History of Three Renowned Reformers, Poem – Dedication 1
❧ A famous and godly hiſtory, contaynyng the Lyues & Actes of three renowmed reformers of the Chriſtiā Church, Martine Luther, Iohn Ecolampadius, and Huldericke Zuinglius. The declaracion of Martin Luthers faythe before the Emperoure Charles the fyft, and the illuſtre Eſtates of the Empyre of Germanye▪ wyth an Oration of hys death, all ſet forth in Latin by Phillip Melancthon, Wolfangus Faber, Capito. Simon Grineus, & Oſwald Miconus, Newly Engliſhed by Henry Bennet Calleſian. (⸫)
¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Awdely, dwellyng in lytle Brittaine Streete, by great Saint Bartelmewes▪ Anno▪ 1561.
¶ Encomy of Martine Luther.
A head where Pallas miſteries wer fraight,
A face where …oumy brigh…lye dyd appeare,
An eye yt could diſcerne ech mynde … ſleight,
And eares contēpning priuate …au… to heare
A tong that dyd pronounce the ſacred truth,
A prareirs pen, that paynted well the ſame.
A zeale that moued Tigriſh hartes to ru…he,
And could to vertue mild…s mindes enflame
A mynde aſpiring ay to wyſdomes throne.
A hart that neuer drad the Tirantes might.
A rocke yt wold remoue from truth for none
Diſdayning death in quarell of the ryght.
Theſe golden gifts, in Luther ſhined bright
For which he now receiues immortal light.
¶ Pſalme .cxvi.
¶ The death of the iuſte, is precious before the ſyght of God.
To the right honorable▪ and his ſyng… good lord, Thomas Lord Wentworth, proſperous health, and perpetual fel: citye. (⸫)
NOT without immortal prayſe, & euerlaſting renowme ar the actes and monumentes of learned men, cōmended to poſterity. For if life wtout litterature is (as Seneca ſayth) a death or ſepulture of the lyuely man, & the body (as Plato wytneſſeth) no body, but a ſepulture, cohibiting the minde from hys natural vigour: how much excelleth he (ryght honorable and my ſyngular good Lord) in thys frayle eſtate, who wyth ſtudies of humanitye garniſhed, & wyth diuine knowledge adorned, hath not onelyonly enriched his natural vnderſtāding: but alſo made the ſame almoſt equiualent to Aungels, comprehēding the glorious miſteries of the eternal Father, and his Sonne Ieſus Chriſt. Among theſe, how much Martine Luther excelled, his holy woorkes & prophane monumentes, beſides the learned teſtimonies of many famous Clarkes, abundantly deciare. Reading therefore of late tyme, the hiſtory of hys Lyfe and Actes, ſetfoorth by the incomparable ornament of good learnyng Phillyp Melanethon: I was therein maruaylouſly delighted, & efrſones peruſing the ſame. I was rauiſhed with incredible deſyre to beſtow ſomtime in the tranſlation therof. Many vrgent cauſes moued me, whereof y• principal be theſe. Fyrſt, hys integrity of life, godly conuerſacion, & zelous affection towardes the propagacion of Gods holy word. Secondly, his animoſity profeſſyng Chriſt hys Maiſter, hys learned conference wyth the temporall & Eccleſiaſtical Eſtates of Germany, & his contempt of al worldly felicitye & tranſitori pompe, in reſpect of Chriſt hys Maiſter, whom he purely profeſſed, and ſincerely preached. Laſtly, y• lamentable verſes, & funerall Oracions of diuers, bewayling the loſſe of this pearle of Chriſtianity, & the traduction of this preſent hiſtorye into the Germaine, Frenche, Spaniſh & Italian tonges by certayn godly perſons exiled their natural country, and diſperſed in ſundry Chriſtian Territories, wher Gods word is purely preached, and all papiſtrye aboliſhed. By whyche it appeareth he was no leſſe treaſure and glory of hys Countrye, ſpectacle and abſolute Image of godly wyſedome, then terrour to all Papiſme, and ſuch as builded the laud of theyr lyfe, on the ſ…nde of ambicious ſeekyng. My rude tranſlacion & ſymple trauayle, I dedicate vntounto your good Lordſhip, as to the very Patron and fauourable Mecenas of all poore Studentes. Whoſe honorable perſonage to pouder with condigne praiſe … a thing more due to your deſertes, the eaſy for my rude pen, and more appertaineth to my duty, then it ſtādeth wyth myne ability. For who knoweth your Lordſhip, and is ignoraunt of the rare gyftes that harbor in your head, & of the natural bountye that ſo brightly ſhineth in your countenaūce Who hath not hearde the renowmed brute of your conſtancye in Chriſtian religion, euen in theſe late wretched dayes, whoſe noble hart, neither tedious and long impriſonment, neyther flowing heapes of worldly aduerſity could fraight with feare, or mooue to deflect to any ſiniſter way, and whoſe vertuous mynde in greateſt troubles euermore aſpired to the hygh temple, where God in glorye is in throned. I paſſe in ſilence your bounty towards al ſuch as profeſſe God vnfaynedly, & publiſhe abroade the fruites of theyr ſtudies. All which moſt heauenly deſertes, do not onelyonly merite to be regiſtred in the booke of Fame, but alſo miniſtre ample occaſion for your honorable perſonage (whē the fatal Ladies ſhal ſpyn out the thre… of mortal life) to be calendred in the Catalogue of thoſe vertuous wyghtes. Who for ſundry their proweſſes, woorthye exploictes, goodly graces, and ſyngular giftes, were by antiquitye conſecrate to immortality. And though your honour, whoſe lyfe lightneth hys profeſſion, and whoſe profeſſion purelye aduaunceth the glory of God and his ſacred word, diſdayneth to be ſetforth wyth my rude penne: yet your Lordſhyp muſt beare with him that of good wyl pronoūceth this of your good deſeries. I coulde wade further in your honours commendacion, but that I hauehave a certayn reuerence to trouble wyth my prolixitye your grauer affaires. And partlye feare pulleth me back, leaſt I be ſpoiled with the noſe of adulacion, whoſe honorable eares abhorres to hear your proper praiſe, and whoſe iudgement woulde condempne my temerarious attēpt herein. Therefore ſparing to ſpeake that inwardly I conceiue, I remyt this argument of blaſing your heroiacal vertues, to ſuch excellent Rethoricians, as far ſurmounting me in eloquence & good lytterature, as Phebus wyth hys bryght beames, the leſſer celeſtiall bodyes.
Thus humbly beſechyng your honour to take in good parte, the baſe and ſymple trauayle of a poore Calliſian, and alſo vouchſafe the Patronage of thys Chriſtian hiſtory, or rather myrrour of Chriſtian lyfe. VnderUnder whoſe protection I publyſhe the ſame abroade. I beſeche the eternall God, and hys Sonne Ieſus Chriſte, to preſerue your Lordſhyppe, and the ryght honourable and vertuous Lady your Wyfe, ſende ye encreaſe of muche honour, and graunt ye the accompliſhment of your gentle hartes deſyre.
From London thys.…. of Nouember. 1561. (⸫) ¶ Your honours moſt humble Oratour Henry Bennet.