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16. HENRY ZUPHTEN.

WHEN the convent at Antwerp was broken up, Henry Zuphten was rescued by the courage of some women, from the hands of the executioners. Subsequently he was engaged in preaching the Gospel at Bremen.

Nicholas Boye, pastor at Mehldorf, in the country of the Dittmarches, and several devout persons of the neighbouring districts, having invited him to come over and declare Jesus Christ, he complied. Immediately, the prior of the Dominicans and the vicar of the official of Hamburg concerted measures. "If he is allowed to preach, and the people give ear," said they, "we are undone." The prior passed a disturbed night; and, rising early in the morning, repaired to the wild and barren heath on which the forty-eight regents of the country were accustomed to hold their meetings. "The monk from Bremen is come among us," said he, addressing them, "and will bring ruin on the Dittmarches." Those forty-eight simple-minded and unlearned men, deceived into the belief that they would earn imperishable renown by delivering the world from the heretical monk, decided on putting him to death without so much as giving him a hearing.

It was Saturday-and the prior was bent on preventing Henry's preaching on the following Sunday. In the middle of the night he knocked at the door of the pastor Boye, armed with the mandate of the forty-eight regents. "If it be the will of God that I should die among the Dittmarches," said Henry Zuphten, "heaven is as easily reached from thence as from anywhere else. I will preach."

He ascended the pulpit, and spoke with earnestness. His hearers, moved and roused by his Christian clo

quence, had scarcely quitted the church, when the prior delivered to them the mandate of the forty-eight regents forbidding the monk to preach. They immediately sent a deputation to the heath, and the Dittmarches, after long discussion, agreed that, considering their total ignorance, further measures should be deferred till Easter. But the prior, irritated at this, approached certain of the regents, and stirred up their zeal afresh. "We will write to him," said they.

"Have nothing to do with him," replied the prior; "if he begins to speak, we shall not be able to withstand him. We must seize him during the night, and burn him without giving him time to open his lips."

Everything was arranged accordingly. The day after Conception Day, at nightfall, Ave Maria was rung. At the signal, all the peasants of the adjacent villages assembled, to the number of five hundred, and their leaders having broached three butts of Hamburg beer, by this means stimulated their resolution. The hour of midnight struck as the party entered Mehldorf; the peasants were under arms; the monks carried torches; all went forward in disorder, exchanging shouts of fury. Arrived at the village, there was a deep silence lest Henry, receiving intimation of danger, should effect his

escape.

Of a sudden the gates of the parsonage were burst open the drunken peasantry rushed within, striking everything in their way-tossing pell-mell, dishes, kettles, cups, and articles of apparel. They seized any money that they could find, and then rushing on the poor pastor, they struck him down, shouting, "Kill him! kill him!" and then threw him into the mud. But Henry was their chief object in the attack. They pulled him out of bed, tied his hands behind him, and dragged him after them, naked as he was, in the piercing cold. "What are you come here for ?" cried they; and

as Henry answered meekly, they exclaimed, "Down with him! down with him! if we listen to him we shall become heretics like himself." They had dragged him naked over ice and snow, his feet were bleeding profusely, and he begged to be set on horseback. "A fine thing, truly," said they, "for us to furnish horses for heretics. On, on!"-and they continued dragging him behind them till they arrived at the heath. A woman, who stood at the door of the house just as the servant of God was passing, burst into tears. "My good woman," said Henry, "weep not for me." The bailiff pronounced his sentence. Then one of his ferocious escort, with a sword, smote the preacher of Jesus Christ on the head. Another struck him with a club. A monk was ordered to approach and receive his confession.

"My brother," said Henry, "have I done you any wrong?"

"None," replied the monk.

"Then," returned Henry, "I have nothing to confess to you; and you have nothing to forgive."

The monk retired in confusion. Many attempts were made to set fire to the pile; but the wood would not catch. For two hours the martyr stood thus in presence of the infuriated peasantry-calm, and lifting his eyes to heaven. While they were binding him, that they might cast him into the flame, he began to confess his faith. "First burn," said a countryman, dealing him a blow with his fist on the mouth; "burn; and after that, speak." They threw him on the pile; but he rolled down on one side. John Holme, seizing a club, struck him upon the breast, and laid him dead upon the burning coals.

17. THE TWO WIRTHS.

STAMMHEIM was the residence of the deputy-bailiff Wirth, whose two eldest sons, John and Adrian, young priests, full of piety and courage, were zealously engaged in preaching the Gospel. Anna, the mother, had reared a numerous family in the fear of God, and was herself revered for her virtues the whole country round. The deputy-bailiff and his two sons had long been objects of special dislike on account of their faith. Upon some trifling pretext, a band of soldiers was sent from Zurich to arrest them. Rutiman, the bailiff of Nussbaum, shared their confinement. By the authority of Zurich they were surrendered to the Diet, and conveyed to Baden. This was in August, 1524.

On the evening, the prisoners arrived at Baden, where an immense crowd was awaiting to receive them. They were taken first to an inn, and afterwards to the jail. The people pressed so closely round to see them that they could scarcely move. The father, who walked first, turned round toward his sons, and meekly said,-" See, my dear children, we are like those of whom the apostle speaks-men appointed to death, a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men." (1 Cor. iv, 9.) Just then he chanced to observe among the crowd the bailiff Am-Berg, his mortal enemy, and the prime author of all his misfortunes. He went up to him, held out his hand, and, grasping Am-Berg's,-though the bailiff would have turned away,-said, with much composure, "There is a God above us, and he knows all things."

The examination began the next morning. Wirth, the father, was the first who was brought before the tribunal. Without the least consideration for his character or for his age, he was put to the torture; but he

persisted in declaring that he was innocent both of the pillage and the burning of Ittingen. A charge was then brought against him of having destroyed an image representing St. Anne. As to the other prisoners, nothing could be substantiated against them, except that Adrian Wirth was married, and that he was accustomed to preach after the manner of Zwingle and Luther; and that John Wirth had given the holy sacrament to a sick man without candle or bell."

But the more conclusively their innocence was established, the more furious became the excitement of their adversaries. From morning till noon of that day, the old man was made to endure all the severity of torture. His tears were of no avail to soften the hearts of his judges. John Wirth was still more cruelly tormented. "Tell us," said they, in the midst of his agonies, "from whom didst thou learn thy heretical creed? Was it Zwingle, or who else, that taught it thee?" And when he was heard to exclaim, "O merciful and everlasting God, grant me help and comfort!" "Aha!" said one of the deputies, "where is your Christ now?" When Adrian was brought forward, Sebastian von Stein, a deputy of Berne, addressed him thus:-"Young man, tell us the truth; for if you refuse to do so, I swear by my knighthood, the knighthood I received on the very spot where God suffered martyrdom,-we will open all the veins in your body, one by one." The young man was then hoisted up by a cord; and while he was swinging in the air, "Young man," said Stein, with a fiendish smile, "this is our wedding-gift;" alluding to the marriage which the youthful ecclesiastic had recently contracted.

The examination being now concluded, the deputies returned to their several cantons to make their report, and did not assemble again until four weeks had expired.

The bailiff's wife-the mother of the two young

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