Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/156

Let. 561 owl, tawny owl, screech owl.

Of the wild animals I have the stag, the roebuck and the chamois, which our author makes bubulus. Of the birds I have the vulture, the kite, the hawk and the sparrow-hawk, though I clearly know the appearance of them. I do not know what he is dreaming of when he numbers among the edible animals the taragelaphus, the pygargus, the oryx and the camelopard. I wish that you would undertake this part of the work, take a Hebrew Bible and work all this out carefully  and try to reach some certainty about it. I have not the leisure. Farewell, and pray for me.

Grace and peace. Here are the letters sent me from Eisenach by Serranus and the rest. If the man shall come to me I shall receive him and let him tell his story, but as charity bids us think the best of all men, according to I Corinthians xiii, so faith bids us fear the worst of all men, according to John iii and Matthew x, "Beware of men." There are some people who commend the man to me, but there are some things which, if they do not arouse suspicion, certainly do not allay it It would be best if the Elector would risk a small amount on him and allow him, or command him, to stay where he is until we see what kind of a man he will be. It is likely that Satan will make all sorts of pretensions and all sorts of attempts; therefore until the matter is certain, no one is to be trusted. If it were Christ's will to send us an evangelist He would certainly give us some assurance by signs, either preceding or following. Enough of this. Farewell, and pray for me.

Hartmuth von Cronberg had published Lather's letter to him (supra, no 536). It appeared in several editions, in one of which the name of Duke George was inserted. Luther had written, "One of these is the bladder N." The interpolated ' edition read, "One of