But, as among the Reformed, so also among the Catholics, it was found
very difficult to persuade the most prominent leaders to use measures
of conciliation. The Zugers distinguished themselves by their wild
passion and energy. In order to increase their influence, they sought
and obtained admission into the old confederation of the Four Forest
Cantons, and they were the first who broached the idea of another
alliance with Austria. At the very time, when Collin was dispatched to
Venice, bailiff Thoss of Zug set out for Genoa, and obtained an
audience of the Emperor, whom he followed to Bologna, where he was
graciously received by the Pope. Bern had informed Zurich of this
occurrence, and expressed her anxiety. Perhaps it was through his
reports, that the Five Cantons were induced to send a delegation to the
Imperial Diet at Augsburg, in the summer of 1530. The delegation
consisted of the _landvogt_ of the canton of Luzern and the son of the
then _schultheiss_, Hug, to whom _Baptista ab Isola_ of Genoa was yet
added. The latter, who probably accompanied Thoss on his return home,
had received from Luzern the rights of citizenship and became the
leader of a troop of Italian auxiliaries, which, in the subsequent war,
the Papal legate enlisted for the Five Cantons. Besides the deputies,
there went thither Captain Schœnbrunner of Zug, the _schultheiss_
Hebolt of Solothurn and Rennward Gœldin, a distinguished Zuricher,
who, from indignation at the law against desertion, had left his native
city and espoused the cause of the Five Cantons. The abbot of St. Gall
followed. At the Imperial Diet they all sought assistance from the
Emperor, or at least endeavored, for the encouragement of friends and
the terror of foes, to make the impression that they would obtain it.
For this purpose reports of their brilliant reception and the marks of
honor bestowed on them were spread everywhere--how often they had
spoken with the Emperor and his brother--how often they had been
summoned to confer with influential and illustrious men. But, on the
other hand, reports of quite a different character reached Switzerland
from the observers of the Reformed party, of whom an unknown citizen of
St. Gall appears to have been the most active. His long letters, full
of details, were immediately communicated by St. Gall to the allied
cities. Touching the abbot and the embassy of the Five Cantons, he
expresses himself in the following manner: "Kilian, the pretended abbot
of St. Gall, came hither on the 9th of July. I have seen him several
times, and conversed with his chamberlain and his chancellor on the
street, when they saluted me; yet they betrayed nothing. The chancellor
told me, that his gracious lord was here only to receive a fief from
the Bishop of Chur; item, to wait and see also what would be done at
the present Diet and likewise how it would go with others of the
clerical order, as well as himself. Indeed, his case is such, that even
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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