Intercession for Caspar Falk to let him have his leasehold.
In the archive at Weimar 407. The signatures are original; the writing has both seals. Printed by Burkhardt, p. 321.
Most Serene, Highborn Prince and Lord! To Your Lordly Grace we are always ready with diligence and obedient service. Most gracious lord! Caspar Falck zu Bledyn, our especially good friend and brother-in-law, has now requested and indicated to us how he recently, as your churfl. Your Grace was here in Wittenberg, he sent a supplement to the same Your Lordship, in which he reports that his dear father, blessed, forty years ago left two hectares of land there in Bledyn to Your Lordship. for an annual interest, to build and to use; Among the same two farmsteads he has at present let fall one, the other one, however, his father blessed and he until now quietly and from manly unhindered driven, enjoyed and used, and from it paid the annual interest to the office Schweinitz, as to be found without doubt in all annual registers, unabated, the confidence, because such farmsteads are held in dignity, and completely no retardate of the interest is in arrears, such farmsteads would be left to him for further use. However, the Schweinitz castle is said to have given him notice of the same, whom he requested and amicably questioned as to the reasons for this: he is said to have received this answer, that E. churf. G. Rentmeister had this concern, that by the lapse of time it might be argued that such a hoof belonged to his property, and was not a chattel, as is then further shown in the mentioned supplement. And even though he was graciously promised that he would be provided with a gracious answer to his supplications, this still remained, perhaps because of many coincidental and especially the Leipzig business.1) For this reason, he has asked us quite diligently that we want him to humbly plead with E. churf. G. that the same E. churf. G. want him to remain graciously for the annual interest, from which he wants to pay the interest, as has happened so far, annually into the office undiminished and willingly. And if perhaps the same wants to be increased, that he will be
1) Namely, the Reformation of the University of Leipzig (cf. No. 2535).
Letters from the year 1539. No. 2539. 2540. 2541.
But if he does not use them, he will willingly give them to other farmers who use the other three plots. For if such hooves were stolen and taken from him, he would find it very difficult to maintain them, since he would otherwise have a small and narrow estate. Thus, some of his brothers would be out of the country, who would ever want a subsidy, and also Jörg Falck, one of his brothers at Segeren, would keep a good part of the meadow wax for himself for his need. In addition, he would still be a young landlord, married this year, and still provided with a small stock. Considering all this and other things, we could not refuse his request to us. In humility and submission, E. chf. G. want to resolve such distress in mercy, and to let the said falcon follow and remain the farm for the annual interest, and, to do so, graciously order the Schweinitz castle, so that the young landlord will pay off,2) and E. ch. G.'s knightly service, to which he then humbly offers himself. That is what we wanted to do for E. ch. G. we are willing to plead against God for their blessed regiment and welfare, 3) and in all submissiveness to earn obedience at all times. Date Wittenberg, on Sunday Trinitatis [June 1] Anno 1539.
E. ch. G.
subservient, obedient Martinus Luther, D. Justus Jonas, D.
No. 2540.