Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/437

 432 LUTHER'S CORRESPONDENCE AND Let. 3«

Rehoboam by the young nobles at the beginning of his reign.' These proposals are strong enough to stop the Rhine flowing; stabbing, murdering, hewing and smiting which show noth- ing but a squinting, near-sighted vision, which no one would follow unless he wanted to destroy land and people. If you had only known the nature of the Austrian princes, you would not have advised our peaceful scion of Austria to such warlike acts, for his race has no love for blood, but detests it You say you offer this advice as a court fool,* and though a clergyman, utter unseemly jests and idle words. You think, when you have poured forth all your delirium, falsehood and reviling that you have fastened fools' bells on everyone, just like Erasmus of Rotterdam, who speaks truth in the person of folly; but you have not succeeded as well as he did. As you are a fool, we must answer you according to your folly, as Solomon says,* so that you won't think that you are a wise man. We should willingly have given you your ordinary titles of doctor and reverend, had you not transformed yourself into a fool. Wherefore it befits us to treat you as a fool, for in truth you are such an one that you call Pope Julius a bloodsucker, and the present Pope with his friends thieves, gluttons, rascals and all such opprobrious names. If you think you have anything against him, it would be more honor- able, reverend, seemly and pious to speak of him by his cus- tomary names, and to present your grievance to him with Christian moderation, in such wise that it might be remedied and you helped. But you want to arouse our young Em- peror and liege lord against the princes of hell, as you say, and you call it a game, which, if it is not begun in the fear of God, will drench the whole world with blood. You want to move us to a great rebellion. But I see no one following you with spear or halberd, nor any who wants to be as foolish as you are. For truly they know that everything that you pretend to reform, can be reformed without any tumult, in time and with gentleness, by the prudence of our noble Em-

U Kings, xii.


 * So Luther modestly sajrs in his introduction to the Address to the German

Nobilityy Smith, 80.

'Proverbs, xxvi. 5.

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