Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Editorial Conventions
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- List of Early Editions
- Martin Luther’s Letter to Henry VIII
- Henry VIII’s Response to Martin Luther
- Marginalia from the Early Latin Editions
- Prologue and Epigraph to Pynson’s Edition
- Henry VIII’s Preface to the English Translation
- The Archbishop of Mainz’s Letter to Henry VIII
- Hieronymus Emser’s Preface to his German Translation
- Martin Luther’s Response to Emser’s Edition: Martin Luther's Response to the Title of the Insulting Text of the King of England
- Hieronymus Emser’s Confession
- Peter Quentell’s Preface to his First Cologne Edition
- Leonard Cox’s Preface to the Cracow Edition: To the Illustrious and Magnificent Lord Palatine Christopher à Szydłowiecki, Captain of Cracow, Supreme Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland, etc, greetings from the Englishman Leonard Cox.
- Stanislaus Hosius’s Epigraph to the Cracow Edition
- Johannes Eck’s Preface to the Ingolstadt Edition
- Duke George of Saxony’s Letter to Henry VIII
- Ortwin Gratius’s Preface to the Second Cologne Edition
- Johannes Cochlaeus’s Admonition to the Reader: A notice to the reader about each epistle, by Johannes Cochlaeus
- Johannes Cochlaeus’s Brief Discussion of Luther’s Response: A Brief Discussion of Luther’s Response to the Royal Letter, addressed by Johannes Cochlaeus to that Noble and Valiant Man, Sir Hermann Rinck of Cologne, King’s Counsellor and Knight of the Golden Spur, etc.
- Ortwin Gratius’s Preface to the Variant Cologne Edition
- Johannes Cochlaeus’s Preface to the Variant Cologne Edition
- Clement VII’s Preface to the Roman Edition
- Commendatory Verses in the Roman Edition
- Johannes Fabri’s Preface to his Answer to Luther’s Response: translated by Richard Rex and Christoph Pretzer
- Juan Luis Vives’s Letter to Henry VIII: To His Royal Majesty.
- Select Bibliography
- Index of Names, Places, and Topics
- Index of Biblical Texts and References
Duke George of Saxony’s Letter to Henry VIII
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 April 2021
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Editorial Conventions
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- List of Early Editions
- Martin Luther’s Letter to Henry VIII
- Henry VIII’s Response to Martin Luther
- Marginalia from the Early Latin Editions
- Prologue and Epigraph to Pynson’s Edition
- Henry VIII’s Preface to the English Translation
- The Archbishop of Mainz’s Letter to Henry VIII
- Hieronymus Emser’s Preface to his German Translation
- Martin Luther’s Response to Emser’s Edition: Martin Luther's Response to the Title of the Insulting Text of the King of England
- Hieronymus Emser’s Confession
- Peter Quentell’s Preface to his First Cologne Edition
- Leonard Cox’s Preface to the Cracow Edition: To the Illustrious and Magnificent Lord Palatine Christopher à Szydłowiecki, Captain of Cracow, Supreme Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland, etc, greetings from the Englishman Leonard Cox.
- Stanislaus Hosius’s Epigraph to the Cracow Edition
- Johannes Eck’s Preface to the Ingolstadt Edition
- Duke George of Saxony’s Letter to Henry VIII
- Ortwin Gratius’s Preface to the Second Cologne Edition
- Johannes Cochlaeus’s Admonition to the Reader: A notice to the reader about each epistle, by Johannes Cochlaeus
- Johannes Cochlaeus’s Brief Discussion of Luther’s Response: A Brief Discussion of Luther’s Response to the Royal Letter, addressed by Johannes Cochlaeus to that Noble and Valiant Man, Sir Hermann Rinck of Cologne, King’s Counsellor and Knight of the Golden Spur, etc.
- Ortwin Gratius’s Preface to the Variant Cologne Edition
- Johannes Cochlaeus’s Preface to the Variant Cologne Edition
- Clement VII’s Preface to the Roman Edition
- Commendatory Verses in the Roman Edition
- Johannes Fabri’s Preface to his Answer to Luther’s Response: translated by Richard Rex and Christoph Pretzer
- Juan Luis Vives’s Letter to Henry VIII: To His Royal Majesty.
- Select Bibliography
- Index of Names, Places, and Topics
- Index of Biblical Texts and References
Summary
Most serene lord King and honoured cousin, wishing you health and perpetual increase in all things good, and paying our due respects.
After Your Royal Highness recently sent us your Response to Martin Luther, to be forwarded to Luther himself, we decided that it would be a benefit to Christendom for it to be translated into our vernacular tongue. So we saw to it that this was carefully done. But Martin himself, impatient as he is of everything which is not on his side, because he felt that the common people might be persuaded by that translation that he had offered to recant, took from that – or rather concocted for himself – a reason for writing an answer, directed, however, not so much against your Response as against the title given to it in German, as though it had not been properly translated. Which, however, no one cognisant of the German language would ever say or establish, although we are not quite sure whether he actually took occasion for writing from the Latin title instead, which he might well have done with no less temerity and cavilling. But whatever the case, because we considered that his insolent rejoinder somewhat touched on Your Royal Highness's honour, we saw to it that this imposture of Luther should be not only now translated into Latin (for nothing is issued by him except in his mother tongue) but also set before the eyes of all the world by the translator of your Response. All of this we send to Your Royal Highness, and we pray that it will be received by you in the same spirit in which it has been sent by us. For even in much greater matters we would willingly oblige Your Royal Highness, and you may be absolutely sure of that and of us. Farewell, and may you ever flourish. From our palace at Dresden, on the eve of Reminiscere Sunday, 16 March, in the year of divine reconciliation 1527.
Signed: George, by the grace of God Duke of Saxony, Landgrave of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, etc.
Addressed: To the most Serene and Mighty Prince, Lord Henry, King of England and France, Defender of the Faith, and Lord of Ireland, his Lord and honoured Cousin.
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- Information
- Henry VIII and Martin LutherThe Second Controversy, 1525–1527, pp. 214 - 215Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2021