ever, requires us to acknowledge, that painful traces of asperity still occasionally appear, and that inflamed, and at the same time partially, though only partially, excused by the irritability produced by age and growing infirmities. The sacramental controversy still vexed him, and he was not a little displeased at Melancthon, for being less severe than himself in his judgment of the Zuinglians. The elector, however, successfully interposed, through Pontanus, to compose this difference. But several other things in the state of Wittemberg much disturbed his mind; particularly the corruption of manners, and the number of clandestine marriages contracted by the students, which, being confirmed by the legal authorities, (who still acted upon the pontifical regulations concerning such subjects,) threatened to be very injurious to the university itself. Luther, in consequence, rather suddenly left Wittemberg, and went to Leipsic; visited George of Anhalt at Mersburg, Amsdorf at Naumburg, and other friends; and was not at all inclined to return home-urging that this was "the last year of his life, and he wished to pass it at a distance from scenes which disquieted him." Much allowance is certainly due to an aged man, who had passed such a life of labour and conflict as Luther had done, and now, in the midst of many personal afflictions, sought repose. His indisposition to return was, however, overcome. The elector wrote to him with exquisite tenderness and prudence: 1 the university likewise addressed him; and he yielded to their united entreaties. Indeed it seems clear from this, and from what are known 1 Seckendorf gives the elector's letter in the original German, but he would not venture to translate it, from the conviction that he could not do it justice. A. D. 1545. СНАР. VIII. His conduct in a case of supposed to have been the closing occupations of his life, that his dejection and discontent were but transient-the passing shade rather than the settled colour of his mind; the usual tone and temper of which he ere long recovered. 1 Maimbourg here introduces a story to demonstrate that Luther was "no apostle, though he wished to be thought one," which has been Possession. adopted also by Surius and Raynaldus, after having been abandoned by Cochlæus, the malignant collector of every thing that might injure the reputation of Luther. It would not of itself deserve notice: but it may furnish an additional opportunity of shewing the good sense and propriety which marked the reformer's conduct. Maimbourg's statement is in these words: "Luther, having at this time attempted to eject a demon from a possessed girl, was driven to the most disgraceful extremities by the evil spirit, who, shutting the door, rushed upon him, and threw him into the greatest alarm, wishing (volebat) to make him an object of ridicule, and to shew to all the world that miracles cannot be wrought out of the (true) church." The advocate of the papacy is welcome to all the advantage of this exclusive claim of miracles, as also to the good "wishes" of Satan in behalf of that claim, and to his ill wishes to Luther: and the story might be safely left to its own merits. But the reader shall have the true account of Luther's conduct, both in this and another similar case; in the former from the archdeacon of Wittemberg, Froschelius, who was an eye-witness. "A girl of eighteen years of age, said to be harassed by the devil, was brought to Luther. He bid her 1 Seck. iii. 580-583. repeat the creed. When she came to the words, Ând in Jesus Christ our Lord,' she stopped, and was excessively agitated: on which Luther said, 'Satan, I see through thy designs: thou wouldst have me here set about an exorcism, all in due form; but I will not do it.'-The next day she was brought into the church while Luther was preaching, and, after service, into the vestry, where she fell on the ground with violent contortions. She was raised up by those present; and Luther then addressed the people, observing to them that miracles were not now to be expected; that the church being once established did not need them: nor was recourse to be had to the popish ceremonial provided for such occasions: rather they ought to pray against the evil spirit, and then despise his violence. Nor were the terms and manner of affording relief to be prescribed: that would be tempting God: they must persevere in praving, and patiently wait his time. He himself then put his hand on the head of the girl, recited the creed, the Lord's prayer, and some passages of scripture; and, touching her with his foot, and repeating his sentiment concerning the devil's wish to have him attempt a miracle, he added, I know that thy head is bruised, and that thou art put under Christ's feet:' and so he left the afflicted person, who is said not to have been afterwards disturbed. 1" In a letter written in the year 1545, and inserted by Strobelius in his collection, Luther directs Scultetus, pastor in Belgern, to act, in a similar case, precisely as he himself is here stated to have done, and as he there speaks of having done, and successfully done, où former occa 1 Seck. iii. 632, 633. A. D. 1545. CHAP. Different his closing scene. sions. He in that letter styles the disorder "mania," but ascribes it to Satanic influence. The other case occurred ten years before, near Francfort; but Luther was consulted upon it. Here a girl, considered as possessed, was said, among other extraordinary things, to fill her mouth with pieces of money, and to masticate and swallow them. Luther shrewdly suggests, that in the first place the fact ought to be accurately ascertained, that she really did so, and that no fraud was practised. I should like, he says, to know "whether the money would pass in the market: for I find so much artifice and imposture as compels me to be incredulous." Then, supposing the case to be as stated, he would have prayer to be perseveringly offered for her, and the insolence of Satan set at naught; and this, he doubts not, would in due time prove successful. But he would have no exorcism attempted: that did but give advantage to Satan and his agents. He somewhat sarcastically observes, however, that the poor girl was but an apt emblem of many princes and great men, who "gorged themselves with money from all quarters, without being at all the better for it." 2 As the enemies of Luther had spread the accounts of most extravagant accounts of his death, before that event had actually taken place, so after its occurrence they failed not to adorn it with such circumstances as they thought most likely to injure his memory, and to obstruct the reception of his doctrines. Maimbourg confesses, that, while one party had represented him as dying the death of an eminent saint, the other had made him die like a beast, without any 1 Strobel. No 232. Seck. iii. 136. sense of God, and after having eaten and drunk to excess. For himself, however, he professes that he will here, as on other occasions, avoid prejudices and extremes, and deliver a fair and impartial account. Accordingly he states very jejunely, in a few lines, the circumstances of Luther's journey to Mansfeld, his labours there, and his dying suddenly, of apoplexy, or somewhat of that kind, after having supped and conversed cheerfully with his friends: and he concludes the whole with saying, " Thus died Luther, with very little ceremony, in the sixtythird year of his age.' The pious Seckendorf, noticing the oddity of the expression, (" avec peu de cérémonie,") and having given the true narration, remarks, "As an old man, that has exceeded the years of Luther's age, and is daily threatened with the last stroke, I may be allowed to say, that never would I wish to die a more ceremonious death!"-But we turn to better accounts, which we have in the most authentic form, both as transmitted immediately after the reformer's decease to the elector of Saxony; as inserted, with the most solemn asseverations of their correctness, in his printed works, under the signatures of Justus Jonas, Michael Coelius, and John Aurifaber; and as confirmed by other documents preserved in the Saxon archives. A. D. 1546. All the circumstances of Luther's visit to His journey Eisleben, where, as he had first drawn breath, to Eisleben. so he ended his days, appear to have been highly honourable to him. The country of Mansfeld is a mining district, and its copper and silver mines had of late years been more productive than formerly. This, however, only excited the cupidity of its sovereigns and their courtiers, who wished to appropriate a larger share of the |