Muenster soon became the seat of an extraordinary outburst of profligacy, fanaticism, and folly.  The Anabaptists took possession of the town, drove out all its wealthy citizens, elected two of themselves—­a clothier named Knipperdolling and one Krechting—­as burgomasters, and started off in a remarkable career of self-government under Anabaptist auspices.

A community of property was the first measure inaugurated.  Every person was required to deposit all his possessions, in gold, silver, and other articles of value, in a public treasury, which fell under the control of Bockelson, who soon made himself lord of the city.  All the images, pictures, ornaments, and books of the churches, except their Bibles, were publicly burned.  All persons were obliged to eat together at public tables, all made to work according to their strength and without regard to their former station, and a general condition of communism was established.  Bockelson gave himself out as a prophet, and quickly gained such influence over the people that they were ready to support him in the utmost excesses of folly and profligacy.

One of the earliest steps taken was to authorize each man to possess several wives, the number of women who had sought Muenster being six times greater than the men.  John Bockelson set the example by marrying three at once.  His licentious example was quickly followed by others, and for a full year the town continued a scene of unbridled profligacy and mad license.  One of John’s partisans, claiming to have received a divine communication, saluted him as monarch of the whole globe, the “King of Righteousness,” his title of royalty being “John of Leyden,” and declared that heaven had chosen him to restore the throne of David.  Twenty-eight apostles were selected and sent out, charged to preach the new gospel to the whole earth and to bring its inhabitants to acknowledge the divinely-commissioned king.  Their success was not great, however.  Wherever they came they were seized and immediately executed, the earth showing itself very unwilling to accept John of Leyden as its king.

In August, 1534, an army, led by Francis of Waldeck, the expelled bishop, who was supported by the landgrave of Hesse and several other princes, advanced and laid siege to the city, which the Anabaptists defended with furious zeal.  In the first assault, which was made on August 30, the assailants were repulsed with severe loss.  They then settled down to the slower but safer process of siege, considering it easier to starve out than to fight out their enthusiastic opponents.