Wittemberg--Melancthon--His Marriage--Catharine--Domestic
Life--Beneficence--Good Humour--Christ and
Antiquity--Labour--Love of Letters--His Mother--Outbreak
among the Students.
[Sidenote: MELANCTHON'S MARRIAGE.]
While the inhabitants of the eternal city were thus agitated more
tranquil events were occurring at Wittemberg, where Melancthon was
shedding a soft but brilliant light. From 1500 to 2000 hearers, who
had flocked from Germany, England, the Netherlands, France, Italy,
Hungary, and Greece, often assembled around him. He was twenty-four
years of age, and had not taken orders. Every house in Wittemberg was
open to this learned and amiable young professor. Foreign
universities, in particular Ingolstadt, were desirous to gain him, and
his Wittemberg friends wished to get him married, and thereby retain
him among them. Luther, though he concurred in wishing that his dear
Philip should have a female companion, declared openly that he would
give no counsel in the matter. The task was undertaken by others. The
young doctor was a frequent visitor of Burgomaster Krapp. The
burgomaster was of an ancient family, and had a daughter named
Catharine, remarkable for the mildness of her dispositions, and her
great sensibility. Melancthon was urged to ask her in marriage; but
the young scholar was buried among his books, and could talk of
nothing else. His Greek authors and his New Testament were all his
delight. He combated the arguments of his friends; but at length his
consent was obtained, and all the arrangements having been made by
others, Catharine became his wife. He received her with great
coolness,[226] and said, with a sigh, "God has willed it; so I must
renounce my studies and my delights, to follow the wishes of my
friends."[227] Still he appreciated the good qualities of Catharine.
"The disposition and education of the girl," said he, "are such as I
might have asked God to give her, δεξιᾷ ὁ Θεὸς
τεκμαίροιτο.[228] She certainly deserved a better husband." The
matter was settled in August. The espousals took place on the 25th of
September, and the marriage was celebrated in the end of November. Old
John Luther and his wife came with their daughters to Wittemberg on
the occasion.[229] Many learned and distinguished persons were also
present.
[226] Uxor enim datur mihi non dico quam frigenti. (Corp. Ref. i, p.
211.)
[227] Ego meis studiis, mea me voluptate fraudo. (Ibid., i, p. 265.)
[228] May God by his right hand give a happy issue. (Corp. Ref. i, p.
212.)
[229] Parentes mei cum sororibus nuptias honorarunt Philippi. (Ep. i,
p. 528.)
[Sidenote: PORTRAIT OF MELANCTHON.]
The young bride was as warm in her affection as the young professor
was cold. Ever full of anxiety for her husband, Catharine took the
alarm the moment she saw him threatened with even the semblance of
danger. If Melancthon proposed to take any step which might compromise
him, she urged and entreated him to abandon it. "On one of these
occasions," wrote Melancthon, "I was obliged to yield to her
weakness.... It is our lot." How much unfaithfulness in the Church has
had a similar origin. To the influence of Catharine ought, perhaps, to
be attributed the timidity and fears with which her husband has often
been reproached. Catharine was as fond a mother as a wife. She gave
liberally to the poor. "O God, leave me not in my old age, when my
hair shall begin to turn grey!" Such was the frequent prayer of this
pious and timorous soul. Melancthon was soon won by the affection of
his wife. When he had tasted the pleasures of domestic society he felt
how sweet they were, for he was of a nature to feel them. His happiest
moments were beside his Catharine and her children. A French traveller
having one day found the "preceptor of Germany" rocking his infant
with one hand, and with a book in the other, started back in surprise;
but Melancthon, without being discomposed, so warmly explained to him
the value of children in the sight of God, that the stranger left the
house, (to use his own words,) "wiser than he had entered it."
[Sidenote: MELANCTHON'S VISIT TO HIS MOTHER.]
The marriage of Melancthon gave a domestic hearth to the Reformation.
There was, thenceforth, in Wittemberg, a family whose house was open
to all those whom the principle of a new life now animated. The
concourse of strangers was immense.[230] Melancthon was waited on for
a thousand different affairs, and his rule was never to deny himself
to any body.[231] The young professor was particularly skilful in
concealing his own good deeds. If he had no more money he secretly
carried his silver plate to some merchant, never hesitating to part
with it, provided he had the means of assisting those who were in
distress. "Hence," says his friend, Camerarius, "it would have been
impossible for him to provide for his own wants and those of his
family had not a divine and hidden blessing from time to time
furnished him with the means." He carried his good nature to an
extreme. He had some antique medals of gold and silver, which were
extremely curious. One day when showing them to a stranger who was
visiting him, Melancthon said, "Take any one of them you wish." "I
wish them all," replied the stranger." "I confess," says Philip, "I
was at first offended at the selfishness of the request; however I
gave them to him."[232] Melancthon's writings had a savour of
antiquity. This, however, did not prevent them from exhaling the sweet
savour of Christ, while it gave them an inexpressible charm. There is
not one of his letters to his friends which does not contain some very
apt allusion to Homer, Plato, Cicero, and Pliny, while Christ is
always brought forward as his master and his God. Spalatin had asked
him for an explanation of our Saviour's words--"_Without me ye can do
nothing_," (John, xv, 5). Melancthon refers him to Luther--"_Cur agam
gestum spectante Roscio?_ as Cicero expresses it;[233] and then
continues, "This passage means that we must be absorbed by Christ, so
that it is no longer we that act, but Christ that liveth in us. As in
his person the Divine has been incorporated with the human nature, so
must man be incorporated with Jesus Christ by faith."
[230] Videres in ædibus illis perpetuo accedentes et introeuntes et
discedentes atque exeuntes aliquos. (Camerar. Vita Melancth. p. 40.)
In that house you would constantly see persons approaching and
entering, or coming out and going away.
[231] Ea domus disciplina erat, ut nihil cuiquam negaretur. (Ibid.)
[232] Sed dedisse nihilominus illos. (Camerar. Vita Melancth. p. 43.)
[233] Why should I play a part and Roscius be a looker on? (Corp. Ref.
Ep. April 13, 1520.)
The distinguished scholar's habit was to go to bed shortly after
supper, and get up to his studies at two or three in the morning.[234]
During these early hours his best works were composed. His manuscripts
usually lay on his table exposed to the view of all who came and went,
so that several were stolen. When he had a party of his friends, he
asked one or other of them, before they sat down to table, to read
some short composition in prose or verse. During his journeys he was
always accompanied by some young persons with whom he conversed in a
manner at once instructive and amusing. If the conversation flagged,
each of them had to repeat in his turn some passage taken from the
ancient poets. He often had recourse to irony, but always tempered it
with great gentleness. "He stings and cuts," said he of himself, "but
still without doing any harm."
[234] Surgebat mox aut non longo intervallo post mediam noctem.
(Camerar, p. 56.)
The acquisition of knowledge was his ruling passion. The aim of his
life was to diffuse literature and instruction. Let us not forget,
that with him the first place in literature was given to the Holy
Scriptures, and only a secondary place to the ancient classics. "My
sole object," said he, "is the defence of literature; we must, by our
example, inspire youth with an admiration of literature, and make them
love it for itself, and not for the pecuniary profit which it may be
made to yield. The downfall of literature involves the destruction of
all that is good--of religion and morals--of things human and
divine.[235]... The better a man is, the more ardently does he exert
himself in favour of learning, for he knows that the most pernicious
of all pests is ignorance."
[235] Religionem, mores, humana divinaque omnia labefactat literarum
inscitia. (Corp. Ref. i, 207, July 22, 1520.)
[Sidenote: LUTHER'S DISCOURSE.]
Some time after his marriage, Melancthon went to Bretten, in the
Palatinate, accompanied by Camerarius and other friends, to pay a
visit to his affectionate mother. On coming in sight of his native
town, he dismounted from his horse, threw himself on his knees, and
thanked God for permitting him to see it again. Margaret, on embracing
her son, almost fainted with joy. She would have had him reside at
Bretten, and earnestly entreated him to continue in the faith of his
fathers. On this head, Melancthon excused himself, but with great
tenderness, that he might not give offence to the conscientious
feelings of his mother; he had great difficulty in parting with her,
and whenever a traveller brought him news of his native town, he
rejoiced, to use his own expression, as if he had renewed the joys of
his childhood. Such was the character of one of the greatest
instruments employed in the religious revolution of the sixteenth
century.
The domestic calmness and studious activity of Wittemberg was,
however, disturbed by a commotion, the consequence of a rupture which
took place between the students and the citizens. The Rector betrayed
great weakness. One may suppose how deeply Melancthon was grieved when
he saw these disciples of literature committing such excesses. Luther
felt indignant, and had no idea of trying to gain them over by a false
condescension. The disgrace which these disorders brought upon the
university stung him to the heart.[236] Having mounted the pulpit, he
inveighed in strong terms against these commotions, calling upon both
parties to submit to the authorities.[237] His discourse produced
great irritation; "Satan," says he, "unable to attack us from without,
is trying to do us mischief from within. Him I fear not, but I fear
lest the wrath of God be kindled against us for not having duly
received his word. During the three last years I have been thrice
exposed to great danger. In 1518, at Augsburg; in 1519, at Leipsic;
and now, in 1520, at Wittemberg. It is neither by wisdom nor by arms
that the renovation of the Church will be accomplished, but by humble
prayers, and by an intrepid faith which puts Jesus Christ on our
side.[238] O, my friend! unite your prayers to mine, that the evil
spirit may not be able, by means of this small spark, to kindle a vast
conflagration."
[236] Urit me ista confusio academiæ nostræ. (L. Ep. i, p. 467.)
[237] Commendans potestatem magistratuum. (Ibid.)
[238] .... Nec prudentia nec armis, sed humili oratione et forti fide,
quibus obtineamus Christum pro nobis. (Ibid. p. 469.)