Luther uses himself for a relative of his wife with Jonas as a visitator that the house in which he lived be left to him.
Manuscript in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 239. Printed in Schütze, vol. III, p. 43 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 63 f.
To the Archbishop Justus Jonas.
Grace and peace in the Lord! Paul von Rachwitz has been with me, whom you knew in Bitterfeld from a certain house, which, like
he says, formerly belonged to the ecclesiastical property (ecclesiastica), but has already been sold to the third heir, to free him, or rather, under return of the purchase price, to rob him, and asks that I intercede for him, so that he is not forced to move away or to change the apartment. I, however, although I know that you are acting with the utmost fairness, have, in order to do enough for the man, wanted to ask for him whether the house could be left to him. Therefore I ask you to do with your fellow bishops what is permissible. This compels me to ask somewhat cautiously that he be a relative of my wife and the husband of a certain nun, 1) so that it may not appear that I am seeking what is ours, but I have not wished to evade even that which is recommended to me by such relations. Fare well in the Lord. Given on April 12, 1537; yours, Martin Luther.
No. 2355.