Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/514

 you on March 29, the tumult of the people seems to me to have quieted down. But to make up for this, chance has re- vealed the venomous hatred of Luther's princely patrons in its full extent. They care less for the person of Luther, whom they only use as a tool to win the people, than for the con- fiscation of ecclesiastical property. Such great difficulties are generally anticipated from this side that help and succor can only be expected from God. Indeed, had the mandate ordered the immediate burning and complete destruction of the Lutheran books, I believe that the Lutherans would not stand on ceremony with the defenceless Emperor, but would storm the city and open the battle. .,.

In short, the movement is now quite independent of Luther, for, says Hutten, if Luther were put to death a thousand times a hundred new Luthers would rise up. With a certain jealousy Hutten seems to want to take the leading role in the movement; he would do it with pleasure if he could only reckon on as loyal support from the people as Luther gets. He writes that even if he fell the rest of the knights would not desist from the proposed undertaking, which doubtless they have agreed upon for a long time and with a large num- ber of conspirators. All the humanists of the Rhine are coming to Hutten on the Ebemburg, to give him, with great diligence and emulation, what help they can. . ..

Of course, Luther's condemnation, following the expira- tion of the set period, must be declared in a new bull. It must agree in all points with that* already sent, except that it ought to name neither Hutten nor anyone else except Luther. For these people mutter that they do not yet know whether, after the expiration of the term, Martin is really declared [a heretic], and they use that as an excuse to favor him. But this is absolutely not the time to publish the bull previously sent, for Hutten and all the German knights would murder me in the Emperor's arms. Not that he would care much for the excommunication for the sake of his salvation, but he would commit that folly because of the shame done him before the world. Therefore the bull should be sent as soon as possible, so that I can publish it at the Diet and in-

^Supra, no. 396.

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