About eight o'clock in the evening the session was closed, and two men led Luther away. While he was still in the throng Duke Eric of Brunswick sent him a silver flagon of Eimbeck beer, with the request that he would refresh himself. Luther drank it and said, "As Duke Eric has now remembered me, so may our Lord Jesus Christ remember him in his last hour." At the same time Luther was of good courage. When he arrived at his inn, where many friends were awaiting him, he cried with lifted hands and beaming face, "I am through! I am through!" He also said, "If I had a thousand heads I would rather lose everyone of them than recant." By the courageous and steadfast confession of Luther many were won for his cause. The emperor, however, exclaimed, "He will not make a heretic of me!" But when the partisans of the Pope tried to persuade the emperor to break his promise of safe-conduct he said with great solemnity, "A man must keep his word, and if faith is not found in all the world it ought to be found with the German emperor." The elector said to Spalatin, "O how well Martin conducted himself! What a beautiful address he delivered both in German and Latin before the emperor and all the estates. To me he appeared almost too bold!" According to an order of the diet several more attempts were made within the following days to induce Luther to recant. Luther, however, remained steadfast, and again and again requested, "Convince me from the Scriptures," and appealed to the words of Gamaliel: "If this counsel or this work be of men it will come to naught; but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it." 4. LUTHER'S HOMEWARD JOURNEY. Together with several friends Luther, on the 26th of April, left Worms after the emperor had again granted him safe-conduct for twenty-one days. The imperial herald, Caspar Sturm, accompanied him to Friedberg. At this place Luther dismissed him with a letter to the emperor in which he returned thanks for the safe-conduct. Although the emperor had forbidden it, nevertheless Luther preached to large audiences at Hersfeld and Eisenach. He also visited his relatives in Moehra and preached there under a linden tree, near the church. On the 4th of May he continued his journey, his relatives accompanying him to the castle Altenstein. There they separated. After a little while the wagon turned into a narrow pass. Suddenly armed horsemen dashed out of the forest, fell upon the wagon, and amid curses and threats commanded the driver to halt, and tore Luther from his seat. Without molesting the others they threw a mantle upon Luther, placed him upon a horse, and led him in zigzag through the forest. It was nearly midnight when the drawbridge of the Wartburg fell and the castle received the weary horsemen within its protecting walls. [Illustration: Luther Made Prisoner.]