Katie greets you reverently. Farewell in Christ! Regarding Spiegel and your own matter,12 I shall write shortly in detail. Again, farewell!
MARTIN LUTHER, DOCTOR [Wittenberg,] January 19, 1536 Throughout the letter1 Luther complains, in a serious yet humorous way, about a severe cough and cold, and about his advancing age. In addition the letter is filled with details about Luther's day-by-day life. At the moment Luther cannot accept a student as boarder; there is nothing new to write about the English legation which is in Wittenberg; the issue of the divorce of Henry VIII has been settled by the death of Catherine of Aragon; it was only right that the pope was disavowed in England in connection with this marriage issue, since he played games in this serious matter; the papal envoy, Pietro Paolo Vergerio, has been at Wittenberg and at the Smalcald meeting of the Smalcaldic League. Luther also voices his skepticism about some development in the Mansfeld smelting business and his disappointment that none of the people of Mansfeld, including his brother James, has informed him of this development. He tells
Müller that he has to go to Torgau, and adds that his wife and his son, John, send greetings. In closing he expresses the hope that Müller will accept the letter in good humor, as Luther intends it.
On Caspar Müller, see LW 49, 341, n. 26.2
Text in German (with a few words in Latin): WA, Br 7, 348–350.3
To the honorable and wise Caspar Müler, chancellor at Mansfeld, my kind lord4 and dear friend5 Grace and peace! My dear Mr. Chancellor and Friend!6 I certainly would like to write Your Honor7 many things and thus comply with Your Honor's request. But I, too,8 am sick with a cough and catarrh. Yet the most serious illness begins with me; that is, the sun has shone on me for such a long time,9 a vexation which, as you well know, is common, and certainly many people die of it.10 For people finally become blind from such prolonged sunshine,11 some turn grey, black, and wrinkled from it.12 Who knows whether
Your Honor13 didn't step on a stone which, heated by the rays of the sun,14 caused Your Honor such days of pain? Of course, it is not the dear sun's fault that by its shining mud becomes hard and wax becomes soft.15 Everything has a unique nature which develops and reveals itself; in the final analysis, a thing develops in accord with its basic nature.
For several reasons I would have liked to have Kegel16 as a boarder;17 but since the students are returning from Jena18 my table is filled, and I cannot simply oust the old companions.19 If a place becomes vacant, however, as might happen after Easter, I would be happy to inform Your Honor accordingly, provided that lord Katie will then be gracious to me.
Concerning the English legation20 (how nosy you gentlemen of Mansfeld are!) I know of nothing special to write. For the Queen is dead;21 it is also said that the child, her daughter is deathly ill.22 In the eyes of the whole world she23 has lost her case;24 we poor beggars, the theologians at Wittenberg, are the only exceptions who would like to maintain her in royal honor, where she should have stayed. This has been the end and solution [of this matter].25
In this case the Pope has acted like a real pope, and has issued contradictory bulls.26 He has played such a game that it served him right to be ousted from England—and not even for the sake of the gospel.
He has played his game27 well against the King, so that I am forced to stand up for the King, and yet I am unable to approve of the matter.28 For goodness sake,29 pray30 the Pater noster31 at least once against the papacy, that St. Valentine may grab it by the neck!32
The Pope's orator has been here,33 as Your Honor knows. But in my present haste I am unable to send [a copy of] the answer given him at Smalcald,34 for I am having a coughing spell, and because of this cough I am unable to search for the copy; as soon as the cough stops I will look for it. I think that the cough certainly would stop if Your Honor would pray for me.
Since Your Honor received a part of the smelting houses, I wish you well.35 But I have no hope at all, for my theology tells me that man's planning and God's blessings are against one another.36 If this is to