im expelled," answered Kohlhaas, clenching his fist, "to whom
the protection of the laws is denied! This protection I require to
carry on my peaceful trade; it is only for the sake of this protection
that, with my property, I take refuge with this community, and he who
denies it me drives me back to the beasts of the desert, and puts in my
own hand, as you cannot deny, the club which is to defend me."

"But who has denied thee the protection of the laws?" cried Luther,
"Did not I myself write that the complaint which was sent by thee to
the elector, is still unknown to him? If his servants suppress suits
behind his back, or abuse his sacred name, without his knowledge, who
but God shall call him to account for the choice of such servants, and
as for thee, abominable man, who has entitled thee to judge of him?"

"Well," answered Kohlhaas, "then if the elector does not expel me, I
will return back again to the community which is under his protection.
Give me, as I said before, a safe conduct to Dresden, and I will
disperse the band I have assembled at the Castle of Luetzen, and will
once more bring the suit, with which I failed, before the tribunal of
the country."

Luther, with a dissatisfied countenance, turned over the papers which
lay upon his table and was silent. The bold position which this man
took in the state offended him, and thinking over the decree which had
been sent to the squire from Kohlhaasenbrueck, he asked "what he wanted
from the tribunal at Dresden?"

"The punishment of the squire, according to law," answered Kohlhaas,
"the restoration of my horses to their former condition, and
compensation for the injury which has been suffered both by me and my
man Herse, who fell at Muehlberg, through the violence inflicted upon
us."

"Compensation for injury!" cried Luther, "Why thou hast raised sums by
thousands from Jews and Christians, in bonds and pledges, for the
satisfaction of thy wild revenge. Wilt thou fix an amount if there
should be a question about it?"

"God forbid," said Kohlhaas, "I do not ask back again my house and
farm, or the wealth that I possessed--no more than the expenses of
burying my wife! Herse's old mother will bring in an account of
medical expenses, and a specification of what her son lost at
Tronkenburg, while for the damage which I sustained by not selling my
horses, the government can settle that by a competent arbitrator."

"Terrible and incomprehensible man," said L