Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/477

 405. MATTHEW PHILIP TO STEPHAN ROTH AT ZWICKAU.

G. Buchwald: Stadtschreiher Stephan Roth in Zwickau, (Archiv f. Geschichte d, deutschen Buchhandels, xvi. 6fiF.), 1893, p. ja

Wittenberg, February 26, 1521.

Matthew is known only as a student at Wittenberg who took his bachelor's degree gratis, March 11, 1521. See Kostlin: Baccalaurei und Magistri der Wittenherger Facultdt, 1518-37, p. 11.

Roth, b. 1492, studied at Leipsic 1512-17, at Wittenberg 1523, where he became a literary help to Luther. In 1528 he became town clerk of Zwickau. Luther had a quarrel with him in 1531, on which cf. Smith, 280. Life of Roth by G. Miiller, Beitrdge £. Sdchsischen Kirchtn- geschichte, i. 437.

I would not have you ignorant that some Lutheran works are in the press which will be very opportune for warding off the enemies of Christian truth. Luther is the man who can keep two printers busy, each working two presses. Can you fancy one man supplying four presses? But Luther does it. . ..

406. LUTHER TO SPALATIN AT WORMS. Enders, iii. 89. Wittenberg, February 27, 1521.

. . . Take care that you also do not believe those who blame my too great bitterness in my writings. They do it to discredit me, which they cannot do in any other way, and I generally find that they are persons who have not themselves read me, but follow the reports of others, and besides they are not accustomed to see vices punished. I myself am not conscious of any such fury as they accuse me of. But enough of them.

My instruction to those about to confess did no good at Merseburg and Meissen, for they burned cartloads of my books.^ Those little saints are mad. You have not yet per- suaded me, Spalatin, that Rhadinus is not Emser, for we have solid arguments to show that he is. It was not my own idea, but the advice of my friends that made me answer him ; I would have despised the beast, but they all thought I ought to answer him.

I am busy expounding Mary's canticle* for the young

'In the Instruction Luther informs those about to confess that they need not confess having his books nor give them up. ■The Magnificat, Weimar, vii, 538. Cf, Smith, 107.

�� �