te it. The
friends that knew he exhorted to know nothing; the rest he endeavoured
to persuade that he was not the author, using many forms of
equivocation. He rises to his greatest heights in addressing
cardinals. To Campegio, then in London, he writes on 1 May 1519:

'How malicious some people are! Any scandalous book that comes
out they at once put down to me. That silly production, _Nemo_,
they said was mine; and people would have believed them, only
the author (Hutten) indignantly claimed it as his own. Then
those absurd Letters (of the Obscure Men): of course I was
thought to have had a hand in them. Finally, they began to say
that I was the author of this book of Luther; a person I have
hardly ever heard of, certainly I have not read his book. As
all these failed, they are trying to fasten on me an anonymous
dialogue which appears to make mock of Pope Julius. Five years
ago I glanced through it, I can hardly say I read it.
Afterwards I found a copy of it in Germany, under various
names. Some said it was by a Spaniard, name unknown; others
ascribed it to Faustus Andrelinus, others to Hieronymus Balbus.
For myself I do not quite know what to think. I have my
suspicions; but I haven't yet followed them up to my
satisfaction. Certainly whoever wrote it was very
foolish;'--that sentence was from his heart!--'but even more to
blame is the man who published it. To my surprise some people
attribute it to me, merely on the ground of style, when it is
nothing like my style, if I am any judge: though it would not
be very wonderful if others did write like me, seeing that my
books are in all men's hands. I am told that your Reverence is
inclined to doubt me: with a few minutes' conversation I am
sure I could dispel your suspicions. Let me assure you that
books of this kind written by others I have had suppressed: so
it is hardly likely that I should have published such a thing
myself, or ever wish to publish it.'

Not bad that, from the author of the _Julius_. A fortnight later he
wrote to Wolsey to much the same effect, instancing as books that had
been attributed to him Hutten's _Nemo_ and _Febris_, Mosellanus'
_Oratio de trium linguarum ratione_, Fisher's reply to Faber, and even
More's _Utopia_. As to the _Julius_ he says: 'Plenty of people here
will tell you how indignant I was so