New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-12


interesting and the most puzzling In the history
If medieval Germany. Germany was 10 ne
land Of many cities. and yet he put obstacles IN
tho wav Of their growth It was to be. and 1t
was in his time the land Of heresies lie was
himself the ideal hereto and yet he encouraged
violent prosecutions Mr. Henderson credits the
charge Of pope Gregory TX that Frederick called
Moses Mahomet and Christ the three inpos'ors
vho had deceived the whole world. The remark
is worthy Of Vol,aire but il must be remembered
that Frederick's youth spent among 'he
luxurious and free thinking Saracens OF SICILY
that he kent a harem in the Oriental FASHION all
his life and that he rarely missed an opportunity
10 make a sharp speech. When all Europe was
afYrIghted in 1241 by the rumored approach OF Inc
Mongols under Batou Khan, grandson vi "e"-
ghIs Khan. 1t was said that "Batou han ohered
Frederick II he would lay down his arms. iu-
crative employment at the Mongol Court rre"-
er,ck was said to have answered that ne Rne" Il
good deal about birds-On which SUBJECT DIS II
happens treatise Of his has come down 10 us
and would like the position OF falconer' ne was
perhaps responsible for the wittlcism that 'he
Mongols were coming to make peace between tne
empire and the papacy. Sardonically inolhereh'
to matters OF belief, he could only nave peeh d
prosecutor for political ends. He was aware that
he nod boon from the beginning OF his reign, an
object OF suspicion to the Dominicans VINO were
then fairly started on thei; career OF murderous
activity M rank was safe from their accusa-
,,ons "rho ,nouisi.ors TO whom Frederick was
obliged ont Of Difference 10 the Pope to grant his
imperIal protection went on the principle as the
Trustworthy annals Of Worms tell us. that they
would rather burn a hundred innocent persons
than let one guilty one escape" A single incident
Of the times shows. however. the real temper OF
the German people. Charges were brought
against Count Henry Of Sayn which resemo'ed
those made in the later ages In cases OF witch
craft. For example. he was said to nave pcen
seen riding on a crab. The accusations were
made by one Conrad. Of Marhurg, who had re-
ceived from Gregory powers for the roofing out
OF heresy not unlike those assumed b. Matthew
Hopkins Witchhrder- General for all England in
the seventeenth century. Count Henry just!ned
himself before an assembly o, the princes but
Conrad persisted in his accusations, wherenpon
the infatuated populace without waiting for word
from the Pope. who. 1t Is said. would have re-
licved the count murdered Conrad and several OF
his aiders and abcttors Shortly afterward the
Diet of Frankfort passed law that offences
against the faith should be tried in the secular
courts by regular judicial procedure and that the
decisions must be in accordance with equity.
Though this decree could not be enforced literally
II shows that the legislators Of Germany were
in advance Of their time.
The most curious trait Of the period was that
the political exgencies Of bishop or noble
could subject the population Of whole district
TO slaughter Mr. Henderson aliudes In para
graph TO the feud between Gerard Archbishop OF
Bremen and the Tristan Stedngcrs. tribe OF
peasants who numbered about 1000. These sim
ple-mlnded people rejected the authority OF the
Archbishop. When he found that charge or
heresy did not suffice he persuaded Gregory to
proclaim a crusade against the Stedingers on
the ground that they were guilty o.! magical
practices in which figured toad IN" size OF an
oven black cat double the size OF dog. and a
man wasted TO skeleton with wonderfully pale
face and great black eyes. The result was that
the entire tribe was destroyed by an army Of
40 900 crusaders. II Is perhaps impossible 10 get
at the truth in this case and in many others, u
wholesale massacre for hcresy In the M!dle
Ages but the truth. II It could be obtained would
be nearer to a history Of the German people than
the most elaborate narrative OF the contest be-
tween the Hohenstaufens and the papacy. II is
in the innumerable uphcavals Of the popular re-
ligion against the Church and against the r"cog-
nized authority that one discern the tenden-
Giles Wnlch nnally IinHpn"l III int i'ri''Hi'''"
OF Luther. Only deep-seated antipathy to the
papacy and TO the Church as organized could
have enabled the German emperors TO main
tain long they did their contest with the
Popes When we come To that contest We feel
that German politics possesses something Ike
unity. Hitherto 1t has been merely per-
sonal I. the monarch was a great man
his politics shared his greatness. II ne was
triher the affairs OF State seemed Ike
trifes But from the time Of Frederick Bar
barossa onward to the close OF the Hohenstaufen
dynasty. and especially in the reign OF Frederick
II, there great doings. because the heart ~
the German people is In the fight. As one reads
the story now cannot help feeling that II
Frederick II had been more candid and less 81 "A
humOrist. IL ne had appealed more directly 10 the
German people. II he had withstooi the spirit Of
persecution his son Henry wished 10 DO, the
Reformation might have been brought about
long before Luther. The true history OF Ger
many, II il shall ever be written. Will be history
Of It's cities and Of us heresies rather than OF It's
princes and its emperors.
HDT FNHTTO