Common Places, Biography · Dedication
To the Reuerende Father in Chriſt Iohn Iewel, by the grace of God Biſhop of Salisburie his very good Lord.
WHereas latelie at the death of that moſt godlie and graue diuine P. Martyr Vermillius I made an oration openly in our Schoole, wherein I comprehended briefelie the hiſtorie of his life, manie of Peter Martyrs friendes and mine deſired of mee that I woulde recogniſe the ſame, and augment it if it were poſſible, and ſo to put foorth the ſame into light. Which thing I coulde not denie them, aſwell for their louelove towardes mee, as alſo for other great cauſes. For albeit that my Oration be not ſo well furniſhed and compoſed, as it can extoll Martyr with deſerued praiſes, yet doe I thinke that the ſame for the true and ſyncere commemoration of the thinges themſelues wilnot be altogether vnwelcome vntounto ſuch as bare good will vntounto Peter Martyr. For I hauehave declared nothing but that which either I my ſelfe hauehave ſeene, or hauehave learned of witneſſes worthie of credit. For I hauehave indeuored earneſtly herein, to know euen as perfectlie as might be, al the hiſtorie of his life of thoſe which were conuerſant with him. Wherein I was holpen by others, but eſpecially of Iulius Terentianus who both was Martyrs ſcholer in Italie, and in his baniſhment and al his peregrinations, coulde neuer be ſeparated from him vntill his death. Manie thinges alſo did I vnderſtand, by diuers of Martyrs owne writings, and by his letters vntounto his friends, and in like manner by the letters of his friendes vntounto him, the which I diligentlie peruſed and by the good will and requeſt of his heyrs gathered them into order. Wherefore this Oration of mine, ſuch as it is (for I knowe well and confeſſe willingly that all my workes are but ſlender and bare) I thought good to ſende vntounto you reuerende Father, and that it ſhoulde paſſe foorth openlie vnderunder the authoritie of your honourable name. For ſince you both loued and honoured Martyr while he liued, I doubt not but that the remembraunce of him woulde be to your ioy and liking, and I iudge that the incredible ſorrowe which I thinke you hauehave taken for his death, cannot be better reliued by anie meanes than by the continuall memorie and conſideration of the diuine vertues which ſhined in him. And becauſe the life of Martyr was throughlie well ſeene and knowen vntounto you, you may verie well alſo iudge of the trueth of my diſcourſe. You liued in Englande with him vnderunder King Edwarde of happie and godlie memorie. But the ſtate being changed, when by reaſon of the imminent perils, and the perſequution which then waxed hote, manie good men went out of their countrie, you in your baniſhment ariued againe at your Martyr, as it were in a certaine port of your ſtudies: and ſo liued with him, both firſt at Strasborough, and then after with vsus at Zuricke, and was a perpetuall companion and aſſiſtant of his ſtudies and labors which were verie great. And nowe after that by the ſingular benefit of God, through the indeuour, good will and diligence of the most excellent Queene Elizabeth, the true Religion beganne to be perfectlie restored amongeſt you, and that you together with manie other godlie and learned men were reſtored to your countrie, and that you were aduanced to great honours, according as your excellent vertues deſerued, you being abſent did alwaies through continuall letters and all manner of dueties carefullie and diligently maintaine your auncient friendſhippe. For you accounted him inſteede of a father, and he in like manner moſt willingly confeſſed you to bee vntounto him in age a ſonne, and in dignitie a father. Nowe ſith that by domesticall familiaritie and continuall acquaintance you hauehave had full triall of his wit, learning, godlineſſe, modestie, humanitie and ſweete conuerſation, and hauehave alſo hearde of him manie thinges concerning his life (for he vſed ſomtimes to recken vp to his friendes request thoſe thinges which had happened to him both in Italie and elſe where to their great delight) ſhall iudge best of all other of the trueth of this Hiſtorie. And (vnleſſe I be deceiued) you will rather iudge, that manie thinges which belonged to his praiſes are either omitted of mee or elſe not ſufficientlie expreſſed according to the worthineſſe thereof, than to affirme that I hauehave cōmended him aboue his deſert. And perhaps alſo thoſe of Martyrs friendes among you will iudge no leſſe, & diuers noble and gentle men, and alſo reuerende Biſhoppes and manie other worthie men which ſometime knewe Martyr & loued him wel, if ſo be that anie of them will vouchſafe to reade this Oration of ours which I doubt not but many will in whoſe mindes the memorie of Martyr though hee be deade is deepelie imprinted and firmely fastened. But the iudgements of theſe men I dare not withstand, but rather I confeſſe a fault before iudgement: and I deſire pardon partlie becauſe I thinke that I do iuſtly deſerue pardon, if I alone not being ſufficiently indued with the power of wit and eloquence, and therewithall let with ſorrow and heauineſſe, coulde not in ſpeach comprehend all the praiſes of that man (whoſe vertues alone manie ages before hauehave not had the like comparable vntounto his) and partly becauſe I thinke that not onelie the ſucceſſe but alſo my purpoſe and will of taking the worke in hande ought to be regarded. For I meant for this cauſe ſpeciallie to publiſh thoſe things which I had learned of my friends, and gathered by ſome reaſonable ſtudie, to the intent that notable and eloquent men, fauouring and louing Martyr (as I know many both Italians and Engliſh men, and alſo Germans and French men did) ſtirred vp by my example, might eaſilie performe that which I for manie cauſes could not doe, namelie to celebrate the praiſes of Martyr by an excellent, eloquent, and well furniſhed Oration. And this office vndoubtedly now that Martyr is deade manie Godly men wiſh it had beene performed of you, which knewe both what you are able to doe in eloquence and are alſo full aſſured how greatly you loued Martyr. And they thinke that ſuch kinde of Orations are not repugnant to your office and dignitie: ſince that with ſuch kind of funerall Orations, both Nazianzene, honoured Baſil, and Athanaſius; and Ambroſe, Valentinian, and Theodoſius, & his brother Satyrus; and other Biſhops, other excellent men: And that they doe not require this of you (right reuerend Father) they are mooued by this reaſon, namelie that they thinke there wants not in you anie good will, but leaſure and time: For how great labours you indure in inlarging the kingdome of Chriſt, and with how great ſtudie and diligence you execute the office of a Biſhop, we alſo are not ignorant though wee be farre distant from you. But in the meane time if by this my Oration I may prouoke you to deſcribe the prayſes and life of Martyr: (euen as cunning muſitians are oftentimes prouoked by the rude playing of others: that as it were of a certaine indignation, they which before would not, doe afterward plaie most excellentlie) I ſhall receiue ſufficient fruit of my labour: but if you lacke time and to others willingneſſe to doe it, yet at the leastwiſe I wiſh that this my Oration may be extant, not for a memorie of him, which he by his owne writings and labours hath procured to himſelfe to be eternall, but that they which are mindfull of his name, may yet at the leaſtwiſe hauehave this hyſtorie ſuch as it is of his life, wherein they may ſee both the beginnings and proceedings of his ſtudies, and from thence fetch examples both of manifolde and rare vertues. Nowe I craue of you (right reuerende Father) that you will take in good part this token of my dutifull goodwill towards you: and in the conſidering of this Oration, not to hauehave ſo much respect to me, as to Martyr himſelfe, whom the whole hystorie doth concerne. Indeede your louelove towards me required that I ſhould giuegive ſome greater and more notable testimonie of my obſeruation towards you, but ſince my habilitie ſerueth not, therefore I beſeech you rather hauehave respect to my good will, and continue your accustomed louelove and good liking of me. Fare you well right reuerend Father. Dated at Zurick the principall Citie of Swicherland the 4. Calendi of Ianuarie, 1562.