CALVIN, JOHN (1509-1564). HIGHLY IMPORTANT AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ('Ioannis Calvinus, tuus'), addressed to Pierre Viret, n.p. [Geneva], 'Calendis Aprilis' n.y. [1 April 1544/45], in Latin, introducing to him a friend who is visiting Lausanne to seek advice about his health and commending him to Viret with the wish that he should show him the marks of kindness and goodwill of which those whom they find most worthy are deserving, 'Eum tibi cupio esse commendatum, ut illi officia humanitatis et benevolentiae exhibeas, quibus digni sunt quos optimos iudicamus'. Calvin continues that there are two brothers, of ancient and noble lineage, both devout, learned and admirably studious, and that the illness is doubtless to a great extent the result of overwork, 'Sunt duo fratres ex nobili et antiqua familia nati, ambo vere pii, docti et mire studiosi, non dubito quin hoc malum ex immodico studio contraxerit maiori ex parte', and suggests that he uses the good offices of Comes, so that he may see that they are friends, ending with greetings to Comes, Celius, Ribittus and other colleagues, 12 lines written on one page, 230 x 215mm, addressed in autograph on the verso, 'Fideli Christi servo Petro Vireto, Lausannensis ecclesiae pastori, fratri et amico Charissimo', annotation in a different hand in upper left margin on recto ('Cal. Apr. Vireto'), traces of sealing wax and impressed seal (fragment of paper torn away from blank margin by seal).CALVIN'S AUTOGRAPH IS OF THE GREATEST RARITY. No letter by him has appeared at auction in recent years.Pierre Viret (1511-1571) studied in Paris and joined other reformers at Geneva. In 1536 he preached in Lausanne to such effect that the whole community declared itself protestant. The implacable hostility of the senate in Berne which voted against him eventually obliged him to withdraw to Geneva, where he had already deputised for Calvin during the latter's absence in 1540.Of the friends to whom Calvin refers, Comes (i.e. Comte, fl. 1544-1515) was later alienated from Viret when he left the ministry to devote himself to medicine, which the letter suggests he was already practising. Celius Secundus (i.e. Curion, 1503-1569), Italian scholar and an early convert to Lutheranism, was arrested in Italy for his preaching, escaped and later sought refuge in Lausanne where he was appointed principal of the college. He wrote many books on theology.The present letter has previously been known only from later transcripts and the original was thought not to have survived. Baum, Cunitz and Reuss state 'Autographon non exstat' (Ioannis Calvini Opera quae supersunt Omnia, XI, 694, Brunswick, 1873).

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY

CALVIN, JOHN (1509-1564). HIGHLY IMPORTANT AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ('Ioannis Calvinus, tuus'), addressed to Pierre Viret, n.p. [Geneva], 'Calendis Aprilis' n.y. [1 April 1544/45], in Latin, introducing to him a friend who is visiting Lausanne to seek advice about his health and commending him to Viret with the wish that he should show him the marks of kindness and goodwill of which those whom they find most worthy are deserving, 'Eum tibi cupio esse commendatum, ut illi officia humanitatis et benevolentiae exhibeas, quibus digni sunt quos optimos iudicamus'. Calvin continues that there are two brothers, of ancient and noble lineage, both devout, learned and admirably studious, and that the illness is doubtless to a great extent the result of overwork, 'Sunt duo fratres ex nobili et antiqua familia nati, ambo vere pii, docti et mire studiosi, non dubito quin hoc malum ex immodico studio contraxerit maiori ex parte', and suggests that he uses the good offices of Comes, so that he may see that they are friends, ending with greetings to Comes, Celius, Ribittus and other colleagues, 12 lines written on one page, 230 x 215mm, addressed in autograph on the verso, 'Fideli Christi servo Petro Vireto, Lausannensis ecclesiae pastori, fratri et amico Charissimo', annotation in a different hand in upper left margin on recto ('Cal. Apr. Vireto'), traces of sealing wax and impressed seal (fragment of paper torn away from blank margin by seal). CALVIN'S AUTOGRAPH IS OF THE GREATEST RARITY. No letter by him has appeared at auction in recent years. Pierre Viret (1511-1571) studied in Paris and joined other reformers at Geneva. In 1536 he preached in Lausanne to such effect that the whole community declared itself protestant. The implacable hostility of the senate in Berne which voted against him eventually obliged him to withdraw to Geneva, where he had already deputised for Calvin during the latter's absence in 1540. Of the friends to whom Calvin refers, Comes (i.e. Comte, fl. 1544-1515) was later alienated from Viret when he left the ministry to devote himself to medicine, which the letter suggests he was already practising. Celius Secundus (i.e. Curion, 1503-1569), Italian scholar and an early convert to Lutheranism, was arrested in Italy for his preaching, escaped and later sought refuge in Lausanne where he was appointed principal of the college. He wrote many books on theology. The present letter has previously been known only from later transcripts and the original was thought not to have survived. Baum, Cunitz and Reuss state 'Autographon non exstat' (Ioannis Calvini Opera quae supersunt Omnia, XI, 694, Brunswick, 1873).

细节

CALVIN, JOHN (1509-1564). HIGHLY IMPORTANT AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ('Ioannis Calvinus, tuus'), addressed to Pierre Viret, n.p. [Geneva], 'Calendis Aprilis' n.y. [1 April 1544/45], in Latin, introducing to him a friend who is visiting Lausanne to seek advice about his health and commending him to Viret with the wish that he should show him the marks of kindness and goodwill of which those whom they find most worthy are deserving, 'Eum tibi cupio esse commendatum, ut illi officia humanitatis et benevolentiae exhibeas, quibus digni sunt quos optimos iudicamus'. Calvin continues that there are two brothers, of ancient and noble lineage, both devout, learned and admirably studious, and that the illness is doubtless to a great extent the result of overwork, 'Sunt duo fratres ex nobili et antiqua familia nati, ambo vere pii, docti et mire studiosi, non dubito quin hoc malum ex immodico studio contraxerit maiori ex parte', and suggests that he uses the good offices of Comes, so that he may see that they are friends, ending with greetings to Comes, Celius, Ribittus and other colleagues, 12 lines written on one page, 230 x 215mm, addressed in autograph on the verso, 'Fideli Christi servo Petro Vireto, Lausannensis ecclesiae pastori, fratri et amico Charissimo', annotation in a different hand in upper left margin on recto ('Cal. Apr. Vireto'), traces of sealing wax and impressed seal (fragment of paper torn away from blank margin by seal).

CALVIN'S AUTOGRAPH IS OF THE GREATEST RARITY. No letter by him has appeared at auction in recent years.

Pierre Viret (1511-1571) studied in Paris and joined other reformers at Geneva. In 1536 he preached in Lausanne to such effect that the whole community declared itself protestant. The implacable hostility of the senate in Berne which voted against him eventually obliged him to withdraw to Geneva, where he had already deputised for Calvin during the latter's absence in 1540.

Of the friends to whom Calvin refers, Comes (i.e. Comte, fl. 1544-1515) was later alienated from Viret when he left the ministry to devote himself to medicine, which the letter suggests he was already practising. Celius Secundus (i.e. Curion, 1503-1569), Italian scholar and an early convert to Lutheranism, was arrested in Italy for his preaching, escaped and later sought refuge in Lausanne where he was appointed principal of the college. He wrote many books on theology.

The present letter has previously been known only from later transcripts and the original was thought not to have survived. Baum, Cunitz and Reuss state 'Autographon non exstat' (Ioannis Calvini Opera quae supersunt Omnia, XI, 694, Brunswick, 1873).