ey be placed in my hands, so that I can
answer." This was done, and now he was determined to battle for life
and death against the spiritual powers. Hence a glance at their present
condition and influence becomes necessary.

On the 1st of December, 1520, Pope Leo X. died, and on the 9th of
January the Cardinals had elected his successor Adrian VI. But he did
not come to Rome before the 29th of August. Till then, he staid in
Spain as vicegerent of Charles V., who was also king of that country.
The College of Cardinals, empowered to rule in the interim, had pursued
the policy of the deceased Pope in regard to Swiss affairs.
Ecclesiastical matters were kept in the background, and Zurich,
although verging toward revolt, was treated with special favor, because
she not only continued averse to the French alliance, so hated by Rome,
but besides this, faithful to former treaties, had dispatched a body of
troops for the immediate protection of the Papal government. The short
reign of Adrian (he died on the 13th of September, 1523) brought about
no change. On the contrary, even by him, who, as Grand Inquisitor in
Spain, had seized on Luther's collective writings, brilliant offers
were made to Zwingli. Franz Zingg, his friend and the same time
chaplain of the Pope, received a commission to treat with him, and
expressed himself thus scornfully against Myconius: "In Rome everything
will be granted to a bold preacher except the Papal Chair." During the
following year, 1523, two letters from Adrian, addressed to Mark Roist
and Zwingli, were delivered by the legate Ennius. In the first the
burgomaster was assured, that the Pope, fully aware of his public and
private services in behalf of the Roman See, would exhort him to
persevere in his friendly disposition, that he also was mindful of it,
as the legate would detail at large. In the second, to Zwingli, this
passage occurs: "Although our legate is enjoined to conduct our affairs
with your nation in a public manner, yet, because we have a certain
knowledge of thy distinguished merits, and especially love and prize
thy loyalty, and also place particular confidence in thy honesty, we
have commissioned our chosen Nuncio to hand over to thee separately our
letter, and bear witness to our most favorable intentions. We exhort
thee also, reverend and faithful in the Lord, to give all credit to it,
and with the same disposition, in which we are inclined to remember thy
honor and thy profit, to