Page images
PDF
EPUB

CHAP.

I.

characters.

him of dangerous designs; 1 and even Scultetus,2 a member of the reformed, or Swiss church, gives some countenance to the former of these charges. Seckendorf, however, pronounces it mere surmise; and certainly it appears to be unsupported by any thing in the conduct of the parties concerned, and contrary to all the principles on which they were acting.

it

Leading Before entering upon the business of the diet, may be useful further to recal to the reader's memory the principal leaders on both sides. On that of the papists there were, besides the emperor Charles V, and his brother Ferdinand archduke of Austria, and now also king of Hungary and Bohemia, (who had administered affairs for the emperor during his absence,)— the pope's legate Campeggio, Joachim elector of Brandenburg, George duke of Saxony, and William, of Bavaria. These were all vehement Roman Catholics.3 Henry duke of Brunswick was on the same side: but he was at this time comparatively moderate; though he afterwards became one of the most violent. The same was to a considerable degree the case with the cardinal archbishop and elector of Mentz, brother to Joachim of Brandenburg, and the first prince of the empire. The name of the archbishop and elector of Cologne5 also occurs; but he seems to have taken no active part in this diet. Probably he was already well dis2 Annal. 155.

1 Seck. ii. 155, 156.

3 Evangelicæ causæ omnium infensissimi. Seck.
4 Melanc. Epist. i. 4.

5" The right of choosing the emperor had long been vested in seven great princes, distinguished by the name of electors. They were, at that time, the archbishops of Mentz, Cologne, and Triers, the king of Bohemia, the count palatine of the Rhine, the duke of Saxony, and the marquis of Brandenburg."-Robertson.

posed towards reformation; and we shall ultimately find him a confessor and sufferer in the cause of protestantism.-To these are to be added two papal nuncios, Cheregato and Pimpinello; and the cardinal archbishop of Salzburg. The bishop of Augsburg also was on the same side, though he acted on more than one occasion a remarkable part, and a part more favourable to the protestants than any of the rest.

On the side of the protestants were John, surnamed the Constant, elector of Saxony, and his son John Frederic; Philip landgrave of Hesse; George marquis of Brandenburg Anspach;1 Ernest and Francis dukes of Lunenburg; Wolfgang prince of Anhalt; Albert count Mansfeld; and count Philip of Hanover: to which are to be added the deputies of several imperial cities.2

Each party also brought with them some of their principal divines; to whose assistance recourse might be had as circumstances should require. Faber, Eckius, Cochlæus, and de Wimpina were among those of the papal party: Melancthon, Justus Jonas, Spalatinus, Snepfius, and Agricola, were the chief on the part of the protestants. Bucer, Hedio, and Capito also attended from Strasburg; but they leaned more to Zuinglius than to Luther. The elector of Saxony took Luther with him as far as Coburg: but, fearing for his safety,3 or unwilling to offend the emperor by bringing into his presence a man excommunicated by the

1 Joachim was also marquis of Brandenburg, but George was not elector.

2 Milner, v. 554. (1156.) The first seven were the princes who signed the Confession: and among them we with pleasure remark an ancestor of our own royal family. Ernest of Lunenburg was great grandfather of George I.

3 Seck. ii 202.

A. D.

1530.

CHAP.

The

I.

entry into Augsburg. June 15.

pope, and proscribed by the edict of Worms, he left him in the castle of that city, as a place at once of security and convenience, where he might be informed of what passed, and give his counsel if required.1

The emperor had been met at Inspruck, in Emperor's the Tyrol, by several of the electors and princes of the empire; some of whom endeavoured to infuse into his mind the most injurious prejudices and suspicions against the elector of Saxony. Accompanied by these personages, his brother Ferdinand, the legate Campeggio, the ambassadors of France, England, and Portugal, and met by all the other princes and grandees at some distance from the city, he entered Augsburg on the evening of Wednesday the fifteenth of June. Maimbourg gives, from Celestine, (who has made a voluminous collection of all things pertaining to this diet,) a pompous description of his entry; which may be dispensed with in this place.2 Suffice it to say, that the elector of Saxony, as marshal of the empire, rode immediately before the emperor, who was supported on his right by the archbishop of Mentz, and on the left by the archbishop of Cologne. He was immediately followed by king Ferdinand and the pope's legate; to whom succeeded three cardinals on white mules, and then a long train of archbishops and bishops, and of German, Spanish, and Italian nobles, officers, and troops. The procession advanced, "amid the firing of cannon, the ringing of bells, the sounding of trumpets, and the beating of drums," directly to the cathedral church; where the pomp was closed by the singing of hymns, and the legate's benediction.

1 Seck. ii. 152.

2 In Seck. ii. 160, 161.

In short, the whole scene was arranged to produce the most imposing effect; and the diet itself was "such a full assembly as was suitable both to the importance of the affairs which were to come under their consideration, and to the honour of an emperor, who, after a long absence, returned to them crowned with reputation and success." 1

Seckendorf has added some interesting or amusing circumstances relative to the entry, which, though drawn from the same sources as Maimbourg's narrative, are omitted by that writer. On the approach of the princes who came out of the city to meet him, the emperor and his brother dismounted, and received them in the most gracious manner; but the legate and cardinals sat still on their mules. The legate also, to draw the more attention to his official character and authority, seized this opportunity of pronouncing his benediction, which the emperor and the princes of that party humbly knelt down to receive; while the elector of Saxony and his associates, who did not much value a pontifical blessing, and perhaps thought it at this time ostentatiously, rather than either piously or seasonably given, continued standing. At the entrance of the city the elector of Brandenburg welcomed the legate, in the name of all the bishops and prelates, in a Latin speech-which none of those dignitaries had felt himself prepared to do. This amused the emperor, who praised the learning and eloquence of Joachim, while he somewhat sarcastically noticed the silence of the ecclesiastics.-In the cathedral also some contest, it appears, arose concerning the benc

1 Robertson, iii. 47.

A. D.

1530.

CHAP.

1.

Procession

of the Host.

diction. The cardinal of Salzburg came forward to pronounce it: but he was indignantly repelled by the legate, who chose again to perform that service himself.

The firmness and principle of the protestant princes were soon put to the proof. The day after the emperor's entry into Augsburg was the festival of Corpus Christi, or the holy sacrament, when a grand procession of the host was to take place. Indeed it appears that the time was arranged with reference to this circumstance; and this, with the proceedings which follow, is ascribed to the counsels of the legate. Late in the evening, after all the rest had retired, the emperor sent for the protestant princes, and signified to them his pleasure that they should attend him in the procession of the ensuing day. This was the more marked, as all the other princes were left at liberty to follow their own inclination.2 Having anticipated the demand made upon them, the princes promptly replied, that it was contrary to their consciences to comply. George marquis of Brandenburg was their spokesman; and he, having received a sharp answer from Ferdinand, placed his hand on his neck, and made this memorable declaration; "Rather would I instantly kneel down, and in the emperor's presence submit my neck to the executioner, than prove unfaithful to God, and receive or sanction antichristian error." The emperor merely observed, with mildness and address, "That there was no intention to take any man's life."-The matter in debate was then deferred till the morning; 3 when, by the

1 "Castigatum abegit."

2 Seck. ii. 202.

3 So intent, however, was the emperor upon his object, that he sent again to the elector that night. The elector excused himself as requiring rest. Seck. ii. 162.

« PreviousContinue »