As a friendly greeting, prudent, wise, gracious Masters and especially
good friends, cousins, and wellwishers, I desire every good thing for
you, from the Highest Good. I received with great pleasure your friendly
letter and its news of a kind suited to my order, or rather my trade;
and I read it with such great devotion that more than once tears ran
down my eyes over it--truly rather tears of laughter than of sorrow. I
consider it a subject for great thankfulness that, with such important
business and so much gaiety on hand, your Wisdoms do not forget me, but
find time to instruct me, poor little nun, about the monastic life
whereof you now have a clear reflection before your eyes. I conclude
from this that doubtless some good spirit drove you, my gracious and
dear Masters, to Augsburg, so that you might learn from the example of
the free Swabian spirits how to instruct and govern the poor imprisoned
sand-bares.[23]
For since our trusty Master Warden (Caspar Nützel), as a lover of the
Church, likes to help in a thorough reformation, he should first behold
a pattern of holy observance in the Swabian League. Let Master Lazarus
Spengler, too, inform himself well about the apostolic mode of common
life, so that at the annual audit he may be able to give us and others
counsel and guidance, how we may run through everything, that nought
remain over. And Master Albrecht Dürer, also, who is such a genius and
master at drawing, he may very carefully inspect the stately buildings,
and then if some day we want to alter our choir he will know how to give
us advice and help in making ample slide-windows (? blinds), so that our
eyes may not be quite blinded.
I shall not further trouble you, however, to bring us music to learn to
sing by notes, for our beer is now so very sour that I fear the dregs
might stick fast among the four reeds or voices, and produce such
strange sounds that the dogs would fly out of the church. But I must
humbly pray you not quite to wear out your eyes over the black and white
magpies, so as no longer to know the little grey wolves at Nürnberg. I
have heard much of the sharp-witted Swabians all my life, but it would
be well if we learnt more from them, now that they are so wisely
labouring with his Imperial Majesty to save the Apostolic life from
being done away with. It is easy to see what very different lovers of
the Church they are from our Masters here.
Pardon me, my dear and gracious Masters, this my playful letter. It is
all done _in caritate--summa summarum_; and the end of it is that I
should rejoice at your speedy return in health and happiness with the
glad accomplishment of the business committed to you. For this I and my
sisters heartily pray God day and night; still we cannot carry it
through alone, so I counsel you to entreat the pious and pure hearts (of
Augsburg) to sing in high quavers that thereby things may speed well.
And now many happy times to you!
Given at Nürnberg on September 3, 1518.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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