ealed the letter, he was boldly answered,
the same who had sealed the Gospel!

All this had so powerful an effect, that the Church was in considerable
danger; for the Flagellants gained more credit than the priests, from
whom they so entirely withdrew themselves, that they even absolved each
other. Besides, they everywhere took possession of the churches, and
their new songs, which went from mouth to mouth, operated strongly on the
minds of the people. Great enthusiasm and originally pious feelings are
clearly distinguishable in these hymns, and especially in the chief psalm
of the Cross-bearers, which is still extant, and which was sung all over
Germany in different dialects, and is probably of a more ancient date.
Degeneracy, however, soon crept in; crimes were everywhere committed; and
there was no energetic man capable of directing the individual excitement
to purer objects, even had an effectual resistance to the tottering
Church been at that early period seasonable, and had it been possible to
restrain the fanaticism. The Flagellants sometimes undertook to make
trial of their power of working miracles; as in Strasburg, where they
attempted, in their own circle, to resuscitate a dead child: they,
however, failed, and their unskilfulness did them much harm, though they
succeeded here and there in maintaining some confidence in their holy
calling, by pretending to have the power of casting out evil spirits.

The Brotherhood of the Cross announced that the pilgrimage of the
Flagellants was to continue for a space of thirty-four years; and many of
the Masters had doubtless determined to form a lasting league against the
Church; but they had gone too far. So early as the first year of their
establishment, the general indignation set bounds to their intrigues: so
that the strict measures adopted by the Emperor Charles IV., and Pope
Clement, who, throughout the whole of this fearful period, manifested
prudence and noble-mindedness, and conducted himself in a manner every
way worthy of his high station, were easily put into execution.

The Sorbonne, at Paris, and the Emperor Charles, had already applied to
the Holy See for assistance against these formidable and heretical
excesses, which had well-nigh destroyed the influence of the clergy in
every place; when a hundred of the Brotherhood of the Cross arrived at
Avignon from Basle, and desired admission. The Pope, regardless of the
intercession of several cardinals, i