62 Luther's letter to Erasmus. *)
March 28, 1519.
Translated from Latin.
JEsus.
1st Hail! So often I chat with you and you with me, dear Erasmus, our adornment and our hope, and yet we do not yet know each other; is this not something entirely
Strange? But no, not something strange, but something that happens every day. For who is there whose innermost being is not completely taken over by Erasmus, whom Erasmus does not instruct, in whom Erasmus does not rule? I am talking about
*) This letter is found in Latin in the NarraM Nova Nxistolaruin Des. Nrasmi Not., Lasil. 1519, p. 135; in the collection of the letters of Erasmus von Frobenius in Basel of 1538, liv. 6, p. 243 and in the edition of the works of Erasmus von Frobenius at Basel, 1540, lona. Ill, nd. 6, p. 243; in the edition of the works of Erasmus at Leyden, 1703, loru. Ill, M. I, x. 423, no. 399; in Aurifaber's collection of letters, lom. I, 156 d; in Löscher's Reformations - Acta, vol. Ill, p. 109; in De Wette, vol. I, p. 247 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. I, p. 488. According to the latter we have translated.
to those who love the sciences in the right way. For I rejoice that among other gifts of Christ is also counted the one that you displease many; by this mark I use to distinguish the gifts of the gracious God from the gifts of the angry God. Therefore, I wish you happiness that, while you please all the good ones the most, you will not be less displeasing to those who alone want to be the highest of all and please the most.
2. But I am foolish that I approach you, such a great (talem) man, so unprepared, without reverence and without honorable introduction, as it were as a completely familiar friend, an unknown to the unknown; but you will, according to your affability, credit this either to my love or to my inexperience, since I have spent my life among the sophists and have not yet learned so much that I could greet a learned man by letter, otherwise I would already have bothered you with [who knows] how many letters and would not have suffered that you alone talked to me constantly in my closet.
Since I have now understood from the dear Fabricius Capito that my name is known to you through the useless trade in indulgences, then also, from the very recently published preface to your manual, 1) that you have not only seen but also approved of my chats, I am forced to acknowledge in a letter, albeit quite clumsily written, your excellent spirit, which enriches mine and the spirit of all. Although I know that you will not mind at all that I express my love and gratitude to you by letter, because you are completely satisfied that the heart is devoted to you in hidden gratitude and love before God, and we too have had enough of having your love and service in writings without knowing you, without correspondence and personal contact with you, it is not detrimental to either the address or the spirit of the letter.
1) This is the DueUiriäiou militis oUrigtiuui, suluverrimis pruseeptis retertuna, uuetore Des. Lrus4no Uotsrodamo with preface to Paul Volzius, abbot at Hugshofen in Alsace. (Erl. Briefw.)
I still had a conscience that this gratitude should not be expressed in words, especially since my name has also begun to be known, so that no one could think that the silence was malicious and had a very evil appearance.
4 Therefore, dear Erasmus, kind man, if it seems so good to you, also acknowledge this little brother in Christ, who certainly cares very much about you and who loves you very much, who, by the way, because of his ignorance deserves nothing else than that he, buried in the corner, would be known to no one under the sun, which I have also always desired with great desire, since I am very well aware of my inability. And I do not know by what fate the opposite has happened, that I must suffer to my great shame that my disgrace and pitiable ignorance also come before learned people and are publicly discussed by them.
Philipp Melanchthon is doing well, but we can all hardly ensure that he does not accelerate the deterioration of his health through excessive, incomprehensible obsession with the sciences, because in the heat of his youth he burns with desire to become and do everything for everyone. You would do us a service, 2) if you wanted to admonish the man by letter that he may preserve himself for us and for beautiful science. For if he remains with us, I do not know from whom we could promise or hope for greater things.
6 Andreas Carlstadt, who highly honors Christ in you, sends you his greetings. May the Lord Jesus Himself keep you forever, dearest Erasmus, Amen. I have made many words, but may you think that it is not always necessary to read learned letters, but that you must sometimes be weak with the weak. Wittenberg, March 28, 1519.
Brother Martin Luther. 3)
2) As a result of this admonition, Erasmus wrote to Melanchthon on April 22 (Oorx. Uet. I, 79): "Moderate your strenuous studies, so that you can long help to promote the sciences; for I hear that you have a not so solid health. (Erl. Briefw.)
3) This signature is found in Aurifaber, Löscher and De Wette.