“Thomas,” he said without any preface, “take and read! He has answered me! Who? Luther, of course! He--the man whose mind reeks like carrion, and whose practices are damnable--has answered my book, _The Babylonish Captivity_. Take and read what he says, and tell me if you have ever seen anything like it.” He gave the Treasurer a printed pamphlet. “And then this devil of a liar says I have not written my book myself. Take and read it, and give me your advice.” More began to read Luther’s answer to Henry’s attack. He read it to himself, and often found it hard to remain serious, although the King kept his eyes fixed on his face in order to read his thoughts. Among other things, Luther had written: “It matters nothing to me whether King Heinz or Kunz, the Devil or Hell itself, has composed this book. He who lies is a liar--therefore I fear him not. It seems to me that King Henry has provided an ell or two of coarse stuff for this mantle, and that the poisonous fellow Leus (Leo X), who wrote against Erasmus, or someone of his sort, has cut and lined the hood. But I will help them--please God--by ironing it and attaching bells to it.” More felt that he must say something or lose his head, so he said: “That is monstrous! That is quite monstrous!” “Go on!” exclaimed Henry. After saying that he postponed the discussion of the other six sacraments, Luther added: “I am busy in translating the Bible into German, and cannot stir up Heinz’s dirt any more.” The Treasurer was nearly choking with suppressed laughter, but he felt the sword suspended over his head, and continued: “But I will give the poisonous liar and blasphemer, King Heinz, once for all, a complete answer, and stop his mouth.... Therefore he thinks to hang on to the Pope and play the hypocrite before him.... Therefore they mutually caress and tickle each other like a pair of mule’s ears....” “No, sire,” More broke off, “I cannot go on; it is high treason to read it.” “I will read,” said the King, and took the pamphlet from him: “‘I conquer and defy Papists, Thomists, Henrys, Sophists, and all the swine of hell!’ He calls us swine!” “He is a madman who ought to be beaten to death with iron bars or hunted in a forest with bloodhounds.” “Yes, he ought! But imagine!--this scoundrel gives himself out for a prophet and servant of Christ. And he has married a nun. That is incest! But he has been punished for it. The Kurfürst of Saxony has abandoned him, and none of his so-called friends went to the wedding....” “What is his object? What is his new teaching? Justification through faith. If one only believes, one may live like a swine!” “And his doctrine about the Communion. The Church says the Elements are changed by consecration, but this materialist says they actually _are_ Christ’s Body and Blood. Then the corn in the field and the grapes in the vineyard are already Christ’s Body and Blood! He is an ass! And the world is mad.”