In  the  Making. — Philip  Schwarzerd  (black  earth),
known  best  by  his  humanistic  Greek  name  "  Me-
lanchthon," was  the  son  of  an  armorer,  and  was  born
at  Bretten,  in  Baden,  Germany.  At  the  age  of  ten  he
was  left  an  orphan,  whereupon  his  grandmother,  a
sister  of  Reuchlin,  took  him.  The  great  German  hu-
manist liked  the  boy  very  much,  and  encouraged  him
in  his  studies.  Thus  he  was  able  to  enter  college.  He
was  graduated  from  Heidelberg  University  at  the  age
of  fifteen,  and  soon  afterward  became  tutor  to  the  son
of  a  German  count,  but  continued  his  studies,  especially
Greek,  so  industriously  at  Tubingen,  where  he  first  came
upon  Erasmus's  edition  of  the  Greek  Testament,  that  in
1 5 14,  when  only  seventeen  years  old,  he  was  given  the
degree  of  "Master  of  Arts."  He  now  began  to  lecture
on  Cicero,  Terence,  and  Greek  grammar,  but  devoted
himself  with  great  power  to  the  further  study  of  hu-
manism, together  with  theology,  jurisprudence,  and
medicine.  His  lectures  began  to  attract  much  atten-
tion, and  in  15 18,  when  only  twenty-one  years  old,  he
was  called  to  the  University  of  Wittenberg,  through
Reuchlin's  influence,  as  professor  of  Greek.  Me-
lanchthon's  inaugural  address  made  a  wonderful  im-
pression.    Luther,    v/ho    was    then   professor  of    phi-


192  HISTORY  OF  EDUCATION

losophy,  and  to  whom  the  young  professor  had  been
introduced,  now  forgot  that  the  new  professor  was  so
youthful  and  so  small  of  stature,  and,  captivated  by  his
learning  and  his  eloquence,  took  him  right  into  his  heart.
The  great  Erasmus  was  as  much  pleased  as  Luther.
