is August 24 (C. R. 2, No. 1305), and since Brück in his answer to the Elector's August 19 request for counsel on the draft of this final reply obviously informed the court that Melanchthon was no longer in Wittenberg, so that the Elector's August 24 letter was sent to Melanchthon in Jena, it was impossible for Luther to have seen the final version and to have already communicated with Melanchthon about it by August 29; see p. 87, at notes 11 and 13. Luther was disturbed about the content and tone of the draft of this letter (see also WA, Br 7, 243) which he could have seen on the evening of August 19 at the very earliest; consequently soon after this date he wrote to Melanchthon the no-longer extant letter mentioned above (p. 87), obviously in an attempt to prepare Melanchthon for this letter and comfort him with, among other thoughts, a certain rumor about the French envoys (which Luther had most probably heard while he was in Torgau); see p. 87, n. 14. While in his letters to Brück and Melanchthon the Elector gave a long list of reasons why he refused to grant Melanchthon the requested leave of absence, in the final analysis it is quite clear that the Elector was annoyed at Melanchthon, that he would have felt embarrassed if his famous professor had gone to France, the enemy of the Empire, and that he simply did not wish
Melanchthon to go to France. Melanchthon had no choice but to accept the Elector's verdict, and on August 28 he wrote to King Francis declining the invitation to France; C. R. 2, No. 1306. And Luther tried to make the best out of these events, as his September 1 letter to Jonas demonstrates; see WA, Br 7, 246.
[Wittenberg,] September 4, 1535 Luther, anticipating Jonas' arrival in Wittenberg to participate in a graduation, jovially explains the suggestions he had made regarding the speech Jonas is to deliver at this graduation. He also asks Jonas to buy, or somehow help to acquire, some of the supplies necessary for the banquet2 which the Luthers intend to give in connection with this graduation. Then Luther mentions the victories which Emperor
Charles had gained over the Turks in Africa, and tells of the establishment of some religious regulations enjoined by Duke George of Saxony and Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz upon their people in an attempt to assure the successful outcome of the Emperor's campaign. He concludes by sending his wife's and his own good-humored greeting to the Jonas family.3
On Justus Jonas, see LW, 48, 275, n. 3.
Text in Latin: WA, Br 7, 249–250.4
I hope that you have received the letter5 and disputations,6 my Jonas, and that at the same time you learned that we, the pig, wanted to teach you, Minerva,7 what to say at the graduation. Now the chief cook, our lord Katie, asks you to accept this coin8 and to buy for us poultry or fowl,9 or whatever in that airy kingdom of our feathered friends is subject to the dominion of man (and may be eaten)10—but (for God's sake) no ravens, though we are quite eager to devour all the sparrows at once.11 Should you spend more, it will be repaid you. Further, if you can buy, or hunt at no expense to yourself, some rabbit or similar meaty delicacies send them along, for we intend to satisfy the bellies of all of you, if that drink called beer finally turns out all right. For my Katie has cooked 7 Quartalia (as they call them) into which she has mixed 32
Scheffel of malt, because she wants to satisfy my palate.12 She hopes it will turn out to be good beer.
Whatever it is, you and the others will taste it.
There is no news, except what you already know13 about the Emperor's victory in Africa.14 Duke George15 and the Bishop of Halle,16 however, held a meeting and decided to require their people, for the good of the Emperor, to fast three times per week, and to receive only one part of the sacrament17 so that in the future everything will turn out successfully. If Charles should reach Constantinople18 (which God may grant), then it will not be God who will have accomplished this, but [rather] those three fast days and the one part of the sacrament. The poet certainly is right when he says: "Those who are as smart as you are can easily transfer to themselves the glory created by the efforts of others."19 Now I understand why
Terence20 calls that Thraso21 a wicked person. [But] these words originate with Scipio and Laelius, and not with Terence.22 Yet Christ lives and sees this wickedness of devils and men, wickedness too great to be put into words. We, however, live too, and rejoice in that raging of devils and men, and intend even to put on a banquet and a feast day while they miserably chafe—especially if you happily arrive here23 with