in short, as a German writer says, 'a beautiful and blessed
land,'--yet here it was that the peasantry were suffering the
greatest extremities of want and oppression, and here began the first
of the series of revolts that preceded the great outbreak of 1525. It
was in the year 1476 that a shepherd lad of Wurzburg, named Hans
Boheim, but commonly known as Hans the Drummer, or the piper--for he
was in the habit of playing on both instruments at weddings, church
festivals, and such occasions--began to meditate on all he saw and
heard,--'to see visions, and to dream dreams;' and one day--it was
about the time of mid-Lent--there appeared to him no less a person
than the 'Glorious Queen of Heaven' herself. The life he had hitherto
led now appeared profane and sinful; he burned his drum in the
presence of the people, and began to preach to them to repent of
their sins, 'for the kingdom of heaven was at hand;' and he commanded
them at the same time to lay aside all costly attire, cords of silk
and silver, pointed-toed shoes and all manner of vanity. The people
hearkened to the new prophet, and great numbers came every holiday
flocking to Niklashausen to hear him. Soon he enlarged his theme.
'The Blessed Virgin,' he said, 'had not only commanded him to preach
the renunciation of all the pomps and vanities of the world, but
likewise to announce the speedy abolition of all existing
authorities; there should be no lords spiritual or temporal, neither
prince nor pope, neither king nor kaiser; but all should be as
brothers; that all taxes and tributes, tithes and dues, should be
done away with; and wood and water, spring and meadow, be free to all
men.'"

In reading this paragraph, one is at first struck with the superfluous
incongruity of preaching against "costly attire and silk and silver cords"
to the ragged and shoeless populace that formed the chief part of the
drummer's audience. But a little reflection suggests that, in the first
place, it gives a preacher a great hold over a mob, to inveigh against the
sins of their superiors, and that, in the next place, there is a very easy
transition from inveighing against the sins of the rich, to disputing
their privileges, and comtemning their power and authority.

"For months together, on all Sundays and holidays, was heard the
voice of the holy y