(Unauthentic letter.)
This letter, which is found in De Wette, vol. V, p. 437 (with your wrong date: "February 24th") and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 56, p. 6, is in our opinion a fake, a combination of No. 2865 and the remodeled beginning of the letter of March 14th, 1542. That this letter belongs to the year t541, is also proved by No. 2866, the letter to Duke Moritz, in which Luther indicates that he writes at the same time to Count Albrecht. De Wette brings this letter from the alleged "in Eis
1) Apologia pro reverendis et illustribus Principibus Catholicis. Bucer responded to this in his Sctirift: De vera Ecclesiarum in doctrina de cerimoniis et disciplina reconciliatione, and gave in 1543 against this: Replica Joh. Eccii adversus scripta Buceri Apostatae. (De Wette.)
He considers it necessary to note: "This is officially assured; however, the orthography and grammar are not entirely Lutheran. It is superfluous to print the entire letter here, because the largest part is found word for word in No. 2865; however, for those who might doubt the correctness of our judgment, we place the beginning of the letter, remodeled from the letter of March 14, 1542, here. The address is as in No. 2865.
Grace and peace in the Lord and my poor Pater noster, etc. Most gracious and dear Sovereign! Your Grace would graciously hear my poor sighing, if I cannot begin my letter cheerfully because of the speech and cries, which I must hear daily with great sorrow because of my dear sovereigns, to Your Grace, without it not being my fault, so I am well sorry, and my childish heart hurts me. (This is followed by the two paragraphs indicated in No. 2865).
No. 2888.