Of Schleppers, or False Begging Priests.
Of Schleppers, or False Begging Priests.
HE xth chapter is about the Schleppers.
These are Kammesierers who pretend to
be priests. They come to the houses with
a famulus or discipulus who carries a sack after
them, and speak thus:—“Here comes a consecrated
man, named Master George Kessler, of Kitzebühel
(or what else he likes to call himself) and I am of
such-and-such a village, or of such-and-such a family
(naming a family which they know), and I will
officiate at my first mass on such-and-such a day in
that village, and I was consecrated for the altar in
such-and-such a town at such-and-such a church,
and there is no altar cloth, nor is there a missal, et
cetera, and I cannot afford them without much help
from all men; for mark, whosoever is commended
for an offering in the angel’s requiem, or for as
many pennies as he gives, so many souls will be released
amongst his deceased kindred.” Item, theyPg 27
receive also the farmer (HANZ) and his wife
(HANZIN) into a brotherhood, which they say had
bestowed on it grace and a great indulgence from
the bishop who is to erect the altar. Thus men
are moved to pity; one gives linen yarn, another
flax or hemp; one table cloths, or towels, or old
silver plate; and the Schleppers say that they are
not a brotherhood like the others who have questionerer,
and who come every year, but that they
will come no more (for if they came again they
would certainly be drowned [GEFLÖSSELT]). Item,
this manner is greatly practised in the Black
Forest, and in the country of Bregenz, in Kurwalen,
and in the Bar, and in the Algen, and on the
Adige, and in Switzerland, where there are not many
priests, and where the churches are far distant from
each other,—as are also the farms.
Conclusio: To these Schleppers, or Knaves, give nothing, for it would be badly laid out.
Exemplum, One was called Mansuetus; he also
invited the farmers to his first mass at St. Gallen;
and when they came to St. Gallen they sought for
him in the cathedral, but found him not. After
their meal they discovered him in a brothel (SONNENBOSS),
but he escaped.