Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-02-26
LUTHER'S ELoQUENCE.

Luther" says Frederic Sehlegel, dis
plays most original eloquence, surpass-
ed by few names that occur in the whole |
history of literature. He had, indeed, |
all those properties which render man
fit to be revolutionary orator. If
this be so. the intellect of Luther must be
regarded as one of the rafest phenome-
ma winch appear in the world of mind.
| Such, at least, has been hitherto the uni
form judgment of criticism. To possess
a genius for consumate ebquence is al
ways considered to imply intellectual ex-
cellence of the highest order; and if we
judge either BY the rarity with which it is
bestowed, or consider how various, how
exquisitely balanced and adjusted are the
powers which must equip the truly great
the frst-rate-orator, we shall see no
reason to quarrel with this judgment.
So peculiar are the required modifca-
tions and combinations of intellect, imag-
ination, and passion, that it may be pret-
ty safely averred we shall as sool see the
reproduction of an Aristotle as aDemos-
themes.
All the prime elements Of this species
of mental power, Luther seemsto have
possessed in perfection. We have ad-
mitted that he had not a mind veil fitted
for the investigation of abstrad truth !;
but he had what was to him of more i'm
portance, great practical sagacity, and
vast promptitude and vigor of argument.
His imagination, though as lite solicit
! Gus about the abstractly speculative, was
fertile of those brief, homely, energetic
, images which are most effective in real
eloquence; and in intensity and vehe-
mence Of passion, even Demostlenes was
not his superior. His native language
3 he wrote with the utmost force anc
when he pleased, none could expires;
himself with more pregnant brevity
- To the continuous excellence, the con.
sumate taste, the exquisite fnish, th'
! minute graces of him who fulminec
over Greece" Luther, it is true, had NJ
: pretensions-as, indeed, might be expect
ed considering the circumstances and th
. age in which his intolIoot was developed
= but in every part of his cortroversa
works, most frequently in his briefe
> writings as in his Appeal to a Futur
Council" his Babylonish Captivity,
o and his Appeal to the German Nebili
t." and not least in his letters, occur fire
quent bursts of the mos: vivid and i'm
u passioned eloquence. He abounds j
passages, which, even at this distance {
time, make our hearts throb within US q
= we read them. Such is the expressio
with which he delied the sentence of e.
.. communication. AS they have excon
municated me in defence of their sacr
n leeious heresy, SO do l excommunica
them on behalf of the holy truth of Goo
and let Christ, our Judge, decide whetl
m er of the two accommodations has Il
i'll greater weight with him. Such is th
Of memorable sentence with which he dro
ped the Papal bull into the flames, al
which, even from his lips, would, fe
years before, have thrilled the assemble
muItitude5 with horror. g As thou ha
troubled and put to shame the Holy Oh
of the Lord, so be thou troubled and CO
g sumed in the eternal fires Of he'll
Such, above all, Is that noble declar
he ton with which he concluded his defer
nat at Worms. 6 Since your majesty l
ful qures of me simple and direct answt
,ns | will give one, and it is this: | cam
In submit my fate either to popes or cou
ellis, since it is clear as MONDAY that th
have often erred, and even opposed @
rs another. If, then, am not confutcd
in scripture Or by cogent reasons
ate neither can nor will retract any thin
,ol for it cannot be right for Christian
six do any thing against his conscience
lis Here | stand | cannot do otherwis
.pe God help me-" This eioquence, indie
K is transient; it flashes out, like the liz
Law ming, for an instant, and again wiIhdra
mn into the cloud. Bat it is the ightni
inc that blasts and scaths wherever
strikes.
The influence which Lutber's c
auence exerted over his contemporaT
~ is testified, not only by the deierel
:. with which he was listened to by tn
who were predisposed to applaud VI
inadequate criterion of merit-but a
TO command, even from those who "
hostile or alienated. This was seen,
only on great occasions, as at Worm
not only in the enthusiasm with wh
,-.o he had imbued whole nation-bnt
%, the success with which he performed
ear equally difficult task Of restraining
arc fanatical excesses of some Of his &
Ill Xub., ,,Bd-r the lenders