This work
was publicly burnt and its author imprisoned. Biddle was born at Wotton-
under-Edge in 1615; he went to Oxford, and became a teacher at a grammar-
school at Gloucester. He underwent several terms of imprisonment on
account of the opinions expressed in his writings, and died in gaol in
1662.
Amongst the fanatics whose works were fatal to them must be enrolled the
famous advocates of polygamy, Johann Lyser, Bernardino Ochino, and Samuel
Friedrich Willenberg. Lyser was born at Leipsic in 1631, and although he
ever remained a bachelor and abhorred womankind, nevertheless tried to
demonstrate that not only was polygamy lawful, but that it was a blessed
estate commanded by God. He first brought out a dialogue written in the
vernacular entitled _Sinceri Wahrenbergs kurzes Gespraech von der
Polygamie_; and this little work was followed by a second book, _Das
Koenigliche Marck aller Laender_ (Freyburg, 1676, in-4). Then he produced
another work, entitled _Theophili Aletaei discursus politicus de
Polygamia_. A second edition of this work followed, which bore the title
_Polygamia triumphatrix, id est, discursus politicus de Polygamia, auctore
Theoph. Aletoeo, cum notis Athanasii Vincentii, omnibus Anti-polygamis,
ubique locorum, terrarum, insularum, pagorum, urbium modeste et pie
opposita (Londini Scanorum_, 1682, in-4). On account of the strange views
expressed in this work he was deprived of his office of Inspector, and was
obliged to seek protection from a powerful Count, by whose advice it is
said that Lyser first undertook the advocacy of polygamy.
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