News. About Luther's condition, his work and his wife's occupations.
From Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 227, in Schütze, vol. II, p. 357 and in De Wette, vol. I V, p. 644 f.
Grace and peace in Christ! Doctor Christian Baur 2) passed away eight days ago today. Thus writes M. Philippus. The illness was a fever, to which a cough and an outpouring of moisture (stillicidium) from the head into the chest had been added by the journey. I am sending the letter. Drück is not in Prague, as you will read in Philippus' letter. We have not yet heard anything about the Austrian journey 3). Last Sunday, the plague took away Schadewalt, our best citizen. Now again peace [before the plague] has been and still is. My chest also suffers from a salty 4)dampness (stillicidium) and at times some coughing. Many students are returning. In addition I have
1) Luther received his doctorate on October 19, 1512. Therefore, the year M. D. XXXII at the end of this letter in Latin is wrong. This is also proven by the report about the messenger who fell among the robbers.
2) In a letter of Melanchthon, Corp. Ref., Vol. II, 961, "he is called "Bair", and according to the letter of the same, ibid. Col. 964, the churfürstlicher Rath Christian Bayer will be understood.
3) The Elector made a trip to Vienna in the late year to receive the enfeoffment (De Wette).
4) Aurifaber offers sulsum; Schütze and De Wette: falsum; we assumed sulsum.
nothing [to write]. I wonder where the Pope's legate may be or where he may have gone, about whom, as about the whole Concilium, there is such a great silence. Greet your whole family (carnem) and pray for us. On the day of Simonis and Jude [Oct. 28].
No. 2186.