but also have seen good testimony of his learning in the said tongue, and having more experience of his good zeal to exercise his said talent towards all such as be desirous to be partakers of the same. Whereupon this is to pray and require you to accept him as his worthiness for his learning and diligence (as we trust) shall deserve. Whereby you shall not onely your selves receive the fruit to your own commendations, but also give us occasion to devise for your further commoditie as Almighty God shal move us, and our hability upon any occasion shal hereafter serve. And thus wishing to you the grace of God to direct your studies to His glory, and to the profit of the Commonwealth, we bid you al heartily wel to fare : from Lambith this 20th of May. —
Your loving friends,Matthue Cantuar.
Your loving friends,Edm. London.”
We have one allusion to his career in this chair. Rodolph Zuinglius, a grandson of the Swiss Reformer, wrote from Cambridge, 26th January 1572:—
“I rejoice, not so much on my own account, as for the sake of my studies, that I have the means and opportunity afforded me of hearing that most famous and learned man, Master Anthony Chevalier, to whom our Germany can scarce produce an equal in the knowledge of Hebrew, or one who can bear a comparison with him, except Immanuel Tremellius.”
Le Chevalier had a distinguished pupil named Jan Van der Driesche, a native of Oudenard (son of Clement, a Walloon refugee in London, and an ancien). He earned the following certificate:—
" Johannis Drieschii studia, tarn Hebrsea in quibus i 11 i fidelem et assiduam operam navavb quam Graeca quorum varia experimenta dedit, vehementer probo et laudo; morum integritatem, quam privatim quam in contubernio, integrum annum perspexi, et singularem pietatem et amo et colo. Quae non homininibus testata esse modb velim, sed Deo imprimis votis et precibus omnibus commendata, ut opus quod in ipso non vulgare dignatus est inchoare, ad fastigium usque perducat ad Suam Gloriam et ipsius salutem.
“Cantabrigiae, 15 Septembr. 1570.R. Cevallerius, Hebr. Professor.”
[This worthy pupil became famous as Joannes [or, Janus] Drusius, Professor at Leyden.]
On 27th January 1569-70, Le Chevalier had been presented to his long-expected Prebend of Canterbury — “the seventh prebend in that church,” says Strype. Through the diplomacy of Catherine de Medicis, the Huguenots were enjoying such tranquillity at home, that he was summoned back to Caen to resume his joint charge of pasteur and professor. He does not appear to have resigned his English preferments. If the Parker Society has correctly copied the date of young“Zuingli’s letter (quoted above), he was expected at Cambridge during the University terms 1571-2. Probably he duly resided and officiated during those terms, and dedicated the long vocation to his countrymen and students at Caen. Certainly he was in Caen in August 1572, and had to fly from the St. Bartholomew Massacre. He hastened to his adopted home, where his family were; but illness arrested him in Guernsey, in which island he made his will, dated 8th October 1572. Strype (in his life of Parker) gives an abstract of the will. He calls himself Rauf Le Chevalier (according to Strype) — probably Raoul, or Rodolphe. He speaks of the fidelity and constancy which he always found in his wife in all his persecutions for the gospel. He gives thanks to the “Right Worshipful and Most Dear Fathers,” the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, for all the gentleness and favour which he had received at their hands. He appeals for their kind offices to his widow and children, on the acknowledged ground that “he had taken pains according to his small talent in sundry churches and schools, and had always been content with his food and raiment.” He names his only son, Samuel, his daughters, Jael and Mary, and his nephews beyond sea, Robert, Anthony, and Oliver, He requests that Mr. Emanuel (Tremellius), Professor at Heidelberg, might be informed of his decease — he “who gave me my wife.” He had no debts; but the Church of Caen owed him two hundred and fifty livres[1] for travelling expenses. He trusted that our Queen will continue without deduction the grant made to himself, and that she would deal with his family as King Edward VI. had done in the case of the widow of Martin Bucer, whom his Majesty of blessed memory had invited to remain in England, promising to see to the marrying of her daughters. He addressed his requests to the two Archbishops, “for God’s sake, and for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and for the love of the Holy Ghost,” and his concluding sentence was, “Lord Jesus, come for the defence of the poor churches.” He died at Guernsey, at the age of sixty-five.
- ↑ A livre in the old French coinage was the equivalent of a modern franc. Therefore 250 livres represent about ten pounds sterling. His “travelling” must have been from Cambridge to Caen, and the return journeys.
