To the respectable, celebrated Lord Gregorious Brueck, Doctor of laws and electoral Chancellor in Saxony, my favored Lord and God-father.
G.u.(Grace and) peace. Respected, celebrated, dear Lord and God-father. I have written to my most Lord what ECFG can let go and read (publicly?). It's true I gladly have written H.Georg and the Bishop and this letter would be a wonderful boon of Duke Hans to me. According to God's will it might be preserved should I or mine at any time be in need. I want to rub the ears of the ass. However, now I must let everything go. Noster hyparchon est, sicut est contra Archonta. (The editors say the Latin is illegible in the original but think it means that our Prince (Johann Friedrich) is obedient to Duke Georg as to a superior.)
If however, my most gracious Lord earnestly wants to know how this matter stands you may convey my conscience in this case. This is it:
Certainly I have preached publicly and prayed against the Bishop and will also now give the same sermon in the market place. Whether I named Duke Georg I truly do not know. Since the time of Grimma I have put him out of mind and undertaken nothing. However it can well be that after a sermon before the Duchess of Braunmswchweig at the dinner with the Markgrafess I said many such words about the Bishop that he is of the devil and I will pray against him and likely that was said against Duke Georg also. However, I have not spoken against Duke Georg, so I say now and will not do any more now or say any more than previously. Let us yet see whether I will defend it with my neck. Likewise there many additions in the copy about which I do not know and a Prince should not write of that which I can deny with good conscience. However, let it come according to God's will. Mart.Luther,D
NOTE: The wife of Duke Erich evidently reported ML's dinner remarks to Markgraf the Younger of Brandenburg who passed it on to Duke Johann in Dresden.
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