News of the reply which the Elector had given to the nuncios having reached Wittemberg, Luther's friends were overjoyed. Melancthon and Amsdorff, in particular, cherished the most flattering hopes. "The German nobility," said Melancthon, "will shape their course by the example of a prince whom they follow in every thing as their Nestor. If Homer called his hero '_the wall of the Greeks_,' why should not Frederick be called '_the wall of the Germans_?'"[335] [335] Homerica adpellatione murum Germaniæ. (Corp. Ref. i, p. 272.) [Sidenote: ERASMUS WITH THE ELECTOR.] Erasmus, the oracle of courts, the torch of the schools, the light of the world, was then at Cologne, having been invited thither by several princes who wished to consult him. At the period of the Reformation, Erasmus was at the head of the true middle (_juste milieu_) party, at least he thought he was, but erroneously; for when truth and error are in presence of each other, the right side is not the middle. He was the chief of that philosophical and university party, which had for ages aspired to correct Rome, without being able to do so; he was the representative of human wisdom; but this wisdom was too weak to repress the arrogance of the papacy. The wisdom of God was necessary--that wisdom which the world often calls folly, but at the bidding of which mountains are crushed. Erasmus was unwilling either to throw himself into the arms of Luther, or to seat himself at the feet of the pope. He hesitated, and often vibrated between these two powers, sometimes attracted towards Luther, and then suddenly repelled towards the pope. He had declared for Luther in a letter to the Archbishop of Mentz, in which he had said, "The last spark of Christian piety seems ready to be extinguished. It is this that has moved Luther's heart; he cares neither for money nor honour."[336] The publication of this letter by the imprudent Ulric von Hütten, subjected Erasmus to so much annoyance that he resolved to act with more prudence in future. Besides, he was accused of being in concert with Luther whose unguarded speeches moreover offended him. "Almost all good people,"[337] said he, "are for Luther, but I see that we are on the high way to a revolt. I would not have my name coupled with his. It hurts me and does him no good."[338] "Be it so," replied Luther, "since it pains you, I promise never to mention your name, nor that of any of your friends." Such was the man to whom both the enemies and the friends of the Reformer applied. [336] "Et futurum erat .... ut tandem prorsus extingueretur illa scintilla Christianæ pietatis; hæc moverunt animum Lutheri .... qui nec honores ambit nec pecuniam cupit." (Erasm. Ep. Londini, 1642, p. 586.) [337] Favent vero ferme boni omnes. (Corp. Ref. i, p. 205.) [338] Er will von mir ungenennt seyn. (L. Ep. i, p. 525.) Nam ea res me gravat et Lutherum non sublevat. (Corp. Ref. i, p. 206.) [Sidenote: OPINION OF ERASMUS.]