369. ANDREW ROSSO TO A FRIEND.
Marino Sanuto : Diarii, Extracts edited by G. M. Thomas in Martin Luther und die Reformationsbewegung in Deutschland, 1320-32, in Aus2ugen aus Marino Sanuios Diarien. Ansbach, 1883, p. S (Italian.) P. Kalkoff : Briefe, Depeschen und Berichie Uber Luther vom Wormser Reichstag e, 1321. Halle, 1898, p. 25. (German trans- lation.) R. Brown : Calendar of State Papers , . . in Venice, Loo- don, 1869, iii. 147. (English translation, wrongly dated Decem- ber 20.)
Worms, December 30, 152a
In future I refer to the books cited above as "Sanuto," "Kalkofi: Briefe" and "Brown."
Rosso was secretary of Francis Comaro, who in 1520 was Venetian ambassador with the Emperor.
Everywhere where the court goes they have not only burned images of Luther and all his books, but they would have done the same with him if they caught him, unless he confessed his errors. This persecution is very recent. Letters to cer- tain persons have been received here, in which there are many monstrous utterances against ecclesiastical ordinances. How- ever, if he only inveighed against the morals of the Roman curia, people would wink at it. But among other things he now declares that as he has learned for certain that his best books have been burned in several places, he will also show the Pope what he can and dares do in the place where he lives, in the land of the Elector of Saxony, and so he now burns books on the canon law. News of this fact has been received in several ways. Truly that is a great event, and the more significant because both in Saxony and the rest of Germany he has a large following. Important and well-in- formed men have told me that he certainly has twenty thou- sand comrades of like mind. Even if the Elector of Saxony wanted to drive him out of his present place of residence or otherwise punish him, these Germans would not allow it. Many are also sure that he stands in close relations with Erasmus of Rotterdam and other Dutch savants. Truly Luther is an evil plague and an incurable evil!
The papal Nuncio [Caracciolo] and Aleander de Motta, who is the special commissioner for this affair, do all that they can. Aleander has been advised to be careful of his
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