THE FUGGER LETTERS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 147, 24 June 1933, Page 22

THE FUGGER LETTERS

.RIME, FAITH, Si SUPERSTITION

.(Bjr; "Ajax.")

Vlie Fugger News-Letters: First Series. Being a Soleotion of Unpublished Letters from the Correspondent, of tlio HoUso of Fugger during the years. 1568-1605. 'Edited by Victor yon '.Klarwill. 7 Second English Edition.''Loudon: John I_i_e, The .' " . Bodley Hcadj Lt<l. Published Price .. 3S 6d. , ■,■■■; ■.-;,' ." ■''~* . [uth jSToticc] Instead-of saying,-as I did last week, that the casual seeker after entertainment could dip in this astonishing lucky-bag and never miss, I ought to havo substituted some' broader word for "entertainment." The interest is almost unfailing, but _ the interest is often of a painful character as when tho treatment of witches, the damnable cruelties of tho Inquisition, or the more eonimonplaco crimes and punishments arc the subjects discussed. Among the Picss opinions quoted on the dust-cover is one from "The Timos." which rtebcnbcs tho book as "a sample of the raw matciia! of histoiy, which it would be hard to beat for interest." And history itself, according to Gibbon, is "indued little more than tho register of the crimes follies aud misfortunes of mankind." But whether the subject i*, pleasant or unpleasant theie is no ■ .oating and no sentimentality,,the unadorned simplicity of 'the nanativc adds greatly to its power, and tho moral, where there is one, is always i harming. , _ »■"■*■ Hero ii a remarkable story of crime which, like the bulk of the contents of tho book, can have been of.no value m tho Golden Counting House-at Augsburg for the purpose of its business, tyit was evidently valued as news just as a modern editor would value it. T^hc heading "Murder Will Out" is presumably that of the modern editor.

Fiom Jem m ,S.-.onv, the 12 _ d_y ot Pcptembcr, 1596, in the electoi.il town ot Dicßden it otcimrd httcrly that * tan nor was oiled away from his house Dining tin*, time the . veeutionei, who hi M u.mmcicc with him in skins, tame into hi. "house, and finding that the tanner wis absent, he assaulted his wife, vrolited her, and cut off her held. When the tannei returned he knocked ior a long time md, is no one opened unto him, s>ou. lit .is, .*-lanco from his nei_.lilmu. ..ben, however, the de,id woman was discoveicd the. accused the husband md put him into puson. Theie he was ciuelly toituied by the executionei, so that in gieat agony he confessed to the murder. . , Thei. upon he , was condemned to die oi> the rack. M he*was led forth undeservedly to, execution and. the executioner.'had already broken one of his legs, and was going to break the'*other. lhe wheel caught the executioner by the n, _k so that'he was unable to get away. .\-i he was pinned in this, position he conlcrted the deed and wj's tafcen into custody. He was confronted with the injured man.. The tanner will be healed and great honour has been shown to him. The executioner still lies in prison. God allows nothing,to remain concealed, and all things, 'whether great or small, always come to the light of day.

It is a .wonderfully simple .faith that finds in tho'rpscue of tho tanner and the substitution of the'executioner at'| the last possible moment proof that] God always brings,all things, whether' great or small, to the light of human clay. But the unquestioning and unexplaining faith displayed in tho telling of the still-'more*extraordinary story in the same letter isoven more remarkable. ' The "deplorable affair" had happened a fortnight previously 'at Halberstadt, eighteen miles away. A parson had been summoned to baptise * a woman's new-born child, and was about to return home when a thunderstorm drove him back to her house and kept him there for two' hours.

In the meantime the acconcbee and others with her fell, asleep. Thereupon the parsori seized,the child and ran away with it! Shortly after.the -people awake, and look round for the child. The father-1 runs to'theparson's house and goesdnto it. YAs' lie ' enters the rooiri lie sees the parson standing before the table and the child cut in foiir -parts in a cauldron. Thereupon he caused the parsori- to be taken prisoner. The latter confessed that had he had another quarter of an hour's grace, neither corn' nor. wine nor the grass in tho field*-.-would, have remained, and everythingon the; ground * .would have perished. This, however,* the good Lord prevented in His mercy and for that we must be grateful-to Him. ~ '■ . 7

Why-waa the parson suddenly seized ■with the desire to run away with the child* arid use . his littlo; body :as _a charm* for the destruction of crops and vineyards? As this was not the normal behaviour" of the parsons of. that time, o_o might, have expected a word of surpfis? or 'in attempted explanation, hut^ there is not one., Possession by devils was, of course, a fairly familiar phenomenon in those days, as these pages ' testify. A vnry simple case was briefly reported from Vienna on September 3, 1583 (0.5.), " ,

The Jesuists here; two weeks ; ago, in company of the Bishop drove out a devil from a poor maid. Her mother is a witch and lies; still in jail: .First it was rail of no avail, but finally she was given a drink of holy water. She had not'long partaken of this before Satan left her. V

The most detailed and thrilling- account of a conflict between the Church and the powers of darkness is given in a lotter'from Madrid, jvhich bears no date, biif is apparently assigned to the year 1581. The hamlet of CaTongo in Catalunia (sic) had been invaded by a terrifying storm and a huge cloud, in which could be perceived a whole legion of evil spirits of various shapes and most loathsomely deformed. Some were ike lions, others "like wolves, otjiers again like dogs, and "others like men 'or wild animals. Many also were like ravens and other black birds.... The clergy proceeded to walk with the ;ftrue ' cross from the church to the* cemetery in order to exor** cisc them. But all to no purpose: they .paid no heed to it.

When the "Pr.iepositus" saw . what •"'is happening, he came to the relief, carrying the Blessed Sacrament. .-■-.

Then ,it: was.seen-,-, that most of, the spirits'rushed into, a pond formed by; arivulet 'two stones' throw distance from the •village.'*1 Therefrom presently arose a great'flame Of fire and smoke;, as broad and tall as :a"veritable belfry,prising to' the very clouds. The flame stank most vilely of sulphur.. Meanwhile many of tire spirit, circled like ravens round and round. Among, them ,an especially frightful and terrifying bird." 'They tore up nine olive trees, many nut and cherry trees, and .also, many tufts of grass and earth. Oue vineyard they, burned.:...

When it was seen that the Storm would, not cease, tile,Praepositus, with the most Blessed-...Sacrament,.' ascended to the church belfry, where there was such, a violent wind that he fell'bae_wards7 'Tne, cross fell down from the'tower without causing damage. From the; clouds there

fell much water which, however, caused but little harm. The inhabitants of this hamlet having witnessed such a'gruesome and'frightful occurrence remained iii great fear.' ■ ', • . ' ■'■. And,well they might!