What Gregory Martin Saw in Rome in 1581 (original) (raw)

Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller

about Rome: Gregory Martin (John Evelyn in 1687 and an etching he made for a friend)

Gregory Martin, (c. 1540-1582), a Roman Catholic biblical scholar is best known as principal translator of the Latin Vulgate into English (Douai-Reims Bible). His version, in Bishop Richard Challoner's third revised edition (1752), was the standard Bible for English Roman Catholics until the 20th century, and his phraseology influenced the Anglican translators of the Authorized, or King James, Version (1611). Martin became proficient in Greek and Hebrew and studied theology at William (afterward Cardinal) Allen's English Roman Catholic college at Douai and was ordained priest in 1573. He taught intermittently at that college until 1582 and aided Allen in founding the [English College in Rome (1576-78)](Vasi111.htm#S. Tommaso di Canterbury). Though he worked under Allen's direction and was assisted by other Oxford-educated scholars, Martin prepared most of the Douai-Reims translation himself. His translation of the Old Testament was not published until 1609. A 1619 biographer mentioned Roma Sancta, a manuscript description of the churches of Rome among his writings; in part Martin based his work on Le Cose Maravigliose dell'Alma Citt� di Roma a guide of Rome which was published for the 1575 Jubilee Year and was updated in 1588 for the forthcoming 1590 Jubilee Year called by Pope Sixtus V. The objective of Roma Sancta was clearly spelt out in this sentence of its preface:Rome in very deede is old many wayes, old fayth, old charitie, old devotion, old Churches, old Relikes, old Sainctes. In al these so old verie neere as in Christianitie it self which Peter and Paule taught them. And this is one principal pleasure among the rest which they take that come to this Citie, and that thou (Gentle Reader) mayst take of this booke, to se how Rome after so many yeres & so great alterations in a great part of the world besides, is notwithstanding alwayes like it self. The manuscript was published only in 1969 at the initiative of George Bruner Parks (1890-1981), professor at Queens College, New York. Excerpts from Roma Sancta which are placed in pages covering the 1588 Guide of Rome.

*** S. Maria dell'Orto** *** Litania Septiformis, a great procession** *** S. Maria in Trastevere** *** Spedale di S. Spirito** *** Devotion to the relics** *** S. Maria Maddalena** *** Pantheon** *** Ancient Rome** *** S. Prassede and S. Pudenziana** *** S. Antonio Abate** *** S. Maria ai Monti**

| S. Maria dell'OrtoThey have consequently dayly Masses, and other service, and them selves every Sunday and holy day sing and say withal. (The guilds) adorne their Churches and Chaples, furnish their oratories and altars and al divine Service, celebrate and solemnize their Principal Festes with such holy emulation, that every Companie for the abilitie and condition thereof striveth to beare the bell. | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Litania Septiformis, a great processionLet no man presume to doe any other businesse, but coming together to the Churche of the holy mother of our Lord, we that together have al sinned, let us together al bewayle the evils that we have done. Let the Letanie or procession of the Clerkes, come forth from the Church of S. Jhon Baptist (S. Giovanni in Laterano); the Letanie of the men, from the Church of the blessed Martyr Marcellus (S. Marcello); the Letanie of the Monkes, from the Church of the Martyrs Jhon and Paul (SS. Giovanni e Paolo); the Letanie of the Nunnes, from the Churche of the blessed Martyrs Cosmas and Damiane (SS. Cosma e Damiano); the Letanie of the maried wemen, from the Church of the first blessed Martyr Steven (S. Stefano Rotondo); the Letanie of the widowes, from the Church of the Martyr Vitalis (S. Vitale); the Letanie of the poore people and of infantes, from the Churche of the blessed Martyr Cecilie. | | S. Maria in TrastevereIn our Ladies Church beyond the river Tyber, what a miraculouse monument is the place within yron gates neere the highe aultar, where in the reigne of Augustus Cesar (and as some write in the verie night that our Saviour was borne) there gushed out of the earth a fountayne of oyle that ranne for the space of one day with a great streame into Tyber; signifying (..) that in that Emperours daies (the 42 yeare of his reigne) Christ the Anoynted King and Priest and Prophet should be borne, the plentiful fountayne and aboundant streame of spiritual oyle, which is grace, wherewith he was anoynted so farre above al other, that of his fulness al we have receaved: for this cause did Calixtus the Pope in the yeare of our lord 220 build a chapel in this place which now is growen to this beautiful Churche. | | Spedale di S. SpiritoThis is of al other the greatest, as it were a litle parish in it self for buildings and distinct roomes. (..) (It has) A great pothecarie shoppe, foure Phisicions, and two Surgeons: which byside al incident and urgent necessities, keepe their ordinary course to visite every one and to prescribe their diet, at certaine houres of the day. Servants for these sick and sore, 40. | | Devotion to the relicsIt were infinite to go through al particularly. Let us onlie generally conceave the reverence and religious devotion in al such places at Rome, where either the bodies of Saintes lie in their tombes, or where they dwelt sometime, and prayed and practised al those vertues workes which made them Saintes, or where they were imprisoned, scourged, tormented, put to death, or where God hath shewed most wonderful miracles to his glorie and for an eternal monument of such and such places. Of these thinges Rome is ful. (..) All these places are now Churches, where a good Christian hart may at this day feele the warmth of Martyrs bloud shed for the love of our Lord and theirs | | S. Maria MaddalenaThese be therfore so called bycause they are converted from their naughty life, and of common whoores and harlots made good Christian wemen. But how converted and what is the charity bestowed upon them? S. James saith, " He that shal convert a sinner shal save his soule from death, and hideth a multitude of sinnes." Two waies there are to worke their Conversion, thone by continual preaching unto them and persuading them by al scriptures and fathers and reasons to remember their soules health, and to repent and doe penance before they be taken away in their sinnes and abominations: the other is by honest and wise matrones of Rome, which either visite them sometime, or invite them to their company and vouchsafe them their familiarity, by that meanes to winne them, not fearing the stayne of their honour by the company of such, but contemning al pharisaical reproche, they matche them selves with the famous or rather infamous and notorious sinful wemen of the citie, such as sometime Marie Magdalen was, and so by their wordes and behaviour and promises and liberality toward them, they winne them to honest life and they plucke them out of the deepe pitte of dayly fornication, as it were raysing dead stinking carcasses out of their graves. | | PantheonThe Temples of False Goddes Made the Churches of Christ and his Sainctes - As the practise of Infidels was, for the extinguishing of Christian monuments to build in the places of Christes nativitie, Passion, Sepulcher, and Ascension, the temples of their false godds: (..) so contrariewise the faythfull and Christian Romaines have from Constantine the great extinguished and utterly defaced the temples of al false goddes, and consequently all Idolatrie, either by building Christian Churches in their place, or by altering and turning them from the services of Idols to the honour and service of the trew God, our lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (..) In Rome therefore, we have for the temple of all goddes, the Church of Our Ladie and of all Saintes. | | [Ancient Rome](SistoV5.html#Ancient Rome)So I sette a part al worldlie & prophane antiquitie thereof, commending & leaving it to them that for curiositie, or gaine, or whatsoever other vanitie, take great paines to abuse their travel and tyme in paltrie. They will tell perhappes goodly tales of the Capitol, the Amphitheatre, of Trajans pillar, Neroes palace, Diocletians bathes, the seven hills, & so foorth, but the Christian pilgrime and religious Reader whom I would instruct, in these thinges taketh only this delight, to se the ruines thereof, and how they are neglected, al Christian monumentes comming in their places; to se the victorie of Christ over the Diuel, of Peter over Nero, of the See Apostolike over the earthly Empyre. (..) Forum Romanum (was) as solenne a place then as westmester and westmester hal, is now the oxe fayre, called Forum Boarium. The triumphal vaultes sometime most sumptuous in the honour of their victories, come daily to nothing. | | S. Prassede and S. PudenzianaThou shalt see (wemen) especially) goe upon theyr knees from S. Potentiana to our Ladies great Church (S. Maria Maggiore), that is, from the botome of the Hil to the toppe, over litle stones and gravel and rough way, leaving the very bloud behinde them. (..) You might knele over the place where is a verie pitte or a well as it were of martyrs bloud, taken with a sponge and gathered into one place by Praxedes, the glorious virgin | | S. Antonio Abate(there is) the famous Aultar of S. Anthonie the holie Eremite, where such experience of Gods justice against false and blasphemous swearers hath been so manifestly declared that no Italian dare take an othe at that Aultar, which he knoweth false, for feare lest S. Anthonies fyre consume him, as there is at this day example thereof, a burnt carcasse under the Chappel doore. | | S. Maria ai Monti this yere also 1580 April 26 was there a miraculous Image of our Lady disclosed and discovered by divine revelation: an ancient picture upon a ruinous wall of an old Chappel, as it is thought, where the lame and blind have been presently cured, the matter throughly examined, the thing famous to al the citie, and testified this day by infinite concurse to pray there, by the continual Masses there from morning to noone, and specially by the wonderful offerings esteemed 20,000 crownes, to the building of a goodly church there, the foundation whereof is already laid. |

#### Travellers covered in this section

*** Introductory page** *** Gregory Martin's "Roma Sancta", a description of Christian Rome in 1581** *** Fynes Moryson's An Itinerary: Containing His Ten Years Travel .. in Italy .. in 1594** *** John Evelyn's Diary and Correspondence related to his stay in Rome in 1644** *** Francis Mortoft's Journal of his travels in France and Italy in 1659** *** John Ray's Observations (..) made in a journey through part of (..) Italy in 1663** *** Richard Lassels' The Voyage of Italy, or a Compleat Journey through Italy in ca 1668** *** Joseph Addison's Remarks on several parts of Italy, in the years 1701, 1702, 1703** *** Jonathan and Jonathan Richardson's Account of Some of the Statues, etc. in Italy - 1722** *** Edward Wright's Observations made in France, Italy &c. in the years 1720, 1721 and 1722.** *** Excerpts from John Dyer's The Ruins of Rome written in 1740** *** Thomas Gray's Letters from France and Italy in 1739-1741** *** James Boswell's Letters on the Grand Tour in 1765** *** Tobias Smollett's Travels through France and Italy in 1765** *** John Moore's View of Society and Manners in Italy (in 1775) - publ. 1781** *** John Chetwode Eustace's Classical Tour of Italy (in 1802) - publ. 1813** *** Joseph Forsyth's Remarks on Antiquities, Arts, and Letters in Italy in 1802-1803** *** John Cam Hobhouse's Dissertations on the Ruins of Rome in 1818** *** Henry Matthews' Diary of an Invalid (in 1817-1818)** *** Anna Jameson's Diary of an Ennuy�e (in 1821-1822) - publ. 1826** *** Sir Charles Fergusson's Travel Notes a Journey Through Italy in 1824-1825** *** William Hazlitt's Notes of a Journey Through France and Italy in 1824-1825** *** Samuel Rogers' Italy - publ. in 1830 with illustrations by J.M. William Turner** *** Hans Christian Andersen's The Improvisatore - 1834 (Engl. translation 1845)** *** George Stillman Hillard's Six Months in Italy in ca 1847-1848**

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