I received the hundred gulden left to me through Tauben- heim ; Schart also gave fifty, so that I begin to fear that God is thus rewarding me. I protested against being thus en- riched by them, saying that if they continued I would return it or throw it away. What need have I of so much money? I gave half to the Prior [Helt] thus making him happy.
The younger prince' wrote me graciously, telling me what his uncle the elector answered about my cause.
I have sent my Postilla on the Epistles and Gospels to the press. I will dedicate them to the elector unless you advise otherwise. . . . Martin Luther, Augustinian.
379. ULRICH VON HUTTEN TO GEORGE SPALATIN AT
WORMS.
Bocking, ii. 4. Ebernburg, January 16, 1521.
Although I was going to write you anyway, yet I must now do so on behalf of Sickingen. He bids me ask you first of all to use your elector as an intercessor with the Emperor for Reuchlin, as he himself is doing by a letter to the Em- peror which I translated into Latin. Then he says to warn Luther to take all possible care of himself in every place, for he knows certainly of ambushes which it will be difficult for Luther to avoid. He fears all the more because Luther seems to be quite calm and to despise danger. I myself add warn- j^^ a* ing in this regard. Now what is the real reason, famous / -> ^ *^ Spalatin, that Luther does not write even a word to me ? ^, ^ Please tell me whether you and he received in Saxony the ^, books and letters I sent you, for I sent him two of my pam- phlets. Does Luther not think there is any reason for writ- ing to me in such a revolution? Please inform me of every- thing, especially what we may hope from your elector. I have written to you twice or thrice to sound his mind and find out what he would do if the papists resorted to arms.
ijohn Frederic (1503-1554), son of Duke John of Saxony, whom he suc- ceeded as elector in August, 1532. A pupil of Spalatin, he became an even more ardent Lutheran than his father and uncle. The Schmalkaldic war between the Protestants and the Emperor was disastrous to him. Defeated and captured in the battle of Muhlberg April 24, 1547, he was kept a prisoner for five years, his electoral vote was given to Maurice of Albertine Saxony, together with Wittenberg and the surrounding territory. His life in three volumes by G. Mentz,
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