Luther reports his return home. About the Imperial Diet at Hagenau; about Melanchthon's restoration; about forest fires.
1) That is, words sworn by an oath. See Melanchthon's letter to Veit Dietrich of Sept. 1, 1540, Corp. Ref. Vol. III, 1079: addito etiam jurejurando.
Letters from the year 1540. No. 2694. 2695. 2696.
The original is in the von Wallenrodt Library in Königsberg. Printed in Lilienthal's Erläut. Preußen, IV. B. (mutilated); in Borowski-Faber, p. 102; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 299 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 288.
The rich women of Zülsdorf, Doctor Katherin Luther, living in Wittenberg in the flesh and living in Zülsdorf in the spirit, to my beloved. - Absent your D. Pomeran, pastor, to break and to read.
. . 1) want to make sure that we find a good drink of beer with you. For, whether God wills it, tomorrow, Tuesday, we want to be on our way to Wittenberg. It is a mess with the Imperial Diet in Hagenow, effort and work is lost and expenses are in vain; but, although we have no longer achieved anything, we have hoisted M. Philipps out of the pit again and want to bring him home cheerfully from your grave, if God wills and with His grace, amen. The devil himself is possessed with new evil devils, burns and does harm, which is terrible. More than a thousand acres of wood in the Thuringian Forest have burned and are still burning for my most gracious lord. In addition, today there are newspapers that the forest at Werda has also caught fire, and many more places; no extinguishing will help. This will make expensive wood. Pray and let us pray against the wicked Satan, who seeks us not only in soul and body, but also in honor and glory most fiercely. Christ our Lord would come from heaven and blow up a little fire for the devil and his companions, which he could not put out, amen. I was not sure whether these letters would find you in Wittenberg or in Zülsdorf; otherwise I would have written about more things. Hereby commanded by God, amen. Greetings to our children, boarders and all. Monday after Jacobi [July 26] 1540. Your sweetheart
M. Luther, D.