Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/225

 Prague, learned in the Scriptures, together with a book of John Huss, which I have not yet read. They exhort mc to constancy and patience and say that I teach pure theology. The letters were Erasmian in both contents and style. They came to me through the court, having been forwarded by Spalatin. Everyone knows of them.

You have seen Melanchthon's Theses,^ somewhat bold, to be sure, but most true. His answers are miracles. If Christ deign, Melanchthon will make many Luthers and a most powerful enemy of scholastic theology, for he knows both their folly and Christ's rock; therefore shall he be mighty. Amen.

/ Letters have come from France reporting that Erasmus said: "I fear Luther will perish for his righteousness," anJ of Eck that his name lacks one letter and he should be callc* "Jeck," which is the Dutch for fool.^ Thus Christ beats doW vainglory, so that him whom Leipsic adores as Eck, all leame men (they say) simply detest as "J^^k."

My Bishop of Brandenburg has brought forth a monstet a fine fellow he is, like Moab, boasting more than he can d< It is reported that he said he would not lie down in peao until he had burned Luther, "just like this stick," at the san time throwing one on the fire. Thus have Eck's windy won inflated this poor bladder.

So much for others, now about myself. What will yoi You are leaving me. I have been sad for you to-day, as even in a sinner like me. I hate my wretched life ; I fear deatl I am empty of faith and full of qualities which, Christ know I should much prefer to do without, were it not to serve hi thereby.

The Franciscans are holding a chapter here and havii such a merry dispute about the stigmata of St. Francis ar the glory of his order, that we, who formerly respected bot

^Denying transubstantiation» ed. K. and W. Krafft : Brief e und Documente, p.

n'he same pun was made by Glarean writing from Paris to Zwingli, Norembi 2520. Zwinglis IVerke (1904^). vii. 362. Also by Zwingli, 1524, ibid, iii. ! Jeck is the same as the rare English word, geek (fool) used by Shakespcai Cymbfline, act v., scene !▼.» line 67. Cf. also O. Schade: Saiiren und Pasqui (1858), i. 48.

�� �