Count Ulrich of Lindburg, by W. H. G. Kingston. ________________________________________________________________________The story begins in the early years of the sixteenth century. A monk, Martin Luther, has read the Bible and has realised that the teachings ofthe Roman church are much in error. Gradually his teachings percolatethrough the land. Count Ulrich, and also his son Eric, are veryinterested in this, though Ulrich's wife and daughter remain under thespell of their priest, Nicholas. Eric sets off for the city whereLuther is teaching, accompanied by a personal guard called Hans. On theway they meet with a youngster who is being bullied, and they take himinto their charge. Later they meet with some soldiers serving a Baronwho is an enemy of Eric's father, and are taken to the Baron's castle, where they are imprisoned. After a few days they are sent for by theBaron's wife. It turns out that the boy they had rescued on theirjourney had dodged off when they were bing captured, and had made hisway to where Martin Luther could be found. Knowing that the Baron'swife was interested in Luther's teachings he got message to her to askher to intervene in the matter of Eric and Hans. This is successful, and the two men continue their journey. On arriving at the Universitytown where Luther is teaching they hasten to his lectures, and arere-united with the boy they had earlier rescued, who had been waitingand watching out for them. 

The story continues from this point, and does make a very good read. 

________________________________________________________________________COUNT ULRICH OF LINDBURG, BY W. H. G. KINGSTON. 

CHAPTER ONE. 

On the banks of the river Saal, in Merseburg, forming part of Saxony, atthe time of which we speak, governed by the aged and excellent ElectorFrederick, stood the Castle of Lindburg. It was one of those feudalpiles of the Middle Ages, impregnable to the engines of ancient warfare, but which were destined to crumble before the iron shots with whichcannon assailed them, as the system they represented was compelled tosuccumb to the light of that truth which the Gospel was then diffusingover the greater part of Europe. 

Ulrich, Count von Lindburg, or the Knight of Lindburg, as he was oftencalled, sat in a room in his Castle, with his arm resting on a table anda book before him, at which, however, his eyes seldom glanced; his lookswere thoughtful and full of care. He had engaged in much hard fightingin his younger days, and now all he wished for was rest and quiet, though the state of the times gave him but little hope of enjoying them. In his own mind, too, he was troubled about many things. Four yearsbefore the time at which he is introduced to the reader, he had visitedWorms, during the time the Diet, summoned by the Emperor Charles theFifth, was sitting, and was among those who found their way into thegreat hall where the Emperor and the chief princes, bishops, and noblesof the land were sitting, when Dr Martin Luther, replied to thechancellor of Treves, the orator of the Diet, who demanded whether hewould retract the opinions put forth in numerous books he had publishedand sermons he had preached. 

"Since your most serene majesty and your high mightinesses require fromme a clear, simple, and precise answer, I will give you one, and it isthis: I cannot submit my fate either to the Pope or to the councils, because it is clear as the day that they have frequently erred andcontradicted each other. Unless, therefore, I am convinced by thetestimony of Scripture or by the clearest reasoning, unless I ampersuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thusrender my conscience bound by the Word of God, _I cannot and will notretract_, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against hisconscience. " And then, looking round on that assembly before which hestood, and which held his life in its hands, he said, "HERE I STAND, ICAN DO NO OTHER. MAY GOD HELP ME! AMEN!"

The assembly were thunderstruck. Many of the princes found it difficultto conceal their admiration; even the emperor exclaimed, "This monkspeaks with an intrepid heart and unshaken courage. " Truly he did. This is the weakness of God, which is stronger than man. God hadbrought together these kings and these prelates publicly to confoundtheir wisdom. These bold words had had also a deep effect on the Knightof Lindburg, and he kept meditating on them as he rode homeward towardsthe north. Could it, then, be possible that the lowly monk--thepeasant's son--should be right, and all those great persons, who wishedto condemn him, wrong? Was that faith, in which he himself had beenbrought up, not the true one? Was there a purer and a better? He mustconsult Father Nicholas Keller, his confessor, and hear what he had tosay on the subject. The Knight carried out his intention. FatherNicholas was puzzled; scarcely knew what answer to make. It was adreadful thing to differ with the Church--to rebel against the Pope. Dr Martin was a learned man, but he opined that he was following tooclosely in the steps of John Huss, and the Knight, his patron, knew thatthey led to the stake. He had no wish that any one under his spiritualcharge should go there. As to the Scriptures, he had read but verysmall portions of them, and he could not tell how far Dr Martin'sopinions were formed from them. The Knight was not satisfied. He askedFather Nicholas to explain what was the Church, and if it was notfounded on the Scriptures, on what was it founded? Father Nicholasreplied that it was founded on Peter, and that the popes were Peter'ssuccessors, and that therefore the Church was founded on the Pope. TheKnight remarked that from what he had heard of Peter he must have been avery different sort of person to Leo the Tenth, and he asked what weknew about Peter, and indeed the other apostles, except through theScriptures? Father Nicholas, shaking his head at so preposterous aquestion, replied, "Through tradition. " The Knight asked, "What istradition?" Father Nicholas hesitated--coughed--hemmed--and then said, "My son, tradition--is tradition! And now let us change the subject, itis becoming dangerous. "

The Knight was not yet satisfied, and he determined to look moreparticularly into the matter. When, therefore, his son Eric came home, and expressed a strong desire to migrate to Wittemburg, that he mightpursue his studies under the learned professors of that University, Drs. Martin Luther, Melancthon, Jerome Schurff, Jonas Armsdorff, AugustinSchurff, and others, he made no objection. Dame Margaret, his wife, however, and Father Nicholas, loudly protested against Eric's goingamong such a nest of heretics. 

"He will be perverted, " they exclaimed; "he will share the fate ofHuss. "

"I have promised him that he shall have his will, and perhaps he will beable to come back and tell us the meaning of tradition, " answered theKnight, with a peculiar look at Father Nicholas. "There are, besides, two or three other things about which I want him to gain information forme. "

Dame Margaret knew from experience that when the knight, who was an oldsoldier and wont to rule in his own house, said a thing, he meant it. She therefore held her peace, and it was finally arranged that Ericshould forthwith set off for Wittemburg. 

Dame Margaret was a very well-meaning woman. She could not prevent herson from going to the heretical University, but she hoped by heradmonitions and warnings that she might prevent him from imbibing thedangerous principles which she understood were taught there. Sheconsulted Father Nicholas on the subject; indeed she never failed toconsult him on all subjects, temporal as well as spiritual, connectedwith her family, so that the father had a good deal of influence in thehousehold. He did not give her any great hopes of success. 

"With all respect be it spoken of a son of yours, Eric has ever beenobstinate and dull-headed, and turned a deaf ear to all my ghostlycounsels and exhortations. Very like his father, the knight, I regretto say, " he observed; "however, there can be no harm in warning him. Tell him all I have told you about that heresiarch, Dr Martin, and ifhe believes what you say, you may thus have the happiness ofcounteracting the effects of the evil and abominable instructions hewill receive. "

This was a bright idea. Father Nicholas had been accustomed to say agood many hard things of Dr Luther and his friends. The plan mustsucceed. While, like a good mother as she really wished to be, DameMargaret was preparing Eric's shirts and hosen, a new cloak, and otherthings for his journey, she sent for her son that she might talk to him. She was alone; Eric kissed her hand affectionately, as he entered, andstood respectfully before her--

"You are going away for a long period from your father and me, and fromour esteemed Father Nicholas, and you will be exposed to countlessperils and dangers, my son, " she began. "You have a desire to go amongthose people, holding new-fangled doctrines, for the sake of the noveltyand excitement; that is but natural, so I scarcely blame you; butbeware, my son, this Dr Martin himself is, I hear, a wild, unstablecharacter, a roisterer and wine-bibber, who desires to overthrow ourholy Father, the Pope, for the sake of ruling, by his wickedincantations and devices, in his stead. "

"Others speak very differently of him, my mother, " answered Eric, humbly; "but I shall know more about him when I have been to Wittemburgand heard what he and his friends have to say for themselves. "

"Alas, it may be too late when you once get into his toils, " sighed DameMargaret. "They say that he has a compact with the Evil One, and he itis who gives him the wonderful power he possesses over men's minds andmakes them oppose our Father, the Pope, and our holy mother Church. "

"I have not heard that Dr Martin Luther has been guilty of any deedssuch as those in which the Evil One especially takes delight, and wemust judge of people by the works they perform, " answered Eric, in thegentle tone which his affectionate respect for his mother induced him toemploy. "I know that Dr Martin is a learned man; he desires tointroduce learning and a pure literature into our fatherland, and he ismoreover an earnest seeker after the truth, and has sincerely at heartthe eternal interests of his fellow-men. He is bold and brave becausehe believes his cause to be righteous and favoured by God. That is theaccount I have heard of him; I shall know whether it is the true onewhen I get to Wittemburg. "

"They say that he preaches that the convents should be thrown open, andthe priests allowed to marry, because he himself wants to take a wife. They say that the motives for all he does are very evident, " continuedDame Margaret, not listening to her son's remark. 

"I should have thought that had he been plotting from the first tooppose the power of the Pope for the sake of marrying he would havetaken a wife long ago. There has been nothing to hinder him. Certainlynot many `pfaffen' would have been so scrupulous. He himself hasremained single, and is a man, several of my friends who know him assureme, singularly abstemious; often he goes a whole day or more withoutfood, and his usual meals are of the simplest kind. It is true thatwhen he mixes with his fellow-men his heart expands and he does notrefuse the wine cup or the generous food placed before him. His is nochurlish spirit to turn away from the good things kind Heaven hasprovided for man. God sends us trials, but He intends us to enjoy whatHe has in His loving mercy given us in this world, and never throwstemptations to sin in our way, as some foolish teachers would make usbelieve. But as to Dr Martin's mode of life, I shall be able to tellyou more about it when I have been to Wittemburg. "

Dame Margaret sighed deeply, she had not yet quite said her say, thatis, what Father Nicholas had told her to say. "My son, " she continued, "I am informed that evil people are saying many wrong things against ourHoly Father, the Pope; that he has no business to call himself head ofthe Christian Church; that he is an extravagant, worldly man; that manypredecessors have been as bad as bad could be. Indeed I cannot repeatall the dreadful things said of him. "

"But suppose, dear mother, that all the things said of him are true;suppose that Saint Peter never was at Rome, that he did not found aChurch there, and was never Bishop of Rome; that designing men, fortheir own ambitious ends, have assumed that he was, and pretended to behis successors, and finally, finding the success of their first fraud, have claimed the right of ruling over the whole Christian world. But, however, when I go to Wittemburg I shall better know the truth of thesethings, and if they are calumnies, learn how to refute them. "

"Oh! my son! my son! how can you even venture to utter such dreadfulheresies?" shrieked Dame Margaret, even before Eric had finishedspeaking; then, hearing his last words, she added, "Of course they arecalumnies; of course you will refute them, and you will come back here, after you have completed your studies, and be the brave opponent of thisDr Martin and all his schismatic crew. But, my son, one of my chiefobjects in sending for you was to bestow on you a most invaluable relic, which will prove a sure and certain charm against all the dangers, moreespecially the spiritual ones, by which you may be surrounded. NeitherDr Martin nor even the Spirit of Evil himself will be able to prevailagainst you if you firmly trust to it, Father Nicholas assures me; forit contains not only a bit of the true cross, but a part of one of SaintPeter's fishing-hooks, and a portion of the thumb-nail of Saint James. Let me put it round your neck, my son, and thus armed I shall, withconfidence, see you go forth to combat with the world, the flesh and thedevil. "

Dame Margaret spoke seriously; she was merely giving expression to thecommon belief in relics entertained, not only by ignorant peasants butby the highest nobility and the great mass of the population, a beliefencouraged by the priests, who thus secured a sure market for their ownmanufactures. The excellent Elector Frederick, who became one of thegreat champions of the Reformation, had a short time before employedseveral dignitaries of the Church to collect relics for him, and hadpurchased a considerable number for very large sums. In the war betweenFrance and Spain, every Spanish soldier who was killed or taken prisonerwas found to have a relic round his neck with a certificate from thepriest who had sold it, that it would render his body invulnerable tothe bullets or swords of the enemy. There is a very considerable saleof such articles, even to the present day, in Roman Catholic countries. Eric was therefore well aware of the value his mother would attach tothe one she desired to bestow on him, yet he had already imbibed toolarge a portion of truth from the writings of Dr Luther and others, andthe portions of Scripture he had read, not to look on the impositionwith the contempt it deserved; still he was too dutiful a son to treathis mother's offer with disrespect. He thought a minute or more, andthen replied slowly--

"I will not take your relic, mother, for I am already provided with aprotection which will be sufficient for all the dangers I am likely toencounter. I will say nothing now as to the relic. When I have been toWittemburg I may be able to tell you something more of its actualvalue. "

Nothing that Dame Margaret could say would induce him to take thearticle. On repeating the conversation with her son to Father Nicholas, she expressed a hope that Eric was not possessed of an evil spirit, which had induced him so pertinaciously to refuse the proffered gift. 

Father Nicholas bit his lip, frowned, said he could not say, it mightpossibly be an embryo one, such as had clearly entered into Dr Martinand many other persons at that time. It would certainly be safe toexorcise him, but the difficulty would be to get so obstinate a youngman as Eric to submit to the operation. He would think about it, andtry and devise some means by which the ceremony might be performedwithout the patient having the power to resist. 

This promise afforded a considerable amount of comfort to Dame Margaret, who had felt very uneasy ever since the idea had seized her, for shecould not otherwise account for her son's refusing so inestimable agift. 

The last night Eric slept at home he had a dream, at least he was notquite certain whether he was awake or dreaming. He opened his eyes andsaw a light in the room, and his mother and Father Nicholas, and hissister Laneta, and his father's old henchman, Hans Bosch, who had oftencarried him in his arms, when he was a child, and still looked on him inthe light of one, standing round his bed. His mother held a basin, andHans a book, and the priest a censer, which he was swinging to and fro, and muttering words, in very doggerel Latin, while ever and anon, hesprinkled him with water from the basin. What Laneta was about, hecould not exactly make out, but he thought that she had a box in herhands, which she held open. Had he not been very sleepy and tired hewould have jumped up and ascertained whether what he saw was a vision ora reality; but, shutting his eyes, he went off soundly to sleep again, and sometime afterwards, when he awoke, the room was in darkness and hewas alone. 

His mother, the next morning, regarded him with much more contentedlooks than her countenance had worn for the last day or two. 

It may as well be here mentioned that Eric discovered during his journeythe precious relic, which he had declined taking, fastened into thecollar of his cloak. He sighed and said to himself--

"Then, poor mother, let it be; should I take it out and should anymisfortune happen to me she will say it was for want of the relic; if itremains and I receive damage I may the better prove to her theworthlessness of the thing. No wonder the sheep go astray when theyhave so ignorant a pastor as Father Nicholas. "

CHAPTER TWO. 

Eric, on the morning of his departure from home, had a privateleave-taking with his father. The Knight, though an old soldier, was apeaceably-disposed man, yet in spite of all he could do he had foes andtroubles. A certain Baron Schenk, of Schweinsburg, unjustly claimedrights over a portion of the Knight's property. It was clearlyimpossible for the Knight to accede to the Count's demands, for had hedone so fresh ones would instantly have been made until the Count mighthave claimed possession of Lindburg itself. The Count had oftenthreatened to come and insist on his claims at the point of the sword, but the Knight had reminded him that as two people could play at thatgame he might find that he gained nothing by the move. Still heoccasionally received a message which showed him that the Count had notforgotten his threats, and this always troubled him, not because hefeared his enemy, but because he wished to be quiet and at peace withall his fellow-men. He had a long talk with his son and gave him muchgood advice. The two understood each other thoroughly. 

"My son, " he said, "you are going forth into the world; and will meetwith a great variety of characters. Treat your fellow-men with a kindlyregard and do them all the good in your power, but put your whole trustin God alone. While you cling to Him He will never forsake you--I knowthat you are honest and single-hearted. Do that, and I have no fear foryou. Take my blessing, Eric. Write when you can and tell me all aboutDr Martin and his companions. I wish that I were young enough to go tothe University with you; I would give much once more to hear that manspeak as he did at Worms. "

Eric set forth not as a poor scholar, on foot, but as the son of aKnight and a Noble of the land, on horseback, accompanied by Hans Bosch, who led a sumpter-horse loaded with his baggage. Both were armed, aswas necessary in those times, with swords and pistols; the latter beingsomewhat large and unwieldy weapons. Eric, as befitted his station, hadlearned the use of his sword, and Hans was an old soldier who hadgrasped a pike for nearly half a century. Hans and Eric had always beengood friends. The old soldier was not ignorant of what was going on inthe world, but he had not as yet made up his mind which side to choose. He suspected the bias of his master, and that of his mistress was veryevident. As yet, however, he clung to the old opinions. Eric, thoughhigh-spirited and manly, was thoughtful and grave above his years, andHans respected his opinions accordingly. He had before been at theUniversity of Erfurth, but the fame of Wittemburg had reached him, and, what had still more influence, several of the books written atWittemburg, and he had been seized with a strong desire to migratethither. 

Hans could not read himself, but he was inquisitive. He plied his youngmaster with questions, to which Eric very willingly made replies. 

"Then you put no faith in the Pope, nor believe that he is the onlyrightful ruler of the Church?" observed Hans in reply to a remark madeby his young master. 

"I have been led to doubt the supremacy he claims from all I have read, "answered Eric modestly. "More especially do I believe that he is not adescendant of the Apostle Peter from what I have read in my GreekTestament. I there find that Saint Paul, on one occasion, thus wrote ofthis supposed chief of the Apostles: `When Peter was at Antioch, Iwithstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed, ' (Galatians two11. ) Peter was also sent especially to preach to the Jews and not tothe Gentiles. Paul, when writing from Rome, sends no salutations fromhim, which he would have done had Peter been there; indeed he never oncementions his name. The third or fourth Christian Bishop of Rome speaksof Saint Paul having suffered martyrdom under the emperors; but, by theway he speaks of Saint Peter, evidently believing that he sufferedmartyrdom elsewhere in the east, and does not allude to his having beenat Rome. If, therefore, the very foundations of the pretensions ofthese august Pontiffs are defective, what can we think of the rest oftheir claims? However, when I have been some time at Wittemburg, I hopeto know more about the matter. "

"But, my dear young master, if you upset the foundation of our faith, what else have we to build on? I, for one, as an old soldier who hasseen the world, say that we can not go on without religion, " exclaimedHans, in a tone which showed the perturbation of his mind. 

"That is right, Hans, " answered Eric, "but, my old friend, we do notdestroy the real foundation of our faith, we only overthrow the falseand cunningly-devised superstructure. The foundation of our faith is inthe sufficient sacrifice once made for man by Jesus Christ, the Son ofGod, on the cross, and the complete justification of all who repent andput faith in that sacrifice. That is what Dr Martin Luther teaches. He says that no man should venture to come between the sinner and God;that Christ is the only one Mediator--the go-between, you understand--that He is all-loving, and all-merciful, and all-kind, that by any oneelse interfering He is insulted, and that all indulgences, penances, works, are the devices of the Evil One to make man lose sight of thefull, free, and perfect redemption which Christ has wrought for us. "

"That sounds like a good doctrine, " observed Hans, thoughtfully, "the`pfaffen' will not like it, because it will deprive them of theirinfluence and the chief portion of their gains; but how do you know thatit is the true one, my young master?"

"Because it is in the Word of God, the Bible. And I am very certainthat God, who has done so much for us, would not have left us without aclear statement of His will--clear rules for our guidance, and thereforeI believe that the Bible is the Word of God, " observed Eric. 

Hans rode on in silence. He was meditating on his young master'sremarks. They had not gone more than a league or two when some sharpcries reached their ears. They came from some person before them. Theyrode on, and arrived in sight of a big youth who was belabouring with athick stick, in the middle of the road, a young boy. The boy hadsomething under his cloak, which the youth was insisting on his keepingconcealed. Eric's generous feelings were at once excited. He couldnever bear to see the strong tyrannising over the weak. He rode forwardand demanded of the big lad why he was thus ill-treating the little one. The youth did not reply, but looked up sulkily at him. Eric turned tothe little fellow. 

"This is the reason, noble sir, " answered the boy, "he is my`bacchante, ' and I am a poor little `schutz. ' We are poor scholarsseeking education at the schools. For the protection he affords me heinsists that I shall provide him with food. Lately his appetite hasbeen very great, and I have not got enough for him, and to-day heinsisted on my stealing this goose, and hiding it under my cloak, thatif it was discovered I might be punished and he escape. "

"So, my master, and is this the way you afford your protection?"exclaimed Eric, looking angrily at the big bacchante. "What is yourname, my little schutz?" he asked of the boy. 

"Thomas Platter, " was the answer. "I come from Switzerland, and havefor long been wandering about, finding it hard to live in one place forwant of food. "

"Then, Thomas Platter, know that I am going to Wittemburg, where thereis a good school; and, if you desire it, you shall remain with me andpursue your studies, and if you ever have to beg for bread, it shall befor yourself alone. Are you willing to accept my offer?"

"Gladly, most noble sir, " answered the boy, throwing down the goose andspringing out of the way of the big bacchante, who sought to detain him. Hans, who once had a little boy who died when he was of the age ofThomas Platter, approved of his young master's generous offer, andundertook to carry the lad behind him on his horse to Wittemburg. Thebacchante grumbled and looked very angry at this, and threatened to comeafter Thomas and carry him off; but Eric advised him to make no attemptof the sort as the boy was now under his protection. They rode on andleft him grumbling and threatening as before. Thomas seemed highlypleased at the change. He was evidently a sharp, clever little fellow, though simple-minded and ignorant of the world. He was the son of apoor shepherd, but the desire to gain knowledge induced him to quit hisfather's cottage and to go forth in search of that education which hecould not gain at home. He had met with all sorts of adventures, oftenvery nearly starving, now beaten and ill-used by his bacchante, a bigstudent, from whom he received a doubtful sort of protection, nowescaping from him and being taken care of by humane people, wanderingfrom school to school, picking up a very small amount of knowledge, being employed chiefly in singing and begging through the towns toobtain food. Such was the type of a travelling student in those days. Frequently he had companions, three or four schutzen and twice as manybacchantes, the former performing, in fact, in rough style, the part offags to the older students. The big bacchante, from whom Thomas hadescaped, was a relative who had promised to befriend him. It was in theunsatisfactory manner described that he had performed his part. 

The next day, as Eric and his companions approached the town of Jena inThuringia, they overtook a solitary horseman. From his appearance heseemed a knight, as he had a long sword by his side, and a red cap onhis head, and was habited in hosen and jerkin, with a military cloakover his shoulders, though he was without armour. He exchangedcourteous salutations with the young noble, and enquired whither he wasgoing. On hearing that it was Wittemburg he seemed well pleased. 

"Yes, I am migrating thither from Erfurth, for I desire to study underone whom I consider the great light of the age, Dr Martin Luther, "answered Eric. 

"Then you have never met Dr Martin, " said the stranger. 

"Not personally, but I know him by his works, " answered Eric. "That waymethinks we may know a man far better than those we may see every daywho have written nothing for our instruction. Still I desire to go toWittemburg that I may drink at the fountain's head, and listen to thewords which fall from the Doctor's own lips. "

"Young man, " said the stranger, turning a pair of dark, flashing eyesupon Eric, "be assured that if you drink at the Fountain Head--the purespring from which Dr Martin is wont to drink, you will do well--thatis, the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. Of them you can never drinktoo much, and yet no fountain can afford so satisfactory a draught. Butbeware how you imbibe knowledge from other sources; from the traditionsof men; from mere human learning. It is the too common want of cautionin that respect which leads so many men astray. Seek for theenlightenment and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and give your whole heartand soul to the study of the Scriptures. In that way you will mostassuredly gain the best of all knowledge. "

Talking in this way, old Hans riding up close behind them, to catch thewords which fell from the stranger's mouth, they approached the town. Before, however, they could reach it, a fearful storm, which had beenthreatening for some time, burst upon them. They pushed on as fast astheir steeds could move, to obtain, as they hoped, shelter in the town, and now Eric perceived that the stranger, whom he had supposed to be aknight, was no very great horseman, and more than once he feared, when avivid flash of lightning made the animal he bestrode spring on one side, that he would be thrown to the ground; still he kept his seat, norseemed to think of danger, every now and then addressing Eric on somesubject of deep interest. 

On entering the town they found every one keeping holiday, for it wasShrovetide, and mummery and feasting, and amusements of all sorts weregoing forward. No one would attend to them, nor could they obtainaccommodation of any sort in the town, even where they could dry theirdamp clothes. At last they were advised to proceed on through the town, where outside the gates, on the other side, they would find an hostelry, the "Black Boar, " at which they would obtain accommodation. They werenot misled. The landlord received them courteously, and seemed, by theaffectionate greeting he gave their companion, to be well acquaintedwith him. Eric considered that it was too early in the day to stop, andas his and his attendant's horses were fresh, he proposed, after takingsome refreshment, to proceed on another stage or two further. Duringthe repast the stranger continued the conversation which had beeninterrupted by their approach to Jena. Little Thomas Platter, who wassitting at the table as well as Hans, listened with attentive ear to allthat was said. When Eric rose to depart, the stranger bade him acordial farewell. 

"I too am on my way to Wittemburg, " he observed, "we may meet there, Ihope, ere long, and you will then judge whether the tales that have beentold of Dr Martin are true or false. "

Eric was very much interested in the stranger, and puzzled to know whohe could be. 

"He is a man of learning and a man of consequence, " he observed as herode along. "I would that I possessed one quarter of his learning. Howhis countenance lights up when he speaks, and how the words flow fromhis lips. He is a man to move his fellow-creatures by his eloquence, orI mistake his looks and mode of utterance. "

"What think you, my young sir, if he should prove to be Dr Martinhimself?" said Hans. 

"It more than once occurred to me that such might be the case; but isDr Martin likely to be out in these parts, and would he be habited insuch a costume as that worn by this stranger?" asked Eric. 

"It was Dr Martin notwithstanding that, " exclaimed the little Platter;"you will see, my masters, when we get to Wittemburg, you will see. "

This incident added very much to the interest of the journey. They rodeon for some leagues, when, as they were not far off from the place wherethey purposed resting for the night, they saw a band of horsemenapproaching them. It was easy to see by their dress and generalappearance that he who rode at their head was their lord, with twocompanions of inferior rank, and that the rest were his retainers. Theyhad a particular swaggering look which showed that they belonged to aclass of persons common in those days, who followed the fortunes of anylawless noble who could employ them, and were ever ready to commit anydeed of violence their master might command. Eric kept as close to oneside of the road as he could to avoid giving cause of offence. Theyeyed him narrowly as he passed, and especially looked at Hans, who worethe livery of his house. 

"Who can those people be?" asked Eric. "Their looks are far frompleasant, nor did they deign to give us the usual salutation whichcourtesy demands as they rode by. "

"Alas! I know them well, " answered Hans. "He who rode at their head isno other than Baron Schenk of Schweinsburg, your father's greatest and, I may say, only enemy. _If_ he guesses who you are, my dear youngmaster, I fear that he will not let us escape unmolested; for he is aman who delights in blood and violence, and were not our Castle a strongone, and defended by brave hearts and willing hands, it is my beliefthat he would long ago have attacked it, and carried off all he couldfind of value within. My advice, therefore, is that we put spurs to ourhorses, and place as great a distance as we can as soon as possiblebetween him and ourselves. Hold on, little Platter, away we go!"

"Your advice is good, Hans, " said Eric, as he urged on his steed. Itwas likely to be of little avail, however, for at that instant theclatter of horses' hoofs was heard, and looking round they saw thathalf-a-dozen of the Baron's retainers were spurring after them. This, of course, only made Eric and his attendant more anxious than ever toescape. Their horses were good ones, and they might still distancetheir pursuers. 

"Let me drop, kind sir, " exclaimed little Platter; "I am only delayingyou, and it little matters if I fall into the Baron's hands; I am notworth killing!"

Hans laughed, and answered, "You would break your limbs if I let you go, and your weight is but as that of a feather to my old steed Schwartz. Hold on boy--hold on! We have promised to protect you, and we are notthe people to cast you off at the first sign of danger. "

They galloped on as fast as their steeds could put feet to the ground;but they had already performed a good day's journey, and were somewhattired. Their pursuers' horses, on the contrary, were fresh, it seemed, and when Hans looked over his shoulder, he saw at once that they weregaining on them. Still he was not a man to give in without an effort. "We'll try it on a little longer, my young master, and then face aboutand show them the edges of our swords. Maybe, like bullies in general, they are cowards, and if we put on a bold front, they will make off. "This counsel was too good not to be followed. Still the Baron'sretainers were gaining on them. A wood was on either side. They mightdash into it, and make their escape, but that was not then a mode ofproceeding to suit Eric's taste. "Now then we'll do as you suggest, Hans, " he exclaimed. Pulling up their steeds, they turned sharply roundand drew their swords. This, however, did not produce the effect theyhad hoped. They now saw, indeed, that the remainder of the band werecoming up. At this moment little Platter let himself slip from behindHans to the ground, saying, as he did so, "I can be of no service to youhere; but I can, maybe, if I get away. "

Before the horsemen came up he had darted into the wood, where, had theythought it worth while searching, they would have had no littledifficulty in finding him. 

"There is no use fighting, I fear, my young master, " said Hans, unwillingly sheathing his sword. 

"We are outnumbered, and it will only be giving our foes an excuse forslaying us should we attempt to resist them. "

Eric, seeing the wisdom of the old soldier's advice, likewise returnedhis sword into the scabbard. When the Baron's retainers came andsurrounded them, he demanded, in a firm voice, what they required. 

"We are to conduct you to our lord. He will question you as he thinksfit, " answered one of the men, seizing Eric's bridle. Another took holdof Hans' bridle, and, with a couple of men on either side of them, theywere conducted along the road. 

They had not gone far, when they were met by the Baron. 

"Ah, my young sir, you are I understand Eric von Lindburg; I have atlength got a hostage for your father's good behaviour, " he exclaimed, exultingly. "You will find pleasant lodging in the Castle ofSchweinsburg, for the next few years or more of your life, if yourfather does not yield to my demands. I have long been looking for thisopportunity, now it has arrived. Ha, ha, ha!"

Eric kept a dignified silence, merely saying, "I am in your power, BaronSchweinsburg. I cannot choose, but do what you command. "

This calm reply somewhat annoyed the Baron. 

"Ah, we shall find you a tongue ere long, young sir, " he observed, witha savage expression, as they rode along. 

The party went on at a rapid rate till it was nearly dark, when theystopped at an hostelry to refresh themselves, a strong guard beingplaced in the room into which the prisoners were conducted. The moonthen rising, they continued their journey, and at length, perched on arocky height, the grey walls of the old Castle of Schweinsburg rosebefore them. A steep pathway led them up to a bridge thrown across adeep chasm, which almost completely surrounded the building, and hadrendered it impregnable to the assaults of foes armed only with theengines of ancient warfare. In the court-yard the Baron ordered them todismount; and four armed men conducted them up a winding staircase to aroom at the top of a high tower, from which, unless provided with wings, there seemed but little chance of escaping. 

In a short time their luggage was brought up to them, followed by atolerably substantial supper. 

"The Baron does not intend to starve us, at all events, " observed oldHans. "Come, my dear young master, eat and keep up your spirits. Matters might have been much worse. Perhaps we may ere long find somemeans of escaping, let the Baron guard us ever so carefully. At allevents, let us hope for the best. "

CHAPTER THREE. 

At the time our story commenced Dr Martin Luther was still residing inthe Castle of Wartburg, where he had been concealed by order of theElector Frederick, for nearly a year after leaving Worms, to preservehim from the rage of his defeated enemies. His friends, however, wellknew where he was, and he had lately been summoned back to Wittemburg, where his presence was much required. 

Several months had passed away since Eric had quitted home, when one daya man, with a large pack on his back, presented himself at theCastle-gate, and demanded to see the Knight. He was admitted. 

"Well, friend, what would you with me?" asked the Knight. 

"I have books to sell, and will show them to you forthwith, " answeredthe colporteur, unslinging his pack. "Here is one lately printed--worthits weight in gold, and more. "

The Knight took it. It bore the simple title--"The New Testament. German. Wittemburg. "

"That is the very book I want, " exclaimed the Knight, eagerly. "Yes, Idoubt not that it is worth its weight in gold. By whom has it been doneinto German?"

"By Dr Martin Luther, " answered the colporteur. "He began the workwhen shut up in the Wartburg, and has only lately finished it with thehelp of Dr Melancthon. Here are some other works by him. Will youtake them?"

"Yes, three--four--one copy of each. There is payment, " said theKnight, laying down some gold pieces. 

"I take but the proper price, " answered the colporteur, returning mostof them to him. 

"You are an honest man, " said the Knight. "If the books you sell havemade you so, they must be good. "

"The books certainly are good, and I am more honest than I was. Once Iate the bread of idleness, indulged in sloth, and was of no use to anyone. Now I labour for my food, and try to obey my Lord and Master, "answered the colporteur. 

"Why, what were you?" asked the Knight. 

"A monk, " answered the colporteur; "a lazy, idle monk. Dr Luther'sbooks came among us, and we read them, and some of my more learnedbrethren translated the Testament to us who were ignorant of Greek, andwe agreed that as Jesus Christ came into the world to set us an exampleas well as to die for our sins, and that as He ever went about doinggood, our system of life could not be the right one. The more we lookedinto the matter, the more satisfied we became that it was altogetheropposed to the Gospel, and so we resolved forthwith to leave it. Somewho had the gift of preaching went forth to preach the Gospel; othershave begun to learn trades that they may support themselves; and, as Ihave a good broad pair of shoulders, I offered to carry throughout ourfatherland the Gospel book, and other works of Dr Luther, which hadproved so great a blessing to our souls; and though I cannot preach, Ican go about and tell people that, through God's love, Christ died forall men; that there is but one Mediator between God and man, JesusChrist; and that men will be saved, not by dead works, but by a livingfaith in Him, which will produce fruits unto righteousness, an earnestdesire to imitate Him, to serve Him, to spread these glad tidings amongall mankind. "

"It seems to me, in my humble wisdom, that you did right, " observed theKnight. "However, do not tell Father Nicholas this it you meet him. Whenever you return this way, call here and bring me more books. "

"Gladly; and I shall have some portions in German of the Old Testament, in translating which Dr Luther is hard at work, " said the colporteur. 

"By what name shall I remember you, friend?" asked the Knight. 

"John Muntz is my proper name, bookseller and labourer in Christ'sservice, " answered the colporteur, as he bade the Knight farewell. 

Sturdy, honest John Muntz went his way throughout the land, sellingLuther's and Melancthon's books, with the New Testament and such partsof the Old as they issued from the press, sometimes reading theircontents, sometimes telling to single persons or to small assemblies, insimple language, of the glorious old truths thus brought once more tolight. It may be, in the great day, that many far-famed preachers willbe surprised that humble John Muntz, and other labourers such as he, inthe Lord's vineyard, have turned more souls into the way ofrighteousness than they. 

The Count of Lindburg took his books into his own room and locked themup, that he might read them at leisure. He was not prepared just thento enter into a controversy with Father Nicholas, and he wished forquiet. He knew that his good wife and his daughter Laneta would takethe part of the priest, and he had an idea that when Eric came back fromWittemburg he would prove a valuable ally on his side. Now and then, however, as he read on, he felt very much inclined to rush down andproclaim not only to his wife and the priest, but to the whole householdand neighbourhood, the wonderful truths here so clearly proved andexplained. But though he rose from his seat with the book in his handand opened the door, he went back and sat down again. Though brave as alion in war, and often impetuous at home, he was still timid in his ownhousehold. His womenkind and Father Nicholas had found out his weakpoint, and knew where to assail him. 

The knight had always wished to act rightly according to hisconvictions, consequently when some few years before this time--that is, a short time before he paid the visit to Worms, where he first heard DrLuther speak--he had been urged by Father Nicholas and his wife to allowhis youngest daughter Ava, to become, as they called it, the spouse ofChrist, or, in other words, to enter a nunnery; she raising noobjection, he consented, believing, as he had been assured, that hereternal happiness would thus be secured, and that she would be betterprovided for than becoming the wife of one of the rough, fierce, warlike, beer-drinking knights, who alone were likely to seek her hand. The knight, however, often sighed as he thought of his fair bloominglittle Ava shut up in the monastery of Nimptsch, and wished to have herback again to sing and talk to him and to cheer his heart with herbright presence, but he dared not to express his feelings to any of hisfamily, as he knew that they would be considered rank heresy. Often hewould have liked to write to his dear child, but, in the first place, hewas but a poor scribe, and in the second, he guessed that any epistle hemight send would be opened by the lady superior, and its contentsscanned before delivery, and adverse comments made, if it was notwithheld altogether. So little Ava stayed on at the convent, embroidering priests' dresses and other ornaments for churches, andattending mass. Whether or not she ever felt like a wild bird shut upin a cage, wishing to be free, he could not say; he thought it possible. She was wont once to go about the Castle singing like a bright happybird, not shut up in a cage then. He wondered whether she sang now. Hewas sure that the nun's dress could not become her as thebright-coloured bodice and skirt she wore. He wondered, too, whethershe ever went out now, as she was accustomed to do when at home, amongthe cottagers in the neighbourhood, with a basket of food and simples, and distributed them to the sick and needy with gentle words, which wontheir hearts, or whether when mendicants came to the gate she stoppedand listened to their tales of suffering, relieved them when she could, and seldom failed to drop a tear of sympathy for their griefs, whichwent like balm to the hearts of many. He opined that the high-bornladies of the monastery of Nimptsch would scarcely condescend thus toemploy their time. They undoubtedly were brides of Christ, but, as thelady abbess had once remarked, it was the business of His more humblespouses to imitate His example in that manner. After the Knight hadbeen thinking in this style, when he descended into the hall he wasinvariably accused of being sullen and out of temper. Not that he hadany fault to find with his good Frau Margaret, or with his daughterLaneta. They were excellent, pious women in their way. They hadembroidered five altar-cloths, seven robes of silk for the Virgin Mary, and three for Saint Perpetua, Saint Agatha, and Saint Anne; they hadperformed several severe penances for somewhat trifling faults; not apiece of meat had passed their lips during Lent; and they had fasted oneach Friday and other canonical days throughout the year. Alms theygave whenever they could get money from the Knight for the purpose, anddoles of bread to the poor with stated regularity; indeed, they feltsure that they would richly have merited heaven, even with a less amountof good deeds. Still they were desirous of making security doublysecure. 

When, therefore, in the year 1517, that is, before Ava went to theconvent, Dr John Tetzel, prior of the Dominicans, apostolic commissaryand inquisitor, set up his pulpit and booth in the neighbouring villagefor the sale of indulgences, they had been among the crowds who hadflocked to his market. Near him was erected a tall red cross, with thearms of the Pope suspended from it. 

"Indulgences, dear friends, " he exclaimed, when he saw a large mobcollected round him, "are the most precious and noble of God's gifts. See this cross; it has as much efficacy as the cross of Christ. Come, and I will give you letters, all properly sealed, by which even the sinswhich you intend to commit may be pardoned. I would not change myprivileges for those of Saint Peter in heaven, for I have saved moresouls by my indulgences than the apostle by his sermons. There is nosin so great that an indulgence cannot remit; only pay, pay well, andall will be forgiven. Only think, for a florin you may introduce intoParadise, not a vile coin, but an immortal soul, without its running anyrisk. But, more than this, indulgences avail not only for the living, but for the dead. For that repentance is not even necessary. Priest!noble! merchant! wife! youth! maiden! do you not hear your parents andyour other friends who are dead, and who cry from the bottom of theabyss, `We are suffering horrible torments! A trifling alms woulddeliver us; you can give it, and you will not. '" Then Tetzel had toldthem how Saint Peter and Saint Paul's bodies were rotting at Romebecause the Pope, pious as he was, could not afford to build a properedifice to shelter them from the weather without their help. "Bring--bring--bring!" he shouted, in conclusion. 

Dame Margaret and her daughters were greatly moved by these appeals, though little Ava thought the monk need not have shouted so loudly. Thedame, who had just before persuaded her lord to give her a good sum ofmoney, bought a large supply of indulgences, not only for herself anddaughters, but for the Knight, who, she secretly believed, required themfar more than they did, because he never performed penances, made quickwork at confession, and regularly grumbled on fast-days; besides, shecould not tell of what sins he might have been guilty in his youth. Shedid not tell him what she had done, but she felt much more happy thanbefore to think that they would now all go to heaven together. Shewould even, in her zeal, have made further purchases, had not FatherNicholas expostulated with her, observing that it would be much betterif she paid the money to enable him to say masses, which would provequite as efficacious; and, besides, be spent in Germany instead of goingto Rome. She was greatly horrified, some time after this, to hear theKnight inveigh furiously against Tetzel and his indulgences, and callhim an arch rogue and impostor. Of course, on this, she did not tellhim how she had spent his money, lest he might make some unpleasantreflections on the subject; besides, she suspected that he would notappreciate the advantages she had secured for him. But this was afterAva had been sent away to Nimptsch. 

CHAPTER FOUR. 

Eric, now a close prisoner in the Castle of Schweinsburg, felt veryindignant at the treatment he had received, and apprehensive of theconsequences of his capture by his father's enemy. Though the fierceBaron would not have scrupled to put an ordinary man to death, he didnot think he would venture to injure him or his person further thankeeping him shut up. It was on his father's account that he was mostanxious, as he guessed that the Baron had seized him for the sake ofenforcing his unjust claims on Count von Lindburg, and that unless thesewere yielded to, he himself might be kept a prisoner for years. Whoindeed was to say what had become of him? The Baron and his retainerswere the only people cognisant of his capture, except little Platter, and of course he would have run away, and must have been too frightenedto be able to give any clear account of the matter. It would be, ofcourse, supposed that he and Hans had been set on by robbers, of whomthere were many prowling about the country, and been murdered in somewood, and their bodies buried or thrown into a pond. 

"Patience, my dear young master, " answered Hans, when Eric had thusexpressed his apprehensions; "we are in a difficulty, of that there isno doubt, but I have been in a worse one and escaped out of it. Onceyour honoured father and I were captured by the Saracens, and we fullyexpected to lose our heads, but the very last night we thought that weshould be alive on earth we had a file conveyed to us in a loaf of breadby a little damsel who had taken a fancy to his handsome countenance, and we were able to let ourselves down from the window of our prison. Acouple of fleet horses were in readiness, and we were away and inChristian territory before the morning dawned. I have been prayingheartily to the Holy Virgin and to the Saints, and I have no doubt thatthey will help us. "

"I have not the slightest hope of any such thing, my good Hans, " saidEric, who had already imbibed many Protestant opinions. "It is God inheaven who hears our prayers. If He will not attend to them, no oneelse will, for He loves us more than human beings can, whether they arein this world or in another. He often, however, works out His plans forour good by what appear to us such small means that we fail to perceivethem. I have read in the Greek Testament that `Not a sparrow falls tothe ground but that He knows it; and that even the very hairs of ourhead are all numbered. ' Is it likely, therefore, that He would employany intermediate agents between Himself and man, except the one great, well-beloved intercessor, His only Son. Would He even allow them tointerfere if they were to offer their services? Our Lord Himself, when, on one occasion, His mother ventured to interfere in a work He wasabout, rebuked her, though with perfect respect, with these remarkablewords, `Woman, what have I to do with thee?' Again, when on the cross, He recommended her to the care of His well-beloved disciple, Saint John;he said, `Behold thy mother!' `Woman, behold thy Son!' O Hans, I wishthat you and all the people of our fatherland, could read the Bibleitself in our own tongue, you would than see how different is thereligion we have been taught by the `pfaffs' to that which Jesus Christcame on earth to announce to sinful man. It will be happy for ourcountry should that day ever come, because then the people will be ableto understand on what their religion is grounded, and be able to refutethe false arguments of those who oppose it. There is a certain youngprofessor at Wittemburg whose works I have read with peculiar delight, as he seems, even more than Dr Martin impressed by a sense of the loveGod has for man, and His willingness to hear all who go to Him in thename of His dear Son. "

Old Hans was silent for some time. At last he looked up, and said, "There seems to me a good deal of truth in what you have remarked, myyoung lord. I always used to think that God is too great to troublehimself with the affairs of us poor people, whatever He may do withkings and princes, and so He employs the saints to look after us, andthe saints, not wishing to come out of heaven on all occasions, employthe `pfaffs' (priests) to do their works, only it has struck me now andthen that they have made great mistakes in their agents, at all eventsthey have got hold of very bad ones. "

This conversation took place after Eric and his attendant had been threeor four days prisoners in the Castle. They had had a sufficiency offood brought to them, and had altogether been treated better than theyhad expected. They were interrupted by the entrance of a young page, who, saluting Eric respectfully, said that he had been sent by his lady, the Baroness, who desired to see him, and that he was ready to conducthim into her presence. 

Eric was naturally surprised at this message. He was not even awarethat there existed a Baroness Schweinsburg. Hans, as an old soldier, deemed it right to be cautious. He whispered a few words into his youngmaster's ear. 

"No, impossible!" answered Eric, giving a searching glance at the page, "the boy is honest. There can be no treachery intended. "

"Not quite certain of that, " whispered Hans. "I should like to go withyou, my dear young master. "

"Be assured that no injury will happen to me, " said Eric. "I am readyto accompany you to your lady, my boy. "

"I suppose that I may come also?" said Hans. "It does not become ayoung noble to be without his attendant. "

"My orders were only to conduct the young gentleman himself into thepresence of my mistress, " answered the page frankly, "nevertheless, Ican ask my mistress; she will probably not object. "

"No, no, I will accompany you alone if your noble lady graciouslydesires to see me, " exclaimed Eric, following the page, who led the waydown the stairs of the turret. 

Hans went to the door and anxiously listened, glancing round the roomfor something that he might use as a weapon, should it be required inhis young master's defence. Eric meantime followed the page withouthesitation down the steps and through several passages till they arrivedat the door of a room in the lower part of the Castle. The page threwit open, and, with a respectful bow, begged Eric to enter. 

He did so, and found himself in the presence of a lady who, although nolonger young, was of a handsome and prepossessing appearance. She roseas he entered, and, presenting her hand, begged him to be seated. 

"I regret to hear what has happened, " she said, "and I have justreceived a communication from one whom I know, and whose works have hada great influence on me, and have had I trust, also on my good lord. Hehas heard of your capture on your way to Wittemburg, and of yourdetention here, and he writes earnestly that you may be liberatedforthwith, and allowed to proceed on your journey. My good lord isabsent so that I cannot at once, as I would wish, plead your cause withhim; but I will write to him and obtain his permission to liberate you, and to make all the amends in my power for the inconvenience you havesuffered. I am not ignorant of the quarrel which exists between my lordand the Count, your father; but I consider, that you should not, inconsequence, be made to suffer. Still, if what has happened becomesknown, it will only still further the increase the enmity which existsbetween our families; and for that reason, and for the sake of theblessed faith we hold, I would entreat you not to allow the outragewhich has been committed against you to become generally known. When, as it is necessary, you mention it to the Count, your father, beg him tooverlook it, and not to retaliate, as it is but natural he should do. If you can give me this promise, I shall the better be able to pleadwith my good lord, and I think and hope his mind might be changed, andthat the wounds which have so long existed may be healed. "

Eric, much struck by the words spoken by the Baroness, and by her toneand manner, without hesitation gave the promise she requested. Whocould be the friend who had pleaded with her on his behalf, and by whatmeans had he been informed of his capture? He would ask the lady. 

"My informant is the most excellent and pious Dr Martin Luther, " sheanswered. "He encountered you on his journey to Wittemburg, to whichplace he has just returned from his long residence in the Castle ofWartburg. You had with you a little `schutz, ' who, escaping when youwere attacked by our people, whose livery he knew, watched the directionin which you were taken. Immediately he set off to Wittemburg to giveinformation of what had become of you, and the very first person heencountered was Dr Martin whom he at once recognised as your companionon the road, in spite of his change of dress. The Doctor knew well thatI could not be cognisant of what had occurred, and he hoped that my goodlord would not be insensible to a direct appeal from himself. I feelsure that he did not miscalculate his influence with my lord; still itwould ill become me, as a wife, to set you at liberty without hiscognisance, and I must beg that you will allow me, in the mean time, totreat you as an honoured guest. "

Some further conversation shewed Eric that the Baroness had attentivelyread many of the works of Dr Luther, Melancthon, and others; and thatthey had produced a great influence on her mind, and had not beenwithout some effect, as she supposed, on that of her husband. It wasthus that the principles of the reformers were affecting all ranks andconditions of men, while a still greater effect was shortly to beproduced by the wide circulation of the translation of the HolyScriptures made by Dr Luther in Wartburg, and at this moment beingprinted in Wittemburg. 

Suddenly Eric found his condition completely changed. He had given hisword that he would not quit the Castle till the Baroness had heard fromher lord, and he was now treated by all with the greatest respect. Thelady herself was not the only one who had imbibed the principles of theReformation, and Eric found several works of the Wittemburg Doctor, parts of which, with her permission, he read aloud to her household. Atlength the Baron returned. He had a long interview with his wife, andnot without a struggle did he yield to Dr Martin's request; but thebetter spirit prevailed, he acknowledged himself in the wrong, entreatedEric's pardon, and having given him a farewell feast, escorted him onhis way until they came in sight of Wittemburg. 

"Truly, my master, " observed Hans, "the Gospel, of these Wittemburgdoctors is a wonderful thing. It has changed a fierce, boasting, hard, grasping Baron into a mild and liberal man. It has procured us ourliberty, who were doomed, I feared, to a long captivity. I must askleave to remain with you at Wittemburg that I may learn more about it. "

This permission was easily granted, and thus, as Hans did not returnhome, the Count of Lindburg was not made acquainted till long afterwardsof the insult which had been put on him by the Baron of Schweinsburg, and they had been happily reconciled in all other matters, bothprofessing the same glorious faith, and united in the bonds of a commonbrotherhood. 

Eric took up his abode with the family of Herr Schreiber Rust, to whomhe had been recommended. The next day, as he went forth to attend thelecture of Dr Martin Luther, he found little Platter eagerly lookingout for him. Great was the boy's delight when he saw him. "I knew thatmy young lord would come here without delay to hear the Doctor, and so Ihave been every day waiting for you, " he exclaimed. "I find too, thatit was he himself whom we rode with and talked with so long. Ah! he isa great man. "

Eric had much for which to thank little Platter, and that he might provehis gratitude effectually, he at once added him to his household, thatthus the boy might pursue his studies without having to beg for hisclothing and daily bread. It was interesting to see Hans Bosch, the oldsoldier, following his young master from hall to hall, and also tochurch, endeavouring to comprehend the lessons he heard. All theimportant truths he did understand and imbibe gladly, and great was hissatisfaction when the little Schutz Platter undertook to teach him toread that he might study by himself the Gospel in German, which DrLuther had just translated, and was, at that time, issuing from thepress. Well might the supporters of the Papal system exclaim withbitterness that their power and influence were gone when the commonpeople had thus the opportunity of examining the Bible for themselves, by its light trying the pretensions which that system puts forth. Wouldthat all professing Protestants, at the present day, studied prayerfullythe Word of God, and by its light examined the doctrines and the systemof the Church of Rome. It would show them the importance of making abold stand for the principles of the Reformation, unless they would seethe ground lost which their fathers so bravely strove for and gained. 

CHAPTER FIVE. 

Eric at once set steadily to work to study, attending regularly thelectures of the various professors, more especially those of Dr Luther. That wonderful leader of the Reformation was now giving a course ofsermons on important subjects in the chief church in the town. On alloccasions when he entered the pulpit the church was crowded with eagerand attentive listeners. He had a difficult task to perform. Duringhis absence at Wartburg various disorders occurred. Severalenthusiasts, from various parts of the country, mostly ignorant, andlittle acquainted with the Gospel, assumed the title of prophets, andviolently attacked every institution connected with Rome--the priests insome places were assailed with abuse as they were performing theceremonies of their Church--and these men, at length, coming toWittemburg, so worked on some of the students that the churches wereentered, the altars torn up, and the images carried away and broken andburnt. The enthusiasts were known as the prophets of Zwickau, from theplace where they first began to preach their doctrines. To put a stopto these disorders, Luther had been entreated to return from theWartburg to Wittemburg. The proceedings which have been described werein direct opposition to the principles on which he, Melancthon, andother leaders of the Reformation had been acting. Their whole aim fromthe first, was to encourage learning, to insist on the study of theScriptures, to do nothing violently, and to persuade and lead theirfellow-men to a knowledge of the truth. 

No great movement ever advanced with more slow and dignified steps thanthe Reformation. The existence of gross abuses produced it. Had theRomish hierarchy been willing to consent to moderate reforms, they mightnot humanly speaking, have lost their influence, and the whole of Europemight still have groaned under their power. But God had not thusordered it. By their own blindness and obstinacy they brought abouttheir own discomfiture. Luther himself was eminently conservative. Henever altogether got rid of some of the notions he had imbibed in thecloister. Step by step he advanced as the light dawned on him--notwithout groans and agitations of mind--yielding up point after point inthe system to which he had once adhered. 

Eric was present at one of the first of the important series of sermonswhich the great Doctor preached on his return to Wittemburg. Theenthusiasts had refused to be guided by the Gospel. They had asserted(misunderstanding the Apostle) that it mattered little how a man lived, provided he had faith, and that they had a right to compel others byforce, if necessary, to adopt their views. 

"It is with the Word we must fight, " said the great Doctor, in reply tothese opinions. "By the Word we must overthrow and destroy what hasbeen set up by violence. Let us not make use of force against thesuperstitious and unbelieving. Let him who believes approach--let himwho believes not keep away. No one must be constrained. LIBERTY IS THEVERY ESSENCE OF FAITH. "

Entering the pulpit, he addressed the congregation in language full ofstrength and gentleness, simple and noble, yet like a tender fatherinquiring into the conduct of his children. 

"He rejoiced, " he told them, "to hear of the progress they had made infaith, " and then he added, "But, dear friends, WE NEED SOMETHING MORETHAN FAITH, WE NEED CHARITY. If a man carries a drawn sword in a crowd, he should be careful to wound no man. Look at the Sun--two thingsproceed from it--light and heat. What king so powerful as to bend asidehis rays? They come directly to us, but heat is radiated andcommunicated in every direction. Thus faith, like light, should bestraight, RADIATE ON EVERY SIDE, AND BEND TO ALL THE WANTS OF OURBRETHREN. You have abolished the mass, in conformity, you say, toScripture. You were right to get rid of it. But how did you accomplishthat work? What order--what decency did you observe? You should haveoffered up fervent prayers to God, and obtained the sanction of thelegal authorities for what you proposed doing; then might every man haveacknowledged that the work was in accordance with God's will. 

"The mass is, I own, a bad thing. God is opposed to it, but let no onebe torn from it by force. We must leave the matter in God's hands. Hisword must act, and not we. We have the right to speak; we have _not_the right to act. LET US PREACH; THE REST BELONGS TO GOD. Our firstobject must be to win men's hearts, and to do this we must preach theGospel. God does more by His word alone than by the united strength ofall the world. God lays hold upon the heart, and when that is taken allis gained. See how Saint Paul acted. Arriving at Athens, he foundaltars raised to false gods. He did not touch one; but, proceeding tothe market-place, he explained to the people that their gods weresenseless idols. His words took possession of their hearts. Theiridols fell without Paul having raised his hand. 

"I will preach, discuss, and write, but I will constrain none, for faithis a voluntary act. Observe what has been done: I stood up against thePope, indulgences and other abominations, but without violence ortumults. I put forward God's Word. I preached and wrote. This was allI did. Yet while I slept or gossiped with my friends, the Word that Ihad preached overthrew Popery, so that not the most powerful prince noremperor could have done it so much harm. What would have been theresult had I appealed to force? Ruin and desolation would have ensued. The whole of Germany would have been deluged with blood. I thereforekept quiet and let the Word run through the world alone. `What, thinkyou, ' Satan says, when he sees men resorting to violence to propagatethe Gospel, as he sits calmly, with folded arms, malignant looks, andfrightful grin? `Ah, how wise these madmen are to play my game!' Butwhen he sees the Word running and contending alone on the battle-field, then he is troubled, his knees knock together, and he shudders andfaints with fear. "

Speaking of the Lord's Supper, his remarks are of great importance. "Itis not the outward manducation that makes a Christian, but the inwardand spiritual eating, which works by faith, and without which all formsare mere show and grimace, " he observed. "Now this faith consists in afirm belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that, having taken oursins and iniquities upon Himself, and having borne them on the Cross, Heis Himself their sole and almighty atonement; that He stands continuallybefore God; that He reconciles us with the Father, and that He hathgiven us the sacrament of His body to strengthen our faith in Hisunspeakable mercy. If I believe in these things, God is my defender;although sin, death, hell, and devils attack me, they can do me no harm, nor disturb a single hair of my head. This spiritual bread is theconsolation of the afflicted, health to the sick, life to the dying, food to the hungry, riches to the poor. "

These sermons caused much discussion, not only in the University, butthroughout Germany. Eric was among those who entered most eagerly intothe subjects brought forth by the Reformers. He soon formed severalfriendships with his brother students. His most intimate friend wasAlbert von Otten, who was rather older than himself, and had been someyears at the University. He was intimate, too, with Melancthon, Armsdorff, and others. 

"Dr Philip has written on that subject, " observed Albert, speaking ofthe last of Dr Martin's sermons. "Here are some remarks fromfifty-five propositions, which were published some time back. "

"Just as looking at a cross, " he says, "is not performing a good work, but simply contemplating a sign that reminds us of Christ's death, justas looking at the sun is not performing a good work, but simplycontemplating a sign that reminds us of Christ and His Gospel, sopartaking of the Lord's Supper is not performing a good work, but simplymaking use of a sign that reminds us of the grace that has been given usthrough Christ. 

"But here is the difference, namely, that the symbols invented by mensimply remind us of what they signify, while the signs given us by Godnot only remind us of the things themselves, but assure our hearts ofthe will of God. 

"As the sight of a cross does not justify, so the mass does not justify. 

"As the sight of a cross is not a sacrifice either for our sins or forthe sins of others, so the mass is not a sacrifice. 

"There is but one sacrifice--but one satisfaction--Jesus Christ. Besides Him there is none other. " Dr Carlstadt was the first tocelebrate the Lord's Supper in accordance with Christ's institutions. On the Sunday before Christmas-day he gave out from the pulpit that, onthe first day of the New Year, he would distribute the Eucharist in bothkinds to all who should present themselves; that he would omit alluseless forms, and wear neither cope not chasuble. Hearing, however, that there might be some opposition, he did not wait till the dayproposed. On Christmas-day, 1521, he preached in the parish church onthe necessity of quitting the mass and receiving the sacrament in bothkinds. After the sermon he went to the altar, pronounced the words ofconsecration in German; then, turning to the people, without elevatingthe host, he distributed the bread and wine to all, saying, "This is thecup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. " At theend he gave a public absolution to all, imposing no other penance thanthis, "Sin no more. "

No one opposed him, and in January the Council and University ofWittemburg regulated the celebration of the Lord's Supper according tothe new ritual. 

Thus fell the mass--the chief bulwark of Rome. It, andTransubstantiation, had for three centuries been established. "It hadtended to the glory of man--the worship of the priest. It was an insultto the Son of God; it was opposed to the perfect grace of His Cross, andthe spotless glory of His everlasting Kingdom. It lowered the Saviour, it exalted the priest, whom it invested with the unparalleled power ofreproducing, in his hand, and at his will, the Sovereign Creator. "

From the time of its establishment the Church seemed to exist not topreach the Gospel, but simply to reproduce Christ bodily. The RomanPontiff, whose humblest servants created at pleasure the body of GodHimself, sat as God in the temple of God, and claimed a spiritualtreasure, from which he issued at will indulgences for the pardon ofsouls. [Note 1. ]

Luther at length agreed to have a conference with the prophets ofZwickau. They said that they could work miracles. He desired them todo so. They became furiously enraged. He quickly upset theirpretensions, and they, the same day, quitted Wittemburg, thoroughlydefeated. Thus by the wisdom of one man, tranquillity was restored, andthe Reformation was able to proceed with sure and certain footsteps, unmolested. 

The work of all others with which, next to the Testament, Eric was mostdelighted, was Melancthon's "Common-places of Theology, " written duringthe time Luther had resided in the Wartburg. 

It was a body of doctrine of solid foundation and admirable proportion, unlike any before written. He considered that the foundation on whichthe edifice of Christian theology should be raised is "a deep convictionof the wretched state to which man is reduced by sin. "

Thus the truth was promulgated through the length and breadth of theland, while Luther, by his translation of the Bible, was preparing themeans by which all classes could imbibe it from its fountain head. Notonly the students at the universities, but women and children, soldiersand artisans, became acquainted with the Bible, and with that in theirhands, were able successfully to dispute with the doctors of the schoolsand the priests of Rome. Eric had been very anxious to learn more ofthe early life of Dr Luther than he before knew, that he might refutethe statements Father Nicholas had been fond of making concerning him. He could not have applied to a better person than Albert, who had beenacquainted with the family of Conrad Cotta, with whom Martin had residedwhile at Eisenach, and who had ever after taken a deep interest in hiswelfare and progress. 

It is that Ursula, Conrad Cotta's wife, the daughter of the burgomasterof Ilefeld, who is designated in the Eisenach chronicles as the piousShunamite, Martin, while singing to obtain food with which to supporthimself while pursuing his studies at the school of Eisenach, and havingoften been harshly repulsed by others had attracted her attention. Shehad before been struck by hearing his sweet voice in church. Shebeckoned him in, and put food before him that he might appease hishunger. Conrad Cotta not only approved of his wife's benevolence, butwas so greatly pleased with the lad's conversation that he fromhenceforth gave him board and lodging in his house, and thus enabled himto devote all his time and energies to study. 

"John Luther, Dr Martin's father, was a miner, residing at Eisleben, where, on the 10th of November, 1483, our Doctor was born, " beganAlbert. "When he was not six months old, his parents removed toMansfeldt. John Luther was a superior man, industrious and earnest. Hebrought up his children with great strictness. Believing that Martinhad talent, he was anxious that he should study for the law, and heobtained for him the best education in his power. First he was sent toMagdeburg, but finding it impossible to support himself at that place, he moved to Eisenach. Among the professors was the learned JohnTrebonius, who, whenever he entered the schoolroom, raised his cap. Oneof his colleagues inquired why he did so? `There are among those boys, men of whom God will one day make burgomasters, counsellors, doctors, and magistrates. Although you do not see them with the badges of theirdignity, it is right that you should treat them with respect, ' was theanswer. Martin had been two years at Erfurth, and was twenty years old, when, one day, examining the books in the public library, he found aLatin Bible--a rare book--unknown in those days. Till then he imaginedthat the fragments selected by the Church to be read to the peopleduring public worship composed the whole Word of God. From that day itbecame his constant study and delight. A severe illness, brought on byhard study, gave him time for meditation. He felt a strong desire tobecome a monk, under the belief that by so doing he should attain toholiness. All this time living with the excellent Cotta family, nothingcould be more exemplary and orderly than his life. Though animated andlively and delighting in music, he had, from his boyhood, beenserious-minded and earnest in the extreme, and at no period did he giveway to the excesses of which his enemies accuse him. On his recoveryfrom his illness, he paid a visit to his parents at Mansfeldt; but hedid not venture to express the wish he entertained of entering amonastery, from fearing that his father would disapprove of it. On hisreturn journey he was overtaken by a fearful storm, and he made a vowthat, should he escape destruction, he would devote himself to theservice or God. His whole desire was now to attain holiness. Hebelieved that he could not find it in the world. He bade farewell tohis friends, he entered the cloister, his father's expostulations andanger caused him grief, but he persevered. In spite of all the penancesand severities he underwent, he could not attain to the holiness hesought. It was not to be found in the convent. He found, too, a truefriend in Staupitz, the Vicar-general of the Augustines for all Germany, a man eminent for his learning, his liberality, and true piety. Theelector, Frederick the Wise, founded, under his direction, theUniversity of Wittemburg, to which, by his advice, the young doctor wasshortly appointed professor. It is worthy of remark that, long afterDr Martin had ceased to think of purchasing heaven by his abstinence, so simple were his tastes, that a little bread and a small herring oftencomposed his only meal in the day, while often he was known to go daystogether without eating or drinking. The great movement owes much toStaupitz. Dr Martin opened all his heart to him, and told him of allhis fears about his own want of holiness, and the unspeakable holinessof God. `Do not torment yourself with these speculations, ' answered theVicar-general. `Look at the wounds of Jesus Christ--to the blood thatHe has shed for you; it is there that the grace of God will appear toyou. Instead of torturing yourself on account your sins, throw yourselfinto your Redeemer's arms. Trust in Him--in the righteousness of Hislife--in the atonement of His death. Do not shrink back, God is notangry with you; it is you who are angry with God. Listen to the Son ofGod, He became man to give you the assurance of Divine favour. He saysto you, You are my sheep, you hear my voice; no man shall pluck you outof my hand. ' Still Dr Martin could not understand how he was torepent, and be accepted by God. `There is no real repentance exceptthat which begins with the love of God and of righteousness, ' answeredthe venerable Staupitz. `In order that you may be filled with the loveof what is good, you must be filled with the love for God. If youdesire to be converted, do not be curious about all thesemortifications, and all these tortures, Love Him who first loved you. 'A new light broke on Dr Martin's soul, and, guided by it, he began tocompare the Scriptures, looking out for all the passages which treat onrepentance and conversion. This was his delight and consolation. Hedesired, however, to go further; Staupitz checked him. `Do not presumeto fathom the hidden God, but confine yourself to what He has manifestedto us in Jesus Christ, ' he said; `Look at Christ's wounds, and then youwill see God's counsel towards man shine brightly forth. We cannotunderstand God out of Jesus Christ. In Him the Lord has said, You willfind what I am and what I require; nowhere else, neither in heaven norin earth, will you discover it. ' Again Staupitz advised him to make thestudy of the Scriptures his favourite occupation, and represented to himthat it was not in vain that God exercised him in so many conflicts, forthat He would employ him as His servant for great purposes. Truly havethe words of the good old man come true. Yet Dr Martin was far fromenlightened. He was to obtain full emancipation from the thraldom ofRome in Rome itself. He was sent there to represent seven convents ofhis own order, who were at variance with the Vicar-general. He hadalways imagined Rome to be the abode of sanctity. Ignorance, levity, dissolute manners, a profane spirit, a contempt for all that is sacred, a scandalous traffic in divine things. Such was the spectacle affordedby this unhappy city. Even when performing their most sacredceremonies, the priests derided them. Some of them boasted that whenpretending to consecrate the elements, they uttered the words `_Panis eset panis manebis; vinum es et vinum manebis_. ' While himself performingmass, on one occasion, the priest near him, who had finished his, criedout, `_Passa_--_passa_--_quick_--_quick_!--have done with it at once!'It was the fashion at the Papal Court to attack Christianity, and noperson could pass for a well-bred man unless he could satirise thedoctrines of the Church. These, and numberless other abominations, which he saw and heard, must greatly have shaken his faith in thesanctity of Rome; and, at length, on a certain occasion, his eyes werecompletely opened. The Pope had promised an indulgence to all whoshould ascend on their knees a staircase, which it is pretended wasbrought from Pilate's Judgment-hall, and that down it our blessed Lordhad walked. It is called `Pilate's Staircase. ' While he, with others, desirous of obtaining the promised indulgence, was laboriously climbingup the stair on his knees, he thought that he heard a voice of thundercrying out, `_The just shall live by faith_. ' He rose at once, shuddering at the depth to which superstition had plunged him, and fledfrom the scene of his folly. Yes, those words are the key-note of allthe arguments by which our glorious work must be supported, " exclaimedAlbert. "Yes, _faith without works justifies us before God_; that isthe fundamental article Dr Martin holds. Soon after his return he wasmade Doctor of Divinity, and could now devote himself to the study ofthe Holy Scriptures, and, which was of the greatest importance, lectureon them. While thus engaged, he ever, from the first, pointed to theLamb of God. The firmness with which he relied on the Holy Scripturesimparted great authority to his teaching. In him also every action ofhis life corresponded with his words. It is known that these discoursesdo not proceed merely from his lips--they have their source in hisheart, and are practised in all his works. Many influential men, wonover by the holiness of his life, and by the beauty of his genius, notonly have not opposed him, but have embraced the doctrine to which hegave testimony by his works. The more men love Christian virtues, themore men incline to Dr Martin. But I need say no more to refute thecalumnies which have been uttered against him. See what instances hehas given, too, of his dauntless character. When the plague broke outhere he refused to fly, but remained employed in translating the NewTestament. See how boldly he nailed his theses against indulgences tothe church doors; how bravely he burnt the Pope's bull. Although theElector would not allow Tetzel to enter his dominions, he got to a placewithin four miles of Wittemburg, and many people purchased indulgences. While Dr Martin was seated in the confessional, many of these poordupes came to him and acknowledged themselves guilty of excesses. `Adultery, licentiousness, usury, ill-gotten gains'--still they wouldnot promise to abandon their crimes, but trusting to their letters ofindulgence obtained from Tetzel, showed them, and maintained theirvirtue. Dr Martin replied, `Except ye repent, ye shall all likewiseperish. ' This circumstance still further opened his eyes to the abusesand evil system of the Church to which he belonged, but not even yet hadthe idea of separating from her occurred to his mind, not indeed untilthe Pope anathematised Dr Martin for speaking the truth did heacknowledge that he was indeed Antichrist, and that no true Christianscould hold communion with him. "

Eric soon became as warm an admirer of Dr Martin Luther, as was hisfriend, Albert von Otten. The Reformation movement was now proceeding, seemingly with far more rapid strides than before. The Bible was beingdisseminated; the convents thrown open--or, at all events, their inmateswere leaving them--superstitions were being abolished; a pure form ofworship was being established in numerous places; and, what was of thegreatest importance, young men of high talent and courage were beingeducated in the principles of the Reformation to spread the pure lightof the Gospel throughout all parts of Germany. 

Little Thomas Platter made great progress in his studies, and bid fairto grow up an earnest Christian and industrious man, amply paying Ericfor the care he bestowed on him. 

Hans Bosch, when his young master was about to return home, begged thathe might come back with him to Wittemburg. 

"I there got an abundance of substantial food for my soul, while FatherNicholas serves us out only piecrust, filled with dry dust that isneither meat nor drink, " said the old man, as he looked up while packinghis young master's valise. 

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Note 1. Merle D'Aubigne's "History of the Reformation. "

CHAPTER SIX. 

Eric, with his friend, Albert von Otten, arrived unexpectedly one day, to the Knight's very great satisfaction at Lindburg. The Knightembraced his son affectionately. 

"I have a great many questions to ask, and difficulties for you tosolve, my son, " he said, as he beckoned him to come to his room. 

"And I, father, have very many things to say to you, so that we shallhave plenty to talk about. Albert will, in the meantime, entertain mymother and Laneta. "

"And now, Eric, what do you think of this Dr Luther?" asked the Knight, after he had looked along the passage which led to his room, and lockedthe door. 

"Think, father! That he has brought light out of darkness--that he hasmade the boldest stand that ever man has done against the power, thetyranny, the impositions of the Pope, and the superstitions which he andhis predecessors have ever encouraged for the sake of filling theirpockets, utterly regardless of the souls they led away from Christ andsalvation, " exclaimed Eric, warming as he proceeded. "He has done, andhe is doing a glorious work, and though his foes were to burn himto-morrow, they could not extinguish the light he has kindled. Heteaches that man is by nature sinful and alienated from God, but thatGod so loved the world that He sent His Son to become a sacrifice forman's sins, to suffer instead of man, and thus to enable him, throughrepentance and faith in that sacrifice, to be reconciled to Himself;that Christ is the only Mediator between God and man; neither His motherMary, nor the Saints, have anything to do in the matter; that theyrequired His sacrifice as much as others, and that, therefore, fasts, penances, invocation of saints, masses for the dead, purgatory, indulgences, are all the inventions of the popes to put money into theirpockets, or into the pockets of the priests, their supporters, or of thedevil, to lead souls astray. "

"I heartily agree with him, Eric. See, I have read something about thematter already, " said the Knight, going to the oak chest in which hekept his treasures, and bringing out the Testament and some of DrLuther's works. "I never found myself a bit the better for fasts orpenances, whenever I thought that I ought, for my sins, to endure them;and, as for indulgences, I felt very much inclined to kick thatscoundrel Tetzel out of the place when I heard that he had come to sellthem in this neighbourhood. Now, tell me, does your friend, Albert vonOtten, preach? He looks as if he had the gift of speech. "

"Indeed he has, " said Eric. "He has the power of moving the hearts ofhis hearers. "

"Then he shall preach in our church next Sunday, and to all in thisCastle as well, in spite of what Father Nicholas may say to thecontrary!" exclaimed the Knight. "I have long wanted you, Eric, to takeFather Nicholas in hand; you may be able to convince him, and yourmother too--she is a good woman, but bigoted and obstinate, begging herpardon, and I should have had no peace if I had once begun, unless I hadcome off the conqueror at once. Albert von Otten will help you. "

Eric gladly undertook the task. It was the chief object he had had inview since he had himself been converted to the truth. He immediatelybroke ground. His mother and Laneta were very much astonished at hisdoctrine, but they would not acknowledge that he was right. FatherNicholas had scarcely a word to say in return, so he put on the stolidlook of a schoolboy brought up unwillingly to receive a lecture. 

"Young men's dreams, " he muttered, "or devices of Satan to draw men fromthe true Church. Ah, the Bible is, as I always said, a dangerous book. Little did those who wrote it dream what mischief it would cause in theworld. "

The minds of the whole household were much agitated by the subjects ofwhich Eric and his friend spoke to them. Still more so was the Knighthimself the next day, when the colporteur, John Muntz, presented himselfat the gate, and, demanding to see him, put into his hand a letter fromhis own little daughter Ava. He read it over and over again, and hiscountenance beamed with satisfaction. He immediately called Eric tohim, ordering refreshment to be brought in the meantime for John Muntzin the hall, and desiring him to talk to his people and to sell any ofhis books if he could. Ava, after sending greeting to him and hermother, and love and duty, continued:

"And now, dear father, I must tell you that I cannot longer endure thislife. It was only while I believed that I was doing God service that Iloved it. Now I am certain that it is directly contrary to His law. Ihave read the New Testament carefully with prayer, and I can findnothing there to sanction it. We are told not to bow down to images--not to use vain repetitions in prayers; we are employed the greater partof each day in doing these two things. We invoke dead saints, weworship the Virgin Mary, we fast, we perform penances to merit heaven, and all the time the Bible tells us that there is but one Mediatorbetween God and man, Jesus Christ, and that by repentance and throughfaith in Him can we alone become righteous and meet to enter the kingdomor heaven. I cannot tell you one-half of the objections I have toremain here. There are also eight other nuns who desire to leave, andthey have written to their parents to the same effect, though some ofthem tremble as to what will be the answers; others say that there wasso much grief when they went away, that they are certain that there willbe rejoicing to get them back. I know how sorry you and mother andLaneta were when I left home, that I have no doubt that you will be gladto have me return. But how are we to get away?--there is thedifficulty. We know that we are watched, and that every effort will bemade to detain us. "

"I have no doubt that there will!" exclaimed Eric. "Sister Ursula, asthey call their lady abbess, would move heaven and earth to detain themif she knew that they wished to escape. Do not write, lest the lettershould fall into the old dame's hands; but let me go with Albert, anddepend on it we shall find means before long of letting out the cagedbirds. "

The Knight, without saying what Albert proposed, showed Ava's letter toDame Margaret. She was horrified. 

"What! a professed nun break her vows?" she exclaimed. "A bride ofChrist forsake her bridegroom! Horrible profanity! No. I love Ava asmy daughter, but I can never receive one who is so utterly neglectful ofall her religious obligations. You must write and tell her that isimpossible to comply with her request. I am sure Father Nicholas willagree with me. "

"Dear wife, " said the Knight, calmly, "When I allowed our little Ava tobecome a nun, it was to secure, as I thought, her happiness in this lifeand the next. She tells us that, in one respect, our object hassignally failed, and there is a book I have been reading which convincesme that it will not advance in one single respect our object with regardto the other. Therefore, let our dear Ava come home, and do you andLaneta receive her as should her mother and sister. I mean what I say, Margaret, and advise Father Nicholas to hold his tongue about thematter. "

The Lady Margaret, watching her lord's eye, and being a discreet woman, came to the conclusion that it would be wise to keep silent, but shesecretly resolved to use every exertion to prevent so terrible a scandaltaking place in her family. The Knight, however, was an old soldier, and suspecting what was passing in the mind of his better half, determined to be beforehand with her. 

"She will be writing to that Sister Ursula to keep the poor little doveunder double lock and key, " he said to himself. "Eric will have adifficulty even to get a sight of her. I must tell him what I suspect, and leave it to him to foil the plans of his lady mother; she is a goodwoman though, an excellent woman in her way, but she would have beenmuch the better it we had never been saddled with Father Nicholas. Iwill make him go the right-about one of these days, when he leastexpects it, if he does not reform his system. And here, Eric you willwant money. Don't stint in the use of it. It will accomplish manythings. Silver keys open locks more rapidly than iron ones, and I wouldgive every coin I possess to get our dear little Ava back again. "

Eric and his friend, meantime, were making preparations for theirjourney, and as soon as their horses could be got ready they rode off. They were, however, seen by Dame Margaret, who immediately suspectedwhere they were going. Unfortunately, Father Nicholas had just thenentered the Castle. She forthwith told him all she knew and thought, and urged him to find a quick messenger, who would outstrip the youngmen and warn the lady abbess. Father Nicholas hurried off with a pursewhich the lady put into his hand, to find a person to carry his message, resolving to take the credit to himself of the information he wassending. 

Ava Lindburg and her companions in the monastery of Nimptsch wereeagerly awaiting the reply to the letters they had written to theirhomes requesting permission to return. They were all young, and severalof them pretty; but as they had been among the most sincere of thesisterhood, so they had the most rigidly performed all the fasts, penances, vigils, imposed on them, and already the bloom of youth haddeparted, and the pallor or the ascetic had taken its place. 

Poor girls! they had sought peace, but found none; they desired to beholy, but they had discovered that fasts, penances, and vigils--thedaily routine of formal services--long prayers, oft repeated, hadproduced no effect; that their spirits might be broken by this system, but that it could change their hearts. 

"We are shut out from the great world, certainly, " wrote one of them, "but we have one within these walls, and a poor miserable, trivial, life-frittering, childish, querulous, useless, hopeless set ofinhabitants it contains. This is not the house of Martha, and Mary, andLazarus--this is not such an abode as Jesus would desire to lodge in. If He were to visit us, it would be to tell us to go forth into theworld to fulfil our duties as women, not, like cowards, to shrink fromthem, to fight the good fight of faith, to serve Him in the stirringworld into which He came, in which He walked, in which He lived, that Hemight be an example to us. Though He has not come to our convent, Hehas sent us a message full of love and compassion--His Testament, theGospel--and it has given us fresh life, fresh hopes, fresh aspirations;and through its teaching we are sure of the Holy Spirit which Hepromised. Other books have been sent us to assist in opening our eyes. We are convinced that this mode of life is not the one for which we wereborn; that it is a life, not of holiness, but of sin, for it is useless, for it is aimless, for it is against the teaching of the Gospel. "

The answers came at length. Tears flowed from the eyes of some, sobsburst from the bosoms of others, while several turned paler even thanbefore, and their hands hung hopelessly by their sides. Many of theletters were full of kind expressions, while other parents chided theirdaughters harshly for contemplating the possibility of breaking theirvows, and abandoning the life of holiness to which they were devoted;but one and all wound up by declaring that they would not allow such astigma to rest on their noble families as would arise were they toencourage a daughter to abandon her holy calling. Little Ava receivedno answer to her epistle sent by the colporteur, and she was eagerlylooking out for his return. He had told her how eagerly her father hadbought his books, and she had still some hopes that the reply would befavourable. She could not, however, fail to observe the severe lookwith which the lady abbess regarded her, and she was still more alarmedwhen she found that her Testament, and several books by Drs. Melancthonand Luther, had been taken out of her cell. In truth, the lady abbesshad received the communication sent by Father Nicholas, and was on thewatch, expecting to see the gay young student, Eric of Lindburg, and hiscompanion arrive, intending afterwards to commence a system of severepunishment on the offending Ava. The lady abbess was not aware that Avawas only one of many whose eyes had been opened, and who desired theirfreedom. 

CHAPTER SEVEN. 

One bright afternoon, in the month of May, 1524, a light waggon, drivenby a venerable-looking person with a long white beard, stopped beforethe gate of the convent of Nimptsch, and from out of it stepped amerchant of equally venerable and still more dignified appearance. Hebegged the portress to present his humble respects to the lady abbess, with a request that he might be allowed to offer for sale to the nobleladies numerous articles which they might find acceptable. The ladyabbess, having carefully surveyed the venerable merchant and his driverthrough a lattice above the gate, was satisfied that they might, withoutdanger, be admitted into the court-yard. The horses were, however, somewhat restive, and it required, evidently, all the strength the olddriver possessed to keep them quiet while his master took out his balesand boxes, and conveyed them, with somewhat feeble steps, into the roomwere strangers, such as he, were received. An iron grating ran acrossit, within which the nuns were collected; but there existed a smallwindow, through which articles could be handed for inspection. 

The merchant evidently understood the tastes and requirements of nuns. There were silks for embroidery and gold-thread, and beads, and pencils, and brushes, and colours for illuminating missals, and paper and writingmaterials, and various manufactures for making artificial flowers; hehad even spices and mixtures for making confectionery. There was linenalso, coarse and fine, and all the materials of the exact hue requiredby the sisters for their dresses; indeed, it would have been difficultto say what there was not in Herr Meyer's waggon which the nuns couldpossibly require. The price, too, at which he sold his goods wasremarkably low, and the nuns of Nimptsch were not at all averse tomaking good bargains. Unfortunately, however, he discovered that he hadonly brought specimens of many of the articles. His large waggon he hadleft at Torgau. He would, therefore, take the orders with which theholy ladies might honour him, and return next day with the goods. 

The merchant, Herr Meyer, was better than his word, for he returned thenext day not only with the articles ordered, but with many other curiousthings, which he had brought, he said, for the inspection and amusementof the ladies, and the servants and attendants in the house; the goodportress especially was remembered. There were carriages and animalswhich ran along the ground by themselves, and a house in which a dooropened, when out of it came a cock which crowed, and then a small birdcame out of an upper window and sang, and then a woman looked out toascertain what the noise was about. Numerous toys of a similarcharacter the merchant had brought, he said, from Nuremburg. 

Meantime the horses in the waggon became very frisky, the merchant, therefore, went down, with most of his boxes to help quiet them, hesaid, leaving the abbess and her nuns busily engaged with the toys; theportress, too, was still watching the cock coming out of the house andcrowing, and the bird singing, and the woman looking out to see what itwas all about. 

"These horses will be doing some mischief, Karl, if they stay shut up inthis court-yard, " exclaimed the merchant. "I will open the gate, andthen if they choose to gallop off they will soon get tired, and you cancome back for me and my goods. "

Suiting the action to the word, he undid the bars of the gate, and Karldrove through, pulling up, however, directly he was outside. Theportress ran out, for such a thing as allowing a stranger to open thegate was against all rule. 

"Stay, I have some more curious things, " said the merchant. And hestepped into the waggon. 

Just at that moment something must have startled the horses, for theyset off at full speed, the driver in no way attempting to stop them. The lady abbess and the nuns looked out through the bars of the windows, expecting to see Herr Meyer, after his horses had had a good gallop, return with the other curiosities he had said he possessed. They lookedand looked, but they looked in vain. At last they came to theconclusion that some accident had happened. For this they were verysorry, as they all agreed that a more pleasant-spoken, liberal merchantthey had never seen. The opinions, however, of the lady abbess and someof the elder sisters were somewhat modified, when at vespers, as all thenuns were assembled, Sister Ava, and another young and pretty nun, hergreat friend, Sister Beatrice, were missing. They were not in theircells. The whole convent was searched; they were not to be found. Never had there been such a commotion among the authorities and eldersisters, though most of the young ones took the matter very quietly, anddid not search for what they knew well was not to be found. Rememberingthe warning she had received, the lady abbess had a strong suspicionthat Eric Lindburg was at the bottom of the matter. This was only thebeginning of her troubles. Somehow or other, fresh heretical books wereintroduced into the convent, and the young nuns had so completelymastered the contents of those of which they had been deprived that theywere able to discuss them and explain them to the elder sisters. Eventhe abbess herself could not answer many of their arguments which theyboldly put forth, nor indeed could the father confessor, nor the othervisiting priests. Of the last one heartily agreed with them, and theothers boldly acknowledged that there was a great deal of truth in whatthey said. Gaining confidence, nine young ladies at last united tosupport each other, and positively refused to attend mass or anyservices when adoration was paid to the Virgin Mary or to the saints, and demanded that as their vows were taken in ignorance, and that asthey were directly contrary to the Gospel, they should be released fromthem, and allowed to return into the world to fulfil their duties asvirtuous women and citizens. 

Those in authority were astonished and utterly confounded, and hesitatedto take any harsh measures. Public opinion they well knew outside theconvent walls ran pretty strongly in favour of the nuns' opinions. Astheir friends would not receive them at home, the young ladies resolvedto repair in a body to some respectable place with order and decency. Through some means their resolution was made known to two pious citizensof Torgau, Leonard Koppe and Wolff Tomitzsch, who offered theirassistance. "It was accepted as coming from God Himself, " says anhistorian of that time. Without opposition they left the convent, andKoppe and Tomitzsch received them in their waggon, and conveyed them tothe old Augustine convent in Wittemburg, of which Luther at that timewas the sole occupant. 

"This is not my doing, " said Luther, as he received them; "but would toGod that I could thus rescue all captive consciences, and empty all thecloisters. The breach is made. "

Catharine Bora, who afterwards became his wife, found a welcome in thefamily of the burgomaster of Wittemburg, and the other nuns, as soon astheir arrival was known, were gladly received in other families ofsimilar position. It may here be remarked that the facts of the casecompletely refute the vulgar notion, put forth by the enemies of theReformation, that Luther commenced the work of the Reformation for thesake of enabling himself and other monks and priests to marry. His mindwas long in doubt whether monks ought to marry. Many months after hebecame acquainted with the excellent Catharine, when his friends pressedhim to marry, he replied:

"God may change my heart if it is His pleasure, but I have no thought oftaking a wife. Not that I feel no attractions in that state, but everyday I expect the death and punishment of an heretic. "

Not till more than a year after Catharine Bora had escaped from theconvent did she become the wife of Martin Luther. 

CHAPTER EIGHT. 

The Count von Lindburg had been anxiously waiting news from Eric, butnone had arrived. The Lady Margaret had been assured by Father Nicholasthat his message had been safely delivered to the Abbess of Nimptsch, and that, in spite of all master Eric and his plausible friend might do, she would take very good care her little prisoner should not escape her. 

The Knight was growing anxious; he was afraid that something had gonewrong, when, one afternoon, a light waggon, the horses which drew itcovered with foam, drove up to the gate of the Castle. Over thedrawbridge it dashed, for the porter did not hesitate to admit it, and avenerable-looking old gentleman, habited as a merchant, descending, handed out two young girls in peasants' dresses. The Knight caughtsight of the waggon, and hurrying down, one of the girls was soon in hisarms. 

"My own Ava! My pet little bird, and you have escaped from your cage!Welcome--welcome home, and praised be God who has given me this greatblessing!" he exclaimed, again and again kissing her cheek. 

His child wept as she hung on the old man's neck. While this was takingplace, the other young lady looked about very much astonished andfrightened, though there was nothing particularly to frighten her, andthe grave merchant was doing his best to reassure her. 

"Well done, Eric, my boy--well done, Albert von Otten!" exclaimed theKnight, when he could bring himself to turn his attention for a momentfrom his recovered daughter. 

"Oh! thank Albert, father; it was he thought of the plan; he designedthe whole of it. I merely acted the part he selected for me, " answeredEric. 

"I thank him heartily, then; for very well done it has been, and youhave both my eternal gratitude, " said the Knight. "And this young lady, I conclude that she helped you in the undertaking?"

"No; it was they helped me to run away, as Ava did not like to go alone, and she promised me an asylum under your roof. "

"And you shall have it, if the Pope and all the cardinals were to comeand demand you. They shall pull the walls down before I will give youup. And now tell me who you are, my dear fraulein?"

"I am Beatrice von Reichenau, of Swabia. My father, Count vonReichenau, and my mother decline to receive me, and yet they love me, Iam sure; but, alas! they little know the horrors of the life to whichthey had devoted me. "

"Better times will come, my sweet fraulein!" said the Knight, who justthen saw everything in a bright light. 

Meantime, Dame Margaret, Father Nicholas not being in the Castle, havingseen the waggon and the young ladies get out of it, and guessing whathad happened, and that her fine scheme had failed, went to the greathall, accompanied by Laneta, that she might receive Ava with becomingdignity, and reprimand her in a manner suitable to her offence. She hadjust taken her post when the Knight entered with timid little Avaclinging to his arm, looking more sweet and lovable than ever in herbecoming peasant's dress, and not a bit like a wicked runaway nun. Assoon as she saw her mother, she ran forward and threw herself into herarms, half weeping and half smiling. 

"Oh, mother--mother, I am so thankful to see you again!" she cried. 

Dame Margaret began her speech, but it would not come out. Natureasserted her rights over bigotry and superstition; she burst into tears, and, folding her daughter to her bosom, exclaimed, "And I, Ava, am gladto have you, darling!"

"I always said that she was a good woman, and now I am convinced of it, "said the Knight. "Father Nicholas has done his best to spoil her, but, thank Heaven! he has not succeeded, and his reign is pretty well over, Isuspect. "

Laneta, who really in her way loved her sister, followed her mother'slead, and embraced Ava affectionately. The Dame Margaret was also not alittle gratified when she found that her daughter's companion in herflight was so high-born a girl as Beatrice von Reichenau. 

"If a young lady of her rank could do such a thing, it surely could notbe so very wrong, " she said to herself. 

Her reasoning was not very good, but it served just then to smoothmatters. 

Ava and her friend were not idle in the Castle, nor did they confinetheir labours to it. Their mild, gentle, subdued manners and earnestand zealous spirits attracted all hearts with whom they came in contact. The glorious truths they had received into their own souls they wereanxious to impart to others, nor did they feel that any trouble, anyexertion, was too great for them to take to forward that object. Stillit was very evident that to effect any speedy change on a large scaleamong the peasantry a preacher was required. Albert von Otten had beenmade a priest in the days of his ignorance, before he went toWittemburg, and he remembered the Knight's offer to let him preach inthe neighbouring church. Father Nicholas somewhat demurred, but theKnight assured him that Albert von Otten, he was sure, would only preachsound doctrine, and advised him to hold his tongue. Such a sermon asAlbert preached had never been heard in that church. He said not a wordabout himself. He held up but one object--Christ Jesus walking onearth, Christ Jesus crucified, Christ rising again, Christ ascendinginto heaven, Christ sitting on the right hand of God pleading forsinners. Then he added:

"Dear friends, once a man came among you to sell you what he calledindulgences; were they indulgences to commit sin, or indulgences toobtain pardon? What impious imposition! Oh! dear friends--dearfriends! God's gifts of grace are free--are priceless. The blood ofHis only Son purchased them for us once for all. Gifts, gifts--free, free gifts--are what God offers; no selling now, no purchasing now--thathas all been done. Christ has paid the price for every sin that man hascommitted or ever will commit, and man can by his works not add one jot, one tittle, to that all-sufficient price. God's offer is all of freegrace. Man has but to look to Christ, to repent, to desire to behealed, and he will be forgiven, he will be accepted and received intoheaven. Dear friends, when Moses was leading the Israelites out ofEgypt, the land of persecution, of slavery, of idolatry, through thewilderness, they were visited by a plague of venomous serpents whosebite sent fiery pains through their bodies, which speedily terminated bytheir death. God then ordered Moses to make a brazen serpent (theserpent being among the Egyptians the emblem of the healing power, whichwas well understood by them [Note 1]). This serpent he was to raise upon a pole in a conspicuous part of the encampment, and all who simplylooked at it, desiring to be healed, were instantly to be healed. Mosesasked no price, no reward; the bitten sufferers were only to exertthemselves to look to ensure being healed. Christ Himself told Hisdisciples, `As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so shallthe Son of man be lifted up'--that was Himself on the cross, `thatall'--of every tongue, and kindred, and nation, --`who believe in Him'--that is to say, look on Him as the Israelites at the brazenserpent--`shall not perish'--shall not die of the fiery bite ofsin--`but have eternal life. ' This is Gospel--Gospel truth. Then whatbecomes of indulgences, penances, fasts, invocations to saints, to theVirgin Mary, gifts, alms, if bestowed with the idea of purchasing aught?All useless, vain, insulting to God's generosity, mercy, kindness. Itis as if a great noble were to pardon a poor man who had grosslyoffended him, and, moreover, to bestow a favour on him, and the poor manwere to offer him a groat as payment, saying, `No, I cannot receive yourpardon and your favour as a free gift; I must return you something;indeed, a groat is not much, neither do I very greatly value yourpardon, because I do not think my offence was very great, nor yourfavour, which, after all, is but small. '

"`Foolish man, ' the lord would say, `I bestowed that pardon and thatfavour on you in my beneficence. I require nothing in return but yourgratitude and your obedience, and that you should speak of my name andfame among my other vassals, and live in amity with them, doing them allthe service in your power. Say, foolish man, what else can a poor, helpless, decrepit, broken-down creature like yourself do for me?' Whatshould you say, dear friends, if this poor wretched man were to answer, `No, but there are a set of people in your dominions, who assume to beyour ministers, though to be sure they make a mockery of your name andlove to send people over to serve your enemies, ' I can buy of them whatthey call indulgences, which they say are much better than your freepardon; besides, I may offend as often as I please, and you will becompelled to forgive me because I have paid them; and if it were not forthese indulgences, I could fast, I could beat myself, and performnumberless other penances; I could mumble petitions to you, not thinkingof what I was saying; indeed, I have no fear but what I can make ampleamends to you for this gift which you have bestowed, for this pardonwhich you have offered. Dear friends, you will say what a weak, conceited, foolish, impudent wretch is that man of whom you speak; andyet what are you doing when you perform penances, and fasts, andsuch-like works? What did you do when you purchased that mountebankimpostor Tetzel's indulgences? Confess--confess that he swindled youout of your money, but O do not, by trusting to them, which you might aswell do as a sinking man to a feather or a straw in the raging ocean, allow the arch-deceiver Satan to swindle you out of your souls. "

This address, of which many similar were delivered at that timethroughout Germany and Switzerland, produced a great effect in thevillage. No one heard it more eagerly, or with greater delight, thanAva and her companion. It brought out clearly so much of what they hadread in the convent. 

"God's free grace! God's free grace!" they repeated to each other. "Oh, what a loving, merciful God he must be!"

It made Father Nicholas very uncomfortable. Had he, then, all his lifebeen encouraging a system of imposture? It was a question he would haveto answer somehow. Dame Margaret also went back to the Castle sorelytroubled in mind. She thought that she had by purchasing Tetzel'sindulgences, secured the salvation of herself and all her family. Shewas fond of a bargain, and she thought that really she had made a goodone by the expenditure or a few gold ducats, considering the advantageto be gained. And now she was afraid that she, and her husband, andchildren were no nearer heaven than they were before she had bought theindulgences; and from the description Tetzel gave of it, purgatory mustbe a very disagreeable place, but she comforted herself by thinking thatTetzel might have imposed on his hearers in that matter also. 

As, however, there was no lack of Testaments in simple, clear German, and parts of the Bible also, and Albert, and Eric, and Ava, and Beatricetoo, able and anxious to explain it, gradually both Dame Margaret's andLaneta's eyes were opened, and their faith in the system to which theyhad before clung was greatly shaken. Father Nicholas, however, couldnot be so easily turned from his old notions, and now came that terribleconvulsion caused by the outbreak of the peasantry and the sadblood-shedding which followed. 

"Ah, " he exclaimed, triumphantly, "see the work which Luther and hisfollowers have produced!"

"No such thing, " answered the Knight, indignantly; "you ought to knowthat these attempts were commenced long before Dr Luther was heard of. Discontent has been fermenting among them for many years. They havesome reason and a great deal of folly on their side. They have donetheir work like foolish savages as they are, and they will suffer thefate of fools, though, in the meantime, they may do a great deal ofmischief. "

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Note 1. An interpolation of the author's, this fact probably not beingknown in Luther's days. 

CHAPTER NINE. 

It was at the eventful period described in the last chapter that theCount von Lindburg was first introduced to the reader, leaning on hiselbow, with a book before him, in his turret-chamber. He had greatcause for thoughtfulness. Eric and Albert had gone to Wittemburg. Avaand Beatrice had continued earnestly labouring among the surroundingpeasantry, and the minds of the poor people had been awakened byAlbert's sermons with great success; Dame Margaret and Laneta continuedwavering; and Father Nicholas, though he did not openly oppose theGospel, persevered in all his old practices, and remained ready to takethe winning side. Public events were one cause of the Knight's anxiety, and, besides, it was rumoured that insurgents were appearing in hisneighbourhood, threatening to attack his, among other surroundingcastles. It would be wrong to deny that the Reformation was not in acertain degree connected with the rebellion of the peasants, but in thismanner: the liberty which the Gospel demands for all men when the spiritof that Gospel is received into their hearts, makes them ready to submitto rulers and endure persecutions patiently; but when, though men knowits truths, their hearts have not been regenerated, they being aware oftheir rights as men appeal to the sword to obtain them. 

Certain fanatics, also, had appeared, who, though professing to foundtheir doctrines on the Bible, were greatly opposed to the principles ofthe Gospel. The most notorious of these was Thomas Munzer, pastor ofAlstadt, in Thuringia; another was John Muller, of Bulgenbach, in theBlack Forest, the inhabitants of which he rallied round him, and raisedthe standard of rebellion. Here the insurrection began. On the 19th ofJuly, 1524, some Thurgovian peasants rose against the Abbot ofReichenau, who would not accord them an evangelical preacher. Ere longthousands were collected round the small town of Tengen, to liberate anecclesiastic who was there imprisoned. The revolt spread rapidly, fromSwabia as far as the Rhenish Provinces, Franconia, Thuringia, andSaxony. At Weinsberg, Count Louis, of Holfenstein, and seventy menunder his orders, were condemned to death by the rebels. A body ofpeasants drew up with their pikes lowered, whilst others drove the Countand his soldiers against this wall of steel. At the approach of thepeasants, the cities that were unable to resist them opened their gatesand joined them. Wherever they appeared they pulled down the images andbroke the crucifixes. Many nobles, some through fear and others fromambition, joined them. 

In vain Luther wrote to them, "Rebellion never produces the ameliorationwe desire, and God condemns it. What is it to rebel if it be not toavenge one's self? The devil is striving to excite to revolt those whoembrace the Gospel, in order to cover it with opprobrium; but those whohave rightly understood my doctrine do not revolt. "

At length the princes threw off their lethargy; the imperial forcesmarched to encounter the peasants, and defeated them in every direction. The nobles were soon victorious, and retaliated with most terribleseverity on the misguided men. The peasants were hung up by hundreds atthe roadside, the eyes of numbers were put out, and some were burntalive, and in all parts of the country the Romish style of worship wasre-established. Still the rebellion was far from being stamped out, andlarge bodies of insurgents were in arms in different parts of thecountry besides those in the neighbourhood of the Castle of Lindburg. The Knight had done his best to put his Castle in a state of defence, and his own tenantry promised to come in and fight to the last gaspshould it be attacked. Ava and Beatrice, notwithstanding the state ofthings, went about the country as before, fearless of danger. "We aredoing our duty, " they answered, when Dame Margaret expostulated withthem; "we are carrying out the work to which we devoted our lives, inhelping our suffering fellow-creatures, in making known the love of Godthrough His dear Son, and He will protect us. "

The Knight, as I have said, having done all that a man could do, satdown in his study, to quiet his mind by reading. He found it, however, a difficult task. Even when he managed to keep his eyes on the page, his mind let them labour alone, and refused to take in the matter theyattempted to convey. It was a positive relief when he heard a horse'shoofs clattering into the court-yard. He hurried down to hear the newsbrought by the horseman. It was truly alarming. The scout who had beensent out by the Knight to gain information, stated that a body of somethousand men were advancing, threatening to destroy all the Castles inthe district, and that Lindburg was the first on their line of march. Not a moment was to be lost. He instantly sent out messengers, some tosummon his retainers, and others to bring in provisions. The drawbridgewas raised, the gates secured. Dame Margaret and Laneta were greatlyalarmed. Father Nicholas, who had arrived with all the ornaments of theChurch, and as much as his mule could carry, urged the ladies, and allhe could get to listen to him, to invoke the protection of the saints. "These new-fangled doctrines brought about all these disorders; ergo, you must go back to the old system to avert them, if it is not alreadytoo late. "

The Knight advised him to talk sense or keep silence, but the time wasopportune, he thought. 

"Religion must be supported, " he answered, meaning the Romish system, "or we shall be undone. "

From the top of the watch-tower a cloud of dust was seen rising. It wascaused by the insurgent peasants, horse and foot, approaching. 

"Poor people, they have many real causes of complaint. I wish they hadremained quiet, for their own sake, and allowed the law to right them, "observed the Knight. 

"Let us pray for them that their hearts may be changed, and that theymay see their folly and wickedness, " said Ava; and Beatrice repeated thesentiment. 

Just then three horsemen were seen approaching the Castle at full speed. The Knight soon recognised his son and Albert von Otten; the other wasa stranger. 

"Ah, they come to bring us the aid of their swords, " exclaimed theKnight. "Three gentlemen will be a host in themselves when opposed tothose unhappy serfs. "

The drawbridge was lowered to admit them. Eric directed that it shouldbe left down, as they were going again to sally forth immediately. Heembraced his father and mother and sisters, and he might have said a fewwords to Beatrice, as certainly Albert did to Ava, and Eric introducedthe stranger as Frederick Myconius, professor of divinity. 

"Welcome, gentlemen; but I thought, I confess, that you were fightingmen come to aid in defence of the Castle. I was counting on your goodswords. "

"Our good swords you shall have, father, " answered Eric, taking off thebelt to which hung the scabbard of his weapon. "But we ourselves cannotwield them. We go forth with other weapons than those of steel, andtrusting to other strength than an arm of flesh to quell these misguidedmen. Dr Myconius will address them, as Dr Martin Luther has alreadyaddressed thousands, and turned them aside from their purpose ofvengeance. We have, though, no time to lose. "

"Go forth, my son--go forth, my friends; I feel sure that God, who seesall our actions, will protect you with His Almighty arm in so noble andpious an object, " exclaimed the Knight, holding the sword which had beengiven to him. 

The three brave young men rode forth from the Castle unarmed, andhastened towards the rebel host. They well knew the danger, humanlyspeaking, to which they were exposing themselves, but not for a momentdid they hesitate doing what they knew to be right. They were soon faceto face with the insurgent band, led on by a man in a red cloak and hatand white plume. They were a wild savage set of beings in appearance. Many a bold man might have hesitated to encounter them. Those who nowadvanced to meet them trusted not in their own strength to deliver them. Dr Myconius rode first. As he drew close to the insurgents, he liftedup his arm and said, "Bear with me, dear friends, while I address a fewwords to you, and ask you what you seek? what are you about to do? whatobject do you desire to gain? Is it one well-pleasing to God, or is itnot rather one He abhors? Is it revenge? The Gospel of Jesus Christwill not permit its indulgence. Is it to overthrow principalities andpowers? The Gospel orders us to obey them. Is it to oppose the powerof the Papacy? The light of truth can alone do that. Is it lust, rapine, murder, you desire to commit? Those who do such things cannever inherit the kingdom of heaven. Listen, dear friends, to those wholove you, who feel for you, who know that you have souls to be saved--precious souls above all price in God's sight, for them He sent down HisSon on earth to suffer far more wrongs than you have ever suffered. Endanger not these precious souls by the acts you contemplate. Turnaside from your purpose, fall on your knees, and pray to God toenlighten your minds, to give you patience above all things to bear yoursufferings here for a short time, that, trusting in the merits of ChristJesus, who once suffered for you, and now reigns and pleads for you, youmaybe raised up to dwell with Him, to reign with Him in happinessunspeakable for ever and ever. "

Such was the style of eloquence with which one of the great leaders ofthe Reformation addressed the lately infuriated insurgents. It went totheir hearts; they acknowledged its truth, the power from which itflowed, and yielded to its influence. Peaceably they divided into smallparties; thus they returned to their villages, to their separate homes, speaking as they went of the love of Christ, and the sufferings He hadendured for their sakes, and praying that they too might endure anysufferings it might please their heavenly Father to call on them to bearwith patience for His sake, that thus the Christian character might beexalted in the eyes of the world. 

The three friends returned to the Castle. The success of theirundertaking was heard of with astonishment. The Knight went to hisTestament, and came back exclaiming, "I see, I see, it was the right wayto do it. It was the way Jesus Christ would have acted, and I doubt notHe was with you to counsel and guide you. "

Dame Margaret and Laneta, and even Father Nicholas, confessed that themode they had employed with Dr Martin Luther and others, to put downthe insurrection, was far more satisfactory and sensible than that whichthe Roman Catholic nobles and knights had pursued with cannon-balls, bullets, and sharp swords. The two ladies at length, through the gentleinfluence of Ava and Beatrice, completely abandoned the errors of Rome, and embraced the truths of evangelical religion. Father Nicholas, stillclinging to the idolatry to which he had been accustomed, was compelledto give up his cure, and thankfully accepted a small pension from theKnight, on condition that he should keep silence till he had learned thetruth. Albert von Otten, notwithstanding his rank, gladly became thehumble pastor of Lindburg, and little Ava as gladly became his mostefficient helpmate, while Beatrice von Reichenau married Eric. TheKnight arrived at a green old age, and though there was little peace inthe world, he found it in his home and in his heart, and saw hisgrandchildren grow up pious Christians and sound brave Protestants.