A joking letter in which Luther asks for all German publications published in Nuremberg in the last year to be sent to him.
Manuscript at Gotha in Cod. 185. 4. and at Hamburg in the Wolf Library, O, 14. From the collection of Caspar Sagittarius at Jena in Schütze, vol. I, p. 394 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 680 f. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1445 and in Strobel's "Sammlung einiger auserlesener Briefe des s. D. M. Luthers" (Nürnberg 1780. 8.), no. 35. - The two codices and Walch have fer. III. (Tuesday) instead of "Monday.
To the highly famous and honored man, Wenceslaus Link, theologian and servant of Christ, his brother in the Lord!
"Grace and peace in Christ! Because it has long since been several ages "that I neither write nor speak Latin," best wen
ceslaus, so that I fear I would not know even my old Latin, - except 'that I believe thou sufferest from a like peril: therefore I hope that this faith shall justify me before thee without evil and good works, because thou art a gracious God toward so great sinners, as thou wouldst have them do unto thee in like sins, Amen.
There was nothing I could have written, except that I did not want to let these very honorable evangelists go away without letters, namely Mrs. Detzelin (Detzelinam) with her daughters. I would also have sent several golden mountains, but our Elbe has often gone out during these years and has carried all the gold sand with it, leaving us stones and pebbles, from which several atoms have stuck in the pages of Justus Jonas, 1) although he is an extraordinary enemy of the Epicureans, who disputes about atoms. But so I joked, even sick and healthy, weak and strong, a sinner and a righteous man, next dead and alive in Christ. You, who are there among golden and silver streams, please, send me not these dreams (somnia,) but poetic seeds (semina,) which I like very much. Don't you understand?
"I will speak German, my gracious Lord Wenceslas. If it is not too difficult for you, nor too much, or too long, or too far, or too high, or too deep, and the like, I ask you to let some boy collect all German pictures, rhymes, songs, books, master songs, which have been painted, poetized, made, and printed by your German poets and form cutters or printers this year, for I have reason why I would like to have them. We can make Latin books here ourselves; we are diligently learning to write German books here, and hope that we will make it almost as good, where we have not already done it, so that no one should like it. Fare well in Christ and pray for me. May the Lord be with you and your whole fletch, and greet all of us. Monday after Oculi [March 20] 1536.
D. Mart. Luther, "as well a doctor as yourselves.
1) Jonas often suffered from stone complaints.
No. 2219.
Elector Johann Friedrich to Luther.
The Elector asks Luthern to take care of the preacher of the Count of Neuenar during his stay in Wittenberg.
The original concept is in the Weimar Archives, Reg. N, p. 109. Printed by Burkhardt, p. 246.
Our greeting before. Venerable, dear devotee ! After the well-born, our councilor and dear faithful, Wilhelm, Count of Neuenar, has now been here with us, he has taken with him his preacher that he may address [you and others] our scholars at Wittenberg and inform you, and has asked us to be helpful to him for this purpose in Wittenberg. Since we are inclined to the said count, who loves the divine word above all others, with all graces, and the said 1) preacher has been known to Spalatino and Frederick Mecum on the next of our journeys in the country to some 2) who declare him to be learned and pious with us, you want him to come to you and prove good will to him, and also entertain him with food during the time he will be there; therefore we want you to pay him. We would not have you do this, and do us a gracious favor. Date Weimar, Friday after Oculi [March 24] Anno 1536.
No. 2220.