too severely, or he will become shy of me and hate me,” said he. “We must take care to teach the young, to find pleasure in that which is good; for that which is forced out of them by stripes will not be profitable, and, if this is carried to excess, they will only continue good as long as they feel the lash. But by admonition and judicious chastisement, they learn to fear God more than the rod. We must often _stammer_ with children, and in all good things come down to a level with them, that is, we must be tender, affectionate, and condescending, and, if that is of no avail, then we may employ severity.” When he saw his wife or children suffering, his sympathizing heart often found relief in tears. “I love my Catharine,” he would say, “I love her more than I do myself. I would rather die myself than she and the children should die.” It was only when the cause of religion was concerned that the dearest object on earth was not too dear; for the honor of religion and truth, he would have sacrificed wife and children. Deeply penetrated with this sentiment, the magnanimous Reformer, when he had already become the father of two children, could most cordially say, in the spirit of Christ’s words, “Let them take my life, property, reputation, children, and wife—let them all go—the kingdom of God is still ours.” His heroic hymn, “Eine feste Burg ist unser Gott,”[19] sufficiently shows his feelings on this subject. CHAPTER VIII. Character of Catharine.