| Title: | Letter, John Dury To Hartlib |
|---|---|
| Dating: | [30 October 1654] |
| Ref: | 4/3/54A-54B |
[4/3/54A]
[Hartlib:]
30. Octob. 54. No. 32.[altered]
[Dury:]
Deare freind
by my last of the 24th from this place I sent you two latin papers, my Memoriall to the Magistrat of Basel marked Lit: L. & the iudgment of the Ministers & Professors of Basel concerning my worke marked Litt. M. I desired you to conceale that you had them till I should giue you notice; now I haue by this post sent them also to Mr Secretarie; & told him that I haue also imparted them to you; & with them I haue sent him a narratiue of my particular Treatie at Basel because it hath somewhat which is not ordinarie, & emergencies which were unexpected, but much to the aduantage of the Cause as I suppose, I told him in a post script; that I had acquainted you with my writing of it to him; & desired him to impart it all or so much of it as hee thought good should bee imparted to others unto you; I told him also that I am warned to looke to my self because of the great notice that the Popish Cantons take of my negotiation & the great malice of some; neer whose quarters I am obliged to go to meet with those of Saint Gall to whom I haue promised to go at their earnest intreatie.
Your last of the 6. of October I haue receiued here; in it you are full of forrain newes for which I thank you, but I haue now no time to descant upon them; I would bee gladde to heare how matters first frame at home Chiefly for the propagation of the Gospell; therefore I pray listen after that matter diligently & let me understand what you heare or obserue concerning it, for it is a main concernment of my worke to know how it prospers & where the stoppe of Gospell worke lyes amongst you if there bee any besides the naturall Carelesnes of Earthly men about spirituall matters. That which Mr Rulice writes to you concerning the Churches & Academie of the Palatinat is not unknowen here to most men that Consider that Prince & the thinges which hee sayes hee dare not trust his penne withall [catchword: are spoken]
[4/3/54B]
are spoken plaine enough concerning the oppression of the subiects & the Luxe of the Court, which to search out is no part of my endevour: I wrote from Basel to his Highnes & sent him Iudicium Transiluanorum of my worke; for I will deferre due respect unto him that hee shall haue no cause to say that hee was past by in this worke, but I can coniecture that hee will bee none of the first that will countenance it in Germanie. The Lord Protectors name or suspicion that hee doth aduance it will bee enough to hinder him from appearing in it: this is my coniecture, for which I haue some ground; but keep it to your self for it to speake of it is no aduantage to us nor the Cause; if wee can find a way to remedy the euill of it, our speaking would bee of use otherwise silence is most harmles & may bee an aduantage in due time.
That which you write concerning Mr Hubner & his iudgment of Mr Schlezers going into England; doth represent unto me, that there may bee somewhat of a Politicall Emulation in his mind I haue been thinking how to mention Mr Schlezer to Mr Secretarie but I can not yet light upon the way of it; so as to make it probable to my self, that it can doe him good. if affaires do frame to bring us to bee interessed in Germanie; & when I shall bee able to foresee any such thing, then it will bee seasonable to name him; otherwise a man doth that which is unprofitable & preiudiciall to his owne credit, when hee doth things as it were at randome & unseasonably. in a familiar discourse a man may in a rambling way propose a thing at Randome; but to write to a secretary of state of a matter which hath no ground to bee effected is to make him haue a slight opinion of one iudgment & at another time think lesse of ones recommendation; Mr Stockar remembers his seruice to you; hee & I intend to write by Mr Peterson of Hamburg to Maior Generall Wirtz; & I haue suggested something which the Cantons here may do & hope will do on[altered from in] the behalfe of those of Bremen.
I am gladde that you haue begunne to receiue some packets wherin the transcripts I sent you from Basel were: yours wherin Comenius Comicall designes for the schooles I did receiue but left them at Basel, you mentioned not Mr Stockar to me when you sent them otherwise I would haue brought them with me: at present I haue not much more to tell you but that I shall bee gladde to heare of your welfare in Church agencie henceforth commend me to all our freinds & your Sonne Clodius in particular
who am yours in Christ
I.D.