Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-01-21

as prodigy of wisdom others as monster.
Every one desired TO see him. They left him,
however. a few hours to recruit himself after
his journey, and discourse with his most init
mate friends. But as soon as the evening clo-
sed III, counts, barons. knights, gentlemen &C.
clesiastics, and citizens, 1ocked about him.
All, even the most opposed to him, were strack
with his courageous bearing--the Joy that bea-
med in his conference.-the power of his elo-
Quence, and the solemn elevation and enthu-
siam which gave to the words of a single monk
sort of irresistible authority. But some ascri-
bed this grandeur 10 something divine whilst
the partizans OF the Pope loudly exclaimed
that he was possessed by devil. Visitors
poured in, and the succession of the curious
kept Luther from his bed till late hour.
Four O'Clock arrived
The Marshal of the Empire appeared. Luther
prepared to set out. God had heard his pray
ers ; he was calm when he quilted the hotel.
The herald walked first. Next came the Mar
shal of the Empire, followed by the Reformer.
The crowd that thronged the streets was yet
more dense than on the preceding evening. 1,
was not possible TO advance-it was in vain
| that orders were given to make way the
crowd was increasing. AT last the herald, see
ing the impossibiliry of reaching the Town
Hall, demanded admission into some private
! houses, and conducted Luther through the gar
dens and back ways to the place where the Di.
ct was assembled The people who Witnessed
this, rushed into the houses after the monk of
Wittemberg, stationed themselves at the win
dows overlooking the gardens, and many of
them taking their stand on the tops of the hou-
es The roofs and the pavements, above and
beneath, all around him, were covered with
spectators.
Arriving at last nj the Town Hail. and his
companions were again at loss how to pass
the gateway, which was thronged by multi
tude. Make room was the cry ; but no one
stirred. The imperial soldiers then cleared
passage The people hurrying forward tn en-
| ter together with the Reformer, the soldiers
drove them back with their halberds. Luther
gain he bcheld the enclosure crowded In the
interior chambers and windows recesses, there
! were more than FIVE thousand spectators-Ger-
man, Italian, Spanish, and OF other nations. Lu-
ther advanced with difficulty. As he drew
! near the door which was TO admit him to the
presence Of the judges, he was met by va
| liant knight, George Freundsberg, who four
years afterwards, attended by his followers,
bearing down the LEFT of the French army, drove
1t into the Tessino, and decided the captivity of
the King Of France. The old general seeing
| Luther pass touched him on the shoulder, and
shaking his head, biauched in many battles, said
kindly, My poor monk, my poor monk, thou
hasta march and struggleto go through, such
as neither nor many other "a plains have seen
the like in our most bloody battles. But if
thy cause be just, and thou art sure oft, go
forward in Gods name, and fear nothing! He
will not forsake thee = A noble tribute rem
dered by martial spirit to the courage of the
soul. 'He that rueth his spirit is greater than
he tha: taketh city, was the word of
king.
| And now the doors of the hall were thrown
open,-Luther entered, and mary who formed
no part OF the Diet gained admssion with him.
Never had any man appeared before so august
an assembly. The Emperor Charles the ",
whose kingdorn extended across both hemis-
pheres,--his brother, the Archduke Ferdinand,
six Electors of the Empire. most of whose
Succt ssors are now crowned heads twenty
four dukes, many ofthem territorial sovereigns,
e!id among whom were some who bore name
in after times held in fear and horror by the ma
tons who accepted the Retormaton-(the
Duke of Alva and his two sons)-eight mar
graves,-'hirty archbishops, bishops, and pre-
lates,--seven ambassadors, including those OF
France and Englsnd,-th deputies OF ten free
cities,--a number of princes, counts, and barons
of rank,-the Pope's Nuncios, in all two hun.
dred persons. Such was the imposing assem-.
btge before which stood Martin Luther
His appearance there was of itself sigma
+ victory over the Papacy. The man whom the
Pope had condemned stood before a tribuna
raised by that very fact above the Pope's au
. thority. Placed under interdict, and struck on
, from human fellowship by the Pope,-he wal
cited in respectful terms, and received before
the noblest of human audtories. The Pop'
had decreed that his lips should be closed fore
, yer.-and ne was about TO unclose them in pre-