The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-02-13
A Sketch of Luther.
by CARLYLE.

with great rags OF cheek boncs-a Wild
amount Of passion and energy and appe-
titc But in Lis eyes were foods of sor-
row, and deepest melancholy, sweetness
and mystery, were all thero. Often did
these seem to meet in Luther. as the
very opposite poles in mans character.
lie. for example. of whom Richter had
said in his words were half battles when
he first began to preach suffered uDEeard
Of agony
80, Dr. Staupitz. DR.. Staupitz." said
he to the Vicar General of his order
cannot do it. I shall die in three
months. Indeed / cannot do it."
DR. Staupitz. wise and considcrate
man. said to this; "Weil, Martin, ifyou
must die. you must--but remember that
they need good heads up yonder too.
So preach, man, preach, and then live or
die as it happens
SO Luther preached and lived. and he
became indeed one great whirlNnd Of
energy, to work without rest in this
world and also before he died. he wrote
four hundred books books in which 'he
true man was for in the midst of all
they denounced and cursed, what touch
cs of tenderness lay Look ntthe Table
Talk, for example. We see it in little
bird, having alighted on the bough of q
pear tree that grew in Lulher's garden
Luther looked up at it, and said
"The little bird, how it covers down
its little wings and will sleep there, so
still and fearless, though over it are the
infinite starry spaces and the great blue
depths OF immonsity Yet it fears not
it is at home. The God that made it
too, is there"
The same gentle spirit of lyric admir-.
alton is in other passage Of his book.
Coming home from Leipsic in the au-
tumn season. lie breaks forth in living
wonder at the feds-hc says
Erect on its beautiful silver stem and
bending its beautiful golden head within
1.-THE bread of man sent to him yet an
other year"
Such thoughts as these are as little
windows through which we gaze into the
interior of the serene depths of Martin
Luther's soul, and SEQ visibly across its
tempests and clouds, a whole heaven of
light and love. lie might have painted
he might have sung-could have been
beautiful like Raph@l-great like Mi
chnl Angelo.
AS it was the streams Of modesty and
energy met in the active spirit Per-
haps indeed, in all men of genius, one
great quality strongly developed might
force out other strong qualities. Here
uthor cavona bind ot man
people thought of him-a wild Orson of
man-a man whose speech was ordi-
narily a wild, wild torrent, that went
tearing down rocks and troos-and be-
hold him sparkling like a woman or u
child. A tolerant man, but with moth
ing Of sentimental tolerance. Ho went
to the real heart of the matter. When
his reform associates made vast fuss
about surplice somebody or other want.
cd to wear he ended the matter thus:
what injury can surplico do us
Let him have three surplices if he will.
That is not our religion, nor interferes
with it at all Domino miScrcye mel
This is what we have to think. This is
what VIC must think the essential to
Christianity"
Nothing of what is commonly called
cant. or pride or ambition was in Luther.
1t was this that made him not higher
than the lowest man with soul, not yet
however, less than the highest. Thus
when he was threatened with the anger
of " Duke George" if he went to Leir-
sic, yet he said nothing on earth could
prevent him. If it raiued Duke Georges
for nine days running there he would 20
Well, and this man who thought and
acted in this way, passed whole life in
suffering He was deeply melancholy
man. More labor had fallen on him than
he could rightly bear, it was in vain tc
be released he toiled and sorrow on
Even with Satan himself, tho evil prin
ciple of the world, he was destined to use
high argument. Men would laugh at
that, and cheap game indeed, was ridi
culc ; but be it recollectcd that in Lu
theirs day God and the Devil were equal
ly real, aud that he thought he was from
the first, as when that vision of thu
crowded house tiles Of the old city o
Worms, a man especially selectol tt
fight with devils. Well, then, he sat a
lone one night he was transiatng th'
l3lst psalm, and ponderiug with decl
significance, he had tasted for two days
when the devil rose before him and open
ed the famous dialogue, accusing Luthe
with crimes, threatening him with bel
and terrifying him to recant. All whicl
the Christian put an end to at last, bl
taking up the ink bottle and hingng i
at the devil The mark made by tn,
} ink on the vail is shown to this day,an'
memorable spot-a spot that ma.
: mark at once the greatness and the pov
erty of man The terrors Of deu-ioI
which any doctors or npothecary's ap
} prentice could explain now'a.daysi bu
, also Of a courage that could rise agains