Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/422

 who played me an ugly trick), it was very difficult for me to execute the bull.

Now, however, I must relate that, on the very evening after the despatch of my previous letter, the Cardinal [of Mayence] expressed his extreme displeasure that his subjects had not acted as the citizens of other cities acted, and he promised to make good the fault which was excused by his officers. So, on the following morning, November 29, he had the condemnation of the books announced with blare of trumpets in all the city, and invited the people to the public burning of the same. So it happened, although the cardinal, as he said, was annoyed the whole night by many importunate noblemen, who advised him against the burning and wouldn't let him sleep, that it all turned out happily in the end.

These rascal Lutherans in disguise pretend to act in our interest in advising against burning the books, so that, as they say, we may not thereby arouse more hostility, as if that were possible! Nevertheless, after careful considera- tion, it seems that this course is useful and wholesome. For in the first place, the condemnation of such writings in Ger- many and other countries is more surely made known by burning than it would be by communicating the bull to the bishops and their agents, although I have not neglected to do this also in all quarters. Again, such an execution of judgment by papal and imperial power makes on the laity who are already tainted by the sermons and tracts of this heretic a thousand times worse than Arius, so deep an im- pression that many of them become convinced of the bad- ness of the condemned writings and by a common impulse give them freely to the flames. I have been completely decided for the advisability of these measures by observing that all those who advise us against them are found to be without exception Lutherans, and that avowed Lutherans also do their best to prevent the burning by fraud or force. In short, there is no better method, indeed, no method what- ever at all effective, if this scoundrel will not be moved to recantation. . ..

Alas! for some reasons unknown to me, the sky which has hitherto been so clear, seems to have become cloudy at

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