400-YEAR-OLD DIARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20366, 21 September 1929, Page 8 (Supplement)

400-YEAR-OLD DIARY.

A SWISS PILGRIW.

'J'ho Swiss Biblioplul Society ha? published Heinricli Wolfli's diary, kept during his pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1520-21, ;i book of great interest to historians and archaeologists. Wollli was the teacher of the Swiss reformer, Ulrich Zwingli, and (he book gains additional interest from tho fact that this year sees the 400 th anniversary of the Reformation in Zurich, Berne, Bale and other Swiss towns.

Wollli was a great scholar, and so fanatically devoted to travelling that lie spent his whole considerable fortune on it. A man of ftftv, he stalled on his pilgrimago on April 20, 1520. and returned after 370 days, having spent £4OO. On his way over the Gotthard Pass and through Lonibardy to Venice he visited all the holy places, but he gives ample vent to his indignation about the shameless moneymaking that he observed. In this respect he was able fo communicate first-hand experience to his pupil. Further on the traveller was in constant fear of the terrible Turks and the greedy sailors, but he eventually arrived in Palestine and theie visited all the places connected with the. Gospel tradition. The original of his diary, which was written in Latin, is lost, and the text printed is a German translation made hv Johannes Haller, a grandson of the reformer of Berne.