reconcile the two parties. Enno invited

Bugenhagen to come to Frisia, and in the

meanwhile went to the Diet at Speier, in

order to consult the Landgraf Philip of Hesse,

who urged him to put an end to party strife.

Bugenhagen, however, for some reason, did

not come in response to Enno's invitation,

and gradually East Frisia came to be looked

upon as a sort of no man's land, a retreat

for all those who sided neither with Luther

nor with the Catholic party. Among them

was one Carlstadt, a miserable fanatic, who

had tried in many places to raise a storm

against the Lutherans. He had first wanted to

preach in Emden, but this was not allowed, and

he was responsible for much ill-feeling. Enno

wished to harmonise all the discordant elements,

80



EXXO II.

but before attempting this he resolved to wait
for the resolution of the dispute at Marburg.
Other affairs, however, troubled Enno, and he
was compelled to let theology and doctrine go b}^
the board for the moment. The enmity betw^een
the Cirksena and Oldenburg still existed, chiefly
because Oldenburg held the Budjadingerland,
which really belonged to Enno.

Oldenburg felt insulted because Enno had
appointed a Warden at Jever, thus ignoring the
fact that to Oldenburg belonged the guardianship
of the Countesses of Jever. Balthasar of Esens,
the son of Hero Omken, whose mother was an
Oldenburg Princess, seized this opportunity, and
of course sided with his mother's relatives
against his hereditary enemies, the Cirksena.
The fugitive Danish King, Christian II., a near
relative of Oldenburg, and Floris von Biiren,
with Count Egmond, the Statthalter of the
Netherlands, a great friend of the old Count
Edzard, wished to avert the chance of war, and
endeavoured to act as mediators. The Arch-
bishop of Bremen thought this a favourable time
to complain that Enno had taken away his

81 F



FKOM SQUIEE TO PRINCE

monastery revenues. By the advice of Floris,
Enno and John made a treaty with the Arch-
bishop of Bremen, and gave him back his revenues,
until a Church Council should decide the matter.
The exiled King of Denmark, hoping to
regain his throne, wished to gain the friendship
of Enno, so that in case of war he might make
use of the harbours of East Frisia. After
discussions many and bitter a marriage seemed
to be the best way of arrangement. The
Ambassadors met at Utrecht, on the 26th
October 1529, and it was agreed that Count
Enno should marry Anna of Oldenburg, and the
Count Anton of Oldenburg should marry Anna
of East Frisia. The dowTy of the brides was to
be 10,000 gulden each, and Enno, in addition,
settled on Anna the old mint at Emden for her
dower. Enno gave up all claims on Budja-
dingerland, and Anton abandoned his claim on
Jever. Enno promised to the two Countesses,
Anna and Maria of Jever, a sum of money ; to
Maria, being the youngest, 6000 gulden, and
to Anna 3000 gulden. According to Frisian

law, the younger received the greater sum. The

82



ENNO II.

two Countesses feeling wronged, sought the aid of
a stronsfer arm, bul met with little satisfaction.

As far as the religious struggle was concerned,
Enno had read the document drawn up by the
Lutheran clergymen, and had signed it in 1529.
He called all the clergymen together for a
Council on the 13th January 1530, and had the
edict read to them, saying that he wished them
to sign it at once. The ministers begged for
time to consider the matter, and asked to have a
copy of the edict, a reasonable request, which was
refused. They would not sign everything that
the edict contained, although Enno wished them
to agree to all the clauses ; Ulrich von Dornum,
however, wisely kept the Count from using
severe measures. Many clergymen, as a result
of this discussion, were driven out of the country,
among them Carlstadt, who joined Zwingli at
Zurich. The Landgraf of Hesse also begged
Enno to treat the clergymen more kindly. The
Count swerved from one side to the other, but at
last fairly went over to Aportanus. He soon, in-
deed, took little interest in these religious disputes,

as more worldly matters demanded his attention.

83



FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE

In March 1530 Enno went with sixty
followers to Oldenburg, where he made fierce
love to his bride-elect. The marriage was
solemnised, and Enno and Anna returned to
Aurich, where the wedding festivities began.
Countess Anna made Enno a good wife, and
was " loved of the people."

Enno, wishing to follow in his father's

steps, and to become a hero in battle, was

anxious to find some pretext for war. His

Councillors endeavoured to dissuade him from

anything rash, but Enno wished to prove

himself independent. Balthasar at this time,

having grievously ill-treated some East

Frisians, gave cause to Enno for a declara-

tion of war. A troop of East Frisians under

Enno's command took the Castle of Wittmund

by surprise ; then Enno drew up his forces

and marched against Esens, the town and

stronghold of Balthasar. Enno encamped near

Esens at Nordorf. There seems to have been

some lack of watchfulness in Enno's army,

for Balthasar stormed the camp and inflicted

a defeat for the time on Enno. Enno, how-

84




GOLD "EN'NO" COINS OF EAST IRISIA.

(By pcrtnission of John C. Eno, Esq.)

Note — The inscription on the Gold-gulden of Enno I. in the upper ri^ht-
hand corner is in Gothic characters, and reads, " Mo. Eno. Co. i. Fsie. oie!,"
meaning Moncta Enonis Comitis Frisia' OricntaUs. The figure is St. John the
Baptist. The remaining four Gold-gulden are of^Enno TL, where the name is
spelt with two n's.



I To facc'paac 85.



EA^KO II.

ever, at once levied new forces, especially
paid soldiers ; in order to do this he was
compelled to open the chest of stolen Church
treasure at Emden. Even his brother John,
who in the meanwhile had been at the Bur-
gundian Court, and had gone with the Emperor
Charles V. to Italy, could not give Enno enough
help to enable him to take Esens. After Enno
had lost some 800 Frisians he gave up all
attempts to storm the town. Determined to
succeed, Enno changed his plans, and cut olF
the roads leading to Esens, in order that he
might starve the inhabitants ; and Balthasar
at last surrendered. On St Michael's Day, in
1530, Balthasar gave up his cannon, and Enno
and John entered the town in triumph.

The conditions imposed on Balthasar by the
victorious Count of East Frisia were onerous
but necessary. Enno obtained the promise
of Balthasar to hold Esens as a fief of East
Frisia, and he furthermore agreed to be, like
other nobles of the land, faithful, peace-
able, and obedient ; he pledged his word not

to write himself as "we," but *'I," and

85



FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE

placed himself under the Count's jurisdiction.
Balthasar also promised that in case of his death
without legitimate male heirs, the Lordship of
Esens should revert to the Count of East
Frisia as the rightful overlord. He further
agreed that of the Esens possessions, the Isle
of Harling, and the four parishes of Wester-
holz, Ochtersund, Dumm, and Wittum should
remain in the hands of the Count. Balthasar
was also compelled to give up Wittmund
House, and to pay a sum of 18,000 Philip
Thalers before Count Enno would completely
withdraw his forces. Balthasar agreed to these
terms with outward complaisance, but with
hatred in his heart.

The short space of a year sufficed to prove
the quality of his sincerity.



86



THE REIGN OF ENNO II.— (Cont.)



THE REIGN OF ENNO IL— {continued)

TN the year 1531 Enno resolved to pay a
visit to the Burgundian Court at Brussels.
Seeing in this proposed absence of Enno a
long-sought opportunity, Balthasar, under pre-
tence of paying a visit to his brother-in-law
in Westphalia, went part of the way with
Enno in apparent amity. Upon leaving him,
however, Balthasar, who was labouring under
a sense of injustice, sought help from the
Duke of Gueldres at Arnheim. The citizens
of Esens had, meanwhile, secretly rebuilt the
fortress wall, and John sent the Warden of
Friedeburg to Esens to preserve order, and to
see that the treaty stipulations were observed.
He was shot, and the war broke out afresh.
Then Balthasar spread the rumour that Enno
had fallen into disgrace at Brussels, and that

Folef of Kniphausen, his trusted friend, had

89



FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE

died of fever. The East Frisians, on hearing
these evil reports, appear to have lost courage,
and if Balthasar could have marched at once
against Emden, he might have scored a victory
with far-reaching consequences. He tried to
collect money and soldiers, but men would
not follow a landless Chief. To encourage his
soldiers, Balthasar showed them a letter from
Maria of Jever, in which she promised them
they should have the Castle of Jever as a
place of refuge in case of need. Maria was
angry at what she considered Enno's perfidy,
and showed an unbecoming readiness to em-
barrass him in any way possible. The Lady
Maria of Jever was evidently a woman of some
spirit ; she secretly got together fifty Lands-
knechts (troopers armed with a lance), and
stole a march on Enno by making Boy nek of
Oldersum, whom Enno had appointed Warden
of her castle, her own Warden, promising to
marry him if they were successful. Enno,
having heard of these doings at Brussels,
hurried home, in order to prevent the dan-
gerous foe of his house, Balthasar, from passing

90



THE REIGN OF ENXO 11.— (continued)

through Frisia to Esens ; but in this short
campaign Enno's soldiers fought badly, and
the expedition was unsuccessful. Balthasar
took the church at Wittmund, and burnt the
monasteries at Norden. An old chronicler
says that the church tower at Norden, with
its high spire, which could be seen far up
the Elbe, was burnt down, " in spite of the
woe-cries of the inhabitants," who loved it.
The foundation stones were to be seen two
centuries later. Enno, in Emden, for some
time saw the sky reddened every night, by
the many fires which Balthasar had lit. John
in return invaded the country round Esens,
pillaging, plundering, and burning wherever
he could.

The Danish King, Christian, who wished to
regain his country, and who for this purpose
was anxious to take the Frisian soldiers into
his own service, begged Queen Marie, the
Statthalter of the Emperor Charles V. in
Brussels, to mediate for peace. Her efforts
were successful, and the treaty of peace re-
stored, as such treaties usually do, the status

91



FEOM SQUIRE TO PRINCE

quo ante, and gave to Enno, as well as to
Baltliasar, what they had had before the war.
As soon as peace was declared, anxious for
revenge, Enno sent Ubbo, the son of Folef
von Kniphausen, to punish Boynck, the dis-
loyal Warden of Jever. The burghers of
Jever sought refuge in the castle and burned
their own houses, in order to prevent Enno's
troops from occupying them. Boynck escaped
from the castle, and sought an audience at
the Court of Queen Marie, where he made
bitter complaints against Enno and John.
Enno was forbidden, as a consequence of
these complaints, to undertake any war against
Jever for the next six years, a prohibition which
he regarded with a light heart. Boynck and
Marie, not feeling safe, begged the Emperor,
Charles V., in 1532, to give Jever to Maria
as an Imperial fief, Maria claiming the right,
if she died childless, to leave it to whom she
pleased.

Balthasar in Esens, with the Cirksena as
near neighbours, not feeling safe, exchanged

Esens for the fief of Bosande in Gueldres.

92



THE REIGX OF EXXO IL— (continued)

In this way the Duke of Gueldres became
master of Esens ; without loss of time he sent
Hackfort, who is described as a cruel, hard-
hearted man, to fortify the town. Enno ob-
jected to this exchange, but his remonstrances
were of no avail. In 1532 there was much
excitement among the common people, caused
by several unusual physical phenomena. A
flood swamped the land and produced great
misery, while the people believed that a fiery
comet in the sky foreboded great misfortune
both to themselves and the reigning House.

Hackfort, without excuse, made two East
Frisian nobles prisoners ; Enno, as usual, was
anxious to take revenge, and the inevitable
war broke out again. Meinhard von Hamm
marched against Enno, and there was a fierce
battle fought on the 12th October, 1533.
Enno and John almost lost their lives on the
field. Meinhard then pillaged the country,
captured and sacked Leer, Oldersum, Petkum
and Ihlo ; passed by Aurich, which had been
warned, and then went on to Gretsyl, the

weU-stored and well-fortified castle of the

93



FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE

Cirksena. The Warden was Albert of Bake-

raoor, who was indebted to Enno for everything.

This man, however, had no courage, and after

the siege had lasted some time, he surrendered

in spite of the remonstrances of the soldiers,

who beo-ged him to wait. Albert and his

friends were later condemned to death by

Enno, w^ho could not forgive the loss of his

family seat. To put an end to the war, Enno

begged the Flirstenbund (Union of Princes)

to pass upon the merits of the dispute. A

Council was called at Hoxter, where Enno

hastened, giving John plenary powers to

make peace with Balthasar. John wisely

made peace, however, with Duke Charles of

Gueldres, the master and friend of Balthasar,

whom he knew he could trust. Duke Charles

then claimed 12,000 gulden for war expenses,

and Wittmund for his vassal, Balthasar. In

return he promised to give ujd Gretsyl. It

was further agreed that Count Enno was to

aid Duke Charles in every war, except in

contests against the Emperor or the Empire ;

while, on the other hand, it was understood

94



THE REIGN OF EXNO 11.— (continued)

that the Duke was to help Enno in any war
in which he might become involved as soon
as the Duke felt convinced that the cause
was a just one. Emden was to be the price,
in case the treaty was broken.

It is certain that Enno gained little from
his constant and bitter quarrels with Balthasar,
who was evidently a man, shrewd, and of
some skill in arms. At this time Enno's
attention was again called to the internal
disputes of a religious character that threatened
his country.

When Enno in 1530 had given up all

attempts to force his clergymen to adopt

the Lutheran theses of the Council of Bremen,

these clergymen had gone on their own

way, and a new sect was gradually evolved.

The members of this party were neither

followers of Luther nor of Zwingli. They

were apparently Anabaptists, teaching that

Christ will return and establish a new earthly

kingdom, and that Christians must be baptised

again to show themselves worthy of being

His follow^ers. These people are first

95



FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE

mentioned as present in East Frisia in the
year 1528. Tlie chief Anabaptist was Melchior
Hofmann, a furrier by trade. He was a man
of some little learning, and apjDears to have
possessed great eloquence. In some way he
had gained the favour of the Emperor, who
made him a clergyman. He caused much
trouble, and was driven away from many
places ; he finally settled in East Frisia.
The religious situation in Frisia at this time
was peculiar, many giving themselves up to
every form of unbridled pleasure and vice,
while others looked upon the most harmless
joy as sin. The latter party objected to the
following proclamation of Count Enno, v\^ho
was anxious to preserve the Frisian customs :

" We command that all our subjects dress
their children according to the old Frisian
manner, and adorn them with silver
ornaments."

The edict was interpreted by the more

liberal party as conceived in their interest, and

as directed against the stern and gloomy zealots

w^ho saw wrong in any innocent amusement.

96



THE REIGN OF ENNO U.— (continued)

When Hofmann appeared at Emden in 1530,
Count Enno took too little interest in religious
matters to oppose him, and Aportanus was
dead. Hofmann, having no opponent, by his
fantastic preaching gained many hearts, and
it is recorded that three hundred men were
re-baptised in one day. Enno, upon hearing
of Hofmann's success, sent for him, and it
is said that the eloquent words of Hofmann
moved him to tears. Hofmann came for the
last time to Emden in 1533, for upon going
to Strassburg he was imprisoned until he
died. Emden, where the Anabaptists had
never gained a very strong footing, and w^hich
never became over-fanatical, may be regarded
as the foundation-stone of the present Dutch
Church.

Enno upon his return from Hoxter confirmed

the treaty which John had made with the Duke

of Gueldres. Then turning his attention once

more to religion, he wrote to Duke Ernst of

Liineburg, who was the brother-in-hiw of the

Duke of Gueldres, asking him to send to East

Frisia some Lutheran clergymen. These men

97 G



FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE

strengthened the practice of the Lutheran
doctrine in the land, and any minister unwilling
to sign the papers of the Church Council was
forced to give up his parish. More clergymen
preferred rather to give up their religious
convictions than their rich livinsfs,

Enno and John both hoped by the re-intro-
duction of the Lutheran doctrine to pacify the
land, although in later years John became a
Roman Catholic. Up to this time the brothers
had agreed in all important points.

According to the will of Count Edzard, Enno
was to govern alone, but John, who was masterful
in temper, had always taken part in the govern-
ment, and Enno had always hesitated to assert
his claim to the position of sole ruler. Enno,
however, now wished to govern alone, and in
order to gain his point asked Queen Marie's aid.
She promised, at Enno's suggestion, to give John
the County of Falkenburg, if the "Commons of
East Frisia " would give him a considerable sum
of money as compensation. This instance is the
first in which " Commons " are referred to in a

state document. After having considered the

98



THE REIGN OF ENNO U.—{contimied)

matter, the Commons at Aurich, in 1537, decided

to give John the sum required, i.e. 42,000

gulden, if he would for all time give up his

claim to East Frisia, and if the ruling House

would agree not to regard this incident as a

precedent. Enno, who was glad to get rid of

his brother, himself gave John a revenue of 2000

gulden, a generous provision. John, however,

was not content, and in 1538, Enno called a

Council at the Monastery of Sielmonken, where

he asked the Commons to raise the sum given to

John from 42,000 to 100,000 gulden, as Queen

Marie wished him to marry Dorothea, the

beautiful but illegitimate daughter of the

Emperor Maximilian. The Council at last

consented, after much discussion, on condition

that John agreed to give up all claims on Frisia

for himself and his children for ever. As a sign

of gratitude, Enno, in 1539, raised Aurich from

the position of a hamlet to the rank of a town,

with town privileges.

Count Enno had lonsr wished to regain

Harlingerland, but he preferred peaceful

measures. An ingenious idea occurred to his

99



FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE

mind, and he sought the help of his wife in
order to carry it out. Countess Anna, who was
related to Balthasar, suggested to the old enemy
of the Cirksena that he should marry Enno's
sister, the Lady Armgard of East Frisia.
Balthasar, who was rather astonished at the
proposal, was willing, but insisted that Count
Enno should first give him back the cannon
which he and John had captured. Enno
promised to do so after the marriage, as he had
a wholesome distrust of Balthasar's promises,
derived from bitter experience. But Balthasar
was obstinate, and would not yield, and Enno
sent the cannon back to Aurich.

Balthasar, always turbulent, even in time of
peace, having captured two ships belonging to
Bremen, was outlawed by the Imperial Council.
On account of this check, he wished to form an
alliance with East Frisia, yet in spite of his evil
plight he first reclaimed his captured cannon,
and then secretly collected a troop of some 1500
soldiers in order to carry out a long-planned
expedition against Jever.

Maria of Jever had rebuilt the town of Jever,
100



THE REIGX OF EXNO 11.— (cctntinued)

had governed it with wisdom and care, and
although a Roman Catholic, had taken some
interest in the Lutheran teachings, and had
not attempted to prevent their spread in her
dominions. As age drew on, and the healing in-
fluence of time increased, Maria's hatred against
Enno gradually diminished in intensity, while
the Count of East Frisia had long wished to
do away with the misunderstandings between
the Chatelaine of Jever and himself. A meet-
ing was arranged by mutual desire at Aurich,
where the rival rulers met. Here, for the first
time, Enno heard that Jever was regarded as a
Burgundian fief. This meeting was productive
of much good, and Enno promised to assist Jever
if necessary. He was soon called upon to make
good his promise, for Balthasar, eager for action,
invaded Jever, and Maria applied to Enno for
help. Enno at once sent his soldiers, while
Balthasar retreated to the frontier. When Jever
was again at peace, Maria made a treaty with
Enno, promising to require of her heir that he
should marry a Countess of the House of Cirksena.

Enno, foreseeing fresh difficulties which might

101



FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE

arise for his children by means of this treaty,

wished to refuse, but Von Kniphausen, one of

his nobles, persuaded him to accept in order

to secure peace as soon as possible.

Balthasar died in October 1540, just after

his cousin and life-long enemy had passed away,

for Count Enno died at Emden on the 25th

of September 1540, while still a young man, in

the thirty-sixth year of his life, and in the

twelfth year of his reign. He left a widow,

the Countess Anna, and six children; three

sons, Edzard, Christopher, and John, and three

daughters. His body was buried in the Great

Church at Emden, where a marble monument

to his memory is to be seen. Anna at once

assumed the reins of government, but with

anxious thoughts of the times to come, for her

husband's brother, John, called, after his county,

John of Falkenburg, had taken up his residence

at Emden, and lived there in splendour with

a suite of fifty persons. He now claimed, on

somewhat doubtful grounds, to be the guardian

of his brother's children. He had become a

Roman Catholic, and was not popular with the

102



THE REIGN OF ENNO U.— (continued)

Frisians, whom he had renounced, but Charles
V. and Queen Marie, the Statthalter of the
Netherlands, favoured his cause.

The reign of Enno II., although short, was
eventful, and his success as a war-lord was never
in doubt. He compelled Balthasar to leave
Esens, and he secured East Frisia for himself
and his children, to the exclusion of his brother
John and his heirs. He continued the work
of the Reformation begun by his father, and
died at an early age, mourned by his people ;
as a chronicler of the time aptly sums up his
life work — Bene fecit.



103



EDZARD IL, CHRISTOPHER,
AND JOHN



EDZAED II., CHKISTOPHER, AND JOHN

JOHN, of Falkenburg, the brother of Enno IL,
until the coming of age of his nephews, was
at first regarded as the acknowledged feudal Lord
of East Frisia by command of the Emperor.
He lived at this time in Emden in splendid
style. Upon the death of Count Enno, how-
ever, the Commons, Prelates, and Officers at
Aurich took the Oath of Allegiance to Countess
Anna and her sons, ignoring John. John tried
in many ways and often to force the East
Frisians to acknowledge him as their supreme
Lord, but without avail, for these people re-
membered that he had renounced all his rights
on receiving a large sum of money some years
before. John a Lasco, born in 1499, a Pole
and a fugitive from his country, was favoured
by the Countess Anna, and being a man of

some learning, eventually reformed the Church

107



FROM SQUIRE TO PRINCE

of East Frisia, which retains to-day as its
doctrines those laid down by a Lasco. While
John a Lasco was reforming the Church,
Countess Anna turned her attention to legal
matters, and reformed the civil laws of her
country. Among other additions and improve-
ments she introduced in 1545 the so-called
" Police Laws of Countess Anna," which were
designed to increase the power of the ruling
House. Anna's eldest daughter, Elizabeth,
married Count Johann von Schaumburg in
1555. In 1557, at Cologne, John of Falken-
burg died a madman, made so by thwarted