dents of church history. Of his early life we know but little. An autobiographical sketch written 1540 is preserved in manuscript in the Herzogliche Bibliothek at Wolfenbüttel.[1] It fails to give the year of his birth. It records, however, that he was born at Neisse, Silesia, the native town of Michael Weisse, originator of the German hymn-book of the Bohemian Brethren. He and Weisse were contemporaries and we may safely assume that they were acquainted. In 1523 he was called to Liegnitz as prebendary (Domherr) or Lector. This appointment he probably owed to Schwenkfeld.[2] He was an intimate of Schwenkfeld and for more than twenty years he ardently championed the cause of the Middle Way, as the Reformation under Schwenkfeld was called. For his accomplishments in Hebrew, Greek and Latin he enjoyed a wide reputation and was recognized as a gifted writer of religious verse, of which some was written in defense of Schwenkfeld. He died in Liegnitz, 1545, and is said to have reached the age of 80 years.
Georg Berkenmeyer was exhorter in the Swabian city of Ulm. He is the author of a number of writings directed against Romanism and defending the doctrine of the "inner light." The period of his activity was, approximately, 1525–1545. At the time of the prosecution of Schwenkfeld by the town-council of Ulm, 1540, Berkenmeyer was indicted for partisanship with Schwenkfeld. His best known hymns are:
"O Herr, bisz du mein Zuversicht", and
"O du betriibter Jesu Christ."
The former was printed at Strassburg, 1568, 1569 and 1580. Also at Niirnberg, 1607. The latter at Strassburg, 1580 and 1585.
Johann Schweintzer was a Silesian and a pupil of Valentin Crautwald. In 1530, in partnership with Petrus Schaefer, he set up a printing press at Strassburg. Among the products of
