of Thomas Aquinas (which is frequently appended to the Summa); but in his later years, till his
death (1534),—perhaps in consequence of his interview with Luther,—he devoted himself chiefly
to the study of the Scriptures, and urged it upon his friends. He labored with the aid of Hebrew and
Greek scholars to correct the Vulgate by a more faithful version, and advocated Jerome’s liberal
views on questions of criticism and the Canon, and a sober grammatical exegesis against allegorical
fancies, without, however, surrendering the Catholic principle of tradition.
There was a great contrast between the Italian cardinal and the German monk, the shrewd
diplomat and the frank scholar; the expounder and defender of mediaeval scholasticism, and the
champion of modern biblical theology; the man of church authority, and the advocate of personal
freedom.
They had three interviews (Oct. 12, 13, 14). Cajetan treated Luther with condescending
courtesy, and assured him of his friendship.^202 But he demanded retraction of his errors, and absolute
submission to the Pope. Luther resolutely refused, and declared that he could do nothing against
his conscience ; that one must obey God rather than man ; that he had the Scripture on his side;
that even Peter was once reproved by Paul for misconduct (Gal. 2:11), and that surely his successor
was not infallible. Still be asked the cardinal to intercede with Leo X., that he might not harshly
condemn him. Cajetan threatened him with excommunication, having already the papal mandate
in his hand, and dismissed him with the words: "Revoke, or do not come again into my presence."
He urged Staupitz to do his best to convert Luther, and said he was unwilling to dispute any further
with that deep-eyed German beast filled with strange speculations."^203
Under these circumstances, Luther, with the aid of friends who provided him with an escort,
made his escape from Augsburg, through a small gate in the city-Wall, in the night of the 20th of
October, on a hard-trotting hack, without pantaloons, boots, or spurs. He rode on the first day as
far as the town of Monheim^204 without stopping, and fell utterly exhausted upon the straw in a
stable.^205
He reached Wittenberg, in good spirits, on the first anniversary of his Ninety-five Theses.
He forthwith published a report of his conference with a justification of his conduct. He also wrote
(Nov. 19) a long and very eloquent letter to the Elector, exposing the unfairness of Cajetan, who
had misrepresented the proceedings, and demanded from the Elector the delivery of Luther to Rome
or his expulsion from Saxony.
(^202) Luther received at first a favorable impression, and wrote in a letter to Carlstadt, Oct. 14 (De Wette, I. 161): "The cardinal calls me
constantly his dear son, and assures Staupitz that I had no better friend than himself. ... I would be the most welcome person here if I but
spoke this one word, revoco. But I will not turn a heretic by revoking the opinion which made me a Christian: I will rather die, be burnt,
be exiled, be cursed." Afterwards he wrote in a different tone about Cajetan, e.g., in the letter to the Elector Frederick, Nov. 19 (I. 175
sqq.), and to Staupitz, Dec. 13 (De Wette, I. 194).
(^203) "Ego nolo amplius cum hac bestia loqui. Habet enim profundos oculos et mirabiles speculationes in capite suo." This characteristic
dictum is not reported by Luther, but by Myconius, Hist. Ref. p. 73. Comp. Löscher, II. 477. The national antipathy between the Germans
and the Italians often appears in the transactions with Rome, and continues to this day. Monsignor Eugenio Cecconi, Archbishop of
Florence, in his tract Martino Lutero, Firenze, 1883, says: "Lutero non amava gi’ italiani, e gl’ italiani non hanno mai avuto ne stima ne
amore per quest’ uomo. Il nostro popolo, col suo naturale criterio, lo ha giudicato da un pezzo." He declared the proposal to celebrate
Luther’s fourth centennial at Florence to be an act of insanity.
(^204) In Bavaria; not Mannheim, as Kahnis (I. 228) has it.
(^205) "Dr. Staupitz" (says Luther, In his Table-Talk) "hatte mir ein Pferd verschafft und gab mir den Rath, einen alten Ausreuter zu nehmen,
der die Wege wüsste, und half mir Langemantel (Rathsherr) des Nachts durch ein klein Pförtlein der Stadt. Da eilte ich ohne Hosen,
Stiefel, Sporn, und Schwert, und kam his gen Wittenberg. Den ersten Tag ritt ich acht (German) Meilen und wie ich des Abends in die
Herberge kam, war ich so müde, stieg, im Stalle ab, konnte nicht stehen, fiel stracks in die Streu."