Here is a letter to be added, which Luther not only drafted, but also wrote himself, except for the signature and address. We had overlooked this letter.
No. 677b.
King Christian of Denmark to Prince Frederick of Saxony.
The King asks the Elector to negotiate with King Ferdinand, his (the King's) brother-in-law, that he will "provide him and his own with an honest pension". He is willing to transfer to Ferdinand all right and power he has over the kingdoms. Furthermore, he asks for advice where he can stay with his wife, since his brother-in-law, the Margrave of Brandenburg, does not want to give him safe conduct in his country.
The letter is written by Luther's own hand. The original is in the Weimar Archive c, p. 252. Printed by Burkhardt, p. 66 and in Erl. Briefw., vol. IV, p. 257.
Grace and peace in Christ. Highborn Prince, kind dear cousin! 1) That we strive for your love, you shall hear from us in the best way, after E. L. has borne our pending need with good knowledge, and we comfortingly provide ourselves with everything good, especially to E. L.. As we have now in the next farewell 2) kindly requested to communicate with the Highborn 2c. Ferdinando, our dear brother-in-law, 3) to act in our matter, and E. 2. also put us off to use all diligence, and requested that we should give our opinion to E. L. in writing, the-
1) Christian II was a nephew of the Elector through his mother Christine. Fugitive since April 14, 1523, he arrived in Schweiniß on September 17, and came to Wittenberg on October 10, went to Jüterbog on the 16th, where the Elector Frederick met with the Elector Joachim of Brandenburg and other princes to discuss an aid to be granted to King Christian for the reconquest of his country, which he did not obtain. After his return to Wittenberg, on October 28, he again personally addressed the Elector in Colditz, and here by letter, that he might intercede for him with Ferdinand at the upcoming Imperial Diet in Nuremberg; but nothing happened for him in Nuremberg either. In Wittenberg, he lived in Lucas Cranach's haufe, and at that time gave a golden ring to Catharina von Bora. (Erl. Briefw.)
2) to Colditz.
3) His wife Isabella was a sister of Carl V and Ferdinand.
In addition, our friendly request that E. L. stop. For although we place everything in the hands of the divine will, especially for our own sake, it is still fair to take care of those whom God has commanded us, as our dearest spouse and child, so that they may not finally stand in an uncertain state. So we ask E. L. to act with our dear brother-in-law, Mr. Ferdinand, so that his love will provide us and our spouse and children with an honest pension. If this should not be the case, we would nevertheless have to do what God requires us to do, and would be prepared, if it were E. L. and s. L.'s council and opinion, to do everything. L.'s advice and opinion, we would be ready to hand over all the rights and powers we have in the kingdoms to his love and let them be fully accepted by us, and in return we would take from his love, so that we would not have to be in error for a long time or eternally and see misery in our own. E. L. wants to let her most faithfully request this (sic) according to Christian love duty, as we make no doubt that we again want to be found most diligently to blame. Also, Reverend Prince, kind dear cousin, our request to E. L. is that you would inform us of your faithful advice and let us know where we are to stay with our dearest husband, since our brother-in-law, the Margrave, 4) does not intend to give us safe conduct in his lands. And that E. L. such letters, with the sign 5) written on the outside, nobody wants to read, but E. L. alone. Hereby commanded to God. Given at Wittenberg on the Friday after All Saints' Day [Nov. 6] in the M. D. and third and twentieth year.
Tuus Christianus.
4) Prince Joachim of Brandenburg was Christian's brother-in-law through his wife. That he did not want to tolerate the king in his country was probably due to the fact that he and the queen had heard Luther preach on October 6 and 10 and had turned to the Protestant doctrine, of which the Brandenburg was a zealous opponent. (Erl. Briefw.)
5) The character is: ^ss?r. (asservanäum).