Of the negotiations in Eisleben; of his journey, and of an indisposition he contracted in the process.
The original is at the library in Stuttgart. Printed in Zopfs Reise in einige Klöster Schwabens. Erl. 1786. 4th, and in De Wette, Vol. V, p. 782.
Grace and peace in the Lord! I also thank you, my dear Philip, for praying for me, and I pray that you will continue to pray for me. You know that I am old and how grossly I must be credited, even in my professional work. Now I am being dragged into an arduous conflict that is quite far removed from my studies and my inclinations and quite unsuitable for old age, so that I wish that at least you could be present, if not rather the consideration for your health compelled me to think that it was well done that we left you at home. Today, by God's grace, we killed, not without a very fierce quarrel, a porcupine which was more porcupine-like than the porcupine itself, "from the new town. We hope that henceforth the fights will be milder, God willing. I have severely annoyed D. Melchior 1) (as I see), because I was rather unwilling to the strict rights or the tips of the law, but he would have annoyed me before by his abominable error, little held in reins, in which he talks nothing but the most inflated victories, even before the fight. The jurists are deafened by the little knowledge (scientiola) of the law, the use of which, it seems to me, they all do not know at all, as it were as shameful and hired tongue-thrashers, who do not care about peace, commonwealth and religion; but for these things we are concerned, as always, so also now.
1) D. Melchior Kling, professor of law at Wittenberg and Mansfeld councilor.
On the journey, I was seized with a fainting spell and at the same time with the illness that you call tremorem ventriculi 2). I was walking on foot, but beyond my strength, so that I was sweating; afterwards, since the sweat had also chilled my shirt in the car, the cold injured a muscle of my left arm. Hence that tightness of the heart and, as it were, a manner of breathing; my age is to blame for that. But now I am quite well again, but how long this will last, I do not know, because nothing can be trusted in age, since even youth is not completely safe 3).
So far, at least, God has given that all the counts, and every single one of them, show an extraordinary goodwill towards each other; pray that God will maintain and increase this. Tomorrow, now that Encelades and Typhoeus 4) have been overcome, we will continue to pursue the remaining matters, among which we suspect "Pucher" of causing some trouble. But God lives, who may also keep the victory, amen. Fare well in the Lord, my dear Philip, and greet everyone, the pastor, the Creuziger, for whose prayers we give thanks, and have no small confidence that God will protect. Eisleben, the day before [Mary's] Purification [1 Feb].
Martin Luther, D.
No. 3302