in our
God." He delighted in the companionship of whole-souled men; he drank
his wine with satisfaction, while the conversation ran actively over
great things and small. He judged with splendid humor enemies and good
acquaintances alike, and told jolly stories; and when he got into
discussion, passed his hand across his knee, which was a peculiarity
of his; or he might sing, or play the lute, and start a chorus.
Whatever gave innocent pleasure was welcome to him. His favorite art
was music; he judged leniently of dancing, and, fifty years before
Shakespeare, spoke approvingly of comedy, for he said, "It instructs
us, like a mirror, how everybody should conduct himself."

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 br