Before mid-June 1528. **)
Grace and peace. The bearer of this, whom you commanded me to bring, is coming back to you, my dear Hess, a man who is worthy of your good testimony; may the Lord Christ grant that he has not been here in vain! I think you will have already heard about the alliances of the godless princes and their excuses, which are colder than ice, which no one believes but their followers. The great ones (proceres) of Duke George freely admit that this alliance was not a mere imagination, but that they have letters and the copy at hand, which they now want to give the appearance of having been invented under the false name and seal of the princes, and they think that for this reason D. Otto Pack was captured. But because this one, a councillor of Duke George, is imprisoned by the landgrave, it seems to me rather to be an escape and voluntary imprisonment, so that he could only escape from the
The power of his Phalaris 2) is sure. But soon these secrets will be further revealed; it seems to me impossible that such things can be invented by men. Then it is also certain that they would still do something like this today with a willing heart, since they have proven this so far by edicts and by weapons, by all cunning and by force, so that they cannot be excused. This, however, is perhaps better known to you than to us. The bishops of Bamberg and Würzburg have made peace; the landgrave is still in arms against the bishop of Mainz. There, too, one hopes for peace, unless the bishop should be unwilling. There is no word from Italy. I entrust us to your prayers and yours, and may you be well in Christ. Wittenberg 1528.
Martin Luther.
2) Phalaris, a cruel tyrant at Agrigento.
*) This letter is found in Latin in Aurifaber, Vol. II, col. 379 and in De Wette, Vol. Ill, p. 351. According to the latter we have translated.
**This timing results from the fact that, according to this letter, peace had already been reached with the two Frankish bishops, but not yet with Mainz. On June 9, the Elector opened this in his letter to Luther, Melanchthon and the captain of Wittenberg (Burkhardt, p. 135 f.). On June 14, however, the treaty with Mainz was signed. (SöeLsnäork, llist. Imtü., läd. II, x. 98.)