solders, were encouraged by Lavater, again in their midst, and the
governor-general Frei, next him in command, to descend from the Albis
and hazard another battle. They earnestly begged the Bernese to march
up rapidly through the free bailiwicks and lend them support. The Five
Cantons, threatened thus in front and rear, would be compelled either
to fight, or to retreat. Diessbach refused. Even when Zurich, at his
request, withdrew her troops from the Albis, forsook her own canton and
joined the Bernese at Bremgarten, he still hesitated. The united
forces, now exceeding in number those of the Catholics, occupied five
days in advancing the distance of a few miles, where they again
encamped. Frei could no longer endure such treasonable inaction. On his
own responsibility, aided by the men of Basel, Schaffhausen, and St.
Gall, he pressed on by night to the Gubel. The Bernese slept without
concern. But the Gospel of Christ is not to be upheld by swords and
lances. A second time Zurich was beaten, and her brave captain fell
among the slain.
And yet the Catholics did not gain all they desired. Their faith, as
well as their former just position in the Confederacy, were now
secured, and the unnatural prohibition against the export of provisions
done away; but the Reformation still survived, and their victories did
not give them power sufficient to crush again the liberty of the
Gospel, where it had taken root, or to limit Zurich in her territorial
rights. This, however, they attempted to do, and directly after the
defeat at Cappel invited all the parishes on the further side of the
Albis, together with the entire population on the left shore of the
lake, to abandon Zurich, swear allegiance to them and give hostages for
their fidelity in the future; in return for which, they promised to
guarantee their original liberties and "receive and treat them, as
faithful, loving subjects should be by a mild and paternal government."
In case of refusal, they were to be dealt with in "a hostile and
warlike manner," without mercy. The offer was unanimously rejected, and
information sent to the Council of Zurich, which was repeatedly
assured, that they were resolved to abide by the Gospel till death. The
latter government also remained unshaken, even by the new disaster at
the Gubel; indeed, now for the first time, exhibited a degree of
courage and activity, that was not looked for. And although the Duke of
Wuertemburg had been informed that "the trade of our city is nearly
ruined," orders were sent, only four days after the defeat at Cappel,
to the Zurichan allies, who were still engaged in the siege of the
castle Musso, on the borders of Graubuenden: "Persevere, do not break
up, nor let our affairs trouble you, but prosecute the war boldly and
earnestly, and give the enemy no rest till he surrenders." This reply
was also made, when the Council of Bern, in contrast with the sluggish
leaders of her army, referred the mediators, sent from Solothurn,
Appenzell and Neunburg, to Zurich with the declaration that without her
consent their could be no talk of peace: "It shall never be forgotten,
but told to our children and children's children." Her town-clerk was
authorized, the very day after the battle on the Gubel, to inform the
soldiers on the Italian frontiers: "We are ready to pledge hide and fur
and all that God has given us, not to abandon the field, till the
religious rights of the bailiwicks are secured." Word was sent to the
camp at Baar: "We wish to know what happened at the defeat on the
mountain, who was to blame and who was innocent. You should remember
every day the disgrace of our city of Zurich and seek means to recover
our lost honor." Continually and repeatedly were the Bernese captains
and the government exhorted to prosecute the war with greater vigor;
and when the latter, in order to justify her irresolution, referred to
the armed preparations on the Rhine and on her western borders, against
which she was obliged to guard, when she communicated the fact that the
Archduke Ferdinand had, immediately after receiving the news of the
disaster at Cappel, sat more than half a day in council and, leaving
the Imperial Diet, ridden off to Inspruck, the indignant reply was
made. "We can get nothing more out of it than this, that all our
friends are on the other side of the Rhine, and your reports and ours
in no wise agree; and since these things are not half so dreadful as
represented to you, we beg you not to be frightened at such bug-bears,
but come manfully to our aid." The _Landgrave_ of Hesse, who had
offered money and a thousand men, and the Duke of Wuertemberg, who had
placed at their disposal all his heavy guns at Hohentwiel, were warmly
thanked; but as there was less lack of men than of concord in the camp,
it was resolved to decline this foreign assistance, which could
scarcely have been used.
In the camp itself undoubtedly lay the chief causes of the crippled
condition of affairs, the confusion and the unfortunate results. Not
only did a continual strife prevail between the Bernese and Zurichan
commanders, but the latter stood isolated among his own people. He
himself felt that he had lost the confidence of his troops, and
although he could point to undeniable proofs of his bravery in Italy,
and of his undaunted spirit and presence of mind in the popular
rebellion at T[oe]ss, and although he was among the last to leave the
battle-field of Cappel, and that only when all resistance had become
impossible, yet an inner voice perhaps whispered to him, that among the
glorious band, who had there laid down their lives, the name of the
chief commander should not have been wanting. Intimidated and
perplexed, he attempted no decisive measures. "Of Lavater many said,"
so Bullinger tells us, "that he was frightened, and durst no longer
talk among and with the people. The constrained position of the general
had its effect upon the army. Several of the cowardly and faithless
began to desert, rain set in, and provisions grew scarce. In spite of
every entreaty, to protect at least the Zurichan frontier, the army of
Bern retreated to Bremgarten." "Why do you hesitate to follow?" said
the ensign Hugi of Solothurn. "You shut your eyes on your own
necessities, as your fathers before you in the old Zurich war. As they,
so you are at variance; as they, so you have lost the hearts of your
Confederate brethren; you have no power to make further resistance, and
yet you will not give way."
And in fact the government did not consider it just then consistent
with honor and duty. It was resolved not to entertain the proposals for
peace made by the mediators; because one of the conditions of the
Catholics was, that in the Territories it should be decided by a new
vote whether they would return to the old or continue in the new faith.
Bern also assented to this course. But now an army of 4,000 men from
the Five Cantons, among whom were the lawless foreign mercenaries of Ab
Isola, rushed upon the cottages and hamlets of the unprotected
territory of Zurich, overran the left shore of the lake, and ravaged as
far down as Thalweil. Terror seized the canton. Many fled to the city;
all the roads were filled with weeping-women and children, mingled with
lowing herds, and the alarm-bells resounded on every side. The councils
were called together and the troops still lying at Bremgarten summoned
by their honor and oath to hasten up without delay. They obeyed, but in
vain were the Bernese, first by the treasurer Eddlebach and then by the
burgomaster Roist and two associate councilmen, conjured by everything
which they held sacred, this once to come to the rescue of their old
confederate-sister, only to enter the city for its immediate
protection, whilst the Zurichers would fight without the walls. The
cold answer was, that they would think over the matter, and write to
the troops at Zofingen and the government at Bern. Not all of
Diessbach's army shared this feeling with him. Jacob Mai thrust his
sword at the bear in the banner, as though he would rouse him up to
action. The field-chaplain Kolb spake thus to the assembled soldiery:
"Your forefathers in a like case would have swum through the Rhine to
attack the enemy; at the slightest call they marched to battle; the
Gospel itself does not move you." These words were uttered with
impunity; but yet they produced no effect. The men of Solothurn, Basel,
Schaffhausen, Biel and Muehlhausen also joined the Bernese. Captain
Friedbolt of St. Gall alone declared, that by order of his superiors,
he would place life and property at the disposal of Zurich, and a small
troop from Bischoffzell followed him. The majority of the Thurgovians
and Toggenburgers, who were still encamped with the Zurichers, returned
to their homes.
Meanwhile, the Catholics retired again before the Zurichers, marching
up the left shore, with a reinforcement of 1,000 Graubuendners, ferried
over from the right shore of the lake. The army under Hans Escher, who
had succeeded Lavater in the chief command, encamped above Horgen on
the heights of the Zimmerberg. Zurich now stood unsupported, except by
her confederates of Graubuenden and a few from St. Gall. The rural
districts were sighing for peace, and the Five Cantons began also to
desire it. The absence of all the able-bodied men increased the
distress at home, which was already great enough by reason of the
famine; the inclemency of an early winter gave few charms to a life in
the field, and the hamlets on the frontier, crowded with soldiers,
began to feel the pinchings of want. Under these circumstances a letter
was addressed by the Five Cantons to the "Parishes general and special,
who are subject to Zurich," requesting them to conclude a special peace
with the Catholics, in case the capital would refuse to do so. This
produced a great excitement. Deputies from various parts of the canton
appeared before the government, with the earnest prayer, that some
means might be devised to prevent further invasion and relieve them
from the burdens of the war, which had now became almost intolerable.
After a long and violent struggle, the peace-party triumphed in the
Council. Negotiations were opened; but the decision on the side
of the Zurichers, according to ancient custom, was transferred to
the commons-at-war, to whom the Council sent several of its most
influential members as deputies.
Whilst the latter were assembling, the leaders of the Catholics
deliberated over the conditions to be proposed. Their views were
conflicting. Several of the most violent asserted that now the time had
come to compel the city and canton of Zurich to return to the old
faith, and that the restoration of the mass should be made an
indispensable condition of peace.--Zurich, the _schultheiss_ Golder
declared, would never consent to this. He was supported in his opinion
by the _landammen_ Froger and Toss. And they even succeeded in securing
for the inhabitants of the Territories, with the exception of the free
bailiwicks and the burghers of Rapperschweil and Wesen, the privilege
of retaining the Reformation, provided all those, who henceforth might
wish to return to the mass, should be permitted to do so. One solitary
voice objected to this liberality. Ægidius Tschudi deplored the result.
"The counsel was pernicious," said he, "and a great injury to the true
Catholic faith, to which God had given the victory. Accordingly,
neither the _schultheiss_, nor they who followed him, namely, _amman_
Froger of Uri and _amman_ Toss of Zug, and several others, lived many
years afterward."
Meanwhile the consultation was opened in the Zurichan camp by Escher,
with the exhortation neither to be too fearful, nor yet too passionate.
He said that the position of Zurich was critical, but not at all
desperate; and that God would undoubtedly defend his Gospel, in which
we should persevere to the last extremity. So to do was the unanimous
resolution. But then opinions varied as to what should be done in
regard to the Territories. Several persons, and among whom Sergeant
George Mueller was prominent, made strong appeals to the sacred duty,
which bound them to act for the people of the Territories, who had been
summoned to a common resistance and assured of protection and help, as
they would for their own. Others, on the contrary, endeavored to uphold
the right of the Five Cantons to name conditions of peace in this case.
But the following speech of an aged _amman_, Suter of the Horgerberg,
had the greatest influence in bringing matters to a conclusion.
"Our general has spoken for a long time, and exhorted us not to be in a
hurry to make peace. This perhaps might suit our Lords in the city.
They have less to lose than we. Their support and revenues are sure,
but our houses and hamlets are exposed to destruction. We have now been
beaten twice by the enemy, and suffered a great defeat. It is easily
seen that luck is against us. And there is no use to comfort ourselves
because we have an abundance of supplies and provisions and our enemies
none. For the greater their need, the greater will be their desire to
injure us. Necessity drives them. It has already stirred up fury and
revenge amongst them, and wrought great mischief, not only that we have
violated the federal compact and the _Landfriede_ toward them, but also
that we have denied them the right to take away provisions; hence God
is now angry at us and fights himself against us. We cannot rely on the
aid of the Bernese. What good has all their force done us? We have not
yet been able to prevail on them, in spite of every prayer and
entreaty, to defend the city of our Lords, whilst we of the Horger are
willing to incur the risk of danger, notwithstanding, they can lie
there in security, since our Lords have commanded us to encamp against
the main body of the enemy. The Bernese marched up very slowly to the
battlefield of Cappel, and helped us very little, and they would not
consent to send their troops to the Zugerberg. Remember the old saying,
handed down from our forefathers: 'the men of Zurich will suffer loss
rather than dishonor; the men of Bern dishonor rather than loss.' When
we of Zurich undertake anything, we stake our all upon it, and look for
success or failure; but the Bernese are just the reverse, sharing the
victory with us in every enterprise, without putting their own skins in
danger.[2] Some one has said, 'A loss should bring a man to his
senses.' Since then we have experienced loss upon loss, we certainly
ought to stop and think."
After this the negotiations were prosecuted vigorously on all sides.
The commander-in-chief, with a numerous guard, went over to the leaders
of the Five Cantons; a second meeting was held the next day and a
treaty of peace concluded, of which the following are the chief
articles: The Reformation shall be guaranteed in Zurich and all her
immediate dependencies, as well as in those parts of the Territories,
where it has already been received; yet all those, who may wish to
return to the mass, or to prove by a new vote, which is the prevailing
party, shall be at liberty to do so. Church property was to be divided
according to the census. Zurich pledged herself to abstain from any
further intervention, where she had no claim to rule. The Christian
_Buergerrecht_ and the first _Landfriede_ were abrogated. The few
remaining articles were devoted to damages, or the restitution of
property, which had been seized. During the formation of the treaty the
name of "Confederates" was once more heard. And now, after its
conclusion, the deputies dismounted from their horses and knelt down in
prayer. Then Captain Escher stepped up to the _schultheiss_ Golder and
the bailiffs of the Five Cantons, and offered his hand to each of them.
Tears stood in every eye. They gave each other their canteens to drink
from, took a friendly leave and returned to their respective camps.
But then a hard destiny, fines, punishments, the oppression of
soldiers, quartered upon them, and a partial loss of their rights, were
looked for by the inhabitants of Rapperschweil, the people in Caster
and the free bailiwicks, and especially the cities of Bremgarten and
Mellingen. Zurich had attempted to do what she could, at least for the
latter, and invited them, through Rudolph Stoll, to send deputies to
her negotiation with the Five Cantons. They refused to do it, relying
on the protection promised by the Bernese, a part of whose forces were
yet lying in their neighborhood. But these retired, as soon as the
Catholics turned against them with serious purpose, and prepared for
action, after the conclusion of the peace with Zurich. Urgently and
sadly did the two cities beg the Bernese not to leave them helpless--to
make some proposals at least in their behalf. The _schultheiss_
Mutschli rode to Aarau after the commander Diessbach. He could
remember, he there said to him, that it was only with reluctance, and
after repeated orders from Zurich and Bern, that Bremgarten had
prohibited the sale of provisions to the Five Cantons--that the
vengeance of the enemy was sure, and their destruction very probable.
Thus also spoke the people of Mellingen, as well as those of the free
bailiwicks. "We do not treat you in this manner willingly," answered
Diessbach, "but under the pressure of necessity. Act according to
circumstances; Bern must take care of her own rights." Then Mutschli
turned away with the words: "Jeremiah, the prophet, has spoken: 'Cursed
be he who trusts in an arm of flesh!' This has been fulfilled to us
this day. You cast us off in our misery. How can we then ever respect
your claims? God in Heaven judge between us!" Once more they came to
Zurich with prayers for succor, and immediately five deputies were
dispatched to the Catholics at Muri, to intercede in their behalf. "You
shall ride night and day," so they were instructed, "and not give over
till the oppression of the people is removed, and you have obtained
peace for them." But the Five Cantons remained inexorable, and the best
that Zurich could do for her forsaken allies was to open her own gates
for the reception of the most needy. Richly did one of these fugitives
repay her for that act of kindness. In Henry Bullinger, the canton
found the most worthy successor of her reformer. His talent, his
mildness of character, his wise limitation of himself to what belonged
directly to his calling, appeased the wide-spread discontent with the
clergy, especially those from abroad, to whose instigations the late
confusion and disaster were attributed; whilst on the other hand, his
ample stores of knowledge, his unshaken firmness, where duty was
concerned, and his unwearied zeal maintained the freedom of the Gospel
and the cause of the Reformation, as far as could be in the midst of
the general exhaustion. Meanwhile there was no hindrance to the return
of the old estate to the limits of the canton and outside of it.
Numerous altars were restored. The Catholic church and her priests
awoke to renewed activity. Into the desolate cells of St. Gall, Muri,
Einsiedeln, Wettingen, Rheinau, Katharinenthal, Hermatschweil and
Gnadenthal marched back their exiled, or fugitive occupants, and in the
feeling of victory, arose to new and stronger power. And now, what does
this history teach? What does it teach every succeeding generation?
That in all centuries wisdom and mildness, as well as rashness and
violence, are the same. The former are a blessing to the nations, full
of light and warmth; the latter only lead to unfruitful reactions.
Whatever the Reformers did and said for the liberty of the Gospel has
remained and borne rich fruits. All attempts on the other hand, to help
this liberty to a triumph, in the way of violence, have only wrought
injury. So, too, in our times, no good is to be hoped for from _any_
party, whether under civil or ecclesiastical form, the inspiring soul
of which is not the divine breath of love. The stronger the
independence of the individual and the power of national feeling rise
along with the everywhere growing freedom of the press, that engine of
reformation in the hands of the Almighty, the more indispensable does
it become for those who would lead others, to win them over by
conscientious persuasion. But he alone can produce any permanent
impression, who along with the free, true and loving word unites the
power of his own example. Thinkers, indeed, might be willing to listen
to the former, but the latter, speaks more clearly than any mere
doctrine ever can, to the very heart of the people. Henceforward, naked
power can establish nothing. No longer can the strong mind (and this is
the character of the coming age) rule the world; only the strong and
good will be able to show, _how God rules it_; but the princes and
nations, who recognize this the soonest, shall become the wisest, and
they also will attain the greatest power.
FOOTNOTES TO CHAPTER NINTH:
Footnote 1: The author did not think it necessary to give here all the
particulars of the battle. A fuller description of it may be found in
his larger work: "_Geschichte der Eidgenossen wæhrend der Zeiten der
Kirchentrennung_." II. 373, ff. Gelzer has a still more circumstantial
account in a special work, "_Die Schlacht bei Cappel_." Zurich,
Schultheiss. 1831. But the most accurate, including the minutest
details, even to the names of all who were killed, and everything that
could be collected from contemporaneous reports, is contained in
Bullinger's Chronicles, which were published a few years ago.
Footnote 2: On the contrary, in the civil wars between the two
religious parties during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the
Bernese "put their skins in danger," whilst the Zurichers did not;
though with just as little success, at least in the first.