Meanwhile Dr. Osiander of Anspach had come to him; and the pious
young man was getting utterly shaken in his religion. Monkish
vows, Pope, Holy Church itself, what is one to think, Herr Doctor?
Albert, religious to an eminent degree, was getting deep into
Protestantism. In his many journeyings, to Nurnberg, to
Brandenburg, and up and down, he had been at Wittenberg too:
he saw Luther in person more than once there; corresponded with
Luther; in fine believed in the truth of Luther. The Culmbach
Brothers were both, at least George ardently was, inclined to
Protestantism, as we have seen; but Albert was foremost of the
three in this course. Osiander and flights of zealous Culmbach
Preachers made many converts in Preussen. In these circumstances
the Four Years came to a close.

Albert, we may believe, is greatly at a loss; and deep
deliberations, Culmbach, Berlin, Liegnitz, Poland all called in,
are held:--a case beyond measure intricate. You have given your
word; word must be kept,--and cannot, without plain hurt, or ruin
even, to those that took it of you. Withdraw, therefore; fling it
up!--Fling it up? A valuable article to fling up; fling it up is
the last resource. Nay, in fact, to whom will you fling it up?
The Prussian Ritters themselves are getting greatly divided on the
point; and at last on all manner of points, Protestantism ever
more spreading among them. As for the German Brethren, they and
their comfortable Teutschmeister, who refused to partake in the
dangerous adventure at all; are they entitled to have much to say
in the settlement of it now?--

Among others, or as chief oracle of all, Luther was consulted.