Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/401

 396 LUTHER'S CORRESPONDENCE AND Let sfi

I am having my Appeal renewed and printed in Latin and German, although I thought there was no great need of it, so open and shameless is the bull with its Antichristian anath^ mas. We know not whether the bishops will execute the bull. We hold that they have been legally answered by us. Herewith I commend myself to you before God. Amen.

Dr. Martin Luther, Augustinian.

338. OSWALD MYCONIUS TO RUDOLPH CLIVANUS AT

MILAN.

S. Hess: Erasmus von Roterdam (Zurich, 1790), ii. 707.

Lucerne, November 20, 1520.

Rudolph zum Buhl (Clivanus, 1499-1578), teacher of Greek at Zurich and after 151 9 a friend of Zwingli. On him. Corpus Re forma- torutn, xdv. 339.

. . . Would you like to hear something about Luther? You have it in the letter of Ammann.* Of Erasmus ? I will tell you something. He is a scoundrel. Hear what he did. He was summoned by the king of England to a conference.* The king patted him on the shoulder and said: "Erasmus, why don't you defend that good Luther?" Erasmus answered: "Because I am not enough of a theologian ; now that the pro- fessors of Louvain have put me down as a grammarian I don't touch such things." After a long conversation the king said: "You are a good man, Erasmus," and dismissed him with a gift of fifty ducats. Then Erasmus went to Frankfort When his friends came to see him, he waved them away. "Look out," said he, "don't touch me," and held out his hands as if he feared to be hurt. When they expressed sympathy and asked him what was the matter, he told them he had a wound. When they asked him where, he replied: "In the purse." Thus he tried to turn the bargain into a joke. He was going to Basle, but was prevented by the king of Spain and is now also kept in Germany. . ..

ijohn Jacob Ammann of Zurich (died 1573), student of Mycomnt, on whon see Zwinglis Werke, vii. 198.

'At the conference at Calais, July, 1520. It is doubtful how mtich ICjconios knew about it. Erasmus himself only says that he talked with Henry VIII. of his (Erasmus's) writing against Luther, but more of ways of making peace. Erasmi opera (1703), iii. no. 650. Cf, English Historicai Review, c 657.

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