Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/459

 454 LUTHER'S CORRESPONDENCE AND Let ^

Bannissius/ everything has gone finely. But when the Cardi- nal of Gurk [Matthew Lang] ordered him not to consider the mandate without consulting two other German councillors, the Cardinal of Sion became angry, for at every session for the last three days they have sent to get the others without being able to find them. The Cardinal of Gurk was responsi- ble for this, desiring, in order to please the Elector of Saxony, to put off the mandate. The Cardinal of Sion was certain that he [Cardinal Lang] had arranged that the councillors should not be found at home. The Count Camillo of Gam- bara told me that at the table of the Cardinal of Gurk, in his presence, they had spoken evil of his Holiness, but he did not tell me what they said.

Four days ago the King held a council of state four hours long on the preparation of the mandate. The councillors, in giving their opinions on it, generally spoke German. When they had finished the King said: "Do you believe I did not understand you? You said so and so; this displeases me for such and such reasons, and that for other reasons has my assent." Everyone wondered at that; and thus the mandate was at once drawn up in the best form and translated into German. Jerome Aleander will have it printed and sent everywhere. The King has acted splendidly, but many of these princes say that a council must pronounce on these mat- ters, and the whole people declare that this council will take place and that they will not pay ahy more annates. . ..

394. ALEANDER TO CARDINAL DE' MEDICL Kalkoff: Aleander, p. 69. Worms (February 8), 1521.

Although heaven and earth, and especially the whole of Germany, seem to have conspired to frighten me from carry- ing out my mission, or at any rate to cool off my zeal, yet the devil will not bring me to leave my duty unaccomplished, at least, as far as in me lies. I only deplore that the neces- sary documents,' which I asked for, will perhaps come too late to be of use. I see well that the extreme energy and shrewdness with which I succeeded, within three days of my

ijames Banntssius, an Imperial Councillor.

•These were certain bulls grantinfl: favors to various influential persons in Germany. They had been despatched from Rome on January 28,

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