Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-02-17
INDULGENCES.

D'Aubigne in his " History of the Reforma.
tion," relates the following anecdotes in rela.
ton to the sale of indulgences in Germany.
"a Saxon gentleman inquired of Tetzel, the
seller Of indugences, if he was authorized to
pardon sins in intention, or such as the applicant
intended to commit. Assuredly" answered
Tetzel, 81 have full power from the Pope so to
do.' swell" returned the gentleman, 81
want to take some slight revenge on one of my
enemies, without attempting his life" After
some discussion as to the price, Tetzel assented
and they struck the bargain for thirty crowns.-
Shortly after the Monk set out from Leipsc.
The gentleman, attended by his servants, laid
wait for him in wood-fell upon him, gave
him beating, and carried off the rich chest Of
indulgence money. Tetzel clamored against
this act of violence, and brought an action be-
fore the judges. But the gentleman showed
empted him beforehand from all responsibility,
Duke George, upon seeing this writing, order
ed that the the accused should be acquitted"
"a miner Of Schneehurg, meeting a seller
of indulgenoes, inquired: "Must we believe
what you have often said of the power of in
dulgences and the authority of the Pope, and
think we can redeem a soul from purgatory by
casting penny into the chest :" The dealer
in indulgences affirmed that it was so. "Ah"
replied the miner, "what cruel man the Pope
must be, thus to leave poor soul to suffer so
long in the flames for a single penny. If he
has no ready money! let him collect few hun
dred thousand crowns and deliver all these souls
by one act"
The Monks charged with the sale of indul.
gences were in the habit of paying their tavern
bills with blanks, to be filled out with any name.
These "brevets of salvation were circulated
as money in the markets. This variety of pa.
per currency has, we believe, escaped the atten.
ton of the political economists.
GERMAN ETIQUETTE.-The Germans are the
original inventors and inroducers of the Waltz ;
the waltz is the national dance. 1t is the ever
lasting and never wearying dance of high and
low life. Where there is meeting of any mer-
riment, there they are spinning round in this
eternal whrl. Begin whatever dance they may,
1t is as sure to turn into waltz as that night
follows day. They must spin about together as
If every twirl took them degree nearer to fe-
licty, and like the lark or the eagle, the high
est point of the heaven of existence could only
be reached by gyration. Yet this dance has
shocked other nations, and has not been intro
duced without strong opposition from the more
decorous and serious portion of the population
lis action. Young men taking the young wo
men round the waist, and tw'ling them rount
the room like so many whrligigs, were regar
ded BY decorous mamas and chaperones as yer,
shocking fellows. Yet, would it be believed tina
these same German damsels, who waltz an,
spin away for whole nights together with young
men whom they never saw before, would b,
dreadfuy shocked il one of these same young
men, the day after, on setting out to take pub
lie walk, in company with the father and mothe
and the whole family, or two or three familie
together, were to offer her his arm! Young PEG
pie unless they are formerly betrothed to eac
other, never think Of such thing as walkin
arm-in-arn. This Is SO established and wei
known fact, that in one of their plays, where
young lady, in order to make young man in
fit of jealous anger commit himself irrevocabl
with his afianced love, proposed that he shout
take walk along the city street with hersel
who is known also to be one Of his friends, ex
claims in horror-"What walk arm-in-arr
with lady in public! Heavens |! 1t were mad
ness and destruction"