M. Cyriac. Spangenberg in the first part of the Adelspiegel in the 8th book, Cap. 3, p. 131 writes:
It can be read the beautiful booklet, which D. Martin Luther wrote in 1527 to Asche von Kramm, knight, and to be found in the third Jenische Theil of Luther's books, 1) under this very title: Ob Kriegsleute in seligem Stande sein können? When this booklet was printed for the first time in Wittenberg, it was ordered that in some copies Luther's name and also the name of the city of Wittenberg, along with the preface, and some few words were omitted, and then copies of a Duke Jörgen of Saxony were added, as is customary from other distant places. When he now read the booklet, it pleased him splendidly, and praised it highly, especially against Lucas Maler 2) the Ael-
1) In the 1556 edition, sheet 3436.
2) Lucas Cranach.
He said to the painter who was working for him in Dresden at the time: "Look, Lucas, you always praise your monk in Wittenberg, Luther, how he alone is so learned and can speak good German and write good books; but you are wrong both in this and in other things; look, I also have a booklet that is so good and better than Luther could ever make. He pulled it out of his bosom and threw it to the painter, who looked at it and said, "My lord and master, Luther made this booklet, except that his name is not on it; for I also have one here with me, which he himself gave me, with his name printed on it. When the duke inspected it and found nothing else but that it was Luther's work, he became quite angry about it and finally came out, cursing and saying: "It is a pity that such a hopeless monk should have made such a good little book. 2c.
*) This report by Spangenberg precedes Luther's concern in the Leipzig edition.