This letter is the answer to a missing letter of Luther to the duke, dated April 9, 1544.
Printed in Faber's collection of Luther's letters to Duke Albrecht, p. 57 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 647.
Our greeting before. Venerable, respectable and highly learned, especially beloved! The respectable and well-learned M. Andreas Aurifaber has given us your letter, which went out on Wednesday 1) in Wittenberg. Now we would have liked to answer your person again with our own hand; however, the said M. Andreas will report with what manifold business we have been burdened now, by which we were prevented from doing the same, graciously requesting that you excuse us this time. And first of all, the high thanksgiving for the Börnstein spoons 2) would have been unnecessary, because you certainly would have
1) This is the Wednesday before Easter; in 1544 it was April 9.
2) As we can see from a letter of thanks from Melanchthon to the duke, dated April 8, 1544, the duke had also sent spoons made of amber to Melanchthon and Bugenhagen.
Letters from the year 1544. No. 3112. 3113.
I respect you for this, in which we graciously know how to help you, that you shall feel us as the gracious Lord at all times. 1) In addition, we have heard with heartfelt pity that your person is so severely tormented by the calculum (the stone), and we have noted with joy that the means needed for this, especially the Agtstein, 2) are helpful to you. Accordingly, because we, as reported above, are completely gracious to your person, we did not want to refrain from sending you several grains of white friable stone, calling upon the most high dear God to give his grace, so that through this good stone the evil stone may be completely driven away, and you may therefore be so much calmer for the rest of your life. Where such a boulder is removed from you, you have to inform us in time and let us know, we want to provide you with more (so that you may not attack or split the paternoster, which we sent you and which you have on the engraving according to your letter, but may keep it for a remembrance, why we sent it to you). We graciously thank you for the new newspapers you have sent us, and graciously request that you often have no difficulty in attributing to us what is going on with you. We have also at your request graciously shown ourselves to the said M. Andreas, and of our oversight in such a way that he may justly feel our mercy 2c. 3) Herewith we do our best to keep you fresh and healthy for a long time, together with our beloved wife and daughter, as well as our country and people, in your devout, heartfelt prayer. Date Holland, May 8, 1544.
No. 3113 .