down the stairs,
until he reached the outer door of the palace, when he roughly sat him
down. 'Go thy ways thither!' cried the youth, pointing the way towards
Osnabruck, 'and if thou art in Munster at sunrise, I will expose thee
to the king, that he may execute justice upon thee.'

Gasping for breath and groaning with anguish, the foiled tempter
staggered forth into the midnight darkness of the streets.

CHAPTER XIX.

Munster continued to sustain herself with a resolution worthy of a
better cause. At the imperial diet at Worms, which the Romish king
Ferdinand opened in April, 1536, great sums were granted to the
besieging bishop, to enable him to support the war; but as the payments
were made very irregularly, the scarcity of money kindled a revolt
among the mercenary soldiery in the bishop's camp, who would no longer
serve without pay. Nor was it without great trouble and peril to the
commander that the insurrection could be suppressed. With such
troublesome troops, offensive warfare was not deemed prudent.
Consequently, the besiegers confined themselves to the continuance of
the blockade, and to drawing their lines closer and closer, so as
completely to shut up the unfortunate city and deprive it of supplies
and assistance.

Constantly increasing suffering in the city, was the consequence of
this course. The poorer classes, obliged to subsist upon roots, herbs,
bark, and leaves, swarmed about the king with sunken eyes and haggard
faces, whenever he passed through the streets in lordly dignity, and
howled for bread. The royal courtiers themselves were compelled to
accept such small portions as could be spared from the table where sat
the king with his fourteen wives and principal officers.

In vain did the bishop call upon the citizens to surrender the city,
under promise of full pardon for all except the king and a few of his
principal accomplices. The fear of the terrible Johannes was stronger
than the ardent desire for deliverance which had now arisen in many
hearts. In vain did the landgrave of Hesse, by a special embassy to his
brother in the faith, endeavor to bring him to reason. The king, to
prove how much greater a man he was than the landgrave, refused to give
audience to his ambassadors, and thus compelled them to leave their
business unaccomplished.

Meanwhile the eight and twenty prophets had arrived at the cities of
their destination, and had preached their cus