the moravians in georgia-第2部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


or　its　hospitality；　will　be　increased　by　the　addition　of　so　many　religious　and　industrious　subjects。〃

Each　of　the　emigrants　was　to　receive　about　fifty　acres　of　land；　including　a　town　lot；　a　garden　of　five　acres；　and　a　forty…five　acre　farm；　and　the　Trustees　offered　to　give　a　tract　of　five　hundred　acres　to　any　well…to…do　man　who　would　go　over　at　his　own　expense；　taking　with　him　at　least　ten　servants；　and　promising　his　military　service　in　case　of　need。

But　there　was　a　commercial　as　well　as　a　benevolent　side　to　the　designs　of　the　Trustees；　for　they　thought　Georgia　could　be　made　to　furnish　silk；　wine；　oil　and　drugs　in　large　quantities；　the　importing　of　which　would　keep　thousands　of　pounds　sterling　in　English　hands　which　had　hitherto　gone　to　China；　Persia　and　the　Madeiras。　　Special　provision　was　therefore　made　to　secure　the　planting　of　mulberry　trees　as　the　first　step　towards　silk　culture；　the　other　branches　to　be　introduced　as　speedily　as　might　be。

Filled　with　enthusiasm　for　their　plan；　the　Trustees　proceeded　to　spread　abroad　the　most　glowing　descriptions　of　the　country　where　the　new　colony　was　to　be　settled。

〃The　kind　spring；　which　but　salutes　us　here；　　Inhabits　there；　and　courts　them　all　the　year。　Ripe　fruits　and　blossoms　on　the　same　trees　live　　　At　once　they　promise；　when　at　once　they　give。　So　sweet　the　air；　so　moderate　the　clime；　　None　sickly　lives；　or　dies　before　his　time。　Heaven；　sure；　has　kept　this　spot　of　earth　uncurst；　　To　shew　how　all　things　were　created　first。〃

So　wrote　Oglethorpe；　quoting　the　lines　as　the　best　pen　picture　he　could　give　of　the　new　land；　and　truly；　if　the　colonists　found　the　reality　less　roseate　than　they　anticipated；　it　was　not　the　fault　of　their　generous；　energetic　leader；　who　spared　neither　pains　nor　means　in　his　effort　to　make　all　things　work　out　as　his　imagination　had　painted　them。

The　Trustees　having；　with　great　care；　selected　thirty…five　families　from　the　number　who　wished　to　go；　the　first　emigrant　ship　sailed　for　Georgia　in　November；　1732；　bearing　about　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　〃sober；　industrious　and　moral　persons〃；　and　all　needful　stores　for　the　establishment　of　the　colony。　　Early　in　the　following　year　they　reached　America；　and　Oglethorpe；　having　chosen　a　high　bluff　on　the　southern　bank　of　the　Savannah　River；　concluded　a　satisfactory　treaty　with　Tomochichi；　the　chief　of　the　nearest　Indian　tribe；　which　was　later　ratified　in　a　full　Council　of　the　chiefs　of　all　the　Lower　Creeks。　His　fairness　and　courteous　treatment　won　the　hearts　of　all；　especially　of　Tomochichi　and　his　people；　who　for　many　years　remained　on　the　best　of　terms　with　the　town　which　was　now　laid　out　upon　the　bluff。


　　The　Salzburgers。

The　Salzburgers；　referred　to　by　name　in　the　proposals　of　the　Georgia　Trustees；　were；　at　this　time；　very　much　upon　the　mind　and　heart　of　Protestant　Europe。　They　were　Germans；　belonging　to　the　Archbishopric　of　Salzburg；　then　the　most　eastern　district　of　Bavaria；　but　now　a　province　of　Austria。　〃Their　ancestors；　the　Vallenges　of　Piedmont；　had　been　compelled　by　the　barbarities　of　the　Dukes　of　Savoy　to　find　a　shelter　from　the　storms　of　persecution　in　the　Alpine　passes　and　vales　of　Salzburg　and　the　Tyrol；　before　the　Reformation；　and　frequently　since；　they　had　been　hunted　out　by　the　hirelings　and　soldiery　of　the　Church　of　Rome；　and　condemned　for　their　faith　to　tortures　of　the　most　cruel　and　revolting　kind。　In　1684…6；　they　were　again　threatened　with　an　exterminating　persecution；　but　were　saved　in　part　by　the　intervention　of　the　Protestant　States　of　Saxony　and　Brandenburg；　though　more　than　a　thousand　emigrated　on　account　of　the　dangers　to　which　they　were　exposed。

〃But　the　quietness　which　they　then　enjoyed　for　nearly　half　a　century　was　rudely　broken　in　upon　by　Leopold；　Count　of　Firmian　and　Archbishop　of　Salzburg；　who　determined　to　reduce　them　to　the　Papal　faith　and　power。　He　began　in　the　year　1729；　and　ere　he　ended　in　1732　not　far　from　thirty　thousand　had　been　driven　from　their　homes；　to　seek　among　the　Protestant　States　of　Europe　that　charity　and　peace　which　were　denied　them　in　the　glens　and　fastnesses　of　their　native　Alps。

〃The　march　of　these　Salzburgers　constitutes　an　epoch　in　the　history　of　Germany。　　*　*　*　　Arriving　at　Augsburg；　the　magistrates　closed　the　gates　against　them；　refusing　them　entrance　to　that　city　which；　two　hundred　years　before；　through　Luther　and　Melancthon　and　in　the　presence　of　Charles　V　and　the　assembled　Princes　of　Germany；　had　given　birth　to　the　celebrated　Augsburg　Confession；　for　clinging　to　which　the　Salzburgers　were　now　driven　from　their　homes；　but　overawed　by　the　Protestants；　the　officers　reluctantly　admitted　the　emigrants；　who　were　kindly　entertained　by　the　Lutherans。

〃The　sympathies　of　Reformed　Christendom　were　awakened　on　their　behalf；　and　the　most　hospitable　entertainment　and　assistance　were　everywhere　given　them。〃　Only　a　few　months　after　the　signing　of　the　Georgia　Colony　Charter；　the　〃Society　for　the　Propagation　of　Christian　Knowledge〃　requested　the　Trustees　to　include　the　Salzburgers　in　their　plans。　The　Trustees　expressed　their　willingness　to　grant　lands；　and　to　manage　any　money　given　toward　their　expenses；　but　stated　that　they　then　held　no　funds　which　were　available　for　that　purpose。

In　May；　1733；　the　House　of　Commons　appropriated　10；000　Pounds　to　the　Trustees　of　Georgia；　〃to　be　applied　towards　defraying　the　charges　of　carrying　over　and　settling　foreign　and　other　Protestants　in　said　colony；〃　and　over　3；000　Pounds　additional　having　been　given　privately；　the　Trustees；　at　the　suggestion　of　Herr　von　Pfeil；　consul　of　Wittenberg　at　Regensberg；　wrote　to　Senior　Samuel　Urlsperger；　pastor　of　the　Lutheran　Church　of　St。　Ann　in　the　city　of　Augsburg；　who　had　been　very　kind　to　the　Salzburgers　on　their　arrival　there；　〃and　ever　afterward　watched　over　their　welfare　with　the　solicitude　of　an　affectionate　father。〃　　On　receipt　of　the　invitation　from　the　Trustees；　seventy…eight　persons　decided　to　go　to　Georgia；　and　left　Augsburg　on　the　21st　of　October；　reaching　Rotterdam　the　27th　of　November；　where　they　were　joined　by　two　ministers；　Rev。　Mr。　Bolzius；　deputy　superintendent　of　the　Latin　Orphan　School　at　Halle；　and　Rev。　Mr。　Gronau；　a　tutor　in　the　same；　who　were　to　accompany　them　to　their　new　home。　　In　England　they　were　treated　with　marked　kindness；　and　when　they　sailed；　January　19；　1734；　it　was　with　the　promise　of　free　transportation　to　Georgia；　and　support　there　until　they　could　reap　their　first　harvest　from　the　fifty　acres　which　were　to　be　given　to　each　man　among　them。

They　reached　Charlestown；　South　Carolina；　the　following　March；　and　met　General　Oglethorpe；　the　Governor　of　Georgia；　who　was　intending　an　immediate　return　to　Europe；　but　went　back　to　help　them　select　a　suitable　place　for　their　settlement；　they　preferring　not　to　live　in　Savannah　itself。　　The　site　chosen　was　about　twenty…five　miles　from　Savannah；　on　a　large　stream　flowing　into　the　Savannah　River；　and　there　they　laid　out　their　town；　calling　it　〃Ebenezer〃；　in　grateful　remembrance　of　the　Divine　help　that　had　brought　them　thither。　Baron　von　Reck；　who　had　accompanied　them　as　Commissary　of　the　Trustees；　stayed　with　them　until　they　had　made　a　good　beginning；　and　then　returned　to　Europe；　leaving　Ebenezer　about　the　middle　of　May。


　　Unitas　Fratrum。

But　while　the　Salzburgers　received　so　much　sympathy　and　kindness　in　Germany　on　account　of　their　distress；　other　exiled　Protestants；　whose　story　was　no　less　touching；　were　being　treated　with　scant　courtesy　and　consideration。

On　the　6th　of　July；　1415；　the　Bohemian　Reformer；　John　Hus；　was　burned　at　the　stake。　　But　those　who　had　silenced　him　could　not　unsay　his　message；　and　at　last　there　drew　together　a　little　body　of　earnest　men；　who　agreed　to　accept　the　Bible　as　their　only　standard　of　faith　and　practice；　and　established　a　strict　discipline　which　should　keep　their　lives　in　the　simplicity；　purity；　and　brotherly　love　of　the　early　Apostolic　Church。　This　was　in　1457；　and　the　movement　quickly　interested　the　thoughtful　people　in　all　classes　of　society；　many　of　whom　joined　their　ranks。　　The　formal　organization　of　the　Unitas　Fratrum　（the　Unity　of　Brethren）　followed；　and　its　preaching；　theological　publications；　and　educational　work　soon　raised　it　to　great　influence　in　Bohemia；　Moravia；　and　Poland；　friendly　intercourse　being　established　with　Luther；　Calvin；　and　other　Reformers　as　they　became　prominent。

Then　came　destruction；　when　the　religious　liberty　of　Bohemia　and　Moravia　was　extinguished　in　blood；　by　the　Church　of　Rome。　　The　great　Comenius　went　forth；　a　wanderer　on　the　face　of　the　earth；　welcomed　and　honored　in　courts　and　universities；　introducing　new　educational　principles　that　revolutionized　methods　of　teaching；　but　ever　longing　and　praying　for　the　restoration　of　his　Church；　and　by　his　publication　of　its　Doctrine　and　Rules　of　Discipline；　and　by　his　careful　transmission　of　the　Episcopate　which　had　been　bestowed　upon　him　and　his　associate　Bishops；　he　did　contribute　largely　to　that　renewal　which　he　was　not　destined　to　see。

In　the　home　lands　there　were　many　who　held　secretly；　tenaciously；　desperately；　to　the　doctrines　they　loved；　〃in　hope　against　hope〃　that　the　great　oppression　would　be　lifted。　　But　the　passing　of　a　hundred　years　brought　no　relief；　concessions　granted　to　others　were　still　denied　to　the　children　of　those　who　had　been　the　first　〃protestants〃　against　religious　slavery　and　corruption；　and　in　1722　a　small　company　of　descendants　of　the　ancient　Unitas　Fratrum　slipped　over　the　borders　of　Moravia；　and　went　to　Saxony；　Nicholas　Lewis；　Count　Zinzendorf；　having　given　them　permission　to　sojourn　on　his　estates　until　they　could　find　suitable　homes　elsewhere。

Hearing　that　they　had　reached　a　place　of　safety；　other　Moravians　took　their　lives　in　their　hands　and　followed；　risking　the　imprisonment　and　torture　which　were　sure　to　follow　an　unsuccessful　attempt　to　leave　a　province；　the　Government　of　which　would　neither　allow　them　to　be　happy　at　home　nor　to　sacrifice　everything　and　go　away。　Among　these　emigrants　were　five　young　men；　who　went　in　May；　1724；　with　the　avowed　intention　of　trying　to　resuscitate　the　Unitas　Fratrum。　They　intended　to　go　into　Poland；　where　the　organization　of　the　Unitas　Fratrum　had　lasted　for　a　considerable　time　after　its　ruin　in　Bohemia；　but；　almost　by　acciden