MARTIN LUTHER, DOCTOR To Mrs. Martin Luther Halle, January 25, 1546 "I am writing, my James, as an old man, decrepit, sluggish, tired, cold, and now also one-eyed,1 and as a man who now that he has died would be given the highly deserved rest (as it seems to me) he was hoping for. [But] as if I had never worked, written, said, or done anything, so I am now overloaded with matters on which I have to write, speak, negotiate, and act. Yet Christ is all in all; he is capable of doing all things, and he does them; blessed be he in eternity. Amen." So wrote Luther to James Propst, his friend of many years, on January 17, 1546.2 Approximately a week later, on January 23, Luther embarked on yet another journey to the counts of Mansfeld to mediate their controversy,3 that "pig business" as Gregory
Brück called it.4 And three weeks later, while in his native town of Eisleben, Luther passed away in the early hours of February 18, having successfully accomplished his mission.5
It is one of the ironies of history that the man who for approximately one half of his life had stood at the center of controversy, and who in the words of the Edict of Worms of 1521 was "like a madman plotting the manifest destruction of the holy church," who "writes nothing which does not arouse and promote sedition, discord, war, murder, robbery and arson"6 was to spend his declining physical strength in efforts to bring about peace among the ruling family of his native land.
Letters Nos. 314 through 325 are all of the extant letters which Luther wrote during these final weeks of his life while he was away from Wittenberg.7 In letter No. 314, written from Halle two days after Luther had left Wittenberg, Luther informs his wife that he is unable to continue his journey because a flood and the drifting of the ice on the Saale River make the crossing of this river too dangerous. Jokingly he mentions that under these circumstances Katie would certainly have suggested not going on; by not continuing the journey, Luther gently teases, Katie could see that he at least once followed her advice.
Text in German: WA, Br 11,269.8
To my kind and dear Katie Luther,9 a brewer and a judge10 at the pig market11 at Wittenberg: Personal Grace and Peace in the Lord! Dear Katie! Today at eight we drove away from Halle, yet did not get to Eisleben, but returned to Halle again by nine. For a huge female Anabaptist met us with waves of water and great floating pieces of ice; she threatened to baptize us again, and has covered the [whole] countryside.12 But we are also unable to return because of the Mulde [River] at Bitterfeld,13 and are forced to stay captive here at Halle between the waters—not that we are thirsty to drink of them.14 Instead we take good beer from Torgau and good wine from the Rhine, with which we refresh and comfort ourselves in the meantime, hoping that the rage of the Saale [River] may wear itself out today. For since the ferryman and the people themselves were of little courage [to try to cross], we did not want to go into the water15 and tempt God. For the devil is angry at us, and he lives in the water.16 Foresight is better than hindsight, and there is no need for us to prepare a fool's delight for the pope and his hangers-on,17 I did not think that the Saale could create such a flood18 and rumble over the stones19 and everything in such a way.
No more for now. You people pray for us, and be good. I am sure that, if you were here, you too would have advised us to proceed in this way; [so,] you see, at least once we are following your advice.
With this I commend you to God. Amen.
On the day of the conversion of St. Paul,20 when we too turned away from the Saale and returned to MARTIN LUTHER, DOCTOR
Eisleben,1 January 29, 1546 Luther arrived in Eisleben on January 28. The next day he wrote the following letter to George of Anhalt, confirming the receipt of a letter from him. Luther also tells George that Melanchthon stayed in