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1546 LETTERS OF MARTIN LUTHER 473

every meal about a hogshead of good Rhine wine. Some- times I drink it with my friends. The Naumburg beer is also very good. The devil has ruined all the beer in the land with pitch, which causes the phlegm to accumulate in my breast, and with you he has destroyed the wine with brimstone. But here the wine is pure, except what is made in the district. And know that all the letters thou hast written have arrived, and to-day I have received those you wrote last Friday along with M. Philip's, so that you may not be angry. Thy beloved lord, Martin Luther.

(De Wette.)

CCCCXCIX

To Katherine, Luther's Wife

Luther again teases his wife as to her useless worrying over him, and the narrow escape they had made. He says that he is well, but longs to return.

February l0, 1546.

To the saintly, anxious lady, Katherine Luther, owner of Zulsdorf, at Wittenberg, my gracious dear wife. Grace and peace in Christ! Most saintly lady doctoress, we thank you kindly for your great care for us, which prevented you sleeping, for since you began to be so anxious we were nearly consumed by a fire in our inn just outside my room door; and yesterday, doubtless on account of your anxiety, a stone fell upon our heads and almost crushed us as in a mouse-trap; and over and above, in our own private room, lime and mortar came down for two days, and when the masons came — after only touching the stone with two fingers — it fell, and was as large as a large pillow, and two hand-breadths wide. We had to thank your anxious care for all this, but happily the dear, holy angels guarded us also. I fear if you do not cease being anxious, the earth may at last swallow us up and the elements pursue us. Is it thus thou hast learnt the catechism and the Faith? Pray and leave it to God to care for us, as He has promised in the 55th Psalm and many other places, "Cast thy burden on the