The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-10 00:00:00

Second in 1464, the territories of the House were
divided between his two sons, Ernest and Albert, who
became the founders of the two branches of the fireilies
that bore their respective names. In this partition the
greater part of Thuringia, the Vogtland, and the Princi-
pality of Csburg fell to the share of the Elector Ernest,
the ancestor from the direct line of Prince Albert. lie
died in 1436, and was succeded by his son, Fr,deric 111.,
surnamed the Wise. It was he who found4cl the Univer-
sity of Wittenberg, where Luther was educated; and he also
was the undaunted protector of the great Reformer. Nor was
Frederic less distinguished as a Statesman. As Vicar and
High Marshal of the empire, he acquired the univeisal esteem
of the German Princes ; and when the Imperial Throne became
vacant in 1519, the Elector, offered him the Crown. This.,
however, he declined, and afterwards gave his vote in favour
of the grandson of the late Emperor, afterwards celebrated as
Charles V.
In 1521 Luther was summoned by the Emperor before the
Diet at Worms, to answer the charges of the Papal Nuncio; an
edict was also issued, which declared Luther a heretic, and put
him and all who should aid and abet hin', under the ban of the
Empire. In defiance of this sentence, Frederic-concealed
Luther in the fortress of Wurtzburg, where he commenced and
completed his celebrated translation of the Bible. Thus was
the Reformed Religion cradled in Saxony by this excellent
Prince, to whom Henry VIII. wrote a letter, entreating him
" sot to suffer the arch-heretic to translate the Bible."
At the Diet held at Spiers in 1529, John, his successor, took
the lead among the Princes who published that " Protest"
which afterwards gave the name to the professors of the Re-
formed Religion, and led to the declaration of their opinion
well known as the Augsburg Confession. At this time Luther
was a guest in the castle of Coburg, and the Emperor was so
incensed against the Elector John, for having protected that
eminent Reformer, as well as for the part which he had taken
in the Confession of Augsburg, that he refused him the Impe-
rial investiture of his dominions ; in reply to which refusal, and
to further threats by which it was accompanied, the Elector
sent him this message ;—" That, rather than secede from the
pure evangelical doctrine, he would suff:r his grey head to be'
laid at the Emperor's feet."
Frederic his successor placed himself at the head of the Pro-
testant League, called the Schmalkalden Confederacy, and for
a time maintained a gallant contest with the armies of Charles
to extirpate the reformed religion, but he was at length taken
prisoner at the battle of Muhtberg, was declared an outlaw, and
condemned to be beheaded before the Imperial camp at Witten-
berg. The Emperor afterwards offered him his life on condi-
tion that he should accede to the decisions of the Emperor and
the Council of Trent in regard to religion."
The reply of the prisoner deserves to be emblazoned in gold
ilium the escutcheon of his illustrious House He wag de-
termined to adhe.e iteaufb‘tly to the Confession delivered at
A-gsburg by his lather, himseif, and other Princes; and
rather to lose his dignity, his territories, nay, even his life,
than
suffer himself to be separated from the word of God."
The sentence notwithstanding was revoked, but he was '
liged to renounce the Electorship, which
gas transferred to
the
Duke of Meissen, the Representative of the Albertine line.
He was removed to Innspruck, whereby
remained a prisoner
for five years, and formed the plan of the University of Jena,
which he afterwards founded, and which was completed by his
sons. This illustrious prince died in 1553.
Before closing this brief history, for which we are indebted
chiefly to a Letter on " the Marriage of the Queen," we may
state, on the same authority, under what circumstances the
cousins of the Prince have been educated in the Catholic re •
ligion. The late Duke died in 1806, leaving three 30113 and