Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/476

 himself excellently. Then the Cardinal of Mayence caused an abbot^ to read the papal breve to the Emperor, who then requested electors and princes within two days to give him their advice as to what answer to make to the representatives of the Pope in this matter. Then they held a consultation, at which, it is rumored, there was great division of opinion. When the Emperor again requested their advice, he gave them such an exhortation that they sent him a very long written reply, in which, as I understand, they thanked him for asking their advice in this matter, and gave him a touch of the spur by saying that he must never decide any question without their consent. Then they said they thought Martin ought to be heard; if he acknowledged having written all that was printed under his name, then they might proceed as of right, but that many works had appeared which he said he had never written; they also said he must be given safe- conduct.

His Majesty answered them very wisely: "I am astonished that you wish to decide this question, in which I neither will nor can judge, seeing that the Pope has already decided it."

These Germans are acting with the intention of wasting time and procrastinating this aifair, so that it will remain unsettled until the departure of the Emperor. Most of them know well enough that it is a very bad matter. They find much occasion to diif er about it and are by no means at one ; if, nevertheless, they hold together, it is to make common cause against annates, mental reservations* and other abuses. In short, it is a bad, a very bad cause. Everyone here, even to the shepherds, speak of nothing else. The evil that is spoken of the Roman Curia, I will leave, reverend Father, to your judgment, but if they go on as they are now doing, soon people will stop talking about the Bohemians, for the Ger- mans will be much worse heretics.

^Hartmann Ton Kirchberg, who is found as doctor of law and priest of the Naumburg diocese in 1494. In 1507 he became coadjutor and the abbot of Fulda» from which position he was expelled in 1517 on account of his prodigal rule. He was favored by Maximilian; in 1521 he received a pension in return for his abbacy, and died at Mayence 1529. Kalkoff: Aleander, 47, note i.

>/. e., transfer of an appointment by the Pope, on the ground that when he made it it was with a "mental reservation." On this and annates — ^pairment of half the first year's income of a living to the Pope — cf, Luther in the Address to the German Nobility, apud Smith, 82.

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