ities
were so well disposed. The pastor had made a report at Solothurn,
against the godless intention of performing a worldly piece on a
Sunday, and the Bishop and Chapter pressed the government to prevent
such misconduct. This made the young men very indignant. One Sunday
afternoon, when the church bells sounded for the catechisings, the
dissonance of a drum mingled with their solemn sound. It was the
parochial servant, who had become old as a drummer in foreign service;
he was a master of his instrument, and on this occasion was not in the
service of the council, but of the actors for the rehearsal of the
procession. The great strength with which the veteran played in the
closest vicinity to the church, and the pleased twinkle of his eye,
betrayed that he had lost at Rome and Naples all respect for
ecclesiastics, and had particular pleasure in vexing the priests. He
had before this avowed to me that he did not believe all Calvinists
would burn in hell; he had told his pastor at confession that he had
always been good friends with his Bernese comrades, and that he felt
assured the good God would not cast away such brave fellows into the
jaws of the devil; when in consequence of this, the pastor had refused
him absolution, he had gone away saying: 'Good Mr. Pastor, henceforth I
throw all my sins on your back.' So he marched round the house of God,
overpowering the voice of the preacher, and causing the young people to
run out of the church to see the procession. The clergy had good reason
to complain, as people had been disturbed in their devotions. Soon
there appeared an order from the government for the affair to be
investigated; there was some difficulty in bringing it to a
satisfactory conclusion, but the union promised never again to disturb
the worship of God, and the ecclesiastics dropped their opposition to
the performance.

"At last the great day for the first performance came. It was Sunday,
the 15th of March, 1840. At mid-day the village was all astir; about
two o'clock the procession was arranged, and began its march along the
old high road which led from the village to the baths. The ground was
still covered with snow, but the sun shone bright. First came a
carriage with a brass band from Fulder, which was travelling in western
Switzerland; this band played a solemn march. Then the knights with
mounted retainers, two and two, in brilliant Burgundian armour, as many
as forty horse; then again carriages ador