Peter Martyr

who is to have a place in these Athenae, was born (w)(w) [〈…〉] in the great and rich City of Florence in Italy, in Sept. (on the Nativity of the Virgin Marie) an. 1500, educated in several sorts of Learning in that City by the great care of his Father Steph. Vermilius, became a Canon regular of the Order of S. Austin at 16 years of age in the Coll. at Fiesoli, more than a mile distant from Florence. After he had spent three years there, he was sent to Padua to enlarge his Learning, that University then being in a flourishing Condition, and setling in the Monastery of St. John de Verdera of the same Order of S. Austin, spent almost 8 years in philosophical Studies, and all other Arts, especially in the Greek Tongue and Poets; which at length he conquered. At 26 years of age he began to preach, and the first time he performed that Office was in the Church of St. Afra in Brescia, and afterwards frequently in the most famous Cities of Italy, However, all the time that he could obtain from his Function was spent in sacred Learning, Philosophy, and in obtaining the Hebrew Tongue. At length being cried up for a celebrated Scholar, he was made Abbat of Spoleto in the Duchy of L’Ombria in Italy, where he continued three years. Thence he was translated to Naples, and there became Abbat of the Monastery of his Order called St. Peter ad aram, being of greater profit and a far more pleasant place than Spoleto. After he had been setled there for some time, he began to see the verity of the Gospel, especially after he had read some of the Works of Bucer and Zwinglius. Three years being spent there also, he fell into a dangerous Sickness, but the strength of Nature overcoming it, he was advised by his Physitians to take better Air than what Naples afforded. To that end therefore, that he might with convenience be absent from his Cure, the Fathers chose him General Visitor of their Order, that is of the Order of S. Austin, and soon after was elected Prior of S. Fridian within the City of Luca, which is a place of great dignity, having Episcopal Jurisdiction in the middle part of the said City. Being setled at that place, he instituted a most admirable way of Studies for the younger sort at Luca: but at length his Opinions, as to Heresie (then so called) being discovered, snares were laid for him, so that being not in a capacity to speak his mind, he, by the advice of certain Friends, committed the best part of his Library to the Custody of one of them, gave another part to the Coll. and forthwith left Luca, and went to Pisa; whence he wrote Letters to Card. Pole shewing the Reasons of his Departure. Afterwards he went into Schwitzerlands, and fixed for some time at Zurich. Thence to Strasburgh, where for about five years he read and taught sacred Letters; in which time he took to Wife (he being near 50 years of Age) one Cath. Dampmartin, causing thereupon his Enemies to say that he left his Order and Monastic Vows purposely for the sake of a Woman. Which Wife, after she had lived with him about 8 years, died at Oxon, as I shall anon tell you. In 1547 he was invited into England by Edward Lord Protector and Dr. Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury, to the end that his Assistance might be used to carry on a Reformation in the Church. In the Month of Dec. the same year, he, with Bemnardine Ochine, another Italian, arrived in England, and retiring to Lambeth were kindly received by Archb. Cranmer, and entertained there for some time. About the latter end of the same year, in Feb. or beginning of March, Martyr went to Oxon, was incorporated Doctor of Div. as he had stood at Padua, and tho addicted more to the Zwinglian than to the Lutheran Doctrines in point of the Sacrament, was in the beginning of the year following appointed by the King to read a public Lecture to the Academians in the Divinity School, and for his reward to have an Annuity of 40 Marks. What followed, and how he and his Adversaries behav’d themselves thereupon, I have largely told (x)(x) In Hist. & Antiq. Vniv. Oxon. lib. 1. p. 267. you elsewhere. In the same year (1548) upon the receeding from the University of Dr. Rich. Smyth the Kings Professor of Divinity, that Lecture, with the profits belonging thereunto, was confer’d by the King on Martyr, and in the year following, being much troubled with the R. Catholicks (as in all the year before) he disputed publickly with three of the most eminent of them, as I have also told (y)(y) Ib. p. 268. you in the same place. In the year 1550 he had a Canonrie of Ch. Ch. bestowed upon him by the King, on the death of Mr. Will. Haynes, whereupon being installed 20 January the same year, entred into his Lodgings belonging to him, then joyning on the North side to Ch. Ch. great Gate leading into Fishstreet. With him also setled his beloved Wife Catherine, as the Wife of Dr. Rich. Cox did about the same time with him in the Deans Lodgings, being the first Women, as ’twas observ’d, that resided in any Coll. or Hall in Oxon. By whose Example, it was not only permitted that any Canon beside, might marry if he please, but also a Head of a Coll. or Hall, whereby other Women or idle Huswives were tolerated (if the said Head allowed it) to serve in them. Which act (beside their permitting of bawling Children to come among them) was looked upon as such a damnable matter by the R. Catholicks and others too, that they usually stiled them Concubines, and the Lodgings that entertained them and their Children Stews and Cony-buries. While Martyr continued in the said Lodgings (whose Windows were next to Fishstreet) he continually, especially in the night time, received very opprobrious Language from the R. Catholicks, as well Scholars as Laicks, and often had his Windows broken. So that his Studies and Sleep being often disturb’d, he changed his Lodgings, which were those belonging to the Canons of the first Canonry, for those in the Cloyster, which belonged to those of the second, being formerly the very same which belonged to the Prior of S. Frideswide: in which being setled, he spent the remaining part of his Abode in Oxon in Peace. However, for the severer enjoyment of his Thoughts and Studies, he erected a Fabrick of Stone in his Garden, situated on the East side of his Lodgings, wherein he partly composed his Commentary on the first Ep. to the Corinthians, and certain Epistles to learned men, which were afterwards printed. This Fabrick, which contained two Stories, stood till the latter end of March 1684, at which time they were plucked down by that Canon that was Owner of the Lodgings to which the Garden and Fabrick appertained. About that time Martyr’s Wife dying, she was buried in the Cathral Church, near to the place where S. Frideswydes Reliques had been reposed; but four years after, or thereabouts, her body was taken up, thrown out of the Church with scorn, and buried in a Dunghil; but when Qu. Elizab. came to the Crown, the body was taken up again and reburied, as I have elsewhere (a)(a) In Hist. & Antiq. Ox. lib. 1. p. 279. b. at large told you. After the death of K. Edward 6. and Religion alter’d when his Sister Mary was setled in the Throne, Pet. Martyr left Oxon, went to London and so to Lambeth: and obtaining his safe Conduct from the Qu. he left England and went to Strasburgh from whence he came, where he taught Philosophy and Divinity for some time. Thence he travell’d to Zurich an. 1556. where he met with Joh. Juell and several exil’d Divines of England, and took to his second Wife one Catherina Merenda. While he continued there, Maximilian Celsus an exil’d Count, and the chief Minister of the Italian Church at Geneva died; whereupon being invited to take his place upon him, refused it for several Reasons. When Qu. Mary died, Queen Elizabeth invited him to return into England, and there to accept of what Preferment he pleas’d; but he fearing another mutation, he modestly refused it. To pass by several other matters not now fit to be related, I shall give you the Titles of some of his Works, as they follow.

Comment. in Epist S. Paulis ad Romanos. Bas. 1558. fol. translated into Engl. by H. B.—Lond. 1568 fol.

Com. in priorem ad Corinth, Epistolam. Written at Oxon. and ded. to K. Ed. 6. Printed several times at Zurich in fol.

Defensio doctrinae veteris & Apostolicae de Sacramento Eucharisticae adversus Step. Gardineri librum, sub nomine M. Antonii Constantii editum, &c. Printed in fol. 1502 in four parts.

Tractatio de Sacramento Eucharistiae habita Oxonii, cùm jam absolvisset interpretationem xi Capitis prioris Epistolae ad Corinthios. Printed 1562. fol. Translated into English and printed at Lond. in qu.

Disputatio de Eucharistiae Sacramento habita in Schola Theol. Oxon. Printed 1562, and translated into English.

Com. in Genesin. Tig. 1579. fol.

Com. in lib. Judicum. Tig. 1582. fol. which is the second or third Impression. Translated into English and printed at Lond. in fol. 1564.

Com. in lib. duos posteriores Regum Heid. 1599. fol.

Com. in Samuelis Prophetae libros duos. Tig. 1595. fol.

Loci communes sacrarum literarum. Tig. 1587. fol. Translated into English and printed at Lond. in fol.

De lib. arbitio.

De providentia & praedestinat.

Tig. 1587. fol.

An Deus sit causa & author peccati.

An missa sit sacrificium.

Ib. eod. an. fol.

Theses propofitae ad disputandum publicè in Schola Argentinensi, an. 1543. Ib. eod. an. fol.

These three last are also translated into English, and printed at Lond. in fol. 1583.

Sermo in xx cap. Johan. Christus die unto Sabbat. &c. ’Tis translated into English, and printed 1583.

Exhortatio ad sacrarum literarum studium. Translated also into English.

Oratio quam Tiguri primam habuit, cum in locum D. Conradi Pellicani successiscet. Translated also into English.

Adhortatio ad coenam Domini Mysticam. Translated also.

Epistolae Theologicae. Some of which were written at Oxon. and also translated into English and published. Note that P. Martyr’s Common places, and all those things that follow, which I have said were translated, were put into the English Tongue by Anth. Marten Gentleman, Sewer to her Majestie—Lond. 1583. fol. One Anth. Marten of London was Father to Sir Hen. Marten, as I shall tell you among these Writers, ann. 1641. Whether the same with the Translator, I cannot yet tell.

Praeces ex Psalmis Davidis desumptae. Tig. 1566. 80. Translated into Engl. by Charles Glemham Gent.

De votis monasticis & coeleb. Socerdotum.

Defensio sui, contra R. Smithaei duos libellos de coelibatu sacerdotum & vot. monast. Bas. 1559. oct.

Aristotelis Ethicae cum illis in Sacra Scriptura collatae, &c.

Comm. in Lament. Jer. Prophet. Tig. 1629. qu. corrected and published by Joh. Rodolph. Stuckius of Zurich, somtimes a Sojournour of Exeter Coll. He the said P. Martir also wrote an Epist. to Edward L. Protector of England; translated into Engl. by Tho. Norton.—Lond. 1550. oct. Also of The use and abuse of Dancing; translated into Engl. by J. R. printed at Lond. in oct. and lastly, An Exposition on the Creed; translated by T. E, printed at Lond. in qu. At length after many Rambles and changes of Places (he having been, as it evidently appears, a person of an unsetled Brain) resigned up his last breath at Zurich on the 12th day of Nov. in fifteen hundred sixty and two, 1562 and was buried there with all the Solemnity fitting for so learned and great a Clerk as he was.