Campian Englished. Or A translation of the Ten reasons in which Edmund Campian (of the Societie of Iesus) priest, insisted in his challenge, to the Vniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge Made by a priest of the Catholike and Roman Church.

THE TRANSLATOVR'S EPISTLE TO THE READER.

COurteous Reader; Hauing euer allotted (for my priuate stu∣dyes) certaine howers from the dailie exercising of my function of Priesthood; and lately vnbethinking me, what profitable labour I might vndertake, whereby others might be bettered (for I willingly ac∣knowledge that Principle: bonum est sui diffusiuum) my imagination could not fixe itself more firmely on anie other Subiect, then in translating the Ten Reasons, which contayned a

Challenge made to both the Vni∣uersities by that Blessed Saint, Fathe•• Campia•• of the Societie of IESVS; Who after much spirituall good by him donne, suffered death in Queene Elizabeth's dayes; he so pur∣chasing life, by loosing of life: Who might then well expostulate with his Enemies in the words (not com∣paratiuely, for that were blasphemie, but allusiuely) which our Sauiour did with the Iewes: (a) 1.1 propter quod opus (bonum) me lapidatis?

Now touching the Booke here translated; it is in the Latin Origi∣nall most exquisit, both for the Ar•• therein, and for the Matter veyled vnder the Art. And for the first; Whereas Rhetorike chiefly consi∣steth in applying Reason to the Ima∣gination, for the more easie inuading and mouing the will, that it may

giue an assent to the Vnderstanding, this poynt is so fully performed by the Authour, as that I thinke, euen therein, it may ouermatch any so small a part of Tullie's Works. For to insist a litle in the stile or Dialect of writing: We finde therein such proprieties of most significant words, where he vndertaketh to deliuer a thing in proper tearmes: such swel∣ling Metaphors (yet not forced) here and there dispersed, for the encrea∣sing of the sense: such choyce vse of F••equentatiues, and Diminutiues, when either the poynt expressed is often iterated, or through an Extenuation is to appeare litle in the Reader's eye: such vehement and ingemina∣ted Interrogations, for the greater as∣seueration of the matter discussed: such short Transitions & deliueries of himself in few words, when either

the subiect expressed was donne in haste, or when but incidently it is spoken of; such precise Climaxes or Gradations of words (especially of Epithets) placed in order, that there∣by the sense may by degrees tise, and become more full: briefly (to omit manie other ornaments of Speach) such elegant Apostrophies to the Vni∣uersities, and other closing Epipho∣nema••s and Acclamations, when the poynt hath beene largely ampli∣fyed, or fully treated of: And all this is performed with that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and perfection of A••t, as that if we do take away anie one word, and insert in its place any other Synony∣mous word, the sense partly quayleth. We may adde hereto the compen∣dious shortnes of his stile, and the lof••ines of it. The shortnes (it being voyde of all spinositie & obscuritie)

exacts more cunning, and the rather in respect of the plentie of the Mat∣ter, which those few Leaues doe in∣uolue. For we see, more skill is re∣quired to draw a curious picture, in a litle Table, then in a large. Now the sublimitie of the stile is such, as that through manie Schemes and Figures of Oratorie, it may be well called C••thurnall and statelie; his pen indeede flying therein a higher pitch, then euer Phaëton, who (ac∣cor••ing to the Poets) was carryed in his Father's chariot. Which Cir∣cumstance of writing implye••h a farre greater difficultie, by reason of the peculiar subiect it being mat∣ter of Diuinitie and Controuersies in Fayth. And yet ••uen in this poynt he obserueth that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or De∣cerum, so much exacted in true Rhe∣torike: for where the subiect to be

expressed, is not of anie sublime, but of a meane and low Nature, there his words runne low, and he in such places purposly vseth certaine Flats and Playnes in his stile; which re∣semble humble and pleasant vales, seated among loftie hills.

Besides all this artificiall furni∣ture of Speach, there is found a won∣derfull Christian feruour in his words, well discouering his vndauted spi∣rit, and firie desire to suffer for the Catholike Religion, which fire nothing but his owne Bloud could after extinguish; And accordingly he had that felicitie granted him, as to (b) 1.2 wash his robes in the bloud of the Lamb: Happie man! who by once loosing his Breath, performed a dou∣ble death; by the one he satisfying the due of Originall sinne; by the other, his particular sinnes: Whose

death was so working and mouing with D••ctour Case of Oxford (the greatest Philosopher, that our Eng∣lish Vniuersities haue brought forth in this time) that diuers moneths after the execution of Father ••am¦pian, and M^r. Sherwi•• (that most holie Man) th•• D••ctou•• being in Lon∣don, and behoul••ing their heads & quarters vpon long poles ouer one of the Cittie-gate••, saide in great vehemencie to one in his co••pani••: Conciona••tur & adhuc, & adhu••; ••heir dead ••odies pr••a••h to this day, euen to this instant. And to pro••eede furth••r; this Apostoli••all man (I meane Father Campian) being vpon the ladder, and readie to be cast of, tooke these words of the Apostle for his Text, to discourse of to the people: (i) 1.3 Spectaculum facti sumus mundo, & Ang••lis, & hominibus; a

s••ntence the most apposite and choisest (in respect of all circum∣stances) that the New Testament could affo••de. But the Officers would not suffer him to proce••de forward. In like sorte, he at that time looking vp towards the sunne, sayd to his fellow-prisonner M••. Sherwin: Be of coura••e, Man; within this hower both of vs (••hrough Christ his m••rcie) shall be far••e higher aboue the sunne, then now we are vnder the sunne. By which passages we may easily see, how farre he was from all con∣sternation & dismaydnes, being in∣deede most present to himself, as one replenished with heauenlie comfort and resolution, and iusti∣fying in himself those words of holie Writt: Anima mea in manibus m••is semper.

But to returne to the Booke: All

this curious structure of words, serues but as the mother-of-pearle to enclose within it the pearle itself, which is the Matter and Subiect there handled: For vnder his lines are briefly contayned most choaking and vnanswerable Arguments in defence of our Catholike Religion; since the materialls of this Treatise are indeede an abbreuiated draught of all chiefe Articles of Fayth, con∣trouerted betweene the Protestants and vs; branching itself forth into all those principall heads of proofes, which other more copious bookes doe at large vnfoulde: So as the huge and learned Volumes euen of Cardinal Bellarm••n's Controuersies may not vnaptly be called a Scholia, seruing to paraphraze and commēt this litle-greate worke. Which Dia∣mond-worke (for being small in

quantitie, it is most preciable) hath gayned (through its owne worth) such a hand of estimation in the Church of God, as that in most Ca∣tholike Countryes, it hath enioyed the Honour (a priuiledge not granted to anie man's writings in this Age) to haue beene commonly printed and bound-vp togeather in one Volume, with the small workes of seuerall most ancient and learned Fathers, treating of the like Subiect in generall Controuersies in Fayth; as with Tertullian de Praescriptionibus, Vincentius Lyrinensis contra Haereses, Cyprian de Vnitate Ecclesiae, and Austin de vtilitate credēdi: Fathers, of which the yongest liued within foure hundred yeares after Christ his Ascension. Neither is the coniunc∣tion of this Treatise with the anciēt Father's Works donne without iust

cause; since I dare pronounce it (not as an amplification, but) as a measured T••uth, that (not spea∣king of holie Scripture) so much doctrinal matter of Fayth, and so much Oratorie, deliuered in so high a key, we••e neuer sin••e Christ's tim••, com••re••en∣ded in Latin within so few leaues. And thus much touching the Booke in its Original.

Now concerning the Translation: It is donne faythfully, & wholy a∣greable to the sense of the Authour, and is as litterall, as the Engli••h with anie elegancie (according to my shill) will well beare with the Latin: The same frame and forme of speach (I meane the same Figu∣re••, Caesur••s, and Cadence••, of the La∣tin) is precisely (as much as possibly may be) kept in the English. And though in the censure of manie it

hath beene imagined, that the En∣glish tongue would not well suite with so high a stile, and that (per∣haps euen for this particular reason) this Worke hath beene forborne to be translated by anie English Ca∣tholike; yet in my iudgement the English (after tryall once made, and good stoare of words at hand) doth euen in this poynt well com∣port with the Latin, and is thereby rather much aduantaged & graced, then preiudiced; And the Transla∣tour is much eased herein, as hauing in a readines such curious moulds or frames of Elocution, to cast his matter in. This libertie I ha∣ue taken to my self, that (now & then) where an English word of a more full signification, by way of a Metaphor or otherwise, doth oc∣curre, then the Latin affordeth (&

this some times falleth out not by reason of any defect of the Authour, but through the fullnes of the Eng∣lish) I make choyce of the said Eng∣lish word for the greater redun∣dancie of the sense. In like sort (here and there, though rarely) I haue in∣serted a word or two, to make the drift of the Authour to appeare more turgent and forcing in the English (and, thereby to begett a Pathos & to moue the Reader, more fully) then the compendious short∣nes of the Latin (being translated without anie addition) would car∣rye. But now will anie illiterate Li∣teralist (who dwelleth only in the bare letter of the Latin) finde fault herewith? Yf any of that ranke doe carpe thereat, let that man know, I hould him to be ouer seruilly Gram∣maticall, and to taste strongly of Pe∣danticall

Scholarisme. My proceeding here, is most warrantable: For since Words are the images of the Notions of the Minde, why should we no•• lay on the fayrest coulours of speach, that our skill can afford, it being directed only to make the picture to appeare more liuelie? and that the Words may st••ike the Imagination (and consequently the Will) more intensely? I euer here except, where the Subiect of the Translation is the sacred Writt of God, in the translating whereof a literal playnesse is the best Eloquen∣ce; and want of Art, the chiefest Art; since this Subiect cannot brooke, either adding to, or taking from.

I doe not here intimate the least touch, as if anie blemish were in the Autographon, or that it were possible

for any Translation to equall it. No; silkes dyed (we euer see) do loose the glasse & beautie of their primi∣tiue coulours; And Campian transla∣ted, much diminisheth the luster and grace of Campian in the Origi∣nal. But howsoeuer this my Trans∣lation will be entertayned, it is vn∣dertaken; fi••st and principally, for the good of those, that vnderstand not the Latin; since pittie it is, that such a Maistre-peece, as this, wrought by an English Man, should be con∣cealed from Men, for their being meare English: Secondarily, to vindi∣cate and redeeme this Worke (so farre as in me lyeth) from the indi∣gnitie and wrong it suffered from the penne of one Stock, a Minister in London; who (being, a•• blockish, as a stock) some twentie yeares sin∣ce, translated this Treatise with the

shuffling, sillie, and weake Answer thereto of D. Whitaker's, Father Campian's Aduersarye. But that Stock did so adulterate and depraue this Worke, as that I grant, it much grieued me to see it passe vnder so rude and grosse a fyle; his labour tending only to contaminate and soyle the beautie thereof with his durtie quill.

But to leaue this poynt, and to turne myself to thee (good Reader) if thou ••e Catholike, I could wish thee to peruse this T••eatise for thy greater corroboration and strength∣ning; if a Protestant (as, ô, too manie thousands in our poore Country are) then for thy instruc∣tion and Conuersion. And if thou remayne in this latter state, implore God to giue thee his Grace to em∣brace his Truth, on what side thou

shalt finde it to be. But these thy prayers are not to be made with a tepiditie and could indifferencie, but they are to be powred out in∣cessantly, vehemently, and strongly; that so thou maist say with the Pro∣phet, (c) 1.4 Prostraui ego preces meas; seing Prayers in zeale and feruour of hart are a pleasing and gratefull Sacrifice to God; if not so performed, then no sacrifice at all, since here the Altar is without fire. But I will not enlarge myself anie further, for feare my Porche be ouer great for the House, and therefore with this I leaue thee, and rest

Thine, in our Sauiour IESVS-CHRIST.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Ioan c. 10.
• (b) 1.2

  Apoc. 7.
• (i) 1.3

  1. Co••. 4.
• (c) 1.4

  Ier. 38.