362 LUTHER'S CORRESPONDENCE AND Let. a^
at the very hour of my arrival at Erfurt I sent it to him by my own messenger. At Erfurt, however, I was ill, and had to wait there seven days. At that time the new vicar. Dr. Link, came and visited me and asked whether I had received Dr. Staupitz's letter about Dr. Martin. I said no, which horrified his reverence, for he would have been glad to have had me receive said letter while I was with your Grace, that your Grace might thereby have understood Dr. Luther's atti- tude and the diligence of the fathers who were sent to him; for Link did not neglect to inform me what they had done and decreed, and told me that Luther was perfectly willing to write humbly to his Holiness, and show himself an obedient son, which I heard with great joy, and thereupon arose and rode to Altenburg. There I found Dr. Staupitz's letter and Luther's to Spalatin, of the former of which I send your Grace a copy. Then I rode back to Eisleben to the father vicar to find out whether he were minded to journey with me to a convenient place to meet Luther and come to a final decision in this affair. I found him at home, and thereupon went to Leipsic, where I found Dr. Eck making a great out- cry and noise. I did not hesitate to ask him to visit me, to find out what his purpose and will was. He acted hastily and frivolously, and began to speak of his commands and how he would teach Dr. Luther, and with sharp words he said that he had posted up the papal bull at Meissen on Sep- tember 21, at Merseburg on the 25th and at Brandenburg on the 29th. He gave me an accredited copy of the said bull, which I send your Grace. He carries his bull around in procession with great pomp. His Grace Duke George wrote one of his councillors to give Eck a gold-plated cup full of gulden.
But not minding his commission and bull, good pious chil- dren* on September 29 posted up a notice in ten places, of which I send your Grace a copy, threatening Eck so hard that he had to flee into the cloister of St. Paul, and dared not show himself.
supporter of Luther (c/. Smith, op. cit., pp. 53» 55). »nd took a considerable part in the negotiations with Miltitz.
- i. e., studenta at the univeraity.
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