Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/274

 February, 1523 (Enders, iv. 82, Weimar, xi. 292). He carried Luther's letter of April 15, 1524 (Enders, iv. 319), to Erasmus, and shortly after his return, July 5-6, was drowned while boating for pleasure on the Elbe. Life by Steitz in Archiv f, Frank furts Gesch. N. F. vi. 1877. Allen, iL 65.

This letter was written about the end of 1519, after the University of Louvain had condenmed Luther (November 7), and before the death of Briard, January 8, 1520. It was expanded to the length of a pamphlet and published about a year later. Cf. KalkofiF, in Corpus Ref., loc, cit, 419, no. 5. I translate only the principal passage about Lather, pp. 384-7.

When Luther's works came out he [Egmond] terribly feared for his gains, mindful of how much he had made from papal pardons. He had not yet read one page, and he was so stupid that he would have read in vain, but over his cups he heard from his gossips that there were things in those writings which would injure that trade. So he lept into the pulpit and confounded everything with his insane cries, call- ing Lutherans heretics, seducers and antichrists, and pro- claiming that the world would fall unless he propped it up with his shotilders. I am not the man, my dear Zwingli, to un- derstand the deep points in Luther's books, nor do I mix in his cause, especially as he has no need of patrons like me. Yet I am not so dull as to admire Egmond's stupidity. Here is one example from which you may learn how well that ass understands Luther's dogmas. More than a hundred times he shouted to the people that Luther taught that it was not necessary to confess mortal sins except those which were known.* Luther meant, known to us, that is, which we judge to be mortal, which is certainly, in my opinion, not in every- one's power. But this beast thinks that he means known pub- licly. What would you do with such silly brothers? He con- stantly bawls against Luther, and only brings it to pass that people all buy Luther's books thinking that there must be some good in them if they so displease this cheese-eater.* Then they complain that some buy Luther's books, when they not only stimulate the appetite for them by their vociferations, but also disturb the peace of the Church with a dangerous quarrel. This monk thinks he is very holy if he does not

•C/. supra, no. 192.

'A common term of contempt for the monks as hunters of delicacies.

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