To the devout reader

Plato, the Athenian philosopher and interpreter of Socratic wisdom, in designing his republic, declared that states would be happy and blessed if only either philosophers ruled, or their rulers and princes learned to be philosophers. That claim is vindicated in these days by the shining example of our most illustrious king, who is no less famous and renowned for his learning than he is undefeated in war and conspicuous in each and every virtue. His genius and prudence are manifest in the books he has published, in which he has so effectively refuted the demented and ungodly dogmas of Martin Luther, and left the man himself so devoid of any strategy for arguing against him, that Luther, setting aside all reason, had recourse to nothing but meretricious wrangling and scurrilous abuse. When the most learned and prudent king realised this, he did not deign to play the fool with this filthy little clown, but in his immense magnanimity dismissed all the futile blethering and witless taunts of this little friar as the uncouth antics of a giggling blockhead.

But now that Luther has so obtusely ventured to solicit his favour, hoping to bolster his faction by taking the royal name in vain, the king has thought it far from inappropriate to let everyone know that he is neither so empty-headed as to be taken in by the smooth blandishments of a silly little friar nor so inconstant as to be capable of being led astray by any means from that which he knows to be right and true. For which reason he has responded to every particular of Luther's epistle so fully as to expose Luther easily not only to himself but to everyone. Then he observes such moderation in responding that you, devout reader, may see what to think about Luther's character; and Luther himself (although wicked and abandoned) cannot complain or pretend that he has not been kindly dealt with. Farewell.