Preface Martini Luther.
This booklet about beggars' truffles was previously printed by someone who calls himself Expertum in truffis. This is a quite experienced fellow in beggary, which this booklet also proves, although he would not have called himself so. However, I considered it good that such a booklet not only remained in the daytime, but also became common almost everywhere, so that one could see and learn how the devil reigns so powerfully in the world, whether it would help that one would become wise and want to beware of him once. Of course, such a red-welsh language comes from the Jews, because there are many Hebrew words in it, as those who understand Hebrew will probably notice. But the gloss and right mind to it, the faithful warning of this booklet, is of course this, that princes, lords, councils in cities, and everyone should be wise, and look at the beggars, and know that, where one does not want to house poor and meager
Neighbors shall give and help, as God has commanded, that out of the devil's incentive, by God's right judgment, one give ten times as much to such lost, desperate boys, just as we have done up to now to the monasteries, convents, churches, chapels, mendicant monks, when we abandoned the right poor. Therefore, every city and village should know and know its own poor as recorded in the register, so that they may help them. But what foreign or alien beggars would suffer, not without briefs or testimony. For there is too much abuse among them, as this booklet reports. And if any city were to take care of its poor in this way, such abuses would soon be controlled and prevented. This year I myself have been cheated and tempted by such tramps and tongue-thrashers, more than I want to confess. Therefore, be warned whoever wants to be warned, and do good to his neighbor according to Christian love and commandment. God help us, amen.
*The book to which Luther wrote this preface is entitled "Von der falschen Betler büeberey. With a preface by Martin Luther. Vnd hinden an ein Rotwelsch Vocabularius, darauß man die wörtter, so in dysem büchlein gebraucht, verstehen kan. Wittemberg M. M. ssic? XX VIII." 3 quarto sheets. At the end: "Nothing on vrsach." Without indication of the printer, as well as in two other editions published in Wittenberg in 1528 and 1529. Nicolaus Selneccer had this book reprinted in Leipzig in 1580. In the collections, the preface is found: in the Wittenberg (1569), vol. IX, p. 5405; in the Jena (1566), vol. IV, p. 381; in the Altenburg, vol. IV, p. 452; in the Leipzig, vol. XXII, appendix, p. 89 and in the Erlangen, vol. 63, p. 269.