42

DOMESTIC MANNEKS OF TUE PKUSSIANS.

she beckons him to enter, and gives him food to appease hishunger, and the next day takes him to live altogether underher roof.

In another minute the dreamer is at the College at Erfurth,studying for the law. He is in the Universitj- library, openingthe hooks one after another to learn their writers' names.One volume in particular attracts his attention: the thickcoating of dust upon the edge of it teils that it has never beenopened for many years. He reads the title; it is a Bible— a forbidden book in those times. His heart beats as heturns over the leaves of the inspired volume. The first pagewhich rivets his attention is the story of Hannah and theyoung Samuel, and his soul can hardly contain its joy ashe reads that " God raiseth up the poor out of the dust, andlifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them amongprinces."

Again the scene shifts, and Martin is returning from avisit to his father's house at Mansfeldt, in order to resume hisstudies at the College of Erfurth. Within a short distance ofthe town he is overtaken by a violent thunderstorm. Theheavens seem to tremble and split with the peals—the sky isin a blaze with the broad sheets of fiame — the earth at hisfeet is blue with the lightning, and the holt falls in a burningball close beside him. The boy fancies his hour has come:he casts himself on his knees, and makes a vow, that if theLord deliver him from his danger he will abandon theWorld for ever, and devote himself entirely to God.*

Still another memory rises to the mind of the slumbering

* It is wonderful to note how much there is of " fortuitous circumstance"in the early events of Luther's life. Had Ursula not been charmed by the sweet-ness of young Martin's voice, and so have been induced to take pity on him, andgrant him the shelter of her roof, the poor Scholar must have returned to Mans-feldt, and have been brought up, most probably, to his father's trade. Again,had Martin not taken the Bible down " by chance" among the other books that