A08486:202
A famous and godly history containing the lives a[nd] acts of three renowned reformers…A famous and godly history contaynyng the lyues a[nd] actes of three renowmed reformers…
A famous and godly history containing the lives a[nd] acts of three renowned reformers of the Christia[n] Church, Martin Luther, John Ecolampadius, and Huldericke Zuinglius. The declaration of Martin Luther's faith before the Emperor Charles the fifth, and the illustre estates of the empire of Germany, with an oration of his death, all set forth in Latin by Philip Melanchthon, Wolfgangus Faber, Capito. Simon Grineus, [and] Oswald Miconus, newly Englished by Henry Bennet Callesian.A famous and godly history contaynyng the lyues a[nd] actes of three renowmed reformers of the Christia[n] 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, with an oration of hys death, all set forth in Latin by Philip Melancthon, Wolfgangus Faber, Capito. Simon Grineus, [and] Oswald Miconus, newly Englished by Henry Bennet Callesian.
London: printed by John Awdely, 1561London: printed by Iohn Awdely, 1561
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
I Understand by your letters, that many as well in France, as in other1 places, have written unto you the horrible brute flown in to foreign Coū tries of the departure of our good friend John Ecolampadius a man of much innocency, as though he had destroyed him self or his friends secretly made him away, and that this rumour is authorised by certain books published, so that many far distant hence, persuade this to be no fable. And thereupon you earnestly require me (yea truly me) that have […] present in all these affairs, observed the sequel thereof more circus sp••t•y ⟨image 71⟩then other, upsucked his last sighs, & closed my friends eyes: in consideration of our mutual acquaintance long time confirmed, I would gratify the deceased with relation of the truth, removing all suspicion from the virtuous & godly, & confounding the sycophancy and slander of the perverse and malicious rabble, in sort, that the utility which the wise & •earn•• have reaped of his monuments, continually may increase in thee, & his excellent works be purged of the sacrilegious accusations of the malignant. Al be it (dear friend Capito) thanks be given to God, I never yet2 rested to defend truth with a singular zeal, and to confute these monstrous lies, which evermore troubled my mind: yet for that & see ordinarily this evil accident to the godly, that in their life time they be disdained of evil persons, & after their decease de•o•ed to the devils: I thought it good to pass in silence the clamour of the adversaries, fearing some would conceive this were done of bravery and vain ostentation, rather then of any impelling need, if we trusted our sei•••s ⟨image 71⟩so slenderly in the defence of the good renown of a man exquisite & absolute in many notable a••es. But allthings deeply perpended, I could never be induced to write any thing of the life or death of him, whom we know well to have lived & dyed most holily. Albeit certain urged me to this attempt, the which in my judgement is notorious enough by his books, unless the venomous tongues of curr detractors in most detestable manner, had compelled me to do the same.