Luther complains that the tree trunks given to him by the Elector and selected by his friends were sold by the bailiff without his will; now he wants that no other trees are cut down for ihu, unless his friends supervise them.
The original is at Gotha in Cod. chart. 122. fol. Printed by Buddeus, p. 272; by Sclegel, vita Spalatini, p. 248 and by De Wette, vol. V, p. 427. German by Walch, vol. XXI, 1312 ff.
To the highly famous and valuable man, Magister Georg Spalatin, the extremely faithful overseer of the churches in Meissen and pastor at Altenburg, his very dear brother.
Grace and peace in the Lord. My dear Spalatin! If the trees given to me by His Serene Highness are in accordance with the will and
are sold by order of our prince, then I am satisfied, but if it is otherwise, then it would please me very much that my property is sold by strangers without consulting me. For that would arouse suspicion, because I experience both here and everywhere how maliciously and fraudulently (not to say thievishly) they hand over to me, as is their custom, what the very good prince gives me honestly and abundantly. Everything that these predatory officials are supposed to hand over to us theologians, they consider to be completely lost, and think that it belongs to their robbery. After the feast of the birth of Christ, I would indeed have sent my own wagon, which was to drive one tribe after the other to Zülsdorf throughout the month. What should I do now? How can I hope that in the future other trees will be given to me without the prince knowing about it, or that I will be given the same good face again? Namely, the trees have been selected at my expense and under the supervision of my friends. Certainly, I want those who sold them to be asked for such or similar trees, because they did it without my order. I have said above about the will of the prince. This you can answer them, so that they also shall not cut down trees again, unless I have hired friends, as before. For I do not trust these birds of prey (harpyiis). Fare well in the Lord. January 12, 1542.
Deül M. Luther, D.
No. 2877.