d a chance of seeing Linacre's _Therapeutice_,[68] through some
conspiracy of the Parisians against me. Inquire courteously of Lupset on
the Appendix[69] to my _Copia_ and send it.

The Pope and the princes are up to some new tricks on the pretext of the
savagery of the war against the Turks. Wretched Turks! May we Christians
not be too cruel! Even wives are affected. All married men between the
ages of twenty-six and fifty will be compelled to take up arms.
Meanwhile the Pope forbids the wives of men absent at the war to indulge
in pleasure at home; they are to eschew elegant apparel, must not wear
silk, gold or any jewellery, must not touch rouge or drink wine, and
must fast every other day, that God may favour their husbands engaged in
this cruel war. If there are men tied at home by necessary business,
their wives must none the less observe the same rules as they would have
had to observe if their husbands had gone to the war. They are to sleep
in the same room but in different beds; and not a kiss is to be given
meanwhile until this terrible war reaches a successful conclusion under
Christ's favour. I know that these enactments will irritate wives who do
not sufficiently ponder the importance of the business; though I know
that your wife, sensible as she is, and obedient in regard to a matter
of Christian observance, will even be glad to obey.

I send Pace's pamphlet, the _Conclusions on Papal Indulgences_,[70] and
the _Proposal for Undertaking a War against the Turks_,[71] as I suspect
that they have not yet reached England. They write from Cologne that
some pamphlet about an argument between Julius and Peter at the gates of
Paradise[72] has now been printed; they do not add the author's name.
The German presses will not cease from their mad pranks until their
rashness is restrained by some law; this does me much harm, who am
endeavouring to help the world....

I beg you to let my servant sleep one or two nights with yours, to
prevent his chancing on an infected house, and to afford him anything he
may need, although I have supplied him with travelling money myself. I
have at last seen the _Utopia_ at Paris printed, but with many
misprints. It is now in the press at Basle; I had threatened to break
with them unless they took more trouble with that business than with
mine. Farewell, most sincere of friends.

XIII. TO BEATUS RHENANUS[73]

Louvain [_c._ 15 October] 1518

To his friend Rhenanus, greetings: