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I was afraid when I came out of England to miss beer; but I am more afraid when I shall come to England, that I cannot lack this wine.

19 Octob. to Worms. The great church of this city appears all the way like King's college cradle. The city is great and fair; but because the plague was in it, I kept me in my

inn.

20 Octob. to Spires, a good city. Here I first saw Sturmius de periodis. I found also here Ajax, Electra, and Antigone of Sophocles, excellently, by my judgement, transla ted into verse, and fair printed this summer by Gryphius. Your stationers do ill, that at least do not provide you a register of all books, especially of old authors. Here, at Spires, we were a day's journey and a half from Argentine. My lord was willing to go thither; and whether I was or no, you, Edward Raven, can guess: but word came from Mr. Hobbie, I beshrew him, to haste our journey; or else I had talked with Sturmius, to whom I wrote, and sent Mr. Bucer's letters; and he wrote again to me at Augsburg, sending me the copy, which Mrs. Bucer brought to me at Cambridge. One sentence Sturmius wrote to me in his last letter, which some of you will be glad to hear. The sentence is this: "Regis non memini in præfatione, ut nunc loquuntur, ad D. Elizabetham. Ejus Majestati locus destinatur in Aristotelicis meis dialogis, in quibus stylum meum cotidie acuo, ut siquid possit contra barbariem, in heis ostendat quantulum sit, quod in eâ conficiendâ possit."

23 Octob. we rode through the dutchy of Vilebergland, through which runs the goodly river called Necker. We met with a noble lady, which is the duchess of Milan and Lorrain, daughter to the king of Denmark. She should once have been married to king Henry the VIII. before my lady Anne of Cleves. She had been with the Emperor, and, as some thought, she went a-wooing to the prince of Spain. She had in her company about 300 horses, most part great horses, and gennets, herself having sixteen ladies following her on palfreys. She had thirty-six mules laded with her chamber-stuff, besides a great number of waggons laded with other stuff. A great number of rascals belonging to her kitchen and stable came drabbling in the dirt on foot. I never saw lady of her port in my life.

Some of you will jest at my diligence in seeking old monuments; but I do it for the remembrance veteris et amici

præceptoris, Mr. Pember, whom I do not forget, and I know would hold me excused, because I write not to him, if he knew what business I have. I pray you, Mr. Raven, make him partaker of this my trifling talk.

But friends is content with all things. I pray you, Mr. Raven, use Mr. Pember as you would use me; commend me to him, Mr. Raven, and desire him, which I know he doth, to learn Christ out of Christ's own Gospel; and let that consensus ecclesiæ alone, which deceives many worthy and learned wits in Cambridge, which is nothing else indeed but a privy sink to convey the dregs of papistry into all places. Papists here do use it to confirm the primacy of Rome.

28 Octob. We rode towards Augsburg, a mile on this side the city. Mr. Philip Hobbie, with a great number of horse, where was Thomas Hobbie, and George Wheatly, mine old friend, which did convey us honourably to our lodging, which is the abbey of St. George. Ye may see it in Munster's description. And thus ye may bid me welcome to Augsburg. And if I should bid you farewell also, ye would now give me leave, because I am sure ye are weary of my long talk: but because I think some of you would glad hear how we have done since we came, I will yet a little more trouble you.

I thank God, and my lord ambassador, I lack no money, which is the best comfort in a strange country only I lack leisure to write to my friends when I would, and to learn the tongues here as I could wish.

I wrote part of this letter three months ago; and now it is the 3d of January. Five days in the week my lord and I continually study the Greek tongue, that I am alway either looking for my lord's lectures, or else with my lord: two days I write my lord's letters into England; so that I never so much as go into the town, but only Tuesdays, to deliver our letters to the post. If I had leisure to mark things, and write things, I trow I would come as well furnished home as most part of Englishmen do. And that thing which I thought should have been the cause, why I should have sent you many news, doth in a manner forbid me to send any; and that is, because I know so much; and being in this room that I am, I must needs keep them close, because they be credit unto me; and though I knew them otherwise, yet I must and will let them alone. Vahan hath a better life than either my lord or I. He lacks nothing, he fares well, he lives well, he may do

what he list, study what he list, go to the Emperor's court, or elsewhere, when he list. If he do not come home well furnished with much knowledge, he little considers what God doth call him to by this journey. If I were any man's man, as Vahan is mine, I would wish no better felicity abroad. Those that stopped S. Wright from this occasion, shall never be able to make him amends; for in lacking nothing, he should have studied, and seen what he had list. There can be no greater commodity to an Englishman abroad. If Wright had ten fellowships of St. John, it would not counter-weigh with the loss of this occasion: for, besides Dutch, French, and Italian, which he should have learned, in a manner, whether he would or no, he might have learned as much Greek and Latin, and perhaps more, than in St. John's. I am almost an Italian myself, and never look on it.

If I should tell you nothing of Augsburg, I should do such a noble city much wrong. At a few things, guess the rest. There be five merchants in this town, thought able to disburse as much ready money as five of the greatest kings in Christendom. The Emperor would have borrowed money of one of them. The merchant said, he might spare him ten hundred thousand guilders, and the Emperor would have had eighteen ; a guilder is 3s. 6d. These merchants be-three brethren, Fuggers, two brethren, Bamgartner. One of the Fuggers doth lodge, and hath done all the year, in his house, the Emperor, the king of the Romans, the prince of Spain, and the queen of Hungary, regent of Flanders, which is here, besides his family and children. His house is covered with copper: there be a number of houses in this town, which set in Cheapside, would over-look and over-brag the whole street. There comes to this town commonly every market-day, three and twenty hundred waggons loaded with things to sell, &c.

I have seen the Emperor twice, first sick in his privychamber, at our first coming. He looked somewhat like the parson at Epurstone. He had on a gown of black taffety, and a furred night-cap on his head, Dutch-like, having a seam over the crown, like a great cod-piece. I saw him also on St. Andrew's day, sitting at dinner at the feast of Golden Fleece; he and Ferdinando both under one cloth of estate; then the prince of Spain; all of one side, as the knights of

the Garter do in England; after orderly, Mr. Bussie, master of the horse, duke d'Alya, a Spaniard, the duke of Bavaria, the prince of Piedmont, the count of Hardenburgh.

I stood hard by the Emperor's table. He had four courses; he had sod beef very good, roast mutton, baked hare: these be no service in England. The Emperor hath a good face, a constant look: he fed well of capon; I have had a better from mine hostess Barnes many times in my chamber. He and Ferdinando ate together very handsomely, carving themselves where they list, without any curiosity. The Emperor drank the best that ever I saw; he had his head in the glass five times as long as any of us, and never drank less than a good quart at once of Rhenish wine. His chapel sung wonderful cunningly all the dinner-while. Ferdinando is a very homely man; gentle to be spoken to of any man, and now of great power and riches. The prince of Spain, I think, is not in all so wise as his father. Maximilian, Ferdinando's son, now king of Bohemia, is a worthy gentleman, learned, wise, liberal, gentle, loved and praised of all.

The general council shall begin at Trent the first of next May. Cardinal Pole shall be president there, as it is commonly said. I have seen the Pope's bull already for it.

If Mr. Cheke would get a living of the king, my lord ambassador would send me to see all Italy, and other countries; so I believe I would. I would report the manner of the general council, and mark the state of the world, as well as some other. I would trust to have the letters of most ambassadors to their cities, that I might more freely see things than commonly Englishmen do, that go into Italy. My lord hath promised me to write to Mr. Cheke and others for the same purpose: and I do not doubt but my * lady's grace, my mistress, when she shall consider the honest and true service that I did her, will help also the same.

God's doctrine is so earnest in this town, as I never saw. The churches be made like theatra, one seat higher than another, and round about be stages above, as it is at the King's college buttery-door; and in Christmas the pulpit in the midst. The table of the Lord stands comely in the higher end. On Christmas-day I did communicate amongst them. There was above 1500 that did communicate that day.

Ye see, good fellows and friends, how glad I am to talk

* The lady (afterwards queen) Elizabeth

with you, remembering you always, wishing oft to be amongst you, where is the most pleasant life in the world. I should not take pleasure at things here, if I did not remember how gladly I shall talk of them amongst you. He that is able to maintain his life in learning at Cambridge, knoweth not what a felicity he hath. I pray God I may meet with you there, whom I left at St. John's. I do salute you all: Í name none, because I would leave out none, and because I love all. I do make you weary. And thus fare you well all in the Lord, and pray for me.

Augusta Vindelicorum, 20 Januarii, 1551.

II.

R. A.*

CARISSIMO AMICO MEO EDWARDO RAVEN, SOCIO COLLEGII JOHANNIS.

I AM much beholden to my lord and my lady. I was yet, thanked be God, never sick. This Rhenish wine is so gentle a drink, I cannot tell how to do when I come home.

News ye look for, and few I dare write. Whether the Emperor go against the Turk, into Italy, into Spain, against Magdeburgh, or come down into Flanders, it is not yet certain. We will go with him whithersoever he go, except he go to the devil. The Turk coming with a great power against Hungary, Ferdinando, within these two days, departs hence to meet the Turk aforehand, with his two noble sons, Maximilian king of Bohemia, and Ferdinand archduke of Austria. Maximilian is a prince peerless, except the king our master. He is twenty-three years old, lusty, courageous, wise, hardy, liberal, gentle, learned, virtuous, godly he can speak eight tongues perfectly. I pray God he may give the Turk an overthrow. He carrieth with him the hearts, good-wills, and prayers of rich and poor, and the commendation of all that is wise.

Fra. George, a stout friar, and a bishop of Transylvania, (look your maps,) gave the Turks an overthrow this winter:

This letter being very long, several little particulars are left out; but nothing that alters or interrupts the sense. The rest are given entire.-Mr. BAKER.

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