em of the motion of the
heavenly bodies and the laws, that govern them, and strengthened their
hopes of an eternal existence in the immeasurable realms of space.

The three friends, thus closely joined in noble endeavor, lived in
daily, social, intercourse with others, whom hereafter, when the more
earnest days of manly activity have arrived, we shall find arrayed, as
in the cases of Eck and Faber, among the most bitter opponents of
Zwingli.

The morals of that period, as every one knows, were loose and corrupt,
and only too much opportunity was afforded for indulging in pleasures
of every kind, especially in a large city. For young men, left to their
own guidance in the heyday of life, it was difficult to keep within
proper bounds on all sides. But his love of music, that very thing so
severely blamed in after times by hypocritical pietists, was the means
of preserving Zwingli from every thing low and mean. His early
conviction of the value of time taught him to be very sparing of it,
and the lofty ideal, which floated before him and his friends, their
youthful plans of future greatness, kept them unsoiled amid the swamps
of temptation, till at a later period their place was more effectually
supplied by the purer influence of religion.

After a residence of two years abroad the young Switzer came back again
to his native mountains, full of vigor, sound in mind and body, and
amply prepared to enter upon any professional pursuit. He appears to
have remained only a short time at home. The country village was little
suited to the prosecution of his further designs. A situation as
teacher of languages was offered him in the school of St. Martin at
Basel, and he there began his public career in the year 1502. No
intelligence has reached us concerning the nature of his labors. He had
probably only elementary branches to teach; for the university, as
formerly constituted, exerted on the teachers of the foundation-schools
under its control, an influence rather paralyzing than encouraging.
Nevertheless he conscientiously applied himself to his studies and
associated for this purpose with Leo Judae, who, born two years earlier
than Zwingli at Rappersweier in Alsace, stood faithfully at his side in
all his later course and will yet receive frequent mention in this
history. He also shared with him his love of music.

But now the period had arrived, when in the study of religious
doctrine, the end and meaning of their future lif