Zwingli, with his wife
Margaretta Meili, in moderate circumstances and universal esteem. Eight
sons and two daughters were the fruit of their marriage. The third of
these sons, born on the first of January 1484, seven weeks after
Luther's birth-day, received the name of his father. A brother of the
bailiff, Bartholomew Zwingli, was chosen by the burghers of Wildhaus,
who a short time before had separated from the mother-church of Glarus,
as the first pastor of the new congregation. The mother also had a
brother of the clerical order, John Meili, abbot of Fischingen. A pious
and friendly man, he loved the children of his sister, as if they were
his own. In the bosom of an honest family, breathing the pure cool air
of a green Alpine region, amid the simple pleasures of a shepherd's
life, the little Ulric grew up vigorously, quick-witted, looking out
into the world with clear eyes, and though somewhat rude like his
countrymen, yet gifted with senses fully alive to the beauties of
nature and the harmonies of voice and instrument.

The early signs of promise, which he gave, were the means of opening
for him the path to scientific culture. His uncle, being made deacon at
Wesen, left Wildhaus in 1487, and took the boy with him. By his help
and that of the teacher at Wesen, he was prepared in his tenth year to
enter the Theodore School at Little Basel, whither he now went, again
supported and recommended, as is probable, by his uncle.

It may not be amiss to introduce some notice of the educational system
of that age.

Lowest in rank appear the German schools. Here and there teachers were
provided for them by the parish-officers, but in other places the
supply was left to accident. Older students, under the name of
_lehrmeister_, traveled around, oftentimes with wives, practising their
vocation and hiring themselves out for longer or shorter periods. Two
well-painted placards of these strolling masters are preserved in the
library at Basel. They exhibit the interior of a school-room. On one
the children are sitting and kneeling on the floor with their books,
whilst the master, rod in hand is teaching a boy at his desk and his
wife a girl in the opposite corner; the other represents a chamber in
which older scholars are receiving instruction. The following
advertisement is written beneath both:

"Whoever wishes to learn to write and read German in the very quickest
way ever found out, though he does not know a single letter