it -contained; cannons were planted in the chapel of St. Michael, the -tower of St. Lambert's church, and in the market place; barricades -of stones, barrels, and benches from the church were thrown up. The -common danger united Catholics and Lutherans; they saw clearly that -the intention of their adversaries was either to massacre them, -or to drive them out of the town. They retreated in haste to the -Ueberwasser quarter, and took up their position in the cemetery, -planted cannons, placed bodies of armed men in the tower of the -cathedral, and retook two of the city gates. They also arrested -several of the senators who had joined the Anabaptist sect, but they -had not the courage to lay their hands on the burgomaster, Tilbeck, -who was also of that party. Two of the preachers, Strahl and -Vinnius, were caught, and were lodged in the tower of Ueberwasser -church.[146] - - [146] Dorpius, f. 394. - -Messages were sent to the villages and towns around announcing the -state of affairs, and imploring assistance. The magistrates even -wrote in the stress of their terror to the prince-bishop, asking him -to come speedily to their rescue from a position of imminent peril. -Francis of Waldeck at once replied by letter, promising to march -with the utmost rapidity to Münster, and demanding that one of the -gates might be opened to admit him. This letter was taken to Hermann -Tilbeck; but the burgomaster, intent on securing the triumph of the -fanatics, with whom he was in league, suppressed the letter, and did -not mention either its arrival or its contents to the senate. He, -however, informed the Anabaptists of their danger, and urged them to -come to terms with the Lutherans as speedily as possible. - -At the same time the pastor, Fabricius, unable to restrain his -religious prejudices, even in the face of danger, sped among the -Lutheran ranks, inciting his followers against the Catholics, and -urging them to make terms with the fanatics rather than submit to -the bishop. "Beware," said he, "lest, in the event of your gaining a -victory, the Papists should recover their power, for it is they who -are the real cause of all these evils and disorders."[147] - - [147] Kerssenbroeck, p. 405 _et seq._ Montfort., "Tumult. - Anabap.," p. 15 _et seq._; Bullinger, lib. ii. c. 8. - -Whilst the preacher was sowing discord in the ranks of the party -of order, Rottmann and the two prophets, Matthisson and Bockelson, -roused the enthusiasm of their disciples to the highest pitch, -by announcing to them a glorious victory, and that the Father -would render His elect invulnerable before the weapons of their -adversaries. - -The Anabaptist women ran about the streets making the most -extraordinary contortions and prodigious leaps, crying out that they -saw the Lord surrounded by a host of angels coming to exterminate -the worshippers of Baal. - -Thus passed the night. At daybreak Knipperdolling recommenced his -course through the streets, uttering his doleful wail of "Repent, -repent! woe, woe!" Approaching too near the churchyard wall of -Ueberwasser, he was taken and thrown into the tower with Strahl and -Vinnius. - -At eight o'clock the drossar of Wollbeck arrived at the head of a -troop of armed peasants to reinforce the party of order, and several -ecclesiastics entered the town to inform the magistrates that the -prince-bishop was approaching at the head of his cavalry. - -Before the lapse of many hours the city might have been pacified and -order re-established, had it not been for the efforts of Tilbeck the -burgomaster, and Fabricius the divine. Mistrust of their allies had -now fully gained possession of the Lutherans, and the burgomaster -took advantage of the hesitation to dismiss the drossar of Wollbeck -and his armed band, and to send to the prince, declining his aid. By -his advice, also, the Anabaptists agreed to lay down their arms and -make a covenant with the senate for the establishment of harmony. -Hostages were given on either side and the prisoners were liberated. -Peace was finally concluded on these conditions: 1st. That faith -should be absolutely free. 2nd. That each party should support the -other. 3rd. That all should obey the magistrates. - -The treaty having been signed, the two armed bodies separated, the -cannons were fired into the air, the drossar of Wollbeck and the -ecclesiastics withdrew, with grief at their hearts, predicting the -approaching ruin of Münster. The prince-bishop was near the town -with his troops when the fatal news was brought him. He shed tears -of mortification, turned his horse and departed.[148] - - [148] Same authorities; Sleidan, p. 411. - -Peace was secured for the moment by this treaty, but order was -not re-established. No sooner had the armed Anabaptists quitted -the market-place than it swarmed with women who had received -from Rottmann the sign of the New Covenant. "The madness of -the pagan bacchantes," says the eye-witness of these scenes, -Kerssenbroeck,[149] "cannot have surpassed that of these women. -It is impossible to imagine a more terrible, crazy, indecent, and -ridiculous exhibition than they made. Their conduct was so frenzied -that one might have supposed them to be the furies of the poets. -Some had their hair disordered, others ran about almost naked, -without the least sense of shame; others again made prodigious -gambles, others flung themselves on the ground with arms extended -in the shape of a cross; then rose, clapped their hands, knelt -down, and cried with all their might, invoking the Father, rolling -their eyes, grinding their teeth, foaming at the mouth, beating -their breasts, weeping, laughing, howling, and uttering the most -strange inarticulate sounds.... Their words were stranger than their -gestures. Some implored grace and light for us, others besought -that we might be struck with blindness and damnation. All pretended -that they saw in heaven some strange sights; they saw the Father -descending to judge their holy cause, myriads of angels, clouds -of blood, black and blue fires falling upon the city, and above -the clouds a rider mounted on a white horse, brandishing his sword -against the impenitent who refused to turn from their evil ways.... -But the scene was constantly varying. Kneeling on the ground, and -turning their eyes in one direction, they all at once exclaimed -together, with joined hands, 'O Father! Father! O most excellent -King of Zion, spare the people!' Then they repeated these words for -some while, raising the pitch of their voices, till they attained to -such a shriek that a host of pigs could not have produced a louder -noise when assembled on market-day. - - [149] Kerssenbroeck, p. 495 _et seq._ - -"There was on the gable of one of the houses in the market-place a -weathercock of a peculiar form, lately gilt, which just then caught -the sun's rays and blazed with light. This weathercock caused the -error of the women. They mistook it for the most excellent King -of Zion. One of the citizens discovering the cause, climbed the -roof of the house and removed this new sort of majesty. A calm at -once succeeded to the uproar; ashamed and full of confusion, the -visionaries dispersed and returned to their homes. Unfortunately the -lesson did not restore them to their senses." - -Shortly after the treaty was signed, the burgomaster, Tilbeck, -openly joined the Anabaptists, and was rebaptised with all his -family by Rottmann.[150] - - [150] Kerssenbroeck, p. 496. - -The more sensible and prudent citizens, including nearly all the -Catholics and a good number of Lutherans, being well aware that the -treaty was, in fact, a surrender of all authority into the hands of -the fanatics, deserted the town in great numbers, carrying with -them all their valuables. The emigration began on 12th February. -The Anabaptists ordered that neither weapons nor victuals should -be carried out of the gates, and appointed a guard to examine the -effects of all those who left the city. The emigration was so -extensive, that in a few days several quarters of the town were -entirely depopulated.[151] - - [151] Kerssenbroeck; Dorpius, ff. 394-5. - -Then Rottmann addressed a circular letter to the Anabaptists of all -the neighbouring towns to come and fill the deserted mansions from -which the apostates had fallen. "The Father has sent me several -prophets," said he, "full of His Spirit and endowed with exalted -sanctity; they teach the pure word of God, without human additions, -and with sublime eloquence. Come then, with your wives and children, -if you hope for eternal salvation; come to the holy Jerusalem, -to Zion, and to the new temple of Solomon. Come and assist us to -re-establish the true worship of God, and to banish idolatry. Leave -your worldly goods behind, you will find here a sufficiency, and in -heaven a treasure."[152] - - [152] _Ibid._, p. 502; Mencken, p. 1545. - -In response to this appeal, the Anabaptists streamed into the -city from all quarters, from Holland, Friesland, Brabant, Hesse, -Osnabrück, and from the neighbouring towns, where the magistrates -exerted themselves to suppress a sect which they saw imperilled the -safety of the commonwealth. - -In a short while the deserted houses were peopled by these -fanatics. Bernhard Krechting, pastor of Gildehaus, arrived at the -head of a large portion of his parishioners. Hermann Regewart, -the ex-Lutheran preacher of Warendorf, sought a home in the new -Jerusalem. Rich and well-born persons, bitten with the madness, -arrived, such were Peter Schwering and his wife, the wealthiest -citizens of Coesfeld; Werner von Scheiffort, a country gentleman; -the Lady von Becke with her three daughters, of whom the two eldest -were broken nuns, and the youngest was betrothed to the Lord of -Dörlö; and the Grograff of Schoppingen, Heinrich Krechting, with his -wife, his children, and a number of the inhabitants of that town, -with carts laden with their effects. The Grograff took up his abode -in Kerssenbroeck's house, along with his family and servants, and, -as the chronicler bitterly remarks, he took care to occupy the best -part of the mansion.[153] - - [153] Kerssenbroeck, p. 503. - -Amongst those who escaped from the town were the syndic, Von Wyck, -who had led the opposition against the bishop, and the burgomaster, -Caspar Judenfeld. The latter retired to Hamm and was left -unmolested, but Von Wyck had played too conspicuous a part to escape -so easily. By the orders of the prince-bishop he was arrested and -executed at Vastenau.[154] - - [154] _Ibid._ p. 505. - -Münster now became the theatre of the wildest orgies ever -perpetrated under the name of religion. It is apparently a law that -mysticism should rapidly pass from the stage of asceticism into that -of licence. At any rate, such has been the invariable succession of -stages in every mystic society that is allowed unchecked to follow -its own course. In the Roman Church those thus psychologically -affected are locked up in convents. The religious passion verges -so closely on the sexual passion that a slight additional pressure -given to it bursts the partition, and both are confused in a -frenzy of religious debauch. The Anabaptist fanatics were rapidly -approaching this stage. The prophet Matthisson led the way by -instituting a second baptism, administered only to the inner circle -of the elect, which was called the baptism of fire. - -The adepts were sworn to secrecy, and refused to explain the mode of -administration. But public curiosity was aroused, and by learning -the password, some were enabled to slip into the assembly and see -what took place. Amongst these was a woman who was an acquaintance -of Kerssenbroeck, and from whose lips he had an account of the -rite. "Matthisson," says he, "secretly assembled the initiated of -both sexes during the night, in the vast mansion of Knipperdolling. -When all were assembled, the prophet placed himself under a copper -chandelier, hung in the centre of the ceiling, lighted with three -tapers." He then made an instruction on the new revelation of -the Divine will, which he pretended had been made to him, and -the assembly became a scene of frantic orgies too horrible to be -described. - -The assemblies in which these abominations were perpetrated, -prepared the way for the utter subversion of all the laws of decency -and morality, which followed in the course of a few months. - -When Carnival arrived, a grand anti-Catholic procession was -organised, to incite afresh the hostility of the people to the -ancient Church, its rites and ceremonies. First, a company of -maskers dressed like monks, nuns, and priests in their sacred -vestments, led the way, capering and singing ribald songs. Then -followed a great chariot, drawn by six men in the habits of the -religious orders. On the box sat a fellow dressed as a bishop, with -mitre and crosier, scourging on the labouring monks and friars. On -the car was a man represented as dying, with a priest leaning over -him, a huge pair of spectacles on his nose, administering to the -sick man the last sacraments of the Church, and addressing him in -the most absurd manner, loudly, that the bystanders might hear and -laugh at his farcical parody of the most sacred things of the old -religion. The next car was drawn by a man dressed as a priest in -surplice and stole. The other cars contained groups suitable for -turning into ridicule devotion to saints, belief in purgatory, the -mass, &c.[155] - - [155] Kerssenbroeck, p. 509. - -The prophets now decided that it was necessary to be prepared in -the event of a siege. They, therefore, commissioned the preacher -Roll to visit Holland and raise the Anabaptists there, urge them to -arm and to march to the defence of the New Jerusalem. Roll started -from Münster on the 21st of February, but the Spanish Government in -the Netherlands, alarmed at what was taking place in the capital of -Westphalia, ordered a strict watch to be kept on the movements of -the fanatics, and Roll was seized and executed at Utrecht. - -The next step taken by the prophets was to discharge the members -of the senate from the performance of their office, because they -had been elected "according to the flesh," and to choose to fill -their room another body of men "elected according to the Spirit." -Bernard Knipperdolling and Gerhardt Kippenbroeck, both drapers, were -appointed burgomasters. - -One of the first acts of the new magistrates was to forbid the -removal of furniture, articles of food, and money from the town, and -to permit a general pillage of all the churches and convents in the -city. The Anabaptist mob first attacked the religious houses, and -carried off all the sacred vessels, the gold, the silver, and the -vestments. Then they visited the chapel of St. Anthony, outside the -gate of St. Maurice, and after having sacked it completely, they -tore it down. They burnt the church of St. Maurice, then fell upon -the church of St. Ledger, but had not the patience to complete its -demolition. Thence they betook themselves to the cathedral, broke -it open, and destroyed altars, with their beautiful sculptured and -painted oak retables, miracles of delicate workmanship and Gothic -beauty, the choir stalls, statues, paintings, frescoes, stained -glass, organ, vestments, and carried off the chalices and ciboriums. -The great clock, the pride of Münster, as that of Strasburg is -of the Alsatian capital, was broken to pieces with hammers. A -valuable collection of MSS., collected by the poet Rudolf Lange, and -presented to the minister, together with the rest of the volumes in -the library, were burned. Two noble paintings, one of the Blessed -Virgin, the other of St. John the Baptist, on panel, by Franco, -were split up and turned into seats for privies to the guard-house -near the Jews' cemetery. The heads and arms were broken off the -statues that could not be overthrown--statues of apostles, prophets, -and sibyls, which decorated the interior of the cathedral and the -neighbouring square. The tabernacle was broken open, and the Blessed -Sacrament was danced and stamped on. The font was shattered with -crowbars, in token of the abhorrence borne by the fanatics to infant -baptism; the tombs of the bishops and canons were destroyed, and the -bodies torn from their graves, and their dust was scattered to the -winds.[156] - - [156] Kerssenbroeck, p. 510; Sleidan, p. 411; Dorpius, f. 395. - -But whilst this was taking place in Münster, Francis von Waldeck was -preparing for war. On the 23rd February he held a meeting at Telgte -to consolidate plans, and now from all sides assistance came. The -Elector of Cologne, the Duke of Cleves, even the Landgrave of Hesse, -now exasperated at the ill-success of his endeavours to establish -tranquillity and to effect a compromise, the Duke of Brunswick, the -Regent of Brabant, the Counts of Lippe and Berntheim, and many other -nobles and cities sent soldiers, artillery, and munitions. - -The bishop appointed the generals and principal officers, then he -made all the soldiers take an oath of fidelity to himself, and -concluded with them an agreement, consisting of the following ten -articles: - -1. The soldiers are to be faithful to the prince, and to obey their -officers. - -2. The towns, arms, and munitions taken in war shall belong to the -prince. - -3. If, after the capture of the city, the prince-bishop permits -its pillage by the troops, he shall not be obliged to pay them any -prize-money. - -4. If the pillage be accorded, the town hall is not to be touched. - -5. The prince shall have half the plunder. - -6. The nobles, canons, and those who have escaped from the city -shall be allowed the first bid for their articles when offered for -sale. - -7. No fixtures shall be removed by the soldiery. - -8. After the capture of the town, the custody of the gates and -ramparts shall be confided to those whom the prince-bishop shall -appoint. - -9. The city taken, and its pillage permitted, the soldiers shall be -allowed eight days for distribution and sale of the plunder. The -soldiers shall receive their pay with punctuality. - -10. The heads of the revolt shall, as far as possible, be taken -alive and delivered up to the bishop for a recompense.[157] - - [157] Kerssenbroeck, p. 513 _et seq._ Sleidan, lib. x. pp. 412-3; - Heresbach, p. 36. - -The Anabaptists were not afraid at these preparations; they made -ready vigorously for the defence of the New Zion. As a preliminary, -a body of five hundred burnt the convent of St. Maurice, outside -the city gates, and levelled all the houses of the suburbs, which -obscured the view, and might serve as cover for the besiegers. - -On the 26th February Matthisson preached in the afternoon to a -congregation summoned by the discharge of a culverin. At the end of -the sermon he assumed an inspired air, and announced that he had an -important revelation to communicate. Having arrested the attention -of his hearers, he said in a solemn tone, "The Father requires -the purification of the New Jerusalem and of His temple; for our -republic, which has begun so prosperously, cannot grow and endure if -a prey to the confusion produced by the presence of impious sects. -My advice is that we kill without further delay the Lutherans, the -Papists, and all those who have not the right faith, that there may -remain in Zion but one body, one society, which is truly Christian, -and which can offer to the Father a pure and well-pleasing worship. -There is but one way of preserving the faithful from the contagion -of the impious, and that is to sweep them off the face of the earth. -Nothing is easier than the execution of this scheme. We form the -majority in a strong city, abundantly supplied with all necessaries; -there is nothing to fear from within or from without."[158] - - [158] Kerssenbroeck, p. 516. - -This suggestion would have been carried into immediate execution by -the frenzied sectarians, had it not been for the intervention of -Knipperdolling, who, fearing that a general massacre of Lutherans -and Catholics would combine the forces of the Smalkald union and -of the Imperialists against the city, urgently insisted on milder -measures. "Let us be content," said he, "with driving, to-morrow, -out of the city those miserable creatures who refuse the sign of the -New Covenant; thus shall we thoroughly purge the floor of the Lord, -and nothing that is impure will remain in the New Jerusalem."[159] - - [159] _Ibid._ p. 517; Sleidan, p. 412. - -This advice was accepted, and it was unanimously decided that the -morrow should witness the expulsion of Catholics and Lutherans. The -27th February was a bitterly cold day. A hard frost had set in, the -north wind blew, cutting to the bone all exposed to the blast, the -country was white with snow, and the streams were crusted over with -ice. At every gate was a double guard; the squares were thronged -with armed fanatics, and in and out among them passed the prophets, -staff in hand, uttering maledictions on the Lord's enemies, and -words of encouragement to those sealed on their brows and hands. - -Matthisson sought out those who did not belong to the sect, and -with menacing gestures and flaring eyes called them to repentance -before the door was shut. "Turn ye, turn ye, sinners," he cried in -his harsh tones. "Judgment is preparing for you. The elements are in -league against you; your iniquities have made nature rise to scourge -you. The sword of the Lord's anger is hung above your heads. Turn, -ye sinners, and receive the sign of our alliance, that ye be not -cast out from the chosen people!" Then he flung himself down in the -great square, and called on the Father; and lying with arms extended -on the frozen ground, and his face pinched with cold turned towards -the sky, he fell into a trance. The Anabaptists knelt around him, -and lifting their hands to heaven besought the Father to reveal His -will by the mouth of the prophet whom He had sent. - -Then Matthisson, slowly returning from his ecstasy, like one awaking -out of a dream, said, "This is the will and order of the Father: -the miscreants, unless they be converted and be baptised, must be -expelled this place. This holy city shall be purified of all that is -unclean, for the conversation of the ungodly corrupts and defiles -the people of God. Away with the sons of Esau! this place, this New -Zion, this habitation belongs to the sons of Jacob, to the true -Israel." - -The enthusiasm of Matthisson communicated itself to the assembly. -The Anabaptists separated to sweep the streets, sword and pike in -hand, and drove the ungodly beyond their walls, shouting, "The lot -is ours; the tares must be gathered from among the wheat; the goats -from the sheep; the unholy from the godly; away, away!" Doors were -burst open, and the fanatics invaded every house, driving before -them men, women, and children, from garret and cellar, wherever -concealed, in spite of their cries and entreaties. Men of all -professions, men and women of every age were banished; they were -not allowed to take anything with them. The sword of the Lord was -brandished against them; the hale and the infirm, the master and the -servant, none were spared. Those who lagged were beaten; those who -were sick and unable to fly were carried to the market-place to be -rebaptised by Rottmann. - -Through the gates streamed the terrified crowd, shivering, half -clothed, mothers clasping their babes to their breasts, children -sustaining between them their aged parents, all blue with cold, as -the fierce wind thick strewn with sleet rushed upon them at the -corners, and over the bare plain without the city walls, growling -and cruel, as though it too were wrought up into religious frenzy, -and came as an auxiliary to the savage work. - -Thousands traversed the frozen plans, uncertain whither to fly for -refuge, uttering piteous cries, lamentations, or low moans; whilst -from the walls of the heavenly city thundered a salvo of joy, and -the Anabaptists shouted, because the Lord's day of vengeance had -come, and the millennium was set up on earth. - -"Never," says Kerssenbroeck, "never did I see anything more -afflicting. The women carried their naked nurslings in their -arms, and in vain sought rags wherewith to clothe them; miserable -children, hanging to their fathers' coats, ran barefooted, uttering -piercing cries; old people, bent by age, tottered along calling down -God's vengeance on their persecutors; lastly, some sick women driven -from their beds during the pangs of maternity fell in labour in the -snow, deprived of all human succour."[160] - - [160] Kerssenbroeck, p. 5222. - -Amongst those expelled was Fabricius, the Lutheran divine, who -escaped in disguise. He was so greatly hated by the sectarians, that -had he been recognised, he would not have been suffered to quit the -city alive. - -The Frau Werneche, a rich lady, too stout to walk, and unable to -find a conveyance, was obliged to remain in Münster. Rottmann -insisted on her receiving the sign of the New Covenant. - -"I have been baptised already, as were my ancestors," said the good -woman. Rottmann replied that if she persisted in her impiety she -must be slain with the sword, lest the wrath of the Father should -be kindled against the Holy City. The poor lady, who had no desire -for martyrdom, cried out, impatiently, "Well, then, be it so! -baptise me in the name of all the devils of hell, for I have already -been baptised in the name of God." Rottmann, not very particular, -administered the rite, and the stout lady remained in Münster. - -The apostle now sent letters into all the country, announcing the -glad tidings of the approaching reign of Christ on earth, and -inviting the Anabaptists of the neighbourhood to flock into Zion. -One of these epistles of Rottmann has been preserved.[161] - - [161] Kerssenbroeck, p. 520; Dorpius, f. 395. - - "Bernard, servant of Jesus Christ in His - Church of Münster, salutes affectionately his very dear - brother Henry Schlachtschap. Grace and peace from God, and - the strength of the Holy Spirit, be with you and with all - the faithful. - -"Dear Brother in Christ,-- - -"The marvellous works of God are so great and so diverse that it -would not be possible for me to describe them all, had I a hundred -tongues. I am, therefore, unable to do so with my single pen. The -Lord has splendidly assisted us. He has delivered us out of the -hands of our enemies, and has driven them from the city. Seized by -a panic terror, they fled in multitudes. This is the beginning of -what the Lord announced by His prophets--that all the saints would -assemble in this New Zion. These prophets have charged me to write -to you, that you may order all the brethren to hasten to us with all -the gold and silver they can collect; as for their other goods, let -them be left to the sisters, who will dispose of them, and then join -us here also. Beware of doing anything after the flesh; do all in -the Spirit. The rest by word of mouth. Health in the Lord." - -This appeal had all the more success because several executions -had taken place at Wollbeck and Bevergern and other places, -together with confiscation of goods, and this had struck alarm into -the Anabaptists scattered throughout the principality. Numbers, -therefore, answered the appeal, and went up, as the tribes of -the Lord, to Jerusalem, out of Leyden, Coesfeld, Warendorf, and -Gröningen. The vacated houses were re-occupied, the Münster Baptists -selecting for themselves the best. Knipperdolling, Kippenbroeck, and -others, took possession of the residences of the canons; servants -installed themselves in the dwellings of their masters as if they -were their own; and the deserted monasteries were given up as -hostels to receive the influx from the country, till houses could be -provided for them.[162] - - [162] Kerssenbroeck, p. 523. - -On the 28th February, Francis von Waldeck left Telgte at the head -of his army and invested the capital. Batteries were planted, seven -camps were established for the infantry, and six for the cavalry -around Münster. These camps were in connection with one another, for -mutual support in the event of a sortie, and were rapidly fortified. - -Thus began the siege which was to last sixteen months minus -four days, during which a multitude of untrained, undisciplined -fanatics, commanded by a Dutch tailor-innkeeper, held out against a -numerous and well-armed force. But there was an element of strength -in the besieged that lacked in the besiegers. Those within the -walls were members of a vast confraternity, which ramified over -Germany, Switzerland, and the Low Countries, its members bound -together by a common enthusiasm, in more or less direct relation -with the chiefs who commanded in the Westphalian capital. In spite -of the siege, news from without was constantly brought into the -city, and messengers were sent out to stir up the members of the -society in other countries and provinces to rise and march to the -relief of the city which, they all believed, was destined to be -their religious capital. The Münster brothers looked for a speedy -deliverance wrought by the efficacy of the arms of their brothers -in Holland, Juliers, Cleves, and Brabant. The Low Countries swarmed -with Anabaptists who had organised communities in Amsterdam, -Leyden, Utrecht, Haarlem, Antwerp, and Ghent; they had arms stored -in cellars and garrets, and waited only the proper moment to rise -in a body, massacre their opponents, and deliver the Holy City. -Several attempts to rise were made, but the vigilance of the Spanish -Government in the Netherlands prevented the rising; and the hopes of -the besieged were never realised. - -On the other hand, the army of the prince-bishop was composed -of mercenaries, of soldiers from different provinces and -principalities, speaking different dialects, with different -interests, and differing also in faith. The Lutheran troops would -not cordially unite with the Catholics, and the latter mistrusted -their Protestant allies, whose sympathies they believed lay with -the Anabaptist besieged. And the head of the whole army was a -Catholic prelate with Lutheran proclivities, who knew nothing of -war, had an empty purse, and desired to reduce his own subjects by -the aid of foreign mercenaries, with little expense to himself, and -damage to his subjects. - -The Anabaptists organised their defence with prudence. They elected -captains and standard-bearers, and divided all the citizens capable -of bearing arms into regiments and companies. Every one was given -his place and his functions, and it was decided that the magistrates -should be required to mount guard when it came to their turn. Boys -were drilled and taught the use of the arquebus; women prepared -brands steeped in pitch and sulphur to fling at the enemy, and -they melted lead from the roofs into bullets. Mines were dug and -charged with powder, fresh bastions were thrown up, and curtains -were erected before the gates, into which were built the tombs and -sarcophagi of the bishops and canons.[163] - - [163] Kerssenbroeck, p. 531 _et seq._; Hast, p. 344. - -The newly-elected senate, though composed of the most zealous -Anabaptists, was powerless before Matthisson. A sect governed by the -inspiration of the moment, professing to be guided by the Spirit -speaking through the mouths of prophets, ready to spring into the -maddest excesses at the dictates of visionaries, could not long -submit to the government of a magistracy whose power was temporal. -The way was rapidly preparing for the establishment of a spiritual -despotism. - -It was in vain for the senate to pass an order without the sanction -of Matthisson, in vain for them to attempt resistance to the -execution of his mandates. One day he announced that it was the will -of the Father that all the goods of the citizens who had fled, or -had been expelled, should be collected into one place, that they -might be distributed amongst the saints, as every man had need. He -thereupon despatched men to bring together all that was left behind -in the city by the refugees, and convey the articles to houses which -he designated in every parish. He was promptly obeyed. Garments, -linen, beds, furniture, crockery, food, wine--everything was brought -away in carts. The jewels, the gold, and the silver, were deposited -in the chancery. Then the prophet ordered three days of prayer to be -instituted, "that God might reveal to him the persons chosen by Him -to keep guard over the accumulated treasure."[164] - - [164] Kerssenbroeck; Dorpius, f. 395. - -When the three days were at an end, Matthisson announced that the -Father had indicated to him seven individuals who were to be the -deacons to serve tables in the New Jerusalem. He therefore appointed -the men to distribute out of the common store to those who needed -that which would satisfy their necessities.[165] - - [165] _Ibid._ p. 585. - -It must not, however, be supposed that, with the expulsion of the -impious from the holy city, all opposition had disappeared. A -very considerable number of citizens, shopkeepers, and merchants, -rather than desert their houses, abandon their goods to pillage, -and lose their trade, had consented to be re-baptised. The -reign of the prophets was becoming to them daily more irksome. A -blacksmith, named Hubert Rüscher, or Trutling, had the courage to -oppose Matthisson, to charge him with being a false prophet, and an -impostor.[166] The prophet, feeling the danger of his position, saw -that a measure, decided and terrible, must be adopted to suppress -the murmurs, and frighten those who desired to shake off his yoke. -"Judgment must begin at the house of God," said Matthisson; and -he ordered the immediate execution of the smith. Tilbeck, the -burgomaster, and Redecker, a magistrate, interposed, but were, by -order of the prophet, cast into prison. Then Bockelson, bursting -through the crowd, announced with frantic gesture that the Father -had commissioned him to slay with the sword he bore all those -who withstood the will of Heaven as interpreted by the prophets -whom He had sent. Then brandishing his weapon, he rushed upon the -blacksmith, but Matthisson forestalled him, by running his halbert -through the body of the unfortunate man. Finding that he still -breathed, he despatched him with a carbine, crying, "So perish -all who are guilty of similar crimes." Then, at his command, the -multitude chanted a hymn of praise, and dispersed, silent and -trembling, to their homes.[167] - - [166] Kerssenbroeck, p. 535 _et seq._; Monfortius, p. 19; Sleidan - and Dorpius call the man Truteling; Sleidan, p. 412; Dorpius, f. - 395 b. - - [167] Monfortius, p. 19. - -Matthisson took immediate advantage of the power this bold stroke -had given him to deal another blow. When the treasure of the -enemies of Zion had been confided to the care of deacons, the -faithful had kept their own goods. But this was to be no longer -tolerated. The prophet issued a decree, requiring all, old and -young, male and female, under pain of death, to bring all their -possessions in gold and silver, under whatever form it might be, -into the treasury; "Because," said he, "such things profit not the -true Christian." - -The majority of the citizens obeyed, in fear and trembling; but -many buried their vessels and ornaments of precious metal, and -declared that they possessed no jewels.[168] However, the amount of -money, chains, rings, brooches, and cups, brought together was very -considerable. It was placed in the chancery, and confided to four of -Matthisson's most devoted adherents. - - [168] Kerssenbroeck, p. 538. - -A few days after, he summoned all the inhabitants into the Cathedral -square, where, in a long discourse, he announced that the wrath -of God was excited against those who had allowed themselves to be -rebaptised on the 26th of February, out of human considerations, -because they did not desire to leave their homes and their effects, -or out of fear; and he advised them all to betake themselves to -the church of St. Lambert, to entreat the Father to pardon them -for having lied to the Holy Ghost, and soiled by their presence -the city of the children of God; "and if the Father does not remit -your offence," concluded he in a loud and terrible voice, "you must -perish by the sword of the Just One." - -In an agony of terror, the unfortunate citizens crowded the church, -and the doors were fastened behind them. They passed several hours -within, weeping, groaning, and deploring their lot, a prey to -inexpressible terror.[169] - - [169] Kerssenbroeck, p. 539. - -At length Matthisson entered, accompanied by armed men, and the -prisoners, supposing they were about to be slaughtered, fell at his -feet and embraced his knees, entreating him, with tears, as the -favourite of God, to mediate with Him and obtain their pardon. The -prophet replied that he must consult the Father; he knelt down, and -fell into an ecstasy. After a few moments he rose, leaped with joy, -and declared that the Father, though greatly irritated, had granted -his prayer, and suffered the penitents to live. Then the poor -creatures were purified, hymns of praise were sung, and they were -pronounced admitted into the household of the true Israel. The doors -were thrown open, and they were allowed to disperse. - -On the 15th of March, a new decree appeared, forbidding the faithful -to possess, read, or look at any books except the Bible, and -requiring all the books, in print or MS., and all legal documents -that were found in the town, to be brought to the Cathedral square, -and there to be consigned to the flames. Thus perished many a -treasure of inappreciable value. - -In the meantime the appeal of Rottmann to the Anabaptists of the -Low Countries to come and deliver Zion had produced its effect. -Thousands assembled in the neighbourhood of Amsterdam, crossed the -Zuyder Zee, landed at Zwoll, and marched towards Münster, pillaging -and burning churches and convents. But Baron Schenk von Teutenburg, -imperial lieutenant, met them, utterly routed them, cut to pieces a -large number, and made many prisoners.[170] - - [170] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 541, 542; Bullinger, ii. c. 10. - -The prophets of Münster, warned of their advance, but ignorant -of their dispersion, reckoned on an approaching deliverance, -and continued their follies. On Good Friday, April 3, 1534, -they organised a general festival, with bells pealing, and a -mock procession carrying candles. The treaty concluded with the -prince-bishop, through the intervention of Philip of Hesse, was -attached to the tail of an old horse, and the beast was driven out -of the gate of St. Maurice in the direction of the enemy's camp.[171] - - [171] _Ibid._ p. 542. - -Easter approached, and with it great things were expected. A rumour -circulated that a mighty deliverance of Israel would be wrought on -the Feast of the Resurrection. Whether Matthisson started the report -or was carried away by it, it is impossible to decide; but it is -certain that, on the eve, he announced in an access of enthusiasm, -after a trance, that he had received orders from the Father to -put to flight the armies of the aliens with a handful of true -believers.[172] - - [172] _Ibid._, 542; Hast, p. 348. - -Accordingly, on the morrow, carrying a halbert, he headed a few -zealots who shared his confidence; the gate of St. Ludgar was thrown -open, and he rushed forth with his followers upon the army of the -prince-bishop; whilst the ramparts were crowded by the inhabitants -of Münster, shouting and praying, and expecting to see a miracle -wrought in his favour. But he had not advanced very far before a -troop of the enemy surrounded his little band, and, in spite of a -desperate resistance, he and his companions were cut to pieces.[173] - - [173] Kerssenbroeck, 542; Sleidan, p. 413; Bullinger, lib. ii. c. - 9; Heresbach, p. 138; Buissierre, p. 310. - -John Bockelson, seeing that the confidence of the Anabaptists was -shaken by the failure of this prediction and the fall of the great -prophet, lost not a moment in establishing his own supremacy. He -called all the people together, and declared to them that Matthisson -had died by the just judgment of God, because he had disobeyed the -commandment of the Father to go forth with a very small handful, and -because he had relied on his own strength instead of on Divine aid. -"But," added he, "he neglected all those precautions he ought to -have taken, solemn prayer and fasting, after the example of Judith; -and he forgot that victory is in the hands of God; he was proud -and vain, therefore was he forsaken of the Lord. His terrible end -was revealed to me eight days ago by the Holy Ghost; for, as I was -sleeping in the house of Knipperdolling, after having meditated on -the Divine Law, Matthisson appeared to me pierced through by the -lance of an armed man, with all his bowels gushing forth. Then was -I frightened beyond measure at this terrible spectacle; but the -armed man said to me, 'Fear not, well-beloved son of the Father, -but be faithful to thy calling, for the judgment of God will fall -upon Matthisson; and when he is dead, marry his widow.' These words -cast me into profound amazement, for I have already a legitimate -wife at Leyden. Nevertheless, that I might have a witness worthy of -confidence to this extraordinary revelation, I trusted the secret to -Knipperdolling; he is present, let him be brought forth."[174] - - [174] Kerssenbroeck, p. 543; Montfort., p. 24. - -Thereupon Knipperdolling stepped forward and declared by oath that -Bockelson had spoken the truth, and he mentioned the place, the day, -and the hour when the revelation was confided to him. - -From that moment Bockelson passed with the people not only as a -prophet, but as a favourite of Heaven, one specially chosen of the -Father, and was held in far higher estimation, accordingly, than -had been the fallen prophet. He was seized with inspiration. On -the 9th of April, he declared that "the Father ordered, under pain -of incurring his dire wrath, that every exalted thing should be -laid low, and that the work was to begin at the church steeples." -Consequently three architects of the town were ordered to demolish -them. They succeeded in pulling down all the spires in Münster. That -of Ueberwasser church was singularly beautiful. It was reduced to a -stump; and the modern visitor to the ancient Westphalian capital has -cause to deplore its loss. The towers were only saved to be used as -positions for cannon to play upon the besiegers.[175] - - [175] Bullinger, ii. c. 8; Sleidan, p. 271; Dorpius, f. 396. - -Bockelson had another vision, which served to consolidate his power. -"The Father," said he, "had appeared to him, and had commanded -him to appoint Knipperdolling to be the executioner of the new -republic." - -This was not precisely satisfactory to Knipperdolling; he aimed at -a higher office, but he dissembled his irritation, and accepted the -sword offered him by John of Leyden with apparent transports of -joy.[176] Four under-executioners were named to assist him, and to -accompany him wherever he went. - - [176] Kerssenbroeck, p. 545; Heresbach, p. 139; Sleidan, p. 413; - Dorpius, f. 396. - -The nomination of Knipperdolling was the prelude to other important -changes. Bockelson aspired to exercise absolute power, without -opposition or control. To arrive at his ends, a wild prophetic -scene was enacted. He ran, during the night, through the streets of -Münster stark naked, uttering howls and crying, "Ye men of Israel -who inhabit this holy Zion! fear the Lord, and repent for your past -lives. Turn ye, turn ye! The glorious King of Zion, surrounded by -multitudes of angels, is about to descend and judge the world, -at the peal of His terrible trumpet. Turn, ye blind ones, and be -converted." [177] - - [177] Kerssenbroeck, p. 596; Monfort, pp. 25, 26; Heresbach, p. - 99 _et seq._ - -Exhausted with his run and his shouts, and satisfied with having -thoroughly alarmed the inhabitants, he returned to the house -of Knipperdolling, who was also in a paroxysm of inspiration, -foaming, leaping, rolling on the ground, and performing many other -extravagant actions. Bockelson, on entering, cast himself down in a -corner and pretended to have lost the power of speech; and as the -crowd, assembled round him, asked him the meaning of what had taken -place, he signed to them to bring him tablets, on which he wrote, -"By the order of the Father, I remain dumb for three days." - -At the expiration of this period he convoked the people, and -declared to them that the Father had revealed to him that Israel -must have a new constitution, with new laws and new magistrates, -divinely appointed. The former magistracy had been elected by men, -but the new one was to be designated by the Holy Ghost. Bockelson -then dissolved the senate, and, as the mouthpiece of God, he -declared the names of the new officers, to the number of twelve, -who were to bear the title of The Elders of the Tribes of Israel, -in whose hands all power, temporal and spiritual, was to be placed. -Those appointed were, as might have been expected, the prophet's -most devoted adherents.[178] Hermann Tilbeck, the old burgomaster, -was brought out of prison, and it was announced to him that he was -to be of the number of elders; but perhaps a little cooled in this -enthusiasm by his sojourn in chains, he burst into tears, and in -accents of humility prayed, "Oh, Father! I am not worthy so great an -honour; give me strength and light to govern with wisdom." - - [178] Dorpius, f. 396 b. - -Rottmann, who, since the arrival of the prophet, had played but -a subordinate part, judged the occasion favourable for thrusting -himself into prominence. He therefore preached a long sermon, in -which he declared that God was the author of the new constitution, -and then, calling the elders before him by name, he committed to -each a drawn sword, with the words, "Receive with this weapon the -right of life or death, which the Father has ordered me to confer -upon you, and use the sword conformably to the Lord's will." Then -the proceedings closed with the multitude singing the _Gloria in -excelsis_ in German, on their knees. - -The senate resigned its functions without apparent regret or -opposition, and the twelve elders assumed the plenitude of power. -They abolished the laws and formulated new ones, published edicts, -resolved difficulties, judged causes, subject to no control save the -will of the prophet; but that will they regarded as identical with -the Divine will, as superior to all law, and every one obeyed its -smallest requirements. - -Immediately after the installation of the government, an edict in -ten parts was published.[179] The first part, divided into thirteen -articles, contained the moral law; the second part, in thirty-three -articles, contained the civil law. - - [179] Kerssenbroeck, pt. ii. pp. 1-9; Monfortius, pp. 26, 27; - Hast, p, 352 _et seq._ - -The first part forbade thirteen crimes under pain of death: -blasphemy, disobedience, adultery, impurity, avarice, theft, fraud, -lying and slander, idle conversation, disputes, anger, envy, and -discontent against the government. - -The second part required every citizen to conform his life and -belief to the Word of God; to fulfil exactly his duties to others -and to the State. It ordered a strict system of vigilance against -night surprises by the enemy, and required one of the elders to -sit in rotation every day as judge to try cases brought before -him; also, that whatsoever was decided by the elders as necessary -for the welfare of the New Jerusalem should be announced to the -assembly-general of Israel, by the prophet John of Leyden, servant -of the Most High; that Bernard Knipperdolling, the executioner, -should denounce to the elders the crimes committed within the holy -city; and that he might exercise his office with greater security he -was never to go forth unaccompanied by his four assistants. - -It ordered that henceforth repasts should be taken publicly and in -common; that every one should accept what was set before him, should -eat it modestly, in silence; that the brothers and the sisters -should eat at separate tables; and that, during the meal, portions -of the Old Testament should be read to them. - -The next articles named the individuals who were to execute the -offices of butcher, shoemaker, smith, tailor, brewer, and the like, -to the Lord's people. Two articles forbade the introduction of new -fashions, and the wearing of garments with holes in them. Article -XXIX. ordered every stranger belonging to another religion, who -should enter the city of Münster, to be examined by Knipperdolling. -No communication of any sort with strangers was permitted to the -children of Zion. - -Article XXXII. forbade, under pain of death, desertion from the -military service, or exchange of companies without the sanction of -the elders. - -Article XXXIII. required that in the event of a decease, all -the goods and chattels of the defunct should be taken to -Knipperdolling, who would convey them to the elders, and they would -distribute them as they judged fitting. - -That some of these provisions were indicative of great prudence -is not to be doubted. All food having been seized upon and being -served out publicly to all the citizens alike, and in moderation, -the capabilities of prolonging the defence were greatly increased; -and the military dictatorship and strict discipline within the city -maintained by the prophet, enabled the Anabaptists to preserve an -invulnerable front to an enemy torn by faction and with divided -responsibilities. - -To increase the disaffection and party strife in the hostile -camp, the people of Münster sent arrows amongst the besiegers, to -which were attached letters, one of which has been preserved by -Kerssenbroeck.[180] It is an exhortation to the enemy to beware lest -by attacking the people of the Lord, who held to the pure Word of -God, they should be regarded by him as in league with Antichrist, -and urging them to repentance. - - [180] Kerssenbroeck, pt. ii. p. 9. - -Besiegers and besieged heaped on each other reciprocal insults, -exhibiting themselves to one another in postures more expressive of -contempt than decent.[181] - - [181] _Ibid._ pp. 11, 12. - -A chimney-sweep, named William Bast, had about this time a vision -ordering him to burn the cities of the ungodly. Bast announced his -mission to the elders and to the prophet, and was bidden go forth in -the Lord's name. He accordingly left Münster, eluded the vigilance -of the enemy's sentinals, and reached Wollbeck, where was the -powder magazine of the Episcopal army. He fired several houses, and -the flames spread, but were fortunately extinguished before they -reached the powder. Bast had escaped to Dreusteindorf, where also he -attempted to execute his mission, but was caught, brought back to -Wollbeck, and burnt alive. - -In the meantime various sorties had taken place, in which the -besiegers suffered, being caught off their guard. On May 22nd, the -prince-bishop, finding the siege much more serious than he had -anticipated, began to bombard the town; but as fast as the walls -gave way, they were repaired by the women and children at night. - -A general assault was resolved on for the 26th May; of this the -besieged were forewarned by their spies. Unfortunately for the -investing army, the soldiers of Guelders got drunk on the preceding -day in anticipation of their victory, and marched reeling and -shouting against the city as the dusk closed in. The Anabaptists -manned the walls, and easily repulsed their tipsy assailants; but -in the meantime the rest of the army, observing the march of the -men of Guelders, and hearing the discharge of firearms, rushed to -their assistance, without order; the Münsterians rallied, repulsed -them with great carnage, and they fled in confusion to the camp. -The Anabaptists had only lost two officers and eight soldiers in -the fray; and their success convinced them that they were under the -special providence of God, which had rendered them invincible.[182] -They, therefore, repaired their walls with energy, erected several -additional bastions, and continued their sorties. - - [182] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 15, 16; Sleidan, p. 413. - -On the 30th May, a party of the fanatics issued from a subterraneous -passage upon the sentinels opposite the Judenfeld gate, spiked -nineteen cannon, and laid a train of gunpowder from the store, which -they reached, to the mouth of their passage. The troops stationed -within sight marched hastily to repulse the sortie, when the train -was fired, the store exploded, and a large number of soldiers were -destroyed.[183] - - [183] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 15, 16. - -The prince-bishop next adopted an antiquated expedient, which proved -singularly inefficacious. He raised a huge bank against the walls, -by requisitioning the services of the peasants of the country round. -The besieged poured a shower of bullets amongst the unfortunate -labourers, who perished in great numbers, and the mole remained -unfinished.[184] - - [184] _Ibid._ p. 21. - -Francis of Waldeck, discouraged, and at the end of his resources, -sent his deputies to the Diet of Neuss on the 25th June, to announce -to the Archbishop of Cologne and the Duke of Juliers his failures, -and to ask for additional troops. The two princes replied that they -would not abandon their ally in his difficulties, and they promised -to bear a part of the cost of the siege, advanced 40,000 florins -for the purchase of gunpowder, promised to despatch forces to his -assistance, and sent at once prudent advisers.[185] The prince -was, in fact, utterly incompetent as a general and incompetent as -a bishop. The pastoral staff has a crook at the head and a spike -at the bottom. Liturgiologists assure us that this signifies the -mode in which a bishop should exercise discipline--the gentle he -should restrain or direct with mercy, the rebellious he should -treat with severity. To the former he should be lenient, with the -latter prompt. Francis of Waldeck wielded gracefully and effectively -neither end of his staff. - - [185] Hast, p. 357; Sleidan, p. 413. - -He shortly incurred a risk, and but for the fidelity of one of his -subjects in Münster, he would have fallen a victim to assassination. - -A young Anabaptist maiden, named Hilla Phnicon, of singular beauty, -conceived the notion that she had been called by God to be the -Judith of this new Bethulia, and was to take the head from off the -shoulders of the great, soft, bungling Holophernes, Francis of -Waldeck.[186] - - [186] Kerssenbroeck, p. 26 _et seq._ - -Rottmann, Bockelson, and Knipperdolling encouraged the girl in -her delusion, and urged her not to resist the inspirations of the -Father. Accordingly, on the 16th June, Hilla dressed herself in -the most beautiful robes she could procure, adorned her hair with -pearls, and her arms with bracelets, selecting from the treasury of -the city whatever articles she judged most conducive to the end; the -treasury being for the purpose placed at her disposal by order of -the prophet. Furnished with a linen shirt steeped in deadly poison, -which she had herself made, as an offering to the prince, she left -Münster, and delivered herself up into the hands of the drossar of -Wollbeck, who, after having dispoiled her of her jewels, questioned -her as to her object in deserting the city. She replied with the -utmost composure, that she was a native of Holland, and that she had -lived in Münster with her husband, till the change of religion had -so disgusted her that she could endure it no longer, and that she -had fled on the first opportunity, and that her husband would follow -her on a suitable occasion. "It is to ask pardon for him that I am -come," said she; "and he will be able to indicate to his highness a -means of entering the city without loss." - -The perfect self-possession of the lady convinced the drossar of her -sincerity, and he promised to introduce her to the prince at Iburg -within two days. Everything seemed to favour the adventuress; but -an unexpected event occurred on the 18th, the day appointed for the -audience, which spoiled the plot. - -The secret had been badly kept, and it was a matter of conversation, -hope, and prayer in Münster. A citizen named Ramers, who had -remained in the city, and had been rebaptised rather than lose his -business and give up his house to pillage, having heard of it, -escaped from the town on the 18th, and revealed the projects of -Hilla to one of the generals of the besieging army. The unfortunate -young woman was thereupon put to the question, and confessed. She -was conducted to Bevergern and decapitated. At the moment when -she was being prepared for execution, she assured the bystanders -that they would not be able to take her life, for the prophet John -"chosen friend of the Father, had assured her that she would return -safe and sound to Zion." - -The bishop sent for Ramers, provided for his necessities, and -ordered that his house and goods should be spared in the event of -the capture of Münster. - -As soon as one danger disappeared, another rose up in its place. The -letters attached to arrows fired by the Anabaptists into the hostile -camp, as well as their secret agents, had wrought their effect. The -Lutheran auxiliaries from Meissen complained that they were called -to fight against the friends of the Gospel, and on the night of the -30th June they deserted in a body.[187] Other soldiers escaped into -Münster and offered their arms to the Anabaptists. Disaffection was -widely spread. Disorder, misunderstandings, and ill-concealed hatred -reigned in the camp. The besieged reckoned among their assailants -numerous and warm friends, and were regularly informed of all the -projects of the general. Their emissaries bearing letters to the -Anabaptists in other territories easily traversed the ranks of the -investing army, and when they had accomplished their mission they -returned with equal ease to the gates of Münster, which opened to -receive them. - - [187] Kerssenbroeck, p. 36. - -One of the soldiers of the Episcopal army, who had taken refuge in -Münster, was lodged in the house of Knipperdolling, in which also -dwelt John Bockleson. The deserter observed that the Leyden prophet -was wont to leave his bedroom at night, and he ventured to watch -his conduct and satisfy himself that it was not what it ought to -be.[188] He mentioned to others what he had observed. The scandal -would soon get wind. One only way remained to cut it short. John -Bockleson consulted with Rottmann and the other preachers, and urged -that polygamy should be not only sanctioned but enjoined on the -elect. - - [188] _Ibid._ p. 38; H. Montfort., p. 28. - -Some of those present having objected to this new doctrine, the -prophet cast his mantle and the New Testament on the ground, and -solemnly swore that this which he enjoined was the direct revelation -of the Almighty. He threatened the recalcitrant ministers, and at -last, half-persuaded and wholly frightened, they withdrew their -objections; and he appointed the pastors three days in which to -preach polygamy to the people.[189] The new doctrine having been -ventilated, an assembly of the people was called, and it was -formerly laid down by the prophet as the will of God, that every man -was to have as many wives as he wanted.[190] - - [189] Sleidan, p. 414; Dorp. f 396. - - [190] Kerssenbroeck, p. 38. - -The result of this new step was to bring about a reaction which for -a moment threatened the prophet's domination with downfall. - -On the 30th July, Heinrich Mollenhecke, a blacksmith, supported by -two hundred citizens, burghers and artisans, declared openly that -he was resolved to put down the new masters of Münster, and to -restore everything upon the ancient footing. With the assistance -of his companions, he captured Bockleson, Knipperdolling, and the -preachers Rottmann, Schlachtscap, Clopris, and Vinnius, and cast -them into prison. Then a council was held, and it was resolved -that the gates should be opened to the bishop, the old magistracy -should be restored, and the exiled burgesses should be recalled, -and their property restored to them: and that all this should be -done _on the morrow_. Had it been done on the spot we should have -heard no more of John of Leyden. The delay saved him and ruined the -reactionary party. It allowed time for his adherents to muster.[191] -Mollenhecke and his party, when they met on the following morning -to execute their design, were attacked and surrounded by a -multitude of fanatics headed by Heinrich Redecker. The blacksmith -had succeeded in collecting only a handful. "No pen can describe -the rage with which their adversaries fell upon them, and the -refinements of cruelty to which they became victims. After having -overwhelmed them with blows and curses, they were imprisoned, but -they continued inflicting upon them such horrible tortures that -the majority of these unfortunates would have a thousand times -preferred death."[192] Ninety-one were ordered to instant execution. -Twenty-five were shot, the other sixty-six were decapitated by -Knipperdolling to economize powder, and lest the sound of the -discharge of firearms within the city should lead the besiegers to -believe that fighting was going on in the streets. Some had their -heads cut off, others were tied to a tree and shot, others again -were cut asunder at the waist, and others were slowly mutilated. -Knipperdolling himself executed the men, so many every day, in the -presence of the prophet, till all were slain.[193] - - [191] Kerssenbroeck, p. 39 _et seq._; Heresbach, pp. 41, 42; H. - Montfort., pp. 29, 30; Bullinger, lib. ii. c. 9, p. 56. - - [192] Kerssenbroeck, p. 40. - - [193] _Ibid._ p. 41; Dorpius, f. 536 b. - -"The partisans of the emancipation of the flesh having thus obtained -the mastery in Münster," says the eye-witness, "it was impossible, -a few days later, to discover in the capital of Westphalia the last -and feeble traces of modesty, chastity, and self-restraint." - -Three men, John [OE]chinckfeld, Henry Arnheim, and Hermann Bispinck, -having, however, the hardihood to assert that they still believed -that Christian marriage consisted in the union of one man with one -woman, were decapitated by order of John of Leyden.[194] - - [194] H. Montfort., p. 29; C. Heresbach, p. 42. - -With the death of these men disappeared every attempt at resistance. - -The horrors which were perpetrated in Münster under the name of -religious liberty almost exceed belief. The most frantic licence -and savage debauchery were practised. The prophet took two wives, -besides his favourite sultana, the beautiful Divara, widow of -Matthisson, and his lawful wife at Leyden. These were soon -discovered to be too few, and the harem swelled daily.[195] - - [195] Kerssenbroeck, p. 42. Dorpius confirms the horrible account - given by Kerssenbroeck from what he saw himself, f. 498. - -"We must draw a veil," says Kerssenbroeck, "over what took place, -for we should scandalise our readers were we to relate in detail -the outrageous scenes of immorality which took place in the town, -and the villanies which these maniacs committed to satisfy their -abominable lusts. They were no more human beings, they were foul and -furious beasts. The hideous word _Spiritus meus concupiscit carnem -tuam_ was in every mouth; those who resisted these magic words -were shut up in the convent of Rosenthal; and if they persisted in -their obstinacy after exhortation, their heads were cut off. In one -day four were simultaneously executed on this account. On another -occasion a woman was sentenced to be decapitated, after childbirth, -for having complained of her husband having taken to himself a -second wife."[196] - - [196] Kerssenbroeck, p. 43 _et seq._ - -Henry Schlachtscap preached that no man after the Ascension of -Christ had lived in true matrimony, if he had contracted marriage on -account of beauty, wealth, family, and similar causes, for that true -marriage consisted solely in that which was instigated by the Spirit. - -A new prophet now appeared upon the scene, named Dusentscheuer, -a native of Warendorf. He rushed into the market-place uttering -piercing cries, and performing such extraordinary antics that a -crowd was speedily gathered around him. - -Then, addressing himself to the multitude, he exclaimed, "Christian -brothers, the celestial Father has revealed to me, and has commanded -me to announce to you, that John Bockelson of Leyden, the saint and -prophet of God, must be king of the whole earth; his authority will -extend over emperors, kings, princes, and all the powers of the -world; he will be the chief authority; and none shall arise above -him. He will occupy the throne of his father David, and will carry -the sceptre till the Lord reclaims it from him."[197] - - [197] _Ibid._ p. 47; Sleidan, p. 419; Bullinger, lib. ii. p. - 56; Montfort., p. 31; Heresbach, pp. 136-7, "Historia von d. - Münsterischen Widerteuffer," f. 328 b; Dorpius, f. 397. - -Bockelson and the twelve elders were present. A profound silence -reigned in the assembly. Dusentscheuer, advancing to the elders, -demanded their swords of office; they surrendered them into his -hands; he placed eleven at the feet of Bockelson, and put the -twelfth into his hand, saying--"Receive the sword of justice, and -with it the power to subjugate all nations. Use it so that thou -mayst be able to give a good account thereof to Christ, when He -shall come to judge the quick and the dead."[198] Then drawing from -his pocket a phial of fragrant oil, he poured it over the tailor's -head, pronouncing solemnly the words, "I consecrate thee in the -presence of thy people, in the name of God, and by His command, -and I proclaim thee king of the new Zion." When the unction was -performed, Bockelson cast himself in the dust and exclaimed, "O -Father! I have neither years, nor wisdom, nor experience, necessary -for such sovereignty; I appeal to Thy grace, I implore Thy -assistance and Thy all-powerful protection!... Send down upon me, -therefore, Thy divine wisdom. May Thy glorious throne descend on me, -may it dwell with me, may it illumine my labours; then shall I be -able to accomplish Thy will and Thy good pleasure, and thus shall I -be able to govern Thy people with equity and justice." - - [198] Kerssenbroeck, p. 43 _et seq._ - -Then, turning himself towards the crowd, Bockelson declared that he -had long known by revelation the glory that was to be his, but he -had never mentioned it, lest he should be deemed ambitious, but had -awaited in patience and humility the accomplishment of God's holy -will. He concluded by saying that, destined by the Father to reign -over the whole world, he would use the sword, and slay all those who -should venture to oppose him.[199] - -Nevertheless murmurs of disapprobation were heard. "What!" thundered -the Leyden tailor, "you dare to resist the designs of God! Know -then, that even were you all to oppose me, I should nevertheless -become king of the whole earth, and that my royalty, which begins -now in this spot, will last eternally." - -The new prophet Dusentscheuer and the other preachers harangued the -people during three consecutive days on the new revelation, read to -the people the 23rd chapter of Jeremiah and the 27th of Ezekiel, and -announced that in the King John the prophecies of the old seers were -accomplished, for that he was the new David whom God had promised -to raise up in the latter days. They also read aloud the 13th -chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, and accompanied the -lecture with commentaries on the necessity and divine obligation of -submission to authority.[199] - - [199] Kerssenbroeck, p. 47; and the authors before quoted. - -At the expiration of these three days, Dusentscheuer requested John -of Leyden to complete the spoliation of the inhabitants, so that -everything they possessed might be placed in a common fund. "It -has been revealed to me," said he, "that the Father is violently -irritated against the men and women because they have abused -grievously their food and drink and clothing. The Father requires -for the future, that no one of either sex shall retain more than -two complete suits and four shirts; the rest must be collected and -placed in security. It is the will of the Lord that the provisions -of beef and pork found in every house shall also be seized and be -consecrated to the general use."[200] - - [200] Kerssenbroeck, p. 49. - -The order was promptly obeyed. Eighty-three large waggons were laden -with confiscated clothes, and all the provisions found in the city -were brought to the king, who confided the care and apportionment of -them to Dusentscheuer. - -Bockelson now organised his court with splendour. He appointed -his officers, chamberlain, stewards, marshals, and equerries, in -imitation of the Court of the Emperor and Princes of Germany. -Rottmann was named his chaplain; Andrew von Coesfeld, director of -police; Hermann Tilbeck, grand-marshal; Henry Krechting, chancellor; -Christopher Waldeck, the bishop's son, who had fallen into his -power, was in derision made one of the pages; and a privy council -of four, composed of Bernard Krechting, Henry Redecker, and two -others of inferior note, was instituted under the presidency of -Christian Kerkering. John had also a grand-master of the kitchen, a -cup-bearer, taster, carver, gentlemen of the bedchamber, &c.[201] - - [201] _Ibid._ p. 55 Montfort., pp. 31-3; Sleidan, p. 418; - Bullinger, p. 57; Heresbach, pp. 137-8. - -But John Bockelson not only desired to be surrounded by a court; he -determined also to display all the personal splendour of royalty. -Accordingly, at his order, two crowns of pure gold were made, -one royal, the other imperial, encrusted with jewels. Around his -neck hung a gold chain enriched with precious stones, from which -depended a globe of the same metal transfixed by two swords, one -of gold, the other of silver. The globe was surmounted by a cross -which bore the inscription, "Ein König der Gerechtigkeit über all" -(a King of Righteousness over all). His sceptre, spurs, baldrick and -scabbard were also of gold, and his fingers blazed with diamonds. -On one of the rings, which was exceedingly massive, was cut, "Der -König in dem nyen Tempel furet dit zeichen vur sein Exempel" (the -King of the new Temple bears this symbol as his token). The royal -garments were magnificent, of crimson and purple, and costly stuffs -of velvet, silk, and gold and silver damask, with superb lace cuffs -and collars, and his mantle lined with costly furs. The elders, -the prophets, and the preachers followed suit, and exchanged their -sad-coloured garments for robes of honour in gay colours. The small -house of Knipperdolling no longer contented the tailor-king; he -therefore furnished, and moved into, a handsome mansion belonging -to the noble family of Von Büren. The house next door was converted -into the palace of his queens, and was adorned with royal splendour. -A door of communication, broken through the partition wall, allowed -King John to visit his wives at all hours. - -He now took to himself thirteen additional wives, and a large train -of concubines. Among his sixteen legitimate wives was a daughter of -Knipperdolling. Divara of Haarlem remained the head queen, though -she was the oldest. The rest were all under twenty, and were the -most beautiful girls of Münster. They all bore the title of queens, -but Divara alone had a court, officers, and bodyguard, habited in -a livery of chestnut brown and green; the livery of the king being -scarlet and blue.[202] - - [202] Kerssenbroeck, p. 55 _et seq._; and the authors above - cited. Kerssenbroeck gives long details of the dress, ornaments, - and manner of life of the king; also "Historia von d. - Münsterischen Widerteuffer," f. 329. - -The king usually had his meals with his wives, and during the -repasts he examined them with great attention, feasting his eyes on -their beauty. The names of the sixteen queens were inscribed on a -tablet on which the king, after dinner, designated the lady who had -attracted his favour.[203] - - [203] Kerssenbroeck gives the names of all the wives except one, - which he conceals charitably, as the poor child--she was very - young--fell ill, but recovered, and was living respectably after - the siege with her relatives in the city. - -The King of Zion had abolished the names of the days of the weeks, -and had replaced them by the seven first letters of the alphabet. -He ordered that whenever a child was born in the town, it should be -announced to him, and then he gave it a name, whose initial letter -corresponded with the letter of the day on which it entered the -world. But, as Kerssenbroeck observes, the debauchery which reigned -in Münster had the result of diminishing the births, so that the -number of children born during the latter part of the siege was -extraordinarily small. - -Bockelson had only two children by all his wives, and both were -daughters. Divara was the first to give birth; the event took place -on a Sunday, designated by the letter A; it was given the name of -Averall (for Ueberall--Above all); the second child, born on Monday, -was called Blydam (the Blythe).[204] - - [204] Kerssenbroeck, p. 59. - -Thrice in the week Bockelson sat in judgment in the market-place -on a throne decked in purple silk, and richly adorned with gold. -He betook himself to this place of audience with great pomp. A -band of musical instruments headed the pageant, then followed -the councillors in purple, and the grand-marshal with the white -wand in his hand. John, wearing the royal insignia, mounted on a -white horse, splendidly caparisoned, followed between two pages -fantastically dressed, one bearing a Bible, the other a naked sword, -symbols of the spiritual and temporal jurisdiction exercised by his -majesty. The bodyguard surrounded his royal person, to keep off the -crowd and to protect him from danger. Knipperdolling, Rottmann, the -secretary Puthmann, and the chancellor Krechting followed; then -the executioner and his four assistants, a train of courtiers, and -servants closed the procession. The whole ceremony was as regal, as -punctiliously observed, as at a royal court where the traditions -date from many centuries.[205] - - [205] Kerssenbroeck, p. 62; H. Montfort., p. 33; Hast, p. 363 - _et seq._; Sleidan, p. 415; "Historia von de Münsterischen - Widerteuffer," f. 328 b. - -When the king reached the market-place, a squire held the horse, he -slowly mounted the steps of the throne, and inclining his sceptre, -announced the opening of the audience. - -Then the plaintiffs approached, prostrated themselves flat upon the -ground twice, and spoke. The majority of the cases were matrimonial -complaints, often exceedingly indecent; "the greatest abominations -formulated in the most hideously cynical terms before the most -cynical of judges." Capital sentences, or penalties little less -severe, were pronounced against insubordinate wives.[206] - - [206] Kerssenbroeck. Sleidan says, "Almost every case and - complaint brought before him concerned married people and - divorces. For nothing was more frequent, so that persons who had - lived together for many long years now separated for the first - time."--p. 415-6. - -The same ceremonial was observed whenever his majesty went to -hear the preaching in the market-square, with the sole exception, -that on this occasion he was accompanied by the sixteen queens, -magnificently dressed. Queen Divara rode a palfrey caparisoned in -furs, led by a page; the court and the fifteen other queens followed -on foot. On reaching the market-place, the ladies entered a house -opposite the throne, and assisted at the sermon, sitting at the -windows. - -The pulpit and the throne were side by side; a long broad platform -united them. When the sermon was concluded, the king, his queens, -court, ministers, and the preacher, assembled on the platform and -danced to the strains of the royal band. - -It was from this platform that King John, as sovereign pontiff, -blessed polygamous marriages, saying to the brides and the -bridegrooms, "What God hath joined let no man put asunder; go, -act according to the divine law, be fruitful and multiply, and -replenish the earth." This sanction was necessary for the validity -of these unions. - -John, wishing to exercise all the prerogatives of royalty, struck -coins of various values, bearing on one side the inscription, "Das -Wort is Fleisch geworden und wohnet unter uns" (The Word was made -flesh and dwelt among us); or "Wer nicht gebohren ist aus Wasser und -Geist der kann nicht eingehen--" the rest on the reverse--"In das -Reich Gottes. Den es ist nur ein rechter König über alle, ein Gott, -ein Glaube, eine Tauffe" (who is not born of Water and the Spirit, -cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. For there is only one true -King over all, one God, one Faith, one Baptism). And in the middle, -"Münster, 1534." - -Whilst the city of Münster was thus passing from a republic to a -monarchy, the siege continued; but the besiegers made no progress. -Refugees informed the prince-bishop of what had taken place within -the walls. - -On the 25th August he assembled the captains and the princes and -nobles who had come into the camp to observe the proceedings, to -request them to advise him how to put an end to all these horrors -and abominations. It was proposed that a deputation should be sent -into the town to propose a capitulation on equitable terms; and in -the event of a refusal to offer a general assault.[207] - - [207] Kerssenbroeck, p. 65 _et seq._; Montfort., pp. 27, 28. - -On the 28th August an armistice of three hours' duration was -concluded, and the deputation obtained a safe-conduct authorising -them to enter the city. But instead of being brought before the -inhabitants of the town, to whom they were commissioned to make the -propositions, they were introduced to the presence of Bockelson and -his court. - -The envoys informed King John of the terms proposed by the bishop. -They were extremely liberal. He promised a general amnesty if the -place were surrendered, and arms laid down. - -King John replied haughtily, that he did not need the clemency of -the prince-bishop, for that he stood strengthened by the almighty -and irresistible power of God. "It is your pretended bishop," said -he, "who is an impious and obstinate rebel, he who makes war without -previous declaration against the faithful servants of the celestial -Father. Never will I lay down my arms which I have taken up for the -defence of the Gospel; never in cowardly fashion will I surrender my -capital: on the contrary, I know how to defend it, even to the last -drop of my blood, if the honour of God requires it."[208] - - [208] Kerssenbroeck, p. 21. - -The bishop, when he learnt that his deputies had been refused -permission to address the citizens, attached letters, sealed with -his Episcopal seal, to arrows, which were shot into the town. In -these letters he promised a general pardon to all those who would -leave the party of the Anabaptists, and escape from the town before -the following Thursday. - -But Bockelson forbade, on pain of death, any one touching or opening -one of these letters, and ordered the instant decapitation of man, -woman, or child who testified anxiety to leave Münster. - -The bishop and the princes resolved on attempting an assault without -further delay. John of Leyden received information of their purpose -through his spies. He at once mounted his white horse, convoked the -people, and announced to them that the Father had revealed to him -the day and hour of the projected attack; he appointed his post to -every man, gave employment to the women and children, and displayed, -at this critical moment, the zeal, energy, and readiness which would -have done credit to a veteran general.[209] - - [209] Kerssenbroeck, p. 68. - -The assault was preluded by a bombardment of three days. The -battlements yielded, breaches were effected in the walls, the roofs -of the houses were shattered, the battered gates gave way, and all -promised success. But the besieged neglected no precaution. During -the night the walls were repaired and the gates strengthened. -Women laboured under the orders of the competent directors during -the hours of darkness, thus allowing their husbands to take their -requisite repose. They carried stones and the munitions of war to -the ramparts, and learning to handle the cross-bow, they succeeded -in committing no inconsiderable amount of execution among the ranks -of the Episcopal army. Other women prepared lime and boiling pitch -"to cook the bishop's soup for him."[210] On the 31st August, at -daybreak, the roar of the Hessian devil, as a large cannon belonging -to the Landgrave Philip was called, gave the signal. Instantly the -city was assaulted in six places. The ditches were filled, petards -were placed under the gates, the palisades were torn down, and -ladders were planted. But however vigorous might be the attack, -the defence was no less vigorous. Those on the walls threw down -the ladders with all upon them, and they fell bruised and mangled -into the fosse, the heads of those who had reached the battlements -were crushed with stones and cudgels, and their hands, clasping the -parapet, were hacked off. Women hurled stones upon the besiegers, -and enveloped them in boiling pitch, quicklime, and blazing sulphur. - - [210] _Ibid._ p. 70. - -Repulsed, they returned to the charge eight or ten times, but always -in vain. The whole day was consumed in ineffectual assaults, and -when the red sun went down in the west, the clarions pealed the -retreat, and the army, dispirited and bearing with it a train of -wounded, withdrew, leaving the ground strewn with dead. - -Had the Anabaptists made a night assault, the defeat and dispersion -of the Episcopal troops would have been completed. But instead, they -sang a hymn and spent the night in banqueting. - -The prince-bishop, despondent and at his wits' end for money, -called his officers to a consultation on the 3rd September, and it -was unanimously resolved to turn the investment into an effective -blockade. This resolution was submitted to the electors of Cologne -and Saxony, the Duke of Cleves, and the Landgrave of Hesse, and -these princes approved of the design of Francis von Waldeck. - -It was determined to raise seven redoubts, united by ramparts and a -ditch, around the city, so as completely to close it, and prevent -the exit of the besieged and the entrance of provisions. It was -decided that the defence of this circle of forts should be confided -to a sufficient number of tried soldiers, and that the rest of the -army should be dismissed. - -Accordingly, on the 7th September, all the labourers of the country -round were engaged, under the direction of the engineer Wilkin von -Stedingen, in raising the walls and digging the trenches. The work -was carried on with vigour by relays of peasants; nevertheless, the -undertaking was on so great a scale, that several months must elapse -before it could be completed.[211] - - [211] Kerssenbroeck, p. 75 _et seq._; Heresbach, p. 132. - -The cost of this terrible siege had already risen to 600,000 -florins, the treasury was empty, and the country could bear no -further taxes. Francis of Waldeck appealed to the Elector Palatine, -the Electors of Cologne, Mainz, and Trèves, to give help and -subsidies; he had recourse also to the princes and nobles of the -Upper and Lower Rhine; and it was decided that a diet should -assemble on the 13th December, 1534, to make arrangements for the -complete subjugation of the insurgent fanatics. All the princes, -Catholic and Protestant, trembled for their crowns, for the -Anabaptist sect ramified throughout the country, and if John of -Leyden were successful in Münster, they might expect similar risings -in their own principalities.[212] - - [212] _Ibid._ p. 75; Bussierre, p. 372; Hast, p. 366. - -Whilst the preparations for the blockade were in progress, John -Bockelson, inflated with pride, placed no bounds to his prodigality, -his display, and his despotism. He frequently pronounced sentences -of death. Thus Elizabeth Holschers was decapitated for having -refused her husband what he demanded of her; Catherine of Osnabrück -underwent the same sentence for having told one of the preachers -that he was building his doctrines upon the sand; Catherine -Knockenbecher lost her head for having taken two husbands. Polygamy -was permitted, but polyandry was regarded as an unpardonable -offence.[213] - - [213] Kerssenbroeck, p. 75; Bussierre, p. 372. - -However, the people chafed at the tyranny they were subjected to, -and murmurs, low and threatening, continued to make themselves -heard; whereupon, by King John's order, Dusentscheuer announced from -the pulpit, "that all those who should for the future have doubts in -the verities taught them, and who should venture to blame the king -whom the Father had given them, would be given over to the anointed -of the Lord to be extirpated out of Israel, decapitated by the -headsman, and condemned to eternal oblivion." - -Amongst those who viewed with envy the rise and splendour of the -tailor-king was Knipperdolling. He had opened his home to the -prophet, had patronised him, introduced him to the people of -Münster, and now the draper was eclipsed by the glory of the tailor. -Thinking that the time was come for him to assume the pre-eminence, -he made an attempt to dethrone Bockelson. - -On the 12th of September he was seized with the spirit of prophecy, -became as one possessed, rushed through the town howling, foaming -at the mouth, making prodigious leaps and extravagant gestures, -and crying in every street, "Repent! repent!" After having carried -on these antics for some time, Knipperdolling dashed into the -market-place, cast himself down on the ground, and fell into an -ecstasy. - -The people clustered around him, wondering what new revelation was -about to be made, and the king, who was then holding audience, -looked on uneasily at the crowd drifting from his throne towards his -lieutenant-general, whose object he was unable to divine, as this -performance had not been concerted between them. - -He was not left long in uncertainty, for Knipperdolling, rising -from the ground with livid face, scrambled up the back of a sturdy -artisan standing near, and crawled on all fours "like a dog," says -Sleidan, over the heads of the throng, breathing in their faces, -and exclaiming, "The celestial Father has sanctified thee; receive -the Holy Ghost." Then he anointed the eyes of some blind men with -his spittle, saying, "Let sight be given you." Undiscomfited by the -failure of this attempt to perform a miracle, he prophesied that he -would die and rise again in three days; and he indicated a corner -of the market-place where this was to occur. Then making his way -towards the throne, he began to dance in the most grotesque and -indecent manner before the king, shouting contemptuously, "Often -have I danced thus before my mistresses, now the celestial Father -has ordered me to perform these dances before my king."[214] - - [214] Kerssenbroeck, p. 81 _et seq._; Sleidan, p. 416. - -John was highly displeased at this performance; and he ran down the -steps of his throne to interrupt him. But Knipperdolling nimbly -leaped upon the dais, seated himself in the place of majesty, and -cried out, "The Spirit of God impels me: John Bockelson is king -according to the flesh, I am king according to the Spirit; the -two Testaments must be abolished and extirpated. Man must cease -from obeying terrestrial laws; henceforth he shall obey only the -inspirations of the Spirit and the instincts of nature." - -John of Leyden sprang at him, dragged him from the throne, beat -his head with his golden sceptre, and administering a kick to the -rear of his lieutenant, sent him flying head over heels from the -platform, and then calmly enthroning himself, he gave orders for the -removal and imprisonment of the rebel. - -He was obeyed.[215] - - [215] Kerssenbroeck, Hast p. 366. - -Knipperdolling, left to cool in the dungeon, felt that his only -chance of life was to submit. He therefore sent his humble apology -to the king, and assured him that he had been possessed by an evil -spirit, which had driven him, against his judgment and conscience, -into revolt. "And," said he, "last night the Father revealed to me -that one must venerate the royal majesty, and that John is destined -to reign over the whole earth." - -He was at once released, for Bockelson needed him, and the failure -of this attempt only secured the king's hold over him. He sent him -a letter of pardon, concluding with the royal signature in this -eccentric fashion:-- - - "In fide persiste salvus - Carnis curam agit Deus. - Johannes Leydanus. - Potentia Dei, robur meum."[216] - - [216] Persist secure in Faith. God takes care of the Flesh. John - of Leyden. The Power of God is my strength. - -Another event took place at Münster, which distracted the thoughts -of the people from the events of the siege, and the attempt of -Knipperdolling to dethrone the king. - -The prophet Dusentscheuer, on the same day, the 12th September, -sought the King of Zion in his palace, and said to him with an -inspired air, "This is the commandment of the Lord to me: Go and say -unto the chief of Israel, that he shall prepare on the Mount Zion -(that is, the cathedral square) a great supper for all Christian -brethren and sisters, and after supper he shall commission the -teachers of my Word to go forth to the four quarters of the world, -that they may teach all men the way of my righteousness, and that -they may be brought into my fold." - -The king accepted the message with respect, and gave orders for its -immediate execution. - -On the 13th September, Dusentscheuer called together the elect, -traversing the streets playing upon a flute. At noon 1700 men, -capable of bearing arms, 400 old men and children, and 5000 women -assembled on Mount Zion. - -Bockelson left his palace, habited in a scarlet tunic over which was -cast a cloth of silver mantle, on his head was his crown, and his -sceptre was in his right hand. Thirty-two knights, magnificently -dressed, served as his bodyguard. Then came Queen Divara and the -rest of the wives of the court. - -When the king had taken his place, the Grand Marshal Tilbeck made -the people sit down. Tables had been arranged along the sides of the -great square under the trees, with an open space in the centre. - -When all were seated, the king and his familiars distributed food -to those invited. They were given first boiled beef and roots, -then ham with other vegetables, and finally roast meat. When the -plates had been removed, thin round cakes of fine wheat flour were -brought in large baskets, and John, calling the faithful up before -him, communicated them with the bread, saying, "Take and eat this, -and show forth the Lord's death." Divara followed, holding the -chalice in her jewelled hands; she made the communicants drink from -it, repeating the words to each, "Drink this, and show forth the -Lord's death." Then all sang the _Gloria in excelsis_ in German, -and this fantastic parody of the communion was over. Bockelson now -ordered all his subjects to arrange themselves in a circle, and he -demanded if they would faithfully obey the Word of God. All having -assented, Dusentscheuer mounted the pulpit and said, "The Father -has revealed to me the names of twenty-seven apostles who are to -be sent into every part of the world; they will spread everywhere -the pure doctrine of the celestial kingdom, and the Lord will cover -them with the shadow of His wings, so that not a hair of their head -shall be injured. And when they shall arrive at a place where the -authorities refuse to receive the Gospel, there they shall leave a -florin in gold, they shall shake off the dust of their garments, and -shall go to another place." Then the prophet designated the chosen -apostles--he saw himself of the number--and he added, "Go ye into -all the cities and preach the Word of God." The twenty-seven stepped -forward, and the king, mounting the pulpit, exhorted the people to -prepare for a grand sortie.[217] - - [217] Kerssenbroeck, p. 86; Montfort., p. 34; Dorpius, f. 397 b; - Heresbach, p. 139, _et seq._; Bullinger, lib. ii. c. 10; Sleidan, - p. 417; this author sets the number of communicants at 5,000, the - "Newe Zeitung" at 4,000, f. 329. This authority adds that the - communicants distributed the sacrament they had received amongst - themselves saying, "Brother and sister, take and eat thereof. As - Christ gave Himself for me, so will I give myself for thee. And - as the corn-wheat is baked into one, and the grape branches are - pressed into one, so we being many are one." Also, "Letter of the - Bishop to the Electors of Cologne," _ibid._ p. 390. - -The banquet was over for the people; but John, his wives and court, -and those who had been on guard upon the walls, to the number of -500, now sat down. - -The second banquet was much more costly than the first. In the midst -of the feast, Bockelson, rising, said that he had received an order -from the Father to go round and inspect the guests. He accordingly -examined those present, and recognising amongst them a soldier of -the Episcopal army, who had been made prisoner, he confronted him -sternly, and asked-- - -"Friend, what is thy faith?" - -"My faith," replied the soldier, who was half drunk, "is to drink -and make love." - -"How didst thou dare to come in, not having on the wedding garment?" -asked the king, in a voice of thunder. - -"I did not come of my own accord to this debauch,"[218] answered the -prisoner; "I was brought here by main force." - - [218] The expression used was somewhat broad--Hurenhochzeit. - -At these words, the king, transported with rage, drew his sword and -smote off the head of the unfortunate reveller. - -The night was spent in dancing.[219] - - [219] Kerssenbroeck, p. 88 _et seq._; Heresbach, p. 139; Dorp. f. - 398. - -Whilst the king was eating and drinking, the twenty-seven apostles -were taking a tender farewell of their 124 legitimate wives,[220] -and making their preparations to depart. - - [220] Evidence of Heinrich Graess. Dorpius says that the number - of apostles was twenty-eight, and gives their names and the - places to which they were sent, f. 398. - -When all was ready, they returned to Mount Zion; Bockelson -ascended the pulpit, and gave them their mission in the following -terms:--"Go, prepare the way; we will follow. Cast your florin of -gold at the feet of those who despise you, that it may serve as a -testimony against them, and they shall be slain, all the sort of -them, or shall bow their necks to our rule." - -Then the gates were thrown open, and the apostles went forth, north -and south, and east and west. The blockade was not complete, and -they succeeded in traversing the lines of the enemy. - -However, the prince-bishop notified to the governors of the towns in -his principality to watch them and arrest them, should they attempt -to disseminate their peculiar doctrines.[221] - - [221] Kerssenbroeck, p. 89 _et seq._; Heresbach, pp. 89, 101, - 141; Montfort., p. 35; Bullinger, lib. ii. c. 10; Sleidan, pp. - 417-8; Hast, p. 368; "Historia v. d. Münst. Widerteuffer." p. 329 - a. - -We shall have to follow these men, and see the results of their -mission, before we continue the history of the siege of Münster. -In fact, on their expedition and their success, as John Bockelson -probably felt, everything depended. As soon as the city was -completely enclosed no food could enter: already it was becoming -scarce; therefore an attack on the Episcopal army from the flank -was most essential to success; the palisades and ramparts recently -erected sufficiently defending the enemy against surprises and -sorties from the town. - -Seven of the apostles went to Osnabrück, six to Coesfeld, five to -Warendorf, and eight, amongst whom was Dusentscheuer himself, betook -themselves to Soest.[222] - - [222] For the acts of these apostles, Kerssenbroeck, p. 92 _et - seq._; Menck. p. 1574; Montfort., p. 36 _et seq._; Sleidan, p. - 418; Bullinger, lib. ii. c. 10; Heresbach, p. 149. - -On entering Soest, Dusentscheuer and his fellow-apostles opened -their mission by a public frenzied appeal to repentance. Then, -hearing that the senate had assembled, they entered the hall and -preached to the city councillors in so noisy a fashion that the -magistrates were obliged to suspend their deliberations. The -burgomaster having asked them who they were, and why they entered -the town-hall unsummoned and unannounced, "We are sent by the king -of the New Zion, and by order of God to preach the Gospel," was the -reply of Dusentscheuer; "and to execute this mission we need neither -passports nor permission. The kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, -and the violent take it by storm." "Very well," said the burgomaster -collectedly. "Guards, remove the preachers and throw them into -prison." A few days after several of them lost their heads on the -block. - -John Clopris, at the head of four evangelists, entered Warendorf. -They took up their abode in the house of an Anabaptist named Erpo, -one of the magistrates of the town, and began to preach and prophesy -in the streets. The first day they rebaptised fifty persons. Clopris -preached with such fervour and persuasive eloquence, that the whole -town followed him; the senate received the sign of the covenant in a -body, and this was followed by a rebaptism of half the population. - -Alarmed at what was taking place, and afraid of a diversion in his -rear, Francis of Waldeck wrote to the magistrates ordering them to -give up the apostles of error. They refused, and the prince at once -invested the town and bombarded it. The magistrates sent offers -of capitulation, which the prince rejected; they asked to retain -their arms and their franchises. Francis of Waldeck insisted on -unconditional surrender, and they were constrained to yield. Some -of the senators and citizens who had repented of their craze, or -who had taken no part in the movement, seized the apostles and -conducted them to the town-hall. Clopris and his fellows cast down -their florins of gold and declared that they shook off the dust of -their feet against the traitors, and that they would carry the pure -Word of God and the living Gospel elsewhere; but escape was not -permitted, and they were delivered over to the prince-bishop. - -Francis of Waldeck at once placed sentinels in the streets, ordered -every citizen to deliver up his weapons, took the title-deeds of the -city, withdrew its franchises, and executed four of the apostles -and three of the ringleaders of the senators. Clopris was sent to -Cologne, and was burnt there on the 1st February, 1535, by the -Elector. The bishop then raised a fortress to command the town, -and placed in it a garrison to keep the Warendorfians in order. -Seventeen years after, the greater part of the franchises were -restored, and all the rest in 1555. - -The apostles of the east, under Julius Frisius, were arrested at -Coesfeld, and were executed.[223] - - [223] The "Newe Zeitung v. d. Widerteuffer. zu Münster," f. 329 - b, 330 a, gives a summary of the confessions of these men, and - their account of the condition of affairs in the city. They said - that every man there had five, six, seven, or eight wives, and - that every girl over the age of twelve was forced to marry; that - if one wife showed resentment against another, or jealousy, or - complained, she was sentenced by the king to death. - -Those of the north reached Osnabrück. Denis Vinnius was at their -head. They entered the house of a certain Otto Spiecher, whom they -believed to be of their persuasion, and they laid at his feet their -gold florins bearing the title and superscription of King John, -as tokens of their mission. Spiecher picked up the gold pieces, -pocketed them, and then informed his visitors that he did not -belong to their sect, and that the only salvation for their necks -would be reticence on the subject of their mission. - -But this was advice Vinnius and his fellow-fanatics were by no -means disposed to accept. They ran forth into the streets and -market-place, yelling, dancing, foaming, and calling to repentance. -Then Vinnius, having collected a crowd, preached to them the setting -up of the Millennial kingdom at Münster. Thereupon the city-guard -arrived with orders from the burgomaster, arrested the missionaries, -and carried them off to the Goat-tower, where they shut them in, and -barred fast the doors.[224] - - [224] Kerssenbroeck, p. 100 _et seq._ - -The rabble showed signs of violence, threatened, blustered, armed -themselves with axes and hammers, and vowed they would batter open -the prison-gates unless the true ministers of God's Word, pure from -all human additions, were set at liberty. The magistrates replied -with great firmness that the first man who attempted to force -the doors should be shot, and no one caring to be the first man, -though very urgent to his neighbours to lead the assault, the mob -sang a psalm and dispersed, and the ministers were left to console -themselves with the promises of Dusentscheuer that not a hair of -their head should fall. - -A messenger was sent by the magistrates post haste to the -prince-bishop, and before morning the evangelists were in his grasp -at Iburg. - -As they were led past Francis of Waldeck, one of them, Heinrich -Graess, exclaimed in Latin, "Has not the prince power to release -the captive?" and the prince, disposed in his favour, sent for -him. Graess then confessed that the whole affair was a mixture of -fanaticism and imposture, the ingredients being mixed in pretty -equal proportions, and promised, if his life were spared, to abandon -Anabaptism, and, what was more to the point, to prove an Ahitophel -to the Absalom in Zion. - -Graess was pardoned, Strahl died in prison, the other four were -brought to the block. - -Graess was the sole surviving apostle of the seventy-seven, and the -miserable failure of their mission had rudely shaken out of him -all belief in its divine character, and he became as zealous in -unmasking Anabaptism as he had been enthusiastic in its propagation. - -There is no reason to believe that the man was an unprincipled -traitor. On the contrary, he appears to have been thoroughly in -earnest as long as he believed in his mission, but his confidence -had been shaken before he left the city, and the signal collapse of -the mission sufficed to convince him of his previous error, and make -him resolute to oppose it. - -Laden with chains, he was brought to the gates of Münster one dark -night and there abandoned. In the morning he was recognised by the -sentinels, and was brought into the city, and led in triumph before -the king, by a vast concourse chanting German hymns.[225] - - [225] Kerssenbroeck, p. 103 _et seq._; Montfort., pp. 40-1; Hast - p. 368. - -And thus he accounted for his presence:--"I was last night at Iburg -in a dark dungeon, when suddenly a brilliant light filled my -prison, and I saw before me an angel of God, who took me by the hand -and led me forth, and delivered me from the death which has befallen -all my companions, and which the ungodly determined to inflict on -me upon the morrow. The angel transported me asleep to the gate of -Münster, and that none may doubt my story, lo! the chains, wherewith -I was laden by the enemies of Israel, still encumber me." - -Some of the courtiers doubted the miracle, but not so the people, -and the king gave implicit credence to his word, or perhaps thought -the event capable of a very simple explanation, which had been -magnified and rendered supernatural by the heated fancy of the -mystic. - -Graess became the idol of the people and the favourite of Bockelson. -The king passed a ring upon his finger, and covered him with a -robe of distinction, half grey, half green--the first the symbol -of persistence, the other typical of gratitude to God.[226] Graess -profited by his position to closely observe all that transpired of -the royal schemes. - - [226] Montfort., p. 40. - -John Bockelson became more and more tyrannical and sanguinary. He -hung a starving child, aged ten, for having stolen some turnips. A -woman lost her head for having spit in the face of a preacher of the -Gospel. An Episcopal soldier having been taken, the king exhorted -him to embrace the pure Word of God, freed from the traditions of -men. The prisoner having had the audacity to reply that the pure -Gospel as practised in the city seemed to him to be adultery, -fornication, and all uncleanness; the king, foaming with rage, -hacked off his head with his own hand.[227] - - [227] Kerssenbroeck, p. 110. - -Provisions became scarce in Münster, and the inhabitants were driven -to consume horse-flesh; and the powder ran short in the magazine. - -The Diet of Coblenz assembled on the 13th December. The envoys of -the Elector Palatine, the prince-bishops of Maintz, Cologne, and of -Trier, the princes and nobles of the Upper and Lower Rhine and of -Westphalia appeared. Francis of Waldeck, unable to be present in -person, sent deputies to represent him.[228] - - [228] _Ibid._ p. 114. - -These deputies having announced that the cost of the siege had -already amounted to 700,000 florins, besought the assembled princes -to combine to terminate this disastrous war. A long deliberation -followed, and the principle was admitted that as the establishment -of an Anabaptist kingdom in Münster would be a disaster affecting -the whole empire, it was just that the bishop should not be obliged -to bear the whole expenses of the reduction of Münster. The Elector -John Frederick of Saxony, though not belonging to the three circles -convoked, through his deputies sent to the Diet, promised to take -part in the extirpation of the heretics.[229] It was finally -agreed that the bishop should be supplied with 300 horse soldiers, -3000 infantry, and that an experienced General, Count Ulrich von -Ueberstein, should command them and take the general conduct of the -war.[230] - - [229] _Ibid._; Sleidan, p. 419; Heresbach, p. 132. - - [230] Sleidan, p. 419. - -The monthly subsidy of 15,000 florins was also promised to be -contributed till the fall of Münster. It was also agreed that the -prince-bishop should be guaranteed the integrity of his domains; -that each prince, Catholic or Protestant, should use his utmost -endeavours to extirpate Anabaptism from his estates; that the Bishop -of Münster should request Ferdinand, King of the Romans, and the -seven Electors, to meet on the 4th April, at Worms, to consult with -those then assembled at Worms on measures to crush the rebellion, to -divide the cost of the war, and to punish the leaders of the revolt -at Münster. - -Lastly, the Diet addressed a letter to the guilty city, summoning it -to surrender at discretion, unless it were prepared to resist the -combined effort of all estates of the empire. - -But if the princes were combining against the Anabaptist New -Jerusalem, the sectarians were in agitation, and were arming -to march to its relief from all sides, from Leyden, Freisland, -Amsterdam, Deventer, from Brabant and Strassburg. - -The Anabaptists of Deventer were on the point of rising and -massacring the "unbelievers" in this city, and then marching on -Münster, when the plot was discovered, and the four ringleaders -were executed. The vigilance of the Regent of the Netherlands -prevented the adherents of the mystic sect, who were then very -numerous, from rolling in a wave upon Westphalia, and sweeping the -undisciplined Episcopal army away and consolidating the power of -their pontiff-king. - -It was towards the Low Countries that John of Leyden looked with -impatience. When would the expected delivery come out of the west? -Why were not the thousands and tens of thousands of the sons of -Israel rising from their fens, joined by trained bands from the -cities, marching by the light of blazing cities, singing the songs -of Zion? - -Graess offered the king to hie to the Low Countries and rouse the -faithful seed. "The Father," said he, "has ordered me to gather -together the brethren dispersed at Wesel, at Deventer, at Amsterdam, -and in Lower Germany; to form of them a mighty army that shall -deliver this city and smite asunder the enemies of Israel. I will -accomplish this mission with joy in the interest of the faithful. I -fear no danger, since I go to fulfil the will of God, and I am sure -that our brethren, when they know our extremity, and that it is the -will of their king, will rise and hasten to the relief."[231] - - [231] Montfort., p. 40; Kerssenbroeck, p. 104 _et seq._; Hast, p. - 368. - -John Bockelson was satisfied; he furnished Graess with letters of -credit, sealed with the royal signet. The letters were couched -in the following terms:--"We, John, King of Righteousness in the -new Temple, and servant of the Most High, do you to wit by these -presents, that the bearer of these letters, Heinrich Graess, prophet -illumined by the celestial Father, is sent by us to assemble, for -the increase of our realm, our brethren dispersed abroad throughout -the German lands. He will make them to hear the words of life, and -he will execute the commandments which he has received from God and -from us. We therefore order and demand of all those who belong to -our kingdom to confide in him as in ourselves. Given at Münster, -city of God, and sealed with our signet, in the twenty-sixth year -of our age and the second of our reign, the second day of the first -month, in the year 1535 after the nativity of Jesus Christ, Son of -God." - -Graess, furnished with this letter and with 300 florins from the -treasury, left the city, and betook himself direct to Iburg, which -he reached on the vigil of the Epiphany;[232] and appeared before -the bishop, told him the whole project, the names of the principal -members of the sect at Wesel, Amsterdam, Leyden, &c., the places -where their arms were deposited, and their plan of a general rising -and massacring their enemies on a preconcerted day. - - [232] Montfort., p. 40. - -The bishop sent dispatches at once to the Duke of Juliers and -the Governors of the Low Countries to warn them to be on their -guard. They replied, requesting his assistance in suppressing the -insurrection; and as the most effectual aid he could render would be -to send Graess, he commissioned him to visit Wesel, and arrest the -execution of the project. - -Graess at once betook himself to Wesel, where he denounced the -ringleaders and indicated the places where their arms and ammunition -were secreted in enormous quantities. A tumult broke out; but the -Duke of Juliers entered Wesel on the 5th April (1535), at the head -of some squadrons of cavalry, seized the ringleaders, who were -members of the principal houses in the place and of the senate, and -on the 13th executed six of them. The rest were compelled to do -penance in white sheets, were deprived of their arms, and put under -close surveillance. - -Another division of the Anabaptists attempted to gain possession of -Leyden, but were discomfited, fifteen of the principal men of the -party were executed, and five of the women most distinguished for -their fanaticism were drowned, amongst whom was the original wife of -John Bockelson.[233] - - [233] Hast, p. 370; Bussierre, p. 403. - -In Gröningen, the partisans of the sect were numerous; orders -reached them from the king to rise and massacre the magistrates, and -march to the relief of the invested city. As the Anabaptists there -were not all disposed to recognise the royalty of John of Leyden, -an altercation broke out between them, and the attempt failed; but -rising and marching under Peter Shomacker, their prophet, they -were defeated on January 24th, by the Baron of Leutenburg, and the -prophet was executed. - -We must now return to what took place in the town of Münster at the -opening of the year 1535. - -Bockelson inaugurated that year by publishing, on January 2nd, an -edict in twenty-eight Articles. It was addressed "To all lovers of -the Truth and the Divine Righteousness, learned in and ignorant of -the mysteries of God, to let them know how those Christians ought to -live or act who are fighting under the banner of Justice, as true -Israelites of the new Temple predestined for long ages, announced -by the mouths of all the holy prophets, founded in the power of the -Holy Ghost, by Christ and his Apostles, and finally established by -John, the righteous King, seated on the throne of David." - -The Articles were to this effect:-- - - "1. In this new temple there was to be only one king - to rule over the people of God. - - 2. This king was to be a minister of righteousness, and to bear - the sword of justice. - - 3. None of the subjects were to desert their allotted places. - - 4. None were to interpret Holy Scripture wrongfully. - - 5. Should a prophet arise teaching anything contrary to the - plain letter of Holy Scripture, he was to be avoided. - - 6. Drunkenness, avarice, fornication, and adultery were - forbidden. - - 7. Rebellion to be punished with death. - - 8. Duels to be suppressed. - - 9. Calumny forbidden. - - 10. Egress from the camp forbidden without permission. - - 11. Any one absenting himself from his wife for three days, - without leave from his officer, the wife to take another - husband. - - 12. Approaching the enemy's sentinels without leave forbidden. - - 13. All violence forbidden among the elect. - - 14. Spoil taken from the enemy to go into a common fund. - - 15. No renegade to be re-admitted. - - 16. Caution to be observed in admitting a Christian into one - society who leaves another. - - 17. Converts not to be repelled. - - 18. Any desiring to live at peace with the Christians, in trade, - friendship, and by treaty, not to be rejected. - - 19. Permission given to dealers and traders to traffic with the - elect. - - 20. No Christian to oppose and revolt against any Gentile - magistrate, except the servants of the bishops and the monks. - - 21. A Gentile culprit not to be remitted the penalty of his - crime by joining the Christian sect. - - 22. Directions about bonds. - - 23. Sentence to be pronounced against those who violate these - laws and despise the Word of God, but not hastily, without the - knowledge of the king. - - 24. No constraint to be used to force on marriages. - - 25. None afflicted with epilepsy, leprosy, and other diseases, - to contract marriage without informing the other contracting - party of their condition. - - 26. Nulla virginis specie, cum virgo non sit, fratrem - defraudabit; alioquin serio punietur. - - 27. Every woman who has not a legitimate husband, to choose from - among the community a man to be her guardian and protector. - - "Given by God and King John the Just, minister of the Most High - God, and of the new Temple, in the 26th year of his age and - the first of his reign, on the second day of the first month - after the nativity of Jesus Christ, Son of God, 1535."[234] - - [234] Kerssenbroeck, p. 132 _et seq._ - -The object Bockelson had in view in issuing this edict was to -produce a diversion in his favour among the Lutherans. He already -felt the danger he was in, from a coalescence of Catholics -and Protestants, and he hoped by temperate proclamations and -protestations of his adhesion to the Bible, and the Bible only, as -his authority, to dispose them, if not to make common cause with -him, at least to withdraw their assistance from the common enemy, -the Catholic bishop. - -For the same object he sent letters on the 13th January to the -Landgrave of Hesse, and with them a book called "The Restitution" -(Von der Wiederbringung), intended to place Anabaptism in a -favourable light.[235] - - [235] Kerssenbroeck, p. 128; Sleidan, p. 420; Hast, p. 373 _et - seq._; "Acta, Handlungen," &c., f. 365 b. The king's letter began - "Leve Lips" ("Dear Phil"). - -The Landgrave replied at length, rebuking the fanatics for their -rebellion, for their profligacy, and for their heresy in teaching -that man had a free will.[236] - - [236] Sleidan, p. 421. - -This reply irritated the Anabaptists, and they wrote to him again, -to prove that they clave to the pure Word of God, freed from all -doctrines and traditions of men, and that they followed the direct -inspiration of God through their prophet. They also retorted on -Philip with some effect. The Landgrave, said they, had no right to -censure them for attacking their bishop, for he had done precisely -the same in his own dominions. He had expelled all the religious -from their convents, and had appropriated their lands; he had -re-established the Duke of Wurtemburg in opposition to the will -of the Emperor; he had changed the religion of his subjects, and -was unable to allege, as his authority for thus acting, the direct -orders of Heaven, transmitted to him by the prophets of the living -God. They might have retorted upon the Landgrave also, the charge -of immorality, but they forbore; their object was to persuade the -champion of the Protestant cause to favour them, not to exasperate -him by driving the _tu quoque_ too deep home. - -With this letter was sent a treatise by Rottmann, entitled, "On the -Secret Significance of Scripture." - -Philip of Hesse wavered. He wrote once more; and after having -attempted to excuse himself for those things wherewith he had been -reproached, he said, "If the thing depended on me only, you would -not have to plead in vain your _just_ cause, and you would obtain -all that you demand; but you ought ere this to have addressed the -princes of the empire, instead of taking the law into your own -hands; flying to arms, erecting a kingdom, electing a king, and -sending prophets and apostles abroad to stir up the towns and the -people. Nevertheless, it is possible that even now your demands may -be favourably listened to, if you recall on equitable conditions -those whom you have driven out of the town and despoiled of their -goods, and restore your ancient constitutions and your former -authorities."[237] - - [237] Kerssenbroeck, p. 129; Sleidan, p. 421. - -Luther now thundered out of Wittemberg. Sleidan epitomises this -treatise. Five Hessian ministers also issued an answer to the -doctrine of the Anabaptists of Münster, which was probably drawn up -for them by Luther himself, or was at least submitted to him for his -approval, for it is published among his German works.[238] It is -full of invective and argument in about equal doses. A passage or -two only can be quoted here:-- - -"Since you are led astray by the devil into such blasphemous error, -drunk and utterly imprisoned you wish, as is Satan's way, to make -yourselves into angels of light, and to paint in brightness and -colour your devilish doings. For the devil will be no devil, but -a holy angel, yea, even God himself, and his works, however bad -they may be before God and all the world, he will have unrebuked, -and himself be honoured and reverenced as the Most Holy. For that -purpose he and you, his obedient disciples, use Holy Scripture as -all heretics have ever done."[239] - - [238] Luth. "Sämmtliche Werke," Wittenb. 1545-51, ii. ff. - 367-375; "Von der Teuffelischen Secte d. Widerteuffer. zu - Münster." - - [239] _Ibid._ f. 367. - -"What shall I say? You let all the world see that you understand far -less about the kingdom of Christ than did the Jews, who blame you -for your want of understanding, and yet none spoke or believed more -ignorantly of that same kingdom than they. For the Scripture and the -prophets point to Messiah, through whom all was to be fulfilled, and -this the Jews also believed. But you want to make it point to your -Tailor-King, to the great disgrace and mockery of Christ, our only -true King, Saviour, and Redeemer."[240] - - [240] _Ibid._ f. 369. - -But this was the grievous rub with the Reformer--that the Anabaptist -had gone a step beyond himself. "You have cast away all that Dr. -Martin Luther taught you, and yet it is from him that you have -received, next to God, all sound learning out of the Scripture; you -have given another definition of faith, after your new fashion, with -various additional articles, so that you have not only darkened, but -have utterly annihilated the value of saving faith."[241] - - [241] _Ibid._ f. 373. - -In a treatise of Justus Menius, published with Luther's approval, -and with a preface by him, "On the Spirit of the Anabaptists," -it is angrily complained, that these sectaries bring against the -Lutheran Church the following charges:--"First, that our churches -are idol-temples, since God dwelleth not in temples made with hands. -Secondly, that we do not preach the truth, and have true Divine -worship therein. Thirdly, that our preachers are sinners, and are -therefore unfit to teach others. Fourthly, that the common people -do not mend their morals by our preaching." All which charges -Justus Menius answers as well as he can, sword in one hand against -the Papists, trowel in the other patching up the walls of his -Jerusalem.[242] - - [242] _Ibid._ ii. ff. 298-325. - -Melancthon also wrote against the Anabaptist book, combating all its -propositions, and to do so falling back on the maxim, _Abusus non -tollit substantiam_, a maxim completely ignored by the Reformers -when they attacked the Catholics.[243] Thus the new sect fought -Lutheranism with precisely the same weapons wherewith the Lutherans -had fought the Church; and the Lutherans, to maintain their -ground, were obliged to take refuge in the authority of the Church -and tradition--positions they had assailed formerly, and to use -arguments they had previously rejected. - - [243] _Ibid._ ii. ff. 334-363. Melancthon says that things had - come to such a pass in Münster, that no child knew who was its - father, brother, or sister. - -In the treatise of the five Hessian divines, drawn up by Philip of -Hesse's orders, the errors of the Anabaptists are epitomised and -condemned; they are as follows:-- - - "1. They do not believe that men are justified - by faith only, but by faith and works conjointly. - - 2. They refer the redemption of Christ alone to the fall of - Adam, and to its consequences on those born of him. - - 3. They hold community of goods. - - 4. They blame Martin Luther as having taught nothing about good - works. - - 5. They proclaim the freedom of man's will. - - 6. They reject infant baptism. - - 7. They take the Bible alone, uninterpreted by any commentary. - - 8. They declare for plurality of wives. - - 9. They do not correctly teach the Incarnation of Christ."[244] - - [244] "Acta Handlung." &c. f. 366 a. - -This "Kurtze: und in der eile gestelte Antwort," is signed by -John Campis, John Fontius, John Kymeus, John Lessing, and Anthony -Corvinus. - -It was high time that the siege should come to an end, so every one -said; but every one had said the same for the last twelve months, -and Münster held out notwithstanding. - -An ultimatum was sent into the city by the general in command, -offering the inhabitants liberal terms if they would surrender, and -warning them that, in case of refusal, the city would be taken by -storm, and would be delivered over to plunder.[245] No answer was -made to the letter; nevertheless, it produced a profound impression -on the citizens, who were already suffering from want of victuals. A -party was formed which resolved to seize the person of the king, and -to open the gates and make terms with the bishop.[246] Bockelson, -hearing of the plot, assembled the whole of the population in the -cathedral square, and solemnly announced to them by revelation from -the Father that at Easter the siege would be raised, and the city -experience a wonderful deliverance. He also divided the town into -twelve portions, and placed at the head of each a duke of his own -creation, charged with the suppression of treason and the protection -of the gates. Each duke was provided with twenty-four guards for -the defence of his person, and the infliction of punishment on -those citizens who proved restive under the rule of the King of -Zion.[247] These dukes were promised the government of the empire, -when the kingdoms of Germany became the kingdom of John of Leyden. -Denecker, a grocer, was Duke of Saxony; Moer, the tailor, Duke of -Brunswick; the Kerkerings were appointed to reign over Westphalia; -Redecker, the cobbler, to bear rule in Juliers and Cleves. John Palk -was created Duke of Guelders and Utrecht; Edinck was to be supreme -in Brabant and Holland; Faust, a coppersmith, in Mainz and Cologne; -Henry Kock was to be Duke of Trier; Ratterberg to be Duke of Bremen, -Werden, and Minden; Reininck took his title from Hildesheim and -Magdeburg; and Nicolas Strip from Frisia and Gröningen. As these -men were for the most part butchers, blacksmiths, tailors, and -shoemakers, their titles, ducal coronets and mantles, and the -prospect of governing, turned their heads, and made them zealous -tools in the hands of Bockelson. - - [245] Kerssenbroeck, p. 130. - - [246] _Ibid._ p. 140. - - [247] Sleidan, p. 419; Bullinger, l. ii. c. 9; Heresbach, p. 156; - Dorp. f. 498. - -The king made one more attempt to rouse the country. He issued -letters offering the pillage of the whole world to all those -who would join the standard. But the bishop was informed of the -preparation of these missives by a Danish soldier in Münster; -he was much alarmed, as his _lantzknechts_ were ready to sell -their services to the highest bidder. He therefore pressed on the -circumvallation of the city, kept a vigilant guard, and captured -every emissary sent forth to distribute these tempting offers. -On the 11th February, 1535, the moat, mound, and palisade around -the city were complete; and it was thenceforth impossible for -access to or egress from the city to be effected without the -knowledge of the prince and his generals. The unfortunate people of -Münster discovered attempting to escape were by the king's orders -decapitated. Many men and women perished thus; amongst them was a -mistress of Knipperdolling named Dreyer, who, weary of her life, -fled, but was caught and delivered over to the executioner. When -her turn came, the headsman hesitated. Knipperdolling, perceiving -it, took from him the sword, and without changing colour smote -off her head. "The Father," said he, "irresistibly inspired me to -this, and I have thus become, without willing it or knowing it, an -instrument of vengeance in the hands of the Lord."[248] - - [248] Kerssenbroeck, p. 148. - -The legitimate wife of Knipperdolling, for having disparaged -polygamy, escaped death with difficulty; she was sentenced to do -public penance, kneeling in the great square, in the midst of the -people, with a naked sword in her hands.[249] - - [249] _Ibid._ p. 149. - -Easter came, the time of the promised delivery, and the armies of -the faithful from Holland and Friesland and Brabant had not arrived. -The position of Bockelson became embarrassing. He extricated -himself from the dilemma with characteristic effrontery. During -six days he remained in his own house, invisible to every one. At -the expiration of the time he issued forth, assembled the people -on Mount Zion, and informed them that the deliverance predicted -of the Father _had_ taken place, but that it was a deliverance -different in kind from what they had anticipated. "The Father," said -he, "has laid on my shoulders the iniquities of the Israelites. I -have been bowed down under their burden, and was well-nigh crushed -beneath their weight. Now, by the grace of the Lord, health has -been restored to me, and you have been all released from your sins. -This spiritual deliverance is the most excellent of all, and must -precede that which is purely exterior and temporal. Wait, therefore, -patiently, it is promised and it will arrive, if you do not fall -back into your sins, but maintain your confidence in God, who never -deserts His chosen people, though He may subject them to trials and -tribulations, to prove their constancy."[250] One would fain believe -that John Bockelson was in earnest, and the subject of religious -infatuation, like his subjects, but after this it is impossible to -so regard him. - - [250] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 153, 154; Sleidan, p. 422; Bullinger, - lib. ii. c. 2; Heresbach, pp. 159, 160. - -The princes, when separating after the assembly of Coblenz, had -agreed to reassemble on the 4th of April. Ferdinand, King of the -Romans, convoked all the Estates of the empire to meet on that -day at Worms. The deputies of several towns protested against the -decisions taken at Coblenz without their participation, and the -deliberations were at the outset very tumultuous. An understanding -was at length arrived at, and a monthly subsidy of 20,000 florins -for five months was agreed upon, to maintain the efficacy of the -investment of Münster. But before separating, a final effort -to obtain a pacific termination to the war was resolved upon, -and the burgomasters of Frankfort and Nürnberg were sent as a -deputation into the city. This attempt proved as sterile as all -those previously essayed. "We have nothing in common with the Roman -empire," answered the chiefs of Zion; "for that empire is the fourth -beast whereof Daniel prophesied. We have set up again the kingdom of -Israel, by the Father's command, and we engage you to abstain for -the future from assailing this realm, as you fear the wrath of God -and eternal damnation."[251] - - [251] Kerssenbroeck, p. 155; Hast, 394. - -The famine in Münster now became terrible. Cats, rats, dogs, and -horses were eaten; the starving people attempted various expedients -to satisfy their craving hunger. They ate leather, wood, even -cow-dung dried in the sun, the bark of trees, and candles. Corpses -lately buried were dug up during the night and secretly devoured. -Mothers even ate their children. "Terrible maladies," says -Kerssenbroeck, "the consequence of famine, aggravated the position -of the inhabitants of the town; their flesh decomposed, they rotted -living, their skin became livid, their lips retreated; their eyes, -fixed and round, seemed ready to start out of their orbits; they -wandered about, haggard, hideous, like mummies, and died by hundreds -in the streets. The king, to prevent infection, had the bodies -cast into large common ditches, whence the starving withdrew them -furtively to devour them. Night and day the houses and streets -re-echoed with tears, cries, and moans;--men, women, old men, and -children sank into the darkest despair."[252] - - [252] Kerssenbroeck, p. 157 _et seq._; Heresbach, pp. 151, 152; - Hast, p. 395; Montfort., p. 46. - -In the midst of the general famine, John of Leyden lived in -abundance. His storehouses, into which the victuals found in every -house had been collected, supplied his own table and that of his -immediate followers. His revelry and pomp were unabated, whilst his -deluded subjects died of want around him.[253] - - [253] _Ibid._ p. 157. - -When starvation was at its worst, a letter from Heinrich Graess -circulated in the town, informing the people that his miraculous -escape had been a fable, and that he had rejected the follies of -Anabaptism, disgusted at the extravagance to which it had led -its votaries, and assuring them that their king was an impostor, -exploiting to his advantage the credulity of an infatuated mob.[254] - - [254] Montfort., p. 47. - -This letter produced an effect which made the king tremble. He -summoned his disciples before him, reproached them for putting the -hand to the plough and turning back, and gave leave to all those -whose faith wavered to go out from the city. "As for me," said -he, "I shall remain here, even if I remain alone with the angels -which the Father will not fail to send to aid me to defend this -place."[255] - - [255] Kerssenbroeck, p. 161. - -When the king had given permission to leave the city, numbers of -every age and sex poured through the gates, leaving behind only the -most fanatical who were resolved to conquer or die with John of -Leyden. - -Outside the city walls extended a trampled and desolate tract to -the fosse and earthworks of the besiegers, strewn with the ruins -of houses and of farmsteads. The unfortunate creatures escaping -from Zion, wasted and haggard like spectres, spread over this -devastated region. The investing army drove them back towards -the city, unwilling to allow the rebels to protract the siege by -disembarrassing themselves of all the useless mouths in the place. -They refused, however, to re-enter the walls, and remained in the -Königreich, as this desert tract was called, to the number of -900, living on roots and grass, for four weeks, lying on the bare -earth. Some were too feeble to walk, and crawled about on all fours; -their hunger was so terrible that they filled their mouths with -sand, earth, or leaves, and died choked, in terrible convulsions. -Night and day their moans, howls, and cries ascended. The children -presented a yet more deplorable spectacle; they implored their -mothers to give them something to eat, and they, poor creatures, -could only answer them with tears and sobs; often they approached -the lines of the camp, and sought to excite the compassion of the -soldiers. - -The General in command, Graff Ueberstein, sent information, on April -22nd, to the bishop, who was ill in his castle at Wollbeck, and -asked what was to be done with these unfortunates who were perishing -in the Königreich. The bishop shed tears, and protested his sorrow -at the sufferings of the poor wretches, but did not venture to give -orders for their removal, without consulting the Duke of Cleves and -the Elector of Cologne. Thus much precious time was lost, and only -on the 28th May, a month after, were the starving wretches permitted -to leave the Königreich, upon the following terms: 1st. That they -should be transported to the neighbouring town of Diekhausen, where -they should be examined, and those who were guilty among them -executed; 2nd. That the rest should be pardoned and dispersed in -different places, after having undertaken to renounce Anabaptism, -and to abstain from negotiations, open or secret, with their -comrades in the beleagured city.[256] These conditions having been -made, the refugees were transported on tumbrils and in carts to -Diekhausen, at a foot's pace, their excessive exhaustion rendering -them incapable of bearing more rapid motion. They numbered 200; 700 -had perished of famine between the lines of the investing army and -the walls of the besieged town. On the 30th May, those found guilty -of prominent participation in the revolt were executed. - - [256] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 161-8. - -The prince-bishop might have spared his tears and sent loaves. -His hesitation and want of genuine sympathy with the starving -unfortunates serve to mark his character as not only weak, but -selfish and cowardly. - -Whilst this was taking place outside the walls of Münster, John van -Gheel, an emissary of Bockelson, was actively engaged in rousing the -Anabaptists of Amsterdam. Having insinuated himself into the good -graces of the Princess Mary, regent of the Netherlands, he persuaded -her that he was desirous of restraining the sectaries waiting their -call to march to the relief of Münster. She even furnished him with -an authorisation to raise troops for this purpose. He profited by -this order to arm his friends and lay a plot for obtaining the -mastery of Amsterdam. His design was to make that city a place -of rendezvous for all the Anabaptists of the Low Countries, who -would flock into it as a city of refuge, when once it was in his -power, and then he would be able to organise out of them an army -sufficiently numerous and well appointed to raise the siege of -Münster. - -On the 11th May he placed himself at the head of 600 friends, seized -on the town, massacred half the guards, and one of the burgomasters. -Amsterdam would inevitably have been in the power of the sectaries -in another hour, had not one of the guard escaped up the tower -and rung the alarm-bell. As the tocsin pealed over the city, the -citizens armed and rushed to the market-place, fell upon the -Anabaptists and retook the town-hall, notwithstanding a desperate -resistance. Crowds of fanatics from the country, who had received -secret intimation to assemble before the walls of Amsterdam, -and wait till the gates were opened to admit them, finding that -the plan had been defeated, threw away their arms and fled with -precipitation.[257] - - [257] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 73, 74; Hast, p. 37; Montfort., p. 58 - _et seq._ - -Van Gheel had fallen in the encounter. The prisoners were executed. -Amongst these was Campé whom John of Leyden had created Anabaptist -bishop of Amsterdam. His execution was performed with great -barbarity; first his tongue, then his hand, and finally his head was -cut off.[258] - - [258] Montfort., pp. 68, 69. - -We must look once more into the doomed city. - -In the midst of the general desolation John Bockelson and his court -lived in splendour and luxury. Every one who murmured against his -excesses was executed. Heads were struck off on the smallest charge, -and scarcely a day passed in May and June without blood flowing on -Mount Zion. One of the most remarkable of these executions was that -of Elizabeth Wandtscherer, one of the queens. - -This woman had had three husbands; the first was dead, the second -marriage had been annulled, and Bockelson had taken her to wife -because she was pretty and well made. - -She was a great favourite with her royal husband, and for six -months she seemed to be delighted with her position; but at -length, disgusted with the unbridled licence of the royal harem, -the hypocrisy and the mad revelry of the court, contrasted with -the famine of the citizens, a prey to remorse, she tore off her -jewels and her queenly robes, and asked John of Leyden permission -to leave the city. This was on the 12th June. The king, furious at -an apostacy in his own house, dragged her into the market-place, -and there in the presence of his wives and the populace, smote off -her head with his own hands, stamped on her body, and then chanting -the "Gloria in excelsis" with his queens, danced round the corpse -weltering in its blood.[259] - - [259] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 176-7; Dorpius, f. 498 b; Sleidan, p. - 422, says she was executed for having observed to some of her - companions that it could not be the will of God that they should - live in abundance whilst the subjects perished from want of - necessaries. Hast, p. 395; Heresbach, p. 145. - -However, the royal magazines were now nearly exhausted, and the king -was informed that there remained provisions for only a few days. He -resolved to carry on his joyous life of debauchery without thought -of the morrow, and when all was expended, to fire the city in every -quarter, and then to rush forth, arms in hand, and break through the -investing girdle, or perish in the attempt.[260] This project was -not executed, for the siege was abruptly ended before the moment -had arrived for its accomplishment. - - [260] Kerssenbroeck, p. 177. - -Late in the preceding year, a soldier of the Episcopal army, John -Eck, of Langenstraten, or, as he was called from his diminutive -stature, Hansel Eck, having been punished as he deemed excessively -or unjustly for some dereliction in his duty, deserted to the -Anabaptists, and found an asylum in the city, where John Bockelson, -perceiving his abilities and practical acquaintance with military -operations, made him one of his captains. - -But Hansel soon repented bitterly this step he had taken. Little men -are proverbially peppery and ready to stand on their dignity. His -desertion had been the result of an outburst of wounded self-pride, -and when his wrath cooled down, and his judgment obtained the upper -hand, he was angry with himself for what he had done. Feeling -confident that the city must eventually fall, and knowing that -small mercies would be shown to a deserter caught in arms, however -insignificant he might be in stature, Hansel took counsel with eight -other discontented soldiers in his company, and they resolved to -escape from Münster and ask pardon of the bishop. - -They effected the first part of their object on the night of -the 17th June, and crossed the Königreich towards the lines of -the investing force. The sentinels, observing a party of armed -men advancing, with the moon flashing from their morions and -breastplates, fired on them and killed seven. His diminutive stature -stood Hansel in good stead, and he, with one other named Sobb, -succeeded in escalading the ramparts unobserved, and in making -their way to the nearest fort of Hamm, where the old officer, -Meinhardt von Hamm, under whom he had formerly served, was in -command. Hansel and Sobb were conducted into his presence, and -offered to deliver the city into the hands of the prince-bishop if -he would accord them a free pardon; but they added that no time -must be lost, as it was but a question of hours rather than of days -before the city was fired, and the final sortie was executed.[261] - - [261] Kerssenbroeck, p. 179 _et seq._; Sleidan, p. 427; - Montfort., p. 71; Heresbach, p. 162 _et seq._; Hast, p. 395 _et - seq._; Dorpius, f. 499. - -Meinhardt listened to his plan, approved of it, and wrote to Francis -of Waldeck, asking a safe-conduct for Hansel, and urging the utmost -secrecy, as on the preservation of the secret depended the success -of the scheme. - -The safe-conduct was readily granted, and the deserter was brought -to Willinghegen concealed amidst game in a cart covered with -boughs of trees. Willinghegen is a small place one mile outside -the circumvallation. The chiefs of the besieging army met here to -consider the plan of Hansel Eck. The little man protested that with -300 men he could take the city. He knew the weak points, and he -could escalade the walls where they were unguarded. Four hundred -soldiers were, however, decided to be sent on the expedition, under -the command of Wilkin Steding, "a terrible enemy but a devoted -friend;" John of Twickel was to be standard-bearer, and Hansel -was to act as guide; and the attempt was to be made on the eve -of St. John the Baptist's day.[262] However, the bishop and Count -Ueberstein, desirous of avoiding unnecessary effusion of blood, -summoned the inhabitants to surrender, for the last time, on the -22nd June. - - [262] Kerssenbroeck, p. 169; and the authors before cited. - -Rottmann replied to the deputies that "the city should be -surrendered only when they received the order to do so from the -Father by a revelation." - -Midsummer eve was a hot, sultry day. Towards evening dark heavy -clouds rolled up against the wind, and a violent storm of thunder, -lightning, and hail burst over the doomed city. The sentinels -of Münster, exhausted by hunger, and alarmed at the rage of the -elements, quitted their posts and retreated under shelter. The -darkness, the growl of the wind, and the boom of the thunder -concealed the approach of the Episcopal troops. The 400, under -Steding, guided by the deserter, marched into the Königreich between -ten and eleven o'clock, and met with no obstacles till they reached -the Holy-cross Gate. Here they filled the ditch with faggots, trees, -and bundles of straw; a bridge was improvised, the curtain of -palisades masking the bastion was surmounted, ladders were planted, -and without meeting with the least resistance, the 400 reached the -summit of the walls. The sentinels, whom they found asleep, were -killed, with the exception of one who purchased his life by giving -up the pass-word, "Die Erde." The soldiers then advanced along the -paved road which lay between the double walls, captured and killed -the sentinels at every watch tower, and then, entering the streets, -crossed the cemetery of Ueberwasser, the River Aa by its bridge, and -debouched on the cathedral square, where the faint flashes of the -retreating lightning illumined at intervals the gaunt scaffolding of -the throne and gallery and pulpit of the Anabaptist king, looking -now not unlike the preparations for an execution. - -The cathedral had been converted into the arsenal. Hansel led the -Episcopal soldiers to the western gates, gave the word "Die Erde," -and the guards were killed before they could give the alarm. The -artillery was now in the hands of the 400.[263] - - [263] Kerssenbroeck, p. 176 _et seq._; and the authors before - cited. - -The Anabaptists had slept through the rumble of the thunder, but -suddenly the rattle of the drum on their hill of Zion woke them -with a start. They sprang from their beds, armed in haste, and -rushed to the cathedral square, where their own cannons opened -on them their mouths of fire, and poured an iron shower down the -main thoroughfares which led from the Minster green. But they were -not discouraged. Through backways, and under the shelter of the -surrounding houses, they reached the Chapel of St. Michael, which -commanded the position of the Episcopal soldiers, and thence fired -upon them with deadly precision. - -Steding turned the guns against the chapel, but its massive walls -could not be broken through, and the balls bounded from them without -effecting more than a trivial damage. The Anabaptists pursued their -advantage. Whilst Steding was occupied with those who held the -Chapel of St. Michael, a large number assembled in the market-place -and marched in close ranks upon the cathedral square. - -The 400, unable to withstand the numbers opposed to them, were -driven from their positions, and retreated into the narrow Margaret -Street, where they were unable to use their arms with advantage. -Steding burst open the door of a house, and sent 200 of his men -through it; they issued through the back door, filled up a narrow -lane running parallel with the street, and attacked the Anabaptists -in the rear, who, thinking that the city was in the hands of the -enemy, and that they were being assailed by a reinforcement, fled -precipitately. - -By an unpardonable oversight, Steding had forgotten to leave a guard -at the postern by which he had entered the city. The Anabaptists -discovered this mistake and profited by it, so that when the -reinforcements sent to support Steding arrived, the gates were -closed, and the walls were defended by the women, who cast stones -and firebrands, and shot arrows amongst them, taunting them with the -failure of the attempt to surprise the city; and they, uncertain -whether to believe that the plot of Hansel Eck had failed or not, -remained without till break of day, vainly attempting to escalade -the walls. The Anabaptists, who had fled in the Margaret Street, -soon rallied, and the 400 were again exposed to the fury of a -multitude three times their number, who assailed them in front and -in rear, and they were struck down by stones and furniture cast out -of the windows upon them by the women in the houses. - -Nevertheless they bravely defended themselves for several hours, -and their assailants began to lose courage, as news of the onslaught -upon the walls reached them. It was now midnight. King John proposed -a temporary cessation of hostilities, which Steding gladly accepted, -and the messengers of Bockelson offered the 400 their life if they -would lay down their arms, kneel before him, and ask his pardon.[264] - - [264] Kerssenbroeck, p. 385; Heresbach, pp. 162-6; Montfort., p. - 72; Hast, p. 396 _et seq._ - -The soldiers indignantly rejected this offer, but proposed to quit -the town with their arms and ensigns. A long discussion ensued, -which Steding protracted till break of day. - -At the opening of the negotiations, Steding bade John von Twickel, -the ensign, hasten to the ramparts with three men, as secretly -as possible, and urge on the reinforcements. Twickel reached the -bastions as day began to dawn, and he shouted to his comrades -without to help Steding and his gallant band before all was lost. -The Episcopalians, dreading a ruse of the besieged to draw them into -an ambush, hesitated; but Twickel called the watchword, which was -_Waldeck_, and announced the partial success of the 400. - -Having accomplished his mission, Twickel returned to his comrades -within, cheering them at the top of his voice with the cry from -afar, "Courage, friends, help is at hand!" - -At these words the remains of the gallant band of 400 recommenced -the combat with irresistible energy. They fell on the Anabaptists -with such vehemence that they drove them back on all sides; they -gave no quarter, but breaking into divisions, swept the streets, -meeting now with only a feeble resistance, for the soldiers without -were battering at the gates. In vain did the sectarians offer to -leave the town, their offer came too late, and the little band drove -them from one rallying point to another.[265] - - [265] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 188, 189. - -Rottmann, feeling that all was lost, cast himself on their lances -and fell. John of Leyden, instead of heading his party, attempted to -fly, but was recognised as he was escaping through the gate of St. -Giles, and was thrown into chains. - -In the meantime the reinforcement had mounted the walls, beaten -in the gates, and was pouring up the streets, rolling back the -waves of discomfited Anabaptists on the swords and spears of the -decimated 400. Two hundred of the most determined among the fanatics -entrenched themselves in a round tower commanding the market-place, -and continued firing on the soldiers of the prince. The generals, -seeing that the town was in their power, and that it would cost an -expenditure of time and life to reduce those in the tower, offered -them their life, and permission to march out of Münster unmolested -if they would surrender. - -On these terms the Anabaptists in the bastion laid down their arms. -The besiegers now spread throughout the city, hunting out and -killing the rebels. Hermann Tilbeck, the former burgomaster, who had -played into the hands of the Anabaptists till he declared himself, -and who had been one of the twelve elders of Israel, was found -concealed, half submerged, in a privy, near the gate of St. Giles, -was killed, and his body left where he had hidden, "thus being -buried," says Kerssenbroeck, "with worse than the burial of an ass." -When the butchery was over, the bodies were brought together into -the cathedral square and were examined. That of Knipperdolling was -not amongst them. He was, in fact, hiding in the house of Catherine -Hobbels, a zealous Anabaptist; she kept him in safety the whole -of the 26th, but finding that every house was being searched, and -fearing lest she should suffer for having sheltered him, she ordered -him to leave and attempt an escape over the walls.[266] - - [266] Kerssenbroeck, p. 195. - -On the 27th all the women were collected in the market-square, and -were ordered to leave the city and never to set foot in it again. -But just as they were about to depart, Ueberstein announced that any -one of them who could deliver up Knipperdolling should be allowed to -remain and retain her possessions. The bait was tempting. Catherine -Hobbels stepped forward, and offered to point out the hiding-place -of the man they sought. She was given a renewed assurance that -her house and goods would be respected, and she then delivered up -Knipperdolling, who had not quitted his place of refuge. The promise -made to her was rigorously observed; but her husband, not being -included in the pardon, and being a ringleader of the fanatics, was -executed.[267] The women were accompanied by the soldiers as far as -the Lieb-Frau gate; they took with them their children, and were -ordered to leave the diocese and principality forthwith. - - [267] _Ibid._ p. 196; Heresbach, p. 166. - -Divara, the head queen of John of Leyden, the wife of -Knipperdolling, and three other women, were refused permission to -leave. They were executed on the 7th July. - -Münster was then delivered over to pillage; but all those who had -left the town during the government of the Anabaptists were given -their furniture and houses and such of their goods as could be -identified. - -All the property of the Anabaptists was confiscated and sold to -pay the debts contracted by the prince for defraying the expenses -of the war. The division of the booty occasioned several troubles, -parties of soldiers mutinied, and attempted a second pillage, but -the mutineers were put down rigorously. - -Several more executions took place during the following days, and -men hidden away in cellars, garrets and sewers were discovered and -killed or carried off to prison. Among these were Bernard Krechting -and Kerkering.[268] - - [268] Kerssenbroeck, pp. 198-200. Dorpius says, "In the capture - of the city, women and children were spared; and none were killed - after the first fight, except the ringleaders."--f. 399. - -On the 28th June, Francis of Waldeck entered the city at the head -of 800 men. The sword, crown, and spurs of John of Leyden, together -with the keys of the city, were presented to him.[269] - - [269] Montfort., p. 73. - -The prince received, as had been stipulated, half the booty, and the -articles and the treasure deposited in the town-hall and in the -royal palace, which amounted to 100,000 gold florins.[270] - - [270] Kerssenbroeck, Heresbach, p. 168; Hast, p. 400. - -Francis remained in Münster only three days. Having named the new -magistrates, and organised the civil government of the city, he -departed for his castle of Iburg. On the 13th July he ordered a Te -Deum to be sung in the churches throughout the diocese, in thanks to -God for having restored tranquillity; and the Chapter inaugurated a -yearly thanksgiving procession to take place on the 25th June.[271] - - [271] _Ibid._ p. 200. - -On the 15th July, the Elector of Cologne, the Duke of Juliers, and -Francis of Waldeck, met at Neuss to concert measures for preventing -a repetition of these disorders. The leading Protestant divines -wrote, urging the extermination of the heretics, and reminding the -princes that the sword had been given them for this purpose. - -On the same day, the diet of Worms agreed that the Anabaptists -should be extirpated as a sect dangerous alike to morals and to the -safety of the commonwealth, and that an assembly should be held in -the month of November, to decide upon defraying the cost of the war, -and on the form of government which was to be established in the -city.[272] - - [272] _Ibid._ p. 201 - - The diet met on the 1st November, and decided,--That everything - should be re-established in Münster on the old footing, and that - the clergy should have their property and privileges restored to - them. That all who had fled the city to escape the government of - the Anabaptists should be reinstated in the possession of their - offices, privileges, and houses. That all the goods of the rebels - should remain confiscated to defray the expense of the war. - That the princes of neighbouring states should send deputies to - Münster to provide that the innocent should not suffer with the - guilty. That the fortifications should be in part demolished, as - an example; but that Münster should not be degraded from its rank - as a city. That the bishop and chapter and nobles should demolish - the bastions within the town as soon as the city walls had been - razed. That the bishops, the nobles, and the citizens should - solemnly engage, for themselves and for their successors, never - to attempt to refortify the city. Finally, that the envoys of - the King of the Romans and of the princes should visit the said - town on the 5th March, 1536, to see that these articles of the - convention had been executed. - - All these articles were not observed. The bishop did not demolish - the fortifications, and the point was not insisted upon. - - As for the civil constitution of Münster, its privileges and - franchises, they were not entirely restored till 1553. - - Francis of Waldeck now set to work repairing and purifying - the churches, and restoring everything as it had been before. - Catholic worship was everywhere restored without a single voice - in the city rising in opposition. The people were sick of - Protestantism, whether in its mitigated form as Lutheranism, or - in its aggravated development as Anabaptism. - - But Lutherans of other states were by no means satisfied. The - reconciliation of the great city with the Catholic Church, from - which half its inhabitants had previously separated, was not - pleasant news to the Reformers, and they protested loudly. "On - the Friday after St. John's day," wrote Dorpius "in midsummer, - God came and destroyed this hell and drove the devil out, but the - devil's mother came in again.... The Anabaptists were on that day - rooted out, and the Papists planted in again."[273] - - [273] "Hernach auff freitag S. Johanstag mitten in Sommer, kommet - Gott und zerstöret die Helle, und jaget den Teuffel heraus, und - komet sein Mutter wider hinein ... und sind die Widerteuffer - an obgemeltem tag ausgerottet worden, die Papisten aber wider - eingepflantzet."--Dorp. f. 399 (by misprint 499). - -It is time to look at John of Leyden and his fellow-prisoners: they -were Knipperdolling and Bernard Krechting. There could be no doubt -that their fate would be terrible. It was additional cruelty to -delay it. But the bishop and the Lutheran divines were curious to -see and argue with the captives, and they were taken from place to -place to gratify their curiosity. - -When King John appeared before Francis of Waldeck, the bishop asked -him angrily how he could protract the siege whilst his people were -starving around him. "Francis of Waldeck," he answered, "they should -all have died of hunger before I surrendered, had things gone as -I desired."[274] He retained his spirits and affected to joke. At -Dulmen the people crowded round him asking, "Is this the king who -took to himself so many wives?" "I ask your pardon," answered -Bockelson, "I took maidens and made them wives."[275] - - [274] Dorp. ff. 399 a, 400 a, b. - - [275] Dorp. f. 399 b. - -It has been often stated that the three unfortunates were carried -round the country in iron cages. This is inaccurate. They were taken -in chains on horseback, with two soldiers on either side; their -bodies were placed in iron cages and hung to the steeple of the -church of St. Lambert, after they were dead. - -At Bevergern the Lutheran divine, Anthony Corvinus, and other -ministers "interviewed" the fallen king, and a long and very curious -account of their discussion remains.[276] - - [276] Luther's "Sämmtliche Werke." Wittenb. 1545-51. Band, ii. - ff. 376-386. - -"First, when the king was brought out of prison into the room, we -greeted him in a friendly manner and bade him be seated before us -four. Also, we asked in a friendly manner how he was getting on in -the prison, and whether he was cold or sick? Answer of the king: -Although he was obliged to endure the frost, and the sins weighing -on his heart, yet he must, as such was God's will, bear patiently. -And these and other similar conversations led us so far--for nothing -can be got out of him by direct questions--that we were able right -craftily to converse with him about his government." - -Then followed a lengthy controversy on all the heretical doctrines -of the Anabaptist sect, in which the king exhibited no little -skill. The preachers having brought the charge of novelty against -Anabaptism, John of Leyden very promptly showed that those living -in glass houses should not throw stones, by pointing out that -Lutheranism was not much older than Anabaptism, that he had proved -his mission by miracles, whereas Luther had nothing to show to -demonstrate his call to establish a new creed. - -The discussion on Justification by Faith only was most affectionate, -for both parties were quite agreed on this doctrine--surely a very -satisfactory one and very full of comfort to John of Leyden. But on -the doctrine of the Eucharist they could not agree, the king holding -to Zwingli.[277] - - [277] "Denn wiewol ichs fur dieser zeit mit dem Zwingel - gehalten," &c., f. 384. - -"That in this Sacrament the faithful, who are baptised, receive the -Body and Blood of Christ believe I," said the king; "for though I -hold for this time with Zwingli, nevertheless I find that the words -of Christ (This is my Body, This is my Blood) must remain in their -worth. But that unbelievers also receive the Body and Blood of -Christ, that I cannot believe." - -_The Preachers_: "How that? Shall our unbelief avail more than the -word, command and ordinance of God?" - -_The King_: "Unbelief is such a dreadful thing, that I cannot -believe that the unbelievers can partake of the Body and Blood of -Christ." - -_The Preachers_: "It is a perverse thing that you should ever try -to set our faith, or want of faith, above the words and ordinance -of God. But it is evident that our faith can add nothing to God's -ordinance, nor can my unbelief detract anything therefrom. Faith -must be there, that I may benefit by such eating and drinking; but -yet in this matter must we repose more on God's command and word -than on our faith or unbelief." - -_The King_: "If this your meaning hold, then all unbelievers must -have partaken of the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. But -such I cannot believe." - -_The Preachers_: "You must understand that our unbelief cannot make -the ordinance of God unavailing. Say now, for what end was the sun -created?" - -_The King_: "Scripture teaches that it was made to rule the day and -to shine." - -_The Preachers_: "Now if we or you were blind, would the sun fail to -execute its office for which it was created?" - -_The King_: "I know well that my blindness or yours would not make -the sun fail to shine." - -_The Preachers_: "So is it with all the works and ordinances of -God, especially with the Sacraments. When I am baptised it is well -if faith be there; but if it be not, baptism does not for all that -fail to be a precious, noble, and holy Sacrament, yes, what St. Paul -calls it, a regeneration and renewal of the Holy Ghost, because it -is ordered by God's word and given His promise. So also with respect -to the Lord's Supper; if those who partake shall have faith to -grasp the promise of Christ, as it is written, _Oportet accedentem -credere_, but none the less does God's word, ordinance, and command -remain, even if my faith never more turned thereto. But of this we -have said enough."[278] - - [278] _Ibid._ f. 384 b. - -The preachers next catechised John of Leyden on his heresy -concerning the Incarnation. He did not deny that Jesus Christ was -born of Mary, but he denied that He derived from her His flesh and -blood, as he considered that Mary being sinful, out of sinful flesh -sinful offspring must issue. - -The catechising on the subject of marriage follows. - -_The Preachers_: "How have you regarded marriage, and what is your -belief thereupon?" - -_The King_: "We have ever held marriage to be God's work and -ordinance, and we hold this now, that no higher or better estate -exists in the world than the estate of matrimony." - -_The Preachers_: "Why have you so wildly treated this same estate, -against God's word and common order, and taken one wife after -another? How can you justify such a proceeding?" - -_The King_: "What was permitted to the patriarchs in the Old -Testament, why should it be denied to us? What we have held is this: -he who wished to have only one wife had not other wives forced upon -him; but him who wished to have more wives than one, we left free to -do so, according to God's command, Be fruitful and multiply." - -This the preachers combat by saying that the patriarchs were -guiltless, because the law of the land (_die gemeine Policey_) did -not then forbid concubinage, but that now that is forbidden by -common law, it is sinful.[279] Then they asked the king what other -texts he could quote to establish polygamy. - - [279] Wei zweiveln nicht wenn ein bestendig Policey und Regiment - gewesen were, wie itzt est, es würden sich die Vetter freilich - aug der selbigen gehalten haben. - -_The King_: "Paul says of the bishop, let him be the husband of -one wife; now if a bishop is to have only one wife, surely, in the -time of Paul, laymen must have been allowed two or three apiece, as -pleased them. There you have your text." - -_The Preachers_: "As we said before, marriage is an affair of common -police regulation, _res Politica_. And as now the law of the land is -different from what it was in the time of Paul, so that many wives -are forbidden and not tolerated, you will have to answer for your -innovations before God and man." - -_The King_: "Well, I have the consolation that what was permitted to -the fathers cannot damn us. I had rather be with the fathers than -with you." - -_The Preachers_: "Well, we prefer obedience to the State."[280] - - [280] Predicanten: So wöllen wir in diesemfäll viel lieber der - Oberkeit gehorsam sein, f. 386 b. - -Here we see Corvinus, Kymens, and the other ministers placing -matrimony on exactly the same low footing as did Luther. - -Having "interviewed" the king, these crows settled on Knipperdolling -and Krechting in Horstmar, and with these unfortunates they carried -on a paper controversy. - -The captivity of the king and his two accomplices lasted six months. -The Lutheran preachers had swarmed about him and buzzed in his -ears, and the poor wretch believed that by yielding a few points -he could save his life. He offered to labour along with Melchior -Hoffmann, to bring the numerous Anabaptists in Friesland, Holland, -Brabant, and Flanders into submission, if he were given his liberty; -but finding that the preachers had been giving him false hopes and -leading him into recantations, he refused to see them again, and -awaited his execution in sullen despair. - -The pastors failing to convert the Anabaptists, and finding that the -sectaries used against them scripture and private judgment with such -efficacy that they were unable in argument to overcome them, called -upon the princes to exterminate them by fire and sword. - -The gentle Melancthon wrote a tract or letter to urge the princes -on; it was entitled, "Das weltliche Oberkeiten den Widerteuffern -mit leiblicher straffe zu wehren schüldig sey. Etlicher bedenken zu -Wittemberg gestellet durch Philip Melancthon, 1536. Ob Christliche -Fürsten schüldig sind der Widerteuffer unchristlicher Sect mit -leiblicher straffe und mit dem schwert zu wehren." He enumerates the -doctrines of the unfortunate sectarians at Münster and elsewhere, -and then he says that it is the duty of all princes and nobles to -root out with the sword all heresy from their dominions; but then, -with this proviso, they must first be instructed out of God's Word -by the pure reformed Church what doctrines are heretical, that they -may only exterminate those who differ from the Lutheran communion. - -He then quotes to the Protestant princes the example of the Jewish -kings: "The kings in the Old Testament, not only the Jewish kings, -but also the converted heathen kings, judged and killed the false -prophets and unbelievers. Such examples show the office of princes. -As Paul says, the law is good that blasphemers are to be punished. -The government is not to rule men for their bodily welfare, so much -as for God's honour, for they are God's ministers; let them remember -that and value their office." - -But it is argued on the other side that it is written, "Let both -grow together till the harvest. Now this is not spoken to the -temporal power," says Melancthon, "but to the preachers, that they -should not use physical power under the excuse of their office. -From all this it is plain that the worldly government is bound to -drive away blasphemy, false doctrine, heresies, and to punish in -their persons those who hold to these things.... Let the judge know -that this sect of Anabaptists is from the devil, and as a prudent -preacher instructs different stations how they are to conduct -themselves, as he teaches a wife that to breed children is to please -God well, so he teaches the temporal authorities how they are to -serve God's honour, and openly drive away heresy."[281] - - [281] "Das weltliche Oberkeit," &c., in Luth. "Sämt. Werke." - 1545-51, ii. ff. 327-8. - -So also did Justus Menius write to urge on an exterminatory -persecution of the sectaries; he also argues that "Let both grow -together till the harvest," is not to be quoted by the princes as -an excuse for sparing lives and properties.[282] - - [282] "Von dem Geist d. Widerteuffer." in Luth. "Samt. Werke." - 1545-51, ii. f. 325 b. - -On the 12th January, 1536, John of Leyden, Knipperdolling, and -Krechting were brought back to Münster to undergo sentence of -death.[283] - - [283] Kerssenbroeck, p. 209; Kurtze Hist. f. 400. - -A platform was erected in the square before the townhall on the -21st, and on this platform was planted a large stake with iron -collars attached to it. - -When John Bockelson was told, on the 21st, that he was to die on the -morrow, he asked for the chaplain of the bishop, John von Siburg, -who spent the night with him. With the fear of a terrible death -before him, the confidence of the wretched man gave way, and he made -his confession with every sign of true contrition. - -Knipperdolling and Krechting, who were also offered the assistance -of a priest, rejected the offer with contempt. They declared that -the presence of God sufficed them, that they were conscious of -having committed no sin, and that all their actions had been done -the sole glory of to God, that moreover they were freely justified -by faith in Christ. - -On Monday the 22nd, at eight o'clock in the morning, the ex-king of -Münster and his companions were led to execution. The gates of the -city had been closed, and a large detachment of troops surrounded -the scaffold. Outside this iron ring was a dense crowd of people, -and the windows were filled with heads. Francis of Waldeck occupied -a window immediately opposite the scaffold, and remained there -throughout the hideous tragedy.[284] As an historian has well -observed, "Francis of Waldeck, in default of other virtues, might -at least have not forgotten what was due to his high rank and his -Episcopal character; he regarded neither--but showed himself as -ferocious as had been John Bockelson, by becoming a spectator of the -long and horrible torture of the three criminals."[285] John and his -accomplices having reached the townhall, received their sentence -from Wesseling, the city judge. It was that they should be burned -with red-hot pincers, and finally stabbed with daggers heated in the -fire.[286] - - [284] Kerssenbroeck, p. 210; Kurtze Hist. f. 400. - - [285] Bussierre, p. 462. - - [286] Kerssenbroeck, p. 211; Bullinger, lib. ii. c. 10; - Montfort., p. 74; Heresbach, pp. 166-7; Hast, pp. 405-6; Kurtze - Historia, f. 400. - -The king was the first to mount the scaffold and be tortured. - -"The king endured three grips with the pincers without speaking or -crying, but then he burst forth into cries of, "Father, have mercy -on me! God of mercy and loving kindness!" and he besought pardon -of his sins and help. The bystanders were pierced to the heart -by his shrieks of agony, the scent of the roast flesh filled the -market-place; his body was one great wound. At length the sign was -given, his tongue was torn out with the red pincers, and a dagger -pierced his heart. - -Knipperdolling and Krechting were put to the torture directly after -the agonies of the king had begun. Knipperdolling endeavoured -to beat his brains out against the stake, and when prevented, he -tried to strangle himself with his own collar. To prevent him -accomplishing his design, a rope was put through his mouth and -attached to the stake so as totally to incapacitate him from moving. -When these unfortunates were dead, their bodies were placed in three -iron cages, and were hung up on the tower of the church of St. -Lambert, the king in the middle.[287] - - [287] Kerssenbroeck, p. 211; Kurtze Hist. f. 401. - -Thus ended this hideous drama, which produced an effect throughout -Germany. The excess of the scandal inspired all the Catholic -governments with horror, and warned them of the immensity of the -danger they ran in allowing the spread of Protestant mysticism. -Cities and principalities which wavered in their allegiance to the -Church took a decided position at once. - -At Münster, Catholicism was re-established. As has been already -mentioned, the debauched, cruel bishop was a Lutheran at heart, and -his ambition was to convert Münster into an hereditary principality -in his family, after the example of certain other princes. - -Accordingly, in 1543, he proposed to the States of the diocese to -accept the Confession of Augsburg and abandon Catholicism. The -proposition of the prince was unanimously rejected. Nevertheless -the prince joined the Protestant union of Smalkald the following -year, but having been complained of to the Pope and the Emperor, -and fearing the fate of Hermann von Wied, Archbishop of Cologne, -he excused himself as best he could through his relative, Jost -Hodefilter, bishop of Lübeck, and Franz von Dei, suffragan bishop -of Osnabrück. - -Before the Smalkald war the prince-bishop had secretly engaged the -help of the Union against his old enemy, the "wild" Duke Henry of -Brunswick. After the war, the Duke of Oldenburg revenged himself -on the principality severely, with fire and sword, and only spared -Münster itself for 100,000 guilders. The bishop died of grief. He -left three natural sons by Anna Polmann. They bore as their arms a -half star, a whole star being the arms of Waldeck. - - Authorities: Hermann von Kerssenbroeck; Geschichte der - Wiederthaüffer zu Münster in Westphalen. Münster, 1771. There is - an abbreviated edition in Latin in Menckenii Scriptores Rerum - Germanicaum, Leipsig, 1728-30. T. iii. pp. 1503-1618. - - Wie das Evangelium zu Münster erstlich angefangen, und die - Widerteuffer verstöret widerauffgehöret hat. Darnach was die - teufflische Secte der Widerteuffer fur grewliche Gotteslesterung - und unsagliche grawsamkeit ... in der Stad geübt und getrieben; - beschrieben durch Henrichum Dorpium Monasteriensem; in Luther's - Sammtliche Werke. Wittemb. 1545-51. Band ii. ff. 391-401. - - Historia von den Münsterischen Widerteuffern. - - _Ibid._ ff. 328-363. - - Acta, Handlungen, Legationen und Schriften, &c., d. - Munsterischen sachen geschehen. _Ibid._, ff. 363-391. - - Kurtze Historia wie endlich der König sampt zweien gerichted, - &c. _Ibid._ ff. 400-9. - - D. Lambertus Hortensius Monfortius, Tumultuum Anabaptistarum - Liber unus. Amsterdam, 1636. - - Histoire de la Réformation, ou Mémoires de Jean Sleidan. Trad. - de Courrayer. La Haye, 1667. Vol. ii. lib. x. [This is the - edition quoted in the article.] - -Sleidanus: Commentarium rerum in Orbe gestarum, &c. Argent. 1555; -ed. alt. 1559. - -I. Hast, Geschichte der Wiederthaüffer von ihren Entstehen in -Zwickau bis auf ihren Sturz zu Münster in Westphalen Münster. 1836. - - * * * * * - -_Cowan & Co., Limited, Printers, Perth._ - - - - -METHUEN'S NOVEL SERIES. - -THREE SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE. - - -Messrs. METHUEN will issue from time to time a Series of copyright -Novels, by well-known Authors, handsomely bound, at the above -popular price. The first volumes (ready) are:-- - - F. MABEL ROBINSON. - 1. THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN. - - S. BARING GOULD, _Author of "Mehalah" &c._ - 2. JACQUETTA. - - MRS. LEITH ADAMS (_Mrs. De Courcy Laffan_). - 3. MY LAND OF BEULAH. - - G. MANVILLE FENN. - 4. ELI'S CHILDREN. - - S. BARING GOULD. - 5. ARMINELL: A Social Romance. - - EDNA LYALL. - 6. DERRICK VAUGHAN, NOVELIST. With Portrait of Author. - - F. MABEL ROBINSON. - 7. DISENCHANTMENT. - - M. 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GRANGER, M.A., London, Lecturer in Philosophy at - University Coll., Nottingham. - - * * * * * - -Transcriber's note: - -Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - -Small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. - -Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. -Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as -printed. - -Mismatched quotes are not fixed if it's not sufficiently clear where -the missing quote should be placed. - -The cover for the eBook version of this book was created by the -transcriber and is placed in the public domain. - -Page 60: "On Jaspis remarking to him in April, 1820, that there were -circumstances"--The "2" in 1820 was unclear in the book but has been -inserted by the transcriber. - -Page 106: "ordering the umiiatcirdne Jews to be discharged"--The -transcriber has inserted "incarcerated" for "umiiatcirdne". - -Page 221: "No envoys from the capital attended the reunion of the -chambers at Wollbeck on the 20th December.--The word "of" is unclear. - -Page 262: The transcriber has supplied an anchor for footnote 147. -"Kerssenbroeck, p. 405 _et seq._ Montfort., "Tumult. Anabap.," p. 15 -_et seq._; Bullinger, lib. ii. c. 8." - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Freaks of Fanaticism, by Sabine Baring-Gould - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FREAKS OF FANATICISM *** - -***** This file should be named 43601-8.txt or 43601-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/6/0/43601/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Julia Neufeld and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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