When he sat thus with Melanchthon, Master Philip was the charitable scholar who sometimes put wise limitations upon the daring assertions of his lusty friend.  If, at such times, the conversation turned upon rich people, and Frau Kaethe could not help remarking longingly, “If my man had had a notion, he would have got very rich,” Melanchthon would pronounce gravely, “That is impossible; for those who, like him, work for the general good cannot follow up their own advantage.”  But there was one subject upon which the two men loved to dispute.  Melanchthon was a great admirer of astrology, but Luther looked upon this science with supreme contempt.  On the other hand, Luther, through his method of interpreting the Scriptures—­and alas! through secret political cares also—­had arrived at the conviction that the end of the world was near.  That again seemed to the learned Melanchthon very dubious.  So if Melanchthon began to talk about the signs of the zodiac and aspects, and explained Luther’s success by his having been born under the sign of the Sun, then Luther would exclaim, “I don’t think much of your Sol.  I am a peasant’s son.  My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were thorough peasants.”  “Yes,” replied Melanchthon, “even in a hamlet, you would have become a leader, a magistrate, or a foreman over other laborers.”  “But,” cried Luther, victoriously, “I have become a bachelor of arts, a master, a monk.  That was not foretold by the stars.  And after that I got the Pope by the hair and he in turn got me.  I have taken a nun to wife and got some children by her.  Who saw that in the stars?” Melanchthon, continuing his astrological prophecies and turning to the fate of the Emperor Charles, declared that this prince was destined to die in 1584.  Then Luther broke out vehemently—­“The world will not last as long as that, for when we drive out the Turks the prophecy of Daniel will be fulfilled and completed; then the Day of Judgment is certainly at our doors.”

How lovable he was as father in his family!  When his children stood before the table and looked hard at the fruit and the peaches, he said, “If anybody wants to see the image of one who rejoiceth in hope, he has here the real model.  Oh, that we might look forward so cheerfully to the Judgment Day!  Adam and Eve must have had much better fruit!  Ours are nothing but crab-apples in contrast.  And I think the serpent was then a most beautiful creature, kindly and gracious; it still wears its crown, but after the curse it lost its feet and beautiful body.”  Once he looked at his three-year-old son who was playing and talking to himself and said, “This child is like a drunken man.  He does not know that he is alive, yet lives on safely and merrily and hops and jumps.  Such children love to be in spacious apartments where they have room,” and he took the child in his arms.  “You are our Lord’s little fool, subject to His mercy and forgiveness of sins, not subject to the Law.