To Dominus Christopher Goodman, most faithful minister of the word of God at Geneva.

Greetings¹This is too weak, but ‘salvation’ would be too strong. I can’t think of a way of capturing the ambiguity. Salutem dico is of course the normal greeting in a (pagan) letter, so I have no qualms about translating S. D. at the beginning of a Christian letter as ‘greetings’, even though the writer, if asked, would no doubt gloss salus in his own way. But Salus in filio dei is less formulaic, and the theological content is clearly more up-front. in the Son of God.

I received yours, Goodman most dear, together with the little book of the liturgy; for that I, together with my wife, give you thanks. For each was most welcome, the little book indeed because of its simplicity, but your letter especially for this reason – that is shows you are still mindful of us. Though I do wonder at its brevity. For we wanted

[p. 69] to know more amply how you are. But perhaps that was a concession which had to be made to your ecclesiastical commitments, which I do not suppose are small. We here are by the grace of God very well in body, but not little troubled in spirit by the continual unwelcome rumours concerning England and especially concerning so many illustrious personages who are there daily consumed by the flames through the frenzy of the Papists.

Though precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. And indeed today we expect some definite information concerning the death of that most illustrious and most holy Archbishop of Canterbury. For long since his image was burnt in Rome, and the legates of the Antichrist set out for Oxford that they might really do the same thing to him. But I do not detain you further. You will expect

a letter from Dominus Peter at the arrival of the market people. My wife sends many greetings to you, together with Whittingham, to who I also desire greetings to be expressed in our name. At Argentina [Strasbourg]. 15 March 1556.

Yours in the Lord Julius Terentianus

Domino Christophoro Godmanno [sic] Verbi dei ministro fidelissimo / Genevae. / Salus in filio dei. / Accepi tuas Charissime Godmanne [sic] una cum libello Lithurgiae, qua de re / tibi una cum uxore gratias ago. fuit enim utrumque gratissimum / libellus quidem propter simplicitatem, tuae vero eò maxime quod te / adhuc nostri memorem ostendunt. tametsi earum brevitatem miror. cu-/piebamus / [p. 69] -piebamus enim magis abunde de tuo statu cognoscere. sed forte do-/nandum est id occupationibus tuis ecclesiasticis, quas non puto esse par-/vas. Nos hic dei gratia recte valemus corpore. animo verò non parum / solliciti propter perpetuos ingratos rumores de Anglia et maxime de / tot praeclaris personis quae quotidie illic rabie Papistarum igne absu-/ muntur. quanquam pretiosa in conspectu domini mors sanctorum ejus. / Et hodie quidem certius aliquid expectamus de morte illiuspraeclarissimi / atque sanctissimi Archiepiscopi Cantuariensis. Iamdudum enim Romae / exusta est illius imago; et Legati Antichristi Oxonium profecti, ut idem / in ipso verè efficiant. sed ulterius te non detineo. Litteras Domini Petri / expectabis in adventum nundinariorum. Uxor mea te plurimum salvere / jubet una cum Withingamo, cui etiam nostro nomine salutem dici / cupio. Argentinae. 15° Martij 1556. / Tuus in domino /

Julius Terentianus /