The historie of the holy vvarre by Thomas Fuller ...
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Title
The historie of the holy vvarre by Thomas Fuller ...
Author
Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
Publication
Cambridge :: Printed by Roger Daniel and are to be sold by John Williams ...,
1647.
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Subject terms
Crusades.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A40669.0001.001
Cite this Item
"The historie of the holy vvarre by Thomas Fuller ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A40669.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 5, 2024.
Pages
Chap. 26.
The fictitious voyage of William Landt-grave of
Hesse to Palestine confuted.
THese are enough to satisfie; more would cloy. Onely here
I must discover a cheat, and have it pilloried, lest it trouble
others as it hath done me: The storie I find in Calvisius, anno
1460: take it in his very words;
William the Landt-grave ap∣pointed
an holy voyage to Palestine; chose his company out
of many Noblemen and Earles, in number ninetie eight: He
happily finished his journey; onely one of them died in Cy∣prus.
He brought back with him six and fourtie ensignes of
descriptionPage 274
horse.
Seven moneths were spent in the voyage, Fab. So
tarre Calvisius, avouching this Fab. for his authour. Each
word a wonder; not to say, an impossibilitie. What? in the
yeare 1460, when the deluge of Mahometanes had overrun most
of Grecia, Asia, and Syria? William, a Landt grave (of Hesse,
no doubt) neither the greatest nor next to the greatest Prince in
Germanie, farre from the sea, unfurnished with shipping, not
within the suspicion of so great a performance? Six and fourtie
horse-ensignes taken? Where? or from whom? Was it in warre,
and but one man killed? A battel so bloudlesse seemeth as truth∣lesse;
and the losing but of one man savoureth of never a one.
But seven moneths spent? Such atchievements beseem ra∣ther
an apprentiship of yeares then moneths. Besides, was
Fame all the while dead, speechlesse, or asleep, that she trum∣peted
not this action abroad? Did only this Fab. take notice
of it? be he Faber, Fabius, Fabianus, Fabinianus, or what you
please. Why is it not storied in other writers? the Dutch men
giving no scant measure in such wares, and their Chronicles be∣ing
more guiltie of remembring trifles then forgetting matters
of moment.
Yet the gravity of Calvisius recording it, moveth me much
on the other side; a Chronologer of such credit, that he may
take up more belief on his bare word then some other on their
bond. In this perplexitie, I wrote to my oracle in doubts of
this nature, Mr. Joseph Mead fellow of Christs Colledge in
Cambridge, since lately deceased: Heare his answer;
Sir,
I have found your storie in Calvisius his posthume Chronologie,
but can heare of it no where else. I sought Reusners Basilica
Genealogica, who is wont with the name of his Princes to note
briefly any act or accident of theirs memorable, and sometimes
scarce worth it: but no such of this William Landt-grave. So
in conclusion, I am resolved it is a fable out of some Romainza;
and that your Authour Fab. is nothing but Fabula defectively
written. But you will say, Why did he put it into his book? I an∣swer,
He himself did not; but had noted it in some paper put into
his Chronologte, preparing for a new and fuller Edition: which,
himself dying before he had digested his new Edition (as you may
see I think somewhere in his preface) those who were trusted with
it after his death to write it out for the presse, foolishly transfer∣red
out of such a paper or perhaps out of the margin, into the text;
thinking that Fab. had been some Historian, which was nothing
but that she-authour Fabula. If this will not satisfie, I know
not what to say more unto it. Thus with best affection I rest
Yours, JOSEPH MEAD.
Christ. Coll. June 20. 1638.
descriptionPage 275
This I thought fit to recite, not for his honour but to honour
my self, as conceiving it my credit to be graced with so learned
a mans acquaintance.
Thus much of offertures. I will conclude with that speech
of the Lady Margaret, Countesse of Richmond and Derbie, and
mother to our King Henry the seventh (a most pious woman, as
that age went; though I am not of his faith that believed her
to be the next woman in goodnesse to the Virgin Mary:) She
used to say, that if the Christian Princes would undertake a war
against the Turks to recover the Holy land, she would be their
* 1.1 laundresse. But I believe she performed a work more accepta∣ble
in the eyes of God, in founding a Professours place in either
Universitie, and in building Christs and S. Johns Colledges in
Cambridge, (the seminaries of so many great scholars and
grave Divines) then if she had visited either Christs sepulchre or
S. Johns Church in Jerusalem.