To the worthy, highly esteemed Mr. Johann Cochleo, princely preacher at Dresden, my favorable master and friend.
1. my willing service and all the good before. Worthy, esteemed Doctor! A strange, strange story has recently taken place in this laudable city of Leipzig, of which you certainly do not know (as I respect), which is why I have not refrained from reporting it to you, since we are all interested in it in no small way, and you can certainly do something about it and give advice. Our preacher here in Leipzig 1) (as you know
1) "The preacher at Leipzig" is lü". Johann Koß, who made a name for himself through his vituperative pulpit speeches against Luther and the Protestants. Seidemann, Beiträge zur Reformationgeschichte, p. 105.
who praises your beautiful booklets in the pulpit as a divine, heavenly scripture, has so far preached against the black devil at Wittenberg, the poisonous heretic Martin Luther, for so long and so well that it has (praise and thanks to God!) brought great fruit and has brought many of the devilish heresy back to the old, former faith, and has preserved much more that it is entirely hoped that such heresy will be restored.) has brought great fruit, and has converted many of the devilish heresy, and has brought them back to the old previous faith, and has preserved much more, that it is to be hoped completely that such heresy should almost have an end, and go out like a spark, where one will continue and stop like this. Accordingly, two highly respected (though young) men, Johann Hasenberg and Joachim von der Heyde, who is an excellent poet, have taken up your and his teachings, and are helping to promote the cause, and have given very good advice.
*Two magisters in Leipzig, namely Johann Hasenberg, a Bohemian, and Joachim von der Hehden, called My- ricianus, a Frisian, attacked Luther and his wife in 1528 because of their marriage. This happened in the writing: "Czwen sendbriefe, Latein vnd deutzsch oem Lutther vnd seynem vormeynthem ehelichem Wehbe Kethen von Bhore sampt einem geschenck, freundtlicher meynung tzuuorfertiget, Anno. 1.5.28." At the end: "Gedruckt zu Leyptzick durch Balten Schumann, des Jars. D.M.xxviij." 20 quarto leaves. On the first six leaves is Hasenberg's letter, beginning on page ^ij: M. Joann.es Hasenbergius Bohemus Martino Ludero Publicae
et pacis et pietatis perturbatori and is dated: I-^psiae in terüs I-anr6ntiani8 sio. Augusts, ^nno n 6Uri8to. tVl.v.xxvüj. On the second sheet with the signature B follows: "Joachim von der Heyden, wunscheth Kethen von Bhore Luthers vormeynthem eheweybe, Gnad zu bekerung, in Christo Jesu vnserem Seligmacher, etc. WEHe dyr armen vorfurthen weybe" etc. This letter is dated: "Datum zu Leyptzck am tag Laurentii slO. Augusti Anno M.D.xxviij." On the third bottom, on sheet C, begins a translation of the writing of Ambrosius: ^inbromi äs tapsn virZini8 6on866ratu6 with the caption: "Des heyligen lehrers Sanct Ambrosij Bischoffs zu Maylanth buchlem an eyne geschwechte Nunnen aus dem Lateyn in das Deutzsch gebracht. That a pious person should grieve because of the fact that the virgin was given to God. This writing has ten chapters, but it is not completely translated. - The authors sent their booklet to Wittenberg by their own messenger, but Luther did not let him in because he was burdened with business. However, he ordered his servants to accept and read the booklet. These people destroyed the book and gave it back to the same messenger together with a letter. How disgraceful the booklet had been, the Wittenbergers now made known to all the world in a small writing: "Xorv. 26ittnnK. von I-eiptLiZ." 1H sheet in quarto, without year and place. This consists of a fingirten correspondence between Hieronymus Walter in Leipzig and Johann Cochläus in Dresden; each of the two letters has an enclosure. These documents are dated August 17, 18, and 19. The inmZinarins Hder mentioned in Luther's letter to Eberhard Brisger (toward the end of August 1528, Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. 6, p. 362; not dated April 8, De Wette, vol. 3, p. 299), and the writing commemorated in his letter to Wenceslaus Link (dated August 16 or 28, 1 1528, Erl. Br.-W., vol. 6, p. 360; not of Aug. 6, De Wette, vol. 3, p. 365), is the "Neue Zeitung" (Köstlin, Martin Luther, vol. II, p. 647 ud p. 152). The already mentioned epistle of Hasenberg is also published in a separate edition, under the title: M. dokannm Ha86ndorAii, opmtola, Martino I-udoro, 6t 8UA6 parnin loZitirnao vxori, Oatvarinao a Ltior, LBristiano pror8N8 unimo, soripta, In Iioo, vt ant, V6l, tanckoin, onin prodiZo üllo rompiseant, ao ad poonitontiain, eoonobioruinHNO Lanotiinoniain rodoant, ant
thought to settle the matter most recently; thus: because Luther is obdurate, and does not heed any admonition, they have undertaken to admonish his supposed wife, the runaway nun, Kethe von Bore, next to him with public writing, and have truly placed a splendidly beautiful booklet at her disposal, which I cannot read to my fill with great joy, especially because our praiseworthy preacher's art is almost the most in it. For I and all of us thought, where we could snatch the nun from the villain, his heresy would soon sing: Heli, Heli, and have holy evening; if not, then they would both have such shame before all the world that they would never have a day of peace with each other, especially because all the writings that went out in Leipzig have great reputation and do excellent things, even among all the heretics, both in Wittenberg and in Bohemia, as the blessed Emser's and D. Ochsenfart's books, but especially the highly respected poet Miritianus Carmen well prove. I will keep silent about what your books do, which no heretic can stand. Oh, how happy things would have been, and how we would have laughed at the infernal heretic.
But, what shall I say (I beg you, you want to keep it secret), we have truly all, in my opinion, thrown in our pants, the devil's name. For when the two highly learned men sent their little book to Witten with their own food and messengers
berg, the cursed heretic (as the messenger says) has been charged in several matters with electoral envoys to Brandenburg 1) that the messenger may not have occurred. But he ordered his servants to accept and read such booklets until he was released. Then hear what wicked boys do: they kept the messenger honest, but they took the noble booklet and carried it to the office, where it stinks, and illuminated it, even shat on it, and wiped their butts on it, as shamefully as if it were not from the laudable high school and scholars of Leipzig, but from the coarsest school. It is as disgraceful as if it had come not from the laudable high school and scholars in Leipzig, but from the crudest school of bachelors and donkeys on earth. After that, they closed it up again with dirt and everything, and sent it over again with the same messenger and a letter next to it full of mockery and scolding, in which there is a strange figure full of crosses, drawn with letters, but I do not know what it is. Those I have asked say that where one starts from the middle letter and spells it out, one finds the word ASINI forty times, calculated most precisely, perhaps they want to give it to be understood that our preacher, such a booklet holy spirit, is forty times an ass; where then would
1) "Under the 'churfürstlichen zu Brandenburg Gesandten' with whom Luther was burdened, is in any case Val. Graf, who was in Wittenberg in matters of Hornung" (Kolde, Mart. Luther, Vol. II, p. 585).
certe Luderus Nonnam suo sponso Christo, matrique Ecclesiae, postliminio reponat. M.D.xxiij. 6 quarto leaves, without indication of the place. The letters and especially the decorated initial letters show that Schumann also printed this edition. The Erlangen edition (Br.-W., vol. 6, p. 322) considers this to be the first printing. The text is, apart from a few insignificant deviations, identical to the one mentioned before. - After the appearance of the "Neue Zeitung," Joachim von der Heyden had his Sendbrief printed in a second edition, augmented with a "Condition" (Ein Blatt), which precedes the Sendbrief. The title reads: "Ein Sentbrief, Kethen von Bhore, Luthers vormeinthem eheweybe sampt eynem geschenck freuntlicher meynung tzuvorfertigt. Dartzu eyne Bedingung auf der Wittenberger lesterschrifft." 16 quarto sheets, without indication of location. As in the first edition, the letter is dated Laurentii, Monday, August 10; the "condition" from "Mitwoch nach Egidi", September 2, 1528. In contrast, the Wittenbergers now published the following: "Ein newe fabel Esopi Nemlich verdeudscht gefunden. Vom Lawen vnd Esel." This consists of a letter from the Wittenberg "Jlluminists" to "Miritionos", the fable itself, and a fingirten postscript by "H. W." from Halle. The latter is dated: "Sonntags nach Mauritij [den 27. SeptZ. In M.D.xxviij. Jar." Hasenberg then sent out a few more counter-scripts, which, however, were not heeded by the Wittenbergers. - There has been much dispute among scholars about whether these writings had Luther himself as the author or not. Also we cannot contribute anything certain about it, but we agree with the opinion of Köstlin ("M. Luther", Vol. II, p. 152): "We will be allowed to attribute these counter-writings to Luther himself without hesitation with the old tradition. - The Erlangen edition has included the two missives of Hasenberg and Miritian, as dirty and blasphemous as they are, in its sixth volume of "Dr. Martin Luther's Briefwechsel"! - We have corrected the parts of our writing, which were in all editions up to now in wrong order. In the editions our writing can be found: in the Eisleben one, vol. I, p. 420 b and vol. II, p. 5b; in the Altenburg one, vol. IV, p. 431; in the Leipzig one, vol. XXII, p. 584 and in the Erlangen one, vol. 64, p. 324.
MJRJCJANUS and HASENBERG stay? And where did I myself want to stay, who praised everything so highly myself? We should probably have more dog-ears than hair on our head, if one wanted to reckon with it. Isn't that a shameful, disgraceful trade? This is what the desperate heretic disciples and the damned Wittenbergers do. They pretend that we ourselves should first be chaste and pious in Leipzig, and that we should first punish and mend our fornication and whoredom, and that we should first sweep away the dirt from our door before we tear the splinter out of the other's eye, and that we should not forget our beam.
3 There was a beautiful, masterly title on our booklet, put in the most Leipzig and artificial way, that it should be a gift, friendly opinion, made by Kethen von Boren. But, the devil! what a shameful tip they gave for the gift. However, I am very much disturbed by two things: First, that our praiseworthy preacher and the two highly learned men's poems and suggestions have been so completely destroyed by the lost nun, and that our art and friendly opinion (understand me well) have been so shamefully lacking. After that, with our money and effort, we had to fetch heretic filth and stink to Wittenberg; and it should easily have happened, if the messenger had not carried a messenger box, that he would have had to declare such shameful goods, to our great mockery and damage.
What do we want to do about this? My advice and friendly request is, because you are with our gracious lord in the place of the blessed Emser, that you help us to see to it that we bring forth a commandment from our gracious lord against such a case and such a journey, so that henceforth we do not have to supply dirt for money, even if we send out much smaller books than this has been. For if the people were to be accustomed to it, and such stinking trade were to break down, this princely city, and all trades, should suffer a much more noticeable loss than is now the access, which comes from evil coin, as you have to consider. Also so that the two highly learned gentlemen, and the preacher, do not receive reward for their art and skill, and receive disgrace as a reward, it seems to me that this is not the case.
Citizens of Leipzig.
[Supplement to previous writing.]
Follow the transcript of the letter.
Denvermeinten Hochgelehrten Johann Hasenberger und Joachim von der Heyde, zu eigenen Händen sämmtlich und sonderlich.
Our most humble services before and after, high scholars and respectable supposed poets and rhetors. We add to your exuberant art and wisdom that the heretic, Martin Luther, has not read your excellent poem and art, because he, burdened with other things, did not let the messenger come to him, but nevertheless ordered us to accept such a booklet until he would be released. But because the matter was urgent, we have subjected ourselves to answering your art. And we do not want to conceal from your erudition that we encountered much darkness while reading. Therefore we have caused to illuminate such your booklet; as such booklets are well worth, and you will see, not only for us, but also for yourselves. For we fear that you yourselves do not know well what you have written in it. So it is not new that Leipzig, the noble city, has to nourish such bachants and coarse, large asses. But if this color is not pleasing to your wisdom, you might well send another such booklet, and we will endeavor to illuminate it more thoroughly.
Et quia estis vobis ipsis suspecti de multa scientia, est quidam frater, habens mirabilem probleumam circa quadraturam circuli, petens declarationem, quoties in ista figura possit legi nomen dignitatis vestrae.... [And because you think you have great science: it is a certain brother who has a whimsical pro-.
blem about the squaring of the circle has, and asks for explanation, how often the name of your dignities in this figure can be read
To the prudent and wise Mr. Hieronymo Walter etc., citizen of Leipzig, my favorable, good friend.
My willing service before. Good friend! I have heard your letter, but do not worry too much for the sake of the poisonous heretics' malice. A good friend has also written to me about this matter, as you will learn from the enclosed letter. He is still good, but I do not know whom to believe, but I intend to defend and excuse the good two magistrates: even if they have not explained everything, their heart and opinion are good. In magnis voluisse satis est. Who can turn everything into gold? I myself am lacking at times, but I do not have a heavy conscience about it, especially because my gracious Lord is merciful to me and you are favorable to me; Luther must go down to the devil with his followers. Given at Dresden, Wednesday after Agapiti [August 19, in the year 1528].
Johann Cochleus,
Doct. Ew. Williger.
[Enclosure to previous letter.]
To the worthy and esteemed Mr. Johann Cochleo, princely preacher at Dresden, my favorable master and good friend.
My willing service before. I add E. W. friendly opinion to know when I next on the return journey to Leipzig in the
The booklet that went out here in Leipzig by Johann Hasenberger and Joachim von der Heyde against Luther and his supposed wife was brought over the table and read. I must speak to you kindly and freely: What do such our young spoons do, that they hang on to the man, and get involved in such things, without bringing disgrace and dishonor, scorn and mockery to the laudable city of Leipzig and our famous high school with their untimely and foolish writing? You will not believe the words I have to eat into me because of them; they want to fly before they have grown feathers, looked at the back when they should start at the front, and leave the means to do so. They exhort a nun who has gone astray back to the monastery, and yet they do not teach how right and godly a monastic life is. Do you not think that Luther taught his wife, and still teaches, how right she is to live and remain outside the monastery, and how wrong she would be if she ran back into it? as he tried and undertook both these things with great earnestness through many books. But our young spoons think that his wife has such faith as they have, that monastic life is holy and right, and therefore proceed with a naked, mere admonition, wanting to put in honor. So we have to hear in the countryside how the noble city of Leipzig has vainly presumptuous asses' heads; as I had to hear over tables that a fine man of the world spoke to this booklet: I mean that the fine city of Leipzig must be especially plagued with coarse asses; write, and do not know what they write, just as if it were enough when they write a book, especially at these times, when so many learned people and worldly wise men are. So I kindly ask you to be there, so that the young rags may change their attitude; do they want to provoke Luther or his wife to the monastery again, so that they first teach and instruct how monastic life is holy and right. For if Luther and his wife thought that the monastic life was holy and right, I think that our Leipzigers should have no naked admonition; their consciences would admonish and urge them themselves.
But now we let them remain in conscience that monastic life is unjust, and we let them stay in the same way.
774 Erl. 64, 344 ss. 326. Luther's historical and philological writings. W. XIV, 1355 ff. 1336 f. 775
If we admonish someone to run inside, we cause even more laughter and mockery with our admonition, as if I wanted to admonish him to eat cake, because he believes that there is poison inside. I would first have to persuade him that there is no poison but delicious medicine inside. Let our fools [in] the devil's name learn their rhetorica and poetica better, we do with such a way to defend our faith that I myself think more of Luther than of ours. Luther first teaches and proves what he wants, then he exhorts; our spoons can do nothing but exhort: they place the teaching and proving on their own thoughts, just as if they were sure that everyone believes as they believe. If our preacher has been there, he is as wise as he wants to be. Tell them that this matter does not want to be dealt with in genere deliberativo, sed in genere judiciali at this time, do they understand their rhetoric differently, or are they theologians, quod non in exhortatione, sed in doctrina sit sita, as Paul says Rom. 12, as Luther did in his books. If they do not do this, then they accomplish nothing else than to strengthen Luther and his wife with their lazy, unconvincing exhortation, to their own mockery and ridicule; for one must first prove the wrong and error, and convince the conscience, otherwise all is lost, and make their little book in
the apothecaries or to the secret chamber. You can see how Luther writes so powerfully and thrusts himself about, and these spoons attack him with bare, unleavened paper; this distorts me from ours to a great extent. They may have printed the epistle Hieronym 1) next to it, but what does Luther ask about it? If they have read none of his books at all, then they are foolish, presumptuous rags; but if they have read them, then they must be nonsensical. Luther wants to have Scripture, and to have proven that Jerome rightly speaks the monastic life holy and good; he knows almost well that fornication is wrong, as such an example gives. But where are here our young poets and rhetors who prove with writings that monastics must have such a conscience as Jerome says here? I have written this to E. W. in a hurry, hope to talk to you more about it orally; if we want nothing else than to write, then silence would suit us well. I am willing to serve you. Given at Leipzig, Dinstags Agapiti 2) [August 18], 1528.
1) "Hieronymi" is intentionally written instead of: Ambrosii.
2) "Dinstags Agapiti" put by us instead of "Dinstags nach Agapiti". The date of this letter is, like the letter itself, of course fingirt, but it must, if it is to have meaning, in any case be earlier than that of the document with which it claims to be sent. Now, however, Agapetus in 1528 is a Tuesday. The Dinstag after Agapeti would be then the 25th August. Possibly one did not think of it with setting the date, and meant by the fact that Dinstag is earlier than Wednesday, to be safe from an anachronism.