Request for improvement of his material situation.
The original is in the Weimar Archives, Reg. O, pag. 397. YY. N. 3. Printed by Burkhardt, p. 429.
Worthy, Respectable and Esteemed, Favorable Dear Sir! Ew. A. W. I, a poor priest, lament that I have now spent fifteen years in the parish of Moegel in the Silesian ministry, burdened with nine small, uneducated children, one of whom has been afflicted with seven years of constant illness to this day, It is daily afflicted with ulcers of the limbs and aches of the head, but nevertheless must have its food and drink, and the income of the parish is very low, because I have annually not [more than] 8 malt of grain, 5 malt of oats, 2 old shocks of offering money, 16 Gr. annual interest, from which I have to live the whole year.
1) He is also called Steger, Acta Boruss. II, 482. 485.
shoes, clothes, books and all necessities. The fodder for the cattle, which belongs to the parish, is no more than 2 small loads of hay, which I still brought to the parish, only two years ago, which a farmer had previously pulled under himself, and wanted to keep by force for his own. So, as God lives, I have forfeited 120 guilders these 15 years, 2) which I had in arrears on my sold little house in Wittemberg, and have not done this with splurging, indulgence or some excess, but the narrow and dry housekeeping has caused it grossly, because I am not allowed to drink up a bushel of grain during the year, but I must buy it again and borrow it; the hay is as blackish and small as half of the grain; when I bring it to the market, it is not worth 3 gr. Accordingly, my high, diligent request to E. A. W. is that E. A. W., out of favorable consideration for my reported need and small children, will favorably help to decree that the Elector, my lord, may grant me a loan. Lord, grant me, a poor man (as has happened to several pastors before), a small allowance of 15 fl. per year, which S. Ch. F. G. graciously wished to give, because without this I can no longer stay in the parish I have touched, because I no longer have to atone for 3) and for the sake of poverty alone I am urged to go elsewhere, because it is the smallest parish, both in the Schweinitz and Sido [Seyda?] office, as 4) both castles will give me sufficient testimony.
Also, worthy, highly esteemed, respectable and favorable lord, there are two farmers (paur) who are servants of this parish. Now I can enjoy them very little, because if they are to serve me at times in small things, which happens rarely, and since I give them food and drink all the time, out of no duty, but out of good will, there is nothing but vain displeasure, rumbling, cursing and scolding with mocking slanderous words against my wife and child, by which another is often moved to anger, and an annoyance may arise from it. And because they are of little service to me and also to my offspring, I consider that it would be of little disadvantage to the said parish, even if the same peasants would be smitten with services, according to S. Ch. F. G.'s gracious will, either to Schweinitz or Sidisch Amt, and that the parishes might receive a small allowance for it, which I have promised to S. Ch.
2) "zugebüßt" == added to. See below.
3) "nachzubüßen" (== to add) put by us instead of: "nachzubeißen" in Burkhardt. Compare above: "120 Gulden zugebüßent".
4) Burkhardt: "the".
Letters from the year 1543. No. 3047. 3048. 3049.
F. G.'s gracious favor. E.A. W. did not want to note and accept such my necessary request in any other way than that it was caused by great and urgent need and no stinginess, which I will never forget to ask for E.A. W.'s health and blessed welfare with heartfelt prayer to God. Date Tuesday after Mauritius [Sept. 25] Anno Domini in 1543.
E. A. W. quite willing
Nicolaus Baserinus, pastor to the Mögel of the office to Sido.
No. 3048.