A Fit Conjucture of Religion and Learning, Book 3 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
E
KIng Edward the 6th, our English Iosiah. Hayward hath written his Life well▪S. P. Luctuosissima quidem nobis ad audiendum fuit, & adhuc ad recordandum acerbissima est, regis mors, qui in tanta fuit expectatione Clementiae, prudentiae, doctrinae, religionis, ut non vester solùm, verum etiam noster & omnium rex hominum fore videretur. Ioan. Sturm. Epist. Domino Pagetto. Pro serenissimo rege qui ad miraculum usque in pietatis, & literarum studiis proficit, preces vestras …ccumulate. Calv. Epist. & Respons. N. Calvino. Vide ibid. p. 315. & Vossii Epist. ad Artem Grammaticam. Eodem fere tempore, res in Anglia turbatae fuerant, ob regis, Eduardi Sexti, mortem, adolescentis maximae expectationis, propter raram ad omne genus virtutis indolem, & natura inditam, & doctrina excultam. Buchanan. Rerum Scotic. Hist. l. 16.
He was admirable by reason of his rare towardness and hope both of Vertue and Learning, which in him appeared above the capacity of his years. Favour and love of Religion was in him from his childhood. Such an instrument given of God to the Church of England he was, as England never had better.
Cardan saith this of him: Being but fifteen years of age, he asked of me in Latine, (in which tongue he uttered his minde no lesse readily and eloquently then I could do my self) what my Books which I had Dedicated unto him De varietate Rerum did contain? Cardan made answer, and the King wittily replied severall times, as Mr Fox in his 2d Book of Acts and Monum. p. 65. relates.
He restored holy Scriptures to the mother Tongue, he abolished Masses; such as were in banishment for the danger of the truth, were again received to their Country.
During the time of the six years of this King there was much tranquility to the whole Church of England.
Egesippus a Writer of the Ecclesiasticall History from Christs Passion to his time,Hegesippus ille Vulgaris, quem B. Ambrosius Latinè vertisse diu creditus fuit, pro genuino quidem habetur à Trithemio: imò, quantum videre possum, etiam à Lodovico Vive, & aliis quibusdam, sed omnino est scriptor alius ab illo nobili Hegesippo, Apostolorum temporibus proximo, Justino Martyri, & Athenagorae aequali. Voss. de Histor. Graec. l. 2. c. 14. Vide Neand. Geog. parte 2da. Vir tum pietatis tum eruditionis nomine valde celebris, floruit circiter 160 annis post nativitatem Christi. Illyr. Catal. Test. Verit. l. 2. Egesippus, seu, ut alii scribunt, Hegesippus, natione Judaeus, & ex Judaeo Christianus, omnes actus Ecclesiasticos à tempore Mortis Christi, usque ad Adriani Imp. aetatem, id est, usque ad annum Christi 120. descripsit. Alsted. Encyclop. l. 32. c. 5. as witnesseth Hierom and Eusebius l. 4. c. 8. & 22.
He lived in the time next after the Apostles, and is the ancientest Writer of Ecclesiasticall History next to Luke.
Eginhardus, Anno Dom. 80.
Elias Levita, a most Learned Grammarian of the Jews.Venetiis aliquandiu vixit Elias Levita Judaeus doctissimus, & in lingua Hebraea facundissimus, cujus extant in lingua Hebraea & Chaldaea multa utilia scripta, à Munstero & Fagio in linguam Latinam conversa & exposita. Ejus viri studio & laboribus multum debent omnes sanctae linguae candidati, quod in illa lingua praesertim ad Grammaticam pertinentia ipse primus non ita nota superiori tempore, à se multa lectione eruta communicârit & monstrârit. Neand. Geog. parte prima. Elias Levita natus in Civitate Nove Eyseh haut procul à Noriberga, at invitis popularibus suis, Christianos Hebraeam docuit linguam, cùm viva voce, tùm variis editis libellis. Voss. de Arte Grammatica l. 1. c. 4. Elias Levita, Germanus, in Lexico, quod à numero vocabulorum difficiliorum, quae ibi explicantur foreign vocatur. Dilh. Disput. Acad. Tom. 2. Incomparabilis vir Elias Levita in aureolo suo libello, quem inscripsit Massoreth ham massoreth, Traditionem traditionis, hoc est, traditionem vel doctrinam excellentissimam, cognoscendi scilicet infinita sacrae Scripturae mysteria abstrusa: quem libellum, annos ante paucos Latinè reditum à clarissimo & amicissimo Buxtorfio nostro, studiosis linguarum percommendatum esse velim. Waserus de Antiquis mensuris Hebraeorum, l. 2. c. 2. An. 1517. Elias Levita Judaeus Grammaticorum Hebraeorum summus & facillimus, suae linguae discendae, Christianis Romae, Venetiis, & alibi in Italia, in quam è Germania venerat, copiam facit: ob quam rem magnas à reliquis Judaeis calumnias & odio sustinuit. Geneb. Chronol. l. 4. Unicus hujus aevi Criticus & Aristarchus Ebraismi. Scal. Epist. l. 1. Epist. 62. Judaeus, in Germania natus, Hebraicae linguae Grammaticus doctissimus. Gesn. Biblioth.
He (or his son, as some say) gave his name to Christ before his death, bringing with him thirty other Jews to be baptized.
He excelled all the Rabbins in the explication and curious handling of all the Masoreth, in his Book entitled Masoreth hammasoreth, from which book Buxtorf received much light in his Tiberias, sive Commentarius Masorethicus.
Doctissimus Iudaeus, Elias Levita, Germanus (cui gratiam non mediocrem debent Christiani, propter sincerum in linguae Sanctae cognitione ipsos adjuvandi studium) in Lexico su… Rabbinico, quod Thisbitem inscripsit. Ful. Miscel. l. 2. c. 3.
Sir Thomas Elyot. He hath written a book called, The Governour, his Castle of health.
For his Learning in all kinde of knowledge, he brought much honour to all the nobility of England. He told me he had a work in hand which he nameth De rebus memorabilibus Angliae, which I trust we shall see in Print shortly, and for the accomplishment of that Book he had read and perused over many old Monuments of England, Aschams Toxophilus, p. 28.
Queen*Ingenium sine muliebri mollitia, labor cum vitili constantia, memoria, qua nihil vel citiùs percipit, vel diutius retinet. Gallicè, Italicèque, aequè ac Anglicè loquitur, Latinè▪ expeditè, propriè, consideratè. Graecè etiam mediocriter mecum frequenter libentérque collocuta est. Siquid Graece latineve scribat, manu ejus nihil pulchrius. Musicae ut peritissima, sic ea non admodum delecta…a. Asch. Epist. l. 1. Sturmio adfui ego quodam die, cum uno tempore tribus Orationibus, Imperatorio, Gallico, Suetico, triplici lingua, Italicâ uni, Gallicâ alteri, Latinè tertio facilè non haesitanter, expeditè non perturbatè, ad varias res, tum illorum sermone, ut fit, jactatus, respondebat. Aschamus alia Epist. Stutmio. Vide Thuan. Hist. Tom. 5. l. 119. Vide etiam Vossii Epist. Dedicat. ad Artem Grammat. Elisabetha Princeps indose verè Regia, animosa, ingeniosa, erudita & eloquens: summa affabilitate, Clementia & Constantia (quae in patre potissimum desiderabantur) praedita, quibus proculdubio animi virtutibus toto celeberrima mundo est. Meteran. de Rebus Belg. lib. 1. Elizabeth, a Learned Queen, and our English Deborah.
She Translated out of Greek into Latine, Isocrates his Oration to Nicocles, his first Book de regno, his second Oration in one Book; She translated also the Meditations of the Queen of Navarr, out of French into English. Baleus.
Fuit ingenio d…cili, & scientiarum Cupido, Latine sciebat, & commode loquebatur, Germanice, quod vernacula lingua ab illa derivaretur, bene, Gallice saepius, sed absona voce, Italice per eleganter. Musica & poetica summopere delectabatur. Thuan. Hist. tom. 5. part. 2. l. 129. p. 1051, 1052, 1053. Vide plura ibid.
Ubbo Emmius, a very Learned man, Professor of History and Greek, at Groning.
Suffridus Petri vir benè doctus, sed qui in Frisiae rebus, atque omni literaturae laude longè cedat Emmio. Voss. de Histor. Lat. l. 2. c. 40. Vide vit. Profess. Groningae.
He is much commended by Ianus Dousa Hollandiae Annal. in two Books, forLib. 1. & 10. a most faithfull Historian.
Constant. l' Empereur, the famous Professor of Hebrew at Leyden in Holland.
Vir de literis Hebraeis praeclarè merons. Vossius. de Philol. cap. 11. Vide Voss. in Maimon. de Idol. c. 6.
His Works, Talmudis Babylonici Codex. Middoth.
Notae in Benjaminem.
De legibus Ebraeorum forensibus, and Clavis Talmudica, shew his great Abilities.
Quintus *…unius primum inter Latinos poetas Epicos locum obtiner, quem & Virgilius sibi imitandum proposuit, & M. Varro discipulum Musarum, quemadmodum M. Tullius Cicero summum Epicorum Poetam vocat. Possev. Biblioth. Select. Tom. 2. l. 17. c. 22. Ante Christum natum 236. Calvis. Chron. Romani carminis▪ primus autor, obiit septuagenario major. Boxhorn. Monum. Illust. Vi….Ennius.
He made these verses,
Nemo me lacrymis decoret, nec funera fletu
Faxit cur? v…lito vivus per ora virum.
Virgill is reported to have said, when he read Ennius, Se aurum in sterquilinio colligere, that he gathered gold in a dunghill.
Habent Enniani versus aliquid, quod prodesse & delectare possit, & orationem etiam, quod minimè quis existimaret, ex colere. Turneb. Advers. l. 27. c. 11.
Ephraem or Ephraim Syrus, a Father that lived in St Basils time.
Anno Aerae Christi 378. Calvis. Chron. 361. Helv. Chron.
Ephraem Antiochenus. 527.
Epictetus *Docet Romae Anno Aerae Christi 82. Calvis. Chron.the Philosopher.
He entitled his Book Euchiridion, because ad manum semper habere oportet.
Sermo in eo omnino efficax est, atque energiae plenus, & in quo mira sit ad permovendum vis Stylus autem qualem res postularet, concisus est, dilucidus, quique omnem respuat ornatum. Polit. In Epict. Enchirid.
Epiphanius *Anno Ae…ae Christi 392. Calvis. Chron. 361. Helv. Chron.390. Bishop of Salamina in Cyprus, who was famous all over the world in the doctrine of the Catholick faith, saith Austen.
He was famous for Learning and for his skill in five Tongues, called by Ierom Multa cum delectu & judicio legenda apud Epiphanium. Cujus Panarium nos solemus vocare Christianae antiquitatis scrinium, & sane praestantissimum est opus, & non omnium hominum. Scalig. Elench. Trihaeres. Serar. c. 15. Cum delectu ille author tractandus, optime alioqui de literis divinis deque Ecclesia meritus. Id. ibid. c. 21. Fuit rixa inter Epiphanium & Chrysostomum: adeo ut ille huic diceret, spero quod non morieris Episcopus: Ad quod hic respondisse fertur: Spero te ad tuam patriam non redire. Utrumque impletum fuisse dicunt. Nam & Epiphanium in via mortuum: & Chrysostomum, quia Eudoxiae Imperatrici & Clericis suis, quorum mores corrigere …itebatur, odiosus factus fuerit, in exilio obiisse tradunt. Wolphii Lect. Memorab.foreign, famous for his holiness and miracles, a most sharp enemy to Heretiques, against whom also he published a famous Work. Sixt. Senens. Biblioth. Sanct. l. 4. Vide Augustini praefat. ad lib. de Hares.
Apud Graecos inter magnos habitus, & à multis in Catholicae fidei sanitate laudatus. Aug. de Haeres. p. 230.
Epiphaenius the Deacon. 787.
Epistles. They are Amicorum Collequia absentium, saith Tully, 2. Phil.
The reading of Epistles (as also of Lives) is both pleasant and profitable.
No other kinde of conveyance is better for knowledge or love.
Baronius in his Annals commends Historiam Epistolarem. Ierom is most eloquent in his Epistles, especially in that to Heliodorus.
Isidore Pelusiota hath excellently handled the greatest part of the mysteries of our Faith, and the controversies agitated both against the Jews and Hereticks, and yet he entitleth his Book Epistles.
Saint Basil the Great, Gregory Nazianzene, Synesius Bishop of a City in Cyrene, Cyril of Alexandria, St Cyprian, St Austin, Gregory the Pope, St Bernard, and other Fathers of the Eastern and Western Churches, do not speak more powerfully any where, then in their Epistles.
What treasure of moral knowledge are in Seneca's Letters to only one Lucilius? How much of the Story of the time is in Cicero's Letters, especially those ad Atticum?
Ciceronis Epistolis ad Latinae Orationis elegantiam informamur, ex his primus eloquentiae quasi succus, qui qualis initio fuerit, per magni interest, bibitur. Manut. Praefat. in Epist. Cicer. Fam.
Politian was a most polite Authour. See the first Epistle of his first Book of Epist.
Manutius his Epistles, Wowerus and Coelius Secundus Curios are good.
Erasmus and Lipsius his Epistles are elegant and usefull. Bembus and Sadoletus pure Latinists. Longolius is termed by Ludovicus Vives Homo Ciceronianissimus, there is elegant Latine (though little matter) in Baudius *Epistolas Baudii si quis legerit propter egregium stylum operam non luserit. Alioquin vix ullae res le…tu & sci…u dignae ibi comparent. Voet. Biblioth. Studios. Theol. lib. 2. Some much commend Balzaks French Epistles for eloquence.his Epistles, Scaliger saith of him, Solus Baudius Latinè loquitur. For the Fathers, Ieroms excell for Latine, Austens for variety of Learning, Cyprians for the state of those times in the first three hundred years. For modern Writers, those of Calvin, Beza, Luther, Melancthon, Oecolampadius, Peter Martyr and Zanchius, are very profitable, also Casaubones and Scaligers.
For English, our Hall is styled by some the English Seneca, and Mr Bain is excellent for pious admonitions and instructions.
There are Epistolae clarorum virorum.
Epistolae obscur…rum virorum, a facetious Book, thought to …e done by Erasmus.
Hebrew Epistles byaVolumen Epistolarum Judaicarum à te nuper publicatum, cogit me, ut à te petam, quod jam occupavit facere Drusius noster, ut justum aliquod corpus ejusmodi Epistolarum à te collectarum edatur; una cum interpretatione & notis …uis. Scalig▪ Epist. l. 3. Epist. 243▪ …. Buxtorf, and Greek by Budaeus.
Epistolae Laconicae.
Epistolae Iesuiticae by learned Chamier.
Epistolae Astronomicae by that famous Astronomer Tycho Brahe.
Epistolae Medicinales by learned Langius.
Centuria Epistolarum Philologicarum edita à Goldasto, Laurentii Pignorii Symbol… Epistolicae.
Desiderius Erasmus.
He was born at Roterdam in Holland, in a little house at the Church-yard, Anno Nec ulla est regio, nec Hispania, nec Italia, nec Anglia, nec Scotia, quae me ad suam non invitat hospitium.Christianae salutis 1467.
There is his Statue to be seen at Roterdam in brasse on the Market place with this Inscription,
ERASMUS Natus ROTERODAMI Octob. XXVIII. Anno 1467. Obiit Basileae XII. Julii. Anno 1536.
The House where he was born is yet to be seen, in the front of which are these verses,Etsi non prober ab omnibus (quod nec studeo) certè primis placeo.
Aedibus his ortus mundum decoravit Erasmus
Artibus ingenuis, Religione, Fide. Boxhorn. Theat. Holland.
By his learned writings which he published he obtained such a fame of his Learning and vertue, that he was drawn by Kings and Princes into Germany, Italy, England, Romae nullus erat Cardinalis, qui me non tanquam fratrem acciperet, cùm ipse nihil tale ambi…em. Atque hic he nos non tribuebatur opibus quas etiam nunc non habeo, nec desidero, non ambitioni, à qua semper fui alienissimus; sed literis duntaxat, quas nostrates rident, Itali adorant. In Anglia nullus est Episcopus, qui non gaudeat à me salutari, qui non cupiat me convivam, qui nolit domesticum. Eras. Servatio. Spiritum & vitam Erasmo debent renascentes literae. Gratus & acceptus summis Pontificibus, Imperatoribus & Regibus. Propensi or natura fuit ad jocos quam deceret, quam nonnunquam expediat, ut de se ipse fatetur ad Barbirium. Multa vir tantus scripsit quae in IX Tomos distributa, hodie cum summo omnium stupore leguntur. Inter alia plura non postremum locum obtinent Epistolae: In iis enim tota elucet ejus vita, in iis ejusdem patet genius, ingenium, mores, eruditio. animique dotes. Swertii Athenae Belgicae. Neque ego video quae gratia ab ullo digna meritis ipsius haberi possit. Cujus diligentia, labore, assiduitate, & Constantia illius temporibus periculosa, perfectum est ut libros scriptorum Apostolicorum & Evangelicae historicae integros purosque habeamus. Neque mea quidem sententia, ullius operae quae corrigendo ultra Erasmicas notationes progrediatur, locus est relictus. Camerar. Praefat. ad Comment. in novum Foedus. Adagiorum opus ab Aldo impressum an videris nescio: Est quidem pr…sanum, sed ad omnem doctrinam utilissimum, mihi certè inaestimabilibus constitit vigiliis. Eras. Servatio. Vide Neand. Geog. parte I•.and other Regions of Europe, they giving him great rewards.
He was of indefatigable diligence, and a great Scholar. Being sent for into Brabant by Mary Queen of Hungary in the year 1536. there he died, being seventy years old.
As he himself acknowledgeth, that his Adagies cost him great pains, so there is variety of Learning in them, they are a most ample field of Philology, Omnia grata, elegantia, aut ipsae potius Gratiae, veneres, joci, facetiae, sales, dicteria, gemmae lumina. Verheiden. Optimus paraemiographus Erasmus. Alsted. Eucyc.
He used great pains and industry in collating the several copies of the Fathers, and his fidelity was great in publishing them according to the Manuscripts, his Prefaces and Praeloquia to them are excellent, and his Notes upon them usefull, but there were two special things wanting for the perfecting of his learned Animadversions upon the Fathers Works, 1. That he did not set down the divers readings very exactly. 2. That he did not relate the number of the Manuscripts, which he used, and where they were to be seen.
From the Collation of Greek and ancient Copies, he corrected also all the New Testament.
Ingeniosus veterum Scriptorum Censor; So Ludovicus Vives.
Sed acumen Erasmianae censurae & certitudinem, quam in Latinis praestitit, in Graecis prorsus desidero. Hales in his Notes on Chrysost. Homil. on the Hebrews.
He opened the way before Luther, many were provoked by his learned WorksColloqula …utsus efflagitantur, opus ut mihi vehementer invidiosum, ita typographis benè lucrosum Eras. Quirino. Cum diceretur Gerardus Gerardi (id vocabulum ut avidam, sic desiderabilem & amabilem indolem denotat) Desiderii Erasmi nomen sumpsit. Voss. de Orig. & Progress. Idol. lib. 3. cap. 84. Vide Montacut. Analect. Exercit. 5. Sect. 4. to study the Greek and Latine tongues; who perceiving a more gentle and ready order of teaching then before, began to have in contempt the Monks barbarous and sophistical Doctrine, and especially such as were of a liberal and good disposition.
He wrote to the Archbishop of Mentz a certain Epistle touching the cause of Luther. In which he saith, That many things were in the Books of Luther condemned of Monks and Divines, for heretical, which in the Books of Bernard and Augustine are read for sound and godly. Foxes Acts and Monum. Vol. 2d. pag. 61, 62.
He saith thus in an Epistle to Biblibaldus, Ego, qui nunquam faverim Luthero, nisi quomodo faver, qui hortatur ad meliora, utrique parti sum haereticus.
His Book of familiar Colloquies notatur in prima Classe librorum prohibitorum.
Atque utinam id genus impia scripta, Moriam inquam, & Colloquia, pestes perniciesque juventutis, flammis potiùs, quam luci tradidisset. De his enim Maenandri illud rectè usurpaveris.
Corrumpunt bonos mores Colloquia prava;
Et ô mi…eros, coeeos, & amentes, quos hodié que moria illa sapere docet. Auberti Miraei Elog. Belg. in Martino Dorpio.
Si intra professionis litterariae terminos substitisset, séque totum hisce studiis, quibus in primis natus erat, dedidisset, haud dubiè cum primis illis Latins sermonis auctoribus paria facere potuisset. At verò postquam Theologum agere coepit, ingenio fisus nimium sibi sumpsit at tribuit; dumque in tractandis sacris litteris, veterumque Patrum scriptis, severum se nimis praebet Aristarchum, nominis sui auctoritatem vehementer labefactavit. Aub. Mir. Elog in Erasm.
His Annotations upon the New Testament read and approved by Leo the 10th, were forbidden to be read by the Councel of Trent. Hist. of the Councel of Trent l. 6. p. 473.
Stephanus Paschasius hath this Epitaph of him,
Quae Desiderio mors nos orbavit Erasmo,
Heu desiderium quam longuum liquit Erasmi.
Many of his Works were printed at Basil by Frobe…i…s; there are nine Tomes of them, the Contents of each which are mentioned by Boissardus in his Icones.
There was another Erasmus a learned Bishop.Erasmus Episcopus Argentinensis vir pietate & eruditione praedicandus. Thuan. Hist. Tom. 2. lib. 41. pag. 433.