Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/461

 all error and against the craft of the devil, and illumine and strengthen your Grace for a blessed reign.

Your Grace's devoted Martin Luther.

��809. LUTHER TO SPALATIN AT ALTENBURG. Enders, vii, i. (WmENBERc), October 20, 1528.

Grace and peace in Christ. ... I believe you have heard the news, that by a great miracle the Duchess of Miinsterberg ' has got away from the monastery at Freiberg; just now she is a member of my household, together with two virgins, Margaret Volkmar, daughter of a citizen of Leipsic, and Dorothea,* daughter of a citizen of Freiberg, who brought to the monastery 1400 guldens inherited from her father. She has left it behind her, and is now, with Mistress Ursula her- self, a poor follower of the poor Christ; neither of them brought a farthing with her. Duke George is worrying our Prince ; what will come of it, I do not know. For she is a rela- tive of Duke George, as I think you know, that is to say, their mothers were sisters.* Nicholas von Minkwitz is said to be enlisting a great army, but where he will attack I do not know. I wonder what the princes think that they see and allow such things, for it is to be feared that this spark will start a fire in Germany. Some say that he is leading them against the Wowaida,* others that he is preparing to move against the Margrave,* who is snoring peacefully. Bugenhagen has gone to Hamburg, Philip* to Thuringia. On the day after St. Ursula's day' we shall go at our part of the Visitation; I hope that you will do, or are already doing, the same.* Christ

1 Ursula Ton Munsterberg. Vide supra, no. 802.

'Dorothea Tanberg, afterwards married to George Scharff, pastor tt Briesnitz, near Dresden.

George's mother and Ursula's father were brother and sister.
 * Both were grandchildren of George Podiebrad, but not sisters' children. Duke

nia, Ferdinand's rival for the throne of Hungary after the death of Lottis tbm King, 1526. Zapolya died 1540.
 * John Zapolsra, a prince (Woiwode) of Transylvania in Htmganr, near RomnA-

'Joachim of Brandenburg.

'October 22.
 * Melanchthon. asbent on the Visitation.


 * Spalatin*s district was the Voigtland. Vide Endera, Ti, 3x0*

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