the year 1516, the same, in which he
had already received a call to Einsiedeln. He must first stand firm on
his own feet, before he can begin the attack. Hitherto, the Holy
Scriptures had been his daily and nightly study, and he knew the
greater part of them literally by heart. Before this, he had made his
debut as a political reformer, but of his doings in this sphere, we
will only be able to judge rightly, when we have taken a view of the
relations of the confederates to their neighbors in Upper Italy.

Long before the original articles of the confederacy, the alliance of
the three Forest Cantons of Dec. 9, 1315, were concluded, the highways
over Mt. Gotthard had become the channels of an active commerce between
Germany and Italy. When they were opened for this purpose cannot be
clearly shown, but they were certainly so used in the twelfth century.
The inhabitants of Uri, and partly also those of Schwytz and
Unterwalden supplied the Italian markets with their cattle, and the
mountain-valley of Urseren flourished particularly by means of this
trade. But they had dangerous neighbors in the turbulent Lavinians on
the south side of Gotthard. Here the Swiss and Italians met each other
in hostile attitude at an early period; for the first time, as far as
we know, in the year 1331. The Lavinians had plundered some merchants
on their way to Switzerland, as well as harrassed the people of Urseren
who drove their cattle to Bellinzona. They were supported in this
course by their landlords, the Visconti, Dukes of Milan. Uri called on
Schwytz and Unterwalden for help, and on Zurich also, although it was
not then included in the confederacy. The allies marched out and
pressed on to Faido, spreading universal terror. The General Vicar of
Como mediated a peace; but from that time forth we find the
confederates continually entangled in the affairs of Upper Italy.
Campaigns of a greater or less extent are undertaken, and treaties
struck, broken, and again renewed. The chief business seems to have
been the settlement of boundaries.

Perhaps it would have been better, if all that lay on the further side
of Gotthard and the Bundtner Alps had remained without any direct
communication with Switzerland. There is too wide a difference between
the Italian and the German character. But the struggle to secure for
their chief products an advantageous market had greater weight with the
three shepherd cantons. Sustained by their confederation they