the future of their married life. The giving and enjoying of apples and nuts, which was the custom in the earlier heathen times, was to symbolize fruitfulness-so also was baking and churning.

So manifold are the ways in which human presentiments have struggled, upon the basis of the more natural feeling, at the time of the winter solstice, to attain a true conception of its peculiar meaning-a meaning which could only, and was only, made clear to it by divine revelation. All became clear when the time of fulfillment came, and the promised God-man prepared on this earth, sunken in error and darkness, eternal salvation for sinful man. Then it was seen that as did all the the prophets, so also did all the presentiments of humanity--though these darkly and unconconsciously-testify of Him, and seek in Him their true and final fulfillment.

ANNA, WIFE OF ULRIC ZWINGLI.

It often, perhaps generally, comes to pass, that the spheres and acts of the wives of great men lie in unknown retirement, just in proportion as the lives of their husbands are prominent and public. This is rather to their honor than otherwise. The less the outward world knows of them, the better may they be fulfilling their inner mission in the sphere of the family, the golden circle

of home.

In the case of Zwingli's Anna, this was certainly fulfilled. Biographers of the Swiss Reformer have not been diligently intent upon bringing out her life with much prominence; yet sufficient has been preserved not only to enable us to make her acquaintance, but also induce us to form a high estimate of her excellent life. In presenting a brief sketch of her, we depend mainly upon an article by Frederick Kessler in the "Reformations Almanach" for the year 1819, which we abridge, translate freely, and complement from

other sources.

Anna Zwingli was the daughter of Oswald Reinhart, and his wife Elizabeth, whose maiden name was Wynzurn. She was born at Zurich in the year of our Lord 1489-91, for the exact year of her birth is not recorded. Some of Zwingli's biographers say that she was descended of an ancient noble family. Later and better authority, however, informs us that her family never belonged to the nobility, but that she had her origin from a civilian family. With our American views of matters of the kind, this is not of much consequence to us, one way or the other. To us it is more important to know, what good authorities state, that she was a woman distinguished for excellence among her sex, and highly respected and honored, not only in her native city, but as far as known after she had been brought out into a more public sphere. In a writing of John Pontisella, in 1576, addressed to a grand-child of Zwingli,

she is mentioned as a woman "distinguished for her excellent and virtuous character."

Anna was not destitute of external personal attractiveness. In the family registers she is described, after the manner of those times, "as a very beautiful person." These charms of her person, associated as they were with still higher attractions of mind and spirit, did not fail early to draw toward her the attention, and to inspire with love for her the heart of a youth of a noble family. This young man was John Meyer von Knonau. His father, however, did not approve of his marriage with a maiden descended from the family of a civilian, and sought in many ways to prevent its consummation. The marriage was, however, in due time effected. Her father never became reconciled to it. He sold his governmental prerogatives, and all his estates at Knonau, to the government of Zurich, and cut off all further communication with his son.

Except the trouble caused by this circumstance, they lived happily together; only however, for a few years, when her husband was removed by death in 1513, leaving her a widow with three children. She now devoted herself with great earnestness and love to the best interests of her children, all of whom were yet small. The oldest, Gerold, was a very beautiful and promising child. With all the bitterness that had been mingled with her cup, she had the happiness of seeing her son, Gerold, grow up in the love of all that was good, while his talents and education were fast preparing him for a position of usefulness and honor; so that before he was seventeen years old he became a member of the Great Council of his native city, Zurich.

The man who set the young Gerold in the way of the noble and the good, and was prominently instrumental in advancing him in useful knowledge and in drawing out and perfecting his nature, was Ulric Zwingli himself. Zwingli, as he himself informs us, was induced to receive young Meyer among his special friends, for two reasons-because he saw that he was fondly devoted to the acquirement of knowledge, and also because he was a student under his particular friend Glarenus. To be one among Zwingli's special friends was itself an advantage which insured sound education of mind, and noble cultivation of heart.

Whether the Reformer-which may well be supposed-was at this time already acquainted with Gerold's mother, or whether he was drawn into an acquaintance with her through his interest in her son, is not certainly known. This much, however, is known, that one year later he sued with success for the hand of the excellent widow Meyer von Knonau, and on the 2nd of April, 1524, received her as his wife under his friendly roof.

This step of the Zurich Reformer did not fail to awaken the envy of his enemies, and move their tongues to the utterance of many reproachful words; the more so as he became united with one, who, by her previous marriage, had been raised to a position to which at that time much importance was attached. He felt him

self constrained to silence unruly tongues, which had made themselves indelicately busy with his family affairs, by a tract, printed by Froschauer in Zurich, in 1525, "On The Office of the Ministry.” An extract may here be properly made, especially as it throws some additional light on the character of his excellent wife.

"In regard to my wife Anna," says Zwingli, "the contentious ministers, who compel me against my will to speak of my domestic affairs, publish abroad how rich she is! And yet, beyond her garments and her ornaments, she does not possess a penny over 400 fl. She has, it is true, excellent garments, rings, and other valuables of a like kind; but from the day she was married to me, she regards these so little that she has not worn any of them a single time. Rather, like a modest matron, she goes abroad clothed after the manner of the wives of other civilians. The annuity which her children, the Meyers, give her, she cannot properly refuse to receive, since she is now in the fortieth year of her age. I have married her from the best of motives; and yet shameless persons do not hesitate to speak of her clothes, her wealth, her ornaments, and other things of a like kind, in order to create disturbance by means of lies! True, my wife has wealthy children: God grant that they may make good use of it. But of all this wealth my wife has received nothing besides her clothes, and other valuables, together with an annuity of 30 Guldins. I did not even accept the bridal gifts which of right belonged to me. Yea, I look upon all that she has as if it did not concern me in the least. I would have patiently stood above all these silly charges and calumniations, had I not feared they might work to the disparagement of the Gospel of Christ."

The raging of this storm of evil tongues did not affect the pleasant domestic relations of Zwingli's family. He was worthy of her, and she was worthy of him; and the stream of their married life flowed tranquilly on. Their union was, however, of comparatively short duration. On the bloody battle field of Cappel in 1531, in the mysterious providence of God, Zwingli's short but eventful life came suddenly to a close. That was a gloomy day when reports of the sad disaster of Cappel reached Zurich. "Anna Zwingli had heard from her house the repeated discharges of artillery. As wife and mother, she had passed in expectation many long hours of anguish, offering fervent prayers to heaven. At length the most terrible accounts, one after another, burst upon her. Zwingli is no more! Zwingli is dead!' The cry is repeated: it runs through Zurich with the rapidity of lightning, and at length it reaches the unhappy widow! Anna falls on her knees. But the loss of her husband is not enough: God has inflicted other blows. Messengers, following each other at short intervals, announce to her the death of her son Gerold of Knonau, of her brother-in-law the bailiff of Reinhardt, of her son-in-law Anthony Wirz, of John Lustchi the husband of her dear sister, as well as of all her most intimate friends This woman remains alone-alone with her God; alone with her young children, who, as they see her tears, weep also, and throw themselves disconsolate into their mother's arms."

Precious indeed were the treasures which Anna sacrified on that bloody field of Cappel, where Swiss met Swiss with all the fire of ancient heroism, and with all the fierce determination which civil war can inspire. But they died for the fatherland, and for the faith which they loved; and all these noble sentiments had also a home in her heart. Though deeply wounded at heart, and with hands out-spread over the sacrifice she had offered, she could only with greater submission and confidence raise her spirit in prayer to God, the source of all true and lasting comfort.

Many a woman would have sunk under snch an overwhelming affliction; but God has always given to his beloved a martyr faith in martyr ages. With holy courage equal to the tribulation did He graciously endow the newly widowed Anna. She girded and armed herself with courage and firmness. She did not suffer her troubles to rise over her; she rose above her troubles. The care of her children, which, by the loss of the head of the family, devolved more entirely upon her, now served mercifully to divert her heart from brooding sorrow, and to nerve her for the mission of life still before her. She was also much strengthened and cheered by the sympathies of friends around her, and by the honor bestowed upon the memory of her illustrious consort by many learned men, theologians, and workers in the reformatory movement in which he had been so ardently engaged, who extended their sympathies from other and distant lands whither his fame had spread. Thus, Wolfgang Capito of Strasburg, under date of Nov. 23rd 1541, wrote "To Ulrich Zwingli's blessed widow, my beloved sister in Christ as follows:

"My dearly beloved lady:-I am deeply moved by your grief, as you may well believe. For what kind of love your departed husband and myself had toward one another is not unknown to you. You know also how all the Churches, and the cause of the gospel generally, have suffered by the departure of your beloved husband. You have, it is true, been once, unexpectedly and deeply afflicted: but our loss is the more grievous as it shall increase on us in the ever-increasing work which is thus left in our hands. You have lost your husband, the excellent man, your noble son, your brother-in-law, son-in-law and sister's husband! Who would not sympathize with you? But thanks be to God who gave you a husband, who, after his death, is so widely honored and mourned, and whose lasting name shall be the rich inheritance of your children. For he will never be forgotten, and his offspring will be belove of all for their sake and his." Such words were like balm to her wounded heart, and refreshed her for endurance.

Of the subsequent life of Anna Zwingli not much is known. Even the date of her death is not found in the records of the family of Knonau, though it is said she lived to a good old age Several of her children she saw early borne to the grave. Among these was one son, William, whom death carried away whilst he was persuing his studies in Strasburg. In two of them, however, she had the pleasure of seeing her maternal hopes joyfully fulfilled. One of

these was her son Ulric Zwingli, who afterwards became Archdeacon and Canon of the Great Minster in Zurich; the other her eldest daughther Regula, an amiable and excellent woman, a brief sketch of whose beautiful life we shall furnish the reader hereafter.

1 8 6 4 !

We herewith greet the reader with the first number of Volume Fifteen. Thus has the "Guardian" fairly entered upon a New Year. In regard to the contents, the Editor has nothing to saythe number is before the reader for his examination. We promise, as heretofore, to do our best to make our Magazine a worthy visitor in the families, who have kindly invited it. It will certainly be a small claim, if we say, that its contents during the year shall be worth at least the DOLLAR which is paid for them.

Of the external appearance of the new Number we may speak. As regards paper, printing, and general mechanical finish, it certainly never looked so well before.

We may be allowed to say, that the "Guardian," as it has always done, depends for its circulation on the voluntary kindness. of its friends. We, therefore, ask all those who believe that it is adapted to do good among the young, to lend their aid in increasing its circulation.

We have been assured by many, that its circulation might be easily increased. Persons who have sent in clubs of subscribers say that they obtained them with the greatest ease. But we are located, and cannot canvass. We must depend upon zealous friends in the localities where they reside.

We trust our interest in the "Guardian" is pure. It yields at present no pecuniary profit to either Editor or Publishers. Our work has been done during the year past, gratis, and purely as a labor of love. All this is nothing. Our interest in it has, from the first, been of a higher character; and it shall remain such. Thus if any of our friends give their aid to its circulation gratis, it is just what we do ourselves. On this ground we feel that we can ask it.

Lend us your aid, then, young friends, one and all. Send us clubs of new subscribers. We shall take it as an evidence of your good will, and be greatly cheered thereby in our own labor.

Hoping that the memories of the Past may be pleasant, and the hopes of the Future bright to our readers, we wish them, one and all, A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"Early religion," observed the pious Dr. Dodridge, «lays the foundation of happiness both in time and in eternity."