Edmund Grindal to Richard Cox
DATE: 1554 November 6
LOCATION OF ORIGIN: Strasbourg
DESTINATION: Duisburg
SOURCE: Denbighshire Record Office, Plas Power MSS, DD/PP/839 pp. 37-39
Amplissime Viro D: Doctori Coxo
Disburgi in Clivia1
Duisburg in Cleves on the Rhine. The presence of Richard Cox in the city was only recently discovered. See Ella Troublemakers.
Gratiam et pacem a D(omi)no. I cannot butt troble you now & then with a letter allthoffe(sic) small occasion of weyghtie matter be offred. I dowte not butt ye are contente to heare how we doo, as we are desirowse to heare of yo(u)r state frome tyme to tyme. Ye know y(a)t one Mr Dies2This might be the printer John Day. is a iolye fellowe adimit aegritudinem hominibus, & by contynuance maketh thinges tolerable, which afore were grevouse, owr continuance her(sic) is not so paynefull now, as it was att the begin(n)yng, partly by reason of tyme, partelye bicawse our enterteynmente her beinge in an Englisshe mans howse is goode, the fruition3'Tuition' would seem to fit better here so this might be the copyist's error. of Mr Martyr & other learned men her is pleasaunte, & the state of our cowntry is suche, that to be forthe of it semeth to be a pece of an earthely paradice. [p. 38] I beginne nowe to be a goode drinker of wyne, & also can be content somwhat to beare with the bibacitiee of Germanie as we wer wonte to doo with the edacitee of England, for as England abowndeth with good meates so dothe Germanie with goode wynes. I agreed not so well with it at the firste as I doo nowe. If ye wer in these parties, & used the continuall drinkynge of it I thinke it wolde presarve yo(u)r health, & prolong yo(u)r liffe. I promesse yow I am in goode earneste, for when all is done it is the moste pure & naturall drinke. Ye may see what alteration a shorte tyme hath wrowghte in me, for in my last letters I was in another opinion.
As for owr churche at Franckfurde, I did not heare of the alteration of the Booke tyll I knewe it by your letters4The 1552 Book of Common Prayer. It was interesting that Cox was in sufficiently close contact with Frankfurt to have heard in Duisburg about developments before Grindal and Strassburg had heard.. Now at this presente Mr Chambers5Richard Chambers who acted as the courier and agent for the English exiles based in Zurich, Troubles. (one whom ye know to be honeste & zealowse) is com(m)e down to Franckfurde frome Zurecke, to see if it maye be obteyned y(a)t owr book may be practessed ther, & if it maye, he, Mr Horne & the residew of them at Zurecke wyll com(m)e thider. Mr Scoree also entendeth to come theder the nexte spring.6See John Scory's first letter to the Frankfurt congregation, 3 Oct 1554. If he com(m)e I suppose he shall be the cheiffe Pastour. Allthoffe by the instigation of some younge heades thei have conceyved this opinion, that thei wyll not have any one superattendente or Pastoure that shall have preeminence above the reste of the ministeres, but that all things shall be done, communi consilio Presbyterorum, as S. Jerome writeht it was in the primative churche, ad Evagrium etc.7This is the first suggestion that there was also a movement against any form of clerical hierarchy among a section of the Frankfurt congregation. But I beleve when wise men talke of the matter, that conceyte will soon be ouerthrowen.8This does lend weight to the view that there was a 'conspiracy' to impose 'sense' upon the Frankfurt congregation.
I write partely for this, y(a)t if thinges growe to be stablished ther as we hoope, that then it might peraventure be as goode for your safetye, health, & quietnesse to lyve ther as elsewher. I hearde sayd it was thowght Mr Maydwell9John Maydwell [aka John MacDowell, a Scottish ex-friar] who was listed at Emden, ?Pettegree. & you wold goo dwell in Denmark, I wold not wisshe ye emonges those barbarouse beare drinkers, if ye shold be emonges drinkers gett ye ther as the goode Rhenishe wine is. Besides that ye shuld be ther farre frome companie of all our cowntreemen. If ye be desirowse to know what I entend to doo my selfe, I persiste in myne old purpose to bestowe some time in studie. I beginne now to be a yonge Hebrecian, & for that purpose entende (Godde willinge) to goo to Lausanne att the springe which is a dayes iourney frome Geneva, for ther abydeth Emanuel.10Emmanuel Tremellius the renowned Hebrew teacher. I entend not to tarrie ther past six monthes & then either to returne hether or some other wher as I shall resorte, wherunto I shall have most mynde to adioyne my selfe.
The moste newes that I have to write unto you is that I am certenlye enfourmed y(a)t Mr Calvine hath of late written to Melanthon a littel treatise not yet prynted,11Calvin's treatise to Melanchthon - check to move him & his felowes to a concorde, & also that thei may have a metinge together, if letters and writynge can not compownd the matter. Wherein he doth earnestly professe that if thei will not shew themselves desirowse of concorde, he will for discharge of himself lett his offres be knowen unto [p. 39] the world by pryntynge of his booke. What effecte wyll com(m)e therof godde knoweth, but I suppose Mr Martyr hathe bene a motioner of Mr Calvine herunto.12Peter Martyr Vermigli's attempts to produce an agreement between the Phillipist Lutherans and the Reformed. The Duke of Wirtemberg hath also sent hether of late to be distributed emonges the poore men of owr nation her 200 Guldeer, which is abowte 43 li(bri) sterlynge, which is a goode refresshynge for the poore students here.13For the Duke of Würrtemberg bounty see Garrett 66 and Census. So y(a)t godde hath a care over us, and stirreth up the hartes of men to us unknowen, for our releeffe. This exhibition was procured especially by the motion of Mr Paulus Vergerius who was ones the Popes Legate and a duble bysshoppe, and now is with the said Duke as a Cownselar, forsakeynge Antichristes Aegypte, and eligens potius affligi cum populo Dei.14Peter Paul Vergerius served Duke Christopher for 12 years, 1553-65. He is a man wonderfull frendly to owr nation. I suppose I signified to you in my laste letters y(a)t D Murman(n) (who succeded me in my prebend) is deade, so he is whether ye hearde it before or no. We heare also that my Lorde Russell15Francis Russell, earl of Bedford, seems to be meant here but there is no record of his visit to Frankfurt. is allreadie com(m)e over, and entendeth to goo to Franckfurd if he be not ther allreadie. Mr Crawlee passed this waye to Zurecke in health & Mr Wilson.16Probably Robert Crowley [Garrett 137-38] rather than Thomas Crawley [Garrett 137] and the Thomas Wilson [Garrett 358] who was a student. Diverse honest men in London are in troble, some for bookes, some for other cawses. Mr March who was governor att Antwerp is in Newgate, Mr Hickman and Mr Locke in the Fleete, the cawses of these three are not to us knowen.17March is in Newgate prison and Henry Locke and ? Hickman are in the Fleet prison, see ODNB for husband and ?father/brother of Anne Locke.
I praye you doo my com(m)endations to Mrs Coxe, Mr Asshelay,18Anne the daughter of Sir Anthony Denny was the wife of Thomas Ashley [Garrett 73-74]. Mr Maydwell & the residew of owr cowntreemen, & besides all to Mr Cassander.19George Cassander, the main Remformer in Cleves.
I wisshe you with yo(u)r hoole famelye in Christe well to fare. From Strasburge 6o Novembris 1554.
Yours in Christe assured
Edm(mund) Grindall
Mr Sandes20Edwin Sandys, ODNB. saluteth you & your wife & desireth you to doo his com(m)endations to the rest of our friends & bretherne ther. Againe fare ye well.
1 Duisburg in Cleves on the Rhine. The presence of Richard Cox in the city was only recently discovered. See Ella.
2 This might be the printer John Day.
3 'Tuition' would seem to fit better here so this might be the copyist's error.
4 The 1552 Book of Common Prayer. It was interesting that Cox was in sufficiently close contact with Frankfurt to have heard in Duisburg about developments before Grindal and Strassburg had heard.
5 Richard Chambers who acted as the courier and agent for the English exiles based in Zurich, Troubles.
6 See John Scory's first letter to the Frankfurt congregation, 3 September 1554.
7 This is the first suggestion that there was also a movement against any form of clerical hierarchy among a section of the Frankfurt congregation.
8 This does lend weight to the view that there was a 'conspiracy' to impose 'sense' upon the Frankfurt congregation.
9 John Maydwell [aka John MacDowell, a Scottish ex-friar] who was listed at Emden.
10 Emmanuel Tremellius the renowned Hebrew teacher.
11 Calvin's treatise to Melanchthon - check
12 Peter Martyr Vermigli's attempts to produce an agreement between the Phillipist Lutherans and the Reformed.
13 For the Duke of Würrtemberg bounty see Garrett 66 and Census.
14 Peter Paul Vergerius served Duke Christopher for 12 years, 1553-65.
15 Francis Russell, earl of Bedford, seems to be meant here but there is no record of his visit to Frankfurt.
16 Probably Robert Crowley [Garrett 137-38] rather than Thomas Crawley [Garrett 137] and the Thomas Wilson [Garrett 358] who was a student.
17 March was in Newgate prison and Henry Locke [Anne Locke's husband] and Anthony Hickman were in the Fleet prison in London.
18 Anne the daughter of Sir Anthony Denny was the wife of Thomas Ashley [Garrett 73-74].
19 George Cassander, the main Remformer in Cleves.
20 Edwin Sandys.