Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/471

 At Madgeburg Emser's book was fastened to a shameful place with the inscription: "The book is worthy of the place." They say that a rod was also fastened up, to indicate his chastisement. But he reigns at Leipsic, able and bold to do much, like a man who will soon meet his end as such men do.

In these days of carnival our youth carried around in ludicrous and lofty pomp a mock Pope ; finally in the maricet- place making as if they would throw him in the fountain, they dispersed him and his cardinals, bishops and chamber- lains in the various quarters of the town, all of which was very funny and clever. Christ's enemy, who mocks the great- est kings and Christ himself, deserved to be thus mocked. It will be written up in Latin verses. . ..

401. JEROME ALEANDER TO JOHN ECK AT INGOLSTADT. Kalkoff : Brief e, 40. Worms, February 17, 1521.

Honored and learned Friend ! The two letters, which, ac- cording to your last note^ you sent to me, I have not received. The fault is presumably with the messengers, and from lack of messengers I have not written you. Moreover, you can hear the rumor of my doings, as my burning of Lutheran books in many places has brought me such hatred from your com- patriots that it is with great danger that I stay in Germany. Yet only for the sake of religion I oppose them, and no mis- fortune, not even death, shall frighten me. . ..

Now, my dear Eck, I will, as you wish, tell you what is going on here. You must know that here there is such a crowd of Lutherans that not only men but stocks and stones shout Luther's name. It is not remarkable that lajmien should do so, but in this campaign the priests are the leaders, not so much to favor Luther, that pernicious monster, as to spout forth from his mouth their long accumulated venom against the city of Rome and the priesthood. They do it with such fury that if the Emperor, this best and most pious of all men, did not withstand them, we should soon see a disease in the Church of God, which would bring perdition first of all to the Germans.


 * One of February 9, Reichstagsakten, no. 136.

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