History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 2Merle d'Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri)
History
History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 2
Merle d'Aubigné, J. H. (Jean Henri)
Reformation
This was the monk's last day, and a loud ringing of bells announced
his immediate departure from Berne. Samson was in the church standing
on the steps of the high altar. Canon Henry Lupulus, formerly
Zuinglius's master, was acting as his interpreter. "When the wolf and
the fox rendezvous together in the field," said canon Anselm, turning
to the Schulthess of Walleville, "the best thing for you, worthy Sir,
is to put your sheep and geese in safety." But the monk cared little
for these sarcasms, which, besides, did not reach his ear. "Kneel,"
said he to the superstitious crowd, "repeat three _Paters_, three _Ave
Marias_, and your souls will forthwith be as pure as at the moment of
baptism." Then all the people fell upon their knees. Samson wishing
even to outdo himself, exclaimed, "I deliver from the torments of
purgatory and hell all the spirits of the departed Bernese, whatever
may have been the manner and place of their death." These jugglers,
like those at fairs, kept their finest feat for the last.
Samson set out with a heavy purse towards Zurich, crossing Argovia and
Baden. The farther on he got, the monk, whose appearance on passing
the Alps was so shabby, proceeded with more pride and splendour. The
Bishop of Constance, irritated that Samson had not employed him to
legalise his bulls, had forbidden all the curates of his diocese to
open their churches to him. At Baden, nevertheless, the curate durst
not long oppose his traffic. This redoubled the monk's effrontery.
Making the round of the burying ground at the head of a procession, he
seemed to fix his eyes on some object in the air, while his acolytes
sung the hymn for the dead, and pretending to see souls flying from
the burying ground to heaven, he exclaimed--"_Ecce volant!_ See how
they fly." One day, an inhabitant of the place getting up into the
church steeple, a great number of feathers were soon seen in the air
falling down on the astonished procession; "See how they fly,"
exclaimed the wag of Baden, shaking a feather cushion from the
steeple. Many began to laugh.[723] Samson fell into a rage, and could
not be appeased till he learned that the individual was subject to
fits of derangement: he left Baden in a huff.
[723] Dessen viel Luth gnug lachten. (Bullinger MS.)
[Sidenote: THE DEAN OF BREMGARTEN. HENRY BULLINGER.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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