Henry Luther. On the morning of May 4 he also preached here, setting out in the afternoon towards Schloss Altenstein. On the way, he was captured by friendly retainers of the elector and taken back to the Wartburg, which he reached late at night. Cf. Festchrift fur PhUipp von Hessen, Cassel, 1904, p. 89, n. 2.
This letter was published immediately in several places. I have noted the textual corrections made by Enders on De Wette.
Noble, high-born and gracious Lord! My humble prayers and service to your Grace. Gracious Lord ! Lord Rudolph of Watzdorf^ has bidden me by special messenger while on my journey to write the history (as I may call it) of what hap- pened to me at Worms.
In the first place, they did not wait for me to get to Worms, but they put out a mandate against me, and condemned me in spite of the imperial safe-conduct before I arrived and was heard. Then to make short work of me, they summoned mc before his Imperial Majesty, and asked whether I would stand by my books or revoke them. Then I answered as I think has been announced to your Grace. Forthwith his Im- perial Majesty, exasperated against me, with his own hand drew up a stem edict* and demanded of the Estates what they thought best to do against me, as befitted a Christian Em- peror and guardian of the faith against a stiff-necked, con- tumacious heretic. But he wished to keep the safe-conduct.
Then some personages of the Empire were deputed to give me a gracious and kind warning to submit my books and the whole affair to his Imperial Majesty and the Estates. For this purpose I was summoned before the Bishop of Trier, the Margrave Joachim of Brandenburg, Duke George of Saxony, the Bishop' of Augsburg, the Lieutenant Master of the Teu- tonic Order,* the Bishop of Brandenburg,* Count George of
'Since 1484 the Master of Ceremonies at the Mansfeld courtp and one of the guardians of the young counts. VoUrad von Watzdorf, another of this old noble family, had been with Luther at Worms, where he had had a warm discussicm with Cochlaeus.
^Reprinted in Kidd: Documents of the Continental Reformation, no. 43. C/. Smith, p. 120.
^Christopher von Stadion.
^"Deutscher Meister, lieutenant of the Grand Master, had the rank and vote of a prince. The present occupant of the place, which he was the last to hold, was Dietrich von Cleen, 1515-26.
BLuther undoubtedly means the old Bishop, Scultetus, althoui^ he had been translated to the see of Havelberg, and a new Bishop, Dietrich von Hardenbcrg, been installed in October, 1520.
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