für Kirchengeschichte," 1879; and Briefwechsel Landgraf Philipps mit Bucer, Leipz. 1880, vol.
2d, 1887 (important for the political and ecclesiastical history of Germany between 1541 and
1547). The history of Philip is interwoven in Ranke’s Geschichte (vols. I. to VI.), and in Janssen’s
Geschichte (vol. III.). Against Janssen is directed G. Bossert: Württemberg und Ianssen, Halle,
1884, 2 parts.
IV. Biographies of Lambert of Avignon by Baum (Strassb. 1840), Hassencamp (Elberfeld, 1860),
Ruffet (Paris, 1873), and a sketch by Wagenmann in Herzog2, VIII. 371 sqq. (1881). The
writings of Lambert of Avignon, mostly Theses and Commentaries, are very scarce, and have
never been collected. His letters (some of them begging letters to the Elector of Saxony and
Spalatin) are published by Herminjard in Correspondance des Réformateurs, vol. I. 112, 114,
118, 123, 131, 138, 142, 144, 146, 328, 344, 347, 371; vol. II. 239. Luther refers to him in
several letters to Spalatin (see below).
Hesse or Hessia, in Middle Germany, was Christianized by St. Boniface in the eighth century,
and subject to the jurisdiction of the archbishop of Mainz. It numbered in the sixteenth century fifty
convents, and more than a thousand monks and nuns.
Hesse became, next to Saxony, the chief theater of the Reformation in its early history; and
its chief patron among the princes, next to Elector John, was Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, surnamed
the "Magnanimous" (1504–1567). He figures prominently in the political history of Germany from
1525, when he aided in the suppression of the Peasants’ War, till 1547, when he was defeated by
the Emperor in the Smalcaldian War, and kept a prisoner for five years (1547–1552). The last years
of his life were quiet and conciliatory, but his moral force was broken by his misconduct and the
failure of his political combinations.
His connection with the Reformation presents two different aspects, which make it difficult
to decide whether it was more beneficial or more injurious. He made the acquaintance of Luther
at the Diet of Worms (1521), and asked and received instruction from Melanchthon, whom be met
at Heidelberg (1524). He declared in 1525, that he would rather lose body and life, land and people,
than depart from the word of God, and urged the ministers to preach it in its purity.^768 He openly
embraced the Reformation in 1526, and remained faithful to it in his conviction and policy, though
not in his moral conduct. He boldly and bravely defended it with a degree of theological knowledge
which is rare among princes, and with a conciliatory liberality in regard to doctrinal controversies
which was in advance of prevailing narrowness. He brought about the Marburg Colloquy with the
noble aim of uniting the Protestant forces of Germany and Switzerland against the common foe
(1529). By restoring Württemberg to Duke Ulrich in the brilliant victory at Laufen, he opened the
way for the introduction of the Reformation into that country (1534). But, on the other hand, he
repeatedly endangered the Protestant cause by his rashness, and injured it and himself most seriously
by his licentiousness, which culminated in the open scandal of bigamy (1540). He resembles in
many respects Henry VIII. of England.^769
(^768) Ranke, II. 121.
(^769) See pp. 308 and 481; Seckendorf’s Excursus on the bigamy, III. 277-281; Ranke, IV. 186 sqq.; Köstlin, Bk. VIII., ch. 1. (II. 533
sqq.); and Janssen III. 57, 439 sqq. This nasty subject lies beyond our period, but may be disposed of here in a few remarks. Philip was
a man of powerful sensuality, and married very young a daughter of Duke George of Saxony. As she was unattractive, and gave him little
satisfaction, he indulged freely and long before his bigamy in his carnal passions to the injury of his health; and for this reason his
conscience would not allow him to partake of the holy communion more than once in fifteen years (from 1525 to 1540), as he confessed
himself in a letter to Luther, April 5, 1540 (Lenz, Briefwechsel Philipp’s mit Bucer, I. 361, and Ranke, IV. 186, note). If Fräulein Margaretha