LUTHER, LUDER, or LOTHER, MARTIN, born at Eislobcn in Saxony, in November 1483, was the son of Hans Luther, a miner and a worker in metals, who was a native of Eisenach. Young Martin was first sent to the school of Eisenach, where be spent four years, and in 1501 be went to the University of Erfurt. His father intended him to study the law, for which however he felt little inclination, but he applied himself to literature and music, which latter he continued to cultivate during the rest of his life. While at Erfurt he appears to have exhibited the usual jovial careless disposition of a German student. In 1505 an accident occurred which altered the current of his thoughts. One of hits fellow-students was killed at his side by lightning, and Luther from that moment made a vow to become a monk. On the 17th of July in the same year he entered the Augustine convent at Erfurt, carrying with him only a Virgil and a Plautus. His father was at first averse from this resolution ; but after two years he consented, and was present at tho ordination of his son in 1507.
In the retirement of his convent Luther was tormented by temptn. tions and religious scruples and doubts, which ho has pathetically described, especially on the subjects of faith and salvation, until he at last adopted the principles of St. Augustine, or at least those ascribed to that father, ou grace and predestination. The pros incial of his order, Staupltz, a man well-informed, holiest, and kindhearted, administered to him spiritual consolation, and appreciated his talents ; and it was through his influence that in 1508 Luther was appointed professor of philosophy in the University of Wittenberg. In his lectures, which were well attended, he appears to have discarded the scholastic forms which were prevalent at the time, and to have appealed to reason more than to authority. In 1510 ho was sent by his superiors to Italy on business concerning the order, a circumstance which brought about a crisis in Luther's life. Ho proceeded to that country, which he looked upon as the centre of Christendom, with his heart full of spiritual hopes and devout expectations; but he was sorely disappointed and shocked at what he there saw. lie found
pomp and pride, gross sensuality, hypocrisy, and treachery, as he tells us, even in the convents which were his halting-places on the road. He told the monks at Milan that they ought to fast on Fridays, and he was nearly killed for his pains. His health became affected by these occurrences ; he fell ill at Bologna, and was confined to his bed for some time. Having recovered, be continued his journey to Rome, and on his arrival repaired to the convent of his order near the gate Del Popolo. There he knelt on the ground "bathed with the blood of martyrs;" he hurried to the various sanctuaries with which the capital of the Christian world nbounds ; but on looking to those around him, the inmates of the Holy City, he found, to his surprise and grief, what many a young enthusiast has experienced before and since on entering the world, that names and realities, professions and practice, are quite different things. Luther was in fact single in his faith and his religious fervour. Rome at that time, after having passed through the scandalous pontificate of L'orgia, was ruled by the choleric and warlike Julius II., who represented the church militant upon earth, and who was then busy about his schemes for humbling Venice and driving the French out of Italy. His cardinals were able diplo matists, men of the world, and learned Latinists, better acquainted with Cicero than the Bible. In visiting the churches, Luther Was shocked at the indecent hurry with which the priests went through the service of the mass, and at the blasphemous jests which he some times heard. Even the ministers of the altar made no secret of their unbelief. Luther remained only a fortnight at Rome : he hurried back to his native Germany with his head bewildered, his feelings distressed, and his religious belief greatly shaken. Ile used to say however, in after-years, that he would not, for one hundred thousand florins, have missed that journey to Rome, for without it he should have been tormented by the fear of being unjust towards the pope during his subsequent controversy with the papal power.