Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/451

 Chancellor to Archbishop Warham of Canterbury. He was Ambas- sador to Charles in 1515, 1519 and 1520-1. In 1522 made Bishop of London, Bishop of Durham 1530. He remained a Catholic His writ- ings on mathematics enjoyed some reputation (Rabelais, i. chap. 23). Life in Dictionary of National Biography.

The Germans are everywhere so addicted to Luther, that rather than he should be oppressed by the Pope's authority (who hath already condemned his opinions) the people will spend a hundred thousand of their lives. They have informed the Emperor that he is a good and virtuous man, besides his learning. He offereth to make his defence and revoke those opinions which he cannot defend by Scripture.

After he perceived that he should not be permitted to come to the Diet hither, as once it was accorded and safe-conduct granted unto him (which at the insistence of the Pope's ora- tor was revoked) despairing to be heard in his defence, he did openly in the town of Wittenberg gather the people of the University together, and burn the decretals, etc., as books erroneous, as he there declared; which his declaration he put in print in the Dutch [German] tongue and sent it all about the country, which declaration by some idle fellow hath been translated into Latin, which I send your Grace herein en- closed, to the intent ye may see it and bum it when ye have done and also that your Grace may call before you the printers and booksellers, and give them strait charge that they bring none of his books into England nor translate them into English, etc.^

The matter is run so far the princes cannot appease it The original was the great sum of money that goeth yearly to Rome for annates, which the country would be rid of, and the benefices to be given by the Pope to such persons as do serve Rome, unlearned, as cooks and horsekeepers, etc.; so the easiest I can think will be that the Pope shall lose* the said annates and benefits.'

He hath written a book since his condemnation, De Captivi-

^Wolsey issued a mandate to this effect May 14, 1521. Wilkint: CcnciiU Magnae Britannia^, iii. 690. On the burning of his books, c/. English Hisiorical Review, c. 657-8.

«7. e., "give up."

SC/. Luther's Address to the Christian Nobility, 1. 2.

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