His own Gospel, though it should
for the moment call for its martyrs, he acknowledged the duty of
abiding by his Zurichers, whose temporal and eternal welfare he desired
from the bottom of his heart, in the defence of their native soil, even
unto death; of proving by his own blood, that it was no mere selfish
ambition or love of revolution, which had prompted him to speak and
act, as in their blindness, his raging enemies had asserted. Not in
sullen stupefaction, not in a fit of frenzy or of recklessness did he
march forth, but with the earnestness of a man, who knows what may
happen, and, not girding himself with his own hands, relies on the arm
of Him, who is best acquainted with the human heart, and pardons the
multitude of our errors, if only redeemed by faith, love, and a spirit
of self-sacrifice. A Winterthurer, Hans Maaler, who rode one rank
behind him, narrates that he heard him pray for himself and especially
for the church of Christ with great fervency.

On the summit of the mountain the wearied soldiers were obliged to rest
for a while. From the valley below, the thunder of cannon was
distinctly heard in the neighborhood of Cappel. But how few in numbers,
how motley was the host that here assembled once more around the
banner! A part, consisting of the heavy-armed and the aged, were still
climbing upward, and the artillery, again delayed for want of horses,
lingered far behind. There was little to encourage a prudent general to
venture rashly, with such fragments of an army, from ground, which he
could hold even with these, down into the open field; at least, whilst
he could count with certainty on a considerable increase in the course
of a few hours, and could employ the interval in the most needful
instruction and arrangement of his troops. There was reason also to
hope, from the tenor of the commands, which he had received, that
G[oe]ldli, as soon as he could no longer defend himself at a distance
with his cannon, would rather fall back upon the mountain. It was,
therefore, military experience, and not cowardice, which led William
T[oe]nig to advise a halt, till the arrival of those in the rear. But
Zwingli, whose thoughts dwelt only upon his last duty, and the distress
of his neighbors, attacked by an invading force and anxiously waiting
for help, immediately replied: "I will go down to the good people in
God's name; to die with them, or to aid in their deliverance." Lavater,
already perhaps despairing of