HOW TO GET STRONG
of doctors, students, and citizens at the Elster Gate of Wittenberg. Germany was convulsed with excitement. The Emperor, Charles V., ordered Luther's books to be burned; and that he himself come to the great Diet of the Sovereigns and States at Worms.
This was just what he wanted. He went, taking his life in his hand; and so bore himself that he not only took back no word, but his "Here I stand. I cannot otherwise. God help me. Amen!" won the hearts of all Germany then; and of hundreds of millions since. Seized by his friend, the Elector of Saxony, he was hid in a castle. Marrying a nun, Catherine von Bora,—a superior woman,—he lived so happily with her and their children that he said, "I would not exchange my poverty with her for all the wealth of Crœsus without her!" Of tireless activity in many fields; now engaged in famous conferences with Zwingli, and other Swiss divines; writing many books, partly in Latin, partly in German; his "Table-Talk, Letters, and Sermons" being well known even today; the world has not often seen such a worker.
Dr. Lord says of him: "It was Catherine von Bora who sustained Luther in his gigantic task. Among great benefactors Martin Luther is one of the most illustrious. He headed the Protestant Reformation; and was just the man for the work. Sprung from the people, poor, popular, fervent, educated among privations; religious by nature, yet with exuberant animal spirits; dogmatic, boisterous, intrepid; with a great insight into realities; practical, untiring, learned, generally cheerful and hopeful, progressive in spirit; lofty in his character; earnest in his piety; believing in the future and in God.
"Not so learned as Erasmus; not so logical as Calvin; nor so scholarly as Melancthon; nor so broad as Cranmer; he was not a polished man; he was rude, brusque, not modest and humble, intellectually proud and disdainful, and, when irritated, sometimes abusive. Bold, audacious, with deep convictions; rapid intellectual processes; prompt, decided, kind-hearted, generous; in sympathy with the people; eloquent; Herculean in energies; with an amazing power for work; electrical in his smile and his words; always ready for emergencies. Had he been more polished, more of a gentleman; more scrupulous, more ascetic, more modest; he would have shrunk from his task; he would have lost the elasticity of his mind; he would have been discouraged. He was a sort of converted Mirabeau. He loved the storms of battle; he imper-284
