Luther asks for employment for his brother-in-law, Hans von Bora. - Burkhardt, p. 401, reports: At Luther's intercession for Hans von Bora, he became monastery administrator at Cronschwitz, Walpurgis 1542. Here he remained two years, when Monday after Oculi 1543 it was announced to him to give up the administration May 1, 1544, although his contract was until May 1, 1545.
From a manuscript volume in the Gotha Library in the Leipzig Supplement, p. 96, no. 179; in Walch, vol. XXI, 451; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 410 f. and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 336 f.
Grace and peace and my poor Pater noster. Most Serene, Highborn Prince, Most Gracious Lord! I recently wrote to E. C. F. G. and asked for my dear brother-in-law Hans von Bora. But after the letter was delivered by him, it was accidentally moved among other letters: I have to send it again. And if the letter would be found again, and he does not agree in some words, E. C. F. G. will graciously let me know, because I do not keep it all, and I do not keep a copy of my letters. The matter
Letters from the year 1541. No. 2858. 2859.
But this is that I have humbly asked E. C. F. G., and still ask, if E. C. F. G. has a little job, what it would be, to graciously provide him with it, as he will probably report verbally himself. I know that he is faithful and pious, and also skilful and industrious. But his fortune is not sufficient to maintain himself with his wife and child. He was headmaster of the nunnery in Leipzig; and although he would have liked to be charged, in the end he passed the bill honestly and shut the yappers up. In the end, I received this answer from my intercession that there was no lack of him. But they wanted to take back the goods of the nuns (as before). I had to let go of my thoughts on this, since I thought that he might have had to pay me back, because D. Pistor had been put back into the regiment, who might have remembered the book of stolen letters. But E. C. F. G. want to graciously show themselves against Hans von Bora, and where it is Christian, let a comforting answer be heard. Hereby God bless, Amen. Thursday after Martinmas [Nov. 17] 1541.
E. C. F. G. Martin Luther.
No. 2859.