ORIGINAL
WILLEM DE GROOT AAN HUGO DE GROOT.
1641, 29 September.
LITTERAE ANNUAE MISSIONIS HOLLANDICAE AI 1641.
... Quae omnia a) tamen non adeo labores nostros retardarunt quin suus etiam industriae et zelo in contrarium nitenti fructus fuerit. Eorum siquidem, qui ad veram religionem accessere nume- rus facile sexcentorum fuit: ex quibus sola Gauda septuaginta, Amsterodamum praeter personas privatas quindecim, quindecim item familias honestiores ...
... Inter hos Amsterodami fuere comes quidam Silesius, qui profanam Calvini coenam multos per annos frequentarat; item (praedicantis) b) Lutherani filius; denique Justus Vondelius tra- goediis vernaculo idiomate editis poeta hic percelebris, vir egre- gius et sectae Arminianorum quondam fulcrum qui, ubi vidit filiam suam unicam, excellenti ingenio praeditam et latinis etiam litteris apprime imbutam, jamque trigesimum aetatis annum superantem, deserto Memnone ad verae religionis castra transiisse et salutaribus undis expiatam, etiam propositum perpetuae vir- ginitatis servandae amplexam esse, eam mox subsecutus est (cum alia prole) c); nec sibi uni salutem reperit, verum et alios plures magna industria et indefesso studio ad eam adducit. Ubi et illud divinae Providentiae indicium enituit: quod cum Vondelius Am- sterodami fidem capessivit, eodem tempore ad eam ejus ex sorore
Edidit Vondelius tragoediam cui titulus Petrus et Paulus martyres; in frontispicio libri duo loca et in appendice tria adduxit, in quibus tibi de ea re sermo est.
TRANSLATION
WILLEM DE GROOT TO HUGO DE GROOT.
September 29, 1641.
ANNUAL LETTERS OF THE DUTCH MISSION IN 1641.
... However, all these things did not slow down our efforts so much that our hard work and zeal did not bear fruit. Indeed, the number of those who converted to the true religion was easily six hundred: seventy from Gouda alone, fifteen private individuals from Amsterdam, and also fifteen respectable families...
... Among these in Amsterdam was a certain count from Silesia, who had attended Calvin's profane communion for many years; also the son of a Lutheran preacher; and finally, Justus Vondel, a very famous poet here known for his tragedies written in the vernacular, an excellent man and once a strong supporter of the Arminian sect. When he saw his only daughter, endowed with excellent intellect and well-versed in Latin literature, having passed her thirtieth year, leave Memnon and join the true religion, being purified by the holy waters and embracing the vow of perpetual virginity, he soon followed her (with other offspring); and he did not find salvation for himself alone, but also brought many others to it with great effort and tireless dedication. And there was a sign of divine Providence: when Vondel embraced the faith in Amsterdam, at the same time his sister's child...
Vondel published a tragedy titled "Peter and Paul, Martyrs"; on the front page of the book, he included two passages and in the appendix three more, in which he speaks to you about this matter.
Metadata
- Sender: Willem de Groot
- Recipient: Hugo de Groot
- Subject: Report on the progress of the Dutch mission in 1641
- Send Date: 1641
- Location: Unknown
- Geolocation: Unknown
- Language: la
- Summary: Willem de Groot reports to Hugo de Groot on the progress of the Dutch mission in 1641, noting the conversion of approximately six hundred people to the true religion, including notable individuals in Amsterdam. He highlights the case of Justus Vondelius, a famous poet, who converted along with his daughter and other family members.