the rays of the rising sun and giving way to the visit I asked him if most of the visitors of these approaching day. The hour, with its accompani- tombs were not rather indifferent to the fame and ments, seemed a fit emblem of the period of igno- character of the men whose dust lay under them: rance and licence which preceded the Great revi- he reluctantly admitted that such was the case, and val of letters and religious feeling as well in the the unwonted air of satisfaction with which he Roman Church as beyond its pale. But our speedy related the visit of an American clergymyman, a arrival at the Post-House left me no time for reve-year or two before, disclosed to me that such plearie: I took in haste a bowl of coffee-a refresh-sures were with him rare. 'Twas truly to him a ment which, by a wise regulation of the Prussian sensation akin to that which we feel when we unpost-office, is ready at all hours, of the night as of expectedly hear the familiar tones of our own nathe day, to revive the wearied traveller-and proceeded to make inquiries for those who would guide me to the places I wished to see. A servant of the house showing me the way, I soon reached the dwelling of the Schloss Knester, or Castle SacrisHe was taking his morning coffee, but soon despatched it, came out to me, and merely bidding me good morning, led the way in silence to the Church. We had not very far to go, as it lay scarcely an hundred yards off, near the gate through which our diligence had entered the city.

tan.

tive tongue, amid a crowd speaking a language which we understand not. This language of soul to kindred soul, 'twas, I fear, but seldom the lot of the Sacristan to hear. He was alone in the world in every sense, and but a short period before, as the officer informed me, had breathed his last, and his body was deposited in the burying-ground of the church, within which are the remains of those to the praise and honor of whom his lifetime was devoted. Peace be to his ashes! and those who, as I, love to cherish the memory of the virtues of the lowly and the poor, rather than swell the crowd ever ready to chaunt the praises of the famous and the great, will join with me in this prayer and pardon my digression.

I cannot resist the temptation to interrupt my narrative here, by devoting a few remarks to this old man. His appearance was quite striking and became his employment well. He was about the middle height, sallow and emaciated. He stooped conside- The Schloss Kirche, or castle church-so called rably, his countenance bore a grave and solemn ex-because it was formerly attached to a Castle of the pression, amounting almost to severity, and the deep Electors and Dukes of Saxony, which has disaptones of a sepulchral voice, (when he, at length, peared under the hand of time-has nothing rebroke silence at the doors of the Church,) seemed markable in its external, or internal appearance. suited to the recital of the events it is his so fre- It is about 100 feet by 40, and is built in the Gothic quent task to relate. His dress was plain and style of the 14th century, with a round tower about coarse but clean and neat, and his gait slow and 100 feet high at the Western extremity. We ensolemn he looked, indeed, like one who was ac-tered on the North side through a door in dimencustomed to brood over misfortunes in which no- sions proportioned to the size of the building, but body sympathized with him. Three years after more remarkable for the massive character of its my visit to Wittenberg, I was passing in sight of style than for any profusion of ornament, that perits ramparts on my way from Berlin to Leipzig. petually recurring characteristic of Gothic doorA Prussian officer of my acquaintance, who had ways. Against this door Luther hung up his celebeen stationed for some time at Wittenberg some brated 95 theses, or arguments, in condemnation years before, happened to be with me and our con- of the doctrine of indulgencies and other dogmas versation turned on the decayed city, which lay of the Roman Church. These theses he offered before us soon I recalled the old Sacristan to my at the same time, according to the custom of his mind, and made inquiries concerning him. The day, to defend against all comers--a practice still officer remembered him well and knew his history. retained in the German Universities, in creating a He was a man of some education and talent, but Doctor in any of the four Faculties. "Twas here that which constituted the most prominent trait in he took this bold step and first offered that resisthe old man's character was his admiration of, I tance to the authority of the Popes, which aftermay almost say, his passion for Luther. This wards raised his name to such a height of renown, sentiment is the more worthy of notice on account and was the first in a chain of events destined to of its variety, for the educated Germans, even the change the face of Europe and rend Christendom Protestant, are too much disposed at the present in twain. Although, to use the characteristic reday to undervalue the services and decry the cha- mark of the Sacristan, from the length of time racter of the Great Reformer. But to this old which has elapsed, a skeptical beholder may doubt man the memory of the immortal Doctor was an if this be the very wood to which the theses were all in all. To talk about the Great Reformer was attached, yet one thing at least was certain: this his delight-to collect all the information he could was the place where the memorable deed was done about him was his chief avocation. A rich store and we now stood on the very spot, where, more of anecdotes no doubt lay concealed in his bosom, than three hundred years ago, the first step was to be disclosed only to congenial spirits. On my taken in the Protestant Reformation. How varied

must have been the sensations of the crowd which | tory attribute to him any great sensitiveness, or too gazed on that simple but imposing act! On this much regard to the conventional decencies and spot I glanced rapidly back through the vista of proprieties of life. As is well known, his coarse centuries to the period of which I speak, and con- language shocked and terrified the courtly Erasjured up with fancy's wand all the circumstances mus; nor did the royal dignity of Henry VIII., preof this great event. The mail-clad noble longing, vent the enraged Reformer from heaping upon him in his penury, for the rich possessions of the abuse and vituperation, which nothing but the emerChurch, the industrious citizen, looking with scorngency could excuse. But, as I am free to admit, and hate upon the idle and luxurious monk, the in- the emergency did excuse it. The opening of the quiring student, his countenance "sicklied o'er with sixteenth century was a period when nothing could the pale cast of thought," the peasant, smarting be gained by mincing matters. The age and its under the yoke of his lord, and filled with an un-religious and political wants demanded and received conscious longing for some spirit-message from on a champion who knew not fear,* who regarded not high, which should furnish him with grounds for King nor Priest, and had the boldness and the sturresisting his tyrants-all these were there. The dy strength to inflict on the flinching backs of usurpspark caught the public mind was in a feverish ing potentates and corrupted prelates the scourging state-and in a few short years this small flame they so richly deserved, and which a long impunity had kindled into a conflagration which threatened had rendered the more necessary for the good of the political edifice of the Empire with destruction. church and state. A wall may be broken down Here commenced that great religious revolution with the blows of a pick-axe-but the battlements which, though small and peaceful in its beginning, which tyranny has been for centuries employed in was destined, in the course of the next century, to building up, around her strong holds, can only be originate wars which desolated France and Ger-beaten down by the ruthless thrusts of the battermany, caused the destruction of their liberties and ing-ram.

shook society in all Europe to its very centre. Luther's face is round and full-in fact, someThrough this door, added the Sacristan as he pro- what to coin a word, beefy in appearance. Quickceeded to open it, the Herr Doctor, as he ceremo-ness, vivacity and intelligence are visible in a niously called the Great Reformer, has often en-countenance which has an air of coarse humor tered this church to declaim against the doctrines about it: but that which characterizes the face of of the Roman Church and through this his body Luther above that of any man, I have seen, is passed to its final resting-place. Power and Energy. In these qualities, the great We entered the church. Within, 'tis simple and Reformer exceeds even Napoleon, and they are exunadorned. Here, as at the door, the image-break-pressed in all their fullness in his face.

ing mob had done its work, and nothing remains to attest its ancient character. The cross with the image of the expiring Saviour and the burning candles which, as in all the Southern churches in Germany, stand on the altar, are associated, 'tis true, in our minds with the imposing ceremonies of the Roman ritual-but here they are a part of the ancient ceremonial, retained, perhaps, more by accident than by design. An antique organ adorns the western end of the church, while the eastern end contains the altar.

On the south wall, immediately opposite to the door through which we entered, is a full-length portrait of Luther in his monk's dress, such as he is usually represented in engravings. It may be almost superfluous to enter here into a description of the Reformer's appearance, except so far as it may be useful in testing the accuracy of portraits. Luther, to be candid, has, in his portrait, a decidedly vulgar appearance*-nor, I believe does his

This portrait is by Lucas Cranach, one of the best of the early German painters and an artist of no ordinary merit. All the likenesses of the Reformer, by this painter, are said to be very accurate; I have seen several and they all resemble each other--a good test of accuracy. In the Royal Museum, at Berlin, I saw a portrait of Luther, by this artist, representing him in the costume of a young cavalier-the disguise he used at the castle of the Wartburg, where he was concealed, after his appearance before the diet at Worms. It excites unwonted feelings in the beholder to see the Reformer in this strange attire, and yet his jolly round face seemed to become it, and I could not avoid thinking of one of his own sayings which we find so often in the mouths of the Germans; best portraits, I find the true Luther. A rude plebeian face, with its huge crag-like brows and bones, the emblem of rugged energy; at first, almost a repulsive face, etc." On Heroes Lecture IV. This, from a warm eulogist of the Reformer, is a sufficient excuse for one who, as I do, claims to do him and his character justice. A Hercules—not an Apollo-cleansed the Augean stables. Not Balder but Thor it is, who showers down blows with his hammer on

* Lest I should be thought too harsh, and therefore incor rect, in my description of the Reformer's appearance, I will add here the opinion of that clever compiler of exaggerated mysticism, sound sentiments and bad English, Thomas Carlyle, on the same point (met since writing the above.) "Luther's face is to me expressive of him; in Kranach's world."

the Jätuns.

*Carlyle calls him "the bravest heart then living in the

covers the tomb of his friend and master, gives merely the date of his birth and of his death.

"Who loves not woman, and wine, and song, ther's portrait, on the North wall, is one of MelancWill be a fool all his life long." thon of the same size, by Lucas Cranach, and imAbove me hung the counterfeit of the living Re-mediately under it is his grave, in the cross-aisle, former-below me was his grave. In the cross-corresponding to Luther's on the other side. The aisle of the church, immediately under his portrait, inscription on the bronze plate, similar to that which on the right hand as you face the altar, lies all that is left of Luther. He died in his native village, Eisleben, in the Harz Mountains, on the 18th of Melancthon's portrait corresponded completely February, 1546, shortly before the rupture of John to the ideal image I had formed of him. A love Frederick with Charles V.; and, at the command of of Truth for Truth's sake, a peaceful, mild and the elector, his body was removed to Wittenberg gentle disposition were combined in him with great and deposited in its present resting place. The learning, a scholar-like taste and the courtesy of a spot is covered with a wooden slab or door, which gentleman. His is one of the purest and noblest the sacristan unlocked and removed: underneath characters in History. In Luther, his iron firmwas another slab of bronze, on which were in-ness awes us, his arrogance disgusts us, and his scribed the name of Luther, and the date of his rudeness shocks our taste. The anathematizer of birth and death, in Latin. No pompous catalogue the Swiss and Suabian Protestants the historian of his deeds and virtues defiles this simple memo- must place in the same category with other spirial, and, as I gazed in silence on his unadorned ritual despots, and the thunders of the Vatican are, sepulchre, I felt that no stately mausoleum or tower-to him, as excusable as those of Wittenberg. But ing pyramid could have done as much honor to the the mild and good Melancthon excites in our minds memory of such a man as the small plain tablet far different associations. Benevolence beams from which now covers his remains. his eye, elegance of thought and purity of sentiment and feeling are depicted on his countenance, and few can gaze on his intellectual face without being charmed with its lofty and noble expression.

There is a fitness and a grandeur in simple tombs of Great Men which cannot be exaggerated. Great Men are usually simple themselves-simplicity becomes their sepulchres. When viewing a magni- Proceeding up the aisle, we came to the graves ficent monument, we forget the dead in our admi- of the two great supporters of the Reformation, ration of the tomb. The luxury of musing o'er Frederick the Wise, and his brother and successor, his virtues, as we linger around his dust, is marred John the Steadfast, Electors of Saxony. They by the wish to inspect the architectural ornaments are buried immediately in front of the altar, and of the gorgeous monument, and our thoughts, which their tombs are covered with a black cloth-the should be devoted to the man and his immortal soul, reason for which, I neglected to enquire of the Saare drawn off to the least important of all incidents cristan, who continued his narrative with a speed which concern him-the manner in which his mor- difficult to interrupt. On the left hand, as we faced tal remains are honored after his spirit has left the altar, was a statue, in marble, of Frederic the them. Never have I been more forcibly struck | Wise in his electoral costume, the sword of the with the truth of this, perhaps stale and thread- Arch-Marshall of the Empire hanging at his side, bare observation, than when the same day saw me the electoral cap upon his head, and the ducal manat the sarcophagus of Napoleon, and at the grave tle around his majestic form. On the other side is of La Fayette. The stately dome of the Hotel des a similar statue of John the Steadfast, in the same Invalides, the banners of conquered armies which state-costume. Both these princes have the quiet, hung in the church, and the immense ranges of prudent, conscientious and pious, but not very intelstately edifices obscured the gaudy ornaments with ligent, features of the Ernestine Branch of the which hollow-hearted national vanity and royal House of Saxony. They are represented looking hypocrisy have loaded the Emperor's corpse. The toward the altar, kneeling and with their hands whole composed a tout ensemble, of which Napo-clasped as in the act of prayer. On the wall, near leon and his tomb were but an insignificant part, and his statue, in marble, there is also an effiigy in the architectural beauties of the building called off my thoughts from the genius and fate of the hero. How different the resting place of La Fayette! In a private burying ground, at the foot of a garden, near, but within the barrier of Paris, lies this Great and Good Man, under a slab of slate, rivalling in simplicity the tombs of the Reformers. Here, undisturbed, can the lover of Liberty muse o'er the virtues of the Hero of three Revolutions.

bronze of each of these princes, standing in his ducal mantle, the electoral cap on his head and the Arch-Marshall's sword in his hand. On the side of each of these bronze statues is an inscription commemorative of the virtues and actions of the personages they respectively represent. 'Twas as if they needed this to keep mankind mindful of their deeds, while those of Luther and Melancthon, their simple tombs presume, are known to every

But I must return to my subject. Opposite Lu-beholder.
* Wer liebt nicht Wein, Weib, und Gesang
Der bleibt ein Narr sein Leben lang.

The altar and chancel have nothing to render them worthy of a particular description: in unison

| (Resumed from the August No. of "the Messenger," for 1837.)