dear Spalatin, and, believe me, it worries me greatly. I long ago did what you ask, so far as I could with letters. Not content with this, when the Elector was here I forced my way into his bed-room, against everybody's will, in order to confer with him alone about this matter. Riedesel ^ alone was present. I took the Elector unawares, and made almost the same com- plaints that you make in your letter. I had made the same complaints to the junior Prince* in the antechamber, and he showed that he was displeased with this sort of thing. The answer was that cautious measures would be taken to make everything right. What shall I say? I fear that under this most excellent Prince false and empty stories will be told of me and of us all in such a way that we shall not be able to know, their real authors. They think Frederic is dead, and in their opinion they are kings in this land ; would that they could not carry it off so well ! To me it is the sourest drop of my vinegar that those who before were enemies of the Gospel (and now continue to be its enemies) and differed from Elec- tor Frederic in piety, now when there is a chance for booty, mock and laugh, and, grown rich, exult that under the name of the Gospel they can be enemies of the Gospel and at the same time enjoy all the freedom that the Gospel has brought. Have you ever seen the like of this wickedness? I see that it is of no use to advise the Elector, who is already overburdened, and I have no other advice to give than to admonish him in public print that he shall provide a different kind of adminis- tration for the monasteries; perhaps this will make them ashamed of themselves. You know yourself that nothing can be hoped from your advice to him to rule and govern after the example of his brother. The good man is exposed to every- body's craftiness and believes that everybody is like himself, good and true. A man must be a knave to be a prince, and the place for a tyrant is the throne ; the world demands it
You see how lengthy I have become, partly because I had to be and partly because I wanted to. If through Christ you
ijohn Ton Riedtesel, deetoral (Hreetor at Weimar, to whom Luther often wrote 1522-36. Shortly after the death of the Elector John he fell into disfavor with the new elector because he kept the prirf seal. He was not severely imn- ished. G. Mentz: Johann Prigdrich, iii* ii4f*
•John Frederic
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