A rumor had come to Hall im Innthal from Italy that Luther had died, and his epitaph was written in German, Hebrew, Greek and Latin script. The papists were very pleased about this. Since many were saddened by this news, a messenger was sent from there to get a copy of this inscription. But when the messenger found Luther alive, he said to him, "Because I find your visibility alive, I ask you to give me a writing from your grave, so that I may comfort the pious people who are distressed." Doctor Martin said with a smile: "That is a wonderful thing; I have not yet written one of my days of my burial"; and finally he wrote the following: (Loesche, Analecta Lutherana, et Melanchthoniana,, p. 239, No. 367.)
This letter is found in Walch, vol. XXI, 1595; in Bindeseil, Colloquia,, tom. III, p. 171; in Erlanger Ausgabe, vol. 65, p. 221; in Kummer, p. 330 b (Lauterbach, p. 203; Serapeum 1870, p. 174); in Loesche I. c., p. 239; in De Wette-Seidemann, vol. VI, p. 193 2c. We give the text after Bindeseil.
I, Doctor Martin Luther, confess with this manuscript of mine that I am of one mind with the devil, the pope and all my enemies. For they would have liked me to die, and I grudged them such joy from the bottom of my heart, and would have gladly died in Schmalkalden, but God has not yet wanted to confirm such joy. He will do it, however, before they think, not to greater 2) happiness, and will sing once: Oh, that Luther were still alive! 3) This is the transcript from my grave German, Greek, Latin, Hebrew.
1) It was not until about the end of August that Spalatin informed the Elector that such a request had been made. Cf. No. 2377.
2) This is Loesche's reading; binding rope: "large".
3) The following is found in Walch, in the Erlangen edition and in De Wette-Seidemann.
No. 2353.