As I rode homeward I thought on the contrast I had seen. This man who came last is the natural consequent on the two who preceded him. So doth a hypocritical, ghostly tyranny produce lawlessness. I have seen the Priest and the Levite, and methinks one of the thieves,—where is our good Samaritan? I know not which extreme is the worst. One is selfish absoluteness, the other absolute selfishness. Oh, for men among us who shall battle with each in the strength of a truth above them both! Poor Alsace! Here Atherton laid aside his manuscript, and conversation commenced. Footnote 71: The _Heiligenleben_ of Hermann von Fritslar has been recently edited by Franz Pfeiffer, in his _Ausgabe der Deutschen Mystiker_ (Leipsig, 1845). Hermann says himself repeatedly that he had caused his book to be written (_schreiben lassen_) and there is every reason to believe that he was, like Rulman Merswin and Nicholas of Basle, his contemporaries, a devout layman,—one of a class among the laity characteristic of that age and neighbourhood, who, without entering into an order, spent the greater part of their time in the exercises of religion, and of their fortune on religious objects. Though he could not write, he could read, and his book is confessedly a compilation from many books and from the sermons and the sayings of learned and godly men. He says, Diz buch ist zu sammene gelesen ûzze vile anderen bucheren und ûzze vile predigâten und ûzze vil lêrêren.—_Vorrede._ Footnote 72: Concerning these sects, see Ullmann, _Reformatoren vor der Reformation_, vol. ii. pp. 1-18. The fullest account is given of them in a masterly Latin treatise by Mosheim, _De Beghardis et Beguinabus_. He enters at length into the discussion of their name and origin; details the various charges brought against them, and gives the bulls and acts issued for their suppression. See especially the circular of John Ochsenstein, Bishop of Strasburg, cap. iv. § xi. p. 255. Footnote 73: Authority for these statements concerning the literature of the period, will be found in Gervinus, _Geschichte der poetischen National-Literatur der Deutschen_, part vi. §§ 1, 2, 5. Footnote 74: _Johannes Tauler von Strasburg_, by Dr. Carl Schmidt, pp. 8-10; and Laguille’s _Histoire d’Alsace_, liv. xxiv. Footnote 75: Meister Eghart spricht: wer alle cit allein ist, der ist gottes wirdige; vnt wer alliu cit do heimenen ist, dem ist got gegenwürtig; vnt wer alliu cit stat in einem gegenwürtigen nu, in dem gebirt got der vatter sinen sune an vnderlas.—_Sprüche Deutscher Mystiker_, in Wackernagel’s _Altdeutsches Lesebuch_, p. 889. Footnote 76: Meister Eghart sprach: vnt wem in einem anders ist denne in dem andern, vnt dem got lieber ist in einem denne in dem andern, der mensche ist grobe, vnt noch verre vnt ein kint. Aber dem got gelich ist in allen, der ist ce man worden.—_Ibid._