history, might have been written by a New
England mother to-day. Somewhere in the world is a savage eating
human flesh, persuaded that in so doing he is acting in
accordance with the tenets of his religion.

These are the extremes.

But the German or rather the Prussian, has been moulded into the
extraordinary person that he is to-day by a slow process of
education extending through several generations. At Marienburg,
on the Baltic shore of Germany, stands the ancient castle of the
Teutonic Knights recently restored by the German Kaiser. The
Knights at one time conquered and occupied much of the territory
that is now modern Prussia. A military religious order, they
attracted adventurers from all lands and their descendants
constitute many of the noble families of Prussia. It is this
tradition of conquest for gain that still animates the ruling
class of Prussia and therefore all Germany.

Later through the middle ages and as the central power of the
Emperor grew weaker and weaker, what is to-day Germany became a
nest of dukedoms and principalities. Before the French Revolution
these numbered hundreds. After the Thirty Years' War which
ravaged Germany from 1615 to 1645 extreme poverty was often
conspicuous at these petty courts. War was an industry and the
poor German peasants were frequently bartered as slaves to the
war-god, as the Hessians were sold by their ruler to the British
in our War of the Revolution. The Germans were then the
mercenaries of Europe, savages skilled in war, without mercy
towards the towns unfortunate enough to be given to their
pillage. There is no more horrible event in all history than that
of the sack of Rome by the German mercenaries in the year 1527.
Under General George von Frundsberg, who joined forces with the
recreant constable Bourbon of France and the Spaniards, these
lawless Germans invaded the fertile plains of Italy and took Rome
by assault.

The most awful outrages were perpetrated. Prelates were tortured
after being paraded through the streets of the Eternal City,
dressed in their sacred pontificals and mounted on donkeys.
Altars were defiled, sacred images broken, vestments and services
and works of art taken from the plundered churches and sacred
relics insulted, broken and scattered. For nine months the orgy
continued, the inhabitants being tortured by these German
soldiers in their effort to find hidden treasure. In fact
conditions in Belgium to-day had their counterp