Luther gives his verdict on Antonius Musa. News about the armaments for the Brunswick War.
The original is at Dresden in Cod. Seidel. Printed by Schütze, vol. I, p. 367 and by De Wette, vol. V, p. 763. German by Walch, vol. XXI, 1754 f.
2) Lauterbach has written in the margin: "She has received punishment. Because after the death of D. M. L. she married him. They fell into extreme poverty with their children." - But compare the note to No. 3236.
To the in Christ venerable father and lord, Mr. Nicolaus, the right bishop of the church at Naumburg, his superior and exceedingly gracious lord.
Grace and peace in Christ! We have received the silver coins, venerable Father and Lord, and we all give thanks, both for the gift and for the goodwill. Antonius Musa, 1) as I got to know him in Merseburg, seems to be a good man, who has also recommended himself to us in all things in the best way. He has this fault, however, that he sometimes bursts out with clumsy words. But I believe that he has a sincere mind, therefore it seems to me that this weakness must be borne, in which he is inclined to dispute against those who are younger than he, as if he did not want to suffer being dominated by them. I have no doubt that, admonished by people older than he is, he would yield in all things, as he has also promised me verbally. That is how man is. He has a musical (musicum) head 2c.
About the Brunswick War, as I have written before, strange rumors are spread. In the beginning he had 2) only 6000 3) foot soldiers without guns (machinis bellicis) and 1200 horsemen. In the meantime the number has grown, so that now it is spread that he has 20,000 men of selected foot soldiers and 2500 horsemen. Of ours we know nothing that they undertake or suffer, except that from a letter D. "Brücken, dated October 6, that the Elector has 9,000 soldiers and 1,300 horsemen under arms, as many as Duke Moritz, as many as the Landgrave, that is 27,000 soldiers and 3,900 horsemen, 4) and that they are still streaming in from all sides. If the cold does not intervene, this war seems to become a Pfaffen war (Pfaffense), with which they have been pregnant for more than 20 years. God finally put the pope to shame. It is not hidden.
1) He was a preacher at Erfurt, later at Jena, and assisted the bishop of Merseburg in the visitation of the churches (De Wette).
2) Duke Henry of Brunswick.
3) In text: 6000 miIIia; millia is either misspelling or misprint for millitum.
4) Instead of milites we have assumed equites.
that the collegiate churches (CoIlegiatus Ecclesias) contribute your Heinz money. I suspect the emperor to be unworthy, and his brother Ferdinand to be the worst scoundrel. Dear God! How much money and time is wasted here. May the Lord do what is good and preserve His Church and His Word for us, for the blessedness of many, amen. May Your Grace 5) be well. On the day of the 11,000 virgins [October 21] 1545.
Your Martin Luther, D.
No. 3266.