she had infallibly doomed to eternal
execration! Yet with these proposals the emperor's confessor
approached Chancellor Brueck. But the chancellor's head was too clear
to be caught by such treachery.

Then it was moved to refer the matter to a commission of arbitrators.
This met with so much favor that the pope's legate, Aleander, was
alarmed lest Luther should thereby escape, and hence set himself with
unwonted energy to incite the emperor to decisive measures.

Charles was persuaded to make a demonstration, but demanded that the
legate should first "convince the Diet." Aleander was the most famous
orator Rome had, and he rejoiced in his opportunity. He went before
the assembly in a prepared speech of three hours in length to show up
Luther as a pestilent heretic, and the necessity of getting rid of him
and his books and principles at once to prevent the world from being
plunged into barbarism and utter desolation. He made a deep impression
by his effort. It was only by the unexpected and crushing speech of
Duke George of Saxony, Luther's bitter personal enemy, that the train
of things, so energetically wrought up, was turned.

Not in defence of Luther, whom he disliked, but in defence of the
German nation, he piled up before the door of the hierarchy such an
overwhelming array of its oppressions, robberies, and scandals, and
exposed with such an unsparing hand the falsities, profligacies,
cupidity, and beastly indecencies of the Roman clergy and officials,
that the emperor hastened to recall the edict he had already signed,
and yielded consent for Luther to be called to answer for himself.

LUTHER SUMMONED.

In vain the pope's legate protested that it was not lawful thus to
bring the decrees of the sovereign pontiff into question, or pleaded
that Luther's daring genius, flashing eyes, electric speech, and
thrilling spirit would engender tumult and violence. On March 6th the
emperor signed a summons and safe-conduct for the Reformer to appear
in Worms within twenty-one days, to answer concerning his doctrines
and writings.

So far the thunders of the Vatican were blank.

With all the anxious fears which such a summons would naturally
engender, Luther resolved to obey it.

The pope's adherents fumed in their helplessness when they learned
that he was coming--coming, too, under the safe-conduct of the empire,
coming to have a hearing before the Diet!--_he_ whom the infallible
Vicar of Heaven had condemned an