While Melanchthon was thus expressing so great a desire to behold his family, a change was about to take place in his house at Wittenberg, which caused him great sorrow and many bitter tears. His wife was taken ill on the 27th of September. She had a presentiment of her approaching end, received the Lord's Supper, and as she was now confined to her bed, prayed to God that he might grant her patience. And this her prayer was heard. Not a word of impatience passed her lips, and it was easy to see that she was perfectly prepared to die. An old account says: "In such obedience to God, and with frequent prayer to the Son of God, she fell asleep in Christ; and so peacefully, that those present could scarcely perceive the moment of her death." She died at three o'clock in the morning of the 11th of October. At the time of her death, Melanchthon was in Heidelberg, whither he had been called by the Elector Otto Henry, in order to assist Micyllus in improving the University of that place. He spent some very happy days here, as he was not only receiving honorable attentions from the Prince and the learned, but also enjoyed the opportunity of embracing his beloved brother George. And now his friend Camerarius also arrived. He saw his happiness, but had come to disturb it; for he had been commissioned by the University of Wittenberg to bear the sad tidings to Melanchthon. While they were walking in the garden of the Elector on the following morning, Camerarius discharged this melancholy duty. Melanchthon heard him calmly, raised his eyes to heaven, and exclaimed: "Fare thee well, I will soon follow thee!" And he then began to speak of the troubles of the Church, and the troubled times that were to be expected; but his sorrow for the loss of his wife would still return. He wrote an affectionate letter to his nephew Sigismund, who was staying at Wittenberg at the time, in which he expresses his anguish at the departure of his beloved wife, and calls upon him to act the part of a father in his family. To the letter of sympathy from the University, which Camerarius had brought, he replied on the 31st of October: "That he was seeking all possible grounds for consolation; but notwithstanding all this, my love to her and her daughters always comes upon me again with such force that I am almost overcome." He returns his hearty thanks for the attentions of the University, and closes thus: "If I am to live any longer, I would not wish to live in any place but with you, whose virtues, sincerity, and faithfulness I value so highly. And I also love our well-deserving University, which God has hitherto protected against wicked attacks and the rage of cunning men. I call upon him to guide and protect it for ever."