dif^nified, keen in matters of statecraft, and
very shrewd. It is important to note that
at this period in East Frisia, the right of
inheritance did not include the right of primo-
geniture ; the reigning Count was as a rule
chosen by the three estates of the realm. At
this time there was no hint of the contentions
between the reigning House and the people
which began later, to the great disadvantage
of both Count and country.
Edzard at once sought an alliance with the
Butjadings, and required of them that they
55
FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
should build a stronghold, which would be
of mutual advantage. They refused, and
later repented of their refusal, for Edzard
compelled them to do as he wished. Edzard
gained much from an alliance he made w^ith
the turbulent peasants of Ditmarschen, who
were noted for their bravery. In the early
part of his reign Edzard had much trouble
with his nobles, among others his cousins
Edo Wimken of Jever and Hero Omken of
Harlingen, refused to do him homage. At
that time the Count w\as occupied in taxing
the value of the current coins of East Frisia
(which were unusually artistic in design and
execution) and in damming one of the branches
of the river Ems. Edzard, irritated at this
refusal to recognise his paramount authority,
and being not without some fear of its effect
upon his other nobles, at once led his forces
against the recalcitrants, took mercenaries into
his service, and marched on to Jever. Hearing
of the approach of this formidable force, Edo
and Hero fled to Jever, and called, being in
despair of any nearer assistance, upon the
56
COUNT EDZARD I.
Bishop of Miinster to help them, but the
troops of Edzard broke down the bridges,
pierced the dykes, and forced the Bishop to
return home with his allies. In 1495 peace
was declared between Edzard and the Bishop
of Miinster, who was anxious to return to the
management of his own affairs. Edzard wishing
to punish Hero Omken, besieged the fortress of
Westerholt. His servant Hans seeins; a gun
aimed at his master, saved Count Edzard's
life, but in doing so lost a leg. He lived,
and later on appeared with a wooden leg at
the Court of Edzard, where he gained the
nickname of "Hans up den Trippen." He
exercised much influence over the Count, who
could never forget that he owed his life to
his faithful servant. Edo made peace and
acknowledged Edzard as overlord, but Hero
was destined to give more trouble.
The Bishop of Miinster dying, Graf Conrad
of Eitberg was chosen in his place. This was
eminently pleasing to Edzard, for the new
Bishop was a friend of his ; indeed Edzard
married Conrad's sister, Elizabeth von Eitberg,
57
FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
in 1498. The wedding took place at Emden
with great ceremony.
In the year 1500 the West Frisians declared
war against the Emperor. Edzard, as in duty
bound, took the side of his Suzerain, and the
Frisians of the West were routed with great
slaughter, owing chiefly to the assistance
rendered by Edzard. The booty was so plenti-
ful that the soldiers sold a sheep for a silver
piece, newly coined by the Count of East Frisia.
These coins still retain the name of " Sheep
Thaler." The leader of the Imperial forces,
Duke Albrecht of Saxony, died soon after in
the old mint at Emden ; in dying he expressed
the wish that his sons should always listen
to the advice of Count Edzard, whom he much
admired. The heart of Duke Albrecht was
buried in the " Grosse Kirche " in Emden, and
his corpse was interred at Meissen. After
Albrecht's death Freiherr v. Thorn was made
Governor of W^est Frisia until the Reichskam-
mergericht should decide the fate of the country.
V. Thorn gave Count Edzard full power over
the West Frisians, who appear to have resented
58
COUNT EDZARD I.
this summary assignment of themselves and
their destinies to the East Frisian ruler. They
rose in arms against Edzard in 1501, but were
completely defeated.
While Edzard was fighting in the West the
Count of Oldenburg took possession of the
district of Budjadingerland, but had to give it
up in the following year, and after that time
no Oldenburger was to be seen on Frisian soil.
Edzard was made General-in-Chief of the
army of the Duke of Saxony in 1504. After
some minor engagements he led the army against
the town of Groningen, which surrendered in
1506. Edzard secured to the citizens safety
for their lives and possessions, and in return
they gave him a piece of land on which he
was to build a stronghold for himself. He
held the town from 1506 until 1514. In 1507
his brother Uko died unmarried, and without
lawful heirs. In 1512 died Elizabeth of Ritberg,
Edzard's wife, a somewhat colourless individuality
in public life, although personally attractive.
She left three sons, Ulrich, Enno, and John,
and several daughters. The o-rief of Edzard
o o
59
FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
over his wife's death was so great that he
declared he would soon die also, but time
appears to have given him consolation. As he
did not wish to divide the land of East Frisia
among his three sons for fear of disputes and
war, he introduced a new law of inheritance.
He called his Councillors to Aurich, asked them
to settle an appanage on the younger sons
and acknowledge the right of primogeniture,
which they did with some little demur.
During Edzard's reign there were several
calamities. The sea pierced the dykes and
flooded the country, and in 1508 Norden was
burned to the ground. The material condition
of the people, however, apart from these visita-
tions of nature, was good, especially in Emden.
Edzard had tried for some time in vain to
improve the laws of the country, which were
in need of amendment. As yet the office of
judge was hereditary, for the Frisians clung to
this old custom, not on account of any intrinsic
excellence, for many of the judges were bad,
but on account of the innate conservatism of
the people. Edzard in the first years of his
60
COUNT EDZARD I.
reign did not attempt to change this practice,
but waited until he had gained the love of his
people, in order that they might understand
that he meant well by them, in any changes
he might institute. The old laws had in
many respects been greatly altered, partly
by the influence of the Eoman Law and partly
by the system of government. Edzard did not
wish to give his subjects a new code, but was
anxious to revise the old laws and to add what
the times required. This revised code was
compiled about 1515, but was not printed
until 1746.
To Edzard's distress the old feud with Hero
Omken again broke out at Esens, and after
another crushing defeat, Hero again promised
allegiance to Edzard at the altar.
A quarrel as to the possession of the town
of Groningen now broke out between Edzard
and the Duke of Saxony. The Pope sided with
the Duke, and cited Edzard to appear before him
at Loven, but Edzard took no notice of the Papal
command. At a meeting at Paderborn and
Mlinster, the Count was in 1513 advised by
61
FEOM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
his friends to accept the conditions imposed
by the Emperor in this quarrel, to give up
Groningen and retain West Frisia as a fief.
Edzard, however, did not wish to give up the
town to the revenge of the Duke of Saxony,
and would not consent to the well - meant
proposal.
The Emperor then commanded Edzard to
receive East Frisia as a fief at the hands of
the Duke of Saxony, who should henceforth
be his overlord. As the Emperor deliberately
ignored in this order the statute of Sigismund
of 1417, Edzard very naturally refused com-
pliance. In case of disobedience the Emperor
threatened that he should be outlawed and
regarded as a rebel. A terrible war raged
until 1515, as a consequence of Edzard's refusal,
between the Saxons and their allies on the one
side, and Edzard on the other. During a truce
of a year, Edzard sought help or mediation at
the Burgundian Court, and from the Emperor
Maximilian. Whenever and wherever he
appeared in person he won all hearts by the
grace and charm of his manner as well as
62
COUNT EDZARD I.
"KDZARD THE GREAT."
From a portrait in the 7'o:cn Halt
(it A iiricli.]
To face p.jgc 6 J.
COUNT EDZARD I.
by his gallant bearing. The threatened out-
lawry was finally withdrawn, and Edzard gained
nearly everything for which he fought. The
Emperor made him Governor of the country
around Groningen, with a pension of 4000
gulden a year, while his eldest son, Ulrich, be-
came Chamberlain in the service of the King
of Spain, with a yearly gage of 1000 gulden.
Edzard returned home in 1517. His subjects,
who had been plunged in distress at having
heard that their Count had been beheaded at
Brussels, received him with great rejoicing and
with grateful hearts. They refused to agree to
the proposal of the Emperor that Edzard should
hold his laud as a fief of any noble, however
great, a proposal objected to by Edzard himself.
Charles of Burgundy, however, became Emperor
in 1521, and acknowledged and confirmed the
Letter of Enfeoffment given to Count Ulrich in
1454. Edzard re- took the Fortress of Friedeburg
in 1517. Looking about for fresh conquests,
Edzard resolved that the town of Jever, which
until now had been in the hands of his enemy,
Christopher von Jever, must be taken.
63
FEOM SQUIKE TO PRINCE
Christopher died suddenly, some say of poison,
and left three daughters, co-heiresses. Edzard
asked the three girls in marriage for his three
sons, and himself proposed to govern Jever until
the marriages should take place. In this way
ended a war which all historians of the day
speak of as one that inflicted heavy burdens on
East Frisia, and one which it would have been
impossible for Edzard to carry on, had he not
been able to depend absolutely upon his people.
The war cost the Count of East Frisia some
800,000 gulden ; but Edzard did not raise the
taxes, and did not leave any debts. He was his
own Chancellor of the Exchequer, and possessed
financial abilities of no mean order.
The Frisian had always been a free man,
free as a farmer, free in the town, free in the
country, and only uniting with his folk in
time of war, but towards the end of Edzard's
reign the old order changed, giving place to the
new ; as the old Frisian language began to give
way to the platt Deutsch. The old tongue,
however, somewhat changed, is still used in
the smaller North Frisian islands.
64
COUNT EDZARD I.
Edzard had made a study of religion, and
gave much attention at different times both
to the polemics of Martin Luther and to the
replies of his opponents. After some hesitation
he appeared, however, to favour the tenets of
the Reformer-monk, but he was cautious in his
declaration of adherence to the reformed faith.
The convents were, at that time, said to be
hot-beds of vice, and Edzard, following the
example of Ulrich, endeavoured to reform
them. He sent his daughter Theda as a nun
to the Convent of Marienthal in 1512, a
somewhat dangerous experiment it would seem.
A certain Ulrich von Dornum is quoted as say-
ing a few years later, that the cloisters were
worse than robbers' dens, and that monks
were greater heathen than the Turks.
Count Edzard's people were good sons of
the Church, but they were not devoted to
their Bishops, or to the somewhat domineering
priests of the land.
As the thunders of Luther's eloquence began
to penetrate to Frisian firesides, a strong cur-
rent of rather demagogic prejudice against the
65 B
FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
hierarchy of the Church soon set in. Orators
like Johann Wessel became famous, and the
monks were forced in many instances to leave
their villages hurriedly. Edzard encouraged this
agitation against the priesthood from motives
resembling those that animated Henry VIII.
of England in a like struggle. Among others
who took a prominent part in these discussions
was Eudolf Agricola, who was a native of
Groningen. His brother was a Privy Councillor
of Countess Theda and of Count Edzard, and
the family was possessed of some influence.
Edzard, who was a good Latin scholar, wrote
to Luther in either 1521 or 1522, and requested
the Reformer to send him a learned clergyman
who was capable of exerting some influence
among the people. Luther sent him Jurgen-
van-der Dare, who became the tutor of Edzard's
children, and who proved to be a strong man.
Jurgen, after the fashion of the day, changed
his name to Aportanus, the Latin form.
Aportanus, believing in the ideas of the
Reformation, was refused permission to preach
in a church by other clergymen, not so liberal.
66
COUNT EDZAED I.
Undismayed by this refusal, Aportanus preaclied
in the open air, Count Edzard sending him
a troop of horse as a body-guard. The Refor-
mation was in the early days of the movement
accepted by the people, later by the nobles,
who at first had scorned it. Ulrich von
Dornum, the chief supporter of the Protestant
faith, wrote an exact account of the religious
dispute at Oldersum between Roman Catholics
and Protestants in platt Deutsch, and gave it
to Count Edzard and his three sons, Ulrich,
Enno, and John, to read. This pamphlet is
supposed to have had much influence with
the reigning family. The Count and his
family, after some hesitation, favoured the
Reformation. No one at the time foresaw
that these religious differences would, at a
period soon to arrive, divide the country into
two religious camps.
In the year 1522, Hero Omken, Edzard's
cousin and bitter enemy, died, but his son
Balthasar inherited the hatred of his father
for the House of Cirksena. Balthasar, having
signalised his accession by robbing and plunder-
67
FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
ing wherever he could, Edzard, in 1525, be-
sieged the town of Esens, and forced Balthasar
to make peace and to promise amendment in
his ways, a promise he was destined to make
and break often in the future.
In 1527 Edzard felt death approach, for
he was a worn-out man, and longed ardently
for a peaceful end. He endeavoured in vain
to avoid a final war, and in 1527 his two
sons, Enno and John, attacked the tow^n of
Jever. According to an old agreement, they
were to look upon Anna and Maria, the
daughters of the dead Christopher (Dorothea,
the third sister, had died), as their future
wives. They took, however, little notice of
the expectant brides, but on capturing Jever
made Boynck of Oldersum Warden of the
town. Edzard had made an agreement, fifteen
years before this date, with his subjects for
the acknowledgment of primogeniture, but in
the meanwhile Ulrich, his eldest son, had
become weak-minded while in Spain. The
exact cause of his insanity is unknown, but
popular report said it was through a love-
G8
COUNT EDZARD I.
potion given him by a dark-eyed Spanish
beauty, whose love he had slighted. On
account of this misfortune Edzard called the
Council together again in 1527, and asked
them to acknowledge his second son, Enno, as
their Lord, because he was himself too ill to
continue to reign, and because his eldest son
was neither willing nor able to undertake all
the duties of Government. An agreement to
this effect between Couut and people was
drawn up, the document being signed by
Ulrich, Enno, and John.
At Emden, shortly before his death, Edzard
gave his sons the following wise advice : To
adhere to the Protestant faith, not to impose
taxes on the country which had been drained
by many wars, and to keep peace with, their
neighbours. His strength decreased, and on
the 14th of February 1528, he said: "Lord,
now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace,"
and died at the age of sixty-six. His tomb
is in the cloisters of Marienthal, at Norden,
near that of his parents, Ulrich and Theda.
No Count of East Frisia was mourned as
69
FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
was Edzard I. He loved his people and
was beloved by them ; economical and tem-
perate, both in private and public life, he had
before the Saxon war taken no taxes, and
did so only after the campaign, when he saw
there was no other way to meet the necessary
expenses of his Government. His people
called him their father ; he listened to the
needy and helpless, and a love of justice was
his chief characteristic. Evenness of mind
in joy and sorrow was his distinguishing
quality. He was very fond of his country,
and hated foreigners or foreign servants. Ubbo
Emmius writes of him : " Amabatur plus paene
quam par erat." His subjects received the
Eeformation at his hands, and he seems to
have deserved well of his people. East Frisia
called Edzard " The Great," and if the love
of his subjects is any measure of the greatness
of a Prince, Edzard may in every way claim
this name. A grateful country long remem-
bered his brilliant reign.
70
ENNO 11.
ENNO II.
'T^HE record of tlie reign of Edzard I. was
a noble one, and one indeed which
rendered the task of his successor peculiarly
difficult. This successor, Count Enno II.,
was the second son of Count Edzard I., by
his wife, the Lady Elizabeth, and was born
in 1505. When Enno's brother, Ulrich, after
his return from Spain, had become imbecile,
their father proclaimed Enno in his will of
the 6th December 1527, as his heir and
successor. Count Edzard, however, left
directions that all his coined and uncoined
gold and silver, as well as his magnificent
plate, should be retained for the benefit of
his land and his people. His strictly personal
possessions, however, including clothing, jewel-
lery, horses, and harness, were, by his order,
to be divided equally between his three sons,
73
V
FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
Ulrich, Enno, and John. With regard to his
eldest son, he stated in this will that Count
Ulrich, although indeed highly fitted for the
position of ruler, was not inclined to under-
take the duties of the post, on account of the
poor condition of his health, which unfitted
him for the manifold difficulties, troubles, and
unpleasantnesses inseparably connected with
the government of the Frisian people.
Count Enno succeeded to his inheritance on
15th February 1528. After the remains of
the late ruler were interred, the new Count
was proclaimed as Enno II., and was duly
acknowledged by the nobles at Norden. As his
Chief Councillors, Count Enno chose Ulrich von
Dornum, Hicke von Dornum, Omko Eipperda
von Hinte, Fox von Pewsum, Poppo Manninga,
and Folef von Kniphausen. Enno was at this
time twenty-four years old, and apparently a
man of parts. He passed through every town
of his dominions to receive homage, and was
then solemnly acknowledged as Lord of the
Imperial County of East Frisia. In September
1528 the Emperor Charles renewed to Enno
74
COUNT EXXO II.
From a portrait in the Town Hal!
at Aurich.]
I To face page 74
ENNO II.
the enfeoflfment given to Count Ulrich in
1454.
En no's first care was to improve and enlarge
the strongholds of his country, and several
towns were fortified. The Ems was dammed in
at Weener, and Aurich was surrounded by both
wall and moat, traces of which still remain.
Enno's next step would not have commended
itself to his father. At this time the old faith
(Catholicism) was not altogether destroyed, and
the new doctrine (Protestantism) had not been
completely established. This unstable state of
afiairs Enuo made use of for his own purpose.
All the cloisters and monasteries were robbed
of their silver, altar silks, and even of their
money, and in order to prevent popular clamour
the minds of the people were pacified by the
statement that the treasures of the Church were
only collected for use in case war or any great
calamity should break out, an explanation that
satisfied their simple minds. At the Town Hall
of Emden stood a heavy iron-clad chest, which
now received the treasures of the religious
houses. At a later period this treasure was
75
FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
lost, and at the same time many valuable
documents also disappeared. The monks were
compelled to leave the empty monasteries, and
Enno and his brothers took them for their own
use. Enno rebuilt the Dominican Monastery at
Norden, and lived there for some time. John
chose the Monastery of Ihlo ; the organ was
taken to Aurich and the monastery was trans-
ferred into a hunting-box. Some years later
it was rebuilt by Enno III. Poor weak-minded
Ulrich, who had formerly been of such brilliant
promise, lived until his death in the Monastery
of Hasselt of St John. These deeds were in
East Frisia the painful consequences of the
Keformation. The stolen treasures of the
monasteries had been given or bequeathed to
them to be used for charitable purposes, either
for the sick and poor, or to give the people
a better education. In taking the money away
from the monasteries, these purposes were, of
course, defeated, and the minds of the people
were sorely vexed. Only at Emden and at
Norden was the money taken used for the good
of the people.
76
EN^O II.
This legalised robbery was not done all at
once. Bishops and priests were to be heard of
as late as 1540, during the reign of Grafin
A.nna, who gave the last seven monks in the
country money, and sent them away from East
Frisia. Emmius states that there were formerly
thirty monasteries in Frisia.
A storm was brewing in a different direction.
Luther had sent, among others, one Steevens
to Norden, but he had proved to be a man of
little influence. The more important German
clergymen w^ere grouped about Luther at
Wittenberg, while, as a rule, the west of
Germany followed separate leaders. Aportanus
was the man of most influence among the
East Frisians, He believed in non-substantia-
tion, following Zwingli's doctrine, and not
that of Luther, who believed in con-substantia-
tion. Aportanus gave the Communion accord-
ing to his doctrine. As Count Edzard had
been always in close intercourse with Aportanus,
who was his spiritual adviser, it is to be
assumed that he shared his ideas ; Enno's
views were not so clearly known. In addition
77
FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
to Aportanus, Keese and Rhode, who taught
the same doctrines, distinguished themselves as
religious leaders. The strife between the
followers of Aportanus on the one side and
the Catholics and Lutherans on the other, did
not break out openly, but existed in an under-
ground state, in families and schools. Many
of the followers of Aportanus who misunder-
stood his doctrine gave up going to Holy
Communion altogether, and did not even have
their children baptised, an omission that was
a ground for scandalous attacks on their
tenets.
Their creed, consisting of thirty-three Articles,
was published in 1528 ; Aportanus and his
followers signed it, and added necessary ex-
planations to each Article. After this publica-
tion criticism grew less keen, as the real views
of Aportanus became known.
The bitter feeling caused by this religious
strife continued for some time in East Frisia,
and had far-reaching consequences.
Of the character of the reigning Count there
is little recorded. Count Enno was young and
ENNO II.
loved pleasure. He was fond of the chase and
of sports generally, in which he excelled. He
was brave and clever as well as good-hearted
and easily led. He highly esteemed and loved
his former tutor, Aportanus, and gave him a
house and a small yearly revenue, but he
took personally little part in the religious con-
troversies of Aportanus and his followers. He
would willingly have ignored the niceties of
theological discussion had not the exigencies
of politics required his mediation. Enno at
this time was not sure which side he should
favour ; strong reasons made him wish to side
with the Lutherans, for he knew that if the
Emperor should decide to re-establish the
Roman Catholic religion, the Lutherans would
rejoin him. In addition to this reason, another,
equally strong, existed : Duke Charles of
Gueldres and the town of Groningen were
strongly Lutheran, and Enno did not feel
that the support of his nobles in the event
of war would be powerful enough to enable
him to oppose Duke Charles, especially as he
knew that Balthasar of Esens was his bitter
79
FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE
enemy, and was on the watch to catch him
ofl' his guard. On the other hand, Enno
wished to support Aportanus, his old tutor.
Ulrich von Dornum, like a clever politician,
advised Count Enno to get Luther's friend
Bugenhagen, a very gentle and peace-loving
man, to preach in East Frisia, in order to