"'Sir, can you inform us if Martin Luther is now at Wittemberg, or if not, where he is?'
"He said,—
"'I have reliable information that Luther is not now at Wittemberg. He will, however, soon be there. Philip Melancthon is there now; he teaches Greek, and others teach Hebrew. I counsel you earnestly to study both; for both are necessary in order to understand the Holy Scriptures.'
"We said,—
"'God be praised! For if God spare our lives we will not depart till we see and hear that man; since on his account we have undertaken this journey, because we understood that he purposes to abolish the priesthood, together with the mass, as an unfounded worship. For as we have from our youth been destined by our parents to be priests, we would know what kind of instruction he will give us, and on what authority he seeks to effect such an object.'
"After these words, he asked,—
"'Where have you studied hitherto?'
"Answer, 'At Basel.'
"Then he said, 'How goes it at Basel? Is Erasmus of Rotterdam still there, and what is he doing?"
"'Sir,' said we, 'we know not that things are going on there otherwise than well. Also, Erasmus is there, but what he is occupied with is unknown to any one, for he keeps himself very quiet, and in great seclusion.'