SWITZERLAND THE PIONEER OF THE REFORMATION.*
This work professes to be written by a Greek Princess of the house of Ghika, who publishes under the nom de plume of the Countess Dora D'Istria. According to the translator, her father, disdaining the slothful habits of his race, trained his daughter on a kind, of modern-antique model. She has practised the bodily exercises of the ancients, can climb mountains and swim rivers, being, in fact, entitled were justice done in this world, to a Hu- mane Society's medal for saving the life of a governess. Her mo- dern accomplishments were the aspirations of continental liberal- ism, the learned and, polite languages, to which she eventually added English and German. Of her qualities as exhibited in the work before us we can speak otherwise than at second-hand. They consist of an unrestrained fancy and a fluent style which often passes from exuberance into wild outpouring, and over- powers the judgment of the writer as well as the patience of the reader. Her opposition to the Papal church, its superstitions, and enormities is very strong. Like many other persons with a larger range Of information and a sounder logic than herself, the Princess retains a preference for her own church, (which its practices at all events have scarcely justified,) not only opposing the Patriarch triumphantly to the Pope, but intimating, when opportunity offers, that the glorious free ideas of Protestant- ism have really been derived from the Eastern churches. Her politics are those of progress and democracy, exhibiting the vague- ness and not unftequently the imperfect information and hasty generalization which distinguish Continental liberalism. Her test quality is a rather delicate critical perception of character, if her judgments are always original. Neither "Switzerland as the pioneer of the Reformation," nor the second title of "La Suisse Allemande," conveys any idea of the book. The last, however' has some relation to the object of the writer, which is said to be to give in three successive works "such an account of the Italian, German, and French elements of the Swiss confederation, as shall deepen the traveller's interest in the hills and vallies that have been the theatre of such romantic hero-
&c. We should rather have thought the reverse. We should have said that the object (though not attained, and not very clearly aimed at,) was to trace the influence of mediteval Switzerland on the political and religious freedom, not only of the three above-named peoples, but upon the Western world, allowing also how the freedom and glory of the Swiss declined, when they took to enlisting as mercenaries abroad, and submitted themselves to an oligarchy at home. Be this as it may, the general scheme of the work is as follows.
The Princess makes a tour through Switzerland, and writes to her beloved "Naranda " a description of the scenery and the im- pression it made upon her mind, in a very flowery style with much of high-flown sentiment. She also nasrates some incidents of the tour, but all this is only the frame-work which is to re- ceive the more important historical and religious pieces. Thus, the first place she arrives at is Constance, and after a panegyric upon the Lake the traveller enters the town-hall, and stands in the vast apartment where the celebrated Council was held, that condemned John Huss. Thereupon, we have a biography of the Bohemian Reformer, intermingled with diatribes against the Church of Rome in general, and the members of the Council of Constance in particular. The sight of a cross of the Teutonic Knights gives rise to some reflections on the military orders. Schaffhausen' according to the "contents," gives rise to a sur- vey of universal history in reference to the progress of freedom and democracy, ending in the story of the Swiss wars and vic- tories against Austria and Charles the Bold of Burgundy. As the birthplace of John Muller, Schaffhausen, before it is finally quit- ted, furnishes a subject in the biography of the historian and man of letters, though the jump is considerable from the old Swiss peasant warriors and patriots of the middle ages to a littemteur, who, if not exactly our contemporary, was the con- Aeitzericaul the Pioneer of the Reformation, or La Suisse Atlemand. By Ma- dame- LaComtesse Dora D'Istria. Translated from the French, and comprising tbhapter suppressed by order of the Imperial Government in the Parisian edition of the work. By H. C. In two volatiles. Published by Fullerton and Co. temporary of persons still living. Zschokke was .born at Meg_ deburg not at Schaffhausen. But never mind ; he " pre_ seats a striking contrast " to Muller, and so the German's bio- graphy forms a good vis d via to that of the Swiss. And thus it goes on, a scene suggesting a section of history, or a single bio- g, raphy, or a cluster of biographies, till in the former we get down to the war of the Sunderbund and the bold defence of the rights of hospitality in favour of Prince Louis Napoleon, b. gether with the gratitude that has repaid it. The biographies embrace men of eminence, and some men that are not very eminent, who were either Swiss or wrote and resided in Switzer_ land, provided the hero was of German blood—for that seems one of the senses of " La Suisse Allemande." Particular places sug- gest more miscellaneous matters—mountain superstitions, reg. gious discussions, legends and tales. The following is sag- wested by the cave of St. Beatus. This was situated in the face of a rock overlooking the Lake of Than, and to which cave the diemons sometimes strove to confine the saint by raising tem- pests. "The infernal powers, whose altars were deserted, yearned to oppose the triumph of the gospel, and armed the elements against the servant of God. Sometimes a frightful storm of hail compelled him to remain in his cavern ; at another, the boat which was to convey him across the lake was shattered against the rocks. But Christ does not abandon the preachers of his word to the malice of &mons. The angels wove a wonderful cloak for the holy father, by the aid of which he might traverse the lake. By merely sating on that cloak he could be safely transported to whatever places he was de- sirous, in his apostolic zeal, of preaching in. In a moment of distraction he lost that gift of heaven. "The converted idolaters founded a church on the bank of the lake, and St. Achates was chosen as pastor. One Easter Sunday, St. Beatus, thanks to his cloak, entered that church, but found it so full that he sate down on one of the last benches, in order not to interrupt Aehates's sermon. As the heat was oppressive, almost all the congregation fell asleep, to the great grief of the saint, who erieved to find such an indifferenec; for the yofd of God. Whilst indulging in the most melancholy reflections' he saw at under the pulpit, with his great horns, his long teeth, crimAierelaws, and hooked fingers. His left foot was placed on his right knee, and beheld in his hand a crow-quill, with which he hastened to write, on buckskin, the names of all those who, by their unseasonable sleep, so gravely compromised the salvation of their souls. St. Beatus thought of awakening the poor people, who were so rashly exposing themselves to the greatest evils, but he knew that he should commit a mortal sin by interrupting the sermon. Meantime, the Devil went on writing, and his register was already quite filled up, although he had not inserted the names of all the sleepers. He then conceived the idea of stretching out the skin, so he seized hold of one end with his teeth, and the other with his claws' but in his satanic ardour he made so desperate an effort that he broke the skin and knocked his head violently- against the pulpit. That mishap of the king of hell so delighted Beatus that he burst into a fit of laughter' and awoke all the congregation just in time enough to hear the amen of the sermon. They were, conse- quently, saved, and the De dl, in a fury, plunged into the lake. But when St. Retails was desirous of regaining his cell he in vain stretched out his cloak, for the celestial breeze was wanting. The saint then understood that he had sinned by laughing in a holy place, and he was ever afterwards obliged to go on foot to preach the gospel to the Gentiles."
What the writer calls the Alpine mythology, forms an interest- ing part of the work, though strictly, it is rather the popular superstitions of mediaeval Europe adapted as it were to the nature of the country. Beings like Milton s "drudging goblin" or the brownie of Scotland, are most numerous, and take the form of dwarfs, but with more general good nature than always belongs to their tribe in other countries.
"One evening, the Fain was raging in the Alps. A shepherd and his wife, who had withdrawn into their little hut, were listening in terror to the howling wind which shook even the heavy stones placed on the roof of their chalet in order to protect it against the hurricanes. They pitied the poor creatures who should be overtaken by so dreadful a storm in the distant pathways. All at once, by the blue glare of the lightnings, they beheld through their window a poor dwarf hurried along the steep road by torrents of rain and mud, and running the risk of being drowned theirin, on account of his diminitive form. They would fain have called him in and offered him shelter' but the instinctive terror produced by the sight of a superna- tural being deprived them for a time of utterance. Whilst they were deli- berating what to do, they heard some one gently knocking three times at the thick green glass of the window. The shepherd hastened to open the door, and in came the dwarf trembling with cold—his long cloak (the long cloak is the classic costume of dwarfs) dripping wet. Our good folk grew by de- grees leas terrified ; the sense of the duty of hospitality gained the ascend- ant ; and they seemed joyful, although still somewhat terrified. The dwarf, one very different from Madarue d'Aulnoy's frightful yellow one, was all the more grateful for such a good reception, that he had been repulsed from more than one door by the hard-hearted inhabitants of the village. Re seemed, therefore, much moved by the kindness of his hosts, although he did but little honour to the coarse repast they proffered him. The dwarfs, without being Lucullus-like in their tastes, are accustomed to more delicate food than that to which shepherds are habituated. At last they separated with something like deep regret. The dwarf had gained their affection by the cordiality of his manners, apparently forgetting his superior nature, his vast palaces cut in the core of the granite, his numerous herds of graceful chamois, his supernatural knowledge, and his gift of prophecy. They wished him to stay, but he told them he had some business to transact in the mountain. Dwarfs, we know, are always very busy.
"The next day there burst forth a storm even more furious than that of the preceding evening. The fir-trees split asunder with a terrific crash ;. the echoes of the Alps repeated the hoarse roar of the thunder ; the unchained torrents, hurling along entire pieces of rock, rushed madly over the fields and the village. The shepherd and his wife gave themselves up for lost, when they perceived the dwarf descending the torrent, triumphantly seated on a block of stone which he stopped in its course right in front of the hut of his late entertainers, and made it serve as a rampart for it against the fury of the waters. As for the unpitying villagers who had closed their doors upon him, they all perished in the tempest."
The Swiss dwarfs do not appear to possess the malignant feel- ings that animate the fairy tribes of other lands. They leave the wicked or those who injure them to their fate, but they do not seem. actively to revenge themselves.
"How How high the firmament ! How great the ingratitude &man !' That axiom, which issued from the mouths of the dwarfs themselves, explains the reason of their being no longer found in the Bernese mountains: It is said that, one day, when the 'good people' were assisting at.smue field-labours, Oberlander cut half through the maple-tree branches on which they were ?ached, (perched is the proper word,) and that they fell down on the grass, Iiinidgt the shouts of all present. The dwarfs all disappeared, utter- ing the exclamation we have just quoted. Others say that some people ungrateful enough to heat a rock on which they were accustomed to place their feet, and that, indignant at such a snare, they departed, ex- claiming, 0 wicked world, 0 wicked world ! ' " "According to other recitals, it was the imprudent curiosity of Rupert that caused the flight of the dwarfs. We have said that whenever they showed themselves they were always enveloped in long cloaks. That pre- latical costume that eappa warm, so inconvenient for creatures of their size had excited attention' and people whispered that they had geese-feet, but were so kind that that was excused. They had reckoned on keep- ing that little drawback unknown to their good friends of the Oberland, but they did not take Rupert's curiosity into account. For several years they were in the habit of gathering some fine cherries from a famous tree in that peasant's garden, and cherries constitute much of the wealth of those ele- vated valleys. Rupert, who had heard speak of the webbed feet of his pro- tectors, placed ashes all around the tree which they frequented. But, alas! the dwarfs, grieved at the discovery of a secret which they had up to that time so carefully concealed ceased showing themselves in the Alps."
A work constructed on the scheme we have described, must of necessity be deficient both in unity and chronological order. Let the tour have been managed how it would the historical, religious, and biographical matter must have formed a jumble, while dependent for successive exhibition upon the accident of place. There is nothing in the execution to redeem this inherent defect. The travel is rarely more than an attempt to repre- sent nature by pouring forth in hyperbolical language the impression made upon the writer. To an English reader the numerous political and religions discussions, though just enough in the main views, are loose in texture and random in logic. As the book contains gatherings from a wide extent of reading in original works relating to Switzerland and its history, there is a
goodge4 Of, interesting matter in the book, though some of it is
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prettL.Niell; Anown■ already, as the martyrdoms of Huss, and Jerome a l'rage, or the great battles of Swiss freedom. In these parts the style is closer and calmer than in the mere descriptions; but the only quality of any moment is a critical nipety best displayed in judging of the characters of men. This is an example from the remarks on Luther.
"Luther had, unfortunately, all the defects of the race to which he be- longed. His was, undoubtedly, a great heart and a noble mind. Before the Diet of Worms he displayed invincible courage. Moreover, he was pro- foundly imbued with all the generous hatred which the old Germans enter- tained of Roman domination, whether under a political or religious form ; but be was completely under the sway of the mystic tendencies which elm- racterize the genius of the German people. fie was entirely preoccupied with the problems of the inner life. I should add that the monastic restraint through which he had so much suffered, had left a world of phantoms in his imagination. Like Joan d'Are, Francis d'Assise, and Ignatius Loyola, he was subject to frequent hallucinations. Science has triumphantly demon- strated that the highest intelligences are not exempt from this sad infir- mity. Socrates and Pascal may be cited in proof. The most absurd legends of Saxony were adopted by Luther with singular credulity. Ile imagined that he held theological disputations with Satan, wherein, by the by, the fallen archangel displayed a most lamentable ignorance of logic. The Re- former's struggles against these visions, exhausted his strength and his courage, and more than once his health severely suffered therefrom. Whilst he was a prey to the anguish of these internal combats, Mintzer organized the terrible insurrection of the peasantry. The democratic feeling, which Luther all but ignored, burst forth on all sides. Luther was indignant, and instead of taking up a social reform, the necessity of which was but too apparent, he called down on the oppressed multitude the anger of the ba- rons. Every idea of political regeneration was stifled in torrents of blood."
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