Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/524

 Luther conducted hither with the greatest secrecy, and we got his definite promise, but as the Emperor's servants are only guided by their own selfish interests, they don't bother about the promise. This is the same herald who in the Em- peror's hall drew his sword against a retainer^ of the Bishop of Sion, when the man defended the papal prerogative against the monk John Faber of Augsburg. The last named in his funeral oration for the Cardinal de Croy^ reviled the Holy See, unmindful of the many favors shown him by the Pope. This herald is an impudent fool and clown, a bitter foe to the clergy, and just the man to invent the story of some miracle done by Martin on this journey, or an appearance of the Holy Ghost over his head, as is already represented in his pictures. And although, as a world-famous liar, the herald deserves no credence, yet the whole populace is pos- sessed of such a passion for Luther, that they would believe the devil himself, who by the way rules them all, if he spoke good of Luther. As the imperialists obstinately concealed from us the name of the herald and the time of his departure, we could not hinder the choice of such a man. They were probably afraid that we should try to bribe the herald to frighten Luther from coming, which they then, as I previously related, greatly desired, but which they now regret. Or else they feared we might waylay Luther; but both their sus- picions were absolutely false. The fact is that for a long time we could not by any way learn anything on the two aforementioned points.

Now that the imperialists have certain news of Luther's coming, which they formerly so hotly desired, they appear to be thunderstruck. After the Emperor's gracious letter we never doubted for a moment that Luther would come. On Saturday [April 13] they sent the confessor to confer with the nuncio and me about the measures to be adopted; as we had always declared that reason and propriety, honor and profit alike forbade the appearance of this man, we now insisted, that as they had wished him to come, at least they should do

^A certain Michael Sander, doctor of law, who had studied at Bologna, and waa now secretary of Matthew Schinner, Cardinal of Sion.

The funeral oration was held on January aist; ef. supra, Tunatall to Wolsey, January ax, no. 383.

�� �