was the notorious John Boccold, of Leyden. Under the government of this
prophet, the anabaptists mastered the city of Munster. Here they
confiscated property, plundered churches, violated females, murdered men
who refused to join the gang, and, in briefs practised all the enormities
which humanity alone can conceive or perpetrate. The prophet proclaimed
himself King of Sion, and sent out apostles to preach his doctrines in
Germany and the Netherlands. Polygamy being a leading article of the
system, he exemplified the principle by marrying fourteen wives. Of
these, the beautiful widow of Matthiszoon was chief, was called the Queen
of Sion, and wore a golden crown. The prophet made many fruitless
efforts to seize Amsterdam and Leyden. The armed invasion of the
anabaptists was repelled, but their contagious madness spread. The
plague broke forth in Amsterdam. On a cold winter's night, (February,
1535), seven men and five women, inspired by the Holy Ghost, threw off
their clothes and rushed naked and raving through the streets, shrieking
"Wo, wo, wo! the wrath of God, the wrath of God!" When arrested, they
obstinately refused to put on clothing. "We are," they observed, "the
naked truth." In a day or two, these furious lunatics, who certainly
deserved a madhouse rather than the scaffold, were all executed. The
numbers of the sect increased with the martyrdom to which they were
exposed, and the disorder spread to every part of the Netherlands. Many
were put to death in lingering torments, but no perceptible effect was
produced by the chastisement. Meantime the great chief of the sect, the
prophet John, was defeated by the forces of the Bishop of Munster, who
recovered his city and caused the "King of Zion" to be pinched to death
with red-hot tongs.

Unfortunately the severity of government was not wreaked alone upon the
prophet and his mischievous crew. Thousands and ten-thousands of
virtuous, well-disposed men and women, who had as little sympathy with