Count Ulrich of Lindburg A Tale of the Reformation in Germany By: William Henry Giles Kingston (1814-1880)
First Page: Count Ulrich of Lindburg, by W.H.G. Kingston. The story begins in the early years of the sixteenth century. A monk, Martin Luther, has read the Bible and has realised that the teachings of the Roman church are much in error. Gradually his teachings percolate through the land. Count Ulrich, and also his son Eric, are very interested in this, though Ulrich's wife and daughter remain under the spell of their priest, Nicholas. Eric sets off for the city where Luther is teaching, accompanied by a personal guard called Hans. On the way they meet with a youngster who is being bullied, and they take him into their charge. Later they meet with some soldiers serving a Baron who is an enemy of Eric's father, and are taken to the Baron's castle, where they are imprisoned. After a few days they are sent for by the Baron's wife. It turns out that the boy they had rescued on their journey had dodged off when they were bing captured, and had made his way to where Martin Luther could be found. Knowing that the Baron's wife was interested in Luther's teachings he got message to her to ask her to intervene in the matter of Eric and Hans. This is successful, and the two men continue their journey. On arriving at the University town where Luther is teaching they hasten to his lectures, and are re united with the boy they had earlier rescued, who had been waiting and watching out for them. The story continues from this point, and does make a very good read. COUNT ULRICH OF LINDBURG, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON. CHAPTER ONE. On the banks of the river Saal, in Merseburg, forming part of Saxony, at the time of which we speak, governed by the aged and excellent Elector Frederick, stood the Castle of Lindburg. It was one of those feudal piles of the Middle Ages, impregnable to the engines of ancient warfare, but which were destined to crumble before the iron shots with which cannon assailed them, as the system they represented was compelled to succumb to the light of that truth which the Gospel was then diffusing over the greater part of Europe. Ulrich, Count von Lindburg, or the Knight of Lindburg, as he was often called, sat in a room in his Castle, with his arm resting on a table and a book before him, at which, however, his eyes seldom glanced; his looks were thoughtful and full of care. He had engaged in much hard fighting in his younger days, and now all he wished for was rest and quiet, though the state of the times gave him but little hope of enjoying them. In his own mind, too, he was troubled about many things. Four years before the time at which he is introduced to the reader, he had visited Worms, during the time the Diet, summoned by the Emperor Charles the Fifth, was sitting, and was among those who found their way into the great hall where the Emperor and the chief princes, bishops, and nobles of the land were sitting, when Dr Martin Luther, replied to the chancellor of Treves, the orator of the Diet, who demanded whether he would retract the opinions put forth in numerous books he had published and sermons he had preached. "Since your most serene majesty and your high mightinesses require from me a clear, simple, and precise answer, I will give you one, and it is this: I cannot submit my fate either to the Pope or to the councils, because it is clear as the day that they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless, therefore, I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture or by the clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the Word of God, I cannot and will not retract , for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience." And then, looking round on that assembly before which he stood, and which held his life in its hands, he said, "HERE I STAND, I CAN DO NO OTHER... Continue reading book >>

Count Ulrich of Lindburg A Tale of the Reformation in Germany By: William Henry Giles Kingston (1814-1880)

First Page:

Count Ulrich of Lindburg, by W.H.G. Kingston. The story begins in the early years of the sixteenth century. A monk, Martin Luther, has read the Bible and has realised that the teachings of the Roman church are much in error. Gradually his teachings percolate through the land. Count Ulrich, and also his son Eric, are very interested in this, though Ulrich's wife and daughter remain under the spell of their priest, Nicholas. Eric sets off for the city where Luther is teaching, accompanied by a personal guard called Hans. On the way they meet with a youngster who is being bullied, and they take him into their charge. Later they meet with some soldiers serving a Baron who is an enemy of Eric's father, and are taken to the Baron's castle, where they are imprisoned. After a few days they are sent for by the Baron's wife. It turns out that the boy they had rescued on their journey had dodged off when they were bing captured, and had made his way to where Martin Luther could be found. Knowing that the Baron's wife was interested in Luther's teachings he got message to her to ask her to intervene in the matter of Eric and Hans. This is successful, and the two men continue their journey. On arriving at the University town where Luther is teaching they hasten to his lectures, and are re united with the boy they had earlier rescued, who had been waiting and watching out for them.

The story continues from this point, and does make a very good read.

COUNT ULRICH OF LINDBURG, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.

CHAPTER ONE.

On the banks of the river Saal, in Merseburg, forming part of Saxony, at the time of which we speak, governed by the aged and excellent Elector Frederick, stood the Castle of Lindburg. It was one of those feudal piles of the Middle Ages, impregnable to the engines of ancient warfare, but which were destined to crumble before the iron shots with which cannon assailed them, as the system they represented was compelled to succumb to the light of that truth which the Gospel was then diffusing over the greater part of Europe.

Ulrich, Count von Lindburg, or the Knight of Lindburg, as he was often called, sat in a room in his Castle, with his arm resting on a table and a book before him, at which, however, his eyes seldom glanced; his looks were thoughtful and full of care. He had engaged in much hard fighting in his younger days, and now all he wished for was rest and quiet, though the state of the times gave him but little hope of enjoying them. In his own mind, too, he was troubled about many things. Four years before the time at which he is introduced to the reader, he had visited Worms, during the time the Diet, summoned by the Emperor Charles the Fifth, was sitting, and was among those who found their way into the great hall where the Emperor and the chief princes, bishops, and nobles of the land were sitting, when Dr Martin Luther, replied to the chancellor of Treves, the orator of the Diet, who demanded whether he would retract the opinions put forth in numerous books he had published and sermons he had preached.

"Since your most serene majesty and your high mightinesses require from me a clear, simple, and precise answer, I will give you one, and it is this: I cannot submit my fate either to the Pope or to the councils, because it is clear as the day that they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless, therefore, I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture or by the clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the Word of God, I cannot and will not retract , for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience." And then, looking round on that assembly before which he stood, and which held his life in its hands, he said, "HERE I STAND, I CAN DO NO OTHER... Continue reading book >>

Genres for this book
Fiction
Religion
Teen/Young adult

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