News from home and consolations.
Handwritten in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 354. Printed in Schütze, vol. III, p. 178 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 336.
Grace and peace! Although there was nothing I could have written to you, my dear Philip, I have sent this messenger to you.
Letters from the year 1541. no. 2762. 2763.
I did not want to come to you without a letter from me, so that you would know, for example through this testimony from my hand, that we are still alive; but today, since the sun was bright, the air quite spring-like, the earth lovelier than usual, I noticed that I am much better. In your house, however, everything is fine, and your dream about this son is especially wrong. For 1) I believe Sebald's 2) Aennchen and your niece (neptis) were attacked by a slight fever (calore), but there is no danger. About our Blank the others will write to you; he died sooner than I learned anything. It is said that he was not careful, in that he did not avoid the baths during the fever, and at the same time wanted to quench his thirst with much drinking, by which he killed himself. In the meantime, we ask the prince 3) to order music from a part of his salary. We do not yet know what will happen at the court. In the meantime, a letter from Bucer has reached us, written to you, which we have read: about the arrival of Cardinal Contarenus and other histories, which you have certainly heard from him yourself long ago. I wish these monsters luck for this contempt. May God add many thousands more to the revenge on the arsons and on all blasphemies, amen. Satan, however, has invented a new art to kill us: poison is mixed with wine. Plaster under the milk. Again, at Jena, twelve died from poisoned wine; but we attribute it to the wine itself, to excess. However, it is said that in Magdeburg and Nordhausen it was discovered that the milk offered for sale was poisoned. But Christ has put everything under his feet; as long as he wants and as much as he wants, we will suffer. Meanwhile we reign, and they perish; whether they will or not, they will let the earth be founded on his ground [Ps. 104:5], and the ground be prepared for the waters. But much less will they snatch the heavens from the Lord of heaven. But if He
1) Instead of non we have assumed enim.
2) D. Sebald Münsterer. Cf. no. 2591.
3) In letter No. 2758.
is unharmed and alive, and reigns, we also will remain unharmed, alive and kings, after the enemies are thrown under our feet, amen. Greetings to you and to all of you from our Church, which also faithfully prays for you. Fear not: you are angels, rather messengers, namely of the great angel, whom I call archangels, 4) not ours, but of the Church, yes, of God Himself, whose cause it is that you act; this even the gates of hell cannot deny, and if they resist, they will not yet prevail. The lion of the tribe of Judah has long since gained the victory from the beginning of the world, but before the world was created, so that all this is nothing, whatever the vile lion and dragon may bite, undertake and accomplish. Farewell. Respectfully greet all of our people in my name. Anno 1541, Yours, Martin Luther, D.
No. 2763.