453 
M A R T Y R. 
ated in the rudiments of learning at firft by his mother, 
who was a woman of a liberal education, and fo well 
{killed in the Latin language, that She could interpret to 
him the comedies of Terence from the original. After¬ 
wards he was placed under the inftruftions of a celebrated 
matter, who taught the foils of the firft families in the 
republic, among whom our young fcholar diftinguilhed 
himfelf by the avidity which he difcovered for learning, 
his inceffant application, and his rapid prog refs. When 
he was fixteen years of age, he conceived an inclination 
for the monadic life ; and took the habit among the regu¬ 
lar canons of the order of St. Auguttine, at the monaftery 
of Fiefoli, near Florence. In this monaftery he went 
through his courfe of rhetoric, diligently reading at the 
fame time the facred Scriptures ; and in the year 1519 he 
was fent to the monaftery of St. John of Verdera, at Padua, 
where he ftudied philofophy and the Greek .language. 
By his proficiency in thef'e different branches of fcience, 
he acquired the character of the firft fcholar in his order-5 
and he was as eloquent as he was learned. At the age of 
twenty-fix he was appointed to the Service of the pulpit; 
and preached to crowded auditories, with univerlal ap- 
plaufe, in feveral of the principal cities of Italy. Hitherto 
the divinity which he had ftudied was chiefly that of the 
fchools; but no-w he applied with the greatest diligence 
to the Study of the Scriptures: aud, that he might under¬ 
stand the whole of them in their original languages, he 
made himfelf matter of the Hebrew, by the afllliance of 
a Jewish phyfician at Bologna. Having thus well ltored 
his mind with the treafures of facred and profane litera- 
4u’-e, he read leftures in philofophy, divinity, and on the 
Greek language, in different houfes belonging to his or¬ 
der, (till profecuting his labours as a preacher, both in 
public and in the halls of the monalteries Being unani¬ 
mously chofen abbot of Spoleto, he retained that polt 
three years; during which he reformed the college and 
two nunneries dependent on it, which had become fcan- 
daloufly relaxed in discipline and morals ; and alfo by his 
prudence terminated the factious quarrels which had long 
divided the inhabitants of that place. At the etui of the 
term above’mentioned, he was appointed principal of the 
college of St. Peter at the Altar, in Naples: a poll of great 
dignity, and Supported by ample revenues. Here he ap¬ 
plied himfelf with increased afiiduity to the Study of the 
Scriptures; and, having met with the writings of Zningle 
and Bucer, became fully fenfible of many of the abules, 
both in doctrine and difeipline, of the church of Rome, 
and began to think favourably of the caule of the refor¬ 
mers. In this diSpoSition he was confirmed by his conver¬ 
sation with Some liberal and enlightened men at Naples, 
particularly with John Valdes, a Spanish lawyer; and he 
delivered his Sentiments very freely on the neceffity of 
reformation before many perl'ons of quality, in private 
meetings at Naples. Nay, he even ventured, in one of 
his public fermons, to maintain, that a particular text, 
commonly quoted in proof of the doilrine of purgatory, 
gave no countenance to that opinion. In confequence of 
what he Said on this occafion, a prohibition was iffued 
out againft his farther teaching or preaching; but he re¬ 
fused to obey it, and appealed to the pope; with whom 
cardinal Pole, and others of his friends at the court of 
Rome, who were not unfavourable to fome degree of re¬ 
formation, made Such interest, that he was left at liberty 
to continue his former labours. 
When Peter Martyr had been about three years at Na¬ 
ples, he was Seized with a dangerous illnefs; and, upon 
his recovery from it, the fathers of his order, apprehend¬ 
ing that the air of the/city.was unfavourable to his health, 
appointed him their visitor-general. In discharging the 
duties of this difficult and delicate poll, he conducted 
himfelf with great firmnels, impartiality, and prudence, 
to the Satisfaction of all the w-cll-difpofed, who were con¬ 
cerned Seir the credit ot the order, hut not without railing 
many enemies among the profligate and relaxed. He was 
afterwards appointed prior of St. Fridian’s at Lucca, one 
. Vob. XIV, No. 987. 
of the rich'eft abbeys belonging to the regular canon9. 
Here he exerted lumlelf with the greatest diligence in pro¬ 
moting the interests of found learning and religion, pro¬ 
curing men of abilities to inllruft the younger members, 
and perfonally watching over their conduct and improve¬ 
ment. But his fentiments now had gradually undergone 
a total change ; and he had adopted the opinions of the 
reformers from popery. To thefe opinions he had in pri¬ 
vate made feveral converts, among whom were Tremellius 
and Zanchios; and he no longer concealed them in his 
public difeourfes. This freedom of his occasioned his 
enemies to raife againft him the cry of herefy; and he was 
Summoned to give an account of himfelf before a general 
meeting of the order at Genoa. Well knowing, however, 
what fate he had to expeft Should he fall into the power 
of his enemies, he withdrew privately from Lucca, and 
came to Pifa. Here he celebrated the Lord’s Supper ac¬ 
cording to the manner of the reformed, with fome noble¬ 
men who had renounced the popish creed; and wrote let¬ 
ters to cardinal Pole, and to Lucca, affigning the reafons 
for his bidden departure from his monaftery, and expli¬ 
citly declaring the alteration which had taken place in his 
fentiments. From Pifa he went to Florence, where he 
met the celebrated Bernard Ochinus, who, like him¬ 
felf, had turned proteftant, and determined to renounce 
his country for confcience-fake. Quitting Florence, he 
palled through the northern parts of Italy without being 
discovered, and arrived fafe in Swiflerland, where he was 
received with the greatest hofpitality and friendship by 
Bullinger and the other ininifters of Zurich, in the year 
154.2.. As the churches in that place were fully fupplied 
with pallors, he went from thence to Bafil ; whence, at 
the requelt of Bucer, he was invited to StraSburg, where 
he filled the theological chair for five years, and main¬ 
tained the utmoli harmony with that eminent reformer as 
his colleague in the ministerial office. 
In the year 154.6, Peter Martyr followed the example 
of Luther, and married a nun who had efcaped from a 
convent, and become a proteftant. In the year 1547, by 
the advice of archbishop Cranmer, king Edward VI. in¬ 
vited him into England, together with Bucer, Fagius, and 
other learned reformers; and appointed him profelfor of 
divinity at Oxford in 1549: foon after, he was promoted 
to a canonry of ChriSt-church, and admitted to the degree 
of D. D. In this Situation Peter Martyr continued faith¬ 
fully and diligently occupied in diffeminating fcriptural 
knowledge, maintaining a constant correspondence with 
the heads of the English reformation, and particularly 
with archbishop Cranmer, who frequently reforted to his 
advice, till the death of king Edward, and the acceffion 
of queen Mary. On this event all the foreign proteftants 
were ordered to leave the kingdom ; and, as Peter Martyr 
had not come into it of his own accord, but in confe¬ 
quence of an invitation from king Edward, he was fur¬ 
nished with the neceflary paflport for his departure. 
Having arrived on the continent, he was apprifed by his 
friends of defigns which were formed againft him in the 
popish countries through which he had to pais; and witli 
their afliftance was enabled to efcape the mifehiefs in¬ 
tended him, and to reach StraSburg in fafety. In this city 
his former friends congratulated him on his return to 
them, and the more warmly on account of the imminent 
dangers to which he had been expoled ; and the fenate 
paSTed a decree that he Should be replaced in their divi¬ 
nity-chair. But in 1556 he received an invitation from 
the Senate of Zurich to fill their profeflbrfliip of divinity 
which was juft become vacant: of this he accepted, and 
removed to that city, accompanied by his friend Mr. Jewel, 
afterwards bishop of Saiifpury, who had fled from per¬ 
secution in his native country. Here he fpent the re¬ 
mainder of iiis life, in high reputation as a profertbr and 
minister, greatly refpefted by all ranks of people. Upon 
the acceffion or queen Elizabeth to the crown ot England, 
efforts were made to bring him back to his profeSTorShip 
at Oxford; but without fuccefs. In 1561, he went to 
5 Z affilt 
