would nevertheless be naught and ineffective.  For he declared unto us that it was clearly written in the Pope’s letter that those would certainly share in the exceeding generous indulgences and treasures of the Church and the merits of Christ qui porrigerent manum adjutricem,_ who offered a helping hand; that is, those who would give money.’  And all that they told me in German, for there was not one among them who could have spoken three Latin words correctly with any one.

“In return, however, I entreated anew, and proved from the Pope’s letter which had been posted that the Holy Father, the Pope, had commanded that such letters should be given to the poor for nothing, for the sake of the Lord; and especially because there had also been written there ’ad mandatum domini Papae proprium,’ that is, at the Pope’s own command.

“Then they went in again and asked the proud, haughty friar, that he might kindly grant my request and let me go from him with the letter of indulgence, since I was a clever and fluently-speaking young man and worthy of having something exceptional granted me.  But they came out again and brought again the answer, ’de manu auxiliatrice,’ concerning the helping hand, which alone was fit for the holy indulgence.  I, however, remained firm and said that they were doing me, a poor man, an injustice; the one whom both God and the Pope were unwilling to shut out of divine grace was rejected by them for some few pennies which I did not have.  Then a contention arose that I should at least give something small, in order that the helping-hand might not be lacking, that I should only give a groschen; I said, ‘I do not have it, I am poor.’  At last it came to the point where I was to give six pfennigs; then I answered again that I did not have a single pfennig.  They tried to console me and spoke with one another.  Finally I heard that they were worried about two things, in the first place, that I should in no case be allowed to go without a letter of indulgence, for this might be a plan devised by others, and that some bad affair might hereafter result from it, since it was clear in the Pope’s letter that it should be given to the poor for nothing.  Again, however, something would nevertheless have to be taken from me in order that the others might not hear that the letters of indulgence were being given out for nothing; for the whole pack of pupils and beggars would then come running, and each one would want the same for nothing.  They should not have found it necessary to be worried about that, for the poor beggars were looking more for their blessed bread to drive away their hunger.