But though those enemies of Luther could not exactly show the humble condition of his wife’s parents, others tried hard to throw doubt, at least, on her _noble_ birth. They could not deny that her mother was entitled to that distinction of rank, but they totally reject her father’s claim to it, and because Luther does not mention him in his writings, they draw the unsound conclusion that he must have belonged to the very lowest class of society. Catharine’s honor would not in the least have been periled even if her father had been of humble birth. But the most unimportant circumstances were industriously used by Luther’s enemies to degrade him; hence, they would not allow her distinguished birth, although the plainest proofs of the fact were given. His opponents sometimes contradicted each other. They all agreed in most scandalously calumniating him, but in their accusations they sometimes singularly differed, and often unintentionally wrote something which was more honorable to Luther than injurious. Cochlaeus, for example, charges it as the greatest sin of Luther “that he rescued from the convent nine nuns, _who were all_ of _noble rank_, and, to the eternal disgrace of so many distinguished families, led them away.” Could this deadly enemy of Luther only have conjectured that some of his brethren of the faith ever intended to assail Catharine’s birth, he would have been more careful than to have spoken of _noble_ rank and _distinguished_ families. But the testimony of one such cotemporary is proof sufficient of her noble origin, and we need not stop to refute those who maintain that there never even existed a _family_ of _de Bora_. CHAPTER IV. Luther’s Domestic Life—Character of Catharine—Perils of Luther—Sickness—Death of his Parents—Private Life—Catharine.