be brought into the house, and, taking him in his arms, said, with tears, "Though thy father displeased me, why should I punish thee for his fault? Thou shalt be to me son and heir in the room of thy father." He tasted the joy of this reconciliation only a brief period, and one year after his son's death, he also was laid in the grave.

The little boy "Gerold " was afterwards placed at school in Zurich, where his remarkable talents and application, and the singular beauty and nobility of his form and countenance, attracted the notice of Zwingle, who sent for him to his own house, devoted many of his leisure hours to his instruction, and perfected his knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages. His mother, meanwhile, lived in quiet retirement, devoting herself to the instruction of her daughters. Her modesty, piety, and maternal tenderness, had long attracted Zwingle's notice. She was also one of his most attentive hearers, both in the minster, and when, in the cloister at Oetenbach, he proclaimed the kingdom of God to the nuns. The reverential and tender affection which her son Gerold cherished for his teacher and guide, was the occasion of a yet closer intimacy between the tender mother and the benefactor of her son. Anna was now no longer young, and the many sad experiences of her married life had imparted to her beautiful countenance a thoughtful seriousness of expression which, however, in the eyes of Zwingle, only added to her attractiveness. He had seen how she had acted under many painful and difficult domestic circumstances as a daughter, wife, and mother, and that in her children was already manifested the blessed result of a wise and tender training, and he was persuaded that in marrying her he would introduce into his household a type or model of Christian excellence. His idea of the marriage relation was a very sacred and elevated one. "As Christ," he says, "died for His own, and so became wholly theirs, so should married persons mutually do and suffer all things for one another. The husband as the image of God, should love, protect, and devote himself to his wife. The wife should give herself up to her husband alone, in love and faithfulness. So shall married persons become most like to God, who, in His condescension, has set forth His relation to His church under the name of husband and wife."

Many distinguished men honoured the marriage of Zwingle with their presence; and Bucer and Capito wrote to him from Strasburgh their warmest congratulations. There were not wanting, however, enemies from among his opponents, who sought to make his marriage a cause of reproach against him by many slanderous insinuations. Especially, they made it a cause of offence that he had, as they alleged, married a rich widow, and was now living an easy and luxurious life with her. Zwingle defended himself from this charge in writing, and stated that all the wealth his wife possessed consisted of not more than four hundred florins. Of the large fortune bequeathed to her children by her husband's father, she held only an annuity of thirty florins. "It is true," he says, "she was well provided with rich clothes, rings, and all kinds of jewellery, but from the day of her marriage with me she has never touched such things, far less worn them for display. She has always been simply

attired like an ordinary burgher or tradesman's wife, so that no one could guess that formerly she had belonged to the class of the nobility. Everything she possesses I look upon, not as my own, but as confided to my keeping."

With his marriage a new life began for the Reformer. He laboured now with a light and cheerful heart, for every joy and sorrow was shared with him by Anna as by his second self. She realized completely the wishes expressed in Capito's congratulatory letter to her husband, and was "truly a fellow-servant in the Word," a help meet for an apostle. She lightened for him the manifold duties of his calling, helping him in his literary labours and in his wide-spread correspondence. In his hours of sadness and depression she soothed him by her quiet cheerfulness. Her clear and impartial judgment served him in good stead on many important occasions when prudent counsel was needed; and from the wide sympathy of her nature, and the confidence every one felt in her, she was often enabled to impart help and comfort to many a perplexed heart whose case her husband, from the pressure of business, could not enter into.

The Zurich counsellors, preachers, and learned men, who frequented Zwingle's house, all felt the highest regard for the ever modest and retiring but intelligent matron, whose deportment was at all times marked by quiet wisdom. Often, by a simple question, she contrived to give a more charitable and elevated turn to the conversation when any rash or unseemly words had been spoken. She kept up an acquaintance with all the important questions of the day, and the literature that issued from the press, in order that she might be able to converse intelligently with her husband's guests in his frequent unavoidable absences. Zwingle was in the habit of translating to her from the works of Erasmus, and the spiritual writings of Ulrich Von Hutten, and other writers of that period. She read with eagerness all that related to the removal of corruptions and the reform of abuses in the Church, and communicated all she thus acquired to the chosen circle of her female friends. By means of her visits to the convent at Oetenbach, a rapid conversion was brought about among the nuns from Romish thraldom to the liberty of the Gospel. Not unfrequently she became the occasion of their marriage to devoted pastors. For she was wont to say, that priests and nuns suited well together in the married state; both having learned to renounce luxurious living, endure hardness, and live quiet and retired lives.

But the book of all most highly prized by Anna was the Holy Scripture. Zwingle was in the habit of reading to her, before she retired to rest at night, the sheets of the Zurich translation of the Bible, which was brought out by Froschauer, in the autumn of 1525, and in which he (Zwingle) had so large a share that it might be called the joint work of himself and his friend Leo Juda. In the year 1529, he presented his wife with a complete copy of the Bible, a small pocket edition in five volumes. This remained her most precious book till the day of her death, and, through her earnest recommendation, it was soon introduced into many a household in Zurich.

Zwingle gives a most graphic and amusing description of the laborious life he led in those days to his bosom friend, Vadian, of St. Gall, to whom he was

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sending a copy of his well-known work, "The Shepherd," and apologising for its not being so nicely filed and polished" as he could have wished. "I am scarcely ever able to put the finishing touches to anything I write, for before I have finished the publisher is always at the door demanding the manuscript. My faithful little wife will often (when she sees how weary I am and that my temper will bear the interruption) touch me gently on the arm, and whisper in my ear, 'Do give yourself a little rest, my dear love.' 'But where is the rest to come from?' I answer. 'I am willing enough to take it if it could be had, for there stands a good friend waiting for me; then comes in a polemic pugilist, then follows an honest schoolmaster, and anon a councillor is on the threshold; scarcely are these gone when the poor jaded man is summoned to a sick bed, and on the way there he is met by Mr. Froschaner, the bookseller, demanding the promised proofs, and when at last the poor hunted one reaches his home half dead, there lie on his desk a dozen urgent letters to be answered, so that not unfrequently the morning star finds him still at his inkstand.''

the

As often as possible Anna took her husband's place at the bedside of the sick, and especially of poor mothers who had just been confined, bringing with her medicine, food, drink, and clothing, when needed. The poor never failed to meet with her ready sympathy and aid, and in all this she was the right hand of her husband, who laboured and preached with unwearied zeal for the formation of benevolent institutions. In the midst of her labours among poor at home Anna was not forgetful of the duty of entertaining strangers. She showed special kindness and hospitality to those who, having been banished from their own land, sought shelter and the means of support in Zurich. Her house was seldom empty of strangers, and all admired the marvellous resources of her cheerful and hopeful nature, and the self-denial and wise economy which she exercised in the management of her scanty income, so as never to be without a cheering and hospitable welcome for all who came. They gave her in Zurich the name of the Apostolic Dorcas, for she seemed as if born to be the hostess and foster-mother of all who needed her aid. While her husband busied himself in finding the means of subsistence for these banished refugees, she generally, meanwhile, provided them with food and clothing, partly from her own means, and partly by seeking help from others in their behalf.

On Sunday afternoons many of the wives of the preachers in Zurich were in the habit of meeting with Anna Zwingle for religious conversation; and when the duties of their office allowed them leisure, the husbands joined them, and they indulged together in the delightful recreation of sacred music. From his childhood Zwingle manifested an ardent love of music; and when a student at Basle, after a day of hard study, he and his dear friend, Leo Juda, whom Zwingle jocosely called "his little Lion," found their best recreation in vocal and instrumental music. With Zwingle afterwards originated in Zurich the fine quartette of sacred music which became general in the cottages of reformed Switzerland, and was attended with such elevating and purifying effects. In his own home he made use of music to draw to himself more closely the hearts

of his children. Often he was found by the cradle of his little one, singing children's songs to the accompaniment of his lute. And when Faber at one time brought against him his love of music as a reproach, he wrote to him in reply that it had often done him good service in his family by putting the children in good humour and sending them to sleep.

Like his great contemporary, Melancthon, Zwingle was exceedingly careful in the arrangement of his time, and no less simple in his mode of living. He preferred to all others the milk diet which he had been used to in his youth among his native mountains. He rose early, and gave his first hours to prayer and the study of the Scriptures. He then proceeded to the church to give the prophesying," or exposition of Scripture. This interesting service was instituted shortly after Zwingle's installation in the minster at Zurich, in the room of the choir service, which till his time had been heedlessly mumbled over by canons and chaplains. It took place at eight o'clock, and was attended by all the town parsons, predicants, canons and chaplains, and more advanced scholars. Zwingle first delivered in the Latin language the following prayer: "O merciful God, heavenly Father, since Thy Word is a light to our feet and a lamp to our path, we pray Thee that Thou wouldest through Christ, who is the true light of the world, open and enlighten our minds clearly and purely to understand Thy truth, that so we may in no respect offend Thy Divine Majesty, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen." A portion of the Scripture was then read in the original, and expounded in Latin. This exercise lasted an hour, and at nine o'clock the ordinary congregation assembled to hear the same passage of Scripture expounded simply and practically, along with prayer. At eleven o'clock he dined with his family, conversed with them, received visits, and walked out till two. His afternoons he was in the habit of devoting to the study of Greek and Roman literature, and not till after supper did he again grant himself a short respite from labour in the circle of his family and his friends. The late hours of the evening, and often far into the night, he employed in his immense correspondence. When business was urgent he could dispense with his night's rest, and during the great disputation at Baden he himself relates that he was not in bed for six weeks, and got sleep only by snatches. His simple and temperate habits, and an iron constitution, carried him through an amount of labour under which any ordinary man would have broken down.

When he came among his family he seemed to leave all care and outside vexations behind him, and entered with his whole soul into talk with his wife and children, and all the joys and endearments of domestic life. He took a very serious view of the work of education, and wrote a treatise on the subject, which he published for the benefit of his stepson, Gerold Myer, in which there are many most valuable remarks on the duties of parents as regards the training of their children.

The only letter of Zwingle's to his wife which has been preserved is one written on the occasion of the birth of his second son, Huldreich, which took place while he was attending a religious conference at Berne. The letter is so characteristic, and so touching in its simplicity, that we must give it entire.

It is dated January, 1528. "Grace and peace from God and from our Lord Jesus Christ. I give the Lord praise and thanks for you, dear heart, that He has granted you a joyful delivery. May He give us grace that we may bring up this His precious gift, as well as those He has already sent us, according to His will, and consecrate them wholly and solely to His service. May He preserve, support, strengthen, and bless you, and soon restore you again in perfect health and vigour to your children, to your friends, to the Church, and to myself. Rest quite at ease, and be without anxiety on my account. I am, thank God, well, and like yourself under God's good providence, well cared for by kind friends. All is going forward according to our wishes.

"The dear ones in this family enquire anxiously after your welfare, and salute and bless you and all yours and mine. Send your Aunt one or two kerchiefs for the head, such as you wear. You will give her pleasure by so doing. Hitherto she has worn a coif, almost like a Sister of Mercy; now she would like a head-gear such as yours. Her age is about forty. To me and all of us she has ever been beyond measure kind. I commend you to God. Greet from me all who are dear to you; they are dear to me also. Pray to God for me and for all of us. Embrace, kiss, and bless for me all our children. Do not let them disturb their mother too much. Do you hear? The Lord be with you, and grant us soon to meet again. Thou soul of my soul. Thy husband, Huldreich Zwingle." The infant (who was the occasion of this letter) was the youngest of Zwingle's children, of whom he had four, two daughters and two sons.

Our space will not permit us to explain the causes which led to the terrible civil war in which Zwingle lost his life. It is enough here to state that he had longed and laboured for peace, if it could have been obtained without giving up the principle of Gospel liberty of conscience. He claimed on the ground of a Divine right that God's Word should be freely read and preached, and for this principle he was content to die. To his friends in Berne, who warned him of war, he wrote:-" Be steadfast, and be not afraid of war; for the peace which some crave for is war, and the war I wish is peace. We desire no man's blood, and seek no personal interest of our own; our object is to tame those upstart tyrants who rise against God and suppress His Word, and to tear their usurped power from their grasp. Measures being now plainly taken for the suppression of the Gospel, we will rather suffer death itself than allow proceedings to continue so shameful before God and all the world."

The first Cappel war was followed by a hollow truce, from which Zwingle augured the worst results, and his forebodings were but too well founded. The "five places," as they were called, i.e., the Cantons Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, Lucerne, and Zug, which remained steadfast to Romanism, left the field with animosity burning in their hearts, and renewed in their own homes the oath to continue steadfast to the faith of their fathers, and to visit apostacy from it with vengeance. Holding resolutely to the article in the treaty of peace that none should compel them to abandon their faith