Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/426

 rely on the advice of councillors. The only thing against him is that he desires by the most peaceful procedure to keep the Emperor in possession of all his crowns; as the Germans promise to escort the Emperor in force to be crowned at Rome, he conducts this matter of Luther as they desire, listens to them and tries to put off deciding, but they will deceive him and not fulfil one of his wishes of their own accord. . ..

The minister of state [Gattinara] is a rising man and con- ducts himself well, but will not do more than Chievres wants, and the latter is strongly under the influence of Marlian.^. ..

Among the Germans the powerful Archbishop of Mayence shows himself in his words entirely devoted to the Pope, the Church and your Lordship, as it is both his duty and his advantage to be; yet he is so good-natured and timid, and according to ancient custom so considerate of the other princes and knights of Germany, that truly I would have wished him warmer than he has hitherto been, and I hope that he will be so in future. But though we cannot doubt of his good disposition and will, yet his zeal easily cools as he is not superior to the influence of the surrounding company of his old, respected counsellors, who are mostly Lutheran, and, what is worse, declare themselves enemies of Luther but act quite otherwise. . ..

The Saxon [Frederic the Wise] is certainly an able prince, but is led astray by his councillors, who are all disciples of Luther. He is angry at us, I hear, on account of a com- mendam* to which his natural son* had been appointed in Rome, notwithstanding which, and although in possession of the certificate of appointment, he was obliged, on his return to Germany, while at Bologna, at the death of the previous occupant, to pay a large sum to a cardinal. The elector, who in general is a close, taciturn man, who does not easily betray his thoughts, cannot get over this, as one of his people

^AloUiut Marlian of Milan, made Bishop of Tuj 15 17. Early in 1521 he pttblijihed an oration against Luther (Clemen: Bfitrage, iii. 4). He died in September or October of the same year.


 * /. e., a benefice to which the Pope appointed.

'Frederic was never married, but left by Anna Weller two sons, Sebastian and Frederic von Jessen, and a daughter.

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