Protestantism in Switzerland - James Aitken Wylie

free salvation, and who, under the protection of
Zurich, whose suzerainty then extended to that part
of Italy, were laboring to initiate the Reformation
of their native land. The men of the Five Cantons
saw themselves about to be isolated, shut up in
their mountains, cut off even from Italy, the cradle
of their faith. They could sit still no longer.
But whither shall they turn? They could not
wage war themselves against the Reformed
cantons. These cantons were superior in men and
money, and they could not hope to cope
successfully with them. They must seek other
allies. By doing so they would break the league of
brotherhood with the other cantons, for they had
resigned the right of forming new alliances without
the consent of all the other members of the
Federation; but they hoped to conduct the
negotiations in secret. They turned their eyes to
Austria. This was the last quarter from which a
Swiss canton might have been expected to seek
help. Had they forgotten the grievous yoke that
Austria had made them bear in other days? Had
they forgotten the blood it cost their fathers to
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