Luther writes that, since he has now received the Elector's order to return, he wants to leave soon. He asks that some of the etchant be sent to him, with which his leg wound is being kept open, and so on.
Manuscript in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 474. Printed in Camerar. vit. Melanchth. ed. nov., p. 451; in Ratzebergers Geh. Gesch., edited by Strobel, p. 51; in Strobel-Ranner, p. 29; in Schütze, vol. I, p. 381 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 790 f.
To Philipp Melanchthon, his very worthy brother in Christ.
Grace and peace! Today I received the very pleasant letter from the prince calling me home, my dear Philip, and I hurry to leave, since I am full of these things. But see to it, I beg of you, that at least, if I should be on the journey, a messenger comes to meet me, who brings a little of the herb with which my thigh is kept open. For almost the entire wound that opened in Wittenberg has healed; you know how dangerous that is. And here they don't have such etchants. My Käthe
1) We have resolved F. by fidus, since frater, the otherwise usual resolution for F., would probably not fit here, according to the high titulatures Major attaches to his addressees, namely: vestra praestantia and vestrae excellentiae, which we have given by "Ew. Ehrwürden".
I know in which place in my room this kind of so necessary herb is.
Pope Paul the Third died and was buried on the third of January, it is written here that it is certainly the truth. The Bishop of Cologne summons Count Albrecht by letter to a meeting of the Counts in Nordhausen on the first of March, in order to negotiate with them about matters concerning the Counts. For he thinks that the Counts should be excluded from the Bishopric of Cologne. Other things, God willing, in short verbally. For I want to break away. Fare well in the Lord. February 14, 1546, your Martin Luther.
No. 3312.