Intercession for the local pastor Gabriel Zwilling.
From the original in Lingke, Luthers Gesch. zu Torgau, p. 93; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 756 and in the Erlanger Ausgabe, vol. 56, p. 142.
To the honorable and prudent, mayor and council of the city of Torgau, my favorable, good lords and friends.
G. u. F. im HErrn. Honorable, careful, dear lords and friends! Your parish priest, M. Gabriel, has asked me for this intercession to you: after he has previously given one beer 3) to his house from the honorable council, and bought two in addition, and should buy the fourth: that the same fourth beer should also be given to him. Although I now consider that he could have obtained it without my request, he nevertheless considered it valid that I give him a signatures. Because now an honorable
1) Ratzeberger's wife was the sister of the physician D. Johann Brückner in Gotha. Ratzeberger was the brother-in-law of Christoph Rühel.
2) Luther had not arrived back in Wittenberg until August 18. See the following letter.
3) "a beer", that is, the right to brew beer once a year.
I respect (for I have forgotten it in the amount of my business and thoughts) that I have thanked an honorable councilor for the barrel of beer [that] was given to me; if not, I still thank him kindly, for it has been almost good.
No. 3253.