The Hartlib Papers

Title:Letter, Sampson Johnson To John Dury
Dating:21 December 1633
Ref:42/13/7A-8B: 7B, 8A BLANK
[42/13/7A]

[3/4 words Hebrew?]
Deare brother in Christ I receiued both yours of the 21. & 23. VIIbris, quæ notissimæ primæ, et quæ primæ nouissimæ that of the 23. before the other of the 22. in both which you exhort me to the continuation of my offices in that greate worke, god forbid I should neglect it & refuse to consecrate my best labours, in my last I gaue you an account how farr I had proceeded, euen to this city where, by the mediation & ready help of that learned & charitable man, monsieur Grotius I haue set it on foote [word deleted] though as yet I haue not had the opportunitye of conuersinge with Müller, which when I haue done shall signifye to you & to that worthy Knight Sir Thomas Roe whom I pray acquaint, though he be yet a straunger to me, with my small endeauours: since, my Lord hath been in Danemarke where he remained full fiue weekes there I might<mett> with an opportunitye of aduauncinge the businesse to a great pitch, for while my Lord remained at the court which was in Schanderburg in Iutland I tooke a iourney farther to that most famous monument of Danemarke Oliger Rosencrantz a man knowne through the world both for his great learninge & piety in soe much that I thinke (absit inuidia dicto) he hath few equalls in the Christian world of his qualitye: with him I remained 5 dayes & was entertained with most learned discources toutchinge this subiect, to him I haue communicated your writings he approues them and hath promised to send them to the Vniuersities of Hafnia & Sora, this man is truly enlightned for the worke & the holy ghost through many yeares studies in this [2 letters deleted] one point hath prepared his heart for the promotinge of it, besides this, his power in Danemarke is soe great the Chancelour of the Kingedome beeing his sonne in Law, and all the great Schollers of Danemarke hauinge had theyr first grounds of learninge from his house as from the common seminarie, I mean the chief of the cleargy of the Kingedome) that his assistance, is as it were all in all for these parts: I haue contracted a streit correspondencie with him & haue also promised that he shall hear from you, I pray god you doe any thing where you now ar, you may remember I told you I thought the strongest impediment would bee at home but I trust that the Almighty will facilitate this designe by mouinge theyr hearts whom it chiefly concernes: Thus recommendinge you & your high intent to the benediction of the Almighty I rest
          your Lovinge brother in Christ   Sam: Iohnson
Hamburg .21.
of December. 1633:
[left margin:]
wee haue not much certainty of the meeting at Erfurt. some say the 2 of February is appointed.
[at rightangles:]
I shall not need to write you the newes of these parts seeinge mr fowler the bearer will be most ready to communicate all by word of mouth, or if he should not repaire to mr Hurst. if you haue accesse to my Lords grace till the occasion of my beeinge caled to help in this worke of yours because in my Letter to his Grace I haue intimated that t'was by your intreaty together with my Lords commands & out of an entire well wishinge to the cause which is soe christian & commendable. all your friends heer remember you mr Pinkney mr [Olein?] monsieur [meseruy?], for Georg the page God hath caled him hauinge lain sin 14 dayes of the pox
[42/13/8B]

      To his reuerend, & much honored friend
        Mr Durie minister of gods word.
      Leaue these at Mr Bourne his shop neere
        the royall exchaunge for Mr Hartlieb
        to be deliuered to the aboue sayd.
[left margin. Dury:]
        1634 Mr Ihonson
        scr. Hamb. ----------- 21 of xber
        Acc. Lond ----------- 22. Ian.
[seal]