A famous and godly history contaynyng the lyues a[nd] actes of three renowmed reformers of the Christia[n] Church, Martine Luther, Iohn Ecolampadius, and Huldericke Zuinglius. The declaracion of Martin Luthers faythe before the Emperoure Charles the fyft, and the illustre estates of the empyre of Germanye, with an oration of hys death, all set forth in Latin by Philip Melancthon, Wolfgangus Faber, Capito. Simon Grineus, [and] Oswald Miconus, newly Englished by Henry Bennet Callesian.

To the ryght honourable and his syngu¦lar good Lord, the Lord Mont∣ioy, hys humble Oratour Henry Bennet Callesian, wysheth long lyfe with encrease of honour. (∴)

THAT vertue and feli∣citye haue theyr begyn∣nyng of laborious and daungerous attempts, Demetrius the Pagan Philosopher abundant¦ly declares. For if blessed estate is ac∣cident to none, but to such as fast and endure aduersity, & those that lyue in pleasure & perpetual rest, are estemed inglorious Epicures, whō God neg∣lectes & iudgeth vnworthy to cōten••e wyth calamity. How famous & excel∣lent were the auncient Greekes and victorious Romaines (ryght honora∣ble, & my syngular good Lord) whose vertuous dedes & notable exploictes, not without great perils & honorable

death atchieued, ••ystify to al posterity their incredible desyre, as well to en∣large the ••••myts of theyr 〈…〉〈…〉 and illustrate with victories their flo¦rishing publicke weales, as also their intollerable paynes & prudent consi∣deracions to attaine to felicity by the ragged hyls, & sharpe thorny wayes, whych lead to vertue. Hercules, wor∣thely Prince of all Grecia: what la∣bors susteyned he? What ougly Mon¦sters dyd he ouercome and with what magnanimitye dyd he penetrate the gresly denne of Pl••toes ghastly king¦dome? By what other counsayle dyd Homexe (••udged of y^• learned diuine) set before our eyes wandring Vlisses as an absolute Image of wysdom, tos¦sed with many ••rksome trauayls: but to signify thys to be the ready way to clyme to the palaice of al felicity, and commendable vertue. Such wer Epa¦minundas, Alcibiades, Phociō, Alex∣ander the great, Cam••llus, Scipio, Paulus, Aemilius, Pompeius, Augu¦stus, Brutus, Cato & Cicero, no ••es ornamentes of their Country then ex¦presse paternes of vertue. These wor¦thi personages as thei shined in glory

and lyue in the learned monumentes of vertuous writers: So y^• infamous and in glorious Princes, as Helioga∣balus, Sardanapalus, Nero, Caligu¦la, & Cōmodus haue not onely eclip∣sed the bryght sunne of theyr honors by lasciuious liuing, & coward dread, but obscurely lurke in the depe ••onge on of lothsome obliuion. It is then ap¦parēt that nothyng in this world can establish our seate in securiti, but one¦ly vertue, the whych with incredyble trauayl is procured. If these excellet Orators and Poetes haue celebrated the memory of these princes, that one¦ly endeuored to gratefy theyr Coūtry & common weale: What shal we wor¦the lye write in the commendacion of Iohn Ecolampadius and Huldericke Zuinglius, who wyth theyr monu∣mentes of diuine sapience, haue con∣firmed our myndes in y^• feare of God, fed vs wyth Euange••ical foode, and preached to vs y^• doctrine of saluaciō, I may iustly say they were not onely equiualent, but also excelled y^• other. The one a man of such innocencye of lyfe, so sincere in preachyng & profes∣syng the Gospell, so readye to oppose

hym self to al worldly daunger, as no age can obliterate his memorye. The other so magnanimous in thaduaūc•• mēt of Christes glory, and his blessed Gospell, so willinglye bent to dye in quarel of y^• right, merites more praise then to be set fourth with foyle of my rude pen. Their liues are no lesse mir¦rours for vs vertuouslye to lyue, then theyr blessed departures comfortable preparatiues, teaching vs to dye god¦ly. Thus desirous to gratefy your ho¦nour, wyth some token of my good¦wyl I haue englished this history, the which for mani your vertues & goodli ornamēts, I dedicate vnto your good Lordship. Which vertues & heauenly giftes, your honour hath not of lats acquired, but naturally are engraffed in your person. Ther is none at thys present that ••auoreth of any learning but hath red the cōmendacion of your most noble Graundfather Wylliam, Lord Montioy. Who besides nobility of race, was adorned with such piety & good litterature, as he excelled ma∣ny noble men in England. For albe∣it thys victorious Realme▪ flourished at those daies with many learned in∣structors,

yet the excellency of his cou¦rage, could not be contented, vnles he wer taught of the famous & incompa¦rable Clark Erasmus of Roterdam, by whose industry he was so aduaun∣ced in letters of humanitye, that not onely in hys natiue Country, but in many foraine regions, hys glory and fame eternally shineth. Suche is the mutual loue of learned men, to conse¦crate one another in their lucubrati∣ons to immortalitye. And to passe in silence many other his vertues, I wil approch nigher. Your honorable fa∣ther Charles lord Montioy, folowing the lyuely steps of his father, was in∣structed of the notable learned man Andrew Hyperius a Germain. Who not onely in tyme of peace was dili∣gently incūbent t•• good studies, & fur¦dered good learnyng, but in the late famous warre, & a••••iege of Boloigne shewed his magnanimity, & inuinci∣ble courage, wher death enuying his glori, claimed her iust debt of him not without the lamentable griefe and in credible sorow of a great mani. Your honor degenerateth nothing frō their lawdable steppes, entertayning with

lyke zealous affection Heliseus Bo∣melius a Germain, who readeth vn∣to your honour the liberal sciences, & whom Phillip Melancthon hath in familiar letters praysed highly for e∣rudicion & godlynes. Albeit hys lear∣ned workes published geue due testi∣mony therof. I pretermit many other your worthy vertues, which iustly to set forth, I leaue to such as w^t grea∣ter vessels cā more aptly wade in this sea. Ouely I wil end with your piety which is so great, y^• you cānot bear w^t any ••ice, that mai offend God in your honorable house, your vnstayed hand to relieue their wantes, whom you thynke woorthye to receaue your re∣wardes, & your zeale towardes true religion, which many to your syngu∣lar prayse pronounce: In sort y^• when the Patrons of Christian religion ar celebrated with iust encomys among men, your honor is not▪ vnremēbred. Thus hūbly desiring your good lord∣ship to beare w^t the rudenes of my trā¦slacion, I commit the same & the most vertuous Lady your honorable wife, to the tuicion of the holy Ghost.

¶ At London the last of Nouember 1561.

your honors most humble. H. B