of God, and hold fast to it, and thus you will have certain and constant comfort against all the temptations and blasphemies of Satan.” When, at his request, they brought his infant son to him, he said, “O you good, poor little child! now I commend your beloved mother and you, poor orphan, to my good and faithful God. _You have nothing_; but God, who is the father of the orphan and the judge of the widow, will richly provide for you.” Here he again turned to his wife, and said, “You know that, excepting the silver cups, we have nothing.” These, and similar expressions, awakened the most painful emotions in the heart of Catharine, and yet she tried to conceal her grief, and to encourage him, “My dear Doctor,” said she, “if it is God’s will, I would rather you should be with Him than with me. But it is not only I and my child who must be taken into account, and for whom your life would be valuable, but there are many pious and Christian souls who have need of your presence and services. Do not distress yourself about me; I commend you to His divine will. I trust he will graciously preserve you.” Eight days after, Luther recovered, to the great joy of his wife and all his friends. Not long after, in the same year, a contagious disease broke out in Wittenberg, which created so much alarm that the students precipitately fled, and the University was transferred to Jena. The Elector, John the Constant, advised Luther to repair to Jena also; but this main pillar of the new-born church would not leave Wittenberg, although there were cases of the contagion in his own family. Bugenhagen also remained at the post of duty. Nov. 1, Luther wrote to Amsdorff, “My house is an hospital. I begin to feel anxious about my wife, who is in a delicate condition. My infant son has been sick these three days; he eats nothing and is extremely unwell.” But these attacks were not contagious, and their alarm soon subsided. In the following year, Luther suffered from a pulmonary affection and constant headache. In 1532, he was so severely attacked with vertigo that apoplexy was apprehended. He also occasionally suffered from obstinate boils; in his later years, symptoms of calculus were also apparent. In 1536, an affection of the hip-joint confined him to bed a fortnight. But in 1537, Catharine had especial occasion to display her affectionate solicitude, for her husband was again brought to the very brink of the grave. During this year he was commanded by John Frederick, Elector of Saxony, to proceed to Smalcald on important church business. Although he suffered severely from calculus, and the weather was extremely cold, he set out on his journey on Feb. 1. But he had scarcely arrived at Smalcald, when the pains increased to such an extent, to which an obstinate ischury was super-added, that everybody was doubtful of his recovery. The Elector, who was present, contributed everything in his power to his restoration. He visited and consoled him.