power, and as the law and his conscience teach him; and that neither through friendship, enmity, nor bribe, nor for any other reason will he be moved to deviate therefrom. Likewise that he will accept no gifts from any prince or lord, except for the public purse.” The people swear: “To promote the welfare and honor of their fatherland, and to preserve it from injury, to protect its rights and liberties to the best of their power, to obey the laws of the magistrates as well as to defend the council and court, likewise to accept presents, bribes or gifts from no prince or lord, except for the public purse; and that every one to whatever position elected shall accept it, and do as well as he is able and has the power to do.” The foregoing oath, after being read to the multitude, was sworn to in a loud, distinct voice in the following form: “We have well understood what has been read to us. We will keep it truly and steadfastly, faithfully, and without fear, so truly as we wish and pray that God may help us.” The laws adopted by the Landsgemeinde of Appenzell in reference to these official oaths are very peculiar. They bear date 1634, and read: “Because an oath is a thing through which good law and order must be maintained, so for that reason it is highly necessary to consider it, in itself, seriously and well, humbly praying to God, the heavenly Father, that through his Holy Spirit he may enlighten our hearts, so that we may know what a true and false oath is, and may in time with the chosen ones live up to it eternally: Amen! A genuine oath is a considerate and solemn invocation and declaration to the true God, as the proper guardian of my heart, to be witness and judge of my sworn declaration or promise, to bless my body and soul if I swear in truth and sincerity, and if, on the contrary, I swear falsely, to punish my body and soul. At the same time every Christian who swears an oath shall lift up three fingers, by which will be signified the supreme power of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; but the two last fingers shall remain bent back against the hand, and thereby will be represented the entire submission of soul and body to the supreme power of God. Now the man who is so forsaken and so hostile to himself as to reject in his heart what he professes in such a way with his mouth, in the face of the all-seeing God, swears a false oath. He swears, as if he said, I will rather be shut out from the community and benefaction of Christendom; or as if he said, the name of God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ shall never prove a help and comfort to me at the time when soul and body shall be separated; or as if he said, the grace of God, the redemption of Jesus Christ, and the strength of the Holy Ghost shall be entirely lost and thrown away on me, poor sinner. Finally, whoever swears falsely speaks as if he said, as I swear false to-day, so do I make myself guilty of this judgment, that my soul, which is indicated by the