Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-06-04
SWISS GUARD PROTECTED
VATICAN FOR CENTURIES
Picturesque Soldiers Have Been
on Duty There for -Four
Hundred Years.

Standing guard today Mt the gates Of
the Vatican are members of that famous
corns the Swiss Guards, which for more
than four centuries has protected the
Pope. :. :,
And with its gorgeous uniform ana
traditions dating back to the time OF rope
julius Ii, there is no more picturesque or
romantic organization in the world than
this little group OF soldiers recruited from
tho mountains of Switzerland. Its true
there isn't much for them 10 do now, but
There was time when they proved them
selves first class fighting men ;.
II was back in 1927, just Il years after
their organization, when, May D, the
army Of Charles of Bourbon stormed the
Uol, CITY. His savage mcrcenarles, hiri.
inc themselves through breaches they had
made in the walls, scattered through tho
CITY, IN murder and loot. Some made Tor
the Vatican. where Clement VII was
Ponc As the castle defenses weakened
the Pope realizing his defenders couid noe
hold out much longer. surroundeo ~ his
Swiss. sought refuge in the Castle OF san
Angelo Fighting desperately, the noun
,,;neers forced their way through the
enemy until the Pope was safe behind tne
yvalls NJ tho castle. But only IL OF the 1uo
valiant men who had made possible ms
escaue went in with him. nc others lay
stretched along the bloody way from inc
Vatican.
az the same stuff were their countrymen
who foil defending the Tuillertes Tor
Louis WI Of France. More than .oo
mon and 26 officers from the niue canton
of Iucprne laid down their lives .haJ Gay
in august. 1902, for the king VINO hireo
them In commemoration OF theit heio,o
sacrifice the Lion of Licerne was car Veo IN
1901 b, the Danish sculptor. lhorwaid-
son in the cliff above Lake Lucerne-the
most beautiful lake IN Switzerland. of
their last fight Carlyle writes: :.
"Surclv few things IN the history OF
carnage are more painful, What ineffaceahe
rcd streak. Pickering so sad IN the mem,
orv. is that Of this poor column o. reg
Swiss breaking itself IN the confusion 0,
oninion Distressing into blackness and |
destht Honor 10 you brave men; honor |
able pity through long times MOI mar
tyrs were We, and vet almost more re
vas no king Of yours. this LOUIS ana ne
forsook YOU like a king OF shreds ana
matches: We were hut sold TO nm LOT sofie
moor sixpence day; yet would ye WORK
for your wages. keep your plighted word.
Tbc work now was 10 die. and We did II. |
Honor 10 YOU. O kinsmen: and may the |
Old Dcutsch. Biedergeit and lapterkeit, /
IL thew Swiss. be they Saxon, tall n no /
agr' Not bastarCs: trie-born were these
men. sons OF the men OF Sempach, OF
NIllrtar. who knelt, but not 10 thee, "
R,rr,Indy,-Let the traveller as ne passes
through Lucerne turn mental lions not
for Thorwaldsen's sake alone. Hewri out
of living rock. the figure rests, there by |
the still lake waters in lullaby OF dis
tant tinkling rance-desvaches, the gran
ito tinkling. aims dumbly keeping watch
an around, and, though inanimate'
speaks"
The Vatican Guard was organized IN
1906 under Pope Julius ii, who had con-
ceived n strong admiration OF the war
lilo Qualities of the Swiss. Cardinal
Skinner. himself Swiss, and another
nrelata Peter Won Hertenstein, were COM
missioned 10 recruit the guard, and IN
tow months 200 sturdy mountainers under
kanar Won Silinon marched across the
AIMS 20 Rome. Since that time, except
for occasional brief intervals, the Swiss
Guards have been in constant attendance
al the Vatican
Tho frst lanse occurred after the ami
h,Iation az the corps in 1927, but u was
reorCsnized in l54s under Pope Paul III,
and the following century It grew ~ I'M
portance until its officers were used Al
nlnst exclusively as diplomatic agents Tor
the Pope.
again in 179S, II went out Of existence
r,tb tho French occupation Of Rome, but
n 1901 the organization was partly re-
stored. and thew escorted Pope PIus II
yrbcn he entered the city IN that wear.
R,it their existence this time was oil short
duration for the corps was again DIS,
handed july Q. 1909, after the Pope had
been thrown into prison.
H. was no easy task 10 forget s body
which had existed more than 300 years,
and in 1914 the Swiss Guards again came
into existence. From that time 1t, has
served without break.
Service in the Pspal Guard has become
an hereditary honor IN many prominent
families in the cantons OF Lurlch and
Incerne, handed down from father 70 son
through generations. It's requirements are
II the highest and few military organlfs-
mons have as strict discipline. Every |
candidate for the corps must he SWISS
citizen. al least FIVE feet eight inches tail
not married. IN good health and Tree from
All bodily Disbursements. he must pre-
sent hrs bsptisInal certificate, certlhcate
or BASS from his home, and testimonial
~ good character from ms parish authorI-
ties After one wear OF good conduct the
cost of his journey from Switzerland to
Rome l. refunded.
The high esteem in which the Swiss are
held at the Vatican is shown by the fol
lowing words of the late Pope Leo XVII:
The SWISS nation Is bound TO the Holy
See by ties centuries old, and IT may be
SAID that, in the persons Of its sons, Of
whom our guard consists, il has been by
the side OF the popes uninterruptedly
That is a privilege of which, undoubtedly,
any other nation would be proud. but
which the popes have granted solely TO the
SWISS in acknowledgment OF their devo-
tion and answering faithfulness TO the
church. kansas City Star.