To the honorable and discreet Caspar Mueller, in Mansfeld Kanzler (leading minister),my gracious lord and dear god-father.
Grace and peace. My dear lord Kanzler and god-father! I wanted to write to you extensively according to your wishes; I am also ill with coughing and head-cold; however the greatest sickness that is over me is that the sun has shined so long on me which affliction you well know, which is so common,and one would rather die. People have become blind because of such long shining; several have become gray, black and wrinkled thereby. Who knows that perhaps also your thigh was injured when you stepped upon a stone which by the sun's rays was heated, and also brought you these sad days? Although the dear sun is not responsible though the mud is hardened by its shining and the wax has become soft. Its manner is to move and bring several things to the eyes; as it is deft so it at last discovers everything.
I might well want Kegel for a boarder for various reasons but because the bursar is again coming from Jena the table is full and cannot push aside the present companions;if, however, there is place after Easter I would gladly do your pleasure if Herr Kaethe would be favorable to me.
About the English delegation (about which you Manfeldish lords are so curious)I know nothing special to write. The queen (Catharine of Aragon) is dead; and one says that the Fraulein,(Mary I) the daughter is deathly ill. The case she completely lost before the whole world except for us poor beggars, the theologians of Wittenberg. They would have liked to preserve the royal honor that if she might have lived. This has become the end and the conclusion.
The Pope has dealt in this matter as a Pope,contraris bullas given and with that ploy it is right that he has been expelled from England but not for the sake of the Gospel (etiam non Evangelii causa). He has truly cast the die against the King so that I almost can excuse the King and yet cannot justify the matter.
Dear one, yet curse one more time the Papacy with the Pater Noster so that it gets St.Velten (epilepsy). The Pope's Orator is here, as you know; however, the answer given in Schmalkald I cannot, in haste, send. Now I must cough and cannot before the cough seek it out; if the cough lets up I will attempt it. Yet I think the cough will let up if you pray for me.
For the division of the foundry to you I wish happiness to you. However for the rest I do not have bad hopes; since my theology says that man's undertaking and God's blessing are contrary to one another. If my dear Fatherland is to be stripped so be it on my part undefended.
However, simce neither you nor Jacob Luther write how it goes that makes you very good fellows and the Kauf-people with your silence you make us poor children (as we are here)think that we and you are always to be beggars.Yet God should nevertheless nourish us,Amen.
Tell my brother that my cough and his silence do not permit me to answer. Greet my black hen together with the little cook. I must cough and on the Lenten night go to Torgau; I do not know whether I will cough in the same way. Perhaps I must let Hans of Jena take the lead. My lord Kaethe greets you in a friendly way and pleads that if the sun shines upon you it will not be in in an overwhelming way, as I, if it is in your power
Your god-son Donimus Ioannes greets you; does not want to become great (but not in evil)according to God's will. Herewith be commended to God.
Let my ways please you (as far as you know them); since I am so hard and dull, gross, gray,green,overloaded, mixed up, over-extended with cases so that I for the salvation of this cadervis (corpse) at times let the desires break out of the fence.Man is no more than a man apart from what God can make one yet not apart from our anointing.Greet all the good lords and friends.1536 Midweek after St. Peter's Catherdali (19 January)D. Martinus Luther
NOTA BENe: The Queen is Catharine of Aragon who died in January 1536. The daughter, Mary, I was a sickly child but survived to be Queen.
The Kaufleute are the Kaufmanns i.e. on the side of ML's mother. Sounds like the foundry was divided among the relatives.
Dominus Ioannes is the son John of ML and Kaethe for whom Caspar Mueller is god-parent.
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