The  office  of  bailiff  of  Gaster  did  not  at  that  time  belong  to  Schwytz  ;
and,  even  if  it  had,  the  trial  ought  to  have  been  heard  before  the  tribunal
of  Utznach.  Nevertheless  the  commune  condemned  the  unfortunate  and
guiltless  man  to  the  flames,  which  he  endured  with  great  constancy.2

This  roused  Zurich  to  open  resistance.  In  June,  1529,  when  a  new  bailiff
of  Unterwalden  was  to  make  his  entrance  into  Baden,  Zurich  openly
declared  that  it  would  not  suffer  it,  nor  indeed  have  any  further  community
with  the  Unterwalders  :  from  henceforth  it  would  not  permit  them  to

1  Invitation  to  the  Wiirtemberg  districts,  ii.  orig.  doc,  No.  144.  "  That  the
power  of  the  same  Confederation  is  divided  by  the  above-mentioned  union,  while
his  Royal  Majesty  and  his  subjects  who  adhere  to  the  ancient  Christian  faith
are  strengthened  with  foreign  aid,  as  well  as  the  above-mentioned  five
cantons."

2  Bullinger,  Ref.  Gesch.  ii.,  p.  148.  Eidgenossische  schweizerische  Martyrer,
Misc.  Tig.  ii.,  p.  35  (insignificant).
41 — 2


644  THREATENED  HOSTILITIES  [Book  VI.
exercise  the  office  of  bailiff  in  the  domains  over  which  they  had  a  common
jurisdiction.1

Zurich  had  long  since  announced  to  the  Schwytzers  its  determination
to  avenge  itself,  if  any  violence  was  used  towards  the  preacher  of  its
feudatories.     Keyser's  execution  was  therefore  the  signal  for  war.
