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that　all；　my　lord？〃　said　More；　〃then　the　difference　between　you

and　me　is　thisthat　I　shall　die　to…day；　　and　you　to…morrow。〃



While　it　has　been　the　lot　of　many　great　men；　in　times　of

difficulty　and　danger；　to　be　cheered　and　supported　by　their　wives；

More　had　no　such　consolation。　　His　helpmate　did　anything　but

console　him　during　his　imprisonment　in　the　Tower。　（4）　　She　could　not

conceive　that　there　was　any　sufficient　reason　for　his　continuing

to　lie　there；　when　by　merely　doing　what　the　King　required　of　him；

he　might　at　once　enjoy　his　liberty；　together　with　his　fine　house

at　Chelsea；　his　library；　his　orchard；　his　gallery；　and　the　society

of　his　wife　and　children。　　〃I　marvel；〃　said　she　to　him　one　day；

〃that　you；　who　have　been　alway　hitherto　taken　for　wise；　should　now

so　play　the　fool　as　to　lie　here　in　this　close　filthy　prison；　and

be　content　to　be　shut　up　amongst　mice　and　rats；　when　you　might　be

abroad　at　your　liberty；　if　you　would　but　do　as　the　bishops　have

done？〃　　But　More　saw　his　duty　from　a　different　point　of　view：　it

was　not　a　mere　matter　of　personal　comfort　with　him；　and　the

expostulations　of　his　wife　were　of　no　avail。　　He　gently　put　her

aside；　saying　cheerfully；　〃Is　not　this　house　as　nigh　heaven　as　my

own？〃to　which　she　contemptuously　rejoined：　〃Tilly　vally

tilly　vally！〃



More's　daughter；　Margaret　Roper；　on　the　contrary；　encouraged　her

father　to　stand　firm　in　his　principles；　and　dutifully　consoled　and

cheered　him　during　his　long　confinement。　　Deprived　of　pen…and…ink；

he　wrote　his　letters　to　her　with　a　piece　of　coal；　saying　in　one　of

them：　〃If　I　were　to　declare　in　writing　how　much　pleasure　your

daughterly　loving　letters　gave　me；　a　PECK　OF　COALS　would　not

suffice　to　make　the　pens。〃　　More　was　a　martyr　to　veracity：　he

would　not　swear　a　false　oath；　and　he　perished　because　he　was

sincere。　　When　his　head　had　been　struck　off；　it　was　placed　on

London　Bridge；　in　accordance　with　the　barbarous　practice　of　the

times。　　Margaret　Roper　had　the　courage　to　ask　for　the　head　to　be

taken　down　and　given　to　her；　and；　carrying　her　affection　for　her

father　beyond　the　grave；　she　desired　that　it　might　be　buried　with

her　when　she　died；　and　long　after；　when　Margaret　Roper's　tomb　was

opened；　the　precious　relic　was　observed　lying　on　the　dust　of　what

had　been　her　bosom。



Martin　Luther　was　not　called　upon　to　lay　down　his　life　for　his

faith；　but；　from　the　day　that　he　declared　himself　against　the

Pope；　he　daily　ran　the　risk　of　losing　it。　　At　the　beginning　of　his

great　struggle；　he　stood　almost　entirely　alone。　　The　odds　against

him　were　tremendous。　　〃On　one　side；〃　said　he　himself；　〃are

learning；　genius；　numbers；　grandeur；　rank；　power；　sanctity；

miracles；　on　the　other　Wycliffe；　Lorenzo　Valla；　Augustine；　and

Luthera　poor　creature；　a　man　of　yesterday；　standing　wellnigh

alone　with　a　few　friends。〃　　Summoned　by　the　Emperor　to　appear　at

Worms；　to　answer　the　charge　made　against　him　of　heresy；　he

determined　to　answer　in　person。　　Those　about　him　told　him　that　he

would　lose　his　life　if　he　went；　and　they　urged　him　to　fly。

〃No；〃　said　he；　〃I　will　repair　thither；　though　I　should　find

there　thrice　as　many　devils　as　there　are　tiles　upon　the　housetops！〃

Warned　against　the　bitter　enmity　of　a　certain　Duke　George；

he　said〃I　will　go　there；　though　for　nine　whole　days　running

it　rained　Duke　Georges。〃



Luther　was　as　good　as　his　word；　and　he　set　forth　upon　his　perilous

journey。　　When　he　came　in　sight　of　the　old　bell…towers　of　Worms；

he　stood　up　in　his　chariot　and　sang；　〃EIN　FESTE　BURG　IST　UNSER

GOTT。〃the　'Marseillaise'　of　the　Reformationthe　words　and

music　of　which　he　is　said　to　have　improvised　only　two　days　before。

Shortly　before　the　meeting　of　the　Diet；　an　old　soldier；　George

Freundesberg；　put　his　hand　upon　Luther's　shoulder；　and　said　to

him：　〃Good　monk；　good　monk；　take　heed　what　thou　doest；　thou　art

going　into　a　harder　fight　than　any　of　us　have　ever　yet　been　in。

But　Luther's　only　answer　to　the　veteran　was；　that　he　had

〃determined　to　stand　upon　the　Bible　and　his　conscience。〃



Luther's　courageous　defence　before　the　Diet　is　on　record；　and

forms　one　of　the　most　glorious　pages　in　history。　　When　finally

urged　by　the　Emperor　to　retract；　he　said　firmly：　〃Sire；　unless　I

am　convinced　of　my　error　by　the　testimony　of　Scripture；　or　by

manifest　evidence；　I　cannot　and　will　not　retract；　for　we　must

never　act　contrary　to　our　conscience。　　Such　is　my　profession　of

faith；　and　you　must　expect　none　other　from　me。　　HIER　STEHE　ICH：

ICH　KANN　NICHT　ANDERS：　GOTT　HELFE　MIR！〃　（Here　stand　I：　I　cannot　do

otherwise：　God　help　me！）。　He　had　to　do　his　dutyto　obey　the

orders　of　a　Power　higher　than　that　of　kings；　and　he　did　it

at　all　hazards。



Afterwards；　when　hard　pressed　by　his　enemies　at　Augsburg；　Luther

said　that　〃if　he　had　five　hundred　heads；　he　would　lose　them　all

rather　than　recant　his　article　concerning　faith。〃　　Like　all

courageous　men；　his　strength　only　seemed　to　grow　in　proportion　to

the　difficulties　he　had　to　encounter　and　overcome。　　〃There　is　no

man　in　Germany；〃　said　Hutten；　〃who　more　utterly　despises　death

than　does　Luther。〃　　And　to　his　moral　courage；　perhaps　more　than

to　that　of　any　other　single　man；　do　we　owe　the　liberation　of

modern　thought；　and　the　vindication　of　the　great　rights　of

the　human　understanding。



The　honourable　and　brave　man　does　not　fear　death　compared　with

ignominy。　　It　is　said　of　the　Royalist　Earl　of　Strafford　that；　as

he　walked　to　the　scaffold　on　Tower　Hill；　his　step　and　manner　were

those　of　a　general　marching　at　the　head　of　an　army　to　secure

victory；　rather　than　of　a　condemned　man　to　undergo　sentence　of

death。　　So　the　Commonwealth's　man；　Sir　John　Eliot；　went　alike

bravely　to　his　death　on　the　same　spot；　saying：　〃Ten　thousand

deaths　rather　than　defile　my　conscience；　the　chastity　and　purity

of　which　I　value　beyond　all　this　world。〃　　Eliot's　greatest

tribulation　was　on　account　of　his　wife；　whom　he　had　to　leave

behind。　　When　he　saw　her　looking　down　upon　him　from　the　Tower

window；　he　stood　up　in　the　cart；　waved　his　hat；　and　cried：　〃To

heaven；　my　love！to　heaven！and　leave　you　in　the　storm！〃　　As

he　went　on　his　way；　one　in　the　crowd　called　out；　〃That　is　the　most

glorious　seat　you　ever　sat　on；〃　to　which　he　replied：　〃It　is　so；

indeed！〃　and　rejoiced　exceedingly。　（5）



Although　success　is　the　guerdon　for　which　all　men　toil；　they　have

nevertheless　often　to　labour　on　perseveringly；　without　any　glimmer

of　success　in　sight。　　They　have　to　live；　meanwhile；　upon　their

couragesowing　their　seed；　it　may　be；　in　the　dark；　in　the　hope

that　it　will　yet　take　root　and　spring　up　in　achieved　result。　　The

best　of　causes　have　had　to　fight　their　way　to　triumph　through　a

long　succession　of　failures；　and　many　of　the　assailants　have　died

in　the　breach　before　the　fortress　has　been　won。　　The　heroism　they

have　displayed　is　to　be　measured；　not　so　much　by　their　immediate

success；　as　by　the　opposition　they　have　encountered；　and　the

courage　with　which　they　have　maintained　the　struggle。



The　patriot　who　fights　an　always…losing　battlethe　martyr　who

goes　to　death　amidst　the　triumphant　shouts　of　his　enemiesthe

discoverer；　like　Columbus；　whose　heart　remains　undaunted　through

the　bitter　years　of　his　〃long　wandering　woe〃are　examples　of　the

moral　sublime　which　excite　a　profounder　interest　in　the　hearts　of

men　than　even　the　most　complete　and　conspicuous　success。　　By　the

side　of　such　instances　as　these；　how　small　by　comparison　seem　the

greatest　deeds　of　valour；　inciting　men　to　rush　upon　death　and　die

amidst　the　frenzied　excitement　of　physical　warfare！



But　the　greater　part　of　the　courage　that　is　needed　in　the　world　is

not　of　a　heroic　kind。　　Courage　may　be　displayed　in　everyday　life

as　well　as　in　historic　fields　of　action。　　There　needs；　for

example；　the　common　courage　to　be　honestthe　courage　to　resist

temptationthe　courage　to　speak　the　truththe　courage　to　be

what　we　really　are；　and　not　to　pretend　to　be　what　we　are　notthe

courage　to　live　honestly　within　our　own　means；　and　not　dishonestly

upon　the　means　of　others。



A　great　deal　of　the　unhappiness；　and　much　of　the　vice；　of　the

world　is　owing　to　weakness　and　indecision　of　purposein　other

words；　to　lack　of　courage。　　Men　may　know　what　is　right；　and　yet

fail　to　exercise　the　courage　to　do　it；　they　may　understand　the

duty　they　have　to　do；　but　will　not　summon　up　the　requisite

resolution　to　perform　it。　　The　weak　and　undisciplined　man　is　at

the　mercy　of　every　temptation；　he　cannot　say　〃No；〃　but　falls

before　it。　　And　if　his　companionship　be　bad；　he　will　be　all　the

easier　led　away　by　bad　example　into　wrongdoing。



Nothing　can　be　more　certain　than　that　the　character　can　only　be

sustained　and　strengthened　by　its　own　energetic　action。　　The　will；

which　is　the　central　force　of　character；　must　be　trained　to　habits

of　decisionotherwise　it　will　neither　be　able　to　resist　evil　nor

to　follow　good。　　Decision　gives　the　power　of　standing　firmly；　when

to　yield；　however　sligh