CHAP. III. The Holy Alliance. 1538. Alarm of tants. faction to the protestants: on the contrary, they contended that his interpretations, if admitted, would nullify the pacification altogether.1 Nor was this all. Perceiving the advantages that the protestants derived from the league, by which they were all united in one firm body, Heldo busied himself among the different princes, in forming a counter-confederation, which was styled the Holy Alliance,' for the support of the Catholic religion; professing to act, in this measure, under the authority of the emperor and the king of the Romans: but whether he really had this authority, or not, has never been ascertained, as the emperor found it expedient shortly after to disown his proceedings. The catholic league was entirely uncalled for, since none could pretend that the professors of that religion were exposed to the same danger that the protestants were: and accordingly it obtained but few subscribers. The archbishops of Mentz and Salzburg, (the former, however, only in his character of archbishop of Magdeburg,) William and Lewis, dukes of Bavaria, George, duke of Saxony, and Eric and Henry, dukes of Brunswick, (of whom Henry had now become the great instigator of all measures against the protestants,) were the only persons that acceded to it.2 This league was to have remained a profound the Protes- secret: but the rumour of it soon got abroad, and was confirmed by some letters from Henry of Brunswick to Heldo and the archbishop of Mentz, which were intercepted by the landgrave. The consequence was, that this, added to other unsatisfactory and suspicious proceed 1 Seck. iii. 149, 150. 2 Sleid. 245. Seck. iii. 143, 160, 171–173. ings, excited great alarm in the minds of the protestants. They were ready to imagine that the emperor was about to put in execution some formidable plan for their extirpation, or at least for the suppression of their opinions and their religious liberties. They therefore held frequent meetings, and were proposing to raise the contingents of men and money which their league obliged them respectively to furnish. "It was not long, however, before they were convinced that their apprehensions were without foundation, and that the emperor, to whom repose was absolutely necessary after efforts so much beyond his strength in the war with France, had no thoughts of disturbing the tranquillity of Germany. As a proof of this, at an interview with the protestant princes in Francfort, his ambassadors agreed, that all concessions in their favour, particularly those contained in the pacification of Nuremberg, should continue in force for fifteen months; that during this period all proceedings of the imperial chamber against them should be suspended; that a conference should be held by a few divines of each party, in order to discuss the points in controversy, and to propose articles of accommodation which should be laid before the next diet. Though the emperor, that he might not irritate the pope, who remonstrated against the first part of this agreement as impolitic, and against the latter as an impious encroachment upon his prerogative, never formally ratified this convention, it was observed with considerable exactness, and greatly strengthened the basis of that ecclesiastical liberty, for which the protestants contended." I 1 Robertson iii. 166. Sleid. 247, 248. Seck. iii. 173, 175, 200-205. CHAP. This Convention of Francfort, made on the nineteenth of April, 1539, we fix as the limit of the period now under consideration. Several additional particulars, however, falling within that period, and most of them bearing a pretty direct reference to Luther himself, remain yet to be related. These we have chosen to reserve for a distinct chapter, rather than to mix them up with the details of more general history. CHAPTER IV. MISCELLANEOUS PARTICULARS BELONGING TO THE PERIOD OF THE PRECEDING CHAPTER. with AMONG the agents whom the pope sent into Luther's Germany on the subject of a council, Peter Paul interview Vergerio, subsequently bishop of Capo d' Istria, Vergerio. who had also been nuncio to king Ferdinand at the period of the diet of Augsburg, held an eminent place. This person eventually became a protestant, and was himself subjected to persecution for his religion; and in that view he will hereafter claim our attention; but at present he was a willing instrument of the pope's insincere and artful proceedings. He was chiefly distinguished for skill in the civil and canon law. Among other things, he was instructed to endeavour, if possible, to bring over Luther and Melancthon, or any other of the more eminent protestant divines. Accordingly, on his arrival at Wittemberg, he sent for Luther. Very different accounts are given of their interview: but that delivered by Father Paul, and that inserted in Luther's German works, 2 though independent documents, mutually corroborate each other. The latter is written in a somewhat sportive style, and is more brief than the other. We will present it first. 1535. from Vergerio, it states, came to Wittemberg on Account the evening of November 6, 1535, with a splen- Luther's 'Sleid. 175. F. Paul, 72. 2 Edit. Altenb. vi. 492. works. CHAP. IV. did retinue, and was conducted to the castle, with all due honour, by the provincial governor. The next morning Luther sent for his barber at an early hour, and told him, he was summoned to attend the nuncio of his holiness the pope, and he would by no means go in dishabille, for he wished to look young, that his enemies might think he had a long time yet to live. He then put on his best suit, and a golden ornament (a present from the elector) about his neck, and remarked, when his attendant expressed some surprise, "This is the way in which we must deal with these foxes and serpents." Then getting into a chariot which had been sent for him from the castle, accompanied by Bugenhagius Pomeranus, he said, "Here go the pope of Germany and cardinal Pomeranus! Being introduced, he conversed with the nuncio, among other things, on the subject of the council. He said, it was not seriously proposed; the pope did but play with them: and, if it were held, it would busy itself only about trifles, such as tonsures and vestments, and not upon faith, and justification, and bringing Christians to the unity of the spirit and of doctrine-for this would not suit their purpose. He added, that he and his friends felt such assurance of what they believed, as not to need the determination of a council, though others might do it, who groaned under the oppression of men who did not themselves know what they believed. But," "said he, "call your council; God willing, I will attend it, though I should be burned by it." Vergerio asked where he would have it held. "Where you please," he replied; "at Mantua, at Padua, at Florence, or any where else." Vergerio asked, was he willing it should be at Bologna? He inquired to whom that |