But not the St. Valentine,the god of frail humanity,but the one sole Valentine,who heals all who trust in I hope by His grace at lengthto be made whole.
We are alreadyhere eightdays doing nothing. All are sick of the place and of this idleness,and long to depart. The Princes and towns are occupiedwith entirely different matters from what we imagined,and do not ask us to join. May the Jesusbless their deliberations.
Bleikardt have become the Pope's enemies.
Ah, how mercilessly theytorture him throughhis own decrees More by word of mouth.
Emperor's ambassador arrived last night. To-day we shall perhaps hear We eat the bread of the Landgrave and the Herzog of Wtirtemburg(forthese have the best bakers),and we drink wine with the We receive meat and fish from But you know from experiencethat the firm,heavybread is a seed for stone.
Perhaps I shall learn this also,for the bread both at Court and in town is the same.
They have also excellent trout, but they boil them in the same water with other fish,and serve them up in the soup I beg the cooks to deliver them alive,and I then have them preparedby the Nurnbergcooks.
Certainly it is the express command of the Princes that we should be suppliedwith everything, and that all should be delicately cooked, but it is consumed and spoiledby tradesmen and servants, as is the way at I have nothingelse to write about.
Farewell,and pray for us.
Luther was seriously ill. Myconius,the Elector,Melanchthon, and Spalatinprayedearnestly at his bedside, and he was taken in a royalcarriage to Grace and peace in Christ !
Meantime you must hire horses,dear Kathie,for what you require, for my gracious lord will keep your horses,and send Philiphome with them.
I left Schmalkalden yesterdayand drove hither in 's own carriage.I was very ill in Schmalkalden, not three days well ; could neither sleep,eat, nor drink.
In short,I was almost dead, and commended you with the children to Lord, never expectingto see you again. If God had not had mercy upon me,
I would have been in my grave.
But the earnest prayers and tears of so many peoplehave effected what medicine was powerlessto do, and last nightI got relief, and feel as if I had been born anew.
Therefore let the dear children, with God, the faithful Father, without whom this father would certainly have been lost.
The pious Prince sent messengers flying in all directions for help,but it was of no avail.
Your remedy was useless.
Verily God has done wondrous thingsfor me this night,and will continue to do this throughthe prayers of piouspeople. I write all this to you, because my most graciouslord ordered you to be sent for,fancyingI would die on the road,and wished you to see me
; but now it is not necessary, so you can remain at home, for God Himself has abundantlyhelped me, and I can look forward to a joyfulhome-coming.
Today we are in Gotha.^ I have written you four times,and wonder that nothinghas reached you.
Luther callsTambach his Peniel,for there the Lord delivered him from his sore distress, for the time at least.
Father of mercy and all consolation,who saw your prayers and tears, and in the second watch of the night, my dearest Philip,contrary to all expectation, gave the deliverance which had been so long looked for in vain.
This letter was written at night.