Grace and peace in Christ! Take care,my dear Jonas, that this letter, either by you or someone else, be directly given to the Prince and receive an answer for me so that I may put to rest these people who think that I can do everything at the Court (of the Prince), although nothing could be farther from the truth. Concerning Doctor Basilius I will meanwhile write while you are there (Torgau) but on a day other than this one (so that I do not overwhelm the Prince). Meanwhile, you build, you be ready, speak out, run ahead, and stand up so that the time will be fitting for us to speak (mollia tempora fandi) for I will certainly come.
If you hear something disturbing about me do not take it lightly. Now in this night (I do not remember having previously done this) I slept on my right side for six hours though I am accustomed always to sleep on my left side; I was so weary. Since in the night before, for most of the day (ad multam diem) I carried stone and wood in hell, not in Egypt. It was not the iron oven of Egypt but one the like of which cannot be described with words so that I seemed to be a corpse. However, I am writing this so that you may see that Christ as King rules as the strength in weakness, the warmth in cold, the hard amidst the soft, life over death, righteousness over sin, yes, all that is standing against He in turn stands against moderating and taking hold of according to the greatness of His divine power; to Whom be praise and honor, Amen. On the 7 March 1531. Your Martin Luther.
NOTES: Doctor Basilius became the physician of Duke Albrecht of Prussia in Koenigsberg in August of 1531.
Beware of sleeping on the right side!
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