| Title: | Extracts Of Letters From Paris In Scribal Hand A, ? To Hartlib? |
|---|---|
| Dating: | 8 March 1659 - 16 August 1659 |
| Ref: | 43/63A-64B |
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Extracts of Letters, written from Paris.
March 8. 1659.
At Castres wee found an excellent Historian that hath beene formerly a Papist, but is now of the Religion, who hath all the Materialls ready for to refute the bulky volums of Baronius, whereof he intends shortly to publish some.
March 25 1659.
The Historian of Castres name is Monsieur Balthasar Christophorus knowne to the late Bishop of Armaugh, of whom he shewed me Letters written to him, as also to Monsieur Gronovius at Daventer, & other learned men.
Paris the last of April 1659.
From Castres I heare from my frinds there, that Monsieur Balthasar is very assiduous in the pursuit of writing against the Great Goliah, & that if God Allmighty bee pleased to continue life & health vnto him for some few years he will be able to subvert the Tower of Babel, having all the Instruments necessary for its desolation, & nothing being wanting but to imploy them & to every one in its place for the battery. But the Engineer is to worke secretly least the crafty malice of the concerned Iesuite doe not countermine
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him with Calumnies at Court or other tricks which they want noe store of. Wherefore wee shall doe well to conceale his name (if wee have not published it too much already) & to desire our frinds whom we have named him vnto, to hide him hereafter as much they can./
Iuly. 26. 1659.
I received yeasterday a Letter from Monsieur Balthasar the great Historian at Castres, which I formerly mentioned vnto you. Hee giveth me notice that hee hath done some of his Diatribes against Baronius, & shewed them to the Ministers of that Towne, & to other Persons capable to judge thereof: but that they finding too great a sharpnes in the truths, which hee hath discovered, & apprehending it might enrage the Popish party against those of the Religion here in generall, doe persvade him to suppresse many things of what he hath written in setting out the Beast in lively colors, which he saith doth not a little disgust him, to see his penn thus captivated, & hindred in combating with freedome the enemies of our Religion; wherevpon presuming there
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is liberty enough in England to write against the impostures & villanies of the Popes & their complices, hee desireth to know of me, whether he could get an honest pension in England, which would bee prevalent vpon him to retire himself thither, for to accomplish with freedom what he hath begun, & to publish it without scrupling. He addeth, if he should get such a provision in England, he would carry along with him more then 24. qvires of considerable collections both of Ecclesiasticall History, & of that which concernes all Nations; together with the Laws of them all, & a multitude of other curious Observations, vpon all which hee hath beene working these 34. yeares; & if he might be assured of such an entertainment he would dedicate his worke vnto the Parliament of England. Seing he desired mee to propose this, I would not deny it him, though I doe easily foresee hee will bee frustrated in his expectations herein, considering the vnstability of the English affaires; vnlesse he might get a Professorship of [catchword: History]
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History in one of the Universities, & have an honourable Salary for recompence.
August 16. -59.
I am very sorry the Champion against Papists finds so cold entertainments in a land which maketh so hot profession of Protestantisme, & pretendeth in the face of all the World a zeale above others to roote them out. As for my Frind Monsieur Balthasar, I know without asking him, he hath no mind to live in the Low-Countries, though he have a particular affection for England./