MR. BEAL continued the narrative of travel at the fifth meeting of the Club for the rehearsal of Rhine stories.
“We passed over a road along the right bank of the Rhine towards Worms. We journeyed amid green forests, and past fields which had heaped up harvests for a thousand years. Spires gleamed on the opposite bank, and in the flat landscape Worms came to view, the Rhine flowing calmly by.
“We stopped at Worms to see the cathedral and the Luther Monument. It is a dull town. We recalled that it was here great Cæsar stood, and Attila drove his cavalry of devastation over the Rhine. Here lived the hero of German classic song,—Siegfried. The cathedral has a monumental history. In 772 war was declared in it against the Saxons. Here was held the famous Diet of Worms at which Luther appeared, and said,—
“‘Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise. God help me.’
“The cathedral is of the style called Romanesque. It is lofty and gloomy. Worms itself is a shadowy and silent city as compared with the past.
“The Luther Monument is a history of Protestantism in stone and bronze. It is one of the noblest works of art of modern times, and its majesty and unity are a surprise to the traveller. Luther is of course the central figure. He stands with his Bible in his hands, and his face upturned to heaven. Around him are the figures of the great reformers before the Reformation: Wycliffe, of England; Waldo, of France; Huss, of Bohemia; and Savonarola, of Italy. The German princes who befriended and sustained the Reformer occupy conspicuous places, and the immense group presents a most impressive scene, associated with lofty character and commanding talent.
A BATTLE BETWEEN FRANKS AND SAXONS.
“We went to the place where Luther sat beneath a tree, when his companions sought to dissuade him from entering Worms.