It was now that the Elector sent to beg Charles would not be offended if he left Augsburg. "Let him await my answer," abruptly replied the Emperor; and the Elector having rejoined that he would send his ministers to explain his motives to his majesty: "Not so many speeches," resumed Charles, with irritation; "let the Elector say whether he will stay or not!"[801] [801] Kurtz mit Solchen worten ob er erwarten wolte oder nicht? (Brück, Apol. p. 143.) [Sidenote: PROTESTANTISM RESISTS.] A rumour of the altercation between these two powerful princes having spread abroad, the alarm became universal; it was thought war would break out immediately, and there was a great cry in all Augsburg.[802] It was evening: men were running to and fro; they rushed into the hotels of the princes and of the Protestant deputies, and addressed them with the severest reproaches. "His imperial majesty," said they, "is about to have recourse to the most energetic measures!" They even declared that hostilities had begun: it was whispered that the commander of Horneck (Walter of Kronberg), elected by the Emperor grand-master of the Teutonic order, was about to enter Prussia with an army, and dispossess Duke Albert, converted by Luther.[803] Two nights successively the same tumult was repeated. They shouted, they quarrelled, they fought, particularly in and before the mansions of the princes: the war was nearly commencing in Augsburg. [802] Ein beschwerlich Geschrey zu Augsbourgden selben abend ausgebrochen. (Ibid. p. 145.) [803] Man würde ein Kriegs-volk in Preussen Schicken. (Brück, Apol. p. 143.) At that crisis (12th September), John Frederick, prince-electoral of Saxony, quitted the city. On the same day, or on the morrow, Jerome Wehe, chancellor of Baden, and Count Truchses on the one side; Chancellor Brück and Melancthon on the other, met at six in the morning in the church of St. Maurice.[804] [804] Ibid. p. 155-160. Charles, notwithstanding his threats, could not decide on employing force. He could no doubt by a single word to his Spanish bands or to his German lansquenets have seized on these inflexible men, and treated them like Moors. But how could Charles, a Netherlander, a Spaniard, who had been absent ten years from the Empire, dare, without raising all Germany, offer violence to the favourites of the nation? Would not the Roman-catholic princes themselves see in this act an infringement of their privileges? War was unseasonable. "Lutheranism is extending already from the Baltic to the Alps," wrote Erasmus to the legate: "You have but one thing to do: tolerate it."[805] [805] A mare Baltico ad Helvetios. (Erasm. Epp. xiv. p. 1.)