hem, one by one, the books of the canon law, the Decretals, the
Clementines, the Papal Extravagants, and all that lay at the base of
the religion of the hierarchy! And when these were consumed he took
Leo's Bull of excommunication, held it aloft, exclaiming with a loud
voice, "Since thou hast afflicted the saints of God, be thou consumed
with fire unquenchable!" and dashed the impious document into the
flames.

Well done was that! Luther considered it the best act of his life. It
was a brave heart, the bravest then living in this world, that dared
to do it. But it was done then and for ever. Wittenberg looked on
with shoutings. The whole modern world of civilized man has ever since
been looking on with thrilling wonder. And myriads of the sons of God
and liberty are shouting over it yet.

The miner's son had come up full abreast with the triple-crowned
descendant of the Medici. The monk of Wittenberg had matched the
proudest monarch in the world. Henceforth the question was, Which of
them should sway the nations in the time to come?

THE DIET OF WORMS.

The young emperor sided with the religion of the pope. The venerable
Elector Frederick determined to stand by Luther, at least till his
case was fairly adjudged. He said it was not just to condemn a good
and honest man unheard and unconvicted, and that "_Justice must take
precedence even of the pope_."

Conferences of state now became numerous and exciting, and the efforts
of Rome to have Luther's excommunication recognized and enforced were
many and various, but nothing short of a Diet of the empire could
settle the disturbance.[11]

Such a Diet was convoked by the young emperor for January, 1521. It
was the first of his reign, and the grandest ever held on German soil.
Philip of Hesse came to it with a train of six hundred cavaliers. The
electors, dukes, archbishops, landgraves, margraves, counts, bishops,
barons, lords, deputies, legates, and ambassadors from foreign courts
came in corresponding style. They felt it important to show their
consequence at this first Diet, and were all the more moved to be
there in force because the exciting matter of Reform was specified as
one of the chief things to be considered. The result was one of the
most august and illustrious assemblies of which modern history tells,
and one which presented a spectacle of lasting wonder that a poor lone
monk should thus have moved all the powers of the earth.

FOOTNOTES:

[11] Audi