heir attention more to humane studies than to base wenches.
Thou wilt ask: Is there no longer any hope of mastering this extension
of heresy? It is certainly slim. The Luzernese, at the head of the Five
Cantons, have taken all possible pains to do this, more, in fact, than
all the bishops together; but from our weak defence, the belief has
been impressed on the multitude, that we have nothing to defend, and
the majority has overcome the better minority. Now the Zurichers can
have their own way with them. Thou knowest what cunning they possess
and what immoveable constancy."

After the German Conference, which lasted eighteen days, a shorter one
followed in the Latin language, for the priests of the bailiwicks of
AElen and Granson. William Farell, a learned Frenchman, who for some
time had been laboring for the Reformation with the most unwearied
zeal, in Western Switzerland, had to do with opponents still more
ignorant than those which fell to his German friends. This part of the
proceedings was so sadly lacking in earnestness and dignity, that the
details of it were not suffered to appear in the Acts of the
Conference, which were immediately put to press and published by the
government of Bern. Zwingli also exerted a powerful influence upon the
city in general, by two sermons. It is narrated, that, during the
delivery of one of them, a priest threw off the mass-robe, which he had
already put on, with the words: "If the mass does not rest on firmer
grounds, I will never celebrate it again." With gratitude the
government of Bern gave a liberal recompense to the foreign scholars
and ambassadors and an escort until they had passed beyond their
borders. Two weeks after the Conference, appeared their detailed
ordinance touching the re-organization of the church-system. In it they
cut themselves loose from all former connection with the bishops:
"Since you"--so they say--"in spite of all prayers and invitations have
staid away from the Disputation, and since you indeed shear the poor
sheep, but have not pastured them, we deprive you of your selfish
trade, and neither we, nor they who come after us, wish to be bound in
any way to you or your successors." All deacons and pastors are
released from their oath to them, and required henceforth to give it to
the government. He who refuses, is to be banished. In regard to the
mass, images and monasteries, they will be dealt with as in Zurich.
Living benefactors of ecclesiastical inst