The Elector asks Luthern not to give the Landgrave a final answer in the marriage matter.
From the Weimar Archives, C, p. 163 ff. N. 19-26, fol. 71, a concept with many corrections, printed by Burkhardt, p. 352.
Our greeting before. Venerable and reverend, dear devotee! After the highborn Prince, Mr. Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse, our kind and dear cousin, brother, and we are now all here in Schmalkalden, we are told that his dear one sent a messenger to you yesterday before the date, and perhaps wrote to you about the matters in which you and several others have previously advised his lordship, and which his lordship has now brought into execution. Since all sorts of things will happen as a result of this, we are concerned that S. L. might want to further secretly enable and induce you in his existing opinion that
the House of Saxony, for the sake of the hereditary brotherhood and otherwise, may not be convenient: our gracious request is that you do not reply against S. L. with a final answer, where S. L.'s letter seeks such or what he would like to learn. 1) this time, but to write down your answer freshly, 2) until the other of our theologians returns to Wittenberg, then we want to talk about it with those who trust such things before, but in all cases you want to trust us and send copies of S. L.'s letter, where he will send a report, or make a report of it. Hereby you do our pleasing opinion, and are inclined to you with but graces and kindnesses. Date Schmalkalden, Wednesday after Qüasimodogeniti [April 7] 1540.
No. 2640a.