To the highly-renown man, Herr Franz Burkhard,the Vice-Chancellor oF Saxon,his special friend in the LOrd.
Grace and peace in Christ! My dear vice-chancellor Fran, I appeal to you that you make it known whether I could with success make an petition for the insane, old woman,"the cross-bound woman", (die Kreuzbinderin). Her daughter here cries pitifully and it is nothing new that she continues to rage as Licentiat Blank,her neighbor,can also attest. At whom we also have laughed because he quarrled with her over the fence between them and they continued to be enraged with each other until she put him to flight with a large spear. It is not praiseworthy if the Prince severly punishes this intractable (male sanam) woman (especially a widow)whom the whole city thinks senseless; she was once expelled from Halle for almost the same reason."She is a fool by my understanding whom you must point out to my most gracious lord; and when she is sufficiently punished my most gracious lord would do well to free
her; she will not become wiser or better by it." Some consideration must also be given to the young woman, her daughter who has been exceedingly harmed by the rages of her mother though she is a completely mature woman and very understanding and I myself wish for her a worthy husband.However because of this tragedy (calamitatibus), which involves her as well as her mother she is becoming increasingly strange to the one she would likely marry; it is an inner-twined chain yet mercy must loose the fetters. Let me know then whether there is a time that I may intrvene and I will do it; what troubles me is not the mother or the son-in-law but the daughter who is in need of mercy. Be it well with you in the LOrd. On the Tuesday after Agapitos (22 Aug.) 1536. Your Martin Luther,D.
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