almost like a triumphal procession.  Crowds gathered everywhere to behold the man who had dared to bid defiance to the terrors of that spiritual power before which the haughtiest monarchs had trembled.  The people had read the writings of Luther, and justly regarded him as the advocate of civil and religious liberty.  The nobles, who had often been humiliated by the arrogance of the pontiff, admired a man who was bringing a new power into the field for their disenthrallment.

When Luther had arrived within three miles of Worms, accompanied by a few friends and the imperial herald who had summoned him, he was met by a procession of two thousand persons, who had come from the city to form his escort.  Some friends in the city sent him a warning that he could not rely upon the protection of his safe conduct, that he would probably be perfidiously arrested, and they intreated him to retire immediately again to Saxony.  Luther made the memorable reply,

“I will go to Worms, if as many devils meet me there as there are tiles upon the roofs of the houses.”

The emperor was astonished to find that greater crowds were assembled, and greater enthusiasm was displayed in witnessing the entrance of the monk of Wittemberg, than had greeted the imperial entrance to the city.

It was indeed an august assemblage before which Luther was arrayed.  The emperor himself presided, sustained by his brother, the Archduke Ferdinand.  Six electors, twenty-four dukes, seven margraves, thirty bishops and prelates, and an uncounted number of princes, counts, lords and ambassadors filled the spacious hall.  It was the 18th of April, 1521.  His speech, fearless, dignified, eloquent, unanswerable, occupied two hours.  He closed with the noble words,

“Let me be refuted and convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by the clearest arguments; otherwise I can not and will not recant; for it is neither safe nor expedient to act against conscience.  Here I take my stand.  I can do no otherwise, so help me God, Amen.”

In this sublime moral conflict Luther came off the undisputed conqueror.  The legates of the pope, exasperated at his triumph, intreated the emperor to arrest him, in defiance of his word of honor pledged for his safety.  Charles rejected the infamous proposal with disdain.  Still he was greatly annoyed at so serious a schism in the Church, which threatened to alienate from him the patronage of the pope.  It was evident that Luther was too strongly intrenched in the hearts of the Germans, for the youthful emperor, whose crown was not yet warm upon his brow, and who was almost a stranger in Germany, to undertake to crush him.  To appease the pope he drew up an apologetic declaration, in which he said, in terms which do not honor his memory,