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any impression on it. How strong must be the impression made on my changes of fortune! But if only my wife would be more patient I could bear it all."

12th, 19th Feb. Bräker reflects on the execution of Louis XVI of France. France has taken up arms "like a child with a knife". The king's death has shocked all of Europe and turned people's sympathy away from the French. He laments the effect on poor people in Switzerland. Armies are taking their food and driving up prices, begging and theft are on the increase. "How painful it is for him who would gladly give, but who has nothing himself or earns only a pittance of bread". About half the people in the Toggenburg have no property and have to live on the cotton trade, demand for their work has gone down since the start of the French revolution. "Already the crook-backed old granny goes about groaning and the daughter pawns her Sunday clothes. The old man who served as porter is dismissed. Many weavers the same. Many factories stand empty and their workers have gone. Large merchant businesses close their counters and the small ones lose everything they have earned. Us poor folk, what will become of us? Heaven have mercy on us!..." [Voellmy, v 2 pp 270-274]

[The French King had been put to death almost a month earlier, on January 21st, and, as Bräker says, this action had aroused widespread revulsion against the French. But the Swiss were still reluctant to break openly with their most powerful neighbour, or abandon their policy of neutrality.]

In April he fears that he too will have to resort to beggary in his old age. He can no longer support his children and other relatives. If he were twenty years younger he would run away and become a soldier again. But he reminds himself that he is healthy and can get food from his own garden. [Chronik, pp 392-393]

22nd Apr. The annual meeting of the Moral Society does not take place because no speaker can be found, Giezendanner wants to resign, his deputy Abraham Steger is away in Glarus, Bräker thinks he has left the area to avoid being put in charge of the Society, about half the remaining members are also absent. [Chronik, p 393]

24th Apr. Writing to Füssli, Bräker conveys his pleasure that the edition of his diaries has at last been published.

[A note adds that it was published as "Part 1", also that it was very heavily revised to conform to the literary taste of the times.]
Bräker asks that the rest should be published as soon as possible. He asks for money in advance when he visits Zürich in the autumn, or earlier if Füssli will come to visit him. [Chronik, pp 393-394]

14th May "Whitsun: Muster of the militia in Lichtensteig - Now something more and different"

"On the 14th we had here a festival day, the like of which, to everyone's way of thinking, has never been celebrated in the Toggenburg before. At least in such a military manner. Four weeks ago a double oath of allegiance was published for our young men

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who had not yet sworn an oath to the province nor to the prince. Now everyone set to drilling, procuring uniforms and weapons, inspired by our Herr Landvogt Müller

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who had often and in many ways earned the gratitude of our dear fatherland. The young men strove mightily to outdo each other in effort and precision. And many parents spared no trouble nor expense to turn out their sons to look their best. Only the niggards, ignorant blockheads and old grannies sighed and grumbled, though not

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In the Toggenburg the age for swearing this oath, which had been required since 1718 (but used a much older form of words) was fourteen. [Chronik, p 394]


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The Landvogt Karl Müller-Friedberg had decreed that both loyalty oaths should be taken on the same day, formerly they had been taken on separate occasions. Perhaps this change was intended to make the oath-takers think that loyalty to the Prince-Abbot and loyalty to the Toggenburg homeland were the same thing.



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