posely
to see that Luther should be silenced--silenced as Huss was, if
necessary. Charles was a good Catholic--and so for that matter was the
Elector Frederick. The latter was consulted and agreed that if the
Emperor would issue a letter of "safe-conduct," and send a herald to
personally accompany the Reverend Doctor Luther to Worms, the Elector
would consent to the proceedings.

The letter sent summoning Luther to Worms was an exceedingly guarded
document. It addressed the excommunicated heretic as "honorable, beloved
and pious," and begged him to accept the company and safe-conduct of the
bearer to Worms and there kindly explain to the Emperor the import of
his books and doctrines.

This letter might have been an invitation to a banquet, but Luther said
it was an invitation to a holocaust, and many of his friends so looked
upon it. He was urged to disregard it, but his reply was, "Though the
road to Worms were lined with devils I'd go just the same."

No more vivid description of Luther's trial at Worms has been given than
that supplied by Doctor Charles Beard. This man was neither Catholic nor
Protestant, so we can not accuse him of hand-illumining the facts to
suit his fancy. Says Doctor Beard:

Towards noon on the Sixteenth of April, Fifteen Hundred Twenty-one,
the watchers on the tower gate of Worms gave notice by sound of
trumpet that Luther's cavalcade was drawing near. First rode
Deutschland the Herald; next came the covered carriage with Luther
and three friends; last of all, Justus Jonas on horseback, with an
escort of knights who had ridden out from Worms to meet them. The
news quickly spread, and though it was dinner-time, the streets
were thronged, and two thousand men and women accompanied the
heretic to his lodging in the house of the Knights of Saint John.
Here he was close to the Elector, while his companions in his
lodging were two Saxon councilors. Aleandro, the Papal Nuncio, sent
out one of his servants to bring him news; he returned with the
report that as Luther alighted from his carriage a man had taken
him into his arms, and having touched his coat three times had gone
away glorying as if he had touched a relic of the greatest saint in
the world. On the other hand, Luther looked round about him, with
his demoniac eyes, and said, "God will be with me."

The audience to which Luther was summoned was fixe