30 Derember 1522.
Doctori Martino Luther For the attention of.
We, George by the Grace of God, Duke of Saxony, Landgrave of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, inform you, Doctor Martin Luther, that two days ago we received an imprint of a letter, which is said to have been written and sent out in your name and by you to Hartmann 1) von Cronberg des Lauts, when we enclose a copy of it. And so we in the indicated letter in the fifth article, which begins: Such joy and gladness 2c., especially named, and
1) Hartmuth and Hartmann, both names occur at the same time, since one did not take it so exactly with names at that time. (Seidemann, "Erläuterungen," p. 59.)
with shameful words and important infractions, affecting our soul, honor and good reputation, which we have also immediately taken to heart, and if we have not given you cause to do so due to our oversight.
It is our request that you inform us by means of your minutes whether you have sent out a letter to Hartmann von Cronberg, and what you want to confess about it, so that we may know how to judge our honorable need for it. Given at Dresden, Tuesday after Innocentum, Anno 1523. 2)
2) According to the old way to start the new year with Christmas.
*This letter and Luther's reply can be found in the German editions. In the Wittenberg (1569), vol. IX, p. 169; in the Jena (1585), vol. II, p. 171 d; in the Altenburg, vol. II, p. 257 and, Luther's reply by mistake again vol. VIII, p. 964; in the Leipzig, vol. XVIII, p. 235 and in Seidemann's "Erläuterungen zur Reformationgeschichte" p. 61. Luther's answer then still in De Wette, vol. II, p. 284 and according to the original vol. VI, p. 37 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 53, p. 158. - The date of Duke George's letter is 30 Dec. 1522 (not 28 Dec. as Seidemann states in the "Erläuterungen"). Innocentum (Dec. 28) fell on a Sunday in 1522, thus Tuesdays after Innocentum, which is found in the original, Dec. 30, 1522. We give both letters according to Seidemann's "Erläuterungen".
492 Erl. 53, 158 f. 93. Luther's reply to previous letter. W. XIX, SSL f. 493