Title: | Letter, John Dury To [Hartlib] |
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Dating: | 18 November 1654 |
Ref: | 4/3/61A-B |
[4/3/61A]
[Hartlib:] No. 35.
[Dury:]
18. Nouember Zurich. 1654.
Deare freind
yours of the 27th. of October I receiued yesterday from Mr Pell in my last from Schaffhusen which was written the 14th. of this I told you of the receipt of all your former, & answered all the materiall things which I obserued in them. in this you Complaine of Wiseus & Mr Cooper not answering your expectation; but you must not bee too confident of mens resolutions & then you will not bee[altered] deceiued: howeuer what they promise to doe is not to bee despised because it shewes a conuiction of their conscience that the thing should bee done, & so may bee claimed of them & pressed upon them.
I am gladde that Dr Horne is a Sollicitor with us of a Body of practicall Divinity. I wish you may find your addresse to Mr Locher such as you desire; hee is a slow & fearefull man, & will not presse any thing upon his Highness & a man shall loose much time in waiting upon opportunities to find him opportunely if hee bee so now as hee was employed when I was in England: I haue begunne to write to Mr Cooper, & purpose to write to others & amongst them will mind Mr Lochier as one; [left margin, H? /] [H? underlines] your Care of transcribing things faire I commend, & will bee willing to beare the Charges; although it would bee more iust that those who are there & to whom things of this kind are to bee imparted if they haue any sense of public concernments in Religion & to the Protestant Cause should bee at the Charges both of the postage, & of the transcribing; & if need bee of the printing also; is it not enough for you to spend your time and take indefatigable paines; to prouide profitable obiects; & to bee diligent in conveying & communicating of them unto men that pretend loue to the public, but that you must also spend your maintenance, & take care to prouide for the Charges of fitting all things for their use? this shewes neither Compassion to you to let you bee so ouerburdned nor loue to the public: but these things must bee borne withall for a while in hope that such as are conscionable, will bee stirred up to that zeale & performance which becommeth the seruants of the Kingdome of Christ; for whose sake & in subordination to whom all that wee haue is to bee possessed. one helpe in such straits as you put yourself to in this busines is, that you should not bee so ventoriously liberall of your paines & communications but to use discretion & to distinguish your men, & exclude such as you find triflers; from the knowledge of things which they value not as they ought, but which they shew themselues to bee unworthy of them.
Concerning Mercators Calender it is out of my way to meddle any further with it then in the Generall, I see that hee & others professing the same art are like to bee at oddes about it; euen in their calcu-[catchword: lating of]
[4/3/61B]
of numbers, & in some other things wherof Mr Pell if his time will permit can giue a better account; I wish that Mr Milton may recouer his sight; & I would not haue him to despaire of it; because I was told that an old man of threescore[altered] & odde yeares who had been 10 yeares blind in the territorie of Schaphusen was cured by an oculist a husbandman in those parts who tooke a Cataract from his eyes which had couered them so long time, & now hee sees perfectly againe; I pray remember my seruice to him, & tell him that Vlack hath sent Copies of his Defensio secunda into these parts, but in many places vitiously printed which wrongs the sense; & that none of the London print were brought to the Mart of Francfort: many here are well pleased that hee hath handled Morus roughly; but some think that Morus is wronged, I can not make any certain iudgment of what is said of him, but perhaps at Geneua I may learne something more exactly[,?] howeuer it doth not much Concerne me to bee curious therin; only by the bye; I may listen after the things which are so much Contradictorily debated amongst some here; but truly I belieue, where there is so much smoke there must bee some fire. I am Glad that the Bremish busines is minded; but I hope that they will agree upon equitable termes, it is conceiued by some that the quarrell with Bremen was but a Cloake to bring forces into Germanie which are designed for some other uses, wherof Mr Schlezer in his to you giues intimation; Here you haue two from Mr Vlrich to his Son, one should haue gone the last weeke under Mr Pell Couert which now is ioyned with that which comes this weeke: you will mind him I know when any opportunity is offered; I am not yet in my posture in this place for I came yesterday; Mr Stockar accompanied me from Schaphusen hither & wee had some busines together till hee went away relating to the public, & other visits haue kept me up so that I haue not been able to haue some other matters transcribed which I am to impart, before I send you a narratiue, which I haue begunne to write; this then is all that at present I haue to say, & desire the Lord to bee with you; & with all yours Remember me to your Sons, & your wife: & remember in your prayers still.
your most faithfull seruant
in Christ
Zurich. the 18th. I. Dury
Nouember 1654.
The inclosed which you sent to me from Comenius which mention Visions & Reuelations I know not what to make off till you giue me further light therin; & because I cannot expect much further light before I go from hence; I shall desire that the Communications of that subiect may bee first imparted to Mr.Pell that from him I may receiue them where euer I am; for I haue left those other papers with him.