Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/120

 also will be taken, which He has given and still is giving to our Syria.* Yours, Martin Luther.

543- LUTHER TO THE ELECTOR FREDERIC OF SAXONY. DeWette, ii, 173. German. (Wittenberg, March 28, 1522.)

Grace and peace in Christ, and my most humble service, Serene and High-born Prince, gracious Lord.

I do not like to trouble your Grace with intercessions and petitions for other people. The pleasure I get out of it I can well do without. Need compels me and love drives me to it. I wrote your Grace from my wilderness about Christopher N.," who was in need and besought me to do so. Now he has come to me again, and has made such a pitiful plea that I am sorry for him, and his misery so touches me that I fairly thirsted to write your Grace again, for I had not thought that his need was so great.

I shall not quarrel with your Grace about his case, and am ready to admit that he deserved even worse treatment than he received, for I know that your Grace is fair-minded and would not wrong anybody. I also know that no prince can be so good and so wise that someone does not suffer at his hands or those of his officials. David was the best of all princes, but he wronged poor Mephibosheth on the representa- tions of Ziba, and yet thought he had not been unjust. A prince must remember that there is always some injustice in his government; well for him in whose government there is the least of it. Therefore it is needful that he show all the more mercy and benevolence, so that "mercy may rejoice against judgment," as St. James says.*

So, then, I fall at your Grace's feet and htmibly ask your Grace to have pity on this poor man, and at least support him in his old age until his death. It does no good to let him be mined and forced into beggary, for I observe that his poverty distresses him so that he might lose his mind. Your Grace can easily supply him with food and drink, or help him other-

1 11 Kin<t T, X.

'Christopher Pfaffenheclc Cf, I«uther to Spalatin. March a8 (Enders, iii, Z2\), The letter written from the Wartbtarg is lost
 * James ii, 23.

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