The emperor, maddened by the resistance, summoned a court martial, and sentenced the elector to instant death unless he ordered the surrender of the fortress.

He at first refused, and prepared to die.
But the tears of his wife and his family conquered his resolution, and the city was surrendered.

The emperor took from his captive the electoral dignity, and extorted from him the most cruel concessions as the ransom for his life.

Without a murmur he surrendered wealth, power and rank, but neither entreaties nor menaces could induce him in a single point to abjure his Christian faith.
Charles now entered Wittemberg in triumph.

The great reformer had just died.