What Luther and his friends composed, others circulated. Monks, convinced of the unlawfulness of monastic obligations, desirous of exchanging a long life of slothfulness for one of active exertion, but too ignorant to proclaim the Word of God, travelled through the provinces, visiting hamlets and cottages, where they sold the books of Luther and his friends. Germany soon swarmed[226] with these bold colporteurs.[227] Printers and booksellers eagerly welcomed every writing in defence of the Reformation; but they rejected the books of the opposite party, as generally full of ignorance and barbarism.[228] If any one of them ventured to sell a book in favour of the papacy, and offered it for sale in the fairs at Frankfort or elsewhere, merchants, purchasers, and men of letters overwhelmed him with ridicule and sarcasm.[229] It was in vain that the emperor and princes had published severe edicts against the writings of the reformers. As soon as an inquisitorial visit was to be paid, the dealers who had received secret intimation concealed the books that it was intended to proscribe; and the multitude, ever eager for what is prohibited, immediately bought them up, and read them with the greater avidity. It was not only in Germany that such scenes were passing; Luther's writings were translated into French, Spanish, English, and Italian, and circulated among these nations. [226] Apostatarum, monasteriis relictis, infinitus jam erat numerus, in speciem bibliopolarum. Cochlœus, p. 54. [227] We have ventured to employ the words _colporteur_ and _colportage_ to express the trade and title of those itinerant booksellers. Besides the inadequacy of our English equivalent, these words appear to be making their way into our vocabulary. (_Translator._) [228] Catholicorum, velut indocta et veteris barbarici trivialia scripta, contemnebant. Cochlœus, p. 54. [229] In publicis mercatibus Francofordiæ et alibi, vexabantur ac ridebantur. Ibid. CHAPTER XII. Luther at Zwickau--The Castle of Freyberg--Worms--Frankfort--Universal Movement--Wittemberg the Centre of the Reformation--Luther's Sentiments. [Sidenote: LUTHER AT ZWICKAU.]