John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
Martin Luther 1483-1546 John Bartlett
| 1 |
| A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing; Our helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing. |
| Psalm. Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (trans. by Frederic H. Hedge). |
| 2 |
| Tell your master that if there were as many devils at Worms as tiles on its roofs, I would enter. 1 |
| Psalm. Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (trans. by Frederic H. Hedge). |
| 3 |
| Here I stand; I can do no otherwise. God help me. Amen! |
| Speech at the Diet of Worms. |
| 4 |
| For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel. 2 |
| Table-Talk. lxvii. |
| 5 |
| A faithful and good servant is a real godsend; but truly ’t is a rare bird in the land. |
| Table-Talk. clvi. |
| Note 1. On the 16th of April, 1521, Luther entered the imperial city [of Worms]…. On his approach… the Elector’s chancellor entreated him, in the name of his master, not to enter a town where his death was decided. The answer which Luther returned was simply this.—Bunsen: Life of Luther. I will go, though as many devils aim at me as there are tiles on the roofs of the houses.—Ranke: History of the Reformation, vol. i. p. 533 (Mrs. Austin’s translation). [back] |
| Note 2. See Burton, Quotation 80. [back] |