She reports that envoys from Herford were dispatched to Luther in order to counteract the Fratres, whose booklet Luther had approved. Because the deputies did not want to take the letters of the brothers, she granted them their own messenger, and she asks Luther to instruct the preachers and deputies in what serves peace.
Handwritten at Wittenberg, Ms. Pagendarm., x. 41. Printed in Erl. This letter was answered on April 22, 1533. We give the text written in Low German dialect in a High German translation.
1) John of Bora.
2) Anna, Countess of Limburg (d. 1565), supported by Bishop Erich of Paderborn, had resisted for two years against the insistence of the citizenry on the admission of the Gospel, but finally, out of fear, when she saw the executioner with the axe among a deputation sent to her, she consented to the concession of the churches. She tried to protect the Fraterhaus against attacks on its privileges, which she also succeeded in doing. (Erl. Briefw.)
To the worthy, highly learned Doctor Mart. Luther of Wittenberg, our especially dear devotee.
We Anna von Limburg, 3) von GOttes Gnaden des frei edlen Stiftes Herford, Paderbornsches Kresams, Aebtissin (Ebdisse).
Our favor and friendly greeting ahead. Dignified, highly learned, dear devotees! So our dear faithful and subjects, the fratres within our city of Herford, by manifold accusation have handed us a booklet, reporting the state of their lives, which E[ure] L[iebden], 4) as we reported, Christian and sincere recognized: our faithful, the of Herford, are not satisfied with it, have taken all their goods before them and have written them out, 5) notwithstanding we have forbidden them such, after the same fratres have sat on our land, and have some of our fiefs and leaseholds in use, also subject to our authority and exemption. Since the aforementioned fratres have offered their cause to us, as the authorities here, to the right, that we have also ordered to hold the day's performance on the next Wednesday (Godensdach) after Misericordias Domini [May 1]. May], in devotion, how Christianly and properly to continue therein, we now learn, the preachers with some of their followers, perhaps in opinion, such notice and booklet, recognized by E. L. [for] right, unheard, although they [the fratres] such to read them often (vaken) offered, to refute (wedder to leggende), made to E. L.. After the same sent ones of the fratres did not want to or were not allowed to take along the enclosure and letters, they [the fratres] attacked us and asked us to grant our messengers to carry them such their information to E. L. 6). And if they have carried their nature in writing to E. L. before, and still daily (degelix) wanted to hear such [writing], we completely understand [that] they do not tell lies in it (keyn lögentall), but the true (Luther) truth, as E. L. also notes and recognizes. L. also notes and recognizes, and we do not hear otherwise, would therefore be necessary [that] the preachers and skilled would be subjected, so that Christian peace and unity may flourish. Such
3) "Lymborch" is to be dissolved by "Limburg", not by: "Limberg".
4) "J. L." - Juwe Liefften.
5) This is our assumption. In our original we find: "dan allet vor sick genomen ere guder, und hebbent up to schreven" 2c.
6) Our original offers: "enne solden solke"; we have omitted the word "solden".
Addendum to the letters from 1531 to 1536.
We E. L., ordered by the Almighty God, did not like to leave good opinion unindicated. Date highlighted under our Pitschier (pitzer). Sunday Misericordias Domini [April 14] in the year of Christ vyftheyn hundred twe and dertich.
Anna.
No. 1888b.